BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

Lesson 28

Why Antioch?

Acts 15;1-35

One of the most fascinating studies that I have done was one a called critical moments. As I read through the Scriptures I wanted to understand how the decisions made by the men and woman of the Bible affected the rest of their lives. Of course there were the devastating decisions of Adam and Eve, the selling of his birthright by Esau, the brothers of Joseph and myriad of others. In my own life there have been times when I have made some poor decisions that impacted both me and my family. There have been other times when with the help of God He has kept me on a path of growth because I depended on Him. As far as I am concerned the decision that has impacted my life more than any other, except for accepting Christ and my marriage, was to begin reading and studying the Bible on a consistent basis.

There have been times when I have not understood why God has given me such a passion for His word. What I have learned was the road travelled was just preparation for the unexpected in my life. If someone had told me that at this stage in my life that I would have the opportunity to write Bible Study Material, or be ordained and the myriad of other things that have occurred in my life I would have thought them to be crazy. The only things that God ever expects is for us to be faithful to the task and obedient to the call on our lives.

As in the individual life of each of us the church comes to those crossroads, those critical moments in its history that have tremendous impact on its future. Sometimes looking back and determining what those decisions were will help us to make mid-course corrections in the direction God wants us to take. If we look at the critical moment as an end itself we may miss the greater blessing for what God has in store. It may be only the intermediary step to something more exciting and challenging. Depending on how we respond we will either find success and the church will grow but if we choose to leave God out and make our own choices then we can almost assuredly expect failure. The earlier church came to such a crossroads. We will see in today’s lesson how it all turned out.

Acts 14:27-28

Although these verses were taught last week there may be a tendency to gloss over them. What took place is important in light of the events to come. Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch after only spending a relatively short time in districts in Cyprus and then Asia Minor. Upon coming back to the church at Antioch they encouraged the believers by telling them:

• How God had used them
• How God had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles

We are then told that they spent a long time with the disciples there in Antioch. Their return came at a time when the church would need to be strengthened in light of the testing of its faith that would soon come upon them. This was crucial time for the church. What the disciples heard and were now taught by the two men would be needed to face men who were about to come from Jerusalem.

When Paul and Barnabas were called back in chapter 13 to the task to which God had appointed them it might be assumed that the work was to be as long term missionaries. What if the first missionary trip was to prepare the two men by showing them the work that God wanted to do in the hearts of the Gentiles they met along the way.

The fact that He brought them back to Antioch so quickly may indicate that the real task lay ahead for them. What if they returned for the purpose of preparing the church in Antioch for the confrontation with the men from Jerusalem. It is questionable that they would have been able to deal with the false statements without Paul and Barnabas.

1. By the things shared with the church at Antioch what had God taught Paul and Barnabas as they travelled?
2. Why do I say that the first missionary trip was not the final task for which God had called them out?
3. Why was it important that the church heard what Paul had to share with them?
4. Why did the two men spend so much time with the disciples there and not go back on another trip?

Acts 15:1

Men from Judea came down to Antioch and began teaching a false gospel. They challenged the validity of becoming believers without being circumcised. The men were trying to once again enslave the Gentiles saved by grave with the requirements of a worn out and failed religious system. Without the teaching of Paul the church may have impacted in a negative way. The requirements the men tried to thrust upon them may have been enough to rip the church apart and destroy their new found faith. In many of his later letters Paul would deal with this issue stating over and over the salvation is based on faith alone. One can only surmise why these men came to the church at Antioch anyway. The fact that the Scripture refers to them as men would indicate that they had no official authority to make such demands on the church. So why had they come to Antioch? What was their motive? If is possible that influence of the church in Antioch was reaching further and further into the Gentile world. Evidently some in Jerusalem thought that it needed to be reigned in before there would be more Gentile believers than Jewish. In the minds of those individuals anything taught contrary to the law would have been heresy. It is interesting that this subject had not been brought up with the conversions of the Samaritans and Cornelius.

1. Why would the things taught by the men from Judea be considered a false gospel?
2. What would indicate these men had no formal authority?
3. Why after all this time did the men suddenly began to question the salvation of the Gentiles?
4. What was the true fear of these men being expressed in their demand?
5. What could have been the effect on the church after listening to those who had come from Judea?
6. Why was the teaching of Paul and Barnabas key in helping the church to be victorious in the face of this challenge?
7. What restrictions do we sometimes imposed on those who want to become followers of Christ?
8. How do our prejudices sometimes come through on these occasions?

Acts 15:2

Paul and Barnabas actively opposed these men. When there was not resolution it was decided that the two men along with some others would go to the leadership in Jerusalem for a final decision.

1. Why did Paul and Barnabas take front stage in the dispute with the men from Judea?
2. In what ways had God prepared them for this important task?
3. In what ways were they more qualified than any of the others in the church to have the discussions with the Judeans?
4. If Paul and Barnabas already understood that salvation comes by grace to all who believe why was it necessary for them to go up to Jerusalem?
5. Why did they take a number of men with them?
6. Who made up the leadership of the church in Jerusalem?

