ACTS chapters Six and Seven
SERVANTS FOR PHYSICAL ADMINISTRATION CHOSEN
The Church of God had mushroomed rapidly in those early
months since the feast of Pentecost and the physical
administration of helping all the people that needed food
and money was getting harder and harder for the apostles to take
care of. It got so out of hand for them that those of Greek
background and upbringing complained against those of Hebrew
background and culture, because they said the widows among them
were getting neglected, in physical matters.
So the twelve apostles called the multitude of disciples
together for an open meeting, and said to them:
"It is not reasonable that we should leave off the study and
teaching of the word of God to attend to the administration
of such things like placing food on tables for people to
eat. So we want you brethren to pick out from among
yourselves SEVEN men of honest business workings and having
respect from all of you, who are also filled deeply with the
Holy Spirit, and who are known to have wisdom. Then we
apostles will appoint and set them over this physical
administrative matter of making sure everyone receives
what physical things they need. We apostles can then devote
ourselves to prayer and study and teaching of the word of
God."
The multitude of disciples were very pleased with what the
apostles suggested be done so things could be at peace between
all of them. They chose, Stephen, a man full of faith and the
Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon,
and Parmenus, and Nicolas a convert at first to Judaism, from
Antioch. They set those seven men before the apostles: and when
the apostles prayed, they laid hands on them, to dedicate them to
the function of administrating physical needs to the brethren.
This was a correct and wise administrative department that
was created by the apostles, in fact it was so beneficial that
Luke records for us that the word of God increased even more, and
the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem GREATLY, even a
part of the Jewish priesthood became converts and were obedient
to "the faith" (Acts 6: 1-7).
We need to note here that it is right and proper for
physical administration functions to be created in the Church of
God if there is a need for such functions. We need to note the
basic qualifications required to function in that department
within the Church. We need to note that the members of the
congregation have a very important part to play in choosing the
persons for this function. We also note that it is made very
clear the spiritual leaders (more than one as we find in this
example) have the final approval, it is recorded as "whom we"
(that is the apostles or spiritual leaders) "may appoint over
this business." And it is the spiritual leaders who prayed and
laid hands on them. We must note as well that prayer and the
laying of hands was performed in appointing the chosen persons to
this administration duty.
And we must not forget that this function was first and
foremost a physical function, for the handling of money, food,
and all the physical things that God's children were in need of.
It was not a spiritual function that they were appointed to, but
a function of "serving tables." But that does not imply that
those chosen could not be used for spiritual matters IF God so
decided. After all the bottom line is that God decides who He
will use for spiritual matters, yet the first and original main
intent in choosing those seven men was not to be spiritual
leaders but to administrate correctly and wisely the physical
matters of the Church of God. But we shall see immediately that
the Lord did use some of those men in a mighty way teach His word
and proclaim Jesus as the Savoir and Messiah.
There is nothing here to indicate anything "special" about
choosing seven persons. It would seem that the apostles thought
seven would be what was needed to carry out this function they
were being chosen for, with the number of disciples in Jerusalem
being as many as they were. The number chosen could be any
number that was needed to administer the physical matters of any
given congregation at any given time.
One more lesson comes out in this example. The main function
and duty for the spiritual leaders of a congregation is NOT to be
working hard at physical matters within a congregation, but to be
mainly having lots of time to be able to pray and study and teach
the word of God.
STEPHEN IS USED MIGHTILY BY GOD
The power that Stephen had through faith was very great
indeed, he did many mighty wonders and miracles, but we are not
told any specific ones, just that he did them.
Certain ones from different synagogues throughout the Roman
Empire, who had come to Jerusalem to observe the feast of
Pentecost and had not yet returned home because of everything the
new "Christian" sect was doing and saying, had disputation
with Stephen over the word of God and Stephen's theological
teaching. But they were not able to resist the wisdom and the
spirit by which he taught. So they hired people who said
they heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against
God. Then they stirred up the people, some of the elders of the
people, some of the scribes, and then had enough power to send
the Temple guards to arrest him and bring him before the
Jewish Sanhedrin council.
As Stephen stood before the council, false witnesses came
forth and said, "This man does not cease but to speak blasphemous
words against this holy place and the law of Moses. For we have
heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this
place, and shall change the rites which Moses delivered to us."
When all in the council looked at Stephen when these charges
were uttered, they beheld his face as it was the face of an
angel. We are not told how the face of an angel looks when
talking to men, but it obviously looked much more radiant and
striking than does a normal human face. Probably God was
answering the accusations from those false witnesses, in such a
way as to tell them what Stephen was being accused of was
a huge bunch of garbage (Acts 6:8-15).
The High Priest turned to Stephen and said, "Are these
things spoken of you true?" Now, Stephen had the chance to speak,
and from what he went on to say, they certainly allowed him to
say his mind. He preached somewhat of a sermon to them, saying:
"Men and brethren and fathers, listen to me; The God of
glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in
Mesopotamia, (now called Iraq) before he lived in Charran
(Haran, a city in what is now called Syria). And God said to
him, 'Get you out of your country, and from your relatives,
and go into the land which I will show you.' And so he came
out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Haran; and
from there, when his father was dead, he moved into this
land, where you now live. God gave him no inheritance in it,
no, not so much as a square foot; yet God had promised that
he would give it to him for a possession, and to his
offspring after him, when as up to that time he had no
children, not one. The Lord had spoken to him and told him
that his offspring would live in a strange land; and that
they would come under bondage, and much evil would they
experience for four hundred years. The nation that would put
them under bondage God said He would punish, and then
Abraham's offspring would come out of that land, and serve
the Eternal God in the land where you now live.
And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham
had a son called Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day;
and Isaac had a son called Jacob; and Jacob had the twelve
sons who became the patriarchs. And they were moved with
envy, and sold Joseph their brother into Egypt; but God was
with him, and delivered him out of his troubles and
afflictions. He gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of
Pharaoh king of Egypt, who eventually made him governor over
Egypt as well as his own household.
Now there came a famine over all the land of Egypt and
Canaan, and great affliction there was, our fathers could
not find enough food to live on. But when Jacob heard there
was grain in Egypt he sent his sons, our fathers, out to
seek favor in Egypt. It was on their second visit that
Joseph made himself known to them, and Joseph's brothers
were introduced to Pharaoh. After this Joseph sent to tell
his father and all with him to come to Egypt. They all came
to Egypt, and Jacob and all his sons died, and were taken
over to Sychem, and put to rest in the grave site that
Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Emmor the
father of Sychem.
As the time drew near for God to perform that which He had
promised to Abraham, the people of Israel grew very populous
in Egypt. Then came another Pharaoh who did not care to
remember Joseph. He dealt very deceitfully and harshly with
our fathers, even to killing the new born children. At that
time Moses was born pleasing to God. After being in his
parents house for three months, he was cast out into the
river in a basket. It was Pharaoh's daughter that found him
and adopted him as her own son.
Moses was taught in the highest form of education in Egypt,
and knew how to handle words exceedingly well. He also grew
to be mighty in many deeds of valour. He had by the time he
was forty years old come to know that he was an Israelite,
and one day went out to walk and talk with his brethren the
children of Israel. He saw an Israelite being treated by an
Egyptian overlord in an evil and unfair manner. Moses got
into a physical fight with the Egyptian and killed him. He
thought his brethren would have understood that God would
deliver them from Egyptian bondage through him. The next day
as he walked among them he tried to stop an argument between
two of them, by telling them that being brothers of the same
family of people they should not quarrel and do wrong to
each other. But the man who was mainly in the wrong pushed
Moses away, and said, 'Well who made you a ruler and judge
over us? Will you kill me, as you did the Egyptian
yesterday?'
Moses then knew that soon all Egypt would find out what he
had done, so fearing for his life he departed Egypt and went
to the land of Madian, and it was there that he married and
had two sons. He lived there for forty years. Then one day
the angel of God appeared to him in the wilderness of Sina
in a bush that looked like it was on fire. As he approach
the burning bush the voice of God came to his ears, saying:
'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' Moses was shaking and
could not look at the flaming bush.
The Lord continued to speak, 'Take off your shoes for the
place you stand on is holy ground. I have seen the
affliction of my people who are in Egypt, I have heard them
crying and groaning, I have come down to deliver them from
bondage. I will send you back to Egypt.' So Moses whom they
refused forty years earlier saying,'who made you ruler and
judge over us?' is sent back by God to be ruler and
deliverer. And after showing many wonders and signs in
Egypt, he also led them to the Red Sea and led them through
the wilderness for forty years.
This is that same Moses which said to the children of
Israel, 'God will raise up a prophet from among you like
unto me, and Him you shall hear.' This man was the very one
who was with that church in the wilderness, was the
messenger that spoke to Moses in mount Sina, and to the
children of Israel, who received the live giving oracles of
writings, to pass on to us. But our fathers would not obey
God and in their hearts went back to Egypt, even saying to
Aaron, 'Make us gods to lead us, for this Moses we do not
know what has become of him.' So a calf god was made from
the physical things they had, and they bowed before it and
did sacrifice towards it, and rejoiced in something that
their own hands had made.
God finally just turned them over to let them worship the
many gods of heaven invented by men, as it is written in the
books of the prophets, 'O, you house of Israel, Did you
offer to me slain beasts and sacrifice, for forty years in
the wilderness? Yes, physical sacrifices you did offer, but
not to Me. You went in to the house and shrine of Moloch,
and the star god Rephan, and the images you made to worship
them, not Me. So, I will send you into captivity into a land
far away in Babylon' (Amos 5:25-27).
Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle they constructed with
them through the wilderness. It was made in exact accordance
with what had been shown to Moses by God. Years later when
Joshua led them in the battles against the nations that the
Lord drove out of the land, the Tabernacle was taken with
them into the promised land. and it was used there until the
time of David.
David found favor with God and wanted to build a permanent
Temple for Him, but was not allowed to do so. It was his son
Solomon who actually did build it. However, the Eternal God
does not live in physical building made by human hands, as
the prophets say, 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my
footstool. Could you ever build me a temple like that? Could
you ever build a physical dwelling place for me? No, not at
all, for I have made everything in the heaven and in the
earth' (Isa.66:1-2).
