Monthly Archives: April 2026

ACTS THE SEQUEL…IMPRISONMENT -37a

Bible Study,

“Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.”

Acts 16:16-19 NIV

Talk about drama! Things began to happen at lightning speed. One minute the missionaries were on their way to a prayer meeting…the next they were sitting in jail, beaten and bleeding, with their feet in the stocks. What happened?

Paul did the unthinkable. He robbed some men of their income! Of course, it depended on one’s perspective. People in the world would see it as an unfair act. After all, this slave girl was a lucrative possession. She was the source of their wealth as a fortune teller. Everyone wanted to know their future…and she could tell them… through the power of demons. 

However, Paul saw her as a tool for cruel men to use to their advantage. He got really angry at their abuse…so he did what he could…he engaged God’s power to set her free. That did it! These greedy men had just lost their money-maker…so they got angry…and did what they did best.  They turned to violence…they lied and stirred up the mob. 

“They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks….

Acts 16:20-24 NIV

Paul and Silas found themselves in jail before they could blink an eye. What now? Without an investigation or a shred of evidence against them, the city magistrates had them flogged and clapped in irons under tight security. 

In this predicament, with an uncertain outcome, these two men had one of two options. They could be angry, bitter, and very vocal in their complaints against injustice or…they could trust God to finish what He started. They chose the latter. After all, didn’t Jesus say that they should love their enemies, pray for them and rejoice when they were persecuted for His sake?

To be continued

ACTS THE SEQUEL…ENTER TIMOTHY – 36

Bible Study, ,

“Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul’s first ports of call were the towns he and Barnabas had visited on their first missionary journey. One can imagine how anxious he must have been to see whether the believers were still standing firm. After all, without any means of communication to keep them in touch, except perhaps from an occasional traveler from that region, he had no idea what had happened in the intervening years. 

Then Paul met Timothy! There must have been an immediate connection…Paul, the seasoned believer and Timothy, the young recruit…because this association lasted and became a deep, strong  bond and partnership until the end of Paul’s days. 

As we follow the story, Paul took Timothy under his wing, mentored him, and prepared him for the task of pastoring the church in Ephesus…obviously an important church since it was the first church Jesus addressed in His  letters to the seven churches in Asia. 

Paul’s letters to Timothy form an important part of our understanding of the way church leaders are to govern the churches…personal, and yet universal in their application to church life then and now. Paul was ever leading, guiding, and mentoring Timothy in his mammoth task of pastoring a city church in a pagan environment. 

Paul’s first task was to give Timothy on-the-job training…so he took Timothy with him on his travels. What an opportunity for this young Christian soldier to learn from a veteran! Many were the hours of teaching and tutoring as they walked along the Roman roads from town to town. No quick flights from place to place…no tedious bus rides…not even a donkey or a camel to carry them and their baggage…. But Timothy learned and grew in wisdom and understanding as he walked beside his older companion. 

“Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

‭‭After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭6‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

After some divine interventions, this group of travellers finally reached the coast. A vision in the night convinced Paul that they should move on into Europe. Well! That was the beginning of a new and thrilling chapter in this story of God and people working together. 

The very next day…since the instruction was clear and there was no time to lose…they prepared and set off on the next leg of their missionary journey. 

“From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There was no need to make prior bookings…they simply caught the next ship to Macedonia and disembarked at Neapolis to finish their journey to Philippi, the capital of Macedonia. 

In a strange country, in a foreign city, where should they start? They followed the trail to the river…a well-known place of prayer….

“On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Lydia was waiting…planted by the Lord to be the first convert in Europe. 

So, their obedience to the Spirit was confirmed. The door to the continent of Europe began to swing wide open. They had found an ally and a generous hostess in Lydia, the wealthy woman who had been the first to believe in 

Jesus. 

Despite the Jewish cultural contempt for women, God has his place for them in the growth and administration of His kingdom on earth. In the kingdom of God, there is a place for everyone…of every colour and culture, clan and nationality. All are equal in His sight with equal value and equal opportunity. While humans love to put people into categories and treat them accordingly…not God! We are loved…we are valued…we are useful. 

The first church in Europe was planted in Philippi…a church which became special to Paul. He wrote a joyful letter to them, despite his imprisonment in Rome, with details of his personal life, his passion and his heart for Jesus… and his appreciation for their partnership with him in the gospel. Some of the most loved verses of Scripture came from this letter. 

Europe’s door was open…and so was the door to persecution, suffering, imprisonment and, finally, martyrdom…at the hands of the Roman tyrant, Nero….and Timothy was in it all with Paul…loved, trusted, and worthy companion and student beside the greatest of all the apostles. 

To be continued 

ACTS THE SEQUEL…THE SPLIT – 35

Bible Study, ,

“The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭15‬:‭31‬-‭33‬, ‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Once again, peace reigned in the early church. Each went his own way…some back to their home churches, others remained in Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch where they continued their teaching ministry in their home church. 

The time came for the missionaries to be on their way again. Their work in Asia was not finished and there were new fields to work in Europe as they were to discover. 

“Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 

Good idea, Paul! But…there was a stumbling block in this partnership…John Mark. He was the “nigger in the woodpile”! Paul, the rigid, principled, pragmatic leader, didn’t want a repeat of their first foray into Asia. They had enough to contend with without friction between them over a lame duck in their team. 

Barnabas, the gracious, patient, generous uncle, was willing to give his nephew a second chance. 

“Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.”

They disagreed! They argued! Each stuck to his guns! They parted company. Barnabas did his thing…he took John Mark and went off in a huff. Paul did his thing…he grabbed Silas and went his way, back north to Syria and on to Cilicia. 

“Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭15‬:‭36‬-‭41‬ ‭NIV‬

Barnabas disappeared from the scene while Paul, God’s chosen man for the hour, carried on with his calling, accompanied by Silas, Paul’s new partner and fellow-sufferer. 

Two human beings clashed! Although they were brothers in Christ, they were also fallible men. After years of partnership and fellowship, they parted company on bad terms. How did this affect them? How did it affect their ministry? Did they ever reconcile?

These questions remain unanswered but…the work of the gospel continued to prosper. We can conclude, then, that the Holy Spirit did not penalise or disqualify them because of their failure to submit to one another in love. He is gracious towards us when our fallen nature intrudes. Like Peter when he denied Jesus, our failures are part of the journey and a big part of our learning curve. 

This incident encouraged me to realise that God works with and through imperfect people. However great a missionary and apostle Paul was, he was still a fallen human being. He was still capable of being stubborn and pig-headed. He still wanted his own way. 

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Somewhere along the line, Paul changed his mind. John Mark, the quitter became John Mark, the helpful…and Paul was finally willing to acknowledge that he was not a worthless individual but a man whom God could also use. 

So, we continue to follow Paul, now joined by Silas, on their mission to the Gentile world. Armed with years of experience from his first mission trip, Paul led the charge again, this time pushing deeper into the Roman world, with the Holy Spirit ever present, always leading… until Paul, after many trials and struggles, would finally reach Rome. 

To be continued

ACTS THE SEQUEL…ERROR CREEPS IN – 34

Bible Study, ,

“Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”

Once again, the enemy was on the warpath…introducing a far more subtle strategy than persecution. If he could not destroy the church from outside, he would attack from within…mess with their minds…subtly introduce religion…one of his favourite weapons to confuse and capture people through fear. 

What does religion do? Religion introduces the very thing that destroys faith…fear. Why fear? Fear is the fruit of uncertainty. Religion demands performance. I must do what the deity demands.  Have I done enough to satisfy God? This is the exact opposite of faith because faith rests on the finished work of Jesus while fear is the insecurity of not knowing, based on what I do. 

This line of attack came straight out of Judaism…and the demands of the law. To be sure of your salvation, and to gain entry into  God’s kingdom, you were obliged to submit to the rite of circumcision as well as to keep the laws God gave as the terms of His covenant.  The trouble was, as Paul later pointed out to the Galatian church which was also assaulted by the Judaisers, you could not single out one law and ignore the rest. To obey one law as a means of satisfying God’s requirements was not enough. Which one would you choose…and what about the rest? You had to keep the whole law… and that meant cancelling faith as a way of salvation. 

