The Church in Mission

Acts 13:1-12
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, November 01, 1998
Copyright © 1998, P. G. Mathew

In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. They travelled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun.”

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

Acts 13:1-12

In the thirteenth chapter of the book of Acts we find the genesis of the foreign mission movement. In Acts 13 and continuing through the rest of the book of Acts, the emphasis shifts from the Jerusalem church to the church of Syrian Antioch and the missionary activities of the apostle Paul.

The church of Syrian Antioch was an active, vital church. It was interested not only in hearing the word of God but also in doing it. A cosmopolitan church, it consisted of Jews, Greeks, Arabs, Orientals, Romans, white, black, rich and poor. It was founded by unnamed, ordinary people of Cyprus and Cyrene who, in obedience to the Holy Spirit, dared to go to Antioch and share the gospel with Greeks, as we read in Acts 11. The Lord’s hand was upon these unnamed missionaries, and large numbers of people became believers through their testimony.

When news of the church of Antioch reached the church of Jerusalem, Barnabas was sent as a delegate to visit the new church. He observed many signs of God’s grace on these people; however, he also detected a great need for Bible education among the new converts. Barnabas went to Tarsus in Cilicia to find the great rabbi Saul, who himself had been converted to Christianity several years earlier, and brought him back to Antioch to help teach the people. In Acts 12:26 we read “for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.”

As the church studied God’s word, it was led by the Holy Spirit to consider how it might carry out the great commission of Jesus Christ. This was a natural outgrowth of the teaching of Saul and Barnabas. Genuine Bible study always results in holy deeds. Blessed are those who hear and do the words of Jesus Christ.

What is the great commission? It is the command of the Lord Jesus Christ to his disciples to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. It is Christ’s command that his disciples witness about him, not only in Palestine, but to the ends of the earth. It means, in other words, believers should preach the gospel of Jesus Christ not only to the Jewish people but also to the Gentiles.

When they studied these things, the church of Antioch began to consider seriously its missionary task and responsibilities. As they prayed and fasted about these things, the Holy Spirit directed them how to put them into practice.

In this study we want to consider three points: First, the ministers of the church at Antioch; second, the mission of the church of Antioch, and third, the ministry of the missionaries on the island of Cyprus.

The Ministers of the Church

The church in Antioch had many able ministers, as we read in Acts 13:1. First, of course, was the senior pastor, Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus. Barnabas was familiar with Greek culture and spoke Greek, and the Scriptures say he was a good man, full of wisdom, faith, and the Holy Spirit. Barnabas was very knowledgeable in the Scriptures and very generous toward the poor. In Acts 4 we read that he sold some land and brought the money to the apostles so they could distribute it to the poor of the church.

In Acts 4:36 we read that Barnabas’ real name was Joseph, but the apostles called him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement” because he was an encourager. When the newly converted Saul of Tarsus came to the church of Jerusalem, it was Barnabas who believed the authenticity of Saul’s testimony about his encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ and his conversion. Acts 9:26-27 tells us that most of the disciples did not believe Saul and were afraid of him, but Barnabas believed Saul and brought him to the apostles. And in Acts 11:25 we read that it was Barnabas who went all the way to Tarsus to get Saul and bring him back to teach in the new church of Antioch.

The second minister of Antioch listed in Acts 13:1 was Simeon called Niger. The word “niger” means “black,” so Simeon was probably a black Christian. Possibly he was Simon of Cyrene, who was forced to carry the cross of Jesus on his way to be crucified, as we read in Luke 23:26. If so, we can presume he later believed in Jesus Christ and became part of the Jerusalem church. When persecution came, he, like others from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and there proclaimed the message of the cross to the Greeks, thus helping to found the church at Antioch.

In his account of the crucifixion of Jesus, John Mark, the writer of the gospel according to Mark and the cousin of Barnabas, speaks about Simon of Cyrene and his sons, Alexander and Rufus (Mark 15:21). Rufus is probably the same Rufus whom Paul greets in Romans 16:13. Paul also says the mother of Rufus was like a mother to him, so it is possible that Paul stayed in Antioch in the home of Simon of Cyrene and his wife.

The third minister was Lucius of Cyrene. Like Simon, Lucius may have also been a black Christian because he was from Cyrene, which is Libya. He was probably one of the men from Cyrene who went to Antioch and spoke the gospel to the Greeks, thereby helping to found the church of Antioch.

The fourth minister was Manaen, or, in Hebrew, Menahem, which means “comforter.” Manaen was a foster brother of Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee and Perea from 4 B.C. to 39 A.D. Acts 13:1 tells us Manaen was “brought up with Herod the tetrarch,” meaning the two grew up together as intimate friends. Yet as adults their paths diverged dramatically. Herod Antipas committed adultery with his brother Philip’s wife, murdered John the Baptist and mocked Jesus Christ. Manaen believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and became a disciple of Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 1:26 Paul says, “Not many of you were wise . . . influential. . . of noble birth,” but he didn’t say “Not any.” Although it is rare, the gospel saves some people like Manaen who are mighty, influential, and of noble birth. In Luke 8:3 we read about Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who was the manager of Herod’s household. Joanna was a disciple of Jesus who spent her own money to support Jesus and his disciples. Manaen was a prince and an aristocrat, but he was also a minister of the gospel in the church of Antioch. Like Moses and Saul of Tarsus, he refused the glories of the world in order to serve Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

The fifth minister was Saul of Tarsus. A brilliant rabbi and Roman citizen, Saul, or Paul, was called by Christ to be his apostle especially to the Gentiles. Barnabas had brought Paul to Antioch from Tarsus to teach the Scriptures to the new church. As Paul taught these new Christians, I am sure he impressed upon them the responsibility they had of taking the gospel to all the world. So the whole church, together with these leaders, whom the Bible calls prophets and teachers, began to pray to the Lord for guidance in the matter of foreign missions. As they worshiped, prayed and fasted together, God the Holy Spirit answered their prayers.

The Mission of the Church

The second point we want to consider is the mission of the church. These new believers knew the commands of Jesus to spread the gospel, but they wanted to find out how to carry them out. They began to seek the Lord, fasting from food and sleep, so that they could hear from God what their mission should be.

In the life of a Christian, fasting points to a crisis or a new direction the church or a believer faces. It points to focusing and serious repentance so that the individual or the group can hear clearly from God. We find many people fasting in the Old and New Testaments, including Nehemiah, Daniel, Jesus, Paul, Barnabas and others. Jesus even prophesied to his disciples that the time would come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and in those days they would fast. We are now living in those days, so it is proper for us to fast and pray as well. In the New Testament we read of fasting and prayer by Barnabas and Saul again in Acts 14:23 as they faced the responsibility of choosing elders for the new churches.

Fasting, of course, is negative, but worshiping and praying during a time of fasting is positive. The church of Antioch was worshiping as they prayed and fasted for guidance regarding missions. The word for worship or minister is leitourgeô, from which we have the word liturgy. Now, a number of churches would say that liturgy is something that only priests do as a ministry to the Lord, but that is totally false. In the Old Testament liturgy referred to the ministry of the priests upon the altar, but when you study the New Testament, you find the great Reformation doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. In the New Testament sense, liturgy is used to refer to the worship and praise of God by all believers. In other words, as Christians sing, give, praise, and listen to the word of God, they are engaging in liturgy, as we read in Hebrews 13:15-16.

What happened as the church of Antioch sought God? God spoke, giving them the guidance they were seeking. You see, God speaks to us in the context of worship, praise, praying and fasting. The church was filled with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit spoke through a prophet to the church. The Holy Spirit is with the church, guiding and empowering it in behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit Gives Direction

The first words the Holy Spirit spoke were, “Set apart . . . Barnabas and Saul.” In other words, the Holy Spirit was saying, “Set apart, separate, consecrate Barnabas and Saul so they can be sent out as missionaries.”

Notice, the Holy Spirit was not asking for the least qualified disciples to go out. Barnabas and Saul were the two chief ministers of this large church of Syrian Antioch. The Lord Jesus Christ speaks about this in Matthew 23:34, “Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.” When the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart Barnabas and Saul,” we must conclude that not the least qualified, but the most qualified people should go for foreign missions.

The Lord had already separated Paul and Barnabas for this task, but now the church had to let them go. The church had to agree to the Spirit’s demand and guidance and release their ministers rather than holding on to them for their own benefit.

