ࡱ> Root Entry F]1Table?WordDocument'|SummaryInformation(qp  !"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghijklmno/wrstuvyz{|}~ !, ,Footer  !&)@& Page Number!!!!!!!!! ! ! ! ! !!!  ?!*4=FPZdYo y6ҍ:ΠpNm  i   !23 RSOJQJmH @@ Heading 4$ & F@& OJPJQJ<A@<Default Paragraph Font,@,Header  !, ,Footer  !&)@& Page Number  !!!!!!!!       ?!*4Root Entry F|^BS1TableƃWordDocumentVSummaryInformation(q  !"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghijklmno^rstuvyz{|}~ $    5 !&()*+,-.01234C6789:;<=>?@ABPDxFGHIJKLMNOqQR%DocumentSummaryInformation8LCompObjX0Table<hes: they emphasize the work of the Spirit and they often forget about Jesus. It is clear from Peters sermon that the Spirit does not want to be in the limelight, he wants to point to Jesus. Of course, 3,000 came to faith that day. At the end of Acts 2, there is a picture of an idyllic church. Sometimes people will say, I wish the church today was like the early church. I think they are pointing to this passage. Unfortunately, as we will soon see, things didnt remain quite so quiet very long. Some critics wonder about the numbers in Acts. Luke says that the church grew from 120 to 3,000 to 8,000 and so on. Are those credible numbers? During a normal time, when the popluation of Jerusalem was about 50,000 that would be a little high. But during Pentecost, the population would swell to at least150,000. We also know that during the reign of Nero, he blamed the vast multitude of Christians in Rome. So to have a vast mulititude of believers 1,500 miles away would point to a pretty powerful explosion in its beginning stages. Acts 3 - 5 point to the problems that the church was having with the religious establishment in Jerusalem. I just want to point to a few things. First, the boldness of the disciples and how the priests noted that they had been with Jesus. Second, in Acts 4, they pray for more power so that they can be bolder in their proclamation. Would that our prayers in the face of persecution be like that! Finally, I want to highlight Gamaliel. He was easily the ranking theologian of his day, grandson of Rabbi Hillel. He was the man who instructed St. Paul as a Rabbi. He was the first to be called Rabban (our teacher) rather than simply rabbi (my teacher). His words here follow what we know about him: liberal, tolerant, and willing to explore other possibilities. Chapter six we get the first church argument. And, wouldnt you know, it deals with money: who is getting it and who is not. There are two groups: the Hellenist Jews and the Aramaic Jews. There is a lot of discussion as to who the Hellenists are. Most likely, they are Jews from the Roman provinces who dont know a word of Hebrew or Aramaic. There were even Greek-speaking synagogues in Jerusalem; they may have been part of one of them. Others think they may have been proselytes who became Jews. At any rate, they didnt think they were getting their fair share of the money being distributed each day. They thought the Aramaic widows were getting more than they did. The Apostles answer was inspired. The suggested that seven men, each with the gift of wisdom, be brought in and asked to handle the situation. Notice that the church voted to do this; the apostles didnt stick it to them. Each of these men has a Greek name; one is even a Gentile convert to Judaism. They could be sure to deal with this matter fairly and evenly. Stephen was one of those who was voted in. He argued strongly in the synagogues that Jesus was the Christ, especially synagogues that consisted of people from outside of Jerusalem. Notice that one of the synagogues consisted form men from Cilicia, which was the province that Paul was from. He was probably one of those arguing with Stephen. Stephen not only made a clear distinction between Christianity and Judaism, he argued that Christianity made not distinctions about nationality at all. Stephens argument seems to be nothing more than a rehearsal of OT history that comes to a strange conclusion. But he has a method. He points out that the Jews consistently rejected Gods plans and Gods messengers and that now they had rejected the Plan and the Messenger of God in Jesus. A riot breaks out, which turns into murder. Luke slyly points out that Saul was among the crowd. This led to the general persecution of the church. Unfortunately for the persecutors, the people who left simply took the Gospel with them and kept right on preaching. First, the Samaritans are touched by the Gospel. One of the questions that comes up is why didnt the Holy Spirit come upon the Samaritan when they believed? Simplebecause it was a sign to the Jewish Christians that God had accepted the Samaritans even as he had accepted the Jews. Next, we have the story of Philip and the Ethiopian. What is interesting about this story is that the Eithiopian is a eunuch, who would not be allowed to be part of Gods people under any circumstances; it was strictly forbidden under OT law. But now, through the Gospel, he is made part of the people of God. The next major move for Christianitywhich also begins to show the first huge argument in the churchtakes place in Acts 10 and 11: the conversion of Cornelius. There is evidence that there was an Italian cohort (group of 500 men) in the region. Cornelius was a God-fearera person who had a lot of interest in Judaism, but did not convert himself. Peter has his tremendous vision with God having to tell him the same thing three times just to make sure it sinks in. Notice Peters words Now I realize He didnt before. He also thought Jesus was just for Jews, maybe half-breed Jews like the Samaritans. At the end of this section, he calls for water baptism for these men and women since they have received the Spirit. Once again, the gift of tongues is used