Be Disciples Podcast
Acts: Ministry Partnership
Join us in episode 115 of the Be Disciples podcast as we journey through Acts chapter 18. Dive into Paul’s experiences in Corinth, focusing on the divine vision that emboldened him to speak without fear. Discover the intricate balance between boldness and discernment in Paul's ministry. Paul's strategic partnership with Priscilla and Aquila is a key highlight, emphasizing his approach to empowering others in ministry. We touch on the significant role of women in ministry and how Priscilla's teaching prominence challenges traditional norms.
In our final segments, we celebrate the inspiring example of Priscilla and Aquila's marriage and ministry. Drawing parallels to other influential women in the Bible like Ruth, we underscore the significant role women have played in spiritual growth and discipleship. We also tackle the relevance of the Old Testament for today's Christians, making a compelling argument against "unhitching" from these scriptures. Don't miss our personal anecdotes and thoughtful reflections on the enduring importance of the Old Testament in understanding the New Testament and the life of early believers.
Join us in episode 115 of the Be Disciples podcast as we journey through Acts chapter 18. Dive into Paul’s experiences in Corinth, focusing on the divine vision that emboldened him to speak without fear. Discover the intricate balance between boldness and discernment in Paul's ministry. Paul's strategic partnership with Priscilla and Aquila is a key highlight, emphasizing his approach to empowering others in ministry. We touch on the significant role of women in ministry and how Priscilla's teaching prominence challenges traditional norms.
In our final segments, we celebrate the inspiring example of Priscilla and Aquila's marriage and ministry. Drawing parallels to other influential women in the Bible like Ruth, we underscore the significant role women have played in spiritual growth and discipleship. We also tackle the relevance of the Old Testament for today's Christians, making a compelling argument against "unhitching" from these scriptures. Don't miss our personal anecdotes and thoughtful reflections on the enduring importance of the Old Testament in understanding the New Testament and the life of early believers.
Welcome to the Be Disciples podcast with your hosts Kyle Morris, dakota Smith, david Glavin and Chance Holleran. This is episode number 115, and we are studying the book of Acts and we'll be in chapter 18 today. Good morning guys. How's everybody doing Doing really good, good, solid, solid 18 today. Good morning guys. How's everybody doing Doing really good, good, solid, solid. I like that response Solid Firm In Christ.
Speaker 2:Right, it's a Monday morning, but I was thinking yesterday was a great day at church, had a lot of fun, so there's a lot of interaction with God's people. And, yeah, sometimes Mondays are you have like that exhausting feeling. But it's a good exhaustion. It's like, yeah, that was worth the, that was worth all the preparation for, that was worth giving everything to the Lord and then waking up and saying, all right, let's, let's do it again this week. So Yep.
Speaker 1:I agree, yeah, and I think after the service, second service, especially people stayed and talked for a long time.
Speaker 1:They did and but the sermon you know took a break from Matthew and was in Isaiah 40. I think that just spurred on some some good conversation about God's grace and what he's doing and that he's in control, he's sovereign, he's great, and I think that reminded and encouraged people of who God is in the darkest times or in times where you just don't understand what God's doing. But he does, he knows what he's doing, so that was an encouraging sermon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was the three questions that we asked were does God desire to deliver? Can he deliver? Will he deliver? And that passage of Isaiah 40 is so classic. I just feel like the people's hearts and minds were redirected to the Lord more specifically, for where we're at as a congregation and it was fun to preach, it was an honor to be a part of those things and even after the first service some people stayed behind before they went over to breakfast and, like one thing that I have been watching in our church is a willingness to stay after and to talk, a willingness to continue on with conversations when people leave right away. You know you neglect relationships and I've just been noticing that people enjoy hanging around. That's a really good sign for our church.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and also, if you notice, if you're watching this on YouTube, we're in a different location.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we got these bookshelves behind us and we're actually in my office, my new office, and we all have moved downtown Ottawa.
Speaker 1:We're on main and fourth, above Crown Realty, and we all have our offices here, individual offices, whereas before we were sharing one, and so we've gotten more space. We're excited to have that to one, work together as a team, be in the same place a little more often, uh, but also we're across the street from the coffee shop corner market, uh, we can counsel people. It just gives us that, uh, more availability and space to do more ministry, including the podcast, Absolutely.
Speaker 3:Chance doesn't have an office but he was eyeballing a closet.
Speaker 2:We've got a closet and a foyer, yeah, office, but he was eyeballing a closet.
Speaker 1:We've got a closet and a foyer, yeah, just so you know, dakota and I started off in a little copy room, closet back to back, and uh, so now we've we've grown up a little bit and this is not an exaggeration.
