Superior Word Daily Devotional on the Book of Acts

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 7:55
Tuesday, May 31st, 2022




But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, Acts 7:55




The words of the previous verse said that upon hearing the words of Stephen, those who heard them “were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.” With that said, Luke next notes, “But he.”



It is referring to Stephen. He is set in contrast to those who were like enraged animals snarling at him. Instead, it says of him, “being full of the Holy Spirit.”



This was just as promised by Jesus. First, it is a reminder that everything Stephen had said has been under the influence of the Spirit and in accord with His intents –



“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” Luke 12:11, 12



Also, it is an indication that Stephen was covered in the peace that can only come from being filled with the Holy Spirit –



“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:26, 27



As this is so, it also confirms that this council of leaders did not have the Holy Spirit to guide them. Instead, they stood as enemies of God because of their rejection of Christ. Stephen had said, “You always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51). This truth is borne out in the filling of Stephen, of whose words they rejected. As Jesus said –



“If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:15-18



Next, in this state of being filled with the Holy Spirit, Luke says that Stephen “gazed into heaven.” It is the natural reaction of someone who is at his wit’s end. As humans, we may look away from something in disgust, we may look down in dejection, or we may look to heaven in hope of relief or to refocus our thoughts on higher things. It is the state that David wrote about –



“My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;

In the morning I will direct it to You,

And I will look up.” Psalm 5:3



Stephen, finding no reassurance in the reaction from the council, lifted his eyes unto heaven “and saw the glory of God.”



It is the hope of the human soul. We look to heaven in hopes of discernment, relief, and stabilization of our thoughts, but we do so not really expecting to see anything but the roof of the building we are in or the expanse of the sky under which we stand. However, Stephen was given the relief for his soul that countless others of the past had hoped to find –



“Unto You I lift up my eyes,

O You who dwell in the heavens.

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,

As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

So our eyes look to the Lord our God,

Until He has mercy on us.

3 Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us!

For we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4 Our soul is exceedingly filled

With the scorn of those who are at ease,

With the contempt of the proud.” Psalm 123



In his looking up and beholding the glory of God, we are then given an insight into the exaltation of the Lord Jesus through what Stephen saw. Luke records that he saw the glory of God “and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”



Several key points can be determined from this. One is that seeing the glory of God does not mean that a person has seen God. Both Paul and John confirm this –



“I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, 15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:13-16



“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12



Stephen saw the glory that let him know that God is there, even if He cannot be seen. Another point we can learn from this is one that has already been revealed earlier in Acts where Peter said, “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear” (Acts 2:33).



To be at the right hand is not a physical location. God does not have parts. Rather, it signifies being at the position of all power and authority. It is a confirmation of the deity of Jesus. He is the physical manifestation of who God is. Through Him, the unseen God becomes knowable and understandable.



Thirdly, it says that this Jesus, who appears in the position of authority and power as He dwells in the glory of God, is standing. Acts has already said that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God (Acts 2:34). It is also recorded several times in the gospels, in Ephesians, and in Hebrews. This then reveals to us that a change has taken place. A potentate will sit on his throne as a sign of rule and authority. For him to rise to a standing position will signify the bestowal of an honor, such as the knighting of a person or the crowning of an authority figure under him. It may even occur as a sign of welcoming someone to whom the king is intimately connected –



“Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king’s mother; so she sat at his right hand.” 1 Kings 2:19



Jesus, who is at the position of all authority and power, sitting at the right hand of God while dwelling in His glory, arose. It is a sign of welcoming family, of the closest friendship, and of honoring His subordinate. It is to confer a crown – the crown of life – upon him, and to welcome him into his new home. It is the mark of honor to the person whom Scripture will reveal is the church’s first martyr.



Life application: If any set of verses in Scripture shows us the affection of the Lord for His people, it is these verses concerning the coming death of Stephen. The Lord rose to acknowledge the one who would be His first recorded martyr. He will rise again someday when the last saint of the church age is brought into the number to be saved. At that moment, the call will go forth, and the church will be brought to Him.



Jesus is aware of every single person who is His. The deaths of His saints are not only known to Him, but they are being carefully recorded and tallied. Each brings us one count closer to the moment that our faith in Him has promised will come –



“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18



For the Lord to descend from heaven, He must first arise from the place of His sitting. Arise, Lord! Come for Your people. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.



Heavenly Father, You have sent Your Son to complete a mission and to call Him back to Your throne in heaven. But someday, He will arise from that throne to gather His people together. We long for that day, and may it be soon. Until then, give us patience as we live out our lives in hopeful anticipation of that glorious day. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 7:56

Wednesday, June 1st, 2022


and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Acts 7:56




The previous verse contained Luke’s words describing the situation surrounding Stephen. This verse now describes Stephen’s own words about that situation. When taken together, they read –



“But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’” Acts 755, 56



It is Stephen who saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at his right hand. With that vision, he exclaimed, “Look!”



The word can be variously translated depending on the surrounding words, but in this instance, it signifies “Behold!” His eyes so clearly saw the vision before him that he must have felt certain everyone else could see it as well, if they just directed their eyes in the same direction. To help them along, he then called out, “I see the heavens opened.”



It was as if what he was looking at was right in front of him. There is no doubt that what he saw was as real as the council members he had been speaking to. And yet, only he would have had the vision. The door to this otherwise unseen realm had been opened wide for him to behold. With this heavenly sight before him, he then says, “and the Son of Man standing.”



This is a term frequently used by Jesus when speaking of Himself. It is most commonly used in the books of Matthew and Luke, but all four gospels use it frequently. And yet, despite it being so commonly spoken by Jesus concerning Himself, this is the only time that the exact term is used outside of the gospels.



In Revelation, John uses the term twice without the article (a Son of Man rather than the Son of Man). Hebrews uses the term in a general way when citing the psalms as well. The term “the Son of Man” speaks more of Jesus’ deity than His humanity, even though it refers to His humanity. In other words, it is a way of saying that despite Him being a human being, He is also fully God.



Hence, this is the reason for Stephen’s proclamation now. He is telling the council just what Jesus had told them on the night before they crucified Him –



“‘Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.’

70 Then they all said, ‘Are You then the Son of God?’

So He said to them, ‘You rightly say that I am.’

71 And they said, ‘What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.’” Luke 22:69-71



The council understood perfectly what Jesus was saying. In claiming that He was the Son of Man, they took it to mean that He is the Son of God – deity. The reference came from their own Scriptures –



“I was watching in the night visions,

And behold, One like the Son of Man,

Coming with the clouds of heaven!

He came to the Ancient of Days,

And they brought Him near before Him.

14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,

That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion,

Which shall not pass away,

And His kingdom the one

Which shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13, 14



Stephen now confirms this to the council, implying that the Man whom they crucified is also the Lord their God, and He now stood in a vision before Stephen “at the right hand of God!”



As noted in the previous commentary, God does not have parts. To say Jesus is at the right hand of God is to say that He is God, with all of His authority, position, and power. The Creator of all things, the One who breathed life into man, the Lord who spoke forth the law at Mount Sinai. And the Son of Man named Jesus, who this council had betrayed and sentenced to His death, is the Risen Messiah who stood from His position of authority to greet the man who would be His first of many martyrs.



Life application: As noted in the previous commentary, the care of the Lord Jesus for His people is wholly and perfectly evident in His standing up to receive Stephen’s martyrdom. Stephen faithfully witnessed to what he knew was true, and he was willing to boldly speak out his words despite whatever the council would decide to do to him.



Are we willing to do the same for the witness of Jesus? How sure are you of your faith in Christ? And how capable are you of telling others about Him? If you received the gospel and were saved, was your life changed? That is a witness all by itself. It is something that testifies to the power of the gospel message.



And what about explaining the weightier matters of your faith? Can you accurately tell people why you believe Jesus is God? Can you explain difficult verses that people use against that notion? Stephen believed with all of his being that Jesus is God. He could not have said what he said otherwise.



Be ready to defend your faith. Be ready to tell others about the wonder that Jesus has brought about in your own life. And be ready to do so even if it will cost you your life. Your faithfulness will receive a full reward when you are brought before this wonderful, tender, caring Savior. He is Jesus.



Lord God, what a sure and blessed hope we possess! Thank You that our faith in Jesus is not dubious or unexplainable. We have a certain hope, and it is one that can be explained to any person, in any culture, and of any language. The gospel has a universal application because it speaks to the very heart of man. Thank You for this wonderful message of hope and reconciliation. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 7:57

Thursday, 2 June 2022



Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; Acts 7:57


Stephen had just called out, stating that he saw the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. It was all the council could take. Stephen was claiming that the Man they had betrayed and handed over to the Romans for crucifixion was now in the position of all authority and power. It would mean that He was the One spoken of by Daniel who would judge them all.



With this, Luke next records, “Then they cried out.” This was probably done for two reasons. The first was to snarl at Stephen some more while accusing him of blasphemy. Secondly, it would have been to drown out any more words from him. Hence, they cried out “with a loud voice.”



One can almost imagine the ruckus of seventy-plus people wildly howling out. It would turn very quickly from a ruling council to an out-of-control mob. Along with crying out in a loud manner, it says they “stopped their ears.”



The verb means “held together.” In other words, they would have folded the bottom of their ears up and tightly held them in place so that they wouldn’t hear any more words. This, together with their crying out, would completely drown out the sound of Stephen’s words. It was a way of demonstrating that they believed his words were blasphemous, and they would no longer tolerate hearing anything he said. In this frenzied state, it next says, “and ran at him with one accord.”



The entire council got up from their seats and came forward as a single tidal wave, rushing upon him and seizing him. Their minds were made up and they would move to take action against the “offender.” But Stephen had seen the heavenly vision. Thus, he was certain that whatever was to happen had divine sanction. He would be unmoved by whatever was to come.



Life application: The early church was heavily persecuted by the leaders of Israel. As Acts continues, it will be seen that the believers were subjected to being arrested, imprisoned, and even executed. This has continued on throughout the church age and throughout the world. The gospel is a point of liberty for the human soul. But leaders often want control over their people. Someone who is free in his soul is not a person that can be easily manipulated into perverse obedience.



This hostility towards believers is quickly rushing upon the people of the United States. Believers are being purged from the military through planned contrivances. This will make the military easier to manipulate. Believers are being openly attacked in their churches because of their opposition to murdering the unborn. Society is being deadened to such things by an unsympathetic news media.



Soon, to stand before others and proclaim the message of Jesus may be a cause for being openly executed, even without a trial. As far-fetched as that sounds, it is no more far-fetched than the current administration openly violating public law with no repercussions for their actions. And yet, it is happening daily. Be ready to take your stand now. Be firm in your convictions, and be prepared to hold fast to your faith, even if the inevitable outcome is death. This may be necessary, so prepare yourselves now for what may lie ahead.



Lord God, it is sad to think that those nations that once proudly proclaimed the good news of Jesus are now almost at complete enmity with that message, but that day has arrived. Give Your people the inner strength to work against this unholy tide and to stand firm on their faith in Your word. It sure is needed in this darkened hour. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 7:58

Friday, June 3rd, 2022




and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. Acts 7:58


The previous verse saw the council in a tizzy, and they ran at Stephen with one accord. With that remembered, it now says, “and they cast him out of the city.”



The verb is an aorist participle and should read, “And having cast him out of the city.” One action is taken before the next in a lively description of what occurred. As for the act itself, offenders were to be taken outside of the gates of the city to be stoned. This is not stated in every instance where stoning was outlined as the punishment, but it is generally understood that it was to be so.



This was to show the heinous nature of the crime. It was as if the person was cut off from the community’s favor, blessing, and protection. There are exceptions to this, such as Deuteronomy 22:21 where a certain infraction required a young woman to be stoned at the door of her father’s house. In the case of perceived blasphemy, being taken outside of the city was the appropriate spot for this to take place. As such, it says they cast him outside the city “and stoned him.”



Here, the verb is imperfect. It more correctly reads, “and they were stoning him.” Again, the presentation by Luke is lively and active, detailing it as if the reader is there watching the events unfold.



As for the process of stoning, there are some rabbinic commentaries on the method of stoning that was prescribed, but they may or may not match what Scripture actually says and should be avoided for this reason. When a person was stoned, the general practice would follow that stated in Deuteronomy 13 –



“If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, 7 of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, 8 you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; 9 but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. 10 And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 11 So all Israel shall hear and fear, and not again do such wickedness as this among you.” Deuteronomy 13:6-11



There are variations to the practice (as noted above concerning Deuteronomy 22:21), but the general idea was to symbolically excommunicate the person from the congregation by taking him out of the gates. This would also keep the city from defilement. From there, those who were personally aware of the offense were to be the first to cast the stones, and then all of the people were to join in until the offender was dead.



This could be the accusation that Jesus wrote with His finger in John 8. When they brought the woman caught in adultery to be stoned, they asked Him what should be done. He simply stooped down and wrote. It can only be speculated what He wrote, but it could have been this very law. They had failed in two ways. First, they only brought the woman, not both of them. Secondly, they brought her to the temple, not out to the gates of the city –



“If a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed to a husband, and a man finds her in the city and lies with her, 24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he humbled his neighbor’s wife; so you shall put away the evil from among you.” Deuteronomy 22:23, 24



With the reason for mentioning that Stephen was taken outside the city understood, the narrative continues, saying, “And the witnesses laid down their clothes.”



The word “clothes” should read “garments.” It is a long flowing outer garment that would inhibit the casting of stones. In other words, these witnesses – meaning those who were to cast the stone first – wanted to ensure they got the maximum amount of effect out of their toss. And so, they would take the outer garment off. The laying down of the clothes is specifically noted to introduce the next person. It is obvious they laid them down in order to cast, but it says they laid them down “at the feet of a young man.”



Vincent’s Word Studies notes that the term “young man” used by Luke “gives no indication of his age, since it is applied up to the age of forty-five. Thirty years after Stephen’s martyrdom, Paul speaks of himself as the aged (Plm 1:9).”



All we can know is that the person standing there watching over the garments is a man less than forty-five years old “named Saul.” This is the first time Saul, later called Paul and who will become the apostle to the Gentiles, is named in Scripture. This act of guarding the clothes of those stoning Stephen is alluded to in Acts 22:20, where Paul speaks of what is now recorded by Luke –



“And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.”



By guarding the clothes of these men, he was agreeing to the execution.



Life application: As you read the Bible, pay attention to the introduction of names or events that seem disconnected from the continuing narrative. Quite often, what is introduced at one point, and which seems to have nothing to do with what is said at the time, is a vital key to knowing where the narrative will soon be going. An example of this is found in Genesis 22.



There, the account of Abraham taking Isaac to be a whole burnt offering to the Lord is given. At the very end of the chapter, it suddenly says –



“Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, ‘Indeed Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.’ 23 And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.” Genesis 22:20-24



This family line comes after the account of Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah, and before the record of Sarah’s death and burial in Genesis 23. But then the reason for it is realized in Genesis 24:15 when Rebekah is suddenly reintroduced into the ongoing narrative. This instance is not unique, but it happens again and again in the ongoing biblical account.



Pay attention to these introductory clues. The reason for them will be made manifest as you continue along with your reading. The Bible is showing us that it is a logical, orderly, and planned out document that leads in a steady fashion to its ultimate purpose – the coming of the Messiah. Everything in it makes sense when it is taken with that in mind.



What a wonderful treasure of wisdom and order is Your precious word, O God. Thank You for how it is presented, and how it leads slowly and inevitably to the revealing of what is most important of all, meaning the coming of Jesus. Thank You for such wisdom and detail that fills us with the surety that we are truly dealing with Your word. Yes, thank You for this wonderful word. Amen!

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 7:59
Saturday, June 4th, 2022



And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Acts 7:59



The words of this verse are important to consider in their greater context. They are tied directly to verses 55 & 56 and can be understood more clearly by presenting them in this manner –


“But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ … 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’” Acts 7:55, 56, & 59



There are several points of importance concerning what is said now. The first is that the word “God” is inserted by the translators. The Greek reads –



“And they were stoning Stephen, he was calling and saying…”



As such, there are various ideas about how to rightly translate it. For example, the Pulpit Commentary (among other similar commentaries) says inserting God “is certainly not justified by the context, because the words which follow, ‘Lord Jesus,’ show to whom the invocation was made, even to him whom he saw standing at the right hand of God.”



As such, there are various translations of the words –



While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, (NIV)

And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, (NKJV)

They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, (NASB)



Some stick with the action and leave out the implied object. Some say “God.” Some say “Lord.” And so on. What is obvious is that Stephen is praying to Jesus. That is understood from the previous verses, and it is obvious from the final clause of this verse. To leave the object out is fine. It expresses the Greek. To say “Lord” is clear and precise and it is an exacting expression of what the intent is.



However, the commentaries (such as the Pulpit above) that say that translating this as “God” are incorrect and they fail to consider the intent of the translators. Jesus is the Lord and Jesus is God. By making such a statement, they fail to understand the meaning of “the right hand of God.”



As noted in previous commentaries, this is a statement that confirms Jesus is God, not the other way around. The right hand of God is not a physical position, as if He is sitting (or standing) next to God. It is a way of saying that He is at the position of all of the authority and power of God. By inserting the word “God,” it is thus an acknowledgment of this.



With this understood, and regardless of the three general translations noted above, Stephen continues with, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” This is the second main point of importance. Prayers are to be made to the Lord YHVH, meaning “God” (such as in Psalm 39:12), or simply to God (such as in Psalm 54:2). Any observant Jew would know this. To hear any other prayer would be considered blasphemy –



“And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth.” Exodus 23:13



“Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, 7 and lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them, 8 but you shall hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.” Joshua 23:6-8



By invoking the name of Jesus, as he is being stoned, he is explicitly acknowledging that Jesus is the Lord God. The fact that he is being stoned means that the Jews have rejected this notion. Regardless of that, this is the intent of Stephen’s words, and thus it makes this a direct and explicit reference to the deity of Jesus.



The record says that Jesus is the glory of God and that He is at the position of all of the power and authority of God. Stephen then acknowledged that. Stephen then appeals to Jesus in the presence of all of the Jews, invoking His name and calling for Him to do something that only God can do, meaning receive his spirit.



Life application: Those who deny the deity of Christ are without excuse. The record of the Bible leaves no other option than the Father is God, the Son is God, and that the Holy Spirit is also God. As such, there is a Godhead that forms the Trinity.



Stephen’s words now clearly confirm that he understood that Jesus is God, and his calling out His name at the ending of his life is a final, forceful acknowledgment of that. It is another witness against those of his people who disbelieve, and it is a witness against anyone who denies the intent of what he says.



Even if you do not fully grasp the idea of the Trinity, and nobody fully does, you should – by faith – accept that it is what the Bible teaches. Be clear in your thinking and be steadfast in your acknowledgment that Jesus is God.



Glorious God Almighty, You have revealed Yourself in the Person of Jesus. In seeing Him, we are seeing the complete expression of who You are in a manner that we can understand. Thank You for this eternally available view into Your very nature. You have done it! Thank You for what You have done. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 7:60

Sunday, June 5th, 2022


Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:60


The previous verse spoke of Stephen being stoned and calling out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” With that, the first recorded martyr of the church age is prepared to yield up his spirit, but he has one more thing to say while under the inspiration of the Spirit (Matthew 10:19, 20). And so, Luke records, “Then he knelt down.”



This is something Luke carefully records five times in Luke and Acts. The act of kneeling while praying is found here and in Luke 22:41, Acts 9:40, Acts 20:36, and Acts 21:5. Such a position of humility goes back to the Old Testament where Solomon knelt down before the assembly when praying at the dedication of the temple and when Daniel was said to kneel three times a day when he prayed and gave thanks before his God.



The act is then one that defines a particular communication between man and his Creator. The other instances of kneeling for prayer that have been recorded make this perfectly clear. With this noted, it next says, “and cried out with a loud voice.”



This would otherwise be perfectly unnecessary. If he had something to say to the Lord in his final moments before death, unless it was to make two points, he would have simply breathed it out to God alone. But the prayer is not for his benefit. It is for those stoning him. First, it is to once again impress upon their minds that he accepts Christ Jesus as being fully God. Secondly, it is to ask Jesus for mercy upon those set on his destruction. He had just called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He now calls out, “Lord.”



He uses the same word, Κύριε [Kurie], that he just used when he said “Lord Jesus.” Thus, it is without any doubt that the address is to Jesus. And in his final petition, he calls out, “do not charge them with this sin.”



First, he acknowledges that Jesus is God through his kneeling to Him in prayer. Secondly, he reaffirms that by using the term Kurie, thus tying “Lord” with the glory of God described in verse 7:56. Thirdly, he does this by acknowledging that Jesus can, in fact, impute sin or withhold the imputation of sin – something only God can do.



But there is a fourth display of the deity of the Lord to be found here. Even if Stephen knew this or not, the Holy Spirit who was inspiring him to speak did. The reason for this is that with the coming of Christ, there is a new dispensation and a more perfect means of seeking God and of obtaining His pardon.



If anyone there stoning him reflected on their own Scriptures, they would remember the last martyr recorded there, which defined the dispensation of the law. In this, they would take to heart his words then and the contrasting words of Stephen now –



“Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, ‘Thus says God: “Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.”’ 21 So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. 22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, ‘The Lord look on it, and repay!’” 2 Chronicles 24:20-22



Jesus referred to this in Matthew and Luke, reminding these same leaders of this exact event –



“And He said, ‘Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ 50 that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.’” Luke 11:46-51



The order of the Hebrew Bible is different than how we have it. Their books go from Genesis to 2 Chronicles. As such, Abel was the first martyr recorded in their Scriptures while Zechariah was the last.



Jesus was saying that the blood of all of these would be required of all of them. The reason for this is that they rejected the word that recorded these things and continued down the same perverse path. Jesus would come to take the guilt for all sin if the one committing it would simply receive His pardon. But in not doing so, the blood guilt would remain.



Stephen now contrasts the appeal of Zechariah by asking for their sin to not be imputed to them. The Holy Spirit was telling them that this was possible because 1) Jesus had died for their sins, and 2) Jesus had risen, proving He is God. In His rising, He ascended to His rightful position of authority and had the ability to forgive any who would come to Him. And 3) it is thus a lesson concerning the law versus grace.



When the law was given, three thousand died in the first rebellion under that law (Exodus 32:28). When the Holy Spirit was given, three thousand were saved on that first day (Acts 2:41). When the law was in effect, the call was for justice against the offenders. When the dispensation of grace came into effect, the call is for mercy and pardon against the offender.



The clear and unambiguous lesson in this final verse of Acts Chapter 7 is that Jesus is God, and that through Him alone can come the forgiveness of sins. With this understood, Luke finishes the verse and the chapter with, “And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”



Rest well, Stephen, the call will not be long, and you shall be raised to receive your crown.



Life application: We need to be careful to not take the words of Stephen too far and assume that everyone is automatically forgiven since the coming of Christ. This is not taught in Scripture. Rather, all sins can be forgiven in Christ, but the offender must be willing to acknowledge his offense against God, and also acknowledge that the forgiveness can only come through the sacrifice of Jesus.



