Bible Study - Relationships (2) - Encourage - Acts 9:26-28; 11:21-26 - May 3, 2020

Bible Study – Relationships (2) – Encourage – May 3, 2020

This is lesson two (2) in our series entitled, “Dealing with Messy Relationships.”

Our focus scripture is Acts 9:26-28; 11:21-26.

Encouragement strengthens relationships.

This lesson focuses on the life of the Apostle Paul and the person who was his encourager.

Paul was the Apostle Paul’s Roman name and Saul was his Hebrew name. 

Paul was a Hebrew but he had Roman citizenship. How did Paul get his Roman citizenship? Let’s read Acts 22:25-29:

²⁵ As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?”

²⁶ When the centurion heard this, he went and reported to the commander, saying, “What are you going to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”

²⁷ The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes,” he said.

²⁸ The commander replied, “I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul said.

²⁹ So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately. The commander too was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him.

There were two ways a person of that time period could become a Roman citizen (1) birth in a city designated as a “free city” by Rome (2) purchase it. Since Paul was born in Tarsus, a “free-city” within the Province of Cilicia, he was a Roman citizen by birth.

Some background on Saul/Paul as recorded in 2 Corinthians 11:21-23:

But in whatever anyone dares to boast—I am talking foolishly—I also dare: ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the descendants of Abraham? So, am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? I’m talking like a madman—I’m a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, many times near death.

Paul put his faith in JESUS into action. He had credentials but the main credential a person needs was to place his or her faith in JESUS.

Galatians 1:11-24:

The Origin of Paul’s Gospel

¹¹ For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. ¹² For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹³ For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. ¹⁵ But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.^[d] 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus.

¹⁸ Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas,^[e] and I stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ But I didn’t see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ I declare in the sight of God: I am not lying in what I write to you.

²¹ Afterward, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² I remained personally unknown to the Judean churches that are in Christ. ²³ They simply kept hearing, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they glorified God because of me.^[f]

The Apostle Paul sets the record straight. In this record, we see that after Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus, Paul pondered his experience. He wanted to make certain that his encounter with JESUS was real and not some figment of his imagination, although he had specific confirmations.

When Paul went to Jerusalem, he consulted with the Apostle Peter and the half-brother of JESUS.

It is like the experience I shared in a lesson several weeks ago. I analyzed it but the more I did, the more it was confirmed.  Truth is vital in our walk with JESUS.

Let’s read Acts 9:26-30:

Saul in Jerusalem

²⁶ When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple. ²⁷ Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ Saul was coming and going with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹ He conversed and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. ³⁰ When the brothers found out, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

Why were the Christian Jews afraid of Paul when he arrived in Jerusalem? Paul had a reputation of persecuting Christians. The Christians thought Paul was being deceitful, acting like he was a Christian to identify Christian groups so he could round them up and throw them into prison.

But there was a man named Barnabas who took Paul under his wing, so-to-speak, and vouched for Paul as being genuine. Barnabas was named Joseph but was known as the “son of encouragement” or “son of consolation.” He was a native of Cyprus and a Levite.

The Christian leadership in Jerusalem did not want to have anything to do with Paul until Barnabas stood up for him and vouched for him.

This is so important today. It is tough when we stand alone but when we have someone to stand with us, we stand stronger.

I know our former pastor told our young people to pick a friend and agree with each other to stand together if and when they faced temptations or various compromising issues in life. This is true for adults as well. All Christians need to have a trusted friend, and your spouse or parent(s) can be that trusted friend when you face temptation or issues that you are battling.

Paul was zealous for JESUS and did stir people up in Jerusalem. The Christian leadership urged Paul to go back to his hometown of Tarsus after some Hellenistic Jews tried to kill him and he did.

Let’s look back at the time when Paul/Saul was known as Saul a zealot for Judaism.

In Acts 7: ⁵⁸ They dragged him (Stephen, the first recorded Christian to be martyred) out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

This was why Christians did not trust Saul/Paul.

The stoning of Stephen resulted in the beginning of the scattering of Christians which led to a period referred to as the “diaspora” or scattering. GOD disrupts the lives of Christians at times to relocate them to other areas of the world to spread the Gospel of JESUS.

Let’s read Acts 11:19-24:

¹⁹ Now those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. ²⁰ But there were some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks^[b] also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. ²¹ The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. ²² News about them reached^[c] the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel^[d] as far as Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts, ²⁴ for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And large numbers of people were added to the Lord.

The Christian leadership in Jerusalem heard about Greeks in Antioch accepting JESUS as their Savior. In fact, it was in Antioch that those who placed their faith in JESUS were first referred to as Christ ones or Christians.

We read that the Christian leadership in Jerusalem sent trusted Barnabas to check out what was going on in Antioch.

Antioch was the capitol of the province of Syria and the third largest city of the Roman empire and had an estimated population of 500,000 people. It was estimated to have a Jewish population of 70,000. It was located at the crossroads of trade routes south to Palestine, east to Persia and west to the Asia Minor peninsula.

Barnabas went to Antioch and confirmed there was a great awaking taking place in Antioch and they needed help to meet the needs of those seeking a personal relationship with JESUS. There were Jews and especially large numbers of Gentiles becoming Christians.

Who better to help other than Paul? So, Barnabas set out to locate Paul in and around Tarsus. That was a one-way trip of about 100 miles. Why did Barnabas think Paul would be the ideal person to help him? Did he witness how Paul defended the Christian faith in Jerusalem with the Hellenistic Jews. In Acts 9:28-30: ²⁸ Saul was coming and going with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹ He conversed and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. ³⁰ When the brothers found out, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

Barnabas was filled with the Holy Spirit. When we serve our LORD JESUS, it is critical that we are filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit knows all things. HE leads and guides Christians to where they need to go. Barnabas needed to know where Paul was in the Tarsus area. Those ministering in Antioch needed experienced help and Barnabas knew that Paul knew how to teach Jewish converts. Barnabas trusted that the Holy Spirit would lead him to Paul and HE did as we read on ------.

Let’s read Acts 11:25-26:

²⁵ Then he^[e] went to Tarsus to search for Saul, ²⁶ and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.

Barnabas and Paul had formed a genuine relationship early in their relationship through faith in JESUS. They parted in Jerusalem on good terms. When an opportunity to serve in Antioch, Barnabas thought of Paul and he went to search for Paul.

It is exciting when Christians are led by the Holy Spirit to those seeking JESUS and for those GOD chooses to serve to connect with those who are seeking.

When fellow Christians need encouragement, are you willing to encourage them? When Christians face compromising issues in their walk with JESUS do you go to them or shrink away. When Christians are battling issues in their lives that is when they need the support of fellow Christians. GOD’S Word cautions Christians to be careful when they attempt to help others, as recorded in Galatians 6:1:

Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit,^[a] watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted. 

Are you an encourager? Or do you need to be encouraged? May the Holy Spirit bring you together.

Blessings!!!