Speaker 2:It was so small. Our chairs would bump into each other as we got up till they go to the bathroom or something. Yeah, yeah, it was tiny, humble beginning.
Speaker 1:Yeah, good job, yeah now, now I can sit in my office with nobody touching my chair. Yeah, yeah, good, all right, come touch your chair every now and then, just to do it, just to kick it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, remember this, yeah don't forget what you, where you came from some mufasa stuff stuff. Remember who you are. Where'd that come from? I don't know, good old.
Speaker 1:Lion King reference. Alright, so we're going to continue in the book of Acts, but let's pray, guys, and we're going to continue to follow Paul on his journey, as he's been in Corinth. So let's pray, father, just as we have conversation over your word. Lord, be with us, work through us, encourage us, grow us. Just allow us to continue to read your word and enjoy reading your word. Reading your word isn't a chore. It's something that allows us to get to know you more, the work that you've done, your character, everything about you, lord.
Speaker 1:So just, we pray that we would all fall in love with you more and more and that all those who are listening would do the same that reading the Bible, knowing more about who you are, would be just a constant pursuit. Because, lord, you first loved us and we just want to continue to fall more in love with you. And so, through your word, through discipleship, through fellowship with believers, lord, we continue to see you work. So we thank you, lord, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Speaker 2:Amen. Well, chapter 18, verses 1 through 11, is what we walked through in our last episode. Paul has left Athens, he's gone to Corinth. He's seen some conversions there. He waited for Silas and Timothy to show up so that he could move on from tent making to devoting himself completely to the Word of God. And then I think if there's anything that we should really remember, it's verses 9 and 10. The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city. Then verse 11 says he was there for 18 months teaching the word of God. And so that's like the setting by which we come into today's passage, which is likely verses 12, all the way to 22,. Maybe more, maybe less. So I'm going to read verses 12 through 22, and then we'll kind of break it up in different sections.
Speaker 2:Here it says but while Galileo was proconsul of Achaia, which is the region of Corinth, the Jews, with one accord, rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat. Now, keep in mind, paul has God's promise that he just gave to him in the previous verses. So the Jews rose up with one accord against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying this man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law. But when Paul was about to open his mouth, galio said to the Jews if it were a matter of wrong or a vicious crime to the synagogue and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But Galileo was not concerned about any of these things. Actually, I think that's a good place to land before we keep going. So here Paul is put on trial and we have a bit of conflict before us between Galio really the judge Paul and then the Jews who rise up against him. So let's break this down. What are the principles that we can derive or take out of this short passage?
Speaker 1:Well, first, why is he being brought before the pro-council? What's? What's the whole purpose? Uh well, the, the statement made here is this man is persuading people to worship god, contrary to the law. Well, we're talking about not the law as in, like roman law, we're talking about Jewish law, and so we see here that Galileo clearly does not care about Jewish law. I don't care about the names and the law and the prophets and whatever. That's your problem, that's your deal.
Speaker 1:He did nothing of a vicious crime. But what I find interesting in this whole section is the one who is usually talking is Paul. He doesn't talk. One time in this section we don't hear him say anything. No defense, no defense, and so I find that very interesting, as if, like he's, like nothing's going to happen to me, god told me. So I'm just going to sit here and see how this works out. It seems like he didn't, he didn't need to say anything and, um, I mean we even see Jesus in his trial being pretty quiet at times, not saying anything, um, and so there's this. There's this kind of just similarities, though some contrast, but similarities to Jesus being put on trial, paul here being put on trial by the Jews going to Roman leadership or government to try to get the Romans to take care of their dirty business.
Speaker 2:I do find it interesting and then Chance and David chime in on this but I do find it interesting that Jesus was willing to trust the Father on his worst day, no matter what happened to him, because he was confident the Father would raise him from the dead right. And so, whether or not Paul does go through something in this specific moment, he's promised nobody's going to harm you. But we see a previous promise from the Lord, especially right after Paul got saved, where you see a different sentiment, where you know God, or Jesus specifically said you know, go, he's a chosen instrument of mine, I will show him how much he must suffer for me. And so it's like, while Paul has the temporary peace of not going through anything, he's also got the ultimate understanding of what his ministry is going to look like. He too is going to go through great judgment. So you just see this as him trusting God with exactly with his current, present circumstance.
Speaker 3:God showing protection, both from the Jews and from the Romans. I mean not just. I mean he didn't, he used what did you say? Galio, galio? Yeah, used Galio and his indifference. But then also, they still wanted to beat somebody, but they still didn't beat Paul. They beat the other guy. Yeah, so God's protection was there, a beating was coming, but it wasn't coming to Paul, because God promised.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we see Galio really wanted nothing to do with this, like to the point where you guys can do what you want and they do, and he says Galio paid no attention to any of this like whatever you guys want to do, I don't care, as long as it doesn't get in my way of my business and make me look bad.
