Atos 11
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 11
Guzik - This reaction of the Christian Jews shows how significant the change was that God initiated in Acts 10. The change said, to the Gentiles, “You don’t have to become Jews first, and put yourself under the Law of Moses first. Repent and believe, and you can come to Jesus.” But it also said to the Jewish followers of Jesus, “Receive your Gentile brothers and sisters as full members of the family of God. They aren’t inferior to you in any way.” The objection of those of the circumcision was on the second point, not the first. They complained, You went into uncircumcised men and ate with them! At first, they were more concerned with what Peter did than with what God was doing with the Gentiles. Those who were circumcised - The Jews, but Luke does not say definitely whether they were believers but Acts 11:18 " they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” indicating they were believing Jews. In Acts 10:45 the 6 circumcised men are clearly identified as believing Jews. While Luke specifically mentions the apostles in Acts 11:1, he does not mention them in the the contentious, critical ,circumcised group. The misunderstood that "the radical nature of the Gospel had opened the door to all people totally unconnected to the Mosaic Law. This is a message (grace, not performance, brings salvation) many modern believers need to hear and heed!...It is so hard to rethink traditions, culture, and personal preferences, but the gospel demands that we do (cf. 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:23–29; Col. 3:11)." (Utley) Arnold - These legalists, though wrong, had the right to argue with Peter. This shows conclusively that Peter was not the first pope, that he was not infallible and that he did not speak ex cathedra. These legalists contended with Peter and felt the freedom to do so. Had they thought he was a pope, they would have never disputed with him. The reason Peter could tolerate these legalistic Christians was that he knew where they were coming from. He understood their background. He knew the source of their prejudices and he believed God would change their hearts when they had all the facts. Related Resources: Is papal infallibility biblical? What does the Bible say about the pope / papacy? Was Saint Peter the first pope? Circumcised (4061)(peritome from perí = around + témno = cut off) refers literally to cutting and removal of the foreskin. As discussed below both the Old and New Testament also use the concept of circumcision in a figurative or metaphorical sense. (See also exposition of Scriptures on Circumcision) Recall that a daily prayer of a strict Jewish male was to thank God that he was neither a woman, a Samaritan, nor a Gentile. Gentiles came to be regarded by the Jews as the “uncircumcision,” a term of disrespect implying that non-Jewish peoples were outside the circle of God’s love. The terms “circumcised” and “uncircumcised” became emotionally charged symbols to Israel and their Gentile neighbors. This issue later brought discord into the fellowship of the New Testament church and especially caused confusion about how one obtained genuine salvation.
Atos 11
Guzik points out that "There are many today who look at some work or another and say, “Look what God is doing.” But activity alone isn’t enough to validate a work of God. It must also be in line with God’s Word. This work among the Gentiles passed both tests." Acts 11:18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life." KJV Acts 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. When they heard this Leviticus 10:19,20; Joshua 22:30 and glorified Acts 15:3; 21:20; Isaiah 60:21; 61:3; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 1:24 hath Acts 11:1; 13:47,48; 14:27; 22:21,22; Romans 3:29,30; 9:30; 10:12,13; 15:9-16; Galatians 3:26,27; Ephesians 2:11-18; 3:5-8 God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance Acts 3:19,26; 5:31; 20:21; 26:17-20; Jeremiah 31:18-20; Ezekiel 36:26; Zechariah 12:10; Romans 10:12,13; 15:9,16; 2 Corinthians 7:10; 2 Timothy 2:25,26; James 1:16,17 OPPOSITION CEASES AND PRAISE BEGINS! See Chart of God's Sovereignty in Salvation in the Book of Acts. When they heard this - Heard what? Peter's recounting of the divine vision, the Spirit's instruction, the effect of the Gospel and the evidence of the Gospel reception by the Gentiles. Note the three effects - cause them to withdraw their criticism, exalt their God and accept God's Gospel open door flung wide open for the Gentiles. ESV Study note - The fact that the Spirit came to Cornelius and other Gentiles without them having done anything in relationship to the Law is God’s