INTRODUCTION

Christian warfare always consists of multiple fronts: external, domestic, and internal. The fact that we see this in the first century should give us hope and reassurance that we are not facing something profoundly new or different. This dynamic is also part of the ‘continuing adventures of Jesus.’ Our task is to walk by faith before God, the ‘Knower of Hearts, in obedience, trusting His grace. 

The Text: “And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren and said, except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved…” (Acts 15:1-12)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Certain men came to Antioch from Judea teaching the necessity of circumcision for salvation (Acts 15:1). It is likely that some of their clout was related to being from the region near Jerusalem. And this led to a significant dispute, the opposition being led by Paul and Barnabas, and so the church sent them to Jerusalem to have the matter settled by the apostles and elders (Acts 15:2-4). 

It was Christian Pharisees who were arguing that Gentiles needed to be circumcised and aim to keep the whole Jewish law, and a council was called to hear the matter (Acts 15:5-6). In the midst of the dispute, Peter testified about his experience with Cornelius and how God the “heart-knower” gave them the Holy Spirit, making no difference between Jews and Gentiles, making all clean by faith (Acts 15:7-9). Peter says that Jews of all people know the heavy yoke of the law, but they are saved by grace, just like the Gentiles (Acts 15:10-11). While this quieted down the assembly, Barnabas and Paul continued giving testimony of God’s work among the Gentiles (Acts 15:12). 

CHURCH COUNCILS & CONTROVERSY

This controversy occasioned what has come to be called the Jerusalem Council which likely occurred around A.D. 48-50. Galatians 2 addresses very similar themes and is often assumed to be describing the same event, although I lean towards thinking Galatians 2 happened before the Jerusalem Council, since Peter seems to understand everything clearly by this point. This moment is helpful for illustrating that while Christians and Christian leaders in particular must not be belligerent, there are some matters worth fighting for (cf. 2 Tim. 2:24-26, 2 Corinthians). Christian unity is in the truth, not lowest common denominator compromise (Eph. 4:3-15). At the same time, wisdom understands that there are weightier matters of the law (Mt. 23:23, Rom. 14).

This is also an example of early church government at work, where we see elders and pastors seeking wisdom and accountability beyond the local church. Because “in the multitude of counselors is safety” (Prov. 11:14, 15:22, 24:6). At the same time, the Word of God remains supreme. We do not decide truth by democratic vote. Church councils can and have erred, but that doesn’t negate the usefulness of striving for truth and unity. 

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE

At the center of this controversy is the doctrine of justification by faith alone. The question was whether Gentiles needed to do anything more than believe in Jesus to make themselves acceptable to God. Peter flatly denied this: God saves by giving His Holy Spirit and the gift of faith that purifies our hearts (Acts 15:8-9). Salvation is by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 15:10). God does it all (cf. Acts 15:4, 7, 8, 12). Justification is the judicial act by which God freely pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous solely because of the righteousness of Christ reckoned to us, and all received by faith alone. 

The reason this is so crucial is because any works smuggled into the equation only smuggle in with them fear and anxiety because if even 1% of your salvation (God accepting you) depends on you, how can you know if it’s enough? The answer is that you can’t know and it never is. So this is the only way to have complete peace with God: resting in the grace of God from beginning to end. He chose you in His grace before the foundation of the world, sent His Son in His grace to die and rise again, sent His Spirit into your heart to hear and believe, and He is the One who will finish that work that He has begun (Eph. 1, Rom. 5).

APPLICATIONS

We are not only justified by faith, we are also purified by faith (Acts 15:9). Cleansing is more visceral. The feelings of shame and uncleanness often haunt people. But this is often because some part of you still thinks that God accepts you on the basis of what you’ve done or not done. But this is precisely what you must repent of: “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:14). 

God knows your heart. And there are only two possible things He sees there. He either sees sin or righteousness. It’s pure and clean or else it isn’t. But the only purity that God accepts is perfect purity, His own purity, the Holiness of the Holy God. And that is why it must be the Holy Spirit that offers Christ for you without spot to the Father. And the first thing God pardons and purges are all the things you thought would help. And He purges those things first so that you can actually begin to serve the living God. 

