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VPC 2.0 Daily Devotional-53

by David Joynt on November 25, 2020


ACTS 11:22-24 | 22 News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord.

 Inward-looking separatism was put to the test in a third way when Barnabas went to Antioch to follow up news of Gentile conversions. This has a pragmatic challenge—how did these new converts behave? Were they committed? Sincere? Devout? Evidencing the gifts and fruits of the Spirit? Taking part alongside their Jewish brothers and sisters in a shared allegiance to Jesus? He concluded that they were people of “steadfast spiritual purpose” and was overjoyed they would come to faith.

 Some things can’t be settled theoretically—they require a pragmatic test. Do you agree?

 Do you revise theories and attitudes as you gain experience?

 

Tags: gifts, fruits

About the Author
David Joynt

Dave Joynt began his service as a pastor at Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley, Arizona in September 2014. This meant a move away from the Northeast, where he has a long history, growing up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and then serving congregations in Delaware and New Jersey for a total of 23 years.

Dave was nurtured in a great church in Bethlehem where his parents, Anne and Carey, served as elders. He graduated in classics from Lehigh University where his Father taught, and then from Oxford, where he met his wife Julia. Ordained in 1988, he completed a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1993.

He and Julia have a son, Tristan, and a daughter, Madeleine.

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