to show the church going forward. But notice in chapter 11 that some of the Jews question what he is doing in going into a Gentile house. He should not have done such a thing! But they agree he was right and are caught up in the majesty of Gods grace. The Herod in chapter 12 is Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of the King who built the temple. His father was Aristobulus, one of the few sons of Herod the Great not mentioned in the Bible. Agrippa happened to be in Rome when Caligula was killed and convinced Claudius to take up the throne. As a reward, Claudius made him king over all the land that his grandfather once ruled. Agrippa came to Jerusalem as a very popular man. He was very deferential to the Jewish leadership, so he had James killed and planned to the same to Peter. Peter was arrested and placed in the Fortress Antonia. Four squads would be 16 soldiers, two of them were in the prison with Peter. Probably because of Peters earlier disappearances when he was held captive. At this point, Peter lets others know he is OK and then heads for the hills. Agrippa died three years later. He had problems with Tyre and Sidon to his north. So, he slapped a grain embargo on them, refusing to transport any food to them. A rather hungry delegation sought an audience with him to sue for peace. Josephus tells us that the day after this meeting, Agrippa went to address a crowd before meeting with them. The crowd was gathered for a special festival to celebrate the Roman Emporer. Agrippa went to address them at dawn, wearing a special robe that was made out of silver. Seeing him shimmering in the light, the people called out, Up to this time feared you as a man, yet from now on we will agree that you are much more than humanyou are a god! Within seconds, he grabbed his stomach and was in deep pain. He lay down and cried out, I, a god in your eyes, must now lay down my life. Five days later, he died. Introducing St. Paul No where are we told a whole lot about Paul all at once. What we get are bits and pieces scattered here and there. Im going to try to bring some of these various parts together to form a coherent whole for you. 1. a Hebrew born of Hebrews (Phillipians 3:6) Paul was a member of the tribe of Benjamin. His Jewish name, Saul, was probably in honor of the first king of Israel who was from the tribe of Benjamin and until Paul its most famous member. Here and in other places, Paul calls himself a Hebrew instead of a Jew or an Israelite. Most likely, this means that he worshiped in Hebrew and spoke Aramaic. Most synagogues in the Diaspora were Greek-speaking, but some were still done in Hebrew. Both Rome and Corinith have records that they contained a synagogue of the Hebrews. His parents were of the same stripe. This might be why Jesus addressed him in the Hebrew language (Acts 26:14). As a boy, his parents brought him to Jerusalem (acts 22:3) and he grew up in the city. Somewhere along the line, he was taught as a tent-maker, for everyone needed a trade. He was trained by the great rabbi Gamaliel. Gamaliel probably had three effects on Paul: candor and honesty in judgment, a willingness to study and use Greek authors, and a keen enthusiams for Jewish law. However, he rejected Gamaliels view of temporizing the Christians and went for the kill. Paul was a Roman citizen. We dont know how he became one. He says that he was born a citizen, which would mean his father was one as well. In the year 171 BC, Jews were promised citizenship if they emigrated to Tarsus, so this might be where Pauls citizenship came from. It could have also been given if Pauls father or grandfather had renedred some sort of service to the Roman cause. At any rate, Roman citizenship in Tarsus and Jerusalem would have put him among the elite. As a citizen, he had a long line of rights and privileges that were his. These rights included a fair trial, exemption from certain forms of punishment (e.g. crucifixion), and protection against summary execution. He also could not be beaten without trial, which helps us understand some of the NT episodes. There has been a lot of discussion as to whether or not Paul was ever married. Bachelorhood was very rare among Jews; even rarer among Pharisees like Paul. Drane has the interesting view that Paul was married and that his wife left him at coversion. I think he gets this from 1 Cor. 7. Others have argued that Pauls wife had died. Others have said he was never married. Pauls conversion Luke regards Pauls conversion as one of the most important events in the early church, for he records it three times. Each time has a slightly different emphasis and tells the story a bit differently, but each time it is to a different audience as well. No other single event, other than the coming of Jesus, has determined so much for Christianity as the coversion and commisioning of Paul. The Sanhedrin claimed to have the same power in religious questions over Jews in the dispersion as it did in Jerusalem. There was a huge number of Jews in Damascus, so that would be a likely place for members of The Way to go to in order to hiding. All of the accounts agree that it was about mid-day when Paul was coming to Damascus. Gal 1:15 Paul says that Christ was not only revealed to him but in him. This was an objective reality, but it also had a profound inward impact. The change was partly immediate, but it also took three days of thought and prayer to comprehend. Of course, critics cant buy this and argue many different things: *sunstroke Hallucination Epileptic fit Ananais is a truly heroic figure here. I dont know if I would have wanted to go to help someone who had come to kill me, but he went at the command of Jesus. He healed Paul and he baptized him. Scales fell from his eyes