Podcasts about lystra acts

Stoned at Lystra | Acts 14:8-20 | 21 May 2025 - Wednesday Evening | Dr. Brad Weniger, Pastor

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

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The Rev. Nick Lannon continues his study of Acts with a look at chapter 14. Paul and Barnabas preach in Iconium (v.1-7), heal a lame man in Lystra (v.8-10), and correct some pagans who seek to worship them as gods (v.11-18). The crowds are eventually persuaded to stone Paul (v.19), but Paul picks himself up, returns to the churches he's planted, and ends his first missionary journey back in Antioch (v.20-28).

Today we have the pleasure of hearing a message given by one our missionaries Jon Riemer. From the Book of Acts, he teaches us about Paul and Barnabas' mission trip in Lystra. Join us Sundays at 8:30 and 10:30am!

Unwavering Faith” ;     Romans 1:2–5;   There are few questions that have arisen over the course of human history that have caused more controversy than, “Who is Jesus?” As you well know, there is a wide variety of opinions on this matter, but not for Paul. The gospel he preached has as much to do with who Jesus is as it does with what He did. By the second verse of this letter he's already begun to clarify who this Person is, who his Lord is, and there's not a hint of doubt in his tone as he writes. For him, Jesus is the promised Son of David and the divine Son of God, and he spends no time at all trying to explain how He could be both of these things at once. Maybe such unwavering faith came easily for Paul because he actually saw Jesus in His resurrected glory and heard Him say, “I am Jesus, the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 22:8). Or maybe his unwavering confidence came from his “out of body” experience (2nd Corinthians 12:2–4) which I assume took place when he apparently died and was resuscitated after being stoned at Lystra (Acts 14:19–20). Seeing the glories of heaven with your own “eyes” must settle many theological questions. You'd think that after an experience like that, one would be inclined to simply believe. But few of us have had experiences like his, yet God still calls us to believe and surrender our lives with unwavering trust like we see in Paul. How can that happen? How can we believe so completely without first seeing the resurrected Jesus with our own eyes?

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

The message this week is titled "Lystra" by Pastor Cole Tawney discussing Acts 13:13-52 in our sermon series called “On Mission for the Gospel” taking us through the book of Acts. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must be careful to not let our hearts chase after idols of religious leaders but to seek Jesus and His kingdom at all costs. Thanks for watching!

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

Mission to Lystra - Acts 14:1-20 (Nate Edmondson) by Highlands Community Church

This week BibleWorm reads the story of Paul and Barnabas in Lystra as told in Acts 13:1-3 and 14:8-18. We talk about Paul's public healing of a man who cannot walk and think about the mutual faith that is required between the man and Paul, to trust each other enough for a healing to take place. We discuss the confusion of the townspeople, who want to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods, and recognize the tendency of all humans, including ourselves, to confuse the power of holiness with the physical forms in which we experience it. And we notice Paul's observation that God is constantly working miracles in subtler ways. If we're impressed by a healing, how much more so should we be impressed that God gives us rain, harvest, food, and happiness. The miraculous is all around us, if only we have the faith to see it.

4/20/23. Five Minutes in the Word scriptures for today: Acts 14:8-10. Paul discerns that the lame man is ready to be healed. Resources: enduringword.com; biblehub.com; logos.com; Matthew Henry Commentary; and Life Application Study Bible. Check out my new blog! https://minutesword.blogspot.com/?m=1 #Podchaser list of "60 Best Podcasts to Discover for November 2021" Listen, like, follow, share! #MinutesWord; @MinutesWord; #dailydevotional #christianpodcast #MinutesWord #christianpodcaster Available on Spotify and most podcast apps! #prayforukraine #voiceofthemartyrs #prayforTurkey #prayforSyria

4/19/23. Five Minutes in the Word scriptures for today: Acts 24:5-7. Paul and Barnabas flee for their lives from Iconium. Resources: enduringword.com; biblehub.com; logos.com; Matthew Henry Commentary; and Life Application Study Bible. Check out my new blog! https://minutesword.blogspot.com/?m=1 #Podchaser list of "60 Best Podcasts to Discover for November 2021" Listen, like, follow, share! #MinutesWord; @MinutesWord; #dailydevotional #christianpodcast #MinutesWord #christianpodcaster Available on Spotify and most podcast apps! #prayforukraine #voiceofthemartyrs #prayforTurkey #prayforSyria

First preaching journey (Acts 13-14), continued Treated like Gods in Lystra (Acts 14:8-20) Sustaining souls (Acts 14:21-23) Paul turned…

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

Paul and Barnabas continue their journey discipling the nations. This time they go to Lystra where Paul heals a crippled man and the town priest and its residents mistake Paul and Barnabas for the Greek Gods Zeus and Hermes. Paul preaches the gospel and gets stoned. If you are in the neighborhood we would love to have you gather with us on Sundays at 76 Lewis Mill Rd. in Gatesville at 10 a.m. If there is anything we can do for you please reach out and let us know. Connect with us at: hopegatesville.com hopegatesville@gmail.com Online Giving YouTube Facebook

Acts 14:24-28 ESV 24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples. FOLLOWING UP THE BELIEVERS On their way back home in this first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas revisited their new friends. From Derbe, they could have crossed the Tarsus mountain range and taken a short boat ride. Instead, they backtrack through the cities where they have established churches to give more instruction and select leaders (v.23). Thus, they passed through Pisidia to Pamphylia to Perga to Attali and to Antioch, where they were commissioned. They knew that preaching the gospel and making converts is not enough to establish strong local churches. The new believers need leadership, more training, and answers to their questions (v. 22–23). They know they can't directly pastor every church they plant. They must trust that God will equip local people to take on leadership roles so the church can grow. The qualifications for elders are given in 1 Tim 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9, but other notes can be found in Jas 5:14, 1 Pet 5:1–4, and Heb 13:17. Push forward, Paul will visit these churches again on his second journey, meeting Timothy in Derbe of Lystra (Acts 16:1–6), and his third (Acts 18:23). He'll also write the book of Galatians to make sure the Gentiles understand they are saved without following the Jewish law. Paul's job is to establish the churches well. It's the Holy Spirit's work to keep them. Paul and Barnabas have arrived home in Antioch of Syria after spreading Jesus' offer of salvation and establishing churches in the territory of Galatia in central modern-day Asia Minor (Acts 13:1–3). This is the first report of Gentile followers of Jesus, who had not previously worshiped the Jewish God in Europe. The first was in Syrian Antioch. God has promised Abraham that He would bless the world through him (Gen 12:3). Isaiah prophesied God telling the Messiah, "I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (Isa 49:6). God's plan was always to save Gentiles as well as Jews. -------------------- Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

Saturday, 11 June 2022   And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. Acts 8:6   The previous verse found Philip having gone down to the city of Samaria and preaching Christ to them. With that, Luke now records, “And the multitudes with one accord.” The meaning is that with the preaching of Philip, there is a united response.   This is something that is not unusual. When a multitude is presented with something, if one pays heed, those around him will too. Eventually, the entire multitude will respond in the same way. It may be a favorable response or one which is unfavorable, but either way, it is how things often transpire. In this case, Luke notes that this large crowd unitedly “heeded the things spoken by Philip.”   The first verb is imperfect and the second is a present participle. More rightly, it says that they “were giving heed to the things being spoken by Philip.” Luke draws his reader into what was occurring and presents it clearly and precisely. There is an active element to what is being presented.   Philip was there preaching to the people. As he spoke, another ear turns to listen, and then another, and soon the whole crowd is engaged as he continues to speak. With that set before us, Luke next describes the ongoing scene as the people were “hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.”   More correctly, the word translated as “miracles” signifies “signs.” Also, the final verb is a present participle. They were “hearing and seeing the signs which he was doing.” Everything is presented for the reader's mind to participate in what is said. Philip is performing signs that point to the truth of his presentation of Jesus as the Messiah, and while he is doing these things, those watching are engaged in the process, carefully paying attention. With this in mind, Luke will next explain what the signs Philip is performing are.   Life application: At times, it is better to have a small audience that is personal in order to convey one's intent. However, there are times when a person is skilled enough in speaking or in performing that going into a public space will have the most impact. One has to decide what his own level of skill and confidence is in order to know if he will be able to effectively hold captive a large gathering.   Additionally, it must be considered whether one's message is going to be received favorably or not. If it will be that is a bonus. But if the people are not sympathetic to the words being presented, he may end up like Stephen instead of Philip. A message may also be received favorably at the beginning, but then it gets redirected in some manner so that the mood of the crowd changes. This is what will happen to Paul and Barnabas while they are in the city of Lystra (Acts 14).   One must be able to quickly adapt to a changing crowd or the message may go from being received favorably to one where a shower is needed because of all the tomatoes being thrown. Regardless of the size of the crowd though, it is right that we do our best to tell those we encounter about Jesus. This should be a main goal of each person who has been saved by Him. Whether by handing out a tract, inviting someone to church, or actively speaking about Him, let us do our best to always convey this message of hope.   Lord God, help us to be bold in our willingness to speak out the gospel message to others. It is Your powerful message that can save, but it will not do so if it is not shared. Help us in this so that the people we encounter will at least be given the chance to respond. To Your glory, Amen.  

