Grecians at Antioch

During the times of Christ the Jewish religion was well established in the world. Even the great Apostle Paul was a Roman citizen. The Jewish nation had a long history with the world and their religion was spreading widely through the then known world. We can determine this from history and verses in the bible like the verses we find in the book of Acts.

In Acts chapter 2, beginning at verse 8 we read about the first Christian sermon: “And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.”
 
The Apostles addressed Jews from various nations that came to worship God at Jerusalem. We see the evangelist Philip sent to just one high ranking foreigner in Acts chapter 8, beginning at verse 26: “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians…. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?” The message to this Jew included Jesus and included baptism. Do you think Philip explained to him the complete bible and a New Testament that had not yet been canonized? No, he taught him how to be saved. Because we have access to the New Testament we cover a lot of issues and sometimes lose focus. What’s important?
 
We think in the age of the microwave when we should be thinking in the age of the crock pot in the spreading of Christianity throughout the then known world. (I suspect most people wouldn’t include the American Indians in the then know world?)
 
If it wasn’t for hardship what would we really have to spread the word quickly? Acts 11, beginning at verse 19: “Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the LORD Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.”
 
Perhaps we need to take a microscope to the verses we just read? First, Grecians were not Gentiles. How do I know this? Many Gentiles were not circumcised and most Jews didn’t worship with the uncircumcised. We will read about that in Acts 15.  Avoiding the uncircumcised was not a Christian law but was a strong opinion of the Jews and they were guided by their long developed conscience in this matter. Would we condemn brethren for following their conscience? “Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:22-23) Perhaps better questions would be do we condemn an “uncircumcised” Christian as a Jewish Christian? Would we still circumcise our children as a Jewish Christian? Of course we probably would (probably even to this day).
 
I suspect that it would never even cross the mind of a Jewish Christian to worship with an uncircumcised Gentile. In the mind of many Jews it would probably be on a par of worshiping in a brothel or even worse. I suspect that circumcision was more important to many Jews than baptism is to many Christians. They were circumcised as babies into a national Israel. They, as a nation, were “God’s people” and circumcision was the “token” of their membership. Many Jews would not even socialize with Gentiles let alone worship with them. This was a little more than let’s get together and talk about this issue. This was a very divisive issue. Please look at this issue from their perspective and not the perspective of a Gentile Christian. For many of the Jews it would be beyond belief to worship with a Gentile. Many didn’t even associate with them and would go out of their way to avoid them. Some of the Apostles struggled with it all their lives no doubt. Paul was the exception even though he still lived much of his life as a Jew. Our Lord understood well this cultural divide because he created it.

If we look up the word Grecians in a bible dictionary we will find that they are Hellenistic Jews. Next, we find that “the hand of the Lord was with them” even though they were preaching the word to the Jews only. Jews, as a nation, didn’t assimilate too well with Gentiles and this process of assimilation took a long time. Think about it. This was after the conversion of Cornelius by the strongly Jewish Apostle Peter and his experience in Acts 10, at verse 14: “But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” Of course, we realize that the Lord was talking about Gentiles. Peter and the other Jews had to process this information for a long time. Peter didn’t go out the next week and invite a Gentile over for a ham sandwich even though God was teaching him not to be a respecter of persons. Not being a respecter of persons is a long journey for a Jew. They were taught from birth to be nationalistic even though they went throughout the then known world.
 
When it comes to “places” to worship we find that Antioch was considered the cradle of Christianity by many and the main center of Hellenistic Judaism (combining Jewish religious tradition with elements of Greek culture). Antioch was the third-most important city of the Roman Empire and the place where we find in Acts 11:26, “the disciples were called Christians first.” I suspect with a nationalistic Hellenistic Jew that this was a pejorative name. Jews were very successful in the great city of Antioch of Asia (now Turkey). Antioch was the center of worship for pagans that even promoted sexual immorality in their religion.

Isn’t it interesting that one of the most influential Asian churches (Antioch) is not mentioned in the book of Revelation as one of the seven churches? Could it be that they had no problems defined in the book of Revelation? Could Antioch Christians say, “It doesn’t apply to me because it wasn’t written to me?” We see from Galatians and the book of Acts that they too had their problems (including the Apostles) even though the “hand of the Lord” was with these dispersed Christian Jews “preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.”
 
In Acts 15 we find strong dispute over Christians not being circumcised and the acceptance of Gentiles. Peter was still processing the information he had received from God.
 
Galatians chapter 2, at verse 13, talks about dissimulation. Today our dictionary will tell us that dissimulation is to conceal one's true feelings or intentions. The Greek word hupokrisis means the acting of a stage-player or pretender. “And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.”
 
What is the play-acting going on by the Apostle Peter described in Galatians chapter 2? Our New Living Translation describes it this way and is perhaps a little clearer to some than the KJV: “But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him publicly, speaking strongly against what he was doing, for it was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who don’t bother with circumcision. But afterward, when some Jewish friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore because he was afraid of what these legalists would say. Then the other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was influenced to join them in their hypocrisy.
 
When I saw that they were not following the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter in front of all the others, ‘Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you trying to make these Gentiles obey the Jewish laws you abandoned? You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. And yet we Jewish Christians know that we become right with God, not by doing what the law commands, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be accepted by God because of our faith in Christ—and not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be saved by obeying the law.’”
 
Living by the law and being saved by the law happens to be two different things. Without Jesus Christ going to the cross nobody would be saved (Jews or Gentiles) because we can’t keep the law. John says that anyone saying otherwise is a liar and deceiving their self.
 
Paul wasn’t having a problem with Peter in Galatians (the same dispute as Acts 15 written about by Luke) because he lived as a Jew. The Apostle Paul also lived as a Jew. We will point this out in a minute. Paul was concerned about him being a hypocrite. Apparently the pressure was too great for Peter and even Barnabas. “Then the other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was influenced to join them in their hypocrisy.”
 
When it comes to the act of eating with a sinner it wasn’t either or for a Jew. They didn’t associate with Gentiles period! They didn’t eat dinner or lunch with them and they didn’t have communion [fellowship] with them either. Was it just a common meal or was it just communion they were to avoid with a sinner (Gentile)?

1st Corinthians chapter 5 names public sins causing Christians to avoid people in general that are brethren (social or otherwise). Eating was a common term for socializing and having communion (fellowship).
 
In reality, some things that Jews and Christians call sins are just strong opinion. The Apostle Paul had strong opinions that were not binding on us. For example, in 1st Corinthians chapter 7 we find the inspired Apostle Paul saying this, beginning at verse 6: “But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.” If we were all like Paul how many people would we have in the world? How many Christians would we have in the church? I guess if everyone remained single (excluding the sin of fornication) it would be zero?
 
Some see the Apostle Paul as greatly confused. He championed Gentiles and lived as a Jew even though he says that he is all things to all people in order to save some.
 
In Acts 15 the Jerusalem council had just sent a letter telling Antioch to set aside the circumcision issue because it is not a requirement for Gentiles in order to be saved. However, immediately in Acts 16 Paul had Timothy circumcised so he would be acceptable or influential to Jews in general. In Acts 18:18 the New Living translation says, (“Earlier, at Cenchrea, Paul had shaved his head according to Jewish custom, for he had taken a vow.”) We find a similar observance in Acts 21:23-28, “Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them. And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.”  Paul was a Jew and he was a Christian. We are not Jews but Gentiles and Christians.

What caused Paul to be sent to Rome and finally killed? It was the so-called “polluted” holy place trumped up by those in power—a people stirred up because of the understanding of Genesis 17 at verse 11, “And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you…. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.” Wouldn’t you be offended too as a Jew? This issue wasn’t going away anytime soon no matter what Paul said to the Jewish brethren. As one strong willed person said to me regarding a religious issue: “Of course I’m right.” Can you convince a closed mind?

Paul realized that the old law represented a worldly sanctuary. “Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.” (Hebrews 9:1) One of the main differences between the OT and NT law relates to the sanctuary (structures which are set apart to God). Christianity has no “worldly structure” that is sanctified by God. We have no holy place. We don’t even have a headquarters. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) That’s it! The purest form of communion (fellowship). Christ said in John 4, beginning at verse 20: “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews [OT had not yet been abolished at the cross]. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” What defines the building or structure? Worshiping in spirit and in truth.

What was one of the great problems that our Lord had with Satan? We find through the OT and NT that “nobody” could keep the law. Let’s not focus on the eight souls saved by water during the days of Noah (just an example) because “no souls” would be saved without the blood of Jesus Christ. Does his blood cover our sins?

Revelations 11, at verse 7: “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”