Early Enemies of Christianity #3
After the miraculous giving of the Holy Spirit to the family of Cornelius, Peter returned to Jerusalem once again. But rumors traveled fast even in those days for they had already heard that these Gentiles had received the word of God (Acts 111). Upon his return there were certain "of the circumcision" or the "circumcision party" began to confront Peter and argue with him. They accused him of going into a Gentile home (one that is uncircumcised) and eating with them. This violated the rules of the clean & unclean laws. When Gentiles became unclean, they had no way of becoming clean as they had no temple to go to and no priests to perform the ritualistic washings to become clean. Therefore, Jews considered everything in a Gentile home unclean. Even beef, lamb, chicken served there were considered "common" or defiled because it was touched by people who were unclean.
Peter explained all the circumstances including the vision he had of the unclean animals and then said, "Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?" (v. 17). Then they accepted what he did. Peter realized that those who feared God were accepted by Him regardless of whether they had access to the ceremonial washings to get clean (Acts 1034-35).
After the death of Stephen, despite the persecution, the word of God spread and many were converted. It was at Antioch that the word "Christian" was first applied to the disciples of Christ (Acts 1126). A prophesied famine came about and those outside of Judea determined to send relief to the Jews in Judea (1129). The Jewish Christians in Judea suffered the most because their fellow countrymen would not sell or buy from them. No one would do business with them. In years to follow Paul urged the Greek Christians to send relief for "the poor saints in Jerusalem" (Rom. 1526).
King Herod (not the original Herod the Great but a descendent) used his power to vex the church by killing James the brother of John (Acts 121-2). When he saw that it "pleased the Jews" he went on to arrest Peter (v.3). He was going to bring him forth to the "people" which always means Jewish people in the Book of Acts. But God let Peter out of jail by a miracle.
In the history recorded in Acts we read that Paul was recognized in a synagogue in Pisidia and was asked to speak to the people. He gave a long history leading up to telling them that those in Jerusalem were responsible for the death of God’s Son (1327). Paul told them that through Christ they could be justified in ways they couldn't have been by the law of Moses. This drew a big audience of both Jewish people and Gentiles (v.44). Then the Jews were envious and began to contradict Paul and cause trouble. Paul then said since they judged themselves unworthy of eternal life, "we turn to the Gentiles" (v. 46). Paul & Barnabas quoted from Isaiah, "I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth" (v. 47). This caused the Gentiles who heard it to rejoice (v. 48) and the word of God was being spread through the whole region (v. 49).
But when the Jews incited the devout women and leading men of the city and instigated a persecution against Paul & Barnabas and drove them out of this district they shook the dust off their feet and went on to Iconium (v. 50-52).
As was Paul's custom he went into a synagogue of the Jews in Iconium. Once again, there were the Jews and God fearing Greeks. Remember, the God-Fearers were Gentiles who believed in the God of Israel who created the heavens and earth but who had not taken the step of circumcision to become completely converted to Judaism. When Paul spoke both Jews and Greeks believed (Acts 141). But there were Jews who did not believe and these stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and caused them to hate the brethren (v. 2). Paul and Barnabas continued their preaching with attesting miracles and wonders (v. 3). Thus the city became divided. The unbelieving Jews on one side and the apostles on the other (v 4). When there was an attempt on their lives they fled out of there to surrounding cities (v. 5-6).
When they headed a man at Lystra the people thought they were gods and began to sacrifice to Paul & Barnabas who tore their clothes and barely restrained the people from worshipping them (149-18). But then the Jews from Antioch and Iconium came down and won the crowds over turning them against Paul to the place they stoned Paul and left him for dead (v. 19).
In Acts 15 we read that "some men came down from Judea (down meaning north in this case because Jerusalem is on a high hill and most everything was down from there) and were teaching the Gentile God-fearing brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (v. 1). Paul and Barnabas had a major debate with them over this and it was decided that they would go "up" to the Apostles in Jerusalem about this matter. The decision in Acts 15 that did not require Gentiles who came to Christ to be circumcised was a major move that allowed many God-fearing Gentiles to enter the "sect of the Nazarenes" or be a part of what the apostles were doing. They could have full status in the Christian church but could not enjoy full status in Jewish synagogues without being circumcised. This appealed to many of the Gentiles who came to fear the God of Israel a creator of heaven and earth but who did not want to go through circumcision as adults.
In Acts 16 Paul meets up with his most reliable helper who stood by him and was a major force in stabilizing the early congregations -- Timothy. Even though Gentiles were not required to be circumcised, Paul took and circumcised Timothy because his mother was a Jew even though his father was a Greek. To this day, Jews consider a person a Jew only if his/her mother was a Jew! Paul wanted Timothy to be accepted by the Jews in and around that area (161-3).
When Paul cast out a demon from a slave-girl in the city of Philippi, her owners who made a lot of money from her "seized Paul & Silas and dragged them into the market place before authorities saying, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans" (v. 19-21). Following this they beat Paul & Silas and through them into jail without a trial. Here is the first incident in the book of Acts of Gentile persecution of Paul and this was because of his interference with some making money on this slave-girl who could use divination to predict things.
God performed a miracle and the jail was opened. The jailer was going to kill himself but Paul stopped him saying that the prisoners were all still there. When he asked how he could be saved, Paul and Silas answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 1630-31).
When the leaders of the city found that Paul was a Roman citizen they just wanted to have them leave town. Paul said, "They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? NO, indeed@ But let them come themselves and bring us out" (v. 37).
But perhaps the worst persecution came from the Jews from Thessalonica. They became jealous and formed a mob with some brutes and actually drove Paul out of the city to Berea (Acts 171-10). The Jews in Berea were "more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica" and received God's word eagerly "examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (v. 11). Again, Paul went directly to their synagogue as he did every Sabbath day.
But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that Paul was preaching God's Word in Berea they came there as well and stirred up problems driving Paul out of that city as well. He had to go to Athens. It is no accident that Paul wrote some of the most condemning words ever written in the New Testament to the brethren in Thessalonica. "For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles, so that they may be saved, with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost" (1Thes.214-16 NAS).
We will continue with the history preserved in the New Testament.
Peter explained all the circumstances including the vision he had of the unclean animals and then said, "Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?" (v. 17). Then they accepted what he did. Peter realized that those who feared God were accepted by Him regardless of whether they had access to the ceremonial washings to get clean (Acts 1034-35).
After the death of Stephen, despite the persecution, the word of God spread and many were converted. It was at Antioch that the word "Christian" was first applied to the disciples of Christ (Acts 1126). A prophesied famine came about and those outside of Judea determined to send relief to the Jews in Judea (1129). The Jewish Christians in Judea suffered the most because their fellow countrymen would not sell or buy from them. No one would do business with them. In years to follow Paul urged the Greek Christians to send relief for "the poor saints in Jerusalem" (Rom. 1526).
King Herod (not the original Herod the Great but a descendent) used his power to vex the church by killing James the brother of John (Acts 121-2). When he saw that it "pleased the Jews" he went on to arrest Peter (v.3). He was going to bring him forth to the "people" which always means Jewish people in the Book of Acts. But God let Peter out of jail by a miracle.
In the history recorded in Acts we read that Paul was recognized in a synagogue in Pisidia and was asked to speak to the people. He gave a long history leading up to telling them that those in Jerusalem were responsible for the death of God’s Son (1327). Paul told them that through Christ they could be justified in ways they couldn't have been by the law of Moses. This drew a big audience of both Jewish people and Gentiles (v.44). Then the Jews were envious and began to contradict Paul and cause trouble. Paul then said since they judged themselves unworthy of eternal life, "we turn to the Gentiles" (v. 46). Paul & Barnabas quoted from Isaiah, "I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth" (v. 47). This caused the Gentiles who heard it to rejoice (v. 48) and the word of God was being spread through the whole region (v. 49).
