Day 177: Acts 17:1-34

“For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” - Acts‬ ‭17:28‬

To what lengths are you willing to familiarize yourself with those you want to reach with the Gospel of Jesus?

Here we see that Paul probably quotes the Cretan poet Epimenides (who brought reform to Athens) and the Greek poet Aratus (315-240 BC).

Why would he quote these two pagan poets when there were so many Old Testament passages he could have used? One word. Connection. As soon as he makes these two quotes, the crowd at the Areopagus probably leaned in. This definitely wasn’t the monotheistic Jewish crowd in Acts 2, and he wouldn’t be able to reach them the same way.

Perhaps we need a new way of connecting with those we’ve hit a dead-end when it comes to sharing our faith in Jesus.

Before we are there to baptize, we are there to learn. When we learn about those we want to reach, we earn the right to share about the UNKNOWN GOD, and we make Him known. Empathy opens the door for epiphany. Connection leads to redirection.

"Paul was prepared to take over the glimmerings of truth in pagan philosophy about the nature of God. But whereas the Greeks thought of the divine nature of man, Paul would have thought of the way in which man is the image of God. It is God who is the source of man’s life." - Marshall, I. H. (1980). Acts: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 5, p. 306)

Day 176: Acts 16:16-40

“And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.” - Acts 16:33 ESV

Luke gives us three lives that were changed as a result of this stop in Philippi. The first was Lydia (a wealthy clothing mogul), the second was the demon-possessed slave girl, and the third was this jailer who was commissioned to contain Paul and Silas.

Even after being beaten with rods, Paul and Silas couldn't hold back their prayers and praises in the middle of the night. A divine earthquake would give them an opportunity for freedom, but they decided to stay. Their songs and willingness to save the life of this jailer were major witnesses that led to the man asking a question we all love to hear: "What must I do to be saved?" This man had the protection of the Roman government, but he now longed for better salvation. He wanted what they had (I believe many in our culture are this way today).

Are you ready for someone to ask you this question? Are you ready to "speak the word of the Lord" to people like the jailer and his household? If so, God will be sending them your way. You better be ready to get down into the water with them and get wet.

I'd love to end with this incredible quote from F.F. Bruce's commentary on Acts: “He washed and was washed,” says Chrysostom: “he washed them from their stripes, and was himself washed from his sins.”

God is preparing them for you to speak. Are you getting ready for them?

See this resource for help as you prepare to share the message of Jesus with others.

Day 175: Acts 15:36-41, 16:1-15

“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” - Acts 16:9-10 ESV

As Paul and Barnabas made plans to run it back for a Second Missionary Journey, they couldn't agree on what to do with John Mark. This caused them to multiply into two efforts and led to new partnerships for Paul with Silas and a young gun named Timothy.

Because we are flawed and constantly distracted, God has to go to great lengths to guide and direct our steps. This was true with the paths Paul had thought Jesus wanted him to walk, but the "Spirit of the Lord did not allow" them to go into certain places. This is odd language, but it speaks to the care God puts into helping us know where we're supposed to serve.

The call (at this point) was to go to Macedonia. Paul's time there would be significant in many ways. For one, Philippi and Thessalonica were there, and both ended up receiving letters that we still benefit from today. Plus, despite their poverty, the Macedonian churches were insanely generous (see 2 Corinthians 8:1-5).

Have your plans not gone as you expected? As Christians, we have to believe that there is purpose in that frustration. God is always speaking, continually leading. May we respond to the calls He places on our lives.

"Luke wishes to make quite clear that this action was taken on the basis of divine guidance. It was not based on mere human desires or interests." - Witherington, B., III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles (p. 480)

Day 174: Acts 15:1-35

“And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.” - Acts 15:31-32 ESV

Dealing with conflict, for many of us, causes feelings of angst or discouragement. There is a deep feeling that we are wasting time and energy that could be better spent in other ways during any dispute.

Even so, how we pivot from disagreements will define us and the organizations or companies that we work for or alongside.

For the first century Christians, they had to undo the belief that the Israelites were somehow superior to the nations (Gentiles). God had irrefutably spoken through the experience with Cornelius, and now it was time to put it into practice, especially for the Jews in Jerusalem.

