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Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Summer Newsletter 2024
Thursday, July 18, 2024
The Gift of Peace
Zechariah 9:9-10 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 John 14:25-31
The Gift of Peace
How should we, as followers of a sovereign and omnipotent God, react to any impending crisis, whether global or local or personal? In our Gospel passage for today, Jesus addressed this question directly. Remember what he had just announced to his disciples. He was about to leave them. One of them would betray him. Peter would deny knowing him. But what they did not know yet is that they would soon see the one they had confessed as Messiah, the Son of the Living God, arrested, mocked, beaten, sentenced, and put to death as a common criminal, while never once raising a finger to defend himself. Everything they had believed…every dream, aspiration, hope…everything would be challenged, leaving them dumbfounded, perplexed, confused, dazed, and directionless…
Now, before we move on, you need to remember that at this stage none of what we call the New Testament had been written yet. That would be for the disciples and other believers to record after the climax of all that had been written before had taken place. Many of the New Testament authors were eyewitnesses of the events they described and at some point they documented what they had heard Jesus preach and teach and what they had seen him do…being enabled (and this is important) to recall the works and the words accurately through the inspiration of the same Spirit who had previously moved the Old Testament authors to write what they had written as the very Word of God.
For this reason, Jesus emphasized that the Holy Spirit would only bring to their minds what he had taught…the Holy Spirit is not, nor ever will be, an independent witness, and neither are we. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.”
Witnesses…they were all witnesses to the great salvation event…and all of them testified to how that event was a culmination of all that had been written before. As Peter said in Acts 5:32, “…we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” As such they reported what they had seen and heard…nothing more, nothing less. Like the Old Testament authors, the New Testament authors spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). Nothing was open to their own interpretation or invention. Paul felt so strongly about this that he said in Galatians 1:8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”
So, when Jesus said in verse 26 that the Holy Spirit would teach them all things and bring to their remembrance all that he had said to them, he was telling them that he would help them regain perspective once they had emerged from the crisis that was about to consume them.
But what about during the time of crisis? What would help them weather the storm while they were being battered and bruised by it? Hindsight is great, but how do you get to that point where you can look back?
In verse 27 Jesus told them and us that what carries believers through times of calamity is his peace. “Peace I leave with you,” he said, “MY peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. (So) let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Now, that sounds marvellous, but what does that mean? The answer to that question, I believe, will help us know how to react during times of distress and disaster.
The key to understanding this peace that Jesus gives is to realise that it is not something the world can give us. This peace is not a cessation of hostility or catastrophe. That would be a flimsy and fleeting peace. Jesus said this was a personal peace…HIS PEACE… that he would give to them…a peace that would override anxiety or fear even in the midst of calamity. A peace that would be experienced in any given situation, good or bad. And as this is a personal peace – as this is Jesus’ peace – it is a peace that can only come from a real, vibrant, and growing relationship between the one giving the peace and the one receiving that peace.
This is a peace that has carried innumerable believers through great difficulties and agonizing suffering because it is founded not on the circumstance or the situation but on the unchanging character of God as revealed to us in his Word. It is a peace that is grounded on the trustworthy track record of a God who repeatedly accomplished what he promised…despite the sometimes perilous predicaments faced by his people and, indeed that was faced by his own Son. As such, believing him and trusting him is central to experiencing his peace. Standing firmly on the Word of God guarantees a peace that nothing in all creation can shake or break.
Of course, this peace was secured through the suffering of Jesus on the cross. Because of sin, from Genesis 3 onward, there was no peace between God and humankind. Indeed, as this peace is founded on a proper relationship with God, there can be no peace for the wicked (Isaiah 48:22, 57:21). The peace Jesus gives is primarily peace with God…a removal of the separating barrier erected by sin. So, there is only peace for those who put their faith and trust in Jesus. However, glorious as this may be, the peace of Jesus is still greater than this.
In verse 28 Jesus told his disciples that he was going to the Father because the Father was greater than him. Now, obviously he was not referring to a superior versus inferior position within the Trinity as he had already declared himself one with and therefore equal to the Father (see also Philippians 2:6).
So, what exactly did he mean? Well, I believe Jesus was referring to his current incarnate state prior to the cross…remember, it was because of his submission to the will of the Father and his subsequent obedient death on the cross that he was highly exalted and seated at the right hand of power (See Philippians 2:9). Once he had fulfilled the divine plan for the reconciliation of the world, dying as a man for humankind, Jesus would return to his former place in glory to rule and reign over all the world. And once he was seated on his throne, he would send his Holy Spirit to indwell all his people so that he could continue to exercise his rule on earth through his Church by the power of his Spirit.
As such he would ensure that the peace he established through the cross would become an eternal legacy for all his heirs. His peace did not only come to his disciples in the first century, but through their faithful witness and the witness of countless believers down through the ages, that peace has come to us. Indeed, this peace is one of the signs that we live in the Messianic era.
As the Lord spoke through the prophet Zechariah, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.”
