THE NEW TESTAMENT
BIBLE STORY
Part Two
THE BOOK OF ACTS
AND
RELATED EPISTLES
Chapter One
by
Keith Hunt
The following introduction to the book of Acts is taken from the
New KJV Personal Study Bible, published by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
1990, 1995.
Quote:
This book, tracing the origins of the Christian church, is
sometimes called "The Acts of the Holy Spirit" because of the
Spirit's activity throughout. If has also been called "The Gospel
of the Spirit." It may, with some justification, be termed "The
Acts of Peter and Paul" because of the prominence given to these
two leaders. The book is indispensable to our understanding of
Christian beginnings. It presents Rome as the guardian of law and
order, a situation which often worked to the advantage of Paul
and the gospel (16:38; 25:11). The sermons recorded indicate the
way the Good News was presented to Jews (2:14-39), to Gentiles
(13:5-47), and to a more sophisticated audience (17:16-31). The
gospel was first preached to Jews in the synagogue, then to
Gentiles (see 13:46: 19:9).
AUTHOR AND DATE
The Book of Acts is the second of a two-volume set, both
addressed to Theophilus and written by one of Paul's associates
named Luke "the beloved physician" (Col.4:14). The first volume
is the Gospel of Luke. Evidence points to Philippi as Luke's
home. Some conjecture that he was the "man of Macedonia" who, in
a vision, sought help from Paul (16:9). The author of Acts was a
companion of Paul in many of his journeys, as implied by his use
of "we" (e.g., 16:1(1). He was also with Paul during his
imprisonment in Rome (see 2 Tim.4:11).
The date is less easily determined. The author probably
concluded his account two years after Paul's imprisonment in
Rome, about A.D.63 (28:3(11.
BACKGROUND
Luke's Gospel closed with emphasis on the ascension of the
risen Christ (21:50-53): Acts opens with special attention to
this important event in Christian history (1:1-11). The eleven
apostles, and many other believers, were joyous after witnessing
the Ascension. Yet they were at a loss to know what to do next,
other than selecting a successor to Judas. All this mingling of
hope and uncertainty vanished at Pentecost.
Henceforth, with courage and power, they gave witness to
their conviction that Jesus was alive. Their claim was confirmed
by undeniable miracles performed in His name (4:14). The witness
of these Christians brought consternation to persons responsible
for Jesus' death. Those who killed Him thought they had disposed
of Him. Now His authority and power were stirring Jerusalem more
than ever. There was intense opposition led by Saul of Tarsus and
the rulers in Jerusalem. Yet the gospel spread rapidly to Judea,
Samaria, and the entire Mediterranean world.
CONTENTS
The entire Book of Acts is an expansion and fulfillment of
the promise in 1:8 - "you shall be witnesses ... in Jerusalem.
Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Following the Ascension in rapid succession are Pentecost
and the birth of the church, as distinct from a mere Jewish sect.
Thousands of Jews became believers. The Good News was taken to
the Samaritans and to the "God-fearers" (see 10:2; 11:19,20) in
Caesarea and Antioch. Paul's strategy focused on Gentile
evangelism (13:46). Then came the decision about circumcision
(15:1-29), the planting and nourishing of new communities of
believers, Paul's arrest, his trip to Rome, and his ministry
while in prison. Throughout the book, as reflected in the
sermons, there is emphasis on the activity of the Holy Spirit and
the power of Jesus' resurrection.
PURPOSE
Luke 1:3,4 offer a clue to the author's purpose: to provide
"an orderly account ... that you may know the certainty of those
things in which you were instructed." Luke was a researcher and
chronicler of events for the benefit of his friend Theophilus and
for the general reader. His purpose was to inform and confirm the
faith of believers, as well as to win converts to what was first
called "the Way" (9:2).
OUTLINE OF ACTS
ONE. The gospel to the Jews: 1:1-9:43
A. Speaking the word with
boldness: 1:1-5:42
1. Ascension: Judas replaced: 1:1-26 2.
2. The Spirit's coming: 2:1-47
3. The apostles' witness: 3:1-4:31
4. Gamaliel's warning: 4:32-5:42
B. The deacons: 6:1-8:40
1. Hebrews versus Hellenists: 6:1, 2
2. Seven deacons chosen: 6:3-7
3. Stephen, the first martyr: 6:8-7:60
4. Philip, the evangelist: 8:1-10
C. Saul converted: 9:1-:31
D. Aeneas healed:9::32-35
E. Dorcas raised to life: 9:36-43
TWO. The gospel to God-fearers: 10:1-12:25
A. Cornelius converted: 10:1-48
B. Peter's defense: 11:1-18
C. Antioch evangelized: 11:19-30
D. Peter released from prison: 12:1-25
THREE. The gospel to the Gentiles: 13:1-21:16
A. First missionary journey: 13:1-14:28
1. Departure to Cyprus: 13:1-12
2. Mission in Antioch of Pisidia: 13:13-52
3. In Iconium, Lystra, Derbe: 14:1-28
B. Conference in Jerusalem: 15:1-35
C. Second missionary journey: 15:36-18:22
1. Paul revisits young churches: 15:36-16:8
2. On to Macedonia: 16:9-17:14
3. Ministry in Athens: 17:15-34
4. Church planting in Corinth: 18:1-22
D. Third missionary journey: 18:23-21:16
1. Victory in Ephesus: 18:23-19:22
2. Riot in Ephesus: 19:23-41
3. Journey to Jerusalem: 20:1-21:16
FOUR. The gospel from Jerusalem to Rome: 21:17-28:31
A. Paul on trial: 21:17-23:32
B. Defense before Felix: 23:33-24:27
C. Defense before Festus: 25:1-21
D. Defense before Agrippa: 25:22-26:32
E. Voyage to Rome: 27:1-28:16
F. Paul's prison witness in Rome: 28:17-31
End Quote
Luke links what he reported in his Gospel (that bears his
name) to what he is now going to report.
He writes to a man named Theophilus, which name means
"friend of God." He was probably a prominent Gentile believer,
who may have indeed assisted Luke in his research (see Luke
1:3,4). He is addressed as "most excellent" in Luke 1:3. The same
Greek title of respect is used for Felix (24:3) and Festus
(26:25) where it is translated "most noble." In this
introduction, as in the content of both the Gospel and Acts, Luke
envisions a wide audience including the entire Gentile world.
(Taken from the commentary in the NKJV Personal Study Bible,
mentioned above).
Luke tells us that Jesus had showed Himself alive after His
passion of death by MANY infallible proofs. He was again with His
disciples, but in resurrected glory form. He could appear to them
as flesh and bone - they could touch Him. He appeared to the
disciples as they gathered together in the evening of the first
day of the week after Jesus had risen from the dead (John 20:19).
Then again, eight days later, when Thomas (who had for some
reason, not explained to us, missed the appearing of Jesus to
the disciples eight days before) was there, congregated with the
other disciples; Jesus came and stood in the midst of them. John
tells us the doors were shut. This is a clear instructive note to
us, informing us that Jesus now had the power to walk through
walls....a kind of "beam me up" from Star Trek movies. As Jesus
told us in John 4:24, God is "Spirit" - that is He is made not of
matter, in His glorified form, but made of "spirit" - He and the
angels live in a different dimension from us - a spirit
dimension. They are made from spirit atoms shall we say. We are
atoms also when we get right down to it. But somehow those atoms
become physical as we know physical, then they become cells and
so we are physical cells. Those cells keep replenishing
themselves as we eat and drink, and we live, until for whatever
reason, those cells or part of those vital cells stop living, and
we die.
With God, His cells are "spirit" - everlasting, they do not
ever die, they are eternal. But because God is the creator of
matter as we know it, He can IF He so chooses transform Himself
INTO physical matter of flesh and bone (no need for blood to keep
Him alive for He is already eternal). He is still eternally alive
even when in the physical form. Shall we say He has eternal
physical atoms, when in the physical form.
It's somewhat hard for our brains to understand all what
I've just stated, but one day, as the apostle Paul said, we shall
KNOW just as we are known.
So Jesus appeared to His disciples, and Thomas was there at
that time (see John 20:26). Thomas had doubted that Jesus was
again alive, as others had told him. So Jesus instructed him to
touch Him, to put his finger into the nail holes in His hands and
to put his hand into the hole in Jesus' side, where, as we saw in
the last chapters of the Gospels, a soldier had thrust a spear
into Jesus, that was the final slaying blow that killed the Son
of God on the cross.
Thomas did as Jesus instructed and then with a wild
emotional cry, shouted out, "O my Lord, and my God" (John 20:21).
Yes, we need to note carefully that Jesus is not only LORD, but
also GOD!
Now God is God, or the Father God is God, but here we see
that Jesus is God also. May seem a little confusing, but when you
understand that the New Testament especially, shows that the
Godhead is made up of TWO individual persons, one being the
one called "Father" - the one Jesus spoke to and spoke about,
during His ministry in the flesh, and the other being is Jesus
the Christ, who was raised from the dead to the God level of
existence and power, then what many think is a mystery is really
no mystery at all.
There are TWO God beings that make the ONE Godhead (remember
we read in the Gospels that Jesus said, "I and my Father are
ONE") and we know from the very first chapters of Genesis that
God can call TWO as ONE....a man and a woman God said, leave
their father and mother, they join together in marriage, and
become ONE. They remain as TWO individual beings, but become AS
ONE. They often have ONE name, we may know them as Mr. and Mrs.
Jones or Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Two individuals both having the same
name.
So the Father is God and Jesus is God also (see John chapter
one). Sometimes in the New Testament the word "God" is used as a
proper name for the Father, and sometimes it is used as a name or
title for the Godhead, the context of the verses will tell
HOW it is being used. Sometimes the context will tells us it is
used for Jesus, just as John 20:28 tells us.
Jesus is God, but NOT God the Father, God the Father is God,
but NOT Jesus.
They are TWO individual separate spirit bodied beings. Two
that make ONE Godhead.
The New Testament makes this VERY CLEAR, just read it for
what it is and says, and simply let it tell you this very basic
truth. The Godhead CAN be understood, it is not a mystery.
Jesus did MANY other signs in the presence of His disciples
that are not recorded for us, John said in verse 30 of chapter 20
of his Gospel. Enough signs are recorded for us that we may
BELIEVE that Jesus was and is the Christ, the Son of God, and
believing we might have eternal life through Him (verse 31).
Jesus told Thomas that they were BLESSED who would not physically
see Jesus but yet BELIEVE (John 20:29).
When Jesus returns in glory, then all the thousands down
through the centuries who have believed but have never seen in
person the Christ, WILL SEE Him, and one day we shall SEE the
FATHER as promised in Revelation 22:1-5.
John records more about Jesus appearing to His disciples in
John chapter 21. You may like to read this section again before
continuing in Acts. Jesus gave instruction that His disciples
should not depart from Jerusalem, but to wait there for the
promise of the Holy Spirit to be poured out on them with power
(Acts 1:4-5). He told them they would not have to wait very long.
IS THE KINGDOM TO COME?
Acts 1:6 reads as if it was only on one occasion that the
disciples asked Jesus if it was at this time that the Kingdom
would be restored to Israel? But the Greek tense used means it
was a question asked more than once at different times (we can
think of it as not one continuous line but as a broken length of
line, stretching over a period of time). The disciples knew the
basics of many Old Testament prophecies that foretold of God's
Kingdom on earth and Israel as a leading nation under the
Messiah, to finally set the right example of living for all other
nations of the earth. They often wanted to know from Jesus, if
those prophecies would be fulfilled in their life time, during
that time in which they were living. Obviously Jesus had never
told them that all would come to pass in their life time, so they
asked one more time this question, before He was taken up into
heaven.
Jesus finally told them that it was NOT for THEM to know the
seasons and times of those prophecies, which God had determined
to bring to fruition. They were to receive the Holy Spirit with
POWER and to be witnesses for Jesus, in the area of Jerusalem,
Judea, Samaria, and even unto the uttermost parts of the earth
(Acts 1:6-8)
This does NOT mean that SOME in the last days will not know
the times and the seasons of God's prophecies. Some things were
just not to be understood by some of God's children in their day.
Daniel was told that some of the things he wrote about, under
inspiration of God's Spirit, and from direct contact with angels
sent to him, were sealed and closed up UNTIL the time of the end,
and at the time of the end some would understand (see Daniel
12:4, 8-10). The book of Revelation had not yet been written
when Jesus was about to ascend to heaven in front of His
disciples, and that book contains many end time prophecies, that
do tell us about the times and the seasons of God's restoration
of all things and the Kingdom of God to come on earth.
It was not for Jesus' disciples of 30 A.D. (the year Jesus
died and ascended to heaven) to understand those prophecies.
JESUS ASCENDS TO HEAVEN AND WILL
COME AGAIN IN LIKE MANNER
At the time Jesus spoke those words and answered their often
asked question, while they were watching Him, He began to rise up
from the earth. They stood there in dumb silent amazement, as
Jesus moved up higher and higher from them. Then a cloud came and
He was engulfed in its fine white midst, and lifting up with Him,
He was soon out of their sight. They were transfixed with
wonderment, some with mouths open, some with a puzzled look on
their faces, all were astonished and wondering what the whole
scene could possibly mean. Was Jesus working another miracle to
prove again that He was the very resurrected Son of God? Would He
all of a sudden just appear in their midst and walk away with
them?
As they were questioning what was happening, two angels, or
as Luke puts it, two men in white apparel, stood by them, and
then gave them the answer to their questioning minds.
"Ye men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so
come in like manner, as you have seen Him go into heaven."
The disciples now knew that Jesus was gone from them and
from earth. They knew He would not be back that day or the next
day. They knew He was gone until He should come again with clouds
in the glory of God, to establish the Kingdom and to restore
Israel. They did not know WHEN that would be....would it be in
their life time? They probably thought it would be, but they did
not know for sure. They knew Jesus wanted them to remain in
Jerusalem until empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:9-11).
