Acts 11:1-18. What is Christianity?

A lady entered my clinic wearing a beautiful silver cross round her neck.  When we had been talking for some time, I asked her if the cross she was wearing meant she was a Christian.

“Yes,” she said hesitantly, but then added, ‘But I am not the practising sort!”

In the New Testament there is no such person as a non-practising Christian.  This chapter describes how the early church expanded into Gentile communities but it also gives us the features that mark out a real Christian.  It is significant that these four features that were central to the teaching of the early church are seldom the emphasis of some contemporary churches in the west and we should ask why!

1.  A Christ-centred message

Luke was a first rate investigative journalist.  His first book, the Gospel of Luke, describes the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  The second book, the book of Acts, describes the advance of Jesus’ kingly rule throughout the Roman world.  At the beginning of the book of Acts Luke writes,

“In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.” Acts 1:1-2

This wording is significant, Jesus began his work when he walked on earth but he then continued his work through his apostles who continued to be taught and guided by the Holy Spirit.

By chapter 11 the scene has moved out from Jerusalem and Judea, through Samaria to reach, for the first time, Gentiles first in Caesarea and then in Antioch.  This required a dramatic reversal in the way Jews thought and this needed a supernatural intervention by God.  Peter had a dream, repeated three times, that all animals, even “unclean” ones, were now acceptable to God.  He realised that this was not just about Jewish dietary laws but that God’s love and concern was for people of all nations.  These dreams were reinforced by the arrival of three men from the Gentile centurion Cornelius who had also been told by God to call Peter to come and explain the gospel to them.  When Peter and six companions made the forty mile journey from Joppa to Caesarea they were greeted by a houseful of people eagerly waiting to be taught the gospel.  Peter does not hesitate to enter the Gentile home, even though Jewish law forbade this, and this is what he taught.  He describes the basic Christian message which centres on Jesus and this message is for all time.

“34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favouritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.  39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” Acts 10:34-43

In essence Peter taught them that the man Jesus is God’s king of all the earth, who was crucified but rose again on the third day.  This is very good news because it is now possible for people of every nation to be forgiven the sin that separates each of us from God.

Peter returned to explain to the other apostles the triple vision he had had of unclean animals coming down from heaven on a sheet, the subsequent visit of the men from Cornelius, how he had visited his home, how Gentiles had then ‘received the word of God’ and how ‘the Holy Spirit had come on them as he had come on us at he beginning’. The church leaders recognised that this new movement was indeed from God.

It is this same message about Jesus that all people in the church were passing on to those they met.  The Christians who had to flee from Jerusalem because of the persecution that followed Stephen’s stoning travelled widely, reaching as far as Cyprus and even Antioch, the third city of Rome.  Luke records,

“19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. Acts 11:19-21

Here was further evidence that this change in direction of the church into reaching Gentiles was the work of God.  These early Christians could not keep the news to themselves.  ‘The word’ they spread was ‘the good news about the Lord Jesus’.  How we need to rediscover this today.  Our message remains, ‘Jesus Christ is Lord of all, reject him at your peril!’

This account of Luke gives us three other clear descriptions of what makes a genuine Christian.

2.  They received the Word of God

Luke describes this cataclysmic change with these words,

“The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had received the word of God.” Acts 11:1

The phrase, ‘Word of God’  is found one hundred and twenty nine times in the Bible and fourteen times in Luke’s writings.  It is a technical phrase for God’s message to mankind.  The apostles recognised that it was their priority to teach people the ‘Word of God’, the message that Jesus had taught them (Acts 6:2)  When many Jews became Christians, Luke records this as ‘The Word of God spread’ (Acts 6:7).  When many Samaritans became Christians Luke uses a similar phrase, they ‘accepted the Word of God’ (Acts 8:14)  In our passage, when Gentiles first became Christians, Luke again describes this as having ‘received the Word of God’ (Acts 11:1).

In the New Testament, to become a Christian is to allow God’s word to be the authority of my life.  The essence of the Christian message has always been what Peter passed on to the crowd in Cornelius’ home,

“You know the message that God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ who is Lord of all.” Acts 10:36

Peter went on to describe the facts about the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Acts 10:37-41).  Then followed the explanation of these facts that makes Jesus relevant for all people,

“He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

This is why this ‘Word of God’ which should include the facts about Jesus, the meaning of his life and the implication for us, is highly relevant to all people today.

To become a Christian a person must first accept the body of truth, the ‘Word of God’, that has been revealed by God through his apostles.  The word ‘truth’ comes 137 times in the Bible and ‘true’ a further 123 times.   It is God’s truth, his Word, that sets us free, as Jesus himself said,

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

It is therefore a tragedy when Christians think they can pick and choose which parts of God’s word they will accept.  In a Radio 2 interview an Anglican said that ‘he liked the fuzziness of Anglicanism’.  He was then asked, ‘Where do you go to church?’  ‘I don’t go to church as they still say the creed and parts of that I cannot accept!’

The plumb-line of authentic Christian faith is an acceptance that God’s word is paramount over how I think and behave.  To be a Christian is not to be religiously inclined or belong to a church but to embrace and adhere to clear propositional truths that God’s prophets and apostles have passed on to us.

It is a sign of how some churches think when the leaflet welcoming people to a cathedral has much to say about the architecture but not a mention about the Word of Truth.  We will all keep discovering new understandings when we keep digging into the Bible and it will keep reminding us when we are going wrong.

Liberal Christianity offers a modern alternative but it is not Christian in that the authority of the Word of God is subjugated to man’s wisdom. Columbia University history professor Gary Dorrien, an expert on the subject, calls liberal Christianity, “a progressive, credible integrative way between orthodox over-belief and secular unbelief.”  We should be using modern scientific discoveries to help us understand how to read the text of Scripture, as all truth comes from God, but we cannot change what has been given to us, these are ‘the very words of God’ (Romans 3:2).  Once scissors are applied to parts of the Bible, such as is happening about sexuality, there is nowhere to stop.  Either the Bible is the Word of God or it is not.  Jesus and his apostles had no doubt where God’s people must stand.

The great victorian preacher, C.H.Spurgeon, recognised the problem some have when they vacillate on the authority of Scripture,

“I would recommend you either believe God up to the hilt, or else not to believe at all. Believe this book of God, every letter of it, or else reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deeps of divine revelation; a faith that paddles about the edge of the water is poor faith at best. It is little better than a dry-land faith, and is not good for much.”

3.  They Repented

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Gentiles had become Christians they summarised the change in these words,

“God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life” Acts 11:18

True repentance is a necessity for a person to be acceptable to God.  When John the Baptist began his ministry,

“He went into the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Luke 3:3

When Jesus began his public ministry proclaiming the gospel he said,

“The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.” Mark 1:15

When accused of befriending sinners, Jesus replied,

“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:32

When Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep he says that the shepherd calls his friends and neighbours together and says,‘I have found my lost sheep.’  Jesus then explains,

“I tell you in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:7

The Bible is clear that there is nobody who is righteous.  What a shame it is that when people are asked “How are you?’ many now reply, ‘I’m good’!  Of course they aren’t good, no-one is good or righteous but God alone (Mark 10:18).

Jesus summarised the message of the Jewish Scriptures with these words,

“This is what is written,: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.” Luke 24:46-47

When Peter gave his first sermon at Pentecost, his listeners were ‘cut to the heart’ over the way they had treated Jesus and asked, ‘What shall we do?’

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off.” Acts 2:38-39

When the apostles were questioned by the Sanhedrin, the ruling government of the Jews that had arranged for Jesus to be crucified, they were accused of continuing to teach about the death of Jesus.  Peter and the other apostles replied,

“We must obey God rather than men!  The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead – whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.  God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.  We are witnesses of these things., and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Acts 5:29-32

The word ‘repent’ means to ‘rethink the direction of my life’.  It is a radical ‘about turn’ in which I stop living for myself but come under the command of my God and Saviour.  Naturally we are all on the ‘broad road that leads to destruction’, but we repent when we change direction, go through the narrow gate of repentance and start a new life living with and for the Lord Jesus.  It is only when we repent and turn to Christ that our wilful rebellion against God can be forgiven.

God tells us that this is the way to peace, joy and life eternal.  Satan will whisper in our ear that such teaching is wrong and that happiness is to be found in living for yourself and leaving God out of the picture.  Satan will say, ‘God is a spoil-sport’.  He said to Eve, changing the words of God,

“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?”

Eve corrected him by saying that it was only the tree of knowledge of good and evil that was prohibited,

“You must not touch it, or you will die.”

Satan then contradicts the Word of God,

“You will not surely die.” Genesis 3:1-4

Evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, and arrogance all seem to offer so much in the short term, but Jesus warns that these are the route to destruction.  We are unclean in God’s eyes when we fall for Satan’s lies and practice these sins (see Mark 7:20-23). These sins are all addictive and very harmful, both in our relationships with others and in our relationship with God.

Repentance will be seen in a new way of living.  Paul wrote to the troubled church in Corinth,

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were.  But you were washed, you were sanctified . . .” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

If a person who claims to be a Christian has not repented of their old godless way of life, the apostles are clear that they are not yet Christians.  We all fail but the genuine Christian will want to repent and start again, the non Christian won’t.  When we turn to Christ we start a new life which will affect my heart, my behaviour and my wallet.

Paul summarised this change,

“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. . . Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

The Christian speaker, Prof Henry Drummond told the following,

“Here comes a man, and he admits that he gets drunk every week. That man comes to a meeting, and wants to be converted. Shall I say, "Don't you be in a hurry. I believe in doing the work gradually. Don't you get drunk and knock your wife down more than once a month?" Wouldn't it be refreshing to his wife to go a whole month without being knocked down? Once a month, only twelve times in a year! Wouldn't she be glad to have him converted in this new way! Only get drunk after a few years on the anniversary of your wedding, and at Christmas, and then it will be effective because it is gradual!

Oh! I detest all that kind of teaching. Let us go to the Bible and see what that old Book teaches. Let us believe it, and go and act as if we believed it, too. Salvation is instantaneous. I admit that a man may be converted so that he cannot tell when he crossed the line between death and life, but I also believe a man may be a thief one moment and a saint the next. I believe a man may be as vile as hell itself one moment, and be saved the next.

Christian growth is gradual, just as physical growth is; but a man passes from death unto everlasting life quick as an act of the will -- "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life."

4.  They are given the Holy Spirit

This feature keeps being repeated so is clearly central to what is Christian.  As Peter was speaking in Cornelius’ home,

“ . . . the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.” Acts 10:44

“The circumcised believers who had come with with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.” Acts 10:45

Peter then said,

“Can anyone prevent these people being baptised with water?  They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” Acts 10:47

When Peter repeats this story to the apostles and others in Jerusalem he emphasises that the Holy Spirit had been given to the Gentiles,

“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. . . . So God gave them the same gift as he gave us., who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ . . .” Acts 11:15-17

It is clear that the gift of the Holy Spirit, receiving the Spirit, the Spirit falling on them and being baptised in the Holy Spirit is the same as Christian conversion.  They occurred at the same time as the people opened their hearts to Jesus Christ.  This is the clear teaching of Scripture.  Paul wrote,

“Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish?  After beginning with the Spirit are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” Galatians 3:2-3

We are given the Holy Spirit when we first believe.  There is no suggestion that we can receive a bit of him.  Either we have the Holy Spirit in us or we do not.  Paul wrote,

“You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.  And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” Romans 8:9

Paul again emphasised that we receive the Holy Spirit when we are saved,

“He saved us through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” Titus 3:5-6

Shortly after I committed my life to Christ when an undergraduate I opted to be confirmed.  The bishop of Ely, in his confirmation sermon, told us that he was about to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit.  I very nearly walked out in protest as I knew that God had already given me the gift of the Holy Spirit.  I only stayed because I wanted the certificate!

Today there are Christians who teach a two stage Christian experience saying that those who have been baptised in the Spirit are more fitted for service of God.  This error is taught in both High Churches where it is said that a person receives the Spirit when they are baptised as an infant and fully receive the Spirit at confirmation.  In some charismatic circles it is held that the Spirit comes in a partial way at conversion but fully when they are subsequently baptised in the Spirit which is usually defined as being an emotional experience.

How does a person know if they have the Holy Spirit in their life?  His presence will be apparent from the way our life radically changes.  These are the sort of changes that will be apparent:

1.  A love for Jesus

2.  A love for God’s Word

3.  A love for God’s people

4.  A longing for righteousness

5.  A longing to pray

6.  A longing to evangelise

7.  A longing for heaven

8.  A joy and peace in all situations

9.  A perseverance in living with and for Christ whatever happens

The proof of the Spirit’s presence is that all these features will be growing within us – we cannot be selective!  People may have various gifts that mimic the presence of the Holy Spirit but not even be saved.  Jesus warned those church leaders who are relying on their gifts as proof of the presence of God,

“Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.  Away from me you evil doers!’” Matthew 7:21-23

It is significant that several of these features, such as evangelism, developing the church family and my own satisfaction depend on the ability to develop interpersonal relationships.  It is therefore no surprise that part of the fruit of the Spirit in a person will be those characteristics that help in this.  Paul wrote,

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

The particular feature that was apparent in these Gentiles was that their experience was identical to that of the Jewish Christians at Pentecost - they ‘spoke in tongues’!  It was the same experience  that was given to the new Christians in Samaria (Acts 8:14-17) and subsequently in Ephesus. These were the three special occasions when the church broke new ground.

“When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.  There were about twelve in all.” Acts 19:6-7

It was vital that the church should hold together and for this reason the apostles were sent to give the new believers the gift of the Holy Spirit to demonstrate they were equal Christians and not second rate ones!

How was the new presence of God’s Spirit manifested?  In Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit first fell on the Jewish Christians people of every nation were made aware of God’s presence in his people, foreigners present said,

“We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own language.” Acts 2:11

There are two vital features to be recognised in this description. This is the only time where the effect of the receiving the Holy Spirit is fully explained.

1.  The first feature was that the new Christians prophesied or told others God’s message in a way others could understand.

2.  They did this in real intelligible languages that foreigners understood.

Today there are still some Christians who teach that ‘tongues’ is an unintelligible ‘gobbledegook’.  The Alpha course still teaches this.  This form of unrecognisable ‘tongues’ is found in other religions.  It was a feature of ancient mystical Greek religion and is seen today in some forms of Hinduism and Islam.  This is not the gift that the Bible describes.

In the Bible the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the equivalent to saying that people had become real Christians of equal standing with the apostles when they received the Word of God and repented of living lives independent of God.  The Bible knows nothing of a two-tier Christian experience.

The great Bible teacher, John Stott has stated,

“Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a universal Christian experience.  Baptism in the Holy Spirit is an initial experience.”

What a joy it is to be certain that if I have turned to Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Saviour, then I have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit.  God now calls on us to ‘keep in step with the Spirit’- that is our responsibility.

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature . . . But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.  The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.  I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:16-21

The Holy Spirit always points people to Jesus and illuminates him.  The Bible scholar, Jim Packer told this story,

“I remember walking to church one winter evening to preach on the words, ‘He will glorify me’ (John 16:14), seeing the building floodlit as I turned a corner, and realizing that this was exactly the illustration my message needed. When floodlighting is well done, the floodlights are placed so that you do not see them; in fact, you are not supposed to see where the light is coming from; what you are meant to see is just the building on which the floodlights are trained. The intended effect is to make it visible when otherwise it would not be seen for the darkness, and to maximize its dignity by throwing all its details into relief so that you can see it properly. This perfectly illustrated the Spirit's new covenant role. He is, so to speak, the hidden floodlight shining on the Saviour.

Or think of it this way. It is as if the Spirit stands behind us, throwing light over our shoulder on to Jesus who stands facing us. The Spirit's message to us is never, ‘Look at me; listen to me; come to me; get to know me’, but always, ‘Look at him, and see his glory; listen to him and hear his word; go to him and have life; get to know him and taste his gift of joy and peace.’ The Spirit, we might say, is the matchmaker, the celestial marriage broker, whose role it is to bring us and Christ together and ensure that we stay together.”

The Holy Spirit helps us to keep living with and for Christ, whatever the circumstances. The Spirit always puts the focus on the Lord Jesus but never on a person.

The Greeks had a race in their Olympic Games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. I want to run all the way with the flame of my torch still lit for the Lord Jesus.

Let us work and pray that these four features will remain central in our churches teaching and we will never succumb to just trying to be popular.

BVP

Acts 11:19-26. The Church Militant

The early church in Jerusalem faced great persecution after the martyrdom of Stephen.  The Jewish hierarchy ostracised anyone who acknowledged Jesus to be their Lord from the Jewish community.  Friends would shun them, they couldn’t work or buy in the shops.  There was no option but to emigrate.  Most travelled north into Phoenicia, others sailed to Cyprus and some went further north to Antioch, the third largest Roman city.  Would this be the end of the followers of ‘The Way’?

They spoke out

Little has been more striking in western society than the rapid move away from the sexual ethics taught throughout the Bible; promiscuity and homosexual acts are publicly encouraged, in spite of the damage they cause.  The effective method of LGBT and its affiliates has been to encourage their advocates to speak out publicly.  Speaking out was exactly what the early Christians did.  Wherever they went they  shared the news about Jesus but at first they were careful who they talked with.

“ . . . telling the message only to Jews.” Acts 11:20

Public confession of a person’s commitment to following Christ is one of the first requirements.  After Peter finished his first sermon at Pentecost he was asked what his hearers, convicted of the sin of rejecting Jesus should do.  His reply referred to both a personal and a public act,

“Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” Acts 2:38

A public baptism in the presence of the Jewish authorities just seven weeks after they had had Jesus crucified could not have been easy, yet three thousand people offered themselves.

Paul also emphasised the necessity of speaking out.  Personal faith is important but it is not enough for salvation!  He quotes Deuteronomy 30:14 where Moses taught what God’s people must do after turning back to the Lord.  Paul wrote

“But what does it say? ‘The word is near you.  It is in your mouth and in your heart’, that is the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Acts 10:8-10

The early church clearly did speak out, although at first it was just to their own people..

A greater work

Then something very significant happened.  We are told,

“Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.” Acts 11:20

What induced this change of mind?  It could be that they realised that God always intended that his people should be a blessing to all nations.  Abraham had been told,

“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you . . . and all people on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:2-3

“ . . . and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed because you obeyed me.” Genesis 22:18

Jesus himself had said

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit . . .” Matthew 28:18-19

There have been those who think that this commission is just for the clergy or church leaders but Jesus continued to emphasise that this commission was for all subsequent believers,

“ . . . and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:20

After his resurrection Jesus continued to teach his followers what their life’s work was to be,

“ . . . you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

It seems that, in spite of this teaching, the early church at first limited their mission to fellow Jews.

In Peter’s second sermon he did remind his Jewish hearers in Jerusalem what God had said,

“He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all people on earth will be blessed.’” Acts 3:25

Later God reinforced this message when he gave Peter a vision of unclean animals coming down from heaven on a sheet and this was repeated for emphasis three times.  Peter was told three times,

“Get up Peter, kill and eat.” Acts 10:13

At first Peter understood this is terms of overturning Jewish dietary restrictions but as he was pondering the meaning of the visions, God told him that he was about to be visited by three men and he should not hesitate to go with them.  He went downstairs and there were three Gentiles who told Peter about a vision that their master, Cornelius a Roman centurion, had just had.  The new guests said,

“A holy angel had told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” Acts 10:22

Peter then did something that was extraordinary for a Jew to do,

“Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.” Acts 10:23

The traditional antipathy between Jews and Gentiles was being overcome.

Isn’t there also another lesson for us today?  The most effective way to advance God’s kingdom is to invite non-Christians into our homes and relax, perhaps over a meal, and chat with them.  ‘Hospitality’ is a doctrine strongly encouraged in the New Testament, the word occurring eight times.   Those who are most effective at winning people for Christ are almost always those who invite people into their homes.  In the New Testament, Jesus practiced hospitality and he received it. He ate with sinners and tax collectors. Accepting their hospitality was not just about sharing a meal, it was a way of identifying with them and making them a part of his community—a point the Pharisees both understood and reviled.

No church today will be effective at winning people for Christ if its church members are not enthusiastically talking to non-Christian people and inviting them into our homes and to bring them to where they can learn about Jesus. Speaking biblically, hospitality is treating strangers and friends alike. It is welcoming one another into our homes and lives. Hospitality is a sacred duty.

The story does not stop there.  Peter took six men with him and they walked the thirty three miles from Joppa to Caesarea and there they broke Jewish law by entering the home of Cornelius to be greeted by a house full of people waiting to hear the gospel.  Peter had by now understood the meaning of the vision he had had,

“You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him.  But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.” Acts 10:28

Peter went on to explain that he had come to understand that the gospel is for all people, not just Jews.

“I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.  You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” Acts 10:35-36

The message of salvation through faith in Jesus was no different, but now it was being understood that God loves all people and longs that they also should be able to enter his kingdom.

