Sunday, October 21, 2007
PAUL IN ATHENS
Acts 17:16-34
So now Paul is alone in Athens. Silas and Timothy are still in Berea, though Paul has sent word for them to join him as soon as possible. What will he do until they arrive? Perhaps we can answer that question by looking at Paul’s general attitude in Rom 1:14-16…
I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Again in 1 Cor 9:16, "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" That was Paul’s philosophy wherever he went, even in a place like Athens.
So what was Athens like? It was a city with an illustrious history. Athens did stand out, being in a class by itself. It was famous for its architecture, sculpture, philosophers, and political ideas. Although its glory and prominence had grown dim by New Testament times, its past glory could not be forgotten. Its buildings, sculptures, and temples could not be ignored. It was not easy to forget the lives of men like Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. Most anyone who walked through the streets of Athens would be in awe of what he found there, especially if he knew something of the history of the city.
So with that introduction, let’s begin to walk through this passage of scripture. We’ll look at it in four parts…
… The Preacher (16) … The Message (22-31)
… The Audience (17-21) … The Response (32-34)
The Preacher (16)
16. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
Paul was eager for Silas and Timothy to join him. This says something about Paul. As we will see, the apostle goes ahead and preaches here at Athens. Nevertheless, Luke specifically recorded that he was waiting for Silas and Timothy. Paul was a team missionary. He valued his partners.
We don’t know exactly what he was doing while he waited. Perhaps Paul decided to see some of the sights of Athens. No doubt, he had heard much about this famous city. Whatever his specific agenda, he had enough contact with the city that "his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry."
A person who views the magnificent architecture and sculpture of Athens might be spellbound by their majesty and craftsmanship. There is no record that Paul felt that way. Whatever else he felt, it was overshadowed by the idolatry he witnessed in this city. Those magnificent structures and sculptures were largely devoted to gods who were no gods. Surely Paul saw all this as an insult to the majesty of the true and living God. They glorified Him not as God, neither were they thankful (Rom. 1:21).
Paul’s spirit was stirred in him. Other translations render it in various ways…
… "his spirit was being provoked within him" (NASV)
… "he was greatly distressed" (NIV)
… "his spirit was grieved and roused to anger" (Amplified)
This word translated "stirred" means "to irritate, provoke, rouse to anger." It can also mean "to stimulate, spur on." Paul was plenty upset by what he saw. Like his Master Jesus, he must have been jealous for the glory of God. As one author puts it: "The modern tourist may look upon the remains of Athenian architecture and sculpture and admire them as works of art, but to Paul they were temples and images of pagan deities, and his response was one of indignation, grief, and compassion" (Acts, by Curtis Vaughan, p. 117-18).
What Paul saw in Athens confirmed what he had already learned, as recorded in I Cor. 1:21, "…In the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God." No place could boast of wisdom as could Athens, which was the home of the great classic philosophers, and yet the city was given wholly to idolatry. Can there be any question as to how Paul would respond to this challenge?
The Message (17-21)
17. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
Though Paul was eager for his partners to join him, he couldn’t wait until they arrived. As was his custom, Paul went to the synagogue and disputed with the Jews. The word translated "disputed" is the same that is translated "reasoned with" in 17:2, which tells of Paul’s ministry in the synagogue of Thessalonica. You will remember how Paul reasoned with them. He took the prophesies of the Messiah in the Old Testament, how he must die and rise again, and put those prophesies beside the life of Jesus of Nazareth, powerfully showing that Jesus had indeed fulfilled the scriptures.
You will notice that Paul reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons. The devout persons were the God-fearers. They had not become proselytes, taking on themselves circumcision and the obligation to keep the law, but they came and heard the Word about the living God. No doubt, many of these had become disillusioned with what the world of paganism had to offer.
Paul not only went into the synagogue (on the sabbath, no doubt) and reasoned with the Jews and God-fearers, but he was also in the market reasoning with those who were willing to meet with him. The market was an open place, usually in the center of the city. Both judicial and commercial business were conducted in the market. The public buildings of the city were usually grouped around the market. This market place was the center of the life of the ancient city.
Paul wasn’t afraid to go to the market, to rub shoulders with people whose ideas were radically different than his own. Notice that he did this on a daily basis.
18. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
Among those Paul encountered in the market place were the Epicureans and the Stoics. These were two philosophical schools of Athens. The Epicureans, followers of the Athenian philosopher Epicurus (341-270 B.C.), believed and taught that pleasure was the chief end of life. They accepted the existence of gods, but they taught that these gods had no interest in human affairs. No wonder this philosophy has been described as a philosophy of materialism and despair.
The Stoics, followers of Zeno, who moved from Cyprus to Athens in about 300 B.C., emphasized reason rather than emotion. They were pantheists; that is, they believed that "god" was in everything. The best of the Stoics were extremely moral people, but they were often very proud of their moral accomplishments.
Some of these philosophers said, "What will this babbler say?" That word translated "babbler" is very interesting, rich with history. This word (spermologoV) literally meant "seed picker." Later, it was used of a person "who picked up scraps in the market place, a worthless character, a ‘loafer.’" Finally, it came to designate one who picked up scraps of learning here and there and spread them wherever he could (see F. F. Bruce, The Book of the Acts, p. 351). This is why the Amplified translates it: "What is this babbler with his scrap-heap learning trying to say?" They were not exactly giving Paul a compliment at this point.
Others accused him of introducing strange gods, because he proclaimed Jesus and the resurrection. This was definitely not what they were accustomed to hearing. For the most part, the philosophers of Athens did not believe in a resurrection.
19. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? 20. For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
So they brought Paul to the Areopagus. In the King James, the same word is translated in verse 22 as "Mars’ Hill." It is the same term in both places. The term literally means "Hill of Ares." Ares was the Greek god of war, but the Romans called him "Mars" (this "Mars’ Hill"). The Areopagus was a place in central Athens, and it was crowned with a temple built in honor of Mars. But the Areopagus was also a council or court of the Athenians. The court was called Areopagus because it originally met on this famous hill. This court was held in high respect by the people of Athens. The term here probably refers to the court, rather than to the place. It wasn’t that Paul was legally on trial before the court. Rather, the court was examining his teaching to see if it was worthy of respect.
Notice what they said, "We want to know about this new doctrine you are proclaiming." They acknowledged that Paul was bringing some strange (foreign) things to their ears. The men of the Areopagus had heard just about everything, but they were not familiar with these foreign ideas Paul was presenting. Now, with the court gathered together and ready to give their full attention, they asked Paul to give an explanation.
Notice the parenthesis in verse 21, "For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing." Luke was not saying anything that the Athenians were not willing to admit. They took a certain pride in this attitude. Perhaps this is why they were so willing to listen to Paul, because by their own admission he was bringing a new teaching.
The Message (22-31)
22. Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
Paul perceives that in all they things the Athenians are too superstitious. Many translations render it "very religious" (NIV, NASV). It is difficult to get a handle on this Greek word. It seems that the word can be used with a good connotation or a bad connotation, depending on the intent of the speaker. The issue is clouded even more by the translation of the Amplified, which reads: "I perceive in every way…that you are most religious or very reverent to demons." That translation reflects the idea that the root of this word is "daimonion," which in the New Testament is most often translated "devil" (= demon) in 59 of its 60 uses (in the King James Version). Whatever Paul’s exact intention, I don’t think he was handing out a compliment. On the other hand, it is likely that his statement could have been taken in more than one way. Perhaps it was a veiled rebuke of their extreme polytheism.
Now Paul calls attention to one particular altar he discovered. The altar had this inscritpion: "To the Unknown God." More literally, "To an Unknown God." It seems that the people of Athens wanted to make sure that they didn’t leave out any god. They certainly didn’t want to offend any of the gods, so they made provision with this altar to an unknown god. If they failed to worship any god, surely the worship at this altar would cover it. You can see where the idea of superstition comes from.
It was the inscription written on this altar that provided Paul with a starting point. Listen to what he says: "Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you." Paul was not saying that he believed in the existence of this "unknown god." Nor was he saying that the Athenians worshipped the true God, even though they didn’t know it. The emphasis here is not on the identity of the god, but upon the fact that they ignorantly worshipped. Paul was about to declare to them the truth about the true God, in order that they might worship Him in spirit and in truth. The idea is something like this: "Since you acknowledge your ignorance of this one you worship, I will proclaim Him to you. I will tell you the truth about who He is."
24. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Paul begins by describing this God as the living God who made the world and everything in it. Because He is great and Sovereign Lord over all, He cannot be contained in buildings made by human hands. While Paul doesn’t quote any scriptures, he is clearly alluding to the truth of the Old Testament scriptures. When Solomon was dedicating the temple, he said: "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" (I Kings 8:27). And then the Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah... (Is. 66:1-2)
Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2. For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
25. Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
Such a great and majestic Lord can’t be worshipped with men’s hands. God doesn’t need anything from the creatures He made. It is not man who gives to God, but God who gives to man – life, breath, and all things. The Psalmist emphasized this fact in Ps. 50:9-12…
I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. 10. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 11. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. 12. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
We need to understand this concept. While the gods who are made up in the minds of man need to receive everything from the men who create them, the God who created man needs absolutely nothing from him. When we ask why God created man, it is not uncommon to hear something like this: "God created man because He needed someone to fellowship with. He needed creatures that would love Him." That is heresy. God needs absolutely nothing outside Himself. So why did He create man? Because it is His nature to create, to give, to love. We may not understand it, but that is what we find in the scriptures. We will look in vain to find the idea that God needs man.
26. And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27. That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28. For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
It has been reported that the Athenians sometimes considered themselves superior to others. They were the only people in Europe who had no tradition of their forefathers coming into Greece. But Paul makes it clear that the God who created the universe also created man, and all men had a common origin. Again, we see the sovereignty of Almighty God. He made the earth fit for man to dwell in. He appointed the times (likely the seasons of the year). God is over all.
And why was God so good to man, placing him on this very inhabitable earth? Verse 27, "That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far form everyone of us." It was God’s purpose from the beginning that man would seek after Him. I’m not sure exactly of the meaning of "feeling (groping) after him." Perhaps the idea is that God’s fuller revelation had not been given at that time. As we will see, God dealt with that adequately in Christ.
While man gropes around for God, it really isn’t necessary, because He is not far from any one of us. What does Paul mean by that? Verse 28, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." In other words, this God is not some creation of ours. Rather, He is the very one who gives us life and all of our abilities. We owe everything to Him. He isn’t far off, for He is our Creator.
Now consider the quote from one of the Athenian poets: "For we are also his offspring." We must understand what Paul was saying and what he was not saying, by using this quotation. The context reveals his intent. He is simply using this quote to support his assertion that God is our Creator. In that sense, we are His offspring, as we were created in His image. However, that does not mean that all people are the children of God. The scripture clearly teaches that we are not all the children of God. As a matter of fact, anyone who is not in Christ is the enemy of God. We become the children of God only when we are adopted into His family through Jesus Christ.
Since we are the offspring of God – that is, since we are made in His image – let us not think God can be represented by images made out of gold and silver or anything else that man’s hands can form.
30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31. Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Now Paul comes to the heart of his message. He tells us that God winked at the former times of ignorance. That doesn’t mean that the Lord excuses man for rejecting Him down through the years, for we read in Rom. 1:18-23…
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Man has always been without excuse. Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that God’s revelation of Himself has been progressive, until the full revelation came in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Though man has always been responsible to God because God has not left Himself without witness, that same God has been merciful to man, particularly to these people in Athens to whom Paul is now speaking.
Notice the words, "But now." God has overlooked your sins, giving you the benefit of the doubt, because of your ignorance, BUT NOW He "commands all men everywhere to repent." Regardless of what things have been like before, NOW God commands repentance. We have talked about the meaning of the word "repent." It speaks literally of "a change of mind." But if the mind is truly changed, it will result in a great change in the living of life. But why the change? Why is man NOW commanded to repent?
Verse 31, "Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained…" Man must repent because judgment is fast approaching. Notice that this judgment of the world will be in righteousness. We find this concept throughout the Old Testament. For example Ps. 96:10, "Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously." Again in verse 13, "Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth." What is different here is that God has committed judgment into the hands of the man He has ordained. There can be no question about the identity of this man who will judge. Listen to Jesus’ words in John 5:22, "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:" Again in 5:27, "And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man."
At first, we may say, "But Paul doesn’t tell them this man is Jesus. We know it, but how would they have known it?" Go back to the last words of verse 18, where we read, "because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection." From that point on, Jesus of Nazareth was on their minds. And here in verse 31, Paul doesn’t leave them to wonder, as he says: "whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." The man God has ordained to judge the world is the Jesus whom He raised from the dead. Later Paul would write these words to Timothy in 2 Tim. 4:1, "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick [living] and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom…" Surely the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead gives every person assurance that He will indeed judge the world in righteousness. Does God have the power to commit such judgment into the hands of Jesus? Yes, and He demonstrates that power through the resurrection.
The Response (32-34)
32. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
We’ve heard the message of Paul, and now comes the response of the court at Areopagus. Some ridiculed Paul. Why? It was because he proclaimed the resurrection of the dead. When the court of Areopagus was founded, this central belief was expressed: "Once a man dies and the earth drinks up his blood, there is no resurrection" (Bruce, p. 363-64). Many of Paul’s hearers found the concept of resurrection to be ridiculous and absurd. However, there were others who said, "We will hear from you again about this matter." We don’t know if they had a vital interest in hearing more about the resurrection, or if they were simply more polite than those who openly ridiculed Paul.
What we do know is that there were a few who didn’t fit in either of these two camps…
33. So Paul departed from among them. 34. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Paul left the Areopagus, but he didn’t leave alone. "Certain men clave unto him and believed." That word translated "clave unto" is a very strong term. It means "to glue, to glue together, to cement, to fasten together." Yes, it is the same word that is used in Matt. 19:5, "And [Jesus] said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?" There were a few who stayed with Paul and believed the message he preached. We don’t know how many there were, but Luke names two of them. One of them, Dionysisus, was actually a member of the Areopagus. Though he was steeped in the Greek concepts of the gods and an attitude of self-sufficiency, the gospel proved that it is indeed the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. Another new believer is the woman named Damaris. Though only these two are named, there were others with them.
Conclusion
Praise God that Luke saw fit to give us the account of Paul’s ministry in Athens. There is so much for us to learn from this story. Above all else, may we never forget that there is no place beyond God’s reach.
Let’s talk for a minute about intimidation, one of Satan’s tools. Surely Athens was an intimidating place to those who would desire to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we have noted, these people didn’t believe in the possibility of resurrection. So why preach Jesus? As soon as you mention resurrection, they will turn you off.
As we have also mentioned, these Athenians were steeped in history, culture, and tradition. No other city in the world could boast so highly in the fields of philosophy, politics, and architecture. These people had every reason to be proud, and they were indeed proud. How could a preacher of the gospel come in and start preaching to a group of people whose background was steeped in Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle? A preacher of the gospel was likely to be the laughingstock of the city. It would be like a cowboy riding through New York City, leading a mule, and handing out gospel tracts. Even if they didn’t stone him, who would listen?
Paul was well aware of the perils of being an apostle of Jesus Christ. He was not blind to the dangers, to the ridicule, to the discomforts. He wrote these words to the Corinthians… (I Cor. 4:9-13)
For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 10. We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 11. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 12. And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13. Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
While Paul endured such treatment, that isn’t the end of the story. As we see here in Acts 17, there were some who believed. Surely that made it all worth it. So what if some people misunderstand and mock and hate, there are others who are "delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son" (Col. 1:13). Even in Athens, some believe.
Listen to me. If some in Athens believed, will not the same be true in Alamogordo, La Luz, Tularosa, Holloman? Will the same not hold true for Albuquerque, Denver, Shanghai, Buenos Aires, Denver, New York City, London, and Paris? It makes no difference the size of the city or the beliefs of the people. The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes – to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Rom. 1:16).
