PAUL THE APOSTLE ( PART 22 ) | THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY | LESSON FROM TROAS ( PART 3)

Pastor Christopher Choo

Lesson 3122

PAUL THE APOSTLE ( PART 22 )

THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY
LESSON FROM TROAS ( PART 3)

Just before we join Paul on his exciting Second Missionary Journey, let us pause awhile in Troas and recap what we have learned so far:

1. Paul visited city after city in his evangelistic zeal. Why the target emphasis on cities? The Roman Empire was centered in city-states where diverse cultural and religious groups lived within the city walls to do business and exchange ideas and services. Within these cities, these diverse groups from all over the known world worshipped their own gods. Paul knew it was a fertile ground to teach about the One True God among all the other gods - and that He was the only One deserving of true worship exclusively.

2. This was dangerous dogma to the Gentiles who often worshipped a plethora of idols as their gods in the belief that such spiritual entities supported and sustained their economy and businesses. In particular, the Romans regarded their emperor as a deity and they thought that Paul's minority group of believers were subversive politically, religiously, and economically.

3. Within the cities were small enclaves of Jews who were merchants and traders. They were also affronted as Paul taught in their synagogues that their Promised Messiah will be the world's earthly King who will bring in an era of social justice, righteousness, and equality of races and sexes. And this earthly king was none other than their own Jesus of Nazareth who lived, died, was buried and resurrected from the dead and who would return to the world to rule and reign in true righteousness for every human of any race. Although some Jews believed Paul, others did not. Moreover, Judaism was the only other foreign religion recognised and officially allowed by the Roman emperors and the Jews feared that the inclusion of Christianity would affect their religious status quo and arouse Roman antagonism as it appeared to be a cultic and deviant form of Judaism.

ABBA FATHER, Paul, and his loyal and diehard band of brothers-in- Christ had an uphill and daunting task ahead as they will take on the false gods, Roman emperor worship, the misunderstanding of their fellow Jews, and enmity of idolatrous Gentiles by bravely sharing the gospel of Christ. But thanks to the leading,  energising, and equipping of the Holy Spirit, they would be sustained and become overcomers who turned the world the right side up!