TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 6:1-18.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
It’s common knowledge that you can conquer a mountain if you have the right kind of gear.

David Juarez has conquered a lot of mountains, but he’s not a traditional climber: his gear is a bicycle. If everything was on schedule in the Summer Olympics in Atlanta and if David Juarez was in top form, yesterday should have seen Juarez competing for a gold medal in the new Olympic sport of cross-country mountain bike racing.

Juarez is proof that when you put the right equipment in the hands of the right person, even a mountain is no problem. That’s a spiritual truth we need to take with us as we conclude our study of the Seven Deadly Sins.

For many of God’s people, sin stills looms as large as a mountain. The issue in Romans 6 is not sin’s eternal consequences, but our relationship to it as believers.

The spiritual reality is indisputable. When we became Christians, we experienced a death and a resurrection just as Jesus Christ died and rose again. Our death and resurrection are spiritual rather than physical—but they are no less real.

We died to sin and its power the moment we trusted Christ. Sin’s mastery over us was broken through the power of Jesus Christ. But we have to “count” or reckon it to be so (v. 11). We have to recognize this truth and make a decision to draw on the power available to us. Otherwise, sin will keep trying to boss us around.

Paul is not saying that we can be sinless. Rather, the idea is that we do not have to sin. Satan no longer has the authority to call the shots in our lives. We have been delivered from his mastery to the authority of a new Master: Jesus Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One benefit of working hard is the joy of being able to contribute to God’s work. Paul’s instruction to lay aside a portion of our income each week for His work (1 Cor. 16:2) assumes that we No list of sins, whether the Seven Deadly Sins or any others, is a match for the resurrection power of Christ available to us through the Holy Spirit.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 1:1-11.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 1773, the young pastor of a poor church in Wainsgate, England, was called to a large and influential church in London. John Fawcett was a powerful preacher and writer, and these skills had brought him this opportunity. But as the wagons were being loaded with the Fawcetts’ few belongings, their people came for a tearful farewell.

During the good-byes, Mary Fawcett cried, “John, I cannot bear to leave!”

“Nor can I,” he replied. “We shall remain here with our people.” The wagons were unloaded, and John Fawcett spent his entire fifty-four-year ministry in Wainsgate.

Out of that experience, Fawcett wrote the beautiful hymn, “Blest Be the Tie that Binds.” If Jesus’ eleven disciples had known that song, they surely would have sung it on the occasion recorded in these opening verses of the book of Acts. They would have tried anything to keep Jesus from leaving them.

We know from John 16:6 that the disciples were “filled with grief” at the Last Supper when Jesus announced He was leaving them. Forty days had passed since His resurrection (Acts 1:3). Maybe their anxiety had been forgotten. Whatever the case, the disciples were hoping for a kingdom (v. 6), not a gospel commission.

But a commission is exactly what Jesus gave them. Verse 8 is not only a principle of ministry that is still in force today. It is also a concise outline of Acts, describing the birth and growth of a new program in God’s eternal plan—the church.

The spread of the gospel and the growth of the church will be our focus this month as we begin an exciting trip through the book of Acts. This book is volume two of Luke’s inspired writings (v. 1; cf. Luke 1:1-4). He saw the events of Acts as a continuation of Jesus’ ministry, and that’s the way we should see them too.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The disciples’ hearts probably sank when they heard Jesus say, “Wait” (v. 4). “Wait” has never been a very popular word. Most of us hate to wait, because it seems that nothing is happening while we’re sitting on our hands. But waiting is not only a good spiritual discipline for us; it’s also one of God’s answers to prayer.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 1:12-26.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
After his defeat in the 1976 President-ial race, Gerald Ford was asked by a reporter if his running mate had cost him the election. Ford acknowledged that he might have done better with Nelson Rockefeller, his current Vice-President. But Ford went on to say that he didn’t think his choice of a running mate—a Kansas senator named Dole—was as significant as his unpopular decision to pardon Richard Nixon.

When it comes to choosing a Presidential ticket there are no guarantees—as we shall no doubt learn again this November. But when God chooses the right person for the job, there is no need to second-guess. Matthias is a case in point.

