Note: all Inspirations are now uploaded until Wednesday 28th May – please scroll down for earlier posts…
Ascension 2025
Ascension Day (coming up on Thursday) is the great forgotten festival of the Church. To help redress the balance, in the days leading up to it, we’ll look at the passage in Acts where Jesus ascends into heaven, and ask ourselves: why does this matter? And how can we be inspired today?
Wednesday 28th May – Acts 1:8-11 ‘To the ends of the earth’
As a family we’re pleased to see ‘Race across the world’ back on TV over the last few weeks. The idea is simple: five pairs of people, with limited budgets, have to travel a huge distance. For example, in a previous series, they had to get from one end of Canada to the other (which, with huge deviations north and south, totalled more than 16,000km). Along the way, that particular series showcased the kindness of strangers (many of whom were quite obviously Christians) and some lovely healing in fraught family relationships – in other words a huge amount of grace amidst the race to be first.
We also saw some extraordinary landscapes. I must confess Canada has gone straight into the upper echelons of my ‘most want to visit’ list – both for the people and the amazing scenery. And it was a powerful thought to remind myself, as I watched one fantastic location after another: there is nowhere we can go on earth where Jesus cannot say, ‘this is mine’. It’s all His!
Apart from the escape to Egypt as an infant, as far as we know Jesus never travelled outside the land of his birth. All of his work was done, and his words were uttered, within approximately a 150-mile radius. And yet he is a global Messiah, his message is for the whole world. How can he spread his loving and merciful rule everywhere?
We need the Ascension: so that Jesus’ kingship can be declared to the ends of the earth. And this declaration will principally be through his followers, empowered by his Spirit. For as long as Jesus is limited by his human body, his message can only spread effectively as far as he can, within human constraints. But the ascended Jesus can empower his followers to witness on his behalf everywhere.
History from the time of Jesus’ Ascension is essentially a race across the world – to share the gospel, to make disciples of all nations, to declare the love and reign of Christ to hungry hearts. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him; and thanks to Pentecost, he is powerfully with us, even to the end of the age. As we look forward to celebrating Jesus’ Ascension tomorrow, let’s give thanks that we do so from every corner of the globe. And as we join with Christians in over a hundred countries to pray for Jesus’ mission as part of the Thy Kingdom Come prayer movement, may the Lord grant us grace to keep running our race, for His glory.
Tuesday 27th May – Acts 1:4-8 ‘Wait for the gift’
Today’s title is one that could often be said about my present-arranging skills. I’m not much good at remembering birthdays, I’ve lost count of the times that I’ve had to fess up to friends (or even family) that a gift was definitely coming – they just had to be patient, and wait a few days for it!
Probably my best/worst moment in this regard came when my wife and I got engaged. I had designed the ring myself (very romantic); but the ring took longer than planned to arrive, so wasn’t ready on the weekend when I had hoped to propose (not so romantic). After some stern words from one of my best friends, who told me in no uncertain terms that the act of proposing was far more important than whether the little box was ready, I did the deed the very next day, atop a mediaeval castle (romantic brownie points restored!). My wife-to-be just had to wait for the gift. (As a postscript, when the ring did arrive 2 weeks later, the fitting looked perfect, but was the wrong metal, so it had to be sent off again… d’oh!)
Nevertheless, the best gifts are worth waiting for. Today, Jesus tells his disciples to wait for the best gift of all (v4) – his very self, poured out into our hearts, by his Holy Spirit. It’s easy to forget that, when Jesus says these words, the disciples don’t know how long they will have to wait. Hours, days, weeks, months, years? All Jesus told them was to wait – and that the wait would be worth it: ‘you will receive power…’ (v8)
I wonder if that ten-day period of waiting felt interminably long, or refreshingly short? We’re told that they remained constantly in prayer (v14), which is tiring, so am guessing that by the Feast of Pentecost, they were starting to flag a bit. Waiting is hard.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll also have experiences of waiting for something from the Lord: sometimes it comes very quickly; and other times, it seems to take forever. We are God-chasers, but the chase can be a variable length. If you find yourself waiting on the Lord at present, let today be an encouragement – may it raise your faith to trust that the Lord will respond. You may or may not get the answer you long for: but he will certainly give you his powerful, soaking presence, sufficient for whatever life throws at you.
We need the Ascension: to call us to wait for the greatest gift of all. It’s a gift Jesus loves to keep on giving. ‘Keep being filled with his Spirit…’ (Eph 5:18) – may that be the reality for each of us today.
Monday 26th May – Acts 1:1-3 ‘Began to do’
In 2007 Alan Hirsch published a book called ‘The Forgotten Ways’. It posed the powerful question: when Jesus ascended back into heaven, he left just 120 active followers; when the Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire in 312AD, the Christian faith numbered approximately 10% of the entire population of the empire – or about 20 million people. During that 280 years, followers of Jesus had been heavily persecuted, their faith was essentially an underground movement. It had no buildings, no public officials and thousands of its followers had been executed during periodic pogroms.
So – and here comes the question – just how did this tiny group go from 120 to 20,000,000 (a 166,000-fold increase) in less than 300 years, with all those odds stacked against them? His follow-up question, and the reason for the book, was obvious: what can we learn from them today? What are ‘the forgotten ways’?
I won’t reprise his answers here; but as we look forward to Ascension Day on Thursday, I’m always struck by this little phrase at the beginning of the Book of Acts: (v1) ‘all that Jesus began to do and to teach.’ Surely Jesus had done plenty? More than just ‘begun’…?
But that’s the point: yes, he’d performed dozens of miracles – hundreds or thousands probably, of which 37 were recorded. Yes, he’d taught like no other teacher in history, and loved with a selfless, unconditional heart of humility that both amazed and scandalised those who saw it. Yes, he’d risen from the dead, the most extraordinary act of all.
And yet… and yet… it was just the beginning. What Jesus was limited in doing by the confines of a single human life – no matter how amazing that life was – would be limited no longer, once he ascended into heaven. After that, he could send something even more extraordinary: his very self, in the form of the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Christ. Once this Spirit was poured out, then all followers of Jesus would be able to live as he lived. That’s what ‘Christian’ means – little Christ, little Jesus.
Now there are hundreds of millions of little Jesuses, trying to do and to teach, just as Jesus did and taught. We may each of us feel but a pale shadow of the Master. And that is true, up to a point – but even our small contributions, our loaves and fishes, make a difference.
We need the Ascension: to continue all that Jesus began. May the Lord graciously continue that (ascended) work in us, and through us, today.
The Book of Acts
In this season after Easter, we return to the wonderful Book of Acts, with some brand new Inspirations, covering ch15 onwards.
At the end of this week, though, we pause for two reflections on one of the letters Paul wrote to the churches he visited on this journey…
Saturday 24th May – Philippians 1:7-11 ‘Wise love’
What are the qualities of love? It’s a good question to ask: love is one of those words that we all think we know, but is very hard to describe. Love is something that is largely caught, not taught: it’s primarily a doing word, rather than a feeling word.
But that’s not the whole story. Love is also a thinking word. This is a passage about love, and it begins in much the way you’d expect. Paul tells his dear friends in Philippi – a place which was special to him, as it was the first place he visited in Europe, and therefore also the first European church he’d planted – that he has them ‘in his heart’ (v7). He goes further in declaring his love, saying in v8: ‘I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.’ Paul loved the recipients of his letter – something he felt in his heart and had also showed directly to them (see the account of his time there in Acts 16:11-40, where he ran very real dangers to help them in their journey of faith.)
But when he prays for them likewise to be filled with love, he adds a third dimension. Love is not just about doing and feeling, it’s about thinking too: ‘And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.’ (v9) To know God is to love him: in other words, the more we know about God, the more we must love, since God is so beautiful, so amazing, so majestic, what other response could there be?
So knowledge matters – wisdom is precious. But it’s not just about how we relate to God – this wisdom also affects our actions. Our love must have depth of insight, ‘so that you may be able to discern what is best.’ (v10) Love is also about wise choices. Two courses of action may present themselves: we need wisdom to choose the most loving. A path of temptation or pressure opens up before us: we need wisdom to discern a helpful way out of it. An opportunity to show the love of Christ arises: we need wisdom to make the most of that opportunity.
Love is the basis of our lives, since God is love and the love of Christ fills us (by His Spirit). But this foundation of love needs wisdom to thrive, to grow, to be most fruitful. This will ultimately be what most produces ‘glory and praise to God’ (v11).
So why not pray Paul’s prayer for yourself and those you love today? And perhaps follow it with this famous prayer of St Richard of Chichester:
Dear Lord, of you three things I pray: to know you more clearly, to love you more dearly, and to follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen.
Friday 23rd May – Philippians 1:1-6 ‘On to completion’
In 1974, Jeff Lowe – a musician in his mid-20s who had recently become a Christian – felt prompted by God to set all 150 Psalms in the bible to music. And so began an epic journey. Over the next 40 or more years he privately composed music and settings for each psalm, and, finally, in January 2020 – 46 years later – the first psalm (number 6) was released publicly. Over the coming years all of the completed psalms will be recorded and released as The Jeff Lowe Psalms Project.
We are all works in progress. Life is a long journey, and whilst we may not dedicate ourselves single-mindedly, as Jeff Lowe did, to one great project, we all have a similar calling: to finish well, to run the race of life as best we can.
As we pause from our readings in Acts to take a brief look at the letter Paul wrote to the church in Philippi we saw him plant a couple of weeks ago, it’s striking to observe that St Paul – the author of this letter – begins with the end-point in mind. He has much to share with this young church, but where he starts is to remind them that ‘God who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.’ (v6)
In other words God finishes what he starts. Whatever the nature of our journey, whatever our ups and downs in faith, our distractions down side-alleys, our frequent stops for a rest – God will make sure we complete our journey.
This is good news! Not just because we are assured that our journey will not be in vain; but also that we have help. However ‘lacking’ we may feel, God will make sure that we can cross the finish line and join him in glory.
During the pandemic, Captain Tom became a household name. His was an inspirational story – and it’s worth reflecting for a moment that when he turned 99 on 30th April 2019, almost anyone who knew him would have assumed that his work was done. But God still had something extraordinary for him to do – and what work!
In these difficult times, many of us may feel in a dark alley, with no clear idea how long the alley is, or when it will get light again. Today, let’s take heart from Jeff Lowe’s and Captain Tom’s examples – and above all, let’s claim this beautiful promise of Scripture: God always finishes what he starts. The one who began a good work in us will carry it to completion – in us, and in others. Amen.
Thursday 22nd May – Acts 17:24-34 ‘Proof to everyone’
I’m a natural fence-sitter, to be honest. In part that’s my peace-able nature, which prefers to avoid taking controversial positions which upset other people. In part that’s because I can usually see all sides of an argument, so I tend not to jump quickly to a conclusion. Almost certainly it’s sometimes just cowardice. As someone once quipped about a famous teaching of Jesus: the meek shall inherit the earth… if that’s alright with the rest of you. I think they wrote that about me.
But there is, thankfully, one area of my life where I have been decisive, and that is when it comes to what I believe about Jesus. Granted, it took me a while to get there (what else would you expect?) – but, having jumped down off the fence, it has long been my deep and firm conviction, and something I have dedicated my life to, however falteringly.
In Athens, Paul encounters a rare phenomenon – for him. He’s used to polarising people: if you look at most of his mission encounters in the various places he’s travelled to, people fairly quickly either come to believe, or come to oppose. There’s not much in between.
Athens is different. Its intellectual culture loved debates, for their own sake. Ideas were exciting, but mostly that – ideas. You didn’t necessarily have to do anything as a result. It must have been shock when Paul moved his discourse deftly from philosophical reflection to a call to change. If we’ve looked, over the last two days, at what was different about Paul’s sermon in Athens, today we can see what doesn’t change – the heart of his message: Jesus, the resurrection, the call to repent (change). True, it’s couched in different language, but the ‘proof… to everyone’ is that Jesus rose from the dead (v31). The God who made us in his image (the first part of his sermon), has now saved us by bearing our image. A real, flesh-and-blood God to worship and follow, not an article made of gold, silver or stone.
Nevertheless, it’s ultimately little surprise that the response to Paul’s address incudes not only mockery, but a request to ‘hear you again on this subject.’ (v32) No coming down off the fence for us, please! Much better to sit up on top of it, nice and high, far above contradiction or action.
Paul can see he’s not going to get very far here – they might not be throwing rocks at him or putting him in jail, but this is perhaps the hardest spiritual ground he’s encountered. There is some fruit – Luke names at least two people who respond – but it’s a fraction of what he’s seen elsewhere. Sadly, there’s no letter to the church in Athens written later in the New Testament…
Praise God he brought me down off my fence! Praise God that he did that for you, too. As we leave Athens (with Paul), give thanks that God came near to us in Christ, that the resurrection is real, and that we bear the image of the One who saves us – becoming the transformed people we were made to be. Amen.
Wednesday 21st May – Acts 17:24-28 ‘Life and breath and everything else’
Today we pick up where we left yesterday; and at this point in Paul’s remarkable address to the philosophers, Paul takes the chance to stretch their thinking towards the implications of some of their own philosophy. Revealing his own (formidable) education, he quotes some famous Greek texts back to them: (v28) ‘“For in him we live and move and have our being.” As some of your own poets have said, “We are his offspring.”’
What Paul is doing here is quite brilliant: he is teaching his audience in language they ‘get’. It turns out that, embedded in their own culture, are ideas about the greatness of God, the fact that we bear the image of God, as well as the capacity of us humans to relate at a deep level to this God – all of which are foundational to the good news Paul is sharing with them.
The true God is not limited to certain places or rituals or buildings, to certain boxes and compartments in our lives. He fills the whole universe, and all of our lives matter to him – every breath, every thought, everything that matters to us matters to Him as well. Or as Paul summarises beautifully: (v25) ‘He gives everyone life and breath and everything else.’
Imagine a life where every moment is filled with God’s presence; where he is with us the whole time. We can bring every worry to him, we can cry every tear with him, we can share every joy with him, we can celebrate every blessing knowing that he is smiling with us. This is not fiction or pie in the sky: it is the reality of what Jesus came to bring us.
So much of our Christian thinking focuses on the benefits of forgiveness and eternal life, and believe me those are amazing, and rightly get attention. But there is another blessing which underpins them: it is that God comes close to us, we can experience what it is like to truly live with him in our lives all the time. What you might call the with-God life.
This is the life which Paul holds out to the Athenians, just as he did to his hearers wherever he went. ‘All nations’ have the opportunity ‘to seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.’ (v27)
He is not far from you. Take a moment today to reach out, and find – and be found by – him.
Tuesday 20th May – Acts 17:16-25 ‘Our great big God’
Paul’s brief stay in Athens is a story full of contrasts. We observed last time the great contrast between the impressive facade of the city and the real state of Athens in the middle of the 1st century AD: a declining culture with defective religious thought and practice.
We can also see a marked contrast between Paul and the philosophers. Both highly intelligent, both committed to truth – but one party is ‘all talk’ (they ‘spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening t the latest ideas’ v21), while Paul is a man of action and decision. Having become convinced of what he believes, he practises it with courage and full commitment. The debate that ensues is shot through with this underlying distinction – between ideas for ideas’ sake, and a message that radically transforms a life.
Finally, we also see how Paul adapts his approach to this august, educated group. The contrast between his previous sermons and this one in Athens is quite marked. He does get to Jesus eventually – but he establishes a number of cultural connection points first, and even quotes their own culture back to them – the altar ‘to an unknown God’ (v23) and the philosophers Epimenides and Aratus (v28 – more on that tomorrow).
Critically, what Paul wants to achieve is a bigger vision of God in the minds of his listeners. J.B. Phillips (he of the New Testament translation) once wrote a book called ‘Your God is too small’ – and this could have been written exactly for Paul’s audience today. So often, we human beings tend to create god or gods in our image, not the other way round: which means they’re always too small, and need to be followed with particular rules and rituals in order to connect them with our lives. It effectively allows us to assume that our lives are still our own, and this god or these gods get as much of it as we’re prepared to let them.
For Paul, on the other hand, his God, our God, the one true God, is not like this: (v24) ‘The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth.’ Our God is a great big God – he made the whole world, the whole universe is suffused with his presence. As a result, notice the radical implications: first, ‘He does not live in temples built by human hands.’ How could he? How could any building be big enough to house this God? Second, he doesn’t need anything. Or as Paul says: (v25) ‘He is not served by human hands.’ He doesn’t need our libations or rituals to appease him or impress him. He is complete and whole within himself. We do all that stuff to try and make ourselves feel better, not God.
This God is universal, everywhere. The whole world belongs to the Lord. Or, to paraphrase the Dutch stateman and theologian Abraham Kuyper: there is no place on earth where Jesus can’t say, ‘This is mine.’ This is the ‘unknown’ God that Paul wants his hearers to know, worship and love. This is the Lord we know, worship and love. Today, offer your awe and praise to our great big God. And pray with faith, knowing that his capacity to hear and act is boundless. He is the Lord of life. Amen.
Monday 19th May – Psalm 8 ‘The Majesty’
We start the week with a psalm of praise….
Not too long ago I got a new computer. I say ‘new’ – new to me. ‘Pre-loved’ I believe is the term nowadays …although I doubt anyone loves a desktop PC in the way they might love some other object. ‘Pre-tolerated’ is probably more appropriate. Anyway, this whizzy machine greets me every time I turn it on with a beautiful picture of somewhere in the world: a mighty mountain, a dreamy lake, a sunlit savannah. It’s not something my computer has ever done for me before – thank you, Mr Gates – but it’s a lovely moment before the reality of having to graft away in front of a screen for a few hours kicks in.
‘Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!’ So begins today’s Psalm – one of the most famous and best-loved of all psalms. And, as I read it today and reflected on what to write, it struck me immediately that this should be my response every time I turn on my computer and see one of those extraordinary images of the glory of Creation. Creation sings the glory of the Lord – and causes us to cry out in praise, too. Note to self!
I find it fascinating what David goes on to say next. The first bit is obvious: (v1b) ‘You have set your glory in the heavens.’ Even in our ‘scientific’ world, looking up at the enormity of the sky causes us to gasp – and, 3,000 years after this was written, the richest human beings on our planet today still want to spend a vast amount of their personal wealth trying to explore a tiny fragment of it.
But if the ‘heavens’ are clearly a hymn to the Lord’s glory, David also finds majesty ‘through the praise of children and infants’ (v2). It is as if, David is saying, God’s glory is so great that we know it intuitively from our earliest years. This is because we have a special place in God’s Creation: below the angels, yes (v5a); but no less crowned with glory and honour (v5b) because the Lord has appointed human beings to be ‘rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet.’ (v6)
This is not an excuse for us to abuse or dominate our world: quite the opposite, in fact – we are to tend and look after it, just as the Lord does. We have a responsibility to all parts of Creation (vv7-8), and, since the Lord’s majesty is revealed in and through his Creation, whatever damage we do to our world potentially impugns the majesty of the Lord’s name. There’s a thought… For followers of Christ, our care for the planet is not ultimately a political position or a personal passion, but a divine delegation. God has appointed us to look after the world as well as he would.
How we do that is inevitably far too big a question for a short reflection; however, it has to start with us retaining a sense of joy and awe at the sheer beauty of creation, and the majesty of the One it points to. As it was for the psalmist, may that be our beginning, and our end – today, this week, always: ‘Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!’
Saturday 17th May – John 4:15-26 ‘Spirit and Truth’
As we’ve been thinking about the power of God’s word this week, we’ll finish our week with one of Jesus’ own reflections on this topic, taken from his lovely encounter with the Samaritan woman:
Laurel and Hardy. Morecambe and Wise. The Two Ronnies. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Brian Clough and Peter Taylor. Redgrave and Pinsent. Bacon and eggs. Cheese and pickle. Quinoa and feta cheese…. (yes, really)
Some combinations were just made to go together, weren’t they? Great on their own, together they’re unbeatable. Yesterday we looked at one great combination: anytime, anywhere. What Jesus shared in this extraordinary encounter with the Samaritan woman was a revolution in our understanding of when and where we can meet with our Almighty Creator God. It is, for sure, amazing news. But the mechanism by which we can do this also matters. How is this possible?
The answer lies in v23, and in another unbeatable combination: the Spirit and the Truth. To gain intimate access to God anytime, anywhere rests on these two ingredients – that, as Jesus says, we worship God the Father ‘in Spirit and in truth.’ Why? Because these two lie at the heart of God’s very being: ‘God is spirit’ (v24) and therefore when Jesus gives His Spirit to all who follow Him, this enables us to engage with God on His own terms, as spiritual beings.
Similarly, God’s word, as St John tells us later, is also Truth (17:17). Everything God says is true, and God’s truth has the power to set us free. So, Truth likewise connects us with the very core of God’s Being.
Spirit and Word (truth), Word and Spirit. The two pillars of the spiritual life. Everything else flows from these two: our prayer life, our community life, our day-to-day life – everything. All the practices of a lively faith ultimately have to rest on these solid foundations: God’s Word and God’s Spirit. And since Jesus sends the Spirit, and is called the ‘Word of God’ from the beginning of time (1:1), it all ultimately points back to Jesus, the ‘super-foundation’ – or as the book of Hebrews puts it, ‘the author and perfecter of our faith.’
It reminds us of the immense importance of investing time in understanding God’s Word, and the equally important task of asking the Spirit to empower us to live out God’s Word. Which is what you’re doing right now! And by God’s grace, may He empower you to live in the extraordinary and dynamic power of Word and Spirit this day – all the time, everywhere.
Friday 16th May – Acts 17:16-17 ‘Saw, felt and did’
I wonder, what is the greatest city you’ve visited? In our modern world, there are many such cities. I myself have lived most of my life in London, and I’ve been fortunate to visit some of the other great cities of the world: Paris, Rome and Sydney among them. I now live in the new city of Milton Keynes – unquestionably the greatest of them all! (If you’re smirking at this point, why not come and see for yourself – those of us who live here do so for a reason…)
In our main passage for today, we find St. Paul in Athens. We don’t know if that was always the plan – probably not, the vision Paul had was to visit the region of Macedonia, and thus far he had been hounded out of several cities in fairly quick succession. To get from the coast near Berea to Athens was some 300 miles, so it may be that, having faced such opposition, he needed a fresh start in a completely different region.
Either way, Athens was on a different level altogether from the places he had visited recently: at the time, it was the second greatest city on earth behind Rome, and unquestionably its greatest in terms of learning and culture. If Rome was the great political power of the day, Greece was the intellectual and cultural power; Athens was the city of Aristotle and Plato, a city most educated people of the time would have longed to visit.
However, I’m fascinated, and profoundly challenged, by Paul’s response to this experience. It would be easy to be overwhelmed, awe-struck; and most of us who might have the opportunity to visit such a place would simply be wandering around, going ‘wow!’ on a regular basis. But not Paul – let’s look at what he saw, what he felt and what he did as a result.
What Paul saw was not a city full of extraordinary buildings and unparalleled learning, but a city full of idols. What he felt was not awe at its grandeur, but distress at its spiritual ignorance. What he did was dedicate himself to sharing the good news of Jesus.
Paul got behind the impressive outward appearance of this city, to get to its heart. Despite all its prosperity, influence and culture, it was still a city full of people who needed Jesus – just as much as anywhere else. The equality of all humanity before God is the great leveller: on the one hand, we are all equally precious; on the other, we are all equally in need of salvation. Our learning our wealth, our power, counts for nothing before the Almighty. Like the tax collector in Jesus’ famous story, what the Lord looks for is a humble heart, ready to receive his love and grace: ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’
We may not have degrees and accolades – but if we have Christ, we have all we need. Our faith is ‘of greater worth than gold’ (1 Peter 1:7). Let’s rejoice in this precious news today, and may it fill our hearts with peace and our lips with praise. Amen.
Thursday 15th May – Acts 17:10-15 ‘They examined – and believed’
On the face of it, today’s passage appears to conform to what has become the ‘standard’ experience of Paul in his latest mission journey. He arrives, makes a great start, a good number believe – then there’s trouble, and Paul (and his friends) have to flee for their lives. We don’t know, either, what sort of Christan community they leave behind (although Paul’s subsequent letters joyfully confirm that much of their mission work has lasted and flourished).
So far, so predictable. However, Paul, Silas and Timothy’s short stay in Berea, fifty miles south-west of Thessalonica, does have a different flavour. Luke describes this (rather unflatteringly, if you happen to live in Thessalonica!) as follows: (v11) ‘The Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica.’
The reason is not just their enthusiasm, but their curiosity: ‘they examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.’ Two things are noteworthy here: first, their hunger – they didn’t just confine their interest to the Sabbath, when they were expected to be in the synagogue; like the first church in Acts 2, they gathered every day. They filled their minds and hearts with God’s word on a daily basis.
Second, they reflected on Paul’s message with real rigour. The word ‘examine’ here is generally used for judicial investigations: it’s the same word Luke uses when Herod questions Jesus, or when the Sanhedrin tackle Peter and John back in chapter 4. Paul believes in doctrine, but not in indoctrination. He is happy to present his case and let his hearers test it.
This remains true for us today. There is a popular cultural narrative that faith is simply uncritical acceptance, that somehow we can only have ‘faith’ if we turn off our brains. Paul would roll his eyes at such a thought. We have good reasons to believe. We can examine (rigorously analyse) the Scriptures with confidence. Much scientific enquiry also confirms basic principles that we find in God’s word thousands of years ago – despite what you may read in the press! God’s word is just as able to do its work today.
So, let’s be inspired by the Bereans today – dare I say it, let’s ‘be more Berean’! If, in the end, we hold on through simple trust in all circumstances, that trust is built on the firmest of foundations. The Lord has opened our minds and hearts, and never lets us go.
Wednesday 14th May – Acts 17:1-10 ‘Humble revolution’
One of the fascinating things about this section of the Book of Acts is that we have subsequent letters written by Paul to many of the places which he and Silas visit on this journey – Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Ephesus. It gives us a wonderful insight into Paul’s reflections some time later on his experiences.
His first letter to the Thessalonians is one of his very earliest, probably written just a year or two after the events described in today’s passage. As Luke records it, Paul and Silas were only able to stay about three weeks in the city (note: ‘three Sabbaths’ in v2), before they were hounded out. It’s barely any time at all to begin a work of God in a new place – and yet, Paul was able to write to them in time to come: ‘You became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia… your faith in God has become known everywhere.’ (1 Thess 1:7-8)
An extraordinary outcome for such a short and tempestuous visit – and yet, Paul is quite clear as to why: (1 Thess 1:5) ‘our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.’ This is Paul’s reflection on what Luke records in Acts 17: (v4) ‘Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.’ These were the people who experienced ‘deep conviction’ and whose lives were changed forever.
But, as is now customary, it came at a cost. Having been flogged and forced out of Philippi (something which even Paul, who was used to bad treatment, referred to as ‘outrageous’ in his first letter to Thessalonica 2:2), Paul and Silas walked 100 miles along the Via Egnatia to Thessalonica, only to face the same opposition within a matter of weeks.
This time the charge was more serious: (v7) ‘They are defying Caesar’s decrees, saying there is another king, one called Jesus.’ The word used in v6 and translated as ‘caused trouble’ has revolutionary undertones. Paul and Silas are not just social irritants, they are dangerously subversive. They preach obedience to another, greater ruler. In short, the potential charge is high treason – and execution.
This explains what happens next. Jason and his fellow-converts are bound over to keep the peace. Paul and Silas are allowed to leave, but only on condition that they never return to the city – something Paul refers to in his letter as ‘Satan blocking our way’ (1 Thess 2:18). They leave hastily (v10), but not in vain. The Lord has done something remarkable in their short stay: another great work of God which would endure, despite opposition and suffering. A humble revolution of faith, hope and love. Today, let’s pray for ourselves, as Paul prayed for this young church: (1 Thess 1:3) ‘We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Amen.
Tuesday 13th May – Acts 16:11-40 reprise ‘A city divided, a church united’
Before we move on to the next part of Paul’s journey, let’s pause briefly one more time to reflect on this remarkable episode in Philippi….
As we observed yesterday, Paul and Silas’ time in Philippi is a very real illustration of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 10. There, Jesus is clear about both the opportunities and also the risks and costs of taking the good news into the world. We can easily forget that the world is not ‘neutral territory’ – there is a power at work which opposes God and contests the spread of his good news. It is a ‘clash of kingdoms’ – and not just between missionaries and civic authorities, but across society as a whole, as Jesus admits candidly: ‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth… I have come to turn “a man against his father, a daughter against her mother… a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”’ (Matthew 10:34-36, quoting Micah 7:6)
Paul’s healing of the slave girl caused such a ‘turning against.’ Vested interests were challenged and ‘worldly forces’ directly opposed the kingdom of God. And yet, at the same time, as the city divided so there was one unifying power at work, bringing people together. A wealthy businesswoman, an exploited slave, a thankful jailer all found the grace of God, and a new hope and purpose. They also found a common community, despite their very differing backgrounds; no other body in the world cuts across all human boundaries like the Church. Philippi is the global church in microcosm.
It’s noteworthy that Paul spent time encouraging the fledgling body of Christ before leaving (v40). He knew just how precious this work of God was – people from many backgrounds finding the same Saviour; and not just finding personal salvation, but also a new family, made up of all people.
So, the arrival of the gospel in Philippi divided a city and united a church. This is a challenging reality, but let’s take heart from the fact that a good ten or so years later, Paul could write one of his most upbeat letters to this same group of believers; whatever they had faced, they had weathered every storm, so that Paul could declare with joy: ‘I thank my God every time I remember you… being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 1:3,6) Today, you can still visit living churches in Kavala (modern-day Philippi). The work that Paul and Silas began over just a few days or weeks has lasted 2,000 years.
To outward appearances, the church often seems weak; but it endures – and not through human power. To return to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 10 one more time: (vv19-20) ‘Do not worry about what to say… it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.’ The Lord builds his church, and is still building it today – in you, in me, in us, across the world. No wonder Paul could write to this church in Philippi many years later: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: rejoice!’ Amen.
Monday 12th May – Acts 16:35-40 ‘Innocent as doves, wise as snakes’
‘I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as snakes and innocent as doves.’ (Matthew 10:16) This advice of Jesus was given to his friends as he sent them out on mission, and here we see a great example of Paul and Silas putting this into practice. In fact, the context matches Jesus’ own prediction of when this advice would be needed pretty exactly – Matthew 10 continues: ‘Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.’
What does Jesus mean by this phrase, ‘wise as snakes and innocent as doves’? It’s a valuable reminder that, whilst followers of Jesus are citizens of another kingdom, we still live in the current one. We are to live pure and trusting lives (innocent as doves), but not be blind to the ‘ways of the world’ (wise as snakes). Spirit-filled and streetwise at the same time.
Paul and Silas thus far had been innocent as doves – literally! They were wrongly imprisoned and flogged, and, even when they had the chance to flee the jail, they refused to do so – thereby saving the jailer’s physical and spiritual life at the same time. However, as the authorities arrive to announce their release (v35), now it’s time for ‘snake mode’: (v37) ‘Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison… Let them come themselves and escort us out.”’
Paul is no lover of worldly badges – not any more. Indeed, in his letter to the believers at Philippi some years later, he talks about all such accolades as ‘trash’ when compared to Christ. But there’s a time when such things can be useful – ‘wise as snakes’ – and the fact that he and Silas are Roman citizens is his trump card. According to the ‘Lex Julia’ (Roman law), a Roman citizen could not be beaten or bound by a local magistrate, let alone untried and uncondemned. In other words, if Paul wished to pursue this matter further with, say, the Roman Governor of that region, he could get the authorities in Philippi in a lot of trouble. Heads might roll…
And so, they get their apology, and safe passage (v39) – but not before taking some time to encourage the small group of believers who had gathered at Lydia’s house (v40). I like to think that perhaps the jailer and the slave girl were among them. But to answer the question that might be in your mind at this point: why did Paul and Silas kick up a stink like they did, when they were being released anyway? It wasn’t ego, or wounded pride. Their concern, as always, was for the church they were leaving behind – new, fragile, at risk of facing the same violent opposition he’d just experienced. Paul’s assertion of his rights was a message to the authorities to leave the church he had planted alone. To put it in modern terms: the authorities owed him one, and if he could harness that to win even a modicum of extra protection for his new-found friends and sisters and brothers, then he was going to do so.
Wise as snakes, innocent as doves. It’s wonderful wisdom from the lips of our Saviour. As we begin this week, take a few moments to reflect upon it. Our ‘default setting’ is innocence – ‘to the pure all is pure.’ But there is a place for being streetwise – if you face such a situation today, or this week, pray for wisdom, exercised in innocent humility and Spirit-filled trust. Jesus is with you, in it and through it.
Saturday 10th May – Acts 16:22-34 ‘Chains fell off’
I’ve always loved the hymns of Charles Wesley. My favourite is probably ‘And can it be’ – I’m sure I’m not the only one! In particular, my favourite verse finishes: ‘My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth and followed Thee.’
For me, I can appreciate my chains being broken in a spiritual sense – but for Paul and Silas, their experience in today’s passage is much more literal. As we saw yesterday, their ministry has gained unwelcome attention from local businessmen who’ve lost a dubious income stream. As a result, the civic authorities – and it’s interesting how such authorities are often unduly swayed by people with money, then as much as now; there is nothing new under the sun! – have taken the easy route of punishing the ‘outsiders.’ And not just a slap on the wrist: Paul and Silas are ‘stripped and beaten with rods… severely flogged.’ They will no doubt carry these scars for the rest of their lives.
Even more amazing, then, that their response is to be ‘praying and singing hymns to God.’ They might be imprisoned and in great pain, but their hearts remain full of joy and faith. It’s quite a testimony, and no surprise that the other prisoners are listening too – they probably can’t believe these two men are behaving like this! We can imagine their fellow inmates thinking: what must be in their hearts, to live as they do?
But there’s more to come… much more: ‘Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.’ The Lord was freeing his people.
This, of course, was a death sentence for the jailer – so what happens next is perhaps even more amazing than the chains coming off: no-one does a runner! It’s easy to imagine Paul and Silas staying put – but the others, too? I think that’s even more of a miracle, and suggests that the other prisoners were also turning their hearts towards God. However, we don’t hear more of that story (though a part of me wishes we did!) – what we do hear is that the jailer is saved. Literally, first – he’s about to end it all, when Paul tells him to stop. And then spiritually: ‘they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.’
As is customary in the early church, baptism happens next, and immediately. What began as literal chains coming off for Paul and Silas has concluded as spiritual chains coming off for the jailer, and also his whole household. Wesley’s birth was long in the future, but I like to think that as dawn glimmered on the eastern horizon that morning, you could hear singing in the jailer’s house, along the lines of: ‘My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth and followed Thee.’
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim… freedom for the prisoners.’ Luke, the writer of Acts, recorded this as Jesus’ manifesto in his gospel. Here we see it in action. Today, give thanks that the Lord has loosened the chains around your heart. And why not pray, too, for the Lord’s work in prisons. Many thousands come to faith in prisons around the world – may the Lord continue to open doors for the gospel today.
Friday 9th May – Acts 16:16-21 ‘Hostages to fortune’
We humans love to know the future. We can’t, of course – but it doesn’t stop us trying. Almost since the dawn of civilisation, religious practice has had an element of trying to influence what is going to happen next: sacrifices to deities for a good harvest, fertility, and so on. When the Lord first reveals himself to his people in the early pages of the Old Testament, one of the most distinctive things about him is that this kind of practice is banned. The one true God wants us to relate to him on the basis of trust, and grace. The only sacrifices commanded are for thanksgiving, generosity or atonement – not to sway the future. This Lord is not a capricious tyrant.
We might think of ourselves as much more sophisticated now. But even as recently as 2015, 8% of Brits thought that horoscopes could predict the future, and 20% thought star signs could tell you something about yourself or someone else. The industry as a whole is worth billions a year worldwide – maybe we’re not so very different from the citizens of Philippi who paid large sums of money to have their fortunes told by a slave girl – our passage for today.
Luke passes no comment on the truthfulness of her predictions – though we need to acknowledge that the bible always treats the spiritual world as real; there was clearly some sort of unhealthy spiritual power at work, otherwise Paul would not have been prompted to do what he did: delivering her from whatever spirit was oppressing her (v18).
What causes problems, however, is not the spiritual confrontation itself – it’s much more earthy than that. This is about money. The slave girl was being exploited, making a lot of profit for her bosses. Fortunes were making a fortune! When these bosses ‘realised that their hope of making money was gone,’ suddenly they start concerning themselves with the wellbeing of their city! Only now are they bothered that ‘these men… are throwing our city into an uproar.’
The kingdom of God makes enemies – often not by being hypocrites and living badly, but rather by living well. Our goodness throws light into dark places that would rather stay hidden. ‘Live such good lives among the pagans,’ Peter says later, ‘that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.’ (1 Peter 2:12)
We’ll never know if the particular ‘pagans’ in this story eventually did so – the immediate outcome was jail time for Paul and Silas (more on that tomorrow). But the more fundamental lessons here are about distinctiveness, and trust. Our calling is to live distinctively – and to trust God for the rest. We don’t, and can’t, predict the future. But we do place our hands into the One we can trust, whose plans are to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us hope and a future. May we all have grace to trust our loving Lord today, whatever it has in store.
