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Category: Acts for a 21st c. Church

Acts of the Apostles + a History of Christ’s Church

Acts of the Apostles 1-28

Acts of the Apostles:
+ The first century Church SHARED Christ while suffering severe persecution.
+ Luke records a historic account of the Church which gives 21c Christians a context to SHARE the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others.

Read more about the Early Church & add your COMMENT on Scripture.

ACT now.

+ SHARE the Gospel history witnessed in the CURRENT chronological SERIES from ACTS of the APOSTLES.

Christ IS risen, IS with us and will return

Luke-Acts, a Gentile Witness of the Christ

What witness of the ascension of the risen Christ shall we share? Our witness of Christ two-thousand and some years after the resurrection and ascension is different than first century believers. Some, but not all, had had encounters with the risen Christ! Many were Jews and some Gentiles, just the inverse of 21st century witness. When the Apostles had stood in awe observing Jesus’ ascension into the clouds it brought them to worship for days.

Christ IS risen and He will return! And thousands upon thousands first century followers believed from hearing first-hand witness of Jesus by others. Good News of Jesus was proclaimed by men and women from every walk of life.

Jews, Gentiles, Samaritans; rich and poor, soldiers, merchants, lepers, the working class and religious leaders; Greeks, travelers, tax collectors; Romans, shepherds and foreigners… yes, even women and children.

And all had heard first-hand witness of Christ! They heard from those who knew Lazarus or from witnesses to other miracles; diverse followers the Way of Christ Jesus.

Luke the physician is one of these witnesses and a Gentile who records witness and proof of Christ Jesus. This current series has focused on Luke’s two-part history from first-hand interviews and written testimony. His introductions to the Gospel and Acts point to the motivation of Luke’s writing.

Luke 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. 3 It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.

Events of the first century recorded by a Gentile physician. Why?

Think of it as a chronicle of witnessed history recorded for the certainty of the nations and generations to come. We have certainty that Christ was born a man, Immanuel, God with us. The Cross becomes realization that Christ died for sinners; sinners Jew and Gentile; sinners then and sinners now.

Luke chronicles an eye witness of the Good News. Christ Jesus IS Risen!

Jesus IS risen from death on a Cross and then forty days later He ascends into the clouds. For forty days the risen Christ Jesus continued to instruct the Disciples in His fulfillment of Scripture and a new covenant with believers.

Luke 24:

26 Didn’t the Messiah have to suffer these things and enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

Then forty days after His bodily resurrection, Jesus departs once more, this time not by uncertain death on a cross, but ascending in certain victory.

The Ascension of Jesus

50 Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands He blessed them. 51 And while He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven. 52 After worshiping Him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they were continually in the temple complex praising God.

END – Luke’s Book I, Continued in Book II – The Acts of the Apostles

ACTS 1 (HCSB)

I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day He was taken up, after He had given orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. 3 After He had suffered, He also presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

The Holy Spirit Promised

4 While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise…

7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Ascension

9 After He had said this, He was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.

Luke then proceeds to record the miraculous events of Pentecost caused by their receiving the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:

4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.

5 There were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

Peter then preaches a Spirit-filled sermon convicting the hearers of the word.

37 When they heard this, they came under deep conviction[m] and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: “Brothers, what must we do?”

38 “Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Three-thousand converts that day! But it gets even better.

Luke’s witness continues with the conversion of the church’s most zealous Jewish persecutor, Saul. And later Luke recounts conversations with the Apostles, more miracles and he details Paul’s journeys as Apostle to the Gentiles.

It is written

Beloved remnant of scriptural faith, perhaps you had not anticipated our journey’s end. For we began with Resurrection, moving to Ascension then Pentecost.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John is certain! Yet this series we close with forgotten prophesy, confirmed by New Testament witness.

Could Christ have also instructed the Apostles in these fulfilled prophesies before His Ascension?

Micah 5:

… They are striking the judge of Israel
on the cheek with a rod.

2 Bethlehem Ephrathah,
you are small among the clans of Judah;
One will come from you
to be ruler over Israel for Me.
His origin is from antiquity,
from eternity.

Luke records: 4 And Joseph also went … to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David.. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son..

Luke’s Gospel also witnesses: 63 The men who were holding Jesus started mocking and beating Him. 64 After blindfolding Him, they kept asking, “Prophesy! Who hit You?”

And the Apostle John records an incident in the Temple and Jesus’ witness to Jewish authorities. Consider the words of Micah 5:2 with which these Temple officials should have been familiar.

John 8:

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself. Your testimony is not valid.” …

21 Then He said to them again, “I’m going away; you will look for Me, and you will die in your sin. Where I’m going, you cannot come.” …

He told them, “I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 Therefore I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

25 “Who are You?” they questioned.

“Precisely what I’ve been telling you from the very beginning,” Jesus told them…

28 So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own…

⁴²Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I came from God and I am here. For I didn’t come on My own, but He sent Me.⁴³Why don’t you understand what I say?

54 “If I glorify Myself,” Jesus answered, “My glory is nothing. My Father—you say about Him, ‘He is our God’—He is the One who glorifies Me…

56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it and rejoiced.” …

58 Jesus said to them,

“I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.”

Christ’s Ascension Confirms His Origin

5:2 וְאַתָּה בֵּֽית־לֶחֶם אֶפְרָתָה צָעִיר לִֽהְיֹות בְּאַלְפֵי יְהוּדָה מִמְּךָ לִי יֵצֵא לִֽהְיֹות מֹושֵׁל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וּמֹוצָאֹתָיו מִקֶּדֶם מִימֵי עֹולָֽם׃

One will come from you
to be ruler over Israel for Me.
His origin is from antiquity,
from eternity.

Micah 5:2

Christ died. Jesus IS risen and His ascension confirms what the He told officials of the Temple. These same words of the LORD confirmed to Israel through Moses His very eternity.

Exodus 3:14 וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אֶֽהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶֽהְיֶה וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה תֹאמַר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶֽהְיֶה שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

‘I AM THAT I AM.”

Jesus’ ascension confirms the ONE who sent Him. Surely our Lord will return as is His promise. And we can know with certainty that Christ’s eternal reign draws near in these last days.

Amen,

May 20, 2018
Ordinary Men -2
Acts 4:5-7

On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”

Synopsis

Annas and Caiaphas and John and Alexander sit here esteemed high above ordinary men, even the highest of aristocrats sitting in the Sanhedrin.

Annas and Caiaphas and John and Alexander sit here esteemed high above ordinary men, even the highest of aristocrats sitting in the Sanhedrin. We have examined an incident of healing a lame man [Acts 3] in the Temple the previous day. We have also examined the high calling of some of the Temple court officials mentioned above. These not-so-ordinary men mentioned here will examine Peter and John, But first let’s take a look at one additional more common official of the Sanhedrin.

Jewish Stratification (continued from Ordinary Men – part 1)

The chief sects among the Jews were the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Essenes, who may be described respectively as the Formalists, the Freethinkers and the Puritans.

Pharisees

The fundamental principle all of the of the Pharisees, common to them with all orthodox modern Jews, is that by the side of the written law regarded as a summary of the principles and general laws of the Hebrew people there was on oral law to complete and to explain the written law, given to Moses on Mount Sinai and transmitted by him by word of mouth.

The Pharisees at an early day secured the popular favor and thereby acquired considerable political influence. This influence was greatly increased by the extension of the Pharisees over the whole land and the majority which they obtained in the Sanhedrin. Their number reached more than six thousand under the Herods.

Josephus compared the Pharisees to the sect of the Stoics. He says that they lived frugally, in no respect giving in to luxury. We are not to suppose that there were not many individuals among them who were upright and pure, for there were such men as Nicodemus, Gamaliel, Joseph of Arimathea and Paul.
- Source
The Defense

Acts 4:6-12

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

How should the high court respond?

You might think by their defense in naming Jesus that Peter is claiming personal innocence in the manor of the man’s healing. After all, why were they arrested; what is their crime? No charge of the supreme court of the Temple (Sanhedrin) was made against them for preaching in the courtyard at church. “By what power or by what name did you do this?” (referring to the miraculous healing witnessed by many) was their only question to Peter.

No charges here and the evidence to be presented witnesses a miracle. These Levitical Priests, aristocratic scribes and sadducees, and politically powerful Pharisees sit in judgment of a miracle. ‘How did the Lord use men like these and not a Priest or Temple official to do this?’ they must have thought. The witness of their preaching the previous day had quoted scripture referring to the prophets, the Messiah, Moses, Samuel and Abraham. What could the court say of this a day after the miracle in the courtyard of the Temple?

[ctt title=”But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. – Acts 4:4″ tweet=”Arrested because the Lord performed a miracle and their preaching is true.” coverup=”cTU1O”]

Who can preach like this?

Acts 4:13

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it…

21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.

Witness, Our Only Choice

[ctt title=”“I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”” tweet=”Acts 3:6 Peter’s witness before one of many arrests.” coverup=”V5egz”]

But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20

29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
May 19, 2017
Ordinary Men – 1
… he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.

– Acts 4:10b

Suppose you were arrested and brought before a court of leaders asking how you had healed a lame man. Would you witness Christ?

The Apostle Peter in effect told the very court which convicted Christ, ‘you are the guilty ones.’ The resurrected Lord healed him.

We have heard of this blindness before

The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

– John 9:30-33

Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” – John 9:39

Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?”

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt [from sin]; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

Blind Leadership

Peter and John had just healed a crippled beggar known to the same authorities who once witnessed a similar powerful miracle, then expelled from the Temple a man blind from birth healed by Jesus. My previous post, the three o’clock prayer service, details this healing recorded in Acts 3. The Apostles face similar retribution as Jesus after healing a lame man in front of many witnesses.

Acts 3:12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?

… 17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

Acts 4:

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

Jewish Stratification

During the times of Herod’s Temple, social center of religious life in Jerusalem at that time of Jesus and the Apostles, Temple leaders were esteemed above ordinary men. The political appointment of priests claimed status from traditional Jewish Biblical offices and responsibilities.
- The social world of the priests during the Iron Age and Persian Period was one fraught with concerns about power and status. To be a priest was, at least in terms of public rhetoric, an ascribed, not an achieved status.
  - Source
Priests
- Throughout the Hebrew Bible, the term priest (kōhēn) is commonly used to refer to an official who was set apart from the rest of the community in order to carry out certain duties associated with worship and sacrifice. As “ministers of the LORD” (Joel 1:9; 2:17), priests functioned as mediators of God’s presence and were responsible for the day-to-day operation of cultic sites, whether the tabernacle, local shrines, or the Temple in Jerusalem.
- Deuteronomy employs the term “Levitical priests” (hakkōhănîm halwiyyim) most likely to underscore the fact that all Levites were qualified to be priests (Deut 17:9, 18; 18:1; 24:8; 27:9).
- The most prominent and persistent controversy regarding the priesthood had to do with whether all Levities could serve as priests or, alternatively, if only certain branches of the Levitical line (the Aaronides or the Zadokites) were qualified for the priestly office.
  - Source
Scribes
- Outside of their sacrificial duties, priests also oversaw many other aspects of ancient Israelite life… In this role, priests were responsible for communicating the law and adjudicating legal matters (Lev 10:10–11; Deut 17:8–13; 21:5; Ezek 44:24), though in the Second Temple period, such activity was eventually taken over by scribes.
  - Source
- Scribes of various degrees of competence were attached to all government and temple offices. Apparently there were also independent scribes who either served the public or were in the employ of men of means.
- Later the scribe was a professional expert in the writing of Torah scrolls, *tefillin , *mezuzot , and bills of *divorce .
  - Source
Sadducees
- (followers of Zadok), (Matthew 3:7; 16:1,6,11,12; 22:23,31; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27; Acts 4:1; 5:17; 23:6,7,8) a religious party or school among the Jews at the time of Christ, who denied that the oral law was a revelation of God to the Israelites. and who deemed the written law alone to be obligatory on the nation, as of divine authority.
- To these sons of Zadok were afterward attached all who for any reason reckoned themselves as belonging to the aristocrats; such, for example, as the families of the high priest, who had obtained consideration under the dynasty of Herod. These were for the most part judges, and individuals of the official and governing class.
  - Source
Sadducees held the majority of the seats in the ruling Jewish court of the Sanhedrin. They held political power and influence in Judah, even under Rome.

As you can see from description of these several classes of ‘blind guides,’ these Jewish rulers are not in any way ordinary men.

Though five thousand men came to believe Peter and John, these arresting authorities are in no way intimidated. The Apostles face a trial, the first of many, for proclaiming Christ Jesus.

Allow me to ask you, what is your response to opposition to Jesus Christ?

To be continued…
May 14, 2017