The Lord’s support

Luke adds another comment about why these young Christians were so successful in persuading people to acknowledge Jesus,

“The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.” Acts 11:21

This is no empty phrase.  If anyone is to become a Christian for life, a supernatural work of God is needed.  Clever techniques and great oratory may draw the crowds but a lifelong change in direction is a much deeper work.

If individual Christians are not asking their Lord to use them for his glory then is it surprising that little happens?  Moses had told God’s people that when they become stablished in Israel they must still seek the glory of their Lord.

“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29

At the end of Moses’ life he sang a song that demonstrated what really mattered to him.

“Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew. . . . I will proclaim the name of the LORD.  Oh praise the greatness of our God!  He is the rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just.” Deuteronomy 32:4

Unfortunately God’s people did not follow their leaders example,

“You deserted the Rock who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth. The Lord saw this and rejected them because he was angered by his sons and daughters.” Deuteronomy 32:18-19

Could it be that the main problem for the atrophy of so many British churches, that God is no longer blessing their work because they have lost their first love, much as the affluent church in Ephesus had.

“Yet I have this against you: You have lost your first love.  Remember the height from which you have fallen!  Repent and do the things you did at first.  If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Revelation 2:4-5

There is no church in Ephesus now!  Only 2% of the total population of England are regular worshippers in Anglican churches, even though 12 per cent claim to be its members. This had been the faith of the majority of people a century ago. Roman Catholics, in comparison, have slightly fewer members at 8%  of the English population, but they are twice as likely to attend services (41% versus 21%).  In his article for the Financial Times on the Church of England’s “fight to survive”, broadcaster Jeremy Paxman observed there are more members of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds than there are regular churchgoers in the UK. What is more difficult to determine is what proportion of these people, claiming an affiliation with a church, are actively living for Christ.

The enthusiasm of the Christians to speak about Jesus, backed by the work of the Holy Spirit in convicting people of their need for forgiveness by God, is God’s chosen way for his kingdom to grow.

Further help needed

It was undoubtedly the example and leadership of Barnabus that helped bring this about.  He had been sent by the leaders in Jerusalem to teach these new Christians.

“When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.  He was a good man, full of the holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” Acts 11:23-24

Barnabus realised that he also needed help to lead this church and he personally travelled to Tarsus to recruit Saul, the previous persecutor of the church, who had become a Christian.  Barnabus seems to be an encouraging pastor/teacher.  Indeed the name, Barnabus, was a nickname meaning ‘Son of Encouragement’.  He was a Levite who had lived and owned property on Cyprus before joining the early church (Acts 4:36)

Paul, in contrast was a determined evangelist.  How often most effective church growth occurs when churches have evangelists in their leadership.  Roger Carswell, himself an evangelist, has commented that in his experience churches grow faster when they employ an evangelist instead of other roles.  This is probably why Barnabus head-hunted Saul  to join him in the ministry for Christ.   He recognised the need for his determination and gifting.  Paul was later the spearhead that helped to spread the gospel throughout the Roman world, even though he also eventually paid a high price for doing so.

Church history shines with other examples of Christian leaders who have witnessed to and then helped to train up future Christian leaders.  Thank God for men such as the young Cambridge undergraduate Thomas Bilney who won his lecturer Latimer for Christ and then helped to train him for his future, very effective ministry- by inviting him to join his Bible Study Group. He also greatly helped Cranmer, Ridley and Tyndale when they also joined the White Horse public house Bible Study Group.  They were all killed by being burnt at the stake for boldly proclaiming the apostolic faith but they had ignited a passion for the gospel in England and from there it spread to the rest of the world.

Evangelists are people who fearlessly proclaim the gospel to others and Paul was such a man.  How we need more such people in this country.  Their message is Jesus Christ and the need that all people have for him.  These early ‘Followers of the Way’ in Antioch clearly understood and they taught ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’ so they were nicknamed ‘The Christians’!  What a wonderful title, even if it was first used in a derisory way.  There are two hundred and fifty-six names given in the Bible for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is likely that this is because He is everything we need and beyond all that any one name could express.

BVP

Acts 8:4-40. Philip, a young personal evangelist

Some people seem to think that the answer to the church’s problems is to be more modern and use modern technology.  Let’s get into the twentieth century; let’s computerise is the cry.

A vicar decided to use a word processor for his work.  In his service sheets for funerals he used the ‘Find and Replace’ instruction to change the name of the deceased.  He did this for funeral after funeral and was pleased with the time he was saving.  One week he changed the name from Mary, who had been buried the previous week, to Edna and printed out the service sheets.  All went well in the service until they came to the Apostles’ Creed.  Everyone was aghast when they read,

“Jesus Christ, born of the virgin Edna.”

Technology certainly has its place but there are no easy ways to be effective for Christ, and win others for him.  It is personal work and personal workers that are needed.  God could achieve his ends through a whole variety of means but he has chosen to use his people, acting as His representatives.  We are His body, our feet are His feet and our tongues are His!  As Paul said,

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though Christ were making his appeal through us.”  2 Corinthians 5:20

Philip is a beautiful example of a young but well trained personal worker in the Bible.

Background

After Pentecost the early church hardly stopped in their efforts to share the gospel with others.  They were flogged and ordered not to speak about Jesus by the civil authorities but nothing could restrain them.

“Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”  Acts 5:42

The apostles found this ‘ministry of the word of God’, the preparation and the teaching so time consuming that they needed others to help them organise the day to day running of the church.  So they chose seven people, ‘full of the Holy Spirit’.  (Acts 6 v. 3)

Today there is a lot of misunderstanding about what this means - to be full of the spirit.  Surely it is a shorthand way of saying that their spirits were under the control of God’s Spirit and consequently their words were his words and their actions were for him.

“Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires”  Romans 8:5

The chosen seven were therefore recognised as being men who were ‘living for God’ but were also wise, having the sense that was needed to organise a church.  Stephen and Philip were the first two on this list.

Isn’t this a lovely example of senior people in a church longing to be free for Bible teaching and evangelism, leaving the more junior deacons to do the administration.  So often today it is the opposite.  Today all too often the Bishops choose to do the administration leaving the less experienced and often less trained to do the Bible teaching and evangelism.  In some ways the bishops have become the deacons and the deacons have become the bishops!

Then came the martyrdom of Stephen and the subsequent persecution of the young church in Jerusalem by the Jewish authorities.  (Acts 8 v. 1)

The Christians were scattered, ousted from their homes and jobs.  The Hitler, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung Milosevic or Putin of those days was a man called Saul!  The effect must have seemed to be disastrous to the early church leaders.  The church structure was destroyed.  People could no longer attend the Christian training sessions safely.  The organisers were no longer needed as there was no longer a church structure to organise.  But wait a moment, God changed this seeming disaster into something wonderful.  It is thrilling to see how He could turn an apparent defeat and make it into a victory!  The key was simple, those scattered “preached the word” wherever they went.

What a church!  They were truly ‘full of the Spirit’, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ.  The evidence for this was that they were primarily about the Lord’s business.  Jesus himself faced such tensions over priorities.  People came to him in their hoards to be healed, and this would undoubtedly make him very popular with the masses but that was not his priority.  He told his disciples that he must move on,

“So that I can preach there also.  That is why I have come.”  Mark 1:38

Philip was in all likelihood one of those church members who were scattered by the persecution.  He also ‘preached the word’ wherever he went (Acts 8 v. 4).   The next verse says that he went up to Samaria to do this.  What does this shorthand phrase ‘preach the word’ really mean?  The answer is in verse 12.

“He preached the good news of the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.”

In other words he was teaching what we have described as the ‘potted gospel’, saying that no-one need remain in the ‘kingdom of Sin’ but they could transfer to become God’s people, in God’s Kingdom, by putting themselves under the authority of Jesus.

Something else was interesting about his approach.  He obviously taught that a public response to Jesus was necessary.  He didn’t leave them feeling comfortable by just telling them about the love of God. No, he explained that the only way they could be comfortable before God is to respond positively and openly to his Son, Jesus.  He did not worry who he talked to, both men and women needed to respond to God’s Son.  Both men and women responded and were baptized  (Acts 8 v. 12).  The phrase ‘both men and women’ is very striking, it was surely included because it was so remarkable.  (If you read John the Baptist’s Sermon in Luke chapter 3, the illustrations are all to do with men, see verses 11,12 and 14)

Philip obviously longed for and expected both men and women to respond to this gospel.  It is interesting what criteria Philip looked for in those he baptized.  In Acts 8 v. 14 it says that “they had accepted the word of God”.  This would have meant accepting both the divine authority of Jesus, the ‘Word of God’ and consequently the teaching of Jesus.  A person is not yet a Christian until they have accepted this authority over their lives.

So far so good.  Philip understood,

a.  That the written word of God was central.

b.  The significance of Jesus to everyone.

c.  That a response to Jesus was needed.

It is interesting however that although he knew all about the empowering of the Holy Spirit, he did not stress that the Samaritans could also be gifted in the same way in order to empower them to live for Jesus.  Possibly, this was because they were Samaritans, and he was unsure whether such people could be fully accepted by God as equal members of His church.  This was remedied when Peter and John came and accepted the new Christians as their equals and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit in the same way that they had.

It is encouraging that in spite of this misunderstanding in doctrinal matters, God used Philip mightily.

Now let us see from Acts chapter 8 what happens next, and learn from the story how we also can be effective for Christ even when there are many pressures on us.

Philip saw the example of the church leaders

How important this point is.  If the leaders are not living examples of people who are all out for Christ, it is unlikely that their churches will be. Acts 8 v. 25 shows that these church leaders were open examples of men who,

a.  Testified, that is, they told others what they knew,

b.  Openly taught others the ‘Word of God’.    

It is probable that Philip was still young and single, yet he was a man of the Spirit.  He was a great man because he trusted and obeyed a great God.  He, like his teachers, longed that others should hear and respond to the gospel.

There was an Anglican Church in London that was growing very fast.  Its services were full.  They had the choice of expanding their own church building, having additional services, planting another church nearby.  They decided to plant a church on an estate one and a half miles away.  Unfortunately this was in another parish. The news got out and the local bishop received complaints.  The vicar and his churchwarden, a retired army Brigadier were summonsed to a meeting with two local bishops.  The Brigadier kept calling the bishops ‘General’, but even this approach did not prevent the bishops expressing their concerns forcefully.  In the end the Brigadier said to the senior bishop,

“General, let me get this clear.  We are trying to preach the gospel.”

He paused momentarily,

“And you are trying to stop it.”

Mouths dropped, but the church plant went ahead.

How desperately we need senior people in our churches to have this passion for Christ, this passion for sharing the gospel with others and teaching them God’ word, just as those early church leaders did. This is how to set the standards for the next generation.  I have been greatly influenced by Leith Samuel who was a great Christian leader of the last generation.  At his funeral, David Jackman said of him,

“Whether in the pulpit, or in the train going up to the Westminster Fellowship, in the open air, or one to one in the arm chair at home, it is my conviction that Leith was never happier than when he was sharing the gospel and declaring the unsearchable riches of Christ.”

Philip was open to God’s leading

We are not told exactly how the angel spoke to young Philip.  It could have been in a dream or vision, it could have been through other Christians or church leaders, but he recognised it as coming directly from God.  I love the association between verses 26 where Philip is told ‘GO’, and verse 27 where it says ‘SO’.  God directs so Philip immediately responds.  (If you look at the early chapters of Mark’s version of the gospel, you will note how often it is stressed that people responded immediately to Jesus.)

The proof that Philip lived to please his Lord is his obedience to the commands of God.  If you want real proof that someone is full of the Spirit look to see if they are obedient to the ‘word of God’.

When I first read this story it appeared that God had lead Philip into the wilderness and Philip was uncertain what it was all about, perhaps waiting for something to happen.  Further study makes it seem more likely that Philip was on his way to Gaza, where the Palestinians (then called Philistines) lived, in order to teach the gospel to them.  In Acts 8 v. 40 he arrives at Azotus, which was the contemporary name for the Old Testament city of Ashdod.  This was one of the five great Philistine cities, which was only 15 miles from Gaza.

There are some Christians who seem to be active Christians for their own sakes.  They make good friends, they are respected and admired in the church fraternity.  Philip was not like that.  He was willing to put himself out to please his Lord, even if it meant doing things for God that others might not notice.  It is people such as Philip that God uses.

A Coincidence Happens!

Philip was walking along the road that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza when he is overtaken by a slow moving chariot.  Contemporary pictures show these chariots as having four wheels.  Can you imagine the scene as Philip looks up and sees an important man behind his charioteer, probably wearing fine clothes.  There might also have been some outriders.  It is likely that this Ethiopian eunuch was a man of integrity.  He appears interested in knowing God’s ways and he was trusted enough to be the official in charge of the Candace.  Candace was the traditional title of a Queen Mother, who used to run the country on behalf of her son, the king, as he was reckoned to be too sacred for such mundane tasks.

We do not know precisely why the Ethiopian eunuch had made this long journey other than the statement,

“This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship.” Acts 8:27

Did he not understand that in Jerusalem he would be a double outsider.  As a foreigner he could only be admitted to the Court of Gentiles – but to be acceptable to God a worshipper had to offer a sacrifice.  Even worse, as a eunuch he would not be admitted to the temple at all.  The Jewish law was clear,

“No-one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of God.” Deuteronomy 23:1

However when in Jerusalem he took the opportunity to buy at least one scroll of the Jewish Scriptures and he was reading this on the journey home, yet not understanding what it meant.

It was at this point in the story that the coincidence happened.  Was it just a coincidence?  Archbishop William Temple was asked why he prayed.  He wisely replied,

“I find it strange that when I pray, coincidences happen, when I don’t pray coincidences don’t happen.’

Philip hears the man in the chariot reading a scroll. You might think that the chariot would be standing still in a lay-by, as it would be difficult to read racing along and scrolls were rather too expensive to risk being torn when they went over a bump, but further investigation makes this unlikely.  Verse 30 says that Philip had to run to catch the chariot up and verse 38 says that the Ethiopian ‘gave orders to stop the chariot’. It seems likely therefore that the chariot was moving along at walking speed.

You and I might be overawed by such an important person, but not young Philip.  He recognised that people such as this also need to hear the gospel. They are only human after all.  A rector was driving in an undertaker’s car to take a funeral.  They drove past a very rich house in his parish and were admiring it when the undertaker exclaimed,

“You know vicar, they all look the same when they come to us!”

Philip was alerted when he heard what the Ethiopian was reading. In those days all reading was done out loud.

“He was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as a lamb before his sheerer is silent, So he did not open his mouth.”

Can you imagine the excitement that Philip felt as he recognised that passage from the word of God, from Isaiah 53?

In those days there would not have been a vast choice of scrolls that the eunuch could have bought in the Jerusalem bookshop, as everything had to be written out by hand, but it was still an amazing coincidence.  Philip obviously knew Isaiah 53 well.  He probably also knew that Jesus had taught that that chapter was about himself. Jesus had said,

“It is written, ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’ and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me.”  Luke 22:37

The Ethiopian was reading about Jesus!  No wonder Philip was excited.  This coincidence was too strange for words.  He must have felt that God was behind this. Do you ever feel like that, when something that someone says or does, demonstrates that they have an interest in the things of God, and you are prompted to stay around as an opportunity to speak for Christ may appear?  Philip could not restrain himself.  He runs up to the chariot.  It seems likely that his boldness came from his recognition that God was in this coincidence.

The next point in the story is very important for us if we are to learn to be really effective for Christ.

He asked a direct question

If we have not learnt to do this we will miss out on so many opportunities.  As Philip runs up to the chariot he asks the eunuch,

“Do you understand what you are reading?”

Some may think this rather forward and rather risky.  It could result in his being snubbed or ridiculed by this important man.  The ruler could have said,

“Who are you, you young Jewish man to approach me in this manner whilst I am relaxing?”

Philip’s motto seems to have been,‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained.’

The question he asked is brilliant.  He did not say a casual “Good scroll that!” or “I’ve read that”.  Instead he asks a personal question,

“Do you understand what you are reading?”

An urgency is also implied in this question as if he were asking “Do you understand that – it really does matter!”

How important it is for all of us to learn to ask polite but real questions.  When we meet people who are going through problems we can sensitively ask,

“Do you have a faith that helps you at a time like this, or aren’t you sure?”

When talking to someone about religious matters you can ask,

“Are you a Christian yourself, or are you still uncertain?”   

“Are you certain you are right with God and going to heaven or are you unsure about these things?”

There are many such questions.  Giving people alternative answers does prevent us from cornering people and allows them to admit that they are uncertain and so lead on to further conversation.  If you have not learnt this secret of effective personal work, do learn it from Philip.

“Do you understand what you are reading?”

As so often happens after asking a direct question, the reply opens up a very profitable conversation.

“How can I, unless someone explains it to me.”

How Philip must have been thrilled as the Ethiopian asked,

“Would you mind explaining to me who the prophet is talking about?  Come up and join me in my chariot.”  Do you know this thrill of being in such situations?

Let us be clear, evangelism is explaining the story and significance of Jesus.  We are not evangelising if we are not talking about him!  Some people think that talking about their religious experiences is enough, but this is not true.  My role is to explain to others who Jesus is and what he has done.

He knew his Bible well

Firstly he was able to recognise those verses from the prophet Isaiah and was able to explain the significance of that chapter to an inquirer.  More than that he was able to show from multiple passages in the Old Testament that these books were all about Jesus.  (Acts 8:35)  How many Christians today could do that?  The interesting question to ask is how did he learn to do this?

The answer must be that he had been to training Bible Studies where the emphasis was to learn what a passage means and be able to explain and apply it to people we meet.  They would not be studies where leaders were content to ask, “What do you most like about this passage?”  They must have spent considerable time learning the words and meaning of God’s word to us.  It is relevant that after Pentecost, when 3000 people were converted, the new Christians, “devoted themselves to the apostles teaching”.  Surely this is how he knew that Jesus had said that Isaiah 53 was about himself, because Peter and John and the other apostles had taught them what Jesus had said at the last supper.

Those early Christians were undoubtedly ‘people of the Word’.  They expected Christians to do some prep!  Thus Peter taught “Always be prepared to give an answer . . . ” (1 Peter 3:15) and Paul said to Timothy “Be prepared in season and out of season . . .” (2 Tim 4:2).  “Be Prepared” may be the motto for the scout movement, but it should also be that of the church.  Let us all encourage each other to spend time doing our Christian homework or prep, learning the Bible well and learning how to explain these things to others.

His manner

There is a hint of something else important in the manner in which Philip talked to the eunuch.  He did not immediately jump up and recite a sermon to him that he had learnt by heart.  He appears to have entered into a two-way dialogue with question and answer.  There is an inference of this polite relationship in verse 34 –

“Tell me please, who is the prophet talking about?”

Philip had obviously learned an important lesson from Peter:

“Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect.”  1 Peter 3:15

Just as Philip had been taught the ‘Word of God’ as part of his early Christian training, so now he is teaching it to others.  This is the essential cycle of the church.  As in a relay race, we pass on the baton of knowledge of God’s Word to others.  After his resurrection Jesus met his disciples in the upper room and what did he do then?

“He opened their minds so that they could understand the Scriptures” Luke 24 v. 45

In Samaria, Peter and John “proclaimed the word of God”  (Acts 8 v. 25).

When Philip was talking with the Ethiopian, he:

“. . . began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus”  Acts 8 v. 35

Chris Richardson gave up a very good job, with excellent prospects for promotion, in order to share this gospel with others as a full timeworker.  He now works with overseas students in Sheffield.  He met a Chinese scholar who appeared totally ignorant of the Christian gospel.  After a discussion, the scholar and his friends were invited to a Bible study.  They had never seen a Bible before that week.  Chris asked for them to prepare by reading the first three chapters of Genesis and the first chapter of John’s gospel.  At the study, after looking at the Genesis chapters for half an hour Chris asked this Chinese man, “How does God communicate with humans?”  After a pause he replied, “I think God communicates with humans by sending Jesus”.  In such a short time he had grasped that the message of the whole Bible is essentially about Jesus.

He taught that an open response to Jesus is needed

Philip was not satisfied to tell the message about Jesus, he explained that a response must be made to this message.  This response can only be “Yes, I accept him” or “No, I don’t want him”.  A response of “I understand” may be encouraging but it is inadequate.  The only response that God finds acceptable is “Yes, I want to be committed to Jesus”.

The Ethiopian obviously understood this.  “Why shouldn’t I be baptised?” he asked (Acts 8:37).  There and then that is what happened.  He symbolically died to his old life by going under the water and rose again from it to live a new life.  It is also a picture of his being washed of the sin of his old life and the beginning of a new holy life, lived with and for Jesus.  Philip must have taught him that the prime object of life was to become right with God and then live close to him.  It is not primarily ‘join the church’ and live in harmony in the Christian community – these things are secondary.  It is possible to be involved with a church and not have a personal relationship with Jesus for ourselves.  It was Martin Luther who stressed that Christianity consists of personal pronouns.  Many religious people can say, “Jesus is Lord”.  Only those right with God can say “Jesus is my Lord”!

After his meeting with the Ethiopian, God took Philip away.  They probably never met up again in this life.  Yet it is said that the Coptic Church developed from that one man.  How could that happen?  What did the Ethiopian have to help him after his conversion?  There were probably few other Christians around.  The answer must be that he had the Bible and God’s Spirit to help him.  There is certainly no indication that the Ethiopian was daunted over the possible problems he would face.  Verse 39 says,

“He went on his way rejoicing”.

As he read three chapters further on in the scroll of Isaiah he must have been thrilled as there was a passage that filled this new Christian with hope,

“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant – to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure for ever.” Isaiah 56:4

He had understood the answer to life.  He was right with God because of Jesus. This joy is a common mark of true conversion.  A few chapters later the jailer of the prison in Philippi became a Christian.  We read,

“He was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God – he and his whole family.” Acts 16:34

His circumstances changed but not his priority

It would be easy to think that this is the story of an idealistic young man who was able to behave in this way because he had the enthusiasm of youth and few responsibilities.  There is evidence however that Philip did not change in later years.  This is slightly speculative but Acts 8 v. 40 states that Philip “traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea”.  Caesarea was sixty miles north of Gaza.  What is it that normally causes a young man to settle down like this?  It is likely  that he met a young lady and got married. There is some evidence to support this.  Twenty years or so later, the apostle Paul was returning from his second missionary journey and he arrived by boat at Caesarea.  “We reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven.  He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied” (Acts 21 v. 8,9).  This means that Philip’s daughters were probably in their late teens.  It therefore seems probable that, in spite of his responsibilities of a wife and large family he still longed that others should come to know Jesus.  It is only at this time that he is given the title ‘Philip the Evangelist’.  This is so encouraging, a different situation, a large family but Jesus is still his priority.  That is the mark of a Christian.

B V Palmer

Acts 15:1-21. The Importance of Doctrine

A group were discussing what prevents people from going to churches.  The answers were interesting:

‘Its boring.’

‘They do the same liturgy each week and think that is worship.’

‘They spend so much time singing.’

‘They tend to be mindless and emotional.’

‘There is much theatrical pretence, we need reality.’

‘I am not convinced the Christian story is true.’

Most of these responses concern the trappings of church life. It was the last question that the apostles were particularly concerned to answer.  They were convinced that Jesus is ‘the truth’ (John 14:6), anything else is peripheral.

One of the major problems facing the early church was the tension over doctrinal issues.  There was a conflict between those Jews who had become Christians from a religious background and the Gentile Christians who had come from secular and often immoral backgrounds.  The Jewish Christians considered that all new Christians should adopt Jewish customs and practices as these had been ordained by God.  Furthermore those who do adopt these practices are helped in various ways:

1.  Their adoption proves their spiritual sincerity – it is not easy to be circumcised!

2.  They protect people from spiritual drift.

3.  They distinguish clearly the people of God from the others.

Perhaps these were the rationalised concerns of some but it is likely that most wanted to adhere to their old practices because that was their tradition and few find it easy to change their traditional ways of life.  We are all creatures of habit.

However Jesus and his apostles had taught very clearly that all people need to do to be saved and to become members of God’s eternal kingdom was to believe in the Lord Jesus and follow him.

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” John 3:36

The Philippian jailer was overwhelmed at the way God had freed Paul and Silas from their captivity in his prison and he asked Paul and Silas,

“‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’  They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.’” Acts 16:30-31

The message of the apostles was clear, people are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and through the word of God alone.  Essentially this was the battleground of the Reformation that men such as Martin Luther and John Calvin fought for.  It was also the basis for the major battle of the early church.

The Historic Problem

Paul’s first missionary journey would have taken up to 10 months and he had returned to Antioch by the autumn of 48 A.D. They had faced much conflict with Judaisers throughout this first journey and the questions needed urgently to be addressed.  In Antioch they came across the same tension but this time from Jewish Christians.

“Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: ‘Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” Acts 15:1

Tensions were raised; there were two opposing camps, both with reasonable arguments.

“This brought Paul and Barnabus into sharp dispute and debate with them.” Acts 15:2

We learn from Paul’s letter to the churches he had visited on the first missionary journey that this problem was deep seated.  He tells them that Peter himself had visited Antioch about this time and  that even he had been muddled over this issue of Judaising the Christian faith.  Paul wrote,

“When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.  Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles.  But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.  The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabus was led astray.” Galatians 2:11-13

Paul did not weakly stay silent,

“When I saw they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, ‘You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.  How is it then that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs.” Galatians 2:14

It is clear that this fundamental error had permeated into the thinking of such senior men as James, the brother of Jesus and even Peter.

The issue is debated

Whenever there are such conflicts it is wise to get some godly adjudicators and this was what the church in Antioch decided on.

“So Paul and Barnabus were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.” Acts 15:2

As they travelled down to Jerusalem they encouraged the Christians that they met on the way and told them how Gentiles had been converted,

“This news made all the brothers very glad.” Acts 15:3

This joy was surely the work of God’s Spirit, Christians are always thrilled when others repent and become God’s people.  When they came to Jerusalem,

“ . . . they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.” Acts 15:4

However the theological issue yet again came to the fore,

“Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, ‘The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the Law of Moses.’” Acts 15:5

Such a fixed view had to be responded to and resolved.

Unfortunately, today, some church authorities try to take a conciliatory approach when facing such difficult problems and accept both irreconcilable views.  This is being seen over the question of sexuality – ‘Must marriage be between a man and a woman?’ ‘Is sex outside of marriage wrong?’ ‘Must people be Christians to be saved?’  Compromise and appeasement never works when dealing with such fundamental issues.  That lesson has been learned in dealing with Hitler, and again today with Putin, but when will church leaders understand what the early church realised?  God’s clear opinion must be sought in his Word and the issue settled.

“The apostles and elders met together to consider this question.” Acts 15:6

It is significant that it was Peter who helped the Council to think clearly.  He reminded the Council about how the Lord had given him a dream, repeated three times, emphasising that nothing God has created was now unclean. Immediately after having this dream there was a knock on the door where three men were standing, who had travelled the 35 miles down from Caesarea,.  They explained to Peter,

“We have come from Cornelius, the centurion.  He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people.  A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” Acts 10:22

As a result of both the vision and this extraordinary visit Peter did something totally against Jewish custom.  He invited the three as guests into the house where he was staying.  Then the next morning he and some Jewish Christians travelled with his guests to go to the home of a Gentile centurion.  Cornelius was expecting Peter; he called together a large group to hear what Peter had to tell them about how they could become right with God - how they could be saved.  Peter told the large gathering,

“You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him.  But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.” Acts 10:28

Cornelius then explained how God had told him to send to Joppa to ask Peter to come and speak to them.

“Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” Acts 10:33

So Peter explained the gospel of salvation through belief in Jesus.

“I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.  You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ who is Lord of all.” Acts 10:34-35

Peter then described how Jesus had gone around healing and preaching, was killed but rose from the dead.  Those who met him after the resurrection were commissioned to complete his work.

“He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.  All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” Acts 10:42-43

What happened next was eventually to change the thinking of the whole church throughout the world.

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.  The circumcised believers who came with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.  For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.” Acts 10:44-46

This gift of tongues or languages was defined earlier in the book.  People from many different nations, who spoke different languages, were present on that great Pentecost Sunday when the Holy Spirit was poured out on Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem.  The visitors exclaimed,

“ . . . we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues.” Acts 2:11

So now this gathering of Gentiles in Caesarea were filled with a love for Jesus, his people and his word and couldn’t stop speaking about him to others in their languages that they had not learned.  Peter ordered that they should be baptised in the name of Jesus.  He then stayed a few more days, undoubtedly to teach them further.

Peter now reminded the Council in Jerusalem of what God had done during that visit to Caesarea,

“Brothers you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.  God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.  He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.” Acts 15:7-9

Peter concluded his statement by sharing the obvious conclusion,

“Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?” Acts 15:10

Peter then shared the essential gospel truth that is just as relevant today as then,

“We believe that it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” Acts 15:11

Then Barnabus and Paul recounted what had happened to then and how they had been enabled to do miraculous signs among the Gentiles.

A conclusion is reached

The Chairman of the Council, James, the brother of Jesus, confirmed these arguments by reminding his listeners that this was precisely what the Old Testament Scriptures foresaw would happen, and he quoted some of God’s words given by the prophet Amos (Amos 9:11-12),

“The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written, ‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent.  Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek the Lord and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things that have been known for ages.’” Acts 15:15-18

James concluded,

“It is my judgment, therefore that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” Acts 15:19

This decision controlled the direction the future churches were to take.  They had had the mind of God supernaturally revealed to them.  The message of the apostles was clear, people are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and through the word of God alone.  This is so different to religion, where people are trying to ‘re-ligate’ or bring themselves into God’s favour by what they do. How important this is for churches today in a post christian country – we must not make it difficult for non-Christians to turn to Christ.

Undoubtedly there would have been some muttering from the Pharisaical Christians after this decision had been made.  One concern they would have is ‘Where is the clear identity of God’s people now that circumcision has stopped?’  This is surely why water baptism is meant to be a public event. Those who have become Christians publicly align themselves with Jesus Christ.  In those days it meant they would face opposition from Jewish or secular authorities.

Another concern would be  ‘Where is the security that those keeping the law now have?’  The security of the Christians is in Christ himself.  He has promised that those who believe and follow him will be saved. Now what can be more secure than the word of God?  Paul was later to write,

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2

A third concern would be, If there are no rules, people will ask,’What is it that keeps God’s people living as he wants.’  The answer is the Spirit of God who he has freely given to every believer.  It is the Spirit that motivates us to want to be godly people who represent our Lord in his world.

No rules but important principles

The council recognised that the church was still evangelising effectively amongst the Jews and therefore, in spite of the freedom they have in Christ, they advised the Gentile Christians that they should place certain restrictions on how they live.

“Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from meat of strangled animals and from blood..  For Moses has been preached in ever city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” Acts 15:20-21

Abstaining from food offered to idols was to show the Gentiles that the Christian faith recognises only the one true God and this would help the Christians to be distinct.  Sexual immorality was everywhere in the secular Gentile world and again this would make God’s people distinctive.  The last two directives were to try and answer the concerns of the Jewish Christians, to show that all Christians, whether Jew or Gentile were to be distinctive.  These directives, for that is all they were, were to help the spread of the gospel into different groups.

Paul and Barnabus had gone to Jerusalem to ensure that what he was teaching the Gentiles was in accord with what the other apostles were saying.  They took Titus, a Gentile Christian, along with them.  Paul tells his readers, who were concerned about the Judaising problem,

“Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.” Galatians 2:3

Paul was adamantly against the circumcision party but he had earlier, on his first missionary journey, circumcised Timothy.

“He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek.  The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.  Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.” Acts 16:1-3

There was no inconsistency here. Christian freedom caused Paul to resist Titus’ circumcision, this same freedom allowed him to remove the difficulty of Timothy’s lack of circumcision when sharing the gospel amongst Jews in those early days. Paul applied the principle he gave in another letter,

“To the Jews I became a Jew in order to win the Jews.” 1 Corinthians 9:20

The Council in Jerusalem recognised that their decision had to be explained to people so they decided to send some of their own men to accompany Paul and Barnabus back to Antioch to explain the Councils conclusions.  It is one thing to make a decision but another is the need to explain it to the churches so it can be implemented. Unity is tantamount.

Application for us today

This same issue of church rules keeps raising its ugly head today.  Rules can make Christian groups appear isolated from others in their society and keep others out, the very opposite of what God wants his people to achieve.  We must not make it difficult for non-Christians to turn to Christ.  Some Christian groups today demand that Christians take on some of the laws of Moses.  They stress that their Christians are special because they don’t eat shell fish or are vegetarians. Others insist that God can be worshipped in on Saturday, the Sabbath,  Some say that  to be really spiritual you won’t eat meat of Fridays.  Some will emphasise the need to go to confession and to mass regularly.  Others will whip themselves or wear hair shirts to help themselves to be spiritual.  How foolish all this is.

After taking a conference in Poland I was asked, at short notice, to help adjudicate a local evangelical church that was facing a split.  Apparently the elders were insisting that ladies should always wear hats to church.  Another small group of Christians in the Baltic States have been teaching that to be really spiritual you must be vegetarian.  Some Anglican and Roman Catholic missionaries to Africa insisted on exporting the same form of liturgical services with gowns, surpluses and stoles that they had in England. Is it surprising that more informal and often heretical cults are more attractive to the African mindset.  Rules and traditions can easily become more important than teaching and persuading people about the gospel.

Such rules are usually raised by well meaning people who want to protect their people from a pagan past and to make the Christians distinctive but in the long run they always undermine the gospel of the Lord Jesus.

All such rules are in fact adding to the gospel, which in spiritual mathematics, actually detracts from it.  To live under the authority of the Lord Jesus is a much higher standard that outward rules.  The rules may satisfy other people but they do not satisfy God.  Jesus had much to say to the Pharisees on this issue. Those who have been given the Holy Spirit live to please God in all they do, and every time they fail they come back to relying on this relationship not on rules or traditions.

Even in evangelical churches we can emphasise our rules or church practices.  How many outsiders find our many hymns and long prayers helpful?  In the early church it was the challenging teaching of the Scriptures that had priority.  Is this what we are known for?  Other churches use theatrical techniques to entertain people. This may help draw in the crowds but unless there is excellent Bible teaching that holds them, they will drift away.  People must become convinced about Jesus and the Bible, not just by the presence of friends and theatre.  When we read through the book of Acts the main emphasis of the apostolic band was on the teaching of the word of God – how we need to return to this priority today and not be so dependant on our traditions.

We must be careful however.  Although we are free, what we do may not be wise.  As Islam advances into England they consider that this country is utterly pagan because of how we behave.  Shouldn’t our young Christians be warned that kissing other youngsters in public, wearing short mini-dresses or minute bikinis is unhelpful and does not honour the Lord Jesus.  There is a time for Christians to abstain from alcohol when in a drunken society but there must be no rules,  Jesus drank alcohol and even produced it.  Jesus did things on the Sabbath that the religious disapproved of but he was not wrong.

Didn’t Jesus emphasise how radically different the message of the gospel is from religion,

“And no-one pours new wine into old wineskins.  If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined.  No, he puts new wine into new wineskins.” Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, and Luke 5:37-39.

The Council in Jerusalem understood this.  Political correctness may be a feature of some societies such as in Russia and China and increasingly in the West with its emphasis on Woke and LGBT practices but tradition must never control the church which must remain true to Scripture.  As Paul wrote,

“‘Do not go beyond what is written.’ Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.  For who makes you different from anyone else?  What do you have that you did not receive?” 1 Corinthians 4:6-7

It is by taking careful notice of what Jesus has said, that we read in Scripture, that will prevent churches and individuals from falling away,  Jesus said,

“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.” John 16:1

BVP      

Hope in the book of Acts

In the book of Acts, the word ‘hope’ is consistently emphasised in the context of the resurrection of Jesus, the restoration of God’s people, and the future return of Christ. 

The apostles and early Christians express their hope not as a vague wish, but as a confident expectation grounded in God's promises and the reality of Jesus's resurrection. 

Where hope is emphasised

The resurrection of Jesus

The resurrection is the central point of Christian hope, confirming Jesus's identity as the Messiah and securing the future resurrection of believers. 

Acts 2:25–28: In his sermon at Pentecost, Peter quotes Psalm 16, connecting David's prophecy to Jesus. He explains that David spoke "of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption" (Acts 2:31). Peter declares that God has raised Jesus up, providing a basis for a new, living hope.

Acts 23:6: While on trial before the Sanhedrin, Paul defends himself by asserting, "I am on trial concerning the hope and the resurrection of the dead". He aligns himself with the Pharisees who believed in the resurrection, using this shared hope to create division among his accusers.

Acts 24:15: Before the Roman governor Felix, Paul reiterates this theme, stating, "I have a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust". 

The promise to Israel

The apostles frame their message of hope within the context of God's ancient promises to Israel, which they believe were fulfilled in Jesus. 

Acts 1:6–11: The disciples' initial hope was for the immediate political restoration of the Kingdom to Israel. However, Jesus redirects their focus to the coming of the Holy Spirit and their mission to be his witnesses "to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Their hope is reshaped to understand that the kingdom will come in two stages: the spiritual reign beginning with the Spirit, and Jesus's bodily return.

Acts 26:6–7: In his defense before King Agrippa, Paul states that he stands trial for his "hope in the promise made by God to our fathers". He connects his hope directly to the long-held expectation of the twelve tribes of Israel for the Messiah and the resurrection. The fact that he is accused by Jews for holding this fundamental Jewish hope highlights the absurdity of the charges against him.

Acts 28:20: While under house arrest in Rome, Paul clarifies to the Jewish leaders that he is in chains "for the hope of Israel". This refers to the Messianic hope of God's kingdom, which, for Paul, is embodied in Jesus. 

The Holy Spirit and the message of hope

The Holy Spirit is presented as the down payment of the future hope, empowering believers in the present and signifying the start of the "last days". 

Acts 1:8: Jesus promises his followers they will "receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" to witness to him. This promise of empowerment to enable christians to live effectively as Christ’s representatives is a central aspect of their confident expectation.

Acts 2:38: In his Pentecost sermon, Peter offers a message of hope, inviting people to "repent and be baptized... and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." This reception of the Spirit is linked to the hope of forgiveness and salvation.

Acts 28:26–28: At the end of Acts, Paul quotes from Isaiah to explain the stubborn refusal of some Jewish leaders to accept Jesus as the Messiah, fulfilling prophecy about spiritual blindness. This moment of rejection, however, also sets the stage for the fulfilment of the hope for the Gentiles, as Paul declares that God's salvation has now been sent to them. 

How hope is sustained in Acts

Despite persecution and hardship, the early church's hope remains steadfast through several factors:

Encouragement: Leaders like Barnabas and Paul consistently strengthen the disciples, urging them to "continue in the faith" despite many afflictions (Acts 14:22).

Miraculous signs: Healings and miracles were performed by the apostles especially early in their ministry. Thus the healing of the lame man in Acts 3, serves as confirmation that God is at work, reinforcing their message of restoration and judgment.

Community: The communal life of the early believers, described in Acts 2 and 4, demonstrates their collective hope. They share possessions and devote themselves to fellowship and teaching, showing that their future hope shaped their present actions.

Suffering: Paradoxically, suffering for the sake of the gospel becomes an evidence of their hope. Their willingness to endure hardship shows that their ultimate reward lies beyond their earthly struggles (Acts 5:41). 

In summary, the book of Acts is permeated with the unshakable hope of the early Christians. This hope is based on the resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit, which fulfils the ancient promises to Israel and opens salvation to the Gentiles. It fuels their witness and resilience in the face of persecution. 

Jesus and the Resurrection in Acts

In the book of Acts, Jesus and his resurrection are mentioned in nearly every sermon and chapter, with Jesus's resurrection being a central theme of the entire book woven throughout the entire narrative. The book itself is essentially the story of Jesus continuing his work through the Holy Spirit and his apostles, with the resurrection as the validating event. 

Where Jesus and his resurrection are mentioned

The following key passages illustrate the persistent focus on these themes. 

Chapters 1–7 (In Jerusalem)

Acts 1:2–3, 9–11: The book begins with the resurrected Jesus appearing to his disciples before his ascension and promising his return.

Acts 2:24, 31–32: Peter's Pentecost sermon declares that God raised Jesus and connects this to prophecy.

Acts 3:15, 26: Peter preaches that God raised Jesus, the "Author of Life," whom the Israelites killed.

Acts 4:2, 10, 33: Peter and John testify to the Sanhedrin about healing in the name of the resurrected Jesus, and the apostles continue preaching the resurrection.

Acts 5:30: Before the Sanhedrin, Peter states that the God of their ancestors raised Jesus, whom they killed.

Acts 7:55–56: The dying Stephen sees a vision of the resurrected and ascended Jesus. 

Chapters 8–12 (In Judea and Samaria)

Acts 9:1–9, 17, 20: The resurrected Jesus appears to Saul (Paul), leading to his conversion.

Acts 10:40–42: Peter tells Cornelius that God raised Jesus on the third day and appointed him as judge. 

Chapters 13–28 (To the ends of the earth)

Acts 13:30–31, 37: Paul preaches in Antioch that God raised Jesus to fulfill prophecy and prevent decay.

Acts 17:3, 18, 31–32: In Athens, Paul preaches Jesus and the resurrection, stating God proved judgment by raising him from the dead, which garners mixed reactions.

Acts 23:6: Paul declares he is on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead.

Acts 24:21: Paul again states his offense was proclaiming the "resurrection of the dead".

Acts 26:23: Paul explains to King Agrippa that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, bringing light to all people. 

The significance of Jesus and his resurrection in Acts

The constant focus on Jesus and his resurrection in Acts highlights key aspects of early Christian belief: 

A historical fact: The resurrection is presented as a real event with eyewitnesses.

Divine validation: It proves Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God.

The basis for salvation: The resurrection is linked to forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Fulfillment of prophecy: The apostles show how Jesus's suffering and resurrection fulfill Old Testament prophecies.

The Source of the Holy Spirit: Jesus's ascension after the resurrection allows for the sending of the Holy Spirit. 

Acts 1:1-11. A Thrilling Life of Power

A study of the faces of most Christians in church would suggest that most are bored to tears.  They may open their mouths when a hymn is sung but even then there is little else to suggest people are captivated by what they are involved with.  And what do they talk about during the week!

The book of Acts is a source book about the early church, it is the story of a rapidly spreading flame.  It is called ‘the Acts of the Apostles’ but most of the work was actually done by ordinary Christians inviting others to hear the gospel.  This is why some have called the book ‘The Acts of the Holy Spirit’ or ‘the Acts of the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit acting through his church’.

In the gospels Jesus gives his life for us, in Acts he gives his power to us.

In the gospels we find the seeds of the church, in Acts we learn of the growth of the church.

In the gospels we learn of the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, in the gActs we learn of his ascension and exultation.

In the gospels Jesus is the perfect man, in Acts imperfect men begin to live the Christian life.

The book of Acts is so important as it gives us the formula for satisfying, effervescent, relevant lives.  For any who want their lives to count, the book of Acts gives a new perspective.  A church leader admitted,

“I’ve been a deacon in my church for years.  I’ve built a building, I’ve raised funds, I’ve sat on committees but one thing the church never gave me was a relationship that would make my life exciting.”

Many Christian’s lives are as bubbly as a two day old glass of ginger ale!  The book of Acts tells us of a young, virile church that can take on the world.

The Beginning

The book of Acts is about what Jesus continued to do through his Spirit after he returned to be with his Father.  The book was addressed to Theophilus, just as Luke’s gospel was.  It is likely that Theophilus was a real Roman of note but the word significantly means ‘God Lover’ and on that basis the book is for all who are concerned about what God thinks of this world.  It is the same God who continues to act today as acted in Old Testament times and through Jesus:

“In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote all about what Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven . . .” Acts 1:1-2

Biblical authority

Luke then adds a very important phrase that explains why the apostles have been given by God, the authority they have in the church:

“ . . .after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.” Acts 1:2

In the New Testament there are many references that support the idea that the authority of God was given to the apostles for the church to be built on.  God’s church, his city, depends on this authority, and what they taught is given to us in the New Testament.

“The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:14

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16

“I (Paul) give you this charge: Preach the Word . . . For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:1-3

“I (Paul) have become its servant (the church’s) by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fulness . . .” Colossians 1:25

“For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword . . . it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

This is why all churches should make it their prime aim to teach the word of God in ways that people can understand and remember.

The Baptism of the Spirit

Jesus used to teach while eating meals with his disciples.  How parents should do the same when eating with their children.

“On one occasion, while eating with them, he gave them this command, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you heard me speak about.  For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:4-5

The disciples must have been unsure what Jesus meant.  Would it be like the occasion when Jesus went to the river Jordan to be baptised and a dove flew down onto him and the voice of God was heard introducing Jesus as God’s own Son?  The Rabbis said that when Israel was restored there would be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Would there be a new political power or would they be able to walk through walls?  It is likely that they were full of a burning anticipation about what they were to experience.  Their thinking was still unclear because they then asked:

“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel.” Acts 1:6

They realised that Jesus was God’s King or Messiah, but were still unclear about the nature of his kingdom.  Jesus then gives them some magnificent teaching, they were his final words to them on earth:

“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:7-8

Jesus has come to establish the kingdom of God but this will only fully materialise in the future when he returns.  His church is here to prepare for this and we also have been given the Holy Spirit to enable us to continue with the task of establishing the kingdom of God both at home, in our environment and to the ends of the earth.

In the book of Acts, Chapters 1 to 7 are based in Jerusalem, chapters 8-12 are in Samaria and chapters 13 on concern the rest of the world.  Let us look at:

The Mission

The Mission’s extent

The Missions’ power

The Mission

“You will be my witnesses.” Acts 1:8

A local vicar told me of a recent survey revealing that over 80 per cent of church goers never talk about their faith or invite others to learn about it.  Yet here we have our commission.  It is similar to the Great Commission given at the end of Matthew’s gospel:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations . . .” Matthew 28:18-19

This is not optional.  The king has spoken, he has ordered and we must obey.  People all over the world need to hear the news.

But someone may say, ‘Isn’t that specifically said to the disciples who were trained and empowered by God for this task?’  No, that is not true!  All subsequent Christians have been baptised not just with water but with the power of God,

“ . . . baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19

What a shame it is that the initiation into the Christian life is so often considered to be just a formality.  We know this power was not just for the disciples because Jesus then continued,

“ . . . and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:20

Just as the disciples had to go and make disciples of all nations, so must subsequent believers, we must continue to fulfil the commission Jesus gave to his apostles and his church.  The noun ‘witness’ comes 13 times in the book of Acts.  The noun ‘to witness’ comes a further two times.  Indeed, “witnessing” should be something more than an intermittent church activity. It is the very essence of who we are as Christians.

Our Mission is to point people to the Jesus the apostles told us about, not to a modern prophet.  The Bible repeatedly warns against false prophets, both in the Old and New Testaments.  Today it is common to see smart young men about twenty years of age, wearing a white shirt and a conservative tie.  They are very pleasant.  They like to get into a conversation with someone, often discussing modern ethics, and then go on to say,

“Wouldn’t it be nice if there were still prophets today!”

Sounds all so reasonable until the teaching of the Mormons, the Latter Day Saints is gone into.  They began in the nineteenth century with a young man who had a vision of meeting an angel, Moroni by name, who told him where to find some buried golden plates.  By the plates were some gigantic eyeglasses which enabled him to read these plates, plates that nobody has seen.  Joseph Smith, the young man’s name, said he did copy the text of the plates which he said were written in ‘reformed Egyptian’, a language no-one knows of.  When this paper was shown to an Egyptologist he commented that it was a naive fraud, using signs of the Zodiac.  The Book of Mormon tells an incredible story, that the Aaronic priesthood still exists and that the lost ten tribes of Israel became the Nephites in America.  Of course there is no evidence that such an ancient people ever existed.  Although claiming to be a translation of these ancient plates, the so-called translation is plagiarised, using words from the Authorised Version.  The Mormon message is an incredibly complex system of works under the guise of being a form of Christianity, which it certainly is not.

The Christian message is about Jesus, the God who entered his world and allowed himself to be crucified as an atoning death for us.  He rose from the dead and then ascended back to heaven where he prays for his people on earth, a people who have been given a purpose for now and promised a future with him for eternity.  This message is so simple but utterly life-changing.  We have this message to present to the world, but to be effective the world must see that the gospel has changed us.

There are many people who tell stories about how the change in a person’s life led them to trust in the power of Christ.  Henry Morton Stanley was sent by the editor of the New York Times to find Dr David Livingstone who seemed to have disappeared in central Africa.  When he found Livingstone, he stayed with him a short time and was most impressed by his sincerity.  He wrote,

“If I had been with him any longer, I would have been compelled to have become a Christian and he never said one word to me about it.”

The apostolic flame spread across the Roman world because they not only spoke about their faith but they ‘walked the talk’.  Even the soldiers who were guarding Paul, when he was under house arrest in Rome, saw the difference.

“What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.  As a result it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.  Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” Philippians 1:12-14

The gospel calls us to an absolute honesty that reaches to the depth of our personalities and to ask whether we are really substantiating the gospel by the way we live.  It is all too easy to have the talk but not the walk.

One way people can see our sincerity is not just that we love to talk about our Lord but we do so with passion.  When Peter spoke to thousands in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost he spoke with great passion, he ‘warned’ them, ‘he pleaded with them’ and as a result they were ‘cut to the heart’ and three thousand were baptised as followers of Jesus.  When Stephen spoke to the religious authorities just before he was stoned to death, he was gloriously passionate.  When Paul was defending himself before King Agrippa and the Roman Governor Felix, who could have had him executed, he again spoke with passion about Jesus.  Paul’s objective was clear as Agrippa responded to his defence,

“Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to become a Christian?” Acts 26:28

George Whitefield, the 17th century evangelist, was due to speak in Edinburgh at 5 am one morning.  A Christian noticed that the man walking beside him was the great philosopher, David Hume.  He was amazed, so he asked Mr Hume why he was there,

“I thought you didn’t believe the gospel.”

Hume replied,

“I don’t, but he does.”

Whitefield believed with all his heart, just as the apostles and so many of the early church were passionate about the Lord Jesus.

It leads us to ask, are we as passionate about our Lord today?  It is a mark of an authentic witness.  It is a great honour to be selected as one of His ambassadors, but he calls us to be faithful.

The Mission’s Extent

When the disciples were told the extent of their mission they must have been very worried.  Jerusalem was a hotbed where the anti-Jesus rulers had control.  Why witness here and not in safer Galilee? Samaria was the capital of a people who hated the Jews, why there?  The ‘ends of the earth’ was an awesome mission field - seemingly impossible for such a small band of people.  Yet within a generation the gospel had spread throughout the Roman world and beyond.

They did start in Jerusalem.  Then Philip went on a successful mission to Samaria where he confronted sorcery and magic.  Then he moved down to share the gospel with the Philistines.

Sergey Genadievich Nechayev (1847 – 1882) was an early follower of Karl Marx and a radical revolutionary communist.  He was convicted of murder but in reality the aristocracy were afraid of him and his followers.  Czar Alexander II was murdered by this group.  Nechayev wrote the famous ‘Revolutionary Catechism’ which describes how the Communists thought.  He said, just before he died in prison of tuberculosis,

“Revolutionary man is a consecrated man.  He has neither his own interests nor concerns, nor feelings, nor attachments, nor poverty, not even a name.  All for him was absorbed in a single exclusive interest and one thought and one passion, revolution.”

His beliefs and motives were wrong but surely we can admire his dedication to his cause.  Such dedication was seen in the apostles and early church.

The Mission’s Power

The book of Acts is all about the remarkable work of the Holy Spirit working through all sorts of people.  It is remarkable how most unlikely people become people of power.  Why does God use some more than others to expand his kingdom when all have been called to this role?

When Kent Hughes became a Christian at school he longed that others should come to Christ.  Their mid-week Bible Study was poorly attended.  So he prayed about this.  Then a schoolfriend joined him and he became a Christian.  Within two months the group grew from 15 to 90 and subsequently to 120!  There were only four nights, out of one and a half years, when someone did not become a Christian.

We had a small Christian Union in our college when I committed my life to Christ.  Over the next two years 60 students in our college made commitments to Christ.  It was such a joy to see the Christians praying for friends and getting close to them.  At dinner on Sunday evenings the Christians would not sit together in hall but dispersed themselves around the hall.  We would invite those around us back to our rooms for coffee.  We would then explain that we were going down to the evangelistic talk held in a local church and our friends would often come with us.  In those two years not a week went by without someone committing their lives to Christ.  What was striking was that nearly all of us were just young inexperienced Christians.

Look how God used the uneducated Gladys Aylward in China.  Read the story of D.L.Moody who became a Christian after his uncle reluctantly gave him a job as salesman in his shoe shop, but only on the condition that he attended church. His Sunday School leader, Edward Kimball, led him to Christ when he visited the shoe shop.  Moody then moved to Chicago with the ambition to sell shoes but there he started a Sunday School and worked hard to attract youngsters from all over the city and from all social strata.  It went so well that he was asked to start a church with himself as pastor.  He subsequently became one of the most successful evangelists, travelling widely.  God put his Spirit into D.L.Moody and used him mightily.

It is this same power that God gives today to those who urgently long to fulfil his commission.

BVP

Acts 26:1-23. The Heart of Christianity - Truth

It is becoming very apparent that many politicians are quite inept at politics. They repeatedly make promises, up to election day, but from that day on all we hear are excuses, excuses over the next four years.   Where has integrity gone?  Some know what the opposite of ‘integrity’ is.  It is ‘dis-integrity’ or ‘disintegration’.  When a person stops doing what is right before God their personal life begins to disintegrate, to fall apart, then the family disintegrates and finally that society disintegrates - all because people cannot live as God wants.

Jesus has a message from God that is both true and is evidence based, it is both credible and life changing.  True faith is always life-changing.

Background

When Paul visited the secular city of Athens on his second missionary journey (50-51 AD) he faced a problem.  The people loved debating issues such as politics and morality, much as our society does today, but they had no firm basis for how they should live, again much as in our society today.  When Paul walked around the city, he saw that it was full of idols to this god and that god, all of which were extrapolations of mans natural desires. (See Appendix 1). Then he saw something that made his subsequent discussions easy to introduce.  He told the men of Athens in the Areopagus:

“For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” Acts 17:23

Debate with philosophers

He got into discussions with local philosophers but note what he wanted to tell them about, he always wanted to get to the facts about Jesus, his death and his resurrection.

“A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.”

Then he noticed another altar ‘To an unknown God’, and he used this in his discussions.  Note he didn’t start by attacking, first he wanted to find a bridge with his hearers.  So Paul said to the leaders of the people in the Areopagus debating area:

“For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” Acts 17:23

Remember Paul had written a letter in 55 AD giving the basis for his teaching:

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

This passage offers the theological basis for his later courtroom arguments. He emphasises the resurrection's factual basis, listing multiple eyewitnesses to the risen Christ, including himself. He goes on to explains (1 Corinthians 15:12-19) that if Christ has not been raised, then Christian faith is ‘useless’ and believers ‘are still in your sins . 

Trials in Jerusalem - his essential defence

When Paul went to Jerusalem (55 AD), after his third missionary journey, riots were encouraged against him by the Jewish authorities and he was arrested. His defence at his trials and interviews was always the same.  Thus he said to Festus, the Roman Governor:

“What I am saying is true and reasonable.” Acts 26:25

If anyone wanted to verify the fact of the resurrection of Jesus they could have called up hundreds of witnesses to say they had seen the risen Christ after his death. Significantly the authorities never did that.  For them political expediency and suppressing the story about Jesus was the priority.

At his five trials that Paul faced he kept coming back to the question of the resurrection of Jesus. This was central to his message to the world as it proved his claim to be God’s Messiah.  Truth is always a good way to answer false accusations but it did also help in his legal strategy of dividing the Pharisees from the Sadducees. 

When Paul first stood before the Jewish high council, the Sanhedrin, he realised it was comprised of two rival factions: the Sadducees, who deny the resurrection, and the Pharisees, who believe in it. Paul leverages this division by declaring,

“Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I am on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead”.  Acts 23:6–10

This statement immediately triggered an angry dispute between the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees, finding more in common with Paul on this point than with their rivals, defend him by saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man”. The conflict grows so violent that the Roman commander orders Paul to be taken into protective custody. 

Following his volatile hearing before the Sanhedrin, the Lord again appeared to Paul and said,

“Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome”.

What an encouragement this must have been to Paul.  This promise reinforces Paul's original encounter with the resurrected Christ and assures him that despite his imprisonment and many powerful enemies, his mission will continue and this must have given him great boldness.

Paul's defence centred on the resurrection of Jesus as a fulfilment of what the Jewish Scriptures teach, as the living proof of Jesus's identity, and the foundation of his Christian message that if we belong to christ we will be safe when we meet God in judgment after our resurrection.. 

In his trial before the Roman governor Felix, Paul connected his belief in the resurrection to the long-held hope of the Jewish people. He stated,

“I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked”. Acts 24:14–15

Speaking to King Agrippa and Governor Porcius Festus, Paul said that he was:

“. . . on trial because of my hope in the promise God made to our ancestors”. Acts 26:6–8

These are the promises of Scripture. He went on to say that his message was consistent with what Moses and the prophets predicted:

“. . . that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles”. Acts 26:22–23

The context

At this fifth defence Paul is standing before Herod Agrippa II and Bernice.  She was Agrippa’s sister but was widely thought to be in an incestuous relationship with the king.

Paul is defending not just himself but the Christian cause.

One of the reasons that headmaster’s summons naughty children to the Headmaster’s Study is that the venue of standing in front to the seated headmaster makes people feel uncomfortable.  It is the same in Courts of Law; they are deliberately formal and awe-inspiring so that people naturally feel uncomfortable.  Can you imagine the situation Paul was taken into:

“The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.” Acts 25:23

Paul, in chains, stood before the King of Israel and of a significant part of the Middle East and the Roman Governor.  Agrippa was a powerful figure, the son of Agrippa I who had had James, the son of Zebedee beheaded.  His grandfather, Herod the Great had overseen the massacre of the innocents as well as having some of his family killed.  Paul’s accusers wanted the death penalty for him.

This was at least his sixth formal interrogation and fifth trial since he had been arrested two years previously

1.  Before the mob 21:37 - 22:22

2.  Interrogation before Claudius Lysias. the Tribune in Jerusalem   23:18-35

3.  Before the Sanhedrin 22.30 - 23:10

4.  Before Felix, the Governor. 24:1-27

5.  Before Porcius Festus, the new Governor 25:1-12

6.  Before Agrippa II, Bernice and Festus. 25:23 - 26:32

This last defence is majestic.  He has had two years in prison to think about this  (24:27).  After Porcius Festus became governor he was offered a trial in Jerusalem but knowing the hatred of the Jews for him, he had opted to be tried in Rome before Caesar. (25:11-12)

Standing now before Agrippa and Festus he has little to lose so he gives a careful defence of the Christian faith.

His defence was that everything he has been saying is true, really true.  In the book of 2 John, John also wants to protect the true faith against imposters and says that truth will both be evidence based but will always be associated with love. The God that truth talks about is a God of love so those who have the spirit of God in them will share this love for truth and demonstrate the truth of love.

Key Question - Is there a resurrection?

Today there are many who think that the Christian faith is irrational, and doesn’t make sense.  Some thinks we have lost our marbles to think that the next world matters more than this.  The key question is ‘Is there a resurrection?’  Significantly this is the heart of Paul’s defence.  He argues that because Jesus did rise from the dead, there must be an all-powerful God.  God alone can break what we call the‘Laws of Science’ though if you think about it science cannot make laws.  In science we learn about the laws God uses to make his universe work.

In the resurrection of Jesus we learn that death has been conquered.  Jesus is that God and is the first fruits of a real resurrection.

Paul then goes on to say that the Lord Jesus had personally appeared to him on the way to Damascus and God gave him the commission to announce to the world who Jesus is and that he did indeed rise from the dead.  He refers to this realisation as ‘the switching on of the light’.  There is a real God.  There is therefore an absolute truth, there is a final accountability. All of us will have to stand before God, shamefaced for the way we have lived. Yet there is the possibility of receiving salvation from our sins.  Look at Acts 26:17-18 where we are given a clear summary of the Christian message that we have to proclaim

“I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Acts 26:17-18

As a result of people hearing the message about who Jesus is, about his death to pay for our sins and about his resurrection to prove who he is, a radical change can take place in people:

1. Darkness becomes light

2. The power of Satan that destroys people’s lives is defeated by the power of God

3. Our sins are forgiven.

4. We are empowered to live very different godly lives. We are taken from where there is no relationship with God to join a people who are being changed into the likeness of Jesus.

If you go up into our loft at night you wouldn’t see much, but turn the light on all my rubbish can be clearly seen.  When we turn back to God the light goes on and all the rubbish of our lives becomes painfully apparent.  Things are seen for what they are.  Forgiveness is on offer, so we too can be sure that we will be resurrected to be with God in heaven

Agrippa understood what Paul was trying to do:

“Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”i Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” Acts 26:28-29

I suspect that Porcius Festus was also puzzled.  Perhaps he tried to ease the situation for Agrippa. He suggested, as some try to do today, ‘You have lost your marbles.’

“At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defence. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.” Acts 26:24

Festus recognised that Paul was very intelligent and educated but what he was saying did not fit in with his experience of life. The same sort of responses to the idea of resurrection are seen today.  Yet most people do instinctively recognise that some decisions we have each made have not been in tune with either what God wants or with our consciences,  We sometimes lie, steal covet, lust and certainly don’t love the Lord with all our hearts and minds.  So some try to justify the rejection of God by saying that faith is not rational and try to overlook their inborn consciences. Paul continues and urges his listeners to engage their minds and check other facts.

“I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable.” Acts 26:25

It is a key question, is “Christianity rational?  Must people abandon reason to be a Christian?  Is it a blind leap in the dark?  Paul argues the very opposite by giving people the reasons why the christian faith is really true

Pauls usual way of helping others understand the gospel

Paul would have been well able to discuss the evidence for Jesus being the Messiah as he had spent many years teaching this material.

It seems that, on his second missionary journey, Paul was only able to stay in the city of Thessalonica for three to four weeks.  Following his normal practice he went to the local synagogue each Sabbath and taught the Jews and God-fearers there.  As they revered the Scriptures that was where he started.  It seems that on the first Sabbath he showed, from the Scriptures, that the Messiah had to suffer and die because of our sins.  On the second Sabbath his theme was that the Scriptures teach that the Messiah would rise from the dead.  On the third Sabbath he told them how Jesus fulfilled all these prophecies.  He would tell them all about Jesus, his death and resurrection and how he and many others had met him after his resurrection.

“As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,’ he said.  Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.” Acts  17:2-4

Paul and Silas then moved down to the city of Berea and again made the synagogue their first port of call.  Presumably he used the same approach, trying to convince people, starting from where they were.

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.  As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.  But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.” Acts 17:11-13

So in his defence of the Christian faith before Agrippa Paul also argued that he is speaking true and rational words.  The evidence he gave could be substantiated.  It could be tested.  Nothing is hidden.

Paul Barnett (PhD, London University) is a visiting fellow in ancient history at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.  He has written a number of superb books on the historicity of the Christian faith and has famously said,

“The historicity makes the Christian gospel unique.”

Sadducee beliefs

The Sadducees were a conservative group primarily made up of the wealthy and priestly aristocracy in Jerusalem.  They controlled the Sanhedrin, the temple and all its business functions.  They only accepted as authoritative the first five books of the Bible, the Torah.  They rejected the authority of other books in the Old Testament as well as the traditions the Pharisees accepted.  As the Torah does not specifically mention that there is a resurrection or an afterlife they rejected this doctrine all together.  According to the historians Josephus the Sadducees believed that the soul perishes with the body at death and there are no rewards or punishments after death.  This led them to focus on worldly power and success which they viewed as a sign of divine blessing.

However there are several clues in these first five books of the Bible that there will be a Messiah and there is an afterlife.

In Genesis 3 we are told about the coming of one who will crush Satan’s head.  God said to Satan

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15

Jesus did defeat Saran on the cross.

At the end of the book of Genesis Jacob blesses his sons but kept a special blessing for Judah.  King David and Jesus were both of that tribe:

“The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.” Genesis 49:10

The Passover story given in Exodus 12 reminds people that God alone can save his people from the destruction that will come to many. This ceremony is explained in Leviticus:

“. . . because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins.” Leviticus 16:30

In Genesis 25:8, after describing Abraham's death, it is said that he “was gathered to his people”. This phrase, used again for Isaac (Genesis 35:29) and Jacob (Genesis 49:33), is separate from the description of the physical burial  and suggests there was a reunion in a spiritual realm after death.  Similarly when God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the promise was not fully fulfilled in their lifetimes. So in order for God to keep his promise, there must be a resurrection of the patriarchs to experience the fulfilment of that promise.

The Sadducees had missed what the Torah is saying, God has always wanted his people to get to the Promised Land.  Just as in John Bunyans ‘Pilgrims Progress’ there were many problems on the way. Similarly in the Old Testament a few did make it through to the promised land.  You may remember the ditty:

“Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb, the son of Jephuneh were the only two who ever got through to the land of milk and honey.”

Pharisees belief in the resurrection

The rest of the Old Testament is abundantly clear that there is a resurrection.  Elijah and Elisha both raised the dead to show that this was God’s work.

Job, possibly the oldest book in the Old Testament was clear when he said:

“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25–27

The Psalms are full of confidence in an afterlife:

“For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol [realm of the dead] or let your holy one see corruption.” Psalm 16:10

“Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell. But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Psalm 49:14-15

“You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.” Psalm 71:20

Isaiah had no doubts that God raises the dead:

“Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!” Isaiah 26:19-20

Of particular note is the great chapter Isaiah 53.  It is the clearest description of what the Messiah was gong to do in his life and through his death and resurrection.  He would die as a substitute for the sins of many.  Yes this prophecy goes on to say:

“Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see [light] and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:10-11

The prophet Daniel was clear

“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:2–3

Daniel recognised those who have died will be raised from death to face God’s judgment.

Hosea was sure:

“Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.” Hosea 6:1–2

The book of Jonah taught that after 3 days in the stomach of a great fish, new life appeared.  No-one entering into a fishes belly survives more than a few minutes let alone three days.

“And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. . . . Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, saying, “I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. . . . I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.” Jonah 1:17–2:2, 6

The first evidence Paul goes to are the Old Testament prophecies about the resurrection.  I have little doubt he would have explained these prophecies in detail to the assembled court.:

Although the Pharisees recognised there is a spiritual promised land and a judgment to come they had failed to understand the message of the Talmud that a Messiah was coming who alone would be the way into this promised land.

Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah

I don’t suppose Paul would have missed the opportunity to remind the dignitaries gathered there that the Old Testament prophesied much about the Messiah, God’s chosen King who would enter his world to free and empower his people.

The Bible is clear that sin is ultimately not an offence against others or even myself but is against God.  That is why we need God’s forgiveness.

The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, the city of David:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2

He will be killed by crucifixion.  This prophecy was written by David around 1000 BC, long before crucifixion was used!

“Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.  All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” Psalm 22:16-18

There are several prophecies saying that the Messiah will be a direct descent of King David.  This passage if often read at Carol services:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7

This human child would be called Mighty God and live for ever!

I can’t imagine that Paul would not have reminded his hearers about Isaiah 53.  This extraordinary chapter was the one that convinced my friend David Roberton, who lived in this road, about Jesus. It is a detailed description of what God’s Messiah would do for us. 

He ‘was despised and rejected by men’, ‘we esteemed him not’, yet:

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:4-11

Here the Old Testament prophet describes in great detail the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, even to the point of his being buried in a rich man’s tomb.

Daniel also foresaw the coming of a Messiah, a man who would also be equal to God and who would rule for ever..  This is a staggering prophecy particularly when you remember that Jesus ascended into heaven through the clouds.

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14

Agrippa, as King of the Jews was now in a quandary. The Sadducees, who were in power, did not believe in an afterlife or the resurrection of the dead. This was one of the core theological differences that separated them from the Pharisees during the time of St. Paul and Jesus. He clearly saw that he was being forced to make a rational decision about whether Jesus fulfilled all these Old Testament prophecies.

“The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” Acts 26:26-27

Paul was on trial for believing the Scriptures and, like the other apostles, for saying that he had seen the risen Christ.  Yet his faith was rational and consistent.  This teaching resulted in Paul and other Christians living selflessly, serving and teaching others, because they knew they also would one day experience a resurrection and will have to face the judgment of God.  They relied on the sufficiency of the death of Christ to pay for their sins.  They were forgiven because of Jesus.  It seems as if it is now Agrippa on trial.

The difference between Christianity and religion.

The difference between Christianity and any other religious system is that it is based on core facts about real people living in a real place that were witnessed by many.  Jesus was an extraordinary person.  He did remarkable miracles, he turned water into wine, healed the sick, raised the dead, fed 5,000 with two fish and five loaves, and walked on water.  He was crucified because what he taught was hated by the Jewish leaders.  He then rose from the dead and was again seen by many, on one occasion 500 saw the risen Messiah.  Then he was seen to rise supernaturally through the clouds.  If any are honestly unsure please read through John’s gospel and look at the evidence he gives about Jesus.  He was the disciple Jesus loved.It is this evidence that should convince a sincere person.

I was pleased to hear that  the book ‘Stepping Stones’ was on display at Knights Templar school this week.  This book reviews the convincing evidence that there is a God who has revealed himself in Christ, starting from where many are today, They know they have values they think are real, they are looking for a purpose and basis for their lives but are unsure where to look.

The story about Jesus in the Torah, the Talmud and in the apostles writings are so different to those of other religions.  Most religions start with a self-proclaimed prophet who tells witnesses what he has received but this not open to being tested.  All faith should be evidence based.

For any today who are unsure there are four gospels and the book of Acts which were written during the lifetime of those who had experienced Jesus and the beginning of the church so any mistakes in historical details would be obvious and those opposed to would be sure to highlight any errors.

The Bible is not just full of public fact but there is prophetic hope

Paul is certain that these prophecies are all about Jesus:

“King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” Acts 26:27

This repeats what Paul had said earlier:

“. . . so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen - that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.” Acts 26:22-23

It is significant that he stresses the books of Moses, the Torah which are the only ones the Sadducees accept as authoritative.  Open the Bible anywhere and it looks forward to the coming of God’s Royal king, the Messiah.

Just your interpretation?

At a supper party some sceptical guests repeatedly said to the Christian speaker:

‘This is just your interpretation.’

Paul has confidently rebutted such accusations.  No-one could doubt his sincerity but sincerity alone can be mistaken.  However anyone rejecting his conclusion needs to find a way to reject what the Scripture say about the Messiah and explain how so many contemporary people, first hand reliable witnesses, were will to say they had met the risen Jesus. The Christian faith is definitely evidence based.  I have tried to give more of this evidence in the books ‘Cure for Life’ and ‘Stepping Stones”

In the Bible we are given a consistent pattern of prophecies, events, promises and warnings.  This week I was talking to a group about the evidence for Christ.  The response of a solicitor was striking

“I am not really interested.”

Our society and individuals need  a cause to live for, a real cause that is evidence based,  We do need forgiveness, we need an answer to death and most have an innate desire to find answers to almost anything.  Yet when it comes to what must be the most important questions we can face in our short life this is many people’s response.

Paul was unashamed in making clear to King Agrippa and all the dignities present just what the demands of Jesus, our future judge, are.  This has always been the Christian message, Jesus is our only hope but faith has implications:

“I preached that they should repent of their sins and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.” Acts 26:20

True faith will always be marked by obedience to Jesus Christ, (See Appendix 2)  Often it is this realisation that prevents people from accepting Christ’s forgiveness.

King Agrippa clearly understood the implications of what Paul had explained:

“Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”     Acts 26:28

Paul replied, confirming that that was exactly what God demand of all people everywhere,

“Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” Acts 26:29

The Lord loves each one of us and longs for each of us to respond to his offer.  The decision is ours. 

Joshua said to all those who heard him speak:

“Yield your hearts to the Lord.” Joshua 24:23

The people replied:

“We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.” Joshua 24:23

Appendix 1     The Roman Gods and what they represented

Desire for love and sex

A group of deities called the Erotes represented the complexities of love and desire. 

Aphrodite: The goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation, Aphrodite ruled over all aspects of physical desire and attraction. In one story, she possesses a magical girdle that makes anyone who wears it irresistible.

Eros: A son or companion of Aphrodite, Eros is the god of love and sexual desire. He used his bow and arrows to make mortals and gods fall madly in love, often with chaotic results. He is most famously known through his Roman counterpart, Cupid.

Himeros: The god of sexual longing and intense desire, Himeros is a companion of Aphrodite and often appears alongside Eros.

Pothos: Personifying passionate yearning and longing, Pothos is the god of unfulfilled desire.

Anteros: The god of reciprocal love, Anteros avenges those who suffer from unrequited love. 

Desire for power and victory

Ares: The god of brutal, raw warfare and violence, Ares personifies the desire for bloodshed and conflict. In contrast to his sister Athena, who represented strategic warfare, Ares represented the more destructive and untamed aspects of battle.

Zeus: The king of the gods was notorious for his insatiable lust and desire for power, leading to numerous affairs with goddesses and mortal women. His repeated unfaithfulness demonstrated a desire to exert his patriarchal authority. 

Desire for knowledge and order

Apollo: A complex god, Apollo was associated with truth and prophecy, poetry, and reason. He represents the human desire for knowledge and divine revelation, as embodied by the Oracle at Delphi.

Athena: As the goddess of strategic warfare and wisdom, Athena represents the desire for rational thought, skill, and justice, balancing out her brother Ares's violent urges. 

Desire for ecstasy and release

Dionysus: As the god of wine, festivity, and ritual madness, Dionysus embodies the human desire to abandon inhibitions and experience ecstatic release. His worship, centered on wine and frenzied rites, offered a temporary escape from the mundane.

Pan: This rustic god of the wild embodied primal, lustful desires, as well as the wild, instinctual aspects of human nature. He was known for his lust for nymphs and his association with unrestrained fertility. 

Appendix 2                The Obedience of Faith

The concept of the "obedience of faith" is taught throughout the Bible, most explicitly in the book of Romans. It emphasises that genuine, saving faith is not a passive belief but an active trust in God that results in a transformed life of obedience.  Without this devotion to live a Christ asks, any outward faith is spurious.  These are some key passages although this is the message of the whole Bible.

Book of Romans

Romans 1:5: Paul states that he received his apostolic commission to bring about “the obedience of faith among all the nations”. This connects his mission of proclaiming the gospel to a faith that actively obeys God's commands.

Romans 16:26: Concluding his letter, Paul reiterates that the mystery of the gospel was revealed to all nations "for the obedience of faith". The gospel is not simply to be believed intellectually but to be obeyed as an act of faithful submission to Christ.

Romans 2:6–7: Paul explains that God will give "eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality," clarifying that faith is demonstrated through a pattern of obedience.

Romans 10:16: Here, Paul contrasts belief with disobedience, stating, "they have not all obeyed the gospel". This implies that believing the gospel is an act of obedience. 

Jesus own teaching

Matthew 7:21:  In this section of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus warns about false leaders who, in spite of their words, do not really obey him. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

John 14:15: Jesus tells his disciples, "If you love me, keep my commandments." This verse links genuine love for Christ with a willingness to obey his teachings.

John 14:23: Jesus again emphasises the need for obedience in true discipleship, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

John 3:36: This verse presents belief and disobedience as opposites. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who "does not obey the Son shall not see life". 

1 Peter

1 Peter 1:2: This verse describes believers as chosen "for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood". This highlights that obedience is the very purpose for which Christians are set apart by the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 1:14: The apostle calls believers to be "obedient children," urging them not to conform to their former ways but to live holy lives. 

1 John

1 John 2:3–4: John indicates that keeping God's commandments is how believers know they have come to know Him, implying that not doing so means someone is untruthful in their claim of knowing God. 

Related passages on faith and works

James 2:14–26: James uses examples to show that faith must be accompanied by actions, stating that "faith without works is dead". Works demonstrate the reality of saving faith.

Hebrews 11: This chapter provides examples of individuals who demonstrated obedient faith through their actions, such as Abraham who left his home as God commanded.

Matthew 7:21: Jesus states that not everyone who calls Him "Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of His Father. 

BVP

Acts 2:1-13. A New Power

Today there are megachurches in some parts of the world that take in millions of pounds each year.  They are large corporate organisations and the pastors need MBAs to run them.  Some years ago the magazine ‘Business Week’ had as its front page headline,

“Evangelical America – Big Business – Explosive Politics”

Inside was a feature article that discussed this issue.  At the end it said,

“For all their seemingly unstoppable success, evangelicalism must contend with powerful forces in United States society.  The ranks of Americans who express no religious preference have quadrupled . . . Despite the megachurch surge, overall church attendance has remained fairly flat and if anything popular culture has become more vulgar in recent years.”

It is a great concern that ethical standards amongst those who attend church are so similar to those who do not.  These problems are being seen throughout the world.  What is the answer?

Jesus must have taught his disciples the importance of the prophecy in Ezekiel 36 because they keep referring to this:

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 36:25-27

The gift of the Holy Spirit is not to give experiences but to enable us to live effectively for God.

This chapter in Ezekiel ends with a promise that God will step in and hear his people’s prayers,

“This is what the sovereign LORD says: ‘Once again I will yield to the plea of the house of Israel and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep.” Ezekiel 36:37

Jesus’ followers waited patiently in the upper room with a sense of expectation.  Doubtless they studied the Scriptures and prayed.  They knew what Jesus had commissioned them to do but were unsure what would happen next.

It is the Holy Spirit who changes how people live and enables them to stand when the pressures are great.  It is he who who transforms lives.  He revives us and deepens our experience of God.

This passage in Acts chapter 2:1-13 describes the seminal event that was for the whole church, The Holy Spirit comes on every believer and ushers in the new age of the Spirit of God.

Acts 2:14-41 is Peter’s sermon in which he describes the meaning of what had happened at Pentecost.  He emphasises Jesus and his death on the cross and that the Holy Spirit has been given so that others may know the great news about him.

Acts 2:42-47 then explains the effect the Holy Spirit had on the 3000 new believers after they were baptised.

1.  The need for the Holy Spirit tv. 1-4

Why are many churches in Britain closing down?  Why are so few people attending?  It is easy to blame the quality of the preaching, the quality of the leaders, the emotionalism or the lack of it, the quality of the music or the lack of that.  All these may be factors but essentially the problem is that Christians today do not, as a whole, have a singleminded desire to live their lives for Jesus.  How we need this same spirit that the early Christians had, the Holy Spirit.  If our churches today are going to reverse the present trends, we must open our lives to God again.  We must receive him.

The first disciples had been taught the significance of of Joel’s prophecy,

“And afterward,  I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Joel 2:28

In the Old Testament God’s Spirit was only given to a few individuals to enable them to do a particular work for God.  Joel foresaw the day when all God’s people would be gifted with the Holy Spirit.  Peter explains in his sermon what the effect of this would be, all people would share openly with others what the Word of God is about.

These prophets foresaw the day when God would revive and restore his people.  He would take out their callous hearts and replace then with sensitive hearts in which God’s law is written.  This means that God’s people would be intuitively keen to minister to the whole world.  This is what the early followers of \Jesus were praying for in the upper room.

Churches may have good technological skills and good business sense but still be lacking the power that only the Holy Spirit can give.

We cannot organise revival, just as we cannot control God.  Revival occurs when God is active in the hearts of people.  Our role is to be genuinely open to what he wants to do with us.

Let us test ourselves, do we have this appetite and longing to put god first and do what he says.  Is my commitment to God that deep?  Our prayer life will mirror how we really think.  If we want to be sovereign we will cannot have a deep experience of the Holy Spirit.  If we hunger and thirst for him and his pleasure, if we seek to please him above all else then the door is open for us to know again his power.

We evangelicals are often good at our theology but not so good at our intimacy with God.  Love for God is always demonstrated by our obedience.  Hadn’t Jesus repeatedly said to his disciples in the upper room:

“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.” John 14:21

“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” John 14:23

How can we obey if we do not know God’s commands given in Scripture.  It is a disaster to dissociate the guidance of the Holy Spirit from Scripture.  The word of God was given to guide us.  It is a strange concept of churches to have prayer meetings ‘to seek the mind of God’.  We know how God thinks from Scripture.  The Quakers in this country fell for such a dichotomy and look what has happened to them.  We must prayer to humble ourselves before the mighty hand of God, to commit ourselves to achieving what God has already told us.

How do we experience the power of God again today.  It is in the same way that we became Christians.  We say to God, ‘I want you to forgive my rebellion against you and take over again.’  We return to that same sense of need and dependance on God.  We cannot find this power by ourselves.

The church at Laodicea was similarly to many modern churches.  The church members were relatively affluent but self satisfied.  God saw their hearts. Their lukewarm commitment to him made him sick!  Jesus said to them,

“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’  But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor blind and naked.” Revelation 3:17

That church was challenged to open their eyes to see their spiritual poverty.

The remedy was to go back to the beginning, and remember how they became Christians,

“So be earnest and repent.” Revelation 3:19

John goes on to explain that they need to allow Christ back into the centre of their lives,

“Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, |I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelation 3:20

The members of the church at Ephesus were hard working, theologically sound and had kept going but there was one major problem.

“Yet I hold this against you: you have forsaken the love you had at first.” Revelation 2:4

They also need to go back and remember how they started the Christian life,

“Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” Revelation 2:5

There was an urgent need to change direction,

“If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Revelation 2:5

Surely God is saying to us today, start again and commit ourselves to humbly obey and live for our Saviour.

The Wind and Fire

The young church was all together on the Day of Pentecost, presumably hearing the Scriptures read and explained and praying together.  This day was also called the Feast of Harvest of Day of Firstfruits.  It is no coincidence that God chose this day to empower his people so that they could go our and win fruit for Christ.  Then,

“Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting” Acts 2:1

In the Old Testament ‘breath’ or ‘wind’ was a symbol for the Spirit of God. When Ezekiel given a vision of a valley containing many dry bones, he was told by the Lord to preach to them and say,

“Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.” Ezekiel 37:10

Then, using the same Hebrew word for both wind and Spirit (ruach), God says,

“I will pour my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land.” Ezekiel 37:14

Fire was also a symbol for God’s presence.  Moses met God at the burning bush.  The Israelites were let during the exodus by a pillar of fire at night.  John the baptist had prophesied,

“But after me will come one who is more powerful that I . . . He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Matthew 3:11

This fire is the fire of judgment,

“His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:12

It is also the light that shows people the way to harmony with God as well as the way to live.

It is also the fire of passion that makes our message so attractive.  It is the light of this fire that warms people to Christ.

John Wesley was asked,

‘Why do so many people come to hear you preach?

He replied,

“People just come to see me set myself on fire and burn in front of them!”

The Spirt of god does more that keep us as faithful believers who work for Christ.  He gives us that fire and that urgency that the early church had in Acts, that longing to see others won for Christ, that state where all the people in the church, young and old, male and female, are living in the world for Christ’s glory.

2.  The need of the nations  v. 5-11

When the Holy Spirit comes to us, whether as a church or as individuals, we witness to the whole world.

What is our message?

It is not to talk about the experience we have had.  After Pentecost the church did not talk about the sound of wind or the tongues of fire they had experienced.  Instead they used their voices to to declare the mighty deeds of God to everyone in Jerusalem.  God is not to be trifled with.  They pointed everyone to the power of God and the coming of his Son.  He is great and good and loves all and longs that we should repent and live with and for him.

This is our message today.  It is not primarily how people will find happiness or healing of their ailments, it is about Christ who is God and whom all must serve.

For whom is the message?

It is for the whole world.  At that time the world was thought of as the Roman world, which was amply big enough as a mission field.  Fifteen Roman empire areas are mentioned, divided into five regions, moving from east to west.  Since the various dispersions of Jews caused by the Assyrian (8th century BC) and Babylonian (6th and early 7th centuries BC) Jews were now dispersed throughout the Roman empire and had set up synagogues where, to begin with, the early Christians could proclaim the message that Jesus is the Jews Messiah.

What is the language of our message

Although many of the people attending the Pentecost celebrations in Jerusalem would be Jewish and would probably speak several languages, God chose to speak to them in their own languages.

“. . . we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues.”

Probably most would speak Hebrew, many Greek and Latin but it was local languages that were given.  The message is probably that God’s message comes to people where they are.  It is not a Roman, Greek or even Hebrew message, it is God’s message for people where they are.

The Lollard revival in the 14th century that spread through England and Europe was associated with a translation of the Word of God into English.  It is no coincidence that the revival in Germany in Luther’s time was associated with a translation of the Latin Vulgate Bible into German.

There are more that 7117 languages in the world.  In the 1950s, 220 had the Bible in their own language.  By September 2020 the full Bible has been translated into 704 languages, the New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,551 languages and Bible portions or stories into 1,160 other languages.  This must have an impact.

One of the features of a real revival is that it affects all classes and all nationalities in any area.  The kingdom of God is truly international.

This is very different from other religions.  To become an orthodox Jew today a person has to accept the codes and practices of an ethnic group.  To become a sincere Moslem also means entering an Arabic culture.  No Moslem accepts that the Qur’an can be properly translated into other languages!  Notice the similarity in dress and the beards of devout Muslims.

When God’s Spirit enters a church there comes a new power to break down barriers.  There is a remarkable unity amongst those in Christ.  The gospel reaches into local communities to transform them to live for Christ.

‘Tongues’, is another word for ‘languages’.  The early church was given the supernatural ability to explain the gospel in unknown languages. This gift is not mentioned in any writings of the early church fathers as being a feature within mainline Christian churches.  Augustine did refer to the occurrence in the very early church.  Some people were suggesting that the gift of speaking real foreign languages was still necessary evidence for the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Augustine strongly refutes this,

“How then, brethren, because he that is baptised in Christ, and believes on Him, does not now speak in the tongues of all nations, are we not to believe that he has received the Holy Ghost?  God forbid that our heart should be tempted by this faithlessness . . . . Why is it that no man speaks in the tongues of all nations?  Because the Church itself speaks in the tongues of all nations.  Before, the church was in one nation, where it spoke in the tongues of all.  By speaking then in the tongues of all, it signified what was to come to pass; that by growing among the nations, it would speak in the tongues of all.”

Many religious groups in Judaism, Islam, Hinduism as well as some groups in ancient Greece have claimed that the ability to make ecstatic noises is an indication of the presence of God and some call this ‘the gift of tongues’.  This is not what is happening in Acts 2.  In Acts an extraordinary miracle occurred in which the Christians were endowed with the gift to speak other languages and people from other nations understood the gospel from what was said.  Are those speaking were largely Galileans!

This change is amazing.  In Acts 2 there are several words used to describe the reaction people had to what they saw and the gospel they heard - bewilderment, utterly amazed, amazed, perplexed.  It was after this that Peter spoke and gave a summary of this gospel.

How we need to pray for the empowerment of God’s spirit today, but, as the churches of Laodicea and Ephesus were told, this would require a radical return to making Jesus Christ the priority of our lives.

BVP

Acts 2:4-14. The Marks of a Pentecostal Church

This title may seem confusing but it is not meant in denominational terms but in a spiritual sense.  In history all new church groupings need a title such as Lutheran, Wesleyan, Methodists or Brethren.  However most of these titles should apply to all try Christian Groups.  For example:

Catholic – all Bible-based churches should be catholic or universal as they all have the same foundation.  It is significant that David Yonggi Cho, the Korean religious leader and Christian evangelist who founded (1958) the Yoido Full Gospel Church (YFGC) in Seoul, which he presided over the megachurch until 2008 insisted that they say the Creed at every service to show that though in the Pentecostal denomination they are very much part of orthodox Biblical Christianity.

Society of Friends – all churches should be communities of friends of Jesus

Brethren Assemblies – similarly this title should be applicable to all biblical churches

Baptists – even this title should be one that all churches who follow the teaching of Jesus follow.  It is not the means of baptism that matters but that people make a public confession that Jesus has washed them of their sins and that they are dead to the old life and are now living a new life with and for Jesus.

Lutheran and Wesleyan – Luther reminded the church that people are saved by faith alone and not be church affiliation.  Wesley woke up churches to this message and taught all types of people what this meant.

There are many marks of a Spirit-filled or pentecostal church that this passage in Acts 2 reminds us of.

1.  The chief mark is preaching

It is striking that immediately after the church receives the Spirit of God we have a sermon!  Indeed 65% of the verse in this Pentecostal chapter are a sermon, an explanation of the Christian gospel.  Whenever the Spirit of God comes, people speak.

“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak . . .” Acts 2:4

“We hear them declaring the wonders of God . . .” Acts 2:11

“Then Peter stood up with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd.” Acts 2:14

“Men of Israel, listen to this . . .” Acts 2:22

“When the people heard this . . .” Acts 2:37

Teaching, sharing with words that describe what God has done is a vital feature of the Spirit-filled Christian and church.

After 3,000 people had become Christians, what they most needed was to be taught the Word of God.

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching . . .” Acts 2:42

Truth should matter to all people, whether they have become Christians or not.

Some modern churches have tried to divorce the work of the Spirit from the teaching of the Word of God.  In Scripture they are combined.  The ‘sword of the Spirit is the Word of God’ (Ephesians 6:17).  In this chapter the Spirit came and men spoke.  Jesus associated the work of the Spirit with teaching God’s truths.

“But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things.” John 14:26

“When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.  And you also must testify.” John 15:26-27

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.  He will not speak on his own . . .” John 16:13

“When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.” John 16:8

The Holy Spirit teaches the mind about the truths of God and this will impact people’s conscience.  The Spirit of conviction is the Spirit of truth.  This is what happened to the 3000 who responded to Peter’s teaching of God’s message.

There are some who think that Christian truths are too complicated and difficult for ordinary people, so their message changes.  A young Christian attended a local evangelistic mission but after three days he felt he couldn’t continue to support it as the message seemed to be, ‘If you want to be happy, step forwards.’  In contrast, the Christian message is serious, it is about life and death and both the words used and the passion with which the message is delivered must portray this.  The ‘tongues of fire’ today must similarly be tongues passionately on fire as we pass on God’s truth.

Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, the great preacher in the mid twentieth century in London, coined the phrase for what preaching should be, ‘Logic on fire.’  A good talk must have content with passion, not just good theology that has no fire!

2.   Evangelistic concern for outsiders

The Holy Spirit has been given, not for private praise but for public proclamation.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses to . . .” Acts 1:8

“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak . . .” Acts 2:4

It is obvious that these people spoke real local languages to their hearers.  The Greek word, translated ‘tongues’ simply means ‘languages’  They were surely given this audio-visual aid to remind them of what Jesus had repeatedly said, their message was for all people of all races.

There had been several hints that this was always God’s intention.  God said to Abraham,

“ . . . all peoples of the earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3

Jonah was sent as a missionary to Nineveh.  Jesus himself had gone up to the Syro-Phoenician and the Gentile Gadarene areas and shared the gospel there.  However this must have been hard for those raised in first century Judaism.  When Peter had a vision of eating unclean animals he was appalled, but this was a prelude to his being taught that he was to go and explain the gospel to a |Gentile occupying soldier, the centurion Cornelius (Acts 10:45).  When Paul was allowed to  explain himself to the Jewish crowd in Jerusalem we read,

“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.  The crowd listened to Paul until he said this.” Acts 22:21-22

The Jews felt they had exclusive privileges and God needed, by his Spirit, to change this way of thinking.  His people were to love not only those inside the church but those outside too.

The Australian evangelist, John Chapman, was asked by a new pastor to come and lead a mission in his American church, aptly called, ‘The Good Shepherd church.’  The minister was having a difficult time with some of the old guard in the church.  At a reception John Chapman asked one of the old guard what they found difficult and was told,

“It’s all these new people coming to our church!”

Apparently John gave a curt Australian response!

How ironic it is if Christians are not geared up for and seeking to win the lost.  Didn’t Jesus say to Zacchaeus,

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

If we belong to Jesus then this must be our ambition too.  Is this our personal prayer and is this what the church is praying for at the prayer meetings?

The great preacher, James Denney, once said,

“I have not the faintest interest in a theology that doesn’t help you evangelise.”

Whenever Jesus preached the Word of God, people understood and many were ‘cut to the heart’.  This is what we should be praying for today.

A young man working with young people on an estate was talking about the local vicar and said, ‘He debunks the word’  He then went on to say that he never visits the estate.  This is not surprising because if someone rejects what the Bible teaches they will surely reject the idea of working hard to save people.  The two go together.

The question we need to ask is whether the world or our country or our region or even our town can be reached by the clergy.  God has a better answer:

3.  Every believer is a missionary

I was taken by a friend to go and watch Spurs play at White Hart Lane.  There were around 60,000 people there and I wondered, ‘How many of these people will be saved?’

Peter reminded his hearers of something the prophet Joel had said:

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” Acts 2:17-18

In the Old Testament dreams and visions were the normal way for God to communicate with his special representatives or prophets.  Today God still uses this way when reaching out to people in lands were there is no or limited gospel ministry.  Many people in Muslim lands have said that a dream was how they first began to think about spiritual matters.  Occasionally this happens here in the United Kingdom.

We had a telephone call from a Jewish man who had represented Great Britain at football in the Maccabean Games.  He wanted some help and he came for a meal.  He was a tough man but he told us this story.  He was a salesman who came from a non practising Jewish background in the east End of London.  Suddenly everything in his life began to go wrong.  His wife left him so he bought a flat with a heavy mortgage.  The value of the flat then dropped and he was caught in a negative equity trap.  Furthermore, redundancy loomed.  He didn’t know what to do so talked to a friend at work. That friend had recently become a Christian, so his suggestion was that he tried praying.  This was a problem for David as he had never prayed before.  The friend suggested he get a book on how to pray and do what it said!  This David did, he went to his room to follow the directions given in the book.  He emptied his mind and was told to say whtever came into his mind, but he couldn’t think what to say.  It was at this point that he saw Jesus standing there in front of him.  Jesus didn’t say anything, so David blurted out,

‘You’ve got it wrong.  I’m Jewish!’

When he asked his work mate what he made of all this, his friend was flummoxed but said he would ask someone in his church, which was down in Thame.  It just so happened that the man he talked to at his church had been in my year at college. We had become close friends and he had become a Christian there.  On hearing that David lived in Letchworth my friend suggested that he phone us up and David had the courage to do this.  He came for a few meals and joined us at the Friday Group, a Bible Study we run in our home. Within a few weeks he had understood the gospel and he committed his life to Christ.  He had no more visions, God now spoke to him through the Bible.  David went on to become a full time Christian worker.

V.J Menon was brought up as a Hindu in India but came to work in London.  One Tuesday he saw a crowd of people going into an old church in the city and assumed this was to hear a musical concert.  He sat down and was soon boxed in.  It was only then that he realised he was in a church for a midday service.  The sermon was simple and challenging.  For the next week VJ had vivd dreams that were all about Jesus and the gospel.  When he went to meet the preacher, Dick Lucas, he mentioned these dreams.  Dick said he had never heard such a clear understanding of the gospel from someone so untaught.  VJ joined a Bible Study group and had no more dreams.  He is still an active worker for Christ.

God is not limited in the ways he communicates with people to start with, but he quickly leads us on to hear him speak through his Word.  His usual way of speaking to people is through a Christian friend.

What is important is that now all of God’s people are the channels by which God’s message is spread.  No longer will it just be a few professionals. Now it is both young and old, men and women, people of all social ranks who will be the bearers of God’s message – all Christians will be given this power or ability.

The evangelist John Chapman was led to Christ by a boy in his class at school.

Isn’t it sad that so many in our churches do not know what they have been chosen by God for!

BVP

Acts 18:1-17 Giving Meaning to Life

The big questions of life are always present but are seldom addressed.  What is the point of life?  Why are we here?

Jean-Paul Sartre, the French philosopher, stated,

“Human life is meaningless without an infinite reference point.”

Sartre is saying that there must be someone or something beyond our finite world if there is to be a real meaning in life.  As he believed there is no God, he concluded that there cannot be a reference point,  so he deduced that we have to accept that life is meaningless.  The problem is that the vast majority instinctively think that life has a meaning.

The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900) predicted:

“God is dead.  We have killed him and the stench will be over Europe.”

The consequences of not believing there is a right and wrong have been seen in the last 125 years.  Society has eaten of ‘the tree of knowledge of good and evil’, rulers now make the rules according to what they think is best for them and their society without reference to God, with disastrous consequences.

C.S. Lewis gave a talk on the concept of meaning in the universe, contrasting this with atheism saying:

“If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning. Very well then, atheism is too simple."

He argues that the very act of recognising that the universe might lack meaning implies a standard or a framework of meaning against which it is judged. This standard, he suggests, points to something beyond the purely material or naturalistic explanation of the universe. 

The Scottish theologian, James Denney, has said,

“Where the human mind is concerned, it is idle to speak of an authority that can simply be imposed, the real question is whether there is an authority that can impose itself, which can freely win the recognition and surrender of the mind and heart of man.”

The Bible stresses that there is such an authority who eventually will always achieve his own ends.  It teaches that this authority is the eternal Son of God.

This is a totally different world view to that accepted by most people, giving radically different priorities and values.  The Bible gives us a perspective of an eternal kingdom that is not of this world.  Those accepted into this kingdom have their entire lives transformed.  Their purpose of life and the experiences of those in God’s kingdom are very different to those whose priority is a worldly kingdom.  This radical change in how Christians’ think and behave is the ultimate reality.  For two thousand years this worldview has been spreading throughout the world.  It is always resisted because it proclaims the sovereign rule of the eternal God above all other petty rivals.  It presents and seeks to persuade people of a coherent worldview that gives meaning and purpose.  What Jesus and his apostles taught makes sense of all we face in a way that no other outlook can.

Corinth

In Acts 18 we are told how the apostle Paul left the intellectual centre of the ancient world, Athens, to go to Corinth which was then the most prosperous commercial centre of the world with everything that goes with that.  The city was built on an isthmus and had two ports, one in the west facing the Adriatic Sea and the other in the east, Cenchraea, facing the Aegean sea.  The city had been founded by Julius Caesar in 46BC but a hundred years later it was still called ‘New Corinth’  Archeology has revealed that this city had streets lined with splendid buildings and it is easy to imagine these streets being thronged with cosmopolitan crowds from all around the Mediterranean. It had international games that were only second to the Olympic Games held on Mount Olympus.  As so often happens in a prosperous city, with many visiting sailors and business men, sexual immorality was rife.  To be a Corinthian meant to be an immoral person and ‘to Corinthianise’ was to go with a prostitute.

Paul’s strategy

Paul arrived at Corinth in 50AD.  It was a tough challenge for a solitary Christian missionary. What should his strategy be?  How can the gospel be made known? He gives us the answer to this in his first letter to the Corinthian church:

“When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,  so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

He did not use underhand publicity stunts to get noticed, he just talked to people about Jesus.  Churches today need to rediscover what Paul had learned.  The power of God is essentially released when the message about Jesus is clearly what the church is proclaiming.  Today many churches run food banks, mother and toddler groups and youth activities in which the message of Jesus is right in the background, if there at all.

Paul arrived in this great metropolis in weakness.  How could the message of Jesus reach such a city?  No wonder he ‘trembled’.  He knew that his only hope was to keep preaching the good news about Jesus, God’s Christ, who had died to pay the price for our sin and who rose to prove his claim.  He relied not on clever rhetoric or healing campaigns but in sharing a message about Jesus and then people would see the changed lives of those who come under his authority.  His confidence was not in himself but in the proclamation of the Word of God, the message from God.  Paul reminded the young Corinthian church in the beginning of his first letter to them that his essential message was to tell them about Jesus and his death on a cross to pay for the sins of all who follow Jesus:

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

Paul’s usual approach was to visit the local synagogue every Sabbath where the Scriptures were revered and, being a rabbi he taught how the Jewish Scriptures proclaimed the coming of God’s Messiah and this enabled him to try and persuade them about Jesus.  His evangelism was convincing and persuasive and was all about Jesus.

Paul needed to support himself financially .  All rabbis had a trade and Paul went to meet other tent-makers so he could earn his living.  It was in this grouping that he met Aquila and Priscilla. Although Corinth was a prosperous city he wanted to present the gospel free of charge so all could see that he was not in the ministry for himself.  What a tragedy it is when Christian ministers are seduced into seeking  a high income, living in the best five star hotels, owning multiple mansions and even aeroplanes.  As Marshall McEwan said,

“The medium is the message”

No-one could say that he was in the ministry for what he could get out of it.  Paul did later recognise that in a church setting:

”Those who preach the gospel should get their living by the gospel" 1 Corinthians 9:14,

Here Paul argues that those who lead churches have a right to be supported by the community they serve. This is based on the principle that those Levites who worked in the temple or offer sacrifices are supported by the temple and offerings. However he also recognised that ministers who are active in evangelism can do great harm to the message by the way they live.

Aquila and Priscilla

Aquila and Priscilla were a Jewish couple who had recently been expelled from Rome.  The Roman historian, Suetonius mentions this expulsion of Jews from Rome in 49 AD. He attributes the expulsion to disturbances caused by "Chrestus" (likely a misspelling of "Christus" or Christ). The expulsion was probably due to conflicts between Jewish factions and the emerging Christian movement within the Jewish community in Rome. 

Their common interest in Judaism, in Jesus, in tent-making and in evangelism resulted in these two becoming some of Paul’s closest friends and helpers.  It is notable that God often divinely orchestrates such relationships to further the spread of the gospel.  As Paul arrived in Corinth in 50AD they could only have been there for much less than a year.

The hostile reaction in Rome could be so destructive for gospel ministry but it meant that the Gentile Christians in Rome had to take leadership roles and those who were scattered were able to take the gospel to new areas.  God had permitted a similar persecution in Jerusalem just as the gospel was getting established there:

“On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. . . Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there.” Acts 8:1-5

What a wonderful example these illustrations give us of a church that was on fire for the Lord Jesus.  In the 1950’s western missionaries were expelled from China as there was horrific opposition from the Communist authorities; many feared for the life of the churches there.  However the church continued to grow as individuals passionately shared the gospel about Jesus to friends and family.  Now members of the churches in china are far more numerous than members of the Communist party.

God’s plan are always better than ours.  It is the mark of Christian maturity to live in the light of this realisation.  Soon Paul was working alongside Priscilla and Aquila, he lived with them but keep on teaching in the synagogue.  Using reason was his method.  People need to become followers of Jesus because of the evidence; he really is the Christ, he really did die for our sin and he did rise from the dead to prove his claim.  This rational evidence-based method of evangelism was Paul’s approach,

“Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.” Acts 18:4

When Paul had visited Thessalonica, prior to going to Athens and then Corinth his approach had been rational:

“As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.  Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.” Acts 17:2-4

His approach in the next town, Berea, had been similar:

“On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.  As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up Acts 17:10-13

Paul had no doubt that God used the Scriptures to convince people about their need for Jesus.

William Cowper (1731 – 1800)

William Cowper was a poet and hymn writer who suffered form recurrent severe depression.  However he understood the grace of God.  The phrase "Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace" is a line from his hymn, "God Moves in a Mysterious Way". This poem explores the idea that God's actions may seem unclear or even unfavourable at times, but we can trust in God’s ultimate goodness and wisdom. This hymn encourages faith, a reliance on God's grace, even when faced with difficult circumstances. The full stanza from the hymn reads:

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence,

He hides a smiling face. 

This stanza emphasises that human understanding is limited and that God's ways are often hidden from us. It suggests that apparent hardship or negative events (the "frowning providence") may be part of God's larger plan, which ultimately leads to blessings (the "smiling face"). The poem also includes the lines: 

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower. 

These lines reinforce the idea that God's plans unfold over time, and even things that seem unpleasant in the present will ultimately reveal a positive outcome. 

The final stanza of the hymn is:

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain. 

This hymn suggests that while we may not always understand God's actions, He will eventually reveal His purposes and make things clear. It is a powerful expression of faith in the face of adversity and a reminder to trust in God's sovereignty and grace, even when things seem difficult or confusing. 

Change of tactics

Paul continued working in this way until Timothy and Silas arrive from Berea.

The churches in Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea had sent Paul a gift so he could work full-time for the gospel.

“When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.” Acts 18:5

Today this is still the best approach.  All Christians should be in ministry, testifying by word and action that Jesus is God’s Messiah.  If a person’s gift for leading or for evangelism is recognised and people want to support him to go full time teaching of the Word, this is great.  If this method, with ministers and missionaries first proving their worth and effectiveness, was widely adopted it would prevent there being many full-time ministers who appear to have lost their zeal for leading people to trust in the Lord Jesus, if they ever had it!

What a great example the churches in Macedonia are, they go out of their way to support Paul and his ministry.

This  freeing up of Paul to promote Jesus as the Messiah did cause problems, just as any active evangelism does today.

“But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”   Acts 18:6

This symbolic act of shaking out his clothes in protest marked a profound shift in strategy.  The Jews in Corinth had made a decision and so the time had come for the church to leave them to the judgment they had chosen.  In the first decade of his ministry Paul had focused on teaching Jews and God-fearers in the synagogues.  This approach had resulted in him being beaten in the synagogues five times.  This was the last straw.  He does just what Jesus had told his disciples on their first trainee short mission when he instructed his disciples to "shake the dust off their feet" when leaving a town that had rejected them and their message. This action, described in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew 10:14, Mark 6:11, and Luke 9:5), symbolised a warning of God’s judgment. It also meant that the disciples were to move on from those who refused to listen and find others who would receive their message. 

Paul was saying in effect:

“If you reject the Lord, Jesus Christ, your fate is in your own hands.  I am innocent as I have shared the message with you.”

The next verses are significant as they emphasise this change in direction to evangelising Gentiles:

“Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptised.” Acts 18:7-8

The focus of the church in Corinth now moved to a home, that of Titius Justus who significantly lived next door to the synagogue.  Today effective home groups are the mainstay of most vibrant gospel churches.  Another who joined the young church was Crispus.  He had a Roman name but presumably he came from a Jewish family as he had been the ruler of the Synagogue. He also understood that the time had come for a radical change.

Faith in Jesus is not just an individual experience, people of all nationalities and creeds who have recognised Jesus also recognise the vital role of working together in his local church.

Divine intervention

Then came a most unexpected encouragement, Paul was given a vision:

“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:

“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”  

So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.” Acts 18:9-11

There are some people who claim they regularly receive ‘visions’ from God. They are the sort of people who frequently say ‘God told me that . . .’   Such claims need testing! The book of Acts tells us that even Paul only had a few direct words from God and these were all at crucial crossroads in his ministry.  At this time in Corinth the opposition from the Jewish authorities was mounting and doubtless Paul could well remember what had happened to him in Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea as a result of Jewish opposition.  A flogging was very painful as well as humiliating and riots did not help with the promotion of the gospel.  However the Lord now encouraged him to stay put and not just to make it a short visit as had been his usual practice in cities up till then.  Here he was told to stay put as God has many who would come to openly confess Christ in that city.  It was not God’s plan for him to move on.  Consequently he stayed there for 18 months, teaching the Scriptures, the Word of God to the people of Corinth.  This was a new strategy, a Gentile/Jewish Christian church was founded, based in a home, and the Lord himself had guaranteed their safety.

This promise was demonstrated when Gallio was appointed to the role of Proconsul of the whole of Greece, south of Macedonia.   Gallio was the brother of Seneca, the Roman philosopher in Rome.  It is likely that he came straight from Rome, remember this was where Claudius had had problems over Jewish antagonism to the Christians and riots had been the result.  The Jews wasted no time in trying to have Paul, a Roman citizen expelled from Corinth.  Paul was accused on a technicality and Gallio obviously did not want the Roman authorities to become involved in this dispute in Corinth.

“While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.” Acts 18:12-13

They accused Paul of promoting a ‘religio illicita’.  Paul was teaching that the Christian gospel was the fulfilment of Judaism, a religion approved by Rome yet the Jews accused him of promoting a new religion.  Gallio clearly understood that this was an internal theological matter and not one he wanted to be involved withn.  It would be good to know how much Gallio understood about the gospel and the evidence for it.  Paul was about to defend these charges when Gallio intervened.  He was not going to give in to the Jews and so gave a firm reply:

“Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanour or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.”  So he drove them off.” Acts 18:14-16

It would appear that there was already some anti-semitic feeling in Corinth, this was not uncommon in Roman cities at the time.  As soon as this case was thrown out a crowd attacked the ruler of the synagogue and Gallio showed no sympathy.

“Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.” Acts 18:17

Gallio’s decree that Christianity was part of Judaism gave gospel workers protection for the next 10 years.  This explains why Paul was so ready to appeal to Caesar when the Jews in Israel tried to have him killed.

Paul had no doubt where authority really rested.  God had promised, ‘No-one will harm you’ and this proved to be true.  However the gospel must continue to be taught.  On his way back to Israel he visited Ephesus with Priscilla and Aquila.  They stayed there to prepare the ground for Paul’s subsequent long visit on his third missionary journey while Paul returned to Antioch.

Application

What confidence we can also have that the Lord is sovereign and he is in control.

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9

Sometimes events do not work out as we would like them to but Paul was later to affirm:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Calvin commented on this verse:

“If all things are for our good, then what is left to work for our ill?”

That is a mature Christian view.  We are not Pauls and we are not in Corinth but Paul’s God is our God.  He will keep us and use us.  He will never let his people down.  We, like all Christians are to both live the faith and find ways to teach teach it to others.  We have the same mighty God.

The 17th century Christian missionary, William Carey, advised all Christians:

“Attempt great things for God because we expect great things of God.”

It comes back to the question of authority:

“Who is in control of my life?”

BVP

This article has been posted on the website www.bvpalmer.com where there are many other helpful articles and videos.

Christchurch Baldock is a Bible teaching gospel centred local church.  More details can be found on its website.  It meets every Sunday morning at 10.30 am in Knights Templar School, Baldock

Bernard can be contacted at berniepalmer1@sky.com

Acts 2:22-36. A Man Accredited by God

Chosen

The God had given Peter, the apostles and the whole church the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This has resulted in a boldness to proclaim God’s message (prophecy), a passion to win people for Christ and a realisation that God wants every one of his people to be involved in gospel ministry.  This was not a completely new idea.  When the Children of Israel were wandering through the wilderness for forty years, after fleeing from Egypt.  God promised to provide them with food but the people were, to say the least, sceptical.  Moses told the seventy elders to come together around the tabernacle:

“Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirt on the seventy elders.  When the Spirit rested on them, the prophesied, but they did not do so again.” Numbers 11:25

Two elders, Eldad and Medad, who had not joined the group also started to prophesy in the camp and one young man complained.  Moses replied,

“Are you jealous for my sake?  I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”

Exactly what prophecy was is open to question but it always involved proclaiming what God’s word to people.  When David was delegating tasks to people for when the temple was built, we read about the sons of Asaph.  Prophecy was controlled and could be given through music:

“The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision.” 1 Chronicles 25:2

The next verse talks about the six sons of Jeduthun who were

“. . . under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied using the harp in thanking and praising the LORD.” 1 Chronicles 25:3

Substance of Peter’s message

We now come to the core of Peter’s first sermon after which he makes an evangelistic appeal.  Today evangelistic preaching in big meetings has fallen on bad times.  The focus is too often on what people feel and these feelings can be heightened using psychological tricks such as prolonged rhythmic music before the talk. The preaching can be highly emotional, with promises that have little basis in fact.  Healing can be offered if ‘people come forward’.  This is evangelism without the evangel, gospel preaching without the gospel!

In some ways Peter’s first sermon was unique as he was talking to people at a one off place and time.  They had experienced the preaching and miraculous signs that Jesus had performed among them, his crucifixion and now the remarkable sign of seeing what was happening to the disciples and hearing God’s word in their own languages:

“Men of Israel, listen to this.  Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonder and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. Acts 2:23

“ . . . and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.” Acts 2:23

“ . . . and has poured out what you now see and hear.” Acts 2:33

Consequently this sermon was unique but there are important lessons we can learn from it.

Another difference to some modern groups today is that they were well versed in the Old Testament.  Consequently when Peter quotes From Joel and then from the Psalms, his listeners know of their  authority.  It is significant that when Paul preached to the crowds in Athens he doesn’t base his argument on Scripture but quotes their poets and authors.  In post-Christian Britain we need to consider what will most help people be convinced by what we are saying.

However there is much to learn from the pattern that Peter uses.  We have already seen that he begins by building a bridge with his hearers.  He does this by explaining what they had just experienced and shows that God had said this would happen by the prophet Joel.  In this central part of the sermon:

1.  He talked about the life of Jesus  v. 22

2.  He then talked about the death of Jesus  v. 23

3.  He then talked about the resurrection of Jesus  v. 24-32  This is the emphasis of this talk

4.  He next talked about the ascension of Jesus  v. 33

5.  His grand conclusion  v. 36

The grand conclusion is what Peter, as God’s representative, wanted everybody to understand:

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36

This is the gospel message, this is the Christian good news – Jesus is both the Lord God as well as his chosen king, his Messiah, his Christ.

What a tragedy it is that in some circles the gospel has been reinterpreted as the love God shows to others through the way Christians live.  This may help attract people to Christ but it is certainly not the gospel – the Christian gospel is who Jesus is and what he did during his life, through his death and resurrection and his ascension and nothing more.  This is the message of Pentecost.

Paul also summarised the Christian gospel in similar terms,

“ . . . they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.  For we preach not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of the darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us a light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:4-6

Peter established by summarising the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus that he has irrefutable authority over all men on earth.  Some may not like this but that is what the apostolic faith proclaims.  Some criminals may not recognise that the judge they are standing before has authority over their future.  Rejecting the judges authority will not protect the criminal from justice.  All men will bow before Jesus when he returns to judge us all.  The apostle Paul said the same:

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knew should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

People will either bend the knee before Jesus willingly in this life or forcefully after death, that is the apostolic message.  Jesus is Lord and the Christ.  He will judge us all because he is God.  At the heart of the universe is Jesus Christ, its creator.

Peter’s listeners grasped who Jesus was and now they faced the problem that they had crucified this person.  It is no surprise that so many realised the only reasonable course of action was to kneel before him and ask for his forgiveness.

Paul finished his sermon to the people of Athens with these words,

“In the past god overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.  He has given proof of this by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31

Both Peter and Paul emphasise the resurrection.  Elsewhere Paul wrote,

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” 1 Corinthians 15:14

The realm of Jesus is the whole universe.  Jesus will have the last word on my eternal destiny, that is the apostolic faith.  Rosy and I were looking around the cemetery around Willian church.  We found just two gravestones that had a Christian message.  One had a large cross engraved on the long stone which had the following words from the Bible:

The testimony of the church and of Christians is so much bigger than how faith in Jesus has affected me.  Too often you hear people say how they have found peace or happiness since they have become Christians.  Our testimonies should not be restricted to how Jesus became my Lord and made me feel better..  It must be a proclamation of the universal truth that Jesus is Lord of all and therefore Lord over you, whether you like it or not.  Our message is not that he can be your Lord and benefactor you if you accept him, instead it should be that Jesus is the world’s eternal king, whatever your opinion.

The world was changed, not through the militant dialectic of communism, but through the power of unarmed truth. It found revolution in the highest hopes of common men.

One of this revolution's symbolic moments was May Day 1990. Protesters followed the tanks, missiles, and troops rumbling across Red Square in Moscow. One man, a bearded Orthodox monk, darted under the reviewing stand where Gorbachev and other Soviet leaders stood. He thrust a huge crucifix into the air, shouting above the crowd, "Mikhail Sergeyevich! Christ is risen!"

Gorbachev turned and walked off the platform.

Emotions

Peter preached that the Jesus of history is the Saviour of the world and as a result three thousand came to experience his power  in their lives.  They would experience the gift of the Holy Spirit.

“Peter replied, ‘Repent,  and be baptised 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.” Acts 2:38

Some think this experience was just for the apostolic generation, but Peter continued,

“The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:39

We must be careful when being critical of emotionalism because, of course, there are great emotional benefits when we surrender our independence and come under the authority of Jesus.  All Christians have an experience of the Holy Spirit and know what it is to enjoy the indwelling Christ.  He does give us great peace and joy.

However, the apostolic evangelist began not with Jesus entering into people’s lives but Jesus Christ entering his world.  This takes the attention off us.  Their message was not so much Christ in us as Christ for us.  This is where so much evangelistic preaching is wanting today, it tends to be so man centred.  Instead we should start speaking about Jesus, describing some aspect of what he did on earth and why he came.  This leads us to the cross and the substitutionary death there to pay for our sin. This moves us to the resurrection and the fact that Jesus is alive today who is able to change us so we want to serve him and live our lives in obedience to him.  It is true that then we can and will experience him, but it is only when we surrender to him that the real experience comes.

Why has the message changed?

a.  Too little time.

It is said that people’s tolerance for sermons is getting more and more limited and therefore talks should become shorter and shorter.  It could be that the speakers are becoming poorer and poorer and can no longer hold people for very long.  However since it is the appeal this is essential, the temptation is to go lightly over the links the gospel has to the listeners experience and to be very brief abou the historic Jesus, emphasising instead what he can do for people.  If the emphasis is on the experience then people will understandably say, ‘I can gain satisfying experiences in other ways that don’t cost me so much.  So substitute gods that offer short term experiences take over.  These may be sexual, drugs or alcohol, money, fame or careers.  It is only when people understand who Jesus really is that real conversion can occur.  Appealing to people’s needs is not the apostolic  message.  We cannot omit the historical Jesus.  We cannot safely talk about Christ being alive today without talking about Christ’s life then.

b.  The old, old story

Just telling an account about a figure who lived two thousand years ago can have little appeal to young people today so his life is glossed over.  Instead we are told about some modern sportsman, television personality or film star who has found joy or peace through their faith.  It is significant that when the apostles preached the gospel in other parts of the world, where people had no had first hand experience of Jesus, their message did not change.  Jesus is God who entered this world, as prophesied in the Old Testament and as witnessed by many who knew him well.  They saw his life, his death, his resurrection and his ascension and their subsequent sacrificial lives prove that they were not lying.  We need to return to the same principles today both in our preaching and in our personal conversations with others.  We have been deflected from the core of our message.

When Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones retired from medicine he went, as a young man, to be the minister of a chapel in Aberavon.  He used to write all his sermons out and put them in a box.  Years later his widow found this box when clearing out an attic after his death and they were reprinted.  Every one of the twenty-one evangelistic sermons given on Sunday evenings in a working class area of South Wales was based on a text from the gospels.  He clearly wanted people to come face to face with Jesus.  If you read through Mark’s gospel there are two great truths being constantly emphasised, Jesus is the Christ and he died for our sins.  What a great lesson, we preach the gospel by preaching the gospels.

When I was younger I thought the gospel was best portrayed in the apostles letters, but now I understand that they were based on the gospels.  If we do not teach the gospels we are in danger of teaching a deviant message, a different Jesus.  Paul gave some frightening warnings about this risk,

“For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirt from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” 2 Corinthians 11:4

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!  As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! Galatians 1:6-9

It is all too easy to talk about Jesus and talk about his behaviour but miss the whole point about who he is and what he did to save us.

People will want to know how they can change for the better and experience this real power of the Spirit, changing them to becoming like Jesus.  Telling people to be good will never bring about this change.

A headmaster wrote the following in his autobiography,

“I was happy in conversation with boys always to tell them what ideal behaviour was and where selfishness, cruelty and exploitation lay, but unwilling to talk of the very centre of Christianity, the meaning of the cross, because I found it at times repugnant and in part beyond belief.

With this semi religion I was able to live with some contentment, but I knew well that it was ‘non-infectious’.  That if what I believed was all Christianity amounted to, it would attract few.  I knew that our Lord did not walk about Palestine beginning a world revolution, by saying,

“Come along everyone, be nice to everybody, be truthful, be honest.  No he spoke of repentance, of salvation from sin, of conversion.”

How right this headmaster is.  The Christian message is that the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of God, is at work. He enables individuals to recognise the rebellion against God that is in us all and draws us to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of any who turn to him.  When we respond, his Spirit enters our life and begins the radical change in our characters.  The Holy Spirit wants us to become like Jesus.

There are now some, brought up in liberal and high churches who have not been taught about the real Jesus.  Archbishop William Temple astutely said,

“Why anyone should have troubled the Christ of liberal protestantism has always been a mystery.”

Why crucify someone who was a harmless social worker, full of good advice, who set high standards of integrity, unselfishness and love.  Why execute a person like that.  Reading through John’s gospel will reveal that Jesus was so much more than that – he claimed to be God!

Evangelism must be educational

A study in England by Professor Christie Davies found that crime was lowest a century ago when three out of four young Britons were enrolled in Sunday school. Since then, Sunday school attendance has declined, and crime has correspondingly increased.

I was fortunate to go to a prep school that had a very wise headmaster.  He understood that much of evangelism is educational.  It is not just appeal after appeal.  People need to be sure about Jesus.  He taught us to think and question.  Didn’t Jesus say to Jews who had believed in him:

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31

Freedom is a cherished value, but poorly understood.  Freedom is never free, all people must be restrained by something or somebody.  Lord Acton explained,

“Liberty is the highest political end of man . . . [But] no country can be free without religion. It creates and strengthens the notion of duty. If men are not kept straight by duty, they must be by fear. The more they are kept by fear, the less they are free. The greater the strength of duty, the greater the liberty.”

People need to know why they must put themselves under the authority of Jesus.  How this need to be repeated to those who say they are Christians today.  Evangelism must be educational.  Peter focussed on this in his Pentecost sermon:

“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders ans signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know . . . and you, with the help of wicked men put him to death by nailing him to the cross.  But God raised him from the dead.” Acts 2:22-24

Peter then continues to teach people about the relevance of the Old Testament prophecies.  He chooses to uses Psalm 16, reminding his hearers that this was written by King David, the hero of Jewish history and a direct forebear of Jesus.  Peter explains that this prophecy is about Jesus.  This Psalm talks about his resurrection from the dead, but more of this later.

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Acts 1:12-26. Wanting God

The book of Acts contains some remarkable stories of exceptional power demonstrated by the apostles.  For example:

The new Christians could explain the gospel to people using their languages.

Peter healed a lame man at the gate of the temple.

Ananias and his wife die for lying to the apostles.

Paul survives a bite by a poisonous snake on Malta.

There were also remarkable acts of apostolic eloquence.

Peter speaks to a crowd and 3000 put their trust in Christ.

Stephen explains the gospel to his persecutors when on trial for his life.

Paul explains the gospel to Agrippa when on trial for his life.

Throughout the book the Christians are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.  Today this is the longing of many Christians who long to have a more satisfying Christian life.  The book of Acts explains how we can fulfil these desires.  However the book emphasises that God gives as he sees fit and is not open to being manipulated.

Peter, quoting the prophet Joel, said that a time was coming when God would pour out his spirit on all people’(Acts 21:7 quoting Joel 2:28).  The book of Acts explains what that means.  Jesus had explained that when he left this earth he would leave his people ‘another Comforter’ (John 14:16).  We cannot understand God’s working but the Holy Spirit enables us to have a basic understanding of how God works in and through us.

A boy asked his Grandfather, a lifelong fisherman, “What is the wind?”  The old man replied,

“I can’t tell you what the wind is, son, but I can tell you how to raise a sail.”

The book of Acts explains how we can raise a sail so that we can receive the winds of the Holy Spirit in our sails.  It explains what attitudes we should have if we long to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The apostolic band had just experienced the ascension of Jesus.  This article will examine what their attitude was before they experienced the Holy Spirit.

“Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city.  When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.  They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 1:12-14

Expectancy

It seems that Jesus spent the forty days after his resurrection moving between heaven and earth.  Whenever he met people he raised their sense of expectancy.  When he joined Cleopas and his companion on the seven mile walk to Emmaus on the day he was raised from death by crucifixion he left that couple with a great sense of expectancy, what would his resurrection mean?  Jesus had told his disciples,

“Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.” Acts 1:4

Waiting for Christmas and its presents would be nothing compared to the expectancy those disciples would have felt.  The experience of seeing Jesus leave them in a cloud would have reminded them about the significance of clouds in the Old Testament;  clouds represented the presence of God in all his glory.

Disappointed

The disciples would also know the story about how the ark of God had been captured by the Philistines and how two sons of Eli, the High Priest had been killed.  The effect of this defeat was that Eli fell and broke his neck and Phineas’ wife went into labour.  She named the child Ichabod (which means ‘no glory’) saying

“The glory has departed from Israel.” 1 Samuel 4:21-22

They knew that Jesus was very concerned that the glory of God had left His chosen people.  He exclaimed:

““Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.  Look, your house is left to you desolate.” Matthew 23:37-38

Would this gift that God had promised return the glory to God’s people?  How would he do this?

How we in modern churches need to understand the lessons of this book of Acts today with our impotent churches infiltrated with sin, compromise, disobedience and idolatry.

1.  Expectant Belief that God will act

Can you imagine the conversations that went on among the disciples as they returned from the Mount of Olives.  A Sabbath day’s journey was the distance Jews were permitted to walk on a Sabbath according to Rabbinical law; it was just 1100 yards or ¾ of a mile.  They must have been stunned, yet excited.  They returned to the ‘upper room’ which was probably the same ‘upper room’ where Jesus had eaten the last supper with the disciples, where Jesus had laid down at the table and said, ‘If I go away, I will come again.  I will not leave you as orphans.” and where he had appeared to them after his resurrection.  It must have been a large room as it could contain 120 people (Acts 1:15).

The eleven remaining disciples are named, Peter, John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew (John calls him Nathanuel in John1:45-49) and Matthew; James the son of Alpheus (also called Thaddeus Matthew 10:13, Mark 10:14) and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

Imagine the chatter going on in that room.  What is going to happen to us.  What did Jesus mean?  The reason they were ‘joined together’ (1:14) was surely because they believed that the Holy Spirit was going to come and change things.  They believed with all their hearts t hat God was going to do something big.

The first necessity if we are to raise the sail to receive the winds of the Holy Spirit is expectant belief.

R.A.Torrey was once a tongue-tied preacher.  He found the early years of his ministry to be absolute torture.  He gave three sermons on Sundays, two in the morning and one in the evening.  He quickly discovered that he had to memorise them as that was the only way he could preach.  He said he would,

“Twist out the sermon as he twisted the top button on his top coat.”

After the third sermon he used to fall back in his chair in relief.  Then he would think, ‘I’ve got to start again tomorrow to get another sermon ready.’  He lived in perpetual misery, his early years were a misery.

Then a day came when he realised that when he was standing in front of the congregation there was another standing beside him and that it was he who had the responsibility to apply the message to his listeners, not himself.  Torrey came to believe what he had been teaching others.  The result was that his preaching became powerful.  As he saw God working through him, his confidence increased.  For the rest of his life ‘he would rather preach than eat’.

The primary hindrance to people experiencing the power of God’s Spirit in their lives is a lack of belief.

Today people do believe that this fulness, this joy, this effectiveness can happen to others but seldom believe that the Spirit is now available to all God’s people.  We hear of the Wesleys, Billy Graham, Corrie ten Boom or Joni Ericksen but don’t believe it can happen to us.

How the modern church needs this expectant belief again that God will so fill the lives of ordinary Christians so that we overflow with joy and power.

In the upper room those disciples and the others expected this change to happen.

2.  Expectant belief led to expectant prayer  v. 14

The disciples and others in the upper room were devoted to Jesus with one mind.  This devotion showed itself in three areas.

Unity

Persistence

Dependancy

We read,

“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 1:14

Unity

is that they were all of one mind what they wanted to see happen.  Previously the disciples had been disunited.  For example James and John were self-seeking when they asked Jesus for power and authority,

“Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” Mark 10:37

They wouldn’t wash each other’s feet, leaving that menial job for Jesus!  His brothers, who were now with the disciples in the upper room had previously thought Jesus was crazy (Mark 3:21) but now something had changed!  It was a minor miracle for them all to be of one mind.  The reason was that they were now looking to the Lord for this power from God.  It is always as Christians focus on and look to Jesus that this unity is found.

God is pleased to pour out an experience of his Spirit on a united group of Christians who do not consider themselves superior to others, who are lifting others up and who are doing all they can to heal relationships.

This is one meaning of the act of taking communion together.

Persistent

They stuck to praying or literally, ‘the prayer’.  This could mean to the times of prayer or to a specific prayer.  We know that they attended the temple regularly.  Jesus encourages us to keep praying:

“Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. Luke 11:5-8

How much more will our heavenly Father respond when what we are asking for is precisely what he wants to see, a people devoted to living for him.  Jesus continued:

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Luke 11:9-10

If we want to know the Lord’s power in our lives we must first believe it is what he wants and then to keep on praying until God works his way in us. Note there is a progression in intensity.  We start by asking, then we seek and finally we clamour by knocking hard on the door!

God is pleased to pour out an experience of his Spirit on those who are persistently seeking for this.

Dependant on God

A great Bible teacher, William R Newell was speaking at a conference for China Inland Missionaries in China.  After the conference he walked up to the director of the Conference and asked,

“Do pray for me that I shall be nothing.”

The Director replied,

“Newell, you are nothing!”

In the presence of Jesus we are nothing in comparison.  Jesus himself reminded us of our impotence without him:

“If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Good Leaders

How seldom this need is emphasised yet how vital it is.  Leaders must be respected by those they are leading.  Whatever Peter’s faults, everyone recognised the leadership skills that he had.  Again, at this time, it was Peter who was decisive.

“In those days Peter stood up among the believers ( a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, ‘Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled . . .’” Acts 1:15

Clear leadership is the clearest indication of where an organisation is going.  The spiritual maturity of a church almost never exceeds the maturity of its leaders.  The early church grew because of strong decisive leadership on men such as Peter, John, Paul and James.  When a church is appointing elders we must remember that the church will not overtake them in purpose or spiritually.

Churches that fail to train future leaders and who select poorly will go downhill.

a. Strong leaders are Scriptural

This section emphasises that a love for Scripture and training others in Scripture is fundamental.  How will others in the church catch this love iof the elders don’t both have it but also demonstrate it to others.  Peter demonstrates this knowledge of Scripture and the fact that he centres his decisions on Scripture in this passage.

“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas . . .” Acts 1:16

“ ‘For,’ said Peter, ‘It is written in the book of Psalms . . .” Acts 1:20

A good leader is Bible centred and that sense is infectious.  A godly leader will keep sharing what God has been teaching him from Scripture.

You hear some people say,

“Yes, we know that the Bible is important but we also want to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying.”

In such churches the prayer meetings start with empty minds, trying to discover what God is saying directly to them.  This can be a recipe for disaster.  Modern day Quakers and some charismatics have taken this route.  We need to be reminded that when we are listening to the Bible we are listening to the Holy Spirit.  Of course the Holy Spirit can prompt us in addition but this will always be in accord with Scripture.  God always wants the name of his Son to be glorified.  If we are to experience the blessing of God we should not chase experiences but obedience to Scripture.

We will all face many difficulties and trials in life.  Loved ones will become ill, some will die, children may go off the rails, financial problems occur and friends may desert us.

It was this last problem that this young band of immature Christians faced.  Judas had deserted them, turned his back on Jesus and then had committed suicide.  What a triple tragedy!  Peter reminds us that the answers to such trials are to be found in Scripture and we should look there, and not chase experiences.  Peter reminds his hearers what the book of Psalms had to say of the problem of a leader who deserts his post.  Firstly this problem is to be expected,

“May his place be deserted; let there be no-one to dwell in it.” Acts 1:20, Psalm 69:25

Then a decision must be made on how to fill the need:

“May another take his place of leadership.” Acts 1:20, Psalm 109:8

Peter is clear what sort of man they were looking for (Acts 1:21-22).  They must have been one of the band from the time of John the Baptist, they must have witnessed the resurrection, they must have the support of the group , they must be willing to be a bold witness to Jesus.  They had two candidates who seemed to fit the bill, Joseph called Barsabbas and Matthias.  It is possible that there was uncertainty and even division at their selection meeting.  How was this to be resolved?

b.  Strong leaders rely on God

They had two possible solutions so they looked to the Lord for the answer – they prayed.  They knew that prayer was vital (1:4).  Here again,

“Then they prayed . . .” Acts 1:24

Jesus said to his disciples,

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:37-38

Calvin wrote in his commentary on this passage,

“When the church needs missionaries, let her get on her knees and pray.”

c.  Strong leaders, like God, look to the heart of people

This prayer seems to be what the community prayed but doubtless they came from the mouth of one clear-thinking leader:

“Lord, you know everyone’s heart.  Show us which of these two men . . .” Acts 1:24

When Jesus had a big decision to make at the beginning of his ministry concerning who he should train up to be his apostles in the future he doubtless had some ideas but even he spent the night praying to God (Luke 6:12).  Similarly, when the church at Antioch were deciding who they should choose to be travelling missionaries.  They prayed about this decision, even after Barnabus and Paul had been marked out (Acts 13:1-3).

God knows our hearts, whether we are truly singleminded about our decision to live for the glory of Christ, and that alone.  Passionate leaders are vital if others are going to catch their fervour.

The church at Laodicea was a self-satisfied community but the Lord saw that their hearts were lukewarm in their commitment to him. God urges them to allow him into the centre of their lives.  Nothing matters more to God.  He is knocking on the lives of many church people urging them to let him in.  It is no longer us asking, seeking and knocking, the urgent need has led Jesus to knock on our lives!

“Here I am, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

It is no coincidence that when Paul recounts the qualities of Timothy, they were qualities that made him attractive to others.

“I have no-one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare.  For everyone looks to their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ . . . But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father, he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” Philippians 2:19

Wow!  Timothy loved Jesus,  he cared for the welfare of others, he worked hard in the cause of the gospel.

Other qualities for leaders

Throughout the Bible there are guidelines on how we should choose church leaders.

Acts describes how deacons were chosen.

“Choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.” Acts 6:1-7

Paul stresses the qualities to be sought in church elders,

“Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.  (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)  He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.  He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.” 1 Timothy 3:2-7

Churches compromise on these at their peril.  Leaders must be respected, not just by the church, but by outsiders.  They must be good teachers.

Paul left Timothy on the isle of Crete to establish the young churches there.  His great need was for good leaders and Paul again emphasises the qualities needed,

“An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.  He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” Titus 1:6-9

A choice is made

The early band Christians had a difficult decision to make; which of the two suitable candidates should they appoint.  They took the decision to the Lord and asked him to overrule.  They used what seems strange to us. They used chance.  In the Old Testament this was a common practice.

“The lot is cast into the lap, but every decision is from the Lord.” Proverbs 16:33

This was the last time in Scripture that this seemingly Old Testament method was used.  After Pentecost men and women deliberately chose their leaders carefully according to the prescribed requirements.  Whatever the means used, our decision must be based on trust in God.   Neither of these two candidates had any family links with Jesus.

Whatever the means of deciding, it is important that people are very reticent to attack those who have been appointed.  David was certainly unimpressed by the leadership skills of King Saul who was seeking to kill David, but David knew that the Lord was always in control:

“He said to his men, ‘The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.’” 1 Samuel 24:6

Tradition tells us that Matthias remained a faithful missionary.  One report says he went to Ethiopia and taught the gospel there until martyred there.  Another report was that he went to Damascus before returning to Judea.  Whichever is right it is clear that he remained faithful to his calling and that is what the Lord asks of each of us.

BVP

Acts 2:12-37. Peter’s First Sermon

Spurgeon’s College has been a centre for training future Baptist ministers.  It has had a tradition since Spurgeon’s day that every Friday afternoon one of the students is given a verse to preach on and after a short while is asked to preach to the faculty and the other students.  One student was asked to preach on the story of Zacchaeus.  He was flummoxed as to what to say, but knew he should have three points.  He stood up and delivered a very short talk, his three points being,

“Zacchaeus was of small stature – and sop am I.

Zacchaeus was up a tree – and so am I.

Zacchaeus came down – and so will I.”

Peter’s first sermon was on a different plane – it was brilliant, to the point and had the effect of changing the way many people thought.  Three thousand people made commitments to Christ that day.

Only 50 days before Peter had infamously denied that he even knew Jesus.  Now he was aligning himself with him at great personal risk to himself.  When such a large crowd gathered their would undoubtedly been some of the Sanhedrin and their agents taking notes of what was going on.  It was the Sanhedrin that had arranged fort Jesus to be crucified.

Peter was the sort of person who was always at the front of things.  He was one of the first people to become a disciple of Jesus, he was the first to walk on water, he was the first to pull out a sword when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. And he was the first disciple to arrive at Jesus’ tomb.  It was his self confidence that enabled him to be such an effective leader in the early church but the downside was a temptation to arrogance.  He was the one who, comparing himself to other disciples said,

“Even if all fall away from on account of you, I never will.” Matthew 26:33

But now since Pentecost that natural leadership skill was channelled into his Lord’s service.  He took on himself the role of being the spokesman for the young Christian church.  This cannot have been easy as it was in Jerusalem that Jesus had been condemned and crucified.  However although peter was the spokesman, it is significant that all the disciples stood  up together as he spoke.  This was a unified church speaking.

A superb sermon

For a first sermon this one was remarkable for several reasons

1.  It was simple.

Peter reacted to what was happening as the young Christians were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began explaining the good news about Jesus to those in Jerusalem but they did so in their own languages.  Even though most of them, being Jews, would have spoken Hebrew and possibly Greek and Latin as well, God chose to give this extraordinary gift of languages to his church, for that is all the Greek word translated ‘tongues’ meant.  Surely it is to indicate that God’s churches are to be local churches and not centralised.  The unifying factor is the common foundational teaching given in the Scriptures.  This is why teaching the Scriptures is the main purpose of all churches.  Whenever men take charge of Churches they are prone to deviate and make worldly concerns and politics the priority.  The Bible insists that pleasing God is the priority for all people.

Peter sim[ply explained the situation and why people were all hearing about Jesus in their own languages.  He then moved on to tell them about Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, God’s chosen king of his people.  Finally he called for his listeners to make a decision about whether they were willing for God’s King to be theirs.

Some preachers appear so erudite – it is abundantly clear who they are glorifying.  A very learned church leader was giving a series of sermons in Oxford.  A less educated man who had attended the sermons was asked whether he had understood the great preacher.  He replied,

“God forbid that I should understand such a great man as that.”

A preachers job should be to help people understand the simple message about who Jesus is and what he wants from all people.

2.  It was Scriptural

Peter bases his explanation of what everyone was witnessing on a passage from the Old Testament prophet, Joel.  He must had learned this by heart.  We can speculate that this was one of the passges that Jesus had explained in his teaching sessions with his disciples.  He then quotes another long passage from Psalm 16 and then another quote from Psalm 110.  His assumption is that the Scriptures are the very words of God (Romans 3:2) and this must always be the basis for a good sermon.  A preacher is simply passing on and explaining what has has already said to us in his word.

3.  It was Christ-centred

After his Biblical introduction Peter moves straight on to tell people about Jesus, relating him to their experiences.  He starts with the person of Jesus and his miracles,

“Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” Acts 2:22

He reminds them of his crucifixion,

“This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.” Acts 2:23

Peter then reminds them of his resurrection,

“But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death.” Acts 2:242.

A little later he stresses that the Old Testament prophecies looked forwards to the resurrection of God’s Christ and that they, the apostles were all witnesses to this resurrection of Jesus,

“He (David) spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.  God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses to this fact.” Ac ts 2:31-32

Next he tells the crowds about the astounding ascension of Jesus that the apostles had also witnessed,

“Exalted to the right hand of God . . .” Acts 2:33

Peter concludes this part of the talk by emphasising the evidence that what he had just said was true.  He was able to pass on to his people the promised Holy Spirit of God because he is equal to God and therefore is God.

“Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised |Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” Acts 2:33

This section he rounds off by again returning to compare Jesus with the very great King David,

“For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Acts 2:34-35

David always recognised that he was just a pawn in the Lord’s kingdom, but who is this other Lord that David acknowledges who is equal to God?  Peter confirms that this is Jesus.

Peter concludes this section about Jesus with a summary,

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this:  God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36

Nothing could be clearer, either in those days or for us today.  God’s message to the world is the message about Jesus.

4.  It challenged to his listeners

The fact that the consciences of those listening were touched must mean that Peter’s delivery was passionate.  It wasn’t just the words he used, it was the urgent meaning that he gave to them that impinged on his hearers.

“When the people heard this they were cut to the heart ansd said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?” Acts 2:37

Whenever people have heard God speak to them there must be a reaction.  Some, unfortunately, ‘harden their hearts, they don’t want to hear more because they know that there will have to be consequences if this story is true.  Some come up with excuses and arguments for not investigating these claims of Christ.  They would no want to listen to the evidence of the first hand witnesses to Jesus because they know this could mean major changes to their life that they don’t want to make.

Jesus described such people in his parable of the Sower.  The seed, the Word of God, is sown in people’s minds but it is not allowed to have any influence or only has a passing effect-

“As he was scattering the see, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.” Mark 4:3-6

As we will see later, three thousand Jews committed themselves to Jesus on that day.  It says much about the soil of their hearts.

This was a great sermon because it was full of Christ, it was full of Scripture and it was full of the Holy Spirit.

Structure

A good sermon must have a structure with headings and it must grip the hearers from the outset.  This is what Peter does.  He begins by answering the questions people had about what they were witnessing, giving evidence that what he is saying is true.

People were puzzled because they had seen the disciples of Jesus boldly telling people, in their own local languages, about Jesus and the news he brought.  Galileans were considered to be the least educated group of Jews.

“Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Are no all these who are speaking Galileans?  How is it that each of us hears them speaking in his own language?” Acts 2:7-8

“Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?” Acts 2:12

As happens today, others mocked. They suggested the disciples had been drinking!

Peter responds quickly.  He shows that what the crowd has just experienced, could not be due to alcohol as it was only 9 o’clock in the morning. On a festival day, such as Pentecost, a Jew would not break his fast till after 10am.

The Spirit in the Old Testamnet

Peter tells the crowd about the prophecy in the book of Joel in the Old Testament and shows that what the crowd had witnessed had been foretold by God himself.  How did Peter know this?  It seems most likely that, as Jesus loved to tell his followers how the Old Testament spoke about him he also told them what it says about the work of the Spirit of God.  So much of what happened to Jesus was foretold in the Jewish Scriptures which is itself good evidence that he really is of God.

The Spirit of God was not a new one.  He had been involved in the creation of the world (Genesis 1:1-4, Psalm 104:30).  Throughout the Old Testament, the Spirit of God is connected to God’s words. The Lord said He would put His words in His people’s mouths (Isaiah 59:21). David said the Spirit of the Lord spoke through him,

“The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.” 2 Samuel 23:2

The Spirit of God in the Old Testament promoted holiness and opposed evil.

“They rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit.  So he turned and became their enemy . . .” Isaiah 63:10

The Spirit also empowered people to praise God and to achieve goals for him.  Othniel was one of the early Judges:

“The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he judged Israel” Judges 3:10

Even the disreputable King Saul has his moments in his early life,

“When they came to there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 1 Samuel 10:10

However this effect was only temporary,

“But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, a distressing Spirit from the Lord troubled him.” 1 Samuel 16:14

This prophecy in Joel refers to the two comings of God’s Messiah, verses 17-18 being about his first coming and v. 19-21 about his return, which will be cataclysmic.

The astounding feature of this prophecy is that God is going to pour out his Holy Spirit on all his people.

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophecy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophecy.” Acts 2:17-18

This was not a completely new idea.  When the Children of Israel were wandering through the wilderness, after fleeing from Egypt, God promised to provide them with food but the people were, to say the least, sceptical about what God had said.  Moses told the seventy elders to come together around the tabernacle.  They were going to experience the presence of God in a new way:

“Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him (Moses), and he took the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirt on the seventy elders.  When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again.” Numbers 11:25

Two elders, Eldad and Medad, who had not joined the group also started to prophesy in the camp and one young man complained.  Moses replied,

“Are you jealous for my sake?  I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”

Exactly what prophecy was is open to question but it always involved extolling God’s virtue and proclaiming God’s word to people.  Years later, when David was delegating tasks to people in preparation for the building of the temple, we read that Asaph, to whom twelve of the Psalms are attributed was a prophet.  Prophecy was controlled and could be given through music:

“The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision.” 1 Chronicles 25:2

The next verse in chronicles talks about Jeduthun who:

“. . . who prophesied using the harp in thanking and praising the LORD.” 1 Chronicles 25:3

The important point is that now all God’s people will become prophets and be responsible for passing on the word of God to others enthusiastically.  Neither age, sex or rank mattered in God’s purposes.  Anyone could have fresh ideas on how to promote God’s message:

“Your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams.” Acts 2:17

These dreams and visions are not usually ecstatic but they are universal.  Everyone is now responsible for thinking of ways to promote God’s kingdom.

Jesus

Peter then moves on to teach people about Jesus, which is the main object of the sermon.  Clearly Luke has only given us a synopsis or summary of the sermon – it would have laster more than three minutes.  He describes the life, crucifixion, resuurection and ascension of Jesus in such a way that his listeners feel guilty for the way they have treated God.  He then reassures them that there is forgiveness for those who turn back to God and three thousand respond.  We will look at this in more detail later.

BVP