answer to the debate and settled matters as far as Peter was concerned. They quieted down (cf Lk 14:4; Acts 21:14) - Peter as God's spokesman had reviewed the story sincerely, truthfully and Biblically, so who were they to argue with God's spokesman? This is a good pattern to employ when accused or criticized for doing God's bidding. The result may not always be to quiet down the opposition, for Stephen spoke similarly and was stoned to death! The fact that these men responded to Peter's words is further evidence that these Jews were all believers and that they had a certain degree of maturity and were Spirit filled men (cf fruit of Spirit which includes self-control - Gal 5:23). Quieted down (2270)(hesuchazo from hesuchos = quiet, still) means to be still or to be silent. Hesuchazo basically means "to be at rest" and was used of silence after speech, rest after labor, peace after war, and the like; it was also used of tranquility or peace of mind. John
Atos 11
Guzik notes that "One might say that Jerusalem was all about religion; Rome was all about power; Alexandria was all about intellect, and Athens was all about philosophy. Adding to that, one might say that Antioch was all about business and immorality." Larkin on Antioch - Cicero (Pro Archia 3) praised its art and literature. Juvenal referred to its reputation for immorality, writing of “the Orontes pouring pollution into the Tiber” (Satires 3.62)—the invasion of Rome by eastern superstition and profligacy (see Barclay below). Note that this Antioch in Acts 11 is in Syria and is not Antioch in Pisidia, which Saul and Barnabas will visit in Acts 13:14+ on Paul's First Missionary Journey. Longnecker says Antioch was “a melting pot of Western and Eastern cultures, where Greek and Roman traditions mingled with Semitic, Arab, and Persian influences” Ray
Atos 11
Guzik - A ministry can’t turn people to the Lord unless the hand of the Lord is with them. You can turn people to a personality without the hand of the Lord. You can turn people to a social club without the hand of the Lord. You can turn people to a church or an institution without the hand of the Lord. But you can’t turn people to the Lord without the hand of the Lord. The hand of the Lord was with them (see Acts 4:30+) - The phrase hand of the Lord is an OT anthropomorphic idiom. The hand of the Lord speaks of the spiritual power provided by the Lord. For example, Luke uses this phrase to describe John the Baptist about whom all the people were saying (even before his birth) " the hand of the Lord was certainly with him." (Lk 1:66). Luke does not say this included signs and wonders. Whatever the manifestation, the Source of this power was the Holy Spirit, specifically the convicting and convincing ministry of the Spirit described by Jesus in John 16:7-11 (sermon by Steve Lawson) which resulted in the large number who believed. THOUGHT - This fact is the key to success in ministry. Ministry can either be done (attempted) in our power (our hand) or done in the power of the hand of the Lord. The former is eternally fruitless, regardless of how big the church becomes. The latter is eternally fruitful, whether the church is small or large. This is God's formula for "church growth." I have witnessed several "church growth programs" over the last 35 years and they all began with enthusiasm but each of them eventually fizzled out with the church no better for having gone through the programs. And sadly these "church growth" programs were initiated by the church leaders, pastors and elders, who felt like these programs were so successful in other churches that surely they would be successful in their local church. So here in Acts 11:21 gives us in one phrase the single most important truth regarding "church growth." -- the hand of the Lord was on them! This fact coupled with the fact that they preached the Lord Jesus resulted in a "bumper crop," a fruitful ministry. When will we learn to "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it?" (Jer 6:16) In the OT we see the hand of the Lord repeatedly mentioned in the life of godly Ezra, in Ezra 7:6 giving him provision, in Ezra 7:27, 28 giving him power and in Ezra 8:22,23 giving him protection. But the question must be asked -- why was the had of the Lord so evident in his life? God's Word gives us the answer in Ezra 7:9-10 (in depth commentary)... For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. THOUGHT - Notice the for a strategic term of explanation in Ezra 7:10, and before reading further ask the simple question what is this passage explaining? This passage shows the pattern of a life of a man or woman upon whom the good hand of the Lord will rest. Notice the components in