This is clearly demonstrated both here and in Jesus’ words on the cross –



“Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’” Luke 23:34



Before running ahead with Jesus’ words and saying that 1) everyone must forgive everyone of their wrongdoings, and 2) God in Christ automatically forgives everyone for all of their sins (both teachings are to be found in various degrees throughout Christian churches), one needs to ask the simple question, “Were the Jews collectively forgiven of their rejection of Christ Jesus or not?”



The answer is clear. Their temple was destroyed, the people fell under the promised punishments of Deuteronomy 28, and they were beaten down, exiled, and pursued exactly as the law indicated they would be. No, they were not forgiven. Nor are any others forgiven who do not come to Christ acknowledging that they have sinned.



Stephen’s call was not a call to automatically forgive them. Rather, it was the call of the Holy Spirit, through Stephen conveying a witness that Jesus is God; that He is the full, final, and forever means of obtaining forgiveness; and that grace can be bestowed, even when the attack is personally against Jesus. To attack His church is to attack Him (see Acts 9:3-5).



The forgiveness that Israel still needs, even to this day, is available. It will come someday when they call out to Jesus for it. When they do, and only when they do, will it be poured out on them. For now, any individual person – Jew or Gentile – can be forgiven by placing his faith in the gospel (the one and only gospel). For Israel the nation, they will be placed in a right standing when they acknowledge Jesus as Lord –



“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Luke 13:34, 35



When they do, the fountain of forgiveness will be poured out on them –



“In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.” Zechariah 13:1



Pray for the lost around you. Pray for Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. These things can come about when Jesus is added to the equation. And be ready to open your mouth and speak out the gospel when the opportunity arises.



Heavenly Father, thank You for the forgiveness that comes through the shed blood of Christ. May many eyes be opened to their need to call out today for it. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:1

Monday, June 6th, 2022


Now Saul was consenting to his death.


At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Acts 8:1


Chapter 7 ended with the death of Stephen. Chapter 8 will now build upon that as the persecution of the church takes hold. This begins with the person, Saul, who was just introduced in verse 7:58 –



“Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’” Acts. 7:57-59



Of him, Luke records, “Now Saul was consenting to his death.” Luke uses a noun found only here in Scripture, anairesis. It is “a taking off,” or “a taking away.” In other words, Stephen’s life was taken away from him. As such, the word can indicate the state of death, murder, slaying, and so on. The ESV gives a good translation of this by saying, “execution.” Another way of conveying the thought might be, “And Saul was consenting to his termination.”



As for Paul himself, by allowing the clothes of the witnesses to be watched over by him, he agreed with what was occurring and may have even prompted each person to give his best shot, or “make that apostate pay.” With this setting the tone for the start of the chapter, the words continue with, “At that time.”



The Greek reads, “in that day.” There was no delay in moving from one event to the next as “a great persecution arose against the church.” The idea here is that if Stephen is apostate, then all those aligned with him – and who are teaching the same doctrine – are as well. There was guilt by association and those people who were aligned with him were to be weeded out.



Stephen died based on his words to the council, and they felt his words could not be condoned in others. Therefore, the persecution immediately began against the church, meaning the people who comprised the church, “which was at Jerusalem.”



Jerusalem was the focal point of all that had occurred, and it had become an established body of believers, united in their belief that Jesus is the Messiah. They met together, worshipped together, and were well established there. This has all been evidenced so far in Acts.



With the doctrine of Stephen now openly brought forth, the council perceived that his thoughts about the apostasy of the leaders did not die with Jesus, but that it had continued on with the apostles and disciples. They could not tolerate this.



Having consented to the death of Jesus, the connection made by Stephen to the past where Israel’s leaders had put the previous prophets to death could not be swept under a rug. The writings of the same prophets who were rejected by the leaders in the past had become a part of their own Scriptures!



What Stephen said was true, but in their arrogance, they rejected his words because they had already rejected the words of Jesus. Surely, they were “different” than their fathers before them. But deep inside, they knew the words against them were true. And so, the witness of these followers had to be extinguished as well. As a result of this new persecution, Luke next records, “and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.”



The words now set the tone for what Jesus had said in Acts 1:8 –



“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”



The actual fulfillment of His words will be seen in just a few verses. But this persecution now is the seed that will germinate and take root in those areas. The death of Stephen, and the persecution that now follows, is the means by which Jesus’ words would begin to take effect.



These people in the church probably came from those other areas and had simply settled down in Jerusalem to learn from the apostles. With the persecution now taking hold, they would return to where they were from. That is all “except the apostles.”



The apostles probably told each disciple something like, “You go. Get back to your hometown and tell the good news about Jesus. We will stay here and keep the church united, even in its dispersion.” They would be a focal point for people to return to and hear about others who had gone off to different areas, thus the church could be kept united through the efforts of the apostles.



Life application: What may seem like a catastrophe may be just the opportunity needed to get things going in a new direction. This is certainly the case with the church in Jerusalem. There was a time when people needed to separate and begin sharing the news about Jesus beyond the walls of their own houses. The persecution of the church was the spark that lit the fire of this new chance for growth in numbers and expansion in territory, but at the time, it certainly did not seem either pleasing or of great value.



The Lord, however, has plans that go beyond our own limited thinking, and so let us attempt to look for His hand in tragedies, trials, and difficulties. Let us accept that His will is to be done, and if what has happened or is happening is a part of that, we should be thankful that He can use us in such a state to continue His redemptive purposes.



When we look back someday, the wisdom displayed now, and that may be hidden at the time, will become evident. Let us trust in this.



Heavenly Father, how many times have we experienced trials and troubles, and later looked back to see just how perfectly they fit into a greater plan. And yet, the ones we face now seem daunting and even overwhelming. Help us to remember that You worked out what happened in the past, and so we can trust that You are working out what is happening now. We know that You are with us. Help us to see Your hand in the events and to remain steadfast through them. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:2

Monday, June 6th, 2022


And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. Acts 8:2


The last verse spoke of the consequences of Stephen’s stoning which noted that great persecution arose against the church, and those of the church were “all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” With that remembered, it now says, “And devout men.”



The word translated as “devout” is one that refers to being God-fearing, pious, and the like. It is used four times and each other instance refers to someone who is devout under the law –



“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” Luke 2:25



“And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.” Acts 2:5



“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, 13 came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him.” Acts 22:12, 13



It is true that any of these may have been a believer or become a believer, but their “devoutness” is in relation to the law. Further, as the previous verse specifically noted that those of the church were all scattered, Luke was surely making a point that it was men pious under the law that are being referred to now. It is a point of tenderness in an otherwise unhappy situation. From there, Luke next says that they “carried Stephen to his burial.”



Stephen means “crown.” At this point of the narrative, it is notable that despite being stoned for supposed blasphemy, he is the first recorded person in the new dispensation to receive the martyr’s crown. Thus, his name now meets up with his reward.



The word translated as “carry,” sugkomizó, is found only here. It signifies “to bring together.” Vincent’s Word Studies says, “Lit., to carry together; hence, either to assist in burying or, better, to bring the dead to the company (σύν) of the other dead. The word is used of bringing in harvest.”



Instead of simply leaving his body outside for beasts to eat, or chucking it into the valley of Hinnom (Gehenna), they removed it to a proper place. The words “to his burial” are inserted, but they surely reflect the appropriate idea. From there, it notes that they “made great lamentation over him.”



Again, it is a word found only here in the Bible, kopetos. It is a noun signifying “a beating of the breast or head while mourning.” It is an outward sign of working out an inner turmoil. Regardless as to whether these were believers or not, and the lack of calling them “brethren” points to them probably not being believers, the record is that an act of tenderness toward Stephen was carried out.



Life application: If you have traveled around the world or to various countries or states, you have surely met people who have been exceptionally pious towards “God.” This is, however, often as far as their understanding of God goes.



Humanity has the ability to do wonderful things in the care of others regardless of race, culture, or any other such distinguishing factor. Quite often, this is done by acknowledging that it is their understanding that God is overseeing their actions and He will be pleased with them.



There is nothing wrong with this, and it dispels the Calvinistic thought that there are none who actually seek after God. The words Paul uses in Romans to indicate this come from Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1. In both, the same general idea is presented, that of someone who is an atheist (or at least claiming to be one) –



“The fool has said in his heart,

‘There is no God.’

They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;

There is none who does good.” Psalm 53:1



These people, of many cultures, religions, and so on, are really seeking out how to be pleasing to the God they know is out there. But the problem isn’t with their attempts at doing good. Rather, the problem is the infection of sin in them. Until the sin can be dealt with, God cannot accept us. It is an impenetrable wall that is built up because of God’s holiness and our fallen state.



This is what Christ came to remove. His death was a sacrificial death for sin. With the sin removed, then a propitious relationship can be restored. Good works, without dealing with the sin, cannot be considered “good” to God. And more, they can easily lead to a sense of supposed worth before God. “I have done my best.” “I am not as bad as other people.” And so on. God does not grade on a curve.



God’s standard is absolute perfection. Until a person is perfected in Christ, they are not just fallen, but infinitely so. Christ Jesus! He is the answer. Remember the simple gospel and be ready to share it –



“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4



Each of the underlined points is given in relation to sin. He died for our sin. He was buried with our sin. He rose again without sin, meaning: He had no sin of His own (Romans 6:23) and thus He is God (Romans 3:23), and our sin is left behind in His burial. Sin is removed from the equation. With the entrance into the New Covenant through belief in Christ’s work, sin is no longer imputed (2 Corinthians 5:19). Sin has been dealt with, and salvation is thus guaranteed.



Be confident in your own salvation, be ready to explain the sin problem to others, and then be ready to share with them the good news that God has seals them with His guarantee when they believe.



Lord God, if sin is the problem, and if Christ has dealt with the sin problem, then sin is no longer a problem. Restoration has come! Thank You, O God, for Jesus Christ, our atoning Sacrifice for sin. Hallelujah and Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:3

Wednesday, June 8th, 2022


As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Acts 8:3


It was just noted that Stephen was carried to his burial. But that did not stop the persecution of the church. In fact, Luke’s next words show that it continued, highlighting the very person who guarded the clothes of those who stoned Stephen, saying, “As for Saul.”



The name Saul is from the Hebrew Shaul. That comes from the verb shaal, meaning to inquire or ask for. Thus, it means “Asked For.” What may be implied is “Asked for (of Yah).” For example, the people of Israel had asked for a king, and the Lord gave them Saul, the first king to reign over Israel. Or it could be that a parent asks for a child and the Lord responds by granting one. The word, however, is identical in spelling to the word sheol, or the place of the dead. In this, one can imagine the grave calling out for the souls of humanity, asking for them to come and join it. Of Saul, Luke notes that “he made havoc of the church.”



The tense is imperfect. It says, “making havoc.” It shows that there was a continuous stream of him relentlessly going after the people. Also, here is a word found just this one time in Scripture and translated as “made havoc.” It signifies outrage or to maltreat. Of this word, Vincent’s Word Studies says –



“In Septuagint, Psalm 79:13, it is used of the laying waste of a vineyard by the wild boar. … Canon Farrar observes: ‘The part which he played at this time in the horrid work of persecution has, I fear, been always underrated. It is only when we collect the separate passages – they are no less than eight in number – in which allusion is made to this sad period, it is only when we weigh the terrible significance of the expressions used that we feel the load of remorse which must have lain upon him, and the taunts to which he was liable from malignant enemies’ (‘Life and Work of St. Paul’). Note the imperfect, of continued action.”



It has already been noted that the church was scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. However, the next verse will explain that this was a result of Saul’s actions. As such, it can be concluded that as soon as Stephen was stoned, he immediately started going after the believers. As mere speculation, it could be that those in the council said, “We need to crush this teaching right now, when we have the initiative.” With that, Saul responded with zeal. This would be in accord with his own words of Acts 26 –



“This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” Acts 26:10, 11



With this in mind, Luke says that Saul was “entering every house.” It would explain why it says “devout men” rather than “brethren” who were there to bury Stephen. The believers had fled. Only the devout non-believers were left. The persecution began right away, and the believers were hiding in their homes or taking the roads back to their own hometowns. For those who were apprehended, Luke next notes that Saul was “dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.”