You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to
the truth of God. Must you always be resisting the Holy
Spirit? Your fathers did and so you do also. Name just one
prophet your ancestors did not persecute! They even killed
the ones who predicted the coming of the Messiah - the
righteous anointed One. And you betrayed and murdered Him.
You have deliberately disobeyed God's law, though given to
you through the serving function of angels" (Acts 7:1-53).
Well, Stephen's final words cut like a razor sharp knife
going through butter. They were cut in their hearts but
immediately resisted the truth given to them, and snarled at
him, or cursed him with their mouth and teeth.
Stephen looked up to heaven and with the power of the Holy
Spirit, in the minds eye, he saw into heaven, and beheld the
glory of God the Father, and Jesus Christ standing at His right
hand. Then, he proclaimed, "I see the heavens opened, and the Son
of man standing on the right hand of God" (Acts 7:54-56).
They could take no more words form Stephen, they placed
their hands over their ears, started to scream insults at him,
and all with one accord ran towards him, some grabbing him with
their hands and pulling him all the way out of the city. So
worked up with furry and madness of mind they had determined to
stone him to death. Some of the witnesses to all this also got
into the act, they laid down their outer garments of clothing
at the feet of one called Saul (the man who is more popularly
known as Paul in the New Testament), and with many of the angry
members of the Sanhedrin, they cast stones at Stephen until he
was dead.
As Stephen was getting stoned to death, he called out, "Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit." He then kneeled down, shouted out with
a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."
Luke finished this account by writing, "And when he had said
this, he fell asleep"
(Acts 7:57-60).
We see again that the New Testament makes it very clear that
death is a "sleep" not a continuance of life, as we saw Jesus
taught in the Gospel of John chapter 11. It will take a
resurrection to bring us back to life and to be with Jesus
forever more. That resurrection to eternal glory life is when
Christ comes again to earth, to set up the Kingdom of God. We
covered all that in some detail as we went through the four
Gospels.
What a sermon speech from Stephen this was, and the way he
finished it....wow, he pulled no punches, told them like it was,
called a spade a spade, laid the cards on the table, and they
became so out of their minds, they could not think straight.
Their emotions took control of their actions. Under Roman rule
the Jews were not allowed to put a man to death. This was "mob
mentality violence" - mob mentality gone wild.
There are times when a Christian, a true follower of Jesus,
must speak up in no uncertain terms, with plain words, even
cutting words, and in such a situation it may cost you your life,
that is your physical life on earth. Being a true disciple of
Christ can be tough at times, sometimes very tough indeed. It is
then no wonder that Jesus said those who would follow Him, would
and should "count the cost" (Luke 14: 25-33).
..............................
TO BE CONTINUED
  Chapter Fifty-two:Evangelism Spreads
ACTS chapter Eight
THE GOSPEL BEGINS TO SPREAD ABROAD
WIDESPREAD PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH
It was at this time of the stoning death of Stephen that the
followers of Jesus in the city of Jerusalem came under heavy
persecution. We are not told exactly HOW and exactly WHY this
persecution came about, only that it did, and in so doing the
membership of the Church of God at Jerusalem was scattered
throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. All except the
apostles were scattered, so this amounted to MANY thousands of
disciples of Jesus.
Stephen was buried and great lamentation was made for him,
as the first Christian to die for his faith in Jesus as the
Savior and Messiah.
The man Saul, who was there at Stephen's death and who
consented to it, was in enough of a "religious office" in Judaism
at the time, that we read "he made havoc of the church, entering
into every house, and haling men and women out and putting them
in prison" (Acts 8:1-3).
You will note he was NOT responsible for having some put to death,
No doubt Saul (later to be known as the Christian apostle
called Paul) in his unconverted, deceived, blinded to the real
truth of the word of God, and Jesus as the Messiah, was part,
maybe a large part, of the reason this persecution came upon the
Church in Jerusalem. Zealous teachers of Judaism would have
detested with a passion, this new "Jewish" Christian religion
that was growing like a house on fire, for it would have been a
threat to their "religious leadership" and of course to "money"
that would no longer come to them, but go to this new religious
"movement."
But because of the persecution, and the scattering of Jesus'
followers, the Gospel was now being taught and preached in areas
outside of Jerusalem and its immediate surroundings. We read in
verse four of chapter eight, that the scattered disciples went
everywhere preaching the word. Here is another verse of the Bible
that has an instructive teaching for us, because it does not mean
what many have casually supposed it to mean. For in chapter 11:19
we find the interpretation of what Luke wrote in chapter 8:4.
Those scattered abroad went to the Jews ONLY with the Gospel.
They had not yet in the time frame of chapter 8:4 learned or had
it revealed to them to go to the none Jewish peoples, or what in
the New Testament is termed "the Gentiles."
This is a very good example of truth being "some here" and
"some there" - part here and part over there, and only by reading
the whole Bible and putting the parts together can we find the
real truth of the matter. It is important that we read the whole
Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and never read it with tunnel
vision, or we will easily misunderstand or come to wrong ideas
and beliefs.
PHILIP GOES TO SAMARIA
We have seen then that chapter 11:19 interprets chapter 8:4.
