Reading Plan Week 7 – 9th-13th November
Acts 16:1-15 Come and help us
Acts 16:16-40 What must I do to be saved?
Acts 17:1-15 They are turning the world upside down!
Acts 17: 16- 34 What does this babbler want to say?
Acts 18 This man worships God contrary to the law
Introduction
Throughout these next chapters of Acts we’ll read about Paul being prevented from going to Asia, his original destination by the Holy Spirit in chapter 16. He is attacked and arrested in Philippi where upon release the authorities beg him to leave. When he goes to Thessalonica more riots occur, and he is snuck out under the cover of darkness. These are not dull chapters of Acts, in fact I might describe them as action packed.
Concept of Time and Distance
If you were to glance over these chapters you could be tricked into thinking that Paul’s missionary lifestyle was a whirlwind of adventure over the course of a few months but that is not the case, within the course of these three chapters, it is estimated that around 3 years will have past.
As we read these chapters in succession each story flows into another that we miss the time spent in each of the places, these missionary opportunities were not fleeting, even if there was trouble in the city Paul will have spent weeks in a place before being moved on either by his own violation or outside circumstances.
It is good to be aware of the concept of time as we read these passages, a lot can change in four years.
How has your life changed in the last four years, how will it change in the next four?
Paul travels a considerable distance in these passages. To see a map of Paul’s travels click here.
I sometimes forget when I read the bible that these are not just stories; that people lived them. Paul will have got on a boat, his feet might have got wet and the journey may not have been an easy one because the weather might have been awful. In chapter 17 we read about Paul travelling from Philippi to Thessalonica and the verse casually says ‘when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia they came to Thessalonica’, it was 33 miles to Amphipolis, and another 27 to Apollonia and another 35 to Thessalonica. In total that is 95 miles.
These journeys that Paul takes are not casual walks, you can count the miles. These aren’t just stories in a book, they are experiences that could have been hindered by the weather, they were certainly affected by the people in the towns and cities Paul visited. Because even after travelling all those miles to share the gospel, he nearly ends up in prison. Paul knew suffering; he tells us so in 2 Corinthians, he knew what it was wear shackles on his feet. The miles Paul travelled and the experiences he had read like a cool adventure but when we view these chapters in that way we can miss the reality of what it meant to share the gospel at that time.
Introduction to the New Testament Communities
Paul meets a number of people on his journey: it is through these chapters we are introduced to Timothy, when in Philippi we meet Lydia and a prison guard whose family become followers of Jesus. In Thessalonica we meet Jason whose church plant gets off to a rocky start with the leaders of the church plant ending up in trouble with the authorities. In Corinth we meet Priscilla and Aquilla. These individuals are like you and me: they are trying their best to love Jesus and their neighbours where they are. It is not always easy going but lives are changed through their faithfulness to God and the people around them. These introductions to individuals in Acts are glimpses into some of the books in the New Testament, as you read these chapters this week, you could also read the letters to Thessalonica, Philippi, Corinth and Ephesus and learn more about the communities mentioned in these chapters. These individuals impacted Paul and they helped share the gospel message.
This week as you read these chapters, take some time to reflect on individuals who have impacted your life and then take note of whose life you are impacting right now.
Paul and the Areopagus
At the temple in Athens Paul meets the Epicureans and the Stoics, they are intrigued by what he has to say, so they invite him to speak at the Areopagus which was the aristocratic council in Athens at the time.
It is here that Paul declares who God is; He is the creator of the world, who has made everything in it, He gives us the breath in our lungs. He made the world and the people in it, so that they might search and find him, for it is only through Him that we live and move and have our being. He then goes on to tell them about Jesus, although he does not use Jesus’ name. He says that God will judge those who live in the world and those who know Jesus will be saved.
It is only through God that we live and move and have our being. How often are we distracted by everything in life? Do we have our purpose in the jobs we have, the people we love or do we find our purpose in God. The One who created the world.
World Turned Upside Down
These New Testament communities were turned upside down by the gospel. When you live and move and have your being in God, when you follow Jesus’ teaching in the New Testament, your life and community will be turned upside down. I’m not advocating that we cause trouble everywhere we go but this Jesus that we follow goes against the grain of what society and most of the world believe.
Are you are willing to have your life turned upside down by following Jesus and the gospel He preached?