Don’t be intimidated by the strongholds of the world, not even by an Athens. Listen to what Paul told young Timothy… (II Tim. 1:7-10)
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
Let us not be ashamed, but let us share in the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. God won’t forsake us; He will work in us by His power. And as we faithfully proclaim and live the message of the gospel, people will respond. It doesn’t depend upon our ability, but upon the power of Almighty God. Let us praise God for the privilege of spreading the good news.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:1-15) -- 10/14/07
Sunday, October 14, 2007
THESSALONICA AND BEREA
Acts 17:1-14
1. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Last week we read of the ministry in Philippi, the first in the province of Macedonia. From Philippi (show on map) Paul, Silas, and Timothy journeyed through Amphipolis and Apollonia. Apparently, they only passed through these cities, as there is no record of any ministry there. While it is not unlikely that they would have spoken about Jesus to people they met in these cities, they were not chosen as fields of intense evangelism. Why not? We have no answer, other than the fact that Paul and Silas were sensitive to the Spirit of God. The same Spirit who led them to come to Macedonia now directed them from Philippi to Thessalonica, the next field of service.
Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia and its largest city, with an estimated population of 200,000. It was roughly a hundred miles from Philippi (by travel on the Egnatian Way).
While there had not been a synagogue in Philippi (at least no record of one), there was indeed a synagogue in Thessalonica. And, as his custom was, Paul entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the people there from the scriptures. He did this on three successive sabbath days.
Now let’s look at the content of Paul’s reasoning. What was it that he wanted his hearers to understand from the scriptures?
3. Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
The word translated "open" literally means "to open through," or "to open thoroughly." Luke uses this same word in Luke 24:45, "Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures." Here again we see the word used to speak of the scriptures being opened. Paul opened the scriptures to them. He did so by "alleging" that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and rise again from the dead. And then he proclaimed to them that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Messiah.
The words translated "allege" literally means "to put alongside." Paul took the Old Testament scriptures and showed how it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and then to be raised from the dead (similar to what Peter did in Acts 2). Then he took Jesus and put Him alongside those prophecies. In other words, he put the predictions and fulfillment side by side and said, "You can see that Jesus fulfills what the scriptures say about the Messiah. Jesus, and no one else, has fulfilled these scriptures. Therefore this Jesus I preach to you is indeed the Messiah."
4. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
Literally, "Some of them were persuaded." That is, they were persuaded to believe. Those who did associated themselves with Paul and Silas. While some of the Jews believed, a great multitude of the Greeks believed. So we see that the greater number of believers were Gentiles, not Jews. In addition, there were a number of the chief women who believed. These women were apparently wives of some of the leading officials in the city of Thessalonica.
5. But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
Here we find the same situation that we encountered earlier. The Jews which did not believe were jealous and quickly mounted strong opposition to the work of Paul and Silas. We find this attitude of jealousy way back during the ministry of Jesus. Both Matthew and Mark record that Pilate knew the Jewish leaders had delivered Jesus because they were jealous of Him (Matt. 27:18; Mark 15:10). We found this same attitude among the Jews of Antioch in Pisidia, as Paul and Barnabas ministered there during the first missionary journey. Acts 13:44-45, "And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming."
Notice that there was not much integrity among these unbelieving Jews. They found "certain lewd fellows of the baser sort." Let me read to you the expanded translation of the Amplified Version: "But the unbelieving Jews were aroused to jealousy, and, getting hold of some wicked men (ruffians and rascals) and loungers in the marketplace, they gathered together a mob and set the town in an uproar…" They didn’t care what methods they had to use. They would justify any means that would put a stop to what Paul and Silas were teaching.
Then we read that they "assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people." It seems clear that Paul, Silas, and Timothy were being sheltered by this man named Jason. Many Jewish men who bore the Hebrew name Joshua assumed the Greek name "Jason." Their desire was to force Jason to bring these missionaries out to them.
6. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; 7. Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
While the missionaries had been received by Jason, they were no longer present when the mob arrived at the house. Most likely, some of the new converts had warned them and they were able to make their escape. If Paul and Silas weren’t there, then they would grab Jason and some other Christians, claiming that Jason was guilty of aiding them in their ministry.
The charge was that "they had turned the world upside down." That is, they had stirred up and excited the entire inhabited world. While the most recent work had indeed taken place at Philippi, these Jews were aware that the message of Jesus as the Messiah was spreading rapidly throughout the world. In their eyes, it was a message that was very unsettling, a message that was upsetting the whole world. They were determined to do their part to stop it.
It was one thing to stir up the mob, but it was quite another to bring a specific charge against Paul and Silas. They realized that such a charge would be necessary, if they hoped to influence the leaders of the city. So they brought this charge: "These all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus." They were basically accusing Paul, Silas, Timothy, and the other believers of being disloyal to Caesar by promoting their own king, Jesus.
What about this charge? Was it true? Yes, and no. There was just enough truth in it to cause some real alarm among the people. Paul had spoken about the kingdom of God, as we see in Acts 14:22, "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." No doubt, they referred to Jesus as their king. However, they were not presenting Jesus as a rival to Caesar. The king and kingdom of which Paul and the other Christians spoke was not a kingdom of this world.
I find this very similar to the charges that were brought against Jesus. Let’s read Luke 23:1-2, "And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. 2. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King." Did Jesus say that He was a king? When Pilate asked him directly, Jesus replied: "You have said" (Matt. 27:11). He did not deny that He was a king, but He also quickly went on to say that His kingdom was not of this world (Jn. 18:36).
So we can see the truth in the charge that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah and a king, but what about the charge that he had forbidden giving tribute to Caesar? It was an outright lie. Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God." But you can see how putting these two charges together would make it easier to believe the first. If Jesus claims to be a king, then He must be against Caesar. And if He is anti-Caesar, then it makes sense that He would tell people not to support Caesar. Do you see how partial truths dress the lie up and make it more acceptable?
That is exactly what we find here in the accusation against Jason and the other Christians. While they claimed Jesus as their king, they were not acting contrary to Caesar. These angry Jews were only using this as a smokescreen. What the Christians were doing was contrary to the way these Jews understood the scriptures. That is what was bothering them, but they knew that would bear no weight when they went before the magistrates of the city.
8. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. 9. And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
These accusations were certainly reason for concern. The city leaders were always concerned about such things, because they were responsible to Rome. On the other hand, they must have known that the evidence against Paul and his companions was very weak, at best. Besides, the ones accused weren’t even present. The rulers acted in a way that would satisfy the accusers but not arouse notice from Rome. They took security of Jason. In our terms, we would likely say that Jason and his friends posted bail for Paul and Silas. That is, they gave assurance that there would not be any more trouble. Most likely, they were assuring the magistrates that they would persuade the missionaries to leave town. Paul might not have approved of this arrangement, but they were thinking of the safety of Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
Later, Paul would write these words to the Thessalonian Christians: "Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us" (I Thes. 2:18). Perhaps this is what he was talking about as the hindering of Satan, which prevented him from returning to Thessalonica.
10. And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
"By night" indicates secrecy. The brethren loved Paul and Silas and wanted them to leave before the opposition could stir up any more trouble that might threaten their lives. So they sent them to Berea, a town that was 50 or 60 miles west of Thessalonica.
There are those who believe Timothy didn’t accompany Paul and Silas to Philippi, as the text here mentions only Paul and Silas as being sent away unto Berea. However, there is no direct indication that Timothy wasn’t with them there or that he rejoined them at Berea. In contrast, Luke will tell us that Timothy and Silas remained at Berea, when Paul left the city. While there is no mention of Timothy during the Philippian ministry, neither is Luke mentioned, and it seems clear that Luke was with them (16:10). In light of those facts, I have to assume that Timothy has been with Paul continuously since he joined them at Lystra.
Notice that Paul doesn’t waste any time when they come to Berea. Luke doesn’t even begin a new sentence before stating the fact that Paul went to the synagogue of the Jews. We don’t know if that was on the day he arrived or a day or two later, but we do know that it is this venture that is vitally important in the ministry of Paul. Remember that this was his normal custom. What better place to proclaim Jesus as Messiah than among the people who were looking for that Messiah?
11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
Luke compares the situation of Berea with that of Thessalonica. In both cases, Paul went into the synagogue and proclaimed the truth of God’s Word. In Thessalonica he preached on three successive sabbaths, only to have most of the Jews reject his message. Not only did they reject it, but they were stirred to jealousy and violently opposed his work, as we have just read. But it was different in Berea. Luke tells us that the Jews of Berea were more noble than those of Thessalonica. And upon what does Luke base this conclusion? Upon the fact that the Bereans "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Let’s take a few minutes to think about this.
Who knows how many local churches of our day refer to themselves as "Berean churches." In Alamogordo we have the Berean Baptist Church. No doubt, it takes its name from this passage. These congregations are encouraging themselves to be like the Bereans. When the Bereans were presented with a message that was different from what they were used to hearing, they didn’t react immediately. Instead, they took what Paul said and examined the scriptures to see if it was so. We don’t call ourselves Bereans, but it isn’t the name that is important. However, the example of the Bereans is very important.
Let’s pause for a moment to go over and read 2 Tim 4:1-3… (NKJV)
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom; 2. Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4. and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
Most of us are familiar with that passage. We see the fulfillment of verse 3 all around us. Religious people are indeed heaping up teachers who will say what they want to hear, and who will not say the things that make them uncomfortable. Paul instructed Timothy to urgently proclaim the truth, because the time was coming when most would not be open to hear it. How we need to heed those same instructions. At the same time, we need to make sure that we do not fall in with the people of verse 3, who will not put up with healthy teaching.
I don’t want to make light of that passage in any way, but there is another side. It would have been easy for the Bereans to have concluded that the message of Paul was false because it appeared to be a new teaching. This was not what they were accustomed to hearing. They had been instructed to look for the Messiah, not to worship Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. After all, their fellow-Jewish leaders in Jerusalem had engineered the death of this Jesus. So why should they listen to these men who were proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah?
Are you following me? We often take the example of the Bereans to mean that we test things by the scripture and throw out what is not truly from the Word of God, but that is not what we find here. We find that because they tested the words of Paul by the scripture, they were forced to agree that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. They tested the message and then received it gladly. Of course, we might respond by saying that Jesus is the ultimate and final revelation of God. While that is true, we must also acknowledge that our understanding is far from perfect. When a brother presents a message that is different from what we have heard, do we immediately conclude that this is some new teaching and cannot be true? If we aren’t careful, we will judge the message by comparing it to what we believe, rather than comparing it to the Word of God. Do you see the ultimate end of such an attitude? Such a person cannot be instructed in the ways of God, because he isn’t open to anything that he has not previously believed.
You say, "Well that opens me up to all kinds of things. Won’t I be susceptible to being carried about with every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14)?" Brothers and sisters, this is why we have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to teach us the things of God. Our safety is not in our cherished notions, but in the truth of God’s Word.
This is why the ministry of the Gideons is a such a beautiful and powerful ministry. The Gideons are printing and distributing the Word of God, confidently expecting the Spirit of God to minister that Word to people all over this world. As we share our love offering with the Gideons this morning, encouraging them in the ministry, let’s be exhorted to get into the Word ourselves. Let’s not forget that this book is full of God’s treasures. We haven’t begun to mine the depths of God’s Word. May the Lord remind us of the beauty and power of the Word that He has given us.
I must say as a pastor that I am challenged by so many of you who follow the example of the Bereans. What a joy to talk to brothers and sisters about more than the weather, but about the precious Word of God. Keep on trusting the truth of God’s Word.
While some of the Jews in Thessalonica believed, many in Berea believed. The Word of God confirmed the message of Paul and they embraced Jesus as their Messiah. Praise God! But the response was not limited to the Jews. As in Thessalonica, Gentiles also believed. Again, some of them were honorable women. And of the men, more than a few believed. I take that to be an expression that points to many believing the gospel Paul preached.
13. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.
Now we see the intensity of the Jewish opposition to Paul’s ministry. Just as the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did all they could to hinder His message, so it was with the Jews of Thessalonica. Apparently the unbelieving Jews in Berea did not cause trouble because they were in the minority. Most of their fellow-Jews had embraced the message. Perhaps others were still chewing on the scriptures that Paul had laid out. But when the Jews of Thessalonica got word that Paul and Silas were preaching the same things in Berea, they went over to do all they could to stop them. Remember that this was a journey of 50 or 60 miles. This tells us something of the intensity of their jealousy and hatred for Paul and the gospel.
Of course, this was not new to Paul. He had encountered the very same thing during his first missionary journey. Remember Paul’s ministry in Lystra. That is the city where at first the people wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas, as if they were gods. But before it was over, stoned Paul, leaving him for dead. Why the change? Acts 14:19, "And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead."
14. And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. 15. And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
Best we can tell, the troublemakers from Thessalonica had some success in Berea, because we are told that the new converts there immediately sent Paul away. Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. We are not told why. Most likely, Paul was the main target of the opposition and the brothers escorted him away with such speed that Silas and Timothy were not able to join him. Perhaps they felt they could make better time with only Paul, instead of the three.
It is not absolutely clear whether they brought Paul to Athens by sea or by land. There is a slight difference in the Greek text, which contributes to the confusion. This is reflected by the words "as it were" in the King James. They either took Paul to the sea and sailed for Athens, or they acted as if they would take him to the sea, and then escorted him secretly by land. Either way, these faithful brothers brought him safely to Athens.
Athens lies about 130 miles southeast of Berea. That’s as the crow flies. The actual journey was probably more like 150 miles. Before the brothers left Paul in Athens, he made it clear that they were to tell Silas and Timothy to join him immediatley. So when these men got back to Berea and communicated Paul’s message to them, Silas and Timothy departed for Athens.
Next time we will take a look at what Paul did while he was waiting around for his missionary partners.
Conclusion
The more we look at the life of Paul, the more we realize that he didn’t live an easy life. He wasn’t blessed with the comforts of home. But how much greater were his blessings. He had the privilege of communicating the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8). When he laid his head on his pillow at night, he had the assurance that he was fulfilling the commission that Jesus had given him.
As I think of that, I am reminded of Jesus’ statement of purpose. We haven’t mentioned in a quite a while. John 4:34, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." Jesus’ great motivation came from His Father. Yes, when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, viewing them as sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36). Nevertheless, His meat was to the will of His Father. That is what drove Him. He loved and ministered to people because that was the will of His Father.
It was the same with Paul. Oh yes, he had a great love and compassion for the people to whom he preached. All you have to do is go and read his first letter to these same Thessalonians, or his letter to the Philippians. But above all else, he was true to his Lord, who had saved him and commissioned him to preach the gospel.
While it is true that God may not be leading you to go to a distant land, if you are His child, then He has work for you to do. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10). But what qualifies us to be able to carry out that work? 2 Tim 3:16-17, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." It is the Word of God that fully equips us to do the work to which He has sent us.
May God give us grace to say with our Lord Jesus, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work." May our minds be continually renewed, as the Spirit of God ministers the Word to us.
THESSALONICA AND BEREA
Acts 17:1-14
1. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Last week we read of the ministry in Philippi, the first in the province of Macedonia. From Philippi (show on map) Paul, Silas, and Timothy journeyed through Amphipolis and Apollonia. Apparently, they only passed through these cities, as there is no record of any ministry there. While it is not unlikely that they would have spoken about Jesus to people they met in these cities, they were not chosen as fields of intense evangelism. Why not? We have no answer, other than the fact that Paul and Silas were sensitive to the Spirit of God. The same Spirit who led them to come to Macedonia now directed them from Philippi to Thessalonica, the next field of service.
Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia and its largest city, with an estimated population of 200,000. It was roughly a hundred miles from Philippi (by travel on the Egnatian Way).
While there had not been a synagogue in Philippi (at least no record of one), there was indeed a synagogue in Thessalonica. And, as his custom was, Paul entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the people there from the scriptures. He did this on three successive sabbath days.
Now let’s look at the content of Paul’s reasoning. What was it that he wanted his hearers to understand from the scriptures?
3. Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
The word translated "open" literally means "to open through," or "to open thoroughly." Luke uses this same word in Luke 24:45, "Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures." Here again we see the word used to speak of the scriptures being opened. Paul opened the scriptures to them. He did so by "alleging" that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and rise again from the dead. And then he proclaimed to them that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Messiah.
The words translated "allege" literally means "to put alongside." Paul took the Old Testament scriptures and showed how it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and then to be raised from the dead (similar to what Peter did in Acts 2). Then he took Jesus and put Him alongside those prophecies. In other words, he put the predictions and fulfillment side by side and said, "You can see that Jesus fulfills what the scriptures say about the Messiah. Jesus, and no one else, has fulfilled these scriptures. Therefore this Jesus I preach to you is indeed the Messiah."
4. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
Literally, "Some of them were persuaded." That is, they were persuaded to believe. Those who did associated themselves with Paul and Silas. While some of the Jews believed, a great multitude of the Greeks believed. So we see that the greater number of believers were Gentiles, not Jews. In addition, there were a number of the chief women who believed. These women were apparently wives of some of the leading officials in the city of Thessalonica.
5. But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
Here we find the same situation that we encountered earlier. The Jews which did not believe were jealous and quickly mounted strong opposition to the work of Paul and Silas. We find this attitude of jealousy way back during the ministry of Jesus. Both Matthew and Mark record that Pilate knew the Jewish leaders had delivered Jesus because they were jealous of Him (Matt. 27:18; Mark 15:10). We found this same attitude among the Jews of Antioch in Pisidia, as Paul and Barnabas ministered there during the first missionary journey. Acts 13:44-45, "And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming."
Notice that there was not much integrity among these unbelieving Jews. They found "certain lewd fellows of the baser sort." Let me read to you the expanded translation of the Amplified Version: "But the unbelieving Jews were aroused to jealousy, and, getting hold of some wicked men (ruffians and rascals) and loungers in the marketplace, they gathered together a mob and set the town in an uproar…" They didn’t care what methods they had to use. They would justify any means that would put a stop to what Paul and Silas were teaching.
Then we read that they "assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people." It seems clear that Paul, Silas, and Timothy were being sheltered by this man named Jason. Many Jewish men who bore the Hebrew name Joshua assumed the Greek name "Jason." Their desire was to force Jason to bring these missionaries out to them.
6. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; 7. Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
While the missionaries had been received by Jason, they were no longer present when the mob arrived at the house. Most likely, some of the new converts had warned them and they were able to make their escape. If Paul and Silas weren’t there, then they would grab Jason and some other Christians, claiming that Jason was guilty of aiding them in their ministry.
The charge was that "they had turned the world upside down." That is, they had stirred up and excited the entire inhabited world. While the most recent work had indeed taken place at Philippi, these Jews were aware that the message of Jesus as the Messiah was spreading rapidly throughout the world. In their eyes, it was a message that was very unsettling, a message that was upsetting the whole world. They were determined to do their part to stop it.
It was one thing to stir up the mob, but it was quite another to bring a specific charge against Paul and Silas. They realized that such a charge would be necessary, if they hoped to influence the leaders of the city. So they brought this charge: "These all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus." They were basically accusing Paul, Silas, Timothy, and the other believers of being disloyal to Caesar by promoting their own king, Jesus.
What about this charge? Was it true? Yes, and no. There was just enough truth in it to cause some real alarm among the people. Paul had spoken about the kingdom of God, as we see in Acts 14:22, "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." No doubt, they referred to Jesus as their king. However, they were not presenting Jesus as a rival to Caesar. The king and kingdom of which Paul and the other Christians spoke was not a kingdom of this world.
I find this very similar to the charges that were brought against Jesus. Let’s read Luke 23:1-2, "And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. 2. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King." Did Jesus say that He was a king? When Pilate asked him directly, Jesus replied: "You have said" (Matt. 27:11). He did not deny that He was a king, but He also quickly went on to say that His kingdom was not of this world (Jn. 18:36).
So we can see the truth in the charge that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah and a king, but what about the charge that he had forbidden giving tribute to Caesar? It was an outright lie. Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God." But you can see how putting these two charges together would make it easier to believe the first. If Jesus claims to be a king, then He must be against Caesar. And if He is anti-Caesar, then it makes sense that He would tell people not to support Caesar. Do you see how partial truths dress the lie up and make it more acceptable?
That is exactly what we find here in the accusation against Jason and the other Christians. While they claimed Jesus as their king, they were not acting contrary to Caesar. These angry Jews were only using this as a smokescreen. What the Christians were doing was contrary to the way these Jews understood the scriptures. That is what was bothering them, but they knew that would bear no weight when they went before the magistrates of the city.
8. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. 9. And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
These accusations were certainly reason for concern. The city leaders were always concerned about such things, because they were responsible to Rome. On the other hand, they must have known that the evidence against Paul and his companions was very weak, at best. Besides, the ones accused weren’t even present. The rulers acted in a way that would satisfy the accusers but not arouse notice from Rome. They took security of Jason. In our terms, we would likely say that Jason and his friends posted bail for Paul and Silas. That is, they gave assurance that there would not be any more trouble. Most likely, they were assuring the magistrates that they would persuade the missionaries to leave town. Paul might not have approved of this arrangement, but they were thinking of the safety of Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
Later, Paul would write these words to the Thessalonian Christians: "Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us" (I Thes. 2:18). Perhaps this is what he was talking about as the hindering of Satan, which prevented him from returning to Thessalonica.
10. And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
"By night" indicates secrecy. The brethren loved Paul and Silas and wanted them to leave before the opposition could stir up any more trouble that might threaten their lives. So they sent them to Berea, a town that was 50 or 60 miles west of Thessalonica.
There are those who believe Timothy didn’t accompany Paul and Silas to Philippi, as the text here mentions only Paul and Silas as being sent away unto Berea. However, there is no direct indication that Timothy wasn’t with them there or that he rejoined them at Berea. In contrast, Luke will tell us that Timothy and Silas remained at Berea, when Paul left the city. While there is no mention of Timothy during the Philippian ministry, neither is Luke mentioned, and it seems clear that Luke was with them (16:10). In light of those facts, I have to assume that Timothy has been with Paul continuously since he joined them at Lystra.
Notice that Paul doesn’t waste any time when they come to Berea. Luke doesn’t even begin a new sentence before stating the fact that Paul went to the synagogue of the Jews. We don’t know if that was on the day he arrived or a day or two later, but we do know that it is this venture that is vitally important in the ministry of Paul. Remember that this was his normal custom. What better place to proclaim Jesus as Messiah than among the people who were looking for that Messiah?
11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
Luke compares the situation of Berea with that of Thessalonica. In both cases, Paul went into the synagogue and proclaimed the truth of God’s Word. In Thessalonica he preached on three successive sabbaths, only to have most of the Jews reject his message. Not only did they reject it, but they were stirred to jealousy and violently opposed his work, as we have just read. But it was different in Berea. Luke tells us that the Jews of Berea were more noble than those of Thessalonica. And upon what does Luke base this conclusion? Upon the fact that the Bereans "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Let’s take a few minutes to think about this.
Who knows how many local churches of our day refer to themselves as "Berean churches." In Alamogordo we have the Berean Baptist Church. No doubt, it takes its name from this passage. These congregations are encouraging themselves to be like the Bereans. When the Bereans were presented with a message that was different from what they were used to hearing, they didn’t react immediately. Instead, they took what Paul said and examined the scriptures to see if it was so. We don’t call ourselves Bereans, but it isn’t the name that is important. However, the example of the Bereans is very important.
Let’s pause for a moment to go over and read 2 Tim 4:1-3… (NKJV)
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom; 2. Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4. and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
Most of us are familiar with that passage. We see the fulfillment of verse 3 all around us. Religious people are indeed heaping up teachers who will say what they want to hear, and who will not say the things that make them uncomfortable. Paul instructed Timothy to urgently proclaim the truth, because the time was coming when most would not be open to hear it. How we need to heed those same instructions. At the same time, we need to make sure that we do not fall in with the people of verse 3, who will not put up with healthy teaching.
I don’t want to make light of that passage in any way, but there is another side. It would have been easy for the Bereans to have concluded that the message of Paul was false because it appeared to be a new teaching. This was not what they were accustomed to hearing. They had been instructed to look for the Messiah, not to worship Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. After all, their fellow-Jewish leaders in Jerusalem had engineered the death of this Jesus. So why should they listen to these men who were proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah?
Are you following me? We often take the example of the Bereans to mean that we test things by the scripture and throw out what is not truly from the Word of God, but that is not what we find here. We find that because they tested the words of Paul by the scripture, they were forced to agree that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. They tested the message and then received it gladly. Of course, we might respond by saying that Jesus is the ultimate and final revelation of God. While that is true, we must also acknowledge that our understanding is far from perfect. When a brother presents a message that is different from what we have heard, do we immediately conclude that this is some new teaching and cannot be true? If we aren’t careful, we will judge the message by comparing it to what we believe, rather than comparing it to the Word of God. Do you see the ultimate end of such an attitude? Such a person cannot be instructed in the ways of God, because he isn’t open to anything that he has not previously believed.
You say, "Well that opens me up to all kinds of things. Won’t I be susceptible to being carried about with every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14)?" Brothers and sisters, this is why we have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to teach us the things of God. Our safety is not in our cherished notions, but in the truth of God’s Word.
This is why the ministry of the Gideons is a such a beautiful and powerful ministry. The Gideons are printing and distributing the Word of God, confidently expecting the Spirit of God to minister that Word to people all over this world. As we share our love offering with the Gideons this morning, encouraging them in the ministry, let’s be exhorted to get into the Word ourselves. Let’s not forget that this book is full of God’s treasures. We haven’t begun to mine the depths of God’s Word. May the Lord remind us of the beauty and power of the Word that He has given us.
I must say as a pastor that I am challenged by so many of you who follow the example of the Bereans. What a joy to talk to brothers and sisters about more than the weather, but about the precious Word of God. Keep on trusting the truth of God’s Word.
While some of the Jews in Thessalonica believed, many in Berea believed. The Word of God confirmed the message of Paul and they embraced Jesus as their Messiah. Praise God! But the response was not limited to the Jews. As in Thessalonica, Gentiles also believed. Again, some of them were honorable women. And of the men, more than a few believed. I take that to be an expression that points to many believing the gospel Paul preached.
13. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.
Now we see the intensity of the Jewish opposition to Paul’s ministry. Just as the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did all they could to hinder His message, so it was with the Jews of Thessalonica. Apparently the unbelieving Jews in Berea did not cause trouble because they were in the minority. Most of their fellow-Jews had embraced the message. Perhaps others were still chewing on the scriptures that Paul had laid out. But when the Jews of Thessalonica got word that Paul and Silas were preaching the same things in Berea, they went over to do all they could to stop them. Remember that this was a journey of 50 or 60 miles. This tells us something of the intensity of their jealousy and hatred for Paul and the gospel.
Of course, this was not new to Paul. He had encountered the very same thing during his first missionary journey. Remember Paul’s ministry in Lystra. That is the city where at first the people wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas, as if they were gods. But before it was over, stoned Paul, leaving him for dead. Why the change? Acts 14:19, "And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead."
14. And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. 15. And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
Best we can tell, the troublemakers from Thessalonica had some success in Berea, because we are told that the new converts there immediately sent Paul away. Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. We are not told why. Most likely, Paul was the main target of the opposition and the brothers escorted him away with such speed that Silas and Timothy were not able to join him. Perhaps they felt they could make better time with only Paul, instead of the three.
It is not absolutely clear whether they brought Paul to Athens by sea or by land. There is a slight difference in the Greek text, which contributes to the confusion. This is reflected by the words "as it were" in the King James. They either took Paul to the sea and sailed for Athens, or they acted as if they would take him to the sea, and then escorted him secretly by land. Either way, these faithful brothers brought him safely to Athens.
Athens lies about 130 miles southeast of Berea. That’s as the crow flies. The actual journey was probably more like 150 miles. Before the brothers left Paul in Athens, he made it clear that they were to tell Silas and Timothy to join him immediatley. So when these men got back to Berea and communicated Paul’s message to them, Silas and Timothy departed for Athens.
Next time we will take a look at what Paul did while he was waiting around for his missionary partners.
Conclusion
The more we look at the life of Paul, the more we realize that he didn’t live an easy life. He wasn’t blessed with the comforts of home. But how much greater were his blessings. He had the privilege of communicating the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8). When he laid his head on his pillow at night, he had the assurance that he was fulfilling the commission that Jesus had given him.
As I think of that, I am reminded of Jesus’ statement of purpose. We haven’t mentioned in a quite a while. John 4:34, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." Jesus’ great motivation came from His Father. Yes, when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, viewing them as sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36). Nevertheless, His meat was to the will of His Father. That is what drove Him. He loved and ministered to people because that was the will of His Father.
It was the same with Paul. Oh yes, he had a great love and compassion for the people to whom he preached. All you have to do is go and read his first letter to these same Thessalonians, or his letter to the Philippians. But above all else, he was true to his Lord, who had saved him and commissioned him to preach the gospel.
While it is true that God may not be leading you to go to a distant land, if you are His child, then He has work for you to do. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10). But what qualifies us to be able to carry out that work? 2 Tim 3:16-17, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." It is the Word of God that fully equips us to do the work to which He has sent us.
May God give us grace to say with our Lord Jesus, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work." May our minds be continually renewed, as the Spirit of God ministers the Word to us.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
The Ministry at Philippi (Acts 16:11-40) -- 10/7/07
Sunday, October 7, 2007
THE MINISTRY AT PHILIPPI
Acts 16:11-40
This morning we are going to be looking at the ministry of Paul and his companions at Philippi. Let’s begin by reading the entire passage… Read Acts 16:11-40
At Philippi we find the following individuals and groups of people…
… The women by the river, including Lydia and her household
… The slave girl and her masters
… The magistrates (authorities)
… The people of the town
… The prisoners, the jailer and his household
… The brethren
As we go through this chapter, we will be examining the conversion of Lydia, the deliverance of the slave girl, the conversion of the Philippian jailer, and the freeing of Paul and Silas from the jail. As we go, we will be looking at each of the groups we just mentioned. Let’s notice how God touched their lives through Paul and his missionary team. So let’s dive right in.
Introduction: The Setting (11-12)
Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; 12. And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
Remember that we left Paul, Silas, and Timothy in Troas. Notice again the word "we" (occurring for the first time in 16:10). This indicates that now the Luke, the author of Acts, is traveling with Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Just for review, let’s remember that Paul and Silas began their journey at Antioch of Syria (use the map). From there they had traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches as they went. Then came the work for which they had set out, the work in the cities where Paul had established churches on his first missionary journey. There were four of these cities – Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia. What a joy it must have been for Paul to see again those who had responded to the gospel, along with those who had been added to the churches since his first visit. And it was at Lystra that he picked up the young man Timothy to travel and minister with them.
After encouraging and strengthening the churches in these four cities, they found themselves about 350 miles from their home base, but there is no indication that they considered going back home at this time. There were vast lands full of unevangelized people. They were eager to continue sharing the gospel. However, the Spirit of God refused to let them preach in Asia (map). When they turned north to go into Bythinia, the Spirit wouldn’t allow them to go their either. So they made their way to Troas. It was there that in a vision that Paul heard a Macedonian man saying, "Come over and help us." Macedonia (what is now northern Greece) is the region to which they are now going.
So they left Troas and came to Samothracia. This was a very distinctive island, as it had mountains rising 5,000 feet. The next day they set sail and came to Neapolis, which was the port city of Philippi. The winds must have been favorable. Later, Paul would sail the opposite direction and the trip from Neapolis to Troas would require five days (Acts 20:6).
Macedonia was a Roman province. We read here that Philippi was the chief city of that part of Macedonia. This idea of Philippi being the chief city has been much debated. There are some textual differences that have given rise to other translations. It is a fact that Philippi was not the capital city (that was Thessalonica) and it was not the largest city (that was Amphipolis). But in some sense, it was the chief city (or a chief city) of that part of Macedonia.
We also read that Philippi was a Roman colony. By this time, it had been a Roman colony for almost 100 years, having received this status in 42 B.C. The original purpose of Roman colonies was military. The Romans would bring a significant number of its Roman citizens to live in the colony. From a military standpoint, it made sense to have these strategic Roman settlements throughout the empire. A Roman colony went by Roman law, regardless of the laws of the people of that region.
While other cities mentioned in Acts were Roman colonies (Pisidian Antioch, Lystra, Troas, Corinth, and Ptolemais), Philippi is the only city so designated by Luke. (This is the only time the word "colony" is used in the New Testament).
I. The Conversion of Lydia and Her Household (13-18)
And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
As we begin to read of Paul’s work in Philippi, we find that there is something missing. What is it? There is no mention of Paul going to the synagogue, as he had in Pisidian Antioch and Iconium. Because this was Paul’s prevailing custsom, we have to assume that there was no synagogue in Philippi. And that means that there were few Jews there, as the presence of just ten Jewish men was sufficient to constitute a synagogue.
So if there was no synagogue in which to preach, where would Paul begin his work? We are told that he and his companions went out by a river side, "where prayer was wont to be made." In other words, it was customary for prayer to be made in this place. The key is that there were some women who met there on the sabbath to pray. How Paul and Silas found out about this meeting is unknown to us, except that the Lord found a way to make it known to them.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
It is generally assumed that Lydia was a widow, since there is no mention of a husband, though it is possible that she had never been married. We are told that she was from the city of Thyatira, which was a city of Asia. Isn’t it interesting that the Spirit wouldn’t let Paul preach in Asia, but his first convert in Europe was from the province of Asia! This lady named Lydia was "a seller of purple." The people in the area of Thyatira were famous for their ability to manufacture and use a purple dye. Lydia either sold the purple dye itself, or clothing which was colored by the dye.
We are also told that Lydia worshipped God (literally, she was a worshipper of God). She was not a Jew, but she worshipped the true and living God. It reminds us of Cornelius, whose story is told back in chapter 10. She knew that Yahweh was the true and living God and she worshipped Him.
So Lydia was among those women who came down to the riverside on the sabbath to pray together. We are told in the previous verse that Paul and his company sat down and spoke to the women. The willingness to do so was not something Paul received from his Jewish heritage. Nevertheless, he saw this as a launching pad for the ministry in Philippi. Here was a group of ladies who were eager to worship God.
So when Paul and Silas spoke to these women, what do you think they talked about? It is no mystery. We are given no details, but it is clear from the context that they preached the same message they preached everywhere else—Jesus Christ, and Him crucified! When Paul spoke, the Lord opened her heart to attend to the things that he said. We must not pass over the fact that the Lord opened her heart, causing her to pay attention to what Paul said. Why is it that Lydia is the one woman that is singled out? Is it because she was the wisest of the women present? Is it because she had more common sense than the others? No, it is because the Lord opened her heart. If the Lord didn’t open the heart, there would be no hope for spiritually dead men and women to respond to the gospel.
And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
It seems a bit abrupt, when Luke immediately records that Lydia was baptized, along with her household. Why was she baptized? We are not told that she believed. Why not? We must understand this in the context of the book of Acts as a whole. The pattern of Acts is along these lines…
… "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (2:41)
… "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women" (8:12)
… "And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized" (18:8)
It is interesting to note that the word translated "attend unto" in verse 14 has several shades of meaning. While it can certainly mean "attend to, pay attention to," it is also used to mean "to cling to, to cleave to a person or thing; to be given to or addicted to" (Thayer). Lydia not only paid attention to what Paul said, but she received what he said and clung to it. In short, she believed.
Not only was Lydia baptized, but also her household. That raises a question: Who was in the household of Lydia? We are not told. It seems best to assume that she had children or other relatives for whom she was responsible. It is also very possible that she had servants, depending upon the extent of her business. Concerning the baptizing of the whole household, we will take that up in a few minutes, when we come to the Philippian jailer.
Now listen to what she said to Paul after she was baptized. "If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there." This is strong evidence of the genuineness of her conversion. Remember that Paul and his companions are new in this town. While there are those who believe Luke was familiar with Philippi (mainly because it seems that he remained there after Paul left; "they" in 17:1), there is no proof for that conjecture. The missionaries had been there for "certain days." As was the case with Jesus’ apostles when they were sent out to preach, these men needed a place to stay. Lydia was volunteering her home. Whether she was aware of it or not, hosting the apostle Paul was not always a safe venture, but she was willing to identify herself with these who were giving their lives to proclaim the gospel of the Christ who had saved her. Her invitation was so simple and genuine that they couldn’t refuse.
We don’t know what happened to the rest of the women. The fact that they were not converted at this time in no way means that they rejected the Lord Jesus. Wouldn’t it be nice to know how Lydia interacted with them in the days ahead. I suspect that the Lord gave her a burden for these women with whom she was accustomed to pray. But if every such story were included in our sacred pages, we wouldn’t be able to carry our Bible in one volume. We will have eternity to learn the rest of the story.
II. The Delivering of a Certain Slave Girl from a Spirit of Divination (16-18)
And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
The word translated "damsel" is best understood to mean "a young female slave" ("slave girl" in NASV, NIV, Amplified). The idea of servanthood or slavery is also suggested by the face that she brought "her masters" much gain. You get the idea that this young girl was being used by a bunch of greedy businessmen. Her value was in the fact that she had "a spirit of divination." The Greek literally says that she had "a spirit of Python." That is, she was inspired by Apollo, the god who was worshipped at Pytho (Delphi). Plutarch said their "utterances were really and not only apparently beyond their conscious control." I think it would be safe to say that this young girl was possessed by a demon. As a result, she had supernatural power to tell the future. The same Greek word is used in the LXX to speak of the witch of Endor, who had "a familiar spirit."
It was this supernatural ability that made her valuable to her masters, who no doubt charged a fee for her services.
The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation.
Doesn’t this remind you of the demon-possessed people with whom Jesus dealt? In Mark 3:11 we read of unclean spirits who fell down before Jesus and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God." Listen to these words about the Gadarene demoniac… Mark 5:5-7
And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7. And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
Mark says that he worshipped Jesus and then referred to Him as "Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God." So it is here, as this young lady points to Paul and his companions as "servants of the Most High God, who are showing the way of salvation." We want to say, "What could possibly be wrong with that?" The main problem with it is the fact that it was spoken by this unclean spirit within the lady. Jesus did not accept worship and confession from demons, and neither did Paul. There is evidence to support the idea of a belief in that day that "the use of the precise name of an individual or spirit would secure mastery over him" (Mark, William Lane, p. 74). The proclamations of these demons was not a confession of faith, but a defiant challenge.
And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
These words make it very clear that what this young lady was saying and doing was not a good thing. Paul was grieved (some translations say "annoyed"). Paul was fully aware that it was a spirit within the girl making these statements, as we are told that he spoke not to the girl, but to the spirit. And Paul didn’t mince any words, saying, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her."
Then we read, "And he came out the same hour." "Same hour" seems to be an expression that means "at once." Don’t get the idea that it took an hour for the spirit to leave the girl. The idea is that there was no delay at all.
We are told nothing more about the girl. One writer notes: "Three individuals are singled out by Luke among Paul’s converts at Philippi…" (F. F. Bruce, p. 332). He is referring to Lydia, this girl, and the Philippian jailer. I would certainly like to think that this girl was a convert, but the text does not tell us that. Perhaps Luke intended us to assume as much, but we cannot know that for sure. Jesus’ teaching indicates that it is possible for a person who is ridded of a demon to end up even worse. Luke 11:24-26…
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
Again, wouldn’t we like to know the rest of the story. We will have to wait a while for that.
III. The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer (19-34)
Now we come to the portion of Acts 16 that is best known, the account of the Philippian jailer. Let’s consider it again. First of all, let’s take a look at how Paul came into contact with the jailer.
And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, 20. And brought them to the magistrates…
The casting out of this demon hit her masters right where it hurts, in the pocketbook. We don’t know all the details of how their business worked, but it is obvious that the supernatural demonic power within this girl is what made it work. Now they were out of business, and they were not happy about it. Their response was to blame Paul and Silas. They grabbed them and hauled them before the authorities.
20-21… And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21. And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
We can see immediately that these men were not honest. Their real motive was revenge because Paul and Silas had ended their shady business, but in order to have a case against them, they trumped up some other charges. These men took advantage of the fact that there was much anti-Jewish sentiment among the Gentiles of that day. We have talked before about the mutual hatred between Jew and Gentile. They portrayed Paul and Silas as Jews who were bringing their superstitions before the Romans. After all, there were laws against bringing foreign religious propaganda into a Roman colony.
We might ask why Timothy and Luke were not included in this action. Perhaps it was because Paul and Silas were the leaders and the most vocal in this action. Also, Paul and Silas were the most Jewish, as Luke was a Gentile and Timothy was half Gentile.
22-24… And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 23. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
Now we get a glimpse at the people in general, here referred to as "the multitude." Like the multitude which cried out for the crucifixion of Jesus, this crowd seemed easily influenced by these angry men. Perhaps there were quite a number of others who were suspicious of these "wandering Jews."
It is not to the credit of the Roman magistrates that they did not investigate the charges at all. They were either very sympathetic with the angry businessmen or were swayed by the voice of the people. At any rate, they stripped Paul and Silas and commanded that they be beaten.
Notice, "when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison."
When they took Paul and Silas to the jail, they instructed a specific jailer to guard them securely. And this is where we meet that man that is commonly referred to as "the Philippian jailer." His job was to guard these two men, making sure that they did not escape. He took them deep within the prison and put them in stocks. Such stocks were not made for comfort, but for security. They were instruments which had holes into which the legs were inserted.
25… And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
We all know about this. Even though Paul and Silas were in jail, and wrongfully at that, they prayed and sang praises to God, and the prisoners heard them. But let’s not get the wrong idea about what was happening. Paul and Silas weren’t putting on a show for the prisoners. Their actions came out of a heart of praise and thanksgiving. Remember that they had been severely beaten before they were imprisoned. They had every reason to be moaning and complaining, but they were praying and singing.
Let me read you a more literal translation of these verses: "But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the [other] prisoners were listening to them, Suddenly there was a great earthquake…" (Amplified). I don’t get the impression that God brought the earthquake because Paul and Silas started praying and singing at midnight. No. Rather, verse 25 is a description of what was happening when the earthquake struck. The emphasis here is on continuous action – as they were praying and singing praises to God, and as the prisoners were listening to them. Paul would later write to the church at this same city of Philippi, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice" (Phil. 4:4). Paul and Silas were continuously praying and praising God. No wonder the prisoners were listening to them. How could these men have such joy and confidence under such trying circumstances?
The sudden earthquake shook the prison to its foundations. Notice that all the doors were open and everyone’s bands were loosed. This was an unusual earthquake. It produced more than just a shaking; it delivered the prisoners. The power of an earthquake doesn’t open prison doors and free men from the stocks, but this was a God-directed earthquake which was sent for a very specific purpose.
27… And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
When the jailer was aroused from his sleep, he discovered the worst. The doors were all open and the prisoners had surely escaped. As a proud Roman (probably a retired soldier), with a deep sense of duty and discipline, he saw only one option – suicide. He would take his life before he had to face his superiors.
28-30… But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30. And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Before the jailer could do anything, Paul yelled at him, "Don’t do it; we’re all here." It is obvious from Paul’s statement that the other prisoners had not run off, even though they had the opportunity. Why didn’t they escape? Surely it was because of what they had heard from these two unusual prisoners. They must have recognized the hand of God in the earthquake. Apparently they wanted to stay around long enough to see what was going to happen.
The words of verse 29 are very graphic. Notice that the jailer sprang in ("rushed in," NASV; NIV; Amplified). And he came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas. He was terrified. This man must have also recognized the hand of God in all of this.
We would like to say, "That jailer was moved by the praying and singing of Paul and Silas at midnight." However, we must take note that when the earthquake struck, the jailer was asleep (vs. 27). He hadn’t been listening to Paul and Silas. Of course, the jailer certainly knew something of what had taken place. He could see their wounds, as a result of the severe beating. No doubt, he heard stories of why they were in jail. He saw their attitude. And remember that Paul and Silas didn’t begin singing at midnight. I suspect the jailer had plenty of opportunity to hear them and observe their attitudes. Judging from his response here, I would say it is very likely that he had heard some of Paul’s conversations with the other prisoners. While he may have been able to reject the message of these two criminals, it was a different story when he was confronted with the earthquake and his present desperation.
The jailer brought Paul and Silas outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" This man knew who to ask about salvation. In my mind’s eye, I can see him earlier laughing under his breath at the message they proclaimed, but it was different now. Please hear me. When people make light of the truth of the gospel, let’s not be discouraged. We are planting seeds, just as Paul and Silas did. If we continue to plant the seeds and don’t grow weary, things will change when the shaking comes. There are people who can reject the gospel now, but what will they are about to drown in the storms of life? What will they do, when the economy crashes, when there is severe threat of a nuclear attack, or when they come face to face with death? Some will continue to shake their fist at God, but surely there will be some Philippian jailers among them.
Wouldn’t you like to have someone say to you, "What must I do to be saved?" The other night someone was talking about just such a circumstance. It does still happen, but we don’t seem to see much of it in our American culture. Why not? I don’t have all the answers, but I believe the primary reason is because in America there is little fear of God and knowledge of His law. In other words, people don’t see any need to be saved. 21st century Americans subscribe to the bumper sticker philosophy that says, "No fear." They read Matt. 10:28, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" and regard it as a fairytale. Why should they fear a God like that, when they can believe in a God of pure love, who will never hold anyone accountable?
I don’t know if revival will ever sweep this land again. I’m quite sure it won’t, if God’s people don’t pray for it. The great revivals in this country began with prayer. But whether or not we ever see sweeping revival, God will give us the privilege of rescuing people here and there, people who are like the Philippian jailer.
Notice how the scripture rings true. I Pet. 3:15 is familiar to some of you. It reads: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" What we forget is the context of this verse. Listen to the words just before it in verse 14, "But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled." We see this truth played out in the experience of Paul and Silas. It was in the context of their suffering (and his own suffering) that the Philippian jailer asked them for a reason of the hope that was in them. When things are going well for us and we rejoice, the world shrugs its shoulders; "big deal." But when we suffer wrongfully and rejoice in the Lord, there are some who will take notice. Are we willing to suffer in order that men and women might be brought to Christ? This is the cross, the dying to self, that Jesus speaks of when He says, "If any man will come after me, let deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me" (Matt. 16:24).
When the jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved," Paul answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved." Put your faith in the Jesus who died on the cross for your sins, and you will be saved. Throw yourself on this Jesus, and you will be saved. Simply trust Him.
You may be thinking, "Then why don’t you proclaim that message more consistently? Why do you always add a bunch more to it?" Because I don’t find people coming as the Philippian jailer came. When is the last time you saw someone come trembling with fear and fall on his face before God, saying, "What must I do to be saved?" We can proclaim "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," but it will have no effect until the hearers tremble before an Almighty God whose law they have broken and whose authority they have despised. This man who said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved" was a broken man, and "the Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart, and saves such as be of a contrite spirit" (Ps. 34:18).
32-33… And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
You probably noticed those words at the end of verse 31, "and thy house." What does that mean? Some have taken it to mean that if the jailer believed, then all his house would be saved. However, we are given some clarification here in verse 32, "And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house." Apparently, Paul gave further explanation to the jailer. They had already said to him, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," but now they speak to him the Word of the Lord. It seems that they went to his house, because they also spoke to all that were in his house. That would have included his family and perhaps servants.
I find here no magic formula that tells a man his whole family can be saved on the basis of his own faith. While it is true that a man’s influence in his home is great, each individual must exercise faith in Christ in order to be saved. The promise of verse 31 is basically this: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved; and that goes for your whole family." In other words, this isn’t just good news for you, but for your whole family.
Praise God that his family responded to the good news in the same way that he responded, for we read that the jailer was baptized, along with all his (family).
And right in the midst of this glorious account of salvation, we read that the jailer took them and washed their stripes. Most likely, he took them to his own house, and there he cared for their wounds. While this is a simple statement, it speaks volumes. The jailer didn’t just receive a commodity called salvation from these men. They became his brothers in the Lord. As Lydia’s hospitality to Paul and Silas was a demonstration of the genuine salvation she received, so the jailer’s tender caring for them shows that he received that same salvation. What a change – from adversaries to brothers overnight!
IV. The Release of Paul and Silas (35-40)
35-40… And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 36. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37. But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. 38. And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 39. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. 40. And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
Let’s just note a couple of things here. Paul claims their rights as Roman citizens. Roman citizens were exempted by law from degrading forms of punishment such as Paul and Silas had suffered. The big question is this: Why hadn’t they claimed their citizenship rights the day before? Wouldn’t that have saved them a beating? We see here that the magistrates were quite alarmed when they learned the fact of their citizenship. We read that they feared.
Some would say that Paul and Silas did protest, but that the authorities turned a deaf ear. However, it is doubtful that Luke, the careful historian, would have failed to mention that fact. Notice that while Paul claims his citizenship rights here, he apparently did not do so earlier in order that he might escape punishment. In other words, he didn’t make his appeal in order to save himself. So why does he do so now? Was it to teach them a lesson? Let’s consider the possibility that it may have involved the church at Philippi. We see here in this passage that before Paul and Silas left town, they went to Lydia’s house and they they comforted (exhorted) the brethren. The value of Paul’s action may be in that it would discourage the authorities from hassling the church, which was founded by these two Roman citizens. If that was the case, Paul was not acting on his own behalf, but on behalf of the brothers and sisters he loved.
The Roman authorities could not legally force Paul and Silas to leave town. When they came personally to the prison, they didn’t come to give commands, but "they besought (entreated) them." Whether they did so in a straightforward manner, they were basically apologizing. Rather than order them out of town, they begged them to leave town. No doubt, they were hoping to avoid any more trouble. Paul and Silas graciously left town, but not before visiting those who had believed the gospel message.
Conclusion
Let’s move forward just a little bit. From Philippi, Paul and his missionary band would go and preach in Thessalonica. Their preaching was not without opposition. In the heat of that opposition, their accusers make this statement in Acts 17:6, "These that have turned the world upside down have come here also." The last place they had been was Philippi. The only place they had ministered in Macedonia was Philippi. When they said that these missionaries had turned the world upside down, they were speaking primarily of the work in Philippi.
Let’s think about that for a moment. Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke certainly turned things upside down at Philippi. A business woman was converted. A young girl was set free from bondage, and with her freedom came the collapse of a corrupt business. Out of this, a whole multitude of people were drawn into the proceedings. And these things were not confined to the lower classes; the leading authorities of the city gave the command to beat Paul and Silas and lock them up. A prison was literally turned upside down and one of its employees was forever changed, along with his entire household. Yes, the Lord turned Philippi upside down through these men.
So how did it all begin? Let’s read it again in 16:12-13 "And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. 13. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither." Notice especially those words that describe the beginning of their stay in Philippi: "And we were in that city abiding certain days." When we think of the work in this city, we might just skip over those words, but that would not be wise. We might get the idea that they were just sitting around, because there weren’t yet any opportunities. Surely that wasn’t the case. I want to suggest to you that those certain days were vital in the ministry to Philippi.
What do you think they were doing during those days? I believe they were praying. They were waiting on God. They were allowing the Lord to prepare them for what was to come. They were doing the same thing Paul and Silas would be doing in prison; they were praying and singing praises to God.
From there, they just went to a little prayer meeting down by the river. And what did they do there? They sat down and talked to the women which were meeting there. Nothing spectacular. It was a one-step-at-a-time ministry. Any believer could have done it.
The abiding certain days follows the pattern we see throughout the scriptures. Before Jesus began His public ministry, He waited for thirty years. Before that great ingathering on the Day of Pentecost, the disciples waited before the Lord in the upper room. Before Paul began his ministry, he spent the better part of three years in Arabia.
Brothers and sisters, let’s not waste "these certain days." Let’s be on our knees before the Lord. Let’s be asking Him to speak to us through His Word. Let’s be praising Him for all things.
This coming Friday and Saturday some of us men will be spending some time in the mountains seeking the Lord. As you have read in the bulletin, we are going there to worship the Lord and to seek His direction concerning church membership and church leadership. All of you won’t be there physically, but you can be a part by praying earnestly. As we pray there, would you pray here? We desperately need the Lord to lead us. "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it" (Ps. 127:1).
You know, the Lord could use us to turn this part of His world upside down. Let’s not waste any of these certain days that are ours.
THE MINISTRY AT PHILIPPI
Acts 16:11-40
This morning we are going to be looking at the ministry of Paul and his companions at Philippi. Let’s begin by reading the entire passage… Read Acts 16:11-40
At Philippi we find the following individuals and groups of people…
… The women by the river, including Lydia and her household
… The slave girl and her masters
… The magistrates (authorities)
… The people of the town
… The prisoners, the jailer and his household
… The brethren
As we go through this chapter, we will be examining the conversion of Lydia, the deliverance of the slave girl, the conversion of the Philippian jailer, and the freeing of Paul and Silas from the jail. As we go, we will be looking at each of the groups we just mentioned. Let’s notice how God touched their lives through Paul and his missionary team. So let’s dive right in.
Introduction: The Setting (11-12)
Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; 12. And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
Remember that we left Paul, Silas, and Timothy in Troas. Notice again the word "we" (occurring for the first time in 16:10). This indicates that now the Luke, the author of Acts, is traveling with Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Just for review, let’s remember that Paul and Silas began their journey at Antioch of Syria (use the map). From there they had traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches as they went. Then came the work for which they had set out, the work in the cities where Paul had established churches on his first missionary journey. There were four of these cities – Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia. What a joy it must have been for Paul to see again those who had responded to the gospel, along with those who had been added to the churches since his first visit. And it was at Lystra that he picked up the young man Timothy to travel and minister with them.
After encouraging and strengthening the churches in these four cities, they found themselves about 350 miles from their home base, but there is no indication that they considered going back home at this time. There were vast lands full of unevangelized people. They were eager to continue sharing the gospel. However, the Spirit of God refused to let them preach in Asia (map). When they turned north to go into Bythinia, the Spirit wouldn’t allow them to go their either. So they made their way to Troas. It was there that in a vision that Paul heard a Macedonian man saying, "Come over and help us." Macedonia (what is now northern Greece) is the region to which they are now going.
So they left Troas and came to Samothracia. This was a very distinctive island, as it had mountains rising 5,000 feet. The next day they set sail and came to Neapolis, which was the port city of Philippi. The winds must have been favorable. Later, Paul would sail the opposite direction and the trip from Neapolis to Troas would require five days (Acts 20:6).
Macedonia was a Roman province. We read here that Philippi was the chief city of that part of Macedonia. This idea of Philippi being the chief city has been much debated. There are some textual differences that have given rise to other translations. It is a fact that Philippi was not the capital city (that was Thessalonica) and it was not the largest city (that was Amphipolis). But in some sense, it was the chief city (or a chief city) of that part of Macedonia.
We also read that Philippi was a Roman colony. By this time, it had been a Roman colony for almost 100 years, having received this status in 42 B.C. The original purpose of Roman colonies was military. The Romans would bring a significant number of its Roman citizens to live in the colony. From a military standpoint, it made sense to have these strategic Roman settlements throughout the empire. A Roman colony went by Roman law, regardless of the laws of the people of that region.
While other cities mentioned in Acts were Roman colonies (Pisidian Antioch, Lystra, Troas, Corinth, and Ptolemais), Philippi is the only city so designated by Luke. (This is the only time the word "colony" is used in the New Testament).
I. The Conversion of Lydia and Her Household (13-18)
And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
As we begin to read of Paul’s work in Philippi, we find that there is something missing. What is it? There is no mention of Paul going to the synagogue, as he had in Pisidian Antioch and Iconium. Because this was Paul’s prevailing custsom, we have to assume that there was no synagogue in Philippi. And that means that there were few Jews there, as the presence of just ten Jewish men was sufficient to constitute a synagogue.
So if there was no synagogue in which to preach, where would Paul begin his work? We are told that he and his companions went out by a river side, "where prayer was wont to be made." In other words, it was customary for prayer to be made in this place. The key is that there were some women who met there on the sabbath to pray. How Paul and Silas found out about this meeting is unknown to us, except that the Lord found a way to make it known to them.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
It is generally assumed that Lydia was a widow, since there is no mention of a husband, though it is possible that she had never been married. We are told that she was from the city of Thyatira, which was a city of Asia. Isn’t it interesting that the Spirit wouldn’t let Paul preach in Asia, but his first convert in Europe was from the province of Asia! This lady named Lydia was "a seller of purple." The people in the area of Thyatira were famous for their ability to manufacture and use a purple dye. Lydia either sold the purple dye itself, or clothing which was colored by the dye.
We are also told that Lydia worshipped God (literally, she was a worshipper of God). She was not a Jew, but she worshipped the true and living God. It reminds us of Cornelius, whose story is told back in chapter 10. She knew that Yahweh was the true and living God and she worshipped Him.
So Lydia was among those women who came down to the riverside on the sabbath to pray together. We are told in the previous verse that Paul and his company sat down and spoke to the women. The willingness to do so was not something Paul received from his Jewish heritage. Nevertheless, he saw this as a launching pad for the ministry in Philippi. Here was a group of ladies who were eager to worship God.
So when Paul and Silas spoke to these women, what do you think they talked about? It is no mystery. We are given no details, but it is clear from the context that they preached the same message they preached everywhere else—Jesus Christ, and Him crucified! When Paul spoke, the Lord opened her heart to attend to the things that he said. We must not pass over the fact that the Lord opened her heart, causing her to pay attention to what Paul said. Why is it that Lydia is the one woman that is singled out? Is it because she was the wisest of the women present? Is it because she had more common sense than the others? No, it is because the Lord opened her heart. If the Lord didn’t open the heart, there would be no hope for spiritually dead men and women to respond to the gospel.
And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
It seems a bit abrupt, when Luke immediately records that Lydia was baptized, along with her household. Why was she baptized? We are not told that she believed. Why not? We must understand this in the context of the book of Acts as a whole. The pattern of Acts is along these lines…
… "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (2:41)
… "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women" (8:12)
… "And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized" (18:8)
It is interesting to note that the word translated "attend unto" in verse 14 has several shades of meaning. While it can certainly mean "attend to, pay attention to," it is also used to mean "to cling to, to cleave to a person or thing; to be given to or addicted to" (Thayer). Lydia not only paid attention to what Paul said, but she received what he said and clung to it. In short, she believed.
Not only was Lydia baptized, but also her household. That raises a question: Who was in the household of Lydia? We are not told. It seems best to assume that she had children or other relatives for whom she was responsible. It is also very possible that she had servants, depending upon the extent of her business. Concerning the baptizing of the whole household, we will take that up in a few minutes, when we come to the Philippian jailer.
Now listen to what she said to Paul after she was baptized. "If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there." This is strong evidence of the genuineness of her conversion. Remember that Paul and his companions are new in this town. While there are those who believe Luke was familiar with Philippi (mainly because it seems that he remained there after Paul left; "they" in 17:1), there is no proof for that conjecture. The missionaries had been there for "certain days." As was the case with Jesus’ apostles when they were sent out to preach, these men needed a place to stay. Lydia was volunteering her home. Whether she was aware of it or not, hosting the apostle Paul was not always a safe venture, but she was willing to identify herself with these who were giving their lives to proclaim the gospel of the Christ who had saved her. Her invitation was so simple and genuine that they couldn’t refuse.
We don’t know what happened to the rest of the women. The fact that they were not converted at this time in no way means that they rejected the Lord Jesus. Wouldn’t it be nice to know how Lydia interacted with them in the days ahead. I suspect that the Lord gave her a burden for these women with whom she was accustomed to pray. But if every such story were included in our sacred pages, we wouldn’t be able to carry our Bible in one volume. We will have eternity to learn the rest of the story.
II. The Delivering of a Certain Slave Girl from a Spirit of Divination (16-18)
And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
The word translated "damsel" is best understood to mean "a young female slave" ("slave girl" in NASV, NIV, Amplified). The idea of servanthood or slavery is also suggested by the face that she brought "her masters" much gain. You get the idea that this young girl was being used by a bunch of greedy businessmen. Her value was in the fact that she had "a spirit of divination." The Greek literally says that she had "a spirit of Python." That is, she was inspired by Apollo, the god who was worshipped at Pytho (Delphi). Plutarch said their "utterances were really and not only apparently beyond their conscious control." I think it would be safe to say that this young girl was possessed by a demon. As a result, she had supernatural power to tell the future. The same Greek word is used in the LXX to speak of the witch of Endor, who had "a familiar spirit."
It was this supernatural ability that made her valuable to her masters, who no doubt charged a fee for her services.
The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation.
Doesn’t this remind you of the demon-possessed people with whom Jesus dealt? In Mark 3:11 we read of unclean spirits who fell down before Jesus and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God." Listen to these words about the Gadarene demoniac… Mark 5:5-7
And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7. And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
Mark says that he worshipped Jesus and then referred to Him as "Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God." So it is here, as this young lady points to Paul and his companions as "servants of the Most High God, who are showing the way of salvation." We want to say, "What could possibly be wrong with that?" The main problem with it is the fact that it was spoken by this unclean spirit within the lady. Jesus did not accept worship and confession from demons, and neither did Paul. There is evidence to support the idea of a belief in that day that "the use of the precise name of an individual or spirit would secure mastery over him" (Mark, William Lane, p. 74). The proclamations of these demons was not a confession of faith, but a defiant challenge.
And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
These words make it very clear that what this young lady was saying and doing was not a good thing. Paul was grieved (some translations say "annoyed"). Paul was fully aware that it was a spirit within the girl making these statements, as we are told that he spoke not to the girl, but to the spirit. And Paul didn’t mince any words, saying, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her."
Then we read, "And he came out the same hour." "Same hour" seems to be an expression that means "at once." Don’t get the idea that it took an hour for the spirit to leave the girl. The idea is that there was no delay at all.
We are told nothing more about the girl. One writer notes: "Three individuals are singled out by Luke among Paul’s converts at Philippi…" (F. F. Bruce, p. 332). He is referring to Lydia, this girl, and the Philippian jailer. I would certainly like to think that this girl was a convert, but the text does not tell us that. Perhaps Luke intended us to assume as much, but we cannot know that for sure. Jesus’ teaching indicates that it is possible for a person who is ridded of a demon to end up even worse. Luke 11:24-26…
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
Again, wouldn’t we like to know the rest of the story. We will have to wait a while for that.
III. The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer (19-34)
Now we come to the portion of Acts 16 that is best known, the account of the Philippian jailer. Let’s consider it again. First of all, let’s take a look at how Paul came into contact with the jailer.
And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, 20. And brought them to the magistrates…
The casting out of this demon hit her masters right where it hurts, in the pocketbook. We don’t know all the details of how their business worked, but it is obvious that the supernatural demonic power within this girl is what made it work. Now they were out of business, and they were not happy about it. Their response was to blame Paul and Silas. They grabbed them and hauled them before the authorities.
20-21… And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21. And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
We can see immediately that these men were not honest. Their real motive was revenge because Paul and Silas had ended their shady business, but in order to have a case against them, they trumped up some other charges. These men took advantage of the fact that there was much anti-Jewish sentiment among the Gentiles of that day. We have talked before about the mutual hatred between Jew and Gentile. They portrayed Paul and Silas as Jews who were bringing their superstitions before the Romans. After all, there were laws against bringing foreign religious propaganda into a Roman colony.
We might ask why Timothy and Luke were not included in this action. Perhaps it was because Paul and Silas were the leaders and the most vocal in this action. Also, Paul and Silas were the most Jewish, as Luke was a Gentile and Timothy was half Gentile.
