Paul's Missionary Journeys: Acts 13-20 — Transcript

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1. 0:03During the first century, most people around the Mediterranean Sea lived in densely packed cities, all ruled by the Roman Empire.
2. 0:10Each city was a diverse blend of cultures, ethnicities and religions.
3. 0:14And because of this, there were all sorts of temples for offering sacrifices to all sorts of gods.
4. 0:18And each person had their own portfolio of gods that they gave their allegiance to.
5. 0:22But, in every city you would also find a minority group who would not worship any gods, but their own:
6. 0:28the Israelites, also known as, the Jews.
7. 0:31They claimed that their God was the one true creator and king of the world.
8. 0:37Now all these cities were connected by a network of roads built by the Roman Empire.
9. 0:40And so, it was easy to move around, to do business and even spread new ideas.
10. 0:45Now one person familiar with these roads was the Apostle Paul.
11. 0:49He spent the second half of his life traveling from city to city, announcing that Israel's God had appointed a new king over the nations.
12. 0:56This king was not like anyone who had come before.
13. 0:59Right! Most kings ruled with aggression or power.
14. 1:02But this new king rules with self-sacrifice and love.
15. 1:06His name is Jesus.
16. 1:07And Paul is his herald, who is inviting all people to live under this king's rule.
17. 1:13The stories of Paul's travels and how people receive this message,
18. 1:16that is what the third part of Acts is all about.
19. 1:19For some time, Paul's home base had been in the city of Antioch.
20. 1:22And from there, he and his co-workers went out on three road trips,
21. 1:26traveling by land and by sea to strategic cities throughout the empire.
22. 1:31In each city, Paul's custom was to go first to the Jewish synagogue where his people gathered.
23. 1:36He would start teaching and showing how the messianic king promised in the Hebrew Scriptures is Jesus of Nazareth.
24. 1:42And some believed this news.
25. 1:44Others didn't.
26. 1:45And still others thought this message was so misleading and dangerous, they would incite riots to kick Paul out of town.
27. 1:52And so that's when Paul would take to the bustling city marketplace.
28. 1:55He would set up a shop there to make and sell leather tents to cover his travel expenses.
29. 2:00And here, Paul kept sharing the news about the risen King Jesus with anybody who would listen.
30. 2:05He was often misunderstood as just promoting a new god.
31. 2:08One time, he prayed for a sick person.
32. 2:10They were healed.
33. 2:11And everyone around thought he must be a Greek god that came down to visit them.
34. 2:15But Paul insisted there is only one true God and he was his servant.
35. 2:20This message often stirred up opposition and more riots, and he got beaten, even thrown in jail.
36. 2:26Why such a strong reaction?
37. 2:28Well, the worship of the gods held together Roman culture.
38. 2:31They believed the gods kept their cities safe.
39. 2:33And the temple worship of the gods was a huge part of their economy.
40. 2:37Paul was not just adding Jesus as a new god to the list.
41. 2:40He was saying all other gods are powerless, even a sham!
42. 2:44So, he is undermining their way of life.
43. 2:46Yes, and more than that.
44. 2:48When Paul announced Jesus as a new king, he would call him "Lord" or "Son of God",
45. 2:53the very titles people used to refer to the Emperor of Rome.
46. 2:57So, Paul's message could easily be heard as a threat against the entire political order.
47. 3:02Why would anyone join this movement?
48. 3:05I mean, It sounds dangerous.
49. 3:06Well, people were captivated by the story of Jesus and how his love created communities
50. 3:11where all people were treated as equals, regardless of ethnicity, gender or economic status.
51. 3:17These people formed new families that would eat together.
52. 3:20They lived sacrificially and took care of their poor.
53. 3:23They lived like Jesus actually was the king.
54. 3:26Right. And so, in every city where Paul announced the message about Jesus,
55. 3:30people were being transformed by God's Spirit to become new kinds of humans.
56. 3:35So, Paul would stay in that city and teach them the way of Jesus.
57. 3:38And then, he would leave for a new city.
58. 3:40This was a difficult life.
59. 3:43Paul had to endure a lot of pain and a lot of suffering.
60. 3:46Yeah, and he did so because he believed that his own hardships were a reenactment of Jesus' suffering and death for others
61. 3:54He said it was God's own love that drove him to share the story of Jesus, no matter the cost.
62. 3:59After his third road trip, Paul's reputation had grown.
63. 4:03He had made many new friends, but had also made many new enemies that he would be wise to avoid.
64. 4:08But Paul did not avoid them.
65. 4:10His next stop was Jerusalem, a city full of people who wanted him arrested, even dead.
66. 4:16And so, why he goes to Jerusalem and what happens when he gets there?
67. 4:20That is what the final section of Acts is all about.