Tag Archives: Acts 9

Looking in Luke – Paul, Silas, and Timothy

Posted on by
1

My objective for this edition of Looking in Luke was to comment on the training and mentorship of Paul, Silas, and Timothy. But; I quickly found legend, tradition, and objective observers. From my prospective the Bible is not legend or tradition. However, many legends and traditions have been started from things in the Bible; some are useful. An objective observer is an interesting classification, that deserves a moment (some of this is meant to be amusing).

To call yourself an objective observer probably means you are not. It would make sense that one person from each side of the argument has to call you that. (To shorten this, I will call objective observers: Double O or OO.) Double Os are rare, like four-leaf clovers. I am sure they exist because I googled them. The most common colloquialism for OO’s are spies who can legally kill. I associated Double Os with four-leaf clovers because four-leaf clovers, from my years of hunting them, can be increased by adding fertilizer, especially the organic animal type, all over the field.

Luke

The third Gospel and Acts have been attributed to Luke since the 2nd to the 4th century and beyond. No one challenged that or claimed it as their own, even though there is no identified author for the books. Actually, Luke is only mentioned three times in the New Testament and they all come from Paul – Colossians 4:14, 2 Timothy 4:11, and Philemon 1:24. Ignoring the OO’s, can you imagine sharing the triumphs and tragedies of the Apostle Paul. I know experts want to attribute Luke’s knowledge to Documents Q and L, but what if he actually talked to Mary, Matthew, Mark, John, and the other Apostles, and some of those 500 witnesses. Yes, I have heard the tradition that puts him in the 70/72 that Jesus sent out to preach and prepare for His trip to Jerusalem.

I am thankful the Holy Spirit directed what was included in the Bible. My terms of teaching and mentorship, I could include OJT, are diluted forms of the 24/7 traveling, living, and serving these men were trained with. Timothy’s “training” lasted for years and Paul still thought it necessary to write two epistles to him. My “comments” are a “know in Part” highlight-reel of what these men lived.

Paul

Paul was a student of the respected Pharisee Rabbi Gamaliel. Gamaliel’s inspired instructions in Acts 5 were forgotten by Chapter 8. The questions a student ask are important. What did it take to get Saul to ask the right questions? A bright light knocked him off his high horse and blinded him for several days. Acts 9 tells some of what happened.

In Galatians 1, Paul adds to his story; Acts 26 is the third version. Galatians 1:16-19 tells an important part of Paul’s educational journey; he went into Arabia. About three years, possibly by himself and alone with God, he then returns to do mission. 2 Corinthians 12:2 is another verse on Paul’s education, he is “caught up to the third heaven”; that is quite an educational fieldtrip.

This learning experience is mentioned in Galatians 2:1 and is part of the reason for this post. Acts 11:30 and 12:25 are timestamps that frame a living-faith lesson for Paul and Barnabas before their mission trip in Chapter 13. The narrative’s setting is Passover, and the story is Peter’s arrest by Herod and release by Jesus; that lesson plan certainly covered the objective of divine purpose and intervention.  

A verse to highlight my “know in part” comment is Titus 3:12. Paul was going to winter in Nicopolis; it took me a while to find Nicopolis on the internet. It is not on any of the helpful lines on my map for Paul’s missions’ trips (I use those all the time:). I found a city on the Ionian Sea in the region of Epirus, which is near Macedonia and Achaia. (Just to the left of my page crease.)

Know in Part

The last two people I want to comment on is Silas and Timothy, or is that Silvanus and Timotheus. I do wish I could be a Double O, but instead I will say I am confused. (God bless translators:)

The Holy Spirit may not be the source for my questions; my lack of knowledge in Greek, the original writers, translator choices, and footnotes carry the questions of Mark. Bible Gateway has many translations and paraphrases and with the click of the mouse you can have chapters, verses, and list of target words in verses. You might choose to believe there are four different people, or three, or two, or become a post-modernist and just invalidate the Book because of the variations in spelling.

Since I am Looking in Luke, I compared the entries in Acts to the other Letters. Silvanus is preferred over Silas and Timothy over Timotheus. Because so many reference works key off of the KJV, I focused on it – Timotheus is preferred, but in critical places, there was Timothy. Me? I will stick with Silas and Timothy and read the footnotes. After all, we know there was one man named Saul/Paul and another named Simon/Cephas/Peter. FYI Saul became Paul in Acts 13:9 while confronting Elymas on the first mission trip. Yes, there is a lot of I did not go into.

Silas

  • A leader of the church in Jerusalem.
  • A faithful witness.
  • Prophet who would encourage.
  • Fellow worker with Paul who was beaten for Christ.
  • A Roman citizen! Why/how he was in Jerusalem; he may have had a backstory like Paul.
  • He could sing.
  • A friend, co-worker, and example for Timothy.
  • Was with Paul when several Epistles were written. Did he help with the content?
  • Possibly helped Peter.

