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The Legacy Standard Bible

Beginning on Sunday, December 8, 2024, our Pastor began using the LSB version of the Bible in all of his teaching and preaching. This is the newly updated version of the NASB, which he has been using for a number of years. Here is some information on the LSB for those who would like to learn more. It also explains why Pastor Alan is now using this version of the English Bible.

The Legacy Standard Bible has been produced with the conviction that the words of Scripture as originally penned in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek are the eternal Word of God. The Holy Scriptures speak with authority to each generation, giving wisdom that leads to salvation, that people may serve Christ to the glory of God. Because it is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16), every word of it is inspired, every word is true, and every word must be conveyed to every nation, tribe, people, and tongue (Rev. 7:9), so that every word can be taught and obeyed (Josh. 23:14; Mt. 28:20; Jn. 17:17).

THE FOURFOLD AIM OF THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION

1. These publications shall be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

2. They shall be grammatically correct.

3. They shall be understandable.

4. They shall give the Lord Jesus Christ His proper place, the place which the Word gives Him; therefore, no work will ever be personalized.

PREFACE TO THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE

In the history of the English Bible translations, the King James Version is the most well-known. This time-honored version of 1611, itself a revision of the Bishops’ Bible of 1568, became the basis for the English Revised Version, which appeared in 1881 (New Testament) and 1885 (Old Testament). Its American counterpart, a product of both British and American scholarship, was published in 1901. Recognizing the values of the American Standard Version, The Lockman Foundation felt an urgency to preserve the ASV while incorporating recent discoveries of Hebrew and Greek textual sources and rendering it into more current English. This resulted in the New American Standard Bible, a translation based upon the time-honored principles of translation of the ASV and KJV, along with other linguistic tools and biblical scholarship.

The Legacy Standard Bible reflects another iteration of such preservation and refinement. Worked on by a core translation team in conjunction with pastors and educators from different countries, it is designed to honor, maintain, and advance the tradition represented by the NASB.

PRINCIPLES OF TRANSLATION

Key Principles: The Legacy Standard Bible has worked to uphold the style and translational choices of the NASB as much as possible. Even more, it has endeavored to follow through on the NASB’s stated intent to be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. While the interpreter, teacher, and pastor have the goal of understanding what the text means, the translator is to provide them with what the text says. Consistently, the goal of this translation is to be a window into the original text. Within that goal, this revision has focused upon accuracy and consistency. It has checked that words and grammar have been carried over properly. It also established rules for the consistent translation of terms within their various nuances. This allows the reader to more easily reconstruct what the original texts said. It also helps the reader more easily trace the flow of argument within a text, identify when the same word is used in another passage, and make connections between texts.

There are limits to the application of this philosophy. In this edition, a word might not be translated consistently in order to maintain a highly familiar rendering of a text or to preserve a wordplay in the text that advances the inspired author’s message. Moreover, because Scripture is a literary masterpiece, some linguistic features could not be transferred to this translation, not even by a note. Nevertheless, ensuring that the original languages are precisely rendered paves the way for careful readers to discover these insights for themselves.

In this way, the LSB upholds the philosophy that a translation does not replace pastors or teachers but rather depends upon faithful believers and the church to study and live out what has been written (Acts 8:30-31). Translation is a tool for the church and must be done in that context so that each word of Scripture may be taught and lived.

Modern English Usage: The attempt has been made to render the grammar and terminology in contemporary English. When word-for-word literalness was determined unacceptable to the modern reader; a change was made in the direction of a more current English idiom. In the instances where this has been done, the more literal rendering has been indicated in the notes. There are a few exceptions to this procedure. Of note, while an effort has been made to incorporate conjunctions as much as possible, the conjunction “and” is occasionally not translated at the beginning of sentences because of differences in style between ancient and modern writing. Punctuation is a relatively modern invention, and ancient writers often linked most of their sentences with “and” or other connectives.

Alternate Readings: In addition to the more literal renderings, notations have been made to include readings of variant manuscripts, explanatory equivalents of the text, and alternate translations that may bring out a play on words difficult to maintain in the text. These notations have been used specifically to assist the reader in comprehending the terms used by the original author.

THE COMMITMENTS OF THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy preserved – to uphold the work and tradition that is found in translations from the KJV, ASV, to NASB.

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy performed – to advance the commitments of past translations by bringing forth features of the original text relative to accuracy and consistency.

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy passed on – to equip generations to study Scripture and continue the philosophy of being a window.
~ The Lockman Foundation

For additional information we recommend you contact The Lockman Foundation -- https://www.lockman.org/legacy-standard-bible-lsb/

PETER GOES TO THE GENTILES

Selected Scriptures from the LSB

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PETER GOES TO THE GENTILES

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask You to pour out Your grace this morning and may Your favor rest upon this congregation. As we now open Your Word of truth, we pray for the Holy Spirit’s illumination and understanding. Bless our minds to comprehend, our hearts to receive, and our lives to be transformed by Your Word. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Introduction: Last Sunday we talked about the conversion of Saul as recorded in Acts 9. Saul’s conversion was a radical event that took a murdering blasphemer and turned him into a persistent evangelist who proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of many forms of persecution. God had changed his heart after knocking him to the ground and blinding him for three days. Saul turned from his wickedness to trust in Jesus as the Savior he had learned about while studying the Scriptures as a strict Pharisee.

* Why is Saul’s conversion such an important example of the gospel’s power? As Paul later wrote in Romans 1:16-17, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. Saul’s radical conversion is an example of how God can turn a murderer into a bold preacher, changing a heart of stone into a heart of flesh.

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Saul immediately began preaching Christ to the Jews in Damascus whom he had expected to help him arrest the followers of the Way.

* What do we need to guard ourselves against when we hear of a dramatic conversion like Saul’s? We need to remember that every conversion is a miracle that is accomplished only by the grace and mercy of God granted to His enemies while they are still sinners (Rom. 5:6-8). We can use our testimonies, regardless of how dramatic, to tell people of the goodness and holiness of God compared to our sinfulness.

The power of the gospel and work of the Holy Spirit spread through the regions of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. And the church multiplied. Peter was part of the spreading of the gospel. Acts 9 ends with several accounts of Peter’s work such as healing a paralytic in Lydda and then raising a woman from the dead in Joppa. As a result of the gospel message being accompanied by these signs, many turned to the Lord for salvation. That is where we pick up the storyline of Acts. Peter stayed in the city of Joppa at the house of Simon the tanner.

I. CORNELIUS SENDS FOR PETER (Acts 10:1-23; Lev. 11:4-31)

Let’s read Acts 10:1-23 together.

[READ Acts 10:1-23]

1 Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the people and prayed to God continually. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And looking intently on him and becoming afraid, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 Now send some men to Joppa and summon a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is lodging with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.” 7 And when the angel who was speaking to him had left, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, 8 and after he explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 And on the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat. And while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise up, Peter, slaughter and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider defiled.” 16 And this happened three times and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.
17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 But rise up, go down and accompany them without taking issue at all, for I have sent them Myself.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and hear a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging.
And on the next day he rose up and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.

Cornelius lived in Caesarea, a city on the Mediterranean coast of Judea. This is not the same place as Caesarea Philippi, which was an inland city north of Galilee where Jesus traveled. Acts 10:1-6

Cornelius was a Roman centurion over a group in the Italian Cohort of the Roman army. Although it varied somewhat, a centurion was usually in authority of about 600 soldiers. He is described for us as a devout man who feared God, was generous to the poor, and prayed to God continually. One day while he was praying, an angel appeared to him in a vision. We are told this happened in the ninth hour, so three o’clock in the afternoon (counting from six in the morning). When the angel appeared and spoke to him, he was afraid and replied, “What is it, Lord?”

The angel acknowledged Cornelius’ prayers and generosity, pointing out that they “had ascended as a memorial before God.” The imagery of God in heaven above, and our prayers and sacrifices ascending before Him, is common biblical imagery. God remembered and acknowledged Cornelius’ prayers and alms as a fragrant offering to Him. Acts 10:7-8

The angel instructed Cornelius to send a personal invitation to Peter to come to his house. Cornelius sent two of his trustworthy servants along with a soldier under his charge to Joppa and the house of Simon the tanner, as instructed by the angel. By the way, a tanner is a person who makes leather from animal skins – and it is a stinky, disgusting job certainly not for someone with a weak constitution or an overactive gag reflex. In fact, under Jewish law a woman could get a writ of divorce from her husband (nearly impossible for a woman to attain) if he became a tanner, and without hesitation! They usually lived on the outskirts of town and downwind from their neighbors. This may have something to do with why Simon’s house was by the Mediterranean so the sea breezes could blow away the stench. Acts 10:9

So, how long did it take Cornelius’ men to reach Joppa? If they left in the afternoon (the ninth hour) at 3:00 p.m. and arrived at noon (the sixth hour) the next day, they traveled the 30 miles from Caesarea to Joppa in about 21 hours total (with stopping for the night along the way, they were probably travelling at about 2.5 miles per hour).* As they were nearing Simon’s home, Peter was praying up on the roof of the house. Acts 10:10-16

Praying requires energy and a great deal of concentration, as you well know. As he labored in prayer, Peter became hungry and wanted something to eat. While waiting for lunch to be prepared, he fell into a trance and had vision from God. He saw something like a sheet gathered at the four corners, being let down from heaven. In it were all kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds. Peter said that all these animals were common and unclean. By this he meant that these were animals that God had forbidden the Jews from eating in the Old Testament.
While holding your place in Acts 10, let’s turn back to Leviticus 11 and consider some of the animals Peter may have seen.

[READ Lev. 11:4-7]

4 Nevertheless, you shall not eat of these, among those which chew the cud or among those which divide the hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you. 5 Likewise, the shaphan, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you; 6 the rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you; 7 and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud; it is unclean to you.

This passage mentions the camel, the shaphan (or rock badger), the rabbit, and pigs among the beasts.

[READ Lev. 11:13-19]

13 ‘These, moreover, you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten; they are detestable: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard, 14 and the kite and the falcon in its kind, 15 every raven in its kind, 16 and the ostrich and the owl and the gull and the hawk in its kind, 17 and the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl, 18 and the white owl and the pelican and the carrion vulture, 19 and the stork, the heron in its kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

This passage identifies bats, storks, vultures, eagles, owls, crows, certain sea birds, storks, hoopoes*, and other flying creatures as unclean.
[READ Lev. 11:20-23]

20 ‘All the swarming things that fly and that walk on all fours are detestable to you. 21 Yet these you may eat among all the swarming things that fly and that walk on all fours: those which have above their feet jointed legs with which to jump on the earth. 22 These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds and the devastating locust in its kinds and the cricket in its kinds and the grasshopper in its kinds. 23 But all other swarming things that fly and that are four-footed are detestable to you.

These verses allowed crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts to be eaten, but not other flying insects with four* walking legs.

[READ Lev. 11:27]

27 Also whatever walks on its paws, among all the creatures that walk on all fours, are unclean to you; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening ….
This verse identifies things that walk on paws, like cats and dogs, as unclean.

[READ Lev. 11:29-31]

29 ‘Now these are to you the unclean among the swarming things which swarm on the earth: the mole and the mouse and the great lizard in its kinds, 30 and the gecko and the crocodile and the lizard and the sand reptile and the chameleon. 31 These are to you the unclean among all the swarming things; whoever touches them when they are dead becomes unclean until evening.

These verses list things like mice, moles, and various lizards as unclean, and snakes would have been included as well. Acts 10:13-16

Then God told Peter to get up, kill one of the animals in the sheet, and eat it. Even though Peter was very hungry, he told the Lord he would not eat them as he had never eaten anything in his life that was on the restricted food list. One might wonder what Peter must have been thinking as God gave this seemingly strange command. He may have thought that God was testing him, or he may have been confused about why God would be testing him in this way. But we must remember that God does not tempt people to sin (Jas. 1:13), so God was not asking Peter to do something sinful. We can understand Peter’s desire to be faithful to God’s law regarding foods. At Peter’s refusal to eat any of these animals, God replied, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider defiled.” This means that God had made these animals He offered to Peter clean, and they could now be eaten. The vision of the sheet and the command of God was given to Peter three times.

Can you think of any place where we have seen Peter interacting with God in a set of three? Peter had denied Jesus three times, and Jesus asked him three times if he loved Him. In Scripture, whenever God repeats things three times, it is for emphasis and a reminder that God meant what He was saying. Acts 10:17-20

Verse 17 indicates that Peter did not immediately understand the meaning of the vision and was inwardly perplexed as to what it could mean. It was at this time that the delegation from Cornelius arrived. The Holy Spirit instructed Peter to greet the men and accompany them without hesitation. Acts 10:21-23

Peter believed the report from the men and invited them inside, where they lodged for the night. They likely ate together since the meal was being prepared (v. 10). Was it normal for the Jews to invite Gentile Romans into their home to eat and sleep? No, in fact their traditions forbade them to eat with Gentiles, so this was most certainly an uncommon act. Why then was Peter willing to violate this commandment? We need to understand this wasn’t a direct command from God; it was a rule the Jews employed to keep from being defiled. It seems that Peter now realized the meaning of the vision he had earlier, understanding what he would plainly state in Acts 10:28, that the Gentiles were not unclean. Acts 10:23

Peter and Cornelius’ servants left the next morning for Caesarea. Also, some of the disciples of the Lord from Joppa who were Jews (since Acts 10:45 says they were among the circumcised) accompanied Peter. We find out later, in Acts 11:12, that there were six of these brethren.

As we think about this section of Scripture, I think it’s interesting to remember that Peter was staying at the house of a tanner. Handling the hides and carcasses of animals every day would make Simon unclean based on Leviticus 11:39-40, along with the restrictions for handling dead animals. Simon would have been considered a social outcast by the Jews, so Peter was already involved in breaking a social taboo. Inviting the Roman Gentiles into the house and eating with them was another step in that direction.

* What do we learn about God’s character in this passage? He was able to orchestrate these events so that the men got to the house at noon when Peter was hungry and receiving the vision, demonstrating His sovereignty. Even though circumstances were changing, God is still immutable, and His unchanging character endures.

God was using all these circumstances to help Peter understand more fully how the gospel was to spread – even to the Gentiles. While these things about the old covenant and the practices of the Jews were changing, God was still faithful to His promises and His character. The real significant change is revealed as we listen in on Peter’s visit with Cornelius.

II. GENTILES RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT (Acts 10:24-48, 11:15-18)

Let’s see what happened when Peter arrived in Caesarea.

[READ Acts 10:24-48]

24 And on the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 And when Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am just a man.” 27 As he talked with him, he entered and found many people assembled. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man defiled or unclean. 29 That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was summoned. So I ask for what reason you have summoned me.”
30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments, 31 and he said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is lodging at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been ordered by the Lord.”
34 And opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most truly comprehend now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the one who fears Him and does righteousness is welcome to Him. 36 As for the word which He sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ -- He is Lord of all -- 37 you yourselves know the thing which happened throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree. 40 God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He appear, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and solemnly to bear witness that this is the One who has been designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the word. 45 And all the circumcised believers who came with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone refuse water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for a few days. Acts 10:24-28

When Peter entered Cornelius’ home, Cornelius fell at his feet to worship him. But Peter gently rebuked him and reminded him that he was just a man also. Many of Cornelius’ family and close friends had gathered at his house in anticipation of meeting the apostle. Peter shared about his vision, reminding these Gentiles of the taboo against entering their home, but told them that God had shown him not to call any man unclean. Beyond just the animals being made clean, the vision was to teach Peter that the Gentiles were not to be considered unclean. This truth gave Peter the freedom to interact with the Gentiles so that the gospel could spread.
Acts 10:32-33

When Peter asked Cornelius why he had summoned him, Cornelius shared his vision and how the angel had told him to invite Peter to his home, as well as exactly where to find him. He wanted the group to hear all that Peter had been commanded by God to share. Acts 10:37-41

Not wasting any time, Peter immediately began to speak to them about Jesus. He explained how God had sent Jesus to bring peace; that He is the Lord of all; that He was anointed with the Holy Spirit; that He healed and cast out demons; He was killed by the Jews; He was raised to life from the dead; and that He appeared to witnesses chosen by God, and commanded the apostles to preach to the people.
Acts 10:42-43

What was the message Jesus commanded the apostles to preach? Jesus was ordained by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead and that whoever believes in His name will receive forgiveness of sins. It is possible that this is a condensed version of what Peter preached to the crowd that day.
Acts 10:44-48

How long did it take these folks to respond to the good news of the gospel? Immediately! In fact, they responded while Peter was still speaking. The evidence of their conversion was that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues.