there are some who think this might have been cataracts from the blinding light. Others argue that Paul had eye problems from this point on and that was his thorn in the flesh that he mentions in 2 Cor. In Galatians, he mentions that he writes with large letters and that that, if the Galatians could have, they would have given their eyes for him. Paul claimed to be nothing more than a full apostle. In Gal. 1:12, he states that he learned the theology of the Gospel directly from the Lord. The directly revealed Gospel converted him. Others confessed Jesus as Lord before him, but Paul not only refused to listen, he tried to have the confessors imprisoned. The only thing that could change his heart was the Lords appearance. From the time of his conversion until his first missionary journey, a time of about 13 years passed. In Gal 1:16, Paul states that he left Damascus and that he went to Arabia for three years (which Luke does not mention). He then returned to Damascus and kept up his arguing. At this point, he was lowered over the wall and out of town. Paul mentions this same episode in 2 Cor 11:32ff. Paul goes to Jerusalem There were many in Jerusalem who doubted that Paul could now be Christian. It fell to Barnabas to bring Paul and the apostles together. This is probably the meeting that Paul relates in Gal. 1:18 ff. There he says that he met with Peter and James, the Lords brother. Most likely, Peter and James spent part of this time filling Paul in on some of the stories of Jesus. Most likely, they told him of Jesus passion and death and many of his events. It is probably from this time that he found out that Jesus had appeared to Peter and then to James. Gal. 1:21 would correrelate to Acts 9:30 and 11:25 ff. From Gal. 1:22-23, we know that while the people in Jersusalem did not know him personally, they heard of his work preaching and teaching in Tarsus. It is possible that it is during this time he endured some of the hardships listed in 2 Cor, e.g. receiving the forty lashes minus one. He didnt seem to be the type to submit to a beating like this in his missionary journeys, but it might fit into this unknown time. Acts 11 ends with the prophecy of famine. A Roman historian points out that the reign of Claudius (41-54) was marked by drought and poor harvest. The famine was especially bad in Judea. Since many of the Christians in Jerusalem were poor, paying famine prices for food would be very difficult. So, the people took up a collection and had Paul and Barnabas delvier it. It is at this point that the conversations in Gal. 2:1-10 take place. Gal. 2 shows some of the tensions that were already taking place in the church. The issue of circumcision and follwing the Jewish laws were just beginning to raise their heads. After Pauls first missionary journey, this would all break out. Paul's First Missionary Journey; Cyprus The Spirit set them aside during a time of worship and fasting. I often wonder what would happen if we spent more time in our call situations fasting. They took with them John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas, later the author of the Gospel bearing his name. They set sail for Cyprus. Most likely because that was the home province of Barnabas. Cyprus was a senatorial province and was ruled by L. Sergius Paulus who had been in charge of flood control in Rome before becoming govenor of this island. When Paul & Co. arrived in town, he wanted to meet with them to make sure they caused no trouble. They come across this Bar-Jesus, a Jewish sorcerer of all things! He tries to send them away in order to keep his hold on SP, but it doesnt work that way. Paul strikes him with blindness and the govenor becomes Christian. Phrygia They next went to Perga, which is on the road from Tarsus to Ephesus. This is where Mark leaves them. There have been a lot of explanations for thisthe NT gives us none. Some think he was too weak or scared, maybe he was too young and homesick. Some think this might be the time of the sickness Paul talks about in Galatians and Mark didnt want to stick around for that. Others argue that he might have been jealous because Paul was now the leader and he didnt like seeing his relative put in second place (especially when Barnabas had been in the church longer than Paul). If nothing else, this also shows these guys are human! From there, Paul went to Pisidian Antioch. This was over 100 miles from the shoreline over a mountain range! The city consisted of Galatians, Greeks, Jews, and a large Roman contingent. As always, Paul began with the Jews. Paul does the same thing here that Stephen did earlier: skimming the OT to point to Jesus. There is little difference between Peters sermon, Stephens sermon, and this one. But look at v. 39. Here the words justified show up for the first time. Justifiication is a uniquely Pauline word. The God-fearers were especially touched by this message. No laws, just faith! A weak later there were more Jews than Gentiles at the service. Nothing in Iconium, more of the same. Lystra was the city where Timothy lived. He and his family were probably converted on this journey. The run into the problem of people thinking they were gods themselves. Unfortunately, they couldnt understand a word the people were saying because they were speaking their own language. Vv.15ff give a good picture of Pauls message to pagansno OT references, but a call to worship the living God. Within minutes, the crowd turned ugly and there was a battle royal taking place. He was knocked out by the stonesbut not killed. The crazy thing was that he stood up and went back into the city. Galatians and James There is some debate as to when Galatians was written and to whom it was written. There is the Northern Galatian and the southern