After returning from their
successful journey to Cyprus
00:01:35.91\00:01:40.03
and Galatia, Paul and Barnabas
rejoiced with the church
00:01:40.07\00:01:44.16
here at Antioch.
00:01:44.19\00:01:45.81
They were praising God
for how the Holy Spirit had
00:01:45.84\00:01:48.81
answered their prayers
beyond their wildest hopes
00:01:48.85\00:01:51.78
and fondest dreams.
00:01:51.82\00:01:53.62
Yes churches had been
planted throughout Cyprus,
00:01:53.66\00:01:56.89
Pamphylia, Pisidia, and Galatia.
00:01:56.93\00:02:00.81
Cities like Perga and
Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Derbe
00:02:00.84\00:02:05.36
and Lystra, they were
rejoicing at what God had done.
00:02:05.40\00:02:09.88
But soon a crises
developed here at Antioch that
00:02:09.92\00:02:13.73
threatened to destroy
the church in its infancy.
00:02:13.77\00:02:17.51
The basic issue is this,
Was Christianity to remain a
00:02:17.54\00:02:22.10
sect to the Jews, or was
it to stand apart on its own?
00:02:22.13\00:02:26.62
This issue is often misunder-
stood in modern times because
00:02:26.65\00:02:31.21
we tend to read it from
our Western modern perspective.
00:02:31.25\00:02:35.77
You see the church was
still very, very Jewish.
00:02:35.80\00:02:40.09
They still
circumcise their sons.
00:02:40.13\00:02:44.02
They would still go to the
temple to honor the various
00:02:44.06\00:02:47.93
festivals, and would pay
the temple tax, they would
00:02:47.96\00:02:51.79
take the ritual baths.
00:02:51.83\00:02:53.93
Yes the believers were
still very, very Jewish.
00:02:53.96\00:02:57.49
This was fine as long as
the church was focused in
00:02:57.53\00:03:01.49
Jerusalem, even as it
went beyond that holy city to
00:03:01.52\00:03:05.45
Judaea and Samaria.
00:03:05.48\00:03:07.54
The converts were
still largely Jewish.
00:03:07.57\00:03:10.60
Jewish believers accepted
Jesus as their Messiah and this
00:03:10.63\00:03:16.01
fulfilled their Judaism,
it made them complete Jews.
00:03:16.04\00:03:19.86
But as the gospel went
beyond the borders of Judea and
00:03:19.90\00:03:23.76
Samaria and came to the
region of Phoenicia and Cyprus
00:03:23.80\00:03:27.88
it up here to Antioch,
more and more Greek and Gentile
00:03:27.92\00:03:31.97
believers were
joining the church.
00:03:32.00\00:03:34.90
They were accepting Jesus
as their Messiah and joining
00:03:34.93\00:03:38.65
the largely Jewish church.
00:03:38.68\00:03:40.99
The church here at
Antioch, was very open-minded.
00:03:41.02\00:03:44.99
They accepted this
mix with an open heart.
00:03:45.02\00:03:48.45
They rejoiced at the fact
that the Greeks and Gentiles
00:03:48.49\00:03:51.89
were joining the church.
00:03:51.92\00:03:53.66
They commission Paul and
Barnabas to go out and proclaim
00:03:53.70\00:03:56.69
the good news of
Jesus in distant lands.
00:03:56.72\00:03:59.52
Paul and Barnabas returned
and rejoiced with the church,
00:03:59.55\00:04:02.83
and God continued to add
to their numbers more and more
00:04:02.87\00:04:06.11
people, it was a thrilling time.
00:04:06.15\00:04:09.25
But soon, some of the
Jewish believers began to be
00:04:09.28\00:04:13.82
concerned, the additional
Gentiles joining the church.
00:04:13.86\00:04:18.37
Was this weakening the
Jewish-ness of the church?
00:04:18.40\00:04:22.71
Would Judaism be swallowed
up by the growing movement
00:04:22.74\00:04:27.02
of Christians in this city?
00:04:27.05\00:04:29.27
Some believers came from
Jerusalem and began to stir
00:04:29.30\00:04:33.58
up a
controversy here at Antioch.
00:04:33.62\00:04:36.66
Some brothers came down
from Judea, here to the city
00:04:48.13\00:04:51.27
of Antioch, and they began
teaching that unless you are
00:04:51.31\00:04:54.63
circumcised, according to
the customs taught by Moses,
00:04:54.67\00:04:57.96
you cannot be saved.
00:04:58.00\00:04:59.99
Now notice they didn't
say, it would be nice if you
00:05:00.02\00:05:03.13
are circumcised, they
said unless you are circumcised
00:05:03.17\00:05:06.24
you cannot be saved.
00:05:06.28\00:05:08.60
In other words, they were
saying, unless you become a Jew
00:05:08.64\00:05:12.36
you cannot be saved no
matter how much you believe in
00:05:12.40\00:05:16.20
Jesus, no matter how
sincere your faith is in Jesus,
00:05:16.23\00:05:20.86
you cannot be saved unless
you also first become a Jew.
00:05:20.90\00:05:25.49
Paul recognizes this
was contrary to the gospel.
00:05:25.52\00:05:29.58
He and Barnabas recognized
that this would destroy the
00:05:29.62\00:05:32.69
church if it was
allowed to continue.
00:05:32.73\00:05:34.97
So what led them into a
sharp dispute with the people
00:05:35.00\00:05:38.66
who had came from Jerusalem.
00:05:38.70\00:05:40.45
It was decided that they
should send a delegation from
00:05:40.49\00:05:44.66
the church here at Antioch
down to Jerusalem to settle
00:05:44.70\00:05:48.84
the issue, Acts 15:2.
00:05:48.87\00:05:52.48
Paul and Barnabas went up
to Jerusalem and now we look
00:06:06.31\00:06:09.25
on our map and we
see that it's south.
00:06:09.29\00:06:11.60
Why would it say going up?
00:06:11.63\00:06:13.44
Because now we are at sea
level, and Jerusalem is 2500
00:06:13.48\00:06:17.51
feet above sea level.
00:06:17.54\00:06:18.88
Paul and Barnabas went
with some of the other men and
00:06:18.91\00:06:21.63
journeyed up to Jerusalem,
visiting the churches through
00:06:21.67\00:06:25.32
Phoenicia, and Samaria, Judea,
until they came to the city of
00:06:25.36\00:06:30.01
Jerusalem where the
church convened a council to
00:06:30.04\00:06:34.36
decide this issue.
00:06:34.39\00:06:36.78
When Paul and Barnabas
finally arrived in Jerusalem
00:06:38.81\00:06:41.61
they gave a thrilling report,
to the church, of how God
00:06:41.64\00:06:44.40
had worked
miraculously among the Gentiles.
00:06:44.43\00:06:47.78
You see Barnabas had long
been a leader of the Christian
00:06:47.81\00:06:50.76
church in Jerusalem, and
had been sent up to Antioch
00:06:50.80\00:06:53.71
to organize the work there.
00:06:53.75\00:06:55.76
They came and shared how God
had been working miraculously
00:06:55.79\00:06:59.90
amongst the Gentiles,
not only at Antioch, but in
00:06:59.94\00:07:03.42
Cyprus and throughout
the regions of Phrygia and
00:07:03.45\00:07:06.90
Galatia and in Pisidia.
00:07:06.93\00:07:08.46
They gave are tremendous
report and the church was
00:07:08.50\00:07:11.32
thrilled to hear
what had been said.
00:07:11.36\00:07:13.31
Then some of the Pharisees
who have become believers in
00:07:13.35\00:07:16.68
Jesus laid out their concerns.
00:07:16.72\00:07:19.39
They were concerned that
Gentile believers must not
00:07:19.42\00:07:23.00
only accept Jesus as
their Messiah, but they must
00:07:23.03\00:07:26.57
also become Jews.
00:07:26.60\00:07:28.92
That is that they must
be circumcised, they must be
00:07:28.96\00:07:32.28
complete Jews.
00:07:32.32\00:07:34.12
This threw the council
into turmoil and the council
00:07:34.16\00:07:38.09
wrestled with the problem
for some time, finally Peter
00:07:38.12\00:07:42.28
stood up and shared how God
had worked in his experience
00:07:42.31\00:07:46.43
about the Gentiles.