So when Philip went down to Samaria to preach the Gospel, he was
preaching to Jewish people, or people of Israelite stock.
Samaria in the New Testament time was not the Samaria of the Old
Testament age, it was only a certain relatively small area of
land north of Jerusalem (see any Bible Map of New Testament
Palestine, in the back of many Bibles). I showed you as we went
through the Gospels that Jewish history proves that the
Samaritans were Israelites not Gentiles. The Jewish Encyclopedia
has a very long and detailed article on the Samaritans, which is
very interesting and educational. They still exist today, but
only as a very small sect. They claim to be from the tribe of Ephraim.
Philip went and preached Christ to the Samaritans, and with
one heart and one accord the people listened and gave heed to
what he said (remember from John 4 how Jesus was readily accepted
by them on one particular visit - "the woman at the well"
account, as it is often called). They saw great miracles
performed by Philip, which added to the impact of his teaching.
We can note here that God can use ANY person He chooses to
teach His word and to perform miracles. People do not have to be
part of the "chosen" or "ordained" ministry to be used by God in
a mighty way. God is unshackled, He is not bound by men or
organizations of men. As Jesus said, God could raise up the
stones of the ground to preach His word, if He so desired.
The miracles that Philip did included evil spirits coming
out of people, crying with loud voices, because they did not want
to come out. Many that were lame were made to walk, and many with
other sickness were healed.
It is written there was "great joy in that city." I guess
so. Just try to imagine what it must have been like for those
people. Think about some of those you know or see in your town
who have crippling disabilities, and sickness of one kind or
another. Now think about them all being healed....yes great joy
indeed there would be.
ENTER SIMON THE SORCERER
Living in the city of Samaria was a local man of fame. His
name was Simon. He was able to perform all kinds of marvellous
things. We are told that he did it all through sorcerer,
witchcraft, or putting it in plain language, he did it all
through the power of Satan the Devil. He was so miraculously
powerful that he hood-winked the people. They thought
he did all these wonder through the power of God. He had deceived
and had a following that came from the least to the greatest, the
uneducated to the well educated, the simple poor people to the
wealthy of the city. He himself made out to them that he was
"some great one" - specially chosen and sent to them by divine
plan. Yes, the people were fooled with his sorceries and so
looked to him with some regard.
Yet, what miracles Philip did and what he had to say about
the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ, many believed him, men and
women, and were willing to be baptized, for this new faith that
was now being taught amongst them. Even Simon believed....well
with a belief that had scheming motives behind it all as we shall
presently see. He was baptized also and thereafter followed
Philip around, amazed at all the miracles and wonderful signs he
could perform (Acts 6:9-13).
PETER AND JOHN COME TO SAMARIA
The news of how Samaria had heard and received the Gospel,
soon got back to the apostles at Jerusalem. They decided to send
to them Peter and John. Who, when they arrived discovered (we are
not told how, probably by divine insight) the Samaritans
had not received the Holy Spirit, though they had been baptized
in Jesus' name. So Peter and John started to pray for them.
Probably through those prayers they were told by God that hands
should be laid on them and then they would receive the Holy
Spirit. Putting hands on people for various things like healings,
blessings, and so forth, was often done, from ancient times, as
we can find examples of this even in the book of Genesis (see the
first verses of Gen.49, for one example).
When Simon of Samaria saw that through the laying on of
hands people were receiving the gift of the mighty working power
of the Holy Spirit, he offered money to Peter and John and said
to them, "Give me also this power, that on whoever I lay my
hands, they may receive the Holy Spirit also."
But Peter saw through the words and the mindset of this man,
for there was selfish vain glory behind it all. Simon just wanted
more fame, more adoration from people, more power, more human
glory and human prestige. Peter answered him saying, "Your money
perish with yourself, because you have thought that the gift of
God can be purchased with money. You really do not have any
proper part in this matter of God's truth and salvation; for your
heart and mind is not in the right relationship with the Lord.
You better repent of this wickedness, and pray to God, so if
possible your thought of sin can be forgiven you. For I perceive
that your mind is in the state of bitterness and in the chains of
iniquity towards the way of God."
Simon knew Peter was correct, and knowing the power of the
Holy Spirit that had been demonstrated to him and others, by
Philip, and John, he asked Peter to pray for him that no evil
would come upon him. We are not told if Peter prayed for Simon.
In fact we are not told anything else about this Simon in the New
Testament. It all just stops right here, no more words are given
to us concerning this Simon of Samaria, not from the New
Testament anyway.
There are some secular histories that possibly show this
Simon going to Rome and leading a sect of Christians in that
city, eventually (over a few hundred years) forming what became
known as the Roman Catholic church in Rome.
We see from this situation a lesson in how God wants the
average person to receive the Holy Spirit. It is through of
course preaching the word of God, the Gospel of the Kingdom, and
the truth about Jesus the Christ. People can then repent
(remember Acts 2:38) and be baptized. And those baptizing should
pray and lay hands on those being baptized in Jesus' name. This
is the basic one, two, three, steps for people to receive the
gift of God's Holy Spirit. Can or will, God give His Holy Spirit
before baptism and the laying on of hands? Well of course God can
if He so chooses to do so, He is God and can do as He pleases,
when He pleases. But in the overall way of things, for
the most part, the Lord has given us what the one, two, three,
steps for most people to receive his Holy Spirit, as a united
part of our mind. Remember, the Spirit of God can and often does
work with our minds before it is deeply united with the spirit of
man that is in the mind of man.