Speaker 1:Do what you want. So there was still a selfishness with galeo, but he definitely did not care what the jews did. Just don't. Don't involve me. This isn't something I'm to judge. I'm not part of your thing. Do it on your own.
Speaker 2:Well, it shows that he's been perhaps learning by experience, because any time God's people have been persecuted here, what happens? It continues to grow and to spread. And so perhaps maybe he's looked back and he's seen these things coming upon the world for the last couple of years, last couple of decades, and he's thinking it's just better if I don't get involved. Maybe he's thinking to protect himself in the matter, you know, to stop from there being a bigger uprising. You never know what his intention was. Either way, he didn't want to get involved.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I mean mean it's. It's interesting, you know, obviously a vicious crime would, would, uh, want, he would want to address if something really bad happened. But he even says, if it were a matter of wrongdoing, yeah, okay, so you're telling me paul is trying to persuade you into who the true God is. All right, good for you. Guys Like he's just like why does that? Why does that even concern me? Like that's just a conversation you're having. Who cares?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's an in-house conversation for you guys.
Speaker 1:Right, and so why would a conversation about who the true God is have to do with punishment?
Speaker 3:And the accusation was even a little more vague than that. It wasn't that he was persuading people to serve a different God or the true God. It was that he was persuading them to serve God in a different way than they're used to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.
Speaker 1:Which, again with jesus, right pilots like I don't really see any thing that he's done wrong. He's claiming to be somebody you know, king of the jews. Um, okay, like I don't, you know, this is something between you guys and and not that has nothing to do with me, has nothing to do with rome, and so it's just a very similar situation, though Paul is not Jesus. Paul is under the protection here, though, of this vision that he's been given, but, yeah, what an interesting. And then how Pilate wrestles with it and Galileo's like I'm not even going there, I'm not even going to deal with this. So very, very interesting how there's been some learning on how to deal with the Jewish people over time, based on Jesus's crucifixion.
Speaker 2:Yeah, chance, jump in here.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, I was thinking kind of the cool thing I'm looking at is how Paul has a promise from the Lord and a very clear promise of protection, and so how that would build so much confidence in his presentation of this as well as like he has no fear because he's trusting in the Lord. It's like God said, I won't be harmed, so I'm not going to. So just the boldness that Paul could have in this moment. And I also look at verse 14, when Paul was about to open his mouth, and I feel like that's kind of the Lord in a way protecting him too, like whoa.
Speaker 4:And then we see Gileos like step in, and so there was a part of like how he's in the situation, wanting to be a part of it, but then also recognizing, okay, I can have boldness, but also I want to make sure I'm following the Lord's lead and how to go about these things. And so, yeah, I think that's something that I like to see about Paul is like he always had boldness and everyone's like oh, I want to be like Paul and like facing persecution and facing the enemy like face to face, like going to the synagogues and arguing with people and doing it in a loving way, but a way that is glorifying to the Lord and in this moment, having a promise of that because I think sometimes I know for myself like I want to have crazy boldness, but I have doubt. But in a moment like this there'd be absolutely no doubt because you have a perfect promise right in front of you.
Speaker 2:So I think that's a great point that you make, to the extent that boldness for the Lord doesn't mean blindness, right, and I'm not talking about blind faith, I'm, you know.
Speaker 2:I'm saying like boldness for the Lord doesn't look like you just rushing headlong into everything without discernment. Instead, it looks like practicing discernment before you're bold, right, there's a time and a place to be, you know, harmless as a dove, you know, but also shrewd as a serpent, right? And so that's like some healthy display in Paul's life of self-restraint. And so, rather than it being about his boldness, it's actually about God's promise, and so you see him practicing trust in that promise throughout this passage. So maybe, going back to Sosthenes, though I feel bad for that guy, right, he's likely the individual who was the leader of the synagogue, also known as Crispus in verse 8. And so, just going back, you know, many people think I shouldn't say many people, that's generically said it seems like the cross cross references point to the fact that this is the same guy who was the leader of the synagogue and got saved earlier. Since they can't put it on Paul now, you know, the scapegoat of Sosthenes bummer, and we know that christmas was baptized yeah right, first christians chapter one, um only
Speaker 2:two though, but then he said the rest of you I didn't baptize anyone except those two so paul stayed 18 months in corinth and only baptized two people yeah, so is paul's ministry not very good no, and in fact I think maybe as a conversation that helps us, as we're dealing with the argument of 1 Corinthians 1, where Paul says you know, some of you are saying I'm of Apollos and I'm of Peter, and I'm of Paul and I'm of Jesus, as if there's distinctions here of who we're following, and as if there's distinctions here of who we're following. And that's where he then says I'm so thankful I only baptized two of you, because his whole point was I'm thankful I didn't baptize you to the extent that you would be led astray to following Apollos or Peter or me, right, and so instead it's like the number one emphasis of his ministry was Do you remember that I came to preach Jesus to you? That was the main point.
