We're following Barnabus and Saul on their first missionary journey and have seen them at work on Cyprus, sharing the good news, encountering opposition and seeing God at work in people's lives. As their story continues, they move on, first to Perga and then to Antioch in Pisidia, a very arduous journey over the Taurus mountain range. Why they decided on this Antioch isn't clear, although it is known that Sergius Paulus had relatives there, so maybe that influenced their decision.
On the way, John Mark decides to go back to Jerusalem. Not much is made of that here but it will later be a source of real tension between his uncle Barnabas and Paul. They continue on their journey and, from the way Luke writes his account, it seems that Saul, now referred to as Paul, is the leading figure in the group.
What we're going to see in the rest of this chapter is a lengthy account of their ministry in Pisidian Antioch. A number of very important points emerge from what Luke has written.
1. The Pattern: Jews First
Firstly, notice the pattern they follow in their work. They begin at the synagogue. In Rom. 1:16, Paul says the gospel "is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."
Why that pattern? What does Paul mean, "first for the Jew"? As his speech will show, this is not simply a pragmatic move but a theological one. The God who made all things chose to act to bring salvation for mankind through the Jewish nation. They ought to be a prepared people, ready to hear the news about Jesus the Messiah. That's why they're first!
In terms of today, that moment of history is of course long passed. But Jews still need to hear about Jesus, as much as any other people group; they're as lost as anyone else. But the strategy 'first to the Jew', which Paul derived from God's dealings in history, no longer holds for today.
2. The Speech: Grace, Rejection, Vindication
Following God's plan of starting with the Jews, and at the invitation of the synagogue rulers, Paul stands up to speak. They would have been hoping for a speech to encourage them in their long-awaited hope for God's redemption of them. They wouldn't be disappointed!
i) A focus on God's grace - In vv.16-25, Paul sketches out some of the major points in the history of Israel. In doing so, he highlights the fact that they have had a special history because God chose them. God acted in grace toward them.
And his choice of them and work among them was all destined to climax in the coming of the Saviour who he identifies here as Jesus, a descendent of David.
ii) Jesus, rejected but vindicated - Then, in the second main section of his sermon, vv.26-37, Paul shows what happened to Jesus. Far from being hailed as the Messiah, he was rejected by the Jewish people and crucified on a cross. Yet this was all in the plan and purpose of God and had been prophesied in the OT (v.19).
So was he the Messiah after all? How could they know for sure? They could be sure because God had vindicated him as his Son, the Messiah, by raising him from the dead! Again, this was just what the Jewish scriptures had said would happen. God's plan was being kept to the letter!
iii) Calling & Warning - Which leaves the people with the most important decision to make. In the final part of his sermon, Paul tells them that forgiveness, justification, is available in Jesus and him only. They mustn't rely on the law to save them; it could not and would not. Only Jesus can do so. And he warns them that if they reject Jesus, judgement will follow.
What can we learn from that summary of Paul's message?
a) The whole sermon take into account his hearers context; he starts where they are and relates the good news to them. That is a constant feature in Acts and should be so with us too.
b) He shows the grace of God in initiating the plan of salvation. This is not something tacked-on to the history of the Jews as though it was an afterthought. When we share the gospel with others, we're bringing before them the great purpose of the whole of history!
c) Paul focusses on the significance of Jesus. The cross isn't explained here in great detail in terms of the atonement; what he is concerned to do is to show how the resurrection was God's seal of approval on his Son and how true justification is found in him alone. This is a nonnegotiable!
d) The gospel is for everyone. Although Paul begins with the Jews, he recognises those present who were converts to Judaism and later says that "everyone who believes is justified" and recognises they had been made "a light to the Gentiles". Here is a perspective we must always retain ourselves.
e) He is not unwilling to lay before them the consequences of rejecting the message. As we'll see, it leads to persecution but that isn't what matters; what does count is being faithful to God and not leaving his hearers in the dark about the serious consequences of rejecting Jesus.
3. The Outcome: Faith & Ferocity
The message has been clearly and powerfully presented. What will the outcome be? As they left the synagogue a number of the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles follow them, clearly impressed by what they had said. Paul and Barnabas urge them to continue in the grace of God.
Does that mean these people were already saved? No. Paul has shown in his speech that God had acted in grace toward the Jews in their history. The OT is about grace as much as the NT is! What they need to do now is continue in that grace by receiving its decisive expression in Jesus the Messiah.
The signs are very hopeful and are even more so the next Sabbath when great numbers turn up to listen. This infuriates the Jews who are filled with jealousy. At this point Paul speaks in judgement: since they don't consider themselves worthy of eternal life and reject God's Word, they will go to the Gentiles.
There's a warning here for all who know the gospel well yet haven't responded to it. The Jews were being judged because of their unwillingness to believe. Don't let that happen to you!
As for the Gentiles, many of them honoured the word and believed, as many as had been appointed by God for eternal life. He's in control, working his purposes out, saving those he has set his love upon as his Word "spread through the whole region" (v.49).
And despite the persecution of the Jews, the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. May that be our experience too as we honour God's Word through faith in Jesus. Amen!
Thursday, 3 August 2006
Acts 12:25 - 13:12
Having delivered the gift from the church at Antioch to the believers in Jerusalem, Barnabus and Saul make their way back to Antioch in 12:25, taking with them John Mark. What follows is commonly known as 'Paul's first missionary journey', ending at 14:28, and is of great interest and significance.
1. God-directed mission
The first thing to notice regarding the whole work of mission is that it is God-directed. That point is made very plain in these verses - "the Holy Spirit said" (v.2); "set apart for me" (v.2); "the work to which I have called them" (v.2); "sent on their way by the Holy Spirit" (v.4).
This is something we've seen before in Acts. The church's mission is not man-made; it is the expression of the heart and purpose of God, the reason for which he sent his Son and now acts in power by his Spirit.
Although this is the first time workers are sent out, it's not the first time the Lord has acted to further his purposes in mission. We have seen him doing so in 8:4ff and 11:19ff through those who were scattered and also through Philip, one of the seven. The work of mission is a whole church affair.
But it is clear here that the Lord also chooses for his work to be done by those specifically called by him and set apart for this work. Mission is not the sole preserve of the "full-time worker" but such people are used by the Lord in taking the work forward.
So God is in control of mission and exercises that control through his Spirit. He calls and equips, he directs his people and calls the shots.
This is both humbling and tremendously encouraging. It keeps us in our place, in case we deem ourselves to be the ones by whom mission stands or falls. And it also gives us great heart as we face our limitations, in terms of resources, power and wisdom. Where we feel stretched, weak and baffled, how good to remember that the work of mission, which is a whole-church calling, is the Lord's work and is under his control!
2. Our part
But that is not to say that we do not have a part to play. Again, these verses show us, in principle if not in terms of details, what that part is.
i) Seriously Seeking - The first thing to notice about the church at Antioch, certainly its leaders, is that they were seriously seeking the Lord. It was while they were worshipping him and fasting that he spoke to them about this matter.
The word for 'worshipping' implies the idea of priestly service and seems to indicate that they were seeking God regarding the work of mission. Because his work was high on their hearts, it was a major item in their prayers. They set aside time for it and denied themselves food in order to do so and to show just how serious they were about this. It wasn't a passing fad but a passionate aim.
Their example is a real challenge, not only to church leaders but to the whole church. Would we deny ourselves for the sake of the gospel? Are we burdened for those who haven't heard but who need to? Is God's glory in saving his people a major item in our prayers because it's high on our hearts?
ii) Obediently Sending - Then notice that the church that was seriously seeking was also obedient in sending those the Lord had called to the work. They acted at once to send them out. This is not an incidental point. The Lord had called two of their most gifted leaders. How would they cope without them? They'd certainly miss them - which church wouldn't? But they didn't argue with the Lord's clear direction; instead, they took what he had said and ran with it.
Now, the way it was made clear to them is not made clear to us! More than likely it was through on the prophets in the church. But however the Lord makes his will plain to us, our duty is not to limit what he says or try to put it off; our clear duty is to act with swift obedience.
iii) Thoughtfully Proceeding - Having been sent out by the Holy Spirit and let go of by the church, Barnabus and Saul proceed to engage in the work of mission. How they do so is again of great importance to us.
The Lord's call was quite general ("the work to which I have called them"). Clearly, that is the work of preaching the gospel. But where do they start? What is the plan? That seems to have been left to them to decide, perhaps in consultation with the church.
They began by going to Seleucia and then on to Cyprus, which is where Barnabas was from, and went through the island. Maybe they went to Cyprus for supplies or because Barnabus knew the people and was more comfortable there.
The point that seems to be made is that they had a plan and stuck with it. They would go to major population centres, places of strategic importance. The Lord had called them and they responded by engaging in the work thoughtfully.
Mission is in God's control but we must play our part: seriously seek him, obediently respond to him and then thoughtfully proceed with the work, trusting in his overruling providence.
3. The Work Itself
But what about the work itself? What is going to be involved in that? The account of their time on Cyprus gives us a cameo of what all gospel ministry is about, whoever we are.
i) Proclaiming the gospel - In v.5 we're told they "proclaimed the word of God", beginning in the Jewish synagogues. The mission they were sent on, and that we as a church share, is to tell the good news about the Lord Jesus. The telling must be married to right living but telling is always essential and indispensable.
ii) Opposition from sinners & Satan - Telling will always be opposed, by sinners and by Satan. In this incident, the two workers are troubled by a sorcerer, Elymas. Here is evil trying to do its worst, Satan using a person steeped in sin to try to hinder the work of God and keep others in the darkness.
Whatever form it takes, such opposition is to be expected; this isn't going to be an isolated incident in the life of these early workers. We too must expect to be opposed and hindered in the same work.
iii) Success - But opposition will not ultimately be able to hinder the work of the gospel. Elymas does his worst but God is at work and, as Saul deals with him, Sergius the Proconsul is converted. Now, notice what we're told about him: when he saw what happened, he believed. Why? Was he amazed that Saul could call down such judgement? No; we're told that "he believed for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord". It was the gospel that made the deepest impression on him.
The work goes on today. The Lord is in control of the mission, calling out workers, seeking churches to be partners in the work. And as we engage in the work, faithfully telling the gospel, although opposition will come, we can be sure that the Lord will prevail. May he help us to seek him and obey him.
1. God-directed mission
The first thing to notice regarding the whole work of mission is that it is God-directed. That point is made very plain in these verses - "the Holy Spirit said" (v.2); "set apart for me" (v.2); "the work to which I have called them" (v.2); "sent on their way by the Holy Spirit" (v.4).
This is something we've seen before in Acts. The church's mission is not man-made; it is the expression of the heart and purpose of God, the reason for which he sent his Son and now acts in power by his Spirit.
Although this is the first time workers are sent out, it's not the first time the Lord has acted to further his purposes in mission. We have seen him doing so in 8:4ff and 11:19ff through those who were scattered and also through Philip, one of the seven. The work of mission is a whole church affair.
But it is clear here that the Lord also chooses for his work to be done by those specifically called by him and set apart for this work. Mission is not the sole preserve of the "full-time worker" but such people are used by the Lord in taking the work forward.
So God is in control of mission and exercises that control through his Spirit. He calls and equips, he directs his people and calls the shots.
This is both humbling and tremendously encouraging. It keeps us in our place, in case we deem ourselves to be the ones by whom mission stands or falls. And it also gives us great heart as we face our limitations, in terms of resources, power and wisdom. Where we feel stretched, weak and baffled, how good to remember that the work of mission, which is a whole-church calling, is the Lord's work and is under his control!
2. Our part
But that is not to say that we do not have a part to play. Again, these verses show us, in principle if not in terms of details, what that part is.
i) Seriously Seeking - The first thing to notice about the church at Antioch, certainly its leaders, is that they were seriously seeking the Lord. It was while they were worshipping him and fasting that he spoke to them about this matter.
The word for 'worshipping' implies the idea of priestly service and seems to indicate that they were seeking God regarding the work of mission. Because his work was high on their hearts, it was a major item in their prayers. They set aside time for it and denied themselves food in order to do so and to show just how serious they were about this. It wasn't a passing fad but a passionate aim.
Their example is a real challenge, not only to church leaders but to the whole church. Would we deny ourselves for the sake of the gospel? Are we burdened for those who haven't heard but who need to? Is God's glory in saving his people a major item in our prayers because it's high on our hearts?
ii) Obediently Sending - Then notice that the church that was seriously seeking was also obedient in sending those the Lord had called to the work. They acted at once to send them out. This is not an incidental point. The Lord had called two of their most gifted leaders. How would they cope without them? They'd certainly miss them - which church wouldn't? But they didn't argue with the Lord's clear direction; instead, they took what he had said and ran with it.
Now, the way it was made clear to them is not made clear to us! More than likely it was through on the prophets in the church. But however the Lord makes his will plain to us, our duty is not to limit what he says or try to put it off; our clear duty is to act with swift obedience.
iii) Thoughtfully Proceeding - Having been sent out by the Holy Spirit and let go of by the church, Barnabus and Saul proceed to engage in the work of mission. How they do so is again of great importance to us.
The Lord's call was quite general ("the work to which I have called them"). Clearly, that is the work of preaching the gospel. But where do they start? What is the plan? That seems to have been left to them to decide, perhaps in consultation with the church.
They began by going to Seleucia and then on to Cyprus, which is where Barnabas was from, and went through the island. Maybe they went to Cyprus for supplies or because Barnabus knew the people and was more comfortable there.
The point that seems to be made is that they had a plan and stuck with it. They would go to major population centres, places of strategic importance. The Lord had called them and they responded by engaging in the work thoughtfully.
Mission is in God's control but we must play our part: seriously seek him, obediently respond to him and then thoughtfully proceed with the work, trusting in his overruling providence.
3. The Work Itself
But what about the work itself? What is going to be involved in that? The account of their time on Cyprus gives us a cameo of what all gospel ministry is about, whoever we are.
i) Proclaiming the gospel - In v.5 we're told they "proclaimed the word of God", beginning in the Jewish synagogues. The mission they were sent on, and that we as a church share, is to tell the good news about the Lord Jesus. The telling must be married to right living but telling is always essential and indispensable.
ii) Opposition from sinners & Satan - Telling will always be opposed, by sinners and by Satan. In this incident, the two workers are troubled by a sorcerer, Elymas. Here is evil trying to do its worst, Satan using a person steeped in sin to try to hinder the work of God and keep others in the darkness.
Whatever form it takes, such opposition is to be expected; this isn't going to be an isolated incident in the life of these early workers. We too must expect to be opposed and hindered in the same work.
iii) Success - But opposition will not ultimately be able to hinder the work of the gospel. Elymas does his worst but God is at work and, as Saul deals with him, Sergius the Proconsul is converted. Now, notice what we're told about him: when he saw what happened, he believed. Why? Was he amazed that Saul could call down such judgement? No; we're told that "he believed for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord". It was the gospel that made the deepest impression on him.
The work goes on today. The Lord is in control of the mission, calling out workers, seeking churches to be partners in the work. And as we engage in the work, faithfully telling the gospel, although opposition will come, we can be sure that the Lord will prevail. May he help us to seek him and obey him.
Acts 12:1-24
When a world title boxing match is being promoted, the media love to give us a flavour of both contestants, their track record and their approach to the upcoming fight. The stage is then set for the fight in all its gory.
In this passage, verse 5 functions in much the same way. A severe persecution has broken out against the leaders of the church in Jerusalem; Herod has put James to the sword (which more than likely means he was beheaded) and has put Peter in prison intending to do the same to him. So we read that "Peter was kept in prison", in Herod's clutches.
The others side of this particular match is then described for us: "But the church was earnestly praying to God for him". Here is a battle of cosmic proportions: evil against good, man against God. Who is going to win? Herod has already shown his might and his meanness with James and the church has been powerless to resist him. Does this verse suggest a battle that is going to be swift and bloody?
1. From Peace To Persecution
Before we come onto what transpires, we need to just rewind a little and notice that, having suffered when Stephen was martyred, the church enjoyed a time of peace (see 9:31). That peace was suddenly shattered by Herod's brutal steps to pursue his political ambitions.
There is a warning for us here. We may enjoy peace but it is not guaranteed to last. And although in a democracy such as ours it may be harder for naked political ambition to exert itself in such a brutal fashion, nevertheless the church is always vulnerable and living on the edges. The human heart has not changed; evil is still real and the spiritual battle rages on. We must not take peace for granted nor be surprised when it ends.
2. Battle Joined!
So Peter is in prison with little prospect, humanly speaking, of being released. In fact, his time is almost up. The church is in earnest prayer for him; they engage in an intense struggle with him and for him. What will be the outcome? Can the Lord protect and deliver his people? Is the church right to trust in him, especially in the light of James' death?