The verbs continue to show an active and ongoing action by Saul. He came after the people and he kept coming after them, tirelessly chasing them down and having them incarcerated. The word “dragging” indicates that they were in a rage as they arrested the people, so much so that they grabbed body parts – the hair, the arms, the legs – and simply dragged them out to be bound up and taken away.



Noting both men and women was to show that there was no tolerance at all for anyone who held to the name of Jesus. Even if the men were primarily responsible for the households, the women were a part of the households and were thus subject to the same charges of apostasy as the men.



Life application: Saul was really the first persecutor of the church. But it didn’t end with his conversion. Rather, it has gone on steadily since those early days. One of the greatest persecutors of those who have faithfully held to Scripture is, not unsurprisingly, the Roman Catholic Church. While they have been caught up in a system of traditions, unbiblical rites and rituals, and in the adoration of the dead and of idols, faithful people have stood against this. And in their actions, they have been rounded up, sent through terrible tortures, and many were martyred.



Likewise, Christians have been killed in vast numbers by Muslims, Hindus, and people of other religions, or by those who deny any God exists – such as communists. This has been the norm, not the exception for much of the church age. The persecution of Christians has been on the increase in places like Canada, the US, Australia, Germany, and the UK in recent years. Legal battles have been played out in courts, but tolerance for the gospel has decreased in the minds of so many that it is only a matter of time before even worse comes upon believers.



Should the Lord tarry, the lines will surely be divided up between those who truly love Christ and are willing to stand up for His gospel, and those who either pay lip service to Him or are at odds with Him. Now is the time to prepare yourself for holding fast to the Lord. Stay in the word, keep Jesus in your heart and mind at all times, and determine now to never let this temporary world pull you away from Him!



Lord God, may we be found faithful to You until the end. It is a tough world, and many of us have never had to face persecutions or trials of faith. May we be prepared now so that should those times come, we will hold fast to our proclamation that Jesus is the answer to the world’s problems. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:4

Thursday, June 9th, 2022


Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Acts 8:4


In the previous verse, Saul was seen to make havoc on the church, dragging people off and putting them in prison. With that, Luke next records, “Therefore.”



It is because of the persecution of the church, notably by Saul, that the events now about to happen will actually come about, and which concerns “those who were scattered.”



In their desire to not be dragged away and put in prison, the believers in Jerusalem got up and left. This is what was already stated in verse 8:1, and which is being repeated now after the reason for their scattering has been explicitly stated –



“At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” Acts 8:1



It is true that this must have been a time of both fear and stress on the believers. Being uprooted suddenly and then rushing off to another place is a difficult change on most people, but we are being told these things for a specific reason, which is that those who were scattered “went everywhere preaching the word.”



The word translated as “everywhere” is dierchomai. It comes from dia (through) and erchomai (to come or go). It’s not that they went everywhere and preached, but that they preached everywhere they went. Wherever they passed through, on the way to the next place, they would boldly tell the people about what they knew.



As can be seen, the information now fills in what was first stated in verse 8:1. Now, and for the next several chapters, many details will continue to be filled in, and then in verse 11:19, this narrative will be called to mind again –



“Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. 20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.” Acts 11:19-21



This will be stated after the conversion of some from the mixed-race of the Samaritans, after the conversion of an Ethiopian eunuch, after Saul’s conversion, and after the conversion of an Italian centurion living in Caesarea. Thus, the words of Jesus in Acts 1:8 will be on their way to total fulfillment with each step being meticulously recorded by Luke –



“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”



Life application: As difficult as it must have been for the believers to be uprooted by the persecution they faced, and as difficult as it must have been for Paul to later contemplate his actions towards the believers he persecuted, the word of the Lord was actually being fulfilled through these things.



As the Lord said that the word would be spread even to the end of the earth, we can know that the things that seem difficult or even terrible that happen now are a part of the larger plan to make this happen. Nothing is happening that is outside of the knowledge of God, and He has the ability to use all that happens to meet His greater plan.



Let us trust this and do our best to remember it when our own times of upheaval and trial come. He is working all things out for a good end for those who are His. The word says that it is so –



“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30



Surely, we know that You are in control of all things Lord God. In our own times of trial and distress, we may lose sight of that. So, Lord, send us reminders along the way to help us keep our focus. We are wholly dependent on You in this, O God. May our hearts be prepared for the challenges ahead until the day when You bring us home to glory. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:5

Friday, June 10th, 2022




Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. Acts 8:5


The previous verse said, “Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” That is now built upon by Luke, beginning with, “Then Philip.”



This is not Philip of the apostles who is recorded in the gospels, such as in Luke 6:14. Rather, this may be the same man named Philip found in Acts 6:5 who is named among the seven chosen as deacons. If it is the same Philip, he will be seen again in Acts 21:8 where he is called Philip the evangelist. As for him, it says he “went down to the city of Samaria.”



The verb is an aorist participle and should read, “having gone down.” In having gone down, then the actions continue on at some point. As far as the city, Samaria is a region, and so it is probably the principal city of the region at the time. If so, Cambridge says that it was called Sebaste at this time. Sebaste carries the same meaning as Augusta, and it was named in honor of Augustus Caesar. It was probably at this location that it next says, “and preached.”



The verb is imperfect. He didn’t just preach, but he was preaching. He continued on in his proclamation with conviction and stating it as authoritative. This can be seen in the use of the word translated as “preach.” It is a different word than the previous verse. There, it was the word euaggelizó, to evangelize or “carry the good news.” Here it is kérussó, to proclaim, herald, or preach. Luke finishes by stating that he was preaching “Christ to them.”



More correctly, the words state that he was preaching the Christ to them. The definite article sets off his proclamation as specifically being about Jesus who is the Christ. Prior to the coming of Jesus, people may have preached Christ, such as, “Messiah is coming! Scripture says He will be born in Bethlehem,” and so on. However, Philip’s words are specific about “the Christ.” One can see him standing in front of a crowd and saying, “The Messiah has come! He has accomplished all things necessary for salvation, and He has fulfilled the law and the prophets!” His words would set Jesus apart from any other preaching that had been proclaimed before.



Life application: Evangelizing is similar to the preaching noted here, and they can overlap. The main thing to remember is that anyone can evangelize. If you just take the time to remember the basics of the good news concerning Jesus, there should be no reason why you can’t convey to the people you meet that there is hope in Him. Keep it simple and let them know the good news (the only good news!) that can save them.



Having tracts to hand out is a plus because they can carry a reminder of what you spoke about. As with what you speak about, keep tracts simple. They can have longer messages about hope and the like, but the gospel presentation should be basic. There is a universal need that all have, which is deliverance from sin. Jesus is the One who can fill that need. As long as the simple gospel is conveyed, there does not need to be an overload of theology to distract the person’s attention.



Above all, what is proclaimed should be with conviction and with the assurance that Christ Jesus is the answer to man’s dilemma, and more – that He is the only answer to it. With that, you will have properly done your duty to share the good news that God has presented to the world!



Lord God, help us to be bold in our proclamation of the good news concerning the Lord Jesus. May we never water down the truth of this message. Sin is the problem, Jesus is the answer, and in Him there is freedom from the guilt that separates man from God. Thank You for Jesus. May we be faithful to proclaim what You have done through Him. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:6

Saturday, June 11th, 2022




And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. Acts 8:6


The previous verse found Philip having gone down to the city of Samaria and preaching Christ to them. With that, Luke now records, “And the multitudes with one accord.” The meaning is that with the preaching of Philip, there is a united response.



This is something that is not unusual. When a multitude is presented with something, if one pays heed, those around him will too. Eventually, the entire multitude will respond in the same way. It may be a favorable response or one which is unfavorable, but either way, it is how things often transpire. In this case, Luke notes that this large crowd unitedly “heeded the things spoken by Philip.”



The first verb is imperfect and the second is a present participle. More rightly, it says that they “were giving heed to the things being spoken by Philip.” Luke draws his reader into what was occurring and presents it clearly and precisely. There is an active element to what is being presented.



Philip was there preaching to the people. As he spoke, another ear turns to listen, and then another, and soon the whole crowd is engaged as he continues to speak. With that set before us, Luke next describes the ongoing scene as the people were “hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.”



More correctly, the word translated as “miracles” signifies “signs.” Also, the final verb is a present participle. They were “hearing and seeing the signs which he was doing.” Everything is presented for the reader’s mind to participate in what is said. Philip is performing signs that point to the truth of his presentation of Jesus as the Messiah, and while he is doing these things, those watching are engaged in the process, carefully paying attention. With this in mind, Luke will next explain what the signs Philip is performing are.



Life application: At times, it is better to have a small audience that is personal in order to convey one’s intent. However, there are times when a person is skilled enough in speaking or in performing that going into a public space will have the most impact. One has to decide what his own level of skill and confidence is in order to know if he will be able to effectively hold captive a large gathering.



Additionally, it must be considered whether one’s message is going to be received favorably or not. If it will be, that is a bonus. But if the people are not sympathetic to the words being presented, he may end up like Stephen instead of Philip. A message may also be received favorably at the beginning, but then it gets redirected in some manner so that the mood of the crowd changes. This is what will happen to Paul and Barnabas while they are in the city of Lystra (Acts 14).



One must be able to quickly adapt to a changing crowd, or the message may go from being received favorably to one where a shower is needed because of all the tomatoes being thrown. Regardless of the size of the crowd though, it is right that we do our best to tell those we encounter about Jesus. This should be a main goal of each person who has been saved by Him. Whether by handing out a tract, inviting someone to church, or actively speaking about Him, let us do our best to always convey this message of hope.



Lord God, help us to be bold in our willingness to speak out the gospel message to others. It is Your powerful message that can save, but it will not do so if it is not shared. Help us in this so that the people we encounter will at least be given the chance to respond. To Your glory, Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:7

Sunday, June 12th, 2022




For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. Acts 8:7




The previous verse referred to Philip being heeded by the multitudes when hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. That now is explained in this verse. It should be noted that there are several differences in the structure of the words in this verse in various manuscripts. However, none of them change the meaning. Rather it is mostly variations in the tense of verbs. Luke begins the words with, “For unclean spirits.”



What occurs here in the various ailments that are cured are given to confirm the ongoing work of the Lord through the disciples now. For example, the casting out of unclean spirits by Jesus is seen in the gospels, such as in Luke 4 –



“Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. 32 And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. 33 Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, 34 saying, ‘Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’

35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be quiet, and come out of him!’ And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. 36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, ‘What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.’ 37 And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.” Luke 4:31-37



These unclean spirits were subject to the power of Christ Jesus, and now they are shown to be subject to the power of Christ working through the disciples, such as Philip. This continues to be seen with the next words, saying that they were “crying with a loud voice.”



These unclean spirits had found a home in the people they possessed, and they afflicted the people, controlling them or greatly influencing them. As they were cast out, the process was seen to be a noisy one. The one in Luke 4 recognized the power and authority of Christ. This is certainly what is happening now. They cry out loudly acknowledging that the power of the Holy Spirit had been endowed upon these followers of Jesus. As such, they “came out of many who were possessed.”



These visual and audible workings of the Spirit were given to confirm the work of Jesus. Acts is given as a record that they really occurred. The unclean spirits are shown to be under the control and authority of this power of the Spirit in them. It is a testament to the world that, in coming to Christ, the power of God is greater than anything that once defiled a person. Along with these unclean spirits, Luke also records physical healings by Philip, saying, “and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.”



This is also what Jesus did throughout the gospels, such as in Luke 5. In that account it says –



“When He saw their faith, He said to him, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven you.’

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, ‘Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’

22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, ‘Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Rise up and walk”? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’—He said to the man who was paralyzed, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’” Luke 5:20-24



In other words, the physical healing was a sign that Jesus has the power to forgive sin. By performing the healing, it confirmed that His words concerning forgiveness were true. As the disciples of Jesus proclaimed forgiveness of sins through Christ’s atoning sacrifice, the healings that were done in His name were given as signs that what they claimed concerning forgiveness was also true.



Life application: There are various views concerning the healing power of Jesus in today’s world. Some say it continues on and that disciples have the power to heal just as they did in Acts. Some say that healings have completely ceased and no longer occur. Some say that healings can occur, but they are not accomplished by any particular people like in Acts, but that the healing – if it comes – is brought about through prayer.



The third option is correct. God may choose to heal in accord with the prayers of His people. We are instructed to pray in the epistles for exactly this reason. If it were not so, and if all healings ended with the apostolic age, then we would not be given explicit instruction in the epistles to pray for such things.



It should be noted that even the apostles were not always able to heal those around them who were sick. The healings and casting out of demons were to be signs to the people concerning the work of Christ. As we now have the Bible that witnesses to these things, we no longer need such signs. The Bible is a testament to itself of God’s workings in Christ. Hence, we are to pray in hopes of healing, but we are to leave it up to God and His purposes for the healing to occur or not.



If healing comes about, who will receive the credit? God will leave it up to the faith of the person to decide, just as His word in the epistles says. We are to live by faith and not by sight. If we have sight, faith is excluded. The Bible will never contradict itself because the Bible is God’s word, and it is a reflection of who He is – unchanging, fixed, and non-contradictory in His being.



Have faith, pray for the sick, and be sure to give credit to God for the healing – even if a medicine, a doctor, or an extended stay at a hospital is involved.



Lord God, Your word asks us to pray for the sick, and so we do. But may we have faith that our words are heard, regardless of the outcome of our requests. You may have a different purpose for us than to be healed, and so may we be careful to never impute wrongdoing to You in the process, but to accept Your will as it is revealed through the person we pray for. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:8

Monday, June 13th, 2022




And there was great joy in that city. Acts 8:8


.
The words now being presented are based on the location given in verse 8:5, meaning the city of Samaria, and on the events described in verses 8:6 & 7 concerning the preaching and miraculous signs done by Philip. With those things described it now says, “And there was great joy in that city.”



This is not, as some commentators may say, joy in the Holy Spirit. The reason for this is found in the coming verses –



“Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” Acts 8:14-17



The joy was at the preaching of the gospel, believing what it conveyed, and finding relief in the forgiveness of sins that comes from what Christ Jesus has done. Accompanying that, there was certainly joy at the spiritual and physical healings that had been performed among the people. The city was in a state of joy because of what had happened. It is a state which is easily contagious as people experience the happiness of simply seeing others happy. Hence, the city was filled with elation over all that was happening among them.



Life application: As was noted, those in Samaria who have believed have not yet received the Holy Spirit. This is in contradistinction to those who had already believed in Acts 2, and who immediately received the Spirit in an outward display of tongues of fire alighting upon them and then through speaking in tongues (2:3, 4). The others who listened were told that if they repented and were baptized, they would receive the Holy Spirit. Many did. Of those who believed and received the Spirit, it says nothing of tongues of fire or speaking in tongues.



Now, something entirely different is taking place. The people have believed, but the Holy Spirit has not been given. This is a problem because people in various denominations and churches follow the words of Acts 2 and mandate repentance and baptism for salvation. But that is not taught here in Acts 8. These people are now believers. They just have not yet received the Spirit. Why is it ok to follow Acts 2, but not Acts 8? And more, in Acts 10 (and elsewhere) there will be a completely different set of events that occur. Why are those patterns not prescribed in churches? But more, if they were, there would be a contradiction to Acts 2 then, wouldn’t there?



What is happening in these passages clearly shows us that the events are not prescriptive. In other words, nothing is prescribed in Acts. It is a historical account of what transpired, but it does not set the pattern for the church to emulate. Indeed! It cannot. If it did, then the church would be in complete confusion as to what is supposed to occur. But wait! It already is. And this is because Acts is used in a pick and choose manner to prescribe that which is only intended to describe.



The city of Samaria has seen the miracles, they have believed the gospel, and they are reconciled to God through that belief. The reason for the order of events here is not yet revealed, but it is to teach us about the early establishment of the church, and why God has done the things He has done. To find out what is prescribed for the church, we are to go to the church epistles. That is where doctrine is to be derived from. The book of Acts is not intended to be used for this purpose.



If you are in an “Acts 2 church,” or if your church has “Acts 2 experiences,” you are following a false teaching. Acts 2 is directed to the Jews. The Gentiles are not even addressed in a specific manner until Acts 10. Avoid the sensationalism found in hyped-up churches and stick to what is doctrinally sound. Anything can be made to say anything unless a systematic and logical approach is taken to understand doctrine. God is the originator of logic. Nothing He does will be illogical or contradictory.



Almighty and glorious God! Thank You for Your word that reveals to us how You are accomplishing things in redemptive history. Your word is logical and orderly, and it gives us direction and purpose to live out our lives in a holy and responsible manner before You. Thank You, above all, for Christ Jesus who has done all that is necessary to bring us back to You. Yes, thank You for Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:9

Tuesday, June 14th, 2022


But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, Acts 8:9




The account has been focused on Philip and his preaching and signs. They brought great joy to the city. Now, the account brings in a new figure, saying, “But there was a certain man.” This is stated to reveal a contrast between Philip, and his work on behalf of the Lord, and this person and his work. This man is “called Simon.”



It is the same name as several others, including Simon Peter. The name means “Hearing,” or “He who hears.” A great deal has been written about who this may be in relation to extrabiblical history, but these commentaries are speculative. The person is described here in Acts and the account stands alone as sufficient to describe him and what occurs. Luke says he is a person “who previously practiced sorcery in the city.”



The verb is a present participle. It reads, “who had been formerly in the city practicing sorcery.” He went around doing it, probably as his profession or as a way of making money. The word translated as “sorcery” is found only here in the Bible, mageuó. It signifies to practice magic or sorcery. It is derived from magos (which we translate as Magi). It is for this reason that he is often called Simon Magus, or Simon the Magician.



He was probably comparable to someone who goes around today and does things that bewilder the senses of the people, like Houdini, David Copperfield, and the like. By using sleight of hand, or maybe by practicing black arts, he did such things “and astonished the people of Samaria.”



The Greek word translated as “astonished” is existémi. It signifies “to remove from a standing (fixed) position” or “put out of place” (HELPS Word Studies). As such, it is like saying, “He blew the people off their feet.” They were utterly amazed.



The KJV uses a most unfortunate “bewitched” here. This is not at all what is being said. There was no spell cast upon the people. Rather, they were simply astonished. The same word is used in 8:13 when referring to Simon being amazed at Philp’s miracles and signs, thus demonstrating a contrast between the two.



Again, it is a present participle. He was “amazing the people of Samaria.” As he went out and performed, the people would watch and be stupefied at the incredible things he was doing, just as would be the case with our current magicians.



They would be captivated by how things disappeared and then reappeared, how there might be a fire that wouldn’t burn, or how something might suddenly turn into a white dove. Whatever tricks he could flabbergast the people with, they would stand amazed. And more, because he could do these things, he was also “claiming that he was someone great.”



This is a natural attitude for people who can bewilder others. They get cocky and think more highly of themselves than they ought. These words, then, are set in contrast to the work of Philip and the others who exalt not themselves, but the greatness of Jesus Christ.



Life application: Regardless of the source of Simon’s magic, whether it was demonic or simply out of his own skills and cunning, it was intended for self-exaltation. He surely profited off of his skills and maybe in a great way. Successful magicians today can make millions of dollars. In the end, however, what they do has no lasting value.



There are people around the world living in very poor conditions and who are dependent on the goodness of others to simply pay their bills from month to month, but they are doing it as missionaries and teachers of the word and sharers of the good news about Jesus. What they are doing, if with the right intent, will someday be rewarded by the Lord.



Let us not squander our lives chasing the sensational and chasing after people like Simon Magus, but rather, let us remember to assist those who are doing what is truly of value. If those people will be rewarded for their efforts, then it logically follows that God will reward those who support them so that they can continue.



Remember to pray for your church’s missionaries and be sure to let them know that they are appreciated.



Lord God, today we lift up those who are out doing service for others in missionary work and in the work of evangelism. Be with them, bring comfort and happiness to their souls, and reveal to them things that will let them know their work is of value to those they minister to. Yes, Lord, be with these people of Yours. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:10

Charlie Garrett Acts, Acts (written), Daily Writing, Writings

Wednesday, June 15th, 2022


to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” Acts 8:10




The previous verse introduced Simon who practiced sorcery in the city and who astonished the people of Samaria. Along with that, he claimed that he was someone great. This verse shows us that he was believed, saying, “to whom they all gave heed.”



It is referring to him, and it shows that because of what he was doing, the people paid attention to him, probably hanging on his every word. This is not unusual. The false prophets during the time of the kings held their courts captive, such as in 1 Kings –



“The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, having put on their robes, sat each on his throne, at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. 11 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, ‘Thus says the Lord: “With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.”’ 12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, ‘Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king’s hand.’” 1 Kings 22:10-12



These, and many such instances, show that people are easily swayed by false messages and false displays of miracles, signs, and wonders. Jesus warned about this as well –



“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.” Matthew 23:23-25



As for Simon, regardless as to whether he was in touch with demonic influences or whether he was simply good at tricks of magic, all of the people were swayed by him “from the least to the greatest.”



Young people love to look at what is curious and ponder how such things are done, but so do older people as well. People who aren’t so smart will marvel at things they don’t understand, but so will the intelligent. When we cannot grasp how something is done, we will naturally look to alternative explanations for what we see.



Seemingly highly intellectual people will believe in secret powers in certain people just because of the thing they see that they cannot explain. And such people will gladly claim that what they are doing (and this is certainly true in Christian circles as well) is by the power of God. This is the case with Simon. The people were “saying, ‘This man is the great power of God.’”



Because of the things he did, and because of the way he presented himself, the people were completely fooled as to the source of his supposed magic. He may have used smoke and mirrors, but he did so in an effective manner so that everyone was bamboozled by him.



Life application: How many countless Christians have been duped by false teachers over the years! This is both in doctrine and in simply being conned by sleight of hand “healers” and “miracle workers.” History is replete with such charlatans.



As for doctrine, Paul and the other writers of the epistles constantly warn about the importance of heeding the word, knowing it, and holding fast to it. For example, Paul says –



“But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 1 Corinthians 11:12-15



Without knowing the word, people are at the whims of those who know how to twist it. Likewise, there are false presentations of power constantly performed in churches around the world. Today, Charismatics and Pentecostals (and others) have a constant stream of false healings, false receptions of “divine instruction,” and so on. People see these things, and because the person conducting them says he is doing them in the name of Jesus, it is blindly accepted as true.



Peter Popov is a classic example of this. Read up on what he did, and then realize that even AFTER he was exposed, people still follow him. The stupidity of man to give credit to people who make false claims is limitless. Unless we know the word, and unless we know what is true, we cannot identify what is false. As such, you are once again implored to think reasonably and rationally, and to know and study the Bible. Be cautious and be circumspect in what you are willing to accept.



Lord God, You have given us Your word to guide us and direct us. And, You have given it to us to warn us and keep us from being led astray by false teachers and false miracle workers. Well, we sure can’t do that without picking the Bible up and reading it. So, Lord, give us wisdom to put Your word first in our list of daily activities. Help us to not be swayed by what is false. Instead, give us the ability to discern what is good and proper. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:11

Thursday, June 16th, 2022




And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. Acts 8:11


Still speaking of Simon, the Sorcerer, of whom it was said in the last verse, “This man is the great power of God,” Luke now records of those in Samaria, “And they heeded him.”