Speaker 1:So yeah, so where's, where's Paul going now?
Speaker 2:Well, verse 18 says Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila, priscilla being the wife, aquila being the husband. In Centuria he had his hair cut for he was keeping a vow. They came to Ephesus and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, but, taking leave of them and saying I will return to you again if God wills, he set sail from Ephesus. When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church and went down to Antioch, meaning, as we talked before the recording of this episode, he went back to home base, went back to Antioch.
Speaker 2:So a couple of things are happening in verses 18 through 22. He said sail for Syria and look who's with him Priscilla and Aquila. Right, I think this is a great example of the fact that when Paul leads someone to the Lord and when Paul does ministry with individuals, he's willing to equip them and bring them along and teach them how to do ministry. You know one and the same, he's multiplying himself, which I think is a great principle in ministry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and there's clear trust here with them. Because they come to Ephesus and he does his normal thing, goes to the synagogue, reasons with them. They ask him to stay and he goes no, I don't need to stay, I need to move on. But what happens? Who stays? Aquila and Priscilla. I don't need to stay here. You got them, I got trusted people here. I am going to move on. Yeah, and so Paul isn't going around planting churches of Paul.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 1:He cares about the gospel being preached, the truth, and then he equips and trains people to continue in those places to lead, lead the church and to continue to do the same. And so Paul is not necessarily a pastor per se, that would stay in a local church. I'm not saying he isn't a shepherd of sorts right in his own right, but he is a missionary and a church planter. I'm in, I'm sharing the gospel, I'm going to equip people and then I'm going to leave. Does sometimes he spend time in a lot of places Corinth, a year and a half, ephesus, at least this first time, not very long. But he's equipping people, sending them, and we have all the evidence of the New Testament of that, with Titus and Timothy and many others. And so I just think that shows the trust Paul has with these two individuals, this couple, to start the church, to continue to disciple and do the work. And he moves on and then goes back to home base, for whatever reason. I think home base is probably always good for rest and checking in on the church and seeing how they're doing and being able to just see friendly faces, people who you've invested in, and I think Paul's able to do that here, though he won't stay there long. He'll move on, as it says in verse 23.
Speaker 1:After spending some time there, he departed and went to the next place, going to the region of Galatia and Aegea, strengthening all the disciples. So he continues to go place to place, encouraging. That's what his letters do too. They both equip and encourage. They also point out things they shouldn't be doing. But he seems to be like I'm going to go around and I'm going to have this role of just ensuring that the churches are building on Christ and healthy, and so because when I'm gone, when I move on, they need that and that's what he's making sure is happening in all those places.
Speaker 3:They need that and that's what he's making sure is happening in all those places. You know, you do see a lot relationally, a lot of connections that that continue, that kind of bolstered you know, paul's, paul's ministry continuing on. I think this is an important. Early on we were thinking this was more of a transitional, but it really there is a lot here this was more of a transitional, but there is a lot here relationally.
Speaker 2:You know, as you're looking at the placement of names in chapter 18, verse 2, it says that Aquila's name was first and then Priscilla second. But when it comes to the work of the ministry, priscilla's name is put first and Aquila's name is put second, and some scholars have argued that Priscilla was likely the stronger Bible teacher actually out of the two, and so that's why the fronting of her name comes first. And then, of course, you see them elsewhere in the New Testament as well, mentioned a few times. But it's thought that she maybe had more of like an astute theological understanding or communicative prowess, or whatever you want to say, than to her husband, aquila.
Speaker 2:Not that she was a pastor of any sorts, but the idea is that Paul is willing to send this married couple, you know, on a ministry assignment, and we don't often like think of that, aside from our belief that only men should be pastors. The fact of the matter is is that sometimes we downplay women in the ministry when they're incredibly, incredibly valuable, and so we just we have to really be careful versus like this unhealthy, non-biblical bias which says, like women can't be involved. We're just the two biggest areas where the roles of men and women I think should be protected is one from a church governance standpoint and two from a marital standpoint, in that the man is still the leader of the home, but that doesn't mean that a woman and a man can't have deferring gifts and women can't be in ministry and can't even teach other women or things of that nature. So I'm taking really like a side subtopic from this passage, but I think it's pretty interesting personally.
Speaker 3:It makes me think back to the issue of responsibility. We're talking about women in ministry or women teaching. You know, christ is the head of the man and the man is the head of the woman, yes, and is in charge. So responsibility ultimately falls.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 3:No matter whose fault it is in my home, I am responsible for the outcome.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 3:And in the church it's the same way, and we have men in leadership. They are responsible, but we also have women who teach in children's education and in various ways and disciple. But it makes me think back to that, not to bring that back up again unintentionally, but the Sosthenes issue the fact that he was the leader of the synagogue, since Paul was found innocent before Galileo. But who was responsible? The leader of the synagogue?
Speaker 3:So since he's been found, well, we're still going to beat you because you let him talk you know, and so it's the same thing, like if we, you know, if there are, there are times and places where there are women, you know, in ministry, who who have certain gifts and abilities and skills, and and who who do lead, but it is under the leadership of the church. I have my responsibilities in the church, but ultimately Dakota is responsible, which is why I'm a little bit loose sometimes, because I'm like, well, you know, it falls on Dakota, so I can do what I want David's a loose cannon.
Speaker 1:The other thing with Priscilla, at least what we know, she doesn't come from a Jewish background.
Speaker 2:She marries a Jew yeah.
Speaker 1:And they leave Rome because the Jews get kicked out of Rome.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And so her character. I think whatever Paul has seen in her and in this marriage, this willingness to one marry somebody not of her background, to one marry somebody not of her background she's most likely from a wealthy like family to then marry him and then move with him in tent make yeah.
Speaker 1:Like there was something about Priscilla that Paul saw a love for God. Even if they didn't know Jesus yet, she was still married a Jewish man. There seemed to be a love for God Even if they didn't know Jesus yet she was still married a Jewish man. There seemed to be a love for God, a willingness to humble herself, a willingness to work hard. In the midst of this time she didn't run back home and say I'll divorce my Jewish husband and run back to my family. No, she went with him and this relationship was built to a point where there was, I think, some serious trust there.
Speaker 1:She knew what suffering meant for God and I think Paul always appreciated somebody who was willing to suffer for God. That seemed to be a Mark. Speaking of Mark, mark didn't want to suffer at a time and he was like I'm not unwilling to travel with you, I'm unwilling to do ministry with you right now. Priscilla and Aquila, on the other hand, you guys know exactly what it means to be persecuted, to suffer, to be pushed out, and you're accepting Christ as your savior and they've grown over that year and a half in Corinth and now let's go. Let's go, let's live sin, let's get out there and sin them.
Speaker 2:Dare I say it sounds a little bit like Ruth.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she, being a Gentile, not a true Israelite, leaves home with Naomi and she goes and God uses her graciously in his plan to ultimately bring about a grandson David who'd bring about the Savior Jesus. I mean, yeah, you can definitely see parallels there.
Speaker 1:Chance got anything to add.
Speaker 4:You guys hit a lot.
Speaker 4:But yeah, no, I think that's.
Speaker 4:I kind of look back at my kind of upbringing in the church and then the college ministry I was a part of and I saw that played out very well where the guy who mentored me was very smart, very steeped in the word and his wife was as well and so and she would bring up different things from the Greek and from Hebrew and you're just like man.
Speaker 4:So she was like very well read, knew the word, and to see the way that she discipled young women in that same way, to also be brought up in the church and be brought up under the word and studying and being very, very equipped to do ministry. And I think that sometimes we can have this idea of like, oh well, the husband does all the hard stuff and the wife, like, takes care of the kids was like man. Our wives can be brought up just as well and can spend time in the word and study the deeper things of scripture and know original languages and stuff like that. So I see that it's a very cool picture that Paul is saying here too, of like in the, the kind of the background of it is that man, that women do have a place of ministry within other women, like we've been going through in Titus and how that looks as well. So yeah.
Speaker 1:And I'll brag on my wife when, when we first got married, she really had no history in the church. You know a young believer. You know I went to Bible college, was a pastor when we were dating. Not sure why she started dating me.
Speaker 1:She's like you tricked me. You didn't tell me what being a pastor's wife meant, but she really took ownership of studying God's word, of wanting to know what I was talking about. I'd have conversations with Dakota and other buddies of mine. Caleb drew on theology and things and she'd be like what are you guys saying? I don't even know the words you're saying. Um and so.
Speaker 1:But she took it upon herself to read God's word, to study books, to, uh. We went to a Bible study weekly at my aunt and uncle's house, uh, but she has gotten to that point now where now she's going to teach, yeah and so, uh, it's such a cool thing to watch and to to see her faithfulness in hard circumstances and just to dig into the word and to grow, uh, so that's been awesome to see. So I can see Priscilla kind of just digging in learning, growing, taking on that, that role, whatever God has for her, uh, and willing to leave home, willing to go somewhere new and different, um, and to not run back to maybe what's comfortable, but to move forward with Christ. And what a deep relationship then she had with her husband and with Paul, and now they're in Ephesus doing ministry.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:When I first got saved, pastor Mike Ferris was the first man to ever disciple me. He was a senior pastor at the First Baptist Church in Tonopah, nevada. He was a senior pastor at the First Baptist Church in Tonopah Nevada and his wife, mary Ferris. Pastor Mike passed away about five years ago unexpectedly and then Mary now lives with her mother in Florida and I remember Mary. Whenever they'd have me over to their home they'd feed me a meal, they'd talk about Jesus, we'd open our Bibles. Like Mary was very strong in the Lord and she knew the Scripture really well.
Speaker 2:And reflecting years later I think to myself you know, mary Ferris was just as impactful in my life in the beginning there as Mike Ferris was. Mike Ferris maybe had more of the public, you know, view of discipling me, but nobody really understands how pivotal Mary was in my life too, as she invited me in their home and showed me hospitality and showed me what a healthy, god-honoring, pastoral marriage all that looked like. I mean there were so many dynamics that I learned and they were my first introduction really to the faith in a deep way. And so you know to this day, mary Farris, thank you so much. If you ever end up watching this episode, love you and miss you very much, thank you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think you mentioned earlier that, as women are teaching other women, but they're also teaching children. Well, who's amongst the children? The future men of the body of Christ? I have great influence in my family of women who are faithful, who helped raise me my great grandmas two of them who love Jesus was a huge influence on my father. I mean women have an extreme influence, who are faithful to God, in teaching and equipping young men up.
Speaker 1:Not that saying that fathers shouldn't be there and men shouldn't equip young boys either, but what I'm saying is women play a pivotal role in helping young men grow up in the Lord when they see women who are faithful and then they know man, I want a wife like that. I want a wife that's going to encourage me, that's going to be there for me in these times, who's going to be strong in the Lord. And so, yeah, women play such a pivotal role in the church, in the discipleship of children, and those children will become the future leaders of the church. And so, yeah, it is a big deal that Priscilla is here and we're seeing her do ministry alongside her husband, because it shows us they did it together as a family.
Speaker 1:And the family was important.
Speaker 4:Yeah, something I didn't realize going into college ministry was like that important aspect of it. I didn't think that my marriage relationship would be put on such display as it was, because, like coming up at Baker and doing stuff there, we'd realize that the number of young women that were like hey, we're so grateful that we get to see Kylie and you both in ministry together pursuing this and they get to see how we treat one another and how Kylie leads and does different things in the women's ministry and how I do different things with the men and the same way the young men there are looking at our relationship and saying this is what a godly wife looks like and so that whole part of Kylie being steeped in the word is producing that, I guess, essence you could say of relationship in front of other young believers. So I think that's very, very cool to see and we get to watch. In the college ministry atmosphere that I didn't think was a big deal until I was in it and I was like, oh, our marriage matters and like the way that.
Speaker 4:I lead, Kylie matters and how others see that, especially those younger men and women too. So amen.
Speaker 3:I'm going to begin my response with an anecdote from a movie the Big Fat Greek Wedding. Good one yeah.
Speaker 1:Good job, david. Where most of the characters are nick or nicky, we've got lion king my big fat greek wedding.
Speaker 3:This is a unique episode what's your favorite movies guys, the daughter wants to take college classes, and the mom was like this is how we do it. We're gonna need to, this is how we're gonna. Your dad has to make this decision, but this is how he's going to make it. But anyways, the line that says well, the husband might be the head of the house, but I'm the neck and I decide which way the head turns.
Speaker 3:But I think there was a next level in my thought that I thought that illustrated best because I think we're still not quite getting to the importance of our wives, and that is not that you guys don't believe this, but I haven't touched on the fact that God has put us together, that we have united as one before the Lord, and God uses the unique gifts of our wives uniquely in our leadership in every area. I mean, my wife sets me straight on things and she understands that I'm the authority and she often has um, you know, she's submitted to that, even though she disagree. But she tells me and I I often been a little more timid in things, or I or I err on the side of grace and other things where audrey will tell me and the Lord uses her to set me straight and I think together, I mean I think our wives, every wife does that if we, you know, are listening.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But they're very important, and not just in our homes but in our leadership as well, you know, because I process things with Audrey as I'm making decisions and she tells me, gives me her opinions and her perspective according to her discernment. It often sways, you know, depending on where the Lord's leading, but very important. I love you, Audra. I hope this gets me some brownie points.
