Acts 21:1-22:21

To Go or Not to God: That was the Question (20:1-16)
1. Paul felt compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem (19:22)
2. Paul knew that hardships were in his future (19:23)
3. The disciples in Tyre urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem (20:4)
4. Philip the evangelist had 4 daughters who prophesied (20:9)
5. Agabus prophesied of hardships in Jerusalem (20:11)
6. The people in Ptolemais pleaded with Paul not to go (20:12)
7. Paul would not be dissuaded away from Jerusalem (20:14)

Paul in Jerusalem: A Hot & Cold Reception (Acts 21:17-36)
1. His visit started great
~ The leaders were glad to see him
~ He reported on the mission work
~ He was told many Jews had converted
2. His visit took a turn for the worse
~ Rumors were spreading about Paul (21:21)
~ Assumptions were being made (21:29)
~ Riot/mob-like activity was hurled at Paul (21:27-36)

Paul made every effort to promote peace
1. He brought an offering to Jerusalem
2. Went the extra mile under the law (21:23-26)
3. Spoke in Aramaic (21:40)
4. Called them brothers and sisters (22:1)
5. Found common ground (22:2-5)

Paul shared his testimony
1. What I did (22:1-5)
2. What changed me (22:6-16)
3. What I do now (22:17-21)

Acts 19:21-20:38

Acts 19:21 – 20:38

The Riot in Ephesus (19:21-41)
1. Idolatry is big business (19:24-25)
2. The Gospel disturbs the secular culture (19:23, 26)
3. The ‘wrong’ party seldom has common sense on their side (19:26)
4. The ‘wrong’ party seldom gives their real motivations (19:27)
5. The ‘wrong’ party usually is driven by emotions (19:28)
6. The ‘wrong’ party usually thrives by creating chaos (19:32)
7. A good leader prompts people to think through issues (19:35-41)

Paul in Transit (20:1-12)
1. Paul made it his mission to encourage Jesus’ disciples (20:1-2)
2. Paul used his common sense in dealing with problems (20:3)
3. Paul was accompanied by men from various churches (20:4)
4. Paul had a special day of ministry on Sunday (20:7)
5. Paul preached so long that a young man ‘fell’ asleep (20:9)
6. Paul, it seems, was able to raise this boy back to life (20:10)
7. Paul continued to preach/teach until daylight (20:11)

A Farewell to the Ephesians (20:13-38)
1. Paul took a shortcut (possibly for solitude, 20:13)
2. Paul was anxious to help the church in Jerusalem (20:16)
3. Paul was convinced that his time on earth was short (20:25)
4. Paul was adamant that they watch for ‘savage wolves’ (20:29)
5. Paul re-iterated the value of ‘hard-work’ among believers (20:35)
6. Paul exemplified the ‘better to give than receive’ principle (35)
7. Even with ‘eternity’ in our future, good-bye’s are hard (20:37)

Nehemiah 8:1-9:5

1-7 was about the re-forming of the walls of the city
8-17 is about the the re-forming of the people of the city

8:1-9:5 is an interesting look into the format of post-exilic worship
Here are some of the components worth mentioning

1. People hungry for Word of God v. 1
2. Attended by mature listeners v. 2
3. Public reading of Scripture v. 3
4. Length of reading v. 3
5. Listening v. 3
6. Elevated area for Ezra v. 4
7. Places of honor for leaders v. 5
8. Standing up for Scripture v. 5
9. Lifting hands v. 6
10. Response of 'Amen' v. 6
11. Bowed down, faces to ground. v. 6
12. Exposition of biblical text v. 8
13. Mourning and weeping v. 9
14. Feast v. 10
15. Made specific application v. 16
16. Met daily for the week v. 18
17. Fasting, sackcloth, dust v. 1
18. Public confession of sins v. 2
19. Praise & Worship v. 3 & 5

What is the Christian View of the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict?

This Land is My Land
“A Christian View of the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict”
By Matthew Rose

In Christian internet circles, there's a popular email forward about Iraq & 9/11. It claims, mostly legitimately, that modern day Iraq is a land very significant to the Old Testament biblical narrative. But if you receive this forward you might find the following juicy piece of information attached to the end:

Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible. No other nation, except Israel, has more history and prophecy associated it than Iraq. And also... This is something to think about! Since America is typically represented by an eagle. Saddam should have read up on his Muslim passages. The following verse is from the Koran, (the Islamic Bible)

Koran (9:11) - For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace.

