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The Connection of Christ’s Missions
a timeline of ACTS of the Apostles

Twenty-first century followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and believers less immersed in Scripture tend to oversimplify the journeys and any connection of apostles of the first century church.
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Our helpful, but partial view tends to look something like this:
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- A.D. 30 – Peter and the Twelve APOSTLES witness Jesus’ resurrection mostly in Jerusalem
  - In fact, the Twelve all traveled (Peter, certainly back and forth to his wife and family Capernaum) and even as far as Rome where more than 30 years later Peter would be executed by Nero.
ACTS on Mission
- A.D. 47-57 – Paul becomes Christ’s connection to the Gentiles and journeys throughout Europe on three time, taking some others with him.
  - Most 21st c. believers realize that Saul had personally met the risen Christ near Damascus while persecuting followers of the Way of Jesus Christ just 10 years earlier.
  - AND we don’t typically count a crucial connection of the Apostle’s final journey to Rome as a “fourth missionary journey” (~A.D. 60) where he too would be executed in about A.D. 66 or 67 just prior to Rome destroying Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
a Connection of Apostles

JESUS CHRIST is the One connection of Paul’s three missionary journeys we dare not overlook.

Notice that ALL of the apostles sent out on the three missionary journeys of Paul were also sent by the Holy Spirit AND the Church to the Jews, Greeks and Roman citizens.

Luke’s account of the history of the Church carefully and frequently notes their connection to each other and especially to the Holy Spirit — who IS One with the Father and our risen Lord JESUS the Son of man, as well as their resurrected friend and Savior.

From the very beginning of ‘Paul’s’ first mission to Cypress with Barnabas and John Mark we continually see more and more connections of individual apostles to new followers in these church plants.
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See a partial list of these connections to beloved believers of new churches and a more detailed 20 year timeline of Acts in this earlier post.
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Corinth – 1st Church Plant in ACHAIA

‘Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul..’

ACTS of more Apostles

Acts 18:

18 And Paul, having stayed-on considerable days longer, having said-good-bye to the brothers, was sailing-off to Syria— and Priscilla and Aquila with him— having sheared his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow. And they came to Ephesus. And those ones he left-behind there. And he himself, having entered into the synagogue, reasoned with the Jews.
Acts of the Apostles 18:18-19 Disciples’ Literal New Testament
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The Disciples’ Literal New Testament adds two more descriptive headings to our current journey with Paul from the Apostle's second missionary journey to begin his third mission.
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- In Ephesus, Paul Prepares Them For a Future Visit And Then Returns Home To Antioch
  - (Here we see the connections of place with Antioch the church which sent out the Apostles and Ephesus which is about to become a most influential church in Asia Minor both culturally and geographically closer to Rome.)
- Paul Embarks On a Third Journey. Priscilla And Aquila Update Apollos
  - (In these connections of apostles I include: Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos, introduced to us in Luke’s account as we continue on Paul’s THIRD mission into all the world with other apos t les).
And having done some time there, he went forth, going successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
Acts of the Apostles 18:23 Disciples’ Literal New Testament

As Paul returns to churches planted in the central inland areas during two previous missionary journeys Luke’s account of other apostles to the gentiles now moves to the coastal city of Ephesus where Apollos – a new believer now proclaims the Gospel alongside Priscilla and Aquila.

Before Luke momentarily moves his account of the acts of apostles from Paul to Apollos, let’s look at one more personal connection of Paul and others to those the apostles of Jesus Christ meet throughout the world of the Roman Empire.

a Connection of Letters

Epistle of Paul to the Romans

Connections to Letters from James

James is leader of the Jerusalem Church in the traditional place where the Lord God has led and shepherded His elect.

Luke has already shown readers of ACTS some important meetings between Peter, Paul and others which included at least one (and probably more) letters from James, the half-brother of Jesus and Pastor of the Jerusalem church, with encouragement for other followers of the Way of Christ Jesus.

Epistle from the Council of Jerusalem – Acts 15:20

A.D. 49 – the COUNCIL of JERUSALEM (which includes Peter & Paul) sends letters to Churches clarifying application of Mosaic LAW to Greeks and Romans as well as these Messianic Jews.

A.D. 52 – By now as PAUL and other APOSTLES depart on this next missionary journey, these ‘fathers‘ of the Church have sent additional epistles (letters) to encourage the Church beyond their personal and present reach.

New Testament Epistles – Apostolic Letters to the Church
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VISIT our Talk of JESUS .com CATEGORY with posts from any of these NEW TESTEMENT LETTERS
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Contemporary Application of the Letters (Epistles)
Most New Testament writers take on specific issues confronting faithful followers of Jesus Christ. These same issues continue to confront believers until the Lord’s coming again in these last days.
Talk of JESUS .com – Church Letters- Is he writing to me?

Connections already made by letter:

James – Preaching to a Worldly Church – 4

A.D. 49 – from our A.D. 2019 series from the Epistle of James

HOT topics from Galatians – Perversion of the Gospel

A.D. 49 – from Paul, an apostle.. and all the brothers who are with me

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel
Epistle from Paul, an apostle.. To the churches of Galatia 1:6 NKJV
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Here we join Paul in A.D. 52 as the apostle NOW immediately heads to Galatia in person to confirm the Gospel of Christ JESUS to the faithful of these NEW churches.
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A.D. 50 – Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Not ME – the deception of SIN

‘.. you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. – 1 Thessalonians 1:7b

A.D. 51 – also from Paul, Silas and Timothy to the Thessalonians:

Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

The Judgment at Christ’s Coming
This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—
2 Thessalonians 1:4-5 ESV

The close connection of all of these men sent out (apostles) continues to nurture these churches even as they head out on a third missionary journey with Paul.

AND later (A.D. 55) as they travel toward Ephesus these apostles will again touch the beloved brothers of the church in Corinth from where they have just departed.

ACTS of the apostles TO BE CONTINUED on Paul’s THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY…

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Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
August 26, 2023
Asia – Let’s Not Go There – Acts 16
The importance of this juncture in Paul’s journey, now with Silas and Timothy, cannot be overemphasized as these apostles are sent out beyond Asia into all the world of Euro-Asia.
Asia – the BIG picture
Go into all the world GEOGRAPHY (remedial)
Asia Minor, Roman Remnant of a former Empire
The Empires Before Christ
356 BC – Macedonia
Alexander the Great
323 BC – 30BC – a Greek-ish Eurasia
AD 50 – Eurasia
Acts of the Apostles 16:
Asia – the BIG picture

Growing up geographically-challenged (as my 5th grade teacher surely would have confirmed) in a small village far distant from Paul’s missionary journeys I was CLUELESS when I read Luke’s lists of places in Acts.

Where were these cities? (Or were they states? Perhaps a province of some kind?)

And ASIA? (That’s confusing.)

Continents as I remembered (5? or 7?):
- North America (That’s US.)
- South America (Go toward Texas & keep going.)
- Europe (Cross the Atlantic like Europeans did & founded 13 colonies in America)
- Africa (everything south of the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt and all those jungle places south where Europeans brought slaves to America.)
- Antarctica (it’s all ice and nobody lives there.. Is it the one on the South Pole or north?)
- Asia (Russia, from where Europe ends west to the Pacific & India, China, Japan along the Pacific
- Australia (How can an English island below Asia be called a continent?)
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C -
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Go into all the world GEOGRAPHY (remedial)

ASIA ~30% of land area of earth, part of Eurasia, ~17 million sq. miles
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Join me as I refresh some of my quite limited knowledge of geography - especially of Asia.
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Asia facts from WorldGeography.com
- Asia is the largest and most populated continent
- It shares land borders with Europe, which is not defined and hence share a landmass called Eurasia.
- Afro-Eurasia is the name given to the landmass between Asia, Europe, and Africa.
- Asia shares a lot of its extreme points with Europe, especially Russia.
Cape Dezhnev, 66°4′45″N 169°39′7″W, located on the Chukchi Peninsular, between the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Strait [W. of Alaska] , is the easternmost point of mainland Asia.

Pamana Island, 11°00′36″S 122°52′37″E, is the southernmost point of Asia, located in the Lesser Sunda Islands, East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia.

The northernmost point on the Asian mainland is Cape Chelyuskin, 77°44′0″N 104°15′0″E. At 1370km from the North Pole, ..located at the Taymyr Peninsula,

Westernmost Point In Asia
- Cape Baba, 39°28′47″N 26°03′50″E, located on the Anatolian part of Turkey, is the westernmost part of Asia. Located in Babakale village also known as Father’s Castle in historical Troad. Apostles Luke’s journey around the cape, and Apostle Paul’s journey on land are recorded in the biblical book Acts of the Apostles.
Troas on Cape Baba in Babakale, Turkey [Turkiye] is the westernmost point in Asia.

Asia Minor, Roman Remnant of a former Empire

Zoom in with Roman military eyes toward a vast empire to the east situated on the westernmost shores of Asia, fixing your eyes on adjacent Aegean shores of 21st c. Turkiye.
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This geographical-historical view of the Asia minor region is provided only for its context of culture as it intersects with Paul's missionary journeys 'into all the world' of Eurasia.
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Asia Minor

Follow the southern coastline from nearest to Rome toward the east and riches of former empires.

Rome’s region of ASIA MINOR
- conquered via the vast Mediterranean and inland to the Taurus mountains includes [W. to E.]:
- Pisidia [N. of Perga],
- Pamphylia [along a coast N. of Cypress],
- Cilicia [with its port city of Tarsus] and finally
- Syria (at times including Judea).
- Further Roman conquests inland to the north included:
a large Roman province of GALATIA
- N from Iconium and on its Western edge Antioch Pisidia, all of the central plain to the borders of
- a more remote Cappadocia in the mountains to the north of Cilicia and Tarsus and Antioch Syria,
- N to Bithynia and Pontus on the Black Sea and again toward
- Phrygia along the mountainous borders with Asia Minor toward Mysia and the strategically situated Sea of Marmara between the narrow isthmus connecting the Black and Aegean Seas.
In Roman times, however, when Paul journeyed there, the country was divided into two parts, one of which was known as Galatian Phrygia, and

the other as Asian Phrygia, because it was a part of the Roman province of Asia, but the line between them was never sharply drawn.
Source: BibleAtlas.org

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
– ACTS 16:6

The Empires Before Christ

6th century Before Christ

6th-5th centuries B,C. the Persian Empire (to the East) adds the Babylonian Empire to its captive provinces

Paul, Silas and Timothy will know these events well from Scripture, but those are no longer the Empires of concern to either the Jews or Rome. In a more recent history of Judea and Eurasia one vast Empire rivals all others.

356 BC – Macedonia
Alexander the Great

Tutored by Aristotle

trained for battle by his father, Philip II

source: History.com

Roman bust, 2nd century AD / Creative Commons license
[Alexander’s] undermanned defeat of the Persian King Darius III at the Battle of Gaugamela is seen as one of the decisive turning points of human history, unseating the Persians as the greatest power in the ancient world and spreading Hellenistic culture across a vast new empire.
https://www.history.com/news/alexander-the-great-defeat-persian-empire

332 BC – Tyre: a siege of Hellenism close to home

The siege of Tyre was orchestrated by Alexander the Great in 332 BC during his campaigns against the Persians.
source: Wikipedia

The reign of Alexander the Great was short-lived. After subduing all of the Persian Empire, his army marched east and got as far as India before turning back home to Macedon. But he never made it home.

At just 32 years old, Alexander died in Persia in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon.

323 BC – 30BC – a Greek-ish Eurasia
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Click the link below to see a map of the Hellenized 'Greek-ish' world after Alexander the Great where the Apostle Paul now witnesses Christ. READ a detailed lecture on 
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https://brewminate.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Alexander53-768×452.gif

There were no more city-states. Monarchies prevailed, modeling themselves after Alexander’s empire. He had achieved a divine status in his lifetime, and his successors wanted to as well. They established “ruler cults” in which they were obeyed as kings and worshipped as gods.

A sense of cosmopolis developed in the Hellenistic Age (“polis” plus “cosmos”). Worldly, experienced, and highly-cultured people used to live in small city-states and not worry about the world beyond, but now they had seen and even ruled this world and began to say they were no longer citizens of Athens, Corinth, and so on, but instead citizens of the cosmic polis (cosmopolis), the world.
Highly Recommended Source – From a lecture by Dr. Frank Holt, Professor of Ancient History, University of Houston (10.15.2013)

Paul and the Apostles sent out into all the world live in the crossroads between a culture of Alexander established just a few centuries earlier AND ambitious Roman Caesars reconquering lands and cultures to be absorbed into a new Pax Romana — IF you will surrender your land and its people into one international Empire of their Roman peace.

