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In Acts 15:1-21 some Jewish believers have come to Antioch insisting that circumcision is necessary to be saved. Paul and Barnabas argue strongly against their position. I can hear some yelling. The church at Antioch decides to send a delegation to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, to resolve this issue. (In Bibles with subject headings, this passage is labeled as The Jerusalem Council.)

Verse 7 mentions that there is much debate. I can practically hear one side refer to scripture like Genesis 12 where God calls Abram (later Abraham) to go where God leads him, stating that all the families or nations of the earth will be blessed because of him (Abram). And the other side refers to passages like Genesis 17 where Abram’s name is changed to Abraham and the rite of circumcision is begun and where the scripture states that any uncircumcised male will be cut off from the people.

Peter ends the debate by indirectly referring to his experience with Cornelius that is recorded for us in Acts 10, and quoting from the prophet Amos (Amos 9:11-12) that the house of David would be restored so that all who seek the Lord, including Gentiles will be able to do so.

The leaders decide in favor of accepting the Gentiles with a few qualifications, but circumcision is not one of them.

Mark Phillips

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In Acts 14 Paul and Barnabas continue to other cities and towns. In Lystra they heal a crippled man. At that point the people believe that they are gods, specifically Hermes and Zeus. (English versions that were translated from a Latin translation, like the King James, read Mercury and Jupiter.) Paul and Barnabas do some quick talking to keep the priest of Zeus from making sacrifices to them. Then in verse 19 some of the angered Jews from other towns where they’ve been show up, turn the people against them and the crowd stones Paul until they believe he is dead, all in that one verse! Perhaps an example of how quickly a crowd can be turned into a mob.

Paul isn’t dead, obviously, and is able to travel the next day. After visiting Derbe they go back through the towns and cities they have visited, appointing elders, and return to Antioch and their home church.

Mark Phillips

Bible Study Moment

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From chapter 13 on Acts becomes the Adventures of Paul. Paul and Barnabas are sent from Antioch first to Cyprus where Mark returns to Antioch, and then Paul and Barnabas go to Antioch in Pisidia. (Antioch seems to be a popular name for a city.)

They go to the synagogue and are invited to speak. Paul does so, which you can read in Acts 13:16-41. Afterwards they are urged to return the next week and speak again, when almost the whole city, Gentiles included, come. Results are mixed; some believe Paul’s message and rejoice, others are angered by it and drive Paul and Barnabas out of town.

Mark Phillips

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In Acts 12 persecution of the Jesus followers increases, with King Herod being the one ordering it. First he has the apostle James killed, and then arrests Peter. The believers gather in Mary’s house (the mother of John Mark) to earnestly pray for Peter. Their prayers are answered, but the servant Rhoda is the only one to believe it when first encountering evidence of it, and she doesn’t react in the best way.

While an angel leads Peter out of the prison he thinks it is all just a vision. It is only after the angel leaves him that Peter realizes that he is actually free. He goes to Mary’s house and is left knocking at the gate when Rhoda sees that it is Peter at the gate but she goes to tell the others without letting him inside.

Mark Phillips

Bible Study Moment

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Acts 11:19-30 is about Barnabas as he goes from Jerusalem to Antioch. In verse 26 it is noted that it was in Antioch that the disciples of Jesus Christ were first called “Christians”.

Now may be a good time to talk a little about Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) history.

Why do we have two names?

In the years after 1800, two new Christian groups began on the American frontier both with a goal of dissolving into an undivided church – unity movements.

In Kentucky, near Lexington, were the Christians whose main leader was Barton Stone, who expressed this goal with sayings like “We are Christians only, not the only Christians.”

Further north in Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, was a group begun by Thomas Campbell. In a short time his son, Alexander became the more prominent leader. Alexander Campbell looked at the meaning of the word Christian, Christ-like, and believed that was a prideful statement to make about one’s own self.  He preferred the phrase “disciple of Christ” meaning a follower or pupil, someone striving to become Christ-like. So that group became Disciples of Christ.

As people in the groups came to know about each other they started asking why shouldn’t they unite. The leaders met and agreed.

