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We must now press forward. Chapter 15 finds the apostle at Jerusalem. The moment had not yet come for his
independent ministry, and for some time he works in fellowship with the Twelve, without however relinquishing his
independence or the peculiar character of his message (Gal. 2, where Jerusalem and Antioch are the two storm
centres, see verses 1 and 7-11).
Toward the close of Acts 15 Paul proposed a second visit to the churches in Asia Minor, though not then
realising that the Lord was leading on to wider fields of witness. Asia and Bithynia being closed to the apostle by the
Spirit of God (Acts 16:6,7), Paul pressed on to the coast town of Troas. There he had a vision which diverted his
course to the mainland, and at Philippi he preached the gospel for the first time in Europe, surely an epoch fraught
with tremendous issues for us all! From Philippi he travelled to Thessalonica and Berea, and thence on to Athens.
When these chapters are before us we shall delight in following out their message, but we cannot here stay to do so.
From Corinth the apostle visited Cenchrea, thence on to Ephesus, and so to Jerusalem. The apostle purposed that,
after he had once again visited Macedonia and Jerusalem, he must see Rome (Acts 19:21).
The journey to Jerusalem occupies chapters 19 to 21, many important incidents occurring on the way. His
arrival at Jerusalem ends in his imprisonment at Cęsarea (Acts 23:33-35), and after two years of weary waiting, the
apostle is taken by ship to Rome, where he arrives after an eventful voyage, including shipwreck (Acts 28).
While it is easy to overstress this aspect of our study, the geography of the book has its due place, and we trust
that our readers are now in possession of the essential movement of the record:
Jerusalem - Antioch - Rome.
CHAPTER 7
The three R's Restoration Reconciliation Rejection
In our last chapter we traced the story of the Acts in relation to its geography. Before proceeding to the detailed
study of its several parts we must look at the three outstanding landmarks; Jerusalem ... Antioch ... Rome, in their
association with the corresponding three distinctive phases of Acts. We have devoted the first chapters of this book
to the demonstration of the fact that restoration is the dominating aspect of the opening section. Noticeably
associated with that is the insistence in the narrative on the place of importance which the people of Israel still held.
The question, `Wilt Thou at this time RESTORE again the kingdom to ISRAEL?' (Acts 1:6) indicates an expectation
that is maintained throughout the bulk of the Acts. `Ye men of Israel'; `Let all the house of Israel know'; `Be it
known unto all, and unto all the people of Israel'; `To give repentance to Israel'; `Men of Israel', and similar
expressions are found throughout the Book, but particularly in the opening section (1:15 to chapter 12).
So is it with the title `Jew'. `There were dwelling at Jerusalem `Jews'. `It is unlawful for a man that is a Jew'
(said Peter); `The word to none but Jews only' (Acts chapter 2 to chapter 12).
But with chapter 13 comes a change. The Jew is still present, and for a period covered by many chapters the
apostle maintains the practice of going to the synagogues of the Jews before he speaks to the Gentiles: but no longer
can it be said `Jews only': we now read `Jews and Greeks' (18:4; 19:10; 20:21).
While Greeks are Gentiles, the Scripture suggests a difference between the two. Mention is made of `Jews and
Greeks' in a manner which suggests that they were united in some way which could not equally be said of all
Gentiles. The apostle differentiates between Greeks and Barbarians, just as he does between wise and unwise (Rom.
1:14).  In 1 Corinthians 1. he associates the Greek with the search for wisdom (1 Cor. 1:22), and just as
righteousness is exhibited in Israel side by side with human failure, so wisdom is exhibited in the Greeks side by
side with human failure, and both find a meeting-place in Christ. Consequently, if the key word of the opening
section of Acts be restoration, in association with Jerusalem, the Jew, and the ministry of Peter, so, as surely, the
keynote of the next division is reconciliation, associated with Antioch, the Jew and the Greek together, and the
ministry of Paul.
The possibility of the salvation of the Gentiles does not seem to have been entertained by the apostles at
Jerusalem. This is evidenced by the surprise with which the news of the salvation of Cornelius was received: