132. Beginner Bible Course: Paul's third missionary journey

EPISODE 132:  PAUL’S THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY

Paul was back in Antioch, regrouping and repacking for missionary journey. Number three, back in Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila are helping the gospel advance in a big way, in their own way. A young old Testament scholar comes from Alexandria Egypt. His name is a Paulus like Steven earlier in the book of acts. This man is a brilliant old Testament scholar. He's also tenderhearted. He's looking for the Stomper, the Messiah promise throughout the old Testament. He's also heard about the baptism of John, the baptizer, John proclaiming, repent and prepare your hearts for the coming King. A policy takes this seriously.

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He comes to emphasis, proclaiming to whomever would listen, prepare for the coming Messiah. Apollos crosses paths with Priscilla and Aquila. They took this young preacher aside and explained the way more accurately. We can almost imagine what they said. A Paulus haven't you heard Messiah did come. He was born in Bethlehem. As the prophets predicted he grew up a Nazareen. He identified himself as the one who came to set free. The captives bind up the broken and proclaim. The year of God's favor from Isaiah. He went about for three years. Doing amazing works. Then as Isaiah 53 said he laid down his life.

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As God's suffering servant, the one who would bear our inequities, the events of his crucifixion matched up with Isaiah 53, perfectly than a policy. He was raised from the dead. After three days, as the Psalmist said, God would not let his Holy one undergo decay. He brought the new covenant of Jeremiah. God has moved inside. Those who believe in him through the Holy spirit. When a policy heard these words, he goes all in on Jesus and believes. Then he's baptized. I imagine Priscilla and Aquila also had something to do with sending him to Corinth. He built up that sailor town, ragtag church, and he powerfully refuted.

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The Jews in Corinth will meet him again in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, a policy gets my vote for the one new Testament letter. That's anonymous, Hebrews back to Paul and Antioch of Syria. Paul leaves on missionary journey. Number three, this one's going to last over three years, his longest mission. He travels Overland through Glacia. You got to believe he revisited those four churches. He planted on his first missionary journey. Finally, he comes to emphasis here. He finds some men, 12 of them. Luke calls them disciples. Paul asks them, did you receive the Holy spirit when you believed they give him a Dell look, we don't know what you're talking about.

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We've not even heard. There is a Holy spirit, Paul, then ask into what name were you baptized like a palace they've been baptized with John's baptism, a baptism of repentance, getting ready for the coming Messiah like Priscilla and Aquila did two apologists. Paul does to these 12 men. He preaches Jesus as the Messiah and they go all in on Jesus. Paul then lays hands on them and prays for them. And the Holy spirit comes. His arrival is vividly evident to these men. They speak with tongues and begin proclaiming or prophesizing. I want to make two quick comments here first about Priscilla.

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And Aquilla when they're first introduced to us in Corinth on their second missionary journey. The order is Aquilla and Priscilla. That would be the normal order, the guy, and then the lady. But the rest of the times they're mentioned it's Priscilla and Aquila. Many who study this conclude the only reason Luke put her name first is Priscilla was the more prominent one we've already read in the glacier letter in Christ. There's neither Jew nor Greek slave nor free male, nor female. Here's one place where the writer Luke seems to be bolstering that idea. There's nothing wrong with the Quilla, a believer being a bit more in the shadows than his wife.

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That's the way she was wired and gifted. We'll get much more to that wiring and gifting in our next episode. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. The other thing I want to look at is what happens when people believe in acts two things almost always happened after someone went all in on Jesus, they received the Holy spirit and they were baptized in water. The thing that's interesting is they don't always come in the same order. Sometimes when people believe the Holy spirit came and normally came in obvious way is with obvious indicators. Other times they were baptized first and the Holy spirit came after that.

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Another thing that happens is sometimes the Holy spirit only came after someone came and laid hands on the new believers that happened in acts chapter eight, after Philip preach the gospel to the Samaritans. And that also happens here in emphasis, Paul laying hands on these disciples of John, the baptizer. Another observation is often when people receive the Holy spirit, they spoke in languages or tongues. This brings up two questions as we go forward in the new Testament. The first is, if you go all in on Jesus, do you have to have someone lay hands on you to receive the Holy spirit? The helper, the answer to this is no.

