BIBLE IN TEN

Acts 14:28

Wednesday, 1 March 2023
 
So they stayed there a long time with the disciples. Acts 14:28
 
The previous verse detailed the first coming together of the church after the return of the apostles. They gave a report of all that God had done with them, also noting that He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. With that remembered, it next says, “So they stayed there.”
 
This is refers to Paul and Barnabas. After giving their report, they remained in Antioch. With that understood, the next words are as debated as where government officials think the people’s money should be spent. Luke records that they stayed there “a long time.”
 
The Greek reads, “no little time.” The indefinite nature of the words leave much to be guessed at. Without knowing how long the missionary journey was, there is no way to know how long the stay after it could have been. Some think this stay was a year, others say two or three or even five. Some say the missionary journey was probably two years. Others say the methodical nature of Paul would mean it was as much as four.
 
As usual, Barnes provide his thoughts, they are as acceptable as any other, remembering that the duration of the missionary journey would change the length of the stay now recorded –
 
“If the transactions recorded in this chapter occurred, as is supposed, about 45 a.d. or 46 a.d., and the council at Jerusalem assembled 51 a.d. or 53 a.d., as is supposed, then here is an interval of from five to eight years in which we have no account of them. Where they were, or what was their employment in this interval, the sacred historian has not informed us. It is certain, however, that Paul made several journeys of which we have no particular record in the New Testament, and it is possible that some of those journeys occurred during this interval. Thus, he preached the gospel as far as Illyricum, Romans 15:19. And in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, there is an account of trials and persecutions, of many of which we have no distinct record, and which might have occurred during this interval.” Albert Barnes
 
No matter what, they didn’t just stay in Antioch and pick flowers. Rather, the verse and the chapter end with the words, “with the disciples.”
 
This obviously could allow for Barnes’ thoughts because it might be that one was with the disciples constantly while another traveled, or they each came and went as they decided. Nothing is specifically stated and so those matters cannot be known. However, those in Antioch were instructed and built up in the Lord. But what is more than probable is that during this time, many Gentiles began to join the church.
 
The precedent had been set on the missionary journey and it meant that Gentiles could come in, joining the church, and not even need to be circumcised. This thought then will establish the basis for the opening verses of Chapter 15.
 
Life application: We cannot be dogmatic about what is left unstated. Inferences can be made, but unless there are set parameters in the surrounding text, our guesses are only that. In the case of the indeterminate time mentioned in this verse, we must not be overly dogmatic about our viewpoint. This is true with other points of doctrine as well.
 
There is a set and specific amount of information to derive our theology from. Quite often inferences must be made, and that is fine. And more, the more we know the rest of the word, the better our inferences might be. But if they cannot be pinned down exactly, we should always note that what we state is inferred. In this, we will be responsibly conveying the truth of the matter to those we instruct.
 
In all things, let us not purposefully twist or distort what Scripture says to form an opinion. The word is too precious to allow that to occur. Eventually, all things will be revealed. Until that day, certain things will remain undetermined.
 
Lord God, thank You for the chance to contemplate things that are not explicitly stated in Your word. We can form conclusions and modify them as we consider other things that come to mind. There is no end to the chance to grow in this precious word because of this. It is alive and it feeds our minds. The more we study it, the more our minds will grow in the knowledge of who You are and of what You are telling us. Thank You for this precious word! Amen.
 

Acts 14:27

Tuesday, 28 February 2023
 
Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. Acts 14:27
 
In the previous verse, Paul and Barnabas had left Attalia and returned to Antioch from where they had begun their missionary journey. Having now arrived, it says, “Now when they had come and gathered the church together.”
 
Luke omits any details between arriving on the ship and the gathering of the church. The effect is to show the importance of the event and to give a sense of immediacy, even if the two arrived on a Wednesday and the church didn’t meet until Saturday or Sunday. In this, he is highlighting the mission and not the life of the missionaries.
 
It is this same congregation that had sent them forth with fasting, prayers, and the laying on of hands in Acts 13:2, 3. It is unknown if letters were sent back to the church or if this is the first time any word concerning them had come since John’s departure in Acts 13:13. With their return, however, there would be excitement to hear what the Lord had done through them, knowing that it was the Holy Spirit who originally called for them to be sent.
 
Once the church was gathered together, it next says, “they reported all that God had done with them.” Rather, the verb is imperfect, saying, “they were reporting all that God had done with them.” They probably started right from the beginning as they arrived downriver at Selucia and just kept talking the audience through the entire journey.
 
Of certain note would be the animosity of the Jews along the way concerning the message of Jesus being the Messiah. And yet, there was also another remarkable detail that would hopefully bring great encouragement to the church, but which may also have brought a measure of concern or even jealousy to a portion of it. That begins to be seen in the words, “and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.”
 
There is no article before “door.” It more closely reads, “and that He had opened to the Gentiles a door of faith.” The meaning is obvious. Unlike the Jews who were required to circumcise, even before the introduction of the Law of Moses, the Gentiles were not given such a requirement. This then once again set Israel’s circumcision apart as a cultural identity, but not a requirement for salvation. It is the state in which Abraham was admitted into fellowship with God in Genesis 15, before he was circumcised –
 
“And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.’ 5 Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” Genesis 15:4-6
 
Circumcision was mandated for this covenant group of people years later in Genesis 17. Eventually, it was mandated under the Law of Moses. But the Gentiles had now been admitted apart from circumcision, and thus, apart from the Law of Moses and without the cultural identifier of physical circumcision.
 
In addition to this, the term “a door of faith to the Gentiles” brings in an entirely new dynamic that has not yet been seen, demonstrating that the missionary trip was not “to the Gentiles” in the minds of the church, only in the mind of God. The evangelism of Paul and Barnabas never noted Gentiles on the island of Cyprus. Not until Segius Paulus called for them to speak was any contact with the Gentiles noted. Rather, only preaching in the synagogues was.
 
This was such a remarkable event that it was deduced at that time that this is when Saul’s name was changed in the narrative to Paul. The purpose of his apostleship was apparently becoming clear to him.
 
Upon arriving on the mainland, it wasn’t until Acts 13:46 that Paul and Barnabas exclaimed to the Jews, “but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.” It can be seen that this was the defining transitional moment when it was realized what God was doing and why these two had been sent. A door of faith had been opened to the Gentiles and these men were there to usher them through it via their preaching.
 
This will become perfectly evident as Chapter 15 begins and the word of these events reaches the ears of the Judaizers. What occurs there and after will become the basis for the writing of the book of Galatians.
 
Of the term “door of faith,” Charles Ellicott notes the following –
 
“This is noticeable as the first occurrence, as far as the chronological order of the books of the New Testament is concerned, of a very characteristic phrase. It would seem to have been a favourite metaphor of St. Paul’s (comp. 1Corinthians 16:1; 2Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:3), and comes in here, probably, as a fragment from his speech. From this point of view it is interesting to note the recurrence of the phrase in Revelation 3:8, both St. Paul and St. John, representing as they did different sections of the Church (Galatians 2:9), agreeing in the thought that the door of the Father’s house was now opened wider than it had ever been before, and that no man might shut it.”
 
His words are well stated and they, again, demonstrate that the door is faith and that it is referring not to Jews of the end times. Rather, it is an offering to Jews and Gentiles during this dispensation known as the church age. The Law is fulfilled in Christ, and thus works are excluded. It is faith in the accomplished work of Jesus Christ alone that allows entrance into the kingdom.
 
Life application: The transition of stewardship of the faith is being made from Jewish leadership to Gentile leadership in these chapters of Acts. Eventually, that transfer will be complete and the nation of Israel will be dispersed and without any standing in what God is doing in the redemptive narrative.
 
And yet, Jews are not excluded from what He is doing. Rather, they are on the same level as the Gentiles, as is evidenced in verses such as Galatians 3:28. Despite this, it does not mean that God is through with Israel as a nation. Rather, Paul explains that issue in Romans 9-11. As a very simple example of what is occurring, we could say that the Hatfield family is given the stewardship of an apple orchard. For a McCoy to be a part of the farm, he needs to join the Hatfield family.
 
However, the Hatfields eventually have their stewardship taken away from them and it is transferred to the McCoy family, but with a proviso that the Hatfields will again, someday in the unknown future, be granted the stewardship again. In the meantime, any Hatfields – still remaining Hatfields – may enjoy partaking in the stewardship transferred to the McCoys if the preconditions for inclusion are met.
 
This is what is happening now in the transition of stewardship from Jew to Gentile in Acts. In the past, Gentiles who wanted to participate in what God was doing under the law had to join Israel, becoming a part of them. Under the new stewardship, the commonwealth remains the same, but the stewardship is granted to a new entity. Those of Israel who do not accept the current provisions are not a part of that commonwealth, even though they are of Israel the nation. Those of the Gentiles who accept the provisions are included in the commonwealth even though they are not a part of Israel the nation.
 
Keep the boxes straight, understand that God is in charge, and accept that His choices in these matters are what is important. What we like or do not like is wholly irrelevant. This is God’s world, it is His offering of salvation, and we are obligated to what He is doing at any given time in the process of living through His dispensations.
 
Lord God, we are so thankful to You for allowing us to be a part of what You are doing in the world. You have sent Jesus Christ to save us from this life of corruption and death, giving us a new hope that we shall dwell in Your presence for all eternity. Thank You for what You have done for us, O God. Amen.
 

Acts 14-26

Sunday, 26 February 2023
 
Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. Acts 14:25
 
The previous verse refers to the apostles passing through Pisidia and coming to Pamphylia. With that short note to cover whatever happened in that area, it next says, “Now when they had preached the word in Perga.”
 
This is something that they may or may not have done when passing through the first time. In Acts 13, it said –
 
“Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.” Acts 13:13, 14
 
Scholars either ignore the reason why this area was not previously evangelized, or the comments are generally in line with the thought that they could tell there was no visible fruit and so they simply ignored the area. But the context of the passage may explain itself. One cannot know if there is “visible fruit” unless he first goes forth and preaches.
 
The most likely reason is that they did, in fact, preach to the people in Perga, but because there was no synagogue mentioned, it means the only preaching that occurred was to Gentiles. John Mark may have not appreciated this and got bent out of shape and departed. Or it could be that without any synagogue, they decided to go directly to where a known synagogue was, which was in Perga. If this was so, then maybe the opposite occurred. John Mark may have said, “Why aren’t we preaching here instead of heading off to Antioch?” Not appreciating the situation, he packed up and left.
 
Either way, it is in Perga that John Mark became disaffected. With that remembered, it now notes definitively that this time they did preach in Perga. With that noted, it next says, “they went down to Attalia.”
 
Perga was not on the coast. Rather, it was upriver. The location of Attalia is described by Cambridge –
 
“A seaport of Pamphylia, at the mouth of the river Catarrhactes. ... The Apostles had sailed, as they came from Paphos, directly to Perga, which they reached by coming some way up the river Cestrus. Now they go by land from Perga to the seacoast at Attalia, where there was more likelihood of finding a vessel in which they could sail into Syria.”
 
Of the city itself, it is next described by Albert Barnes –
 
“Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamus, whose dominions extended from the northwestern corner of Asia Miner to the Sea of Pamphylia, had built this city in a convenient position for commanding the trade of Syria or Egypt. When Alexander the Great passed this way, no such city was in existence; but since the days of the kings of Pergamus, who inherited a fragment of his vast empire, Attalia has always existed and flourished, retaining the name of the monarch who built it. Its ancient site is not now certainly known. ... It is probable that it is the modern Satalia.”
 
This is the last stop of the missionary journey before returning home. Nothing is recorded of evangelizing here. It may simply have been used as a transit city to return home, at least as far as Luke’s records indicated.
 
Life application: Nothing is said of evangelization on the way from Perga to Attalia, nor of the time spent in Attalia. Nothing will be said of the trip from Attalia back to their home station. But this does not mean that the apostles didn’t preach to the people. Just as with Perga where nothing was recorded in Acts 13, to say that no evangelization took place is what is known as an argument from silence.
 
This is a logical fallacy where the failure of the source (in this case, Luke) to mention a given fact, or facts, becomes the ground for an inference. Such an inference is then turned into a conclusion that the supposed fact is untrue, or the supposed event never occurred.
 
In this case, the fallacy would be, “Because nothing is spoken of concerning evangelization of the people in Attalia and on the ship back home, the apostles failed to tell any of those people about Jesus.” The only facts we have are what Luke has recorded. Paul and Barnabas may have had many converts in Attalia, and it may be that the entire ship converted to Christianity on the way home. Luke is recording what the Holy Spirit inspired him to write. That is what we need. Everything else is silent and we cannot add to the historical record by making unfounded claims either way.
 
The point is that just because nothing is recorded concerning such things, we cannot use that silence to say, “I don’t need to tell people about Jesus at a particular time because Paul and Barnabas decided to not speak about Jesus at a particular time.”
 
We need to be willing to speak about Jesus all the time. Whether on a ship, on a bus, or at a stop awaiting the next part of the journey, we should look for an opportunity to open our mouths and speak. Let us do so, to the glory of God who has given us mouths to speak with. We are the redeemed of the Lord. Let us speak out the good news!
 
Most glorious Heavenly Father, we have been saved by the precious blood of Christ. May we not fail to tell others of this wonderful gift of healing and hope. Give us hearts to speak forth Your saving gospel message to any and all that we encounter on the path of life. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Acts 14:25

Sunday, 26 February 2023
 
Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. Acts 14:25
 
The previous verse refers to the apostles passing through Pisidia and coming to Pamphylia. With that short note to cover whatever happened in that area, it next says, “Now when they had preached the word in Perga.”
 
This is something that they may or may not have done when passing through the first time. In Acts 13, it said –
 
“Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.” Acts 13:13, 14
 
Scholars either ignore the reason why this area was not previously evangelized, or the comments are generally in line with the thought that they could tell there was no visible fruit and so they simply ignored the area. But the context of the passage may explain itself. One cannot know if there is “visible fruit” unless he first goes forth and preaches.
 
The most likely reason is that they did, in fact, preach to the people in Perga, but because there was no synagogue mentioned, it means the only preaching that occurred was to Gentiles. John Mark may have not appreciated this and got bent out of shape and departed. Or it could be that without any synagogue, they decided to go directly to where a known synagogue was, which was in Perga. If this was so, then maybe the opposite occurred. John Mark may have said, “Why aren’t we preaching here instead of heading off to Antioch?” Not appreciating the situation, he packed up and left.
 
Either way, it is in Perga that John Mark became disaffected. With that remembered, it now notes definitively that this time they did preach in Perga. With that noted, it next says, “they went down to Attalia.”
 
Perga was not on the coast. Rather, it was upriver. The location of Attalia is described by Cambridge –
 
“A seaport of Pamphylia, at the mouth of the river Catarrhactes. ... The Apostles had sailed, as they came from Paphos, directly to Perga, which they reached by coming some way up the river Cestrus. Now they go by land from Perga to the seacoast at Attalia, where there was more likelihood of finding a vessel in which they could sail into Syria.”
 
Of the city itself, it is next described by Albert Barnes –
 
“Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamus, whose dominions extended from the northwestern corner of Asia Miner to the Sea of Pamphylia, had built this city in a convenient position for commanding the trade of Syria or Egypt. When Alexander the Great passed this way, no such city was in existence; but since the days of the kings of Pergamus, who inherited a fragment of his vast empire, Attalia has always existed and flourished, retaining the name of the monarch who built it. Its ancient site is not now certainly known. ... It is probable that it is the modern Satalia.”
 
This is the last stop of the missionary journey before returning home. Nothing is recorded of evangelizing here. It may simply have been used as a transit city to return home, at least as far as Luke’s records indicated.
 
Life application: Nothing is said of evangelization on the way from Perga to Attalia, nor of the time spent in Attalia. Nothing will be said of the trip from Attalia back to their home station. But this does not mean that the apostles didn’t preach to the people. Just as with Perga where nothing was recorded in Acts 13, to say that no evangelization took place is what is known as an argument from silence.
 
This is a logical fallacy where the failure of the source (in this case, Luke) to mention a given fact, or facts, becomes the ground for an inference. Such an inference is then turned into a conclusion that the supposed fact is untrue, or the supposed event never occurred.
 
In this case, the fallacy would be, “Because nothing is spoken of concerning evangelization of the people in Attalia and on the ship back home, the apostles failed to tell any of those people about Jesus.” The only facts we have are what Luke has recorded. Paul and Barnabas may have had many converts in Attalia, and it may be that the entire ship converted to Christianity on the way home. Luke is recording what the Holy Spirit inspired him to write. That is what we need. Everything else is silent and we cannot add to the historical record by making unfounded claims either way.
 
The point is that just because nothing is recorded concerning such things, we cannot use that silence to say, “I don’t need to tell people about Jesus at a particular time because Paul and Barnabas decided to not speak about Jesus at a particular time.”
 
We need to be willing to speak about Jesus all the time. Whether on a ship, on a bus, or at a stop awaiting the next part of the journey, we should look for an opportunity to open our mouths and speak. Let us do so, to the glory of God who has given us mouths to speak with. We are the redeemed of the Lord. Let us speak out the good news!
 
Most glorious Heavenly Father, we have been saved by the precious blood of Christ. May we not fail to tell others of this wonderful gift of healing and hope. Give us hearts to speak forth Your saving gospel message to any and all that we encounter on the path of life. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Acts 14:24

Saturday, 25 February 2023
 
And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. Acts 14:24
 
The previous verse told of the selection of elders in every church, commending them to the Lord. From there, they obviously moved on, as it next says, “And after they had passed through Pisidia.”
 
This is the opposite movement of what occurred in Acts 13 –
 
“Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.” Acts 13:13, 14
 
The apostles are certainly retracing their steps and ensuring they would meet any who had converted in order to bolster their faith. That this is the opposite movement is seen in the next words, saying, “they came to Pamphylia.”
 
As can be seen, this is the same area where John had departed from them quite some time ago. The detail of this stop will be more fully explained in the next verse.
 
Life application: Though nothing of substance concerning conversion was recorded during their previous trip through Perga in Pamphylia, the apostles are careful to have returned there. It may be that there were no converts or very few converts. However, even if there were no converts, they may still be able to break through some who were close to conversion on the previous visit.
 
Even if it was just a stop that needed to be made on the journey home because it was a logical stop on the road, they will take the time to speak out the word, as will be seen next. It is never a futile thing to repeat the gospel to those who have heard and turned it down. Some people have taken years to come to the Lord, hearing the message many times before the thought clicks in their minds.
Be willing to expend yourself in repeating this wonderful message to those who have previously rejected it. One can never tell when the right moment for the heart to be stirred will arise.
 
