Commission on Higher Education

Region V (Bicol)
Our Lady of Salvation College
Tiwi, Albay

Name: Jessica N. Caranza

Topic: Expansion of the Church in the Gentile Territories

The Church Expands into the Gentile World (Acts 12:25-16:5)

This fourth movement in the Book of Acts provides the answer. Sure, it’s a big answer that is
added to and fleshed out throughout the rest of the New Testament. But, this fourth movement
(Acts 12:25-16:5 contains the record of the first time in the young church’s history when
Christians stepped out intentionally in mission work — apart from being scattered by
persecution (8:1-4) or reluctantly led by visions (10:9-48). Luke recorded this monumental step,
led by the Apostle Paul in the heart of the Book of Acts, so all future generations of Christians
would know how to serve Christ in this Church Age.

Remember that Acts is the second volume of Luke’s two-volume set. The Gospel of Luke is the
first volume and is “about all that Jesus began to do and teach” (Acts 1:1Open in Logos Bible
Software (if available)) in His physical body. Acts is about what Jesus continued to do in His
spiritual “body” the Church. So, to discover what Jesus continued to do in the 1st century shows
us what God continues to do in the 21st century. And, Luke consistently reported about the
movement or expansion of the church from Jerusalem to the uttermost parts of the Earth. Acts
contains six movements — from Jerusalem to Rome.

This fourth movement clarifies two major issues that are crucial to anyone who wants to serve
Christ well:

The mission of the church. The first missionary journey found in Acts 13-14 took place about 15
years after the birth of the church in Jerusalem. The struggles and victories of those earlier
years had resulted in a maturity that now blossoms in a clear mission model illustrated in the
work of Barnabas and Paul.
The message of the church. The first major internal debate described in 15:1-16:5 — when the
Apostles and elders came together to clarify the gospel message — gave the Apostles’
endorsement of the gospel preached by Paul among the Gentiles.
The Mission of the Church (13:1-14:28)

Sent out by the Church at Antioch (12:25-13:3)

These verses set the stage for the rest of the Book of Acts. Barnabas and Saul had been in
Antioch for at least a year (11:26), teaching this church. The result? It had become strong.
Leaders — “prophets and teachers” (13:1) — had been raised up. This church was now ready
to participate in the mission of the church. So, they were “ministering to the Lord (worshiping)
and fasting” (13:2). No doubt this included praying. And this is when the Holy Spirit spoke.

We’re not told exactly how it happened. Perhaps He spoke to them audibly. Perhaps He spoke
through these “prophets”. Perhaps another way. The point is that this church was led by God to
take this step. It wasn’t their own idea. And notice who the Holy Spirit wanted them to send:
“Barnabas and Saul” (13:2). He didn’t say, “Send whoever is willing to go!” He didn’t say, “Send
out the adventurous college students or the youth group.” He said to send out your two best
guys. This is like telling a modern church: “Send out your pastor and associate pastor.” Or,
“Send out your staff and the rest of you stay and keep doing the ministry.”

Why would the Holy Spirit send out the most equipped leaders in the church? Wouldn’t this
doom the church at Antioch to implosion? Of course not. This makes perfect sense. Barnabas
and Saul had done their job. They had prepared the leadership at Antioch to do the work of the
ministry (cf., Ephesians 4:11-12Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)), and now they could
go out and plant more churches. The expansion of the church could continue. Planting churches
is hard work and it only makes sense for the most equipped to go.

Opposed by the Jews everywhere (13:4-14:20)

Don’t skip too quickly past 13:4. If you had seen these three ordinary men get on a boat that
day, headed for the island of Cyprus, you probably wouldn’t have even noticed them. But this
was no ordinary trip and these were no ordinary men. Think of the importance of it. Intentional
missions had begun! This is rightly known as the first missionary journey. From that time on,
continuing to the present hour, faithful Christians have gone out in the name of Christ to
participate in this same mission that began that day with a walk to the coast, and a boat ride to a
small island in the Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus was a natural choice since it was the home of
Barnabas (4:36).
And it was there that they established a pattern that would continue into Iconium, Lystra, Derbe
and Pisidian Antioch: They went to the Jews first, then to the Gentiles. At the same time,
another pattern developed: Most of the Jews rejected the gospel while many Gentiles believed
and rejoiced. The rejection of the Jews came with jealousy (e.g., 13:44-47) and violence (e.g.,
14:19-20).

One footnote from this section: Saul became known as “Paul”. It was apparently the last place
Paul was called Saul. We aren’t told why this change happened, but perhaps it was because
“Paul” means “little”. In Ephesians 3:8Open in Logos Bible Software (if available) he called
himself, “the least of all saints”. So, perhaps this new man was given a new name by his new
friends which they felt expressed his new humility.

Modeled a timeless missions method (14:21-28)

The example of these first missionaries is crucial to see. They did their work in at least four
stages that serve as an important model for Christians of every generation. See if you can spot
those four stages:

“After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to
Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging
them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom
of God.” When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting,
they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. They passed through Pisidia and
came into Pamphylia. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work that they had accomplished. When they had arrived and gathered the church
together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a
door of faith to the Gentiles. And they spent a long time with the disciples.” (Acts 14:21–28,

Did you see that pattern? Did you find the four stages of Paul’s ministry model?

First, they preached the gospel. Some believed, some didn’t. But they didn’t stop there. Those
who believed were brought together and a church was planted.
Second, they strengthened the disciples. Sometimes they were able to stay and do this
immediately after the church was planted. Other times — as here — they “returned” to previous
cities to strengthen disciples made earlier. Both highlight an important fact: Disciples must be
trained. They must be taught so they can participate in the mission of the church. These
missionaries didn’t just do evangelism and leave. They did evangelism and then strengthened
disciples.
Third, they appointed elders. They raised up leaders and entrusted them with the ministry in that
local church, then moved on and continued their work elsewhere. Without this step, the
churches would not survive. Both this stage and the previous one necessarily took time. The
first stage can be done in a matter of days — perhaps hours — sometimes, but strengthening
churches takes time and patience.
Fourth, they returned to Antioch — the church that sent them. They reported to this church that
God had “opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they spent a long time with the disciples”
(14:27-28). So, they stayed connected to — and accountable to — their sending church. As the
rest of Acts unfolds, Paul networked the churches together as partners. Modern divisions and
distinctions are totally foreign to this practice.
Later, as he began to write letters to the churches, Paul instructed the churches to follow his
example (See 2 Timothy 1:13-142:2; 1 Corinthians 4:16-17; 11:1-2; Philippians 3:17; 4:9. He
explained in Ephesians 3:8-10 what Jesus meant in Acts 9:15when He called Paul His “chosen
instrument”. Paul was given the special role of showing God’s people the mission and purpose
of the church, so Paul’s patterns must be followed very closely.
The Message of the Church (15:1-16:5)

Some problems came from outside the church — as demonstrated in chapters 13 and 14. In
15:1-16:5, we see that problems also arose within the church. But, the two conflicts found here
ultimately resulted in very good things. The first conflict helped the early church clarify her
message for the world. The second conflict helped expand the reach of that message.

“Much debate” — The Apostles and Elders meet in The Jerusalem Council (15:1-35)

The first problem helped the church clarify the gospel message itself. Men from Judea were
teaching, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved”
(15:1). In other words, Gentiles can become Christians, but they must become Jewish
Christians — they must observe the Law. Obviously, the Gentile issue was not completely
solved in Chapter 10.

Were they right? Were Paul and Barnabas wrong? Did all those Gentile men who had believed
the gospel of Jesus now have to be circumcised? The response was The Jerusalem Council —
as it is commonly known. This was the first time church leaders came together to settle a major
theological conflict. It’s important to see that the Holy Spirit did not give a direct revelation this
time. The leadership of the church instead had “much debate” (15:7).

A gradual transition was taking place. God was giving Christian leaders more responsibility to
make decisions based on previous revelations and experience. God did not always step in and
tell believers exactly what to do and say. God wants us to know His will, but He hasn’t promised
to give us new revelations all the time. This was preparing the church for the written Scriptures.
God gave us a book! The Book! He expects us to read it and study it ourselves, but also to
discuss it with others in order to discover the truth He has revealed in and through community.
And this is not always easy. “Much debate” doesn’t appeal to a lot of Christians today, but this is
exactly what took place here in Acts 15 — and it was a very good thing.

Fortunately, “Peter stood up” (15:7) and once again became the spokesman on this important
issue. In his final appearance in this book, Peter again told the story of how God sent him to the
Gentiles (see Chapters 10-11), making it clear that Paul and Barnabas were preaching the true
gospel:

“After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, ‘Brethren, you know that
in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the
word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the
Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them,
cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon
the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But
we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also
are.’” (Acts 15:7–11,

James — believed to be the half-brother of Jesus, who by this time had become a key leader in
Jerusalem — stood and agreed with Peter. He led the council to compose a letter to be sent to
the churches. Luke included the entire letter for us:

“The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia
who are from the Gentiles, greetings. Since we have heard that some of our number to whom
we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, it seemed
good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved
Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by
word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater
burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and
from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will
do well. Farewell.” (Acts 15:23–29,

Does that seem strange? Why did they say no to the Law of Moses, but add these four
“essentials”? Essential for what? Essential for fellowship with their Jewish brothers. Remember,
these churches in Gentile territory often had both Gentiles and Jews in their membership.
Gentiles were encouraged to abstain from practices that would offend their Jewish brothers (cf.,
Romans 14). So, these were not “essential” for salvation. They were essential for fellowship.
This Jerusalem Council agreed (15:22) that Gentiles do not have to become Jews in order to
follow Christ. They agreed with Peter that “…we are saved through the grace of the Lord
Jesus…” and it’s really that simple. And this was not their own idea, but based on Peter’s
experience and the Old Testament prophets (15:16-18), it was clear that God Himself had
already settled the issue. He had taken “from among the Gentiles a people for His name”
(15:14).

“A sharp disagreement” — Barnabas and Paul part ways (15:36-16:5)

Sadly, Barnabas and Paul then parted ways after about nine years together due to “a sharp
disagreement” over Mark. As far as we know they never worked together again. To understand
how this happened, we have to start in 13:13. Luke tells us Mark “returned to Jerusalem” during
the first missionary journey. We’re not told why there, but later we learn that Mark had
“deserted” them (15:38). Barnabas, Mark’s cousin, wanted to give him a second chance. Paul
felt otherwise. Who was right? Both perspectives are justified. Paul insisted on full commitment.
Barnabas insisted on second chances.

Paul seems justified in that when he and Silas left Jerusalem, they were “committed by the
brethren to the grace of the Lord” (15:40). And, the rest of the Book of Acts focuses on Paul, not
Barnabas. But Barnabas seems justified over the long haul. Paul himself would later report that
John Mark had redeemed himself and become “helpful” again (2 Timothy 4:11. He called him a
“fellow worker” in Philemon 24. We also read that Mark worked with Peter as well (1 Peter 5:13.
And, it is widely believed that Mark served as the ghost writer for Peter’s version of the gospel
story, resulting in The Gospel of Mark.

Ultimately, we just can’t say who was wrong and who was right, and even if we could, it wouldn’t
matter. God used the disagreement for His glory. Barnabas and Mark went one way, Paul and
Silas went another way and twice as much work got done. This conflict turned into vision as
Paul added Timothy (16:1-5) to his team and Barnabas mentored John Mark so the work could
continue after they were gone. Their example is timeless. Older men need to lead, but also
need to entrust younger men with ministry (2 Timothy 2:2.

The final verse of this section not only brings this fourth movement to a close, but also reminds
us of a crucial part of the mission modeled by these great men — a mission that defines how we
are to serve Christ in our time as well: by strengthening churches:

“So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.”
(Acts 16:5,
 The Church Expands into Europe (Acts 16:6-19:20)
N.T. Wright is fond of quoting an Anglican (English) bishop from the last century: “Everywhere
St. Paul went, there was a riot; everywhere I go, they serve tea.” Which is better? Most people
would prefer tea over riots. But, still, one has to wonder whether we’re doing something
fundamentally different — even wrong — if we don’t stir up a few riots every now and then. And
remember: Jesus did it long before Paul ever did.

Movement 5: The Church Expands into Europe

The fifth movement of the Book of Acts — 16:6-19:20 — has zero tea, but plenty of riots. The
narrative begins where the fourth movement leaves off: In the middle of the second missionary
journey. Paul is no longer traveling with Barnabas, but with his new team consisting of at least
Silas, Timothy and possibly Luke — the writer of the book. The pace of travel and turmoil is
exhausting, and at first glance it seems like a random collection of riot stories. But it isn’t
random and there is much more than just riots. As you read, enjoy at least two great themes
within this movement:

Beautiful synergy between the power of God and the ministry of men.
Stark contrast between the foolishness of angry mobs of unbelievers and the wisdom of the
expanding community of believers.
Frustration and Vision in Troas (16:6-10)

We’re not told how, but the Holy Spirit “forbid . . . to speak the word in Asia” and “did not permit”
Paul and his team to go into Bithynia (16:6-7). They and others were permitted to go into these
areas later, but at that time, the Holy Spirit was moving them somewhere else. So, Paul and his
team had plans — they had an itinerary. But, the Holy Spirit was in charge. The human
ministers planned with wisdom, but they let the Holy Spirit lead. In hindsight, we see that even
though it must have been frustrating to be forbidden to go into Asia and Bithynia, the vision in
Troas from “a man of Macedonia” (16:9) led to one of the most important moments in church
history: The gospel going into Europe (and thus, the church expanding into Europe).

Faith and Beatings in Philippi (16:11-40)

This “man of Macedonia” turned out to be a woman. Though, of course, the man of Macedonia
represented all the people of Macedonia, perhaps Europe. But, Lydia was the first convert there.
Notice a very important idea: “The Lord opened her heart to respond” (16:14). This is a
mysterious combination of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. As His ambassadors, we
are to speak the truth, but pray for God to open hearts. Lydia’s hospitality — as well as her
receptivity to the gospel — serves as a great example to all: “she prevailed upon us” (16:15).

Paul then cast a demon out of a girl who had “a spirit of divination” (16:16). This angered her
masters who were profiting off the girl. So, they dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities
who had them beaten and thrown into jail. But even in this persecution, the Holy Spirit continued
to work:

“But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the
prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the
foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and
everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened,
he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But
Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!’ And he
called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and
after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said, ‘Believe in the
Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the
Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night
and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he
brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in
God with his whole household.” (Acts 16:25–34,

This was an amazing earthquake — one that unfastened the chains of prisoners. But it led to a
simple and clear presentation of the gospel of salvation — by faith alone (16:31)! Notice, the
text doesn’t say they baptized any unbelieving family members such as children too young to
believe. The clear implication is that the jailer’s entire household believed (16:34), and therefore,
his entire household was baptized.

The next day, the city officials literally begged the missionaries to leave. This may have been
partly because of the earthquake, but was also because they hadn’t realized they were Roman
citizens. Beating and imprisoning Roman citizens without a fair trial could have caused that city
a great deal of trouble. So, after encouraging the new believers there, Paul and his team moved
on (16:40).

Persuasion and Uproar in Thessalonica (17:1-9)

Now remember: They had been beaten and imprisoned in Philippi. As they limped down the
road toward Thessalonica, do you think they were tempted to lay low? Many of us might have,
but look what Paul wrote about this later:
“For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, but after we had
already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God
to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.” (1 Thessalonians 2:1–2,

We must pray for and develop “boldness in our God to speak the gospel of God (even) amid
much opposition.” Where does that kind of confidence come from? Knowing we have the right
message — the God-given message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul marched right into
Thessalonica and worked his plan: He went into the synagogues and “for three Sabbaths
reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to
suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is
the Christ’” (17:2-3). And just like before, some Gentiles believed and the Jews were jealous
and created a riot. Another reminder that we need to “reason . . . explain . . . give evidence” —
not expecting all to be persuaded, but trying anyway.

Eagerness and Agitation in Berea (17:10-14)

After “much opposition” in Thessalonica, (1 Thessalonians 2:2, Paul went down the road to
Berea, and did the same thing: He marched right into the synagogue and proclaimed the
gospel. The Bereans, however, were “more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica”. Their
example is worth our notice:

“Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word
with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”
(Acts 17:11,

Those are two great “E” words: “eagerness” and “examining”. We should all listen to gifted
teachers — whether through in-person teaching or through books and recordings — and be
“eager” to receive more and more clarity about the truth God has revealed. But, we should
never skip our own study. We should “examine” the Scriptures ourselves to see whether the
things people have said agree with what God has said.

Paul worked his plan and the Holy Spirit endorsed it. On the first missionary journey, he
evangelized the lost, established believers in the faith, then developed leaders (14:21-23). All
three stages are seen over and over again: Here, Paul evangelized the Bereans, then Silas and
Timothy (leaders Paul was developing) stayed to establish the church and raise up Berean
leaders (cf., 18:23). We’ll see in Chapter 20 that at least one leader from Berea eventually
joined Paul’s team.
Sneers and Repentance in Athens (17:15-34)

The Areopagus — also known as “Mars Hill” (KJV) — is explained in v.21. This was the
“marketplace” of ideas. The Athenians spent their time “in nothing other than telling or hearing
something new”. Some things never change! But the main thing for us to take away from this
passage is how Paul addressed them. He spoke to them in a way they could understand —
according to their world view. He began with creation (something he didn’t have to do with Jews
because their world view was rooted in Genesis), quoted their own writers (yes, Paul read more
than just the Bible), called them to repent (change their thinking about the nature of God),
warned them of judgment and presented them with the gospel — Jesus rose from the dead. He
took into account who his audience was, but he didn’t water down the gospel. His example is to
adapt the message to different people, but don’t change the gospel.

As always, the gospel polarized people:

“Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said,
‘We shall hear you again concerning this.’ So Paul went out of their midst. But some men joined
him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named
Damaris and others with them.” (Acts 17:32–34,

Blaspheming and Believing in Corinth (18:1-17)

Paul made his way to Corinth where he met Aquila and Priscilla. Aquila was called a “Jew” here,
which means Paul probably led them to Christ there, because they became great co-workers in
the ministry with him. Paul made tents with them as a way of supporting himself, but notice that
when Silas and Timothy arrived, he “began devoting himself completely to the word” (18:5). In
other words, Silas and Timothy provided for Paul and freed him up to do what he did best. So,
an important principle is modeled here: Self-support is sometimes necessary, but if we can
support ministers of the gospel on a full-time basis, we free them up to devote more time to
“testifying” for God’s kingdom.

Again, God blessed Paul’s ministry. The leader of the synagogue, Crispus, believed along with
many of the Corinthians (18:8). Paul must have considered this a strategic location because he
stayed in Corinth for a year and a half (18:11) to establish the church and raise up new leaders.
He once again angered the Jewish leaders because some of them “resisted and blasphemed”
(spoke evil of) Paul and he was taken before the “judgment seat” (bema). But nothing came of
it.

Clarification and Warfare in Asia (18:18-19:20)

Though the Holy Spirit had prevented Paul from going into Asia earlier (16:6), He now allowed
it. Most of this section took place in Ephesus, a prominent city in Asia. The stories here provide
us with two “clarifications” and an overview of spiritual warfare:

Clarification #1 in 18:24-28. Paul equipped Aquilla and Priscilla who helped Apollos. Apollos
became a great leader who spoke out boldly for the Lord and helped many others. Aquilla and
Priscilla didn’t write off Apollos just because he wasn’t clear on everything at first. They helped
him gain clarity so he could be an effective minister of the gospel.
Clarification #2 in 19:1-7. Paul came back to Ephesus (via Jerusalem and Antioch) and
encountered some disciples who had not heard of the Holy Spirit. As he questioned them, he
came to understand that they were followers of John the Baptist. So, Paul clarified the gospel
for them. He told them that John pointed people to Christ, so they believed and were baptized.
Warfare Overview in 19:8-20. Paul was doing great miracles, proving he was an Apostle. This
stirred up evil spirits in Ephesus, but “the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified”:
“Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.
And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them
in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand
pieces of silver.” (Acts 19:18–19,

This is an example of how “the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified”. One “piece of
silver” was roughly a single day’s wage. So, 50,000 pieces of silver was equal to about 50,000
day’s wages! In our time, a day’s wage is roughly $139 per day — about $51,000 per year (real
median US income according to Federal Reserve Bank in 2012). This works out to around 7
million dollars! So, we can see that these new believers were very serious about their decision
to follow Christ. It cost them a great deal.

Summary Statement: Growing and Prevailing (19:20)

The final verse of this fifth movement — like the final verse of all the movements in Acts —
provides a summary of the continuing activity in a particular region before moving on to the next
movement:

“So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.” (Acts 19:20,
“Prevailing” here is the same word found in Matthew 16:18Open in Logos Bible Software (if
available) where the word is combined with kata — the Greek word for “not”. There, Jesus
promised that the gates of hell would “not prevail” over His church. So, as we read in Acts how
“the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing” over the riotous opposition of
unbelievers as well as evil spirits and all kinds of false religions, it should encourage us to speak
out boldly, and prepare for spiritual warfare. Based on Jesus’ promise and Paul’s experience, if
our lives and ministries are as peaceful as a tea party, we need to consider whether we are truly
proclaiming our God-given message.