22-24… And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 23. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
Now we get a glimpse at the people in general, here referred to as "the multitude." Like the multitude which cried out for the crucifixion of Jesus, this crowd seemed easily influenced by these angry men. Perhaps there were quite a number of others who were suspicious of these "wandering Jews."
It is not to the credit of the Roman magistrates that they did not investigate the charges at all. They were either very sympathetic with the angry businessmen or were swayed by the voice of the people. At any rate, they stripped Paul and Silas and commanded that they be beaten.
Notice, "when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison."
When they took Paul and Silas to the jail, they instructed a specific jailer to guard them securely. And this is where we meet that man that is commonly referred to as "the Philippian jailer." His job was to guard these two men, making sure that they did not escape. He took them deep within the prison and put them in stocks. Such stocks were not made for comfort, but for security. They were instruments which had holes into which the legs were inserted.
25… And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
We all know about this. Even though Paul and Silas were in jail, and wrongfully at that, they prayed and sang praises to God, and the prisoners heard them. But let’s not get the wrong idea about what was happening. Paul and Silas weren’t putting on a show for the prisoners. Their actions came out of a heart of praise and thanksgiving. Remember that they had been severely beaten before they were imprisoned. They had every reason to be moaning and complaining, but they were praying and singing.
Let me read you a more literal translation of these verses: "But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the [other] prisoners were listening to them, Suddenly there was a great earthquake…" (Amplified). I don’t get the impression that God brought the earthquake because Paul and Silas started praying and singing at midnight. No. Rather, verse 25 is a description of what was happening when the earthquake struck. The emphasis here is on continuous action – as they were praying and singing praises to God, and as the prisoners were listening to them. Paul would later write to the church at this same city of Philippi, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice" (Phil. 4:4). Paul and Silas were continuously praying and praising God. No wonder the prisoners were listening to them. How could these men have such joy and confidence under such trying circumstances?
The sudden earthquake shook the prison to its foundations. Notice that all the doors were open and everyone’s bands were loosed. This was an unusual earthquake. It produced more than just a shaking; it delivered the prisoners. The power of an earthquake doesn’t open prison doors and free men from the stocks, but this was a God-directed earthquake which was sent for a very specific purpose.
27… And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
When the jailer was aroused from his sleep, he discovered the worst. The doors were all open and the prisoners had surely escaped. As a proud Roman (probably a retired soldier), with a deep sense of duty and discipline, he saw only one option – suicide. He would take his life before he had to face his superiors.
28-30… But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30. And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Before the jailer could do anything, Paul yelled at him, "Don’t do it; we’re all here." It is obvious from Paul’s statement that the other prisoners had not run off, even though they had the opportunity. Why didn’t they escape? Surely it was because of what they had heard from these two unusual prisoners. They must have recognized the hand of God in the earthquake. Apparently they wanted to stay around long enough to see what was going to happen.
The words of verse 29 are very graphic. Notice that the jailer sprang in ("rushed in," NASV; NIV; Amplified). And he came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas. He was terrified. This man must have also recognized the hand of God in all of this.
We would like to say, "That jailer was moved by the praying and singing of Paul and Silas at midnight." However, we must take note that when the earthquake struck, the jailer was asleep (vs. 27). He hadn’t been listening to Paul and Silas. Of course, the jailer certainly knew something of what had taken place. He could see their wounds, as a result of the severe beating. No doubt, he heard stories of why they were in jail. He saw their attitude. And remember that Paul and Silas didn’t begin singing at midnight. I suspect the jailer had plenty of opportunity to hear them and observe their attitudes. Judging from his response here, I would say it is very likely that he had heard some of Paul’s conversations with the other prisoners. While he may have been able to reject the message of these two criminals, it was a different story when he was confronted with the earthquake and his present desperation.
The jailer brought Paul and Silas outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" This man knew who to ask about salvation. In my mind’s eye, I can see him earlier laughing under his breath at the message they proclaimed, but it was different now. Please hear me. When people make light of the truth of the gospel, let’s not be discouraged. We are planting seeds, just as Paul and Silas did. If we continue to plant the seeds and don’t grow weary, things will change when the shaking comes. There are people who can reject the gospel now, but what will they are about to drown in the storms of life? What will they do, when the economy crashes, when there is severe threat of a nuclear attack, or when they come face to face with death? Some will continue to shake their fist at God, but surely there will be some Philippian jailers among them.
Wouldn’t you like to have someone say to you, "What must I do to be saved?" The other night someone was talking about just such a circumstance. It does still happen, but we don’t seem to see much of it in our American culture. Why not? I don’t have all the answers, but I believe the primary reason is because in America there is little fear of God and knowledge of His law. In other words, people don’t see any need to be saved. 21st century Americans subscribe to the bumper sticker philosophy that says, "No fear." They read Matt. 10:28, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" and regard it as a fairytale. Why should they fear a God like that, when they can believe in a God of pure love, who will never hold anyone accountable?
I don’t know if revival will ever sweep this land again. I’m quite sure it won’t, if God’s people don’t pray for it. The great revivals in this country began with prayer. But whether or not we ever see sweeping revival, God will give us the privilege of rescuing people here and there, people who are like the Philippian jailer.
Notice how the scripture rings true. I Pet. 3:15 is familiar to some of you. It reads: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" What we forget is the context of this verse. Listen to the words just before it in verse 14, "But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled." We see this truth played out in the experience of Paul and Silas. It was in the context of their suffering (and his own suffering) that the Philippian jailer asked them for a reason of the hope that was in them. When things are going well for us and we rejoice, the world shrugs its shoulders; "big deal." But when we suffer wrongfully and rejoice in the Lord, there are some who will take notice. Are we willing to suffer in order that men and women might be brought to Christ? This is the cross, the dying to self, that Jesus speaks of when He says, "If any man will come after me, let deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me" (Matt. 16:24).
When the jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved," Paul answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved." Put your faith in the Jesus who died on the cross for your sins, and you will be saved. Throw yourself on this Jesus, and you will be saved. Simply trust Him.
You may be thinking, "Then why don’t you proclaim that message more consistently? Why do you always add a bunch more to it?" Because I don’t find people coming as the Philippian jailer came. When is the last time you saw someone come trembling with fear and fall on his face before God, saying, "What must I do to be saved?" We can proclaim "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," but it will have no effect until the hearers tremble before an Almighty God whose law they have broken and whose authority they have despised. This man who said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved" was a broken man, and "the Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart, and saves such as be of a contrite spirit" (Ps. 34:18).
32-33… And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
You probably noticed those words at the end of verse 31, "and thy house." What does that mean? Some have taken it to mean that if the jailer believed, then all his house would be saved. However, we are given some clarification here in verse 32, "And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house." Apparently, Paul gave further explanation to the jailer. They had already said to him, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," but now they speak to him the Word of the Lord. It seems that they went to his house, because they also spoke to all that were in his house. That would have included his family and perhaps servants.
I find here no magic formula that tells a man his whole family can be saved on the basis of his own faith. While it is true that a man’s influence in his home is great, each individual must exercise faith in Christ in order to be saved. The promise of verse 31 is basically this: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved; and that goes for your whole family." In other words, this isn’t just good news for you, but for your whole family.
Praise God that his family responded to the good news in the same way that he responded, for we read that the jailer was baptized, along with all his (family).
And right in the midst of this glorious account of salvation, we read that the jailer took them and washed their stripes. Most likely, he took them to his own house, and there he cared for their wounds. While this is a simple statement, it speaks volumes. The jailer didn’t just receive a commodity called salvation from these men. They became his brothers in the Lord. As Lydia’s hospitality to Paul and Silas was a demonstration of the genuine salvation she received, so the jailer’s tender caring for them shows that he received that same salvation. What a change – from adversaries to brothers overnight!
IV. The Release of Paul and Silas (35-40)
35-40… And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 36. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37. But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. 38. And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 39. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. 40. And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
Let’s just note a couple of things here. Paul claims their rights as Roman citizens. Roman citizens were exempted by law from degrading forms of punishment such as Paul and Silas had suffered. The big question is this: Why hadn’t they claimed their citizenship rights the day before? Wouldn’t that have saved them a beating? We see here that the magistrates were quite alarmed when they learned the fact of their citizenship. We read that they feared.
Some would say that Paul and Silas did protest, but that the authorities turned a deaf ear. However, it is doubtful that Luke, the careful historian, would have failed to mention that fact. Notice that while Paul claims his citizenship rights here, he apparently did not do so earlier in order that he might escape punishment. In other words, he didn’t make his appeal in order to save himself. So why does he do so now? Was it to teach them a lesson? Let’s consider the possibility that it may have involved the church at Philippi. We see here in this passage that before Paul and Silas left town, they went to Lydia’s house and they they comforted (exhorted) the brethren. The value of Paul’s action may be in that it would discourage the authorities from hassling the church, which was founded by these two Roman citizens. If that was the case, Paul was not acting on his own behalf, but on behalf of the brothers and sisters he loved.
The Roman authorities could not legally force Paul and Silas to leave town. When they came personally to the prison, they didn’t come to give commands, but "they besought (entreated) them." Whether they did so in a straightforward manner, they were basically apologizing. Rather than order them out of town, they begged them to leave town. No doubt, they were hoping to avoid any more trouble. Paul and Silas graciously left town, but not before visiting those who had believed the gospel message.
Conclusion
Let’s move forward just a little bit. From Philippi, Paul and his missionary band would go and preach in Thessalonica. Their preaching was not without opposition. In the heat of that opposition, their accusers make this statement in Acts 17:6, "These that have turned the world upside down have come here also." The last place they had been was Philippi. The only place they had ministered in Macedonia was Philippi. When they said that these missionaries had turned the world upside down, they were speaking primarily of the work in Philippi.
Let’s think about that for a moment. Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke certainly turned things upside down at Philippi. A business woman was converted. A young girl was set free from bondage, and with her freedom came the collapse of a corrupt business. Out of this, a whole multitude of people were drawn into the proceedings. And these things were not confined to the lower classes; the leading authorities of the city gave the command to beat Paul and Silas and lock them up. A prison was literally turned upside down and one of its employees was forever changed, along with his entire household. Yes, the Lord turned Philippi upside down through these men.
So how did it all begin? Let’s read it again in 16:12-13 "And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. 13. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither." Notice especially those words that describe the beginning of their stay in Philippi: "And we were in that city abiding certain days." When we think of the work in this city, we might just skip over those words, but that would not be wise. We might get the idea that they were just sitting around, because there weren’t yet any opportunities. Surely that wasn’t the case. I want to suggest to you that those certain days were vital in the ministry to Philippi.
What do you think they were doing during those days? I believe they were praying. They were waiting on God. They were allowing the Lord to prepare them for what was to come. They were doing the same thing Paul and Silas would be doing in prison; they were praying and singing praises to God.
From there, they just went to a little prayer meeting down by the river. And what did they do there? They sat down and talked to the women which were meeting there. Nothing spectacular. It was a one-step-at-a-time ministry. Any believer could have done it.
The abiding certain days follows the pattern we see throughout the scriptures. Before Jesus began His public ministry, He waited for thirty years. Before that great ingathering on the Day of Pentecost, the disciples waited before the Lord in the upper room. Before Paul began his ministry, he spent the better part of three years in Arabia.
Brothers and sisters, let’s not waste "these certain days." Let’s be on our knees before the Lord. Let’s be asking Him to speak to us through His Word. Let’s be praising Him for all things.
This coming Friday and Saturday some of us men will be spending some time in the mountains seeking the Lord. As you have read in the bulletin, we are going there to worship the Lord and to seek His direction concerning church membership and church leadership. All of you won’t be there physically, but you can be a part by praying earnestly. As we pray there, would you pray here? We desperately need the Lord to lead us. "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it" (Ps. 127:1).
You know, the Lord could use us to turn this part of His world upside down. Let’s not waste any of these certain days that are ours.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Truth On the Inside -- 9/30/07
Sunday, September 30, 2007
DESIRING TRUTH IN THE INWARD PARTS
Psalm 51:6
Jesus once said something like this: "Woe to you hypocrites. You clean up the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and selfishness" (paraphrase of Matt. 23:25). Do you remember the occasion of those words? To whom was Jesus speaking? That’s right, He was talking to the Pharisees, who were the religious leaders of that day.
The Pharisees were certainly clean on the outside. They prayed regularly. They never missed a church service. They knew the scriptures better than anyone else. A Pharisee could say, "O God, I thank you that I’m not like other men. I fast twice every week and give to you a tenth of everything I possess." No one had the righteous appearance of the Pharisees. Looking from the outside, one would have to say that the Pharisees were absolutely clean.
Let me ask you a question this morning: How do you look on the outside? Of course, I’m not talking about physical appearance. Rather, I’m talking about outward righteousness. Do you look pretty clean on the outside? You present a good, moral lifestyle. You read the Bible and pray and are fairly regular at worship services. You give to God a portion of what you possess. Others have a pretty good opinion of your righteousness.
Now let’s come back to what Jesus said to the Pharisees: "You clean up the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and selfishness." We might look at that and say, "Well, they were one for two. They weren’t clean on the inside, but at least they were clean on the outside; that ought to count for something." What we must understand is that in the Lord’s eyes, these are not two equals. The outside appearance and the state of the inner being are not of equal value.
Jesus went right on to say, "You blind Pharisee, first clean up the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside of them may be clean also." Jesus said that order is important. Cleansing must begin on the inside. When the inside is clean, the outside will be clean also. I can illustrate that truth from my vast dishwashing experience. Let’s suppose I’m washing a pan. We cooked a casserole in that pan. Not only did we cook the casserole in that pan, but we also warmed it up again three different times in that same pan. Now the casserole was delicious, even as leftovers, but that procedure didn’t do wonders for our pan. So now it’s time for me to wash that pan. I assure you that I would rather wash the outside than the inside. So I quickly wash the outside. I start washing the inside, but it’s tough. So after a minute, I take it out of the dish water, dry it off, put the lid on it, and put it in the cabinet. Anyone who opens the cabinet and looks at that pan will conclude that it is a nice, clean pan. Why? Because they only see the outside. But the inside is still quite dirty. Would you want to cook something in that pan? Of course, not. On the other hand, if I had taken the time to scrub the inside, it would have been clean. And the amazing thing is that the outside would have been clean as well. If I had started with the inside, the outside would have pretty much taken care of itself. Just in the process of scrubbing the inside, enough soap, water, and dishrag hit the outside that it becomes clean too. It isn’t the outside that presents the problem, but rather the inside.
It is the same way with our lives. It is very possible to clean up the outside, and the inside be full of ugly things we would rather no one see. That’s the way it was with the Pharisees. Let’s now read what Jesus continued to say to the Pharisees in Matt. 23:27-28, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." When you go to a well-kept cemetery, everything looks absolutely beautiful, with the freshly-mowed green grass and the well-arranged flowers, but you wouldn’t want to take a look inside the graves. So people may see our nice outward appearance, but what would they find on the inside?
Last week, Brother Mike Richardson asked us a very pointed question. He asked you and me, if there might be a root of bitterness within. He suggested that this is a very important issue, because if there is a root of bitterness within, it will defile many. In other words, it will not only destroy us, but it will pollute the people around us.
This morning I want to follow up on Brother Mike’s theme. But I’m not going to talk about bitterness. Rather, I want us to consider the difficulty of looking inside. Is it possible to have bitterness on the inside and hide it from others? Is it possible to have ugly things buried within, while maintaining a nice, clean appearance on the outside? In other words, how good are we at fooling other people? Even beyond that, is it possible to fool our own selves? Could I have a root of bitterness within, while believing that I am clean on the inside?
I. David’s Desire for Truth
Let’s begin with a principle that we have looked at before. Please turn to Psalm 51. This, of course, is David’s great prayer of confession, after he had committed adultery and murder. Let’s read Ps. 51:5-6, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom." David confessed that he was a sinner from birth. But then immediately, he acknowledged that God desires truth in the inward parts.