(Note the verse number!) Hmmmmmmm?! God Bless you all Amen !

The only problem with this information, of course, is that it is completely false. There is no such verse. Sura 9:11 actually says the following: "But if they repent and observe Prayer and pay the Zakaat, then they are your brethren in Faith. And We explain the Signs for a people who have knowledge." Misinformation about the Middle-East, Islam & the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is commonplace in American and, perhaps particularly, in the American Christian Church. Obviously, if we are going to gain a proper perspective of this important conflict, we need to acknowledge that we are not only missing some vital information, but also that a lot of the information we do have may be incorrect. In other words, we must deal with the issue of modern media.

Worse than Static

I remember, as a kid, being frustrated when television or radio stations wouldn’t come in clearly. Cable TV and Satellite Radio have largely erased the problem, but we may have been better off before! Much has been written about the problems of modern media (especially valuable are the writings of Marshall McLuhan and Neil Postman), but I'll briefly mention three problems with modern media that negatively affect our understandings of the situation in Israel.

First, the information we receive regarding this issue comes to us with a bias. There's bias on both sides. Without spending too much time on this point, let me simply say that I think it is impossible to not be biased in presenting news. The goal is simply to limit the bias as much as possible. But I argue that such has not been the case. A second problem is that the coverage is usually given in an 'entertainment' format. We get our news of the enormously complex Israeli/Palestinian issue in two-minute segments, largely free of context. We see seconds of video and pre-selected pictures that don't come close to fully communicating the reality of the situation. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the coverage elicits no response. We become holders of information that we don't put to use in any productive way. We were designed to make use of information, but, as Postman argues, in absence of that possibility we are left to place the information in crossword puzzles or let it spill out during a game of trivial pursuit. 'Trivial' indeed.

If we're going to gain a proper perspective on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, it's going to take time. We're going to need to study the history of the region, the basics of the faiths involved, the role of sacred prophetic texts, the politics of the countries involved. The issue touches the fields of geography, genetics, psychology, sociology, etc. The more thoughtful time we take, the better of we'll be in understanding the issues. Obviously, this article is not an attempt to give an exhaustive account of the issue. My only goal is to share some of the basic information so as to whet your appetite and, ultimately, to provoke us all to any appropriate action that we should take in response to the news of the day. If we don’t think the issues through, we’d have been better off watching and/or listening to the static of the past.

We’ll begin by looking at the situation from the perspective of a Jewish Israeli. Then we’ll do our best to understand the same history from the perspective of a Muslim Palestinian. Next, we will analyze the role and merits of a dispensationalism (a popular Christian view of end-times prophecy). Finally, we will make some initial conclusions about what Christians should think and do regarding the Israeli/Palestinian crisis.

ISRAELI PERSPECTIVE

Knowing the terms:
1. Semite From Shem (Eber’s Great-Grandfather) Gen. 11:10-16
2. Hebrew From Eber (Abram’s 4xGreat-Grandfather) Gen. 11:17-32
3. Israelite From Jacob (Abraham’s Grandson) Gen. 32:28
4. Jew From Judah (Jacob’s Son) Gen. 35:23

Knowing the Promises:
1. Greatness/Fame
2. Blessed/Blessing
3. Land of Canaan
4. Many Descendants

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing (Genesis 12:1-2)

All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. (Gen 13:15)

Knowing the History:

Biblical History
1. God called Abram to enter a land that was already inhabited (Gen. 15:19-21)
2. The boundaries of the promised land were described in several different ways
3. Abram didn’t take the promise as a right to ‘steal’ the land (Gen. 16)
4. Famine in the land brought the Israelites to Egypt for over 400 years
5. The conquest of the land under Joshua was successful (Josh. 21:43-45)
6. Israel won its largest boarders during the reign of Solomon
7. Northern Israelites were defeated and assimilated by the Assyrians
8. Southern Israelites were defeated and exiled by the Babylonians (Daniel 1)
9. Prophecy predicted a return of the exiles to the land (Jeremiah)
10. Cyrus decreed a return from exile under Zerubbabel (later, Ezra/Nehemiah)
11. Under the Greek & Roman Empires, Jews enjoyed some semi-independence

Pre-Modern History
12. The Jews revolted against Rome, but the temple was destroyed in AD70
13. Banned from Jerusalem, Jews spread throughout Palestine in the 2 century
14. Some Jews remained in Palestine during the Byzantine Empire (330-634)
15. Some Jews remained in Palestine during the Muslim Empire (634-1516)
16. Jerusalem was temporarily captured by the crusaders from 1099-1291
17. The Ottoman Empire conquered Palestine and its 30 Jewish communities

Modern History
18. The population of Palestine in 1880 was 480,000 (24,000/5% Jewish)
19. Jewish immigration to Palestine began in 1881 and increased during WWI
20. The British Government issued the Balfour Declaration in 1917
21. The Peel Commission of 1937 recommended a 2 state partition
22. Immigration during WWII increased the Jewish population to 31%
23. The 1947 U.N. Partition plan was accepted by Jews, but not Arabs
24. When the British Mandate expired in 1948, Israel declared independence
25. Arab forces from Jordan/Syria/Egypt/Lebanon/Iraq attacked, but lost
26. By 1949, Israel controlled 77% of the land, more than the U.N. plan proposed
27. Israel pre-emptively went to war with Arabs in 1967 (Six-Day War)
28. Israel agreed to withdraw from Sinai & discuss autonomy for Palestinians
29. Israel invaded Lebanon in 1978 & 1982 to stop PLO activity & secure border
30. PM Yitzhak Rabin signed the Oslo Peace accords in 1993 creating the P.A.
31. Israel continues to hold the West Bank & Gaza Strip to ensure security

Current Demographics of the land (Israel)
1. 76% Jewish (68% are Israeli born)
~55% Traditional Jews (theologically moderate)
~20% Secular Jews (non-theological)
~17% Orthodox Jews (theologically conservative including eschatology)
~08% Heredi Jews (most theologically conservative)
2. 16% Muslim (there are more Arabs in Israel than Muslims)
3. Other minorities include Christian and Druze

PALESTINIAN PERSPECTIVE

Palestine: Derived from the term ‘Philistine,’ Palestine is a name for the
geographic region between the Jordan River & the Mediterranean Sea.

Who are the Palestinian People?

Palestinian: The, mostly Arab, people with family origins in the land of Palestine
~ There are an estimated 10.5 million Palestinians in the world
~ Most Palestinians are Sunni Muslim (largest minority: 6% Christian)
~ Over 50% of Palestinians have no citizenship (registered refugees)

When were the Palestinian People dispersed?

1. In 1880, 95% of the 480,000 people in the region were Palestinian natives
2. Jews immigrated into the region beginning in 1881 (especially in war-times)
3. In 1922 Britain was given responsibility for the region (see below)

The mandatory shall be responsible for placing the country under such political, administrative and economic conditions as will secure the establishment of the Jewish national home, as laid down in the preamble, and the development of self-governing institutions and also for safeguarding the civil and religious rights of all the inhabitants of Palestine, irrespective of race and religion.

1. The 1920-40’s saw increased violence b/w Arab & Jewish communities
2. By 1947, 31% of the population of Palestine was Jewish
3. The United Nations recommended a 2-State Partition Plan

A Jewish state, which would include 55% of the land with a population of 509,780 Arabs and 499,020 Jews. An Arab state which would include the remaining 45% of the land with 749,101 Arabs and 9,520 Jews.

