Acts

Acts

JOHN B. POLHILL

Acts is unique among the books of the New Testament. It is the only book which relates the story of the earliest church which was created soon after the resurrection of Christ. It is part of a two-volume work by the same writer, Luke, who related the story of Christ in his Gospel and the story of the apostles' witness to Christ in Acts. Luke is the most prolific writer in the New Testament. The Gospel of Luke and Acts comprise nearly a third of its entire contents.

Luke the Author. Both Luke and Acts are anonymous. Luke nowhere identified himself in either work, but from an early period, tradition has designated him as author of both writings. One of the earliest witnesses to the tradition was Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons in Gaul (modern France). Writing in the last quarter of the second century, Irenaeus pointed to the passages in Acts which are written in the first person plural. These occur in the portions of Acts which deal with the ministry of the apostle Paul. They include 16:10-17 (Paul's Macedonian call and early ministry in Philippi); 20:5-21:18 (Paul's journey from Philippi to Jerusalem); and 27:1-28:16 (Paul's trip from Caesarea to Rome). Irenaeus concluded from these "we" passages that the author of Acts was a companion of Paul who accompanied him on these occasions. He identified Paul's traveling companion as Luke.

Luke is mentioned three times in the New Testament, all three in the "greetings" sections of Paul's epistles. Paul identified him as a "fellow worker" in Philemon 24 and as "the beloved physician" in Colossians 4:14. In 2 Timothy 4:11 Paul lamented that "only Luke" was with him. He probably was facing martyrdom and may have had special need of his physician friend.

Although we have little direct information on Luke, we can learn a lot about his person from his writings. For instance, he wrote in a very natural and literate style of Greek. The name Luke is a Greek name, and he was almost certainly a Gentile. (His concern for Gentiles in both Luke and Acts indicate as much.) Luke was cultured. He knew Greek literary conventions. For instance, he began both his volumes with formal prefaces which included dedications to a certain Theophilus (Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-2). He had a concern for linking Christianity with world history. Of all the Gospel writers, he alone was careful to date events by the reigns of kings, governors, and high priests (Luke 2:1-2; 3:1-2); and in Acts he referred to the Roman emperors on several occasions (11:28; 25:10ff.).

Luke liked to travel. He often mentioned places of lodging in his Gospel: There was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn (Luke 2:7), but the Samaritan provided for the wounded Jew in an inn (Luke 10:34-35). In Acts, Luke took great delight in detailing Paul's travels, right down to the last little island. He must also have liked to eat. He included in his Gospel more instances of Jesus dining and more parables with a meal setting than any of the other Gospel writers. This interest is also apparent in Acts, where so much of the life of the early church is set around the "breaking of bread," and where table fellowship was a major issue for the Jewish and Gentile Christian congregations.

Luke had a great concern for people, particularly the oppressed of his day—the poor, targets of prejudice like Samaritans and eunuchs, and those with limited privileges like women. He was hard on the rich. His culture and profession may indicate that he came from some means himself. He had little toleration for those who had the resources to help the needy but failed to do so. As for women, he showed in his Gospel how much the Christian faith owes to women like Mary and Elizabeth, and in the Acts he highlighted leaders like Lydia and Priscilla.

Luke's "Episodic" Style. Luke liked to tell a good story. He wrote with skill and dramatic flare. Acts is no dull history. Rather than giving a bare chronicle of events, Luke chose to illustrate the story of the early church with selected key incidents or "episodes." An example of this is the account of Paul's work in Ephesus in chapter 19. The chapter covers a three-year ministry of Paul in the city. We know from Paul's letters and subsequent Christian history that during this period Paul wrote a number of epistles and established many churches, not only in Ephesus but also in the surrounding cities. Acts 19 does not mention these things. Instead, it gives four incidents out of Paul's three year ministry there—his witness to some disciples of John the Baptist, his preaching each day in a lecture hall, his leading the Ephesian converts to burn their magic books, and his encounter with the local guild of idol makers. This is certainly no formal "history of the greater Ephesian mission." It is a very effective way to give a person a sense of what really counted in that mis-sion—Paul's faithful witness to Jesus, the opposition that his witness aroused, and the ultimate triumph of the gospel over all its opponents.

There are exceptions to Luke's anecdotal style. Sometimes he chose to give a summary of what went on during a given period in the life of the church rather than highlight specific incidents. Known as the "summaries," there are four in all, clustered in the first five chapters. First, there is the summary dealing with the church at prayer as it awaited Jesus' promise of the Spirit's coming (1:12-14), then the summary of the early church's fellowship (2:42-47), the summary of its sharing in material blessings (4:32-35), and finally, the summary of its witness in the power of the Spirit (5:12-16). These summaries give us a vivid picture of the life of the earliest church and of the forces which drove it.

Another "non-episodic" type of Acts passage is the "speech," in which Christians witness to Christ. Speeches occur in various settings—before crowds in the Jewish temple or in the streets of Gentile cities, before Jewish and Gentile courts. Some are only a few verses in length, while some are nearly a chapter (e.g., 7:2-53). Almost a third of the entire text of Acts contains speeches. There are ten lengthy ones.

Three are Peter's—at Pentecost (chap. 2), in the temple square (chap. 3), and at the home of the Gentile Cornelius (chap. 10). The longest speech of all is that of the martyr Stephen in chapter 7. Six speeches are Paul's. Three occur on his missionary journeys—one on each journey and each to a different kind of audience. Paul addressed Jews at Pisidian Antioch on his first mission (13:16-41), Gentiles at Mars Hill on his second journey (17:22-31), and Christian leaders on his third missionary journey (20:17-35).

Luke recorded three more major addresses of Paul after his arrest in Jerusalem: before a Jewish mob in the temple court (22:1-21), before the Roman governor Felix (24:10-21), and before the Jewish King Agrippa (26:1-29). When reading Acts, we often give the least attention to these speeches.

They are not as engaging as the episodes. A careful study of them will prove rewarding, however. The speeches give the most direct presentation of the gospel of all the material in Acts.

Themes of Acts. Many themes run throughout Acts. One is the relationship between the Jewish and Gentile churches. Luke was concerned to show how the church began in Jerusalem, in the heart of

Judaism, and how it expanded with an even greater impact on the Gentiles. Luke showed how Jewish and Gentile Christians with their major differences learned how to have fellowship together, a lesson still very relevant to the life of the church.

Perhaps the dominant theme in Acts is that of the Christian witness to Jesus and its triumph over all opposition. There are many sub-themes related to this major emphasis. One is the spread of the Christian witness both geographically and to various ethnic groups. At the very beginning of Acts, Jesus commissioned His disciples to be His wit-nesses—in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and finally to the end of the earth. Acts can be outlined as roughly corresponding geographically to Jesus' commission—Jerusalem (chaps. 1-7), Judea and Samaria (chaps. 8-12), to the end of the earth (chaps. 13-28). Many would see Acts 1:8 as the "thematic verse" for all of Acts.

There is another part of Jesus' commission in Acts 1:8 that is perhaps even more central to Acts than the geographical emphasis—Jesus' insistence that His commission is to be undertaken only after the Holy Spirit has come upon the disciples. The Holy Spirit is central in Acts. Luke made it clear that there would be no Christian mission without the guidance of the Spirit. The young movement never undertook any new endeavor without the express guidance of the Spirit. Sometimes this was with considerable resistance from the would-be witnesses, such as Peter with the Gentile Cornelius (chap. 10). The Spirit is not mentioned by name in eleven of Acts' twenty-eight chapters. The Spirit's presence, however, is implicit in all of Acts. He is the driving force behind the Christian mission.

A closely related theme is that of the providence of God. God is always looking out for the Christian witnesses in the story of Acts. This is sometimes evident in visions and dreams that assure the Christians in threatening times that His purposes in them will be fulfilled and that they have nothing to fear. God is indeed behind the church's witness. His word triumphs. His witnesses often suffer for bearing that word, but when they are faithful in their witness, the gospel triumphs.

Acts presents an inclusive gospel. It is for Jew and for Greek, for Judean and Samaritan, for Lystran peasants and Athenian philosophers, for the Dorcases and the Agrippas, for Paul the proud Pharisee and for the humble, seeking eunuch of Ethiopia. The gospel is for all people. We are called to witness to all.

Structure of Acts. The title Acts of the Apostles is something of a misnomer. The book deals primarily with only two apostles—Peter and Paul. Of the 28 chapters of Acts, Peter is central in nine chapters, Paul in sixteen, Stephen in two, and Philip in one. Many accordingly outline the book under two main headings: Peter and the Jerusalem church (chaps. 1-12) and Paul and the Gentile mission (chaps. 13-28). Others outline the book according to the geographical scheme of 1:8 as outlined above. In what follows, Acts is presented under the rubric of the Christian witness as it progressed from Jerusalem to Rome in an ever-widening circle of outreach.

Spirit-Empowered Church (1:1-2:47)

The first two chapters of Acts in many ways correspond to the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke, Luke 1-2 dealing with the birth of the Savior, Acts 1-2 with the birth of the church. Just as Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), the same Spirit is the vital force in the life of the church. Acts 1 and 2 relate the coming of the Spirit to the church. Acts 1 deals with the events leading up to the Spirit's coming, and chapter 2 relates that coming at Pentecost.

Literary Prologue (1:1-2). The first two verses of Acts link the book with the Gospel, Luke's "first book," and give a brief summary of the Gospel's contents—Jesus' deeds and His teaching, up to the time of His ascension. Like the Gospel (Luke 1:3), the book is dedicated to "Theophilus," who may have been a real person (perhaps a new Christian) or may have been a symbolic name. (The Greek means "lover of God.")

Preparations for Pentecost (1:3-5). After Jesus' death and resurrection, He appeared to His disciples over a forty day period. During this time He gave them "convincing proofs" that He was alive. These became important as they bore witness to His resurrection. He also instructed them about the kingdom of God. Most likely He opened up to them the Old Testament Scriptures about the Messiah. His scriptural interpretation would become important for the Christian preaching to the Jews. Finally, Jesus instructed the disciples to wait for the Spirit in Jerusalem.

Call to Witness (1:6-8). The disciples wondered if Jesus' resurrection heralded the immediate coming of God's kingdom. They asked Him in rather narrow nationalistic terms if God was getting ready to "restore the kingdom to Israel?" Jesus rejected both their concern for determining the date and their Jewish exclusivism. He replaced both concerns with a worldwide mission. When the kingdom comes is not our concern. What we do until it comes is: we are to be His witnesses. The witness is to be worldwide. Acts ends with Paul's ministry in the city of Rome, the capital of the Empire. Some would see "ends of the earth" as referring to Rome. Its meaning in the Old Testament prophets is "far distant lands," and that is probably what Jesus intended. The disciples were not to begin the witness yet—only after they had been empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Ascension of Christ (1:9-11). Only Luke relates Jesus' ascension, here and in his Gospel (Luke 24:51). Jesus was caught up in a cloud and taken from the disciples' view. In the Bible, clouds are often associated with appearances of God, as at Mount Sinai and at Jesus' transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36). The two men in white were angels, divine messengers. They assured the disciples that Jesus would one day return on the clouds just as they had seen Him depart. For the disciples, the ascension meant their forty-day communion with the risen Christ was now at an end. He would not join them in the upper room again. For us, the ascension is a reminder that Christ has risen to the right hand of God and rules as Lord of our lives. It also assures us of the certainty of His return—on the clouds of heaven, just as He departed this earth..

