Southern Christian University

Acts Class Session 07

James A. Turner

Please turn to Acts thirteen and let us begin reading with verse sixteen. Here in the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of Acts, we are reading about Paul and Barnabas going on the first missionary journey as recorded in the book of Acts. Now, this does not mean that this was the first missionary journey that Paul had been on because II Corinthians chapter eleven, the latter part, shows that he had already been on several journeys before he and Barnabas go on this first journey as recorded here in the thirteenth and fourteen chapters of Acts. And the churches that they established on this journey, I think very definitely are the churches of Galatia that the epistle to the Galatians is addressed to. This has been well-established by historical research on the part, I believe the man's name was Sir Walter. I do not remember his last name right now. But, anyway, it has been well-established from the point of historical research and surely from the standpoint of Bible history here. If these are not the churches that made up the churches of Galatia, then we do not have a record of the establishment of those churches. Paul and Barnabas established the churches of Galatia on this first journey. They consisted of the church at Antioch of Pisidia, the church at Iconium, the church at Lystra and the church at Derbe. In Acts sixteen, we read that Paul revisited these churches on his second journey in company with Silas and then added Timothy on the way. He revisited them again on his third journey as shown by Acts eighteen verses twenty-two and twenty-three and then Acts nineteen beginning. So these are the churches of Galatia.

Let us pick up -- We read a few verses past verse sixteen, but let us pick up with Acts thirteen and verse sixteen. Paul is in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia, and this is the first church that they establish on this journey. "Paul stood up and beckoning with the hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, hearken. The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people, when they sojourned in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm led he them out of it." And that means that God brought them out with great substance as he had promised that he would. After all, they had been in bondage a long time and they had a right to some reward of their being in bondage, and God saw to it that they went out with great resources. He had them to ask the Egyptians for whatever they wanted, and the Egyptians pretty well gave them everything they wanted, and they went out with a lot of silver and gold, plus their flocks and their herds. Verse eighteen, "For about the time of forty years as a nursing father bare he them in the wilderness." If you remember the Old Testament account, you know that they could have gone into the land of Canaan in about two years. But when God was ready for them to go in after the twelve men had been sent to spy out the land, the people rebelled, and God caused them to wander for thirty-eight more years to make forty years, a year for every day that those men spied out the land of Canaan. But God took care of them. He brought forth water from a rock on two different occasions to plenty of water to that multitude of people, a small nation of people, plus their flocks and their herds. And he gave them manna from heaven to eat, and they would go out early in the morning and gather the manna. And that is what it means, of course, speaking of God taking care of them like a nursing father, for forty years in the wilderness.

Acts 13:19, "And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance for about four hundred and fifty years. And after these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet." Most of the judges were a little more than military leaders whom God raised up to deliver them from their enemies. The period of the judges was a period that is described twice in the book of Judges as being a time when, “there was no king in Israel, and every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Some think that the fault was that they did not have a king, but that was not the case. God was supposed to have been their king, but they turned away from God during this period of time, and God would let their enemies afflict them sorely. When they would finally repent, God would raise up a judge, a military leader to deliver them from their enemies. Usually they were somewhat about faithful until the death of the judge, and then they went back in great sin again, and when they would cry to God for deliverance, he would raise up another judge. The last judge, Samuel, was very different from the other judges. Samuel was a good judge and he also served as a priest for them. God cut off the house of Eli because of those very sinful sons that despised the word of the Lord. They took portions of the sacrifices contrary to the law, and they also lay with the women that served at the tent of meeting. They were vile men, and God cut off the house of Eli because of it (II Samuel 2:12-4:22.

Acts 13:22, "And after they asked for a king: And God gave them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years." When the people went to Samuel and wanted a king, Samuel thought that they were rejecting him, but God told him that they are not rejecting you, they are rejecting me. God told Samuel to tell them the requirements of the king, and if they still insisted on a king, then let them have a king, and they still wanted a king. They wanted to be like the nations round about them. And the first king was Saul the son of Kis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin for the space of forty years. King Saul was a very humble person when he was first anointed as king, but the matter of being king went to his head in a big way, and it was not long until he had turned away from God. God gave him a second chance by giving him instruction to go down and destroy all of the Amalekites, all the people and all their animals, but he failed that test (I Samuel 15:1-28). The people wanted to carry back some of the fatted oxen to have a big sacrifice unto the Lord, and God had Samuel to reprove him because he had disobeyed God.

Acts 13:22, "And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king: To whom also he bear witness, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, who shall do all of my will. Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise brought unto Israel a savior, Jesus: And when John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel." You remember that God sent to John the Baptist to prepare the way for the Lord as set forth in Isaiah 40:3-5 and as given in Malachi 3:1 and Malachi 4:5-6. John made very good preparations for the ministry of Christ. And as stated here, when John had first preached before his coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. I can remember when some of our brethren would say that John's baptism was just a baptism of repentance, that it was not for remission of sins, but that is not what the Bible teaches. Remember the question that Jesus asked the chief priests and Pharisees when they came to him, when he cleansed the temple the second time, as given in Matthew 21:23-32. They wanted to know by what authority he was doing the things that he was doing and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus said, I will ask you a question, and if you will answer it, I will tell you by what authority I do these things. He said, “the baptism of John, whence was it from heaven or from men?” That is a very good question that needs to be asked by religious people today. Is this the way that the Lord has instructed us to worship, is it from heaven or is it from men? That makes all the difference. John's baptism was from heaven, and those who received it received remission of sins. Mark 1:4 plainly states that John's baptism was for King James Version or -- unto in the American Standard Version -- remission of sins, so does Luke 3:3. And those who rejected John’s baptism remained in a lost condition. Luke 7:30 reads that, “the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, not being baptized of John.” So John's baptism was preparing a good highway for the Lord or a good way for Christ to follow. His baptism was for remission of sins.

Acts 13:25, "And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, Who suppose ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to unloose." Of course, John was speaking of Christ that was to follow him. "Brethren, and children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us is the word of this salvation sent forth." Acts 13:26 shows that there were Gentiles that were worshiping with the Jews in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia. He must be referring to the Gentiles when he says “and those among you that fear God.” I wonder if the Gentiles did not sit somewhere separate from the Jews in the synagogues, and if so, you see how Paul could have looked over to the Gentile people and said that those among you that fear God. "Brethren, children of the stock of Abraham." Of course, that would refer to the Jewish people in the synagogue. "And those among you that fear God." See, that would not be a very good statement, if it was not referring to the Gentile people. It would seem to say that there are not many in this synagogue who fear God, but think of it as the Gentile people that were worshiping with the Jews and it makes good sense. "And those among you that fear God, to us is the word, and this salvation set forth. For they dwelt in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him." Of course, the Old Testament prophets taught how that Jesus would be condemned. Think of Isaiah chapter fifty-three, plus several of the Psalms, where the writers through the Holy Spirit spake of the sufferings of Christ. Isaiah fifty-three details a number of things about the death of Christ more than seven hundred years before Christ was born of the virgin Mary. Even though they read portions of the law and the prophets in the synagogue worship, they did not come to proper conclusion in regard to many of those Old Testament prophecies, and they fulfilled them by condemning Jesus as given here in verse twenty-seven. "For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, they yet asked they of Pilate that he should be slain." Remember that they even got false witnesses to testify against Jesus, but even those false witnesses did not agree, and they violated many of the rules of the Sanhedrin Court when that Court condemned Jesus to death. They did not have the authority to exercise the death penalty, so they went to Pilate and called upon him to give Jesus the death penalty. Verse twenty-nine, "When they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb." And I believe we discussed the meaning as to why Paul and Peter referred to Christ as being hanged on a tree. And remember from Galatians chapter three where Paul says, "That Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us: For it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." And he was quoting from Deuteronomy twenty-one, I believe. The Jewish people usually put people to death by stoning them to death. But it must have been when they had what they thought of as a person committing a real bad crime, beyond just ordinary death penalty cases, that they hanged them on a tree. Reading from Galatians 3:13 again, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us: For it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." And the passage quoted is Deuteronomy 21:23. And if you turn back and read that Old Testament reference, a man that they hanged was to be taken down before dark, and then the statement, “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”