Lord God, others were patient with us as they waited for our hearts to be changed. Some of us may have heard the gospel many times before accepting it. Should we be less willing to share it with others? Rather, help us to be patient and to share this wonderful word of life as much as it is needed to obtain the right response. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Acts 14:23

Friday, 24 February 2023
 
So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Acts 14:23
 
The previous verse indicated that the apostles strengthened the souls of the disciples, exhorting them that tribulations could be expected. With that, the narrative continues with, “So when they had appointed.”
 
The word is a new one to Scripture, cheirotoneó. It comes from cheir, the hand, and teinó, to stretch. Thus, it signifies to stretch out the hand for voting. It is an election by popular vote. If this is the intent now, and it certainly seems like the best intent for the word, then it should be translated as “chosen,” rather than “appointed.” However, some scholars argue that such a vote would be unlikely and that the apostles would rather appoint elders, thus stretching out their hands toward them as in the act of commissioning. The only other use of the word is found in 2 Corinthians 8 –
 
“And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, 19 and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind.” 2 Corinthians 8:18, 19
 
It does not seem unreasonable that the apostles would allow for a vote. The people would not want such a matter forced on them, and they would know best whose life was the most suited to such an office. Therefore, these elders were either “chosen” or “appointed.” This process was conducted for “elders in every church.”
 
The word is presbuteros, and it is where the word presbyter is derived from. It signifies a mature man who is experienced and has seasoned judgment. In the Bible, the office is always male. The feminine singular, presbytera, is not to be found in Scripture nor can the selection, appointment, and ordination of females be inferred from Scripture.
 
As for the establishment of this office of elder at each church, it was a necessary point that is fleshed out further in the pastoral epistles. A church body needs someone to guide it and to bear the responsibility of keeping the doctrine sound and the people properly trained. Without this, the church would become a rudderless ship, floundering in a sea of whatever strange teachings came along. But with a sound leader, the chances of the church maintaining the right course would be far better. Once these elders were selected it says they, probably meaning both the apostles and the church as a whole, “prayed with fasting.”
 
This is an obvious thing to occur in such a situation. These people had no idea if they would ever meet again. A church was being left in the care of men who did not have the completed Bible to guide them. Their training in the doctrines of Christ was, by today’s standards, extremely limited. Such prayer and fasting would have been to acknowledge this and to petition the Lord to favor their efforts into the future. With this then complete, it next says, “they commended them to the Lord.”
 
The word signifies to commit in a very close and personal way. It is as if the care of these elders is transferring from the apostles directly to the Lord, just as these apostles were set apart to the Lord in Acts 13:2. They are now the leaders who would shepherd or pasture the flocks. Therefore, they would need the hand of the Lord upon them in their duties. Of this word translated as “commended,” Albert Barnes notes the following –
 
“The word is the same as in Acts 20:32; Luke 23:46. It implies the confiding trust of one who commits what is very precious to him to the keeping of another. So in 2 Timothy 2:2 it is used of the depositum fidei, the treasure of truth which Timothy was to commit to faithful men. Here it implies an absolute trust in God as ordering all things for His Church and those who love Him.”
 
This thought is then intensified by Luke’s added words about their relationship with the Lord, saying, “in whom they had believed.”
 
The verb is  pluperfect or “more than perfect.” These men “had believed,” and this is the state in which they then conducted their lives since that defining moment. These were not just capable men of the town, known for their great administrative or oratory skills. Rather, they were men who had – first and foremost – believed the gospel message. Whatever other skills were noted that made them the ones to be chosen to lead the church, their status as believers was the primary issue for even being considered for leadership. Without this necessary qualification, no other attribute or skill could even be considered.
 
Life application: Of the prayer and fasting mentioned in this verse, Charles Ellicott states the following –
 
“It is a legitimate inference, from this recurrence of the act, that Paul and Barnabas recognized it as an established rule or canon of the Church that these two acts should jointly serve as a preparation for the solemn work of appointing men to spiritual functions. Without prayer such an appointment was a mockery, and fasting served to intensify prayer.”
 
Ellicott finds it a legitimate inference that this should be “an established rule or canon of the Church.” Although that may seem reasonable, it dismisses the fact that Acts is a descriptive account of what occurred in the establishment of the early church. It is true that one can often see what is normative from such repeated actions in the early church, such as baptism. However, it must be remembered (as noted above) that these men may never again have had anyone to guide them in their leading of this church, and they had no completed Bible for their instruction.
 
Instead, they were left solely to the care of the Lord and their own heart for Him as to how they would conduct their affairs. Today, we have seminaries set up to train and instruct leaders. We have churches that are already established and that have evaluated potential candidates, for extended periods of time. And, above all, we have the Bible as the rule and guide of our faith.
 
The instructions for selecting and ordaining elders are set forth there and nothing is said of fasting. As such, this is not to be considered a rule or canon for the church, even if it is a sound practice. With the lengthy process of preparing a person for church leadership, there is nothing wrong with ordaining an elder, praying over him, and then having a large celebration to acknowledge the many years of preparation that have readied him for that day.
 
If the Bible does not mandate something we cannot add to it without becoming legalistic. With each legalistic addition, there is a greater chance that more legalism is soon to follow. This cannot be tolerated. There is freedom in the church to express itself as a church in the local cultural setting. There is freedom in a church to meet when it wants to meet. There is freedom in a church to celebrate whatever days or events it chooses. In all things, the Lord is to be the primary consideration, everything else is secondary. And the Bible tells us the will of the Lord for the church.
 
Lord God, help us to never deviate from what Your word commands. Also, help us to never legalistically add to what Your word does not include. May we use our freedoms in Christ and in the church wisely and to Your glory. Yes, Lord! May all that we do be done to glorify You. Amen.

Acts 14:22

Thursday, 23 February 2023
 
strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22
 
The previous verse noted the effective preaching of the apostles in Derbe and then their subsequent return to Lystra, Iconium, and Derbe. Of their time in these cities, it notes, “strengthening the souls of the disciples.”
 
This includes a new word in Scripture, epistérizó. The word signifies the process of strengthening the understanding that precedes by building upon it. One might say, “to further support.” There is a knowledge that exists. By building upon that knowledge, with further instruction, the original basis of the faith is strengthened and built upon. The word will be seen three more times, all in Acts. Next, the narrative continues with, “exhorting them.”
 
This is a common word that is widely translated based on the context. It can mean to implore, beseech, encourage, comfort, and so on. It is an action that is close and personal. In this case, the apostles are imploring these disciples “to continue in the faith.”
 