The verb is imperfect – “And they were heeding him.” Wherever he went and whenever he showed up to perform, the people paid attention and were held captive by him as he astonished them with his capabilities.



When people believe you have a connection to the divine, they will heed you. This is true with palm readers, tarot card readers, priests in Catholic churches (meaning supposed “mediators” between God and men), and an innumerable list of others around the world who are supposedly able to connect to the spiritual world.



In the case of people like Simon who do magic that has outward signs, people are even more convinced. The signs they do supposedly point to the surety that they are really tapping into another dimension. Simon was considered the great power of God “because he had astonished them with his sorceries.”



Here is another word found only this once in Scripture, mageia. It is a noun and signifies magic. Being plural, it means “deeds of magic,” “magic arts,” “sorceries,” “witchcrafts,” or the like. He wasn’t limited to just one or two tricks up his sleeve, but he constantly impressed people with a litany of new things. And this went on “for a long time.”



This is not an unimportant addition to the verse. It shows that he was well established, and people expected him to show up and do something new and interesting. The reason for this specific detail concerning his abilities, the signs that supposedly accompanied them, and the long duration of time that he had done these things is to then contrast him and his practices with that of the disciples who had recently come to the area.



Life application: Since the coming of television, people like Simon have been able to obtain a much wider audience to fool even more people than would have ever been thought possible. Such demonstrations of magic excite the mind and make people even more curious about the person and his abilities.



Now, with the advent of social media, especially like YouTube which has an interactive counterpart, people who claim connections into the spiritual world can have innumerable followers who hang onto their claims. And this is no different than some fraud in Christianity.



YouTube is filled with people who supposedly have conversations with Jesus, Mary, the angels, and so on. Many have claimed to have gone to heaven (or hell) and been shown things that others can only dream about.



Don’t be fooled by such claims. People are people. We are all born into the world, we live out our lives, and we will die (unless the rapture happens first). The only difference between them and you is that they claim something that has not happened, or they claim connections to the divine (or the spiritual world) that they don’t actually possess.



Be content to live your life reading the word and living by faith in what God has said and done. This is sensational enough because it comes with the promise of eternal life in His presence. Ignore anything else that distracts you from this marvelous anticipation.



Heavenly Father, please keep us from people that would distract us from what is truly important in this life. Help us to not be fooled by those that claim they are somebody when they are not. May we hold fast to what is good and proper all our days, thinking on Your word and living in faith concerning what You have promised. Amen!

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:12

Friday, June 17th, 2022


But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Acts 8:12


A contrast to the past few verses concerning Simon is now introduced. He practiced sorcery and astonished the people, having duped them to believe that he was the great power of God and so on. However, Philip is again brought into the narrative now, saying, “But when they believed Philip.”



The word “they” is referring to the people in the city of Samaria. Simon was a highlight among them, but something new has been introduced that goes beyond their adoration of him. As it next says of Philip, “as he preached.”



It is the same word, euaggelizó, used in verse 8:4. It means “to preach the good news.” There it said –



“Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.”



Contained in that preaching of good news is “the things concerning the kingdom of God.” Some manuscripts, and thus some translations, omit the words “the things.” As such, it reads, “the good news about the kingdom of God.” Either way, the subject of the kingdom of God is considered a part of the good news of Jesus. As such, it is important to understand what this is referring to.



There cannot be a kingdom without a king. In the case of the kingdom of God, it is the good news that Jesus is the King over an entirely new realm. Not only has he replaced Adam, but He is seated in authority over His people.



This kingdom is referred to throughout the epistles. Paul mentions it in Romans 14:17; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; 15:24, 50; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 1:13, 4:11; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:5; 1 Timothy 1:17, 6:15 (Jesus the King); 2 Timothy 4:1, 4:18.



It is also mentioned in Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, and Revelation. The concept of a kingdom is likewise mentioned throughout Acts as having been preached by Jesus, as well as by both the apostles and disciples who ministered to the Jews, and by those who ministered to the Gentiles.



Having said that, care must be taken to understand that the kingdom referred to can, at times, mean a literal, physical reign of Christ on earth during the millennium, or it can refer to the kingdom of God that is a spiritual kingdom. What is being referred to now is the spiritual kingdom that is also preached by Paul in Acts and that is referred to in the epistles as well. This is evident from the next words, “and the name of Jesus Christ.”



The kingdom of God is the rule and authority of God in opposition to that of Satan, the ruler of this world and its present system. Jesus Christ is the King of the kingdom of God. He is the fulfillment of everything necessary to return man to the anticipated restoration of the perfection that was lost at the fall.



Adam was like a king over the realm of the world. He lost that right and authority, and Jesus Christ has regained title to it. This applies to those who put their trust in Him, and it is this that is methodically explained in the epistles, but which is also referred to in Acts. It is what Jesus spoke of prior to His crucifixion –



“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’

37 Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’

Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’” John 18:36, 37



Of this kingdom that Philip proclaimed, it next says, “both men and women were baptized.” This is the outward sign of being accepted into the kingdom of God. It is a rite that was commanded by Jesus, after His resurrection (meaning after the introduction of the New Covenant), and thus it is applicable to all people: Jews, those of Samaria, and Gentiles (as will continue to be seen in Acts).



The rite itself is not necessary for salvation, but it is necessary for obedience to the Lord. To not receive baptism is to violate the prescriptions set down by the Lord, of which two are recorded, baptism and the Lord’s Supper.



Life application: There is a heresy that has crept into the church over the years which has already been addressed earlier in the Acts commentary, but it is a good time to review it. It is most prominently known as hyperdispensationalism. It is taught in varying degrees and with some false teachings held to by one pastor and more of them held to by another.



In general, it departs from sound doctrine in that it teaches that baptism (meaning water baptism) is not a necessary part of the life of a believer. And yet, these same people will say that it is right to observe the Lord’s Supper. The same Lord, Jesus, who mandated one also mandated the other. He did so at (or after) the inauguration of the New Covenant, of which He spoke of at the Last Supper.



As there is one New Covenant, and as it applies to both Israel (Jeremiah 31:31 & Hebrews 8:8) and to the Gentiles (1 Corinthians 11:25 & 2 Corinthians 3:6), then the mandates of that covenant by the One who established it, equally apply to both.



Hyperdispensationalism, however, goes further down Heresy Highway by proclaiming that there are two different gospels, one for the Jew and one for the Gentile. But Paul explicitly states in 1 Corinthians 15:11 that his gospel is the same as the gospel preached by Peter and the other apostles.



Along with this, hyperdispensationalists will claim that Jesus is not the King over the Gentiles and that the title should not be used of Him in this manner. Instead, they claim that this is a title that belongs to Him over the Jews and that the “kingdom” for them is an earthly one. However, as noted above, if one proclaims a kingdom – as Paul does – then there must be a king that reigns over it. The exact same kingdom that Christ rules over (as noted in the list provided above) is proclaimed by all of the apostles in one united voice.



Another erroneous point taught in hyperdispensationalism is that the church did not begin until the preaching of Paul. A key and main point of the book of Acts is to show that this is not true, but that what God is doing is not dependent on Israel as a key point of what being in the “church” means.



Rather, what belongs to Israel concerning the Old Testament promises is a separate thing altogether. The church began with Christ’s work. It was proclaimed from Acts 2 on, but Israel the nation missed what was going on. From there, the message (the same gospel message) slowly gravitated toward the Gentiles as Paul’s ministry took hold.



If you know anyone who is caught up in these false teachings, let them know that they should first question their own salvation. Have they believed the one (and only) gospel as outlined in 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4? If so, they should then question their obedience to the Lord. He has given commands concerning our responsibilities in the salvation He provides. To refuse these is a mark of disobedience to His spoken word.



Finally, they should be properly instructed on what the “kingdom” means and who the King of that kingdom is. In this, you will be helping them out of a truly heretical cult that has arisen, and which divides the body of Christ and brings shame upon what He has done for His people.



Lord God, help us to have sound doctrine. The church did not begin when Paul began preaching. It began when You established it through the giving of Christ Jesus for our sins. Help us to be responsible in our theology lest we be found inept in our doctrine. Above all, thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:13

Saturday, June 18th, 2022


Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Acts 8:13


The previous verse was given as a contrast to the words concerning Simon, referring to Philip’s preaching about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. It also noted that those who believed were baptized. With that remembered, verse 8:13 will show why all the detail was given concerning Simon. The NKJV that is used does not do a good job translating the verbs. A much better and more literal rendering is –



“and Simon also himself did believe, and, having been baptized, he was continuing with Philip, beholding also signs and mighty acts being done, he was amazed.” YLT



Because of this, Young’s will be used for analyzing the verse, beginning with, “and Simon also himself did believe.”



In verse 9, Simon was the one who “astonished the people.” He was also “claiming that he was someone great.” In verse 10 it said everyone heeded him, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” The complete contrast to his supposedly great position now begins to be seen. He thought he was someone great, and yet now, he has believed that Jesus truly is the Messiah.



The word is quite clear, Simon believed. The exact same form of the verb (an aorist participle) is found five times in John’s gospel. For example, John 20:8 says –



“Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.”



Because of the circumstances around Simon, especially what will occur in just a few verses, it is questioned whether he was truly saved or not. There is no reason to question that. These first words of the verse settle the matter. He heard the word concerning Jesus and he believed. With that, it next says, “and, having been baptized.”



This is in accordance with the word of the Lord. It is the standard note after every conversion in the book of Acts. It happened to the Jews in Acts 2. It now happens with the mixed-race of Samaritans in Acts 8. It will happen to the Ethiopian eunuch later in Acts 8. It will happen to Paul in Acts 9. It will happen to the Gentile believers in Acts 11. And so on.



Although Acts is a descriptive account of what happened in early church history, it is evident that what occurred concerning these baptisms was plainly a result of the command of the Lord. He clearly and unambiguously stated that all who come to Him are to be baptized. With this (as will be seen) weak believer, Simon, being baptized in accord with the word of the Lord, it next says, “he was continuing with Philip.”



It is apparent that his previous life was set aside, and he wanted to seek out the power of the Lord as displayed through Philip. He had been so self-consumed in the past that it must have been incredible to him to think that he wasn’t so great after all. And so, like a curious child, he followed Philip “beholding also signs and mighty acts being done.”



This would not be unexpected. Simon had spent his time duping people into believing that he had extraordinary powers, even touching upon the divine. But he knew that it wasn’t true. Whether what he did was sleight of hand magic or whether it was rooted in black magic, it was not the true power of God. He now saw the truth and was fully aware of the difference between it and the counterfeit. As such, it says “he was amazed.”



Here was a man stupefying people daily, and yet it is he who is now amazed at what he sees. Luke uses the same word that was used in verses 8:9 and 8:11 to describe the people’s reactions to Simon’s bag of tricks and Simon’s reaction to the Lord’s power in Philip as he did signs and mighty acts.



The contrast is complete. Simon realized the true power of God and believed what he saw. The failings to be noted of him in the verses ahead are given not to show that he wasn’t saved, but they rather point out – and even highlight – that new believers are not suddenly ultra-spiritual beings. They are people in need of instruction and correction. Hence, not only are they to be baptized, but they are also to be made sound disciples by teaching them what the Lord commanded, just as the Lord stated in Matthew 28:19.



Life application: One thing that is very common is to see people who have believed the gospel not grow into mature believers. In fact, it is more the norm than the exception. For, indeed, what is a mature believer?