The Upper Room (1:12-14). The ascension took place on the Mount of Olives, a "Sabbath day's journey" from Jerusalem (about three-fourths of a mile). The disciples gathered in an upper room, complying with Jesus' instruction to await the coming of the Spirit. It was a large group, numbering 120 (v. 15). In Palestinian homes, the top floors were often without partitions. Only the upper floor of a large house would accommodate such a crowd. Their main concern was prayer. Indeed, prayer was a hall-mark of the earliest church (1:24; 2:42; 3:1; 4:24; 6:6). Among the women whom Luke mentions were those who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee and witnessed His crucifixion (Luke 8:2; 23:55; 24:10).

Apostolic Circle Restored (1:15-26). There was one item of business which needed the apostles' consider-ation—the replacement of Judas. This section deals with that. First, verses 16-20 relate the gory details of Judas's suicide. He purchased a field with his ill-gotten gain. Then, he fell down in it and ruptured himself so that all his entrails spilled out. Matthew 27:3-10 gives a somewhat fuller account of Judas's death, which speaks of his hanging himself. The two accounts are not difficult to harmonize.

Verses 21-26 relate how Matthias was chosen to replace Judas. The choice was made by prayer and the casting of lots. It was felt that God would make the choice, designating His choice by controlling the lots. Why did they feel it necessary to replace Judas? Later, when James was beheaded, there is no indication he was replaced (12:2). Perhaps it was felt that at this important "birth-time" for the church, the "new Israel," it was important to have the full contingent of twelve apostles, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. It is important to note the qualifications of an apostle. It had to be someone who witnessed all of Jesus' ministry, from the time of His baptism by John to His ascension.

Miracle at Pentecost (2:1-13). The second chapter of Acts deals with the miracle of Pentecost. It falls into three parts: 2:1-13 relates the miraculous manifestation of the Spirit, 2:14-41 summarizes Peter's speech at Pentecost, and 2:42-47 depicts the life of the greatly increased Christian community after Pentecost. The first part can be further divided into two segments: the descent of the Spirit on the believers, and their witness in the temple area.

1. The Gift of the Spirit (2:1-4). Pentecost was the spring harvest festival, referred to in the Old Testament as the Festival of Weeks, coming seven weeks (50 days) after Passover. "All" the Christians were gathered together when the Spirit descended, all 120 of them. They were probably still assembled in the upper room, which must have been near the temple grounds. Luke describes the experience as being both audible and visible. The sound was like a violent wind. The sight was like a giant flame with lapping tongues that rested on each of them. All were filled with the Spirit, and each began to "speak in other tongues." The phrase is ambiguous. It could refer to ecstatic speech, the phenomenon of glossalalia or "tongue-speaking" which Paul dealt with at Corinth (1 Cor. 14:1-25). It could also refer to speaking in other languages. In Greek, the word glossa can mean either "tongue" or "language." Since the next section speaks of the temple crowd hearing them in their own native tongues ("dialect"), it seems more likely that it was a miracle of speaking in other languages rather than in the ecstatic, non-rational glossalalia.

2. The Witness to the Spirit (2:5-13). Evidently the Christians rushed forth from the upper room into the temple courtyard. Crowds would be gathered there to celebrate the festival. It was a natural place to witness. The Spirit-filled Christians met there "Jews from every nation under heaven." They are described as "staying" in Jerusalem. Evidently, these were Jews from outside Palestine who had taken up residence in Jerusalem. They represented most of the civilized Roman world, including the Near East, Asia, north Africa, Rome, the islands (Crete), and the desert (Arabia). They heard the witness of the Christians, all in their own languages. The Christians are described as declaring the wonders of God. They were praising God. The crowd was divided. Some acknowledged the miracle and wanted to know more. Others were skeptical and accused the inspired Christians of drunkenness. Throughout Acts, the gospel creates division. Even the clearest miracle brings no response apart from faith.

What was the significance of Pentecost? Everything! Without Pentecost there would have been no further story in Acts. The coming of the Spirit furnished the power for the Christian mission. That is the significance of the "roll call of nations" in verses 9-11. Already at the very beginning the worldwide mission was symbolized in the witness in all these languages, representing all the areas of the civilized world. At this point they were all Jews. Most were probably Jerusalem residents and wouldn't return home. But, symbolically anyway, the mission had begun.

Another significance of Pentecost was the universal outpouring of the Spirit. In the Old Testament, God's Spirit resided only with selected individuals like the prophets. Here in the church, the new people of God, the Spirit rested on everyone, young and old, male and female alike. As Joel had prophesied long before, this was a sign of the final times. Peter made Joel's prophecy the starting point for his sermon.

Peter's Sermon (2:14-41). Peter's Pentecost sermon is the first of the major Acts "speeches." It is built around a number of Old Testament texts, through which Peter interpreted the significance of the Pentecost miracle to the Jewish crowd. He probably spoke in western Aramaic, the language of Palestine in that day. Peter's sermon falls into three parts.

1. Scriptural Proof Concerning the Pentecost Experience (2:14-21). Peter began his sermon by quoting Joel 2:28-32, a prophecy which spoke of God's outpouring of the Spirit on all His people. Joel depicted this as a sign of the last days, when God would visit His people in a special way. Peter declared that Joel's prophecy was fulfilled in the Spirit's descent at Pentecost. The days of the Messiah had arrived.

2. Scriptural Proof Concerning Christ's Messiahship (2:22-36). Peter now needed to convince the Jewish crowd that Jesus was God's promised Messiah. This he sought to do by proving and that the Messiah must die and rise again, that the resurrection was a sign of the Messiah. He began by introducing them to Jesus, with emphasis on His death and resurrection. Then he quoted Psalm 16:8-11 to prove that the Messiah, a descendant of David, would conquer death, just as Jesus had done in His resurrection. Finally, he quoted Psalm 110:1 as an Old Testament text that also points to the resurrection and exaltation of the Messiah.

3. Invitation and Response (2:37-41). Having set forth Jesus as their Messiah, Peter now called on his Jewish audience to repent and be baptized, and they would receive the same Spirit that they had just witnessed so powerfully. The response was also miraculous. Three thousand were added to the Christian community that day.

Life of the Community (2:42-47). The concluding verses of chapter 2 comprise a summary of the community life in the early Jerusalem church. They emphasize the remarkable unity of the early Christians. Note the qualities that marked their common life. They gave their attention to the apostles' teaching: They were eager to learn all they could about their Lord. They gave themselves to one another in their fellowship together. They shared at the table: Breaking bread probably included both a common meal and the Lord's Supper. They prayed together. Their witness was marked by signs and wonders: They continued to experience the power of the Spirit. They shared, not only of themselves but of their possessions: They held everything in common and gave freely to the needy. They met regularly with fellow Christians in household fellowships and continued to worship and witness in the Jewish temple. It was an ideal time. God blessed their faithfulness. They grew steadily in numbers day by day.

Apostles Witness (3:1-5:42)

Chapters 3-5 are all set in Jerusalem. At this point in the life of the church, their witness was solely to the Jews of Jerusalem. These chapters are closely inter-twined. The story begins with a healing in the temple square. This attracted a crowd to whom Peter preached. The crowd made the Jewish authorities uneasy, and they arrested Peter and John. Peter and John were interrogated by the Sanhedrin regarding the healing of the man and were dismissed with a warning to desist from preaching Christ. The Christians did not heed the warning of the Sanhedrin and continued their witness of Jesus. Now all the apostles were arrested and hauled before the Sanhedrin for their failure to observe its prohibition.

Peter Heals (3:1-11). This section relates one of the "signs and wonders" mentioned in 2:43. It also illustrates the Christian witness in the temple. Peter and John went to the temple in the afternoon at the time of the afternoon prayers and sacrifices, the time when there were crowds to witness to. Handicapped persons were often found there because they depended wholly on the alms for which they begged. A lame man was seated at the "Beautiful Gate." This probably was the Nicanor Gate, a gate within the sanctuary which separated the outer Court of the Women from the Court of the Men, where one could observe the sacrifices. When the man was healed he probably leapt into this Court of the Men, the sanctuary proper which had formerly been excluded to him because of his physical handicap. In a sense this symbolized his full acceptance by Jesus.

Of all the healing stories of Acts, this one is the most like the healings of Jesus in the Gospels. There is a major difference. Jesus healed by His own authority. The apostles healed "in the name of Jesus."

Peter's Sermon (3:12-26). The healing of the lame man attracted a crowd. Peter seized the opportunity to preach. It is Peter's second major sermon in Acts. Much like the Pentecost sermon, it draws from Old Testament texts and concepts which point to Jesus as Messiah. Preaching to a Jewish audience, Peter began by pointing to their rejection of Jesus as Messiah and their responsibility in His death. Then he pointed to the evidences that Jesus is the Messiah, the "author of life"—His resurrection and His power which healed the lame man. He stated that their rejection of Jesus need not be final. Jesus is coming again, and they could repent and be ready for His second coming. Finally, he appealed to the Old Testament for confirmation from "Moses and all the prophets" that Jesus has ushered in the final times.

Peter and John (4:1-22).

1. Arrested and Interrogated (4:1-12). The Sadducees and the temple guard halted Peter's speech, but not before he had evoked a considerable response. It is not altogether clear why Peter and John were arrested. The Sadducees represented the aristocracy who had made peace with the Romans. Perhaps they were worried that Peter's messianic message might lead to a popular movement against the Romans that would bring reprisals. The two were held overnight and brought next morning before the Jewish high court, the Sanhedrin.

The Sanhedrin consisted of seventy members. The majority of these were Sadducees, mostly from high priestly families. The high priest himself was presiding officer. A minority of the members were Pharisees. They were popular with the people, and their opinion carried considerable weight. The inquiry centered on the question of credentials. By what authority ("in what name") had Peter healed the lame man? Peter responded with a sermon on the concept of "name," which witnessed to the name of Jesus, the Messiah, the "stone rejected by its builders." Inspired by the Spirit, Peter even had the courage to accuse the Sanhedrin's members for their role in Jesus' death. He ended with an implicit appeal for the high court to commit to Jesus, the only "name" in whom salvation is to be found.

2. Warned and Released (4:13-22). The members of the Sanhedrin were in a quandary. The apostles were popular with the people for healing the man, and the Sanhedrin could not deny the clear evidence of the healing. On the other hand, they wanted the messianic preaching to stop. Their solution was to issue a formal ban on the Christian message. This would establish legal responsibility should the apostles continue preaching Christ. Peter told them what to expect: How could he not continue to testify to the power of God he had seen at work in Christ?

Prayer of the Community (4:23-31). The rest of the Christian community undoubtedly had been in prayer for the two apostles during their trial. With their release and return, they now offered a prayer of thanksgiving. They thanked God for delivering His own in times of trial. When the rulers gathered against Christ, God delivered Him. Just now the two apostles had been delivered from the same authorities. They did more than express their thanks, however. They prayed that God would fill them with power to continue their witness even more boldly despite the rulers' threats. God immediately answered their prayer. They received a renewed sense of the Spirit's power, a new boldness for witness.

Common Life (4:32-37). This third of the summaries focuses on the early church's practice of sharing material goods. There were two dimensions to this. First, they "shared everything they had." They did not claim owner's rights; their attitude was "what's mine is yours." Second, those with the means voluntarily sold some of their own property and brought the proceeds to the apostles for distribution to the needy. The church did not practice common ownership but charity on a voluntary basis. Barnabas is held up as a example of one who gave a particularly generous gift. Barnabas was a major figure in the ministry of Paul. He appears frequently throughout Acts 9-15. His nickname "Son of Encouragement" is borne out amply by the role he plays in the subsequent narrative.

Serious Threat (5:1-11). The church's community of sharing was not without abuse. One couple in particular sought to get more credit for a gift than they merited. They sold a piece of property and brought part of the proceeds to the apostles. They lied about their gift, claiming to give all, but keeping part for themselves. Peter dealt with them separately. He first confronted the husband Ananias. When exposed, Ananias fell dead at Peter's feet. Later his wife Sapphira was confronted. She likewise lied about the gift. Once exposed, she too fell dead at Peter's feet. Husband and wife bore equal responsibility for their sin in lying to God's Spirit. They also bore an equal judgment.

This judgment seems particularly harsh to us, but we must remember that this was a time of great unity in the church, of remarkable growth and experience of the Spirit's power. Ananias and Sapphira introduced an element of distrust which threatened the unity and witness of the church. It was almost as if God removed this "root of bitterness" from the fellowship lest it hinder its progress. Their experience is also a reminder that the same Spirit that brings God's blessing can also express His judgment.

Apostles' Miracles (5:12-16). The final summary on the life of the early church focuses on the power of its witness. The apostles were known for their miracles and their testimony to Christ. They witnessed regularly in Solomon's Portico, a colonnaded area along the wall of the temple. The people's response was mixed. Some kept an awestruck distance from the Christian manifestation of the Spirit's power. Others joined them, and the Christian community continued to grow.

Apostles before the Council (5:17-42). The apostles' bold witness in the temple area was bound to catch the notice of the authorities, who had strictly forbidden them to witness to Christ (4:18). This time all the apostles were arrested and held in jail overnight awaiting a hearing before the Sanhedrin.

1. Arrest, Escape, and Rearrest (5:17-26). God was very much with His messengers, and His angel released them miraculously in the night. The apostles did not flee. They remained in the area and witnessed to the people who gathered at the temple at daybreak. Ironically, the Sanhedrin had no one to try at its morning session. The apostles were finally located, back at the very witnessing for which they were supposed to be on trial. Their miraculous release was undeniable, and so they were led "without force" to the Sanhedrin.

2. Appearance before the Sanhedrin (5:27-40). The majority of the Sanhedrin were ready to order the death of the apostles for continuing their witness. But one of the Pharisaic minority urged moderation. He was Gamaliel, a leading rabbi, the teacher of Paul (22:3). He cited two former movements which claimed God's guidance but came to ruin and Gamaliel assured the Sanhedrin that the Christian movement would also fail if it lacked God's blessing. On the other hand, they could not stop it if God were behind it. The Sanhedrin heeded Gamaliel's advice and released the apostles, but not before giving them the flogging prescribed by Jewish law (thirty-nine lashes on the bare flesh with a leather whip).

3. Release and Witness (5:41-42). Though once again forbidden by the Sanhedrin to witness, the apostles continued their bold testimony to Christ. They were assured by now that although they might suffer disgrace and bodily punishment, God's word would prosper.

Wider Witness (6:1-8:40)

With chapter six, the gospel begins to move beyond Jerusalem in fulfillment of Jesus' commission (1:8). The key figures in this widening mission were the "Hellenists," non-Palestinian Jewish Christians who had settled in Jerusalem and whose language and ways were Greek. They are introduced in 6:1-7. Then the witness of two of them is related: Stephen's in 6:8-8:3, and Philip's in 8:4-40.

The Seven (6:1-7). A problem developed in the church's program of providing for its needy—in particular, for its widows. It was a problem of communication. There were the native Palestinians who spoke Aramaic. There were also the Hellenists ("Grecian Jews"), Greek-speaking Jews who originated outside Palestine but now had come to reside in Jerusalem. All were Christian Jews. The problem arose because the Aramaic-speaking apostles were responsible for the food distribution to all the Christian widows. The Greek-speaking widows were being neglected because of the language barrier.

As a solution, the apostles requested that the Greek-speaking Christians select seven of their own to provide for the Greek-speaking widows. This was done, and the seven were duly installed. This is often viewed as the establishment of the diaconate, but the word deacon never occurs in this passage. The seven seem to have been selected to meet a specific need, not to fill an official church position. In any event, the primary ministry of the most prominent two of the seven was evangelism.

Stephen's Arrest and Trial (6:8-7:1). One of the seven was Stephen. Filled with "God's grace and power," he performed miracles and bore a powerful witness to Christ. In particular he preached in the Greek-speaking Jewish synagogues comprised of Jews from various parts of the Roman empire who had come to live in Jerusalem. Stephen encountered considerable resistance in these synagogues, but no one could refute his persuasive arguments. So his opponents resorted to treachery. They "hatched a frame-up" and brought false accusations against him before the Sanhedrin. Two false charges were made: he spoke against the Jewish law (=Moses), and he spoke against God. Specifically, the charge of speaking against God maintained that he had threatened to destroy God's house, the temple. In verse 15 Luke prepares us for Stephen's martyrdom that is to follow. Stephen's face shone with the radiance of divine inspiration for his testimony, a testimony which would lead to his death.

Stephen's Speech (7:2-53). On the surface Stephen's speech, the longest in Acts, seems like a bare recital of selected events from Israel's history. It does not appear to answer the charges against him. In actuality, it is a carefully chosen summary of Israel's history which serves to turn the charges back on Stephen's accusers. They, not he, were the resisters of God. They, not he, had blasphemed God's temple. His speech can be divided into five main parts.

1. The Promises to Abraham (7:2-8). Stephen began with God's covenant with Abraham. His main point was that Abraham never owned so much as a "foot of ground" in the holy land. The promises to Abraham all came outside the Holy Land. Stephen was beginning a critique of the narrow Jewish nationalism that confined God to the land of Israel and particularly to the temple.

2. The Deliverance through Joseph (7:9-16). Stephen continued his implicit critique of the "Holy Land" theology by pointing out how God had delivered Israel through Joseph, again outside the Holy Land. He also began a second theme. The sons of Jacob rejected Joseph, whom God had chosen. Israel always rejected its leaders. This is a major theme throughout the speech.

3. The Deliverance through Moses (7:17-34). The treatment of Moses is the longest of the speech. It falls into three sections, each covering forty years of Moses' life. Verses 17-22 cover Moses' early years, his birth and education in Pharaoh's house. Verses 23-29 cover the forty years between Moses's flight from Egypt and his vision of the burning bush. Verses 30-34 begin the final section of Moses's life—the Exodus and wilderness wandering. Again, the same two themes are prominent: God was with Israel in a special way outside the Promised Land, and Israel continued to reject its leader whom God had sent.

4. The Apostasy of Israel (7:35-50). In this section Stephen's polemic became more direct. Israel rejected Moses' leadership. They turned from God to idolatry. In verses 44-47 he began a critique of the temple. He implied that Israel did a better job of worshipping God in the wilderness, when they had a tent of worship that could be moved from place to place. With Solomon God was tied down to a single holy place, the temple. Yet God cannot be confined to buildings made by human hands. Their charge against Stephen was not altogether erroneous. He did criticize the temple worship of his day. The temple was supposed to be a house of prayer, but it had become a place where Israel confined God, where it tied Him down exclusively to its own land and people.

5. The Rejection of the Messiah (7:51-53). Stephen launched into a frontal assault. Israel had always rejected its leaders—Joseph, Moses, and now Jesus, the "Righteous One." Stephen's accusers had heard enough. They abruptly ended his speech.

Stephen's speech is highly significant to the early Christian mission. He criticized the Jewish nationalism with its exclusive theology of temple and land. This critique provided the rationale for an inclusive worldwide mission. His martyrdom launched that mission.

Stephen's Martyrdom (7:54-8:1a). Scholars are divided as to whether Stephen was formally sentenced to stoning, the customary Jewish method of execution, or whether he died by mob violence. The latter seems more likely. Under the Romans, the Jews could not carry out executions. What began as a formal trial deteriorated into a lynch mob, so furious were the Jewish leaders at Stephen's words. Saul is introduced to the story of Acts as the onlooker holding the stoners's garments. As the dying Jesus had committed His spirit to God, so did Stephen to Jesus (Luke 23:46). Also like Jesus, he asked forgiveness for his killers (Luke 23:34). We call Stephen the first Christian "martyr." The word martyr comes from the Greek word martus, which means "witness." Like all martyrs, Stephen was a witness to his Lord, even to the death.

Persecution and Dispersal (8:1b-3). Two things directly resulted from Stephen's martyrdom. First, the Christians in Jerusalem were persecuted and scattered. The apostles and the rest of the Aramaic-speaking church seem to have remained in the city. It was the Hellenists, Stephen's fellow Greek-speaking Christians, who had to flee. Among them was Philip, who proceeded to Samaria. Second, Saul came forth as the prime persecutor of the Christians. He too was a Greek-speaking Jew. His life was soon to change radically (9:1-31).

Witness of Philip (8:4-40). Like Stephen, Philip was one of the seven chosen to care for the Greek-speaking widows. Like Stephen, his primary role became the proclamation of the gospel, first to the Samaritans, then to an Ethiopian eunuch.

1. The Mission in Samaria (8:4-25). Like Jesus before him (John 4), Philip reached out to the Samaritan people. This was the first group beyond Judaism to hear the gospel. Nestled between Judea and Galilee, the Samaritans were the remnants of the ten northern tribes of Israel. They held a form of the Jewish religion, which included the books of the law for scripture, a messianic expectation, and a holy mountain. They were wholly rejected by the Jews. Philip had considerable success among the Samaritans and drew the attention of a charlatan named Simon, who had for some time astounded the Samaritans with his tricks. Philip's Samaritan witness also attracted the attention of the mother church in Jerusalem, which sent Peter and John to check it out. The two apostles quickly determined the legitimacy of Philip's word and joined in it by laying their hands on the Samaritans, who thereupon received the Spirit.

This was too much for the old magician Simon. He wanted the power to grant the Spirit too and offered to pay Peter for the secret of Spirit-conferral. Peter replied that God could not be bought and warned him that he was looking at full exclusion from God's people if he failed to repent. The Samaritan mission as a whole was a great success. Peter and John evangelized other villages there.

2. The Witness to the Ethiopian Treasurer (8:26-40). Philip had been the first to reach beyond Judaism, preaching to the "half-Jewish" Samaritans. Now he witnessed to a Gentile, an Ethiopian who was either a Jewish proselyte (convert) or "God-fearer" (worshipper of God who had not formally converted to Judaism). He is identified as a eunuch, the treasurer of the Ethiopian queen. It was a strange place to witness, at Gaza in the desert on the road to Egypt. Philip had not gone there on his own. The Spirit led him there. In fact, the Spirit directed every step in Philip's witness to the Ethiopian. The story is marked by uncanny "coincidences" that make the Lord's leading unmistakable.

The eunuch was reading from the servant portions of Isaiah, which point to Jesus' atoning death perhaps more clearly than any other Old Testament passage—the perfect preparation for Philip's witness. When the treasurer professed his faith and requested baptism, they immediately arrived at a rare desert oasis. The Spirit had clearly been in everything that happened. As soon as the eunuch was baptized, the Spirit snatched Philip up and transported him to the cities of the coast.

In the first century, the word eunuch often was used of treasurers and could refer to one who either was or was not emasculated. In former times, eunuchs were always castrated to make them trustworthy keepers of the monarch's treasury and harem. One is inclined to see the Ethiopian treasurer as a eunuch in the ancient sense. He had been to Jerusalem to worship. Like the lame man at the Beautiful Gate (3:1-10), he would not have been allowed into the sanctuary because of his physical condition. In Christ, however, he found full acceptance. There are no second-class Christians.