One must ask, “Is this referring to the faith possessed by the disciple (their trust in the gospel) or is it the faith that is the basis (the substance) of what the apostles taught and in which they then trusted?” The answer is most certainly the latter.
 
To the apostles, what difference does it make if these disciples have faith if it is not in the faith that has been taught? If they went back and placed their faith in Zeus and Hermes again, that would be a pointless waste of everyone’s time. Rather, the term is being used in the objective sense, just as it is elsewhere, such as –
 
“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:8
 
Paul wrote those words to Timothy, a person who is certainly included in the words of Acts 14:22 as he is from the area of Derbe and Lystra, as will be seen in Acts 16. That this is an objective faith and not merely the personal faith of the believer is seen in the next words. In their exhorting these new believers, they explained to them, saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
 
The Greek more literally reads, “and that through many tribulations it is behooving us to enter into the kingdom of God.” By placing the words “We must” before “through many tribulations,” the NKJV makes it seem as if the kingdom of God is earned. However, by changing the structure to correct that, the sentence then requires the addition of the word “to” before “enter.” This then almost makes it seem like it is a necessity before entrance can happen, which is not the case.
 
The verb translated as “enter” is aorist. It signifies a completed action at a particular time. Before that time, something will necessarily occur as stated by the apostles.
 
The word translated as “must” is a verb signifying that which is necessary or inevitable. As such it is translated as should, ought, must, and so on. The same general thought is expressed later by Peter –
 
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6, 7
 
Peter says, “if need be.” There is a purpose for all things that come upon man. They come according to God’s sovereign decisions. In the book of Job, Satan afflicted Job terribly, but he did so only as allowed by the Lord. There was, in fact, a need for this trial in his life, and there is always a reason for that which occurs in our lives as well.
 
For some, they are temporary. Job was afflicted and then restored. However, others may face a particular affliction (or afflictions) for their entire lifespan. Here in Acts, the apostles are not telling these disciples that they had to earn entrance into the kingdom of God (a necessity), but that tribulations will necessarily occur in this life, which must be lived first, to enter the kingdom of God.
 
This is certainly the case. Paul and Barnabas were saved, and yet they include themselves in the exhortation as indicated by the first-person pronoun “us.” They were not saying, “We must go through tribulation in order to enter into the kingdom of God,” but surely, “We must inevitably go through tribulations before entering the kingdom of God.”
 
The difference may seem like splitting hairs to some, but to misunderstand this will lead to the thought of our earning what has already been earned by Christ for us. Both thoughts are expressed by Paul in Colossians 1 –
 
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:9-14
 
Paul speaks of longsuffering with joy. It is something that he assumes will necessarily come upon believers. He speaks of the inheritance, something that is granted but not yet received in actuality. And then he speaks of having been delivered and conveyed into the kingdom at the same time. In other words, we are in the kingdom, but we are also awaiting it as an inheritance. This is the substance of the words of the apostles now.
 
Life application: The apostles now in Acts are speaking to disciples about the kingdom of God. It is something that Paul refers to numerous times as well in his epistles. One cannot have a kingdom without a king. In the case of the kingdom of God, it is referring to that of Jesus Christ.
 
There are numerous teachings that deny that Christ is our King. This is done in order to justify various heretical doctrines. One of them is hyperdispensationalism. It improperly divides the dispensations that God has set up as He works out the redemptive narrative in human history saying that the church age began with Paul, not with Acts 2, and then saying that the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation are directed solely to the Jews of the end times.
 
No such distinction as this exists. Paul and Barnabas have been sent on a missionary journey. There is no set time when they suddenly started the church as this false doctrine would claim. There is simply a slow and gradual diversion from the prime focus being on Jews to it being on Gentiles.
 
Hyperdispensationalism is so arbitrary and unsound that one could say, “It was on the walk between Lystra and Derbe that the church began.” There is not even a breath of a hint of this. Rather, the focus has been on one gospel throughout the entire Acts narrative. It has been on the rejection of Jesus by the Jews while at the same time, there has been a wholehearted acceptance of it by many Gentiles.
 
Eventually, the nation of Israel will no longer be a consideration in the church age, but this does not mean they will not be a consideration later. And it does not mean that those Jews who were saved early on are not a part of the church. Rather, it means exactly the opposite. Someday, the church will be removed from the picture at the rapture. After this occurs, the narrative will again focus on Israel as a nation in their land.
 
The world is being prepared for this right now. Unfortunately, because of various nutty doctrines, such as hyperdispensationalism and replacement theology, many who are left behind (nonbelievers) will not understand when the events take place. This is too bad, and it could have been avoided if proper doctrine was taught in advance, even if initially rejected by those who heard it.
 
Lord God, please help us to learn Your word and understand it properly. Keep us from false teachings and false teachers who are untrained or incorrectly trained in proper theology. Lead us to those who will properly instruct us on what is occurring in the biblical narrative. Please hear our petition according to Your great mercy. Amen.

Acts 14:21

Wednesday, 22 February 2023
 
And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, Acts 14:21
 
In just the previous verse, it noted that Paul and Barnabas departed to Derbe. This was after Paul had been stoned by the inhabitants of Lystra. Once arriving in Derbe, Luke now records, “And when they had preached the gospel to that city.”
 
Without timidity because of what happened in the nearby city of Lystra, the men went forth and preached the gospel. Nothing is said of entering a synagogue, so there was probably no synagogue in that town. Beyond that, Luke leaves out any of the finer details and simply notes their going forth and preaching the gospel. And this was not without a positive result as is evidenced in the next words, saying, “and made many disciples.”
 
Rather, it is a present participle verb, saying, “and having discipled many.” They not only had converts but they also stayed long enough to disciple those who had accepted the message of the gospel. It is evident that to these men, sharing the gospel and obtaining converts was only the beginning of the matter. They carefully ensured that those who were converted were discipled.
 
If this were not the case, these convert’s new life in Christ would quickly devolve into something other than what the Lord intends for those who are saved. One cannot live according to life in Christ unless he knows what is expected. With that noted, and without telling how long this process took, the narrative continues with the note that “they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch.”
 
In reverse order of their travels as far as Lystra, the apostles returned by way of the three cities they had previously been at. Noting the circumstances in which they left each city will help provide clarity concerning the boldness of their return travels:
 
Lystra – “Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.” (Acts 14:19, 20)
 
Iconium – “But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. 5 And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region.” (Acts 14:4-6) 
 
Antioch of Pisidia – “But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium.” (Acts 13:50, 51)
 
The purpose of their return to these three hostile cities should be obvious, and it will be detailed in the verses ahead. For now, it is simply a remarkable note that the apostles were fearless in their desire to not only evangelize places that had not been previously evangelized but to return to places that were evangelized and yet where there was brutal hostility to their message.
 
Life application: Wherever you are, if you are a faithful believer, you should consider yourself in a mission field. Quite often, Christians are admitted to the hospital for some life-threatening physical disability or disease and yet they are willing to share their hope in Christ during such an event. In this, they demonstrate that the physical danger to their lives is not even comparable to the spiritual danger to the lives of those around them.
 
Believers may sit in a restaurant and tell of the hope they possess, letting the waiter or waitress know that even though they are servants to the table, they have importance. They may be in a second job just trying to pay the bills, and yet the message of Christ says, “Your spiritual state is more important than even your current lack of money.” Letting them know there is hope beyond the struggles of this life can be of life-changing value for them. And be sure to leave a good tip ☺.
 
These are but two examples of how you can tell others about Jesus in your daily life. Think of it! You can hand a tract to the checkout clerk at the store. You can explain what Jesus means to you at the paint store while getting a gallon to touch up your house. You can share Jesus any time and with anyone.
 
Have you told the lawn guy who tends to your house about Jesus? The pest control person? The mailman you see every day? Keep the word on your tongue and be willing to share it. Paul and Barnabas risked their lives to share it and then to reaffirm it in very hostile places. You can do it in a friendly atmosphere!
 
Lord God, how grateful we are for the salvation You have granted to us. And that didn’t just come about as we walked down the road by ourselves. Rather, we heard the word spoken, we read a tract that someone shared with us, or maybe we received it after reading the Bible. However we heard it, it came through the efforts of someone else getting that word to us. Help us to now go and do likewise. Amen.
 

Acts 14:20

Tuesday, 21 February 2023
 
However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. Acts 14:20
 
Note: The NKJV does not accurately translate the verbs, so the sense of action is lost. It should read, “However, the disciples having surrounded him, having arisen he entered into the city. And on the morrow, he departed with Barnabas to Derbe” (CG). This will be used to evaluate the verse.
 
The previous verse told of the Jews from Antioch and Iconium coming to Lystra. They got the crowd to side against Paul and they stoned him and dragged him out of the city, supposing he was dead. Now, Luke continues with, “However.”
 
Despite having been stoned, something that would be considered a curse in Israel, the disciples decided to go out to Paul, maybe planning to have a funeral and bury him. Once there, it says, “the disciples having surrounded him.”
 
It is of note that Barnabas is not mentioned at this time. Because of the nature of the situation, he was probably secreted away in the house of one of the disciples.
 
As for their surrounding him, this seems to indicate just what was supposed. They probably went forth from the city to pray over his dead body and then give him a decent burial. It was a kind gesture demonstrating that they really were converted and cared about the one who had brought them the message of life found in Christ. And yet, despite their certain grief, Luke continues with, “having arisen he entered into the city.”
 
The lack of detail from Luke surely indicates that Paul was not dead. He may have been knocked out, but Luke seems to purposefully shy away from any supernatural explanation for Paul’s ability to stand. Nothing is said of the disciples praying over him, helping him stand, praising God for a miracle, or any other such thing Luke is normally so meticulous to include.
 
If anything, the miracle is in the fact that Paul hadn’t died, that he didn’t need help up, that he could walk into the city, etc. It was as if the rocks that came at him were entirely ineffective in bringing harm upon him. Nothing is said of broken teeth, lumpy bumps on his head, sore muscles, or the like.
 
It is such a rare thing for Luke to overlook details like this that it causes the mind to wonder what type of force field was set up to protect him. Whatever happened, Paul obviously was fine and was able to sleep soundly in the very city whose occupants had just stoned him hours before. With that noted, the narrative continues with, “And on the morrow, he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.”
 
Because of the fickle nature of the people, the animosity stirred up by the Jews, and the resulting lack of evangelistic opportunities at that time, heading out of the city seemed to be the prudent thing to do. It will not be long, however, before they return to Lystra.
 
As for the name Derbe, its meaning is not known. This is the second of three times the city is mentioned. The last will be in Acts 16:1.
 
Life application: What occurred with Paul was obviously not unexpected. If it was, he and Barnabas would probably have said, “This is getting a bit too rough, let’s head back home.” Instead, they seem to accept that the opposition, even to the point of a stoning, was part of what was to be expected. And more, they saw it as being worth the cost.
 
To this day, missionaries suffer such calamities in their mission fields. It may be as a direct result of their teaching, or it may be that they are in an area so poor or wild that they are targets simply for the goods they have carried with them. And yet, they press on with their work, considering all such things as loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ their Lord. They are willing to suffer the loss of all things, counting them as rubbish, for the mere chance to bring others to Christ as well.
 
Such people are to be commended, treated well when they are on home visit, and prayed for as they continue their work sharing the most important news ever published.
 
Lord God, thank You for our missionaries who have gone forth to share the word of Christ with a world that is still living in darkness. Bless their efforts, and may their lives be used for Your glory. Through life or death, they are Yours, so be with them and give them resolve in their hearts and comfort in their minds. Amen.
 

Acts 14:19

Monday, 20 February 2023
 
Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. Acts 14:19
 
In the previous verse, it was seen that the apostles could scarcely restrain the crowds from sacrificing to them, even after appealing to them concerning who God is and who they were in relation to Him. With that noted, the truly fickle nature of the minds of the people is now revealed. Luke begins with, “Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there.”
 
The meaning of “Antioch” is “Antioch of Pisidia” where they had recently departed. It appears that these Jews had learned that the apostles had left their areas and gone on to Lystra. These people had made a trip there in an attempt to bring the apostle’s message into disrepute. To do this, they had made a journey of about 130 miles for this purpose.
 
It is rather astonishing to consider, but it is not uncommon. Great pains are commonly taken to destroy the truth of the gospel as is found in Scripture. With the arrival of these Jews noted, it next says, “and having persuaded the multitudes.”
 
Think of the effectiveness of the lie! Think of the fickleness of the people’s minds! In just the previous verse, the apostles were scarcely able to convince this same multitude that they were not gods, and they were not to be sacrificed to. Now, the false words of the Jews have convinced this same crowd of their own false message.
 
With that, Luke next records, “they stoned Paul.” Rather, it is an aorist participle, “having stoned Paul.” This action leads to the next. The people were brought to such a frenzy in their thinking by these Jews that they completely rejected the words of the apostles and decided to stone their supposed messenger god Hermes of verse 14:12.
 
It should be noted that not all of the people were involved in this. As was previously seen, Timothy was from this area. And more, Paul and Silas will return to this area in Acts 16 to visit “the brethren,” demonstrating that there were other converts there as well.
 
As for the events now, having stoned Paul, they “dragged him out of the city.” The event now became a point of “boasting” by Paul as is noted in 2 Corinthians 11 –
 
“Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep.” 2 Corinthians 11:22-25
 
Paul wasn’t boasting in this, but he was making a point about what he had suffered for the gospel, not being inferior to those who would attempt to destroy his gospel message. As for those in Lystra, they dragged Paul out of the city, “supposing him to be dead.”
 
Dragging him outside of the city was a way of saying, “This man does not deserve a burial, nor will we allow his corpse to rot in our gates, thus infecting and smelling up our city.” It was an expedient way of disposing of a malefactor. He would be left to rot and be eaten by the beasts dwelling outside the city walls.
 
As for Paul, there is no reason to assume that he died and was restored to life. The word “supposing” combined with the words of the next verse shows that they simply made an incorrect incorrupt assumption. If Paul had died, Luke would have carefully chronicled this as he does elsewhere. Rather, he was stoned, and the people assumed they had finished him off without carefully checking. Such an event is not uncommon and many people who were supposed dead have continued to live on.
 
Life application: The Jews of Antioch and Iconium traveled a long way to destroy the message of the apostles. This may seem unlikely or even improbable, but it is not so. Throughout the history of the church, there have been people who have gone across continents and even over the sea to destroy the gospel message.
 
This continues today. For every teacher of the true gospel, there are people who will follow in their footsteps bringing along a false message. Missionaries will go to the deepest jungles of the Philippines, risking their lives to tell about the freedom that is in Christ. Following closely on their heels are the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons. They see where a fellowship has been established, and they immediately jump in and supposedly “correct” the thinking of these people.
 
The importance of having the word, properly teaching the word, and having people continue reading and sharing the word cannot be understated. Satan is using real people with twisted messages to destroy whatever hope he can in humanity. The freedom of the grace found in Christ and His gospel will be quickly converted into bondage, works, and legalism unless those who share the message do their part to warn those they evangelize.
 
Be sure to tell people that you talk to that they need to get into the word. Offer to help them understand it. Be ready to give of yourself to protect the purity of the gospel.
 
Lord God, what a precious message You have given to us. The gospel is a door into eternal fellowship with You. And yet, there are those who would exchange this freedom and restoration with bondage and legalism. Some will even deny the glory of Jesus in order to bring people into a cult of lies. May we be willing to defend the truth of the word and of our Lord Jesus who is revealed in it. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.
 

Acts 14:18

Sunday, 19 February 2023
 
And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them. Acts 14:18
 
The apostles have made their appeal to the multitudes before them at Lystra. They have told them about the nature of God and how He has left a witness of Himself in the created order. Despite their appeals, it next says, “And with these sayings.”
 
Rather, the Greek reads, “And these things saying.” The word “saying” is a present participle verb, not a noun. They were speaking to the people, and even while they continued to appeal to them to be reasonable in their thinking, “they could scarcely restrain the multitudes.”
 
One can imagine the scene. Someone thought these were the gods having come down among them. And so, they prepare a sacrifice. Even while the apostles are appealing from reason for them to not do this, the crowds remain unreasonable, totally caught up in their vain imaginations. The thought can be summed up in the idea of being in a darkened state, without knowledge, and then acting on a false view of how things really are.
 
Because they were in this state, and because they were unwilling to believe the words of the apostles, they could scarcely be restrained “from sacrificing to them.”
 
The crowds had become so deluded in their own thinking that they were willing to ignore the words of the supposed “gods” that they were about to sacrifice to. Though that thinking is wholly illogical, it is as common among readers of the Bible as it could be.
 
Life application: The attitude of the people, as noted above, was based on either a lack of information, thus acting on a faulty understanding of what was occurring, or it stemmed from a sort of cognitive dissonance where the people simply went ahead with what they believed, even though they had been clearly shown that it was the wrong avenue to pursue.
 
To understand these two possibilities, one can use any faulty view of a particular matter. For simplicity’s sake, we can use King James Onlyism to explain what is wrong. King James Onlyism is the misplaced belief that the King James Version of the Bible is the only inspired and authorized version.
 
Using this to look at the two possibilities, the first can be corrected by gaining the knowledge necessary to correct one’s thinking. Suppose someone is told, “You should only read the King James Version. It is inspired by God and all other versions came as an attempt to lead people away from God.” As stupid as that sounds, it is what is commonly taught in this cult.
 
A person could say, “Ok, I have been told this. Now I will check it out to see if it is true.” In checking it out logically and methodically, he finds out that the KJV is riddled with translational errors so that it contains contradictions, incorrect theological presentations, and so forth. The matter has been investigated and found to be false.
 
The second possibility, that of cognitive dissonance, is actually harder to resolve. A person is told that the King James Version is the only Bible that should be read. He simply trusts what he is told and allows this thinking to become the predominant thought in his mind from week to week. Eventually, he deceives himself into believing this lie that he has never checked out. Finally, he is presented with a list of errors found in the King James Version, including those of Acts 14:18. (There are at least four translational errors in this one verse in the original KJV. The NKJV cleared up two of them.)
 
In being presented with the error and shown from the original Greek where the error lies, the man’s mind mentally denies what he sees and it conjures up an excuse to suit his thinking, “Well then, the original Greek is wrong. I know God inspired the KJV, and so the text from which it is derived is obviously in error.” As crazy as that sounds, this is the view of those who are in this cult. They deny the reasonable and go forward in their state of delusion.
 
This is what occurred right before the eyes of Barnabas and Paul. They had provided the truth and the people had failed to check it out with what is logical and reasonable. But more, when they were presented with evidence, from the source of the events that had transpired (meaning the healing of the crippled man through the word of the apostles), they simply continued to believe what their own minds had conjured up.
 
The Bible is showing us, in its own pages, that we are to think. We are to use logic and reason because God is both logical and reasonable. He has endowed these traits in us, and He expects us to use them along with our faith to make a right determination about who He is, what He has done, and what He continues to do in the world around us.
 
Be aware of how your mind works and be aware of how your own thoughts can deceive you if you are unwilling to accept that it may be wrong. This is an important lesson from Acts 14 that you should consider.
 
Lord God, help us to think clearly and reasonably in how we approach You, Your word, and our interpretation of the world around us. We are to be people of faith, but we are not to be people of blind faith. You have revealed Yourself to us through Scripture, so our walk is to be in Your revealed light, not helplessly groping around to find our next step. Thank You for Your word. Now help us to consider it properly, all the days of our lives. Amen.
 

Acts 14:17

Saturday, 18 February 2023
 
“Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:17
 
The apostles are in the process of telling the Gentiles at Lystra about God, the Creator. In the previous verse, they said “who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.” With that, the words continue, saying, “Nevertheless.”
 
Despite not having God’s revelation of the Law of Moses nor being selected as His covenant people to bring in the Messiah, “He did not leave Himself without witness.”
 
The Law of Moses, the utterances of the prophets, the use of the Urim and Thummim, and so forth are known as special revelation. God specifically revealed Himself or His intentions through these things. What was revealed in these ways would not have been attained any other way. However, despite not having these things, God still did reveal Himself to the Gentiles in a general way. This general revelation witnesses to the workings of God, testifying to His nature and to the fact that man is accountable to acknowledge Him and seek after Him.
 
Paul writes of this in Romans 1. It is something that man understands, and yet he suppresses that knowledge, thus bringing wrath upon himself –
 
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:18-20
 
The apostles, appealing to this precept, next explain some of the ways that man can generally understand God and what He must be like, even if in a limited sense, saying, “in that He did good.”
 
Rather, the verb is a present participle, “doing good.” It isn’t that He did good and then it ended, but it is ongoing even to this day. Within the creation, we know that there is goodness, David testified to this in the 19th Psalm by noting that what God has done in creation for the benefit of man is something that reveals God’s glory –
 
“The heavens declare the glory of God;And the firmament shows His handiwork.2 Day unto day utters speech,And night unto night reveals knowledge.3 There is no speech nor languageWhere their voice is not heard.4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,And their words to the end of the world.” Psalm 19:1-4
 
This goodness that David writes about is next explicitly explained by the apostles, saying that He “gave us rain from heaven.”
 
Again, the verb is a present participle, and the noun is plural, “giving us rains from heaven.” The words are intended to wake the people up to the state of things. It’s not, “Rain came 47 years ago, and we had crops and fruit trees to sustain us.” It is, “The rains come each year at the set time. The calendar returns to the time when the rains were here before and they are here again. The cycle of life is predictable, and what happens provides just what we need to again have what we had before.”
 
This cycle of life gives evidence of order and harmony. It also gives evidence that God is attending to the needs of His creatures. He has set things in order, and they continuously provide for man’s needs. As such, these rains bring about “fruitful seasons.”
 
Man exists because God created a world where man can exist. The house was prepared, and then the guests were invited in. Within this world, however, is more than simple sustenance. God could have created a single type of food that would sustain man. Although this would have been acceptable to keep him going, it wouldn’t have had the excitement that comes through the stimulating of taste buds.
 
But God has sent the rains to moisten the land, and then from the land have come an incomprehensible number of delightful things to satisfy man’s tastes and yearnings. From the king of all fruit, the durian, to the harvests of the field such as barley, spelt, lentils, and wheat. There is corn, there are potatoes, and there are taro plants.
 
As one travels throughout the world, different plants are seen – various fruits, various vegetables, and various grains. The world is filled with tastes that excite, delight, and satisfy. All of this gives witness to the wisdom and goodness of God on man’s behalf. This is all the more evident because the tastebuds of man can process these many tastes, identifying them and allowing man to rejoice over them. As the apostles note, saying “filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
 
It is reminiscent of the 104th Psalm, and it could be those words that were on the minds of the apostles –
 
“He sends the springs into the valleys;They flow among the hills.11 They give drink to every beast of the field;The wild donkeys quench their thirst.12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home;They sing among the branches.13 He waters the hills from His upper chambers;The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.14 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,And vegetation for the service of man,That he may bring forth food from the earth,15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man,Oil to make his face shine,And bread which strengthens man’s heart.” Psalm 104:10-15
 
Instead of appealing to the law and the prophets (special revelation) as was done while evangelizing the Jews, the apostles appeal to the created order (general revelation) to evangelize the Gentiles. But the result is the same. Both lead to the need for a Messiah in the lives of man. It is this Christ who has been the focus of their words to lead them to a right understanding of God.
 
Life application: As David noted in the psalm, the creation testifies to the glory of God. But one might say, “But my son got stung by a scorpion and died. How can God who is supposedly good make something that is harmful and bad?”
 
The question fails to understand the entirety of the biblical narrative. It was not God who brought these things about, but man. What has happened is a result of man’s turning from God and the entrance of sin into the world. The supposed “bad” that occurred is simply the lack of a good thing. Man was in Eden. All was good at that time. Only after man disobeyed came the curse upon the land, including thorns and thistles, bee stings and shark bites, killing and adultery, and so forth. This was not the original intent for man. These have come as a result of our failing to rightly fellowship with God.
 
But God promised that these things would not be permanent. He would send the Messiah to restore all things to perfection. Isaiah prophesies of a time on earth when things will be glorious for man for a thousand years. But beyond that, Revelation goes further and reveals the details of eternal glory for the redeemed of mankind.
 
Restoration is ahead, and it is available to those who accept God’s offering of pardon and renewal that has come in the giving of Jesus Christ for the sin of man. With sin dealt with, and only after it has been fully dealt with in the redemptive process, can man experience the fullness of what God promises for His people. Everything is working toward that time.
 
We, however, must live through these difficult and trying times. But God is with us in them, and He will get us through them. Trust in this and be thankful to God who has provided the remedy to restore us to idyllic perfection someday. Be patient and wait for it. It will be worth it!
 
O God, how grateful we are for the promise of restoration that lies ahead for Your redeemed. And yet, we know that we have the sealing of the Spirit now that guarantees our future redemption. Thank You that we have this sure and firm hope. Thank You, above all, for Jesus Christ who has made this possible. Amen!