Does this sound anything like a previous event we’ve looked at recently? It is very similar to what happened at Pentecost as the Holy Spirit came upon the believers and they spoke in tongues glorifying God with their words.

The six Jewish men who accompanied Peter were amazed that the Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit just as the Jews had. As a side note, the fact that they knew these Gentiles were praising God would indicate that the tongues they spoke in must have been known languages.

When Peter asked if these new believers should be forbidden to be baptized, he was primarily addressing the Jews who had come with him to show them that God had granted salvation and the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles. Peter’s comment is really more of a rhetorical question than a question of permission. Thinking back to Acts 8 and the conversion of the Samaritans, the order in which things happened was a little bit different. The Samaritans were baptized and then received the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands by the apostles. There is no consistent description of the order of baptism and receiving of the Spirit in the early part of Acts. (See bulletin article on The Holy Spirit Comes to the Early Church).

God moved mightily in the hearts of the Gentiles. They believed the words spoken by Peter, and the Holy Spirit was poured out on them. While these were not the first Gentiles to be converted (e.g., the Ethiopian eunuch and some of the proselytes of Judaism on Pentecost), this was a significant shift in the pattern the Jewish believers had been following. Acts 11:19 explains that those who were dispersed after Stephen’s death had preached to the Jews as they spread abroad.

In fact, in Acts 11:1-3, when Peter returned to Jerusalem from Caesarea to share with the Jewish Christians what had happened at Cornelius’ home, they were indignant that Peter would even eat with Gentiles. But Peter explained his vision and how the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, as the six witnesses with him affirmed.

[READ Acts 11:15-18]

15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could prevent God’s way?” 18 And when they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

Just as the Jewish and Samaritan believers had received the Spirit and repentance by God’s grace, so had the Gentiles. The Comforter Jesus had promised was evident in them – salvation had come to the Gentiles in a significant way. So, from this point on, the gospel was spread among all people, not just primarily among the Jews. We’ll talk more about these efforts in future messages.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD

I think it’s safe to say that most Christians today are not from a Jewish background. Even in the Old Testament, God had intended for the Gentiles to hear of His name and come under His care along with the nation of Israel. In fact, Abraham was called out of a Gentile nation and became the father of the Israelites. When Jesus died upon the cross, He broke down the wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles. Paul described this to the Gentile Christians living in Ephesus, telling them that they had “been brought near by the blood of Christ” when they had previously been “alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12-13, ESV).

But in Christ, those barriers are removed, and Jews and Gentiles are fellow citizens as saints in the kingdom of God. Before the day they met, Peter and Cornelius would have been at odds in some ways. If they met at the temple in Jerusalem, Peter would have to leave Cornelius behind in the Court of the Gentiles while he ventured to the inner parts of the temple. But once God had helped Peter to understand that those divisions were no longer appropriate, they were able to eat together and enjoy all foods with thanksgiving, lodge together, and even worship God together in fullness of joy. They were both covered by the blood of Christ, baptized into union with Him, and indwelt by the same Holy Spirit.

Let’s not forget that the gospel is for everyone without distinction. Each of us was called by the Holy Spirit into fellowship with the Father and the Son so that we might be partakers together of eternal life. One day, we will have the privilege of standing around the throne of God, offering Him our worship alongside people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. Hallelujah!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for providing Your grace and mercy to all kinds of people. Give us thankful hearts to enjoy all the privileges that are ours as Your sons and daughters. We rejoice and praise You for breaking down the barriers that separated Jews and Gentiles, uniting all believers together in Your Son Jesus Christ, in whose name, I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 281 & 282: “The Bond of Love” (2 vs.) into “The Family of God” chorus (1x)

Benediction: Beloved, may the Lord fill you with the Spirit of God – with skill, ability and knowledge concerning everything He has called you to do. Amen. (Ex. 31:3).

PETER GOES TO THE GENTILES -Study Guide

PETER GOES TO THE GENTILES

Answers (Lesson 158) - January 5, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the NASB

Introduction: Acts 9 ends with several accounts of Peter’s work such as healing a paralytic in Lydda and then raising a woman from the dead in Joppa. As a result of the gospel message being accompanied by these signs, many turned to the Lord for salvation. Today we pick up the storyline in Acts 10 where we find Peter staying in Joppa at the home of Simon the tanner.

I. CORNELIUS SENDS FOR PETER (Acts 10:1-23; Lev. 11:4-31)

Acts 10:1-23

Cornelius lived in Caesarea, a city on the Mediterranean coast of Judea. This is not the same place as Caesarea Philippi, which was an inland city north of Galilee where Jesus traveled. He was a Roman centurion over a group in the Italian Cohort of the Roman army. Although it varied somewhat, a centurion was usually in authority of about 600 soldiers. He is described for us as a devout man who feared God, was generous to the poor, and prayed to God continually. One day while he was praying, an angel appeared to him in a vision. This happened in the ninth hour, so three o’clock in the afternoon. When the angel appeared and spoke to him, Cornelius was afraid and replied, “What is it, Lord?”

The angel instructed Cornelius to send a personal invitation to Peter to come to his house. Cornelius sent two of his trustworthy servants along with a soldier under his charge to Joppa, to the house of Simon the tanner, as instructed by the angel. They traveled the 30 miles from Caesarea to Joppa and arrived the next day around noon. As they were nearing Simon’s home, Peter was praying up on the roof of the house.
Praying requires energy and a great deal of concentration, as you well know. As he labored in prayer, Peter became hungry and wanted something to eat. While waiting for lunch to be prepared, he fell into a trance and had vision from God. He saw something like a sheet gathered at the four corners, being let down from heaven. In it were all kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds. Peter said that all these animals were common and unclean. By this he meant that these were animals that God had forbidden the Jews from eating in the Old Testament.

While holding your place in Acts 10, let’s turn back to Leviticus 11 and consider some of the animals Peter may have seen.

Leviticus 11:4-31

The primary thing each of these creatures on the list have in common is that they were associated with filth, death, and many were carrion-eaters. At the least, contact with them could make one ceremonially unclean, at the worst, eating them could jeopardize your health. These dietary laws were given by God to the Israelites to protect them from disease and separate them from the Gentiles.

Peter and Cornelius’ servants left the next morning for Caesarea. Also, some of the disciples of the Lord from Joppa who were Jews (since Acts 10:45 says they were among the circumcised) accompanied them. We find out later, in Acts 11:12, that there were six of these brethren.

What do we learn about God’s character in this passage? He was able to orchestrate these events so that the men got to the house at noon when Peter was hungry and receiving the vision, demonstrating His sovereignty. Even though circumstances were changing, God is still immutable, and His unchanging character endures.

God was using all these circumstances to help Peter understand more fully how the gospel was to spread – even to the Gentiles. While these things about the old covenant and the practices of the Jews were changing. God was still faithful to His promises and His character. The real significant change is revealed as we listen in on Peter’s visit with Cornelius.

II. GENTILES RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT (Acts 10:24-48, 11:15-18)

Let’s see what happened when Peter arrived in Caesarea.

Acts 10:24-48

When Peter asked if these new believers should be forbidden to be baptized, he was primarily addressing the Jews who had come with him to show them that God had granted salvation and the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles. Peter’s comment is really more of a rhetorical question than a question of permission. Thinking back to Acts 8 and the conversion of the Samaritans, the order in which things happened was a little bit different. The Samaritans were baptized and then received the Holy Spirit by the laying on of God moved mightily in the hearts of the Gentiles. They believed the words spoken by Peter, and the Holy Spirit was poured out on them. While these were not the first Gentiles to be converted (e.g., the Ethiopian eunuch and some of the proselytes of Judaism on Pentecost), this was a significant shift in the pattern the Jewish believers had been following. Acts 11:19 explains that those who were dispersed after Stephen’s death had preached to the Jews as they spread abroad.

Acts 11:15-18

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD
I think it’s safe to say that most Christians today are not from a Jewish background. Even in the Old Testament, God had intended for the Gentiles to hear of His name and come under His care along with the nation of Israel. In fact, Abraham was called out of a Gentile nation and became the father of the Israelites. When Jesus died upon the cross, He broke down the wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles. Paul described this to the Gentile Christians living in Ephesus, telling them that they had “been brought near by the blood of Christ” when they had previously been “alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12-13, ESV).

* In Christ, the barriers are removed, and Jews and Gentiles are fellow citizens as saints in the kingdom of God.

* Now both groups, if they accepted the gospel, were covered by the blood of Christ, baptized into union with Him, and indwelt by the same Holy Spirit.

* Let’s never forget that the gospel is for everyone without distinction.

Each of us was called by the Holy Spirit into fellowship with the Father and the Son so that we might be partakers together of eternal life. One day, we will have the privilege of standing around the throne of God, offering Him our worship alongside people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. Hallelujah to the name of Jesus!

SAUL’S CONVERSION

Selected Scriptures from the LSB

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SAUL’S CONVERSION

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may we approach Your Word today with reverence and awe. Before delving into the pages of Scripture, we seek Your guidance and illumination. Open our hearts and minds to understand the profound truths found within Your Word. Let Your Holy Spirit be our teacher, leading us on this journey of discovery. May Your Word come alive in our lives, transforming each of us according to Your will. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Introduction: Previously in our chronological study through the New Testament, we were learning about the persecution of the early church. We’ve seen how that persecution furthered the spread of the gospel. What man meant for evil God used for good. We were introduced to Saul as we read about the stoning of Stephen, and we recognized Saul’s role in the early persecution of the church. Today, we’re going to focus on Saul’s conversion. Jesus told His disciples that He would build His church, and the actions of a zealous, young Jew who thought he was doing the work of God was not going to stop those plans.

I. SAUL ENCOUNTERS JESUS (Acts 9:1-9, 26:9-18)

Let’s read Acts 9:1-9 together. As we read, we will be referring to Saul as the main subject of the passage but remember that this is the same man who wrote most of the New Testament – the Apostle Paul. Saul was his name as a Hebrew; Paul was his name as a citizen of Rome. It’s not until Acts 13 that Luke shifts from using Saul to using Paul.

[READ Acts 9:1-9]

1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 And as he was traveling, it happened that when he was approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but rise up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” 7 And the men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 And Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. Leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

After the stoning of Stephen, Saul went to the chief priests in Jerusalem to obtain letters of passage and consent to round up Christians wherever they had scattered throughout the region. These papers would be presented to the leaders of the synagogues in each place Saul searched for the Christians. With the Sanhedrin’s blessing, Saul captured Christians and brought them back to Jerusalem to be imprisoned until they could stand trial and their fates be determined. Notice, his actions are described as breathing threats and murder against them. This gives the imagery that every breath Saul took was focused on threatening and murdering Christians. Saul was rounding up believers as far as the city of Damascus in Syria.

Let me point out that the Christians are given the label “members of the Way.” This is likely drawn from Jesus’ identification as the only way to the Father, as well as the Christians’ call for all to follow Christ as the Way. The phrase “men and women” indicates Saul’s broad intent to arrest as many Christians as he could.

The next event in this passage takes place as Saul neared the city of Damascus.

Saul saw a brilliant, blinding light shining all around him (I believe this was Jesus in His glorified state). He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” It seems at first Saul was confused about who was talking to him, but he also said, “Lord.” This could have been a general use of the word referring to someone important. Then quickly Jesus identifies Himself as the One who is speaking. But how could Jesus say that Saul was persecuting Him? He wasn’t on the earth, was He? Physically, no, but His disciples were. So here, Jesus is very strongly identifying with His disciples to the point that persecuting them was the same as persecuting Him.

In Acts 26, which we’ll look at in a minute, when Paul recounts his conversion to King Agrippa, he includes this comment by Jesus.

Jesus commands Saul to go into the city and wait for instructions. But how did Saul get to Damascus since he was now blind?

The men who were with him, who heard the voice but did not see Jesus, led him by the hand into Damascus. Once there, Saul waited for three days, while blind, without eating or drinking anything.

When we get to Acts 26:9-18, Saul (by then Paul) recounts his conversion experience on the road to Damascus to King Agrippa. Let’s turn ahead and look for a moment at this encounter.

[READ Acts 26:9-18]

9 “So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene. 10 And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.
12 “While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13 at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’

This passage affirms the persecution Saul was committing, adding that some of the Christians had, like Stephen, been stoned for their faith (v. 10 – since they were charged with blasphemy, this would have been the prescribed Jewish punishment).

Further, Saul described the appearance at midday and gave more detail about what Jesus told him he was to do. Here we see the phrase I already mentioned to you “kick against the goads.” A goad was a sharp stick used to prod cattle along or placed on a cart to deter the animals from kicking back against the cart. This phrase applies to Saul’s actions because he was fighting against the truth.

In this passage, do you notice anything interesting about the context of Jesus’ words to Saul, given his circumstances? Remember, Saul was blinded as Jesus said this to him, telling him that he would preach and minister so that the people’s eyes would be opened, turning them from the darkness of sin to the light of forgiveness, is ironic.

If there ever was a radical encounter with the resurrected Jesus, this was it. Whether Saul was traveling by foot or horse, the Lord appeared and overwhelmed him with His glorious light. Saul fell to the ground. This was a demonstration of Christ’s absolute authority.

* What attributes of God do we see displayed in Saul’s encounter with Jesus? Jesus was demonstrating His sovereignty and omnipotence in the shining, brilliant a blinding light during the midday, thus blinding Saul. This is especially apparent in His command to Saul and Saul’s obedience.

Saul had intended to fight against Jesus and His disciples, but God’s will is always greater than man’s will. Jesus had ordained for Saul to follow Him, and Saul submitted to God’s will under these extreme circumstances. Saul had been struck blind and given a command from the Creator and Savior, and he obeyed the command. But was Saul just reacting to his circumstances, or had he been changed in the way Peter and John had been?

II. SAUL PREACHES THE GOSPEL (Acts 9:10-30; Gal. 1:11-18; 2 Cor. 5:16-19, 11:23-28; Acts 9:31)

Let’s continue looking at what happened to Saul after his encounter with Jesus.
[READ Acts 9:10-30]

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And he laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord sent me -- that is Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming -- so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he rose up and was baptized; 19 and he took food and was strengthened.
Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all those hearing him continued to be astounded, and were saying, “Is this not the one who in Jerusalem destroyed those that called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this One is the Christ.
23 And when many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to put him to death, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a large basket.
26 And when he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and recounted to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews, but they were attempting to put him to death. 30 But when the brothers learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

Jesus communicated with Ananias in a vision, whereupon Ananias immediately submitted, saying, “Here I am, Lord.” Then Jesus instructed him to go to Straight Street, find Saul of Tarsus, and lay his hands on Saul so he could regain his sight. At the same time Saul was praying and received a vision of a man named Ananias coming to him.

At first, Ananias did not want this assignment. He was hesitant because he had heard about Saul’s persecution of the believers in Jerusalem and his intent in Damascus. Jesus answered Ananias’ concerns and told him to obey and go. Jesus revealed that Saul would be a witness for Him before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. Saul would also suffer many things for the name of Jesus.

Upon finding him, Ananias addresses him as “Brother Saul.” In the name of Jesus, Ananias restored Saul’s sight, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. The physical sign that Saul’s blindness was healed was when something like scales fell from his eyes. Then after this, Saul was baptized. So Saul had repented, been born again, received the Holy Spirit and participated in the physical testimony of the new birth by being baptized.

Then we learn that Saul stayed with the disciples of the Lord in Damascus, the very people he had come to arrest. This testifies to the unity that is found in the Holy Spirit. There was an instant unity between Saul and the other disciples, even though he had intended to arrest and possibly have them put to death.

In these verses we see that Saul demonstrated that his conversion was genuine. He went to the synagogue and preached that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah. The Jews were amazed since they knew this was the man who had come to persecute the Christians in Damascus, just as he had done in Jerusalem. There is evidence that these Jews couldn’t refute Saul’s explanation that Jesus is the Christ. They were confounded by his proofs.

Given this, they plotted to kill Saul, watching the gates to capture him when he left the city. When their plot became known, the other disciples in Damascus lowered Saul over the wall in a large basket at night.

Verse 26 begins by telling us that Saul went to Jerusalem. But when we consider some other N.T. passages, it seems this may not have been an immediate trip. Let’s take a look at one such passage.

[READ Gal. 1:11-18]

11 For I make known to you, brothers, that the gospel which I am proclaiming as good news is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being far more zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who had set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might proclaim Him as good news among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.
18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.
So, we see, it could have been as long as three years from when Saul left Damascus until he arrived in Jerusalem.

When he finally arrived in Jerusalem, how did the believers in Jerusalem respond to Saul? They were all afraid of him and did not believe he had really been converted. Then Barnabas stepped forward and vouched for Saul before the others that he truly was a fellow disciple of Christ. He explained how Jesus had appeared to Saul on the road and how he had preached Jesus boldly in Damascus. Saul’s testimony demonstrated that his heart had been truly changed. After this, Saul was accepted by the disciples and he went in and out among them in Jerusalem.