Second, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart to me. . . .” Ministers are separated first, not to a task, but to the person of the Lord and his Spirit. They are to be God’s servants first, and then servants of the church. Paul referred to this idea when he spoke to the elders of the Ephesian church in Acts 20:28, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.” Ministers are the gifts that the ascended Lord Jesus Christ gave to the church; thus, they are to serve the church, but they must love and serve the Lord first.

Third, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Ministers have work to do. God’s people are God’s servants–slaves, really–and ought not to be lazy.

In Matthew 25:14-30 we read about the parable of the talents. A master gave talents to his servants according to each one’s ability: to one he gave five, to another two, and to another one. Then he went away for a long time. While the master was away, “[t]he man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money” (vv. 16-18). The master came back after a long absence and called his servants to him. The one with five talents came and said, “Master, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more” (v. 20). The master told him, “Well done, good and faithful servant! . . . Come and share your master’s happiness!” (v. 21). He likewise commended the one who had made two talents from the two talents he had given him.

Then we read, “Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you had not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you!’ His master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. Well, then you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents, and throw that worthless servant outside into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (vv. 24-30). What happened to the lazy servant? He was sent away–away from the joy of the Master, away from heaven, in other words.

We must understand one thing: If we are saved by God, we are his property, and our job is to serve him alone–at once! Therefore, I urge you: Be busy! Be engaged in doing the will of God, so that when he comes, he will approve you and invite you into the great kingdom banquet, the great happiness of our Master.

Fourth, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” The Greek word used for “called” is proskeklêmai, a perfect middle indicative, meaning God called Paul and Barnabas long ago, but that call was still valid at the present time.

When I came to this country to study chemistry, I remember thinking in my heart that God called me long ago to be a minister of the gospel. I was running away from all that, but God’s call was still valid. Finally, the time came when I had to say “Yes” to God and “No” to my plans. I had been called by God in the past, but the validity of that call carried forth into the present.

We first read about Paul’s call to the ministry in Acts 9:15: “The Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.'” And in Acts 22:14-15 we read more of what Ananias said to Paul: “The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on his name.” And in verse 21 Paul says, “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'”

We must understand this: Some people say that God has called them to the ministry or mission field, but, in reality, they really called themselves. Then there are other people who are called by the church, but not by God. What matters is whether or not God has called you. If he has, the church will also call you. If that happens, then you can say with assurance, “God called me.” The truth is, many people today go about pretending that they have been called of God, but they are not.

The church obeyed the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Acts 13:3 tells us, “After they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” They separated Barnabas and Saul unto the Lord by laying hands on them and blessing them for their new task. At the command of the Holy Spirit, this church of Antioch was letting their chief ministers go.

Now you may ask, “What happens to the church in a situation like this? How could any church survive without its best ministers?” My answer to that is that the Lord Jesus Christ is the head of his church, and he himself will raise up more ministers to care for the needs of his church.

Notice, also, it is the church that sends out missionaries, not some parachurch organization, missions board, or independent agency. (PGM) Such entities have no right to send out missionaries. God gave his church the right to examine missionary candidates and send them out. And when those missionaries return from their travels, they should give an account of their work to the church which sent them.

Money Is Not the Issue

When most people speak about missions today, the first thing they mention is money. Modern missionary candidates have to raise certain sums of money, so they go around from place to place, saying, “We are going to this place to work for the Lord. Give us money.”

Interestingly, we do not find any mention of money in this passage. When the Holy Spirit sends us, we do not have to worry about money, because a laborer is worthy of his hire. In fact, in Matthew 10, when Jesus sent out his disciples, he told them not to take any money with them.

It is my judgment that the church of Syrian Antioch probably did not give any money to Barnabas and Saul when they sent them out. Why? Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:9, “Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.” In 1 Corinthians 9:6 and Philippians 4:15 we also find this idea that there was no real money sent along with Paul on his missionary journeys.

Does this mean we should not help missionaries financially? No. But the current focus on money as the most important factor in modern missionary ventures is foolishness. When I came to this city and started this work, I did not have any money. No one here gave us any and no one sent any from outside. But the history of this church alone can prove that God will meet every need, giving us exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or imagine.

