Southern Christian University
Acts Class
Session 9
James A.
Turner
Hello students.
Please turn to Acts the eighteenth chapter. This is where we begin this evening. I believe the last thing that we talked about
is verse six when the Jews in the synagogue opposed themselves and
blasphemed. "And
when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook out his raiment, and
said unto them. Your blood be upon your
own heads; I am clean:
From henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. We
turned and read from Ezekiel chapter three, where God gave instruction to the
prophet Ezekiel as to what he needed to do as his watchman over the people of Israel. Please write by Acts
18:6, Ezekiel 3: 16-21, 18:2-3, 18: 19-24. Ezekiel 3:16-21 shows what Paul
meant by the statement, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am
clean.
When our
time was up we were reading from Ezekiel 18:24, and I believe we had
almost completed that reference. This is
a good reference to show people that even under the Old Testament religion,
salvation involved the free moral agency of man, that a person must continue to
try to live according to the law of God.
If a man has served the Lord for sixty years and then turns away from
the Lord and goes back to the world, according
to that reference it is stated, None of
his righteous deeds shall be remembered: in
his trespass that he hath trespassed and in sin that he hath sinned, in them
shall he die. Both the Old Testament and New Testament
teach very plainly that spiritual salvation is conditional, therefore the
popular doctrine, Once a child of God always a child of God, and once saved,
always saved is false. Galatians 5:4, reads, Ye
are severed from Christ, ye that would be
justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace. Please read Hebrews 6:4-8; II Peter 2:15-22.
Now, there is real security in Christ. I Corinthians 10:13 reads, "There
has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: But God is faithful, who will not allow you
to be tempted above that which ye are able; but will with temptation give a way
of escape, that ye may be able to bear it." This
is one of those precious and exceeding great promises that God has given
Christians. If a child of God wants to live in that sensible way before the
Lord, he can. God will not allow him to
be tempted above that which he is able to bear but this promise is given only
to those who have applied the blood of Christ by their obedience to the gospel
(Romans 8:5-9). I Corinthians 10:13 should give us real
confidence that we can serve the Lord properly.
I like to use John 10:27-29, even though it is
a much misused passage. It reads, "My
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." Now, what do God's sheep do? They hear the voice of Christ and they follow
him. "I
give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall
snatch them out of my hand. My Father,
who has given them unto me is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch
them out of the Father's hand." So there is
absolutely real conditional security in Christ, but it is based on
hearing the voice of Christ and continuing to follow him. Just as long as a child of God hears the
voice of Christ and obeys his commands and continues to follow him faithfully,
then Satan does not have the power to snatch him out of Christ's hand and out
of God's hand. I can remember the day
when those who teach, once saved, always saved, and they tried to uphold that
doctrine, and they would go to the blackboard, and draw two circles on the blackboard,
and say, In order for you to take a child of God out of God's hand, you would first
have to tear down the power of Christ, and then you would also have to tear
down the power of the heavenly Father.
And, of course, that is true, if, and there is the big
difference, if a child of God continues to hear and follow Christ, but
if he does not continue to hear and follow Christ, then he will be severed from Christ. Remember Galatians 5:4 that those people that
were listening to the false teachers, and going back under the Old Testament
law, and Paul said to them, ye are severed from
Christ. Ye who would be justified by the
law, ye are fallen from grace. In order to be
severed from Christ, they first had to be joined to Christ. But they followed those false teachers, and were
going back under the Old Testament law, and they had lost their salvation in
Christ.
Acts 18:7, "And
he departed thence, and went into the house of a certain man named Titus
Justus, one that worshipped God." This man
was probably a Gentile, but a worshiper of God.
"Whose house joined hard to the
synagogue." Does that mean that Paul started living in
the house of Titus Justus, did he move from staying with Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth? I doubt that that is the case. He probably did here in the house of Justus,
what he did in the school of Tyrannus (Acts 19:9-10). He probably used that house as an
evangelistic place where people could come, and he could teach them. But notice that Paul did meet with some
success while he was teaching in the synagogue.
Keep in mind that it was his pattern to stay in a Jewish synagogue as
long as the people were hearing and receiving him properly, but when they
opposed themselves and blasphemed, he left the synagogue, and we will find that
he did that also at Ephesus. But he did
make some progress during the time that he taught in the synagogue Acts 18:8. Crispus
the ruler of the synagogue believed in the Lord with all of his house: and many
of the Corinthians were hearing, believed, and were baptized. Again conversion for an alien sinner ends in
him being baptized for the remission of his sins, as this book shows very
plainly!
Acts 18:9, "And
the Lord said unto Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and
hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on
thee to harm thee: For I have much people in this city." Dont you know that that was good news to the
apostle Paul? Do you remember on that
first journey, how that he and Silas were cast out from Antioch of Pisidia, and
they went over to Iconium and were doing a great work there, but the
unbelieving Jews there stirred up the Gentiles, and they were planning to stone
Paul, and he had to leave the city and went to Athens. And then here on the second journey, we will
see that those unbelieving Jews were ready to stir up trouble against him. Look at 17:13, "But
when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed
of Paul at Berea,
also they came thither, likewise stirring up and troubling the
multitudes." And Paul had to leave
the city. And then here at Corinth, those unbelieving Jews
are giving trouble, and then this wonderful assurance that God gives Paul in a
vision by night, "Be not afraid, but speak, and
hold not thy peace:
For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to harm thee: For I have much people in this city."
What does the latter part of verse ten mean, For
I have much people in this city? There were not
many baptisms until after Silas and Timothy joined him in the work at Corinth (I Corinthians 1:14-16). So it was not a matter of there being many
Christians in the city at the time that Paul received this message, but it
means that God knew that there were many sincere people in that wicked city of Corinth. We spent a little time talking about how
that was a seaport city and a very
wicked city as a whole, but Paul went there and preached the gospel, and the
gospel is God's power to save (Romans 1:16). The Lord knew that there were sincere people
among all those idolaters and immoral people, and if Paul stayed there
preaching, there would be many that would obey the gospel, and as a result of
his work at Corinth, a great church was established. I Corinthians shows that that church had
many, many problems, and some of those problems, they had not told him about in
that letter that they had written to him in which they asked him questions on a
number of different subjects.
Paul wrote I Corinthians giving them the instruction
that it would take to solve the problems in that church. And think of the wisdom of God in respect to
that. If God had handed out New
Testaments on Pentecost, the people would probably have never learn what the
instruction was all about. But the Lord
waited until there were problems, and then those apostles and inspired men were
guided and given the solution to the problems that were in the churches, and
that is the purpose of the New Testament Epistles. We have like problems today, and when we then
do according to the instruction of those epistles, then we can solve the
problems that are in the church today.
Verse eleven, "He dwelt there a year and six
months, teaching the word of God among them." Now we will be reading that he stayed at Ephesus for three years as he
speaks of it in Acts 20:31. Whether he stayed there completely three
years, I am not sure. It may be rounded
off to three years, but next to Ephesus, Paul stayed at Corinth the longest period of
time.
There is an attempt by the unbelieving Jews to
punish Paul Acts 18:12, "But
when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against
Paul, and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, This man persuadeth men
to worship God contrary to the law." Those
would be unbelieving Jews, and they are talking about the Old Testament
law. "But
when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If indeed it
were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I
should bear with you: But if there are questions about words and
names and your own law, look to it yourselves: I am not minded to be the judge of these
matters. And he drove them from the
judgment seat. And they all laid hold on
Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of these things." So it looks like Sosthenes had become the new
leader of the synagogue. Remember we
read about Crispus in verse eight, the ruler of the synagogue believed in the
Lord with all of his house. Those
unbelieving Jews would want a ruler that would agree with them and would try to
uphold their continuing to try to worship by the Old Testament religion. And so they are ready to bring a case against
Paul before the Gentile judge, Gallio.
But Gallio would not have anything to do with hearing the case. He dismissed the case. And as stated in verse sixteen, he drove them
from the judgment seat.
There must have been a lot of people watching
the court case, and they would have been nearly all Gentile people because this is Gentile territory, and they
decided that Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, needed a beating himself, and they gave him one. So he received his just reward. But think about it, Gallio missed a wonderful
opportunity to hear the apostle Paul. If
that had been king Agrippa, that we'll read about later in Chapter twenty-six,
I think surely he would have heard their case.
Gallio could have learned the way of salvation if he had heard that case
and heard Paul. Verse eighteen, "And
Paul having tarried after this many days, took his leave of the brethren, and
sailed thence for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his
head in Cenchrea:
For he had a vow." Please look on your map and see that Cenchrea
is close to Corinth, and then from there
Paul sails to Ephesus. It look like Paul was still living by some of
the Old Testament customs. To say the
least of it, he had his hair shorn because he had been under a vow. There are
numerous references where all of the
details are not given, and many of us would like to know more about some of
those details, but we need to be reminded of the last verse of the last chapter
of the gospel of John. John says if all
things were written about what Jesus did, he said I reckon the world would not
contain the books. And so we have those
things that are sufficient and necessary for our salvation (II Peter 1:3).
They came to Ephesus, and he
left them there,
Aquila and Priscilla. Do you think this indicates that he continued
to stay with them while they were at Corinth? And when Paul leaves Corinth, they go with him, and
they stay behind at Ephesus. They came to Ephesus, and he left them
there. "But
he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. And when they asked him to bide a longer
time, he consented not; but taking his leave of them, and saying, I will return
again unto you, if God will. And
he set sail from Ephesus." Please underscore or highlight, if
God will. I hope you are listening to me in regard to highlighting
and writing notes in your Bible. If you
will do it, you will find that they will later be of great benefit to you.
By Acts 18:5, make you a note that
Paul wrote I and II Thessalonians from Corinth, on this second
journey. And this was the beginning of
his writing of the New Testament epistles.
And the book of Acts is very important in respect to the study of the
epistles of the New Testament. It is not
only a book that gives many things about people being converted, it asks and
answers that question three times, what must I do to be saved, but it is also important
from the study of the epistles, and especially the epistles of Paul. Paul wrote we know definitely thirteen of the
New Testament epistles, and if you count Hebrews, and I surely think it should
be counted his epistle, that makes fourteen of the twenty-one New Testament
epistles. So you cannot do a lot of
reading in the epistles without reading from the apostle Paul.
Now in regard to the statement that I asked you
to underline in verse twenty-one, if God
will. I have talked to brethren and I have read
from others who somewhat make light of our using such an expression today. Some say that it is a trite and unmeaningful
expression. Well, I grant you that it
could be a trite and unmeaningful, but it should not be. And on more than one occasion Paul said, if
God will. I would like for you to write
down by verse twenty-one James 4:13-17. Those Jewish brethren that James wrote to
were making their plans for the future as though everything just turned on
themselves, that whatever they planned they were able to do. And he said, "Go
to now, ye that say, to day or to morrow we will move into such a city and stay
there a year, and buy and sell gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the
morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a
little while, then vanisheth away. And
for that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." And so we are to keep God in our plans. And he goes ahead and says, "Your
boastings are evil. And to him
therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." Now, that statement carries across the board,
that those who know to do good and do not as the Lord has commanded, it
is sin
that principle is involved. But the
particular thing here in the context of James 4:13-17 is that matter of
keeping God in your plans and saying, "If the
Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that."
Write down I Corinthians 4:13 and 16:7. In the context of 4:13, Paul had changed his
plans in regard to going to Corinth. He had first planned to go to Corinth and then go up and
revisit the churches of Macedonia, but he changed his
plans, and some were puffed up as though he would not come. But he told them in 4:13, if it was the Lord's
will he would come, and in 16:7, he told them that he
hoped he would tarry with them when he came to visit them. He says, if the
Lord permit. Well, that would amount to the same thing as
saying, if God will. That kind of thing
needs to be renewed in the church today!
We need to say with all sincerity if things go well, if God will, we
will do. And so Paul promises the people
in the synagogue at Ephesus, if God will, I will
return, and it was God's will that he would return, and he returned.
Acts 18:22, "And
when he had landed at Caesarea,
he went up and saluted the church." Look
at your map and note where Caesarea is, he
went up and saluted the church, it is usually considered that to be the church at Jerusalem. And according to the elevation from Caesarea, it would be up. And after he had visited the church at Jerusalem, he went down to Antioch. Those that are familiar with the elevations
say that Luke is very accurate in giving such things. When he says they went up, it was up, and
when he says they went down, according to the elevations, it was down. Verse twenty-two is the end of the second
journey, and you will do well to make a note of that, and verse twenty-three
is the beginning of the third journey. "And having
spent some time there.
(Antioch of Syria) he
departed, and went through the region of Galatia
and Phrygia
in order, establishing all of the
disciples." What does that mean? It means that he went back and visited those
churches that he and Barnabas had established on that first journey. It looks like he may have gone by land to go
back and revisit them, and if he went by land, the first church would have been
Derbe and the second one Lystra, the third one Iconium, and the fourth one Antioch
of Pisidia. He revisits those churches,
and then after he revisits those churches, he goes to the city of Ephesus. Do you remember how that he wanted to go to Ephesus or wanted to go into Asia on the second journey? He probably wanted to go to Ephesus then because it would
be a radiating center for the gospel, but he was forbidden to go into Asia. The Holy Spirit was directing him where he
was to go. He wanted to go into Bithynia, and he was forbidden
by the Holy Spirit to go there. Luke
says, passing by Mysia, he came to Troas where Paul
received a vision in the night, a man was standing over him in Macedonia,
saying, come over and help us. Luke joined the
company, and they went to Macedonia, European territory,
for the first time and they establish those three churches, the church at Philippi, the church at
Thessalonica, and the church at Berea. From Berea, he went to Athens, and he was successful
in establishing a small church there, and then he spent that year-and-a-half at
Corinth.
Now, I believe I have already mentioned this,
but be sure that you try to remember that verses twenty-four through
twenty-eight must be put in there by the inspired Luke, so that we would know
why those disciples at Ephesus needed to be baptized
again. They were evidently baptized by
Apollos, with Johns baptism after Pentecost when John's baptism was no longer
valid. Remember John's baptism was from
heaven (Matthew 21:23-32) and it was for
or unto remission of sins. The
same Greek word is used in Acts 2:38 as given in Mark 1:4 and in Luke 3:3. And those who rejected John's baptism stayed
in a lost condition. For Luke 7:30 reads, "That
the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves,
being not baptized of God." So they rejected the counsel of God like
those unbelieving Jews did in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia. Acts 18:24, "Now
a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man (a great speaker) came
to Ephesus. And he was mighty in the scriptures." That would mean the Old Testament
scriptures. He did not know about New
Testament baptism, but he knew some of the things about Christ. And he was teaching accurately those things
that he knew. "This
man had been instructed in the way of the Lord."