Galatian theories. The Northern Galatian theory argues that the term Galatians was from the Gauls who overran the northern area and that Luke uses accurate terms for other provinces, so he would do the same this time (Acts 16:6; Acts 18:3). This view would necessitate a later dating of the letter, since Paul did not visit these areas until his 2nd and 3rd Missionary journeys. The second is the Southern Galatian theory. This argues that while the northern area was technically Galatia a broader area was popularly known by that name. Further, since Paul was ill when he visited, it seems odd that he would travel to a remote area over many mountains. Since Galatians mentions Barnabas three times, it is apparent that the people knew him which would only happen on Pauls first journey (although he takes for granted that the Corinthians know Barnabas too). Finally, there is the issue of the Judazing Christians. If this was written laterafter the Jerusalem Councilthen wouldnt there be a note that this issue had been dealt with there? The Northern theory is actually much older, but most modern scholars think the southern theory makes more sense. I agree. Since the issue in Galatians is exactly the same issue as was dealt with in Jerusalem, then it would make more sense to me that see this letter as being written just prior to the Jerusalem Council, about 48 AD. This letter is intensely personal and very passionate. Paul gives a lot of autobiographical information in this letter that he doesnt repeat anywhere else. His entire emphasis is on the freedom we have through the Gospel. The Judaizers argued that they did not come to stop Pauls work but to complete it. There was something missing from their faith: obedience to jewish laws. They argued that Paul was not a true apostle, that Paul is omitting things that God has said, and that the proclamation of grace alone would bring moral laxity. Paul argues in this order. Galatians was Luthers favorite letter; he even named it after his wife! James James is one of the books that was spoken against by the early churchnot every congregation accepted it as authentic. The reason is its heavily Jewish understanding of Christianity, which is one of the reasons it is often dated fairly early. I would put it just prior to the missionary journeys of Paul. The author only refers to himself as James. The NT lists only two people by that name: James the brother of Jesus and James the son of Zebedee. The latter died during the days of Herod Agrippa. James, the brother of Jesus, became well known throughout the church. Paul often refers to Jameseven in his letters to Greek churchesand assumes everyone will know who he is talking about. There are many parallels to the teaching of Jesus in the letter and he shows a good knowledge of the OT. Drane (p. 414) lists the arguments agaisnt saying James, the brother of Jesus, wrote it: the Greek is too good, he doesnt state that hes the Lords brother, he argues against Paul, he takes an ethical view of faith. But I dont think any of those arguments are strong enough to overcome the traditional view. Besides, even if you did argue that it is not James, the brother of Jesus, then you must argue that the letter was either published anonymously and his name stuck on it or that another James wrote it, but why wouldnt that author identify himself? James emphasizes a practical Christianity. It is not enough just to believe faith must be acted out. In many respects, he has a lot in common with the OT prophets. Probably the worst commentary on James in existence is the one written by Fort Wayne Prof David Scaer. He argues that James is a letter by a pastor to pastors only. Dont waste your money. The Jerusalem Council This is one of the most important issues in the churchs history and life. Right here, the issue of a Jewish Christianity or a real Christianity had to be fought. The battle is easily phrased in Acts 15:1. This is probably part of the same group that Paul refers to in Galatians and it probably has something to do with Pauls words in Gal. 2:11-14. At any rate, something had to be done. So they gathered in Jerusalem to discuss this issue. The result: no circumcision, no complete obedience to the laws of Moses. They did make some requests in order to bring peace to Jewish Christian/Gentile Christian relations. This would fit in with Pauls argument that we should not use our freedom to hurt others. The food restrictions seem kind of odd, but those were very important to the Jews. Food sacrificed to idols shows up again in the Corinthian letters. from blood and from strangled goes back to Leviticus where God forbids eating meat with blood in it. The blood had to be drained. Again, it was a stumbling block for some Christians. The fornication had probably been told to them, but just make sure. Paul's Second Missionary Journey Paul and Barnabas wanted to return and visit the churches again. Barnabas wanted to take Mark again, Paul objected. They split. Hey, who said this isnt real church history? On the bright side, there were now two missions going out. Also, Mark did develop a strength of character and later Paul said that he was a comfort to him. Paul took with him Silas (also called Silvanus). He was a member of the church in Jerusalem and was one of the pastors sent along to give credence to the letter sent out by the Jerusalem Council. This made a good combination, because he could see the work going on among the Gentiles. In Lystra, Paul comes upon Timothy and wants him to join the party. Timothys mother was Jew, so he was a Jew. He had been taught the faith by his mother and grandmother. But he was not circumcised, because his father was a Greek. To the Gentiles, he would be considered a jew. But the Jews would never accept him as such. So, Paul, in order to win the Jews, circumcised him. This is pretty important for us to see: that the same principles which would not let Paul circumcise Titus lead him to circumcise Timothy. This served to teach the Gentiles that there was a difference between requiring circumcision of men in order to be Christian and giving it freely (by a Jew) so that the mission would not be hindered. From here, Paul planned to go to Ephesus and into Asia. But some sort of prophetic guidance kept him from doing this. At any rate, they knew it was the Holy Spirit that was not allowing them to enter. At this time, he went to Troas and there received the vision of the Macedonian. At this point, Acts changes from them to we. Paul has now gained a fourth partner, one who is going to travel with him. The first city they came to was Philippi. This city was named after King Philip of Macedonia. Luke mentions that it is a Roman colony. Although there are many Roman colonies in the NT, this is the only one he mentions. There was no synagogue here, but there was a place of prayer. Here the women would meet to recite the appointed synagogue prayers and thanksgivings on the Sabbath. The leader was Lydia, a God-fearer who was the seller of purple cloth. Since there was a Jewish colony in Thyatira, that was probably where she had begun attending the synagogue. She demanded that the missionaries stay with her. The fortune telling girl was a pain. She was walking behind them and yelling These men are slaves of the Most High God. The claim was accurate, but coming from the mouth of someone who did fortune telling, it was not helpful to the cause. Finally, Paul had enough and cast the demon out of her. Her owners were not happy and used a racial argument: these men were Jews who were doing all these horrible things! Without hearing Pauls side, they had the two men stripped and beaten with rods. The jailer through them into the deepest pit and stuck their legs in stocks: a bit of security and a bit of extra torture. But Paul and Silas sang hymns to God. When the earthquake came, everyone was freed. There was nothing more frightening to a warden in ancient days than open prison doors and an empty jail. Death was the usual punishment for letting prisoners escape; so he was about to kill himself, so that his wife could still inherit his property then. If the state killed him, she would lose everything. But Paul told them not to be afraid; everyone was there. The jailers response seems strange, but Paul had been in the city for some time. He was probably familiar with Pauls preaching. That night his entire household was baptized. This is often held to be another indication of infant baptism, since a household could include children. The next morning, the magistrates sent some people to set them free. Paul refused: he was uncondemned a and Roman citizen to boot. The magistrates were frightened: Paul had them on counts of miscarrying justice and of daring to beat a Roman citizen. Their lives were at stake. Paul wasnt being difficult: he had to clear his name in order to stand for the Gospel. From his later letter, it is apparent that this congregation had a special place in Pauls heart. From there, Paul traveled a hundred miles to Thessalonica. This was the largest city in Macedonia and the first to have a synagogue. So, Paul went there. Many believed, Thessalonians Drane, Chapter 17; include articles Paul's Third Missionary Journey, Corinthians and Romans Drane, Chapter 18 =FDP>ZcynxĕpNi  T  & !23 RS  FG|}v!w!##$$%%(((())4)5)))++--n/o/0022+2,2334466F6G6R6`6n6o688-:.:;;;;==>  FG|}v!w!##$$%%(((())4)5)))++--n/o/0022+2,2334466F6G6R6`6n6o688-:.:;;;;==>>??AAxByBBBBBCCDDEEEE[H\H;I??AAxByBBBBBCCDDEEEE[H\H;IZ[[w\x\\\\\7^8^2a3aTaUabbccffgg!h"hjjmmxnynoo;q?I!"x}~FGIx-23u`fg!!!!!!!!!!!\""""###q#r#z#######P$X$Y$$%%&&&7&=&>&E&&u'''',(3(4(<(P(((dY Z !!""%%''(()),,.,/,--2-3---//11())f***`+a+e+o+p++++++,,,-,,,-------#.*....&/2/B/D/{//////0d0011N11122222245666(6:6l6r6s6(7X7]7^77888:9A9B9G9O999::[:h:j::::::;;;-;G;H;;;;;d1l3m34466(6)6778899A:B:M:[:i:j:<<(>)>????A;;<<<<!=8=v={=|=>'>(>)>->>>?N@O@S@@@A1A6A7AVA[AAAAAA B+CCCLCCCCCC,D.D6D]DEF>F`FeFfFuFvFFFFFFFG6GIIIIIIIJJJrJsJwJJJJJJ1KSKKKWLMMMMMMNNN/N0N>NNNdAABBCCEEuFvFFFFFGGHHIIIIVLWL6M7M]N^NNNNNzOOO5P6P8PXPlPmPpPPPP QQQQQQJQkQlQQQQQQQQRLRMRVRRRRRR(S+S,SdSfSlSnSoSSSSSSSSSSTTT'TTUUUUUUUU#VDWqWWEXQXXYYYYYYYZZZ Z/ZDZEZ[Z\ZuZZ0[1[W[^[`[a[dNOOkQlQQQSS#V$VqWrWRXSXYYYYYY1[2[]]O_````,-NO45ۓܓÕĕԗ՗Z[56XYQREFؠ٠ա֡56^_`a!!!!!!!!!! !!!! !!!!!! !! !!!!! They considered themselves to be the custodians of teachings that introduced new religions and other gods.Once again, Paul carefully molds his message to his audience: he doesn t have any OT quotes, he doesn t have any OT stories. Instead, he quotes two different Greek poets. Yet, his argument is throughly biblical. Paul s point of contact was the altar  to an unknown God. There were many altars to the  unknown God in Athens. Paul points to God the creator, God the sustainer, and God the judge, a judgeE!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !23 RS  FG|}v!w!##$$%%(((())4)5)))++--n/o/0022+2,2334466F6G6R6`6n6o688-:.:;;;;==>>??AAxByBBBBBCCDDEEEE[H\H;I>??nAoAbBcBBBBBCCDDEEEEEHFH%I&IKJLJJJKKYMZMnMoMrOsORR_S`S@TATUUUUUUW W Y Y=[\\\\^^aa3a4aaacchfifgghhejfjllWnXnooqq}q~qrrssuusvtvwwxx z z | |~~~~  LM"#yz+, -.9:7801$%٢ڢ¤äդ֤=>?@il!!!!!!!!!! !!!! !!!!!! !! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!v!w!##$$%%(((())4)5)))+E[H\H;IZ[[w\x\\\\\7^8^2a3aTaUabbccffgg!h"hjjmmxnynoqs sssuuvvxxyy-z.z,|-|3~4~~~ !@A!"./mnCDݍލLM,-NO45ۓܓÕĕԗ՗Z[56XYQREFؠ٠ա֡56^_`au1AN`:v$RIlvy{}(;Na[kvwxz|~ Unknown James ButlerDr. James E. Butler Rev. Dr. James E. Butler James E. ButlerPreferred Customer Jim Butler Don ZimmerGrace Lutheran Church toni felkamp Butch Lanphar Gary Timm !q(|(|OOPPSSSSBTKT James Butler>Macintosh HD:Desktop Folder:MTC:NewTestamentIntro:NewTestLect2['Zhho(.['@T  D%LC$Eƀb'|9 B I&P&R((#).)-"-..113333> >[>d>2A9AAA}DDEE5JBJMMMPPATBTKT[[\dd7rRrar ͠Πʡˡؤ٤*+STUV!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! !!!!!!!brirvrsst)tGt\tttttttttttttttuuuuuuuvvvvw9wwxx$x*xxzzzz{7{I{J{k{{|+|-|s|||||||||}}})}<}\}h}s}}}}}}}}2~4~l~&\!Ya߀ǂAW`#'NVbijs")*dmDEGnopvz!'(}ƍˍ̍܍!45܎ߎ *ABI+-M "OȒɒ̒ܓKY^wx|}ؔ۔ܔ+Õ՗GHZ\krɘʘXY[tyzՙ46789MNRcvwКRSTfgDQОўqƠlnǡԡ(H6;<Ak]_`a|d@~b@~@~@0~b%@D~`'@V~A@h~T@BY@v~XZ@~@b@~e@~4k@~.o@~Po@~@Ą@n@$@6@F@V|@@|@@pб@d@@Trt    > h         : R       Fr! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!months in mission and ministry, longer than he was anywhere since he had been in Antioch. As Drane notes, Corinth was located on a narrow strip of land with ports on both sides of it. A sort of railroad of logs was constructed across it. Boats would come into port on one side and would be carted across three and a half miles to the other to continue their journey. This was much quicker and cheaper than sailing all around Greece. Corinth was a cult center for the worship of Aphrodite. Posiedon was also a popular god, especially during the Corinthian games held every two years. It was also known for its sexual laxity. Paul went to work making tents along with Aquila and Priscilla. They were from Rome, but were thrown out of town by Claudius. The Roman historian Suestonis says that the expulsion order was given because the Jews were constantly in fights that were started by a man named Chrestus. Most likely, this means they were expelled for fighting over Christ. There were definitely Jews from Rome at Pent !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !23 RS  FG|}v!w!##$$%%(((((())))++w-x-X/Y/0022223344550616<6J6X6Y688::;;;;==>>??nAoAbBcBBBBBCCDDEEEEEHFH%I&IKJLJJJKKYMZMnMoMrOsORR_S`S@TATUUUUUUW W Y Y=[\\\\^^aa3a4aaacchfifgghhejfjllWnXno~qrrssuusvtvwwxx z z | |~~~~  LM"#yz+, -.9:7801$%٢ڢ¤äդ֤=>?@ilu1AN`:v$RIlvy{}(;Na[kvwxz|~Unknown James Butler !q(|((( James Butler>Macintosh HD:Desktop Folder:MTC:NewTestamentIntro:NewTestLect2['Zhho(.['@((((R(LC$Eƀb'(@H vnpBD0b*>NPh~2J`4 @ B "\ "$t%%.&4&\&d&&&f'j''((z,,//011123x77777888:n;|;~;;<z>>>???@@ @@@>@\@TA^A`AlAxAzA$B.B0BBBBBCC CNCPCVClCCCDDD>E~EEEEG@G"HLHNHHIIfJJJJ0KKKK|L~LLL"XNNNN2N OO OOOOOOOOB PPPPPBQ$RrR"V.V0VVzW|WWWTWXX,X|X~XXXbXYYYYYY$ZZZZZ[T[X[Z[\[^[[[[[[[[,\0\V\\\^\\X`Z```aaaaaalRbvccdde$efffgggh hhzhii|jjl n&n(nbnfnhnnnn>o~opppppZsdsfspss\tu` b $@v@ "(*,.v@GTimes New Roman5Symbol3 Arial3Times;Helvetica"1h]b&}b}b:F&$0dEarly Christianity in Jerusalem James Butler James Butler@.@v@GTimes New Roman5Symbol3 Arial3Times;Helvetica"1h]b&|b:F&$0dEarly Christianity in Jerusalem James Butler James Butler [0@0NormalCJ FMicrosoft Word DocumentNB6WWord.Document.8 ՜.+,0 hp  'Trinity Lutheran Church&F  Early Christianity in Jerusalem Title Oh+'0 $ @ L X dpx' Early Christianity in Jerusalemarl James ButleraniameNormalu James Butlerani28eMicrosoft Word 8.0i@Bk@<6@Vd@!:f [0@0NormalCJOJQJmH @@ Heading 4$ & F@& OJPJQJ<A@<Default Paragraph Font,@,Header  !, ,Footer  !&)@& Page Number!!!!!!!!       ?!*4=FDP>ZcynxĕpNi  T  & !23 RS  FG|}v!w!##$$%%(((())4)5)))++--n/o/0022+2,2334466F6G6R6`6n6o688-:.:;;;;==>>??AAxByBBBBBCCDDEEEE[H\H;IZ[[w\x\\\\\7^8^2a3aTaUabbccffgg!h"hjjmmxnynoo;qMacintosh HD:Desktop Folder:MTC:NewTestamentIntro:NewTestLect2['Zhho(.['@xLC$Eƀb't9 B I&P& ))- -..}11{3333==E>N>A#AAAgDoDEEJ,JTT0Y7Yddr1r@rArHrUrrrst&t;tctotptstvtttttttttttttzuuuurvsvtvvvwawwwx xxzzzzz{({){J{{{ | |R|q|||||||||||}};}G}R}c}d}z}}}}}~~K~;bey}8@׃ ̈́Մք6?-5AHIR CL#$&MNOUYix\abՍ֍ڍ !( ,{‘Ñۑ.bc“ʓ*8=VW[\enx {z&'9;JQuvИؘ٘ޘ78:SXY{ۙ,-1BUV`123EF_#0֟ןPbdinoKMآx{|ߣ'äĤƤ֤ڤ J<>?@ij1|0d@1~0b@1~0@1~0@10~1b%@1D~0`'@1V~0A@1h~0T@1v~0XZ@1~0@b@1~0e@1~04k@1~1.o@1~0Po@1~1@10Ą@10n@1$0@160@1F0@1V0|@1p0б@1|0@10@11T1r1t110 0 1 1 1> 1h 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1: 1R 1 1 11 1 1 1 11F0r@1H001111 101110v11n1p1111B1D1110011b111*1>1N1P11h1~1111121J1`11114 1@ 1B 1"0\ 1"0$1t%1%1.&14&1\&1d&1&1&0f'1j'11'1(0(0z,1,0/1/101111110211311x71171717171818081:1n;1|;1~;0;0<1z>1>0>1?1?1?1@1@1 @1@1@1>@0\@1TA1^A1`A1lA1xA1zA1$B1.B10B1B1B1B0B1C1C1 C9 B I&P&R((#).)-"-..113333> >[>d>2A9AAA}DDEE5JBJTTFYMYdd,rGrVrWr^rkrrrtt{?{`{{ | |"|h||||||||||||}1}Q}]}h}y}z}}}}}}'~1NC1PC1VC1lC1C0C1D1D1D1>E1~E1E1E0E0G1@0G1"H1LH1NH1H1I0I1fJ1J1J1J110K1K1K1K1|L1~L1L0L1"0XN1N1N1N121N1 O1O1 O1O1O1O1O1O1O1O1B1 P1P1P1P1P1BQ0$R0rR1"V1.V00V1V1zW1|W1W1W1T1W1X1X1,X1|X1~X1X1X1b1X1Y0Y1Y1Y1Y1Y1$Z1Z1Z1Z1Z1[0T[1X[1Z[1\[1^[1[1[1[1[1[1[1[0,\10\1V\1\\1^\0\1X`1Z`0``1a1a1a1a1a1a1l1Rb0vc1c1d1d0e1$e1f1f1f1g1g1g1h1 h1h0zh1i1i1|j0j0l1 n1&n1(n1bn1fn1hn1nn1n1>o0~o1p1p0p1p0p1Zs1ds1fs1ps1s1\t0u0` 0b 0$@0v@GTimes New Roman5Symbol3 Arial3Times;Helvetica"h]b&{b:F&!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)~a~Qx{NVԀ6LUCKW^_hYb9:<cdeko rwxэ )*юԎՎ67> "B ّؑ DxyѓՓ֓ؓ @NSlmqr{͔Дє ʗ<=OQ`gMNPinoʙ )+,-.BCGXklvŚGHI[\u9FŞƞ fxzacɡ=٤ڤܤ+016`RTUVA|a[d[[[[ \\\;\<\G\L\V\W\\\|\}\\\\\\\]]]g]l]m]]]]^^^^-_M_N_U_V_[_____`q```````arabbbbNc#d$d.d4d5dCd"e$e%eFeeesgzg{ggggh}hhhhhhi&ii{jjjjkDkkkkkkkd`(b)b#e$eEeFeeeggzj{jkkllwnxnqqirjrss,u-uuu:vknnnnhoo)p*prss,u-uuu:v;v?@ABPQRTWXYZ[\]_`abcdexghijklmnopU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!v!w!##$$%%(((())4)5)))+E[H\H;IZ[[w\x\\\\\7^8^2a3aTaUabbccffgg!h"hjjmmxnynoqs sssuuvvxxyy-z.z,|-|3~4~~~ !@A!"./mnCDݍލLM,-NO45ۓܓÕĕԗ՗Z[56XYQREFؠ٠ա֡56^_`a@d@A~@b@A~@@A~@@A0~Ab%@AD~@`'@AV~@A@Ah~@T@@@BY@Av~@XZ@A~@@b@A~@e@A~@4k@A~A.o@A~@Po@A~A@A@Ą@A@n@A$@@A6@@AF@@AV@|@Ap@б@A|@@A@@AATArAtAA@ @ A A A> Ah A A A A A A A A A: AR A A AA A A A AAF@r@AH@@AAAA A@AAA@vAAnApAAAABADAAA@0AAbAAA*A>ANAPAAhA~AAAAA2AJA`AAAA4 A@ AB A"@\ A"@$At%A%A.