In Acts 13:4 we read that Barnabas and Saul were sent on their way by the Holy Spirit. Not only were they sent by the church, but they were also sent by the Holy Spirit. This is an important point. The church may send us out, but if the Holy Spirit didn’t send us, we will fail. Conversely, when the Holy Spirit sends us, he goes with us, for Jesus Christ said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

If we are called to be missionaries, we must not focus on whether or not money is coming in. Rather, we need to focus on whether or not the Holy Spirit is coming with us. If the Holy Spirit is with us, he will take care of all our needs.

The Ministry of the Missionaries

The third point we want to examine from this passage is the ministry of these missionaries. When Barnabas and Saul left Syrian Antioch, they went first to Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean. Why do you think they went there first? Perhaps because Barnabas and many other Jews in Antioch were from Cyprus. Additionally, there were already some believers in Cyprus–people who had been converted in Jerusalem and had gone back to the island. Not only that, I am sure the Holy Spirit impressed upon them to go to Cyprus, so they went out of obedience to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Traveling fifteen miles west from Antioch to the Mediterranean coast, the missionaries sailed from the port of Seleucia to Cyprus. Cyprus was a province of Rome, ruled by a senatorial proconsul beginning in 22 B.C. Located on the shipping lanes between Syria, Asia Minor, and Greece, Cyprus was known for copper-mining and shipbuilding. It was also a trade center for grain, wool, wine, and olive oil from Egypt, Phoenicia, Syria, and Cilicia.

Cyprus was also called Makaria, from which we have the word “makarios.” Makarios is the title of the head of the church in Cyprus and means “blessed” in Greek. Cyprus was known as the isle of blessedness, or happiness, because of the fine weather it enjoyed and the many amenities its residents enjoyed. Everything necessary for a happy life was available in abundance in Cyprus, including temple prostitutes, so it was known as Makaria, “the Happy Isle.”

When Paul and Barnabas landed on Cyprus they went to Salamis, a great city on the east, and began to preach in the synagogues. This was Paul’s usual pattern because in the synagogues he could meet with Jews as well as with God-fearing Gentiles. From Salamis Paul and Barnabas moved west to Paphos, the administrative capital where the proconsul Sergius Paulus was stationed. There was a temple of Aphrodite, or Venus, located in Paphos where people could engage in the immorality of cultic prostitution. People went to Paphos to have a “union with God” by uniting sexually with the prostitutes of the temple. Into this place of deep moral darkness Barnabas and Saul came with the light of the gospel.

Opposition to the Gospel

In Paphos the missionaries met the Jewish sorcerer and false prophet Bar-Jesus, who worked for the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. Like many leaders of the time, Sergius Paulus was surrounded by a retinue of wizards, magicians, and sorcerers, such as Bar-Jesus. The Bible says Sergius Paulus was a very intelligent man and it seems to me that he was thoroughly dissatisfied by the trickery, hollow philosophies and deceit of these retainers. But not only that, Sergius Paulus was chosen by God from all eternity to be saved, so this prominent Roman official invited the missionaries to preach the word of God to him.

At this point Saul and Barnabas began to experience serious opposition in their missionary venture. There will always be great opposition, inspired by Satan, in the world against the gospel. That is why a missionary has to be sent by the Holy Spirit, not by himself, and why Jesus told his disciples to wait to go out until they were endued with power from on high.

This opposition came through Bar-Jesus. Bar-Jesus means “son of salvation” or “son of Jesus.” But Bar-Jesus had another name, Elymas, which means “skillful one,” or “sorcerer.” As we just said, Bar-Jesus was a Jewish magician and false prophet, a man who pretended to be a source of divine revelation. We see such false prophets throughout the history of Israel, such as the four hundred false prophets of Baal who stood against the prophet Elijah. As an attendant of Sergius Paulus, Bar-Jesus knew he could lose his income if Sergius Paulus became a Christian, so he began to vigorously oppose the missionaries and tried to turn the proconsul from the gospel.

In the midst of this satanic attack, the Holy Spirit suddenly came upon Paul. God’s Spirit will always come upon you the moment you need him, energizing you, guiding you and making you competent to meet the opposition. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul took charge of the situation.

Paul Ministers to Bar-Jesus

In Acts 13:9 we read, “Saul . . . filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas.” In Acts 3 Peter and John looked straight at the crippled beggar for the purpose of healing and salvation. Here Saul looked straight at Bar-Jesus for the purpose of judgment.

