Discipleship

Acts 20: 29-38

“29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.”

Paul, knowing that imprisonment and suffering awaited him in Jerusalem, and that he would never return to the churches he founded, was worried about them.  He warned all the elders of Ephesus not to be misled by false teachings or false leaders.  He asked that they remember the words and teachings of Christ.  Before he left them they prayed together.

From Paul’s last words to the church at Ephesus we learn that Christian discipleship means that 

1. we are life-long students of Christ’s life and His teachings, so that we cannot be mislead with false teachings; 

2. we are people of service who put the needs of others before our own, reaching out to the least, the last and the lost; 

3. We are people of prayer who are moved, changed and empowered by the presence and grace of God.

4. and we are people who love God and others, who show our love through our words and deeds.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Challenges

Acts 19:28-34

“28 When they heard this, they were enraged and shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 The city was filled with the confusion; and people rushed together to the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s travel companions. 30 Paul wished to go into the crowd, but the disciples would not let him; 31 even some officials of the province of Asia, who were friendly to him, sent him a message urging him not to venture into the theater. 32 Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd gave instructions to Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward. And Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defense before the people. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours all of them shouted in unison, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

The struggles, conflicts and persecutions of the early church were monumental.  According to Luke, Christianity was “spoken against everywhere” (Acts 28:22).  Yet the faith continued to spread and grow in number.   

People like Paul, Barnabas, and Silas who, grounded in the teachings of Christ, allowed themselves to be led by the Holy Spirit in the founding of churches across the known world, were the vessels that God used in His plan for the redemption of the world.

The Church has faced challenges throughout its history.  During each struggle, God prevailed through people of faith, who incorporated the teachings of Christ into their lives, who heard the voice of God and responded.  

The challenge the Church faces today is no different.  The solution lies with people of faith who are filled with the Holy Spirit, living out the teachings of Christ, who allow themselves to be used by God to do His will.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Decision

Acts 19:23-27

“23 About that time no little disturbance broke out concerning the Way. 24 A man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the artisans. 25 These he gathered together, with the workers of the same trade, and said, “Men, you know that we get our wealth from this business. 26 You also see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost the whole of Asia this Paul has persuaded and drawn away a considerable number of people by saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be scorned, and she will be deprived of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her.”

Several times a year, the Ephesians hosted month-long celebrations in honor of their fertility goddess, Artemis.  There was music, theater, banquets, athletic contests, and even death matches. These festivals attracted many visitors, and, of course, huge sums of money.  The temple of Artemis was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Demetrius was a silversmith who had a very lucrative business making silver shrines of Artemis for people to buy for their own personal use.  He and others who made money from the Artemis trade felt threatened by Paul’s preaching against false gods because their business and the very belief in the goddess that brought them their business was threatened by Paul’s message of the one true God.

The good news of Christ strikes at the very heart of worldly concerns forcing us

 to make a decision between the gospel and the world, between the one true God or the false gods of our own making.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Trusting Others

Acts 19:21-22

“21 Now after these things had been accomplished, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go through Macedonia and Achaia, and then to go on to Jerusalem. He said, “After I have gone there, I must also see Rome.” 22 So he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed for some time longer in Asia.”

With the urging of the Spirit, Paul planned his next trip (through Macedonia, Achaia and on to Jerusalem).  He sent two of his trusted helpers ahead to work out a lot of the details and to pave the way for his arrival.

Paul understood that Timothy and Erastus had a relationship with God and were being led by the Holy Spirit as he himself was.  Paul trusted these two men because of their relationship with God.

It is impossible for one person to do all the work that God offers us.  We have to involve other people.  To do this we have to trust God and know that He is working in and through others the same way that he works in and through us.

“and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.” 2 Timothy 2:2

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Resistance

Acts 19:8-10

“8 He entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 When some stubbornly refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way before the congregation, he left them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.  11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that when the handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.”

Paul’s gospel message encountered resistance wherever he preached.  Ephesus was no different.  Paul had to leave the synagogue in which he spoke for three months because of this resistance.  Yet, God continued to lead and work through Paul and many people were converted to the faith.

When we encounter resistance in our lives we often become angry, or discouraged.  We may even want to give up, thinking, “It’s not worth it.”

Paul once wrote that he had learned to be content in any situation (Philippians 4:11-13).  No matter the outcome, no matter the obstacle, Paul knew that God was with him and that he was doing God’s will.

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Rejecting the Holy Spirit

Acts 19:1-2

“1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

The question that always crosses my mind when I read this is, “how could a person come into the faith without knowing about the Holy Spirit?”  

But then I remember a Barna survey that revealed that 58% of people who call themselves Christians today do not believe that the Holy Spirit exists.  (https://www.barna.com/research/most-american-christians-do-not-believe-that-satan-or-the-holy-spirit-exist/)

A majority of Christians have heard about the Holy Spirit and have rejected the Holy Spirit.  This is worse than not knowing.

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians believers, “Never quench the spirit.” (1Thessalonians 5:19). 

By rejecting the Holy Spirit, we reject God’s guidance, insight, and discernment.  We reject God’s power in our lives.  We reject the fire and the energy of God. 

By rejecting the Holy Spirit, we reject the hand of God.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Driven by the Holy Spirit

Acts 18:19-23

“19 When they reached Ephesus, he [Paul] left them there, but first he himself went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay longer, he declined; 21 but on taking leave of them, he said, “I will return to you, if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.”

Paul was always on the move and, when he was not, he was planning his next move.  Sometimes his plans conflicted with those of the Holy Spirit and he was smart enough to listen to the higher voice.

Paul was driven, but not by the lure of success or recognition.  He was driven by the Holy Spirit who gave him the desire and the endurance to spread the gospel message to as many people and places as possible in his lifetime.

God gives us His Holy Spirit to enable us to do His will; things that would be impossible without His guiding hand.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Vow

Acts 18:18

“18 After staying there [Corinth] for a considerable time, Paul said farewell to the believers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow.” 

The Nazarite vow could be taken for a limited period or for a longer period of time.  Samson was born a Nazarite and was faced with living as a Nazarite for all of his life (which he never did).  

The vow included no strong drink, no going near or touching dead bodies, and no hair cuts.  The Nazarite vow was taken when a person wanted to draw closer to God; when added focus on the tasks at hand was needed; or in a time of trouble or concern.

In Corinth, Paul took the Nazarite vow, maybe for the period of time he was there, which would have been a year and six months. This meant that the work there required extra focus, extra dedication, and an extraordinary sense of God’s presence.

In founding the Christian church in Corinth, Paul called on God’s help in a special way, a way that recalled his Jewish heritage.

Paul used various methods, and practices to communicate the gospel message (see 1Corinthians 9:19-23), changing from one practice to another, depending on the place, the time, or the person.

I do all these things, Paul said “so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share its blessings.” (1Cor.9:22-23).

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Tent Making

Acts 18: 1-4

“1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers. 4 Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks”

Paul supported himself on his missions, renting temporary work spaces and working as a tentmaker. He would talk with and get to know people while he worked, which is a method of evangelism that is used still today.  Each sabbath, Paul would enter the synagogue and evangelize in a less subtle manner.

I often wonder which of these two methods is more effective and I expect, for Paul, that both were effective.  In today’s world, I think that a person has to come to know you and trust you before they follow you into the faith.

God gave Paul the gifts of intellect, speaking, teaching….and tent making.

All for the purposes of sharing the gospel.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The One True God

Acts 17: 22-24, 32-34

“22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands…

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.”

The people of Athens were not hungry for the truth but for the latest truth.  Over the course of time they had constructed idols to every god of which they were aware and even to the unknown gods of which they were not aware, just in case they existed.

Paul presented them with the truth of the one true God; God is not the made but the maker; God created and is involved in His creation; God made humans to search for and find the one true God; with the coming of Christ our search for God is over, the truth has been revealed; 

God the almighty is, and will always be the one true God.  

There are no other gods.

There is no unknown god.

Our God, the one true God, can be known and is no further away than a prayer.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Paul in Athens

Acts 17: 16-21

“16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)”

Paul found himself alone in Athens, but he was never one to sit around and wait, so he preached the gospel in the local synagogue to the Jews and the Gentiles that were there.  He soon found himself in debate with a group of Greek philosophers.  They were intrigued by this “new teaching” and took Paul to the Areopagus where he was asked to present his ideas to the people gathered there.

The Areopagus was a hill near the Acropolis, and on this hill learned men formed a council and lectured and discussed new ideas.  To their credit, the people who met there were always open to hearing “the latest ideas.”  But Luke tells us that they spent most of their time talking about these things and not doing.  

I am sure that Paul, who saw himself as a teacher and doer of the one true God’s will, was puzzled by people who seemed to scurry from one new idea to the other without latching onto any one idea in particular.  In a similar way they embraced one god after the other, discarding one as they embraced the other or several others.  For most of them, Paul was giving them another opportunity to sample the “flavor of the week”.