To demonstrate his sincerity, he spoke boldly of Christ, disputing with the Hellenistic Jews. The Hellenists were Jews who had in many cases been born abroad embraced certain aspects of Greek culture such as the Greek language and Greek O.T. We should remember that it was as the leader of the Hellenistic-Jews of the synagogue named in Acts 6:9, that Saul had first appeared in the history of the Church. Now, it seems, he sought to undo all the evil that he had perpetrated by preaching to them the faith which he had once opposed; and presented the very aspects of the truth that had been most prominent in Stephen’s teaching. These Hellenistic Jews were incensed by Paul’s preaching, considering him to be a deserter from the faith. Twice, within a few weeks, the apostle’s life was in danger as they tried to kill him.

Members of the Jerusalem church spirited Saul out of Jerusalem, escorting him to Caesarea, a Mediterranean seaport, and put him on a ship headed to his hometown of Tarsus.

[READ 2 Cor. 5:16-19]

16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their transgressions against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

This passage gives us further insight into Saul’s conversion by reminding us of the radical transformation that happens as Christians become a new creation and the old things pass away. In response to being reconciled to God, Saul boldly called others to the same reconciliation.

There are many passages of Scripture that we could look at to see how boldly Saul proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we will see many of those accounts as we continue through our study of the New Testament. But for now, let’s take a look at ...
[READ 2 Cor. 11:23-28]

23 Are they ministers of Christ? -- I speak as if insane -- I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, in beatings without number, in frequent danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked -- a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the desolate places, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brothers. 27 I have been in labor and hardship, in many sleepless nights, in starvation and thirst, often hungry, in cold and without enough clothing. 28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

In this passage Saul lists many of the ways he had suffered for Christ’s sake. He gave this list to the church at Corinth to expose false apostles. He was pointing to these sufferings as proof of his apostleship.

Saul, as we’ve been referring to him today, boldly preached the gospel in many places, and he often faced persecution for his devotion to Jesus. As he served the Lord and the churches, he often encountered danger and hardships of various sorts. He faced many of the same threats he had breathed against the Christians.

Now, let’s take a look at how the section about Saul in Acts 9 ends:

[READ Acts 9:31]

31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria was having peace, being built up. And going on in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it continued to multiply.

Whether he wanted to or not, Saul had been chosen by Jesus to spread His name and to suffer many things. Within the first city where he was preaching, they wanted to kill him. He went to be with the other disciples in Jerusalem, and they wanted nothing to do with him. Even after he was accepted by the believers, the Hellenists wanted to kill him for preaching Christ in a powerful and irrefutable way.

A man who had been a murderer was now preaching eternal life and joining those he once sought to kill. Saul had been a source of the spread of the gospel through his persecution of the Christians in Jerusalem, and now he was spreading that gospel with his own lips and at the peril of his own life. What a radical change! A heart of stone being turned into a heart of flesh guided by the indwelling Spirit of God.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD

Paul is certainly an amazing trophy of God’s mercy and grace toward sinners, but so is each person who hears the call of the gospel and responds in repentance and faith. We can be thankful that God was pleased to give us the account of Saul’s conversion because it highlights the radical nature of grace. It reminds us that salvation belongs to the Lord and that He is able to bring about His salvation in even the vilest of sinners. Just as Saul would have understood from the writings of Ezekiel (36:26), God replaced his heart of stone with a heart of flesh. He put His Spirit in Saul and caused him to walk in a way that pleased God by being obedient to His commandments.

While Saul’s transformation might seem more radical than most on the outside, God has done – and will do – the very same for all who trust in Christ. When we sing about the amazing grace God has given us, we can identify with Paul’s physical blindness in our spiritual blindness – we once were blind, but now we see.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You for the perfect balance that is found between Your justice and holiness. We thank You, Lord, for Your amazing grace and mercy in saving sinners like us. We ask You to give us boldness in sharing how Jesus saved us and tell how He has changed our lives for good. In His name, I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 202: “Amazing Grace” (5 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy and grace has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; cause you to greatly rejoice. Even if for a little while, you have been grieved by various trials, take heart, it is only so that your faith may be proved, being more precious than gold tested by fire. May it all result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Amen. (1 Pet. 1:3,6-7).

SAUL’S CONVERSION - Study Guide

SAUL’S CONVERSION

Answers (Lesson 157) - December 29, 2024 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the NASB
Introduction: Today, we’re going to focus on Saul’s conversion. Jesus told His disciples that He would build His church, and the actions of a zealous, young Jew who thought he was doing the work of God was not going to stop those plans.

I. SAUL ENCOUNTERS JESUS (Acts 9:1-9, 26:9-18)

As we read Acts 9:1-9, we will be referring to Saul as the main subject of the passage but remember that this is the same man who wrote most of the New Testament – the Apostle Paul. Saul was his name as a Hebrew; Paul was his name as a citizen of Rome. It’s not until Acts 13 that Luke shifts from using Saul to using Paul.

Acts 9:1-9

You will recall that after the stoning of Stephen, Saul went to the chief priests in Jerusalem to obtain letters of passage and consent to round up Christians wherever they had scattered throughout the region. These papers would be presented to the leaders of the synagogues in each place Saul searched for the Christians. With the Sanhedrin’s blessing, Saul captured Christians and brought them back to Jerusalem to be imprisoned until they could stand trial and their fates be determined. Notice, his actions are described as breathing threats and murder against them. This gives the imagery that every breath Saul took was focused on threatening and murdering Christians. Saul was rounding up believers as far as the city of Damascus in Syria.

Notice that the Christians are given the label “members of the Way.” This is likely drawn from Jesus’ identification as the only way to the Father, as well as the Christians’ call for all to follow Christ as the Way. The phrase “both men and women” indicates Saul’s broad intent to arrest as many Christians as he could.

The next event in this passage takes place as Saul neared the city of Damascus. Saul saw a brilliant, blinding light shining all around him (I believe this was Jesus in His glorified state). He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” It seems at first Saul was confused about who was talking to him. Then quickly Jesus identifies Himself as the One who is speaking. But how could Jesus say that Saul was persecuting Him? He wasn’t on the earth, was He? Physically, no, but His disciples were. So here, Jesus is very strongly identifying with His disciples to the point that persecuting them was the same as persecuting Him.

For those of you who are reading from the KJV, you will notice an additional exchange at the end of verse 5 and beginning of verse 6, where Jesus says, “It is hard for you to kick against the pricks (or goads),” and Saul responds, “Lord what do you want me to do?” In Acts 26, which we’ll look at in a minute, when Paul recounts his conversion to King Agrippa, he includes this comment by Jesus.

Jesus commands Saul to go into the city and wait for instructions. But how did Saul get to Damascus since he was now blind? The men who were with him, who heard the voice but did not see Jesus, led him by the hand into Damascus. Once there, Saul waited for three days, while blind, without eating or drinking anything.

When we get to Acts 26:9-18, Saul (by then Paul) recounts his conversion experience on the road to Damascus to King Agrippa. Let’s turn ahead and look for a moment at this encounter.

Acts 26:9-18

Verses 9-11, affirm the persecution Saul was committing, adding that some of the Christians had, like Stephen, been stoned for their faith (v. 10 – since they were charged with blasphemy, this would have been the prescribed Jewish punishment).

In verses 12-14, Saul described the appearance at midday and gave more detail about what Jesus told him he was to do. Here we see the phrase I already mentioned to you “kick against the goads.” A goad was a sharp stick used to prod cattle along or placed on a cart to deter the animals from kicking back against the cart. This phrase applies to Saul’s actions because he was fighting against the truth.

In verses 15-18, do you notice anything interesting about the context of Jesus’ words to Saul, given his circumstances? Remember, Saul was blinded as Jesus said this to him, telling him that he would preach and minister so that the people’s eyes would be opened, turning them from the darkness of sin to the light of forgiveness, is ironic.

What attributes of God do we see displayed in Saul’s encounter with Jesus? Jesus was demonstrating His sovereignty and omnipotence in shing a blinding light during the midday and blinding Saul. This is especially apparent in His command to Saul and Saul’s obedience.

II. SAUL PREACHES THE GOSPEL (Acts 9:10-30; Gal. 1:11-18; 2 Cor. 5:16-19, 11:23-28; Acts 9:31)

Let’s continue looking at what happened to Saul after his encounter with Jesus.

Acts 9:10-30

At first, (Acts 9:13-16) Ananias did not want this assignment. He was hesitant because he had heard about Saul’s persecution of the believers in Jerusalem and his intent in Damascus. Jesus answered Ananias’ concerns and told him to obey and go. Jesus revealed that Saul would be a witness for Him before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. Saul would also suffer many things for the name of Jesus.

In verses 17-19, Ananias addresses him as “Brother Saul.” In the name of Jesus, Ananias restored Saul’s sight, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. The physical sign that Saul’s blindness was healed was when something like scales fell from his eyes. Then after this, Saul was baptized. So, Saul had repented, been born again, received the Holy Spirit and participated in the physical testimony of the new birth by being baptized.

Moving on to verses 19-22, Saul demonstrates that his conversion was genuine. He went to the synagogue and preached that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah. The Jews were amazed since they knew this was the man who had come to persecute the Christians in Damascus, just as he had done in Jerusalem. There is evidence that these Jews couldn’t refute Saul’s explanation that Jesus is the Christ. They were confounded by his proofs.

Given this, they plotted to kill Saul (vs. 23-25), watching the gates to capture him when he left the city. When their plot became known, the other disciples in Damascus lowered Saul over the wall in a large basket at night.

Verse 26 begins by telling us that Saul went to Jerusalem. But when we consider some other N.T. passages, it seems this may not have been an immediate trip. Let’s look at one these passages.

Galatians 1:11-18

Accordingly, it could have been as long as three years from when Saul left Damascus until he arrived in Jerusalem.

Going back to Acts 9:26-28, when he finally arrived in Jerusalem, the believers there were all afraid of him and did not believe he had really been converted. Then Barnabas vouched for Saul before the others, declaring that he truly was a fellow disciple of Christ. He explained how Jesus had appeared to Saul on the road and how he had preached boldly about Jesus in Damascus. Saul’s testimony demonstrated that his heart had been truly changed. Saul was accepted by the disciples and lived among them.

Demonstrating his sincerity (vs. 29-30) Saul spoke boldly of Christ, disputing with the Hellenistic Jews. The Hellenists were Jews who had in many cases been born abroad embraced certain aspects of Greek culture such as the Greek language and Greek O.T. We should remember that it was as the leader of the Hellenistic-Jews of the synagogue named in Acts 6:9, that Saul had first appeared in the history of the Church. Now, it seems, he sought to undo all the evil that he had perpetrated by preaching to them the faith which he had once opposed; and presented the very aspects of the truth that had been most prominent in Stephen’s teaching. These Hellenistic Jews were incensed by Paul’s preaching, considering him to be a deserter from the faith. Twice, within a few weeks, the apostle’s life was in danger as they tried to kill him. Members of the Jerusalem church spirited Saul out of Jerusalem, escorting him to Caesarea, a Mediterranean seaport, and put him on a ship headed to his hometown of Tarsus.

2 Corinthians 5:16-19 Paul’s gospel message

2 Corinthians 11:23-28 Paul’s personal testimony

Now, let’s take a look at how the section about Saul in Acts 9 ends:

Acts 9:31

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD

* Everyone who hears the call of the gospel and responds in repentance and faith is a trophy of God’s mercy and grace.

* We’ve been reminded that salvation belongs to the Lord and He is able to bring about His salvation in even the vilest of sinners.

* God replaces our heart of stone with a heart of flesh.

* His Spirit takes up residence in our hearts and causes us to walk in the way that pleases God by being obedient to His commandments.

IS THERE A DRAGON IN YOUR NATIVITY?

Selected Scriptures from the LSB

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IS THERE A DRAGON IN YOUR NATIVITY?

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the season of Christ’s birth, there’s nothing that stands brighter than hope. The thrill of hope. The excitement that no matter what life brings us, we can still have hope because of that night when our precious Savior was born.

Lord, You know life is sometimes hard and even unbearable. The loss of a loved one who fought against cancer so valiantly. The unwanted divorce that left us wondering if anything in our lives had been real. The hurt of watching a child walk away from the truth of God’s Word. There’s no end to the painful circumstances we face in this life, but no matter the pain, we always have the thrill of hope, the promise that our Savior has won the victory. May this truth become even more evident in today’s study of Your Word. Thank You Father for Jesus, in whose name I pray, Amen.

Introduction: Do you have a dragon in your Nativity scene at home? Probably not.

“Pastor Alan, did you say a dragon?” Yes, a dragon.
“You mean, like St. George and the Dragon?” Yes, sort of like that.

But, I’m talking about a real dragon, not some fake creature dreamed up in Hollywood. I mean an honest-to-goodness drag-on. I’m suggesting we might need to add dragons to our Nativity scenes.

Some of you may be thinking, “But wouldn’t that scare peo-ple?” It might, but maybe they need to be scared.

My text for this morning is Revelation 12:1-5, which might seem a bit unusual. When Christmas comes, we’re accustomed to reading Matthew 1-2, or Luke 1-2, or perhaps we go to Isaiah 7 or 9, or Micah 5 (we actually visited a few of these passages last weeks). We might spend time studying John 1. All of these passages teach us important truths about the birth of Christ. However, we don’t often connect Christmas with the book of Revelation, but we are today. Today’s text reveals a vision John had while in exile on the Isle of Patmos. His peek behind the scenes of history reveals a war in heaven between Jesus and the dragon. We can think of it as another version of the Christmas story.

I never really thought about a dragon as a key figure in the Christmas story until I was studying today’s text. One of our fa-vorite carols, Silent Night, contains the line, “All is calm, all is bright.” When we read Revelation 12:1-5, the least we can say is that nothing was calm in heaven when Jesus was born.

We love stories that feature a struggle between good and evil, and that’s what we have before us this morning. In fact, we have the ultimate bad guy -- a fierce red dragon who tries to kill the baby Jesus. It portrays the age-long conflict between God and Satan. But before we jump into the text, let me tell you what is not here. Some things are missing from this version of the Christmas story:

* No census.
* No Gabriel.
* No mention of a virgin.
* No long journey.
* No Bethlehem.
* No shepherds.
* No angels in the sky.
* No turning away Mary and Joseph from the inn.
* No stable, no manger, no swaddling clothes.
* No King Herod, no magi, no gold, frankincense, or myrrh.
* No flight to Egypt.
* No slaughter of the baby boys in and around Bethlehem.

Yet, this is clearly a Christmas story even if the details aren’t the same. It’s more like Christmas from God’s point of view.

In John’s vision there are 3 characters:
(1) A beautifully dressed woman; (2) a fiery red dragon; and (3) a baby Boy. We’re going to look at each one in turn to see what they can teach us about Christmas.

I. THE WOMAN (Rev. 12:1-2; Gen. 37:9-11; Gal. 4:4)

[READ Rev. 12:1-2]

1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 And she was with child, and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

Who is the woman? Is it Mary? Well, yes and no. Certainly John knew Mary was the physical mother of Jesus. But the woman in this vision was clothed with the sun, and she wore a crown of twelve stars. We don’t find anything like that in Luke 2.

The woman clothed with the sun goes all the way back to a dream Joseph had.

[READ Gen. 37:9-11]

9 Then he had still another dream and recounted it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 And he recounted it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers really come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

Now remember, this is a vision. The twelve stars stand for the nation of Israel. For centuries the Jewish people had waited for Messiah to come. With this thought in mind let’s turn to Galatians.

[READ Gal. 4:4-5]

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

The phrase “the fullness of the time came” speaks of some-thing complete and fully developed, like a ripe apple ready to be picked or like a pregnant woman feeling labor pains, ready to deliver her baby. It describes the moment in history when the stage was perfectly set. At that moment, not a second earlier or later, God sent forth His Son.

Let me be quick to point out that nothing in the Christmas story happened by chance. A pagan emperor issued a de-cree at just the right moment in history, when the Pax Roma-na was in full force and the world was yearning restlessly for deliverance. An angel appeared to a young man and a young woman who believed what he said. When the virgin Mary became pregnant, Joseph decided not to divorce her. A star began to shine in the east that led the wise men to travel hundreds of miles seeking the Baby King. All of it finally focused on a stable outside an inn in the “little town of Bethle-hem,” where the most incredible event in history took place.

But what does John mean when he mentions the woman crying out in labor pains? The woman in the vision is Mary standing for the whole nation of Israel. Just as Mary literally went through labor pains, the nation agonized for generations, wait-ing and hoping and praying for the coming of the Messiah.

