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Devotional Guide: the Book of Acts #4: Acts 14-18

Devotional Guide: the Book of Acts #4: Acts 14-18

Last updated on: June 24, 2022 at 1:09 am by Rob Dalrymple

Devotional Guide: the Book of Acts #4: Acts 14-18 2022-06-11T08:30:22-08:00 Rob Dalrymple

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Monday: Read Acts 14

Paul and Barnabas reach the interior of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Here we really get a good understanding of the tension that they faced. As we noted earlier, Paul and Barnabas enter the synagogues and preach to the Jews first. Then they would begin to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom to the Gentiles. When they preached in Iconium, many Jews and Greeks believed.

This may sound like good news, and it is, but it creates a serious conflict that will plague the early Christian missionary efforts as it proceeds. Some in those communities accept the Word. It is critical here to recall that the Word that is preached is that Jesus is the promised Messiah. They are not preaching a new religion. They are claiming that all that Moses and the prophets have said has come true.

The conflict arises because the Gospel means that “all the nations will be blessed” (Gen 12:3)—which means that Gentiles are welcome into the community with no strings attached. That is, Gentiles do not need to be circumcised or to follow the Jewish food laws.

For the Jews, this was hard to swallow. What made them God’s chosen people is that they are set apart from the nations by the practices of circumcision (though they were not the only ones to do so) and their food laws. These convictions were held on to as a way of life.

The conflict within some of the Jewish communities ran so deep that some Jews from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium come to Lystra and have Paul stoned to death.

Among the Gentiles, Paul and Barnabas’ success caused the people to consider the apostles as the manifestation of Zeus and Hermes. This too caused much consternation.

Questions to ponder/discuss:

When read well, these passages should remove from our minds any romantic ideals we may want to take to the text. Paul and Barnabas experienced extreme highs. They healed people and saw many come to the faith. And they experienced extreme lows. Pagans misunderstood the gospel so radically that they try to worship them as gods. And some Jewish communities traveled miles to cause a raucous and to have Paul stoned to death.
Why do you suppose that most Christians do not experience the same sort of “highs” that Paul and Barnabas experienced?
Why do you suppose that preaching the gospel today in many of our contexts does not create such hostility?

Tuesday: Read Acts 15:1-35; Amos 9:11-12

The background for understanding Acts 15 is that in Judaism at this time, letters from Jerusalem were authoritative decrees to Jews throughout the Diaspora (the dispersion of Jews in the Roman world). Such letters from Jerusalem served to inform the Jewish world of calendar and cultic activities (dates of feasts, etc.).

Luke tells us that “some men” came to Antioch (note: when you travel from Jerusalem-Judea you always go “down” and when you travel to Jerusalem-Judea you always go “up.” This is because you are leaving or approaching the temple).

These men were demanding that Gentiles (non-Jews) be circumcised in order to be saved.

NB: this is quite likely the setting for Paul’s writing of the book of Galatians. The question is: “what do we do with all these new Gentile converts.” We will discuss the theology when we get to Galatians.

The decision is for all to travel to Jerusalem in order to convene a council. The year is AD 49. The council begins with Peter (who was the most respected leader of the Jewish Christians. Note we have not seen Peter since he fled for his life in Acts 12) testifying. He notes that God gave

“them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are” (8-11).

Barnabas and Paul then relay their testimony of all that God did through them. James (the brother of Jesus and now the leader of the church in Jerusalem), finally speaks. James cites Amos 9:11-12 and some other passages to demonstrate that after God rebuilds the temple (Jesus’ death and resurrection are the rebuilding of the temple), then “all the nations” will be brought in. The conclusion is that God’s promises have been fulfilled in Jesus and the inclusion of the nations is the next step in God’s plan of redemption.

The decision is to write a letter, a formal decree of the Jerusalem leadership, that declares that Gentiles do not need to be circumcised to be saved. They should, however, respect that many Jewish Christians will still adhere to these laws and, thus, make every effort to not offend them

Questions to ponder/discuss:

This conflict and its resolution speak volumes on how to resolve tensions among social groups. We must respect our differences. And yet do so without compromising the Gospel and making others second-class persons in the Church. The reality is that we all have different preferences when it comes to food, clothes, music, and virtually every other aspect of “doing church.” Until we learn to respect everyone’s values, the church will continue to be racially, ethnically, and socially divided—with each group at times considering their way to be the right way.
Make an effort to intentionally meet other Christians (and non-Christians) who represent a different cultural perspective. Get to know them and learn their stories.

Wednesday: Read Acts 15:36-16:30

At the end of Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas begin to plan a second Missionary Journey. A conflict arises between them over whether John Mark (aka Mark) should be allowed to join them. Barnabas, whose name means “the son of encouragement,” and who is related to Mark, wants to allow him to rejoin them. Paul, who was stoned to death on the last journey, considers Mark’s “desertion” (38) too much and is concerned that Mark is not able to care for himself on such a venture.

The dispute is so great among the Apostles that they decide to break into two groups. Thus, Paul’s second missionary journey (AD 49-52) embarks with Silas at his side. As they travel to Lystra, Timothy joins the group. As they reach Troas, Luke will begin to accompany them.

They travel for the first time to Europe and reach the city of Philippi. Philippi was a Roman colony. This means all citizens of Philippi are citizens of Rome. It is a significant privilege for the city and its residents.

While in the city, Paul was consistently being aggravated by a woman with a demonic spirit. Paul finally casts out the demon from the woman. Problem: this demonic spirit provided the woman with prophetic insights that made her owners a great profit.

The city officials, not knowing that both Paul and Silas were Roman citizens (who would have suspected two Jewish itinerant preachers to have such a status), had them arrested, publicly beaten, and imprisoned. The problem for them was that publicly beating (which would have meant stripping them and beating them) a Roman citizen without a trial was illegal.

While in prison Paul and Silas, despite their great pain, were signing praises songs. This led to the conversion of the jailer and “his household” (34).

The next morning when the authorities went to release Paul and Silas, they informed the authorities of the illegalities that occurred the previous day. Now Paul and Silas have tremendous leverage with the city officials: which included the honor of a public escort out of the city.

Questions to ponder/discuss:

The conflict among the Apostles is really interesting. For one, we see that Luke is not telling us a story that makes everyone look great. Also, note that Luke does not pick a side and tell us “who is right.” He simply reports the conflict.
Conflicts within the church are inevitable. How we handle them is the key. This conflict shows that we do not have to always agree. But we do have to love and bless. As Paul and Barnabas go their separate ways it is critical that they do not speak negatively about each other. So, when Paul revisits the churches from their first journey, he cannot explain Barnabas’ absence by accusing him of hardheadedness or anything like that. Barnabas is a fellow brother in Christ who is doing the work of the kingdom. Paul may not agree with him in this manner, but he cannot slander him and harm the ministry that Barnabas is undertaking. Furthermore, if Paul were to slander Barnabas, it would be a poor example to all those with whom Paul was ministering. Paul must reflect the gospel of grace that he is preaching!

Thursday: Read Acts 17

Paul and Silas make their way over to Thessalonica (modern-day Thessaloniki). There they preach to the Jews and later to the gentiles. As seems to be fairly typical, Luke notes that some of the Jews believed, many of the Gentiles (God-fearers), and a few prominent women (likely Roman women) also believed.

Paul and Silas’ proclamation was that Jesus is Lord and thereby Caesar is not. In making this proclamation they were not in any way trying to establish a kingdom alongside or in place of Rome. They were instead claiming that Jesus was the world’s true Lord and that all authority rests in him. In each community they preached, Paul and Silas were creating communities of disciples who were to live this counter-cultural message of love for one’s enemies. To reiterate, they were not establishing socio-political entities, but counter-cultural communities.

This created “jealousy” (5) among some within the Jewish community. The resultant chaos in the city should not be taken lightly. This was a serious issue. Fortunately, the mob did not find Paul and Silas, who had escaped inland to Berea.

Paul makes his way down to Athens where He gives his famous speech. Again, we must not read this as though Paul is simply given another opportunity to preach. This was a very serious setting and Paul was potentially in great danger.

Questions to ponder/discuss:

A great assignment is to pay attention to Paul’s speeches in Acts. What are some of the similarities and differences when he preaches to a Jewish audience (cp 13:16-41) compared to a Gentile audience (cp 17:22-31 and 14:14-17)?
How might this affect the way we share the Gospel?

Friday: Read Acts 18

Paul travels down to Corinth where eventually Silas and Timothy rejoin him (5). Corinth was an important city, and its location (consult a map or bible atlas) was significant. Located on a narrow strip of land that separated the Aegean Sea from the Adriatic Sea meant that lots of commerce and lots of sailors went in and out of the city. Corinth, in other words, was well-known for its diversity and its immorality.

While in Corinth, Paul meets a couple that may well be two of the most significant people in the early Christian movement that you may have never heard of: Aquila and Priscilla (2). They were recently displaced from Rome (we will address this in our study of Romans) and had settled in Corinth.

During Paul’s time in Corinth, he likely pens 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

They eventually leave Corinth, make a quick stop in Ephesus (which will become the center of their efforts on the 3rd journey), and head back to Antioch.

Luke then briefly narrates Priscilla and Aquila’s ministry and the transformation of Apollos (24-26).

Questions to ponder/discuss:

The importance of Aquila and Priscilla (and her name often comes first when the NT refers to them) cannot be overstated. Because Aquila practiced the same trade as Paul they began to work together. Priscilla and Aquilla not only provided Paul, Silas, and Timothy a place of residence during their 1½ year stay in Corinth, they provided leadership, support, and companionship.
Ministry is not only extremely difficult, but it can also be extremely lonely. Consider the things Paul has gone through on his journeys. He was stoned to death, run out of several cities, stripped, beaten, and placed in stocks while imprisoned. Very much in danger before the authorities in Athens—with no one at his side (Silas and Timothy do not join him until later). And his ministry was just getting started. He has 10-15 more years ahead of him.
Pray for your leaders. Sit before the Lord and ask him to place a pastor, missionary, or another Christian leader on your heart, and make a commitment to pray and fast for them on a daily basis.
If you are such a leader, find support. Form a peer group with whom you can fellowship, pray, and get refreshed.

[1] This guide is meant to be done either as a group study over the course of 2 or 4 meetings (Day 1-5; 6-10; 11-15; 16-20) or as a private devotion over the course of 4 weeks (or a calendar month—5 lessons per week).

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About Rob Dalrymple

Rob Dalrymple is married to his wife Toni and is the father of four fabulous children, and two grandchildren. He has been teaching and pastoring for over 32 years at colleges, seminaries, and the local church. He has a PhD (Westminster Theological Seminary) in biblical interpretation. He is the author of four books (including Follow the Lamb: A Guide to Reading, Understanding, and Applying the Book of Revelation & Understanding the New Testament and the End Times: Why it Matters) as well as numerous articles and other publications. You can read more about the author here.

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