Now, notice how Jesus himself dealt with the impending crisis in verses 30-31. He said, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.” There are two important points here. The first has to do with Jesus’ relationship with the Father. It was a relationship based squarely on love demonstrated through humble submission and obedience. Because he knew the character of the Father, he could submit to his will even though he knew that that will would lead him to the cross. There was a trust and a conviction based on a proper relationship. The peace of the Son was founded on his knowledge of the nature of the Father.
The second point has to do with Jesus’ relationship with the devil. When Jesus said that the “ruler of this world” was coming but he “had nothing” in him, or that he had “no claim” on him, what did he mean? Well, there are several things we need to understand about the nature of the devil.
Firstly, as a flawed and fallen created being, the devil cannot be placed on the same level as God. He is neither omnipotent nor omniscient…he may be powerful, but he is finite. Secondly, he is only the “ruler of this world” because the first “ruler” relinquished his position of authority by submitting to the word of the devil instead of the word of God. When Adam rebelled against God, Satan ruled over him through disobedience…a rule broken through the obedient submission of the second Adam.
That is why the ruler of this world had nothing in Jesus…Jesus had no sin. As the incarnate Son of God who took upon himself the form of a human, yet without sin, he was free from the dominion and power of the devil. The devil had no claim on him. And so, Jesus could bravely enter the crisis with a peace that transcends comprehension because he knew both the infiniteness of God as well as the finiteness of Satan. Even though the ruler of this world was coming, seeking to harm Jesus, his evil intentions would come to nothing because in the absence of sin he was powerless. Remember, he wanted Jesus to go to the cross. It was the devil that drove Judas to betray Jesus…but in his deluded arrogance, he failed to realise that at the cross his power would be nullified…at the cross he would be disarmed and defeated because he had no hold and no claim on Jesus.
And therein lies our peace. Through cancelling the effects of the disobedient actions of our first ancestors through his obedience, Jesus effectively became the new head of humanity…the 2nd Adam…and through his victory over sin, death, and the devil, he released us from spiritual slavery. Those who are in Jesus, stand cleared before the accuser of the brethren. Because of what Jesus did on our behalf on the cross, the ruler of this world has nothing in us either. So, Jesus’ peace is our peace.
Jesus could face his crisis because he knew his position before God as well as his position before Satan. Despite appearances, the devil was never in control of any of the events surrounding the death of Jesus. God used the evil deeds of evil people to fulfil his righteous purposes (See Acts 4:27-28). For this reason, Jesus did not look at the circumstances performed by the wicked but at the certain outcome deliberately designed and devised and planned by God himself…a certain outcome that was thus solidly founded upon the Word of God. That is why he had peace…and that is why we who are in him can have peace too.
For us to face whatever crisis may come our way, we must believe what God says rather than what the devil would want us to believe. That is in essence the same choice presented to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Has God really said? It is for us to know his Word well enough that we can answer as clearly as Jesus did when he was tempted to compromise in the wilderness…or even when he was tempted to give in to fear in the Garden of Gethsemane. Remember Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments.” Elsewhere he asked, “Why call me Lord if you refuse to do what I tell you to do?”
We can face an uncertain future by relying on the one who has our future in his hands. If we are to have the peace Jesus has promised us, we must know and trust and have faith in what he has revealed about himself in his Word.
We will not find peace in possessions. We will not find peace in plans. We will not find peace in people. Peace can only come through obedient trust in God’s Word…believing that he is who he said he is…believing that he will do what he promised to do…believing that he is with us through thick and through thin as he has assured us he is. That is central to receiving his gift of peace.
Shall we pray?
© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024
Friday, July 12, 2024
Treachery and Triumph
Romans 5 Luke 15:11-24
Treachery and Triumph
In August 480 BC, during the second Persian invasion of Greece, a small Greek force led by the Spartan king Leonidas stood valiantly against the advancing Persian army under Xerxes, the same king mentioned in the Book of Esther. As the Greek fleets clashed with the Persian navy at Cape Artemesium, Leonidas and his men defended the narrow pass at Thermopylae.
For three days, they held their ground until a Greek traitor, Ephialtes, revealed a hidden path that allowed the Persians to outflank them. Realizing the situation, Leonidas sent most of his troops to safety while he, together with 300 Spartans and about a thousand other soldiers, chose to remain to delay the Persian advance. Their courageous stand, though ultimately ending in their deaths, inflicted significant losses on the Persians, gave the Athenians time to retreat to safety, and allowed the Athenian navy to regroup.
Now, you may be wondering why I told you that story. Well, because I think it’s a good story and I wanted to use it in a sermon and so I thought this would be as a good a time as any.
No, seriously, I told you this story because I think it is a good illustration of the truth Paul now develops in Romans 5 by building on what he had just described in chapters 1-4 as the great equalizer…that all humans have sinned…that all humans fall short of the glory of God…that all humans are dead in trespasses…and because we are dead, being cut off from our Creator and our only source of life, we are all equally impotent and unable to do anything about our predicament as sin and death festers in every one of us because of the treacherous and traitorous act of our first ancestors.
This, by the way, is the point of the parable of the lost sons…for too long the church has focused on just the one son…the so-called “Prodigal Son”…but the parable was designed to illustrate that both sons were lost and thus both needed to respond to the grace of the Father. So, the focus should be on the Father, not on the sons…
In like manner, here in Romans 5, Paul places the spotlight on the Father by stressing that the hope as believers we have is based on the Father’s gracious reversal of the consequences of Adam’s rebellion through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus. For Paul, Adam and Jesus are the two major formative influences on human history. All the offspring of Adam were infected with sin and therefore cut off from their only source of life. So, as we read through the Old Testament, we see the longing of the people of God for the fulfilment of the promise God made in the Garden…that one day he would set the world to rights through the Seed of the woman. But the Law repeatedly exposed the fatal flaw that prevented any human seed from achieving it…all were stained by sin. Like Ephialtes, the treachery of Adam opened the pathway for the enemy to destroy us all.
But thanks be to God, the sacrificial act of the one Paul calls the second Adam in 1 Corinthians, namely Jesus, who became like us in every way, yet without sin…his sacrifical act on our behalf – as a man for humanity – secured a decisive victory over death and the devil.
Just as the treacherous act of Ephialtes brought about the annihilation of the Spartan forces, so Adam’s defiant rejection of God’s command brought about the death of all his offspring.
But, just as Leonidas’ sacrifical act ultimately led to victory, so Jesus’ sacrifice of himself ultimately defeated the enemy triumphing over him in the cross.
Now, of course, at this point the analogy breaks down because Jesus was both the one sacrificed as well as the one who won ultimately the victory, but the concept of triumph over treachery through sacrifice holds true. Triumph over treachery was achieved through sacrifice. Adam’s rebellious treachery brought in death. Jesus’ obedient submission, even unto death on the cross, brought in triumph, life, and peace.
This is the foundation upon which we build our lives as believers. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice of himself on our behalf we not only have peace with God, but also, because we live in and by grace, we have an unshakeble hope. Salvation by grace through faith gifts us a new perspective on life itself. Everything that happens to us…every circumstance whether good or bad, can now be seen through a different lens, as it were…the lens of a certain security and a certain hope.
And this hope is not a speculative thing…it is certain because it is founded upon a love that has been demonstrated decisively through selfless sacrifice. As Paul says, while some might die for a friend or a family member or a fine upstanding citizen, very few will die for an enemy or a villian or a felon. And yet God’s love was lavished on us while we were capital offenders.
Consequently, if God demonstrated and proved his love for us while we were still sinners…reconciling us to himself when we were still his enemies…well then, we can be assured that for those who have been declared just by faith and who are at peace with him, no sin, past, present, or future, can ever overtake the graciousness of God.
Adam’s capitulation in the garden stained all his offspring – like a comunicable virus, sin was passed on from parent to child thus rendering all humanity incapable of ever gaining victory over the consequence of sin, namely death. But the one act of obedience by one who is sinless leads to justification and life for all who quit the realm of the dead under the 1st Adam for the realm of life under the 2nd Adam.
Now, in our contemporary context, the themes of both Romans 5 and the parable of the lost sons in Luke 15, offer us vital lessons about human nature, redemption, and the transformative power of grace. As I have already stated, just as the treachery of Ephialtes led to temporary defeat but ultimately contributed to a greater victory, so too does our story with sin and redemption unfold.
Today, we live in a world rife with betrayal, pain, and the consequences of sin. At times it may feel like we are facing a scenario much like that faced by Leonidas and his men. Someone in our world, our nation, our social circle, our church, our family has betrayed us.
Yet, through Christ’s sacrificial act, a path to ultimate triumph has been laid out for us…and as we have already seen this is an act that has an impact on every aspect of our lives. If God loved us to that extent while we were not his people, how much more will he not love us now that we are his people? This puts a whole different spin on how we ought to react in the face of suffering…because of what we know about God’s love, we may view suffering in any form as a tool in the hands of a God who only always wants the very best for us…a tool that shapes and molds us and also helps to make sense of the present by gifting us a hope for the future.
As in the parable of the lost sons, both the younger and the older, despite their differing paths, were lost and both were in need of the father’s grace. This is a powerful reminder that regardless of our personal journeys…our pedigree, our ethnicity, our education, our wealth…we all require God’s redemption…and we can have it by grace through faith.
But then, as believers, we are called to live in the light of this hope and grace. The story of Leonidas and his army can also be applied to us…it can serve to remind us that our courageous acts…refusing to budge and to stand firm on what we know is true…can have a significant impact on us and those around us.
In our daily lives, we are encouraged to emulate the obedient courage of Jesus, not necessarilly through physical battles or physical sacrifices, but by standing firm in our faith while still showing love and grace to those around us…even those who consider themselves our enemies…and by trusting in God’s ultimate victory over sin and death, past, present, and future.
In practical terms, this means embracing a life of humility, recognizing our own inabilities and weaknesses, and always seeking reconciliation with others knowing that we are all in need of grace. But it also involves living with the assurance that our hope is secure—not in our own strength, but in the steadfast love and sacrifice of Christ.
Therefore, as we navigate the treacheries and triumphs of our own lives, let us remember that through Jesus, the most significant victory has already been won. Let this truth empower us to live boldly, love deeply, and offer grace abundantly, knowing that regardless of the challenges we may face, our future is secure in Christ’s triumph over sin and death.
