“ ... ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the —uttermost part of the earth. —- “ : Acts 1:6-8
—————————————————
The Man with 2 Names - Episode 2
—————————————————
Saul is back in Tarsus, it is around 44 AD.
He has been here for around 8 years now, making it 11 years since he started persecuting the Jews and had his encounter with Christ in 33 AD.
After being baptized by Ananias in Damascus, Saul went on to spend 3 years in Arabia, returned to Damascus, and then had to be smuggled out of the city , going to Jerusalem. Jerusalem soon becoming too hot to hold him, he was shipped back to Tarsus via Caesarea by the disciples around 36 AD, and has been preaching the gospel here since then.
He would probably have been content to do this for the rest of his life, when in the eighth year of his ministry here, there is a knock on his door.........
It’s a blast from the past .... its Barnabas! ...... He has come to Tarsus from Antioch for the specific purpose of asking Saul to go preach to the greek church there.... a lot has happened since he saw Saul last, and over dinner he wastes no time bringing him up to speed......
After Sauls departure — Peter started visiting the churches around Jerusalem, first visiting the towns of Lydda and Saaron... healing a man called Aeneas there. The disciples asked him to come to the neighboring city of Joppa, and healed a lady called Dorcas/Tabitha there too.
Put up at the house of one Simon the tanner in Joppa, Peter had a vision... telling him 3 men from a roman centurion called Cornelius, have come to ask him to go with them to Caesarea, where their master Cornelius lives. When the vision ended, there they were... exactly as described by the Spirit. They told him their master had seen a vision too, and had been told to ask for Peter specifically ( Peter, Joppa, Simon the tanners House ).
Obedient to the vision Peter went to Cornelius and saw the Holy Spirit descend upon unbaptized gentiles! He and his companions ( 7 in all ! ) baptized them( Acts 10:1 - 48 ) and glorified God for what they saw.
This was amazing! Under the Law, the children of Israel were to totally separate themselves from the people around them, but here they saw the Spirit making no distinction between Jew, Greek, or Roman ! Peter relayed this information to the church in Jerusalem to the profound joy of all there, including Barnabas.
“And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, —-as on us at the beginning.—- Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, ‘John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.’
Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” - Acts 11:15-18
Last week we saw that just being baptized in Jesus’ name is not sufficient, one needs a Holy Ghost baptism, facilitated by the LAYING ON OF HANDS.
“ Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
Then —-laid they their hands—- on them, and they -received the Holy Ghost.-
And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, ‘Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.’
But Peter said unto him, ‘Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. ‘ - Acts 8:
There is a physical aspect here in that physical contact of some kind is indicated ... Christ breathed on his disciples ...
Here is the account in John, occurring after His Resurrection.... just keep in mind - that the Spirit descended on them in power ( like at Christ’s baptism ) —- later also —- , on the day of Pentecost.
then .... “ came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, “Peace be unto you. “ And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
Then said Jesus to them again, “ Peace be unto you: ——as my Father hath sent me, —-even so—— send I you. ——- “
{ God uses and works through humans, and we continue to emphasize how important it is to grasp that, empowered with the Spirit, anyone, can do what Christ did... that IS the model! }
And when he had said this, he -breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”
- John 20:19-23
So water baptism, then laying on of hands is the process right? No... read the account of Cornelius’ household, and Peter’s own words above. The Holy Ghost fell on them FIRST, and THEN they were baptized.... some key takeaways ...,
1. Don’t try to put God in a box. He is bigger than our conception and not limited by our thoughts of how He can and should work. Peter and the apostles had to move out of the comfort zone of Jerusalem, and from Jews to the Gentiles. It is possible for someone to be baptized in the Spirit BEFORE water baptism!
2. It is God who draws people to Jesus. ( Peter didn’t lay hands on Cornelius, but he had a vision from God ... and then he received the Spirit in front of Peters eyes! ) We facilitate the process and are privileged to be partakers... and He is moving to bring people to Himself even today... will you be a testimony? will you be a channel?
Barnabas has come to set Paul on the path to his mission to the Gentiles. The work of Peter, and the early persecuted church, which preached primarily to Jews, is now going to pivot to include all mankind ... and the uttermost parts of the earth!
“ Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to —none but unto the Jews only—-.
And some of them were —men of Cyprus and Cyrene—- , which, when they were come to Antioch, —spake unto the Grecians—- , preaching the Lord Jesus.
And —the hand of the Lord was with them—
{ ordinary people ... inspired of the Spirit to reach out to the greeks .. }
: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth -Barnabas-, that he should go as far as Antioch.
Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. —— For he was a good man —— , and —full of the Holy Ghost— and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.
Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, -for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch.
And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and -taught- much people.
And the disciples were called -Christians- —first in Antioch—- “ - Acts 11:19-26
What a conversation that must have been betwen Barnabas and Paul when Barnabas turns up on his doorstep years later.... with amazing tidings... Saul’s world had just begun to stabilize and now his head is spinning again...
Yet, these 11 years, God has been preparing Him, he has been studying, and now, the time is right for him to take that next step - Go to Antioch with Barnabas- thats all he knows ... so thats what he does.
Peter, John, Philip, Paul, Barnabas, the unnamed Cypriots and Cyrenians in Antioch, and the gentile house churches there.... a years labor with the Spirit... and now we have the word we call ourselves .. Christian!
Saul/Paul is now a Christian... a prisoner of Christ and His Love, and he is to become the vessel of Gods Word to so many churches in his lifetime, as well as to churches down the ages.
All that is in the future... for now.. let us leave Paul teaching the church in Antioch, we will see what he does next week!