Ezra's life - (1) Set his heart (cf "made up his mind" = Da 1:8+), (2) studied the Word of God (Joshua 1:8+, Ps 1:2-3+), (3) obeyed the Word of God (cf James 1:22+), and (4) taught the Word of God (cf 2 Ti 4:2+). This is why the good hand of the Lord was upon Ezra and this is still God's pattern for experiencing His blessing. Are you imitating the godly example of Ezra? While it is not a mechanical "formula," it is surely a pattern that will result in God's good hand of blessing on your life and ministry for Christ. We must be careful to avoid All self-sufficiency; If sinful pride gets in the way, God’s hand we will not see. —Sper Related Resources: Multiple Resources related to the Hand of the Lord BELIEVED AND TURNED: FAITH AND REPENTANCE And a large number who believed turned to the Lord - (large number, considerable numbers repeated in Acts 11:24, Acts 11:26) They must have held a "church growth seminar!" This seminar was "entitled" "The hand of the Lord was with them!" Steven Ger on a large number - Throughout Acts, Luke regularly reports on the increasing numbers of believers. Although only twice providing specific totals of new batches of believers (the three thousand of Acts 2:41 and the five thousand of Acts 4:4) he nevertheless presents numerical growth as a positive phenomenon and unambiguous evidence of God's blessing. (Ibid) Do you see the spiritual dynamics illustrated in this passage? Believed speaks of faith and turned to the Lord speaks of repentance. So once again we see the two sided salvation coin that describes God's sovereign method of saving those who repent and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. A salvation without repentance is no salvation at all. Many today in the church pews have professed to believe in Jesus, but they have never evidenced the authenticity of their belief by turning to the Lord. In short, they have a profession of faith without a repentance validating their faith and they are yet unregenerate and dead in their trespasses and sins. We see a living example of repentance beautifully illustrated in the birth of the church at Thessalonica Paul recording For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you (THESSALONIAN GENTILE BELIEVERS), and how you turned to God (NOTE FIRST TO GOD THEN) from idols (THEN AWAY FROM IDOLS) to serve a living and true God (NOT DEAD IDOLS), 10 and to wait (EXPECTANTLY, PRESENT TENSE, AS THEIR HABITUAL MANNER OF LIFE - THEY WERE LOOKING FOR THE SECOND COMING AND LIVING IN LIGHT OF THAT MOTIVATING TRUTH. SADLY THIS ANTICIPATION FOR HIS RETURN HAS BEEN LOST IN MOST AMERICAN CHURCHES!) for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.(1 Th 1:9-10+). We see a similar pattern of repentance among the Gentiles who were turning from idolatry to the Living God in Acts... Acts 14:15+ and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things (IDOLS) to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM. Acts 15:19+ “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, Larkin makes an pithy point - In a day when a misapplication of church-growth theory’s “homogeneous unit principle” can produce monocultural churches, God’s blessing on inclusive evangelism across ethnic lines at Antioch is a necessary reminder of where God’s heart is. While he may indeed give growth within homogeneous ethnic units, such units are not his ideal, and neither should they be ours. Believed (4100)(pisteuo from pistis; pistos; related studies the faith, the obedience of faith) means to consider something to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust. To accept as true, genuine, or real. To have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something or someone. To consider to be true. To accept the word or evidence of. In the present context their belief is not just "intellectual" belief ("profession") but is a heart belief ("possession" so to speak), as shown by their turning to the Lord. Turned to is literally "turned upon (epi)." I like the literal for it depicts a sinner casting his or her sin burden UPON the Lord, the only One Who is able to carry that load away "into the wilderness" as foreshadowed by the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:8, 9, 10+) Turned (1994)(epistrepho from epí = motion toward + strepho = twist, turn quite around or reverse) means to revert, to turn about, to turn around, to turn toward, to return and figuratively to convert. The idea is a definite turn to God in conduct as well as in one's mind. This is the verb used in the passage quoted above (1 Th 1:9) where the Gentiles "turned to God from idols." Notice the association of turning with repentance... Acts 3:19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; Acts 9:35 And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Acts 14:15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM. Acts 15:19 “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, Acts 26:18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’ Acts 26:20 but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. Comment - Notice that in this passage repentance is a change which has demonstrable effects (fruit in Mt 3:8, Lk 3:8+). If there is no fruit, there is no root, there is no genuine repentance and there is no genuine salvation but only an empty profession. See Harry Ironside's book - Except Ye Repent by Harry A. Ironside From Ironside's introduction to this treatise… Fully convinced in my own mind that the doctrine of repentance is the missing note in many otherwise orthodox and fundamentally sound circles today, I have penned this volume out of a full heart. I hope and pray that God will be pleased to use it to awaken many of His servants to the importance of seeking so to present His truth as to bring men to the only place where He can meet them in blessing. That place is the recognition of their own demerit and absolute unworthiness of His least mercies and a new conception of His saving power for all who come to Christ as lost sinners, resting alone upon His redemptive work for salvation, and depending upon the indwelling Holy Spirit to make them victorious over sin's power in daily life. Since many of the uses of epistrepho refer to conversion it behooves us to have proper understanding of that term. George Peters offers the following description… Conversion is that principal act of faith in which the soul by the initiative and the enablement of the Holy Spirit on the basis of the finished work of Christ on Calvary and in response to the Word of God voluntarily turns to God from sin and ungodliness and enters into an abiding relationship with the Lord which vitally and permanently affects life in its various aspects and relationships and leads to its eventual and complete restoration. Our definition establishes the following principles: (1) Conversion is a principal act of faith; (2) Conversion is an act of the soul by the initiative and the enablement of the Holy Spirit; (3) Conversion is based upon the finished work of Christ on Calvary; (4) Conversion is an act of the soul in response to the Word of God; (5) Conversion is a voluntary act; (6) Conversion is an act of turning to God from sin and ungodliness; (7) Conversion is an act which results in a relationship with the Lord; (8) Conversion is an act which vitally affects life in its various aspects and relationships; (9) Conversion is an act which leads to a process in the restoration of life. These principles are illustrated by the various Biblical records on conversion. Conversion is essentially a turning to God and a turning away from sin. The two elements are unusually expressed by the two Biblical terms of faith and repentance. It is very important to realize that the Bible emphasizes both aspects, although the emphasis upon the positive definitely outweighs the negative, far more passages speaking of turning to God than turning away from sin. It must be understood, however, that both aspects are always present, the one expressed, the other implied. They form an indissoluble unit in a Biblical conversion. (Peters, George: The Meaning of Conversion. Volume 120, Issue 479, page 240. Dallas TX: Dallas Theological Seminary) Steven Cole on The Church God Blesses - If we want the hand of the Lord to be with us, then we would do well to study and follow the example of this church at Antioch. There are seven principles I want to point out: 1. God blesses a church where every member is a minister. The founding and prospering of the church at Antioch was arguably one of the most significant events in the history of Western civilization. It led to the distinctiveness of the Christian church apart from the Jewish synagogue, in that it blended together in one body both Jews and Gentiles. It was here that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. From Antioch, the church launched the first mission to Europe. You and I conceivably would not be Christians today had it not been for God’s blessing on this church. One remarkable feature of this church was how it started. It was not founded by apostles or pastors or trained missionaries. Rather, some unnamed men who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen came to Antioch and began talking, not just to the Jews, but to the Greeks (Gentiles), telling the good news about the Lord Jesus (Ac 11:20). The Greek word for “speak” (Ac 11:19, Ac 11:20) is the word for normal