Paul left Athens because of the many philosophies the people believed. They weren’t interested in the truth, but to soothe their itching ears. Paul had left Silas and Timothy in Berea. When Paul had reached Corinth, he met a couple from Rome named Priscilla and Aquila. Like Paul, they were tent makers. The tents they made were prayer shawls. They believed on Jesus and many other Jews and gentiles. When Timothy and Silas returned from Berea and Thessalonica and gave their report, Paul was grieved. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church, 1 Thessalonians. He wrote to encourage and comfort the saints. The Thessalonian church was being persecuted. A few days after Paul wrote the first letter, he wrote 2 Thessalonians. Both 1st and 2nd Thessalonians is about the second coming of the Lord Jesus. Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and 1/2.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

Paul had gone to Athens. While there, he saw that the city was given to idolatry. The people were either Epicureans or Stoics. He began to preach Jesus. Some philosophers asked Paul to share his teaching at the acropolis. This where philosophers gathered to hear new ideas. Paul went and preached Jesus. They ask him to come to the Acropolis to preach. Philosophers gathered there each day to hear new ideas. Paul preached Jesus’s death and resurrection. Some believed. It is hard for people to believe when they’re filled with different philosophies. Paul didn’t stay in Athens long. He went on to Corinth. Corinth was the worst city in the mediterranean area. Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a 1/2. A person must come to the end of themselves to be able to hear. God does not force the gospel on any one. God will draw you to Himself but you have to make the decision. And if you put off the decision there’s no guarantee that you’ll come back. That’s why God says preach the gospel to every person. This world is lost and dying and is in need of the gospel.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

I’ve talked about this subject before. Jesus said if they hated him, they will hate us also, we being His disciples. Paul, Silas and Luke were driven out of Philippi because of persecution. They went to Thessalonica. There they found a synagogue and enter it on the sabbath. There Paul became to preach Jesus and reason with them. Many believed including the synagogue leader. Many of those who didn’t believe began to stir up trouble in the city. They did because they were envious. They sent Paul, Silas and the group away. They came to Berea. Paul enter the synagogue and preached Jesus. The Bereans searched the scriptures and found that Paul was telling the truth. The Jews from Thessolonica found out Paul was in Berea. They came and started trouble. Paul and Silas left for Athens. While Timothy stayed behind to teach the Bereans. Do you know why the Christians had church on Sunday? Because Saturday is the sabbath for Jews and they went back to work on Sunday. Persecution was what happened to the saints even until today. It isn’t strange that you are persecuted for your faith. If they hate Jesus, surely they will hate you, as a Christian. Jesus said I will never leave you or forsake you. Acts ch.17.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

Paul, Silas and Luke were in Philippi. They were staying at Lydia’s house. Since there were no synagogues in Philippi, Paul and the group would go to the river to pray. For several days, a women possessed with a devil of divination followed them. She would say these men are servants of God and knew the way of salvation. Paul being grieved commanded that the devil come out of her. The devil departed. The woman was a slave and earned her master’s a lot of money. Now that was gone. Her master’s raised the city against Paul. So much so, that they arrested Paul and group. The beat them with many stripes and throw them in prison. Paul and the disciples were praising God and singing. When about midnight there was an earthquake. All the doors opened and all the chains fell off all the prisoners. The chief jailer saw this and drew his to kill himself. When Paul cried out that they were still there. The jailer fell on his knees and asked what must he do to be saved. Paul said, believe on the Lord Jesus. He and his household believed. He brought Paul and disciples out and washed their wounds and feed them. In the morning, the magistrates who put them in prison, wanted to release them. That’s when Paul told them that they were Roman’s. They came and begged them to depart in peace. To beat or imprison a Roman without trial meant death to anyone. Paul, Silas and Luke departed in peace. Just another day in the life of a Christian.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

After Paul and Barnabas had split up, he took Silas and others north to Asia Minor. As he traveled the Holy Ghost wouldn’t let him preach there. Finally, God gave him a vision of man praying, asking him to come to Macedonia. Paul and his group boarded a ship bound for Macedonia. Eventually, ending in Philippi. Apparently there was no synagogue. So Paul, Silas and Luke went to the river outside of town to pray. There he met Lydia, the bible says a seller of purple. Only wealthy people could afford purple material. So it is saying that she was wealthy. She was a believer. She listen to Paul preach the gospel and believed. Lydia, the bible says, constained Paul and other to stay in her house. This is the beginning of Paul’s 2nd missionary journey. Acts 16.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

In the garden of gethsemane when Jesus was praying, the soldiers of the high priest came to get Him. There was a young man with the 12 apostles. His name was John Mark, the gospel of Mark. When the soldiers took Jesus, they tried to took all of the disciples. But everyone ran away. The soldiers grab John Mark’s clothes, but he slip out them and ran away.

The council in Jerusalem was about 50 AD. In chapter 15 of Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas separated over a young disciple, John Mark. John had gone with Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey, but departed because it was too hard for him to stay. Paul didn’t want him back. A fight ensued and Paul and Barnabas separated. Barnabas took Mark and went to Cyprus and Paul and Silas went to Asia Minor.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

Paul was at Antioch. The people responded to the gospel. So much so, that the saints in Jerusalem wanted to see for themselves. Peter had been there. He living among the gentiles and didn’t exactly follow the dietary laws as a Jew. When the saints arrived from Jerusalem, Peter then separated himself from the gentiles. Paul saw this and called him a hypocrite. It started a fight in the church. Were the new believers to follow the law of Moses? The church at Jerusalem did. Paul said no. They are gentiles aren’t required to follow them. The dispute couldn’t be resolved in Antioch. The leaders of the church had to come together. So, Paul, Barnabus, Peter and the rest of the saints from Jerusalem went there. As they assembled, they began to pray and seek God. God told them that the gentiles aren’t required to follow the law of Moses. They are required to follow the covenant of Noah. This was a covenant given to all of mankind. So, the church came to an agreement. The followers of the covenant of Noah are called the followers of the way, the truth and the life.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

Paul and Barnabus went on a missionary trip. They went to Asia Minor. When they returned to Antioch, believers from Jerusalem came to see the work. While there, they started saying that the new converts needed to be circumcised and follow the law of Moses. Paul disputed it with them. He said that they weren’t Jews and only needed to follow the covenant of Noah or the way. This brought on the first church council in Jerusalem. All the leaders of the church gathered in Jerusalem. It was decided that the new converts only needed to follow the covenant of Noah and become the followers of the way, the truth and the life.

Time: 45-48AD. Paul’s first missionary journey, Galatia.

Ch.13:1-12 Cyprus.
Ch.13:13-62 Antioch.
Ch.14:1-7 Iconium.
Ch.14:8-20 Lystra, Derbe.
Ch.14:21-28 Return to Antioch.
Ch.15:1-35 The council at Jerusalem.

Time:50AD. The council at Jerusalem.

Ch.15:36-41 Paul and Barnabas separate over John Mark. Barnabas and John Mark go to Cyprus. Paul and Silas go to Galatia.

Crain Blanchard.

www.joseph1637.com

God never design the church to be just in Israel. The plan has always been to be a light to the world. So that the world would believe. God had to disperse the church through persecution. The apostles and believers spread out into the world to preach the gospel. One of the most unusual things that God did was to convert the church’s arch enemy, Saul of Tarsus. And God made Paul one of the leading apostles.

Time:34-35AD. Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem.

Ch.9:32-43 Peter at Lydda and Joppa: Tabitha raised from the dead.
Ch.10 Peter and Cornelius.

Time:35-40AD. Conversion of Cornelius.

Ch.11:1-18 The apostles approve Peter’s action.

Apostles: Simon the zealot and Judas Thaddeus went to Armenia.

Time: 42AD. Reception of gentiles at Antioch.

Apostles: Judas Thaddeus went to Syria and was killed in 43AD.

Ch.11:19-30 Antioch: the first gentile church.

Time: 44AD. Paul’s second visit to Jerusalem.

Ch.12 Death of James, imprisonment of Peter, Herod’s death.

Apostles: James the elder killed in Jerusalem.

Apostles: Matthew went to Persia.

Apostles: Thomas Didymas went to Babylon, then to India in 52AD.
Ch.13-14. Barnabas and Saul(Paul) sent out, the first missionary journey.

Crain Blanchard.

http://www.joseph1637.com

God brought Jesus to the Jews first because His promises He made to them. But it wasn’t to end there. God wants the whole world to come home. So the believers in Jerusalem had to be dispersed into the world. Then the gospel would be preached everywhere. Thomas went to India. James the greater went to Spain. Paul went to Asia Minor and everybody else in between.

Ch.8:1-4 Dispersion of the Church.
Ch.8:5-25 Philip of the seven in Samaria.
Ch.8:25-40 Philip of the seven and the Ethiopian
treasurer.
Ch.9:1-19 The Damascus road. Saul’s conversion.
Ch.9:19-31 Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem.

Time: 32 AD. Paul’s conversion.

Crain Blanchard.

http://www.joseph1637.com