A person who comes to Christ, goes to seminary, and is ordained to pastor a church will – eventually – look back at his early years as a pastor and say, “Boy, I had a lot to learn and a lot of growing up to do back then.” And yet, he was the pastor of a church and supposedly a “mature believer” at that time.



In other words, to be in Christ and to grow in Him is something that should never cease. We should be maturing in our walk from day to day. But this does not mean that people who don’t do this are not saved. If it did, and if a “fully mature” Christian was the proof of being saved, then nobody would be saved.



We need to be careful to not look down on those who are on a different level than we are. This is especially so when others could be looking down on us. Belief in Christ Jesus is what saves. Everything after that is, or it should be, a lifelong process of growing in Him.



Heavenly Father, help us to strive for growth in our Christian lives. Let us faithfully seek out Your word, pursue a closer walk with You, and come to understand our lowly position in this world. The more we grow in You, the more evident it is just how far below You we truly are. And so, Lord, help us to not look down on other believers, but to motivate them to strive ahead for the prize that is found in Christ. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:14

Sunday, June 19th, 2022




Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, Acts 8:14


The previous verse noted Simon’s belief and baptism. This followed after the belief and baptism of “both men and women” of Samaria noted in verse 8:12. However, what has gone unnoted is any hint of the giving of the Spirit to these people. This is then a different occurrence than that which occurred in Acts 2 where Peter said to the people –



“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38



Nothing has been said of repenting here in Acts 8. Further, the Spirit was promised to come upon baptism by those in Acts 2. That has neither been promised nor has it occurred. These things will be recorded in the verses to come, and an explanation of what occurs will be made.



For now, it is simply to be noted that this is the case, demonstrating that Acts is providing a description of what occurs at the establishment of the early church, but no individual account is to be taken as either normative or prescriptive. As for the ongoing account, it next records, “Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard.”



In the scattering of the church because of the persecution that was taking place (Acts 8:1 & 8:4), the apostles had remained in Jerusalem as an anchor for the church to remain united under their teaching. Eventually, the word got back to them “that Samaria had received the word of God.”



It is an important point that is dismissed by several heretical teachings that have infected the church. How often it is for false teachers to point to the words of Jesus and insist that there is one message to the Jews and another to the Gentiles –



“These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 10:5, 6



&



“Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.’

23 But He answered her not a word.

And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us.’

24 But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’” Matthew 15:21-24



Such verses are pulled out of their intended context, which is Jesus’ ministry to Israel to hear first and to then either accept or reject their Messiah. It is clear and plainly evident from this verse in Acts that either the apostles were disobedient to the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:5, or they are being obedient to the commission that the one and only gospel is to go out from Jerusalem to “Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).



The latter is correct. Those who teach that there are two gospels, that baptism is not a commandment (even if not required for salvation) for those who come to Christ, or that the church began with Paul are heretics and have failed to take in the whole counsel of God. They divide the church and the message of Christ to the harm of those they teach. With this clearly seen, it next says that “they sent Peter and John to them.”



With these words, another point of poor doctrine is argued against. It is one that will be further clarified as Acts and the epistles continue to demonstrate. By noting that the “apostles” sent Peter and John, it clearly indicates that the body has come to a mutual decision, and it argues against the idea that Peter was established by Jesus as the first leader (pope) of the church as Roman Catholicism claims.



The reason for the Holy Spirit’s influence in this decision will be seen as Acts continues, but these words wholly argue against Peter as being a leading figure within the body of the apostles. Though not as egregious an error as the one stated above, the Roman Catholic Church has purposefully twisted its history in order to justify innumerable other faulty claims and doctrines, such as in this case concerning Peter.



Under the influence of the Holy Spirit (as can be assumed though not specifically stated), Peter and John were selected by the body of apostles to go to Samaria.



Life application: Jesus’ ministry to Israel alone was for a set and determined purpose. The covenant at Sinai was given to them. The prophets spoke to them. The promises were given to them. And the promise of a New Covenant was given to them (see Jeremiah 31:31). It was right and fitting that the earthly ministry of the Messiah was to be to Israel alone. And thus, it was.



However, the gospel was always intended to go out to the Gentiles after this time (see Isaiah 42:6, for example). This was not thwarted in Israel’s rejection of Jesus. Rather, it was carried out exactly as was known by God all along. Even the Song of Moses from Deuteronomy explained this, in advance, to Israel –



“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people;

For He will avenge the blood of His servants,

And render vengeance to His adversaries;

He will provide atonement for His land and His people.” Deuteronomy 32:43



Paul cites this in Romans 15:10, explaining such things. Pay attention to the details in Acts! Think about what God is doing. He is giving a descriptive account of how the church was established, but in this process, He is taking into consideration everything recorded in the Old Testament, fairly treating Israel according to His word and according to their acceptance or rejection of it. And it is all based on one unified gospel message that is given to all people of the world. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:11 concerning the united ministry of all of the apostles, including himself, “Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”



Further, there is one Leader of the church, Jesus, and there are set offices below Him that are given in accord with the instructions in the epistles. There is no single authority within the faith that is set to direct the masses concerning the continuance of the church. Roman Catholicism is to be rejected based on this.



Heavenly Father, help us to think rightly concerning Your word as it unfolds before us. May we not get misdirected by those who have failed to rightly divide what is clearly presented when things are taken in context. May our doctrine be pure, and may we be pleasing followers of You as we await Your coming for us. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:15

Monday, June 20th, 2022


who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:15


It was previously noted that the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God. When this occurred, it says “they sent Peter and John to them.” Peter and John have been the focus of attention already in Acts. Going together, they play a key role in the events now, but the brunt of the attention is on Peter. As for them being selected and then traveling together, Luke says, “who, when they had come down.”



The “who” is referring to both of them. The words, “when they had come down,” are referring to the trip from Jerusalem to Samaria. It doesn’t matter what direction one travels from Jerusalem, nor what the elevation of the area is, a trip from Jerusalem is always said to be “down,” and a trip to Jerusalem is always said to be “up.”



This is to acknowledge that Jerusalem is the exalted place where the Lord’s attention is focused. It is an earthly type of the greater New Jerusalem mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. Understanding this, they went down to Samaria and “prayed for them.”



Peter and John are said to have prayed. This is telling us that there is a petition to God for something that they cannot obtain, convey, possess, etc., on their own efforts. In other words, in the act of prayer, it is an acknowledgment that what is prayed for must be obtained from God in whatever way applies to the particular prayer. In this case, it is “that they might receive the Holy Spirit.”



The word “they” means those who have believed in Samaria. The words “might receive” indicate that they had not yet received what is prayed for. Further, it is something beyond the ability of the apostles to provide. And more, it is an indication that because what they are praying for has not yet been received, it is unsure whether it is something that will be given. In other words, this is something new and the apostles are clearly looking to determine what will be the outcome of their prayer.



In praying that they might receive “the Holy Spirit,” it is asking for the intimate bond that indicates that God has accepted a person as His own. It is the surety of the covenant, the New Covenant, that comes through the work of Christ. The apostles surely remembered the words of Jesus that were spoken in this same location –



“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’” John 4:13, 14



“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’” John 4:21-24



They would also have remembered Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8, saying, “and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” As such, the apostles are certainly trying to determine exactly what it means to be a true worshiper of God the Father and what witnessing to those in Samaria fully meant. These people have put their faith in the gospel of Jesus. Now, what does this exactly mean? This is the purpose of the apostles being sent and the reason for the prayer now.



Life application: Until this point in the narrative, the things that are occurring detail a story of heading into the unknown. Each step of the process is new to the apostles. They have the commission, but they do not fully understand what the expected outcome is as they carry it out.



This was true in Acts 2, it has been true as things have continued to unfold, and it will continue to be true as new events come before God’s chosen ministers who are carrying out His commands.



However, and this is key to understanding our lives before the Lord now, such things are no longer unknown to us. The book of Acts has been written. What was unknown with each step that was taken is now known based on past precedent. Further, along with the recording of Acts, the epistles are now written which give clear and explicit instruction concerning matters that were left unclarified in Acts.



Some of those epistles were written during the time that Acts was being written. Others are written after the period of Acts is over, but by those who were still alive – thus during the apostolic era.



Understanding this, Acts describes what occured, it sets a baseline of precedents that are generally to be followed unless explicitly redefined or explained in the epistles, but the Acts accounts are descriptive in nature and are not to be considered as normative in the details of individual accounts.



Instead, these individual accounts are to be gathered into a whole picture of what occurred concerning any given issue (such as baptism), and then it is to be determined from them the overall message that is being conveyed, and why the individual accounts were given, why they differ, and what is the common denominator between them.



In following such an interpretive method, there will not be a “pick-and-choose” theology that arises from Luke’s descriptions of individual events that were never intended to set church doctrine.



Lord God, what a treasure Your word is! It is so filled with interesting details that we can spend a lifetime contemplating them. Reading it again and again, we always find new insights into the marvelous things You are revealing to us. Thank You for this wonderful and precious word. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:16

Tuesday, June 21st, 2022




For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 8:16


The previous verses told of Peter and John being selected to go down to Samaria. When they had done so, it says that they prayed for those of Samaria who had received the word so that they might receive the Holy Spirit. With that, Luke now continues, saying, “For as yet He had fallen upon none of them.”



The idea of the Holy Spirit falling on someone is first used here, but it will be seen again in Acts 10:44 and 11:15 when referring to the conversion of Cornelius and those with him. HELPS Word Studies says that the specific word used, epipiptó, comes from epi, on or upon, and pipto, to embrace (with affection) or to seize (with more or less violence, literally or figuratively).



It is remarkable that such a term is used when referring to Samaritans and later those Gentiles in Caesarea. It is as if the Holy Spirit was there anticipating the right moment to respond with the greatest of all affection in welcoming these people into the family of God. What occurred with the Jews in Acts 2 seems like an anticipated event that was the fulfillment of the hope that had been in them all along. But with these unsuspecting people, the use of this word provides a sudden and overwhelming embrace in an unexpected union with God.



For now, Luke next notes, “They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” The preposition is into, not in. It is the same preposition used in Matthew 28:18 when the Lord commanded this rite in the first place –



“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations; baptize them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Weymouth



The significance of the use of this preposition is not to be overlooked. The baptism was done at the command of the Lord, it was done to non-Jews in accordance with that word, and it sets the tone for a normative pattern that is developing in the book of Acts. Even though each instance of conversion is different (Such as in Acts 2, 8, 10, etc.), the same pattern of obedience to the word of the Lord is seen – give the gospel, when it is received, baptize. This is exactly what the Lord stated, and it is exactly what is expected even to this day.



Further, using the word “only” in this verse (They had only been baptized) demonstrates that there is a lack that needs to be filled. In other words, something is occurring in the sequence of events that is not normative, but purposeful. In Acts 2, it said –



“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’” Acts 2:38, 39



Those in Jerusalem were told they were to 1) repent; 2) be baptized upon (epi), not into, the name of Jesus Christ; and then 3) they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now in Acts 8, nothing has been said of repentance. Instead, it notes the people heeded (8:6), believed (8:13), and received the word of God (8:14). After this, they were baptized. However, that was all that happened – highlighted by the word “only.”



It is of note that Paul uses the same preposition, into (eis), as is used here when writing to the Gentile believers in Romans 6 –



“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3, 4



Such small details in the words used give great insights into sound doctrine. When properly considered, they will dispel wrong ideas about doctrine, including several insidious heresies that have arisen within the church. As for those in Samaria, a lack exists that still must be filled. This is obviously purposeful. What do you suppose the reason for this is?



Life application: Using individual accounts from Acts to set doctrine will inevitably lead to unsound doctrine. Some churches say that, based on Acts 2, baptism is mandatory in order to be saved. But that is dispelled in the next chapter, and it continues to be dispelled throughout the rest of the book of Acts.



