Acts 14-15: with Guest Reader Simon Camilleri

Simon is an actor, evangelist, and children's book author from Melbourne, Australia, where he lives with his wife and two children. For the last 24 years, he has had a particular passion for excellent and engaging Bible reading. He loves presenting "epic readings" of whole books of the Bible, training Christians in public Bible reading and encouraging the Body of Christ to value this vital ministry. Find out more about his ministry at www.PublicBibleReading.com and www.patreon.com/simoncamilleri.

We hear Acts 14 and 15 read aloud, then we sit with how quickly crowds can swing from praise to violence and how the church fights to keep the gospel clear. We also wrestle with the temptation to add our own rules to grace and why “Jesus plus” is not good news. 
• friendship and community in the early church as God pairs people for mission 
• Paul and Barnabas preaching in Iconium amid division and hostility 
• the healing in Lystra and the danger of turning messengers into idols 
• Paul stoned then returning to strengthen disciples and appoint elders 
• the circumcision dispute and why it threatens the heart of the gospel 
• Peter’s claim that God saves Jews and Gentiles by grace through faith 
• James’s conclusion to avoid extra burdens while urging holy living 
• the church’s letter bringing encouragement and unity 
• Paul and Barnabas’s sharp disagreement and the mission continuing 
• a direct warning against a modern “Jesus plus” false gospel 

Be sure to check out Simon's ministry if you enjoyed his time here on the Outloud Bible Podcast today. 

At outloudbible.com, you can find free resources to help you study the Bible. And while you’re there, send us a message to say hi, or start a conversation about having us at your church or event. 

If Outloud Bible has been a valuable part of your understanding of the Bible, please consider supporting the ministry by visiting outloudbible.com.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:11

This is the Out Loud Bible Podcast, and this is Mike. Thanks for being here with me today as we continue through the book of Acts. I'll tell you what, one thing that I've been noticing as we read through the book of Acts

Welcome And A Theme Of Friendship

SPEAKER_00 0:23

is a sense of community, a sense of friendship. Have you seen that in this early church here as we're reading the story of God building this church to be Jesus' hands and feet now that Jesus has left the planet? We've noticed how this there's this real great tight-knit sense of community. And where there are people going out on missions for the sake of Christ, God is bringing along friends. Paul has a Barnabas. Barnabas is an encourager. And we see Peter and John going out together and encouraging each other so that yes, there are trials, there are difficulties, but no one's alone here. We see that God is building friendships and pairing people up who are on the similar mission to go out and do this work together. And this is one area where I believe God is blessing me and leading me personally to be able to connect with more scripture readers around the world who share this mission and this passion to read the Word of God out loud, to recite it, to help people hear it in a new way. And I'm excited to introduce you to another one today. As soon as I was introduced to him, I knew we were going to be aligned, not just in our mission, but in how we did this work. We have similar styles and similar backgrounds. And so we connected, we chatted for a couple hours, just nerding out about the Bible and reading and presenting. And I said, Hey, you have to come and read for the podcast. And you know what? They're going to love you so much. Would you be willing to do two? And uh he graciously agreed to uh read two episodes for us today, today being the first one. And so I am extremely excited and honored to introduce to you Simon Camillary. Simon is an actor and an evangelist and a children's book author from Melbourne, Australia. Yes, my American friends, we get to enjoy

Acts Context Grace Versus Law

SPEAKER_00 2:11

the sultry tones of the Australian accent today. A big upgrade from our regular episodes, I'm sure. Uh but Simon lives in Melbourne with his wife and his two children. And for the past 24 years, he has had a particular passion for excellent and engaging Bible reading. And he loves presenting epic readings of whole books of the Bible, training Christians in public Bible reading, and encouraging the body of Christ to value this vital ministry. You can see already he will be a great fit on the Outloud Bible Podcast. You can learn more about Simon and his ministry at his website, publicbible reading.com, or visit his Patreon, patreon.com/slash Simon Camillary. I'll put those links in the episode description so you can go check them out here, uh, either right now or after this episode. But today Simon's going to be reading Acts 14 and 15. And if you're just jumping in with us now or need a little refresher, previously in the book of Acts, the Jews have had a little bit of a difficult time accepting this whole gospel of Jesus Christ because it seems to go in direct conflict with everything that they had been doing as far as the religious rituals of the Mosaic Law. And now Jesus is offering this new way to God. Well, that can't be right. So they find themselves in conflict with Paul and the other apostles who are telling this gospel, this good news, that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was the perfect atonement. Now that makes the whole Mosaic law of sacrifices and whatnot to get right with God irrelevant. But the Jews aren't quite ready to give all that up quite yet. So let's see how this conflict unfolds here between the apostles and the Jews who are a little stuck in their ways. This is Acts 14 through 15 in the New English Translation presented by Simon Camillary.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

The same thing happened in Iconium, when Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a large group of both Jews and

Iconium Division And Bold Witness

SPEAKER_01 4:11

Greeks believed. But the Jews, who refused to believe, stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So they stayed there for a considerable time, speaking out courageously for the Lord, who testified to the message of his grace, granting miraculous signs and wonders to be performed through their hands. But the population of the city was divided. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. When both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their rulers, made an attempt to mistreat them and stone them, Paul and Barnabas learned about it and fled to the Lyconian cities of Lystra and Derby and the surrounding region. There they continued to proclaim the good news. In Lystra sat a man who could not use his feet, lame from birth, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul

Lystra Healing And False Worship

SPEAKER_01 5:18

as he was speaking. When Paul stared intently at him and saw he had faith to be healed, he said with a loud voice, Stand upright on your feet. And the man leapt up and began walking. So when the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lyconian language, De Gods have come down to us in a human form. Then they began to call Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priests of the temple of Zeus, located just outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the city gates. He and the crowd crowds wanted to offer sacrifices to them. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men with human natures just like you. We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways, yet he did not leave himself without a witness, by doing good, by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying you with food and your hearts with joy. Even by saying these things, they scarcely persuaded the crowds not to offer sacrifices to them. But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and after winning the crowds over, they stoned Paul and

Paul Stoned Then Strengthens Churches

SPEAKER_01 7:32

dragged him out of the city, presuming him to be dead. But after the disciples had surrounded him, he got up and went back into the city. On the next day he left with Barnabas for Derby. After they had proclaimed the good news in that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch. They strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, Oh we must enter the kingdom of God through many persecutions. When they had appointed elders for them in the various churches with prayer and fasting, they entrusted them to the protection of the Lord in whom they had believed. Then they passed through Persidia and came into Pamphylia, and when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Atalia. From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported all the things God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles. So they spent considerable time with the disciples. Now some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers unless you are circumcised

The Circumcision Dispute Sparks Debate

SPEAKER_01 9:24

according to the customs of Moses, you cannot be saved. So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they were relating at length the conversion of the Gentiles, and bringing great joy to all the brothers. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all the things God had done with them. But some of the religious party of the Pharisees, who had believed, stood up and said, It is necessary to circumcise the Gentiles and to order them to observe the law of Moses. Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate about this matter. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, Brothers, you know that some time ago God

Peter Declares Salvation By Grace

SPEAKER_01 10:55

chose me to preach to the Gentiles so that they would hear the message of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, has testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us. And he made no distinction between them and us, cleansing their hearts by faith. So now, why are you putting God to the test by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way as they are. The whole group kept quiet and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. After they had stopped speaking, James replied, Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has explained

James Sets A Light Burden

SPEAKER_01 12:21

how God first concerned himself to select from among the Gentiles a people for his name. The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written. After this I will return and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, namely all the Gentiles I have called to be my own, says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago. Therefore, I conclude that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we should write them a letter, telling them to abstain from things defiled by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, because he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath. Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Bar Sabbas and Silas,

The Letter Delivered And Joy Follows

SPEAKER_01 13:55

leaders among the brothers, to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent this letter with them From the Apostles and Elders, your brothers, to the Gentile brothers and sisters in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings. Since we have heard that some have gone out from among us with no orders from us, and have confused you, upsetting your minds by what they said, we have unanimously decided to choose men to send to you along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas, who will tell you these things themselves in person. For it seems best to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from doing these things, you will do well. Farewell. So when they were dismissed, they went down to Antioch, and after gathering the entire group together, they delivered the letter. When they read it aloud, the people rejoiced at its encouragement. Both Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech. After they had spent some time there, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming, along with many others, the word of the Lord. After some days Paul said to Barnabas, Let's return and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaim the

Paul And Barnabas Part Ways

SPEAKER_01 16:11

word of the Lord to see how they are going. Barnabas wanted to bring John, called Mark, along with them too, but Paul insisted that they should not take along this one, who had left them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. They had a sharp disagreement, so that they parted company. Barnabas took along Mark and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and set out, commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters. He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

Does the good news about Jesus seem too simple sometimes? Like, wait, I just have to believe that he's the Son of God and that he died and he rose again, and that made me right with God? No.

Jesus Plus Is Not The Gospel

SPEAKER_00 17:12

It's simple. It's not easy necessarily, but it is simple. And there's something about simplicity that we we think we like simplicity, but when it means that we don't actually get to take credit for anything, or that we there's nothing that we can do to contribute to something or feel involved in something, you start to feel like, well, maybe I don't want that. Or maybe you have been doing more and you are struck with the simplicity of it, making you realize maybe I have wasted a bunch of time and effort doing something that doesn't matter. I think that was the case with the Jews. And so if we're not careful, we can live a Jesus plus gospel. Jesus plus, well, I go to church regularly, so that gives me a little edge up. Jesus plus, I care about social justice issues, and if you don't, I think there's something wrong with you. Jesus plus, say this prayer or do this thing, or make sure you do enough good things that outweigh the bad things so that when you get to heaven, God will let you in. Jesus plus is not the gospel. Jesus plus is a false gospel. And nobody has to teach it to us for us to start living in it. We just have to feel like what Jesus has done isn't really enough, and we feel like we should do more because we feel like we owe God something, or something we've been doing doesn't feel good to stop doing anymore. So we just kind of lump it in with, and this is how I choose to be right with God. And that is not the way God made it to be. Maybe it's time to go back to the basics. Just like Paul and the other apostles decided as they met together to figure out how we are going to communicate to the new Gentile brothers and sisters. They just said, look, we don't want to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules. And now this is not the gospel. This is just don't get burdened with all these other things. Don't worry about all the other rituals. Just focus on living a righteous life. That's the one thing you can do. After you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, there's nothing that you that you need to do to earn God's favor or earn a place in heaven, or to make your salvation official. No, just live a holy and righteous life as an act of gratitude for what he's done. Avoid idolatry and avoid sexual immorality. And if you know what, if you keep yourself from doing these things, you're in good shape.

Thanks To Simon And Next Reading

SPEAKER_00 19:42

Farewell, they say as they wrap up their letter in verse 29, and farewell, I say, to you as we wrap up this episode. And a tremendous thank you to Simon Camillary of PublicBible Reading.com. Be sure to check out his ministry if you enjoyed his time here on the Outloud Bible Podcast today. And if you're looking for more, come back tomorrow. He's going to be reading Acts chapter 16 for us here on the Outloud Bible Podcast. Thanks so much for being here. We'll see you then.