When the time was exactly right, Jesus was “born of a wom-an” and “born under the law.”

II. THE DRAGON (Rev. 12:3-4)
Let’s go back to Revelation 12.

[READ Rev. 12:3-4]

3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

We know the dragon being spoken of here is the devil, because John presents him in this way 13 times in Revelation. His enormous size speaks of his power. The color red symbolizes his bloodthirsty nature (Satan was the first murderer – Jn. 8:44), and his dragon-like appearance reminds us of his fierce, destructive nature.

As Jesus said in John 10:10, the devil is a thief who comes to steal, kill, and to destroy. While he may appear to be an angel of light, he is really a fierce dragon bent on destruction.

The seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns connect him with Daniel’s vision of the four creatures in Daniel 7. In that vision, the first beast was like a lion, the second like a bear, and the third like a leopard. All those were dangerous enough, but the fourth beast was so terrible, John couldn’t think of any animal with which to compare it.

Again, remember this is a vision, not a straightforward history lesson. The dragon sweeps away a third of the stars, knock-ing them out of heaven and down to earth. That happened in eternity past when Lucifer rebelled against the Almighty and a third of the angels followed him. As punishment, Lucifer and his angels were cast out of heaven, becoming the devil and his demons.

Did you happen to notice where they landed? Here on the earth.
Beloved, this world is now a demon-infested planet. That ex-plains a lot, doesn’t it?

Paul called Satan “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), and the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). The apostle John tells us the whole world is under the control of the devil (1 Jn. 5:19). He is the prince of demons and the head of the kingdom of darkness.

Now look at what John saw next in his vision. Just as Mary was giving birth to Jesus, Satan drew near, intending to kill Him! Satan came to Bethlehem. The dragon wanted to kill the Baby Jesus!

This is why I began by asking you if you had a dragon in your Nativity scene. Probably not, but I understand why. A dragon ruins the peaceful scene we want to portray. We have camels, sheep, oxen, and donkeys in our Nativities, but we skip the dragon.

Oh, by the way, Luke 2 doesn’t mention any animals in the sta-ble when Jesus was born. But we know a dragon was there!

The devil loves death. He moved Cain to kill Abel. He moved Pharaoh to order the midwives to drown in the Nile every Hebrew baby boy they helped deliver. He moved King Herod to murder all the young boys of Bethlehem age two and under. He tried every way he could think of to kill Jesus at His incarna-tion, but he failed.

III. THE BABY (Rev. 12:5; Gen. 3:15)
[READ Rev. 12:5]

5 And she gave birth to a Son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.

In Genesis 3:15, God told the serpent there would be warfare between the seed of the woman (Eve) and the seed of the ser-pent. Although the serpent would bruise the heel of her off-spring, He (Jesus) would crush the serpent’s head.

That’s why the devil tried so hard to kill Jesus -- the birth of Christ spelled the doom of the Dragon. All his attempts to thwart God’s plan have come to naught: (1) he meant to kill Je-sus when He was born, he failed; (2) he stirred up the religious leaders against Christ to discredit Him, destroy Him, and deliv-er Him to death, that plan failed; (3) he finally entered Judas to betray Jesus to the religious leaders on the night of the Last Supper. It finally looked like the devil’s plan would succeed. When Jesus hung on the cross, it appeared that at last Satan had won the battle.

But no! On the third day the “male Child” rose from the dead, utterly defeating Satan, ransacking the realm of evil one, walk-ing out of the tomb holding the keys of death and hell in His hands!

Then God took Jesus back to heaven, where He sits at the right hand of the throne of God waiting for the moment when He will return to the earth.

What did John mean when he said that the Child was “caught up to heaven?” (some translations say “snatched up”). When His work on earth was done, Jesus ascended into heaven. This was divine proof that Jesus won the battle. He finished the work of redemption He came to earth to do. He fully carried out His Father’s will.

Jesus came to earth. He died and rose again. Then, having de-feated His foes, He returned home to His Father. When the bat-tle is over and the victory won, the soldier returns to his home. That’s what Revelation 12:5 is all about.

Let’s put it all together. Genesis 3:15 predicted a great war be-tween the serpent and the Seed of the Woman. The devil did all he could to stop God’s plan to bring a Savior into the world. He tried to kill Jesus when He was a baby. He opposed Jesus at every turn throughout His earthly life. He tempted Jesus in the desert. He came to Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He even tried to keep Him in the grave. But the devil failed every time. Hallelujah for the plan and power of God!

IV. KINGDOMS IN CONFLICT

So, what does all of this mean for us today? Among the multitude of blessings, the truths we’ve considered today help us see Christmas in a new light. Christmas is much more than happy children, parties, mistletoe, and Hallmark movies. Christmas is good news for a world gone mad. The first verse of a beloved carol makes this clear:

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Savior
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray.

Peace on earth necessitated war in heaven. While Mary sang, the angels battled!

Let me give you the condensed version of what history is all about. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. He then placed Adam and Eve on the earth and made them stewards over the whole planet. But when they disobeyed, they surrendered their stewardship into the hands of Satan, God’s arch-enemy. The whole world became Satan’s domain, though it is still God’s world by creation. But Satan usurped God’s authority and set up a counterfeit kingdom to rival the kingdom of God. From that day until this, the earth has been the central battleground in a war between these two competing kingdoms.

But that’s not the whole story.

Once the world fell into enemy hands, God determined to win it back at any cost. That meant sending His message through kings and prophets, priests and poets. It meant raising up a na-tion through whom He would bless the earth. Yet ultimately, it meant He Himself had to enter the conflict. In order to reclaim the world from Satan, God entered the human race in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. As I told you last Sunday, when Jesus died on the cross, it appeared the devil had won and God had been defeated. Then Sunday came and with it, the empty tomb and the risen Savior!

Suddenly, it became clear to everyone (even the devil) that Je-sus was the Victor in the great battle to reclaim the earth. Since that first Resurrection Sunday, Satan has been nothing more than a squatter on this planet. Jesus reclaimed the title deed, but Satan refused to give up his territory.

The world is still in darkness, but here and there the followers of Jesus have set up outposts of God’s kingdom, little pinpoints of light promising better things to come.

Meanwhile the battle rages on between the two kingdoms -- King Jesus on one side and Satan on the other. In the last 20 + centuries, the light has spread until it seems like there are ten thousand points of light chasing away the darkness. However, in many other places things look darker than ever. That’s the his-tory of the world up until this present moment. But it is not the end of the story.

All over the world, the followers of Jesus are praying, “Father, Your kingdom come.” As they do, they eagerly await the Son of God to personally and visibly return to the earth.

When He does come, He will trample Satan under His feet, judge the workers of iniquity, set right the wrongs in the world, and reign from David’s throne in Jerusalem. Although that day has not yet come, the “signs of the times” tell us the coming of Christ is not far away, and with His coming the last and greatest chapter in the “Battle of the Ages.”

Revelation 12 reminds us that the Great Invasion started in the manger. That’s when God said, “I’m taking My world back!”

The Battle of Bethlehem meant warfare in the nursery, but the
Baby beat the dragon! God struck a blow to liberate the world from sin and death. And His front line soldier was a Baby Boy. But don’t take Him for granted, for in this little Baby resides all the strength of Deity. The power of God is in those tiny fists. He has divine strength. Whatever He wants, He is able to achieve.

As Martin Luther put it, “He whom the worlds could not en-wrap, yonder lies on Mary’s lap.”

The Baby wrapped in rags is also the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He’s the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the unde-feated Son of God. He’s the leader of the armies of heaven.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was right when he wrote,

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail.
With peace on earth, good-will to men.

Would you to say these words out loud with me? We need to remind ourselves that the devil will not have the final word. Though he strikes many painful blows, he cannot win because the battle belongs to the Lord.

V. WHAT WE BELIEVE

Friends, we believe something extraordinary about one particu-lar Baby, born in one particular place to a particular set of par-ents. That Baby was God in human flesh. And we have staked our lives on this truth!

If Christmas means anything, it is this: God wins in the end.

At Bethlehem, He launched a mighty counter-offensive that started with a baby Boy named Jesus. The world had no idea what God was up to. It is only in retrospect that we understand this.

In closing, let me remind you that we all have a choice to make.
You can follow the dying kingdoms of this world, or you can follow Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. His kingdom will never end. So, why would you want to follow anyone else?

Prayer: Heavenly Father. thank You for sending Jesus to earth to redeem us back to You. When we think of the extent to which You were willing to go in order to save us, it makes us want to shout, to celebrate, and to cry with thankfulness. You love us so much, and we are grateful for that love. Without Jesus, we would still be lost and in sin. But because of everything He has done for us, today we are free; our lives are blessed; Jesus is our Lord; Heaven is our home; and Satan has no right to control any of us. I am eternally thankful to You for everything You did to save me! I pray this in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen.

Invitation # 148: “O Holy Night” (3 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, may God grant you the light of Christ-mas, which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is love; the radiance of Christmas, which is purity; the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice; the belief in Christmas, which is truth; the ALL of Christmas, which is Christ. May you experience true peace and joy as you focus on the birth of our Savior! Amen.

WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?

Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Click For Audio

WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You make us glad with the annual remembrance of the birth of Your only Son, Jesus Christ. Grant that as we joyfully receive Him as our Redeemer, we may also with sure confidence behold Him when He comes to take us to our heavenly home. May Your blessed Holy Spirit fill us with the sweetness of inward peace and goodwill towards all. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Introduction: You wouldn’t think John Wilkes Booth had any-thing to do with Christmas, but in a strange way he did. In early April 1865, the bloody Civil War that had torn America apart was drawing to a close. Richmond had fallen, Lee had surrendered, and the end was in sight. Motivated by anger and despair, John Wilkes Booth decided to take matters into his own hands. Entering the box at Ford’s Theater, where President and Mrs. Lincoln were watching a play called Our American Cousin, Booth fired a bullet into the head of Abraham Lincoln. The “great emancipator” died a few hours later.

The news deeply troubled a young minister in Philadelphia named Phillips Brooks. When the slain president’s body lay in state in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Brooks went to pay his respects.

A few months later, hoping to lift his spirits, the church sent him to the Holy Land. The itinerary included a horseback ride from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. Back then it was a small village, far removed from the bustling city it would later become. By nightfall the pastor was in the field where, ac-cording to tradition, the shepherds heard the angelic announcement. Then he attended the Christmas Eve service at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

Something about the beauty and simplicity of that visit stayed with Phillips Brooks when he returned to America. Three years later he wrote a Christmas poem for the children’s service at Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia. He then gave it to Lewis Redner, the church organist, who composed the music in time for the children to sing it in the service. It became a favorite Christmas carol when it was published in 1874.

The first verse gives us a poetic picture of Bethlehem as Phil-lips Brooks saw it:

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

The last two lines remind us that Bethlehem was more than a picturesque village in the Holy Land:

The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

I. MORE FEARS THAN HOPES (Lk. 2:8-11; Isa. 9:6)

It seems like we end another year with more fears than hopes, given the shaky state of our world. The headlines tell a grim story:

* Turmoil in Washington
* Division in America
* Ukraine’s war for freedom against Russian communism
* Rocket attacks in Israel
* Saber rattling in North Korea
* Pastors attacked in India
* Christians murdered in Nigeria

Plus, we hear so much about fake news that we can’t decide what is real and what isn’t. Who can we trust? Bad news abounds. Against this backdrop, we have the words of the angel to the terrified shepherds …

[READ Lk. 2:8-11]

8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. 11 For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Where is the good news the angel promised?

Let’s wind the clock back across the centuries, back to Bethle-hem and beyond. Go all the way back to the time of Isaiah the prophet, seven hundred years before the birth of Christ. He gave us the real answer to that question: Where is the good news the angel promised?

[READ Isa. 9:2, 6-7]

2 The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in the land of the shadow of death,
The light will shine on them.
6 For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this.

God answers our anxiety with a manger in Bethlehem. There we find the Baby who brings us peace now and one day will bring peace to the whole world.

What did verse 2 say? “The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light; Those who live in the land of the shad-ow of death, The light will shine on them.”

We live in dark days, and it is easy to get discouraged. There is so much hatred everywhere. If you turn on the TV, you hear politicians shouting at each other, accusing each other, slandering each other. It feels like the national blood pressure has gone up to stroke level this year.

We are an angry, unhappy nation right now, and there seems to be no end in sight. Most of us were taught never to discuss poli-tics or religion in polite company. But where is that “polite company” these days? Just try talking politics over the holidays and see what happens. It likely will end with angry tirades, wounded feelings, and a ruined Christmas – and that’s just among your own loved ones!

II. TURN IN YOUR RESIGNATION (Isa. 9:6)

Let me go back to Isaiah 9:6:

[READ Isa. 9:6]

6 For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

See that phrase “and the government will rest on His shoulders”? This means Jesus can bear the full weight of the world and all its problems. It’s easy to say but hard to believe.

In one of his books, David Jeremiah mentions a man named George McCauslin. Many years ago, this man served as director of a YMCA in western Pennsylvania. It was a difficult situation because the YMCA was losing money, membership, and staff. McCauslin worked 85 hours a week trying to fix things. He couldn’t sleep at night. Even when he was away from the job, he was worrying and fretting about problems he couldn’t solve. A therapist warned that he was on the verge of a nervous break-down. Somehow, he needed to let go and let God take charge of his problems. But how do you do something like that?

The breakthrough came one day when he took a notebook and ventured into a forest not far from where he lived. As he walked through the woods, he could feel his muscles starting to relax. Sitting down under a tree, he sighed and felt at ease for the first time in months. Taking out his notebook, he decided to let go of the burdens of his life. He wrote God a letter that simply said, “Dear God, Today I hereby resign as general manager of the universe. Love, George.” Looking back at that moment, he re-flected with a twinkle in his eye, “And wonder of wonders, God accepted my resignation.”

Many of us need to resign as general managers of the uni-verse. Are you worn out from trying to help your children and grandchildren, take care of your parents, and get your cowork-ers shaped up? Are you exhausted from trying to repair the bro-ken people and the messed-up situations all around you? No wonder you’re tired all the time!

In one of his sermons, Pastor Walt Gerber mentioned a plaque hanging on the wall of his office: “Walt, do not feel totally, personally, irrevocably responsible for everything. That’s my job! Love, God!”

This grabbed my attention because it reminds me of a spiritual principle of primary importance: “God is God and we’re not.” If you understand this truth, then you don’t have to take on impossible burdens which only God can handle anyway.

In the movie “Rudy,” there is a scene where the young man despairs of ever making the Notre Dame football team. He is too small, too slow, too weak, and in every way fails to meet the challenge. Totally discouraged, he goes to a priest and asks if he will ever make the team. The priest smiles and says that in 35 years he has learned only two things for certain: “First, there is a God, and second, I’m not him.”

Christmas is important for many reasons, but among other things, it reminds us we are not in charge. That’s always a good thing to remember.

I know, we all like to feel indispensable, as if the world can’t get along without us. But as Charles de Gaulle once observed, “The graveyards are filled with indispensable men.” That’s a crucial thought worthy of some reflection. We’re not as im-portant as we think we are. It’s a humbling thing to realize the world was spinning along just fine before we showed up, and it will keep spinning after we’re gone. For that matter, God was doing fine before we appeared, and He will still be on His throne after we are gone.

It was A. W. Tozer, who remarked in his book The Knowledge of the Holy, “… Were every man on earth to become atheist, it could not affect God in any way. He is what He is in Himself without regard to any other. To believe in Him adds nothing to His perfections; to doubt Him takes nothing away. Almighty God, just because He is almighty, needs no support.”

We all know these things are true, but we live as if they aren’t. Meaning, we act like we are indispensable, but we are very dispensable indeed. We make great strides forward in our spiritual life when we embrace this reality. In fact, it may be the ultimate reality check.

Do you want to know how big a hole you’ll leave when you’re gone? Stick your arm into a bucket of water and then pull it out. The hole in the water is the hole you’ll leave behind. Perhaps that sounds depressing, but the truth shouldn’t depress us.

It’s like the old Shaker hymn says,
‘Tis a gift to be simple,
‘Tis a gift to be free,
‘Tis a gift to come down,
Where we ought to be.

III. YOU’VE GOT TO BOW DOWN

If you ever visit the Holy Land, one of the sites you will no doubt visit is the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The church claims to be built over the actual spot where Mary gave birth to Jesus. To get to the church, you first have to walk across a broad plaza and then you come to a tiny entrance. In fact, it’s so tiny you have to duck your head to get inside. The entry is so low because several centuries ago the local big shots liked to ride their horses right into the sanctuary. The priests felt that was inappropriate, so they lowered the entrance to force the great men to dismount before entering the church. Once you are inside, you have to get down on your hands and knees if you want to see the spot where the manger of Jesus was located.