conversation. The implication is that these men didn’t preach as orators in the marketplace. Rather, in their everyday contacts, they told others about Jesus Christ. There is reason to believe that Luke himself was a native of Antioch. Perhaps as a doctor, he was treating a man who told him about Jesus Christ, leading to his conversion. But surely Luke either knew or easily could have found out the names of these evangelists. He mentions where they were from. Yet they remain unnamed, I believe, for a reason. If they had been named, we would hold them up as missionary heroes, and view them as men a notch above the average church member. We would think that what they did was something that we could never do. But their remaining unnamed tells us that they were common men who had met the Lord Jesus and who wanted others to know Him, too. We all can do what they did. Note also that even when Barnabas and Saul later rose to positions of leadership through their teaching ministry, this church did not depend on them in order to function and grow. They could send both of them off on a relief mission to Jerusalem, which would have taken at least a couple of months, and keep operating. Later, when the Holy Spirit set apart Barnabas and Saul for the first missionary journey, the church could send off these two key leaders and keep right on rolling. This was because this church knew the principle of the body, that God has gifted every member and each one is expected to exercise his or her gift in ministry. If the spreading of the gospel or the functioning of the church depends on the labors of full-time missionaries or pastors, ministry will be severely limited. But if every person who has trusted in Christ as Savior and Lord feels the obligation of serving Him and of telling others the good news about Him, the gospel will spread and the church will be built up. Every Christian should sense his or her responsibility to serve Christ and bear witness of Him. 2. God blesses a church where the gospel is proclaimed as the power of God to save sinners. To understand our text, you need to know something about Antioch. It was located 300 miles north of Jerusalem and was the third largest city in the Roman empire, behind Rome and Alexandria, having more than 500,000 residents. It was a center for commerce and a crossroads for travel and trade between Europe and the Orient. This made the city a melting pot of various races, including the Romans, the local Syrians, Jews, and others. The city was proverbial for sexual immorality. Five miles outside of town was the grove of Daphne, where worshipers of Artemis and Apollo pursued their religion of pleasure with temple prostitutes. The Roman satirist Juvenal criticized the moral pollution of Rome by saying that the sewage of the Orontes (a river flowing through Antioch) had for too long been discharged into the Tiber (flowing through Rome). He “meant that Antioch was so corrupt that it was impacting Rome, more than 1, 300 miles away” (Stanley Toussaint, The Bible Knowledge Commentary [Victor Books], 2:383). It is significant that when God picked a city that would become the center for missionary endeavor, He picked a cosmopolitan, morally corrupt city like Antioch. In this secular, pagan environment, common Christians began telling the simple gospel message that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, that whoever believes in Him receives eternal life and forgiveness as God’s free gift. The same gospel that is the power of God for salvation to the Jews proved to be the power of God for salvation to these pagan Gentiles as well. The end of verse Ac 11:20 literally reads, “telling [or preaching] the good news [of] the Lord Jesus.” But in telling the good news, they didn’t dodge the hard matters of sin and repentance, since we read that a large number who believed turned to the Lord. This means that these former pagans gave up their idols, their sexual immorality, their lying, and their corrupt business practices when they put their trust in Jesus as Lord. When Barnabas came, he witnessed the grace of God (Ac 11:23). You can’t see God’s grace, but you can see the effects of it in a person’s life. He could see that God had changed these people. Faith in the good news about Jesus as Savior cannot be divorced from repentance from sin. One remarkable proof that the gospel is from God is that wherever it goes, it has the same powerful effect. The message does not need to be changed when it is taken to a tribe of primitive headhunters. It does not need to be intellectualized when it is taken to a sophisticated university crowd. Whatever their culture or background, people are all sinners who need to know how to be reconciled to God before they face Him in judgment. If we will tell the simple gospel message to the people we come into contact with, God will bless us with conversions. 