Podcasts about acts luke

Today we read the most challenging of the parables of Jesus – yet its' primary meaning is unmistakable.  Jesus uttered it in relation to our purpose in life – how it comes down to one of two things.  Jesus sums it all up in today's reading in Luke.  “No servant can serve two masters … he will be devoted to the one and despise the other”   He ends by bluntly saying, “You cannot serve God and money” [16 v.13].   What is it to “serve” money? This is not the most common Greek word for ‘serve', in writing Acts Luke only uses the word in Ch. 20 v.19 when he quoted Paul's words to the Ephesian elders (and Luke was with him at the time),  he told them, “You yourselves know how I lived …. serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials … I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable …”   This was serving indeed! In writing to the Romans about issues over the law of Moses Paul says, “but now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so now we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.” [7 v.6]   But the commitment involved in this kind of serving is parallel; it is the same!  It is most interesting to  note that the one place where John used this Greek word in his gospel (8 v.33) it is translated as “enslaved”! Those Jesus sees as serving money he sees as being enslaved to it.  It is the ‘be all' and ‘end all' of their thinking.  Today, it is a matter of the things money can ‘buy,' the pleasure and pride of owning the best of everything, of taking fabulous holidays, etc., with a token gesture toward others to ease their conscience, even fitting in a visit to church. Those who serve God, see how temporary and misleading is the expectation of rewards of serving money.   People who decide to serve God have a “bigger mind”, i.e. a bigger vision of thought. That famous chapter of Hebrews 11 selects the example of Moses when, surrounded by wealth as the adopted grandson of Pharaoh, ”he  chose to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.  He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt” [v.25-26] What do we consider to be of greater wealth today?  Less and less would make Christ their choice.  Some, foolishly, try to have it both ways. If we are “lukewarm” – as was those at Laodicea, let us remember the message of Jesus to them – read Revelation 3 v.15-16.

Scripture Reading: Acts 1:1-11 [Edited: Changed 26 to 11.] I wrote the former account, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after he had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 To the same apostles also, after his suffering, he presented himself alive with many convincing proofs. He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God. 4 While he was with them, he declared, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for what my Father promised, which you heard about from me. 5 For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”6 So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, “Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He told them, “You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.” 9 After he had said this, while they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 As they were still staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”[Edited: Moved verses 12-26 to next week.]Main ThemesLiterary PrefaceThe literary preface of Acts is its first two verses, although its introduction could be considered to extend through verses 11, 14, or even the end of the second chapter (verse 2:47) when the book adds its first summary statement.As we discussed last time, the book is addressed to Theophilus, possibly a patron of Luke or a person of high standing who Luke hoped to honor. In ancient times, an author's hope in dedicating a book to such a high-ranking person was that the book be read to audiences during parties or other events.Transition of LeadershipAlmost immediately, with its second verse, the book of Acts tells us of a key event: a transition of leadership in the early church. We are reminded that Jesus has been “taken up,” almost surely referring to the Lord's ascension, and who was left with his instructions? The apostles. This might seem obvious to us, but it isn't. One could at least imagine an egalitarian early church in which every believer had equal voice and insight. That is certainly not what Acts describes. A very select group—the apostles—are left to guide the flock. In fact, just a few verses down (15-26), this leadership group is clearly defined. (My commentary here is not addressing potential corollaries to this transition of leadership, such as apostolic succession or the magisterium.)Later in the book of Acts, we will encounter another transition of leadership, namely, to Paul. He will lead the mission to the gentiles. We will discuss that in future sessions, however.Notice that the acts of the apostles are described as following what “Jesus began to do and teach.” The word began in verse 1 is debated. Some argue that it is simply a Semitic pleonasm, that is, a distinctly Jewish way of speaking. This Semitic construction appears mutliple times in the Septuagint, with which Luke and his audience would have been familiar. If this is the case, the expression does not imply a continued action. Conversely, some have suggested that it means that Acts addresses what Jesus continued to do and teach (presumably by his name and the Spirit) through the disciples. This would make Jesus the paradigm of the church and the church an extension of Jesus. Although the first explanation is more likely, the latter certainly fits the theology in Luke.Luke's RecapitulationChapter 1 of Acts quickly catches up the listener to the end of “volume 1,” the Gospel of Luke. Here is a brief Acts 1 to Luke 24 correspondence. (The format is a bit strange, but I did not want to add an unwieldy table. I added verse quotations when helpful.)1. Acts 1: Jesus teaches the disciples through the Spirit (1:2). Luke 24: Jesus teaches the disciples after the resurrection, including explicit times (24:25-27, 32, 44-48).They said to each other, “Didn't our hearts burn within us while he was speaking with us on the road, while he was explaining the scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it stands written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. Luke 24:44-482. Acts 1: Jesus offers many proofs of his risen state (1:3a). Luke 24: Jesus demonstrates his risen state (24:13-32, 34, 36-40).Now that very day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking to each other about all the things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and debating these things, Jesus himself approached and began to accompany them . . . . Luke 24:13-15While they were saying these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 But they were startled and terrified, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 Then he said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet; it's me! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones like you see I have.” Luke 24:36-393. Acts 1: Jesus appears for forty days (1:3b). Luke 24: Technically missing (i.e., 40 days are not specified). However, some period of time is assumed to accommodate the appearances of Jesus.4. Acts 1: Jesus speaks of the kingdom (1:3b). Luke 24: As with the 40 days, the kingdom lessons are not explicit in Luke 24, but they can be inferred given Jesus' repeated mentions of the kingdom in the earlier chapters of Luke.[Jesus] said to them, “Thus it stands written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Luke 24:46-47See below for a discussion of the kingdom.5. Acts 1: Jesus orders them not to leave Jerusalem (1:4b). Luke 24: Jesus orders them to stay in Jerusalem (24:49b).And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:496. Acts 1: Jesus instructs them to wait for the Father's promise (1:4b). Luke 24: They must stay in the city until they receive the Father's promise (24: 49). (See the verse under number 5 above.)7. Acts 1: Disciples expect the kingdom's restoration to Israel (1:6). Luke24: A similar notion expressed by other disciples, who expected Jesus to redeem Israel (24:21).But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. Not only this, but it is now the third day since these things happened. Luke 24:218. Acts 1: Jesus promises the Spirit and that they will be witnesses (1:8). Luke 24: They are witnesses and will receive promised power (24:48-49).You are witnesses of these things. 49 And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:48-499. Acts 1: They will receive power (1:8). Luke 24: They will be clothed with power (24:49). (See the verse under number 5 above.)10. Acts 1: Jesus ascends (1:9-11). Luke 24: Jesus ascends (24: 51).Now during the blessing he departed and was taken up into heaven. Luke 24:5111. Acts 1: The disciples leave Mount Olivet for Jerusalem (1: 12). Luke 24: They leave Bethany (24:50; this is near the Mount of Olives, 19:29) and return to Jerusalem (24:52).12. They pray in the upper room (1:13-14). Luke 24: In the gospel, they worship in the temple (24:53). Luke probably expects us to suppose that they met both in homes (here, the upper room) and in the temple.The KingdomActs Assumes We are Familiar with the Gospel of LukeAs suggested above, Jesus spoke much about the “kingdom” in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus preached about the kingdom (Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:11), promising it to the poor (6:20), little ones (18:16-17; cf. 12:32), and the radically obedient (9:62; 16:16); by contrast, it would be difficult for the rich to enter it (6:24-25; 18:24-25). Jesus also sent his disciples to preach the kingdom (9:2, 60; 10:9, 11).In Acts, we will see a continued proclamation of the kingdom (Acts 8:12; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31). However, in Acts Luke seems to presuppose that the reader is familiar with Jesus' words about the kingdom found in the Gospel of Luke. So, we need to take a minute and go back.Already in the gospel we see something curious about the kingdom. People should yearn for the kingdom (Luke 11:2; 12:31; 23:51), although the kingdom was already present in a hidden way (13:18-21), currently available for those willing to receive it (8:10). Jesus's followers could enter the kingdom and find there a role greater than that of John the Baptist (7:28; 16:16). Then Acts opens with what seems like a realized eschatology—that is, the kingdom, whatever that is, is here! Craig Keener explains this present but future mystery as follows:The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek terms here translated “kingdom” usually signify the concept “reign” or “authority” or “rule.” Like the OT (e.g., Isa 6: 5), Jewish teachers could speak of God's present rule (especially among the people who obeyed his law). But Jewish people also looked for the kingdom as God's future rule, when God would reign unchallenged, as attested in regular Jewish prayers. Because “heaven” was a common Jewish periphrasis for “God,” some other Jewish texts use “kingdom of heaven” as a periphrasis for “kingdom of God” (e.g., Sipra Qed. pq. 9.207.2.13; y. Qidd. 1: 2, §24; Matthew, passim). Sometimes they also seem to use “kingdom” as a periphrasis for the divine name.…If one examines the entire evidence available in the Gospels, the kingdom appears to be both present and future, as is widely recognized today. It was only natural for Jesus and his first followers, once they recognized that Jesus would need to come again to establish his kingdom fully, to recognize that the anticipated kingdom would arrive in two stages corresponding to Jesus's first and second coming. If one does not arbitrarily exclude either set of evidence by posing a contradiction that the first generations of disciples would not have recognized, both sets of evidence fit together adequately. If Jesus implied his messiahship and spoke of a future Son of Man, we may thus assume that when he announced the kingdom, he undoubtedly announced God's imminent rule in the final sense (rather than simply God's providential rule over creation or over Israel through the law). But his claim also suggests that he expected to play a role in the kingdom, already active in a hidden way in the present (Luke 13: 18– 30).Kingdom Talk in the Gospel of LukeBecause the kingdom of God is such a recurrent theme in Acts, and that theme is built upon the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, I think we must read the Luke verses before we move on. I will offer brief commentary on these. My purpose is to create some narrative tension that perhaps can be resolved as we study the rest of Acts.The next morning Jesus departed and went to a deserted place. Yet the crowds were seeking him, and they came to him and tried to keep him from leaving them. But Jesus said to them, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, for that is what I was sent to do.” Luke 4:42-43Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God belongs to you. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject you as evil on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and jump for joy because your reward is great in heaven. For their ancestors did the same things to the prophets. 24 But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort already. 25 Woe to you who are well satisfied with food now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for their ancestors did the same things to the false prophets. 27 “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:20-27I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he is. Luke 7:28Sometime afterward [Jesus] went on through towns and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. . . . While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from one town after another, he spoke to them in a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the wild birds devoured it. Other seed fell on rock, and when it came up, it withered because it had no moisture. Other seed fell among the thorns, and they grew up with it and choked it. But other seed fell on good soil and grew, and it produced a hundred times as much grain.” As he said this, he called out, “The one who has ears to hear had better listen!” Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that although they see they may not see, and although they hear they may not understand. “Now the parable means this: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in a time of testing fall away. As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing the word, cling to it with an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance. Luke 8:1, 4-15After Jesus called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. . . . When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida. But when the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and cured those who needed healing. Luke 9:1-2, 10-11As they were walking along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Jesus said to another, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62Whenever you enter a town and the people welcome you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in that town and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come upon you!' But whenever you enter a town and the people do not welcome you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God has come.' I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town! Luke 10:8-12Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” So he said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation.'” Luke 11:1-4And which of you by worrying can add an hour to his life? So if you cannot do such a very little thing as this, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the flowers grow; they do not work or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, how much more will he clothe you, you people of little faith! So do not be overly concerned about what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things. For all the nations of the world pursue these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, pursue his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out—a treasure in heaven that never decreases, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:25-34Thus Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the wild birds nested in its branches.” Again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all the dough had risen.” Luke 13:18-21The law and the prophets were in force until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a letter in the law to become void. Luke 16:16-17Now at one point the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!' or ‘There!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Luke 17:20-21Now people were even bringing their babies to him for him to touch. But when the disciples saw it, they began to scold those who brought them. But Jesus called for the children, saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Now a certain leader asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'” The man replied, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the man heard this, he became very sad, for he was extremely wealthy. When Jesus noticed this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?” He replied, “What is impossible for mere humans is possible for God.” And Peter said, “Look, we have left everything we own to follow you! Then Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of God's kingdom who will not receive many times more in this age—and in the age to come, eternal life.” Luke 18:15-30Now there was a man named Joseph who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man. (He had not consented to their plan and action.) He was from the Judean town of Arimathea, and was looking forward to the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Luke 23:50-52The Spirit and the KingdomI think we need one last bit of background before we move on—and that is the connection between the pouring of the Spirit of God and the coming of the kingdom. Certainly Jesus taught about and proclaimed the coming of both, the Spirit and the kingdom. What we often miss though is that given the Old Testament (the Jewish scriptures), the disciples would have had every reason to understand these two themes as inseparably linked. The prophets had regularly linked God's pouring out his Spirit with the time of Israel's restoration. Take the end of Isaiah 43 and the beginning of 44, for example:[The Lord Rebukes His People] 22 “But you did not call for me, O Jacob; you did not long for me, O Israel. 23 You did not bring me lambs for your burnt offerings; you did not honor me with your sacrifices. I did not burden you with offerings; I did not make you weary by demanding incense. 24 You did not buy me aromatic reeds; you did not present to me the fat of your sacrifices. Yet you burdened me with your sins; you made me weary with your evil deeds. 25 I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake; your sins I do not remember. 26 Remind me of what happened. Let's debate! You, prove to me that you are right! 27 The father of your nation sinned; your spokesmen rebelled against me. 28 So I defiled your holy princes, and handed Jacob over to destruction, and subjected Israel to humiliating abuse.[The Lord Will Renew Israel] 44 “Now, listen, Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen!” 2 This is what the Lord, the one who made you, says—the one who formed you in the womb and helps you: “Don't be afraid, my servant Jacob, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour water on the parched ground and cause streams to flow on the dry land. I will pour my Spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your children. 4 They will sprout up like a tree in the grass, like poplars beside channels of water. 5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,' and another will use the name ‘Jacob.' One will write on his hand, ‘The Lord's,' and use the name ‘Israel.'”Notice, then, that the disciples are not off base when they ask: When will Jesus restore the kingdom to Israel? Some view their question as shortsighted, but this context specifies that the problem with the question, if any, is with timing (Acts 1:7), not with content.The Promise of the Holy SpiritIn the Gospels and immediately in the opening of Acts we read about the promise of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the foretaste of the kingdom and the empowerment to prepare a people for it. The Spirit thus enables the witnesses (e.g., the apostles) to carry on Jesus' mission after his ascension.We are so used to the stories in the Bible, that sometimes we are unsurprised by details that should otherwise give us some pause. Notice that after Jesus is gone the disciples could not generate the Spirit or spiritual experience on their own. They must “wait” for the “promise” of God, requiring faithful dependence on God. In Acts, this dependence is another key theme. God both assigns tasks and provides the power to accomplish them. Luke's pneumatology emphasizes especially the Spirit's empowering the church for mission.Luke expects his audience to be able to fill in details surrounding the promise by remembering what they have already learned in Luke 24:49. There Jesus promises the believers “power” for their mission, which probably includes signs and wonders that would confirm their powerful message.For Luke, the “promise” here is not only a matter of historical interest concerning Jesus's first witnesses; it is paradigmatic, at least in some sense, for all Christians. This is clear from the fact that the promise is later reiterated for all who will repent (Acts 2:38), including the “far off” Gentiles (2:39).Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” Acts 2:38-39The promise here also evokes the prophecies of John the Baptist.Now this was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed—he did not deny but confessed—“I am not the Christ!” So they asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not!” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No!” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”John said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) So they asked John, “Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not recognize, who is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal!” These things happened in Bethany across the Jordan River where John was baptizing.On the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am, because he existed before me.' I did not recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.”Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. And I did not recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining—this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' I have both seen and testified that this man is the Chosen One of God.”John 1:19-34From Jerusalem to the Ends of the EarthThe Spirit and the kingdom come together in the central thesis of Acts expressed in Acts 1:8.But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth. Acts 1:8Two points can be made. Salvation begins in Jerusalem. Salvation will come to all the earth. Chapter 2 of Acts will quote Isaiah and give us more details about this mission. Nevertheless, the allusions to Isaiah are already present in verse1:8. The language of “my witnesses” is reminiscent of Isaiah. The same can be said for the geographic range of the testimony of God's salvation (Isa 41:5, 9; 42:10; 43:6; 45:22; 48:20; 49:6; 52:10; 62:11). That Luke depends on Isaiah's language here is clear: although mention of the ends of the earth is common in ancient literature, Luke's complete and exact phrase “to the end of the earth” appears four or five times in the Septuagint (Isa 8:9; 48:20; 49:6; 62:11; also Pss. Sol. 1:4) and only twice in the NT (Acts 13:47 and here); it also appears in Christian writings dependent on Isaiah or Acts but “nowhere else in the immense range” of literature in the Thesaurus linguae graecae.[Edited: All text from this point forward was moved to next week.]

In this message, we will rewind back to the start of the book of acts to remind us about the point of the book as we continue our journey.Luke 1: 1-4, Luke 24: 50-53, Acts 1: 1-10

When you come together Talk 5 Baptism in the Spirit (3) Applying what we've learnt from Acts to 1 Corinthians 12:13 In this series we are looking at what we should expect in our meetings as we gather together to worship the Lord. We have suggested that 1 Corinthians 14:26 gives a clear indication about this and have noted among other things the importance of congregational participation and variety of manifestation, including supernatural gifts like speaking in tongues and interpretation. We've examined the supernatural gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 and noted our total dependence on the Holy Spirit if these gifts are to be in operation in our meetings. We are now considering the significance of 1 Corinthians 12:13, and I have argued that in this verse Paul is talking about the same experience as Jesus spoke about in Acts 1:5-8, and several examples of which we see later in Acts. In our last talk we examined those examples in more detail and discovered that the baptism in the Spirit was promised by Jesus in Acts 1:5, was received by the first disciples when they were filled with the Spirit in Acts 2:4, was made available to all who would repent and be baptised (Acts 2:38), and received by subsequent disciples in Acts chapters 8, 9. 10, and 19. We saw that the baptism in the Spirit is not the same as the Spirit's work in salvation or sanctification, but is an enduement with power for service accompanied by miraculous manifestations including speaking in tongues. Today we'll be considering how all this applies to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:13, and perhaps the first thing to say is that, because the baptism in the Spirit was so vital to the experience of the early church, it's unthinkable that Paul could have a radically different understanding of what it means to be baptised in the Spirit from what we have discovered in Acts. So what we've learnt from Acts must inform our understanding of what he means in 1 Corinthians 12:13 when, following my translation, he says that we were all baptised in the Spirit for the benefit of the one body. In Talk 3 I began by arguing that the first part of 1 Corinthians 12:13 should be understood to mean that Christians are baptised in the Spirit for the benefit of the church. The supernatural gifts listed in verses 8-11 come as a result of believers being baptised in the Spirit and are to be used for the benefit of the whole church (13). We then saw in Talk 4 that in Acts the baptism in the Spirit is a supernatural experience accompanied by charismatic gifts including speaking in tongues. So, both in Acts and in 1 Corinthians, baptism in the Spirit is closely related to supernatural gifts. But in Acts the emphasis is on evangelism, while in Corinthians it's on the edification of the church. Or to put it slightly differently, in Acts the gifts which result from the baptism in the Spirit enable those who are not yet believers to come to faith, while in Corinthians they edify those who are already believers and strengthen their faith. I see, then, no disharmony between Acts and 1 Corinthians 12:13 with regard to the baptism in the Spirit. The difference in emphasis is easily understood in the light of the fact that in Acts Luke is primarily concerned with evangelism in the power of the Spirit, and in 1 Corinthians 12-14 Paul is concerned with pastoral issues relating to the use of spiritual gifts in the worship of the church. The baptism in the Spirit enables both. So, if we're to expect the supernatural in our meetings (14:26, 12:1-11 etc), we are totally dependent on the Holy Spirit, and since spiritual gifts are operated by individual Christians, it's vital that those who do so are baptised in the Holy Spirit. I say this because, from everything we have said so far, it should be clear that the baptism in the Spirit is what has often been referred to as the gateway to the supernatural gifts of the Spirit. Personally, I have reached this conclusion because I believe that we must decide what to believe on the basis of what we understand the Bible  teaches, not on the basis of our experience. Once we have done that, we may evaluate our experience in the light of Scripture , rather than trying to read our experience into God's word. So, if what we have been saying about the meaning of 1 Corinthians 12:13 is correct, it must surely follow that from a biblical perspective the reception and operation of supernatural gifts will be preceded by the baptism in the Spirit. And as far as Acts is concerned, it is significant that the baptism in the Spirit  always came before the manifestation of spiritual gifts . The first disciples did not begin to speak in tongues  until they were first filled with the Spirit at Pentecost  (Acts 2:4). The same is true of Cornelius  and his household (Acts 10:44-46). And in Acts 19:1-6 the Ephesians spoke in tongues and prophesied after the Holy Spirit  came upon them. Indeed, the fact that people were usually baptised in the Spirit on the day they were saved suggests that the manifestation of spiritual gifts  before being baptised in the Spirit would have been unlikely. But can we insist that the baptism in the Spirit  must precede the manifestation of spiritual gifts? After all, we read that Jesus' disciples worked miracles   and this was, of course, before their baptism in the Spirit at Pentecost . However, as we examine these passages in the gospels we discover that they did so in a special authority  delegated to them by Jesus  at that time. After Jesus went away, they needed the Spirit if they were to continue to work miracles (cf. John 14). So in my view the baptism in the Spirit  is rightly understood to be the gateway to spiritual gifts . Indeed, we might well ask how anyone could expect to manifest the gifts that come from the Spirit without first being filled with the Spirit himself. But we must now consider how all this works out in practice. The idea that the baptism in the Spirit  is rightly understood from a biblical perspective to be the gateway to supernatural  gifts  raises certain practical questions with regard to how this teaching  should be applied today. What, for example, can we say of Christians who exercise spiritual gifts but who either would not claim to have been baptised in the Spirit or who do not believe in the baptism in the Spirit? How do we explain this and what should be our attitude to such people? In my view we should certainly not say that their gifts  are not genuine! Personally, I distinguish between what I see in the Bible , and therefore teach, and what God in his grace may do today even if it is not completely in line with my understanding of the biblical pattern. It seems to me that God is far more willing to give than we are to receive. He is longing to lavish his gifts upon his people if only we would desire them more! This means that he is pleased when any of his children seek after any spiritual gift , whether or not they have come to understand or believe in the baptism in the Holy Spirit . This may well explain why some have been greatly used in healing  even though they have a different understanding of what it means to be baptised in the Spirit . In my view we should thank God for the way he is using them, but still encourage them to receive the baptism in the Spirit with its accompanying blessing of speaking in tongues , for how else will they be able to pray  with their spirit  (1 Corinthians 14:14ff)?  But instead of looking at the experience of others we would do better to consider our own. If we have been baptised in the Spirit , we should press on to the gifts  by eagerly desiring them and praying for them [1]. And if we have not yet received the baptism in the Spirit, we should ask God to fill us today. Our heavenly Father  does give the Holy Spirit  to those who ask him (Luke 11:13) and Jesus  said that if we are thirsty we will drink (John 7:37-39). As we reach out in faith  he will not disappoint us [2] . To summarise, then, I believe that in 1 Corinthians 12:13 Paul is referring to the same experience as Luke describes in Acts, where Christians receive the power of the Spirit accompanied by the manifestation of supernatural gifts. Those gifts are vitally important, not only in confirming the message of the gospel, but also when Christians are gathered together in worship. It follows, therefore, that, if we are to see them in operation in our meetings as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 14:26, we need to encourage all Christians to be baptised in the Spirit. It is only through the power of the Spirit that we can properly fulfil our purpose as members of the body of Christ.     [1] See Body Builders, Chapter 15. [2] For practical help  on how to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit , see The Holy Spirit  – an Introduction, Chapter 7. See also A New Dimension – How to be filled with the Holy Spirit available from www.davidpetts.org

Episode 168 – Paul’s Places – Part 9: Philippi Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: And I will continue to be happy, because I know that by means of your prayers and the help which comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ I shall be set free. My deep desire and hope is that I shall never fail in my duty, but that at all times, and especially right now, I shall be full of courage, so that with my whole being I shall bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. Philippians, chapter 1, verses 18 thru 20, Good News Translation ******** VK: Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re thankful to be with you today. For this episode of Anchored by Truth we are continuing our series on “Paul’s Places.” By “Paul,” of course, we’re referring to the Apostle Paul who wrote almost half of the books in the New Testament. In this “Paul’s Places” series we are taking a look at Paul’s letters to the churches that are identified in our Bibles by geographic names – mostly of cities such as Rome or Corinth. But the book of Galatians is named for the province of Galatia which was a region in what is now in modern-day Turkey. Today we are going to do our 9th episode in this series. So, for anyone who has missed any of the previous lessons we would strongly encourage you to go to our website, crystalseabooks.com, and check out the earlier episodes as well as all of our series. In the studio today we have RD Fierro, an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, what was the biggest reason you wanted to do a series like “Paul’s Places?” RD: Well, let me first start by thanking our listeners for joining us here today. We often observe on Anchored by Truth that the Bible is a book that is firmly grounded in time and place. Said differently, we can test the accuracy of the Bible writers by going to the details of geography and history and seeing whether the Bible is consistent with what we know from other sources. VK: And, when we do so, we find that the Bible is consistent with what is reported to us from other ancient sources that report about the places and times contained in the Biblical record. But let’s hasten to add that just because there will be times that there are differences between other ancient writers or sources this does not mean that the Bible is incorrect, does it? RD: No. It doesn’t. The Bible has often been proven right when others thought it wrong. VK: Can you give us an example of what you’re thinking about here? RD: Sure. For many years there were questions about the existence and the actual title of Pontius Pilate—the Roman governor who presided over the trial of Jesus. Pontius Pilate's title was traditionally thought to have been "procurator of Judea" since the Roman historian Tacitus who wrote in the second century AD referred to him as a procurator. But Luke and the other gospel writers called Pilate a “prefect” not a procurator. The term “prefect” is translated in our Bibles as “governor”. "Prefects" were governors in charge of parts of larger provinces. The fact that “prefect” was the correct title was confirmed in 1961, when a two by three foot stone was discovered that had a Latin inscription. The translation of the inscription reads as follows: Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea, has presented the Tiberieum to the Caesareans. This was not only archaeological confirmation for the existence of Pilate but it was also confirmation that Pilate was the Prefect, or governor, of Judea. VK: And we now know that the title “Procurator” was not used for the Roman governors in 33 AD which was when Jesus’ trial was held. This title only came into usage at a later time, during the reign of the emperor Claudius who was emperor from A.D. 41-54. During Claudius’ reign the title of the Roman governors shifted from Prefect to Procurator. Although the later Roman writers gave Pilate the incorrect title, the Luke and the other gospel writers did not. They called him a prefect - not a procurator. RD: Another example which applies to the book that we’re considering today, Philippians, is the title of the Roman magistrates who served in Philippi. Even though Philippi was located in Macedonia, modern-day Greece, it was a Roman colony. VK: And we not only know that Philippi was a Roman colony from extra-Biblical sources but from the book of Acts. Luke, who wrote Acts, tells us in chapter 16 that, “From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.” That’s Acts, chapter 16, verse 12 from the New International Version. RD: And we’re going to talk more about the implications of Philippi being a Roman colony in a second. But just to provide a couple of additional examples of where the Bible has been proven right even when its accuracy was doubted, Luke called the magistrates in Philippi “praetors.” At first Luke was thought to be in error. According to the "scholars" two duumuirs would have ruled the town. So, there were scholars who thought Luke was not technically correct for referring to the Philippian rulers as praetors. However, as usual, Luke was proven right. Archeological findings have shown that the title of praetor was employed by the magistrates of a Roman colony and it is now known conclusively that Philippi had been designated a Roman colony by Paul’s time. Also at one time there was doubt about Luke's use of the Greek word meris with respect to Philippi. Luke refers to Philippi as the leading city of that "district" of Macedonia. He uses the Greek word meris which is translated as "district." F. J. A. Hort believed Luke was wrong in this usage. He said that meris referred to a "portion" not a "district." Archaeological excavations, however, have shown that the word, meris, was the correct word. Archaeology again demonstrated the accuracy of Luke. . VK: So, the big point that we are making is that there have been many times when people have doubted the Bible. There are even times when writers from antiquity have provided reports that differ from the Biblical record. But in a great many instances as further information has come to light the Bible has been shown to be right. As a general rule archeological finds have often confirmed the reliability of the Bible even in cases where the initial reports were in doubt. So, one of the strongest reasons we have to trust the Bible is because it is overwhelmingly supported by evidence that comes to us from archeology or other historical records. And this fact applies to the Apostle Paul’s epistles that are many of the books we have in our New Testament. The content of the letters that Paul wrote to the various churches is consistent with what we know about those places and times. RD: Amen. So, today we want to take a look at the letter that Paul sent to the church at Philippi. We refer to that letter as the book of Philippians. VK: As we’ve mentioned Philippi is located in modern-day Greece. In Paul’s day the Roman province in which Philippi is located was called Macedonia. We can think of it as being northern Greece. Philippi was located several miles inland from Neapolis which is on the coast. Neapolis served as a seaport for Philippi so travelers coming from Asia to the east would often land at Neapolis. And that’s exactly what Luke reported that Paul did when he made his first trip to Philippi. In Acts, chapter 16, verse 11 we hear, “From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis.” Troas was on the west coast of modern-day Turkey, which was called Asia in Paul’s day. Paul didn’t stay in Neapolis because Philippi was a much larger and more important city. Philippi was named after Alexander the Great’s father, Philip of Macedon, who had taken over the city in 358 B.C. and renamed it after himself. RD: Right. Philip wanted the city because there were some very productive gold mines in the vicinity of Philippi and he needed gold to finance his territorial ambitions. He fortified the city not only because of the gold but also because the agricultural land around Philippi was productive and it was located on an important trade route. But it seems that by the time the Romans took over Philippi the gold mines had fallen in production and Philippi’s fortunes had fallen with it. But the city was later revived during the Roman period because the Romans designated it as a “colony.” Roman colonies outside of Italy were generally places where Roman military veterans were given land so they settled there and, more or less, brought the Roman culture to the region. VK: And by Paul’s day Philippi had regained much of its former luster. It’s access to Neapolis, trade, and the fact that it had been designated a “Roman colony” helped it to again be an important city. Being a Roman colony the city enjoyed many privileges that other cities in Macedonia did not – the most important of these privileges was the exemption from certain forms of taxation. I guess people didn’t like paying taxes in those days any more than we do today. So, if the Romans gave Philippi exemptions from some taxation it would certainly have drawn trade and commerce into the area. RD: And anybody who has read the book of Acts quickly finds out that when Paul went to Philippi some truly remarkable things happened. First, Paul and his companion, Silas, got into trouble when Paul cast a spirit out of a young female slave. The girl’s owners had made a lot of money because the spirit, which was most likely demonic, had given her the ability to foretell the future to some extent. When the girl’s owners realized they had lost their “golden goose” they complained to the magistrates who had Paul and Silas beaten in public. VK: And that was a problem because Paul and Silas were both Roman citizens. ” And Roman law forbid Roman citizens from being punished without a trial and they weren’t allowed to be flogged publically. After some changes made to Roman law in the early 2nd century BC a Roman citizen could not be tortured or whipped and could commute sentences of death to voluntary exile, unless he was found guilty of treason. So, the fact that Paul and Silas had been beaten publically was a real problem and the fact that they hadn’t had a trial just compounded the problem for the Philippian magistrates. RD: Right. And the magistrates realized the gravity of their problem the next day. But not until after Paul had spent a night in prison where again something remarkable had happened. Around midnight Paul and Silas were singing hymns, the other prisoners were listening, and a huge earthquake shook the prison so hard all of the prisoners’ chains came loose. The jailer became so distraught that he was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. In the Roman system if a jailer allowed a prisoner to escape the jailer was held accountable for the escaped prisoner’s crimes. VK: But, as He so often does, God intervened and Paul assured the jailer everyone was still there. The jailer was so convicted he wanted to know what he had to do to be saved. So, the Philippian jailer has become one of the most dramatic examples of a conversion during Paul’s ministry, hasn’t he? RD: Yes. But the story doesn’t end with the jailer’s conversion. Not only was the jailer saved but so was the jailer’s family. Well, the next morning the Philippian magistrates decided it was ok to release Paul and Silas but Paul wasn’t going to let them off the hook for violating their rights. So, Paul told the magistrates’ officers that he and Silas were Roman citizens and that they wanted a public apology. Well, when the magistrates found out that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens they realized they were in trouble. VK: And they did apologize. But they also asked Paul and Silas to leave the city. Evidently they didn’t want any reminders of their malfeasance hanging around RD: And it’s easy to understand why. Let’s focus on their problem for a second. The magistrates had blatantly violated the plain requirements of Roman law and justice. This wasn’t just a problem for them personally but it was potentially a problem for the whole city. As we have mentioned Philippi enjoyed some tangible benefits for being a Roman colony such as exemption from some taxes. But the magistrates knew that the authorities in Rome took a very dim view of provincial cities that violated the rights of Romans. They were well aware that if their egregious violation of Paul and Silas’ rights got much attention in Rome, Rome might retaliate. So, they essentially wanted to sweep the whole episode under the rug. VK: And Paul and Silas accommodated them. The left Philippi and eventually wound up in Thessalonica which was 50 or 60 miles away. So, how does this relate to the letter wrote to the Philippians while he was imprisoned in Rome? RD: In a couple of ways. First, in the letter to the Philippians it’s very apparent that Paul has great affection for the Philippian congregation. We know from chapter 20 of the book of Acts and from 2 Corinthians that Paul visited Philippi on at least 2 other occasions. Part of this strong connection to the Philippian congregation undoubtedly stemmed from the dramatic way it was founded. It may well be that the jailer became an important leader in the church in Philippi and he certainly would have been very grateful to Paul that Paul and Silas hadn’t fled, or tempted other prisoners to flee, even when they had the chance. Paul had effectively saved the jailer’s life, family, and future. VK: Well, that would have formed the basis for the Philippian believers to have great affection for Paul. The believers in Philippi would have known that not only had Paul endured insult and injury to found their church but also they would have known that Paul didn’t create problems for their city even though he had a perfect right to. Paul’s behavior had been a model of grace and mercy to them and all of the city. RD: Right. And we know that the Philippian church expressed their gratitude to Paul tangibly. In his letter Paul makes mention of the fact that the Philippians had become faithful supporters of Paul’s ministry. VK: Philippians, chapter 4, verses 15 through 17 says, “As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.” That’s from the New International Version. RD: Yes. So, let’s take a closer look at the timing of the events we’ve been discussing. Paul’s first visit to Philippi was during what is referred to as his second missionary journey. Many scholars believe that took place between the years 50 to 52 AD. And as we’ve mentioned Paul visited Philippi at least a couple of more times. It seems that his last visit there may have been around 5 to 7 years later which was near the end of his third missionary journey. VK: But some scholars believe that Paul actually left Timothy and Luke in Philippi even after he and Silas moved on to Thessalonica. Luke wrote the book of Acts. In part of Acts Luke says “we went to such and such a place” or “we did something.” But in chapters 17 through 20 of Acts Luke no longer uses the “we.” He starts writing that “Paul did this” or “Paul went there.” So, it seems that Luke was not with Paul during the events Luke describes after Paul left Philippi until Paul again visited Macedonia during the latter part of his 3rd missionary journey. Now from Acts, chapter 17, verse 14 it seems that Timothy didn’t stay in Philippi as long as Luke did. Acts, chapter 17, verses 13 and 14 say, “But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea.” RD: Yes. So, it seems likely that the Philippian church had a continuing reminder of what Paul had done for them – at least for some period of time. Luke wasn’t overly concerned with telling us what he was doing. He kept his account focused on Paul because Paul was the apostle and Paul was the one carrying the burden of the emerging church. VK: So, how long after Paul’s last visit to Philippi did he write his letter to the church there? RD: A reasonable guess is that Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians in 61 or 62 AD. Most scholars believe that’s when Paul was imprisoned in Rome. VK: So, roughly speaking there were around 5 to 7 years between the events of Acts chapter 16 when Paul founded the Philippian church and his last visit with the church before his period of imprisonment. And there were about 4 to 5 years between that last visit and when Paul wrote the letter we have in our Bible that we call the book of Philippians. And in those intervening years the Philippians had often sent Paul support for his ministry. In other words, it makes good sense that Paul expressed a strong sense of affection for the Philippian church. He and they had a relationship that likely went back more than a decade. What else comes across from the letter to the Philippians? RD: There are two other themes that come across very clearly in Philippians – joy and the need for endurance and unity. VK: Some form of the word “joy” is mentioned 16 times in Philippian. This almost seems strange because it is obvious from Philippian church that it is experiencing some form of persecution. RD: And that is one of the great things about the Apostle Paul. He often faced persecution personally but he never lost his abiding sense of the joy that he had for his personal salvation and for the redemption that he saw God building in and through his church. VK: You know it’s possible that the Roman authorities in Philippi never quite got over their embarrassment and chagrin for what they did to Paul and Silas. The magistrates in Philippi knew that they had messed up big time so they probably carried around a spirit of guilt and fear that their abuse might come back to haunt them. So, even though Paul had moved on they may have harbored some lingering resentment for the church he founded. RD: Sadly, that’s quite possible. The magistrates had a limited ability to get at Paul but they could get at his spiritual children who were in the Philippian church. And, as we have mentioned several times during this Paul’s Places series Roman authorities had an easy charge that they could level at Christians – the charge of sedition or, at least, disloyalty. VK: This goes back to what we said earlier about Philippi being a Roman colony. The status of being a Roman colony meant that its residents were considered Roman citizens. Rome designated certain foreign cities as colonies because it gave the Roman state places where they could award grants of land to Roman army veterans without giving them land in Italy or Rome where the wealthy actually owned most of the land. Giving their veterans land grants in colonies outside Italy not only gave Rome a way to reward its military veterans but it also extended the sense of Roman loyalty throughout its empire. And it also extended the amount of territory upon which it could draw conscripts the next time they needed to raise an army. For Rome their colonies were a sort of win-win proposition. RD: So, it would have made sense that a highly patriotic citizenry would have had some resentment for the new Christians who would no longer declare that “Caesar is Lord.” By that time in its history Rome had adopted a form of “emperor worship” and all citizens were required to declare their worship for the emperor unless they were part of another officially recognized religion. The Jewish religion was a recognized religion but no one, including the Roman authorities, were quite sure where Christianity fell. But the pagan ex-army vets wouldn’t have much sympathy for the Christians’ sensibilities. The Christians were not disloyal to their government but it was easy to make it seem like they were. VK: This might have added to the sense of persecution the Philippian believers felt. So, it is reasonable that Paul addressed the persecution they were enduring in his letter to them. RD: And there is one more attribute of the letter to the Philippians which we should address before we close. In the letter Paul seems to anticipate that he will shortly be released from imprisonment. We heard that in our opening scripture. It makes sense that Paul would tell the Philippians that because of the long relationship he had had with them. Not only would they be concerned about his welfare but they would know it would likely mean he could come and see them again. It was fairly easy to get from Rome to Philippi by way of the Mediterranean. Paul even mentions in Philippians that he was planning on sending Timothy to them soon and that one of their members, Epaphroditus, would be coming home with Timothy. VK: That all reinforces the big point that we are making in this “Paul’s Places” series. The epistles, the letters, Paul sent to the various churches we know in our Bibles by geographic labels are consistent not only with geography and culture but also with the history of the latter part of the 1st century AD. Paul had had a long and close relationship with the Philippian church. Timothy had spent time with the church even after Paul had moved on. The Philippians had sent Epaphroditus to Rome with even more support for Paul. Prisoners had to provide for their own support in Paul’s day. So, Paul wrote our book of Philippians with a message that essentially said, “I think I’ll be set free soon. I want to come see you but until I do Timothy is coming again and Epaphroditus is coming home.” All that fits together perfectly. Let’s close with prayer as we always do. Today let’s listen to a prayer of adoration for the One who leads us into a knowledge of the truth – the 3rd Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. ---- PRAYER FOR ADORATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT VK: Before we close we’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes in this series or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Opening Bible Quotes from the Good News Translation) Philippians, chapter 1, verses 18 thru 20, Good News Translation Pontius Pilate - Prefect, not Procurator — Ray Downing Microsoft Word - Pauline Chronology.doc (paultanner.org) http://www.angelfire.com/sc3/myredeemer/Evidencep13.html

Did Luke actually write an account of the Apostles? Can we see evidence in history, and in the text itself, that the writer had a working knowledge of the key characters? In this episode, Dr. Stephen Boyce will walk the listener through these questions, and seek to answer each claim. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/stephen623/support

Episode 149 – Truth and Proof – Part 9 – The New Testament is Reliable Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: …why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 1 Corinthians, Chapter 15, verses 12 through 14, New Living Translation ******** Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. As listeners who have been with us for the last several episodes know we have been working on a series that addresses Christian apologetics. We’ve called this series “Truth and Proof.” This series was inspired by Dr. Gregg Alexander who has been teaching Sunday school for more than 25 years. Several years ago Dr. Alexander developed a very similar series for his class. When we learned about it, we were so impressed we wanted everyone to have access to the wonderful work Dr. Alexander had done. And Dr. Alexander has been kind enough to join us on a few of our episodes during the series. But today we are joined by another special guest. Today on the show we have Doug Apple who is the manager of the WAVE-94 radio station in Tallahassee, Florida. Doug is an extremely faithful student of the Bible and he has thought deeply about his faith. Doug would you like to take a couple of minutes and tell us a little about yourself? DOUG: - Introductory comments - VK: Wow. 14 grandchildren! That’s such a blessing and I’m sure one of the reasons Doug has been so blessed is because of his love for – and dedication to – God’s Word. Doug is so serious about his love of scripture that he has taken upon himself to memorize entire books of the Bible including several from the New Testament. So, it’s particularly appropriate for us to have Doug here today because today on Anchored by Truth we are going to tackle one of the most important topics about the truth of Christianity – the reliability of the New Testament documents. The New Testament is the part of the Bible that tells us about Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. DOUG: And, of course, we get the very title of our faith from Jesus. Jesus was the Christ. The term “Christ” comes from the Greek word Christos which means the “anointed one” or the “chosen one.” This is the same term as “Messiah” which came from the ancient Hebrew word “Mashiach.” So, Christianity is essentially a belief in the work and person of Christ. And while that sounds very simple to say it’s actually a truth so profound we’ll spend all eternity understanding it more thoroughly. But we certainly begin our understanding of that truth by reading the New Testament documents. As such, knowing that the New Testament is reliable and true is a fundamental part of demonstrating that the God that logic tells us must exist is, in fact, the God of the Bible. VK: Christianity depends entirely on the historical person of Jesus Christ. Otherwise Paul could not have said the verse that we heard in our opening scripture from 1 Corinthians. Notice that Paul said, “For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.” The Apostle Paul stated very plainly that the Christian faith is all about Jesus. And, while there is information about the Messiah in the Old Testament, that information is prophetic. The Old Testament anticipates the arrival of Jesus. But it is in the New Testament that hear we hear about that arrival. Therefore, since the New Testament is the primary source of information about the words and works of Christ, if it is not accurate then we do not possess a first-hand account of Jesus’ claims, character, and credentials. The historical integrity of the New Testament is crucial to Christian apologetics. DOUG: Before we get too much into our discussion about why we can have confidence in the reliability of the New Testament, we should probably note that there are some people who believe that no history can be objectively known. Unfortunately, we live in a time when the past is often manipulated by the subjective desires of historians, writers, politicians, social change advocates, con artists, or others who have an agenda that is served by a revision of history. Political correctness doesn’t just affect how contemporary issues are being framed. It is also being woven into all kinds of discussions of history. Pretty much everyone who is paying attention knows that. But political correctness is not what I’m talking about here. There is a strain of thought among some elites, especially academic elites, who believe that it is impossible for us to know anything true from or about history. VK: But the kind of radical skepticism that would say that history is objectively unknowable eliminates the possibility of knowing anything at all about the past. As soon as we get anywhere close to such a radical belief all university history and classical departments evaporate – there is no source about past events that can be trusted. Such skepticism would eliminate all historical science, such as anthropology, geology, paleontology, archaeology, and forensic science because each of these depends on examining and interpreting remains or evidence from the past. Since everything not occurring now is history, such a belief system would eliminate all eyewitness testimony. Even living witnesses could only testify to what they saw at some other point in time. But if this skepticism were true their testimony would not be considered relevant, real, or accurate. On the other hand, if their testimony could be accepted while they are living, wouldn’t it also be true to say that the records they leave behind are just as credible as their testimony in the present time? DOUG: And, another question: isn’t a statement that says we can’t objectively know history an attempt at establishing an absolute and objective truth about history? The statement that “The past is not objectively knowable” is itself an objective statement about the past. Therefore, the position against the knowability of history is self-defeating. It fails the test of its own central premise. In effect, metaphorically speaking, the idea that we can’t know anything true from or about history shoots itself in the head. VK: So, let’s move on to talking about the reliability of the New Testament documents. As we have indicated without a reliable New Testament, we have no objective, historical way to know what Jesus said or did. We cannot establish whether Jesus was God, what Jesus taught, or what His followers did and taught. We must know if the sources or witnesses used by the authors were reliable, and we must show that the manuscripts were written early enough and with enough attention to detail to be accurate records of actual events. As we look at these questions, we will see that we have every reason to be confident in the accuracy of the New Testament. DOUG: So, what you’ve proposed is that the first step in establishing the historical accuracy of the New Testament is to show that the documents were written by reliable eyewitnesses of the events or their contemporaries. And the second step you mentioned is to show that the New Testament documents have been accurately transmitted from the time of their original autographs, i.e. the original documents, down from the time of their creation to our time. And contrary to what many critics believe and say, there is more evidence for the historical accuracy of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ than for any other event from the ancient world. These issues are a crucial part of the overall rational defense of Christianity. VK: So, let’s start by looking first at one of the things we just mentioned: the dating of the New Testament manuscripts. One of the things we want to determine is whether they were “early enough?” In other words, were they prepared close enough in time to the events they tell us about to be reliable? Critics of the Bible and of Christianity would have better arguments if they are able to separate the actual events from the records of those events by as much time as possible. If they can stretch out the time from the date of the event to when the event was first recorded they can argue that the New Testament writers created the events rather than reported them. This then permits them to argue that the New Testament, especially the Gospels, more than likely contains myths. This is a common assertion among scholars. The longer the time between an event and the first record made about it the more likely that embellishments will creep in. And another thing we want to determine is the question of authorship. Said differently, we want to be sure that the record writer was not too greatly removed from the event. Distance is not a problem if the writer was also an eye witness of the event, but historical records are often prepared by people who were not eye witnesses themselves. But we would still consider a record to be reliable if the writer spoke directly to an eye witness or had direct access to supporting information such as records or artifacts that corroborated key details. DOUG: So, let’s take a look at some specifics at one of the most important books of the New Testament, the book of Acts. The Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were both written by Luke. The person to whom they were written “Theophilus”, the style, and the vocabulary indicate that they were, indeed, written by the same person. The date and authenticity of the Acts of the Apostles is crucial to the historical account of early Christianity, because if Acts was written before AD 70 then it has great historical value in informing us of the earliest Christian beliefs. AD 70 is a crucial date because that was when the famous Roman general and later emperor, Titus, destroyed Jerusalem. When Titus destroyed Jerusalem a great many Jews died and the rest were scattered. The nation of Israel disappeared in 70 AD and would not be restored for almost 2 millennia. It was ultimately reconstituted in 1948 by the allies after World War II. VK: So, if the book of Acts was written before 70 AD there’s a much better chance Luke would have been able to speak to eyewitnesses while they were still alive. And the fact that Acts was written by Luke is also crucial. We know from Paul’s letters that Luke was a companion of the Apostle Paul during many of his ministry travels. Therefore, if Acts was written by Luke, it brings us right to the apostolic circle. In other words this means Acts was written by someone who would been a close companion to those who participated in the events reported. And Luke himself was likely an eyewitness to some of the events. In other words, we have the very closest relationship of the author to the historical report. DOUG: Right. So, that is one big point about the historicity of the book of Acts. The author would have had personal knowledge of the events he recorded or he spoke to people who had personal knowledge. As to the question of the when Acts as written, the traditional date assigned to the creation of Acts is 62 AD. This means it was written before the loss of many of the eyewitnesses from the destruction of Jerusalem. It also means it was written by a contemporary of Jesus himself because Jesus died in approximately 33 AD. One person who has assigned a date for the composition of Acts to no later than 62 AD is Roman historian Colin Hemer. Hemer cites a wide range of evidence for his view. For instance, there is no mention in the book of Acts of the fall of Jerusalem. This would be an extremely unlikely omission if the fall of Jerusalem had already occurred. Acts contains no hint of the outbreak of the Jewish War which occurred in AD 66. Acts also does not mention the dramatic deterioration of relations between Romans and Jews which preceded the war. This implies it was written before that time. Moreover, there is no hint of the deterioration of Christian relations with Rome which was caused by Nero’s persecution of the Christians in the late 60s. Hemer believes that Acts was most likely composed between 60 AD and 62 AD because of these and other factors. VK: The other factors include the fact that there is no hint of the death of Jesus’ half-brother, James, at the hands of the Sanhedrin. According to the famous Jewish historian, Josephus, in his book, Antiquities, James was martyred in 62 AD. Had the martyrdom of James already occurred it is extremely unlikely that Luke would have ignored an event that important to the early church. Also, the prominence and authority of the Jewish sect called the Sadducees noted in Acts belongs to the pre-70 AD era. This indicates that Acts was written before the collapse of the Sadducees’ political cooperation with Rome. DOUG: Yes. Also, Luke doesn’t give any indication in the book of Acts that he is aware of Paul’s letters, his epistles, to the various churches in Greece and Asia. In both his gospel and in Acts Luke is very careful about getting particular details right. If Acts was written later in the first century, why wouldn’t Luke have attempted to support his historical account by citing relevant sections of the Epistles? The Epistles evidently circulated through the churches and must have become available sources because they were passed along in every generation. This silence suggests that Acts was written early during the apostolic era. Finally, the ending of the book of Acts does not continue Paul’s story. It simply stops at the end of the two year described in Acts 28, verses 30-31. VK: Those verses say “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” DOUG: So, the fact that Acts just ends with a simple declaration of what Paul had been doing for the previous two years makes it look very much like Luke was just bringing his narrative up to date at that point. Remember, that Luke tells us that he was writing both of the books attributed to him to a man named Theophilus in order for Theophilus to “know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” In his book, The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History, Hemer says, “It may be argued simply that Luke had brought the narrative up to date at the time of writing, the final note being added at the conclusion of the two years.” So, all of these factors tell us that the date for the composition of the book of Acts was quite likely not later than 62 AD and may have been even earlier. VK: So why have we spent so much time now focusing on demonstrating that the book of Acts is a reliable record of history. How does this fit in to our larger goal of establishing that the God that exists is the God of the Bible? DOUG: Because, if Acts is shown to be accurate history, then it brings credibility to its reports about the most basic Christian beliefs. For instance, the book of Acts contains accounts of the life, death (Acts 2:23), resurrection (Acts 2:23, 29–32), and ascension of Christ (Acts 1:9–10). It also contains the records of a number of miracles (Acts 2:22) and it gives us important contextual information that enable us to make better use of that Paul’s letters to the churches that are also important parts of the New Testament. VK: Acts also contains significant details about Jerusalem, Rome, and many other geographical areas that have been extensively substantiated by historical and archaeological research. In other words, Acts is confirmed by overwhelming evidence. Nothing like this amount of detailed confirmation exists for any other book from antiquity. This is not only a direct confirmation of the earliest Christian belief in the death and resurrection of Christ, but also, indirectly, of the Gospel record, since Luke also wrote a detailed Gospel. The evidence that we have that validates Acts confirms not only the historical accuracy of the book of Acts but also the reliability and validity of several other books of the New Testament. DOUG: Exactly. Luke’s Gospel directly parallels the Gospels of Mark and Matthew. As we’ve been talking about, the best evidence is that Acts was composed around AD 60 which places its composition only about twenty-seven years after the traditional dating of the death of Jesus. This places the writing during the lifetime of eyewitnesses to the events recorded – and as we have mentioned this enhances our confidence in the trustworthiness of what it reports. This dating of Acts does not allow time for any mythological development by persons living generations after the events. Furthermore, if Luke wrote Acts, then his “former treatise” (Acts 1:1), the Gospel of Luke, should be seen as written at an even earlier date, and, therefore, easily within the life-time of apostles and eye-witnesses who could have refuted all or part of Luke’s Gospel if he had gotten anything wrong. VK: And as we have mentioned in other episodes of Anchored by Truth we have to remember that all of the New Testament documents were being written in a world that was largely hostile to Christianity. If Luke had been creating fabrications it would have been easy for the people of the time to rebut his books and many of the people of the time had a strong motivation for doing so. The fact that Luke’s records have survived with the content they did tells us that he was reporting the truth. DOUG: So, let’s take a quick look at some of the other writings of Paul. It is widely accepted by critical and conservative scholars that 1st Corinthians was written by AD 55 or 56. This is only about a quarter century after the crucifixion. Further, in 1 Corinthians Paul speaks of “most” of the 500 eyewitnesses to the resurrection who were still alive when he wrote (15:6). This shows that was a substantial body of people at the time that Paul wrote who could confirm the central fact of the Christian faith, Christ’s resurrection from the dead. VK: And along with 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians and Galatians are known to be early. All three reveal a historical interest in the events of Jesus’ life and give facts that agree with the Gospels. Paul speaks of Jesus’ virgin birth (Galatians 4:4), sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21), death on the cross (1 Corinthians 15:3); resurrection on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4), and post-resurrection appearances (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). Paul also gives historical details about Jesus’ contemporaries, the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:5-8), including his private encounters with Peter and the apostles (Galatians 1:18-2:14). DOUG: Critics of the New Testament sometimes claim that the New Testament was not written until almost 400 years after Jesus lived – but these critics are confusing the date that the New Testament documents were written with the time at which they were compiled into the form that we most commonly see them today. We have abundant evidence that the New Testament documents were all prepared well before the end of the 1st century AD. For example, we know that the many of the books of the New Testament were widely quoted by the early church fathers starting in the late 1st century AD. Well for the early church fathers to quote the documents they had to have already been in wide circulation. VK: For instance, of the four Gospels alone there are 19,368 citations by the church fathers from the late first century on. This includes 268 by Justin Martyr who lived from 100 AD until 165 AD. There were 1017 by Clement of Alexandria who lived from approximately 155 AD to 220 AD and there were 3822 by Tertullian who lived around the same time. DOUG: And even earlier, Clement of Rome cited Matthew, John, and 1 Corinthians in AD 95-97. Ignatius referred to six Pauline Epistles in about 110 AD, and between 110 and 150 Polycarp quoted from all four Gospels, Acts, and most of Paul’s Epistles. Papias who was a companion of Polycarp quoted from the Gospel of John. This is particularly significant because Polycarp knew John personally and was a disciple of the apostle John. This argues powerfully that the Gospels were in existence before the end of the first century, while eyewitnesses (including the Apostle John) were still alive. Jose O’Callahan, a Spanish Jesuit paleographer, made headlines around the world on March 18, 1972, when he identified a manuscript fragment from the Dead Sea Scrolls, Qumran Cave 7 as a piece of the Gospel of Mark. Fragments from this cave had previously been dated between 50 BC and AD 50 which in 1972 was not typically thought of as being within the time frame for New Testament writings. Using the accepted methods of papyrology and paleography, O’Callahan compared sequences of letters with existing documents and eventually identified nine fragments as belonging to one Gospel, Acts, and a few Epistles. Some of these were dated slightly later than 50, but still extremely early. VK: Both friends and critics agreed that, if valid, O’Callahan’s conclusions revolutionize New Testament theories. If O’Callahan is correct, the implications for Christian apologetics are enormous. The Gospel of Mark must have been written within the lifetimes of the apostles and contemporaries of the events. This completely eliminates any time for mythological embellishment of the record. It must be accepted as historical. And since the manuscripts found in the Dead Sea scrolls are not originals but copies, the originals would have necessarily been written earlier. This means these parts of the New Testament would have certainly been copied and disseminated during the lives of the writers. These early dates do not allow time for myths or legends to creep into the stories about Jesus. Historians generally agree legend development takes at least two full generations. Even putting aside O’Callahan’s claims, the cumulative evidence places the New Testament documents within the first century and the lives of eyewitnesses of Jesus’s life and resurrection. DOUG: There is a growing acceptance of early New Testament dates, even among some critical scholars. Let’s take a quick look at two of them illustrate this point: former liberal archeologist William F. Albright and radical critic John A. T. Robinson. Albright wrote, “We can already say emphatically that there is no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after about AD 80, two full generations before the date between 130 and 150 given by the more radical New Testament critics of today” (Recent Discoveries in Bible Lands, 136). Elsewhere Albright said, “In my opinion, every book of the New Testament was written by a baptized Jew between the forties and the eighties of the first century (very probably sometime between about AD 50 and 75)” (“Toward a More Conservative View,” 3). Known for his role in launching the “Death of God” movement, Robinson wrote a revolutionary book entitled Redating the New Testament. In it he determined that the New Testament books should be dated even earlier than even the most conservative scholars ever believed. Robinson places Matthew at AD 40-60, Mark at about 45-60, Luke at or before 57-60, and John at 40-65. This would mean that one or two Gospels could have been written as early as 7-10 years after the crucifixion. At the latest they were all composed within the lifetimes of eyewitnesses and contemporaries of the events who could have refuted any parts of the accounts had they been in error. VK: In short we have very strong evidence that the New Testament documents were written very close to the time of the events they record. We know that they were composed by either eyewitnesses to the events or the authors had direct access to eyewitnesses. And we have so many quotations from the original documents in the writings of the early church fathers we can be very sure that the transmission of the original texts was reliable. This sounds like a time to go to God I prayer. Today let’s listen to a prayer for our country – that God’s hand of mercy and provision would be with us now and always. ---- PRAYER FOR THE NATION (MARCUS) VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Bible Quote from the New Living Translation) 1 Corinthians, Chapter 15, verses 12 through 14, New Living Translation SELECTED FACTS THAT DEMONSTRATE THE HISTORICITY OF ACTS Archaeologists at first believed Luke's implication wrong that Lystra and Derbe were in Lycaonia and Iconium was not (Acts 14:6). They based their belief on the writings of Romans such as Cicero who indicated that Iconium was in Lycaonia. Thus, archaeologists said the Book of Acts was unreliable. However, in 1910, Sir William Ramsay found a monument that showed that Iconium was a Phrygian city. Later discoveries confirm this. Evidence That Demands a Verdict - Ch. 4 p. 8 (angelfire.com) Similarly, Luke’s identifying Gallio as proconsul of Achaia in A.D. 51 has been confirmed by a discovered inscription at Delphi (18:12). His report of Claudius’ expulsion of the Jews from Rome around A.D. 49 is referred to by Suetonius (Life of Claudius, 25:4). His incidental reference to Felix as Roman procurator along with his Jewish wife Drusilla is corroborated both by both Josephus and Tacitus (24:24, cf. Ant. 20:131–43, History, 5:9, Annals, 12:54). His identification of Festus as Felix’s successor is likewise confirmed by Jospehus and Suetonius (Ant. 20:182; Claudius, 28). And his mentioning of Agrippa II and Bernice, elder sister of Drusilla and widow of Herod, is again corroborated by Jospehus (25:13, cf. Ant. 20:145). Is the Book of Acts Reliable? - Greg Boyd - ReKnew The topographical position of Iconium is clearly indicated in Acts, and the evidence of Ac has been confirmed by recent research. Was Iconium in Phrygia or in Lycaonia, and in what sense can it be said to have belonged to one ethnical division or the other? The majority of our ancient authorities (e.g. Cicero, Strabo, Pliny), writing from the point of view of Roman provincial administration, give Iconium to Lycaonia, of which geography makes it the natural capital. But Xenophon, who marched with Cyrus' expedition through Phrygia into Lycaonia, calls Iconium the last city of Phrygia. The writer of Acts 14:6 makes the same statement when he represents Paul and Barnabas as fleeing from Iconium to the cities of Lycaonia--implying that the border of Phrygia and Lycaonia passed between Iconium and Lystra, 18 miles to the South. Other ancient authorities who knew the local conditions well speak of Iconium as Phrygian until far into the Roman imperial period. At the neighboring city of Lystra (Acts 14:11), the natives used the "speech of Lycaonia." Two inscriptions in the Phrygian language found at Iconium in 1910 prove that the Phrygian language was in use there for 2 centuries after Paul's visits, and afford confirmation of the interesting topographical detail in Ac (see Jour. Hell. Stud., 1911, 189). In the apostolic period, Iconium was one of the chief cities in the southern part of the Roman province Galatia, and it probably belonged to the "Phrygian region" mentioned in Acts 16:6. The emperor Claudius conferred on it the title Claudiconium, which appears on coins of the city and on inscriptions, and was formerly taken as a proof that Claudius raised the city to the rank of a Roman colonia. It was Hadrian who raised the city to colonial rank; this is proved by its new title, Colonia Aelia Hadriana Iconiensium, and by a recently discovered inscription, which belongs to the reign of Hadrian, and which mentions the first duumvir who was appointed in the new colonia. Iconium was still a Hellenic city, but with a strong pro-Roman bias (as proved by its title "Claudian") when Paul visited it. Iconium - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (biblestudytools.com)

Acts-In-Replay: Warts and All!People and Personalities in Acts 15:36-41Personality clashes in churches are nothing new.Back in Acts Luke records the history of the early church, warts and all. When a huge personality clash split the first missionaries up, Luke faithfully records it, makes no attempt whatsoever to cover it up, or airbrush it out of history. He records it for our benefit and our learning…Read the NOTES HERE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Love Looks and ActsLuke 7:11-17 • Geoff Bradford

Yet as this season has drug on the list of things we're concerned about has grown in number and intensity. The news daily begins to look more and more like societal break down. Anger has supplanted empathy. I think we'd all be happier if our biggest concerns were murder hornets rather than the mayhem we see. We want comfort but we are instead confronted with world events or personal circumstance which are too overwhelming to process and which we are powerless to change. There is so much that has changed (positively and negatively) and there is so much that has remained the same again both positive and negative. How do we find hope and courage in broken world when God is not seen, heard, or felt? I want to bring us back to some key ideas we held on to when this season began. We need faith in what is true. 1: God is Good, Mighty, Loving, Wise, and is in control. He is not surprised by any of this, and He is not overwhelmed. He is active in world events and is engaged in your individual story. 2: We (you) are known and loved by God in Christ Jesus. He knows your circumstances, and has not forgotten His promises, so we have a hope that is imperishable, and one that cannot be taken away. 3: This is a challenging chapter, and while we do not know how long it is, we know it's not the last chapter. The Story ends very well with Jesus return and reign making all things new with no sin, sickness, darkness, disease, or death. Our forever future is better than our present pain. With those in mind we also need to be equipped and encouraged to endure this current season. As we process how we should respond to those around us and engage let make sure we're seeking the wisdom and direction of Jesus to ensure we're asking the right questions with the right motives to be transformed.

I'm on a mission to allow awe and wonder to be a part of my daily existence. I don't have to look far, I just have to let it in. I also have to reorient where I'm looking. Most of all, I need to lay myself down. In Matt Redman's song, "Let There Be Wonder," he calls us to worship the King in reverence and awe.     The lyrics of this week's song also brings us to the birthplace of the Christian church. The perfect segue post resurrection Sunday. On this week's episode I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read in context Read and keep on reading Meditate on Scripture Storying - retelling the story of Scripture in your own words Utilize outside resources Luke as the author of both Luke and Acts - Acts 1:1-3 Considering the end of Luke before diving into Acts - Luke 24:44-53 Following the cross reference to Luke 3:16 in anticipation of baptism of Holy Spirit Jesus ascending to heaven on a cloud...a HUGE source of wonder - Acts 1:6-11 Letting yourself sit in the scene of the narrative The relevance of what comes after the BUT in Acts 1:8 Becoming familiar enough with the scene to retell the story in your own words Discovering what happened in the upper room - Acts 1:12-14, Acts 2:1-3 Learning more about the day of Pentecost from gotquestions.org     Additional Resources Lyrics and charts - WeAreWorship.com "What is the day of Pentecost?" - GotQuestions.org This Week's Challenge On this episode we have merely introduced the first couple of chapters of Acts. Read them for yourself and then meditate on any aspects of the account that inspires wonder. Promises fulfilled, power from on high, Jesus ascending on a cloud and tongues of fire are all details you don’t want to skip over.

COVID-19 will be an interruption to “life as usual” for weeks to come. Jesus was often interrupted in his ministry with crises; he didn't respond in anger, anxiety, or even a need to fix it all quickly. We're learning from Jesus to answer the question: How should we respond to this coronavirus interruption and other intrusions? We’re looking at Luke 7:11-17 where Jesus is interrupted by – and interrupts – a funeral. He notices those who are grieving, enters others’ pain, and brings healing and hope.

February 23, 2020, | Pastor Nathan Elms 1st Church CLT Progress only begins when we perceive our incompleteness… The Greek philosophers gave us five loves, the bible only accepts four of them: • Storge: Affection Love • Phileo: Friendship Love (today) • Eros: Romantic Love. • Agape: Divine Love. What is the fifth? Epithumia: lust, desire. (the bible does not accept this as love) In this series we are going to talk about Phileo… We need real friendship … which is much more meaningful than common interests. We need real friendship … which is much more meaningful than common interests. Beautiful picture of spiritual friendship: When the apostle Paul was writing his last letter, just before his execution in Rome, he described his situation to Timothy. “Only Luke is with me” (2 Timothy 4:11). (Luke probably cared for Paul in prison since ancient prisons usually did not really feed inmates.) That statement hints at the close friendship between Luke and Paul. Luke was born a Greek in Antioch and became a physician before being converted. After his conversion we know that he joined Paul, Silas and Timothy in Troas on Paul’s second missionary journey. In the book of Acts Luke described being shipwrecked with Paul on the island of Malta. The book of Acts ends with Paul being jailed in Rome with his friend Timothy close at hand. After Paul’s death, Luke went home to Greece where he wrote his two-volume history of Jesus and the early church—the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. His second volume, the Acts of the Apostles, is mostly about Paul’s missionary journeys. In four passages, Luke includes himself in the story, using the pronoun “we” to narrate various events. Paul never had a better friend. It’s easy to overlook the importance of having a friend who isn’t in your life to compete with you, but is there to help complete you.  Add notes Reasons you need to connect with friends: Number one: It’s safer. It’s safer when you walk with others through life. There’s safety in numbers. It’s a whole lot less risky. Ecc 4:10 But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Second, support changes everything. It keeps you from giving up. When other people are walking with you, they keep you going. There’s an old Zambian proverb, ‘When you run alone, you run fast. But when you run together, you run far.’ The life that you live is not a 50-yard dash, it is a marathon and you want to run far. Have you ever seen geese flying in V-formation? The reason they do that is that they can fly farther in that formation because it creates an updraft and they don’t get as tired when they fly together. And when we fly, when we walk, when we run through life together, we’re a whole lot less tired. It’s safer. It’s supportive.

October 20, 2019 Luke 11:11-13 Matt Snowden

Today, we are kicking off a series that focuses on what we in the Church know as Advent. Now technically, Advent does not start until this Sunday, but I wanted to take an opportunity to put this episode out as a call to worship, so to speak. It does explain a little bit about what Advent is, but more than anything, you are going to hear people, who love each other and the Lord VERY much, talk about why Jesus coming at Christmas matters deeply to them. And actually that’s what the whole series is. You‘re going to hear me and some of my people talk about why God invading the broken world with the gift of His Son matters so much to us. In addition to that, thanks to ZonderKidz, we’re going to read my absolute favorite version of the Christmas Story for you, which is from Sally Lloyd Jones’ Jesus Storybook Bible at the beginning of each episode. Something about hearing it from the heart meant for children, awakens a beautiful longing in me to recall the gift that keeps giving at Christmas.  So these episodes will be unique from our typical format, but I am so weepy, at how sweet this experience has been, and I just hope it blesses you wherever you are this holiday season.  So, as we start here at the beginning, we’re going to start with somebody incredibly special to me, and that’s my Dad. Its my Dad who is reading this story over us in all the episodes, but as we were together working on this, I just had a burning question inside of me and that was “what’s your favorite part of the Christmas story, Dad?” and from there, came a conversation I will never forget with a man who has loved the Lord all of his life, not perfectly, but with perseverance that often in these days makes no sense to me, until you hear Him talk about the Lord. Then, at the end, he says a blessing over all of us for this Advent season. Ever since I was a child I treasured hearing my Dad pray over me, or over anyone, and I wanted to share that gift with you and to be able to go back and hear it again and again, year after year. And so, here it is. Let’s start at the beginning of this story, that as Daddy says, is a story so ridiculous only God could come up with it. And yet, its true.  References: -Annie F. Downs - Remember God -Shepherds who watched over Passover lambs and the tower at Midgal Eder. :: I found out more about these special shepherds! This article is fascinating.  -”Aint No Grave”- Bethel  Scripture References: -Commentary on Revelation 6:2 // The Rider in White -Exodus 6:28-7:7 -Acts 9:1-19 -Ruth 2 -Hebrews 4:12 -Luke 24:27 -Book of Acts -Luke 1:5-25 -Colossians 1:17 -1 John 1:5-7 -John 12:46 -Deuteronomy 31:6 -Xerxes in Book of Esther -Cyrus the Great -Darius the Mede -Book of Daniel -Nebuchadnezzar -Isaiah 55:11 Connect with me over on Instagram and on my blog for more Advent resources, Christmas Giveaways, my Book Lovers Gift Guide and other general shenanigans. The intro and outro music is by audionautix.com

Who was the writer of Acts? Why is that important as we start to walk through this book? As the church starts, what we find is a man more intent on pointing us to Christ than towards himself. Week one of the book of Acts.

1 Corinthians 1:13a NLT 'Has Christ been divided into factions?' Now in my 60s, there’s one aspect of the Christian life that still puzzles me. That is Church. In the naivety of my early Christian life, when Christianity offered me a model of perfection, I held an idealised view of fellow believers. I assumed the Acts Luke described in Jerusalem was a typical church in action. My assumption was that this community, as Ron Sider in his book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger (Thomas Nelson) describes it, was about total availability to and unlimited liability for one another. However, experience showed me this was an ideal and not a reality. Many I read spoke of the “Jerusalem experiment”, as they called it, as a complete failure if not a fiction. I discovered that, just as elsewhere, there were techniques to ensure self-advancement within the Church. I accepted this as a further sign that transformation was always a work in process as we waged war with fractured mortality. I quickly began to accommodate myself to the practices of Church advancement. The difficulty was that fellowship together became rooted on two principles. One was an unachievable vision of recreating the authentic New Testament Church in our contemporary culture and the second was a narrow view of what constituted correct liturgy, be that formal or free. Much of what I was involved in was designed specifically to appeal to a younger generation; style of music, comedic communication, space for dancing and high intensity. It worked, but because something works doesn’t make it right, as every adulterer who successfully keeps their spouse in the dark about their double life knows deep within. The Church is the bride of Christ. The New Testament is peppered with descriptions about church life, often addressing things that are drifting or going wrong. Much written is about the respect we have for one another in thought and deed and, of course, it’s merely an extension of love of neighbour. In honesty, my churchgoing was about securing affirmation, which came in spades once I was on the platform and preaching. This is a long way from Sider’s view, which I today fully endorse. QUESTION: How does your involvement in church help realise Sider’s vision for Church – total availability and unlimited liability? PRAYER: Lord, may I be diligent in helping your Church be all you call it to be.

Here at the end of the book of Acts Luke records for us the final steps in Paul's long journey to Rome. After taking all of three days off, Paul gets back to work ministering to the local Jews as well as anyone else that stopped in to visit Him. As we sit back and apply this passage we find some profound truths that will help us as we face the uncertainty of life.

Here at the end of the book of Acts Luke records for us the final steps in Paul's long journey to Rome. After taking all of three days off, Paul gets back to work ministering to the local Jews as well as anyone else that stopped in to visit Him. As we sit back and apply this passage we find some profound truths that will help us as we face the uncertainty of life.

The Book of Acts: Luke, Vol. 2 Acts 1:1-5Luke-Acts: God's Redemption of the World Expository Studies in Luke-Acts2009-2012; Ken Mitchell.

2nd May 2010 - Rev. Murray Shanks

Seth Rogers - Satan Acts - Luke 22:1-6