00:07:46.46\00:07:48.28
The situation Peter refers
to was critical to understand.
00:08:29.93\00:08:33.90
It shows just how prejudiced
the Jews at this time were,
00:08:33.93\00:08:37.86
and just how Jewish
centered the young church was.
00:08:37.90\00:08:41.07
The story is recorded in
the 10th chapter of Acts.
00:08:41.11\00:08:44.24
Where God moves
upon the heart of a Roman
00:08:44.28\00:08:48.20
centurion who was in
charge of the garrison
00:08:48.23\00:08:52.12
at the port city of Caesarea.
00:08:52.16\00:08:54.48
Caesarea was the administrative
center of the Roman
00:08:54.51\00:08:57.88
province of Palestine.
00:08:57.92\00:09:00.35
Cornelius was a devout
man, he was a God fearing man
00:09:00.38\00:09:04.34
who gave generously to charity.
00:09:04.37\00:09:06.63
One afternoon, while he
was praying, an angel appeared
00:09:06.66\00:09:09.78
to him in vision and instructed
him to send two servants
00:09:09.81\00:09:13.57
down to Joppa, to the house
of a leather worker by the sea
00:09:13.61\00:09:17.34
where Simon Peter was staying.
00:09:17.37\00:09:19.75
Immediately Cornelius
dispatched two servants and a
00:09:19.78\00:09:23.64
trusted soldier to go
down to Joppa, 30 miles south
00:09:23.67\00:09:27.71
of Caesarea, near the
modern port city of Tel Aviv,
00:09:27.74\00:09:31.12
to look for Simon Peter
and to bring him back to
00:09:31.15\00:09:34.46
teach him as the Holy Spirit
had revealed to Cornelius.
00:09:34.49\00:09:39.31
The problem was, Peter
was an extremely bigoted man.
00:09:39.34\00:09:43.55
He was extremely prejudiced,
Peter would never think
00:09:43.58\00:09:47.75
about going into a
house of a Gentile,
00:09:47.79\00:09:49.27
or eating with a Gentile.
00:09:49.31\00:09:51.09
Peter was a Jew, indeed
he was a believer in Jesus
00:09:51.13\00:09:54.74
but he was Jewish.
00:09:54.78\00:09:56.63
It's amazing to the Western
Christian perspective, the
00:09:56.66\00:10:01.42
religious prejudice
that was being exhibited by
00:10:01.45\00:10:04.73
a person like Peter.
00:10:04.77\00:10:06.58
Peter was an extremely
bigoted person and so God had to
00:10:06.61\00:10:10.65
prepare Peter's heart.
00:10:10.69\00:10:12.81
Peter went up on the
rooftop toward noon to catch the
00:10:12.84\00:10:16.73
gentle sea breezes
there at the house of the
00:10:16.77\00:10:19.61
Tanner by the Sea.
00:10:19.65\00:10:21.31
When Peter drifted off to sleep,
00:10:21.34\00:10:23.85
God revealed to him a vision.
00:10:23.89\00:10:26.33
In vision he saw a sheet
coming down and being held by
00:10:26.37\00:10:30.31
four corners, inside the
sheet he's saw all kinds of wild
00:10:30.34\00:10:34.24
unclean animals.
00:10:34.28\00:10:36.16
There were dogs and
cats and pigs and snakes,
00:10:36.19\00:10:39.42
all kinds of animals.
00:10:39.46\00:10:42.14
We read about the
story in Acts 10:13.
00:10:42.17\00:10:45.74
Peter were shocked by the
vision, it was a Jew's worst
00:11:08.24\00:11:11.77
nightmare, but he wanted
to be obedient to the Lord so
00:11:11.81\00:11:15.01
he immediately got up and
went to local barbecue and
00:11:15.05\00:11:18.22
ordered a rack
of spareribs, right?
00:11:18.26\00:11:20.83
No! Of course not.
00:11:20.86\00:11:22.67
Let's read on.
00:11:22.71\00:11:24.48
Scripture says while Peter
was wondering what the vision
00:11:36.97\00:11:40.57
meant, there was
a knock at the door.