Speaker 2:There we go. Good job, david. I do think, as we start to close up this passage, that while, yes, priscilla and Aquila have been pivotal to Paul's ministry and you're going to see them mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament, I think you're going to see them again in Romans. It is interesting we've got to talk about this. At the end of verse 18 it says he had his hair cut for he was keeping a vow. Kyle, you just walked through this passage during a men's Bible study across the street at Corner Market 6 am Thursday mornings.
Speaker 2:That's the plug for that ministry, by the way.
Speaker 1:Yeah men's Bible study 6 am Be there.
Speaker 2:Be there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we talked about this vow a little bit, Because I think it's important that we recognize what Paul is doing. What we see here is we know that in the book of Numbers I believe it's chapter 6, we see the Nazarite vow being talked about, which has to do with growing out your hair, kind of to a state of like ridiculousness, Kind of like a setting yourself apart, Like why is? Your hair so long man.
Speaker 2:Samson practice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and soul was doing that. Part of that vow was also to do with, uh, abstaining from anything off the vine, grapes, wine, um, you know, any products of any kind from from the vine, and so, um, he had been doing this during his time in cor at least, because here he cuts his hair. That means he's ending the vow, that the vow is now over, and so that is something Paul was practicing. Now, that was a very Jewish thing for Paul to practice Absolutely, and so this helps us see that Paul was never anti-Jewish. We read the book of Acts. He's going into these towns, he's going into synagogues and he's preaching Christ in the synagogues through the scriptures. He's not going in there because he hates Jews, like he doesn't hate the traditions, he doesn't hate what's in the law, he doesn't hate any of those things copies his Messiah, who is Jewish, who goes to the Jews first, before the Gentiles, to show them in the scriptures, to reason with them, because he loves them so much. And so Paul still practices some Jewish things. Right, the law, like we said before this podcast, the law was supposed to show the grace of God. It was meant for us to live it in our hearts and to understand that we can't live out God's law perfectly and that we need the grace of God through faith, and Paul is doing that here, and so following these Jewish traditions or things in the law.
Speaker 1:Paul didn't necessarily fully stop doing those things, because they were still ways to honor God, to set himself apart, to show himself holy before people.
Speaker 1:Though it was not his own, doing that saved him. It was Christ, it's the gospel, and so that's something that he was doing here, and I find that really important that we don't view the Jewish people and their customs as rubbish or as something that should be disregarded. Paul didn't disregard it and he continued to live in that way. He was a Jew to the Jews, a Greek to the Greeks, and he continued to show people who Christ was through, even through those different cultures, and so he still practiced some of these things, and so I think that was okay. It doesn't say it wasn't okay here. God clearly blessed him with protection in Corinth, and he chose to show the people his dedication to God through an external means, though he never talked about salvation through external means. It was always being born again, transformed through Christ, through faith alone, and so, yeah, I think here it really does help us view the Jewish people differently and how Paul viewed the Jewish people.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think this one sentence here within a verse is like an example for us that the law was not the problem. The law was delivered unto Moses from God via angels. It was like the glory for Israel. They were to follow it because it was the very instruction and direction God wanted them to take as a nation. And so the problem was never the law.
Speaker 2:And in fact, for us who are Christians today, we are still to follow the law to the extent that we follow the principles of the law. Ceremonially speaking, no, we're not offering up sacrifices anymore, but we do worship the ultimate sacrifice, who is Christ, and so nothing. Jesus said I didn't come to abolish the law, I came to fulfill it. Jesus said I didn't come to abolish the law, I came to fulfill it. And so we as Christians, like we've got to be careful that we're not neglecting the law, neglecting the reading of the law, neglecting the Old Testament. You know what's his name, the preacher in Atlanta Ah, I'm just like blanking right now because it's the morning.
Speaker 2:Anyways, he says we should unhitch ourselves from, not Charles Stanley, his son, andy Stanley. Andy Stanley has said you know we should, as Christians, unhitch ourselves from the Old Testament. We should be New Testament Christians. What blasphemy, what heresy that kind of statement is that you should remove yourself from the Old Testament. And so he. You got it wrong, andy Stanley. Sorry to say you're a false teacher, but as believers, you know, we need to live in a place where we see the law, the First Testament, as that which points us to Christ and then gives us the standard of living once we're in the Spirit.
Speaker 1:Well, and you know, if you're thinking the New Testament is the only one that we're supposed to listen to, like, just don't listen to Acts then Right. Because what did Paul do the whole time?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Reason with him in the Scriptures.
Speaker 2:Yeah, which was the First Testament, the.
Speaker 1:First Testament. And so you, you really have to go far off base. To say what God gave before Jesus came is somehow irrelevant. No, it actually proves how relevant Jesus is and it proves prophecy.
Speaker 4:It proves so many other things, and the law is what shaped every believer that we see in the new Testament. And so for us to look back and say, oh man, the old Testament is something that we should get rid of and that we should not look at it's. It's pretty silly to think that we look up to these men in the new testament, how they live their lives, how they followed the lord, but yet they were all shaped as children from everything we have in the old testament well, and technically the gospels still fall within, yeah, the old testament.
Speaker 2:It does Everything before Jesus' resurrection. So you might as well get rid of that. So you might as well get rid of that.
Speaker 1:So it's a weird place to sit, and so I think it's really good for us to recognize that that's not biblical, right, and if it's not biblical, then we need to throw it out.
Speaker 2:The New Testament canon wasn't completed until the last scriptures of John the Apostle were written. If you think about it like, how do we know that the New Testament canon was coming to a close? Well, when the last living apostle out of the twelve, when he died, then you don't have any more scripture. And so you know, the one who lived the longest was John, and so there's argument as to whether he wrote 1st, 2nd, 3rd John or Revelation 1st, or which came in front, but nevertheless those were the latest New Testament scriptures and so we can't even have the completion of the New Testament written Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit, until you get to John's last writings, until you get to John's last writings. And so then what do you do with the whole first generation of believers from Pentecost, all the way, you know, until John's death? They likely had some gospels that were being passed around. They had Paul's letters, but it's not like every single newly planted church had all 27 books of the New Testament. That's just not true. Maybe they had more letters from the apostles that weren't counted as inspired scripture and stuff like that, but nevertheless the scripture they primarily had at first was the First Testament.
Speaker 2:So when Andy Stanley says you know, detach yourself from the Old Testament. He's arguing against first generation Christians and the only word they had from the very start. He's arguing against first-generation Christians and the only word they had from the very start. Not that they didn't have more afterwards, but you're arguing against what the first generation of the church held in their possession. And so it's just, it's bad. He's got an agenda, you know, to preach the values of the world, and that's why he's telling people to neglect the Word of God. And so, unfortunately, if you're to preach the values of the world and that's why he's telling people to neglect the Word of God, and so, unfortunately, if you're listening to Andy Stanley, we didn't mean for this segment on the episode to become about him.
Speaker 2:But Paul's pretty clear to call out false teachers when they are one, and so he's a false teacher. He can't help you. Stop watching his stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Sorry, but I'm not sorry, I'm not sorry.
Speaker 2:You know when somebody teaches something unbiblical.
Speaker 1:It needs to be called out because you're leading people astray.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And we need to make sure that in any of the arguments for the early church or for scripture, the canon, archaeology, history, you want the earliest representation of the thing that you're studying. And the earliest representation of the church is the book of Acts.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So if you're going to throw out the Old Testament, you got to throw out the book of Acts, because that's what they studied, the gospel message which came through the apostles, and then the old testament. So so it's really important that we don't go down that rabbit hole of dismissing scripture because oh, that's old, we don't need it. That was for jewish people or whatever weird perspective you want to have. No, it's for god's people. It's how god revealed himself to, to us. It's special revelation, it's his way of saying here's who I am and this is how I want you to live and follow me. And so we can't ignore the majority of this book because some guy andy stanley got it wrong.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for the sake of time, I don't think my comment was you can comment but it's okay, jump in brother I mean, just just as we weigh truth against scripture it's our balance, right, um, we weigh it against, uh, the new testament, against the gospels, against what, um, the spirit has inspired in there. But this is what the the old testament scriptures is what they were weighing it against and what they were arguing with. When paul went to the synagogues, he reasoned with them in the Scriptures. And so we're reasoning and there's a layer to it.
Speaker 3:Jesus said I've come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. And in that fulfillment and following Christ, we're still following the law, but as we follow Christ and we don't make sacrifices anymore you made that comment but we're living the sacrifice. We are therefore living sacrifices who have died with christ, and our life is that sacrifice as we live with jesus. It's almost like jesus was the jew and we're jewish and as much as you know jesus was, we're following him, but, you know, as gentiles we're following him, but as Gentiles, we're not called to become Jewish. We're Christians, we follow Christ.
Speaker 2:Amen, christian, yeah, christ, christ follower, yeah. So I think the next episode you know. Obviously we learned here that Paul is going back to the home base in Antioch and he begins his third missionary journey in verses 23 to 28 to finish chapter 18. So next time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we'll be introduced to Apollos next time. Yeah, that's a big I don't want to say character. He's a person, apollos, the person, the man who's going to also have a great reputation for preaching the gospel. So so, yeah, thank you all for listening to the be disciples podcast. We're excited to be in our new offices as we continue to just study the book of Acts. Thank you for joining us. Hopefully we'll get some more on a regular basis. We've made lots of transitions recently with the office and just moving around, and so it's good to be back talking over scripture with you guys and being able to share it with you all. Have a blessed week.