Tag: Bible

Acts 4:1-14 The Witness of the Holy Spirit

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

In this post, we continue with the scene that erupted after Peter healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. While Jesus got in trouble for deliberately healing on the Sabbath, Peter and John are going to get it for healing in Jesus’ name and preaching through Jesus the resurrection of the dead — both of which are central themes in the Book of Acts. 

The Sadducees, who will confront Peter and John, did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. You might say they were the liberal theologians of their day. Yet while the doctrine of the resurrection was offensive to them, the name of Jesus was especially egregious. 

Father, give us understanding as we read thy word, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Acts 4:1-14
AND as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple [a priest who had the Levitical guard under him(1)], and the Sadducees, came upon them,
2    Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3    And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
4    Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

First a man who was lame from birth was healed; then 5000 are saved through Peter’s preaching. Which then was the greater miracle? 

They say no good deed goes unpunished and I have found that to more or less be true. Anyone who preaches the gospel can tell you that the attacks and false accusations come out of nowhere, even in a ‘free’ country. John and Peter get to spend the night in jail for healing a lame man and preaching the gospel.

5    And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
6    And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John [possibly Johanan ben Zaccai], and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
7    And when they had set them [Peter and John] in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

When Jesus healed on the Sabbath the religious leaders could not have cared less that a blind man was given sight. They were driven to madness because Jesus did not follow their misinterpretation of the law. Once again, these ‘rulers’ (ie the Sanhedrin; cf v 15), Annas, Caiaphas, along with the elders, scribes, and others — the very ones who condemned Jesus to death — do not care that the lame man was healed. They are irate that Peter healed him by the power and name of Jesus.

8    Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9    If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
10    Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 

There Peter goes again, preaching on the resurrection — just like Jesus. (John 12:24 et al). And Paul: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (Col 3:1)

11    This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. [Ps 118:22]
12    Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
13    Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
14    And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
Acts 4:1-14

The Sadducees are resisting the witness of the Holy Spirit (v 8), which has been telling them to repent for years now. When God first spoke to his people after 400 years of silence, his very first word to them (through John the Baptist) was ‘Repent’. (Matt 3:2) Then when Jesus began his ministry, the first thing He preached was repentance. (Matt 4:17) Likewise, Peter preached repentance on Pentecost (Acts 2:38), and again in his second sermon as well. (Acts 3:19) Repentance is a theme that continues throughout the Book of Acts. (5:31; 8:22; 11:18; 13:24; 17:30; 19:4; 20:21; 26:20) Everyone needs to repent, which, of course, simply means to change your mind. Why were the religious leaders unmoved and oblivious to the witness of the Holy Spirit? Answer: Because they were in the flesh. 

One day as I was reading Notes on the Pentateuch by C H MacKintosh, I realized that trying to keep the law (Old Covenant) is not merely a theological error, it is in fact a matter of being in the flesh. 

MacKintosh explained how Romans 9 is not only about predestination. Predestination is there, but Romans 9 is also about following the law (in the flesh) versus salvation by grace through faith. Paul uses the examples of Esau and Pharaoh and compares them to Israel after the flesh (I Cor 10:18). Paul said the Jews, who continued to seek righteousness through the law, hath not attained to the law of righteousness (Rom 9:31) because they stumbled at the stumblingstone — Jesus. (Rom 9:33) Yet the Gentiles received the righteousness which is by faith (Rom 9:30), ie faith in Christ. Whether one is a Jew or a Gentile, trying to keep the law is trying to attain righteousness by one’s own merit, or what Paul called ‘dead works’. (Heb 6:1) Therefore, not only is the law powerless to save (Gal 2:16), but legalism is of the flesh. (Rom 7:5f) Contrariwise, those who are led of the Spirit are not under the law. (Gal 5:18) The Sadducees’ flesh would not suffer them to listen to a ‘nobody’ like John the Baptist who lived out in the desert, a Carpenter like Jesus, or the fishermen He chose to be his disciples. Although they marveled that these fishermen could preach boldly and quote the Scriptures, their flesh (pride) blinded them. Yet they seemed to understand that the power Peter and John possessed came from their connection to Jesus (v 13).

The flesh may look good when we are young — and even then, usually only after ample washing, primping, and perfuming — but sooner or later, the true nature of the flesh is revealed. The flesh is ugly, stinking, rotting, and dying. 

Peter and John were not in the flesh; they were filled with the Holy Spirit (v 8; Mark 13:11; John 14:26). Although they were unlearned and ignorant men (v 13), the power of their message was validated not only by the word of God (v 11), but also by the healing of the lame man, which the Sadducees had no answer for (v 14). These miraculous healings were common in the early church, but the real proof of a gospel message is in the word of God, especially now that the canon of Scripture is complete. (Rev 22:18) Satan can perform miracles too. (Mark 13:22; II Thess 2:9) Therefore, the Bible is the final authority. (John 17:17; II Tim 3:16; et al)

The learned Sadducees knew the Bible. However, despite their vast knowledge of the Scriptures, they were kept back by their flesh from seeing the plain truth. One thing I hope we can all get out of this study in Acts is the importance of walking in the Spirit. The law cannot save us. Our flesh will only lead us astray. The Spirit is the key. When we are perfected, we will be raised in a spiritual body. (I Cor 15:44) One of the great witnesses of the rapture will be the missing corpses which will be raised first, before those of us who are alive and remain are translated. First the morgues will start emptying of Christians. (I Thess 4:16) Then the living saints will be caught up. (I Thess 4:17) If anyone thinks to exhume the body of a Christian from the grave they will find her or him missing. Maybe that is one of the reasons the enemy hates the preaching of the resurrection so much (v 2).    

To be led of the Spirit is to believe in the resurrection. To be led of the Spirit is to emphasize salvation by grace through faith — and love. (Eph 2:1-9; I Cor 12:31-13:13; I Pet 4:8) To be led of the Spirit is to [t]rust in the LORD with all thine heart [not head]; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

In the early days of the colonies in America, Quakers were considered radicals because they believed in being led by the “Inward Light” of the Holy Spirit (not just by ordained ministers). Quakerism has been described as proto-evangelical. The tree is known by its fruit, and the Quakers were pioneers in the abolition movement; they were eventually even strong supporters of the Revolution in some cases, but in the early days of the colonies they were horribly persecuted by their legalistic Puritan peers in Massachusetts. Four Quakers were even hanged in Boston between 1659 and 1661.(2) Those who are in the flesh persecute those who are led of the Spirit. It has always been so. (Gal 4:29)

Father, help us to be Spirit-filled Christians who follow You with pure hearts. Help each of us to crucify our flesh, that we may live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Prophecy Update: Tragedy was a worldwide theme this week. In Kathmandu, Parliament, the Supreme Court, the homes of several prominent politicians, and other high-profile buildings were burned down as politicians fled the capital in helicopters. This was ostensibly over a ban on social media. In the end, the government backed down and rescinded the ban. Protests in Paris and cities across France continued, in an attempt to ‘Block Everything’. Israeli Bombing in Doha, which targeted five Hamas leaders, drew ridicule from Israel’s staunchest allies. (Qatar was only one of five countries attacked by Israel this week, in addition to Gaza.) Populist Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, was sentenced to 27 years for an ‘attempted coup’. There was yet another school shooting near Denver.

Husband, father, rising star in conservative circles, and follower of Jesus Christ, Charlie Kirk, was shot dead at a Prove Me Wrong event on the campus of Utah Valley University. The reaction from some of the haters on social media (and even some in government) to Charlie’s murder seemed to me almost an eerie foreshadowing of the way people will react following the murder of the two witnesses in Jerusalem, in the middle of the seventieth week of Daniel. (Rev 11:10)

Some might say it has always been this way, but I don’t think so. In her State of the Union Address on Wednesday at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said, “Battle lines for a New World Order, based on power, are being drawn right now. So yes, Europe must fight for its place in the world in which many major powers are either ambivalent or openly hostile to Europe. A world of imperial ambitions and imperial wars. A world in which dependencies are ruthlessly weaponized, and it is for all these reasons that a new Europe must emerge.” She went on to say, “We will put our bilateral support to Israel on hold. … We will propose sanctions on the extremist ministers and on violent settlers. And we will also propose a partial suspension of the Association Agreement on trade-related matters.” The Bible says Jerusalem will become a cup of trembling in the last days (Zech 12:2), and that seems to be happening. 

1 Pulpit Commentary, s.v. Acts 4:1.
2 Ahlstrom, A Religious History of the American People, pp 177-181

Thank You for Charlie, Father. Watch over his family until they meet him again in your kingdom, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 3:12-26 — The Power of Jesus’ Name

~ mikethemissionary

Dear friends,

Greetings in Christ!

In our last post, the Holy Spirit healed a lame man who was begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple (probably the East Gate of the temple complex). This caused quite a stir and people came running (v 11). We pick back up now with the crowd looking at Peter and John in amazement. Give us understanding, Father, as we read thy word, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 3:12-26
12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

Peter begins by correcting their misconception that he or John had any power of their own to heal the lame man. This is a common problem that often occurs when someone is healed miraculously by God.

13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

At the heart of the New Covenant is the resurrection of Christ. This was emphasized in Peter‘s first message (Acts 2), as it is here and Peter‘s second message (v 15). It will continue to be emphasized throughout the Book of Acts because that is the message of the gospel. (I Cor 15:1-4) Peter went on to write concerning baptism that we are saved by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (I Pet 3:21), as Baptism is an object lesson pointing to the resurrection. Immersion in the water is symbolic of being buried with Christ in his death. (Rom 6:4) Coming up out of the water is symbolic of being raised with Christ in newness of life. (Col 2:12) Peter wrote about how the old world died under the waters of the flood, then brought forth new life after the waters abated; this points to the resurrection along with the like figure of baptism. (I Pet 3:20f) In other words, the flood and baptism are both figurative of the resurrection.

Aaron’s authority was confirmed by the dead rod that budded with new life. (Num 17:8) Likewise, our spiritual power as Christians comes from the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Phil 3:10f) Sarah and Elizabeth both gave birth in their old age, bringing new life out of dead wombs. Sarah, to continue the bloodline of Messiah through Isaac; Elizabeth, to bring forth the forerunner to prepare the way for Messiah in John the Baptist. Both these miraculous births point to the resurrection. Just as Sarah and Elizabeth were powerless to conceive, we likewise can do nothing of ourselves. (John 15:5) Our ability to carry out our commission hinges on the resurrection of Christ and the new life we receive when we are born again. (Matt 28:18ff; Acts 1:3-8; cf l Pet 2:4-9)

Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead in Luke 8. Jesus raised a widow’s son from the dead in Luke 7. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11. Jesus raised a great many more from the dead in Matthew 27. New life out of death is what the gospel is all about: And you hath he quickened [made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:1-7)

16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed [ie, Jesus; Gen 22:18 KJV (new versions omit); cf Gal 3:16] shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Acts 3:12-26

Peter’s sermon is packed with powerful doctrine and fulfilled prophecy, but let’s drill down into the last verse of Chapter 3, verse 26. Nearly all modern versions remove ‘Jesus’, but his name used to always be there. For example, the Spanish Bible that is widely used today omits Jesus’ name here, but I checked the Reina Valera version of 1602 and sure enough, ‘Jesus’ is there. Why would they remove Jesus’ name when it was Jesus’ name and faith in Jesus’ name which healed the lame man (vv 6, 16)?

(Furthermore, why would new versions change the reference in Genesis 22:18 (v 25) from ‘seed’ to the plural word ‘descendants’ or ‘offspring’ when Galatians 3:16 makes it clear the singular word ‘seed’ is a reference to Jesus?)

Before the advent of textual criticism, Christians trusted the leading of the Holy Spirit and chose to include Jesus’ name in Acts 3:26. For example, Jesus’ name was included here in the majority of cursive manuscripts from the 9th to the 16th century.(1) At that time, and until the late 19th century, Christians rejected the minority texts of Egypt (Jer 42:18; Hos 11:1; Matt 2:15; Acts 7:39; Rev 11:8), as their odd variances revealed a Gnostic leaning. Besides rejecting the deity of Jesus, the Gnostics believed that Jesus was only a spirit and did not come in the flesh. Their altered manuscripts are out of agreement with manuscripts from virtually all other geographical locations:

I Corinthians 15:47
Majority Text
the second man is the Lord from heaven
Alexandrian Text
the second man is the spirit from heaven(2)

Ephesians 5:30
Majority Text
members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones
Alexandrian Text
members of his body(3)

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
I John 4:3

So, by removing Jesus’ name from Acts 3:26, the Gnostics were altering God’s word to be more in agreement with their antichrist beliefs, namely, that Jesus is not the Son of God. (I John 2:22) Someone may protest and say, My new version has it in verse 13, so what does it matter if they took it out in verse 26? God designed his word with safeguards to keep his message intact. Chuck Missler used the analogy of how a communications officer would increase the frequency of a signal to keep his transmission from getting jammed, but God nevertheless commands us to keep every word, because every word is important. (Deut 4:2; Jer 26:2; Matt 5:18; Rev 22:19) Besides, new versions translate paída as ‘servant’ in verse 13 instead of Son, which agrees more with the Gnostic view. Even the old Catholic Douay-Rheims version translated paída as ‘Son’.