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Even in the book of acts, the Holy spirit, didn't always come after someone laid hands on. You remember Cornelius acts chapter 10 and 11. He and his household believe. And they're filled with the Holy spirit. Not only did Peter not lay hands on them and pray for them, he is actually quite shocked when the Holy spirit falls them. When they believe sometimes there's hands laid on. And sometimes not. I think I may have an idea why God did it this way early in acts, but I'm going to let you wrestle with that yourself. The second question is when the Holy spirit, the helper moves inside as Jesus promised, should there be an indication of that through the evidence of tongues?

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Once again, the answer to that from Paul's own mouth is no. We'll see, in the next episode, Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. He asked this question, do all of you speak in tongues? His answer is no you don't. As we move forward in the letters, I think we can demonstrate that an external evidence of the coming of the Holy spirit was a bit more necessary in the book of acts and at the foundation of the church than it is today. Back to our story. Paul settles in to Ephesus for three months, he meets in the synagogue as was his custom there. He tries to persuade the locals to follow Jesus as Messiah and Lord, he convinces some, but others become more hardened.

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When Paul turns up the heat of the gospel, some wax like hearts melt away and embrace Jesus and some hearts who are more clay-like hardened further still. So Paul decides why keep spitting into the wind. He stops meeting in the synagogue and finds another location called the school of Tyrannus. Paul turns it into a gospel training school for two years. We're given this statement and acts 19 and all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, Jews and Greeks. That's quite a statement. Ephesus was a magnet city for festivals and celebrations. We believe we know what Luke meant by that statement.

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All who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jews and Greeks. One of those prominent cities in Asia Colossae was clearly reached with the gospel. There's a church there Paul never visited, but we'll write a letter to the book of Colossians. And there are six other churches who appear in the new Testament by name from this area of Asia around Ephesus Pergamum Thyatira, Sardis, Smyrna, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. These are the six churches along with emphasis that are mentioned in the book of revelation. They're actually the primary recipients of that book.

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Many scholars believe those churches were all planted as fruit of Paul's ministry. There an emphasis, if that's true, Paul, on this third missionary journey they're teaching in the school of Tyron has turned the church and emphasis into a church planting machine. According to Luke Paul combined his teaching there with extraordinary powers. Paul couldn't figure it out, but his hankies and aprons kept disappearing. People were taking them because with these hankies in hand, evil spirits were being evicted and diseases eradicated in the ones, holding them. Luke also tells us that people started using some of Paul's signature lines seeking to have similar powers.

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A Jewish chief priest is named Siva. He has seven sons they're going around as would be exorcists of demons were told they came to a demon possessed man. They said, I order you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches come out the demon and the man replies. I know Jesus. And I've heard of Paul, but who are you? The possess man then pounced on these seven Jewish would be Exorcist, subdued them and beat them to a pulp. Where did this got out and fear and respect for Jesus exploded in Ephesus. Luke tells us that's not all that happened in emphasis. Those who believe began confessing their pagan practices.

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One of which was magic. New believers brought their magic incantation books to the public square there. They lit them on fire. Now books handwritten were extremely valuable. Luke gives the price of one bonfire at 50,000 pieces of silver. Some listening to this might think that's disgusting. Typical Christians narrow-minded book burners. The book of Proverbs says above all else, guard your heart for it affects everything you do in Hebrew. Heart is not just the center of our emotions. It's the center of our thinking. I'm a big Craigslist fan. I like to pick up bargains, especially in my hobby of working with wood.

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Not long ago, I ran across a guy selling his porn collection. No kidding. He was just overt about it, giving his name and phone number you. So I asked you, what would you do if you were that guy and you became a follower of Jesus, would you put your collection on Craigslist or in the burn barrel? That was the attitude. These folks in emphasis toward their magic books, people were also turning away from idols. If you read about emphasis in Wikipedia, it was known for one of the seven wonders of the world. The temple of Artemis also called Diana acts, tells us the locals believe she fell out of heaven.

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Some think it was actually just a meteorite, whatever it was. It drew people from all over the Mediterranean and silver Smiths made a bundle out of making replica trinkets of Diana or Artemis. But while Paul was there during his three years, silversmith business went into a recession. The silversmiths got together and said, Hey, we've got to take care of our business. So they stir up the crowd. They remind them, this is the city of Artemis. The God of the Ephesians, Luke describes a mob forming. And for two hours, them screaming greatest. Artimus God of the Ephesians.

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Can you imagine that that would be three quarters of a football game with everyone in the stands, shouting the same sentence over and over again. Finally, the town clerk settles them down. A great example of good public leadership. I hope we appreciate anyone in our communities that serves in that way. At this point, Paul heads to Macedonia, we just get one verse that he went through Macedonia and gave them much encouragement. Macedonia would be Philippi, Thessalonica, et cetera. We're told Paul then goes to Greece for three months. No cities are named.

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Paul was going to get on a ship and sail back to Syria, then travel on to Jerusalem. But the Jews laid a trap. So-so goes back North on foot through Macedonia. We're told at this point he is accompanied by seven men, including Timothy, who will become his right-hand man, actually more like his only son. Luke also writes that he is with them when they get to Philippi. Paul sends the rest of the men ahead to trow as, and he and Luke linger and Philippi likely with those new believers for the Passover holiday, Paul then goes on to trow. As he spends about a week there on the evening of the first day of the week, the believers they're assemble.

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They eat together a church potluck, maybe then Paul begins to preach. He's leaving the next day. And he's got a lot to say. We get our only new Testament view of what it was like for a kid to sit in church. In biblical times, this young man named <inaudible> is sitting in the window sill on the third floor. Paul goes on and on. And this poor guy falls asleep in the sermon and falls out of the window. Three floors. Everyone rushes outside. Paul lays down on him and embraces him. Then gets up saying, don't be troubled. He's still alive. And you tuckus gets up or resurrection.

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They have a late night snack. Then Paul preaches until sunrise. I remind my students to remember this all night or sermon. The next time they think their pastor's getting a bit long-winded. Paul wants to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost 50 days after Passover, he's got a sail right by Ephesus. He desperately wants to see them, but he knows if he stops, he'll be tempted to stay. So he sails pass to the next stop. My latest and calls for the elders of the Ephesians church, the conversation he has with these Ephesians elders, the ones he'd spent three years with art, some of the most tender words Paul ever gives.

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He tells them he's heading to Jerusalem and he knows change and suffering a weight. He knows he'll never see their faces again. He urges them to shepherd the flock of God. Well, the flock that was purchased with Jesus' precious blood, he then warns them of what's coming for them. Savage wolves who will come in Savage wolves always hang around sheep. He warns them to be careful about perverse men from among them all shepherds wanting to draw some of these sheep away to themselves. He urges them to be alert. Paul blesses these men and then trusting them to God and the word of his grace.

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Luke records him saying in my conscience before God, I didn't covet anything you had or take advantage of you did I, you don't feel in any way used or taken advantage of right? That's a man trying to finish. Well then Paul and these men hit their knees together and pray. The tears began to flow off their knees. These men fall into Paul's arms and heaving sobs. That doesn't sound much like the zealous theologian who wrote the angry letter to the churches in Glacia does it. Paul then lands Northwest of Jerusalem entire. He spends seven days there while the car goes unloading, guess what he's doing?

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Looking for believers to build this guy just never stops believers there warn him not to go to Jerusalem. Luke reports to more stop offs at ports in both people warn him avoid awaits and Jerusalem. In one of these ports, a prophet even comes up to Paul with a belt and binds him for a visual aid. The people beg him to reconsider his plans. Paul replies on people. You're breaking my heart. I'm willing to be bound and even die for the Lord. Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. This ends Paul's third and longest missionary journey bound and die for the Lord.

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Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. Paul's going to come razor close. We'll look at that in a future episode. But before we do, we want to take a look at a couple of letters. Paul wrote during his three years in Ephesus, two to the church in Corinth. And one more. Well, I'm just going to leave you hanging on that one. We'll look at this first letter to his beloved yet on disciplined believers, Corinth in our next wordpicture.