To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear Him who after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. - Luke 12:4-5 -
I shall not call you servants anymore,
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear Him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. - Matthew 10:28 -
'Fear God and praise Him because the time has come for Him to sit in judgement; worship the maker of heaven and earth and sea and every water-spring.' - Revelation 14:7 -
because a servant does not know
his/her master's business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father. - John 15:15 -'Fear God and praise Him because the time has come for Him to sit in judgement; worship the maker of heaven and earth and sea and every water-spring.' - Revelation 14:7 -
"IT IS TRUE, GOD SENT HIS WORD TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, AND IT WAS TO THEM THAT THE GOOD NEWS OF PEACE WAS BROUGHT BY JESUS CHRIST - BUT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF ALL MEN.
YOU MUST HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE RECENT HAPPENINGS IN JUDAEA; ABOUT JESUS OF NAZARETH AND HOW HE BEGAN IN GALILEE, AFTER JOHN THE BAPTIST HAD BEEN PREACHING BAPTISM. GOD HAD ANOINTED HIM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WITH POWER, AND BECAUSE GOD WAS WITH HIM, JESUS WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD AND CURING ALL WHO HAD FALLEN INTO THE POWER OF THE DEVIL.
NOW I, ( SIMON PETER / PETER ) AND THOSE WITH ME, CAN WITNESS TO EVERYTHING JESUS DID THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRYSIDE OF JUDAEA AND IN JERUSALEM ITSELF; AND ALSO TO THE FACT THAT THEY KILLED HIM BY HANGING HIM ON A TREE, YET THREE DAYS AFTERWARDS GOD RAISED HIM TO LIFE AND ALLOWED HIM TO BE SEEN, NOT BY THE WHOLE PEOPLE BUT ONLY BY CERTAIN WITNESSES GOD HAD CHOSEN BEFOREHAND.
NOW WE ARE THOSE WITNESSES - WE HAVE EATEN AND DRUNK WITH HIM AFTER HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD - AND JESUS CHRIST HAS ORDERED US TO PROCLAIM THIS TO HIS PEOPLE AND TO TELL THEM THAT GOD HAS APPOINTED HIM TO JUDGE EVERYONE, ALIVE AND DEAD.
IT IS TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THAT ALL THE PROPHETS BEAR THIS WITNESS: THAT ALL WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS WILL HAVE THEIR SINS FORGIVEN THROUGH HIS NAME." - ACTS 10:36-43 -
The apostolic letter
Then the apostles and elders decided to choose delegates to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; the whole church concurred with this. They chose Judas known as Barsabbas [ Not mentioned elsewhere, cf. 1:23.] and Silas [ Silas, missionary companion of Paul, 15:40-18:5, is the same as the Silvanus mentioned in 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:19; 1 Peter 5:12.] both leading men in the brotherhood, and gave them this letter to take with them:
'The apostles and elders, your brothers, send greetings to the brothers of pagan birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. We hear that some of our members have disturbed you with their demands and have unsettled your minds. They acted without any authority from us, and we have decided unanimously to elect delegates and to send them to you with Barnabas and Paul, men we highly respect who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly we are sending you Judas and Silas, who will confirm by word of mouth what we have written in this letter.
It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to saddle you with any burden beyond these essentials: you are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from fornication. Avoid these, and you will do what is right. [ Western Text adds 'under the guidance of the Holy Spirit'.] Farewell.' - Acts 15:22-29 -
The party left and went down to Antioch, where they summoned the whole community and delivered the letter. The community read it and were delighted with the encouragement it gave them. Judas and Silas, being themselves prophets, spoke for a long time, encouraging and strengthening the brothers. These two spent some time there, and then the brothers wished them peace and they went back to those who had sent them. [ Western Text adds v. 34. 'But Silas decided to stay there.' Several MSS further and 'Judas set out by himself'.] Paul and Barnabas, however, stayed on in Antioch, and there with many others they taught and proclaimed the Good News, the word of the Lord. - Acts 15:30-35 -
IV. PAUL'S MISSIONS
Paul separates from Barnabas and recruits Silas
On a later occasion Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us go back and visit all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord, so that we can see how the brothers are doing'. Barnabas suggested taking John Mark, but Paul was not in favour of taking along the very man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had refused to share in their work.
After a violent quarrel they parted company, and Barnabas sailed off with Mark to Cyprus. Before Paul left, he chose Silas to accompany him and was commended by the brothers to the grace of God. [ Var. 'the grace of the Lord'.] - Acts 15:36-40 -
Lycaonia: Paul recruits Timothy
He travelled through Syria and Cilicia, consolidating the churches. [ Western Text ads 'passing on to them the injunctions of the elders', cf. 16:4.] - Acts 15:41 -
From there he went to Derbe, and then on to Lystra. Here there was a disciple called Timothy, [ Timothy became Paul's constant companion, cf. 17:14f; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4; 1 Thess. 3:2,6; 1 Cor. 4:17; 16:10; 2 Cor. 1:19; Rom. 16:21, and one of his most faithful disciples to the very end (see 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy which are addressed to him).] whose mother was a Jewess who had become a believer; but his father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy, and Paul who wanted to have him as a travelling companion, had him circumcised. This was on account of the Jews in the locality [ Paul opposed circumcision for converts from paganism, Gal. 2:3; 5:1-12, but Timothy had a Jewish mother and so, by Jewish law, was an Israelite.] where everyone knew his father was a Greek.
As they visited one town after another, they passed on the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, with instructions to respect them.
So the churches grew strong in the faith, as well as growing daily in numbers. - Acts 16:1-5 -
The crossing into Asia Minor
They travelled through Phrygia and the Galatian country, [ Galatia strictly so called, cf. Introduction to the Letters of Saint/Apostle Paul. When he left Iconium therefore, Paul intended to travel westwards to Ephesus. But the Spirit intervened and he turned N. into Phrygia, then, in a north-westerly direction to 'Galatian country', where illness kept him for a time. Gal. 4:13-15, preached the gospel in these places and returned later to visit the disciples there, Acts 18:23.] having been told by the Holy Spirit not to preach the word in Asia. When they reached the frontier of Mysia they thought to cross it into Bithynia, but as the Spirit of Jesus [ Om. 'of Jesus'.] would not allow them, they went through [ Preferable to 'they skirted'.] Mysia and came down to Troas.
One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared and appealed to him in these words, 'Come across to Macedonian and help us'. Once he had seen this vision we [ Sudden transition to first person plural: the first 'We-section' of Acts, but see 11:27+. Cf. Introduction.] lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to bring them the Good News. - Acts 16:6-10 -
Arrival at Philippi
Sailing from Troas we made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis, and from there for Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that particular district of Macedonia. [ Philippi, a town in the principal district of the province of Macedonia; it had become a Roman colony and was a completely Latin city, its administration modelled on that of Rome.] After a few days in this city we went along the river outside the gates as it was the Sabbath and this was a customary place for prayer. [ The Jews had no synagogue in Philippi; they met by the side of the river (for ritual ablutions).]
We sat down and preached to the women who had come to the meeting. One of these women was called Lydia, a devout woman from the town of Thyatira who was in the purple-dye trade. She listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptised [ Lydia's conversion brought her household to the faith; cf. 10:33; 16:31, 34; 18:8; 1 Cor. 1:16.] she sent us an invitation: 'If you really think me a true believer in the Lord,' she said 'come and stay with us'; and she would take no refusal. [ Unusual for Paul: cf. 20:33-35; 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8; 1 Cor. 9, though on a later occasion the Philippians persuaded him to accept help again, cf. Phil. 4:10-18. He would have accepted it from no one else; it is the greatest compliment to the charity of Lydia and of the other Philippian Christians.] - Acts 16:11-15 -
Imprisonment of Paul and Silas
Page 52
Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. On a later occasion Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us go back and visit all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord, so that we can see how the brothers are doing'. Barnabas suggested taking John Mark, but Paul was not in favour of taking along the very man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had refused to share in their work.