Peter Joins Witness (9:1-12:25)

Acts 9-12 completes the narrative of the church's witness in Jerusalem and all Judea. The conversion of Paul and the witness of the Antioch church link with the work of the Hellenists and prepare for the Gentile mission of Paul. Peter's ministry to Cornelius results in the leading apostle endorsing the witness to the Gentiles. The twelfth chapter gives a final glimpse into the Jerusalem church before the narrative focuses altogether on Paul and his mission to the Gentiles.

Paul's New Witness (9:1-31).

1. Paul the Converted (9:1-22). Paul's conversion is related three times in Acts, here and in two speeches of Paul; before a Jewish crowd in the temple yard (22:3-21), and in his address to King Agrippa (26:2-23). There are minor differences between the three accounts, mainly due to the different audiences to whom they were addressed. The present account is the primary account. It falls into three divisions.

Verses 9:1-9 relate the vision of Christ which came to Paul the persecutor on the Damascus Road. It was an objective experience. Paul's companions saw a light and heard a noise but only Paul experienced the vision itself. In persecuting the church Paul was persecuting Christ Himself ("Why do you persecute me"). Paul now understood that Christ truly lived, that He was indeed the risen Messiah. In his letters Paul referred to his experience as an actual appearance of the risen Lord (e.g. 1 Cor. 15:8).

Verses 10-19a relate the interlocking visions of the blinded Paul and the Christian Ananias in Damascus. Ananias was understandably reluctant to approach this notorious persecutor, who had come to Damascus expressly to arrest Christians like himself. Ananias was instructed to come to Paul, restore his sight, baptize him, and reveal his commission to him. The commission is given in verses 15-16. Paul would now be a witness for Christ; the former persecutor of Christ would himself be persecuted for his own witness to Christ.

Verses 19b-22 complete the account of Paul's conversion. Paul lost no time in witnessing in the Damascus synagogues. His zeal as a persecutor was surpassed in his zeal for Christ.

There have been attempts to "explain" Paul's conversion—everything from a disillusioned Pharisee to an epileptic. The simplest and yet most profound explanation is that Christ took hold of him and turned him about-face—from a zealot controlled by his own will to an equally zealous disciple directed by Christ.

2. Paul the Persecuted (9:23-31). After some time of witness in Damascus and the surrounding Arabian region (Gal. 1:17), Paul was so pursued by the Jews and the authorities of Damascus that he had to escape the city in a most unusual way. Paul related the incident in his own words in 2 Cor. 11:32-33. He also told of his first post-conversion visit to Jerusalem in Galatians 1:18-24. The apostles were at first reluctant to receive their former archenemy, but Barnabas—ever the encourager—intervened for Paul. Like Stephen, however, Paul aroused the opposition of the non-Christian Greek-speaking synagogues of Jerusalem. He fled to his native Tarsus. There he spent some ten or more years before Barnabas sought him out and brought him to Antioch (11:25-26). They are Paul's "silent years." We have no record of his ministry in Tarsus.

Coastal Towns (9:32-43). With Paul in Tarsus, the scene shifts back to Judea and the ministry of Peter. Two healing stories are related, both with close resemblances to Jesus' healings. The story of Aeneas reminds one of Jesus telling the paralytic to rise, take up his bed, and walk (Mark 2:9). The story of Tabitha brings to mind Jesus' raising of Jairus's daughter. Even the words are similar: Talitha ("little girl," Mark 5:41), and Tabitha. Tabitha lived in Joppa. Peter settled there for a while in the home of Simon the tanner.

A Gentile God-fearer (10:1-11:18). It would be hard to overestimate the importance of Peter's encounter with Cornelius. Peter was the leading apostle. This incident convinced him that God was including the Gentiles in His kingdom. As a result, Peter later became the defender of Paul's Gentile mission (Acts 15:7-11). Luke emphasized the importance of this event. He emphasized the significance of Peter's and Cornelius's visions by repeating them no fewer than three times in this passage. He presents the incident in his characteristic dramatic fashion. It can be outlined in seven scenes.

1. The Vision of Cornelius (10:1-8). Cornelius is identified as a Roman soldier, residing at Caesarea, and a particularly pious "God-fearer." God-fearers were Gentiles who devoutly believed in God and attended the synagogue but who had not become full converts ("proselytes") to Judaism. Cornelius had a vision of an angel who directed him to send to Joppa for Peter.

2. The Vision of Peter (10:9-16). Peter's vision was more graphic—of a sheet descending to earth filled with all sorts of animals, both clean and unclean. Three times he was instructed to "kill and eat" of these animals. To do so was to break the Jewish food laws. It went against everything Peter had been taught from his childhood. How could a heavenly voice direct him to break the food laws?

3. Peter's Visit to Cornelius (10:17-23). Peter's vision coincided with the arrival of the messengers from Cornelius. Directions from the Spirit to accompany them served to convince Peter that God had something special in store at Cornelius's house. Next day Peter went with the messengers on the thirty-mile journey to Caesarea.

4. Shared Visions (10:24-33). When Peter arrived at Cornelius's house, both he and the centurion shared their visions with one another in some detail. The narrative is quite repetitious, but this serves to underline the importance of the events.

5. Peter's Witness (10:34-43). Convinced by his vision that God considered no one "impure or unclean" Peter now proceeded to share the gospel with Cornelius and his fellow Gentiles. It is Peter's third and final major sermon in Acts. The sermon basically was a summary of Jesus' ministry, emphasizing the significance of His death and resurrection. What was really striking about it was Peter's opening statement which recognized that God accepts people of all races and nations.

6. The Impartiality of the Spirit (10:44-48). Peter didn't finish his sermon. The Spirit descended on the gathering of Gentiles, who outwardly demonstrated the Spirit's presence by their ecstatic speech. Recognizing their possession of the Spirit, Peter arranged for their baptism. Now he fully understood his vision. He had no trouble accepting the hospitality of his Gentile brothers and sisters in Christ, although it surely involved some relaxation of the kosher food laws.

7. Endorsement of the Witness to the Gentiles (11:1-18). The final scene takes place in Jerusalem, where Peter was questioned by some of the more conservative Jewish Christians about his having dined with Gentiles. Peter related the whole incident to them. Both visions are given in detail for the third time. The reader cannot miss the importance of the event. Peter's critics could not deny the Spirit's work, so they had to agree with Peter that God was including the Gentiles in Christ. Not all the details had been settled. The issue would arise again in the Jerusalem Conference of Acts 15. But the general principle of the Gentile mission had been agreed upon. The door was now open for the mission of the Antioch church.

Antioch's Witness (11:19-30). The church of Antioch in Syria was established by some of Stephen's fellow Hellenists who had fled the persecution in Jerusalem. Antioch was a city of Greek culture and language. The Christian Hellenists witnessed to the Jews of the city first but eventually turned to the Gentiles. They were the first Christian congregation to undertake a Gentile mission. That is probably why the name Christian was first used there. "Christian" is a Latinized formation and was undoubtedly used first by the Gentiles whose attention had been drawn by the Christian outreach.

Antioch's Gentile mission came to the attention of the Jerusalem church, which sent Barnabas to check it out. Barnabas quickly determined its authenticity and joined in the outreach himself. He remembered Paul, who was himself a Greek-speaking Jew of the Dispersion, one who would be particularly suited for a ministry to Gentiles. Barnabas went to Tarsus, found Paul, and brought him to Antioch. There the two witnessed for a whole year. The Antioch outreach prepared the two for their own mission to the Gentiles, which they would soon undertake.

Verses 27-30 relate a special project undertaken by the Antioch church. Agabus, a Christian prophet from Jerusalem, predicted that a severe famine would soon occur throughout the Roman Empire. A major famine did indeed occur at that time, during the reign of Claudius. The Antioch Christians saved up and assisted the Judean churches when the famine struck. Paul and Barnabas administered the offering. It served as a pattern for Paul, who would later undertake a major collection from his Gentile congregations for the Judean Christians.

MAP: Paul's First Missionary Journey

Persecution Jerusalem (12:1-25). Chapter 12 is the last chapter in Acts that deals with the Jewish-Christian congregation in Jerusalem apart from Paul. It is a model of Luke's dramatic style. It falls into four segments.

1. Herod Agrippa's Persecution of the Apostles (12:1-5). Herod Agrippa I was the grandson of Herod the Great. He ruled over Judea between a.d.. 41 and 44. Reared in Rome, one of the major concerns of his reign was to win the favor of the Jews. He must have ordered the execution of James in an attempt to please the Jewish leaders who opposed the Christians. He would have done the same to Peter had not the Passover season intervened when executions were not considered proper. He held Peter in jail until the feast days were past. Herod had clearly become the archenemy of the Christians.

2. Peter's Miraculous Deliverance from Prison (12:6-19a). Herod's plans for Peter were not to be. Peter was delivered from prison by an angel of the Lord. Luke tells the story in a delightful way. Peter was to come to trial on the next day, but he was sound asleep, as if he had not a worry in the world. His trust was in God. Peter's escape was certainly none of his own doing. The angel had to rouse him, direct him how to dress himself, and lead him each step of the way until safely outside. Only then did Peter fully awaken.

The scene shifts to the house of John Mark's mother, where the Christians were gathered together to pray for Peter. Rhoda ("Rosie"), the little servant girl, was so excited to see Peter that she left him at the gate. The Christians inside could not believe her good news. They found it easier to believe that Peter had been executed and his ghost returned to earth than that their prayer for his release had been answered. Peter gave them a message for James, Jesus' brother, who from then on became the leader of the Jerusalem church, as Peter hastened off to a safer place.

3. Herod's Self-destructive Arrogance (12:19b-23). The soldiers paid for Peter's escape with their lives, but Herod got his as well. On a formal occasion in the theater at Caesarea, Herod appeared in especially fine regalia. The Jewish historian Josephus also records the event and says that Herod wore a garment of silver plates which glistened brilliantly in the rays of the sun. The people hailed him as a god. Josephus stated that Herod neither affirmed nor denied their acclamation. He was immediately struck down, "eaten by worms" in Luke's words. He died for his blasphemous arrogance.

4. Peace for the Church (12:24-25). Chapter 12 has come full circle. The murderer of James now lay in his own grave. The church was at peace. Its witness could continue. Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch, and the stage was set for the next step in the advancing Christian mission.

The Gentiles (13:1-15:35)

The church at Antioch was ready to expand its outreach. The Spirit led it to do so through a mission undertaken by Paul and Barnabas. They had great success among the Gentiles. This stirred quite a debate over the extent to which Gentiles should be made to embrace the Jewish law. A formal meeting was convened in Jerusalem to discuss the issue.

Paul and Barnabas (13:1-3). The Antioch church had already reached out to Gentiles in its own city. While some of its leaders were fasting and praying for further leading, the Spirit directed them to send Paul and Barnabas on a mission. The others then "commissioned" Paul and Barnabas to the new ministry, fasting, praying, and laying their hands upon them as an expression of solidarity and support. The Antioch church would be Paul's sponsor on all three of his missionary journeys.

Sergius Paulus Converted (13:4-12). Barnabas and Paul began their mission on Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea about sixty miles west of Antioch's port city (Seleucia). Barnabas was a native of Cyprus (4:36). They took John Mark along as their helper. They traveled westward across the width of the island to its capital city of Paphos. There they met Sergius Paulus, the Roman governor of the island. Paulus wanted to know more of Paul's message, but Paul was hindered by a charlatan named Elymas, who had been profiting from his association with the governor. Paul confronted the magician, who was immediately struck with blindness. His blindness was only temporary, but it served to demonstrate the power of the Lord whom Paul represented. The governor became a believer, the first in a long list of Roman officials to whom Paul would witness.

