The beloved physician Luke shared when Paul, Barnabas and their companions came to Jerusalem, “a certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed” were “saying” about the Gentile believers “That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” After much discussion among them, Peter and James spoke, and they decided to sent letters of instruction to the Gentile believers and, “to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren”, and in chapter fifteen and verse twenty-three of the book of Acts Luke shared how, “they wrote letters by them after this manner” where we read:
And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
The verse begins, “And they wrote letters by them after this manner;” Luke began with the words, “and they wrote letters by them” which means “the apostles, elders and chief men of the church in Jerusalem expressed in written characters” “after this manner” or “as follows”. Luke shared how the leaders within the church in Jerusalem inscribed the “letters” to the church in “Antioch of Syria”, and they declared the following words.
The verse continues, “The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:” Luke added the words, “the apostles” or “the delegates, messengers, and sent forth ones of Jesus” “and elders” which means “and the senior ranking Christians who presided over the churches” “and brethren” or “and fellow believers who are united to one another by the bond of affection” “send greeting unto the brethren” which means “direct and send out salutations, exceeding rejoicing and gladness to the fellow believers who are united to one another by the bond of affection ” “which are of the Gentiles” or “who belong to the heathen, pagan and non-Jewish people of the same genus and nature” “in Antioch” which means “within Antioch which means driven against and was the Capital of Syria, situated on the river Orontes, founded by Seleucus Nicanor in 300 B.C. and named in honor of his father, Antiochus” “and Syria” whose name means “exalted and was a region of Asia bounded on the north by Taurus and Amanus ranges, on the east by the Euphrates and Arabia, on the south by Palestine, and the west by Phoenicia and the Mediterranean” “and Cilicia” which means “the land of Celix and was a maritime province in the southeast of Asia Minor, boarding on Pamphylia in the west, Lycaonia and Cappadocia in the north and Syria in the east. Its capital was Tarsus which was the birth place of Paul”. Luke shared how the leadership in the church in “Jerusalem” began their letter to the church in Antioch by “greeting” all the “Gentile” believers there and in the regions of “Syria” and “Cilicia”.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the “apostles, elders and chief men” in the church in Jerusalem “wrote” their letters to the church in “Antioch of Syria”. They began by “greeting” them as fellow believers and they included those who trusted in Jesus from surrounding regions. God desires to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and regardless of their origin or location, they are invited to come to Him. The church was expanding, and though this was a “bump in the road” for the church, they settled the issue quickly and effectively so as to include more people in the church of Jesus rather than exclude them. Those who are wise yield themselves to Jesus and receive all the insight He desires to provide to them through His church.
Next time Luke shares how the letters said, “certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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