Acts 10-12 - From the Jews to the Gentiles

During a visit to my sister’s place, she took us to a very special bakery and bought a loaf of artisan bread.  

When we returned to her house, we broke open the loaf, and immediately said to each other “Uncle Willem’s Farm!”. 

We had not been there in decades but after one glorious whiff of the loaf it brought us back to his kitchen, which always had the lingering aroma of bread baked with the milk from his goats. 

On the coast at Caesarea, the capital of Judaea, an angel appeared to a Roman centurion named Cornelius and this God-initiated event changed the course of the church.

Acts 10:3-4

About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.

God does not need memory aids (mnēmosynon), but his “prayers” and “alms” are what stood out about Cornelius.  

The sacrificial system had at its core the dependence on God.  One would sacrifice an animal that could have produced for you.  Instead of relying on the herd, one relies on God for continued provision.  

Today, we continue to sacrifice Sunday.  We don’t work that day.  It could have also produced for us.

But the memorial mentioned in our passage goes beyond that.  

There was a practice during sacrifice, which itself was intended to be eaten, where a portion of the offering is burnt instead as a “memorial” ('azkārâ):

Leviticus 2:9-10

And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the Lord's food offerings.

Normally the sacrifices were eaten and enjoyed, either by the family bringing the sacrifice or by the priest receiving the sacrifice.  In the same way, today, our sacrifice of Sunday, is normally enjoyed as a time of rest or recreation.

But when we take a portion of Sunday, or any day, and sacrificially devote that time to someone else’s benefit, that will be our “memorial” at the final judgement (Matthew 25:31-46).

Bike

As a child I memorized:

 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9

 

But I struggled with how it would be “just” to forgive someone.  Don’t they simply “get away with it”?  Is that really justice?

 

Let’s say, as you were learning to drive, you borrow the family car and on one of your first solo drives, you proceed to back over your younger sister’s bike in the driveway.

• If your Father makes you work hard and replace the bike, that would be just.
• If your Father, simply forgives you, then your sister does not have a bike.  That would not be just.
• But if your Father, out of his own money, buys her a new bike, if he then still makes you buy her a second bike.  That would not be just.

You see, God is being just by forgiving your sins, because Jesus has already been punished for them.  It would be unjust to make you pay for them a second time.

 

Paul describes it this way:

“It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Romans 3:26

This leads to a difficult, but true, thought.  If the same thing happens to the neighbor’s children, a new driver in that family drives over their younger sibling’s bike, must your Father also pay?  No, that would not be just.  Your Heavenly Father is just to limit His mercy to those who are His children.

 

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:14-15

 

So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”
John 10:24-30

 

While this difficult thought is tied up in the mystery of eternal God’s Providence, 1 John 1:9 starts within our temporal experience with the phrase “If we confess”.  It is that simple action that guarantees we are part of God’s eternal plan.  This is the gospel.

 

Let’s do that today:

·       I have sinned and God would be just to punish me.

·       Jesus Christ was faithful, did not sin, and died in my place.

·       By the power of God, Jesus Christ rose again and by God’s mercy I can as well.

·       Heavenly Father, because it would be just, please forgive me.

 

Acts 8-9 - From the City to the Nation

Recall please that the apostles had been commanded through the Holy Spirit to evangelize (Acts 1:2,8), had received the Holy Spirit to facilitate evangelism (Acts 2:4), and they prayed that the Jerusalem church would likewise be empowered to evangelize (Acts 4:29-31).

In this chapter, in an answer to that prayer, Phillip, who again by tradition says was one of the Seventy Two (Luke 10) that Jesus sent out as evangelists, was scattered to the City of Samaria.  

There his teaching, supported by many miracles, was successful enough for Peter and John to be sent to equip other Samaritan evangelists with the evangelistic gifts of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-16).  This however was not done universally, but selectively, and excluded Simon the magician (Acts 8:18-21).

In these chapters we see Saul/Paul receive the Spirit by the hand of Ananias of Damascus, who also has been identified as one of the Seventy-Two.

But the last such recorded event was (Acts 19:1-7), when Paul equipped a group of 12 in Ephesus to evangelize via the power of the Holy Spirit.

This does not appear to have been perpetuated to us, but rather is the fulfillment of what Jesus Christ said specifically to His Disciples before His Ascension:

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 end of the earth.”

It is dangerous to apply what is said to the Disciples to the church universal.  Yes, there is an ongoing fulfillment by indwelling of the Christian by the Spirit, and the ongoing duty to evangelize, but it should not be expected to include the miraculous powers given to the initial evangelists.

Instead, today it appears we are universally equipped just as were the disciples by the risen Christ in John 20:19-23(This prior to the events in Acts that we have been studying):

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

The power specifically conveyed here is the power to forgive.

In what is called the High Priestly Prayer by Jesus in the Upper Room (John 17:18-26), this indwelling of the Spirit is requested and perpetuated to us by the phrase “but also for those who will believe in me through their word”and we are included in the same charge with the phrase “so I have sent them into the world”.  That charge being “that the love with which you have loved me may be in them”.

John 17:18-19

As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.  And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

 

John 17:20-21

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 

 

John 17:25-26

O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

 We are given the same Spirit and the same power to love, to forgive, and to heal relationships!  

Acts 5-7 - From the Temple to the City

At first they worshiped in the Upper Room, after healing the lame man at the Temple, they decided together (homothymadon) to worship at the front door of the Temple in what was called Solomon's Portico (Acts 5:12-16).  This was a time of relative peace when those that still entered the Temple held them in "high esteem".

But because 5,000 people no longer were entering the temple, neither was their tithe.  Jealous, the Sanhedrin thew them into "public" prison overnight (Acts 5:17-42) to teach-them-a-lesson.

Acts 5:19-20 

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”

Instead God miraculously released them and through an angel commanded them to go into the temple to speak the "words of this Life".  

What is the difference between their life and "this Life" (outos zōē)?  Their life was filled with the fear of the Sanhedrin, who could pass judgement on what and how they must atone.  This life was filled with the fear of God, who through the work of Christ, has atoned for us!  

Their sermons spoke of the innocent death and resurrection of Jesus.  This tore at those who listened because it put the responsibility of Jesus death on them ("you intend to bring this man's blood upon us").  This is a sin for which the Law did not have a method of atonement (Leviticus 4:20,26,31,35,5:10,13,16,18)!

Our text this week, then goes on describe the choosing of the first Deacons (Acts 6:1-7) and the martyrdom of Steven.  

Steven, who tradition and early lists, holds was one of the 72 disciples commissioned by Jesus as evangelists, worked among the Hellenistic widows, whose wealth then was no longer going to their previous synagogs (See for example Josephus “The Antiquities of the Jews” Book XVII Chapter 2 Section 4).  

This enraged their leadership, who incited a crowd to stone Steven.  When they looked (atenizō eis) at Steven they saw "his face was like the face of an angel".  When they were stoning him, he looked (atenizō eis) into heaven and saw "the glory of God".

Then he did what they could not:

Acts 7:60 

And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

He forgave them, so that no atonement was necessary, in the ultimate demonstration of "this LIfe". 

Acts 3-4 - On the Porch

Peter and John go up to the temple and enter by the famous "Beautiful Gate (Josephus “War of the Jews” Book 5 chapter 5 paragraph 3).  They heal a well-known lame man who begged regularly at that gate and leads him by the hand into the temple (Acts 3:8).  Everyone sees him walking and leaping and amazed, they follow them back out of the temple;

Acts 3:11

While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's.

On the Portico of Solomon, Peter addresses the crowd and quotes Moses from Deuteronomy 18:14-20:

Acts 3:22-23
Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 

This is not simply a command to “Listen and obey”, where both actions are dependent on the recipient.  It is rather “Everything said by the prophet will be heard and should be obeyed”.  Only the second use of “listen” is subjunctive (a possibility), while the first is indicative (a surety).  

God will not fail to communicate.  Again from Deuteronomy 18:19, God says “I myself will require it of him”.  Everyone will hear this prophet!  

Still, however, many will not heed what is said and not experience His mercy, even when confronted by the visible power of God on the Day of Wrath (Revelation 16:1-11), which brings history to its conclusion.  

Again, in mercy it is a conclusion that will not come until the Gospel of the Kingdom is proclaimed throughout the whole world (Matthew 24:14).  

But at that conclusion, at the Great White throne (Revelation 20:11-15), again all will hear.  For those condemned, they will, however, still not heed.  There will be no repentance, but rather what Matthew describes a “gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:36-43).  To understand the phrase, see its use at the Stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:54).

You see this as well in Jesus’ description of Judgement Day (Matthew 25:31-46).  Those condemned are given a chance to respond to the charge but do not either acknowledge their inaction or request forgiveness, but rather deflect the charge saying “Lord, when did we see you . . .”.

You see in this the juxtaposition of mercy and justice.  No one will be ignorant of the charge and all that are damned will not be repentant.

Acts 1-2 - In the Upper Room

As a youth I had the opportunity to travel to Europe and work in Germany for a summer at the Torchbearer conference center called Klostermühle.  On the way there, my buddy Scott Sherman and I stayed in England in Otford Kent at Hildenborough Hall, which was a Christian teen ministry in the 70’s and 80’s.

We visited in the spring when the fields were freshly plowed and, on the surface, appeared what looked like the remnants of last year’s crop of potatoes.  They were not.  There were nodules of obsidian, which when split would reveal their glassy interior.  We were told that even after years of ploughing they would still surface.

That in mind, when describing the wonderful atmosphere of this fledgling church, Luke used a word with which translators struggle.

Acts 2:46
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, . . .

The word “generous” is also translated “simple” or “singleness” or “sincere” or “humble”.  It is aphelotēs, whose word picture is that of a stone-free well-plowed field.  It is where none of the stones are present, that would normally prevent a church from thriving.

In these chapters we saw the disciples recall their task (Luke 24:44-49), be chided by angels to get going because the Son of Man was coming back (Daniel 7:13-14), replace one of their own, be equip with the Holy Spirit and present the gospel for the first time.

This fledgeling church with 120 names on the roll, met together on Pentecost, the day after the Seventh Sabbath, that is Sunday.  They had already begun to meet on the first day of the week and it was their collective active passion (homothymadon).   This word is almost unique to Luke.  It is used three times in these two chapters (Acts 1:14; 2:1; 2:46).

Matthew 28 - Testimony, Authority, and Identity

With the events of the Passion Week, Matthew is very deliberate to note and capture testimony.  

In Matthew 27:51-56, he records the testimony of the soldiers and the women that were present for the crucifixion.  In Matthew 27:57-61, under the watchful eyes of those women the body was moved to the stone-closed tomb.  In Matthew 27:62-66, the tomb was sealed and guarded.

Then in Matthew 28:1-10, after dual-Sabbaths (sabbaton is plural, the high day (John 19:3) that starts the week-long feast of Unleavened Bread (Thu/Fri) is followed by the weekly Sabbath (Fri/Sat)), the women go on the first day of the week to embalm the body without a plan to open the tomb.

They found the tomb open and the guards gave them testimony of how the angel opened the tomb.  Then the angel bid them to enter the tomb and see the place where Jesus had lain.  No aspect of the events should be missed.  All must be witnessed.  The angel instructed them:

Matthew 28:5-7 

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

Then Jesus himself appears and confirms the instruction.

“Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

But instead out of fear they locked themselves in a room that night and waited for Thomas to arrive (John 20:19-25).  There Jesus appeared again and repeated the core of his teachings:

John 20:21-23 

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Then with "Doubting Thomas" in tow, they obeyed and went to Galilee.  If they were vocal and obedient about the command, this may have been where more than 500 disciples gathered to see the risen Christ (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

Matthew 28:16-17 

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

They went to "the" mountain, possibly the very one where His ministry began, where He delivered the Beatitudes; where He spoke as one with "authority" (Matthew 7:29); from where He began a ministry validated by miracles demonstrating that authority (Matthew 8:9, Matthew 9:6, Matthew 9:8).  

But this day He declares His authority.  The verb "given" (didōmi) is in the aorist tense and translators vacillate between using present or past tense in English, because it is not done with respect to time.  This authority is rooted in eternity and His identity.

Matthew 28:18-20 

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you , , ,

With this authority, He commands them to make disciples and baptize them in "the" name (singular) of the Triune God.  There is only one name.  God revealed it in Exodus 3:14 as the great "I AM"; the self-existent eternal one (Yᵊhōvâ)

In the line that follows, Jesus declares His identity by using that name:

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

He did not say "will be with you".  The verb "am" (eimi) is in present tense and is stretched across all time (See for example John 8:56-59).  Something a simple man cannot do.  In this phrase He declares Himself to be the Son of God.

Eight days later (length of a round trip to Galilee) they once again lock themselves in the room in Jerusalem (John 20:24-29).  This time with Thomas.  Jesus once again appears to them and invites Thomas to touch His wounds.  

Thomas could only reply “My Lord and my God!”.