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INTRODUCTION

Acts is about the continuing work of Jesus through His Spirit bringing the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Not only is Jesus doing this, but what we find is that He has also prepared the world for this: synagogues functioned as open doors for the gospel, but the Gentiles were also being prepared for faith. And Jesus continues to work this way, going ahead of His people, preparing the way, turning everything, even trouble and tribulation, into a door that leads to the Kingdom. 

The Text: “And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked…” (Acts 14:8-28)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Paul heals a man in Lystra, lame in his feet from birth, and the city erupts acclaiming Barnabas as Jupiter and Paul as Mercury (Acts 14:8-12). As the priest of Jupiter was preparing a sacrifice in their honor, the apostles tore their clothes and interrupted the proceeding, urging the people to turn to the living God who made heaven and earth, and thus barely restrained them (Acts 14:13-18). Sometime after, the Jews from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium showed up in Lystra and stirred up a mob that stoned Paul and left him for dead outside the city (Acts 14:19). However, as the disciples gathered around him, Paul rose up and the next day he was able to go to Derbe before retracing their steps back through the very same cities he was previously chased out of: Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch, encouraging the saints and ordaining elders in every church (Acts 14:20-23). Returning to the region of Pamphylia by the sea, they sailed back to Antioch where they had begun their journey, and told the saints all that God had done, particularly for the Gentiles, and remained there for some time (Acts 14:24-28). 

GODS IN HUMAN FORM?

It might seem strange or surprising that the people of Lystra see the healed man and immediately assumed that Paul and Barnabas are Jupiter and Mercury. But it is likely that they knew the legend of Baucis and Philemon told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses, the story of the time Jupiter and Mercury came down in the form of two ordinary men and were refused hospitality until a poor, kindly couple took them in and fed them. The gods sent a flood to punish the Phrygian valley (not far from Lycaonia), and only the poor couple escaped to a mountain. The couple’s hut was spared and transformed into a glorious temple to Jupiter. The couple were made priests of the temple, and by their wish, later died at the same time, and turned into an oak and linden tree, where it became customary to lay garlands in their honor. 

Whether driven by true fear/piety or a mercenary opportunism, the priest of Jupiter and the people at least had a story to point to when they came with their oxen and garlands to offer sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:13). Of course the apostles object to being worshipped, but notice that they don’t contradict the cosmology. They don’t argue that no other supernatural beings exist or that they certainly could not appear as men. They do call that worship “vain/worthless” (Acts 14:15) and clearly call them to turn and worship the living God, the Creator of heaven and earth and Giver of all good gifts (Acts 14:15-17). It’s striking that we have our own “true myth” of the time two angels came to a city and were mistreated before receiving hospitality by the only faithful house, and only that family escaped to a mountain before judgment came upon that valley (Gen. 19). Furthermore, Daniel describes Michael and other angelic beings fighting with the angelic “princes” of Persia and Greece (Dan. 10:13, 20). Perhaps Jupiter and Mercury were real, fallen angelic “gods” that occasionally had shown up as men, and perhaps some good angels had prepared those cultures for the coming of the gospel.  

SEVERAL OPEN DOORS

God tells His story in our lives and in history in order to prepare the way for His purposes. We see this in the healing of the lame man which is very similar to the beginning of Acts: “a certain man lame from his mother’s womb, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple” (Acts 3:2). Both of these healings erupt in significant responses for the spread of the gospel. While sin sometimes is the cause of poor health, often, as in the story of the man born blind, God assigns tribulation in order “that the works of God should be made manifest” (Jn. 9:3). What no doubt looked and felt like a brick wall for these men, was God’s door. Check for sin, but look for God.

Both men “leap up” when they are healed, and here in Acts 14, they seem to be near the gate of the temple of Jupiter (Acts 14:13). The parallels seem to confirm Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles (as akin to Peter’s ministry), but it also suggests that the pagan temples (despite all the paganism) had their own role to play in preparing for the gospel, as God gave them good gifts, rain, fruitful seasons, and food and gladness (Acts 14:17). They wrongly attributed these gifts to false gods, but the gifts were preparing them to meet the Giver: another open door. 

When the Jews from Iconium and Antioch show up and stone Paul, this echoes the earlier murder of Stephen, which Paul had overseen (Acts 7:58). Surely, this was not lost on Paul. Not only is it miraculous that Paul survived, but then he rose up, went into the city, and was able to depart the next day for Derbe (Acts 14:20). What is also astonishing is the fact that he then turned around and retraced his steps through those same cities (Acts 14:21). It seems likely that Paul still had marks on his body as he encouraged the saints to continue in the faith, insisting that they must enter the kingdom through many tribulations (Acts 14:22). What was meant for evil, Paul immediately saw God working for good. Paul saw an open door. 

APPLICATIONS

Almost everyone has some sense that nothing happens by accident. Even unbelievers will say things like that. But we really need to learn to turn it around: everything happens on purpose and this means that everything is sovereignly administered by the Triune God for our good (Eph. 1:11, Rom. 8:28). We need to learn to say about everything, “this is so I can go to heaven.” 

The exhaustive sovereignty of God means that absolutely everything (every detail) has been prepared for us, and all of it is to prepare us for what is next and ultimately for the Kingdom itself, through many tribulations. Faith sees absolutely everything as an open door because Jesus is risen from the dead.

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INTRODUCTION

God’s way of conquest is not what we would have thought up. One of His central plays is provoking people to jealousy through His extravagant blessings. Sometimes this provocation turns angry and violent, but ultimately, the plan is for the ends of the earth to be saved. 

The Text: “And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming…” (Acts 13:44-14:7). 

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The following sabbath, Paul preached again in Antioch of Pisidia, and almost the whole city came to hear (Acts 13:44). Filled with envy at Paul’s influence, the Jews began contradicting and blaspheming the gospel (Acts 13:45). When Paul quoted Isaiah 49, prophesying that the gospel would go to the Gentiles if the Jews rejected it, the Gentiles rejoiced and many were converted (Acts 13:46-48). So the Word of the Lord multiplied, and the Jews stirred up persecution from prominent folks (Acts 13:49-50). While the apostles testified against the Jews in this, all the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:51-52). 

Coming to Iconium, multitudes gather in the synagogue, and once more, some Jews and Greeks believe, but the unbelieving Jews stir up controversy and plots against Paul and Barnabas, dividing the city (Acts 14:1-4). This took place over many days, but when a plot was uncovered to murder them, they fled to Lystra and Derbe, and continued preaching there (Acts 14:5-7). 

PROVOKED TO ENVY

In both episodes, the gospel goes first to the Jews gathered in their synagogues and while some believe, the majority is filled with envy and stirs up controversy, trouble, and violence (Acts 13:43-45, 50, 14:2, 5). It was envy that caused the Jewish rulers to hand Jesus over to Pilate to be crucified (Mt. 27:18, Mk. 15:10), and envy had already been driving the persecution of the Jews in Jerusalem (Acts 5:17). Moses prophesied this: “I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you” (Dt. 32:21), and Paul quotes that verse in Romans 10:19 to explain God’s plan to save the world: “Have they [the Jews] stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy [envy]. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness?” (Rom. 11:11-12) So provoking envy (particularly from the Jews) has always been part of the plan of salvation. This is also why there have been many in the Reformed tradition who prayed and worked for the conversion of the Jews. While some consider the salvation of the Jews to be merely a trickle over history, Paul seems to have something far bigger in mind (Rom. 11:15). 

WHAT IS ISRAEL/JUDAISM TODAY?