There is a lesson here if we listen carefully -- If you want to go to heaven, you’ve got to get off your high horse. Until you do, you’ll never be saved. You could be a king like Herod, but you’ve got to bow down. You could be a shepherd, but you’ve got to bow down. You could be a wise man, but you’ve got to bow down.

We’re so worn out from carrying the world on our shoulders, as if we are the mighty Atlas with superhuman strength. No won-der we feel so tired. We’ve been trying to do what only God can do.

In just a few days we will celebrate the central miracle of the Christian faith: the birth of Jesus Christ. Theologians call this the Incarnation, which means “to take on the form of hu-man flesh.” Many skeptics and unbelievers through the centu-ries have attacked our faith at precisely this point -- the notion that God could ever become a man, much less a baby.

But that’s precisely what happened at Bethlehem. To borrow a quote from Charles Wesley’s carol “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”:

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity.

Either you believe this, or you don’t. If you don’t, then Christmas is just another day to you. But if you do believe it, then you shouldn’t have any trouble believing anything else the Bible says.

Many of us approach the end of the year with a heavy load of worries about the future. There are career questions, retirement concerns, health issues, family problems, a marriage that needs repair, a host of financial difficulties, and an armful of unfulfilled dreams. We find ourselves wondering if next year will simply mean more of the same. Sometimes we feel everything depends on us, and we are “totally, personally, irrevocably responsible for everything.”

IV. TIME TO RESIGN

Again, Christmas reminds us God is God and we’re not. He can arrange for a virgin to become pregnant. He can cause a Roman emperor to order a census at precisely the right moment in history. He can ensure the Baby will be born at the exact place which was prophesied 700 years before it happened. God can put a star in the sky at the right moment. He can bring together angels, shepherds, and wise men to cel-ebrate that miraculous birth. And He can take a tiny Baby born in a stable and make Him the Savior of the world. Friends, if God can do all that, what are we so worried about?

Are you tired yet of trying to run the universe? Then, I urge you to turn in your letter of resignation. It will be accepted in heaven.

Phillips Brooks was right:

The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

As we come to the end of another year, there is too much fear and not enough hope. But that won’t last forever.

God’s answer can be found in Bethlehem. The Baby in the manger means God is fixing what has gone wrong with the world. It’s a big job, and 2,000 + years later, the work is still not completed. But a light shines from the manger to tell us that darkness will not win in the end.

Christmas means that Jesus can carry the full weight of all your problems, for “the government will rest on His shoulders.” So, if the question is, “Who’s in charge here?” then the answer comes from heaven -- our Lord is in charge, reigning from heaven amid the chaos we see all around us.

That’s why the angel said, “Fear not!” We have no need to be afraid. That Baby who was born and laid in the manger is God’s answer, not just for us personally, but for the whole world. He will reign forever. His kingdom will never end. Let the weary world rejoice!

Prayer: Heavenly Father I pray that You will help us quit try-ing to do Your job. May we all resign from that impossible task right now in this moment. How I thank You that Your broad shoulders are strong enough to carry all our burdens today. If there are any here this morning who need to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, may they respond to Your invitation to-day. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 141: “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (4 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, go out into the world with great joy,
the grace of Bethlehem’s matchless Child, the love of God who never ceases to amaze, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit who never wearies. May God’s richest blessings be yours through out our observances of Jesus’ birth. Amen.

CHRISTIANS SCATTERED ~ GOSPEL SPREADS

Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Click For Audio

CHRISTIANS SCATTERED ~ GOSPEL SPREADS

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we come before You now to worship You through Your Word, fill us with joy and gratitude. I thank You for the gift of life, and for the opportunity to bear witness to Your love and grace. May the Holy Spirit, empower us to be shining lights in a world that so desperately needs You. Grant us the courage to step out of our comfort zones as fearless ambassadors of Your Word. Enable us to clearly and faithfully share the gospel with those who are lost, and those who are searching for truth and meaning. We beseech the Holy Spirit to equip us with the right words and actions that will touch the hearts of those around us. May our lives be a living testimony of Your goodness and mercy, radiating Your divine love to all we encounter. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Introduction: Last Sunday, we looked at the beginning of persecution in the church, starting with a scolding from the Sanhedrin and escalating to the martyrdom of Stephen for teaching the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as the only hope of salvation.

* Why did these disciples face such persecution? Jesus had explained to the disciples that the world would hate them because it hated Him. Just as unbelievers had rejected Him and sought to kill Him, so they would seek to silence the disciples. The religious leaders feared any loss of power and authority. The gospel of Jesus Christ, which the apostles were proclaiming, directly undermined the traditions their authority was based on. The earliest persecution of the disciples came not from Rome or secular powers, but from their Jewish brothers – the very ones who should have been the first to accept Jesus as the Messiah.

* How did Peter and Stephen address the religious leaders? In both instances, the disciples boldly proclaimed Jesus as the only means of salvation. Further, they both directly rebuked the unbelief of the religious rulers, placing the blame of Jesus’ crucifixion on them.

* How were the disciples able to endure this persecution? They were empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. He gave them the boldness to stand before their persecutors, guiding their words and actions as they proclaimed the gospel of Jesus, even to the point of imprisonment, physical beatings, and death.

It has been said that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Today we are going to look at this statement in light of what happened in Acts 8 and how God used the persecution and other means to spread the gospel. As we begin our study, I want you to remember the command of Jesus to the disciples on the day He ascended into heaven: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to THE END OF THE EARTH” (Acts 1:8). Now let’s look at how this plan was accomplished.

I. SAMARITANS ACCEPT THE GOSPEL (Acts 8:1-8, 14-17, 25; 9:1-2, 26-30; 1 Pet. 1:1-2)
[READ Acts 8:1-8]

1 Now Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.
And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he was delivering them into prison.
4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about, proclaiming the good news of the Word. 5 Now Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began preaching Christ to them. 6 And the crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was being said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was doing. 7 For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city. Acts 8:1-3

The death mentioned in verse 1 refers back to the stoning of Stephen we looked at last Sunday. After Stephen’s martyrdom, a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem. As a result of the persecution, the members of the church scattered. Stephen’s body was buried by the devout men of the church.

We briefly mentioned last week that Saul’s role in the death of Stephen was that he was present, he was in agreement with the Sanhedrin’s decision, and he tended to the cloaks of those who stoned Stephen to death (Acts 7:58). After this, we learn that Saul vehemently began to ravage the church, placing its members (men and women) into prison.

[READ Acts 9:1-2]

From these verses we learn that Saul was committed to traveling around the region to persecute the Christians and bring them to Jerusalem for trial. Saul’s persecution of believers began in 34 AD, along with the preaching of the Gospel of Christ in Samaria as the Christians scattered away from Jerusalem. Acts 8:1-3

As we see in Acts 8:1, not every Christian left Jerusalem. The apostles, at least, were not scattered. Based on later remarks, it is also clear that not every single Christian left Jerusalem.

[READ Acts 9:26-30] [After Saul’s conversion]

26 And when he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and recounted to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews, but they were attempting to put him to death. 30 But when the brothers learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus. Acts 9:26-28

Here we see that there were still disciples and apostles in Jerusalem even after Saul’s conversion. Acts 8:4-8

In Acts 8:4, we are told that those who were scattered went preaching the Word, suggesting that it was only some of the Christians, not every single one of them. These went to the regions of Judea and Samaria ~ north and south of Jerusalem. So, what exactly does the phrase “preaching the Word,” mean? This is a shorthand way of describing the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Mk. 2:2; Acts 8:25, 11:19, 13:5; 2 Tim. 4:2). The context of these verses makes it clear that the gospel was preached in all of the places where the disciples had scattered.
[READ 1 Pet. 1:1-2]

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who reside as exiles, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to the obedience of Jesus Christ and the sprinkling of His blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Looking back to the ancient manuscripts, Peter calls them exiles of the Dispersion. From the Greek word diaspora, which means “to scatter seeds,” we get the picture of people being planted in various areas to grow the church. There were various stages of dispersion and to different areas in the early church. Acts 8:4-8

In this passage we are introduced to Philip. He is first mentioned in Acts 6:5 as one of the men chosen as deacons in the Jerusalem church. In Acts 21:8 he is called Philip the evangelist. Philip went to the city of Samaria, the former capital of the northern kingdom of Israel and the region from which the Samaritans came. The location mentioned here is not just the general region of Samaria, but the city of Samaria, where Philip proclaimed Christ to them. He spoke to “crowds,” so there were many people present to hear him. God confirmed Philip’s message through miracles, casting out demons, and healing the paralyzed and lame. The people in Samaria paid careful attention to his presentation of the gospel, and the city was filled with joy. They were joyful because of their response to the gospel; presumably they had found forgiveness in Jesus the Messiah.

Looking at verses 4 and 5, it seems that verse 4 is a general statement, verse 5 gives us one specific example of the preaching, and verse 6 – the response of the people.

[READ Acts 8:14-17]

14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.

So, how did the apostles in Jerusalem respond to the news that Samaria had accepted the Word of God? They sent Peter and John to pray for these new converts to receive the Holy Spirit.

[READ Acts 8:25]

25 So, when they had solemnly borne witness and spoken the Word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were proclaiming the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

After the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages as they went. Thinking back to what we’ve previously learned about the social tensions that existed between the Samaritans and the Jews, this is a significant event. You will recall, the Jews despised the Samaritans because they were not entirely Jewish by blood or culture. It is significant that the apostles responded so positively to the Samaritans’ conversions because they responded not according to the law and tradition of the Jews, but according to the grace and love of Christ.

The command Jesus had given His disciples was being fulfilled. They had preached Christ in Jerusalem, and now the message was spreading to Judea and Samaria. As a result of Philip’s preaching, many believed in Christ, and Peter and John went to the Samaritans and laid their hands on them to give them the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17). Then they continued to testify and preach in the name of Jesus to other Samaritan villages. This was a major point of unity within the church as the Jewish Christians from Jerusalem acknowledged God’s work among the Samaritans whom they would have previously seen as their enemies. And this was happening all over the region as those who were scattered by the persecution preached the Word.

* What two attributes of God are evident as we think about the circumstances God used to spread the gospel in Judea and Samaria? God demonstrated His wisdom and sovereignty in using the circumstances of persecution to take people from Jerusalem to the surrounding regions to proclaim the gospel.
God often uses what we would think of as negative circumstances to bring about His plans. But in these times, we must remember that He is faithful to bring about His perfect will. The preaching of the gospel is powerful to save all who hear it. It has nothing to do with who the preacher is but everything to do with the Savior’s work of redemption and the Spirit’s work of conviction enabling the sinner to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Now, let’s move down to Acts 8:26-40.

II. PHILIP SHARES WITH AN ETHIOPIAN (Acts 8:26-40: Rom. 10:14-17)

[READ Acts 8:26-40]

26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Rise up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) 27 So he rose up and went; and behold, there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” 30 And Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:

“AS A SHEEP IS LED TO SLAUGHTER;
AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT,
SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.
33 IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY;
WHO WILL RECOUNT HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.”

34 And the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you earnestly, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture [Isa. 53:7-8], he proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 36 And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 37[And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus [Ashdod], and as he passed through he kept proclaiming the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea. Acts 8:26-29

As we’ve just read, this time Philip received his assignment from an angel of the Lord. He was told to journey south from Jerusalem down the desert road toward Gaza. It appears Philip did not delay but obeyed immediately. It is unclear if he had returned to Jerusalem after preaching in Samaria, but from the context this seems likely.

On the road, Philip encountered a man from Ethiopia in a chariot. This man is described as a man of great authority in charge of the treasury of the queen of Ethiopia. In our American parlance that would mean he was Secretary of the Treasury or Minister of Finance of the nation. The passage also mentions that he was a eunuch. This likely means that he had been emasculated or castrated, though the term can also refer to a government official. Being unable to have children, eunuchs were trusted to have power in a kingdom with no threat of raising a dynasty to overthrow the leadership. He had been in Jerusalem to worship God, but we’re not told which festival or holy day he may have been there for.

When Philip found him, he was in his chariot reading from the book of Isaiah. Although Philip was unaware of what the man was reading, he was directed by the Holy Spirit to approach the chariot. He ran to the chariot, indicating immediate obedience as we’ve already observed. Acts 8:30-32

As Philip neared the chariot, he heard the eunuch reading. He engaged him by asking if he understood what he was reading. Basically, the eunuch indicated that he could not understand what the prophet was saying and needed some guidance. Again, the man was reading from Isaiah 53, specifically verses 7-8. Acts 8:33-35

The man asked Philip if the prophet was speaking of himself or of someone else? Philip responded by using the Isaiah passage as a starting point to preach to the man about Jesus. We are not told directly what Philip said, but we can assume that he explained how Jesus was led to the slaughter of the cross and died as the sacrificial Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. Since the text says, “beginning from this Scripture,”

Philip surely used other passages and ideas from elsewhere in the Old Testament to teach the Ethiopian about the gospel. Acts 8:36-38

The man was elated, believed what Philip preached, and asked to be baptized. Note: depending on which English translation you are reading from, some do not include verse 37 as it is not found in the oldest manuscripts available. It may be a later addition by a scribe for clarification’s sake. Acts 8:39-40

After the eunuch’s baptism, as he and Philip were coming up out of the water, Philip was carried away by the Holy Spirit and taken to Azotus (modern day Ashdod, about 20 mi. north of Gaza). This would indicate to the Ethiopian official and any who may have witnessed it, that this was a supernatural confirmation that Philip was indeed a messenger of God. The man may have connected this to Elijah being taken away into heaven by the fiery chariot. The passage ends with the eunuch rejoicing as he went on his way home. It is quite likely that along the way and once he reached his homeland that he told others about the good news he had learned, spreading the gospel into northern Africa.

Going back to Philip, he preached the gospel from Azotus to Caesarea as he moved north along the coastal road known as the Via Maris (way of the sea).

[READ Rom. 10:14-17]

14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news of good things!”
16 However, they did not all heed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Notice the connection between Paul’s explanation of the spread of the gospel in this passage and Acts 8:26-40. It was necessary for a preacher to be sent to proclaim the gospel so that the Ethiopian could respond to the message.

Just as God had used Philip to proclaim the gospel to the Samaritans, the Word of the Lord was proclaimed to the Ethiopian. Directed by an angel and led by the Holy Spirit to this man, Philip was faithful and obedient to preach the same message that had brought him freedom from his sins. Undoubtedly, as the eunuch returned to the queen’s court, he carried that same message of hope in Jesus as the Savior of the world. He may have used the same scroll he was reading as he encountered Philip to teach others about Jesus.

The gospel had been proclaimed in Judea and Samaria, and now it was on its way to the ends of the earth so that all nations could hear of the redemption bought for them through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD
God intended for the gospel to spread. He wasn’t going to let it be confined to Jerusalem. To accomplish His plans, He allowed persecution to come upon those Christians living in Jerusalem so they would scatter and take the hope-giving message of the gospel with them. He caused a spiritual wind to blow that scattered the seeds of truth far and wide. Just as securing salvation was a costly endeavor – requiring the death of the Son of God – so is spreading the message of the gospel. It costs comfort, security, and sometimes even the lives of many people.

In Acts 8, we have an example of someone who left his comfort zone to do the things that God had called him to do. Philip went to the Samaritans even though he had probably been raised to hate them. He then set out on a journey, not knowing where he was going or what he would do, only to be directed by the Spirit to talk to a man of great influence from another nation and see God bring him to salvation. Through Philip’s acts of obedience, the gospel was proclaimed and received with joy by many. In turn, these people were then able to share with others who would share with others until one day the glorious gospel was proclaimed to each of us. And that continues today, even in the places where there is persecution and martyrdom.

Just as God uses the “foolishness” of the gospel to call many to Himself, He uses persecution to spread the message. While we would not choose these methods for ourselves, we can trust in God’s wisdom and know that His plans and ways are perfect to accomplish all that He desires.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your wisdom in orchestrating the spread of the gospel throughout the whole world. Please give us the wisdom to hear the call of the Holy Spirit to share the gospel and immediately obey Him with every given opportunity. Lord, we also thank You for the trials that come to our lives, especially when they give us opportunities to share the life-changing message of the gospel. Lord, as we go out into the world now, let our joy in You inspire others to seek You and find solace in Your embrace. Bless all our witnessing efforts, that they may bear fruit for Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 448: “A Charge to Keep I Have” (4 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, may you put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For 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. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Amen. (Eph. 6:10-12)

CHRISTIANS SCATTERED – GOSPEL SPREADS - Study Guide

CHRISTIANS SCATTERED – GOSPEL SPREADS

Answers (Lesson 156) - December 8, 2024 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the NASB

Introduction: It has been said that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Today we are going to look at this statement in light of what happened in Acts 8 and how God used the persecution and other means to spread the gospel. As we begin our study, I want you to remember the command of Jesus to the disciples on the day He ascended into heaven … (see Acts 1:8).

I. SAMARITANS ACCEPT THE GOSPEL (Acts 8:1-8, 14-17, 25; 9:1-2, 26-30; 1 Pet. 1:1-2)

Acts 8:1-8

Acts 9:1-2

Acts 8:1-3
As we see in Acts 8:1, not every Christian left Jerusalem. The apostles, at least, were not scattered. Based on later remarks, it is also clear that not every single Christian left Jerusalem.

Acts 9:26-30
Here we see that there were still disciples and apostles in Jerusalem even after Saul’s conversion.

Acts 8:4-8
In Acts 8:4, we are told that those who were scattered went preaching the Word, suggesting that it was only some of the Christians, not every single one of them. These went to the regions of Judea and Samaria ~ north and south of Jerusalem. So, what exactly does the phrase “preaching the Word,” mean? This is a shorthand way of describing the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Mk. 2:2; Acts 8:25, 11:19, 13:5; 2 Tim. 4:2). The context of these verses makes it clear that the gospel was preached in all of the places where the disciples had scattered.

1 Peter 1:1-2
Looking back to the ancient manuscripts, Peter calls them exiles of the Dispersion. From the Greek word diaspora, which means to “scatter seeds,” we get the picture of people being planted in various areas to grow the church. There were various stages of dispersion and to different areas in the early church.

Looking at verses 4 and 5, it seems that verse 4 is a general statement, verse 5 gives us one specific example of the preaching, and verse 6 – the response of the people.

Acts 8:14-17
So, how did the apostles in Jerusalem respond to the news that Samaria had accepted the Word of God? They sent Peter and John to pray for these new converts to receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:25
After the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages as they went. Thinking back to what we’ve previously learned about the social tensions that existed between the Samaritans and the Jews, this is a significant event. You will recall, the Jews despised the Samaritans because they were not entirely Jewish by blood or culture. It is significant that the apostles responded so positively to the Samaritans’ conversions because they responded not according to the law and tradition of the Jews, but according to the grace and love of Christ.

As we think about the circumstances God used to spread the gospel in Judea and Samaria, we see Him demonstrating His wisdom and sovereignty in using the circumstances of persecution to take people from Jerusalem to the surrounding regions to proclaim the gospel.

God often uses what we consider as negative circumstances to bring about His plans. In these times, we must remember that He is faithful to bring about His perfect will. The preaching of the gospel is powerful to save all who hear it. It has nothing to do with who the preacher is but everything to do with the Savior’s work of redemption and the Spirit’s work of conviction enabling the sinner to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Now, let’s move down to Acts 8:26-40.

II. PHILIP SHARES WITH AN ETHIOPIAN (Acts 8:26-40; Rom. 10:14-17)

Acts 8:26-40

Acts 8:30-32

Acts 8:33-35

The man asked Philip if the prophet was speaking of himself or of someone else? Philip responded by using the Isaiah passage as a starting point to
preach to the man about Jesus. We are not told directly what Philip said, but we can assume that he explained how Jesus was led to the slaughter of the cross and died as the sacrificial Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. Since the text says, “beginning from this Scripture,” Philip surely used other passages and ideas from elsewhere in the Old Testament to teach the Ethiopian about the gospel.

Acts 8:36-38

Acts 8:39-40

Going back to Philip, he preached the gospel from Azotus to Caesarea as he moved north along the coastal road known as the Via Maris (way of the sea).

Romans 10:14-17

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD

* God intended for the gospel to spread.

* To accomplish His plans, He allowed persecution to come upon Christians so they would scatter and take the hope-giving message of the gospel with them.

* In Acts 8, we have an example of someone who left his comfort zone to do the things God had called him to do.

* Through Philip’s acts of obedience, the gospel was proclaimed and received with joy.

* In turn, these people were then able to share with others, who would share with others, until one day it was proclaimed to us.

* This continues today, even in places where there is persecution and martyrdom.

PERSECUTED FOR THE GOSPEL’S SAKE

Selected Scriptures from the NASB

Click For Audio

PERSECUTED FOR THE GOSPEL’S SAKE

Text: Selected Scriptures from the NASB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your holiness that is evident even to those who walk in darkness. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit who helps us face any and all persecutions. We ask You for boldness and wisdom in living a life of godliness and proclaiming the gospel of Christ. In this moment of prayerful reflection, we center our spirits on You. Prepare our hearts to receive Your message with humility and openness. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Introduction: As we transitioned into the book of Acts last time, we saw how the promise of Jesus to send the Holy Spirit was fulfilled. The Spirit came with power and gave the miraculous sign of offering praises to God in the languages of the people gathered in Jerusalem. God’s power through these disciples was evident. As the gospel was proclaimed and the charge of the murder of Jesus was leveled against the Jews and others gathered, there was an amazing response as 3,000 were convicted by the Spirit and drawn to Christ. They repented of their sins, received baptism, and were added to the church where they began to learn all that Christ had taught, as the apostles taught in the temple and from house to house.

We are moving along in the storyline of the book of Acts today and looking at some of the persecution that arose from the Jews in Jerusalem. Our goal this morning is to understand what brought the persecution in the early church and how the believers responded to it. Then, we will apply that knowledge to our own situation as followers of Christ and members of His Church in our culture and context in Wednesday’s study.

I. PETER & JOHN FACE THE SANHEDRIN (Acts 4:1-31; Lk. 21:12-18)

To set up the text that we’re going to explore today, I need to fill in a little of the background. So, open your Bibles to Acts 2. After Peter’s sermon, there was a massive influx of believers where the 120-member group swelled to over 3,000 in one day (2:41). Beyond that, more were being added to the church daily as the proclamation of the gospel and teaching of the apostles continued (2:47). In Acts 3, Peter and John were headed to the temple when they encountered a lame man. They healed the man who had been lame from birth. As the crowd in the temple marveled at the healing, Peter proclaimed the gospel to them and made it clear that it was in the name and power of Jesus Christ that they had healed the man. Again, he reminded them that they murdered the Messiah, but that God raised Him from the dead, pointing to the prophets to confirm His claims.

Now, let’s turn to Acts 4, to understand what happened next.

[READ Acts 4:1-31]

1 As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them and put them in prison until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; 6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. 7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead -- by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”
13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. 15 But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, 16 saying, “What are we to do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let’s warn them not to speak any longer to any person in this name.” 18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, make your own judgment; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; 22 for the man on whom this miracle of healing had been performed was more than forty years old.
23 When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported everything that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said, “Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything that is in them, 25 who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,
‘Why were the nations insolent,
And the peoples plotting in vain?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’
27 For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and purpose predestined to occur. 29 And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant it to Your bond-servants to speak Your word with all confidence, 30 while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

* Who approached Peter and John as they spoke to the people? The priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees.

* What was the cause of concern? They were concerned that Peter and John were teaching the people about the resurrection of Jesus. It really doesn’t make sense that the Sadducees were concerned about this teaching, since they didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead (see Mk. 12:18)

* What did they do with Peter and John? They placed them in custody overnight.

* How much time had passed since Peter and John arrived at the temple? Since it was evening at the time of the arrest, and Peter and John arrived around the ninth hour (3:1), which is three in the afternoon, it had been about three hours.

* How did the people listening respond according to verse 4? Many of them believed. This passage says the number of men rose to 5,000. Acts 2:41 mentions 3,000 souls (Men and women), so there were thousands added in this period. Based on this, we can’t know exactly how many.

* Who gathered to judge Peter and John? Many Jewish leaders and priests named in verses 5 and 6. Annas and Caiaphas were directly named in the trials of Jesus. In this case, they were joined by John, Alexander, the high priestly family, and the elders and scribes.

* What name can we apply to this group? The Sanhedrin, the group of 70 ruling elders of the Jews.

* What question did the Sanhedrin ask the two men? Rather than asking about the preaching of the resurrection, they asked about the means of healing the man: “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered their question. He told them plainly that it was in the name of Jesus Christ that they had healed the man.

* Whom did Peter blame for Jesus’ crucifixion? He blamed the Jewish leaders. While it is true that the Romans had carried out the crucifixion, Peter clearly laid the responsibility of the act itself on the Jewish leaders, even using the phrase “whom you crucified.”

* What else did Peter proclaim about Jesus? That God raised Him from the dead.

* In verse 11, how did Peter condemn the Jews? He used a quote from Psalm 118:22, as Jesus did in Matthew 21:42, to condemn the leaders for failing to acknowledge Jesus and rejecting Him as the Messiah. Isaiah 28:16 contains the same idea.

* How did Peter relate Jesus to salvation? He went beyond the healing of the man in the name of Jesus to the fact that salvation is found only in the name of Jesus.

* How did the Jews respond to Peter’s answer to their question? They were surprised by his boldness and that he responded with such clear reasoning since the apostles were uneducated men. They realized that Peter had been with Jesus.

* Were there any grounds to deny Peter’s speech or the healing? The Sanhedrin saw the man who had been healed and acknowledged the healing was genuine. They also recognized the truth in what Peter said even though they did not believe it. There were no grounds to deny his words.

* What did the Sanhedrin want to prevent? They wanted to prevent the spreading of the teaching of Jesus among the people.

* How did they plan to accomplish this? They would command the disciples not to teach in the name of Jesus so that people would not hear the message and respond to it.

* Did Peter and John agree to their demand? No!

* What reason did they give to reject the command of the Sanhedrin? They explained that it is better to obey the commands of God rather than the commands of men.

* How did they describe their commitment to preaching Jesus? They said they could not help but speak of what they had seen and heard.

* How had God commanded them to proclaim Jesus? Jesus had commanded them to be His witnesses and to make disciples of all nations, beginning in Jerusalem (Acts 1:8; Mt. 28:18-20). Jesus is God and always does the will of the Father, so the command to preach of Jesus had come from God. Additionally, they were empowered by God the Holy Spirit to preach the truths about Jesus.

* How did the Sanhedrin react to this denial? They threatened them again and released them.

* What was the Sanhedrin afraid would happen if they punished Peter and John for what they did and said? They were afraid of the reaction of the people who had seen the miracle – likely the threat of them rebelling against the leaders. This is similar to the response of the Sanhedrin a short time earlier as Jesus walked among the people, defying the leaders with His teaching and acts.

* What was the reaction of the disciples as they reported what had happened? They rejoiced in the outcome and offered praise to God for all He had done – even acknowledging His hand in directing all these events.

* What did they ask God for in verses 29-30? They asked for boldness to continue proclaiming the truth and for power to heal and do signs and wonders.

* Why did they need boldness? They recognized their need for God to work in them to give them the courage to face the threats of the Sanhedrin.

* What was the purpose of these signs and wonders? These were used to authenticate that the message being preached was truly from God because only God could perform the miracles. These signs were done in the name of Jesus.

* How did God respond to their prayer? He granted their prayer for boldness, filling them with the Holy Spirit, and caused the place they were in to be shaken. This physical act demonstrated God’s approval of their prayer and His power to give them that boldness.

What an amazing account! This little group of unlearned men stood before the highly trained leaders of Israel and demonstrated through their arguments and miracles that the power of God rested with them rather than the leaders. They were absolutely confident that God would vindicate them for preaching the truth about Jesus – the only name by which men must be saved. They were willing to face this persecution for the privilege of proclaiming God’s truth to all so that many would come to repent of their sins and trust in Christ. And this is exactly what they should have expected to happen.

[READ Lk. 21:12-19]

12 “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors on account of My name. 13 It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; 15 for I will provide you eloquence and wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to oppose or refute. 16 But you will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, other relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death, 17 and you will be hated by all people because of My name. 18 And yet not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

* How is this instruction by Jesus connected to the Acts 4 passage? Jesus had already warned the disciples of what would happen as a result of their obedience to His commands and adherence to His teachings. This reality was playing out as the Jewish leaders sought to silence the preaching of Jesus as the resurrected Savior. This is also echoed in John 16:1-4.

* What principle of obeying government authorities can we draw from Peter and John’s disobedience to the command to stop preaching? They acknowledged the command of God (Jesus) as superseding the commands of men. If a command of man contradicts a command of God, we must obey God.

* What attributes of God were the disciples trusting in as they prayed for boldness? God’s sovereignty was acknowledged in their prayer, as well as their trust that God, being omnipotent, could provide in answer to their prayers.

“You killed Jesus, but God raised Him from the dead!” This truth was proclaimed by Peter and John, and they were emboldened to preach that truth. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they performed miracles and proclaimed with boldness the salvation that is found in Jesus alone.

II. STEPHEN IS STONED TO DEATH (Acts 6:8-15, 7:51-60)

Moving into Acts 5, the disciples continued to preach Christ, and the apostles worked miracles as “multitudes of both men and women” became believers (5:12-14). This again led to the imprisonment of the apostles, but an angel freed them from prison. They appeared before the Sanhedrin again where Peter reminded them it is better to obey God and preach salvation in Christ than to remain silent. This time they beat the apostles and then freed them, commanding them to stop preaching Christ. The apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus, and they continued to proclaim Jesus as the Christ. There were even a great many of the priests who came to faith in Christ according to Acts 6:7.

We’re going to look briefly at the account of Stephen, the disciple who has the distinction of being the first martyr in the church, facing death for his belief in Jesus as the Messiah.

[READ Acts 6:8-15]

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to cope with his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away, and brought him before the Council. 13 They put forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop speaking against this holy place and the Law; 14 for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us.” 15 And all who were sitting in the Council stared at him, and they saw his face, which was like the face of an angel.

* How is Stephen described? He was full of grace and power. In 6:5, he is also said to be full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.

* How did God display this power in Stephen? Stephen was able to do great wonders and signs among the people. He also had great wisdom as he disputed with the unbelieving Jews.

* Who was disputing with Stephen? Jewish men from various places in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

* Were these men able to refute Stephen’s arguments? No.

* To whom is this ability attributed? The work of the Holy Spirit in Stephen gave him this wisdom.

* What did these men do to Stephen? They trumped up false charges against him, bringing him before the Sanhedrin.

* What were the charges they created? They said Stephen had spoken blasphemous things against the law and that he said Jesus would change the customs of Moses and destroy the temple. All of these were false, but they provided witnesses who would lie before the council.

* How did the members of the Sanhedrin perceive Stephen? They saw his face was like the face of an angel.

* What does this phrase tell us about Stephen’s demeanor? He was calm and under control, surely through the work of the Spirit in him as he was brought to testify before these leaders.

Stephen went on in 7:1-53 to deliver an eloquent speech, recounting God’s faithfulness to Israel. This speech is undoubtedly exactly the kind of thing Jesus was speaking of in Luke 21:10-19. He told the disciples they would appear before synagogues and be given wisdom from Jesus (which we understand to be the work of the Spirit within us) regarding the words they were to speak. We are skipping over most of this section for the sake of time, but I encourage you to take time read it this week.

Now let’s examine the end of Stephen’s speech and its outcome before the council.

[READ Acts 7:51-60]

51 “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, and you have now become betrayers and murderers of Him; 53 you who received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
54 Now when they heard this, they were infuriated, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one mind. 58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.

* What specific things did Stephen accuse the leaders of? He told them they were stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and ears, resisting the Holy Spirit, persecuting and killing the prophets just as their fathers did, betraying and murdering the Righteous One, and not keeping the law.

* Who is the “Righteous One” Stephen is speaking of in verse 52? Jesus.

* Why would referring to them as “uncircumcised in heart and ears” have been so offensive to them? They would have thought of their physical circumcision (as males) as the mark of them belonging to God and as the keepers and protectors of His law. Calling them uncircumcised, in any form, would be calling them Gentiles, or pagans, and would have been highly offensive to them. Stephen was pointing out that their physical circumcision did not make them able to hear and love God, but that they actually refused to hear His truth spoken through Jesus and failed to honor Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah. In one sense, he was reversing the charges against him and placing those charges on the Sanhedrin.

* What did Stephen tell the Jewish leaders they did to Jesus? He told them they betrayed and murdered Him.

* How did the group react to Stephen’s speech and accusations? They responded quickly and violently.

* What does the phrase “gnashing their teeth at him” mean? This is a phrase that denotes anger through gritted teeth as they yelled at Stephen.

* What did Stephen experience as the Sanhedrin jeered at him? He was filled with the Spirit and saw the glory of God in heaven, with Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father.

* How does this verse support our understanding of the Trinity? Similar to the appearance of the Trinity at the baptism of Jesus, God the Holy Spirit was filling Stephen and God the Son was standing next to God the Father.

* How did the council respond when Stephen explained what he was seeing? They screamed and plugged their ears as they dragged him out of the city.