We note here that Jesus had a visible ascension and only one not two. The angels said He would come back in a like manner [like not 100 percent as He went into heaven]. Revelation 19 shows us some differences. But it is one coming again, and that blows away the false doctrine taught by some today, that the coming of Jesus will be a two part coming, a secret coming, any second, to take the saints to heaven for 7 years. Then He comes visibly with the saints back to earth. This one verses here in Acts blows away that false doctrine of some Protestant fundamentalists. Just as He went to heaven here once, so He will come back from heaven to earth just ONCE!
THE DISCIPLES STAY IN JERUSALEM
After Jesus had ascended into heaven from the mount called
Olivet which was about a Sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem,
they returned back into that city (Acts 1:12).
A Sabbath day's journey was about two-thirds of a mile,
according to old Jewish history. You can read the entire Old
Testament and you will never find "a Sabbath day's journey"
mentioned. It is not in the books of Moses (the first five books
of the Old Testament). It was never a law of the Lord, and should
never be thought of as a law coming from God. It was one of the
hundreds of Jewish laws and rules that was invented by the
Pharisees, to try and hedge around the Sabbath, so people in
their religious view would be observing the weekly Sabbath day
"holy" and "righteously." But as Mark 7 shows us, Jesus saw
through all these man-made commandments passed off as God's
righteousness. He threw them aside and told the Pharisees they
taught traditions that often nullified the true righteousness and
true commandments of God.
This verse is a lesson in Bible reading. Here Luke just
reports a fact based on human customs of the day ... that the
mount of Olivet was about the distance from Jerusalem that a
"tradition" of the religious Pharisees deemed was "a Sabbath
day's journey" or the distance that the Pharisees taught was the
furthest a person should walk on the Sabbath day. Luke does not
enter it as a "law of God" - he simply uses a tradition
of the time to tell his readers the distance Olivet was from
Jerusalem. We need to be careful when reading the Bible, and
realize that sometimes things are said with no bearing as to
making it a law of God, or as trying to make it true sin or true
righteousness.
The disciples came again to Jerusalem. They went into an
upper room, where we are told abode Peter, James, John, Andrew,
Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James, the son of Alphaeus,
and Simon the Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
We are told those mentioned "continued with one accord in
PRAYER and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of
Jesus, and with his brothers" (Acts 1:13-14).
Who "the women" were Luke knows his readers knew, it was
common knowledge in Luke's day of writing the book of Acts. We
today can only speculate. Mary the mother of Jesus was there as
well as Jesus' physical half brothers (we saw in the Gospels that
Mary and Joseph did have physical children between themselves
after Jesus had been born).
By the day of Jesus' ascension into heaven His half brothers
had come to realize who HE really was - the Messiah - God in the
flesh, now made God in glory and power by a resurrection from the
dead.
We notice here that all these people were together in an
upper room and continued in "prayer and supplication." This was
not a "bible study" with an opening and closing prayer. It was
what today is known as "a prayer meeting." Did they all take
turns in praying aloud? Did they all just pray quietly within
themselves? We are not told the details, but it was a time of
prayer. I guess so when you consider the events of the entire
40 day period Jesus had been with them, and the death and
resurrection just before those forty days. It was a very special
time, and prayer was indeed most fitting.
JUDAS ISCARIOT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED
Peter at this time, while there was about 120 disciples
present, told them that Judas Iscariot's ministry needed to be
replaced with another man. You may recall that in the Gospels
Jesus had promised that each of the 12 disciples would in the
Kingdom of God on earth, rule over a tribe of Israel, each ruling
one tribe. So indeed another man needed to replace Judas
Iscariot, who had hanged himself after realizing what it all led
to when he took the Pharisees and Temple guards to Jesus in the
garden of Gethsemane, on the Passover night of the 14th of the
first month (called Nisan in the Jewish calendar).
Peter knew also that it was prophesied in the Old Testament
that another should replace Judas Iscariot. For he told them that
it was written in the Psalms, "Let his habitation be desolate,
and let no man dwell therein" and "his office let another take"
(Ps. 69:25; Ps.109:8).
Judas had betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, then full
of remorse had throw the silver back at the Scribes and
Pharisees. They then decided to buy a field with it to bury
strangers in, as it was "blood money" and in their self-righteous
attitude they were not about to put it into the temple treasury.
All this can be seen by reading Matthew 27, starting in verse 5.
Also the death of Judas is described in somewhat of a vivid
manner. The field that was bought with the 30 pieces of silver
became known as the "field of blood" (Acts 1:15-20).
Peter said to the 120 or so disciples present at this time,
"Of the men who have been with us through Jesus' ministry,
starting from the baptism of John unto the day He was taken up
into heaven, which one will you choose and appoint to be with us
twelve for a witness of Jesus' resurrection?" (Acts 1:21-22).
It was needful that a man was chosen who had seen and been
with Jesus, as a basic constant disciple for the whole of Jesus'
earthy ministry. We saw as we went through the Gospels the fact
that there were a number of other persons - both men and
women - who were part of Jesus' overall constant following,
besides the inner core group of THE twelve disciples.
The group of 120 disciples chose two men, one called Joseph
Barsabas, and surnamed Justus, and another called Matthias. We
are not told how this choosing was done, so the method is not
important, and would so allow for a variety of ways to so
determine who would be the final two men.
We are told that when it came to deciding THE one of the two
who would replace Judas Iscariot, it was by some type of "lots"
they gave forth. Again what these "lots" were in specifics we are
not told, which once more leaves it open for different ways it
could have been done. You will notice PRAYER was employed. The
"lot" fell to Matthias who them became one of the very 12
disciples, replacing Judas Iscariot.
Should ALL decisions a "church" congregation (and this is
what we have here as put in modern language) is to make, be done
with a type of "lot"? No, not really. What we have here in this
account is a VERY SERIOUS and a very IMPORTANT disciple office
to fill. This is a once in a life time decision for a group of
God's children to decide upon. Hence only God could make the
FINAL decision and the choosing of a man to be part of the 12
disciples who would one day, rule over a tribe of Israel in the
Kingdom of God, when Jesus returns to rule the earth for a
thousand years (the time commonly called "the millennium") as
foretold in Revelation 20.
Most "church decisions" will not be like this "once in a
life time" situation. If it ever is, then yes, it would be proper
that God must give the answer, through much prayer and some type
of "lot" as given in this example of deciding which man would
replace Judas Iscariot.
Matthias was now numbered with the eleven apostles (Acts
1:24-26).
..............................
March 2004
  Chapter Forty-eight:Power on Pentecost Day! THE BOOK OF ACTS
Chapter Two
The time period from Passover to the day of Pentecost was
commonly called in the first century in Palestine, "first fruits
season" or "Pentecost season." The word Pentecost means "count
fifty" and from the wave sheaf day during the feast of
Unleavened Bread (which is a first day of the week) the
Israelites were to count fifty days, and the 50th day was the day
or feast day of Pentecost. During that time period the first
harvest in Palestine was gathered in, the crop being first barley
then wheat. The period of fifty days was the Pentecost season,
hence Luke was getting very specific when in verse one of chapter
two of the book of Acts he said, "And when the day of Pentecost
was FULLY come...." Luke was wanting to make sure all readers
knew that he was now relating the events that took place on the
VERY feast day of Pentecost.
The disciples he says were all together in one place (Acts
2:1).
SUDDENLY, from heaven a sound like a massive whirlwind, was
all around the house where the disciples were gathered. Then from
what appeared to be from out of nowhere, cloven tongues like made
of fire came and sat upon the heads of each of the disciples, and
they were miraculously filled with the Holy Spirit in their
minds. And they found they could speak in different languages,
that they had never learned, as the Holy Spirit led them to so
speak (Acts 2:2-3).
We shall see presently WHY God gave the disciples this
miracle of being able to speak in languages never spoken by them
before.
There were at Jerusalem, devour religious people from all
the various nations of the then hub of the world, under the great
and far flung Roman Empire. It was soon reported to those in
Jerusalem what had happened to the group of Jesus' disciples, and
as we say, "they came running" to see it all for themselves.
They were indeed amazed and dumbfounded at what they heard, for
they heard the disciples speaking in their own particular
language. This was more than just a miracle of "speaking" it was
also a miracle of "hearing" for Luke says it this way: "Every man
heard THEM speak in his own language." This strongly implies that
the listener heard ALL of the disciples speaking in his language.
So it was like a Chinese man hearing ALL of the disciples
speaking Chinese, and the Russian person heard ALL of the
disciples speaking in the Russian language, while the Englishman
heard them ALL speaking English. A miracle of the hearing as well
as of the speaking.
Nothing like this has ever happened before or since. Those
who claim to be "Pentecostal churches" and want to try and
duplicate this miracle of Pentecost recorded here in Acts 2, have
never come close to claiming all the people hear others speaking
in just their particular language. This miracle of this Pentecost
has remained unique.
Those listening were indeed amazed because they knew the
disciples were from Galilee, and so looked upon as basically
unlearned people, just "country folks" - not noble well educated
"city dwellers." Again they said among themselves, "How can this
be? How can everyone of us hear them speaking in the language
wherein we were born?" Those people listening were Parthians,
Medes, Elamites, dwellers in Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia,
Pontus, and Asia (today what is known as Turkey), from Phygia,
Pamphylia, from Egypt, from parts of Libya about Cyrene, and
strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes (Gentiles converted to
Judaism). they were from Crete and Arabia, and all of them said
they heard THEM speak in their language, the wonderful works of
God. Again Luke says they were all amazed and were in doubt as to
what this miracle meant. Some others standing by and not given
the miracle of hearing, just mocked and laughed at it all, to
them it was like a bunch of men who had had too much to drink and
were intoxicated with new wine (Acts 2:5-13).
PETER'S SPEAKS WITH MIGHTY INSPIRATION
But Peter standing up in front of them all spoke out boldly
and powerfully:
"You people of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem,
listen to me, I want you to know this. These disciples are
not drunken as some of you suppose, for it is just the third
hour of the day (that would be about 9 a.m. as we reckon the
day hours).
What you witness it what was prophesied long ago by the
prophet Joel, who said and wrote: 'And it shall come to pass
in the last days, says God, I will pour out my Spirit upon
all flesh: your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and
your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall
dream dreams. And on my servants and on my handmaids I will
pour out in those days my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
and I will show wonders in heaven above; and signs in the
earth below; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun
shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,
before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it
shall come to pass that whoever shall call upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved' " (Acts 2: 14-21).
Now this is an interesting passage, for it teaches us that
some of God's prophetic words can have a DOUBT meaning and a
double fulfilment. The words we have just read, taken from the
book of Joel (chapter two) in the Old Testament, are such that
the details certainly did NOT happen as written on that day of
Pentecost that LUKE is recording for us. And further more the
prophecy of Joel is to take place before the great prophetic "day
of the Lord" that is spoken about in 30 or more passages in the
Old Testament. And is also spoken about in Revelation chapter
6:12-17. The details of Joel will one day come to pass, a year
or so before the coming of Jesus in glory, just before the "day
of God's wrath" comes on this earth.
But Peter certainly had no problem in equating the prophecy
of Joel with the events of this Pentecost day. It was to him a
type of fulfilment, a forerunner of the final mighty and even
greater fulfilment, that is still yet to come on this earth and
on the people of God that He will choose to again mightily pour
out His spirit on, as a witness of the power of God, to the
ungodly people of the earth. It will be a witness to tell the
people of the nations of the world that the Almighty is now going
to step in and shake and roll the earth and its people, in a way
that will really start to get their attention.
The people of Jerusalem on this day of Pentecost were
attentive for sure, as this witness of the power of God was
manifested in their midst.
Peter went on to say:
"You men of Israel, listen, hear these words I'm speaking:
Jesus of Nazareth, a man that you should have known was
approved of God among you by all the miracles, wonders, and
signs, which God did through Him as He lived among you.
You know all this, it all happened openly before you all.
Him, according to the will of God from ages passed, as
planned by the wisdom of the Lord, you have taken Him and
through wickedness you put Him to death by slaying Him by
the means of crucifixion. But God has raised Him up,
resurrected Him to glory, loosed Him from the snare of
death, for it was impossible that death should rule over
Him.
For David was inspired to tell us that God the Father saw
His Son living and so death would not reign over Him: 'I
foresaw the Lord always before me, for He is on My right
hand' and Jesus then replies in David's writing: 'I should
not be moved from life by death. Therefore my heart did
rejoice, and I spoke with gladness, and I knew my flesh
would rest in death in hope. For you would not leave my life
in the grave, nor would your Holy One see corruption of His
physical body. You have made know to me the ways of life;
and you shall make me full of joy with your face and mind
towards me, to deliver me from the physical death'
(Ps.16:8)" (Acts 2:22-28).
Peter was not through with speaking. He again lifted up his
voice with power and said:
"Men and brethren, let me speak frankly to you about the
patriarch David. He is both dead and buried, his grave
remains with us to this day. He was a prophet and was
inspired to know that just has God had sworn with an oath to
him, that of his very fleshly descendants, He would raise up
the Messiah to sit on his throne. So seeing all this
beforehand, he spoke of the very resurrection of Christ,
that His life would not be left in the grave, neither would
His physical flesh see corruption.
This Jesus the Christ, God has indeed then raised up from
the dead, and we. His disciples, are witness to this fact.
He is now at the right hand of God in heaven, exalted in
glory. And we having received from the Father the promise of
the Holy Spirit, He has given to us this gift of the power
of His Spirit, that you are now seeing and hearing.