Like so much of the narrative of Acts, today’s passage is clear and uncomplicated. The eleven disciples obeyed Jesus’ command and returned to Jerusalem to await the promise of the Holy Spirit. It was while they were “constantly in prayer” (v. 14) that Peter addressed a crucial issue, the defection of Judas Iscariot. Peter cited two passages in Psalms as a testimony to the fall of Judas and the need to replace him. Jesus told the apostles that they would sit on twelve thrones as judges of Israel (Matt. 19:28). On that basis alone, they would need to replenish the apostolic ranks.

Remarkably, the choice of Matthias has long been a source of controversy among Bible students. Some think Peter acted impetuously, taking things into his own hands. They believe Paul was meant to be the twelfth apostle.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Someone once said that if the critics are right about Paul and Matthias, someone is going to be sitting on someone’s lap at the judgment. After all, there are only twelve thrones!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 2:1-13.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
W. W. Moseley had a burden for China. So the young British minister set out to translate the Bible into Chinese. Language experts told him it couldn’t be done, but Moseley refused to give up. One day in the British Museum library, he came across a Chinese manuscript containing portions of the New Testament! Moseley’s discovery drew fellow Britisher Robert Morrison, soon to be the first Protestant missionary to China. Morrison copied the manuscript, took it with him to China, and used it to translate the book of Acts, and then other portions of Scripture, into Chinese.

No language barrier can keep the Creator of language from making Himself known! On the Day of Pentecost, God would give a powerful witness to the coming of the promised Holy Spirit. The marvel of Pentecost is the supernatural coming and miraculous enabling of the Holy Spirit. The first witness to Pentecost was not words, but wind and fire. In the original language, the words for “wind” and “spirit” are closely related. The blowing wind speaks of the Holy Spirit’s power; fire signifies the presence of God.

As for the gift of tongues (v. 4), these were languages known to the hearers but not previously known to the speakers. That simple fact is often overlooked or ignored in the confusion that surrounds much modern-day teaching on the ministry and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

This is not to deny the Spirit’s power or sovereignty. Could He reproduce the miracle of Pentecost? Of course—He is God! But Pentecost was certainly a unique event: the birthday of the church. As such, it need not be repeated. While we are right to seek the Spirit’s power and filling today, the purpose of Pentecost has been fulfilled.

Acts 2 is an example of a principle you’ll want to keep in mind this month. Acts is a transitional book, bridging the old and new covenants, showing how the focus of God’s program moved from Israel to the church.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The curiosity and confusion of the crowd (vv. 7-13) reminds us of people’s confusion about spiritual things today. Spirituality is a popular topic, but there are as many varieties of “religions” as there are cable TV channels! Are there people in your world who are searching for spiritual reality? They often reveal their need in what they say around the office or in casual conversation over the back fence.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 2:14-47.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
“Why should I worship a dead Jew?” The bluntness of the question startled evangelist Alfred Ackley.

But the young Jewish student was sincere. He had been attending Ackley’s meetings and was wrestling with the truth. So Ackley went back to Scripture to prepare an answer. He opened to the story of Jesus’ resurrection and read again, “He is risen.” Suddenly, the familiar words came alive. The witness of Scripture and of countless believers points to one inescapable conclusion: Jesus Christ is alive! Ackley led that student to Christ and later sat down at his piano and expressed his joy in the hymn, “He Lives.”

The risen Christ was the theme of Peter’s greatest recorded message, the sermon of Pentecost. There is enough material in these verses to fill a book, so we will only highlight the main sections. Notice how Peter defended the miraculous events of Pentecost (vv. 14-21). The scoffers were wrong about the apostles being drunk. This was the work of God, not the result of wine. Peter quoted Joel’s prophecy which refers to the last days. This would have startled Peter’s hearers. Since the signs of verses 19-20 did not happen, there is obviously a later fulfillment to Joel.

Peter may have been saying that if Israel would accept their Messiah, Jesus (vv. 22-40), the “day of the Lord” would come. Or he may have been using this prophecy about the Messianic age to prepare the people for the heart of his sermon: the revelation that the One they crucified is both “Lord and Christ” (v. 36).

