Parts of the Book of Acts reads like a 3rd
person narrative. And it is. The Book of Acts is the 2nd part of a
2-park work that begins in the Gospel book of the Evangelist Luke (the 3rd
Gospel in the New Covenant), dating around 80-90 A.D. The author is of course Luke,
a disciple of Paul – Titus was Luke’s brother.
There are 3 instances in the Book of Acts in
which Luke includes himself in his narrative of happenings – today’s chapter is
one such instance.
There is also argument as to whether Luke was
a doctor of medicine … or a doctor of The Law – I lean towards the 2nd
argument, chiefly because Yeshua is The Great Physician and He is to Whom one
is pointed for healing. NO WHERE IN SCRIPTURE are Christians TOLD TO SEEK OUT
DOCTORS for healing, for ONLY Yeshua can heal what ails us – doctors of
medicine may be able to tell us what they think may be wrong with us, but only
Yeshua can heal us. And yet there are times – mentioned in the New Covenant –
where Yeshua does not immediately heal people in order that the magnificence of
Elohei is eventually revealed. The ONLY time physicians are mentioned at all in
Scripture is to point to Yeshua as our all in all (Luke 5:31-32; John 5:1-9),
and to point out that doctors of medicine are failures when it comes to healing
people of anything (Luke 8:43-48). Christians are specifically told to avoid
sciences – which are linked with myths and fables (1 Timothy 6:19-21). I do not ... and will not ... argue these points with anyone; I didn't even answer my own sister's hostile arguments when she went at us recently: she and her husband treat doctors like gods - Hubs and I KNOW Who our God IS; and therein lies the difference in how we view doctors; and knowledge.
On a personal note, my husband and I are
experiencing that healing delay I mentioned at present even though we trust Elohei 100% and
expect His Will for us and our situation. Yes, my husband IS presently in a hospital
attended to by medical staff (basically as a precaution for my legal safety IF
a NR order is called for), and also to put a name to what ails him so we know
what to specifically PRAY FOR. We KNOW Elohei is ultimately in control of the
entire situation and circumstantial outcome regardless of the medical staff
surrounding him. We know that either Hubs will be healed by Yeshua’s work on Calvary,
or … he will have surgery and be a witness in that regard to someone who needs
to witness the power of Elohei in Hub’s unpleasant and frustrating ordeal. We
do not know why we go through trials and tribulations, we only know that we are
never alone, and that Elohei has it ALL under control. We do not try to explain
it to others … our friends and fellow Believers do not need an explanation; and
Job’s-comforters-mockers and unbelievers won’t hear us anyway. We just rest
100% on the promises and faithfulness of Elohei, brought to fruition through
the sacrifices of Yeshua.
And remember while reading this study that when Paul is talking about ‘the
Jews’, he is referring to the religiously pious hypocrites that are ethnic Jews
and not true Jews in accordance to Elohei’s Chosen Own – Paul himself was a Jew
as well as a Gentile (his mother was a Jewess), and the early Church was
primarily made up of Jews, with Gentiles being adopted into the Faith through
grace extended to them by faith in Yeshua. Paul is not condemning Jews – he is
condemning hypocritical religiosity and racial hatred aimed towards himself and
the Brethren.
~Val
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO Acts ~ Chapter 20
When the uproar had ceased, Paul called his
disciples to him, said goodbye to them and took leave to go to Macedonia. When
he had passed through those parts and had given them much encouraging advice,
he went on to Greece. There he stayed 3 months. Then, as he was about to take a
ship for Syria, he discovered that the Jews had made a plot against him, and so
he decided to return by way of Macedonia. The following were his fellow travelers
as far as the province of Asia: Sopater of Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus of
Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; also Tychicus and Trophimus from
Asia. These had gone on ahead and waited for us at Troas.
After the Festival of Unleavened Bread (Passover)
we set sail from Philippi and came to them at Troas. It took us 5 days to get
there and we remained a whole week. On the 1st day of the week, when
the disciples had met to break bread, Paul preached to them, since he expected
to leave the next day. He continued talking till midnight. There were many
lights in the upper room where they were assembled. In the window there sat a
young man named Eutychus. As Paul kept on preaching, he sank into a heavy
sleep. At last, overcome by sleep, he fell from the 3rd story down
to the ground, where he was picked up for dead. Paul hastened down and bent
over him and took him in his arms, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, for there is
still life in him!” So he went up again, broke bread and ate, after which he
conversed with them a long time, even till daybreak, and then he departed. And
they took the young man home again, alive, which cheered them greatly.
We went on ahead of Paul, took ship and
sailed to Assos, where we were to take him on board. He had planned it that way,
as he intended to go that far on foot. When we came to Assos and met him there,
we took him aboard and proceeded to Mitylene. And going from there by ship, we
arrived on the following day opposite Chios. On the 2nd day we
stopped at Samos, then tarried at Trogyllium, and the 3rd day we
arrived at Miletus. Paul had decided to pass by Ephesus so as not to spend much
time in the province of Asia. He wanted to hurry on so that he could, if
possible, be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus,
summoning the elders of the congregation to come to him. And when they were come
to him he spoke to them: “From the first day that I came to the province of
Asia, you know how I conducted myself all the time. I served The Lord with all
humility and with tears through the trials that came upon me because of the
wicked plots of the Jews. I never failed to tell you everything that would be
profitable to you, and I taught you in public and from house to house. I
preached to Jew and Greek alike about turning back to Elohei and believing in
Adonai Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. And now, as you can see, I am on my way to
Jerusalem, compelled to do so by the Ruach, and I have no idea of what will
befall me there. Except this, that in every city I come to, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh
tells me chains and afflictions await me. But I am not much concerned about
that, nor do I value my life as precious to myself, except that I should like
with joy to finish my course, the work that Adonai Yeshua gave me to do,
namely, to preach the whole Gospel of the grace of Elohei.
And now I am quite sure that no one of you,
among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom of Elohei, will ever see my
face again. Therefore I testify before you on this day that I am innocent of
the blood of all of you. For I never shrank form telling you the whole purpose
of Elohim. Keep watch, therefore, over yourselves, and over the whole flock of
which the Ruach Ha’Kodesh has made you shepherds, to feed The Church of Elohei
which He purchased for Himself with His own blood. Yes, I well know that
monstrous wolves will come in among you after my departure, and they will not
spare the flock. And from your own number, too, men will rise up and teach
false doctrines so as to get disciples to follow them. So I say, be on the
watch. And remember the 3 years I continued to admonish every one of you, night
and day, even with tears.
And now, brethren, I commit you to Elohim and
His gracious Word which can build you up and give you your inheritance among
all the saints. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You all
know that with my hands I earned enough to care for my own wants and for those
who were with me. In all things I have showed you that by working like this we
can help those who are weak. And let us remember the words that Adonai Yeshua Himself
spoke, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.””
When he had finished his talk, he kneeled
with the others and prayed. They all wept a great deal, and they embraced Paul
and kissed him. The thing that grieved them most of all, was that he had said
that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the
ship.