* Was there any dissent noted in the council? No, they “rushed together at him.”

* What did they do to Stephen outside of the city? They stoned him to death.

* What was Stephen doing as they were stoning him? He was calling on God, asking Jesus to receive his spirit and to not hold the sin against the crowd.

* What person are we introduced to for the first time in this passage? Saul who was also known as Paul.

* What was Saul doing during the stoning? He was watching the coats of the witnesses and others who were stoning Stephen.

* What does Acts 8:1 tell us about Saul’s attitude? He approved of the stoning of Stephen.

* What does the phrase “he fell asleep” mean? This is a euphemism for death, especially used of believers throughout the New Testament.

* The term “martyr” is not mentioned in this passage, but what do we mean by the term? A martyr is someone who dies as a consequence of their faith. Christian martyrs are those who, for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ, face persecution unto death.

Just as Jesus had promised, standing for the truth and proclaiming salvation in Jesus alone was met with sharp persecution. Stephen, a man filled with the Holy Spirit, who was doing miracles by God’s power and offering salvation to all in the name of Jesus, found out how much the world hates the things of God. Stephen paid the ultimate price for his boldness in Christ’s name but received the ultimate prize as a result. Stephen was not stoned because he was belligerent or obnoxious; he was stoned because he lived and spoke truth in the name of Jesus Christ.

* What attribute of God is displayed in Stephen’s speech before the Sanhedrin? God’s faithfulness was displayed as Stephen was given the words to speak before the council through the power of the Holy Spirit.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD

While we don’t like to think about facing persecution, it is something that we cannot avoid by burying our heads in the sand. We should expect to receive some form of persecution for our faith in Jesus and for living in a way that is obedient to Him. But that doesn’t mean we should invite persecution by begging people to say mean things about us or to threaten us so what we can be persecuted. As we walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling of Christ and proclaim that Jesus is the only way anyone will be saved from sin, we will be viewed as out of touch with reality. And that is not a special condition today – it was present from the first few days of the early church. We should not expect to be treated any differently than the people we have just read about.

Let’s not forget that there are many other Christians in our world who ARE being harshly persecuted. In some cases, persecution means being ostracized; in some cases, Christians are losing their homes; in other cases, they are being murdered for their belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. We can share in their sufferings by praying for them. And we can support organizations who work to support members of the church who are facing sharp persecution as they boldly proclaim the name of Jesus and live lives of godliness in front of those who are of the world and its false systems. Remember, the darkness hates the light and will fight to extinguish it. Let me share just one example of modern persecution against Christians in other countries.

Deacon Jang, is an ethnically Korean Chinese citizen who lived in Changbai, China, a town on the border between China and North Korea. He worked alongside Korean-Chinese pastor Pastor Han, ministering to the North Koreans who crossed the border into Changbai. Though it is illegal to cross into China without permission, North Koreans often visit Chinese border towns to purchase goods for reselling in North Korea, to seek medicine or other help, and to conduct business. Near Changbai, North Koreans gather herbs on the North Korean side of the mountain and then take them into Changbai to sell at the market and bring the money back with them to North Korea.

Deacon Jang regularly hosted these visiting North Koreans for days and weeks at a time before they returned to North Korea, giving them warm clothing, feeding them and providing supplies they might need for their return to North Korea. He saw this as his Christian duty to welcome the stranger, clothe the naked and care for the sick. As a believer, he also shared his faith with those who were willing to listen.

A number of these North Koreans accepted the message and became Christians. Some returned to Deacon Jang’s home repeatedly for more Bible training, and Deacon Jang and Pastor Han also taught them how to share their faith with their loved ones. Their goal was always to see North Koreans return home.

In November 2014, Deacon Jang was kidnapped from China and put in a North Korean prison. Fifteen months later, Pastor Han was lured from his home and brutally stabbed to death in Changbai.

Deacon Jang was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his ministry to the North Korean people. A number of other prisoners have either encountered Deacon Jang in prison or heard about him as he continues to share the gospel.

Let me close with these words of Jesus: “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Mt. 5:11-12).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have called each of us to be a light in this world, and to share the good news of Your love and salvation with others. But sometimes fear holds us back -- fear of rejection, fear of saying the wrong thing, or fear of judgment. Lord, I ask that You remove those fears and fill us with confidence in Your message. Help us to speak with boldness and clarity, knowing that it’s not about our words, but about Your truth that changes lives. Give us opportunities to share the gospel, and when those moments come, help us to respond with courage and love. May our lives be a reflection of Your grace, so that others may see You in each of us. We trust You to give us the words and wisdom we need, and that Your Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of those we have the privilege to share the gospel with. Thank You for the boldness You provide as we walk in obedience to Your calling. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Invitation # 366: “I Surrender All” (4 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, may the eyes of your understanding be enlightened so that you may know the hope of God’s calling, so that you may know the riches of the glory of His inheritance, and so that you may know the exceeding greatness of His power toward you as you believe according to the working of His mighty power. Amen. (Eph. 1:18-19)

PERSECUTED FOR THE GOSPEL’S SAKE -Study Guide

PERSECUTED FOR THE GOSPEL’S SAKE

Answers (Lesson 155) - December 1, 2024 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the NASB
Introduction: We are moving along in the storyline of the book of Acts today and looking at some of the persecution that arose from the Jews in Jerusalem. Our goal this morning is to understand what brought the persecution in the early church and how the believers responded to it. Then, we will apply that knowledge to our own situation as followers of Christ and members of His Church in our culture and context in Wednesday’s study.

I. PETER & JOHN FACE THE SANHEDRIN (Acts 4:1-31; Lk. 21:12-18)

After Peter’s sermon, there was a massive influx of believers where the 120-member group swelled to over 3,000 in one day (Acts 2:41).
Beyond that, more were being added to the church daily as the proclamation of the gospel and teaching of the apostles continued (Acts 2:47).

In Acts 3, Peter and John were headed to the temple when they encountered a lame man. They healed the man who had been lame from birth. As the crowd in the temple marveled at the healing, Peter proclaimed the gospel to them and made it clear that it was in the name and power of Jesus Christ that they had healed the man.

Peter reminded them that they murdered the Messiah, but that God raised Him from the dad, pointing to the prophets to confirm His claims.

Let’s turn to Acts 4, to understand what happened next.

Acts 4:1-31
The priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees approached Peter and John as they spoke to the people. They were concerned that Peter and John were teaching the people about the resurrection of Jesus. It really doesn’t make sense that the Sadducees were concerned about this teaching, since they didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead (see Mk. 12:18). Regardless, they ended up placing Peter and John into custody overnight. Since it was evening when they arrested the apostles, and Peter and John had arrived at the temple around the ninth hour (3:1), which is 3:00 in the afternoon, it had been about 3 hours.

In verse 4, we’re told that many of the people listening believed. Acts 2:41 mentions 3,000 souls (men and women); this passage says the number of men rose to 5,000. There were many thousands of people added to the church in this period, yet we cannot know exactly how many.

Verses 5 and 6 tell us that many Jewish leaders and priests gathered to judge Peter and John. Annas and Caiaphas are specifically named in the trials of Jesus. In this case, they were joined by John, Alexander, the high priestly family, and the elders and scribes. These men basically made up the group of 70 ruling elders known as the Sanhedrin. Rather than asking Peter and John about the preaching of the resurrection, they asked about the means of healing the lame man. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered their question. He plainly told them that it was in the name of Jesus Christ and His power that the man was healed.

Then, Peter blamed the Jewish leaders for Jesus’ crucifixion. While it is true that the Romans had carried out the deed, Peter clearly laid the responsibility of the act itself on the Jewish leaders, but that God had raised Him from the dead.

Peter condemned the Jews by using a quote from Psalm 118:22, just as Jesus had done in Matthew 21:42, to condemn the leaders for failing to acknowledge Jesus and rejecting Him as the Messiah (also see Isa. 28:16).

Peter went beyond explaining the lame man’s healing in the name of Jesus to emphatically proclaiming that salvation is found only in the name of Jesus. Peter’s boldness shocked the Jewish elders. They were amazed that he responded with such clear reasoning since the apostles were uneducated me. They realized that Peter had been with Jesus. Further, the Sanhedrin saw the man who had been healed and acknowledged that his healing was genuine. They also recognized the truth in what Peter said even though they did not believe it. There were no grounds to deny his words.

However, the Sanhedrin wanted to prevent the apostle from teaching the people the gospel of Christ. So, they commanded the disciples to no longer teach in Jesus’ name, lest the people hear gospel message of Jesus Christ and believe. But Peter and John refused to agree to their demands, appealing to the fact that they could not help but speak of what they had seen and heard. The Sanhedrin again threatened them not to preach in Jesus’ name or proclaim His teachings, then released them without incident. They were afraid of the reaction of the people who had seen the miracle, thinking that they might rebel against them.

The disciples rejoiced in the outcome of this confrontation and offered praise to God for all He had done – even acknowledging His had in directing all these events. In verses 29-30, they prayed to God for boldness to continue proclaiming the truth and for power to heal and do signs and wonders (these were used to authenticate that the message being preached was truly from God because only God could perform these miracles done in the name of Jesus). The disciples recognized their need for God to work in them to give them the courage to face the threats of the Sanhedrin.

God heard and answered their prayer for boldness, filling them with the Holy Spirit, and caused the place they were in to be shaken. This physical act demonstrated God’s approval of their prayer and His power to give them that boldness.

Luke 21:12-19

Jesus had already warned the disciples of what would happen as a result of their obedience to His commands and adherence to His teachings. This reality was playing out as the Jewish leaders sought to silence the preaching of Jesus as the resurrected Savior (see Jn. 16:1-4).

Peter and John acknowledged the command of God (Jesus) as superseding the commands of men. If a command of man contradicts a command of God, we must obey God. The disciples trusted in God’s sovereignty in their prayer, as well as their trust that God, being omnipotent, could provide an answer to their prayers. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they performed miracles and boldly proclaimed the salvation that is found only in Christ.

II. STEPHEN IS STONED (Acts 6:8-15, 7:51-60)

Moving into Acts 5, the disciples continued to preach Christ, and the apostles worked miracles as “multitudes of both men and women” became believers (5:12-14). This again led to the imprisonment of the apostles, but an angel freed them from prison. They appeared before the Sanhedrin again where Peter reminded them it is better to obey God and preach salvation in Christ than to remain silent. This time the religious leaders beat the apostles and then freed them, commanding them to stop preaching Christ. The apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus, and they continued to proclaim Jesus as the Christ. There were even a great many of the priests who came to faith in Christ according to Acts 6:7.

Now, we’re going to look briefly at the account of Stephen, the disciple who has the distinction of being the first martyr in the church, facing death for his belief in Jesus as the Messiah.

Acts 6:8-15

Stephen is described as being full of grace and power. In verse 5, he is also said to be full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. He was able to do great signs and wonders among the people. He also had great wisdom as he disputed with the unbelieving Jews. Angry, these men trumped up false charges against Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They accused him of speaking blasphemous things against the law; they also claimed that he had Jesus would change the customs of Moses and destroy the temple. All of these were false, of course, but they provided witnesses that lied before the council.

The Sanhedrin saw Stephen’s face shining like an angel’s. All the while, he was calm and under control as he testified before them – certainly the work of the Holy Spirit. Stephen delivered an eloquent speech recounting God’s faithfulness to Israel. This was exactly the kind of thing Jesus was speaking of in Luke 21:10-19. Jesus told the disciples they would appear before synagogues and be given wisdom from Him regarding the words they were to speak. Now, let’s examine the end of Stephen’s speech and its outcome before the council.

Acts 7:51-60

God’s faithfulness was displayed as Stephen was given the words to speak before the council through the power of the Holy Spirit. He told the leaders that they were stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and ears, resisting the Holy Spirit, persecuting and filling the prophets just as their fathers did, betraying and murdering the Righteous One (Jesus), and not keeping the law.

The group responded quickly and violently to Stephen’s speech. In their anger they clenched their teeth as they railed on Stephen. Through it all, he was filled with the Spirit and saw the glory of God in heaven, with Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. As Stephen explained what he was seeing to his detractors, they screamed and plugged their ears and dragged him outside of the city to stone him to death.

As they were stoning him, Stephen was calling on God, asking Jesus to receive his spirit and to not hold this sin against the murderous crowd. This is where we first are introduced to Saul, who looked on approvingly while he was watching the clothes of the witnesses and others who were stoning Stephen.

The term “fell asleep” is a euphemism for death, especially used of believers, throughout the New Testament. Stephen was the first martyr of the church. In this case, a martyr is someone who dies as a consequence of their faith. Christian martyrs are those who, for the same of the name of Jesus Christ, face persecution and death.

Just as Jesus had promised, standing for the truth and proclaiming salvation in Him alone was met with sharp persecution. Stephen found out just how much the world hates the things of God. He paid the ultimate price for his boldness in Christ’s name but received the ultimate prize as a result.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD
As we walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling of Christ and proclaim that Jesus is the only way anyone will be saved from sin, we will be viewed as out of touch with reality. This was true from the first few days of the early church. We shouldn’t expect to be treated any differently than those we have read about today.

Remember, the darkness hates the light and will fight to extinguish it.

Guest Speakers

Today we honored to have Bob and Judy Kay with us.
They will be telling us about their new mission working with Spanish speaking people in Central Virginia.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Selected Scriptures from the NASB

Click For Audio

THE ARRIVAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Text: Selected Scriptures from the NASB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your display of omnipotence and wisdom in empowering us, Your children, by the Holy Spirit. We ask You afresh for the boldness and wisdom to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Thank You for sending us Your Comforter to live in our hearts, transforming us through His work of sanctification into Christlikeness. Right now, I ask You to give us a more perfect understanding of the Scriptures we will read today which reveal our Helper. May we yield ourselves to His perfect control, guidance, and transformative power. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Introduction: The Gospels conclude with accounts of the risen Jesus appearing to many of His disciples and then being taken up into heaven. This lesson marks our transition from the Gospels and the earthly ministry of Jesus to the book of Acts. Many people refer to this book as the Acts of the Apostles. While that is true, it is also about the acts of the Holy Spirit who was the One empowering the apostles in the work they were doing. As Jesus left the earth, He promised to send the Holy Spirit.

* Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity. He is God just as much as the Father or the Son.

Acts is a historical narrative following the journeys of several of the apostles, especially Peter and Paul. This is the last of the historical narratives in the Bible. The rest of the New Testament books (except for Revelation, which is primarily eschatological prophecy) are epistles written to the early church during the time of Acts and shortly thereafter.

[READ Acts 1:1-3]

1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of things regarding the kingdom of God.

* Who is the author of Acts? While the book doesn’t explicitly list the name of its author, we recognize the opening as tying the book to the Gospel of Luke. Luke addressed his Gospel to Theophilus, indicating that his purpose was to compile an orderly account of Jesus’ life so that Theophilus could be certain about the things he had been taught. Luke began Acts by reminding Theophilus of the first book (i.e., the Gospel of Luke), in which he described Jesus’ earthly life up until His ascension. Luke overlapped his Gospel by recounting the ascension again, this time in more detail, and then continued, relating the events following Jesus’ ascension.

As we move from the ministry of Jesus on the earth, we are not moving into a period where God is absent, but one where God is still present on the earth and constantly at work. So, our goal today is to get a little glimpse of the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.

I. THE SPIRIT IS PROMISED (Jn. 16:5-15; Acts 1:3-8)

I know I said we were going to be in the book of Acts, but we need to get our bearings by stepping back to the night of the arrest of Jesus. In John chapters 13-17, we have an intimate and detailed account of the last few hours Jesus spent with His disciples before the crucifixion. Let’s read John 16:5-15 together and look at the promise Jesus gave to His disciples
.
[READ Jn. 16:5-15]

5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, grief has filled your heart. 7 But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: 9 regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and regarding righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me; 11 and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them at the present time. 13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.

* Where was Jesus going? To be with the Father who sent Him.

* How did the disciples feel knowing this? They were filled with sorrow.

* How did Jesus try to allay their feelings of sorrow? He told them it was to their advantage that He would go.

* Why would His absence bring an advantage? When Jesus left, He would send the Helper to them.

* Would the Helper come if Jesus did not go to the Father? No.

* How is the Spirit described in 14:17, 15:26, and 16:13? He is the Spirit of truth.

* What will the Spirit do at His coming based on verse 8? He will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

* What specific sin is described in verse 9? The sin of not believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

* How does the Spirit’s presence convicting men of righteousness relate to the absence of Jesus? When Jesus was present, people were able to see righteousness personified. In His absence, the Spirit would now bring conviction of self-righteous ideas and attitudes.

* Who is “the ruler of this world” in verse 11? Satan.