Jesus’ name is removed in scores of places in new versions (eg, around 73 times in the NASB) to water them down. Also often removed are his title, Lord, and his identity as Christ (Messiah). I was saved before I started using the KJV, so I’m not saying that new versions cannot be used by God, but they have definitely been weakened. The enemy must be pleased that Christians are walking around with armor that is weak. Here are a few more examples of how the new versions have been weakened:

Galatians 4:7
KJV an heir of God through Christ
NIV God has made you also an heir (How? By works?)

Ephesians 3:9
KJV God, who created all things by Jesus Christ
NIV God, who created all things (How? By aeons?)

Ephesians 3:14
KJV I bow my knee to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
NIV I kneel before the Father (Which Father? Baba Ram Dass?)

I once mentioned this to a ‘Greek scholar’ who flipped out and said the most extant manuscripts confirm the new readings, which of course is nonsense. The Majority Text is the ‘most extant’, which is why it is called the Majority Text. The so-called ‘best manuscripts’ only represent about 5% -1% of the manuscript evidence, depending on who you ask. Furthermore, not only do the minority text manuscripts not agree with the Majority Text in many places, but they do not even agree with each other in many of these same places. Taken as a whole, they agree with the Majority Text in disputed passages almost as often as they disagree.(4) Most of the older manuscripts that contained Majority Text readings were burned in the persecutions that plagued the early church, but sometimes faith is all we have. For example, if you look up I John 2:23 in the KJV, you will find half the verse is in italics. The translators included it because they thought it belonged there. Yet if you look at I John 2:23 in a NASB, it is no longer in italics because they found the manuscript evidence.

In closing, consider this: When I was a kid the KJV was still being printed with the Epistle Dedicatory included before the TOC. Why would they remove it? There is a line in that document that the new world order hates with a passion. It says that the KJV “has given such a blow to that man of sin as will not be healed.” That may not sound very significant, but if you can find an old enough Bible printed around the mid-1800s or earlier, you will find ‘Man of Sin’ was originally capitalized, because it was a proper noun, referring to the pope. I used to have an old Bible that was printed with Man of Sin capitalized. So what did they do? First they got Man of Sin switched to lowercase. Second, they had the Epistle Dedicatory removed altogether. Moreover, the Vatican has poured millions of dollars into countless new versions based on their own corrupt Vaticanus manuscript. Then, they convinced Christians that these new versions are ‘better’ than the old ones.

Finally, one of the things that makes people resist using the KJV is that they do not want to appear odd in any way to their fellow Christians. Consider that Noah may have looked like a right-wing fanatic in his day, but after the flood, he looked pretty mainstream. Likewise, using a KJV may look a little odd in these last days, but after the rapture, the KJV will look mainstream to our fellow saints in heaven, most of whom used this same text type throughout history.

1 Hodges Farstad, Majority Text Edition. Jesus’ name is also included here in P74, Psi, 049, 056, 0142, 0165. As cited in Jack Moorman, A Close Look Early Manuscripts and the Authorized Version, p 112.
2 P46, as cited in Early Manuscripts and the Authorized Version, p 6.
3 P46 et al, as cited in Early Manuscripts and the Authorized Version, p 130.
4 Early Manuscripts and the Authorized Version, pp 20, 21

Acts 3:1-11 — True Riches

~ mikethemissionary

Dear friends,

Greetings in Christ!

In Chapters 1 and 2, we saw the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. After the religious leaders rejected Messiah, things would never be the same. Judgment was coming, and some of them even wrote that they understood as much:

In the days of the Second Temple, there was a custom to fasten a red-colored strip of wool to the head of a goat which was sent away on the Day of Atonement. When this ribbon became white, it was a sign that God had forgiven Israel’s sins. There is a statement in the Talmud that about “forty years before the second temple was destroyed … the red wool did not become white!”(1) The same passage informs us that the gates of the temple swung open on their own accord! The ancient rabbis believed that these events were indicators that the sins of Israel were no longer being forgiven and the Temple would be destroyed!(2)

— From The Search For Messiah (Joy Publishing, 1996).

Yet the invitation to receive Messiah was and is still open to everyone. In Chapter 3, the Holy Spirit continues pointing people to Jesus. Give us understanding, Father, as we read thy word, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 3:1-11
NOW Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. [3 PM]
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

We usually tend to think that if we somehow had a lot of money, we would have a lot of power to change things. The Holy Spirit says the exact opposite. (Matt 19:23) Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but the one thing Peter definitely had was Holy Spirit power.

The ‘money = power’ theory is what many of the cults teach (eg, Kabbalah et al). Yet, much like Peter, the most powerful testimonies still come from people with no money to speak of, like Benny Prasad or George Müller. Through faith in Christ, Benny Prasad miraculously overcame physical disabilities, achieved world-class success, and helped many others with debilitating challenges. Through faith in Christ, George Müller cared for thousands and thousands of orphans. This way, it is God who gets the glory, not money.

7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. [Cf Isa 35:6]
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

Could any amount of money help the lame man as much as what Peter had to offer?

10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
Acts 3:1-11

Despite his circumstances, the lame man had a mustard seed of faith (v 16). He in turn becomes an example of fulfilled prophecy. (Isa 35:6) Whether or not we ever experience a miracle like this one, the spiritual truths of the gospel are solid promises for every believer. (John 20:29) True faith is believing even when there are no material reasons to do so. (Hab 3:17ff) Not every believer is healed in this lifetime, but we all will be eventually.

Peter’s power to heal the lame man came from his faith in Christ. To be a Spirit-filled follower of Jesus Christ is to believe in the Bible, which is diametrically opposed to the world’s way of thinking. Not only so, but one must correctly interpret the Bible per the apostles’ doctrine. (Acts 2:42) For example, if you take the miracles out of the Book of Acts, you do not have much left. To believe the Bible is to accept it all, lame men being healed, Red Sea being parted, all of it. Doctrine is worldview, and the cosmology of the Bible is the correct one.