The outcome proves to us, as Peter himself later says in 2 Peter 2:9 that "the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials". And how! The scene is one of amazing intervention by the Lord, so amazing that even Peter can't quite believe what's happening, thinking he must be dreaming.
But he isn't. The Lord's rescue is real and impressive. Peter is being guarded round the clock by crack Roman troops; Herod is not playing about here, his intent is deadly. But the Lord sends his angel to wake Peter up, telling him to get dressed, leading him past the guards and out into the street, a free man. The scene would almost be comical were it not for the deadly reminder of Herod's evil in the execution of the guards.
So the great contest is a no contest. The Lord wins, hands down. There is no power like his. When his people are in trouble, it's no trouble for him to rescue them.
Except that he doesn't always do so. Peter keeps his head but James lost his. How come? What's going on here - is Peter a favourite with the Lord while James isn't? Was he taken by surprise by Herod's attack on James but was ready when they came for Peter?
Of course, none of those are the case. His power is unlimited, his love is unquenched, his wisdom unassailable. He is more than able to rescue his people whenever and however he chooses to do so.
So why doesn't he? Here is a mystery before which we must bow as we adore the Lord who is Sovereign. His thoughts are far higher than ours, his determination to prosper his gospel and to bless the nations is quite clear and as intense as ever. But how and when he will do so is in his hands alone.
We have no answer to why he allows evil to prosper at times and at others acts to stop it in its tracks. The power of evil is a reality that we do well to remember but the Lord is always able to deal with it; his power is more than a match for it.
Which is doubly confirmed in the final scene of the chapter when Herod is struck down and dies. Here is a man who has gladly persecuted the church to advance his own political ambitions and who here is happy to be likened to a god as he speaks to the people.
The Lord struck him down because he refused to give glory to God. A life that is lived for self and in blatant idolatry will end in tragedy. The warning is both stark and clear.
3. The Place of Prayer
So this passage has much to teach us about the Lord's power and his ability to rescue. It also has a lot to teach us about humility before him and an acceptance of his will. But along with those lessons, much is also taught about prayer in the life of the church and in the outworking of God's purposes.
The way that the contest is set-up in verse 5 highlights the fact that the church is praying to God. One of the questions posed (and answered) here is whether the Lord will hear his people's prayers and respond to them. Yes, he does.
The outcome is a great encouragement to the church in all ages to look to God for his help, to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need" (Heb. 4:16).
We have many needs and there are numerous challenges that face the church today. We may not be imprisoned but we are under threat. Where else can we go but to the Lord? But do we go to him? Is it a case of having not because we ask not?
Luke clearly aligns the prayer of the church with the Lord's deliverance of Peter. So is that a guarantee that the Lord will do for us just what we want, when we want it? The example of this church at prayer helps us with that question.
It's often suggested that the church was praying but without much faith that Peter would be released, because when he is, the church can't believe it (vv.12-16). But that need not be the case. If it was, we would expect to see the point made much more clearly in the text itself.
It is far more likely that the church is praying for Peter to be kept strong and true to his Lord as he undergoes such a severe trial. No doubt they have asked the Lord to free him if it pleases him but they have no reason to suppose from the way the Lord allowed James to be killed that he will spare Peter.
Look back at their prayer in 4:23ff - they don't ask to be kept from persecution but pray for boldness to go on preaching the gospel and for the Lord to vindicate his name and judge their enemies. This is just what he does in this situation now.
They aren't surprised to see Peter because their faith is small; what they are is surprised by joy, having submitted to God's will and trusted him for the outcome, whatever that might be.
There is a great battle that is ongoing today, a spiritual battle that is costly and dangerous. What is our hope in it? That the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and will act for his glory's sake and the blessing of the gospel. We need to grasp that and run with it in prayer.
In this passage, verse 5 functions in much the same way. A severe persecution has broken out against the leaders of the church in Jerusalem; Herod has put James to the sword (which more than likely means he was beheaded) and has put Peter in prison intending to do the same to him. So we read that "Peter was kept in prison", in Herod's clutches.
The others side of this particular match is then described for us: "But the church was earnestly praying to God for him". Here is a battle of cosmic proportions: evil against good, man against God. Who is going to win? Herod has already shown his might and his meanness with James and the church has been powerless to resist him. Does this verse suggest a battle that is going to be swift and bloody?
1. From Peace To Persecution
Before we come onto what transpires, we need to just rewind a little and notice that, having suffered when Stephen was martyred, the church enjoyed a time of peace (see 9:31). That peace was suddenly shattered by Herod's brutal steps to pursue his political ambitions.
There is a warning for us here. We may enjoy peace but it is not guaranteed to last. And although in a democracy such as ours it may be harder for naked political ambition to exert itself in such a brutal fashion, nevertheless the church is always vulnerable and living on the edges. The human heart has not changed; evil is still real and the spiritual battle rages on. We must not take peace for granted nor be surprised when it ends.
2. Battle Joined!
So Peter is in prison with little prospect, humanly speaking, of being released. In fact, his time is almost up. The church is in earnest prayer for him; they engage in an intense struggle with him and for him. What will be the outcome? Can the Lord protect and deliver his people? Is the church right to trust in him, especially in the light of James' death?
The outcome proves to us, as Peter himself later says in 2 Peter 2:9 that "the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials". And how! The scene is one of amazing intervention by the Lord, so amazing that even Peter can't quite believe what's happening, thinking he must be dreaming.
But he isn't. The Lord's rescue is real and impressive. Peter is being guarded round the clock by crack Roman troops; Herod is not playing about here, his intent is deadly. But the Lord sends his angel to wake Peter up, telling him to get dressed, leading him past the guards and out into the street, a free man. The scene would almost be comical were it not for the deadly reminder of Herod's evil in the execution of the guards.
So the great contest is a no contest. The Lord wins, hands down. There is no power like his. When his people are in trouble, it's no trouble for him to rescue them.
Except that he doesn't always do so. Peter keeps his head but James lost his. How come? What's going on here - is Peter a favourite with the Lord while James isn't? Was he taken by surprise by Herod's attack on James but was ready when they came for Peter?
Of course, none of those are the case. His power is unlimited, his love is unquenched, his wisdom unassailable. He is more than able to rescue his people whenever and however he chooses to do so.
So why doesn't he? Here is a mystery before which we must bow as we adore the Lord who is Sovereign. His thoughts are far higher than ours, his determination to prosper his gospel and to bless the nations is quite clear and as intense as ever. But how and when he will do so is in his hands alone.
We have no answer to why he allows evil to prosper at times and at others acts to stop it in its tracks. The power of evil is a reality that we do well to remember but the Lord is always able to deal with it; his power is more than a match for it.
Which is doubly confirmed in the final scene of the chapter when Herod is struck down and dies. Here is a man who has gladly persecuted the church to advance his own political ambitions and who here is happy to be likened to a god as he speaks to the people.
The Lord struck him down because he refused to give glory to God. A life that is lived for self and in blatant idolatry will end in tragedy. The warning is both stark and clear.
3. The Place of Prayer
So this passage has much to teach us about the Lord's power and his ability to rescue. It also has a lot to teach us about humility before him and an acceptance of his will. But along with those lessons, much is also taught about prayer in the life of the church and in the outworking of God's purposes.
The way that the contest is set-up in verse 5 highlights the fact that the church is praying to God. One of the questions posed (and answered) here is whether the Lord will hear his people's prayers and respond to them. Yes, he does.
The outcome is a great encouragement to the church in all ages to look to God for his help, to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need" (Heb. 4:16).
We have many needs and there are numerous challenges that face the church today. We may not be imprisoned but we are under threat. Where else can we go but to the Lord? But do we go to him? Is it a case of having not because we ask not?
Luke clearly aligns the prayer of the church with the Lord's deliverance of Peter. So is that a guarantee that the Lord will do for us just what we want, when we want it? The example of this church at prayer helps us with that question.
It's often suggested that the church was praying but without much faith that Peter would be released, because when he is, the church can't believe it (vv.12-16). But that need not be the case. If it was, we would expect to see the point made much more clearly in the text itself.
It is far more likely that the church is praying for Peter to be kept strong and true to his Lord as he undergoes such a severe trial. No doubt they have asked the Lord to free him if it pleases him but they have no reason to suppose from the way the Lord allowed James to be killed that he will spare Peter.
Look back at their prayer in 4:23ff - they don't ask to be kept from persecution but pray for boldness to go on preaching the gospel and for the Lord to vindicate his name and judge their enemies. This is just what he does in this situation now.
They aren't surprised to see Peter because their faith is small; what they are is surprised by joy, having submitted to God's will and trusted him for the outcome, whatever that might be.
There is a great battle that is ongoing today, a spiritual battle that is costly and dangerous. What is our hope in it? That the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and will act for his glory's sake and the blessing of the gospel. We need to grasp that and run with it in prayer.
Wednesday, 26 July 2006
Exodus 15:22-27
When you have been so signally blessed in the most amazing deliverance, as Israel had been, what would you expect to come next? Surely it ought to be the final completion of the Lord’s promised redemption coming true?
Well, for Israel, no. They are led by God (by the hand of Moses) into the wilderness and in that wilderness they are led for 3 days without water. They are led into suffering and pain; they are led into a time of testing.
Having crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, this was probably very far from what Israel expected. But the wilderness would be a place of profound, and often shocking, discoveries for Israel.
1. Response
When they reach water after three days only to discover that it is bitter, the people “grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’” Their deep disappointment is quite understandable but is their grumbling excusable?
This is the first of 3 scenes in which the people react badly to their challenging circumstances. We’ll look more fully at their responses as we work through these scenes but, from the off, they don’t present a model of faith and contentment in the Lord.
Having had such sultry weather for these past weeks, we can no doubt empathise with their thirst – they’ve been in this desert for 3 days without water; how hard that must have been. And if they could manage their own thirst, their children would have been crying out incessantly.
But if we can empathise to a degree with their predicament – and their sense of frustration that the water they come to with such great expectation turns out to be bitter must have been a very hard blow to take – we must also try to factor into the picture the recent amazing deliverance that they have experienced. The Lord is not calling them to follow him in blind faith but on the back of the most stunning show of loyalty and loving determination to take them as his people.
And that’s exactly where the rubber hits the road for us too. We have no Red Sea to look back to but something far greater – the events we have just recalled at this table. Here is love, vast as the ocean, loving-kindness as the flood…
But even with Jesus and his cross so often before us, we grumble and we mistrust the Lord who bought us.
When a baby sees its parent leave the room, it thinks they’ve gone forever and howls in protest and dismay. But that’s babies; they can’t help it. They don’t know any better. They’ll learn. As for us, our howls of protest are out of place; we really need to grow up in our faith. The Lord is worthy of our trust and he is honoured by it.
2. God’s answer(s)
i) Wood into the water Moses’ response is to cry out to the Lord (a good model for the people) and the Lord shows him a piece of wood. There is no record of the Lord telling Moses what to do with it; he simply takes it and throws it into the water and the water is sweetened.
Some see here a natural remedy – apparently there are trees that can be used in that way and are found near bitter waters (much in the way that doc leaves grow near stinging nettles). Others would want to suggest that this is just so clearly a miracle and that we should not shy from saying so.
I don’t think we have to worry too much over those points; often that sort of question leads us away from the main focus of the text. And the main focus here is that it is the Lord who is at work and is at work in grace among his people.
They have begun to grumble and will do a lot more grumbling before their years in the wilderness are over but here is the Lord graciously meeting their need and doing so without rebuking them for their lack of faith and their self-centredness.
Israel has entered adolescence and the Lord knows their frame and is being patient and gracious with them.
ii) Teaching and training But this scene and those that follow are not simply about the Lord putting-up with his grumpy people; this is about teaching and training his people. This is a test, after all, and the Lord makes “a decree and a law for them” and exhorts them to “listen carefully…and do what is right”; then they will know the Lord not as judge but as healer (v.26).
In fact, the emphasis on teaching is hinted at in v.25 where the Lord “shows” Moses the wood; the term used there is later used to mean ‘teach’ and is linked to the term ‘torah’ (instruction; law).
This scene looks forward, both implicitly and explicitly, to Sinai and the giving of the law. The people that the Lord has redeemed are going to need to be directed and trained by the law; without such direction they will forever go astray.
This puts the emphasis on this wilderness period on the training of the people. We know from the NT that we, too, as the Lord’s people need training and undergo such training and teaching at the Lord’s hand. But where does the law fit into our training?
The NT makes plain to us that the law was given to Israel to govern the time of her infancy (see Paul’s argument in Galatians 4). But it never could bring fullness and maturity, being weakened by sin, and is now declared to be obsolete. So what form does our training take?
In Galatians, Paul goes on from that passage about the law as a trainer to speak of the coming of the Spirit and emphasises that we are to be governed and led by him, not by the law and not by our flesh. The Spirit teaches and trains us so that the righteous requirements of the law might be met in us through our living by the Spirit. Law-keeping is not the way to Christian maturity; walking by the Spirit is.
But where does that leave the 10 commandments? That’s a complex issue and we’ll return to it next time but, for now, we should notice that the law given at Sinai are an expression of the fundamental requirement that we should love God and that we should love our neighbours as ourselves.
In all sorts of situations, and by all sorts of means, God by his Spirit is training us, leading us into the maturity of genuine love. Our wisdom is to trust him and to work with him in that grand project of restoration into the likeness of his Son.
3. A foretaste of fullness
This initial wilderness scene ends with a gracious encouragement from the Lord to his people: they come to Elim where they discover 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees. The encouragement goes beyond the simple provision of more water and a pleasant place to camp; there is something deeply-symbolic about this scene.
The 12 springs of water symbolise the provision of water for the 12 tribes and the 70 palm trees can be seen as symbolising a place of rest for all the family of Jacob who went down into Egypt (Gen. 46:27).
The God who has redeemed his people from Egypt and who has led them into a time of hardship in the wilderness will in his time lead them into the fullness of blessing that he has promised. Elim is a foretaste for them of that fullness and was no doubt a great boost for their flagging spirits.
Times of difficulty should not make us doubt the reality of God’s promises nor his ability to deliver on what he has promised. But, such is his gracious way with us, he not only makes promises but gives foretastes of blessing along the way. We have been given in his Spirit the down-payment of all that will one day be ours in glory.
Well, for Israel, no. They are led by God (by the hand of Moses) into the wilderness and in that wilderness they are led for 3 days without water. They are led into suffering and pain; they are led into a time of testing.
Having crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, this was probably very far from what Israel expected. But the wilderness would be a place of profound, and often shocking, discoveries for Israel.
1. Response
When they reach water after three days only to discover that it is bitter, the people “grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’” Their deep disappointment is quite understandable but is their grumbling excusable?
This is the first of 3 scenes in which the people react badly to their challenging circumstances. We’ll look more fully at their responses as we work through these scenes but, from the off, they don’t present a model of faith and contentment in the Lord.
Having had such sultry weather for these past weeks, we can no doubt empathise with their thirst – they’ve been in this desert for 3 days without water; how hard that must have been. And if they could manage their own thirst, their children would have been crying out incessantly.
But if we can empathise to a degree with their predicament – and their sense of frustration that the water they come to with such great expectation turns out to be bitter must have been a very hard blow to take – we must also try to factor into the picture the recent amazing deliverance that they have experienced. The Lord is not calling them to follow him in blind faith but on the back of the most stunning show of loyalty and loving determination to take them as his people.
And that’s exactly where the rubber hits the road for us too. We have no Red Sea to look back to but something far greater – the events we have just recalled at this table. Here is love, vast as the ocean, loving-kindness as the flood…
But even with Jesus and his cross so often before us, we grumble and we mistrust the Lord who bought us.
When a baby sees its parent leave the room, it thinks they’ve gone forever and howls in protest and dismay. But that’s babies; they can’t help it. They don’t know any better. They’ll learn. As for us, our howls of protest are out of place; we really need to grow up in our faith. The Lord is worthy of our trust and he is honoured by it.
2. God’s answer(s)
i) Wood into the water Moses’ response is to cry out to the Lord (a good model for the people) and the Lord shows him a piece of wood. There is no record of the Lord telling Moses what to do with it; he simply takes it and throws it into the water and the water is sweetened.
Some see here a natural remedy – apparently there are trees that can be used in that way and are found near bitter waters (much in the way that doc leaves grow near stinging nettles). Others would want to suggest that this is just so clearly a miracle and that we should not shy from saying so.
I don’t think we have to worry too much over those points; often that sort of question leads us away from the main focus of the text. And the main focus here is that it is the Lord who is at work and is at work in grace among his people.
They have begun to grumble and will do a lot more grumbling before their years in the wilderness are over but here is the Lord graciously meeting their need and doing so without rebuking them for their lack of faith and their self-centredness.