Shall we pray?
© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024
Saturday, July 6, 2024
The Horse and the Cart
Romans 4 Luke 19:1-10
The Horse and the Cart
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” God asked Job. It’s a good question for us to consider personally. Where were we when God created the heavens and the earth? Did we help in any way or give him advice on how he ought to create?
Or perhaps this question might be a little easier to consider: where were you when you were conceived in your mother’s womb? What part did you play in your formation and growth in her womb? Or what about your birth? Did you emerge from the womb by your own volition?
I could go on, but I think you get the picture. You played no role in the creation of the universe in the same way that you played no role in your creation. You played no active role in your conception, formation, growth, or birth. In fact, neither did your parents because it is God who knit you together in your mother’s womb.
So, since you played no role in your creation, it seems ludicrous when it comes to being reborn or recreated in Christ Jesus…from conviction to conversion…justification and sanctification…if we played no role in our physical creation, it seems ludicrous to say when it comes to matters of salvation or spiritual creation, that somehow, we need to play a major role in achieving our redemption.
So far, in his letter to the church in Rome, Paul has addressed the one thing that unifies all of humanity. ALL, he said, ALL have sinned; ALL fall short of the glory of God; and ALL are dead in trespasses and sins. But thanks be to God there is yet another ALL. The theme that runs through chapter 3:27-31 and chapter 4 is simply this: ALL are justified the same way…the only way. ALL are justified by believing that God has faithfully fulfilled his promise through Jesus. This is the great equalizer: we are ALL dead in sin, but we can ALL be made alive by faith.
It is important to note here that Paul does not pit what we now call the Old Testament against the New Testament as some in the modern church do. By using Abraham and David as his prime examples, he demonstrates that it is not a matter of law versus grace because God’s dealing with his people has always been based on grace alone. Israel was chosen to be God’s people in the exact same way as the Church was chosen to be God’s people. By grace.
Abraham was chosen by God not only before the rite of circumcision was introduced as a sign of the covenant, but also before the law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Israel was chosen, not because they were a great people, but because God loved them. From what we read later in Scripture, the Israelite slaves practiced a form of syncretistic religion in Egypt and even in the wilderness for a while. And yet, God delivered a trapped and impotent people from Egypt, God opened a humanly impossible way for them through the Red Sea, publicly humiliating and disarming their enemies, God miraculously provided food and water in the wilderness, and God graciously gave them good, holy, and just laws by which to govern themselves as his chosen people.
It is the faithfulness of God that begets a faithful response. In other words, we love him because he first loved us. It is God who both began a good work in me as well as brings that good work to completion (Philippians 1:6). He is both the Author as well as the Finisher of my faith (Hebrews 12:2). I am his workmanship, created (or re-created) in Christ for good works – but good works which he has prepared for me to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). He has taken out the dead heart of stone, replaced it with a heart of flesh, filled me with his Spirit who then causes me to amend my behaviour by keeping his commandments (Ezekiel 36:26-27). He orders my steps and even though I fall he upholds me (Psalm 37:23-24). My times are in his hands (Psalm 31:14).
Everything I am…my gifts, my talents…everything is from him. In him I live and move and have my being. He has given me gifts of his Spirit and he causes me to bear the fruit of his Spirit. I am nothing without him and I can do nothing without him.
However, I am not a mindless puppet nor am I a remote controlled machine. The fact that he has chosen me because he loves me, tells me that in his eyes, I have value…and if he values me, that gives me purpose…and because I have both value and purpose, I respond in obedience to him. As the Anglican catechism says: “As a citizen of God’s Kingdom, I am called to God’s Word and will, in loving witness and service to others, and in joyful hope of Christ’s return.” I am not a mindless puppet, but my response to God is and always will be a response. In fact, even my response to God is a result of a prior work of God in my heart.
For instance, Lydia did not respond to the eloquence of Paul’s Gospel presentation, but rather she responded because the Lord opened her heart. (Acts 16:14) Or, in the parable of Jesus, the same seed that fails to germinate on unprepared soil, germinates and flourishes when it falls on prepared or good soil (Matthew 13:23-33).
Indeed, if we take seriously the biblical teaching that we are dead in sin, then any response is only possible after we are given life. Only God can call into existence things that do not exist. Faith itself, Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9, is a gift from God.
Now, this is good news, dearest beloved brethren, because that is the only way God’s promise may be guaranteed for all his children. God’s promise does not rest on my adherence to a law I cannot keep as an unregenerated or dead person. Rather it rests solely on his grace. By myself, I would neither seek him nor keep him. He grants me the faith to believe and the ability to keep believing. Consequently, my response to him is simply an acknowledgement of what he has already done…a conviction that God is able to fulfil what he has promised because he has fulfilled his promise in Jesus.
In Jesus, the impossible has been made possible. The debt and the death that is ours has been removed through the cross and the resurrection. The penalty against us has been erased and our enemy has been defeated…humiliated and disarmed (Colossians 2:11-15) We are the grateful yet passive receivers of a victory that God has achieved through the obedient acts of Jesus.