AD 50 – Eurasia

The year in the middle of Paul’s 2nd Missionary Journey.

Rome had conquered the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt near Judea some time ago, but the Empire’s military defense of the Eastern front in Syria kept close eye on the Parthian Empire and frequently engaged in battle losing and retaking various land.

A Greek-ish in culture of the Eurasian world remained reticent of Roman Legions suppressing unwilling rulers in uncooperative localities.

Politically astute men like a Herod or Saul of Tarsus understood this ever-shifting landscape of living as part of the political leadership and military power of the Roman Empire.

Paul would have been attuned to recent changes in both Asia and Europe as the Apostle now travels toward a new destination with Silas and Timothy. They seem to be travelling intentionally and slowly (which we might easily miss in these few brief verses of Acts.

AD 43 – During those years after Paul had witnessed Jesus on the road to Damascus, just four years prior to his first missionary journey here and to Cypress, Rome had invaded Britannia in the West. Legions had also conquered Lycia on the SW coast near Asia Minor where previously they had sailed to and from Perga.

Lycia Source: Wikipedia

AD 46 – Just a year prior to Paul’s first missionary journey

After the death of the Thracian king Rhoemetalces III in 46 AD and an unsuccessful anti-Roman revolt, the kingdom was annexed as the Roman province of Thracia. The new province encompassed .. the north-eastern portion of the province of Macedonia as well as the islands of Thasos, Samothrace and Imbros in the Aegean Sea.

Source: Wikipedia

Acts of the Apostles 16:
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Previously:
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Circumcision < Saul's Extreme Cultural Cut of Timothy

⁴As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. ⁵So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

These apostles sent out from Antioch Syria have traveled about half-way on this 2800 mile [4500 km] journey into a Greek-ish Roman-ruled world. Their remaining journey in Euro-Asia will include many more important cities where they will preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the upcoming year.

⁷And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. ⁸So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

Paul’s 2nd Missionary Journey – first half through Asia

Acts for a 21st c. Church

To be continued…
February 23, 2023
Exhortation from the Jew of Jews Saulos Tarseus :שָׁאוּל
Saul’s sermon in the synagogue of Antioch

We must leave behind us any notion that Paul’s exhortation to the Jews in Antioch Pisidia would have much effect by proclaiming the Gospel as Paul had to the Roman ruler Sergius Paulos in Paphos Cypress or to the faithful ‘Christians’ of the church at Antioch in Syria. And Saul’s sermon most certainly would not have been identical to those preached to the well-heeled Jews of Jerusalem of Judea governed by Roman Syria where Saul was educated.

Hellenist Influence of Alexander the Great 336 BC & even after annexation of Greece by Rome in 146 BC

The Jews here in Antioch Pisidia for the most part are Hellenist (Greek) Jews distinctly different from the more orthodox Jews returned to Judea from captivity centuries ago from the eastern empires along the Euphrates.

Saulos Tarseus is a Roman citizen, born not to far across the Tarsus mountains in the Roman capitol of Cilicia along the Mediterranean coast. But this ‘Jew of Jews, Sha’ul [שָׁאוּל] of Ταρσεύς [Gk. Tarseus or Latin Tarsus] knows his listeners.

Saul’s Sermon:

An Invitation to Exhortation

‘Men, brethren, if there be a word in you of exhortation unto the people — say on.’ – Acts 13:15 YLT

Exhortation for their Jewish Brothers

Sha’ul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said,

“Men of Yisra’el, and you who fear God, listen.
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It is a Jewish history from Jewish Scripture, an encouragement for a congregation of Hellenist Jews which Luke's account in Acts of the Apostles outlines in Saul's sermon which follows their traditional Scriptural readings.

In order to give us first century Jewish 'ears to hear' I will share Scripture from the Hebrew Names Version of the Bible translated from Paul's original native Greek. 
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Acts of the Apostles 13: Saul’s Sermon in the synagogue

17 The God of this people chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they stayed as aliens in the land of Mitzrayim [Egypt], and with an uplifted arm, he led them out of it. For period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.