3. God blesses a church where His grace, not legalism, permeates the body. Not only I, but also many commentators, sense that there was a note of concern behind the Jerusalem church’s sending Barnabas to Antioch. Word had gotten back to Jerusalem, “Have you heard what’s going on in Antioch?” “No, what?” “A bunch of laymen are sharing Christ with the pagans, and they’re all meeting together, Jews and Gentiles, as one church!” Alarms went off! Red lights started flashing! It was one thing when the God-fearing Gentile, Cornelius, had become a Christian through the preaching of the leading apostle, Peter. That stretched the limit. But when raw pagans from a notoriously immoral place like Antioch started coming into the church through the witness of a bunch of laymen, it was time for the mother church to check things out! So they sent Barnabas. Some of the circumcision crowd might have said, “Make sure that Barnabas gets that Antioch situation under control!” Note what Barnabas saw and how he responded: He saw the grace of God and he rejoiced (Ac 11:23). If the apostles had sent a legalistic member of the circumcision party, he might have seen something else and had a very different response. He would have seen Jews and Gentiles eating together (Ga 2:12), not keeping the ceremonial laws. Instead of rejoicing, he would have been horrified. But Barnabas was a man who lived by God’s grace, and so he saw the grace of God and rejoiced. No doubt he also saw a lot of imperfection in these new converts. New believers do not drop all of their pagan baggage the day they get saved. A church made up of people from such different backgrounds as those in Antioch was bound to have some irritations and conflicts. But rather than focusing on the imperfections and problems, Barnabas focused on God’s grace in saving these people. Instead of slapping a bunch of Jewish rules on them, he rejoiced at what God was doing, and then began to encourage them to remain true to the Lord. What do you see when you see a new convert? Let me describe him: He’s 20 years-old, he wears a baseball cap on backwards, a T-shirt, and jeans to church. He has a tattoo and an earring. But here he is in church, lifting his hands in praise to God as he sings of God’s salvation. Do you see a young man who doesn’t look like what you think a Christian young person should look like, and grumble in your heart? Or, do you see the grace of God who has saved that young man, and rejoice? Howard Hendricks tells of the time he brought his neighbors, whom he was trying to reach with the gospel, to the Dallas Seminary Founder’s Banquet. The Founder’s Banquet is a major fund-raising event. The seminary wants their supporters to come and see the kind of quality young leaders that Dallas is producing. When Hendricks got there with his neighbors, he discovered that his table was front and center. When they dimmed the lights, the spotlight on the stage shined right over their table. His neighbor’s cigarette smoke curled up through the light for everyone in the hotel ballroom to see. Hendricks says that he could almost hear some dear old supporter in the back grumbling, “That’s how liberalism gets started in the seminary!” God’s grace teaches us to accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God (Ro 15:7). We need to treat others as God has graciously treated us. 4. God blesses a church where grace is the motivation to remain true to the Lord. God’s grace also teaches us to deny worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age (Titus 2:12+). Barnabas could see that these new believers needed to grow in their faith. Every pastor knows that it’s one thing to make a profession of faith, but it’s another thing to persevere and grow in holiness when temptations and trials hit, as surely they will. God’s grace in Christ is what motivates us to live holy lives (Ga 2:20+). Genuine conversion is a matter of the heart. Thus Barnabas, true to his name (“Son of Encouragement”) began to encourage these new Christians with purpose of heart to remain true to the Lord (lit., Ac 11:23). Steadfastness in the Christian life is not an accident (ED: NOR IS IT "LET GO, LET GOD!"), but a matter of resolute purpose (ED: "LET GOD, LET'S GO!"). (cf 1 Cor 15:58+) I can hear Barnabas preaching to these new believers, “Because God has been gracious in saving us, we must resolve in our hearts to follow Him and cling to Him no matter what kinds of hardships we encounter. We must purpose to deny ourselves and follow the Lord Jesus. Abide in Him! He is