Sometimes God has sent angels to work with people and to
guide them and teach them and show them the things of Him. So He
can send His Spirit likewise to work with people's minds before
it becomes fully united with their minds in the special
miraculous way the New Testament teaches. The example would be
the apostles BEFORE the famous day of Pentecost of Acts 2 and the
apostles AFTER the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God was
in their minds and life in a way that it was not in them before
Acts chapter two. It worked WITH them before Acts two, and was IN
them on and after that day.
Peter and John stayed in Samaria for a while, preaching the
word of the Lord, in many towns and villages, but then finally
returned to the city of Jerusalem (Acts 6: 14-25).
PHILIP SENT ON A SPECIAL MISSION
Angels are often used as messengers of God, sent to relate
something to a person from God. An angel was sent to Philip
saying, "Arise Philip, go towards the south, to the
way that goes down from Jerusalem into Gaza, which is desert
area." It would seem not much else was told to him. But if an
angel appeared to you out of the blue, and you understood it was
from God, then you would probably not ask questions about what
you are told to do. Philip did not ask why he should go in this
direction, he just went, knowing God had a very good reason for
the directive, and that he would find out in good time what it
was all about, and why the Lord was sending him to this desert
area.
When he got there he saw this Ethiopian man. It turned out
he was a man of some great authority under the queen of Ethiopia
called Candace. He was in charge of all her treasures of wealth.
He was also a very religious man for we are told he had come to
Jerusalem to worship. This might indicate that many in Ethiopia
were God fearing people, maybe even the queen herself. Well this
man was on his way back to the queen in Ethiopia and sitting in a
chariot and reading the book of the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit of
the Lord told Philip to go up near to him that was sitting in the
chariot. Philip did not just walk but ran to him, eager to do the
Lord's will. Arriving close to the man he heard him reading aloud
the prophet Isaiah. "Do you understand what you are reading,"
asked Philip. "Well I wish I did, " replied the Ethiopian, "How
can I understand it, except I have some man to guide me. Will you
come up next to me and sit with me and help me understand?"
Philip was more than willing. He now fully understood why
God had sent him on this mission to this desert place. We note
that it is right and proper that God has people who know His
word, to teach and lead others into the light of His word.
The Ethiopian man was reading the section in Isaiah that
said, "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb,
dumb before his shearer, so he opened not his mouth: He was
humiliated and received no justice . Who can speak of his
descendants? For his life was taken from the earth" (Isa.
53:7-8).
The Ethiopian man looked at Philip and said, "I ask of you,
can you tell me who the prophet is speaking about? Is it himself
that he speaks about, or some other man?"
Philip, starting at those very verses in Isaia, began to
preach Jesus to this man. He expounded all the verses in the Old
Testament that taught about the first coming of the Messiah.
After all this teaching from Philip, they happened to be at a
spot where there was a pond or small lake of water. The man from
Ethiopia said to Philip, "Look, here we have enough water, what
is there to prevent me from being baptized?" Somehow (maybe
through what Philip had taught and told him) the man knew he
should be baptized if he wanted to accept and follow Jesus as his
personal Savior and as God's Messiah (the anointed one from God,
as Messiah means - anointed one). Philip replied to his question,
"If you believe with all your heart and mind, there is nothing
stopping you from being baptized. If you believe that Jesus
Christ is the very Son of God, then you can be baptized."
The man commanded his chariot driver to halt, and both he
and Philip went down into the water, and Philip did baptize him
(Acts 6:26-38).
This was not just a quick, out of the blue baptism as such.
You will remember we read that this man from Ethiopia had come to
Jerusalem to worship the true God. He was already a religious
man, who had obviously been reading the Scriptures for some time.
He was not a new reader of the word of God. He just did not
understand certain sections of the word. God wanted to bring this
man into His family, He wanted to open his mind up to who the
Messiah was, and to the way of salvation as promised from the
very beginning. Philip had been especially sent to lead this man
to that full knowledge, and really the only way, of salvation
through Jesus as Savior. The man had already had the seeds of
God's word planted in his mind, it just needed some watering, to
bring forth the buds to ripen and open up to real life that was
in Christ.
We must assume here that Philip knew, from the experience in
Samaria, and with Peter and John being there to teach, that the
laying of hands and prayers should follow baptism, and that
Philip would have also done that after baptizing the Ethiopian.
After they had come up out of the water (here is pretty
clear proof that baptizing was done fully in water, not just a
few sprinkles of water over the head of someone. The Jews
themselves had a baptism of full immersion of a person, who was
being brought into their "religion" - so baptism was not an
unknown ceremony at all for people in those days) the Spirit of
God "caught away Philip" as the old KJV puts it, and the
Ethiopian man saw him no more, but he went on his journey back to
his queen in Ethiopia, rejoicing in the truth he had been taught
(Acts 6:39).