So we remember and honor both groups with our name of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Mark Phillips

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Acts 10:1-11:18 tells a story that may be even more important than Paul’s conversion in chapter 9, for it tells of the conversion of Cornelius, the first Gentile to follow Jesus without first going through the ritual to become Jewish.

First, an angel appears to Cornelius directing him to send for Peter by name. Then Peter has a vision of God telling him to eat unclean animals according to the Law of Moses just as the people from Cornelius arrive. And Peter is told to go with them, no questions asked.

Now events are told again. Luke apparently wants those listening to or reading his book to remember these events very clearly. Cornelius tells Peter of the angel’s visit, Peter tells Cornelius of his vision, then Cornelius and those with him receive the Holy Spirit leading Peter to decide to baptize them.

Now in chapter 11 Peter has to tell the church in Jerusalem what has happened beginning with his vision since they are upset with him for going into the home of a Gentile.
What people do we consider “unclean”? And is God telling us to “Never consider unclean what God has made pure.” (Acts 11:9 CEB)?

Mark Phillips

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Acts 9:1-30 is the story of a very pivotal moment in the book of Acts, the conversion of Saul the persecutor of Jesus disciples into eventually, Paul the apostle to the Gentiles.

On his way to Damascus to arrest those following Jesus, Saul is blinded by the light and hears the voice of Jesus. And then the reactions to the new Saul (or Paul) start, beginning with Ananias, who heals Paul’s blindness and baptizes him after first voicing his concerns to the Lord. Those who had been on the side of Saul now conspire to kill him, first in Damascus and later in Jerusalem. Other disciples of Jesus also doubt that he has changed, including the apostles in Jerusalem until Barnabas tells what he has seen and heard in Damascus.

Mark Phillips

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Now in Acts 8:26-40 Philip meets and baptizes an unnamed treasury official for the Kandace of Ethiopia. The person was also a eunuch. This person has been to Jerusalem on a religious pilgrimage, and is now reading out loud Isaiah 53:7-8.

Now some explanations: the Isaiah passage is one of several from Isaiah that the church has traditionally called “suffering servant” passages that are prophecies about Christ. He(?) is also Jewish, perhaps a convert, and being from Ethiopia, dark skinned. Perhaps he has been made into a eunuch because as treasurer he has knowledge that could pose a threat to the Kandace, Kandace being the title for the woman ruler of Ethiopia. In Matthew 19:13 Jesus states “For there are eunuchs who have been eunuchs from birth. And there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by other people. And there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs because of the kingdom of heaven.” So being a eunuch may have come from the first way Jesus mentioned.

Depending on the translation there may not be a verse 37. It doesn’t appear in many of the oldest original manuscripts and seems to be added to make the interaction between Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch to be more like the liturgy used in most churches at baptism.

Mark Phillips

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Acts 8 includes some adventures of Philip, one of the deacons chosen in chapter 6.

The church has scattered into Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles. The combined lands of Judea and Samaria correspond to the promised land from the exodus story told in Exodus through Joshua.

Philip, in verses 4-24, preaches in Samaria, with many people deciding to follow Jesus, including Simon, known as a sorcerer or magician. Word reaches the apostles in Jerusalem and they decide to send Peter and John, because even though many people have been baptized into Jesus, the Holy Spirit has not come to them. Peter and John lay hands on the new followers who then receive the Holy Spirit. No explanation is given to explain how they can tell when the Holy Spirit comes. Simon sees what happens and offers to buy the ability to bestow the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Peter, in his normal forceful manner, tells him that this ability is not for sale.

Those who comment about Simon in this story usually cite him as a bad example in trying to buy an ability that God gives. I see in verse 24 that Simon accepts Peter’s rebuke, repents, and then promises to do better, a much more positive example.

Mark Phillips

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Acts 6:8 through Acts 8:1a should all be one chapter for it tells the story of Stephen, one of the deacons selected earlier in chapter 6.

Stephen has been brought before the religious council, falsely accused by paid “witnesses”. Acts 7:2-53 is Stephen’s response to these accusations. He goes through a brief history of the Jewish people. If you read this in a Bible with good cross references you can go back and read in more detail the parts of this overall story.

When he accuses them of being like the disobedient people of the past they become enraged and kill him.

Acts 8:1 introduces Saul, later known as Paul.

Mark Phillips