What is it that we expect in our religious life?   

Are we seeking the flavor of the week, or do we seek the truth?

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Calling of God

Acts 17:10-14

“10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and when they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 These Jews were more receptive than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, including not a few Greek women and men of high standing. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Beroea as well, they came there too, to stir up and incite the crowds. 14 Then the believers immediately sent Paul away to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained behind. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and after receiving instructions to have Silas and Timothy join him as soon as possible, they left him.”

Paul had been imprisoned in Philippi, fled Thessalonica in the dark of night for fear of his life, and once again, in Beroea, he preached the gospel in a synagogue.  Paul was many things, but he was not afraid to speak God’s word, even in the most dangerous of situations.  Most of us would have abandoned a mission whose end was to surely result in our deaths.  Not Paul.

Paul once wrote to the Philippian Church these words that still stir us today: “Brothers, I do not count myself to have attained, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press towards the goal to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

Paul pressed ever forward, led by the Holy Spirit, inspired by the Gospel of Christ, ever trusting in God’s call for his life.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

An Upside Down World

Acts 17: 1-6

“When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the believers before the city authorities, crying, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also…”

Paul preached the gospel in a Thessalonians synagogue.  The God-fearing Gentiles and prominent women who were there responded to Paul’s message in large numbers.  This shocked and concerned the Jews.  Paul’s teachings and the response to his teachings were turning the world upside down.

The teachings of Christ run counter to the teachings of the world.  They are, in fact, subversive to the teachings of the world.  Believers live in an upside down world, where leaders are servants, the first are last, and the poor inherit the world. We love where there is hate, forgive when others call for retribution, and give mercy to the heartless.

And we do all these things, not for fame, money, or power; not for any worldly gain.

We do these things for our love of Christ, who was rejected by the world.

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” (Psalm 118:22-23)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Roman Citizen Card

Acts 16:35-40

“35 When morning came, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported the message to Paul, saying, “The magistrates sent word to let you go; therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul replied, “They have beaten us in public, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they going to discharge us in secret? Certainly not! Let them come and take us out themselves.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens; 39 so they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 After leaving the prison they went to Lydia’s home; and when they had seen and encouraged the brothers and sisters there, they departed.”

Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.   I am not sure this is something that they bragged about in Palestine.  After all, Romans were the occupiers, the interlopers, the taxing nation.  Rome made life difficult for the Jews in Palestine and many were mistreated.

Paul and Silas had been led to Macedonia by God’s Holy Spirit.  All the people they met, all the places they went, all the things that happened to them while they were there were used by God for His purposes in very powerful ways. 

Yet, Paul and Silas, instead of just walking away when they were told they were free to go, did something very human and very much like what we would do.

Paul and Silas played the Roman citizen card, not as a means of securing their release (they had already been released) but as a means of embarrassing the magistrates who had them beaten and thrown into prison with no due process.

Paul and Silas, great men of the Church, were like us.

God uses people like us.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Planting Seeds

Acts 16:29-34

29 The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. 34 He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.”

So, who was the “man of Macedonia” in Paul’s vision?  I think the “man” in Paul’s vision was Lydia, the dealer in purple cloth, Lydia’s household, the slave-girl who was healed (even if Paul’s motive was not pure), the prisoners in the jail cell, and the jailer and his family.  I think the “man” was everyone in Macedonia who came into contact with and was helped by Paul and Silas.

God gave Paul a vision of a man, then put two unusual women in his path; he used Paul’s annoyance to heal, and his imprisonment to save.

During Paul and Silas’ time in Macedonia, the seeds of the Philippian church, the first Christian church in Europe, were planted.

God works in ways that we do not understand, yet it all comes together…

and it is beautiful to behold.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Darkest Places

Acts 16:25-28 

“25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 

Paul and Silas were thrown into the innermost cell of the prison, which would have been the darkest cell.  Their legs were locked in stocks and their wrists were in chains that were fastened to the wall.  

Yet, they prayed and sang hymns to God. In the deepest, darkest cell, in inhuman conditions, Paul and Silas were singing praises to God’s glory and mercy.  And their fellow prisoners listened.

God is present and at work….even in the darkest places.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Paul’s Imprisonment

Acts 16:16-24

“16 One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. 17 While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” 18 She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

19 But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20 When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews 21 and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.”

Paul and Silas healed a slave-girl who was possessed by a spirit by which she was able to tell the future.  Once healed, she lost this ability.  The owners of this slave girl were enraged, since they could no longer make money with her future telling.

Paul healed the slave-girl not from a sense of compassion but from being “very much annoyed” with her.  Because he healed her, Paul and Silas were dragged away, severely beaten and thrown into prison. As we shall see, God used Paul and Silas in prison in a powerful way.

God used Paul’s annoyance for His purposes.  God, through His love, can accomplish His will….. despite our sins and lack of love and compassion. 

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Man from Macedonia

Acts 16:9-14

“9 During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. 11 We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. 13 On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.”

Paul went to Macedonia at the urging of the Holy Spirit in a vision.  The vision depicted a man pleading for help.  Yet, the first person Paul met in Macedonia was a woman.  She was an unusual woman for her time, in that she owned her own business and was wealthy, and was independent.  She and her entire household were baptized into the faith after hearing Paul preach.

It would have been easy for Paul to ignore Lydia and her household in search of the man he came to help.  But Paul always saw the hand of God wherever he was led and in whoever he met

Sometimes God leads us in a straight path, and at other times the path has many unexpected detours.  The important thing is to keep listening to God’s voice, keep trusting in God’s love, keep doing the work God has called you to do….

and you will always be in the right place at the right time. 

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Guided by the Holy Spirit

Acts 16:6-8

“6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8 so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.”

Throughout Paul’s journeys, he listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit, leading him where God wanted him to go.  We are told in the scripture above that Paul was forbidden to preach the gospel in Asia (now Asia Minor) and that he tried to go into Bithynia but was not allowed by the Holy Spirit so he went to Troas.  

The Holy Spirit is given to each person who comes into the faith.  Even though we are indwelled by God’s spirit, we must be able to recognize God’s voice among all the voices in our heads, and then choose to obey God’s voice.

Paul wrote, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2).

We are to allow the Holy Spirit to transform through the use of prayer, scripture study, worship, service, and sacrifice.  As we are being transformed, the Spirit of God will speak to us.  Over time, we will recognize God’s voice above all of the others.  

Then, we must choose to obey it.

And when we do, God will lead us on our journey.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Paul and Barnabas

Acts 15:36-41

“36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

Paul and Barnabas began their second missionary journey with an argument.  Barnabas wanted to include Mark, who was with them on the first part of their first journey, but Paul did not want Mark to travel with them because he left them midway through their journey.

Barnabas was the disciple who saw something in Paul (then called Saul) in the beginning of Paul’s conversion. Had it not been for Barnabas and his insight into Paul’s character and abilities, Paul might have lived out the remainder of  his Christian life in Tarsus.  Now, Barnabas had this same insight into the character and abilities of Mark. 

Paul did not see these qualities at that time and they had a “sharp disagreement”. Because of this Paul and Barnabas parted ways.

Paul, who later wrote to the churches under his care asking them to heal their divisions, to strive for unity and fellowship and peace with one another, may have remembered his split from Barnabas and regretted it.

The disagreements that we have with one another arise because we are imperfect human beings.  These things can either destroy us or they can cause us to grow as Christians.  

Later, in Paul’s letters, we find that Mark is working for Paul, and Paul commends him as a “fellow worker”  (Philemon 1:24) and saw him as “useful..in ministry”(2 Timothy 4:11).

If we truly allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, then we will find love and forgiveness.

And divisions will heal.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

James and the Gentiles

Acts 15:19-21

“13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “My brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written, 16 ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; from its ruins I will rebuild it, and I will set it up,17 so that all other peoples may seek the Lord—even all the Gentiles over whom my name has been called. Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things 18 known from long ago.’19 Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood. 21 For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every sabbath in the synagogues.”

James, the brother of Jesus, was the leader of the Church in Jerusalem.  He, himself, observed the Jewish law rigorously.  But now he was faced with new information.  God was at work among the Gentiles.  Peter, Paul, and Barnabas had testified to witnessing the Gentiles repenting and receiving the Holy Spirit after hearing the gospel message.

Based on this information and the words of the prophets, James decided to allow the gentiles to become members of the Christian Church without becoming Jews first. But, until this time, Gentiles were considered unclean and no self respecting Jew would ever socialize or be a part of any social organization that included Gentiles. So James struggled with the question of how to take the Gentiles into the Church without alienating the Jewish Christians.

The compromise that James developed centered around sexual purity and diet restrictions.  I am sure Paul and Barnabas thought this was excessive, given the fact that God was already working among the Gentiles without these restrictions.  But, for the sake of unity, these restrictions were accepted.

Paul later wrote,“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved" (1 Corinthians 10:31–33). 

The restrictions were not for the purpose of salvation, but unity; a unity that was derived from a common faith.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)