I hope you obey all of the Old Testament!!!!!!

How many times when you speak out against certain sins, or use the Bible as your worldview and someone gets mad at you and says, “well I hope you obey all the Old Testament, or I hope you don’t eat shellfish, Or I hope you are not wearing certain kinds of fabric?” It happens to me a lot, and if you are a Bible believing Christian and you are saying nonsense like this I think you should stop.

First and foremost in Leviticus 11 there is a list of dietary restrictions that God did give to the nation of Israel. This dietary law prohibited against eating many things such as, pork, shrimp, shellfish and many other types of seafood, insects, scavenger birds and many other animals. These dietary and fabric laws were not intended for anyone else but the Israelite’s.  So why were those laws in place, and why was it only intended for the Israelite’s? These laws were made to keep them distinct from other nations.

If we look in the New Testament we will also see that Jesus declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19), and we read in Acts 10 about Peter’s vision in his witness to the gentile Cornelius and his family. This was the first step in the gentile mission, and this vision shows the the Lord’s inclusion of the gentiles in the church. In this vision God tells Peter the former restrictions have now been lifted and he is now able to minister to the Gentiles. This vision also illustrates Jesus’ fulfillment of the law and God’s plan for all of His creation. This means that the dietary laws are no longer needed, so to say that we should not eat shellfish or shrimp is not consistent with Scripture.

When Jesus died on the cross He fulfilled the Old Testament law and yes this includes both clean and unclean foods. As you can see not all of Leviticus is written for everyone. A clue that these are for the Israelite’s only is when it says, “speak to the sons of Israel, or say to the Israelite’s” and then a command is given. It is a command given to them, and no other nation.

So why is the food and clothing law only for the Israelite’s and laws such as homosexuality for all then as well as today?

The laws in Leviticus 18 such as intercourse with animals, offering children to Molech, lying with a male as with a female, intercourse with your neighbors wife and so on are for all nations of all times. The laws we read of in Leviticus 19 and 20 such as,lying, stealing, adultery, bestiality and incest.  The fact is that these laws such as the idea of homosexuality, adultery, incest, lying, stealing and so on are also in the New Testament and we clearly see the continuation of the Old Testament moral law and the New Testament moral law. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice for sin, and He alone makes us clean so we do not need any of the Old Testament food or sacrificial laws. Sins will still continue to be sins and Jesus fulfilled the law and we are subject to the law of Christ now. The civil and ceremonial laws in the Old Testament are no longer in effect because of Christ, but the moral law does not expire because it is based on God’s character.

We no longer have to offer sacrifices and we do not have to have the regulations of the Mosaic covenant because we have a New Covenant in Christ. (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 22:20; Hebrews 9:15) In Hebrews 8:13 we read that the Mosaic covenant is made obsolete. God’s people are no longer needing to be set apart by not mixing fabrics or not eating shellfish, they are now in the New Covenant set apart by being united to Jesus by faith. So we are not picking and choosing what biblical commands we are to follow as some say, we just know what commands were fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

The Book of Acts Bible Study Chapter 17:1-34

Sorry it has been a while since I last posted a blog but with family, work and school I have been very busy.

Chapter 17 begins with Paul, Silas and Timothy going from Philippi to the major seaport city of Thessalonica, which was approx. 100 miles away. Thessalonica was and still now the second largest city in Greece. As was customary with them Paul went into the synagogue to preach and it says “on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the scriptures.” Paul was the first apologist. This is what we are to do as well, reason from the scripture.

Verses 5-9 show the opposition to the ministry of Paul in Thessalonica that was initiated by the Jews. It was described that they were “jealous.”  This is most likely because Paul was so effective in bringing a high amount of God-fearing Gentiles into the Christian community. In the last part of verse 5 we read of a man named Jason. There is nothing more known about Jason other than what is written here. It seems that Paul and Silas knew him and had been staying with him, so we can believe that he was also a convert of theirs and may have been a Jew since the name Jason was a name often taken by Diaspora Jews. It is also possible that he shared in Paul’s trade since we also read later that Paul stayed in Corinth with Aquila and Priscilla, who were of the same trade as he. (Acts 18:3) In any case the missionaries were not found and Jason was dragged before the city officials becoming Paul’s proxy. During this time there were three charges brought against these Christians. The first was directed toward Paul and Silas, that “they caused trouble all over the world.” The second was against Jason in that he “welcomed them into his home.” The third was again against Paul and Silas as well as Jason as their host saying they were “defying Caesar’s decrees.” This was the most dangerous charge. So what decree were they defying? If we look at the end of verse 7 we will see that they were “saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” This was the same charge against Jesus (Luke 23:2-4; John 19:12, 15). Jesus claimed a kingdom that was not of this world, and Paul and Silas did the same. There was much turmoil in this and they were told to post a bond and then let go. The condition of Jason’s bond may have been so that there would be no more issues with Paul and Silas, and this may have been what Paul wrote of in 1 Thessalonians 2:18 when he spoke of “Satan’s hinderance” to his returning to the city.

In verse 10-15 we see that during the night Paul and Silas were sent out and then the witness in Berea began. Berea was approx. 50 miles from Thessalonica and lies on the eastern slopes of Mt. Vermion in the Olympian mountain range. It is somewhat remote and Berea was the most significant city in the area because it was the capital of the four divisions of Macedonia from 167-148 B.C. They would have arrived by foot in three days. When they arrived they began their witness in the synagogue, and Luke describes the Bereans as being “more noble” than those in Thessalonica. One thing you will notice is that they accepted the message of the scriptures, but only after close “examination.” They did not accept Paul’s word uncritically they did an examination of their own of the Scriptures they preached to see for themselves that it pointed to the death and resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus, as Paul claimed (17:3). This was not just a small investigation either, they met daily to search the Scriptures and this caused many to see for themselves that Paul’s claims were in fact true (17:12). This is how unbelievers should look at Scripture. Many do not believe because they have never really taken a hard look into the evidence and claims of Christianity. On the other hand many Christians do not know how to witness or preach to the unbelievers because they do not know the absolute truth of the Scripture to give the evidence of what they believe.

We see that situation did not last very long. There were many Jews from Thessalonica who heard of Paul’s success in Berea who arrived and stirred up the crowds against Paul. This attack seemed to only be against Paul who was seen as the leader (17:13) and Paul was forced to leave and Timothy and Silas stayed (17:14). Paul leaving Berea and finally ended up in Athens is clear, how he got there is another story. When we look at the Western text of Acts we see that he travelled to Athens by sea. Some of the most reliable manuscripts have Paul going “as far as the sea” The NIV translates it as “to the coast” and other manuscripts say that Paul was sent “as to the sea.” So many believe that he was hurrying down the coastal road to Athens, and whether he took a boat or travelled  along the coast to Athens either way could be the answer and it causes no serious theological issues. In verse 15 it says that Paul left word for Timothy and Silas to join him when they can and it is not known specifically if they did but in 1 Thessalonians 3:1 Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica from Athens so it seems as though they did make it to him.