But when the Jews incited the devout women and leading men of the city and instigated a persecution against Paul & Barnabas and drove them out of this district they shook the dust off their feet and went on to Iconium (v. 50-52).
As was Paul's custom he went into a synagogue of the Jews in Iconium. Once again, there were the Jews and God fearing Greeks. Remember, the God-Fearers were Gentiles who believed in the God of Israel who created the heavens and earth but who had not taken the step of circumcision to become completely converted to Judaism. When Paul spoke both Jews and Greeks believed (Acts 141). But there were Jews who did not believe and these stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and caused them to hate the brethren (v. 2). Paul and Barnabas continued their preaching with attesting miracles and wonders (v. 3). Thus the city became divided. The unbelieving Jews on one side and the apostles on the other (v 4). When there was an attempt on their lives they fled out of there to surrounding cities (v. 5-6).
When they headed a man at Lystra the people thought they were gods and began to sacrifice to Paul & Barnabas who tore their clothes and barely restrained the people from worshipping them (149-18). But then the Jews from Antioch and Iconium came down and won the crowds over turning them against Paul to the place they stoned Paul and left him for dead (v. 19).
In Acts 15 we read that "some men came down from Judea (down meaning north in this case because Jerusalem is on a high hill and most everything was down from there) and were teaching the Gentile God-fearing brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (v. 1). Paul and Barnabas had a major debate with them over this and it was decided that they would go "up" to the Apostles in Jerusalem about this matter. The decision in Acts 15 that did not require Gentiles who came to Christ to be circumcised was a major move that allowed many God-fearing Gentiles to enter the "sect of the Nazarenes" or be a part of what the apostles were doing. They could have full status in the Christian church but could not enjoy full status in Jewish synagogues without being circumcised. This appealed to many of the Gentiles who came to fear the God of Israel a creator of heaven and earth but who did not want to go through circumcision as adults.
In Acts 16 Paul meets up with his most reliable helper who stood by him and was a major force in stabilizing the early congregations -- Timothy. Even though Gentiles were not required to be circumcised, Paul took and circumcised Timothy because his mother was a Jew even though his father was a Greek. To this day, Jews consider a person a Jew only if his/her mother was a Jew! Paul wanted Timothy to be accepted by the Jews in and around that area (161-3).
When Paul cast out a demon from a slave-girl in the city of Philippi, her owners who made a lot of money from her "seized Paul & Silas and dragged them into the market place before authorities saying, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans" (v. 19-21). Following this they beat Paul & Silas and through them into jail without a trial. Here is the first incident in the book of Acts of Gentile persecution of Paul and this was because of his interference with some making money on this slave-girl who could use divination to predict things.
God performed a miracle and the jail was opened. The jailer was going to kill himself but Paul stopped him saying that the prisoners were all still there. When he asked how he could be saved, Paul and Silas answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 1630-31).
When the leaders of the city found that Paul was a Roman citizen they just wanted to have them leave town. Paul said, "They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? NO, indeed@ But let them come themselves and bring us out" (v. 37).
But perhaps the worst persecution came from the Jews from Thessalonica. They became jealous and formed a mob with some brutes and actually drove Paul out of the city to Berea (Acts 171-10). The Jews in Berea were "more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica" and received God's word eagerly "examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (v. 11). Again, Paul went directly to their synagogue as he did every Sabbath day.
But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that Paul was preaching God's Word in Berea they came there as well and stirred up problems driving Paul out of that city as well. He had to go to Athens. It is no accident that Paul wrote some of the most condemning words ever written in the New Testament to the brethren in Thessalonica. "For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles, so that they may be saved, with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost" (1Thes.214-16 NAS).
We will continue with the history preserved in the New Testament.
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