Over the last several posts, we have talked about the life of the apostle Paul and all that he accomplished despite all the opposition he had to face. We are often amazed at the accomplishment of Paul and marvel at his perseverance, tenacity, and zeal. Yet, he was only able to achieve such through the help of others. We don’t always focus on this aspect of Paul but often look at him as a lone wolf who by his on grit and fortitude, with the help of the Holy Spirit, of course, achieve so much. But he literally had an army of helpers throughout his work of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Let’s take a look at some of them. I have found the following 70 individuals who supported Paul in some form or fashion:

Barnabas (Ac 4:36): He was a Levite from Cyprus with the name Joseph. The apostles called him Barnabas, meaning Son of Encouragement. He was the one who saw the potential in Saul of Tarsus, took him to see the apostles in Jerusalem after Paul’s conversion and when it was heard that Gentiles were becoming believers in Antioch in Syria went to get him and spent a year with Paul there teaching and preaching. Antioch sent both he and Paul on Paul’s first missionary journey. He intended to go with Paul on his second journey, but Paul did not want to take John Mark who had deserted them shortly after starting their previous journey. This created a split between the two and Barnabas went on his own missionary journey with his nephew John Mark. Later, Paul and John Mark made amends and Mark worked with Paul several times, it is likely that Barnabas and Paul also made amends but there is nothing in Scripture implying such, even though likely.

John Mark (Marcus; Ac 12:12): While he abandoned Paul and Barnabas on his first missionary journey, he became someone useful to Paul. We find him with Paul in Rome during his house arrest and sent his greetings to the church at Colossae. It seems that Paul may have sent him to Colossae, and this was an introduction to the church for his visit. When Paul was incarcerated the second time, he asked Timothy to send for Mark as well. He may have been with Peter at the time where he recorded many stories of Jesus from Peter’s first-hand account. While in Rome, Mark wrote his gospel, maybe from the encouragement from Paul.

Lucius (Ac 13:1): He was a prophet and teacher who was a founding member of the church in Antioch of Syria and one of the first to begin preaching Jesus Christ to Gentiles there. He was from Cyrene, a city in Northern Africa (Libya today). He apparently traveled with Paul as well as he is mentioned sending greetings to the church at Rome in Paul’s letter to them which he wrote from Corinth.

Simon, called Niger (Ac 13:1): He was a prophet and teacher who was a founding member of the church in Antioch of Syria teaching Jesus Christ to Gentiles there. He may have come with Lucius as he, too, was from Africa, and likely had very dark skin. He may have been a product of being converted into Jerusalem at Pentecost or from someone who had been there. He helped to send Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.

Manaen (Ac 13:1): He was a prophet and teacher who was a founding member of the church in Antioch of Syria teaching Jesus Christ to Gentiles there. He was also a Gentile and had grown up with Herod Antipas. It is unclear how he became a believer. He helped to send Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.

Silas (Ac 15:22): He was a Roman citizen and was either from Jerusalem or lived there when he accompanied Barnabas to go to Antioch in Syria, along with Judas (also called Barsabas) when the church in Jerusalem had heard how Gentiles were becoming believers and investigate what was going on. He was also considered a prophet and supported and encouraged the church in Antioch when they saw what was being done there. When Paul and Barnabas split, Silas agreed to go with Paul on his second missionary journey. Silas stayed with Timothy in Berea after Paul had to leave due to some Jews causing trouble for Paul. Both then joined Paul once they received word to accompany him in Athens. At some point, Silas also helped Peter for a time, but we don’t know exactly how.

Timothy (Ac 16:1): He was the son of a Jewish mother and a Gentile father in Lystra and was evidently converted by Paul on his first missionary journey as Paul found him highly respected by all upon his arrival on his second missionary journey. Paul asked him to accompany him and had him circumcised since he was half-Jewish and could better help minister to Jews if he was circumcised. He traveled with Paul to many places and helped to preach and teach about Jesus Christ. He became a leader of the church in Ephesus and went to minister to Paul when Paul was in Roman prison the second time shortly before Paul’s death. Paul wrote two letters to Timothy: the first to encourage him in his ministry at Ephesus and the second requesting Timothy to come to him in Rome.

Jason (Ac 17:5): He was a Jew who housed Paul when he came to Thessalonica on his second missionary journey. When some jealous Jews tried to find Paul at his house, he wasn’t there so they dragged Jason before city officials trying to say that Jason had aided and abetted men who were causing trouble in their city. To appease the crowd, the officials arrested Jason but then allowed him to post bond and let him go. Apparently, Jason also traveled with Paul because he was in Corinth with Paul when Paul wrote his letter to the Roman church.

Priscilla and Aquila (Ac 18:2): Paul called them “co-workers in Christ.” Aquila had the same profession as Paul, a tent maker. Paul met them in Corinth on his second missionary journey. Originally from Pontus (what is now northern Turkey near the Black Sea) but had been living in Rome until Claudius Caesar banished all Jews from Rome. They traveled with Paul as far as Ephesus when he sailed back to Jerusalem. They served in the church there in Ephesus and taught Apollos about Jesus as he only knew about the baptism of John the Baptist. When Claudius Caesar died, they went back to Rome and hosted a church there for a while. They apparently returned to Ephesus and served there with Timothy and hosted a church in their home as Paul tells Timothy to greet them for him when he asked Timothy to meet him in Rome after his second imprisonment.

Titius Justus (Ac 18:7): When Paul was thrown out of the synagogue in Corinth, this man opened his house to Paul.

Crispus (Ac 18:8): He was the leader of the synagogue in Corinth and he and his entire household became believers in Christ due to Paul’s preaching and teaching and was baptized by Paul.

Sosthenes (Ac 18:17): He was the leader of the synagogue in Corinth, perhaps after Crispus became a believer. The Jews in Corinth brought Paul before their proconsul, Gallio, but he would not listen to their complaint as he deemed it a religious matter. The mob then turned on Sosthenes and beat him in front of Gallio, but he again paid them no mind. Evidently, he became a Christian as Paul directs one of his letters to him and to the church at Corinth.

Apollos (Ac 18:24): A Jew from Alexandria who had a keen knowledge of Scripture and keen debating skills. He taught for some time in Corinth and likely other places. Apollos also delivered Paul’s letter to Titus in Crete, likely on his way home to Alexandria. In his letter, Paul asks Titus to help Apollos and Zenas on their journey and supply them with whatever they need.

Tyrannus (Ac 19:9): He owned a lecture hall in Ephesus and allowed Paul to teach there for about two years.

Erastus (Ac 19:22): Paul called Erastus a “helper” and was a prominent official in the city of Corinth in Achaia. He was the city’s director of public works. Yet, he still made time to travel with Paul several times. He was with Paul in Ephesus during Paul’s second missionary journey and when Paul decided to travel back to Jerusalem but first go through Macedonia and Achaia first, he sent Erastus, along with Timothy, to Macedonia while he stayed a little longer in Ephesus. It seems he also traveled with Paul to Spain and on the return trip, stayed in Corinth, his hometown, while Paul continued his journey.

Aristarchus (Ac 19:29): Paul calls Aristarchus his “fellow worker.” He was from Thessalonica in Macedonia. We don’t know when he accepted Christ as his Savior, but it may have been during Paul’s second missionary journey when he traveled through Thessalonica. We know he was with Paul in Ephesus during his third missionary journey when Demetrius the silversmith created a riot as he, along with Gaius, were taken by the mob and thrust into the theater. The city clerk calmed the crowd and Aristarchus and Gaius were released. He was also part of the group that accompanied Paul from Corinth back to Jerusalem, although we don’t know for sure if he went all the way to Jerusalem with Paul, but he likely did as he was noted by name to be on board the ship for at least part of the trip as Paul was transferred to Rome. He was also with Paul during his first imprisonment and was noted as a fellow prisoner in Paul’s letter to Colossae but called a fellow worker by Paul to Philemon.

Gaius (Ac 19:29; Ro 16:23; 1Co 1:14; 3Jn 1): There are likely four different men with the name Gaius: (1) Gaius of Macedonia who faced danger from the mob in Ephesus when Demetrius the silversmith created a riot to protest Paul’s teachings; (2) Gaius of Derbe, who was a travel companion of Paul at the end of Paul’s second missionary journey as he traveled from Corinth to Jerusalem; (3) Gaius of Corinth, a convert and host of Paul who Paul baptized; (4) Gaius of unknow location to whom John sent his 3rd epistle and who was noted for his hospitality to many believers. Although, if John had converts in Corinth, then this could be the same Gaius as noted in Corith as Paul noted him for his hospitality as well.

Sosipater (Sopater; Ac 20:4; Ro 16:21; ): He was a Jew from Thessalonica and likely converted on Paul’s second missionary journey when he traveled through that city. He was also with Paul in Corinth when Paul wrote his letter to the Roman church as he sent his greetings to them. He also traveled with Paul on his return trip to Jerusalem, at least for a while.