In verses 16-34 we read of Paul witnessing in Athens. Paul’s visit to Athens though brief is one of the centerpieces for the entire book of Acts. In verses 22-31 is Paul’s famous address before the Areopagus and this is also preceded by an introduction narrative to the scene in Athens and their curiosity (17:16-21). Again we see when Paul arrived in Athens he went directly to the synagogue and reasoned with the Scriptures. In verse 18 Paul runs into some Epicureans who were materialists and believed that everything came from atoms or particles of matter. There were also what we’re called Stoics who were pantheist. They began disputing Paul and calling him a “babbler.” They then brought him to the Areopagus and wanted to know more about what he was “presenting” and thought his ideas were “strange” and wanted to know what “they mean.”

Verses 22-31 we read of Paul’s testimony before the Areopagus. There is no text in Acts that has gotten more attention by scholars than these ten verses of Paul’s speech. Most of the debate is over whether the core thought was of the Old Testament or of Greek philosophy. Please read the sermon and see that it is divided into five couplets. Verses 22-23 introduce the main theme which is the ignorance of pagan worship, 24-25 present the true object of worship, which is God the Creator, verses 26-27 deal with the relationship between human beings to their Creator. Verse 28 gives a transition again giving the argument of the relationship between man and God, as well as attacking again idolatry in verse 29. Verses 30-31 return back to the original theme, the time of ignorance is now over and it is time to repent because of the coming judgement and the resurrection of Christ.

The final verses here we read that some of them rejected and sneered and others wanted to hear more. When Paul left it says, “a few men became followers of Paul and believed.” It also mentions that among those who believed were Dionysius who was a member of the Areopagus and a woman named Damaris. The significance of Luke naming them by name is to show that one new convert was a male and one was a female, other than this there is no other reliable information or tradition on wither of these two.

The Book of Acts Bible Study Chapter 16:25-40

Continuing on into the end of chapter 16 we know that Paul and Silas at this point are placed into prison because of the healing of the possessed servant girl. Verse 25 tells us that Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. This shows that they were always full of hope and faith. This was a wonderful witness to God. We should not be surprised at what happens next because it had happened before to the apostles in 5:19-26, as well as to Peter in 12:5-19. Here again Paul and Silas are going to be miraculously delivered from their prison. A violent earthquake (which was not uncommon) occurred, the doors flew open and all the prisoners chains came loose.

The jailer waking up and seeing the doors open most likely thought the prisoners had already escaped drew his sword to take his own life. He most likely preferred to die by his own hands than by the Roman justice system. In this time jailers and guards were held personally responsible for their prisoners and they were executed for allowing them to escape (12:19). Paul looked up and saw what the jailer was about to do and yelled for him to stop. He wanted to assure the jailer that none of them had escaped and that they were all still in the cells and there was no need for him to kill himself. We might think that this was a way for God to get them out of this prison, but as we will read there was a far greater purpose for this. The jailers conversion.

Calling for lamps or torches, the jailer rushed in and fell at Paul and Silas’s feet. He was probably so happy to see they were still there, and was grateful for Paul saving his life. Knowing that Paul was trusting in God, the jailer asked him, “what must I do to be saved?” He probably had heard of salvation when Paul spoke of in verse 17, or he had heard some of Paul’s preaching or the reports of his preaching but did not fully understand, but was now ready to begin to understand. To answer the question, they replied “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your whole household.” Luke does not specify when the household came into the picture, but they were there and Paul and Silas shared something his whole family needed to hear. They began to share the words of the Lord, and just as in the Lydia story Luke made it clear that the whole household heard the gospel and they all proclaimed and accepted it. There was no faith by proxy here, the whole family came to the faith in God (v.34). They would have been coming from a pagan background and now had a new faith in Jesus as Savior and faith that God is the one true God.

The jailer became aware of their suffering and washed their wounds that had from the beatings. The focus here is on the evidence of conversion with the washing of the apostles’ wounds, but it was a more significant washing when the jailer and his family were baptized. The jailer then brought them into his home and fed them, they were no longer prisoners in his eyes, but they were now brother’s in Christ.

We do not know why the magistrates changed their minds and decided to release Paul and Silas, Luke does not tell us. They instructed the officers to instruct the jailers to release them (v. 35). These officers were the same ones who flogged them (v. 23). The jailer gladly went to let them know they were being released and went to send them off with the Christian greeting “peace.” Paul would not go and insisted that the magistrates come to the jail in person and tell them to leave. Here he has the upper hand, he was a Roman citizen (Silas also) and the magistrates had them publicly flogged and thrown into prison and without a trial. This was illegal. The magistrates were clearly unaware that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

This was a serious offense and the magistrates knew this, they could have been removed from office for something like this and a municipality could have its rights reduced. This is an ironic situation, Paul and Silas were being treated like criminals and were innocent and the magistrates who condemned them were the real law breakers. The quickly went to the jail  to try to appease them, and requested them to leave. Paul and Silas agreed , but were clearly in no rush. They didn’t have to be, the magistrates would not be giving them any more problems now. Before they left they visited many of the Christians in the city, as well as Lydia’s house and when they were satisfied with the direction of the church they left for the next city.

It may seem that Paul was being a little abrasive by demanding a formal apology from the magistrates. The point of all of it was that is was essential at this time for the young Christian community to have a good reputation with the authorities if they wanted the church to grow. Luke shows many times in Acts that the Christians broke none of the Roman laws. Paul and Silas were innocent of any wrong doing and it was important that the magistrates acknowledged their innocence to set the record straight, this is why Paul made such a big deal out of it. Just as today if a church gets a bad reputation or the authorities within the church do something illegal it hurts the witness of the church. We see it all the time. This is why we need to be praying for the church and the leaders (pastors, elders).

We will move on to chapter 17 soon, I have to write two papers this week and they are both due on Monday so if I get a little time I will try to gt going on it. We only have 11 more chapters to go so I am hoping to get done soon.I will keep you all in my prayers.

The Book of Acts Bible Study Chapter 15:36-16:1-40

I ended the last study with verse 35 in Chapter 15 because that was the end of that narrative. Verse 36 begins a new section of the book of Acts. I also wanted to write briefly on verse 34 in chapter 15. There are only a few translations that actually have this verse in them. It is in the KJV and the NASB translations but no others have it. Many believe it was not in the original text of Acts and therefore they omitted it. It reads, “But Silas decided to remain with them. Only Judas departed.” This was most likely placed there by a scribe who was looking to solve a problem of Silas being present in Antioch again verse 40. The reason it is left out in other translations is that it causes a more serious conflict in verse 33 which clearly states they both returned to Jerusalem. Verse 34 did not have to be written because there would be no problem with verse 40 anyway because it takes place some time later (verse 36) and this would allow plenty of time for Silas to return to Antioch from Jerusalem.

