Paul II: Saul and Paul

Acts 13:1-16:10

I have already mentioned that Saul was the Hebrew name of the great apostle. But he was also a Roman citizen, so he also was called Paul. As his ministry developed, it became more and more Gentile. With the name Paul, he would have a better audience for the gospel. From Acts 13:13 on, He will be called Paul. Notice the gift of prophecy in Paul. He speaks with great authority and the people listen and want to know more. But like most prophets in the scriptures, they are also controversial to some of their hearers. As part of their preaching in chapter 14, the also do miracles. The book of Acts links the preaching of God’s Word and signs and wonders together. How do we explain that there is still a lot of preaching, but not a lot of signs and wonders? Some have claimed that the signs and wonders were there to get the church launched and are not as necessary now. Others claim that the lack of signs and wonders is due to a lack of faith and spiritual power in the preachers or in the faith of Christian people in general. What do you think?

It is easy to read Acts and think of Paul’s ministry as “hit and run,” but the truth is that he spent considerable time in places and then circles back to see that they well still going okay once he left. Here we the gift of shepherding in Paul. I wouldn’t put it in his primary set of gifts, but he does shepherd from time to time.

In the end of chapter 15, we see that Barnabas and Paul part because of a disagreement over John Mark. Paul’s hard-edged accountability stands in contrast to the more conciliar style of Barnabas, whose name means “encouragement.” In them you see gifts that are certainly complementary, but also at times in conflict. This is one of the difficulties in spiritual gifts. Our differences are necessary and part of being the body of Christ. They also mean that they provide growing edges for us all. Differences don’t have to be divisive, but they will be that without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The split does allow for multiplication of ministry. One of the interesting stories of American Christianity is how the denominations grew through schism (more than 300 kinds of Baptists and 60 kinds of Methodists in the USA alone!). So from here on its Barnabas & Mark and Paul & Silas.

Chapter 16 introduces us to Timothy, his heir apparent in the preaching of the gospel. In verse 6, Paul gets a vision (knowledge) that he is now to take the gospel westward, when it was his desire to go back and lead a mass conversion in Jerusalem. This is just as dramatic as the dropping of the sheet was for Peter. Paul would discover his greatest ministry in the areas he never planned to go, in northern Greece and Asia minor (western Turkey). Again, we are confronted by the surprising agenda of the Spirit. I call it God “wild cards,” and you just never know when they are going to show up.