Paul, Silas and Timothy

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds on Paul's name, contrasting his past as Saul of Tarsus—a persecutor and blasphemer—with his present role as an apostle pronouncing blessing. He attributes this…

Martin compares Saul of Tarsus to a dragon breathing fire from its nostrils, illustrating his fierce zeal and destructive intent against the church before his conversion.

We read in Acts 9 in verse 1, Luke's very graphic portrayal of Paul's zeal to blot out, as it were, the very remembrance of Christ. Paul yet breathing out threatenings and slaughters against the church. Some of us growing up, we learned some of the tales, some of the idyllic tales and the rest of some of the great princes who fought with dragons and the dragon was always pictured, you see, with the fire coming out of his nostrils. There's the picture of Saul of Tarsus, far belching from his nostrils.

24:51 - 25:23 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Of course, that's what takes a man who's a persecutor, a blasphemer, injurious to the church and makes him lift up his hands and pronounce blessing in the very name that he was seeking to blot out from the earth.

Martin quotes Dr. Lloyd-Jones's sarcastic response to the idea that Paul's conversion was an epileptic fit ('Oh blessed epilepsy, oh for an epidemic of epilepsy'), to dismiss naturalistic explanations for Paul's supernatural conversion.

And he says, blessing and peace in the very name that I once blasphemed. How did this happen? Well, some man wasted his time writing a book to show that he had an epileptic fit on the road to Damascus. And as Dr.

26:24 - 26:40 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes Silvanus (Silas) as an apostolic companion known for his spiritual stability and gracious humility. He highlights Silas's willingness to serve in a secondary…

Martin uses the analogy of 'Richard' versus 'Dick' to explain why Paul uses 'Silvanus' (formal) while Luke uses 'Silas' (informal), clarifying the identity of the co-sender.

Paul uses his more formal name. Luke, when he writes in the book of Acts, uses his informal name, calls him Silas. You see, some of your less lesser known friends might call you Richard and the others call you Dick. Well, Luke calls him Dick.

33:53 - 34:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Accept your place in a secondary role in the will of God, continually moving under the shadow of greater men of God, if that is God's lot for you.

Martin describes Silas's role as a 'sidekick' to Paul, emphasizing the difficulty and grace required to serve humbly alongside a strong, lauded leader without seeking personal prominence.

When Paul told him to go here, it's a lesson from his life that's appropriate and applicable to us. Well, if the name Paul in this letter is a display of the grace of God in conversion, then the name Silas is a display of the grace of God in humility and in subordination. Say, how do you get that? Well, you know, it's a common experience of human relationships, but it's no easy thing to work next to a great man, to a strong man, to a strong leader.

35:20 - 35:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Accept your place in a secondary role in the will of God, continually moving under the shadow of greater men of God, if that is God's lot for you.

Martin uses the analogy of a bass singer trying to sing tenor, and vice versa, to illustrate the grotesque disharmony that results when individuals in the church are jealous of others' roles and fail to be content with their God-given place.

And the only reason Paul could write that, knowing that Silas' heart beat with his, his was that Silas was willing to accept his place in a secondary role in the will of God, continually moving under the great shadow of the great man of God, the Apostle Paul. Are you content for that, if that's God's lot for you? You see, when the tenor sings his note and appreciates the bass note and the bass sings his note and appreciates the tenor's part, that's beautiful harmony. But when the bass gets jealous of the tenor and tries to sing tenor, and the tenor gets jealous of the bass and tries to sing ba...

37:21 - 37:59 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty and the things that are not to bring to naught the things that are. Why? That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Martin recounts a conversation with Dr. Packer where he expressed amazement at teaching alongside brilliant scholars at Westminster Seminary, to which Packer responded, 'It sounds just like God to me,' illustrating God's pattern of using the weak to confound the mighty.

He becomes an apostolic companion and a great instrument in the cause of the founding of the early church. I was with Dr. Packer over in England a few weeks ago, as I mentioned to some of you when giving the report the other night, and I was sharing with him a situation that causes constant amazement to him and to me. I was asked he was asking me about the seminary down at Westminster where I've been privileged to bring this series of lectures.

43:19 - 43:47 Read in full sermon