The solution, though it may seem odd to us (being culturally removed), was a huge hit with the non-Jewish Christians in Antioch. They didn't need to become Jewish to follow Jesus. Retaining their own cultural identities was not only to be tolerated, but it was also to be celebrated; so that Revelation 7:9-10 can be someday fulfilled:  “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”

“The decrees from the council in Jerusalem were received with genuine happiness because of their 'encouraging message.' For the disciples at Antioch the decision of the council was a victory, confirming their policy toward Gentile converts who were not forced to be circumcised. The four requirements were viewed as a measure to ease the fellowship of Jewish and Gentile believers." - Gaertner, D. (1995). Acts (Ac 15:30–35)

Day 173: Acts 14:8-28

"Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” - Acts 14:17 ESV

Speaking to an utterly pagan audience, Paul breaks down the reality of God's grace in our lives, even if we are living in ignorant rebellion. There is no good thing that doesn't come from God (see James 1:17). God's goodness and favor are not just limited to those who have been regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is also showing great care for those who have yet to say "yes" to His saving power.

What a great thought to pass through our minds as we turn to share the message of Jesus' love with those we encounter. We need to remind them of how good God has been to them, giving life and provision, even though they've been rejecting Him.

God sustaining this world and those that live in it is one of His most outstanding witnesses of love.

Dennis Gaertner says it so well: "Provisions of divine providence were thus a testimony to God’s goodness." Gaertner, D. (1995). Acts (Ac 14:14–18)

Sure, because of sin, this place isn't perfect. There is death, sickness, pain, hate, apathy, injustice, and many more ugly things; but we can't let them distract us from the miracle of our continued existence on earth.

God has given us the witness. Now it's time for us to call it to the attention of those who are lost without hope: "Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." - Ephesians 2:12-13 ESV

Day 172: Acts 13:42-52, 14:1-7

“So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.” - Acts 14:3 ESV

In Iconium, as in every other city, Paul and Barnabas had set the entire community on fire with an awareness of God's presence through powerful teaching. The signs and wonders that followed were just further proof that this wasn't a hoax. Jesus was still alive and working among them.

The Jewish leaders again felt threatened and saw the need to stir up trouble. The entire town was divided. Still, progress was being made. People were confessing Jesus as Lord, receiving the grace of God.

Ever feel like resistance is high, and progress is slow? For Paul and Barnabas, it didn’t faze them. The message of Jesus was too important, and God gave them glimpses of what He was doing in the hearts of so many people.

God will give us the glimpses we need as well to keep going.

Don't be discouraged. Know that this isn't heaven. Remind yourself that even these powerful Apostles struggled with opposition. Also, we may need to reload with the following verse.

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." - 1 John 4:4 NIV

"Paul and Barnabas decided that in view of the hostility they must spend some time in the town, and they continued to witness boldly in dependence on the power of God." - Marshall, I. H. (1980). Acts. (Vol. 5, p. 247)

Day 171: Acts 13:16-41

“but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” - Acts 13:37-39 ESV

Did you notice in our reading for today how adamant Paul was about testifying to Jesus' resurrection? It is blowing my mind how little he actually mentions what was happening on the cross. Instead, he chose to focus on the historical veracity of Jesus being condemned to death and being taken down from the cross (verse 29). But when it came to the resurrection, Paul knew that if these Jews were to understand what happened when Jesus rose, their justification wasn't far away. Paul leaned on the Israelites' Hebrew Bible to show them how well laid out God's plan for Jesus' resurrection was.

Many people in the first century were crucified. For instance, in 4 BC alone, the Roman general Varus was said to have crucified 2,000 Jews at one time. None were raised from the dead.

In contrast, Jesus wasn't in the grave long enough to see decay (Psalm 16:10), and this is how we know forgiveness through belief in HIs name is possible. We won't find this freedom in the pursuit of flawless morality.

Millions have tried that.

It doesn't work.

If we want to be set free from every sin, we must trust in the resurrected Jesus alone.

"From beginning to end, the faith of Christ rests on the solid ground of established facts; it does not depend on dreams and visions, nor on logical deductions or intuitions of the human reason; it is built on well-attested facts." - Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (1909). Acts of the Apostles (Vol. 1, p. 414)

Day 170: Acts 12:24-25, 13:1-15

“But the word of God increased and multiplied.” - Acts 12:24 ESV

Luke contrasts Herod Agrippa's untimely death (by intestinal worms) with this short description of what the word of God was doing. Again, there was no New Testament (as we know it today). 

James and Paul and the others hadn't yet sharpened their quills. Even so, God's word was actively taking ground, just like in the beginning, when God spoke the universe into existence.

The word for increased is αὐξάνω auxanō, and it is a farming term meaning to grow, spread, or extend. The word for multiplied is πληθύνω plēthynō, and it speaks specifically to the numbers. Stephen used it in his discourse to describe how the Israelites grew in Egypt (see Acts 7:17).

They were healthy (auxanō), so they succeeded numerically (plēthynō).

The same was true as we head into chapter 13. They fasted and prayed, and then the Holy Spirit said to set apart Saul (Paul) and Barnabas for the first (organized) missionary journey.

So many times, we get this turned around. We want God to use CSF for great things, but we don't often realize that He is the one who is supposed to do the initiating.

God, move us into a healthy place. May the Holy Spirit lead. Only then do we want to see the numeric blessing of multiplication.

"For the third time in Acts (see also 6:7 and 9:31) Luke adds a brief summary of the progress of the church. Here it is given in direct contrast to the downfall of Herod. The persecutor was destroyed, but the word of God 'continued to increase and spread.' Luke uses the imperfect tense with these verbs to emphasize that the gospel was daily expanding its reach." - Gaertner, D. (1995). Acts (Ac 12:24)

Day 169: Acts 12:1-23

“He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.” - Acts 12:2-3 ESV

Earlier this year in one of our readings, we saw another Herod (Antipas) kill John the Baptist. Here we see James (one of Jesus' top three disciples) being beheaded by another Herod (Agrippa). Luke mentions it quickly in verse two as a way to talk about the seriousness of Peter's arrest and Agrippa's intentions.

We are told that the church was praying for Peter, but weren't they also praying for James?

Why was Peter miraculously released and James' life came to a seemingly premature end?

These are questions that we continue to ask today when it comes to God supernaturally intervening. Ultimately, we don't know why some are spared, and some are not. A continual dwelling on this can drive us into a deep pit of despair and bitterness toward God. "Why?" seems to be a circular question that never seems to be fully satisfied in this world (see the contrast in Hebrews 11:32-40).

Yet when we turn to God in worship in times of our questioning and we choose to live with grateful hearts, it does, in a wild way, seem to deeply satisfy our souls. Maybe our minds can't fully grasp it, but we know we are powerfully loved by the God of all creation, who will one day make all things right.

Jesus, we trust you. With every second You allow us to live, we will worship You with all we have.

"James was the first of the apostles to meet a martyr’s death; thus, he experienced the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to him and his brother John that they would both drink from his cup and share his “baptism” (Mark 10:39)." - Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (p. 233)

Day 168: Acts 11:1-30

“But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.” - Acts 11:20-21 ESV

As we previously mentioned, the death of Stephen ended up forcing the Christians in Jerusalem to flee and take the message of Jesus with them. So it seems as though the first missionaries were refugees. Most stayed with what they knew and reached out only to Jews, but some saw this as an opportunity to reach non-Jews.

Luke doesn't tell us if these primitive missionaries were acting independently of what had happened with Cornelius and his family, but it seems like they were. If that's the case, I love it. It shows us what we already know to be true about God. He connects us all by our mission before we are actually connected personally. God was moving toward the nations with His message of the Kingdom, the Good News, and it wasn't just an isolated instance in Caesarea with Cornelius and his crew.

So, what is our challenge for today?

Be among the "some." Allow your heart to be open to where the Holy Spirit leads you, even if it may not match the majority. The creativity found in being open to the Spirit's leading is life-giving, both for us and all those we encounter.

"Here we have a truly amazing thing. The Church has taken the most epoch-making of all steps; and we do not even know the names of the people who took that step. All we know is that they came from Cyprus and Cyrene. They go down in history as nameless pioneers of Christ. It has always been one of the tragedies of the Church that people have wanted to be noticed and named when they did something worthwhile. What the Church has always needed, perhaps more than anything else, is people who never care who gain the credit for it as long as the work is done. These Christians may not have written their names in the history books; but they have written them forever in God’s Book of Life." - Barclay, W. (2003). The Acts of the Apostles (p. 103)