Secundus (Ac 20:4): He was a Jew from Thessalonica and likely converted on Paul’s second missionary journey when he traveled through that city and also traveled with Paul on his return trip to Jerusalem, at least for a while.

Tychicus (Ac 20:4): He is first mentioned during Paul’s third missionary journey accompanying Paul back to Jerusalem from Corinth. He was from the province of Asia, but we are unsure which city. Likely not Ephesus as he was mentioned with Trophimus who we know was from Ephesus, so when Luke lumped these two together, he just stated the province from where they were from. Paul describes him as a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. He was evidently with Paul in Rome during his first imprisonment as he delivered Paul’s letters to Ephesus and Colossae and was sent as well to tell them more of what was happening with Paul and to give them encouragement. He was also with Paul during his second imprisonment as he delivered Paul’s letter to Timothy and ministered for Timothy in Ephesus while Timothy went to see Paul.

Trophimus (Ac 20:4): He is also first mentioned during Paul’s third missionary journey accompanying Paul back to Jerusalem from Corinth. Like Tychicus, he was also from Ephesus in the province of Asia. We know that he went all the way to Jerusalem with Paul as it was noted that some saw him with Paul walking within the city of Jerusalem. After Paul was released from his first imprisonment, it seemed he traveled with Paul to Spain but on the journey back, because sick and had to recover in Miletus while Paul continued his trip.

Phoebe (Ro 16:1): She took the letter Paul wrote to the church at Rome with her as she, and many other Jews, traveled back to Rome from Greece since Claudius Caesar who had banished Jews from Rome had just died. While in Greece, she lived in Cenchreae, a city on the isthmus of Achaia that was between Corinth and Athens and served as a deacon of the church there. She monetarily supported Paul and others.

Epenetus (Ro 16:5): This man was Paul’s first convert in the province of Asia. He was in Rome when Paul wrote his letter to the Roman church as Paul sent his greetings to him.

Mary (Ro 16:6): There are many women named Mary in the Bible. This one was a friend of Paul and had “worked hard” for those in Rome. It is unclear to what Paul was referring to, but Paul was grateful for her efforts.

Andronicus and Junia (Ro 16:7): Paul states these were “outstanding among the apostles” and that they were Christians before him. They were likely husband and wife and had even been in prison for their efforts. As Paul had not yet been to Rome, they may have become believers when they were in Jerusalem for Shavuot (Pentecost) when the Holy Spirit fell and many believed in Jesus through the disciples’ preaching and they then brought their belief back to Rome and started a house church.

Ampliatus, Urbanus, Stachys (Ro 16:8-9): We know nothing about these men, but Paul called each of them a “dear friend.”

Apelles (Ro 16:10): Apparently, he went through some kind of persecution but remained faithful to Christ and Paul commends him for this.

Aristobulus, Narcissus (Ro 16:10-11): Paul gave greetings to the entire household of each man which must mean that their entire families were believers and involved with the church in Rome.

Herodion (Ro 16:11): Paul called him his “fellow Jew,” so they must have developed a fond closeness at some point. Maybe he met Paul in Corinth as he waited to be able to return to Rome.

Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis (Ro 16:12): Paul states that these women “work hard in the Lord” which likely shows their devotion to God, and likely their devotion to Paul, again, maybe in Corinth as they waited to return to Rome.

Rufus (Ro 16:13): This was likely the son of the man who carried the cross for Jesus to Golgotha. Paul states that he was “chosen in the Lord” and that his mother became a mother to him as well.

Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas (Ro 16:14): Paul sends them greetings along with other brothers and sisters with them. This may have been a house church of which they were a part of in Rome.

Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, Olympas (Ro 16:15): Paul sends them greetings along with all the Lord’s people who are with them. This may have been a house church of which they were a part of in Rome.

Tertius (Ro 16:22): He was the scribe who wrote the book of Romans as Paul dictated to him.

Quartus (Ro 16:23): A believer in Corinth when Paul wrote his letter to the church at Rome who Paul refers to as “brother.”

Stephanas (1Co 1:16): He was Paul’s first convert in Achaia, likely Athens, but was now serving in Corinth as Paul seems to imply that the church in Corinth was not really incorporating Stephanis’ family into their church very well. Stephanas was one of three who came to Paul in Ephesus to give their greeting and support.

Fortunatus, Achaicus (1Co 16:17): They both came with Stephanas to Ephesus from Corinth to meet with Paul and give their greetings and support.

Titus (2Co 2:13): Paul calls him “my partner and fellow worker.” He was a Gentile and likely from Antioch in Syria and went with Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem for the Church Council meeting held there to discuss Gentile Christians. He served with Paul in Ephesus and Corinth during his second missionary journey. When Paul was addressing issues in Corinth from his time of ministry in Ephesus, he sent Titus to Corinth to see how they were taking Paul’s reprimands. When Paul left Ephesus, he believed he would meet Titus in Troas on his way back from Corinth, but he was not there. This worried Paul so he traveled on to Macedonia, likely Philippi, where he did meet up with Titus and was overjoyed seeing Titus and the happy disposition Titus had about the Corinthian church. It seems Titus also accompanied Paul on his visit to Spain and started a church in Crete on their return. Titus stayed in Crete to lead the church and Paul wrote him a letter of encouragement and instruction sometime later. When Paul was arrested in Nicopolis and sent back to Roman prison, he had Artemas go to Crete and lead the church there so Titus could go to Rome and minister to Paul in prison. Later, Paul sent Titus to Dalmatia to minister there (an area that used to be Yugoslavia and is now Serbia and Montenegro).

Epaphroditus (Pp 2:25): Paul calls him “my brother,” “co-worker,” and “fellow soldier.” Evidently Paul knew him quite well, likely of the time he spent in Philippi. Epaphroditus was from Philippi and brought a financial gift from the church there to Paul when he was imprisoned in Rome. While with Paul, Epaphroditus became very sick and almost died, but God allowed him a full recovery, which Paul said pleased him greatly and relieved his anxiety about him. When Epaphroditus returned, Paul sent his letter to the Philippian church with him.

Epaphras (Cl 1:7): Paul calls him a “dear fellow servant,” “a faithful minister of Christ,” “a servant of Christ Jesus,” and “my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus.” He was a native of Colossae. We don’t know when he became a believer, but it may have been when Paul ministered in Ephesus. It is thought that Epaphras started the church in Colossae. Epaphras was with Paul in Rome during his first imprisonment as Paul sent greetings to the church there in his letter to Colossae and to Philemon specifically in his letter to Philemon.

Onesimus (Cl 4:9; Pm 10): Paul called him “a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you.” He was a slave of Philemon in Colossae. Unsatisfied, he stole from his master and then fled, winding up in Rome where he likely thought he could blend into society. Yet, what he stole eventually ran out and he likely tried to steal again and was thrown into prison. This seems to be when he met Paul and through his teaching believed in Christ. He and Paul became good friends. Paul wrote a letter to Philemon to ask him to take Onesimus back, not as a slave, but as a fellow brother in Christ. Onesimus traveled with Tychicus as he delivered letters from Paul to Ephesus and Colossae. Philemon lived in Colossae.

Jesus (Justus; Cl 4:11): He was a believer with Paul in Rome during his house arrest.

Luke (Cl 4:14): He was a physician and possibly a Gentile. Being a physician, I am sure he got much practice with Paul, not only a dear friend but a patient. Paul referred to him as “the beloved physician” but also as “a fellow laborer.” We don’t know anything about his conversion, but Luke joined Paul in Troas during his second missionary journey just before they traveled to Philippi due to Paul’s vision of a man in Macedonia asking for help. Luke remained in Philippi until Paul came back through on his way to Jerusalem when he rejoined them as they passed through Philippi. It seems he was with Paul from that point on as we know he was with Paul in his imprisonment in Caesarea where he wrote his gospel and was with Paul in Rome during his first imprisonment where he wrote his book of Acts and Paul mentions him in his letter to Colossae and to Philemon. Luke was also with Paul during his second imprisonment as he mentioned to Timothy when Paul asked for Timothy to come to him in Rome.

Demas (Cl 4:14): Paul called him a “dear friend” and “fellow worker.” We don’t know when Demas joined Paul, but we know he was with Paul during his first imprisonment as Paul gives his greetings to the church at Colossae and to Philemon in his letters to them. He was also with Paul during his second imprisonment, but something happened as Paul stated that Demas deserted him in his time of need and left for Thessalonica. Apparently, he looked for comforts of the world rather than the hardship that he saw Paul go through. The first time Paul was imprisoned, he was under house arrest, so it wasn’t that bad—just freedom restricted. This time, though, Paul was in a dank prison cell and treated more harshly. Perhaps Demas felt this was no longer for him. Another has suggested he may have fallen to the sway of Gnosticism.

