Author: Bro Brian.

The Acts of the Apostles – Acts 14:19-23 མཛད་པ། 14:19-23

Bro Brian.

(མཛད་པ། 14:19-23)

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But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (Acts 14:19-23)

 

Stoning was the sentence required by the Jewish law for those who spoke against their religion.

What to say then? Why was it safe for Paul to go back into Lystra afterwards? It was safe because the punishment, having been carried out in the correct way according to the law, was now completed.

Barnabas and Paul – although injured – then continued with the work of making disciples.

The Acts of the Apostles – Acts 14:24-28 མཛད་པ། 14:24-28

Bro Brian.

(མཛད་པ། 14:24-28)

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Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they remained no little time with the disciples. (Acts 14:24-28)

 

In their report back to the church in Syrian Antioch Paul and Barnabas tell them what things God had done through them. They said this correctly, because none of us can make disciples; the conversion of persons is a spiritual work which only God’s Holy Spirit can do.

So, notice how the church leaders had been praying, how God had answered their prayer,  and how Paul and Barnabas went in obedience to God after the further prayer and fasting of all of them (see Acts 13 verses 1-3).

The Acts of the Apostles – Acts 15:1-5 མཛད་པ། 15:1-5

Bro Brian.

(མཛད་པ། 15:1-5)

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But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.” (Acts 15:1-5)

 

Some Jewish believers had come to Antioch and were teaching, “For your salvation by Jesus you must also keep traditional Jewish customs.”

So important did they feel it to be, it was decided that the matter needed to be discussed with the church leaders. Then in Jerusalem also some stood up to argue in the same way that the keeping of the Jewish circumcision rite was necessary for the salvation of non-Jews. [It was a little bit like saying to Tibetans, “Believe in Jesus as Saviour, but you must also keep on reciting ‘om mane padme hum’ in order to gain merit before God”]

So what did the apostles and elders decide? would non-Jews be forced to become Jews as it were? Read on to find out.