Acts 13:30, "But God raised him from the dead." Notice that Paul in his sermon to these people in the synagogue of Antioch of Pisidia is presenting the facts of the gospel, just like Peter did in that first sermon on Pentecost after the ascension of Christ. And so about the death of Christ, they fulfilled the scriptures by putting him to death. But verse thirty, "God raised him from the dead. And he was seen for many days of them that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the people." And that would be referring especially to the apostles. And they were the ones that Christ had chosen. They were eyewitnesses, having been eyewitnesses of Christ during that long ministry of about three-and-a-half years. And they were eyewitnesses of him after he was raised from the dead. Jesus met with them on at least two occasions during that forty-day period. And so they were the primary ones that were eyewitnesses of the Lord's resurrection from the dead so far as the preaching and teaching of the gospel. Now we read in I Corinthians 15:5-7 where Jesus appeared to above five hundred brethren at once during that forty-day period, but I think this is talking about especially the apostles. "And he was seen for many days of them that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the people." And remember when the Lord appeared to Saul of Tarsus, he appeared to him to make him an eyewitness of his resurrection so that he could be an apostle, especially to the Gentile people.

Acts 13:32, "And we bring you good tidings, of the promise made unto the fathers, that God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he raised up Jesus; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." I would like for you to underscore the latter part of verse thirty-three. I can remember the day when I thought that that reference referred to the virgin birth of Christ, and that reference is quoted three times in the New Testament. It is quoted here in Acts 13:33 and in Hebrews 1:5 and 5:5. But notice that Paul applies this verse from the second chapter of the book of Psalms to the resurrection of Christ. Note the reading again of verse thirty-three, "God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he hath raised up Jesus." So the inspired apostle says that Psalm 2:7 was a prophecy of the resurrection of Christ. As was also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."

Let us turn back to the second Psalms, and notice that this is one of several Psalms about Christ. Reading beginning with verse one, "Why do the nations rage, and the people meditate a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying. Is this not the reference that when Peter and John went back to their company, that they quoted in their prayer to God. Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens will laugh: But the Lord will have them in derision. Then will he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will tell thee of the decree: Jehovah hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance." In the book of Isaiah, that is really emphasized that God would give Christ to be a light and a covenant to the Gentiles. "Ask of thee and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Now therefore be wise, O ye kings: Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve Jehovah with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, for his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are they that take refuge in him." And so that surely holds, blessed are the people that take refuge in Christ (Hebrews 6:18-20).

Back to 13:34, "And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said spoken on this wise, I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David." And that has reference to Christ being raised up to rule on the throne of David, which was God's throne, I Chronicles 29:23. "I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David, because he saith also in another psalm, Thou wilt not give thine Holy One to see corruption." I hope you remember in Acts two that the apostle Peter quoted from the same Psalm, Psalm sixteen in his sermon on Pentecost, but Paul here just refers to verse ten, which is very definitely about Christ, that his body would not see corruption. "Thou wilt not give thy Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he who God raised up, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins: And by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." Actually the Old Testament law by itself did not completely save anyone. We learn from the first five chapters of the book of Leviticus that when a person under the law learned that he had sinned, he was to take an animal that the law specified for his sin to the place where the tabernacle was, and that place was Shiloh for more than three hundred years. And there at the altar of burnt offerings, he was to lay his hand upon the animal, signifying surely to him that I am the one that deserves to die, but this animal is being offered in his stead. The law required the sinner to lay hands upon the head of the animal, and then kill the animal, and then the priest took over and sprinkled the blood, and did the other things, that according to the instruction, that God gave the priests, and that gave them temporary atonement. And then in the seventh month, I believe it was on the tenth day of the month, that they had that day of annual atonement when the high priest went into the most holy place of the tabernacle not without blood, which he offered for his sins and the sins of his family and then later for the people. The sixteenth chapter of Leviticus gives the details of the priests in the process of making atonement. So they had a system of making annual atonement. They were to afflict themselves on that day, usually considered that they were to fast on that day. But there was no complete forgiveness of sin under the law.

Now, those who died in covenant relationship with God through the offering up of animal sacrifices, when Christ died on the cross, his blood reached back and completely cleansed them. Hebrews 9:15, the writer says, "For a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions of those that were under the first." So they were not justified by the law. But everyone who believes and, of course, belief there is spoken of in that sense of obeying and doing as the Lord commands. We have already noticed several passages from this book which teach very plainly that there are several things that a sinner must do in order to be saved. Those chapters from Leviticus show that there were things that they had to do in order to receive a temporary atonement. But under the New Testament law, when sins are forgiven, they are forgiven completely and forever. Those sins are never brought against a person again. And that is in Hebrews 8:12, “Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Under the Old Testament law, there was remembrance made of their sins year by year.

Acts 13:40, "Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken in the prophets." I wonder if Paul was not able to see that there were those that were turning a deaf ear to his teaching about there being a way of complete forgiveness in Christ. It is very different from the Old Testament system. And, he says, "Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken in the prophets; behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: For I work a work in your days, A work which ye shall in no wise believe, if one declare it unto you. And as they went out they besought that these words might be spoken to them the next Sabbath." It looks like there must have been Jews and Gentiles that wanted him to speak to them the next Sabbath. But Paul and Barnabas must have really done a lot of teaching among the Gentiles before that next Sabbath, and the next Sabbath day, the whole city came out to hear them, and that stirred many of the Jews to jealousy. Verse forty-three, "Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes." Devout proselytes were those Gentiles worshiping with the Jews. And for a person to be counted as a complete proselyte, the men were to be circumcised like the Jews. So Jews and devout proselytes “followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.” The grace of God is that unmerited favor that comes to us because of God's kindness, love, and mercy toward us.

Acts 13:44, "And the next Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy." I guess they had attracted the attention of the Gentiles more in one week than they had been able to attract the attention of the Gentiles to worship with them in many years, and they were filled with jealousy. "And contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul and blaspheming." They rejected and spoke against and railed against the teaching of Paul and Barnabas. What did Paul and Barnabas do? "And Paul and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you: Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for their salvation unto the uttermost part of the earth." And that quotation there in verse thirty-seven is from the forty-ninth chapter of Isaiah and verse six. It is one of many passages in the book of Isaiah which emphasizes that the family of the new Israel of God would be greatly increased by the bringing in of the Gentile people.

And today the Israel of God is made up of Jews and Gentiles who obey the gospel of Christ. Romans 2:28-29 reads, "For he is not a Jew, which is one outward in the flesh; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, and not of the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." And in Philippians chapter three, Paul said to the Philippians, “we are the circumcision which worship God and glory in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh,” Meaning that though he was a Jew, he did not expect to be saved on the basis of being a descendant of Abraham, but by faith in Christ. Verse forty-eight is a very important verse that you need to give proper thought to. "And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God: And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Now, note the latter part of verse forty-eight, as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Just as many, not one more, and not one less than those who were ordained to eternal life believed in that company of Gentiles that were present on this occasion. I guess all of you know that in respect to the strictest form of the Old Calvinist doctrine, the way that they would use a reference like this was that God, before the foundation of the world, chose those who would be saved. And those that God elected to be saved would be saved, and those that God did not elect, he just did not elect them, and there was nothing they could do about it. Well, that would surely make God a respecter of persons. In fact, it would make him an unjust and unrighteous God to create people and condemn them to a devil's hell. And that is about what it would amount to, would it not? Our brethren knew that that was false a doctrine, and some of them turned to the other extreme as though God really has not ordained and predestined anything. But the Bible teaches very plainly that God has foreordained and predestined some things, and that was even before he made man.

Please write down in an appropriate place in your Bible, Ephesians 1:3-5, Romans 8:29-30, I Peter 1:20, and II Timothy 1:9. And those are not all of the references, but those ought to be sufficient to tell us very plainly that God foreordained and predestined some things. Let me see if I can quote from Ephesians chapter one, beginning with verse three, where the writer said, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ: Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having -- Does it say predestined? I guess I need to turn and read it. Ephesians chapter one, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ: Even as he hath chose us in him." Please underscore before the foundations of the world. "That we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: Having foreordained. And underscore foreordained. us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." So this passage says that those Ephesian Christians had been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, that they would be God's holy people, without blemish before him in love. "Having foreordained us, to the adoption of sons through Jesus Christ unto himself." And then in the reference in the eighth chapter of Romans, we read that God foreordained people. Romans 8:29-30, "For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." Christ is the firstborn of them that sleep, of the firstborn that are raised from the dead to die no more. And when Christ comes in the second advent, all will be raised (Acts 17:31; John 5:28-29) and all the faithful will be raised and be given glorious immortal bodies likened to the body of our Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20-21; I John 3:1-2). And so God foreordained. "For whom he foreknew, he always foreordained or predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. And whom he foreordained, them he also called. And whom he called, them he also justified: And whom he justified, them he also glorified." And so God has foreordained and predestined some things. And in I Timothy, Paul says that he did this, I believe he stated before times eternal. And I guess I better turn and read that reference. II Timothy 1:9, "Who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal." So note that this verse says that God saved us and called us with a holy calling in Christ before times eternal. Now, would not that be the same as before the foundation of the world as given in Ephesians 1:3-5? And in I Peter 1:19-20, Peter talks about how that we are redeemed by the precious blood of the lamb without spot, without blemish, even the blood of Christ, who was foreknown before times eternal. In other words, manifest at the end of these times, I believe it says, for your sake. I guess we better turn, and read that reference, and make sure we have it right. Let us pick up with I Peter 1:18, "Knowing that we were redeemed not with corruptible things, with silver and gold, from your vain manner of life, handed down from your fathers; but with precious blood as of the lamb without blemish and without spot, even the blood of Christ. Who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world." And so before the foundation of the world and before times eternal II Timothy 1:9 would mean the same thing. "Before the foundation of the world, but was manifested at the end of the times for you."

So with these references, can there be any doubt in your mind that God foreordained and predestined some things? What then did God foreordain and predestinate? I believe we can sum it up pretty well this way: That God knew before he made man, knew that if he made man a free moral agent, that somewhere along the way that man would sin, and God planned for man's redemption before he made man, and that plan included that Christ would be sent as an offering for sin. And that all who would receive Christ by believing and repenting of their sins and being baptized for the remission of their sins, that they would be saved. The Ephesian brethren, Paul had preached the gospel to them. Ephesians 2:1, "And you did he make alive when you were dead in your trespasses and sins." Their sins had separated them from God (Isaiah 59:1-2, Romans 3:23, 8:6-9). But when Paul preached the gospel to them, they believed and obeyed the gospel. And yet in a sense, they were saved from the foundation of the world. Have you read the outline, Things By Which We Are Saved? The outline shows that there is a sense in which every person who is saved is saved by the foreordination and predestination of God, for God foreordained and predestined to send Christ, and that through Christ and his church, men would be saved. And our time is up for this period. A brief recess was taken.

Okay. We were still on Acts 13:48, "And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." So God, before the foundation of the world, planned for man's salvation. That plan included Christ and his church that Christ would come and die as a sin offering upon the cross of Calvary for the sins of the world. As stated in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned. He that believeth not on him is condemned already, because he has not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God." As we stated in closing, Paul had preached the gospel to those brethren at Ephesus. They believed on Christ, and obeyed him, and thus they had been made alive in Christ. Do you remember that in the fifth chapter of the book of John, that Jesus talked about two great resurrections, one, a resurrection in Christ, and the other one, the resurrection from the dead when Christ comes in his second advent? I may have emphasized this already, but if I have not, please get very familiar with John 5:24-25. Jesus is talking about a conditional resurrection. And it is that resurrection in Christ that takes place when one is baptized into Christ, according to Romans 6:3-7.

I am reading from John 5:24-25, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth in him that sent me." Now, notice the conditions, “heareth my word, and believeth in him that sent me hath eternal life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed out of death into life." Out of spiritual death, sin separates one from God, Isaiah 59:1-2. And so those who obey Christ pass out of spiritual death into life in Christ. "Verily, verily, I say unto you "The hour cometh, and now is when the dead (the spiritually dead) shall hear the voice of the Son of God: And they that hear shall live." Notice that this is a conditional resurrection, turning on the free moral agency of man, “and they that hear shall live.” When it comes time for that general resurrection, all will come forth whether they want to come forth or not. And that is spoken of then in verses twenty-eight and twenty-nine, where he says, "Marvel not at this: For the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tomb shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment." So the saints at Ephesus had in a sense been saved in Christ before the foundation of the world because God had that planned that all who would obey Christ would be saved. In Ephesians 3:11, the writer says that the church was in the eternal purpose of God. So Christ and the church were in the eternal purpose of God. Hebrews 2:9 says that, “By the grace of God, he tasted of death for every man.” So God made a way of salvation possible for all who receive Christ and are ready to apply his blood as that atoning power to give them remission of sins. The Gentile people of Acts 13:48 were true believers in Christ, and “as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” Verse forty-nine, "And the word of the Lord was spread abroad throughout the whole region." It looks like there was a lot of teaching that took place from verse forty-nine, and we conclude especially from among the Gentile people. So a great church was established at Antioch of Pisidia, made up of some Jews, but predominantly made up of Gentile Christians. But notice that those unbelieving Jews stir up trouble against Paul and Barnabas and cast them out of their borders. "But the Jews urged on the devout women of honorable estate, and of the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out of their borders." The devout women would evidently be Gentile women. It says devout women of honorable estate, probably some of them wives of government leaders. And the chief men of the cities, those would be leaders in this Gentile society at Antioch of Pisidia.. So the unbelieving Jews would be stirring up the Gentiles against them, stirred up the persecution against Paul and Barnabas and cast them out of their borders. "And they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Spirit." They were filled with joy. They knew that they had obeyed the Lord and that they had salvation, so they were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Chapter Fourteen

"And it came to pass in Iconium, that they entered together in the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake that a great multitude both of the Jews and of Greeks believed." So the synagogue at Iconium was a better synagogue than the one at Antioch of Pisidia. The synagogue at Iconium compares favorably with the synagogue in Berea when Paul and his company went there on that second journey and established the church there. Remember Luke said of them that “these were more noble than they in Thessalonica, in that they received the word of God with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether or not those things were so, therefore many of them believed.” And so there are a lot of sincere people in the synagogue here at Iconium and then later in that synagogue at Berea that was established on the second journey. And so they entered into the synagogue “and so spake that a great multitude, both Jews and Greeks believed. But the Jews that were disobedient stirred up the souls of the Gentiles, and made them evil affected against the brethren.” You see that they would have to stir up the Gentile people to have any real power behind them because, this is Gentile territory. "Long time therefore they tarried there speaking boldly in the Lord, who bear witness unto the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands." The signs and wonders would be to verify that they were from God, and confirming what they were teaching was from God teaching them the way of salvation in Christ. "But the multitude of the city was divided: And part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles. And then there was made an onset both of the Gentiles, and of the Jews with their rulers, to treat them shamefully, and to stone them." That shows that the Jews are the leaders in that, because the Jews usually stoned people to death for the crimes that the law specified, that they were to put people to death for. "And they became aware of it and fled into the cities of Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe." So the second church established is the church in Iconium.

Acts 14:8, "And at Lystra there sat a certain man, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never had walked." Again so-called faith healers and miraculous healers today do not want to demonstrate on people like that, a man impotent in his feet from his mother's womb who never walked? Have you heard of any like that being healed by the Jannes and Jambres of today (I Timothy 3:6-9; Exodus 7:11-12, 8:16-19, 9:8-11)? "The same heard Paul speaking who fastenings his eyes upon him and seeing that he had faith to be made whole." I think that means that Paul saw that he would try to stand up when he told him to stand up. "And said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped up and walked." You know that when the people saw that, that they had great appreciation for what had been done, and they were ready to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods. Of course, this is Gentile territory, and they did not worship the true God, they worshipped idol gods. Verse eleven, "And when the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Iconium the gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Jupiter, whose temple was before the city, brought oxen and garlands into the gates and would have done sacrifice with the multitudes." It looks like the priest of Jupiter thought that this would be a fine way to further encourage the worship of our god Jupiter. He is going to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas. He brought oxen and garlands into the gate of the city, and was ready to worship them with the multitudes that had witnessed the healing. I think that the garlands would be that the oxen were decked out with flowers and whatever is referred to as garlands, indicating that they were going to sacrifice them. And they were ready to sacrifice to them as gods, and would have done so had Paul and Barnabas not acted in a hurry. "But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul heard it, they rent their garments, and sprang forth among the multitude, crying out, and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We are men of like passions with you, and bring you good tidings that ye should turn from these vain things unto the living God, who made the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and all that in them is. Who in generations gone by suffered all the nations who walked in their own ways." And so if Paul and Barnabas had not immediately done what they did, they would have been slaying those oxen and sacrificing to them as a god, but they rent their garments. That was something that showed the people that they were extremely excited about what they were about to do. They rent their garments and sprang forth among them, saying, Sirs, why do ye do these things? We are men of like passions, we are not gods! We just bring you good tidings or good news that “you should turn from these vain things” the worship of idols and worship the living God. The living God made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that in them is.

Acts 14:16, "Who in generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk in their own ways." Nations, of course, refers to Gentiles, and afoot note in my Bible says, or Gentiles. Do you remember the latter part of the first chapter of Romans, beginning with verse eighteen through the rest of the chapter, where it is stated three times that God gave them up, the Gentiles? They were ready to put God out of their knowledge and worship certain creatures rather than the creator, and they were ready to exchange the truth of God for a lie. Because of those things God gave them up to their vile passions. And then in their vile passions, the women turned in their lust toward women and men in their lust toward men. They changed the pattern of sex from that which is natural and God-given (Genesis 2:18-25) to that which is contrary to nature. It is stated three times that God gave them up, which means that God did not discipline them as much as he had done in days past. In other words, they had gone so far into sin that God, you might say, turned them loose as a people, and then they became a depraved people. And this is what he is talking about in verse sixteen, "Who in the generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk in their own ways. And yet he left not himself without witness, in that he had done good, and gave from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness."