Israel has entered adolescence and the Lord knows their frame and is being patient and gracious with them.
ii) Teaching and training But this scene and those that follow are not simply about the Lord putting-up with his grumpy people; this is about teaching and training his people. This is a test, after all, and the Lord makes “a decree and a law for them” and exhorts them to “listen carefully…and do what is right”; then they will know the Lord not as judge but as healer (v.26).
In fact, the emphasis on teaching is hinted at in v.25 where the Lord “shows” Moses the wood; the term used there is later used to mean ‘teach’ and is linked to the term ‘torah’ (instruction; law).
This scene looks forward, both implicitly and explicitly, to Sinai and the giving of the law. The people that the Lord has redeemed are going to need to be directed and trained by the law; without such direction they will forever go astray.
This puts the emphasis on this wilderness period on the training of the people. We know from the NT that we, too, as the Lord’s people need training and undergo such training and teaching at the Lord’s hand. But where does the law fit into our training?
The NT makes plain to us that the law was given to Israel to govern the time of her infancy (see Paul’s argument in Galatians 4). But it never could bring fullness and maturity, being weakened by sin, and is now declared to be obsolete. So what form does our training take?
In Galatians, Paul goes on from that passage about the law as a trainer to speak of the coming of the Spirit and emphasises that we are to be governed and led by him, not by the law and not by our flesh. The Spirit teaches and trains us so that the righteous requirements of the law might be met in us through our living by the Spirit. Law-keeping is not the way to Christian maturity; walking by the Spirit is.
But where does that leave the 10 commandments? That’s a complex issue and we’ll return to it next time but, for now, we should notice that the law given at Sinai are an expression of the fundamental requirement that we should love God and that we should love our neighbours as ourselves.
In all sorts of situations, and by all sorts of means, God by his Spirit is training us, leading us into the maturity of genuine love. Our wisdom is to trust him and to work with him in that grand project of restoration into the likeness of his Son.
3. A foretaste of fullness
This initial wilderness scene ends with a gracious encouragement from the Lord to his people: they come to Elim where they discover 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees. The encouragement goes beyond the simple provision of more water and a pleasant place to camp; there is something deeply-symbolic about this scene.
The 12 springs of water symbolise the provision of water for the 12 tribes and the 70 palm trees can be seen as symbolising a place of rest for all the family of Jacob who went down into Egypt (Gen. 46:27).
The God who has redeemed his people from Egypt and who has led them into a time of hardship in the wilderness will in his time lead them into the fullness of blessing that he has promised. Elim is a foretaste for them of that fullness and was no doubt a great boost for their flagging spirits.
Times of difficulty should not make us doubt the reality of God’s promises nor his ability to deliver on what he has promised. But, such is his gracious way with us, he not only makes promises but gives foretastes of blessing along the way. We have been given in his Spirit the down-payment of all that will one day be ours in glory.
Friday, 21 July 2006
Life as an Adolescent (Fretheim)
The wilderness wanderings, or at least their length and breadth, were a surprise to Israel. Instead of a land of milk and honey, they get a desert. The promise falls short. Deliverance at the sea leads into the godforsaken wilderness. Dancers and singers are stopped dead in their tracks. Salvation from one kind of death leads into the teeth of another. The sea crossing seems but a point of unreal exhilaration between one kind of trouble and another, only the last is certainly worse than the first. Bondage with security and resources seems preferable to freedom and living from one oasis to another. The wilderness is a place betwixt and between...
And the wilderness seems permanent. Forty years is a long time in the old sandbox. Even that grand mountain-top experience at Sinai looks like a one-time thing: it is out of the wilderness only to be led right back in. The wilderness is beginning to look a lot like home. What does it mean for God to create a people out of those who are no people, the grandest of all creative acts, only to leave the rest of their world in chaos? The experience of order leads immediately into disorder, freedom becomes anarchy. Into the jaws of the wilderness, where demons howl and messiahs are tempted, where familiar resources are taken away....Lifelessness seems to be the only order on which one can depend. The journey from the Red Sea to the promised land is littered with freshly dug graves, and not a single birth is recorded.
Wilderness is life beyond redemption but short of consummation; but the former seems ineffective and the latter only a mirage. The promise has been spoken, but who can live by words alone? The hope has been proclaimed, but the horizon keeps disappearing in the sandstorms. And so trust in God often turns to recalcitrance and resentment. Faith erodes with the dunes. Commandments collapse into the disorder that shapes daily life. And judgment is invited in to share one's tattered tent.
Yet even in the wilderness God is responsive to the needs of these complaining people. God provides what the context cannot. The protests are answered, the cries are heard, quite undeservedly. Deliverance comes, but not in being removed from the wilderness. A table is spread in the very presence of the enemy (cf. Ps. 23:5). There is a gift of food where the resources are only ephemeral. There is a gift of water where only rocks abound. There is a gift of healing where the pain never ends. The movement from death to life occurs within the very experience of godforsakenness. Death is transformed into life from within a death-filled context. A sanctuary is provided, but in the wilderness.
Deuteronomy 2:7 proclaims: "These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing." Surely this is a delusion, a late pious endeavor to cover up the realities of that meandering trek through the desert. The desert in such a view is not only painted, it is whitewashed. The disciples of such poppycock are legion. Or are they? Only if they neglect the fact that the complaints from the wilderness are genuine indeed. Only if they neglect the fact that true life must always be shaped by the wilderness, even for those who are living in the promised land. Only if they neglect the fact that God's own life has been decisively shaped by that same wilderness.
Hence, although the people are often ungrateful and disloyal, the divine blessing and graciousness pervade the narrative. Israel's time in the wilderness is finally shaped by God's incredible patience and mercy and the divine will to stay with Israel in this time of their adolescence as children of God. Coping with “teenagers” is no easy task, even if the parent is God (cf. Hos. 6:4). No divine flick of the wrist is capable of straightening them out without compromising their freedom. If God wants a mature child, the possibility of defiance must be risked. Parent and child even do a certain amount of "testing" of each other. God will not compromise in holding Israel to high standards – for the sake of the creation. And so God works through their feelings of abandonment and helplessness, their words of complaint and acts of rebelliousness, and their need for reassurance, protection, a new self-identity, and non-oppressive life structures. God sticks by them through it all. God has made promises to this people, and God is a promise-keeper. Only in Numbers will it become clear that the process of maturation takes longer than a single generation.
(Terence E. Fretheim, Exodus, Interpretation Bible Commentary, John Knox Press, pp.171-173)
And the wilderness seems permanent. Forty years is a long time in the old sandbox. Even that grand mountain-top experience at Sinai looks like a one-time thing: it is out of the wilderness only to be led right back in. The wilderness is beginning to look a lot like home. What does it mean for God to create a people out of those who are no people, the grandest of all creative acts, only to leave the rest of their world in chaos? The experience of order leads immediately into disorder, freedom becomes anarchy. Into the jaws of the wilderness, where demons howl and messiahs are tempted, where familiar resources are taken away....Lifelessness seems to be the only order on which one can depend. The journey from the Red Sea to the promised land is littered with freshly dug graves, and not a single birth is recorded.
Wilderness is life beyond redemption but short of consummation; but the former seems ineffective and the latter only a mirage. The promise has been spoken, but who can live by words alone? The hope has been proclaimed, but the horizon keeps disappearing in the sandstorms. And so trust in God often turns to recalcitrance and resentment. Faith erodes with the dunes. Commandments collapse into the disorder that shapes daily life. And judgment is invited in to share one's tattered tent.
Yet even in the wilderness God is responsive to the needs of these complaining people. God provides what the context cannot. The protests are answered, the cries are heard, quite undeservedly. Deliverance comes, but not in being removed from the wilderness. A table is spread in the very presence of the enemy (cf. Ps. 23:5). There is a gift of food where the resources are only ephemeral. There is a gift of water where only rocks abound. There is a gift of healing where the pain never ends. The movement from death to life occurs within the very experience of godforsakenness. Death is transformed into life from within a death-filled context. A sanctuary is provided, but in the wilderness.
Deuteronomy 2:7 proclaims: "These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing." Surely this is a delusion, a late pious endeavor to cover up the realities of that meandering trek through the desert. The desert in such a view is not only painted, it is whitewashed. The disciples of such poppycock are legion. Or are they? Only if they neglect the fact that the complaints from the wilderness are genuine indeed. Only if they neglect the fact that true life must always be shaped by the wilderness, even for those who are living in the promised land. Only if they neglect the fact that God's own life has been decisively shaped by that same wilderness.
Hence, although the people are often ungrateful and disloyal, the divine blessing and graciousness pervade the narrative. Israel's time in the wilderness is finally shaped by God's incredible patience and mercy and the divine will to stay with Israel in this time of their adolescence as children of God. Coping with “teenagers” is no easy task, even if the parent is God (cf. Hos. 6:4). No divine flick of the wrist is capable of straightening them out without compromising their freedom. If God wants a mature child, the possibility of defiance must be risked. Parent and child even do a certain amount of "testing" of each other. God will not compromise in holding Israel to high standards – for the sake of the creation. And so God works through their feelings of abandonment and helplessness, their words of complaint and acts of rebelliousness, and their need for reassurance, protection, a new self-identity, and non-oppressive life structures. God sticks by them through it all. God has made promises to this people, and God is a promise-keeper. Only in Numbers will it become clear that the process of maturation takes longer than a single generation.
(Terence E. Fretheim, Exodus, Interpretation Bible Commentary, John Knox Press, pp.171-173)
Thursday, 20 July 2006
ministry & pain
In his comments on Ezekiel 3:4-15, Peter Craigie made the following observation:
The point to be remembered in any suffering associated with ministry is that it is a participation in the suffering of God; that insight may not reduce the pain, but it does portray the privilege of suffering. And it does remind all servants of God that one of the many faces of love is that of agony and pain.
(Ezekiel, Daily Study Bible, p.20)
Wednesday, 19 July 2006
Acts 11:19-30
1. The Gospel Spreads (vv.19-21)
The incident with Cornelius is a major one within the book of Acts as Cornelius is presented as a prime example of the gospel being received by Gentiles. But in many ways the incident is at least as significant for what it meant for Peter as he grappled with the issue of Gentiles and their acceptance by the Lord. In that context, the incident will be used to help resolve a huge problem for the early church in chapter 15.
In terms of reaching out to Gentiles, this current passage is at least as significant as the Cornelius incident. It may well have begun before Peter's encounter with Cornelius (see v.19) and, in terms of numbers and the future significance of the church at Antioch, it is extremely important.
Which makes it very interesting that this expansion to the Gentiles is not an organised mission but takes place naturally as the church scatters following the death of Stephen. In Acts, missionaries are sent out by churches and work to a clear plan but that needs to be set alongside what we see here of these early believers sharing the gospel as they went.
The calling and responsibility to reach out to others is not the preserve of pastors, evangelists and missionaries; it is a whole church calling and we each have a responsibility to take it to heart. These early believers shared the gospel naturally, as they travelled, as they set up home, as they worked. And this was the norm, not the exception.
All of which is a great challenge to us. Yes, we need to plan as a church how to reach others; yes, we need to support others in mission both at home and abroad. But our work doesn't stop there. The whole way we live should invite questions about our faith and it should be our aim and delight to share the gospel with others in ways that are natural.
Notice, too, that their witness was natural in what they shared with others. These believers mixed with non-Jews, many of whom had perhaps no knowledge of the Jewish faith. Their approach was not to convince them that Jesus was the Messiah, as had been the case with Jews. Rather, they told them "the good news about the Lord Jesus" (v.20). They started where their hearers were, which is always a good thing to do.
But Luke makes it plain that their witness was a success because of one decisive factor: "the Lord's hand was with them" (v.21). That is the reason why "a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord" (v.21). We are responsible for sharing the gospel in the most appropriate way but people will only be saved and churches established as the Lord is pleased to work in their hearts. It's the same today.
2. The Church Supports (vv.22-24)
As the gospel spreads among the Gentiles, one of the big questions is, How will the church in Jerusalem react? When Philip preached in Samaria, they sent Peter and John to authenticate the work. Given that these are Gentiles, will they be react with suspicion and try to suppress what is going on?
What they do is send Barnabas to them. Maybe he went, in part, to authenticate the work but notice this time they only send one man not two; he isn't an apostle, he is a native of Cyprus, as were many of these believers, and he was a man of exceptional spirit, warm and encouraging.
This doesn't smack of control but of contribution, not suspicion but of support to this young church. The church at Jerusalem was the original one and the apostles were the authentic witnesses to the Lord Jesus. But that doesn't mean they must control everything that happens. It is the Lord Jesus who directs the mission; they are his co-workers.
Perhaps the greatest thing the church at Jerusalem ever did for their brothers and sisters at Antioch was send Barnabus to them. He is an outstanding example of a what a Christian is and of what a church-worker should be. He isn't jealous of their work nor does he want to take it over; he rejoiced in the work and encouraged them to keep going and remain true to the Lord. His concern was not to make them Jews through circumcision but to strengthen their Christian life and witness.
Luke's description of him is very telling: "He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith" (v.24). It is for that reason that he was active in both exhortation and evangelism and made a success of both. Only the Lord can save and strengthen his people but his delight is to use people like Barnabus in that work. We have much to learn from a man like him.
3. Laying Foundations (vv.25,26)
One of the attractive features of Barnabus is his recognition that he doesn't have all the gifts necessary to help this church; he needs help in the task, so he goes on a long 200-mile round trip to bring Saul to help him in the work.
We're going to look at the work they did together but we must notice the significance of what Barnabus did in fetching Saul. He recognised the Lord's call to Saul and the gifts he'd been given. What an encouragement to Saul that must have been!
And this action was also going to be, in God's providence, of immense strategic significance for the whole progress of the gospel. It is from Antioch that Barnabus and Saul will be sent out by the church into further mission. Who knows how God may use us and our seemingly small actions?
So what work did they do at Antioch? "For a whole year [they] met with the church and taught great numbers of people" (v.26). People had been saved and a church established in this vast city (the third city of its times). But they needed to be taught.
As Gentiles with no OT background, they needed to learn of how the Lord's plan to bring salvation into the world had been enacted through the Jewish nation and the coming of Jesus as the promised Messiah. This was a task that Saul was well suited for and perhaps explains why Barnabus chose him.
Mission is not just about gaining converts. In the Great Commission, the Lord Jesus spoke of making disciples and teaching them to obey God's commands (Mt. 28:19,20). That task remains today and in some places the need is acute.
4. Fellowship From Afar (vv.27-30)
But being taught truth is one thing; all truth needs to be lived out. And at Antioch it was. Notice 2 things here:
i) Known as Christians - Antioch was famous for nicknames and the early church wasn't spared the wit. Believers were called Christians, probably a derogatory name but one that helpfully distinguished believers from the city's Jews. What it clearly shows is that these early believers were known as people who followed the Messiah. They had taken on board what they had been taught and lived it out.
ii) Genuine Fellowship - A famine was predicted and it is certain that the believers in Jerusalem would suffer greatly. So the church at Antioch rises to the occasion to try to help their brothers and sisters, and they do so without coercion or a sense of competition but "each according to their ability" (v.29).
In Rom. 15:25ff, Paul shows how Gentiles who have benefited from the spiritual blessings of the Jews should share their material blessings with them. Here is a church doing exactly that.
What a testimony they are to the grace of God! And in that they both challenge and encourage us to live real Christian lives, to the glory of God. Will we rise to the occasion too?
The incident with Cornelius is a major one within the book of Acts as Cornelius is presented as a prime example of the gospel being received by Gentiles. But in many ways the incident is at least as significant for what it meant for Peter as he grappled with the issue of Gentiles and their acceptance by the Lord. In that context, the incident will be used to help resolve a huge problem for the early church in chapter 15.
In terms of reaching out to Gentiles, this current passage is at least as significant as the Cornelius incident. It may well have begun before Peter's encounter with Cornelius (see v.19) and, in terms of numbers and the future significance of the church at Antioch, it is extremely important.
Which makes it very interesting that this expansion to the Gentiles is not an organised mission but takes place naturally as the church scatters following the death of Stephen. In Acts, missionaries are sent out by churches and work to a clear plan but that needs to be set alongside what we see here of these early believers sharing the gospel as they went.
The calling and responsibility to reach out to others is not the preserve of pastors, evangelists and missionaries; it is a whole church calling and we each have a responsibility to take it to heart. These early believers shared the gospel naturally, as they travelled, as they set up home, as they worked. And this was the norm, not the exception.
All of which is a great challenge to us. Yes, we need to plan as a church how to reach others; yes, we need to support others in mission both at home and abroad. But our work doesn't stop there. The whole way we live should invite questions about our faith and it should be our aim and delight to share the gospel with others in ways that are natural.
Notice, too, that their witness was natural in what they shared with others. These believers mixed with non-Jews, many of whom had perhaps no knowledge of the Jewish faith. Their approach was not to convince them that Jesus was the Messiah, as had been the case with Jews. Rather, they told them "the good news about the Lord Jesus" (v.20). They started where their hearers were, which is always a good thing to do.
But Luke makes it plain that their witness was a success because of one decisive factor: "the Lord's hand was with them" (v.21). That is the reason why "a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord" (v.21). We are responsible for sharing the gospel in the most appropriate way but people will only be saved and churches established as the Lord is pleased to work in their hearts. It's the same today.
2. The Church Supports (vv.22-24)
As the gospel spreads among the Gentiles, one of the big questions is, How will the church in Jerusalem react? When Philip preached in Samaria, they sent Peter and John to authenticate the work. Given that these are Gentiles, will they be react with suspicion and try to suppress what is going on?
What they do is send Barnabas to them. Maybe he went, in part, to authenticate the work but notice this time they only send one man not two; he isn't an apostle, he is a native of Cyprus, as were many of these believers, and he was a man of exceptional spirit, warm and encouraging.
This doesn't smack of control but of contribution, not suspicion but of support to this young church. The church at Jerusalem was the original one and the apostles were the authentic witnesses to the Lord Jesus. But that doesn't mean they must control everything that happens. It is the Lord Jesus who directs the mission; they are his co-workers.
Perhaps the greatest thing the church at Jerusalem ever did for their brothers and sisters at Antioch was send Barnabus to them. He is an outstanding example of a what a Christian is and of what a church-worker should be. He isn't jealous of their work nor does he want to take it over; he rejoiced in the work and encouraged them to keep going and remain true to the Lord. His concern was not to make them Jews through circumcision but to strengthen their Christian life and witness.
Luke's description of him is very telling: "He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith" (v.24). It is for that reason that he was active in both exhortation and evangelism and made a success of both. Only the Lord can save and strengthen his people but his delight is to use people like Barnabus in that work. We have much to learn from a man like him.
3. Laying Foundations (vv.25,26)
One of the attractive features of Barnabus is his recognition that he doesn't have all the gifts necessary to help this church; he needs help in the task, so he goes on a long 200-mile round trip to bring Saul to help him in the work.
We're going to look at the work they did together but we must notice the significance of what Barnabus did in fetching Saul. He recognised the Lord's call to Saul and the gifts he'd been given. What an encouragement to Saul that must have been!
And this action was also going to be, in God's providence, of immense strategic significance for the whole progress of the gospel. It is from Antioch that Barnabus and Saul will be sent out by the church into further mission. Who knows how God may use us and our seemingly small actions?
So what work did they do at Antioch? "For a whole year [they] met with the church and taught great numbers of people" (v.26). People had been saved and a church established in this vast city (the third city of its times). But they needed to be taught.
As Gentiles with no OT background, they needed to learn of how the Lord's plan to bring salvation into the world had been enacted through the Jewish nation and the coming of Jesus as the promised Messiah. This was a task that Saul was well suited for and perhaps explains why Barnabus chose him.
Mission is not just about gaining converts. In the Great Commission, the Lord Jesus spoke of making disciples and teaching them to obey God's commands (Mt. 28:19,20). That task remains today and in some places the need is acute.
4. Fellowship From Afar (vv.27-30)
But being taught truth is one thing; all truth needs to be lived out. And at Antioch it was. Notice 2 things here:
i) Known as Christians - Antioch was famous for nicknames and the early church wasn't spared the wit. Believers were called Christians, probably a derogatory name but one that helpfully distinguished believers from the city's Jews. What it clearly shows is that these early believers were known as people who followed the Messiah. They had taken on board what they had been taught and lived it out.
ii) Genuine Fellowship - A famine was predicted and it is certain that the believers in Jerusalem would suffer greatly. So the church at Antioch rises to the occasion to try to help their brothers and sisters, and they do so without coercion or a sense of competition but "each according to their ability" (v.29).
In Rom. 15:25ff, Paul shows how Gentiles who have benefited from the spiritual blessings of the Jews should share their material blessings with them. Here is a church doing exactly that.
What a testimony they are to the grace of God! And in that they both challenge and encourage us to live real Christian lives, to the glory of God. Will we rise to the occasion too?
Acts 10:1 - 11:18
Alongside the conversion of Saul, the story of Cornelius is one of the most significant in Acts for the progress of the gospel and the life of the church. We're going to look at this story through its two main character, Cornelius and Peter.
1. Cornelius
The description Luke gives of Cornelius is very striking. A Roman centurion yet a man who was well-disposed towards the Jewish faith. He and all his family were devout and feared God. Cornelius gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. His life was not lived carelessly or callously. Cornelius cared for others and called in all sincerity to the one true God.
The picture Luke paints raises a significant question. What was his status before God? Was he already saved but needing to know of Jesus (i.e. much like an OT believer)? Although the portrait of him is one of genuine piety, the account Luke gives makes it abundantly clear that he needed to be saved:
10:43,44 - As Peter explains about faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is given to his hearers, strongly suggesting that it is at this point they came to believe in Jesus;
11:14 - "He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved".
11:18 The church summarises their understanding of the event like this: "God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life".
So he was sincere in his seeking but not yet saved. From what we have seen, a number of important points need to be made:
i) We must not despise sincere seekers of God. Sometimes it's said that the first prayer God hears from a person is their prayer to be saved. Clearly that was not so with Cornelius.
Or it may be said that a non-Christian cannot please God; again, the example of Cornelius challenges such a blanket statement. We're told that his prayers and gifts had "come up as a memorial offering before God" (10:4). That term is drawn from the OT and signifies God is pleased with the offering.
David Smith, an experienced missionary and lecturer, once wrote of this story that "It is an astonishing picture and one that demands careful and honest reflection. Here is an unconverted outsider who is devout, prayerful, generous and hungry for truth." He then quotes John Calvin who said "as we boast loudmouthed of Christ, how far removed most of us are from the example of this holy man".
It is a cause for shame when our lives are put in the shade by the example of others; we do need to reflect carefully and honestly on this.
ii) Sincere seekers still need to be saved. But however sincere and earnest Cornelius was in his seeking after God and in his passion to live a good life, as we've seen, he still needed to be saved. Sincere religious devotion, even to the one true God, is not what makes a person right with God. It is faith alone in Christ alone that brings forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
While we must ensure we don't despise or pour scorn upon the genuine desires of sincere seekers, we must also make sure we don't compromise on this point.
iii) A great encouragement. Whilst this is a challenging scenario, it is also tremendously encouraging: God is at work in this man's life! The context of his life was not particularly conducive to his being a sincere and genuine seeker of God; he was from a pagan background and, as a centurion, he moved in a ruthless and violent world.
But he had clearly had contact with the Jewish faith and had been attracted to the one true God. So don't despair for people today! The context is very bleak but God is able to stir people's hearts to seek him. And when he does that, he'll make a way for them to hear his gospel.
2. Peter
But are we willing to take the gospel to people? That was the great challenge to Peter in this situation. The town where he was staying had historical echoes of an earlier servant of the Lord who ran from the call to preach the gospel to Gentiles (Jonah sailed from Joppa). Will Peter do the same?
The early indications are not particularly favourable. He has a vision in which the Lord calls him to kill and eat unclean animals. Peter's response, presumably repeated with each vision, is to say "Surely not Lord". Cornelius had responded straight away to what the Lord had said to him; Peter is quite hesitant.
But that isn't the whole story. His initial hesitation and perhaps confusion does not stop him from obeying the Lord's call. And as he encounters Cornelius, the signs are more promising. He won't accept Cornelius bowing to him; for a Jew who shouldn't even be there, this is very promising! As John Stott has said, "Peter refused both to be treated by Cornelius as if he were a god, and to treat Cornelius as if he were a dog."
And as he talks with Cornelius, it is plain that he has reflected on the vision and its meaning and has concluded that the Lord is telling him that he "should not call any man impure or unclean".
Peter has grasped one of the great theological implications of the coming of Jesus. God's plan was and is to save from every nation, that his election of Israel was for the sake of the world, that there is no intrinsic difference between Jew and Gentile. All are acceptable to God through the Lord Jesus.
The issue isn't settled for him once and for all; he does struggle with it later but the great change in his thinking has been accomplished here. He sees what God is doing and rightly asks "Who was I to think that I could oppose God?"
I want pick up and apply a number of lessons from Peter:
i) The gospel is for all people, regardless of race and culture. It is even for people we may find ourselves despising - fanatical Muslims, asylum seekers, drug addicts, homeless beggars, and so on. Are we so very different to some of the more bigoted Jews of Peter's day? Do we say, "Surely not, Lord!"
ii) Obeying God's call may involve us in being criticised by our brothers and sisters. Peter went back to Jerusalem and was hauled over the coals: "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them".
What is more important to us, doing God's will or keeping in with our brothers and being thought be to orthodox? Peter held out and won over his brothers. May we be given grace to do the same.
iii) Peter's whole world was being turned upside down. At times, the Lord does that to us, wanting to take us on in our thinking and in our appreciation of his amazing grace. But that may mean leaving our comfort zones and thinking in new ways, not in terms of fundamentals but regarding the application of truth.
Our western world is in turmoil, everything is changing and so rapidly. Will we ask God for wisdom and courage to respond to the changes or will we retreat into the safety and comfort of answers and approaches that are comfortable but inadequate? Peter felt the pain but he went with it; as the Lord speaks to us, may we do so too.
1. Cornelius
The description Luke gives of Cornelius is very striking. A Roman centurion yet a man who was well-disposed towards the Jewish faith. He and all his family were devout and feared God. Cornelius gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. His life was not lived carelessly or callously. Cornelius cared for others and called in all sincerity to the one true God.
The picture Luke paints raises a significant question. What was his status before God? Was he already saved but needing to know of Jesus (i.e. much like an OT believer)? Although the portrait of him is one of genuine piety, the account Luke gives makes it abundantly clear that he needed to be saved:
10:43,44 - As Peter explains about faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is given to his hearers, strongly suggesting that it is at this point they came to believe in Jesus;
11:14 - "He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved".
11:18 The church summarises their understanding of the event like this: "God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life".
So he was sincere in his seeking but not yet saved. From what we have seen, a number of important points need to be made:
i) We must not despise sincere seekers of God. Sometimes it's said that the first prayer God hears from a person is their prayer to be saved. Clearly that was not so with Cornelius.
Or it may be said that a non-Christian cannot please God; again, the example of Cornelius challenges such a blanket statement. We're told that his prayers and gifts had "come up as a memorial offering before God" (10:4). That term is drawn from the OT and signifies God is pleased with the offering.
David Smith, an experienced missionary and lecturer, once wrote of this story that "It is an astonishing picture and one that demands careful and honest reflection. Here is an unconverted outsider who is devout, prayerful, generous and hungry for truth." He then quotes John Calvin who said "as we boast loudmouthed of Christ, how far removed most of us are from the example of this holy man".
It is a cause for shame when our lives are put in the shade by the example of others; we do need to reflect carefully and honestly on this.
ii) Sincere seekers still need to be saved. But however sincere and earnest Cornelius was in his seeking after God and in his passion to live a good life, as we've seen, he still needed to be saved. Sincere religious devotion, even to the one true God, is not what makes a person right with God. It is faith alone in Christ alone that brings forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
While we must ensure we don't despise or pour scorn upon the genuine desires of sincere seekers, we must also make sure we don't compromise on this point.
iii) A great encouragement. Whilst this is a challenging scenario, it is also tremendously encouraging: God is at work in this man's life! The context of his life was not particularly conducive to his being a sincere and genuine seeker of God; he was from a pagan background and, as a centurion, he moved in a ruthless and violent world.
But he had clearly had contact with the Jewish faith and had been attracted to the one true God. So don't despair for people today! The context is very bleak but God is able to stir people's hearts to seek him. And when he does that, he'll make a way for them to hear his gospel.
2. Peter
But are we willing to take the gospel to people? That was the great challenge to Peter in this situation. The town where he was staying had historical echoes of an earlier servant of the Lord who ran from the call to preach the gospel to Gentiles (Jonah sailed from Joppa). Will Peter do the same?
The early indications are not particularly favourable. He has a vision in which the Lord calls him to kill and eat unclean animals. Peter's response, presumably repeated with each vision, is to say "Surely not Lord". Cornelius had responded straight away to what the Lord had said to him; Peter is quite hesitant.
But that isn't the whole story. His initial hesitation and perhaps confusion does not stop him from obeying the Lord's call. And as he encounters Cornelius, the signs are more promising. He won't accept Cornelius bowing to him; for a Jew who shouldn't even be there, this is very promising! As John Stott has said, "Peter refused both to be treated by Cornelius as if he were a god, and to treat Cornelius as if he were a dog."
And as he talks with Cornelius, it is plain that he has reflected on the vision and its meaning and has concluded that the Lord is telling him that he "should not call any man impure or unclean".
Peter has grasped one of the great theological implications of the coming of Jesus. God's plan was and is to save from every nation, that his election of Israel was for the sake of the world, that there is no intrinsic difference between Jew and Gentile. All are acceptable to God through the Lord Jesus.
The issue isn't settled for him once and for all; he does struggle with it later but the great change in his thinking has been accomplished here. He sees what God is doing and rightly asks "Who was I to think that I could oppose God?"
I want pick up and apply a number of lessons from Peter:
i) The gospel is for all people, regardless of race and culture. It is even for people we may find ourselves despising - fanatical Muslims, asylum seekers, drug addicts, homeless beggars, and so on. Are we so very different to some of the more bigoted Jews of Peter's day? Do we say, "Surely not, Lord!"
ii) Obeying God's call may involve us in being criticised by our brothers and sisters. Peter went back to Jerusalem and was hauled over the coals: "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them".
What is more important to us, doing God's will or keeping in with our brothers and being thought be to orthodox? Peter held out and won over his brothers. May we be given grace to do the same.
iii) Peter's whole world was being turned upside down. At times, the Lord does that to us, wanting to take us on in our thinking and in our appreciation of his amazing grace. But that may mean leaving our comfort zones and thinking in new ways, not in terms of fundamentals but regarding the application of truth.
Our western world is in turmoil, everything is changing and so rapidly. Will we ask God for wisdom and courage to respond to the changes or will we retreat into the safety and comfort of answers and approaches that are comfortable but inadequate? Peter felt the pain but he went with it; as the Lord speaks to us, may we do so too.
Acts 9:32-42
The 2 incidents recorded by Luke in 9:32-42 serve in the context of Acts to introduce us to the widening ministry of Peter. The gospel is beginning to spread but not yet in any concerted way to the Gentiles.
What the healing of Aeneas and raising of Tabitha show is that Peter is an authorised and authentic apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and prepare the ground for the major incident with Cornelius which follows. But this passage also teaches us about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, about suffering and about God's sovereignty.
1. A Model Disciple
The issue of discipleship is highlighted when Tabitha is identified as a disciple. Aeneas no doubt was a believer too but the fact that Tabitha was a disciple is highlighted for us in particular. There are two things to notice about this:
i) She was a female disciple - Luke uses the feminine form of the word disciple here (its only use in the NT). That is very significant. In both his Gospel and in Acts, Luke shows the prominent role played by women, both in assisting the ministry of Jesus and then in the early church.
This is important because many say the Bible is sexist, both in its language and how it portrays women. But in a society where women were marginalised, it was the Lord Jesus who willingly engaged with them, calling them to follow him, to learn from him and gladly receiving their assistance.
And in the early church, although women were not given leadership roles by the Lord, nevertheless they were valued very highly indeed. And Luke affirms that here in the way he speaks of Tabitha and presents her as a model believer.
ii) She lived out her discipleship - That portrayal of her as something of a model disciple comes out in the description of her life: she "was always doing good and helping the poor".
Discipleship has been described in various ways. One writer expresses it is this way: a disciple of Jesus Christ is "one who believes his doctrines, rests upon his sacrifice, imbibes his Spirit and imitates his example". That's a very helpful summary but Luke is not trying to define discipleship here, he's showing us what it looks like in action. And with Tabitha that meant being full of good works.
She was a lady of means who used her riches for the glory of God and the good of others. Her home was in all probability used by the church in Joppa for its meetings (she had a large upper room) and she was a consistent helper of the local widows, probably both Christian and non-Christian.
And she didn't just help from a distance; her very self was bound up with the help she gave. It is no wonder that, when she died, those she had helped were deeply upset. She was a model believer, held in high regard both in the church and in the local community.
In her example there is much for us to learn. We may not be rich as she was but the Lord blesses in various ways; are we using his gifts for his glory and the good of others? Are we clearly known as disciples of Jesus, not in a formal sense but in reality, because of the lives we live?
Acts has many great heroes of the faith: Peter and Paul, Stephen and Philip, and others. We can admire their gifts and rejoice in the way the Lord used them. But it would be quite wrong to conclude that if we lack those gifts, we have little or no part to play in his work.
Tabitha is a great example of an 'ordinary' believer living an extraordinary life, by God's grace, to God's glory. We too have many opportunities to do the same. In our society, personal, practical help is desperately needed. People are lonely, families are breaking down, many are struggling with life.
The openings are many, the harvest is plentiful - but it has to be said that still the labourers are few. Are we asking the Lord to send out workers into his harvest? We need to ask him to show us where we could make a difference, how our gifts and abilities might be used, both in the church and in the community.
2. Disciples and Death
Tabitha is a great encouragement to us through her life. But she died, so it's end of story. And yet it isn't. Her death and its outcome help us too:
i) The Lord's work does not depend on one person. His work is much bigger than us and our gifts and what we are able to do for him. The church belongs to him, the progress of the gospel is his passion and purpose ever before it becomes ours.
ii) Being a disciple, and a model one at that, does not exempt a person from what Paul calls "the sufferings of this present age" (Rom. 8:18). Tabitha fell ill and died. The Lord's best, most winsome and fruitful servants are not immune to suffering in its various forms.
iii) But, as we see here, the Lord may choose to restore, which raises the very obvious question, Why some but not others?
In this situation, Peter's decision to intervene seems to be based on the deep grief of the people and on the strategic ministry of Tabitha. Paul reasons in the same way in Phil. 1:23ff where he is sure he will be set free for the sake of the Philippian church.
But it doesn't always work that way. In fact, Paul probably wasn't released from jail. The Lord's hands are not tied by our perception of what will be best. He is free to act as he will. Taking the cases of Aeneas and Tabitha together, it is clear that the Lord's hand is not ultimately swayed by Tabitha's deeds. Aeneas is contrasted to Tabitha - he was a believer yet not much is said of him, nothing great to report. Tabitha is so different. And yet both of them are healed by the Lord!
So if it isn't human need or virtue that occasions the Lord's intervention, what is it? Look at what happens in both cases: God is glorified as people believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Both miracles are demonstrations of the larger salvation that is available only in Jesus. When Peter speaks to Aeneas and then Tabitha, he uses both times the word that is used to describe the resurrection of Jesus (vv.34,40). The Lord acts to vindicate his name, to proclaim the salvation won by Jesus.
But he doesn't only glorify himself through such miracles. They are quite rare in scripture, even in the days of Acts. More often, he chooses to glorify his name through our weakness, as Paul discovered and was able to rejoice in (2 Cor. 12:7ff).
God knows all; he is sovereign and will act to glorify the name of his Son. And that is where, ultimately, our own greatest happiness and good lie. May he help us to be true disciples, to his praise and honour, living in and through his all-sufficient grace. Amen.
What the healing of Aeneas and raising of Tabitha show is that Peter is an authorised and authentic apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and prepare the ground for the major incident with Cornelius which follows. But this passage also teaches us about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, about suffering and about God's sovereignty.
1. A Model Disciple
The issue of discipleship is highlighted when Tabitha is identified as a disciple. Aeneas no doubt was a believer too but the fact that Tabitha was a disciple is highlighted for us in particular. There are two things to notice about this:
i) She was a female disciple - Luke uses the feminine form of the word disciple here (its only use in the NT). That is very significant. In both his Gospel and in Acts, Luke shows the prominent role played by women, both in assisting the ministry of Jesus and then in the early church.
This is important because many say the Bible is sexist, both in its language and how it portrays women. But in a society where women were marginalised, it was the Lord Jesus who willingly engaged with them, calling them to follow him, to learn from him and gladly receiving their assistance.
And in the early church, although women were not given leadership roles by the Lord, nevertheless they were valued very highly indeed. And Luke affirms that here in the way he speaks of Tabitha and presents her as a model believer.
ii) She lived out her discipleship - That portrayal of her as something of a model disciple comes out in the description of her life: she "was always doing good and helping the poor".
Discipleship has been described in various ways. One writer expresses it is this way: a disciple of Jesus Christ is "one who believes his doctrines, rests upon his sacrifice, imbibes his Spirit and imitates his example". That's a very helpful summary but Luke is not trying to define discipleship here, he's showing us what it looks like in action. And with Tabitha that meant being full of good works.
She was a lady of means who used her riches for the glory of God and the good of others. Her home was in all probability used by the church in Joppa for its meetings (she had a large upper room) and she was a consistent helper of the local widows, probably both Christian and non-Christian.
And she didn't just help from a distance; her very self was bound up with the help she gave. It is no wonder that, when she died, those she had helped were deeply upset. She was a model believer, held in high regard both in the church and in the local community.
In her example there is much for us to learn. We may not be rich as she was but the Lord blesses in various ways; are we using his gifts for his glory and the good of others? Are we clearly known as disciples of Jesus, not in a formal sense but in reality, because of the lives we live?
Acts has many great heroes of the faith: Peter and Paul, Stephen and Philip, and others. We can admire their gifts and rejoice in the way the Lord used them. But it would be quite wrong to conclude that if we lack those gifts, we have little or no part to play in his work.
Tabitha is a great example of an 'ordinary' believer living an extraordinary life, by God's grace, to God's glory. We too have many opportunities to do the same. In our society, personal, practical help is desperately needed. People are lonely, families are breaking down, many are struggling with life.
The openings are many, the harvest is plentiful - but it has to be said that still the labourers are few. Are we asking the Lord to send out workers into his harvest? We need to ask him to show us where we could make a difference, how our gifts and abilities might be used, both in the church and in the community.
2. Disciples and Death
Tabitha is a great encouragement to us through her life. But she died, so it's end of story. And yet it isn't. Her death and its outcome help us too:
i) The Lord's work does not depend on one person. His work is much bigger than us and our gifts and what we are able to do for him. The church belongs to him, the progress of the gospel is his passion and purpose ever before it becomes ours.
ii) Being a disciple, and a model one at that, does not exempt a person from what Paul calls "the sufferings of this present age" (Rom. 8:18). Tabitha fell ill and died. The Lord's best, most winsome and fruitful servants are not immune to suffering in its various forms.
iii) But, as we see here, the Lord may choose to restore, which raises the very obvious question, Why some but not others?
In this situation, Peter's decision to intervene seems to be based on the deep grief of the people and on the strategic ministry of Tabitha. Paul reasons in the same way in Phil. 1:23ff where he is sure he will be set free for the sake of the Philippian church.
But it doesn't always work that way. In fact, Paul probably wasn't released from jail. The Lord's hands are not tied by our perception of what will be best. He is free to act as he will. Taking the cases of Aeneas and Tabitha together, it is clear that the Lord's hand is not ultimately swayed by Tabitha's deeds. Aeneas is contrasted to Tabitha - he was a believer yet not much is said of him, nothing great to report. Tabitha is so different. And yet both of them are healed by the Lord!
So if it isn't human need or virtue that occasions the Lord's intervention, what is it? Look at what happens in both cases: God is glorified as people believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Both miracles are demonstrations of the larger salvation that is available only in Jesus. When Peter speaks to Aeneas and then Tabitha, he uses both times the word that is used to describe the resurrection of Jesus (vv.34,40). The Lord acts to vindicate his name, to proclaim the salvation won by Jesus.
But he doesn't only glorify himself through such miracles. They are quite rare in scripture, even in the days of Acts. More often, he chooses to glorify his name through our weakness, as Paul discovered and was able to rejoice in (2 Cor. 12:7ff).
God knows all; he is sovereign and will act to glorify the name of his Son. And that is where, ultimately, our own greatest happiness and good lie. May he help us to be true disciples, to his praise and honour, living in and through his all-sufficient grace. Amen.
Acts 9:1-31
1. Saul: Verging on Violence (vv.1,2)
The account of Philip's ministry in ch.8 has left a significant issue in the air. When Stephen was killed, a young Jew by the name of Saul was there giving his approval and then going from house to house, dragging Christians off to prison. So while the believers were being scattered and Philip saw such blessing both in Samaria and with the Eunuch, what has happened with Saul?
The answer is given in the opening verse of this chapter: "Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples". And here we find him intent on causing more trouble by going to Damascus to try to get Christians extradited from there to Jerusalem.
Here is a man very zealous for all things Jewish - the law, the temple, the customs, the land, Jewish exclusiveness - and yet his zeal is without knowledge. He persecutes followers of 'the Way' which is shorthand for 'Way of Salvation'.
Here were people who believed the law had been fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth, who saw him as the true temple, and who were intent of taking the message of salvation in this Jesus to the ends of the earth. No wonder Saul was angry!
How will the Lord deal with this man? As we've seen, God is in complete control of the mission. He could quite easily wipe him out; there are times when persecutors are simply taken away (see Herod in 12:23). But the Lord has other plans for this angry young man. He has the situation in hand, as he always does, and acts here with power and grace. Never despair for the church, nor for societies or individuals - the Lord is in control!
2. Saul: Confronted, Converted, Commissioned (vv.3-19a)
As Saul travels to Damascus, he is confronted by the reality of the risen Lord Jesus Christ in his majesty and power. This is not a psychological vision that Saul has, it is historically real; those who were with him "stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone" (v.7).
Now, Saul doesn't realise who he is seeing and hearing at first and asks who is speaking. The answer he gets is completely devastating: "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting".
From this moment, Saul is blind - blinded by the light physically but his blindness also functions symbolically in this passage. He has been acting in grave ignorance of the truth. Saul is completely devastated by what he has seen and heard. When he gets to the house on Straight Street, he eats and drinks nothing for three days.
Why is he so utterly devastated? The answer lies in what this vision of Jesus has shown him. The fact that Jesus is alive, that he truly was raised from the dead, as the church had been proclaiming, changed everything. It meant, as Saul so soon began to preach, that Jesus was the Son of God, that he was the Messiah.
Jesus really had fulfilled the law; he was the true temple, and the gospel was for all nations. The kingdom of God had been inaugurated, God had acted to save his people and the message was to be taken into all the nations and the Gentiles brought in.
Saul had to go through a complete rethink; he had to repent, change his whole outlook, especially as regards the person and work of Jesus. Once he had regarded him from a fleshly point of view but no longer; he sees him as the fulfilment of God's plans, the 'yes' to all the promises of God.
Saul changes his mind in deep contrition for his sin, especially persecuting the Lord's people and comes to faith in Jesus.
There is much about Saul's conversion that is quite out of the ordinary, particularly the vision of Jesus, and that is tied to the plans the Lord has to use him. But having said that, we still see here what is involved in all true conversion: a change of mind, sorrow for sin and faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
Saul is confronted and converted, and what the Lord did for him he can do for others who seem so far from him; don't stop praying!
Having been converted, Saul is also commissioned to serve the Lord he has so recently persecuted. The Lord uses a man named Ananias to further his work in Saul's life. Now, quite understandably, Ananias is very reluctant to go to Saul! But the Lord says that Saul "is praying", a phrase that is deeply significant and shows Ananias that Saul is now his brother.
Ananias lays his hands on Saul and tells him that the Lord Jesus has sent him so that Saul may receive the Holy Spirit. Here is the great sign that the new age has arrived, that the Messiah has come. And the Messiah is Jesus! As his hands are laid on Saul, his recovers his sight - a physical symbol of what is also true of him in a spiritual sense.
But he is not going to be left as he is. Ananias has been told that the Lord has plans for Saul, unexpected and glorious plans. The one who persecuted the Way will be a preacher of the Way. And he will suffer for the sake of Jesus' name.
Of course, this commission is quite specific to Saul but, as with his conversion, it also makes a general point worth noting and learning from: when we are saved, we are called into service. And although that service will include the very real possibility of suffering for Jesus' sake, it remains a glorious calling.
3. Saul: Preaching and Persecuted (vv.19b-31)
What happens next is that Saul "at once...began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God" (v.20). He obeyed his commission. Where once his zeal was without knowledge, now he knows the truth, it has set him free and he glories in it, preaching to all that Jesus is the Messiah.
Given that this is such an about-turn, how do the Jews in Damascus react? At first they are dumbfounded but then they get deadly in their intent. No matter that this man was once one of them, he must be dealt with.
And the same happens in Jerusalem. He is integrated into the Christian community there, thanks to the brave stand of Barnabas, and the Jews are infuriated and, again, look to try and kill him.
However remarkable a conversion may be, however clearly it displays the powerful mercy of God, however persuasive the testimony to the Lord Jesus, apart from the grace of God, the world's reaction will be to turn away and to reject.
4. The Church At Peace
But the final picture in this chapter gives us an example of the times of peace and blessing that the Lord is able to give to his church. In Judea, Galilee and Samaria, the church "enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord" (v.31).
In the conversion of Saul, the amazing grace and power of God is seen; in this brief cameo of the church at large, those attributes are no less evident. The Lord is in control of his mission. He can bring even the most hardened person to their knees and change their hearts; he can grow his church, even where persecution is rife. We need to hold onto that and seek him with all our hearts.
The account of Philip's ministry in ch.8 has left a significant issue in the air. When Stephen was killed, a young Jew by the name of Saul was there giving his approval and then going from house to house, dragging Christians off to prison. So while the believers were being scattered and Philip saw such blessing both in Samaria and with the Eunuch, what has happened with Saul?
The answer is given in the opening verse of this chapter: "Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples". And here we find him intent on causing more trouble by going to Damascus to try to get Christians extradited from there to Jerusalem.
Here is a man very zealous for all things Jewish - the law, the temple, the customs, the land, Jewish exclusiveness - and yet his zeal is without knowledge. He persecutes followers of 'the Way' which is shorthand for 'Way of Salvation'.
Here were people who believed the law had been fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth, who saw him as the true temple, and who were intent of taking the message of salvation in this Jesus to the ends of the earth. No wonder Saul was angry!
How will the Lord deal with this man? As we've seen, God is in complete control of the mission. He could quite easily wipe him out; there are times when persecutors are simply taken away (see Herod in 12:23). But the Lord has other plans for this angry young man. He has the situation in hand, as he always does, and acts here with power and grace. Never despair for the church, nor for societies or individuals - the Lord is in control!
2. Saul: Confronted, Converted, Commissioned (vv.3-19a)
As Saul travels to Damascus, he is confronted by the reality of the risen Lord Jesus Christ in his majesty and power. This is not a psychological vision that Saul has, it is historically real; those who were with him "stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone" (v.7).
Now, Saul doesn't realise who he is seeing and hearing at first and asks who is speaking. The answer he gets is completely devastating: "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting".
From this moment, Saul is blind - blinded by the light physically but his blindness also functions symbolically in this passage. He has been acting in grave ignorance of the truth. Saul is completely devastated by what he has seen and heard. When he gets to the house on Straight Street, he eats and drinks nothing for three days.
Why is he so utterly devastated? The answer lies in what this vision of Jesus has shown him. The fact that Jesus is alive, that he truly was raised from the dead, as the church had been proclaiming, changed everything. It meant, as Saul so soon began to preach, that Jesus was the Son of God, that he was the Messiah.
Jesus really had fulfilled the law; he was the true temple, and the gospel was for all nations. The kingdom of God had been inaugurated, God had acted to save his people and the message was to be taken into all the nations and the Gentiles brought in.
Saul had to go through a complete rethink; he had to repent, change his whole outlook, especially as regards the person and work of Jesus. Once he had regarded him from a fleshly point of view but no longer; he sees him as the fulfilment of God's plans, the 'yes' to all the promises of God.
Saul changes his mind in deep contrition for his sin, especially persecuting the Lord's people and comes to faith in Jesus.
There is much about Saul's conversion that is quite out of the ordinary, particularly the vision of Jesus, and that is tied to the plans the Lord has to use him. But having said that, we still see here what is involved in all true conversion: a change of mind, sorrow for sin and faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
Saul is confronted and converted, and what the Lord did for him he can do for others who seem so far from him; don't stop praying!
Having been converted, Saul is also commissioned to serve the Lord he has so recently persecuted. The Lord uses a man named Ananias to further his work in Saul's life. Now, quite understandably, Ananias is very reluctant to go to Saul! But the Lord says that Saul "is praying", a phrase that is deeply significant and shows Ananias that Saul is now his brother.
Ananias lays his hands on Saul and tells him that the Lord Jesus has sent him so that Saul may receive the Holy Spirit. Here is the great sign that the new age has arrived, that the Messiah has come. And the Messiah is Jesus! As his hands are laid on Saul, his recovers his sight - a physical symbol of what is also true of him in a spiritual sense.
