3rd Missionary Trip - Lorin

More documents

Recommendations

Info

fascinating the contrast between the name of the facility σχολή, which suggests passive learning by students with Paul’s approach to presenting the Gospel still defined by Luke as διαλεγόμενος, dialoguing. He did not change his manner of presenting the Gospel from that in the synagogue. Very likely, however, the role of the OT scriptures diminished and more emphasis was placed on persuasive arguments appealing to a non-Jewish audience as we saw in Paul’s sermon at the Areopagus in Athens (Acts 17:22-31). The advantage for Paul in this move was now he could make a daily presentation of the Gospel (καθʼ ἡμέραν) instead of the weekly Friday evening presentations at the synagogue. Luke closes this segment with a summarizing statement in verse ten: τοῦτο δὲ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ ἔτη δύο, ὥστε πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν Ἀσίαν ἀκοῦσαι τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου, Ἰουδαίους τε καὶ Ἕλληνας, This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. Just as had happened at Corinth a couple of years earlier (Acts 18:11), when Paul turned to the Gentiles with the Gospel a prosperous long term ministry emerged; in Corinth some eighteen months while in Ephesus some two years. Implicit in Luke’s statement is the spreading of the Gospel throughout the province of Asia. 49 Assuming that by the term τὴν Ἀσίαν that Luke means the Roman province, the extent of the territory included was rather extensive as the province covered more territory in the first and second Christian centuries than at any other time during the Roman rule. When Luke says πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν Ἀσίαν, all those inhabiting Asia, one should avoid ‘absolutizing’ such inclusive statements. What Luke was saying was most of the residents of the province had opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel message. Out of this came churches in several of the major cities of this heavily populated Roman province. 50 By the second century more churches and Christians lived in this province than in any other single province over the entire Roman empire. The Christian church at Ephesus over the next several centuries would emerge as one of the three or four most influential congregations in all of Christianity. All of this subsequent history affirms the substantive nature of the preaching of τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου, the Word of the Lord, to Ἰουδαίους τε καὶ Ἕλληνας, both Jews and Greeks, during this two year ministry. Huge Jewish settlements had existed in the interior of the province since the days of the kingdom of the Seleucid dynasty (founded by Seleucus I; 305/4–281/0 B.C.). The extensive fertility of the land and massive wealth of the province made it very important to the Romans and gave it substantial influence over the rest of the empire. Plus it was heavily populated with a wide variety of ethnic groups both native to the region as well as immigrants from other parts of the Mediterranean world. Paul had good reason for wanting to preach the Gospel in Ephesus from his first time to be in the area during the second missionary journey. When in God’s timing some years later this extensive ministry became possible, out of it came a powerful impact of the τῇ Μεγακλείδου) Ac 19:9.—Haenchen ad loc.; Hemer, Acts 234.—LGPN I. M-M.” [William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, <strong>3rd</strong> ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 1020-21.] 49 “The extent of the province of Asia differed at each stage of its history. Before Roman occupation the word was used to refer to the kingdom of the Seleucid dynasty (founded by Seleucus I; 305/4–281/0 B.C.). The Apocrypha referred thus to Asia (1 Mc 8:6; 11:13; 12:39 13:32; 2 Mc 3:3), as did the early Jewish historian Josephus in his Antiquities. When the territory was wrested from Seleucid control by the Romans in their war against Antiochus the Great, the Romans gave it to their allies, the Attalids; Attalus III willed it to the Romans. The limits of Roman control were not firmly established until an extensive revolt had been put down. The borders then included Mysia, Lydia, Caria, and Phrygia, and (nearer the Aegean) Aeolis, Ionia, and Troas. The islands off the coast (Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Rhodes, Patmos, etc.) were also included. The mainland now forms part of modern Turkey. “In 116 B.C. the province was enlarged to include Greater Phrygia. Its geographic limits were then Bithynia to the north, Galatia to the east, Lycia to the south, and the Aegean Sea to the west. Even then the boundaries were not solidly fixed, for in 25 B.C. Augustus Caesar augmented Rome’s dominion by combining other parts of Phrygia, Lyconia, Pisidia, and possibly Pamphylia into a province called Galatia. Those geographical limits remained until A.D. 285, when the province was greatly reduced in size and the term Asia became restricted to the coastal areas and lower valleys of the Maeander, Cayster, Hermus, and Caicus rivers. “During Roman occupation the capital of the province was Pergamum. By the time of Augustus, however, the residence of the Roman proconsul was at Ephesus.” [Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 216-17.] 50 “Churches were established only in the administrative heart of the province at first. All three metropolitan centres, Pergamum, Smyrna and Ephesus, had churches. Beyond that we know for certain of churches in only two of the nearer assize centres, Sardis in the Hermus valley (Thyatira and Philadelphia being important cities in the same region) and Laodicea (on the Lycus) at the head of the Maeander valley (with the smaller towns of Colossae and Hierapolis near by).” [E. A. ’Judge, “Asia” In New Bible Dictionary, ed. D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard et al., <strong>3rd</strong> ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 95.] Page 390
Gospel upon the lives of thousands of people. 51 What we can learn from this is to trust the timing of God for ministry. Paul early on saw in Ephesus and in Asia ‘fields white unto harvest’ and desired greatly to preach the Gospel in them immediately. But only in God’s timing a few years later was this desire realized. Thus out of it came a lasting impact of the Gospel that would extend for centuries into the future. Paul learned to trust God’s leadership and timing for ministry. We can profit greatly from learning the same lessons! 7.1.2.2.3 Scene 3: The sons of Sceva, Acts 19:11-20 11 Δυνάμεις τε οὐ τὰς τυχούσας ὁ θεὸς ἐποίει διὰ τῶν χειρῶν Παύλου, 12 ὥστε καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας ἀποφέρεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ χρωτὸς αὐτοῦ σουδάρια ἢ σιμικίνθια καὶ ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι ἀπʼ αὐτῶν τὰς νόσους, τά τε πνεύματα τὰ πονηρὰ ἐκπορεύεσθαι. 13 Ἐπεχείρησαν δέ τινες καὶ τῶν περιερχομένων Ἰουδαίων ἐξορκιστῶν ὀνομάζειν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἔχοντας τὰ πνεύματα τὰ πονηρὰ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ λέγοντες· ὁρκίζω ὑμᾶς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὃν Παῦλος κηρύσσει. 14 ἦσαν δέ τινος Σκευᾶ Ἰουδαίου ἀρχιερέως ἑπτὰ υἱοὶ τοῦτο ποιοῦντες. 15 ἀποκριθὲν δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πονηρὸν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τὸν [μὲν] Ἰησοῦν γινώσκω καὶ τὸν Παῦλον ἐπίσταμαι, ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνες ἐστέ; 16 καὶ ἐφαλόμενος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἐν ᾧ ἦν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πονηρόν, κατακυριεύσας ἀμφοτέρων ἴσχυσεν κατʼ αὐτῶν ὥστε γυμνοὺς καὶ τετραυματισμένους ἐκφυγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου ἐκείνου. 17 τοῦτο δὲ ἐγένετο γνωστὸν πᾶσιν Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησιν τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν τὴν Ἔφεσον καὶ ἐπέπεσεν φόβος ἐπὶ πάντας αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐμεγαλύνετο τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ. 18 Πολλοί τε τῶν πεπιστευκότων ἤρχοντο ἐξομολογούμενοι καὶ ἀναγγέλλοντες τὰς πράξεις αὐτῶν. 19 ἱκανοὶ δὲ τῶν τὰ περίεργα πραξάντων συνενέγκαντες τὰς βίβλους κατέκαιον ἐνώπιον πάντων, καὶ συνεψήφισαν τὰς τιμὰς αὐτῶν καὶ εὗρον ἀργυρίου μυριάδας πέντε. 20 Οὕτως κατὰ κράτος τοῦ κυρίου ὁ λόγος ηὔξανεν καὶ ἴσχυεν. 11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that when the handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit said to them in reply, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” 16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered them all, and so overpowered them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. 17 When this became known to all residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, everyone was awestruck; and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. 18 Also many of those who became believers confessed and disclosed their practices. 19 A number of those who practiced magic collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins. 20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. In Luke’s fascinating selection of episodes out of this lengthy ministry in Ephesus, one of his choices touches on the very unusual pattern of ministry that developed over this two year period. He sets up the episode by the introductory sentence in verses eleven and twelve, then follows it with the narrative details of the Jewish exorcists and their encounter with the apostle Paul. The episode is concluded in verse twenty by another of Luke’s summarizing statements of the advancement of the Gospel in light of this event. Introduction, vv. 11-12. 11 Δυνάμεις τε οὐ τὰς τυχούσας ὁ θεὸς ἐποίει διὰ τῶν χειρῶν Παύλου, 12 ὥστε καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας ἀποφέρεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ χρωτὸς αὐτοῦ σουδάρια ἢ σιμικίνθια καὶ ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι ἀπʼ αὐτῶν τὰς νόσους, τά τε πνεύματα τὰ πονηρὰ ἐκπορεύεσθαι. This sentence is composed of a main clause and a secondary result clause highlighting the consequences of the action in the main clause in verse 11. Δυνάμεις τε οὐ τὰς τυχούσας ὁ θεὸς ἐποίει διὰ τῶν χειρῶν Παύλου, God did extraordinary miracles through 51 “To this period in Paul’s life one would have to relate the different letters written by Paul and the trips made from Ephesus to Corinth to handle problems that arose in that church evangelized earlier by Paul. These letters and trips are mentioned in Paul’s own letters to the Corinthians: 1 Cor 5:9 (a letter prior to 1 Corinthians); 1 Corinthians (written from Ephesus [ca A.D. 56]); 2 Cor 2:1 (a visit from Ephesus); 2 Cor 2:4 (an intermediate letter to Corinth); 2 Corinthians (from Macedonia, after he has sent Timothy to Corinth to no avail; then Titus [2 Cor 7:13]). Of all of this Luke gives us not an inkling, probably because he was unaware of Paul’s stormy dealings with the church of Corinth, not having read Paul’s letters.” [Joseph A. Fitzmyer, vol. 31, The Acts of the Apostles: A New Translation With Introduction and Commentary, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 647.] Page 391
Page 1 and 2: The Apostle Paul, Servant of Christ
Page 3 and 4: coming out of the lengthy earlier s
Page 5 and 6: cause the borders of the province s
Page 7 and 8: to Christian communities at Ephesus
Page 9 and 10: What I find most encouraging here i
Page 11 and 12: Paul’s lengthy ministry at Ephesu
Page 13 and 14: καὶ ἐπροφήτευον, Wh
Page 15 and 16: It is important to note the way in
Page 17 and 18: the Gospel in the Jewish synagogue
Page 19: terminating their ministry in the s
Page 23 and 24: Luke has an interesting depiction o
Page 25 and 26: is not the language that authentic
Page 27 and 28: a real power existed in the name of
Page 29 and 30: But the major thrust of the term τ
Page 31 and 32: μηδενὸς αἰτίου ὑπ
Page 33 and 34: Paphos. 86 Given previous patterns
Page 35 and 36: ἱκανὸν ὄχλον λέγω
Page 37 and 38: At Ephesus, more than in other plac
Page 39 and 40: 4 Hence, as to the eating of food o
Page 41 and 42: ger: γενόμενοι πλήρε
Page 43 and 44: The imperfect form of this verb ε
Page 45 and 46: Upon recognizing Alexander as a des
Page 47 and 48: Δημήτριος καὶ οἱ σ
Page 49 and 50: 7.1.2.2.5 Snapshot glimpses of Paul
Page 51 and 52: conversion (33 AD) on to the writin
Page 53 and 54: make the trip at this moment. Paul
Page 55 and 56: cally and emotionally. His experien
Page 57 and 58: ὁ Παῦλος ἐν τῷ πν
Page 59 and 60: after a lengthy ministry of 18 mont
Page 61 and 62: did not find my brother Titus there
Page 63 and 64: tant principles about Christian giv
Page 65 and 66: having enough of everything, you ma
Page 67 and 68: Rom 15:30-32 (plans) 30 Παρακ
Page 69 and 70: expression and gesture, normally a
Page 71 and 72:
Gaius number four in the New Testam
Page 73 and 74:
ness? Or what fellowship is there b
Page 75 and 76:
one he calls τοῦτο τὸ μ
Page 77 and 78:
joyous report from Titus regarding
Page 79 and 80:
Bread, and in five days we joined t
Page 81 and 82:
He is mentioned as having caught th
Page 83 and 84:
of this Christian meeting at night
Page 85 and 86:
Luke with his distinctive use of th
Page 87 and 88:
es. 220 In a somewhat similar situa
Page 89 and 90:
And now, as a captive to the Spirit
Page 91 and 92:
hometown was Ephesus, to recover fr
Page 93 and 94:
διαμαρτυρόμενος Ἰ
Page 95 and 96:
Just as in 2 Tim. 4:7, Paul views h
Page 97 and 98:
his flock, if he is to be a good sh
Page 99 and 100:
The next item Paul touches on comes
Page 101 and 102:
the words of Christ. If we have any
Page 103 and 104:
No indication is given whether a Ch
Page 105 and 106:
Paul not to go on to Jerusalem, as
Page 107 and 108:
8 τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον ἐ
Page 109 and 110:
days: Ἐπιμενόντων δὲ
Page 111 and 112:
Paul accepted as God’s will. It w
Page 113 and 114:
century. What was this trip? The ab
Page 115 and 116:
ditional letters that Paul wrote to
Page 117 and 118:
used of God in miraculous healings,
Page 119:
Some in Paul’s day recognized thi
show all

3rd Missionary Trip - Lorin

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?