Starting in verse 36 we read of Paul’s witness to the Greek world. Paul saw himself above all as Christ’s apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 1:5; 15:18; Galatians 2:8). This calling is confirmed by the account of his missionary activity in Acts. In verses 36-41 we read of the split between Barnabas and Paul, and verse 36 tells us that it is “some time later.” We do not know how long that is but Paul wanted to go back and revisit all the towns where they established churches on their first mission. The time not given exactly is a way that Luke marked a new division in the narrative. This will in fact be a new division in the narrative and mark Paul’s second missionary journey. Barnabas again wanted to bring John-Mark along with them and Paul did not want to. He remembered John leaving them back in their first mission (13:13). So because Barnabas and John-Mark were cousins they left and went to Cyprus and Paul chose Silas and they left and went through Syria and Cilicia strengthening the churches. It may have seemed unfortunate that this disagreement happened, but as we know God always has a plan and this would prove to have a fortunate outcome. Now there are two missions instead of one.

Beginning now in chapter 16 Paul proceeded north on foot through the Cilcian gates to the cities that he and Barnabas had established churches on their first missionary journey. When they arrived in Lystra they met a disciple by the name of Timothy. Timothy’s conversion dated back to when Paul and Barnabas first witnessed in that city (14:20). Luke wrote that Timothy was well spoken of by the Christians in Lystra and Iconium. Luke also noted that Timothy’s mother was Jewish and his father was Greek. This is an essential thing to remember when understanding why Paul had Timothy circumcised (v. 3). Paul would have never had Timothy circumcised if he was a full Gentile, but since his mother was Jewish and the rabbinic law stated that a child born to a Jewish mother and a Greek father was considered Jewish. Timothy then was considered a Jew and being that his father was Greek he would not have had him circumcised. So the main reason why Timothy was circumcised was because if he was going to be going to Jewish synagogues with Paul it would not have been a good witness for them to have someone of Jewish lineage uncircumcised and it would have hampered his effectiveness among the Jews.

After completing their visits of churches established on Paul’s first mission, the three (Paul, Silas and Timothy) now headed north. It appears that during the travelling he was stopped by the Holy Spirit and there is no reason given, the important point here is that he was stopped. God had other plans for him. As they continued on they again were stopped by “the Spirit of Jesus.” This may have been a special vision of the risen Jesus but it is more than likely a variant expression of the Holy Spirit. I am sure they must have wondered why they kept being led away from where they were going, but they trusted in God and they knew wherever they were going they were being led by the Holy Spirit. We see God’s plan in verse 9. Paul was sent a vision in a dream in the middle of the night, a man of Macedonia appeared to him begging him to come and witness to the Macedonians. This was also the second of six visions received by the apostle. Now look closely at verse 10, you will see there is a change from the third person pronoun to the first person “we” which would indicate that Luke joined up with Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Paul realized that this vision was from God and was calling him to a mission in Macedonia and the others agreed.

The remaining verses in chapter 16 shows Paul’s work in Philippi and falls into four separate scenes. Verses 11-15 relate to their journey to Philippi and the conversion of a prominent woman named Lydia. Verses 16-24 deal with the healing of a possessed servant girl and its unfortunate result. Verses 25-34 tell of the conversion of the Philippian jailer and verses 35-40 treat the final encounter of Paul the Roman citizen with the city magistrates.

Verses 11-15 tells the story of Lydia. She is described as a dealer in goods dyed purple, which is an occupation that would be likely since Thyatira was the center of purple dye trade. Purple goods were expensive and was often associated with royalty so this would have been a very good business to be in. By Lydia inviting them to stay in her home it would mean that she had guest rooms and was able to accommodate them adequately. Lydia is receptive to the gospel, God works within her and opens her heart. She and “the members of her household” receive baptism and the missionaries are invited into her home. This is a common expression of faith that is seen throughout the New Testament.

During this trip they encounter a slave girl who was possessed and had a spirit within her which predicted the future, this made her owners very wealthy. The Greek literally speaks of “python spirit.” Like the demoniac during Jesus’ ministry the possessed girl could see into Paul’s true nature, his preaching and the reality of the God he proclaimed she followed them shouting that they were servants of “the Most High God” and proclaimers of “a way of salvation.” Paul being troubled by her exercised the evil spirit out of her. This did not set well with her owners because their “cash cow” was now gone. Paul and Silas were then seized and were brought before the city magistrates charged with “advocating customs unlawful to Romans.”

The townspeople realizing the money that will now be lost for them also joined in on the attack of Paul and Silas, they were then “stripped and beaten” and “thrown into prison” (v.23). Paul makes no appeal to his rights as a Roman citizen here like he does when he is beaten and imprisoned in Jerusalem (22:25). It seems he is willing to suffer because he senses that a greater good will come out of him being in prison.

I am going to stop here because this is getting to long, I will write on the end of this chapter and post it later today and we will see the reason why Paul suffered and was thrown in prison.

The Book of Acts Bible Study Chapter 15:1-35

Chapter 15 ends the section of Acts where Paul turns to the Gentiles. In this chapter we read of the debate in Jerusalem over the acceptance of the Gentiles. The biggest debate was whether the new Gentile believers had to be circumcised or had to adhere to the Jewish customs in order to be part of the Christian family.

We see right in the beginning of this chapter that there were many Gentiles in the church at Antioch, and there was no indication given that they had been circumcised when they became believers. This disturbed some of the Jewish Christians who came from Judea and insisted that circumcision and strict obedience to the Jewish law was necessary for salvation. Sounds like some churches today. These Jewish Christians shared the views of those in the “circumcision party,” who are identified as the sect of Pharisees who challenged Peter for having table fellowship with Cornelius (11:2). This group represented the strict Jewish viewpoint that said there is no salvation apart from belonging to the covenant community, the people of Israel. I am so glad that God provided a way for all of us to be saved through Jesus Christ, the early Christian leaders knew this but the hardcore strict Jewish Christians did not. They believed that a Gentile believer must take on the physical signs of the covenant. So Paul and Barnabas knowing better began to dispute them, citing that they gave no requirements like this to the Gentile believers in their recent mission.

Paul and Barnabas were then sent back to Jerusalem. The distance between Antioch and Jerusalem is more than 250 miles and tit may have taken them a month or two to travel, so they used that opportunity to visit the different congregations on the way. While they visited they spoke to each of them about the successful journey they had and the new Gentile believers that had been won to Christ. It seems that many of the congregations were happy and rejoiced at the news of their mission to the Gentiles. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the “apostles and elders” (v.4). These would be the central group and Peter would have been the spokesperson for the apostles and James would have been the spokesman for the elders. Here Paul and Barnabas gave the account of their mission and discussed with the leaders of everything God had done through them with the Gentiles, the emphasis was on God’s blessing and that was essential. They had to explain how it was God’s leading that was so evident in accepting the Gentiles even without the law, and this would also help and determine the final outcome of the conference that was to take place. In verse 5 we read of some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and proclaimed that “the Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.” This group may have been some of the group that was causing the problems trying to stir up controversy in Antioch. If not they shared the same belief as the others. It is not surprising that some of the Pharisees became Christians, many of them believed in the resurrection, life after death, and the coming Messiah and they are sometimes even shown in Acts defending the Christians against the Sadducees. The Sadducees had much less in common with the Christian views. The biggest barrier between the Pharisees and the Christians was that the Pharisees were big on the oral tradition and the law and Jesus, Paul and the others rejected it as human tradition.

Verses 6-21 is the debate in Jerusalem. Where the main issue was circumcision. There were two major witnesses in the debate and both of them were in defense of the Gentiles and how they should not be burdened and bound by circumcision and the law. We first read of Peter’s witness in verses 7-11. If you can imagine this was probably a very lively discussion. Peter began to speak and began by reminding the assembly of his own experience in the household of Cornelius and that it was God who had chosen him to witness to the Gentiles. This would have been something that all of them, including the pro circumcision believers would have remembered and would have known about. He tried to explain that this meant that God looks at the heart and not the external matters. God is no respecter of persons (10:34). The fact that they had received the Spirit just like Peter and the Jewish Christians had been proof that God accepted Cornelius and his family just as they were, He purified their hearts by faith (10:15). Peter concludes his witness still with the experience of Cornelius, and stated that God accepted the Gentiles at Cornelius’s house without circumcision and without the “yoke” of the law. The other thing that is important here is that Peter was not urging the Jewish Christians to abandon the law and did not expect them to live by it, he was only saying that faith and believing in the saving grace of the Lord Jesus (v. 11) saved the Gentiles.

James testimony is found in verses 13-21. First we read in verse 12 that the end of Peter’s speech brought the entire assembly to silence. Now it was time for Paul and Barnabas to give their testimony of God’s work in their missionary to the entire congregation. Paul and Barnabas offered no defense like Peter and James did, they only described and showed how God endorsed it. After Paul and Barnabas completed their testimony James, the brother of Jesus, rose to speak. We see in Galatians 2:9 of James’ role at the Jerusalem conference. Here he is called one of the “pillars” of the church along with Peter and John. James here continues the defense of Peter’s position that the Gentiles should not be required to be circumcised or embrace the Jewish law. Peter’s argument was based mostly on his personal experience, James we read in verses 14-18 furthered Peter’s position by giving Scriptural grounding. In verses 19-21 after realizing that this creates real problems for Jewish Christians in their fellowship with Gentile Christians, he offered a suggestion for taking care of that situation. That was that Gentiles should not be given undue difficulties or unnecessary obstacles, but they should be directed to abstain from four things: from food offered to idols, from sexual immorality (porneia), from the meat of strangled animals (pnikton), and from blood (haima). The four requirements here were all basic ritual requirements and was aimed at making fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians possible. It also was not difficult or unnecessary for the Gentiles to follow.

Verses 22-29 ends the conference and the decision is made. A letter is sent from the apostles and elders and is sent to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia outlining what the decision was. The end of this chapter we read of the men who were picked (Paul, Barnabas, Judas and Silas) to deliver the decision to the church in Antioch. When they arrived the church gathered and the letter was read in the presence of all. Everyone found the message “encouraging” (v. 31). Judas and Silas stayed for a little while to encourage and strengthen them but then returned to Jerusalem while Paul and Barnabas stayed and continued to preach and teach.

The Book of Acts Bible Study Chapter 14:1-28

In chapter 14 we continue to read of Paul’s journey and ministry to the Gentiles. Chapter 14 starts out with Paul and Barnabas in Iconium and they are first at their usual spot, the Jewish synagogue. To get to Iconium was not an easy journey for them. It was ninety miles southeast of Antioch by the Sebastian way, Iconium was located on a plateau 3.370 feet in elevation. The city was in many ways Hellenized because it was under Seleucid rule during the second and third centuries before Christ. In the day of Paul it was very evident of the Roman influence. If you remember Paul’s words in Pisidian Antioch they were pretty definitive about turning to the Gentiles (13:46), but since he was preaching to the Jews as well as the Gentiles it would have only applied to that city. We see that the usual method of Paul’s is to go first to the synagogues. This would show us that Paul never gave up on the Jews, he knew that some would gladly hear the message of the Messiah’s coming. Another thing this shows us is that since there would be present in the synagogues Gentile proselytes and other Gentiles who believed in God it would do good for him to be in there because they would be open to the inclusive message of the Gospel. Look at the contrast between verse 1 and verse 2 here, verse 1 tells us they had great success among these groups but then in verse 2 we are also told of the reaction of the unbelieving Jews. Not only did they resist the missionaries’ witness,  but they also poisoned the minds of the Gentile populace against the Christian witness. In verse 3 Luke starts off with “so” and many scholars wonder why. If you read verse 4 it seems to flow more naturally after verse 2 and many wonder if verse 3 is a later scribal add on and not part of the original text of Acts. I believe that this is not so, I think verse 3 is in deliberate tension with the preceding verse and so it emphasizes the power of the Christian witness and that as always God was behind it. God was behind their witness even when in verse 2 we see a strong resistance to the Christian witnesses and they were still able to move forward. They for sure had the power of the Holy Spirit within them to speak boldly for the Lord. It is also interesting to note that in verse 4 Luke calls Paul and Barnabas “apostles.” The only other place than here that he uses this term other than the 12 disciples is in Acts 14:14. The word apostle literally means one who is sent and Paul does use it often when he refers to his own commission as an emissary of Christ. He also applied the term to others like James (Galatians 1:19; 1 Corinthians 15:7), Andronicus and Juanis (Romans 16:7), and unnamed group of people who were not part of the Twelve (1 Corinthians 15:7). Luke here and in 14:14 probably was just indicating that Paul and Barnabas were delegates of the Antioch church. In verse 5-7 the opposition of the two grew so great that there were now plots to stone them, they heard about this and fled to Lystra and Derby and continued to preach the Good News.

In verses 8-21 we read of Paul and Barnabas preaching to pagans at Lystra. This seems to be the major episode of chapter 14 and takes up the majority of the chapter. In verse 8-10 we read of the lame man being healed in Lystra. Lystra was identified only in 1885 and it lies near the modern village of Khatyn Serai. It is located in the hill country and is surrounded  by mountains. It was a small country in the day of Paul and is 100 miles or so northwest of Pisidian Antioch. The healing of the lame man here has many features in common with Peter’s healing of Aeneas (Acts 9:32-35) as well as the healing of the lame man at the temple gate (Acts 3:2-10). Like the man at the temple gate this man had been lame from birth, and like the man at the beautiful gate this man leaped up and walked when he was healed. There are also some differences in the narratives. The biggest difference is that here it says that he had faith to be healed, this would indicate that he had a glimmer of faith, this may have been from him listening to Paul speaking of the Gospel.

There does not seem to be any synagogue in Lystra because we do not read of Paul going to any, and it seems that Lystra may have been primarily Gentile pagans. We see this in verses 11-13 with the people’s reaction to the healing of the lame man, they are thinking of Paul and Barnabas as “gods.” Since they were saying this in their own language Paul and Barnabas may not have realized they were thinking of them as “gods” but as they continued they may have begun to realize what was going on especially when the priest of Zeus arrived with bulls for sacrifice. We read of their response to this in verses 14-18. We read that Paul and Barnabas were upset about what was going on, and they “tore their clothes.” The tearing of one’s clothes is found in other parts of the Bible and is used to mean mourning (Genesis 37:29, 34), in distress (Joshua 7:6), and in protest of a perceived blasphemy (Mark 14:63). Here it is used in protest and intending to stop what was about to happen, the sacrifice. They shouted to them that they are humans just like them, and once they gained their attention they explained their protest in a mini sermon. This is also the first sermon in Acts to a purely pagan group so they had to start at the very beginning to teach them and teach them there is only one God.

We see that their witness was cut short and verse 18 indicates that the sermon was cut off. The crowd still intended on sacrificing them. The time for them in Lystra was not over however and in verses 19-20 we read of the crowd being turned against them by some of the Jews from Antioch and Iconium and Paul was stoned and dragged outside the city where they thought he was dead. Some believe that this is a miracle and that Paul had died here, but we can clearly read that they “thought” he was dead indicating that he was not just hurt severely. We do see a miracle here in that God delivered them from this dire threat and shows God’s protective providence which is always a miracle.

Verses 20-21 tells us Paul and Barnabas did not stay in Lystra and left for Derbe which was 60 miles southwest of Lystra. There they preached and won a large number to the Lord. Luke does not give too much depth on the ministry here only that many accepted the Gospel. The final verses of chapter 14 tells us the return to Antioch. They returned the way they had come, revisiting newly established churches along the way. In each of the congregations they did three essential things, they strengthened the disciples, they encouraged them to remain true to the faith, and pointed out the many hardships they might encounter for bearing witness to the name of Jesus. They knew this because they themselves faced much persecution on this trip in almost every city they witnessed in.

This completes the first missionary journey and they reported what had happened to the sponsoring congregation and verse 27 marks a transition and that is the subject of opening “the door of faith to the Gentiles” which in the next chapter we see is a main topic of the Jerusalem Conference. Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch for a long time, and word would be getting out to Jerusalem of the Gentile witness and would provoke the major debate that is the subject of Chapter 15.

The Book of Acts Bible Study Chapter 13:1-52

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter, sorry it has been a little bit since I posted but was very busy over the holiday with work, family and trying to catch up on assignments for school. I am hoping to get this study over soon, so let’s move on.

Chapter 13 is a long one and starts a new section in Acts. This is where Paul turns to the Gentiles. This section will take us from chapter 13 to chapter 15. This is also what we would consider for them “the ends of the earth” remember from Acts 1:8.

In chapter 11:19 we read about the Antioch church being the first Christian congregation to witness to Gentiles in its own city. Now it becomes the first to send missionaries into the larger world. Antioch was the first church to see the vision of foreign missions. The ministry of Paul becomes the center of attention. The three dominant themes in chapter 13 are 1. increased interest on the part of the Gentiles for the message of the Good News. 2. opposition by the Jews. 3. the success of Paul’s ministry as more and more people believe.

In verse 1 it talks about the prophets, prophets had a significant role in the early church they were preachers of God’s Word and were responsible in the early years of the church to instruct local congregations. Sometimes they received new revelation from God. We see many people today who call themselves prophet but this function ended with the cessation of the temporary sign gifts. The canon is closed so there is no new revelation from God for the church. This office was replaced by pastor and evangelists. In verse 3 we read of them fasting, praying and laying their hands on them before sending them off. This shows the congregation responding in faith to the mission. It does not say who laid hands on them and it is not meant to be seen as some type of ordination, but more of a symbol that the congregation was endorsing the work of the two.

Starting in verse 4 Paul and Barnabas set of on their mission by departing from Seleucia which is the main port for Antioch. Paul and Barnabas land at Salamis which is the closest Cypriot port to Seleucia. This shows us a pattern of Paul’s where there were local synagogues, that is where he started preaching when he arrived in a city. We also read in verse 5 that John-Mark was with them. Verse 6 tells us they then traveled to Paphos which is 90 miles west of Salamis. This is where we meet Sergius Paulus. He was a proconsul, which was a Roman official who served as provincial governor. Paul’s attempt to witness to the proconsul did not go unopposed. There was a certain Jewish “false prophet” named Bar-Jesus. Bar-Jesus was a trickster and claimed he had power, which was false. He was also called Elymas which is the Greek name of Bar-Jesus and a transliteration of the Arabic word for magician. Bar-Jesus like many other false prophets were highly knowledgable and very smooth. Bar-Jesus most likely offered his services to Paulus in divining the future for him.

In verse 9 we read that Saul, also called Paul turned on Elymas with a vengeance and was filled with the Holy Spirit and denounced Elymas calling him a “child of the devil.” If we also look at the name Bar-Jesus in Aramaic it is Bar-Jeshua which means son of the Savior. But as Paul said, he was not that at all but the son of the devil. Paul’s language here is filled with Old Testament phrases and he is showing that Elymas is an enemy of God and filled with deceit. In verse 11 we see the judgement of God through Paul’s prediction of “mist and darkness.” The blindness would be limited for a time and we do not know how long it would be, but one thing we know is that it would be until the time that is appointed by the Lord. Verse 12 describes the effect the miracle had on the proconsul, he believed not only was he impressed by the miracle but also by the teachings about the Lord.

The remainder of chapter 13 is set primarily in Pisidian Antioch. It contains three main parts. 1. the journey to Antioch and the setting of the stage for Paul’s speech in the synagogue (v. 13-16). 2. Paul’s address to the synagogue (v. 16-41) and 3. the final response of the Jews and Gentiles on the occasion of a second visit to the synagogue in Antioch (v. 42-52).

