PassageWay Church

On the evening of December 16, 1773, more than 100 members of the Sons of Liberty snuck aboard three cargo ships docked in Boston Harbor. They proceeded to dump 340 crates of East India Company Tea into the waters of the Massachusetts Bay. This was viewed as an act of sedition against the King, who would then clamp down on the colonies, which eventually led to the American Revolutionary War. 

In Acts 16, we read that the gospel had finally reached Europe. This development presented a serious question important to our author Luke. As the gospel advanced further and further into the heart of the empire, were Christians a threat to the social, economic, and political order of Rome? In Philippi, Paul and Silas were arrested and accused of advocating unlawful customs. In Thessalonica, Christians are now accused of being disloyal to the king. 

This charge was not without basis. Paul and Barnabas presented Jesus as the Christ, a Jewish title loaded with political meaning. However, Christians recognized Jesus as their heavenly king. They were not disloyal to the earthly king. Caesar didn’t have to worry about the Christians igniting a revolution. In fact, Luke is careful to point out that the persecutors of the church were the real troublemakers. They were the ones setting the city in an uproar.

The Christians were not revolutionaries; claims to the contrary were false. Paul and his missionary team did not stoke people’s passions or seek to coerce. Instead, they appealed to reason, using evidence-based arguments in the context of dialogue. Paul instructed the believers to live quietly, to mind their own affairs, and to work with their hands, while they waited patiently for the coming Savior. Christians demonstrate loyalty to their heavenly king by submitting to the earthly one.

Becoming a Christian can sometimes invite criticism. A friend might complain you’re no fun anymore. “Ever since you got on that Jesus kick, you don’t come out partying with us on Saturday nights.” A teammate or coworker might suggest you’ve gone soft. “All that turning the other cheek has made you weak.” A family member might accuse you of being self-righteous. “You go to church all the time now, so you think you’re better than the rest of us.” Is this criticism fair? How does the gospel change our behavior?

The Book of Acts describes how the church was born and became a global movement, beginning in Jerusalem, extending to the regions of Judea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth. In the previous episode, we read that the expansion of the gospel had finally reached Europe. Paul and his missionary team arrived in Philippi of Macedonia, a Roman colony. 

This development presented a serious question important to our author Luke. Was the gospel a threat to the social, economic, and political order of Rome? As we continue to read, we see that the gospel certainly did have an impact. The healing of a demon-possessed slave girl cost her owners a lot of money. Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten, and thrown into prison, accused of practicing unlawful customs. However, their faith-filled response was inspiring. When given the chance, they did not escape. Because of their witness, the Philippian jailer and his entire family would be saved.

Though the Christian converts had different priorities and different perspectives, they were not dangerous. They would actually become better citizens, not worse. They practiced behavior befitting of the gospel.

Fanny Crosby was a 19th-century American poet, composer, and mission worker who became one of the most prolific hymn writers in history. Despite being blind from infancy, she authored more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs, including well-known pieces like "Blessed Assurance" and "To God Be the Glory.”

Amy Carmichael was an Irish Christian missionary who spent most of her life serving in India. She founded an orphanage, which provided sanctuary to over 1000 children exploited in the practice of temple prostitution.

Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist who escaped slavery and then helped free more than 300 others through the Underground Railroad. A devout Christian, Tubman recounted numerous instances of God speaking to her through dreams and visions to warn her of impending dangers.

Throughout history, God has used faithful women like these to accomplish his purposes. In his gospel and now in the Book of Acts, Luke has made it a priority to highlight their contributions. 

In the previous episode, we read that Paul received a vision of a Macedonian man calling the missionary team to come and share with them the gospel. However, as we continue reading, perhaps to Paul’s surprise, when they arrived in the city of Philippi, they found openness with a group of ladies. Among them was Lydia, a wealthy, entrepreneurial woman. She became the first Christian convert in Europe and an influential leader in the early church. She brought her entire household to faith, hosted the Philippian church in her home, and would become Paul’s primary benefactress for his subsequent missionary endeavors.

The story of Lydia demonstrates what profound influence a godly woman can have on the life of a church. 

“When God closes a door, He always opens a window.” We often comfort ourselves with this phrase in the face of a missed opportunity. You didn’t land the dream job, missed out on a promotion, or got dumped by the girl? Don’t worry! When God closes a door, he always opens a window.

This phrase isn’t actually found in the Bible. It was popularized by Julie Andrews playing Maria in the 1965, Oscar-winning film, The Sound of Music, as she leaves the abbey to become a governess. That being said, there is some truth to this saying as it describes, at least partly, God’s providence in the lives of His people. 

In Acts 16 we read how the Lord directed Paul’s steps as he headed out on his second missionary journey. After visiting the churches previously established all throughout Southern Galatia, Paul and his team wished to spread the gospel, first south into Asia Minor and then North into an area called Bithynia. But in each instance God frustrated the missionary team’s well-intentioned plans. Instead, he revealed to them his own. God called them to take the gospel to Europe, to the region of Macedonia. 

Eventually Paul would take the gospel into Asia Minor as well. But first, God had other plans. Though not as memorable as a slightly overly cheerful phrase from a movie, Paul’s personal experience helps us understand a bit better the relationship between human planning and the divine will. As we submit all of our ways to the Lordship of Christ, His Spirit sovereignly directs our paths. 

“Do I have to?” It’s the question we ask when we’re facing something hard. We go looking for the rules: What’s actually required? What’s the minimum? Rules are good. They tell us what to expect and spare us from ambiguity. But life doesn’t usually come with a simple either/or. Sometimes every option is good, and sometimes every option is bad. And sometimes the right thing to do is something no rule requires of us.

In Acts 15, the Jerusalem Council settled the circumcision question for good: Gentile believers didn’t need to be circumcised to belong to God’s family. The rule was clear. But early in Acts 16, as Paul set out on his second missionary journey with Silas, he met a young disciple in Lystra named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer and his father was Greek, and everyone in the region knew it. Paul wanted Timothy on his team, and so he had him circumcised.

Hadn’t they just finished proclaiming that this wasn’t necessary? Were they acting out of fear? Why didn’t they hold their ground?

Paul and Timothy weren’t trying to earn God’s favor. They were taking a third way, one that takes wisdom and leaves people scratching their heads. Like Paul and Timothy, we live in a complex world that keeps pulling us toward one side or the other. The gospel doesn’t just give us a rulebook. It equips us with wisdom, and it invites us to stop asking “What do I have to do?” and start asking “What am I willing to give?”

John Lennon and Paul McCartney. What a dynamic duo. The Beatles were one of the most successful bands ever, until personal tensions and creative differences led to their breakup. Think of all the music that could have been written.

At the end of Acts 15 we read about an even more surprising separation. Paul and Barnabas were long-time friends and colleagues. Godly men who’d been in the trenches of ministry together. They’d faced physical dangers, come under spiritual attack, evaded attempts on their lives, and on one occasion nearly been beaten to death. 

But these godly men now disagreed. They didn’t disagree over doctrine, nor had one of them sinned against the other. They disagreed over the application of biblical principles. Barnabas was an encouraging mentor and wished to give a young, perhaps immature, John Mark another chance. Paul was a pioneering missionary, and John Mark had shown himself to be ill-prepared for the rigors of frontier ministry. Paul would not sacrifice the integrity of the mission by bringing John Mark with them.

Godly people sometimes disagree because our present knowledge is limited and our spiritual formation is not yet complete. Paul himself would later admit that he had not yet obtained perfection but was straining forward, constantly learning and growing. In fact, all who think they are mature should have this same attitude. If there is any inconsistency or inadequacy in a person’s perspective, and there always is, God will reveal that too. 

We are not told who was right, only the ultimate result of their separation. Paul and Barnabas’ disagreement resulted in two missionary teams instead of just one. So too, we can trust God and allow Him to use disagreements for good.

It’s common to disparage doctrine and doctrinal debates. You might think doctrine is for theology nerds; a mere intellectual exercise. Perhaps you may think it's even more malignant than that; doctrine divides. Doctrines are beliefs that govern behavior. We all espouse doctrines. The only question is whether or not our doctrine is sound. 

In last week’s episode, we read that church leaders gathered in Jerusalem to debate a fundamental doctrinal question: What must a person do to be saved? The Jerusalem Council unequivocally affirmed that we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ apart from any works of the Law. These doctrines of grace—salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone—repudiated the false teachers who insisted that Gentile believers must convert to Judaism. The Gentile believers were free.