Whatever the case, the rest of the sermon is clear. Israel’s long-awaited Redeemer, the Messiah, is Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection prove His claim. When the people realized what they had done to their Messiah, they cried out for forgiveness.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sunday is an appropriate day on which to read about the birth of the church.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 3:1-26.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
As a teenager, the great pastor and writer A. W. Tozer was standing on a street corner in Akron, Ohio, one day when he heard an evangelist pleading with passersby to come to Christ. Knowing he must be brief and clear, the street preacher called out Luke 18:13, “God have mercy on me, a sinner” and urged his hearers to call upon God. The words struck home in young Tozer’s heart. That same day he went home to wrestle with God. God won!

That evangelist didn’t mince words in reaching A. W. Tozer for Christ. Neither did Peter of Jerusalem mince any words. The apostle simply invoked the name and authority of Jesus (v. 6), and it was enough. His words caught the attention of a lame man who often begged at the temple gate. His miraculous healing was so animated that it created quite a scene!

But Peter wasn’t looking to set up a healing ministry. He had only one message to deliver. When he saw a crowd gathering, he immediately resumed the message he had proclaimed at Pentecost: Jesus of Nazareth, whom Israel had rejected and condemned, is God’s “Holy and Righteous One” (v. 14). In Him alone is the forgiveness of sins.

Imagine that you were in that crowd—a proper and religiously observant Israelite. What would you have thought of Peter’s message (vv. 11-26)? His pointed references to Jesus as your Messiah, your treatment of Him, and your need to repent would be impossible to miss! No matter what you might have thought about all the recent commotion in Jerusalem, you would have had to come to terms with this miraculous healing—to do something with this Jesus.

Acts 4:4 tells us that many in the crowd decided for Jesus that day. Peter’s sermon pricked people’s hearts and led to several thousand individuals receiving Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Spiritually, things haven’t changed since Peter’s day. People all around us are reaching out for help and hope.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 4:1-37.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
The fact that the church is undergoing persecution in many parts of the world today should not surprise us. Suffering for Christ has been a way of life for His people since the days of the apostles.

One of the most beleaguered parts of Christ’s body is the African nation of Sudan. There a violent Islamic regime has killed many believers and inflicted great hardship. But despite this persecution the Sudanese church is growing! One church leader estimates that seventy-five percent of the people in southern Sudan are now Christians, compared to fifteen percent a little over a decade ago.

Acts 4 records the very beginning of this 2ꯠ-year record of faithfulness to the Lord. This story also shows us the real motivation behind those who seek to stamp out the witness of the church.

Notice for example that what riled up the authorities was that Peter and John were preaching Jesus (v. 2). Since they had condemned Jesus to death (v. 10), they didn’t want anybody mentioning His name again. They were hoping the whole incident of the cross and the claims of Jesus’ resurrection would quietly blow over!

This determined opposition to Jesus Christ tells us who was directing this persecution behind the scenes. Satan was determined to prevent Christ from going to the cross. Having failed that, he turned his rage on the body of Christ.

Verses 5-21 further reveal the evil motives of those who tried to silence the infant church. The next day when the Jewish ruling council called for Peter and John to appear, the healed beggar was standing right there with them. Did they rejoice that one of their own had been made whole? No, they were only interested in stopping this “Jesus business” before it got out of hand.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The prayer of the church (vv. 23-31) is remarkable. Believers there did not ask for ease or safety, but for boldness to preach the Word and to be faithful to Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 5:1-42.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
As celebrated violinist Erica Morini, ninety years old and nearly blind, lay dying last fall in a New York hospital, her Manhattan apartment was robbed.

But this was no ordinary thievery. Morini’s prized possession was taken: a 268-year-old Stradivarius violin worth $3.5 million. Morini had willed any profits from the sale of the violin to charity, along with the rest of her estate. She died two weeks after the robbery, never knowing that her beloved violin was gone.

Reports such as this make us shake our heads in amazement at the coldness of human hearts. But then, we shouldn’t wonder why someone would steal from a dying woman. Ananias and Sapphira, members of the church at Jerusalem and witnesses to incredible events, stole from the living Lord!

Just as persecution from without has a way of spurring the growth of the church and the spread of the gospel, so does the cleansing of the church from within. The sin of this couple and the severity of their judgment need to be seen in the context of a church where all the believers (Acts 4:32) rallied in the face of persecution and poverty.