Some heretics say that baptism is not applicable to Gentile believers, in direct opposition to the word of the Lord in Matthew 28. Again, this is dispelled through a careful study of Acts and the epistles. Though not required for salvation, it is expected for obedience.



Some heretically say the church began with the apostle Paul and that the gospel is different for Jews and Gentiles. But that is dispelled by understanding the descriptive nature of the accounts of Acts and why those accounts are given, all of which follow a different order of events, in the first place. Acts is a tool to see what God did and why, but it is not specifically calling for any of these events to be taken as normative. And yet, by reviewing all of them as a whole, a normative doctrine can be elicited from what is provided.



Be sure to consider everything that is stated in its proper context. Only after that can a sound and reasonable evaluation of the whole package be more clearly understood. In other words, read your Bible, and keep reading your Bible – again and again. Only in thoroughly knowing its contents can you weed out the error that so many fall into.



Lord God, help us to not be swayed by false teachings. Rather, give us wisdom as we read Your word so that we will be grounded enough to weed out such falsities. May it be so to Your glory. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:17

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022






Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:17


In the previous verse, Luke carefully noted that the Holy Spirit had not fallen on any who had believed in Jesus. Rather, it said, “They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” With that understood, it next says, “Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”



The verbs in both clauses are imperfect. It more precisely reads, “Then they were laying hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.” This is important because it leaves the number of believers in the area unrecorded, but it gives the sense of a large number. As the apostles laid their hands on each person, that person would then receive the Holy Spirit. With this in mind, the clauses can be evaluated, beginning with, “Then they were laying hands on them.”



It is the apostles, after having come down from Jerusalem, who “were praying for them” (verse 8:15), meaning the people of Samaria. As they did, they then “were laying hands on them.” How completely different than anything seen yet! It is a recorded account of what happened, and yet something entirely different was needed for the process to be complete.



No explanation is given, and yet, it is clear that this was deemed necessary by God for us to learn something concerning both the book of Acts in general, and of His workings within the church as well as He reveals His intent for it. With this act of the apostles noted, it next says, “and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.”



There is a process that is being followed and a result that is occurring. Each person who has the hands of the apostles laid upon him only then receives the Holy Spirit. One must ask, “Is this normative?” The answer should be obvious. If it is, then it would have been required for everyone since Acts 2. Further, it would continue to be needed throughout Acts. But in Acts 10, it will say, “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word” (Acts 10:44).



One must read the whole account to see the process that occurs there, but it is clear that what is happening now in Acts 8 cannot be normative. And more, it is almost wholly ignored by churches that hold to various accounts in Acts in a prescriptive manner. However, for those churches that do claim hands must be laid upon a person in order for him to receive the Spirit, various problems arise, such as:



It ignores the other accounts where this process is not followed.

It assumes that the person laying the hands on another has apostolic authority, which he does not.

It leads to a convoluted theology that does not match what the prescriptive epistles clearly state.

In Acts 10, a more thorough evaluation of the various differences between the accounts will be made. At that time, these things will be considered and the purpose for them will be explained.



Life application: What has been the common denominator so far in the various accounts recorded in Acts, including in the manner of baptisms that have occurred? Consider this as you read and continue to explore the book. We are being given insights into the redemptive scenario as it continues throughout history.



As for the account in Acts 8, one can see the importance of properly translating verbs from the Greek. A few varying translations of Acts 8:17 say –



Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. (KJV)

Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. (NASB)

Then Peter and John laid their hands on them [one by one], and they received the Holy Spirit. (Amplified Bible)

Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, and they received the Holy Spirit. (NET Bible)

then were they laying hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. (YLT)

Then they were laying hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. (CG)



As you can see, some introduce words (italics) to provide clarity of the subject. The Amplified Bible gives a fuller explanation of the process. Instead of directly translating what is happening, the explanation gives the mind time to consider what is being said. The NET Bible inserts the word “Samaritans” in order to remind the reader exactly who is the object of the action. Young’s (YLT) translates the first imperfect verb as it actually should be, and then it translates the second imperfect verb as a perfect verb. The final translation most closely follows the Greek, but it includes the italicized word “the” before “Holy Spirit” as is needed in the translation.



The words are mostly understandable from any of the translations. The italicized words may help with clarity if they are rightly inserted. The explanatory insertions can be useful for a reader who is new to the passage or who just needs help understanding it. But in accurately translating the verbs in the imperfect as they are in the Greek, the sense of motion and continuance is more fully appreciated.



Don’t be afraid to read various translations of Scripture, and don’t be captivated by just one as well. Most translations truly want people to understand the word in order for God to be glorified, but not all do. There are hidden agendas behind some translations, so get the advice of trusted sources in order to ensure your study is both productive and glorifying of God.



What a gift Your word is, O God! Thank You for it and thank You that we can have a more intimate relationship with You as we search it out, consider it, and apply it to our walk before You. Praises to You for revealing Yourself to us in this Superior Word! Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:18

Thursday, June 23rd, 2022




And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, Acts 8:18




It was noted that as Peter and John laid their hands on those of Samaria the people then received the Holy Spirit. Luke now continues with, “And when Simon saw.”



There was obviously a visual effect that came about when the Holy Spirit was given. This would have been a necessary confirmation to the apostles that the Samaritans had actually been accepted by God. In other words, this visual event was as much for them as it was for the people. Otherwise, it could later be claimed that God never accepted them, nor does he accept anyone except the Jews who had an obvious audible and visual reception of the Spirit in Acts 2.



But with Luke’s record of the events of Acts, it definitively points to the fact that those in Samaria had received the Spirit and were equally accepted by God. With that, Luke continues by noting that Simon saw “that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands.”



It was through the physical contact with the hands of Peter and John that the event being described takes place. As noted, these people had already believed, and they had Philip there with them, but no such event took place. Now that Peter and John are present and physically in contact with the people, a visual and/or audible event occurs proving that “the Holy Spirit was given.”



This is not unlike Acts 19 where the following account will take place –



“And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’

So they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’

3 And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’

So they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’

4 Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’

5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.” Acts 19:1-7



At the laying of hands by Paul, these men received the Holy Spirit. Unlike now in Acts 8, the specific proofs of the Spirit are noted, which are speaking in tongues and prophesying. That is probably what occurred with these Samaritans, but it remains unstated.



Whatever transpired, it was sufficient proof to Peter and John that the matter was settled. There were the necessary “two or three witnesses” to establish the matter, and therefore the matter is established. The written words of Luke confirm that it is so. Seeing this, however, it says that when Simon saw what occurred, “he offered them money.”



Simon was in the business of amazing the people through magic. It may have been simple tricks to fool them or actual black arts. Either way, his source of livelihood was now gone because he had believed in something greater. With that now the case, and with seeing the demonstrable proof that what Peter and John had taught was true, he probably thought, “If I can do this, I can continue my livelihood by doing this with others by obtaining this ability.”



The coming verses will show the utterly perverse nature of this. With this in mind, it is something that scholars jump on and immediately start claiming that he isn’t saved, and his actions have proven this. On the contrary, verse 8:13 clearly and unambiguously tells us that he believed the gospel. This is what saves, not making stupid errors concerning life in Christ after being saved. If such were the case, not a person who was ever saved would continue to be saved.



The account says that the Holy Spirit was given at the laying on of hands by the apostles. We have no idea if that included Simon or not. He may have seen this in others, or it may have occurred to him personally. All that is given is the record of his belief and then of what now transpires.



Life application: Are speaking in tongues and prophesying proof today that someone has received the Holy Spirit? The answer must be, “No.” People in other religions and in false sects of Christianity also speak in “tongues,” as well as “prophesy.” As such, these things do not prove anything. So why were these things given to those in the early church in Acts?



The answer is not so much to confirm to the people that they had been accepted by God, but to confirm to the apostles that they had. In the case of Paul’s laying on of hands as noted in Acts 19, that was an additional confirmation that not only had these people been accepted, but that it was after belief in Jesus’ fulfillment of what John’s baptism had only anticipated.



Repentance from sin imputed under the law cannot save anyone since the coming of Christ. Jews do that all the time, and not one of them is saved without coming to Christ. Only faith in Jesus’ fulfillment of the law through His death, burial, and resurrection can bring about salvation.



As this is true, and as the reception of the Spirit was proof of the work of Jesus for the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah (Acts 2), for the apostles that the Samaritans had been accepted by God (Acts 8), and for the apostles to know that the Gentiles are accepted by God (Acts 10), then such outward signs are no longer needed. The record of them has been established.



As for the account in Acts 19, it is a clear record for all today that repentance under the law is not enough to be saved. It is a clear sign to the Judaizers and Hebrew Roots Movement adherents that they are following the wrong path. One must place his faith in Christ to be saved. When that happens, he is saved. The historical descriptions found in Acts confirm these things once and for all time.



Lord God, how grateful we are that the book of Acts reveals to us the truth concerning Your acceptance of those who have believed the gospel. We can now read the epistles that instruct us in proper doctrine and know that we too are accepted by faith alone in the completed work of Christ. The record is given, and we live by faith in the word we have been given. Amen!

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 8:19

Friday, June 24th, 2022




saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Acts 8:19

The previous verse revealed Simon’s misunderstanding about the nature of what occurs when one comes to Christ. In seeing the apostles laying their hands on the believers, the believers then received the Holy Spirit. In seeing this, he then offered the apostles money, “saying, ‘Give me this power also.’”



Having never seen such a display of authority, Simon is certainly astonished at what has happened. Whatever visual or audible demonstrations of the Spirit occurred, Simon probably saw it as an opportunity to make a new direction in his livelihood. This is obviously due to an error in thinking, and it is not something that can be condoned in the church. And probably more than for any other reason, this is why the account is included in Acts.



In other words, the recording of the events now is less about the spiritual failing of Simon than it is about the holiness of God and the sanctity of what occurs when a believer is saved. Today, the Holy Spirit is given upon belief, not when an apostle lays his hands on another person. First, this is true because there are no longer any apostles of Jesus Christ. And, secondly, it is true because this is what is recorded in the epistles –



“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13, 14



The giving of the Spirit is solely of God without any intermediaries, and it occurs immediately upon belief. Acts merely notes what occurred in the establishment of the church. With this understood, Luke next records, “that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Simon is looking for the same authority as that of the apostles. As he assumes that it is an authority based on an earthly system of gaining some type of advantage, he offers them an earthly means of obtaining such things.



His thinking is in error and Peter will sharply correct him for this.



Life application: Assuming that Simon is not saved because he has misunderstood the doctrines of the Spirit is as inept in thinking as it is to assume that Peter (aka Simon Peter) is not saved because he failed in upholding the doctrine of freedom from the law in Christ. He completely mismanaged this as is recorded in Galatians 2, and he was just as upbraided by Paul as Simon will be by Peter now in Acts.



As noted above, Acts is recording events in order to teach us truths and to explain how the early church was established. How unfortunate that even today countless people claim they have the ability to transfer the Spirit to others! They make irrational claims about needing visual or audible proofs before a person can be said to possess the Spirit. Entire denominations make such erroneous claims, and seminaries demand that students speak in nonsensical “tongues” as a demonstration of the indwelling of the Spirit.



These things are comparable to Simon’s actions as are recorded right in Acts 8. There is no biblical authority for these things, and yet they are openly taught. Whether we are considering Simon from Acts, or the incorrect doctrines of charismatic churches, the same correction of thinking is necessary. As will be seen, Simon will ask that his thinking and heart be corrected. We should hope for the same from these aberrant teachings today.



Lord God, help us to have a right understanding of Your word, and help us to apply it rightly to our lives. May we be faithful in our attitude towards You when we know what is right and proper, putting away what is false. May we be vessels prepared to serve You rightly and in holiness. Amen.