So God has always brought gladness upon the just and the unjust. “He maketh the sun to riseth on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45).” And here Paul says he did not leave himself without witness in that time when he let the Gentiles go and they walked in their own ways. You remember that that was what was wrong with the people during the days of the judges; each man did that which is right in his own eyes. When the people did what was right in their own eyes, they surely did contrary to the way of the Lord. And the Gentiles were going contrary to the way of the Lord when they walked in their own ways. But God still gave them good blessings from heaven, rains “and in fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and gladness.” "And with these sayings scarce restrained they the multitudes, from doing sacrifice unto them." So very definitely they would have worshipped them had they not done what they did to prevent it. Now, consider that they were ready to worship them as a god, and then the Jews came over from Antioch and Iconium, unbelieving Jews, and stirred up the people, and it looks like that those Gentile people at Lystra participated in that matter of stoning Paul and dragging him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. "But there came Jews from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead." I cannot help but wonder that if this was the time when Paul was caught up into paradise, into the third heaven, the place where God is, and heard things which were not lawful for him to utter as set forth in II Corinthians 12:1-10.

Please turn to II Corinthians chapter twelve, and let us read a portion of that chapter. Paul is having to defend his apostleship. Even the better element of the church of God at Corinth had not come to his defense. And the false apostles, deceitful workers at Corinth were troubling the church. And Paul defended himself, that he speaks of as the foolishness. Under ordinary circumstances, he would not have done such a thing, but the gospel of Christ would have suffered had he not defended himself. II Corinthians chapter twelve, beginning with verse one, "I must need glory though it is not expedient. But I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ fourteen years ago." Now, he is talking about himself. You notice now it shows plainly that he is talking about himself. "I know a man in Christ fourteen years ago." II Corinthians was written in about A.D. 56 or 57. Fourteen from fifty-six would be 43 AD. "I know a man in Christ fourteen years ago, whether in the body, I know not; or whether out of the body, I know not: God knoweth; such a one caught up even to the third heaven." So Paul is saying when he was caught up into the third heaven, where God is, that he did not know whether he was in a body or out of a body. He did not know whether he was called up in a body or just his spirit was called up. "I know such a man, whether in the body, or apart from the body, God knoweth; how that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. On behalf of such a one will I glory: But on my own behalf I will not glory, save in mine weaknesses." Verse five surely shows that he is talking about himself. "For if I should desire to glory: I shall not be foolish: For I shall speak the truth: For I forbear, lest any man should account of me above that which he seeth me to be, or heareth of me. And by reason of the exceeding greatness of revelation, that I should not be exalted over much, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan." So verse seven really clinches that he is talking about himself. Because of the exceeding greatness of the revelation, he was given a thorn in the flesh. "A messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted over much. Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me." Notice in the case of Paul, this time God says no. He prayed to the Lord three times for the Lord to remove that thorn in the flesh that it might depart from him. Verse nine, "And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: My power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: For when I am weak, then am I strong." And that is a good reference that we need to remember. I am not expecting any of us to be called up into the third heaven like Paul was, but God said to him, my grace is sufficient, my power made perfect in weakness. And Paul said, “I will glory in my weaknesses, and injuries, and necessities, in persecutions, and distresses, for when I am weak, then for Christ's sake I am strong. “ So when we experience those times, when we seem like we are having great difficulties, it may be that we can be like Paul, strong for Christ during that period of weakness.

We are back now to Acts. 14:20 again, “But as the disciples stood round about, he rose up, and entered into the city, and on the morrow he went forth with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch." So you see the four churches that were established on this missionary journey of Barnabas and Saul, or Paul and Barnabas. The church at Antioch of Pisidia the first church, the church at Iconium was second, Lystra the third, and Derbe the fourth. And then they turned around and went back and revisited those churches at Lystra, Iconium and Antioch as they went back on the return part of their journey. "And when they had preached the gospel in that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch." Now, what did they do when they returned back to these churches? “Confirming the souls of the disciples” That would surely include more teaching and more encouragement for them to be faithful to the Lord. "Exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God." Now, when they obeyed the gospel, they entered into the kingdom of God -- or the kingdom of Christ on this earth. But they are telling them, you are going to have to suffer a lot for the Lord in order to enter into the eternal kingdom.

You need to write down by verse 22, II Timothy 3:12, which reads, "Yea, and all that will live godly i