Nympha (Cl 4:15): A woman who lived in Colossae and had a house-church in her home. Paul gives her a special greeting.

Archippus (Cl 4:17; Pm 2): He is thought to be the son of Philemon, and Paul gives a special admonishment and encouragement to continue the ministry in which he had received from the Lord.

Onesiphorus (2 Ti 1:16): He apparently lived in Ephesus and befriended Paul multiple times. It seems he even traveled to Rome when Paul was in prison and ministered to him there as well.

Crescens (2Ti 4:10): We know very little about him, but he was with Paul during his second Roman imprisonment and went to Galatia, likely to preach there.

Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia (2Ti 4:21): These are only mentioned once in the Bible in Paul’s second letter to Timothy. They were part of the church in Rome and became good friends of Paul and of Timothy, likely helping both in their ministries.

Artemas (Tt 3:12): He is only mentioned once in Scripture, but apparently Paul depended on him greatly. He seemed to have accompanied Paul to Spain and was sent by Paul to Crete to serve the church there so Titus to come visit Paul—originally to Nicopolis where Paul had decided to winter, but then to Rome as Paul was arrested and placed in prison there.

Zenas (Tt 3:13): A companion and lawyer who traveled with Apollos and helped to deliver Paul’s letter to Titus in Crete, likely on his way to Alexandria. In his letter, Paul asks Titus to help Apollos and Zenas on their journey and supply them with whatever they needed.

As you can see, Paul was able to accomplish so much because he had such dear friends devoted to him and to his mission for the Lord. They were willing to be in the shadows, so to speak, in order to ensure that the gospel was spread far and wide through Paul’s efforts. We all need friends like these, don’t we?

Next, we’ll see what occurred after the mission of Apostle Paul was over. I hope you join me.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The apostle Paul is an example where he did not let his circumstances affect his commitment for Christ. He seemed to take what we would consider negative and turned it into a positive. Let’s look at the time of his first Roman incarceration.

Paul and his contingent finally arrived in Italy in 60 AD after their shipwreck and wintering on the island of Malta. Once arriving, many of the Jews in Rome heard that Paul was on his way and went to meet him even before he reached Rome and encouraged his spirits (Ac 28:15). Once in Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with a soldier to guard him.

Three days later, Paul called the Jewish leaders to come and meet with him. He told them what had happened to him and what the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem had accused him of and why he was not guilty of such charges. They stated no one had sent any letters or information regarding him and his supposed crimes. They were willing to hear more from him and set up a time with him. When they came again, they brought many more Jews with them. Paul spent the entire day explaining to them about the kingdom of God and how the Law of Moses and the Prophets predicted the coming of Jesus and him dying for their sins. Some were convinced while others were not and refused to hear more from Paul. Paul told them that they were fulfilling what the Prophets said about the Jews hearing but never understanding, seeing but never perceiving which has caused them to become calloused. He then warned them that if they refused God’s salvation, it would be preached to the Gentiles who would listen and receive God’s message. Paul was in his own rented house for two years and proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and without hindrance (Ac 28:17-31).

Paul wrote four of his epistles while arrested in Rome: Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians.

It seems Paul’s epistles Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon were each written about the same time, or at least in the same year (61 AD) and were taken to these churches by Tychicus. While Paul’s letter to Colossians was to the believers at Colossae, it seems his epistle to the Ephesians was not only for the church at Ephesus, but to be a circuit letter for many churches in that area.

Paul did not write Ephesians regarding any specific problem or controversy. He talks about the privileges and responsibilities of those who are part of the Body of Christ. He states that the entire Godhead had part in creating the church, Christ’s bride. In his sovereignty, God the Father called all believers out of humanity unto himself due to his love and for his glory. Although God made the decree that people could be saved, divine justice had to also be satisfied. God the Son, Jesus Christ himself, paid that price of divine justice to provide salvation through the shedding of his blood, declaring us righteous, and setting us free from the power of sin. God’s spirit then seals us indicating we are now God’s and cannot be removed from his hand. He goes on to say that being part of Christ brings us unity. There is no longer a distinction between Jew and Gentile. We are all one under Christ. The Holy Spirit then imparts gifts to each believer for the unity of believers and the glory of God. Because of what Christ has done for us, we should live for him out of our gratitude and yield to the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit, especially in marriage, in family, and in our spiritual battle with spiritual forces in this world.

Paul wrote to Colossae to help stabilize the church and to combat heretical teachings that were being promulgated by certain individuals. The church was founded by Epaphras, likely a convert of Paul from Ephesus, and who was likely sent to evangelize Colossae. While primarily composed of Gentiles, the church did have a Jewish component as well. Although Paul had never been to Colossae, he told them he had heard of their faith and regularly prayed for them to grow in real knowledge and wisdom. Paul emphasizes the deity and all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ.

The heretical teachings here seem to be a mixture of Jewish legalism (asceticism) as well as angel worship and Gnosticism. The basis of Gnosticism is that spirit is good and physical is bad. Therefore, if Christ was not all spirit, but took on human bodily form, then he had evil within him. Paul counters this by stating that Christ was the image of God, that is, being the exact reproduction of deity, and was the firstborn, implying that Christ existed prior to creation, and was sovereign over all creation, meaning he is the Lord of creation.

While possessing the powers and attributes of deity, Christ had a human body in order to reconcile man to himself. Faith is built on the firm foundation of the deity of Christ and the sufficiency of his death on the cross. We have life, forgiveness, deliverance, and victory in Christ so we should live a life that conforms to this exalted position. We should relinquish all sinful actions and maintain virtuous living.

As Tychicus delivered Paul’s letter to Colossae, a man by the name of Onesimus accompanied him. Onesimus was a slave under the oversight of a man named Philemon who lived in, or near, Colossae and even hosted a house-church in his home. It is believed that Philemon had heard Paul speak in Ephesus and became a believer in Jesus due to Paul’s teaching. Apparently, Onesimus had stolen from Philemon and fled from his master to Rome where he likely thought he could get lost in the crowd, so to speak. While there, he must have been arrested for something—maybe stealing again. This may be how he met Paul as both were prisoners. Yet, since Paul was renting a house, it is unclear how they actually met. Yet, Paul did minister to him, and he accepted Christ as his Savior and became a dear friend of Paul’s. Paul told him that he had to return to Philemon and repent for his wrongdoing, but Paul was willing to send a letter to Philemon on Onesimus’ behalf since Philemon was a dear friend of Paul’s as well. Paul asks Philemon to receive Onesimus as he would receive him. He stated that if there was any financial loss to charge Paul and he would repay it. He then reminds Philemon that he, too, had a spiritual debt which Jesus relieved through Paul’s witness to him, so in that sense, Philemon owed far more to Paul than Onesimus owed to Philemon. Paul tells Philemon that he knows he will do the right thing and hopes to stop by once he is out of prison.

The next year (64 AD), Paul wrote his epistle of Philippians to the church at Philippi in Macedonia which was delivered to them by Epaphroditus who was from Philippi. This church had sent Paul a financial gift, so he wanted to thank them. He also wanted them to understand that while he was a prisoner, he was joyful that the gospel of Christ was still being preached, and he indicated his desire to visit them once he was released. Paul also wanted them to understand that circumstances of life should not dictate one’s joyfulness, but that joy came from seeing things though God’s perspective.

While Paul was in prison, Luke completed the book of Acts he was writing ever since he was with Paul on his missionary journeys. We know it was at this time in 63 AD because his writing does not go beyond this point in Paul’s ministry. He again wrote it originally to Theophilus, as he did his gospel. Again, while originally written to him, it was destined for a much larger audience. As stated, his gospel was to show Jesus being superior to any other man and then this book was the sharing of that good news to everyone, both Jew and Greek, and to show that this sharing was not the work of zealous men but done through the leading of the Holy Spirit. It also shows the fulfillment of Christ Great Commission: their witness in Jerusalem by telling the account of Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit to Christ’s followers, the works of Peter, John and the other apostles and their miracles, and the work and stoning of Stephen; their witness in Judea and Samaria through the telling of the work by Philip, Saul, Peter, and the Church; the witness to the uttermost part of the Earth by telling what occurred during Paul’s missionary journeys and his preaching in Rome.

What we know about the rest of Paul’s life and ministry is gleaned through statements made in his various epistles. Paul was released from prison after being incarcerated for three years. It seems after his release Paul sent Timothy to Philippi and he traveled toward Asia Minor visiting Crete along the way establishing a church there. Timothy then met up with Paul somewhere in Asia Minor, likely Miletus as that would be a convenient place for their separate journeys to merge. There is no clear evidence that Paul ever made it back to Ephesus. At any rate, Paul sent Timothy on to Ephesus while he went to Colossae. He may also have visited Laodicea and Hierapolis as Paul was concerned for them as well (Cl 2:1, 4:13). It is then thought Paul traveled on to Troas and then to Philippi and on to other places in Macedonia while Timothy remained at Ephesus to teach and encourage the church there (1Tm 1:3).