A couple of points that are of importance are in verse 13 we read of John-Mark leaving them for an unknown reason, and as we will read in chapter 15:38 this was a problem for Paul. Even though John-Mark deserted them it still did not hamper the mission, but as we will also see later this would put dissension between Paul and Barnabas which would later be resolved (Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11).

In verses 16-41 is the sermon of Paul’s. It has much in common with Peter’s speeches with an emphasis of the Jerusalem Jews’ responsibility for Jesus’ death, the contrast between the death on the cross and the triumphant resurrection, the apostolic witness, the proofs from the Scripture, and a call to repentance. This sermon also has some similarity to Stephen’s speech with the long introduction of Jewish history. Unlike Stephen’s speech Paul uses Old Testament history to depict the rebelliousness of the Jews toward their divinely chosen leaders, and to show God’s faithfulness to His promises for Israel, promises that were ultimately fulfilled in Christ. In verse 16-25 he speaks of the promise to Israel, verses 26-37 he speaks of the promise fulfilled in Christ, and finally in verses 38-41 the appeal to accept the promise.

Verses 42-52 is the sermons aftermath. In verse 43 it talks about devout converts ho were full converts to Judaism who were circumcised, and they continued in the grace of God. Those who are truly saved persevere and validate the reality of their salvation by continuing in the grace of God. In verse 46 Paul and Barnabas answer them by saying “first to you.” God offered the plan of salvation to the Jews first, even though the thrust of Paul’s ministry was to the Gentiles, he also had a desire to see Jews saved. Because the Jews rejected the gospel, they were “turning to the Gentiles.” But we know that God’s plan of salvation was never an exclusive possession of the Jews. Paul backs his decision to turn to the Gentiles by quoting Isaiah 49:6.

In verse 48 we see that the Gentiles were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. Many of them believed and accepted Christ as Savior, they were “appointed for eternal life,” in this phrase we see the same balance between human volition and divine providence that is found throughout Acts. The Gentiles took an active role in believing and committing themselves to Christ, but it was in response to God’s Spirit moving in them, convicting them, appointing them for life. Remember all salvation is ultimately only by the grace of God.

The Antioch mission ended with both opposition and success. The gospel was well received by the Gentiles and spread throughout the region, but the rejection by the Jews became even stronger and eventually broke out in outright persecution of Paul and Barnabas. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. This symbolism of Paul and Barnabas’s act is clear that they considered the Jews at Antioch no better than heathen’s This was a very strong condemnation, and as always we read in the end that they were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. The mission to bring the gospel to all the world was in full effect.

The Book of Acts Bible Study Chapter 12:1-25

In chapter 12 we move from the witness to the Gentiles now to the persecution again in Jerusalem. We see in verses 1-5 the persecution of the apostles by Herod Agrippa, to Peter’s miraculous deliverance from prison in verse 6-19a. In verses 19b-23 we read of Herod’s self-destruction through his own arrogance and finally peace for the church in verses 24-25. The apostles seemed to have been untouched by much of the persecution after Stephen’s martyrdom, but this all changed with Herod Agrippa’s rule over Judea. This is when the apostles became a target as he attempted to suppress the Christians. In the beginning of chapter 12 we see King Herod arrest some of the Christians and began persecuting them. The Greek of verse 1 is more vivid and says he “laid violent hands” on some of the Christians. If you look into King Herod Agrippa’s family and past you will understand his relationship to the Jews. Agrippa was the grandson of Herod the Great. His father, Aristobulus, was executed in 7 B.C. by his grandfather because he feared he may take his throne by force. Agrippa was still a child when his father was killed, and he was sent to Rome with his mother. He was raised there and educated along with the children of Roman aristocracy. The friendships he made there led to his ruling over a Jewish kingdom almost to the extent of his grandfather. In A.D. 37 the emperor Caligula gave him the title of king and made him ruler over territories that were ruled before by his uncle Philip north of Galilee. In A.D. 39 Agrippa’s rule was extended to Galilee and Perea, which is the territory of his uncle Antipas who was sent into exile. His former schoolmate Claudius became emperor in A.D. 41, and he was given rule over Judea and Samaria, which was under Roman procurators for thirty-five years. he was truly king of the Jews and ruled over Judea, Samaria, Galilee, the Transjordan, and the Decapolis. He was not always in good graces with Rome ans used his friendship with Caligula for security and persecution of the Christians was another way to make them happy. He thought it was important to win his loyalty of his Jewish subjects, but when he was away he lived in a thoroughly Roman fashion.

James, the brother of John was the first martyr. He was killed “with a sword.” If James was killed “with a sword” by Herod in true Roman fashion it would have meant he was beheaded. If it was the Jewish mode, since they fobid beheading, then the edge of the sword would have been thrust through his body.Verses 3-5 we read that this action pleased the Jews and so he set his sights on the chief of the apostles, Peter, arrests him and places him into prison. Some may ask why Peter was put in prison instead of being killed. Luke writes that it was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and by executing Peter during this time would risk his favorable status with the Jews. After the entire period of Passover is when Agrippa was going to bring Peter out for a public trial where he would have been executed for sure. Peter being guarded heavily was a common Roman practice, as well as changing them every three hours this would make sure they stayed awake and alert. Another reason was maybe Agrippa was told by the Sanhedrin of their experience with attempting to jail the apostles (Acts 5:19). This time while Peter was in prison the apostles gave him their main means of assistance, they prayed continually for him (v. 5).

Verses 6-19a we read about peter’s miraculous deliverance from the jail the night before his trial. This is a last minute saving of the apostle for sure. Peter is sleeping, bound with chains, maybe thinking this will be the end for him but he is sleeping peaceful because he knows that God is in complete control and that his life is in God’s hands. We then read that an angel of the Lord appeared, and there was a flash of heavenly light that filled the cell. Peter was still asleep and the angel had to get him up. Peter had no idea what was happening to him and the angel had to direct every one of his moves, he told him, “get up,” “put your coat on,” “tie your sandals,” “follow me.” We see from this that this is not Peter’s own escape but the Lord saving him from death. Still half asleep Peter did as the angel told him, and he thought he was seeing a vision (v. 9). We also read each step they take and how many gates and barriers they had to go through for Peter’s deliverance. After the angel disappeared Peter finally came to be fully alert and awake when he realized that God had delivered him from Herod and the death he would have surly faced (v.11).

Verse 12 starts a new scene to the Christian community who had been praying non stop for Peter. One of the groups was staying at the home of John Mark’s mother, so that’s where Peter went. In verse 12 it is unusual for Mary to be identified through Mark, usually the child was identified through the parent. The reason it was worded this way may be that mark was more well known of the two within the Christian community, or there may have been several prominent women named Mary in the early church. We also know that john Mark would play a significant role in the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas (12:25; 13:5, 13; 15:37, 39).