But note that just as Paul does not pit law against grace, nowhere in his writings does he ever discard the law because of grace. What he does endeavour to do is put them in the right order. Grace first and then, still purely as an act of grace, the giving of a holy, righteous, and good law.
This passage then addresses any form of exclusivity based on ethnicity or pedigree or wealth or culture or rank or status…even despised people like tax-collectors were not excluded because exclusion can only be based on unbelief…a rejection of what God reveals as true. However, as our inclusion in the Body of Jesus is based solely on his act of grace, any division based on merit is illegitimate. Our salvation was conceived and achieved by God alone. Just as we had no role to play in our physical conception and birth, so we had no role to play in our spiritual conception and rebirth. We were dead. No corpse can resurrect itself. Our role, like Abraham, David, and all other believers from the Fall to the present day, is to humbly receive what is graciously offered. Otherwise, grace would cease to be grace.
Shall we pray?
© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024
Saturday, June 29, 2024
The Triumph of God’s Power
1 Kings 18:20-40
The Triumph of God’s Power
Introduction:
Today we are going to talk about one of the biggest BBQ’s ever recorded in the Bible!
The northern kingdom of Israel had strayed away from the one true God and had started worshipping a false god by the name of Baal. But there were still true worshippers of God in Israel and one of them was the prophet Elijah.
The passage we read today recounts the epic confrontation between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. It is a story of faith, courage, and the undeniable power of the one true God.
So, we are going to explore the lessons this passage holds for us, focusing on three main points: the challenge of faith, the demonstration of God’s power, and the call to decisive commitment.
First Point – The Challenge of Faith:
The story begins with the wicked King Ahab summoning all the Israelites and the prophets of Baal to Mount Carmel. Elijah, standing alone against 450 prophets of Baal, issues a bold challenge to the people of Israel: "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him" (1 Kings 18:21). Elijah's challenge is timeless. We live in a world filled with competing voices and ideologies. Like the Israelites, we often find ourselves torn between faith in God and the temptation to compromise…to believe things or do things that go against God’s will as expressed in his Word. Elijah calls us to make a decisive choice. Faith cannot be divided; it demands wholehearted commitment. So, we need to ask ourselves: Are we truly devoted to God, or are we wavering, trying to serve both God and the world? This passage urges us to examine our hearts and reaffirm our commitment to the Lord.
Second Point – The Demonstration of God’s Power:
Elijah proposes a test to demonstrate who the true God is. Two sacrifices are prepared, but the fire to burn them must come from God. Whichever God answers with fire is the one true God. The prophets of Baal prepare a bull for sacrifice and call on their god from morning till noon, but there is no response. Elijah mocks their futile efforts, highlighting the impotence of false gods.
The fire of the Lord falls from heaven, consuming the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the soil, and even the water in the trench. This dramatic display of divine power reaffirms the truth that our God is alive and active.
Now, in our own lives, we may face situations that seem impossible, where the odds are overwhelmingly against us. Yet, this story reminds us that nothing is too difficult for God. When we trust Him, He will reveal His power in ways that leave no room for doubt. God’s ability to intervene and transform our circumstances is as real today as it was on Mount Carmel.
Third Point – The Call to Decisive Commitment:
When the people see the fire of the Lord, they fall on their faces and cry, "The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!" (1 Kings 18:39). Elijah then commands the people to seize the prophets of Baal, and they are put to death. This decisive action symbolizes the rejection of any form of idolatry and the reaffirmation of Israel’s covenant with the Lord.
Herein lies a powerful message for us today: recognizing God’s power demands a response. It is not enough to acknowledge God intellectually; we must also reject all forms of falsehood and live in the truth. True faith is demonstrated through obedience to God and the renunciation of anything that stands in opposition to God. Elijah’s actions call us to examine our own lives and to remove the idols that hinder our relationship with God. Whether it is a false religion or ideology, materialism, pride, or any form of sin, we are called to turn away from these and renew our dedication to the Lord.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel challenges us to choose whom we will serve, it demonstrates the unmatched power of our God, and it calls us to a decisive commitment. As we reflect on this passage, let us be inspired to stand firm in our faith, trust in God’s mighty power, and rid our lives of anything that competes with our devotion to Him. May we echo the cry of the Israelites, "The Lord—he is God!" in our hearts and actions.
Shall we pray?
© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024
Thursday, June 20, 2024
Retracing the Footsteps of Paul during his Second Missionary Journey: Part One
Acts 15:36-16:40
Retracing the Footsteps of Paul during his Second Missionary Journey
John Donne, an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary, who later became Dean of St Paul's Cathedral in London once wrote:
No man is an island,
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
As well as if a promontory were:
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were.
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
When attempting to retrace the footsteps of any human being, there is so much more to consider than simply what the person did or what they said. No man is an island, and this is certainly true of Paul as it is of us all. So, trying to put together a coherent retelling of his second mission journey is made difficult by the fact that there is so much to tell…Paul was a product of his time…he was shaped by what went before him as much as what lay ahead of him, and he interacted with people who had been shaped in the same way.
So, when reading about his life and when trying to understand what he addressed in his letters, it is necessary to keep this in mind as information about the ancient world in which Paul lived with its customs and practices will help not only our comprehension but also our application of the biblical texts we seek to study and employ in our faith and practice.
Ancient Greece is every bit as informative as biblical Greece – archaeology reveals a society that was far more advanced than many have thought in the past…running water, underground sewers, indoor plumbing shows us a civilization superior to that of Victorian England.
Clay pipes
Indoor bathing in the background
The military genius of generals such as the Spartan king Leonidas in the battle of Thermopylae against the Persian King Xerxes (who features in the book of Esther) in 480 BC
Thermopylae
and the expertise of the goldsmiths during the reign of Philip II of Macedon who was assassinated in 336 BC still stuns strategists and historians and metallurgists.
Golden wreath found in the tomb of Philip II
Bust of Alexander
The conquests of the Romans, beginning with the subjugation of all Italy by 200 BC, the conquering of Greece, Spain, the North African coast, much of the Middle East, modern-day France, and even the remote island of Britain led to the establishment of an empire in 27 BC, which endured for another 400 years.
Looking at the routes of Paul's travels in the Book of Acts it is possible to calculate approximately how far he travelled on his three missionary journeys, plus other journeys not mentioned in the book of Acts. The total for the biblical journeys is over 8000 km (5000 miles) on foot and 8500 km (5300 miles) by ship. At a rate of 30 km (20 miles) a day, Paul spent about 250 days, or eight months, walking.
First Missionary Journey 1200 km walking, 900 km by ship
Council of Jerusalem 1400 km walking
Second Missionary Journey 2500 km walking, 2500 km by ship
Third Missionary Journey 2800 km walking, 2030 km by ship
Journey to Rome 310 km walking, 3080 km by ship
(From: https://www.julianspriggs.co.uk/Pages/Travel)
All this was made possible because of what the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans did years before. No man is an island. Paul’s preaching and teaching were, in many ways, made possible because of seemingly unrelated historical events. God works all things together for good, Paul wrote to the Romans…even the bloody wars and methods of global expansion of greedy pagan rulers.
Now, because of time constraints, I am going to deal with some background information today and then look at how the Gospel came to Philippi only. We can go through the rest of the journey in subsequent Sundays as we follow Luke’s record of these momentous events in Acts.
Our story begins shortly after the Jerusalem Council, where Paul and Barnabas had successfully defended a no-strings-attached salvation message for the Gentiles. They had returned triumphant to their multicultural, multiethnic home-church in Antioch in modern day south-eastern Turkey. Antioch on the River Orontes, as it was called then, is itself an interesting city because it was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I in 300 BC. It was one of the largest and most important Greek cities of the period.
Then in Acts 15:36 we are told that Paul wished to return to the churches they had established on the first missionary journey but refused to take John Mark with them. The Greek word used to describe the “sharp disagreement” between Paul and Barnabas is “paroxumos”, a very strong word that we can translate as paroxysm, seizure, explosion, eruption. Scholars speculate over the reason why Paul reacted so strongly to the idea of taking “one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia” most thinking that is was a matter of unreliability, but given the outcome of this emotionally charged altercation I tend to believe that there was more than likely a theological reason. My guess is that it had something to do with the conversion of Sergius Paulus, the Roman Consul in Cyprus…Paul would not have required him to be circumcised and it is possible that this was a step too far for John Mark…remember he and Barnabas were cousins and therefore he would have had some form of Levitical background too. Whatever the reason, God once again used all things together for good as the bust-up created two missionary groups, Barnabas and John Mark going to Cyprus, Paul and Silas through Syria, Cilicia, southern Galatia, northern Asia, and over the Agean on to Macedonia.
But before we move on too quickly, Acts 15:41 alerts us to the fact that Paul had not been idle during his lengthy (anything from 8 to 14 years) stay in Tarsus…another interesting Greek city as it was known as a centre of Stoic philosophy and was also famous for tent fabric woven from black goat hair…but I digress. He seems to have been active in establishing churches in Syria and Cilicia before Barnabas went there to bring him to Antioch. Perhaps it was because of his church planting skills that Barnabas went in the first place, but that we will never know for certain.
Paul and Silas trekked on up the Taurus Mountains through the Cilician Gates and then went on westwards to Derbe, following the Via Sebaste. In Lystra, Paul added Timothy to their company after he had circumcised him. This may surprise you given Paul’s adamant position on converts not needing to be circumcised, but Paul knew that if his method of ministry to Jews first was to include his young protégé, he would have to be circumcised because he the son of a Jewish woman…meaning he was considered a Jew. How would people know whether he was circumcised or not, you might ask. Young Timothy, like Paul, was no doubt a product of his time too, and young Greek men tended to exercise and train in Gymnasiums…in the nude.
In his first letter to his protégé, Paul seems to mention Timothy’s practice of bodily training (1 Timothy 4:7b-8), but besides this locker room type exposure, there were also public baths
and lavatories.
Men sat quite literally cheek by jowl, depositing their waste in overflow water from the baths flowing beneath their nether ends, and cleansed themselves using a stick dipped in clean water flowing past their feet. Hence, apparently, the origin of the idiom, not to grasp the wrong end of the stick.
Troas was a prosperous Greek city situated on the Aegean Sea that served as the chief port of north-west Asia Minor. It had been named Alexandria Troas in memory of Alexander III of Macedon by Lysimachus in 301 BC. Julius Caesar had, at one time, considered making Troas the capital of the Roman Empire.
We are not told how the Holy Spirit directed Paul, nor are we told why. It is possible that Paul’s later decision not to go where others had preached the Gospel previously may have originated here. Syrian Orthodox tradition tells us that Peter ministered in Cappadocia, northern Galatia, Pontus and Bithynia, thus it is possible that this is why Paul was prevented from entering these territories.
Nevertheless, whatever the reason, it is in Troas that Paul meets up with the man who would later write the book of Acts. From what we piece together from other Scriptural as well as extrabiblical references, Luke was a Gentile physician. How do we know that this is where Paul met Luke? Well, because the pronoun ‘they’ used up until this point changes to ‘we’ in verse 10. From this verse on until the end of chapter 16, the author is an eyewitness to all the events he records. This is perhaps the reason why we have a much more detailed account for the events that took place in Philippi than we do for the other Greek cities Paul visited.
In a dream, God revealed to Paul that they ought to go to Macedonia, and so the missionary group, accompanied this time by Luke, crossed over to Neapolis, overnighting in the lee of the island Samothrace…an island said to be the home of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, a place for many pagan religious ceremonies. Centuries before the group arrived in Europe, the people from the island Thasos founded Neapolis. They were shipbuilders, and they needed wood for their ships. But their search for wood took them ever further up the hills until one day they discovered gold quite by accident. Years later, when King Philip II found out about the gold, he took the town and renamed it after himself.
In 42 BC, the final battle between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian (who later became Emperor Augustus) and Brutus and Cassius, the leaders of Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, was fought at Philippi.
The battle, involving up to 200,000 men in one of the largest of the Roman civil wars, consisted of two engagements in the plain west of the ancient city of Philippi. After Mark Antony and Octavian’s victory, many of the veterans were given farm land in the area and the town was declared a Roman colony…which is important, as we shall soon see.
Archeologists help us to piece together what the city must have looked liked when Paul first arrived. As with any dig, there are various layers that reveal different periods, so it is important for us to realise that much of what can be seen today was after Paul’s time.
There were a good number of rivers supplying water to the area, so it is not easy to pinpoint the spot where the Jewish women would meet for prayer. They would meet near a river, lake, or sea because water was needed for purification washings.
The fact that there was no synagogue in the town alerts us to the fact that there were not enough Jeiwsh men there. The minimum number of males required to constitute a representative community of Israel was ten. This requirement is called a “Minyan”, a Hebrew word that means “number”.
There is an area outside the ancient town that church tradition claims is the spot where Lydia and her household was baptised…but we cannot be certain. Luke simply says that it was a spot outside the gate (he doesn’t tell us which of the three known gates) nor does he tell us which riverside.
The other was made from the root of the madder plant and was less expensive, but would still have been a good source of income for her.
The phrase “worshipper of God” was used to describe Gentile god-fearers, so it is more than likely that Lydia was not Jewish. Interestingly, Luke tells us that it was not the persuasive words of Paul’s teaching that brought her to faith, but rather that “the Lord opened her heart’. This is important as the book of Acts portrays God as the primary and ultimate actor at work in the hearts of those who hear the message of salvation. This should be comforting for us as we tell our friends and family about Jesus. We sow and water the seed, but germination and growth is God’s prerogative.
A model of what some Roman estates looked like.
Lydia’s wealth and high rank seems clear from the fact that she is said to have a household – which would have included children, slaves, and freedpersons (it is possible that Euodia and Syntyche were part of Lydia’s faith circle, either as tradeswomen themselves or as slaves, freedwomen, or employees of Lydia’s – Philippians 4:2) – and that she had an estate large enough to house four men along with the other members of the household and also be the venue for later church meetings. As no husband is mentioned, we must assume that she was either widowed, divorced, or estranged from a husband who remained in Thyatira and served as her supplier.
The incident with the girl possessed with the python spirit (often translated as a spirit of divination) is another one of those stories that begs for supplemental explanation.
There was a well-known Greek myth about a female python that guarded the entrance to a sacred spring at Delphi. This large snake was defeated by the god Apollo who, the legend tells us, would possess priestesses at Delphi who were called pythai or pythonesses.
This slave girl was apparently purchased by people who used her her mantic abilities for gain. Her shouting was unwelcome for various reasons. There were laws about new teachings about new gods especially if this new god appeared to usurp the divinity of the emperor and she was no doubt attracting a lot of attention. Also, it seems the definite article is missing from the sentence, so she was misleading the people – she claimed that they were declaring ‘a way of salvation’ not the way. It is also possible that this statement was the reason why the Philippian jailer asked “what must I do to be saved?” But more on that later…
Note that the exorcism did not involve any form of pyrotechnics. Paul simply commanded the spirit to leave in the name of Jesus Christ and it left. No holy water, no crucifixes, no incantations, no shouting or frothing at the mouth. Just the name of Jesus.