Philippi is where Paul likely wrote 1st Timothy, his first letter to Timothy. Paul wanted to return to Ephesus but believed it would still be a while before he could follow up with Timothy in person, so he wrote this letter to him to encourage him and to remind him of his authority and ministry responsibilities as well as to instruct the members of the church in their responsibilities.

It is at this time that Paul likely traveled to Spain and may have gone as far as Great Britain. It is likely he may have taken Titus and Trophimus (2Tm 4:20) with him on this journey because we are told that on the way Paul and Titus visited Crete where Paul had Titus stay behind to minister to the church there. Also, it is noted that Paul stated he left Trophimus sick in Miletus as he traveled to Troas. While some believe this is the time Paul wrote his letter to Titus and did so from Ephesus. But if he never returned to Ephesus, this could not be the case. It is more likely that he wrote to Titus from Corinth as this would be on his journey to get to Nicopolis where we know he visited (Tt 3:12), and would have been a logical place for Paul to run into Apollos and Zenas by whom he sent his letter to Titus (Tt 3:13) as they were likely traveling into Asia Minor or perhaps back to Alexandria, Apollos’ home town. Crete would not have been too far out of their way. We are told that on his way to Nicopolis, Paul had left Erastus in Corinth (2Tm 4:20), so meeting Apollos and Zenas there in Corinth would make sense.

Paul wrote his letter to Titus to encourage him and to teach correct doctrine so he could refute the false teachers there, to remind him to complete the necessary organizational needs of the church, and to ask him to meet him in Nicopolis. Paul was sending Artemas to relieve Titus so he could come and meet Paul in Nicopolis (Tt 3:12). It seems Crete had been inundated with Judaizers wanting to take the congregations back to the ritual laws of Judaism as well as philosophies of Gnosticism, hedonism, and asceticism, all having the desire to take over and control the lives of believers there. Paul sternly warned Titus to stifle these dangerous teachings and focus on the truth of the Gospel dispensing with these manmade myths and traditions.

Something occurred in 64 AD in Nicopolis that got Paul arrested. We are not told any details of the event that led to his arrest and being taken back to Rome. This time, however, he was not allowed to be under house arrest but placed in a dank prison cell. The climate had changed as Nero had accused the Christians of burning Rome and all Christians were now being severely persecuted. It was from here that Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, and this was his final recorded writing. Paul wrote 2nd Timothy to encourage Timothy in his ministry and to ask him to come to Rome to visit him. The tone of this letter is very different from his writing during his first Roman imprisonment. He knew he would not be released this time (2Tm 4:6). It seems that Tychicus delivered this letter to Timothy for Paul (2Tm 4:12) and to allow Timothy to come to Paul. It seems that Paul was still planning for the various churches and their growth: he had Crescens to go to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia (2Tm 4:10). Although Paul stated that he was all alone the first time he went before Caesar (2Tm 4:16-17), he was not alone this time: Onesiphorus visited (2Tm 1:16-17), Luke was with him (2Tm 4:11) as well as several others apparently from the church there in Rome, e.g., Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia (2Tm 4:210. However, being a Christian was now a crime, and several had deserted Paul and/or the faith (2Tm 1:14; 4:10). Paul wanted to see Timothy one last time (2Tm 1:4; 4:9) and wanted Timothy to bring John Mark with him (2Tm 4:11) as well as to stop by Troas and retrieve the cloak, book, and parchments he left there with Carpus (2Tm 4:13).

Once John Mark arrived in Rome to see Paul, it seems this is the time that Mark wrote his gospel while being in Rome. Perhaps it was at Paul encouragement for him to do so. He and Paul had made amends earlier because he was also noted to be in Rome with Paul during his first incarceration as he was noted in Paul’s letter to both Philemon and to the church at Colossae (Pm 1:24; Cl 4:10). When Paul was released from prison the first time, Mark apparently ministered in Rome for a time and then with Peter (1Pt 5:13). It is thought that Mark got many of his stories about Jesus from Peter. Mark’s gospel was geared for a Roman audience as he explained many Jewish and Aramaic terms to his readers which the other gospel writers did not do, and he referred to Simon of Cyrene who bore Jesus’ cross for him to Golgotha as “the father of Alexander and Rufus” and would be known to his readers because Rufus was a member of the church in Rome (Ro 16:13).

During this time of Paul’s imprisonment, the book of Hebrews was written in 65 AD. Some say Paul wrote the letter just before his death in Rome. Others argue that the style of writing differs drastically from the way Paul wrote. There are many writers that have been proposed: Paul, Luke, Barnabas, Silas, Philip, and Apollos. Some traditions state that it was written from Alexandria as there was a large Jewish community there. If that is true, then it may suggest Apollos’ authorship as Alexandria was his hometown.

Although we don’t know the author or the place of authorship, it is clear that the writer wrote to a specific group of people he knew well. Because of the subject matter of the book where Jesus is compared to Old Testament Scriptures, it was likely written primarily to Jewish Christians. Maybe it was written to oppose Judaizers and Gnostics still surfacing in the church, especially those with large Jewish congregations. The writer wrote to convince his audience that Christ was superior to angels, superior to Moses, superior to Aaron, and superior to oneself as the worship of God was to be through Jesus Christ, the “new and living way” and reminds them that the key to true spirituality is one living by faith. Trusting God and what God has said is foundational to spiritual success.

Paul was more upbeat during his first arrest, likely because he could see an eventual way out of prison, and he was able to be under house arrest and have visitors. Yet, his freedoms were still limited. His second time, however, was another matter. He no longer saw an escape and had to come to terms with his likely death. This, of course, changed his mood and the mood of his letters. Yet, he still preserved until the end, wanting to run his life’s race faithfully (2Tm 4:7). May we each be able to do the same.

Join next time as we look at Paul’s last days in Rome and what was going on at that time.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

A lot of times, what we accomplish is based upon our attitude and our circumstances. This was certainly true for the apostle Paul. Let’s look at the time he returned to Jerusalem and was arrested. Some may see this as avoidable, but Paul’s circumstances put him in places he would never have been otherwise. Paul used those times as opportunities to share Jesus.

When Paul decided to sail back to Syria after completing his third missionary journey, it was discovered that some Jews had plotted against him, so he traveled back through Macedonia. Several people went ahead to Troas and waited for Paul and Luke to arrive: Sopater from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, and Timothy, Tychius and Trophimus from Asia. Paul stopped in Philippi for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and then sailed to Troas to meet his other friends (Ac 20:1-6).

Paul stayed in Troas for seven days. On the seventh day he spoke in an upstairs room to the people and intended to leave the next day. Yet he kept on talking until midnight. A young man named Eutychus sat in one of the windows listening. Due to the length of the meeting, he fell asleep and then fell three stories out of the window and died. Paul threw himself on the young man putting his arms around him and the man revived. Everyone returned to the upstairs room, ate, talked until daylight, and Paul then left (Ac 7-12).

Once Paul and his friends reached Miletus, Paul sent through messengers for the elders of the Ephesian church to meet him there. He told them that this could be the last time they may see him because he knew that some Jewish leaders were plotting against him. Yet, he felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to return to Jerusalem. After praying with the Ephesian elders, they wept knowing they may never see Paul again (Ac 20:13-38).

The ship landed in Tyre to unload its cargo, and he met with some believers there for seven days. They reboarded the ship and landed at Ptolemais where he again met with believers there for that day. The next day, they sailed to Caesarea and stayed with the evangelist Philip for seven days. A prophet there, named Agabus, prophesied that Paul would be arrested in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles. Many then tried to persuade him not to go up to Jerusalem, but Paul was insistent that he do so as he felt the Holy Spirit wanted him to do so (Ac 21;1-18).

When arriving in Jerusalem, the disciples there greeted him warmly. The next day, he met with James and the other elders where he told them all that God had done for the Gentiles through his ministry. They all praised God for his work but stated that word was out that Paul was teaching Jews to abandon the Law of Moses, not to have their children circumcised or live according to Jewish customs (Ac 21:17-21).

As Paul had made a previous vow, there were four men with them in Jerusalem who had also made a vow. It was suggested that Paul go with them to the temple and join in their purification rites and pay their expenses for having their heads shaved. Then everyone would know that Paul was living in obedience to the law and the reports told about him were false and all that the Gentile believers had been told was what the Council had said previously: abstain from food sacrifice to idols, from blood, from meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality (Ac 21:22-26).