And, of course, that would be the New Testament religion. "And being
fervent in spirit, he spake and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus,
knowing only the baptism of John." And he began to speak boldly in the
synagogue. "And
when Priscilla and Aquila
heard him, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God
more accurately." Remember that it is right for women to teach
in a private situation, but they are not to preach in the worship assemblies of
the church (I Corinthians 14:33-34; II Timothy 2:12). It may be that Priscilla was a better teacher
than her husband, and there are a lot of women today that can do a better job
teaching than their husbands can do, and like Priscilla, they can do a lot of
private teaching.
Apollos is a man who wants to know the right way
of the Lord, and so they take him aside and teach him privately as stated here,
expounded unto him the way of God more accurately. It may be that they did not know that those
converts that had been made by Apollos needed to be baptized again, but at
least they taught Apollos so that he would have a better understanding. Verse twenty-seven, "And
when he was minded to pass unto Achaia." And the place that he went was Corinth. In I Corinthians 3:6 Paul states, I
planted, Apollos' watered, but God gave the increase. And, of course, by planting, Paul means that
he was the one that had preached the gospel there first and established the
church. And then Apollos came and
further taught them that he speaks of watering, but it says that God gave the
increase. And the thing that really
counts is that God gave the increase. So
when Apollos thought about going to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and
wrote to the disciples to receive him. "And
when he was come, he helped them much that had believed through grace; for he
powerfully confuted the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that
Jesus was the Christ." And, of course, like
Paul used the Old Testament scriptures to show that Jesus is the Christ, Apollos
must have been able to do a great job of that.
He was an eloquent speaker and mighty in the Old Testament scriptures,
and so he did a great work at Corinth.
Chapter Nineteen,
"And it
came to pass, that while Apollos was at Corinth,
Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus." So going back to verse twenty-three, he had
revisited those churches of Galatia and Phrygia, those four churches,
and then passed on through the upper country, and he came to Ephesus. "And he
found certain disciples. He said unto
them. Did ye receive the Holy Spirit
when ye believed?" Does not verse six indicate that the reason
why he asked that question was to see whether or not they had any miraculous
gifts of the Spirit. The apostles by the
laying on of their hands could impart nine miraculous gifts to others as given
in I Corinthians 12:4-11; and Acts 18:14-18. Philip had
miraculous abilities that had been given him by the laying on of the apostles'
hands (Acts 6:5-6, 8:5-8), but he was not able to transfer those to others, and
it was necessary for Peter and John to go down and lay their hands on them to
give them miraculous gifts of the Holy
Spirit. I Corinthians 12:4-11 enumerates those
nine miraculous gifts that the apostles could bestow on others by the laying on
of their hands. I doubt very seriously
if any of those had all nine of them, but probably most of them, one or two of
those gifts, by the laying on of the apostles' hands.
Acts 19:2, "And
they said unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was
given?" Well, remember Acts 2:38, Peter said, Repent,
and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. So if they had been baptized under the law of
Christ, the baptism of the great commission, they surely would have known
something about the Holy Spirit. And you
remember how the apostles said in Acts 5:32 that God has given
his Holy Spirit to them that obey him.
"And he said unto them, Unto what then
were ye baptized?" Paul recognized immediately that they had not
been baptized with the baptism of the great commission that was given on that
first Pentecost after the resurrection and ascension of Christ. "And they
said into John's baptism. Then Paul
said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people,
that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Christ
Jesus." I can remember the day
when quite a number of brethren in the church would say that John's baptism was
just a baptism of repentance, that it was not for remission of sins, but I have
called attention to the fact that the Bible teaches very plainly that John's
baptism was for remission of sins (Matthew 21:23-32; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). The Greek word for,
for or unto in Mark 1:4 and Luke 3:3 is Eis, the same Greek
word as used in Acts 2:38 and Matthew 26:28.
Further there is not a single example or any instruction
about any of those that had been baptized by John or by Christ and his apostles
or the seventy under that limited commission that were baptized again. But rather in I Corinthians chapter fifteen,
and I think it is verse five, Paul talks about Christ appearing during that
forty-day period before his ascension to above five hundred brethren at once, and most of them were still living at the
time of the writing. Jesus had
instructed the apostles before his death on the cross, that on the third day he
would be raised up, and he would go before them into Galilee. And then after his resurrection, he told the
women to go and tell the apostles that he was going before them into Galilee. And so Paul must be talking about that
meeting at Galilee, when he said he
appeared to above five hundred brethren at once. If you still think that all of those baptized
by John and Christ and his apostles and the seventy during the limited
commission needed to be baptized again then please answer two questions: Who baptized the
apostles again? And who baptized all of the 500 plus brethren of I Corinthians
15:6.
These at Ephesus needed to be baptized
because they had been baptized with the baptism of John after it was no
longer valid. I hope all of you have given careful
attention to the outline on the baptisms of the New Testament. It is still instruction that needs to be
given in every church today. Verse five,
"When they heard this, they were
baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came
on them, and they spake with tongues, and prophesied." So you see he gave them miraculous gifts by
the laying on of his hands, and two are mentioned. The gift of speaking in
tongues was a gift of being able to speak a foreign language or languages that
they had not learned. One of the primary purposes of the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit on the apostles on Pentecost was to give them all of those miraculous
abilities that would aid them in the giving and confirming of the New Testament
(Hebrews 2:3-4; I Corinthians 1:7, 2:10-13, 9:1-2; II Corinthians 3: 3-6). "And
they spake with tongues, and prophesied." Prophesying
was the gift that gave them the ability to teach. A number of the books of the New Testament
had not been written, plus there were only a few copies of those that had been
written, and inspired teachers were needed in the churches. This miraculous
period is spoken of as the childhood age of the church (I Corinthians 13:8-12; Ephesians 4:7-16). And we will close
with verse seven, "And they were all about twelve men." Brief recess.
We are ready to begin with Acts 19:8, "And
he entered into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months,
reasoning and persuading as to the things concerning the kingdom of God." And as usual he would
be using the Old Testament scriptures, and proving by them that Christ is the
fulfillment of these Old Testament scriptures, and you can be saved by becoming
a member of the kingdom of God. His kingdom has been established, and thus
Paul is persuading things concerning the kingdom of God. According to the premillennial doctrine the
kingdom has not come yet, but we are just in the church age. And the kingdom age will come when Christ
returns and reigns on an earthly throne in Jerusalem. So this is another reference that shows that
that doctrine is false. Why would he be
reasoning concerning the kingdom of God if the kingdom of God was not present at that
time? Philip also taught the Samaritans
things concerning the kingdom of God
in the name of Jesus Christ, and
they were baptized both men and women.
Acts 19:9, "But
when some were hardened, and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them,
and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus." Those disciples must have been meeting in the
synagogue of the Jews during this three month period, and surely there must
have been many that were added by that time.
But Paul then separates them from the synagogue, but he stays there until certain in the synagogue
are hardened and started speaking evil of the Way and that means the way of
Christ. "And
he separates the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus." Now, Paul surely would have been qualified to
have taught a lot of other subjects, but evidently he was teaching primarily,
if not all together, the Bible to people while he was teaching in the school of Tyrannus. And he taught there for two years.