Verse 9 noted that "Saul" was also called "Paul." Before this, Luke had always referred to him by his Hebrew name Saul. From now on, he is called by his Roman name Paul. He would be working among Gentiles and had just witnessed to one who happened to share the Paulus name with him.

Paul's Address (13:13-52).

1. The Setting (13:13-16a). From Cyprus the two missionaries sailed to the coast of Pamphylia (southern Turkey today). John Mark left them, returning to Jerusalem. It is unclear why he did so. It was a sore spot with Paul (15:38). Paul and Barnabas continued on their journey, traveling the difficult trail that led from the coast to Antioch, which was located 3,600 feet up in the mountains on the border of Phrygia and Pisidia. There was a Jewish synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, which the two visited on the Sabbath. Paul was invited to speak. He preached a lengthy sermon, his first major address in Acts.

2. The Sermon (13:16b-41). Since he was preaching to Jews, Paul's sermon had much in common with Peter's sermons of Acts 2 and 3. It was mainly constructed around Old Testament texts. It can be outlined in three sections. Verses

16b-25 remind one of Stephen's sermon. They summarize Israel's history from the Exodus to David. Paul highlighted events which emphasized God's promises and His mercy to His people. In verses 26-37 he introduced the Jews of Pisidian Antioch to Jesus, the promised Messiah. He told them of the death and resurrection of Jesus and quoted Old Testament texts which pointed to these events. Finally, he concluded his sermon with an appeal for them to repent and believe in Jesus. He emphasized that salvation is through faith in Jesus, not by works of the law. This became a favorite theme in Paul's epistles, which he would write later.

3. The Sermon's Aftermath (13:42-52). The response to Paul's sermon was largely favorable, and he was invited to preach again on the next Sabbath. Especially impressed were a number of proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism). This proved to be Paul's undoing. Next Sabbath "almost the whole city" had gathered at the synagogue to hear Paul. The proselytes had invited their Gentile neighbors. The members of the synagogue became jealous at this great Gentile response (v. 45). They turned against Paul, but he responded by turning to the Gentiles, pointing out how it was necessary for him first to witness to the Jews. Now, in accordance with Isaiah's prophecy, he would be a "light" to all the peoples of the earth. To this there was an overwhelming response of faith from the Gentiles, but a violent rejection by the Jews. Paul was forced to leave the region.

With this incident, Paul established a pattern which he continued to follow. Whenever he arrived in a new town, he always began his witness in the synagogue. Only when the synagogue rejected him did he turn to an exclusively Gentile witness.

Acceptance and Rejection (14:1-7). Paul and Barnabas continued their witness in the mountainous regions of the Roman province of Galatia (southern Turkey), traveling from Antioch some ninety miles southeast to Iconium. Luke summarized the time spent there. It was a typical pattern for Paul's wit-ness—beginning in the synagogue, having a divided response from both Jews and Gentiles. Some believed; others passionately opposed Paul. When the opponents hatched a plot to kill the two missionaries, they traveled to Lystra, some twenty miles south of Iconium.

Preaching to Pagans (14:8-21a). Lystra evidently had no Jewish community. For the first time, Paul and Barnabas witnessed exclusively to Gentiles. It was not easy. There were major communication problems. The account of their ministry there begins with Paul's healing a lame man at the gates of the temple of Zeus just outside the city. At Paul's word, the man leapt up and walked, much like the lame man healed by Peter at the Beautiful Gate (3:1-10).

This, however, led to much confusion on the part of the pagan crowd. They concluded that the gods were visiting them, calling Barnabas Zeus and Paul, the chief speaker, Hermes (the "mouthpiece" of the gods). Since they spoke in their provincial dialect, Paul and Barnabas at first did not realize what was happening. The Lystrans had a local tradition that Zeus and Hermes had once come to their region in human form and been entertained unawares by an elderly couple. The Lystrans were convinced that it was happening again. The priest of Zeus didn't want to miss the opportunity to pay personal homage to his god and prepared sacrifices for the pair (vv. 11-13).

Only then did Paul and Barnabas realize what was happening. They tried to stop the sacrifices, insisting that they were only human. Paul tried to straighten them out by sharing a word about God. He spoke of God's mercy and providence. These were pagans who believed in many gods. Paul had to convince them that there was only one true God before he could begin to share the gospel of God's Son. The Lystrans did not understand. Paul's eloquence only convinced them all the more that this was a god speaking (v. 18). But crowds are fickle. Quickly they turned from sacrifice to stoning when the Jews of Antioch and Iconium arrived. The hostile crowd stoned Paul, but God delivered him from the ordeal. Paul and Barnabas went to Derbe for a brief but successful ministry there.

Return to Antioch (14:21b-28). Paul and Barnabas could have kept traveling southeast from Derbe the 150 miles through the mountain passes to Paul's home town of Tarsus. Instead they chose the more arduous alternative of retracing their route. They wanted to revisit the churches they had established, making sure of their spiritual health and that they had good leadership. The only place not revisited was Cyprus. They sailed directly from Attalia (coast of southern Turkey) to Antioch, their sponsoring church. There they gave their missionary report, particularly highlighting the great response of the Gentiles.

Debate in Jerusalem (15:1-35).

1. The Criticism from the Circumcision Party (15:1-5). Paul's Gentile mission evoked considerable discussion. Paul had not required his Gentile converts to be circumcised or to live by the Jewish law in matters such as the food regulations. He had not required Gentiles to become Jews in order to be Christians. But there were some Jewish Christians who differed with him on this. They felt that Gentiles converts should be circumcised and live by the letter of the Jewish law—in short, convert to Judaism in order to be followers of Christ. Those who felt this way were mainly Judean.

MAP: Roman Empire

They came to Antioch and created a sharp debate with Paul and Barnabas over the issue. It was decided to have a formal meeting in Jerusalem to resolve the issue. Paul and Barnabas headed up the Antioch delegation.

2. The Debate in Jerusalem (15:6-21). The lines were clearly drawn. The one position, represented primarily by Jewish Christians of a Pharisaic background, insisted that Jews had always had a means of accepting Gentiles—by their undergoing circumcision and embracing the letter of the Mosaic law. Paul represented the other viewpoint. He too had been a Pharisee, but he had come to see that everything had changed with Christ. Christians were the new people of God, and to be a Christian one did not have to first become a Jew.

Paul, however, did not defend his position in the meeting. Instead he bore testimony of how God blessed him and Barnabas in their mission to the Gentiles. Paul's position was defended by two influential figures—Peter, the leading apostle, and James, the brother of Jesus and ruling elder of the Jerusalem congregation. Peter pointed out how God had shown him through Cornelius that He accepted the Gentiles. Gentiles should not have to live by Jewish ways. In Christ, salvation is by grace alone, for Jew and Gentiles alike. James basically reinforced Peter's arguments, giving scriptural proof for God's inclusion of the Gentiles.

Like Peter and Paul, James did not feel that the Gentiles should be circumcised or have to live by the Jewish law. He realized, however, that there remained a problem of fellowship. Jewish Christians lived by the Jewish food laws and Gentile Christians did not. How could they sit together at the same table? James therefore proposed a solution which asked the Gentile Christians to abstain from certain food and to maintain sexual purity. ("Blood" refers to meat from which the blood had not been drained, which was forbidden to Jews.)

3. The Decision in Jerusalem and Its Report to Antioch (15:22-35). James's solution was accepted by the whole council. A letter was drawn up which set forth the four regulations. It was addressed to the church of Antioch and its mission field. Judas Barsabbas and Silas were appointed as official delegates to deliver the letter.

The Greek World (15:36-18:22)

This portion of Acts covers Paul's second mission. Accompanied by Silas and Timothy, Paul for the first time left the east and witnessed in the cities of Greece in the western world.

Parting Company with Barnabas (15:36-41). Paul asked Barnabas to accompany him as he revisited the churches established on their first mission. Barnabas wanted to take Mark, to give him another chance, but Paul strongly opposed taking such a "quitter" with them. So Barnabas went with Mark on a mission to Cyprus, and Paul took Silas (Silvanus in Paul's letters). Barnabas "rescued" Mark. Later Mark would be one of Paul's coworkers (Col. 4:10). Paul went on foot this time—through Syria north to his native Cilicia and eventually through the mountain passes to the churches established on his first journey.

Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium (16:1-5). Revisiting his former mission field, Paul met Timothy at Lystra. He is described as a "disciple," which indicates that he was probably a convert from Paul's earlier work there. Paul wanted to take him on the mission. Timothy had a Jewish mother, which made him legally a Jew, but he had not been circumcised. Paul had him circumcised so as to give no offense in the synagogues where he witnessed. He shared the Jerusalem letter with all the churches of his first missionary journey.

Called to Macedonia (16:6-10). Paul's group left the area of Paul's first mission and started north (through central Turkey). Paul would have turned west into the province of Asia over to the coast where the populous city of Ephesus was located. The Spirit prevented this. So Paul continued north, this time headed for the province of Bithynia with its towns along the coast of the Black Sea. Again, Paul was prevented by the Spirit (v. 7). He finally ended up on the Aegean coast at Troas, and there he discovered where he was being led.

In a vision at Troas, a Macedonian man begged him to come minister in Macedonia. Macedonia was not far geographically, a couple of days by sea. Ethnically, it was a different world—the land of Alexander the Great, the Greek world. Here for the first time Luke used the first person plural. His "we" perhaps indicates that he first joined Paul at Troas.

Witnessing in Philippi (16:11-40). Paul preached first in the city of Philippi, in the northeastern section of Macedonia. It was a Roman colony city, with a nucleus of Roman citizens, Roman government, and a major Roman highway running through it. We first learn of Paul's Roman citizenship in the course of his Philippian ministry. Luke's account falls into four main parts.

1. Founding a Church with Lydia (16:11-15). Philippi evidently did not have a Jewish community large enough to support a synagogue. But, there was a Jewish place of prayer outside the city, mainly attended by women. On the Sabbath, Paul joined them there for worship. One of them, Lydia, was a Gentile God-fearer, like Cornelius. She was a woman of some means. Having believed and been baptized, she invited Paul and his entourage to her home. Subsequently, the Christians of Philippi held their house church at Lydia's.

2. Healing a Possessed Servant Girl (16:16-24). As Paul witnessed in Philippi, he was pestered by a servant girl who was possessed by a spirit with predictive powers. The spirit incessantly proclaimed Paul's relationship to God and the saving power of his message. Annoyed by the demon and feeling compassion for the girl, who was being exploited by her owners, Paul exorcised the spirit. Having lost a source of income, the owners hauled Paul before the town magistrates. Their charges against him were false but carried enough conviction with the authorities to have Paul and Silas flogged and thrown into jail.

3. Converting a Jailer's Household (16:25-34). Like the apostles before them (5:17-21), Paul and Silas were miraculously delivered from their confinement, by an earthquake in the night. Also, like the apostles, they did not flee, but remained at the scene to bear witness. The jailer expected to lose his life for loss of the prisoners. Instead, he gained life, true life in Christ through the witness of Paul and Silas. They witnessed to all his household. All were baptized. Joy filled their home.

4. Humbling the City Magistrates (16:35-40).The next day, Realizing that Paul and Silas had committed no real offense, the town magistrates sent orders to the jailer to release them. Paul would not go. He divulged his Roman citizenship and noted that he and Silas had been scourged without a hearing, which was strictly forbidden for Roman citizens. He demanded that the magistrates come with a personal apology and escort them out. Paul realized this was an important precedent. Preaching the gospel was not an offense. He had broken no laws. He wanted the record set straight—not just in Philippi but wherever he witnessed.

MAP: Paul's Second Missionary Journey

Establishing Churches (17:1-15).

1. Acceptance and Rejection in Thessalonica (17:1-9). Leaving Philippi, Paul's group traveled to Thessalonica, the capital of Macedonia, which like Philippi was located on the main east-west Roman highway. For the first three weeks there Paul preached in the synagogue. He had to leave the synagogue but evidently spent more time in the city, supporting himself with his tent-making trade (1 Thess. 2:9). Eventually his Jewish opponents stirred up a mob from the marketplace rabble who stormed the house where he had been staying. They falsely accused Paul of sedition against Caesar. Jason, the owner of the house, was evidently a Christian. He was made to pay security to guarantee that Paul would no longer remain in Thessalonica.

2. Witness in Berea (17:10-15). Paul and Silas went on to Berea, a sizable Macedonian town about fifty miles southwest of Thessalonica. Luke described the Berean Jews as "more noble" than those of Thessalonica. They studied their Old Testament with Paul to see if it pointed to Christ. Unfortunately, once again Paul's visit was cut short when the Thessalonian Jews came to Berea and turned the crowds against him.

Witnessing to Athenian (17:16-34). Paul was escorted by some of the Berean brothers to the coast and eventually to Athens. Silas and Timothy remained behind. Paul did not stay long in Athens. It was primarily a stopping place where he waited for Timothy and Silas to join him. It became the setting for one of Paul's most significant addresses, the speech to the Athenian intellectuals on the Areopagus (Mars Hill).

1. The Athenians' Curiosity (17:16-21). By Paul's day, Athens had lost its political and economic power. It was still the intellectual and cultural center for all of Greece. The remnants of its former grandeur were everywhere, particularly its many statues. Paul was offended by the idols of the Greek gods which were to be seen on all sides. They would soon become the subject matter for his sermon. He witnessed to the Jews on the Sabbath in the synagogue, but every day he engaged the Greek philosophers in the marketplace, particularly the Epicureans and the Stoics, the two leading Athenian schools of thought.

Paul's message was strange to them. They thought he was proclaiming new gods—Jesus and the "goddess Resurrection." They called him a "babbler" (literally, a "seed-picker," someone pecking after any new idea). In reality, Luke said, they were the seed-pickers, always looking for the latest. They led Paul to the Areopagus. This could either refer to the venerable Athenian court of that name or to the hill at the foot of the Acropolis where the court had formerly met. The hill had become the Athenian equivalent of Hyde Park. It probably is there that they led Paul.

2. Paul's Testimony before the Areopagus (17:22-31). Paul's speech on the Areopagus is a masterpiece of missionary preaching. Paul sought to establish as much rapport with the Greek philosophers as possible without compromising the gospel. He began with an attention getter, pointing to an idol he had seen in the marketplace as "the unknown god." The Greeks had perhaps erected it in case they might have left a god out whom they would not want to offend. In any event, the God they did not know was the only real God, and Paul now proceeded to present Him. He pictured Him as the God who made all things, the providential God who sets all boundaries of time and space. The philosophers could easily follow this, particularly the Stoics. They would especially agree that "we are his offspring," where Paul actually quoted a Stoic poet.

But in verse 29 Paul began to attack the Greek culture more directly. If we are born in God's image, he said, then we are wrong when we make idols. Idolatry gets things backward; it makes God into man's image. God will no longer tolerate such ignorance, Paul continued. He is coming to judge us for our ignorance and idolatry, to judge us by a person whom He raised from the dead (vv. 31-32). Paul lost most of his Athenian intellectuals right there. The idea of a man rising from the dead was sheer folly to their thinking.

3. The Mixed Response (17:32-34). There were three responses to Paul's address. Many mocked him. Others wanted to hear him further. A few believed: the sermon was not a failure. Paul knew that one could go only so far in accommodating the gospel. One cannot avoid the very center of the gospel, the folly of the cross.

A Church in Corinth (18:1-17). In Paul's day Corinth was a more influential city than Athens—more populous, more powerful politically and economically. It was a new city. Having been virtually destroyed by the Romans in 146 b.c., it was refounded by Julius Caesar as a Roman colony in 44 b.c. It was cosmopolitan, a port city with harbors to the Adriatic on the west and the Aegean on the east. Paul's stay in Corinth can be dated with some precision. Gallio was proconsul of the Roman province of Achaia for one year between a.d.. 51-53. (Achaia covered southern Greece, including Corinth, Delphi, and Athens.) Paul spent eighteen months or more in Corinth (vv. 11,18) during this time frame.

1. The Mission in Corinth (18:1-11). Paul's arrival in Corinth is related in verses 1-4. He found there some fellow Jewish tentmakers who may already have been Christians, Priscilla and Aquila. They had recently come from Rome because Claudius had expelled the Jews from the city. (The expulsion is recorded by Roman historians. It took place in a.d.. 49 and seems to have been provoked by riots in the Jewish population of Rome involving the message about Christ.) Paul began his Corinthian witness in the synagogue, as usual.

Again, Jewish opposition became so strong that he eventually had to abandon the synagogue and concentrate on the Gentiles (vv. 5-6). Paul moved next door, to the house of Titius Justus, who had been attached to the synagogue as a Gentile God-fearer. Others came over from the synagogue, including Crispus, one of the ruling elders. (Paul mentioned Crispus's baptism in 1 Cor. 1:14.) Paul remained in Corinth for at least eighteen months because he had been assured by God that his work there would be blessed.

2. Before the Proconsul (18:12-17). Toward the end of his stay he was hauled by the Jews before the tribunal of Gallio. The Jews accused Paul of teaching in a fashion contrary to the law. Gallio quickly ascertained that it was a matter of Jewish rather than Roman law and refused to hear the case. It is uncertain why the Jews beat Sosthenes in front of the proconsul, It is possible that this synagogue ruler may have become a Christian: Paul mentioned his "brother" Sosthenes in 1 Corinthians 1:1.

Returning to Antioch (18:18-22). This section rounds out Paul's second missionary journey, giving his itinerary from Corinth to Antioch. He sailed from Corinth to Ephesus, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. The couple remained in Ephesus to establish the witness there. Paul did not stay but promised to return later. He sailed on to Caesarea, then "went up and greeted the church." This was the Jerusalem church. Jerusalem was on a hill. In biblical language, one always "goes up" to Jerusalem. Paul's haircut at Cenchrea may have marked the beginning of a vow. The vow would have been a Nazarite vow. When taking such a vow, one would not cut his hair until the end of the vow's period, usually in a ceremony in the temple (see 21:21-23,26). His visit to Jerusalem complete, Paul went "down" to his sponsoring church of Antioch.

Overcoming Opposition (18:23-21:16)

Paul's "third missionary journey" was a journey only at the beginning and end. For the most part it was an extensive three-year ministry in Ephesus. Luke devoted only one chapter to that ministry, but we know from Paul's letters that it was a time when many churches were established and many of his letters written.

Apollos in Ephesus (18:23-28). Paul began his third mission by visiting for the third time the churches established on his first missionary journey. His ultimate destination was Ephesus, where he had left Priscilla and Aquila. Before Paul's return, the two encountered Apollos, who came to Ephesus from Alexandria. Luke described him as a Jew who knew of Jesus and taught accurately about Him. He was deficient in this Christian knowledge, knowing only of John's baptism (v. 25). Priscilla and Aquila soon instructed him more accurately. He eventually went to Corinth. Paul in 1 Corinthians referred to Apollos's ministry in Corinth a number of times.

The Disciples of John (19:1-7). When Paul first arrived in Ephesus he encountered twelve men who had been disciples of John the Baptist. They had been baptized by John and knew John's message of the coming Messiah but did not know that Jesus was the Messiah. Neither did they know of the gift of the Spirit. Paul convinced them that Jesus was the fulfillment of John's preaching. They were thereupon baptized. With the laying on of Paul's hands, they received an outward demonstration of the gift of the Spirit which confirmed that God had accepted them.

Preaching in Ephesus (19:8-12). As always, Paul began his witness in the synagogue. He witnessed there for three months until opposition forced him to move to a secular lecture hall. For two years he continued testifying there to both Jews and Greeks. He worked many miracles, so much so that people would bring items of cloth for him to touch in the hope that they could heal their sick with them.

False Religion in Ephesus (19:13-20). Paul encountered two types of false religion in the city. The first was embodied in seven self-styled Jewish exorcists who claimed to be sons of a high priest. (There never was a high priest name Sceva.) They observed Paul's exorcisms in Jesus' name and decided to exorcise a demoniac in Jesus' name. The demon would not acknowledge their power, fell upon them, and sent them away naked and humiliated. They learned that there is no magic in the name of Jesus as such. Jesus works only through those who are committed to Him. A second sort of false religion was the magical scrolls for which Ephesus was famous. These contained all sorts of strange words and spells. Paul convinced the Ephesian Christians of the worthlessness of such things. They brought their magic books and had a massive public burning.

Determination (19:21-22). We know from Paul's letters that he planned to take a collection from his Gentile churches to the Christians in Jerusalem. After that he intended to go to Rome (Rom. 15:22).

Craftsmen of Ephesus (19:23-41). The temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus was one of the architectural wonders of the ancient world. People came from all over the world to worship Artemis. The goddess and her temple were the source of much pride and profit for the Ephesians. Paul's preaching against idolatry and superstition brought him into conflict with the economic interests who profited from the worship of Artemis.

1. Instigation of a Riot by Demetrius (19:23-27). A silversmith named Demetrius profited greatly from replicas of the temple he made. Realizing that Paul's preaching against idolatry had ramifications for his business, he called together his fellow smiths. He set before them the real reason for his concern: Paul's threat to their business. He quickly moved to issues of public pride: Paul was endangering Ephesus's reputation (v. 27b).

2. Uproar in the Theater (19:28-34). The artisans carried their concerns into the streets, crying "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians." A mob quickly gathered, seized two of Paul's companions, and rushed to the open-air theater. This was the largest structure in town, seating some twenty-five thousand persons. Paul was prevented from going into the theater by the Christians and some friendly officials who were concerned for his safety. Alexander must have been a spokesperson for the Jews. The Gentile crowd may have identified the entire Jewish community with Paul, and Alexander's role may have been to dissociate them.

3. Pacification by the City Clerk (19:35-41). The theater was the gathering place for the demos, the assembly of all the voting citizens of Ephesus. The town clerk was the convener of the demos and the liaison between it and the Roman provincial officers. He realized that the mob in the theater could be viewed as an unscheduled, illegal assembling of the demos, which could create real problems with the Roman officials. He quieted the crowd with three observations. First, Ephesus's reputation was secure; they had no need to worry. Second, the Christians were innocent of any direct crime against Artemis or the temple. Third, they should resort to the regular courts. An illegal assembly could only lead to trouble.

Journey to Jerusalem (20:1-21:16). At the end of his three-year ministry in Ephesus, Paul revisited the congregations of Greece. He was gathering his collection for Jerusalem. He also wanted to say a final farewell. He would not be returning, for he planned to begin a new mission in the west, with Rome as his sponsoring church (Rom. 15:28).

1. Final Ministry in Macedonia and Achaia (20:1-6). Leaving Ephesus, Paul went to Macedonia (Philippi and Thessalonica) and then south to Greece (Corinth). He spent three months in Corinth. Acts does not mention Paul's collection, but his epistles of this period do (2 Cor. 8; 9; Rom. 15:25-29). The Jewish plot may have involved sabotaging this large relief fund. The men mentioned in verses 4 and 5 were the official delegates of the churches, who accompanied Paul with the collection. The "we" reappears. Luke may have joined Paul at Philippi and traveled on with him to Troas (v. 6).

2. Restoration of Eutychus (20:7-12). This story is one of those delightful Lukan anecdotes, full of colorful detail—a full meal, a lamp-filled room consuming all the oxygen, a long-winded apostle, a young man seated in the window. It is often debated whether Eutychus was actually dead or just had the wind knocked out of him. The text seems to indicate he was dead. It was Easter season, and Eutychus's raising would have been a vivid reminder of the resurrection.

MAP: Paul's Third Missionary Journey

3. Voyage to Miletus (20:13-16). Paul could not sail on to Palestine without saying farewell to the Ephesians. He chose, however, not to stop there. Perhaps it was still not safe for him there. Also, he worried that the Ephesian Christians might prevail on him to stay longer than his plans allowed. So Paul stopped instead at Miletus and summoned the leaders of the Ephesian church (thirty miles to the north) to meet him there.

4. Farewell Address to the Ephesian Elders (20:17-35). Paul's Miletus address is the only major speech of Paul which Luke recorded for his third missionary period. It is the only speech in Acts addressed to a Christian audience and as such is the most like Paul's epistles, which were also addressed to Christians. It can be outlined in four parts.

First, Paul pointed to his past example during his three-year ministry in Ephesus. He emphasized his witness to both Jews and Gentiles in the face of constant opposition. Second, he pointed to his own present prospects. He was on his way to Jerusalem, led by the Spirit, aware that he was facing real danger. He was saying his farewell to Ephesus; he would not be returning there. Third, Paul looked toward the more distant future of the Ephesian church. He warned the church that "fierce wolves" would come and ravage the flock. (His prediction did indeed come true, as false teachings constantly besieged Ephesus in later years [e.g., Rev. 2:6]). Finally, Paul offered a benediction for the church and a reminder of how he had always avoided greed in his ministry to them, urging them to follow his example. He concluded with Jesus' saying that it is more blessed to give than to receive. This saying is only found here.

5. Final Leave-taking (20:36-38). Paul said farewell. The reminder that he would not return set an ominous tone for Paul's journey to Jerusalem.

6. Voyage to Jerusalem (21:1-16). The same Spirit that was driving Paul to Jerusalem was preparing him for the ordeals he would experience there by issuing warnings of the danger through the Christians at each stopping point along the way (20:22-23). When Paul reached Tyre, the Christians there shared with Paul how the Spirit had revealed to them the dangers which would meet Paul in Jerusalem. The next warning came at Caesarea, where Paul stayed in the home of Philip (see 8:40). Paul had encountered the Judean prophet Agabus once before, when he predicted the famine (11:28). Now Agabus shared a prophetic act, binding himself with Paul's belt to symbolize that Paul would be bound in Jerusalem. Paul assured everyone that he understood the dangers at Jerusalem but was prepared in the Spirit to take whatever fell his lot there, even to death if need be. Paul and his entourage set out from Caesarea to Jerusalem, a journey of about sixty-five miles. Luke was with Paul (note the "we"), as were the delegates who accompanied his collection.

Paul Witnesses (21:17-26:32)

The warnings came true. Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and remained a prisoner to the very end of his story in Acts. His imprisonment subjected him to many trials. The trials were an opportunity for witness, which he did not allow to slip by. This long section of Acts is filled with Paul's speeches: before a Jewish crowd in the temple yard, before a Roman governor, and before the Jewish king. God's words to Ananias had come true which predicted that Paul would bear Jesus' name before Gentiles, kings, and the people of Israel (9:15).

CHART: TEN MAJOR SERMONS IN ACTS
Reference in Acts		Audience	Central Truths
	1. Acts 2:14-41	An international group of God-fearing Jews in Jerusalem for Pentecost	The gift of the Holy Spirit proves now is the age of salvation. Jesus' resurrection validates His role as Messiah.
Peter's mission sermons	2. Acts 3:11-26	A Jewish crowd in the Jerusalem temple	The healing power of Jesus' name proves that He is alive and at work. Those who rejected the Messiah in ignorance can still repent.
	3. Acts 10:27-48	The Gentile Cornelius and his household	God accepts persons of all races who respond in faith to the gospel message.
Stephen's sermon	4. Acts 7:1-60	The Sanhedrin	God revealed Himself outside the Holy Land. God's people capped a history of rejecting the leaders He had sent them by killing the Messiah.
	5. Acts 13	Jews in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch Pagan	Paul's mission sermons illustrate the changing focuses of early Christian mission work: first Jewish evangelism, second Gentile evangelism, third development of Christian leaders.
Paul's mission sermons	6. Acts 17	Greeks at the Areopagus in Athens
	7. Acts 20	Christian leaders of the Ephesian church
	8. Acts 22:1-21	Temple crowd in Jerusalem	Paul's defense sermons stressed that he was innocent of any breach of Roman law. Paul was on trial for his conviction that Jesus had been raised from the dead and had commissioned Paul as a missionary to the Gentiles.
Paul's defense sermons	9. Acts 24:10-21	The Roman Governor Felix
	10. Acts 26	The Jewish King Agrippa II

Witness before the Jews (21:17-23:35). The setting of this section is Jerusalem. Paul was received with some apprehension there by the Jewish Christian leaders and became the target of an unruly mob in the temple courtyard. Taken into protective custody by the Roman soldiers, Paul remained a prisoner in Jerusalem until a plot by some zealous Jews forced the Roman tribune to remand him to the governor at Caesarea. Central to this section is Paul's defense before the Jews: first before the mob at the temple, then before the Sanhedrin.

1. The Concern of the Jerusalem Elders (21:17-26). The Jerusalem Christians received Paul "warmly," especially in light of the large collection he had brought them. James, however, expressed their concern about rumors to the effect that Paul was teaching his Jewish converts to abandon circumcision and Jewish customs. This was not true. Paul did not require Gentile Christians to become Jews; he also did not ask Jewish Christians to abandon their Jewish heritage (see 1 Cor. 9:19-23). James was concerned that the rumors might dam-age the church's witness to Jews. He suggested that Paul prove his faithfulness to Jewish customs by participating in a vow taken by four Jewish Christian brothers. The time was nearing for their vow to end in a ceremony at the temple where they would cut their hair. Paul agreed to participate in the ceremony and to underwrite the expenses.

2. The Riot in the Temple Area (21:27-36). Paul's presence in the temple area was noticed by some Asian Jews, who likely knew him from his Ephesian ministry. They falsely accused Paul of a breach of Jewish law, claiming that he had taken Trophimus, an Ephesian Gentile, into the temple. (Gentiles were forbidden to enter the sanctuary.) They soon attracted a mob, which would have killed Paul had the Roman soldiers not intervened.

The troops were quartered in the Tower of Antonia on the corner of the temple wall. Stairs led from the tower into the temple courtyard. The soldiers took Paul into custody, binding him with chains until they could ascertain the reasons for the riot. The press of the mob was so intense they had to lift Paul up the stairs to their barracks.

3. Paul's Request to Address the Crowd (21:37-40). Paul turned the riot into an occasion for witness. Requesting permission to speak, Paul surprised the commander with his native Greek language. He was a citizen of a respectable city (Tarsus), not a wild insurrectionist.

4. Paul's Speech before the Temple Mob (22:1-21). Paul's address can be divided into four parts. First, Paul informed the Jewish crowd of his Jewish heritage. He was reared a strict Jew and educated in the Jewish law under one of its greatest teachers, Gamaliel. He was zealous for God. Seeing Christians as dangerous heretics, he persecuted them, even to death. Verses 6-11 give Paul's own account of his conversion. It is similar to that of 9:1-9. Verses 12-16 elaborate Ananias's role in Paul's conversion. Paul was addressing a Jewish crowd; so he emphasized that Ananias was a devout Jew. Finally, Paul told of his vision in Jerusalem on the occasion of his first visit there after his conversion. At that time the Lord directed him to witness no longer to the Jews of Jerusalem but to go to the Gentiles.

5. The Attempted Examination by the Tribune (22:22-29). The mention of Paul's Gentile witness infuriated the Jewish crowd. The soldiers quickly hauled Paul into their quarters, where they were ordered to examine Paul by scourging. At this point Paul divulged his Roman citizenship. It was forbidden to scourge a citizen without a trial. When informed of Paul's Roman citizenship, the commander (a tribune in rank) came and questioned Paul about it. Paul impressed him that he was a native-born citizen, not one who had purchased a citizen's rights like the tribune. Realizing that he could not examine Paul by scourging, the tribune resorted to other means in his attempt to determine the case against Paul.

6. Paul before the Sanhedrin (22:30-23:11). Since the mob's accusations against Paul seemed to involve primarily the Jewish religion, the tribune decided to take Paul before the main Jewish judicial body, the Sanhedrin—for a hearing, not a trial. The session began with Paul declaring that his conscience was clear before God. The high priest responded by ordering him to be struck on the mouth for blasphemy. If Paul had a clear conscience, it meant that his message about Jesus was right and that the high priest's denial of that message was wrong. In the priest's mind, Paul had to be blaspheming. Paul answered the action by calling the high priest a "whitewashed wall," a hypocrite. He retracted his statement when reminded that the Jewish law forbade one to speak ill of a high priest. He may, however, have felt that one who doesn't behave like God's priest didn't deserve to be treated like one.

Paul then addressed the charges against him, stating that he was a Pharisee and was on trial for proclaiming the resurrection. This divided the house. The majority of the Sanhedrin were Sadducees. They did not believe in a resurrection. The Pharisees did. They began to violently debate the issue. Things became so intense that the tribune had to remove Paul from the scene. The hearing yielded no substantive information about the charges against Paul. It must, however, have been unsettling for Paul. God reassured him in a night vision that He would be with him. God had a purpose for Paul: to witness in Rome as boldly as he had witnessed in Jerusalem (v. 11). From this point on in Acts, the story of Paul moves rapidly toward Rome.

7. The Plot to Ambush Paul (23:12-22). Paul was not safe in Jerusalem; there were many there who wanted him dead. Forty men took a solemn vow to neither eat nor drink until they had killed him. They secured the collusion of the Sanhedrin in their plot. The plot was overheard by Paul's nephew, who informed Paul. Paul in turn sent his nephew to the tribune with this news.

8. Paul Sent to Caesarea (23:23-35). Realizing the extreme danger to Paul in Jerusalem, the tribune Lysias decided to send him to the provincial governor, Felix, who resided in Caesarea. Lysias wrote a formal letter to Felix detailing the situation. He took no chances with the zealots, sending Paul to Caesarea by night with a huge contingent of soldiers.

Witness before Gentiles and the Jewish King (24:1-26:32). Paul remained in prison in Caesarea for at least two years. His case was heard by two Roman governors and by the Jewish king. When it appeared that he might be sent back to Jerusalem for trial, Paul invoked his citizen rights and appealed for a trial before the emperor. Not only would this rescue him from the Jerusalem zealots; it would provide an opportunity to witness in Rome, where God was leading him (23:11)

1. The Trial in Caesarea (24:1-23). Paul first appeared before the Roman governor Felix. Felix was a freed slave of the imperial family. The Roman historian Tacitus stated that he never fully overcame his background, ruling like a king but with the mind of a slave. Within a week of Paul's arrival, he set a trial in Caesarea. Three people spoke.