The Bible says:

• God created a perfect world that was very good around 6000 years ago.
• God created Adam and Eve, who brought sin and death into the world. (Rom 5:12)
• There was a flood in which only eight survived, who then repopulated the earth.
• Jesus kept his promise to come and pay for our sins at the cross. (Rom 6:23)
• Jesus rose again and ascended into heaven.
• Jesus will rescue his own before the great tribulation period.
• There will be 1000 years of peace that follow.

Therefore:

• We are fallen in sin. (Gen 3)
• The heart is desperately wicked. (Jer 17:9)
• We need a Saviour. (Rom 3:10, 23; 5:8, 12; 6:23)

The world says:

• People are basically good.
• Therefore, we do not need a Saviour.

Furthermore, the world says:

• The cosmos were created by chance from nothing, billions of years ago.
• We are evolving and getting better.
• We will eventually achieve godlike capabilities on our own.

The current worldview du jour would not have had anything to offer the lame man. Even greater than his physical infirmity was his wounded spirit. All of us are damaged in this way because of the fall in Genesis 3. All of us are in need of repair. There is something in the soul that is broken. When we come to Christ, we are born again and his Spirit begins to repair that which has been broken, the same way He healed the lame man’s feet and ankle bones.

The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?
Proverbs 18:14

He restores my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:3

Jesus said we have to receive Him as a child would. (Luke 18:17) To the extent that we only receive the parts of God’s word which we understand or like, we hinder the healing process and keep from receiving all that God has to offer us. (Acts 20:27)

Father, thank You for all the miraculous ways in which You heal the lost causes, those who psychology could not help, those who modern medicine could not help. Thank You that your promises are for the best of us and the worst of us, however far gone we may be. Thank You, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Prophecy Update: You may have heard about a date that has been set for the rapture which has people talking: September 23, 2025.

After a bit of investigation, here is what I found: The date comes from Joshua Mhlakela who initially made the claim in 2018, which I vaguely remember hearing about at the time. Mr Mhlakela says Jesus appeared to him and told him He is coming on Rosh Hashanah, 2025. The reason people find this interesting is it makes 2550 days to Yom Kippur (the high day which is prophetic of the second coming), 2032. This aligns with Daniel 12:11 and Revelation 11:3. It would also make 2000 years from the crucifixion in 32 AD to the second coming in 2032, which comports with the seven-thousand-year model that goes all the way back to the church fathers. I found these figures interesting because they match the chart I made in the 90s when I was writing Where Did All the People GO? (Download here.) I also noticed there is a lunar eclipse (blood moon) on September 7 and a partial solar eclipse on September 21. (Acts 2:20; Joel 2:31) People are also pointing to the UN meeting on September 23. Meanwhile, the pope is pushing for an end to the war in Gaza. (Dan 9:27)

Beyond that, I don’t have much to say. It may be interesting but so is Matthew 24:44. I will say this, though: Thinking about the rapture reminded me of a passage I recently read in The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee. Nee talked about having a “spirit of rapture.” Nee believed that a Christian’s spirit should be elevated toward heaven with God‘s Spirit, always in communion with heaven, always ready to ascend up when God calls — like Enoch did before the flood. (Gen 5:24)

Nee wrote that in 1928. It was published again in English in 1969, when the rapture was becoming an earnest expectation among many Christians. I agree with Watchman Nee.

1 Babylonian Talmud, Yoma Chapter 39b.
2 Adapted from The Messianic Hope, Arthur Kac, p 227.

Acts 2:42-47 — Daily In One Accord

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

In our last post, we saw the birth of the church, a new institution under a New Covenant of grace. According to I Corinthians 10:32, there are only three kinds of people: Jews, Gentiles, and the church. 

Church (Gk ekklésia) literally means ‘called out’. Jesus calls us out of this world and when we respond, we become members of his church, the body of Christ (I Cor 12:27 et al), a body of believers made up of both Jews and Gentiles. 

Thus, the old sacrificial system that pointed to the Messiah was ended at Pentecost, having been fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Christ. Old Covenant sacrifices are no longer accepted because Christ offered one sacrifice for sins for ever. (Heb 10:12) 

A key to understanding the Bible properly is to never confuse the church with Israel. The church has been adopted into, or graffed in among the commonwealth of Israel (Rom 4:16f; 8:15; 11:17; 23f; Eph 1:5; 2:10-22; Gal 4:5; 6:15f), but the church has not ‘replaced’ Israel. The Bible says Christians are ‘fellowcitizens’ (Eph 3:6) and ‘fellowheirs’ (Eph 3:6) with Israel. Galatians 6:16 calls the church the Israel of God, but soon God will remove his church from the earth, and the leadership position that the church has had in extending God’s invitation of salvation to the world will be transferred back to Israel. (Rom 11:25; Rev 7)

Give us understanding, Father, as we read thy word, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Acts 2:42-47
42  And they [the church] continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Let’s take a closer look at the word fellowship (Gk koinónia). This is a distinctly ‘Christian’ word. It does not just mean to meet together or be in partnership. That would be a literal definition, but in the Bible the word implies like-minded spiritual unity. I cannot have ‘fellowship’ with another Christian when he invites me to go see the Red Hot Chili Peppers. If he invites me to break bread and pray in Jesus’ name, or maybe go witnessing in the parking lot at the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert, that is fellowship. 

43  And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44  And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 2:42-47

As Chapter 2 ends, we are given a snapshot of what the new revolution looked like — far different from any other revolution there has ever been. It runs counter to our way of thinking about what might change the world. There are no large sums of money, no new buildings, no political manifestos. Just a peaceful group of Christians who love God; who love the word of God; who love to fellowship and pray and praise God; who continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house with gladness and singleness of heart; who watched as the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. In other words, their faith was not something they practiced once a week on Sunday morning. They lived it daily. 

The way these new believers loved one another and had all things in common has caused some to accuse them of practicing communism — a philosophy which says there is no God. While the church was motivated by love to voluntarily share their wealth as they felt led, communism forces the redistribution of wealth as the state demands. The leading that the church followed came not from men, but from the Holy Spirit. Acts is all about the operation of the Holy Spirit in the early church (and continuing through the church age).

On Pentecost, we saw all of the functions of the Spirit in operation: regeneration, new birth, baptism, indwelling, sealing, and filling. 