Philip being caught away, may have been a miraculous miracle
from God, then it maybe just a way to tell us that the work of
Philip had been done and it was time now to go on to other work
the Lord had for him. Philip was found then, after this event, to
be in Azotus, and passing along to Caesarea, he preached in all
the towns along the way (Acts 6:40).
We can learn from this example set before us that baptizing
someone does not have to be done by the "appointed ministry" -
Philip was not appointed as a "minister" per se, as we often
think of the word "minister" but was appointed to "serve tables"
- to do and take care of physical matters within a group of God's
people (see again Acts 6: 1-7). But as I've pointed out, God can
use anyone He so desires to teach His word and to baptize people
in Jesus' name. We shall see this again in chapter 9 of Acts when
a disciple called Ananias is sent to baptize Saul at his
conversion time, who became known as Paul. Ananias was simply
called a "disciple" - the Greek word used everywhere in the
New Testament for a follower of Christ, or a disciple.
So with all this understanding, we can readily know that
when the Ethiopian man was back in his home country, he would
have no doubt, preached and expounded the word of God to others,
as it had been expounded to him by Philip. And he would have
baptized people in Jesus' name, who in turn would have taught the
word of the Lord to others and baptized people in Jesus' name.
The word of God was now beginning to go forth in a larger
and larger way. It was at this time that the Father in heaven was
to call a man to His family and to His ministering of preaching
His Gospel, that would really begin to reach the whole known
Roman world of that day.
In 1999 a black man, a minister of the Seventh Day Adventist church decided to investigate how many people on the continent of Africa observed the 7th day Sabbath. To his utter shock he discovered about 20 million, yes I said, 20 million people, observed the 7th day Sabbath, and only 2 million were Seventh Day Adventists. Part if that growth surely must have come from Ethiopia and the eunuch baptized by Philip.
.........................
TO BE CONTINUED
  Chapter Fifty-three:Saul's Conversion
ACTS chapter Nine
THE CONVERSION OF SAUL
Saul was introduced to us briefly at the beginning of
chapter eight. While the Gospel was now going further a field,
Saul was busy as a beaver trying to stop this new "Jewish sect"
and following of this man known as Jesus Christ. He went to the
High Priest in Jerusalem and desired official letters from him
regarding the city of Damascus (a city about 60 miles north-east
of the Sea of Galilee, or about 150 miles north-east of
Jerusalem) and that if he found in the synagogue there anyone of
"the way" (as the Jesus' movement was now being called by some),
whether man or woman, he might bring them bound with ropes or
chains, back to Jerusalem.
He was granted this official letter from the High Priest and
set out for the city of Damascus. He was very near the city,
when.....all of a sudden out of the blue sky a blinding light
came and covered him. Saul immediately fell to the ground in a
shock of panic. Then to his utter surprise he heard a voice
saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" And saul, with a
trembling voice "Who are you, Lord?" Saul obviously had
enough sense to know this person speaking to him was a "lord" or
"master" of something much greater than he was, something of the
supernatural. He did not as yet know it was Jesus speaking to
him, but he sure had enough respect towards whoever the
voice belonged to, that he automatically called him "lord."
And the Lord answered, "I am Jesus whom you persecute: it is
hard for you to kick against the thorns." If you try to kick
against sharp objects that cannot be removed, you will only do
yourself injury. Saul was waging war against someone whom he
could never defeat, and only bringing harm upon himself, as a man
bashing his head against a brick wall. The brick wall will never
collapse, only the man's head will get smashed up.
Saul, on hearing the reply from Jesus, started to shake,
literally, in his boots as we say. He was astonished and cried
out, "Lord, what is it that you want me to do? And the Lord said,
"I want you to get up and go into the city, and when you are
there it will be told you what you must do."
The men who accompanied Saul were speechless. They heard a
voice but could not see what Saul was seeing, they could see no
form of a man as Saul could see. Saul got up from the ground, and
when he looked around he saw no man or anything, for he
was blind. They had to lead him by the hand into the city of
Damascus. He was three days not being able to see anything, and
he was so shaken up by his experience that he did not eat or
drink during those three days (Acts 9:1-9).
ANANIAS THE DISCIPLE IS SENT TO SAUL
There was living in the city of Damascus a disciple (he is
not called any other name but "disciple" - the common Greek word
used throughout the New Testament for a follower of Jesus) by the
name of Ananias. The Lord came to him in a vision and said,
"Ananias!" And Ananias replied that he heard Him. And the Lord
then continued to say, "I want you to arise and go to the street
which is called 'Straight' - there inquire in the house of one
called Judas, for the man called Saul of Tarsus - he is praying,
and has seen in a vision a man called Ananias coming to him, and
putting his hands on him, that he might have his eye-sight
restored to him."
Well Ananias was a little stunned at what the Lord was
telling him to do. "Lord," said Ananias, "I have heard about this
man Saul, and how much evil he has done to all the saints in
Jerusalem. And I understand from others that he has official
letters from the High Priest to put in chains all that call upon
your name."