Episode 149 – Truth and Proof – Part 9 – The New Testament is Reliable Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: …why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 1 Corinthians, Chapter 15, verses 12 through 14, New Living Translation ******** Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. As listeners who have been with us for the last several episodes know we have been working on a series that addresses Christian apologetics. We’ve called this series “Truth and Proof.” This series was inspired by Dr. Gregg Alexander who has been teaching Sunday school for more than 25 years. Several years ago Dr. Alexander developed a very similar series for his class. When we learned about it, we were so impressed we wanted everyone to have access to the wonderful work Dr. Alexander had done. And Dr. Alexander has been kind enough to join us on a few of our episodes during the series. But today we are joined by another special guest. Today on the show we have Doug Apple who is the manager of the WAVE-94 radio station in Tallahassee, Florida. Doug is an extremely faithful student of the Bible and he has thought deeply about his faith. Doug would you like to take a couple of minutes and tell us a little about yourself? DOUG: - Introductory comments - VK: Wow. 14 grandchildren! That’s such a blessing and I’m sure one of the reasons Doug has been so blessed is because of his love for – and dedication to – God’s Word. Doug is so serious about his love of scripture that he has taken upon himself to memorize entire books of the Bible including several from the New Testament. So, it’s particularly appropriate for us to have Doug here today because today on Anchored by Truth we are going to tackle one of the most important topics about the truth of Christianity – the reliability of the New Testament documents. The New Testament is the part of the Bible that tells us about Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. DOUG: And, of course, we get the very title of our faith from Jesus. Jesus was the Christ. The term “Christ” comes from the Greek word Christos which means the “anointed one” or the “chosen one.” This is the same term as “Messiah” which came from the ancient Hebrew word “Mashiach.” So, Christianity is essentially a belief in the work and person of Christ. And while that sounds very simple to say it’s actually a truth so profound we’ll spend all eternity understanding it more thoroughly. But we certainly begin our understanding of that truth by reading the New Testament documents. As such, knowing that the New Testament is reliable and true is a fundamental part of demonstrating that the God that logic tells us must exist is, in fact, the God of the Bible. VK: Christianity depends entirely on the historical person of Jesus Christ. Otherwise Paul could not have said the verse that we heard in our opening scripture from 1 Corinthians. Notice that Paul said, “For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.” The Apostle Paul stated very plainly that the Christian faith is all about Jesus. And, while there is information about the Messiah in the Old Testament, that information is prophetic. The Old Testament anticipates the arrival of Jesus. But it is in the New Testament that hear we hear about that arrival. Therefore, since the New Testament is the primary source of information about the words and works of Christ, if it is not accurate then we do not possess a first-hand account of Jesus’ claims, character, and credentials. The historical integrity of the New Testament is crucial to Christian apologetics. DOUG: Before we get too much into our discussion about why we can have confidence in the reliability of the New Testament, we should probably note that there are some people who believe that no history can be objectively known. Unfortunately, we live in a time when the past is often manipulated by the subjective desires of historians, writers, politicians, social change advocates, con artists, or others who have an agenda that is served by a revision of history. Political correctness doesn’t just affect how contemporary issues are being framed. It is also being woven into all kinds of discussions of history. Pretty much everyone who is paying attention knows that. But political correctness is not what I’m talking about here. There is a strain of thought among some elites, especially academic elites, who believe that it is impossible for us to know anything true from or about history. VK: But the kind of radical skepticism that would say that history is objectively unknowable eliminates the possibility of knowing anything at all about the past. As soon as we get anywhere close to such a radical belief all university history and classical departments evaporate – there is no source about past events that can be trusted. Such skepticism would eliminate all historical science, such as anthropology, geology, paleontology, archaeology, and forensic science because each of these depends on examining and interpreting remains or evidence from the past. Since everything not occurring now is history, such a belief system would eliminate all eyewitness testimony. Even living witnesses could only testify to what they saw at some other point in time. But if this skepticism were true their testimony would not be considered relevant, real, or accurate. On the other hand, if their testimony could be accepted while they are living, wouldn’t it also be true to say that the records they leave behind are just as credible as their testimony in the present time? DOUG: And, another question: isn’t a statement that says we can’t objectively know history an attempt at establishing an absolute and objective truth about history? The statement that “The past is not objectively knowable” is itself an objective statement about the past. Therefore, the position against the knowability of history is self-defeating. It fails the test of its own central premise. In effect, metaphorically speaking, the idea that we can’t know anything true from or about history shoots itself in the head. VK: So, let’s move on to talking about the reliability of the New Testament documents. As we have indicated without a reliable New Testament, we have no objective, historical way to know what Jesus said or did. We cannot establish whether Jesus was God, what Jesus taught, or what His followers did and taught. We must know if the sources or witnesses used by the authors were reliable, and we must show that the manuscripts were written early enough and with enough attention to detail to be accurate records of actual events. As we look at these questions, we will see that we have every reason to be confident in the accuracy of the New Testament. DOUG: So, what you’ve proposed is that the first step in establishing the historical accuracy of the New Testament is to show that the documents were written by reliable eyewitnesses of the events or their contemporaries. And the second step you mentioned is to show that the New Testament documents have been accurately transmitted from the time of their original autographs, i.e. the original documents, down from the time of their creation to our time. And contrary to what many critics believe and say, there is more evidence for the historical accuracy of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ than for any other event from the ancient world. These issues are a crucial part of the overall rational defense of Christianity. VK: So, let’s start by looking first at one of the things we just mentioned: the dating of the New Testament manuscripts. One of the things we want to determine is whether they were “early enough?” In other words, were they prepared close enough in time to the events they tell us about to be reliable? Critics of the Bible and of Christianity would have better arguments if they are able to separate the actual events from the records of those events by as much time as possible. If they can stretch out the time from the date of the event to when the event was first recorded they can argue that the New Testament writers created the events rather than reported them. This then permits them to argue that the New Testament, especially the Gospels, more than likely contains myths. This is a common assertion among scholars. The longer the time between an event and the first record made about it the more likely that embellishments will creep in. And another thing we want to determine is the question of authorship. Said differently, we want to be sure that the record writer was not too greatly removed from the event. Distance is not a problem if the writer was also an eye witness of the event, but historical records are often prepared by people who were not eye witnesses themselves. But we would still consider a record to be reliable if the writer spoke directly to an eye witness or had direct access to supporting information such as records or artifacts that corroborated key details. DOUG: So, let’s take a look at some specifics at one of the most important books of the New Testament, the book of Acts. The Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were both written by Luke. The person to whom they were written “Theophilus”, the style, and the vocabulary indicate that they were, indeed, written by the same person. The date and authenticity of the Acts of the Apostles is crucial to the historical account of early Christianity, because if Acts was written before AD 70 then it has great historical value in informing us of the earliest Christian beliefs. AD 70 is a crucial date because that was when the famous Roman general and later emperor, Titus, destroyed Jerusalem. When Titus destroyed Jerusalem a great many Jews died and the rest were scattered. The nation of Israel disappeared in 70 AD and would not be restored for almost 2 millennia. It was ultimately reconstituted in 1948 by the allies after World War II. VK: So, if the book of Acts was written before 70 AD there’s a much better chance Luke would have been able to speak to eyewitnesses while they were still alive. And the fact that Acts was written by Luke is also crucial. We know from Paul’s letters that Luke was a companion of the Apostle Paul during many of his ministry travels. Therefore, if Acts was written by Luke, it brings us right to the apostolic circle. In other words this means Acts was written by someone who would been a close companion to those who participated in the events reported. And Luke himself was likely an eyewitness to some of the events. In other words, we have the very closest relationship of the author to the historical report. DOUG: Right. So, that is one big point about the historicity of the book of Acts. The author would have had personal knowledge of the events he recorded or he spoke to people who had personal knowledge. As to the question of the when Acts as written, the traditional date assigned to the creation of Acts is 62 AD. This means it was written before the loss of many of the eyewitnesses from the destruction of Jerusalem. It also means it was written by a contemporary of Jesus himself because Jesus died in approximately 33 AD. One person who has assigned a date for the composition of Acts to no later than 62 AD is Roman historian Colin Hemer. Hemer cites a wide range of evidence for his view. For instance, there is no mention in the book of Acts of the fall of Jerusalem. This would be an extremely unlikely omission if the fall of Jerusalem had already occurred. Acts contains no hint of the outbreak of the Jewish War which occurred in AD 66. Acts also does not mention the dramatic deterioration of relations between Romans and Jews which preceded the war. This implies it was written before that time. Moreover, there is no hint of the deterioration of Christian relations with Rome which was caused by Nero’s persecution of the Christians in the late 60s. Hemer believes that Acts was most likely composed between 60 AD and 62 AD because of these and other factors. VK: The other factors include the fact that there is no hint of the death of Jesus’ half-brother, James, at the hands of the Sanhedrin. According to the famous Jewish historian, Josephus, in his book, Antiquities, James was martyred in 62 AD. Had the martyrdom of James already occurred it is extremely unlikely that Luke would have ignored an event that important to the early church. Also, the prominence and authority of the Jewish sect called the Sadducees noted in Acts belongs to the pre-70 AD era. This indicates that Acts was written before the collapse of the Sadducees’ political cooperation with Rome. DOUG: Yes. Also, Luke doesn’t give any indication in the book of Acts that he is aware of Paul’s letters, his epistles, to the various churches in Greece and Asia. In both his gospel and in Acts Luke is very careful about getting particular details right. If Acts was written later in the first century, why wouldn’t Luke have attempted to support his historical account by citing relevant sections of the Epistles? The Epistles evidently circulated through the churches and must have become available sources because they were passed along in every generation. This silence suggests that Acts was written early during the apostolic era. Finally, the ending of the book of Acts does not continue Paul’s story. It simply stops at the end of the two year described in Acts 28, verses 30-31. VK: Those verses say “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” DOUG: So, the fact that Acts just ends with a simple declaration of what Paul had been doing for the previous two years makes it look very much like Luke was just bringing his narrative up to date at that point. Remember, that Luke tells us that he was writing both of the books attributed to him to a man named Theophilus in order for Theophilus to “know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” In his book, The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History, Hemer says, “It may be argued simply that Luke had brought the narrative up to date at the time of writing, the final note being added at the conclusion of the two years.” So, all of these factors tell us that the date for the composition of the book of Acts was quite likely not later than 62 AD and may have been even earlier. VK: So why have we spent so much time now focusing on demonstrating that the book of Acts is a reliable record of history. How does this fit in to our larger goal of establishing that the God that exists is the God of the Bible? DOUG: Because, if Acts is shown to be accurate history, then it brings credibility to its reports about the most basic Christian beliefs. For instance, the book of Acts contains accounts of the life, death (Acts 2:23), resurrection (Acts 2:23, 29–32), and ascension of Christ (Acts 1:9–10). It also contains the records of a number of miracles (Acts 2:22) and it gives us important contextual information that enable us to make better use of that Paul’s letters to the churches that are also important parts of the New Testament. VK: Acts also contains significant details about Jerusalem, Rome, and many other geographical areas that have been extensively substantiated by historical and archaeological research. In other words, Acts is confirmed by overwhelming evidence. Nothing like this amount of detailed confirmation exists for any other book from antiquity. This is not only a direct confirmation of the earliest Christian belief in the death and resurrection of Christ, but also, indirectly, of the Gospel record, since Luke also wrote a detailed Gospel. The evidence that we have that validates Acts confirms not only the historical accuracy of the book of Acts but also the reliability and validity of several other books of the New Testament. DOUG: Exactly. Luke’s Gospel directly parallels the Gospels of Mark and Matthew. As we’ve been talking about, the best evidence is that Acts was composed around AD 60 which places its composition only about twenty-seven years after the traditional dating of the death of Jesus. This places the writing during the lifetime of eyewitnesses to the events recorded – and as we have mentioned this enhances our confidence in the trustworthiness of what it reports. This dating of Acts does not allow time for any mythological development by persons living generations after the events. Furthermore, if Luke wrote Acts, then his “former treatise” (Acts 1:1), the Gospel of Luke, should be seen as written at an even earlier date, and, therefore, easily within the life-time of apostles and eye-witnesses who could have refuted all or part of Luke’s Gospel if he had gotten anything wrong. VK: And as we have mentioned in other episodes of Anchored by Truth we have to remember that all of the New Testament documents were being written in a world that was largely hostile to Christianity. If Luke had been creating fabrications it would have been easy for the people of the time to rebut his books and many of the people of the time had a strong motivation for doing so. The fact that Luke’s records have survived with the content they did tells us that he was reporting the truth. DOUG: So, let’s take a quick look at some of the other writings of Paul. It is widely accepted by critical and conservative scholars that 1st Corinthians was written by AD 55 or 56. This is only about a quarter century after the crucifixion. Further, in 1 Corinthians Paul speaks of “most” of the 500 eyewitnesses to the resurrection who were still alive when he wrote (15:6). This shows that was a substantial body of people at the time that Paul wrote who could confirm the central fact of the Christian faith, Christ’s resurrection from the dead. VK: And along with 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians and Galatians are known to be early. All three reveal a historical interest in the events of Jesus’ life and give facts that agree with the Gospels. Paul speaks of Jesus’ virgin birth (Galatians 4:4), sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21), death on the cross (1 Corinthians 15:3); resurrection on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4), and post-resurrection appearances (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). Paul also gives historical details about Jesus’ contemporaries, the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:5-8), including his private encounters with Peter and the apostles (Galatians 1:18-2:14). DOUG: Critics of the New Testament sometimes claim that the New Testament was not written until almost 400 years after Jesus lived – but these critics are confusing the date that the New Testament documents were written with the time at which they were compiled into the form that we most commonly see them today. We have abundant evidence that the New Testament documents were all prepared well before the end of the 1st century AD. For example, we know that the many of the books of the New Testament were widely quoted by the early church fathers starting in the late 1st century AD. Well for the early church fathers to quote the documents they had to have already been in wide circulation. VK: For instance, of the four Gospels alone there are 19,368 citations by the church fathers from the late first century on. This includes 268 by Justin Martyr who lived from 100 AD until 165 AD. There were 1017 by Clement of Alexandria who lived from approximately 155 AD to 220 AD and there were 3822 by Tertullian who lived around the same time. DOUG: And even earlier, Clement of Rome cited Matthew, John, and 1 Corinthians in AD 95-97. Ignatius referred to six Pauline Epistles in about 110 AD, and between 110 and 150 Polycarp quoted from all four Gospels, Acts, and most of Paul’s Epistles. Papias who was a companion of Polycarp quoted from the Gospel of John. This is particularly significant because Polycarp knew John personally and was a disciple of the apostle John. This argues powerfully that the Gospels were in existence before the end of the first century, while eyewitnesses (including the Apostle John) were still alive. Jose O’Callahan, a Spanish Jesuit paleographer, made headlines around the world on March 18, 1972, when he identified a manuscript fragment from the Dead Sea Scrolls, Qumran Cave 7 as a piece of the Gospel of Mark. Fragments from this cave had previously been dated between 50 BC and AD 50 which in 1972 was not typically thought of as being within the time frame for New Testament writings. Using the accepted methods of papyrology and paleography, O’Callahan compared sequences of letters with existing documents and eventually identified nine fragments as belonging to one Gospel, Acts, and a few Epistles. Some of these were dated slightly later than 50, but still extremely early. VK: Both friends and critics agreed that, if valid, O’Callahan’s conclusions revolutionize New Testament theories. If O’Callahan is correct, the implications for Christian apologetics are enormous. The Gospel of Mark must have been written within the lifetimes of the apostles and contemporaries of the events. This completely eliminates any time for mythological embellishment of the record. It must be accepted as historical. And since the manuscripts found in the Dead Sea scrolls are not originals but copies, the originals would have necessarily been written earlier. This means these parts of the New Testament would have certainly been copied and disseminated during the lives of the writers. These early dates do not allow time for myths or legends to creep into the stories about Jesus. Historians generally agree legend development takes at least two full generations. Even putting aside O’Callahan’s claims, the cumulative evidence places the New Testament documents within the first century and the lives of eyewitnesses of Jesus’s life and resurrection. DOUG: There is a growing acceptance of early New Testament dates, even among some critical scholars. Let’s take a quick look at two of them illustrate this point: former liberal archeologist William F. Albright and radical critic John A. T. Robinson. Albright wrote, “We can already say emphatically that there is no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after about AD 80, two full generations before the date between 130 and 150 given by the more radical New Testament critics of today” (Recent Discoveries in Bible Lands, 136). Elsewhere Albright said, “In my opinion, every book of the New Testament was written by a baptized Jew between the forties and the eighties of the first century (very probably sometime between about AD 50 and 75)” (“Toward a More Conservative View,” 3). Known for his role in launching the “Death of God” movement, Robinson wrote a revolutionary book entitled Redating the New Testament. In it he determined that the New Testament books should be dated even earlier than even the most conservative scholars ever believed. Robinson places Matthew at AD 40-60, Mark at about 45-60, Luke at or before 57-60, and John at 40-65. This would mean that one or two Gospels could have been written as early as 7-10 years after the crucifixion. At the latest they were all composed within the lifetimes of eyewitnesses and contemporaries of the events who could have refuted any parts of the accounts had they been in error. VK: In short we have very strong evidence that the New Testament documents were written very close to the time of the events they record. We know that they were composed by either eyewitnesses to the events or the authors had direct access to eyewitnesses. And we have so many quotations from the original documents in the writings of the early church fathers we can be very sure that the transmission of the original texts was reliable. This sounds like a time to go to God I prayer. Today let’s listen to a prayer for our country – that God’s hand of mercy and provision would be with us now and always. ---- PRAYER FOR THE NATION (MARCUS) VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Bible Quote from the New Living Translation) 1 Corinthians, Chapter 15, verses 12 through 14, New Living Translation SELECTED FACTS THAT DEMONSTRATE THE HISTORICITY OF ACTS Archaeologists at first believed Luke's implication wrong that Lystra and Derbe were in Lycaonia and Iconium was not (Acts 14:6). They based their belief on the writings of Romans such as Cicero who indicated that Iconium was in Lycaonia. Thus, archaeologists said the Book of Acts was unreliable. However, in 1910, Sir William Ramsay found a monument that showed that Iconium was a Phrygian city. Later discoveries confirm this. Evidence That Demands a Verdict - Ch. 4 p. 8 (angelfire.com) Similarly, Luke’s identifying Gallio as proconsul of Achaia in A.D. 51 has been confirmed by a discovered inscription at Delphi (18:12). His report of Claudius’ expulsion of the Jews from Rome around A.D. 49 is referred to by Suetonius (Life of Claudius, 25:4). His incidental reference to Felix as Roman procurator along with his Jewish wife Drusilla is corroborated both by both Josephus and Tacitus (24:24, cf. Ant. 20:131–43, History, 5:9, Annals, 12:54). His identification of Festus as Felix’s successor is likewise confirmed by Jospehus and Suetonius (Ant. 20:182; Claudius, 28). And his mentioning of Agrippa II and Bernice, elder sister of Drusilla and widow of Herod, is again corroborated by Jospehus (25:13, cf. Ant. 20:145). Is the Book of Acts Reliable? - Greg Boyd - ReKnew The topographical position of Iconium is clearly indicated in Acts, and the evidence of Ac has been confirmed by recent research. Was Iconium in Phrygia or in Lycaonia, and in what sense can it be said to have belonged to one ethnical division or the other? The majority of our ancient authorities (e.g. Cicero, Strabo, Pliny), writing from the point of view of Roman provincial administration, give Iconium to Lycaonia, of which geography makes it the natural capital. But Xenophon, who marched with Cyrus' expedition through Phrygia into Lycaonia, calls Iconium the last city of Phrygia. The writer of Acts 14:6 makes the same statement when he represents Paul and Barnabas as fleeing from Iconium to the cities of Lycaonia--implying that the border of Phrygia and Lycaonia passed between Iconium and Lystra, 18 miles to the South. Other ancient authorities who knew the local conditions well speak of Iconium as Phrygian until far into the Roman imperial period. At the neighboring city of Lystra (Acts 14:11), the natives used the "speech of Lycaonia." Two inscriptions in the Phrygian language found at Iconium in 1910 prove that the Phrygian language was in use there for 2 centuries after Paul's visits, and afford confirmation of the interesting topographical detail in Ac (see Jour. Hell. Stud., 1911, 189). In the apostolic period, Iconium was one of the chief cities in the southern part of the Roman province Galatia, and it probably belonged to the "Phrygian region" mentioned in Acts 16:6. The emperor Claudius conferred on it the title Claudiconium, which appears on coins of the city and on inscriptions, and was formerly taken as a proof that Claudius raised the city to the rank of a Roman colonia. It was Hadrian who raised the city to colonial rank; this is proved by its new title, Colonia Aelia Hadriana Iconiensium, and by a recently discovered inscription, which belongs to the reign of Hadrian, and which mentions the first duumvir who was appointed in the new colonia. Iconium was still a Hellenic city, but with a strong pro-Roman bias (as proved by its title "Claudian") when Paul visited it. Iconium - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (biblestudytools.com)