00:11:40.61\00:11:43.08
The men from Cornelius's
was standing there asking if
00:11:43.12\00:11:46.67
this is the house where
Simon, call Peter was staying?
00:11:46.70\00:11:50.21
What a tremendous story.
00:12:28.06\00:12:30.45
God has a high-ranking
Roman official, who was
00:12:30.49\00:12:33.90
spiritually hungry, to
understand more about the Lord.
00:12:33.94\00:12:37.91
The problem is, the Christians
are so prejudiced that
00:12:37.95\00:12:41.88
they will not share
the gospel with Gentiles.
00:12:41.92\00:12:45.82
They don't understand
that the good news of Jesus
00:12:45.85\00:12:49.44
death, and resurrection
from the dead, is for all
00:12:49.47\00:12:53.02
people regardless
of their ethnicity,
00:12:53.06\00:12:55.91
regardless of
their racial backgrounds.
00:12:55.94\00:12:58.72
How can God get
through to His main man Peter?
00:12:58.76\00:13:03.24
There is a spiritually
hungry Gentile who needs
00:13:03.27\00:13:07.22
to be fed, and Peter
considers that Gentile and
00:13:07.25\00:13:11.16
unclean dog, and unclean animal.
00:13:11.19\00:13:14.95
God gets through to
Peter by sending him a vision,
00:13:14.99\00:13:18.24
and in vision He tells him
that Peter is a Jew needs to
00:13:18.27\00:13:22.25
get up and eat unclean animals.
00:13:22.29\00:13:25.55
We read about it in
Acts 10:23 and onward.
00:13:25.59\00:13:29.65
Peter went in response of
the vision that God had given
00:13:55.40\00:13:59.17
to him, when he reached
the city of Caesarea, he went
00:13:59.20\00:14:02.94
into the house of
Cornelius the Gentile.
00:14:02.97\00:14:05.72
This had been previously
unthinkable for a good Jew like
00:14:05.76\00:14:09.80
Peter to do, we
read on in Acts 10:27.
00:14:09.83\00:14:14.42
Peter reminds his guests
that it is unlawful for a Jew
00:14:29.11\00:14:32.76
to associate with a Gentile.
00:14:32.79\00:14:35.58
The question is, why is
Peter now entering into their
00:14:35.62\00:14:39.82
house? The key is found
in the remainder of verse 28.
00:14:39.86\00:14:44.03
Peter had been wondering
with the vision could mean.
00:14:59.96\00:15:01.55
He knew that God did want him
now to eat, rats, and snakes,
00:15:01.59\00:15:06.24
and camels, and
cats and dogs and pigs.
00:15:06.28\00:15:10.12
No, God was revealing to
him that he should call no man
00:15:10.15\00:15:13.18
common or unclean.
00:15:13.22\00:15:15.45
You see before the vision,
Peter considered the Gentiles
00:15:15.49\00:15:19.42
to be common, to be unclean.
00:15:19.46\00:15:22.22
But now God had
revealed this vision to him.
00:15:22.25\00:15:24.74
So Peter could go into the
house of Cornelius the Gentile
00:15:24.78\00:15:28.56
and share the good
news of Jesus with him.
00:15:28.60\00:15:31.65
Isn't it amazing how God
could work through someone
00:15:31.69\00:15:35.52
like Peter, in
spite of his prejudiced,
00:15:35.56\00:15:38.65
in spite of his bigotry?
00:15:38.69\00:15:40.56
Yes, the Lord accepts us
in spite of our backgrounds,
00:15:40.60\00:15:43.95
in spite of our limited
perspectives, and yet He
00:15:43.99\00:15:47.30
chooses to change
those perspectives.
00:15:47.34\00:15:49.87
Peter now had a new worldview.
00:15:49.91\00:15:52.75
So he asked Cornelius
why have you sent for me?
00:15:52.79\00:15:56.88
Cornelius explained how an
angel had appeared to him in
00:15:56.92\00:16:00.77
vision, and Peter was
amazed and now he explains
00:16:00.80\00:16:05.00
the Gospel to him.
00:16:05.03\00:16:06.77
This was a major step
for Peter and for the church.
00:16:15.20\00:16:19.09
To underscore the fact that
Jesus had accepted Gentiles,
00:16:19.12\00:16:22.43
the Holy Spirit came
upon the Gentile believers and
00:16:22.47\00:16:25.86
they spoke in tongues
just like the apostles had on
00:16:25.90\00:16:29.26
the day of Pentecost.
00:16:29.29\00:16:31.32
Yes Peter was in shock
when he stayed in step with the
00:16:31.36\00:16:34.35
Holy Spirit, he says.
00:16:34.39\00:16:36.16
Yes this was
exciting, it was wonderful.
00:16:51.96\00:16:54.33
Peter and the disciples
were thrilled, everyone was
00:16:54.37\00:16:57.08
thrilled until Peter
went back to Jerusalem.
00:16:57.11\00:17:00.08
Can you believe it?
00:17:11.43\00:17:12.57
Jews who accepted Jesus
as their Messiah were now
00:17:12.61\00:17:15.87
criticizing Peter for going
into the house of a Gentile
00:17:15.90\00:17:19.90
and eating with them.
00:17:19.93\00:17:21.53
Instead of rejoicing
that the lost had been found,
00:17:21.57\00:17:24.69
they were criticizing
Peter for sharing the gospel
00:17:24.72\00:17:28.28
with a Gentile and baptizing
him in the name of Jesus.
00:17:28.31\00:17:32.28
Yes people who had accepted
Jesus as their Messiah were
00:17:32.31\00:17:36.24
still controlled by
their personal worldviews.
00:17:36.27\00:17:39.50
This should tell us to be
very careful and to make a
00:17:39.54\00:17:43.53
careful distinction between
what our opinions are and
00:17:43.56\00:17:47.52
what we believe and
what our Lord actually said.
00:17:47.56\00:17:50.85
Peter reviews with them what
had happened in Acts 11:7-18.
00:17:50.88\00:17:56.87
This was a major
step for the church.
00:18:54.61\00:18:57.52
To admit that God was
opening a door of salvation
00:18:57.55\00:19:00.18
to the Gentiles.
00:19:00.21\00:19:02.43
Who was Peter? Better
yet who were the believers in
00:19:02.47\00:19:05.11
Jerusalem to oppose
the work and plan of God?
00:19:05.14\00:19:08.56
Gradually began to dawn
upon them that the gospel
00:19:08.60\00:19:12.81
was more than just for
Jews or Jewish converts.
00:19:12.84\00:19:16.98
Gradually they began to
understand that when Jesus said,
00:19:17.01\00:19:19.97
"for God so loved the
world," that it meant more than
00:19:20.01\00:19:22.93
just the Jewish world.
00:19:22.96\00:19:25.03
The gospel was for all people
in all places at all times.
00:19:25.07\00:19:29.20
Yes the divided Council at
Jerusalem began to understand
00:19:29.23\00:19:33.33
that you did not have
to become a Jew before
00:19:33.36\00:19:36.44
you became a Christian.
00:19:36.47\00:19:37.93
With the backdrop of
Simon Peter's experience,
00:19:49.98\00:19:52.80
the elders listen carefully
to Barnabas and Saul as
00:19:52.83\00:19:56.44
they describe carefully
how God had worked through
00:19:56.48\00:20:00.05
their ministry to
reach the Gentiles.
00:20:00.08\00:20:02.49
Then James, the brother
Jesus, spoke up and said.
00:20:02.52\00:20:05.14
Perhaps what he didn't say
was more important than what
00:20:31.37\00:20:34.80
he did say, do you remember
why the Council was called?
00:20:34.84\00:20:38.41
Do you remember why the men
were stirring up controversy
00:20:38.45\00:20:41.87
in Antioch, and why the
church sent Paul and Barnabas
00:20:41.90\00:20:45.29
down to Jerusalem?
00:20:45.32\00:20:46.95
Remember we read about the
controversy in Acts Chapter 15:1
00:20:46.99\00:20:52.13
James said that the
Gentiles did not have to be
00:20:59.87\00:21:02.06
circumcised to be saved.
00:21:02.09\00:21:04.75
That meant that they
did not have to become Jews
00:21:04.79\00:21:07.58
before they could believe
in Jesus and be baptized.
00:21:07.62\00:21:10.38
Theologically this is
a very important point.
00:21:10.42\00:21:13.85
It was a crucial time, for
it meant that the church was
00:21:13.88\00:21:17.02
moving beyond the
boundaries of Jewish ethnicity.
00:21:17.06\00:21:20.91
You see the church began
as a sect of the Jews, but now
00:21:20.95\00:21:24.50
it was moving beyond
that, it was emerging to stand
00:21:24.53\00:21:28.04
upon its own.
00:21:28.08\00:21:30.01
Jewish believers
understood this in principle,
00:21:30.05\00:21:33.56
even Peter did not
understand the full implications
00:21:33.59\00:21:37.20
of what this meant.
00:21:37.24\00:21:38.88
Yes it was a very, very
important time for the church.
00:21:38.91\00:21:42.39
We examine what
the council didn't say.
00:21:42.43\00:21:45.35
Now let's look into
what the Council did say.
00:21:45.39\00:21:48.79
Four points,
they said the Gentile
00:21:48.83\00:21:51.40
believers were to follow.
00:21:51.44\00:21:52.82
The first request of the
Council of Jerusalem was that
00:22:11.06\00:22:14.62
Gentile believers abstain
from eating food that had
00:22:14.66\00:22:18.19
been polluted by idols.
00:22:18.22\00:22:20.52
This would be a problem
that would plague the church
00:22:20.55\00:22:22.88
for years to come.
00:22:22.91\00:22:24.52
Paul would address this
issue in his letter to the
00:22:24.55\00:22:27.75
church at Rome, and also
in his first letter to the
00:22:27.78\00:22:30.94
church at Corinth.
00:22:30.97\00:22:32.70
The crux of the
problem was basically this.
00:22:32.73\00:22:34.83
Often animals would be
sacrificed in pagan temples
00:22:34.86\00:22:39.30
to heathen deities, then
the meat would find its way
00:22:39.33\00:22:43.74
back into the
public marketplace.
00:22:43.77\00:22:47.12
Sometimes sold at a discount,
the crux of the problem
00:22:47.16\00:22:50.70
was if you ate this meat
that had been sacrificed to a
00:22:50.73\00:22:54.55
heathen deity, were you in
fact worshiping that deity?
00:22:54.58\00:22:58.21
When Daniel went into Babylon,
he and his three friends
00:22:58.25\00:23:02.22
chose to follow a vegetarian
diet in order to avoid the
00:23:02.26\00:23:06.05
consumption of animals
that have been sacrificed to the
00:23:06.09\00:23:09.85
Babylonian deities.
00:23:09.89\00:23:12.57
Many believers were choosing
to be vegetarians in order
00:23:12.61\00:23:16.99
to avoid eating meat that
had been sacrificed to idols.
00:23:17.02\00:23:21.00
The second principle that
the Council of Jerusalem asked
00:23:21.04\00:23:25.54
Gentile believers to abide
by, was to avoid or abstain
00:23:25.57\00:23:30.04
from
fortification or immorality.
00:23:30.07\00:23:32.64
There really wasn't the
word morality as we would know
00:23:32.67\00:23:35.59
it today in the Roman world.
00:23:35.62\00:23:38.61
Often part of the ritual of
worship, in heathen temples,
00:23:38.64\00:23:43.27
had to do with immorality.
00:23:43.30\00:23:45.33
We think of the famous worship
of Aphrodite's in places like
00:23:45.37\00:23:49.58
Corinth, that actual immorality
was part of their religious
00:23:49.62\00:23:53.80
worship and exercise.
00:23:53.84\00:23:56.24
Yes, prostitution was
rampant in Roman society.
00:23:56.28\00:24:00.26
Immorality was rampant
and so the church at Jerusalem
00:24:00.30\00:24:04.00
requested that the Gentiles
believers follow a moral
00:24:04.03\00:24:08.55
life, that sex only could
be in the context of marriage.
00:24:08.58\00:24:12.66
Third principle, they asked
them to abstain from eating
00:24:12.70\00:24:16.74
animals that had been strangled.
00:24:16.78\00:24:19.26
Often animals would be beaten
to accentuate the hormones
00:24:19.30\00:24:23.65
in their bodies, they
would be beaten and strangled to
00:24:23.68\00:24:28.00
prevent the loss of blood.
00:24:28.03\00:24:30.13
Blood was a great delicacy
in the Roman world at this
00:24:30.17\00:24:33.46
time, and this
was to be avoided.
00:24:33.50\00:24:36.34
Cruelty to animals was to
be avoided and so they asked
00:24:36.38\00:24:40.22
the Gentiles believers to
abstain from eating animals
00:24:40.26\00:24:44.07
that have been sacrificed.
00:24:44.10\00:24:45.97
The fourth was quite similar.
00:24:46.00\00:24:47.83
This is a very fundamental
teaching in the Old Testament.
00:24:52.34\00:24:55.85
The entire Council endorsed
the idea and wrote it into
00:24:55.88\00:25:00.14
a letter, they decided to
send several men of respect and
00:25:00.18\00:25:04.18
authority from the community
in Jerusalem to accompany Paul
00:25:04.22\00:25:08.40
and Barnabas back to Antioch
and present before the church
00:25:08.44\00:25:12.59
there the decision
the Council had made.
00:25:12.62\00:25:15.24
One of the men that went
with Paul and Barnabas was Silas
00:25:15.27\00:25:19.25
who had joined Paul on
his second missionary journey.
00:25:19.29\00:25:23.23
Yes, this was the
heart of the gospel.
00:26:46.38\00:26:48.35
Paul contended for the
gospel, he did not want the
00:26:48.38\00:26:51.59
church to be relegated,
to be a sect of Judaism.
00:26:51.62\00:26:54.99
He saw that it had to
emerge and go beyond that.
00:26:55.02\00:26:58.68
He championed the gospel
of Jesus Christ so that you
00:26:58.72\00:27:02.34
and I might be part
of the church today.
00:27:02.38\00:27:05.13
We praise God for that
and thank God for a man like
00:27:05.16\00:27:09.23
Paul who had the vision
to see the church emerge from
00:27:09.26\00:27:13.30
the shadows of Judaism.
00:27:13.33\00:27:15.42
Join me as we pray.
00:27:17.18\00:27:18.79
Father we thank You for
using the apostle Paul to have
00:27:18.82\00:27:22.24
the clear vision and
foresight to contend for the
00:27:22.27\00:27:25.76
gospel even against men
like Peter and Barnabas who
00:27:25.79\00:27:29.24
were waffling over these issues.
00:27:29.28\00:27:31.79
And to allow the church
to develop from the shadows
00:27:31.83\00:27:34.66
of Judaism's. We
thank you for Paul, help our
00:27:34.70\00:27:38.60
faith to grow and
be steadfast in You,
00:27:38.63\00:27:42.02
just like his we
pray, in Jesus name Amen!
00:27:42.06\00:27:45.38
Paul and Barnabas had
returned to the church up in
00:27:45.41\00:27:50.39
Antioch and after sharing
the good news with the church
00:27:50.43\00:27:53.44
at Antioch, the decision
of the Council of Jerusalem,
00:27:53.48\00:27:56.66
they decided it was time
to go revisit the churches
00:27:56.69\00:27:59.69
that they had established
in Cyprus and throughout
00:27:59.72\00:28:02.69
Pisidia, Galatia and Pamphylia.
00:28:02.72\00:28:05.87
Soon a dispute developed
between the two men and
00:28:05.90\00:28:09.21
Barnabas decided to take
his nephew John Mark and go
00:28:09.24\00:28:12.52
back and visit the
churches in Cyprus.
00:28:12.55\00:28:15.26
Paul invited Silas, one
of the men sent up from the
00:28:15.30\00:28:18.21
Council of Jerusalem, to
accompany him and he would
00:28:18.24\00:28:21.24
take his journey up
through Tarsus in the Cilician
00:28:21.27\00:28:24.00
Gates into the regions
of Galatia to share this
00:28:24.04\00:28:26.73
important message with them.
00:28:26.77\00:28:28.64
Join us for the next
episode as Paul returns to the
00:28:28.68\00:28:32.94
area of Galatia,
sharing the good news of the
00:28:32.98\00:28:35.94
Council of Jerusalem.
00:28:35.98\00:28:37.94