One final observation: Many of the cities listed in this movement are familiar to us because a
letter of Paul to these churches was later included in the New Testament (e.g., Philippians, 1 &
2 Thessalonians, and 1 & 2 Corinthians). But these cities are important for another reason:
Each of these cities was strategic. Paul and his team didn’t stop and stay in these cities for their
entire ministry. They even went through some smaller places apparently without stopping.
Paul’s strategy was to go to larger cities and light a fire. That “fire” was a local church that then
was responsible for continuing the work of evangelizing unbelievers, planting new churches and
establishing new believers in the faith, and raising up new leaders who could continue the work.
This model was not only wise and effective, but also timeless

The Church Expands into Rome, Part 1 (Acts 19:21-23:32)

“Go to this people and say, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; And you will keep
on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their
ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes; Otherwise they might see with their
eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal
them.”’ Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles;
they will also listen.’” (Acts 28:23–28,

“This people” refers to the Jews. This quote from Isaiah — here quoted by Paul, who was
speaking to Jews in Rome at the end of Acts — was also quoted by Jesus to describe the
Jewish people (Matthew 13:14-15Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). But why here —
at the end of Acts? One last warning to the Jewish people to accept Jesus as the Messiah?
Perhaps. But, Acts is for the Church, to teach us how we are to fulfill the Great Commission.
Paul was speaking to Jews, but wasn’t Luke writing this to Christians? Was he warning the
Church that we too will — at times — need to “return” to God’s original instructions? Was he
pointing out to us that we are also in danger of having dull hearts, plugged ears and closed
eyes?

“Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of
hearing.” (Hebrews 5:11,

Isn’t it possible that real Christians can “run without aim,” or run in the wrong direction —
pursuing all the wrong things?
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in
such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all
things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in
such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my
body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be
disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:24–27,
Isn’t it possible we can forget the point entirely? Lose our “first love” for God? Forget to do the
main things we’re supposed to be doing and end up off-mission?

“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where
you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will
remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:4–5

The answer to all of these questions? Of course! As we read this final movement of Acts, let it
challenge you to consider whether you need to “return” or “repent” of becoming dull of hearing
(i.e., refusing to listen). Let it challenge you to return to the way of Christ and His Apostles. Let it
challenge us to “do the deeds (the Church) did at first”. We’ll cover roughly the first half of this
sixth movement: 19:21-23:32.

No small disturbance in Ephesus (19:21–41)

The very first verse in this movement (19:21) is a clear introduction to this movement: “Paul
purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem” and then said, “I must also see Rome.” That’s exactly
what happens. But it didn’t happen according to Paul’s plans. He went to Jerusalem, and then to
Rome, but it was as a prisoner, not as a traveling missionary as Paul had planned. The word
“must” is important. As the story unfolds, we see it was not a true “must” but a very strong
determination to do what he believed God wanted. More on this later.

Notice two words in 19:22: “Sent” and “stayed”. These two words help us understand a key part
of Paul’s strategy. Paul was the master leader of his team — including Timothy and Erastus
who are mentioned here. He was constantly either sending (aposteilas, the word we get apostle
from) them or having them stay in the churches to establish and strengthen. Some of the
leaders raised up in each church stayed — such as elders and deacons. Some were sent to
help strengthen other churches. This was how Paul developed a large, complex network that
kept the churches connected and strong. More on this later as well.

“No small disturbance” (19:23) makes up the rest of chapter 19. Paul had “persuaded and
turned away a considerable number of people, saying that that gods made with hands are no
gods at all” (19:26). This angered the craftsmen, which led to another right. But, the town clerk
stepped in and convinced the crowd that a “disorderly gathering” was not a good idea. This is
another example of how “the Way” of Christ (19:23) disturbs the way of the world. We need to
expect disturbances and pray for boldness.

Breaking Bread in Troas (20:1–12)

On the journey to Troas (20:1-6), Paul was revisiting the churches for at least three months
giving “much exhortation”. Again, there were two major types of leaders in the early church: sent
leaders and stay leaders. Here we see — again — that the Pauline team was moving in and
amongst the churches continuing to strengthen and “exhort”.

The gathering in Troas (20:7-12) includes a very frightening, almost freak accident: A young
man fell asleep then fell out of a window and died! But, fortunately for him, an apostle was
present who had the gift of healing. Paul went down and raised him from the dead — “they took
away the boy alive, and were very comforted” (20:12). But, in addition to this exciting miracle,
there are also some important clues in this story about how the early church met:

“First day of the week” (20:7). This supports the historical record that the “daily” meetings of the
church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42-47eventually became weekly, and took place on Sunday
evenings.
“Broken the bread and eaten” (20:7,11). This picture supports the historical record that the
Lord’s Supper was celebrated every week and included a full meal.
“Talking to them”. There are two different Greek words used here for “talking”: dielegeto (20:7,9)
and homilesas (20:11). Both words carry the idea of conversation or dialogue. In other words,
the teaching was interactive. This type of teaching is not only Biblically acceptable but also
preferable if done well. It is less passive and people are more engaged.
We would never suggest that every detail of this passage should be legalistically imitated (e.g.,
meeting all night long), but Acts 20:7-12 fully supports the picture we have from the rest of the
New Testament as well as church history: The early church met on Sunday evenings around a
shared meal to celebrate the Lord’s Supper and discuss the Scriptures. There is a direct
connection between this type of meeting and the amazing expansion of the early church
because these meetings provided the perfect family-like environment for strong fellowship,
shepherding and outreach.

Commending Elders in Miletus (20:13–38)

This passage not only shows us Paul’s special connection with the Ephesian elders, but also
provides elders of every generation a solid vision for ministry.
First, he taught them — by his own example — to serve selflessly, with persistence and hard
work (20:19, 24, 33-35).
Second, he taught them to think of themselves as shepherds with the great responsibility of
protecting and caring for their flock — the church (20:33-35).
Third, by “commending” them to God, he taught them that they were both accountable to God
and ultimately under His care (20:32).
The love these men had for each other was evident. This is a touching goodbye (20:37-38). And
even though the Ephesians elders would have loved for Paul to stay with them permanently,
Paul knew his mission was to proclaim the gospel to those who had not yet heard and to lead in
the expansion of the church.