Acts 19:10, "And
this continued for the space for two years, And
notice the great results. so
that all that dwelt in Asia
heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks." Ephesus was a very important
city, a city that the gospel would radiate from. Do you not think those seven churches of Asia, that we read about in
the first three chapters of the Revelation, must have been established during
this period of time? The people
throughout all Asia heard the word of the Lord during that two-year
period. He taught three months in the
synagogue, so this would make two years and three months down to verse
eleven. "And
God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: insomuch that
unto the sick were carried away from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the
diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out." Now, I think we see what Luke means by
special miracles. It was unusual to send
things from his body, but they carried from his body handkerchiefs or aprons to the sick and their diseases departed from
them and their evil spirits went out. This
was much like what we read in Acts 5:15-16, that
they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and
couches, that as Peter came by, at least his shadow might overshadowed some of them
------ and they were healed everyone.. At
least that indicates that God was doing what Luke refers to here as special
miracles by the apostle Paul. And notice
that these strolling Jews that went about claiming that they could cast out evil
spirits, they attempt to do so through Jesus whom Paul was preaching. And look what happened to them.
Acts 19:13, "And
certain also the strolling Jews, exorcists, took upon them to name over them
that had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, I adjure you
by Jesus whom Paul preacheth." Does not
this indicate that they knew they were not actually able to cast out evil
spirits, but they went about claiming to
have that power? Strolling
Jews,
going from place to place, and trying to convince the people that they could
cast out evil spirits. And I guess that
a lot of the people thought that they had those evil spirits removed from
them, but those fakes knew the
difference, so they tried to cast out evil spirits by Jesus whom Paul
preacheth. And notice what happened to
them. "And
there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest, who did this. And the evil spirit answered and said unto
them, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was
leaped on them, and mastered both of them, and prevailed against them, so
that they fled out of the house naked and wounded." Dont you know that that news carried in a
hurry? It was full proof that they did
not have the power to cast out evil spirits! The man who they tried to cast the
evil spirit out of leaped on them and overcame them so that they fled out of
the house naked and wounded. News like
that would carried in a hurry, and it did.
"And this became known to all, both
Jews and Greeks that dwelt at Ephesus;
and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. Many also of them that had believed came, and
confessing, and declaring their deeds.
And not a few of them that practiced magical arts brought their books
together, and burned them in the sight of all: And they counted the price of them, and found
it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver." So
they have a big book-burning at Ephesus. Believers who had magical arts recognized it was wrong, and they burned
their magical art books. They had been fooling the people as though they had
miraculous powers.
Remember the account of Simon in Acts 8:9-12, how that he had
fooled the people, and they thought that he was someone great and had some
divine power when he did not have any divine power! This must have been what a number of them at Ephesus did, that they did
their magical arts and performed such tricks that they would convince a lot of
people that they had miraculous power.
But they recognized it was wrong, and don't you know that in the case of
the men having to flee out of the house naked and wounded, and the attention
that all that got, stressed the fact to them that they needed to get out of the
magical art business. And so they
brought their books together and burned them.
"Burned them in the sight of
all." So they had a public book-burning, testifying
that they had been involved in a wrong business. "And they
counted the price of them, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces
of silver
So mightily grew the word of the Lord and prevailed." So a great work at Ephesus. Paul was planning to spend another season at Ephesus. Whether he stays as long as he had intended
or purposed to stay, I doubt very seriously from the reading beginning with
verse twenty-three. But notice that
after two years and three months, he sends some of those that were assisting
him away from Ephesus, and he had plans to go back to revisit the
churches of Macedonia, and then the churches
of Achaia then to go to Rome. Paul, on his own, tried to make plans for the
future, and for a long time in the future when you consider what is recorded
here in verses twenty-one and twenty-two.
"Then after these things were ended." The big book-burning, and the two years and
the three months. "Paul
purposed in the spirit when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go
to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been three, I must also see Rome." He had plans for the future to revisit those
churches of Macedonia and Achaia. Those churches would be Philippi, Thessalonica, and
Berea of Macedonia, and by this time, there may have been other churches in
that area, and then Achaia or Greece, those three churches
in Achaia or Greece were, Athens, Cenchrea, and Corinth. Revisiting those churches, would have taken
considerable time and then he planned to go to Jerusalem and then to go to Rome.
Acts 19:22, "And
having sent into Macedonia
two of them that ministered unto him, Timothy and Erastus; he himself stayed in
Asia
for a while." We have a lot of
instruction given about Timothy, how that he was ready always, to do what Paul
wanted him to do (Philippians 2:19-24; I Timothy 1:3-4). So Timothy and Erastus have been assisting
Paul at Ephesus, and he had more than
Timothy and Erastus, and they were capable teachers, and when others were taught at Ephesus, they could go
out. So you see how it would have been
very easy for the seven churches of Asia to have been
established during that period, two years and three months that we read
about. By verse twenty-three write down
I Corinthians 16:8, and say, Paul wrote I Corinthians during the
latter part of his stay at Ephesus. For I Corinthians 16:8 reads, "For
I will tarry at Ephesus
until Pentecost. For there is an open
door and effectual and there are many adversaries."
This statement must have been made before the riot caused by Demetrius,
and the silversmiths, and those of like trade.
But Paul recognized that there was an open door at Ephesus, and he wanted to stay
there as long as he could in that open door. Of course, that means a good opportunity to
teach the gospel and convert men to Christ.
Acts 19:23, "And
after that time, there arose no small stir concerning the Way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a
silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana."
They had a lucrative business before Pauls preaching. In regard to the idolaters, every idolater
wanted his little idol god to go in his house.
So these men are in the business of making idol gods of silver. They would have to be good silversmiths to
make those gods, and they must have been of considerable value. "For
a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines for
Diana, brought no little business unto the craftsmen whom he gathered together with the workmen
of like occupation." Wouldn't that be talking
about what we call labor unions today?
There would be union labors of the silversmiths and of the like
occupation. "Whom
he gathered together with the workers of like occupation and said, Sir, ye know
that by this business we have our wealth. And ye see and hear." Now, their primary concern is that Paul is
ruining our business, but they want to make it appear that the primary purpose
of their meeting is we do not want our Greek goddess Diana to be despised.
Verse twenty-six, "Ye
see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus,
but almost throughout all of Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned
away much people, saying that there are no gods that are made with hands." And surely Paul was preaching that like he
told the people of Athens that God made the heavens and the earth and all
things therein, and he does not dwell in temples made with hands, and he is not worshipped by your pattern of
giving gifts to your god, seeing that he giveth
to all life, and breath, and all things. So Paul was ruining their business. Many of the people were turning to Christ and
leaving idolatry, and it was really cutting down on the business of the
silversmiths and those of like occupations.
And not only is there danger that
this our trade come into repute." They
make out like it is primarily because of their religion, but you see that their primary thing is Paul is
ruining their business. "But
also that the temple of the Greek goddess Diana be made of no account, and that
she should even be disposed of her magnificence, whom all Asia and the world worshipeth." Our goddess Diana is one of the greatest of
all of the gods, and Paul is going to cause her to be deposed
of her magnificence.
Acts 19:28, "And
when they heard this, they were filled with wrath."
And so you see a riot takes place.