There are still those whose miraculous testimonies seem to indicate all these things happened to them at once, but that is not typically the case. For example in my case, after I believed on Christ I was regenerated. When I repented, and made a conscience decision to commit my life to Christ I was born again (John 3:3). I believe at that point I was baptized in the Spirit (1 Cor 12:13), indwelt by the Spirit (Col 1:27; 1 John 4:15), and sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13; 4:30). Finally, I was filled with the Holy Spirit. These things did not all happen at once. The last operation, filling, is something that does not last indefinitely. Out of all these different operations of the Spirit, filling is the only one we have anything to do with. Jesus told us to ask for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13); Paul commands us to be filled with the Spirit. (Eph 5:18) 

As part of my preparation for this study in Acts, I have been reading The Spiritual Man (Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc, 1968) by Watchman Nee. This book has a somewhat different tone than another book I read by Nee (and am now reviewing), Spiritual Authority (Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc, 1973).

Both these books present vital spiritual truths, essential to the spiritual life of the believer. While Nee focuses on the importance of obedience in Spiritual Authority, in The Spiritual Man, Nee focuses more on how to discern the leading of the Spirit. Both are essential because you cannot follow and obey that which you cannot discern and hear. (Luke 6:46)

Nee likens the leading of the Spirit to ‘intuition’. When a Christian first believes and is regenerated, his spirit is connected to God’s Spirit. He is no longer spiritually dead. Now, he is complete in body, soul, and spirit, as his spirit is connected to God’s Spirit. Thus, he can now choose to follow his soul (his own reason), or he can follow God’s Spirit.

This threefold nature of a man — spirit and soul and body (1 Thess 5:23) — is similar to the design of the temple (I Cor 6:19 et al), which was made up of the outer court, the holy place, and the Holy of Holies. The body is like the outer court; the soul (mind, will, and emotions) is like the holy place, and the spirit, once one is regenerated, is like the Holy of Holies. The spirit is our connection to God. He typically communicates to the believer’s spirit in a still small voice. 

This gets to the heart of an important philosophical question: What, exactly, are you? The tech titans want us to believe that in the future we will be able to have our brains backed up on a data storage array, ie upload ourselves to the cloud. But according to the Bible, that part of you (the flesh) is not the real you. 

II Corinthians 5:1-5 says the body is just a temporary tent you live in, but the soul and the spirit are immortal. Eventually, we will receive a new glorified body like Jesus did in the Resurrection. (1 John 3:2) 

In the meantime, I need to train my spirt and soul (and hence my body) to be in agreement with the Holy Spirit as He speaks to my spirit. This runs contrary to our habit of demanding our own way, or yielding to evil spirits which seek to influence us. This is nothing less than spiritual warfare, which we all engage in on a daily basis. (II Cor 10:5; II Tim 2:26; Eph 6:11ff; Jam 4:7)

Learning to hear and follow God’s still small voice takes practice. It is a difficult but necessary skill to learn. The most essential way to sharpen this skill is to abide in the word of God. (John 6:63; 8:31f) The power that the Christians enjoyed in the Book of Acts was a result of their being filled with the Holy Spirit. One of the primary reasons they were filled with the Spirit is that they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine (v 42). We can likewise continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine by reading the Book of Acts and the Epistles that the apostles wrote. 

Another way to retain the filling of the Holy Spirit is through praise and worship and giving of thanks. (Ps 22:3; Eph 5:18-20; Col 3:15ff)

Hence, as Christians, we must learn to walk in the Spirit. (Acts 13:52; Gal 5:25 et al) Walking in the Spirit is how we abide by the New Covenant of grace. (EZ 11:19; 36:26; Rom 2:29; II Cor 1:22; 3:3; Gal 5:18; I Pet 1:22; 3:4) When a Christian walks in the Spirit, she does not need laws to govern her behavior. That is why Jesus only gave us two laws. (Matt 22:40; Gal 5:14)

When we walk in the Spirit, we are filled with love for God and love for others. When we grieve the Spirit, our walk with the Lord is cold and anemic. When we confess our sins we are forgiven. (1 John 1:9) We then ask for the Holy Spirit and He fills us again. (Luke 11:13) I ask every day. 

Above, I mentioned The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee. In this book, over the course of 700+ pages, Nee repeatedly exhorts the reader to discern between the voice of his soul and the voice of the Spirit, then to be led by the Spirit. (Pro tip: the leading of the Spirit is usually the exact opposite of what your soul says to do.) Of course, we have the world and our flesh, ie our old nature, as well as the devil and his angels constantly trying to draw our attention away from the still small voice of the Spirit. Someone said it is like there are two dogs fighting inside of us. The flesh and the spirit are contrary to one another. The one who wins is the one we feed the most. 

Therefore, we have to reckon our old man dead. (Rom 6:11) We must reject the way of the world and embrace the way of the Spirit. (Rom 12:1f) This is a lifelong process called ‘sanctification’. (II Thess 2:13; I Pet 1:2 et al)

Let us consider some of the Biblical references given by Nee to see if our spirit is in agreement with the Holy Spirit. Do you have:

A contrite spirit? (Ps 34:18)
A broken spirit? (Ps 51:17)
A spirit of meekness? (Matt 11:29; I Cor 4:21)
A humble, lowly spirit? (Pr 16:19; Matt 11:29)
A poor spirit? (Isa 66:2; Matt 5:3)
A gentle spirit? (Gal 5:22)
A fervent spirit? (Rom 12:11)
An excellent spirit? (Pr 17:27)
A joyful spirit? (Luke 1:47)
A powerful spirit? (II Tim 1:7)
A quiet spirit? (I Pet 3:4)
A newness of spirit (not legalistic)? (Rom 7:6)
A holy spirit? (I Cor 7:34)
A strong spirit? (Luke 1:80)
A spirit full of grace? (Phlm 25) (1)

A sister who gives attention to the spirit and lets God transform her mind in these ways is a sister who walks with God. There were two people whom the Bible says walked with God, and they were both saved from the flood. (Gen 5:22, 24; 6:9; Mic 6:8)

So, as we finish up Acts 2, we now have some joyful Spirit-filled Christians — ie the church. In a way I feel sorry for them. They have no idea what is coming. They are now in the ‘honeymoon period’, but soon they will be falsely accused and persecuted. Some of them will be put in prison. Some will be betrayed by family and friends. Some will be martyred for the faith. (Matt 10:34; Luke 21:12, 16) Such is the nature of our sojourn here on earth. (II Tim 3:12) We are at war. (I Tim 1:8; II Tim 2:4)

In conclusion, Acts 2 launched the most influential and far-reaching revolution the world has ever known, yet everything about it is contrary to our natural way of thinking. There is no armed rebellion in Acts, nor any of the other things one might expect from a revolution; just the word of God and the Spirit of God changing one heart at a time. 

It was the quiet witness of the Holy Spirit and the peaceful conduct of the Christians that changed hearts. It is still so today. For example, Larry Sanger, the man who started Wikipedia in 2001, recently became a Christian. In his testimony, he cited the conduct of Christians compared to the conduct of atheists as one of the primary motivations for his conversion.

The Holy Spirit always points people to Jesus; Jesus always points people to his Father. In Acts 2, there are six direct references to the Holy Spirit. There are ten or more indirect references to the Holy Spirit. Just as Peter introduced his fellow Jews to Jesus in Acts 2 by the leading of the Holy Spirit, he will introduce the first Gentiles to Jesus in Acts 10 by the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

Finally, my takeaway so far from this study in Acts is that I need to be more Spirit filled and do better at letting the Spirit lead my spirit.

  The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. 
Proverbs 20:27

  He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. 
Proverbs 25:28

Father, help us to deny the flesh and feed the spirit through prayer and abiding in your word. Help us to hear your voice, and to obey You in all things. Fill each of us with your Spirit day by day and help us to walk in the Spirit. We pray that we can in some small measure receive the power that they enjoyed in the early church. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Prophecy Update: Since the roll-out of the mRNA shots in 2021 up to where we are now in 2025, cancer rates continue to skyrocket.

Oncologists who are honest about this and provide simple solutions like HCQ and Ivermectin (yes, one of the things that has been discovered over the last few years is that HCQ and Ivermectin both fight cancer) continue to be debanked and harassed in other ways. Pray and proceed accordingly.

José Rizal was a populist who rebelled against the establishment of his day by writing two fictional counter-culture novels. Since 1956, Rizal’s books have been required reading in Philippine schools as mandated by the Rizal Law. I believe that RFK Jr’s non-fiction book The Real Anthony Fauci is far more important to America, if not the world, than Rizal’s books are to the Philippines. I believe The Real Anthony Fauci should be required reading in public schools. Anyone who cares about the truth, freedom, health, or just doesn’t want to be a slave, should read The Real Anthony Fauci. 

1 Watchman Nee, The Spiritual Man, pp 404-417

Acts 2:1-41 — A New Era – A New Covenant – A New Beginning

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

In this post, we come to the much-anticipated arrival of the Holy Spirit. (John 16:7 et al) 

We have already seen Peter acting as a leader among the twelve in Chapter 1. Scripture always places Peter first where the apostles are listed, including in Acts 1. Wiersbe called Peter “the first among equals.” 

Hence, I reject the idea that Jesus made Peter the cornerstone of his church. (Eph 2:20) Jesus gave Peter the keys of the kingdom (Matt 16:19), but He told the other disciples more or less the same thing in Matthew 18:18. The ‘keys’ are the words of God and the faith to believe them. I think Jesus said this to Peter because He knew that after his denial, Peter would need faith in the word of God to receive the simplicity of the gospel. One of Satan’s favorite attacks is to remind us of our failures. (Luke 22:31f) When he reminds me of my past, I remind him of his future by reading Revelation 18 out loud. Works every time. Suffice it to say that everywhere we see ‘Rock’ in Scripture, it represents Jesus. (Deut 32:4, 15; I Cor 10:4 et al) Peter (Gk Petros) means small stone, not Rock (Gk Petra). Jesus is the Rock the church is built on, not Peter. 

So, it has been fifty days now since the Feast of Firstfruits (Lev 23:16), the day of the Resurrection. Firstfruits was three days after Passover, on the morrow after the Sabbath (Lev 23:11), ie, the first day of the week, the day Jesus conquered the grave. 

Therefore, we see that feast days are prophetic: Passover was fulfilled in the Crucifixion; Firstfruits, when a sheaf of wheat was presented as a wave offering, was fulfilled in the Resurrection; Pentecost was fulfilled in the birth of the church. Each of these days has rich imagery associated with it: 

Passover Lamb (Christ crucified; I Cor 5:7). 
Firstfruits Sheaf (Christ risen; I Cor 15:23). 
Pentecost harvest (birth of the church; Acts 2).

The next prophetic feast to be fulfilled is Rosh Hashanah with the rapture of the church, but that is a topic for a different study. 

Let us consider one more point here before we begin. Since the Feast of Weeks counted seven weeks from the first day of the week, plus one day (50), Pentecost was on the first day of the week. Don’t be a YouTube Christian, fooled by false doctrines that YouTube pushes to the top on autoplay. It was not Constantine who decided Christians should meet on the first day of the week. Christians have been meeting on the first day of the week since the Book of Acts. (Acts 20:7; I Cor 16:2) Jesus rose on the first day of the week. The church was born on the first day of the week. There is nothing wrong with meeting on the first day of the week. (Rom 14:5) 

The 4th Commandment was a day of rest on the seventh day. The first day (or the eighth day, depending on how you look at it), represents a new beginning. One and eight both represent new beginnings in Bible numerology. As Christians, we are under the New Covenant and our rest is in Christ. (Heb 4:1-10) The 4th Commandment is the only commandment that is not repeated in the New Testament after Pentecost. (Col 2:14-16) Much like circumcision, the 4th Commandment was part of the Old Covenant that God made with Israel. Freedom from these ordinances under the New Covenant is one of the main themes in the book of Acts. (Acts 15 et al)

We are going to see Peter’s light really start to shine in this post with the coming of the Holy Spirit. I have been looking forward to this. Father, give us understanding as we read thy word, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Acts 2:1-41
1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

When it says Pentecost was fully come, that means it was fulfilled (see above). They were all in one place, but it does not say which place.

To the Jews in our passage here, this was not Pentecost but Shavout (lit Weeks), a day to remember the Law. (Deut 16:10-12) When Moses gave the Law, there was the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud, with thunder and lightnings and thick smoke on Mt Sinai. (Ex 19:16) The people in the camp trembled. 

On Pentecost, however, there will be a sound from heaven as of a mighty rushing wind and cloven tongues like as of fire. When Moses gave the Law, God descended on the mount in fire. (Ex 19:18) The smoke ascended from Mt Sinai as the smoke of a furnace. Likewise, a ‘fire’ that split up and rested upon 120 people would be a lot of ‘fire’. When Moses gave the Law, the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder. (Ex 19:19) I believe the sound as of the mighty rushing wind sounded long, and waxed louder and louder as well.

Ever since Maimonides (AD 1138–1204), it has been Jewish tradition, accepted more or less as history, that the Law was given on the first Shavot.

2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 

The word for wind is the same word for spirit, in both Greek and Hebrew. Also, the word house could be referring to the Temple. (Eg, Acts 7:47) It’s likely that is where they were. (Luke 24:53)

3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

I have read several commentaries on this passage and virtually all of them agree that it was not the tongues themselves that were cloven, but the ‘fire’ split, or was cloven, into several different tongues that sat upon the disciples — all 120 of them. (Acts 1:15)

A simile is a comparison that uses ‘like’ or ‘as’. Dr Luke uses ‘as of’ to describe the sound as of a mighty rushing wind from heaven, showing it was not a literal wind, but it sounded ‘as of’ a mighty rushing wind. He then uses both ‘like’ and ‘as’ to describe the ‘fire’ which sat upon each of them. Just as Moses saw a bush that burned but was not consumed, the Christians are now on fire, so to speak, but not burned. I believe the fire that Moses saw, and the ‘fire’ that sat upon the disciples, to both be instances of the same Shekinah glory of the Holy Spirit. 

4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5  And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

This is different than what Paul listed among the spiritual gifts in I Corinthians 12. This is not a ‘prayer language’. They heard the disciples speaking in their own languages, not ‘unknown’ tongues. (I Cor 14:2) Therefore they did not need an interpreter (I Cor 12:10; I Cor 14:27f). First they were confounded, then amazed, then they marvelled:  

7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8  And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9  Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10  Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11  Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
12  And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

There is a prominent Jewish tradition that when the Law was given, it was heard in seventy different languages, representing each of the seventy nations. (Gen 10) 

So, we have the parallel of the supernatural phenomena happening both at the giving of the Law (on the first Pentecost, I believe), as well as its fulfillment here on the Pentecost following the Resurrection. The sound as of the mighty rushing wind got their attention, drawing a multitude (v 6) to come and investigate. They probably even saw the tongues like as of fire. (v 33) We also have the languages to every nation under heaven (v 5) to parallel the seventy languages heard when Moses gave the Law, spoken by 120 people, to pilgrims from far-off countries who came for the feast. Against the backdrop of Jerusalem, a truly magnificent city in its own right, along with the iconic Temple, this was truly a miraculous scene. 

The people of Judea were amazed when Zacharias lost his voice and got it back again. That obscure incident was noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea. (Luke 1:65f) How much more so must the news of this epic event have been noised abroad?  

13  Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

Of course, the accuser of the brethren had to get a jab in. ‘No, they aren’t Spirit filled, they’re drunk!’ Peter does not let this accusation go unanswered. (Pr 26:5) He used it as a springboard opportunity to preach the gospel:

14  But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15  For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. [9 AM]

This was a stronger argument than it might seem. Orthodox Jews did not eat or drink before 9 AM on the Sabbath or on a holy day.  

16  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17  And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh [not just Jews]: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy [preach], and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18  And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

We only have a partial fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, but Peter rightly says that the coming of the Holy Spirit they are witnessing is ‘that’ which was spoken of by the prophet Joel. Thanks be to God, verse 21 was also part of the initial fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. (Rom 10:13)

22  Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

Jesus’ miracles and wonders and signs were legendary and well known to all who were there. The disciples and apostles have miracles and wonders and signs now too. Peter’s use of the word ‘these’ (not ‘we’) in verse 15 seems to indicate the apostles did not speak in tongues but only the others. Nevertheless, suffice it to say the early church was given plenty of evidence to believe the gospel. 

23  Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands [wicked Roman Gentile hands!] have crucified and slain:

Peter reminds them of their part in the betrayal of Jesus, but also says it was done by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. (Cf Isa 53:10)

24  Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25  For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26  Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27  Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
28  Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29  Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31  He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32  This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34  For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35  Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

Peter’s message is saturated with Scripture. Peter did not just make claims about the Holy Spirit and Jesus; he supported everything he said with Scripture. In other words, Peter was a student of Bible prophecy and he used his knowledge of Bible prophecy to preach the gospel. The crucifixion (vv 23, 36), the ascension (vv 33, 34), the promise of the Holy Spirit (v 33), the miracles of Jesus (v 22), his identity as Messiah (v 36), and the New Covenant of grace (v 21; cf Jer 31:31) were all prophesied. The Resurrection, also foretold in Scripture, was at the heart of Peter’s message. (vv 24, 27, 30, 31, 32)

36  Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Notice they did not ask Peter what they ‘must do to be saved’. Peter already addressed that issue in verse 21. Paul and Silas will address it again in Acts 16:31. (Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.) They simply asked him and the other apostles, [W]hat shall we do? Peter knew they already believed. The next steps after belief are repentance and baptism. Belief is essential, but so is repentance, which means to change your mind. One of the things you need to change your mind about is your willingness to identify with Christ before others (Luke 12:8), which means to be baptized. This was a radical step. Jews baptized proselytes but they did not baptize other Jews. That was one of the things that made the Pharisees take notice of John the Baptist. Baptism was a public declaration of their belief and firm conviction that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. Baptism was a new beginning under a new covenant, a proclamation that they now followed Yeshua Ha’Mashiach.  

38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Jesus said to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Here, Peter says in the name of Jesus Christ. We are saved by faith, not by the correct baptism formula, but to make everyone happy I say both when I baptize somebody. I don’t remember exactly what the guy who baptized me said, nor does it matter. 

39  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

After the Exodus, the new generation received the Law but then wandered around in the desert for 38 years after their parents rejected the Promised Land. (Deut 2:14) The new generation ‘saved themselves from that untoward generation’, so to speak, and were allowed to enter the Promised Land with Joshua (Gk Iésous; Engl Jesus).

Per Sir Robert Anderson’s meticulous calculations in The Coming Prince, Jesus was crucified in 32 AD. Therefore, from Pentecost it was 38 years until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. 

It was 40 full years of testing from the beginning of the Exodus until they entered the Promised Land. It was likewise 40 full years from when the Jews first decided to kill Jesus in John 5 that Jerusalem fell. It was after Jesus healed a lame man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath during the Feast of Pentecost — every high day was a Sabbath day — thus breaking their interpretation of the Law, that the Jewish leadership rejected Jesus. Two years later, here in Acts 2, the common people received Him and the church was born. 

Shortly after Pentecost in 70 AD, the Romans destroyed the Jewish Temple and razed the city of Jerusalem. It is estimated that well over a million Jews perished in the siege. It is estimated that 97,000 were taken captive as slaves. Yet, according to Eusebius, those who received Yeshua by faith and were baptized fled before the siege, because of the prophetic warning Yeshua gave in Luke 21:20, 21. Eusebius records this event, known as ‘the flight of the Christians to Pella’, in his book, Ecclesiastical History. Pella was one of the ten cities of Decapolis, located on the east side of the River Jordan. 

The truth is that although He used the Romans to do it, it was God who destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, just as He used the Chaldeans to destroy Jerusalem in 587 BC. There is an age-old custom that when the inhabitants of a city are offered a chance to surrender before a siege, if they refuse they do not deserve quarter. Jesus offered Jerusalem the opportunity to surrender but they refused. (Matt 23:34-37) Those who surrendered to Christ ‘saved themselves’ from that untoward generation — by letting Jesus save them. 

41  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Acts 2:1-41

Shavout was a day not just to remember the Law, but also to remember that they were slaves in Egypt (Deut 16:12). According to the Bible, the Law is a form of slavery, but we are set free by the New Covenant of grace (Gal 4:21-31). At the first Shavout when the Law was given, they were afraid. (Ex 20:19) They were not allowed near the mountain that quaked, or they would die. (Heb 12:20) On the fulfillment of Shavout in Acts 2, they were not afraid, but marveled. They did not come to the curse of the Law that brought death (Deut 27:26; Ez 18:4), but To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. (Heb 12:23) At the giving of the Law on the first Shavout, 3000 souls perished. (Ex 32:28) When Shavout was fully come, 3000 souls were saved. (v 41)

Some may find fault with my supposition that Maimonides was correct in his interpretation that the giving of the Law fell on the first Shavout. Consider that Maimonides was quite an impressive scholar. Maimonides concluded from a study in Genesis 1 that there are 10 dimensions in the physical world, because God spoke 10 times in Genesis 1. That may sound odd, but modern physicists agree with his assessment. There are, indeed, 10 physical dimensions according to string theory. For me, the pattern and the parallels are too striking to ignore. When Shavout was fully come, the New Covenant of grace was established. The Old Covenant of the Law was annulled. (Heb 8:13; II Cor 3:6ff; Rom 3:28; Gal 2:16) 

As we continue in Acts, we will see that the nullification of the Old Covenant was not easily understood or readily accepted by the early church. It still remains a hard concept for Christians to grasp, even today.

Notwithstanding, the gospel of Jesus Christ and the New Covenant of grace is by far the most glorious message ever given among men. The gospel is light and life. The gospel is freedom and liberty. The gospel is life everlasting to those who believe. Foolishness to them that perish (I Cor 1:18), [b]ut unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (1 Cor 1:24)

In closing, let me leave you with a story I once shared with a good friend of mine who thought we have to be baptized by the ‘Peter formula’ in order to be saved. My friend’s name was Arlo. He was of the Pentecostal persuasion:

Arlo, I said, let’s suppose that I committed a horrible crime, for which I was given the death penalty. Let’s suppose that you had compassion on me and you spoke to the judge about how I might possibly be released and forgiven for my crime. The judge warned you that I was guilty and I deserved the death penalty. You understood that I did indeed commit the crime, but you persisted and said I should get a second chance. So the judge decided he would accept your daughter to be executed in my place. Despite the great love you have for your innocent three-year-old daughter, you agreed. Your daughter was executed in my place and I was set free. Then you heard me talking to somebody later and when they asked me why I was still alive, I said, Well, the judge let me go because I was baptized the right way. How would that make you feel?

Baptism does not save us unless we believe that Jesus died in our place. When we believe that, baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God, and saves us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Not by water or by the ‘correct formula’.) Baptism is a public declaration of faith in Christ: 

  The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
I Peter 3:21

  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
I Corinthians 12:13

Above in verse 38, Peter told them that if they were baptized they would receive the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 12:13 shows that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the true baptism. Water baptism is symbolic. Water baptism shows repentance, what Peter called the answer of a good conscience toward God, but if a believer was somewhere in a desert with no water around, that would be fine (Luke 23:43).

Finally, we saw in this study how tongues like as of fire empowered the disciples to proclaim the wonderful works of God. Next time you speak to someone, consider that your tongue can either be on fire with the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), or it can be set on fire of hell. (Jam 3:6) God help us. 

Father, thank You for keeping your promise to send the Holy Spirit. Thank You for giving us the New Covenant of grace through faith in your Son and for his unspeakable gift. Thank You that the promise is to us who are afar off. Thank You also for the promise to send your Son back again for us. Help us to prepare and make ourselves ready through faith alone in your Son alone. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

PS: Jewish friend, if you stumbled on this post and read it out of curiosity, please consider the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the flight of the Christians to Pella. It was a horrible time of sorrow, but something worse is coming. Much worse. Think of your children. Save yourself from this untoward generation. Receive Messiah before it is too late. Yeshua is merciful and He will forgive you, whatever you may have done. Rabbi Saul was by his own admission a murderer and the chief of sinners (Acts 22:4; 1 Tim 1:15), yet Yeshua forgave him. Being chosen is not enough. Everyone needs Messiah. (Mic 5:2; Isa 53; Ps 22; Deut 18:5)

Prophecy Update: Any Christian who uses technology (or listens to what the experts say) ought to have noticed by now that AI is hostile to Christianity. One of the many different ways I have noticed this is how typos will be inserted into my posts which are impossible to remove, even when the code is ostensibly correct. Another example is how the iPhone microphone tool will refuse to correctly type clearly spoken words when dictating text about Christianity but jumbles them up into a word salad, yet in certain other functions the iPhone will perfectly type them, even when spoken in a whisper. As I was typing this warning about AI, I was suddenly unable to save my document, and when I tried to change the permissions I saw a message I have never seen before: “Unapproved caller. SecurityAgent may only be invoked by Apple software.” Then for the first time ever, I was not able to take a screenshot of the message. Coincidence? You decide.