Sunday 30Th August - Acts 15

Sunday 30th August - Acts 15

It is great to have you with us again.

When we finished last week’s lesson Paul and Barnabas, who had been travelling and telling people in different places the good news about Jesus, had returned to Antioch in Syria. Those who met together in the church there were very happy to hear of so many non-Jewish people, who are also known as Gentiles, believing in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.

Then a problem arose. Some men came to Antioch from Judea, which was an area of Israel and had the city of Jerusalem in it. These men began saying that the non-Jews had to keep some of the Jewish customs so that they could know Jesus as their Saviour. In other words, they were not teaching the good news, or gospel as it is also called, the way that the Lord Jesus Himself had taught. When we were learning about the book of Luke, we found out in chapter 24 verses 46 and 47 that Jesus told his followers, or disciples, that they were to be witnesses that He had died and had risen again. He told them to tell people to change their hearts and lives so that their sins, or wrong things they had done, could be forgiven. These men who had come from Judea were changing what Jesus had told them to teach. Some people still do that today!

Paul and Barnabas, who were both Jews who had believed the good news about the Lord Jesus, disagreed with this teaching and argued with the men about it. It was decided to send Paul and Barnabas, along with some others, to Jerusalem to see the leaders in the church there to solve the problem. Jerusalem was the place from where the good news had started to spread throughout the world.

On the way to Jerusalem, they travelled through Phoenicia and Samaria telling about the great news that the Gentiles, or non-Jews, had turned to God. When they reached Jerusalem, the apostles, who were those who had seen Jesus while he was on earth, leaders and other church members welcomed them. Then some who had believed in Jesus, but had been from a religious Jewish group called Pharisees, began to say that the non-Jews had to obey the Jewish laws and customs. Paul himself had been a Pharisee before he trusted in Jesus. The leaders met to discuss the problem.

Peter, a well-known apostle and follower of the Lord Jesus spoke up. He reminded everyone that he had been told by God to tell the non-Jews the good news about Jesus. Verse 9 tells us Peter said that those people were no different from the Jews. When they believed God made their hearts pure. Maybe you remember from an earlier lesson in Acts chapter 10, Peter had a dream and then had met a man named Cornelius. Peter had realised that all men are the same before God and all needed to believe in the Lord Jesus. He told the church leaders there that the Jews had not been able to keep the laws that God had given to them. We read a lot about these laws and religious customs in the Old Testament books from Exodus to Deuteronomy. Peter told them that, as the Jews had been unable to keep all the laws it was too much to expect non-Jews to do it! In verse 11

he said that “we and they will be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus.” In other words, everyone comes to God the same way, by believing in Jesus.

Paul and Barnabas then told of the wonderful things that God had been doing as they told the good news. A man called James, who was one of the apostles, then said that the non- Jewish believers should be advised to live pure lives and not to eat blood or things that had been strangled or offered to idols. This was agreed and written in a letter, which was sent to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas and also two men called Silas and Judas Barsabbas. When the men got to Antioch they read the letter sent from Jerusalem to the church there. The believers in Antioch were very happy. Judas and Silas later returned to Jerusalem while Paul and Barnabas, with others, continued to tell the message about the Lord Jesus in Antioch.

After a while, Paul wanted to go to the towns where they had previously taught the same message. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark along too. Paul did not think this was a good idea because John Mark had previously left working with them when they had visited a place called Perga. Barnabas and Paul had a serious argument and Barnabas then sailed to the island of Cyprus along with John Mark. Paul chose Silas to help him and they left Antioch to go through Syria and Cilicia. This meant that the good news about forgiveness of sins and salvation through believing in the Lord Jesus reached yet more people! This is still the same message for us today and really is God’s good news about how we can have eternal life.

QUIZ

Question 1

To which city did Paul and Barnabas return?

Antioch in Syria.

Question 2

Some men came to Antioch from which place?

From Judea.

Question 3

What had Jesus told his followers to do?

To be His witnesses that He had died and had risen again.

Question 4

Where did Paul and Barnabas go to see church leaders?

Jerusalem.

Question 5

To which group did Paul belong before he believed the good news about Jesus?

The Pharisees.

Question 6

What was the name of the man met by the apostle Peter?

Cornelius.

Question 7

What was sent from Jerusalem to Antioch?

A letter with instructions to non-Jewish believers.

Question 8

Can you remember any of the instructions given to the non-Jewish followers in the letter?

They were not to eat blood or anything strangled, or anything offered to idols and they had to live pure lives.

Last question

Where did Barnabas go after he left Paul?

Cyprus.

Peter and Cornelius Become Friends

T I D A S N Y P W H T D A N E W D M R E E H N O H I V R E S L S Y B B T T N E E T O D T H B A H C O I T N A E E J E R U S A L E M E F S T E N L U I E P H T R Y O S A L I S B E E E P R P W B R J I E E C I L I C I A I G C E T Y U A A S E S O M

ANTIOCH MOSES BARNABAS PAUL BELIEVED PETER CILICIA SILAS JERUSALEM SYRIA LAW