"And cried out, saying, Great is
Diana of the Ephesians. And the city was
filled with confusion: And they rushed with one accord into the
theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia,
Paul's companions in travel. And
when Paul was minded to enter in unto the people, the disciples suffered him
not. And certain of the Asiarchs
sent unto him, and besought him not to adventure into the theater." The footnote in my Bible for Asiarchs, says, that
is the officers having charge of festivals in the Roman province of Asia. So you see these Asiarchs or officers in
charge of public gatherings. They knew
the danger, and so they sent word to Paul. "Certain also the Asiarcs being his
friends sent unto him and besought him not to adventure into the theater." Why?
They were afraid that he would be killed if he did, but you see that
Paul was going to try to save Gaius and Aristarchus from being killed. They were two more of his companions while at
Ephesus aiding in the teaching and
spread of the gospel into all Asia.
Gaius and Aristarchus were from Macedonia, and Paul was fearful
for them, and evidently he wanted to go in and try to prevent them from being
killed. But the brethren, the disciples
suffered him not to do so, they knew the danger. By verses thirty and thirty-one, please write
down II Corinthians 1:8-11, where Paul talks
about the great danger they were in. I
do not think there is any doubt that this is what he is talking about.
So reading from II Corinthians chapter one,
beginning with verse eight, "For we
would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning our afflictions which befell
us in Asia,
we were weighted down exceedingly beyond our power, even as much as we
despaired even of life. Yea, we
ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not
trust in ourselves, but in God who
raiseth the dead. Who delivered us out
of so great a death, and will deliver: On whom we have set our hopes that he will
also deliver us; ye also helping together on our behalf by your supplications
for Paul, that for the gift bestowed upon us by means of many, thanks may be
given by many persons on our behalf." It might
be that the prayers of those brethren at Corinth had made the difference
in respect to Paul and those brethren not being killed. At least Paul gives them credit that their
prayers have been answered. And sometimes
after we have prayed for something and
it comes about, we may forget to thank God for it, but Paul reckoned that
thanks would be given by many persons that had prayed for him when they learned
that he was delivered, and that their prayers had been answered. When he wrote the letter to Rome, he asked them to pray
for him for specific things, and their prayers were answered (Romans 15:30-32).
Acts 19:32, "Some
therefore cried one thing, and some another: For the
assembly was in confusion, and the more part knew not wherefore they were come
together." But it is a mob situation, "And
they brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and
would have made a defense unto the people.
But when they perceived that he was a Jew."
See, this is Gentile territory.
Jews must have been despised to some extent by Gentile people, and you
know that Jews have despised Gentiles.
"All with one voice about the space of
two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians." You think of that, a multitude of people coming
together, and for two hours they cry out great is Diana of the Ephesians, great
is our god. We would like to know just
how they did that. Did they cry out just
over and over, great is Diana of the Ephesians, great is our God? Probably somewhat on that order. "And
when the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, Ye men of Ephesus,
what man is there that knoweth not the city of the Ephesians is a temple keeper
of the great Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?" So their god fell down from Jupiter according
to their religion. "Seeing
then that these things cannot be gainsaying."
This town clerk at least had the ability to get their attention. There was no
need to get excited about their god being despised. People know how great our god is. Our god Diana that fell down from Jupiter, is
a great god, and people cannot get by with speaking against our god.
Verse thirty-six, "Seeing
then that these things cannot be gainsaying, ye ought to be quiet, and to do
nothing rashly. For we have brought
hither these men, who are neither robbers of temples, nor blasphemers of our
goddess." Now, those brethren were teaching that God
does not dwell in temples made with hands, and they were ruining the business
of the silver smiths and those of like trades. "Wherefore
if Demetrius, and the craftsmen that are with him, have a matter against any
man." If these men have committed any crime against
them. "Then
the courts are open, and there are proconsuls, let them
accuse one another." And so let it be settled in a court, and
surely he is appealing to them in a good way.
"But if ye seek anything about
other matters, it should be settled in a regular assembly." The town clerk is saying, This is not a
regular assembly, according to Roman law, and if Demetrius and the other craftsmen have a legal case, it
must be settled in a regular assembly.
"For indeed we are in danger to be
accused concerning this day's riot, there being no cause for it. And as touching it we shall not be able to
give account of this occasion. And when
he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly."
Chapter
Twenty
"And after
the uproar ceased Paul, having sent for the disciples, and exhorted them, took
leave of them and departed to go into Macedonia." From verse one we learn that Paul left Ephesus after that riot caused
by Demetrius and the silversmiths and like craftsmen. Note that he exhorted the disciples, and then
left to go to Macedonia which he had planned to
do as given in Acts 19:21, and notice how brief
Lukes account is. At some point, I will
try to use the map again, and we will notice the great distance that Luke has
Paul making there in two verses. He
carries Paul all the way from Ephesus, and revisiting the
churches of Macedonia and Achaia or Greece, as it is stated in
Acts 19:21. "And when
he had gone through those parts and had given them much exhortation, he came into
Greece. And when he had spent three months there." The probable place for most of that time, if not all of that time would be at Corinth because that was the largest
church in respect to numbers, and Paul
had stayed there a year-and-a-half. He
had intended to sail from Corinth to Jerusalem when he learned that a
plot was made to kill him, and so he goes back through Macedonia. Luke had been at Philippi ever since that church
was established, which was about five years, and he joins Pauls company again.
He and the messengers of the church are carrying the bounty to Jerusalem. Paul had encouraged
these churches among the Gentiles to make contribution for the poor in Jerusalem.
Please find a space that you can write down
these references. Some Bibles have some
notes about where the epistles are written from, and some are right and some
are wrong. Some say that II Corinthians
was written from Philippi. Paul wrote II Corinthians from Macedonia, but Luke does not tell
us which church in Macedonia he was at when he wrote
II Corinthians. . Now, let us turn to II
Corinthians and read those references, and you can see with your own eyes that
Paul wrote II Corinthians from somewhere in Macedonia, but Luke does not tell
us which church he was at. Write down by
Acts 20:1-2 that II Corinthians was
written from Macedonia, and the references are
II Corinthians 2:12-13, 7: 5-6, 9:1-5. These references show very definitely that
Paul wrote II Corinthians from somewhere in Macedonia. Reading from II Corinthians 2:12-13, "Now
when I came to Troas
for the gospel of Christ." Paul went up the
seacoast from Ephesus to Troas, and notice that there was an open door for
him to preach there, but he was so concerned about how the church at Corinth had received that I
Corinthian letter that he left that open door and went on into Macedonia. He was expecting Titus to be at Troas, bringing him news from
the Corinthian church, but he was not there, and Paul was so concerned about
the church of Corinth that he left that open
door and went on into Macedonia. "Now
when I came to Troas
for the gospel of Christ, and when a door was open unto me in the Lord,
I had no relief for my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: But taking my leave of them, I went forth
into Macedonia."
So you see he leaves that open door at Troas and goes to Macedonia. I heard some brethren say between fifty and
sixty years ago that, Everybody has the right to hear the gospel once before
anybody hears it twice. Those brethren
recognized that we were not doing enough evangelistic work, but they had more
zeal than knowledge. Paul was more
concerned about the church at Corinth and rightly so. We are not to go out and establish churches
and then leave those churches to die for lack of instruction and encouragement,
and the epistles of Paul surely show that.
In fact, that statement denies the second phase of the great commission
that is given in Matthew's account.
Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus said,
"All authority has been given me in
heaven and on earth, go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and the son and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the
ends of the earth." So it is not right to go out and preach the
gospel, and only a few people are saved and leave those brethren without
putting forth effort to see that they receive future teaching and encouragement. Now, with all our ways of communicating to
brethren today, we may be able to do that from a distance, but in those days they did not have all of the wonderful things
that we have. Paul reasoned that he needed
to go back to those churches, and you see his great concern by revisiting those churches of
Macedonia and Achaia, and his concern by revisiting those churches of Galatia,
he revisited them three times.
Highlight II Corinthians 2:12-13, and then write
down by it 7:5-6,and 9:1-5, and that will be
sufficient to remind you to turn next to those.
Let us read, II Corinthians 7:5-6, "For
even when we were come into Macedonia,
our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side; without were
fightings, and within were fears." Part of
that was Paul's great concern for the church at Corinth. For a while, he was even
sorry that he had written that first Corinthian letter because he was afraid
that they had not received it properly.
But the church as a whole received it in a good way, and they withdrew
from the fornicator, as shown in chapter two, as Paul had told them to do. And notice here in verse six, "Nevertheless
he that comforteth the lowly, even God, comforteth us by the coming of
Titus." Titus had finally brought good news that the
church as a whole had received that first Corinthian letter in a good way, but
notice also verse seven there. "And
not by his coming only, but also by the comfort wherewith he was comforted in
you, while he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that
I rejoiced yet more." Paul could see how that
Titus was really built up by seeing the good spirit manifested by the church at
Corinth.
Chapters eight and nine of II Corinthians have
to do with encouraging the church at Corinth to complete the bounty
that they had started the year before. In
the latter part of chapter eight and the first part of chapter nine he tells
them that he wants them to have that bounty ready. That it
would be an embarrassing thing. if some should come with him from Macedonia to Corinth, and that church would
not have finished getting together their bounty. "For
as touching the ministry to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to
you: For I know your readiness of which I glory on
your behalf to them of Macedonia,
that Achaia hath been prepared for a year past."
Notice how he speaks of Achaia when he's referring primarily to the
church at Corinth. "Hath
been prepared for a year past. And your
zeal hath stirred up very many of them."
They
had started that good work a year before, but they had not completed it. So Paul gives real instruction and exhorts
them to complete it and have it ready.
"But I have sent the brethren." And that is referring to the latter verses of
chapter eight. "But
I have sent the brethren that our glorying on your behalf, may not be made void
in this respect, yet even as I said ye may be prepared."
Notice that Paul told the churches of Macedonia about what Corinth had done, and it had encouraged
those brethren of Macedonia to make up
contributions for the poor in Jerusalem. It was not limited to the saints (Acts 24:17; II Corinthians 9:12-15). "But I have
sent the brethren that our glorying on your behalf may not be made void in this
respect, that even as I said, ye may be prepared; lest by any means if there
come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we that say not ye, should be put to shame in
this confidence. I thought it necessary
therefore to entreat the brethren, that they would go before unto you,
and make up beforehand your afore bounty that the same might be ready as
a matter of bounty, and not of extortion."
And so you see that Paul was expecting some of the brethren of Macedonia to go with him, and, of
course, those would be the messengers of the churches. Paul had stated in chapter eight that we take
thought for things honorable in the sight of all
men, and he was not going to carry that bounty by
himself. And the messengers of the
churches were chosen to go with him to carry all that bounty from all those
Gentile churches to Jerusalem. Do you see how brief Likes account is in
Acts 20:1-2? We will go back to Acts 20:2 when we begin with the
last part of this Class Session.
Reading from Acts 20:2, "And
when he had gone through those parts (visiting
those churches in Macedonia) and had
given them much exhortation, he came into Greece." Or Achaia, and those three churches were: Athens, Cenchrea and Corinth. But as we read from those references from II
Corinthians, it looks like that Corinth marked the point of
completing the taking up those bounties of the churches for the poor in Jerusalem. "And when
he had spent three months there and a plot was made against him by the
Jews as he was about to sail for Syria,
he determined to return through Macedonia. And there accompanied him as far as Asia These
are the messengers of the churches, to carry that bounty to Jerusalem. Sopater of
Berea;
and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and
Timothy and
from Asia,
Tychicus and Trophimus. But these had
gone before and were waiting for us at Troas." You
need to highlight those last three words, us at Troas. So Luke joins the company again. So Luke had been several years at the church
at Philippi. The time is about 57 AD, when he joins the
company again. "And
we sailed away from Philippi after
the days of unleavened bread, That would be the feast of the Passover, they kept the Passover feast, and then for seven
days they were to eat unleavened bread, so it was called the feast of the
Passover, and the feast of unleavened bread. It was the first of their three
annual feasts (Exodus 12:13-20). "And came
unto them unto Troas
in five days; where we tarried seven days."
Now somewhere in these verses, you need to find
room to write down Romans 15:22-25. Paul wrote Romans right before he left with
those messengers of the churches to carry the bounty to Jerusalem. Turn to Romans chapter fifteen, and note that
very definitely, and he wrote Romans from Corinth, and he probably wrote Galatians
from Corinth at about the same time.
Now we cannot be definite about the date of Galatians.
A few writers date it in the forties, but in my judgment that is not
logical. The problem over circumcision
did not come up until it came up in that first Gentile church at Antioch of
Syria, and the time of that meeting at Jerusalem was about 50 AD, and Acts 15:1-33 and Galatians 2:1-10 are parallel
accounts about the problem of circumcision. The epistle of Paul to the Galatians deals
with showing that those teachers were false teachers, and if they followed
them, they would lose their salvation in
Christ. And Paul had revisited those
churches that Paul and Barnabas had established on that first journey. On that first journey they turned around and
revisited those churches that they had established, and then Paul revisited them on that second journey and then
again on the third journey, and there is no indication that there was a problem
in those churches over the matter of circumcision either time that he revisited
them. So it must have been at a later date
that those false teachers went to those churches of Galatia and started warding off
their false teaching on the brethren at Galatia. So very definitely Paul wrote Romans then
from Corinth as they were ready to
carry the bounty to Jerusalem on the latter part of
the third journey.
Let us turn to Romans chapter fifteen and read
that reference. He talks about how that
he had no longer any evangelistic territory in that area, and that he was
planning to go to Rome after he had carried
the bounty to Jerusalem. Romans 15:23-25, "Wherefore
also I was hindered many years from coming to you; but now having no more
any place in these regions and having these many years a longing to come
unto you; whensoever I come into Spain, I hope to see you in my journey, and
be brought on my way thitherward by you."
Now notice again Paul's long-term planning. First he is going to carry the bounty to Jerusalem, and then he plans to
go from there to visit the church at Rome, and then he
expects the church at Rome to help him in
evangelizing in Spain. He says, "I
hope to see you in my journey, and be brought on my way thitherward by you, That means that he was expecting support from
the brethren at Rome to carry on evangelistic
activities in Spain, if first in some measure I shall be satisfied
with your company. But now I say I go
unto Jerusalem
ministering unto the saints. For it hath been the good pleasure of Macedonia
and Achaia to make a certain contribution, for
the poor among the saints that are at Jerusalem."
