BJ McConnell
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Sept 28, 2019 2:32:20 GMT -5
Posts: 246 Amens: 13
Favorite Verse: 2 Cor 5:17
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Post by BJ McConnell on Jan 17, 2020 19:35:32 GMT -5
 The Book of Acts Chapters 15-16 Read It OnlineCircumcision Dispute, Paul and Silas Imprisoned This discussion is now closed. |
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Post by lorikay on Mar 8, 2020 21:29:35 GMT -5
I want to talk about chapter 16 and Paul and Silas imprisonment. What led them to Macedonia was the vision Paul received and it showed me that there are paths we go down and great strife could come from it (prison) but even in the hardest times when we may think that there is no good from it that by keeping the faith and above all praising him when you feel it is hopeless, that God can and will show you that he is always there. It is so hard to find the reasons to praise him when we feel all is hopeless but that is when we should be. There are times anger, resentment come to the surface over the most trivial things and we allow it to be shown. Our words at that moment are to represent him and his actions towards us and so many of us choose to let it boil out. The truth is, Praise him not only in the good times but most importantly in our darkest hours.
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BJ McConnell
Forum Owner
Sept 28, 2019 2:32:20 GMT -5
Posts: 246 Amens: 13
Favorite Verse: 2 Cor 5:17
Bible Study Member?: Yes
Born Again Christian?: Yes
User Offline
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Post by BJ McConnell on Mar 8, 2020 21:43:29 GMT -5
I want to talk about chapter 16 and Paul and Silas imprisonment. What led them to Macedonia was the vision Paul received and it showed me that there are paths we go down and great strife could come from it (prison) but even in the hardest times when we may think that there is no good from it that by keeping the faith and above all praising him when you feel it is hopeless, that God can and will show you that he is always there. It is so hard to find the reasons to praise him when we feel all is hopeless but that is when we should be. There are times anger, resentment come to the surface over the most trivial things and we allow it to be shown. Our words at that moment are to represent him and his actions towards us and so many of us choose to let it boil out. The truth is, Praise him not only in the good times but most importantly in our darkest hours. I think you are point on here, and I totally agree. I know I have personally found that in the opposite scenario it can be most dangerous to my faith as well. For me it seems like the worse things get, the closer it draws me to Him, but when things are going good is when I have to be careful. When all is good I can have a tendency to feel as though I don't need Him as much and it becomes very easy to backslide and let my faith fall to the wayside. Then when things start going wrong again it becomes clear to me that I've been neglecting my relationship with the Lord, and it is also clear as day that the reason things started to go wrong is because by backsliding in my faith I opened the door to let Satan into my life once again. It's like a vicious circle that never ends. |
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Post by lorikay on Mar 8, 2020 21:49:03 GMT -5
You hit the nail on the head!! I have done that as well many times but at the present time I am having to learn to trust him in my hardest times and unfortunately it’s a daily struggle for me.
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BJ McConnell
Forum Owner
Sept 28, 2019 2:32:20 GMT -5
Posts: 246 Amens: 13
Favorite Verse: 2 Cor 5:17
Bible Study Member?: Yes
Born Again Christian?: Yes
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Post by BJ McConnell on Mar 10, 2020 9:14:11 GMT -5
You hit the nail on the head!! I have done that as well many times but at the present time I am having to learn to trust him in my hardest times and unfortunately it’s a daily struggle for me. I understand where you're coming from completely, I've definitely been there myself as well. I would recommend spending some time in the Book of Psalms. David struggled with doubts, fears, etc a lot as well and the Holy Spirit led him to write many psalms revolving around dealing with such feelings and yet waiting on the restoring power of God through it all. Maybe it will help.  |
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BJ McConnell
Forum Owner
Sept 28, 2019 2:32:20 GMT -5
Posts: 246 Amens: 13
Favorite Verse: 2 Cor 5:17
Bible Study Member?: Yes
Born Again Christian?: Yes
User Offline
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Post by BJ McConnell on Mar 10, 2020 9:38:22 GMT -5
With most of chapter 15 of Acts taken up with the issue of Paul and the Jewish apostles dispute over circumcision and the keeping of the commandments there's not a whole lot to discuss in this weeks readings, but one thing I did want to write about actually is from chapter 15. Where I would like to start out is where the dispute is beginning to heat up between Paul and the Jews and then we see that Peter stands up to finally say his peace. What we have to keep in mind is that this dispute is happening several years after the Holy Spirit had sent Peter to the Roman centurion, Cornelius and his family. It is Peter's experience with Cornelius that Peter reminds the Jewish believers of here in chapter 15. As Peter put it to them: So what Peter is telling the Jews here is that, if God saw fit to save the Gentiles by grace through faith, the same as He did with the Jewish believers, why would it be right to put them under the law. As we've seen many times in our studies, you cannot mix the law with grace because they are contradictory with each other. While the law is dependent upon works, grace is dependent upon faith alone. Now, moving on to chapter 16, much of this chapter is spent on Paul and his companions traveling and preaching, and concluding with the incident where Paula and Silas are arrested and put into prison, the same incident that lorikay has already written about. The one thing I like about this particular story is that it does tie back to what the main point of chapter 15 has been about. Because after the earthquake, the prison keeper, about to take his own life, pleads with Paul and Silas asking them what he must do to be saved. So what is Paul's response? Does he tell the guard he must be circumcised or keep the law, or does he even give him the requirements set forth by James in chapter 15? No, the message is the same as it has been since God revealed the mystery of grace to Paul; believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. That's it, faith in Jesus Christ and the gospel of his death, burial and resurrection. This is a central message in Paul's epistles as well, so it's something we really need to understand completely. God requires nothing more than faith in the Son of God, and anyone who does so in truth is written in the Book of Life and headed to everlasting life, just as Jesus promised. Amen! |
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