Sabbath: The Third Missionary Journey
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Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 18:24-28; Acts 19; Acts 20:7-12, Acts 20:15-27; 2 Cor. 4:8-14; Acts 21:1-15.
Memory Text: “I do not count my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24, NRSV).
Luke’s account of Paul’s third journey starts rather abruptly. The text says only that after spending some time in Antioch, the center of Paul’s missions, the apostle set out on another journey, passing successively “through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples” (Acts 18:23, NRSV). So, the first 1,500 miles of the journey are covered in one sentence.
This is because the focal point of the journey was Ephesus, where Paul spent more time than in any other city in the course of his journeys. From the evangelistic standpoint, the ministry in Ephesus was very fruitful; the impact of Paul’s preaching reached the whole province of Asia (Acts 19:10, Acts 19:26). It was probably during this time that the churches of Colossae, Hierapolis, and Laodicea were founded, perhaps through Epaphras (Col. 4:12-13), one of Paul’s co-workers (Col. 1:7, Philemon 23).
A remarkable thing about this journey is that it is the last one of Paul’s recorded in Acts. Paul undertook it as a free man. Luke records yet another journey, this time to Rome, but as a prisoner.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 8.
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Our memory text for this week's lesson encapsulates the altruism of a saved life. Putting the salvation of others ahead of our own wants is fundamental to our Christian life.
That does not mean that we should be stupid and not look after ourselves. But rather, we live a Christ-inspired life for the good of others because that is the right thing to do, not because there is an eternal retirement plan at the end.
I do like that eternal retirement plan at the end tho too.
The account of the miracles Paul, performed while making his Journies, is remarkable, including the ones at Ephesus. I realize they are not his power and ability alone. However, to have the power of the Holy Spirit at will, is a bit more that our finite intellect can accommodate. The ability to send a piece of cloth touched by Paul that resulted in healing and the fact that Paul knew this ahead of time, Would not be unusual if this was Jesus. Our only answer is trust in a God with unlimited power. When questions occur, Our trust and faith will help supply the answers that we seek.
The events that the apostle Paul has recorded such as the many miracles he has performed, triggers a question in my mind. If the Holy Spirit is the power to perform those miracles, do we then wonder how Jesus, in human form, performed the many miracles that He did?
Peter answers your question:
Act 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good, and healing all those who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with Him.
Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when He had been baptized, went up immediately out of the water. And lo, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon Him.
Happy Sabbath.
Thank you so much for this teaching.
It is very essential to model the right things as taught by God himself...being loving and sharing Gods love with his people.
Teach Good things, Model Good things, encourage good things, admonishing them to be discreet, chaste, purity, ....we pray to carry out this responsibility....so that the word of God will not be blasphemed.