1. The Palestinians rejected the U.N. plan and civil-war/terrorism ensued
2. In 1948 between 7-800,000 Palestinians fled or were driven out of Palestine
3. Via the Six-Day War, Israel occupied the West-Bank & Gaza Strip as well

Where are the Palestinian People?
Jordan 3,000,000
West Bank 2,500,000
Gaza Strip 1,500,000

Israel 1,300,000
Syria 400,000
Lebanon 400,000

Other 1,400,000
(Chile, Saudi Arabia, USA, Egypt, etc)
What do the Palestinian People want?
1. Some Palestinians want freedom to visit a peaceful homeland
2. Some Palestinians want an independent state (at least West-Bank & Gaza)
3. Some Palestinians want a Lebanese-like 1 state government
4. Some Palestinians want the elimination of the State of Israel

Why do the Palestinian People want this land?
1. Social/Personal (It’s their home! Some haven’t seen relatives in decades)
2. Religious (3rd Holiest site, associated with prophets, visited by Muhammad)

How do the Palestinians go about acquiring this land?
1. Some feel that have little means or representation to acquire the land
2. Some support the use of diplomacy & peace negotiations (PLO)
3. Some support the use of terrorism

The Society of the Muslim Brothers (1928) is a multi-national Sunni-Islamic group which has mothered many additional Islamic groups linked by the following credo: "Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope." The groups have an ultimate goal of a unified Muslim State.

P.L.O. * Confederation of Palestinian groups (largest group is Fatah)
* 1964 goals included the destruction of Israel via armed struggle
* Temporary goal of 2-State system advocated by Arafat
* Recognized ‘Israel,’ and, in turn, recognized by U.N. & Israel
* The more the PLO compromises, the more radicals leave the PLO
* The PLO is generally opposed by Islamic Arab countries
* The PLO was declared a terrorist organization by the US in 2004

P.A. * Palestinian Authority created in 1993 via Oslo Accords
* Called for Palestinian self-government in W.Bank & Gaza Strip
* Dominated by PLO, recognized Israel’s right to exist

Hamas * Islamic Resistance Movement created in 1987 by militant Sunni’s
* Calls for creation of Palestinian-Islamic state via Jihad/Terrorism
* Believe in Zionist Conspiracy (free-masons, lions clubs, rotaries)
* Increased momentum since death of Arafat
* Won P.A. election in 2006, 62% of Palestinians favor Hamas
* Offered 10 year truce in exchange for withdrawal from Palestinian Territories
* Ousted by Fatah after elections (Fatah & Hamas fight regularly)

Isl. Jihad * Similar to Hamas in Palestine, but smaller (possibly funded by Hezbollah)

DISPENSATION PERSPECTIVE

Dispensationalism: A Theological System with a distinct view of end times:
1) A belief that God currently has 2 covenant people (Israel & the Church)
2) A belief in the prophetic significance of contemporary Israel
3) A belief in the pre-tribulational rapture of the Church (vast majority)

The Origin & Development of Dispensationalism?
1. It emerged around 1830 amongst the Plymouth Brethren in Great Britain
2. It was founded and spread by John Nelson Darby & C. I. Scofield
3. It was popularized through Bible Conferences & Institutes (only option)
4. It gained credibility through the founding & expansion of Israel in 1948-67
5. It reached the height of its popularity through Lindsey & LaHaye

What do Dispensationalists believe will happen?

What Scriptures are Used to Arrive at this Conclusion?
1. Israel (1948-67) Isaiah 66:7-8, Jer. 31:10, Amos 9:14-15
2. This Generation Matt. 24:32-34
3. The Rapture 1 Thes. 4:16-17, Rev. 4:1
4. The Tribulation Matt. 24:21, Rev. 7:15
5. The 2nd Coming Matt. 24:30-31, Acts 1:11, Heb. 9:28
6. The Millennium Rev. 20:2
7. Judgment Day Rev. 20:11-15

Dispensationalists & the Middle East?
1. They predicted the statehood of Israel, but the details were surprising
2. They strongly supported the 6-Day War in 1967 and dismissed Arab claims
3. They became political (Moral Majority, Christian Coalition)
4. They were shocked at the fall of the Soviet Empire, but proved flexible
5. They became great allies with political Israel (conferences & organizatIons)

Conclusions: Rightly or Wrongly…
1. Political Israel is in a stronger position today b/c of active dispensationalism
2. Dispensationalists are supporting dangerous elements of Israeli society
3. Dispensationalists believe long-term peace in the Middle East is impossible

CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

What it means to be ‘Israel’

“I know you are Abraham’s descendants” (John 8:37)
“If you were Abraham’s children” (John 8:39)
“You belong to your father, the devil” (John 8:44)
“Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel” (Romans 9:6)
“It is not the natural children who are God’s children” (Romans 9:8)
“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed” (Galatians 3:29)
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9)



What it means to inherit the ‘Land’

“He was waiting for the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25)
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5)
“To bring them together and make them one” (John 11:52)
“What was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1:8)
“The promise that he would be heir of the world” (Romans 4:13)
“We who have believed enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:3)



What it means to build the ‘Temple’

“I tell you that one greater than the temple is here” (Matthew 12:6)
“At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two” (Matthew 27:51)
“But the temple He had spoken of was His body” (John 2:21)
“The Most High does not live in houses made by men” (Acts 7:48)
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple?” (1 Cor. 3:16)
“For we are the temple of the living God” (2 Corinthians 6:16)
“Built together to become a dwelling in which God lives (Eph. 2:22)


How can We make a Difference in the Middle East?

Pray…
~ We should pray for Israel’s conversion, as we do all other nations
~ We should pray for the Messianic Jews & Palestinian Christians in the M.E.
~ We should pray for Christian missionaries and ministries to the Middle East

Give…
~ We should give strategically & specifically to the mission in the M.E.
~ We should give support to the church as a priority, not politics and/or Judaism
~ We should give support to the helpless and stand up against injustices

Go…
~ We should go into our communities and continue to break down walls
~ We should go to make inroads with international students from across the world
~ We should go when God calls us to be part of a mission to the Middle East

www.bethlehembiblecollege.edu
www.musalaha.org
www.opendoorsusa.org

A certain man had two sons. One was rich and the other was poor. The rich son had no children, while the poor son was blessed with many sons and many daughters. In time the father fell ill. He was sure he would not live through the week, so on Saturday he called his sons to his side and gave each of them half of his land as their inheritance. Then he died. Before sundown the sons buried their father with respect.

That night the rich son could not sleep. He said to himself, What my father did was not just. I am rich; my brother is poor. I have plenty of bread, while my brother’s children eat one day and trust God for the next. I must move the landmark that our father has set in the middle of the land so that my brother will have the greater share. Ah, but he must not see me; if he sees me, he will be shamed. I must arise early in the morning before it is dawn and move the landmark! With this he fell asleep and his sleep was secure and peaceful.

Meanwhile the poor brother could not sleep. As he lay restless on his bed, he said to himself, What my father did was not just. Here I am surrounded by the joy of many sons and many daughters, while my brother daily faces the shame of having no sons to carry on his name and no daughters to comfort him in his old age. He should have the land of our fathers. Perhaps this will in part compensate him for his indescribable poverty. Ah, but if I give it to him he will be shamed; I must awake early in the morning before it is dawn and move the landmark that our father has set! With this he went to sleep and his sleep was secure and peaceful.

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, a long time before it was day, the two brothers met at the ancient landmark. They fell with tears into each other’s arms, and on that spot was built New Jerusalem.

* Story found in ‘Light Force’ by Brother Andrew & Al Janssen

Acts 19:1-20

Acts 19:1-20

“Paul in Ephesus”

The Un-Baptized Believers (19:1-10)
1. What prompted Paul to ask if they received the Holy Spirit?
2. Did these ‘disciples’ even know about Jesus yet?
3. Why did Paul feel they needed to be baptized again?
4. What are the different types of Christian Baptism?
a. Baptism of water
b. Baptism of the Holy Spirit
c. Baptism of fire (debated)
d. Baptism of suffering
5. What was the content of Paul’s preaching?
6. What churches were planted during Paul’s 2 year stay?

The Seven Sons of Sceva (19:11-20)
1. What in the world is that handkerchief verse about?
2. What do you think of similar ‘offers’ today?
3. Why do you think the Jews tried to use Jesus’ name?
4. What was the response from the evil spirit to their method?
5. What do you think an evil spirit would say about you?
6. Is it good to ‘fear’ the Lord?

Nehemiah 6-7

Sanballat, Tobiah & Geshem the Arab (along with other enemies of Israel) continued their attempts to derail the wall project (even though now all was done except the doors/gates). Their first attempt, in this section, was to call a meeting of local politicians with Nehemiah. 5 attempts at this failed because Nehemiah believed they were actually trying to harm him. Though almost certainly correct, we are not told how Nehemiah knew this information. The possibilities include:

1. Common sense based on past history
2. Secret military intelligence
3. Gut instinct
4. Holy Spirit's leading
5. Other/Combination
* in any case, verses 2 & 9 both show this predictive insight

Their second attempt was to blackmail Nehemiah into accepting the meeting invitation. They threatened to report false information to the Persians if he would not attend. But Nehemiah refused to negotiate with people making false allegations and using immoral practices. Instead, he prayed for strength to complete his task.

Their third attempt was to hire Jewish 'prophets' to make false prophecies that Nehemiah should either 1) run or 2) hide in the temple. Both courses of action would have been devastating to Nehemiah's leadership. If he ran, why/how would the people stay and finish the project? If he hid in the temple, which was illegal, the people may have turned on him. So Nehemiah simply continued to pray for deliverance and justice.

Fourth, Tobiah, in particular, attempted to undermine Nehemiah's leadership by maintaining close communication/relations with Israeli nobles. Tobiah had, in fact, married into Israel. Tobiah sent letters in attempt to intimidate Nehemiah.

Having tried and failed
1. Bureaucracy
2. Blackmail
3. Bribery
4. Behind the back antics
The enemies of Nehemiah were left to watch the project reach its completion
The enemies of Nehemiah were left afraid and lost their self-confidence b/c they knew God was active in the project

Nehemiah took special precaution in protecting the city by hiring trust-worthy men in leadership and by establishing policies (like in 7:3) that minimized risk. Nehemiah also found ways to increase the population within the city (Josephus records that some/most of this was done at his own expense). The remainder of chapter 7 provides a list of the original returnees. This list is very similar, though far from identical, with the list in Ezra 2. Possible reasons for the differences are:

1. Copyist mistakes
2. Records were recorded at slightly different times
3. Ezra is inspired and accurate whereas Nehemiah is a copy of faulty information
4. Other explanation unknown to me
* some of the math can be explained by the fact that the numbers account for 'men'

Mention is made in 7:65 of the Urim & Thummim. We simply don't know a lot about these artifacts. Urim has been understood to mean lights, revelation, oracle, curses and/or guilt. Thummin has been understood to mean perfections, truth, command, blameless and/or innocence. In any case, it seems that Urim & Thummim were used to discern God's will. Possibly, the method consisted of a pouch with Urim & Thummim inside. When an important decision was being made, the Priest would reach in and pull out one or the other, similar to casting lots. Also see Exodus 28:30, 1 Samuel 14:44 & 28:6.

Nehemiah 5

Nehemiah was a political leader. He was appointed governor in the land of Judah by King Artaxerxes and served for 12 years. We can learn some great lessons of what it means to be a 'good politician' from chapter 5 of Nehemiah:

A good politician...

1. Has their ear to the ground, so to speak (5:6)
2. Has passion, gets angry at injustice (5:6)
3. Ponders and thinks through the issues (5:7) (notice balance in 2 & 3)
4. Brings the issue to the forefront/table (5:7)
5. Meets with other leaders to discuss the issues (5:7)
6. Makes a strong argument for his cause (5:8)
7. Allows others to counter-argue (5:8)
8. Gives a specific and precise recommendation (5:9-11)
9. Makes sure the decision is carried out (5:12-13)
10. Practices what he preaches (5:10, 14-15, 17-18)
11. Lightened the burden for the common man, lowered taxes (5:15)
12. Worked on the wall, made defense a priority (5:16)
13. Didn't designate land to institutional government (5:16)

If I had to put Nehemiah's political career into contemporary political slang, I'd say he was
1. Pro-lower class
2. Pro-defense
3. Anti-tax
4. Anti-big government

Nehemiah 2-4

Having heard about Jerusalem's shameful state, Nehemiah requests that King Artaxerxes allow him to return to the city to rebuild. In addition, he secured letters to the governors for security purposes and a letter to Asaph in order to secure resources (timber). The King approved this project. Of course, there were others who were 'very much disturbed' by this renewal of interests regarding Israel, namely Sanballet, Tobiah & Geshem. These men are also mentioned in secular history as leaders in that region at that time.

So Nehemiah went to Jerusalem and began organizing to rebuild the walls of the city. (Chapter 3 gives a lengthy description of the various walls and gates around the city). It seems to me that the obstacles he faced our very similar to the obstacles we face in building the 'city of God' (the church).