When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Kana`an (Canaan), he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred fifty years. After these things he gave them judges until Shemu’el [Samuel] the prophet.

Afterward they asked for a king, and God gave to them Sha’ul [Saul] the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Binyamin [Benjamin], for forty years. When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified,

‘I have found David the son of Yishai [Jesse] , a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’
Acts of the Apostles 13:22b Hebrew Names Version
- Where does Saul’s sermon begin?
  - AFTER the reading of the Law and the Prophets, Paul begins from Jewish Scripture.
  - It is a shared Biblical history beginning with:
    The God [theos] of this people..
    pointing to their captivity in Egypt (relating to the Pentateuch just read).
- Saul then points back to previous disobedience of God’s chosen people the LORD led out of Egypt, perhaps even specifically using a passage from the reading of the Law.
The children of Yisra’el ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate the manna until they came to the borders of the land of Kana`an.
Exodus 16:35 HNV

Is it good encouragement [exhortation] to point us to Scripture critical of behaviors and acts of previous generations against God?

AND could these things that happened historically hundreds of years ago speak to our need to ACT now as followers or seekers of God’s will?
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Of course. Rome now ruled Antioch Pisidia and Galatia, Cilicia and even Egypt. AND as you are aware Rome ruled Judea which technically was no longer a kingdom of even a puppet King like the Herod's.

So is the preaching of Saul's sermon to Jews in the Hellenist world of Paul's journeys of interest to Luke's gentile readers? More importantly is it personally relevant?
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This is NOT how Paul would preach later to those who had NO idea of what God has said through the Holy Scriptures just read in the synagogue.

And he [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
Gospel of Mark 16:15 English Standard Version

ACTS of the Apostles will be published by Luke (as I have pointed out previously) around A.D. 62 about fifteen years after these sermons when persecutions of Jews and Christians has increased considerably.

Most gentiles know little of this history of Jewish Kings like David or Judges or Prophets and especially not anything about the many sins of God’s ‘chosen people.’ BUT they will come to suffer persecution for their new-found faith in the time since Paul’s sermon to the Jews.

“But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to local courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them.
“And it is necessary that the gospel be preached to all nations.
the Good News of (John) Mark (cousin of Barnabas) 13:9-10 CSB + a prophesy of the Lord Jesus Christ
- Paul’s sermon then proceeds to the Prophet Samuel.
“Look, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your forefather’s house, so that none in your family will reach old age. You will see distress in the place of worship, in spite of all that is good in Israel, and no one in your family will ever again reach old age.
1 Samuel 2:31-32 CSB

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל עַד־מָתַי אַתָּה מִתְאַבֵּל אֶל־שָׁאוּל וַאֲנִי מְאַסְתִּיו מִמְּלֹךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל מַלֵּא קַרְנְךָ שֶׁמֶן וְלֵךְ אֶשְׁלָחֲךָ אֶל־יִשַׁי בֵּית־הַלַּחְמִי כִּי־רָאִיתִי בְּבָנָיו לִי מֶלֶךְ׃

Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “How long will you be grieving over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I see among his sons a king for Me.”
1 Samuel 16:1 LSB [WLC above]

Saul’s Sermon connects the Kings of Israel to their Messiah
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Worshipers in the synagogue honored King David, though the kingdom had been destroyed.
Israel and the Judeans had returned from centuries of captivity warned by the Prophets. 
And first century Judeans sang the Davidic Psalms as part of their worship.
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.. ‘I have found David the son of Yishai, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’

23 From this man’s seed, God has brought salvation to Yisra’el according to his promise, before his coming, when Yochanan [John] had first preached the immersion [βάπτισμα baptisma of repentance to Yisra’el.

As Yochanan was fulfilling his course, he said,

‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.

But behold, one comes after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’
- John the Baptist, who preached a baptism (cleansing) of repentance, a permanent change of a heart (soul) returning to God, was thought to be a Prophet by first century Jews. AND many had heard of John.
Saul’s sermon then turns to explanation of the Jewish Messiah to his brothers, fellow Jews who had invited him to provide an exhortation. Paul will proceed to proclaim how the Gospel of Jesus Christ applies directly to these Jewish worshipers in a synagogue in their Roman capitol of Galatia, Antioch Pisidia.

To be continued…

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
October 17, 2022