And look at verse twenty-nine, "And
I know when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness and the blessings of
Christ." Well, I think that the scriptures teach that
he went in the fullness and blessings of Christ, but he did not go as a free
man as he was expecting to go, but he went as a prisoner to Rome. I hope you are writing down these references
in your Bible. You can write down a lot
of notes in your notebook, but you are not going to have that notebook with you
when you need to be reminded. Time will
prove that references and notes written in your Bible will be your best notes. All
of us soon forget some of those things that we have known, but if we have some
references to remind us, then it comes back real quick. So Paul wrote Romans just before he leaves
with those messengers of the churches. Acts
20:7, "And
upon the first day of the week when we were gathered together to break bread,
Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow, and prolonged his
speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper
chamber, where we were gathered together.
And there sat in the window a certain man named Eutychus, born down with
deep sleep: And as Paul discoursed yet longer being born
down by his sleep, he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and
embracing him said, Make ye no ado; for his life is in him. And when he was gone up and had broken bread
and had eaten, and had talked with them a long time, even till break of day, so
he departed. And they brought the lad
alive, and were not a little comforted."
Now, in regard to Acts 20:7, if you ask the
average member of the church where is the authority for partaking of the Lord's
Supper each first day of the week, they will probably give Acts 20:7. Are you listening well? Acts 20:7 does not by itself
bind the partaking of the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week. It is surely a good reference to call
attention to. It is an approved example
for sure, but every approved example is not binding. If every approved example is binding, then
look at the rest of this reference that we have read. A preacher would have to prolong his speech
until midnight! "And there
were many lights in the upper chamber."
And so they would have to meet in an upper chamber on the third floor,
and they would have to have a lot of lights.
We usually have those, but we do not usually meet in a building that has
a third story, not for the assembly place of the whole church. And if every example is binding, then
somebody would need to fall out of a window and be taken up dead, and the
preacher would have to have miraculous ability to restore him to life. We do not
have any with miraculous powers today, and if man fell out today, and taken
up dead he
would just be dead.
There must be a background command to
bind an example! You may be asking, What references bind the
Lords Supper on the first day of the week? Write down by verse seven, I
Corinthians 16:1-2 and I Corinthians 11:33. I Corinthians
16:1-2 reads, "As
I gave orders unto the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let each
one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no
gatherings when I come." Paul
there was telling the brethren at Corinth about that bounty for
the poor in Jerusalem. Note that I Corinthians 16:1-2 shows that the
churches of Galatia and the church at Corinth had a regular time to assemble
for worship, and that time was the first day of the week. Nearly all denominational preachers realize
that people are to give on the first day of the week! Why are they not able to understand that they
are to partake of the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week? But, anyway, the first day of the week is the
day of worship. It is the day that Christ has made by his resurrection from the
dead (Psalms 118:22-24), and let us, rejoice
and be glad in it.
In I Corinthians 11:33, Paul gives
instruction to the Corinthians, "When ye
come together to eat, wait one for another." I like the word in the King James, tarry
one for another. That was a slow day, and some of those early
Christians were slaves, and it may be that they could not go just anytime they
wanted to. They may have waited for the
time that the master gave them release, plus the pattern of life of that day,
being very slow. So he tells them, "When
you come together to eat, wait one for another."
He is talking about eating the Lord's Supper. He had already told them to eat their meals
at home because they had mixed up the matter of eating a physical meal with the
Lord's Supper, and some of them were despising the church of God and putting some to
shame by not sharing their meals with those who did not have anything to eat. Some
were eating to glutton and drinking to drunkenness and not even dividing with
those who did not have anything to eat (I Corinthians 11:20-22). So he had already given instruction about
they were to eat their meals at home, and 11:33 is their coming
together to eat the Lord's Supper And then after you have called attention to I
Corinthians 16:1-2 and 11:33, then go to Acts 20:7. Paul and the messengers of the churches
stayed with the brethren at Tyre for seven days. Acts 21:4, "And
finding the disciples, we tarried there seven days." Does that not that imply that they worshipped
with those disciples probably two first days of the week.
Back to Acts 20:13, "But
we, going before to the ship, set sail for Assos, there intending to take in
Paul: For so had he appointed, intending himself to
go by land. And when he met us at Assos,
we took him in, and came
to Mitylene. And sailing from thence, we
came the following day over against Chios;
and the next day we touched at Samos,
and tarried at Trogyllium; and the day after we came to Miletus. And Paul determining to sail past Ephesus,
that he might not have to spend time in Asia: For he was hastening, if it were possible, to
be at Jerusalem
the day of Pentecost." The
day of Pentecost, as we have already talked about from Acts two, was that day
of the second annual feast, which celebrated their small grain harvest. They
were to number seven weeks when they started harvesting their grain crops. Barley was harvested before wheat as we
learned from the book of Ruth. And then
at the end of that seven week period, and the morrow after the seventh Sabbath,
then this feast of the Pentecost came.
Pentecost in Acts 2:1-2 is from the Greek word
meaning fiftieth (Leviticus 23:15-16).
Paul wants to get to Jerusalem for the feast of the
Pentecost, therefore he does not want to have to go by the church at Ephesus. "And
so from Miletus,
he sent to Ephesus,
and called to him the elders of the church." The
rest of chapter twenty deals with Paul speaking to the elders of the church and
exhorting and admonishing them, and then after he had done that, they
all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him. So the elders went from Ephesus to Miletus, and Paul exhorted them
as set forth here. Verse eighteen,
"And when they were come to him, he said
unto them, ye yourselves know from the first day that I set foot in Asia (at Ephesus)
after what manner I was with you all the
time, serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and with
trials, which befell me by the plots of the Jews,
Now, Luke did not give us a record of that, did he, of the plots that
the Jews had set for him during that long stay at Ephesus? But remember nearly everywhere he went, they
tried to kill him or they would drive him out.
how I shrank not from declaring unto
you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly, and from house to
house." So public teaching and private teaching, Paul
did both. "Testifying
from house to house, and testifying both to Jews, and to Greeks, repentance
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit
unto Jerusalem;
not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Spirit testified
unto me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me."
So consider there in verse twenty-three, the
Holy Spirit had been testifying to him, that if he went to Jerusalem, that he
would be bound at Jerusalem "Saying
that bonds and afflictions abide me," but
notice the wonderful attitude of Paul, "But
I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, so that I may
accomplish my course, and the ministry, which I have received from the Lord
Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." Remember that Christ had chosen him, especially
as an apostle to the Gentiles. "And
now, behold, I know that ye all of among whom I went about preaching the
kingdom shall see my face no more." In
verse twenty-five Paul must be speaking on the basis of what he thinks rather
than what the Holy Spirit had told him in a definite way. Now, the Holy Spirit had testified to him in
the cities, that if he went to Jerusalem, that bonds and
afflictions would abide him. It looks
like Paul had come to the conclusion that that meant that he would never be
able to go back to visit the brethren at Ephesus. But Paul's first epistle to Timothy shows
very definitely that after he was released from that first Roman imprisonment,
that he went back to the church at Ephesus, for he had left
Timothy there to take care of problems that existed in the church at Ephesus. Please turn to I Timothy. "Paul,
an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and
Christ Jesus, our hope; unto Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace,
mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. As I exhorted thee (Timothy) to tarry at
Ephesus, when I was going into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge
certain men not to teach a different doctrine, neither to give heed to fables
and endless genealogies, which minister questionings, rather than a
dispensation of God, which is in faith: So do I now."
Paul did not leave Timothy at Ephesus prior to that first Roman
imprisonment, therefore this is after that first Roman imprisonment that he had
left Timothy there to charge certain men not to teach a
different doctrine.