But he is not going to be left as he is. Ananias has been told that the Lord has plans for Saul, unexpected and glorious plans. The one who persecuted the Way will be a preacher of the Way. And he will suffer for the sake of Jesus' name.
Of course, this commission is quite specific to Saul but, as with his conversion, it also makes a general point worth noting and learning from: when we are saved, we are called into service. And although that service will include the very real possibility of suffering for Jesus' sake, it remains a glorious calling.
3. Saul: Preaching and Persecuted (vv.19b-31)
What happens next is that Saul "at once...began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God" (v.20). He obeyed his commission. Where once his zeal was without knowledge, now he knows the truth, it has set him free and he glories in it, preaching to all that Jesus is the Messiah.
Given that this is such an about-turn, how do the Jews in Damascus react? At first they are dumbfounded but then they get deadly in their intent. No matter that this man was once one of them, he must be dealt with.
And the same happens in Jerusalem. He is integrated into the Christian community there, thanks to the brave stand of Barnabas, and the Jews are infuriated and, again, look to try and kill him.
However remarkable a conversion may be, however clearly it displays the powerful mercy of God, however persuasive the testimony to the Lord Jesus, apart from the grace of God, the world's reaction will be to turn away and to reject.
4. The Church At Peace
But the final picture in this chapter gives us an example of the times of peace and blessing that the Lord is able to give to his church. In Judea, Galilee and Samaria, the church "enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord" (v.31).
In the conversion of Saul, the amazing grace and power of God is seen; in this brief cameo of the church at large, those attributes are no less evident. The Lord is in control of his mission. He can bring even the most hardened person to their knees and change their hearts; he can grow his church, even where persecution is rife. We need to hold onto that and seek him with all our hearts.
Acts 8:26-40
One of the main points this scene so clearly conveys is the sovereign control of God over the whole gospel mission. By means of an angelic messenger and the direct leading of his Spirit, the Lord moves Philip on from a successful ministry in Samaria to a one-to-one encounter in the middle of nowhere.
This isn't something that Philip's agent would have advised - not exactly a wise career move to leave a success story. But when Philip gets there, he finds a prepared individual, a man who 'just happens' to be reading the Bible, in whose heart the Lord is already at work.
From a crowd to an individual, the Lord will pursue his plan to prosper the gospel and to bless. This is the second of four scenes (inc. Samaria, Saul, Cornelius) where the Lord moves the story on at great pace and in ways beyond the plans of the church.
The apostles are always having to play catch-up to what the Lord himself is doing! He is the one in charge; it is his story, his plan to save a fallen world. He has the right to set the agenda and move the action on and he always does so with power and wisdom.
1. A Changing Scene
Now, it is one thing to recognise that God is in control over the mission of the church; it is another to celebrate and cooperate with it. But that it what we see Philip doing here and there is much for us to learn from him.
We are not to expect angelic messages and direct leading by the Spirit to be a daily occurrence but that shouldn't stop us from receiving the example of Philip in this scene.
Here is a man open to what God wants to do. He isn't coming with his own set agenda but is ready to do the Lord's will. He is ready to respond to God's providence and leading.
To follow this example is not to deny the need for the church to think through its mission and to make plans to enact it. We see the apostle Paul doing just that in Acts and in his letters. But that must always go hand in hand with a willingness to respond to what God is doing that is different to our plans.
We live in days of great challenge; getting the gospel out is perhaps harder than ever in our society. We need to ask if we're ready to do what it takes to get it out. Are we open or are an obstacle?
2. An Unchanging Message
Philip was ready to change, at the Lord's bidding, from one place to another, from a public scene to a private one, from a crowd to an individual. But what is not changed, what is clearly nonnegotiable, is the message he preaches. As with the Samaritans, so with the Ethiopian: Philip speaks God's good news that centers upon his Son, Jesus the Messiah.
In Samaria there had been miracles accompanying; leaving aside the unusual means of guidance, this scene has nothing spectacular about it. But what it does have in common with Samaria is the centrality of the gospel. In fact, the way the passage is structured by Luke, the very centre of the scene is the quotation from Isaiah.
In all gospel work, in the life of the church and in our lives in the community, the great unchanging reality is the message of the gospel. As in Samaria, as with the Ethiopian, so today the way that people will be saved is through God's Word.
That may happen at times in unusual ways, it may happen without any other person being involved, because, as we've seen, God is sovereign. But both in Acts and the rest of the NT, it is clear that the Lord's usual way of working in salvation is through his word being explained and applied in person.
Holding fast to the gospel is an absolute necessity. And so is being ready and willing to change the context in which we share it with others. We need to ask the Lord for wisdom to know how to do both.
3. A Token of Blessing
But what of the Eunuch himself. From his perspective, the grace of God that seeks him out is quite amazing. He is clearly someone seeking, a God-fearer (a Eunuch couldn't become a proselyte). As he seeks, he finds that the Lord is seeking him and will take one of his servants from a scene of blessing simply to minister to him in his need. How good God is!
But whilst we recognise and rejoice in the Eunuch's salvation, the picture it paints is bigger yet. Here we see something of God's plan to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Ethiopia was thought of in just that way in that time. The church had yet to embark on that part of the great commission but here we see a token of God's desire to save from every tribe, language and nation.
This eunuch would no doubt have wanted to worship in the temple but his condition prevented it. No doubt he would have wanted to be baptised into Judaism but again his condition was a bar to that. But now he is united to Christ, he becomes part of the true temple of God and is baptised to declare that he is united to and identified with the Lord Jesus. This had been prophesied in Is. 56:3-5 and here it comes true!
Here is living proof of the fact that there are no bars to anyone coming to Christ! This lesson is going to be amplified in Acts but it is seen in essence here and very powerfully too.
Conclusion
As we close, we need to notice that Luke has written up this incident in a very careful way. The whole scene has many parallels to the scene in Lk. 24 with the two disappointed disciples on the road to Emmaus.
* A stranger suddenly joins the traveller(s)
* The stranger engages the traveller(s) with a question
* The traveller(s) has failed to understand scripture
* Jesus' death and resurrection become the topic of conversation via a reference to the prophets
* The stranger vanishes as quickly as he came
* The traveller(s) know great joy
But there is one key difference. Those in Lk.24 go back to Jerusalem; the eunuch continues on his way. Although it had been the focal point of his gospel and for the early church, now Jerusalem is no longer going to be so.
The man does not need to return there to know God's presence. The events that were completed there (the Cross and Pentecost) mean he can go his way confident that God is with him. As John Stott has noted, he went on his way "without the evangelist but with the evangel, without human aid but with the divine Spirit."
And perhaps we can say that he can go knowing too that God can and will use him to further the gospel where he lives. Is it too much to pray that the same will be true for us?
This isn't something that Philip's agent would have advised - not exactly a wise career move to leave a success story. But when Philip gets there, he finds a prepared individual, a man who 'just happens' to be reading the Bible, in whose heart the Lord is already at work.
From a crowd to an individual, the Lord will pursue his plan to prosper the gospel and to bless. This is the second of four scenes (inc. Samaria, Saul, Cornelius) where the Lord moves the story on at great pace and in ways beyond the plans of the church.
The apostles are always having to play catch-up to what the Lord himself is doing! He is the one in charge; it is his story, his plan to save a fallen world. He has the right to set the agenda and move the action on and he always does so with power and wisdom.
1. A Changing Scene
Now, it is one thing to recognise that God is in control over the mission of the church; it is another to celebrate and cooperate with it. But that it what we see Philip doing here and there is much for us to learn from him.
We are not to expect angelic messages and direct leading by the Spirit to be a daily occurrence but that shouldn't stop us from receiving the example of Philip in this scene.
Here is a man open to what God wants to do. He isn't coming with his own set agenda but is ready to do the Lord's will. He is ready to respond to God's providence and leading.
To follow this example is not to deny the need for the church to think through its mission and to make plans to enact it. We see the apostle Paul doing just that in Acts and in his letters. But that must always go hand in hand with a willingness to respond to what God is doing that is different to our plans.
We live in days of great challenge; getting the gospel out is perhaps harder than ever in our society. We need to ask if we're ready to do what it takes to get it out. Are we open or are an obstacle?
2. An Unchanging Message
Philip was ready to change, at the Lord's bidding, from one place to another, from a public scene to a private one, from a crowd to an individual. But what is not changed, what is clearly nonnegotiable, is the message he preaches. As with the Samaritans, so with the Ethiopian: Philip speaks God's good news that centers upon his Son, Jesus the Messiah.
In Samaria there had been miracles accompanying; leaving aside the unusual means of guidance, this scene has nothing spectacular about it. But what it does have in common with Samaria is the centrality of the gospel. In fact, the way the passage is structured by Luke, the very centre of the scene is the quotation from Isaiah.
In all gospel work, in the life of the church and in our lives in the community, the great unchanging reality is the message of the gospel. As in Samaria, as with the Ethiopian, so today the way that people will be saved is through God's Word.
That may happen at times in unusual ways, it may happen without any other person being involved, because, as we've seen, God is sovereign. But both in Acts and the rest of the NT, it is clear that the Lord's usual way of working in salvation is through his word being explained and applied in person.
Holding fast to the gospel is an absolute necessity. And so is being ready and willing to change the context in which we share it with others. We need to ask the Lord for wisdom to know how to do both.
3. A Token of Blessing
But what of the Eunuch himself. From his perspective, the grace of God that seeks him out is quite amazing. He is clearly someone seeking, a God-fearer (a Eunuch couldn't become a proselyte). As he seeks, he finds that the Lord is seeking him and will take one of his servants from a scene of blessing simply to minister to him in his need. How good God is!
But whilst we recognise and rejoice in the Eunuch's salvation, the picture it paints is bigger yet. Here we see something of God's plan to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Ethiopia was thought of in just that way in that time. The church had yet to embark on that part of the great commission but here we see a token of God's desire to save from every tribe, language and nation.
This eunuch would no doubt have wanted to worship in the temple but his condition prevented it. No doubt he would have wanted to be baptised into Judaism but again his condition was a bar to that. But now he is united to Christ, he becomes part of the true temple of God and is baptised to declare that he is united to and identified with the Lord Jesus. This had been prophesied in Is. 56:3-5 and here it comes true!
Here is living proof of the fact that there are no bars to anyone coming to Christ! This lesson is going to be amplified in Acts but it is seen in essence here and very powerfully too.
Conclusion
As we close, we need to notice that Luke has written up this incident in a very careful way. The whole scene has many parallels to the scene in Lk. 24 with the two disappointed disciples on the road to Emmaus.
* A stranger suddenly joins the traveller(s)
* The stranger engages the traveller(s) with a question
* The traveller(s) has failed to understand scripture
* Jesus' death and resurrection become the topic of conversation via a reference to the prophets
* The stranger vanishes as quickly as he came
* The traveller(s) know great joy
But there is one key difference. Those in Lk.24 go back to Jerusalem; the eunuch continues on his way. Although it had been the focal point of his gospel and for the early church, now Jerusalem is no longer going to be so.
The man does not need to return there to know God's presence. The events that were completed there (the Cross and Pentecost) mean he can go his way confident that God is with him. As John Stott has noted, he went on his way "without the evangelist but with the evangel, without human aid but with the divine Spirit."
And perhaps we can say that he can go knowing too that God can and will use him to further the gospel where he lives. Is it too much to pray that the same will be true for us?
Monday, 17 July 2006
Exodus 15:1-21
Last week, we saw how the Lord opened a way through the waters for his people, rescuing them from their enemies. The story takes a bit of a breather in ch.15 as we have recorded for us the song that the people sang in response to what the Lord had just done for them. And that is how it ought to be – deliverance should lead to doxology and salvation to song. We were created to hymn the praise of God and that is where this chapter takes us.
1. Songs in scripture…
I want to begin by reading some comments made on the back of a study of what is often called The Song of the Sea.
The points being made there are extremely important and very helpfully put. The writer is not being small-minded but is genuinely concerned for the health of the church and the glory of God.
We need to take on board the sheer variety of songs that are found in the Bible – no one song will contain all the aspects noted. And so in a service, a wide variety of songs might be sung, in various forms.
But the point that the songs we sing don’t simply express our moods but help to shape them is of great significance. It’s what we see at Col. 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
The songs we sing teach and train us, they create and animate. Which means it is vital that we assess our songs in the light of the songs of scripture – and those songs, even where they focus on the status of the singer or the feelings of the congregation, do so in the context of speaking about the Lord – who he is, what he has done.
And that, of course, is just what we need. We need our songs not simply to express how we feel but to challenge and to shape our thinking so that our feelings are re-ordered and our emotions purified.
2. Focus of this song: the LORD is a warrior
Now, when we come to look at this song in all its detail, it is quite clear that its focus is resolutely set on the Lord and in particular on the Lord as a warrior (v.3).
Here is a theme that runs right throughout scripture, in both old and new testaments: God is a warrior and fights for his people and against his enemies. And as he does that, he gains a victory that is cosmic in its scope and that has implications for the whole creation.
i) He fights for his people The LORD takes absolute responsibility for his people and acts to rescue them. And, so, Moses and the people sing of him, “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (v.2)
ii) He judges their enemies The Lord who fights for his people judges those who oppose him. And that judgement here means the death of the whole army in the waters of the Red Sea.
Now, scenes of judgement we expect to find in the Bible; God is not partial to sin, he stands against it, deliberately and resolutely. But having said that, it almost seems that there is delight in this song at the expense of the Egyptians. How can that be so?
I think it is only when we see sin and evil up close and get a sense of just how desperately wicked they are that we can understand the delight in their destruction. Pharaoh and his men had taken their stand against the Lord and so had taken their stand for sin and chaos, for evil and death. Their actions (whether consciously so or not) were set on robbing creation of its liberation from bondage and its people’s from the black night of sin. That cannot be allowed. And so the Lord acts.
iii) He gains a cosmic victory This is no local victory that the Lord wins. He is in it for the sake of the whole cosmos and so the song speaks in cosmic terms. Again we see nature working hand-in-hand with the Creator and doing his bidding. We also see a reference to the watery chaos of Gen 1:2, a deliberate link back to that beginning of creation to proclaim the cosmic dimension of what has just happened.
Israel may be a small nation and, in the grand scheme of things in the ANE world, quite insignificant. But the Lord was acting for them and against their enemies for the sake of the whole world. And as he does so, he reveals himself to be the supreme ruler of all – “Who among the gods is like you?”
In all these ways, the Lord is also with us as his people – acting to redeem us from our great foes – sin, evil and death. And he is acting in us for the sake of the whole creation. He is surely worthy of the highest and purest praise we can bring.
3. Prophetic victory
One of the questions raised about this song is when it was written. It seems to flow straight from the crossing of the sea yet the final section (from v.13) speaks of a victory over peoples yet to be encountered (the NIV’s future tense is not justified). So was the song written a long time after the event and conveniently slotted-in here?
I think what we have here is indeed a prophetic passage (as suggested by the NIV) but the form of that prophecy is indeed the past tense and for a very good reason.
Our hope as the Lord’s people is secure because of Jesus and what he has done. Similarly here, the future success of the people is certain because of what this song is all about (the LORD!) and so future victories can be spoken of as already in the past.
Our final destiny is so secure that the Bible can speak of us as already saved, even as it speaks of us being saved. There is no doubt that every Christian will arrive safely in glory because the LORD is a warrior, because Jesus died and rose again, because his love is stronger than death.
In his unfailing love, he has and does lead us as his people and leads us to “his holy dwelling” (v.13). That term is used elsewhere in the OT for the temple but even that is only an anticipation of the full reality, the Lord dwelling with his people for ever. Our place in his family and at his table is forever secured because the Lord is our strength and song and has become our salvation (v.2). It is assured because, in his death, Jesus “shattered the enemy” (v.6) and they “sank like lead in the mighty waters” (v.10). It is guaranteed because “the LORD reigns for ever and ever” (v.18).
We must sing this song and others like it. We must fill our hearts and our minds with the truth about God, about Jesus, about his Spirit, about ourselves and the world, about the present and the future. We read the truth and we must sing the truth.
In Zeph. 3:17 we’re told that the Lord “will rejoice over you with singing”; we need to ask him to catch us up into that song through his Word and by his Spirit, for his glory and our strengthening.
1. Songs in scripture…
I want to begin by reading some comments made on the back of a study of what is often called The Song of the Sea.
Singing has universal appeal. The Creator made us that way. We sing for different reasons. Sometimes we are happy, other times miserable. Sometimes we know why we sing, other times it just comes out. We sing to remember good times and to take our minds off bad times. Singing changes our moods as well as simply reflecting them. What we sing can have a tremendous influence in how we subsequently think or behave. Song can enter portals of our being that prose and logic cannot. The capacity to sing and to react to song is part of the human experience, so much so that without it, we would truly be less than human.”