For we know that David, the man, did not go up into heaven
where God is, but David himself foretold that: 'The Lord
said to my Lord, sit you upon my right hand, until I make
your enemies your footstool'(Ps.110:1)" (Acts 2:29-35).
This is one of the clearest passages in the New Testament
showing that at death we do not go to heaven where God the Father
and Jesus are living. We are not born with an immortal soul. We
die and rest in death until the resurrection day at the coming of
Jesus in glory to sit on David's throne and rule the earth, when
His enemies will indeed be under His feet, under His rule and
authority. Jesus was raised back to life from the dead, but
raised to glorious immortal life, to go back to heaven and sit at
the right hand of the Father UNTIL the Father sends Him back to
earth to rule all nations for a thousand years (see Revelation
20).
And because of this magnificent truth Peter went on to say:
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know as a sure thing,
that God has made that same Jesus, whom you crucified, both
LORD and CHRIST" (verse 36).
Jesus is not only SAVIOR, the anointed Messiah, but He is
MASTER, and ruler of the earth when the Kingdom of God comes to
earth in a very literal way.
When the people listening to Peter heard all that he was
telling them, they were smitten in their hearts with conviction
of it all being very true, as to what Peter had said to them.
They then cried out with sincere hearts, "Oh, men and
brethren, it is indeed so true....what then must we do?" And
Peter looking at them and feeling the full inspiration of God,
replied: "REPENT, and be BAPTIZED every one of you in the NAME of
Jesus Christ FOR the REMISSION of SINS, and you shall then
RECEIVE the GIFT of the HOLY SPIRIT! For the promise is towards
you, and to your children, and indeed to ALL that are far off,
even to as many as the Lord our God shall CALL" (verses 37-39).
We note here the last words. As we saw in the Gospels, God
must CALL people to His salvation, open up their deceived and
blinded minds, so they can understand spiritual matters of truths
from His word. Then as Peter said IF they will REPENT and be
BAPTIZED in the name of Jesus Christ, God has promised to give
them His Holy Spirit.
REPENTANCE has to do with knowing what to repent of. It is to do with SIN and it is the LAW of God, the TEN COMMANDMENTS that define SIN [John 3:4; Romans 7:7; James 2: 10-12]; then the whole Bible AMPLIFIES SIN! As you read the Bible, you are told the EXPANSE of sin. So for a new person coming to God without ever reading the Bible, REPENTANCE of SIN takes on a large meaning other than the basic breaking of the Ten Commandments. We see here the basic ONE and TWO of the way to enter into
salvation, and into a relationship with the Father and with His
Son Jesus the Christ. There maybe at times some exceptions to
this basic way, but God makes those exceptions, not us (sometimes
giving His Spirit to some people BEFORE baptism - - yet they
should still be baptized - we'll see this exception later in the
book of Acts).
BAPTISM is another subject that must be covered in other studies. Peter it is recorded by Luke, spoke many other words to them
on that day of Pentecost. The main important words are recorded
for us. The words Peter spoke were given so the people hearing
could save themselves from that wicked and crooked generation
(verse 40).
Many did harken to the words of Peter and gladly repented
and were baptized. On that one day alone, there were about three
thousand lives won for the Lord. All of them continued with a
stead fast heart in the apostles teachings and fellowship. They
"broke bread" together, a phrase used to denote the fellow-
shipping of eating meals with each other. And they continued in
PRAYERS! Most important at this time of the birth of the
Christian New Testament Church of God. Yes, it would be very
natural and very spontaneous, for prayers to be given by God's
children at this time, as it was the start of a spiritual
movement that later one ruler would say (as we'll come to in the
book of Acts) "turned the world upside down" (verses 41-42).
So powerful was the Holy Spirit in the lives of the apostles
and others that Luke says "fear" came upon every person, because
of the wonders and signs that were done by the apostles (verse
43).
BELIEVERS SHARE THINGS AMONG EACH OTHER
All the followers of Jesus, old and new, were together in
Jerusalem, and they had all things in common Luke reports in Acts
2:44. This he goes on to explain in verses 45 to 47. People were
willing to sell their possessions and their valuables of what
sort they were, and then distribute money or goods to every
believer as every person had need.
You will notice the words "as every man had need" - this was
not a practice of "communism" or dividing everything equally to
each believer and follower of Christ. Goods and money were given
out AS NEEDED by each individual. Obvious to some were given
more and to some were given less, as each person in their
situation of life had need.
The new "church of God" had increased by thousands in a
matter of a few days, starting with about 3,000 being baptized on
the day of Pentecost alone. They were not leaving for their homes
in various parts of the Roman Empire - they were staying on in
Jerusalem, rejoicing in the truth and new found faith of God in
Christ Jesus as Messiah and Savior. Many would have run out of
money, or food, or whatever else would be needed to stay on in
Jerusalem and not return home for a while.
This situation was a unique circumstance in the history of
those called to salvation by the heavenly Father, and so it
called for much personal sacrifice from Christ's disciples
who lived in the area of Jerusalem, and who had wealth of one
kind or another. It called for a real "giving and sharing" of
their wealth to those who needed physical things to enable them
to stay on in Jerusalem and not return home for a period of time,
that they had not planned for when they came to Jerusalem to
observe the feast of Pentecost or First-fruits.
It was a natural thing to want to stay around and learn from
Jesus' twelve apostles and to grow in grace and knowledge of many
of the truths of God's word that they were now learning.
So all those many new, and 120 or so old disciples of Jesus,
continued daily with one mind-set, worshipping in the Temple (the
temple in Jerusalem as still God's Temple and was still a place
to meditate and worship in), and eating meals together (breaking
bread from house to house, means eating meals together in
fellowship, and has nothing to do with taking the bread and wine
as in the memorial of Jesus' death in the Passover service). This
they did with gladness and with a pure heart of devotion towards
God. They were praising the Father in heaven for His grace and
truths. They were a model, well-mannered, friendly, courteous,
joyful people, and so it is recorded that they were well
favored by all the people in Jerusalem and area.
As each day went by God added more and more to His church
and to the way of salvation (Acts 2:44-47).
............................
March 2004
TO BE CONTINUED
  Chapter Forty-nine:Peter's Second Sermon THE BOOK OF ACTS
Chapter Three and Four
It was the ninth hour, or about 3 p.m. as we reckon it, and
Peter and John went up into the Temple at Jerusalem. It was the
hour of prayer. This time of the day to pray in the Temple was a
Jewish tradition and has no support for being done from any Old
Testament Scriptures.
A man was at the gate of the Temple, called "Beautiful" - he
had been born lame and had to be carried there. He was there to
beg for money or food from those entering into the Temple. He saw
Peter and James about to go into the Temple and asked for money.
Peter turned and looked compassionately at the lame man, John
also, but it was Peter who spoke:
"Look upon us lame man," and the man indeed did do so for he
expected they would give him some money. "Silver and gold
we do not have, but that which we do have I will give to
you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I want you to
stand up and to walk."
Peter reached out and took the man's right hand in his, and
lifted him to his feet, and at once the man's ankles and feet
received full strength. The man could feel the strength surging
into his ankles and feet, and with no hesitation he leaped up and
stood, and immediately walked also. He walked with Peter and John
into the Temple, not only walking but leaping around like a young
lamb. He was loudly praising God.
What a great miracle this was. The man had never walked, he
was born lame. Yet in seconds he was walking and leaping. Think
how a small child must "learn" to walk, but this man had that
miracle given him also....walking and leaping in seconds. The
people who saw him and knew him for many years, were witnessing
him now leaping around and to his praise to God. They knew
this man very well for they had seen him at the Temple gate each
day for many years. The people were filled with utter amazement
and wonder at what they were now witnessing as to the condition
of this man's feet and legs on that afternoon, in the Temple of
God (Acts 3:1-10)
PETER'S SECOND SERMON
The man who had been healed of lameness was not letting
Peter and John out of his sight, he was at times holding on to
them, everyone so knew that it was they who had done this
miracle. As you can imagine hundreds soon gathered around the
three of them. They were in the area of the porch that is called
"Solomon's Porch" and the crowd was questioning and in transfixed
wonderment.
It was a great opportunity for Peter to bring another sermon
on the recent truths of God at this time in history, he opened
his mouth and said:
"You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this miracle, and
why do you gaze on us as if mesmerized? You may think that
what you are seeing was done just by us. No, it was not our
holiness or our power that made this man walk!
The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of
our fathers, who has glorified His Son Jesus; who you
delivered up and denied Him in the presence of Pilate when
he was about to let Him go free. Yes, but you denied the
Holy One and the Just, and you desired a murderer to be
granted life. And you wanted killed the Prince of Life, He
whom God has raised from the dead to immortal life, as we
His disciples are witness to.
And it is through faith in His name that made this man
strong and able to walk, and you have known this man for
many years: yes, the faith which from Him had given this
man perfect soundness right in the presence of you all.
I know it was through ignorance that you killed the Son of
God, so also your rulers, they were ignorant also. But God
had planned long ago, as testified by the mouth of the
prophets, that Christ should suffer. Well it has all been
fulfilled.
You need to REPENT now, and you need to be changed in your
heart and mind-set, so your sins can be blotted out, so that
times of spiritual refreshing can come to you from the
presence of the Lord. And He will send Jesus Christ to you
through His spirit, which was before preached to you that
this was God's purpose and plan.
The heaven must for now keep this Jesus but only until the
promised restitution of all things to come on earth, as the
holy prophets spoke and wrote about from the very beginning
of this creation on earth.
Even Moses said unto the fathers, 'A prophet shall the Lord
your God raise up unto you from your very own people, like
as I am one of God's prophets. Him you will listen to in all
the things that He shall say to you. And it shall come to
pass eventually that every person who will not harken and
obey that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people
who do hear and obey. Yes, all the prophets from Samuel and
all who came after him as prophets, as many as have spoken
about these matters, did indeed foretell all that has taken
place in these last number of days.
You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant
which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'In your
ancestry shall all the peoples of the earth be blessed.'
It is to you first that God, after raising up this Jesus,
His Son, sent word to bless you, that in turning each of you
away from your iniquities" (Acts 3:12-26)
PRIESTS AND SADDUCEES UPSET
With such a large crowd around Peter and John and the man
healed of lameness, it was not long before the Temple Priests,
Temple guards and the Sadducees (who were in charge of the
working of the Temple) came a flying to see what was going on.
After hearing the words of Peter and realizing the resurrection
of the dead was being taught through this man called Jesus (the
Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection), they were
mightily grieved, and so upset were they that they told the
Temple guards to put them in the "hold" (type of jail) until the
morning because it was now evening time.
Yet even with this show of disdain from the Sadducees, about
FIVE THOUSAND that heard the message of Peter DID believe all
that he taught (Acts 4:1-4)
PETER AND JOHN BEFORE JEWISH RULERS
The next day many of the rulers, and elders, and scribes of
the Jewish people, came together with Annas the high priest and
those who were his close relatives. They all gathered in
Jerusalem. Peter and John and the man healed of lameness were
brought before them all and this question was asked them: "By
what power or by what name, have you done all that you did in the
Temple yesterday?"
Peter...was silent for a few seconds, then looking
steadfastly at them all, and being filled with the powerful
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said:
"You rulers of the people, and you elders (older men who
were looked upon as having much wisdom) of Israel. If we are
being examined for the good deed and work we have done
towards this man who was lame and who is now walking and
dancing, then let it be known to you, and to all the people
of Israel, that by the NAME of JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth,
whom you decided to crucify, whom God in His power RAISED up
from the dead, even by HIM does this man stand here
before you all being healed.
This Jesus is the stone which was set at nought, as
worthless by you builders, and which has become the HEAD of
the corner, the most important stone of the building.
Neither is there SALVATION IN ANY OTHER, for there is NO
other name under heaven given among mankind through which we
must be saved" (Acts 4:5-12).
RULERS TRY TO STOP THE APOSTLES PREACHING
At these words the rulers were shocked and yet also
marvelled, for they knew the men before them were not from among
the noble, high-class, well educated, people of the nation, but
in their eyes looked upon as "country-bumpkins" or "prairie
cowboys" or "back-woods-men" as we might put it in our modern
phrases. But they did realize and took note that these men had
been with Jesus.
The lame man was standing right in their sight, no longer
lame, but strong in his legs and feet, and they could not deny
it, so they were wise enough to keep their mouths shut, they said
nothing against what was obviously a miracle standing before
them.
They told the three men to go to one side out of the council
chambers, and they scrummed down as the football players do
before their next move on the opposition. One said, "What on
earth are we going to do with these men? For a great and noble
miracle has been done in the sight of all in Jerusalem, and we
cannot deny it, it's impossible to deny it." Another then
answered, "Yes, that is correct, what you have said. But we must
try and contain the matter that it spread no further than this
city. So let us tell these three men that they are forbidden to
speak about this miracle through this Jesus Christ man
to any other person."
The Jewish rulers thought they had a pretty good plan with
this idea, so they called Peter, John, and the man healed from
lameness, and commanded them to not speak or teach in the name of
Jesus.
Peter and John looked at each other for a split second and
then without hesitation replied, "Is it right in the sight of God
to harken to your commands or to God's commands? Now you judge
that! Because we CANNOT but speak the things which we have SEEN
and HEARD while with Jesus.
Now the rulers grew angry, shouting, and spitting, red in
the face, and screamed out other threats to them. But because
they could find no real fault with them, so not able to punish
them in any physical way, and because the people in Jerusalem
were glorifying God for this miracle, they could simply once more
just resort to emotional threats, and had to let them go.
The man on whom this mighty miracle was performed was about
40 years old. He had been a long long time sitting lame at the
Temple gate, more than one generation of people knew him and had
witnessed the great power of God's Holy Spirit through the
name and authority of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:13-22)
THE CHURCH IN PRAYER
Peter and John went to their own company of disciples and
told them all that the Jewish rulers had said and done. On
hearing this news the disciples lifted up their voices as one and
said:
"Lord, you are God, which made the heavens and the earth,
and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of
your servant David has said, 'Why did the heathen rage, and
the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood
up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord,
and against His Christ' (Ps.2:1). For it is true that
against your holy child Jesus, whom you have anointed,
both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the
people of Israel, were gathered together; for to do what
your mind and plan had determined to be done,
from a very long time before.
And now Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto your
servants that with BOLDNESS they may SPEAK your words. And
by and through your outstretched hand and power to heal,
that signs and wonders may be dome by the name of your holy
child Jesus."
And when they had finished praying this prayer, the place
where they were assembled together was SHAKEN, and they were all
filled with more of the Holy Spirit, and they indeed did speak
the WORD of God with BOLDNESS! (Acts 4:23-31).
SHARING OF POSSESSIONS
It was a time in the Church of God that all things were of
one heart and one mind. This has hardly ever been seen since
those early days as the rest of Acts and the New Testament
clearly show, much strife and division was to come into the
Church of God, but at this time there was full unity and oneness
among all the disciples of the Lord Jesus.
They had great POWER from the Holy Spirit, and that power
was used for the glory of the spreading of the word of God and
the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. It was with power
that they gave witness to the resurrection and to glory of Jesus the
Christ. At this time God's grace was upon them all and they were
protected from all evil and all the evil deeds that some would
have liked to have done to them, because they taught Jesus and
Him crucified and raised again to life eternal.
Many of the new converts, thousands by now, were still
staying on in Jerusalem, still not wanting to leave but to
fellowship with all the saints and to learn more about Jesus and
the truths of the word of God. It was still a time for many who
had stayed on to be physically helped with food, clothes,
lodging, etc. It is written by Luke that there was not one who
did not share with the others in whatever way they could give and
share. Some were blessed with a house, or land, and were able to
sell those things and so the money was brought to the twelve
apostles, given to them, and hence money was distributed to those
who needed it, and as they needed it.
Again, no communism mind-set here. Money was given AS
needed, in the amount each needed for his or her physical needs.
A man who was called by the apostles Barnabas (meaning "son
of consolation"), a Levite from the country of Cyprus, he had
some land which he sold, and gave the money to the apostles to be
given in service to help those in need at this time.
We shall see in Acts 5 that the money people received from
selling their houses and land was ALWAYS theirs, they having the
authority over it at all times, and they could do with it
whatever they chose. They could give it all to the "church" to
help others, or part of it, any part of it. There was NO
obligation that demanded it was all to be given to the "church."
This serving and helping others at this period in the Christian
church with physical possession or money was voluntary, from
the heart's work, a giving as the Spirit of God led. Some gave
more, some gave less, some gave all, and those who could not
give RECEIVED.
It must truly have been a blessed time for all the followers
of Jesus (Acts 4:32-37).
...................................
TO BE CONTINUED
  Chapter Fifty:Acts 5 - Persecution
ACTS chapter Five
ATTITUDE OF DECEPTION
Here at the start of the New Testament Church of God it was
a time of explosive growth in the area of Jerusalem, and it was a
time for those who could give to indeed give to help in a
physical way the thousands of new converts, many from far outside
Jerusalem and even Palestine. For as we have seen many were
staying on in the city of Jerusalem to fellowship and learn more
from the apostles of Jesus, the truths of God's word.
In the context of all this needed "giving" and service to
fellow believers their was a man by the name of Ananias, with a
wife called Sapphirah. They had certain possessions they could
sell to help out members of the Church of God. And they did sell
those possession. We are not told what the possession was, and it
really does not matter. But both Ananias and his wife Sapphirah
undertook a spiritual and physical deception. They wanted to be
known as being among the very generous ones who were selling
things and giving the money to the apostles, so in turn that
money could be used to help the brethren that needed help.
They came with the money and gave it to the apostles,
telling them that it was ALL the money that they had received
from selling their possession. This was NOT true, as they were
holding back some of the money for themselves.
Peter, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, was given
inspired revelation that this couple were lying about the money
they were giving, being all the money from the sale of their
possession.
"Why have you lied," said Peter to Ananias, "Why have you
allowed Satan to come into your heart to fill you with this
deceptive plan for vain glory, while you lie about giving us
all the money you have received?"
Was Ananias and Sapphirah NOT allowed to retain some of the
money, or even all of it, if they chose? Was it an apostolic rule
that people with possession should sell them and give all the
money received from the sale to the apostles? NO, not at all!
Peter went on to say to Ananias, "Was not the possessions
yours to do with as you desired? Did we command you to sell it?
And even after you sold it, was not the money yours to do with as
you willed? Yes, it was."
Serving the brethren with physical goods and money at this
special time was VOLUNTARY, no one was forcing or demanding
anyone to do anything with their possessions.
"You have lied to the Holy Spirit Ananias," Peter went on
to say, "You have not lied to men but to God," Peter finished
with those words and we are told that Ananias hearing those words
fell down and died. He was carried out and buried. It was soon
known to all in Jerusalem what had happened and as you can
imagine, great respectful fear came upon all who heard it.
About three hours later, Sapphirah came in to see Peter.
She had no idea what had happened to her husband.
Peter said to her:
"Did you sell your possessions for the amount of money you
gave us?"
"Yes," answered Sapphirah, "We sold our possessions and gave
all of the money we received from it to you apostles."
"You and your husband have lied," Peter declared raising
his voice in righteous indignation, "You obviously both
agreed to lie about this matter, and to test the very Spirit
of the Lord! Well, the feet of those who carried your dead
husband out of here a little while back, to bury him for his
lie, are right at the door and shall carry you out."
Then Sapphirah also immediately fell down dead at Peter's
feet. The men came in and indeed found her dead and carried her
out and buried her next to her husband.
We are told again that great respectful fear came upon all
who heard about this matter and to what had taken place (Acts
5:1-11)
The Spirit of God was moving in those days in ways that have
not been repeated since. It was a time of super-natural power
from God. We also note that the context of this event proves
beyond question that not one person was commanded or forced into
giving money to this special fund need for the brethren. It was
all done out of a ready heart and mind, as the person or persons
willed and determined. They were given full freedom to give to
this, shall we call it, "poor fund' or "special needs fund" for
the brethren in need. They had full freedom to not give, neither
God nor the apostles were demanding anything from anyone to
support the "needy brethren" fund. And to try and use that
situation to bring some kind of glory to yourself, among the
brethren, with deceptions and lies, the Lord was not going to
allow for one moment.
God was not allowing those kinds of things to take place
at that time and history of the Church of God. That does not mean
to say God is still dealing out such penalties for deceptions and
lies in the Church of God. The somewhat sober truth is that such
deceptions and lies, and cover-ups, have taken place in the
Church of God in our modern era, and the Eternal has NOT stopped
it with such dramatic power. God deals with people and His family
of children in different ways at different times. Sometimes He
allows lies and deceptions in His Church to go unchecked for a
time. But the truth eventually comes to light and then it becomes
a TEST for what the people of God will do about it. Sadly,
many fall and stumble and are willing to be corrupted, in fact it
can be the majority who go this way. Then in such a circumstance
the faithful righteous have to move out and away from the cancer
of sin and Satan's mind-set.
