Sunday School Lessons 6 & 7 (Acts 15 & 16)
by Pastor Thuamminlian
Scriptural references: Acts 15:1-41, Acts 16:1-40
Background
The persecution of early believers in Jerusalem led many to flee to neighbouring cities including Antioch in Syria. At Antioch, believers came to be first labelled Christians by the people. There the church grew in strength and as they carried out the works of the Lord by fasting with prayer, the Lord spoke unto them and they soon commissioned Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey to places outside Syria. They set out from Antioch, travelling through Cyprus and Galatia and finally returned to Antioch.
Christians and Mosaic Law
A dispute over circumcision of Gentile believers arose at Antioch and Paul along with Barnabas and others went down to Jerusalem to seek the opinion of the church council. After much debate, it came to be concluded that the new Gentile believers need not be circumcised and forced to fulfil Moses’ law. The council also advised the churches to abstain from food offered before idols. This was considered important not because it affected a believer’s faith and salvation, rather because believers were different from idol worshippers and needed to remain distinct from others.
Second missionary journey
After the council meeting in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were followed by Silas to Antioch, where Paul and Barnabas parted ways. Barnabas set out with Mark by sea while Paul took Silas with him on the second missionary journey by land to Galatia, Antioch in Pisidia, Troas, Philippi and Thessalonica in Macedonia (Europe), Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, and even more places. At Derbe in Galatia, Paul met young Timothy, and at Troas in present day Turkey, Dr Luke (author of the book of Acts) joined Paul on his journey. It was at Philippi in Macedonia that a woman by the name Lydia became the first believer in all of Europe.
The case of possessed woman
A certain woman, possessed by a demon and popular for her fortune-telling, followed the apostles, repeatedly crying out that Paul and the others were servants of God who had come to save them. At that, Paul rebuked the demon and commanded it to get out of the woman. It is reasoned that Paul was not happy with the demon in the woman speaking out because Paul did not need the acknowledgment of a demon in his mission – for he himself had the authority to preach the word of God and therefore, what he had already preached to the people sufficed!
Prison mission
Beaten and imprisoned by authorities, Paul and Silas spent the night singing and praising God and by the next morning, had fellow prisoners and the guardsman and his family to believe in Christ!
Supplementary lessons
“Must Christians still observe Mosaic Law?” A Jew is anyone who belongs to one of the 12 tribes of Israel, and Gentiles are everyone else. The law was given to Jews by God through Moses. Jews say Gentiles are lawless people. Gentiles on becoming Christians do not become Jews and therefore do not identify with Judaism or Mosaic Law. Christianity is a religion having foundation on personal relationship with God. It does not have its base on a set of laws that require strict observation above everything else. Upon accepting Christ as our Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit now dwells in us and we seek to please the Lord and try to live our lives according to His desires. Yet, there is only so much the human conscience can process objectively and therefore while Christians are not subjected to Mosaic Law, we do need to consult the same as these are written codes that reflect the heart of God and His desires.
