365 Days of Pursuit.org

OVERVIEW:

Paul’s testimony before King Agrippa (chapter 26); Paul’s journey to and arrival in Rome (chapters 27 and 28).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we move into chapter 26 today, we find Paul giving his testimony before king Agrippa. Agrippa is the great grandson of Herod the Great who sought to kill Jesus at his birth. (Matthew 2:1-16) We will observe two key features of Paul’s message before king Agrippa:

1. The SINCERE CONCERN of Paul’s Message; and
2. The SIMPLE CONTENT of Paul’s Message.

THE SINCERE CONCERN OF PAUL’S MESSAGE

It would have been easy for Paul to despise the corrupt and wicked rulers before whom he had been on trial. Clearly, none of them were willing to take a stand for the truth and declare Paul’s innocence. (23:27-29; 24:12-13; 26:31) The Jews falsely accused Paul and wanted to kill him. (21:28-29; 23:12-15) Felix kept Paul in prison in hopes of a bribe (24:26), and to please the wicked Jews. (24:27) Festus also kept Paul bound in an attempt to keep the Jews happy. (25:9) It seems that “justice” was going to the highest bidder, or to the best liar. But despite all of this injustice and corruption causing him to become bitter or angry, Paul simply did what Paul always did: he passionately declared the gospel of Jesus Christ, sincerely longing for the salvation of these wicked men! Even when king Agrippa, one of the most perverted and corrupt men imaginable, sarcastically commented to Paul, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian,” (26:28) Paul sincerely responded, “I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.” (26:29) Paul’s compassion for the souls of these corrupt men allowed him to see past their wickedness to the cross where Christ died for their sins. With all of the love in his heart, Paul longed to see the salvation of every man, even his persecutors!

Oh, that God would fill us with the sincere passion and compassion of this faithful servant and follower of Christ! Remember, Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:44: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

THE SIMPLE CONTENT OF PAUL’S MESSAGE

It’s important for us to pay close attention to the content of Paul’s message each time he stood before a government official. Had it been me, I probably would have been up all night, wracking my brain, trying to craft the most moving, thought-provoking, and powerful sermon imaginable. But not Paul! Each time he stands before a world ruler, he simply gives his testimony, with a very simple presentation of the gospel. He didn’t get stressed, nor did he concern himself with brilliance or eloquence. His message was essentially this: “I once was lost, but now I’m found!” Paul’s simple approach gives evidence that he had truly taken to heart the words Jesus had spoken concerning him, that he would “be his witness unto all men of what thou hast SEEN and HEARD.” (Acts 22:15) Paul understood that he was only responsible for declaring that! Again, may we learn from this choice servant and follower of Christ! May we genuinely understand that God doesn’t need us to be intellectual elitists, eloquent preachers, or Bible experts! We simply need to declare boldly what we have SEEN and HEARD!

The great evangelist H.A. Ironside’s preaching was once interrupted by an atheist shouting, “There is no God! Jesus is a myth!” After continuous interruptions, the man finally said, “I challenge you to a debate!” Ironside responded, “I accept your challenge, sir, but on one condition! When you come, bring with you 10 men and women whose lives have been changed for the better by the message of atheism. Bring former prostitutes and criminals whose lives have been changed, who are now moral and responsible individuals. Bring outcasts who had no hope and have them tell us how becoming atheists has lifted them out of the pit! And sir,” he concluded, “if you can find 10 such men and women, I will be happy to debate you. And when I come, I will gladly bring with me 200 men and women from this very city whose lives have been transformed in just those ways by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Oh, may we never forget that the simple testimony of a changed life is a powerful witness to the transforming power of Christ! Ask God to open a door for you today, to simply tell someone what you’ve SEEN and HEARD.

After a difficult journey, Paul finally landed at Rome (28:16) around 60 A.D., where he was permitted to live in a rented house, in which he received guests, and constantly preached the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles. For the next two years, Acts 28:31 says, Paul continued “Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” It is believed that Paul also wrote his epistles to Philemon, Timothy, Titus, the Ephesians, the Colossians and the Philippians during this Roman “imprisonment”. According to the record of history, Paul was beheaded sometime after 64 A.D. during Nero’s severe persecution of Christians. During this same persecution, Peter was also crucified. (History records that Peter requested that he be crucified upside-down because he didn’t consider himself worthy to be crucified in the same manner as our Lord.)

But before we complete today’s discussion of the book of Acts, let’s consider what may be the most important lesson of this incredible book. It is very simply this: God takes full responsibility for accomplishing His own mission!

The book of Acts is rather comical when you consider how confused these “great men and women of God” in the early church were for the first 27 years of their ministry. The believers in Acts 1-7 had no idea whether or not Christ would immediately return to restore the kingdom to Israel, so they had sold their houses and all of their possessions, then camped out in Jerusalem so they didn’t miss His Second Coming. (Acts 1:6-7; 2:44-47; 4:34-35; Zechariah 14:1-9) The Apostles were startled and confused when the Samaritans and Gentiles started getting saved. (Acts 11:1-3, 18) The Jewish believers had an extremely difficult time letting go of circumcision, and other components of the law of Moses, so they could be free to simply trust the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for their salvation and/or their sanctification. (Acts 15:1-2) The apostles were most certainly shocked when God postponed His dealings with Israel in order to begin working with a new institution, the church, composed of both Jews and Gentiles. (Romans 11:25; Ephesians 3:1-13)

When you put it all together, you begin to realize, that from a human standpoint, living in the time of the early church could have been frustrating and confusing IF you were attempting to analyze and formulize God. If, however, you “walked by faith and not by sight”, then every day would have been a tremendous adventure! Consider some of the incredible “acts” we have seen the Lord Jesus Christ carry out through the apostles in this book.

First, consider how God’s ancient arrangement of the Jewish holy feasts “just happened” to bring the Jews at “just the right time” and to “just the right place” to be able to witness the crucifixion of their Messiah at passover. Then, 50 days later at Pentecost, to bring them together again, to have the opportunity to repent of their fatal error of crucifying their own Messiah! (Acts 2) Do you remember how we saw God intervene on behalf of Peter and John, freeing them from prison to continue preaching to the people in Acts 5:17-20? Don’t forget how God used the persecution that arose after the stoning of Stephen to serve His purposes in motivating the obstinate Jewish believers to get out of Jerusalem and carry out the rest of His mission to Judaea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth! (Acts 1:8; 8:1) How about how God supernaturally arranged Philip’s meeting with the Ethiopian eunuch? (Acts 8:26-30) What about the perfectly timed salvation of Saul (Paul), the apostle to the Gentiles in Acts 9, and Peter’s visit to Cornelius’ house in Acts 10? We could go on and on with all of the supernatural “acts” God was orchestrating on behalf of the apostles!

So, again, what’s the main “take-away” from this key book of the Bible?

That God will accomplish His own mission despite our cluelessness, and despite our human inabilities and frailties. If we surrender ourselves to Him daily, we will have the amazing honor of joining God where He is already working.

Have a great adventure with God today!