Let’s try to understand the background of this statement. You remember that after David committed adultery with Bathsheba, she became pregnant. David was a man who knew the law of God. Remember that he was a man after God’s own heart. He knew that he had done wrong. When he then had Uriah killed, he knew how wrong it was. Nevertheless, it was almost nine months before David owned up to his sin. Even then, it required a prophet of God to come and graphically show David how ugly his sin was before God.
The question is: How was David able to live with his sin all of that time? Didn’t it bother him? When David looked back, he confessed that it did indeed bother him. Let’s read from Psalm 32, which down through the centuries has been believed to be David’s prayer after the prayer of Ps. 51. Ps. 32:3-4, "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah."
David was a tormented man during those nine months. So why didn’t he just confess his sin to God? Why didn’t he give attention to cleaning the inside? Why did he wait so long? We are not specifically given the answers to those questions, but we know the answers, don’t we? Who hasn’t at some point experienced what David experienced? No doubt, David spent his time and energy keeping up a good outward appearance. I said that he was guilty of murder, but David made sure that it didn’t appear as murder. He could have called Bathsheba’s husband Uriah home and told one of his servants to kill Uriah on the spot. No one would have raised a hand, because David was the king. But that would not have looked good to those around him. So instead, he came up with a scheme that made it look like Uriah was killed in battle. Not only did this look better to the people of his kingdom, but it helped him to justify his action within his own heart and mind. Since he didn’t actually see Uriah die, the image of his death didn’t haunt him, as if he had killed him with his own sword or openly given the word to his servant. David must have worked hard to silence the truth. All the while, God was looking for truth in the inward parts.
Please hear me. God is still looking for truth in the inward parts. Please read with me Psalm 15…
LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2. He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 3. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 4. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. 5. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
Here David gives a description of the person who will be able to remain in the presence of the Lord. He will walk uprightly and what he does will be right, but that isn’t all. If we read this description quickly, we might get the idea that it is all about outward behavior, but notice the words at the end of verse 2, "and speaketh the truth in his heart." It is one thing to speak the truth outwardly to other people; it is quite another to speak the truth in your heart.
When Jesus was talking to the woman at the well, He said to her, "Go and bring your husband." She replied, "I have no husband." Jesus was very gracious to her, even commenting that she had spoken the truth. However, she didn’t speak the truth in her heart, because the truth was that she had had five husbands and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. While she technically spoke the truth to Jesus, she did not speak the truth in her heart.
The Lord is looking for truth in the inward parts, for that one who will be perfectly honest with God, with himself, and then with those around him. But we must understand that it doesn’t begin with telling the truth to others; it begins with being honest with God from the inside out. This is what the Lord desires for us.
II. The Worst Deception of All – Self-Deception
We have talked a great deal about deception. Remember Jesus’ warning, "Beware of false teachers, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matt. 7:15). There are plenty of these false teachers, who are trying to deceive us. Satan himself is the great deceiver. He is the most evil being in the universe, but he masquerades as an angel of light. But we must understand that the deceptive power of Satan and false teachers works hand in hand with self-deception.
I can remember once saying to my mother, "I hate you." I was nine or ten years old at the time. I look back and wonder how I could possibly have said that to my own mother. It was a product of self-deceit. I wasn’t willing to speak the truth in my heart. I don’t remember what my mom did that made me mad, but it really doesn’t matter. At the time, I thought she was wrong and I was right. I deceived myself into thinking that she deserved to be treated like that. If I had desired truth in the inward part, I would have soon discovered that I was the one who had the problem. If I had communed with my own heart (Ps. 4:4), I would have concluded that I was angry and out of control. But I didn’t want honesty in the heart; I wanted revenge.
We can really get down on the Pharisees, and it is true that Jesus reserved His harshest words for these religious hypocrites. However, we need to be careful. While the actions of the Pharisees were evil, as pointed out by Jesus, I think they had become experts at fooling themselves. Don’t you think they believed that they were doing what was right? You may say, "No, deep down they knew they were wrong." But that’s what self-deceit does; it refuses to look at what is deep down within us. When the Pharisees were confronted with the truth, they refused to hear it.
They were able to deceive themselves into thinking that they didn’t have to listen to Jesus, because He broke God’s laws, because He didn’t keep the traditions of the elders. Why should they listen to a man who worked on the sabbath? Such a man couldn’t be from God.
I remember when I decided that we needed a better camera. We checked into it and after finding a good deal, we purchased a nice camera. But then we needed a flash to go with it. I saw one advertised in the Thrifty Nickel, so I went to check on it. When I came home, I started telling Rhonda about this wonderful deal I had found. This was not an ordinary flash attachment, this was the kind that professional photographers use. I was ready to convince Rhonda that we needed to buy this flash. When I tell you what it cost, you will think I’m making this story up, because most of you know that I tend to be thrifty. The man was asking $200, and I was willing to pay it. I had convinced myself that this was a good buy. Sure, deep down I knew it was foolishness, but I didn’t care about deep down; I cared about getting this flash. Fortunately, one look and a couple of words from my wife brought me to my senses. I needed someone to remind me about truth in the inward part.
Please excuse me for giving so many personal illustrations this morning, but it seems to be the only way I can get my point across. I haven’t been able to live inside you, but I have to live inside me quite a bit. My wife Rhonda is a very observant and perceptive person, as many wives are. In the past, she would make a statement like, "You’re mad at me." I would reply, "No, I’m not." Was I mad at her? I know there were times when I was, but I had plenty of justification for saying that I wasn’t. I wasn’t boiling with anger. Maybe I was a little bit upset, but I wasn’t mad. And who did she think she was to judge the motive of my heart? Perhaps the bottom line was this: There is no way that she could really know what was in my heart, so I was safe to say that I wasn’t mad. She could not prove me wrong. I didn’t have to worry about getting caught in a lie. But I wouldn’t own up to the fact that I was lying to myself and to God.
The more we deceive ourselves, the easier it becomes. Brother Mike read scriptures about forgiveness. Norman read a bunch more one Wednesday night not long ago. We know from the Word of God that forgiveness is absolutely vital in everyone of our lives. We must forgive. Yet this is an area where it is difficult for us to be honest with ourselves. Someone wrongs you. It hurts. But after a while, you deal with it and conclude that you have forgiven her. Maybe you have; maybe you haven’t. You aren’t consumed with the issue any more. It doesn’t keep you awake at night any more. Therefore, you must have forgiven. But have you really forgiven her? Are you able to demonstrate love to her with no hindrance? Is your relationship now stronger, because of this difficulty? Have you forgiven her? Or, are you fooling yourself?
III. The Power of Self-Deception in the Lives of the Pharisees
Let’s look at this issue of truth in the inward parts in the life of the Jewish leaders, particularly the Pharisees. We have already seen how Jesus accused them of cleaning the outside but not the inside. We see the Pharisees as being masters of deception, but we must understand that the problem was deeper than that. They were not only deceivers, but they were also deceived; they were self-deceived. Surely that was because they didn’t desire truth in the inward parts.
Perhaps we can find evidence of this, as we look at their opposition to Jesus. Watch for instances where just a little bit of desire for inward truth would have revealed their errors to them.
All three of the synoptic gospels record how Jesus healed the man with the withered hand (Matt. 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11). We find these words in Luke 6:7, "And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him." Notice that they were deliberately trying to trap Jesus in some way. Even though there was a man there whose hand did not function, they weren’t the least bit concerned about that man. Their whole focus was on condemning Jesus. That should have told them something about themselves.
After Jesus had healed the man, we then read these words in Mark 3:6, "And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him." That term "Herodians" comes from the word "Herod." The Herodians were those who were sympathetic with the rule of King Herod. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were violently opposed to Herod at every turn. Nevertheless, they were willing to set aside their convictions, as long as it helped them to destroy Jesus. This unusual alliance should have set off alarms in their minds, but they actively suppressed all truth in the inward parts.
Now let’s read Matt. 15:1-12…
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2. Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4. For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6. And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 10. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. 12. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
Sometimes when we hear the Word of God preached, we are conscious that God is speaking to us, that He is convicting us. But this wasn’t just any preacher; this was Jesus, the Son of God, who skillfully used the Word to speak to these men. Rather than being convicted, they were offended. Even though Jesus used scripture to point out the hardness of their hearts, they could not – they would not – hear. They were able to silence God’s clear truth, because they didn’t desire truth in the inward parts.
Then we have the question put to Jesus: "Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" The question was asked by that unholy alliance of the Pharisees and Herodians, as they deliberately tried to trip Jesus up in His words (Mk. 12:13). You remember Jesus’ answer, after asking them to produce a coin with the image of Caesar: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." All three of the synoptic gospel accounts then record that the Pharisees and Herodians marveled at Jesus’ answer (Matt. 17:22; Mark 12:17; Luke 20:26). They were amazed. Nevertheless, their amazement at the wisdom of Jesus did not shake their opposition to Him.
Let’s go back to the time when the four men brought the lame man to Jesus, lowering him down through the roof (Matt. 9:1-8; Mk. 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26). We are told that there were many Pharisees present on this occasion (Luke 5:17). Jesus first said to the man, "Your sins are forgiven." After Jesus demonstrated His ability to forgive sins by healing this man, they were all amazed (Luke 5:26). Matt. 9:8 tells us that the multitude marveled and glorified God. It is doubtful that the Pharisees glorified God. They couldn’t help being amazed, but their denial of truth in the inward parts sustained their stubborn opposition to Jesus.
Now I want to read to you from Luke 7. In Luke 7:36-50 we have the story of Jesus going to the house of a Pharisee named Simon and eating with him. As I read the story to you, try to put yourself in the place of the Pharisee. You have been resistant to this man Jesus of Nazareth, but now He is in your house. He has accepted your invitation to eat with you and your friends. Hear Jesus carefully, as He deals with you… (Luke 7:36-50)
And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38. And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43. Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50. And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
There is no record that Simon’s heart was softened. (Remember the case of another Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was changed). How could he not be moved by the tenderness with which Jesus dealt with this woman? How could he fail to see his own pride and stubbornness? It was because he didn’t desire truth in the inward parts.
In John 5, the Pharisees are not specifically mentioned. However, we find the term "the Jews" repeatedly. A careful study of this chapter (along with the chapters following) make it clear the this term refers to the Jewish leaders. No doubt, there were Pharisees among them. I suspect that this group was made up primarily of the Pharisees. Now hear what Jesus says to them in John 5:39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." Your translation may say, "You search the scriptures…" The form of the verb makes it permissible to translate it either as a statement or a command. Which ever way we take it, the sense is not really changed. The point is that these leaders thought they had eternal life because of their knowledge of the scriptures. Jesus then says in verse 40, "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." They knew the scriptures, but they refused the One of whom the scriptures spoke. How could they know the scriptures so well and miss the Messiah that was prophesied of there? Was it not because they didn’t desire truth in the inward parts?
We could go on and on, but that’s enough about the Pharisees and the deep self-deception that gripped them. However, we should look at one last Pharisee. His name was Saul. Why Saul didn’t deal directly with the earthly Jesus, he was the chief persecutor of those who followed the risen Christ. When Saul was headed for the distant city of Damascus to round up more of Jesus’ followers, Jesus struck him down with a blinding light. Saul said, "Who are you, Lord?" Now recall Jesus’ answer: "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the pricks" (Acts 9:5; 26:14). What was true of the Pharisees in general, was especially true of this zealous persecutor.
The "pricks" were the sharp goads (metal points) that were placed behind the feet of the oxen which were hooked up to the plow. If an ox became rebellious and tried to kick up his heels, he would pay the price, as he would kick against those sharp points. Wisdom demanded that the ox submit and continue to plow. Now Jesus says to Saul, "It is hard for you to kick against the pricks." In other words, "Saul, it is hard for you to continue to oppose me." Why was it difficult for Saul to oppose Jesus? Outwardly, it wasn’t difficult at all. As the chief persecutor, he was greatly applauded by the Jews, especially the other Pharisees. He had developed a great reputation as the one who took the lead in dealing with this annoying sect known as "the way." Outwardly, it wasn’t difficult at all, but Jesus was referring to the inward struggle. Deep down, Saul must have known that these Christians had something he did not possess. Remember that Saul was present at the stoning of Stephen. He heard the last words of Stephen, as he said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," and then, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" (Acts 7:59-60). Then he watched, as Stephen "fell asleep" (Acts 7:60). It was hard for Saul to resist the power of what he saw in this man’s death. Yet he continued to plow full speed ahead in his persecution of the Christians. Surely it was because he didn’t desire truth in the inward parts. Praise God that Jesus forced Saul to consider again.
Conclusion
What about you? Is it hard for you to kick against the pricks? What about you who do not yet have the life of Christ within? Oh yes, you have acquired a lot of Bible knowledge. You come to the services; praise God! But you are still the enemy of God. You have not been reconciled to God by Jesus’ death on the cross. Are you maintaining that there is still some good in you? Deep down, do you not realize that even your best deeds are like filthy rags in the sight of God? Do you think that you are going to enter the kingdom, though you are dead in your trespasses and sins? How long will you kick against the pricks of God’s truth? Won’t you fall on your knees and cry out, "Lord, give me a desire for truth in the inward parts. Show me my need for you. Strip me of this self-deception which tells me that maybe things will turn out all right."
Or maybe you claim to belong to the Lord. But you are full of turmoil, continually kicking against God’s working to conform you to the image of Christ? Deep down, you know that you are stubborn and resistant. You work hard to resist that still small voice which urges you to surrender to the Master. Will you not cry out to God, "Lord, open the eyes of my heart. Let me see reality. I know I am blind and don’t want to see. O God, give me that desire for truth in the inward parts."
Please allow me to read the powerful words of that simple hymn "Have Thine Own Way"…
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way;
Thou art the potter; I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way;
Search me and try me, Master, today.
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash just me now,
As in thy presence humbly I bow.
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way;
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray.
Power, all power, surely is thine;
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way;
Hold o’er my being absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit ‘til all shall see
Christ only always, living in me.
Prayer: Ps. 139:23-24
DESIRING TRUTH IN THE INWARD PARTS
Psalm 51:6
Jesus once said something like this: "Woe to you hypocrites. You clean up the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and selfishness" (paraphrase of Matt. 23:25). Do you remember the occasion of those words? To whom was Jesus speaking? That’s right, He was talking to the Pharisees, who were the religious leaders of that day.
The Pharisees were certainly clean on the outside. They prayed regularly. They never missed a church service. They knew the scriptures better than anyone else. A Pharisee could say, "O God, I thank you that I’m not like other men. I fast twice every week and give to you a tenth of everything I possess." No one had the righteous appearance of the Pharisees. Looking from the outside, one would have to say that the Pharisees were absolutely clean.
Let me ask you a question this morning: How do you look on the outside? Of course, I’m not talking about physical appearance. Rather, I’m talking about outward righteousness. Do you look pretty clean on the outside? You present a good, moral lifestyle. You read the Bible and pray and are fairly regular at worship services. You give to God a portion of what you possess. Others have a pretty good opinion of your righteousness.
Now let’s come back to what Jesus said to the Pharisees: "You clean up the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and selfishness." We might look at that and say, "Well, they were one for two. They weren’t clean on the inside, but at least they were clean on the outside; that ought to count for something." What we must understand is that in the Lord’s eyes, these are not two equals. The outside appearance and the state of the inner being are not of equal value.
Jesus went right on to say, "You blind Pharisee, first clean up the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside of them may be clean also." Jesus said that order is important. Cleansing must begin on the inside. When the inside is clean, the outside will be clean also. I can illustrate that truth from my vast dishwashing experience. Let’s suppose I’m washing a pan. We cooked a casserole in that pan. Not only did we cook the casserole in that pan, but we also warmed it up again three different times in that same pan. Now the casserole was delicious, even as leftovers, but that procedure didn’t do wonders for our pan. So now it’s time for me to wash that pan. I assure you that I would rather wash the outside than the inside. So I quickly wash the outside. I start washing the inside, but it’s tough. So after a minute, I take it out of the dish water, dry it off, put the lid on it, and put it in the cabinet. Anyone who opens the cabinet and looks at that pan will conclude that it is a nice, clean pan. Why? Because they only see the outside. But the inside is still quite dirty. Would you want to cook something in that pan? Of course, not. On the other hand, if I had taken the time to scrub the inside, it would have been clean. And the amazing thing is that the outside would have been clean as well. If I had started with the inside, the outside would have pretty much taken care of itself. Just in the process of scrubbing the inside, enough soap, water, and dishrag hit the outside that it becomes clean too. It isn’t the outside that presents the problem, but rather the inside.
It is the same way with our lives. It is very possible to clean up the outside, and the inside be full of ugly things we would rather no one see. That’s the way it was with the Pharisees. Let’s now read what Jesus continued to say to the Pharisees in Matt. 23:27-28, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." When you go to a well-kept cemetery, everything looks absolutely beautiful, with the freshly-mowed green grass and the well-arranged flowers, but you wouldn’t want to take a look inside the graves. So people may see our nice outward appearance, but what would they find on the inside?
Last week, Brother Mike Richardson asked us a very pointed question. He asked you and me, if there might be a root of bitterness within. He suggested that this is a very important issue, because if there is a root of bitterness within, it will defile many. In other words, it will not only destroy us, but it will pollute the people around us.
This morning I want to follow up on Brother Mike’s theme. But I’m not going to talk about bitterness. Rather, I want us to consider the difficulty of looking inside. Is it possible to have bitterness on the inside and hide it from others? Is it possible to have ugly things buried within, while maintaining a nice, clean appearance on the outside? In other words, how good are we at fooling other people? Even beyond that, is it possible to fool our own selves? Could I have a root of bitterness within, while believing that I am clean on the inside?
I. David’s Desire for Truth
Let’s begin with a principle that we have looked at before. Please turn to Psalm 51. This, of course, is David’s great prayer of confession, after he had committed adultery and murder. Let’s read Ps. 51:5-6, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom." David confessed that he was a sinner from birth. But then immediately, he acknowledged that God desires truth in the inward parts.
Let’s try to understand the background of this statement. You remember that after David committed adultery with Bathsheba, she became pregnant. David was a man who knew the law of God. Remember that he was a man after God’s own heart. He knew that he had done wrong. When he then had Uriah killed, he knew how wrong it was. Nevertheless, it was almost nine months before David owned up to his sin. Even then, it required a prophet of God to come and graphically show David how ugly his sin was before God.
The question is: How was David able to live with his sin all of that time? Didn’t it bother him? When David looked back, he confessed that it did indeed bother him. Let’s read from Psalm 32, which down through the centuries has been believed to be David’s prayer after the prayer of Ps. 51. Ps. 32:3-4, "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah."
David was a tormented man during those nine months. So why didn’t he just confess his sin to God? Why didn’t he give attention to cleaning the inside? Why did he wait so long? We are not specifically given the answers to those questions, but we know the answers, don’t we? Who hasn’t at some point experienced what David experienced? No doubt, David spent his time and energy keeping up a good outward appearance. I said that he was guilty of murder, but David made sure that it didn’t appear as murder. He could have called Bathsheba’s husband Uriah home and told one of his servants to kill Uriah on the spot. No one would have raised a hand, because David was the king. But that would not have looked good to those around him. So instead, he came up with a scheme that made it look like Uriah was killed in battle. Not only did this look better to the people of his kingdom, but it helped him to justify his action within his own heart and mind. Since he didn’t actually see Uriah die, the image of his death didn’t haunt him, as if he had killed him with his own sword or openly given the word to his servant. David must have worked hard to silence the truth. All the while, God was looking for truth in the inward parts.
Please hear me. God is still looking for truth in the inward parts. Please read with me Psalm 15…
LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2. He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 3. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 4. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. 5. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
Here David gives a description of the person who will be able to remain in the presence of the Lord. He will walk uprightly and what he does will be right, but that isn’t all. If we read this description quickly, we might get the idea that it is all about outward behavior, but notice the words at the end of verse 2, "and speaketh the truth in his heart." It is one thing to speak the truth outwardly to other people; it is quite another to speak the truth in your heart.
When Jesus was talking to the woman at the well, He said to her, "Go and bring your husband." She replied, "I have no husband." Jesus was very gracious to her, even commenting that she had spoken the truth. However, she didn’t speak the truth in her heart, because the truth was that she had had five husbands and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. While she technically spoke the truth to Jesus, she did not speak the truth in her heart.
The Lord is looking for truth in the inward parts, for that one who will be perfectly honest with God, with himself, and then with those around him. But we must understand that it doesn’t begin with telling the truth to others; it begins with being honest with God from the inside out. This is what the Lord desires for us.
II. The Worst Deception of All – Self-Deception
We have talked a great deal about deception. Remember Jesus’ warning, "Beware of false teachers, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matt. 7:15). There are plenty of these false teachers, who are trying to deceive us. Satan himself is the great deceiver. He is the most evil being in the universe, but he masquerades as an angel of light. But we must understand that the deceptive power of Satan and false teachers works hand in hand with self-deception.
I can remember once saying to my mother, "I hate you." I was nine or ten years old at the time. I look back and wonder how I could possibly have said that to my own mother. It was a product of self-deceit. I wasn’t willing to speak the truth in my heart. I don’t remember what my mom did that made me mad, but it really doesn’t matter. At the time, I thought she was wrong and I was right. I deceived myself into thinking that she deserved to be treated like that. If I had desired truth in the inward part, I would have soon discovered that I was the one who had the problem. If I had communed with my own heart (Ps. 4:4), I would have concluded that I was angry and out of control. But I didn’t want honesty in the heart; I wanted revenge.
We can really get down on the Pharisees, and it is true that Jesus reserved His harshest words for these religious hypocrites. However, we need to be careful. While the actions of the Pharisees were evil, as pointed out by Jesus, I think they had become experts at fooling themselves. Don’t you think they believed that they were doing what was right? You may say, "No, deep down they knew they were wrong." But that’s what self-deceit does; it refuses to look at what is deep down within us. When the Pharisees were confronted with the truth, they refused to hear it.
They were able to deceive themselves into thinking that they didn’t have to listen to Jesus, because He broke God’s laws, because He didn’t keep the traditions of the elders. Why should they listen to a man who worked on the sabbath? Such a man couldn’t be from God.
I remember when I decided that we needed a better camera. We checked into it and after finding a good deal, we purchased a nice camera. But then we needed a flash to go with it. I saw one advertised in the Thrifty Nickel, so I went to check on it. When I came home, I started telling Rhonda about this wonderful deal I had found. This was not an ordinary flash attachment, this was the kind that professional photographers use. I was ready to convince Rhonda that we needed to buy this flash. When I tell you what it cost, you will think I’m making this story up, because most of you know that I tend to be thrifty. The man was asking $200, and I was willing to pay it. I had convinced myself that this was a good buy. Sure, deep down I knew it was foolishness, but I didn’t care about deep down; I cared about getting this flash. Fortunately, one look and a couple of words from my wife brought me to my senses. I needed someone to remind me about truth in the inward part.
Please excuse me for giving so many personal illustrations this morning, but it seems to be the only way I can get my point across. I haven’t been able to live inside you, but I have to live inside me quite a bit. My wife Rhonda is a very observant and perceptive person, as many wives are. In the past, she would make a statement like, "You’re mad at me." I would reply, "No, I’m not." Was I mad at her? I know there were times when I was, but I had plenty of justification for saying that I wasn’t. I wasn’t boiling with anger. Maybe I was a little bit upset, but I wasn’t mad. And who did she think she was to judge the motive of my heart? Perhaps the bottom line was this: There is no way that she could really know what was in my heart, so I was safe to say that I wasn’t mad. She could not prove me wrong. I didn’t have to worry about getting caught in a lie. But I wouldn’t own up to the fact that I was lying to myself and to God.
The more we deceive ourselves, the easier it becomes. Brother Mike read scriptures about forgiveness. Norman read a bunch more one Wednesday night not long ago. We know from the Word of God that forgiveness is absolutely vital in everyone of our lives. We must forgive. Yet this is an area where it is difficult for us to be honest with ourselves. Someone wrongs you. It hurts. But after a while, you deal with it and conclude that you have forgiven her. Maybe you have; maybe you haven’t. You aren’t consumed with the issue any more. It doesn’t keep you awake at night any more. Therefore, you must have forgiven. But have you really forgiven her? Are you able to demonstrate love to her with no hindrance? Is your relationship now stronger, because of this difficulty? Have you forgiven her? Or, are you fooling yourself?
III. The Power of Self-Deception in the Lives of the Pharisees
Let’s look at this issue of truth in the inward parts in the life of the Jewish leaders, particularly the Pharisees. We have already seen how Jesus accused them of cleaning the outside but not the inside. We see the Pharisees as being masters of deception, but we must understand that the problem was deeper than that. They were not only deceivers, but they were also deceived; they were self-deceived. Surely that was because they didn’t desire truth in the inward parts.
Perhaps we can find evidence of this, as we look at their opposition to Jesus. Watch for instances where just a little bit of desire for inward truth would have revealed their errors to them.
All three of the synoptic gospels record how Jesus healed the man with the withered hand (Matt. 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11). We find these words in Luke 6:7, "And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him." Notice that they were deliberately trying to trap Jesus in some way. Even though there was a man there whose hand did not function, they weren’t the least bit concerned about that man. Their whole focus was on condemning Jesus. That should have told them something about themselves.
After Jesus had healed the man, we then read these words in Mark 3:6, "And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him." That term "Herodians" comes from the word "Herod." The Herodians were those who were sympathetic with the rule of King Herod. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were violently opposed to Herod at every turn. Nevertheless, they were willing to set aside their convictions, as long as it helped them to destroy Jesus. This unusual alliance should have set off alarms in their minds, but they actively suppressed all truth in the inward parts.
Now let’s read Matt. 15:1-12…
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2. Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4. For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6. And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 10. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. 12. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
Sometimes when we hear the Word of God preached, we are conscious that God is speaking to us, that He is convicting us. But this wasn’t just any preacher; this was Jesus, the Son of God, who skillfully used the Word to speak to these men. Rather than being convicted, they were offended. Even though Jesus used scripture to point out the hardness of their hearts, they could not – they would not – hear. They were able to silence God’s clear truth, because they didn’t desire truth in the inward parts.
Then we have the question put to Jesus: "Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" The question was asked by that unholy alliance of the Pharisees and Herodians, as they deliberately tried to trip Jesus up in His words (Mk. 12:13). You remember Jesus’ answer, after asking them to produce a coin with the image of Caesar: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." All three of the synoptic gospel accounts then record that the Pharisees and Herodians marveled at Jesus’ answer (Matt. 17:22; Mark 12:17; Luke 20:26). They were amazed. Nevertheless, their amazement at the wisdom of Jesus did not shake their opposition to Him.
Let’s go back to the time when the four men brought the lame man to Jesus, lowering him down through the roof (Matt. 9:1-8; Mk. 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26). We are told that there were many Pharisees present on this occasion (Luke 5:17). Jesus first said to the man, "Your sins are forgiven." After Jesus demonstrated His ability to forgive sins by healing this man, they were all amazed (Luke 5:26). Matt. 9:8 tells us that the multitude marveled and glorified God. It is doubtful that the Pharisees glorified God. They couldn’t help being amazed, but their denial of truth in the inward parts sustained their stubborn opposition to Jesus.
Now I want to read to you from Luke 7. In Luke 7:36-50 we have the story of Jesus going to the house of a Pharisee named Simon and eating with him. As I read the story to you, try to put yourself in the place of the Pharisee. You have been resistant to this man Jesus of Nazareth, but now He is in your house. He has accepted your invitation to eat with you and your friends. Hear Jesus carefully, as He deals with you… (Luke 7:36-50)
And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38. And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43. Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50. And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
There is no record that Simon’s heart was softened. (Remember the case of another Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was changed). How could he not be moved by the tenderness with which Jesus dealt with this woman? How could he fail to see his own pride and stubbornness? It was because he didn’t desire truth in the inward parts.
In John 5, the Pharisees are not specifically mentioned. However, we find the term "the Jews" repeatedly. A careful study of this chapter (along with the chapters following) make it clear the this term refers to the Jewish leaders. No doubt, there were Pharisees among them. I suspect that this group was made up primarily of the Pharisees. Now hear what Jesus says to them in John 5:39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." Your translation may say, "You search the scriptures…" The form of the verb makes it permissible to translate it either as a statement or a command. Which ever way we take it, the sense is not really changed. The point is that these leaders thought they had eternal life because of their knowledge of the scriptures. Jesus then says in verse 40, "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." They knew the scriptures, but they refused the One of whom the scriptures spoke. How could they know the scriptures so well and miss the Messiah that was prophesied of there? Was it not because they didn’t desire truth in the inward parts?
We could go on and on, but that’s enough about the Pharisees and the deep self-deception that gripped them. However, we should look at one last Pharisee. His name was Saul. Why Saul didn’t deal directly with the earthly Jesus, he was the chief persecutor of those who followed the risen Christ. When Saul was headed for the distant city of Damascus to round up more of Jesus’ followers, Jesus struck him down with a blinding light. Saul said, "Who are you, Lord?" Now recall Jesus’ answer: "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the pricks" (Acts 9:5; 26:14). What was true of the Pharisees in general, was especially true of this zealous persecutor.
The "pricks" were the sharp goads (metal points) that were placed behind the feet of the oxen which were hooked up to the plow. If an ox became rebellious and tried to kick up his heels, he would pay the price, as he would kick against those sharp points. Wisdom demanded that the ox submit and continue to plow. Now Jesus says to Saul, "It is hard for you to kick against the pricks." In other words, "Saul, it is hard for you to continue to oppose me." Why was it difficult for Saul to oppose Jesus? Outwardly, it wasn’t difficult at all. As the chief persecutor, he was greatly applauded by the Jews, especially the other Pharisees. He had developed a great reputation as the one who took the lead in dealing with this annoying sect known as "the way." Outwardly, it wasn’t difficult at all, but Jesus was referring to the inward struggle. Deep down, Saul must have known that these Christians had something he did not possess. Remember that Saul was present at the stoning of Stephen. He heard the last words of Stephen, as he said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," and then, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" (Acts 7:59-60). Then he watched, as Stephen "fell asleep" (Acts 7:60). It was hard for Saul to resist the power of what he saw in this man’s death. Yet he continued to plow full speed ahead in his persecution of the Christians. Surely it was because he didn’t desire truth in the inward parts. Praise God that Jesus forced Saul to consider again.
Conclusion
What about you? Is it hard for you to kick against the pricks? What about you who do not yet have the life of Christ within? Oh yes, you have acquired a lot of Bible knowledge. You come to the services; praise God! But you are still the enemy of God. You have not been reconciled to God by Jesus’ death on the cross. Are you maintaining that there is still some good in you? Deep down, do you not realize that even your best deeds are like filthy rags in the sight of God? Do you think that you are going to enter the kingdom, though you are dead in your trespasses and sins? How long will you kick against the pricks of God’s truth? Won’t you fall on your knees and cry out, "Lord, give me a desire for truth in the inward parts. Show me my need for you. Strip me of this self-deception which tells me that maybe things will turn out all right."
Or maybe you claim to belong to the Lord. But you are full of turmoil, continually kicking against God’s working to conform you to the image of Christ? Deep down, you know that you are stubborn and resistant. You work hard to resist that still small voice which urges you to surrender to the Master. Will you not cry out to God, "Lord, open the eyes of my heart. Let me see reality. I know I am blind and don’t want to see. O God, give me that desire for truth in the inward parts."
Please allow me to read the powerful words of that simple hymn "Have Thine Own Way"…
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way;
Thou art the potter; I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way;
Search me and try me, Master, today.
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash just me now,
As in thy presence humbly I bow.
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way;
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray.
Power, all power, surely is thine;
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way;
Hold o’er my being absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit ‘til all shall see
Christ only always, living in me.
Prayer: Ps. 139:23-24
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