Begging Paul not to go to Jerusalem (21:1–16)

From Miletus — where he met with the Ephesian elders — Paul made his way to Jerusalem. All
along the way, people who loved Paul tried to persuade him not to go to Jerusalem.

“After looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through
the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.” (Acts 21:4,

“As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what
the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and
deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” When we had heard this, we as well as the local
residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem.” (Acts 21:10–12,
Paul’s response to this is truly inspirational:

“Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not
only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ And since he
would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, ‘The will of the Lord be done!’” (Acts 21:13–
14,

Remember where we started: “Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem . . . I must also
see Rome.” Why so determined? Why “must”? “For the name of the Lord Jesus”! Stop for a
moment and think about this. We’ve read as Paul faced riots of all kinds and now he says he is
ready to die for the name of the Lord Jesus. What do you think about that kind of commitment?
What does it say about Paul’s priorities? The Lord Jesus, the proclamation of His gospel and
the expansion of His church are worthy of complete devotion. Do you agree? Do you really
agree? If so, what are you willing to go through or give up for that belief? Do your priorities really
reflect that belief?

Teaching Jews to forsake Moses? (21:17-36)

This entire section (21:17-23:32) takes place in Jerusalem. Paul had said he was willing to be
bound and die for the name of the Lord Jesus and everyone had said, “The will of the Lord be
done!” This section tells us what “the will of the Lord” actually was for Paul.

“The things which God had done” (21:17-20a). Paul and James represented the two great arms
of the church: James the Jewish and Paul the Gentile. They had met before, but it had been
several years. By this time, the fruit of their ministries was obvious: thousands of Jews and
Gentiles! But notice who got the credit! Paul told them the “things which God had done” (19) and
James and the elders in Jerusalem “began glorifying God!”

“Walk orderly, keeping the Law” (21:20-26). This passage has confused people, so it’s important
to read closely. Paul had been falsely accused of teaching “Jews” to “forsake Moses”. That
wasn’t true. He taught Gentiles that they didn’t have to keep the Law (v25). But it was fine for
Jews to be “zealous for the Law” as a cultural issue. So, Paul agreed to “walk orderly, keeping
the Law”. He didn’t do this to be saved, but to “become as a Jew, so that I might win Jews” (1
Corinthians 9:20-23
Unfortunately, Paul’s act of good will did not work. Paul was accused of two things: First,
preaching against Jews, the Law and the temple, and second, for bringing Greeks into the
temple. These were false accusations. Regardless, “all the city was provoked” (21:30). The
“commander of the Roman cohort” — later identified as Claudius Lysias (23:26) — was the
leader of 1,000 soldiers stationed next to the temple. He heard the uproar and saved Paul’s life.

Here we not only see the beginning of the series of events that swept Paul from Jerusalem to
Rome, but we also see a stark contrast with the Jewish hostility: Roman justice. Three times —
just like Jesus — Paul was declared innocent by the Romans. History records that the first
Christians operated entirely within the Roman legal system. Their only true offense was the
gospel.

Sent by God to the Gentiles? (21:37–23:10)

Paul’s predicament may have seemed like a failure to the onlooker not familiar with Paul’s
determination. However, Paul saw the situation as yet another opportunity to proclaim the
gospel of Jesus Christ. He told his own story of coming to faith in Christ, and then being sent by
Jesus to take His message to the Gentiles. Like a match tossed into a powder keg, the word
“Gentiles” set off the crowd again.

But Paul wasn’t trying to cause a riot. He was trying to “win” this crowd! Paul’s message was
very sensitive to the situation and the people: He spoke in Aramaic, the “Hebrew dialect” of the
Jews (21:40), spoke of his Jewish birth (22:3), his zeal (persecution of the Way in 22:4-5), his
conversion (divine intervention of Jesus, not self-initiated in 22:6-11), Ananias (a highly
respected Jew in 22:12-16) and the vision of God sending him to the Gentiles (God-given
mission in 22:17-21). But every word was true. Why did this set them off? Perhaps their disdain
for Gentiles, but Gentile converts to Judaism weren’t new. They were probably angry because in
their minds it confirmed the accusations against Paul, bringing Gentiles into the temple.

In 22:23-30, the Commander found out Paul was a Roman citizen so he took him to the
Sanhedrin (Jewish Supreme Court) and insisted they get to the bottom of the whole skirmish.
But Paul stirred things up there too and the Commander had to once again save Paul from a
violent crowd.

Witness at Rome also (23:11–32)

Now, imagine Paul in his prison cell that night. He was probably thinking a trip to Rome was out
of the question now. But Paul received a visit and direct revelation from the Lord:

“But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, ‘Take courage; for
as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome
also.’” (Acts 23:11,

Paul did “take courage”! He went to Jerusalem because he believed it was the Lord’s will — he
was ready to die. So Jesus honored that decision by giving him assurance that provided
strength through three more trials, two years of imprisonment in Caesarea and a dangerous
voyage to Rome. Even when 40 Jews conspired against Paul (23:12-13), vowing to kill him, the
Lord showed His faithfulness immediately through the Romans. The commander answered
these 40 Jewish men with 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen — an amazing show
of strength (23:23-24).

Before this point in Acts, Luke had told the story of a Paul who was on the offensive — a man
with a bold plan to accomplish the Great Commission in his lifetime. But now, nothing was going
as planned. Paul was on the defensive. He was assaulted, arrested and put on trial. But, Paul
still had “confidence in the Lord” because of His promise. No doubt, personal visits and direct
revelations made it much easier for Paul to believe and write things like, “The Lord is faithful,
and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3,. But, whether
we receive personal visits and direct revelations or not, we too can trust that the Lord is faithful
and will strengthen us and protect us when we are doing what we know is the Lord’s will.

The Church Expands into Rome, Part 2 (Acts 23:33-28:31)

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent
as doves.” (Matthew 10:16, NASB95)
These are some of the most poetic, yet masterful words Jesus ever crafted. He spoke of four
different animals in this one verse. And, he not only explained a reality that His disciples would
face, but also taught them (us) how we should respond.

He compared His followers to sheep. He did this in other places, but here He was saying they
would be defenseless (from a human perspective). His followers — like Paul at the end of Acts
— did not have the powers of this world. They would have no armies. No offices of power. They
would appear to be defenseless when facing the wolves of this world.
He compared anyone who would oppose His followers to wolves. Most people understand this
comparison. But, why would the Good Shepherd send His “sheep in the midst of wolves”? That
is truly an amazing picture! Don’t miss the significance of this: He was sending — and continues
to send — His followers into the midst of wolves in order to win the wolves for Christ! He sends
us to preach the gospel to hostile people that they might be saved. To correct the false teachers
that they might walk in truth. To challenge long-held, false beliefs that ages of false religion
might be done away with. You might wonder how — how can this be done? That’s where the
comparison to serpents and doves comes in.
He commanded His followers to be shrewd. “Shrewd” here is phronimos. It doesn’t mean
sneaky or deceitful like a snake (i.e., Satan in Genesis 3). It means “sensible, thoughtful and
prudent.” In other words, wise. To function according to wisdom means to live skillfully. In order
for sheep to face wolves, it will take wisdom. It will take shrewdness.
He commanded His followers to be innocent. “Innocent” is akeraios. It means “pure, innocent,
unmixed.” Harmless like a dove. Jesus is the ultimate example of this. His enemies tried to trap
Him in His own words so they could condemn Him, but He was always “shrewd as a serpent”
and yet completely pure and innocent in His choices.
In the final movement of the Book of Acts, the Apostle Paul was shrewd. He was innocent. He
was defenseless before the angry mobs, the Roman armies and the powerful officials who put
him on trial. But, he was sent by Jesus into the midst of these wolves to proclaim the gospel of
Jesus Christ. And he did so with boldness and integrity. With shrewdness and innocence. He
was a great example to followers of Christ in every generation.

The Sixth Movement of Acts: The Church Expands into Rome, Part 2
We saw in the first half of this movement — Acts 19:21-23:32Open in Logos Bible Software (if
available) — that Paul had received a visit and direct revelation from the Lord:

“But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, ‘Take courage; for
as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome
also.’” (Acts 23:11, NASB95)

Paul did “take courage”. He went to Jerusalem because he believed it was the Lord’s will — he
was ready to die. So Jesus honored that decision by giving him assurance that provided
strength through four trials, two years of imprisonment in Caesarea and a dangerous voyage to
Rome. Paul had “confidence in the Lord” because of His promise, even though his
circumstances must have been baffling.

This movement consists of the four trials of Paul in which he displayed that “confidence in the
Lord”:

Paul’s defense before Felix (23:33-24:27)

Paul’s defense before Festus (25:1–12)
Paul’s defense before King Agrippa (25:13–26:32)
Paul’s defense before Caesar (27-28)
Paul’s defense before Felix (23:33–24:27)

The setting shifted from Jerusalem to Caesarea — the center of Roman power in the Holy Land.
Here, Paul would undergo three trials. The first was before Felix, who was actually a former
slave. But now, he had somehow become a Roman Procurator — the same title and position
held by the infamous Pontius Pilate who condemned Jesus to the cross.

The Jewish leaders charged Paul with three crimes:

“For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the
Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. And he even tried to
desecrate the temple; and then we arrested him. We wanted to judge him according to our own
Law.” (Acts 24:5–6))
Paul defended himself by explaining that he was not a troublemaker (24:10-14). In fact, he still
served “the God of our fathers”. He admitted he was part of “the Way,” but still believed
“everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets” (24:14-16).
And, he definitely did not desecrate the temple and cause an uproar. He pointed out that his
accusers (from Asia) weren’t even there (24:17-20), suggesting they knew this was a false
accusation. But, Paul got to the heart of the whole thing in v.21:

“For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.” (Acts 24:21,

Felix delayed judgment and just kept Paul in custody for over two years. Felix’s marriage to
Drusilla was his third and he had to break up another marriage to get her. His rule was marked
by injustices and a complete lack of self-control. So Paul not only preached “faith in Christ”
Jesus to this man, but also “righteousness, self-control and judgment” (24:24-27). Before he
made a decision about Paul, Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus. So, a new trial became
necessary.

Paul’s defense before Festus (25:1–12)

The new governor, Festus, was traveling through Jerusalem and was confronted by the Jewish
leaders. They requested that Paul be sent to Jerusalem, but Festus told them to come to
Caesarea instead. They did. And again asked that Paul be sent to Jerusalem because they
were secretly plotting to kill him there.

Paul knew he could not get a fair trial in Jerusalem, and the 40 Jewish men who had vowed not
to eat until Paul was dead, were still plotting to kill him (they must have been very hungry by this
time because it was around two years later). So, Paul claimed the right of every Roman citizen
to be tried in Rome itself, in Caesar’s court. Festus was probably just looking for a way out, so
he quickly agreed (25:11-12).

Paul’s defense before King Agrippa (25:13–26:32)

A few days later King Agrippa came to visit the new governor. Agrippa came from a long line of
those who were hostile to the faith. This Agrippa was the great-grandson of the King Herod who
tried to kill the Baby Jesus. His grandfather had beheaded John the Baptist. His father had
martyred the Apostle James. He himself was a puppet-king of the Romans and a very shady
character. In fact, Luke tells us he came with “Bernice” (25:13) — his sister. Historians tell us
rumors abounded of their incestuous relationship. This is the kind of man he was. And now, he
asked to hear Paul. Festus arranged it.
The proceedings began with a speech by Festus in which Paul is once again declared “not
guilty” by a Roman authority (25:25). Agrippa then permitted Paul to speak. Paul’s defense is
masterful and bold — a perfect example of what it is to be “shrewd as a serpent and innocent as
a dove”. It is “shrewd” because he honored the authority of these men, he included his personal
testimony and Biblical prophecy in making his case. It is “innocent” in that his intentions were to
preach “hope” (26:6-7) and the gospel message to all (26:29) — even an invitation for Herod to
believe:

“King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do.” Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a
short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.” And Paul said, “I would wish to God,
that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might
become such as I am, except for these chains.”” (Acts 26:27–29

That’s incredible boldness when we remember who King Agrippa was and who his family was.
Apparently, Paul’s words were so powerful that these powerful men had no response. They just
left (26:30-31). Did they believe Paul’s message? We don’t know. But, they agreed that Paul
was innocent (26:31-32).

Paul’s Defense Before Caesar (27:1-28:14)

The first and longest part of this section is a good bit of detail about Paul just getting to Rome.
Then, we’re given a brief description of his imprisonment in Rome while waiting to stand trial
before Caesar.

If you take the time as you read 27:1-28:14 to highlight every location on a map, you get a clear
picture of something: God was in complete control! Raging storms, shipwreck and poisonous
vipers were no challenge to God’s sovereignty over the spread of the gospel and the expansion
of the church.

It also confirms that the Bible is historically accurate. Luke was an eyewitness of these things
and he interviewed other eyewitnesses so he could give future generations a detailed record
(1:1-2). Toward the end of the nineteenth century, a group of Scottish unbelievers decided to
expose errors in the Bible. They designated one of their number to visit all the places Luke
mentioned that Paul visited, with a view to proving the record in Acts inaccurate. The man
chosen was Sir William Ramsay, who, after thorough study of the matter, concluded that Luke
was accurate in every detail. Ramsay became a Christian, and wrote several books on Acts and
Paul in defense of God’s Word.*
“…And thus we came to Rome,” Luke wrote matter-of-factly in 28:14. Paul was arrested in
Jerusalem in 21:33 and arrived in Rome in 28:14 — about seven chapters. It took more than
three years, but it was the fulfillment of God’s promise (23:11). It was also a fulfillment of Paul’s
“longing” (Romans 1:9-15; 15:20-33

Once again — even as a prisoner — Paul arranged to take the gospel first to the Jews (28:17-
24). Remember, he saw his message not as counter to his Jewish heritage, but the fulfillment of
it. And the response of the Jews in Rome leads us to the final, curious words of this seemingly
unfinished book:

“And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one
parting word, ‘The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying,
“Go to this people and say, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; And you will keep
on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their
ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes; Otherwise they might see with their
eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal
them.’ Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles;
they will also listen.”” (Acts 28:25–28

This passage from Isaiah was first quoted by Jesus to describe the Jewish people (Matthew
13:14-15. But again, why here — at the end of Acts? Acts is for the church, to teach us how we
are to live the Great Commission. Was Luke warning us that we are also in danger of having
dull hearts, plugged ears and closed eyes? Of course we are (1 Corinthians 10:1-12O; Hebrews
5:11

But we must take careful note of the solution. The key word is “return” (28:27). To “return” is to
return to faithfully following God. It is repentance and revival and returning to the original
instructions found in the Scriptures. This is the medicine for dull hearts, plugged ears and closed
eyes. Any time we get off-track, we need to “return” to God’s ways and “be healed”.

The final two verses of Acts tack on at least two more years to Paul’s imprisonment — around
five years total from the time he was arrested in Jerusalem. But, he used that time well. Not only
was he “welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered” (28:31), but we also know he
was writing. He wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon at some point during
these two years.

But the question every reader asks as Acts comes to a close is: Did Paul stand before Caesar?
The simple answer is yes because God promised it would happen:
“For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me,
saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted
you all those who are sailing with you.’ Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God
that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.” (Acts 27:23–25,

Even though Luke concluded Acts without writing the account of that trial, we can — like Paul —
“believe God that it (did) turn out exactly” as Paul was told it would. We can only speculate
about why Luke didn’t include such an important event. We just don’t know. Perhaps Luke died.
Perhaps Paul sent Luke to help a church somewhere else and he and Paul never traveled
together again. What we do know is that Paul was released from prison shortly after the end of
Acts, traveled more, and eventually wrote his later letters to Titus and Timothy.

But, perhaps Luke was led by the Holy Spirit to leave Acts unfinished. After all, the story is
unfinished even in our time. Perhaps Acts was intended to feel unfinished because the work of
the Church of Jesus Christ is ongoing and unfinished. We are — should be — living out the
continuing story of Acts.

Pastor and author, Stuart Briscoe once said: “Read the Gospel of Luke and regard it as Volume
1 of what Jesus did in His body. Then read Acts and entitle that Volume 2. Then get together
and say, ‘Now we’re going to write Volume 3.

References: https://www.shaunlepage.com/?p=560