The work of God in Philippi had begun in a very small way. Yet it was quickly blessed with the seal of God in the conversion of Lydia. Paul’s great gospel calling is described in 26:18. The words infer an inevitable conflict and in these verses we recognize the counter-attack […]

Sermon notes Directed by God to take the gospel into the continent of Europe, Paul begins his gospel work in Philippi. The details of how that work began is given in these verses. From small beginnings it grew and developed wonderfully, not only locally but eventually to alter the face […]

Paul’s planned missionary journey has begun. Despite the difficulty of Barnabas leaving the team, the work goes ahead. This in itself is a wonderful thing as many such ventures are spoiled by the kind of division seen here. The church in Antioch again supports this great gospel outreach. Along with […]

Sermon notes The events recorded in Chapter 15 revolve around the actions taken by the church to combat error that had threatened the truth of the gospel and the faith of all who believed it.  Following the drama in Antioch and then in Jerusalem, Paul and his preaching companions remain […]

Notes continued from Part 1 Paul and Barnabas, v12. Strangely, very little is recorded on their contribution to this discussion. As far as the limited information goes, they were content to rely on the vindication God had given to the gospel they had preached. The fact that their words were […]

Sermon notes The background to the events of this chapter is set in the congregation at Antioch. False doctrine was promoted among these Gentile believers as reported, v5, Gal 2:4-5. These men, it appears, believed but were false brethren and become the source of grave error in the church. It […]

Cp v6-20. The gospel ministry continues among these pagans. The healing of the lame man, v8-10. Again the connection between the message Paul preached, faith to receive it and the witness of God’s power is seen. N.b. the word testimony v3. The miracle is in essence a repetition of the […]

Paul at Iconium    Acts 14:1-7 Having withdrawn from Antioch in the manner described in 13:51, Paul leads his company to the city of Iconium, about 100 miles SW of Antioch. This is the modern Turkish city of Konya which today is an important pilgrimage site for Moslems. Here they continue […]

The aftermath of Paul’s sermon in Antioch                                Acts 13:44-52 We have already noticed how Paul preached in the synagogue in Antioch. His message was one which centred upon Christ as the only means of justification, v38-39 and concluded with a solemn warning to his Jewish audience, v40-41. That warning […]

Paul and Barnabas move from the island of Cyprus to the mainland of Asia Minor as they continue their missionary journey. As they move north to Antioch they suffer the disappointing setback of John Mark’s defection. Yet the work goes on!  The city they come to was one of major […]