Paul agreed and went to the temple to set the days for purification. When the purification time was nearly over, Paul was seen in the temple by some Jews from Asia. They created a disturbance by seizing him, claiming he was teaching everyone everywhere against Jewish laws and customs, and had brought Greeks into the temple. Trophimus, an Ephesian, had been seen with Paul in the city but not in the temple. This created such an uproar that people started beating him and would have killed him if a Roman commander had not intervened. Paul had to be carried by soldiers into the barracks next to the temple while many in the crowd kept saying, “Get rid of him!” (Ac 21:27-36).

Paul asked the commander if he could speak to the people. The commander thought he was an Egyptian who had led four thousand terrorists in a revolt. Paul identified himself and was allowed to speak. Paul began to give his testimony, and the people listened until he stated the Lord had sent him to the Gentiles (Ac 21:37-22:21).

The crowd then lost it and shouted he was not fit to live. The commander had Paul taken to the Roman barracks and told a centurion to flog him. Paul asked the man tasked with the deed if he could do this to a Roman citizen. The centurion went to the commander and told him Paul was a Roman citizen. Those who had come to interrogate Paul withdrew immediately upon hearing this news. The commander then tried to find out what was going on (Ac 22:22-29).

The centurion released Paul and commanded the chief priests and Sanhedrin to assemble. He then brought Paul to stand before them to find out the charges. Paul stated he had fulfilled his duty to God in a good conscience. Ananias, the current high priest, ordered those near him to strike Paul on the mouth. Paul then reprimanded him and called him a whitewashed wall. Then Paul was reprimanded for speaking such against the high priest. Paul then apologized saying he did not know Ananias was the high priest. He may have known Ananias but not that he had become high priest. When Paul carried out his persecutions of Christians, Caiaphas was the high priest. Because Paul had no personal dealings with the Sanhedrin after his conversion, he likely did not know when Caiaphas was removed from being high priest and Ananias put into that position since he had been out of the country for several years at this point. Paul then realized that both Sadducees and Pharisees were present, so he stated he was standing before them because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead. This then caused a dispute between those present because the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead in the last day, but the Pharisees did. Many of the Pharisees stood up for him at that point and created such a dispute that the commander was afraid Paul would get torn to pieces by them. He ordered his troops to go down and take Paul by force and bring him back to the barracks. That night, an angel appeared to Paul and said Paul would testify for God in Rome (Ac 22:30-23:11).

Several Jews formed an oath among themselves that they would neither eat nor drink until Paul was dead. They then went to the chief priests and the Sanhedrin with their plot of how they could have Paul murdered. Yet, Paul’s nephew heard of their plan and told Paul who then requested the centurion guarding him to take his nephew to the commander. He told the commander that more than forty men were waiting to kill Paul when the commander would have Paul delivered to the Sanhedrin as their request (Ac 23:12-22).

That night, the commander had Paul delivered to Governor Felix in Caesarea with the protection of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, and sent a letter of explanation as to why Paul was delivered to him. When Felix learned that Paul was from Cilicia, he agreed to hear his case, likely because Cilicia was a Roman province and Paul was a Roman citizen. Felix gave Paul certain liberties not awarded to all prisoners. He was able to have friends visit him and take care of his needs (Ac 23:23-35).

Felix was a freed slave of the mother of Caesar Claudius, Antonia. Claudius liked Felix and gave him the governorship of Samaria and Judea around 52 AD, six years before Paul was delivered to him. He had a bad reputation among the Jews and was known for his violence. He married Drusilla, a Jew, who was the daughter of Herod Agrippa I and known for her beauty. She was already married to Azizus, a Syrian king, who she married at age 14, but Felix persuaded her, with the help of Simon Magus, who he had befriended in Rome, to divorce and marry him, which she did at age 20.

The time now was 56 AD, and this is also the time that Luke wrote his gospel. He emphasized the humanity of Jesus to highlight Jesus’ character, show his relationship with mankind, and demonstrate him as the perfect sacrifice for all of humanity’s sin. As he was writing this as a proof-text to Theophilus (Lk 1:3-4), apparently a good friend of his and likely of Greek or Roman descent, with his name meaning “friend of God” or “loved by God.” Yet, he likely meant this to be not just a personal letter but to be read by many other Gentiles to help them see Jesus Christ as the answer to their spiritual pursuit. The Greeks had a pursuit of the perfect man, so Luke was presenting the only one who was perfect and the only one whom they should follow.

While Paul was under arrest there in Caesarea, Felix and Drusilla had Paul brought before them where he spoke to them about his faith in Jesus Christ. Once Paul got to the issue of judgment to come, Felix stopped Paul from speaking further and said he would call for Paul again at some point, but he never did (Ac 24:24-25). Yet, he did not pronounce judgment on Paul either, likely because he knew he was innocent, and knew that although the Jewish leaders wanted Paul gone, the regular Jewish people did not. Keeping Paul in prison placated both sides, so it was good for him politically to keep Paul in prison. What Felix really wanted was a bribe in order to dismiss the charges against Paul which would get Paul out of his hair once and for all. Yet the bribe never came and so he never made a judgment on Paul. So he left Paul in prison for two years without making any type of decision regarding his guilt or innocence (Ac 24:26-27).

Due to some mismanagement, Felix was recalled to Rome and Festus was made the new governor by Emperor Nero in 59 AD. There is not a lot of information about Festus, but he was apparently a more fair ruler than was Felix. Only three days after arriving in Caesarea, Festus went to Jerusalem where the Jewish leaders presented their charges against Paul to him and requested Paul be transferred to Jerusalem under their care. Their plan was to have him killed via ambush as he was being transferred back to Jerusalem. Yet, Festus requested that they accompany him back to Caesarea and have their charges against Paul presented to him there (Ac 25:1-5).

Once back at Caesarea, Festus had Paul brought before him. The Jewish leaders gave many accusations but could not prove any of them. Festus then asked whether Paul was willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial for the charges brought before him by the Jewish leaders. Paul stated that he was not guilty of the crime made against him which the Jewish leaders could not prove. If he wasn’t guilty then he should not be handed over to them. He was standing before a court of Caesar, so he appealed to Caesar. Festus met with his council and then declared, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” (Ac 25:6-12).

A few days later, King Agrippa I and Bernice, his sister, arrived in Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. Some believed the two had an incestuous relationship, but no one could ever prove it. Festus told him about Paul and the circumstances for him being in Caesarea. Agrippa said he would like to hear Paul. Festus arranged the meeting and told Agrippa he was glad for him to hear Paul because although Paul had appealed to Caesar, he could not really find any substantial charges to place against him that would be valid for Caesar Nero to understand (Ac 25:13-27).

Paul told of his testimony as to how he became a Christian and how God had sent him to tell of Jesus Christ and his resurrection to the Gentiles and how the prophets had even spoken of the coming Messiah who would die and be raised for his people and Jesus Christ was that man. Festus then had Paul stop speaking saying he had gone mad. Paul replied that he was not mad and that Agrippa, being a Jew, new of these scriptures and the Jewish beliefs about a coming Messiah. Agrippa then replied, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” to which Paul responded, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains” (Ac 26:1-29).

With that Agrippa stood, ending the proceedings. Agrippa, Bernice, and Festus left the room. Agrippa told Festus that Paul could be freed if he had not appealed to Caesar because there was nothing upon which he was guilty of either death or imprisonment (Ac 26:30-32). This was a copout because if he was not guilty either of them could have released him. Appealing to Caesar without any conviction was not a reason for Paul to have to appear before Caesar.

So, with unknown charges, Paul was sent to Rome with other prisoners but was allowed to have friends travel with him, which included Luke and Aristarchus (from Thessalonica). Somehow the centurion of the Imperial Regiment in charge of the prisoners, named Julius, treated Paul kindly and allowed him to see his friends when the ship landed in Sidon. As they put out to sea again, the ship sailed to the south of Cyprus due to the winds and landed in Myra of Lycia. The prisoners were then transferred to another ship headed from Alexandria to Italy. Due to the weather, the going was slow because it was in the late seventh month (after Day of Atonement) nearing winter. Paul warned that they were in danger due to the winter weather. Yet the centurion did not heed him but followed the directions of the ship’s pilot who said they could reach the far coast of Crete and winter there. Yet, the ship entered a giant storm with hurricane-force winds and blew them far off course. After fourteen days, Paul announced that an angel had appeared to him to tell him that everyone would survive if they all stayed together. Once they ran aground, the officers wanted to kill the prisoners to prevent them from swimming ashore and escaping. The centurion protecting Paul persuaded them not to do that and they all swam to shore or used planks to do so. They found themselves on the island of Malta (Ac 27:1-44).

The islanders showed them kindness and built a fire because everyone was wet and cold. Collecting firewood, Paul was bitten by a viper. When nothing happened to Paul, everyone thought him a god. Publius, the chief official of the island, welcomed Paul and his friends into his house where they stayed for three days. His father was sick, and Paul healed him. Hearing the news, other residents of the island who were sick came to Paul and he healed them as well. After three months, when it was time to set sail again, the people furnished them with all the supplies they needed (Ac 28:1-10).

Wow! Who other than Paul could have endured and yet accomplish so much? Could you? But we are expected to, aren’t we? Maybe we need a Holy Spirit renewal.

Join me next week to see what happens once Paul reaches Rome.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Many times, we feel that hardship is a hidden message that we need to change our direction. This was not the case with the apostle Paul. He followed the lead of the Holy Spirit despite the opposition and hardships he had to go through. His love for those he served and taught was far greater than the personal pain he went through to help them grow in the Lord. Let’s see some examples of this.

It seems after Paul arrived back in Antioch, Syria, after his second missionary journey, he spent little time there before again took off again. In 54 AD, only four years after he had begun his second journey, he left again going throughout Galatia and Phrygia (parts of what is today the country of Turkey) to strengthen believers in the churches he had established to ensure they were still growing and teaching correctly. Nero was now the reigning Roman emperor.

In the meanwhile, Apollos from Alexandria, Egypt, came to Ephesus. He was a very educated man and had a thorough understanding of the Scriptures, yet he did not know anything beyond the baptism that John the Baptist preached. Aquilla and Pricilla invited him to their home and told him about Jesus Christ and he was converted (Ac 18:24-16). When he went to the province of Achaia (this is where Corinth and Athens were located), he was able to publicly debate the Jewish leaders and teach about Jesus being the Messiah.

While Apollos was debating and teaching in Corinth, Paul continued his journey visiting the various churches he had established and worked his way back to Ephesus. He spent three months teaching in the synagogue there, but due to the obstinate nature of many of the Jews, he stopped teaching there and instead taught in a lecture hall owned by Tyrannus. He taught here for about two years. Many people, both Jews and Gentiles heard about Jesus Christ due to his teaching. God also did many miracles through the apostle Paul. The glory of God was so strong on Paul that even his clothing and handkerchiefs were able to cause healing to the sick and the removal of evil spirits (Ac 19:8-12).

Some Jewish men tried to copy what Paul did and cast out demons, but these men were beaten so badly by the demon possessed man that they barely escaped with their life—they were naked and bleeding from the encounter. This caused the name of Jesus to become held in high honor and many practicing sorcery burned their scrolls publicly (Ac 19:13-20).

While in Ephesus, Paul wrote, as far as we know, four letters to the church in Corinth. Two are lost to antiquity, but two are part of his New Testament epistles. The first letter to the church at Corinth, not part of Scripture, was written to encourage them not to participate with individuals who were immoral (1Co 5:9). This may have been due to the society in which they grew up and lived where immorality was part of their everyday culture with nothing wrong considered with such actions because prostitution in their temples was part of their worship of the various Greek gods with sexual pleasure and satisfaction being held in higher regard than moral purity. We don’t have any information about this letter except the reference he made to it in what we know as his epistle of 1st Corinthians. Paul received word that the church there was still having some serious problems that he knew should be addressed. In addition, a letter arrived from the church with a series of questions seeking his guidance (1Co 7:1). Paul then wrote what we know as 1st Corinthians to address these issues and these questions.

The overarching theme in Paul’s letter to Corinth we note as 1st Corinthians was sanctification and their lack of unity (1Co 1:10). He first has to deal with their division and reminds them that while men can have good and legitimate ministries, believers are to be united in Christ and not to a particular person. He also cautioned them to not view and take care of issues that may arise as the world would handle such issues but to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit in all matters affecting the church and later goes into further detail about how they were bringing each other to civil court rather than dealing with such disputes as Christian brothers in Christ. He then dealt with immorality that existed in the church. He reminds them they are not to tolerate such behavior among believers and, if necessary, have the person removed from their congregation (1Co 5:9-11). While they had grown up with immorality as a common practice within Corithian society, they could no longer live that way as they had to reflect the righteousness of Christ. Because of their society, they had questions regarding marriage, divorce, and eating sacrificial meat made to idols.

Paul then addresses the proper way to handle the Lord’s Supper, what we call Communion today, as part of their worship service and addresses their concern regarding spiritual gifts and states that the church is like a human body where every member and every function is important, and one cannot be more important than another because they are interdependent. All gifts are important and should be used in concert for a given whole used in love for each other and love toward God. He then goes on to address the false idea that there is no resurrection from the dead. He emphasizes that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of our faith, for if Christ was not raised then neither would we be raised. As Christ was raised from the dead with a new, glorified body, so will we.

Around 55 AD during Paul’s stay in Ephesus, he made a quick trip back to Corinth which he considered a painful visit (2Co 2:1), likely still dealing with the same man addressed in his first epistle (1Co 5:1). After getting back to Ephesus, Paul wrote another letter, again not part of Scripture, and sent this to the church at Corinth via Titus (2Co 7:8). Paul had intensions of going throughout Macedonia and Achaia before returning to Jerusalem and then to Rome, but he stayed in Ephesus awhile longer but sent Timothy and Erastus ahead of him into Macedonia, probably seeing if they could hear back from Titus any earlier.

In Ephesus there was a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines for Artemis, who many believed was the protector of Ephesus and was one of the main gods worshipped in this city. Because of the preaching of Paul and the conversion of so many Ephesians, Demetrius saw a decline in his business. Fewer and fewer people were buying these shrines. He called all the tradesmen in the city together and insinuated that all their businesses were in jeopardy if Paul was allowed to continue. Hed also stated Paul was putting their beloved goddess herself and her temple in danger of becoming discredited and robbing her of her divine majesty.

A riot ensued placing the whole city in an uproar but many of those participating in the commotion didn’t even know what the uproar was about (Ac 19:23). Some of Paul’s companions from Macedonia, Gaius and Aristarchus, were pulled into the open theater where the crowd had gathered. Paul wanted to enter and address the crowd but the disciples there and even some of the officials who had become friends of Paul advised him not to appear. The city clerk stepped in and quieted the crowd and told Demetrius that if he had any legal grounds for his concerns to bring them to the courts; otherwise, he and others would be charged with rioting which would serve no one. At that, the crowd disbanded.

When the commotion settled down, Paul said his goodbye to the disciples there to head out for Macedonia. It seems Paul was anxious to hear back from Titus concerning the congregation at Corinth and went to Troas where he preached hoping to meet Titus on his return trip (2Co 2:13). Not finding Titus there, Paul departed for Macedonia and met Titus in Philippi. He gave a favorable report but there was still an aggressive minority in Corinth opposed to Paul. Paul wrote 2nd Corinthians, likely from Philippi, to reinforce his authority as an apostle, to thank them for their favorable response to him, to remind them about giving to the poor in Judea and to instruct them in the proper attitude toward one who repents. Titus took this epistle back to the Corinthians and told them Paul had plans on visiting them soon.

As Titus went directly back to Corinth, Paul made a circuit through the churches in Macedonia to encourage them and then to Greece where he stayed for three months. Therefore, he most likely made it back to Corinth as he stated was his desire.

I think Paul’s example is humbling for us as we often give up with just a little adversity. This should give us pause as we reflect on all Paul did and what he went through and compare that to our own lives.

Next time, we’ll see some more evidence of his tenacity in his following the leading of the Holy Spirit.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The way God works is never haphazard even if may seem so to us on the surface. Let’s see if we can better understand God’s plan in working with the Gentiles throughout the Roman Empire. His plan was quite genius, really. God’s first step was to have Jews spread throughout the Roman Empire. This is why he stated that salvation was first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles (Ro 1:16). The Jews were the ones who brought God’s teachings of morality and right living to the known world. Let’s think about the Gentile culture, whether that be Greek or Roman. The Greeks sought knowledge. We see in Athens the Areopagus (or Mars Hill) was dedicated to the art of debate so that the citizens could understand important knowledge taught by the very best minds (Ac 17:22). Romans were more about might and strength. The gods of both cultures typified physical beauty, strength, virility, allurement, and seduction. The people’s worship of these gods was that as well.

Paul dealt with this issue with the Corinthians as well as they were simultaneously living in sexual immorality and trying to live as Christians (1Co 5:1). They had a difficult time in understanding that their ways prior to becoming a Christian were wrong because they grew up with this being the standard way of worship. For example, Corinth had a separate temple for each of ten different gods (including one to Caesar) with each temple in interconnecting lush foliage looking beautiful but hiding much darkness.