&A4&A\&Ad&A&A&@f'Aj'AA'A(@(@z,A,@/A/A0A1A1A1@2AA3AAx7AA7A7A7A7A8A8@8A:An;A|;A~;@;@<Az>A>@>A?A?A?A@A@A @A@A@A>@@\@ATAA^AA`AAlAAxAAzAA$BA.BA0BABABAB@BACACA CANCAPCAVCAlCAC@CADADADA>EA~EAEAE@E@GA@@GA"HALHANHAHAI@IAfJAJAJAJAA0KAKAKAKA|LA~LAL@LA"@XNANANANA2ANA OAOA OAOAOAOAOAOAOAOABA PAPAPAPAPABQ@$R@rRA"VA.V@0VAVAzWA|WAWAWATAWAXAXA,XA|XA~XAXAXAbAXAY@YAYAYAYAYA$ZAZAZAZAZA[@T[AX[AZ[A\[A^[A[A[A[A[A[A[A[@,\A0\AV\A\\A^\@\AX`AZ`@``AaAaAaAaAaAaAlARb@vcAcAdAd@eA$eAfAfAfAgAgAgAhA hAh@zhAiAiA|j@j@lA nA&nA(nAbnAfnAhnAnnAnA>o@~oApAp@pAp@pAZsAdsAfsApsAsA\t@u@` @b @$@@v@AAAAAA A"AA(@*@,@.@v@GTimes New Roman5Symbol3 Arial3Times;Helvetica"1h]b&|b:F&$0dEarly Christianity in Jerusalem James Butler James Butler0diEarly Christianity in Jerusalem James Butler James Butler [0@0NormalCJOJQJmH @@ Heading 4$ & F@& OJPJQJ<A@<Default Paragraph Font,@,Header  17 |(HHR[ (hh t2 HK'd"E6Po s vjbjb |kk]ƃb(((((PPP8 T,&+------,Y4(Y(($vj((+<((((+ ((+<c,$P#Early Christianity in Jerusalem Drane, Chapter, 13 Acts 2Pentecost Before the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, there were three great festivals in Jerusalem: Passover, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths. The festival of Weeks was also called Pentecost since it fell fifty days after the wave offering of the sheaf of barley during Passover. Weeks was an agricultural festival held seven weeks after the harvest had begun when the first fruits of the wheat harvest were presented to God as the source of fertility. (Lev. 23:15-22). Pentecost began with the priests not only giving out their regular sacrifices, but also giving a special cereal offering with two loaves of bread freshly made from the newly milled wheat harvest. The bread would not be burned, but would be eaten by the priests. While this was going on, about 120 disciples had gathered in the Upper Room and were deep in prayer. This is when the toungues of fire came down upon them. There are a lot of questions about his event: e.g. were the flames actual or just something that the disciples could see? Why tongues of fire? I think they were actual flames. Gordon Fee argues that they were little pillars of fire. Just as God was present in the pillar of cloud and fire in the midst of the people in the OT, so now he is present in the little pillars of cloud and fire within his people. At this point, the disciples were filled with new power and began speaking in other languages. There is a BIG question about tongues: Are they an estatic language or are they actual known languages? In this Acts account, they are apparently known languages, since the people hear them speaking in their home languages. Luke lists 14 different nationalities here, with every part of the Roman Empire except for Syria, Cilicia, and Greece. Some critics have said that the disciples didnt need to speak in any other language since everyone was at least bilingual and would have understood Greek besides their home language. But the miracle was that they could understand what Peter was saying in their native tongue. This was the reverse of Babel. In Babel, God mixed up the languages, separating the people. In Pentecost, God made one language and brought the people together. The new wine (GK gleukos, from which we get the word glucose) was cheap wine. It took a lot more to get drunk on, but the winos would use it. Peters point here is that at 9:00 in the morning, the people who are drunk would be sleeping it off still. No one would have enough time to get filled with new wine that day. Peters sermon is interesting for a number of reasons. First, it shows the impact of the Holy Spirit in his life. He is no longer flash the sword and deny the Lord. Instead, he preaches boldly to thousands upon thousands. Second, his message is also quite interesting. While he does begin with the Pentecost phenomon, he doesnt remain there. He quickly moves to the message of Jesus Christ and him crucified. That is one of the problems that I have with Pentecostal and charismatic churc 3dSfSlSnSLvqvvvv6h 2#u>|z"$(*20JmH0J j0JUH*6 u1AN`:v$RIlvy{}(;Na[kvwxz|~Unknown James Butler !q(|(|OOPPSSSSBTKT James Butler>Macintosh HD:Desktop Folder:MTC:NewTestamentIntro:NewTestLect2['Zhho(.['@KTKT(KTATLC$Eƀb'|9 B I&P&R((#).)-"-..113333> >[>d>2A9AAA}DDEE5JBJMMMPPATBTKT[[\dd7rRrarbrirvrsst)tGt\tttttttttttttttuuuuuuuvvvvw9wwxx$x*xxzzzz{7{I{J{k{{|+|-|s|||||||||}}})}<}\}h}s}}}}}}}}2~4~l~&\!Ya߀ǂAW`#'NVbijs")*dmDEGnopvz!'(}ƍˍ̍܍!45܎ߎ *ABI+-M "OȒɒ̒ܓKY^wx|}ؔ۔ܔ+Õ՗GHZ\krɘʘXY[tyzՙ46789MNRcvwКRSTfgDQОўqƠlnǡԡ(H6;<Ak]_`aA|@d@A~@b@A~@@A~@@A0~Ab%@AD~@`'@AV~@A@Ah~@T@A@BY@Av~@XZ@A~@@b@A~@e@A~@4k@A~A.o@A~@Po@A~A@A@Ą@A@n@A$@@A6@@AF@@AV@|@@@@@A|@@@@@@Ap@б@@d@A@@AATArAtAA@ @ A A A> Ah A A A A A A A A A: AR A A AA A A A AAF@r@AH@@AAAA A@AAA@vAAnApAAAABADAAA@0AAbAAA*A>ANAPAAhA~AAAAA2AJA`AAAA4 A@ AB A"@\ A"@$At%A%A.&A4&A\&Ad&A&A&@f'Aj'AA'A(@(@z,A,@/A/A0A1A1A1@2AA3AAx7AA7A7A7A7A8A8@8A:An;A|;A~;@;@<Az>A>@>A?A?A?A@A@A @A@A@A>@@\@ATAA^AA`AAlAAxAAzAA$BA.BA0BABABAB@BACACA CANCAPCAVCAlCAC@CADADADA>EA~EAEAE@E@GA@@GA"HALHANHAHAI@IAfJAJAJAJAA0KAKAKAKA|LA~LAL@LA"@XNANANANA2ANA OAOA OAOAOAOAOAOAOAOABA PAPAPAPAPABQ@$R@rRA"VA.V@0VAVAzWA|WAWAWATAWAXAXA,XA|XA~XAXAXAbAXAY@YAYAYAYAYA$ZAZAZAZAZA[@T[AX[AZ[A\[A^[A[A[A[A[A[A[A[@,\A0\AV\A\\A^\@\AX`AZ`@``AaAaAaAaAaAaAlARb@vcAcAdAd@eA$eAfAfAfAgAgAgAhA hAh@zhAiAiA|j@j@lA nA&nA(nAbnAfnAhnAnnAnA>o@~oApAp@pAp@pAZsAdsAfsApsAsA\t@u@` @b @$@@v@AA34EF*+23f g "#34:;DE2bl$'1^e f o r s   K 3 Q  e j ^GLMdDwx!)lm{,fm8@AMdther way. Once there, they had to wait a week in order to get a ship to take them onward. Go over Eutychus. Paul s sermon to the Ephesian elders is of great importance. Here we see the love of a teacher for his pupils. For the purposes of our doctrine of the ministry, it is very important as Paul calls them elders, shepherds, and overseers with no distinction in office. This is the only speech by Paul given to Christians. 20:23 Paul notes that prison and hardship await him. Notice in ch. 21 how often Paul is warned of what will happen in Jerusalem. At Tyre, some Christians, through prophecy, urged him not to go on. In Caesarea, Agabus, the same guy who had predicted the famine, said that he would be imprisoned. $h'j'((z,|,//j3l399<<??^@`@BBCCxFzFGGGGRIRITILLNNrRtRVVYYV[X[.\0\__aaxczceehhjjlllppppXsZsuu,.02Early Christianity in JerusalemtonguesecstaticphenomenapopulationmultitudeEthiopianEmperorPhilippiansenthusiasmrenderedconversionconversioncommissioningcorrelateJerusalemdeliverfollowinggovernorgovernorJustificationJewishagainstJewemperorRomansinstitutionthoroughlyPoseidonproconsulJewsmilitarysupposedlyEpaphrasministrydeficientscrollsfeverpromote NTLect2/ PAGE 17 . Some information is given in Phillipians, some in Galatians, and some in Acts. 4 AAAA A"AA(@*@,@.@v@GTimes New Roman5Symbol3 Arial3Times;Helvetica"1h]b&A|b:F&$0dEarly Christianity in Jerusalem James Butler James Butler FMicrosoft Word DocumentNB6WWord.Document.8 ՜.+,0 hp  'Trinity Lutheran Church&F  Early Christianity in Jerusalem Title Oh+'0|  8 D P\dlt' Early Christianity in Jerusalemarl James ButleraniameNormalu James Butlerani27eMicrosoft Word 8.0i@Bk@Vd@v@l: Galatians9 s vjbjb kk]bbbbbbz"z"z"8" "TV_8&~#~#######$$$$$$$,9y;+%4b#####+%#bb##N#0####Xb#b#$v$bbbb#$##$$bb$#<5V$z"#$Early Christianity in Jerusalem Drane, Chapter, 13 Acts 2Pentecost Before the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, there were three great festivals in Jerusalem: Passover, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths. The festival of Weeks was also called Pentecost since it fell fifty days after the wave offering of the sheaf of barley during Passover. Weeks was an agricultural festival held seven weeks after the harvest had begun when the first fruits of the wheat harvest were presented to God as the source of fertility. (Lev. 23:15-22). Pentecost began with the priests not only giving out their regular sacrifices, but also giving a special cereal offering with two loaves of bread freshly made from the newly milled wheat harvest. The bread would not be burned, but would be eaten by the priests. While this was going on, about 120 disciples had gathered in the Upper Room and were deep in prayer. This is when the toungues of fire came down upon them. There are a lot of questions about his event: e.g. were the flames actual or just something that the disciples could see? Why tongues of fire? I think they were actual flames. Gordon Fee argues that they were little pillars of fire. Just as God was present in the pillar of cloud and fire in the midst of the people in the OT, so now he is present in the little pillars of cloud and fire within his people. At this point, the disciples were filled with new power and began speaking in other languages. There is a BIG question about tongues: Are they an estatic language or are they actual known languages? In this Acts account, they are apparently known languages, since the people hear them speaking in their home languages. Luke lists 14 different nationalities here, with every part of the Roman Empire except for Syria, Cilicia, and Greece. Some critics have said that the disciples didnt need to speak in any other language since everyone was at least bilingual and would have understood Greek besides their home language. But the miracle was that they could understand what Peter was saying in their native tongue. This was the reverse of Babel. In Babel, God mixed up the languages, separating the people. In Pentecost, God made one language and brought the people together. The new wine (GK gleukos, from which we get the word glucose) was cheap wine. It took a lot more to get drunk on, but the winos would use it. Peters point here is that at 9:00 in the morning, the people who are drunk would be sleeping it off still. No one would have enough time to get filled with new wine that day. Peters sermon is interesting for a number of reasons. First, it shows the impact of the Holy Spirit in his life. He is no longer flash the sword and deny the Lord. Instead, he preaches boldly to thousands upon thousands. Second, his message is also quite interesting. While he does begin with the Pentecost phenomon, he doesnt remain there. He quickly moves to the message of Jesus Christ and him crucified. That is one of the problems that I have with Pentecostal and charismatic churc 3dSfSlSnSLvqvvvv6h 2#u>|z"$(*20JmH0J j0JUH*634EF*+23f g "#34:;DE2bl$'1^e f o r s   K 3 Q  e j ^GLMdDwx!)lm{,fm8@AMdther way. Once there, they had to wait a week in order to get a ship to take them onward. Go over Eutychus. Paul s sermon to the Ephesian elders is of great importance. Here we see the love of a teacher for his pupils. For the purposes of our doctrine of the ministry, it is very important as Paul calls them elders, shepherds, and overseers with no distinction in office. This is the only speech by Paul given to Christians. 20:23 Paul notes that prison and hardship await him. Notice in ch. 21 how often Paul is warned of what will happen in Jerusalem. At Tyre, some Christians, through prophecy, urged him not to go on. In Caesarea, Agabus, the same guy who had predicted the famine, said that he would be imprisoned. $h'j'((z,|,//j3l399<<??^@`@BBCCxFzFGGGGRIRITILLNNrRtRVVYYV[X[.\0\__aaxczceehhjjlllppppXsZsuu,.02Early Christianity in JerusalemtonguesecstaticphenomenapopulationmultitudeEthiopianEmperorPhilippiansenthusiasmrenderedconversionconversioncommissioningcorrelateJerusalemdeliverfollowinggovernorgovernorJustificationJewishagainstJewemperorRomansinstitutionthoroughlyPoseidonproconsulJewsmilitarysupposedlyEpaphrasministrydeficientscrollsfeverpromote NTLect2/ PAGE 17 . Some information is given in Phillipians, some in Galatians, and some in Acts. 4 Galatians9