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Back to the book of Acts, we're 
in Acts chapter 15. Acts 15, I'll begin reading in verse 36, 
and then I'll read to chapter 16, verse five, and that'll be 
the section that we cover this morning. So beginning in Acts 
chapter 15 at verse 36. Then after some days, Paul said 
to Barnabas, let us now go back and visit our brethren in every 
city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how 
they are doing. Now Barnabas was determined to take with them 
John called Mark, but Paul insisted that they should not take with 
them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia and had 
not gone with them to the work. Then the contention became so 
sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took 
Mark and sailed to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, 
being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. And he went 
through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Then he came to 
Derbe and Lystra, and behold, a certain disciple was there, 
named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but 
his father was Greek. He was well spoken of by the 
brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have 
him go on with him, and he took him and circumcised him because 
of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that 
his father was Greek. And as they went through the 
cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were 
determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. So the churches 
were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
thank you for the written word of the living and true God. Thank 
you that it's given by inspiration of God and that it's profitable 
to us. And even now, Lord, would you 
bless and strengthen and encourage our hearts We pray for our brothers 
and sisters in Surrey that you'd watch over them. Bless Pastor 
Mike as he proclaims the truth there. Be with the saints in 
burden, and we pray that in your kindness you would provide for 
them a man to labor in the word and doctrine. And for our time, 
our meeting here, forgive us for our sins and unrighteousness. 
Cleanse us in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus, and fill each 
one of us with your Holy Spirit. And we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Well, we have come to the beginning 
of the second missionary journey. We've already concluded chapters 
13 and 14, which dealt with the first missionary journey. The 
second one is recorded here. It begins in Acts 15 at verse 
36 and continues to Acts chapter 18 at verse 22. It took place 
in AD 49 to 52. And the second journey includes 
Derbe, Lystra, Phrygia, and Galatia, sites visited on the first journey. In addition, God leads Paul to 
Macedonia, starting from Troas. He goes to Philippi, Thessalonica, 
Berea, Athens, and finally Corinth before returning to Antioch. So it was another comprehensive 
missionary enterprise where the apostle took companions and preached 
the gospel to make disciples and then to plant local churches. 
That was the emphasis in the apostolic ministry. It was to 
found churches. Churches are absolutely crucial 
in God's redemptive plan. The church is the apple of his 
eye. The church is that body that Jesus died for. He shed 
his blood for. Brethren who confess faith in 
Jesus Christ ought to have a great appreciation for the church of 
Jesus Christ. That's what we find here in the 
book of Acts. Well, I want to look at the end 
of chapter 15 under the consideration, the division between Paul and 
Barnabas, and then secondly, the ministry in southern Galatia 
in chapter 16, verses 1 to 5. But look at, first of all, the 
proposal made by Paul in verse 36. Let us now go back and visit 
our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of 
the Lord and see how they are doing. That's excellent. It's 
not only the case that the word is crucial in the founding of 
the church, but the word is crucial in the stabilizing of the church, 
the security of the church, the advance of the church, the perseverance 
of the church. The word is crucial, and Paul 
understood that, so he wants to go back to those cities where 
they planted churches so that they could indeed encourage them 
that way. Matthew Poole says, it is not 
enough that they had sown good seed, but they must take care 
lest it be plucked up and tares sown in the stead of it by the 
wicked one. A husbandman's work is never 
at an end, neither is the laborer in God's vineyard. And that's 
precisely the mindset of the apostle. Let's go back, let's 
strengthen the brethren, and along the way, let's preach to 
more people Let's make more believers, not that they have the ability 
to make them, but the instrumentality of preaching the word God makes 
them, and then plant more churches. That is precisely what Paul does 
on this second missionary journey, he'll do it on the third missionary 
journey, and he does it when he's released from his first 
Roman imprisonment. Now that brings us to this unfortunate, 
but nevertheless God-blessed, division. Now, it probably bothers 
some of us when we see good and godly men behave like this, but 
it really shouldn't. God made man upright, man sought 
out many devices, and in redemption, man still has remaining corruption. 
But I'm not necessarily prepared to say that either one of these 
men were actually in sin. Let's look at what the passage 
says and let's unfold the particular details. In the first place, 
notice the desire of Barnabas. Verse 37 says, Barnabas was determined 
to take with them John called Mark. Go back to chapter 12 so 
that we can meet this man called John Mark. In Acts chapter 12, 
at verse 12, we see him introduced. So, when he had considered this, 
he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname 
was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. Luke describes 
her that way because she would be better known by her better 
known son. This John Mark is the one that 
we see here in chapter 13. I'm sorry, in chapter 15. John 
Mark, according to Colossians, was the cousin of Barnabas. So Barnabas wants John Mark to 
accompany them on this second missionary journey. This John 
Mark, incidentally, is the Mark who wrote the gospel according 
to Mark. He was a close companion of Simon 
Peter, and it was probably the case that as Peter preached in 
Rome, Mark took notes, and that's what became the gospel according 
to Mark. So Mark is a significant player 
in redemptive history, but at this particular juncture, we 
see Barnabas's desire is that John Mark go with them on this 
second journey. But then notice the response 
by Paul. He resists this. Verse 38 says, 
Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who 
had departed from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to 
the work. Go back to chapter 13 to see that. When they launched 
out on that first missionary journey, it wasn't just Paul 
and Barnabas, but John Mark was in fact with them. He would be 
an assistant of sort. That's why in chapter 16, Paul 
wants Timothy to go. There's now a vacancy, and Paul 
has a team comprised in order to go on this missionary enterprise. 