1. External Opposition
2. Internal Flesh
3. Rubble

Nehemiah faced external opposition from the surrounding governmental leaders who had no interest in allowing Jerusalem to be re-established. They were disturbed by Nehemiah's initiative. They mocked and ridiculed the project. They sought to restrict the project politically. They became very angry when the wall-gaps were being filled. They plotted war. They tried to stir up trouble. As Christians, we face a striking parallel of opposition. Our external opposition are Satan & his children. But our weapons, instead of physical armor, are spiritual armor (Ephesians 6).

Nehemiah faced internal flesh among the ranks. In 4:10, the people of Judah complained that the strength of the laborers was giving out. The weakness of the flesh was battling against the purposes of the spirit. We struggle with this same issue. Our flesh desires one thing, but our spirit and the Holy Spirit desire a completely different thing. We must allow the Spirit to succeed.

Finally, Nehemiah faced the very practical problem of rubble. This wasn't a new construction, it was a re-construction. Nehemiah and his crew had to work around and through the work of their predecessors. As we all know, the church is not a new building either. It is an ancient project and each generation leaves its share of rubble (non-biblical traditions, sins, etc). We, as the contemporary church, must do our best to clear up or redeem the debree. Further, we must do our best to make as little mess as possible for the generation that follows.

Acts 18:1-28

Acts 18:1-28

Paul in Corinth

1. What do we know about 1st century Corinth?
2. Where can we find out more about Paul’s trip to Corinth?
3. Is there evidence of this exile of Jews from Rome?
4. Why did Paul spend time working as a tentmaker?
5. How many Corinthian Jews do you think were persuaded?
6. How did Paul’s role change when Silas & Timothy arrived?
7. Why did Paul make such a bold statement in v. 6?
8. Why do you think God spoke to Saul in a vision?
9. Why do you think Paul stayed in Corinth for so long?
10. Why was it so significant that Gallio didn’t concern himself?
11. Why did Paul take a vow?
12. Was the 2nd Missionary journey successful?

3rd Missionary Journey

1. Why did Paul re-visit so many churches he’d planted?
2. How many preachers like Apollos are there today?
3. How important were Priscilla & Aquila to the early church?

Acts 17:16-34

Acts 17:16-34

Ancient Athens
1. It was a city full of idols
2. It was a city full of individuals
3. It was a city full of ideas
a. Polytheists
b. Pantheists
c. Naturalists
d. Monotheists
4. It was a city with an unknown God
a. He is the one Creator
b. He knows the one problem
c. He has the one solution
5. It was a city with decisions to make
a. The unbelievers could either sneer at or hear the Gospel
b. The believers could either sneak or speak the Gospel

Practical Principles from Paul
1. Paul was ‘in’ the world
2. Paul observed the world
3. Paul had a heart for the world
4. Paul made contact with the world
5. Paul connected with the world
6. Paul was courteous to the world
7. Paul got to the point with the world
8. Paul let God change the world

Acts 17:1-15

Acts 17:1-15

A Tale of Two Cities (17:1-15)

Thessalonica (17:1-9)
1. Paul went to where people valued Scripture (O.T.)
In such a context, the Gospel is ‘reasonable’
In such a context, the Gospel can be ‘proven’
In such a context, the Gospel is very persuasive
2. Jews (unbelieving) were jealous
They made of mob of bad characters who started a riot
They captured Jason & others who had hosted Paul & Silas
They let them go after they posted bond

Questions to Consider
1. Do many non-Christians value the Scriptures in today’s culture?
2. Should we expect such people to view Christianity as reasonable?
3. How can we witness to people who don’t think highly of Scripture?
4. Why do you think the Gospel made some Jews so jealous?

Berea (17:10-15)
1. The character of the Bereans:
They were eager to receive truth
They were cautious to accept truth claims
2. The character of the Thessalonians
They agitated the crowds
They stirred people up to create a riot

Questions to Consider
1. What mindsets can prevent us from being like the Bereans today?
2. Do we make a habit of comparing teachings with the Scriptures?
3. Which group of people, in this account, was reasonable? Emotional?