* What judgment is in view in verse 11? While there is some disagreement, it is likely that this verse refers to the final judgment that is to come when Satan is to be cast into hell along with those who have not been found in Christ.

* Were these the final things Jesus wanted to teach His disciples? No. He had more to teach them.

* When would Jesus teach them more things? They would be taught more things after the Spirit had come.

* What would the Spirit do for them according to verse 13? He would guide them into all truth.

* In whose authority would He speak these truths? In the authority of the Son, which is from the Father. Here we have a clear teaching on the roles of the members of the Trinity.

* What types of things will the Holy Spirit tell of? He will reveal things that are to come. This is a reference to the prophetic words that would be recorded in Scripture in the future. We see this sprinkled through the New Testament epistles and especially in Revelation.

* How does the Spirit relate to the Son? The Spirit glorifies the Son by declaring or revealing truth about the Son as the Son has done those things given to Him to accomplish by the Father.

* When would the Holy Spirit come? This passage does not tell us, but we know it had to be after the ascension, when Jesus would go to the Father.

Now, let’s turn to Acts 1.

[READ Acts 1:3-8]

3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of things regarding the kingdom of God. 4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”

* When did this take place (v. 3)? Forty days after the resurrection.

* What instruction did Jesus give the disciples? To remain in Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father.

* How is the baptism they were to receive described? Rather than with water as John’s baptism, they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

* How long would they have to wait? Not many days.

* What would they receive when the Holy Spirit came upon them? Power

* What was the purpose of this power? To be witnesses of Jesus as they spread His gospel across the earth.

It might strike you as a bit odd, but Jesus said that it was better for the disciples (and for us as disciples) if He went away rather than staying with them because He would send the Helper, the Holy Spirit. So, how can it be better for us that Jesus is gone? Wouldn’t it be better if Jesus were still here to answer more questions and give more instructions? We might think that is the case, but Jesus tells us otherwise. The Helper would come to guide them into truth, to empower them as witnesses of the gospel, and to live within all of those who are in Christ.

* What attribute of God is demonstrated by the fact that the Holy Spirit can indwell believers all over the earth at one time? This is a definite aspect of the omnipresent nature of God, since He is present in all these places at once. Jesus, having been raised with a glorified body, is present in heaven and not on the earth.

* Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come to empower the believers. What attribute of God is displayed in the fulfillment of this promise? This demonstrates God’s faithfulness to do what He says.

In some Christian circles, the work of the Holy Spirit gets downplayed to the point that He is rarely mentioned. We need to be mindful that He IS the third person in the Trinity and that He IS indwelling each one of us who has turned from sin and trusted in Christ. The Spirit who empowered the disciples who walked with Jesus is the same Spirit who lives to empower us and guide us into all truth.

II. THE SPIRIT COMES (Acts 2:1-24)

Now that we’ve looked at the promise of the arrival of the Holy Spirit, let’s look at the fulfillment of that promise.

[READ Acts 2:1-24]

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.
5 Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together and they were bewildered, because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs -- we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty deeds of God.” 12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others were jeering and saying, “They are full of sweet wine!”
14 But Peter, taking his stand with the other eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, know this, and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is only the third hour of the day; 16 but this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,
‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
And your young men will see visions,
And your old men will have dreams;
18 And even on My male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days,
And they will prophesy.
19 And I will display wonders in the sky above
And signs on the earth below,
Blood, fire, and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood,
Before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a Man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know -- 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24 But God raised Him from the dead, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

* When did this event take place? On the day of Pentecost, which is the Feast of Weeks described in Exodus 34:22-26.

* How many days after Passover was this feast? It would have been 50 days, hence the name Pentecost, as described in Leviticus 23:15-16. This would also place it nine days after the ascension, subtracting the full day Jesus was in the tomb.

* Why were there so many people dwelling in Jerusalem at this time? This was one of the three times each year that the Jewish men were to gather as a holy congregation to worship God. This was a celebration of the harvest where the firstfruits of the harvest and other sacrifices were offered (Num. 28:26-31).

* Where were the disciples? They were in a house together. We can connect this back to Acts 1:12-13 as a house with an upper room where they were gathered.

* Who was present? In 2:1, we have a pronoun identifying the group in general as “they.” Looking back in the text, 1:12-15 identifies the apostles by name, several women who were with them, and the disciples, numbering about 120 people. It seems clear that there were both men and women present, especially when we consider 2:4, which describes the Spirit filling all who were present.

* What signs accompanied the coming of the Spirit? There was a sound like the rushing of wind that filled the entire house. This may be the sound referred to in verse 6 that got the attention of those in the area who then heard the praises of God. The Spirit is often compared to the wind (see Jn. 3:8; Ezek. 37:9-10). There were tongues of fire resting on each of the believers. This is similar to the Spirit’s appearance as a dove at the baptism of Jesus.

* Who received the Spirit? All who were present in the house.

* What was the result of this filling of the Spirit? All of them began to speak in other tongues.

* Did each person pick a language of their choice? No, the Spirit “gave them utterance” as He saw fit.

* Based on the context of the passage, how could we describe these “tongues” (v. 6)? They were understood by those of different countries as their own languages, so they were known languages, not indiscernible noises.

* What were the disciples saying in other tongues (v. 11)? They were speaking of “the mighty works of God.”

* How did the people around them respond? They were both amazed and perplexed.

* Why did the people find it amazing that they spoke so many languages? They identified the group as Galileans, so to hear them speaking in so many languages was amazing.

* What did some ascribe the miracle to? They suggested they were drunk with new wine.

* Who addressed the crowd? Peter stood up with the other 11 standing around him (with Matthias replacing Judas).

* What prophecy did Peter reference to validate this as a miracle of God? He pointed the crowd to the prophecy announced in Joel 2:28-32 to show them that God’s Spirit would be poured out so that men and women, young and old, would be empowered to do certain miracles, testifying of God’s works and the coming judgment.

* Whom did Peter tell the crowd about? He spoke to them about Jesus of Nazareth.

* How did Peter point to Jesus as the Messiah? He used the works, wonders, and signs Jesus had performed as the basis. He also went on, in the portion from verses 25-36, to show other scriptural proofs.

* How did Peter relate these acts to the will of God? He clearly stated that all of this happened according to God’s definite plan.

* Whom did Peter blame for Jesus’ death? He said, “This Jesus … you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” indicating those Jews and others in the crowd were responsible.

* How did Peter connect his message to the resurrection? He told the crowd that God raised Jesus from the dead as it was not possible, in God’s plan, for Jesus to remain dead. He then went on to demonstrate this from other Old Testament passages.

* Looking ahead to verse 37, how did the crowd, in general, respond? They were convicted by the truth of Peter’s message and asked how they should respond.

Jesus had promised to send the Spirit in power, and that is exactly what happened. That power was evident as the mighty wind came, the tongues of flame danced, and the voices were raised in praise to God to be heard by all the peoples gathered in Jerusalem. And not only was this a miracle, but Peter was able to show the crowd how the coming of the Spirit connected to God’s prophecies about Messiah and future judgment.

In our modern context, Peter didn’t exactly preach a “seeker sensitive” message to the crowd. He basically stood up and explained to the crowd that they were responsible for the death of the Messiah. After Peter made his case from the Old Testament, many of the people recognized their sin, were convicted by the very Spirit that empowered the miracle and asked what they needed to do to be saved. Peter’s response was a command to repent of their sins and to be baptized in the name of Jesus with the promise of receiving forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter faithfully obeyed the command of his Lord delivered nine days prior. As we read at the end of Acts 2, the apostles taught these new disciples doctrine as they gathered at the temple and went from house to house.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD

As we think about the Holy Spirit, there is so much for us to consider. First, we must remember that He is God dwelling in us, just as Jesus promised. He is sent by the Father and the Son to work in our lives by conforming our wills to be more like Christ’s and empowering us to do all that we are commanded. And that’s been the case for all believers since the day of Pentecost when He came with power and signs for those gathered in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit testifies with our own spirits that we have been adopted by God, and He provides us with assurance of our salvation, having been sealed by Him. As we strive to live lives of holiness worthy of the calling God has given us, He empowers us to display the fruits of righteousness and overcome the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Our God is faithful to keep His promises. Jesus promised to send the Helper. The Spirit promises to seal us for the day of redemption. And the Father promises to raise us up to eternal life so that we may live with our triune God in an eternity filled with joyful worship and communion.

Prayer: Father God, how we long to experience a fresh movement of Your Spirit; to be among Your sons and daughters when the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, raises our dull, dry spirits unto fresh affections for You and Your glory. Breathe, upon us, O breath of God! Holy Spirit, fill us with Your invigorating power! Do in our hearts and lives what You alone can do!
Lord, while we know there only needed to be one Pentecost, in light of that great historical event and in keeping with the promises You have made, I plead with glad expectancy for the filling of Your Holy Spirit. Restore to us the joy of the salvation You have freely given us in Jesus. Fill our hearts and mouths with Your praises. Forgive us for being satisfied with a correct theology of the Spirit, but with little evidence of the His power and presence in our hearts and churches.
The last days began when you first sent Jesus into this world. Those days will only end when He returns to finish making all things new. Until then, Father, You call us to be sons and daughters who show and tell the gospel through the power of Your Spirit. Make us these kinds of witnesses for You. I pray, in Jesus’ powerful and loving name, Amen.

Invitation # 251: “Breathe on Me” (4 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, in every project you undertake in the service of the Lord’s house and in obedience to His law and commandments, may you seek the Lord your God wholeheartedly. As a result of this, you will be successful in fulfilling His purposes for you. Amen. (2 Chr. 31:21)

THE ARRIVAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT _ Study Guide

THE ARRIVAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Answers (Lesson 154) - November 17, 2024 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the NASB
Introduction: As we move from the ministry of Jesus on the earth, we are not moving into a period where God is absent, but one where God is still present on the earth and constantly at work. So, our goal today is to get a little glimpse of the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.

I. THE SPIRIT IS PROMISED (Jn. 16:5-15; Acts 1:3-8)

In John chapters 13-17, we have an intimate and detailed account of the last few hours Jesus spent with His disciples before the crucifixion. Let’s read John 16:5-15 together and look at the promise Jesus gave to His disciples.

John 16:5-15
Jesus was going to be with the Father who had sent Him into the world. The disciples were filled with sorrow upon hearing this news. Jesus encourages them by explaining that it will be to their advantage for Him to go away, for He would send the Helper to them – the Spirit of truth (see Jn. 14:17, 15:26, 16:13).

At His coming the Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. According to verse 9, the sin was not believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior. When Jesus was present, people were able to see righteousness personified. In His absence, the Spirit would now bring conviction of self-righteous ideas and attitudes.

We are told in verse 11, that Satan is “the ruler of this world.” This verse is also referring to the final judgment that is to come when Satan is to be cast into hell along with those who have not been found in Christ.

Jesus had much more to teach His disciples. They would be taught more after the Holy Spirit had come, for He would guide them into all truth by the authority of the Son, which is from the Father. Here we have a clear teaching on the roles of the members of the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit will reveal things that are to come. This is a reference to the prophetic words that would be recorded in Scripture in the future. We see this sprinkled through the New Testament epistles and especially in Revelation. Also, the Spirit glorifies the Son by declaring or revealing truth about the Son as the Son has done those things given to Him to accomplish by the Father.

Although this passage does not tell us specifically when the Holy Spirit would come, we know it had to be after the ascension, when Jesus would go to the Father.

Acts 1:3-8
According to verse 3, this event took place 40 days after the resurrection. Jesus told His disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they received the Heavenly Father’s promise. Then, He explained that they would be baptized, not with water as John’s baptism, but with the Holy Spirit; and they wouldn’t have to wait long for this promise to be fulfilled.

Jesus also explained that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them – power to be Jesus’ witnesses as they spread His gospel across the earth.

The fact that the Holy Spirit can indwell believers all over the earth at the same time is a definite aspect of the omnipresent nature of God, since He is present in all these places at once. Jesus, having been raised with a glorified body, is present in heaven and not on the earth. Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit would empower believers displays God’s faithfulness to do what He says He will do.

We need to be mindful that the Holy Spirit IS the third person in the Trinity and that He IS indwelling each one of us who has turned from sin and trusted in Christ. The Spirit who empowered the disciples who walked with Jesus is the same Spirit who lives to empower us and guide us into all truth.

II. THE SPIRIT COMES (Acts 2:1-24)

Now that we’ve looked at the promise of the arrival of the Holy Spirit, let’s look at the fulfillment of that promise.

Acts 2:1-24
This event takes place on the day of Pentecost, which is the Feast of Weeks (see Ex. 34:22-26). The feast of Pentecost was held 50 days after Passover as described in Leviticus 23:15-16. This would also place it nine days after the Ascension, subtracting the full day Jesus was in the tomb.

The reason why so many people were in Jerusalem at this time is because this was one of the three times each year that the Jewish men were to gather as a holy congregation to worship God. This was a celebration of the harvest where the firstfruits of the harvest and other sacrifices were offered (see Num. 28:26-31).

The disciples were all gathered in a house together. We can connect this back to Acts 1:12-13 as a house with an upper room where they were gathered. In verse 1, there is a pronoun identifying the group in general as “they.” Looking back to 1:12-15, the apostles are identified by name, several women who were with them, and the disciples, numbering about 120 people. It seems clear that there were both men and women present, especially when we consider 2:4, which describes the Spirit filling all who were present.

These signs accompanied the coming of the Spirit: the sound of a rushing wind that filled the entire house (this may refer to the sound in verse 6 that got the attention of those in the area who afterward heard the praises of God). There were also tongues of fire resting on each of the believers. This is similar to the Spirit’s appearance as a dove at the baptism of Jesus.

The result of the filling of the Spirit was that all of them began to speak in other tongues. They didn’t choose which language they would speak in, but the Spirit “gave them utterance” as He saw fit. Based on the context of verse 6, we can understand that these “tongues” were known languages, not indiscernible noises, since those of different countries understood their own languages “the mighty works of God” (v. 11) being proclaimed by the disciples.

The people around them were both amazed and perplexed. They identified the group as mostly Galileans, so to hear them speaking in so many languages was amazing to them. There were others who ascribed the miracle to these followers of Christ being drunk with new wine.

Then Peter, surrounded by the other 11 apostles, addressed the crowd. To validate this miracle as coming from God, he pointed the crowd to the prophecy announced in Joes 2:28-32, to show them that God’s Spirit would be poured out so that men and women, young and old, would be empowered to do certain miracles, testifying of God’s works and the coming judgment. Then Peter spoke to them about Jesus of Nazareth, the promised Messiah. He used the works, wonders, and signs Jesus had performed as the basis. He also went on, in the portion from verses 25-36, to show other scriptural proofs. Peter related that all of this happened according to God’s definite plan. Then he clearly laid the blame for Jesus’ crucifixion at the feet of the Jewish leaders and others in the crowd who had called for His death.

Next, Peter connected his message to the resurrection by explaining to the crowd that God raised Jesus from the dead as it was not possible in God’s plan, for Jesus to remain dead. He then went on to demonstrate this from other Old Testament passages. Looking ahead to Acts 2:37, we find that most of the crowd were convicted by the truth of Peter’s message and asked how they should respond.

Jesus promised to send the Spirit in power, and that is exactly what happened. That power was evident as the mighty wind came, the tongues of flame danced, and the voices were raised in praise to God to be heard by all the peoples gathered in Jerusalem.

Not only was this a miracle, but Peter was able to show the crowd how the coming of the Spirit connected to God’s prophecies about Messiah and future judgment.

Peter didn’t exactly preach a “seeker sensitive” message to the crowd. He basically stood up and explained to the crowd that they were responsible for the death of the Messiah. Many of the people recognized their sin, were convicted by the very Spirit that empowered the miracle and asked what they needed to do to be saved. Peter’s response was a command to repent of their sins and to be baptized in the name of Jesus with the promise of receiving forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

As we read at the end of Acts 2, the apostles taught these new disciples doctrine as they gathered at the temple and went from house to house.

III. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM THE WORD
Peter’s response was a command to repent of their sins and to be baptized in the name of Jesus with the promise of receiving forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

As we think about the Holy Spirit, there is so much for us to consider:
• He is God dwelling in us, just as Jesus promised.
• He is sent by the Father and the Son to work in our lives by conforming our wills to be more like Christ and empowering us to do all that we are commanded.
• He testifies with our own spirits that we have been adopted by God.
• He provides us with assurance of our salvation, having been sealed by Him.
• He empowers us to display the fruits of righteousness and overcome the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Our God is faithful to keep His promises. Jesus promised to send the Helper. The Spirit promises to seal us for the day of redemption. And the Father promises to raise us up to eternal life so that we may live with our triune God in an eternity filled with joyful worship and communion.