the all-sufficient One who can meet your every need. He has done the greatest thing by loving you and giving Himself for you on the cross. He will not abandon or forsake you, even if He calls you to go through persecution or even martyrdom. Let His grace motivate you to resolve in your heart to follow Him and walk with Him no matter what!” Thus the church that God blesses is made up of members who see themselves as ministers of Christ. They proclaim the gospel as the power of God to save sinners from every kind of background. Grace, not legalism, permeates this church, and grace is the motivation to go on in holiness with the Lord. 5. God blesses a church where godly leaders set the example of holiness and faith. Luke states that Barnabas “was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Ac 11:24). I hope to explore Barnabas’ character more next week, so I will be brief here (Acts 11:23-24 How to Become a Good Person). But note that he was a man of integrity. He practiced what he preached. Those who knew him well said, “He is a good man.” The reason he was a good man was that he was full of the Holy Spirit and full of faith in the living God. Barnabas’ heart was to seek the glory of God through the building up of His church, not to seek a name for himself. At some point, he began to realize that the work in Antioch was more than he could handle. Maybe he realized that he did not have all the gifts that were needed to see this church prosper. So he left Antioch and traveled the 100 miles to Tarsus to search for Saul. Barnabas was not threatened to bring this gifted man back to Antioch to share in the work with him. Eventually, he took a back seat to Paul’s leadership in their missionary endeavors. God will not bless a church in the true sense of the word if the leaders are not setting a godly example. I say, “in the true sense” because I know of many large, seemingly thriving churches where it has come out that the pastor was not living a holy life. So we need to be careful not to mistake a large church with God’s true blessing. I hope you pray for all of our pastoral staff here, that we will walk in holiness with the Lord Jesus every day. 6. God blesses a church where godly leaders are devoted to teaching God’s Word. Barnabas and Saul met with the church for an entire year and taught considerable numbers (Ac 11:26). Then we read, “and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” Probably this was a nickname that the pagans in town gave them. It meant, “Christ-men.” It’s only used in the Bible three times: here; in Ac 26:28, where Agrippa chides Paul for trying to make him a Christian; and, in 1Pe 4:16, where Peter urges his readers not to be ashamed if they suffer as Christians. F. F. Bruce imagines a group of two or three of the unofficial missionaries in the streets of Antioch, with a small group gathered around them, listening to the gospel. Someone watching asks another bystander, “Who are these people?” The other answers, “O, these are the people who are always talking about Christos, the Christ-people, the Christians” (The Book of Acts [Eerdmans], p. 241). The nickname stuck, just as Jesus people or Jesus freaks was the description that came out of the Jesus movement in the 1970’s. While it may have been meant as a term of derision, it really was a supreme compliment for the pagans to notice that these men were “Christ-men.” It is implied that the reason people could identify these men as Christians was that they lived in accordance with Barnabas’ and Saul’s teaching of God’s Word. The point of all Bible teaching should be to change the way we think, our attitudes, the way we talk, and the way we act, beginning at home and extending into the world. Others should recognize that we are like Jesus Christ because we obey His Word. Finally, 7. God blesses a church where the members are devoted to spontaneous, generous giving. The apostles and prophets were the foundation of the New Testament church (Eph 2:20). Once the foundation was laid and the canon of Scripture was complete, those gifts passed off the scene. The function of a prophet was to edify, exhort, and console from God’s Word (1 Co 14:3), and also to receive direct revelation from God to impart His message to the church. A group of prophets came to Antioch, and one of them, Agabus, predicted a coming famine. The church’s response was spontaneously to give toward the relief of the believers living in Judea, and to send the gift with Barnabas and Saul. Luke shows that they didn’t just come up with this great idea; they actually did it (Ac 11:30), without any pressure or organizing from the leaders. God will bless a church that sees a brother or sister in need and