This was also where the temple to Aphrodite resided high on the outcropping of the city with other temples below it, all within a beautiful garden-type area for people to enjoy. The temple for Aphrodite housed both female and male shrine prostitutes, considered sacred, allowing one to indulge in one’s physical lusts as a sacred act which pleased the gods, gave the people favor, and the gods would bless their families and crops through their offerings of animals and their offering of themselves in such acts. Becoming a temple prostitute was looked on with favor, one who was blessed by the gods. This was a lot for Christianity to overcome. Yet, some were conducting sexual practices that were considered wrong by even their pre-conversion societal standards (1Co 5:1). Yet, the Gnostics taught that this was okay because the physical had no bearing on the spiritual. Paul made several counter arguments against this teaching (1Co 5:9-12; 6:18-20). On his third missionary journey, Paul visited Corinth several times and wrote to them about this issue and other issues, like unity within Christ (1Co 1:10), required by being a bride of Christ (2Co 11:2).

The same is true today. Many people, supposedly believers in Christ, don’t know that living together before marriage, or sex outside of marriage is wrong. Sexual impurity is again not relevant in their minds. Plus, unity is even further apart than in Paul’s day. Not only do we have disunity between Jew and non-Jew Christians, but between Christian denominations as well. Are we really behaving like a true bride? Does a bridegroom want a schizophrenic bride to love and cherish? We need a mind and worldview renewal in order to be Christ’s pure bride (Ep 4:11-13).

We also need to appreciate the two main false doctrines that Paul and those with him had to constantly contend with. Throughout Paul’s evangelistic missionary journeys, he had a battle with both sides of the morality issue teaching their beliefs after he left a region. On one side, Judaizers traveled behind Paul and taught one must become a Jewish proselyte by being circumcised and obey all the Laws of Moses before one could accept Christ as Savior. In their eyes, living morally was a necessary first step before believing in Jesus and his sacrifice for sins.  To them, physical works were important and necessary. This was the problem that Christ tried to deal with the Jews when he was among them. One cannot become righteous by one’s own efforts (Ep 2:8-9). Christ’s death liberated them from this misconception, but many taught otherwise. Paul fought hard to teach against such a man-made requirement and wanted to let the Gentile believers know of their Christian liberty, which had been validated by the Jerusalem Council, did not require such things. Paul stated he even had to reprimand Peter in this regard (Ga 2:11-14). This was a hard lesson for many Jews to comprehend.

On the other hand, Gnostics also traveled behind Paul and taught their philosophy of how to explain the nature of God, creation, good and evil, man, and the purpose of life. Their teachings were deceptive because Gnosticism was able to be combined with Paul’s teachings of Christianity to make it sound similar to what Paul taught but be off enough to be something completely different (1Co 2:6-8; Ep 2:8-9; Cl 2:8; 1Ti 6:20). This took the focus from Christ and his redemptive work and made it more about man and how to uncover the good from within and discover the secret mysteries about the essence of God. To them, spiritual works were important. Gnosticism taught Jesus Christ was a step in the process of understanding universal mysteries but did not teach the necessity of Christ’s transforming power or the receipt of the Holy Spirit. This is why Paul stated to the Colossians that he wished for them to understand the knowledge of God’s will and his wisdom and spiritual understanding (Cl 1:9). They didn’t need to look within themselves but to Jesus Christ who was the one who reveals who God really is. Salvation comes by Jesus and his blood. Not from ourselves (Cl 1:13-14).

How does one ensure they are not succumbed by a false belief or doctrine? As Paul taught, God’s truth is not complicated. Anyone who teaches any doctrine other than the belief in Jesus Christ and his death, burial, and resurrection should be avoided (Ga 1:8; 1Ti 6:3-5; Tt 1:9). His death paid our sin debt (1Jn 2:2), his burial settled our punishment (Hb 2:9; 1Pt 3:18), and his resurrection makes us entirely new (Ep 2:4-7). We are declared righteous because of our belief in his righteousness and not by anything we can do (Ro 3:24).

We are transformed by first realizing our plight. We are born into Satan’s kingdom and need to be transferred into God’s kingdom. We don’t, and can’t, decide which kingdom to be in. As Christ stated, we are already condemned because we are born into Satan’s kingdom (Jn 3:18). We can only get out of his kingdom by submitting to Christ’s death burial and resurrection realizing that his payment alone for our sin is what can save us out of our plight (2Co 5:17). The Holy Spirit then indwells us and transfers us from Satan’s kingdom to Christ’s kingdom (Ep 1:13-14) and empowers us to be victors over Satan’s schemes with the same power that raised Christ from the dead (Ep 1:19-20). This is what the true church is all about. This is what the Holy Spirit desires us to focus on. This is what changes lives. Ask yourself: Are you focusing on the right thing? The Holy Spirit is asking us to follow his leading. May we continue to do so.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Sometimes we can get stifled in our desired progress because of the adversity that comes our way. Paul was an exception to this. He did not focus on the adversity which came against him and his work. He focused upon God and what he believed the Holy Spirit wanted him to do and went in what direction he felt the Holy Spirit lead. Let’s look at some examples.

Once Paul returned to Antioch from the Jerusalem Council, he wrote his epistle to the Galatians. He wanted to let the Gentile believers know of their Christian liberty which had been validated by the Jerusalem Council and to refute those who were insisting they as Gentile believers first had to become Jews. He called these people Judaizers as they were teaching that a Gentile could not become a Christian if they did not first become a Jewish proselyte. These were likely those Jews who had followed him on his first missionary journey to get those in Lystra to turn on Paul and stone him. This thought process was true for many Jewish Christians in Jerusalem as well. While he and Barnabas returned to Antioch, these Jews had gone to the same churches he had visited to refute what Paul had told them. The letter of Galatians was Paul’s rebuttal to defend his apostolic role which God himself had bestowed upon him and to let them know that salvation is by faith alone apart from works: “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified” (Ga 2:15-16).

Three years after his first missionary journey, Paul began his second in 50 AD, but with great controversy as to who would be his companion. He wanted to take Barnabas with him again, but Barnabas was adamant that John Mark would accompany them. Yet, Paul was adamant that they not take him. This caused a split between them and Paul wound up taking Silas (Ac 15:39-41). Barnabas took John Mark and set sail for Cyprus. We don’t know the destinations of the journey of Barnabas and John Mark, but we do know that Paul and Silas go through Syria into Cilicia revisiting the churches Paul established on his first missionary journey. When they got to Lystra, it was found that Timothy was well respected by the believers there. Paul asked Timothy to accompany him and Silas on their journey and he did. Because Timothy was half-Jewish, he encouraged Timothy to become circumcised so that he could better minister to the Jewish citizens in the towns in which they visited (Ac 16:1-5).

Timothy traveled with them throughout Phrygia and Galatia, territories in what we today know as the country of Turkey. The Holy Spirit prevented Paul from preaching in other provinces in this area at this time. Instead, he had a vision of a Macedonian man asking for help while he was staying in Troas, a city on the western shore of this area. This is also the time that he meets Luke who accompanies Paul on his journey. Taking his dream as a sign from the Holy Spirit, they sailed to the Grecian coast and wound up in the city of Philippi (Ac 16:6-12).

This is two-fold lesson for us. God does not require us to do everything. Just as God had someone else in mind to minister to these other regions where Paul was not allowed to go, God sometimes restricts our reach as well. Also, we need to heed the leading of the Holy Spirit which will then yield the outcome God has in mind for us.

In Philippi, Paul and company met Lydia who accepted Christ from their teaching and provided lodging for them (Ac 16:13-15). The people of the church established here became dear friends of Paul and often supported him—both monetarily as well as prayerfully. While here, he delivered a woman from possession by a soothsayer demon. Her handler got very angry and falsified charges to have Paul and Silas placed in prison. While in prison, God sent an earthquake which allowed Paul to minister to the prison warden. Both he and his whole household became Christians. Because Paul was a Roman citizen, the officials became worried Paul might bring charges against them for putting him in prison without a trial. If he did, they would be in big trouble, so they tried to smooth things over and asked him to leave their city (Ac 16:16-40).

Paul, Silas, and Timothy moved on to Thessalonica where Paul preached in the synagogue there for several weeks. Thessalonica was a Roman city but also had a large Jewish population with a total population of around 200,000 people. Not far from this city stood Mt. Olympus which accounted for the city’s devotion to many of the Greek pantheon of gods. Yet, this did not decrease the people’s hunger for what Paul was preaching to them. Because so many people were listening to Paul, the Jewish leaders became jealous of him and created a riot and blamed it on Paul. The believers there hid Paul, Silas, and Timothy and sent them out of the city at nightfall (Ac 17:1-10).

They then entered the city of Berea where the people were very receptive to Paul’s teachings, but the Jews from Thessalonica went to Berea and stirred up false accusations against Paul. The believers there escorted Paul to Athens, but Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea. Once in Athens, Paul sent for Silas and Timothy to join him in Athens (Ac 17:11-15).

In Athens, Paul preached to the people in Athens about the monument he discovered within the city which was dedicated to An Unknown God. Seeing their religiosity, he used the platform of the Areopagus, a place for debate about various topics, as a way to explain to them that Jesus Christ was the Unknown God whom they needed to know. Several people, including some of prominence, accepted what he said and became converted (Ac 17:16-34).

After leaving Athens, he entered Corinth and met Aquilla and Pricillia. Both Aquilla and Paul had the profession of tent making in common, which caused a quick bond between them as well as them also being believers. They had come to Corinth because Claudius Caesar had ordered all Jews to leave Rome (Ac 18:1-4).

Paul spent a year and a half here in Corinth because God revealed to him that no harm would come to him, and many would come to Christ. Some tried to bring charges against Paul, but the proconsul of the region did not take them seriously (Ac 18:5-17).

Would we be so calm as Paul seemed to be during such struggles? He had a very tight relationship with God and the Holy Spirit who were able to quell his fears and anxiety. Feeling the confidence the Holy Spirit gave him allowed him to continue without fearing the outcome. May we be able to do the same.

Next time, we’ll look at how what Paul was doing was all part of God’s plan and how he had been working on this plan for a very long time—even before Paul was ever on the scene. I hope you join me for that discussion.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We often think we have Bible prophecy already figured out and we look for it to unfold just as we are so sure it will. Yet, God is not always predictable. While what God says will definitely come true, it just may not come true how we thought it would. That could cause us to miss something important if we aren’t really focused on how the Holy Spirit is guiding God’s prophecy to unfold. Let’s look at this though the eyes of Saul of Tarsus in Scripture.

Forty days after Christ’s resurrection was his ascension. During that time period, hundreds of people witnessed him alive after his resurrection (1Co 15:3-8). Just before he ascended, Christ told his disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised . . . in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Ac 1:4-5). Maybe Peter got restless and felt they should do something constructive, so he told the others it was necessary to replace Judas as one of them (Ps 109:8). It was only ten days until the Holy Spirit was to come, but perhaps Jesus did not tell them the Holy Spirit would come on Shavuot (Pentecost). At any rate, it seems Peter was impatient. Joseph called Barsabbas, also known as Justus, and Matthias were nominated. Both had been with them from the time of John baptizing in the Jordan to the time of Christ’s resurrection. They drew lots which fell on Matthias, so he was included as one of the Twelve (Ac 1:26). We are not sure if this was approved by God or not because when drawing lots, one would be chosen whether God was in it or not. Yet, there is nothing in Scripture that says Peter was wrong in doing what he did. However, we do know that God chose Paul as an apostle (Ro 1:1; 11:13; Ga 1:1). So this has always begged the question of who is the actual twelfth apostle? Jesus had chosen the original twelve and we know Jesus chose Paul. Did he choose Matthias?

On Shavuot (Pentecost), the Holy Spirit descended on the 120 disciples who were gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem. We don’t know in whose house they stayed. It could have been the house of Mary, the sister to Barnabas, and mother of John Mark, as her house was used several times for Christ’s followers over the years. They all heard a rushing mighty wind, and the Holy Spirit descended on each of them as tongues of fire (Ac 2:1-4). They each began to speak boldly to many who were in the city for this festival in the language of the other person’s origin. After obtaining a wider audience, Peter preached to all those listening. From his preaching, and the witness of the others, 3,000 people became believers and were brought into the church that day (Ac 2:41). Over time, more people believed and received the Holy Spirit emboldening them to also speak without reservation. The Sanhedrin arrested Peter and John and reprimanded them trying to deter them from speaking further, but they continued to speak about Jesus and his resurrection (Ac 4:1-22). The believers decided to come together and pool their resources (Ac 4:32). Barnabas is one who is mentioned as an example of one doing this.

Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, lied about doing the same and the Holy Spirit had them both die in the presence of others. This demonstrated to everyone the seriousness of their actions (Ac 5:1-11).

The apostles began to perform many signs and wonders which caused more and more to believe in Jesus. The Sadducees had many of them arrested and locked in prison. Yet, an angel of the Lord released them, and they went back to the temple and began to preach again, at the dismay of the Jewish leaders (Ac 5:12-26)-.

The church grew so large so fast that seven individuals, whom they called deacons, were selected to help with the administrative duties of the church so the apostles could devote themselves to preaching (Ac 6:1-7).

One of them, named Stephen, debated with many of the Jews who could not win against his insightful arguments. So, they stirred up the crowd to accuse him of blasphemy and had him stoned to death (Ac 6:8-8:1).

This is when Saul began persecuting Christians because he felt they were against the teachings of the Jewish Scriptures and were creating chaos for the Jewish leaders (Ac 8:3). Saul was a very zealous man, a Pharisee who studied under the tutelage of Gamaliel, a prominent Jewish Rabbi, was from Tarsus in Cilicia, a Roman province in what we would today call southern Turkey, and was born as a Roman citizen, something very uncommon for most people in his day. He was a rising star among the Jewish elite and took the Jewish Scriptures very seriously. He genuinely thought he was doing God’s will by persecuting what he considered a new heretical sect of Judaism. He saw them as someone teaching false doctrine. Because the teaching of Jesus was against the status quo of his teaching and understanding of Scripture, he had believers in Jesus thrown into prison and executed if possible. This caused many believers to flee Jerusalem, and they went to surrounding areas, going as far north as Syria.

A year later, in 34 A.D., Saul was on his way to Damascus to seek out Christians who had fled there due to his persecution. This is when he encountered Christ and was converted (Ac 9:1-19). He then began to preach and teach about Jesus Christ, but many believers were skeptical. His preaching caused an uproar in Damascus after his conversion. The Jewish leaders felt betrayed and tried to have him killed (Ac 9:23). It should be noted that Saul was his Jewish name while the name Paul was his Latin name. It just seems that he had a name change because after this time, the Scriptural text uses his Latin name. This is likely because he was the apostle to the Gentiles (Ga 1:1), so his Latin name would have been used more than his Hebrew name going forward from this point in time.

Paul escaped those in Damascus who were seeking to kill him and went into Arabia in the area at or near Mt. Sinai for about 3 years to seek counsel and instruction from the Lord (Ga 1:17-18). He then went to Jerusalem to visit Peter and James and then went back to his home in Tarsus (Ga 1:21).

Why did Paul seclude himself in Arabia for three years? He knew he needed to seek counsel and instruction from the Lord knowing he was at an inflection point in spiritual history. He had one of the best Jewish educations anyone in Israel could have had and yet he still missed that Jesus was the promised Messiah they had been waiting for. Let’s think about this for a second. He not only knew the scriptures, but, due to his religious training, he had them all practically memorized. Yet, he had missed one of the most important times where God had reached out to his people. How did he miss this? Of all people, he should not have missed this. He not only missed it, but he thought he was on God’s side in persecuting this new sect that, at the time, he felt was heretical.

He knew he needed new insight and a way to look at Scripture differently. The Jewish view of their Messiah and prophetic interpretation about him had been wrong and led Saul to reject Jesus and those who taught about him. The Jewish interpretation of prophetic Scripture was inadequate. He had accepted all the teachings of the past rabbis and knew they had led him astray. Not intentionally. They thought they were correct based upon their understanding of Scripture.

Paul said that God helped him see the emergence of the Church. How? Through prophecy. But it was through scripture the Jewish Leaders had interpreted to be about what would happen after their Messiah set up his rule on the earth. While this is likely still true, after all God is multidimensional, it was these prophetic scriptures that Paul recognized were about Christ’s church and not just about Christ’s reign. At the Council Meeting in Jerusalem, James made the same confession as he quoted from the prophet Amos concerning the rebuilding of David’s fallen tent for Jews and Gentiles which he now saw as God building his church in their current day (Ac 15:13-19; Am 9:11-12). How were they able to see this? Because of where they were in history. They had emerged on the other side of the inflection point of temple worship to Jew and Gentile now worshiping together with each person being a temple indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1Co 3:16). These men could only have interpreted Scripture this way based upon what the Holy Spirit was doing in their current day. This could not have been interpreted prior to their day and their recognition of what the Holy Spirit was doing: something completely different than he had done before. They came to realize that God’s word is continuously unfolding. It is never stagnant and it all points to Jesus Christ.

What about us? We also need to see scripture in light of our current history as well and how the Holy Spirit is leading. We need the Holy Spirit to teach us how to interpret God’s word, not only with what it says but with what is occurring in our day, especially when we have reached an inflection point, a paradigm shift. This was true for the Jewish people as they had just had a paradigm shift through the coming and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit was leading in a new direction and most of the Jewish people had missed it. Rather than trying to understand it, they doubled down on their traditions. Why? The Idumeans and Romans were trying to wipe out their heritage. They felt they did not have time to listen to another upstart, like Jesus, whose teachings affected their delicate balance with the powers that be, and they only wanted him to go away, not upset the apple cart, so to speak, not realizing they were missing the very thing they were trying to preserve.

Could the same mistake be made by the upcoming church that was forming? Join me next time and find out.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens