Jul 10 2014

To You First – Acts 3

Peter continues preaching in the Portico, telling his listeners that they must repent and turn back from their wickedness. He tells them that Jesus must now be received by heaven until it is time for Him to return. there He will remain, he says, “until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” It is the restoring of what God had proclaimed was very good in the beginning — until sin entered the world.

Moses with Radiant Face (1638 painting by José de Ribera) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Peter then cites Deuteronomy 18:15-19, where “Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.” All the prophets since Samuel, Peter said, have spoken about “these days.”

They are the sons of those prophets, he told them. And they are blessed because God sent Him to them first, to bless them by turning them from their wickedness. Did Peter realize fully while he was giving that sermon that he was implying something very wonderful by the inclusion of that word “first” in that message? Paul would say it plainly in Romans 1:16:

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Acts here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 2 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy

___________________

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.

Jul 9 2014

He Was Here – Acts 3

Deposition of Christ, 1507, drawing from Roman sarcophagi. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. (Acts 3:17-18)

Peter’s olive branch that he presented to those present in the Portico concerning the death of Jesus also served as an accusation against the “ruler” – the Sanhedrin in particular. But as he said, God had foretold by the prophets that Jesus would suffer. It is true that there are many passages that foretold such a happening. Some estimate the number at about 300. Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 are two of the most well-known and so obvious concerning what they are all about.

Peter continues to drive home to everyone who will listen that the messiah that they all had waited on for hundreds of years had indeed come already. And rather than rejoice and be glad for His arrival, they had killed Him. It was a hard-hitting blow, and purposely so. What better could there be to get the attention of those that need salvation than to deliver such a message? He had been there, right under their very noses, and they missed Him.

Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Acts here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 2 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy

___________________

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Jul 8 2014

Sermon in the Colonnade – Acts 3

Jesus Walks in the Portico of Solomon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s.

“He,” of course, was the lame man they had just healed. Here in Solomon’s Portico (or porch), the two had created quite a stir. Solomon’s Portico, according to Josephus was a part of the original temple surroundings that still remained from Solomon’s time. It was a large colonnade with double columns that ran along the eastern wall in the Court of the Gentiles. Jesus taught there at the Feast of Dedication in the winter (John 10:22-23).

The astonished crowd was growing, and Peter of course, used the opportunity to preach to them. He began by letting them know that it was not by their power that the man had been healed, but by that of Jesus.zHe used the opportunity to tell that they had denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you” (Barabas). He then said that they “killed the author of life.” This is a significant statement by Peter, in that it demonstrates that Jesus came to earth fully Lord and God, having been from the beginning, just as John’s gospel states.

He tells them that he and the others are witnesses that God raised Him from the dead, and that it was by faith in Him that this man was healed. Peter would not be oblivious to the fact that among the listeners would be Pharisees and their sympathizers. It was a message that was intended for them to hear – not for the purpose of confrontation, but for the opportunity for salvation.

Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Acts here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 2 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy

___________________

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Jul 7 2014

Miracle at the Beautiful Gate – Acts 3

Peter and John were headed to the temple at the hour of prayer – the ninth hour, making it about 3:00 in the afternoon if one reckons time by Jewish standards. As they approached, a lame man was being carried to the entrance of the “Beautiful Gate.” We do not know which gate this was, although many suppose it was the one known as the Nicanor gate in the east.

English: folio 11 recto of the codex with the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The lame man was laid at this gate every day, so that he could ask for “alms” or gifts for the poor from those entering the temple. As he caught the eye of Peter and John, Peter told him that they had no money, but that he did have something to give him. He then healed him “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,” and the man rose up and walked and began leaping and praising God.

This drew the attention of many who frequented the temple because they saw him every day, and he was known to have been lame from birth. This particular act of wonder is singled out for us above all others that we are told that the apostles performed for a couple of reasons. First, it was done to allow for the maximum number of credible witnesses to be present, so they could “testify” to it to others. Secondly, it was designed to attract attention, as there was inevitably to be a “showdown” between the apostles as the Jewish leaders. This would serve to hasten that process.

Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Acts here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 2 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy

___________________

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Jul 3 2014

The First Gospel Sermon – Acts 2

A small diorama/model of what the temple in Jerusalem may have looked like with the surrounding city during the time of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Having gone through all of the reminders of what Peter’s listeners had witnessed Jesus do while He was among them, as well as David’s prophecy, Peter uttered what had to be the most chilling words he could have told them:

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. (Acts 2:36)

Verse 37 says that when they heard this they were “cut to the heart.” How many of them, one might wonder, had been among the frenzied crowd that was calling out “Crucify Him” just about 50 days earlier? So they asked Peter and the other eleven apostles what they should do. Peter’s answer in Acts 2:38 may be the most important verse in the this whole book:

Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

But Peter made certain that they knew that this was not just a “good idea,” considering what had been done to the Lord. It was not something that just a few of them — the ones who may have been among that mob mentioned above. And it was not just a passing ritual to be done for now, but meaning no urgency for times to come. Quite the contrary, Peter’s next words sealed it as the promise of the path to salvation for all to come, as he said in verse 39:

For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.

I don’t know how Peter could have made it any clearer. That was not the end of this, the first gospel sermon. Verse 41 says that “with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’” About three thousand of them were baptized then, as the church immediately took hold. Now, this number has brought about some criticism from skeptics, of course, saying that 12 men could not have baptized so many. But of course, Jesus’ other disciples would have been baptized already, and would be there to help. God’s will would be done. I suppose that as a number of these were baptized, several of them joined in completing the task with those who remained, as well.

Verses 42-47 indicate that what followed, was great unity of spirit and of purpose, as the believers had fellowship with the apostles and assisted in the growth of that early church. As the following indicates, the work of the Lord’s gospel was now in full swing:

And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Acts here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 2 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy

___________________

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Jun 30 2014

All Together in One Place – Acts 2

Icon of the Pentecost (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. – Acts 2:1

This verse is the subject of so very much misunderstanding, contention and disagreement. For now, we will focus on what this “one place” means. Some people are stuck on the “upper room” of Acts 1:13. But that just does not work. The attraction of attention that follows in the verses to come because of the sounds of voices indicates that they were present in some publicly accessible place. Some house with a large courtyard or very close to a large area of the temple compound is most likely where the maximum amount of pilgrims who speak other languages would be able to hear what happened.

The next question, of course, is who “they” refers to in the above verse. Again, there are many who are stuck, in this case on the 120 people mentioned in Acts 1:15. But that does not work either for more than one reason. It has now been 10 days since Jesus ascended to heaven. Before the early church fathers started putting chapter divisions in the Books of the New Testament, context for that first verse above would be easier. The comments of Don Dewelt and J.W. McGarvey do a good job of explaining this:

“The persons thus assembled together and filled with the Holy Spirit were not, as many have supposed, the one hundred and twenty disciples mentioned in a parenthesis in the preceding chapter, but the twelve apostles. This is made certain by the grammatical connection between the first verse of this chapter and the last of the preceding. (J.W. McGarvey, The Acts of the Apostles, Cincinnati, Standard Publishing Company,” 1892)

“The fact that the antecedent of any pronoun is found by referring back to the nearest noun (or pronoun) with which it agrees in number etc., clenches the argument of the baptism of only the apostle’s in the Holy Spirit.” (Don Dewelt, Acts Made Actual, Joplin, Missouri, College Press, 1958)

And the last verse of Chapter one says:

“And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.“

What happened was the sound of a mighty rush of wind (not actual wind) filling the house, and divided tongues “as of fire” rested on each one of the apostles (not literal fire – but resembling fire). They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages “as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Then we are told that (especially because of Passover) there were devout men from every nation dwelling in Jerusalem; and a multitude of them heard what was happening and came to see and hear for themselves.

Each of them heard the apostles speaking in their own language. Verses 9-11 name a laundry list of countries with different languages that the people hailed from. Of course, they were amazed; and then something important was said: “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?”

That is another clue that only the Apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit on this occasion. The fact that all of them were Galileans could only fit with the Apostles themselves. Even if it were possible that the 120 people who others insist upon were all from Galilee, these people could not identify so many as being so! Also, Jesus Himself made a promise only to the apostles that “the Helper” would come, and they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, Acts 1:5).

Why is it important to understand that? This “Helper” that they receive will be with them forever (John 14:16), so they would have the power and understanding that the Lord intended for them to have to perfect the word of God and His church before they all are done on this earth. This was the responsibility of the Apostles, as His chosen messengers.

The ability at this time to speak in other tongues was no parlor trick either. It served to show many people from many nations that this was an act of God, and that these men were speaking for the Lord. Each of them would return eventually to their lands, and the gospel would literally spread like wildfire – getting its first big opening boost from this day.

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Acts here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 2 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy

___________________

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Jun 23 2014

O Theophilus – Acts 1

English: page of the Acts of the Apostles from the last edition of the bible originally translated by Johann Dietenberger, published in Augsburg 1776 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Luke begins the book of The Acts of the Apostles by addressing Theophilus again. He summarizes what he had told him in “the first book” — the Gospel of Luke, emphasizing the charge Jesus had given to the apostles after his resurrection, and the fact that He spent 40 days speaking with them about the kingdom of God. He also made a point to say that Jesus provided “many proofs” during that time. It was an important point, and one that Paul also stressed at times (1 Corinthians 15:5-7). Peter also said plainly that they were “eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16).

He further told Theophilus that Jesus had ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, “which you heard from me.” It was in Luke 24:49 that Jesus said “I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you ware clothed with power from on high.” Here, he says “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

It is that baptism which will ensure that Jesus’ apostles have all of the knowledge they need to grow the Lord’s church.

/Bob’s boy

___________________

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Jan 5 2014

Update – Luke, Acts, and Chronicles!

English: the first page of the Gospel of Luke (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s official. We decided to map out a reading schedule for the blog ourselves this year. The schedule for January has been posted here on the “Schedules” page. We will read a chapter a week of the Gospel of Luke (24) chapters, and then about June, we will start reading the Book of Acts (28 chapters). In addition, we will read 1 and 2 Chronicles (a total of 65 chapters) this year. Why the Book of Chronicles? Due to an unfortunate placement in our Bibles just after 1 and 2 Kings, these two books are probably the most neglected books of the bible – next to Revelation. Since some of the text in 2 Samuel and in the Books of Kings is contained word for word, most of us get to Chronicles and figure – why read that again?

Well, surprise! the Books of Chronicles are actually very unique in their perspective, and contain much more than a mere repetition of other passages. In fact, our first blog of this year’s schedule (to be published in a couple of hours) will focus on an introduction to Chronicles that we hope you will find informative and helpful.

English: I took photo with Canon camera. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We will begin the first week with Luke chapter one and the first chapter of 1 Chronicles! The best part is that the pace of reading necessary to keep up with this schedule is quite easy. Although there will be weeks when we may cover 20 to 30 verses per day, on the average, it will only take 15 verses per day to read these four books this year!

Finally, a reading plan that practically anyone can keep up with! 15 verses per day, and you get the whole story of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord, followed by the details of how the Apostles carried out the commission he gave to them. And all the while, you will learn much of the history of God’s people from the time of Saul, then David, all the way to the end of the Babylonian exile!

And on Sundays, we will be focusing on other New Testament books, the subject of apologetics, and (we feel most importantly) ways to enrich your prayer life. We invite you to join us this year in what we feel will be a very enlightening year of reading and commentary in God’s word

/Bob’s boy

Nov 25 2012

Closing Acts \ Week 46 summary posted

Paul finally visited Rome while a captive awaiting his trial before Caesar. The letter to the Ephesians is one of the Prison Letters. It was probably written during his first imprisonment in Rome, which lasted from A.D. 60 to 62.

This week, we wrap up our reading of the Acts of the Apostles beginning with Paul still in prison. He appears before King Agrippa II and his sister, Bernice, who was always by his side. One of Agrippa’s other siblings was Drusilla, who was the wife of Festus’ predecessor, Felix). This Agrippa was educated in the court of the emperor Claudius, and was the son of Herod Agrippa I, who in Acts 12:1-3 had the Apostle James killed and Peter arrested, and who the Lord stuck down dead in Acts 12:21-23. These events are followed this week by shipwrecks, snakes, and of course, Paul preaching the good news about Jesus Christ. Then we will read the first chapter of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, which Paul wrote while in prison in Rome.

Summing Up

Each weekend, I am now posting a small PDF of one week of chapter summaries (on the website’s “Summaries” page), current to the beginning of the previous week. I have posted the summary for Week 46 (November Week 2) of the schedule I am following. This short PDF document contains condensed comments about 2 Corinthians 8, 9, and Romans 1, 2, and 3, with hyperlinks to the ESV version of each chapter for listening or reading, and joins the summaries for other weeks already posted there.

/Bob’s boy

___________________

image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog. All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com. For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Nov 18 2012

Resuming Romans (and Acts) \ Week 45 summary posted

We will begin this week with the 15th chapter of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, and then return to the book of Acts, where we pick up Paul’s story as he starts out to Jerusalem.

English: page with text of Epistle to the Romans 1:1-7 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In a previous blog, we noted that Paul began some of his letters (within the greeting) by declaring his apostleship whenever he was writing to a church that was either unfamiliar with him (he had not even been to the Roman church, for example) or when the church to whom he was writing had a dispute about his being an apostle. But why did they all begin with his name?

Coffman wrote what seems like the best explanation: “All letters and other written communications, in New Testament times, were written upon parchments and conveyed to their recipients in rolled-up form; and that ancient style of letter required, as a practical consideration, that the signature of the writer be at the beginning. Otherwise, it would have been necessary to unroll the entire scroll to find the name of the sender. Therefore, Paul followed the custom of the times in placing his name along with the salutation in the beginning of the epistle.“

Summing Up

Each weekend, I am now posting a small PDF of one week of chapter summaries (on the website’s “Summaries” page), current to the beginning of the previous week. I have posted the summary for Week 45 (November Week 1) of the schedule I am following. This short PDF document contains condensed comments about 1 Corinthians 11, 13, 15, 2 Cor 3, and 2 Cor 6, with hyperlinks to the ESV version of each chapter for listening or reading, and joins the summaries for other weeks already posted there.