Category: Acts for a 21st c. Church

Proselytes, Sojourners and Jewish visitors

• Who are we preaching to? (Paul knew.)
• Everyone, of course; but mostly to proselytes, the faithful souls seeking God.

Keep in mind that Joseph of Cypress (Barnabas) and Saul of Tarsus (Paulos to his Greek friends) are visiting Jews to the synagogues of Antioch Pisidia and Jewish towns and cities where they will continue to travel from here.

So as Paulos continues his sermon pointing to the Messiah Jesus he begins:

“Brothers, sons of Abraham’s family..

Gatherings of Jews in the synagogues of Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Galatia and other communities of Jews throughout the Roman world of the first century commonly included practicing Jews of the local town or city like Antioch, visiting Jews from Jerusalem and other Jewish communities and a third category of worshiper you may well recognize in many worshipers at your local church.

These proselytes were practicing Jews not yet fully accepted into the culture of Judaism until all the requirements of membership of the archisynagōgos have been met. [see intro to Saul’s sermon]

Paul includes these proselytes defined by Scripture, perhaps even from the Law just read in the Torah, which refers to their Jewish brothers calling them ‘sojourners’ or ‘strangers.’

(Think of the implication of this in Jesus' parables.)

12:48 וְכִֽי־יָגוּר אִתְּךָ גֵּר וְעָשָׂה פֶסַח לַיהוָה הִמּוֹל לוֹ כָל־זָכָר וְאָז יִקְרַב לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ וְהָיָה כְּאֶזְרַח הָאָרֶץ וְכָל־עָרֵל לֹֽא־יֹאכַל בּֽוֹ׃

Masoretic Text

The Error of Jerusalem’s Jews

The largest divide of Jewish worship of the first century may have been that between Hellenists and the Temple of Herod and its politically appointed officials in Jerusalem. Variations of Jewish worship were not only a point of contention between Judeans and Samaritans, but between several parties of worshipers from congregations throughout the Roman Empire.

“The preaching of the gospel was preceded and prepared for by the dispersion of the Jews, and a world-wide propagandism of Judaism.

• In the 5th century BC the Jews had a temple of their own at Syene.
• Alexander the Great settled 8,000 Jews in the Thebais, and Jews formed a third of the population of Alexandria.
• Large numbers were brought from Palestine by Ptolemy I (320 BC), and they gradually spread from Egypt along the whole Mediterranean coast of Africa.
• After the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes (170 BC) they scattered themselves in every direction, and, in the words of the Sibylline Oracles (circa 160 BC), “crowded with their numbers every ocean and country.” – source

There was hardly a seaport or a commercial center in Asia Minor, Macedonia, Greece, or the Islands of the Aegean, in which Jewish communities were not to be found. Josephus (Ant., XIV, vii, 2) quotes Strabo as saying: “It is hard to find a place in the habitable earth that hath not admitted this tribe of men, and is not possessed by them.” – source: BlueLetterBible.org – Proselyte

Saul of Tarsus, a leading Pharisee of Jerusalem had just preached [ACTS 13:23-24]:

“From the seed of this man [King David], according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, after John had preached before the face of His entering a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

Acts 13:26

“Brothers, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the word of this salvation was sent.

“For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning Him. And though they found no ground for death, they asked Pilate that He be executed.

As a REMINDER: Paul preaches this in about A.D. 47 or 48.
The events of the crucifixion and resurrection took place about fourteen years ago in ~A.D. 33.
Luke records this gospel preached by Paul in Acts and published for the church of persecuted Christians, both gentile and Jew a few years later in the A.D. 60's.

“And when they had finished all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.

 ὁ δὲ θεὸς ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν

“But God raised Him from the dead

Jew, Hellenist, Roman — Muslim or polytheist Taoist, Buddhist or Hindu; mortal man or woman of the first century AD or 21st century AD: this is NO ordinary event in history!

Paul proclaims the Gospel, providing proof (intentionally ignored by those whom God rejects) and preaches to the Jews in Pisidian Antioch how God’s grace has gone out into the world beyond Jerusalem.

But God raised him from the dead, and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from the Galil to Yerushalayim, who are his witnesses to the people.

Those who 'came up with him from Galilee' of course were the Apostles AND many disciples who entered Jerusalem with their Messiah for  the feast of matzah, which is called the Pesach.

Gospel Good NEWS!