As it happens, there’s a lot in the news about Israel right now and many Christians believe that these are signs of the end times. Some Christians believe that God has continued His covenant with the Jews, and through a misunderstanding of a prophecy in Daniel, believe that when the Jews rebuild the temple and reestablish sacrifices, Jesus will return. But Jesus is the Messiah of Israel, the seed of David, and true Israel, true Jews are those who trust in Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:3). Any return to blood sacrifices is blasphemy, and there is nothing uniquely holy about the land of Israel anymore, since Jesus has claimed the whole world for His people and given us His Spirit. 

Nevertheless, to the extent that a nation/people continue to study the Old Testament (with veils over their hearts, 2 Cor. 3:14-15), you have a people with greater light, more obligation to believe in Jesus Christ, and often both the blessings and curses that come with that light and rejection of it. If you want a category for this, we can call it the covenant with Hagar (Gal. 4:24-25). This is why Jewish people have often been highly functioning people in society, for good and for ill, and why they have been so often hated. The modern nation-state of Israel has no unique role in the Kingdom of God, other than as a relatively similar worldview and prime candidates for conversion and the opportunity for gospel ministry in the Middle East. Otherwise, Christians should apply biblical principles of justice and prudence to their conflicts. 

APPLICATIONS

In both of these episodes, the envy of the Jews stirs up trouble and controversy, and the gospel goes forth and many believe (Acts 13:49, 14:3, 7). This is God’s way. Notice that this includes even stirring up otherwise noble and devout leaders (Acts 13:50). This should give us compassion for folks who get stirred up by baseless accusations and attacks: not all our enemies understand what is driving them. God has been patient with us; we must patiently bear with weaknesses and misunderstandings, even from those we think really ought to know better. 

The word for envy is sometimes translated “zeal,” and zeal can be good or bad. It was “zeal” that filled Jesus when He cleansed the temple (Jn. 2:17), and Paul labored for the Corinthians with a godly zeal or jealousy (2 Cor. 11:2). Christians should be zealous for the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:31/14:1ff), repentance (2 Cor. 7:7-11, Rev. 3:19), and for good works (Gal. 4:18, Tit. 2:14). But zeal has a way of becoming intensely self-righteous, while claiming a moral high ground: Paul’s zeal led him to persecute the church (Phil. 3:6) and so zeal/envy is often also accompanied by strife, wrath, and violence (Js. 3:14-4:2, Gal. 5:20, 1 Cor. 3:3). 

So how can we know the difference between ungodly zeal/envy and godly zeal? How do you respond to the blessing of God on others? How do you respond to the success, excellence, and material blessing of others? Are you critical? Do you resent it? Or does it drive you to seek excellence? God’s blessing creates competing cycles of imitative envy or imitative excellence. Paul preached the gospel to provoke the emulation of the Jews (Rom. 11:14), and godly zeal seeks to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom. 12:10 ESV). Our goal should be such excellence in our work, such honesty, such blessing on our homes and nations, that many see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven, especially unbelieving Jews (Mt. 5:16).

And we need to be fully prepared that as we do this, many will be provoked to wrath, but the central sign that this is the work of God will be a dominant tone of joy: “And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 13:52).  

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INTRODUCTION

We commonly sing and repeat that glorious refrain from Psalm 136 (and others) that the mercies of the Lord endure forever, and this is certainly true in a general way. But as we see here in Paul’s first recorded sermon, there is a particular meaning of that phrase and application in the covenant that God made with King David that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ and all who believe in Him. In other words, there’s a specific reason why David sung about it so much. 

The Text: “But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. And after reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them…” (Acts 13:14-43).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Attending a sabbath service in Antioch of Pisidia (in the middle of modern day Turkey), Paul is invited to preach (Acts 13:14-16). Beginning with the Exodus, Paul narrates the conquest of Canaan through the beginning of the Kingdom under Saul up to the covenant with David (Acts 13:17-22). From that Davidic promise, Paul preached Christ, the seed of David, from John’s baptism to His false conviction and crucifixion under Pilate, His burial, and His resurrection (Acts 13:23-31). Paul declares this good news and says that the resurrection in particular fulfills what was foretold in Psalm 2, Isaiah 55:3, and Psalm 16 (Acts 13:32-37). Forgiveness of sins and justification by faith is preached, with a warning to the Jews not to despise the message, as the prophet Habakkuk warned (Acts 13:38-41, cf. Hab. 1:5). And the response was many Gentiles requesting that Paul and Barnabas come and teach again the next sabbath and many began following them (Acts 13:42-43).