Acts 15:3

The group from Antioch left immediately for Jerusalem taking the shortest possible route. As they travelled they continued to share the good news to the Phoenicians and Samaritans of what God was doing in the lives of the Gentiles. They did not wait for the final decision from Jerusalem because they knew what they were doing was within God’s will. God would not have called them to do something totally opposed to His purpose for the people.

1. Why did the group from Antioch leave quickly for their journey to Jerusalem?
2. Why did they not wait for a decision from the leaders in Jerusalem before continuing to teach the people of Phoenicia and Samaria as they travelled?
3. What was the reaction of the people to news that was being shared with them?
4. What does this say about the evangelistic effort of these men?
5. In what ways did their activities indicate they believed that they were serving out God’s purpose for their lives?

Acts 15:4-5

Upon arriving in Jerusalem they went straight to the church. They met with the apostles and elders and began to share what God had done among the Gentiles. It did not take long for the opposing views to be brought out into the open. The believing Pharisees immediately expressed the same feelings that had been put forth in Antioch. Up to this time circumcision had not been an issue because most of those who part of the early church had come from a Jewish background. At the end of the day the question that was before the church which had to be answered, Was the Law of Moses or grace going to rule the future actions to be taken?

1. What was the true desire of the Pharisees?
2. Why would they desire for the law to take precedent over salvation by grace?
3. What would have happened to churches like the one at Antioch if this was true?

Acts 15:6

The fact that the leaders came together to discuss this matter showed that the decision could have gone either way. This was new territory for them and they wanted to make sure they got it right. The whole future of the church would be determined by the decision they made.

1. Why did the leaders find it necessary to meet?
2. What was the importance to the present day church of that meeting?
3. What do we need to do when we are dealing with new territory in the church?
4. Why was the whole church not involved in this council?
5. Who were the representatives who met, and what insight does it give us as we decide the direction of Bethany Place?

Acts 15:6-12

After much lively give and take (a debate) Peter stood up and gave an account of his ministry to the Gentiles in the first years of the church. From everything he had experienced he came to three conclusions:

• No one could keep the law not Jew of Gentile so put that burden on the Gentiles which circumcision represented.
• Salvation comes through the grace of Jesus Christ.
• The Jew could not be saved by the law but by grace.

The fact that they listened carefully meant the words he was speaking were striking at the heart of the issue. The Pharisees who had started the discussion were silent. It would indicate that these were godly men who were open to what God was doing in the lives of people.

1. Why after the initial debate do we not hear from the Pharisees again?
2. When is a healthy debate good? When is it destructive?
3. Why was important for Peter to speak first?
4. What was his message to those gathered their?
5. In what ways should his message resonate with us?
6. When people like the council are willing to listen what does it say about what is being spoken by someone like Peter?
7. What does it say about the attitudes of all the participants including the Pharisees?

Acts 15:12

When Peter had finished Paul and Barnabas began to speak to the gathering. The Bible does not tell us the exact words of Paul and Barnabas. There is also no indication that they said anything to inflame the situation. They only spoke of the signs and wonders God had done through them as the ministered to the Gentiles.

1. How did Paul and Barnabas handle their opportunity to speak to the leadership of the church?
2. From what is read in Scripture what was their approach to the issue?
3. How does this differ than the way we often handle difficult issues?
4. How would what Peter, Paul and Barnabas had to say have an impact on the decisions that had to be made?

Acts 15:13-21

Peter, the early leader of the apostles, had spoken how God used him. Then representatives from the church in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas along with their travelling companions had shared how God had reached out to the Gentile world through them. Now the leader of the church in Jerusalem, James the half-brother of Jesus, spoke. It his words he affirmed the word of Peter by using the prophecies found in the Old Testament. Specifically he recalled the words of Deuteronomy, Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others.

The proposal he presented to the group contained three elements to it:

• Do not eat meat offered to idols
• Abstain from sexual immorality
• Do not eat meat with the blood in it or which had been strangled.

The leaders along with the whole church accepted these and decided to send a letter with these ideas to the church in Antioch. Paul, Barnabas, Judas called Barsabas and Silas were chosen to carry it to be read at Antioch.

1. Why did the church respond to the words of James?
2. What had the others left out of their testimony?
3. What do you think of the ideas proposed by James to the leaders?
4. Why do you think of the decision?
5. Why was it important to send others with Paul and Barnabas to testify to what the church at Jerusalem had decided?

Acts 15:22-29

The letter contained encouragement for the church to continue in what they were doing previously. It also called the church live by the items decided on by the church in Jerusalem. The issue of salvation coming only to those who had been circumcised became a non-issue. The door had been opened to all who came to Jesus by faith to be saved.

