BIBLE IN TEN

Acts 3:16

Thursday, 23 December 2021
 
And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. Acts 3:16
 
Peter has conveyed to the people their denial and killing of Jesus, but God’s approval of Him through the resurrection. With that stated, he now immediately turns to the power that comes with this fact. The Greek reads in a different order than the NKJV cited above –
 
And His name, through faith in His name... (NKJV)
And upon the faith of the name of Him... (my translation)
 
In this, the Greek does not say dia, or “through.” It says epi, or “upon.” It is an important distinction. There is also an article which must be translated, “the faith.” The account from Luke is precise. This man had not heard any word concerning Christ Jesus. Peter simply brought him from being a cripple to being healed –
 
And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. Acts 3:2-7
 
It was not the man’s faith, but “the faith” which is found in Jesus Christ. One might say, “The church is established upon the faith found in (as the basis of) the name of Jesus.” This is the thought being expressed by Peter. The corresponding account of Paul healing a cripple is completely different –
 
And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. Acts 14:8-10
 
There, it refers to the man’s faith. He had faith (there is no preceding article in the Greek) to be healed after hearing the gospel and Paul commanded him to stand. As for Peter, he healed the man based upon the faith found in (based upon) the name of Jesus. It is this faith which Peter says, “has made this man strong.”
 
Faith in the man was not a requirement for this healing for exactly the reason that Peter had been explaining. Israel was guilty of crucifying their Messiah, but to demonstrate that God had, in fact, raised Christ, the power of His name was used to prove the matter. This is to contrast what Peter said in verse 3:12
 
“...why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” (3:12)
 
“And upon the faith of the name of Him has made this man strong.” (3:16).
 
This is the proof of what Paul carefully explained in the intervening verses. The miracle had been wrought by power which is upon (based on) the faith of the name. As an additional note of the undeniable surety of the matter, Peter next says, “whom you see and know.”
 
So surely is this a valid miracle that Acts 4 will detail a trial held by the leaders concerning what happened. There it says –
 
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. 22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. Acts 4:20-22
 
The people knew the man, they had seen the miraculous change in his physical body, and they had no excuse to not believe what their eyes beheld. Peter’s words, as recorded by Luke, are precise and exacting. This includes what he next says to the people, “Yes, the faith which comes through Him.”
 
This time, the translation is correct. The word dia, or “through,” is used when speaking of Christ. Again, it is not speaking of the man’s faith. It is speaking of “the faith,” meaning the basis of the faith, which comes through the resurrected Messiah. It is this new formulation in the ongoing redemptive narrative that has been presented to Israel.
 
In times past, miracles were done in the name of the Lord, Yehovah. But now, it is power in the name of Jesus (Yeshua – Salvation), that such miracles are proclaimed, and which then occur. As such, Peter notes that the faith which comes through Jesus “has given him this perfect soundness.”
 
Here, Peter uses a word found only this one time in the Bible, holokléria. Souter says that it pertains to “the condition of wholeness, where all the parts work together for ‘unimpaired health.’” The miracle was wrought, and there was nothing lacking in it. The man went from a total cripple from his mother’s womb to a man that could walk and leap about without even needing to be trained to do so once his body was healed. Everything worked as if it had been working all his life. With that stated, Peter finishes with a note that it was done “in the presence of you all.”
 
Even if the people didn’t actually see the healing happen, many had come through the same gate just before it happened. The man lay there, broken and helpless, begging alms. Some may have handed him a coin. Some may have pointed at him and mocked. Some may have said to their children, “This is the curse of God.” Whatever they thought or did as they passed, they had seen him in laying there, understanding his condition was hopeless. And yet, he was now before them completely healed. The testimony to all of the people concerning the faith in the name could not be denied.
 
Life application: Just a few incorrectly translated prepositions and missing articles can change the entire meaning of a verse. And with the change in meaning, there is seen to be an entirely different purpose for what was said than would otherwise have been known. Israel is being given instruction on a miracle that occurred among them. But with the faulty translation of the KJV, which is then repeated in the NKJV, people will have a complete misunderstanding of what is being conveyed.
 
In Acts 14, in the comparable healing passage which refers to Paul, there will be a different design and purpose for what is said. In noticing these differences, one’s theology will be strengthened and more perfectly aligned with what the Bible is telling us. But without noticing these things, we will remain deficient in our thinking.
 
In learning this lesson, it should teach us for our own spiritual lives. Let us endeavor to always be precise in how we present the gospel. Including various words not laid out in Scripture concerning the gospel, we can easily present a false gospel. The beauty of being saved by faith alone through Christ alone can be obliterated by saying something as innocuous as “repent and be baptized.”
 
Acts 2:38 says this but Acts 2:38 must be taken in its proper context (as noted then) or a false impression of what Peter was saying (and to whom he is speaking) will arise. Learn the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4), and then proclaim that by believing that message of salvation will be realized. Yes, let us be precise concerning such important matters.
 
O God, help us to be faithful in presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to others. And when we do, help us to faithfully present it. May our words be words approved by You in Your word so that no errors in thinking arise in those we speak to. To Your glory we pray, Amen

Acts 3:15

Wednesday, 22 December 2021
 
and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. Acts 3:15
 
The previous verse should be cited together with this to see the contrast and to better understand the paradox that is presented –
 
“But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.”
 
The immediate contrast –
 
“asked for a murderer” / “killed the Prince of life.”
 
The paradox – 
 
The Prince of life was killed.
 
The broader contrast –
 
“But you denied the Holy One and the Just” / “whom God raised from the dead.”
 
Peter sets the actions of Israel in complete contrast one to another. Whereas they asked for Barabbas, a man who purposefully ended another’s life, they also killed the One who grants it. The word archégos is introduced here. It will be seen again in Acts 5 and then twice in Hebrews. It comes from arché, meaning “beginning” or “origin,” and agó, “to lead” or “to guide.” Hence, it is one who is a file-leader. He sets the way for others to follow.
 
Some translations use the term “author.” Though this is a close thought, it is not exact. It more closely would signify an originator or founder that continues to lead. Its other uses will help understand the significance of the word –
 
Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Acts 5:31
 
 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Hebrews 2:10
 
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
 
Christ is the “file-Leader” of life, of restoring others to God, of salvation itself, and of the faith possessed by those who look to Him. The question of what “life” is being referred to is appropriate. It could be referring to life itself, that which animates humans (and indeed all life), or it could refer to the “life” which is obtained through restoration with God, meaning the spiritual restoration to God that was lost at the fall.
 