First came the charges of the Jewish prosecution against Paul in the person of a lawyer named Tertullus. Tertullus's charges were either vague or unsubstantiated: (1) Paul stirred up riots against the Jews throughout the world, (2) he was a leader of the Nazarenes, and (3) he had desecrated the Jewish temple.

Second to speak was Paul (24:10-21). He denied the first and third charges: he came to the temple to worship, not to desecrate it, and he stirred up no crowds there. He admitted being a Nazarene, but preferred to call himself a follower of "the Way." He was a loyal Jew, living by the law and sharing the resurrection hope (v. 15). (Paul shared a belief in the resurrection with many Jews, like Pharisees. Where he differed with them was his belief that the resurrection had already occurred in Jesus.) Paul now turned to the riot itself, pointing out that the Asian Jews who started it had not come to Caesarea to accuse Paul. This was a breach of Roman law: accusers had to be present.

Felix was the third speaker. Speaking briefly, he dismissed the hearing, stating that he would continue no further until Lysias came from Jerusalem to clarify matters. Felix was well-disposed toward Paul, giving him some freedom to move about and to be visited by his friends.

2. Paul and Felix in Private (24:24-27). Felix kept Paul in prison for two years, not wanting to offend the Jews by releasing him. He conversed with Paul often, hoping to receive a bribe. Luke mentioned his wife Drusilla. She was a Jewish princess, whom Felix is said to have tricked into marrying him through the help of a sorcerer. Perhaps this had something to do with his becoming nervous when Paul preached about self-control, righteousness, and the coming judgment.

3. Festus Pressured by the Jews (25:1-5). Felix was removed from office for mismanaging an incident of conflict between the Jews and Gentiles of Caesarea. He was succeeded by Porcius Festus. On his first visit to Jerusalem, the new governor was approached by the Jewish leaders concerning Paul. Planning another ambush, they urged Festus to bring him to Jerusalem for a trial.

4. Paul's Appeal to Caesar (25:6-12). Paul's accusers came to Caesarea and brought unsubstantiated charges against him. Paul denied them all, but Festus wished to pacify the Jews. Unaware of the danger to Paul in Jerusalem, he suggested that they hold a trial there. All too aware of the danger in Jerusalem, Paul resorted to the one legal recourse he had that would insure against his being taken there for trial. He took the matter out of Festus's hands by exercising his rights as a Roman citizen to a trial before Caesar. Festus consulted with his advisers and agreed to process the appeal.

5. Festus's Conversation with Agrippa (25:13-22). Agrippa II ruled over only several small territories, but he had the title "King of the Jews," which gave him several prerogatives, the most significant of which was the appointment of the high priest. He lived with his half-sister Bernice, the source of much scandal. Festus used the opportunity of a visit from Agrippa to see if the Jewish king might cast some light on the charges against Paul. Festus would need to draw up formal charges against Paul in connection with the appeal to the Roman emperor.

6. Paul's Address before Agrippa: the Setting (25:23-27). The hearing before Agrippa occurred with great ceremony because of the presence of the king. Festus opened with a brief reference to the Jewish accusations against Paul. He expressed his hope that Agrippa could help him draw up formal charges. He also stated his own opinion about Paul's innocence of any capital offenses.

7. Paul's Address before Agrippa: The Speech (26:1-23). Agrippa requested Paul to respond. Paul moved quickly to the main issue—the Jewish messianic hope, which was fulfilled in Christ and confirmed by His resurrection. Paul followed with his personal testimony. He pointed to his former zeal as a persecutor of Christians. He told of his conversion in an account very similar to that before the Jewish crowd (22:6-16) and Luke's initial narration (9:1-19). Since his hearers now were primarily Gentile, he dwelt at some length on his call to witness to the Gentiles. Paul concluded with a summary of the gospel for which he was on trial: in accordance with the Scriptures, Christ died and rose to bring light and life to Jew and Gentile alike.

8. Paul's Appeal to Agrippa (26:24-29). At the mention of the resurrection, Festus interrupted, accusing Paul of madness. Like the Athenian intellectuals, the idea of the resurrection was foolishness to him. Paul did not back off. He turned to Agrippa and asked the king if he were not aware of the Christians. He pointed out that what had happened in Christ was not hidden but occurred fully in the open for all to see. Did Agrippa not believe the prophets? If he did, he too would believe in Christ, for they all pointed to Christ. The king responded tragically, asking Paul if he intended to convert him to Christ with so brief a witness (v. 28). Bold and persistent, Paul insisted that he would wish for all those present to become followers of Christ.

9. Paul's Innocence Declared by Governor and King (26:30-32). Festus had already declared Paul's innocence of anything deserving death (25:25). Agrippa went further: Paul did not even merit imprisonment. He added that Paul could have been freed if he had not made the appeal. But there had been an appeal, and it could not easily be undone. More than that, all that had transpired was in God's purposes. Paul was on his way to Rome: this was God's design for him (23:11).

Jews and Gentiles (27:1-28:31)

Paul was on his way to Rome. Acts 27:1-28:16 relates the difficult journey, and particularly the shipwreck which Paul experienced. Much of the narrative merely relates in detail the whole life-threatening experience. Through it all, the providence of God shone through. God was with Paul and all his traveling companions so that Paul could bear his witness in the capital city of Rome.

Journey to Rome (27:1-28:16). Paul's voyage to Rome is one of the most exciting stories in Acts. It is considered by naval historians to be one of the finest sources for ancient navigational technique. Luke was an avid traveler, which is amply reflected in this section of Acts.

1. The Journey to Fair Havens (27:1-8). A centurion named Julius was responsible for Paul. Aristarchus the Macedonian and Luke were allowed to accompany them. The centurion was kind to Paul, allowing him to visit the Christians of Sidon when the ship put in there. At Myra (southern Turkey) they transferred to a vessel headed for Italy. It was probably a grain ship. Myra was a common stopping point for grain ships headed from Egypt to Rome. It was already well into the fall, and sea travel was not easy. The usual and most direct route to Italy went to the north of Crete, but the wind prevented this. They sailed around Crete to a small port on the southern coast named Fair Havens.

2. The Decision to Sail On (27:9-12). Because Fair Havens was not well-suited for wintering, the centurion and the ship's officers decided to sail on. Undoubtedly under God's influence, Paul warned them that the voyage was destined to end up disastrously.

MAP: Paul's Journey to Rome

3. The Northeaster (27:13-20). They were headed for another Cretan port named Phoenix. They never made it. A violent Mediterranean storm overcame them. They took all possible measures, undergirding the ship with cables, throwing the ship's tackle and much of its cargo overboard.

4. Paul's Words of Assurance (27:21-26). While the storm raged unabated, Paul had a vision in which an angel assured him that God would deliver him and all those aboard the ship. God had a purpose for Paul—to witness in Rome before Caesar. Paul's presence guaranteed the safety of everyone. Paul urged them to take courage. Their ordeal was not over, however. The angel had also informed Paul that the ship would run aground on an island.

5. The Prospect of Landing (27:27-32). After two weeks of the storm, the sailors sensed they were near land, but the shores were rocky. Fearing they would break up, the sailors lowered the lifeboat in an attempt to save their own necks. Realizing what they were up to, Paul warned the centurion, and the boat was cut free. The crew would be needed in the rescue operation when the ship ran aground.

6. Paul's Further Encouragement (27:33-38). Paul continued to assure all 276 people aboard the ship that everyone would survive. He urged them to take some nourishment. Most of them were pagans. Paul witnessed to them through blessing the food with his prayer of thanksgiving to the God who was rescuing them.

7. The Deliverance of All (27:39-44). In the morning they saw a small bay where they planned to run the ship aground. They never made it. Striking a sandbar, the stern was broken up in the surf. Aware that they would forfeit their own lives if they lost any of their charges, the soldiers on board were ready to kill their prisoners. The centurion prevented them, wishing to save Paul. Everyone was eventually rescued, just as the angel had assured Paul.

8. Paul's Deliverance from the Viper (28:1-6). They had landed on the island of Malta. The friendly Maltese helped them build a fire to warm themselves and dry out. In assisting with the fire, Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake. Roman folklore told a story of a fugitive who escaped shipwreck only to be killed soon after by a viper. The Maltese probably had in mind some such story when they expected Paul to die (v. 4). When he didn't, they tried to worship him as a god.

9. The Hospitality of Publius (28:7-10). The voyagers wintered on Malta. The islanders provided amply for their needs. Paul healed many sick persons on Malta, including the father of the chief administrator of the island.

10. The Final Leg to Rome (28:11-16). Luke continued his travel narrative in some detail. The shipwrecked voyagers were able to continue on a ship from Alexandria that had wintered on Malta. The ship took them to the port of Puteoli, 130 miles south of Rome. Paul continued to Rome by foot. He was met about 40 miles south of the city by some brothers from the Roman church. When they reached Rome, Paul was placed under house arrest with a Roman soldier guarding him but also with some freedom of movement.

Witness in Rome (28:17-31). In Rome Paul continued his usual pattern of witness, beginning with the Jews.

1. First Meeting with the Jews (28:17-22). Paul was not free to go to the synagogues, so he invited the Jewish leaders to come to his house. He told them of his arrest in Jerusalem and of the events leading up to his appeal to Caesar. He assured them that he had no intention of making any counter charges against his fellow Jews. His only desire was to share the message of Christ. Palestinian Judaism did not have direct jurisdiction over the synagogues of the Jewish Dispersion. That seems to be reflected in their response to Paul that they had received no word about him from Judea. They were, however, aware of the Christians.

2. Separation from the Jews (28:23-28). The Jewish leaders arranged a day to hear Paul at length. They brought many other Jews with them. Paul witnessed to them all day long. There was a divided response. Some believed, others rejected Paul's message. Paul then replied that he was turning to the Gentiles, quoting Isaiah 6:9-10 as a prophecy of the Jews' refusal to believe. His words seemed final, but they had seemed so on many occasions before. In town after town, Jewish rejection caused Paul to leave the synagogues and witness to the Gentiles. But, he would return to the synagogue in the next town. Paul never gave up on his people.

3. Bold Witness to All (28:30-31). Acts ends with Paul under house arrest for a period of two years, witnessing to all who came to see him. He had the freedom to carry on his witness to God's kingdom and to the Lord Jesus. Why does Acts end so abruptly? What happened to Paul? Did Luke intend to write a third volume which would begin with Paul's trial? We do not know. Luke almost surely did know the outcome of Paul's appeal. Later tradition has it that Paul was released, that he carried on a ministry in the west, and that later, during Nero's persecution of the Christians, he was martyred in Rome by beheading. Perhaps Luke deliberately stopped short in Paul's story in order to leave it open, as if to say "the Christian witness is a continuing story." The witness must still go on, "boldly and without hindrance."

Questions for Reflection

1. Discuss the themes of Acts. Why were these themes important to Luke's readers? Why are they important to you?
2. How does Acts connect the Gospels and the Epistles? What does this teach us about the unity of the New Testament?
3. What are the distinguishing characteristics of the church in Acts? Are these emphases present in your church?
4. What can we learn about communicating the gospel message to our modern world from the preaching of the apostles, particularly in Acts 17?

Sources for Additional Study

Longenecker, Richard. "The Acts of the Apostles." The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Polhill, John B. Acts. New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1992.

Stott, John R. W. The Spirit, the Church, and the World: The Message of Acts. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1990.