Paul began to speak to Bar-Jesus, and we are here given a description this totally depraved man. First, Paul said, “You are a child of the devil,” or in the Greek, “a son of the devil.” In other words, the Holy Spirit was saying, “Bar-Jesus, despite your name, you are no son of Jesus. You are no son of salvation. You are a son of the devil!” That doesn’t sound very nice, does it? Then he said, “You are an enemy of everything that is right,” meaning an enemy of all righteousness. Next he said, “You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?” meaning “You are a perverter and twister of the straight ways of the Lord, the gospel.” Such was the total depravity of Bar-Jesus.

This is also a description of all cults and their leaders. Such people are sons of the devil, twisters and perverters of the gospel, full of deceit and trickery. Additionally, any church that does not preach the gospel as recorded in God’s word is in the same category: sons of the devil, enemies of righteousness, perverters of the straight ways of God. In fact, if anyone denies the deity of Christ, the existence of hell, the reality of sin, the virgin birth, resurrection, and second coming of Jesus Christ, the wrath of God, the cross and its message, and the absolute infallibility of the Scriptures, Satan is at work in that person. In John 8:44 Jesus himself said their father is not Abraham but the devil.

We read of such people in 2 Timothy 3:8, “Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth–men of depraved minds who, as far as faith is concerned, are rejected.” Every false prophet, every cult member, and every preacher who refuses to preach the gospel as given to us in the word of God, is rejected by God.

Just as Bar-Jesus was full of evil spirits, deceit, and trickery, Paul and Barnabas were full of the Holy Spirit and the gospel. The Holy Spirit empowered them to deal with the lies of Satan and his demonic power as manifested by Bar-Jesus.

The Holy Spirit came upon Paul, not to bless Bar-Jesus, but to curse him. Paul pronounced a curse, and Bar-Jesus was instantly blinded and totally defeated. Verse 12 tells us, “Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.” This was the triumph of the gospel over the lies of Satan, the triumph of the Holy Spirit over evil spirits, and the triumph of Christ over Satan in Cyprus.

Paul Ministers to Sergius Paulus

Sergius Paulus observed Paul’s dealing with Bar-Jesus. In Acts 13:12 we read, “When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.” With Bar-Jesus out of the way, Sergius Paulus could hear the gospel without hindrance and he believed in Jesus Christ.

Imagine the impact of the faith of this proconsul upon his family! Indeed, history gives some evidence that others in his family did become Christians through his influence. I am sure his conversion also influenced many other people living on the island of Cyprus.

This also happened when Cornelius the centurion became a Christian. Cornelius invited all his friends and relatives to come and hear what Peter had to say. When Peter preached the gospel, the Holy Spirit came upon everyone and they were all saved. God has a way of saving certain leaders so that the gospel can have maximum impact in people’s lives.

The mission of Saul and Barnabas was finished on Cyprus, and now one could say Cyprus was truly Makaria–the happy isle. Why? Because the Sun of Righteousness, Jesus Christ, had risen upon it with healing in his wings.

What About You?

When Paul cursed him, Bar-Jesus became blind, but only temporarily. That was the grace of God to him. However, we have no indication that Bar-Jesus ever believed in Jesus Christ. Though he regained his physical sight, he remained spiritually blind.

What about you? Are you like Sergius Paulus, or are you like Bar-Jesus? God in his mercy is bringing you the gospel even now. If you reject God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, then you are like Bar-Jesus–son of the devil, full of deceit, full of trickery, enemy of truth, perverter of the straight ways of God, twister of all things. The judgment of God is upon you and you are blinded, as we read in 2 Corinthians 4:4, by the god of this world so that you cannot understand the gospel. You are taken up with your own worldly things even while you are blind to eternal verities.

The gospel tells us to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and we shall be saved. Would you do that today? Would you put away the idols of your heart–the stubbornness, the arrogance, the pride, the twistedness, the self-centeredness–and give your life over to Jesus Christ to serve him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength?

It is my prayer that you will be like Sergius Paulus–this intelligent man who welcomed the missionaries and their message. He realized the emptiness of all the trickery, the mystery religions and the philosophies offered by the world. He was looking for something that worked and he found it in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

There is no other way of salvation outside of Christ. Only Christ can save us, and only Christ will save us. He died on the cross in our place and he will receive everyone who comes to him. I pray that you will trust in Jesus Christ today and be saved. Amen.