Bible in One Year Day 335 (Acts 14, 1 Corinthians 9-10, Proverbs 28: 7-9)

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Day 335:  Run the Race 

Agape Bible Study Acts 14 

Chapter 14 ~ Continuation of the First Mission

Acts 14:1-7 ~ Paul and Barnabas at Iconium

Iconium is in the province of Lycaonia that is east of Pisidia in central Asia Minor (Pliny, Natural History, 5.95); although it is sometimes designated as in Phrygian territory (see Pliny, Natural History, 5.145). It was a city of great antiquity that was strategically located near the western end of a vast plain with mountains a few miles to the west. Two important trade routes passed through the city, one was the trade route known as the Via Sebaste (Royal Road) that ran to Ephesus and Rome. Once again the missionaries experience a division in the population between those who gladly accept their Gospel message and those who become hostile.
The division between the people in Antioch Pisidia and Iconium reminds us of Jesus' teaching in Luke 12:51-52 when He said: Do you think that I have come to establish peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three ... and also in Matthew 12:30 when He said: He who is not with me is against me. 

Acts 14:8-13 ~ Paul and Barnabas at Lystra

Lystra is a Roman colony and the hometown of St. Timothy (Acts 16:1-2; 2 Tim 3:11) who will become a missionary companion of St. Paul. Timothy was the son of a Jewish woman (Eunice) and a Greek father (Acts 16:1-3; 2 Tim 1:5). Timothy will join Paul's second missionary journey (Acts 16:2-3), and Paul will become very fond of him, calling Timothy "my beloved and faithful child in the Lord" (1Cor 4:17). That the people are speaking the Lycaonian dialect to each other instead of Greek indicates that Paul and Barnabas are in a remote part of the province. Paul was preaching in Greek to these Gentiles, and some of the misunderstanding that occurred could have been because the people were not fluent in the Greek language.

Paul's healing of the man "lame from birth" recalls Peter's healing of the man who was also "lame from birth," and like Paul who "looked intently at him" (verse 9), Peter also "looked intently at him" (3:4) Like Peter, Paul also realized that the man "had the faith to be healed." 

As in other cases of healing the miracle is a result of faith. Paul responded to the man's faith as Jesus did to the faith of the friends of the paralytic in Capernaum (Lk 5:17-26). Like the man who leaped to his feet in Acts 3:8, this man also leaped to his feet. Both miracles recall Isaiah's prophecy of the Messianic age in Isaiah 35:6 when "the lame leap like a stag ..." and Jesus' miracle in Luke 5:17-26. 

Acts 14:14-20 ~ Controversy at Lystra

Question: How is the reaction of Paul and Barnabas when the people declared them gods different from that event when Herod Antipas I was called a "god"?
Answer: Paul and Barnabas are horrified and vigorously deny any connection with divinity other than to Jesus Christ the "living God."

Paul is speaking to a Gentile audience when he says We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from theses idols to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.' 16 In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways; 17 yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts."
The phrase "who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them" is an echo of what Peter said in Acts 4:24 and also recalls Old Testament passages (Ex 20:11; Neh 9:6; Is 37:16; LXX Ps 145:6). Paul tells the Gentiles that although God "allowed all Gentiles go their own ways" in serving false gods in the past, He still gave them testimony of Himself through the wonders of the natural world, and nature is the witness to them of God's goodness in blessing them and the earth. But now they should turn away from false idols, which are dead objects, and embrace the Gospel (good news) of the living God.

Some Jews from Antioch Pisidia and Iconium, cities Paul and Barnabas visited earlier, intervened; not to assist them but to condemn them, probably convincing the crowd that they had been fooled. Paul was stoned and believed to be dead until he was rescued by some of the Jews and Gentiles who had become disciples. The next day they left for Derbe. Derbe is named with Lystra in 14:6 as one of the cities of Lycaonia. Lycaonia was a district east of Pisidia and north of the Tarsus Mountains.

Acts 14:21-28 ~ The End of the First Mission

Paul and Barnabas then bravely returned to the cities where they had already preached.
Question: What three actions did they take with the newly formed Christian communities?
Answer:

1. They encouraged those newly converted to remain faithful. 
2. They appointed elders to lead the community.
3. They fasted and prayed with each church.

Question: Paul and Barnabas told each new community "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God." This warning contains what implied promise?
Answer: If they persevere in hardships and remain faithful they will enter the kingdom of God!

Paul and Barnabas now begin their homeward journey, traveling through the provinces of Pisidia and Pamphylia. Arriving back at Perga (13:13), they traveled to Attalia, the seaport on the coast of Pamphylia. From Attalia they set sail for home to Antioch where they had been commissioned by the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished.
Question: When they arrived at home and joined their faith community, what was the first thing they did?
Answer: They reported on the success of their mission to the Gentiles of Cyprus and Asia Minor, giving all the credit for their success to God.

Just as Luke presented St. Peter's mission to preach the Gospel as a parallel to Jesus' mission, now he presents St. Paul's mission to preach the Gospel as a parallel to St. Peter's mission. 

The Parallels of Peter and Paul in the Gospel of Luke and Acts
Peter	Paul
Commissioned by Christ (Lk 5:8-11)	Commissioned by Christ (Acts 9:1-19)
A name change signified a change in mission (Lk 5:8)	A name change signified a change in mission (Acts 13:9)
First sermon in Jerusalem (Acts 2:22-36)	First sermon in Antioch, Pisidia (Acts 13:26-41)
Announce the miracles are from God and not of themselves (Acts 3:12-16)	Announce the miracles are from God and not of themselves (Acts 14:15)
Success followed by persecution (Acts 2:41; 4:1-4)	Success followed by persecution (Acts 13:48-50)
First accompanied by John (Acts 3:1; 8:14)	First accompanied by Barnabas (Acts 11:30; 12:25)
Healing a lame man (Acts 3:1-10)	Healing a lame man (Acts 14:8-11)
Filled with the Spirit (Acts 4:8)	Filled with the Spirit (Acts 13:9)
Many extraordinary healings (Acts 5:15)	Many extraordinary healings (Acts 19:12)
Authority in the laying-on-of-hands to bring the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17)	Authority in the laying-on-of-hands to bring the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:6)
Conflict with a magician (Acts 8:18-24)	Conflict with a magician (Acts 13:6-11)
Raised the dead (Acts 9:36-41)	Raised the dead (Acts 20:9-12)
Hostility from the Jews, beaten and threatened with death (Acts 5:17, 40; 12:1-5)	Hostility from the Jews, beaten and threatened with death (Acts 14:5, 19; 21:27-32, 22:19; 23:12)
Miraculously released from jail (Acts 5:19-20; 12:6-11)	Miraculously released from jail (Acts 16:25-41)
Sent to preach to the Gentiles (Acts 10)	Sent to preach to the Gentiles (Acts 13:47)
Michal E. Hunt Copyright © 2013

Agape Bible Study 1 Corinthians 9 - Chapter 9:1-10:13 ~ Do not Place any Obstacle to the Gospel

1 Corinthians 9:1-12 ~ Paul's Rights as an Apostle

St. Paul appeals to the Corinthian Christians to follow his example of concern for others, even when it means letting go of one's rights. In the previous verse, Paul wrote that eating meat is a natural right, but he will willingly give up that right and never eat meat again if it causes a fellow Christian to sin (8:13).

In chapter 9 Paul defends himself against his accusers and bases his defense on two points:

1. His rights as an apostle (verses 4-12a, 13-14).
2. His refusal to make use of those rights (verses 12b, 15-18).

In 9:1-12 Paul asks a series of fourteen rhetorical questions in defending his actions. Eating meat is only one of the rights he is entitled to as an apostle of Jesus Christ. In verses 1-3, Paul again makes the claim that his vision and his commissioning by Christ makes him equal to the other Apostles. He reminds them that he is also the founder of their community saying, Are you not my work in the Lord?, and he tells them that they arethe seal of my apostleship. In the same way that a seal testifies to the authenticity of a document, their very existence as a Christian community confirms the divine origins of Paul's preaching that led them to salvation.

Marriage is the first right Paul mentions that he gave up. Peter, the other Apostles, missionaries and "brothers of the Lord," used the right to bring their wives with them, but Paul denied himself that right by remaining celibate.

The second right he gave up was the material support of the community he founded (verses 6-12). Paul and Barnabas, in their missionary work, had the right to receive material support, but they did not claim that right. Paul supported himself as a tentmaker. They did not want to be accused of preaching the Gospel for material gain.

1 Corinthians 9:13-18 ~ Preaching the Gospel and Living the Gospel Message

Question: What is Paul's third argument concerning just compensation for his labors for the community and what comparison does he make?
Answer: Paul makes an analogy between the Jewish priest's Temple service and his liturgical service. The Jewish priests who serve in God's Temple and at His sacrificial altar are awarded a share in certain sacrifices according to the law. In the same way, Jesus ordered that His ministers should make a living by preaching the Gospel. 

Notice that at this time the Jerusalem Temple still stands and functions. In a little more than a decade, the Romans will destroy Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 ~ All Things to All

Paul expands on the reason for his behavior. He explains the paradox of Christian freedom that is not freedom from unrestrained behavior but freedom for service to Christ in his Christian witness.

Question: To reach as many people as possible with the Gospel of salvation, Paul explains his strategy by listing a series of what contradictions?
Answer: Paul writes that:

1. To Jews who are under the law, he becomes as a Jew under the law.
2. To Gentiles outside the law, he becomes like one outside the law.
3. To the weak, he becomes weak.

The Jews under the law refers to Jews that still practice the Mosaic Laws of the Sinai Covenant. When Paul is with Jews, he identifies with them by pointing out that he is a Jew who was raised observing Jewish customs so he can connect with them and avoid offending them. To Gentiles, Paul appeals to them not as a Jew but as one Christ sent to call Gentiles to salvation (Acts 9:15). He follows Gentile customs when with them. However, Paul qualifies his strategy by writing that he is not outside God's law that is the moral law of the Ten Commandments, but he is within Christ's law, the law of love of God and neighbor that defines the Ten Commandments (Mk 12:28-34). 

The weak to which Paul refers brings them back to their question concerning eating meat sacrificed to idols. The practice might have a negative influence on Jews who are still attached to the Jewish ritual food laws or Gentiles who are not completely separated from their pagan roots. And, therefore, Paul writes, he accommodates himself to those with whom he shares the Gospel so he can gain the most influence with them.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ~ Preaching the Gospel to Win Souls for ChristPaul must have been a sports fan because he likes using sports metaphors (Gal 5:7; Phil 2:16; 2 Tim 4:7-8; Heb 12:1). In a series of sayings from sports, Paul appeals to an audience that is familiar with Hellenistic culture sporting events, including the Isthmian games hosted by the city of Corinth.

Question: What sporting examples does Paul use to compare with a Christian preaching the Gospel?
Answer:

1. Only one athlete can win the race.
2. An athlete must practice discipline to prepare and to compete.
3. The winner receives the victor's crown.

In St. John's vision in the Book of Revelation, Jesus sent a letter to the church at Smyrna promising, Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev 2:10c). Paul intends to stay in his race to the end when he wins the "victor's crown" that is the gift of eternal salvation. 

1 Corinthians 10:1-5 ~ Do not be Overconfident like the Israelites

Paul's mention of the possibility of his "disqualification" if he fails in his mission to preach the Gospel successfully provides a transition to the next part of his address in Chapter 10. In this chapter, Paul alludes to several Old Testament events, demonstrating the necessity of studying all of Sacred Scripture in both Testaments or one will not have a full understanding of Divine revelation.

Question: What is "the cloud," "the sea," the "spiritual food," and "the spiritual drink that came from the rock"? See Ex 13:21-22; 14:10, 19-22; 16:4, 31, 35; 17:1-7; Num 20:2-23.
Answer:

1. The cloud was the "Glory Cloud," the manifestation of God that led the children of Israel on their exodus out of Egypt. 
2. The sea was the Red Sea that God parted to allow the children of Israel to escape the Egyptians by passing through the waters to become a redeemed people who began a new life, freed from the bonds of Egyptian slavery. 
3. The spiritual food was the manna God fed the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land. 
4. The spiritual drink was the miracle of the abundant water that God caused to flow from a rock to save the lives of the Israelites.

According to tradition, the miracle of the water flowing from the rock did not only occur during the two events recorded in Exodus and Numbers, but the rock followed the Israelites for their forty years in the wilderness. Then, Paul makes a dramatic statement in identifying the rock as the pre-Incarnate Christ!

Question: What comparisons can be made between the cloud and the sea as a form of baptism (verse 2), the manna, and the water from the spiritual rock that was Christ? 
Answer: God provides the generations of the New Covenant in Christ even greater gifts than the liberated Exodus generation:

1. The Israelites, led by a manifestation of God, were "baptized in Moses," passing through the waters of the sea to emerge as a free people. But in the Sacrament of Baptism, Christ, the manifestation of God in the flesh, liberated us from slavery to sin and restored us to "new life" in the Spirit of God.
2. God fed the Israelites manna in the desert journey to the Promised Land, but in the visible form of bread, Christ feeds us His Body on our journey through this life on our way to the Promised Land of Heaven.
3. Jesus Christ is the "rock" of our salvation who provides the spiritual drink of His Precious Blood, giving us life and strength for our journey to eternal salvation.

"Rock" was a title for God in the Old Testament (for example see Dt 32:4, 15, 18, 30, 31; 2 Sam 23:3). Paul identifies Jesus as "God the Rock," once more affirming the divinity of Jesus Christ.

5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.
Question: What happened to the first Exodus generation? See Num 14:20-38.
Answer: In judgment for their continuous rebellion and unbelief, God condemned them to death in the desert wilderness. Only faithful and obedient Joshua and Caleb of the Exodus generation would enter the Promised Land.

Question: What lesson is there for us in the fate of the Exodus generation?
Answer: Rebellion against God and lack of faith could exempt even those of us who have received the baptism of Christ and the gift of the Eucharist from entrance into the Promised Land of Heaven.

1 Corinthians 10:6-13 ~ Old Testament Events are Examples for Us

Next, Paul gives two example of bad behavior of the children of Israel from the Old Testament that resulted in divine judgment. 7 And do not become idolaters, as some of them did, as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel." 8 Let us not indulge in immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell within a single day.

The first event of the sin of idol worship for the children of Israel was the creation of the Golden Calf and God's judgment against the Israelites in Exodus 32:1-6, 25-29. However, only three thousand died in that judgment. Paul was probably referring to the event in Numbers 25 on the Plain of Baal of Peor when the new generation men of the children of Israel joined in a pagan Moabite sacrificial banquet: ... the people degraded themselves by having illicit relations with the Moabite women. These then invited the people to the sacrifices of their god, and the people ate of the sacrifices and worshiped their god (Num 25:1-2). It was an event that parallels the situation of some of the New Covenant generation of Christians in Corinth. Paul's mention of "indulging in immorality as some of them did" refers to the fornication and adultery of the Israelite men with Moabite women.⁽²⁾

9 Let us not test Christ as some of them did, and suffered death by serpents. 10 Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer.
The second example is from Numbers 21:4-9 when the Israelites tested God by complaining about the food God provided for them and accusing God of taking them into the desert to die. In punishment, God sent venomous serpents among the people. Paul warns the people not to test Christ as the Israelites of the Exodus generation tested Him; a reference to the Oneness of God and the pre-Incarnation of the Son.

11 These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.
Once again Paul emphasizes the typological value of Old Testament events.The "end of the ages" refers to the Age of the Kingdom of the New Covenant Church that is the last age of humanity before the Final Judgment. The last age began with Christ's Ascension and continues until Christ's Second Coming. The point of Paul's comparisons with old Israel is to caution the Corinthian Christians against overconfidence in a prideful belief in their security (verse 12).

13 No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.
However, Paul softens his warning with the assurance that they can persevere in faith since God will not let them be tested beyond their strength. God will provide the means to endure the trial, if we will trust Him. Jesus was tempted by Satan during his forty-day fast in the desert (Mt 4:1-16; Mk 1:12-13; Lk 4:1-13). Jesus shows us how we should react when the devil tries to tempt us with an enticement. Our protection is God's grace that is our strength to conquer the enticement to sin (2 Cor 12:7-9), because His grace is stronger than any temptation. God's grace is the key to resisting temptation and this is what Paul is telling us in verse 13.

Paul says "I can do all things in him who strengthens me." Jesus admonishes us, "Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation." St. James tells us "Blessed is the man who endures trial ..." When tempted to sin we:

1. turn immediately to Christ,
2. we pray for strength, and
3. when we endure the trial of sin, we are stronger in our faith.

Chapter 10:14-11:1

Chapter 10:14-11:1 is the third part of Paul's response to the questions of the Corinthian community. In Section III, Paul returns to his warnings about idol worship (10:14-11:1).

1. Avoiding idolatry (10:14-22).
2. What is lawful versus what is beneficial (10:23-11:1).

 

1 Corinthians 10:14-22 ~ Avoiding Idolatry and the Table of the Lord

In this passage, Paul makes a distinction between eating the meat of sacrificed animals purchased in the marketplace and the participation in the idolatry of pagan sacred meals. For a Christian to take part in the banquet of a pagan sacrifice to a demon false god is a sacrilege. It is an offense to Christ because Christians have the true sacred meal where they come to the banquet table of the Lord and consume, as one people (koinoniasingular), the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, His holy sacrifice offered on the altar of the Cross. 

16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation [koinonia] in the blood of Christ? 17 The bread that we break, is it not a participation [koinonia] in the body of Christ?

Paul uses two forms of the Greek word koinonia: in the singular when referring to Christians receiving the sacred meal of the Eucharist and in the plural when referring to pagan sacred meals. Biblical scholars write that this word has a richness of meaning that is difficult to express in a single word. Some Biblical translations render it as "participation," while others as "sharing" or "communion." The use of the word koinonia in secular literature and by Paul:

1. It was a word used to express the intimacy of the marital relationship (3 Mac 4:6; Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, 1.304). 
2. It could mean a special union with another person, as Paul used the same word in 1 Corinthians 1:9, referring to the Christian's union with the Son of God.
3. In his letter to Philemon, Paul used the same word referring to the common sharing of Christian faith (Phile 6).
4. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul used this word to refer to a common sharing in sufferings (Phil 3:10).
5. In 2 Corinthians 8:4 and 13:13, Paul used the word for Christian participation in a work of service through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Question: How does Paul use the word in this passage?
Answer: He uses it in the sense of:

1. a common sharing or participation in the Body and Blood of Christ,
2. an intimate union with the Person of Jesus Christ, and
3. the unity of the community and the universal Church brought about through sharing the Eucharist.

Paul's point is that our union with Christ may begin with our Baptism, but it is in the Eucharist that we become what we eat; we become one Body with Christ.

In verse 16, Paul refers to the chalice of the Precious Blood as the "cup of blessing." It is the term used in the sacred meal of the Passover victim on the first night of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It was the third of the four communal cups consumed during the sacred meal of the Passover victim. It is the cup, according to Paul's testimony, that Jesus transformed into His Precious Blood (Mt 26:26-28; Mk 14:22-24; Lk 22:14-20).

Question: Paul forbids the Corinthian Christians to take part in pagan sacrificial meals for two reasons. The first reason is that they have their own sacred meal that unites them to the life of Christ. What is the second reason in verse 22?
Answer: To take part in the pagan ritual of a sacred meal that acknowledges union with a pagan god is to invite the wrath and holy jealousy of the One, True God.

God has bound Himself to His covenant people in a marriage covenant in which infidelity to the covenant amounts to the sin of adultery (Is 54:5-10; 62:4-5; Jer 2:2; 6:1-10, 20; Ez 16:8, 28; Hos 1:2-2:25). The Old Testament frequently expressed God's jealousy concerning the undivided love of His Bride, the Church (Dt 6:14-15; 32:21; Josh 24:19-20; Ps 78:58-64).

1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1 ~ What is Lawful Versus what is Beneficial

In verse 23, Paul returns to the Corinthian community's claim that "everything is lawful" and repeats his response in 6:12. That "everything is lawful, but not everything is beneficial" is the theme of this part of his presentation. Paul has unequivocally denounced taking part in pagan ritual meals, but now he returns to the practice of eating the meat of sacrificial animals sold in the market. Paul makes several suggestions:

1. Do not bother asking if the meat is from a sacrificed animal. All meat comes from God who made the animal.
2. If you are invited to an unbeliever's home for a meal, simply eat what is placed before you without raising questions on the grounds of conscience.
3. If, however, you are told the meat is from a pagan sacrifice, do not eat it because of the one who called attention to it and on account of conscience to the one who thought it important enough to mention it.

30 If I partake thankfully, why am I reviled for that over which I give thanks? 31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

Paul defends his advice by saying if he has in effect "cleansed" the meat by giving thanks to God in prayer before eating, why should anyone complain so long as whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

 

32 Avoid giving offense, whether to Jews or Greeks or the Church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in every way, not seeking my own benefit but that of the many, that they may be saved. 11:1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Paul ends with the advice to do what you can to avoid giving offense; do this not for your benefit but for the sake of your Christian witness and the salvation of souls. Finally, he ends with a simple plan of action for the Corinthian Christians, Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.