After a violent quarrel they parted company, and Barnabas sailed off with Mark to Cyprus. Before Paul left, he chose Silas to accompany him and was commended by the brothers to the grace of God. [ Var. 'the grace of the Lord'.] - Acts 15:36-40 -
Lycaonia: Paul recruits Timothy
He travelled through Syria and Cilicia, consolidating the churches. [ Western Text ads 'passing on to them the injunctions of the elders', cf. 16:4.] - Acts 15:41 -
From there he went to Derbe, and then on to Lystra. Here there was a disciple called Timothy, [ Timothy became Paul's constant companion, cf. 17:14f; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4; 1 Thess. 3:2,6; 1 Cor. 4:17; 16:10; 2 Cor. 1:19; Rom. 16:21, and one of his most faithful disciples to the very end (see 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy which are addressed to him).] whose mother was a Jewess who had become a believer; but his father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy, and Paul who wanted to have him as a travelling companion, had him circumcised. This was on account of the Jews in the locality [ Paul opposed circumcision for converts from paganism, Gal. 2:3; 5:1-12, but Timothy had a Jewish mother and so, by Jewish law, was an Israelite.] where everyone knew his father was a Greek.
As they visited one town after another, they passed on the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, with instructions to respect them.
So the churches grew strong in the faith, as well as growing daily in numbers. - Acts 16:1-5 -
The crossing into Asia Minor
They travelled through Phrygia and the Galatian country, [ Galatia strictly so called, cf. Introduction to the Letters of Saint/Apostle Paul. When he left Iconium therefore, Paul intended to travel westwards to Ephesus. But the Spirit intervened and he turned N. into Phrygia, then, in a north-westerly direction to 'Galatian country', where illness kept him for a time. Gal. 4:13-15, preached the gospel in these places and returned later to visit the disciples there, Acts 18:23.] having been told by the Holy Spirit not to preach the word in Asia. When they reached the frontier of Mysia they thought to cross it into Bithynia, but as the Spirit of Jesus [ Om. 'of Jesus'.] would not allow them, they went through [ Preferable to 'they skirted'.] Mysia and came down to Troas.
One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared and appealed to him in these words, 'Come across to Macedonian and help us'. Once he had seen this vision we [ Sudden transition to first person plural: the first 'We-section' of Acts, but see 11:27+. Cf. Introduction.] lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to bring them the Good News. - Acts 16:6-10 -
Arrival at Philippi
Sailing from Troas we made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis, and from there for Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that particular district of Macedonia. [ Philippi, a town in the principal district of the province of Macedonia; it had become a Roman colony and was a completely Latin city, its administration modelled on that of Rome.] After a few days in this city we went along the river outside the gates as it was the Sabbath and this was a customary place for prayer. [ The Jews had no synagogue in Philippi; they met by the side of the river (for ritual ablutions).]
We sat down and preached to the women who had come to the meeting. One of these women was called Lydia, a devout woman from the town of Thyatira who was in the purple-dye trade. She listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptised [ Lydia's conversion brought her household to the faith; cf. 10:33; 16:31, 34; 18:8; 1 Cor. 1:16.] she sent us an invitation: 'If you really think me a true believer in the Lord,' she said 'come and stay with us'; and she would take no refusal. [ Unusual for Paul: cf. 20:33-35; 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8; 1 Cor. 9, though on a later occasion the Philippians persuaded him to accept help again, cf. Phil. 4:10-18. He would have accepted it from no one else; it is the greatest compliment to the charity of Lydia and of the other Philippian Christians.] - Acts 16:11-15 -
Imprisonment of Paul and Silas
Page 52
By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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