Paul Raised Eutychus from the Dead at Troas
20: 1-12

56 AD

Paul raised Eutychus from the dead at Troas DIG: One reason for this trip was to collect money for believers in Judea (Romans 15:25-29). Why them might Paul want companions for this task (First Corinthians 16:1-4 and 2 Corinthians 8:16:23)? Why else might Paul want these Gentiles along for the presentation in Jerusalem (Chapter 15)? What can you learn about Paul and the church in Troas form this lengthy meeting? Peter raised a dead person in 9:40. Why would Luke tell a similar story about Paul? How many people did Yeshua raise from the dead?

REFLECT: Paul’s companions protect him from anyone accusing him of misusing the funds. How might Messianic communities, churches, and independent ministries of all sorts be helped by such accountability? How would this enhance unbeliever’s view of Christian integrity? Are you at all related to Eutychus? Do sermons put you to sleep? Or are you wide-awake spiritually? How can keep from falling flat on your face? Another interesting side of Paul, huh? After all the time we’ve spent studying his life, what do you find most inspiring about him? Most puzzling? Most interesting? Most refreshing?

Paul was ready for another journey. He wanted to make at least one more visit to the churches the Lord had helped him to found, because Paul was a man with a concerned heart. The care of all the churches was his great joy as well as his heaviest burden (Second Corinthians 11:23-28). After the uproar ended (to see link click Ch – Idol-Makers Start a Riot in Ephesus), Paul left Ephesus and headed toward Macedonia and Achaia (19:21). He expected to meet Titus at Troas and get a report on the problems at Corinth, but Titus did not come (Second Corinthians 2:12-13). The men finally met in Macedonia where Paul wrote Second Corinthians (Second Corinthians 7:5-7). Paul had originally planned to make two visits to Corinth (Second Corinthians 1:15-16), but instead he made one visit that lasted three months (Acts 20:3; First Corinthians 16:5-6). During that visit, he wrote his letter to the Romans.

The collection for the Messianic community in Jerusalem: Paul had two goals in mind as he visited the various churches. His main purpose was to encourage and strengthen the Gentile believers so that they might stand true to the Lord and be effective witnesses. His second purpose was to finish Jerusalem collection (Romans 15:25-27; First Corinthians 16:1-9; Second Corinthians 8 and 9). Paul had spent close to ten years soliciting those funds. This was a collection he took up among the Gentile churches to help Judean believers who were facing harder than usual economic times as a result of a famine during the late 40s. Paul and Barnabas made an initial famine-relief visit to Jerusalem in 46 AD and delivered a monetary gift from the church at Antioch (Acts 11:29-30). At that time the Judean believers expressed the hope that the Gentile believers associated with Paul would continue to remember them, which Paul was more than eager to do (Galatians 2:10). The collection effort was successfully completed in 57 AD (see Ck – Paul Went on to Jerusalem Despite Warnings). Paul viewed this as a symbol of unity that would help his Gentile converts realize their debt to the Messianic community in Jerusalem. The men who accompanied him (see below 20:4) were representatives of the churches, appointed to travel with Paul and help him handle the funds and provide security (Second Corinthians 8:18-24).⁴⁷⁵

Paul leaves Ephesus and stays three months in Greece: Then, Paul sent for the disciples at Ephesus; and when he had encouraged them to stand fast in the faith and said farewell. He informed them of his plan to leave, and then he departed to go to Macedonia. This summarizes about a year of ministry. When he had passed through those parts of Macedonia and given them a great word of encouragement, he came to Greece. There he spent three months, the winter months of 56-57 AD, while he wrote the book of Romans. At this point he became aware of a group of unbelieving Jewish leaders from Corinth who had been thwarted in their earlier attack on Paul (18:12-17). They had formed a plot to assassinate him as he was about to sail directly back to Syria (where Paul’s mother church at Antioch was). But this plot changed his mind and he decided to set off in the opposite direction and return to Syria on the overland route via Macedonia (20:1-3). That meant that he wouldn’t be able to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem, but he did so in Philippi with Luke where the “team” agreed to rendezvous.

Paul did not travel alone to Yerushalayim for the collection to the Jews. It is noteworthy that Paul hardly ever travelled alone, and that when he was alone, he expressed his longing for human companionship, for example in Athens (17:15-16) and in his final Roman imprisonment (Second Timothy 4:9 and 21). That he favored teamwork is especially clear during his missionary journeys.⁴⁷⁶ The use of teamwork in ministry is a good example for us today. He was accompanied by Hellenistic representatives of the various Gentile churches he had founded to help him handle the funds and provide security. They were Sopater of Berea, son of Pyrrhus; as well as Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica; Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy of Lystra; Tychicus and Trophimus (20:4). Sopater accompanied Paul only as far as Asia, and left the group for reasons unknown. But some of the others went with Paul much further. Trophimus went as far as Jerusalem (21:29) and Aristarchus followed Paul as far as Rome (Acts 27:2; Colossians 4:10).

The seven-man security detail went on ahead and were waiting for Paul and Luke at Troas. But we sailed from Philippi (where Luke joined him again) after the Days of Matzah, that is, after Pesach (see Bx – Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia: A closer look at the “us” or “we” passages and sea passages). In is important to note that Paul, continuing to be the observant Jew (13:9), kept the Passover. In five days, no doubt due to the direction of the head winds, we came to them in Troas, where we stayed for seven days (20:5-6). Troas was another strategically placed city, where the congregation there seems to have been founded by Paul. He was in a hurry to reach Yerushalayim, if possible, for Shavu’ot (20:16).

Motza’ei-Shabbat in Hebrew means departure of the Sabbath and refers to Saturday after sundown. Now on the first day of the week, we gathered to break bread. By sharing and eating together, the church enjoyed fellowship and also gave witness of their oneness in Christ. Slaves would actually eat at the same table with their masters, something unheard of in that day.⁴⁷⁷ Sunday is never referred to as “The Lord’s day.” It is always referred to as the first day of the week. The context of these verses show it was nighttime and in Jewish reckoning, because the night precedes the day, the first day of the week was Saturday evening after sunset when it gets dark enough to see three stars. It would be natural for Jewish believers who had rested on Shabbat with the rest of the Jewish community to assemble afterwards to celebrate their common faith in Yeshua the Messiah. The Gentile believers who came later would join in the already established practice since many of them would have been God-fearers (10:2) already accustomed to following the lead of the Jews in whose company they had chosen to associate.⁴⁷⁸

Paul Raised Eutychus From the Dead: Paul was talking with them at length, intending to leave the next day (Sunday morning), so he prolonged his speech, going on and on till midnight. There were many torches in the large upper chamber where we were meeting, which would tend to stifle the air, depleting the oxygen. Now a young man (Greek: pais, he would likely have been between eight and fourteen years old) named Eutychus, meaning fortunate, was sitting in an open windowsill, gradually sinking into a deep sleep as Paul kept on talking. He probably had taken refuge in the window to catch a breath of fresh air, fighting drowsiness. That effort, however, brought disastrous results. Overcome by sleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up – dead (20:7-9). Luke was there, and being a medical doctor, and he would know.

Then Paul went down from the third floor, and like Elijah in First Kings 17:21 and Elisha in Second Kings 4:32-37, he fell on him and then threw his arms around him. He said, “Don’t be upset, for his life is within him” (20:10). This does not mean he only appeared to be dead, it means he was dead, but his life had returned only after Paul had ministered to him. Compare Peter’s raising Tabitha from the dead (9:40), and Yeshua. Our Lord raised four people from the dead. He raised Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:22-43), a widow’s son in the town of Nain (Luke 7:11-15), His friend Lazarus (John 11:1-44), and Jesus raised Himself from the dead (John 2:21 and 10:18). Anyone claiming to have the gift of healing today, should be able to do the same. And one final thought, if we go to sleep during the sermon and die, there is no apostle to bring us back to life!

After he went back up to the third floor, resumed his teaching and broke the bread and ate the agape meal, then he talked with them a long while until daybreak. This was a second sermon that lasted even longer than the first one. And then he left only after finishing what he wanted to say. So they took the boy away alive, greatly relieved (20:11-12). They were more than relieved, they were more than comforted. They were encouraged and strengthened in their faith by what they had witnessed that night.

The Torah of ADONAI is perfect, restoring the soul. The testimony of ADONAI is trustworthy, making the simple wise (Psalm 19:8). Your Word, Lord, is a constant source of delight and renewal. So, today I thank You for filling me from the abundance of Your house and letting me drink from Your refreshing stream, for You are life’s fountain. In Your light I see light (Psalm 36:9-10). In Your Word, I find all I ever need, right when I need it.⁴⁷⁹

Idol-Makers Start a Riot in Ephesus
19: 23-41

54-56 AD

Idol-makers start a riot in Ephesus DIG: Why would Demetrius rally people against Paul (see 17:29)? Since this temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, what businesses would be affected by Paul’s teachings? What do you think the crowd was seeing and hearing? Why are they there? Why are the Jews trying to get a speaker to represent them? Why would Paul be shouted down? How is concern of the town clerk unlike that of Demetrius?

REFLECT: Success, money and independence are some cultural “idols” (values most people accept without question). What others come to mind? How has your faith affected your relationship to these idols? Could Demetrius have become a believer and kept his business? Can you think of situations today where someone in a “respectable” trade would be forced to choose between that trade and Christ? How have you seen religious and patriotic loyalties used as a cover for economic concerns? What does it mean to follow Yeshua in those times? What originally started as Artemis-worship became Artemis-business. How might believers fall into the same trap?

One lesson that history teaches is the paradoxical truth that the Church thrives under persecution. Effectiveness and persecution usually go hand in hand, since an effective church is a bold church, and a bold church is often a church made strong through suffering. The Lord Jesus Christ called His Church to be salt and light in the world (Matthew 5:13-14); salt stings when rubbed in wounds, and light reveals the evil deeds done in darkness. Both can provoke a hostile reaction.

The early Church faced persecution from its inception. In Yerushalayim, that persecution came from pharisaic Judaism (4:1-31, 5:17-42, 6:9-15, 8:1-4). In Pisidian Antioch, it stemmed from prejudice and envy (13:44-52). In Lystra, it was the result of ignorant paganism (14:8-19). In Philippi, it was the reaction to a victory over the demonic realm (16:16-40). In Thessalonica, it came from an unruly mob, urged on by jealous religious leaders (17:1-9). In Athens, the gospel faced the opposition of worldly philosophy (17:16-34). In Corinth, as in Jerusalem, it came from Judaism, but in a Roman court (18:5-17). Whenever the Church boldly and faithfully proclaims the gospel it faces Satanic opposition. It comes as no surprise, the, that persecution also arose in Ephesus, stemming from a pseudo-religious materialism.⁴⁶⁶

First, the cause of the riot: Luke informs us that around that time – before Paul left Ephesus as he had panned (19:21-22) – there arose no small uproar concerning the Way (9:2, 19:9, 22:4, 24:14-22). This is probably the context that Paul refers to figuratively in First Corinthians 15:32 when he said: For I fought wild beasts in Ephesus. She was not only the capital of the Izmir province, but also the capital occultism, witchcraft and idolatry. The city’s greatest claim to fame was the temple of Artemis, the goddess of love, fertility, and nourishment. This temple was larger than a football field. It was an impressive building, some 165 feet by 345 feet in dimension and built on a platform 240 by 420 feet. Its roof supported by 127 sixty-foot-high stone columns. The entire edifice was elaborately adorned in brilliant colors and gold leaf. The altar was 20 feet square and contained a massive image of the goddess with a veiled head, with animals and birds decorating her head.⁴⁶⁷

While the Diana of the Romans corresponded to the Artemis of the Greeks, the Artemis of the Ephesians was a totally distinct deity. The original Ephesian image was said to have fallen from heaven (19:35). The temple statue of Artemis also wore a zodiac necklace indicating her power over the control of the stars (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Lw – The Witness of the Stars). She was a multi-breasted goddess who was supposed to be the goddess of fertility in mankind, animals and nature. She was known as the Great Mother. Every year in May there was a great festival in her honor.

Artemis worship was not confined to Ephesus. Scores of priests and prostitute-priestesses served worshipers and tourists from all over the world. There was a sanctuary in Rome also and a similar festival there every April. All told there were at least thirty-three shrines to the mother goddess throughout the Roman Empire. Ephesus, however, was considered to be the center of the cult, and pilgrims flocked from all over the empire to worship at its famous temple, which was the center of everything in Ephesus, including religion and the arts.⁴⁶⁸ The temple of Artemis was also a major treasury and bank of the ancient world, where merchants, kings, and even cities made deposits, and where their money could be supposedly kept safe under the protection of their deity.⁴⁶⁹

The “lusty month of May” brought the annual month-long Festival of Artemis, honoring the goddess. The highlight of the festival was a solemn processional in which the image of the goddess was carried through the streets between the theater and the temple. Nearly the whole province converged on Ephesus to “worship,” and indulge in sin of every imaginable kind . . . and spend money. Souvenir salesmen and merchants depended on the festival for their yearly prophets. Tens-of-thousands bought trinkets and such to remember the occasion. Especially popular were wooden, silver, or gold images of the goddess and the temple.⁴⁷⁰

The instigator of the riot was a man named Demetrius , a silversmith, a maker of silver shrines of Artemis – was providing no small amount of business to the craftsmen (19:23-24). These silver shrines were miniature representations of the most sacred portion of the pagan temple; that part of it where the statue of the goddess stood. They were set up in homes and worn as good luck charms.

Concealing his real motive, which was greed, Demetrius concealed this with the appearance of civic pride. Being the leader of the silversmith guild, he gathered these together, along with those of related occupations, and he said, “Men, you know that our wealth is from this business, thus revealing that is wasn’t a religious issue, but an economic issue. They had become wealthy because of idolatry. You see and hear that not only in Ephesus but also throughout all Asia (19:10), Paul has persuaded and perverted a considerable crowd, saying that handmade gods are not gods at all (17:29). Not only is there a danger that this trade of ours might come into disrepute, but to also seem that it was a religious issue, he said that the temple of the great goddess Artemis might be considered as nothing. She whom all Asia and the world worships might even be thrown down from her majesty (19:25-27). All this was going to be set aside by only one man . . . and a Jew at that.⁴⁷¹

Second, the characteristics of the riot: Demetrius’ scheme worked. The specter of financial disaster, the challenge to their fervently held religious beliefs, and the threat to their civic pride were too much for the mob to bear.

The first characteristic of the riot was anger: When they heard his lies, they were filled with anger and began shouting and kept yelling, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians for hours (19:28)!” Demetrius had accomplished his goal and whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Inflamed by his incendiary speech, the people surged into the streets, invoking the name of their goddess. Like Jeremiah’s far eschatological prophecy of the end times, people will go mad as a result of their own hand made idols (see the commentary on Jeremiah Fc – Babylon’s Enemy and Isra’el’s Redeemer). This is the typical response to the gospel. When the Jewish leaders heard Stephen’s masterful speech in defense of the Good News, they were cut to the heart (literally sawed in half). And began gnashing their teeth at him (7:54). The gospel makes people angry because it confronts them with their false religion, and their sin, and it forces them to recognize the inadequacy of their world view, exposing the emptiness of their lifestyle.

The second characteristic of the riot was confusion: As the frenzied rioters swarmed through Ephesus, the city was filled with confusion. Then surging through the main streets, they came down the hill where the mob rushed into the open-air theater, which could seat 25,000 people. Many didn’t have any idea what all the confusion was about, but they joined the mob. They didn’t want to miss whatever was happening. Unable to find Paul, they dragged with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were travel companions of Paul (19:29). 

The theater in Ephesus where Paul faced the mob.

When he heard what was happening, Paul was wanted to enter among the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. He wanted to face that howling mob even though it could mean certain death. This is the background of Paul’s comment in his letter to the Corinthians, “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our trouble that happened in Asia. We were under great pressure – so far beyond our strength that we despaired even of living. In fact, we had within ourselves the death sentence – so that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead” (Second Corinthians 1:8-9). But some of the high-ranking government officials of Asia, being his friends, sent a message to him and insisted over Paul’s protest, begging him not to surrender himself in the theater. In so doing, they probably saved Paul’s life. Now some of the mob continually cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in utter confusion. Most did not know why they had come together (19:30-32). 

The third characteristic of the riot was closed-mindedness: Some of the unbelieving Jews, fearing that the mob might turn on them as well, solicited Alexander to try and explain that they didn’t believe in Yeshua. He motioned with his hand to the crowd because he wished to offer a defense to the crowd, but never got a chance. The mob might have recognized that he was Jewish, but it made little difference. To the pagan crowd, both Christians and Jews worshiped an invisible God, and both rejected idolatry. Their minds were closed to whatever Alexander might have said.⁴⁷² Instead, they drowned him out and for about two hours they all with one voice cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians,” not letting Alexander speak at all (19:33-34)!

Third, the calming of the riot: Finally, after two hours of riotous confusion, order was restored by the town clerk. As the chairman of the city government (the equivalent of the mayor of a modern city) and liaison between the city council and the Roman authorities, he was the leading citizen of Ephesus. As such, he knew the Romans would hold him personally responsible for what happened. After quieting the crowd because his presence demanded respect, he said: Men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis and of her image fallen from heaven?  Since these things are undeniable, you must be calm and do nothing reckless. For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor revilers of our goddess. Even this pagan official testified to the character of Paul and his Macedonians traveling companions (19:29), they were not thieves, nor did they use insulting language. Despite the claims of Demetrius, they had not acted improperly. Having reassured the crowd, he next criticized Demetrius and the craftsmen for sparking the riot. Rather than resorting to mob violence, they should have followed the due process of the law.⁴⁷³ After all, he reminded them, if they had a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them accuse them. But if you seek anything further, it will be settled in the lawful assembly. This assembly was clearly an unlawful one. Ephesus was permitted by Rome to exist as a “free city” with its own elected representatives. But if riots were to occur, Rome would move in and reestablish order and with it, Roman taxes. Therefore, the town clerk concluded his speech with a sobering warning: For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, there being no reason which we are able to give to justify this mob. Upon saying this, he dismissed the assembly and they went quietly (19:35-41). The same tactics that the silversmiths used to arouse the mob, the town clerk used to quiet and reassure them – the greatness of their city and their goddess.

Luke records the official statement that the believers were innocent of any crime, either public (19:27) or private (19:38). Paul had this same kind of “official approval” in Philippi (16:35-40) and in Corinth (18:12-17), and he would receive it again after his arrest in Jerusalem. Throughout the book of Acts, Luke makes it clear that the persecution of the Church was incited by unbelieving Jews, not by the Romans. In anything, Paul used his Roman citizenship to protect himself, his friends, and the local congregations of God.

The crowd was dismissed, and no doubt the people went home congratulating themselves that they had successfully defended their great city and their famous goddess. It is doubtful that any of them questioned the truthfulness for their devotion to Artemis or determined to investigate what Paul had been preaching for three years. It was much easier to believe a lie and follow the crowd.

But Ephesus is gone, and so is the worldwide worship of Artemis of the Ephesians. The city and the temple are gone, and the silversmith’s guild is gone. Ephesus is a place visited primarily by archeologists and people on Holy Land tours. Yet the gospel of God’s grace and the Church of Jesus Christ are still here! We have four inspired letters that were sent to the believers in Ephesus – Ephesians, First and Second Timothy, and Revelation 2:1-7. The name of Paul is honored, but the name of Demetrius is forgotten (were it not for Paul, we would have never heard of Demetrius in the first place)!

The Church ministers by persuasion, not propaganda. We share ADONAI’s truth, not mankind’s religious lies. Our motive is love, not anger; and the glory of God, not the praise of mankind. We have an audience of One. This is why the Church goes on, and we must keep it so.⁴⁷⁴

God’s Power Displayed in Ephesus
19: 1-22

54-56 AD

God’s power displayed in Ephesus DIG: From 18:19-21, why do you think Paul headed right to Ephesus on his next trip? Apollos was from Egypt (18:24), and these disciples were about 800 miles from Jerusalem. What does the fact that they were both followers of John the Immerser tell you about the extent of his influence? How would their awareness of John be good preparation for them to hear the gospel (John 1:19-34)? Since Paul had to teach these people about Jesus, they apparently had not heard about him or the Ruach ha-Kodesh. From 2:38 and 10:43-44, as well as this section, what do you learn about the relationship between faith in Yeshua and receiving the Ruach? What seems to be the signal throughout Acts for Paul to stop teaching in the synagogue? Why? What do these “stop and go” signals teach you about ministry in general? Compare verses 8-9 with 13-15. How do these two groups of Jews view Messiah differently? From the reaction of the crowd in verses 17-19, how would you describe the general response to Jesus prior to verses 13-16? Why would those events change people’s ideas so much?

REFLECT: How do people today try to use Jesus for their own purposes? What is the difference between that and real faith in Christ? What did you have to change in your lifestyle when you first begin to follow Yeshua? Are there still some things you’re reluctant to do away with in order to be really honest with God? What would it cost you to do away with them? How has God personalized His revelation of Himself to you? Think of an example when He met you at a particular point of need, showing His complete knowledge both of you and your situation. What are some things this tells you about Him?

After the interlude describing Apollo’s conversion and ministry, Luke returns to the story of Paul for his final example of transition. While Apollos was at Corinth (to see link click Cf – Priscilla and Aquila Teach Apollos), Paul traveled through the upper region and came to Ephesus (18:27-28). The upper region is a term used for the highlands of the Ephesian area. This meant that Paul didn’t travel on the usual Roman road, but took the more direct route through Colosse and Laodicea (Colossians 2:1). And he came to Ephesus in fulfillment of his promise in 18:21. He found some disciples and said to them, “Did you receive the Ruach ha-Kodesh when you believed?” Paul recognized them as believers of some sort. But there was something obviously lacking in their faith. They replied to him, “No, we’ve never even heard that there is a Ruach ha-Kodesh (19:1-2).

As soon as Paul heard their response, he began to probe. Then he asked, “Into what were you immersed?” They said, “Into John’s back to God immersion” (19:3). Like Apollos, these were disciples of John the Immerser, and had been immersed as Apollos had been. But Apollos was with John long enough to know that Yeshua was the Messiah. He was with John when he declared: Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). These disciples of John, however, had left the Land beforehand and never even heard of Jesus. In other words, they had even less knowledge about the gospel than Apollos. But they were remnants of the righteous of the TaNaKh, still hanging on, still looking for their Messiah twenty years after John the Immerser had died.

After Paul recognized who those men were, he spoke about Jesus Christ, not the Ruach ha-Kodesh. He said: John immersed with an immersion of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the One coming after him – that is, in Yeshua (19:4). Because they had identified with John’s back-to-God movement, they were also committing themselves to accepting whomever John pointed out as the Messiah. But then Paul taught them concerning the One John identified – Jesus Christ.

When they heard the gospel, they were immersed in the name of the Lord Yeshua. They had been immersed in John’s immersion, but they had not immersed themselves in believer’s immersion in the name of the Lord Yeshua. They served as a mini-Shavu’ot for this pocket of Jewish believers who had not yet heard that Yeshua, the Messiah, had come. And when Paul, an emissary, laid hands upon them, the Ruach ha-Kodesh came upon them. And the evidence that they had received true Spirit immersion was that they began speaking in different languages (nowhere does the Bible teach that the gift of tongues is anything other than human languages)⁴⁵² and prophesying, receiving direct revelation from God.  In all, there were about twelve men (19:5-7). The historical situation makes this a unique experience during the transitional period of Acts.