But this brought Paul into conflict with wealthy and powerful members of the town who seized him and brought him to a raised podium or bema that can still be seen on the northwest side of the Forum. This unpleasantness is nothing new and unfortunately still happens today. Selfish gain and monetary issues rather than true concern for religious sensibilities are often behind conflicts.
Now, there are several things to note here. First, Paul’s accusers play the race card. These men are Jews, they say. Anti-Jewish sentiments were widespread those days as can be seen in several statements made by contemporary writers like Tacitus and Philostratus. The Emperor Claudius had also expelled the Jews from Rome likely some time recently before Paul arrived in Europe because of arguments about someone named Christus, which many scholars believe is a reference to Jesus.
Second, they accuse them of disturbing the peace. This was an extremely serious charge as an empire as large as Rome was ever vigilant of even the most minor of disturbances. It was especially dangerous as Philippi had been granted special status of being a Roman Colony. So, the magistrates would have been anxious not to upset the political applecart, so to speak.
Third, as it was forbidden to practice or advocate any unapproved religion the charge of “adocating customs unlawful to us Romans (notice the use of Romans, not Greeks or any other nation) to accept or practice” was probably the last straw. The sudden sentencing and punishment without trial or even allowing the defendents to defend themselves indicates the emotionally charged and chaotic atmosphere. Luke tells us that Paul and Silas were stripped naked, beaten severely with rods, and not only thrown into the inner cell (the modern equivalent of maximum security), but their feet were fastened in the stocks. From what I’ve read about these so-called stocks, they were used as a further form of torture as the jailer would spread the legs of the prisoner as far apart as possible to cause the most discomfort.
A picture of the traditional site of the jail, but most archeaologists todfay believe that there is no evidence for this claim.
And yet…Paul and Silas pray and sing praises to God, no doubt with words that explain the way of salvation through Jesus. This worship session is interuppted by a sudden powerful earthquake that damages the prison enough to allow the possible escape of all the prisoners – an escape prevented by Paul. Now, earthquakes were often seen as acts of the gods, so you can imagine what was going through the mind of the jailer when he came running out of his home! His attempted suicide is not strange in his culture as it was a better alternative to the shame of failure or of being tortured and put to death for having allowed prisoners to escape (see Acts 12:19). Plus, he may have heard what the slave girl had said earlier as she had proclaimed her message loudly and for many days, so his question may reflect what she had said about salvation. It is not unlikely that, for a moment, he might have thought that Paul and Silas were gods! Whatever he may have thought or meant doesn’t really matter as Paul led him and his household to Jesus that morning. The mutual washing is particularly poignant…the jailer washing their wounds and Paul washing them in the waters of baptism.
But the story did not end there. Come daylight, when the magistrates ordered the jailer to release them, Paul and Silas informed them that they had beaten and imprisoned Roman citizens. We learn from Cicero that: “To bind a Roman citizen is a crime, to flog him is an abomination , to slay him is almost an act of murder.” (Against Verres 2.5.66.170) Falsely claiming to be a Roman citizen was equally serious a crime and could result in execution. (Suetonius, Claudius 25.3) So, it would be unlikely that Paul would make such a claim after he had already served his sentence.
Now there were three ways to gain Roman citizenship. One way was to receive it as a reward after special or lenghty service to Rome, another was to buy it at great cost (as the Roman commander in Jersusalem in Acts 22:28), or you could be born a citizen as was the case with Paul (also Acts 22:28). We don’t know why Paul did not raise the citizenship claim earlier. It could be because of the chaotic situation before the bema or it could be that he feared it might somehow damage the fledgling church in the town, but, here again, we see how God works even this awful and shameful stituation for good. These magistrates would think twice before dealing with accusations against the believers in Philippi in future. The highest ranking officials in the town quite literally come, cap in hand, begging them to leave….probably because their ongoing presence would expose the error of their judgement.
But Paul and Silas now call the shots and do not leave until they have encouraged the believers gathered at Lydia’s home. It is interesting to see that this church continued to support Paul’s missionary endavors by sending him funds on several occassions while he was in Thessalonica (Philippians 4:16), Corinth (2 Corinthians 11:9), and later in Rome (Philippians 1:5, 2:25, 4”15-16, 18) and they also contributed generously to the collection for the churches in Judea (2 Corinthians 8:1-5).
Luke stayed behind in Philippi when Paul, Silas, and Timothy set off along the Via Egnatia for Thessalonica. We don’t know why. Some have speculated that he was romantically involved with Lydia, that he played a leading role in the church, or that he stayed to begin compiling his own story about the Gospel and its advance.
What we have seen so far in our examination of Paul’s second missionary journey is that God truly does work all things…all things…things secular as well as things sacred…things done by bloodthirsty, greedy, pagan rulers…things taught by pagan witches and druids and philosophers…God works all things together for good for those who love him and who are called according to his purpose.
So be encouraged in your faithful walk with him. Even the most painful, the most random, the most confusing events of your life are in his hands as he continues to direct your footsteps.
No man is an island. We are all shaped and molded by what happens around us – even what has happened before us – but ultimately it is God who shapes us all…past, present, and future.
Shall we pray?
© Johanness W H van der Bijl 2024
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