BIBLE IN TEN

Acts 2:29

Friday, 19 November 2021
 
“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Acts 2:29
 
Peter has completed his citing of David’s words from the 16th Psalm. With that complete, he now immediately turns to the explanation of why those words were spoken by him, beginning with, “Men and brethren.”
 
In verse 2:14, Peter said, “Men of Judea and all who are in Jerusalem.” In verse 22, he then addressed them as “Men of Israel.” Now, he brings them even closer to himself by saying the exact same words he said to those gathered with him in verse 1:16, Andres adelphoi, “Men, brothers,” or more literally, “brother-men.”
 
In this, he is addressing those with him in a personal, friendly manner, acknowledging that those gathered are not just of Israel, and they are not just dwellers in the nearby areas. Instead, they are brothers united by the distinct culture that had bound them together in a unique way. With this bond of affinity stated, he continues by saying, “let me speak.”
 
Rather than “let me,” which would be begging permission, the meaning of the Greek is “it is permitted for me to speak.” Based on the display of tongues, based on the fact that he has shown from both the prophets and the psalms that the events that have taken place were prophesied, and based on the fact that he is a brother Israelite, he has the permitted right to speak forth.
 
From there, he says, “freely to you.” Rather, the Greek clearly reads “with freedom.” Based on what has occurred, and based on the facts presented in verses 22-24 concerning Christ’s ministry, crucifixion, death, and resurrection, Peter cited inspired Scripture in order to establish a baseline by which he could then make and support his argument concerning Christ and how He is the reason behind the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples.
 
As such, Peter next narrows his discourse to speak of the writer of the psalm that he just quoted, Israel’s famous king and sweet psalmist. He does this by saying, “of the patriarch David.” Here, the word patriarchés, meaning the head or founder of a family, is introduced. The word will be used to describe the twelves sons of Jacob in Acts 7:8, 9, and also of Abraham in Hebrews 7:4.
 
David is called a patriarch because he is the father of the royal line and family leading to the Messiah. The term “House of David” is used numerous times in the Old Testament. It is referred to three times in the gospel of Luke as well. It is this key family that he is the patriarch of. Of King David, Peter now makes an obvious point to demonstrate why he brought in the words of the psalm. It is “that he is both dead and buried.”
 
Again, the translation is not precise. The verbs are aorist. It reads, “he both died and was buried.” There is a definite time in which these events occurred in the past. It is sure and fixed, and it is recorded for Israel to remember –
 
“So David rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David. 11 The period that David reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years.” 1 Kings 2:10, 11
 
The events happened, and time then marched on. David became a memory of the past. But a reminder of his time remained for those in Jerusalem. As Peter next says, “and his tomb is with us to this day.”
 
The words is mnéma. It signifies an identifiable sepulchre. The word comes from mnaomai, meaning to remember or to recollect. The resting place of David was still to be found among the place where most of the other kings of Judah were buried. It was a reminder of his time upon the earth, and that he had – in fact – gone the way of the earth.
 
As such, the entire point of Peter’s quoting of the psalms becomes clear –
 
“For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Acts 2:27
 
The psalms were considered both sacred and inspired by God. To say otherwise would be considered blasphemous. As this is so, no one could challenge Peter’s logic that David could not have been speaking of himself. David died, entered Hades, and remained there. And more, his body saw corruption, testified to by the tomb which remained in Jerusalem for all to see.
 
As this is so, then the psalm was clearly speaking of someone else. Therefore, Peter’s claim in the resurrection of Jesus was a valid explanation of what occurred, and the tongues coming upon the believers was a sign and a witness that it was so. Peter will explain this in detail in the verses ahead.
 
Life application: When evangelizing Jews, it is good to first determine if they accept the premise that the Scriptures are inspired or not. If they accept this premise, then it is a valid approach to show them, from their own Scriptures, that the things presented there clearly point to a New Covenant, a crucified Savior, the resurrection, and so on. If they are willing to accept these things, you have a valid door through which to present them the gospel.
 
If they are not sure about the inspiration of Scripture, then you can attempt to convince them by reading them Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12. Most Jews have never heard these words read and they have no idea they are there. Without telling them that you are reading Isaiah, simply read them the words and then ask, “Who is this referring to?” Almost any who hears the words will say, “Jesus.”
 
They have heard the claims, they have been told what Christians believe, and they are told that none of it is true. But after they say it is Jesus who is being referred to, you can then show them that the words come not from a “Christian” source, but from their own “Jewish” Bible. From there, you have demonstrated that Christ is referred to, seven hundred years in advance, and they have testified to it as such. From there, you can give them the simple gospel of their salvation.
 
In the end, it is the heart – softened by the word of God, or hardened to the word of God – that must accept the word and receive the Gift, or reject the word and be condemned. Be ready to evangelize Jew or Gentile at all times. There is only one way to be reconciled to God, and that is through the Messiah of the Jews and the Christ of the nations. It is through JESUS.
 
Lord God, give us the desire to share the wonderful word of salvation to those who so desperately need to hear it. May we be willing to open our mouths and speak. Give us this desire, O God. Amen.

Acts 2:28

Thursday, 18 November 2021
 
You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’ Acts 2:28
 
In this verse, Peter will complete his quoting of Psalm 16. He has directly equated the verses from it to the Lord’s passion, His courage through the ordeal, His death, His burial, and then to the fact that even in death He would not see corruption. Now, and with that being the reference point, Peter continues, saying, “You have made known to me.”
 
Peter cites the words directly from the Greek translation of the Old Testament, stating them in the aorist tense. As such, it reflects the words of Christ in the resurrection. His body did not see corruption, but instead, something new was made known to Him, which is “the ways of life.” The Hebrew states this in the singular, “the way of life.” However, the Greek OT continues to be cited by Peter, “the ways of life.”
 
The word translated as “way,” hodos, indicates a road, path, and so on. By implication, it then signifies a progress, such as the route or distance. Figuratively, it can indicate a mode or means of traveling. For example, one could use the word to say, “This is the way (the route) we will take, and it will be on this way (this path).” It can also be used to speak of a manner of life, “This is the way (hodos) of the Lord (Matthew 3:3 gives this meaning), and we should follow it.” That type of use of the word is found, for example, in Job 16 –
 
“For when a few years are finished,I shall go the way of no return.” Job 16:22
 
There is a way (path) of life that people pursue. For example, the same thought concerning the “way of life,” as what David states in the Hebrew, is repeated in Proverbs 5 when referring to the way (path) of the immoral woman –
 
“Lest you ponder her path of life—Her ways are unstable;You do not know them.” Proverbs 5:6
 
Peter’s citing the plural of the Greek “ways” signifies the fullness of the manner of attaining life. This then takes one back to the words of Moses in Deuteronomy, such as in Deuteronomy 10 –
 
 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” Deuteronomy 10:12, 13
 
There in Deuteronomy, Moses uses another word that carries essentially the same idea as the one David uses in the Psalm. It is the same word that is used in the Hebrew of Isaiah 40:3 that is cited in Matthew 3:3 (above). It also can mean a literal path, or it can signify the course or mode of life.
 
Israel failed to “walk in all His ways,” but where Israel failed, Christ prevailed. Because God favored Christ, He made known to Him the ways of life. In turn, Christ followed the ways of life, He attained the goal, and He attained to the resurrection from the dead.
 
With that understood, Peter finishes the quoting of David with the words, “You will make me full of joy in Your presence.” The Greek reads more precisely, “You will fill me with joy with Your face.” The idea of the face of the Lord is that of being in His presence, and thus being accepted by Him. With the face of the Lord, comes the thought of favor, honor, peace, and so on.
 
If one goes into the presence of a king and the king accepts him, he has received the king’s honor and the like. This idea is well-expressed in the words of the high priestly prayer found in Numbers 6 –
 
“The Lord bless you and keep you;25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,And be gracious to you;26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,And give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
 
Life application: What should be obvious is that if the “ways of the Lord” are those things that bring life, meaning those things detailed by Moses in the law, and if Christ has attained to them where nobody else prior to Him could, it is an acknowledgment that in Him – not in the law – is the way to life. It is as if simple arithmetic is set before us, and yet we find it hard to accept the equation.
 
Jesus does not ever say that we are saved through keeping the Law of Moses. In fact, He hints at exactly the opposite time and time again. In Matthew 5, He says –
 
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Matthew 5:17, 18
 
In His words, Jesus is not saying that we (Israel at the time) must obey the law of Moses in order to be saved. He is making a point that the Law of Moses must be obeyed in order to not be condemned, and that the Law of Moses was the binding precept that condemns. Hence, He acknowledges that the law must stand until it is fulfilled. And then He immediately says that this is what He came to do, to fulfill it.
 
In other words, one can hang his proverbial hat on the law and attempt to find life through it, and he will fail and be condemned. Or he can come to Christ who has fulfilled the law and find life through the One who already had life in Him (see John 1:4, “In Him was life...”). Jesus did not need to fulfill the law to find life. Rather, because He was born under the law, He needed to fulfill the law in order to not be condemned. The ways were set before Him.
 
The difference is that man is already condemned by original sin. But Christ bore no original sin. In His fulfillment of the law, the life remains in Him, and that life can then be bestowed upon any who accepts His fulfillment of it. As He says –
 
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6
 
He uses the same term as Peter uses, hodos, way. But when Jesus says it, it is in the singular. Christ was shown the ways of life and He lived by them. The evidence of that is His resurrection, proving that He had fulfilled the law and was not condemned by it. Jesus shows us THE WAY OF LIFE and only through that can we also live. He embodies the law, and we are granted His perfect obedience under it by a mere act of faith.
 
As this is true, why (Why on earth!) would anyone want to go back under the law of condemnation? Choosing that path would be as smart as dunking one’s head in fluoroantimonic acid. Reason it out. Learn the simple equation. And then, give up on your futile attempts to merit God’s favor apart from the merits of Christ. Only in Him, and in Him alone, will you find the way of life.
 
And, as a bonus thought, once you have found this way – God’s superlative way – of attaining life, then act like it. He has redeemed you through the blood of Christ. Put away all worries, all neuroses, all anxieties, and all doubts. Be strong in your faith, be firm in your convictions, and do not let this world – a world that is passing away – steal the joy of Christ in you. Praise God for what He has done through Christ. Yes, praise God for JESUS!
 
Glorious Heavenly Father, thank You for the completed work of Christ. To Him were shown the ways of life. In His fulfilling of the law, He now provides us with THE WAY OF LIFE. Thank You that You have made this path available to us. Yes, O God, thank You for our Lord Jesus. Amen.

Acts 2:27

Wednesday, 17 November 2021
 
For You will not leave my soul in Hades,Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. Acts 2:27
 
In this verse, Peter continues to cite the 16th Psalm. It is this verse, in particular, that he will use to build his case concerning the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ that he spoke of in verse 2:23. As such, he begins with, “For You will not leave my soul in Hades.”
 
The word translated as “leave” means to “leave behind” or “abandon.” Other words which give the sense might be to “forsake,” or to “desert.” The word translated as “soul” is the Greek word psuché. That can have various significations, but the intent here is the being of the person that extends beyond the physical makeup. It is based on the Hebrew word nephesh which carries the same general meanings as the Greek. That this is referring to that which animates the body is obvious from the context because of the words “in Hades.”
 
Hades (translated as “hell” in older versions) is the repository for the dead. Today, hell is considered the place of damnation and eternal torment, but that was not its original intent. The Greek word hadés is the unseen world where departed spirits go. It is equivalent to the Hebrew word sheol, which is variously translated as the grave, hell, the pit, and so on. When a person dies, their soul (that which animates the physical body) is separated from the body. From there, it goes to sheol (hadés) where it awaits whatever is coming.
 
This is an unnatural state for man who is a soul/body unity. This is the doctrine known as anthropological hylomorphism, or the dual nature of man. Quite often, people incorrectly state that man has a triune nature – soul, body, and spirit. But this is not what Scripture teaches. Rather, the spirit is a connection to God. When Adam fell, the spiritual connection to God was lost. All people are born as a soul/body unity, but there is no spiritual connection to God.
 
The reconnection is the spiritual nature that needs to be corrected, but it is not a separate part of a person. When a person dies, he enters into an unnatural state where the body is dead, but the soul lives on. Paul calls this state being “naked” in 2 Corinthians 5:3. The intent for man that is clearly seen in Scripture is that he is to be a soul/body unity (clothed), and that it is to last forever because of the spiritual connection to his Creator. When the spiritual connection was severed, the physical body became corrupt and was destined to die –
 
“In the sweat of your face you shall eat breadTill you return to the ground,For out of it you were taken;For dust you are,And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19
 
The soul, without the body (meaning when the body dies), goes to this pit. Whatever state that soul is in at the time of death will determine whether that person will be condemned to the Lake of Fire, or if that person will be given new and eternal life. An example of a soul in sheol (hadés) is found in 1 Samuel 28 –
 
“Then the woman said, ‘Whom shall I bring up for you?’
And he said, ‘Bring up Samuel for me.’
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, ‘Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!’
13 And the king said to her, ‘Do not be afraid. What did you see?’
And the woman said to Saul, ‘I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.’
14 So he said to her, ‘What is his form?’
And she said, ‘An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.’ And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.
15 Now Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?’” 1 Samuel 28:11-15
 
This is what David was saying in the Psalms concerning the state of One who has died, “For You will not leave my soul in Hades.” In this, it could be that he is simply saying, “I know that I will be redeemed from the pit someday. The Lord will not abandon me forever.” It is the same sentiment that Job anticipated –
 
“For I know that my Redeemer lives,And He shall stand at last on the earth;26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,That in my flesh I shall see God,27 Whom I shall see for myself,And my eyes shall behold, and not another.How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27
 
As this is the case with David and Job and so many others, it can be argued to this point that David is simply writing about himself in the psalm. However, his next words are what Peter’s case hinges on. Continuing to cite David, he says, “Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”
 
The word translated as “allow” is didómi. It means to “give.” Hence, “Nor will You give Your Holy One to see corruption.” As such, “allow” provides an acceptable way of understanding the intent. The Weymouth New Testament provides real clarity in the meaning of this verse –
 
“For Thou wilt not leave me in the Unseen World forsaken, nor give up Thy holy One to undergo decay.”
 
The word translated as “corruption” is introduced into Scripture here, diaphthora. It is found six times, all in Acts 2 and Acts 13. All six uses will refer to this same context, that of the non-decay of the body of Christ. The word David uses in the Psalm is shakhath, signifying a pit. As such, it figuratively means “decay,” because a body in a pit decays. The Greek translators of the Old Testament understood this and translated the words of David as Peter now repeats them.
 
It is the normal occurrence that happens to all people. It is the reason why some cultures embalm their dead. It is an attempt to arrest the degradation of the body in order to overthrow the effects of the fall. Job understood this state of degradation of the body and he forms a parallel thought, equating the pit (corruption) to the activity of worms which come to destroy his body –
 
“If I say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’And to the worm, ‘You are my mother and my sister,’” Job 17:14
 
As the soul does not decay, what David says is obviously referring to the body that has gone to the pit in death. The words of David are stating that a Person is going to die, that the soul of that Person will enter Hades, and that the body of that Person will not see corruption in this state. After finishing his quote from the psalms, Peter will then explain why this must be speaking of the Messiah rather than David referring to Himself.
 
Both of these clauses, when properly understood, point to a person who is protected by the Lord from being abandoned in the repository of the dead (Hades) and whose body – that has been temporarily separated from the soul – will not see any corruption, even though this is the usual and accepted norm for bodies that die. That this separation is temporary is to be inferred because the soul has not been left in Hades. As Hades is where disembodied souls go, the inference is then obvious. There will be a reuniting of the soul and body.
 
Life application: One valuable tool in studying particular verses or passages is to check the translation of multiple versions. In doing so, different ways of expressing the same thing can be considered. In knowing what the original language says, and then noting these various translations, it is as if a flower has opened up with many beautiful petals that look the same, but are individual from one another.
 
At the same time, one must be careful to not simply choose the translation that he likes the most because it is pleasing to the ear. It may be wrong, and indeed, translations are often wrong. But to see the variations can help come to a proper conclusion about what is being said. This is exactly what the authors of the KJV said to do in their preface. Though the language is old and difficult, they say –
 
“For as it is a fault of incredulitie, to doubt of those things that are evident: so to determine of such things as the Spirit of God hath left (even in the judgment of the judicious) questionable, can beno lesse then presumption. Therfore as S. Augustine saith, that varietie of Translations is profitable for the finding out of the sense of the Scriptures: so diversitie of signification and sense in the margine, where the text is not so cleare, must needes doe good, yea is necessary, as we are perswaded.”
 
In other words, they are fully persuaded that it is necessary to use a multitude of translations, and to also check the margin notes where the text is not so clear. As such, we can close with an evaluation of the verse set before us today in a multitude of translations –
 
# because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. (NIV)
 
# For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. (NLT)
 
# For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. (ESV)
 
# because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay. (BSB)
 
#for You will not abandon my soul into Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see decay. (BLB)
 
# Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (KJV)
 
#For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. (NKJV)
 
#FOR YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. (NASB)
 
# FOR YOU WILL NOT FORSAKE ME and ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES (the realm of the dead), NOR LET YOUR HOLY ONE UNDERGO DECAY [after death]. (Amplified)
 
# because you will not abandon me in Hades or allow your holy one to see decay. (CSB)
 
# because You will not leave me in Hades or allow Your Holy One to see decay. (HCSB)
 
# Because thou wilt not leave my soul unto Hades, Neither wilt thou give thy Holy One to see corruption. (ASV)
 
# “Because you did not leave my Soul in Sheol and you did not give your Pure One to see destruction.” (Aramaic)
 
# The Lord won't leave me in the grave. I am his holy one, and he won't let my body decay. (CEV)
 
# Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. (Douay-Rheims)
 
# Because thou wilt not leave my soul in Hades, Neither wilt thou give thy Holy One to see corruption. (ERV)
 
# because you will not abandon me in the world of the dead; you will not allow your faithful servant to rot in the grave. (GNT)
 
# because you do not abandon my soul to the grave or allow your holy one to decay. (GWT)
 
# For you will not abandon my soul to Hades or allow your Holy One to experience decay. (ISV)
 
# Because You will not leave my soul to Hades, Nor will You give Your Holy One to see corruption; (LSV)
 
# because you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor permit your Holy One to experience decay.
 
# because you will not abandon my soul in Sheol, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. (NHEB)
 
# For Thou wilt not leave me in the Unseen World forsaken, nor give up Thy holy One to undergo decay. (Weymouth New Testament)
 
# because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. (WEB)
 
# because Thou wilt not leave my soul to hades, nor wilt Thou give Thy Kind One to see corruption; (YLT)
 
Lord God, thank You for the diligent study and care of scholars and translators over the ages who have brought a richness to understanding Your word that fills us with a great and deep understanding and appreciation for what Your word is telling us. Help us to be diligent in our own studies, and to carefully evaluate and consider what You are telling us. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Acts 2:26

Tuesday, 16 November 2021
 
Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. Acts 2:26
 
Peter began his quoting of Psalm 16 in order to defend the fact that it was not possible for death to hold Jesus. For many of the people there that day, this was probably necessary because of what is recorded in Matthew 28 –
 
“Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, ‘Tell them, “His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.” 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.’ 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.” Matthew 28:11-15
 
The truth of the resurrection was quickly covered up by the elders. Thus, it would be pointless to believe in a dead Messiah. However, Peter is careful to explain that Jesus did, in fact, resurrect, and he now defends this by citing Scripture to prove that it was prophesied to occur all along. As such, he continues with the next lines of the psalm, saying, “Therefore my heart rejoiced.”
 
The Greek reads dia touto, or literally: “Through this.” In other words, through the entire time of Christ’s passion, and despite the horrors that came upon Him, there was still a joy in His heart. The word “because” or “therefore” conveys the idea well enough.
 
The citing of the psalm is based on the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus noted in verses 2:23, 24. The previous words of the psalm spoke of the Lord being always before the face of His Messiah and there at His right hand to strengthen Him from being shaken. Because of this, the response – even in His time of greatest distress – is a heart of rejoicing.
 
The word used is euphrainó. It comes from two words signifying “good” and “moderation as regulated by a personal perspective.” Thus, it means “having a merry outlook (cheery state of mind) because feeling the sense of victory (‘inner triumph’)” (HELPS Word-studies). Our modern word euphoria carries a similar sense. Christ, even before and during the passion He suffered, was able to sense victory because of the presence of the Lord with Him and guarding Him through the ordeal.
 
Considering that Peter is speaking to an audience that was fully aware of the tortures of crucifixion, seeing it on open display for those who disobeyed Rome, the words must have been almost beyond comprehension. But Peter continues with His words, saying, “and my tongue was glad.”
 
Here, the word glóssa, or tongue is used, whereas the Hebrew reads, “and rejoices my glory.” The idea between the two is found elsewhere in the psalms –
 
“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;I will sing and give praise.8 Awake, my glory!Awake, lute and harp!I will awaken the dawn.” Psalm 57:7, 8
 
“O God, my heart is steadfast;I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.” Psalm 108:1
 
The tongue is that which expresses the inward thoughts of man. Thus, it is that which sets man apart as glorious because he is a rational, cognitive being. With the tongue (his glory), the psalmist praises God. Understanding this, Jesus’ tongue (His glory) rejoiced even in His time of greatest suffering. The word translated as “rejoices” is agalliaó. It signifies to exult or be full of joy. The incredible part of this description is that the psalms elsewhere speak of the tongue of the Messiah in a much different way.
 
While Jesus was on the cross, He said, “I thirst” (John 19:28). In the psalms the result of His thirsting is explained –
 
“I am poured out like water,And all My bones are out of joint;My heart is like wax;It has melted within Me.15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,And My tongue clings to My jaws;You have brought Me to the dust of death.” Psalm 22:14, 15
 
Even in this terrible state of thirst that is so complete that His tongue clung to His jaws, His tongue was still in a state of rejoicing. It shows the absolute trust and confidence He had in the coming victory.
 
With that considered, Peter next says, “Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.” The Greek reads “on hope,” thus providing elegant symbolism that will be noted in a moment. This is the last of four times that the particular word, translated as “rest” is found. The other three uses are from the synoptic gospels and refer to the nesting of birds –
 
“Then He said, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.’” Luke 13:18, 19
 
The word literally signifies “to camp down.” One has a tent that he has pitched, and he climbs inside and rests. The idea then is that of peaceful rest. What is being said here is that the most tumultuous turmoil-filled moments of the life of Christ Jesus were moments where He possessed a state of peaceful rest, lying on a bed of hope-filled anticipation of success, expectation of glory, trust in His God, and confidence that what was happening was the right use of this time in His life. Of these words, Vincent’s Word Studies states, “My flesh shall encamp on hope; pitch its tent there to rest through the night of death, until the morning of resurrection.”
 
This is just what the author of Hebrews states in order to give his reader the same confidence as Christ –
 
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1, 2
 
To the audience listening to Peter’s words, if they accepted his message, it would cut to their very heart at the enormity of what he was conveying.
 
Life application:  The word translated as “rejoices” above is used by Peter concerning how we should be in our own afflictions, tying them into the afflictions of Christ –
 
“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” 2 Peter 4:12, 13
 
Christ set the example that we are then to follow. Even in the times of the most horrifying persecution, Christians have been known to cry out the most beautiful melodies of love to their Lord. The anguished cries of pain are intermingled with words of hope and joy – “Lord God, I am yours, be glorified through the tortures I face. Receive my spirit Lord Jesus because my body is destroyed.”
 
There is an exceeding joy that exists in those who truly hold the hope of Christ in their hearts. Knowing that nothing in heaven or earth can separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus our Lord is what makes it possible. Do you possess this confidence? To what measure is it so? Cultivate it. You never know if it will be necessary in the days ahead.
 
O God, through the sufferings of Christ came the glory of the resurrection and exaltation! And because of His work, we can also possess the same confidence He had. Help us to grow in our faith, and to rest on our hope, knowing that we have a better home awaiting us in Your glorious presence. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Acts 2:25

Monday, 15 November 2021
 
For David says concerning Him:‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Acts 2:25
 
Peter has just spoken of the ministry, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of the Lord. Now, he will defend the statement that “it was not possible that He should be held by” death. He will do this by citing David from the psalms. As such, he begins with, “For David says concerning Him.”
 
The meaning of “concerning” is “in reference to.” What David wrote is in reference to the coming Messiah, as if He is writing about Himself. In other words, when reading the psalm, what David wrote at first appears to be referring to himself. David’s psalms are often from a first-person perspective, and they are centered around events in his life, and are often so personal in nature that it is obvious he is referring to himself. The 51st psalm (cited in the previous commentary) is such an example.
 
And yet, it is understood by Israel that the Scriptures, which include the psalms, are inspired by God. At times, they certainly carry a doubl e significance – meaning they are personal, but that they also anticipate the coming Messiah. At other times, it is understood that they are certainly referring directly to the coming Messiah. They are prophetic in nature and speak of what is to occur in Him.
 
Peter will now cite Psalm 16 to make his case concerning Christ, and thus provide evidence to what occurred among the disciples was ordained of God. Both Acts and the Psalms will be cited in their entirety now. The Psalm is cited from the Greek version of the OT, but the citation below will be from the Hebrew –
 
“I foresaw the Lord always before my face,For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades,Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.28 You have made known to me the ways of life;You will make me full of joy in Your presence.” Acts 2:25-28
 
“I have set the Lord always before me;Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;My flesh also will rest in hope.10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.11 You will show me the path of life;In Your presence is fullness of joy;At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:8-11
 
With the verses now cited, Peter continues, saying, “I foresaw the LORD always before my face.” This is not saying that He is seeing the Lord beforehand. Rather, it is stated from a personal reference point. In essence, “I see the Lord right before Me.” This is reflected in the Hebrew, “I have set the Lord always before me.”
 
The meaning is that the Lord (Yehovah) is always present with Him and is therefore ready to help Him and deliver Him. As this is from the Messiah’s reference, we can understand that even in the anguish of His coming death, He will be delivered. Hence, we can think of Christ’s time in mournful prayer and yet obedient submission to the will of the Lord. It is a note of encouragement and comfort which is then bolstered by the words, “For He is at my right hand.”
 
The right hand is the position of power. It is the position of honor. It is the position of dignity. The Lord is by His Messiah, ready to help and defend Him and to exalt Him in due time. In the 110th Psalm, after the completion of His work, the positions are switched and the Messiah is set at the right hand of the Lord (Yehovah) –
 
The Lord said to my Lord,“Sit at My right hand,Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”2 The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion.Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Psalm 110:1, 2
 
Charles Ellicott states of this position referred to now, “The Psalmist thought of the Eternal as the warrior thinks of him who, in the conflict of battle, extends his shield over the comrade who is on the left hand, and so guards him from attack.” It is a correct thought and is supported by the words of Psalm 91 –
 
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most HighShall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress;My God, in Him I will trust.’” Psalm 91:1, 2
 
Jesus, the Messiah, has placed His trust in the eternal God and knows that He is safe. As such, Peter continues the quote by saying, “that I may not be shaken.”
 
The idea here is “shaken in mind” or “shaken in faith.” The Messiah would remain confident through the ordeal set before Him because He had the Lord before Him, even at His right hand. Paul’s words to the Thessalonians reflect the same thought –
 
“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 2
 
Christ had an ordeal to face, and He set His eyes on the prize that lay ahead, not being shaken from it through fear or a love of the present world.
 
Life application: The level of our faith (not necessarily saving faith, but faith in the continued hand of the Lord in our lives) can be determined in seeing how we respond to trials, pains, difficulties, and the like. Are we moaning about every little thing that affects us personally, even when we hear of people with imme nsely greater trials around us? If so, we are doing nothing to build them up in their greater need, and it demonstrates a weakness in our reliance on the Lord.
 
Life is messy, it can get very complicated very quickly, and it can turn disastrous in a moment. Because of this, and because we have absolutely no control over the next moment of our lives, we are wise to leave everything in the Lord’s hands, surrendering to His will, relying on Him, and setting Him always before us.
 
We can do this by simply talking to Him throughout the day. We can do this by engaging with His word when we rise, when we drive (audio Bible, please!), when we have a break from work, and when we are ready to sleep. His word will inform us, guide us, comfort us, and encourage us.
 
The time we put the Lord before us will reflect our priorities. If we are not thinking about Him, we are engaging the world. And the world will never give us the true courage we need to conduct our affairs from an eternal perspective. Set the Lord before you and be encouraged in Him. Christ set the example, even when facing death. Let us follow Him in His steadfast reliance on the Lord.
 
Glorious God Almighty, may we always place You before us, trusting in You and Your promises because of the finished work of Christ. He trusted in You and was not moved. And You brought Him through His ordeal, seating Him at Your right hand. We now have the assurance that we too will be brought safely to You. Let us remember this as we face our own trials, woes, and difficulties. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Acts 2:24

Sunday, 14 November 2021
 
whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. Acts 2:24
 
Peter has been describing the work of Christ, including His crucifixion and death. With that noted, he now notes the second half of this greatest even in human history. There was the cross-death and there was the triumph over it. Peter says, “whom God raised up.”
 
The resurrection isn’t just an event where God bypassed the normal course of human events. Nor was it a miracle of restoring life, such as occurred with those Jesus brought back from death as is recorded in the gospels. It was the necessary and logical outcome for Jesus, as will be explained. For now, the words, “whom God raised up,” are referring to the working of each member of the Godhead. Paul states in Romans –
 
“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4
 
However, Jesus had already referred His own hand in the resurrection in John –
 
“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” John 10:17, 18
 
And yet, Paul again ascribes the resurrection to the Holy Spirit in Romans 8 –
 
“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:9-11
 
In these and other verses, we are shown that each member of the Godhead participated in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was this immense and intentional power of God that was directed to bring the human body of Christ back to life, as Peter says, “having loosed the pains of death.”
 
The word translated as “loosed” signifies exactly that. When a donkey or ox is untied, it is loosed. When laces are untied on one’s shoes, they are loosed. Jesus said that “the Scripture cannot be broken” in John 10:35. It is firmly bound, and it remains binding. Death is a bind upon human beings. When the body dies, the soul is left bound in that state. Without an external force, it cannot be unloosed.
 
But even before death, the soul is bound to death. The animation of the body is not a permanent thing. Rather it continues until the body dies, but the binding of the soul does not change. This is evidenced in Christ’s reanimation of the bodies of the son of the widow of Nain recorded in Luke 7. It is evidenced in His raising of Lazarus in John 11. Such instances of restoring the body to life were not permanent as it is understood that both eventually died again. If they didn’t, they would be a sensation wherever they travelled to, even to this day.
 
The reason these things are true is because, as Paul says in Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death.” What this is clearly and unambiguously saying is that human beings die as payment for sin. It is the earned wage of it. But this then is understood to include every human at every age, and thus the Bible implicitly refers to the doctrine of “original sin.” This is explained by Paul in Romans 5:18 –
 
“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation.”
 
It is explicitly stated by David in the 51st Psalm –
 
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,And in sin my mother conceived me.6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” Psalm 51:5, 6
 
This is why when babies die, they do not resurrect. And it is why child sacrifice is so abhorrent to God. The sin of our first father, Adam, has been transmitted to all human beings because the human species has a terminal infection in it. That infection is passed from father to child, and it ultimately ends in the death of the body. But that infection is tied to the soul which is bound to the sin of Adam, and which separates man from God. Christ Jesus came to correct this in human beings.
 
It is in this work of God in Christ that the “pains of death” are loosed. Vincent’s Word Studies explains the word translated as “pains,” saying –
 
“The meaning is disputed. Some claim that Peter followed the Septuagint mistranslation of Psalm 18:5, where the Hebrew word for snares is rendered by the word used here, pains; and that, therefore, it should be rendered snares of death; the figure being that of escape from the snare of a huntsman. Others suppose that death is represented in travail, the birth-pangs ceasing with the delivery; i.e., the resurrection. This seems to be far-fetched, though it is true that in classical Greek the word is used commonly of birth-throes. It is better, perhaps, on the whole, to take the expression in the sense of the A. V., and to make the pains of death stand for death generally.”
 
Whatever the sense of the word, the pains center on death, and the loosing of death is the key point to consider. But this is only speaking of the physical body of Christ, as will be explained. For now, and with that understanding, Peter remarkably tells his audience that the pains of death were loosed from Him “because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”
 
This is the key point of the entire outcome of the birth, life, and death of Christ. But it must be understood from what has already been stated.
 
Abraham was given the covenant of circumcision in Genesis 17 –
 
“This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.” Genesis 17:10, 11
 
The Lord noted that circumcision is a “sign.” A sign is something that points to something else. Jews consider circumcision as the thing itself. They point to their circumcision and say, “Because I am circumcised (signifying being a Jew), I am righteous.” This is incorrect. The “sign” does not call attention to itself, but rather points us to the fulfillment of the sign.
 
The implication in cutting the male organ is that the sign anticipates the cutting of sin. It tells us that sin travels from father to child. As every person has a father, it means that sin is inherited by every person (as noted in Psalm 51 above).
 
After the giving of the sign, the Lord eventually gave Israel the Law of Moses. This was His standard by which Israel was to live. And, in fact, He promised – explicitly – that life would be given if a man could perform the law –
 
“You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 18:5
 
It is a promise of the law. The man who does the things of the law will live. To live is to not die. It is an explicit statement that speaks of righteousness leading to life, because “the wages of sin is death.”
 
When Christ came, He did not come to the Japanese. Nor did He come to those in Germany. Rather, He came as a descendant of Israel after the giving of the law. Thus, He was born under the law. However, He had no human father. Thus, no sin was transmitted to Him. The “sign” of circumcision was fulfilled in His coming. The line of sin was “cut” because His Father is God. As such, He was capable of living by the law, something no other person had done – proven by their deaths. Every person born under the law for the previous 1400+ years had died because “the wages of sin is death,” and all of them had sin and committed sin. Peter will further explain this in the verses to come.
 
In the virgin birth, Christ was born without sin. But being born under the law, Christ had to live without sin in order to fulfill the law. This is what the gospels were given to show. Christ not only was born sinless, but He lived perfectly before His Father without sinning –
 
“Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” John 8:46, 47
 
The record of Christ’s sinless life is documented, the book of Acts speaks of it, and the epistles explain it. But the resurrection proves it. Peter said “it was not possible that He should be held by” death. If the wages of sin is death, and if Christ was born without sin and lived without ever sinning, then it was indeed impossible for death to hold Him. In Him was life, the life was never cut because of sin, and therefore the life remained in Him.
 
Therefore, and because of this, the power of God was brought to bear on the lifeless human body of Christ in fulfillment of the words of the law, “which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 18:5). The promise of the Lord (Yehovah) is fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 
 
Life application: Because the promise of the Lord found in Leviticus 18:5 is fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus, it signifies that the law is fulfilled in Him. As such, in Him is life. From this point, the gospel of Jesus Christ says that if you believe in this fulfilled work of Jesus, you will be imputed His righteousness. The fulfillment of the law will be reckoned to you.
 
As it is law by which sin is imputed (see Romans 5:13), and as a person who believes in the work of Christ is now “in Christ,” it means that sin is no longer imputed to that person –
 
“that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:19
 
This then means, exactingly and unambiguously, that a person who is saved is saved forever (eternal salvation). If we who are in Christ are no longer imputed sin, and if “the wages of sin is death,” then those who are in Christ can never die again. However, this is not referring to physical death, but the rebinding of the soul. These physical bodies will either die, or they will be cast off at the rapture as explained by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15.
 
The words of Peter today dispel two lines of incorrect theology/doctrine taught within the church. The first is that a person can lose his salvation. This is as impossible as it was for death to hold Christ. The second is that we are obligated to the Law of Moses in part or in whole (Hebrew Roots, Seventh Day Adventists, et al). If we were bound to the law, sin could be imputed. Paul says that is not the case in so many ways that it is incredible that people hold to this heretical doctrine.
 
Grace has been granted to those who call on Christ. Do not be anxious that it can be taken away, and do not put yourselves again under the yoke of bondage which is the Law of Moses. Be sound in your doctrine and be firm in your faith – to the glory of God who redeemed you through the perfect and pure shed blood of Christ!
 
Lord God. How incredible it is what You have done through Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.

Acts 2:23

Saturday, 13 November 2021
 
Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; Acts 2:23
 
Peter now gets to the point concerning the error of the Jews in what has occurred. He just noted that Christ was “attested by God” because of the “miracles, wonders, and signs” that He accomplished. This is something that they were all perfectly well aware of. In fact, this is what the two men on the road to Emmaus poignantly asked of the Lord after His resurrection as they walked –
 
“And He said to them, ‘What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?’
18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, ‘Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?’
19 And He said to them, ‘What things?’
So they said to Him, ‘The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. 23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. 24 And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.’” Luke 24:17-24
 
Calling the Lord a “stranger” was a way of saying, “It’s the only explanation for you to not know these things.” As this is so, the men of Israel were perfectly well aware of the ministry of the Lord, and yet Peter next directly says to them, “Him, being delivered.”
 
This is referring to Christ. The word translated as “being delivered” is an adjective. A more literal rendering would be “betrayed.” Hence, “Him, betrayed...” This is the explanation for what occurred. The word is connected to the coming words “you have taken,” not to the words “by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God.”
 
In other words, the betrayal was by the Jewish people. It wasn’t just that Christ got caught up in circumstances that ended in His death, but that He was purposefully given over by Israel. Despite this, Peter notes that this occurred “by the determined purpose.”
 
The word “determined” is translated from the Greek word horizó. One can see the root of the word “horizon.” Being a verb, it signifies “to set limits on.” There was an eternal purpose of God that set the boundaries for what would occur because God had resolved it to be so. The word is used again in Acts 17:26 where the meaning is clearly explained from the text –
 
“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.”
 
As such, it was certainly the result of the “foreknowledge of God.” Here is a new word in Scripture, prognósis. One can see the obvious connection to our modern word of the same spelling. God’s foreknowledge allows Him to set the boundaries for all things to work out in accord with His redemptive plans. With that understood, Peter now states the words that are connected to the idea of being “betrayed” as noted above. He says, “you have taken.”
 
Here is a word used only once in Scripture, ekdotos. It is an adjective in the singular. Hence, it more appropriately reads, “[man] delivered.” In other words, it is referring to Jesus. With that understood, the NKJV next reads, “by lawless hands.”
 
The translation is incorrect. It says, “by hand lawless.” The word “hand” is singular. The guilt of the nation is highlighted in these words. It doesn’t matter if every person standing there had done this. Nor does it matter today, two thousand years later, that none of the people now alive were there. The guilt is a national guilt. Hence, Peter’s words are addressed to all.
 
Further, the word “lawless” is precisely translated. It signifies “without law.” At times, it is rendered “ungodly.” What occurred was a lawless act by the hand of the people. They had the law. The law clearly speaks of Jesus (see John 5:39 and 5:46). Thus, the delivering up of Jesus was a lawless act. As such, guilt is imputed because of it. There can be no forgiveness of the act apart from the atonement process.
 
What is evident is that the believers did have their guilt atoned for. This is clearly substantiated by the pouring out of the Spirit upon them. As the others did not, it means that their guilt remained unatoned for. Peter will explain to them how this can happen, and he will do it by referring to both an individual (e.g., Acts 2:38) and a national (e.g., Acts 3:19-26) atonement. Of this lawless hand, Peter next says, “have crucified.”
 
Again, Peter uses a word found only here in Scripture, prospégnumi. It signifies “to fasten to” and it refers to the act of nailing (fastening) Christ to the cross. The word is in the plural signifying that each person (you all) bears the guilt. Even if it was only Roman soldiers who took the hammer and nail and fastened Christ to the cross, each person was responsible for that having come about.
 
The guilt is national and it is all-encompassing. From the oldest man to the newborn baby, the nation bears the guilt. Remember, Peter is a Jew speaking to his people. He is not so much making an accusation as he is stating a point of fact. Again, this is obvious because the disciples who received the Spirit are a part of this body. And yet, they are set apart to God because of their belief in the work Christ accomplished. With that understood, it is exactly this occurrence that allowed for them to receive the Spirit. As Peter says, “and put to death.”
 
The crucifixion led to the death. But the death is because of the crucifixion, and the crucifixion was because the people had fastened Christ to the cross. Everything is tied up in this act, including the atonement of those who believed.
 
Hebrews says that “without shedding of blood there is no remission.” The fact that those who followed Christ had received the Spirit signifies that their guilt was remitted. The fact that those who had not followed Christ had not received the Spirit means that their guilt remained. The only difference between the two is the disciples’ faith in Christ. As such, it demonstrates that Christ’s death was an atoning sacrifice for sin. The guilt is removed through faith in His work. This will continue to be seen as the narrative unfolds.
 
Life application: As seen in the evaluation of this verse, though it is not explicitly stated, the blood atonement of Christ is clearly evidenced in the words of Peter. Those who deny this and who claim that Peter never referred to blood atonement (hyperdispensationalism) are clearly mistaken. One does not need to explicitly state a point of doctrine for it to be understood.
 
The doctrine of original sin is never explicitly stated in Scripture. The word “Trinity” is never stated in Scripture. And the word “rapture” is never explicitly stated. However, all three of these doctrines are clearly implied. Such is the case with the blood atonement of Christ in Peter’s words. There are those who stand forgiven and who received the Spirit. There are those whose guilt remains, and they did not. The only difference between the two is faith in the work of Christ.
 
There is one gospel. To say there are two is a heresy. Don’t be a heretic. Accept the one gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved from the wrath of God that is to come upon the world.
 
Glorious, almighty, and most wonderful Lord God – thank You for having sent Christ Jesus to die for our sins. Thank You for the sealing of the Spirit that comes when we believe that it is so. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Acts 2:22

Friday, 12 November 2021
 
“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
 
With his completion of quoting the prophet Joel, Peter now begins to explain how the fulfillment of that prophecy came about through the work of Christ Jesus. As such, he begins by referring to those he is addressing. In the Greek, it is only two words. But they are two words that, if paid attention to, would resolve innumerable errors found within the church today.
 
In Peter’s coming words are all kinds of directions for the people, but they are not directions for the reader of Acts today. This is perfectly clear with the opening of his address, saying, “Men of Israel.”
 
As noted, in the Greek, it is two words, “Men, Israelites.” This is the context. Taking a verse out of context will inevitably form a pretext. Peter is addressing his fellow Israelites. These are the descendants of Jacob, who is Israel. It would also include any who were brought into Israel as proselytes according to the established norms. With that understood, he next says, “hear these words.”
 
He is calling for complete attention so that the reason for quoting Joel can be properly explained. The main connection between the events and the citing of the prophecy will be seen in verse 2:33, but he must first give a logical explanation of what led up to the pouring out of the Spirit. With that understood, he immediately introduces the main Subject of his explanation, saying, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
 
The entire point and purpose of his words comes forth in the stating of the name. In saying “of Nazareth,” he is tying in the reason it is Galileans who spoke the astonishing tongues (see verse 2:7). But more, it is an explanation as to why Nazareth is relevant at all. It is a reminder of the prophecy of Isaiah –
 
“Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,As when at first He lightly esteemedThe land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,And afterward more heavily oppressed her,By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,In Galilee of the Gentiles.2 The people who walked in darknessHave seen a great light;Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,Upon them a light has shined.” Isaiah 9:1, 2
 
The “great light” that shone in Galilee of the Gentiles had come, thus – without saying it – not only is the prophecy of Joel fulfilled, but it is fulfilled by the One prophesied by Isaiah as well. Thus, it is the reason those who stood before the gathered of Israel were Galileans. They already knew these things, but Peter is reminding them in order to set the stage for his coming words. After noting his Subject, he says of Him, “a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs.”
 
The word translated as “attested” is introduced into Scripture here, apodeiknumi. It signifies “to show by proof,” “to demonstrate,” and so on. A claim is made, and the claim is then substantiated by a demonstration of validation. In this, there could be no doubt that the things Peter is recalling to mind are true. The entire nation had seen or heard of the marvelous things Jesus has done, thus attesting that God had approved of His work. For example, this was said of Him in John 9 –
 
“The man answered and said to them, ‘Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! 31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. 32 Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. 33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.’” John 9:30-33
 
The gospels clearly testify to the fact that the people understood God has approved of Jesus’ ministry. As this was only a short time before, it would be fresh on the minds of all. Of His works, Peter notes three aspects. The first is “miracles.” The word is dunamis, and it speaks of mighty, powerful, and marvelous works. The second is “wonders.” The word is teras. It speaks of an extraordinary event which is given to bring forth a reaction from those who witness it, such as a portent from heaven. The third is “signs.” The word is sémeion. A sign is something that speaks to, or provides evidence of, something else. In other words, a sign is not the thing itself, but points to something other than itself. A sign in the sky may tell the people the Messiah has come. The changing of water to wine may testify to the coming change from the Mosaic Covenant to a New Covenant. And so on. It is these things that Peter says, “which God did through Him.”
 
The works of Jesus Christ are the works of God, being wrought through His physical existence. They are, however, of a magnitude greater than the prophets who came before Him. And this is for notable reasons, some of which will be explained by Peter as he continues. The words of Jesus to the people had already claimed what Peter now repeats –
 
“But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.” John 5:36, 37
 
The works were given as a validation of the fact that He was the prophesied Messiah. From giving sight to the blind and cleansing lepers, even to casting out demons and raising the dead, everything that Jesus did was to validate that the power and authority of God was working through Him. And Peter next says that this was done “in your midst.”
 
The things Christ Jesus did were not accomplished in Rome or in Tibet. They were accomplished in the midst of the people to whom the prophecies were given. There was no need to wonder if the stories coming out of Crete were true about someone doing amazing things, God had spoken through Israel, to Israel, and about what would occur in Israel. Specific names were prophesied in advance, such as Galilee and Bethlehem. Miracles were done in Jerusalem and before the leaders and attendees of synagogues. There could be no doubt of these things, and so Peter finishes the verse with, “as you yourselves also know.”
 
The people standing before Peter were guilty of rejecting their Messiah. This was now fully evidenced by the fact that while the Spirit had been poured out upon Jesus’ disciples, it had not been poured out upon them. Thus, they knew very well now that Jesus was the Messiah and that they had missed the boat on this one. Now, they could either change their minds (repent) about this fact, or they could continue with dull minds and hardened hearts. Peter will continue to speak direct, piercing words to this group of people – the “Men, Israelites” standing before him.
 
Life application: Acts 2, as has been noted time and again, is a descriptive account of what occurred. In the verse just evaluated, it was noted that the words are directed to the men of Israel. Not only are these only words that describe what occurred, but they are words that are directed only to the men of Israel (women also as the masculine speaks for both). What Peter says does not apply to the Lutheran Church. It does not apply to the Roman Catholic Church. It does not apply to the Church of Christ, the Presbyterians, or Pentecostals.
 
Luke is providing a historical record of what occurred in order to establish the church as a whole. Certain elements of it must run their course before new elements can be introduced. It is flawed thinking to say that because Peter is speaking to the men of Israel, that the church in which Gentiles now participate is a different church. Rather, the events that established the one true church is going through a process of development.
 
Be careful to remember the five most basic elements of interpretation –
 
Is this descriptive?
Is this prescriptive?What is the context?What is the context?
And...
What is the context?
 
In this, you will not make the amazingly tragic errors that have led to innumerable denominations, all fighting over things that have nothing to do with proper doctrine and theology.
 
Lord God, thank You for the sure proofs that the Bible records concerning the coming of Christ Jesus. He and the works He would do were prophesied in advance. When He came, the gospel writers recorded His deeds for us to know what occurred. And then the epistles explain to us these things so that we can more fully understand them. In this, we truly have a sure word and a written testimony we can trust. Thank You for this wonderful word. Amen.

Acts 2:21

Thursday, 11 November 2021
 
And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’ Acts 2:21
 
Peter continues to cite Joel 2 as a proof that the things that have occurred were prophesied in advance. As they are now fulfilled in the pouring out of the Spirit, then what has occurred is of God. Now, with his final citing of the passage from Joel, he conveys what is the expectation of those who see and take to heart those things.
In his citing of Joel, he cuts short the verse from which the words are spoken, giving only the part that is pertinent to the present time –
 
“And it shall come to passThat whoever calls on the name of the LordShall be saved.For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,As the Lord has said,Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.” Joel 2:32
 
Peter, under the influence of the Spirit, acknowledges now the first half of Joel’s words of prophecy from Joel 2:32. But he leaves off the second half of the verse. This is no different than what Jesus did when citing Isaiah. Notice the difference between Isaiah’s prophecy and of Jesus’ quoting of Isaiah’s words –
 
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,Because the Lord has anointed MeTo preach good tidings to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captives,And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,And the day of vengeance of our God;To comfort all who mourn.” Isaiah 61:1, 2
 
“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,Because He has anointed MeTo preach the gospel to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captivesAnd recovery of sight to the blind,To set at liberty those who are oppressed;19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.’” Luke 4:16-19
 
Jesus stopped in the middle of the verse from Isaiah. The same Lord who came in His first advent to accomplish and set forth certain blessings for His people will come again in the vengeance of God. That these things are thousands of years apart was unknown when Isaiah prophesied. His words essentially portray a mountain range in one panorama view, but as the ideas are considered individually, it is as if one is focusing on either the closer or the more distant mountains at any given time.
This is what Peter is doing. His prophecy included details of the future (such as verses 2:19, 20), but the part about there being “deliverance” in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem is irrelevant to what is happening “right now” at Peter’s time. Those events will not happen for millennia. Therefore, the Spirit did not inspire him to speak them out. The deliverance Joel refers to, but which Peter left out is noted elsewhere in the Old Testament, such as in Zechariah. These are end times verses that have nothing to do with the time Acts 2 was occurring –
 
“The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. 8 In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. 9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” Zechariah 12:7-9
 
With this broader picture understood, the words of Peter that are applicable to the present time of his speaking are, “And it shall come to pass.” These words are a reference to Joel’s prophecy. As such, they are not to be taken as merely future to Peter’s time. Rather, Peter is saying that what Joel prophesied is relevant to his “right now.” The pouring out of the Spirit demonstrates that this is so. And so, the expectation and effects of that prophecy are next spoken by Peter, beginning with, “That whoever calls on the name of the Lord.”
This is a Hebraism where calling on a name means to call on the person who bears the name. Hence, to “call on the name of the Lord” is to call on the Lord. As Joel was referring to Yehovah, Israel’s God, and as Peter equates this passage to Christ Jesus now, it clearly indicates that Jesus is the Incarnate Lord (Yehovah). To call on the name of Jesus as Lord is the expectation. The effect of doing so is that such a person will find divine favor. As Peter says, he “Shall be saved.”
 
From this point, Peter will explain how Jesus is the One to fulfill the prophecy and what Israel needed to do about applying His work to their lives. Of Peter’s coming words, Ruckman says on his comments of Acts 2:23 –
 
“Although Peter preaches about Christ’s death (here), His burial (vs. 27), and of His resurrection (vs. 31), he never applies those things as a blood atonement for sin (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4).”
 
In other words, Ruckman is arguing that Peter’s words to the Jews now are a “different” gospel than what is preached by Paul. The utterly ridiculous nature of this is almost beyond comprehension. The thinking is a major flaw of the heresy known as hyperdispensationalism.
 
First, there is a reason why there are 1189 chapters in the Bible. It is because there is a lot for God to convey to us. If God wanted everything about the work of Christ explained in one speech, there would be one long chapter spoken by Him with every detail necessary to explain what He was going to do. Instead, He slowly and progressively has revealed His workings within the stream of time.Secondly, it is – at this time – unnecessary to speak of blood atonement. Peter is making a point about what occurred within the past two months in Jerusalem and how what Christ did is the fulfillment of the typology the Jews had lived under for 1500 years. In verse 2:38, Peter will refer to the remission of sins based on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. But the Bible clearly explains that “...according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).
 
The author of Hebrews states this based on the already known sacrificial system set forth by Moses, and of which he is referring to in his epistle. To speak of the death of Christ IS to speak of blood atonement. Ruckman, in his zeal to put forth heresy, attempts to separate the death of Christ from the blood atonement of Christ. The two are one and the same thing; they are inseparable. That will be further explained as the epistles (including Peter’s epistles) are put forth. What Israel needs at the time of Acts 2, is instruction on what they had done, how it had made them guilty before God, and to repent (change their minds) concerning those things.
 
Hence, they are to “call on the name of the Lord.” This is the exact same thing that Paul will say in His epistles, which are directed to the Gentiles –
 
“For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” Romans 10:11-13
 
“To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:2, 3
 
Life application: The Bible is a big book, and yet its message is one united stream of God’s workings in the world for all people. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of what God is doing, and the work of Christ is exactly the same for all people – Jew and Gentile, males and females, masters and slaves, rich and poor, and so on. There is one gospel, there is one New Covenant upon which that gospel is based, and there is no other path to reconciliation with God apart from it.
In remembering this simple truth, you will avoid innumerable heresies that have been put forth over the years.  From there, you can work on proper doctrine based on that simple message. In this, your walk with God will be one of happiness and soundness.
 
Unfortunately, the only way to address such heresies is to highlight those who espouse them, citing what they have said. Without doing this, there can be no resolution to their improper or heretical doctrines. Today, we use terms like Pelagianism and Arianism to define the heretical doctrines of Pelagius and Arius. This is because they espoused heresy. With the advent of new heresies, the names of the heretics who espouse them are to be identified with the heresies themselves and they are to be called out for their teachings. Open rebuke of such things is fully established in Galatians 2 where Paul directly and publicly called out Peter for tolerating the heresy of the Judaizers.
The essential truth that there is one gospel must be defended and those who espouse otherwise are to be called out.
 
Lord God, Your word is rich and pure and beautiful. Help us to carefully evaluate it and to rightly consider it. When something is presented that is not in accord with Your intent, please lead us away from it and to what is right and proper. It is our desire to please You through right doctrine and a close and personal walk with You. Amen.
 

Acts 2:20

Wednesday, 10 November 2021
 
The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. Acts 2:20
 
The words of Peter citing Joel, concerning the pouring out of the Spirit, continue now. This verse exactingly corresponds to the Greek translation of Joel 2:31. The NKJV translates the Hebrew exactly the same as this verse in Acts –
 
“The sun shall be turned into darkness,And the moon into blood,Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.”
 
The words now are also similar in content to various other Old Testament prophecies. A few examples are –
 
“For the stars of heaven and their constellationsWill not give their light;The sun will be darkened in its going forth,And the moon will not cause its light to shine.” Isaiah 13:10
 
“When I put out your light,I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark;I will cover the sun with a cloud,And the moon shall not give her light.” Ezekiel 32:7
 
“‘And it shall come to pass in that day,’ says the Lord God,‘That I will make the sun go down at noon,And I will darken the earth in broad daylight.’” Amos 8:9
 
Such words indicate phenomena that occur frequently, meaning the eclipse of the sun and the moon or other atmospheric events that obscure them, such as dust storms. This doesn’t negate the supernatural, however, because the events are prophesied in advance. Further, what is probably the case is that these events will be specifically over the land of Israel. With these thoughts in mind, Peter’s words of this verse begin with, “The sun shall be turned into darkness.”
 
Here, Luke introduces a word, metastrephó, that signifies to turn about, or corrupt. It is the changing of one thing into another. In Galatians 1:7, Paul uses this word concerning those who “pervert” the gospel. Peter’s words indicate that what is normal in the sky will be unusually changed into a state of darkness.
 
As noted, this is the obscuring of the sun, probably during an eclipse. As solar eclipses can be precisely predicted as to when they will occur, it is as an advanced warning to those who are living in the tribulation period that the fulfillment of the prophecy is at hand. These words, however, could also be fulfilled in the covering of the sky with smoke. Such was the case during the Gulf War when Saddam Hussein set fire to the oil fields of Kuwait. The sun was turned to darkness.
 
Next, Peter says, “And the moon into blood.” Lunar eclipses will produce a sort of copper-colored effect. In this, it almost appears as blood. The term “blood moon” is thus appropriate. This effect can be realized by other such events, such as the smoke of fires as well. If the world is in a global conflict, which will surely be the case in the tribulation period, much of the planet could have smoky skies. Either way, these events will come, as Peter says, “Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.”
 
Here is a word found only this once in Scripture, epiphanés. It signifies that which is manifest, illustrious, or glorious. The corresponding noun, epiphaneia, is used to refer to the second coming of Christ in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 as well as verses in both 1 and 2 Timothy and also Titus.
 
What Joel prophesied is referred to by Jesus in the synoptic gospels, and it is repeated here by Peter. These great events will precede the day of the Lord. The words of Jesus confirm the prophecy –
 
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31
 
There is a time coming when the Lord alone will be manifested in a unique and terrifying way. The world will already be in a state of complete turmoil and confusion, but it will find that nothing they could have imagined would prepare them for what will happen when He returns.
 
Life application: The Spirit was poured out on believers in Acts 2. The same Spirit is found in believers to this day as a seal and a guarantee for the day of redemption of the Lord’s pu  rchased possession (Ephesians 1:13, 14). However, Israel as a nation rejected the Lord Jesus. As such, the nation went into an extended time period of punishment according to that set forth in the Law of Moses.
 
Seven more years under this law are set forth for Israel (see Daniel 9:24-27). That is the tribulation period, and it is coming at some point. Israel the people are back in the land of Israel. They have been prepared for the coming of this event, and they will eventually call out to God through Christ. What began in Acts, will find its final fulfillment. But before this occurs, the church will be taken home to glory.
 
Although it is not for us to speculate on the timing of these events, it is proper for us to be aware of the state of the world in which we live, and the state of Israel who are key to all of these prophecies. With the coming of modern technology, plandemics, a falling away of the church from sound doctrine, and the reestablishment of Israel, the days are closing in on the time when such events are likely to occur.
 
Let us be faithful to continue to share the gospel, and to tell others about the goodness of the Lord before it is too late. We should let others know about the great and awesome Lord who came once to save and who will come again to judge. Let us tell the world about JESUS!
 
Lord God, how exciting it is to see the world heading towards the fulfillment of prophecies made thousands of years ago. Time has marched on, and as it has, the world has slowly molded itself into matching what was written before. It is exciting to live in such times. Give us wisdom in our conduct through them. Amen.

Acts 2:19

Tuesday, 9 November 2021
 
I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. Acts 2:19
 
Luke continues with Peter’s citation of Joel 2 now. This is from Joel 2:30 –
 
“And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.”
 
As can be seen, Peter’s words are not an exact quote. As the Greek translation of the OT reflects the Hebrew, Peter’s words are more of a paraphrase. He begins with, “I will show wonders in heaven above.”
 
The Greek literally means, “I will give.” The idea of a wonder is something that is miraculous and awesome. Further, it is the thing itself. In other words, if the Lord opens up the Red Sea, it is a wonder. If the Lord stills the storm-tossed sea, it is a wonder. Peter continues with, “And signs in the earth beneath.”
 
A sign is something that represents something else. In Genesis 1, it says –
 
“Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth’; and it was so.” Genesis 1:14, 15
 
The lights in the heavens are given for light and for dividing the day and the night. That is a purpose that they serve. They are also given for markers of the seasons. People know when to plant and when to reap because of them, and so on. However, it also says that they are for “signs.”
 
Throughout the Bible, this is then confirmed as the Lord uses them to represent other things, or of the coming of certain events. The sun or the moon turning to blood, such as during an eclipse (Revelation 6:12), is shown to portend catastrophe at times. Stars are seen at times to indicate special events, such as the coming of Messiah (Matthew 2:2). The constellations are set in the sky as markers (see Job 9:9 and Job 38:32). With this understood, Peter continues with, “Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.”
 
The blood is stated explicitly to be the life in Deuteronomy 12:23. Therefore, when blood is brought forth, it signifies the shedding of life, such as a slaughter in battle or in the unsanctioned killing of others. For the shedding of blood in battle, Ezekiel 38:22 gives the proper sense –
 
“And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.”
 
As can be seen, this same verse mentions “fire,” as does Peter. It is reflective of war and the calamity that comes with it. There is destruction with fire and by fire –
 
“Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 13 He burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire.” Jeremiah 52:12, 13
 
The “vapors of smoke” that Peter refers to comes from the effects of the fire and from other catastrophes, such as during the destruction of Sodom. Thus, the vapors (or in the Hebrew “pillars”) are columns of smoke rising up like a palm tree into the sky.
 
What is surely the case is that Peter has gone from the immediate events of Joel’s prophecy to events in the distant future, maybe without realizing it. The Spirit was poured out on the believers, and he described that in verses 17 & 18. Verses 19 & 20 then refer again to events that will come upon Israel during the tribulation period.
 
Joel’s prophesy seems to say that these things will come upon Israel “after” the great battles of the tribulation period (Joel 2:28 says, “And it shall come to pass afterward”). However, Joel is looking into the future and describing events as they come before him. As such, there is nothing to negate that the giving of the Spirit to the believers is not intimately connected with the future pouring out upon the whole nation. As such, the events bracket the time between Christ’s advents. This is seen in Jesus’ words concerning the tribulation period –
 
“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.” Matthew 24:21-25
 
The New Covenant was established with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. They are now (at the time of Acts 2) being given opportunity to accept it and come into all that the covenant promises to them. However, as Acts continues on, it will be seen that this will not occur. Israel (the nation collectively) will reject Christ, and the banner of leadership will go from the tent of Shem to the tent of Japheth (Genesis 9:27). It will go from Jew to Gentile.
 
This does not, however, mean that the Jews (Israel) are rejected. It means that God, in His advanced knowledge of what would occur, has had His gospel go out to the nations while Israel lives under the Mosaic Covenant curses for rejecting Him. The fact that they are under those curses means that they are still God’s people. If they were not, there would be no covenant to punish them with. But the Lord is faithful to His unfaithful people.
 
And so, while Israel awaits being brought into the New Covenant, the gospel has gone forth to the Gentiles. It is the same covenant and the same gospel to both. But Israel, as a nation, must accept their Messiah before they – as a people – find restoration.
 
Life application: Peter’s words, which cite Joel, show that Israel still has a purpose in God’s redemptive narrative. Joel words were spoken to Israel. The words pertain to Israel, and the events have (and will) come upon Israel. For now, the redemptive narrative continues through the tent of Japheth, and the spiritual banner is held by the Gentile people. This will end at some point, and the spiritual banner will be picked up again by the tent of Shem. Until that happens, we can know that none of this was out of God’s plans –
 
“Indeed He says,‘It is too small a thing that You should be My ServantTo raise up the tribes of Jacob,And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:6
 
There is one Messiah, there is one New Covenant, there is one gospel, and there is one plan of redemption that began at the fall and that will continue until all things are accomplished. Let each of us be a part of that by going forth and sharing this good news of salvation!
 
Heavenly Father, how good it is to know that all we need to do is to simply receive what You have already done. As humans, we always want to do things our own way, and we want to work for what You have already offered freely. Help us to understand that nothing will satisfy You except trusting in the completed work of Christ. He has done the work. May the eyes of the people see this and place their trust in Him. Amen.

Acts 2:18

Monday, 8 November 2021
 
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy. Acts 2:18
 
  “And on My menservants and on My maidservants.” The Spirit will come upon the Lord’s people regardless of sex. Any who believe in Christ Jesus will receive the Promise. In the Hebrew of Joel that Peter is citing, it says, “And also upon the menservants and upon the maidservants.” Instead of “My” it simply says “the.”
 
In the Hebrew, the words of Joel are qualifying the previous verse of Joel. It had said, “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh.” And so, to say, “And also upon the menservants and upon the maidservants,” it would be understood that they were included in the term “all flesh.” The Lord was obviously speaking to the people of Israel, and so “My” would be understood.
 
However, Peter now makes a distinction by saying “My” – “My menservants and on My maidservants.” As some people there were speaking in tongues while others were not, it defines who “My” is referring to, meaning believers. Thus, anyone not having the Spirit poured out on them is not included in “My.” It is a subtle way of saying, “This is what God is now doing. We are what Joel prophesied of and we are now the people of God.” To remedy this for those listening, Peter will later say –
 
“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. 39 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 2:38, 39
 
For now, Peter continues citing Joel, saying, “I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” The idea of the pouring out of the Spirit is more than just coming upon a prophet for the purpose of witnessing to Israel, but of coming upon all people, as noted in the words “all flesh” of the previous verse (in both Joel and Acts). It is an all-inclusive pouring out upon any who belongs to the Lord. Further, these words now tell us that “those days” that Joel was referring to are now “these days.” The promised pouring out of the Spirit had arrived. With this gift, Peter next says, “And they shall prophesy.”
 
These words are not found in either the Hebrew or the Greek OT. However, Peter stating them now is probably an indication to the people that what he is saying, and what he will continue to say, is to be considered as prophetic utterances of the Lord. Thus, they are to heed Peter’s words just as if they were heeding the prophets of the past. To not do so would be to reject the word of the Lord.
 
And more, there are times where those who are believers are said to prophesy later in Acts, such as in Acts 11:28, 19:6, and 21:9. Thus, the Spirit is shown in Acts to come upon believers in fulfillment of Peter’s words now.
 
Another obvious point to be gleaned from Peter’s words is to be seen in what is stated now in Acts. First, who is speaking in Joel 2 when it says, “I will pour out My Spirit?” It is obviously the Lord God (Yehovah). However, Peter – who is quoting those verses from Joel – clearly shows that it is Jesus who is pouring out His Spirit –
 
“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
 
Therefore, Peter is clearly, precisely, and unambiguously stating that Jesus is the Lord God (Yehovah) of their Scriptures. This is an important point that will help establish doctrine later in this chapter and it will explain why certain things occur as they do here (toward Israel) that are not later expected of new believers later in Acts.
 
Life application: It is necessary for us to remind ourselves that the verses being reviewed in Acts 2 are merely describing what occurred at that time. They do not prescribe anything, and they do not establish any ongoing precedent. In other words, just because something occurs here in Acts, it does not mean that it will occur again.
 
Fire came down on the sacrifices at the tabernacle and then later at the temple to show the Lord’s approval of those edifices. But that did not occur again. The one demonstration of approval was all that was needed to confirm that He was among His people and had accepted what was built.
 
Likewise, the Lord demonstrates in the book of Acts His approval of His followers and of various conversions of people in an outward manner in order to demonstrate that He has accepted their faith. But this does not set a new precedent that will reoccur later. We should not expect to have a “Charismatic style” conversion when we receive Jesus. In fact, it is contrary to the prescriptive words of Paul elsewhere to expect that. We are to have faith in the Lord Jesus without any external display of His approval, and with that, He will be pleased.
 
Lord God, Your word says that if we believe the gospel, we will be saved. It also says that when we do, we are sealed with Your Spirit as a guarantee of our salvation. Help us to trust this and to not waffle in our minds as to whether this is true or not. We have demonstrated faith, Your word says You are pleased with that, and we are saved. Thank You for the surety Your word provides. Amen.