It looks like what Paul told the Ephesian elders
in this passage that we are reading from Acts, had already been partly
fulfilled. There must have been those in the eldership that had already turned
in the wrong way. And they were trying
to hold onto the Old Testament religion, verse seven, desiring
to be teachers of the law, though they
understand neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm. And then the fact that Paul gives Timothy the
qualifications of elders and deacons in chapter three, further indicates that
some of those elders that Paul speaks to here in this reference had already
done the wrong thing. Again, let me
emphasize that he must be speaking according to his own judgment rather than
what the Holy Spirit had definitely told him in verse twenty-five. "And
now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, shall see my
face no more. Wherefore I testify to you
this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men." You remember our turning and reading from
Ezekiel chapter three, Paul would have been guilty of their blood if he had not
put forth that real effort to teach them the way of the Lord. But as stated, "I
shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, teaching you
publicly and from house to house." And so he was pure from the blood of all men
because he had done that which the Lord wanted him to do, in preaching and
teaching of the gospel. Paul was a
preacher who preached the whole counsel of God.
We have a few brethren in the church today that are afraid to teach on
certain subjects because they know the brethren do not want to hear those
subjects. They need to listen to what
Paul said for us to do. He is telling us
that we are to preach the whole counsel of God, and that includes our teaching
on every basic subject of the Bible, to teach the whole counsel of God. Then his exhortation to them, "Take
heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit hath
made you bishops, to feed the church of God,
which he hath purchased with his own blood."
Now the footnote in my Bible for bishop says
overseers. You may be reading from a
version that has overseers instead of bishop, but bishop means that they were
overseers. When the church at Antioch of
Syria sent contributions to Jerusalem, as recorded in the
latter part of Acts eleven, they sent it to the elders by the hands of Paul and
Barnabas. Elders oversee everything in
regard to the church, including financial matters. Some of the denominational churches count
that the work of deacons, and from time to time, you will find brethren that
think that the deacons are to oversee all the things that have to do with
material things, but that is not the case.
Elders are the overseers, and the deacons are to assist them in the
various ways that they think they can assist them. "Feed the
church the Lord, which he purchased with his own blood." The Bible plainly teaches that Christ purchased
the church with his blood, and it is by his redeeming blood that men are
redeemed from sin. (Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7 and Colossians 1:14. No sins are forgiven
apart from the sinner applying the blood of Christ. He purchased the church with his blood, and
when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, Matthew 26:28, he said when he took
the cup, "And this is the blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many for, (the King James Version)
unto, (the
American Standard) the remission of sins." Please remember, and we have already
discussed that, this is the same Greek word E-I-S as used in Acts 2:38. And if that Greek word means because of, as
so many people in America are being taught by
their preachers, that it means because they were already saved in Acts 2:38, then Christ died in
vain. He died because their sins were
already forgiven! This
is the blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the remission of
sins. And you can see absolutely from that, that
that word does not mean because of.
Acts 20:29, "I
know that after my departure grievious wolves shall enter in among you, not
sparing the flock." So false teachers would come into the church
at Ephesus, not
sparing the flock. They would be wolves in sheep's clothing, and
they would be devouring Gods sheep.
"And from among your own selves (the eldership) "shall men
arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." And according to church history, this was the
way that the great falling away came that Paul speaks of in II Thessalonians 2:1-12, where he tells for
them not to be excited about the second advent of Christ, that he would not
come until there had been a great falling away, and until the man of sin had
been revealed who is spoken of as, setting
himself forth as God.
According to church history, the process
began by elders choosing a chairman elder, and then it was not long until they
had more than one church under an eldership, and then an chairman elder of
that. And that continued to increase from
one departure to another and one innovation after another until finally the
election of a Pope and the hierarchy of
the Catholic church, the great falling away.
Acts 20:31, "Wherefore
watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years, I ceased not to
admonish every one night and day with tears." So Paul speaks of it as three years, but it is
possible that he could be rounding off.
We still do a lot of that, don't we?
He definitely stayed at Ephesus for two years and three
months, and he had intended to stay in Asia for another season
after that, and then the riot caused by the silver smiths. "And
now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build
you up, and to give you the inheritance among all them that are
sanctified." So he is saying to the Ephesian elders,
continue to give attention to the word of God's grace, and it will build you
up. The word of God received into the
heart will do that for all Christians today, but many are suffering from
malnutrition. We need to give more attention to the word of God's grace. It will build us up and strengthen us
spiritually! And so Paul wanted the
Ephesian elders to continue to study the word of the Lord, that it would build
them up and give them that eternal inheritance.
"I coveted no man's silver or gold
or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that
these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that are with me." Do you suppose that he was holding up his
hands when he said that? these hands ministered
unto my necessities, and to them that were with me." All of those men like Timothy and Erastus and
Gaius and all others who assisted him in that evangelistic work at Ephesus. Paul was surely a workman who knew how to
make a living. Let me emphasize again
that every preacher should be able to put up shop and make a living most anywhere
he may go. He may get in very difficult
circumstances if he is not able to put up shop and make a living for his family
while he is there. "And
in all things, I gave you an example that so laboring So Paul labored at Ephesus. He labored during the first part of his stay
at Corinth, and he labored while
he was at Thessalonica, as shown plainly by those two epistles to that
church. ye
ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he
himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." Now, that statement is not recorded, at least
in those words anywhere else. There are
several passages in the gospels that teach that in principle, but it is not
stated in those words, but Paul through inspiration must have known that Jesus
gave that statement during his personal ministry that it
is more blessed to give than to receive. I
believe I have read from one version that reads, it
makes one happier to give than to receive. That
is good reading. Blessed means
happy. So if you want to have deep
seated joy, learn to give cheerfully and liberally to the church and to the needs of others. It is more blessed to give than to
receive. And so Paul had worked during
that period of time and had done a great job
of evangelizing through his efforts and those assisting him during that three
year stay at Ephesus. "And when
he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's
neck, and kissed him. Sorrowing most of
all for the words which he had spoken, that they should behold his face no
more. And they brought him on his way unto the ship."
Chapter Twenty-one
"And when
it came to pass, that we were parted from them, and had set sail, we came with
a straight course unto Coos, and the next day unto Rhodes, and from
thence unto Patara:
And having found a ship crossing over to Phenicia, we went aboard and set
sail. And when we had come in sight of Cyprus,
leaving it on the left hand, we sailed unto Syria,
and landed at Tyre: For there the ship was to unlaid her
burden. And having foun the disciples, Jesus during his ministry went for a short
time to the Gentile territory of Tyre. we
tarried there seven days: And these said to Paul through the Spirit. , So they had people in the church at Tyre then that had the gift
of prophecy because, "Who said to Paul
through the Spirit that he should not set foot in Jerusalem." Paul had said to the Ephesian elders that the
Holy Spirit was testifying to him in every city that if he went to Jerusalem he would be bound. And the brethren at Tyre gave him that
instruction also. Verse five, "And
when it came to pass that we had accomplished the days." This is strong indication that they must have
met with those brethren for worship on two occasions. "We
departed and went on our journey. And
they all with wives and children brought us on our way, till we were out of the
city: And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed
and bade each other farewell, and went on board the ship, but they returned
home again." Our next Class Session should begin with Acts
21:7. Thank you for your good attention.