However, the doctrines of grace aren’t merely hills to die on; they revolutionize the way that we live and interact with one another both inside and outside the church. The letter that the Jerusalem Council sent back to the church at Antioch not only brought doctrinal clarity, but it also gave wise instructions on relational charity. We see that the gospel of grace prioritized relationships, and it propelled revival. The gospel of grace is not just a doctrine to be affirmed; it is a spiritual reality to be lived out.

In the history of the church, there have been some important councils, official gatherings of church leaders from all over the Christian world. There was the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, where they debated the deity of Christ. Then there was the First Council of Constantinople in AD 381, where they discussed the nature of the Holy Spirit.

As important as those councils were, the first was perhaps the most significant of all. In Acts 15, we read about the Jerusalem Council. Church leaders gathered to debate a fundamental doctrinal question. What must a person do to be saved?

Men had come from Judea to the church in Antioch, saying that they had to be circumcised and follow the Law of Moses. These false teachers were disturbing the faith and disrupting the unity of this predominantly Gentile church. Therefore, Paul and Barnabas fiercely defended the gospel of grace.

Because this false teaching threatened to derail the progress of the gospel into the Gentile world and because it had originated in Jerusalem, the church at Antioch sent a delegation there. The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this dispute. After much debate, the apostle Peter spoke about his own experience when he witnessed the conversion of Cornelius. Then James, the head elder of the church in Jerusalem, argued the same from Scripture. The result was that the Church wholeheartedly agreed with Paul and Barnabas.

Church councils don’t determine truth; they affirm it. The early church dealt with false teachers by coming together to debate, discuss, and defend salvation by grace through faith in Jesus apart from any works of the law. Doctrine is worth debating. Cling uncompromisingly to salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

The game of football consists of four 15-minute quarters. The winning team isn’t determined by who makes the most big plays or by who dominates in just one phase of the game. The winner is determined by which team has the most points when the final whistle blows.

It’s quite plain to see when a football game has been completed. The coach gives a post-game press conference and can objectively assess his team’s performance. But what about a missionary team? 

Sent off by the church at Antioch, Paul and Barnabas, along with John Mark, took the gospel to the ends of the earth, sailing first to Cyprus, then traveling throughout the region of Southern Galatia. When would Paul and Barnabas’ missionary work be considered complete? And what would success look like?

Acts 14 concludes with Paul and Barnabas finally returning home to Antioch, where they reported on the work that they had completed. What we see is that after evangelizing throughout all the towns and villages, the work was not complete. After making many disciples, the work was not complete. The work was finally complete when they had left behind viable local churches.

A local church sent out Paul and Barnabas, who went and established local churches where previously none existed. They then came back and reported these things to the church that had sent them out. The circle was complete. Healthy churches make more churches. The local church is the vehicle that God uses to accomplish His mission. And the local church is the vehicle that God uses for our own growth as disciples. Success in missions means planting churches.

Just before 8:00 am on January 12, 2007, a middle-aged man dressed in jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt, and a ball cap entered a subway station in Washington D.C. He opened his violin case, pulled out the instrument, and played for 45 minutes. Footage records only 7 people stopping for more than a minute to take in the music. Children appeared to be the ones most interested in lingering. When he finished, the violinist collected the 32 odd dollars that had been tossed in his case by a mere 27 people, and left.

Of the thousands of street performers who take up positions around the country every day, what makes this one so memorable? Because it wasn’t just any violinist, and it wasn’t just any violin. It was Joshua Bell, one of the most celebrated violinists of our age, playing a $3.5 million violin made by Antonio Stradivari over 300 years ago. Only one person that morning recognized Bell as being the same violinist who just two days earlier had sold out a major concert hall with ticket prices exceeding $100.

This now-famous social experiment arranged by Bell and The Washington Post illustrates something about today’s text. While Joshua Bell didn’t tell people he would be playing that day in the subway, his playing was a clear witness to the kind of musician he is, certainly deserving of more than 7 people giving him a minute of their day. 

In today’s episode, we’ll see that God likewise shows up unexpectedly in an unexpected place, but he doesn’t arrive without a clear witness to his greatness.