May the tribe of Eutychus increase! — Acts 19-21

Posted on January 4, 2012 by parklinscomb

Which baptism? — Acts 19:1ff

There are a number of baptisms mentioned in the Bible.

  • Of Moses— 1 Corinthians 10:1,2. As Israel was surrounded and protected by a cloud from God (Exodus 13:21 and Psalms 105:39) and later walked through the midst of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:22,29) they were immersed (baptized) in the cloud and the sea to become the chosen people of God.
  • Ceremonial Jewish washings (Hebrews 9:10)—Throughout the book of Leviticus and also in some of the other Old Testament books (Leviticus 15:10, for example) there are commands from God to literally wash in water as part of being ceremonially “clean” in God’s sight.
  • Of John—John came to prepare men’s hearts for the Savior who was coming in the very near future, and his baptism was an immersion to show repentance (which was required for forgiveness of sins).
  • Of suffering—This sort of immersion is used in a metaphoric way by Jesus, an immersion in suffering as inMark 10:38-39. Here Jesus is referring to His own suffering and the fact that His disciples will also suffer.
  • Of the Holy Spirit—There are two ways this baptism can be seen in the New Testament. One baptism of the Spirit is the sort seen in Acts 2, accompanied by miracles, as proof of God’s approval. The second sort isn’t accompanied by miraculous signs, but is a description of our immersion into the life of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 5:16–26, and Romans 8:1–28).
  • Of fire—This baptism was mentioned by John the Baptist as an alternative to baptism with the Holy Spirit, Hell. According to the New Testament we will be immersed in the life of the Spirit or in fire.
  • Of Christ—This baptism is twice commanded by Jesus — Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15,16. And many times over it can be seen as the obedient response of faith from people desiring to be saved and become Christians in the book of Acts.

I mention these to note that baptisms have meanings, it’s not just about getting wet. When the 12 disciples that Paul discovered spoke of their baptism from John the Baptist, Paul commanded them to be baptized again, because they believed and had repented, into Christ for forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). This is Christian baptism and apparently it really does make a difference for what reason you are baptized. How were you baptized?

Seven Sons of Sceva — Acts 19:14ff

I find this story such a scream! Here are a bunch of charlatan exorcists trying leverage Jesus’ name as just one more magical incantation (Ephesus was big into magic, as the rest of the passage tells us). But rather than exorcising the demon, the evil spirit says, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” And the demoniac leaps on them and and beats them up, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded! There are a couple lessons here: 1) don’t mess with evil spirits (Jude 8), because you don’t know what you’re getting into and 2) Jesus’ name is not one to use lightly or as some sort of magical incantation (like I’ve heard some televangelists use it). Jesus is after all the King of kings and Lord of lords.

A resurrection on Sunday — Acts 20:7ff

OK, this story could be poorly used as a warning against falling asleep in church, but I’ll not go there. I think it is on the other hand a great lesson about dedication to coming to the assembly. Poor Eutychus gets a raw deal lots of times, because he did fall asleep, but lets look at all the facts. The church was meeting on what we’d call Saturday evening, because they were using Jewish time, in which a day started 6PM. The early church, being peopled by a number of slaves, would meet in the evening after work was done. Eutychus, we might imagine, had been working all day long. The church was meeting in an upper room, which was doubtlessly warm. Oil lamps were the light in this early worship assembly, which were using up some of the oxygen in the room. Combine weariness, a naturally warm upper room, plenty of body warmth from a crowded room, a late hour, and oxygen eating lamps and you get plenty sleepy. To his credit, Eutychus probably sought out the window to get some fresh air and stay awake to hear what Paul was saying and participate in worship, but his weariness apparently got the better of him and fell asleep and out the window. Fortunately Eutychus was able to be raised from the dead, to everyone’s great relief; but consider the dedication that Eutychus had to just be there. It would have been easy and even understandable for Eutychus to excuse himself from the assembly, or go home early. But he not only came, but did his best to stay awake. Are you a Eutychus or a drop out (no pun intended), when you’re a little tired from a day’s work? Do you strive to hear God’s word and learn, or do you figure that you don’t really need what’s being taught or preached? I’d rather be a Eutychus than an absentee.

Shepherd the flock of God — Acts 20:17ff

This ought to be a regular study for any eldership. Paul masterfully outlines the responsibilities and critical nature of the ministry of the eldership (also known as shepherds and overseers, see the whole context). Too often elderships become more like a governing board, which may betray less noble reasons for aspiring to the office of an elder — getting to make the calls for the church. While authority to direct the affairs of the church is undoubtedly in the hands of the overseers of the congregation, knowing the flock, teaching the flock, healing the flock, feeding the flock, and defending the flock are priority responsibilities.

Arrest at the Temple — Acts 21:27ff

Paul’s arrest in the Temple was just one more time that this dedicated servant of God was arrested or otherwise persecuted in his lifetime. This arrest ultimately put him in continual custody for over four years — from Jerusalem to Caesarea to shipwreck to Rome. This tribulation had been prophesied for him, but instead of kicking dirt and complaining that it wasn’t fair or questioning God’s desire to save mankind (because, after all, Paul was doing so much successful missionary work), Paul clearly figured that God had some greater plan in mind for him — which indeed He did. May we have the same spiritual vision to see our own troubles in this way.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Posted in Bible commentary, Christianity, New Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Paul’s second missionary journey — Acts 16-18

Posted on January 3, 2012 by parklinscomb

The apostle Paul was not one to let the grass grow under his feet. He was a man with a mission, a purpose in life that drove him; so although he came “home” to Antioch of Syria, he didn’t stay there for very long. He anxiously wanted to find out how the churches they had planted were doing and advance the Kingdom even more. As we advance further into this new year, may we all find our purpose in the Lord’s purpose for us. Purpose is the reason we get up in the morning, the reason we draw breathe. It’s no hobby or diversion — it is life itself! Find God’s purpose for you and let it drive you, let it give real meaning to your every day.

But speaking of Paul’s second missionary journey, let’s get into what the text talks about and what it means for us…

Using his Roman citizenship — Acts 16

As noted yesterday, Paul didn’t launch this missionary trip with Barnabas, because of a disagreement about taking Mark with them again. But though they were in disagreement, they at least behaved like Christians and divided the work load as they sought to strengthen the churches that they’d established. Barnabas went back to Cyprus and Paul went back to Cilicia, Pamphylia, Lycia, Lycaonia and Galatia (south-central Turkey). Christian brethren who disagree (and we often do on matters of opinion) should follow Paul’s and Barnabas’ example of Christian unity, even in “sharp” disagreements.
As Paul finished checking on his already established churches and delivering the decree from Jerusalem regarding Gentiles (Acts 15), he also picked up another companions beside Silas to help in the ministry of missionary evangelism, Timothy. He was a young man and Paul quickly “adopted” him as a “son” in the faith — a close mentor/protege relationship that apparently lasted throughout Paul’s life. Having finished his work of encouragement among the already established churches, Paul sought to plant new ones. His first thought was to continue preaching in Asia minor, but when the Holy Spirit forbade it and Paul received a vision to pass over the Macedonia (the Macedonian call), he and his companions forged ahead into the continent of Europe.

Their first evangelistic stop was in Philippi, a Roman colony. That this was a Roman colony is important in understanding some of the rest of the story.

A river near Philippi, probable location of the place of prayer

Roman colonies were something like Roman retirement communities for Roman soldiers in far-flung parts of the Roman empire. They were little islands of Roman culture in foreign lands: Latin was spoken, Roman customs were upheld, Roman architecture and amenities were the rule, and Roman law was strictly enforced. This is why there were so few Jews in town that when Paul sought a synagogue, he couldn’t find one and he was forced to look for fellow Jews down at the local river (a Jewish custom for prayer gatherings referred to in Psalm 137, in situations in which there were less than 10 Jewish men in a community). It is also how Paul is able to protect this infant church against Roman persecution by pulling his “citizenship card” after he had already been beaten and jailed without due process of Roman law. In doing so, Paul gives us a great example of how to be “Wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16) — to protect a young church.

Trouble in Thessalonica — Acts 17:1-9

After Paul had been “encouraged” to leave Philippi, he and his companions opted for Thessalonica. He found great success in his preaching in the local synagogue, among both Jews and God-fearing Greeks. Some Jews filled with jealousy, probably over Paul’s preaching success, especially among the Gentiles, stirred up trouble throughout the whole city, claiming that “These men who have upset the world have come here also!” The King James Version translates, Acts 17:6 “…These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.” I sort of like that translation, because in a way it is true that the Gospel turns the world upside down — which is really right side up! In any case, the trouble that they managed to stir up created such a dangerous situation that the brethren encouraged Paul to leave for his own safety. So, Paul left a church no more than 3 weeks old, which explains the concern that Paul expresses to the church there in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians).

How was such a young church able to stay together and remain strong? First, you have to credit Paul’s strong teaching. Today’s church leaders sometimes have a very weak emphasis on doctrine, believing that it is not what people want to hear — they want practical application of Jesus to their lives. What is little understood is that practical application comes out of the doctrine. We live what we believe and we believe what the Bible teaches (a less offensive word than doctrine, but meaning exactly the same thing). Second, the Thessalonian church had some strong Jewish leaders who already had a solid understanding of Scripture, now improved and strengthened by Paul’s teaching. Strong leadership is always important and strong leadership could be defined as men who know the Scriptures well, live the Scriptures well, and stand strongly against false teaching. Third, the church doubtlessly had some of the gifts from the Spirit (prophecy, special knowledge, etc.) as many of the early apostolic churches did, to help guide them (see Acts 8).

Berean study habits — Acts 17:11

Paul’s next stop, fleeing from Thessalonica, was Berea. As always, Paul’s first stop was in the synagogue, where this time he found a very friendly and sincere audience who were examining the Scriptures daily with great eagerness to see if what Paul said was really so. What an outstanding example to follow for anyone today. Men often get things wrong — sometimes accidentally and sometimes deliberately — but God’s word remains constant and true. Whatever a preacher or teacher says, no matter how esteemed he may be, should be checked with the one, always-reliable standard of truth, the Bible.

You are very religious — Acts 17:16ff

In time, word of Paul’s preaching in Berea got back to Thessalonica, just up the coast; and the trouble makers that got Paul booted out of Thessalonica came to run him out of town in Berea, too. So Paul traveled on to Athens, the Harvard of the world. As usual he began preaching in the local synagogues, but also in the marketplace (agora) just below the acropolis.

A view of the Acropolis from Mars Hill

A view of the Acropolis from Mars Hill

Some of the local philosophers got into discussions with him and invited him to speak at Mars Hill, a little outcropping of marble rock just NW of the nearby acropolis and famous Parthenon. One might expect that a Jewish Christian, provoked as he was (Acts 16:16) about the idols would “lay into them” about their benighted ways. Instead, Paul deals gently, yet truthfully, with them. He calls them religious, a compliment — probably as he gestured toward the Parthenon close by. He leads them to arrive at the conclusion that God is not many but one, not living in humanly constructed temples needing to be served by men, and that he made us all. He, in fact, made a lot of headway, until he mentioned the resurrection, a real sticking point with the Greeks. Even so, some did come to be believe.

I’d like to note here, however, that being religious was simply not enough. Being moral (the philosophers spent their lives trying to discover truth, morality, and happiness) was not enough. Being smart and well-educated was not enough. Only Jesus is enough. I mention this, because we live in a world that thinks that these other things are enough. We must not get sucked into believing the lie that all is well with most of the “nice” world. Nice doesn’t cut it; John 14:6 “Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

The Priscilla and Aquila team — Acts 18:1-4

Paul wasn’t forced to leave the city of Athens, but chose to go to Corinth, where he spread the Gospel with great success for about the longest time he ever stayed anywhere. While he was there, he met a certain Aquila and Priscilla, who had been among the Jews who had been kicked out of the city of Rome for riots and disruptive disputes over a certain “Chrestus” (see Seutonius— probably a misunderstanding or mispronunciation of Christ in the disputes doubtlessly that occurred in the synagogues of the city.

Corinthian Temple

It is uncertain whether Paul converted them or they were converted in Rome or even on Pentecost. But one way or the other, they were a power husband and wife team that did a great deal of work in the early church. Of the two, it would seem that Priscilla may have actually been the more vocal of the two, since here name is listed first in a couple of occasions in the New Testament. This is great testimony of the power of an active Christian couple who work together in the cause of Christ. Perhaps your marriage could be just such a powerful team in your congregation!

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Posted in Bible commentary, Christianity, New Testament | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Paul’s first missionary journey — Acts 13-15

Posted on January 2, 2012 by parklinscomb

Today’s reading in Acts begins an almost exclusive focus on Paul’s missionary activity from the first missionary journey with Barnabas up to the time he was probably released from his first Roman imprisonment. Since many of us are unfamiliar with eastern Mediterranean geography, it might be useful to have a map ready as you read. There are lots of exciting, instructive, and inspiring stories ahead, so let’s get started.

Taking the Gospel home — Acts 13

Barnabas was Cyrian by birth and Paul was from Tarsus, a city in Cilicia (a little north of the Mediterranean’s northeastern corner’s shore. As Paul (Saul of Tarsus) and Barnabas are appointed by the Holy Spirit to missionary activity, the first places that they chose to evangelize were their native homes, Cyprus and Cilicia. This sort of dovetails with what Jesus told the man who had been possessed by legions of demons, “‘Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:39). Now it is also true that Jeus said, (Matthew 13:57) “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” So, why go home? Because you know the area, you know the people, you know the language and customs, and you will be better trusted than a complete outsider. While it is still true that family and close friends may reject the message because of jealousy or unwillingness to believe that the kid whose diapers you changed could ever teach you anything; it is also true that others will listen to you better than a complete stranger. Who would you be more willing to listen to about a spiritual matter: someone like you or someone not like you?

Unbelief is really blindness — Acts 13

With regard to the existence of God, the authenticity of the Bible as the word of God, and Jesus being the Son of God, unbelief is really not because there isn’t enough evidence; it’s really more a matter of there being none so blind as those who will not see. This was made physically true as an illustration of sorts, as a sign, with regard to the Cyprian magician, Bar-Jesus, who opposed the Gospel teachings of Paul and Barnabas. And it needs to stand as a warning to us all to be careful to avoid being blinded to what God is saying in His word. Satan can blind us by a number of things: jealousy, fear of having been mistaken, family or friendship loyalties, laziness, a resistance to change, position and possessions, moral inconvenience, my emotions, a slick and persuasive speaker, and even more. Christianity, however, has plenty of evidences to its claims, and it’s truth is both accessible and understandable. Unbelief in its truth is a blindness that we choose.

Discouragement of desertion — Acts 13:13 and Acts 15:37-39

Not too much is said of Mark’s desertion of Barnabas and Paul in chapter 13, but his desertion becomes a major source of controversy between these two men later, when Mark wants to come on the second missionary journey (Acts 15:37-39). The emotional disagreement between these two men of such great faith highlights the true nature of the discouragement that had occurred, when Mark (barely mentioned up to this point) decided to go home. Sometimes we think that our presence or absence is not such a big deal, because after all, we’re really nobodies. But we’re wrong. Absentees vastly underestimate the damage that they do to the morale of the group though their desertion of the body or of a good work. Thankfully, Barnabas (as was typical of his personality and character — remember, Barnabas was his nickname, meaning Son of Encouragement) was willing to give Mark another chance, but Paul, remembering the apparent discouragement of Mark’s desertion, found himself unwilling to risk the success of his important missionary work with the presence of a previous deserter. Don’t be a discouragement to others; what you do really does effect and hurt others in their Christian walk and the church in its good works.

Through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God — Acts 14:22,23

I’ve known folks, who, after becoming Christians, ran into persecution and tough times (usually from family), and who then complained to God that they thought that becoming a Christian was the right thing to do and now things are terrible. I guess they thought that becoming a Christian meant that life was going to be a rose garden from that day forward — God would protect them from all harm, living righteously would guarantee no more sorrow in their lives, and everyone would respect their new path of living. I’ve been looking for such a passage in the Bible for a long time now, and the only kind that I seem to find are those like Paul’s message: “Through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God.” Jesus never sugar-coated the cost of discipleship and neither did the apostles. The first, second, and third century church knew all too well how hard being a Christian was — the world didn’t make it easy. And the world continues to make it hard; it’s an uphill battle all the way, and to think differently is to set yourself up to quit when the going gets tough. “Expect it,” Paul is saying.

The council of Jerusalem — Acts 15

This part of the reading today is a watershed moment in the history of the church. Yes, the Gentiles were being included in the Kingdom, but the question remained whether or not they needed to be circumcised and live by the other laws of Moses. Pharisees who had come to believe in Jesus came to Antioch of Syria, where Paul and Barnabas had returned from their first missionary journey, and preaching that circumcision and obedience to the Law was necessary to be a full-fledge citizen of the Kingdom. This was a huge issue in Antioch of Syria, probably the largest population of Gentile Christians in the world at the time. Paul and Barnabas disagreed with this teaching vehemently and so they all decided to get a definitive answer from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. The decision that came out of this inquiry was that it was not necessary for Gentiles to be circumcised nor obey the laws of the Mosaic covenant. However, because the merging of the Jews and the Gentiles in the church was obviously going to be a long, rocky slog, the Holy Spirit and apostles did give the Gentiles what could be considered a compromise command to avoid offense among the Jewish Christians. They told the Gentiles, Acts 15:29, “that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell”; and the rationale was, Acts 15:21, “For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

The lesson that comes out of this is less about what restrictions have been imposed on Gentile Christians and much more about the importance getting along. There are a couple of passages that are more in-depth in the New Testament on this topic in both Romans and 1 Corinthians, but the command and principle is clear, that the unity of all of God’s people, the church, is more important than anyone’s personal tastes or preferences. Doctrine is one thing that should never be compromised; but opinions and other disputable matters for the sake of unity must always be negotiable — unity is just that important.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Posted in Bible commentary, Christianity, New Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Gospel is for all — Acts 10-12

Posted on January 1, 2012 by parklinscomb

Well, Happy New Year! May this new year, if the Lord delays, be a great one full of blessings — especially spiritual blessings — for you.

We’re continuing to plow through Acts and today’s reading expands the Kingdom to the Gentiles. This is no small matter from a Jewish point of view and it is the fountainhead of an early doctrinal controversy.

The Gospel really is for all — Acts 10

Who knows what the apostles thought Jesu was really saying in Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”? Perhaps they thought that He was talking about making disciples of the Jews of the dispersion scattered around the world; but Jesus had something much broader in mind. But neither Peter nor the other apostles conceived that Gentiles could be citizens of the Davidic Kingdom, part of the new covenant, followers of the Jewish Messiah. It took a vision of a sheet of clean and unclean animals descending from heaven with the command, “Kill and eat” — three times; AND the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a sign that it really was authorized by God for Peter to believe it! But he did believe, and Cornelius and his household was baptized into Christ without having to submit to circumcision and other Mosaic laws. Acts 11:17, 18 — “’Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?’ When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, ‘Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.’” God is the God of more than any one racial or ethnic group; His love is wide enough to include every nation, race, language, economic class, and culture on earth — thanks be to God.

Good isn’t good enough — Acts 10:1ff

Hopefully you noticed how good a man Cornelius was — Acts 10:2 “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.” But despite his righteousness and godliness, Cornelius needed salvation. This is important to notice, because his story is the story of many men in our own day — good, moral folks, who believe they’re going to Heaven, because by the world’s standards, they’re good. Some are even religious, but they also need to be saved. Because good isn’t good enough. Why? Because (Romans 3:23) “for all (even the “good”) have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and (Romans 6:23) “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

About the baptism of the Holy Spirit — Acts 10,11

The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs twice in the New Testament — once in Acts 2 regarding the apostles and a second time to Cornelius and his household. In both cases, we should notice, it was not for salvation; rather it was for the purpose of demonstrating God’s approval. The apostles had no credentials with the mixed Jewish crowd on Pentecost, yet they had the most important message of the ages, the Gospel of Christ. The baptism of the Holy Spirit (the sound of the mighty wind, the tongues of fire over their heads, and the ability to speak in various tongues) gave them instant and unmistakable credentials as spokesmen from God. Cornelius, being a Gentile, had no eligibility to become a part of the Kingdom in the eyes of the Jews. The baptism of the Holy Spirit gave Cornelius and his household the eligibility and authorization from God that they needed in the eyes of Peter and later the other apostles. Again, this baptism was not for forgiveness or salvation — Cornelius was commanded to be baptized for salvation at the end the story. There is more than one kind of baptism and they are for various reasons. As we’ll see in a later story (Acts 19) more clearly, the medium of the baptism and the reason for which a person is baptized does make a difference.

Saved at the eleventh hour — Acts 12

Peter’s miraculous release from prison the night before his scheduled execution has an important principle for us to remember as we face our own set of difficulties — it’s not over til it’s over. Now this is not to say that God will deliver us from every trial, every test, every tragedy, every tight spot — God’s greater purposes sometimes must be take precedence. But it is to say that God’s deliverance is always a possibility, especially when His people are united in prayer about it.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

 

Posted in Bible commentary, Christianity, New Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A complete 180 — Acts 7-9

Posted on December 31, 2011 by parklinscomb

Yesterday, our reading ended with Stephen, a man filled with the spirit, a man with a servant’s heart serving as a deacon, preaching the Gospel so convincingly in the Freedman’s synagogue that, lacking a good answer to what he was saying, they trumped up charges and brought him before the Council (the Sanhedrin). What happened next?

A heart aflame speaks to stiff necks — Acts 7

The whole Sanhedrin waited to hear Stephen’s defense against the charges of speaking against the Temple, the Law, and the customs handed down (the rabbinic traditions). What they heard was a brilliant sermon, 90% of which was a recounting of their most beloved and familiar biblical stories. What they didn’t expect was the “stinger” at the end, when Stephen pointedly noted the common thread running through all of these stories — the rebellion and stiff-necked rejection of everyone that God had ever sent their way, now climaxing in the last rejection of God’s Messiah and Son, Jesus Christ. His point cut them to the quick and enraged them; but when Stephen saw the Lord in a vision and spoke about it in their midst, it proved to be too much for their self-control and they took him out and stoned him, making Stephen the first Christian martyr.

Now it could be argued that Stephen might have saved his own life by being a little more gentle in his presentation. There might even be some today that would argue that he would have done better to have merely been diplomatic, denied the trumped up charges, and gone home. I would argue that Stephen did exactly what he was supposed to do, what the Lord expected him to do by speaking up about Jesus and confronting them with their sin. I’d also argue that his confrontory style was exactly as it should have been. With gentle hearts and souls a gentle approach will produce repentance; but with stony hearts jack hammers and dynamite are their only hope. Note also that sometimes the very thing that the Lord requires us to do, can get us into trouble with authorities and other around us; the Gospel sometimes causes a fuss. We must be careful to not avoid telling the Gospel just because it might cause a fuss or make us unpopular — men’s souls depend on it. Would you be willing to risk a fuss over the Gospel?

From Jerusalem to Samaria — Acts 8:1-24

Far from stopping the “contagion” of the Gospel, the outbreak of persecution only scattered the thousands of disciples back home to their native lands with the Good News. Philip, also one of the men appointed as a deacon earlier, was among those scattered and he opted to go to Samaria and preach the Gospel. There, probably because of earlier work of Jesus Himself (remember the Samaritan woman at Sychar?), many new disciples were baptized into Christ including a magician named Simon. Having “given birth” to this group of disciples, Philip then sent for the apostles to come and teach them the things they still needed to know (Matthew 28:18-20 — “…All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…”). When Peter and John came and began to not only teach but also give them gifts from the Holy Spirit (miraculous knowledge, prophecy, miraculous tongues, etc.), Simon’s old nature pointed out a wonderful business opportunity — buy this ability to distribute the gifts of the Spirit. Peter, of course, rebuked him severely, called upon him to repent, and told him in no uncertain terms that this was not his ministry.

Lessons? First the Gospel is for all, even Samaritans. Do you have “Samaritans” in your acquaintance, they need the Gospel, too. Second, the gifts from the Holy Spirit apparently were bestowed only through the apostles’ hands (an apostle being an eyewitness to Jesus’ resurrection — see Acts 1:21,22. This would of necessity make the miraculous gifts only of relatively short duration on earth — only as long as there were apostles alive to put their hands on men and endow them with these gifts. We’ll talk more about this in future posts.

Look here is water — Acts 8:25ff

Philip didn’t stop with Samaria; he went where the Spirit led him and met up with an Jewish-Ethiopian nobleman returning from Jerusalem to his home in Ethiopia. As he was being chauffeured in his chariot he was reading from the prophet Isaiah — chapter 53 in particular. As Philip approached the chariot and heard him reading (you always read aloud in the ancient world) he asked the nobleman if he understood what he was reading, and he talked his way into a teaching opportunity. Philip picked up with Isaiah 53 and taught him about Jesus. Teaching him about Jesus apparently included what one did in response to Jesus’ death and resurrection, faith, repentance, and baptism; because when the Ethiopian spotted some water, he asked Philip to baptize him. After the Ethiopian’s confession of faith in Jesus as the Christ, Philip did baptize him. Immediately the Spirit swept Philip away to a “new assignment”, but the Ethiopian went on his way rejoicing in his salvation and forgiveness and became the bearer of the Gospel to Ethiopia.

Lesson? First, use the opportunities God’s places before you. Speak up, be friendly and helpful, and teach God’s word. Second, baptism can and should happen as soon as the chance avails itself. When you see you’ve got dirty hands, you don’t wait until next month to wash them. When you know that you need to be forgiven, you don’t wait a month or two to respond to Christ’s command to be baptized and forgiven. It’s a spiritually critical matter.

How much faith and courage did Ananias have? — Acts 9

Chapter 9 starts with the conversion Saul of Tarsus. The first time we meet Saul, he is watching the coats of the men stoning Stephen. From there we see him only as a fire-breathing persecutor of Christianity. Eradicating Christians from Jerusalem wasn’t enough, he sought to go to other places and eliminate their heresy and blasphemy; so, after receiving the appropriate authorizing paperwork to arrest and punish Christians he took men with him to Damascus to serve God by getting rid of these disciples of Jesus (does John 16:2 sound familiar? — “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.”). But the Lord had other plans, appearing to him on the road with a message. Saul was temporarily blinded by this experience, but made his way into Damascus and waited. In the meantime, God approached a certain Ananias with a new mission for him, tell Saul of Tarsus what he must do to be saved. Ananias thought this was a mistake, that perhaps God hadn’t been reading the papers lately and didn’t know who this Saul of Tarsus was and what he was up to. And although Ananias was wrong about God being mistaken, you can certainly understand his reluctance to go speak to this Christian-hunter. Without a faithful (and I mean faith-full) and courageous Ananias, there would not have been an apostle Paul! Who are you afraid to tell the Gospel to? What should you (we all) do?

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Posted in Bible commentary, Christianity, New Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

We cannot stop speaking — Acts 4-6

Posted on December 30, 2011 by parklinscomb

Boy, oh, boy. The new year is approaching quickly. Where has this past year gone? I know we say that every year, but it seems truer this year than many. I just got used to writing 2011 and now I have to relearn 2012 — I had to type it carefully to get it right. 🙂 Hopefully, you’ve been working all the way through 2011 on reading through the entire Bible and following my blog. If this is one of the first times you’ve read my blog and are interested in reading the Bible through in a year, you could just grab the first entry in this blog and work your way through every post everyday in supplement to your actual Bible reading. But getting down to business of the blog, what does the Scripture say to us today?

Salvation in no one else — Acts 4:12

In a day and age in which truth is relative, “it’s all good”, and inclusivity is king, there could be no more important message for us to hear and embrace with a bear hug. Yes, expressing this aloud will get you jeers and contempt, but 1) it doesn’t make it any less true and 2) people still must hear it (it is their only hope). The jeering and contempt is just what the Master warned us to expect. We certainly don’t want to do it with the wrong attitude — then we’ve earned the jeering and contempt — but do it we must! Buddha didn’t die for our sins, nor Mohammed, nor Moses, nor Krishna, nor Confucius, nor crystals, nor the pagan gods, nor the angels, nor our “inner goddess” or any other new age nonsense. Jesus did; He paid the price of our sin, which our only salvation! Otherwise, we must face the justice that our sins deserve — no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Sin is the problem and Jesus is the only solution. Period.

Sadly, our world seems to want to be saved by any other — any other — name than Jesus’. Yet Peter tells us explicitly, “for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” There aren’t zillion ways to Heaven. There aren’t even two ways to Heaven. There’s one and only one way — Jesus. When we, through neglect or deliberate omission, fail to mention this way to Heaven, we cut off people’s one and only hope. It’s true — it’s true.

We cannot stop speaking — Acts 4:20

And that’s why the apostles couldn’t stop speaking in His name. It was about obedience to God and about the one way to salvation!

In this verse, too, there is another interesting phrase worthy of meditation: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge.” It was a rhetorical question — they knew the right answer. It is not just the Jewish leaders of the first century who were saying, “Don’t speak in Jesus’ name!” It has become the mantra of social and political leaders of today, too. And although the ignorance of our day may not make the answer a rhetorical question anymore (they don’t know the answer to the question), the answer must be the same — we must obey God rather than men. Which do you obey?

Prayer that shakes the ground — Acts 4:31

The courage of the apostles during this first encounter with opposition coupled with their fervent prayer that they may continue to speak God’s word, the Good News of Jesus, confidently and boldly was answered by God with an earthquake. It was sort of God’s way of saying that He would answer their prayer with a “YES”! We’d probably all like a similar answer to our prayers, but the key factor to their answer was that they had already (as it were) stepped into the Jordan River. They had already acted faithfully and courageously and boldly and confidently. God would certainly bless such a prayer with a resounding yes, then — and now. Praying in faith this way is really hard for us to do; we want all the pieces in place before we act. God wants us to act in faith in accordance with His will, and then He’ll provide the pieces. Do you want to pray earth shaking prayers — pray for them in faith, act as if you have already received the yes answer, and step forward.

I’m reminded of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. One of the “tests” of the worthy man, before he can reach the Holy Grail, is to step off into what looks like a bottomless chasm. Indy takes a deep breath and steps off into what looks like thin air — but it turns out to be an illusion; there was something there all along; he just couldn’t see it. How like our spiritual lives lived in faith. Are you stepping off into the chasm? Or waiting for the bridge to appear?

Lying to God — Acts 5:4

The question that is often asked about this story is why God punished so strongly over what seems to human eyes to be a pretty minor infraction, lying about how much was given. The answer boils down to this, lying isn’t that minor, especially when it has to do with God. Secondly, God’s tendency is to illustrate the gravity of sin early on in His dealings with His people in covenant — the church, in this case.

But a deeper question is whether we’re lying to God. Perhaps not about money, although that is sometimes done, isn’t it? But perhaps about other things. What promises have you made to God? Marriage? Becoming part of His New Covenant? Discipleship? As a witness? Other things?

First deacons — Acts 6:1ff

Deacons were among the first servants of the church (after the apostles) to be documented in the Bible. They were needed because there are two sides to ministry: a physical and spiritual side. Both can be quite taxing and consuming. The apostles found themselves run ragged and doing neither as well as they’d like trying to do both. So deacons were needed. As Paul later tells those who were to be appointed deacons in 1 Timothy 3, such a place of service is not inferior to spiritual matters. Done well, the service of deacon is granted high standing and confidence in the faith in Christ Jesus. Do you consider your act of service in the church to be minor? Don’t!

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Posted in Bible commentary, Christianity, New Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Acts of the Apostles — Acts 1-3

Posted on December 29, 2011 by parklinscomb

Well, today we begin the book of Acts. If you’ve never studied this book very much before, you’re in for a treat. Before we start with the story itself, please allow me to provide a short introduction.

The book of Acts is considered to be the Gospel of Luke, part 2. It is written by the same author, using similar uptown koine Greek, written for the same Theophilus, and picking up where Luke leaves off. Its broad outline seems to be distilled in Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” And the book indeed contains a (brief, in comparison of what could be written) record of 1) the baptism of the apostles by the Holy Spirit, 2) the apostolic witnesses in Jerusalem, 3) Samaria, 4) and the remotest part of the earth. I mentioned in parentheses above that it is brief in comparison to what it could have been, and therefore it is most accurately described as some of the acts of some of the apostles. For a fuller treatment of the rest of the apostles and some of their reported deeds, read Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History.

As we read through, let me encourage you to make a note of a few things, especially if you’ve not really studied this book before:

  • How to become a Christian
  • Some patterns for the church
  • What the early Christians suffered for their faith
  • How the faith in Christ spread
  • Doctrinal struggles of the early faith
  • How God’s preparation expedited the spread of Christianity

Do not despise the day of small things — Acts 1:15

The phrase that I used in the above heading, “despise the day of small things” comes from Zech. 4:10, in which the small beginnings of the second Temple was discouraging to some of the returned exiles. I thought of this as I read through the passages describing the handful of folks — apostles, supporters, and other brave souls who hung around between the ascension and the day of Pentecost — who became the start of the spiritual temple, the church. I hope you’re not tired of hearing me say it, but God isn’t dependent on large numbers, big bank accounts, political power, military might, good looks, high IQs, or slick skills to do blockbuster things. All that is necessary is all that has ever been necessary: God and faithful people.

We are all witnesses — Acts 2:32

This statement about the factuality of the resurrection of Jesus is being made by a group of men who have all been authenticated as spokesmen for God through signs of the mighty wind, tongues of fire on the head, and speaking in tongues. It’s also being said a mere 400-500 yards away from the still empty tomb, just in case there were any lingering doubts. I say all this to underscore the truth of the resurrection of Jesus. It’s still a difficult thing for some to believe — I don’t blame them, if they haven’t examined the evidence. But the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is really ironclad.

Repent and be baptized — Acts 2:38

On hearing and seeing the evidence of the resurrected Jesus — proof of His Messiahship — the large crowd that had gathered around the apostles cried out in shocked panic, “What shall we do?” Since it was clear that they believed, Peter went right to the next step in becoming Christians, “Repent and each 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.” To do so would obtain two crucial things to these believing Jews: 1) forgiveness of sin and 2) reception of the gift of the Holy Spirit Himself. Some modern religious groups reject the idea that baptism is necessary for forgiveness of sins. They’ll cite the thief on the cross, who was forgiven before Jesus even died on the cross. And others will cite two Greek authorities (A.T. Robertson and J.R. Mantey), who assert that the Greek word “eis” could be (as a remote meaning) used for the English word “because” — even though the vast majority of Greek experts and translators strongly disagree. Clearly, both arguments have very serious flaws and sadly are doctrinally driven — “faith only”. Paul later clarifies things even better in Acts 22:16 “‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’” And Peter makes it even plainer, (1 Peter 3:21) “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you–not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience–through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,”

To receive forgiveness of sin (a very important criteria of entering Heaven) one must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. To do so is to also receive the gift of God’s Holy Spirit — a mark of sonship (Rom. 8:14-16), a seal of God’s ownership (Eph. 1:13), a strength for the inner man (Eph. 3:16), and a down payment of the ultimate redemption (2 Cor. 1:22). The bottom line here is that baptism is quite important because it is the moment of forgiveness and reception of God’s Holy Spirit. It is not a work — in fact, it is a passive act, a submission to God’s will and someone else’s actions. It is no more a work than repentance is; it merits nothing, salvation is indisputably by grace (Eph 2:8). Upon these instructions from the inspired apostle Peter 3000 obedient people were, in fact, baptized. Remember what I said earlier about not judging things by their small size, when God is involved? And this was only the beginning; it still continues. If you’ve not been baptized, do you not want to be obedient, too?

Day by day — Acts 2;43ff

What did all these baby-Christians do to grow? Well, day by day they were…

  • devoting themselves to the apostles’  teaching
  • devoting themselves to fellowship
  • devoting themselves to prayer
  • devoting themselves to breaking of bread
  • were together
  • had all things in common
  • continued with one mind
  • breaking bread from house to house
  • taking meals with gladness and sincerity of heart
  • praising God

There’s a lot to learn from these things that could help us all to continue to grow. By the way, you did realize that Christianity is a growing process, right? Thank goodness, huh? It’d be great to be completely mature without sin from the get-go, but that’s not who we humans are, sadly. Grow, grow, grow!

But what I do have I give to you — Acts 3:6

This is the beginning of a great story that continues on into chapter 4 — we’ll finish it tomorrow. Peter and John walk into the Temple, where they had been preaching the Gospel of Jesus. This time as they came in they were asked for alms from a man who had been lame from birth. He was a life-long beggar that often sat at the Temple’s “Beautiful Gate”. Now, Peter and John weren’t the sort of guys to ask money from, because they didn’t have any — and Peter tell him as much. But he did have something pretty great — the power to heal the lame man, which he did. This drew a tremendous crowd, because everyone recognized this 40 year old man; clearly, a significant miracle had been performed! Peter and John began to preach the Gospel, and the rest of the story is that they were arrested. But I’d like to point out that having no silver or gold was not a problem for Peter and John, and it shouldn’t be a problem for us either. You aren’t letting it are you? God needs and will use all the talents He’s given to us — even yours — to spread the Good News and advance the Kingdom.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Posted in Bible commentary, Christianity, New Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shall I not drink it? – John 18-21

Posted on December 29, 2011 by parklinscomb

Thanks for not giving up on me while I was temporarily without internet access on the computer that I do this work on.

We’ll be wrapping up the Gospel of John in today’s reading. It sort of needs to be read altogether, rather than broken apart. But despite the length, I hope you’ll take the time to absorb — and let the story effect you.

Shall I not drink it? — John 18:11

Jesus is saying this in response to Peter’s misguided but valiant defense of his Master. Poor Peter, like many of us today, was a little too focused on this world, and couldn’t possibly imagine a scenario in which the salvation of the world might hinge on the unthinkable — the death of the Messiah. In a clear display that he meant every word, when he told Jesus that he would die for Jesus, Peter was ready to take on a Roman cohort and the Temple guard by himself! In response to this heroic effort, however, Jesus tells Peter something that completely sent this loyal disciple in a tail-spin of confusion — put the sword away, because He needed to drink the cup the Father had given Him. Jesus had tried to prepare them for the fact that this was all part of “the plan”, but it never seemed to have “computed” with His apostles. I’m caused to wonder if we ever considered that part of God’s greater plan might include for us also a “bitter cup” — suffering wrong, injustice, unfairness without cause or (worse) for doing what is right! Often, we think too much like Peter: never imagining a scenario in which God’s plan for the benefit of the church or one’s family or someone you don’t know might hinge on the unthinkable, a bitter, sorrowful cup for us. Will we say with Jesus, “…the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” — or “Nooooooo!!!!!” This is not to say that Christians should simply be slavishly submissive against the world’s injustices; but it is to say that when unavoidable suffering comes our way that we need to avoid stand up straight, lift our eyes to Heaven, and face it like our Lord! Christianity is for the courageous, the loyal, the valiant, and those willing to look beyond the seen to the unseen, the new creation that Paul talks about in 2 Cor. 5:16ff.

My Kingdom is not of this world — John 18:36

The mainstream Jews of Jesus’ day misunderstood the mission of the Messiah, and it tragically caused them to miss the Messiah. But they are not the only ones who have misunderstood the mission of the Messiah; even today there are those who look for a physical kingdom to be established here in this world. And as they do so, they frequently miss God’s plan for redeeming man and teach others this same error. Jesus, however, could not have been any clearer. It was never His mission to bring a utopian existence to this world, and He tells Pilate this fact in impossible to misunderstand terms: “My Kingdom is not of this world.” Jesus’ Kingdom is a spiritual one; don’t miss it.

Barabbas — John 18:40

There’s a really cool and inspired play on words found in the irony of the man who was released in Jesus’ place. Barabbas is a name which means, “son of a father” — well, duh! How common a name could you have? And is it not descriptive all of mankind? Except Jesus, of course, who was/is the Son of THE Father. The guilty “son of a father” (everyman) set, while the innocent and righteous “Son of THE Father” is led away to execution.

Isaiah 53:5, 6 “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”

We have no king but Caesar — John 19:15

How true it was! It should have been God, but it never had been so. As they manipulated the system and Pilate to have the true King crucified, they sealed their treason with this significant denial. But lest we look contemptuously down our noses at their treason, who exactly is our king? Oh, yes we have human and governmental authorities that we need to give their due (Romans 13:1ff), but who is your ultimate king? What others think of us? Money? Coolness? Uniformity? Self? Our pet sin? The list of idols could be long and seamy.

It is finished — John 19:30

Yes, it was finished; the battle and war was won! But it was better than finished at Jesus’ resurrection, where Jesus’ identity was completely manifested, where our salvation was completely sealed, where our future was revealed, and where our hope was ultimately guaranteed!

Doubting Thomas — John 20:26ff

Poor ol’ Thomas. Yes, he should have believed, but all the apostles were ultimately rebuked for their lack of faith. But Thomas being that last to believe gets a nickname, “Doubting Thomas”. I for one, however, am glad that he did doubt, because it makes my faith all the more secure. It would be easy, especially in an age of skepticism to think the apostles to be half-brain-washed, gullible, grief-stricken, desperately hopeful rubes, who composed this story of a resurrection out of their distraught but doomed hope for a Messiah. But their doubting takes away our reasons for doubt.

Do you love Me? — John 21:15

What would Jesus be saying to you, as you answered, “Yes, of course I love you, Lord”? Are you doing it? I think this is the main point of this familiar passage. True, we can legitimately see the “redemption” that Jesus offered a broken-hearted Peter. But note that there’s more than mere words that are involved in this interaction; there’s a mission. It wasn’t going to be easy. What’s the not-so-easy mission the Lord has given to you?

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Posted in Bible commentary, Christianity, New Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Internet out back soon

Posted on December 28, 2011 by parklinscomb

I’m temporarily without good access. Tomorrow.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Hard things to hear

Posted on December 26, 2011 by parklinscomb

Glad you’ve joined me again today.
I am the vine – John 15:5
The vine is the life source for the branches. In order to be capable of good fruit there must of necessity be a strong connection. Good fruit is good deeds, but it is more than this. There are morally “good” atheists in that they don’t do anything criminal or reprehensible. They’ll engage in philanthropy. They’ll adopt orphans. So are they connected to Jesus? No, because there’s more to good fruit than mere good deeds – it’s good deeds done in obedience to God, which demands these good deeds when it’s inconvenient, when it’s counter-intuitive, when you’re angry, when there’s no one looking. Only when we’re motivated by love for Jesus, by discipleship, by a real hunger and thirst for righteousness – really connected to the vine – can we produce the kind of fruit God seeks in us.
Chosen out of the world – John 15:19
Have you ever considered yourself chosen out of the world? Chosen perhaps – we like that, but the “OUT OF THE WORLD” part is a little more challenging. The outcome will be that the world will not care for us – hate us, actually. It’s a life changing perspective – witness the apostles.
Offering a service to God – John 16:2
In fact (touching on the last challenge) some, like Saul of Tarsus, would actually think that they were doing the Lord a favor. This sort of thing happens when people people are paying more attention to men than to God, to tradition rather than Scripture. Who do pay attention to?
Guided into all the truth – John 16:13
Did we really get all the information that we need to get to Haeven? Part of th e Spirit’s work among the apostles was guiding them, and thus the church, and the writers of Scripture into all the truth. No need for further revelation, no starter kit to be completed later.
I have overcome the world – John 16:33
It’s a wonderful promise to rely on that the victory has already been won. Yes, things will get hard. Yes it will seem overwhelming. Yes you’ll be tempted to give up, but don’t. Jesus has overcome the world! Are you living the victory – strong and certain?
Your word is truth – John 17:17
Not a theology. Not a philosopher. Not a well read author. Not the popular idea. God’s word. All of it, not part of it.
A real unity – John 17:20-21
Unity is often misunderstood these postmodern days. but rather than explaining all t he details of real unity, Jesus gives us the example – Himself and the Father. They have no differences in theology, in how one is saved, in our hope for the the afterlife, about moral standards, about worship patterns or anything else. Not the typical definition of denominational unity or postmodern unity – really union rather than unity. What God wants is unity.
See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

Posted in Bible commentary, Christianity, New Testament | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment