BIBLE IN TEN

Acts 2:41

Wednesday, 1 December 2021
 
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. Acts 2:41
Peter has given the instructions to those of Israel before him concerning what they must do in order to, as he said, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” The instructions were found in verse 2:38, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.”
 
The reason for this is because they are a part of Israel and because they lived during the time of this “perverse generation” that had crucified the Lord. Thus, they bore the national guilt of Israel, whether they had actually participated in His crucifixion or not. Therefore, they had to repent (change their mind). It was a necessary part of their conversion. Further, the baptism was to show an alignment with Christ, thus rejecting the actions against Him that had taken place.
 
The account describes what occurred and why. It does not prescribe anything for us today because it is not normative in the process of salvation as laid out in the epistles. This is a one-time event that sets apart believers in Christ from those who would not believe.
 
Remembering this now, we read the continued words of Luke, “Then those who gladly received his word.” The word translated as “received,” apodechomai, is a forceful one used only by Luke, mostly in Acts that signifies “to gladly receive.” In some manuscripts, such as that used for the NKJV, it is accompanied by the word asmenós, signifying “with delight.” Thus, there is a heightened sense of the joy they felt as they anticipated a joyous turn of events in their lives.
 
Though the words are merely descriptive, they go to the heart of the gospel, and they clearly convey the doctrine of free will. Nothing is said here, or anywhere else in Scripture that God caused them to receive the word. They heard the word preached, and they have faith that the word is true –
 
“But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:16, 17
 
The word “obey” cited by Paul in Romans 10 clearly means “to believe,” as it does elsewhere in this context. These people before Peter heard the good news, and in their hearing, they had faith (they “received his word”). Of those who received this word, it next says they “were baptized.”
 
This is in accord with the Lord’s instructions of Matthew 28 –
 
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20
 
The people had believed, meaning they had faith after receiving the word. In this, they were saved. And so, as an outward demonstration of the inward change, they were water baptized. Because nothing is said of them receiving the Holy Spirit it cannot be known if that came before or after the water baptism. But the equation of Mark 16:16, which was cited when Acts 2:38 was evaluated, says that the Holy Spirit is received upon belief.
 
As such, it can be reasonably inferred that this is the case here. From that point, these now-saved believers were obedient to the word of the Lord recorded in Matthew 28, and they were baptized. But even if during this recorded event the Spirit came upon them after water baptism, such would not be normative for the church age.
 
For example, the description of the coming of the Spirit in Acts 8 and Acts 10 will be different than it is here. What is presented in these three chapters is not to establish a norm for the church, but to provide confirmation to Peter that these various groups had, in fact, been accepted by God. This will be seen as the accounts are evaluated.
 
As noted in the Acts 2:38 commentary, and supposing Peter was speaking of water baptism (something that cannot be wholly determined from the text), this could not be considered a work for these people. Rather, it would be a necessary condition to bring them into the proper category where they co  uld be acceptable to receive the Spirit. The categorical requirements were set forth. In being water baptized, this group of people would have then met the categorical requirement.
 
As the timing of the coming of the Spirit upon them is not recorded, it cannot be known what Peter was referring to with one hundred percent certainty. The point, however, is that Luke is providing a historical record of what occurred. He is not setting doctrine for the church. And so, either way, this is not to be considered a normative standard. It is simply a description of what took place. With this understood, it next says, “and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”
 
A great number indeed! They had heard the words of Peter, they had believed the message, and they were saved. In being saved (either way), they were water baptized as a way of publicly professing their new faith in Christ Jesus.
  
The number three thousand is an important number to see and understand. This is because it fulfills a pattern that is set forth in Scripture in which a theological point is made. In Exodus 32, we read –
 
Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’” 28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.” Exodus 32:25-29
 
At Sinai, which according to Galatians 4 symbolizes the temple in Jerusalem, the law was received, and it was written on tablets of stone. Those tablets were given to Moses but were broken at the base of the mountain because of the people’s turning from the Lord to a false God. After this, three thousand people died because of their sins.
 
In Acts 2, at the temple in Jerusalem, the word of the Lord was again given, but this time it was written on the tablets of the hearts of the people, as Paul calls the work of the Spirit in 2 Corinthians 3:3. In this, three thousand people were saved because of their faith in Christ Jesus.
 
The two accounts are given to show the superiority of the fulfilled law in Christ to the giving of the law by Moses. One was written on stone, and it leads to death. The other is written on the heart, and it leads to life.
 
It was a perverse generation who failed to believe, having time and again rejected the Lord in the wilderness, and it was a perverse generation who rejected Christ and sought to seek their own righteousness apart from Him.
 
The lesson we see is that for those three thousand who died at Sinai, they died in sin because of their deeds and their failure to believe. For the three thousand who received Jesus in Jerusalem, they died to sin because of faith in the deeds of Jesus. The contrast is complete.
 
Life application: The question for each of us is, “When the Lord comes to visit us for punishment, will it be punishment in us for the sins we have committed in this life, or will it have been in Christ for those same sins?” These are the only two options available to man.
 
If our sins have been judged in Christ, our names are written in the book of life, and they shall never be blotted out; we have overcome. If our sins have not been dealt with through Him, then another fate awaits
 
It is the most marvelous news – in Christ, God so pardons sin as to remember our sin no more! The world doesn’t even want to hear about sin. But it is a reality that cannot be denied when considering the holiness of God. 
 
Today many churches are filled with worshippers quite often because the church is geared towards the carnal man. There are promises of health, wealth, and prosperity, but there is no heart for the grace of God which frees us from sin. The sin is passed over and not dealt with. Or churches return their people to the law in an attempt to turn away the wrath of God. But God rejects this.
 
What God has done is to accomplish all the work that is necessary for our salvation in and through the Person of Jesus Christ. To return to the law is to reject this. It is a self-condemning act. Or, to fail to acknowledge one’s sins at all means that such a person doesn’t really need a Savior. It too is a self-condemning act.
 
 
 
Lord God, there is nothing surer in my life than the fact that I need a Savior from sin. I know that You sent Christ Jesus into the world to accomplish this, and I receive the offer You have made in Him. I receive the good news! Thank You, O God, for Jesus. Hallelujah and Amen.

Acts 2:40

 Tuesday, 30 November 2021
 
And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Acts 2:40
 
The recorded words of Peter’s discourse are ended, but this is not all that he said to the people as is evidenced by the words, “And with many other words.” What this means is that what was deemed appropriate by the Spirit to be conveyed was included in the passage, but nothing else. Everything in Scripture has a set purpose. Nothing is left out that should have been included, and nothing superfluous is added in.
 
What is recorded from Peter’s words was sufficient to convey why the event of speaking in tongues took place, what they signified, proof that they were prophesied in advance, how they pointed to the work of Christ Jesus, how the Scriptures prophesied of the work of Jesus, what that work led to (meaning His exaltation), and what was necessary for those standing before Peter to be saved from the wrath that would most surely come upon the people for having crucified their Messiah.
 
The recorded account is fully sufficient to meet the purposes of being a proper witness against Israel concerning their actions and their guilt. It is also a witness that the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuoth) has found its fulfillment in the work of the Lord.
 
With these things sufficiently explained and their truths established, it says of the many words of Peter’s that are left unrecorded that “he testified and exhorted them.” The Greek words give the sense of a complete and encouraging testimony. In other words, Peter left no questions unanswered, and what he said was fully sufficient to convince, if those who heard were willing to pay heed. Included in his exhortation, Peter included a stern warning, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”
 
In other words, the wrath of God was aroused against Israel, just as had happened so many times in their past. Each time, their Scriptures carefully recorded the surrounding events, testifying to them why the things that happened to them came about. Their standard was the Law of Moses and when they departed from it, they were explicitly told what the resulting punishment would be. And yet, nothing is recorded in their Scriptures – meaning the Old Testament – to explain their second exile.
 
This means that either Israel was left without explanation, in their own writings, as to why they were exiled, or it means that Sacred Scripture does record the reason, but they have failed to accept that body of Scripture as divinely inspired.
 
In other words, the Old Testament is an incomplete account of Israel’s history. Only with the New Testament do Moses’ words, to which Israel is bound, now have any meaning for the modern nation. Indeed, the Old Testament tells of Israel’s modern restoration, but it does not tell why they needed to be restored. Only with their rejection of Christ do the past two thousand years of their history make any sense.
 
This is what Peter is implying when he calls them a “perverse generation.” The word translated here as “perverse” is skolios. It literally means “crooked.”  HELPS Word Studies defines it as “crooked (bent) because dried out (like a piece of parched wood); (figuratively) morally twisted (warped) because lacking the oil of the Holy Spirit – hence, unacceptable to God (His standards).”
 
The definition is a perfect fit for what occurred in Israel. They lacked the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by the lack of speaking in tongues at the fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost. As such, they were unable to accept God’s standard as presented to them in the Person of Jesus Christ. Their thoughts were crooked and there would be no hope for the nation. Only those who stepped away from the national mindset could be saved.
 
Life application: There is an interesting set of patterns that is found in Scripture, and which connects what occurred in the wilderness wanderings of Israel to the Roman exile of Israel. Israel was offered Canaan, the Land of Promise. Before they entered, men were selected to spy out the land. When they returned, a bad report was spread throughout the camp and the people rebelled.
 
At that time, the Lord promised to destroy the congregation through exile in the wilderness. They would continue to fall dead during that period until all that generation was gone. Only after that would Israel then enter into Canaan. The Bible is clear, both in Numbers – and as is explained in Hebrews – that they were punished because they lacked faith –
 
“Therefore I was angry with that generation,And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,And they have not known My ways.’11 So I swore in My wrath,‘They shall not enter My rest.’” Hebrews 3:10, 11
 
&
 
“For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:16-19
 
The pattern is repeated in the coming of Christ. The people did not believe Him. In their unbelief, they were not given the rest that is found in Jesus Christ. For those who do believe, they have entered God’s rest (Hebrews 4:3). The entire account of Israel’s Roman exile was typologically anticipated in the wilderness wanderings. They, as a nation, were removed from God’s presence because of their unbelief.
 
However, the nation eventually did cross the Jordan and enter. Likewise, Israel will someday come to Christ in faith and enter into His rest. The pattern is explained in the Numbers and Deuteronomy sermons at the Superior Word website.
 
One of the main themes of this, however, is that Moses did not enter into the promise, but died outside of Canaan in the land of Moab. Moses represents the law. As such, a clear and unambiguous picture is made for us. By the law, no person can enter into God’s rest. They must come by faith in Christ alone.
 
If you are stuck in a law-observant church, meaning observing the law in part or in whole, you must remove yourself from that doctrine. What is taught by the Seventh Day Adventists, the Hebrew Roots movement, and so on is the highest form of heresy because it denies the all-sufficient work of Jesus Christ. Be sure to never add deeds of the law into your theology in an attempt to please God. He is pleased with you based on your faith in the work of His Son.
 
Only after being saved are your works credited in accord with your salvation. These are not works of the law, but works as outlined in the New Testament epistles. Have faith Christ Jesus and be pleasing to God.
 
Lord God, Your word is a wonderful testimony to Your working in and through Jesus Christ. Help us to be sound in our thinking and to know in our hearts that You have done everything necessary to reconcile us to Yourself. Help us to put away our arrogance by trying to do what He has already done. Help us to find our sufficiency in His work alone. To Your glory we pray. Amen.

Acts 2:39

Monday, 29 November 2021
 
For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:39
 
Peter just instructed the men of Israel what they needed to do in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. At first, it might seem contradictory to do something in order to receive a gift, but that was seen to be incorrect. A gift is not necessarily something everyone will get. Only those who meet the qualifications for receiving it will. In the case of those of Israel who had just crucified Christ Jesus, they had to prepare themselves in order to be eligible. Today, we too must be prepared, meeting the qualifications that are set forth for us as outlined in the epistles.
 
Understanding this, and having seen what Peter instructed the people before him, he notes to them, “For the promise.” This is certainly referring to the reception of the Spirit. It is what Peter cited in verse 2:17 –
 
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;”
 
However, and whether they understood it or not, this promise is based on the establishment of a New Covenant. Peter was fully aware of this, having sat with Christ as He proclaimed it. But those there before him will receive that instruction in due time if they accept the terms set forth to receive the gift. This New Covenant was prophesied by Jeremiah, and it is what allows the pouring forth of the Spirit –
 
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” Jeremiah 31:31
 
In the establishment of this New Covenant, the Spirit has been poured out. It is the promise Joel referred to. As such, Peter continues, saying that it “is to you and to your children.”
 
Again, it follows directly with the next half of the verse that Peter cited from Joel –
 
“Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,Your young men shall see visions,Your old men shall dream dreams.” Joel 2:17
 
The people of Israel were to receive the promise, and it was one that extended beyond a single generation. It would continue from that point on, testified to by the words “and to your children.” It implies a new order of things had come to pass. From there, Peter then says, “and to all who are afar off.”
 
The words “afar off” mean “at a distance” or “unto a long way.” The idea of “to you and to your children” is temporal in nature. The idea of “to all who are afar off” is spatial in nature. It is an all-encompassing thought then. Whatever Peter is thinking of, and whatever the Jews standing there were thinking of, cannot be fully known. Any or all of them may be thinking only of Jews of the dispersion and not of Gentiles at all. However, the words are words of prophecy, therefore, the full scope of their meaning does not necessarily have to be understood at this time. For example, in John 11, it says –
 
“And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.’ 51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.” John 11:49-52
 
Caiaphas prophesied concerning the nation of Israel, but John clearly indicates that what he prophesied extended beyond the nation. Thus, by default, it extends to the Gentiles. The same is true here, whether Peter and those before him realized this.
 
Peter and the others had already been told that they were to carry the gospel to the Gentiles. That is clearly recorded in Matthew 28 –
 
“‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20
 
The sentiment is also reflected in Jesus’ final words to those gathered with Him in Acts 1:8. However, as Acts continues on, it will be seen quite clearly that Peter did not fully understand this. There is a developmental process that is identified in Acts that shows that the apostles and disciples were learning as they went. Paul, however, will be taken from outside of this group and given a direct commission apart from their slowly developing understanding. This way, the focus of one group, though bearing the same gospel, will be more user-friendly to one audience, while that of the other will be more acceptable and palatable to another audience.
 
When the two sides meet up, such as is recorded in Galatians 2, it will be seen that Peter, not Paul, must continue to develop in his theology to come to the same level of understanding concerning what is going on as that of Paul. For now, and even if Peter and those before him did not understand that the words applied to the Gentiles, it does not negate the fact that they do. Paul makes this clear in his words of Ephesians 2 where he clearly shows that the words apply to Gentiles who were once outside of the commonwealth of Israel –
 
Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:11-18
 
As such, and understanding that this promise applies to both Jew and to Gentile, Peter concludes with the words, “as many as the Lord our God will call.” The promise extends to whoever the Lord calls. The words of prophecy are not limited by man, but by God. It is He who determines the extent of the call. As such, and even if a prophecy is misunderstood, it is God’s prerogative that stands.
 
With this understood, a person could take a Calvinistic stand on the words “the Lord our God will call” and say, “See, this proves that a person must be regenerated in order to believe. Only then can he be saved.” This would assume the “call” is active (God actually reaches out to the individual and selects him for salvatio  n), and the assumption would be incorrect.
 
It has already been seen that God sets forth the conditions for salvation. In the case of these Jews before Peter, it was with a particular requirement based on particular circumstances which are not to be considered normative for today. As far as the call being referred to, meaning salvation through the gospel, the call has been made by Jesus in the giving of the gospel. It has been recorded in Scripture as directed by the Holy Spirit. God has made the move, and now that call – which is passive – must be responded to.
 
Therefore, the words “as many as the Lord our God will call” find their extent based on that. The fact is that the church age will end at some point. Therefore, to say, “as many,” is a parameter set by God. Suppose there is an island that has never been evangelized. If it is expected to take a certain number of missionaries a certain amount of time to evangelize them all, it may be that the rapture will happen before they are all evangelized.
 
As such, “as many as the Lord God will call” will only apply to those who were evangelized before the rapture. This doesn’t mean that God actively chose some and actively rejected some (Calvinism). Peter says that God was not willing for any to perish, but that all should turn and be saved (2 Peter 3:9). However, because of the timing of redemptive events, it did not come about. This is the extent of Peter’s words now. It is a passive, not an active, calling from God.
 
Life application: One thing that can be highlighted from Peter’s words of this verse is the universal nature of the calling of God through the gospel. It is a constant problem with cults and sects that they believe certain things belong only to certain people – such as spiritual gifts, salvation, and so on – and that this is based on limitations they have assumed from Scripture or from their own imaginations.
 
In fact, this is generally the main indication of an incorrect doctrine. The truth of the matter, however, is that salvation is offered to any and to all who meet the requirements set forth by God. His requirement in the church age is that a person must believe the gospel. In this, the Spirit is given in full measure to the person who believes.
 
The Church of Christ, for example, says that a person must be baptized in order to be saved. That is not a limitation set forth in Scripture, even if it was specifically stated to a certain group of people at a certain time (Acts 2:38). One must determine what is normative, meet the requirements for that, and he will be saved.
 
Anytime someone or somebody claims an exclusivity that is not clearly stated in Scripture (those who read the King James Version only, only Jehovah’s Witnesses, only Mormons, only the elect (when taken out of context), must be baptized into the Church of Christ, and so on), then be sure to compare their “onlyism” with Scripture. When it is determined that it is not to be found, then run to get away from that body.
 
God does not show favorites. He saves everyone who comes to Him through the parameters He sets forth. Be sure to know what those parameters are (know the gospel) and meet them. When you have, you are saved. This is what God expects for salvation. From there, be sure to continue to learn what God expects from His word for those who have been saved through the gospel. Grow in doctrine, pursue holiness, and walk circumspectly in this world. Oh, and be sure to tell others the message of hope that is found in Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
Lord God, thank You for the simplicity of the gospel. Thank You that it is clear, understandable, and available to any and to all who are willing to simply believe its words. You have done the work. Help us to accept this and to be saved through the precious blood of Christ. Amen.

Acts 2:38

Sunday, 28 November 2021
 
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38
 
Acts 2:38 is a marvellous verse to practice your memorization skills. Let’s see how you do. What are the five basic rules of biblical interpretation that you have been asked to remember? They are:
 
Is this prescriptive (does it prescribe something)?
Is this descriptive (does it only describe something)?
What is the context?
What is the context?
What is the context?
 
The answers to these questions will help resolve an untold number of errors in theology that have arisen because of this single verse. The verse is based on the question asked by those gathered before Peter while listening to his discourse, which was, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
 
The question was asked in response to the obvious fact submitted to them that they had crucified Jesus, their Messiah. This made them enemies of Him. In the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, they had been excluded, proving this fact. Salvation had been presented to Israel, and they missed the offer. And yet, their actions are the very thing that made their salvation possible.
 
The answers are that the passage is prescriptive. It is prescribing something for those standing before Peter (and before the Lord as they were at a pilgrim feast in the presence of the Lord). The passage is also descriptive. It is describing what occurred and who is involved in what is occurring. The context is that this is Peter speaking to the “men of Israel.” Not a single Gentile is involved, nor will any be involved in the entire passage. As such, it is prescriptive for those standing there, but not for anyone else who is not involved in the events at that moment.
 
The context is also that the people standing before Peter are all a part of the body of Israel who had crucified their Messiah. The context is also that some of those of Israel (not those in the crowd being addressed) had received the Spirit while others had not. And so forth.
As these things are true, and as the events at the conversion of others – throughout the rest of Acts – are completely different, then despite this passage having a prescription tied to it, the prescription is only for this particular event. It is not a prescription for any other event. It is not normative for the church age. Rather, it is now only a descriptive account for those who receive the completed New Testament.
In other words, and stated plainly, what is said here now – and in the verses to come – was a one-time event that is not to be made into doctrine for the church age. It does not apply (it is not normative) for our doctrine today. With that hopefully understood, the account recorded by Luke proceeds, saying, “Then Peter.”
 
Peter has been the leader of the twelve. It is he who has spoken out all of the words since verse 2:14, and he continues with the instruction. Luke then records that he “said to them.” The word “them” is speaking of the “men of Israel.” The masculine speaks for the whole and Peter’s words will be inclusive of women who are given the same instruction.
 
It is the body of people who had just crucified Jesus. They had rejected Him openly. In Israel, unlike any other body of people, there is both an individual salvation and a corporate salvation. The individual salvation is evident in Scripture elsewhere, but it is proven by the coming of the Holy Spirit upon some and not upon others.
 
The corporate salvation is spoken of throughout all of Israel’s history, and it is confirmed by the words of Jesus and of the apostles. The nation bears collective guilt for its actions. This is based on their agreement to the covenant set forth at Mount Sinai, a covenant that is still binding on them today until they – as a nation – enter into the New Covenant in Christ’s shed blood –
 
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34
 
The words of Jeremiah are addressed to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. The words are only dealing with them, even if Gentiles are also brought into this New Covenant. Other prophets, Jesus, and the apostles clearly indicate this.
 
This is the context – Peter, Israel, Israel’s rejection and crucifixion of Christ, some receiving the Holy Spirit and some not receiving the Holy Spirit. This is what had occurred only a short time earlier –
 
Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”
They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”
23 Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”
24 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.”
26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. Matthew 27:22-26
 
As such, these words of Peter now are based on this event. Thew words apply to corporate and to individual Israel, but they do not apply to anyone else, including individual Jews, at any other time. But the precept does apply to the corporate body for all time. With this understanding, Peter states, “Repent.”
 
This is one of the most misunderstood and misused words in all of Christianity. The Greek word is metanoeó. It means “to change one’s mind or purpose,” “to think differently after,” and so on. It does not mean actually doing any work at all. It is simply a changing of the heart (the heart signifying the reasoning process of a person in the Bible).
 
Peter is telling the people (it is third person plural, and thus he is speaking to each person as much as to all of the people gathered before him) to change their minds. The question is, “About what?” The answer is, “About Jesus, the Messiah, and their rejection of Him?” They had to repent of this. Their mind was, “Crucify Him. He is not our King.” Their change in mind must correspond to that – “We believe! He is our Messiah!”
 
The word “repent” is prescriptive for Israel who had just crucified Jesus. It is not prescriptive for anyone else who has not first rejected Jesus. In other words, these two examples will help –
 
John walks up to Tom and tells him about Jesus. Tom had never heard of Jesus. Tom does not need to repent of anything. He needs to simply believe the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4) and he will be sealed with the Holy Spirit, and he will be saved (Ephesians 1:13, 14).
Tom has heard the gospel. Tom has rejected the gospel. Tom must “repent” of his former rejection (change his mind), believe the gospel, and Tom will be saved.
 
This is the context of Peter’s words. Israel (individually and collectively), who had just crucified their Messiah, must repent. For those who will do so, Peter then says, “and let every one of you be baptized.” The question here is “what baptism” is being referred to. It does say in verse 2:41 that those who received his words were baptized. That is certainly speaking of water baptism. 
 
The word “baptize” is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizó. It signifies to immerse. The people were to have an immersion in water. However, it is not the water baptism that saves. Christ’s finished work is what saves. Peter makes this clear in 1 Peter 3 –
 
“There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.” 1 Peter 3:21
 
The Weymouth Version translates these words as “with a view to remission of your sins.” This then is in accord with both the idea of baptism of the Holy Spirit which occurs when one believes, and the water baptism which is a later outward demonstration of what has occurred.
 
The expectation for this guilty group of people is to first change their minds. It is to then make a public acknowledgment of this change in mind by being baptized. 
 
The main question to be resolved is, “Does this mean that these people must be water baptized in order to receive the Spirit, or does it mean that these people will receive the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” based upon their faith, and that the water baptism then follows as an outward display of the inward change?”
 
The text says later nothing of their receiving the Spirit after being water baptized in verse 2:41. What appears to be the case is that the formula of Mark 16:16 is evidenced here –
 
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
 
When one believes and is baptized, salvation is realized. However, when one does not believe, condemnation remains. Hence, baptism is conditional upon belief. In other words, it follows necessarily that these people will be baptized into the Holy Spirit when they demonstrate faith.
 
One might suppose that this one time in Scripture Peter is making baptism in water a requirement for salvation (which would be contrary to the whole tenor of Scripture). If such was believed, it would still not be a normative thing for the church. Water baptism is a symbolic act of washing away the sin and defilement. This is not something that is required for salvation by anyone else after this.
 
Hence, what Peter must be saying is that these people will be saved when they turn to the Lord, they will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and then they are to be water baptized as the outward sign of their new life as directed by Jesus in Matthew 28:19.
 
Next, Peter says this baptism is to be “in the name of Jesus Christ.” The Greek reads “upon the name.” Where would the people now stand? Upon the name of Caesar? Or will it be upon the name of the One they had rejected?
 
The crucified Christ, He who was openly rejected by the people – and upon whom His blood remained (see Matthew 27:25 above) – is now to be the One who provides forgiveness and salvation to those who just repented. This is perfectly evidenced in the next words, which say, “for the remission of sins.”
 
The blood atonement of Christ is set forth, clearly and unambiguously, in these words. The Lord was crucified, their actions had caused it, and their repentance of that will allow for atonement for their sins. The word translated as “remission” is aphesis. It signifies “dismissal,” “release,” “pardon,” “complete forgiveness,” and so on.
 
For those who repent and who are subsequently baptized from this group of people, a change will take place which will be explained in a moment. But notice that two things are required for the people standing before Peter to receive that change – 1) repent, and 2) be baptized. The repentance must occur, but so must the baptism. There must be a complete separation from the old and an acceptance of the new for them BECAUSE they were guilty of having rejected Christ along with their nation.
This is why what occurs here is not normative for the church age. It only applies to these people, at this time, in order to establish the complete separation between the two. Some of these people may never have heard of Jesus. Some of them might have heard and sympathized with Him. But the point is that the nation bears the guilt, and it is to instruct the nation that these requirements are set forth. It is instructional for Israel, and it is a testimony to bear witness against them for all time.
 
Peter next says, “and you shall receive the gift.” A gift is something one cannot earn. It is grace and nothing more. And yet, Peter has said they must do something in order to receive it. The apostles had received the gift. It simply came upon them. But it did not come upon the others. This means that the reception of the gift is conditional.
 
If someone says, “I have ten thousand squiggalmidoos and they are free to anyone who meets these criteria,” it doesn’t mean that it is not a gift. It means that they must be in a certain category. If one of the requirements is to have blond hair, then none but those with blond hair are eligible. Those with blond hair, along with any other set requirements, will be able to receive the gift.
For those standing before Israel, the apostles had met the requirements. The others had not. For those who had not, they must first meet the categorical requirements. Once they were satisfactorily met, they would receive the gift. There are no works here. There are only set requirements. And the gift they would receive would be that “of the Holy Spirit.”
 
This is salvation. It is the sealing of the person for redemption. It is receiving the full, final, and forever forgiveness of sins through the shed blood of Christ. It is moving from the Mosaic Covenant (the Law of Moses) to the New Covenant in Christ’s blood. It is the covenant that speaks of the non-imputation of sin and the surety of reconciliation with God for all eternity.
 
The words here are prescriptive for those at the time. They are descriptive after the event. The context is Israel who crucified the Lord, and the prescriptions are necessary but are not normative.
We are not to take what is said in Acts 2:38 and change the parameters. Even if Peter is speaking of water baptism (which is probably not the case), the requirement would not apply in any other context, and it certainly does not apply to salvation today. The epistles convey to us what is required for salvation. They tell the people of the world what God expects of them in order to be in a right standing with Him. 
 
Life application: Acts is a descriptive account of what occurred. The prescriptions within that historical record are not necessarily (and are almost never) normative for the church age.
 
Understand and maintain proper context within your theology and you will be in the sweet spot.
 
Lord God, help us to be in the sweet spot concerning our doctrine and theology at all times. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Acts 2:37

Saturday, 27 November 2021
 
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Acts 2:37
 
With Peter’s statement, which summed up his discourse that God had assuredly made Jesus both Lord and Christ, the response is quick and definitive. Luke records, “Now when they heard this.” The words are surely in reaction to everything Peter has said since verse 2:14. His discourse, influenced by the Holy Spirit, was perfectly suited to elicit what follows, which is that “they were cut to the heart.”
 
The word used, katanussó, is one not found elsewhere in Greek literature except in the Greek translation of Genesis 34:7. It is an intensified form of a word meaning “to pierce.” Thus, it is to pierce all the way down or all the way through. HELPS Word Studies then defines it as to be “emotionally stunned.” As it is the heart that is identified, it is as if a spear was thrust right through the heart so that there is a complete severing from the state of mind that existed only moments before. The idea can almost be felt in the use of the word from Genesis –
 
“And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved and very angry, because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing which ought not to be done.” Genesis 34:5-7
 
The sons of Israel had one attitude and, suddenly, their entire state of mind had completely changed. This is the idea now. Those that heard Peter, and who took his words to heart, had gone from laughing and blaming what they heard on the effects of new wine, to a state of complete shock that they were responsible for the crucifixion of their Messiah. Thus, the response is that they were deeply stunned “and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles...”
 
The words are not without purpose. As has already been seen, in Israel, the testimony of “two or three” witnesses is necessary to establish a matter. There are twelve standing as a united force of agreement, demonstrating that Peter’s words are fully supported, and they are validated by the precept of the Law of Moses.
 
With such a large number of witnesses, backing up the words of Peter, and with the greater weight and evidence of the proper use of Scripture to come to a right conclusion concerning the words of prophecy, those who have heard have every reason to believe the discourse was true. They were all guilty of shedding innocent blood. But more, it was the innocent blood of God’s Messiah who was prophesied in Scripture.
 
Scripture itself pointed at them and essentially called out, “You have done exactly what was prophesied in advance.” As such, they called out to Peter and the others, “Men and brethren.”
 
It is the same expression seen in Acts 1:16 and Acts 2:29, andres adelphoi, “men, brothers.” In the middle of Peter’s speech, after citing Joel and before citing David, Peter had called them this. He was drawing them into the bond of brotherhood that Israel was called to demonstrate. His audience had not received the Spirit, but they were still brothers according to the flesh, and Peter had indicated as such as a way of influencing their thoughts as he spoke.
 
The words of Paul concerning Israel reflect this bond that exists between the people –
 
“For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” Romans 9:3-5
 
The response of the people to Peter’s words indicates that they fully accepted his words and that they were in fact brothers to be hearkened to. They had gone from accusing the apostles of being drunk to seeking their very advice in how to correct the terrible predicament that they now found themselves in. As such, they called out, “what shall we do?”
 
They had the guilt of bloodshed resting upon them, but it was obvious that this could be expiated. Otherwise, what would be the point of the Christ rising again? If they had killed Him and He remained in the grave, there might be no remedy, but because He lived, there must be a greater purpose that they had missed. As such, their forgiveness must be a part of the plan that was set in motion by God, even from the fall of man.
 
Life application: It is often said that the Jews killed Jesus and thus they are no longer God’s people. But this flies in the face of the covenant-keeping nature of the Lord, and of future prophecy which clearly indicates that the guilt of Israel will be atoned for.
 
In Acts 2, the people are cut to the heart at hearing what they had done. Zechariah shows that someday this will be a state that permeates the entire nation. When they realize that they have borne the guilt of the blood of the Messiah for millennia, they will be cut to the heart, and they will mourn over what they have done –
 
“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.” Zechariah 12:10-14
 
The words of Zechariah 12 refer to the future and they will come to pass. Israel will have a national piercing of the heart, and they will finally come to realize what they had done. For each person today, Jew or Gentile, the most important question that we can ever answer is in relation to the gospel message. “What shall I do?”
 
When the gospel is presented, it can either be accepted or it can be rejected. The choice is up to each individual. Choose wisely. Choose life. Choose God’s offer of forgiveness found in Christ.
 
Lord God, thank You for the offer of peace that You have extended to us. Thank You for the gospel! What a blessed assurance we possess because of the forgiveness found in the shed blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 

Acts 2:36

Friday, 26 November 2021
 
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36
 
Peter has finished his citing of Psalm 110. Based on what he presented, it is understood that the words of David were evidently not referring to David himself,   but to the coming Messiah. He is greater than David, He is sitting at the right hand of the Lord, and He is there until the Lord’s enemies have been made His footstool.
 
With this clearly presented and now perfectly understood, Peter says, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assu redly.” The Greek word order (which is how the verse will be evaluated) reads, “Assuredly, therefore, let know all the house of Israel.” There is a strong emphasis that the matter Peter will speak of is firmly established.
 
The word translated as “assuredly” is one which indicates “not to totter.” Thus, it is that which is secure. Its other two uses, Mark 14:44 and Acts 16:23, both refer to someone being securely guarded. Peter indicates that the truth of the matter is secure and sure. One might say, “This is an inescapable truth.”
 
As such, the next word – translated as “therefore” – is then supported by the words that follow. They are words that are to be heard, understood, and (hopefully) accepted as absolute truth. Hence Peter follows with “let know.”
 
It is the common Greek word ginóskó, signifying “to come to know,” “to recognize,” “to perceive,” and so on. Peter is indicating that the result of the surety of the matter that he has presented is intended to “let all the house of Israel” come to understand – whether they like it or not, and whether they accept it as not – that the matter is established.
 
The term “house of Israel” is a way of saying “family.” Israel was the father of twelve sons. He also adopted two sons of Joseph as his own. It is this family which comprises the whole house of Israel.
 
Descendants from all of these tribes were gathered at the temple, they had seen the effects of the coming of the Spirit upon the apostles, and they had heard the explanation of the event. From there, they were to accept what was presented and continue to convey this message to all others in this nation – the “house of Israel.”
 
And what is it specifically that Israel is to hear, understand, and (hopefully) accept? Well, it is a thought that is based on what Peter had just presented right from Scripture, and which was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus. It is “that God...”
 
What has occurred is an act of God, and thus it stands as an eternal edict of God. What God has done is set, it is fixed, it is firm, and it is fully resolved. With this being perfectly understood from Scripture, and from the fact that God is both the Creator and the One who directs His creation, it is He who determines what will come to pass.
 
As such, and as His words spoke forth of the coming of the Messiah, and as His Messiah had come (just as God determined), and as His Messiah had fulfilled His will (just as God stated), then it is established that He “has made this Jesus.”
 
It is “this Jesus” who Peter has explicitly referred to in verse 22 and verse 32 –
 
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— (Acts 2:22)
&
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses (Acts 2:32)
 
This same Jesus of Nazareth, who was attested to Israel by God, and whom God raised up from the dead, is the One that Peter is referring to. It is also He, as Peter says to Israel, “whom you crucified.”
 
These words would have been like sharp arrows pointing directly at the hearts of the men standing there. What had occurred was an event that was prophesied, and it was an event that was then fulfilled. But it was an event that Israel had been responsible for.
 
They were the people of the Lord. They were the stewards of the Scriptures. They were to be the people of the Messiah who was prophesied to come. And yet, they were the same people who did exactly what the Scriptures foretold, meaning the things they had done. They had crucified this Man – their Messiah. But Peter had said in verse 23 that this was “by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God.”
 
As such, there must be hope. It is the next verse that will both show their reaction to the words, and which will reveal that they will want to know if there is anything that they can do to make things right. For now, however, Peter finishes his thought concerning “this Jesus.” It is that God has made Him “both Lord and Christ.”
 
The word translated as “Lord” (kurios) signifies a master. In the Greek, it can indicate the Lord (YHVH), but it does not necessarily signify that. It can simply mean one greater than another, such as the “lord” or “master” of a house. The context decides the ultimate meaning. In this case, the context is that Jesus is the “Lord” or “Master” of Israel – its Messiah – based on the decision rendered by God. This is clearly understood from the word “Christ.”
 
The word Christ (Greek: Christos) comes from the word chrió, signifying “to anoint by rubbing or pouring olive oil on someone to represent the flow (empowering) of the Holy Spirit. Anointing (literally) involved rubbing olive oil on the head, etc., especially to present someone as divinely-authorized (appointed by God) to serve as prophet, priest or king” (HELPS Word Studies). As such, it means “Anointed One.” Thus, it is a direct translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah.”
 
God has made this Jesus both the Lord of Israel and the Messiah of Israel. This is the culminating thought of what has been presented to the ears of the people by Peter as he speaks forth his words of explanation concerning the events that have occurred before them.
 
Life application: There is absolute surety in the words of Scripture concerning Jesus. If the New Testament is the word of God, then there is no other possibility than that Jesus is the full, final, and forever expression of what God has done in Christ. As such, there is no other way to be reconciled to God except through Him.
 
There are people that believe Jews can be saved through adherence to the Law of Moses. This is the set doctrine of, surprisingly, the Roman Catholic Church. This is also the heretical teaching of John Hagee and other dual-covenant “theologians.”
 
There are others who say that even Jews who believe in Jesus (and some add in the Gentiles) must still adhere to the Law of Moses (in part or in whole). These are also heretics. The New Testament clearly reveals that the law is annulled, obsolete, and set aside in Christ. It is nailed to the cross.
 
As such, to teach such things (which is exactly what Paul refers to in the book of Galatians) is, as Paul states it, anathema. It is accursed –
 
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-9
 
Let us carefully heed the words of Scripture, and let us trust solely in the finished work, and thus in the merits, of Jesus Christ. It is He alone who is to receive our attention in our walk before the Lord. He alone fulfilled that which stood against us, meaning the Law of Moses.
 
Lord God, thank You for having done that which we could never have done. You sent Christ to accomplish the mission, to prevail over sin and death, and to rise again in order to give us a new hope and a new direction. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.

Acts 2:35

Thursday, 25 November 2021
 
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’ Acts 2:35
 
Peter referred to David in the previous verse, noting that he did not ascend into heaven, but he did prophesy in the 110th Psalm that Messiah would. In this, the Lord said to Him, “Sit at my right hand.” The Lord Jesus ascended to the position of all authority and power in heaven at that time. Peter finishes his quote with the next words, saying, “Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
 
The Greek more precisely reads, “the footstool for your feet.” The Lord Jesus will remain in His heavenly position until the course of human events comes to the right point where Christ will return again and intervene in the stream of time. The enemies of Christ are any who do not accept His offer of peace and reconciliation with God.
 
This has been, and it continues to be, the normal course of the world. Some have come to Christ while others have rejected Him. The gospel grew immensely at times, but it has also come under great attack in almost all places it has been preached.
 
In the world today, even the nations who have been most friendly to Christianity are becoming more and more hostile to it. This will increase as the world drums up reasons that Christians are the problem in society. A worldwide targeted agenda against the true faith is in motion as the world continues to devolve into moral perversion and ungodly agendas.
 
However, and actually, because of this, the world will devolve into being a place of death and destruction. This is clearly outlined in the pages of Revelation. Without faith in God as presented in the Bible, there can only be enmity with God and a life-course that will follow an unsound, even wicked, path. Chaos will be the inevitable result.
 
Those who do hold to the true faith as presented in Scripture will be harassed and martyred in enormous numbers. But this period of global wickedness will end. It is the time prophesied throughout Scripture, and it is simply defined in David’s words as when the Lord has made the enemies of Christ a footstool for His feet.
 
The symbolism of this is where the foot is placed upon the neck of one’s enemies, thus indicating total authority over them as they lie in helpless subjugation. It is seen, for example, in Joshua 10 –
 
“So it was, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, ‘Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.’ And they drew near and put their feet on their necks. 25 Then Joshua said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.’” Joshua 10:24, 25
 
This time of Christ reigning in heaven is alluded to by Paul in Ephesians 1 –
 
“and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” Ephesians 1:19-21
 
It is also quite clearly expressed in 1 Corinthians 15 –
 
“The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For ‘He has put all things under His feet.’ But when He says ‘all things are put under Him,’ it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:26-28
 
Paul’s words do not provide all of the information in the timeline, but they provide a broad brushstroke of how these things are laid out. Without going into all the detail, the anticipated timeline is:
 
- The church age. This ends at the rapture of the church (may that day be soon!).
- The seven final years of the Law of Moses for Israel (Daniel 9:24-27), also known as the Tribulation Period. This period ends when Israel as a nation calls out to Christ, acknowledging Him as their Messiah (Matthew 23:27-39, and etc.).
- The millennial reign of Christ.
 
The reason that the rapture is placed in this general timeline before the tribulation period is because that is what the Bible teaches.
 
Life application: One of the serious deficiencies in replacement theology (well, one of many) is that they believe the world will continue to be evangelized until a state peace is realized. When this occurs, the marvelous time prophesied in the Old Testament will be realized. The church will have overcome the wickedness of the world and the gospel of Christ will be universally known and accepted.
 
That is not at all what the Bible teaches, nor does it even hint at this. The enemies of Christ will continue until the end. The world will come apart at its seams as wickedness increases. The enemies of the gospel will all but overpower the saints. But Christ will return and slay those who have come against them.
 
The church will have been removed before the tribulation period, and Israel will become the primary focus of world events. This is not because they will be right with God, but because God is faithful to His covenants. They will eventually come to this realization, they will call out to Him for deliverance through Christ Jesus, and Jesus will respond. The national salvation of Israel is clearly presented in Scripture, and it will come to pass.
 
This demonstrates the great faithfulness of the Lord to His word. As this is the case, each person who has been saved by the blood of Christ should be perfectly assured that his salvation is secure. Our unfaithfulness to the Lord will never negate His faithfulness to His covenant promises. Israel is a template of this. In His faithfulness to Israel, we can be assured of His faithfulness to us.
 
Thank God today for His unlimited grace and mercy toward the objects of His covenantal promises. The shed blood of Christ has secured our salvation. Yes, thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
How good it is, O Lord, to wait upon You. Though times may get very terrible in the days ahead, we have a sure and blessed promise of eternal joy in Your presence. Whatever happens now is but a light and temporary affliction as we await the glory that is yet ahead. And so, O Lord, how very good it is to wait upon You. Amen.

Acts 2:34

  Wednesday, 24 November 2021
 
“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:‘The Lord said to my Lord,“Sit at My right hand, Acts 2:34
 
Peter just said that Jesus was exalted to (or by) the right hand of God. Peter is clearly implying that Jesus is God, thus it is signifying that God – through Him – has poured the Spirit out upon the believers. In order to substantiate that what he is saying is not only possible, but is actually provable based on Scripture itself, he cites the 100th Psalm. It is a psalm cited by Jesus in all three of the synoptic gospels (Matthew 22:44, Mark 12:36, and Luke 20:42). It is also cited in Hebrews 1:13.
 
Before citing the psalm, Peter begins with, “For David did not ascend into the heavens.” He has already noted that David had died, he was buried there in Jerusalem, and implying that his body had corrupted.” The obvious meaning is that David was in Sheol (Hades) awaiting the resurrection of the dead. Therefore, what Peter will cite from the 100th Psalm, which was written by David, could not be referring to himself. Instead, it is a prophesy about the coming Messiah.
 
Peter confirms this line of thought by continuing with, “but he says himself.” This is referring to David. David wrote the psalm, David did not ascend into heaven, and yet, the psalm speaks of someone who has ascended into heaven. And so, David cannot be speaking of himself.
 
But more, David uses particular words that exclude any possibility at all that he could be referring to himself, even in metaphor or allegory. Peter now cites those words of David, beginning with, “The LORD.”
 
“The LORD” is the Hebrew name for God, Yehovah (Yahweh, YHVH, etc.), used over 6000 times in the Old Testament. It refers to Him and only Him. He is the I AM THAT I AM of Exodus 3, and the one that claims there is “no other god” in Isaiah 44 (and elsewhere) –
 
“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:‘I am the First and I am the Last;Besides Me there is no God.’” Isaiah 44:6
 
Peter continues the citation, saying, “said to my Lord.” Here, “my Lord” is the Hebrew word adoni. It means, “my master,” or “my lord.” In this case, David is subordinating himself to the One he is referring to. This is what Jesus was conveying to those before Him –
 
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”
They said to Him, “The Son of David.”
43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:
44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord,“Sit at My right hand,Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’?
45 If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” 46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore. Matthew 22:41-46
 
It was understood that David was obviously referring to the Messiah (the Christ). However, in the Bible, the father is always considered greater than the son. And yet, though the Messiah would descend from David (another precept clearly taught in Scripture), David still subordinates himself to his own Seed. “The LORD said to my Lord,” or paraphrased, “Yehovah said to my Master (the One greater than me).”
 
As this Son is greater than David, it implies that He was before David, even if He came after him. It is an implicit note of deity. Because of their inability to respond to Jesus’ question, they realized they were not as smart as they thought. What was presented to them was beyond their understanding.
 
Peter is taking what he learned from Jesus’ instructions of the Pharisees, and he is making his case that Jesus is – in fact – the incarnate Yehovah. It has been implied in the analysis of David’s words, and it continues to be supported by his next words, saying, “Sit at My right hand.”
 
Peter’s words earlier in the passage confirm that that the Christ would die, He would be buried, and that He would resurrect. The words of this psalm confirm that He is greater than David. And more, they confirm that He not only resurrected, but ascended. To sit at the right hand of God means that He is in heaven at the position of all power and authority.
 
And more, He has taken the words of Joel, cited earlier, to directly equate Jesus with Yehovah. Joel, quoting the Lord (Yehovah) said, “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh” (Acts 2:17). Peter said in Acts 2:33 that Jesus was the One who accomplished this.
 
The picture that Peter is painting is one that clearly portrays Jesus as the Christ, and that Christ is God. Any other analysis of his words would cause damage to what is being conveyed.
 
Life application: The Bible slowly and progressively reveals the beautiful thought that God loves the world, meaning humanity, so much that He was willing to do the incredible in order to restore us to Himself. He created man in His image. The implication is that He desired to bond with him in a unique way. But the Bible shows that this cannot be the case when sin is present.
 
But, without having sinned, man would not have had the knowledge of good and evil. Thus, we can see that God was willing to give man a conscience, and to use that conscience – even to his own harm – in order to make a full and mutual relationship with Him possible.
 
The sin still had to be dealt with though. And so, in due time, God entered into the stream of time and human existence in order to correct that part of the equation. In the coming of Jesus, He was able to do this. Now, God continues to give us the choice to accept Him or reject Him through His offer of peace. This is not forced, and so it is a mutual relationship.
 
To think on the enormity of what God has done in Christ leaves the mind bewildered. And yet, it is true. The message of God in Christ is one of wonder. Thank God for Jesus who has made our reconciliation with God possible. Yes, thank God for JESUS!
 
Lord God, thank You for the coming of Christ our Lord who has made all things new. We wait for the day when they will be realized. May Your glorious name be praised forever and ever! Amen.

Acts 2:33

Tuesday, 23 November 2021
 
Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. Acts 2:33
 
Peter just said that God had raised up Jesus. With that understood, He next says, “Therefore being exalted.” The word means “to lift up,” or “to raise on high.” Thus, it signifies “to elevate.” This happened to Christ who was dead. He was found worthy, and death could not hold Him.
 
As such, He was raised up – from the grave to the throne, and from the humiliation of the cross and death to the glory and power of the eternal King. The next words of Peter are debated over, “to the right hand of God.”
 
They are in the dative case. Simply stated, the Greek dative expresses a thing, or a person, indirectly affected by an action. With this being the case, there are two equally possible translations to these words –
 
“by the right hand of God”
“to the right hand of God”
 
Either is possible based on the surrounding context. The right hand signifies power, both in action (ability) and in position (authority). The previous verse just said that God raised Jesus. Therefore, it could be “by the right hand (ability) of God.” However, the next verse quotes David and will say, “Sit at my right hand (position of authority).” Nothing is lost in either translation because both possibilities are true. As such, translations such as Young’s use “at” which can convey both meanings at the same time –
 
“at the right hand of God having been exalted.”
 
As such, it can mean “at [by the power of] the right hand,” or “at [to the location of] the right hand of God.”
 
This may seem niggling, but the words have importance and should be considered. God’s power (His right hand) raised Jesus (Romans 10:9), and Jesus is seated at the right hand (the position of authority) of God (Romans 8:34). With this understood, Peter next says, “and having received from the Father.”
 
What Peter will refer to is something that had to wait for the full course of these events to occur. Christ was raised from the dead by the power of God, but He remained for a span before ascending to the Father. Only with that action completed would the disciples receive “the promise of the Holy Spirit.”
 
Jesus stated this explicitly in John 16 –
 
“But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” John 16:5-11
 
In Christ’s return to the Father (the right hand of power and the position of authority), the Helper was promised to come. This is what Peter is now referring to. In the exaltation of Jesus to this position, they received the Spirit from the Father. But because Jesus is at the position of power and authority, it explains why Jesus went to the Father in order for this to occur –
 
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:26
 
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” John 15:26, 27
 
There is a unity within the Godhead that is clearly presented in Scripture. Thus, Jesus was able to say –
 
“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.” John 14:11
 
In understanding the words of Jesus, and now the words of Peter as influenced by the Spirit, we see that the Spirit issues from the Father, through the Son. It is this event which Peter refers to by saying, “He poured out this which you now see and hear.”
 
This is a confirmation of what was prophesied by Joel, and which was cited earlier –
 
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,Your young men shall see visions,Your old men shall dream dreams.18 And on My menservants and on My maidservantsI will pour out My Spirit in those days;And they shall prophesy.” Acts 2:17, 18
 
Peter is clearly and unambiguously stating that the promise of the pouring out of the Spirit prophesied in Joel has come. The church has been established, and this is the firstfruits of that event typologically anticipated in Leviticus 23 –
 
“You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord.” Leviticus 23:17
 
In the words of Leviticus 23, “two loaves” were to be presented. The loaves were to be “baked with leaven.” This is one of only two times that leaven was to be presented to the Lord in the Old Covenant sacrificial system. Leaven pictures sin, and yet – because of the work of Christ – sinful people could be presented to the Lord, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. The Jews now being filled with the Spirit represent one of the loaves.
 
The Gentiles (coming later in Acts) represent the other loaf. The symbolism is clear. There is one New Covenant, there is one gospel, and there is one way to receive the promised Holy Spirit. That is through accepting the finished, final, and forever work of Jesus Christ.
 
Life application: The events of Acts 2 are descriptive in nature. They simply record what occurred. They do not prescribe anything. The reception of the Spirit by various believers in Acts will occur in various ways. Each will give insights into the early working of the Spirit in the church to confirm that Jesus is the Messiah.
 
Once those early events occurred, there was no longer a need for such outward displays to continue. The verifications had been made, the apostles witnessed the events – confirming the acceptance by God on the various people – and the writings of the prescriptive epistles become the standard for how the church works henceforth.
 
What occurs now is historical but not normative. We are beholding the work of the Spirit in these demonstrable ways with our own spiritual eyes as we read the book of Acts. In this, we are to demonstrate faith that they occurred, and we are to be convinced that God has accepted all people into His church – Jew and Gentile – according to their belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
Lord God Almighty! You possess all power in heaven and on earth. Thank You that despite this glory, You would look with favor upon us – sinners in need of a Savior – and send Jesus. Thank You for Your kind care and gentle hand upon us. Praises to You, O God. Amen.
 

Acts 2:32

Monday, 22 November 2021
 
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Acts 2:32
 
The previous verse noted that David “spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ.” Peter now directly states this prophecy is fulfilled, saying, “This Jesus.” It is who he openly proclaimed in verse 2:22, after which he explained the events leading to his citing of the psalm –
 
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.” Acts 2:22-24
 
With his subject clearly understood to be “This Jesus,” he now repeats the fact stated in verse 2:24, saying, “God has raised up.” The repetition is to demonstrate that what he had claimed is perfectly in line with the prophecy of David. And more, for emphasis, he used the verb form of the noun used in the previous verse –
 
Concerning the resurrection (anastasis) of the ChristGod has raised (anistémi) up
 
The mental idea conveyed to the ears of the people would be, “David spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, and God resurrected Christ, who is JESUS.” It is of this amazing event that Peter next says, “of which we are all witnesses.”
 
These words certainly extend beyond the thought of that stated concerning the selection of a replacement for Judas –
 
 “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” Acts 1:21, 22
 
The apostles’ office was specifically to proclaim what they had seen, bearing witness to the events as a united group. This is noted, for example, in Acts 8:1 –
 
“At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”
 
Because of the office, the apostles remained together while all the others were scattered. Understanding this, Peter’s words now that “we are all witnesses” is most likely speaking of whatever size of group of disciples were gathered and upon whom had been poured out the Holy Spirit. As there were more than twelve languages identified by Luke, it is probable that it was a gathering of all of the disciples, and Peter is referring to all of them.
 
Be it twelve, one hundred and twenty, or more, the matter is legally established before the people with his words. Deuteronomy 19:15 set the standard for witnesses in any testimony concerning iniquity or sin as “two or three witnesses.” That became the standard for any testimony in Israel. Jesus noted that to the Pharisees in John 8:17 because it was a clearly accepted provision among the people.
 
Therefore, the matter of the resurrection is clearly established through the multiple witnesses standing before the people.
 
Life application: The Bible is the written record of what has occurred in redemptive history. It details God’s workings in and through Christ in order to reconcile us to Himself. Is it reliable? If you are unsure, it is incumbent upon you to verify it in your own mind. Or, if you are challenged by someone as to why you believe it, can you defend your faith? Even if you cannot, if someone challenges you, the onus is on that person to make his claims for or against the word.
 
This was the case with Simon Greenleaf. He was a non-believer, but he was one of the greatest legal minds in history. He was a principal founder of Harvard law school. At one point, he was challenged by a student to look at the gospels from a legal standpoint.
 
As an intellectually honest person, he took the challenge, setting aside any presuppositions or biases. In doing so, he came to the conclusion that the gospels hold the topmost weight of legal accuracy. His basis for this was that “Every document, apparently ancient, coming from the proper repository or custody, and bearing on its face no evident marks of forgery, the law presumes to be genuine, and devolves on the opposing party the burden of proving it to be otherwise.”
 
His conclusion was that the gospels bore this stamp of authenticity and were, in fact, what they claimed to be. As such, he states –
 
“The foundation of our belief is a basis of fact - the fact of the birth, ministry, miracles, death, resurrection by the Evangelists as having actually occurred, within their own personal knowledge it was therefore impossible that they could have persisted in affirming the truths they have narrated, had not Jesus actually rose from the dead, and had they not known this fact as certainly as they knew any other fact.”
 
Simon Greenleaf surrendered his life to Christ, knowing that no legal case could suitably challenge the Bible’s genuineness.
 
Be sure of your faith by being sure of what the basis for your faith is. Read this word, study this word, and cherish this word. Be ready to defend it, and also be ready to challenge those who dismiss it. Implore them to be as intellectually honest as Simon Greenleaf and to do their own evaluation of it – to the glory of God.
 
Thank You Lord God that our faith, the faith we possess in Jesus Christ, is ground in a word that is reliable, verifiable, and accurate in all that it contains and proclaims. Thank You that we have the surety of the truth of Jesus Christ and His gospel. He died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again – according to Scripture. Thank You, O God, for the surety we possess. Amen.

Acts 2:31

Sunday, 21 November 2021
 
he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. Acts 2:31
 
Peter continues now with his citing of the 16th Psalm and with his evaluation of how that is fulfilled in Christ, beginning with, “he, foreseeing this.”
 
The words refer to David. In whatever manner, David foresaw the things he wrote about and penned them. The influence of the Spirit was upon him. In that capacity, he was able to prophesy of things to come. In this state, he “spoke concerning the resurrection.”
 
This is certain, because his words imply both death, and release from death –
 
The words, “For You will not leave my soul in Hades,” imply death. If a soul has departed to Hades, it is because the person has died. Not being left in Hades means something else will come about. That is later followed with, “You have made known to me the ways of life.” David clearly understood that if a soul had gone to Hades, and yet that same person has been made to know the ways of life, he has found the key by which to escape the state of death.
 
It could be reasonably argued that David was speaking in metaphor about himself, or that he was speaking poetically about some event that touched him and led him to write a psalm, but Peter – under the influence of the Spirit – corrects any such notion saying that what David wrote was specifically about God’s plans concerning the resurrection “of the Christ.”
 
David understood, from the words that he penned, that the Messiah would die and that He would rise again. The details and reason for these things may have been completely hidden from him, but the facts set before him when he read his own words of prophecy clearly indicated to him that he had written about the Christ.
 
Somehow, this coming One would die, but his words indicated without any doubt “that His soul was not left in Hades.” Peter, standing before the people gathered there, confirmed that the words referred to Jesus and that He had returned from the dead. Hades could not hold Him. The remarkable thought is later more fully revealed by John –
 
“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” Revelation 1:18
 
Christ, because of His triumph over the law, possessed the keys of both Hades and Death. He had unlocked the prison which had bound men’s souls ever since the time of Adam. And it was not a return in a ghostly state, nor into a body that was in a state of ghoulish decay. Rather, it was to a body that was untouched by the effects of sin. As Peter says, “nor did His flesh see corruption.”
 
This is an important point. People claim to see ghosts and zombies. Samuel was brought back from his departed resting place as a disembodied spirit. But there has never been any occurrence such as that of Christ. He returned from Hades, and He returned to a body without any corruption. The victory is complete in Christ. This is the enormity of the thought being conveyed by Peter to the people standing before him whose ears heard of the marvelous workings of God in Christ.
 
Life application: David wrote under the influence of the Spirit concerning things that would come. According to Scripture, he even knew that what he wrote was concerning the coming Messiah. But this does not mean that he had a complete understanding of all things surrounding the events he prophesied of. Peter will later write concerning this –
 
“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.” 1 Peter 1:10-12
 
David wrote beforehand of these things, and like the other prophets, he knew that these things pointed to “the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” This can certainly be said of the case of David’s words in the 16th Psalm. But Peter also says that such prophets “inquired and searched carefully” about such things.
 
David may have thought, “Why would the Christ need to die at all? What is the purpose of going to Sheol and then coming back from there?” Isaiah later went further, prophesying that Christ would be wounded for our transgressions and that he would be cut off from the land of the living. In this, he may have spent many hours pondering what these things could mean.
 
But in the end, they lacked all of the information. Instead, they realized that whatever was being conveyed would be formed into “the gospel.” It is this that they “preached” with their words, even if they didn’t fully understand what it was they were preaching.
 
The point of this is that the blood atonement of Christ is, in fact, proclaimed by the prophets, and it is confirmed right here in Chapter 2 of the book of Acts. Those who deny this do so because they have not thought through the enormity of what Christ has done. They have a myopic view of the world, dividing the work of Christ into two gospels, two bodies, and a twisted view of the united work of Christ.
 
The same gospel put forth in the many prophesies found in the Old Testament is summed up by Peter, and also by Paul, in the New. Paul elsewhere clearly and precisely defines this gospel that Peter is right now conveying to the people of Israel –
 
“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
 
This is the gospel. It is the one gospel that pertains to both Jew and Gentile as witnessed first by Peter (Cephas), then by the other apostles, and finally by a large number of witnesses. And it is the same gospel that was later accepted by Paul and proclaimed among the nations. Any other gospel is no gospel. It is anathema.
 
Hold fast to the truth of God in Christ. Keep away from those who would destroy the beauty of the work of Christ, twisting it and perverting it for their own demented purposes.
 
Lord God, thank You for what You have done in Christ our Lord. Thank You for the all-sufficient atonement and reconciliation that comes through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Acts 2:30

Saturday, 20 November 2021
 
Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, Acts 2:30
 
Peter began his explanation of why he cited the 16th Psalm in the previous verse. He now continues with that, saying, “Therefore.”
 
Peter cited the psalm. The psalm said that the Holy One of the Lord would not see corruption. But Peter explained that David’s tomb was right there in Jerusalem for all to see. He had corrupted back into the dust he was made from. As such, more words necessarily follow (Therefore) to explain what David was writing about while the Holy Spirit directed him. This is evident from the next words, “being a prophet.”
 
It is clear that David was guided by the Spirit of God when he did certain things in his life. A good example of it was receiving the instructions for the building of the temple –
 
“Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat; 12 and the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things; 13 also for the division of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and for all the articles of service in the house of the Lord. ... “All this,” said David, “the Lord made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.” 1 Chronicles 28:11-13 & 1 Chronicles 28:19
 
It is also understood that David’s Psalms were inspired by the Lord. As such, they were included in Scripture to testify to that fact. As David was a prophet, it means his words were to be considered from that light. Thus, in referring to One who would come who would not see corruption, Peter continues, “and knowing that God had sworn with an oath.”
 
David clearly understood that when God (the Lord) spoke to him, it was as an oath in and of itself. This is because God cannot lie. What He speaks forth will come to pass. At times, the Lord will confirm His words by vowing an oath, but even without this, what the Lord speaks is considered as if He has sworn. It is as if He has raised His right hand and committed Himself to the words He speaks forth. Understanding this, that which God had sworn was that “to him that of the fruit of his body.”
 
The “fruit of his body” can mean the direct issue of a child, such as Solomon being born to him. And indeed, such an occurrence fulfills an immediate aspect of the promise that is made, but it does not fulfill the entire promise. The fruit of the body can also refer to anyone who later issues from him as a descendant. David would be considered the fruit of Abraham’s body, even many centuries later. All humans can be considered the fruit of Adam’s body. As this is a truth conveyed in Scripture, the “fruit of his body” can be referring to anyone that issues from David henceforth. And this fruit is next noted as “according to the flesh.”
 
This clearly defines this One who is coming to be a literal, physical human being. Further, he will be one that directly descends from David, inheriting a direct human connection to him with all that this entails from a human aspect, such as DNA. This truth dispels several heresies that have arisen within the church over the years. This seed of David (see Romans 1:3 and 2 Timothy 2:8), meaning the fruit of his body, will be a literal, physical descendant of his. Of this Person, it next says, “He would raise up the Christ.”
 
This is a promise that began in Genesis 3, and which was the hope and anticipation of God’s people ever since –
 
“And I will put enmityBetween you and the woman,And between your seed and her Seed;He shall bruise your head,And you shall bruise His heel.”
 
The line of the promised Messiah is carefully noted all the way throughout Scripture so that those who are in this line, and who can typologically be used to reveal redemptive truths, are carefully noted in stories which often otherwise seem to have no relevance at all.
 
For example, the story of Lot and his two daughters is introduced and seems like a curiosity, but it doesn’t seem to have any purpose other than to show that he and his two daughters did something immoral. That has nothing to do with why the account is recorded. Rather, all three of them are ancestors of Jesus Christ. The account is to demonstrate the faith of the daughters and how it is rewarded by bringing them into His genealogy. Such is true with many other similar stories, like the account of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38.
 
The lengthy historical record of David is no different. God would raise up the Christ from the line of David, thus fulfilling His promises to David –
 
“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” 2 Samuel 7:12-16
 
&
 
“I have made a covenant with My chosen,I have sworn to My servant David:4 ‘Your seed I will establish forever,And build up your throne to all generations.’” Selah Psalm 89:3, 4
 
These and other such references are given in Scripture as a confirmation that David would continue the line through which the Messiah would come. His throne would be the throne of the glory that lay ahead, as Peter explicitly states when he finishes the verse with, “to sit on his throne.” This promise was stated and confirmed to a young virgin of Israel many generations later –
 
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:31-33
 
Of these words concerning the throne, Ruckman incorrectly evaluates what is going on in Scripture, saying, “Here is another place in Acts 2 where the Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox stumble. They teach that this expression, “his throne,” is God’s throne. This was done by tying this verse to verses 33-34. But in verse 33-34, Jesus Christ doesn’t sit on any throne. He is seated at the “right hand” of God’s throne (Heb. 1:3). “His throne” in this verse is a reference to the throne of “the patriarch David” in verse 29...”
 
The utterly ridiculous nature of this comment is almost beyond belief. It shows a complete lack of understanding concerning the nature of God. To him, it is as if God is sitting on a literal throne somewhere ruling the universe. God does not have parts. God is Spirit. If God had physical parts, He wouldn’t be God. The “right hand” of God signifies the position of authority. Jesus Christ, sitting at the “right hand” of God does not mean that He is sitting next to God on another throne. It means that He is seated on the throne of God with all of the authority of God, symbolized by the right hand.
 
Hebrews 1:3, that is cited by Ruckman, (“the right hand of the Majesty on high”) is explained in Hebrews 1:8, 9 –
 
 “But to the Son He says:‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;Therefore God, Your God, has anointed YouWith the oil of gladness more than Your companions.’” 
 
David was promised that one of His descendants would reign on His throne forever. It is this throne that is referred to in Isaiah 9:7 –
 
“Of the increase of His government and peaceThere will be no end,Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,To order it and establish it with judgment and justiceFrom that time forward, even forever.The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
 
The words of Peter do not negate that Christ will literally rule from Jerusalem during the millennium. But the throne of Christ is the throne of David. The throne does not simply speak of a physical throne where someone sits down. Instead, it is emblematic of the authority of the throne. That is why it can be said that Christ reigns from David’s throne even though the physical throne of David was destroyed eons before. It is a position of rule.
 
Unfortunately, in order to divide the church and put forth heretical doctrine, hyperdispensationalists destroy any meaning of the symbolism provided in Scripture, such as “right hand,” “throne,” “fruit,” “seed,” and so on.
 
Life application: The verse set before us is one that will dispel several heresies when properly considered. One of them is a heresy known as Valentinianism. A modern proponent of this is Jacob Prasch. He teaches, “Adam and Yeshua were both created by Ha’Shem, by God, directly and personally.”
 
Jesus is not a created being. That is the error of many cults, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, Jesus, in His humanity, is a part of the creation. There is a world of difference between the two, and it is what defines the distinction between orthodoxy and heresy.
 
To state that God created Jesus directly and personally as He did with Adam, is to then deny the entire body of Scripture which points to the begetting of human beings, one to another, from Adam to Christ. 
 
God created all things, it is true, but the body of Christ, is an incidental part of creation, not a direct act of creation. Rather, God prepared a body out of that creation for the incarnation. This is evidenced by Hebrews 10:5 –
 
“Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,But a body You have prepared for Me.’” Hebrews 10:5
 
Scripture, given by God, carefully – even meticulously – details the preparation of the body of Christ, through seventy-five direct generations of fallen human beings as is recorded in Luke 3, and with the introduction of even more fallen souls who are found in the pages of Scripture, and who likewise enter into His genealogy. 
 
To say that Jesus was created by God, directly and personally, and to have that mean what is being conveyed by Prasch, would be exactly the same thing as saying that Charlie Garrett was created by God, directly and personally.
 
It is at best a category mistake, but such a category mistake results in the formulation of a heretical doctrine. The body of Christ, despite having come through these innumerable fallen souls was prepared perfectly by God, not suddenly created. Jesus is the seventy-seventh name noted in Luke’s genealogy, and God is the first.
 
The record is given, and the details are provided, to ensure that the error of assuming that Jesus was a being created directly and personally by God, would not be made. The statement that Jesus was created is incorrect. Despite being human, however, He was born without sin because He was born of Mary, but with no human father.
 
As such, the line of sin that is transmitted from father to child since Adam was cut. Christ is fully human, of the seed of David, and He is fully God – having been begotten of God. Let us carefully consider the word and never make the mistake that Jesus is a being created directly and personally by God. Be it the Jehovah’s Witnesses or some other heretical denomination or teacher, let us take the time to understand the nature of the God/Man who came to dwell among us and to die for our sins, redeeming us as the people of God.
 
Lord God, thank You for the many blessings that are found in Christ our Lord. Thank You for what You did through Him, coming to unite with humanity in order to do what we could never do by fulfilling the law that stood against us. And in fulfilling it, Christ took all of the sin of the world upon Himself. Thank You for what You have done through Christ our Lord! Amen.