HISTORICAL FAITH

One of the striking elements of Christian Scripture and our faith is its essential historicity. The central tenants of the Christian faith are historical narrative: God created the world in six days, Adam sinned by eating fruit, Abraham built altars in Canaan, Israel was rescued from Egypt, judges delivered, kings ruled, prophets proclaimed, Christ was born, lived, crucified, buried, raised, and ascended. As we see here (Acts 13:17-31), the Christian faith is grounded in historical facts, events that you could have photographed, and there is no way to strip away the history and retain the faith. 

But many have attempted (and continue to attempt) to claim that Christianity is primarily a spiritual relationship or experience, and that the history is the “shell” that holds the essential kernel of “religious” feelings and experience. The claim is that so long as you have that experience or feelings, the historical details and doctrines don’t matter very much. But this is patently false: “If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching in vain, and your faith is also vain…  and ye are yet in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:14, 17). Why does it matter that we believe that God created the Heavens and the Earth in six twenty-four days? Because that is what Genesis 1 clearly teaches, but the vaguer our certainty of this history, the vaguer our certainty of salvation. If Genesis 1 doesn’t mean what it says, why not the Exodus? Why not the Resurrection?

THE SURE MERCIES OF DAVID

The center of Paul’s message is this notion of the “sure mercies of David” (Acts 13:34). This “sure mercy” encompasses the selection of young David as king after Saul, a man after God’s own heart who would fulfill all of God’s will (Acts 13:22) as well as the covenant that God swore to David concerning his seed: “Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Savior Jesus” (Acts 13:23). This is referring to when God say to David, “I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom forever… but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul… thy throne shall be established forever” (2 Sam. 7:12-16 cf. 1 Chron. 17:11-14). This promise became a theme: “He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed forevermore” (2 Sam. 22:51). And Solomon appealed to God on the basis of the “mercies of David” (2 Chron. 1:8) and it filled the praises of Israel – His mercies endure forever (1 Chron. 16:34, 41, 2 Chron. 7:6, cf. Ps. 18:50, 89:1, 106:1, 107:1, 117:2, 118:1-4, 29, and Ps. 136).

And thus the prophets foretold the fulfillment of that promise in the face of Israelite decline: “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David” (Is. 55:3). And it becomes the prayer of many in Israel that Jesus, the “Son of David” would have mercy upon them (e.g. Mt. 9:27, 15:22, 20:30-31).

APPLICATIONS

It is on the basis of the sure mercies of David, that God sent His only Son, the seed of David, into the world, to accomplish the forgiveness of sins and justification by faith for all His people. David was himself the great example these things: colossal sins and failures forgiven and justified by faith – a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). And Jesus is the fulfillment: the One who fulfilled all of God’s will and who therefore cannot see corruption, who sits on David’s throne forever. 

Specifically, it says, “justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:39). The law is good, but it cannot justify. And to the extent that people try to get it to justify them, it only exacerbates our sin. But God freely justifies sinful people in order that they may keep the law by the power of the Spirit (Rom. 8:1-5). And this is only possible by evangelical faith. 

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INTRODUCTION

The Holy Spirit is the personal Spirit of the Father and the Son. He is not an impersonal force. He leads the Church in fierce and zealous obedience. He is God’s fiery love and fellowship, and the center of His power is in the Word.

