Dr Paul Allen

  In the opening chapters of Acts, Luke offers what is likely the most comprehensive description of a healthy church in the New Testament.  Here we learn that as “awe came upon every soul” (Acts 2:43), the Jerusalem Church listened to the apostles’ teachings, broke bread in each other’s homes, and shared their resources generously while the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–37). By any measure, the Church of Jerusalem was healthy and thriving. And yet, while it’s easy to think that the Jerusalem Church was nearly perfect, Luke disabuses us of any such notion when he describes a shocking episode of moral failure and instant judgment—God strikes two people dead three hours apart! Their names were Ananias and Sapphira. After selling some property, they laid the proceeds from the sale at the apostles’ feet. But what looked like a generous donation was a work of calculated deception. What they claimed was a total donation of the proceed...

 

Luke describes the rift that opened between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark in his typical understated way: “There arose a sharp disagreement so that they separated from each other” ( Acts 15:39 ). No elaboration, no circling back later in Acts to tell us how this story ended. We watch Barnabas sail to Cyprus with John Mark while Paul and Silas head to Syria and Cilicia. Really?  Paul and Barnabas ? Friends whose names go together, like David and Jonathan or Peter and John? These brothers who had spent a year together teaching the new Gentile converts in Antioch and then risked life and limb together for the gospel on that first missionary journey? These colleagues became the first missionary team at the particular direction of the Holy Spirit himself ( Acts 13:2 )? And they couldn’t reconcile a disagreement over John Mark? We can be left wondering, If Paul and Barnabas couldn’t stay together, what hope do we have when difficult and painful disagreements arise in our churches and ...

Reading Acts 4 is exhilarating. Re-reading it today was breathtaking. The Apostles declare the supremacy of Christ in salvation (Acts 4:12). They are threatened to stop preaching (Acts 4:18). Peter, by the way, knows in the back of his head that one of these days he’s going to die on a cross (John 21:18-19). They boldly declare that they will never stop preaching the Gospel! (Acts 4:19-20) They go home from the threats and pray for increased boldness rather than pray the trial away. (Acts 4:29) And then at the end of the chapter, we see that they give a nickname to a guy named Joseph. They call him the son of encouragement (Acts 4:36). They literally change his name since he’s so well known for his encouragement. I was struck by thinking about just how much encouragement Peter and the other apostles needed during those days. Barnabas was truly a gift from God. Life was hard. Yes, there was excitement. Yes, there was so much motivation to take the Gospel and share with people about what...

His name was Joseph. But he “was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement)” (Acts 4:36). Joseph. Barnabas. I guess that would make him “Joe Encouragement.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be such an encouraging person that your friends simply call you Encouragement? Courage is the resolve to face a fearful threat. And courage is fueled by hope — a hope in something stronger than what we fear. Discouragement sets in when our hope leaks. We begin to cower before our fear. When this happens, and it happens often, we need an infusion of hope. That’s what encouragement is. Barnabas went around giving people hope-infusions, which helped them keep fighting the fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). We need Barnabas people. We need to be a Barnabas. A Deluge of Discouragement We live in a deluge of discouragement. Criticism, contempt, critique, and correction. It’s the native language of our fallen world. These things roll easily off the human tongue far more than affirm...

"Customs of Central Asians. Circumcision." "Photograph shows a group of men seated on the ground near a small boy who is being circumcised." Albumen print. "Illus. in: Turkestanskīi al'bom, chast' ėtnograficheskaia..., 1871-1872, part 2, vol. 1, pl. 71." "Batga [sic] buri" translated from Persian as "circumcision." (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Galatians 5:2-3, 11-12 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. …But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! 6:12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ . ...