Title Antioch Missionary Church
Contents
September 27, 2006 Wednesday Worship (40 weeks)
Antioch Missionary Church
Word/ Acts 12:25-13:3
12:25 “Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem after they had finished their father-in-law, taking John who was called Mark” Continues from 11:30. In Chapter 12, Herock's persecution and his own death are only one episode, and the scene returns to Antioch. Barnabas and Sanru, who were sent from Antioch to bring alms to Judea, returned from Jerusalem after completing their mission. When he came, he brought Mark (12:12) with him on the first missionary journey. Anyway, with this, preparations for evangelism to the Gentiles were completed.
From today's text, evangelism to the Gentiles (to the ends of the earth) continues. Chapters 13 to 21:26 are the contents of Gentile evangelism. The book of Acts is divided into chapters 1-12 and 13-28. The first part is a Jerusalem-based, mainly Jewish evangelism, led by Peter. The latter part, chapters 13-28, is a record of evangelism to the Gentiles based in Antioch, and the leader was Paul. In other words, starting from Chapter 13, the content of today, the center of the church is moving from Jerusalem to Antioch, and the characters are moving from Peter to Paul. And, the history of the primitive church in Palestine is over, and now it develops into a world church. Therefore, it can be seen that the Church enters an important new stage in its system, theology and character.
This second half is also the record of evangelism “to the ends of the earth,” the last stage if the division of 1:8 is followed, and the content is Paul's 4th missionary journey. However, because the volume is too large, it is divided into two again, and Paul's 3rd evangelistic journey is recorded in Gentile Evangelism (13: -21:26) and the 4th journey as a prisoner and sent to Rome (21:27- 28:). In the first part, Paul's 1st (13: -14:), 2nd (15:36-18:22), 3rd (18:23-21:26) missionary journeys and the Jerusalem Assembly ( Chapter 15) is illustrated.
Chapters 13 and 14 are about Paul's first missionary journey. The church in Antioch was established as a base for evangelism to the Gentiles (13:1-3), and there Barnabas and Paul were chosen to evangelize the Gentiles. The contents of the first evangelism were three: evangelism to Cyprus (13:4-12), evangelism to Pisidia Antioch (13:13-52), and evangelism to Iconium and Lystra (14:1-18). They tell of their return route (14:19-28). The period is generally considered to be between 45 and 51 years.
The saints who have been saved by the blood of Jesus can work together for the evangelism and mission that He wants, transcending human status. That is why the church does not consider status in society. Slaves, Romans, and people of high positions in the courts are all one in Christ Jesus. In the church, everyone is the same. The only difference in the church is how much you love the Lord Jesus.
These Bible teachers from various backgrounds served various people in Antioch Church, a Gentile Church, and the social classes of the church were diversified. It showed that the church is becoming more and more whole, and that people of all ages as well as people with different ideas and social life can live as one in the church. All this was possible because these diverse classes of Bible teachers became one in their souls as they served the various classes with the word of the Lord.
Second, it was a church that heard and obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit while serving the Lord and fasting. “While serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Barnabas and Saul