Up to this point Saul’s exhortation has reasonably laid out the facts to this Shabbat assembly of mostly Hellenist Jews in Πισιδία Ἀντιόχεια [Pisidian Antioch] mentioning God – that is, θεός theos.

Paul has not confused any of his Greek audience of ‘Jews and God seekers’ by referring to ‘the LORD,’ or ‘YaHWeH‘ or ‘Y’HoVeH’ so familiar to the Jews from Hebrew Scripture — only God or Theos.

But now in introducing the Gospel the Apostle mentions Jesus by name — Ἰησοῦς – iēsous or Yeshua [yᵊhôšûaʿ in Hebrew; “LORD Savior”]– and immediately provides proofs of fulfillment of God’s promise to Avraham from Hebrew Scripture.

We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that he raised up Yeshua. As it is also written in the second psalm,

‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’

Scripture of ACTS 13 from the Hebrew Names Bible

The Resurrection of Christ

“Concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus:

‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’

Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’

From horaō diaphthora, some English versions graphicly illustrate the DEATH of mankind’s MORTAL flesh: ‘YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.’

Psalm 16:10  כִּי לֹא־תַעֲזֹב נַפְשִׁי לִשְׁאוֹל לֹֽא־תִתֵּן חֲסִידְךָ לִרְאוֹת שָֽׁחַת׃

For you will not leave my soul in She’ol,

Neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption.

Psalm 16:10 Hebrew Names Version

NOTE the reference to She'ol, the place of the dead, as it relates not only to the decaying body which will most certainly see corruption, but its Scriptural connection of DEATH as a penalty of abandonment by GOD of the SOUL of the sinful.

שְׁאוֹל

Son of David + :בֶּן־דָּוִד

But he whom God raised up saw no decay.

Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins,

and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things,

from which you could not be justified by the law of Moshe.

Beware! Therefore:

• Thank you  “Men of Yisra’el, and you who fear God..” for asking me for a word of exhortation today.
  • Acts 13:14-16
• God chose our fathers, exalted them, led them from Mitzrayim and for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.
  • Acts 13:17-18
• He destroyed seven nations in Kana`an, which our fathers possessed for about 450 years.
  • Acts 13:19
• Our fathers had Judges until Shemu’el the Prophet, but our fathers asked for a King, Sha’ul ben Kish, replaced by David the son of Yishai whom the LORD chose as, ‘a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’
  • Acts 13:20-23

From Avraham’s seed:

• salvation according to God’s promise when Yochanan had first preached the immersion of repentance to Yisra’el.
  • Acts 13:24-25
• children of the stock of Avraham who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you.
  • Acts 13:26
• Yerushalayim, and their rulers found no cause for death and fulfilled all things that were written about him..
  • Acts 13:27-29
• Resurrection: good news of the promise made to the fathers, fulfilled to us, their children, in that he raised up Yeshua.
  • Acts 13:30-37
• therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins, justification for those who believe.
  • Acts 13:38-39

Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets:

'Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; 
For I work a work in your days, 
A work which you will in no way believe, 
if one declares it to you.'"

Some Wisdom for Proselytes & the Unrepentant

Proverbs 1:23 תָּשׁוּבוּ לְֽתוֹכַחְתִּי הִנֵּה אַבִּיעָה לָכֶם רוּחִי אוֹדִיעָה דְבָרַי אֶתְכֶֽם׃

Turn at my reproof. 
Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. 
I will make known my words to you.

Because I have called, and you have refused; 
I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;

But you have ignored all my counsel, 
And wanted none of my reproof;
I also will laugh at your disaster. 
I will mock when calamity overtakes you;
When calamity overtakes you like a storm, 
When your disaster comes on like a whirlwind; 
When distress and anguish come on you..

Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, 
And be filled with their own schemes.
For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. 
The careless ease of fools will destroy them.

But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, 
And will be at ease, without fear of harm."


excerpt from מִשְׁלֵי (Proverbs) 1 ::

Come back and continue..

So when the Yehudim went out of the synagogue, the Goyim begged that these words might be preached to them the next Shabbat.

Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Yehudim and of the devout proselytes followed Sha’ul [Paulos] and Bar-Nabba [Barnabas]; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

ACTS of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas 13:43 – Hebrew Names Version

The next Shabbat almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God.

The Missionary Journey of Paul and Barnabas into all the world.. TO BE CONTINUED...
God-willing...