This intervention was so troublesome that it almost split the church in Antioch. So, go sort this out, once and for all, in Jerusalem where the big shots were presiding. 

“This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad.”

Of course, Paul and Barnabas, experienced as they were in preaching to the Gentiles and winning them to faith in Jesus without circumcision, told their story along the way as they proceeded to Jerusalem. 

“When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

They did the same in Jerusalem, as a preparation for the debate. Who could argue for circumcision when a whole new phase of the church had opened up in Asia Minor among the Gentiles without their first being circumcised. 

“Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” The apostles and elders met to consider this question.”

The debate began…the issues carefully discussed. Good old Peter…the one who had disappeared after he was almost assassinated…the one who had almost fallen, due to the same error, in Antioch…the one whom Paul had to rebuke for hypocrisy…he put the cherry on the top. 

“After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe…”

Peter repeated his story about Cornelius and his household, a case study about Gentiles who had believed when he, Peter, had preached the gospel to them. That finally settled the matter. God did not require obedience to circumcision or any other law for Gentiles or Jews to be saved. The gospel of Jesus was enough. 

“Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭15‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Jews had tried this way to be saved and had failed dismally, as their history had recorded, so why should the Gentiles be expected to do any better? Grace that bypassed works was God‘s infallible way of salvation. 

On the strength of Old Testament prophecy, which confirmed what God was doing, the company decided to make an official declaration to the Gentile churches…that circumcision was out. 

“Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: …’that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’—”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭15‬:‭14‬-‭15‬, ‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, the matter was finally and officially settled and communicated in a letter to the churches. 

“Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings… It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭15‬:‭22‬-‭23‬, ‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Defeated again! In partnership with God the Holy Spirit, the door was closed to another onslaught on the fragile church, strengthening their commitment to Jesus as the Lord and only Saviour of sinners. Once again, the gap between the church and the devotees of Judaism was widening…and with it, the protection the Jews enjoyed from the Roman government.

Before long, the full might of Roman opposition, under the rule of Nero, would rain down on the believers…opening the door to a season of cruel and ruthless persecution…but the devil still could not win. 

The two dauntless missionaries would soon be on the road again, soldiering on against Jewish and Roman aggression, to sow the seeds of truth into fertile fields in Europe, and finally reaching the centre of the empire, Rome itself. 

To be continued

ACTS THE SEQUEL…HOME AGAIN – 33

Bible Study, ,

“They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. “

It seems that this first journey was not a short burst but a lengthy period of moving and staying, to teach and consolidate the work before they moved on, giving believers time to learn and grow. From among them there emerged men who were maturing in their faith…leaders who could be trusted to continue when the missionaries left. 

“Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust….”

These two now-battle-hardened pioneers longed for home. The first leg of their missionary journey had led them from Cyprus into the interior of Asia Minor…into the heart of pagan idolatry where they had experienced both the whole-hearted response of some and the bitter hatred of others. 

The Holy Spirit had moved powerfully, including doing miracles in the mix. 

The Jews, in the main, remained  resistant to the gospel, even turning the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. Some, but not many Jews, believed and became part of a new species…as Paul wrote to the Ephesian church later on…a new race in Christ…of Jew and Gentile… with a new identity. 

It was time to retrace their steps…to consolidate the work they had done…and to report back to headquarters. They returned to the small groups of believers they had left behind as they went from city to city…teaching and encouraging them to stay firm in their faith…until they finally reached their home base…Antioch in Syria. 

“From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬-‭23‬, ‭26‬-‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What  a homecoming! How many years has gone by since they had left Antioch, we do not know. They had no email…no WhatsApp…to keep them in touch with their home church…only “snail-mail” no quicker than their own presence. So, they had much to talk about to their beloved fellow-believers…years of conflict and conquest to share with them. 

How lovely for them to rest in the shelter and safety of their own family. “A long time…”, long enough to gather their strength and their zeal for another season on the road…on the battle field. They now had years of experience behind  them. They knew what lay ahead when they hit the road again. 

So, we leave them in Antioch for a while until…rested and refreshed…they press on toward Rome!

To be continued