Ananias and Sapphira tried to deceive the apostles and lied to God. When the church is at its strongest and most dynamic, when the body of Christ is committed to proclamation and worship and true fellowship, sin is taken very seriously. Purity is a priority. Acts 5:11 records the result of these two deaths, but fear did not cause the church to cringe or pull back. Just the opposite. The church emerged from this act of judgment to resume and increase its witness, even as persecution grew.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Look at the words of the Jewish elder named Gamaliel in verses 38-39.

His observation is a fact that no one in Jerusalem could deny. Whatever they thought of Peter and his fellow apostles, something unexplainable was happening in their lives.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 6:1-7:19.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
A policeman noticed a poor-looking older lady picking things up off the street and putting them into her apron. Afraid that she was up to no good, he approached her and said gruffly, “What is it you’re hiding there in your apron? Open it up or I’ll run you in.”

Smiling, she opened her apron and showed him bits of broken glass, nails and other sharp objects. “Why are you gathering those?” the policeman asked.

“I pick them up every day,” she answered. “Many barefooted children come this way every day and are liable to cut their feet.”

That lady had a willingness to serve, a heart that looked for ways to meet others’ needs. That’s the same attitude shown by Stephen and the six other men chosen to administer the food given to widows in the church at Jerusalem. They were putting others before themselves; they wanted to give, not to take.

These men were acting in much the same role as the later church office of deacon. While their task seems to have been a temporary assignment to meet a specific need, it is nevertheless one of the earliest examples of administration in the young church.

The division of labor apparently settled the dispute and allowed the apostles to give their attention to their primary calling (6:4). This was an important step in the governing of the church, as evidenced by the permanent office of deacon.

In verse 7 Luke reports on the growth of the young church (see also 2:41, 47; 4:4; 5:14). As a careful historian, Luke notes key times of expansion and other important events and their effect on the church (see 9:31).

But the focus in today’s text is clearly on Stephen. The hostility building against the disciples settled for this moment on Stephen. The false witnesses bringing false charges reminds us of the trial of Jesus Himself.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The neglect of the widows in the Jerusalem church reminds us of how easy it is to overlook important things in our busyness. Since that’s true, we can be grateful for people such as Stephen who are willing to serve others. These people see to the details that are often passed by in our hurry to accomplish “important” things. You probably have several such people in your life.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 7:20-8:3.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
When Martin Luther was summoned to the Diet of Worms in 1521 to answer charges of heresy, he thought he would be allowed to defend his biblical views.

To his dismay, he was given no opportunity to defend his beliefs. Instead, he was ordered to recant. Luther asked for a day to think about his decision, which he knew could mean his life. He prayed for courage, then came back the next day and made his stand on the truth of Scripture. On his way back to Wittenberg, Luther was “kidnapped” by friends and taken into safe hiding.

There are times when we must take a stand—perhaps a difficult but necessary one. That was true for Luther, and in today’s reading for Stephen as well. Stephen made a lengthy defense. His message is, in fact, the longest recorded sermon in Acts. But, unlike Luther, Stephen did not escape his persecutors.

Today we pick up Stephen’s remarkable message with the birth of Moses (v. 20). As he outlined the events of Israel’s exodus from Egypt, the wilderness wanderings, and the giving of the Law, he began to build toward the point he wanted to make to the assembled leaders of the nation.

He reminded these elders that their forefathers failed to obey Moses (v. 39). Stephen then charted Israel’s rebellion and idolatry all the way from the golden calf to the worship of idols that produced the Babylonian exile. Verses 44-50 are important because in them Stephen shows that God’s work and His presence are not limited to the temple in Jerusalem. In other words, God’s Spirit was at work in this new manifestation of His will called the church, and these “stiff-necked people” were resisting it just as their ancestors resisted God (v. 51).

No one nodded off during this sermon! The violent reaction of these elders and their summary execution of Stephen demonstrate that the hatred directed toward the church was of more than human origin.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The story of Stephen reminds us that whatever the situation, the last word hasn’t been said until God has spoken.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 8:4-40.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
The April 3 plane crash in Croatia that took the life of U.S. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and thirty-four others revealed shortcomings in the navigation equipment on military aircraft.