quietly, spontaneously, without pressure, gives to meet that need. The famine easily could have hit Antioch as well as Judea. The church members in Antioch could have said, “We need to look out for our own needs; let the Jewish brethren take care of themselves.” But they trusted God and gave to meet the needs of others. God will pour out His blessing on a generous church. Conclusion - So Antioch is set before us as an example. It was a church founded by simple believers who knew that God has called every Christian to serve Him. They proclaimed the gospel as the power of God for salvation to every one who believes. They operated by God’s grace, not by legalism. They saw grace as the motivation to go on with the Lord. Their leaders set the example and taught them from God’s Word. They were generous givers, trusting God to meet their needs. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. I covet that for our church! I want to be a part of a church, like Antioch, where growth clearly comes from the Lord and where, also like Antioch, we become a center for worldwide impact for Jesus Christ. Then the glory won’t go to church growth principles or to any man, but to the Lord of the church, who strongly supports those whose hearts are completely His (2 Chr 16:9). (Acts 11:19-30 The Church God Blesses) Acts 11:22 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. KJV Acts 11:22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. A. M. 4047. A.D. 43. The news about them Acts 1; 8:14; 15:2; 1 Thessalonians 3:6 they sent Barnabas off to Antioch Acts 4:36-37; 9:27; 13:1-3; 15:22,35-39 ASTOUNDING NEWS OF GOD'S GOSPEL AND HIS SPIRIT MOVING AMONG GENTILES The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem - This news surely spread like the proverbial "wild fire!" The church in Jerusalem at this time was of course almost entirely Jewish, so the word about this movement among Gentiles would had definitely "rocked their boat!" Ray
Atos 11
Guzik says "It also means that they gave according to the ability of their faith, trusting that their gift to God’s work was a worthy investment in His kingdom, and not a loss." NET Note adds that "The financial relief reflects the oneness of the church (cf 1 Cor 12:13), meeting the needs of another (even racially distinct) community. Jerusalem, having ministered to them, now received ministry back. A later collection from Greece is noted in Rom 15:25–27, but it reflects the same spirit as this gift." Had means (2141)(euporeo from eu = well + poreuomai = to go) is a verb means have plenty, be well off, be prosperous (relative to those starving in Judea, the believers in Antioch were prosperous!). Each of them - Note it does not same "some" but "each," and you are probably saying "So what's your point?" This phrase each of them is easy to overlook, but that would be a mistake and cause you to miss a crucial (convicting) truth! Each is the adjective is hekastos which means each, every one or every single one (every family of believers). The early church "got it" -- nothing belonged to them, but it was all God's property and these believers responded accordingly. One wonders how many churches today manifest such a uniformly, universally giving spirit, giving proportionately to their means, giving to those they don't even know, giving to those who previously they had contempt (with a mutual feeling by the Jewish recipients)! Oh, the power of the Gospel to change hearts and make us all one in Christ, by His Spirit (cf Gal 3:28+, Col 3:11+, cf Eph 4:2-6+), for the glory of the Father! When we truly grasp the gracious "gratuity" ("given without claim or obligation") of God's Gospel, we are more likely to cheerfully (cf 2 Cor 9:7) obey Jesus' charge "Give (aorist imperative) as freely as you have received!" (Mt 10:8NLT) Barton comments that the opposite of cheerful giving is "Reluctant giving (which) reflects a lack of concern for people and a worldly focus (Matthew 6:19–21). When you remember how much God has done for you and when you focus your concern on the needy, you will be motivated to give." (Life Application Commentary). Determined to send a contribution - Send is the Greek verb pempo which means to send from one place to another (sometimes persons Lk 4:26), but in this case sending their relief through intermediaries, Barnabas and Saul (Acts 11:30). Determined ("marked off the horizon")(3724)(horizo) means first to separate entities and thus establish a boundary and then to set limits, and to make a determination about something, in this case they determined (active voice = speaks of their volitional choice, a choice of their will, this grace giving undoubtedly energized by the Spirit of grace) to give.