The Text: “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul…” (Acts 13:1-13)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Luke records five men who were prophets and teachers in Antioch, and as they ministered to the Lord, the Holy Spirit made it clear that Barnabas and Saul needed to be sent out to preach (Acts 13:1-2). The Holy Spirit sent them first to Seleucia and Cyprus, through the prayers and laying on of hands of the church in Antioch (Acts 13:3-4). They took John Mark with them, and they preached in the synagogues until they came to Paphos where they encountered a Jewish sorcerer named Bar-jesus, the attendant of the Roman proconsul (Acts 13:5-6). As they preached to Sergius Paulus, the sorcerer (also called Elymas) argued against them, until Paul, full of the Holy Spirit, rebuked him and cursed him with blindness (Acts 13:7-11). And the proconsul believed, being particularly astonished by the teaching of the Lord, and they continued their ministry into Pamphylia, although John Mark returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:12-13).

THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

While the Bible teaches that there was a unique ministry of prophets during the times of the writing of Scripture and the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20, Heb. 1:1-2), this does not mean that the Holy Spirit no longer speaks to God’s people. The Holy Spirit still speaks, primarily and centrally in His Word, but also through the ministry of the saints and providential needs and opportunities. Even here, while there may have been a more supernatural word from the Lord, the commissioning of the church is described as the Holy Spirit sending Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:3-4).

REAL SORCERY

As we saw last week, God’s ministers are active in this world, and likewise, the Bible is clear that there are evil spirits and powers in the world. Satan is probably a fallen seraph (since he appears as a serpent/dragon), but Ezekiel 28 seems to be alluding to him as a fallen angel of Tyre and there he is called a cherub. It may be that there is more overlap between seraphim and cherubim than we realize, or it may be that the fallen angel in Ezekiel 28 is not Satan. 

Regardless, beginning in the Garden, we know that there are demonic beings in the world. The Egyptian magicians apparently tapped into some dark powers, and the Israelites were forbidden all sorcery and necromancy. While idols really are lifeless blocks of wood and metal, without hands and eyes, the Bible indicates that sometimes demonic powers gave some plausibility to the superstitions (e.g. Dan. 10:13). It’s striking that when Jesus came into the world, He regularly faced demons. In fact, in Israel, if you wanted to find a demon, synagogues were a good place to look (Mk. 1:39). So we should assume that Bar-jesus/Elymas probably had some true connection to dark powers. And while the resurrection of Jesus has fundamentally changed the gravity of the world (we have no reason to fear demons if we are in Christ, Js. 4:7), we should not be surprised if there is a growing demonic presence in lands where Christ is rejected. 

HARSH WORDS FOR FALSE TEACHERS

Paul’s rebuke of Elymas strikes many modern evangelical ears as harsh, or else, many simply assume that since he was an apostle he could say things that we cannot. But that’s simply not true. The Bible teaches that “open rebuke is better than secret love” (Prov. 27:5) and “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools” (Eccl. 7:5). Paul instructs Timothy not to ordinarily rebuke an elder, but if there are two or three witnesses, rebuke him in front of the whole church (1 Tim. 5:1, 20). This is a particular calling of ministers: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2, cf. Tit. 1:13, 2:15). Sharp correction of those in defiant sin or teaching false doctrine is love (Heb. 12:5, Rev. 3:19). 

Calvin: “Such was the vehemency of holy zeal and of the Spirit in the prophets, which if dainty and soft men judge troublesome and raging, they consider not how dear and precious God’s truth is to him.”

APPLICATIONS

This world belongs to Jesus Christ (not to Satan or demons). Lewis says somewhere that Satan probably most enjoys the extremes: those who completely ignore dark spiritual forces and those who are completely infatuated with them. We need not see demonic powers behind every bush or terrible policy decision. But neither may we be ignorant or naïve about the possibility. But regardless, we must have no fear. The Holy Spirit of Christ in us terrifies the demons. But the way to remain fearless and full of the Spirit is to be full of the Word. Stay in the Word, listen to the Word, apply the Word. And that really is the astonishing thing to unbelievers. 

Remember the distinction between refugees from the world and apostles of the world. Apostles of the world need to be rebuked and held at arm’s length. Refugees from the world should be welcomed, while offering lots of teaching. Refugees and apostles might initially look or sound the same, but the difference is real humility and obedience to the Word. And that Word is Christ crucified for sinners and raised to grant repentance to all men. 

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