使徒行传

Meditative Reflection
Caring for the Poor

Christians who are living in the West are so used to rely on the state to take care of the poor and to solve the problem of poverty that we seldom realize that it is neither the biblical model nor the teaching of the Bible.  Throughout the scriptures, it is people, ordinary people who are instructed to take care of their neighbors.  The state was never blamed in this respect.  Not that the kings and the rulers should not take the lead in caring for the people, but the biblical assumption has been that, as the people of God, we do not look to others to take care of the poor, but we should look after our own neighbors.

And so we find the Law of Moses urges the individuals:

“(b)ut during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove” (Exod. 23:11)

“Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.” (Lev. 19:10)

“If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you.” (Lev. 25:35)

“There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.” (Deut. 15:11)

These are just a few of the many instructions concerning our responsibility to care for the poor ourselves.

How much is God pleased with someone who cares for the poor is clearly shown in the words of the angel who spoke to Cornelius, the Italian centurion,

“Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.” (Acts 10:4)

This is the reason given by the angel for God taking the initiative to lead Peter to him and show him the way to salvation through Jesus Christ. 

We do understand that good works will never earn us salvation, but faith in Christ alone.  But being a person saved by grace in Jesus Christ does not take away our basic responsibility as people made in the image of God to care for those who are less fortunate but have also been made in His image.

Meditative Reflection
Mixing Law with Traditions

There is no doubt that Peter is the most important figure of the early Christian church.  He took the lead in appointing someone to fill the vacancy left among the Twelve (Acts 1), he took the lead in preaching the first public sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2), and he continued to take public leadership before the priests and the Pharisees.  As a result, he was the target of persecution and arrest.  This was perhaps the reason why he was chosen to “publicly” convert the first Gentile and his household (the Ethiopian Eunuch was converted in the remote desert, not witnessed by any other Jews or Jewish Christians other than Philip himself).

Therefore, it is even more alarming to hear this “leader” of the early church say, “it is against the law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him.”  (Acts 10:28)

One cannot help but ask Peter, “Where does it say so in the law?”  Of course, it is not in the Law of Moses, but rather, a human tradition only.  But after hundreds, if not more than a thousand years of mixing human traditions with the Law, the Jews, including Peter, could not tell them apart.  They were brought up to take their human traditions to be as sacred as the Law, and from boyhood, Peter knew nothing apart from what he heard and what he saw being lived out among the devout Jews.  To do anything otherwise was simply unthinkable for the Jews, including Peter.

Therefore, even a special vision of unclean animals could not totally take away the scale of human tradition and racial bias. It took the undisputable manifestation of the Holy Spirit to convince Peter to eventually acknowledge “Can anyone keep these people (i.e. Gentiles) from being baptized with water?” (Acts 10:47)

Many biblical scholars label this experience of Peter as his “second conversion”.  I wonder if you and I need a “second conversion” as well when it comes to the differentiation of human traditions from the very teachings of the Bible as we seek to be faithful in serving the Lord in our local church!

Meditative Reflection
Baptism

Some of you who come from a more liturgical tradition will no doubt be used to equating baptism almost as the necessarily rite  of passage to salvation.  Such an emphasis on baptism is important in that baptism is a direct instruction from our Lord (Matt. 28:19) and a very clear directive given by the Apostle Peter to the first converts at Pentecost: “Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” (Acts 2:38).  And, in the Book of Acts, it is clear that this was what every single new believer did, right after their repentance.  To the early church, it was inconceivable to lead someone to Christ without baptizing him or her.

However, it is equally clear that salvation is only through faith and not of work (Eph. 2:8).  Whether it is circumcision or baptism, it is an outward action.  One really can be baptized without truly believing in Jesus Christ.  Therefore, it is ultimately faith in Christ that leads us into salvation.

What has been witnessed by Peter and those circumcised believers at the conversion of Cornelius and his household clearly affirms this truth.  The Holy Spirit came upon these Gentiles, even before an altar call could be extended by Peter, because as they heard of the good news of Jesus Christ, they already responded in belief within their hearts.  It was their faith that enabled them to receive the new life in Christ.  And, in this case, their faith was affirmed by baptism which was still significant as an outward sign of their inward reality, but not as a “rite of passage” into eternal life.

Meditative Reflection
Frivolous Argument

The conversion of the household and friends of Cornelius was indeed great news throughout the region, because it was convincing proof that “the Gentiles had also received the word of God.” (Acts 11:1)

One would automatically presume that the immediate response of these Jewish disciples would be one of joy. After all, this is what the Great Commission is all about — the spreading of the gospel till the ends of the earth.

However, when Peter returned to Jerusalem, we read that “the circumcised believers criticized him and said, 'You went into the house of the uncircumcised men and ate with them.’” (11:3)

In other words, they could not argue with the fact that “the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles” (10:45), but they took issue with Peter with the way with which the gospel was shared.  Worse, they continued with their Pharisaic mentality which cared little about people, even their eternal destiny.  They were nothing but sounding gongs and clanging cymbals, because they were totally void of love!  Instead of rejoicing with the Holy Spirit over the repentance of sinners, they were furious that Peter somehow violated the purity of their beliefs.

