Tag: galatians

  • Corinth – 1st Church Plant in ACHAIA

    Corinth – 1st Church Plant in ACHAIA

    So why did Paul leave Athens, Greece? These apostles to the Gentiles are sent to Corinth by the Holy Spirit to plant a church in Achaia.

    THIS summary of Paul's first two missions INCLUDES a 20 YEAR TIMELINE OF THE EARLY CHURCH. 
    1. After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
    After Paul's speech at Mars Hill about the unknow god the Apostle departs for Corinth even though a few wanted to know more about the resurrection of of the dead and Jesus a human Son of God

    You’ll recall the Apostle’s great proclamation of the Gospel at the Areopagus of Mars Hill in the shadow of a Roman built-back-better ancient Acropolis. (The same philosophers’ debates continue into this distant millennium.)

    Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” – ACTS of the Apostles 17:32 ESV

    So Paul went out from their midst.

    We will talk about those new disciples who joined Paul's mission in Athens once we arrive in Corinth.

    The Mission to Corinth

    17:33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

    Prior to leaving Athens Dionysius and Damaris AND others join 'them.' 
    TWO new believers plus unnamed 'others.' 

    Please don’t forget that Jesus, the Twelve Apostles, rabbis, and even those Greek philosophers who invited Paul to address them at the Areopagus in Athens all had followers. Some disciples (or followers) of these men frequently traveled with these teaching mentors to learn more.

    Paul and the missionaries of the early church are no exception. The apostle to the gentiles does not preach the Gospel in Athens or anywhere else without the witness of other disciples of Jesus Christ.

    ἀποστέλλω

    Lexicon :: Strong's G649 - apostellō

    Paul has disciples of the Way of Jesus Christ with him — other apostles SENT by the Holy Spirit – and others followers sent to become ministers of Christ’s church in all the world.

    Gospel of Luke 10:

    Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent G649 them in G649 pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.

    4 “Go! Behold, I send G649 you out G649 as lambs in the midst of wolves.

    What kind of MAN would send out 70 missionaries with the Gospel into the midst of wolves?

    JESUS!


    “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me. And he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent G649 Me.”

    Gospel of Luke 10:16 LSB – the Word of Jesus by the Authority of God the Father to seventy disciples

    Paul will later write to his disciple Timothy, whom he has already circumcised to keep the young man from the wolves seeking their lives —

    For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

    1 Timothy 2:7 ESV

    Jesus had brought Paul to Himself years ago in Syria, then to Cypress and Galatia previously with Barnabas. Now with Silas and several others the Apostle of the Gentiles journeys through Syria, Galatia, Macedonia, briefly to Greece and here to ACHAIA and its important city of Corinth.

    Paul and his company of Christians from Antioch and many other places will build yet another church for the Corinthians and Christ Jesus here in the months to come.

    a 20 YEAR Timeline of 2 missions

    PAUL, as before, has fled Athens with the young lambs of Christ’s fold not only preserving his own life from the pack of Jewish and Hellenist wolves but done so to continue on the Lord Jesus’ mission before harm might be inflicted on any in his care.

    A.D. 30’s –

    Jesus crucified and raised from the dead!

    The risen Christ instructs the Twelve (now including Mathias) until Pentecost and appears to more than 500 witnesses before the Lord ascends into Heaven. Jesus’ brothers James (who will later lead the Jerusalem church) and Jude now believe and proclaim Jesus as Lord.

    The Apostles and others receive the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem and go out to Jews and Samaritans with the Gospel.

    After Saul of Tarsus (Paul) had pursued and killed many disciples of the risen Lord, Jesus confronts him near Damascus, later sending Saul into all the world as His vessel with the Gospel. Paul then goes to Arabia.

    A.D. 40’s –

    Three years after Paul’s conversion and ten years after Jesus’ resurrection Peter, who earlier had miraculously escaped prison in Jerusalem, takes the Gospel to the Gentiles, including Romans.

    Then in ~A.D. 44 the Apostle James is murdered and once again Peter is freed from prison in Jerusalem by angels.

    The Apostles have begun their journey into all the world, occasionally returning to Jerusalem where Jesus’ half-brother James is now leader of the local church.

    ~A.D. 47- 49 + Paul’s 1st Mission with Barnabas

    Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

    Acts of the Apostles 13:1-3 ESV – commissioning of Paul and Barnabas for 1st mission

    49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

    Lystra, Derbe and Iconium in the Taurus mountains.

    When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel.

    Acts of the Apostles 14:5-7 ESV

    I reiterate this from Paul’s first mission to emphasize both the persecution by Jews and Gentiles AND the persistence of the Apostles in uplifting these new churches with letters and returning to them on other missions. Barnabas and Mark returned to Cypress. On this mission Paul began by returning to these same churches of his earlier mission in the same regions of Galacia.

    Major Roman Provinces of the Aegean including: Achaia, Greece, Macedonia, Asia Minor, Galatia, Cypress and Syria including major cities of Paul's first missions.
    Go into all of the world‘ of the Hellenist Roman Aegean with the Gospel

    ~A.D. 49 – 51 + Paul’s Second Mission with Silas & others

    In the year of our Lord 49 the Council at Jerusalem was followed by several notable witnesses of Christ in various ways.
    • James, brother of Jesus & leader of the church in Jerusalem writes a letter primarily to the Jews of the dispersion,

    Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

    Letter of James 1:2-4 ESV
    • Paul writes a letter to the Galatians, saints of the churches he and Barnabas have just planted in the region of Galatia including Iconium, Lystra and Derbe.

    I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

    from Paul and all the brothers who are with me.. To the churches of Galatia: 1:6-7 ESV
    • The Emperor Claudius expelled most Jews (including the sect of Christians) from Rome
      • Those expelled from Rome included Priscilla and Anguilla, who the Lord will use in an important new missing in ACHAIA.

    Missionaries in Corinth sent out to the STATES of Rome

    Again, in A.D. 50 Paul has been sent out with the Gospel to several states of Roman influence – each with its own culture – each with its unique mixture of Hellenists, Italians more connected to Rome’s politics, Jews (some connected to the politics of Jerusalem), just regular residents, travelers, merchants, foreigners and of course, varying numbers of active and retired Roman soldiers.

    Acts 18 ESV – Paul in Corinth

    NOTE all the other apostles sent to Corinth in ACHAIA with Paul.

    After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.

    Part of the kingdom was now annexed to the Roman Empire, being united with Bithynia in a double province called Pontus and Bithynia: this part included only the seaboard between Heraclea (today Ereğli) and Amisus (Samsun), the ora Pontica.[18] The larger part of Pontus, however, was included in the province of Galatia.

    Source: Wikipedia
    google earth of Aegean Sea coast between Troas and Macedonia

    5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them,

    “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

    Once again, the Apostle sent into all the world has taken the Gospel first to his brothers in the faith of God - the Jews. AND once again as in other cities before many BUT NOT ALL Jews reject Paul and the Good News of the Messiah - the Christ, Jesus.
    

    7 And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue.

    (ALSO) 8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord (Jesus) , together with his entire household.

    These two local men of Corinth are important and influential Jews, but they cannot dissuade the outside influences of Jewish zealots who have rejected their own Messiah.
    

    And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. 

    Acts of the Apostles 18:8b ESV

    Acts for a 21st c. Church

    – a history of the 1st century church –

    To Be Continued… in Corinth.


  • Christmas Concert TODAY Christ in a Manger

    Christmas Concert TODAY Christ in a Manger

    I’ll be brief. The following is an audio from Truth For Life asking you to consider which part of the audience you are as we all participate in the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

    The text of our sermon is from Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia. (You may safely click on any link in this post or on the Truth For Life website also linked at the bottom of this post.)

    A Personal INTRO

    I would have been here early as a participant, parent, praise band player or orchestra member. The backstage minutes prior to the doors opening for the annual Christmas concert rush toward the time when the audience will be allowed to enter the church for the best seats for the Christmas pageant. Most of the crowd is early for this full-house spectacle.

    BUT WHAT IF

    Before you enter you had to choose ONE of THREE sections for the Nativity Program based on your faith?

    The key question YOU must answer (toward the end of today’s sermon) is this.

    WHY DID CHRIST COME?

    You cannot understand Christmas without Calvary.

    Alistair Begg

    SO before you enter the doors of our Christmas Story from the stage of our local church, please choose your preferred seating for the Christmas Story.

    Group number one

    (We have nearly unlimited seating for you.)

    Group number one has never trusted in Christ, and the reason they’ve never trusted in Christ is because they’ve never had the law preached to them. 

    Group number two

    The second group .. is made up of people who have had the law preached to them and need to understand the promise of God.

    (We have a smaller section of seats for you too.)

    Group number three

    Regrettably, we must seat the other two groups first.

    BUT LISTEN

    Alistair Begg will include this group too near the end of his brief Christmas sermon.


    This Talk of JESUS .com page will close when you click the link below:

    TFL – WHY GOD SENT HIS SON – PART 2

  • Hiking up to Antioch Pisidia from Perga

    Hiking up to Antioch Pisidia from Perga

    Ἀντιόχεια τῆς Πισιδίας) – Antioch of Pisidia

    hiking to Antioch of Pisidia with ruins of St. Paul's church

    (Paul and Barnabas hike north into the mountains)

    Pictured here: Ruins of the St. Paul Church in Antioch of Pisidia
    built ~6th century A.D.

    Additional information also from source: Turkish Archeology News

    Allow me to be your guide along the unfamiliar road now part of modern Turkey to travel with Barnabas and Paul to first century destinations unfamiliar not only geographically, but most unfamiliar to our experience.

    Brief Recap from ACTS of the Apostles 13:

    • The Church at Antioch of Syria: Christians communicate with the Church in Jerusalem through Barnabas and Saul
    • The Holy Spirit then sends out Barnabas and Saul to Cypress
    • Barnabas, a Cyprian and Saul of Tarsus preach the Gospel in the towns of Cypress.
    • Saul, filled with the Holy Spirit, confronts a false prophet, Bar-Jesus
    • The Roman proconsul, Sergius Paulus, believed the Gospel and becomes a Christian.

    A long journey covered in a short verse:

    Now after Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and returned to Jerusalem. But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch. – ACTS 13:13-14a

    view of the mountains north toward Pisidian Antioch
    The town in the distant mountains above Egirdir Lake is Antioch Pisidia

    Hiking from Antioch to Antioch

    Of course Barnabas and Paul could not begin their first missionary journey with a point to point hike between all the towns where they would proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ as they had just done on Cypress. As they sailed to Pamphylia the two Apostles could have looked back to mountains they had skirted along the coast.

    In the Troodos Mountains of Cyprus. Mount Olympus reaches an evaluation just over a mile (6404 ft.) above sea level. As the missionaries arrive in Perga they look toward the towering Taurus mountains so familiar to Saul (and perhaps somewhat intimidating to Joseph of Cypress island and John his cousin from the city on the hill of Jerusalem.

    Jerusalem is situated on a plateau of the Judean mountains less than a half-mile (~2500 ft.) above sea level which can seem somewhat higher when ascending the hill of Jerusalem from the Dead Sea below the Jordan with its surface 1300 ft. below sea level.

    The highest peaks of the Tarsus mountains familiar to Saul from Tarsus rise to about two miles above sea level.

    anthias river

    Barnabas and Saul must plan a journey ahead of over one-hundred miles just to their first stop ascending into Antioch on Roman roads along the Anthias River.

    But as we just read in Acts 13:13 Barnabas’ young cousin John Mark chooses not to join him and Saul.

    Their journey could be fraught with dangers including robbers along the road (much like those in Jesus’ parable set in the mountains of Samaria).

    At the summit of their hike ahead Antioch in Pisidia sits on a large plateau in a beautiful lakes region about four thousand feet above the Mediterranean port of Antalya near Perga.

    Antioch in (which province)? ? ?

    Politically and historically Saul of Tarsus and Barnabas would have known some things about Antioch which typically confuse 21st century Christians like you and me. Some local and Roman history should help us to understand their preaching of the Gospel in ‘Pisidian’ Antioch.

    entrance gateway to Antioch Pisidia

    Facing the valley in the west, the Western Gate is most probably the main entrance to the city as a number of ancient roads meet here. It is supported by the city walls on both sides. – source

    Antioch Pisidia – a Roman resort

    Christians should picture the cities of Paul’s three missionary journeys between A.D. 47-57 as ROMAN, not Jewish (or even Greek).

    Roger@talkofJESUS.com

    Pisidian Antioch (‘Antioch in Pisidia’) was the Roman capital city of Galatia Province.

    Galatia map with its capitol Pisidian Antioch
    Antioch, ROMAN capitol of Galatia
    • So why don’t we call it Galatian Antioch?

    Politically, it is Roman, a city built for retired Roman Legions. Administratively it is the capitol of Galatia. And similar to Paphos Cypress, from where Saul and Barnabas have just departed, Pisidian Antioch is governed by Galatia’s Proconsul.

    By the middle of the 1st century AD, the city and surrounding villages had a population of nearly 100,000 people, including Galatians, Phrygians, Greeks, Jews, and Roman army veterans. Pisidian Antioch enjoyed the highest category of status among cities in the Roman Empire and many residents of the city were given Roman citizenship. – source

    • Pisidian Antioch (Greek: Ἀντιόχεια τῆς Πισιδίας)
    • and in Roman Empire, Latin: Antiochia Caesareia or Antiochia Colonia Caesarea
    • formerly on the border of Pisidia and Phrygia, .. Antiochia in Phrygia
    • The province of Galatia was established in 25 BC, and Antioch became a part of it.
      • (This would have been just a generation before Paul and Barnabas)

    Hellenisation became Latinization during the Roman period, and it was succeeded best in Antioch.

    source of article: Wikipedia
    • Its location is better reflected by its Latin name
    • “Antioch ad Pisidiam” meaning Antioch [located] in the direction of Pisidia.

    From Paphos to Antioch Pamphylia

    Galatian Antioch [located] in the direction of Pisidia.

    Setting aside for a moment their brief stop in Perga, Randall Niles and the researchers of DRIVETHRU HISTORY may have provided us with a clue why Saul of Tarsus and Joseph of Cypress moved on directly to this capitol of Galatia:

    One motivation for Paul coming to Pisidian Antioch may have been to visit the family of Sergius Paulus, who had a large estate northeast of the city. The family was prominent in the region, and one Latin inscription found at Pisidian Antioch even mentions L. Sergius Paulus, who could have been the same proconsul that Paul and Barnabas met on the island of Cyprus. Since this important Roman leader became a Christian, it would make sense for Paul and Barnabas to seek out his family for a visit.

    Source: DRIVETHRUHISTORY

    NEXT: We will continue this first missionary journey with Paul preaching in Antioch (in the direction of Pisidia) …

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