The Book
of Acts
By Charles Box,
Waiting
For Power From On High
Acts One
Acts is the book that reveals the history of the New Testament church. If the book of Acts was taken out of our New Testament, we would never understand the rest of it. Luke is the author of the book Acts. He was also the author of the Gospel of Luke. Luke and Acts together make up about 28% of our New Testament. The book of Acts is God's divine book on the subject of church history.
If we are ever to
understand New Testament Christianity we must have knowledge of the beginning
and growth of the church. The importance of the book of Acts is seen in the
words of Acts 1:3. Luke spoke of those "To whom the Lord
shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being
seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the
The common elements in all of the preaching throughout the book of Acts are: (1) Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of Old Testament, (2) Jesus is the Messiah, (3) He had a great miracle working ministry, (4) He was crucified as a sin sacrifice, (5) He was raised from the dead on the third day, (6) He now reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords, (7) He will come again, (8) The world will be judged by His word, (9) therefore, all men everywhere need to hear this message, repent of sins, be baptized for the remission of sins and serve God out of a heart of deep love.
The events of the first chapter of Acts took place in the ten days that elapsed from the day of the ascension of Jesus Christ to the Jewish feast day of Pentecost. Luke begins with a brief review of the history of the life of Christ, His gospel and good works. The book of Acts, like the Gospel of Luke was written to Theophilus. The book starts with and stays with the theme of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. During the forty days following His resurrection Jesus had given much instruction to His disciples.
Acts One provides a brief, but
powerful look at Christ's ascension into heaven. His disciples were witnesses to
the ascension. The apostles were commanded to go to
Jesus was presented
alive Acts 1:1-3: The book of Acts is a
letter addressed to one man, Theophilus. It is, however, a message for everyone.
It is a continuation of where Luke had left off at the conclusion of his gospel.
In his gospel Luke wrote of what Jesus began to do and to teach. Jesus chose
twelve men to be His apostles. Just before His ascension to heaven he gave
them explicit commands as to where they should go and what they should preach.
"And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it
behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all
nations, beginning at
Jesus showed Himself alive
after His sufferings and death. He was presented alive to speak things
pertaining to the kingdom or church. During a forty day period following His
resurrection Christ was not only seen of the disciples at certain times, but He
was also heard by them. He spoke of the things pertaining to the
Jesus promised the Holy Ghost
Acts 1:4-8: The apostles were to wait in
The apostles learned that they were responsible for preaching the gospel to every creature. Christians are responsible for the evangelism of the world in each generation. Every man on earth is lending his influence in behalf of either truth or falsehood. Faith in the risen Christ gave tremendous power to the apostles' preaching and it should likewise move us to evangelism.
Jesus ascended to heaven Acts 1:9-12: The apostles were allowed to witness the ascension of the Lord. The Lord Jesus was "taken up" because "up" is where God is. Heaven is where Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of God. The ascension of Jesus is in perfect harmony with the other parts of His history. Jesus' ascension was a fitting and natural termination of His earthly ministry.
This same Jesus who died to save us and that ascended back to heaven shall come again. He shall come in the same manner as He ascended. He will come in the clouds of heaven, and shall be attended with His mighty angels. He shall descend Himself in person, with a shout, and with the sound of a trumpet, to receive His own. They will meet Him in the air. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Jesus had said, "wait in
There can be no living apostles in the church today. Observe that specific requirements set forth for one to be an apostle. "Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection." (Acts 1:21-22) The choice for an apostle was to be from among the men, and not the women. Women did not bear any office, or exercise any authority in the church. An apostle had to be eyewitness of Jesus' resurrection; otherwise he could no be a witness at all.
To become a
Christian you must hear the gospel (Romans
The
Acts Two
The
Lord Jesus had promised, "Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not
taste of death, till they have seen the
On the day of Pentecost following our Lord's resurrection the
disciples were assembled and waiting in
On that Pentecost day the Holy Ghost came on the apostles with a
sound as a mighty rushing
wind. There appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire. The
apostles were given power to speak in languages that they had never
studied. This was to make it possible for them to preach to Jews from every
nation in their own language. The reactions were very different as to what happened on
Pentecost: (1) some of the
The apostles used the events of Pentecost to preach Jesus to these people. Peter's sermon had three points: (1) He spoke of how Jesus fulfilled prophecy, (2) He spoke of the great miracle working ministry of Jesus, and (3) He spoke of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. This sermon both alarmed and convinced many that heard it.
The people inquired as to what they must do. They were told to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, for the remission of sins. The gift of the Holy Ghost was promised to those that obey. About 3,000 people gladly received the word and were baptized. These saved people were added to the church. Those in the church enjoyed a wonderful fellowship.
The Holy Ghost descended Acts 2:1-4: Jesus had promised that
the
Acts two begins "they were all with one accord in one
place." The "They" included Matthias, and the eleven with whom
he was numbered. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost came on the apostles only, not
on the hundred and twenty. There was a sound like a mighty rushing wind and
tongues parting like fire. The apostles spoke the gospel with other tongues or
languages. They were able to preach the gospel in languages they had never
learned.
The
lost are gathered Acts 2:5-15: The sound like a rushing mighty wind
and the tongues parting asunder like fire
resulted in the multitude coming
together. "There were dwelling
at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven." The apostles spoke in the
language of the people who had gathered. They taught these people the
"wonderful works of God in their own language.
The people were especially amazed because the men that spoke were all Galilaeans. At best they were unpolished and unlearned men. They had never attended any school of learning nor had they learned any language but their own. Some wondered what the events of Pentecost meant. Others accused the apostles of being drunk. Peter stood up with the other apostles and said they were not drunk. He said it was only the third hour of the day. No Jew would drink before the first hour of prayer -- nine in the morning.
The sermon is preached Acts 2:16-39: Peter
said the events of Pentecost were predicted by the prophet Joel. This is what
Joel had predicted. The "last
days" refers to the Christian dispensation that was beginning that day.
The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus was accompanied with great natural
wonders spoken of in this chapter.
In the midst of those amazing natural events often associated with God's judgment against nations the hope of salvation is presented. The concern of Peter's sermon was human salvation and the means of obtaining such salvation. Peter preached about the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. Peter's sermon focused on, (1) the fact that Jesus fulfilled prophecy, (2) His great miracle working ministry, and (3) the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord.
The apostles made it clear that salvation comes to believers that will repent and be baptized. On this beginning day of the church about three thousand souls were baptized for remission of sins. These baptized believers were added to the church.
The result is salvation Acts 2:40-47: Only those that gladly
receive the word can be saved. The one that gladly receives the word will be
baptized immediately. They did not eat, sleep nor drink first. Salvation was
the most important thing in the world to them. Those that are added to the
church must remain steadfast in service to God. "And they continued
steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread,
and in prayers." (Acts
All God's people must be together as one in Christ Jesus. "All that believed were together" could not refer to together in one place because the number was so large. They were of one mind and judgment as to Jesus, who He is, what He has done and what we must do to be washed in His blood. The disciples were of one heart and soul. That is why God added all the saved and only the saved to the church. Christians bless and encourage one another and also spread the salvation message to others.
Now is the time to serve God faithfully. To
become a Christian hear the gospel (Romans
The
Prophet Sent From God
Acts Three
There are many sad situations in our
word. As Peter and John entered the Beautiful Gate of the
The people were astonished at what had happened. "And all the
people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat
for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder
and amazement at that which had happened unto him." (Acts 3:9-10) The
apostles were quick to let the people know that the lame man was not healed by
their own power. He was healed through the power of Jesus of Nazareth, whom the
people had crucified.
The purpose of Peter's sermon was to bring these people to Christ.
They were taught to repent of their sin and be converted. The motivation for
such obedience was the fact that Jesus was that prophet spoken of by Moses. The
Old Testament worthies
pointed to Jesus and to the salvation
that can only be obtained through Him. Christ came as fulfillment of the
covenant God had made with Abraham. The purpose of His coming was to turn
sinners from their iniquities.
A lame man needed help Acts 3:1-5: Peter and John
were together often. Here they go together into the
As the apostles entered the
A notable miracle was performed Acts 3:6-10: How
disappointed the poor man must have been when the apostles told him that they
had no money. His disappointment quickly turned to joy when they said,
"such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." (Acts 3:6) Just as Peter had seen
Jesus do, he took the man by the right hand and lifted him up. Where there had
been weakness, immediately there was strength.
The reaction of the man was beautiful. He leaped up, stood and
walked. His cure was perfect and complete. The man joined the apostles as they
went into the
An opportunity to preach the gospel Acts
The apostles charged these people with delivering up Jesus and
killing the Prince of Life. Peter explained that God had glorified Jesus by
raising Him from the dead, setting him at His own right hand, and by this
notable miracle that had been done on the lame man. He gave the people hope by
showing that God had raised Jesus from the dead. Peter said that it was through
ignorance that these people had denied the Son of God. It was no surprise that
Christ suffered. The prophets had predicted that He would.
Recognizing their duty to God Acts 3:19-26: The
people were told to repent and be converted, so that their sins might be
blotted out. Refreshment, joy, and peace come with the blotting out of sins.
God sent Jesus to give them hope. He is that prophet like Moses. The one that
does not hear Jesus will be destroyed from among the people. The work of Jesus
Christ is redemption by His blood.
The primary and immediate thing in view here is the accomplishment
of all those things that had been prophesied by the Old Testament prophets.
They are now being completed in and by Jesus Christ. The message was, "For
Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up
unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things
whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul,
which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the
people." (Acts 3:22-23)
All of His doctrines are to be believed, and all His commands are
to be obeyed. The person that will not believe what He says, nor do what He commands will be destroyed. God will hold us
responsible for what we do with His message. Let us learn that Jesus, the seed
of Abraham, will gladly bless people through the forgiveness of sins.
Have you been converted? Faith in the Christ is the beginning point of an acceptable relationship with God. (Romans 10:17) None can have salvation without hearing and believing the salvation message. (Mark 16:15-16) Repentance is necessary for salvation. (Luke 13:3) Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of action or a change in life. A simple confession of faith in Jesus made by one's mouth is a necessary step in conversion. (Romans 10:9-10) Those that put on Christ must be baptized into Him. "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27) At baptism one stops being out of Christ. If you are saved praise God for what He has done for you.
Preaching Leads
To Prison
Acts Four
The Apostles had healed a man at the Beautiful gate of the Temple. This provided a wonderful opportunity to preach Jesus and His resurrection. The priests and Sadducees were sad that "they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead." The result was that Peter and John were put in prison. "The inherent hatred of truth and righteousness on the part of the powers of darkness was quickly manifested in the bitter opposition encountered by the apostolic preachers of the gospel."
The growth of Christianity was well underway by this time. "Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand." (Acts 4:4) The Apostles were called to answer for their authority to preach and to heal. They were asked, "By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?" (Acts 4:7) Peter and John saw this as simply another opportunity to preach Jesus.
Their accusers could not deny that a notable miracle had been done on the lame man. Yet, they charged the Apostles "not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus." "Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Their time in prison ended with being threatened and dismissed.
Peter and John return to the other Apostles for a period of prayer and praise to God for His goodness. "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31) The result of this early persecution was that the believers were joined together in even stronger love. They cared for the poor by selling their property and goods and sharing with those that had need.
The Apostles were arrested Acts 4:1-4: Peter and John were interrupted as they spoke about Jesus. The priests, captain of the temple and Sadducees caused the trouble. They were grieved because of the preaching about the resurrection of Jesus. The doctrine of the resurrection from the dead was a special grief to the Sadducees. The Apostles not only preached the resurrection of the dead in general, but they said that this man Jesus was raised from the dead.
Peter and John were arrested late in the day. They were kept in prison to be dealt with on the morrow. Even though Peter and John were put in prison many of those that had heard the word believed. The number of Christian men grew to be about five thousand. The apostles had literally become fishers of men.
The Apostles in court Acts 4:5-12: The apostles were examined by the rulers, the chief priests, the Scribes, and elders of the people. They were examined with the question, "By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?" The Holy Ghost directed the Apostles in answering for the faith. They explained that the man had been made whole in the name of Jesus. "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole." (Acts 4:10)
Jesus was shown to be a rejected stone which became the chief corner stone. Jesus is strong, durable, dependable and fit for a foundation for both time and eternity. Salvation can be found only in the name of Jesus. God resolved in His purpose that salvation would be made possible. He appointed his Son to be the salvation of the world. God saves by Him and by no other. Sadly, many reject all that Jesus, in His mercy offers.
The Apostles were threatened Acts 4:13-22: Their persecutors were perplexed by the boldness of Peter and John. They had perceived of Peter and John as being unlearned, ignorant men. However, that is not the way they spoke before their accusers. Those that accused the apostles were unable to deny that a notable miracle had been done. After taking council together they decided that they would forbid the apostles to preach in the name of Jesus.
The Apostles asked their accusers whether they should obey their commands or the will of God. Their conclusion was that they had to speak what they had seen and heard about the resurrection. The apostles knew that souls were perishing without Jesus. They looked to Jesus Christ as the only escape from eternal ruin. They knew that there is no peace of mind or proper life conduct aside from Jesus and His truth. The court released the apostles because they were fearful of the people. They did not care if they offended God, but they were afraid of the people.
The apostles in their own company Acts 4:23-37: When the apostles came back to their own company they: (1) reported what commands and injunctions their accusers had lain upon them, (2) reported what threatenings they had given them, (3) prayed together with the brethren, and (4) praised God. They looked upon God as their heavenly Father in Christ. He was the one to whom they looked for help, and in whom they expected safety, strength and grace. Their request was for boldness that they not be intimidated concerning preaching the Christ.
The result of their prayers was: (1) the place was shaken where they were assembled together, (2) they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and (3) they spoke the word of God with all boldness. The shaking of the house assured them that God was still with them. This was also a time of great unity in the church "One heart and one soul" described the beautiful unity of the early church. They were in total agreement in matters of doctrine. There was a perfect harmony in their practice. Their souls were knit to one another in this large body of Christians.
The liberality of fellow Christians helped meet the needs of poor brethren. Many, like Barnabas, the son of exhortation sold land or other possessions to help those that were in need. "It is quite probable that the land sold by Barnabas constituted his whole estate. Having no family dependent on him, he consecrated his life to unrequited missionary labor. "
They brought this money and laid it at the feet of the Apostles. This giving was done out of gratitude to God and sympathy for man. Others glorify God when they see the good deeds done by Christians.
If you have not started the Christian life "Today is the day of salvation." (II Corinthians 6:2.) To become a Christian hear the gospel (Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus (John 8:24), repent of sins (Acts 17:30) and be baptized to wash away sins. (Acts 22:16) Your attitudes and actions should be molded after the example of the early Christians as they were willing both to live and to die for Jesus. .
The Deceit Of
Ananias And Sapphira
Acts Five
Pictured in Acts chapter five is the deceitful action and death of Ananias and Sapphira. They were killed because of a premeditated sin. Their death had nothing to do with not giving the whole price of their property. They lost their lives because they lied. They lied about the amount they were giving. Their desire was to receive praise of the brethren. Their focus should have been on pleasing God. Sincere love for God should have motivated truthfulness and acceptable service to God.
The Spirit of God made Peter aware of the sins of this couple. This sin, like all sin, had its beginning in the heart. Ananias had conceived this thing in his heart. The crime of Ananias was not keeping part of the money. He could have kept any or all of it. Sadly, both this man and his wife were part of this sinful act. The punishment for their sin was a speedy death.
This practice of discipline caused fear among the Christians and
others as well. "Great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as
heard these things." (Acts
Nothing could stop the apostles from
preaching the gospel. Threatings and beatings could not stop them. They
preached Christ, and Him crucified. They preached the
resurrection from the dead. This was the preaching that most offended the
priests. Whatever our position in life, we should seek to make Christ known,
and to glorify His name. "And daily in the temple, and in every house,
they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." (Acts
The danger of willful sin Acts 5:1-11: Ananias and Sapphira were guilt of a serious, willful sin. A willful sin is a grave, spiritual error for those that want to go to heaven. They agreed to lie about the price that they received for some land. Their desire was to have the praise of men. Ananias' sin was not in keeping the part but in pretending to give the whole.
Ananias was just making a show of charity. None but Satan could have put this lie in Ananias' heart. However, Peter knew of his lies by divine revelation. It was a terrible, premeditated sin. A premeditated sin aggravates the guilt of that sin and the severity of punishment.
People need to know how God feels about sin and how sever punishment will be. Sin was so repulsive to God that it cost Ananias and Sapphira their lives. They agreed together in this fraud. To agree together in a fraud and a lie is very dreadful. Ananias and Sapphira were united in marriage, religion, sin, death and eternity.
The power of a purified church Acts 5:12-25: During this
period of progress for the church miracles were worked by the apostles. The
people were fearful of the apostles. Amazingly, the result was great growth for
the church. "And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes
both of men and women." (Acts
These events led to a second Jewish persecution. The motive for the second Jewish persecution was the jealousy of the leaders. The Jewish leaders told the apostles not to speak at all in the name of Jesus. God told them to, "Go, Stand and Speak the words of life." The apostles were certainly in a place of danger. However, this place of danger became a place of opportunity for the preaching of the gospel.
The true purpose of every Christian is to "Go, Stand and Speak the words of life." It is the design of the gospel to restore men to a productive life in Christ Jesus. Let us never forget that the will of God is the salvation of men and women. We must do our part to bring salvation to everyone.
When truth is opposed Acts
The persecutors gave the apostles an up side down compliment and
what a compliment it was -- "you have filled
God raised up Jesus as an exalted Prince. He is declared to be both Lord and Christ. Full forgiveness of all sins can be obtained by the precious blood off Jesus. God gives the Holy Ghost to all that obey Him as a witness of Jesus incarnation, His crucifixion and death, His resurrection, His exaltation to the right hand of God, and of His offices as Prince and Savior.
Truth cuts to the heart Acts 5:33-42: Even those that will not receive truth may be cut to the heart by truth. When the accusers of the apostles heard the resurrection message they wanted to kill the messengers. They did not want to hear that Jesus had been raised from the dead, exalted to God's right hand in heaven, and that He is the Savior of mankind.
Gamaliel advised the council to act wisely in what the intended to do with the apostles. He reminded them of Theudas and Judas of Galilee. They had led away followers and their work had come to nothing because it was not of God. He said, "if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God." (Acts 5:38-39)
They beat the apostles and "commanded they should not speak in the name of Jesus." The apostles had suffering bodies, happy hearts and obedient spirits. Every day, with great constancy, both publicly and privately, "they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." Not a day should pass without some effort on our part to spread the gospel. The church grew through daily preaching done publicly and house to house. Christianity has not been overthrown, but has gone on conquering and to conquer.
Jesus died for your sins and was resurrected. To become a
Christian you must hear the gospel (Romans
Some
Widows Were Neglected
Acts Six
"Perfect unity" is the term
that best described the early days of the church. "And the multitude of
them that believed were of one heart and of one
soul..." (Acts
Seven
qualified men were selected to assist in caring for the widows. These were
"seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom." When
the seven men were selected the apostles prayed for them and laid their hands
on them. The apostles wanted the widows cared for properly. The neglect had not
been intentional. A mistake had occurred and the
apostles wanted it rectified.
Even during this time the church continued to grow. "And the
word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in
Stephen not only helped to care
for the widows, but he was also a powerful preacher. The Bible says that,
"Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the
people." He was the first named, other than the apostles that performed
miracles. Some disputed with Stephen but they "were not able to resist the
wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke." When they could not answer his arguments as a disputant they brought false wit-nesses
against him. The false witnesses said, "We have heard him speak
blasphemous words against Moses, and against God." (Acts
When the council looked upon Stephen they "saw his face as it
had been the face of an angel." (Acts
The first dissension in the church Acts 6:1-4:
Until this time, the growth of the church had been great and the harmony of the
church had been undisturbed. The number of disciples continued to grow rapidly.
There were twelve, then a hundred and twenty, three thousand more, then five
thousand more, and after that a multitude of men and women and now the number continued to multiply. In the midst of this time,
"there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because
their widows were neglected in the daily ministration." (Acts 6:1)
The apostles found themselves unable to minister to every demand.
When the Gospel is preached and there is an increase Satan does his best to get
a footing. Have you ever noticed how often Satan is able to stir up trouble
with the cry of "partiality?"
The Apostles did not feel that God would be pleased if they left
the word of God to serve tables. They felt that they should commit themselves
to the study of God's word, meditation upon it, and
the preaching of it. It takes a great deal of time to collect for the poor,
check out each case, and circumstances, and distribute to those needs. The
apostles felt that they should reserve themselves for spiritual services.
The church selecting seven good men to be appointed over this work
resolved the problem. These were to be men full of the Holy Ghost and of
wisdom. Wisdom would allow these brethren to handle the benevolent needs in a
most prudent manner. The apostles were then able to give themselves to prayer
and preaching.
The complaint was heard no more Acts 6:5-7: The
wisdom of the decision to appoint these seven men was obvious as it was
accepted by the church. Seven Grecian men were selected and the apostles
sanctioned the selection. "They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of
the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of
The Apostles prayed for these seven men and laid their hands upon
them. The laying on of hand was for the purpose of conferring of spiritual
gifts and it likewise showed the confidence of the apostles in these men to do
the work that needed to be done. The work of the seven brought satisfaction and
no more complaints were heard. The result was the "word of God
increased" and the disciples multiplied in number. "A great company
of the priests were obedient to the faith." The faith is that system brought
about by Jesus. Jesus Christ is the great object of faith. Faith is of no
profit unless it is mixed with obedience. Those that are obedient to the faith
cheerfully submit to New Testament teaching.
Stephen was accused of blasphemy Acts
6:8-11: The rapid growth of the church led to the third Jewish
persecution. During this persecution, Stephen, one of the seven, became the
victim. Stephen, a man full of grace and power, spoke for God with irresistible
eloquence. He preached with power and performed
great wonders and signs. Until this time we only read that the apostles had
performed New Testament miracles.
Many of the people hated the doctrine that Stephen taught, and
they envied his miracles. "Then there arose certain of the synagogue,
which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians,
and Alexandrians, and of them of
The face of an angel Acts 6:12-15: The Jews were
unable to answer the things that Stephen taught about Jesus. They accused him
of blasphemy against Moses and the customs he had delivered. They charged
Stephen with blasphemy for saying Jesus would destroy the
They said Stephen spoke "blasphemous words against this holy
place, and the law" because they heard him say, "that
this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs
which Moses delivered us." Though there was some truth in the testimony of
the false witnesses, yet they put a wrong and malicious construction upon what
Stephen had said. It is true that Jesus changed many things religiously. The
wonderful sacrifice of Jesus caused all Jewish sacrifices to cease.
Joy in heavenly hope caused Stephen's face to shine as the face of
an angel. This man of God displayed total calmness and serenity. Whenever
character is under the influence of Jesus Christ it shines.
To become a Christian you must hear the gospel (Rom
Stephen,
The First Christian Martyr
Acts Seven
In Acts chapter seven Stephen is asked to defend himself against
the charges that he had "spoken blasphemous words against Moses, and
against God." This good man was charged as one that was a blasphemer of
God. That would have made him an apostate from the truth. In his defense
Stephen proved that the promises made to Abraham had spiritual meaning. He
wanted the people to know that the land that God intended for His people was a
heavenly land.
Stephen described how that God used Joseph's faithfulness and the
wicked of the other patriarchs in leading to the glorious nation through which
Jesus would be born into the world. He showed how God used Moses to deliver
Stephen
showed the role of the tabernacle and of the
The call of Abraham Acts 7:1-8: The
High Priest wanted to know if the things said about Stephen were true.
Stephen's faith in Hebrew history was strong because he knew it was God at
work. Stephen began his defense by
showing that God called Abraham to leave
God did not give the land to Abraham but He promised it to his
descendants. His descendants included Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve patriarchs. God
made a covenant of circumcision with Abrahams descendants.
Stephen was a powerful preacher. He was a man well versed in what
was taught in Old Testament Scripture. In Stephen's speech there are quotations
of scripture following quotation. He was a man who was forced into action
because of strong convictions. He was separated from the evil world of his day.
A distinguishing mark of Christianity is separation from the world.
The Jewish nation and the
The patriarchs died in
While in
Moses predicted that God would raise up a
prophet like unto Himself. This very Moses, so highly esteemed and honored by
God, announced that prophet that they have lately put to death. His name is
Jesus!
The true tabernacle of God Acts 7:44-50:
Solomon built God a house, but God's presence cannot be confined
to a house. Stephen and the apostles rejected the
Stephen, the first Christian martyr Acts
7:51-60: Stephen charged the people with: (1) being stiff necked, (2)
uncircumcised in heart, (3) resisting the Holy Ghost, and (4) failing to
keep the word of God. "When they heard these things, they were cut to the
heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth." (Acts
Stephen looked up into Heaven where his heart and his treasure had
long been. The Jews will see Jesus sitting as judge, Stephen saw Him standing
as Advocate. They cast Stephen "out of the city, and stoned him: and the
witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit." They stoned Stephen as he
was calling on God. As Stephen died he was voluntary kneeling. He had placed
himself in this position of prayer. He chose to die praying.
The saved soul, redeemed by the blood of
Christ, can thoroughly forgive. Stephen "kneeled down, and cried with a
loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their
charge." Those that stoned Stephen "laid down their clothes at a
young man's feet, whose name was Saul."
The Jews that rejected God's messengers are now rejecting the love
and Spirit of God. The Jew's repeated defiance of God has kindled His
righteousness indignation.
Now is the time to serve God faithfully. To become a Christian
hear the gospel (Romans
Biblical
Examples Of Conversion
Acts Eight
This persecution led to the church being scattered. "They
that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word." (Acts
8:4) The apostles remained at
Those
that know the gospel and have Christ in their lives cannot be put to silence. "Then Philip went down
to the city of
Following the great events in Samaria Philip was told to go down
on the road from
The third Jewish persecution Acts 8:1-4: Saul
consented to Stephen's death. He led a great persecution against the church in
It is
amazing to observe the difference in what people do. Observe: (1) Devout men
buried Stephen and lamented his death, while (2) Saul made havoc of the church,
putting men and women in prison, and (3) The scattered disciples went
everywhere preaching the word. Christian men and women were persecuted to
prison and to death. No Christian is exempt from persecution and sometimes it
is wise to flee.
The conversion of the
Samaritans Acts 8:5-25: Philip went to
The preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ centered in the
message of His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and His eventual return
to receive the obedient! Salvation from sin comes through obedience to the word
of God. The result of preaching Jesus is always (1) Faith in Jesus as Lord and
Christ (Acts
Philip preached things concerning the
Was Simon converted? The Bible says, "Then Simon himself
believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and
wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done." (Acts
Christ is preached to an Ethiopian Acts 8:27-35: This
account is the story of a preacher (Philip) and a sinner (the Ethiopian). When
God said go, Philip went to do the will of the Heavenly Father. Philip was
ready to teach and the eunuch was anxious to learn. He preached Christ to the
man from
Jesus was the message that Philip preached to the
Ethiopian. We must also open our mouth
with boldness and speak clearly and the message of Jesus. We must preach to
people that Jesus of Nazareth is the true Messiah, and that He is the only
person through whom we must be saved.
The Ethiopian obeys the gospel Acts 8:36-40: God is concerned about the redemption of one lost soul. The Lord uses people like Philip to convert other people like the Ethiopian. A part of conversion includes baptism into Christ. You cannot preach Jesus without preaching baptism "into Christ."
The manner of baptizing in the early church was to bury the whole
body in the water. The Book of Acts contains several cases of conversion. When
all the case are studied we learn that those that were saved: (1) heard the word
of God, (2) believed the salvation message about Jesus, (3) repented of sins,
(4) confessed Jesus as Lord and Christ, (5) were baptized (immersed) into
Christ, (6) received forgiveness of sins, and (7) received the ordinary gift of
the Holy Spirit. The gospel of Christ, promptly and cheerfully obeyed, leads to
rejoicing. The
The
Conversion Of A Persecutor
Acts Nine
As Saul was approaching
Jesus sent Ananias to restore Saul's sight and to tell him what he
must do to be saved. He also told Saul that he was a chosen vessel with a great
mission to the Gentiles. Saul's sight was restored and he was baptized to wash
away his sins. He began immediately preaching that Jesus was the Christ, the
Son of God. The Greek speaking Jews plotted to kill Saul. The disciples helped
him escape from
Saul later went to
God sent Ananias to Saul (1) to tell him about the work God had
for him to do, (2) to restore his sight, (3) that he might be filled with the
Holy Spirit, and (4) to tell him what to do to be saved. At first Ananias was
frightened by Saul, but he loved God enough to obey. Ananias was told to go to
house of Judas on the street called Straight for there Saul had been praying
and fasting. Saul became a Christian when he believed, repented of sins and was
baptized.
Saul's early ministry Acts 9:19-31: After
his conversion Saul began to build up what he had tried to destroy. Saul went
to the Jewish meeting places and immediately started telling people that Jesus
is the Son of God. Saul increased in strength so much so that he was able to
confound the Jews that dwelt in
After Saul's conversion he was hated by the Jews and suspect by
the brethren. It was not long until the
persecutor became the persecuted. Saul's preaching of the risen Christ aroused
opposition and persecution. Some of the Jews made plans to kill him. Saul found
out about their plans and one night his brethren let him down over the city
wall in a large basket. Saul was driven out by the Jews, led by the Lord and
assisted by his brethren.
The raising of Dorcas Acts 9:36-42: In Joppa there
was a Christian lady named Tabitha. Her Greek name was Dorcas. As a follower of
Christ she was helpful and compassionate. Dorcas lived, like all people,
subject every moment to death. The Bible said of Dorcas that she got sick and
died, and her body was washed and placed in an upper room.
Two men were sent to Peter in nearby Lydda to tell him what had
happened. They asked him to come with them as quickly as he could. Peter went
with them right away. When they got to Joppa Peter was brought to the upper
room. The weeping widows showed garments that
Dorcas had made. Peter sent the people out and "turned to the body of
Dorcas and said, Tabitha, get up! The woman opened her eyes, and when she
saw Peter, she sat up. When people heard what had happened with Dorcas many of
them put their faith in the Lord. After this Peter stayed in Joppa for some
time with Simon, a tanner.
This great miracle teaches us that we should spare no effort to
develop a faith greater than earthly life. We also should consider each day a
blessing from God and use it in His service.
To become a Christian you must hear the gospel (Romans
The
Conversion Of Cornelius
Acts Ten
It was God's will that the
gospel be preached to every creature. (Mark
In a vision the Lord told Peter to kill and eat unclean animals.
Peter told the Lord he had never eaten anything unclean. Peter was told that
what God had cleansed no one should call unclean. The vision was not really
about food, but it was about people. While Peter thought about what the vision meant three men came from Cornelius. He
went with these men without doubting. Some brethren accompanied him from Joppa.
When they arrived at Caesarea Cornelius was waiting. Cornelius,
his family and friends were ready to hear what they must do to be saved.
Cornelius fell down and worshipped at Peter's feet. Peter said to him,
"Stand up! I am just a man." Peter explained to Cornelius how he had
learned that no man is common or unclean.
At about the ninth hour of the day Cornelius saw an angel of God.
The angel told him his prayers and alms have come up for a memorial before God.
The angel instructed him to send for Peter. Peter was lodging with Simon the
tanner in Joppa. Cornelius sent two of his servants and a devout soldier to
Joppa to seek for Peter. The Lord brought Peter and Cornelius together so
Cornelius could learn the truth.
Peter's vision while on the housetop Acts
10:9-18: Peter was
prejudiced against Gentile and his Jewish prejudice had to be broken. While on
a housetop praying Peter saw a vision of something like a great sheet bound at
the four corners coming down to the earth. In the sheet there were all kind of things unlawful for Jews to eat. A voice
told peter to "Kill these and eat them."
Peter protested that he had never eaten
anything common or unclean. Peter is told that when God says that something is
clean man should not call it unclean. The vision happened three times before
the sheet was suddenly taken back to heaven. The vision was to show Peter that
God would receive Gentiles into the kingdom. The result of the vision was that
Peter went with those sent by Cornelius.
Peter went to Cornelius Acts 10:19-33: As Peter
thought about what the vision meant, the men from Cornelius arrived. The Holy
Spirit instructed Peter to go with them, doubting nothing. The men told Peter
that Cornelius was a good man that worshiped God and that he was loved by the
Jewish people. Peter invited the men to stay the night and then he went with
them.
Cornelius had an audience waiting to hear God's message. He had invited his relatives and close friends to hear the preaching. Cornelius was concerned that all would hear the things commanded by God. When Peter arrived, Cornelius greeted him and knelt down at his feet to worship him. Peter took hold of him and said, "Stand up! I am nothing more than a human." No man is to be worshipped, not even those that might call themselves 'Pope."
Peter explained to Cornelius that the Jews are not allowed to have
anything to do with other people. But God has shown him not to call any man
common or unclean. Peter said that he had agreed to come but he wanted
Cornelius to tell him why he had sent for him. Cornelius recounted the vision
that had occurred four days before. Now all of these people were present before
God to hear everything He has commanded.
Peter's sermon involved the same message that he had preached from
Pentecost. He said that, (1) God sent Jesus as Lord of all, (2) God offers
peace through Jesus, (3)
God gave miraculous power to Jesus, (4) Jesus died, was buried and was raised on
the third, (5) the prophets witness to Jesus, and (6) Peter and others were commanded to testify that Jesus was ordained to be the
Judge of the living and the dead.
As Peter began to speak the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and
his house. Some Jewish brethren had come with Peter. They were surprised that
the Holy Spirit had been given to Gentiles. They knew the Gentiles had received
the Holy Ghost because "they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify
God." Peter questioned as to whether anyone could forbid water for the
baptism of those that had received the Spirit just as the Jews did? Peter
commanded baptism in water as a condition of salvation from past sins.
The
Gentiles Had Accepted God's Message
Acts Eleven
Word spread quickly about what had happened at Cornelius' house.
The apostles and the brethren in
Peter reviewed the details of the events that had transpired. He
explained about: (1) his vision in Joppa, (2) how the angel had appeared to
Cornelius, (3) how God had bidden him to go to Cornelius, (4) how the Holy
Spirit had fallen on the Gentiles, and (5) how six Jewish brethren had been
witnesses to what had happened. Peter said that God gave the Gentiles the same
gift of the Holy Ghost that he had given to the Jews. When they heard Peter say
this, they stopped arguing and started praising God. They knew that God had now
allowed the Gentiles to turn to Him, and that He had given spiritual life to
them.
The gospel spread from
Barnabas realized that he needed help in this work so he sent to
Peter's defense of his visit to the gentiles Acts 11:1-18:
The apostles and brethren that were
in
The Jews seemed insulted by the fact that Peter had stayed in the
home of Gentiles, and had even eaten with them. Peter explained the events that
had led him to preach to Cornelius. He recounted his vision in Joppa of the
unclean beasts. He heard the voice of God say, "What God has cleansed you
must not call common." He told these brethren about the three men that
were sent by Cornelius and how that the Spirit told him to go with them and not
to worry. An angel of the Lord had instructed Cornelius to send for Peter in
order to learn how to be saved. Peter did go with these Gentiles and he was
accompanied by six Jewish brethren. As Peter began to speak, the Holy Spirit
fell on the Gentiles just as upon the apostles at the beginning.
Peter believed that refusing Gentiles into
the church would be withstanding God. God made no distinction between Jew and
Gentile when He granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life. When they heard
Peter say this, they became silent and started praising God.
The church was established in
The gospel reached
Barnabas was sent by the church to
Each Christian did what he or she could to relieve those that were
suffering. Each person, whether rich or poor, master or servant, according to
the substance he was possessed gave to help those that were in need. The gift
was sent to the elders of the church in
If you have not started the Christian life
"Today is the day of salvation." (II Corinthians 6:2.) To become a
Christian hear the gospel (Romans
Herod Caused Trouble
For The Church
Acts Twelve
Acts chapter twelve tells of the persecution that Herod led against the church. He made a great effort to hinder the progress of the church and to destroy the faith of believers. This Herod was King Agrippa I. He was the grandson of Herod the Great that slew the infants at the birth of Jesus. (Matthew 2:1-16)
King Herod caused terrible suffering and misery for some members of the church. He even ordered his soldiers to kill James with a sword. James was the brother of John. Herod also had Peter arrested and put him in prison. He intended to bring him before the people to condemn him but God intervened to save Peter. An angel of the Lord delivered Peter from prison.
After being delivered from prison Peter went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark. The brethren were gathered there praying. They were astonished that Peter had been released from prison. He explained to them how the angel of the Lord had led him out of the prison. Peter sent word to James and the other brethren of his miraculous release from prison. When Peter was not found in the prison the guards were extremely worried and rightly so. Herod questioned them and then had them put to death.
God's
message kept spreading as more and more people became Christians. The Bible
also says, "Barnabas and Saul returned from
James died for the cause of Christ Acts 12:1-5: One man can do either much harm or much good toward the cause of Christ. King Herod Agrippa I harassed some in the church and caused terrible suffering for them. He violently oppressed the church. Among those that suffered was James the brother of John. Herod ordered his soldiers to kill this godly man with a sword. Herod must have thought that he could destroy the church by killing it leaders.
James was the brother of John. James and John were sons of Zebedee. (Matthew 4:21) On one occasion the sons of Zebedee and their mother requested permission for these men to sit on Jesus' right and left hand in the kingdom. Jesus told them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father." (Matthew 20:23) Just as predicted by the Lord James drank of that cup of suffering.
When Herod
saw that the death of James pleased the Jewish people, he had Peter arrested.
He put Peter in jail and ordered four squads of soldiers to guard him. It was
his intention to bring Peter before the people after Passover (mistranslated
Easter in the KJV Acts 12:4). While Peter was being kept in prison constant
prayer was being offered by the church for him.
Peter could not be kept in prison Acts 12:6-12: The night before Peter was to be put on trial, he was asleep and bound by two chains. Two soldiers were guarding him and other soldiers were guarding the prison entrance. That night some amazing things happened: (1) an angel from the Lord appeared in the prison, (2) there was a great light that flashed, (3) the angel smote Peter on the side to awaken him, (4) the angel told Peter to get up quickly, and (5) the chains fell off his hands.
Peter's
release surprised the brethren Acts 12:13-19: When Peter first
reached the gate he was left standing at the door by Rhoda. She was too amazed
to open the gate. She ran into the house and said that Peter was standing
there. The brethren did not believe that it could be Peter. Peter kept on knocking,
until finally they opened the gate. When they saw that it was Peter they were
shocked. Peter told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. He asked them
to "Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed,
and went into another place."
Herod
died a terrible death Acts 12:20-25: Herod was highly displeased with
people of
A day was set for these people to meet with Herod. On that day he appeared in royal apparel on his throne. He made a great speech before the people. They said, "You speak more like a god than a man." An angel of the Lord struck Herod down because he took the honor that belonged to God. Later, he was eaten by worms and died.
Being a Christian is a serious responsibility. It might cost you your life.
However, Christianity involves your eternal salvation. Your Christianity may affect hundreds of others also. To become a
Christian, you must hear the gospel (Romans
The Missionary Journeys
Begin
Acts
Thirteen
Acts chapter
thirteen begins with a time of fasting and prayer in
As their
missionary work began Barnabas and Saul preached the gospel in
Paul and the
others left Paphos and sailed to Perga
in Pamphylia. Here John Mark left them and went back
to
The
mission of Paul and Barnabas Acts 13:1-3:
Antioch
in Syria was located about 300 miles north of
Jerusalem, and 16 miles from the Mediterranean Sea. It became the
starting place for Paul's missionary journeys. At the conclusion of each
journey Paul and his companions returned to
Barnabas and Saul were to be separated for a special work
that the Lord had called them to. Their great missionary journeys would
change the face of Christianity forever. There would now be no doubt that the
gospel is for all. As a gesture of approval
the brethren laid their hands on these missionaries and prayed for them. Paul
became the apostle to the Gentiles.
Elymas, a false prophet, a
sorcerer Acts 13:4-12: John Mark
accompanied Paul and Barnabas as they went to
Elymas was very much against Sergius Paulus obeying the
gospel. He tried to keep him from having faith in the Christ. Saul, who is
better known as Paul, called Elymas a son of the
devil. Paul said that he was an enemy of all righteousness and that he was
perverting the right ways of the Lord. The Lord punished him by making him
blind for a while. Elymas had to try to find someone
to lead him by the hand. When Sergius Paulus saw what had happened, he was amazed at this
teaching about the Lord. He became one that believed.
At
Paul traced Hebrew
history moving from David to the Son of David. This son of David is Jesus, the
Savior of the world. The apostles always preached Christ crucified,
His burial and resurrection. In his sermon Paul dealt with such things as: (1)
Saul reigning over Israel for forty years, (2)
David
was both the fleshly and spiritually ancestor of the Savior, (3) John preached
a baptism of repentance to prepare the way for Christ, (4)
the Jews were
the first to know of God's promises to Abraham, (5) the Jews condemned Jesus to
death, (6) Jesus was buried, (7) God raised Him from the dead, (8) "glad
tidings" is another term for the gospel of Christ, (9) Jesus arose from the dead to die
no more, (10) Jesus was not left in the grave long enough to see corruption,
(11) Through Jesus and only through Him
is the forgiveness of sins preached, (12) The law of
Moses could not bring the justification that is possible by belief in Christ,
and (13) he warned of the coming Judgment Day.
Paul
preached to the Gentiles and is persecuted Acts 13:42-52: The people
were eager to hear more of the preaching done by Paul and Barnabas on the next
Sabbath. Many of both the Jews and Gentiles became Christians. They were encouraged
to continue in the grace of God. The next Sabbath almost everyone in town came
to hear the message about the Lord. This led the Jews to begin a persecution of
Paul. They blasphemed and denied the truth that Paul taught. The Jews heard
God's word first but they rejected it. By rejecting the gospel the Jews had
judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life.
God had sent
Paul to be a light of the Gentiles. No person will be
either saved or lost by any predestined decree. The Jews had the opportunity
of salvation but the rejected the gospel. So now Paul turned to the Gentiles
with the word of God. "When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and
glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life
believed." How wonderful it must have been when the message about the Lord
spread all over that region.
The Jewish leaders started making trouble and
drove Paul and Barnabas out of their city. Paul and Barnabas shook the
dust from that place off their feet and went to the city of
Paul Is Stoned
For Preaching
Acts Fourteen
This missionary journey took Paul and Barnabas to Iconium where
they attended a synagogue service. There they were also again given the
opportunity to speak and a great multitude of Jews and Greeks believed. (Acts
14:1) As had previously been the case the unbelieving Jews stirred up trouble.
(Acts 14:2)
Jesus said that the preaching of the gospel would bring division.
"Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on
earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division." (Luke 12:51) As these men
preached "the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the
Jews, and part with the apostles." (Acts 14:4) Some even tried to stone
the preachers but they fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia. There they
preached the gospel.
A certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet was healed by the
apostles. The man was healed by simply being
told to "Stand upright
on thy feet."
The miracle resulted in the people saying, "The gods are come down to us
in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius,
because he was the chief speaker." The apostles "rent their clothes,
and ran in among the people, crying out, And saying,
Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and
preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God,
which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are
therein." (Acts 14:14-15) One must recognize the true God before he can
find the true Savior.
The unbelieving Jews from
The brethren revisited the churches they had established to (1)
Confirm the souls of the disciples, (2) exhort them to continue in the faith,
and (3) ordain elders in every church. Continuing in the faith refers to
following the complete body of revealed truth. At the end of their journey the
brethren gathered the church together and rehearsed all that God had done
through them.
Paul
and Barnabas in Iconium Acts 14:1-7: The missionary journey carried
the brethren to Iconium. There they spoke of the grace of God and His gospel.
They taught the people with power, boldness and courage. The result was that a
great multitude of the Jews and Gentiles believed. The part of the Jews that
continued in unbelief stirred the minds of the people in an evil way against
the apostles.
The missionaries stayed a long time at Iconiun. They did not even
seem discouraged at the treatment that they had received. The
preaching of the gospel cause division. Some agreed with the apostles doctrine and others condemned their doctrine as
false. The unbelievers attempted to stone the apostles as blasphemers. This
caused these brethren to flee to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia. Even in
difficult times they never lost the focus of their purpose. "And there
they preached the gospel." (Acts 14:7)
Paul
and Barnabas in Lystra Acts 14:8-17: At Lystra the apostles healed a
lame man. He had never walked. This miracle was very much like the one in Acts
3. The man listened to the preaching. As Paul looked at him he observed his
faith. With a loud voice Paul told the man to stand on his feet. He sprung up
directly from his seat, leaped for joy, and walked as well as any man could.
Instead of giving honor to God for the miracle the people said,
"the gods are come down to us in the likeness of
men." Their concept of God was very wrong. They believed that there were
more gods than one. They also believed that the gods sometimes descended to
earth in human form. They gave Barnabas the name Jupiter. Paul was called
Mercurius because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Jupiter brought oxen
and garlands with the people to do sacrifice to the apostles.
This caused Paul and Barnabas to (1) rent their clothes, (2) cry
"why do ye these things?" (3) remind them that they were just men, and (4) challenge them
to turn from the vanities of false gods to the living God. The living God gives
"us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons,
filling our hearts with food and gladness." The other "gods" did
nothing and can do nothing.
Paul is stoned for preaching Christ Acts 14:18-20: The things
they said concerning themselves, and concerning the living God, His creation of
all things, His goodness toward men barely kept the people from worshipping
them. Certain Jews came down from
Paul and Barnabas Return to
Now is the time to serve God faithfully. To
become a Christian hear the gospel (Romans
The Discussion
About Law Keeping
Acts Fifteen
Jews from
Paul, Barnabas, and certain others from
After returning to
A
controversy over "Law Keeping Acts 15:1-5: Some people came
from Judea to Antioch and started teaching the Gentile Christians that they
could not be saved unless they were circumcised as Moses had taught. They were
not sent by God, or by the apostles. They came down of "themselves"
or on their own. These brethren caused trouble, and the disturbance and
uneasiness continued for some time. Paul and Barnabas argued with them about
this teaching. It was agreed upon that Paul and Barnabas and a few others would
go to
As Paul and Barnabas journeyed to
An
account of the discussion Acts 15:6-21: The church, with the apostles
and elders, came together to discuss this problem concerning the Gentiles and
the Law. Peter said that "God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by
my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe." He was
referring to the case of Cornelius. God gave the Gentiles the Holy Ghost just
as he did to the Jews. God did not in any way treat the Gentiles different from
the Jews. The hearts of men are filthy, and need purifying. They are polluted
by sin. God made the Gentiles pure through obedient faith just as he did the
Jews.
Peter said these Jewish brethren were making God angry by placing
a heavy burden on the Gentile Christians. The multitude kept silent as Paul and
Barnabas spoke of the miracles and wonders that God had worked among the
Gentiles. James summarized what had happened as what God had promised a long
time ago. (Amos 9:11-12) He suggested that a letter should be written
containing four prohibitions. All Christians must avoid (1) pollutions of
idols, (2) fornication, (3) things strangled, and (4) blood. These are things
that pollute both the soul and the body. James concluded by saying, "For
Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the
synagogues every sabbath
day." (Acts
A
letter to the Gentiles Acts 15:22-35: The brethren were in agreement
concerning the letter. The letter was written and sent to
We have already learned that Paul and Barnabas were prophets. Now
we find that Silas and Judas were also prophets. Prophets sometimes foretold
things to come. Prophets also had the
ability to explain the prophecies of the Old Testament, and to give the true
meaning of the Scriptures. After staying in
A
second journey brings division Acts 15:36-41: After some time had
passed Paul suggested to Barnabas that they revisit the churches that they had
established on the first journey. Barnabas wanted to take Mark and Paul was
very much opposed to it. Mark was the young man who had defected from the first
journey at Perga. This led to a very serious contention between these two good
brethren.
The one redeeming point in this otherwise sad and regrettable
episode is that neither Barnabas nor Paul allowed it to hinder the work of God.
It actually became beneficial to the work because then there were two teams of
missionaries. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus. Paul took Silas and they
traveled through Syria and Cilicia, encouraging the churches.
The Conversion
Of The Jailer
Acts Sixteen
There are people that we meet that change our life forever. Such was the case when Paul visited Derbe and Lystra. There he began his association Timothy. Timothy's father was a Greek. His mother and grandmother were Jews that had become Christians. Their influence on Timothy was great. (II Timothy 1:5)
Paul desired Timothy to join his missionary team. He had Timothy circumcision because of the Jews that were in those parts. He did not feel that this was necessary for Timothy's salvation, but he thought it might help his work among the Jews.
Paul and his company went through Phrygia and Galatia strengthening the churches. The Holy Ghost did not allow then to go to Asia or Bithynia. So they came down to Troas. At Troas Paul heard a man from Macedonia saying, "Come over into Macedonia and help us."
Paul faced a difficult situation at Philippi. His trouble started when he cast an evil spirit out of a young girl. The masters of this girl had made great profit from her power. They were angry when she was healed. Paul and Silas were abused and imprisoned because of this. The jailer was commanded to keep them safely.
While Paul and Silas were singing and praying an earthquake opened the prison doors. The jailer was amazed that no one had escaped. He and his family learned the truth and were baptized into Christ in the middle of the night.
The beginning of Paul's acquaintance with Timothy Acts 16:1-5: When Paul traveled to Derbe and Lystra he met a disciple named Timotheus or Timothy. Later Paul wrote two New Testament books to this great servant of God. In these letter Paul addressed him as a young man. "Let no man despise thy youth." (I Timothy 4:12) Timothy was a man of piety with great ability for service in God's kingdom.
Paul had Timothy circumcised, not as a matter of Law, but as a matter of expediency to help in their work. He did this because the "Jews would neither have heard him preach, nor would have any connection with him, had he been otherwise."
As Paul and Silas went from place to place they delivered the letter expressing the judgments of the brethren from the Jerusalem meeting concerning circumcision for Gentiles. The work of the missionary team and the letter from Jerusalem resulted in churches being made strong in the faith and increasing in number daily.
The call Paul received to come to Macedonia Acts 16:6-12: The Holy Spirit did not allow the missionaries to go to Asia, or to Bithynia. God had chosen to send His servants to Macedonia. The gospel would later spread to Asia as evidenced by the seven churches in Asia. (Revelation 1-3) There are times when certain areas are ripe for harvest for God. At that time Macedonia was ready to receive the word of life.
The journey to Macedonia carried Paul to Troas. There Paul had a vision of a man saying, "Come over into Macedonia and help us." This man was begging for someone to teach his people concerning the Christ. Macedonia was the first place in Europe where the gospel was preached. Today the field is vast and ripe for harvest in many places of the world.
Luke included himself among those that went to Macedonia to preach. The brethren were certain that God had sent them there with the gospel. They left Troas by ship and went to Samothrace. The next day they went to Neapolis. Neapolis was a seaport town in Macedonia, a few miles east of Philippi. From there they went to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony. Philippi was a colony, that is a city or province that was planted or occupied by Roman citizens.
The conversion of a good woman named Lydia Acts 16:13-15: On the Sabbath the missionary team went out by the river to a place of prayer and talked to the women there. This was a simple place of worship. Likely before and after the regular service the missionaries taught the women the gospel. One of the women they taught was a God-fearing woman named Lydia.
Lydia was a seller of purple. She was from the city of Thyatira. She had a heart that was open to God's message. In total faith and trust she and her whole family were baptized into Christ without delay. She constrained these preachers to come and be guests at her house. This showed both great hospitality and a strong desire to learn more.
The conversion of the Jailer in Philippi Acts 16:16-40: At a place of prayer in Philippi Paul and Silas came across a girl that had a spirit of divination. Her masters made a lot of money from her power. She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." After being troubled by this many days Paul commanded the evil spirit to come out of her.
When her masters saw that their means of gain was gone they took Paul and Silas before their rulers and charged them with teaching rules of living that were unlawful. They were whipped and put in the inner prison with chains on their feet. A jailer was charged to watch them. About midnight they were singing and praying in the hearing of the other prisoners. An earthquake opened the prison doors and caused all the shackles to fall off. The jailer thought the prisoners had escaped. He started to kill himself. Paul cried, "Do thyself no harm: for we are all here." This is good advice to anyone contemplating suicide. The jailer then saw that all the prisoners were still there.
With much fear he fell down before Paul and Silas and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" He was told, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." But, you cannot believe without hearing so they spoke unto him and to those in his house the word of the Lord. After learning how to become a Christians the jailer and his family were all baptized immediately. Baptism was so important that they were baptized "the same hour of the night." After their baptism into Christ they were filled with great joy.
The authorities sent word to let these men go. Paul refused to leave because he was mistreated as a Roman citizen. The authorities were full of fear when they learned that Paul was a Roman. They came and took them from prison and begged them to leave town. Paul and Silas went to the house of Lydia, saw the brethren, comforted them, and departed.
If you have not started the Christian life "Today is the day of salvation." (II Corinthians 6:2) To become a Christian hear the gospel (Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus (John 8:24), repent of sins (Acts 17:30), confess Christ (Acts 8:37) and be baptized to wash away sins. (Acts 22:16) As a Christians you must be willing both to live and to die for Jesus.
An Altar To The Unknown God
Acts Seventeen
In Acts 17 we have record of the missionaries
in the city of
The envy of the Jews led them to secure
certain base people to cry out against the brethren. They even attacked the
house of Jason hoping to bring these preachers out to the people for
persecution. They accused Paul and Silas of making trouble all over the world.
The charge was, "These that have turned the world upside down are come
hither also."
Jason was charged because he had received the
brethren into his house. The people were upset because these men had said that
Jesus is king. They made Jason and others give proof that they were peace
loving and then let them go.
After this tumult Paul and Silas were sent to
Paul's spirit was stirred at the sight of much idolatry in
Paul preached Christ at Thessalonica Acts 17:1-9:
Paul and his co-workers left
Paul used the scripture to show that the Messiah had to suffer and
die for sins. He presented proof that Jesus was raised again from the dead, and
that this Jesus is the Christ. The result of the preaching was that a good
number of God-fearing Greeks and some of the chief women became Christians.
There was, however, opposition to the truth. The Jews stirred up some base
fellows and attacked the house of Jason where these preachers had stayed. The
mob was looking for Paul and Silas, but did not find them. Those that opposed
Christianity said, "These that have turned the world upside down are come
hither also." What was said in derision was in fact a great compliment.
The things that seemed to disturb the unbelieving Jews most were: (1) preaching
concerning the resurrection, and (2) saying the Jesus was king.
The noble conduct of the Bereans Acts 17:10-15:
Out of love for their spiritual fathers and concern for their safety the brethren
sent Paul and Silas to
The Jews of Thessalonica
were not content to leave things alone. They came to
An
altar to an unknown God Acts 17:16-23: While Paul waited for his
co-workers his spirit was stirred by all the idolatry in
Paul was brought to Areopagus
to be examined by the most skillful judge concerning his doctrine. They had
never heard about Jesus, or about salvation through Him, nor of His
resurrection from the dead. They wanted to hear for themselves the things
spoken by Paul. The Athenians "spent their time in nothing
else but either to tell or to hear some new thing." Paul began his speech
by saying that he had observed that the people of
"When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some
mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter." The
discussion ended with Paul having no more to say to them, or they to him.
"Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was
Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with
them." These were some that received the love of the truth and so they
were saved. Paul could say, To the one we are the savour of death unto death;
and to the other the savour of life unto life...?" (II Corinthians 2:16)
The resurrected Christ provides hope to all that obey Him.
To become a Christian you must hear the
gospel (Romans
Pauls Work At
Acts
Eighteen
After Paul left
On the Sabbath days Paul reasoned with the Jews out of the
scriptures and persuaded both Jews and Greeks that "Jesus" is the
Messiah. "When Silas and Timothy came down from
Paul was accused of causing people to serve
God in a manner that was contrary to the law. Gallio would not hear the matter
because he knew it was not a matter of wicked lewdness. Even when the Greeks
took Sosthenes and beat him before the judgment seat Gallio did not care! Later
Sosthenes would be a part of Paul's letter to
Paul stayed long enough to strengthen the brethren in
Our attention is turned back to
Paul's
great success at
Every Sabbath day Paul went into the Jewish synagogue and reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. He proved that Jesus was the Christ. He taught them concerning the necessity of Jesus sufferings, death and resurrection. Many Jews and Greeks were persuaded by the truth Paul taught. When Silas and Timothy arrived Paul was stirred even more to preach Christ.
The rejection of the gospel by the Jews caused Paul to turn to the
Gentiles. He said, "Your blood be on your heads,
I am clean: from now I will go to the Gentiles." Paul meant what he said
because he left the synagogue he went into the house of a man named Justus, a
Gentile believer. Luke gave this simple account of conversions in
The Lord used a vision to encourage Paul to keep on preaching
Christ. He promised to be with him and to preserve him.
The
coldness of Gallio toward Paul Acts 18:12-17: The Jews brought Paul
before Gallio's judgment seat saying, "This man is teaching the people to
give worship to God in a way which is against the law." Gallio said he
would have heard the case if it involved some wicked lewdness. He refused to be
a judge in spiritual matters. He literally drove them from his judgment seat.
Paul watered what he had planted Acts 18:18-23: At Cenchrea
Paul shaved his head because of a vow he had made. One would be hard pressed to
prove that this vow was one peculiar to the Law, which it would be improper for
Christians to observe. We must remember Paul's refusal to impose the Law upon
Gentiles. It must not be inferred, from this that we are at liberty to make
foolish or wicked vows, that would be better broken
than kept.
An
account of Apollo's spiritual growth Acts 18:24-28: Apollos came to
Being a Christian is a serious responsibility. To become a
Christian, you must hear the gospel (Romans
A Book Burning And An Uproar
Acts Nineteen
Paul went to
Paul asked these men if they had received the Holy Ghost. They had
not even heard of the Holy Ghost. In the early days of the church baptized
believers were given miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the
apostles hands. (Acts 8:14-15) These men were gladly baptized when they
learned that baptism into Christ puts a person into a saved relationship with
God. After their baptism, (1) Paul laid his hands on them, (2) the Holy Ghost
came on them, and (3) they spoke with tongues, and prophesied.
Paul went into the synagogue at
During this time God gave Paul the power to work great miracles. Certain evil people started going
about claming to do the same kind of things that Paul did. Seven son of Sceva
were among that number. They called the name of Jesus over a man that was
possessed with evil spirits. The evil spirits said, "Jesus I know, and
Paul I know; but who are ye?" The man with the evil spirit jumped on them
and beat them down and they ran out of the house, naked and bruised.
The things that happened to these men caused many to fear. They
confessed their deeds and burned their books dealing with the subject of
witchcraft. The result was that the word of God grew mightily and
prevailed.
They caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of
A smart man with some common sense told the people that Demetrius
and his workers should take their complaint to the judges and the courts. He
said that the people could easily be accused of starting a riot for which there
was no excuse.
Twelve
men were baptized at
Both John's baptism and Christ's baptism were preceded by
repentance. Remission of sins was the result of both. However, the baptism of
the great commission puts the believer into Christ. This baptism is done in the
name of Christ or by His authority.
For three months Paul went into the Jewish synagogue
"disputing and persuading the things concerning the
The evil spirit answered the sons of Sceva by saying, "Jesus
I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" The man with the evil spirit
jumped on them and beat them down. They ran out of the house, naked and
wounded. This caused the Jews and Greeks to fear and the name of the Lord to be
magnified. As people began to talk about what had happened those that had been
practicing witchcraft brought their books and burned them in public. This
caused the word of God to grow and prevail.
A
town clerk used common sense Acts 19:35-41: Finally, a town official
that had some common sense begged the mob to "be quiet, and to do nothing
rashly." He suggested that if Demetrius and his workers have a legal case
against these Christian that they should take them to court. He said, "We
have courts and judges. Let them take their complaints there."
He also explained that if they were not satisfied there that the
matter should be considered by a lawful assembly. He said that there was no
excuse for being accused of starting a riot. He knew they could not give a
reason for this uproar. With this thought he dismissed the people.
Are you willing to do whatever is necessary to go to heaven? Jesus
said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned." (Mark
Bought With
The Blood Of Jesus
Acts Twenty
Paul traveled to
Christians can read God's word, study, pray, and sing while they are apart from one another. Communion can only be kept when the church comes together on Sunday; the Lord's Day or the first day of the week. Each Sunday Christians should break bread as a memorial of Christ's death. (Acts 20:7)
Paul
went through
Form Macedonia Paul went to
While Paul was speaking a young man named Eutychus was sitting in
the window. Paul preached for a long time and this young man became very
sleepy. He fell three floors to the ground and was taken up dead. Paul went
down and took Eutychus in his arms. He said, "Trouble not yourselves; for
his life is in him." "And they brought the young man alive, and were
not a little comforted." (Acts
The
voyage from
Paul told the brethren he would meet them at Assos and he did. As
a Christian it is important that you keep your word when you tell someone that
you are going to do something. The ship then took them to Mitylene. This was
only a brief stopover but you can rest assured that someone there heard the
gospel. From Mitylene they sailed the next day over against
Paul visited with the elders from
Paul warned the elders to take heed to themselves and to all the
Christians that the Holy Spirit had put in their care. They were to be
shepherds over this flock of God. This church had been bought with the blood of
God's Son. Paul warned these elders that after he left they should be on guard
for false teaches that would arise among the elders. He had warned them for
three years, with tears in his eyes, about his matter.
These false teachers would come in like wolves to destroy the
flock. They would twist the scriptures to their own destruction. Their purpose
would be to "to draw away disciples after them." Elders must watch
carefully to keep the church from being carried away with the error of the
wicked.
At last Paul placed these brethren in God's care. He emphasized
the value of God's work in building up His saints. He reminded them that Jesus
had said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." After Paul
finished speaking, he knelt down with the brethren and prayed. They were
especially grieved because Paul had told them, that they would not see him
again. After this they accompanied Paul to the ship.
To become a Christian you must hear the
gospel (Romans
Peter 3:21). After baptism use your life to spread the gospel of Christ!
A
Strange Compromise In
Acts 21
Paul
knew that storms would rage in his life when he reached
The spread of the
gospel in the early days of the church was a beautiful thing. Where ever Paul
went he found small groups of Christians serving the Lord. It is wonderful to
travel from place to place and find others that are a faithful part of the
At the house of
Philip a prophet, named Agabus "took Paul's
girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith
the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of
the Gentiles." It was not unusual for Old Testament prophets to dramatize
their message.
Paul would not retreat Acts 21:1-16:
Paul knew that danger awaited him in
As was often the
case when the missionary team departed there was fellowship and a service of
prayers offered to God. Afterwards the brethren returned to their homes and
Paul and his company got on the ship again. The journey by ship ended at Ptolemais. There were some Christians there that the
brethren spent a day with. Their next stop was at
The same Agabus that had predicted
the famine in Acts 11:28 now predicted that Paul would be bound by the Jews and
delivered to the Gentiles. The brethren believed the prediction and tried to
persuade Paul not to go to
Compromise
about the Law Acts 21:17-26:
When Paul and his companions reached
Paul was accused of teaching the Jews
that they ought not to circumcise their children nor
to walk after the costumes of the Law. He was told that there would be a
meeting to discuss this matter. James suggested that Paul help four Jewish
brethren keep their vows to prove that he was a keeper of the Law. We must
become all things to all men but still one cannot help but be amazed at James'
suggestion and at the fact that Paul would go along with it. Surely both of
these great and good men did what they believed to be right under the
circumstances. But, at best this was a tragic compromise.
Slanderous charges against Paul Acts 21:27-36: Paul was in
and out of the
An uproar
caused Paul to be taken by force out of the
Paul
faced an angry mob Acts 21:37-40: As Paul was being pushed toward the
Paul simply
identified himself saying, "I am a man which am a
Jew of Tarsus, a city in
To become a
Christian hear the gospel (Romans
Pauls
Conversion And Work
Acts Twenty-Two
The conversion of Saul is told in Acts 9:1-19, Acts 26:9-18 and here in Acts 22:1-16. He gave us many details about what happened on his trip to Damascus to persecute Christians. We should study carefully what the Bible says about conversion and not be swayed by our preconceived ideas. Saul was wrong religiously, but he was sincerely trying to serve God. He followed his conscience, which sadly had been taught wrong. He was religious but religiously wrong, sincere but sincerely mistaken.
God sent Ananias to tell Saul what he must do to be saved. God does not tell people directly how to be saved. Those that have already become Christians deliver his message to others. When Ananias came to Saul he asked, "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16) Saul was a believer in Christ that had repented of his sins and now he needed to be baptized into Christ.
After Saul's conversion he became an apostle to the Gentiles. The Jews listened to Paul until he said the word "Gentile." "And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live." (Acts 22:22) National prejudice is a sad and destructive thing. The anger of the people caused the chief captain to assume Paul had done some terrible crime. He threatened to beat Paul until he found out that Paul was a freeborn Roman citizen. The captain did not seem to respect God but he did respect the law of the land. Paul was willing to suffer and to die for Christ but if his Roman freedoms could prevent his suffering he would thankful use that citizenship.
Paul's birth, education and prejudices Acts 22:1-5: The term "men, brethren and fathers" was a term used often among the Jews in Paul's' day. He was happy to answer the charges of speaking against the Jews, the Law of Moses, and the Temple. He knew his teaching was in harmony with the will of God. When Paul spoke in the Hebrew tongue the people became even more silent. The captain and the Roman soldiers might not have understood Hebrew so well.
Paul explained that he was a Jew by birth. He was educated in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel. He had been taught strict observance of the Mosaic Law. It was a well know fact that he was zealous toward God and the Law. Paul had been a zealous persecutor of Christianity. He committed Christians to prison and consented to their death. He said the Jewish Sanhedrin and the High Priest could bear witness to the fact that he had gained permission to go to Damascus in order to bind and imprison Christians.
Paul's conversion to Christianity Acts 22:6-16: As Paul drew near to Damascus there was a bright light from heaven that flashed around him. This light caused him to fall to the ground. He heard a voice asking, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He inquired as to who it was that he was persecuting. He learned that he was persecuting Jesus of Nazareth. Those traveling with Paul saw the light but did not hear the voice in such a way as to understand.
Paul quickly inquired as to what he must do to be saved. He had journeyed toward Damascus to persecute Christians that he found there. Now, however, he entered into the city to learn how to become a Christian and what he must do for Jesus. He would learn that he was to be an apostle to the Gentiles. He would both work and suffer for the cause he had persecuted.
Ananias was a good and godly man that God sent to tell Paul how to become a Christian. He first used a miracle to restore Paul's sight. Ananias told Paul that God had chosen him and to see Jesus and to hear His voice. He would then become a witness as to what he had seen and heard. Paul was baptized to wash away his sins. "Calling on the name of the Lord," an expression that means obedience to the Lord's will. There is not doubt that one must be baptized in order to be saved.
Paul's apostleship among Gentiles Acts 22:17-21: After his conversion Paul returned to Jerusalem and to the Temple to pray. In a vision he was told to leave Jerusalem because the people would not listen to what he had to say about God. He was told to get out of Jerusalem quickly because God had work for him to do elsewhere.
The people would not listen to Paul just as he would not listen to Stephen and other preachers of the gospel. Many times Paul had gone into the assemblies and arrested Christians. He even guarded the clothes of the men who murdered Stephen. The Lord told Paul to leave Jerusalem and that he would send him to the Gentiles. The desire of God was that Paul become an apostle to the Gentiles. He preached the gospel among them with great success. Many churches were established among the Gentiles.
Paul's Roman citizenship helped him Acts 22:22-30: The crowd listened to Paul until he said the word "Gentile." Then they said, "Get rid of this man! He doesn't deserve to live." Like madmen these people threw off their cloths and threw dust into the air. The captain decided to take Paul to the castle and scourge him to find out why the crowd was so angry with him. While the soldiers were tying Paul up to be scourged he asked them if it was legal to beat a Roman citizen without a trial?
The officer immediately told the captain that Paul was a Roman citizen. The captain had bought his Roman citizenship with much money. Paul was a freeborn Roman citizen. Those that were about to beat Paul stopped immediately when they realized that they had put a Roman in chains uncondemned. The chief captain was concerned that he would be called to give an account for even allowing Paul to be bound. It is again obvious that this man did not respect God but he did respect the laws of the land. All Christians must have respect for the laws of the land and obey them unless they conflict with the will of God. (Romans 13)
The next day the commander wanted to know the real reason why the Jewish leaders had brought charges against Paul. He ordered the chief priests and the whole council to meet about this matter. Paul was brought in to make his defense before them. Later we will see that his defense centered in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The council was much divide over the questions of the resurrection.
Being a Christian is a serious responsibility. To become a Christian, you must hear the gospel (Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus (Mark 16:16), repent of sins (Acts 2:38), confess Christ as Lord (Romans 10:9-10) and be baptized to be saved. (1 Peter 3:21) After conversion the challenge for every Christian is to be steadfast in the service of the King of kings. Paul had his work among the Gentile and there is a work for you in Gods kingdom.
Paul Before
The Divided Sanhedrin
Acts Twenty-Three
Paul was an honest
man who served "in all good conscience before God." (Acts 23:1) He
did the best he knew how to live right and to be an honor to God. His claim to
a good conscience caused Ananias to tell someone to strike him on the mouth. In
Acts 23:3 Paul told the High Priest, "God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to
judge me after the law, and commandest me to be
smitten contrary to the law?" He did not know that this man was High Priest.
He certainly was not acting like a High Priest should act. Paul would never
have spoken to Ananias as he did if he had known he was High Priest. Paul knew
that the law of God requires respect for authority. (Exodus 22:28, Ecclesiastes
10:20)
The Sanhedrin was
divided. Some members of the court were Sadducees and others were Pharisees.
Paul said that he was being judged "concerning the hope and resurrection
of the dead." The Sadducees had
neither hope nor dread of the future. "For the Sadducees say that there is
no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess
both." (Acts 23:8)
About forty Jews
bound themselves under an oath that they would neither eat
nor drink until they had killed Paul. They would ask the chief priest
and elders to bring him down that they might ambush him and kill him. Paul's
nephew heard of their wicked plot and told Paul. He sent him to tell the
commander about their plan. The commander sent Paul to
Paul's
defense before the Sanhedrin Acts 23:1-5: Paul appeared before the
Sanhedrin to try to resolve the charge of profaning the
The High Priest
commanded the people to strike Paul in the mouth. They were gathered to learn
the truth, but sadly the High Priest had no interest in truth. Paul called
Ananias a "whitewashed wall." He was beautiful on the outside and
rotten on the inside. He pretended to be religious, but it did not show in his
life. Paul could not tell by his actions that Ananias was High Priest. Paul had
too much respect for God to knowingly speak against His authority!
Paul
was assured that he would go to
The
Jews conspired to kill Paul Acts 23:12-24: There was so much hatred
toward Paul that more than forty Jewish men vowed that they would not eat nor
drink until they had killed
him. They even asked the chief priest and other to join them in
their godless plot. They wanted then to request the commander to bring Paul
down that they might kill him from ambush.
Paul's nephew
somehow heard about the plot. He told Paul who then asked an officer to take
him to the commander. He told the commander that some men would ask him to
bring Paul before the Jewish council tomorrow. They would pretend to desire to
question Paul more. However, more than forty men were going to attack Paul.
They had made a vow not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him.
The commander charged the young man not to tell anyone what he had told him. If
they knew that their plot had been made known they might have devised a new
scheme before Paul could be spared.
At about
Claudius Lysias said that he wanted to find out what the Jews had
against Paul. He explained how that he brought him before their council and learned
that the charges concern only religious laws. He said Paul was not guilty of
anything for which he should die or even be put in prison. He explained about
the plot against Paul's life and how that he had quickly sent Paul and his
accusers to Felix's court. Felix promised to hear Paul's case when his accusers
came. Felix desired to hear both sides of the matter before he passed his
judgment, even though the chief captain's letter had said that Paul was
innocent. Paul was kept in Herods judgment hall. This provided an open door
for much work in the kingdom.
To become a
Christian you must hear the gospel (Romans
Paul Appeared Before
Felix
Acts Twenty-Four
In Acts
chapters 24-28 we observe Paul's captivity and the constant effort of the
Jewish religious leaders to have him killed. They hated Paul so much that they
constantly made false and improvable charges against him. In this chapter we
see that they even brought Tertullus, an orator, to present their case against
Paul before Felix.
Paul
was accused in the court of Felix Acts 24:1-9: The High Priest and
the Jews knew that they had done wrong in their dealing with Paul so they
wanted to get the matter settled quickly. Their interest was not in doing right
but in blaming Paul! They came to
Tertullus
used flattery to catch the ears of Felix. He said Felix had brought a long
period of peace to the Jews and that because of him the nation was better off.
He wanted Felix to think that the Jews were thankful for what he had done for
them. He told Felix, "All of us are always grateful for what you have
done." This was just deceitful flattery in an attempt to get Felix on
their side.
Tertullus
accused Paul of being a pest, plague, or troublemaker for the Jews all over the
world. He was accused of sedition and of
being a leader of a group called Nazarenes. "Sedition is a term of law to
refer to covert conduct such as speech and organization that is deemed by the
legal authority as tending toward insurrection against the established order.
Sedition often included subversion of a constitution and incitement of
discontent to lawful authority." "Nazarenes" was not a God given
name for His people. Christians were so called by way of contempt and scorn.
They were called Nazarenes because Jesus was from
The Jews accused Paul of attempting to
disgrace the
Paul
defended himself before Felix Acts 24:10-18: Felix had judged the
Jewish nation for many years. He had been governor somewhere between ten and
thirteen years. If the charge was true that Paul was guilty of sedition surely
Felix would have heard something of him.
Paul said it
was no more than twelve days ago that he went to worship in
The Jews felt
that the Lord's Way was heresy. Paul wanted it clearly understood that he still
worshipped the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He believed that everyone,
both good and evil, will be raised from the dead. Belief in the resurrection
promoted holiness and godly living in the life of Paul. The desire of his life
was simply to discharge his duty to God and to man.
Paul
explained how that he had been away from
Paul
defense before Felix continued Acts 24:19-23: Paul said the Jews from
The only
thing Paul was guilty of was saying that he was called into question concerning
the resurrection from the dead. When Paul had mentioned the resurrection the
court was thrown into confusion and division. Felix knew a lot about the Lord's
Way. He said he would hear more about this matter when Lysias the chief captain
came to
Paul
was kept under guard Acts 24:24-27: Felix and his wife Drusilla, who
was Jewish, went to the place where Paul was kept to hear him. Paul spoke to
them concerning faith in Christ. Felix was frightened when Paul talked about
righteousness, temperance (self-control), and judgment to come. He stopped Paul
from speaking and told him he would hear him again when it was convenient.
Felix sent
for Paul often and talked with him. He hoped Paul would offer him a bribe. He
observed from Paul's own defense, that he came up to
God wants to save you. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (II Peter 3:9.) Have you obeyed the gospel? (Mark 16:15-16.) Are you living for Heaven? (I Corinthians 15:58.)
Grievous
Complaints Against Paul
Acts Twenty-Five
God wanted Paul's innocence to be proven before the world. The
only thing he was guilty of was having faith in Jesus as the Christ and
preaching the resurrection from the dead. The Jews seemed to increase in their
hatred of Paul. They desired Festus to bring him to
Paul's conduct before these rulers was that of a man bearing
witness to the truth. His relationship with God was obvious as he dealt with
these difficult circumstances. He had been God's faithful missionary among the
Gentiles. He had preached Christ as the end of the Law. This should not have
been an offense against the Jews. Yet, now he is subject to the blind hatred of
these people.
Paul was a man who had great respect for the laws of the land. He
would willingly accept whatever punishment he deserved for preaching Christ as
man's only hope. Paul was not willing to accept injustice when there was a
higher court to which he could appeal.
Agrippa and Festus both had more interest in being
politicians than
in serving the
Creator. How sad for men like
these who have had the great opportunity to be instructed concerning Christ's
resurrection and man's hope and yet have rejected that hope. These rulers heard
Paul not in order to learn truth but to gratify their curiosity. There was
nothing certain that these rulers could charge Paul with!
The chief priests and some Jewish leaders told him about their
charges against Paul. Paul was pictured as a wicked man that had committed all
kinds of evil. The Jewish leaders asked a favor of Festus desiring that he
would bring Paul back to
Festus stayed in
Paul appealed to Caesar Acts 25:7-12: As soon as
Paul was brought into the court the Jewish leaders crowded around him and laid
many and grievous complaints against him. These were complaints which they
could not prove. The reason that they could not prove their charges was that
after his conversion Paul had very strictly conformed to the laws of God and
man. He had not broken the Law of the Jews and he has not done anything against
either the temple or Caesar. It was to Paul's honor through the grace of God,
that his enemies could not make good any of the things with which they charged
him. He was a good man, serving his Creator!
Festus desired to please the Jews so he asked Paul to go to
King
Agrippa learned about Paul Acts 25:13-21: King Agrippa and Bernice
came to
Festus explained to Agrippa that when he had taken office and gone
up to
Agrippa desired to hear Paul Acts 25:22-27:
Agrippa was a Jew by profession. He desired to hear Paul in order to gain
information about the dispute between the Jews and Christians. Festus was happy
to arrange for him to hear Paul. The next day when the meeting was arranged
"Agrippa and Bernice made a big show as they came into the meeting room.
High ranking army officers and leading citizens of the town were also
there."
When Paul was brought in Festus told Agrippa that this is the man
that all the Jews are demanding that he be put to death. It was his death they
sought, and nothing else would satisfy them. Lysias had earlier said, "I
perceived him to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid
to his charge worthy of death or of bonds." (Acts 23:2) Festus also
admitted that when he examined Paul he found no crime worthy of death. However,
he did feel that sense Paul was to be sent to
To become a Christian you must hear the
gospel (Romans
Pauls
Sermon Before King Agrippa
Acts Twenty-Six
Acts twenty-five pictured Paul before the judgment bar of Festus,
Agrippa, and Bernice and some great men of
Christ was made
know to Paul as he journeyed to
Festus thought that
Paul was a mad man but Agrippa was not far from being converted. "Agrippa
said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a
Christian." (Acts 26:28) Sadly Agrippa was only a little distance from
being make a Christian, yet there is no Biblical evidence that his heart was
ever changed. The wish Paul had for Agrippa should be our desire for all
mankind. "I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me
this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these
bonds." (Acts 26:29)
Even after two years
of being kept in prison unjustly Pauls heart was still filled with faith,
hope, joy, conviction and love for God. Happiness does not depend on
circumstance. Paul might have been bound by the government but he was free in
Christ.
Festus, Agrippa and
Bernice agreed saying, "This man has done nothing which might give cause
for death or prison." (Acts 26:31) "Then said Agrippa unto Festus,
This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto
Caesar."
Paul humbly addressed
Agrippa Acts 26:1-11: Agrippa gave Paul permission to speak for himself. As Paul began
his defense he stretched forth his hand. This action was designed to gain their
attention. He felt happy to answer the charges made against him by the Jews
before King Agrippa. The charges involved profaning the temple, contempt for
the Jews, their customs and the Law, blasphemy, and sedition. Paul was innocent
of all charges.
The Jews had known
Paul since childhood and they knew his manner of life. If they were willing to
do so those Jews could verify that Paul had live in a strict manner as a
Pharisee. He wanted it known that he was on trial because of God's promise of
salvation based on the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. He asked why
anyone would doubt that God had raised the dead to life again. Early on, Paul
was opposed to Jesus Himself, to His religion, to His Gospel, and especially to
His people. Paul put many Christians in jail and even voted for them to be
killed. He punished Christians in their meeting places. He tried to make them
renounce the Christ. He was so angry against Christians that he pursued them to
foreign cities.
Paul's conversion and commission Acts
26:12-18: Paul was on my way to
Paul's
preaching among the Gentiles Acts 26:19-23: Paul was obedient to
Jesus concerning his personal salvation and concerning the work the Lord had
for him to do. He immediately began to preach at
God protected Paul
and helped him as he preached both to the rich and to the poor. The only thing
he preached was what the prophets and Moses said would happen. Paul proved that
trough Jesus suffering, death, burial and resurrection that He had brought
light to the Jews and to the Gentiles.
Paul
proved himself to be innocent Acts 26:24-32: Festus reacted by saying
that Paul was a mad man. Paul said he was not mad and that what he preached was
true and in harmony with scripture. Paul
then turned to Agrippa and asked him if
he believed what the prophets said? Agrippa said, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." Paul wanted Agrippa
and all others to be Christians without chains or bonds.
King Agrippa,
Festus, and Bernice, all agreed saying, "This man is not guilty of
anything. He does not deserve to die or to be put in jail." Agrippa told
Festus that Paul could have been set free, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.
His appeal to Caesar would take him to
Being a Christian is a serious responsibility.
To become a Christian, you must hear the gospel (Romans
Gods Grace In The Storm
Acts Twenty-Seven
Paul had been judged and found innocent. However, it was God's will
that he preach in
The centurion gave
orders for the journey even over the captain of the ship. He was totally
unwilling to follow the advice Paul gave him. Later, the ship was caught in a
horrible storm and hope of survival was gone. God appeared to Paul and promised
him that there would be no lose of life. The ship and its cargo would be lost
but all the people would be spared.
In the midst of the
storm Paul showed great faith in God. He ate, prayed and talked about God. He
said, "Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God,
that it shall
be even as it was told me." The ship was torn apart and the
soldiers suggest
killing the prisoners. "But Julius wanted to save Paul's
life, and he
did
not
let the
soldiers do what they had planned." Remember shipwrecks may come in life
but God never deserts you.
Paul
is taken to
When they stopped
at Sidon Julius was kind to Paul. He allowed him to visit his friends so that
they could minister to his needs. Leaving
They lost a great
deal of time on the trip. The Day of Atonement had now passed and it was
dangerous to sail on. Paul warned the sailors saying, "Sirs, I perceive
that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage." But Julius listened
to the captain of the ship instead of Paul. Almost everyone said that the
"Fair Havens" was not a good place to spend the winter. So they
attempted to reach
Paul knew that they
would be shipwrecked on some island. For fourteen days and nights they had been
blown about. About
The sailors tried
to escape in the
lifeboat, but Paul told them that they must stay in the ship to be
saved. God has a place of safety today. The place of safety is the church. We
must remain in the church to be saved. (Acts
Paul encouraged
everyone to take some food and assured them that God would spare their lives.
There were 276 people on the ship. After they had eaten they threw the wheat
into the sea to lighten the ship.
The
horrors of a shipwreck Acts 27:39-44: When morning came they decided
to try to run the ship aground on the beach. They raised the sail and allowed
the wind carry the ship toward the beach. When the ship ran aground the front
stuck in the sand and the "hinder part was broken with the violence of the
waves."
The soldiers
decided to kill the prisoners to keep them from escaping. Julius wanted to save
Paul so he ordered everyone who could swim to head for shore. Others held on to
wood from the ship and all reached safely. Again we see the faithfulness of
God's promise.
Are you willing to
do whatever is necessary to go to heaven? Jesus said, "He who believes and
is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."
(Mark
The Journey Ended
In
Acts Twenty-Eight
The people on the
As Paul gathered sticks for the fire a poisonous viper attached itself to his hand. The people thought that Paul must surely be a murderer. The people of Melita believed that the wicked are punished in this life. Paul was able to shake off the viper and feel no harm. The people of Melita then "changed their minds, and said that he was a god."
The chief man of the island was named Publius. Paul healed his father of a fever and a bloody flux. He prayed, laid his hands on him and healed him. He also healed others on the island. When they departed from the island the people gave them such things as they needed.
Paul kindly received at Melita Acts 28:1-10: The 276 people
all safely reached the shore on the island of (Melita)
The chief man of the
When they reached
Paul had nothing against the Jewish nation. He said he was bound
because of what
Paul remained a prisoner at
The book of Acts closed without giving us details about what
finally happened to Paul. The closing words were, "And Paul dwelt two
whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the
Being a Christian is a serious responsibility. It might cost you
your life. However, Christianity involves your eternal salvation. To become a
Christian, you must hear the gospel (Romans