[The songs of scripture] give us a glimpse of who God is and, therefore, what our proper stance toward him should be.
We do not sing in worship to reflect our moods any more than our sermons and Sunday school lessons should reflect our pet theories on the gospel. Rather, quite bluntly, we sing in an effort to take us away from what we think and draw us toward what we ought to think, feel, experience. We sing to create a mood more than to reflect one.
This is why the content of what we sing is so vital. Our songs are, like the songs of the Bible, reminders of who God is and what he has done. This is not to say that only one type of song fits this description; for example, the ‘classic’ hymns of the church. To argue as I have done is not to close off discussion on the subject because the issue is now settled. Rather, the discussion can truly be opened when we have all agreed at the outset that, like the biblical examples, who we sing to and what we sing about is a matter worthy of constant reflection and spiritual energy. (Peter Enns, Exodus, NIVAC)
The points being made there are extremely important and very helpfully put. The writer is not being small-minded but is genuinely concerned for the health of the church and the glory of God.
We need to take on board the sheer variety of songs that are found in the Bible – no one song will contain all the aspects noted. And so in a service, a wide variety of songs might be sung, in various forms.
But the point that the songs we sing don’t simply express our moods but help to shape them is of great significance. It’s what we see at Col. 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
The songs we sing teach and train us, they create and animate. Which means it is vital that we assess our songs in the light of the songs of scripture – and those songs, even where they focus on the status of the singer or the feelings of the congregation, do so in the context of speaking about the Lord – who he is, what he has done.
And that, of course, is just what we need. We need our songs not simply to express how we feel but to challenge and to shape our thinking so that our feelings are re-ordered and our emotions purified.
2. Focus of this song: the LORD is a warrior
Now, when we come to look at this song in all its detail, it is quite clear that its focus is resolutely set on the Lord and in particular on the Lord as a warrior (v.3).
Here is a theme that runs right throughout scripture, in both old and new testaments: God is a warrior and fights for his people and against his enemies. And as he does that, he gains a victory that is cosmic in its scope and that has implications for the whole creation.
i) He fights for his people The LORD takes absolute responsibility for his people and acts to rescue them. And, so, Moses and the people sing of him, “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (v.2)
ii) He judges their enemies The Lord who fights for his people judges those who oppose him. And that judgement here means the death of the whole army in the waters of the Red Sea.
Now, scenes of judgement we expect to find in the Bible; God is not partial to sin, he stands against it, deliberately and resolutely. But having said that, it almost seems that there is delight in this song at the expense of the Egyptians. How can that be so?
I think it is only when we see sin and evil up close and get a sense of just how desperately wicked they are that we can understand the delight in their destruction. Pharaoh and his men had taken their stand against the Lord and so had taken their stand for sin and chaos, for evil and death. Their actions (whether consciously so or not) were set on robbing creation of its liberation from bondage and its people’s from the black night of sin. That cannot be allowed. And so the Lord acts.
iii) He gains a cosmic victory This is no local victory that the Lord wins. He is in it for the sake of the whole cosmos and so the song speaks in cosmic terms. Again we see nature working hand-in-hand with the Creator and doing his bidding. We also see a reference to the watery chaos of Gen 1:2, a deliberate link back to that beginning of creation to proclaim the cosmic dimension of what has just happened.
Israel may be a small nation and, in the grand scheme of things in the ANE world, quite insignificant. But the Lord was acting for them and against their enemies for the sake of the whole world. And as he does so, he reveals himself to be the supreme ruler of all – “Who among the gods is like you?”
In all these ways, the Lord is also with us as his people – acting to redeem us from our great foes – sin, evil and death. And he is acting in us for the sake of the whole creation. He is surely worthy of the highest and purest praise we can bring.
3. Prophetic victory
One of the questions raised about this song is when it was written. It seems to flow straight from the crossing of the sea yet the final section (from v.13) speaks of a victory over peoples yet to be encountered (the NIV’s future tense is not justified). So was the song written a long time after the event and conveniently slotted-in here?
I think what we have here is indeed a prophetic passage (as suggested by the NIV) but the form of that prophecy is indeed the past tense and for a very good reason.
Our hope as the Lord’s people is secure because of Jesus and what he has done. Similarly here, the future success of the people is certain because of what this song is all about (the LORD!) and so future victories can be spoken of as already in the past.
Our final destiny is so secure that the Bible can speak of us as already saved, even as it speaks of us being saved. There is no doubt that every Christian will arrive safely in glory because the LORD is a warrior, because Jesus died and rose again, because his love is stronger than death.
In his unfailing love, he has and does lead us as his people and leads us to “his holy dwelling” (v.13). That term is used elsewhere in the OT for the temple but even that is only an anticipation of the full reality, the Lord dwelling with his people for ever. Our place in his family and at his table is forever secured because the Lord is our strength and song and has become our salvation (v.2). It is assured because, in his death, Jesus “shattered the enemy” (v.6) and they “sank like lead in the mighty waters” (v.10). It is guaranteed because “the LORD reigns for ever and ever” (v.18).
We must sing this song and others like it. We must fill our hearts and our minds with the truth about God, about Jesus, about his Spirit, about ourselves and the world, about the present and the future. We read the truth and we must sing the truth.
In Zeph. 3:17 we’re told that the Lord “will rejoice over you with singing”; we need to ask him to catch us up into that song through his Word and by his Spirit, for his glory and our strengthening.
Thursday, 13 July 2006
On Singing
Following on from Alan Davey's comments on singing here the following comments by Peter Enns in his excellent NIVAC commentary on Exodus seemed worth posting, as grist to the mill.
Peter Enns, Exodus (NIVAC), pp.314-317
Singing has universal appeal. The Creator made us that way. We sing for different reasons. Sometimes we are happy, other times miserable. Sometimes we know why we sing, other times it just comes out. We sing to remember good times and to take our minds off bad times. Singing changes our moods as well as simply reflecting them. What we sing can have a tremendous influence in how we subsequently think or behave. Song can enter portals of our being that prose and logic cannot. The capacity to sing and to react to song is part of the human experience, so much so that without it, we would truly be less than human.
Singing is such a characteristically human trait because it is divine as well. I do not know whether God sings, but he has certainly woven song into the fabric of creation. It is a means not only of reflecting or changing our moods, but it is also a means by which we "connect" with God, or to put it in more traditional language, it is a means by which we worship God. We do not have an "order of worship" anywhere in the Bible, although there are sufficient clues as to the types of things that probably went on in both Old and New Testament worship. But by God's good will, we do have a fairly extensive record of one thing they most certainly did: singing. The Bible records a lot of singing; there is even an entire book devoted to the subject (Psalms).
What we see in Exodus 15, and the other songs discussed above, is worship, pure and simple. Most Christians I know, including myself, find worship to be a frustratingly elusive thing. It is something we know we are supposed to do, but often we just can't seem to get a handle on it. It is something we are supposed to feel like doing, but, to be honest, we would often rather be off doing something else. But this is where these songs can help us.
Although neither I nor anyone else can prove the point, I do not think that the songs of the Old Testament were spontaneous outpourings of worship quickly jotted down and then preserved in a glass jar for future ggenerations to gawk at. They are rather models for worship. They were written down precisely so that they could be pondered, studied, and reflected one and not just for ancient Israelites, but for those who live in the light of the resurrection of God's Son. They are not trophies on a mantel but inspired examples, not so much because they have to be followed word for word, but because they give us a glimpse of who God is and, therefore, what our proper stance toward him should be.
One thing that strikes me about the biblical songs we have discussed is the lack of focus on oneself. And any attention that is paid to the one uttering the song (as in the case of Mary's song) quickly recedes into the background to let the true focus of the song come through-praise to the Lord. Songs in Scripture are about what God has done for his people. Although many psalms offer praise to God for more "abstract" things (though that is hardly a fair characterization), such as his creation, this is not the case for the songs examined here. They are songs filled with thanksgiving, gratitude, awe, and power because God has shown himself to be mighty in some situation, and his might is to be recognized throughout all the earth. To put it another way, these songs are thoroughly theocentric. Our worship of God in song should be equally theocentric and, ever since Easter morning, Christocentric as well.
I resist with all my heart making simplistic, blanket statements, but the biblical model for "hymnic worship," as we may call it, should cause us to think long and hard about the state of music in the church today. Different kinds of music reflect different personalities and create different kinds of moods, and it is a hopeless task to get any ten people to agree on what kinds are and are not appropriate for worship. My point here, however, has little to do with the musical dimension, but with the content of the songs.
Does worship really happen when stanza after stanza of a hymn or other type of song focuses on the personal status of the worshiper rather than the nature, character, and acts of God? I have become more sensitive to this over the years. When I hear myself singing "I," "me," or "we" too often, I begin thinking that our emphasis at that moment is misplaced. I am not suggesting that songs in worship should make no reference to the worshiper. I am simply suggesting that we remain in an "analytical" (but not judgmental) mode in order better to discern what is right and what is wrong in how we worship God.
At the risk of getting too specific, allow me to provide an example.
Jesus, we just want to thank You (3x)
Thank You for being so good.
Jesus, we just want to praise You (3x)
Praise you for being so good.
Jesus, we just want to tell You (3x)
We love You for being so good.
Savior, we just want to serve You (3x)
Serve You for being so good.
Jesus, we know you are coming (3x)
Take us to live in Your home.
The point here is not the quality of the music or the question of whether repetition is an aid or hindrance to worship. (It could be both. Ps. 119, for example, is very repetitive.) Nor am I addressing whether such a song would be profitable in a setting other than a worshipful one. But the focus of this song is clear: It is on the worshipers, on what we are doing (thanking, praising, telling, serving, knowing). Again, this is not to say that there should be no mention of the worshiper. That would be equally ridiculous. Even the Song at the Sea begins, "I will sing to the LORD." The difference, however, is that this biblical song shifts quickly to the object of praise, God, rather than lingering on the one giving the praise. I am not saying the above song is not appropriate for worship and should be excluded from the hymnal. Still, when I look at the songs of old-not just the hymns of recent centuries, but of the Old Testament-I cannot help but wonder if we could do better.
There is another aspect of this hymn that stands in stark contrast to the biblical examples. It is, for all intents and purposes, devoid of any specific content. Why is Jesus good? Is such a basis for praise too vague? Another example will make the point even clearer.
Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He's just the same as His lovely name,
And that's the reason I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
Again, I am not saying that such songs should not be sung, but it does raise some questions. Why is Jesus' name so "sweet"? And just what is a "sweet name? I am not calling for a full-blown, Latin oration every time we open our mouths in song. Different levels of content are appropriate for different Christians. It is a matter of wisdom rather than applying black-and-white categories that will contribute to the discussion. But when I think of how praise is offered to God in the Bible, there is more meat to them. Skimming the biblical songs we have looked at above shows the types of things God is praised for: his universal rule, power, eternality, incomparability, love, faithfulness to his people, and coming universal recognition.
It is not too much, I am sure, to expect the church's worship of God to be thoughtful, biblical and awe-inspiring. Our natural tendency throughout the week is to focus on ourselves. This should not be the case for Christians when we gather together in order to worship God; rather, we should make a decided effort to turn from ourselves and toward him who is truly worthy not just of our attention but of our adoration. It is perhaps in this context that we can come to a deeper understanding of passages such as Colossians 3:16: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
The "word of Christ," which we can safely equate with Scripture, is to dwell in us richly, not only as we teach and admonish each other, but as we sing to God "with gratitude" in our hearts. We show this gratitude by making the focus of our singing the nature and work of God in calling us to be his own. We need constant reminders of who God is and what he has done. What we sing should, like the biblical examples, reflect these things.
This is all the more true in light of our high calling in Christ. We participate in an act of God that is far greater than the Exodus, for it is God's climactic act of deliverance. Focusing our attention in worship relentlessly on God is not mundane nor tedious. Rather, it places the focus where it ought to be. This is the great "content" that is the acceptable form of worship for the church, not only in its teaching, preaching, and missions statements, but also in its music. We do not sing in worship to reflect our moods any more than our sermons and Sunday school lessons should reflect our pet theories on the gospel. Rather, quite bluntly, we sing in an effort to take us away from what we think and draw us toward what we ought to think, feel, experience. We sing to create a mood more than to reflect one.
This is why the content of what we sing is so vital. Our songs are, like the songs of the Bible, reminders of who God is and what he has done. This is not to say that only one type of song fits this description; for example, the ‘classic’ hymns of the church. To argue as I have done is not to close off discussion on the subject because the issue is now settled. Rather, the discussion can truly be opened when we have all agreed at the outset that, like the biblical examples, who we sing to and what we sing about is a matter worthy of constant reflection and spiritual energy.
Peter Enns, Exodus (NIVAC), pp.314-317
Tuesday, 11 July 2006
Acts 8:4-25
1. Into Samaria
In chapter 6, we were introduced to the seven who were chosen to handle the distribution of gifts for the needy among the early church. One of those was Stephen who went on to exercise a powerful ministry among the Jews but soon became the first martyr in the church. Here in chapter 8 we meet again the second of the seven, Philip, and see that he too exercises a ministry that is wider than the physical needs of the church.
In 21:8 he is called 'Philip the Evangelist' and this chapter shows why that name was given him. Philip is the first to take the gospel beyond Jerusalem and Judea and into Samaria. He went there and "proclaimed the Christ" (v.5). And his preaching was accompanied by miraculous signs which caught the people's attention and the whole city was full of joy as people were healed and delivered.
But as we see this, we need to notice how it was that Philip came to be in Samaria. In v.4 Luke shows that it was the result of the persecution that broke out against the church after the stoning of Stephen.
Some think the church had neglected the great commission in not reaching out sooner and conclude that this was the Lord's way of overcoming their reticence. There is nothing in the text to suggest that but what it does show is that though Satan may scheme, the Lord is still sovereign.
However much persecution the church may face, he remains in control and can use the opposition of men and evil to further his own gospel purposes. Men may do their worst, as they did to Stephen but God is God! That should give us great heart because the world is no different today and neither is God.
2. The Samaritans and Simon: Faith; True and False
As we've seen, Luke tells us there was great joy in the city as the result of the miracles that the Lord did through Philip. But such joy does not necessarily mean changed lives. The verses that follow show what is necessary for real change and how such a change may not always go hand in hand with such joy.
The people of Samaria had been impressed for some time by a man named Simon who "practised sorcery in the city" (v.9). He impressed them with his powers and they were in awe of him, even saying that "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power" (v.10).
But when they saw what Philip did and heard the message he preached, they believed the gospel and were baptised. They transfer their allegiance from Satan to Jesus. Now, at first sight, it might seem the same is being said of Simon, for Luke tells us that he too believed and was baptised. But Luke is careful in what he says about Simon. He doesn't tell us what Simon believed and deals with him separately from the Samaritans of the city.
That distinction becomes more telling in the following scene where the Spirit is given through Peter and John. Here Simon shows his true colours and asks to buy the ability to give the Spirit. Peter's response shows that this is not someone who is simply confused about the giving of the Spirit but someone who is calculating and hungry for power and influence. His heart is not right before God and, when confronted with his sin, he is not repentant, only scared.
Simon is impressed by what God can do in power but not with what he has done in Jesus. The point of the signs is to disclose truth about God and Jesus, to attest to the message being preached. Simon wanted the power but not the person.
Here is a salutary warning that is pertinent for today. People may be impressed by many things that accompany the gospel, even miracles where God chooses to give them, and yet may not be truly converted. Some have become what are called 'rice Christians'; that is, they professed to believe the message to gain the material benefits that were being offered with it. Such people want the care but not the cross and the Saviour.
So we see here that the gospel is advancing but the progress is not smooth. Yes, there is fruit but there is also failure, which is just what Jesus told us would happen in the parable of the sower and the seeds. We must expect the same today.
3. The Gift of the Spirit: Genuine Gospel Advance
The case of Simon raises questions about the nature of true faith but it also raises questions about the giving of God's Spirit. Were the Samaritans truly saved before they received the Spirit? If they were saved, is the Spirit still given separately from faith today? If they weren't truly saved, does that means you can sincerely believe and not be a Christian? And what was the role of Peter and John and, hence, of church leaders today? Is the Spirit given through men?
As questions like those arise in our minds, we do well to recall that this passage was not written to answer them! They were not the concerns that Luke was addressing and in many ways, although they are legitimate questions, they can mask the real significance of what is being said in the passage.
In handling questions like these, we need to remember a number of things. Firstly, the situation in Acts is quite unusual, it is still a formative period for the life of the church and things are still quite fluid. So we need to be careful in how we draw rules from what we find here; it isn't impossible to do so, but we do need to be careful how we do it.
In the second place, we need to understand, as one writer has said, that "It is God, not magicians or even apostles, who gives his own Spirit". Whatever is or isn't permanent in this scene, God is always sovereign. He won't be manipulated by us or our expectations.
Thirdly, this passage does not set a pattern even for the book of Acts. The Spirit is not always given via apostles, he is not always given post-baptism, there is not always a delay between faith and the giving of the Spirit and he is sometimes given before water-baptism has taken place. The rest of the NT helps us to answer the questions we may have that are not answered here: God gives his Spirit, not through intermediaries but personally and he does so to every person who truly believes in Jesus. That is the settled pattern.
So what is the point being made here? Why involve Peter and John? The important point being made has to do with the authentic nature of this first expansion of the gospel. Is it the real thing? Does it flow out of the authentic words and work of Jesus that the apostles were commissioned to witness to?
Those questions occur elsewhere in Acts and are answered by apostolic assessment. There are no apostles today but the point remains valid: all developments and claims regarding expansion must be tested by apostolic teaching. The work is only authentic and is only truly integrated where it is built upon "the foundation of the apostles and prophets" (Eph. 2:20).
Taken together, this scene shows us that the gospel will make progress, despite setbacks. But all progress must be judged in Biblical terms, by apostolic teaching about the gospel. It is only authentic where it is truly based on "the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ" (v.12). And it is only right that we should ask the question, Do we pass the test?
In chapter 6, we were introduced to the seven who were chosen to handle the distribution of gifts for the needy among the early church. One of those was Stephen who went on to exercise a powerful ministry among the Jews but soon became the first martyr in the church. Here in chapter 8 we meet again the second of the seven, Philip, and see that he too exercises a ministry that is wider than the physical needs of the church.
In 21:8 he is called 'Philip the Evangelist' and this chapter shows why that name was given him. Philip is the first to take the gospel beyond Jerusalem and Judea and into Samaria. He went there and "proclaimed the Christ" (v.5). And his preaching was accompanied by miraculous signs which caught the people's attention and the whole city was full of joy as people were healed and delivered.
But as we see this, we need to notice how it was that Philip came to be in Samaria. In v.4 Luke shows that it was the result of the persecution that broke out against the church after the stoning of Stephen.
Some think the church had neglected the great commission in not reaching out sooner and conclude that this was the Lord's way of overcoming their reticence. There is nothing in the text to suggest that but what it does show is that though Satan may scheme, the Lord is still sovereign.
However much persecution the church may face, he remains in control and can use the opposition of men and evil to further his own gospel purposes. Men may do their worst, as they did to Stephen but God is God! That should give us great heart because the world is no different today and neither is God.
2. The Samaritans and Simon: Faith; True and False
As we've seen, Luke tells us there was great joy in the city as the result of the miracles that the Lord did through Philip. But such joy does not necessarily mean changed lives. The verses that follow show what is necessary for real change and how such a change may not always go hand in hand with such joy.
The people of Samaria had been impressed for some time by a man named Simon who "practised sorcery in the city" (v.9). He impressed them with his powers and they were in awe of him, even saying that "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power" (v.10).
But when they saw what Philip did and heard the message he preached, they believed the gospel and were baptised. They transfer their allegiance from Satan to Jesus. Now, at first sight, it might seem the same is being said of Simon, for Luke tells us that he too believed and was baptised. But Luke is careful in what he says about Simon. He doesn't tell us what Simon believed and deals with him separately from the Samaritans of the city.
That distinction becomes more telling in the following scene where the Spirit is given through Peter and John. Here Simon shows his true colours and asks to buy the ability to give the Spirit. Peter's response shows that this is not someone who is simply confused about the giving of the Spirit but someone who is calculating and hungry for power and influence. His heart is not right before God and, when confronted with his sin, he is not repentant, only scared.
Simon is impressed by what God can do in power but not with what he has done in Jesus. The point of the signs is to disclose truth about God and Jesus, to attest to the message being preached. Simon wanted the power but not the person.
Here is a salutary warning that is pertinent for today. People may be impressed by many things that accompany the gospel, even miracles where God chooses to give them, and yet may not be truly converted. Some have become what are called 'rice Christians'; that is, they professed to believe the message to gain the material benefits that were being offered with it. Such people want the care but not the cross and the Saviour.
So we see here that the gospel is advancing but the progress is not smooth. Yes, there is fruit but there is also failure, which is just what Jesus told us would happen in the parable of the sower and the seeds. We must expect the same today.
3. The Gift of the Spirit: Genuine Gospel Advance
The case of Simon raises questions about the nature of true faith but it also raises questions about the giving of God's Spirit. Were the Samaritans truly saved before they received the Spirit? If they were saved, is the Spirit still given separately from faith today? If they weren't truly saved, does that means you can sincerely believe and not be a Christian? And what was the role of Peter and John and, hence, of church leaders today? Is the Spirit given through men?
As questions like those arise in our minds, we do well to recall that this passage was not written to answer them! They were not the concerns that Luke was addressing and in many ways, although they are legitimate questions, they can mask the real significance of what is being said in the passage.
In handling questions like these, we need to remember a number of things. Firstly, the situation in Acts is quite unusual, it is still a formative period for the life of the church and things are still quite fluid. So we need to be careful in how we draw rules from what we find here; it isn't impossible to do so, but we do need to be careful how we do it.
In the second place, we need to understand, as one writer has said, that "It is God, not magicians or even apostles, who gives his own Spirit". Whatever is or isn't permanent in this scene, God is always sovereign. He won't be manipulated by us or our expectations.
Thirdly, this passage does not set a pattern even for the book of Acts. The Spirit is not always given via apostles, he is not always given post-baptism, there is not always a delay between faith and the giving of the Spirit and he is sometimes given before water-baptism has taken place. The rest of the NT helps us to answer the questions we may have that are not answered here: God gives his Spirit, not through intermediaries but personally and he does so to every person who truly believes in Jesus. That is the settled pattern.
So what is the point being made here? Why involve Peter and John? The important point being made has to do with the authentic nature of this first expansion of the gospel. Is it the real thing? Does it flow out of the authentic words and work of Jesus that the apostles were commissioned to witness to?
Those questions occur elsewhere in Acts and are answered by apostolic assessment. There are no apostles today but the point remains valid: all developments and claims regarding expansion must be tested by apostolic teaching. The work is only authentic and is only truly integrated where it is built upon "the foundation of the apostles and prophets" (Eph. 2:20).
Taken together, this scene shows us that the gospel will make progress, despite setbacks. But all progress must be judged in Biblical terms, by apostolic teaching about the gospel. It is only authentic where it is truly based on "the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ" (v.12). And it is only right that we should ask the question, Do we pass the test?
Acts 6:8 - 8:3
In this passage, we have the account of the first martyr of the Christian church. It is a deeply moving scene with Stephen making his defence and then being stoned. But as well as being moving, it is also a scene that raises important issues. One of the most important questions we can ask is, Why was Stephen killed? What drove his accusers to such depths?
Some see Stephen as being partly to blame for his own demise, that he handled the situation badly. If he hadn't been so OTT about his religion, if he had been a bit more flexible then this wouldn't have happened. And, to justify that view, they might point to the subsequent outbreak of violence against the church at large: look what trouble Stephen's lack of judgement brought on his fellow believers.
Those are significant issues, not just in terms of life then but in terms of the church today. Do we need to be careful what we say? Careless talk costs lives, we're told. Although we live in a society where violence against the church is not common, it is, on the whole, hostile to the claims of the Christian faith. So these questions are urgent for us too.
In considering the issues, we're going to look at how Stephen handled the situation and then how Luke portrays him.
1. Stephen's Speech
Having been introduced to Stephen is 6:5, we learn more of him in 6:8-10. Here was a man not only equipped to serve the church in a practical way but one able to defend the faith with power and conviction. The Lord was with him in such a way that his opponents "could not stand up against his wisdom" (v.10).
And so a plot is hatched against him, whereby false witnesses bring charges against him, relating to the law and the temple. Stephen is before the Sanhedrin on these charges and in ch.7 makes his reply. His speech is the longest in a book full of speeches. We need to notice the main points in what he says.
For a large part of his speech, Stephen rehearses the history of the people of Israel, in particular God's dealings with Abraham and Moses, his words through the prophets and the history of the temple. To us it can seem a rather strange way to speak: why go on at length about a subject that doesn't seem to be the real issue?
Stephen is doing at least two things: he is gaining their empathy; this is common ground, they share the same history and the same basic understanding of God. He is starting where they are. But he is also preparing the ground for his charges against them by drawing parallels between their actions and the sins of the people in the past.
In terms of his charges against them, there are two in essence, one more indirect, the other much more 'in your face'.
i) False worship - The people in the past had corrupted the true worship of God by asking Aaron to make them gods of gold, and had turned aside to worship "the heavenly bodies" (vv.39-42). Just as they had engaged in false worship through the veneration of what God had made, so had the people of Stephen's day.
They tried to confine God to the temple he had given. They wanted to box him in and to give to the temple a kind of magic quality that suggested that God can be manipulated and used to human ends. And this Stephen roundly opposes: "the Most High does not live in houses built be men" (v.48).
Does this seem a slight point to make? Idolatry, in whatever guise it comes, is repugnant to the one true God. Stephen's accusation that they have taken something good and God-given and made an idol of it is universally true. Notice how Paul makes the same point to the people of Athens in Acts 17:24.
Whatever the idol, be it a relationship or career or something else, it must be challenged. Men and women everywhere have a duty to repent and to serve the living and true God. As his people, we ought to have a burning desire to see his honour upheld and real worship being given to him. We should not take this issue lightly.
Was Stephen a bit OTT in accusing them of false worship? Can't we make allowances for how people live in ignorance? Paul's words in Athens are again helpful: "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent" - and that is the message we have been entrusted with and are commanded to preach, however harsh the response we get.
ii) Rejection of the Messiah - The second accusation Stephen makes concerns the way they have disregarded God's word to them and have rejected the Messiah.
Here is where his history lesson really hits home. Israel's past was littered with examples of people refusing to listen to what God was saying to them through the prophets. And it was full of those same prophets being treated badly, even killed. He holds up to their attention the examples of Joseph and Moses in particular, as well as unnamed prophets who their fathers persecuted and killed.
But Moses has spoken of another prophet who was to come, the supreme revelation of God. That promise was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus. And what had they done with him? They had killed him. They had played the part of Joseph's brothers; they had acted just like the people of old.
It is at this point that Stephen speaks with utter clarity about them: they are "stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears...who have received the law...but have not obeyed it". Could any accusation be more devastating to such a crowd? They were claiming to be the preservers of the law but Stephen shows they have broken the law!
Stephen is very clear about their sin in rejecting the Messiah. People need to be faced with their sin (hearts), the fact of Jesus and the seriousness of rejecting him. Stephen doesn't spare them; in the right way, with humility, neither should we.
2. Stephen: Following the Master
We have seen why Stephen was martyred in terms of the charges he made and his hearers' response to them. But he also draws a bigger picture that explains why he is persecuted. That picture shows Stephen standing in the long line of faithful witnesses who have been persecuted (face shining like Moses'). But what is really emphasised is the similarity of his case and that of Jesus. The list of details is striking (read them).
So is Luke suggesting that Jesus just another prophet whose place has now been taken by Stephen and his like? No. He consistently shows that Jesus is unique. He is the pinnacle (notice how Stephen commits his spirit to Jesus as he dies).
But because Stephen and the early church are proclaiming Jesus, they will be treated as he was. And that same truth echoes down the long centuries since then. We are called to be faithful witnesses to Jesus, as the early church was. To be such will inevitably mean persecution in one form or another.
But the darkness of persecution is not without its light. This scene ends with a brief glimpse of a character (Saul) whose own life will be changed by the God who is Lord of all. The last word always belongs to the Lord.
Some see Stephen as being partly to blame for his own demise, that he handled the situation badly. If he hadn't been so OTT about his religion, if he had been a bit more flexible then this wouldn't have happened. And, to justify that view, they might point to the subsequent outbreak of violence against the church at large: look what trouble Stephen's lack of judgement brought on his fellow believers.
Those are significant issues, not just in terms of life then but in terms of the church today. Do we need to be careful what we say? Careless talk costs lives, we're told. Although we live in a society where violence against the church is not common, it is, on the whole, hostile to the claims of the Christian faith. So these questions are urgent for us too.
In considering the issues, we're going to look at how Stephen handled the situation and then how Luke portrays him.
1. Stephen's Speech
Having been introduced to Stephen is 6:5, we learn more of him in 6:8-10. Here was a man not only equipped to serve the church in a practical way but one able to defend the faith with power and conviction. The Lord was with him in such a way that his opponents "could not stand up against his wisdom" (v.10).
And so a plot is hatched against him, whereby false witnesses bring charges against him, relating to the law and the temple. Stephen is before the Sanhedrin on these charges and in ch.7 makes his reply. His speech is the longest in a book full of speeches. We need to notice the main points in what he says.
For a large part of his speech, Stephen rehearses the history of the people of Israel, in particular God's dealings with Abraham and Moses, his words through the prophets and the history of the temple. To us it can seem a rather strange way to speak: why go on at length about a subject that doesn't seem to be the real issue?
Stephen is doing at least two things: he is gaining their empathy; this is common ground, they share the same history and the same basic understanding of God. He is starting where they are. But he is also preparing the ground for his charges against them by drawing parallels between their actions and the sins of the people in the past.
In terms of his charges against them, there are two in essence, one more indirect, the other much more 'in your face'.
i) False worship - The people in the past had corrupted the true worship of God by asking Aaron to make them gods of gold, and had turned aside to worship "the heavenly bodies" (vv.39-42). Just as they had engaged in false worship through the veneration of what God had made, so had the people of Stephen's day.
They tried to confine God to the temple he had given. They wanted to box him in and to give to the temple a kind of magic quality that suggested that God can be manipulated and used to human ends. And this Stephen roundly opposes: "the Most High does not live in houses built be men" (v.48).
Does this seem a slight point to make? Idolatry, in whatever guise it comes, is repugnant to the one true God. Stephen's accusation that they have taken something good and God-given and made an idol of it is universally true. Notice how Paul makes the same point to the people of Athens in Acts 17:24.
Whatever the idol, be it a relationship or career or something else, it must be challenged. Men and women everywhere have a duty to repent and to serve the living and true God. As his people, we ought to have a burning desire to see his honour upheld and real worship being given to him. We should not take this issue lightly.
Was Stephen a bit OTT in accusing them of false worship? Can't we make allowances for how people live in ignorance? Paul's words in Athens are again helpful: "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent" - and that is the message we have been entrusted with and are commanded to preach, however harsh the response we get.
ii) Rejection of the Messiah - The second accusation Stephen makes concerns the way they have disregarded God's word to them and have rejected the Messiah.
Here is where his history lesson really hits home. Israel's past was littered with examples of people refusing to listen to what God was saying to them through the prophets. And it was full of those same prophets being treated badly, even killed. He holds up to their attention the examples of Joseph and Moses in particular, as well as unnamed prophets who their fathers persecuted and killed.
But Moses has spoken of another prophet who was to come, the supreme revelation of God. That promise was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus. And what had they done with him? They had killed him. They had played the part of Joseph's brothers; they had acted just like the people of old.
It is at this point that Stephen speaks with utter clarity about them: they are "stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears...who have received the law...but have not obeyed it". Could any accusation be more devastating to such a crowd? They were claiming to be the preservers of the law but Stephen shows they have broken the law!
Stephen is very clear about their sin in rejecting the Messiah. People need to be faced with their sin (hearts), the fact of Jesus and the seriousness of rejecting him. Stephen doesn't spare them; in the right way, with humility, neither should we.
2. Stephen: Following the Master
We have seen why Stephen was martyred in terms of the charges he made and his hearers' response to them. But he also draws a bigger picture that explains why he is persecuted. That picture shows Stephen standing in the long line of faithful witnesses who have been persecuted (face shining like Moses'). But what is really emphasised is the similarity of his case and that of Jesus. The list of details is striking (read them).
So is Luke suggesting that Jesus just another prophet whose place has now been taken by Stephen and his like? No. He consistently shows that Jesus is unique. He is the pinnacle (notice how Stephen commits his spirit to Jesus as he dies).
But because Stephen and the early church are proclaiming Jesus, they will be treated as he was. And that same truth echoes down the long centuries since then. We are called to be faithful witnesses to Jesus, as the early church was. To be such will inevitably mean persecution in one form or another.
But the darkness of persecution is not without its light. This scene ends with a brief glimpse of a character (Saul) whose own life will be changed by the God who is Lord of all. The last word always belongs to the Lord.
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