OVERVIEW:

Paul’s testimony before riotous Jews (chapter 22); Paul’s testimony before the Jewish Council (chapter 23); Paul’s testimony before Felix, the governor of Judaea (chapter 24); Paul’s testimony before Festus (chapter 25).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem marked the beginning of his end. In Acts 21, the Jews of Jerusalem had stirred up a riot crying out, “Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.” (21:28) The Roman chief captain of Jerusalem, not wanting this riot to reach Caesar’s ears for his job’s sake, immediately halted the riot, rescuing Paul from certain death. (21:31-32)

Chapter 22 is Paul’s testimony before the riotous Jewish crowd. As soon as he mentions preaching to Gentiles (22:21-22), the crowd returns to a nearly unmanageable uproar. The chief captain was about to scourge Paul until he discovered that Paul was a Roman citizen. With that revelation, Paul inserted himself into the flow of the Roman legal system, thereby guaranteeing him an audience with leading political figures in the Roman government, even Caesar himself.

The chapters that follow record Paul’s testimony before a few of these figures. In chapter 23, Paul stands before the Jewish council once again in Jerusalem. In chapter 24, Paul is transferred to Caeserea, the Roman provincial seat of Judaea, where he stands before governor Felix. Felix is replaced by Festus (24:27), and in chapter 25, Paul gives testimony before Festus and the Jewish council.

Though there are many truths and applications that are worthy of discussion in today’s reading, let’s focus our attention on a few truths related to Paul’s suffering, and how his suffering relates to ours.

1. Suffering was a natural part of Paul’s commission, as it is a natural part of our commission. When God commissioned Paul as the Apostle to the Gentiles, he described his ministry this way: “He (Paul) is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:15-16) God promised that Paul would have the incredible privilege of preaching the gospel to Gentiles, to kings, and to the children of Israel, so what Paul was experiencing in Acts 21-25 was actually God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises. But God’s faithfulness also included the promise of suffering. God would likewise be faithful in keeping that promise. One of the many things that made Paul so unique, as a follower of Christ, was the fact that he joyfully accepted suffering as the normal and natural result of following Christ, and reckoned that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18) Paul was able to keep that perspective because he was constantly looking into the eternal realm, and passionately using his life to invest in Christ’s everlasting kingdom. (2^nd Corinthians 4:18; 2^nd Peter 1:11) God promised those of us who desire to live like Paul: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2^nd Timothy 3:12) If we live like Paul, and we, too, look at and live for a different kingdom, if we are constantly seeking to give the gospel to the lost, and constantly seeking to live a holy life for His glory, there’s no doubt about it, we will suffer! But always keep in mind, if we invest in eternity, a greater hope and reward is yet before us!
2. Suffering brings us into a deeper intimacy with Christ, because through it, we are able to fellowship with Him in a much deeper and personal way. (Philippians 3:10) Paul was one of the few human beings who actually understood that principle. With the persecution and suffering Paul experienced, if he would have viewed it from the standpoint of a natural man, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine Paul saying something like, “God, here I am witnessing for you, seeking to live a holy life for Your glory, and this is what I get?!” It’s the complaint we often hear from lost people: “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Though that sounds like a very legitimate question, the reality is, it’s actually a very self-righteous and self-centered question! It’s self-righteous, because we’re calling ourselves “good” when Romans 3:12 clearly states, “there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” It’s self-centered, because it assumes that life is all about us when Revelation 4:11 plainly declares, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” The real question should be, “Why do good things happen to such bad people?” That was Paul’s perspective. Paul was so thankful for the price that Jesus Christ paid for him that he actually considered the sufferings he endured in this life a blessing! In fact, suffering like Christ was one of his goals in life! He says in Philippians 3:8–10, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”

Again, Paul understood the biblical principle that we so desperately need to learn in the 21^st century: suffering is a natural and normal part of our calling. (1^st Peter 2:21) It is through suffering, we not only become more like Christ, but become more intimately acquainted with Him. Oh God, please grant us that perspective.

OVERVIEW:

Paul’s ministry at Corinth (chapter 18); Paul’s ministry at Ephesus (chapter 19); Paul begins his journey to Jerusalem (chapter 20); Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem (chapter 21).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

By the time we open our Bibles to Acts 18 in today’s reading, Paul and his missionary team have preached throughout Syria and Cilicia (15:41), the cities of Lystra and Derbe (16:1), throughout Phrygia and Galatia (16:6), the cities of Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea in Macedonia (16:11-12; 17:1, 10), and Athens, Greece (17:15). In virtually every place, the preaching of the gospel and the teaching of the word of God have been met with great opposition and persecution. In 2^nd Corinthians 11:23-28, Paul described his persistent sufferings in these terms: “In labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.” Wow! What a resume! If God’s “whatever, wherever, whenever” for you and me included such persecutions, would we still obey Him? Remember, Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew16:24, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)

Acts 18 begins with Paul traveling from Athens to Corinth, a city in the Roman province of Achaia. (18:12) Corinth was a wealthy city, a center of intellectualism, and a city famous for its excess, carnality, and perversion. Every day was Mardi Gras in Corinth. It was the New Orleans, Amsterdam, or Bangkok of biblical times! To be a Corinthian was to almost automatically be associated with sexual promiscuity. In fact, “Corinthian woman” was a proverbial phrase for a prostitute, and “to play the Corinthian”, was to play the whore, or indulge in whorish behavior. Paul was sent there to shine the light of the glorious gospel of Christ into their great darkness.

Prior to Paul’s arrival, God had already arranged a meeting between Paul and a Jewish couple (Aquila and Priscilla) who had been exiled there from Rome. This couple became faithful followers of Christ, using all of their resources to further the gospel of Jesus Christ. Aquila and Priscilla were sound in doctrine, having been used of God to correct Apollos’ outdated teaching in Acts18:25-26. Paul called this couple his “helpers in Christ Jesus” in Romans 16:3, even noting that they had “laid down their own necks” for his sake. (Romans 16:4) All of the Gentile churches also gave thanks for Aquila and Priscilla (Romans 16:4), and when they returned to Rome, their home became the meeting place of the church. (Romans 16:5) Aquila and Priscilla knew what marriage was all about: a joint venture in advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Paul carried out a fruitful ministry in Corinth for “a year and six months.” (18:11) In that time, some prestigious men came to Christ: Justus, whose house was structurally connected to the Jewish synagogue; Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue; and eventually, another chief ruler of the synagogue and the man who had initially caused a riot over Paul’s preaching: Sosthenes. (18:17; 1^st Corinthians 1:1-2) In due time, Paul, along with Aquila and Priscilla, departed for Ephesus where Aquila and Priscilla were left, Paul continuing on to Caesarea, and eventually returning home to Antioch of Syria. (18:22-23)

While at Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla met a Jew from Alexandria, Egypt named Apollos, a powerful preacher who needed to be brought up to date doctrinally. When they encountered him, Apollos was still preaching the gospel of the kingdom of heaven and performing the “baptism of John”. Apollos had no idea that Jesus the Messiah had already come and gone, that God’s plan for Israel had been postponed, and that the Church Age was already in effect. Aquila and Priscilla enlightened this evangelist and brought him into the present by explaining the events of the past 22 years. (18:26) Apollos humbly and joyfully receives the new revelation, begins preaching that Jesus is the Christ, and moves on to Corinth. (19:1)

While Apollos is at Corinth, Paul begins his third missionary journey, passing through Phrygia and Galatia (18:23) and landing at Ephesus (19:1), where he finds some of Apollos’ converts. As Jesus said, “The disciple is not above his master.” (Matthew 10:24) Like their discipler (Apollos), all that these guys really understood about the New Testament was connected with the Jewish baptism of John the Baptist. Like Apollos, they, too, were totally unaware that the Messiah had already come and gone. Obviously, these disciples of Apollos had not been born again, because salvation comes only through Jesus Christ (see John 14:6), and the indwelling of the Holy Ghost is the evidence of that salvation! Romans 8:9 says it very plainly, “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” These disciples, however, have never even heard of Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost! (19:1-4) Paul preaches the gospel of grace to them, they call on the name of Jesus, they are then baptized in water in Jesus’ name, and they immediately receive the Holy Ghost, speaking with tongues and prophesying. (19:4-6) Remember, tongues are a sign to skeptical Jews! (1^st Corinthians 1:22; 14:22) The events here at Ephesus are exactly like the events in Samaria (Acts 8:14-16), in that Paul’s apostolic authority and his message is validated by the sign of tongues. These Jewish disciples of Apollos now know with certainty that Paul’s gospel is the true gospel.

Paul had a fruitful few years at Ephesus (19:9-10, 18-20), and the word of God had free course throughout Asia (modern day Asia Minor). However, his success was stifled by a massive riot which forced him to begin his journey to Jerusalem. (19:21; 20:1) On his way to Jerusalem, Paul revisits many of the places wherein he had initially preached the gospel and planted churches, ministering to and edifying the disciples.

Paul, knowing that Jerusalem would mark the beginning of his end, is not afraid to die for the name of the Lord Jesus (21:13), because long ago, at his salvation, Paul had surrendered his life into the hands of His Saviour and Lord. Paul said, in 2^nd Timothy 1:12, “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” Paul fearlessly and confidently declares in 2^nd Timothy 4:6-8, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Oh God, like Paul, let us live our lives with great confidence and assurance, fearlessly abandoned to You and to Your will for our lives.

OVERVIEW:

The Jerusalem church addresses false teaching (chapter 15); Paul’s second missionary journey (chapters 16 and 17).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Acts 15 introduces to us continuing controversy surrounding the salvation of the Gentiles. When Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch of Syria they are met by some false teachers who are disputing with and convincing the newly saved Gentiles that they must be circumcised to be saved. Indeed, circumcision was a significant symbolic act under the Old Testament law, but through the blood of Jesus Christ, the law had been satisfied and circumcision was no longer necessary. (Galatians 5:6)

Paul, seeing the gospel in jeopardy, begins “no small dissension and disputation” (15:2) with these false teachers. Finally, it is determined that this question must be addressed by the apostles in Jerusalem. Peter makes the point that whether Jew or Gentile, all are saved by grace so, “why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” (15:10) James settles the dispute, saying, “My sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.” (15:19-20) The question, then, is if the Gentiles are saved by grace, why do they have to “abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication,” (15:29) when none of those things are related to salvation or sanctification? James answers the question in verse 21: “For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.” What James was saying is that these stipulations were to be followed by the Gentiles in an effort to keep the door of faith open to the Jews. This is the same principle Paul followed in his ministry and described in 1^st Corinthians 9:19-23 where he states, “Unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law…I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake.” To settle the issue, the apostles determined to send a letter with Paul, Barnabas, Judas, and Silas to be delivered to the church at Antioch with the decision that had been made concerning the Gentiles, which when read to the church, was cause for great rejoicing!

In approximately 50 AD, Paul and Barnabas determine to revisit the cities where they had preached the gospel and planted churches. The only problem was that they couldn’t agree on who should be their companions. It is interesting to behold how that even the “heroes of the faith” are sometimes carnal, stubborn, and self-willed! Barnabas takes his nephew, John Mark, who abandoned them on their first journey, and heads for Cyprus following the original route (15:39). Paul selects Silas (also called Silvanus) and takes a new route through Syria and Cilicia. (15:40-41)

Chapter 16 opens with Paul and Silas arriving in the neighboring cities of Derbe and Lystra. Paul is impressed by a young disciple named Timotheus (Timothy) who has a remarkable testimony in his hometown of Lystra, and even into a neighboring city, Iconium. (16:2) Paul invites Timothy to join him and Silas on this second journey, but determines that Timothy must first be circumcised since he is half Jewish (16:1, 3). Be sure to recognize that Timothy was NOT circumcised as part of his salvation or sanctification, but simply to not be a hindrance in preaching the gospel to the Jews. (1^st Corinthians 9:19-23)

After passing through Phrygia and Galatia (16:6), Paul’s team is “forbidden of the Holy Ghost” to go anywhere but Macedonia. Once the team lands at Philippi, a chief city of Macedonia, we discover exactly why God wanted them there. God had arranged divine appointments with lost souls like Lydia and her family (16:14), a young girl possessed by a demon (16:16-18), the Philippian jailer and his family (16:30-34), Jews and Gentiles in Thessalonica and Berea (17:1-4, 10-12), as well as Dionysius, Damaris, and others in Athens. (17:34) This is the biblical principle of Proverbs 16:9 in action: “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” Paul’s heart was leading him to Asia and Bithynia, but God directed his steps to Macedonia. Imagine the consequences if Paul had been stiffnecked, insisting upon his own plans and strategy, and forcing his way into Asia and Bithynia and neglected Macedonia? He would have missed God’s supernatural orchestration of events, and the precious people listed above may have entered eternity in the flames of hell!

Has God put obstacles, hindrances, or roadblocks in the path of your plans? Don’t be stiffnecked! Trust the Lord. Let us allow the Lord to direct our steps!

OVERVIEW:

The transition from Jerusalem to Antioch (chapters 11 and 12); Paul’s first missionary journey (chapters 13 and 14).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we begin today, let’s take a few moments to review what we’ve discovered thus far from the book of Acts. Acts 1-6 is the record of God continuing to offer the Messiah and the kingdom of heaven to the nation of Israel. In chapter 7, with the stoning of Stephen, the question the Apostles had in Acts 1:6, regarding whether it would be the time the kingdom would be established, has been answered by the nation of Israel, and God withdraws His offer of the Messiah and His physical kingdom. Chapter 8 marks the beginning of the transition from God dealing with the nation of Israel to God dealing with a racially mixed group of Jews and Gentiles called the Church, the body of Christ. Chapter 9 continues the transition with the salvation and calling of Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. In chapter 10, Peter, the Apostle to the Jews, confirms that God is indeed offering eternal life to the Gentiles. From these chapters alone, God has made it abundantly clear that He has postponed His dealings with the nation of Israel and has begun to focus His attention on the Church. Today, in chapters 11 through 14, we will discover the final phases of this monumental transition.