BibleGateway – Keyword Search: Silas   or use Silvanus and change the translation.

I did not do a search on Silas, so I do not know any legends or traditions about him. His time with Paul speaks for itself and I think the world is better for what he did.

Timothy

Timothy, like Paul, was a product of the Diaspora; he was a half-Jew who lived outside of Israel. The most important thing for me is the prophecy that was spoke over him, that called him to the ministry. He had a godly legacy and influence in his mother and grandmother. It is even possible that he/they had heard Paul speak before; this was at least the second time Paul was in Lystra. The area they lived in (Phrygia) is one that is mentioned in Acts 2. Because of his parents he should have known at least two languages: Greek and Hebrew/Aramaic. Was he a Roman citizen? We do not know but he was “good ground” and was primed to produce a “bumper crop”.

Luke writes Timothy into his story in the 16th Chapter of Acts, and then mentions him again in 17,18,19, and 20. Timothy’s educational foundation had already been laid when Paul became his rabbi. Paul then spent the rest of his life building on that foundation.

Timothy’s first lesson in 16:3-5 was painful and a real test of his commitment to this life. It is a little ironic considering the initial message Paul and Silas were spreading.

The curriculum, lessons, hands on experience, and homework for Timothy is best read starting in Acts 16:6 and going through Hebrews and his release from jail.  His resume, assignments, and monikers from Paul can be seen in following these verses: BibleGateway – Keyword Search: Timothy

Phrygia – Encyclopedia of The Bible – Bible Gateway  This article contains some on the Jews of the Diaspora.

Light and Dark- Saul Regaining His Sight

Posted on by
4


The story of Saul in Acts 9 has two instances of dark and light. Jesus had to end one case of darkness to ready him for the second.  Saul’s first darkness was in his thinking, it bound him in the Law.  Since he was an up-and-coming star in Judaism, it is probable that he had heard Jesus teach and was one of the many messengers sent to trick Jesus. It is also very likely that Saul was part of the council that sent Jesus to the cross.  The light to this darkness is in verse three, it knocked him to the ground.  You have to wonder just what he saw as he talked to Jesus?

Saul/Paul’s second dark and light cycle began when he got up from the ground.  He opened his eyes and “could see nothing”.  That is frightening! (I had that experience due to an eye infection. I just washed my eyes and could see again.) The last thing he saw, for three days, was Jesus in His glory. (TD Jakes has said that he (eyes) may have never recovered from this, but he now had spiritual vision.)  Saul went from spiritual and physical darkness to seeing the Light, or from no light to knowing the Light!

Three– Saul’s three was “three days”.  He did not eat or drink during this time and the answer to his prayers was – Ananias, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and baptism.

End and Start – Here are some of the things that ended and started.

  • Saul -> Paul
  • The Law went to Grace.  Yes, he stilled honored the traditions of his youth but was not bound to them.
  • The hunter became a herald.
  • Knowing the Law was replaced with knowing the Law-giver.

FURTHER THOUGHT– Since you have been saved, what is one thing that Jesus showed you that caused a change in how you lived.

http://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/btbm-paul-conversion/

Be Still and Know God #2

Posted on by
4

Psalm 46:10 – Be still, and know that I AM God. 

“Know” is yada it means knowing by observing and reflecting on things or by experiencing it.

I really did not deal with the knowing part of the verse in the first study, mostly because I did not have an idea of how too. But talking before a church service with my Pray Partner Team, more or less on this subject it gave me some direction.

How do you know God and how do you know God was the two questions that came out of that conversion.  No, they really are not the same question. Let me try again.

Do you know God by studying, praying and or fasting?  Then, how do you know God: Savior, Healer, Teacher, the Big Man upstairs, is He my Lord or your Lord or Someone you visit three times a year?

A problem I had with this question was the people that read their Bible cover to cover every year and have read it in several translations and do a lot of good things and Jesus will still say, “Depart from me for I never knew you (Matthew 25:41).” Brother Darwin helped with this question when he stated a difference between logos and rhema words of God. People can have a logos word by reading and that is all they ever have; then there are people who have had a rhema word and it changes them. Rhema words are those special words that speak to your heart and change you in some way.

Back to yada and my questions of “how do you know God?” If you want an answer, you will have to have both, as an example let me use two of my favorite examples – Peter and Paul.  Peter “grew up” with Jesus, he walked and talked with Him, healed, ministered and listened to Him teach – truly a logos experience. Peter also denied Jesus but because Jesus loved him after the denials he had a rhema experience.  Paul also had logos as a Pharisee but tried to destroy the church until he had his rhema experience (Acts 9). He then spent the rest of his life experiencing Jesus as he ran his race.