Unfortunately, such Pharisaic mentality continues to raise its ugly head in many Christian communities.  More than once, I have seen people, and sometime droves of people come to Christ in evangelistic rallies.  But many Christians, instead of rejoicing over the work of the Holy Spirit and the tremendous miracle of souls being saved, chose to take issue with how the evangelistic meetings were conducted.  Some disliked the secular venue, some criticized the music and some took issue with the style of the presentation of the gospel message.  Yes, if the gospel message is distorted, no sins are mentioned, no repentance is demanded or, no invitation to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is offered, I would criticize too.  But if the gospel message is clearly presented, we should greatly rejoice over the repentance of sinners as Jesus has taught us in the three parables in Luke 15.  Otherwise, we will not only be guilty of the sin of these circumcised believers of Jerusalem, but we will also grieve the heart of our Father like the older brother of the prodigal son.

Meditative Reflection
Who are Christians to the World?

It was indeed a great surprise that believers of Jesus Christ were first called Christians at Antioch.  Why not in Jerusalem where they would have the greatest number of believers and the greatest concentration of apostles, and thus apostolic authority?

Ray Bakke insightfully explains to us that Antioch, with its large population (over 500,000), was a multi-ethnic city segregated into Greek, Syrian, Jewish, Latin and Africa sectors.  But as the gospel was preached, “people of different ethnic backgrounds began to cross the interior walls of the city to hear the gospel and join the church.”  As a result, both the Antioch church and its leadership team “increasingly match the ethnicity, class and culture” of the city.

In the meantime, the church in Jerusalem remained a church largely made up of one ethnicity, class and culture — that of the Jews.

People who heard the gospel understood that the gospel is a gospel of reconciliation between men and God, and of breaking down the barrier of ethnicity, class and culture.  While the Jerusalem church preached such a gospel, the Antioch “fleshed out” its essence.

I wonder if we are able to “flesh out” the same gospel message to the world today!

Meditative Reflection
A Mighty Fortress is Our God

      When we reach Acts 11, the early Christians have now understood that persecution and sufferings are very much part of following Jesus.  In fact, from now on, persecution would come from hands beyond those of the Jews; it would come from the government.  The increasing severity of persecution and the boldness of these early disciples remind me of the tremendous pressure faced by Martin Luther and the courage he mustered.  Today, I invite you to reflect on the lyrics of his famous hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God:

1
A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing. 

For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

2
Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God's own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth, his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.

3
And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us. 

The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

4
That word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours,
thru him who with us sideth. 

Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.

Meditative Reflection
Accountability

From time to time I hear servants of God say, “I am only accountable to God.”  Often, it is said in the midst of conflicts between the pastor and lay leaders.  I have come across enough church conflicts that I find it foolish to take sides, unless there is blatant moral or basic doctrinal error, but such is rarely the case.  There are times I simply shake my heads at power-hungry lay leaders, but there are also times I grieve at the arrogance of God-ordained pastors.

Therefore, it is really refreshing to read about how Paul and Barnabas were commissioned by the church in Antioch to embark on their missionary journey.  You see, if ever there is one pastor who is totally justified to say that “I am only accountable to God”, it would be the Apostle Paul.  No one led him to Christ, only Christ Himself.  And, he received his call to be the apostle to the Gentiles directly from the Lord Himself.  Therefore, all he had to do was to embark on his missionary journey beyond Judea and Samaria without the help, support or commissioning of anyone.  And yet, he did not do that.

He waited as he ministered among the people of Antioch, until the Holy Spirit told the congregation in Antioch to set him and Barnabas apart.  The church responded to the charge of the Holy Spirit with further praying and fasting, and then they laid their hands on the two missionaries and sent them off. (Acts 13:1-3)

Then, at the end of their missionary journey,

“they sailed back to Antioch where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.  On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them…” (Acts 14:26-27).

What an example of humility!

Paul really could go on his own to answer the sacred call he received directly from the Lord.  But he chose to wait and then submitted to the church of Antioch, receiving their commissioning and support.  Then, when the work was completed, he had the humility to “report” back to the church.  Why would he do that?  Paul understood that the work of mission is the work of the entire church.  He was going on behalf of God’s people.  He also understood that he could not do it alone, he needed the blessing and support of God’s people.  He also understood that this is always God’s way of holding us accountable, and that is, by holding us accountable through His people, the church.

Yes, by submitting to the church, the work would necessarily be slowed down.  And in times of disagreement, it is a pain to bear with those who may not understand that heart of God (as well as we think we do).  But, the submission to and involvement of the church is so important for both the church and ourselves.  It is only through their involvement that the church can grow in their passion for the Great Commission and for the lost (and to produce the successors of our baton), and it is only through their support — their prayers and their holding us accountable that we could be faithful and be able to complete the ministry that we have been charged with.

If the Apostle Paul needed the church of Antioch in the completion of his God-given vision, how much more do we need our church and our brothers and sisters!