He doesn't go out solo. He doesn't go out alone. Rather, 
he goes with a couple of men so that they can extend the kingdom 
in a way that is responsible, God-glorifying, and ultimately 
good for churches and for themselves. But notice in 1313, now when 
Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in 
Pamphylia, and John, this is John Mark, departing from them, 
returned to Jerusalem. So we go back to Acts chapter 
15, and we see Paul's insistence that they should not take this 
one. He deserted them in Pamphylia. John Gill says it this way, Paul 
on the other hand opposing his going with them as a very unworthy 
person because he had behaved so cowardly and had shown such 
a coldness and indifference to the work of the ministry and 
had so shamefully left them. Initially, I wasn't sure I was 
on board with John Gill when he says that, but Paul responded 
for a reason. Paul reacted or insisted that 
John Mark not go with them for a specific reason. It wasn't 
that John Mark got hurt and could no longer continue. It wasn't 
that John Mark got a text that his mother was in the hospital 
so he could no longer continue. We don't need know the specific 
reasons why, but as far as the apostle was concerned, John Mark 
departed from them, deserted them, had left them at a crucial 
hour. And as far as Paul was concerned, 
that's not the kind of guy you want on a missionary journey. 
You want people that are trustworthy. You want people that have stick-to-itiveness. You want people that are consistent. 
Now, probably what it's owing to was his youth at the time, 
because later on, Paul speaks favorably of John Mark. At the 
end of 2 Timothy, he wants Mark to be brought to him. As I said, 
this Mark goes on to write the gospel according to Mark. So 
it's not the case that Paul had anathematized him or had said 
he's not a believer, he's not a Christian, but as far as Paul 
is concerned, when we're traversing the Mediterranean, when we're 
encompassing sea and land to make converts, we don't want 
somebody that is here for a time and then departs. He's a bit 
of a flake, he's a bit flighty, and I don't want to take him 
with us. So I think what Gil says has merit and has value. Again, later, Paul speaks favorably 
about this John Mark. Now note the contention between 
the two men. Verse 39 says, then the contention 
became so sharp that they parted from one another. The particular 
word used means a state of irritation expressed in argument or sharp 
disagreement. You see a form of the word used 
in chapter 17 at verse 16. It says, now while Paul waited 
for them at Athens, His spirit was provoked. There's this provocation 
that obtained between not just Paul, but Paul and Barnabas when 
they had this contention over the participation of John Mark. Good men differ. Good men disagree. Good men disagree in such a way 
that they split from one another. one another. That is what the 
text tells us. So as we look at the particular 
passage, we ought to appreciate that. Again, not favorably, go 
out and look for disagreement among good men, but we ought 
to appreciate the reality. Sometimes alpha dogs clash. Sometimes there are tensions 
between leaders and sometimes it's the better part of wisdom 
and prudence, perhaps for them to split and to go their separate 
ways. Now under the blessing of God, 
a sovereign God, a God who does take crooked things and make 
straight things from them, he did bless it because now he not 
only has one team of missionaries going out, but he has two teams 
of missionaries going out. So the division itself and the 
contention itself, while sharp and while disagreeable to us, 
because we want everybody to live in love and harmony all 
the time. Nevertheless, God overruled that 
and he sends out two teams to go out and preach the gospel 
of Jesus Christ our Lord. In fact, Gil goes on to say that. 
Thus, as soon almost as peace was made in the church, Acts 
15, we have the Jerusalem Council, we have the decrees issued, we 
have great agreement among them, so as soon as there is peace 
made in the church, a difference arises among the ministers of 
the word. There's never going to be a situation 
where there's no trouble. There's never going to be a situation 
where there's perfect harmony. There's never going to be a situation 
where there's always peace. We live in a sin-cursed world. As redeemed, blood-bought children 
of God, we have remaining corruption. The hymn writer didn't pen, prone 
to wander, prone to leave the God I love based on some theoretical 
view that maybe somewhere some believer does that. All believers 
do that. We butt heads, we bounce into 
each other, and at times we have contention, sharpness to the 
point where we separate and divide. Not in terms of, I've cut you 
off and you're no longer a believer. Just as Paul speaks favorably 
of John Mark, later in his writings he speaks favorably of Barnabas 
as well. And I think there is a great 
lesson here for us. Good men can differ. Good men 
can disagree. Good men can even divide and 
can still maintain brotherhood. It doesn't have to be the case 
that we fall apart into complete shambles if two of our leaders 
have a difference of opinion on something. We ought to expect 
such things when it comes to the church of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. So Gill says, Thus as soon almost as peace was made 
in the church, a difference arises among the ministers of the word, 
who are men of like passions with others. And though it is 
not easy to say which was to blame most in this contention, 
perhaps there were faults on both sides. For the best of men 
are not without their failings. Now listen to what he says, yet 
this affair was overruled by the providence of God for the 
spread of his gospel and the enlargement of his interest. 
For when these two great and good men parted from one another, 
they went to different places preaching the word of God. Again, 
we wouldn't have designed it that way, but the Lord takes 
it and he does good with it. We learn that Barnabas and Mark 
set off to Cyprus. According to Acts 4.36, that's 
where Barnabas was from. So they go to the island of Cyprus, 
back to Barnabas' hometown, to preach the gospel and to engage 
in ministry. Paul takes Silas, this prophet, 
from Jerusalem. That's a good get in terms of 
a missionary team. When they deliver the decrees 
from the Jerusalem council, he can have this prophet, Silas, 
do that particular activity. It's a blessed and wonderful 
benefit for both groups of people. Notice what the text says. Verse 
39 says, at the end, and so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus, 
but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren 
to the grace of God. Now, I should tell you that persons 
take that statement and conclude that Paul was right and Barnabas 
was wrong. I wouldn't go that far. I would 
say that Luke is charged with writing the history of the Apostle 
Paul. And so certainly Luke is going 
to tell us what the Apostle Paul, or the church did rather, with 
reference to commending the Apostle Paul. I doubt the church said 
to Barnabas and Mark, hey, you're going to fail. You lose or should. 
Just in the absence of a statement like that, we cannot make a conclusion 
that Paul was right and Barnabas was wrong. The fact is that Barnabas 
and Mark would have been prayed for and would have been blessed 
by churches knowing what they were out doing as well. They 
wouldn't have said, well, don't pray for Cyprus, don't pray for 
blessing upon. No, they would have been all 
for that. So be careful that you don't jump onto that and 
say, wow, Paul was right and Barnabas was wrong. Paul might 
have been right, Barnabas might have been wrong, but I don't 
think that that's the place where we find that. And then notice 
what happens with Paul and Silas. Verse 40, Paul chose Silas and 
departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of 
God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the 
churches. Now that's a beautiful statement, 
isn't it? It's sort of a statement, kind of a broader generic statement 
concerning what they did. So they go, they go through Syria, 
Cilicia, and they strengthen the churches. As I was thinking 
about this the other day, I was thinking about a particular meditation 
in Spurgeons, only at prayer meeting. I'm sure I've read it 
at our prayer meeting. I'm sure that you have heard 
this before. But Spurgeon takes this little phrase, fasten your 
grips. It was a bit of language from, 
I think, Samuel Rutherford. The idea is hold fast, right? 
Hold fast. Fasten your grips. Grab onto 
something and don't let go. Back in California, they've got 
an amusement park. And they call them white knuckler 
rides, the rides that are those sort of you go up this hill and 
then you're vertically going down. That's a white knuckle 
ride. because you hold on in such a way that your knuckles 
are white. Because if you dare let go, you fear you're going 
to fall to your death. It's a white-knuckler ride. So 
there are some things that Spurgeon suggests are white-knuckler truths 
for the people of God. I pray you fasten your grips. Now, I'm just going to give you 
the ads. The article is great. He says, I pray you to fasten 
your grips. First, do this with regard to the Lord Jesus Christ. Do this with regard to the Lord 
Jesus Christ. Have a white-knuckled grip upon 
our beloved Savior. Christ is the altogether lovely. Christ is the chief among 10,000. 
Christ is all in all. Christ is everything. Brethren, 
we are to fasten our grips upon our blessed Lord Jesus. He goes 
on to say in the next place, I pray you to fasten your grips 
on the doctrines of the gospel. If our movement in the book of 
Acts has taught us anything up to this point, it is simply this, 
that we fasten our grips on the doctrines of the gospel. We see 
how easy they are distorted. We see how easy they are twisted. We see how easy it can be for 
some to suggest that faith in Christ is good, but faith in 
Christ plus an act of obedience to the law is even better. Brethren, 
fasten your grips on the doctrines of the gospel. He says, thirdly, 
dear friends, for your own comfort, I pray you to fasten your grips 
on the promises of God. We are never to forget the promises 
of God. We are in, at least collectively, 
a time of crisis. We are not to respond in panic 
and fear. We're to respond in trust to 
God. We're to understand that He is 
divine. He is sovereign. He is over all 
things. Every jot and tittle of things 
on this earth is under the prerogative of God most high. We are to feed 
ourselves and fasten our grips on those promises of God. Next, 
he says, I pray you to fasten your grips also on the service 
which God has given you to do. That doesn't mean everybody's 
got the same service. It doesn't mean that everybody's 
a missionary or preacher or whatever. But whatever God's given you 
to do, by way of exhortation, by way of encouragement, by way 
of, you know, calling on a brother or sister, whatever it might 
be, fasten your grips on that area of service. And the bottom 
line is, is that we need to do that and persevere. See, a lot 
of people make this sort of show for a time and then fizzle out. 
We're not supposed to be of the fizzling out sort. We're supposed 
to persevere. He says, now here is a harder 
bit. I pray you to fasten your grips upon the cross. When he 
mentions this, he doesn't mean the gospel. He doesn't mean our 
salvation in terms of Christ and him crucified. He's referring 
to discipleship. When Jesus says that the one 
who comes after him must take up his cross daily and follow 
him. In other words, we need to embrace 
the reality that in this sin-sick world, there are afflictions, 
there are trials, there are hardships, there are difficulties for the 
people of God. Again, this seems to have been 
forgotten. The thought that there's never 
going to be any challenge to our comfortable, normal, ordinary 
lives, where did we imbibe that? Not from scripture, that may 
be Canadian, it may be American, but it's not biblical. In this 
world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have 
overcome the world, John 16, 33. The Apostle Paul says all 
who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. How does the decree from Jerusalem, 
the Jerusalem Council, describe Paul and Barnabas? They're men 
who risk their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Brethren, it's not the case that we'll have an affliction-free 
life as we live on this side of Emmanuel's land. There's always 
a cross, and Spurgeon's admonition is great. I pray you to fasten 
your grips upon the cross. And the last one, he says, I 
pray you to fasten your grips in a practical manner upon one 
another. That doesn't mean grab each other 
by the throat and give them a good shake. Doesn't mean to have that 
kind of a dissension or a contention with a brethren, you know, give 
them the old whammy. No, but love your brethren, care 
for your brethren, engage in the one another's with reference 
to your brethren. This is Spurgeon's point. So 
are these particular, particularly the things that Paul strengthened 
the churches with? Probably, very similarly, that's 
what we need in the Christian life is the admonition and the 
exhortation to remember these particulars, to remember, to 
fasten grips on Christ, on the doctrines of the gospel, on the 
promises of God, on the service that God has given us, on the 
cross or the afflictions that we face, and upon one another. Those are messages or admonitions 
fitting for any church context, whether in the 1st century, in 
the Roman Empire, or in the 21st century in Canada. Brethren, 
this is our desire to be strengthened by God's grace according to His 
Word. Now notice, secondly, the ministry 
in Southern Galatia. We want to look first at the 
addition of Timothy to this team, and then secondly, the circumcision 
of Timothy. If you were Luke writing, after 
writing Acts chapter 15 and that whole sort of rigmarole about 
circumcision, would you just put in there that Paul had Timothy 
circumcised? You might think otherwise. You 
might think, well, you know, circumcision is still a bit of 
a hot topic. I don't think I'm going to include 
that. You see, Luke wrote in such a way, as did Paul in the 
book of Galatians, where we can approach something, one thing, 
from one vantage point and from another vantage point. And circumcision 
is a great illustration of that. And so Luke uses this as a teaching 
opportunity. In the first place, notice where 
they're at. Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. Again, these are 
cities that they had already visited. They came to Derbe and 
Lystra, and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, 
the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father 
was great." Now, he resided in Lystra and most likely was a 
convert of the Apostle Paul. When Paul went through there 
the first time, he preached the gospel. It's likely then that 
Timothy was converted. He had a Jewish mother and a 
Greek father, as our text so specifically states. Now, in 
terms of that arrangement, he would have been considered a 
Jew. If he had a Jewish mother, that would have made him a Jew. 
That he wasn't circumcised would have meant that he was an apostate 
Jew. If you were a Jew and you weren't circumcised, then you 
were looked at as an apostate. So Paul is dealing with a hot 
topic, a hot potato in this particular instance, and the way that he 
navigates it is brilliant, and it illustrates much of biblical 
truth respecting the gospel and the law. He was taught the Old 
Testament from his youth. We see that in 2 Timothy, and 
we see that in 2 Timothy 1 and 2 Timothy 3. He's named by Paul 
in several of the greetings in Paul's epistles. Corinthians, 
Philippi, and Thessalonica. Why? Because he was with Paul 
when they founded those churches. So when Paul writes to those 
churches, he says, me and Timothy send you greetings. He later 
on spends some time in prison, according to the book of Hebrews, 
and is released from that imprisonment. Probably not because he stole 
money or he robbed a bank or he trafficked drugs or anything 
like that, but because he was a preacher of the gospel of our 
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, in terms of the reputation 
of Timothy, notice what our text says. It says that he was the 
son of a Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. He 
was well-spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. He was well-spoken. They said, 
this is a faithful man. This is a good man. This is a 
godly man. This is a man who understands 
the gospel. He understands Christ. He understands 
the the way of the church and all that sort of thing. So there's 
this good reputation that obtains. Verse 3 also tells us that Paul 
wanted to take him along. Remember, there's a vacancy now. 
There's an absence. He's got Silas, but he wants 
another man. He wants another assistant. He 
wants somebody along with them that will help them to further 
the kingdom of God through preaching and proclamation. Later on, the 
Apostle Paul will indicate that Timothy was a recipient of sovereign 
grace, he was a true son in the faith to Paul, and he was a fellow 
worker with Paul. Now, in terms of the circumcision, 
let's look at the text. Verse 3 says, Paul wanted to 
have him go on with them, and he took him and circumcised him 
because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all 
knew that his father was Greek. Again, if you were Luke and you 
just wrote about the Jerusalem Council, you might be inclined 
to leave out that detail. I don't want to bring circumcision 
back up again, because Paul was one of the contenders against 
circumcision, and now Paul is taking Timothy and having him 
circumcised so he can go into these Jewish regions. It sounds 
a bit confusing almost. On the one hand, he opposes circumcision. On the other hand, he doesn't 
oppose circumcision. How do we account for that? Well, 
I would suggest in the first place, the apostle shared the 
council's rejection of Judaizing. That was one of the main reasons 
that the council convened, was to consider the doctrine of Judaizing. In other words, believe in Christ, 
but also be circumcised and keep the ceremonies of Moses in order 
to be saved. It was an issue of faith plus 
works in order for salvation. So Paul sides with the council 
definitively by opposing and rejecting Judaizing. If you doubt 
that, just read the rest of the book of Acts and read Romans 
and Galatians. Paul opposed Judaizing. Secondly, 
the apostles shared the council's affirmation of justification 
by faith alone. Now, again, read what we're doing 
here in the book of Acts, but read anywhere else in Paul's 
letters, and you know that he was insistent on justification 
by faith alone. The apostle Paul regarded circumcision 
as a matter of indifference unless persons attached religious significance 
to it. Turn over to the book of Galatians 
for a moment. The book of Galatians indicates 
this, and I think there is a sense where God expects us to use our 
brains when we do Bible study. Now that may seem like a no-brainer 
statement, but the sorts of Bible studies that are generated out 
there makes one wonder where the brains are! Because Paul 
and Luke are not that inconsistent or foolish as to say on the one 
hand, yes to circumcision, and then on the other hand, no to 
circumcision. Could it possibly be that if 
circumcision is viewed as a religious right, Paul, Luke, the entirety 
of the Bible in terms of New Covenant theology says no to 
it? If you think that being circumcised 
commends you to God even a little tiny bit, You're wrong, that's 
faulty. But if it's something done without 
religious significance, if it's something that's cultural in 
nature, if the person being circumcised or circumcising another doesn't 
call it a sacrament and doesn't call it a binding necessity upon 
the people of God, but rather Jews have always gotten circumcised, 
that's part of their cultural sort of milieu, that's what they 
do, that's what they do, go ahead. There's two ways of coming at 
the question. And we have to utilize our brains 
to appreciate that in Paul's writing. Notice in Galatians 
chapter five at verse three, and I testify again to every 
man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole 
law. Now, what premise is missing? The premise that's missing, but 
assumed by Paul, is that if you get circumcised in order to find 
favor with God, then you are now obligated to keep the entirety 
of the law. That's obviously what he's speaking 
about there. It's in the context of his anti-Judaizing 
polemic. That's the point that he wants 
to get across to these Galatians. I testify again to you, to every 
man who becomes circumcised, that he is a debtor to keep the 
whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt 
to be justified by law. You have fallen from grace. I 
think I've explained to you. This isn't an Arminian proof 
text that people can lose their salvation. The fall from grace 
there means to reject the way of God's provision in the gospel. You have fallen from that when 
you have chosen circumcision and ceremonies as the pathway 
for acceptance with God. So Paul condemns the idea that 
circumcision as a religious obligation is binding and valuable and precious. No, he rejects that completely, 
along with the Jerusalem Council. But then notice what he says 
in verse 6. For in Christ Jesus, neither 
circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but faith working 
through love. Look at 6.15. For in Christ Jesus, 
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but a new creation. So we have to appreciate Paul's 
view of circumcision. If you are a person that thinks 
you need to be circumcised in order to be saved, Paul is going 
to say, stop it. That is wrong. Salvation is by 
grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Paul would say, 
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness 
comes to the law, even circumcision, then Christ died in vain. But 
if in this context, where Paul doesn't want to alienate a large 
part of his audience, he can have Timothy circumcised to sort 
of pave the way and provide that harmony, then Paul will do it. There's no inconsistency here 
whatsoever. The inconsistency is in the brainlessness 
of those who interpret passages and don't see that there's two 
ways of looking at something. And Paul is brilliant for doing 
this. So he takes Timothy, has him 
circumcised because he did not want to restrict his ability 
to move freely in Jewish circles. If he knew that it would cause 
offense that he was traveling with this man that was an uncircumcised 
Jew, then I'll have him circumcised so that I have audience with 
other Jews. This is a great illustration 
of what he says in 1 Corinthians 9. You can turn there. 1 Corinthians 
9. I know this passage has been 
abused in the last few years by some, but that doesn't mean 
we can't use the passage. Notice what it says in 919. For 
though I am a free of all men, I have made myself a servant 
to all that I might win the more. And to the Jews I became as a 
Jew that I might win Jews. Well, that would certainly include 
having Timothy circumcised so that when we go into the presence 
of the Jews, they're not hung up on Timothy being uncircumcised. 
You see, Paul didn't want to get into that debate with unbelieving 
Jews in terms of the contours of the Jerusalem Council. He 
wanted to preach Christ and Him crucified to Jews. And if those 
Jews were obsessing about uncircumcised Timothy, they weren't going to 
listen to the preaching of the apostle. So as far as the apostle 
is concerned, we'll circumcise Timothy so that the Jews won't 
obsess about that, and hopefully they'll obsess about Jesus Christ. He goes on to say, to the Jews 
I became as a Jew that I might win Jews, to those who are under 
the law as under the law that I might win those who are under 
the law, to those who are without law as without law, not being 
without law toward God but under law toward Christ, that I might 
win those who are without law, to the weak I became as weak 
that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all 
men that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for 
the gospel's sake that I may be partaker with you. So you 
see, it was in that spirit. It wasn't to upbraid or undo 
what the council at Jerusalem had just decreed in terms of 
the fourfold prohibition. Paul's not saying, well, Timothy, 
tough luck for you. You don't fall under that. We're 
going to have to circumcise. No, it was for harmony among 
those who would receive him. F.F. Bruce mentions that by Jewish 
law, Timothy was a Jew because he was the son of a Jewish mother. 
But because he was uncircumcised, he was technically an apostate 
Jew. If Paul wished to maintain his links with the synagogue, 
he could not be seen to countenance apostasy. Everybody gets that, 
right? Because for whatever reason, 
this seems to be a real tough doctrine for some people. They 
just go bananas and nuts and they don't understand. It really 
isn't that hard. On the one hand, circumcision 
will never commend you to God. On the other hand, if it's a 
cultural practice, if it makes, you know, reception by Jews more 
available, then circumcise Timothy. That's the posture of the apostle. 
John Calvin says the circumcising of Timothy was no sacrament as 
that which was given to Abraham and his posterity, but an indifferent 
ceremony which serves only for nourishing of love and not for 
any exercise of godliness. He didn't view circumcision as 
an exercise of godliness. He didn't see it as a religious 
right for Timothy, but it rather nourished love. It facilitated 
the apostles' ability to bring the gospel to these Jews so that 
they would not obsess about Timothy, they could receive the word of 
God. And I think John Stott sort of nails the whole scene. He 
says, it is really marvelous that so soon after Paul's hot 
indignation over the Judaizers in Antioch, remember? That's 
what drove him to the city of Jerusalem to deal with the issue 
concerning Judaizing. He says, and his vehement statements 
against circumcision in his letter to the Galatians, he should now 
be prepared to circumcise Timothy. Little minds would have condemned 
him for inconsistency, but there was a deep consistency in his 
thought and action. Brethren, I think Paul had that 
deep consistency in his thought and action and was able to perceive 
things in a manner that others weren't. He had that gift, he 
had that skill set, he had that ability by the grace of God, 
and God utilized that man to extend the kingdom. We not only 
need faithful preachers, a bit of brains in terms of common 
sense, and that sort of thing goes a long way as well. He says, 
once the principle had been established that circumcision was not necessary 
for salvation, he was ready to make concessions in policy. See, 
that's settled by the council. You don't need to be circumcised 
in order to be a believer. So I would suggest that 16.3 
is tactical, it's strategic, it is glorious in the sense of, 
hey, we have decided this, but in terms of the practical outworkings 
of circumcision among an ethnic people group, well, this is how 
we tailor the situation to that. He goes on to say, and I think 
this is gold, what was unnecessary for acceptance with God, vis-a-vis 
circumcision, listen to his statement. What was unnecessary for acceptance 
with God was advisable for acceptance by some human beings. Do you 
get that? So what is unacceptable in terms 
of God, He doesn't want the circumcision. It is good for acceptance by 
some people, namely Jews in a particular region who know that Timothy 
has a great father and know that Timothy is not circumcised. They're 
going to be in an uproar about that and Paul will never be able 
to preach the gospel. So it is a strategic placement 
concerning this circumcision on the heels of the Jerusalem 
Council to show that these brothers were consistent. It is not a 
mark of inconsistency, but consistency for the apostle to forbid circumcision 
on religious grounds, but to authorize it upon these grounds 
of love, facilitation, harmony, being able to get the gospel 
out, There is brilliance and wisdom in the mind of God, and 
it's revealed there in the apostles. And then notice the ministry 
in the churches in verses 4 and 5. It says, And as they went 
through the cities, they delivered to them the degrees to keep, 
which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. 
Silas, a prophet from Jerusalem. He's a good man to have with 
you on this missionary enterprise. So is Timothy, who is well spoken 
of, who is a genuine believer, a son of Paul in the sense of, 
excuse me, spiritual, not a true son in terms of flesh and blood, 
but true son in terms of conversion. So Paul assembles his team. They 
go through these cities and they deliver the decrees, the council 
at Jerusalem. There are some that suggest that Paul didn't 
accept the council's decrees. That's just not a good reading 
of the passage. Some say, well, in Galatians 
and Romans, he didn't invoke the Jerusalem Council. He didn't 
need to. There's already a Jerusalem Council. 
The decrees had already been published. So Paul speaks to 
specific issues touching on or relative to those things. Romans 
14, 1 Corinthians 8 to 10, issues concerning Christian liberty. 
It's the same sort of wisdom that we find in the decrees played 
out in the life and ministry of the apostle Paul. He was most 
consistent. So this stuff was delivered by 
the apostles, by Paul and his team to these churches. And then 
notice the last statement, again, a general statement, a summary 
statement, a progress report. So the churches were strengthened 
in the faith and increased in number daily. They were strengthened 
in the faith and they increased in number daily. It's almost 
like, how could it not have happened? How could they not have been 
strengthened? How could they not have been 
increased in number daily? Not because it was Paul necessarily, 
but because it was the Word of God. See, brethren, church growth 
isn't about manipulation. Church growth isn't about formula. Church growth isn't about technique. Church growth is about faithfulness. Preach the word. Be ready in 
season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with 
all longsuffering and teaching. Brethren, over the last several 
years there's been this press to grow our churches using the 
latest fads and shows or whatever. We don't need to do that. Why 
complicate an easy thing? God says preach the word, God 
says pray, God says meet, have simple worship, and God will 
then bless and extend his kingdom as he sees fit. He doesn't need 
us to manipulate people. He doesn't need us to be formulaic. 
He doesn't need CEOs in his church that lead the troops in rah-rah 
sessions. That's not what God has called 
the church to. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4, 
moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found, what? Faithful. Not fantastic, not sensational, 
not the most useful man that's ever lived, but faithful. There is such pressure upon young 
ministers outside of the Reformed Baptist world to perform. I remember a brother saying, 
you know, I was counseled early on. If your church doesn't have 
100 people after six months, it's, you know, it's a failure. 
Close the doors. Wow, that's rough. That's some 
brutal counsel. That's a humanistic approach, 
isn't it? Now, should we always extend 
a group of people? If I'm preaching to Rebecca, 
maybe, you know, 15, 30 years later, yeah, maybe it's time 
to pull the plug. But for the most part, We can't apply metrics 
from Wall Street and impose them on the church. It's a horrific 
thing we've witnessed over the last several years, where the 
church has become another business. And lo and behold, in this particular 
crisis, it's been deemed a non-essential business. It's a wretched and 
horrific commentary on the state of the church today. It is preach 
the word. Be ready in season and out of 
season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with 
all longsuffering and teaching. Moreover, it is required of stewards 
that they be found faithful. That's it. Not Successful? Not everybody's favorite guy? 
No, not that! It's faithfulness that the Lord 
calls us to. In this particular context, the 
concern for the churches on the part of the Council and the Apostle 
was evident, right? The Council convenes, the Apostle 
goes. The decree prepared by the Council 
and delivered by the Apostle shows that concern for the churches. The continual emphasis on sound 
doctrine by the Council and the Apostle. That's another thing. 
That Jerusalem decree, that is brilliant. Again, wise. They 
shut down the claims of the Judaizers. They prepare this list of rules, 
if you will, so we can harmonize between Jews and Gentiles. But 
the maintenance of justification by faith alone on the part of 
the council and the apostle are evident. And then the continual 
emphasis on preaching and teaching in the churches. Verse five in 
chapter 16 is a no-brainer. Verse five in chapter 16 does 
necessarily follow when those ingredients are in play. Again, 
it's not a formula and it's not quite like that in terms of baking 
a cake, but when churches do what churches are supposed to 
do, that seems to be when God blesses them. I know it's weird, 
but that seems to be the time when God blesses them. Now, there's 
churches that don't do the things they're supposed to do, and God 
still blesses, because God's just very kind, very merciful, 
very gracious, very good, very generous, very benevolent. But 
brethren, our tact is to be faithful as stewards of God and do what 
He has called us to do. That is the context in which 
we find the summary statement. So the churches were strengthened 
in the faith and increased in number daily. Look back to chapter 
2, just to get this theme in your head and heart. Acts chapter 
2. I think this comes up among people 
at times. It certainly comes up among pastors. What can we do to grow our church? I mean, the opposite I hope never 
comes up. What can we do to kill our church? 
