DAILY STUDY OF ACTS
MESSAGE SIXTY-FOUR
THE SPREAD IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE
THROUGH PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS' MINISTRY (30)
WEEK 29 – SATURDAY
Bible Reading: Acts 24:23, 26-27; 1 Cor 9:17; Col 1:25
Read and pray: “Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship of God, which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God:” (Col 1:25 - VR¹)
PAUL IN CAESAREA
As indicated in Acts 24:27, the Lord set aside a period of two years during which Paul was detained in Caesarea. During these years, he must have reflected on what had happened in Acts 15 and 21.
In Acts 21, we saw Paul’s weakness in facing the religious mixture in Jerusalem. Although they had been with the Lord on the mount of transfiguration, Peter and John remained silent in Acts 21 concerning God’s New Testament economy. As we saw, James spoke in favor of the Jewish believers who were still zealous for the law (21:20). Did James not have light concerning God’s New Testament economy? It seems he was very weak in his understanding of this.
Although Peter and John had been enlightened regarding God’s New Testament economy, they did nothing about the mixture of the grace of the New Testament with the law of the Old Testament in Jerusalem. It seems that Paul was the only one burdened by the situation.
When considering the scene portrayed in these chapters of Acts, we see that the central figure was actually the Lord Himself. He was the central figure in these chapters, as one sovereign over all things. In the end, He delivered Paul from the difficult situation in Jerusalem, preserving his life from the rebellious Jews and placing him under the custody of the Roman government in Caesarea. Though detained, Paul was actually not in prison.
Felix “commanded the centurion to keep Paul under guard, but to let him have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be forbidden to minister to him” (24:23). As indicated in 24:26, Felix’s aim in allowing Paul’s friends to visit him was to get money for himself. However, the Lord had His own purpose in keeping Paul in custody in Caesarea. There, he had nothing to do, and he was securely kept from trouble.
PREPARED TO WRITE MORE EPISTLES
What do you think Paul did during those two years detained in Caesarea? Do you think that, after going through so many disturbances, he did anything other than read the Scriptures? He must have certainly remembered his experiences in chapters fifteen and twenty-one. He must have thought about the things he had gone through. Perhaps he compared his recent experiences with the revelation he had received earlier, especially the one he had received in Arabia.
I believe he reviewed the whole situation from Acts 15, in the light of the revelation given to him. As he reviewed the issues in this way, the light must have grown clearer. This, of course, is our inference based on the study of the New Testament. When considering the situation in Acts 21, he might have been discontent with James, and also with Peter and John. He must have lamented what had happened. He may have then realized that he needed to write more epistles.
The content of Hebrews, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians must have been deeply inside him during those years in Caesarea. I spent time studying what Paul did for two years in Caesarea. I believe during that time he reviewed his experience in Acts 15 and 21, comparing it with the revelation he had received from the Lord, and with the situation he saw in Jerusalem with James, Peter, and John.
I believe the more he reviewed his experience, the greater the burden he gained to write. Perhaps he realized that he would not be released soon from Roman custody. He must have foreseen that he would remain in Caesarea for a long time. I believe that during the two years he was there, the Lord prepared him to write the eight Epistles: Hebrews, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.
Books like Hebrews and Ephesians could not have been written without proper preparation. To write these epistles, much preparation was needed. Before he could write them, he first had to deepen his understanding of God’s revelation, and he needed a time of much consideration. This time was given to him, a time of preparation, during the two years he was detained in Caesarea.
Later, when he was transferred from Caesarea to Rome, he had the opportunity to write the books of Hebrews, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Naturally, he was also prepared to write 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. It would be very helpful to review especially Hebrews, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians with the background of Acts 15 to 24. If we do this, we will see these four Epistles in a new way, with more light.
WITH A BURDEN FOR GOD’S NEW TESTAMENT ECONOMY
Paul had a heavy burden concerning God’s New Testament economy. Although he did not have the opportunity to carry it out personally, he was given the opportunity to write the divine revelation. In Colossians 1:25 he says: “Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship of God, which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.” The verb “to fulfill” can be translated as “to complete” ¹. Here we see that he wrote Colossians to complete God’s New Testament economy. Without the books of Colossians, Philippians, Ephesians, and Hebrews, we would not have a clear view of God’s economy.
In fact, the Greek word for “economy” (oikonomía, οἰκονομία) is a term particularly used by Paul, especially in the book of Ephesians. Although he uses this term in 1 Corinthians 9:17, he does not do so with the specific aim of revealing God’s New Testament economy. However, in Ephesians, he uses it with that purpose. Ephesians, as we know, is a book about the church.
But if we only have this understanding of Ephesians, our comprehension is too superficial. We need to see that Ephesians deals with God’s economy. We have already emphasized that, concerning the situation in Acts, we can see the sovereignty of the Lord. Neither Judaism nor Roman politics could defeat the sovereign Lord. On the contrary, everything served His purpose. Even Peter’s fear (Gal 2:12) and the conspiracies of the Jews served the Lord’s purpose. These things apparently hindered His moving. In truth, they served His purpose in revealing and then carrying out God’s New Testament economy.
Today we have a burden to carry out God’s New Testament economy. This is why I have often said that in the Lord’s restoration, we do not do an ordinary Christian work. On the contrary, by the Lord’s mercy and grace, we are here to carry out God’s New Testament economy.
_____________________
¹ Nestlé-Adams Version, used in the Recovery Version Bible
Enjoy more: Hymn 420
No comments:
Post a Comment