First Tuesday after the Epiphany
First, let me apologize for misspelling Don Schoene's name in my last post.
Please read Acts 13:1-5.
We now move on to the second section of Acts, which could be called, "The Journeys of Paul." Peter was the major character of Acts 1-12, roughly the first half of the book. Now Paul comes front and center for the second half. Chapter 13 begins with Luke identifying five Christian prophets and teachers. At least two were African, Simon Niger and Lucius of Cyrene.
Many people think that Christianity came to Africa only after the arrival of the European Colonial powers in the sixteenth century. As these verses and the story of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, as well as other mentions in the New Testament, show us, Christianity was spreading among Black people in Africa from the beginning. There were three major Christian missionary advances in the first century, one to Africa, one to greater Syria (all of the Middle East) and India, and one to Europe. Acts tells the story of the European mission. Although we have later apocryphal accounts of the missions in Syria to India and in Africa, we have no first hand account and no first century account. Luke wrote Acts in the first century and was very likely an eye-witness to many of the events he records in chapters 18-28.
Chapter 13 demonstrates that the center of Christianity has moved from Jerusalem to Antioch. It is there that the apostles are commissioned for their missionary journeys. The ceremony for that commissioning is the laying on of hands and prayer. This ritual appears unique to Christianity and goes on to this day. Ministers are ordained by the laying on of hands. Young people are confirmed by th laying on of hands, Stephen Ministers are commissioned by the laying of of hands.
Missionaries normally go out in pairs or threes. Paul is paired with Barnabas up through chapter 16. John Mark goes with them in what appears to be a servant capacity. The Holy Spirit directs their itinerary. They go first to Cyprus, a beautiful island in the Mediterranean, just 35 miles from the coast near Antioch. they land at Salamis on the east coast. They immediately set their missionary pattern. As Paul says in Romans 1:17, "To the Jew first, then to the Greek." On a semi-circular route around the southern end of the island, they go on to Paphos, on the west coast. They stop and preach at every synagogue along the way. After the synagogue, they go to the market place, where the Greeks (gentiles) are. In the vast majority of distances thry will have far more success in converting the gentiles than converting Jews. They encounter many obstacles on the way. The first will be a devious magician, who will be the subject of our next Bible study.
Marianne and I have been to Cyprus. One member of UUMC, Jan Sassaman, spent much of his growing up years there. We saw excavations near Paphos from Paul's time. The coastal drive is breathtaking with tall cliffs plunging down to the deepest blue of any sea I've ever seen. It was a joyful ride on a tour bus with local guides, paved roads, towns with abundant cafes, and not a worry. It would have been much different for Paul and Baranbas. Traveling on foot with no road maps, no reservations, and nothing more than a knapsack's worth of provisions, they were always in danger. But they were good talkers, and they had something to talk about. We should never underestimate their bravery and should always stand in amazememt at their faith.
Faithfully,
Christian
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