The immediate context is surely referring to the latter because Peter will next speak of the resurrection that makes this life possible. But the former is true as well. Jesus is clearly revealed as the Lord (YHVH) of the Old Testament Scriptures. It is He who breathed life into Adam at the first (Genesis 2:7), but He is also the one who indicated He would breathe the new life, the Holy Spirit, into those who would come to Him by faith (John 20:22). In Him is life (John 1:4), both the initial giving of it, and the restoration of that spiritual life through His completed work.
 
It is this One that Israel killed, revealing the great paradox. How could the file-Leader of life die? And yet, He had to die to bring about life in those who killed Him. One necessitated the other. It reveals the wisdom and the immensity of God’s plans. And in their killing of Christ came the victory over death, as Peter notes, saying, “but whom God raised from the dead.”
 
Peter has already said in Acts 2:24 that “it was not possible that He should be held” by death. This is because “the wages of sin is death.” But Christ, the Prince of life, had no sin. As such, death could not hold Him. He had done nothing to earn death, and He therefore was resurrected by the power of God.
 
Life was found in Him who is the life. The enormity of the event, and the piercing nature of the words, must have been terrifying to those who realized what they meant. And to make certain that the words could be trusted, Peter next says, “of which we are witnesses.”
 
It is debated what Peter is referring to:
 
“the Prince of life...of whom we are witnesses.”
“God raised from the dead...of which we are witnesses.”
 
Either way, the fact is that Peter and John are witnesses, thus establishing the truth of the matter as required by law. They did witness the life and deeds of Christ, and they did witness Christ in His resurrection. Both testify to the fact that He was, and still remained, the Messiah. Israel is being presented with information that they cannot live without. Likewise, each individual was being presented with that same information. The choice is both an individual one and it is a collective one. Each person standing there had to individually choose to believe, and the nation as a whole – who was under the terms of the Mosaic Covenant – had to do so as well.
 
Life application: What God has done in Christ is incredible in the extreme. But it is not impossible to believe. If the story of Jesus was just one made up in the minds of a group of people at a given time, it could easily be ignored.
 
However, the books of the Bible span about fifteen hundred years of time. And more, not only are they written over that span of time, but they encompass details that go from the very beginning of time until the end of time as we currently understand it – telling of things that would happen well into the future, and which continue to be realized even at the current time.
 
They are comprised of the writings of about forty different people. They are written in various locations throughout the Middle East. They are written in several different languages, and they are written to various groups of people.
 
Despite all of these things, the message found in these sixty-six books is a single, unified whole. It carries one overall theme while also carrying – very consistently – many individual themes that form it into a single body of literature that defines the very purpose of man’s existence on earth.
 
The main theme, the Subject, of this compilation is God working in Christ in order to have an eternal relationship exist between the two. The Person of Jesus, who is Christ, is that Subject. It is He who is the Prince of life, and it is He to whom we are responsible.
 
Let us never forget this, and may we spend our time and energy – above all else – focused on this. Let us praise God, exalt Him, and magnify His glorious name for all the world to see and understand His goodness towards us in the giving of His Son. May this be how we direct our lives, all the days of our lives.
 
Lord God, thank You for what You have done in and through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Acts 3:14

Tuesday, 21 December 2021
 
But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, Acts 3:14
 
Peter just noted to those gathered before him. They, men of Israel who should have known better, had delivered up Jesus when even a Gentile, Pilate, was determined to let Him go. To continue describing the guilt that rested upon them, he next says, “But you denied the Holy One.”
 
When considered, the irony is palpable. Israel denied the Holy One, something even the demons acknowledged –
 
Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” Mark 1:23, 24
 
Despite even the demons knowing who Christ was, the men of Israel rejected him and denied His position as their Messiah – a title which includes the thought of kingship –
 
When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”
16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away. John 19:13-16
 
Peter is standing before them and is defending who Christ Jesus is, preparing to explicitly state that it is He who healed the beggar. But before he does this, he wants them to understand the guilt they bear. What he has said so far cannot be denied. He was there, they were there, and they had called out the words rejecting Jesus. Peter next adds in another set of words to increase the accusation. Not only is He the Holy One, but Peter next says, “and the Just.”
 
The word signifies “righteous” or “just in the sight of God.” A righteous person is one who conforms to the will of God and meets His standards of uprightness. Peter claims that Jesus fits this description. But more, and again showing the irony of the matter, both Pilate and his wife recognized this quality in Him –
 
While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.” Matthew 27:19
 
When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”
25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.” Matthew 27:24, 25
 
But even worse than this obvious fact is that Israel went a step further. Not only did they deny Christ who is both the Holy One and the Just, but they added to their guilt by violating the Law of Moses in an open and direct way. Peter explicitly states this by saying, “and asked for a murderer to be granted to you.”
 
The Greek reads, “and asked for a man, a murderer, to be granted to you.” In this, there is a hint of Christ’s deity being conveyed by Peter without explicitly stating it. The Scriptures implicitly reveal the deity of the coming Messiah. Without getting into a long theological discussion about the matter, Peter sets Barabbas – a mere man – against the Holy One and the Just. But along with this contrast, Peter identifies Barabbas as a murderer. This fact, along with the request for his return, is recorded in Mark 15 –
 
Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. 8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.
11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 12 Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
13 So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. Mark 15:6-15
 
Israel had called out for a murderer to be released to them while calling out for One who was clearly innocent to be led away for crucifixion. This is in direct violation of their own law –
 
“Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.” Numbers 35:31
 
And again –
 
‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ Deuteronomy 27:25
 
Those guilty of murder were not to be allowed to live, and those who were innocent were not to be slain for the price of a bribe, which is essentially what occurred when they took Barabbas over Jesus. A bribe is a type of inducement which is given, normally illegally or through dishonesty, in order to act favorably towards one party over another. Israel looked for the favor (which is the meaning of the word used) of ridding them of this Man in exchange for a known criminal.
 
The testimony is recorded for the world to see, but while Peter stood before the men of Israel it was clearly evident that it was true. The events had only happened a short time earlier. There could be no denying what had transpired. The burden of guilt rested (and continues to rest) upon the nation who betrayed its Messiah.
 
Life application: Today, something unexpected has come upon the world. Within the past generation, the nation of Israel has been reestab lished. This is an amazing miracle that confirms the words of Scripture which stated this would come about. Only a short time ago in relation to their time of exile, it would never have even been imagined possible.
 
Because this has occurred, many churches and individuals take this as a sign of God’s divine favor upon them and that their time of punishment is over. This is incorrect. The national guilt of Israel remains, and it will not be cleansed until they acknowledge Jesus as their rightful Messiah. That is explicitly stated by the Lord –
 
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Luke 13:34, 35
 
God has returned the people to the land in preparation for this event, and it is right that Christians support this and pray for their restoration. But this does not mean that Israel is to be given a blanket approval for their actions. They, like all of the nations, are immersed in approving immorality. Their abortion laws are more liberal than most nations and they are working to make them even looser. As a nation, they do not acknowledge the hand of the Lord in their restoration, nor in their continued existence. They are filled with pride and self-righteousness, just like all of the nations of the world.
 
This must all be purged from them before they are a people prepared for their God. Let us take a balanced look at Israel and understand that God has done, is doing, and will continue to do the miraculous in and through them. And yet, they continue to reject Him and act indecently before Him. To this day, the words of Ezekiel 36 remain true of this peculiar nation –
 
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among  the nations wherever you went. 23 And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes.” Ezekiel 36:22, 23
 
Let us consider Israel in the light in which God does, just as any sinner. We evangelize the lost while condemning their actions. We hope for restoration and new life to be found in them, and we pray for their healing. So it should be in our attitude towards this wayward nation. Remember to pray for Israel.
 
Lord God, help us to have a right and proper understanding of the events unfolding in the world today. A people under sentence for their past actions are being prepared for a time where their guilt will be atoned for, and they will stand purified in Your presence. May that day be soon. Until then, we pray for Israel the people and for each within the nation. May Your Spirit continue to call them to Yourself through the cleansing power of the shed blood of Christ. Amen.

Acts 3:13

Monday, 20 December 2021
 
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. Acts 3:13
 
Peter now explains the source of the healing power that brought the beggar to full health of his legs. He had just noted that it was not by their own power or godliness that he was made to walk. Rather, his words will point to the power of God in Christ, beginning with, “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
 
By introducing the patriarchs, Peter is clearly identifying the accomplishment of the miracle with the same God who had been faithfully followed by the fathers of the “men of Israel” whom he began to address in the previous verse. There has been an unbroken line of His power being displayed in this line, and Peter acknowledges that it continues at their present time. Having noted these three patriarchs by name, he next says that he is “the God of our fathers.”
 
The selection of this line was carefully recorded each step of the way. Abraham was called, he was directed by the Lord to follow a certain course of life, he was given promises and the covenant of faith was made with him. He was given the sign of circumcision. He was tested and the surety of the promise was restated because of his faithfulness.
 
From him, the line was carefully detailed to continue through Isaac, the son of promise. And from Isaac, the line continued through Jacob, who is Israel. The same God who had directed the course of events of their lives, and who had carefully detailed the continued course of events through the specified chosen line, is the same God who “glorified His Servant Jesus.”
 
By noting the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Peter is carefully ensuring that he is proclaiming the works and power as belonging to that same God. He is not introducing a new god, nor is he introducing an aberrant way of worshipping this same God. Rather, as he continues, he will clearly demonstrate that “His Servant Jesus” is the fulfillment of the Scriptures.
 
As yet, Peter has not called their God by His name Lord (YHVH). Rather, he has only used the term “God” and affixed His identity to the patriarchs. What will be implied in his continued words is that the Lord their God is, in fact, the Lord Jesus. For now, however, he is acknowledging that Jesus is the One Scripture testifies to.
 
In this verse, some translations say “Son” or “Child” here instead of “Servant.” The word can be translated either way, but Peter is clearly identifying Christ in His role as the “Servant of the Lord” who was prophesied of in their Scriptures. More specifically, he is surely tying Him to the “Servant” of Isaiah 52/53 –
 
“Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently;
He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.” Isaiah 52:13
 
That this is what is on Peter’s mind is to be inferred beginning with the next words which say, “whom you delivered up and denied.”
 
“He is despised and rejected by men,A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” Isaiah 53:3
 
The rejection of the Servant is prophesied in these words. Peter is calling them to mind and telling the people before Him that it is they who fulfilled this prophecy. There is no need to directly cite the words as they would have been familiar to all of the people before him. They would be able to clearly tie the prophecy together with the event, if they were mentally willing to do so. Peter then adds salt into the wound of the event by saying, “in the presence of Pilate.”
 
Not only did they reject the Servant of the God of their fathers who was glorified by Him, but they had done it in the presence of a Gentile ruler. They called out for a guilty sentence upon the One who was clearly innocent in God’s eyes, but who was also clearly innocent in the eyes of this Gentile placed over them. Peter avows this poignantly by saying, “when he was determined to let Him go.”
 
The words of Pilate would have rushed back into the mind of any of the people who had been present at the time –
 
Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”
5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”
6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “You take Him an  d crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”
7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”
8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, 9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”
11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.” John 19:4-12
 
Pilate clearly saw the innocence of the Man, and he attempted to have him released several times. But more, the account shows that Pilate was aware that Jesus was more than just another “Man.” He may not have understood the truth of who Jesus was, but he understood that God’s hand was certainly upon Him and thus it made the contrast to the angry calls of the Jews all the more striking.
 
This is clearly seen in the structure of Peter’s words. As Vincent’s Word Studies notes –
 
“He is ἐκείνου [ekeinou], the pronoun of more definite and emphatic reference, the latter, Pilate, ‘in order to make the contrast felt between what Pilate judged and what they did.’ This is further emphasized in the next verse.”
 
Peter is setting the actions of Israel against the decision of Pilate, bringing the guilt of their conduct squarely back on them. And this is before even acknowledging that it is Christ Jesus who is the One who healed the man. That will not be specifically stated until verse 3:16. Peter is applying lashes upon the people before telling them of the healing balm that can bring restoration to their souls. For now, he is simply acknowledging that they bear guilt for the sin which they committed.
 
Life application: Peter’s words reveal an effective way of reaching some people with the gospel. Some people already know that they are guilty of sin. They wear it on their shoulders for all the world to see, and they are scared of the day they have to meet their Maker. For these, the simple gospel that tells them Christ died for their sins is all they need to hear. When presented to them, the wonderful words of release flow over them like a flood of cool water while in a dry and barren land.
 
Others, however, feel just fine with themselves. They may compare themselves to others, as if God grades on a bell curve. “Well, I’m a lot better than most people. God understands my faults. All is good.” They have no idea that “others” are not a valid standard, but rather absolute perfection is.
 
For such people, they need to be presented with their (many) imperfections in light of the absolute perfection of the Lord. “You have done this in the presence of God, even a criminal can know that. Why can’t you see this?” Eventually, when the sin is presented as an infinite crime against God, the person will then realize how terrible his state before God actually is. From that understanding, a presentation of the gospel will bring peace to the now-troubled soul.
 
Each person must be evaluated to understand what is going on in his or her mind. Once that is done, the proper approach to evangelizing is then to be pursued. Peter knew the guilt of the people before him, but because a miracle had been done in their presence, they sure thought that they were right with God. “We are Israel, and God is doing great things among us!”
 
To avoid any such notion that God approved of them because of what had been done, Peter gave them the bad news first. Let us use this tool when necessary.
 
Lord God, help us to be effective at telling others about Your wonderful workings in Christ on our behalf. Each person is an individual, and so help us to carefully understand what he needs to know in order to be saved. From there, may we then present it in a way that will be effective in his life. To Your glory we pray. Amen.

Acts 3:12

Sunday, 19 December 2021
 
So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? Acts 3:12
 
It was just seen how the people ran together in amazement at what had taken place. Now, their attitude concerning this miracle becomes clear. They have misunderstood what the Source of the miracle actually is. It is something Peter will correct in his words ahead. As such, he begins with, “So when Peter saw it.”
 
This refers to the previous words, “all the people ran together to them.” The implication is that they think that what happened was because of the miraculous power of Peter and John. Running to them may have included words like, “Explain how you did it,” or “Let us see more of this.” Whatever it was, something clued Peter into the fact that the multitude thinks it was the apostles who are behind the healing. As such, it says, “he responded to the people.”
 
The Greek more literally reads, “he answered to the people.” However, saying this, the Bible’s use of “answering” someone is not the way we use the term today. It can mean to answer, as in a response, but it also means “to take up a conversation.”
 
It also can be an answer based on an inferred, but unstated question. This is probably the case here. Even if the questions speculated on a moment ago were not actually asked, the expression of the people alone would be sufficient to elicit such an answer. With that in mind, Peter begins his discourse with, “Men of Israel.”
 
The Greek reads, “men, Israelites.” This is their defining clan and culture. Today, the term “Jew” is applied in the same manner, coming from the predominant tribe of Judah. However, before that became the customary identification, being an Israelite was the first and most important designation. It is to this group of people, descended from Jacob – who is Israel – that the next words are spoken, “why do you marvel at this?”
 
This is the same word used to describe the state of the people in Acts 2:7 –
 
“Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?’”
 
Peter could look at the faces and tell what was on their minds. There was the same sense of confused wonder that he had seen among the people when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples at Pentecost. At that time, Peter seized the opportunity to tell the people about the marvelous workings of God in Christ. Such will be the case again now. But to continue to settle their minds first, he asks again, “Or why look so intently at us.”
 
The verb is the same as in Acts 3:4. The beggar fixed his eyes on Peter and John when he thought he would receive alms from them. Now, the people have intently fixed their gaze upon them, looking for an answer to what now so greatly perplexed them. With these questions carefully directed to the multitude, Peter is able to begin to redirect their attention to the One who is the Healer of the crippled beggar. He does this by asking, “as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?”
 
Peter implicitly denies their having performed the miracle under either their own “power” or “godliness.” The word translated as “power” signifies might, strength, ability, and so on. They lacked the medical skills to heal the man, they lacked the power to heal him, and so on. There was nothing in them that could account for the healing.
 
The word translated as “godliness” is introduced into Scripture, eusebeia. Other than this one use in Acts, it is seen only where it is used heavily by Paul in the pastoral epistles, and then four times by Peter in his second epistle. The word “godliness” is probably the best possible translation. It signifies piety or a right-hearted response towards God.
 
By asking in the manner he has, denying such power as their own, Peter is clearly indicating that the healing was not something connected to these traits in either he or John. Rather, an explanation of where the miracle stemmed from must be provided.
 
Life application: Peter and John could have immediately seized upon the moment and drawn attention to themselves. But before that is even hinted at, they rightly redirect the people’s attention away from themselves.
 
Who is it that deserves the attention, praise, and acclamation for the things that have been done through you? If you are a faithful follower of Christ, it is always right to redirect compliments given to you about your abilities and capabilities to the Lord. It is He who fashioned humanity, and you are a human being. It is He who knows you would be born when you were, what your DNA makeup would be, that you would receive His offer of Jesus, and so on.
 
As such, everything ultimately stems from Him, and He should be given the credit for all good things that stem from your life. It can be hard to not accept praise, especially when you put a lot of effort into the things you do. And you can be complimented at a time when it catches you off guard. At such a time, you may accept the compliment without even thinking about it.
 
But if we can be of the mind to continuously redirect praises and the like to the Lord, we do well. Let us endeavor to do this. And by doing so, it would be hoped that those who hear our words will truly want to know why we are so willing to give credit to Him. One never knows where the first opportunity to share the gospel will arise. And this attitude may be just the place.
 
Heavenly Father, help us to live our lives in a manner that will ultimately be pleasing to You and glorifying of You in the sight of others. This is good and right, so help our minds to be always tuned into this attitude. Amen.

Acts 3:11

Saturday, 18 December 2021
 
Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. Acts 3:11
 
Luke continues to describe the excitement of the healing of the beggar which took place, saying, “Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John.” The idea here is not of needing support from them. He has already been shown to walk around and even leap. Luke is saying that he, now being swarmed by the multitude, does not want to get  separated from Peter and John. And so, in order for that to not occur, he literally seizes them and clings onto them. The verb is a present participle. He “is clinging” to them.
 
The need for this becomes more evident with the next words, which read, “all the people ran together to them.” There is an excited fever of awe and wonder, and as one draws nearer so does another and another. Everyone wanted to be able to participate in the event surrounding them.
 
The same thing was seen when Jesus was active in His ministry. In Luke 8, for example, it says twice that the multitudes thronged Him. He was so pressed in by them that when someone purposefully touched him for healing, He was unaware of who it was. Here, likewise, the crowds are thronging these three. The beggar did not want to be separated from them, and so he steadfastly clung to them. This was “in the porch which is called Solomon’s.”
 
The word translated as “porch” is stoa. It refers to a portico. It is a covered colonnade, normally open on one side, where people would gather. This particular portico is known as “Solomon’s.” Charles Ellicott describes it –
 
“The porch—or better, portico or cloister—was outside the Temple, on the eastern side. It consisted, in the Herodian Temple, of a double row of Corinthian columns, about thirty-seven feet high, and received its name as having been in part constructed, when the Temple was rebuilt by Zerubbabel, with the fragments of the older edifice. The people tried to persuade Herod Agrippa the First to pull it down and rebuild it, but he shrank from the risk and cost of such an undertaking (Jos. Ant. xx. 9, § 7). It was, like the porticos in all Greek cities, a favourite place of resort, especially as facing the morning sun in winter.”
 
There, in this gathering place, it says the people who thronged these three were “greatly amazed.” The words are translated from a single Greek word found only here in Scripture, ekthambos. It goes beyond astonishment to a sense of bewilderment. Most of them were fully aware of who the beggar was. All of them were now apprised of the matter, even if they were previously unaware of him.
 
The name Solomon is derived from the word shalom, or “peace,” “wholeness,” or “soundness.” The giving of the name is explained in 1 Chronicles 22 –
 
“Then he called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel. 7 And David said to Solomon: ‘My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of the Lord my God; 8 but the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight. 9 Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.’” 1 Chronicles 22:6-9
 
In one way, there was anything but “peace,” meaning quietude, in the portico that day. And yet, for the beggar who is now healed, there is a sense of completeness and peace that had never existed before. His body was formed into a state of shalom that he had never previously known.
 
It is with the crowd, in the state of bewildered excitement because of the miracle performed on him, that Peter will seize the opportunity to address the crowd and explain the marvel of what God had done in Christ.
 
Life application: The physical healing of this man is actually nothing in comparison to the healing that occurs in a sinner who has been reconciled to God through Christ. The gulf between the two was an infinite one. But God can span the infinite in Christ – the God/Man. His humanity can remove the stain of sin from the soul worn down by it. And His deity can then reach out to His Father to span the gap and form a bridge between the two.
 
The same sense of astonishment that filled the people of Israel at the healing of the beggar should be experienced by all who know the miracle that has occurred in each of the redeemed of the Lord. But too often, we miss the spiritual, focusing too heavily on the physical. Let us consider the glory of what God has done in our lives, and let us never fail to wonder at the majesty of the cross of Christ. Through it, there is perfect healing and total restoration for the weary soul.
 
Lord God, thank You for what You have done in Christ to reconcile us back to Yourself. We were sinners in need of a Savior, and through His cross we are restored. Thank You for the great things You have done for us in our lives. Amen.

Acts 3:10

Friday, 17 December 2021
 
Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Acts 3:10
 
When the people saw the man joyously walking and praising God, Luke says, “Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms.” The word translated as “knew” signifies to recognize. Jesus used the word when saying, “you will know them by their fruits.” One sees, he recognizes, and an understanding is realized. So it is with this man.
 
But the verb is in the imperfect tense – “they “were knowing,” or “they were recognizing.” The use of the imperfect brings life to what is said. It wasn’t as if everyone knew, but that one realized it and then another and then another. Thus, the bewildering nature of the event becomes evident.
 
At times, it is hard to place someone that we see, “I am sure I know that guy.” But because of the context of where he is regularly seen has changed, his identity is just out of grasp. Once the mind remembers the context, then the understanding is realized – “Oh! That is the John who works at the grocery store!”
 
This is how it was for the people. They each saw the man, the identity seemed familiar, but the context was missing. But all of a sudden, one after another began to realize that he.... this man! was the beggar “at the Beautiful Gate of the temple.”
 
One can sense the knowledge suddenly being realized and the overwhelming sense of bewilderment flooding over the crowd. “How can this be?” Luke masterfully brings us into the narrative to feel the experience. One can sense what may have been said. “That guy has been sitting at the temple gate for years and years. His legs were twisted and emaciated. In fact, I just saw him there as I passed fifteen minutes ago... and now this? What does this mean?” As such, Luke records, “and they were filled with wonder and amazement.”
 
The word translated as “wonder” is unique to Luke’s writings, being seen now for the last of three times. It signifies astonishment that is allied with terror or awe. One could think of being stunned or dumbfounded. What is witnessed is just beyond the ability of the mind to grasp. The word translated as “amazement,” ekstasis, is obviously the root to our modern word “ecstasy.” Its direct meaning is “to completely remove.” As such, it means to confuse the mind so that it reaches out beyond ordinary perception. In this case, the minds of the people verge on a sense of overwhelming delight that something incomprehensible has taken place “at what had happened to him.”
 
The miracle that occurred wasn’t something that was far off. It was something in their midst. And it wasn’t something that occurred to someone they didn’t know, as if it could be the word of a charlatan. Rather, it happened to someone almost every single person would have seen at one time or another. Nothing could be more striking to imagine. The effects of seeing the man could not have made a greater impact upon those who now stood beholding him.
 
Life application: There are many people with great afflictions of the body around us. We know of blind people, crippled people, and people with various chronic diseases or maladies. This is a part of the human condition. We will pray for those we know, and there are times where it is heard that a true miracle occurs, and they are healed. But for many, the malady continues throughout the person’s entire life, and then he or she dies.
 
If such people are believers in Christ, it will only make what is coming next for them even more wonderful. They spent a lifetime in pain, being incapacitated, being shunned, or whatever. But when they are called forth from the grave at the rapture, there will be an instantaneous change. The body they will possess will be incorruptible, and it will be perfectly suited for an eternity in the presence of God.
 
For those who were pretty healthy when they died (or are raptured), the change will be no less incredible. Our bodies, even when in pretty great shape, have times of sickness, overwhelming tiredness, sadness, and so on. Such things will be forever behind us when we are off to meet the Lord. Hold fast to this truth. The life we live now is temporary and it is passing away. Fix your eyes on what lies ahead and be ready for glory that you cannot even imagine when Christ comes for His people. The day will be like none other!
 
Lord God, we are hoping Jesus will be back soon to deliver us from this body of corruption into our eternal home. Amen.

Acts 3:9

Thursday, 16 December 2021
 
And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Acts 3:9
 
With the complete healing of the crippled beggar, it then said that he went into the temple with Peter and John “walking, leaping, and praising God.” With that stated, Luke next records, “And all the people.”
 
This was at the hour of prayer in the afternoon (Acts 3:1). The number of people would not be small. In Luke 1, when Zecharias went into the temple to burn incense, it says, “And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.” Nothing is said of it being a particular day, like a Sabbath or a feast day. If it was, this would have been carefully recorded by Luke. As such, in can be inferred that a “great multitude” would be the regular attendance at this event. Of this multitude of people, it next says they “saw him.”
 
This is in the temple, at the hour of prayer and when the incense would be burned to the Lord. One might think this event with the beggar would be a great distraction from the Lord and something that would be inappropriate. Rather, it is honoring of the Lord. It is God who healed the man. It was done in the name of Jesus Christ. Everything about the ritual burning of the incense, and the offering of the lamb that would also have occurred at this time, points to the work of Christ Jesus. Every detail anticipates what He came to do.
 
Rather than being inappropriate, it is a beautiful expression of what God intended for the world to see. There is a man healed of his affliction, just as the prophets prophesied would someday occur. It was seen by the multitude, and the man was “walking and praising God.” He was giving Him glory for what had occurred in the name of His Christ. Nothing could be more honoring of the Lord than this wonderful display of renewal of the beggar through Him.
 
The lame had been cured. Nothing could be hidden in this. He was over forty, he had been crippled since birth, and he was suddenly and miraculously healed. This was a true and absolutely verifiable miracle that had occurred in the presence of the people. God was to be glorified for what He had done, and the name of Jesus would be exalted for the power it carried.
 
Life application: Throughout the years, there have been innumerable scam artists who would claim healing in Jesus’ name. One of the common tricks is to wheel a person into a church or arena who supposedly had one leg shorter than another. The charlatan would then come forward and miraculously make the shorter leg grow, right before the people.
 
Even a teenager can figure this out. By pulling the hip up, it causes one leg to appear shorter than the other. By relaxing the muscles, it appears as if the leg is actually growing. And wahlah! The money starts filling the coffers. There are innumerable scams like this. There are also well-known evangelists who have claimed to be capable of miraculous healings. Peter Popoff, for example, would make claims concerning erratic conditions in people who had come for healing.
 
However, it was discovered that while people were standing in line to enter, conversations would be brought up by his staff. The information they gleaned would then be given to people in the control room who would then transmit that to Popoff through a device in his ear. He was eventually exposed as a fraud when recordings of what he was doing were made.
 
A person who was associated with Popoff’s scam tried to justify what occurred, saying, “When you’re praying for the sick, it’s through the Holy Spirit, and there’s some times that it works freely, and then there are other times when the Spirit’s just not there.” He also added that “on the days it didn’t show, you still had to pay for the auditorium, so you needed to help the Holy Spirit along.”
 
Though bankrupted through this, Popoff continued his ministry and eventually rebuilt it, still scamming people who are unintelligent enough to continue to give to a person who knowingly did the disgraceful things he did.
 
The Holy Spirit does not need help. God is fully capable of accomplishing everything needed to fully and completely express Himself in the manner He deems is necessary. And He has provided us a written testimony of His great deeds in the pages of Scripture. We do not need to have outward displays of miraculous healings any longer. We have exactly what God deems is sufficient for us to live by faith.
 
Let us not get caught up in that which is false. We can pray for healing of those around us, and we can also pray for the grace to endure through our trials if healing is not realized. In the end, we must accept that God has done, and will do, what He determines. He does not need our help. Instead, He simply asks us for our faith.
 
Lord God, help us to be people of faith. We have Your written word. What more do we need to testify to the miraculous deeds that You have done, and to the marvels which You continue to do – such as preserving Israel, and changing lives – in the world? Thank You for the evidences You have provided us. They are sufficient to establish our faith. Amen.

Acts 3:8

Wednesday, 15 December 2021
 
So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. Acts 3:8
 
Peter took the beggar by the right hand and lifted him up. As he did this, the feet and bones were healed, and they received strength. With this done, Luke’s words follow with the delight of the moment, saying, “So he, leaping up.”
 
Luke is referring to the beggar using a word found only here in Scripture exallomai. It is a compound verb signifying “out” and “springing up.” Hence, “leaping up” or “leaping forth” gives the sense. Vincent’s Word Studies notes of this word –
 
“Used in medical language of the sudden starting of a bone from the socket, of starting from sleep, or of the sudden bound of the pulse.”
 
Again, Luke’s knowledge of medical terminology defines the action in a technical sense. Peter lifted him up and then he simply leaped forth in incredulity, joy, or maybe sheer amazement. A form of the word is found in Isaiah 35, and it beautifully resembles what occurred at this moment –
 
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer,And the tongue of the dumb sing.” Is 35:5, 6
 
From there, it says he “stood and walked.” The first verb is aorist while the second is imperfect. The man stood and then he began walking. One gets the heightened sense of a person who has never done so in his life. He probably stood looking down at his strengthened legs – no longer twisted, wasted away, and useless – and then he... took a step, and then another, and then another.
 
His heart is racing, his blood is pulsing, his mind is considering the moment and everything that it signifies. Ten thousand thoughts of the past, of the present moment, and what the future held filled his mind. He continued walking... “and entered the temple.”
 
The man had been brought by others to the Beautiful gate, set down, and stayed in the same spot all day, day after day. Now, instead of remaining outside of the temple of the Lord, he could – under his own power – enter into the complex. The moment would have had a sense of absolute amazement attached to it.
 
As he walked over mosaics, walked past huge cut blocks, and passed by intricately carved columns and pillars, they would have looked new and vibrant to him. Everything would be seen from a new perspective because he would have to watch for obstacles as they came near. A lame man would have no need of such observances. Luke records next that the now-healed beggar wasn’t alone, but he entered the temple “with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.”
 
The Greek includes “and” with each verb. He was “walking, and leaping, and praising.” Each is set off as an individual occurrence which together formed the first moment of a man restored to normalcy after over forty years of being lame, even from birth. In this state, Peter and John would have shared in the delight of the man’s exuberance.
 
The entire scene is alive with excitement, and the most poignant part of it all is that he was there in the temple “praising God.” As will be noted, the leaders will acknowledge that this could only have been a miracle, meaning an act of God –
 
“But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.” Acts 4:15, 16
 
The man himself, more than any other, knew this to be the case. What occurred was personal and life changing. As such, he stood, walked, and leaped before God, praising Him for what had occurred.
 
Life application: What is it that we praise God for? Generally, we praise God when good things happen to us or to those we love. When things don’t go so well in life, we often exclude praises. However, we may start praying more. Why is it that we praise God when things are going well, and pray to Him when they aren’t?
 
Rather, we should do both at all times. Even in our affliction, we can find a reason to bless His name and praise Him. Job, a man “blameless and upright” was noted as such because this was his nature. In the time of his greatest affliction, he said –
 
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,And naked shall I return there.The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21
 
Let us endeavor to not use God when we need Him and then ignore Him when we don’t. Instead, may our life attitude be to praise Him through our storms, and to pray to Him, even when we don’t have any pressing needs in our lives. He is worthy of our attention and our devotion at all times. And so may we give this to Him always.
 
Lord God, great are You and You are greatly are You to be praised! Amen.

Acts 3:7

Tuesday, 14 December 2021
 
And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. Acts 3:7
 
Peter’s last words to the beggar on the street were, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” With that stated, it now says, “And he took him.” Peter, knowing that the man was crippled and did not have any experience at what it meant to rise in his own strength, was prepared to help him in his new walk of life. The word Luke uses, piazó, signifies “to squeeze.” In other words, Peter firmly seized his hand, demonstrating complete confidence in what was to occur.
 
In reaching out his hand, it was a sign to the man that he honestly believed the healing had been realized. It was also an encouragement to him to be confident as well. As a note of authenticity to what he is writing, Luke specifically next says, “by the right hand.”
 
In noting this, Luke is showing that he was fully aware of every detail and had carefully and meticulously investigated the account. As it was only Peter and John with the beggar, and yet by noting the right hand, it is seen that he went beyond the normal description of someone who would have been standing right there.
 
Most people would say, “Well, I grabbed him by the hand and raised him up.” Upon hearing that, the hearer would say, “Well, isn’t that amazing!” It appears that Luke, however, went a step further by specifically asking which hand he grabbed. Everything about the account is perfectly detailed to be that of an investigator who is determining the absolute accuracy and truth of what is being conveyed. Only after noting which hand, it then says, “and lifted him up.”
 
The man was probably so incredulous at what occurred that without Peter’s help, he might have spent a few minutes testing the waters before taking the plunge. But with Peter’s assistance, he was impelled to rise immediately and go all-in with utilizing his body in this new condition.
 
The words of the account so far are not unlike the manner in which Jesus treated others that He had healed. The account of the boy possessed by a demon in Mark 9 is given. After Jesus cast it out, he was so still that those around him thought he was dead. But Mark then records, “But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose” (Mark 9:27).
 
The care of the Healer for His patient is beautifully seen in Christ’s care of the boy. Peter learned from that and followed in like manner when he was given the power to perform his own healings. With this noted, Luke next records, “and immediately.”
 
There wasn’t any delay in what occurred. Peter spoke the words, reached out to take the man up, and with the instant power of the workings of God, there was a change in “his feet and ankle bones.”
 
In these words, the particular language of a physician is clearly evidenced. Luke’s knowledge of the human body led him to describe exactingly what occurred. So precise are his words that it is probable he personally interviewed the man who was healed. Peter and John probably would have said, “Well, he couldn’t walk, and then he could.” However, Luke not only describes what was wrong, but he uses specific terminology to report the change. It is something the beggar would probably have had to point at and say, “Well, it was this and this... these things that were healed.”
 
Both words are found only here in Scripture. The first is basis. It signifies “a pace.” It is the base step and thus, by implication the foot. It is the source of our modern word of the same spelling which came to us via Latin from the Greek, and it bears much the same sense. Vincent’s Word Studies describes its meaning –
 
“A peculiar, technical word, used by Luke only, and described by Galen as the part of the foot lying beneath the leg, upon which the leg directly rests, as distinguished from the ταρσὸς [tarsos], the flat of the foot between the toes and heel, and πεδίον [pedion], the part next the toes.”
 
The next word is sphudron. That is believed to be basically the same as the word sphaira, meaning a ball or sphere. As such, it signifies the ankle bone that is globular in nature. Luke’s medical knowledge of the event is carefully detailing the exact changes that took place in this man, crippled even from his mother’s womb.
 
With the description of the body parts complete, Luke then carefully notes that they “received strength.”
 
The Greek word is found only three times in Acts. The first two are in this account (3:7 & 3:16). The last is used when referring to the strengthening of the church in Acts 16:5. Paul uses the kindred noun in Colossians 2:5 when referring to the steadfastness of the Colossians’ faith in Christ. When used in medical language, it is especially applied to the bones.
 
Luke’s careful and thorough record of the events that took place gives us every reason to believe that the account took place, exactly as described.
 
Life application: When a person is given the gospel and he receives it, a complete change in that person occurs at that very moment. There is a new walk of life that is realized. But that person may not even notice the change has taken place. Yes, there was belief in what Christ did and the sealing of the Spirit. And yet, for each person who accepts the gospel, there will be a personal and individual reaction to it.
 
Because of this, it is incumbent on those who share the gospel to be willing to take them by the hand and help them stand on their new spiritual legs. At the same time, some people will simply spring up automatically and get going. But even this type may need assistance that he may not realize. Such a person can run ahead without knowledge and have a head-on crash in his theology.
 
If we are willing to share the gospel, we should also be willing to help those who receive it understand what to do with it. “Live for the Lord, read the word, grow in Christ, and walk as the Bible instructs us to.”
 
The more effort we put into those who receive the word, the better grounded they will be as they head into a church that is actually quite dysfunctional, filled with bad doctrine (or even heresy), and that is known to chew up and spit out those who are truly on fire for the new life they have come to know.
 
But there is another truth to convey. How grounded are we in our own walk? If we lead someone to Christ, and yet are not doing our own part to increase our spiritual maturity, we will be like a fish out of water trying to teach another fish out of water how to swim. Therefore, each of us needs to not only share the gospel, but to also be in the word, growing in it daily. May it be so, to the glory of God who first saved us so that we can then go out and tell others.
 
Lord God, help us to be responsible witnesses of Your wonderful gospel message and then help us to be reliable and responsible helpers to those who receive it. May it be so to Your glory. Amen.

Acts 3:6

Monday, 13 December 2021
 
Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Acts 3:6
 
Luke’s precisely worded account of the beggar at the gate called Beautiful has been detailed up to the point where the beggar has now given his full attention to the apostles standing before him. With that being the case, the narrative continues, saying, “Then Peter said.”
 
Again, it is Peter who speaks. He is the central focus of Acts during the first twelve chapters. Whatever else was going on with the other disciples, Luke’s focus is most especially on Peter, his words, and his actions. Noting John during this account provides adequate testimony for the events that take place. The words of Peter to the beggar are, “Silver and gold I do not have.”
 
As apostles, and as members of the society of disciples, they would have had access to the money distributed among believers as was noted in Acts 2:45. This distribution will be noted again, such as in Acts 6:1. Having access to this does not cause any conflict with what is stated here. The two were simply going to the temple. There is no reason to assume that they always carried money with them as they went out, nor should any such thought be inferred, as if Peter was somehow not being honest. His words are clear and precise. Peter was not carrying any silver or gold that he could pass on to the man. Despite this, he did have something of value that he could provide. That is seen in the words, “but what I do have I give you.”
 
The apostles had been given the authority to heal. That is explicitly stated in Mark 16 –
 
“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
 
Peter, knowing the words of Jesus, and having been a part of his ministry where those sent forth by Jesus throughout Israel had already accomplished such things (such as in Luke 10:9), was confident that he had the power and ability to continue to do what Jesus said. With this confidence, he next said to the man, “In the name.”
 
The words set forth the Source of the power and authority. To proclaim a name is to proclaim that person’s position and sphere of influence. To say, “I come in the name of Caesar,” is to proclaim the authority of Caesar. Peter now proclaims a name. As such, he is saying, “I proclaim under the authority of...” And the name he proclaims is that “of Jesus Christ.”
 
To a Jewish person, the words would mean, “of Jesus the Messiah,” meaning, “Jesus the Anointed One.” Peter is proclaiming that the Person he is naming bears the authority and power of the Lord (Yehovah) because He had been anointed as such. This is noted in the prophetic writings of Isaiah, words which would have been well known to the people –
 
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,Because the Lord has anointed MeTo preach good tidings to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captives,And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,And the day of vengeance of our God;To comfort all who mourn,3 To console those who mourn in Zion,To give them beauty for ashes,The oil of joy for mourning,The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;That they may be called trees of righteousness,The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:1-3
 
The Lord God, Yehovah Elohim, had promised to anoint One to come who would bring healing and restoration to the people. This is the anticipated Messiah whom Peter now proclaims. But to further define who he is referring to, he adds in the words “of Nazareth.”
 
The name Yeshua, or Jesus, was a common name in Israel at the time. However, by adding the designation of the town from which He came, it set Him apart more clearly. The term “Jesus of Nazareth,” or the affixing of the location to His name, is used time and again in the gospels to specifically refer to the Lord, such as in Matthew 21:20, 21 –
 
“And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, ‘Who is this?’11 So the multitudes said, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.’”
 
So notable is the name, that it was purposely placed upon the cross when He was crucified –
 
“And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:
JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” John 19:17-19
 
This would have been known by almost everyone at this point, and the title is purposefully used by Peter to ensure that there was no doubt about the exact Person he was referring to. So important is this designation, that Peter will again use it when speaking to Gentiles about Him in Acts 10 –
 
“Then Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree.’” Acts 10:34-39
 
With the Name proclaimed, and thus having credited the One to whom the power issues from, Peter next says, “rise up and walk.” It is the same general command given by Jesus at times, such as in Matthew 9:6 and John 5:8. There was someone lame, and Jesus – by the power He possessed – healed the lame. Peter now proclaims that same power by proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
 
Life application: Verses such as these in Acts have led Charismatics and Pentecostals to assume that they have the same power to heal as the apostles did. They claim healing over people and often perform false healings. Or they will claim healing power over someone, but the healing never comes to pass, thus destroying the faith and confidence of those they prayed over.
 
The first problem with this theology is that they are not apostles of Jesus. The office of apostle no longer exists because Jesus does not personally commission anyone anymore, a necessity for the office. But more, even the apostles – who healed at times – did not have the power to heal at all times. Paul had the power to heal in Acts 14:8-10 and elsewhere. However, he certainly could not heal his own affliction as is recorded in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. It is said that he left Trophimus sick in Miletus in 2 Timothy 4:20. He also notes his inability to cure Epaphroditus in Philippians 2:25-27. And Timothy, who was with Paul more than often, had an affliction of the stomach, along with other infirmities, that Paul never healed. That is noted in 1 Timothy 5:23.
 
Such examples are provided, right in the prescriptive epistles, to show us that the power and authority used by the apostles was something that was not to be abused, and it only came at certain times and for reasons set forth by the Lord. When the healing power was there, it may have been evident to them just as the words of prophecy were evident to the prophet. But prophets did not prophesy at all times. They only did so when the Lord spoke through them. Likewise, it is clear that the apostles did not heal at all times, but only when they were somehow prompted to do so by the Lord.
 
In whatever manner these things occurred, they are not normative for the church age. If we desire the healing of another, we are to pray for it. If the Lord heals, it is His prerogative alone. It is presumptuous and sinful to claim something over another when we have no right to do so. Let us not be found to act in this manner.
 
Lord God, Your word asks us to pray for the healing of others, but there is no guarantee that it will come to pass. Help us to understand this, and to leave such matters in Your capable hands as we pour out our desires to You. In the end, we know that You will do what is just, good, and right. All things will come out as You determine, and so help us to be satisfied with this knowledge. Amen.

Acts 3:5

Sunday, 12 December 2021
 
So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Acts 3:5
 
In the previous verse, Peter fixed his eyes on the beggar who had asked for alms and called out to him, “Look at us.” Now, in response to that, Luke records, “So he gave them his attention.”
 
The verb is imperfect and should say something like, “So he began to give them his attention.” The action began and is continuing into the present. This clearly shows that even though the beggar saw Peter and John as is recorded in verse 3:5, he didn’t really “see” them. He simply noticed that they were there and immediately did what beggars do. He asked for alms. His care was not on “who” in particular was going by but that potential givers were going by, regardless as to who they were.
 
Now, with Peter calling for him to give them his attention, he began to notice them for “who” they were. This still doesn’t mean he has made a mental note of who they really were as people, but that he has gained their attention and so he was going to give them his attention. This is as common as Brits in the UK. When one stands to profit from another, more attention is given in hopes of securing the deal, or even for increasing the amount that may be offered. Luke’s use of the imperfect brings this to life. And the reason for his attention being given to the apostles is then explained with the words that he was “expecting to receive something from them.”
 
The verb is a present participle. He began to look at them because he was anticipating alms to be delivered to him. One can get the mental idea of what was going on in the man’s head. “I had better start directing my attention at these guys because they are about to hand me some silver.” A full gaze of attention from him may come if they handed him ten silver coins, but a quick look up and then back down may come if they handed him a small copper coin. The response of the beggar will now be fully brought forth by how the hand is filled.
 
Life application: When sharing the gospel, there are as many reactions to it as there are people who are willing to listen. And those who are willing to listen may only be doing so because they are too shy to tell the one sharing the message that they are not really interested. Once the message starts to be presented, the person hearing the message will give cues as to whether he is actually interested in hearing what is said or not.
 
What happened with this beggar is just what needs to happen with the person being given the gospel. His attention needs to be fixed. There should be no other distractions, and no more than two people should be there. And even if there are two people, only one should do the talking. If there are more than two people, the presentation will be intimidating. If more than one is talking, the message will be confused in the mind of the hearer.
 
Once the hearer has his attention directed to the one who is speaking, the speaker needs to be attentive to the body cues. The eyes, the feet, the arms... each part of the person will give cues as to his state of mind. Is he fidgeting? He is nervous. Is he backing up? He is scared. Are his arms crossed in front of him? He feels exposed and maybe threatened. Are the eyes darting around? He wants the conversation to just end so he can get away.
 
Ten thousand little cues will tell you if you are having an impact or not. If you are not, then you need to redirect your approach so that the person will feel comfortable, not threatened, welcomed, and so on. This is what Peter and John have done, and it is how we are to do such things as well. The attention must be focused, direct, caring, and of personal value to the hearer.
 
You have the greatest “alms” in the world to give to this person, if you can get him to understand that he is a beggar in need of them. Sin is the problem, we are desperately in need of the kind hand of the Lord to cure it, and the gospel is the gift that we cannot do without. Be ready with this message at all times. Pass on the gift of eternal life that was secured for the person standing before you through the shed blood of Christ.
 
Lord God, help us to be responsible with sharing the gospel message. None can do without it, and all who come must do so through it. So, Lord, give us wisdom in sharing this all-important message of life and hope. Amen.