Thursday 8th May – Isaiah 9:2-7 ‘The Prince of Shalom’
We take a brief pause from Acts…
Today is the 80th anniversary of VE Day. It is a day to give thanks for the long peace that followed the horrors of the Second World War, the bloodiest in human history. Our news will naturally focus on the celebrations that took place in 1945. The actor Sheila Hancock reflected last week: ‘I think I probably quite enjoyed myself in 1945. The kids had a street party tea, with junket and blancmange (whatever happened to them?), with evaporated milk as cream, and a few chocolates. A feast in those strictly rationed days.’
But, in what was a very interesting article, she also reflects: ‘Yes, in 1945 we were relieved that the bombs and doodlebugs and rocket weapons had stopped, and we heard there was fun going on in the West End of London – but where I lived it was less jubilant. The war there felt far from over: we were still waiting anxiously for the return of the young lad next door from the rumoured horror of a Japanese prisoner of war camp, and many of my friends were trying to accept as fathers strange men they barely knew… I imagine the grownups were utterly exhausted and often grief-stricken.’
For all our thankfulness and celebration, the reality was more mixed. It is always thus – peace remains a precious but fragile thing in human society, now as much as ever. How we need to hear, and keep hearing, Isaiah’s great message, our passage for today: a vision of the peace that God will ultimately bring to this fractured world. Admittedly the context is set more in terms of a victory for God’s people; nevertheless it is equally clear that, in this vision of a healed world, there will be no more need for armies or violence – blood-soaked boots and clothes will be burned and done away with forever (v5).
Crucially, there will be a focal point for this new era of peace. A child will be born who carries divine authority, who will usher in and oversee this restoration of all things. And this child will have wonderful names, including perhaps the loveliest of all: the Prince of Peace. Or, to use the original word, the Prince of Shalom.
Shalom is now translated peace, but its meaning is much broader than our traditional definition. It means completeness or wholeness, the sense of everything being put right, perfected. This kind of shalom is much more than merely the absence of conflict, it is an active state of complete wellbeing.
This is the destiny which God intends for his world. And he will achieve it through the son which he gives (v6). Jesus is the Prince of Shalom. No wonder the angels cry out at his birth: ‘on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests!’ (Luke 2:14)
As we give thanks on this day of commemoration, may today’s passage also give us renewed faith – even a little mustard seed of it – to pray for our world. Above and beyond our human leaders, there reigns a greater, divine leader, one whose vision for the world is ultimately to establish complete wellbeing for all people, and whose vision will one day come to pass: Jesus, the Prince of Shalom. And may that divine shalom be ours today – the shalom that transcends all understanding.
Wednesday 7th May – Acts 16:11-15 ‘New place, new opportunities’
And so Paul’s European odyssey begins… Setting sail from Troas, even the weather was a sign that the Lord was directing their paths: they made the 150-mile voyage to Neapolis in two days (it took them five on the way back). Having arrived in port, they walked ten miles along the Via Egnatia – the main road across Greece, some of whose large paving stones are still visible today – from Neapolis to Philippi, the capital city of this region.
Philippi takes its name from King Philip of Macedon, who lived in the 4th century BC, and by the time Paul visited, it was now one of the principal Roman colonies on the Greek mainland. Normally, Paul would head straight for the synagogue to begin his mission activity. The fact that he does not suggests that Philippi at this time had no synagogue – which in turn indicates that the city did not have ten Jewish men living in it, which is the minimum required to establish a synagogue; however, it did have a ‘place of prayer’ conveniently sited on the River Gangites (so that it could be used for ceremonial washing), about a mile from the city centre.
Here, Paul and his friends ‘sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.’ As you read this, perhaps you picked up strong echoes of Jesus’ famous conversation with a Samaritan woman in John 4. It needs emphasising just what an unusual thing Paul does here. Normally no Jewish man would speak in public with a woman who was not a part of his family. Those who unfairly dismiss Paul as a crusty old sexist would do well to notice how much like Jesus he behaved in this encounter. He even stays with Lydia, just as Jesus did with Mary and Martha.
A new place opens up new possibilities – this mature Paul was acting with a godly missional freedom that may reflect the sense of opportunity that a new place brings. Significantly, each of his first three ‘divine encounters’ in Philippi brought the gospel to unusual people: a female merchant, a slave and then a prison guard. The river of the gospel is not only bursting the banks of geography, it is reaching new people, too. This message is truly universal.
There is so much to admire here: not least Paul’s creativity and Lydia’s courage; but let’s not miss that ultimately the impact is all God’s. It was the Lord who ‘opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.’ God needs our words, but ‘unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain.’ (Psalm 127:1) It’s what God does between Paul’s lips and Lydia’s heart that matters.
And so Lydia becomes the first convert in Europe! At least, the first we know about – it’s quite possible that a church in Rome was already beginning, maybe others elsewhere. But a purple cloth dealer is written into history – and all because Paul and his friends were willing to let God lead them to a new place, a new mission. Maybe the Lord has a ‘Philippi’ for you, too – if so, why not pray for God’s leading and blessing? And if not, pray for those reading this reflection, who may be in that position. The Lord has it all in hand.
Tuesday 6th May – Acts 16:6-10 ‘The end – or a new beginning?’
This time two weeks ago, I was walking by the North Sea, watching it crash onto the beach. I’ve always loved the shore. I love being at the edge of land, looking out. It’s a place of possibility, perhaps of eternity. But it’s also on the edge of something – and so, for some people, reaching the end of land has the opposite effect. It’s the end of the road.
The coast is a polarising place – is the coast a place of possibility, of the future; or of constriction, the end of something? Let’s go back about 1,975 years to Troas, a coastal town by the shore of Eastern Turkey, where a small group of evangelists were gathered. Candidly, they had probably arrived feeling more like the latter: like they had come to the end of the road, the end of the line, perhaps the end of their particular missionary journey for now.
Everywhere was being closed off to them – and not just by human beings, but by the Spirit of God himself: they were ‘kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia (western Turkey).’ (v6) It gets worse: then ‘they tried to enter Bithynia (north-western Turkey) but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to do so.’ (v7)
So here they are at Troas – literally on the far western shoreline of Turkey. They can’t go east or south to Asia Minor, they can’t go north to Bithynia. The only place they can go is West, into the sea…
…but maybe… ‘During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” (v9) God has a plan after all. He did mean for them to go west onto the sea – in order that they might travel to Greece. Macedonia is the name at the time for the Greek Mainland. God was shutting every other door, in order to open a new one: the Lord wanted them to start a new work in Greece. The gospel was heading to the mainland of Europe!
Today’s passage is a particular encouragement for any of us who wonder what plans God has in mind for us. Maybe you’ve been seeking the Lord and all it feels like is that doors are shutting; you’re drifting toward the modern-day equivalent of Troas, the end of the line, and you’ve no idea what’s coming next. You know it’s something, but God hasn’t made it clear yet. Paul’s experience shows us that doors shutting is not a bad thing if God has something better in mind. The good is the enemy of the best. Let’s take heart and resolve to trust that our Heavenly Father knows what he’s doing, and to redouble our determination to seek him.
And for the rest of us, there’s a healthy reminder that true, biblical guidance is not about us presenting our plans to God and asking him to rubber stamp them. If we really want the dynamic walk with the Lord which we long for, we have to take the risk of letting God pull the strings. It’s not easy – but the Lord always comes through: he did for Paul and his friends, and he will do for us. May the Lord grant us all grace to trust, wherever he directs our paths. Amen.
Monday 5th May – Acts 16:1-5 ‘All things to all people’
Classes of primary school children often visit one of our churches, to see what Christians do when they gather to worship. One thing I usually have ready is a table covered in different bibles. There’s always a stern-looking one clad in black leather, with small print – I explain that this is how people tend to picture ‘the bible’! Alongside this, however, are a range of other bibles: a children’s bible with bright pictures and simple text; a youth bible with lots of helpful tips and advice; there’s a small bible to take travelling, a board bible for toddlers, an adventure bible and even a comic strip bible – which always gets the most attention.
Other bibles I could have shown are the Street Bible which is the bible in rap/urban poetry, and the Journalling Bible, so people can draw and write along the pages as they go. It’s the same text, the same glorious gift to humanity – but the wrapping changes, according to the group it’s trying to reach.
One of the great strengths of the church is that, although the good news remains the same, the cultural clothing we use to communicate the good news can always be adapted. This has been true from the very beginning – St Paul, writing in his first letter to Corinth puts it like this: ‘Though I am free and belong to no-one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews… To those not having the law I became like one not having the law… I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.’ (1 Cor 9:19-22 excerpts)
This adaptability explains what might at first glance seem like an odd episode today. Having just decided that uncircumcised believers don’t need to be circumcised, why does Paul insist that half-Gentile Timothy does exactly that? It seems even more bizarre, given that Timothy’s first task is to journey with Paul, communicating the message about not needing to be circumcised to the people he’s meeting!
At first glance, it does look like a serious case of ‘do as I say and not as I do.’ However, there’s more to it. Notice that Timothy’s mother was Jewish (v1). Jews trace their family line (and religious heritage) through their mother – so for Timothy not to be circumcised immediately ostracised him from any effective ministry among Jewish people. It declared that he was ‘not one of them’, and therefore wouldn’t be welcomed into their company.
So, this is missional wisdom at work here. Gentiles (non-Jews) wouldn’t care if Timothy was or he wasn’t circumcised. Jewish people definitely would. By being circumcised, Timothy is able to minister with Paul to everyone, wherever he and Silas went. ‘To the Jews I became like a Jew… to those not having the law, I became like one not having the law….’
The wisdom of this decision is shown by its fruit (as Jesus originally observed): (v5) ‘The churches were strengthened in faith, and grew daily in numbers.’ Significantly, this kind of thinking paved the way for the spread of the gospel across the world. From now on, the cultural clothing could adapt, even if the message remained the same. The good news that Jesus is for everyone can be explained to everyone, in whatever way they can receive it.
As we begin this week, give thanks that we have the great blessing of a message whose presentation can change even while the fundamental good news does not. It connects us with God’s big family everywhere. We can trace a line from Timothy all the way through to us – and by God’s grace, to those we love and whom we long to know this good news, too. Thanks be to God!
Saturday 3rd May – Acts 15:36-41 ‘A sharp disagreement’
How many chances do you give someone before you give up on them?
That tough question lies at the heart of today’s story. Great friends Paul and Barnabas – freshly back from Jerusalem, having secured an historic agreement for the future of the church – are planning another mission trip; or rather, a return trip to all the places they had previously visited and planted churches. They are deciding on personnel and the question of Mark comes up. Does he come, too?
Here it’s worth saying that every good team need different personalities. Paul and Barnabas are very different. For Paul, the mission always comes first; for Barnabas, people always come first. And whilst my sympathies instinctively lie with Barnabas – I would say that, I’m more of a pastor than an evangelist! – the truth is that a good mission team needs both. Barnabas needs the energy and sheer courage of Paul; Paul needs the compassion and generosity of spirit of Barnabas.
However, when it came to the question of Mark, they couldn’t agree. There was no real compromise possible: either Mark went, or he didn’t. Barnabas – ever the big-hearted encourager – thought Mark deserved a second chance. Paul – perhaps still peeved at Mark quitting last time, or more likely taking the pragmatic view that if it was too ‘hot’ for Mark to handle last time, then it wasn’t going to be any different this time, so they were setting him up to fail – thought it wasn’t worth the risk.
Sadly, both of these great leaders felt too strongly to back down; and so they parted ways. Barnabas took Mark with him to Cyprus, Paul found a new companion in Silas and pursued the original plan. Interestingly, Paul also found Timothy soon after the trip started (more on that next time) – a clear indication, not just of how valuable Barnabas was, but also how Paul maintained a similar strategy to the last trip: a junior leader (Timothy) being mentored by two experienced leaders.
Although it is always unsettling to see disagreements like this, it is helpful to remember that these were real people with real flaws; we can too easily idolise the heroes of the faith. There is also an encouraging postscript: near the end of his life, Paul actually asks for Mark to come to him, ‘because he is helpful to me in my ministry’ (2 Timothy 4:11). Thanks to Barnabas’ persistent encouragement, Mark continued in ministry and flourished to the point that even Paul came to respect his worth. To say nothing of Mark writing one of the gospels!
As humans, it’s tempting to give up on people. But God never gives up on us. He can work all things to good. Let’s give thanks for the Barnabas’s of this world, and strive to emulate their example. Let’s also give thanks for the Pauls, too – we may not like them as much! But we need them as well… On God’s team, everyone has a vital part to play.
Friday 2nd May – Isaiah 49:1-7 ‘To the ends of the earth’
As we’ve reflected this week on the wonderful truth that the grace of God is now open to all, a brief pause from Acts to enjoy a famous prophetic word reminding us that this was always God’s plan…
Recently I heard the story of the Norwegian village that didn’t receive a single scrap of sunlight for 6 whole months. Their solution was to install three mirrors which move and rotate on a specific axis, to capture the sunlight. Its tracking system enables them to track the sun, and reflect sunlight downwards to the main square.
It’s a wonderful reminder of the power of light – and also that there are some parts of the world which miss out on light for long periods of the year. That said, at whatever point you’re reading this today, it remains true that much of our world will be bathed in light. The way that our earth rotates means that sunlight extends to the ends of the earth.
In today’s reading, we see a similar promise of global spiritual light. Isaiah 40-55 contains a number of ‘Servant Songs’, of which this is the second (the others are in chapters 42, 50 and 52-53). And in this particular song, God promises a new light for the whole world. The blessings enjoyed by Israel would soon be available to all (v6): which had always been the plan, but had not quite come to fruition before now. As people gazed on the ruins of Jerusalem, and wondered if life would ever recover, a new hope was springing up: one that was too big to be held within one people, but would stretch across the globe. This light would bring God’s salvation ‘to the ends of the earth.’
It’s easy to take this glorious truth for granted. We’re so used to the idea of universal access to God, we forget how rare it is. Virtually all other worldviews place some sort of limit on who’s ‘in’, but not the God of the bible. The grace of the one true God is available for all.
As humans we are made in the image of God, who is light. It follows that we were made to live in light – not just the light of the sun, but the light of the Son, too. When we pray, there will be thousands of people, maybe millions too, praying at that exact moment. Likewise when we sing. A global chorus of unceasing prayer and praise, as day follows night, and night follows day. It echoes the unending glory of heaven, where God is eternally praised.
So today, and every day, our small voice joins with millions of others across the world and throughout eternity, all worshipping the true light, the true servant who sets us free. May that thought lift our hearts… and may it also cause us to offer prayers of thanks and support for all who will pray and praise in Jesus’ name across the world today.
Thursday 1st May – Acts 15:19-35 ‘A holy compromise’
‘We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.’
What a wonderful summary! In my view, one of the greatest statements in the whole bible, albeit beautifully understated. And let’s admit that sometimes we do make it difficult for people to join the family of God. Indeed, I’ve met many people who’ve shied away from a secret longing to try church or faith because they fear being judged or forced to undergo all kinds of tests before they’ll be accepted. It’s not that faith isn’t transformative – it’s just that Christ welcomes us as we are, and then gets to work on transforming us from a place of security and belonging.
But, there are still dilemmas. Different cultures don’t always fit together easily – the very inclusive nature of faith in Christ means that people from all kinds of backgrounds have to rub along together. What one culture considers unimportant is fundamental in another. Do you wear Sunday best to attend worship? Do you leave your bible on the floor sometimes? Do you cross yourself regularly? Do you drink alcohol? Ask 100 Christians across the world these questions and at least some will consider one (or more) of these to be a big deal, while others can’t see the problem.
In both Romans and Corinthians Paul addresses the thorny issue of the ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ consciences. A weak (or tender) conscience needs to follow rules; a strong conscience emphasises our freedom in Christ. It’s not that one is innately better – but it means sometimes those with a ‘strong’ conscience do things which upset those with tender consciences; conversely, ‘weak’-conscience people can be unfairly judged as legalistic and rule-bound.
In today’s passage, the main conclusion is that Gentiles are free to become full members of God’s people without having to obey the Jewish Law. This paves the way for the global expansion of the church we’ve seen for the last 2,000 years – many of us reading this owe a huge debt to this judgement. However, in a masterstroke of practical wisdom, James indicates four particular areas of cultural sensitivity which would allow Jewish and Gentile believers to get along more easily in their new, shared communities of Christ. Three of them relate to food: meat sacrificed to idols (which most of it was, in cities with a pagan temple) or from strangled animals, and also the consumption of blood. All of these were expressly forbidden by the Jewish Law – but what is significant here is that these new Christian communities ate together frequently. Addressing food issues would make a huge difference to their capacity to build friendships ‘across the divide’.
‘Sexual immorality’ has been much debated, but the most likely interpretation is that this refers to marriages to close relatives, which were forbidden under the Jewish Law but relatively common in some pagan cultures. This again would make it hard for these two communities to worship together – and of course with a growing church family, suddenly more potential marriage partners were now possible.
In other words, these compromises were both reasonable for Gentile believers and reassuring for Jewish believers; most of all, they were wonderfully wise, both practically and pastorally.
The results were fantastic – the decision was disseminated clearly (vv23-29) and widely (v22, vv30-32), and bore much fruit. As we give thanks today for the grace and wisdom shown in this episode, let’s conclude by offering our own ‘blessing of peace’ (v33) to whoever is on our hearts. The grace of God is made to be shared. Amen!
Wednesday 30th April – Acts 15:5-18 ‘A pivotal moment’
‘Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened… Take my yoke upon you… for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ As we pick up the story from yesterday, these words of Jesus are worth keeping in mind, because, in many ways, they lie at the heart of the debate taking place in Jerusalem in today’s passage. The yoke – the part of the plough that fitted over the ox’s shoulders – was often used as a word to describe the Jewish Law. To obey the Lord was to bear ‘the yoke of the Law’, and it was a phrase Peter would have known well, and one he references clearly in v10: ‘Why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?’
Peter gave this powerful riposte to some Pharisees who had come to faith in Christ, but who still insisted that ‘Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses’ (v5).
As we observed yesterday, this was more than just a theological question, it would determine the whole future of the Jesus movement. Although no doubt there may have been some Gentile (non-Jewish) voices in this council, it is significant that Luke records only the contributions of Jewish followers of Jesus – Peter, Barnabas and Paul, and finally James, Jesus’ own half-brother. To be conclusive and authoritative, whatever was decided had to be agreed by those who were themselves of Jewish heritage – and eventually three factors swayed the argument.
First, the Spirit – as Peter declared, God had clearly poured out the Spirit on (uncircumcised) converts, just as much as circumcised ones. It appeared that circumcision was no longer the primary factor determining who was part of the Lord’s people. Second, signs. Paul and Barnabas were able to share with joy the ‘signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them’ (v12). Finally, Scripture. Now it was James’ turn: (v15) ‘The words of the prophets are in agreement.’ He quotes a key passage from Amos, which had always been understood as reflecting God’s future plans for salvation history. It turned out that this plan included ‘even all the Gentiles who bear my name’ (v17).
Let’s also observe that each speaker contributed something – so you could say the fourth factor was the sheer weight of the testimony. As James wrote in his circular letter, which we’ll look at tomorrow, ‘it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us….’ The mind of Christ was being expressed through wise Christian leaders.
Many centuries later, the Puritans taught that God’s guidance could be discerned through a combination of five factors: Scripture, Spirit, Saints, Signs and (Common) Sense. We see the first four of them here, and the growth of the church of this point indicates strongly that the fifth one was very much in evidence, too!
The church today still faces many questions and dilemmas. We would do well to go back to the wisdom of our ancestors. Big changes can’t be pushed through if only one or two of these ‘tests’ are in agreement. The Council of Jerusalem discerned the will of God through Scripture, Spirit, Saints and Signs; the fruit of that decision confirmed it as Sense, too. Today, let’s pray for all leaders tasked with discerning the will of God in our generation. May the Lord endow them with the courage and wisdom of those in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.
Tuesday 29th April – Acts 15:1-11 ‘Saved through grace’
On the afternoon of 9th May 1940, a meeting took place which was to change the course of world history. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met privately with Lord Halifax and Winston Churchill to discuss the future of the British Government. Chamberlain had been broken by the failure of the Munich Agreement and the ensuing start of the war, and was resolved to step down. The question was: who would replace him? Lord Halifax, current Foreign Secretary, friend of the king, the obvious candidate; or Churchill – maverick, unpredictable, for some years on the fringes of political life, and seen by most people at the time as ‘yesterday’s man’?
We know the answer to that question – and the rest, as they say, is history. But C.J. Sansom’s novel ‘Dominion’ asks the question: what if Halifax had been appointed? What if, as would have been likely were that to have happened, England had sued for peace with Germany (Halifax had supported Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement throughout) instead of fighting on? The following decades would have looked very different.
The outcome of one meeting dramatically impacted the course of history.
In Acts chapter 15, we see a similar meeting. The Council at Jerusalem is by far the most significant meeting that not many people have heard of! Certainly one of the most significant gatherings in the whole 2,000 years of church history – because it answers this most fundamental of questions: how does any human being have access to God? What is required for any of us to be ‘saved’?
The Church is thriving. As chapter 14 ended, Paul and Barnabas returned to their de facto home at Antioch having just completed a big missionary journey, and, despite significant opposition, having seen many new believers won and churches planted. The grace of God is bursting the banks everywhere and flooding the eastern Mediterranean with the good news.
As often happens, now comes the backlash (v1): ‘Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised… you cannot be saved.”’ This is more than just a theological debate – although it was that – this is a battle for the soul of the gospel. What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? Is the ‘new’ covenant really just an adapted version of the old?
It’s not surprising that the local debate in Antioch quickly escalated to Head Office – a Council in Jerusalem was convened (v2). Paul and Barnabas travelled 350 miles to be there, gathering supporters as they went (v3). It is telling, though, that the keynote speech comes from Peter – one of ‘Jerusalem’s own’ – who describes his own experience of seeing God at work in Gentiles i.e. non-Jews (vv7-9). He concludes with this remarkable declaration (v11): ‘We believe that it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we saved, just as they are.’
Saved through grace. What a message! Salvation is a gift, won by our Lord Jesus. Everyone can meet God on the same terms now, because Jesus has opened a door to all of humanity.
We all have our ‘unless you…’ thoughts – it’s human nature. Let’s hear that glorious news again today: that each one of us can be saved, because Jesus receives us as we are. The way to God stands open, in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And as we receive this truth with joy, may we also pray it with faith and hope for others – loved by God and saved through grace, just as we are. Amen.