Chapter 11 reveals a transition from God’s base of operations moving from Jerusalem to Antioch. When the persecution arose in chapter 8, though the Apostles remained in Jerusalem, the majority of believers fled. (8:1) Through their witness, each time a new people group received the word of God, envoys from Jerusalem were sent to confirm God’s working among them. (See Acts 8:14-17, 25; 11:1-3, 19-22) Even Paul himself needed affirmation from the Apostles in Jerusalem to validate his ministry. (Galatians 2:1, 9) All of these components point to the fact that Jerusalem was the base of operations and place of authority for the early church. It only makes perfect sense, because…

1. If you were a believing Jew waiting for Jesus your Messiah to return to the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12; Zechariah 14:1-9) to establish the capital of His kingdom in Jerusalem at His second coming, why be any place other than Jerusalem and miss all of the action?!
2. If you were seeking to only reach the Jews with the message of the kingdom of heaven, Jerusalem was where there was the greatest concentration of Jews in the entire region, not to mention the world!
3. If the Apostle to the Jews (Peter) resided in Jerusalem, where else would God’s base of operations be?

But with Israel’s rejection of the King and His kingdom in Acts 7, God turns His attention to the Gentiles, and therefore, establishes a new base of operations in Antioch. Watch how chapter 11 unfolds…

Once the Apostles in Jerusalem had confirmed the salvation of the Gentiles (11:18), Barnabas seeks out Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, and brings him to Antioch (11:25-26) where a multi-ethnic church of Jews and Gentiles had been planted. (Acts 13:1) Notice also, that it was in Antioch that “the disciples were called Christians first.” (11:26) It is significant to note that for the first ten years of the church, not one believer had ever been called a “Christian”! Not until God makes the transitions from Israel to the Church, and Jerusalem to Antioch, does God see fit to have His followers called “Christians”—another confirmation that Antioch is the new base of operations.

In the next chapter, it is evident that the Apostles now understand that God has postponed His plan for Israel. The first piece of evidence is that the Apostle James is not replaced after his execution. Jesus promised the twelve apostles, “Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28) Since the Apostles believed the Lord’s return was imminent, we find that in the early part of the book of Acts, when the King and His physical kingdom was still being offered to Israel, the Apostles wanted to be sure there were 12 Apostles in place. That’s why when Judas Iscariot committed suicide, they believed a replacement was necessary to fill the twelfth throne. (Acts 1:15-26) The fact that the Apostle James was not replaced clearly indicates that the Apostles recognized that Christ’s return had been postponed and the church would now be God’s primary vehicle for carrying out His purpose and plan on the earth.

Another evidence that God’s center of global outreach was transitioning from Jerusalem to Antioch is seen in the fact that when Peter leaves Jerusalem, he doesn’t return. (12:19) The leadership team of Peter, James, and John is obviously being dismantled and Jerusalem’s central authority is waning.

In Acts 13, God introduces His new institution for fulfilling His plan…the Church! It is multi-racial (13:1), multi-cultural (13:1) and missional (13:2-4). As the word of God was being proclaimed in this local church, the Spirit of God begins to move in their midst, and calls out Paul and Barnabas to perform a particular “work”. (13:2) That “work”, as we see in Acts 13 and 14, is preaching the gospel and reproducing local churches—and specifically, local churches who, likewise, carry the mission of planting other local churches—who carry the mission of reproducing other local churches! We may deduce then, that the work of both the local church and of missionaries is preaching the gospel and planting reproducing local churches. Though many faithful Christians serve in diverse capacities in missions, preaching the gospel and church planting are the preeminent components of missions.

A comparison of the sermons preached by Peter and those preached by Paul give further evidence that God was no longer offering the kingdom of heaven to Israel, but instead, intended to bring all men into the spiritual, internal kingdom of God. Peter’s sermon is simply, “You Jews killed our Messiah and rejected the kingdom. Repent and be baptized in water!” (See Acts 2:36-38; 3:15, 19-20) Paul’s message, however, is, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through [Jesus] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” Peter’s message is the gospel of the kingdom, while Paul’s is the gospel of grace. (See 13:42-43)

Acts 13:4 –14:26 is the record of Paul’s first missionary journey in approximately 46 AD. On this first journey, the gospel was preached, and churches were planted on the Island of Cyprus, Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and Perga. All of these cities, except Cyprus, are in the region known as Galatia, which is modern day Turkey. The journey took approximately two years and covered nearly 1,250 miles!

OVERVIEW:

The transition from Israel to the Gentiles (chapter 8); the salvation of the missionary to the Gentiles (chapter 9); the transition to the Gentiles confirmed by apostolic authority (chapter 10).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Thus far we have seen that Acts 1-7 is exclusively Jewish because God is still offering the Messiah and the kingdom of heaven to the nation of Israel. The all-important question of Acts 1:6, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” has been answered with a resounding, “No!” This “no” was effectively communicated through the stoning of Stephen and the fact that Jesus went from STANDING in Acts 7:56, to being SEATED in Colossians 3:1. The nation of Israel has clearly rejected the offer of both their Messiah and His kingdom: the literal, physical, earthly kingdom of heaven. God’s plan for Israel has been postponed and the “parenthesis” of the Church Age is beginning.

It is also worth noting that the stoning of Stephen led to a “great persecution” against the believers, causing many of them to flee Jerusalem. As they did, Acts 8:1 says, they began preaching the gospel “abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria.” God was even able to use persecution to accomplish His own mission of sending witnesses to “all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”! (Acts 1:8) Acts chapter 8 marks the beginning of the transition from God accomplishing His plan through the nation of Israel to the accomplishment of His plan through a body of people called the church, which is composed of both Jews and Gentiles. (Ephesians 2:11-22)

Notice how orderly God makes the transition from Israel to the Church!

1. Believers witness in “all Judaea”. (8:1c)
2. Philip, the deacon mentioned in Acts 6:5 and called “the evangelist” in Acts 21:8, preaches the kingdom of God (the spiritual kingdom that resides inside of a believer) to “the Samaritans”, who are half-Jew and half-Gentile. (8:5)
3. The witness extends to “the uttermost”, as Philip preaches to a full-blooded Gentile on his way home from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. (8:27-28)

It is also important to note that God withheld the gift of the Holy Ghost from the Samaritans until Peter and John arrived in Samaria. (8:14-17) This was done for two reasons:

1. To prove to the Apostles in Jerusalem that the Samaritans had truly received the word of God; and
2. To prove to the Samaritans that the apostles in Jerusalem were God’s ordained authorities.

In these early chapters in the book of Acts (Acts 1-7) as the King and His kingdom were still being offered to the nation of Israel, the Apostle Peter has been the dominant voice, because he is the apostle to the Jews. (Galatians 2:7-8) However, a new character, Paul, enters the scene in chapter 9.

We are first introduced to Paul in Acts 7:58 where he is called by his birth name, Saul. (Acts 13:9) Paul, by his own admission, was the chief persecutor of the church. He says in Acts 9:1, “[I breathed] out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord”, and continues in Acts 22:19, saying, “[I] imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed.” In 1^st Timothy 1:13 he confesses that, “[I] was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious”. Do you know how we would refer to a guy by this description in today’s world? A terrorist! The crazy thing is, Paul was one of the most religious men on the face of the earth! In Philippians 3:4–6 Paul talked about his religiousness, saying, “If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”

Oddly enough, religion has always been, and continues to be, the most destructive force, on this planet, to the work of God. It was the religious Jewish council who crucified our Lord. It was the religious Jewish council who stoned Stephen. And it was a religious leader (Paul) who was the most destructive force against the early church.

But consider the rest of Paul’s testimony: Paul says in 1^st Timothy 1:13–16, “[I] was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” Wow! What a radical transformation! Listen, if God could save a terrorist like Paul, He can save and transform anyone! Paul goes from being the chief misery of the church to the chief missionary of the church! Hallelujah!

Note that Paul was specifically saved to be a missionary to the Gentiles. In Acts 9:15, God says, “[Paul] is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” From this chapter forward in the book of Acts, Peter’s role as the apostle to the Jews (Galatians 2:7-8) diminishes, while Paul’s role as the apostle to the Gentiles increases. In fact, Peter’s name is only mentioned one more time after Acts 13, while Paul’s is mentioned 129 times! Obviously, there has been a major transition.

Acts chapter 10 continues the transition from Israel to the church with Peter, the apostle to the Jews, reluctantly preaching to a family of Gentiles. Notice that the heavens open again (10:11), but rather than seeing Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:56), Peter sees a vessel of unclean animals descending and hears a voice instructing him to kill and eat them. According to Old Testament law (Leviticus 20:25; Deuteronomy 14:1-29), Jews were to avoid eating certain kinds of animals, specifically, animals that God Himself called “unclean”. So, Peter, being a devout Jewish believer in Christ, refuses the offer to eat the unclean animals. But pay close attention to God’s response to Peter. God says to Peter, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” (10:15) God is trying to let Peter know that He is transitioning from Israel to the church by using unclean animals as a metaphor for the Gentiles. In effect, God is saying, “Peter, I’m doing something new now, so I no longer want you to consider the Gentiles as ‘unclean’, or unworthy of salvation.”

But Peter has a very difficult time accepting the fact that God will save Gentiles. At this point in the transition, we might consider him an “unbelieving Jew!” Soon, however, Peter finds himself preaching to a family of Gentiles who suddenly begin speaking in tongues. Keep in mind here some of the things we learned in the early chapters in Acts, namely, that Jews require a sign (1^st Corinthians 1:22), and tongues are a sign for unbelieving Jews (1^st Corinthians 14:22). So, do you see what is happening here in Acts 10? These Gentiles spoke with tongues as a sign to Peter, who in this context, is a Jew who doesn’t believe that God will save Gentiles!

Once the other eleven apostles in Jerusalem catch wind of this “casting of pearls before swine”, Peter is called to answer for this blatantly disobedient act of preaching to the Gentiles. (Acts 11:1-3) As Peter begins to defend himself, the most convincing evidence he offers to the Jewish apostles is the sign of tongues. (Acts 11:15-18) By the end of the meeting, the Jewish church in Jerusalem declares: “Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:18) The transition from Israel to the church is almost complete.

Let’s briefly summarize the transitions that we’ve discovered:

Acts 1–6 – God is offering the King and the kingdom of heaven to the nation of Israel.

Acts 7 – Israel rejects the King and the kingdom of heaven for the third time.

Acts 8 – God makes an orderly transition from Jews to Samaritans, and from Samaritans to Gentiles.

Acts 9 – The transition from Peter, the apostle to the Jews, to Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.

Acts 10 – God’s transition to the Gentiles is confirmed by the apostolic authority of Peter.

OVERVIEW:

Internal and external opposition (chapters 5 and 6); the final offer of the kingdom of heaven rejected by the nation of Israel (chapter 7).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Acts chapters 3 through 6 reveals to us two forms of Satanic opposition: external and internal. External opposition occurs in the form of persecution. We witness two cycles of persecution meted out on Peter and John by the Jewish leaders in chapter 4:1-22, and again in chapter 5:17-40. Though Peter and John appear to be the objects of wrath, and though the Jewish religious leaders seem to be the persecutors, the fact is, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”! (Ephesians 6:12) The real object of wrath is Jesus (4:17-18; 5:28, 40), and the real persecutor is none other than Satan. Maybe you’ve noticed that you can talk about Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, the occult, etc. with virtually any group of people in any public place, but as soon as you mention the name of Jesus, an uproar is sure to follow! The devil hates the name of Jesus. Be sure you recognize what it is in these chapters that angered the Jewish religious leaders (and the devil) the most! It was the preaching and teaching of the gospel! (4:2, 18; 5:28) A very basic rule of thumb in the spiritual realm is this: if the devil doesn’t like it, it must be effective, so we should do it all the more!

Teaching and preaching is the primary action of the Great Commission: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Teaching and preaching is the primary function of a pastor. (See Acts 2:14, 42; 3:12; 4:31; 5:20, 42; 6:1-4; Colossians 1:28; 2^nd Timothy 4:17; Titus 1:3; 1^st Corinthians 1:21; 1^st Timothy 4:11-16; 2^nd Timothy 4:1-2; 1^st Timothy 5:17; Galatians 6:6) Therefore, Satan will do anything he can to stop the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ! If Satan can’t stop the gospel with his external opposition, then he’ll walk right in the front doors of the church and try internal opposition. That’s what happens in Acts 5.

Ananias and Sapphira were held in esteem by their fellow believers because they vowed to sell their property and give ALL the proceeds to the church. But in an effort to appear to be more spiritual than they actually were, they both told Peter that they were offering all of the money they had received for the land they had sold, when they had actually kept back a portion for themselves. They must have thought, “What a great plan! The church will think we are spiritual for sacrificing so much, and we’ll still be rich! No one will ever know.” But though we can fool men, we can’t fool an omniscient God! Peter defines their offense clearly, “Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God!” (Acts 5:4) With that, they both dropped dead right on the spot! (5:5, 10) Keep in mind, the issue here was not that they did not give all the proceeds from the sale of their property in the offering. Neither God nor the apostles had required that. The issue was the fact that they lied to the apostles about the money, and in the process, lied to God Himself! If you are wondering whether the Sunday attendance dropped after that, it most certainly did! But it was all part of God’s plan! God always purges His church and purifies His people in preparation for new fruit! (See 5:11–14)

Another form of internal opposition comes in these chapters from the envy, strife, and complaining among believers. Keep in mind that the Grecians’ complaint in Acts 6 was legitimate and certainly needed to be addressed but, consider also that the devil is more than happy to keep us busy with “legitimate needs” and many “good things”, as long as it keeps us from the best things: prayer and the word of God! Do you remember Jesus’ instruction to Martha when she was so busy working to serve Him while Mary sat at His feet, communing with Him? Jesus said to her, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42) Likewise, the apostles chose “that good part” in Acts 6 by continuing to “sit at Jesus’ feet” in prayer and the ministry of the word! (6:2, 4) They delegated the “legitimate need” to carefully selected “deacons” (6:3, 5-7) so they could carry out their primary function as leaders in the church.

With regard to deacons, it is significant to note that God even holds those who carry out the simplest forms of service in His church to a standard of “honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom.” (6:3)

Finally, in chapter 7, we have come to the first key event, or turning point in the book of Acts. Acts 7 is the answer to the question the apostles had in Acts 1:6, concerning whether or not this would be the time Jesus would set up His kingdom, and marks the beginning of five of the seven transitions in the book. Acts 7 is the third and final offer of the King and His kingdom to the nation of Israel. Stephen preaches an incredible sermon with three significant points:

• First, that God promised us (Israel) a land. (7:2-7)
• Second, that God promised us a prophet like Moses. (7:20, 37)
• Third, but you leaders always kill God’s prophets and fail to respond properly to God’s message! (7:51-53)

The council was enraged by Stephen’s message, and immediately picked up stones to stone him.

To understand the significance of this event, we need to pay close attention to what Stephen said in verse 56: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” Notice, Stephen saw two very significant things: “the heavens opened” and “the Son of man standing.” It is interesting that immediately following His ascension in Acts 1:9-11, the Bible tells us that Jesus SAT down at the right hand of the Father! Hebrews 10:12 states, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1 tells us that even today in the Church Age, Jesus is SEATED at the Father’s right hand: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” So, the fact that Stephen saw the heavens opened and Jesus STANDING at the Father’s right hand as he was being stoned is incredibly significant.

The next time we find Jesus standing and the heavens opened is Revelation 4:1-3 and 5:1 and 5 where Jesus rises to take the book with seven seals from the Father’s hand, which marks the beginning of the Tribulation period! So, why is Jesus STANDING in Acts 7? It is because He is awaiting the nation of Israel’s response! If there will be a national repentance (and had the Jewish ruling council that is listening to Stephen’s message repented, the entire nation would have followed their lead!), then Jesus will open the first seal of the Tribulation Period (Revelation 6) and Daniel’s seventieth week will begin. If the message is rejected, then Jesus will sit back down, Israel will be “blinded in part” (Romans 11:25), and the Church Age will begin. Clearly, the stoning of Stephen is a rejection of God’s offer, and as expected, we find Jesus seated for the duration of the Church Age. (Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1) Consequently, God turns His attention to the gospel of the “kingdom of God” (the spiritual, internal kingdom) and to all of the Gentile nations under heaven, as we will see in Acts 8.

OVERVIEW:

The messengers of the kingdom prepared (chapter 1); the offer of the kingdom of heaven to the nation of Israel (chapter 2); a second offer of the kingdom of heaven to the nation of Israel (chapters 3 and 4).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

• Author: Luke, the physician (Colossians 4:14); also, the author of the Gospel of Luke. (compare Acts 1:1 with Luke 1:1-4)
• Approximate date of writing: 59-65 AD
• Dates of the recorded events: 33-62 AD
• Theme: God’s plan for Israel postponed and the revelation of the church.
• Christ is seen as our High Priest ministering in the heavens. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
• Key verses: Acts 1:6-7
• Key chapters: 7-13
• Chapters: 28 • Verses: 1,007 • Words: 24,250

As we discussed in our introduction to the book of Matthew, there are four books of the Bible where you can lose your way if you don’t keep your compass pointed toward the “ancient landmark” of the nation of Israel. (Proverbs 22:28; 23:10) They are Matthew, Acts, Hebrews, and James. It’s not difficult to navigate your way through the book of Acts if you keep the following “trail markers” in mind.

Trail Marker #1:

This book is entitled, “The Acts of the Apostles.” The title is NOT “The Doctrine (or Teaching) of the Apostles.” That is very significant! The book of “ACTS” is the historical record of the “ACTIONS” of the Apostles. Simply stated, it’s the story of what happened through the continued ministry of Jesus through the Apostles. (Acts 1:1)

Trail Marker #2:

The key verses of the book are Acts1:6 and 7: “…[the Apostles] asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And [Jesus] said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” The Apostles’ minds, in verse 6, are focused on one thing and one thing only: the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom on earth. Remember, Jesus had told them they’d be sitting on 12 thrones with Him in the kingdom! (Matthew 19:28) This was, obviously, a big deal to them! Jesus’ answer to them concerning the timing for the establishment of the kingdom in verse 7, however, is rather vague. Basically, what He tells them is, “It depends!”

At this point, in the book of Acts and in the plan of God, the literal, earthly kingdom (the “kingdom of heaven”) and the King of that kingdom, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, are still being offered to the nation of Israel. When Jesus answered the Apostles’ question in verse 7, it remained to be seen what Israel would do with their final offer. However, by the time Paul writes his first letter to the Thessalonians, in 54 A.D., it is clear that the question had been answered. If we compare Acts 1:7 where Jesus says, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,” with 1^st Thessalonians 5:1-2, where Paul says, “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye…know perfectly”, obviously, a transition has been made! It’s gone from, “It’s not for you to know,” to “You know perfectly!” As we will see, the Apostles’ question was actually answered in Acts 7 after the nation of Israel rejected the offer of the kingdom for the third time. This brings us to our third trail marker.

Trail Marker #3:

Acts is a transitional book. One thing we will observe as we make our way through this book is that the most CONSISTENT thing about the book of Acts is its INCONSISTENCY! God does one thing in one place, and does something completely different in another place. This is very simply because God is making key transitions for key purposes throughout this entire book. This book is a bridge that carries us from one dispensation into a new dispensation, the Church Age. We are currently living in the Church Age. Acts is the record of God’s transition from accomplishing His plan through the nation of Israel to accomplishing His plan through the church. God’s change in plans is made obvious through seven transitions and three key events in the book of Acts.

‣ Transition #1: From the ministry of Jesus Christ to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. (1:2)

‣ Transition #2: From “the twelve” being referred to as “disciples” to “apostles”. (1:2)

• Key Event #1: The nation of Israel’s final rejection of the kingdom of heaven. (Acts 7)

‣ Transition #3: From the nation of Israel to the Samaritans—a race of half Jew and half Gentile. (8:1-5)

‣ Transition #4: From the nation of Israel to the church—a group composed of Jews and Gentiles. (8:26-11:18)

‣ Transition #5: From the preaching of the “kingdom of heaven”—the literal earthly kingdom offered to the nation of Israel, to the preaching of the “kingdom of God”—the unseen spiritual kingdom inside individual believers. (8:12)

• Key Event #2: The salvation of the Gentile, Cornelius, and the determination by the apostles that God is no longer dealing exclusively with the Jews, but has now taken salvation to the Gentiles. (11:18)

• Key Event #3: The execution of the Apostle James, the decision not to replace him, and Peter’s departure to Caesarea. (12:1-2, 19)

‣ Transition #6: From Peter, the apostle to the Jews, to Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. (9:1-13:1)

‣ Transition #7: From God’s base of operations being in Jerusalem to it being in Antioch. (11:26-13:1)

It’s important to understand that the transition from Israel to the Church and the Church Age were “mysteries”, or truths that were hidden from the twelve apostles. (see Romans 11:25; Ephesians 3:1-12; 2:11-22) The twelve believed that God dealt exclusively with the nation of Israel (Matthew 10:5-7), and in their ethnocentric opinions, the Gentiles were pagan heathens unworthy to receive anything from God. (Acts 11:1-3) The apostles, however, thought they were going to find themselves in the millennial reign of Christ, but actually found themselves in the Church Age. Needless to say, their journey was full of surprises!

Trail Marker #4:

Keep in mind, as we’re making our way through these key transitions and events in the book of Acts, that the Jews require a sign. God makes this explicitly clear in 1^st Corinthians 1:22, saying, “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.” The signs and wonders done by Jesus and the apostles were designed to prove to Israel that the message and the messengers were sent by God. (Hebrews 2:3-4) Miraculous healings and speaking in tongues were signs for the nation of Israel. It says in 1^st Corinthians 14:22, “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.” Tongues were a sign given to unbelieving Jews, and every time tongues occur in the Bible (which, by the way, is only three times—Acts 2, 10, 19), an unbelieving Jew is present to witness the sign. The reason that apostolic healings and speaking in tongues do not occur today is because God has postponed His dealings with Israel. Romans 11:25 makes this very clear: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” God has temporarily blinded Israel and is currently working exclusively through the church.

With these four trail markers at the forefront of our minds, let’s look at some highlights in chapters 2 and 3.

Acts 2 — This chapter is a vortex of doctrinal error in contemporary Christianity. This is where the modern-day Pentecostal and Charismatic churches (speaking in tongues, baptism of the Holy Spirit, etc.), and the Church of Christ and the Christian Church (water baptism is essential for salvation), lose the “ancient landmark”, Israel. If you keep your eye on the landmark, and pay close attention to the context, this chapter is easily understood. Here’s the whole chapter in one sentence: Jews from all over the world (2:5-11) came to Jerusalem (the holiest city of the Jews) to celebrate Pentecost (a Jewish holiday, 2:1) where they saw the sign of tongues (Jews require a sign) and heard a Jewish apostle (Peter) tell them that just 50 days prior, they had killed their Jewish Messiah (2:22-24, 36), and that they needed to do exactly what John the Baptist (the last Jewish prophet) and Jesus (their Jewish Messiah) told them to do in the Gospels (repent and be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Matthew 3:1-2; Luke 3:3; Matthew 4:17; John 3:22-23; 4:1-2), to prepare themselves for the soon coming “kingdom of heaven”! Obviously, you get the point! This passage deals exclusively with the nation of Israel! Simply stated, unless you’re a Jew living in 33 A.D., there’s no need for you to speak with tongues, and water baptism does not save you from your sins!

Acts 3 — Again, we see from the context that God is dealing exclusively with the nation of Israel. Note that Peter and John (Jewish Apostles) are on their way to the temple (the Jewish place of worship) at the hour of prayer (Jews prayed three times a day) and Peter performs a miracle (Jews require a sign) and upon seeing the crowd gathering (other Jews at the temple to pray), Peter tells them that they killed the Jewish Messiah (3:13-16), but tells them that if they repent, Jesus will return to establish His literal, earthly, Jewish kingdom! (3:19-21) In this passage, Peter is offering Israel a second chance to accept Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah, and prepare themselves for the coming of His literal earthly kingdom.

OVERVIEW:

Christ’s resurrection (20:1-10); Christ’s post-resurrection appearances to Mary and to His disciples (20:11-31); Jesus’ reinstatement and restoration of Peter (21:1-17); Jesus’ final instructions to His disciples (21:18-25).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

By the time we move into John 21 in today’s reading, Jesus has already risen from the dead. (John 20) He has made numerous appearances, two of them to His disciples. But at this point, the disciples are in danger of drifting back into their old way of life. (21:3) They had spent three years with the Lord, but all of that is pretty foggy right now. Things didn’t really go like they had planned. They’ve gone from disillusionment to despair. Sure, there was certainly a tremendous rejuvenation in their hearts to realize that Jesus had risen from the dead, but at this point, the disciples still hadn’t quite pieced the whole thing together. Things were different now.

For three years they had walked with the Lord and talked with Him; they were always together. Now He appears and disappears without any notice. It’s just different. On top of that, they’re all bearing the guilt of the fact that they had forsaken the Lord. All of them, but John, scattered when Jesus needed them most.

When you come to the end of chapter 20 in today’s reading, the main narrative ends with the great climax of Thomas’ confession of faith, in verse 28, as he says to Jesus, “My Lord and my God.”

Then, John gives an explanation of his purpose in writing the book, in verses 30 and 31, saying, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” It’s a beautiful conclusion to the whole thing! If you couldn’t see the next chapter just below these verses in your Bible, you’d think that the book had ended with verse 31 of chapter 20. But that’s not the end! There are still some extremely important things the Holy Spirit wants us to know about Peter’s situation.

John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, doesn’t want his Gospel to end without telling his readers that Peter had been fully restored and reinstated. Without chapter 21, there would have been a major question, in all of our minds, about whether a person who has blown it like Peter had, could be restored in his relationship with the Lord. Because Peter hadn’t just turned his back on the Lord as had the other disciples; he had actually denied Him on three different occasions! I mean, how could someone who had done something like that still be entrusted with the responsibility of shepherding the flock of Jesus Christ? Again, without chapter 21, the question would remain unanswered.

Also, were it not for chapter 21, it would be a mystery, in all of our minds, why in the world Peter is so prominent in the first 12 chapters of the next book of the Bible, the book of Acts. I mean, how does a guy go from completely denying the Lord when he’s 50 feet away from Him, to the boldness exemplified on the Day of Pentecost, just seven weeks later, as he looked out on the religious leaders of Israel, and all the people of Judea and Jerusalem, and faced them with the fact that they had taken God’s own Son, the Lord of glory, and by their wicked hands, had slain Him! Those are some pretty strong words! How do you go from being a coward, to having that kind of courage? What takes place in chapter 21 is the missing link.

Then, there’s at least one other reason for chapter 21. When you come to the end of chapter 20, the last of the disciples has come to genuine faith. That, of course, was “Doubting Thomas”. They had all been convinced of the resurrection, and that, of course, was wonderful, but now what? What were they going to do about it? Chapter 21 is Jesus’ call for action.

A few other things to grab a hold of as you make your way through chapter 21:

21:3 – Perhaps we could paraphrase, “Well, I’ll tell you what fellas, I may not be a great preacher or evangelist, but there is one thing I do know how to do, and I’m gonna do that! I’m goin’ fishin’! Come on boys, let me show ya how it’s done!” Notice, they didn’t even get a bite. The one thing Peter thought he could do, he couldn’t do anymore (John 15:5), because God had put His hand on his life and was in control. Learn the lesson from Peter.

21:15-17 – No matter how our love has failed, there is restoration! Perhaps that’s the message God wants you to receive today…there IS restoration! Notice, in this passage, the restoration was initiated by the Lord! He could have said, “You know what Peter, you’re a chump! You talk a big talk, but you can’t be counted on to do anything! I gave you three years of my life, and I can’t even get you to follow one simple command. Just forget it, man!” But that’s not the way it was at all. Jesus initiated the restoration, and provided the one who had denied Him three times, the opportunity to affirm his love for Him, three times!

21:17 – After the third time Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, Peter appeals to the doctrine of omniscience. He says, “Lord, thou knowest all things.” In other words, “Lord, you’re going to have to read my heart, because I know my love for you isn’t obvious by my life.” The doctrine of omniscience is a tremendous thing. The fact is, if God weren’t omniscient, there would be a lot of times God wouldn’t know that we love Him, because like Peter, it isn’t always obvious from our lives. Sometimes, we too, have to ask Jesus to look on the inside, at what is in our hearts.

21:15-17 – Saying, “Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. Feed my sheep,” was Jesus’ way of saying, “I forgive you, Peter. I still believe in you, Peter. I still think you’re the right man for the job, Peter.” The things revealed in chapter 21 of John’s Gospel were a turning point in Peter’s life. The things that took place seven weeks later, on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, are the proof. Let God use this chapter to be a turning point in our lives today as well!

OVERVIEW:

Jesus teaches about abiding in Him (15:1-11); Jesus teaches about loving one another (15:12-17); Jesus warns about persecution (15:18-16:6); Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit (16:7-33); Jesus’ prayer of intercession (17:1-26); Jesus’ betrayal and arrest (18:1-14); Peter’s denial (18:15-18); Jesus before the high priest (18:19-24); Peter’s second and third denial (18:25-27); Jesus before Pilate (18:28-38); Barabbas is released (18:39-40); Christ’s crucifixion (19:1-37); Christ’s burial (19:38-42).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

We enter the whole arena of our Lord’s betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion today for the fourth time in almost as many weeks. One of the most important things to keep in mind, as you read about His incredible sacrifice, is something Jesus said back in chapter 10, verses 17 and 18. Jesus said, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I LAY DOWN MY LIFE, that I might take it again. NO MAN TAKETH IT FROM ME, but I LAY IT DOWN OF MYSELF. I have power to LAY IT DOWN, and I have power to take it again.” The reason these two verses are so significant is that they help us to interpret what is really taking place as Jesus is being crucified. Though it appears that He is the victim, nothing could be further from the truth! Jesus was never a victim to anybody! The fact is, Jesus died, not because men killed Him, because they couldn’t! There was no way that Jesus could have died had He not willed to die.

For centuries people have been arguing about who killed Jesus. The Jewish leaders, of course, are the primary targets of the blame, and rightly so, because it was their plot, and their false charges that forced the issue. Others choose to blame the Romans, and they, too, deserve a portion of the blame, because they were the ones who set aside what was normal justice to appease an angry mob, and they knowingly went ahead and executed an innocent man. But if you really want to get to the bottom line on who bears the responsibility for Christ’s death, all you have to do is listen to Peter in Acts 2:23: “Him, (that is, Christ) being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of GOD, ye have taken (the Jews), and by wicked hands (the Romans) have crucified and slain.”

Who was it that was responsible for the death of Christ? It was neither the Jews nor the Romans, though they certainly bear the guilt for the actual execution and sin that was involved. The ultimate responsibility, however, lies with God! It was God who destined it. It was God that planned it. And Jesus, in an act of submissive obedience, simply carried out the eternal plan. (Revelation 13:8) But don’t ever lose sight of the fact that HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE! John 19:30 says, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and HE BOWED HIS HEAD, AND GAVE(!!!) UP THE GHOST.” Nobody TOOK it. He GAVE it! He yielded His life. Just as surely as He laid down His life, He TOOK IT AGAIN!

Allow me to call to your attention to a few places in today’s reading where Jesus is demonstrating the fact that HE is in control:

19:16 – “Then delivered he (Pilate) him (Christ) therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and LED him away.” It seems a minor thing to say, “they led him away”, but it isn’t minor. Jesus did not have to be driven, He went willingly. He followed them to the cross. That, of course, is just how the prophet Isaiah said it would happen. Isaiah 53:7 says, “He is BROUGHT AS A LAMB to the slaughter.” Unlike cattle which are DRIVEN, sheep are LED.

19:17a – “And he BEARING HIS CROSS…” Notice, Jesus carried His own cross. Why is this happening? Because it, too, is exactly how God prophesied that it would unfold in a prophetic type in the Old Testament. Genesis 22:6 is a prophetic type rather than a prophetic statement as in Isaiah 53:7 above. In Genesis 22:6, Isaac is a picture of Christ, and the verse says, “And Abraham took the WOOD of the burnt OFFERING, and LAID IT UPON ISAAC HIS SON.” So, Isaac went up to Mt. Moriah, carrying the wood that was to be used for his own execution. So, Jesus, controlling every detail of what is taking place in John 19, carries His own “wood”, in a perfect fulfillment of what Isaac pictured prophetically.

19:17b – “And he bearing his cross WENT FORTH…” “Went forth” means that He was led outside the city walls. Why did that happen? Because that was Roman law. Roman law said that no one could be crucified inside the city. So, they had a place outside the city “called the place of a skull” (19:17c), and it was called that because from a distance the mountainside resembled a skull. Jesus was taken there because it was the normal place for crucifixions. But, once again, long before Rome built that law into its books, way back in the book of Exodus when God instituted the offering for sin He said, “But the flesh of the bullock and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire WITHOUT (i.e. OUTSIDE) the camp: it is a sin offering.” (Exodus 29:14) Therefore, Jesus, in perfect fulfillment of the picture of the sin offering in the Old Testament, was sacrificed outside the city. The Romans had no idea about that when they made their laws, but they made that law because God knew that one day His Son was coming to fulfill the picture of Exodus 22:6.

19:18a – “they CRUCIFIED Him”. This is another exact fulfillment, and one that certainly couldn’t have been anticipated, because the Jews didn’t crucify people! They stoned people. But Christ was to be crucified. That was a Roman way to die. Once again, it fulfills Numbers 21:6-9, which says that when Israel was bitten by snakes, they were to make a serpent and lift it up on a rod, and anybody who looked upon it would be healed. Jesus said in John 3:14 – “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” And that’s exactly how it happened. In His crucifixion, Jesus was lifted up on a cross. That kind of death was unheard of by the Jews in the Old Testament, but that’s how prophecy said it would happen, so it did.

19:18b – “they crucified him, and TWO OTHER WITH HIM, ON EITHER SIDE ONE, AND JESUS IN THE MIDST (i.e. middle).” Is it significant that He died with criminals? Absolutely! Isaiah 53:12 says, “He was numbered with the transgressors.” We could continue like this through this entire passage! It is simply one fulfilled prophecy after another. Jesus is ordering every detail of His own execution to fulfill the plan that God Himself laid down in eternity. He was in control of every single detail that was unfolding.

Finally, John 19:28 says, “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst.” Why did He say, “I thirst?” Was it because He was thirsty? I’m sure He was! But that’s not why He said it. He said it, because He knew that every single other Old Testament prophecy concerning His death had been fulfilled except that one. Only one prophecy remained unfilled. Psalm 69:21 says about Him in His death, “In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” So, in John 19:28, when Jesus says, “I thirst,” what He is actually doing is reaching back to grab that one unfulfilled prophecy so that His death could be, “according to the Scriptures.”

Because, according to 1^st Corinthians 15:3, for the gospel to actually be the gospel that has the power to save us, it required that every detail prophesied in the Old Testament concerning Christ’s death be fulfilled to the absolute letter! John 19:30 says, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished.” In other words, “Every prophecy has now been fulfilled. I can go ahead and die now.” Verse 30 goes on to say, “And he bowed his head (no slump to the side, He bowed it!) and gave up the ghost.” How did He die? Did he bleed to death? Did He die of exposure? Did He have a heart attack? Did He suffocate? No. He died because He willed Himself dead. He GAVE His life.