Luke the physician wrote, “when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus”, and in chapter nine and verse thirty-one of the book of Acts Luke shared, “then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified” where we read:
Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified;
and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
The verse begins, “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified;” Luke began with the words, “then had the churches rest” which means “at that time the assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting were in a state of tranquility, peace, harmony and concord” “throughout all Judaea” or “down from, toward and along each, every and the whole portion in Judaea whose name means he shall be prince and refers to the southern portion of Palestine lying on this side of the Jordan and the Dead Sea, to distinguish it from Samaria, Galilee, Peraea and Idumaea” “and Galilee” which means “and Galilee whose name means circuit and was the name of a region of northern Palestine, bounded on the north by Syria, on the west by Sidon, Tyre, Ptolemais and their territories and the promontory of Carmel, on the south by Samaria and on the east by the Jordan” “and Samaria” or “and Samaria whose name means guardianship and was a territory in Palestine which had Samaria as its capital”, “and were edified” which means “and were building, founding and being established”. Luke shared how the “churches” in the areas of “Judaea, Galilee and Samaria” were at “rest” and being “established”.
The verse goes on to say, “and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.” Luke continued with the words, “and walking in the fear” which means “and pursuing the journey and traversing with the dread, terror, alarm and reverence” “of the Lord” or “belonging to the One to whom a person or thing belongs about which he has power of deciding; master, and the title given to God the Messiah”, “and in the comfort” which means “and with the exhortation, admonition, encouragement, solace and consolation” “of the Holy Ghost” or “belonging to the pure, sacred, morally blameless and religiously and ceremonially consecrated third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, who is coequal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son”, “were multiplied” which means “were increased and abounding”. Luke shared how the believers in the “churches” reverenced the “Lord Jesus” in their walk with Him, were encouraged and consoled with the Holy Spirit and grew in their numbers.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the “church” of Jesus was spreading and growing, and the believers reverenced the “Lord Jesus, enjoyed the peace of the Holy Spirit and grew in number. God was blessing His “church”, and although they faced opposition, the number of believers continued to expand. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”, (John 3:16), and anyone who yields their life to Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” will be forgiven of their sins and granted everlasting life with God. The “good news” is for everyone, and those who are wise surrender their lives to Him.
Next time Luke shares how Peter, “came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda”, 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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