That's horrible, isn't it? But what can we do to grow our 
church? If it's faithfulness, preach the word, prayer, good 
answer. But if it's puppets, puppies, 
puppets, ponies, and programs back in the 80s and 90s and whatever, 
they're doing nowadays. If that's what we need to do, 
that's the wrong answer. Look at the connection between 
preaching, teaching, and church growth. Acts chapter 2, beginning 
in verse 40. And with many other words, he 
testified and exhorted them, saying, Be safe from this perverse 
generation. then those who gladly received 
his word were baptized. And that day about 3,000 souls 
were added to them, and they continued steadfastly in the 
apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and 
in prayers." Notice in chapter 2 at verse 47, praising God and 
having favor with all the people, and the Lord added to the church 
daily those who were being saved. It's not the formula. We just 
do these things, so therefore we expect it. But when we do 
those things, God does come and bless. And that is precisely 
the emphasis here in the book of Acts. Look at chapter 4, verse 
4. However, many of those who heard 
the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about 5,000. 
There's rapid growth, there's rapid movement, there's increase 
happening daily among the churches. Notice in 6-7, after the appointment 
of deacons, after getting the church in order in terms of proper 
structure and stability, then the word of God spread, verse 
7 tells us, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly 
in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient 
to the faith. Notice chapter 9 and verse 31. 
I've often wondered, I've not read them, to be honest with 
you, here's my confession, I have never read a book on church growth, 
I don't ever plan to read a book on church growth, unless it's 
Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 4, moreover it is required of 
stewards that they be found faithful. But brethren, is this the sort 
of classic passage for the church growth movement? I don't think 
so. Look at verse 31. Then the churches throughout all Judea, 
Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking 
in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, 
they were multiplied. Today the concept of the fear 
of the Lord is missing. Today the concept of the fear 
of the Lord has been vanquished. We want to be happy in the Lord. 
We want to be nice and peppy in the Lord. There's a proper 
fear of God and this comfort of the Holy Spirit that when 
the people of God were saturated with both, then they were multiplying. See, in other words, the church 
needs to be doing what the church is called to do, and it's in 
that context that God blesses and God prospers. Notice in Acts 
12, verse 24. This is after the death of Herod, 
Agrippa I. You have Herod put Peter in prison, 
you have Herod cut the head off of James, and now you have Herod 
eaten by worms and dead, and the Word of God going forth. 
Notice in verse 24, but the Word of God grew and multiplied. John 
Stoddigan said, this chapter, chapter 12, opens with James 
dead, Peter in prison, and Herod triumphing. It closes with Herod 
dead, Peter free, and the word of God triumphing. Such is the 
power of God to overthrow hostile human plans and to establish 
his own in their place. Tyrants may be permitted for 
a time to boast and bluster, oppressing the church and hindering 
the gospel, but they will not last. In the end, their empire 
will be broken and their pride abased. Amen, brethren, that 
is good news. I think Stott gets chapter 12 
right. But the point is, all along the 
way, Luke conspicuously places these progress reports so that 
we'll see God's means, dare I say it, work. He didn't need people 
in the 20th and 21st century to say, you know, if we treat 
the church like a business, if we exploit these particular metrics, 
and we apply this particular grid, and we move in these particular 
programs, and we move ourselves, or we leverage ourselves from 
pastors who preach to CEOs who manage, well, then we'll see 
church grow. God didn't need that. God blesses 
the simple preaching of His gospel to the salvation of sinners and 
the establishment of His church. That is the blessed reality that 
we find ourselves in, and our task is to take Paul's word, 
1 Corinthians 4, and make it our own. Moreover, it is required 
of stewards that they be found faithful. Well, in conclusion, 
we see in the first place the concern for the churches. The 
concern for the churches. It's one of the good things about 
the Book of Acts. I mean, it's always a hard way 
to start a sentence, right? It's one of the good things. 
There's many, many, many wonderful things about the Book of Acts. 
But one of the most excellent is that it's, not most excellent, 
the most excellent is that Christ is at the right hand of the Father. 
The Book of Acts is the Acts of the risen Lord Jesus. That's 
the most excellent. But it's also most excellent 
that there's such a pro-church approach. About the church, I 
just mentioned a few moments ago that the church has been 
relegated to non-essential status. Brethren, these things ought 
not to be. The church is most essential. Even on death row, 
a man about to be executed doesn't get to see his mother, doesn't 
get to see his father, doesn't get to see his wife, doesn't 
get to see his, it's your husband, gets to see the chaplain. Why 
is that? Because there's something that 
exceeds the physical. And everybody forever has always 
recognized that up until this current crisis. Well, that's 
an unfortunate thing. And as God's people, we ought 
to pray for a return to not everything in the book of Acts, but to that 
pro-church mentality, that reality that the church of Christ is 
that which he shed his precious blood for. In fact, that's how 
Paul puts it in Acts 20, in a wonderful use of the communication of idioms. 
Notice in Acts 20, 28, the communication of idioms simply means that with 
the person of Christ, whatever is true of one of his natures, 
we can say is true of the person. And that's what Paul does here 
in Acts 20. Notice in verse 28, Therefore take heed to yourselves 
and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you 
overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with 
his own blood. The use of the communication 
of idioms. God doesn't have blood. but Christ has a divine nature. So whatever is true of the divine 
nature, we can predicate or say concerning the person. That's 
what Paul does here, but he underscores the great dignity of the church. It's the church that Christ shed 
his blood for. Yes, individuals make up the 
church, and yes, families make up the church, but the church 
is that institution of God that goes into the eschaton. What 
does Jesus teach with reference to marriage? When we get to heaven, 
we'll be like the angels. We'll not be marrying nor given 
in marriage. That tells us there's a dissolution 
in terms of marriage and procreation in the eschaton. There'll be 
no civil state in the eschaton, for which some of us say a hearty 
amen. But you know what continues into 
the eschaton? The church. The church of the 
Lord Jesus Christ, brethren, is the most essential in society. God loves the gates of Zion more 
than the dwelling places of Jacob. Now, brainless people say, does 
he hate the families of Jacob? No! Just because he loves one 
more doesn't mean that he loves the other or he hates the other 
one. The church is the apple of God's eye. Second, in terms 
of a practical observation on our passage, the division between 
good men. The incident between Paul and 
Barnabas illustrated what they said in Lystra. Remember they 
said, we are men of like passions. Don't worship us. Don't bow to 
us. Don't sacrifice to us. The incident 
between Paul and Barnabas illustrated that good men may differ and 
even go their separate ways. Again, we like harmony. We like 
unity. We like peace and all of those 
sorts of things. But if two brothers are at loggerheads 
and they cannot function properly in a manner that is consistent 
with good order and structure and discipline, then it might 
be the better part of wisdom to part ways. But it also shows 
us that good men can differ. They can contend with one another 
sharply in terms of a verbal disagreement. They can even divide 
and go their separate ways and still remain friends. I don't 
think we've mastered that lesson today. I think we get offended 
and that's it. They're dead to us. It's over. Where's the spirit of forgiveness? 
Where's the spirit of charity? Where's the spirit of love? I 
disagree with you on some particular subjects, but we're still brethren 
in Christ. Why do we have to divide from 
everybody to the point where it is just one couple sitting 
in their living room? I realize that's actually what's 
happening today, not by our choice, but you get the point. There 
has to be a sense where the people of God are big enough, men and 
women, maturity-wise, to be able to disagree, to be able to differ, 
and in some sense even divide, without anathematizing one another. If it's over doctrine, if it 
is a compromise in terms of justification by faith alone, that's a different 
animal, that's a different situation. But two men disagreeing on a 
missionary strategy, that's not a salvation issue. Paul doesn't 
say, Barnabas, I'm gonna pray to the Lord that God saves you. 
Barnabas doesn't say, Paul, I'm gonna pray to the Lord that God 
saves you. They're big enough boys to pull up their pants, 
to go their separate ways and still speak favorably of one 
another in the rest of their lives. That is a good gift that 
for some reason seems to be lacking today, not only in the church, 
but in the world. I suspect the church has been 
affected by the world in that particular way. And we talk about 
worldliness. And you know, you got the sins, 
right? Don't drink, don't chew, don't smoke, don't run with girls 
who do, the fundamentalist creed. Worldliness is thinking like 
them when it comes to issues like this. Just because two men 
differ on something doesn't mean their friendship has to end. 
Brethren, in your Christian life, you're gonna disagree with people. 
Do you cut them off? That's it? I'll never have truck 
with them again? Again, if they go to Jehovah's 
Witness or they become a Mormon, you give them a harsh warning, 
you tell them that that's faulty, that's wrong, it's a denial of 
the gospel, it's a denial of truth. But sometimes reformed 
Christians might see things a little bit differently and, oh, wow, 
I just can't have anything to do with that whatsoever. Well, 
that's not the mind of the apostle Paul. That's not the mind of 
the man Barnabas. They still treated each other 
with respect and with love. And I'd like to think that we 
can do that as well. And then finally, with reference to the 
end game, why does Paul do what Paul does? because Paul wants 
people saved. I already read that in 1 Corinthians 
9. To the Jews, he became like a Jew. To those without the law, 
he became like one without the law. To those who were weak, 
he became as weak. To those who were strong, he 
became as strong. Why? That I might win some. Again, 
Paul understood sovereign grace. He knew he didn't have the wherewithal 
to be able to save somebody, but he saw himself as an instrument 
in the master's hands to communicate that truth, to call sinners out 
of darkness into marvelous light, and Paul would do everything 
lawful to achieve that end. Why? Because the gospel is worth 
it. Why? Because Christ is worth 
it. What motivated and moved this 
man was to preach repentance toward God and faith in our Lord 
Jesus Christ. And may God most high raise up 
from among us men that will do that and will never tire and 
will never stop. This is the great need today. Well, you know, in terms of this 
virus and in terms of the larger sort of ecclesiastical thing, 
people always want, okay, what do we need to fix with reference 
to the church in order for God to bless? There's not a formula 
again. But the pathway most certainly 
is obedience. Obedience to what God's written 
word says. Obedience to the simplicity involved 
in corporate worship. It shouldn't be an entertainment 
event. It shouldn't be something that, 
you know, we just kind of watch or view. I remember one time 
a Reformed Baptist pastor was asked a question. Somebody said, 
where is the choir loft in your church? And he says, right there. 
Right there he points to the pews. Who's the choir in the 
church of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we need a bunch of good singers 
up here? No, we got a bunch of good singers 
out here. It is participatory. We are involved, there is word, 
there is sacrament, there is God's blessing. Again, it's not 
formulaic, but we can rest content in the reality that when we do 
what God calls us to do and give him space to do what he's able 
to do, that is the best arrangement versus us trying to domesticate 
God, trying to put God in a box, and trying to use the world's 
means to achieve success in the church. No, God knows better. It is through the foolishness 
of the message preached that He saves sinners. So if you are 
not saved, that's what you need, the faith or faith in our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Salvation is by grace alone, 
through faith alone, in Christ alone. Well, let us pray. Father, 
we thank you for your Word, and we thank you for the simplicity 
of worship and missionary enterprise in this first century context. 
I pray, God, that something of this would be recovered in our 
own day, in our own generation, that instead of trying to manipulate 
the church or to use technique or formula, we just seek to be 
faithful and obey what's written in the Word of God. I thank you 
for my brothers and sisters in this local church. I prize them, 
I value them, I love them, and I'm so thankful that it brought 
us together. And I pray that your blessing would be upon this 
church. I pray that you'd raise men up to preach and proclaim 
and to function as elders, so that we may be established and 
that we may be stable here. And again, Father, we pray for 
a return to church of all the churches of Christ, so that the 
gospel may continue to go forth. And even in this time, if it 
is live-streamed or it goes out through the internet, I pray 
that you'd open hearts on the receiver's end so that they might 
hear the truth as it is in Jesus. And by grace, believe that truth 
and be saved. And we ask this in Christ's holy 
name. Amen.