Recap

So far in Acts, we've read through the introduction, the disciples' time in Jerusalem, the church spreading into Samaria, and the missionary trips to the ends of the earth. Acts, a sequel to Luke's gospel, explores the early church's birth and growth. Jesus commissioned his disciples to spread the good news from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

After his ascension, the Holy Spirit came as wind and fire, making believers God's new temples. Empowered to speak in different languages, the disciples amazed the crowd, and Peter led over 3,000 to salvation. The church was born, and believers lived in community, sharing all they had.

Peter and John healed a lame man at the temple, explaining that God’s presence now dwelt in his people. This led to conflict with the priests, who warned them to stop preaching. The believers prayed for boldness and shared their possessions. As struggles arose, the Apostles appointed seven men to manage daily tasks, and the church grew.

Stephen, one of the seven, performed miracles but was accused of blasphemy. He highlighted how Israel had rejected God’s chosen, including Jesus. This enraged the crowd who stoned him. His death triggered persecution, forcing Christians to spread the gospel to Judea and Samaria.

Philip helped spread the gospel in Samaria and was led by God to assist an Ethiopian man with scripture. Meanwhile, Saul, on his way to arrest Christians, was blinded by Jesus, healed by Ananias, and filled with the Holy Spirit. He began preaching immediately, despite opposition. The disciples in Jerusalem were initially wary of Saul, but Barnabas vouched for him.

Peter received a vision about not calling what God made clean, unclean. He preached to Gentiles, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. This led to the Gentiles being included with the believers. A multi-ethnic church was established in Antioch, supported by Saul and Barnabas.

Paul and Barnabas began spreading the gospel in Cyprus and Asia Minor. They preached to Jews and Gentiles, facing opposition but establishing churches. Returning to Antioch, they reported their success, and the believers praised God.

A group argued that Gentile converts must be circumcised. At a council in Jerusalem, the apostles decided that the Gentiles had already been filled with the Holy Spirit. They didn’t need to adopt Jewish customs as well, but must reject things offensive to God.

After a disagreement over John Mark, Paul and Barnabas took separate missions. Paul, led by the Holy Spirit to Macedonia, preached to women and a jailer after being arrested.

In Thessalonica, Paul's message was rejected, but in Berea, it was accepted. In Athens, he used local culture to point to Jesus. In Corinth, Paul focused on Gentiles, building the church for eighteen months despite opposition.

Paul returned to Antioch with Priscilla and Aquila, where Apollos, a zealous teacher, was mentored and sent to Corinth. On his third mission, Paul spent two years in Ephesus growing the church, before returning to Jerusalem, visiting other churches along the way.

Acts 21-22

This leads us to the fourth and final section of Acts, focused on Paul's journey to Rome. Heading back towards Jerusalem, Paul and his team make two stop offs; one at Tyre and the other at Caesarea.

At both places, the believers there try to dissuade Paul from heading to Jerusalem. When we first read this at Tyre, we’re left a little confused. But then when Paul gets to Caesarea, it becomes clearer.

A man named Agabus prophecies over Paul that, in Jerusalem, he will be opposed by Jews who will bind him and hand him over to the Romans. At this, even Paul’s own team tries to persuade him to not go to Jerusalem, but Paul tells them he is wiling to get arrested and even die for Jesus.

Going forward, Luke is going to highlight Paul’s sufferings and the injustices he faces to help the early church feel like they can identify with him. It may seem foreign to many of us, but those who would have first read Luke’s works were facing severe persecution.

Many were rejected by society. In some cases, emperors were actively persecuting them, having them arrested and killed. In Paul, we get to the example of a godly believer in the face of trials and persecution.

Arriving in Jerusalem, Paul meets up with the disciples there and tells them about all that has happened since he was last with them. We then get an even clearer picture of why Jerusalem isn’t a safe place for Paul right now.

There are many Jews, both inside and outside the church, who are passionate followers of their traditions and beliefs. Many of these believe that Paul is not only telling Gentiles that they can be saved but also telling Jews that they can stop following all their traditions.

Now, the church has already made its position on Gentiles clear (see Acts 15), but the second issue around whether Jews should continue following their practices is a little more unclear. For now, the church leadership wants to appease these Jews, and so they ask Paul to go with four others as they perform their ritual vows. That way, everyone can see that Paul has nothing against the Jewish traditions.

The problem that these leaders didn’t account for is that when people want to misunderstand what you’re saying, they will do no matter what you do. We see this in Jesus’ parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-6) and throughout Jesus’ own life.

Jesus took a very different approach. Rather than try to clarify himself or make it easier for others, he merely stated that if people want to understand him, they will, and if they don’t want to understand him, they won’t. We see this principle in play now.

When the Jews see Paul in the temple, they don’t see a man faithful to his Jewish roots. Instead, they assume he is bringing unclean Gentiles into their temple, seize him, trying to kill him.

Hearing a riot, a Roman cohort immediately rush in and break up the fight, assuming Paul was the source of the chaos and arresting him. One of the officials tries asking around to find out what had happened, but is unable to make sense of the shouts from the crowd.

Turning away, they plan to throw Paul in the barracks until they can decide what to do with him, but Paul asks if he can first talk to the crowd to explain himself. And so, turning to the crowd, in their own Hebrew language, Paul explains to them his own personal history.

He explains how he started of hating and persecuting anyone who was a follower of Jesus, but then met Jesus for himself. He shares how he was baptised into this new faith and began to share the good news of Jesus with others. Through all this, the crowd is silent, listening intently.

But then Paul mentions how God had called him away from Jerusalem to share the good news with Gentiles, and the crowd stops listening. They call for him to be taken off, and so the cohort return to the barracks with Paul in tow.

There, they decide to whip him into confessing what crime he’s committed, but Paul asks them if it’s okay to whip a Roman citizen without trial. We’ve mentioned that being a Roman citizen is a big deal before.

Not everyone in the Roman empire was a Roman citizen. Only a select few were those that were born to Roman citizen parents, and those that could pay the extortionate price.

As a Roman citizen, you enjoyed the full legal protection of the Roman empire. Much like today, countries like America would cause havoc if a foreign nation arrested and beat up one of their citizens without reason. No one wanted to mess with a Roman citizen for fear that the might of the Roman empire would rain down on them.

So hearing that Paul was not only a Roman citizen but one by birth, the Roman cohort backed off, afraid. If they didn’t handle this correctly, it would end very badly for them.

Psalm 127

This psalm is to king Solomon and is named as a psalm of ascent. These psalms were sung by worshippers as they ascended to Jerusalem for the three pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Festival of Weeks, and Festival of Tabernacles) or possibly by the Levites as they ascended the steps of the Temple. Psalm 120-134 are all psalms of ascent.

Psalm 127:1-2 - The Lord must build the house

Psalm 127:3-5 - Children are an inheritance

In this ascent journey we’ve gone from being far from God's presence (Psalm 120), to seeking God’s presence (Psalm 121), and then to reaching God’s presence (Psalm 122). From there, the psalmist has asked the Lord for help (Psalm 123) and then praised the Lord for his protection (Psalm 124).

From within Jerusalem, they reflected on the nature of righteousness and wickedness (Psalm 125). They thanked God for how he has restored his city, but also ask for more (Psalm 126). Now comes a reflection on the importance of God being first and foremost in our live (Psalm 127).

The psalmist opens with a simple observation: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1). It is pointless working and striving for something unless the Lord is in it. It’s useless working hard from a place of anxiety to provide for yourself. The Lord is the one who provides for those he loves. Success comes from the Lord. Nowhere else.

The psalmist then reflects on children. They two are a gift from the Lord. A warrior without an arrow in his hand cannot use his bow. He is useless. But a warrior with a quiver full of arrows is powerful and effective. In the same way, children are a blessing and help to their parents. They are a cause of celebration.

It’s perhaps fitting that this psalm is attributed to Solomon, as it’s the first wisdom psalm of the ascent psalms. It’s a reflection on the fact that all good things come from the Lord, so rather than striving in our own strength, we should seek for where he wants to work.