1. How do the ideas written in the letter impact us today?
2. Why is what was left out of the letter more important to us today than what it contained?
3. Why did they include the admonishment not to eat meat offered to idols?
4. If we were faced with a similar situation what might be some of the non-issues upon which we spend too much time?
5. In what way did the letter encourage further evangelization of the Gentile world?

Acts 15:30-34

The church in Jerusalem having finished its business sent the Paul and those who had witnessed the events in Jerusalem to Antioch. Notice on this trip there was no side trips to Samaria and Phoenicia. The matter decided was far too important for the church in Antioch for the men to delay in delivering the account of all that had occurred.

Upon arriving they called the church together and shared the good news with them. As one might expect they were greatly encouraged by the news resulting in a great rejoicing among the disciples. Silas and Judas, both prophets in their own right, reinforced the words of Paul. They spent time encouraging and strengthening the church. When it came time for the men to return to Jerusalem, Silas decided to stay there in Antioch.

Paul and Barnabas both remained in there. This additional time was spent in teaching and preaching the word. They shared the preaching with many others in the church

1. Think about the critical decisions that you have made and how they have impacted your life.
2. What do you consider is the most important decision you have ever made. How did it change your life?
3. How you prepared for the challenges that may face you as we saw in the lesson today?
4. Think how your defense of a position might have influenced the decisions in the church or organization to which you have belonged.

As we have seen in the lesson today we never know when we may be thrust into a situation which calls for wisdom and knowledge to bring about a beneficial conclusion. We are facing our own critical moment at Bethany Place as we try to make decisions today that will help us deal with the challenges of tomorrow. We need to make sure that every discussion that takes place and decision made will bring encouragement to the church and will strengthen our faith. The claims made by the men from Judea and the Pharisees in Jerusalem could have torn the place without the people like Paul and Barnabas who brought the experience and knowledge of how God had already brought the Gentiles into His kingdom. May we approach everything we do with the same kind of knowledge and wisdom possessed by the men in the early church.

 

 

 

 

Additional Notes:

OC-The church overcame the barriers between Jew and Gentile, between law and grace. Grace was triumphant. (Acts 15:1-21, 31)

RT-The council at Jerusalem is a good example of a group of people trying to hold on to old traditions. Paul and Barnabas realized that the new Gentile believers who were coming into the Church were not like the Jews and therefore were entering into the fellowship by faith and not works of the Law. (Acts 15:5, 7-9)

C-For Jew and Gentile alike, salvation comes only by the grace of God. This was the lesson Peter learned and shared and shared with the whole church when he was sent to the home of Cornelius. It is strange that after all that transpired that the Pharisees would now called for the ritual of circumcision as a requirement to be a part of God’s kingdom. Circumcision had not brought about the change in their own lives and would not make any difference in the lives of the Gentiles. (Acts 15:7-11)

RT-The church cannot expect to lay the old traditions onto new believers who have come to the knowledge of Jesus by the same faith by which each person is saved.                 (Acts 15:10-12)

DM-There was a call by Pharisees who had become believers that everyone who became a follower of Christ still needed to be circumcised and follow the Law of Moses. It was Paul’s and Peter’s position that God had saved Gentiles without them having to be circumcised, therefore it was not necessary for salvation. The council at Jerusalem agreed with Paul, Peter and James. A crisis had been averted in the still young church.   (Acts 15:5-22, 28-29)

GC-One never burdens (weighs down) or troubles others with rules, traditions or practices that they we ourselves are unable or unwilling to bear in our own lives. Our only yoke is to be the yoke of Jesus that fits each of us perfectly. Acts 15:10, 19, 28)

GC-The only thing that each person must understand and accept is that we are saved by grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the only means for salvation.         (Acts 15:11)

C-After much debate it was determined by the leadership in the Jerusalem that the Gentiles, who were coming to Jesus would not be required to be circumcised. They were only asked to keep from eating things with blood, things offered to idols and to keep themselves morally pure. (Acts 15:13-21, 28-29)

GC-True believers are able to come to an agreement on controversial subjects that may tear the church apart. We are to become of one mind on those things that are non- negotiable in our faith. (Acts 15:22, 25)

GC-One of the virtues that was agreed to by both the Jerusalem church and the church at Antioch was the whole idea of sexual purity. This was a radial concept for those coming out of a pagan background. It is one that must be emphasized in the promiscuous society in which we live today. (Acts 15:29)

RT-The Pharisees were trying to hold onto a failed institutional tradition laden system. For that reason they had difficult time accepting the Gentiles into the body until the body until they had performed all of the correct rituals beginning with circumcision. (Acts 15)

RT-Even when dealing with a controversial subject as the one faced by the early church concerning circumcision, they were able to send instructions to the Gentiles which stated, “It seemed good to us having become of one mind.” (Acts 15:25)

C-Silas one of the men who went back to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas decided to remain there rather than returning to Jerusalem. (Acts 15:34)