The pilots, attempting to reach the airport at Dubrovnik in pouring rain, were navigating with a compass and a radio receiver, which one official likened to working with a typewriter in the computer age. Officials at the Pentagon said they would improve safety and navigation equipment on military passenger planes in the future.

What a difference an excellent guidance system can make! Contrast, for example, the guidance given to evangelist Philip and to Simon the sorcerer. Although Luke doesn’t say so explicitly, we know that Philip was led of the Holy Spirit to go to a city in Samaria (v. 5). Later he was directed by an angel and “caught away” by the Holy Spirit.

Simon, on the other hand, was under the guidance and control of Satan. He used magic and sorcery to beguile people. But when Simon tried to add the power of the Spirit to his bag of tricks, Peter warned him that he was heading for spiritual disaster.

Even though persecution was the surface cause of Philip’s going to Samaria, we see in his ministry the next stage in the fulfillment of Jesus’ mandate (Acts 1:. Peter and John arrived to validate the authenticity of Philip’s revival, and the apostles bestowed the gift of the Spirit on the Samaritan believers.

By the way, this is another important evidence of the transitional nature of the book of Acts. By the time we come to the epistles, Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit is given at the moment of conversion (1 Cor. 12:13).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We’ll never duplicate Philip’s “travel arrangements,” but we can imitate his faithfulness.

Remember, Philip didn’t start out as an evangelist. He was one of the seven original table-servers in Jerusalem. Because he was faithful where God called him, he was tapped for wider service.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 9:1-31.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
When Cambridge University student Thomas Bilney bought a Greek New Testament, his interest was purely academic. But when Bilney opened God’s Word, he encountered the gospel and was transformed.

The Protestant Reformation was underway, so Bilney joined the Cambridge Protestants. He began preaching, but was arrested in 1527 and threatened into silence. But Bilney could not keep quiet. He was arrested, released, and in 1531 arrested one last time. Condemned as a heretic, Bilney died at the stake for the gospel of Christ.

Like Bilney, Saul (later to be known as Paul) wasn’t interested in the truth of the gospel when he first encountered Christ. But even though Saul was a brilliant theologian and scholar, his interest wasn’t simply academic. He had murder in his heart toward the followers of Jesus.

The narrative of Acts 9 is not complicated; and if you’ve been a Bible student for very long, you may know the details by heart. Let’s make some observations from the standpoint of our theme this month: the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church.

First, it is beyond question that in Paul the church gained its greatest champion. Missionary, evangelist, theologian, writer of Scripture—Paul did it all. His conversion was the driving force behind the spread of the gospel to the edges of the known world.

Paul’s zeal is worth noting. He didn’t do anything halfheartedly, even as a persecutor of the church. He inspired fear in that role, as Ananias could attest. And as a powerful preacher of the gospel, Paul inspired such hatred that his life was threatened even before the ink on his baptismal certificate was dry!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you make an impact for Christ? Does the intensity of your commitment and love for the Lord make others sit up and take notice?

You may say, “Well, I’m no Paul.” True, there will probably never be another Paul. But God doesn’t need another Paul to make a lasting impact. He just needs us to give Him everything we have in everything we do for Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 9:32-43.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
Racial strife in America is a tough issue, especially within the body of Christ. We are to be unified under one Head, Jesus Christ, but too often that is not the case.

What’s the answer? In the preface to their pioneering book, Breaking Down Walls, Raleigh Washington and Glen Kehrein write: “The racial situation in our nation today cries out for Christians to ‘pick up our cross,’ step out of our comfort zones, and build relationships across cultural barriers…Jesus Christ reconciled us to God and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:17-21). We are attempting to imitate that.”

Racial division—between Jews and Gentiles—was also an issue in the early church. Although we know that Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, it was Peter who first brought the gospel to non-Jews. Not that he would have volunteered for the job. Peter was an observant Jew and would have considered contact with Gentiles improper and impure (see 10:14, 28).

But the Spirit of God was readying the church for the worldwide expansion of the gospel and preparing Peter to play a significant role. The church would soon be teeming with Gentile converts, and as leader of the apostles Peter had to see the hand of God in this move.

