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Category: Acts for a 21st c. Church

Acts of the Apostles + a History of Christ’s Church

Acts of the Apostles 1-28

Acts of the Apostles:
+ The first century Church SHARED Christ while suffering severe persecution.
+ Luke records a historic account of the Church which gives 21c Christians a context to SHARE the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others.

Read more about the Early Church & add your COMMENT on Scripture.

ACT now.

+ SHARE the Gospel history witnessed in the CURRENT chronological SERIES from ACTS of the APOSTLES.

Mission to Macedonia with more exhortation
Now after the uproar had ceased, Paul having summoned and exhorted the disciples, said farewell and left to go to Macedonia.
Acts of the Apostles 20:1 Legacy Standard Bible

Paul’s mission returns to Macedonia

When we last left Paul in Ephesus the Apostle had been acquitted of causing a riot and was preparing to sail back to familiar destination of his second mission. Today we’ll briefly return to Macedonia and remind ourselves of the role of exhortation of Christ’s faithful.

RIOTING TODAY! – Testimony from many stakeholders

NOTE the Gallery of riots up to the Common Era that go back as far as Assyria in 722 B.C. & Babylon in 537 B.C.

ACTS 20:

2 And when he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

μέρος – 1st. c. districts

In order to think like these apostles to the gentiles we must not picture countries from a 21st century Common Era map.

..Jesus withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon.

..Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi..

..He entered the boat with His disciples and came to the district of Dalmanutha.
Matthew 15:21, 16:13: Mark 8:10 – Strong’s G3313 – meros

Now it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper regions G3313 and came to Ephesus and found some disciples.
Acts of the Apostles 19:1 – when Paul first came to Ephesus – [‘through the upper country,’ – KJV ]

Paul has just left Ephesus (a major Roman city). But think BIGGER: the mission of these apostles leaves Asia.

The apostle Paul goes out again on mission to Roman Achaia (Greece in some translations) with rebuilt ancient Greek city-states [districts] of a former empire.

Ancient districts and kingdoms including those of the Jews had all fallen in time to EMPIRES of

Egyptians, Babylonians and Persians.

More recently Greece had been conquered by a Macedonian King Philip (as in Philippi) and his son.

Alexander the Great conquered most of the world to the west only to have his fourth century B.C. Greek-speaking Empire later fall to Rome in the East.

An even more ancient Kingdom of David and far-reaching Empire of Solomon had fallen into a distant memory of a thousand years before. The Jews, however, had been dispersed into all the nations.

In the first century A.D. time of a Galilean Jewish Messiah Jesus and a Cilician Jewish Roman citizen Paul, Jews sailed and traded from district to district with cultures within Empires from east to west.

much exhortation

THE EVANGELISM OF PAUL’S MISSIONARY JOURNEYS ALL INCLUDE EXHORTATION.

If any thread of witness of the Lord Jesus Christ continues throughout Paul’s three missions none is more evident than his exhortation or ongoing encouragement of these new churches by letter and in person.

Exhortation defined:

π αρακαλέω – parakaleō – beseech (43x), comfort (23x), exhort (21x), desire (8x), pray (6x), intreat (3x), miscellaneous (4x), variations of ‘besought’ (1x).

Encouragement practically jumps off the page of Luke’s account outlining Paul’s travel from Ephesus to Achaia and Macedonia

+ to call to one’s side, + to address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.

ALL saints and members of the churches baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and changed forever by the Holy Spirit need exhortation.

Paul is a humble teacher who loves and mentors his disciples or students. The Apostle encourages the Ephesians as he departs to Macedonia and later will exhort the Ephesians, Philippians as well as others by letter.

Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them – KJV

Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them and saying farewell – NET

and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia. – NASB95

He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece,
Acts of the Apostles 20:2 NIV
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Do you recall a few years earlier when Paul had first been called to GO TO MACEDONIA?
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Come over to Macedonia and Help us

The Apostle’s heart longs to build up the living stones of Christ’s Church in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

an 18th c. A.D. view of Macedonia
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Cultural commentary expressed here by a notable 18th c. A.D. American should not be read as a 21st c. C.E. commentary of TalkofJESUS.com and is provided as another historical perspective.

You may see his name on source links or at the bottom of this section. - R.H.
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Source: “The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution”.

1-..advocate for erecting three new independent republics on the European territory of the Ottoman Empire: Greece, Macedonia and Illyricum.
2- Macedonia is mentioned separately from Greece, and with that, Macedonia is not part from Greece.

Source: “The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution”.

At first, within the Roman province of Macedonia were ancient territories of Boeotia, Southern Epirus, Thessaly, Lower Macedonia, Attica, Peloponnese (present-day Greece), Upper Macedonia and Paeonia (present-day northern Greece and southern FYROM), Northern Epirus and Southern Illyria (present-day Albania).

After the defeat of Andriscus of Macedon (last Ancient King of Macedon) from Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus in 148 BC, region of Macedonia was divided into four client republics.

After that in 27 BC, with establishment of the principate territories of Attica and Peloponnese were split off from Macedonia, and was founded new senatorial propaetrorial province named as Achaea.

Province of Achaea included all Greece south of Thessaly, Macedonia and Epirus. It proves that separation, isn’t made by ethnic dimension (because if Greek inhabitants of Macedonia and Epirus, are questionable for Slavomacedonians and Albanians, then the case with Thessaly isn’t such).

Also at 67 AD, whole Epirus (Epirus vetus and Epirus nova) has become imperial procuratorial province separated from Macedonia. Thessaly remained as part of Macedonia.
Source: “The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution”.

“Conclusion: Alexander and Ptolemy are mentioned as examples for understanding between Jews and Greeks.

John Adams for Boston Gazette

– series of papers signed as Novanglus [Newenglander], written in 1774.

Timeline
- 332 Before Christ – Alexander the Great captures Judea and Egypt, Hellenization begins
  - 330 Before Christ – Alexander captures Persia
  - 323 B.C. his Empire divided after Alexander dies in Susa
- 42 B.C. – Battle of Philippi involving 200,000+ Romans in a civil war
- 37 B.C. – Herod the Great becomes client King of Judea
- 27 B.C. – Augustus [Octavian, victor at Battle of Philippi] becomes Caesar of the Roman Empire
  - Philippi named a Roman colony Colonia Victrix Philippensium built for veterans of the Roman civil war not returning to Italy.
- Anno Domini 30 – Crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ
- ~A.D. 55 – Paul DEPARTS EPHESUS for MACEDONIA
- ~A.D. 67 – Paul will write a second letter to Timothy (who accompanies the Apostle on this mission and will become the Pastor of the church at Ephesus) just prior to Paul’s martyrdom by Nero in Rome.
~ in the year of our Lord 55

The Jews plotted against him when he was about to set sail for Syria, and so he decided to go back through Macedonia.
Acts of the Apostles 20:3 – Christian Standard Bible

To be continued.. God-willing..

In ACTS of the Apostles 20

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
October 31, 2023
RIOTING TODAY! – Testimony from many stakeholders
RIOT TODAY IN EPHESUS!

– READ all about it.

The NEWS headline could have been from TODAY! But first we return to this riot mentioned in our last edition and Luke’s account of Acts 19.

and fear fell upon them all – Phobias from the enemy

Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying,
“Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

The city was filled with the uproar, and the crowd rushed to the theater together, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.
Acts of the Apostles 19:29 New English Translation

Some accounts begin: So the whole city was filled with confusion, while other accounts of the incident refer to this riot simply as an uproar.

And for the testimony of our trial later note its participants: the CROWD (who all rushed to the theater together) and two outsiders from Macedonia (Gaius and Aristarchus).

Syria War Refugees

This ‘trial‘ of these outside agitators in the public stadium (think of it as the social media outlets of the day) should solve the town’s local political problem.

These free-speaking men (shouting down the acts of these disciples of Jesus) stormed the Roman court with two Macedonians they had already convicted by majority mob rule.

U.S. Capitol under siege JANUARY 6, 2021
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READ some earlier accounts of recent events leading up to the riot (the A.D. 1st c. riot in Ephesus, that is). AND note the outsiders who come and go with Paul.
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ACTS 18:
- 23 .. Paul left and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
- 24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus..
- 26 ..Priscilla and Aquila (having arrived ahead of Paul) heard him..
- 27 [Apollos leaves Ephesus to] cross over to Achaia..
ACTS 19:

and when Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. (Now there were about twelve men in all.)