As we proceed through the book of Acts we will be comparing the way salvation comes to the Jews, the Samaritans and the Gentiles, showing, as was the case with the way Yeshua healed, there is no set order. Acts is a transitional book and a historical book, and you can’t establish doctrine based upon history. You base doctrine on clear theological statements. The historical facts can illustrate the doctrine but they cannot develop doctrine on their own.

The gift of languages (tongues) can be seen four times in the book, Acts 2, Acts 8, Acts 10 and Acts 19. There is not set order leading up to immersion by the Spirit and subsequent speaking in tongues. Here in Acts 2 with salvation coming to the Jews, the order was first repentance, then water immersion, and then receiving Spirit immersion by the Ruach ha-Kodesh as evidenced by speaking in languages. In Acts 8 with salvation coming to the Samaritans, the order was this, first they believed, then came water immersion, then the emissaries arrived, next they laid their hands on the Samaritans, and then they received Spirit immersion by the Ruach ha-Kodesh as evidenced by the speaking in languages. Again, you don’t build doctrine on history. Keep this order in mind and we will see how it was different with the Samaritans, the Gentiles and John’s disciples. Here in Acts 10 with salvation coming to the Gentiles, the order was first belief in Yeshua as the Messiah, then spirit immersion by the Ruach ha-Kodesh as evidenced by the speaking in different languages, and finally, water immersion. Here in Acts 19 with the salvation of the disciples of John, the order was first belief, then they were immersed again into the immersion of Messiah, then Paul laid his hands on them, and then came spirit immersion by the Ruach ha-Kodesh as evidenced by the speaking in human languages. So there was no pattern in all four instances. Remember, you go to the Epistles for theology, you don’t build doctrine on Church history like the book of Acts.

To understand the differences in the four appearances of languages in Acts, we will ask six questions as we come to each passage. However, the one key common element in all four cases is that languages (tongues) are for the purpose of authentication.

1. Who received it? Jews who were disciples of John the Immerser.

2. What were they? They were disciples of John the Immerser who had not heard that the Messiah of whom John had spoken about had already come. They were members of a distinct Jewish group within the Jewish world.

3. What were the circumstances? Paul came to Ephesus and when he found them, he recognized that they were believers of some sort but they had a limited knowledge of the gospel. Therefore, Paul told them about Yeshua and presented the gospel. They believed, received the Ruach ha-Kodesh by the laying on of hands by Paul. As a result, they spoke in languages and prophesied.

4. What was the means? Faith in the Person of Jesus Christ, the immersion into believers’ immersion, then the laying on of hands by the emissary Paul.

5. What was the purpose in this context? Authentification. The disciples of John were in a similar danger as the Samaritans, that of starting a rival John-the-Immerser Church. This was a real threat as there are groups in the Middle East to this day that consider John-the-Immerser as their prophet. The fact that the Ruach ha-Kodesh did not come upon them until after believers’ immersion authenticated that believers’ immersion was now the accepted immersion and no longer John’s immersion. And the fact that Spirit immersion came by the laying on of hands by Paul the emissary authenticated two things. First, it authenticated the message of Paul about Messiah. And secondly, it authenticated that fact that one didn’t need both John’s immersion and believers’ immersion since Paul was not among those who were immersed by John.

6. What were the results? The disciples of John the Immerser became believers in the messiahship of Yeshua, were immersed as His disciples, and the schism was avoided.⁴⁵³

The development of the opposition to the gospel within the synagogue was relatively slow in coming – it took three months. But when it did come it grew strong enough to cause Paul to strategically withdraw to Tyrannus’ yeshivah. The Hebrew word yeshivah comes from the word that means sit and it signifies a place for learning Torah. The Greek word schole, which gives us the English word school means lecture hall. No English word really comes close to the real meaning of yeshivah, but the Yiddish word shul, or school, comes the closest.⁴⁵⁴

This section gives a brief summary of Paul’s long period of ministry in Ephesus, covering both his testimony to Christ (19:8-10) and the miracles accomplished through him (19:11-12). Paul went into the synagogue and for three months and continued to speak boldly, debating and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when they were hardening and refusing to believe, speaking evil of the Way (9:2, 19:23, 22:4, 24:14-22) before the whole group, Paul withdrew from the synagogue, taking his new Jewish believers with him. Thus, the church at Ephesus was planted. They moved to the public lecture hall (Greek: schole, meaning a school) of Tyrannus, who was probably a God-fearing Gentile (see Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53). There, Paul set up a yeshivah in Tyrannus’ school and continued teaching them daily. He evangelizing all who would listen for two years, so that all the residents of Asia Minor heard the word of the Lord – Jewish as well as Greek people (19:8-10). Yet later when addressing the elders of Ephesus in 20:31, Paul comments that he ministered to them for three years. But there is no real discrepancy between the two accounts. Paul arrived in Ephesus in the spring of 53 AD and remained there until the spring of 56 AD, a period of three years. The two years mentioned here refers to the period of his teaching in the yeshivah in the home of Tyrannus.⁴⁵⁵

Therefore, without ever leaving Ephesus, Paul, through his converts evangelized the entire province of Asia Minor. During that time the churches of Colosse, Hierapolis, and probably also the seven churches of Revelation 2-3 were founded, and First and Second Corinthians were written. Paul’s very effective strategy for evangelism was to teach the Word . . . make disciples . . . and then let them spread the gospel.⁴⁵⁶

It is important for modern Messianic Judaism to have available the concept of a Messianic yeshiva. Restoring the Jewishness of the gospel should involve presenting it in a Jewish religious, cultural and social environment. While today the word yeshivah, to most Jewish people, means a school for Jewish studies, particularly Torah, Talmud, halakhah, and so on, it is right for Messianic Judaism to adopt this term and apply it to Messianic Jewish institutions of learning that relate to Jewish and New Covenant materials. This is the way to meet the challenge of Matthew 13:52: Therefore, every Torah-teacher who has been instructed about the kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.

To provide undeniable evidence that the message was true, God was doing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands (19:11). Such miraculous confirmation was a standard feature of the preaching of the emissaries. In the absence of a written B’rit Chadashah by which to measure someone’s teaching, God used signs and wonders to authenticate His message and authority as an emissary (Second Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3-4; Acts 2:22). One goal of Acts is to show that in every way Paul, the emissary to the Gentiles, had a ministry equal to that of Peter, the leading emissary to the Jews. These extraordinary miracles compare to Peter’s healing miracles in 5:15-16. That shows that these powers were limited to the emissaries. There are no examples in the book of Acts where regular believers are able to do these types of miracles. In fact, Paul himself did not even possess those powers (Second Corinthians 12:8; Philippians 2:27; First Timothy 5:23; Second Timothy 4:20).⁴⁵⁷

Paul healed like Yeshua healed – with a word or a touch, he healed organic diseases from birth, he healed instantly and completely, and he raised the dead. Strangely those who claim the gift of healing today rarely, if ever, come out of their television studios. They always seem to exercise their “gift” only in a controlled environment, staged their way, and run according to their schedule. Why don’t we hear of the gift of healing being used in hospital hallways? Why aren’t more healers using their gift on the streets in India or Bangladesh? Why aren’t they in the leper colonies and AIDS hospices where masses of people are racked with disease? Why? Because those who claim the gift of healing do not really have it.⁴⁵⁸

Steeped in superstition and failing to understand that Paul was merely the human channel for God’s power, the Ephesians did some amazing things. The handkerchiefs, or sweatbands, and aprons Paul wore during his tent making labor were carried from his body to the sick. The idea that healing power could be so magically transmitted was prevalent in the ancient world (Matthew 9:21; Acts 5:15). The fact that the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them through those means does not commend the method (as some today would have us believe). It must be viewed as nothing more than God’s accommodation to the mentality of those people at that time. And if further proved that Paul was from ADONAI and thus spoke for Him (19:12). As a doctor, Luke carefully distinguishes between diseases and afflictions caused by evil spirits to make clear that not all illness comes from demonic causes. The miracles YHVH performed through Paul were essential to convince the Ephesians that he was from God. Impressed with him as the messenger of Ha’Shem, their hearts were prepared to hear his message of salvation.⁴⁵⁹

The example of Paul’s miracle-working is followed by two episodes that involve false attempts to accomplish the miraculous. The first relates the unsuccessful attempt by a group of Jewish exorcists to use the name of Jesus in their practice (19:13-16). The second shows the triumph of the gospel over magic and the occult (19:17-19). There were imposters who went around making a living by various kinds of pseudo-scientific or clairvoyant powers, including the practice of exorcism. They were ready to call on the names of any and every god or divinity in their chants – and often they recited long lists of the names so as to be sure of including the right god in any particular case. Even pagans used the various names of God.⁴⁶⁰ These Jewish exorcists (Luke 11:19) now proceeded to use the name of Yeshua in an effort to match Paul’s powers. But some traveling Jewish exorcists also tried to invoke the name of the Lord Yeshua, by using the formula: I charge you by the Yeshua whom Paul preaches. Unlike Paul, however, they did not know the Person they named nor have His power delegated to them. Seven sons of a Jewish ruling kohen named Sceva were doing this. Sceva was a Latin name. He was a Jew but had perverted Judaism in Ephesus because any acting high priest would be ministering in the Temple in Jerusalem, not Ephesus.⁴⁶¹ Like Simon (see Ba – Simon the Sorcerer), he was power hungry. But the attempted formula failed. The evil spirit answered them, “I recognize Yeshua and I am acquainted with Paul, but you, who are you to give me this order” (19:13-15)?

The result may be described as the comic relief in an otherwise serious narrative. The evil spirit realized that those phony exorcists had no real power or authority, so they turned the tables on them, driving them out! Then the man who was controlled by the evil spirit sprang at them, subduing and overpowering all seven of them, so that they fled out of that house naked and traumatized. This became known among both Jews and Greeks who lived in Ephesus, and the effect among superstitious people was to cause both fear and the name of the Lord Yeshua to be magnified. As a result, many also of those who had believed kept coming one after another confessing and recounting their practices. So even some believers had been caught up in the occult practices of Sceva and his sons. It took time for the Church to purify the concept of God from their pagan ways of thinking. In fact, this is still true today. We still have the tendency to let our ideas of God be influenced by contemporary thinking.⁴⁶²

The demonstration of the futility of pagan attempts to master evil spirits led many of those who practiced magic arts to bring their books together in a heap (Ephesus was the great center of sorcery in the time of Paul) and burn them completely before everyone. The books mentioned were probably made up of directions for producing magical results and were of great value to all who practiced sorcery. They totaled the value of the books and found it to be about fifty thousand pieces of silver, or the equivalent to fifty thousand days’ wages for an average laborer (19:16-19). The destruction of these books was one of the best investments believers have ever made. Not only did they publicly give up their pagan ways, but the demonic contents of those books went up in flames, never to poison the minds of anyone again.⁴⁶³

This is a transition statement that provides reasonable clues to the development of Luke’s material that follows, the gospel is declared in Europe (but with a return to Ephesus). So the word of the Lord kept on growing in power and prevailing (19:20). On this high note Luke ends the account of Paul’s successful ministry in Ephesus, although the story of what happened there is not yet complete (see Ch – Idol-Makers Start a Riot in Ephesus).

Now after the three years of ministry in Ephesus, Paul resolved in the Ruach to go to Jerusalem after passing through Macedonia and Achaia. Many in the Messianic community in Yerushalayim were poor and in need of financial assistance. To meet that need, Paul wanted to take to Tziyon a collection from the largely Gentile churches that he had founded. So before returning to Jerusalem, he revisited Macedonia and Achaia to collect that offering (Romans 15:25-27; First Corinthians 16:1-4; Second Corinthians 8-9). By contributing to the financial needs of the Jewish believers at Jerusalem, those Gentile believers would emphasize the unity of the Church (First Corinthians 12:26).

