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35 STEPHEN IS MARTYRED
After the Day of Pentecost, the Christian church thrived in spite of opposition from the Sanhedrin. Upon hearing Stephen's preaching, the council arrested and falsely accused him of undermining the law of Moses. Stephen's answer to this charge is one of the longest sermons recorded in the Bible. It is a testimony that the gospel of Jesus Christ does not undermine the law of Moses and the history of Israel: in fact, it completes it. Stephen concluded that the history of Israel had climaxed with the coming of Jesus the Messiah, yet the Jewish council had demanded his crucifixion. This charge infuriated the council, so they stoned Stephen, making him the first Christian martyr. This event forced many Christians to flee Jerusalem. In so doing, they spread the gospel of Christ throughout the Roman Empire (Acts 6:8-8:40).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
35 PAUL IS CONVERTED
As Stephen was being stoned, a young Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus stood nearby, holding the attackers' cloaks. He soon became a leading persecutor of the church. After receiving the Sanhedrin's permission to arrest Christians who had escaped from Jerusalem, Saul left for Damascus. Along the way, he was met with a blinding light and the voice of the Lord Jesus, who sent Saul to a believer in Damascus named Ananias. Upon meeting Ananias, Saul's sight was restored and he received the Holy Spirit. The leading persecutor of the Christians had become a Christian. Saul, whose name was changed to Paul, became the greatest missionary and theologian in the history of the Christian church, spreading the gospel throughout the world (Acts 9:1-31; 22:3-16; 26:4-18).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
40 CORNELIUS IS CONVERTED
By AD 40, although thousands had believed the gospel, the converts were virtually all Jews. However, this was about to change. A God-fearing Caesarean Gentile named Cornelius received a message from God to call Peter to his house. Meanwhile, Peter had received a vision from God in which he was commanded to eat animals that were unclean according to the law of Moses. As Peter awoke from his vision and was pondering its meaning, three messengers arrived. The next day, Peter traveled with the men to meet Cornelius. As Peter proclaimed the gospel to Cornelius and his family, he realized the meaning of his vision: God was calling both Jews and Gentiles to Christ. Cornelius and all those who heard and believed received the Holy Spirit and were baptized (Acts 10:1-48).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
43 PAUL JOINS BARNABAS IN ANTIOCH
After Paul's conversion, Barnabas had been one of the first Christians to accept Paul and welcome him as a genuine brother in Christ. Soon after this, the two men went separate ways. Paul spent several years in Arabia and Damascus and then returned to his hometown of Tarsus. While Paul was in Tarsus, the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to minister in Antioch. After considering the situation in Antioch, Barnabas went to Tarsus to bring Paul back to Antioch to minister with them there. For the next year, Paul and Barnabas taught the believers in that city. This ministry partnership became the foundation of Christian missions, because later the two men were commissioned as the church's first missionaries (Acts 9:27; 11:22-30).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
44 HEROD MARTYRS JAMES, THE BROTHER OF JOHN
Christ called James and John, the sons of Zebedee, to leave their fishing boat and follow him. Along with Peter and John, James was among the inner circle of Jesus' disciples who witnessed the raising of Jairus' daughter, Jesus' transfiguration, and the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. After the martyrdom of Stephen and dispersion of the church, James stayed in Jerusalem and continued to minister. However, around 44, King Herod Agrippa I began arresting leading Christians, starting with James. James was executed with a sword. Peter also was arrested, but miraculously delivered from prison. Soon after that, God struck down Herod himself (Matthew 17:1-18; 26:36-46; Mark 1:20, 5:37; Luke 5:10-11; Acts 12:1-2, 21-25).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
45 JAMES WRITES THE FIRST NEW TESTAMENT BOOK
The Epistle of James was written by Jesus' brother James, who was martyred in 62. Its particularly Jewish flavor leads many Bible scholars to date it as the earliest of the New Testament books, written in about 45. James emphasizes that faith apart from works is dead. The epistle is full of practical tests of genuine Christian faith that produces works: overcoming temptation, obeying the Word, controlling the tongue, and patiently enduring until the Lord's return. There are also a number of parallels between this epistle and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
48 PRAYER MEETING LAUNCHES THE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT During the first several years after Jesus' ascension, thousands of Jews came to Christ and the Word of God spread rapidly throughout Palestine. However, there was no organized effort to reach the uttermost parts of the earth, as Jesus had commanded. In about 48, the leaders of the church in Antioch met together for what became a historic prayer meeting. As they were worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit told them to set apart their two prominent leaders—Saul and Barnabas—for an extraordinary work. The church prayed over the men and sent them out, along with John Mark, to proclaim Christ and plant churches. Thus began the missionary movement in the early church (Acts 13:1-14:27).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
48 PAUL EMBARKS ON HIS FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY
After the elders of Antioch had laid hands on Paul and Barnabas, they sent them on their first missionary journey in about 48. Accompanied by John Mark, the two missionaries set out to proclaim the gospel in Cyprus. From Cyprus, the team traveled to Perga, where John Mark left to return home against Paul's wishes. However, Paul and Barnabas continued on through the region of Galatia and the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. At the end of their journey, they returned to Antioch and reported to the church that God had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 13:1— 14:28).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
Paul's First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:1-14:28)
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
49 JERUSALEM COUNCIL DISCUSSES THE LAW AND GRACE While many Gentiles became Christians as a result of Paul's missionary journeys, some Hebrew Christians in Jerusalem responded by insisting that circumcision and obedience to the law of Moses were necessary for salvation. In response to this, Paul and Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem from Antioch to meet with the other apostles. Peter, Paul, and Barnabas all testified that both Jews and Gentiles are saved by grace apart from keeping the law. James, the brother of Jesus and a leader of the Jerusalem church, announced the council's decision that Gentiles were free from the law. The council sent its decision to Gentile Christians, asking only that they keep away from meat offered to idols, from blood, from strangled animals, and from fornication. This decision reinforced the inclusion of Gentiles into the church and stimulated future missionary efforts to the rest of the Roman Empire (Acts 15:1-35).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
49 PAUL WRITES GALATIANS
Soon after his first missionary journey, Paul received word that the churches of Galatia had accepted the teachings of certain false teachers. Those "Judaizers," as they were known, taught that—in addition to the gospel of grace—circumcision and obedience to the law of Moses were necessary for salvation. Paul immediately responded to this perversion of the gospel by writing an epistle to the Galatian churches in which he defended his message of justification by faith alone. In the letter, Paul defends his authority as an apostle (chapters 1-2), explains and amplifies justification by faith alone (chapters 3-4), and defends the true nature of obedience and Christian liberty (chapters 5-6).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
50-60 THOMAS TRAVELS TO INDIA
According to the Acts of Thomas, a book written in the third century, the apostle Thomas was a missionary to India during the reign of a king named Gundaphorus. Then in 1833, coins were discovered with inscriptions proving Gundaphorus' reign as king in Northwestern India during the first century. In Southwestern India the ancient church of the "Thomas Christians" claims that they were founded by the apostle Thomas; therefore it is likely that Thomas was the one to first bring the gospel to India.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
50 HEROD AGRIPPA II BECOMES KING
Several years after his father, Herod Agrippa I (r. 41-44), was struck down by God, Herod Agrippa II (27-100) was appointed by the Roman emperor Claudius to rule Palestine. Following the tradition of many Eastern kings, Agrippa married his sister, Bernice. Acts 26 records Paul giving this couple, along with Porcius Festus (r. 59-62), a defense of his life and ministry. Herod Agrippa II was last in the line of Roman-appointed Herodian kings (Acts 25:23-26:32).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
50 PAUL EMBARKS ON HIS SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY
As Paul and Barnabas were making plans to visit and encourage the churches they had established on their first missionary journey, they disagreed over whether or not to bring John Mark, who had abandoned them during the first journey. Unable to agree, Paul set out with Silas instead of Barnabas to visit the churches in Galatia and Asia Minor in 50. When Paul and Silas reached Lystra, Timothy joined their missionary team. After that, Luke joined them in Troas and Paul received his Macedonian call. Then they entered Europe, traveling through most of modern-day Greece, encountering opposition and miraculous deliverances along the way. In Athens, Paul eloquently debated with the philosophers on Mars Hill, but he saw few results. From Athens, he went to Corinth, where he spent eighteen months of fruitful ministry. From there, Paul traveled with Aquila and Priscilla to Ephesus before returning to Antioch (Acts 15:36-18:22).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36-18:22)
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
51 PAUL WRITES 1 THESSALONIANS
During his second missionary journey, Paul and his team visited Thessalonica, a city in Macedonia (modern-day Greece). After a successful ministry among the Thessalonian Gentiles, Paul was forced to leave the city. However, he soon sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to continue the ministry there. While Paul was in Corinth, he received word from Timothy that the Thessalonian believers were growing in their faith. Paul responded by writing an epistle to them, thanking God for their faith and good works in Christ. The first section of the epistle (chapters 1-3) is a review of the successful results of the gospel in Thessalonica. The second section (chapters 4-5) is an exhortation to the believers to continue growing and living righteously until the Lord's return
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
51 PAUL WRITES 2 THESSALONIANS
A few months after writing his first epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul received word that some of the believers in Thessalonica were facing persecution, while others had accepted false teaching about Jesus' return. Claiming that the Day of the Lord was already upon them, they had quit working and were living off the rest of the congregation. So Paul wrote another letter to the church, correcting their false teaching and misunderstandings about the Lord's return and also encouraging the persecuted believers. The letter begins with this encouragement (chapter 1), followed by an explanation of the Day of the Lord (chapter 2) and an exhortation to those who were being a burden to the rest of the church (chapter 3).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
53 PAUL EMBARKS ON HIS THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY
After recovering his strength in Antioch following his second missionary journey, Paul embarked on a third journey. Once again, he visited and encouraged the churches in Galatia and Asia Minor. Paul then traveled to Ephesus, where he spent three years ministering. He was forced to leave after an uprising led by Demetrius the silversmith. Paul traveled through Macedonia encouraging the churches while making his way to Corinth, where he spent three winter months. From Corinth, Paul set out for Jerusalem through Macedonia. In his last meeting with the Ephesian elders, they warned him of the persecution he would face in Jerusalem. In about 57, after his final instructions and a tearful parting, Paul continued on to Jerusalem, where the Romans arrested him (Acts 18:23-21:40).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
Paul's Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23-21:16)
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
53 JEWS ARE EXPELLED FROM ROME
The Roman historian Suetonius (69- after 103) wrote that during the mid-fifties the Jewish population of Rome was continually disturbed by a certain "Chrestus." This seems to be a reference to heated debates within the Jewish community in Rome over the person and work of Jesus Christ. The disputes became so frequent and intense by 53 that the Emperor Claudius (10 BC-AD 54) issued a decree expelling the Jews from the city. Priscilla and Aquila were among the Jews forced to leave. Traveling to Corinth, they joined Paul's ministry. When Emperor Claudius was murdered by his wife in 54, the Jews were allowed to return to Rome. This short period of Jewish absence may have contributed to the strength of the Gentile church in Rome, which in turn led to some of the Jewish-Gentile disputes addressed by Paul in his epistle to the Romans (Acts 18:1-3; Romans 14-15).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
54 NERO BECOMES CAESAR
Nero, (37-68), the fifth Roman Caesar, ascended to the throne in 54. During the first five years of his reign, the empire and city of Rome were stable. Soon thereafter, the stability of Nero's reign began to crumble. Influenced by his mistress, Poppaea, Nero had his mother killed, divorced his wife, Octavia, and married Poppaea. It was during this time, approximately 63, that Paul suffered his first imprisonment in Rome. In 64, a great fire devastated the city of Rome. Nero, who was suspected of having some involvement in the disaster, placed the blame on the Christians of Rome and launched a severe persecution of them. Both Paul and Peter were martyred by Nero as part of the persecution. On June 9, 68, as the provinces began to demand his removal, Nero committed suicide.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
56 PAUL WRITES 1 CORINTHIANS
While Paul was in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, he received a report about a division that had arisen over several issues in the Corinthian church. Paul immediately wrote them a letter, and they responded by sending several questions back to him. His response is the epistle now known as 1 Corinthians. The epistle begins with a rebuke over the unnecessary divisions in the church, followed by Paul's instructions on various issues such as immorality, marriage, idols, spiritual gifts, and the Resurrection, among others. The epistle can be divided into two major sections: Paul's rebuke (chapters 1-6) and Paul's response to the church's questions (chapters 7-16). Both sections are dominated by a call for repentance and an emphasis on church unity.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
56 PAUL WRITES 2 CORINTHIANS
After Paul sent his first letter to the church of Corinth, he learned that it had not corrected the problems he had addressed. As a result, he made a brief visit to them and then wrote a painful letter of rebuke (not included in the New Testament). Paul sent Titus to deliver the letter and anxiously awaited their response. To Paul's great delight, the Corinthian believers finally repented of the sins that had been dividing them. Paul responded by writing 2 Corinthians, in which he thanked God for their repentance. However, there was a significant minority within the church that was being led astray by false teachers who were undermining the gospel. The book of 2 Corinthians begins with an explanation of Paul's ministry (chapters 1-9), followed by a strong defense of his apostleship (chapters 10-13).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
56 PAUL WRITES ROMANS
While ministering in Corinth in 56, near the end of his third missionary journey, Paul wrote his epistle to the Roman church. He intended to pass through Rome en route to Spain and desired the Roman church to be a base for his missionary efforts in Spain. This letter is regarded by many as Paul's clearest and most brilliant exposition of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith. In it, Paul touches on some of the most profound and perplexing of all Christian doctrines, such as original sin, justification, sanctification, election, and the sovereignty of God. The first section is an explanation of justification (chapters 1-8), followed by a vindication of God's righteousness in dispensing justification freely to Jews and Gentiles (chapters 9-11), and ending with the implications of this doctrine for life and ministry (chapter 12-16).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
57 PAUL MAKES HIS FINAL VISIT TO JERUSALEM
Paul spent the final part of his third missionary journey in Corinth, ministering among the believers there. The Corinthian church wanted to send an offering to the suffering church in Jerusalem, and Paul was designated to deliver the gift. After being diverted through Asia Minor, Paul finally arrived in Jerusalem, where he was warmly greeted by the church leaders. However, soon after Paul's arrival, a group of Jews from Asia falsely accused him of desecrating the Temple. Although the Romans rescued him from the Jewish mob, Paul was arrested and held by the Romans. After Paul received a series of threats from the Jewish leaders, the Lord appeared to him with the encouragement that he would preach in Rome. From Jerusalem, Paul was transferred to Caesarea to avoid further Jewish hostility and eventually on to Rome for an appeal to Caesar (Acts 21:1-23:35).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
FROM PERSECUTOR TO PERSECUTED
June 2, AD 57
God changes lives in unexpected ways!
A group of Jews in Jerusalem in AD 35 made false accusations against a deacon named Stephen. They successfully stirred up the people into an angry mob that dragged Stephen to appear before the Jewish governing council, the Sanhedrin. There, a young Pharisee by the name of Saul witnessed both the false accusations and Stephen's defense of his faith in Jesus the Messiah. Later, when the Jewish mob dragged Stephen out of the city to stone him, they threw their coats at Saul's feet for safekeeping as they picked up stones to throw at Stephen (Acts 6:8-8:1). Saul not only supported Stephen's murder but later became the chief persecutor of Christians.
Twenty-two years later, on June 2, AD 57, the tables were turned, and Saul was in Stephen's shoes. Saul, by then known as Paul, was the one with false accusations brought against him in Jerusalem by a group of Jews from the Roman province of Asia. Finding Paul in the Temple, they shouted, "Men of Israel! Help! This is the man who teaches against our people and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and he even defiles it by bringing Gentiles in!" (Acts 21:27-28). This time it was Paul who was attacked by a Jewish mob, and Paul was the one giving his defense (Acts 21:30-22:21).
Paul began his defense with the same words Stephen had used,
"Brothers and esteemed fathers, listen to me." (Acts 22:1; cf. 7:2). Paul explained, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia.....I persecuted the followers of the Way.... The high priest and the whole council of leaders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the Christians from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.
"As I was on the road, nearing Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
'"Who are you, sir?' I asked. And he replied, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.'...
"I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that you are to do.'" (Acts 22:3-10)
Just as Stephen's defense had caused a riot, so did the words of Paul. "The crowd ... shouted, 'Away with such a fellow ! Kill him!'" (Acts 22:22). Just as the men of Jerusalem had thrown off their coats at Paul's feet before stoning Stephen, now they "threw off their coats" in rage against Paul (Acts 22:23). Fortunately for Paul, the Roman soldiers saved him that day from being killed by the angry mob (Acts 22:24-30).
Paul's encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ changed him from Saul the persecutor into Paul the persecuted.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
58 MARK WRITES HIS GOSPEL Likely the first of the four Gospels to be written, the Gospel of Mark portrays the life and ministry of Jesus as the perfect servant. Roman Christians probably were the original audience of the book, and tradition suggests that it was written in Rome. Mark, the author, is mentioned in the book of Acts as Paul and Barnabas' companion and later as a beneficial partner to Paul's ministry. Evidence suggests that Mark relied heavily on Peter's testimony in the composition of his gospel. The first section of Mark records many works of Jesus, portraying him as the perfect servant (1:1-8:30). The next section presents teachings of Jesus as the servant (8:31-10:52). The final section of the book deals with the sufferings of the servant and his subsequent resurrection and exaltation (chapters 11-16).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
After the Day of Pentecost, the Christian church thrived in spite of opposition from the Sanhedrin. Upon hearing Stephen's preaching, the council arrested and falsely accused him of undermining the law of Moses. Stephen's answer to this charge is one of the longest sermons recorded in the Bible. It is a testimony that the gospel of Jesus Christ does not undermine the law of Moses and the history of Israel: in fact, it completes it. Stephen concluded that the history of Israel had climaxed with the coming of Jesus the Messiah, yet the Jewish council had demanded his crucifixion. This charge infuriated the council, so they stoned Stephen, making him the first Christian martyr. This event forced many Christians to flee Jerusalem. In so doing, they spread the gospel of Christ throughout the Roman Empire (Acts 6:8-8:40).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
35 PAUL IS CONVERTED
As Stephen was being stoned, a young Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus stood nearby, holding the attackers' cloaks. He soon became a leading persecutor of the church. After receiving the Sanhedrin's permission to arrest Christians who had escaped from Jerusalem, Saul left for Damascus. Along the way, he was met with a blinding light and the voice of the Lord Jesus, who sent Saul to a believer in Damascus named Ananias. Upon meeting Ananias, Saul's sight was restored and he received the Holy Spirit. The leading persecutor of the Christians had become a Christian. Saul, whose name was changed to Paul, became the greatest missionary and theologian in the history of the Christian church, spreading the gospel throughout the world (Acts 9:1-31; 22:3-16; 26:4-18).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
40 CORNELIUS IS CONVERTED
By AD 40, although thousands had believed the gospel, the converts were virtually all Jews. However, this was about to change. A God-fearing Caesarean Gentile named Cornelius received a message from God to call Peter to his house. Meanwhile, Peter had received a vision from God in which he was commanded to eat animals that were unclean according to the law of Moses. As Peter awoke from his vision and was pondering its meaning, three messengers arrived. The next day, Peter traveled with the men to meet Cornelius. As Peter proclaimed the gospel to Cornelius and his family, he realized the meaning of his vision: God was calling both Jews and Gentiles to Christ. Cornelius and all those who heard and believed received the Holy Spirit and were baptized (Acts 10:1-48).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
43 PAUL JOINS BARNABAS IN ANTIOCH
After Paul's conversion, Barnabas had been one of the first Christians to accept Paul and welcome him as a genuine brother in Christ. Soon after this, the two men went separate ways. Paul spent several years in Arabia and Damascus and then returned to his hometown of Tarsus. While Paul was in Tarsus, the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to minister in Antioch. After considering the situation in Antioch, Barnabas went to Tarsus to bring Paul back to Antioch to minister with them there. For the next year, Paul and Barnabas taught the believers in that city. This ministry partnership became the foundation of Christian missions, because later the two men were commissioned as the church's first missionaries (Acts 9:27; 11:22-30).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
44 HEROD MARTYRS JAMES, THE BROTHER OF JOHN
Christ called James and John, the sons of Zebedee, to leave their fishing boat and follow him. Along with Peter and John, James was among the inner circle of Jesus' disciples who witnessed the raising of Jairus' daughter, Jesus' transfiguration, and the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. After the martyrdom of Stephen and dispersion of the church, James stayed in Jerusalem and continued to minister. However, around 44, King Herod Agrippa I began arresting leading Christians, starting with James. James was executed with a sword. Peter also was arrested, but miraculously delivered from prison. Soon after that, God struck down Herod himself (Matthew 17:1-18; 26:36-46; Mark 1:20, 5:37; Luke 5:10-11; Acts 12:1-2, 21-25).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
45 JAMES WRITES THE FIRST NEW TESTAMENT BOOK
The Epistle of James was written by Jesus' brother James, who was martyred in 62. Its particularly Jewish flavor leads many Bible scholars to date it as the earliest of the New Testament books, written in about 45. James emphasizes that faith apart from works is dead. The epistle is full of practical tests of genuine Christian faith that produces works: overcoming temptation, obeying the Word, controlling the tongue, and patiently enduring until the Lord's return. There are also a number of parallels between this epistle and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
48 PRAYER MEETING LAUNCHES THE MISSIONARY MOVEMENT During the first several years after Jesus' ascension, thousands of Jews came to Christ and the Word of God spread rapidly throughout Palestine. However, there was no organized effort to reach the uttermost parts of the earth, as Jesus had commanded. In about 48, the leaders of the church in Antioch met together for what became a historic prayer meeting. As they were worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit told them to set apart their two prominent leaders—Saul and Barnabas—for an extraordinary work. The church prayed over the men and sent them out, along with John Mark, to proclaim Christ and plant churches. Thus began the missionary movement in the early church (Acts 13:1-14:27).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
48 PAUL EMBARKS ON HIS FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY
After the elders of Antioch had laid hands on Paul and Barnabas, they sent them on their first missionary journey in about 48. Accompanied by John Mark, the two missionaries set out to proclaim the gospel in Cyprus. From Cyprus, the team traveled to Perga, where John Mark left to return home against Paul's wishes. However, Paul and Barnabas continued on through the region of Galatia and the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. At the end of their journey, they returned to Antioch and reported to the church that God had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 13:1— 14:28).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
Paul's First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:1-14:28)
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
49 JERUSALEM COUNCIL DISCUSSES THE LAW AND GRACE While many Gentiles became Christians as a result of Paul's missionary journeys, some Hebrew Christians in Jerusalem responded by insisting that circumcision and obedience to the law of Moses were necessary for salvation. In response to this, Paul and Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem from Antioch to meet with the other apostles. Peter, Paul, and Barnabas all testified that both Jews and Gentiles are saved by grace apart from keeping the law. James, the brother of Jesus and a leader of the Jerusalem church, announced the council's decision that Gentiles were free from the law. The council sent its decision to Gentile Christians, asking only that they keep away from meat offered to idols, from blood, from strangled animals, and from fornication. This decision reinforced the inclusion of Gentiles into the church and stimulated future missionary efforts to the rest of the Roman Empire (Acts 15:1-35).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
49 PAUL WRITES GALATIANS
Soon after his first missionary journey, Paul received word that the churches of Galatia had accepted the teachings of certain false teachers. Those "Judaizers," as they were known, taught that—in addition to the gospel of grace—circumcision and obedience to the law of Moses were necessary for salvation. Paul immediately responded to this perversion of the gospel by writing an epistle to the Galatian churches in which he defended his message of justification by faith alone. In the letter, Paul defends his authority as an apostle (chapters 1-2), explains and amplifies justification by faith alone (chapters 3-4), and defends the true nature of obedience and Christian liberty (chapters 5-6).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
50-60 THOMAS TRAVELS TO INDIA
According to the Acts of Thomas, a book written in the third century, the apostle Thomas was a missionary to India during the reign of a king named Gundaphorus. Then in 1833, coins were discovered with inscriptions proving Gundaphorus' reign as king in Northwestern India during the first century. In Southwestern India the ancient church of the "Thomas Christians" claims that they were founded by the apostle Thomas; therefore it is likely that Thomas was the one to first bring the gospel to India.
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
50 HEROD AGRIPPA II BECOMES KING
Several years after his father, Herod Agrippa I (r. 41-44), was struck down by God, Herod Agrippa II (27-100) was appointed by the Roman emperor Claudius to rule Palestine. Following the tradition of many Eastern kings, Agrippa married his sister, Bernice. Acts 26 records Paul giving this couple, along with Porcius Festus (r. 59-62), a defense of his life and ministry. Herod Agrippa II was last in the line of Roman-appointed Herodian kings (Acts 25:23-26:32).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
50 PAUL EMBARKS ON HIS SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY
As Paul and Barnabas were making plans to visit and encourage the churches they had established on their first missionary journey, they disagreed over whether or not to bring John Mark, who had abandoned them during the first journey. Unable to agree, Paul set out with Silas instead of Barnabas to visit the churches in Galatia and Asia Minor in 50. When Paul and Silas reached Lystra, Timothy joined their missionary team. After that, Luke joined them in Troas and Paul received his Macedonian call. Then they entered Europe, traveling through most of modern-day Greece, encountering opposition and miraculous deliverances along the way. In Athens, Paul eloquently debated with the philosophers on Mars Hill, but he saw few results. From Athens, he went to Corinth, where he spent eighteen months of fruitful ministry. From there, Paul traveled with Aquila and Priscilla to Ephesus before returning to Antioch (Acts 15:36-18:22).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
Paul's Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36-18:22)
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
51 PAUL WRITES 1 THESSALONIANS
During his second missionary journey, Paul and his team visited Thessalonica, a city in Macedonia (modern-day Greece). After a successful ministry among the Thessalonian Gentiles, Paul was forced to leave the city. However, he soon sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to continue the ministry there. While Paul was in Corinth, he received word from Timothy that the Thessalonian believers were growing in their faith. Paul responded by writing an epistle to them, thanking God for their faith and good works in Christ. The first section of the epistle (chapters 1-3) is a review of the successful results of the gospel in Thessalonica. The second section (chapters 4-5) is an exhortation to the believers to continue growing and living righteously until the Lord's return
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51 PAUL WRITES 2 THESSALONIANS
A few months after writing his first epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul received word that some of the believers in Thessalonica were facing persecution, while others had accepted false teaching about Jesus' return. Claiming that the Day of the Lord was already upon them, they had quit working and were living off the rest of the congregation. So Paul wrote another letter to the church, correcting their false teaching and misunderstandings about the Lord's return and also encouraging the persecuted believers. The letter begins with this encouragement (chapter 1), followed by an explanation of the Day of the Lord (chapter 2) and an exhortation to those who were being a burden to the rest of the church (chapter 3).
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53 PAUL EMBARKS ON HIS THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY
After recovering his strength in Antioch following his second missionary journey, Paul embarked on a third journey. Once again, he visited and encouraged the churches in Galatia and Asia Minor. Paul then traveled to Ephesus, where he spent three years ministering. He was forced to leave after an uprising led by Demetrius the silversmith. Paul traveled through Macedonia encouraging the churches while making his way to Corinth, where he spent three winter months. From Corinth, Paul set out for Jerusalem through Macedonia. In his last meeting with the Ephesian elders, they warned him of the persecution he would face in Jerusalem. In about 57, after his final instructions and a tearful parting, Paul continued on to Jerusalem, where the Romans arrested him (Acts 18:23-21:40).
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Paul's Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23-21:16)
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53 JEWS ARE EXPELLED FROM ROME
The Roman historian Suetonius (69- after 103) wrote that during the mid-fifties the Jewish population of Rome was continually disturbed by a certain "Chrestus." This seems to be a reference to heated debates within the Jewish community in Rome over the person and work of Jesus Christ. The disputes became so frequent and intense by 53 that the Emperor Claudius (10 BC-AD 54) issued a decree expelling the Jews from the city. Priscilla and Aquila were among the Jews forced to leave. Traveling to Corinth, they joined Paul's ministry. When Emperor Claudius was murdered by his wife in 54, the Jews were allowed to return to Rome. This short period of Jewish absence may have contributed to the strength of the Gentile church in Rome, which in turn led to some of the Jewish-Gentile disputes addressed by Paul in his epistle to the Romans (Acts 18:1-3; Romans 14-15).
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54 NERO BECOMES CAESAR
Nero, (37-68), the fifth Roman Caesar, ascended to the throne in 54. During the first five years of his reign, the empire and city of Rome were stable. Soon thereafter, the stability of Nero's reign began to crumble. Influenced by his mistress, Poppaea, Nero had his mother killed, divorced his wife, Octavia, and married Poppaea. It was during this time, approximately 63, that Paul suffered his first imprisonment in Rome. In 64, a great fire devastated the city of Rome. Nero, who was suspected of having some involvement in the disaster, placed the blame on the Christians of Rome and launched a severe persecution of them. Both Paul and Peter were martyred by Nero as part of the persecution. On June 9, 68, as the provinces began to demand his removal, Nero committed suicide.
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56 PAUL WRITES 1 CORINTHIANS
While Paul was in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, he received a report about a division that had arisen over several issues in the Corinthian church. Paul immediately wrote them a letter, and they responded by sending several questions back to him. His response is the epistle now known as 1 Corinthians. The epistle begins with a rebuke over the unnecessary divisions in the church, followed by Paul's instructions on various issues such as immorality, marriage, idols, spiritual gifts, and the Resurrection, among others. The epistle can be divided into two major sections: Paul's rebuke (chapters 1-6) and Paul's response to the church's questions (chapters 7-16). Both sections are dominated by a call for repentance and an emphasis on church unity.
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56 PAUL WRITES 2 CORINTHIANS
After Paul sent his first letter to the church of Corinth, he learned that it had not corrected the problems he had addressed. As a result, he made a brief visit to them and then wrote a painful letter of rebuke (not included in the New Testament). Paul sent Titus to deliver the letter and anxiously awaited their response. To Paul's great delight, the Corinthian believers finally repented of the sins that had been dividing them. Paul responded by writing 2 Corinthians, in which he thanked God for their repentance. However, there was a significant minority within the church that was being led astray by false teachers who were undermining the gospel. The book of 2 Corinthians begins with an explanation of Paul's ministry (chapters 1-9), followed by a strong defense of his apostleship (chapters 10-13).
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56 PAUL WRITES ROMANS
While ministering in Corinth in 56, near the end of his third missionary journey, Paul wrote his epistle to the Roman church. He intended to pass through Rome en route to Spain and desired the Roman church to be a base for his missionary efforts in Spain. This letter is regarded by many as Paul's clearest and most brilliant exposition of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith. In it, Paul touches on some of the most profound and perplexing of all Christian doctrines, such as original sin, justification, sanctification, election, and the sovereignty of God. The first section is an explanation of justification (chapters 1-8), followed by a vindication of God's righteousness in dispensing justification freely to Jews and Gentiles (chapters 9-11), and ending with the implications of this doctrine for life and ministry (chapter 12-16).
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57 PAUL MAKES HIS FINAL VISIT TO JERUSALEM
Paul spent the final part of his third missionary journey in Corinth, ministering among the believers there. The Corinthian church wanted to send an offering to the suffering church in Jerusalem, and Paul was designated to deliver the gift. After being diverted through Asia Minor, Paul finally arrived in Jerusalem, where he was warmly greeted by the church leaders. However, soon after Paul's arrival, a group of Jews from Asia falsely accused him of desecrating the Temple. Although the Romans rescued him from the Jewish mob, Paul was arrested and held by the Romans. After Paul received a series of threats from the Jewish leaders, the Lord appeared to him with the encouragement that he would preach in Rome. From Jerusalem, Paul was transferred to Caesarea to avoid further Jewish hostility and eventually on to Rome for an appeal to Caesar (Acts 21:1-23:35).
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FROM PERSECUTOR TO PERSECUTED
June 2, AD 57
God changes lives in unexpected ways!
A group of Jews in Jerusalem in AD 35 made false accusations against a deacon named Stephen. They successfully stirred up the people into an angry mob that dragged Stephen to appear before the Jewish governing council, the Sanhedrin. There, a young Pharisee by the name of Saul witnessed both the false accusations and Stephen's defense of his faith in Jesus the Messiah. Later, when the Jewish mob dragged Stephen out of the city to stone him, they threw their coats at Saul's feet for safekeeping as they picked up stones to throw at Stephen (Acts 6:8-8:1). Saul not only supported Stephen's murder but later became the chief persecutor of Christians.
Twenty-two years later, on June 2, AD 57, the tables were turned, and Saul was in Stephen's shoes. Saul, by then known as Paul, was the one with false accusations brought against him in Jerusalem by a group of Jews from the Roman province of Asia. Finding Paul in the Temple, they shouted, "Men of Israel! Help! This is the man who teaches against our people and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and he even defiles it by bringing Gentiles in!" (Acts 21:27-28). This time it was Paul who was attacked by a Jewish mob, and Paul was the one giving his defense (Acts 21:30-22:21).
Paul began his defense with the same words Stephen had used,
"Brothers and esteemed fathers, listen to me." (Acts 22:1; cf. 7:2). Paul explained, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia.....I persecuted the followers of the Way.... The high priest and the whole council of leaders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the Christians from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.
"As I was on the road, nearing Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
'"Who are you, sir?' I asked. And he replied, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.'...
"I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that you are to do.'" (Acts 22:3-10)
Just as Stephen's defense had caused a riot, so did the words of Paul. "The crowd ... shouted, 'Away with such a fellow ! Kill him!'" (Acts 22:22). Just as the men of Jerusalem had thrown off their coats at Paul's feet before stoning Stephen, now they "threw off their coats" in rage against Paul (Acts 22:23). Fortunately for Paul, the Roman soldiers saved him that day from being killed by the angry mob (Acts 22:24-30).
Paul's encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ changed him from Saul the persecutor into Paul the persecuted.
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58 MARK WRITES HIS GOSPEL Likely the first of the four Gospels to be written, the Gospel of Mark portrays the life and ministry of Jesus as the perfect servant. Roman Christians probably were the original audience of the book, and tradition suggests that it was written in Rome. Mark, the author, is mentioned in the book of Acts as Paul and Barnabas' companion and later as a beneficial partner to Paul's ministry. Evidence suggests that Mark relied heavily on Peter's testimony in the composition of his gospel. The first section of Mark records many works of Jesus, portraying him as the perfect servant (1:1-8:30). The next section presents teachings of Jesus as the servant (8:31-10:52). The final section of the book deals with the sufferings of the servant and his subsequent resurrection and exaltation (chapters 11-16).
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