So Paul entered the synagogue and spoke out fearlessly for three months, addressing and convincing them about the kingdom of God.
Acts of the Apostles 19:6-8 NET
- 9 .. he left them and took the disciples with him, addressing them every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years..
  - * NOTE that the events leading up to this riot went back more than two years.
- .. so that all who lived in the province of Asia [of which Ephesus is its Roman political capital], both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.
- 14 (Now seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.)
- 17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; fear came over them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised.
- 18 Many of those who had believed came forward, confessing and making their deeds known.
  - 19 Large numbers of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them Inup in the presence of everyone. When the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins.
- [Paul] .. after sending two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia [and presumably in its capital Ephesus for the most part].
Inciting the riot of the day

THIS all leads up to what Luke describes as ‘NO SMALL DISTURBANCE’ concerning ‘the WAY’ or disciples (all followers) of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have heard of these incidents before.
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Thessalonica & Berea in Macedonia 
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But the Jews, becoming jealous, taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, and forming a mob, set the city in an uproar.. they began dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting,

“These men who have upset the world have come here also.. And they disturbed the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.
Acts of the Apostles 17:5a,6b,8

But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, shaking up and disturbing G5015 the crowds.
Acts 17:13 LSB

Trial of the ACTS 19 Riots in Ephesus

And the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.

And when Paul wanted to go into the [people of the] assembly, the disciples would not let him. Also some of the [*] Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater.
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* These are Political or religious officials of the province of Asia, likely some Roman and others Jewish converts of The Way.
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32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the [*] meeting was in confusion..
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* Some Bibles translate this gathering of citizens as 'assembly,' from a word familiar to many Christians:  ekklēsia
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.. and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together.

Centuries of riots and wars, refugees and massacres

Assyria takes Samarian captives 722 BC & Babylon takes Judah’s captives 607-537 BC

Assyria near Nineveh (art)

AD 2015 WWI 200 Christians Burned inside church in Turkey – 1915

Auschwitz AD 1945 WWII – genocide of the Jews and Eastren Europeans

1945 dead slave labors

Egypt circa 2013

refugee man embracing boy

Syria 2014 boy searching for food

2014 Syria Christians pray

2022 conquest

modern military map

more refugees driven from their cities in Syria & Iraq

Dublin, Ireland – Choice infant genocide

Jerusalem of Islam & Jew

But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single cry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours..
Acts of the Apostles 19:34a – at the riot in Ephesus

Undeniable Facts

35 Now after calming the crowd, the city clerk said..

‘So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.’

“So then, if [your leader and you] have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the [scheduled] lawful meeting.
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Sometimes riots END as quickly as they begin IF sensible leadership prevails over the CROWDS incited by hatred into a frenzy of lawlessness and sin. (Of course at other times sin simmers beneath the surface until it erupts into something worse -- even war.
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“For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot [stasis] in connection with today’s events, since there is no cause for which we can give as an account for this disorderly gathering.”
Acts of the Apostles 19:40 LSB

And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia.
Acts of the Apostles 19:41-20:1 ESV

στάσις – stasis – From the base of ἵστημι (G2476)

The KJV translates Strong’s G4714 in the following manner: sedition (3x), dissension (3x), insurrection (1x), uproar (1x), standing (1x).

Eleven (11) other versions of the Bible translate this simply as a riot.

Contemporary applications to this lesson from first century Ephesus — in a Greek culture accommodating Jews and other religions under a heavy hand of a pagan Roman Empire and its governors with the power to judge and execute whom they will — consider one further application from the Greek root of this word:

A word of warning from Scripture received by the Apostle John a few years later near the end of the first century.

Then I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing G2476 before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 20:12 LSB

ACTS of the Apostles – The Third Missionary Journey of Paul —

To Be Continued… in Macedonia, God-willing…
October 23, 2023
and fear fell upon them all – Phobias from the enemy
FEAR descends upon us without warning when we least expect it. This is what has just happened in places distant from our secure homes and times more near these last days.

Acts of the Apostles 19:
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TODAY we return to Ephesus in the first century of our Lord and then quickly jump forward to fearful times ahead and even now in this 21st century of the Common Era.

IF you missed the account of Paul's previous preaching of Jesus Christ you might want to look back first.
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Evil spirits, exorcism, possession of Power

What do we fear?

Disgrace, as these men ran away from a situation over which they claimed to have power?

DEATH perhaps, IF the enemy should prevail?

The Apostle Paul [Saul of Tarsus] was a RELIGIOUS man once feared by Christians as he pursued the unrighteousness of men and women turned from Almighty God.

But a more powerful JESUS and the Holy Spirit had intervened most unexpectedly. NOW Paul in Christ demonstrates God’s POWER!

ACTS 19 – Believe in JESUS!

6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them..

.. some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude..

11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul..and the evil spirits went out of them.

16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them..
Acts of the Apostles 19:16a NKJV

PAUL HAD POWER! Unseen power. The Jewish priests observed reactions of people who had witnessed this mysterious unseen power and sought such control of the crowds as well.

18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.
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We may safely suppose that their confessions included the ordinary sins of every man and woman and their deeds being the evil against God and others so common in our everyday lives.
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19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Fear of the unseen enemy

The LORD GOD is your enemy when YOU SIN against HIM!

Satan and unseen spirits in which many of you do not believe are ENEMIES of the LORD GOD and His only SON JESUS CHRIST sent to SAVE you from the Judgment of your SIN.

This CHOSEN NATION of GOD had sinned and fallen many times.

AND they continued to deny Christ’s grace and power over sin demonstrated in JESUS.

Priests and preachers had sinned against the SON of GOD sent to HIS OWN for forgiveness of SINS.

The King of the Jews was sacrificed on a Roman Cross in Jerusalem.

Paul who by now has confessed Christ witnesses to the gentiles of first century Roman Asia Minor. The Apostle once again demonstrates the power of Jesus Christ OVER sin.

AND as always, there arose a great commotion about the Way. [v.23b]

מָשִׁיחַ מָשִׁיחַ
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PHOTO above from the 3-part Gospel Series: 12 Men Texting as their Messiah approaches
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a Common Era parable – phobomai
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We interrupt these ACTS of the first century for 
BREAKING NEWS from Israel in this 21st century of the Common Era
and a parable of current events.
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A man with seven sons and seven daughters whom he had set over an inheritance of great wealth and influence sent them out to build new settlements for his grandchildren. One day his oldest son gathered all of their brothers and sisters for a great music festival of songs celebrating the culture of their fathers.

So as a trumpet sounded from the besieged holy hill beyond the locked gate they departed toward this rave for the ages led by local guides into the valley of the shadow near the salt sea.

To be continued…
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In the diaspora, the first day is known by its biblical name, Shemini Atzeret. We still dwell in the sukkah, but without a blessing. Yizkor, the memorial for the departed, is also said on this day.

The second day is known as Simchat Torah, during which we complete and immediately begin the annual Torah reading cycle. - source: Chabad.org
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7 October, 2023 of the Common Era

At the RAVE of the enemy in the valley of the shadow many fall victim.

It was NOT a festival to the LORD God and the enemy provokes the spirit of evil in any who seek pleasure in sin and death.

May God have mercy on their lost souls.

FEAR

φόβος – phobos – From a primary phebomai (to be put in fear)
- Fear, dread, terror
- that which strikes terror
And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. And fear [G5401 – phobos] gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying,

“A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited His people!”
Gospel of Luke 7:15-16 Legacy Standard Bible

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars,
and on the earth anguish among nations,
in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,
men fainting from fear [G5401 – phobos]
and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world;
for the POWERS OF THE HEAVENS will be shaken…
Gospel of Luke 21:25-26 LSB
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We return now from the 21st c. C.E. to a FEAR in those witnessing GOOD in the Name of JESUS in the first century of the Lord in Ephesus recalling:
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And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear G5401 fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.
Acts of the Apostles 19-17 LSB

Reaction against the Power of God

IT ALWAYS HAPPENS THAT WHEN GOD WORKS MIGHTY ACTS OF POWER THAT UNGODLY MEN WILL DO EVIL AGAINST THE WITNESSES OF GOD AND CHRIST JESUS.

ACTS 19:23 NKJV

And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. 25 He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said:

“Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.”

Some men FEAR disgrace, most men and women FEAR death, yet many cling to tradition forged into idols of culture condoning our sin and denying our mortality.

These would lead the leaven of life into a pit of eternal punishment.

“THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
Paul later writes to the ROMANS, quoting PSALM 36

Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying,

“Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

29 So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions.

The Apostle Paul’s ACTS in Ephesus – To Be Continued, God-willing…

Acts 19, death, fear, God, holy spirit, israel, Luke, paul, phobia, romans, war
October 14, 2023