SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/7/2018 10:04 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2
“Spiritual Leaders”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts 13:1
Message of the verses: “1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.”
I did not think that what we see from this verse would
take two Spiritual Diaries to complete, but when I begin to study and write on
a verse or a section of verses I am sometimes surprised to see where the Lord
leads me. At any rate we needed to
understand who prophets were in the beginning of the church age.
I suppose that it took time for the early churches to be established and so in the mean time God used the Apostles and the prophets to preach and to teach those in the early church until they become more established when Pastors and Elders and Deacons would then become the leaders of the churches. Pastors and Elders are the same, as they taught those in the churches. John MacArthur writes “Although prophets of that unique kind no longer exist, the similar gift for preaching the Word of God remains. It is given to pastors and evangelists, who proclaim what Peter called ‘the prophetic word’ (2 Peter 1:19) and is still vital to the spiritual health of the church (cf. Rom 10:14-18). ‘14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" 16 However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?" 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. 18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; "THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.’ All the way to the return of the Lord, the ‘spirit of prophecy’ continues to be ‘the testimony of Jesus’ (Rev. 19:10).”
Next we look at the word “teachers” and teachers are important in today’s church. “28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues (1 Cor. 12:28).” “1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment (James 3:1).” John MacArthur describes the work of teachers: “The distinctive of the ministry of teachers is its emphasis on pedagogy rather than on proclamation. That they are somewhat different from preachers seems apparent in texts that discuss both, though the same gifted man can sometimes perform both functions, as Acts 15:35 indicates.” “But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord (Acts 15:35).”
We have already talked about who Barnabas is, and that
his name means “Son of Encouragement” and the fact that he lived up to his
name. We will move on to Simeon, Lucius,
and Manaen, and actually there is not much known about them. However Luke does say Simon was called Niger
and that word means black, and this may suggest that he was a dark-skinned man,
an African, or both. Lucius of Cyrene is from a city in Northern Africa. MacArthur writes “Manaen was notable, Luke
records, because he ‘had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch (Herod
Antipas, the Herod of the gospels). Suntophos (‘had been brought up with’)
can be translated ‘foster-brother.’ He
had been reared in Herod the Great’s household along with Herod Antipas.” Saul who in a few verses would become known
as the Apostle Paul is the last name that Luke mentions and we know that Paul
was an Apostle and it seems that he and Luke were good friends for as we
continue on in the book of Acts we will see that there were times when Luke was
traveling with Paul, and actually went to Rome with him as seen in the last
chapters of Acts.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: As I look at the
names on this list from this first verse in Acts chapter thirteen I believe
that God called each one of them to do what He wanted them to do for the cause
of Christ. I believe that God continues
to call people to do what He wants them to do for the cause of Christ, and my
prayer is that I am doing exactly what He wants me to do for the cause of
Christ, and that I am doing it well.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord to lead me as I prepare for my
lessons from the book of Revelation for our Sunday school class.
Memory verse: Psalm 143:10 “Teach me to do Your will, For
You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Calves of gold” (1 Kings
12:26-29).
Today’s Bible
question: “Out of what did the devil
suggest that Jesus make bread?”
Answer in our next SD.
2/7/2018 10:41 AM
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