But the City of David was not Paul’s ultimate goal, saying: After I have been there, I must also see Rome (19:21). This is a major turning point in the narrative of Acts. From here on, Rome becomes the major focal point. In keeping with his desire to proclaim the Good News not where Messiah was already named, lest I build on another man’s foundation (Romans 15:20b), he had not yet visited the imperial capital. Rome was so strategic, he could not stay away indefinitely. As he explained to the believers there: I long to see you, so I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you (Romans 1:11). Paul’s brief mention of his desire to visit Rome marks a turning point in Acts. From this point on until the end of the book, the target in his mind was Rome. He would eventually get there, although not by the means he envisioned.⁴⁶⁴

So after sending Timothy and Erastus on ahead of him so that the collection could be gathered before he arrived in Jerusalem, Paul himself stayed in Asia for a while (19:22). Paul delayed all his travel plans temporarily because as he wrote at this time to the Corinthians, “But I will stay on at Ephesus until Shavu’ot, for a great door has opened wide for me, though many are in opposition (First Corinthians 16:8-9). Those opposing Paul would soon make themselves known in the next file, as a riot erupted in Ephesus over the success of Paul’s ministry.

I receive Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians as my own today, asking that You give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened so I may know what is the hope of Your calling, what are the glorious riches of Your inheritance among the believers everywhere, and what is the immeasurable greatness of Your power to us who believe, according to the working of Your vast strength. You demonstrated this power in Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at Your right hand in the heavens – far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age, but also in the age to come (Ephesians 1:17-21).⁴⁶⁵

Priscilla and Aquila Teach Apollos
18: 23-28

52-53 AD

Priscilla and Aquila teach Apollos DIG: These verses sum up a lot of traveling. How far did Paul travel at this time? What do you make of his companions Priscilla and Aquila? What kind of a man was Apollos? What type of influence did Apollos have in Achaia, specifically Corinth (see verses 27-28 and also First Corinthians 3:4-6)? How effective would he be in the intellectual circles?

REFLECT: Who was very helpful to you when you were young and enthusiastic about your faith? How did this person help? Who are you helping now? How? Where do you sense God has equipped you to serve? How can you do so this week? How does your place of worship balance evangelism with the strengthening and equipping of believers? What makes one preacher or Bible teacher more “popular” than another? And which of these attributes should have little or nothing to do with how accepted their teaching is?

After spending some in Antioch, probably from the early summer of 52 AD to the early spring of 53 AD, and having doubtless given his church a full account of his Second Missionary Journey, Paul departed from there, on what proved to be his Third Missionary Journey. His ultimate destination was Ephesus. He had been prevented from going there before (16:6). He had to cut his first visit there short (18:20) and was eager to begin his mission in the city. Nevertheless, his desire for the new ministry did not prevent him from neglecting the old.⁴⁴² Paul returned to his former fields and further ministered from one place after another throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, and discipled all the believers (18:23). In this one verse Luke summarizes about 1,500 miles of travel. Luke does not give us all the cities Paul visited, but what he does tell us is that when traveling through this region Paul discipled all the churches that were planted during the First Missionary Journey. In any case, this trip through the Cilician gates and on to Ephesus would have happened during the summer of 53 AD when the passage through the gates was possible.

Ephesus was a deceptively beautiful metropolis. The magnificent temple to the fertility goddess Artemis – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – dominated the skyline and religious social and economic life. No sensual pleasure was denied. It was a world financial center. Dreams of material success and affluence captured the minds and consumed the energies of its populace. All the happiness money could buy was at their fingertips.

But when the early Christians looked at Ephesus, they saw something very different. They saw a culture of fear barely veiled by the architectural, artistic, and sensual beauty on display. Christ’s followers saw a half a million souls trapped in a Satan-dominated world of necromancy, occultism, witchcraft, and useless worship of a lifeless, powerless goddess. Magic symbols and incantations failed to give them control over their world. Their false worship failed to connect them to the One True God. Nearly the entire population lived on a treadmill of superstition, confusion and terror. Into this environment walked Paul.⁴⁴³

With the knowledge that Paul was making his way towards Ephesus, Luke fills in the background to the events that had been taking place in his absence. Now a Jewish man named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, Egypt, where a million Jews lived, came to Ephesus. Highly educated, he was well-versed in the TaNaKh. A skilled speaker, he was a fiery, courageous preacher. A student of John the Immerser, Apollos knew the basics about Yeshua, but he lacked some important facts needed to effectively communicate the gospel.

While not its capital (Pergamum was the province’s official capital), Ephesus (2:1b) was the most important city in Asia Minor. In fact, since the Roman governor lived there, it could be argued that Ephesus was the de facto capital. It had a natural harbor situated at the mouth of the Cayster River on a gulf of the Aegean Sea.⁴⁴⁴ Located on the main highway, Ephesus connected the Four great trade routes in the east, and as a result, it was the main commercial center of Asia. In fact, no better site could have been picked for the evangelization of all of Asia Minor than Ephesus. The seven churches there (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ay – Write, Therefore, What Is Now) may well have owed their origin to Paul’s Ephesian ministry.⁴⁴⁵

The city’s theater, where Paul and his companions were dragged (Acts 19:29), seated some 25,000 people. Athletic events, rivaling the Olympic games, were held in a stadium there. As a free city, it was granted self-government by Rome and no Roman troops were stationed there. It also served as a legal center in which the Romans tried important cases and dispensed justice on a regular basis.₄₄₆

It was also a religious center. The cult of emperor worship was very strong there, and temples were built for Claudius, Hadrian and Severus. No matter what gods they worshiped, each individual was required to swear allegiance to Cesar as the supreme lord over all. It was also known for its magical arts and was one of the centers of occultism. It had long been the home of the Mother Goddess, who was identified by the Greeks as Artemis, or Diana in Latin (Acts 19:35). To this goddess was dedicated a huge temple that was known as one of the wonders of the ancient world with a tree of “salvation” in the midst of it. About four times the size of the Parthenon, it was 425 feet long, 200 feet wide, and 60 feet high. It had 127 marble pillars, 36 of them overlaid with gold and jewels. Because its inner shrine was supposedly sacred, this temple served as one of the most important banks in the Mediterranean world. The temple also provided sanctuary from criminals. Further, the sale of little idols used in the worship of Artemis provided an important source of income for the city (Acts 19:24). Every spring a month-long festival was held in honor of the goddess, complete with athletic, dramatic and musical events.⁴⁴⁷

The worship of Artemis was unspeakably evil. Sexual immorality was rampant in Ephesus, and it was one of the most immoral cities of the ancient world. This temple also became the site of the worship of the goddess Roma and of the Roman Emperor.⁴⁴⁸ Thousands of priestesses, who were little more than ritual prostitutes, played a major role in the worship of Artemis. The temple grounds were a chaotic scene made up of priests, prostitutes, bankers, criminals, musicians, dancers and frenzied, hysterical worshipers. The philosopher Heraclitus was called the weeping philosopher because he said no one could live in Ephesus and not weep over its immorality. Huddled in the midst of such pagan idolatry that characterized Ephesus, was a group of faithful believers. It was to them that the Messiah addressed the first of His seven letters (see the commentary on Revelation Az – The Church at Ephesus).⁴⁴⁹

Apollos (a shortened form of Apollonius) was a learned man, well versed in the Scriptures. He had been orally instructed in the way of the Lord in general as far as the TaNaKh was concerned. With a fervent spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the facts about Yeshua – while only being acquainted with the immersion of John. This fervent scholar exploded like a bombshell on Corinth’s unconverted Jewish community. But what was his message? First, John was the forerunner of the Messiah; Secondly, John has pointed out that Yeshua was the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bm – John Identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God); and thirdly, he knew that Yeshua was the Messiah. So, Apollos did not have believers’ immersion, only John’s back to God immersion. However, this man began speaking out boldly in the synagogue (18:24-26a). In other words, he was faithful in what he knew. His error was not understanding about believers’ immersion.

Priscilla and Aquila had remained in Ephesus to carry on the ministry until Paul returned (18:18ff). Evidently the ministry in there had not yet extended beyond the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos’ preaching, they immediately took him aside privately and explained the way of God concerning immersion more accurately (18:26b). The fact that both Priscilla and Aquila instructed Apollos is significant. Both men and women can have the New Covenant gift of teaching. When Paul writes: I do not permit a woman to teach (First Timothy 2:12a), he uses the present infinitive, and is not forbidding a woman to teach universally. In other words, he does not forbid all teaching, but because the present tense is used, Paul is saying, don’t become the teacher. Priscilla was not Apollos’ sole teacher, she was still under authority as she taught alongside of her husband (see the commentary on Genesis Lv – Women and Spiritual Gifts). Additionally, Luke wishes to show the variety of roles women played in the early Church. Luke presents five cameos of important believing women in a variety of roles (see Bd – Signs and Miracles Follow Peter: A closer look at Luke, Women and Ministry), and Priscilla was one of them. After that, Apollos was an unstoppable apologist for Messiah.

Once he understood about believers’ immersion, Apollos wanted to cross over the region of Achaia on his way to where Corinth (19:1) and Athens were located. The brothers in Ephesus encouraged him and wrote a letter of recommendation to the believers in Corinth to welcome him. Upon arrival, he greatly helped those who by grace had believed (First Corinthians 3:5-6 and 4:6). Apollos’ power in scriptural interpretation (18:24) suited him for debate with the Jews of Corinth. Much like Peter with the Jews of Jerusalem (see An – Peter Speaks to the Shavu’ot Crowd), he would have used the TaNaKh to demonstrate that the Messiah must suffer and be raised from the dead, which was, in the final analysis, the fulfillment of the Jewish Scriptures.⁴⁵⁰ And he also powerfully refuted (Greek: diakatelencheto, meaning to overwhelm someone in an argument) the Jewish people in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that the Messiah was Yeshua (18:27-28).

God is wooing people to His table for the meat of His Word like never before. He is joyfully using many different methods and styles to accomplish His goal of equipping His Church to be effective and holy during difficult days. God has raised up many fine teachers and preachers for our day. Let’s reap the benefit of as many as possible and value their contributions whether they are magnetic like Apollos, analytical like Luke, forthright like Paul, or warm like Priscilla and Aquila.

In the wise words of Paul, we know that neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow (First Corinthians 3:7). May my focus be entirely on You – on the Holy Spirit, who is faithful to guide us into all truth (John 16:13) – that You will protect me from ever being deceived into embracing a different gospel (Galatians 1:6). I cling to Your Word, Lord, and find confidence in Your way.⁴⁵¹

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
18:23 to 21:16

53 AD to 57 AD

First Corinthians was written in 55 AD from Ephesus,
Second Corinthians was written in 56 AD from Macedonia,
and Romans was written in 57 AD from Corinth

Paul launches out on what is often call his Third Missionary Journey. Paul’s ministry in Ephesus followed the pattern already established at Corinth of setting up his mission in the major metropolitan center of the region and then working out from there.⁴³⁹ Therefore, the material we find in this section of Acts focuses almost entirely on Ephesus. He revisited cities associated with his Second Missionary Journey; however, this was not a journey. This was not just another stop on a journey. It was Paul’s last major place of ministry as a free man. Once he reached Ephesus, he stayed there for three years. He worked long and hard to plant a solid community of believers there. The fact that Paul’s farewell speech will be addressed to the Ephesian elders is a further indication of the special importance of Ephesus.⁴⁴⁰

The unit’s major incident occurs in Ephesus as her citizens react when the commerce associated with the goddess Artemis was affected and magic books were burned. An exorcism there also made a deep impression. Toward the end of his stay, Paul directs the Ephesian elders to be careful in their oversight of the body of believers. Then he returned to Jerusalem, where he would be arrested and begin his long trip to Rome. Paul was warned of what he would face in Yerushalayim, but he went nevertheless. In the midst of his suffering, Paul trusted in ADONAI.⁴⁴¹

Luke was with Paul on this journey and later chronicled these events. But he was also reliant on Ephesian traditions and information from Priscilla and Aquila. This would explain the information that does not involve Paul.

The End of Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
18: 18-22

51-52 AD

The end of Paul’s Second Missionary Journey DIG: About how long did Paul minister in Corinth? Why did Paul sail from Corinth at that time of year? What kind of a vow did Paul take? Why wasn’t this a Nazarite vow? What did taking the vow show about his faithfulness to his Jewish roots? Where did Paul sail to next? Why didn’t he stay very long? Where was he destined to go?

REFLECT: What is your gauge for determining whether a particular ministry opportunity is yours to accomplish or somebody else’s? Thinking of a time when you said yes to something but should have said no, what resulted from your decision to barrel ahead? Did you end up getting burned? Explain?

This section provides a transition between Paul’s Second and Third Missionary Journeys. On the one hand, it concludes the Second, with Paul returning to Antioch where his missionary journey began (to see link click Bv – Disagreement between Paul and Barnabas). On the other hand, Paul’s brief visit to Ephesus looks toward the Third, which would be spent primarily in that city.⁴³⁴

Paul, having stayed many more days, the court of Gallio freed Paul to continue his ministry in Corinth (to see link click Cc – Many Respond to the Good News in Corinth). Yeshua had kept His promise to protect him (18:10), and the chief means of protection would be Roman law. That was in addition to the one-and-a-half years mentioned in 18:11. Second Thessalonians was probably written during this period. So it seems that Paul was in Corinth about two years. Then Paul decided it was God’s will for him to leave Corinth and return to his home church in Antioch. He said farewell to the brothers and set sail to the province of Syria that included the land of Isra’el, and with him were Priscilla, Aquila, and presumably Timothy (18:18a). Since Silas’ arrival in Corinth is the last time he is mentioned in Acts (18:5), he seems to have stayed there to minister. The trial in the court of Gallio probably took place in July or August of 51 AD. It may be that that Jewish leaders wanted to take advantage of Gallio while he was still new at his post, and before he heard anything negative about them (if this was their aim, Gallio disappointed them). If this was the correct timing, it meant that Paul stayed another month, leaving Corinth before the shipping closed down for the year.⁴³⁵

At Cenchrea, their point of departure and the Aegean harbor of Corinth, Paul had his hair cut off, for he was keeping a vow (18:18b).  Yeshua rules out oaths for believers but not vows, although the distinction between them is not clear (Matthew 5:33-37). What kind of vow did Paul take, and what did cutting his hair have to do with it? Nothing is said of what he vowed to do, but Numbers 6:1-21 describes the Nazirite vow, which involves allowing the hair to grow during the vow; and the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law) tractate Nazir spells out the details of such vows, including their minimum length, thirty days. Strictly speaking, however, this could not have been a Nazirite vow; for if it had been, Paul would not have been shaved in Corinth but would have waited till he arrived in Yerushalayim to shave his head and offer the proper sacrifice in the Temple. Furthermore, if we assume that the patterns described in the Oral Law, compiled around 220 AD, were already being followed in Paul’s day, he would have had to spend at least thirty days in Isra’el to validate his vow (Nazir 3:6 and 7:3), since a Nazirite vow undertaken in the “land of the Goyim” was invalid.⁴³⁶ Perhaps it was in connection with his vision (18:9-11), a means of expressing thanksgiving and seeking the continued blessing of the Lord in the Corinthian mission. But no matter what the details of Paul’s vow were, this verse proves that he did not abandon his Jewishness and the Torah, on the contrary, even when he became as a Gentile among the Gentiles he continued to observe Jewish practices (First Corinthians 9:20-22).⁴³⁷

When they arrived at Ephesus (once again, Luke subtly introduces that main city of Paul’s Third Missionary Journey, Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. They undoubtedly continued to evangelize in the city until Paul’s return. Now, Paul’s plan was simply to change ships and continue on to Jerusalem. Nothing more. But since there was some time between ships he continued to follow the principle of Romans 1:16 and went into the synagogue and debated with the Jewish people. When they asked him to stay longer, he declined, instead taking leave of them while saying, “God willing, I’ll return to you again.” Then he set sail from Ephesus (18:19-21). Thus, the stage was set for Paul’s Third Missionary Journey. Art by Sarah Beth Baca: see more information on Links and Resources.

After landing at Caesarea (back within the borders of the Promised Land), he went up and greeted Messiah’s community in Jerusalem. Each of Paul’s missionary journeys began, and ended in, Jerusalem. It appears that the direction of the prevailing winds made it easier for ships to reach Caesarea than Seleucia, the port for Antioch (13:4), which was about 250 miles to the north. Then he went down to Antioch and reported to his home church all that God had done on his Second Missionary Journey (18:22). He had been gone from Antioch perhaps two years or more, and the believers there were overjoyed to see him and hear about the work of ADONAI among the Gentiles. Paul rested up and spent some time in Antioch before beginning his new missionary journey. His goal was Ephesus.

Lord, Your Word says that people without knowledge are doomed (Hosea 4:1-6) – doomed
to making continuous mistakes, doomed to finding ourselves separated from Your will and purpose. May I walk so closely to You and in step with Your Spirit that whenever I turn to the right or to the left, my ears will hear this command behind me, saying “This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). Teach me good judgment and knowledge, Lord, for I rely on Your mitzvot (Psalm 119:66).⁴³⁸

Many Respond to the Good News in Corinth
18: 1-17

51-52 AD

Many respond the the Good New in Corinth DIG: Claudius’ order was given in 50 AD after a Jewish riot in Rome over the preaching of Christ there. What else shows the Roman attitude toward Christianity (verses 12-17)? Would this help or hinder Christian witness? What happened to Crispus successor, Sosthenes (see First Corinthians 1:1)? What effect might these two conversions have on the Jewish community? How might Paul feel about the beginning of his ministry at Corinth (First Corinthians 2:3)? How might the vision from God in verses 9-10 and the gift from the Philippians encourage him?

REFLECT: What missionaries are you supporting? What difference would it make if they were not supported by other believers? How might you begin to encourage some missionaries in this way? How has God brought encouragement to you? What are some of the particular circumstances or temptations you are enduring right now, challenges that might require you to be more concentrated in your submission to Messiah? How can you keep yourself constantly reminded of His presence in your life and of your sold-out devotion to Him?

After these things (to see link click Cb – An Unknown God in Athens), Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, because Claudius had commanded all Jewish people to leave Rome in 49 AD (18:1-2b). The expulsion is usually connected with the remark of Suetonius, “Since the Jews were continually making disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he [Claudius] expelled them from Rome’ (Claudius 25:4); and it is presumed that the pagan Suetonius was speaking not of some otherwise unknown Chrestus but of Christos, and misspelled the word. If so, Suetonius (75-160 AD) is one of the earliest writers outside the New Covenant to mention Jesus Christ, and his expression, “instigation of Christos,” would refer to disputes between Messianic and non-Messianic Jews. And the Romans, not knowing what was going on within the Jewish community, simply expelled all of them.⁴²¹ But that was short lived, and later the Jews returned to Rome. By the time Paul arrives in Rome in Chapter 28, there was a Jewish community in Rome.

Corinth was fifty miles west of Athens with some 750,000 people. In Paul’s day Corinth was the largest, most cosmopolitan city of Greece. It was the capital of the Roman province of Achaia. Corinth was famous for being “the Bridge of Greece.” Situated on the Corinthian Isthmus, the narrow neck of land that keeps southern Greece from becoming an island, its geographical position made it a key commercial center. The only overland trade route between northern and southern Greece passed through Corinth. It had two seaports, one on the Aegean Sea and one on the Adriatic Sea. Small ships were carried from one port to the other across the isthmus on a tramway, saving two hundred miles of treacherous sea travel.

It seems to have been Paul’s deliberate policy to move purposefully from one strategic city-center to the next. What drew him to cities was probably that they contained the Jewish synagogues, the larger populations and influential leaders. So on his First Missionary Journey he visited Salamis and Paphos in Cyprus, and Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe in Galatia; on his Second Missionary Journey he evangelized Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea in Macedonia, and Athens and Corinth in Achaia; while during the greater part of his Third Missionary Journey he concentrated on Ephesus.⁴²² Therefore, each strategic location gave it potential as a center from which news of Yeshua could spread in all directions.

The depravity of the city: As in Athens, the religion of the Corinthians seems to have been primarily that of the traditional Greek gods. Towering some 1,900 feet above Corinth was the Acropolis, on top of which was the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Each evening the temple’s one thousand priestesses, who were ritual prostitutes, would descend from the temple to the town to engage its male citizens and visitors in “worship” of the goddess. In stark contrast to the sedate (by comparison) intellectual and cultural center of Athens, Corinth was city where none but the tough could survive. Corinth was the center of immorality, in fact, it was the most depraved city of the ancient world, characterized by drunkenness, dishonesty and debauchery. In the first-century world, to be called a “Corinthian” did not mean you were from Corinth – it meant you were hooked on pleasure and sexual excess.⁴²³ So the name of the city became a verb. This was the kind of city that Paul came walked into.

The discouragement of Paul: When Paul arrived in Corinth, he was discouraged. The combination of loneliness, and the prospect of facing the depravity of the city, with its commerce and vice, accounts for the weakness and fear that gripped the apostle as he arrived to begin his ministry. Reflecting on his state of mind when he first arrived in their city, Paul later wrote to the Corinthians, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling” (First Corinthians 2:3). Paul also spoke of his trial in his first letter to the Thessalonians, writing from Corinth, he wrote: Because of this, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and trouble, we were comforted about you by your faithfulness (First Thessalonians 3:7). Their faith was a beacon of hope in the darkness. Besides discouragement, Paul may have been physically ill, perhaps from the lingering effects of the flogging he received in Philippi (16:22-24). Physical weakness often makes discouragement even worse.⁴²⁴

The companionship of friends: There he found a Jewish man named Aquila – a native of Pontus. He had been a resident of Rome, but had been compelled to leave Italy by an edict of the Emperor Claudius (see above). He came with his wife Priscilla (18:2a). She is more frequently mentioned before her husband (Acts 18:18 and 26; Romans 16:3; Second Timothy 4:19), which suggests that she was the more important figure from our perspective.⁴²⁵ Luke presents five cameos of important believing women in a variety of roles they assumed (see Bd – Signs and Miracles Follow Peter: A closer look at Luke, Women and Ministry). By this time both Aquila and Priscilla were believers, but we are not told how they were saved. Once again, Luke introduces two important characters in the story in a very casual way.

Paul went to see them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and began working, for by trade they were tent-makers (18:2c-3). Paul earned his own living (First Corinthians 9:1-19), even though he taught that those who proclaim the Good News are entitled to be supported by their fellow believers (First Corinthians 9:14). In observing the Oral Law’s admonition, “Do not make the Torah . . . a spade with which to dig (which means, don’t use you knowledge of spiritual things as a means of getting rich), he went beyond the call of duty.

And because it was his pattern to do so, Paul was debating every Shabbat in the synagogue (Romans 1:16), trying to persuade both Jewish and God-fearing Greeks (18:4). So Paul was able to reside with Aquila and Priscilla, support himself by sharing in their work, and enjoy their fellowship. Now began a period of evangelism in which Aquila and Priscilla no doubt assisted Paul, who was successful in his evangelism among both Jews and God-fearing Gentiles who attended the synagogue.⁴²⁶

The blessing of converts: Now when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia they came to report on the condition of the church at Thessalonica (First Thessalonians 3:6), to give Paul comfort (First Thessalonians 3:7-10), and to give Paul financial support from the Philippian church (Second Corinthians 11:9 and Philippians 4:14-17). They also reported some malicious rumors that were being said about Paul in First Thessalonians 2:3-6 and they had some unanswered questions concerning the return of Christ according to First Thessalonians 4:13. So it was at this point that Paul wrote First Thessalonians. A few weeks later he probably wrote Second Thessalonians.

The financial support given to Paul by the Philippian church allowed him to stop making a living by making tents and to be free to preach the message of the gospel during the week, urgently testifying to the Jewish people that Yeshua is the Messiah. But when they resisted and reviled him, he shook out his garments (in the traditional, dramatic Jewish gesture of rejection) and said: Your blood be upon your own heads; for my part – I am clean! In Ezeki’el 3:16-19, ADONAI tells the prophet that he will be guilty if he fails to warn the wicked person to leave his wicked ways, but if does warn him he will be guiltless. Paul is, in effect, applying the passage to himself and saying, “I have done what I could to bring you the message of salvation; you choose to reject it at your peril. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles, which I would not do if you were responsive, but you give me no other choice. The gospel is especially for you (Romans 1:16), but it will also save them” (18:5-6). This was a turning point for Corinth, now Paul would turn away from the Jews and emphasize Gentile evangelism.⁴²⁷

After leaving there, Paul went into the house of a man named Titius Justus, a God-fearer whose house was next door to the synagogue as an additional base for teaching. This was definitely a confrontational tactic. Paul had no intention of being intimidated or dropping out of sight. He continued to preach the gospel and to be very visible in the Jewish community. Believers today should consider following his example and making the saving message of Yeshua perfectly clear to the Jewish people. The wisdom of Paul’s policy was evident when Crispus, the synagogue leader, put his faith in the Lord, along with his whole household. In fact, Paul himself immersed Crispus (First Corinthians 1:14).⁴²⁸ That astounding conversion must have sent shock waves through Corinth’s Jewish community, which watched in mounting fear as many of the Gentile Corinthians, upon hearing, were believing and being immersed in a mikveh (18:7-8). Desperate to halt the rising tide of faith in Yeshua as Messiah, the Jewish leaders would soon haul Paul before the Roman authorities. Before that ordeal, however, the Lord provided the apostle with the most encouraging comfort – He came to Paul Himself.

Now the Lord said to Paul through a vision in the night (see Bf – Peter’s Vision: A closer look at visions or dreams). This is the second of four times that Paul saw the Lord in a vision (9:5-6; here; 22:17-21 and 23:11). Yeshua’s message was one of encouragement in light of the opposition both present and future. ADONAI said: Do not be afraid, but continue speaking and do not be silent! For I am with you when two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst (Matthew 18:20) and no one shall attack you to harm you – many [of the elect] in this city are for Me. So after the vision he stayed in Corinth a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them and establishing a church there (18:9-11).

The frustration of his enemies: But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia between 51 and 53 AD, according to an inscription from Delphi, there was an important factual landmark discovered that was very important in establishing the chronology of Paul’s travels (Galatians 1:17-2:2). Desperate to halt the rising tide of faith in Yeshua as Messiah, the Jewish leaders made a united attack against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat. This was intended to be a trial. Their charge was: This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law (18:12-13). It is obvious that in this appeal to the proconsul the Jews must have meant, not the Torah, but the law of Rome. Their contention was that though Jews had been banished from Rome as a measure of policy, Judaism as such was still a religio licita, tolerated and recognized by the State. Rome said that there could be one religion per recognized unit of people. Because Judaism was the recognized religion for the Jewish people, their claim was that the gospel was against the Torah and therefore was a new religion.⁴²⁹

Unlike the annually elected magistrates of the ancient Roman Republic, whose courts functioned with a formal jury, the proconsul was not bound by any specific criminal laws. Gallio was free to follow the rules of Roman law, he was not obligated to do so. It seems that he was given no general instructions from the central government about this matter. Therefore, for all those crimes not covered by Roman law, he was able to fall back on local custom or his own judgment.⁴³⁰

But when Paul was about to open his mouth and defend himself, Gallio interrupted and said to the Jewish people, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or a vicious crime, there would be a reason to put up with you, O Jews. Gallio clearly had anti-Semitic overtones. But since it is issues about words, names (should Yeshua be called the Messiah), and your own Jewish law, see to it yourselves. I do not wish to be a judge of these.” This dispute was strictly Jewish and had nothing to do with Roman law. As far as Gallio was concerned the Good News was not distinct from Judaism and he drove the Jews from the judgment seat. Then all the anti-Semitic Gentile bystanders, seeing that Gallio was not interfering, grabbed Sosthenes, the new synagogue leader, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. As they indulged in their anti-Semitic feelings, Gallio paid no attention to these things (18:14-17).⁴³¹ Gallio’s refusal to take the Jewish case against Paul seriously or to prosecute him was extremely important for the future of the gospel. In effect, he passed a favorable verdict on the Christian faith and therefore established a significant precedent. From that point on, the gospel could not be charged with being an illegal religion, for its freedom to be practiced freely had been secured as the imperial policy.⁴³²

ADONAI provides in strange and wonderful ways! The Jews tried to force the Roman proconsul to declare the Christian faith illegal, but Gallio ended up doing just the opposite. By refusing to try the case, Gallio made it clear that Rome would not get involved in cases involving Jewish religious disputes. As far as he was concerned, Paul and his disciples had as much right as the Jews to practice their religion and share it with others.

In the book of Acts, Luke emphasizes the relationship between the Roman government and the Church. While it was true that the Great Sanhedrin (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin) had forbit the apostles to preach (4:17-21 and 5:40), there is no evidence in Acts that Rome ever did so. In fact, in Philippi (Acts 16:35-40), Corinth and Ephesians (19:31), the Roman officials were not only tolerant but also cooperative. Paul knew how to use his Roman citizenship wisely so that the government worked for him and not against him, and he was careful not to accuse the government or try to escape its authority (25:10-12).⁴³³

An Unknown God in Athens
17: 16-33

51-52 AD

An unknown God in Athens DIG: To be noticed by these Greek philosophers, how extensive must Paul’s activity have been? What are these philosophers like (17:18-21)? The Stoics believed “god” was in everything and so everything was “god” (Pantheism); while the Epicureans had little or no belief in “god” at all. What does Paul emphasize about God in vs 23-30? How does Paul use their own culture to help them see the weaknesses in the way they related to deity? How is this sermon different from that in 13:16-41? Why? Is his lack of using Scripture in Chapter 17 a strength or a weakness? Why? How are the sermons alike in terms of what they teach about Jesus? In what they call people to do? How does the response in Athens (17:21, 33-34) compare with Berea (17:12) and Thessalonica (17:4)?

REFLECT: What distresses you spiritually about the area in which you live? What specific needs do you see? What do you feel God is calling you to do about them? Who do you know that has very little or no background in the gospel? How would your witness to them be different than to someone who has some biblical background? Paul uses idols and Greek poetry as points of contact between these people and the gospel. How might you use movies, etc. as a way of relating the gospel more efficiently to others today? What keeps you most distracted and unaware of openings for spiritual conversation with others? What could keep you more tuned in to these opportunities. Which do you find it more difficult to deal with: opposition or apathy? How have you experienced both?

There is something gripping about Paul in Athens, the great apostle to the Gentiles amidst the glories of ancient Greece. Of course he had known about Athens since his boyhood. Everyone knew about Athens. She had been the foremost Greek city-state since the fifth century BC. Even after her incorporation into the Roman Empire, she retained a proud intellectual independence and also became a free city. She boasted of her rich philosophical tradition inherited from Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, of her literature and art, and of her notable achievements in the cause of human liberty. Even in Paul’s day she lived on her great past, and was a comparatively small town by modern criteria, but she still had an unrivalled reputation as the empire’s intellectual metropolis.

Now for the first time Paul visited the Athens of which he had heard so much, arriving by sea from the north. His friends, who had given him safe escort from Berea, had gone. He had asked them to send Timothy and Silas to join him in Athens as soon as possible (17:15). He was hoping to be able to return to Macedonia, for it was to Macedonia that he had been called (16:10). Meanwhile, as he waited for their arrival, he found himself alone in the cultural capital of the world. What was his reaction? What should be the reaction of a believer who visits or lives in a city that is dominated by worldly ideology or religion, a city that may be aesthetically magnificent and culturally sophisticated, but morally decadent and spiritually deceived?⁴¹⁰ This was Paul’s challenge. This is our challenge.

Paul’s witness: Now while Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, his spirit was greatly aroused within him when he saw that the city was full of idols. It was the Gentiles who were worshiping these idols because idolatry ceased being a problem for the Jews after the Babylonian Captivity (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule). However, the principle of Romans 1:16, to the Jew first, must stand. So, he first began debating in the synagogue with the Jewish people and the God-fearing Gentiles. The rest of the week, he took on all comers in the marketplace, Athens’ famed agora, every day with all who happened to be there. The marketplace was not only a place for buying and selling but it was also a public resort for all who wished to hear the news of the day or debate different ideas. Among those he engaged in debate were some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers (17:16-18a). They along with the Cynics, represented the three most popular contemporary schools of philosophy.

The followers of Epicurus (341-270 BC) denied the existence of God and believed that the universe originated by chance from a falling reign of atoms (sounds pretty close to the evolutionists of today). They taught that the pursuit of pure truth was hopeless, and therefore, pleasure, and not knowledge, is the chief goal of life. Their view of the soul was materialistic, and taught that, at death, the body and soul (both composed of atoms) disintegrated into nothing. They believed that there was no afterlife to either fear of hope for; and as a result, must make the best of it in this life. They mocked the popular pagan gods believing that they were living in eternal calm away from the lives of mankind with whom they never intervened. The Epicureans of today speak of “doing your own thing.”⁴¹¹

The Stoic philosophers, on the other hand, saw self-mastery as the greatest virtue. They believed that wisdom came from being free from intense emotionalism. Stoic philosophy taught people should submit themselves to natural law. The highest expression of this, according to Stoicism, was reason, which would lead one to be righteous, and to be righteous was to live in harmony with reason (circular thinking). This was the only true good. In their way of thinking, the only evil in life was not being righteous. Everything else, such as death, pleasure, and pain were themselves indifferent. In contrast to the practical atheism of the Epicureans, the Stoics were pantheists (believing that everything is god). They taught that the purpose of the gods was to direct history, and mankind need align themselves with that purpose. They understood the soul to be physical and at death was somehow absorbed into this blurry “god.” All the major Eastern religions and certain seemingly Western offshoots have at bottom a similar theology, that there is no transcendent God who created and rules the universe independently of mankind.⁴¹² The extremes of Stoicism and Epicureanism sum up the futility of mankind’s existence apart from God.

The mocking of Paul: Although they differed radically in their philosophical beliefs, both Stoics and Epicureans were united in their contempt for Paul’s teaching. Some were saying, “What’s this babbler trying to say?” while others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign deities” – because he was proclaiming the Good News of Yeshua and the resurrection. Totally misunderstanding Paul’s message, they may have thought he used the Greek word anastasis (resurrection) as the proper name of a goddess (Anastasis). So they took Paul to the Areopagus (a hill in Athens 377 feet high). In Paul’s day this court met in the Stoa Basilica, below the hill. The council of the Areopagus (Mars Hill) was responsible for supervising the religion, culture and education in Athens.⁴¹³ It had full control of all itinerant lecturers, and under Roman law it was illegal for anyone to introduce a new god. Paul was not formally tried before this council (which several centuries earlier had condemned Socrates), but was informally required to give an account of his teaching. The proceedings opened with a sarcastic question. May we come to know what this new teaching is that you are talking about? For you are bringing some strange (surprising or shocking) things to our ears, so we want to know what these things mean. Explain yourself. They really had no genuine interest in the gospel, however, as Luke’s parenthetical comment shows: Now all the Athenians and foreigners visiting there used to pass their time doing nothing but telling or hearing something new under the sun (17:16-21).

The theme of Paul’s speech was a masterpiece of communication on how to know the unknown God. That involves three steps: recognizing that God is, recognizing who He is, and recognizing what He said.

Recognizing That God Is

So Paul stood in the middle of the council of Areopagus and said: Men of Athens, I see that in all ways you are very religious (17:22). The Greek word for religious is deisidaimonia, which in the B’rit Chadashah normally means the fear of demonic things. This is the way the Jews used it. But the Greeks used the same word in two different ways: in a good sense, meaning pious or religious, and in a bad sense, meaning superstitious. Paul intentionally used this word in an ambiguous way so that the Greeks could interpret it any way they wanted. Paul could say that they were very superstitious, while the Greeks could think they were very religious. Therefore, from Paul’s Jewish frame of reference he was implying that the Greek reverence for their gods was really a reverence of demons.⁴¹⁴

For while I was passing through Athens and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription, “To an Unknown God” (17:23a). The background of this altar is recorded for us by an ancient Greek writer, Diogenes Laertius, in his Lives of Philosophers (1,100 AD). According to his account, around 600 BC a terrible plague broke out in Athens. It was believed by the city leaders that one of the many gods had been offended and had brought on the plague. Sacrifices were offered to the gods, but to no avail. Then Epimenides, also a famous priest of the cult of Zeus on Crete, suggested that the Athenians had possibly offended an unknown god. He ordered that a number of sheep be released in Athens and that wherever they lay down, a sacrifice should be offered to an unknown god. Altars were built and sacrifices were offered. Soon the plague ended. When Paul visited Athens, one of these altars was still standing. He used it as a point of reference in preaching before the council of leading Epicureans and Stoics.⁴¹⁵

Therefore what you worship without knowing, this I proclaim to you (17:23b). Paul was using a Jewish method of teaching, going from the known to the unknown. What was known was that they had an altar to an unknown god, so as far as the Greeks were concerned there was some god out there that they did not know. Paul was in essence saying, “I’m going to tell you who this unknown god is.” Thus Paul could not be convicted of introducing a new god that would violate Roman law since he claimed that their unknown god was the very God he represented, and that they worshiped Him without realizing it. However, he did not use the TaNaKh in his speech because it would have been irrelevant to those highly educated pagans. This was his first speech to a totally pagan Gentile audience. Instead, he used their own beliefs as a hook to gain their interest in the One True God. The Epicureans attacked the superstitious, irrational belief in the gods, expressed in idolatry, while the Stoics stressed the unity of mankind and its relationship with God. What Paul did was to side with the philosophers, and then demonstrate that they didn’t go far enough. He was not introducing a new religion, but something that was very, very old.⁴¹⁶

The Athenians had taken the first step in that they were supernaturalists. It is obviously impossible for those who deny God’s existence to know Him, since anyone who comes to God must believe that He is and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (11:6b). No one will search for a path to a destination they believe does not exist. And they must have believed there was a god (among all their deities) whom they did not know.

The Bible does not offer formal arguments for God’s existence. His existence is ultimately a matter of revelation and faith (John 1:18 and 20:29). Such faith, however, is not a blind leap in the dark but is founded on fact. It is true that while God’s existence is not provable in the sense of a scientific experiment or a mathematical equation, it is rational and logical in a cause-and-effect world.

The Bible reveals powerful and convincing evidence for God’s existence. (Psalm 19:1); (Romans 1:19). A plan requires a Planner, a program requires a Programmer, and design requires a Designer. This is the essence of the theological argument for God’s existence: the order and complexity of the universe could not have arisen by random chance as the evolutionists propose. The Bible also presents truth in Psalm 94:9 the psalmist wrote: He who planted the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye, does He not see? Intelligence comes from Intelligence, and moral judgment from a moral Being. To argue that they came from dead matter is the height of foolishness. Only God can create life out of nothing and in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

Since the evidence for God’s existence is so overwhelming, the question arises as to why there are atheists. The Bible teaches that the reason is not intellectual and rational, but moral and spiritual. King David wrote: The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” That the foolishness in view is moral, not intellectual, is clear from the rest of the verse: They are corrupt; their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good (Psalm 14:1). Atheism’s rejection of God appeals to people who wish to avoid judgment for the sinful lifestyle. Paul makes it clear that the matter of rejecting God is willful and due to the love of sin (see the commentary on Romans Al – The Evidence Against the Pagan Gentile).⁴¹⁷

Recognizing Who God Is

Having established that God exists and be known by mankind, Paul introduces the council of the Aereopagus to Him. Having established that God exists and can be known, Paul introduces his hearers to him. The emissary to the Gentiles presents God as Creator, Ruler, Giver, Controller and Revealer. In each of these ideas, Paul challenged key Greek ideas.

Creator: The God who made the world and all things in it (17:24a). This aimed at the Stoics and spoke against the eternity of all matter, and was not the demiurge, or a cosmic being, which was the viewpoint of Greek philosophy. The Athenians had 30,000 gods, so Paul’s statement challenged that statement.

Ruler: Since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by hands, like the Parthenon in Athens (17:24b). 

Giver: Nor is He served by human hands (like the Parthenon overlooking the city), as if He needed anything. This was an appeal to the Epicureans. Because God was totally self-sufficient and didn’t need any offerings to make Him happy, since He Himself gives to everyone life and breath and all things (17:25). This statement was for the Stoics and against the Epicureans who placed God totally outside the universe.

Controller: From one He made every nation of men to live on the face of the earth. This God is the direct Creator of humanity. This also challenged certain Greek ideas. The Athenians claimed to have sprung up from their native soil. But Paul said, no, God was the Creator, and the whole human race sprang up from one man. Having set appointed times and the boundaries of their territory; therefore, Greece has no special place in the world (17:26). God controls human history.

Nothing in your life happens by chance. It’s all for a purpose. Most amazingly, God decided how you would be born. Regardless of the circumstances of your birth or who your parents are, God had a plan in creating you. It doesn’t matter whether your parents were good, bad, or indifferent. God knew that those two people possessed exactly the right genetic makeup to create the custom “you” He had in mind. They had the DNA God wanted to make you.

While there are illegitimate parents, there are no illegitimate children. Many children are unplanned by their parents, but they are not unplanned by God. His purpose took into account human error, and even sin. God doesn’t ever do anything by accident, and He never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything He creates. Every plant and every animal was planned by God, and every person was designed with a purpose in mind.

God’s motive for creating you was His love. The Bible says: Long before He laid down earth’s foundations, He had us in mind, and had settled on us as the focus of His love (Ephesians 1:4a The Message). God was thinking of you even before He made the world. In fact, that’s why He created it! God designed this planet’s environment just so we could live in it. We are the focus of His love and the most valuable of all creation: God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things He made (James 1:18 NCV). That is how much God loves and values you!⁴¹⁸

Revealer: They were to search for Him, not turn away from Him as the Gentile nations had done. But, perhaps grope around in spiritual darkness for Him and find Him. So God can be found if we reach out and search for Him by faith (Hebrews 11:6). Yet indeed, He is [indeed] not far from each one of us, for “In Him we live and move and have our being.” That is the evidence of God’s nearness. This is not Stoic pantheism, but real immanence, or existing in all parts of the universe. As some of your own poets, such as Epimenids, then Aratus, and Cleanthes, have said, “For we also are His offspring.” Since we are His offspring, we ought not to suppose the deity is like gold or silver or stone, an engraved image of human art and imagination (17:27-29). Since the connection between God and mankind is the life derived from God, then it is foolish to represent the image of God with idols that originate in the mind of mankind, and crafted by human hands.

Recognizing What God Has Said

Although God overlooked the periods of ignorance by the Gentiles before the coming of the Messiah, but now (Greek: nun meaning now as to the new things) He commands everyone everywhere to repent. Before Christ, the Gentiles were only held responsible for natural revelation (Romans 1:18-32), but now they are responsible for special revelation, meaning that God has come with full knowledge. For He has set a day on which He will judge the inhabited world in absolute righteousness (see the commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment), through Jesus Christ, a Man whom He has appointed. He has brought forth evidence of this to all men by raising Him from the dead (17:30-31). 

At that point Paul was interrupted and could not finish his presentation of the gospel. Now when they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to mock him because the Greeks believed that the soul was eternal. But they had no concept of the resurrection of the body. This scoffing came from the Epicureans who denied both the resurrection and immortality of the soul. The Stoics, however, were unconvinced, but were more open minded, and said: We will hear from you again about this, but with no real intent to do so. This was an official dismissal of the matter. The same division noted earlier between open and closed-minded Jews, is not seen among Gentiles. So Paul left from their midst, never to return to Athens again. But some men joined (Greek: kollethentes meaning to stick like glue) with him and believed – among them Dionysius (a member of the council of the Areopagus), a prominent woman named Damaris, and others with them (17:32-34). Although it is said occasionally that Paul was unsuccessful in Athens, this verse proves the contrary. For seeing that – in God’s wisdom – the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased – through the foolishness of the message proclaimed – to save those who believe (First Corinthians 1:21).

When you contrast the seeming meager results in Athens with the great harvests in Thessalonica and Berea, you might be tempted to conclude that Paul’s ministry there was a failure. If you do, you might find yourself drawing a hasty and false conclusion. Paul was not told to leave, so we assume he lingered in Athens and continued to minister to many unbelievers and a few believers. Proud, sophisticated, wise Athenians would not take easily to Paul’s humbling message of the gospel, especially when he summarized all of Greek history with the phrase the periods of ignorance. The soil there was not deep and it contained many weeds (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Et – The Parable of the Soils). But there was a small harvest.

And after all, one soul is worth the whole world.

We still need witnesses who will invade the sophisticated academics and present Christ to people who are wise in their own eyes, but ignorant of the true wisdom of gospel. Not many are wise according to human standards, not many are powerful, and not many are born well. Yet God chose the foolish things of the world so He might put to shame the strong (First Corinthians 1:26b-27). But some are called, and God may use you to call them.

Take the gospel to your “Athens.” Be daring!⁴¹⁹

Lord, You have commanded that Your teachings be kept diligently (Psalm 119:4). Thus, I must be watchful and watch over my soul closely, so I don’t forget the things I have seen or let them slip away from my heart and mind as long as I live. May I be faithful to teach Your Word to my children and grandchildren (Deuteronomy 4:9), encouraging them to never grow tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up (Galatians 6:9).⁴²⁰

Synagogue Responses Vary to Paul’s Visit
17: 1-15

50-51 AD

Synagogue responses vary to Paul’s visit DIG: Thessalonica was a wealthy trading city on a major road from the Adriatic Sea to the Black Sea. How is Paul received there (First Thessalonians 1:4-10, 3:1-4)? What types of accusations has Paul encountered so far (17:5-7 and 16:20-21)? What lays behind these accusations? Since his conversation, this is the sixth time Paul has been forced by persecution to leave an area. How does your view compare with Paul’s (see First Thessalonians 2:1-6)? Compared with the Thessalonians in verses 2-4, how do the Bereans receive the gospel in verses 11-12? How is Paul’s teaching on the diversity of gifts (First Corinthians 12) illustrated here in the functions of Paul, Silas and Timothy?

REFLECT: Whether Jesus or Caesar was Lord became a real issue for the believers a few years later. When has your faith in Messiah led to conflict with other authorities claiming your loyalty? In terms of time, consistency, and intensity, how would you rate your Bible study? Is it like the Bereans? If not, what can you do to change that? How has the Word balanced you during times of spiritual shaking and quaking? How has it kept you from falling apart when everything seemed to be falling apart around you?

The narrative a considerable journey along the main Roman road, the Via Egnatia, which eventually turned west and went across Macedonia. The journey from Philippi to Thessalonica was some one-hundred miles, and we are told that Paul and his coworkers passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia on the way. No other locations are mentioned, which may suggest they were traveling by mule or horse, if that is, they made Amphipolis after a day’s journey, Apollonia after another day, and Thessalonica after three days of travel. At that time Thessalonica had a population of about 200,000 people, but they only had a small number of Jewish people, and one Jewish synagogue.³⁹⁷

Courage: After passing through Amphipolis, about thirty-two miles from Philippi and another thirty-two miles to Apollonia, they (Paul, Silas and Timothy) came to Thessalonica about a hundred miles southwest of Philippi. Thessalonica was an important city in many respects. It was a harbor town, situated at the head of the Thermaic Gulf. Commanding trade by sea across the Aegean and by land along the east-west Via Egnatia, it was a flourishing commercial center. Predominantly Greek, although it was controlled by Rome. It was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. For its support of Octavian it had become a free city in 42 BC and was not turned into a Roman colony. It minted its own coins (both imperial and autonomous), had its own form of government (with politarchs, see verse 6), but nevertheless had close ties with Rome, and there is evidence of the imperial cult existing in this city. One may point especially to the coins with the head of Julius Caesar, minted even before the time of Christ, which involved the recognition of Julius as a god. These coins reflect the ongoing support that Rome bestowed on Thessalonica, which the city had apparently come to depend on. They believed that the emperor was the universal savior whose support and aid should be proclaimed as good news throughout the region.

Though officially free, Thessalonica was yet another city caught in the emperor’s social network involving support and the necessary response from the people of Thessalonica of homage and loyalty. Local officials would be expected to enforce loyalty to Caesar in order to maintain the peace and help the city stay in the good graces of the emperor. Here we have another story showing Luke’s understanding in detail of the municipal institutions and officials governing the area.³⁹⁸ As was his custom, Paul, being an observant Jew (13:9), went to the Jewish people first (Romans 1:16). Upon arrival, as was his custom they made their way to the Jewish synagogue, which means that Paul had not changed his basic mode of operating (17:1-2a). We are not told that he went immediately to the synagogue. In fact, it appears likely that Paul and his coworkers would first have to establish themselves by finding a place to stay and providing a means of support. Setting up shop in the marketplace, or perhaps working out of the home of a fellow Jew who practiced the same trade. Possibly someone like Jason (see 17:6 below).³⁹⁹

Content: And for three Shabbatot, he gave them drashes from the TaNaKh. A drash or drashah, literally means searching. The word denotes a sermon and an interpretation of a text, ending with the Kaddish prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). The word midrash is related to it. Paul frequently used Talmudic and Midrashic thought patterns (Romans 10:5-13; First Corinthians 9:9-14; Second Corinthians 3:3-18; Galatians 3:16, 4:22-31).

Literally, Paul lectured to them, explaining and quoting passages from the TaNaKh to prove his point. The fact that the TaNaKh is cited some 695 times in the B’rit Chadashah show that its writers were convinced that although ADONAI had done something unique and radically new in Yeshua, the meaning of what He had done could be adequately expressed only in relation to the TaNaKh. This conviction set the first believers to reading the TaNaKh with new eyes, which led to understanding how it relates to New Covenant truth. Paul gave them drashes from Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Psalm 16:8-11, and others from the TaNaKh, to prove that Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead, saying: This Yeshua, whom I declare to you, is the Messiah (17:2b-3 CJB).⁴⁰⁰

Paul showed from the TaNaKh the necessity for the death and resurrection of Yeshua, and declared that he was the promised Messiah. Searching is from the Greek word anakrino, meaning examine or investigate, sometimes used of a judicial investigation. The noble Bereans carefully investigated the evidence and concluded that the gospel Paul proclaimed was the truth fulfilled in the TaNaKh. And today, those who honestly examine the Scriptures will always come to the same conclusion. Yeshua said to the Jewish leaders: You keep searching the TaNaKh because you think that in it you have eternal life. And yet those very Scriptures bear witness of Me (John 5:39 CJB). Christ Himself used the TaNaKh to convince two travelers on the road to Emmaus, saying to them: Foolish people! So unwilling to put your trust in everything the prophets spoke! Didn’t the Messiah have to die like this before entering glory? Then, starting with Moshe and all the prophets, the Living Word explained to them the things that can be found throughout the TaNaKh concerning Himself (Luke 24:25-27 CJB). Of course we now have two covenants to prove that Jesus is the Christ.⁴⁰¹

The line between clarifying Scripture and adding to it is indeed a thin one. But Scripture is not clarified by listening to someone who thinks they have the gift of prophecy. Scripture is clarified as it is carefully and diligently studied. There are no shortcuts to interpreting God’s Word accurately (Second Timothy 2:15). We must commit ourselves to searching the Scriptures, and let our experience of the living Word come from that, not from inner feelings, supernatural phenomena, or other potentially counterfeit or untrustworthy evidences. Then our experience will bring the greatest joy and blessing imaginable – because it is rooted and grounded in divine truth.⁴⁰²

Converts: A small number of Jews were persuaded and became attached to Paul and Silas, who, unlike many of today’s evangelists, never left new believers to flounder for themselves. Although Paul and his friends must have stayed in Thessalonica for several months, as is clear from his two Thessalonian letters, and although most of the converts must have been Gentiles, even pagan idolaters (First Thessalonians 1:9-10), Luke concentrates on his Jewish mission, which lasted only three weeks, and tells his argument was developed.⁴⁰³ But in three weeks of ministry they also won a large number of the God-fearing Greeks to the Lord and no small number of the leading women (17:4).

We know from the letter to the Thessalonians that there was a gap of time between verses 4 and 5 where many other things also took place.

Conflict in Thessalonica: As happened in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:45, 50), Iconium (Acts 14:2,5), and Lystra (Acts 14:19) on the First Missionary Journey, here also Paul is opposed by a mob incited by jealous people among the Jews. But some of the unbelieving Jewish people became jealous over the success that Paul was having in converting the Gentiles (First Thessalonians 2:13-16). Paul hoped that the salvation of the Gentiles would provoke the Jews into studying the Scriptures and discovering their promised Messiah (Romans 11:13-14). But, in fact, it had the opposite reaction. Taking some wicked fellows of the marketplace (the mall of today) and gathering a Gentile crowd, they stirred the city into a constant uproar (17:5a).

Those unbelieving Jews attacked Jason’s house (which seemed to be a center for the church) searching up and down, trying to find Paul and Silas to bring them out to the mob. Jason was most likely Jewish, for Paul and Silas wouldn’t have needlessly offended the Jewish community by lodging with a Gentile. If he was Jewish, his Jewish name may have been Joshua, with Jason as a somewhat similar sounding Greek name for use in a Greek environment.⁴⁰⁴ The same is true today. Hebrew and local-language names are often chosen to resemble each other. For example, Arnold Frutchtenbaum’s (Ariel Ministries) Hebrew name is Aaron, and his English name is Arnold. When they did not find them, they instead began dragging Jason and some of the brethren before the city officials. The Jewish leaders brought two charges against them. First, being aware that the Roman officials would be unwilling to convict on purely religious grounds, since Jewish rights were protected by imperial decree, they shouted “These men who have upset the Roman world have come here too. And Jason has welcomed them.” (17:5b-7a)! Was this charge true? Of course it was. Yeshua changes people (Luke 19:1-10; Acts 9:1-20, 19:18-20; First Corinthians 6:9-11).

Jesus Christ is the greatest of all revolutionaries, and He seeks true revolutionaries today who have been transformed by the power of His gospel and who are prepared to fight against the world (First John 2:15-17), to follow the narrow way (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Dw – The Narrow and Wide Gates). This way may be filled with suffering, hardships, ridicule, and ostracism from the world. It is difficult to follow Yeshua Messiah. The problem of applying His teachings to our lives is often confusing; that is why it is so important to rely upon the Scriptures and upon the Spirit of God.⁴⁰⁵

Secondly, they accused them of acting against the decrees of Caesar forbidding the proselytizing of Roman citizens, saying there is another (Greek: heteros means, another of a different kind) king, whose name is Yeshua (17:7b). These were the same accusations made against Yeshua at His own trial (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lo – Jesus Before Pilate). When you read Paul’s two Thessalonian letters, you see the strong emphasis he gave in Thessalonica on the kingship of Messiah and the promise of His return. Of course, our Lord’s Kingdom is neither political nor of this world (John 18:36-37), but we cannot expect unsaved pagans to understand this. The kingship of Jesus Christ is unlike that of the rulers of this world. He conquers with ambassadors (Second Corinthians 5:20), not armies, and His weapons are truth and love. He brings people peace by upsetting the peace and turning the tables upside down (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bs – Jesus’ First Cleansing of the Temple at the Passover). He conquers through His cross, where He died for a world of lost sinners. He even died for His enemies (Romans 5:6-10).⁴⁰⁶

The missionaries stirred up the crowd and the city officials who heard those things. The city officials took this as a serious matter, as did the people listening to the proceedings. The support of the emperor might stop, indeed the city might be censured, if it was known that it harbored “enemies of the Roman order.” Thus, the city officials took immediate action. After receiving bail from Jason and the rest of the believers, Paul and Silas agreed that they would leave the city, then they were released (17:8-9). This may be the reason Paul and Silas never returned to Thessalonica (First Thessalonians 2:17-18).

As soon as it was night, the brothers smuggled Paul and Silas out of town to Berea, fifty miles southwest of Thessalonica (17:10a). After Paul and Silas left, we know that the believers in Thessalonica suffered severe persecution (First Thessalonians 2:14, 3:1-5; Second Thessalonians 1:6-7). Before leaving, however, we know that twice he received funds from the church at Philippi (Philippians 4:15-16). Until the funds arrived he supported himself as a tentmaker (First Thessalonians 2:9; Second Thessalonians 3:7-10).

Conflict in Berea:

After the fierceness of the opposition in Thessalonica, Berea was a breath of fresh air. Upon arrival, they made their way to the Jewish synagogue. Now these in Berea were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, Evidently, they did not have the prejudices to overcome that the Thessalonian Jews did. Significantly, when persecution arose in Berea it was led by Jews from Thessalonica (17:13 below). Unlike the Thessalonians, whom Paul had to reason with, and persuade the Bereans listened and received the message with goodwill. But, the Bereans did their homework, this search was not casual. They searched the Scriptures each day for themselves to see whether these things preached by Paul were true (17:10b-11). Paul probably told them that there was evidence in the TaNaKh that Messiah would suffer and die for their sins. The final word, for them, was the written Word of God.⁴⁰⁷ When they realized the missionaries were telling the truth, they embraced it and searched their scrolls to verify the truth for themselves. No wonder Luke describes them as more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica. Therefore, because the Bereans were students of the Scriptures, many of them believed such as Sopater of Berea, son of Pyrrhus, who later assisted Paul (20:4), as well as quite a few prominent Greek women and men (17:12).

When we hear spiritual ideas that disturb us, we need to be cautious. We can search the Scriptures for ourselves, listening to trustworthy sources, and seek wisdom from the Spirit of God and Jesus, our Lord.

The Jews from Thessalonica were not satisfied to force Paul out of their own city. When they learned that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea, they took the fifty-mile trip to Berea to start another riot, agitating and inciting the people (17:13). The opposition to the growth of the Church was getting stronger and more organized. How did these unbelieving Jews hear that Paul and Silas were ministering in Berea? Perhaps the growing witness of the Berean believers reached as far as Thessalonica, or it may be that some troublemaker took the message to his friends in Thessalonica. Satan also has his “missionaries” and they are busy (Second Corinthians 11:13-15).⁴⁰⁸

However, it was too late. A group of eager Bible students was already being drawn together around Messiah. Silas and Timothy remained in Berea because the opposition was after Paul and not them. Then, the brothers, outwitted the enemy and immediately sent Paul away to the sea. Those escorting Paul stayed with him all the way to Athens. After receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to join him in Athens as soon as possible, they left (17:14-15). Which they did for a short time, but after hearing their reports, Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica (First Thessalonians 3:1-6), while Silas was sent on a special mission to some other part of Macedonia (Acts 18:5). Later, Paul went on his own to the city of Corinth (18:1). Silas and Timothy later return form Macedonia and meet Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:5 and First Thessalonians 3:6). And from the city of Corinth, Paul writes First and Second Thessalonians.⁴⁰⁹ In any case, Paul at this stage of his missionary work is spending time with both Jews and Gentiles, and not with just Gentiles connected to the synagogue, as we shall see in what follows in Athens.

Lord God, Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore, I obey them. The unfolding of Your Word brings light and gives understanding to the simple. I pant with open mouth for I long for Your mitzvot. Turn and be gracious to me, as is Your practice toward those who love Your Name (Psalm 119:129-132).