I always get a little laugh when I read verses 13-14 in the account of the servant-girl Rhoda. Rhoda was a common Greek name, and meant rose. Peter arrived and stood at the outer gate. Rhoda would have been responsible for keeping the gate. When Peter knocked, she hurried to the gate to see who was there. She was so excited to see Peter, she ran back to tell the others the good news, but left Peter standing at the door. I can imagine poor Peter just standing there waiting, but also a little agitated knowing that they would be looking for him soon since he just escaped from the jail. Rhoda told the others Peter was at the door and they did not believe it and only thought it was “his angel.” The Jewish belief was that each person has a guardian angel, and they also believed that the angel appears immediately after a person’s death so they must have thought Peter had been killed and went to heaven. It seems they thought it was easier to believe this rather then God saving him.

Verse 17 is a key verse, it gives three pieces of information. 1. Peter’s report of his miraculous delivery 2. his instruction to tell the news to James 3. his departure for “another place” where he could find refuge. In verses 18-19a we read that the guards wake up and found no one attached to their chains as well as no evidence of an escape other then the fact that Peter was gone. Agrippa finding this out had the guards executed.

We then read of Herod’s self-destructive arrogance. We read of Agrippa going to Caesarea where he would sit down with two groups he had been quarreling with. They worked out peace between each other and after Herod spoke they thought he was a “god” and because he accepted that praise and did not give God the praise He was violently killed and eaten by worms (v. 23).

The last two verses tells us that the Word of God continued to spread and with the removal of Agrippa the persecution of the church had ended. Verse 25 moves to the return of Paul and Barnabas to Antioch on completion of their mission of delivering the famine relief offering (11:30). They also took their companion John Mark and the church at Antioch would soon send the three of them on a mission which we will read about in chapter 13.

The Book of Acts Study Chapter 11:1-30

In chapter 11 we now know that salvation was not only meant for the Jews but also for gentiles which means salvation through Christ is for everyone. Peter was convinced from what had just happened in his vision and the salvation of the Gentile Cornelius and his house that God’s inclusion of the Gentiles was real. Now he had to try to convince the Jewish-Christians in Jerusalem of this. It seems Luke tells us that the strongest reservations of this was coming from a conservative Jewish Christian group whom Luke calls “those of the circumcision” or “circumcised believers.” This may be a distinction from the apostles and a wider group of Judean believers mentioned in verse 1. They represented a strongly Jewish perspective and they probably felt that any Gentile who became a Christian would have to also convert to Judaism and be circumcised. This would be understanding since this Christianity was still only seen as a movement within Judaism. I think that if they would have been forced to convert the Gentile mission would never have been effective since most gentiles had a problem with some of the external aspects of Judaism such as circumcision and the food laws. In verse 3-12 we see the interaction between Peter and circumcised group, and they seemed to focus on him having a table fellowship with the Gentiles rather than about their being baptized. With Peter eating with them it shows his acceptance of the Gentiles as being fellow Christians, and yet they were still uncircumcised. So Peter responds to them with what the real issue was…God’s acceptance of the Gentiles. Luke then summarizes chapter 10 as Peter explains his vision in verses 5-10 and in verse 13-14 it summarizes Cornelius’s vision and how the angel instructed him to send to Joppa for Peter. Verse 14 is more specific than it was in chapter 10, and Peter made sure to tell them in verse 15 that the Spirit came upon them just “as He had come upon us at the beginning.” Peter concluded his report in Jerusalem by reminding them that God gave the gift of the Spirit to the Gentiles, he also said “Who was I to think that I could oppose God?” He felt that if he opposed the Gentiles baptism he would be in direct opposition to God. What could this group of legalists say about that? They then began to praise God in triumph of the advance of the Gospel.

We read in chapter 11 that it is devoted to the foundational events in the Gentile mission of the church. Two different churches play a primary role the Jerusalem church that is led by the apostles and consisted mainly of Aramaic-speaking Jewish Christians and the Antioch church, established by Hellenists who were Greek-speaking Jewish Christians who fled Jerusalem after Stephen was martyred. Antioch was the third largest city in the Roman Empire so it was a natural setting for the Gentile mission. The beginnings of the mission are traced in chapter 11:19-26. Verses 19-21 depict the establishment of the church at Antioch and the beginnings of the Gentile outreach, verses 22-24 deal with the endorsement of the Antioch witness by the church in Jerusalem, verses 25-26 show the increase of the mission through Paul to the Gentiles. Finally in verses 27-30 it illustrates the unity of the entire Christian community.

In verse 22 we read that Barnabas was sent by Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the “mother church” for the Christians then. It was the church of the apostles, the link to Jesus so it was only natural for the Jerusalem church to show interest in the Christian witness wherever it was. We read this concern already in their sending Peter and John to Philip’s mission in Samaria (8:14-17) as well as their inquiring of peter about his witness to Cornelius (11:1-18). We will also read about it when Paul and Barnabas report to Jerusalem on their successful Gentile mission (15:1-35). This could have been seen as a sort of supervision, although they did not send the apostles they sent a non apostolic delegate Barnabas, “the son of encouragement” (4:36).

Barnabas also would have had a natural relationship with the Hellenists, he was a native of Cyprus and he spoke fluent Greek. When Barnabas arrived he was able to see the “grace of God” at work in the Gentile converts and he rejoiced. Luke also mentioned two things here about Barnabas. He said he was a “good man” (v. 24) this is the same phrase Luke used of only Joseph of Arimathea (Luke 23:50) and he said he was “full of the Holy Spirit and faith,” just like Stephen (Acts 6:5). When Barnabas arrived he was an encouragement and did not criticize. We need more people like Barnabas in the church, people who will be an encouragement and be full of the Holy Spirit and faith.

Verse 25-26 Barnabas needed help with the growing missionary success in Antioch and Paul came to his mind. The verb Luke uses here means to seek out and implies he had some difficulty in finding him. Paul was most likely off in his own missionary activity. Barnabas finally found him and brought him back to Antioch where they both taught and preached to “great numbers” (v. 26). this would also prepare them for their first mission together in Cyprus and southern Turkey (13:4-14:26). In verse 26 Luke makes an interesting note at the end that the term “Christian” was first applied to the disciples in Antioch. This term only occurs in two other places in the New Testament (Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). In all three instances it is a term used by outsiders to designate Christians. It seems this term was not used originally by the Christians themselves. They usually used terms such as “believers, disciples, and brothers.” The first extensive use by a Christian writer to designate fellow believers was by Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, around the turn of the second century. The term (Christianoi) consists of the Greek word for Christ/Messiah (Christos) with the Latin ending ianus, which means belonging to, or identified by. The early usage in Antioch is indicative of two things, first it is the sort of term Gentiles would have used and reflects the success of Antioch’s Gentile mission. Gentiles were dubbing their fellow Gentiles who became followers of Christ “Christians.” Second it shows that Christianity was beginning to have an identity of its own and was no longer viewed as only a total Jewish entity.

Verses 27-30 concludes the Antioch narrative with the tradition of relief offering sent by the Antioch church to Jerusalem during a time of severe famine. This is the first time we are introduced to the prophet Agabus, he had the gift of foretelling and the gift was again manifested in 21:10-11 when he prophesied Paul’s impending arrest in Jerusalem in a very graphic way. He is said to be on of a group of prophets who came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Agabus also predicted there would be a worldwide famine when he was in Antioch. Luke adds that this famine did happen in the time of Claudius, who was Roman emperor from A.D. 41-54. At the end of the chapter we read that Paul and Barnabas laid the gift from Antioch at the feet of the elders. This is the first mention of the men who were pastor-overseers of the churches. These men soon began to occupy the leading role in the churches transitioning from the apostles and prophets, who were foundational.

The Book of Acts Study Chapter 10:1-48

Sorry I haven’t written on the study of Acts for a few days, it has been hectic with work and starting two new classes so lets move on to chapter 10. In Chapter 10 we read about Peter witness to a Gentile God-fearer named Cornelius. In verses 1-8 Cornelius receives a vision. Verses 9-16 we read about Peter’s vision. Verses 17-23 tells us of Peter’s visit to Cornelius. Verses 24-33 they share their visions. Verses 34-43 is Peter’s witness and verses 44-48 we see the impartiality of the Spirit.

This is great chapter and this chapter marks a high point in the expanding mission of the church. Peter was led to witness to a Gentile named Cornelius. This is the time that Peter became fully convinced of God’s purposes to reach ALL people. There were two major issues the Jewish Christians ran into in the Gentile mission. The first was a question of whether Gentiles had to become Jews in order to become Christians (should they be circumcised and should they obey the kosher food laws) and the second was the table fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Gentiles did not follow kosher practices the Jewish Christians would be exposed to a situation of compromise when they associated with them. This is why when Peter had his vision in this chapter in Joppa it involved the question of clean and unclean foods.

The first section tells us about the vision of Cornelius. Cornelius is a centurion of the Italian regiment who lived in Caesarea. He was a military man and had the rank of centurion, which placed him in the command of 100 soldiers. If you remember Jesus also had an encounter with a centurion in Luke 7:1-10. Centurions are generally depicted in a favorable way in the Gospels and Acts. Verse 2 shows that he and his family were devout God-fearers. Cornelius was already prepared for the gospel he was about to hear. Being a devout God-fearer would mean he was a Gentile who worshiped God and supported the Jewish religious community. He also is said to have performed the two of the three main acts of Jewish piety, prayer and alms giving. The only one that is not mentioned is fasting. Starting in verse 3 we read of God speaking to Cornelius. God’s agent in speaking to Cornelius was an angel. It was during one of Cornelius’s prayer times, which in Luke-Acts this is a time that Luke uses as the opportunity for leading new avenues of ministry. In verse 4 we read of Cornelius standing in fear or in awe and reverence. Just as Paul did, Cornelius greeted his heavenly visitor with respect saying “Lord.” The angel said that God knew of his piety and that his prayer and acts had gone up as a memorial offering in the presence of God. Memorial is a remembrance meaning that Cornelius’s prayers, devotion, faith, and goodness were like a fragrant offering rising up to God. In this dialogue the angel revealed nothing to Cornelius about the ultimate purpose for him, he was only told to send to Joppa for a certain Simon named Peter. He was very much in the dark about what God wanted him to do, but he did not question the angel and did not hesitate to comply with the directions.

In verse 9 we see that the servants had approached the city. Peter was praying on the roof praying. Praying on the roof was a common kind of worship in Jewish homes (2 Kings 23:12; Jeremiah 19:13; 32:29). We then read of Peter being in a trance and then read of his vision. Some scholars see this vision as dealing with food laws, but as we will see the point of Peter’s vision was that God declared the unclean to be clean. If we read Mark 7:24-30 Jesus teaches on clean and unclean immediately following by His ministry to a Gentile woman. Peter’s vision here regarding clean and unclean foods was followed by his witness to a Gentile, Cornelius. Here God is saying he made unity possible in the church of both Jews, symbolized by the clean animals, and Gentiles, symbolized by the unclean animals, through the comprehensive sacrificial death of Christ.

Verses 17-23 we read that Peter is still in the dark about the meaning of his vision, the men Cornelius sent made it to Peter’s house and called out for him. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit called out to him and directed him to go and meet them. Peter introduces himself to them, and they tell him why they are there. In verse 23 it is interesting because Peter invites them in. A self respecting Jew did not invite any Gentiles in their home, especially soldiers of the Roman army who were hated. In the last sentence we read of “brothers from Joppa” going along. These would have been Jewish believers.

They all arrive in Joppa the next day and in verse 25-26 we see Cornelius fall at his feet in reverence. Peter tells him to stand up, he told him he is only a man as he is. This would be a way of telling Cornelius that he is not to be worshiped but the triune God only deserves our worship. Cornelius had family and close friends there that he invited and Peter and Cornelius share their visions with each other. Instead of giving an account of his vision peter spoke of the conclusion he had come to from the vision. The vision stated that all are God’s creatures and all are declared clean. The old purity laws no longer separated Jew from Gentile. verses 30-32 gives the account of Cornelius for the third time and is a summary of verse 3-8. In verse 33 we read that everyone there, including Peter knew that God had brought them together. Cornelius knew that God sent Peter for something important that’s why he invited his family and close friends. They waited to hear peter’s message, his message from God.

Verses 34-43 is Peter’s witness. Peter spoke that God shows no favoritism, He accepts people of every nations and that Jesus is “Lord of all.” He then spoke of the baptism that john proclaimed and that God anointed Jesus, which was the beginning of His earthly ministry. This part of Acts is unique because the speech gives much attention to the ministry of Jesus.

In verse 39 Peter turned to his role as apostolic witness to the entire ministry of Jesus and above all to His death and resurrection. Peter concluded referring to his witness to Jesus’ command for them to preach the word (Acts 1:8). In verse 43 Peter tells them the means of salvation, which is faith in Christ alone. While Peter was still speaking the Holy Spirit descended upon all the Gentiles that assembled in Cornelius’s house. They all began to speak in tongues and began praising God. It was an audible and visible demonstration of the Spirit coming upon them. Peter and the other jewish Christians were astounded by what they were witnessing that God had given the gift of the Spirit to the Gentiles. This is often described as the “Gentile Pentecost.” Peter then called for the baptism of the Gentiles (v. 47) which is almost the same way of the Ethiopian eunuch’s request for baptism. The chapter ends with Peter staying several days with his new Christian brothers and sisters in Caesarea. What an awesome chapter this is.