MORE SIGNS AND WONDERS
The apostles were continuing to perform many miraculous
signs and wonders among the people. For some reason not fully
explained many of the Christian believers were meeting at
Solomon's porch, an area of the Temple. Others who were not
believers did not dare to join them, or try to disturb their
meetings, those none-believers had very high regards for them.
Each day more and more people (crowds of men and women is
the way it is recorded) came to the saving knowledge and true way
of the Lord God.
So powerful were the working miracles of the apostles that
people were brought out on the streets, on mats and sleeping bag
type beds, just so the very shadow of Peter passing over them
would heal them. Crowds came in from towns and villages around
Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil demon
spirits, and they were all healed (Acts 5:12-16)
THE APOSTLES IMPRISONED
With all that was happening by the hands of the apostles of
Jesus, the High Priest and the sect of the Sadducees, were filled
with much indignation against them. They sent out the Temple
guards and with the authority they had, the apostles were cast
into the common prison of the Jews. But God sent an angel to open
up the prison doors, and to bring them out. The angel said to
them, "Go stand in the Temple and speak to the people
all the words of this life and truths of the Almighty."
They were in the Temple early the next morning doing as the
angel had told them. The same morning the High Priest, and those
with him called for the Jewish Sanhedrin council (a body of
chosen men to govern many of the physical and spiritual matters
of the Jews) and the Senate or wise elders of Israel, came
together in order to bring the apostles before them, to answer
why they were continuing to teach in the name of Jesus,
as the High Priest and elders had told them not to do so.
The Temple guards went to bring the apostles before this
body of Jewish leaders, but of course the apostles were not in
the prison. The guards said to the council, "The prison looked
very normal, the doors shut in a locked and safe way, the prison
guards standing outside the prison doors. But when we opened the
doors, we found not one man inside."
The High Priest, captain of the Temple, and council were all
perplexed and wondered where all these happenings would end
up...just what on earth was going on they questioned among
themselves. Then someone arrived to tell them that the apostles
were out in the Temple teaching the people. The Temple guards
were again sent out to arrest the apostles but in a manner that
would cause no alarm or disturbance, for by now the council was
afraid the people would turn on them in a violent way, if they
mistreated the apostles in any physical manner.
The apostles were again standing before the Jewish council.
"Did not we tell you not to preach in this man Jesus' name,"
declared the High Priest with some anger in his voice. "Instead,
you have filled all Jerusalem with your teachings about Jesus,
the one you claim was the Messiah, and you intend to blame us for
His death!
The apostles answered through Peter:
"We must obey God before we obey any man's authority. The
God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you
killed Him by crucifying Him. Then God took Him back to
heaven and put Him at His right hand as Prince and Savior.
He has done all this to give the people of Israel an
opportunity to turn from sin and turn to serving Him in
spirit and in truth, and so sins could be forgiven. We are
witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, which
is given to all that will obey Him."
Well at hearing these words the council was so furious that
they decided to kill all the apostles. But one of their members,
a Pharisees by the name of Gamaliel, an expert on Jewish
religious law, and very well respected among all the people, had
a different perspective on all that was taking place. He ordered
that the apostles be taken out of the council room for a while.
Then he addressed his colleagues with these words:
"Men of Israel, you better take care on what you are
planning to do with these apostles of this Jesus man. Some
time ago there was that Theudas fellow, who claimed to be
someone great. About four hundred others followed him, but
he was killed and his followers all went their separate
ways. The whole movement dissolved and came to nothing.
After him, at the time of the census taking there came along
the Judas of Galilee. He got some people to follow him, but
he was killed also and all his followers were scattered. His
movement amounted to nothing.
So my advice is, leave these men alone, do no harm to them.
If they are teaching and doing these things merely on their
own steam and will-power, it will come to nothing. But if it
is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You will be
seen by many as fighting against God Himself."
This is an interesting thought from Gamaliel. It has, or
shall I say, can have, indeed truth to it. We know that in this
particular case he was correct. We know this work of the apostles
WAS FROM God, and it would have not come to nothing even if all
the apostles had been killed. But we need to remember that these
words from Gamaliel are not for EVERY SITUATION, they are not a
catch all, perfect thought, for all and everything that comes
along in the world of mankind. Not all human movements are from
God, in fact it is probably safe to say that MOST religious or
secular "movements" are not from God, that He really has little
if anything to do with them, one way or the other. The facts are
that many human movements (some even against the laws and ways of
the Lord) do increase and do become large, and God is not with or
behind such movements. Some of those movements of men get so
strong and large that they influence the laws of Governments. An
example would be the movements of the "gay and lesbian groups" to
bring in Government laws to support "same sex marriages." The
same can be said for the "abortionists" who have gained enough
strength to have Governments enact "abortion on demand" laws.
In this case Gamaliel was correct, but his wise words for
this situation at the time of the early months of the New
Testament Church of God, does NOT apply to ALL cases of men's
work in all circumstances, in all of human history. Many
movements of mankind, that were only from men, have not been
overthrown. Human history makes this very vivid. Of course if it
is from God and you try to fight against it you are indeed then
fighting against the Almighty, and will never win.
The council thought Gamaliel spoke well and they accepted
his judgment. Probably God was in the minds of those men to make
that decision, for it was not the will of the Lord that His
apostles should die at that time.
The council did have the men "flogged" - a type of whipping.
They had the freedom under Roman rule to so flog people as
punishment for whatever wrongs the Jewish council deemed was
wrong. It would seem the apostles did not appeal but took this
flogging in stride, as part of suffering for the righteousness of
God, no doubt thinking about what Jesus went through for being
nothing but good and perfectly righteous.
Sometimes a Christian just has to stand and take it as it
comes. This is not always what to do, and it is not always what
God expects us to do, for we shall see later in the book
of Acts that Paul sometimes fled from physical harm. But
sometimes he stood and took the beating from others for teaching
the truths of God. We have Paul in the latter chapters of Acts
appealing to the high authority of Rome, being a Roman citizen he
had the right to so appeal the harsh treatment the Jewish leaders
were wanting to place on him. So running, appealing, or standing
to "take it all" is an individual matter for individual
situations, as guided by the Holy Spirit and the physical
circumstances you are in. In the situation before us in Acts, the
apostles stood and took what the Jewish council gave them - a
flogging.
Once more the council ordered them not to speak in the name
of Jesus, and then let them go. The apostles left the high
council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy by God to suffer
dishonor in a physical way for the name of Jesus.
Every day the apostles continued to teach and preach in
their homes and in the Temple about Jesus the Christ (Acts
5:17-42).
..............................
TO BE CONTINUED
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