The latter part of Acts 9 records Peter’s healing of Aeneas and his raising of Dorcas from the dead—wonderful miracles that attested to God’s power through Peter. These areas, Lydda and Joppa, were also partially Gentile in makeup. God was laying the foundation for His vision to Cornelius and the call for Peter to come to preach the gospel to Gentiles under a Gentile roof—episodes we’ll read and consider tomorrow.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Although it’s tempting to look back to the good old days, Jesus wants us to fix our eyes on Him (Heb. 12:2).

Maybe you can look back to a day when you were closer to the Lord than now, more zealous in your witness, and insatiable in your desire for spiritual things.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 10:1-48.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
The famed Social Register, which one writer calls “the white pages of the blue-blooded,” is 110 years old this year—and it’s still hard to crack. A person usually has to be born into the elite group, marry into it, or be recommended by others on the list and judged for suitability by an advisory committee. “It’s private and we want to keep it that way,” says a spokesman. How elite is the SR? Less than one-tenth of one percent of the U. S. population is represented.

On the opposite end of this spectrum is the “heavenly register,” the book of the redeemed. God’s family includes people from every social, economic and ethnic group: rich and poor, young and old, Jew and Gentile.

This last couplet is hardly news to us, but we have a 2ꯠ-year advantage over those first believers. The fact that God had extended His grace to Gentiles was a stunning revelation to the church at Jerusalem. The idea of a new body made up of both groups would take some getting used to.

Philip’s ministry to the Ethiopian official as recorded in Acts 8 was one hint of what was ahead. But it remained for Peter as the leader of the Twelve to lead the way in taking the gospel to the Gentiles. God had to do a little spadework in the heart of this ex-fisherman to get him to “fish for men” in Gentile waters.

On the roof of Simon’s house in Joppa, Peter puzzled over his vision, but the mystery wasn’t long in unfolding. When the men came from Cornelius, Peter was ready to go. The apostle’s statement in verses 28-29 sums up the theology behind this new work called the church that would unite Jew and Gentile in one body (see Eph. 2:11-18). The old rules had been superseded.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The unity of the church is a biblical reality, but making it real in our lives takes commitment. While divisive issues are different today, the church still struggles with this important matter.

Here are some simple yet important steps you can take to help promote unity in the body of Christ: 1. If you have a problem or a disagreement with another Christian, discuss it with that person first. 2. If you disagree with a decision your church leadership has made, take it to the Lord first and then to the appropriate leader. 3. If someone comes to you with gossip, challenge the speaker to go with you to the person being talked about to get at the truth.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 11:1-30.
-
TODAY IN THE WORD
When the New York Giants won the 1991 Super Bowl to claim the title of National Football League champions, the first item on the postgame agenda was whether the city of New York would hold a victory parade for the champs.

Such parades have become an American sports tradition, but then-New York mayor Ed Koch wasn’t feeling very traditional. “Let New Jersey give them a parade,” he growled, referring to the team’s decision to vacate New York a few years earlier and play its games in a new stadium in suburban New Jersey.

We can be grateful that the leaders of the church in Jerusalem did not react with New York’s sense of wounded pride. Why? Because within a relatively short time after the events of Acts 11, Jerusalem would be replaced in the spotlight of the unfolding history of the church by the Gentile city of Antioch, some three hundred miles to the north.

Antioch, not Jerusalem, would soon become the home base for the missionary activity of the church, which would become the sending church of the apostle Paul. In today’s reading we see the stage being set for this momentous shift.

Peter was criticized by his fellow Jewish believers for violating the Law of Moses by going into a Gentile’s house. But when the brethren heard Peter’s account of God’s leading, they dropped their objections—although the issue of Jewish/Gentile relationships was not yet fully settled.

The question of Gentiles receiving God’s grace in Christ was no longer in doubt. Luke suspends this portion of the story at verse 19 and turns his attention to the spread of the gospel in Gentile territory.

The Jerusalem church, hearing of the fruitful work in Antioch, sent Barnabas to help. It was Barnabas who went to Tarsus and brought Paul to Antioch, doubtless the best decision ever made by a “pulpit committee”!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you ever feel yourself suffering from a “hardening of the categories”?

This is a common ailment in the church, leading to statements such as “We don’t do things that way” or “We really don’t have anything in common with those people.” When God’s people start thinking and talking like this, it can limit the work He wants to do through us.