Whatever situation you may be experiencing, when you put your trust in God you are going to make it. Our studies in the book of Acts have shown us that there were many times when it looked like the apostle Paul would not make it to the capital of the powerful Roman Empire where he believed God wanted him to testify about Jesus. There were times when he looked finished, times when the road ahead looked just too difficult to carry on, times when the dream seemed over. Yet as we reach the final part of the last chapter of Acts, we read in Acts 28:14 'And so we came to Rome'. This very matter of fact statement is actually an amazing phrase which means that despite everything Paul and his companions faced, they made it. If you have been reading through the book of Acts and following each twist and turn in the dramatic story of Paul's turbulent travels, you will understand what a big deal this was to get to Rome. In Acts 28:12-31 we see what was involved in Paul making it to Rome and the lessons that we can learn. 1. You can overcome every challenge (1 Corinthians 11:23-29; 2 Corinthians 4:9) 2. You can receive grace for every situation (1 Corinthians 2:3; 2 Corinthians 1:8-10; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:11-13) 3. You can succeed in fulfilling your life's calling (Acts 28:15-31; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; 2 Timothy 4:18) Apply Do you believe the Lord will bring you through any and every challenge you are currently facing? Reading through the book of Acts it was a series of miracles that Paul ever made it to Rome. Here are just some of the battles that he had to overcome: • His life was threatened in Damascus and Jerusalem (Acts 9:23, Acts 9:29) • He was persecuted in Pisidian Antioch and expelled from the region (Acts 13:50) • Stoned and left for dead in Lystra (Acts 14:19) • Seized by an angry mob, stripped, severely flogged and imprisoned at Philippi (Acts 16:23) • At the centre of a city-wide riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41) • Beaten by a violent crowd in Jerusalem who were trying to kill him (Acts 21:27-30) • Arrested and detained by the Roman authorities (Acts 22:24) • Imprisoned for two years in Caesarea. Acts 23:33-27:2 • And that's all before the great storm of Acts 27 and subsequent shipwreck. When comparing his life to false leaders who were deceiving the church, Paul summarised some of the hardships that he had gone through to faithfully spread the gospel (2 Corinthians 11:23-29). It's a big roll call of troubles that he had faced and yet he had come through them all. And you too can overcome every obstacle you will face in life, no matter how difficult it may be to see a way through at the time. Right now you may be feeling overwhelmed with all that is coming at you. But the Lord will bring you through. If things look over, God will make a way through for you. You may have been knocked down but you are not knocked out (2 Corinthians 4:9). And you are not going to be. You will survive. You will come through your storm. Your problems will not overcome you. You will overcome them with the help of the Lord who never leaves us or forsakes us. Have you learned to receive the grace and help of God in all situations? Paul was not some superhuman spiritual machine who never felt inadequate in times of trouble (1 Corinthians 2:3; 2 Corinthians 1:8-10). In other words, the great apostle Paul knew what it was to feel intense pressure in the trials of life, even to the point of despairing of life. But it was through such experiences that he learned a key secret: we must rely on God who has delivered us and will continue to deliver us. When he had one particular persisting trouble, which he described as a ‘thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment' him, the Lord told him “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul learned to receive the grace and help of God in all situations (Philippians 4:11-13). God's grace and strength are also always sufficient for each one of us, but we need to daily rely on Him. So be sure to really give your burdens to the Lord and to trust in Him with all your heart. Do you believe that, with the Lord's help, you can succeed in fulfilling your life's calling? Luke describes the moment that he and Paul finally arrived in Rome in early AD 60. He found that the good seeds he had sown in his letter to the believers three years before had born fruit (Acts 28:15-16). It took Paul just three days to settle in before he started ministering in Rome as he had always believed he would. As usual, he spoke first to his fellow Jews and their leaders who came in large numbers to where he was staying, and then focussed on sharing the gospel with the Gentiles (Acts 28:17-31). The story suddenly ends with Paul busy doing what he had always done: proclaiming 'the kingdom of God' and teaching 'about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance' (Acts 28:31). We don't know why Luke finished the book of Acts here, but Acts is essentially not a history of the apostle Paul, although he figures prominently. Rather it is an account of how the gospel spread from a small group of disciples in Jerusalem and was established within a generation in the very heart of the Roman Empire, from where it would spread across the world. In other words: mission accomplished. As we see in this last reference to the apostle Paul, we must always be busy about our Master's business of spreading the good news of God's Kingdom. Paul knew his end was and near and that he was ready for it (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Paul faced his imminent death and promotion to heaven with hope and joy. God had never failed him in the past and He was confident that 'The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen' (2 Timothy 4:18). Paul made it through every challenge of life and he was sure that when the moment came he would make it safely to heaven. Whatever you are experiencing right now, be assured that when you have the Lord at your side, both in life and in death, you too are going to make it.

Whatever situation you may be experiencing, when you put your trust in God you are going to make it. Our studies in the book of Acts have shown us that there were many times when it looked like the apostle Paul would not make it to the capital of the powerful Roman Empire where he believed God wanted him to testify about Jesus. There were times when he looked finished, times when the road ahead looked just too difficult to carry on, times when the dream seemed over.Yet as we reach the final part of the last chapter of Acts, we read in Acts 28:14 'And so we came to Rome'. This very matter of fact statement is actually an amazing phrase which means that despite everything Paul and his companions faced, they made it. If you have been reading through the book of Acts and following each twist and turn in the dramatic story of Paul's turbulent travels, you will understand what a big deal this was to get to Rome. In Acts 28:12-31 we see what was involved in Paul making it to Rome and the lessons that we can learn.1. You can overcome every challenge (1 Corinthians 11:23-29; 2 Corinthians 4:9)2. You can receive grace for every situation (1 Corinthians 2:3; 2 Corinthians 1:8-10; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:11-13)3. You can succeed in fulfilling your life's calling (Acts 28:15-31; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; 2 Timothy 4:18)ApplyDo you believe the Lord will bring you through any and every challenge you are currently facing? Reading through the book of Acts it was a series of miracles that Paul ever made it to Rome. Here are just some of the battles that he had to overcome:• His life was threatened in Damascus and Jerusalem (Acts 9:23, Acts 9:29)• He was persecuted in Pisidian Antioch and expelled from the region (Acts 13:50)• Stoned and left for dead in Lystra (Acts 14:19)• Seized by an angry mob, stripped, severely flogged and imprisoned at Philippi (Acts 16:23)• At the centre of a city-wide riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41)• Beaten by a violent crowd in Jerusalem who were trying to kill him (Acts 21:27-30)• Arrested and detained by the Roman authorities (Acts 22:24)• Imprisoned for two years in Caesarea. Acts 23:33-27:2• And that's all before the great storm of Acts 27 and subsequent shipwreck.When comparing his life to false leaders who were deceiving the church, Paul summarised some of the hardships that he had gone through to faithfully spread the gospel (2 Corinthians 11:23-29). It's a big roll call of troubles that he had faced and yet he had come through them all. And you too can overcome every obstacle you will face in life, no matter how difficult it may be to see a way through at the time. Right now you may be feeling overwhelmed with all that is coming at you. But the Lord will bring you through. If things look over, God will make a way through for you. You may have been knocked down but you are not knocked out (2 Corinthians 4:9). And you are not going to be. You will survive. You will come through your storm. Your problems will not overcome you. You will overcome them with the help of the Lord who never leaves us or forsakes us.Have you learned to receive the grace and help of God in all situations? Paul was not some superhuman spiritual machine who never felt inadequate in times of trouble (1 Corinthians 2:3; 2 Corinthians 1:8-10). In other words, the great apostle Paul knew what it was to feel intense pressure in the trials of life, even to the point of despairing of life. But it was through such experiences that he learned a key secret: we must rely on God who has delivered us and will continue to deliver us. When he had one particular persisting trouble, which he described as a ‘thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment' him, the Lord told him “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul learned to receive the grace and help of God in all situations (Philippians 4:11-13). God's grace and strength are also always sufficient for each one of us, but we need to daily rely on Him. So be sure to really give your burdens to the Lord and to trust in Him with all your heart. Do you believe that, with the Lord's help, you can succeed in fulfilling your life's calling? Luke describes the moment that he and Paul finally arrived in Rome in early AD 60. He found that the good seeds he had sown in his letter to the believers three years before had born fruit (Acts 28:15-16). It took Paul just three days to settle in before he started ministering in Rome as he had always believed he would. As usual, he spoke first to his fellow Jews and their leaders who came in large numbers to where he was staying, and then focussed on sharing the gospel with the Gentiles (Acts 28:17-31). The story suddenly ends with Paul busy doing what he had always done: proclaiming 'the kingdom of God' and teaching 'about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance' (Acts 28:31). We don't know why Luke finished the book of Acts here, but Acts is essentially not a history of the apostle Paul, although he figures prominently. Rather it is an account of how the gospel spread from a small group of disciples in Jerusalem and was established within a generation in the very heart of the Roman Empire, from where it would spread across the world. In other words: mission accomplished. As we see in this last reference to the apostle Paul, we must always be busy about our Master's business of spreading the good news of God's Kingdom. Paul knew his end was and near and that he was ready for it (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Paul faced his imminent death and promotion to heaven with hope and joy. God had never failed him in the past and He was confident that 'The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen' (2 Timothy 4:18). Paul made it through every challenge of life and he was sure that when the moment came he would make it safely to heaven. Whatever you are experiencing right now, be assured that when you have the Lord at your side, both in life and in death, you too are going to make it.

The gospel addresses the physical to get to the spiritual (v. 8-10, 16)The gospel is the cure for self-glory (v. 11-15a) The gospel exposes the vanity of our idols (15b)

This week Dave and Jeff take a close look at a well-known passage from ch. 14 of the Lukan history of the early church. As the apostles extend their preaching ministry into the Lycaonian region of Anatolia, they are mistaken for the gods Zeus and Hermes because of a miraculous healing Paul performs. The priest of Zeus wants to gin up a sacrifice, but the apostles risk life and limb, barely averting the ceremony. This story bears some interesting resemblance to a famous account in Ovid's Metamorphoses VIII of the old woman Baucis and her husband Philemon (and throw in the Christmas goose). Tune in for wide-ranging literary analysis of ξενία and more, possibly the worst pun Jeff has ever dropped, and a major programming announcement at the end. https://gofund.me/ad60e4a2

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

"This is a personal letter to Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He was converted during Paul's visit, to Lystra (Acts 16.1). He became Paul's special protégé, and, though evidently diffident and nervous in temperament, was his loyal assistant. He accompanied Paul on various missions and has now been left in charge of the church at Ephesus".    - From the introduction.   Originally published in Letters to Young Churches.

Continuing our series on the Book of Acts, Peter Leithart, James Bejon, Alastair Roberts & Jeff Meyers discuss Acts 14. Theopolitan Reading, by Peter Leithart athanasiuspress.org/product/theopolitan-reading/ - Psalm 98 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJuwPKEhU2c Psalm 12 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sidywTXXkU Psalm 120 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=SULIFaui76M Psalm 47 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=93HgY9dFX4c Psalm 1 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3igF7e-Lgs Psalm 2 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW-iT21hK7U Psalm 23 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux9zwc4zwGw Psalm 88 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbUANfrXOsw Psalm 46 Chant www.youtube.com/watch?v=93KjrXHmfz0 _ Sign up for In Medias Res & get our new e-book on Paedocommunion by Peter Leithart! mailchi.mp/0b01d726f2fe/inmediasres New audio project, the Theopolis Blogcast! Subscribe: theopolis-blogcast.simplecast.com/ Subscribe on Youtube for weekly theology videos: www.youtube.com/channel/UCu9ejEQ9Iq8-HWkQ6S53sfQ New Book! Theopolitan Liturgy! Amazon: amzn.to/2YtaD2m Athanasius: bit.ly/2sNYoRX Theopolis Blog: theopolisinstitute.com/theopolis-blog/ Website: theopolisinstitute.com Twitter: @_theopolis

Paul is writing this letter to his friend and protégé, Timothy. Paul met Timothy and his family in a city called Lystra (Acts 16:1-3), this place right in the middle of what is now modern-day Turkey. Paul was going around starting new churches and raising up a large team of coworkers to accomplish this mission (hence the term, apostle). And Paul was impressed by Timothy’s devotion to Jesus, and so he mentored him and trained him to shepherd other churches. Timothy was, exactly as Paul describes him, “a true son in the faith.” Now, later on, Paul hears about this group of leaders that had infiltrated the church Ephesus (a seaport town in the same region). They were spreading ideas about Jesus that were off the mark, and then leading people to follow him in some messed up ways. So Paul sends Timothy to confront these leaders and restore some order and refocus the church. The letter of 1 Timothy is a follow-up to see how things are going and to offer some wisdom on how to fulfill his mission, to lead the church, to train up new shepherds, and to always keep the main thing the main thing—that is, to be a church utterly and singularly conformed to the gospel.

Paul is writing this letter to his friend and protégé, Timothy. Paul met Timothy and his family in a city called Lystra (Acts 16:1-3), this place right in the middle of what is now modern-day Turkey. Paul was going around starting new churches and raising up a large team of coworkers to accomplish this mission (hence the term, apostle). And Paul was impressed by Timothy’s devotion to Jesus, and so he mentored him and trained him to shepherd other churches. Timothy was, exactly as Paul describes him, “a true son in the faith.” Now, later on, Paul hears about this group of leaders that had infiltrated the church Ephesus (a seaport town in the same region). They were spreading ideas about Jesus that were off the mark, and then leading people to follow him in some messed up ways. So Paul sends Timothy to confront these leaders and restore some order and refocus the church. The letter of 1 Timothy is a follow-up to see how things are going and to offer some wisdom on how to fulfill his mission, to lead the church, to train up new shepherds, and to always keep the main thing the main thing—that is, to be a church utterly and singularly conformed to the gospel.

The greatest thing anyone could ever say about you or I is that we served the Lord.

Paul’s Ministry in Iconium, Paul Viewed as a Deity in Lystra (Acts 14:3-13) from The Book of Acts – God’s Revelation of Transition by Dr. Randy White. Released: 2019. Track 45. Genre: Speech. Additional Materials: ( Outline | Video | Website | YouTubeChannel | ZoHo ) The post Paul’s Ministry in Iconium, Paul Viewed as a Deity in Lystra (Acts 14:3-13) appeared first on RWM Podcasts.

Northwest Bible Church - Aug. 18, 2019 - Book of Acts - Alan Conner Acts 14:1-22 Through Many Tribulations Intro A. ICONIUM (Acts 14:1-6) - 1. Gospel harvest (Acts 14:1). 2. Gospel hostility (Acts 14:2). 3. Gospel perseverance (Acts 14:3). 4. Gospel division (Acts 14:4-6). B. LYSTRA (Acts 14:8-20) - 1. Healing of lame man (Acts 14:8-10). 2. Paganized worship (Acts 14:11-18). a. Barnabas is ZEUS and Paul is HERMES (Acts 14:11-13). b. The apostles reaction (Acts 14:14-15a). c. Paul’s sermon to the pagans - Theology 101 (Acts 14:15b-18). 3. Paul is stoned and presumed dead (Acts 14:19-20a). C. DERBE (Acts 14:20-21) 1. Preaching the gospel. 2. Many disciples. 3. Return trip. LESSON: What is the mindset that is willing to endure persecution for Christ. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Healing & Salvation - Dr David Petts   In recent talks we saw several occasions where Jesus said Your faith has healed you. The Greek word used here is sozo which can also mean save. Does this mean that that healing is in some sense a part of salvation? The answer to this question is NOT NECESSARILY.   Is healing a part of salvation? The fact that sozo (which in the NT is usually translated 'save') is sometimes used to mean 'heal'[1] has been used by some to argue that healing is included in salvation.     John Nelson Parr (Divine Healing p26), for example, comments:   "If Peter included healing in 'being saved' (Acts 4:9) (…also note the same word in verse 12 twice), are we not justified in teaching that physical healing is included in the salvation purchased for us by the Prince of Life.?".   This conclusion is invalid, however, because it involves an elementary error in semantics. The fact that the same word is used twice in a passage does not necessarily imply that it is being used with the same meaning on both occasions.   Nevertheless it will be helpful briefly to consider the meaning and use of sozo.   The meaning of sozo The Greek verb is related to the adjective saos (safe) and means 'to make safe' and hence 'to deliver from a direct threat' and  'to bring safe and sound out of a difficult situation'.     Foerster lists four major areas of meaning for sozo: saving, keeping, benefiting, and preserving the inner being   Saving includes being snatched from peril especially in the context of war or of a sea-voyage 'deliverance' from judicial condemnation being 'saved' from an illness.   Keeping includes a king keeping a subject alive by granting pardon men being kept from perishing the spark of a fire being kept from going out lost money being ‘got back’, and of wine or goods being ‘kept’.   But sozo and soteria can have a purely positive content.   Benefiting Prayer is offered to Zeus for the soteria of the nation, for peace, wealth, the growth of crops and cattle With regard to healing sozomai can mean not only to be cured but to be in good health the oath ten men soterian which means ‘by my health’.   preserving the inner being of men or things   Plato thought that it was the task of the ruler to sozein the state by maintaining it as a constitutionally ordered state sozo and soteria often refer to the inner ‘health’ of man”.   So, long before the New Testament documents came to be written, sozo was being used in a wide variety of ways.    It is noteworthy, however, that in all the examples mentioned above the root meaning of being made or kept safe is clearly discernible.   This is also true of the use of sozo in the New Testament Each meaning carries with it the underlying suggestion of being made or kept safe.   The use of sozo in the New Testament New Testament writers use sozo and its cognates to mean being made or kept safe whenever such terminology is appropriate.   Three main ways:   Acute danger to physical life Deliverance from disease Salvation   Acute danger to physical life In the stilling of the storm the disciples plead with Jesus to ‘save’ them (Matthew 8:25) Peter walking on the water (Matthew 14:30) In the accounts of the mocking of Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:40-42, Mark15:30-31, Luke 23:39) he is challenged to ‘save’ himself. Paul's shipwreck in Acts 27:20, 31, 34 Hebrews 11:7 refers to Noah preparing the ark to save his household   Those who see healing as a part of salvation on the grounds that sozo is used to  mean 'heal' must, to be consistent, include deliverance from physical danger on the same grounds!   Such a position is of course clearly untenable in the light of NT teaching with regards to Christians who suffer persecution (e.g. 1 Peter, passim, Romans 8:35-39, 2 Corinthians 11:23-33).     Deliverance from disease sozo is used to mean ‘heal’in:   the healing of the woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9:21-22, Mark 5:28, 34, Luke 8:48) the raising of Jairus' daughter (Mark 5:23, Luke 8:50) the healing of blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:52, Luke 18:42) Luke's account of the deliverance of Legion from demon-possession (Luke 8:36) the healing of ten lepers (Luke17:19) Cripple at Beautiful Gate Acts 4:9 Cripple at Lystra Acts 14:9 James 5:15   So it’s clear that sozo is used in the New Testament to mean to deliver from both danger and disease.   But sozo and soteria in the New Testament mean far more than this.   Salvation The danger from which man needs to be saved is more than physical and by far the major emphasis of soteria in the New Testament is that of deliverance from sin.     But does deliverance from sin automatically imply deliverance from sickness and danger?   It seems to me that although the use of sozo links deliverance from sickness with deliverance from sin linguistically this need not in itself imply a theological connection.      The New Testament writers did not develop a systematic theology of soteria subdivided into categories of physical and spiritual deliverance. They used sozo wherever it might appropriately be used to mean ‘make safe’ or ‘deliver’.   So to argue from the use of sozo for anything more than a linguistic connection between those uses may possibly indicate a misunderstanding of the nature of language.   Nevertheless it seems likely that writers sometimes took advantage of cases of physical deliverance   e.g. the healing of blind Bartimaeus to illustrate the principles of spiritual deliverance - how those who are spiritually ‘blind’ might, through faith in Jesus ‘see’   But to say this is not to confuse the illustration itself with the truth it illustrates.   Healing may illustrate salvation without being part of it.     Thus Parr's claim, based on the use of sozo in Acts 4:9-12, that ‘physical healing is included in the salvation purchased for us’  is shown to be invalid.     [1] Matthew 9:21-22, Mark 5:23, 28, 34, 10:52, Luke 8:36, 48, 50, 2.17:19, 18:42, John 11:12, Acts 4:9, 14:9, James 5:15.

“High Drama in Lystra”, Acts 14.8-20 “In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.” 1. Everybody worships something, vv8-13 A. Noticing needs B. Confusion abounds 2. Prepared to share, vv14-18 • How do you feel about sharing your faith? A. Flexible cp Acts 14, 17 & other speeches • Good news • Positive message • Turn • Living God • Abilities: • Creator • Provider • Nature: • Patient • Kind • Benefits: • Joy B. One way to be ready • Tell your story • 3 minutes • 2 words before/after Summary • Peter May testimony advice • “The Search for God” by Peter May: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1910786373 • Handout available and recordings online • https://youtu.be/tIgrwZen5gQ • https://audioboom.com/posts/4903183-what-we-re-reading-the-search-for-god-the-path-to-persuasion-testimony-time?t=0 Conclusion, v19-20 • God’s power at start and end of Lystra • Sacrifice is part of the mission - for us all! • “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (2 Timothy 3:10–12 NIV11) • “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6–8 NIV11) Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org (mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org) . If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) . Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) God bless, Malcolm PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, Coach.me, coaching,  coach me, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox, 

“High Drama in Lystra”, Acts 14.8-20   “In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.”   1. Everybody worships something, vv8-13 A. Noticing needs B. Confusion abounds   2. Prepared to share, vv14-18 •How do you feel about sharing your faith? A.Flexible cp Acts 14, 17 & other speeches •Good news •Positive message •Turn •Living God •Abilities: •Creator •Provider •Nature: •Patient •Kind •Benefits: •Joy B. One way to be ready •Tell your story •3 minutes •2 words before/after   Summary •Peter May testimony advice • “The Search for God” by Peter May: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1910786373 •Handout available and recordings online • https://youtu.be/tIgrwZen5gQ • https://audioboom.com/posts/4903183-what-we-re-reading-the-search-for-god-the-path-to-persuasion-testimony-time?t=0   Conclusion, v19-20 •God's power at start and end of Lystra •Sacrifice is part of the mission - for us all! •“You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (2 Timothy 3:10–12 NIV11) •“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6–8 NIV11)   Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.    Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.   If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.   Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.   “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)   God bless, Malcolm   PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool", a devotional look at the Gospel of John   mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, Coach.me, coaching, coach me, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm's, cox,

Message #322 A Servant Is Not Greater Than His Master - Acts 14:21-28 Sunday, May 6th 2018 Here at the conclusion of Paul and Barnabas' first missionary journey in Acts 14, we opened our study by comparing Jesus' words in John 15:20 and 16:33 with the experiences of Paul and Barnabas. Paul gives to Timothy a great summary of this first journey in 2 Tim 3:10-11. He points to the Christ like example the Lord wrought through his life, and how the Lord delivered him out of each hardship. How in Antioch God delivered them by having them expelled out of the city (Acts 13:50) How in Iconium God delivered them from a violent attempt by Gentiles and Jews to abuse and Stone them. God made them aware of the plot and so they fled to Lystra (Acts 14:4-6) How in Acts 14:8-20) the people of Lystra wrongly treated Paul and Barnabas as gods after a miraculous gift of healing by God, and shortly thereafter sought to stone Paul to death. God's deliverance came by way of either divine preservation and healing or by miraculously raising Paul from death (if this is the event Paul alludes to in 2 Cor 12:1-10). We saw how God's definition of deliverance didn't always mean the absence of pain and suffering. Rather it was seen through God's ability to keep Paul and Barnabas serving the Lord and keeping the Great Commission faithfully amidst great opposition and what many might consider failure. Next we focused on Acts 14:21-22, and let the Scriptures answer the question: How did Paul and Barnabas strengthen the souls of the disciples and exhort them to continue in the faith? Related verses: 1 Thes 2:6-20 (especially verse 8) Acts 14:23 1 Tim 3:1-7 Titus 1:5-2:9 Eph 4:11-16 John 16:33 Calvary Chapel Reston Station 1950 Isaac Newton Sq. Reston, VA 20195 (703) 834-8100 http://www.calvaryreston.org/

Message #322 A Servant Is Not Greater Than His Master - Acts 14:21-28 Sunday, May 6th 2018 Here at the conclusion of Paul and Barnabas' first missionary journey in Acts 14, we opened our study by comparing Jesus' words in John 15:20 and 16:33 with the experiences of Paul and Barnabas. Paul gives to Timothy a great summary of this first journey in 2 Tim 3:10-11. He points to the Christ like example the Lord wrought through his life, and how the Lord delivered him out of each hardship. How in Antioch God delivered them by having them expelled out of the city (Acts 13:50) How in Iconium God delivered them from a violent attempt by Gentiles and Jews to abuse and Stone them. God made them aware of the plot and so they fled to Lystra (Acts 14:4-6) How in Acts 14:8-20) the people of Lystra wrongly treated Paul and Barnabas as gods after a miraculous gift of healing by God, and shortly thereafter sought to stone Paul to death. God's deliverance came by way of either divine preservation and healing or by miraculously raising Paul from death (if this is the event Paul alludes to in 2 Cor 12:1-10). We saw how God's definition of deliverance didn't always mean the absence of pain and suffering. Rather it was seen through God's ability to keep Paul and Barnabas serving the Lord and keeping the Great Commission faithfully amidst great opposition and what many might consider failure. Next we focused on Acts 14:21-22, and let the Scriptures answer the question: How did Paul and Barnabas strengthen the souls of the disciples and exhort them to continue in the faith? Related verses: 1 Thes 2:6-20 (especially verse 8) Acts 14:23 1 Tim 3:1-7 Titus 1:5-2:9 Eph 4:11-16 John 16:33 Calvary Chapel Reston Station 1950 Isaac Newton Sq. Reston, VA 20195 (703) 834-8100 http://www.calvaryreston.org/

Join me as we continue studying the history of the early church in the Book of Acts and follow up on the Mars Hill Institute 21 Days to Knowing Jesus Christ Bible Study. This is a personal reading of Acts Chapter 14 NKJV. I hope you enjoy it. Have a GREAT and Blessed Day!

Join Profs. Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester for "I Love to Tell the Story," a weekly conversation on the narrative lectionary. This week's reading is Paul at Lystra: Acts 14:8-18. read more...