But Jesus answered, "You must go Ananias, and do what I have
told you, for this man Saul is a chosen one I will use, to
declare my name and word before the Gentiles, and before kings,
and to the children of Israel in general. For I will show him how
sometimes great things one must suffer for my name's sake."
Ananias did as the Lord commanded him. He came into the
house where Saul was, and putting his hands on him said, "Brother
Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared to you on the road to
Damascus, has sent me, so you might receive again your
sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately as
Ananias spoke these words, it was as if scales of callous skin
fell from Saul's eyes, and in a short time he again had
vision. He then arose, went with Ananias to where there was a
body of water and was baptized.
Saul then began eating again and soon felt physically strong
once more. He stayed in Damascus for some days with the disciples
of Jesus.
Just about immediately Saul started to preach in the local
synagogues that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. He surely knew
it was true, for Jesus had personally appeared and spoken to him
as we have seen.
All that heard him speak were amazed for they said among
themselves, "Is not this the same man who destroyed, those in
Jerusalem, who called on the name of this Jesus man, and did he
not come to Damascus with the intent to bring back in chains, to
Jerusalem, and the high Priest, those who believe on this Jesus?"
But Saul just increased more and more in the ability to
preach Jesus, confounding the Jews which lived in Damascus,
proving that Jesus was indeed the very Christ, or Messiah (Acts
9:10-22).
ACTIVITY OF PAUL FROM HIS OWN WORDS
From here on we shall call Saul by his more familiar name of
the New Testament - Paul.
Luke does not record for us all the details of Paul's life
in those early years of being converted and preaching in
Damascus. It is Paul himself who fills us in on the important
parts of those details in his early conversion years. We find the
information in Paul's book of Galatians. He is telling the
Galatians that the Gospel he preached to them was not from any
human man that he received it, but from Jesus Christ Himself, in
revelation (Gal.1:11-12). He reminds them about his
pre-conversion days, and his profitable skill of anyone in his
nation, in the "Jews religion" and of his extremely zealous
life in the traditions of the fathers of the Jews religion
(verses 13-14).
We need to bear in mind that these words in Galatians about
"the Jews religion" has no direct bearing on what was the true
way and true understanding of the Scriptures. He is simply
telling us that he was mighty and zealous in the traditions of
the Jews religion that he was part of. It is in Phillipians
chapter three that Paul tells us that he was of the stock of
Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews, and
as concerning religious faith, he was a Pharisee. And with zeal
he persecuted the Church of God. As concerning the letter of the
law and the righteousness which is in the law, as governed by the
Pharisee religion, he was blameless. But what he thought was
profit and gain in all of that, he found to be just a loss, for
to gain and profit in Christ. He went on to say that it did not
matter what he looked at in his life, he was happy to see it all
as a loss, if he could gain the excellency of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus his Lord. He counted all that he had in his
pre-conversion days to dung, in comparison to winning Christ,
and having Jesus in him to fulfil the true righteousness of God
through faith (Philippians 3:5-9 and Gal.2:20).
Going back to Galatians chapter one. Paul tells us that God
called him, and called him to preach Jesus among the heathen. And
that in that calling he did not confer with other human beings.
He did not go up to Jerusalem to confer with the twelve apostles.
But he tells us that he went into ARABIA, and then, after
whatever time he was in Arabia, he returned to Damascus
(Gal.1:15-17).
We gather from this information from Paul that he was taught
all the details of the Gospel from Jesus Christ Himself while he
was in Arabia - like having a personal College course on the
truth of God's word from Jesus Himself. Knowing this fact then
helps us to understand while Paul could be so bold, so very bold
at times, in what he taught, as being the very truth from God,
and as to why he never backed down from anyone with that truth,
not even from any of the apostles, who were apostles before his
conversion. Read the second chapter of Galatians and this is made
very abundant as to what I have just stated about the authority
of Paul. He was indeed taught by Jesus personally, probably while
in Arabia.
After his college course in theology from Jesus, he tells us
he came back to Damascus. Then after three years of teaching and
preaching in Damascus he finally went up to Jerusalem and visited
with Peter and James the Lord's literal half brother. But he
did not visit with any of the other apostles at that time
(Gal.1:18-19).
Returning to Acts 9, Luke picks up his story when Paul is
back in Damascus after being in Arabia (as Paul told us in
Galatians), with the words he writes in verses 23-25.
Paul was now back in Damascus and had been there for three years
preaching and teaching Jesus. Finally after this three year
period, the unbelieving Jews had had enough of Paul, and gathered
together to decide how they could kill him. Those Jews watched
the city gates day and night intending that when he came through
them, they would at that time, kill him. But their clandestine
plan came to the knowledge of Paul and the disciples in Damascus.
The disciples told Paul he just had to get out of that city and
go elsewhere, or he would end up as a dead man. Paul agree that
it was true. He knew he had to flee Damascus. The disciples took
Paul during the night to part of the city wall, not near a city
gate, and tied a large strong basket to a rope. Paul got inside
the basket and they let him down to the ground. He was now
outside the city and was able to flee from those who were looking
to kill him (Acts 9:23-25).
PAUL GOES TO JERUSALEM
Paul had decided it was a good time to go to Jerusalem and
visit with a few of the apostles there (Acts 9:26 and Gal.1:18).
This was the first time Paul had been to Jerusalem since his
conversion, and the disciples there were still not very sure of
him, they still had doubts that he really was a changed man from
his old zealous persecuting days. They just had trouble believing
he really was a disciple of Jesus. They had only heard certain
things about him, but had little personal knowledge that those
things were as people had reported. They thought they better play
it safe, better be safe than sorry as the saying goes.
But Barnabas, a disciple and a man God was using in a mighty
way for His work, was confident that Paul was a true convert and
that God had indeed called and chosen him for His work. Maybe the
Holy Spirit laid it plainly on Barnabas' mind that this was so.
Barnabas took Paul in, and then brought him before the apostles,
declaring to them that Paul had indeed seen Jesus and had spoken
to Him, as well as how Paul had preached very boldly at Damascus
for a number of years, in the name of Jesus. The apostles on
hearing from Barnabas, knew that God was speaking to them. Paul
was accepted by them. He never visited for any length of time in
a private way with any of them but Peter (he stayed with Peter
for 15 days) and James, as we saw Paul tells us in Galatians, but
he was among the general fellowship of the disciples at Jerusalem
(Acts 9: 26-28).
PAUL IS SENT ON TO TARSUS
While Paul was at Jerusalem he spoke boldly in the name of
the Lord Jesus, and disputed with the unbelieving Grecians,
Jewish people who had a Greek upbringing and culture. So strong
was Paul's words and authority in the Scriptures that once more
his life was in danger. This time the Grecian Jews were planning
how to kill him, and when this news got back to the brethren,
they decided to send a few disciples with him and take him down
to Caesarea. From there Paul was sent to Tarus. He himself tells
us in Galatians chapter two, that he did not visit Jerusalem
again for fourteen years.
Whatever all the reasons may had been, which we are not
told, except that Paul was not longer there with his very bold
preaching and debating (as he was now in Tarus), the churches had
rest throughout Judea and Galilee and Samaria. There was relative
peace among the churches of God in those regions. It was a time
conducive to and the multiplying of, edification, to walking in
the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit (Acts
9: 29-31).
NOW WE FOCUS ON PETER AGAIN
We have been given the basic background on the conversion of
Paul, and his early years in the Church of God. It was then a
time for Peter to be used by the Lord in a special way once more,
as the work of God was to go forth to others, and as we shall
see in the next chapter, to go forth to those who were not of
Jewish or Israelite stock or birth. Up to this time the disciples
had not really thought about moving in a large way to preaching
to the Gentiles, except as some Gentiles came into the synagogues
to worship on the Sabbath. The disciples were still basically of
the old mind-set, that God's word and truths were mainly for the
Jews, and only for the Gentiles as the Gentiles would kind of
walk by it on the way to the synagogue. So only Gentiles of a
"Jewish religious thought" would be effected by the Gospel of
Jesus. The apostles and disciples had not yet come to realize the
Gospel should go out to the Gentiles in an organized, deliberate
manner. That was all too soon change. But first we are told about
two great miracles Peter performed.
PETER AGAIN PERFORMS GREAT MIRACLES
Peter was out on a visitation of many of the towns and
cities where the saints of God were living and he came to those
who dwelt in Lydda (about 30 miles north-west of Jerusalem).
There he found a man named Aeneas, who was bed-ridden with palsy
(or a type of paralyzation). Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ
makes you wholly healed; arise and make your bed." And
immediately he did what Peter told him to do. And all those
who dwelt in Lydda and Saron (another nearby town) saw the man
that had been paralyzed, and who was now healed, and they turned
to the Lord.
At the town of Joppa, about 20 miles west from Lydda. There
was in that town a disciple named Tabitha, and she was always
doing good works for people as well as donating whatever she
could so others could be helped. She became sick and died. She
was laid to rest in an upper room. The other disciples at Joppa
heard that Peter was in Lydda, and sent two men to ask him to
come to Joppa without delay. Peter was very willing to do as they
asked. Arriving in Joppa, Peter was brought into the room where
Tabitha lay sleeping in death. The widows who were there weeping
with sorrow over Tabitha, showed Peter all the lovely coats and
garments Tabitha had made when she was alive. She had probably
given those widows many coats and garments. Peter smiled but
asked them to leave the room, which they did. Then he kneeled
down and prayed. After saying his pray he turned to dead Tabitha
and said, "Tabitha, rise up!" And she opened her eyes; and when
she saw Peter, she sat up. Peter gave her his hand and helped her
to stand up, and when he called for the saints and widows to come
into the room, he presented her alive to them.
Soon the whole town of Joppa came to know what miracle Peter
had done through Jesus' name, and many became believers in the
Lord. Peter stayed on in Joppa we are told for many days, with a
man called Simon, who was a tanner of skins by trade. It is not
recorded for us but we can be pretty well sure that Peter would
have done much teaching and preaching about Jesus and no doubt
performed other miracles of healing (Acts 9: 32-43).
In the next chapter we shall see how God reveals to Peter
that the Gospel is to go out to the Gentile world as much as to
the Jews.
..............................
TO BE CONTINUED
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