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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Dec 22, 2022 2:40:21 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:10
Wednesday, December 21st, 2022
and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? Acts 13:10
In the previous verse, Paul was preparing to speak to Elymas, looking intently at him. With that, it next says, “and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud.”
Paul lays into Elymas with heavy words of accusation. Using the word “full” to begin the description is the same way we speak even today. It implies that there is no room for anything except that which a person is full of. In this case, it is first “all deceit.” The word signifies bait. In other words, Elymas used bait to hook his prey and thus deceive. Because of the use of this word, it means that Elymas wasn’t just one who deceives. But more, he is one who intentionally does so. Accompanying that, Paul adds in “all fraud.”
This is a word found only here in Scripture, rhadiourgia. The original sense was “ease in doing.” Therefore, it signifies recklessness because the person is always ready to turn and act, whether it is good or bad. In this case, it is in a highly negative way. Fraudulent intention defined his actions at all times. Because of this, Paul – under inspiration of the Spirit – calls out “you son of the devil.”
There is no article before “devil” in the original. Hence, he is the son of a devil. Remembering that Elymas is also known as Bar-Jesus, it is an ironic pun. Bar-Jesus means “Son of Salvation,” and yet the Spirit, through Paul, makes a complete and ironic contrast to that saying he is the son of a devil. The word diabolos [devil] is defined by HELPS Word Studies as “literally someone who ‘casts through,’ i.e., making charges that bring down (destroy).” Elymas brings destruction instead of salvation. And more, Paul speaks, saying, “you enemy of all righteousness.”
The words are based on the previous descriptions. As Elymas is “full of all deceit and all fraud,” then he can be filled with nothing else. As he is a “son of the devil,” then that is how his character is defined. In other words, in Hebrew thought, the term “son of” defines the nature of a person. In 2 Samuel 12:5, David uses the term, “son of death” to describe someone who has done a despicable thing –
“And the anger of David burneth against the man exceedingly, and he saith unto Nathan, ‘Jehovah liveth, surely a son of death is the man who is doing this” (YLT).
Likewise, Jesus called Judas a “son of perdition” in John 17:12 –
“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”
Using the term “son of” in these cases defines the very nature of the person. Saying that Elymas is a “son of the devil” defines his nature. Today, we would use the term “spawn of a devil,” or “spawn of Satan” to convey the same intent. Or, more specifically, we would say, “Like father, like son.” Because of his completely unholy character, Paul next says, “will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?”
It is an obvious reference to Isaiah 40 –
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’” Isaiah 40:3-5
John proclaimed the coming Messiah and the straight ways of the Lord. Jesus came and revealed that straight path, but Elymas – by his word – caused those who would seek the Lord’s straight ways to turn from them, as the word diastrephó implies. It signifies to twist or turn thoroughly.
Life application: Remembering that Luke specifically said that Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit, this tells us that the words of Paul were carefully guided by the Spirit. Every one of them was given to describe the object of them (meaning Elymas) adequately and fully.
Today, we have the inspired word of God fully expressed to us in the pages of the Bible. In other words, what is recorded there can be described just as Paul was described – “filled with the Holy Spirit.” As this is so, every word in Scripture is given to tell us exactly what God wants us to see and to know in the areas it refers to. If we want to know what an unrighteous person is like, all we need to do is go to Scripture. If we want to know how the Bible anticipates the coming Messiah, Scripture will tell us.
If you want to know if you are pleasing to God or not, you will find out by going to Scripture. In examining it, we can find out if we are pleasing to God in the matter of salvation. Have we trusted the gospel alone, through faith? If so, then we have pleased God for salvation. From there, we can find out if we are pleasing to God in our salvation. Are we living according to what the epistles tell us in that regard? If so, then we will receive rewards. If not, then we will suffer loss, but we will not lose our salvation (1 Corinthians 3:15).
The Bible is God’s word to us. Let us consider it at all times and apply it to our walk before the Lord all our days.
O, Glorious God, You have breathed out Your word in a way that we can know exactly what to do so that we may be pleasing to You. Give us the wisdom to learn it and live by it all our days. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Dec 23, 2022 1:37:42 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:11
Thursday, December 22nd, 2022
“And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Acts 13:11
Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, had just verbally come against Elymas. Now, to confirm that his words were those led by the Spirit, he will utter a divine punishment against him. That begins with, “And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you.”
The meaning is “the chastisement of the Lord.” Saying “The hand of the Lord” is a device known as anthropomorphism. It is ascribing human traits to the divine working of God. In this case, the word epi, or upon, is used. But the meaning of its use is derived from the context. In this case, it means that the Lord is as a foe to him. The word is used in this manner, for example, in Matthew 10:21 –
“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.”
This thought is expressed in the Old Testament where the hand of the Lord is upon a person for strengthening and power (such as Ezekiel 1:3), or it is against him indicating disaster is upon him (such as in Psalm 81:14). In the case of Elymas, the obvious meaning is that the Lord’s hand was set as a foe against him. And so, he will now be punished. That is indicated in the next words, “and you shall be blind.”
As noted before, the Holy Spirit is speaking through Paul, and the punishment He determines is the same as that which came upon Paul when he was made blind for three days (Acts 9:9). So complete was Elymas’ blindness to be that it next says, “not seeing the sun.”
One can see a similarity to what occurred with Paul. It says in verse 9:3 that light shone around him from heaven. In verse 22:6, it notes that this great light came about noon. The meaning is that the light from heaven was more radiant than the sun itself. In this, the Lord alerted Paul to the error of his ways, blinding him.
Now, the same punishment has come upon Elymas, even if the manner in which it occurred is different. Paul simply spoke out the word to Elymas, but when he did, his words indicate that what occurs is a corrective punishment. This is seen in the continued proclamation, saying, “for a time.”
The meaning and intent of this is that the Lord, even in His judgment, has granted mercy. The punishment will not be permanent, and it is – like that of Paul’s blindness – intended to give Elymas the opportunity to view his conduct in a different manner and in hopes of him changing his mind about the life he has been leading. With that understood, it next says, “And immediately a dark mist fell on him.”
Rather, it is two separate nouns and more correctly reads, “and fell upon him mist and darkness.” The word translated as “mist” is achlus. It signifies a dimness of sight, as if a cataract. It is found in the writings of various classical poets and authors. At times, it is used metaphorically of a mist of the mind. Exactly what came upon Elymas is uncertain, but its effect was total, and it was also immediate, as it says, “and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.”
These words reveal the suddenness and the scope of what occurred. Elymas had sought “to turn the proconsul away from the faith” (13:8). He acted as a guide on the path, leading Sergius Paulus in the direction he determined, but which was contrary to the straight ways of the Lord. Now, God had frustrated his efforts, causing him to be blind and unable to even direct himself. The contrast is stark and ironic.
Life application: Within the Bible itself certain claims about it are made in various ways and at various times. One of the most memorable is from Psalm 119:105 –
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.”
The sense is that our lives are like a journey. The way we go and the path we are on is confusing and dark. We cannot truly know if we are taking the right way or not without a guide. Parents teach their children, and the children learn from them. Schools educate young minds and form those minds in various ways. But the Bible alone can light up our path of life to reveal where we should place our spiritual feet. The path becomes knowable because of the words of Scripture.
Elymas did not follow the word of the Lord and his walk in life was confused, even if he thought he was walking properly. When the Holy Spirit spoke through Paul, the physical blindness that came upon him was simply a reflection of the spiritual blindness in which he existed. The punishment of the Lord was intended to show him this and bring him to the right path.
Nothing is stated as to whether Elymas came to the truth or not, but he was given the opportunity to hear the word and see its effective power spoken forth by Paul. And we too have such an opportunity. We can see the lives changed by the power of the word. Alcoholics become sober. Brawlers become gentle, kind souls. Adulterers find new love and faithfulness in their marriages.
These things testify to the power of the word. Let us consider it and cherish it all our days. It truly is the light and the lamp that we need to know the proper place where each step we make should be.
Glorious God, we thank You for Your word. It illuminates our path, and it leads us on our trek back to You. May we hold it close in our lives, thinking about it and applying it to our walk every moment. To Your glory, may it be so. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Dec 24, 2022 0:40:14 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:12
Friday, December 23rd, 2022
Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Acts 13:12
In the previous verse, a dark mist fell on Elymas and he wasn’t able to lead himself any longer. Now, it will explain the reaction to what occurred. The structure of the NKJV deviates too much from the structure of the Greek. It should more rightly read, “Then the proconsul having seen what had been done, did believe, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord” (CG).
Therefore, we begin with, “Then the proconsul.” This is Sergius Paulus, introduced in verse 13:7. He has been described as an intelligent man. Despite that, he had been led astray into the false doctrine of Elymas. Now that Elymas has been overwhelmed by the power of God, Sergious Paulus’ intelligence can be properly directed. And so, the narrative continues with, “having seen what had been done.”
It is obvious that the differences in opinion about the proper ways of the Lord were argued right in the presence of Sergius Paulus. Hence, the blinding of Elymas demonstrated an immediate eyewitness event to the fact that Elymas was not at all what he claimed to be and that his doctrine was false.
Further, it was verifiable proof that the power of God was to be found in the message of the gospel. As such, Sergius Paulus “did believe.”
The verb is a perfect participle meaning: 1) it is a completed action and 2) its results continue to the present. His faith in the gospel had been settled and he was added to the faith, once and for all time. And this was in conjunction with his “being astonished.”
He had seen the verifiable proof of Paul’s words with his own eyes, and his heart was overwhelmed by it. The word translated as “astonished” is ekpléssó. It is a word signifying to strike out of one’s senses. There is a sense of fear mixed with amazement in the word where one will gape in astonishment. And this astonishment was “at the teaching of the Lord.”
Ellicott notes that the use of the genitive case “is, probably, that of the object, the teaching which had the Lord, i.e., the Lord Jesus, as its main theme.” In other words, Paul was doing his job and he was teaching about the Lord Jesus, meaning the gospel. An obvious exclamation to that would be, “Duh, what else would he be doing!” This is what he was called to do.
Of this account, the Pulpit Commentary says, “We cannot, perhaps, conclude positively from this that Sergius was baptized and became an avowed Christian, though the usual language of the Acts rather leads us to infer it.” From there, they proceed to cite scholars who adamantly argue why he was not converted and cite some that take the opposing view.
The argument is ridiculous. First, it is rather certain, based on the renaming of Saul to Paul at this time, that the name change is based on the events now recorded. He was Saul and from this point on he is Paul. But more, to argue against the conversion of Sergius Paulus is to argue against the words of Paul in his epistles –
First, Paul’s citing of the gospel: “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
Next, he says what happens when that is believed: “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.”
Luke records that Sergius Paulus believed. He records it in the perfect tense. And this was “at the teaching of the Lord,” meaning the teaching about the Lord. To argue against the salvation of this man is as ridiculous as using beach sand as an additive to a bowl of ice cream. The purpose of the account is to demonstrate that the gospel was presented, it was presented with power, and the one hearing and seeing believed and was saved.
Life application: Sergius Paulus was given a visual demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit in silencing the opposition of Elymas. This should no longer be expected within the church. The reason for this is obvious. The word concerning what occurred has been recorded. Luke sufficiently explains how the early gospel was communicated and about the signs that accompanied it through the hands of the apostles.
Now that the apostolic age has ended, and with the completion of Scripture, there is no longer a need for such demonstrations of power. As Paul says elsewhere –
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” Romans 1:16, 17
The word of God carries the power of what it records because it is a true, literal, and accurate account of what it details. It calls for faith in what it proclaims. Having sight, such as seeing what happened to Elymas, does not require faith. Jesus’ words to Thomas show this –
“Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” John 20:29
With Scripture’s completion, we are asked to believe what it proclaims. The Spirit has inspired accounts of Jesus’ miracles as well as the miracles of the apostles. What more do we need? Nothing. What more should we expect? Nothing.
Have faith and believe.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your precious word. Help us to be reliable in reading it, reliable in attending Bible studies that explain it, and reliable in attending church that glorifies You through the proclaiming of it. What we do reveals where our priorities lie. May our priorities be centered on Your word first and foremost because Your word tells us of Jesus! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Dec 24, 2022 21:08:58 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:13
Saturday, December 24th, 2022
Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. Acts 13:13
The NKJV is not in accord with the Greek. Instead, the BLB translation will be used –
“And those around Paul, having sailed from Paphos, came to Perga of Pamphylia. But John, having departed from them, returned to Jerusalem.”
The last verse indicated that the proconsul believed the word concerning Jesus. He was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. With that matter now complete, the narrative continues, saying, “And those around Paul.”
This is a new way of referring to those on the missionary journey. Saying “around” is a way of designating a person as the main figure in the narrative. Until now, Barnabas has been mentioned first. Now, Paul begins to take the lead role. Barnabas will be mentioned first again twice in chapter 14, but the overall focus of the events will now be on Paul’s ministry before the Lord. Hence, Luke places Paul first here. As such, the narrative continues with, “having sailed from Paphos.”
This is the location where Sergius Paulus was, as noted in verse 13:6. Having crossed the entire island of Cyprus, they departed from this final city and “came to Perga of Pamphylia.”
This is an area north and a bit west of Paphos on the mainland. Today, it is the area of Antalya, Turkey. Albert Barnes describes the location –
“Pamphylia was a province of Asia Minor, lying over against Cyprus, having Cilicia east, Lycia west, Pisidia north, and the Mediterranean south. Perga was the metropolis of Pamphylia, and was situated, not on the seacoast, but on the river Cestus, at some distance from its mouth. There was on a mountain near it a celebrated temple of Diana.”
There is no record of evangelism in Perga at this time, but they will preach there in chapter 14. For now, and with no reason being given, it next says, “But John, having departed from them, returned to Jerusalem.”
This departure was unexpected and, to Paul, inexcusable. That can be inferred from Acts 15 –
“Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.” Acts 15:37, 38
As such, it is not as if John had received news of a death and needed to return home. Rather, something caused him to no longer want to be with the company as it traveled. It could be that he missed home, it could be that the pace the others kept up was too much for him, etc.
Looking at the surrounding text, the only things that may provide a clue are:
1) The conversion of Sergius Paulus, a Gentile. John may not have liked this. Adding credence to that would be the changing of Paul’s name from Saul. John is also called Mark and many others had names that accommodated the people of the nations, but Paul’s name was taken directly from his encounter with a Gentile.
2) Paul has taken the central role in the events, at least according to Luke’s record.
If only these events from the text are considered, it would be enough to assume that either John did not like the prospect of evangelizing Gentiles, or he was jealous that Paul had now taken the lead in the party over his own cousin. For one of these reasons, or for some reason that is not elsewhere hinted at, he forsook the company and returned to Jerusalem.
Life application: It is believed that John (Mark) is the same person Paul will later refer to in 1 Timothy 4:11, where he says, “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.” If this is the same person, it shows that there was eventually a reconciliation between the two.
If, as speculated, John didn’t like the thought of evangelizing Gentiles, he eventually outgrew that. Even if this was not the reason for his departure, it is still a truth that the Jewish believers had to accept. The message of salvation was not limited to them. The scriptural promises of Israel being the head of the nations probably seemed more confusing than ever. How would that come about if the Gentiles were evangelized?
Change can be a difficult thing. It is something that we will often fight against or run away from. But time eventually discloses that despite our protestations, what we initially want may not be what is going to come about. With that understanding, we can then yield to the events and begin to accept them and even participate in them.
Wars decide new borders. Elections decide changes in government. Economic changes determine what companies will flourish and which will flop. We have to accommodate ourselves to these types of things and learn to become productive parts of them. If we don’t, we will simply be harming ourselves. Such events come to pass and there is no point in having a pity party when they do. Change is a part of life that we must accept. And as long as we do so while honoring the Lord with our lives, we will be living responsibly in those new environments.
Heavenly Father, we are often overwhelmed with change and find it hard to process. This is especially so when our lives are negatively affected. Give us wisdom and maturity to accept things that occur, and help us to be productive and prosperous in our new surroundings. Yes, be with us Lord God as we cling to You through such times. Amen.
Acts 13:12
Charlie Garrett Acts, Acts (written), Daily Writing, Writings
Friday, December 23rd, 2022
Sergio believed.
Friday, 23 December 2022
Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Acts 13:12
Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).
You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).
In the previous verse, a dark mist fell on Elymas and he wasn’t able to lead himself any longer. Now, it will explain the reaction to what occurred. The structure of the NKJV deviates too much from the structure of the Greek. It should more rightly read, “Then the proconsul having seen what had been done, did believe, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord” (CG).
Therefore, we begin with, “Then the proconsul.” This is Sergius Paulus, introduced in verse 13:7. He has been described as an intelligent man. Despite that, he had been led astray into the false doctrine of Elymas. Now that Elymas has been overwhelmed by the power of God, Sergious Paulus’ intelligence can be properly directed. And so, the narrative continues with, “having seen what had been done.”
It is obvious that the differences in opinion about the proper ways of the Lord were argued right in the presence of Sergius Paulus. Hence, the blinding of Elymas demonstrated an immediate eyewitness event to the fact that Elymas was not at all what he claimed to be and that his doctrine was false.
Further, it was verifiable proof that the power of God was to be found in the message of the gospel. As such, Sergius Paulus “did believe.”
The verb is a perfect participle meaning: 1) it is a completed action and 2) its results continue to the present. His faith in the gospel had been settled and he was added to the faith, once and for all time. And this was in conjunction with his “being astonished.”
He had seen the verifiable proof of Paul’s words with his own eyes, and his heart was overwhelmed by it. The word translated as “astonished” is ekpléssó. It is a word signifying to strike out of one’s senses. There is a sense of fear mixed with amazement in the word where one will gape in astonishment. And this astonishment was “at the teaching of the Lord.”
Ellicott notes that the use of the genitive case “is, probably, that of the object, the teaching which had the Lord, i.e., the Lord Jesus, as its main theme.” In other words, Paul was doing his job and he was teaching about the Lord Jesus, meaning the gospel. An obvious exclamation to that would be, “Duh, what else would he be doing!” This is what he was called to do.
Of this account, the Pulpit Commentary says, “We cannot, perhaps, conclude positively from this that Sergius was baptized and became an avowed Christian, though the usual language of the Acts rather leads us to infer it.” From there, they proceed to cite scholars who adamantly argue why he was not converted and cite some that take the opposing view.
The argument is ridiculous. First, it is rather certain, based on the renaming of Saul to Paul at this time, that the name change is based on the events now recorded. He was Saul and from this point on he is Paul. But more, to argue against the conversion of Sergius Paulus is to argue against the words of Paul in his epistles –
First, Paul’s citing of the gospel: “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
Next, he says what happens when that is believed: “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.”
Luke records that Sergius Paulus believed. He records it in the perfect tense. And this was “at the teaching of the Lord,” meaning the teaching about the Lord. To argue against the salvation of this man is as ridiculous as using beach sand as an additive to a bowl of ice cream. The purpose of the account is to demonstrate that the gospel was presented, it was presented with power, and the one hearing and seeing believed and was saved.
Life application: Sergius Paulus was given a visual demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit in silencing the opposition of Elymas. This should no longer be expected within the church. The reason for this is obvious. The word concerning what occurred has been recorded. Luke sufficiently explains how the early gospel was communicated and about the signs that accompanied it through the hands of the apostles.
Now that the apostolic age has ended, and with the completion of Scripture, there is no longer a need for such demonstrations of power. As Paul says elsewhere –
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” Romans 1:16, 17
The word of God carries the power of what it records because it is a true, literal, and accurate account of what it details. It calls for faith in what it proclaims. Having sight, such as seeing what happened to Elymas, does not require faith. Jesus’ words to Thomas show this –
“Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” John 20:29
With Scripture’s completion, we are asked to believe what it proclaims. The Spirit has inspired accounts of Jesus’ miracles as well as the miracles of the apostles. What more do we need? Nothing. What more should we expect? Nothing.
Have faith and believe.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your precious word. Help us to be reliable in reading it, reliable in attending Bible studies that explain it, and reliable in attending church that glorifies You through the proclaiming of it. What we do reveals where our priorities lie. May our priorities be centered on Your word first and foremost because Your word tells us of Jesus! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Dec 26, 2022 0:59:55 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 13:14
Sunday, December 25th, 2022
But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. Acts 13:14
The previous verse spoke of Paul and those with him going to Perga. At that time John departed from them. Now, it continues, saying, “But when they departed from Perga.”
More literally, it reads, “And they, having passed through from Perga.” In other words, it is speaking of the area that is traversed between Perga and the next location. They left Perga, traveled through the land and “they came to Antioch in Pisidia.” Rather, it should read Antioch of Pisidia. Albert Barnes explains the place and the reason, saying –
“Pisidia was a province of Asia Minor, and was situated north of Pamphylia. Antioch was not in Pisidia, but within the limits of Phrygia; but it belonged to Pisidia, and was called Antioch of Pisidia to distinguish it from Antioch in Syria – Pliny, Nat. Hist., 5, 27; Strabo, 12, p. 577 (Kuinoel; Robinson’s Calmet). The city was built by Seleucus, the founder of the Antioch in Syria, and was called after the name of his father, Antiochus. He is said to have built 16 cities of that name (“Life and Epistles of Paul,” vol. 1, p. 122).”
This area was inland to the north of Pamphylia and Antioch lay at the very northern end of it. Of this area, Cambridge makes an interesting comment –
“Dean Howson (Life and Epistles of St Paul, i. 175) suggests that it was perhaps in this journey that St Paul and his companion were exposed to those ‘perils of robbers’ of which he speaks 2 Corinthians 11:26. Pisidia was a mountainous district rising gradually towards the north, and the quotations given by Dr Howson from Xenophon and Strabo shew that there was a great deal of brigand-like life there even in these times, from which Paul and his company may have been in danger.”
Once they arrived in Antioch, it next notes, “and went into the synagogue.” Again, an aorist participle is used, “and having gone into the synagogue.” Each step is detailed methodically by Luke to give the sense of the journey’s motion for the reader to join in. Once in Antioch and having gone into the synagogue, it next records that it was “on the Sabbath day.”
The words in Greek more precisely state, “on the day of the Sabbaths.” This is what Paul refers to in Colossians 2 when arguing against observing Sabbath days and other things fulfilled through the work of Christ –
“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Colossians 2:16, 17
It is a way of designating the day as the Sabbath as a recurring Feast of the Lord (see Leviticus 23:2). Now, having arrived at the synagogue and entered it on this feast day, it says they “sat down.” Like going into a church, the people would go in, sit and await the word from the leader of the synagogue or whoever was designated to begin conducting the Sabbath affairs.
Life application: As noted above, Paul clearly argues against the observance of sabbaths in Colossians 2. The entire passage there refers to the work of Christ ending the Law of Moses. The words hinge especially on verse 2:14 when speaking of the abolishment of the law –
“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13, 14
The words “having wiped out the requirements” is speaking of the Law of Moses. To wipe out something indicates its removal, like chalk on a chalkboard. To take something out of the way means it was an obstruction that has now been removed. And the metaphor “having nailed it to the cross” specifically speaks of the death of Jesus Christ, the embodiment of the law. In His death, the law is abolished (see also Ephesians 2:15).
The reason for this detail is that people will argue that the word “sabbaths” in Colossians 2:16 is not referring to the weekly Sabbath. This is entirely incorrect. It is, as noted in the commentary above, the plural term used to speak of the fifty-two weekly Sabbaths. The same plural terminology is found in the Old Testament concerning the weekly Sabbath over 100 times.
Exodus 31:31 for example, while speaking of the weekly Sabbaths, refers to them in the plural. The Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ. Hebrews 4:3 says that we rest in Him now. Therefore, a Christian is to not let anyone judge him for not observing a Sabbath Day.
As a point of doctrine: There is no such thing as a Sunday Sabbath. The Sabbath is a Saturday, and only a Saturday. Christian tradition eventually started to claim that worshiping on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) had replaced the Saturday Sabbath. The claim is that this day of worship was now the “Sunday Sabbath.” This is incorrect. There is one Sabbath, and it is a Saturday. It is fulfilled in Christ. He is our Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:3).As such, don’t allow anyone to pull a fast one on you and steal the prize from you. Rest in Christ, trust in Christ, and stay away from law observance, including the Sabbath day observance.
Lord God, help us to accept Your word as it teaches us its progressively revealed truths. We are free from the law, we are free from the bondage it imposes on us, and we are at liberty in Christ who has accomplished all things for us. Now, help us to be obedient to faithfully follow You through the New Covenant that came at such a high cost. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Dec 27, 2022 1:34:41 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:15
Monday, December 26th, 2022
And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” Acts 13:15
In the previous verse, Paul and those with him had gone into the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia on the Sabbath day and sat down. Now the narrative continues, saying, “And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets.”
Of these words, Ellicott brilliantly brings the narrative to life, not only explaining the meaning of the words before us but of the words of the coming verses –
“After the reading of the law and the prophets.—The order of the Sabbath lessons was fixed as by a kind of calendar, the Law—i.e., the Pentateuch—being divided into fifty-three or fifty-four paraschioth, or sections. These, probably, came into use soon after the return from Babylon. To these were afterwards added special lessons, known technically as the Haphtaroth, from the prophets. We are enabled, by two curious coincidences, to fix, with very little uncertainty, the precise Sabbath on which the mission-work at Antioch opened. The opening words of St. Paul refer to Deuteronomy 1:31 (see Note on Acts 13:18) and this was the lesson for the forty-fourth Sabbath in the year, which fell in July or August; the corresponding second lesson from the prophets being Isaiah 1:1-27, from which he also quotes. He starts, as was natural, from what the people had just been listening to, as the text of his discourse.”
The reading of the Law and Prophets is still read in this manner. Once it was read, it next says, “the rulers of the synagogue sent to them.”
This is specifically referring to Paul and his associates. It is probable that these rulers had become aware that Paul was a Pharisee, trained in Scripture. Barnabas was a Levite. As such, the rulers would be interested in spoken comments from one of them on what had just been read. Another possibility is noted by Ellicott –
“The elders apparently saw strangers taking the position of teachers, probably in the garb of Rabbis, and it belonged to their office to offer such persons an opportunity of addressing the people.”
Either way, whether through earlier introduction or by their choice of seating within the synagogue, it was alerted to them that they were men skilled in the law. That is indicated in the next words, “saying, ‘Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.’”
The Greek is in the imperative – “Speak!” It is a complete allowance and a firm suggestion for them to feel free to discuss what was read and to give any insights they had. The words of response will begin in the next verse and will continue until verse 41. In his words, Paul will clearly explain the coming of the Messiah, what his mission was, and how that then ties into justification before God apart from the Law of Moses.
Life application: Suppose you were to have one chance to talk to a Jewish believer about Jesus being the Messiah, would you be able to do so? What if you were asked about a particular part of Scripture that he was curious about? Remembering that the Jews who are not believers in Jesus do not hold to the New Testament, could you satisfactorily explain the passage and how it anticipates Him?
It is obviously impossible to ignore the New Testament when explaining how Jesus fits into the Old Testament passage because the New Testament is what explains who Jesus is and the things He did, but there must be a connection to the Old Testament’s relevance concerning Him for the curious Jew to logically put the two together.
But this cannot be done if you are not familiar with the Old Testament. Therefore, be sure to read it and think about it. Ask yourself, “How does this point to Jesus.” Someday, you may be just the person who is able to satisfactorily show a Jew how Jesus is the fulfillment of Scripture. Be ready with a response! Know the Old Testament as well as the New!
Lord God, give us the strong desire to know Your word and to be ready at all times to share it with others. We may not have all the answers, but we can at least be prepared enough to get them headed in the right direction. Give us the desire to know Your word more each day. May we be prepared for such times, O God. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Dec 28, 2022 2:53:35 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:16
Tuesday, December 27th, 2022
Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: Acts 13:16
Note, the NKJV does not give the proper sense of the verbs. Instead, it more precisely reads, “And Paul, having risen, and having motioned with his hand, said, ‘Men, Israelites, and those fearing God, hearken:’” (CG)
In the previous verse, the rulers of the synagogue had read from the Law and Prophets. Once complete, they addressed Paul and his companions asking if they had any exhortation for the people. With that, it now says, “And Paul, having risen.”
Luke, in his customary way of using participles to show the process of movement as it occurred, indicates that Paul is the one to respond to the address of the rulers. In arising, he is assuming the position for providing instruction as requested. With that, Luke continues, saying, “and having motioned with his hand.”
It is the same word used concerning Peter in Acts 12:17, kataseió. It means to shake the hand up and down to attract attention as if signaling. In this case, Paul is alerting the people that he is not simply getting up to stretch or to go out for some fresh air. He is indicating that he is happy to accommodate and bring a word to those in attendance. He motioned with his hand and then “said, ‘Men, Israelites.’”
It is the same opening made by Peter in his first major discourse in Acts 2:22. It has been seen two more times since then. It is a fraternal address between Israelites asking for attention to what will then be said. With that, Paul also says, “and those fearing God.”
These are not proselytes who had been circumcised and reckoned among Israel. Instead, they are known as proselytes of the gate. It expresses those who were interested in the teachings of Israel and had come to respect and fear the God of Israel, giving up on their own pagan ways in part or in whole. To those gathered, Paul next says, “hearken:”
It is the common word akouó, which is easily identified as the etymological root of our word “acoustics.” It signifies to hear. In this case, the verb is imperative. As such, “hearken” gives the proper sense. “I have words to convey, ‘Listen up!’”
Life application: Not all are skilled in oration and speaking in front of a lot of people can be intimidating, but it is not impossible. If you are asked to speak to others and are a bit reticent to do so, a quick prayer under your breath to the Lord asking for His peace is a good place to start. Also, confidence in your knowledge of the subject to be conveyed is a plus.
Therefore, don’t speak beyond what you know. Just stick with the most important points and maintain a light, happy attitude. This can be practiced. Using a mirror is a good way of getting comfortable with speaking.
Even if you are never asked to speak publicly, you still should be ready to convey the gospel to those you encounter. You may be the only person who ever takes the opportunity to do so.
Finally, as one last fallback, you can always hand out tracts. “I have something to share with you and this can convey it better than I can. Please take the time to read it.”
In the end, be prepared to share the gospel in some manner. You may be the one person who can make an eternity-changing moment in a person’s life.
Lord God, may we not be too timid to share the wonderful news of Jesus. Help us in this. Others have taken the time to share it with us, and this has gone on since the beginning of the church. May we be a responsible part of that unbroken line of faithful people who have carried the good news about Jesus to the world. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Dec 28, 2022 23:56:24 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:17
Wednesday, December 28th, 2022
“The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it. Acts 13:17
Paul had just given his opening greetings to those gathered in the synagogue. With that complete, he now begins his discourse on what was read in the law and the prophets, beginning with, “The God of this people Israel.”
Paul immediately identifies his thoughts with the God of Israel. Everything he says will be in accord with that. This is important because when he proclaims Jesus later in verse 23, his words will be in line with what was presented already in Scripture by their God. It would make no sense for Paul to come in and start talking about Krishna. Nor would it make any sense to begin with the God of Israel, but then proclaim Him in a manner that is not in accord with Scripture.
Therefore, Paul begins by acknowledging the God of Israel, and then he will continue speaking about things that are in accord with the Scriptures that testify to their God. This is seen in his next words. The God of Israel “chose our fathers.”
Paul gives a brief summary of the history of the establishment of Israel as a people. This is similar to the approach that Stephen took in Acts 7. As both men were being guided by the Spirit in their utterances, it shows that this is an important way of communicating the gospel to the Jewish people. To take them back in their own history, and to then weave together events that ultimately point to Christ, is a sound method of proving the truth of Jesus as being their Messiah.
In this case, the choosing of the fathers is certainly referring to the call of Abraham, the selection of Isaac over Ishmael as the son of promise, and the continued defining of the line as being through Jacob and not Esau. From there, history continued with Israel sojourning in Egypt.
Any Jew would be intimately familiar with these things, and their minds would fill in all of the unstated blanks as Paul continued. It is next from the time in Egypt that Paul continues, saying,
“and exalted the people.”
Immediately, the mind of his audience would skip to the time of affliction while in Egypt. Joseph died and another ruler came up who treated them harshly and with cruelty. It is during this time that God promised he would attend to their plight and give them the relief He had promised would come. That promise was made centuries earlier at the time of Abraham. This was “when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt.”
The thought of the promise made by the Lord to Abraham would come right into the minds of those hearing Paul speak –
“Then He said to Abram: ‘Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.’” Genesis 15:13, 14
This is the time that Paul is referring to in his words to the people. And at that set time, known already to the Lord, he then exalted the people, “and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it.”
Using anthropomorphism, Paul’s words speak of the power of the Lord. It is as if the arm of the Lord was used to brush aside every obstacle that stood in their way as they were safely brought forth behind them. This was promised before the Exodus by the Lord –
“Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.’” Exodus 6:6
Paul is taking Israel’s own history, a history carefully recorded in their sacred writings, and he is using them to tie their history into what was to come in Christ Jesus.
Life application: Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to follow the same God as that presented in Scripture, using those Scriptures and claiming His name to proclaim their religion. But, as stated above, it makes no sense to claim to follow the God of Israel (Jehovah), but then proclaim Him in a manner that is not in accord with Scripture.
The God of Israel is the One who led the people out of Egypt with an outstretched arm. He did it personally, accomplishing everything necessary to save the people. No other god was with Him in His exalted work –
“So the Lord alone led him,
And there was no foreign god with him.” Deuteronomy 32:12
Acknowledging that their redemption was the work of the Lord alone is seen again and again in Scripture. The same is true with the coming salvation of the people through Christ. The Lord promises that He alone will bring it about –
“I, even I, am the Lord,
And besides Me there is no savior.” Isaiah 44:1
Again, this thought is expressed again and again in Scripture. The Lord alone will accomplish the work. And then, according to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, He creates a being who does all the work for Him. It is both illogical and it is perverse. The incarnation of Jesus Christ is the only possible fulfillment of these types, pictures, patterns, and prophecies.
The Lord God of Israel came in human flesh and accomplished the work for His people. But the only way one can be certain of this and not be led astray by falsity is to check these things out. And the only place where one can do that is in the word.
As this is so, there are two possibilities to getting this right: 1) learn after something is heard, or 2) know what is right before a claim is made. Either way, the place to learn whether a claim is true or not is Scripture.
As this is so, it is best to at least be familiar with the Bible in advance. Then when something complicated comes up, it will be easier to begin a more in-depth study. Hence, you are implored to read your Bible daily, check out claims that are made concerning it, and hold fast to that which is clearly presented by the Lord.
Lord God, thank You that we have access to the word that tells us of You and of Your great workings in human history on our behalf. We can know what is right and what is wrong by simply checking things out. So, Lord, give us wisdom to do just that. Help us to be responsible in our lives in this manner. To Your glory, we pray, Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Dec 30, 2022 0:54:34 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:18
Thursday, December 29th, 2022
“Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness. Acts 13:18
In the preceding verses, Paul was asked to address the synagogue they were visiting. He agreed and immediately began speaking about the history of Israel. In the previous verse he noted their being brought out of Egypt by the Lord. Now, he turns to a sad, but continuously repeated part of their history, that of burdening the Lord, beginning with, “Now for a time of about forty years.”
It is referring to the time in the wilderness when Israel almost constantly complained and rebelled against the Lord. Those forty years cover everything from Exodus 12:37 where they began their departure from Egypt until they were set to cross over the Jordan in Joshua 3:14.
Paul notes this was about forty years. Some events are precisely dated such as the departure from Sinai after spending about a year in that location (Numbers 10:11). Other events are recorded without specific dating, but even then very exacting inferences can be made. The account of this period is carefully and methodically detailed in Scripture. One central theme of the entire period is that “He put up with their ways in the wilderness.”
Here is a word found only once in Scripture, tropophoreó. It signifies enduring or putting up with, and thus to bear their ways. It comes from tropos, signifying a manner or way, and phoreó, signifying “to have a burden, i.e. (by analogy) to wear as clothing or a constant accompaniment — bear, wear” (Strong’s).
Of this word, Ellicott notes, “The Greek word so rendered differs by a single letter only from one which signifies “to nurse, to carry, as a father carries his child.” Many of the better MSS. versions and early writers give the latter reading, and it obviously falls in far better with the conciliatory drift of St. Paul’s teaching than one which implied reproach. The word is found in the Greek of Deuteronomy 1:31 (“bare thee, as a man doth bear his son”), where also some MSS. give the other word, and suggests the inference, already mentioned, that this chapter, as well as Isaiah 1, had been read as one of the lessons for the day.”
Other scholars mention this as well. Barnes says, “It is furthermore not probable that Paul would have commenced a discourse by reminding them of the obstinacy and wickedness of the nation. Such a course would rather tend to exasperate than to conciliate; but by reminding them of the mercies of God to them, and showing them that He had been their protector, he was better fitting them for his main purpose – that of showing them the kindness of the God of their fathers in sending to them a Saviour.”
Rather, this is exactly what Paul is doing. Moses, after almost forty years, noted to the people that they had been borne by the Lord despite their rebellion. He went on in Deuteronomy to carefully detail Israel’s future rejection of the Lord and the punishments they would suffer because of it. Paul is not attempting to conciliate. Nor is he attempting to exasperate. He is simply laying out the facts that Israel, to this day, refuses to acknowledge. He will carefully and methodically follow this line of thought until he concludes.
It is in the use of this word that Paul is reminding them of their constant turning from Moses and from the Lord who chose Moses to lead them. It is a theme he will weave into his words, demonstrating that they have repetitively done the wrong thing in relation to the Lord’s will. As such, he is hinting that they are prone to do the wrong thing now and turn from the offering of the Lord Jesus as their Messiah.
Life application: The history of Israel is a snapshot of our own lives before the Lord. We have strayed from Him, we have done wrong and turned away, and yet the Lord is ever faithful to keep His covenant. Despite being under the curses of the Old Covenant, the Lord has maintained Israel to this day, just as He promised.
While they have been unfaithful, He remains faithful. The theology that says that God is through with Israel and that the church has replaced them is a failed theology because it looks at what is happening from a human perspective. The sense is, “Israel failed, they rejected the Lord, and He has rejected them. They got just what they deserve.” If this was true, it would mean that His word cannot be trusted because He covenanted with them and spoke out promises that would have then failed.
It is from this perverse thinking that one would then say, “Israel was rejected by the Lord, and so we too can lose our salvation.” That puts the onus, the responsibility, and the work on us, not on God who has sent Jesus. If a person can lose his salvation, at any time after being saved, then he was never truly saved. God simply gave them an offer of eternal insecurity and essentially said, “Work hard, maybe you will make it. It is, after all, up to you to do so.”
This is a complete misunderstanding or twisting of numerous points of theology in order to make “self” the central message of salvation. It is a shunning of the full, final, and forever work of Jesus on the cross, and it is to be rejected. When God speaks out salvation, it is an eternal decree. God cannot lie. He has spoken. Israel the nation has been kept for its own day of salvation, and if you have called on Jesus, you have been saved for your day of glorification – despite yourself.
Glorious Heavenly Father, how can we be so perverse as to think that what You offer by grace is up to us to merit once it has been bestowed? Help us to think clearly about what You have done and to consider the eternal nature of what You have decreed. And then, Lord, help us to hold fast to this and rejoice in what You have done, are doing, and will continue to do in our lives. Great are You, O God. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Dec 31, 2022 2:53:18 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:19
Friday, December 30th, 2022
“And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them by allotment. Acts 13:19
The previous verse said that God put up with Israel for about forty years in the wilderness. With that, it next says, “And when He had destroyed seven nations.”
Israel was given the land by God. And more, they were instructed to go in and subdue it, eradicating every breathing soul. The reason for this was clearly stated several times and in several ways. And detailed instructions concerning this task were provided. As for the number of nations in the land, the number and naming of the listed nations vary several times in the biblical record. Paul is making a note of the list as it is recorded in Deuteronomy 7. There, along with the charge to destroy them is given –
“When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, 2 and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. 3 Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. 4 For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly. 5 But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire.” Deuteronomy 7:1-5
Those seven nations were, as Paul next says, “in the land of Canaan.” This is the promised inheritance. It is a promise made at the time of Abraham, and it was repeated to Isaac and then again to Jacob –
To Abraham: “Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’” Genesis 13:7
To Isaac: “Then the Lord appeared to him and said: ‘Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.’” Genesis 26:2, 3
To Jacob: “And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: ‘I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.’” Genesis 28:13
It is this land that was subsequently destroyed, meaning its inhabitants, at the time of Joshua –
“So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war.” Joshua 11:23
After that time, Paul notes that “He distributed their land to them.”
Great detail is provided in the book of Joshua concerning the division of the land. It includes notes about the borders, the names of the cities within those borders, etc. At the end of this land division, it then says –
“These were the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel divided as an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So they made an end of dividing the country.” Joshua 19:51
Finally, Paul notes that this process was “by allotment.” This is a word found only this one time in Scripture, katakléronomeó. It is derived from words signifying “according to” and “assign by lot.” HELPS Word Studies says, “to arrive at (get down to) God’s will, through the prayerful use of lots.”
Some manuscripts have a single letter change in this word which would then signify “he gave as an inheritance.” And it is true that the Lord gave the land as an inheritance to Israel, but this was accomplished through the use of lots. Either way, the land was promised to the fathers, it was again promised to the nation, and they entered and possessed the land. The actual division by lots is noted in Joshua 18:10 –
“Then Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.”
Life application: In Numbers 14, the people rebelled against the word of the Lord and set their hearts back on the land of Egypt. In this, the Lord sent them into exile in the wilderness. He could have simply destroyed them and gone in a new direction, but He had covenanted with them, and He is not like man. He remained faithful while they were faithless.
Eventually, their set time of punishment ended, and they entered the land. That entire process, from Numbers 14 until Joshua 3 was a typological picture of Israel’s rejection of Jesus (the Lord) when He came. The Lord could have destroyed them and gone in a new direction (replacement theology), but He had covenanted with them, and He is not like a man. Again, He remained faithful while they were faithless.
The church is not a new direction. It is the acceptable continuance of God’s direction, based upon the cutting of a New Covenant. That covenant was promised in Jeremiah 31, and it was promised to Israel and Judah. The Gentiles are grafted in by faith, but the covenant parameters were set. As such, replacement theology isn’t just wrong, it is a woefully inept doctrine that fails to understand the nature of God and of His interactions with humanity.
We may not be happy with the Jews for whatever reason is floating around in our minds, and the Lord is certainly not happy with them as they continue to reject His offer of Jesus. But this does not negate His faithfulness to the covenant made with them. Having that set and understood in our minds will keep us on the proper path of what He is doing in this beautifully laid out redemptive plan.
O God, thank You for Your faithfulness to us, even when we are unfaithful to You. If we have come to You through the New Covenant, we are saved. It is “deal done” because You are the One who set forth the parameters. How blessed we are to know that You do not change, and by this, we know that we are saved forever! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 1, 2023 2:01:25 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:20
Saturday, December 31st, 2022 “After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. Acts 13:20 The previous verse referred to the subduing of the land where the seven nations were destroyed and then the division of the land by allotment. Paul’s next words say, “After that.” There is a rather large difficulty in reckoning the number four hundred and fifty found in this verse. For now, an evaluation will be made based on the text of the NKJV. As for the meaning of the words “After that,” it would have to mean, “After the time of warfare to remove the inhabitants and division of the land.” It is after that time that “He gave them judges.” Although Joshua is not called a judge, his role certainly fits that position. Regardless of that, the period of the judges is carefully recorded in the book of Judges, beginning with Othniel and ending in the book of 1 Samuel with Samuel the prophet being the final judge of Israel before the time of the kings. From there, Paul’s words continue with, “for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.” This counting causes difficulty because of what it says in 1 Kings 6:1 – “And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.” The two numbers, that of Paul and that of the record in 1 Kings 6:1, do not seem to match. From the exodus until entry into Canaan was forty years. It took about another seven years to subdue the land. It was at this time the divisions of the land were made. If it was four hundred and fifty years from the land division to the time of Samuel, and then you add on the forty years in the wilderness, the seven years until the land division, the time of Saul’s reign (forty years – Acts 13:21) and the time of David’s reign (forty years – 1 Kings 2:11), and then the building of the temple commencing in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, it is about five hundred and ninety years from the exodus until the time of the building of the temple. Because of the difficulty, some translations make the period inclusive of what Paul has said since verse 17 where it spoke of Abraham. As such, the translations read – “All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.” BSB In other words, the period is not speaking of the time from the division of the land until the time of Samuel, but of the time from Abraham to the time of the judges, which then went from Othniel to Samuel. The problem with that is that Paul does not mention the making of the covenant, just that the fathers were chosen. Also, the time interval would have to begin with Isaac, not Abraham. However, Isaac was never even mentioned by Paul. A seemingly reasonable explanation, which includes the extrabiblical note of the time of Joshua’s rule, comes from Jamieson-Faucet-Brown – “But taking the sense to be as in our version, that it was the period of the judges itself which lasted about four hundred fifty years, this statement also will appear historically correct, if we include in it the interval of subjection to foreign powers which occurred during the period of the judges, and understand it to describe the whole period from the settlement of the tribes in Canaan to the establishment of royalty. Thus, from the Exodus to the building of the temple were five hundred ninety-two years [Josephus, Antiquities, 8.3.1]; deduct forty years in the wilderness; twenty-five years of Joshua’s rule [Josephus, Antiquities, 5.1.29]; forty years of Saul’s reign (Ac 13:2); forty of David’s and the first four years of Solomon’s reign (1Ki 6:1), and there remain, just four hundred forty-three years; or, in round numbers, ‘about four hundred fifty years.’” This would align with Paul’s statement, made in a general manner to his audience. However, it still bears a conflict with the dating of 1 Kings 6:1, unless that date is only speaking of the time when Israel was not under foreign rule. And more, it should be unnecessary to include the writings of Josephus to conclude what Paul is referring to because his words are now included in the Bible. The resolution to the problem comes by taking the timeframe in relation to the expressly stated years of servitude and peace as is recorded in the book of Judges. When this is done, the period is exacting. Those timeframes are listed in verses such as that found in Judges 3:14, which says, “So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.” In a paper published by Floyd Nolen Jones in 2007, he adds up all such periods and they come out to four hundred and fifty years. Life application: Study the Bible enough and you can bet a resolution to difficulties in the Bible will eventually be realized. This is the paper as submitted by Dr. Jones: —————————– 450 or 480 years – Acts 13:20 and 1 Kings 6:1 The most bothersome “contradiction” in Scripture is that of the presumed conflict between the 450 years of Acts 13:20 with the 480 years of 1 Kings 6:1. However, such is a mirage – the two actually have nothing to do with one another. Acts 13:20 concerning the length of the period from the judges until Samuel the prophet is no more than Paul’s affirming of the Hebrew Scriptures. He is merely giving a summary total, without any regard to overlap, of all the years of servitude and peace as recorded in the Book of Judges (as well as Eli’s judgeship, for it says “until Samuel the prophet”), thus: 8+40+18+80+20+40+7+40+3+23+22+18+6+7+10+8+40+20 + 40 for Eli in 1 Sam. 4:18 = exactly 450 As already explained (Chronology, pp. 72-76), each period of oppression was overlapped by the time of peace that followed Israel’s deliverance by a judge. The relevant passages in Acts 13 reads: Acts 13:17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. 18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. 19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot. 20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred & fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. 21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Although these verses are given in the historic chronological order, verse 19 gives neither the length for the span of the war with the Canaanites nor the time required for the distribution of the land among the 12 tribes. Thus, when taken alone, it is of no actual chronological value. Even verse 21, which gives the span of Saul’s reign as 40 years, does not tell us the length of time covering from when Samuel actually became established as a prophet until the people desired a king. Indeed, verse 22 does not give the number of years for the reign of David. From these observations, as well as the context of Acts 13:14-43, it becomes obvious that the main purpose of Acts 13:17-22 is not that of furnishing chronological data. Moreover, the giving of Saul’s reign as being 40 years is probably because it is not recorded in the Old Testament (although it can be determined: see footnote 2, page xiii in my Chronology). This straightforward solution to the conundrum reveals that the 450 years have no chronological significance and has no bearing whatsoever on 1 Kings 6:1. The problem between the two passages never actually existed and was always only a matter of perception – or the lack thereof. Floyd Nolen Jones, Th.D., Ph.D. – 2007 —————————– This information was obtained from: www.floydnolenjonesministries.com/files/130648941.pdfWhen facing difficulties in the Bible, study the Bible more. It is a self-validating treasure of marvel and wonder. Lord God, we can know Your word is true through a careful study of it. Although there are things we may not understand, we can still have faith that those things that are difficult do have a suitable resolution, even if we have not yet found it. Thank You for Your precious word. Help us to contemplate it all our days and to grow in our knowledge of You through it. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 1, 2023 23:52:24 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:21
Sunday, January 1st, 2023
“And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. Acts 13:21
In the previous verse, Paul mentioned the giving of judges to Israel for about four hundred and fifty years. With the time of the judges ending, the time of the kings began. Paul explains that beginning with the words, “And afterward.”
Samuel was the final judge of Israel. Israel was a theocracy with the Lord as their King at this time. The judge was appointed to lead the people under the authority of the Lord. However, Israel desired a change in this arrangement, and so after this time of judges, “they asked for a king.”
To anyone who knew the recorded account of this act, it would be a reminder of the people’s rejection of the Lord. For Paul to bring this up is not a lesson in the right attitude of the people. Rather, it is a reminder of exactly the opposite –
“Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5 and said to him, ‘Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.’
6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’ So Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. 9 Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.’” 1 Samuel 8:4-9
After this, Samuel instructed the people on the additional burdens they would face with a king over them, warning them. And yet, the record says –
“Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, ‘No, but we will have a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.’
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. 22 So the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed their voice, and make them a king.’” 1 Samuel 8:19-22
With that remembered, Paul next says, “so God gave them Saul the son of Kish.” The name Saul means “Asked for.” It is thus a biblical pun. The people asked for a king and the Lord gave them a king as they had asked for. His father was Kish. The name comes from qosh, a snare. Hence, his name means Snaring. This very well may be a pun as well. Israel had ensnared itself in asking for a king.
After Saul’s initial conquests, Samuel called to renew the kingship (1 Samuel 11:14), and so the people were called together at Gilgal. During this coronation, Samuel reminded them of their wickedness in asking for a king. This was acknowledged by the people –
“Now therefore, stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes: 17 Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking a king for yourselves.”
18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.” 1 Samuel 12:16-19
This is what Paul is implicitly reminding those gathered in the synagogue. Though not apparent yet, he will tie all of this in with the people’s rejection of Jesus. For now, he continues this verse with, “a man of the tribe of Benjamin.”
This is to be implicitly understood as a mark of the Lord’s disfavor if for no other reason than that the Messiah was promised to come through Judah, not Benjamin (Genesis 49:10). Benjamin’s blessing by Jacob was that he was a ravenous wolf that devours the prey and divides the spoil. It is not at all unlike the reign of Saul. But more, Benjamin was the smallest tribe, having been almost utterly wiped out by the other tribes for its defense of the horrifying actions of the people of Gibeah as is recorded in Judges 19 and 20. With that, Paul finishes the verse with “for forty years.”
This is not recorded in the Old Testament, although Paul’s stating it means that it was understood to be so. Various chronologies have been provided and explanations have been made to justify Paul’s words. One explanation is that the times of Samuel and Saul have been combined. Hence the words of the previous verse “until Samuel the prophet” mean that the reigns of Samuel and Saul are combined into forty years. Others have developed timelines showing how Saul could have reigned forty years. In the end, Paul has stated a literal time that was accepted within the synagogue as factual.
Life application: The Bible records actual events from Israel’s past to reveal God’s purposes and intent for the time of the New Covenant. The time of the judges was one of constant apostasy and then turning back to the Lord. The people’s asking for a king that would rule over them was to be taken as a rejection of the Lord as well.
And yet, some judges and kings directed the people to the Lord, exalting Him above their own reigns. Others turned from the Lord in varying degrees. Each of these stories is given as a lesson for us to see something about Israel’s need for the Messiah to come and rule. Without knowing what is recorded in the Old Testament, we have a void in our understanding of why we need the Lord as our Head. The proclivities of man necessitate it and the biblical stories of the Old Testament highlight this fact.
Be sure to read the Old Testament as well as the New. In it, you will find the state of man in need of God’s Messiah. In His coming, we see how Jesus fulfills each and every need.
Lord God, thank You for the giving of Your Son so that we can have an eternal Leader who can reveal to us the extent of Your greatness for all ages to come. In Him, we have all of who You are in a form that we can see and understand. Yes, thank You for the sending of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 3, 2023 23:14:08 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:22
Monday, January 2nd, 2023
“And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ Acts 13:22
The previous verse referred to the reign of Saul. With that remembered, it now says, “And when He had removed him.” It refers to Saul who had disobeyed the Lord in two critical matters. The final one cost him the kingship. The account is found in 1 Samuel 15, and it is summed up with these words –
“And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, ‘The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.’” 1 Samuel 15:27-29
From there, Paul continues with, “He raised up for them David as king.” Israel had asked for a king, rejecting the Lord as king over them. Therefore, He gave them what they asked for. In Saul’s disobedience, but still in agreement with the will of the people, the Lord continued a kingship over Israel. But this time, it would be in accord with the prophecy of Jacob that the scepter (the rule of a king) would not depart from Judah until Shiloh came.
Shiloh is an anticipatory appellation for the coming Messiah. In raising up David, this prophecy would come about. The name David means Beloved. Of David, Paul next says, “to whom also He gave testimony,”
The meaning is “about David also the Lord gave testimony.” In other words, the Lord spoke words concerning David that defined his character and the Lord’s attitude toward it. The Lord spoke, “and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse.’”
The words mean that the Lord searched out David, knowing all that his life was and would be. The sum of what could be found in David is what the Lord “found” concerning him. He was the proper choice by which to continue the redemptive narrative. Despite David’s many faults, he was a man of great character in his dealings with the Lord and with those around him.
The name Jesse means My Husband. But it also means Yehovah Exists. As such the name Jesse contains the weighty notion that human marriage reflects divine revelation. In considering these names in the surrounding Old Testament accounts, great hints of God’s workings in relation to the coming Messiah become evident. As for David, the Lord says he is “a man after My own heart.”
Paul takes two Old Testament verses and combines them to give a full description of the character of David. The first concerns what God was looking for in a king when addressing Saul –
“But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 1 Samuel 13:14
The second is a reference to David from the psalms –
“I have found My servant David;
With My holy oil I have anointed him.” Psalm 89:20
Taken together, the two thoughts show that David is what the Lord searched for after first giving what Israel asked for. Because of whom David was, and because that included being a man after the Lord’s own heart, the Lord knew that he was one, as it next says, “who will do all My will.” The sentiment is found in the continued words of Psalm 89. In verse 21, it says, “With whom My hand shall be established.”
In other words, the Lord’s will, His hand, would be realized in the person of David, who would establish that will in all his doings. Unlike Saul who rejected the word of the Lord, when the Lord spoke, David complied. In the times he did not, such as in his adultery with Bathsheba, his heart was convicted, and he returned fully to the Lord. Thus, the will of the Lord was wholly established through David.
Life application: The Lord “found” David in a certain condition, a certain state, before Him. As noted, this means that the Lord looked upon David, from beginning to end, and knew that he was a man whose very character defined what was good and right in his overall attitude and conduct.
The Lord has also “found” you out. He already knows everything about who you are, from beginning to end. However, you do not. This sentiment is expressed by David –
“O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.” Psalm 139:1-6
David understood that the Lord knew everything about him from beginning to end. As he knew this, he directed his life toward the Lord’s ways. Now that you know this is true about you, you can also demonstrate the wisdom of David and direct your ways to the ways of the Lord. What God has “found” in you does not have to simply be who you have been in the past, but who you can be in the future.
In turning to the Lord and living for Him now, what the Lord has “found” already about you is that you are a person who is willing to turn wholly to Him and follow in His ways. If you don’t do this, then that is what the Lord has “found” about you. Contemplate this and understand that you can be “found” by the Lord in a manner that pleases Him from this point on. He already knows what you will do. Do what is right, and in your doing, you will be found a person after His own heart.
Lord God, You already know everything about us. We can only direct the future by our conduct as we express it from moment to moment. May what You know about us be something that shows we are people who live after Your heart from this moment forward and for all our lives. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 3, 2023 23:15:08 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:23
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023
“From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior—Jesus— Acts 13:23
Paul has been speaking about the history of Israel. In the previous verse, he noted the raising up of David because of having removed Saul as king. In his words, he said that God had found David a man after His own heart and a man who would do His will. With that, Paul now continues with, “From this man’s seed.”
The meaning is that a direct descendant of David is who is being referred to. The word “seed” as understood from Scripture indicates a direct connection between one entity and another, just as when a stalk of wheat bears seed. That seed bears the characteristics of the stalk from which it came. It will be none other than a seed of wheat. And more, if it is a particular class of wheat, it will remain in that same class.
Because this Seed is from David, it remains a fixed part of the line of David in nature and in attributes. The Seed being referred to is next said to be “according to the promise.” The inserted word “the” does not belong there. Nor is the word “his” found in many translations. The words should be rendered just as the Greek, “according to promise.” It is not a specific promise, but a succession of promises all related to the same unchanging nature of God.
This Seed was promised in Genesis 3 as the “Seed of the woman.” He was promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David. He was promised through the words of the prophets in a multitude of ways, all of which were in accord with one another. It is this one overall promise that Paul refers to now. With that understood, Paul then explains the fulfillment of this promise. It is that “God raised up for Israel.”
The promise that began in Genesis, and which was the hope of all people who anticipated a return to paradise as indicated there, eventually became the hope of Israel. This was not only as a hope of the people in general, but the hope of its specific fulfillment through them as a people.
Eventually, it became the hope of the house of David, being promised to him personally in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. This promise is also recorded later in the psalms and in the prophets. Paul, speaking to those in the synagogue now, confirms that the promised seed has come, noting that to them God has raised up “a Savior—Jesus.”
His words, however, would cause an immediate conflict in the thinking of these Jews. How could Jesus be the Savior of Israel if Israel isn’t saved? Their minds were attuned to the idea that Jesus would deliver Israel from her enemies, gather them back to the land of Israel, and lead them as the head of the nations. And yet, they were sitting in a synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia some years after Jesus had come.
It won’t be until verse 13:38 that he will exactingly explain what Jesus came to save them from. And then in verse 13:39 he will continue that thought with words that would trouble any Jew unless he understood what their history under the law was intended to reveal. Until he gets there, Paul will continue to explain the proofs that verify Jesus truly is the promised Seed of David.
Life application: Heresies are points of doctrine that destroy the message of salvation by changing the fundamental tenets of what God has revealed in Christ. For example, God has revealed that in the Godhead there are individual “persons” in one essence. Scripture reveals that the Father is God. It reveals that the Son is God. It also reveals that the Holy Spirit is God. And yet, they are not the same “person.” We may not understand the concept, but to deny it as a fundamental tenet of the faith is heresy.
Despite teaching that Jesus (the Son) is God, the Bible also teaches that Jesus is a Man. To deny this would then be heresy. But going further, Jesus is not just a Man who was created by God, directly and immediately in Mary’s womb. Rather, He is a man who descended from Adam. From there He descends from a long genealogy recorded in Luke 3. He also descends from others as is recorded in Scripture. He is the Seed of these people. Lot, for example, is not in the direct genealogy of Jesus as recorded in Luke 3, but he is still an ancestor of Jesus as the pages of Genesis reveal.
Jesus is also said to be the “Seed of David” here in Acts and elsewhere, such as in Romans 1:3 and 2 Timothy 2:8. Because this is so, to deny His humanity is derived from these people is to teach heresy. A person does not need to know these things to be saved. Salvation comes through belief in the gospel. However, if a person is told, in advance, that these things are not true when the “gospel” is proclaimed, he will not be saved. He has believed in a false Jesus.
It is important to be exact when speaking of the nature of Christ. God has carefully and meticulously revealed Him in Scripture. And so, let us carefully and soberly consider what is recorded there.
O God, we stand in awe of what You have done for us. You set forth a plan and You have meticulously brought it about in human history, finally revealing the purpose of that plan when You sent Jesus. We are the recipients of the glory and splendor of what You have done for us. Thank You, O God. You have done it all, and now You ask us to just believe that it is so. And we do! Thank You for the coming of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 5, 2023 0:31:27 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:24
Wednesday, January 4th, 2023
“after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. Acts 13:24
Paul is in the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia. He has been addressing those gathered on the Sabbath, telling them about God’s plan of salvation. In the previous verse, he specifically introduced Jesus as the Savior. He now notes that Jesus’ ministry began “after John had first preached.”
This is referring to John’s preaching which immediately preceded the ministry of Jesus. It was not that John preached before the coming of Jesus at His birth, but before the designated time for His ministry to begin.
The significance of this was that John didn’t preach like the other prophets, as if the Messiah was coming at some unstated point in the future. Rather, his words indicated that the Messiah was right at hand and ready to appear. This was, as Paul continues to note, “before His coming.” The Greek literally reads “before the face of His entrance.”
It is a Hebrew expression indicating an appearance, the face representing the person’s presence. In this, a new word is used, eisodos. It is essentially the opposite of exodus. It indicates an entrance and extends to a means or place of entrance. Because Paul is connecting John’s ministry to that of the coming of the Messiah, he is indicating that the two events are inextricably linked. The herald had come and then the One he proclaimed had immediately followed. As for John, his proclamation was “the baptism of repentance.”
The meaning is that John called the people to repent. In his calling, those who agreed with his proposition were then baptized to outwardly acknowledge the inner change that had taken place. It was a symbolic act of repentance. The word “repent” must be defined to understand what is being said –
“A word compounded of the preposition μετά, after, with; and the verb νοέω, to perceive, and to think, as the result of perceiving or observing. In this compound the preposition combines the two meanings of time and change, which may be denoted by after and different; so that the whole compound means to think differently after. Μετάνοια (repentance) is therefore, primarily, an after-thought, different from the former thought; then, a change of mind which issues in regret and in change of conduct. These latter ideas, however, have been imported into the word by scriptural usage, and do not lie in it etymologically nor by primary usage. Repentance, then, has been rightly defined as ‘Such a virtuous alteration of the mind and purpose as begets a like virtuous change in the life and practice.’ Sorrow is not, as is popularly conceived, the primary nor the prominent notion of the word. Paul distinguishes between sorrow (λύπη) and repentance (μετάνοια), and puts the one as the outcome of the other. ‘Godly sorrow worketh repentance’ (2 Corinthians 7:10).” Vincent’s Word Studies
It was this changing of the mind that John was called to proclaim. The Messiah was soon to appear and there was to be a national preparing for His arrival –
“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’ 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.”’” Matthew 3:1-3
This call for the people to change their minds was “to all the people of Israel.” Jesus came to the people of Israel. His ministry was to the nation of Israel. No Gentiles were a part of the nation. He had come to fulfill the law and then initiate a New Covenant. This covenant was to be “with the House of Israel and with the house of Judah” as stated in Jeremiah 31:31.
As such, what Paul is conveying to those at the synagogue is a restating of the process of preparation for Israel to enter into this New Covenant based on their lives under the Law of Moses. As the Gentiles were never under the law of Moses, what Paul says here does not apply to them. It is simply a restating of the facts as they occurred just as the Messiah was ready to come forth. That was prophesied by the prophet Malachi –
“Remember the Law of Moses, My servant,
Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel,
With the statutes and judgments.
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
6 And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:4-6
Commentaries quite often shove Paul’s words here in Acts 13 into their “Gentile” theology concerning entry into the New Covenant, meaning “how to be saved.” But this is entirely inappropriate. Christ has come. And more, the Law of Moses was never in effect for any Gentile at any time or place in human history. The entrance of Gentiles into the New Covenant was anticipated by Isaiah, and it is something that was only available after the work of Christ was accomplished –
“And now the Lord says,
Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To bring Jacob back to Him,
So that Israel is gathered to Him
(For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord,
And My God shall be My strength),
6 Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:5, 6
Israel had to repent because they were under the law. To be brought out of that state, they needed to be in the right condition for that to occur. Now, with Christ’s work complete, salvation is solely by faith in what He has accomplished.
Life application: Remember the basics of the gospel –
“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
By faith in this message, one is saved. At that time, the Holy Spirit is given as a seal, a guarantee, of that salvation –
“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 process is of God. The work is accomplished by Jesus. Belief in this results in eternal salvation. Nothing can be added to this message without causing damage to its purity.
Glorious God, we stand in awe of what You have done. You have brought us from darkness into the wonderful light of Christ. Thank You for restoring us to Yourself. And thank You for Your word that reveals these things to us. We can have confidence in our walk and hope concerning our future because of what You have provided for us. Hallelujah! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 6, 2023 1:55:33 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:25
Thursday, January 5th, 2023
“And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’ Acts 13:25
The previous verse referred to John’s preaching a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. Paul continues now with, “And as John was finishing his course.”
Paul uses the term dromos or “course” for the first time in Scripture. It signifies a racetrack where runners on foot competed in the Greek games of old. It will only be seen again in Acts 20:24 and 2 Timothy 4:7, both of which give us the same sense as he now uses –
“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:6, 7
Paul equated the ministry of John the Baptist to such a course and noted that as he was coming to the end of it, “he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not He.’”
Paul again uses a new word, huponoeó. Literally, it signifies “to think under” and thus privately. As such, it means to suppose or conjecture. The people were thinking privately about who John might be. He was aware of it and asked them to consider what he would reveal. As for what Paul has said, his words of the previous verse and this one now follow the narrative of Luke 3 closely. In the previous verse, it mentioned the preaching of repentance to Israel. That was seen in Luke 3:3. It continued with instruction after that. Then, it next says –
“Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not.” Luke 3:15
The question was proffered. From there, John’s denial of being the Messiah is not explicitly spoken in the same manner that Paul speaks to those in the synagogue. Rather it is implied in John’s response to the people’s question which Paul states as, “But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.”
Rather, the word is “sandal” in the singular. John is saying that he was unworthy to undo even a single sandal on the feet of the Messiah, much less both of them. This follows Luke’s narrative –
“Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.’” Luke 3:15-17
Untying the feet of one’s master would have been the most menial of all tasks. As today, it would be considered degrading to be told to remove the shoes of someone as he sat and relaxed. John, however, knew that even such a lowly assignment was above his right to perform. It is a surprising statement when considering Jesus’ words to the people –
“But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written:
‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” Luke 7:26-28
John was highlighted by Jesus in this manner and yet he knew his unworthy state before the Lord. It makes the rest of the narrative of Israel’s interactions with Jesus all the more relevant and striking. Their rejection of John was like their rejection of all the prophets who came before him. Their rejection of Jesus, of whom all those prophets spoke, was intolerable and inexcusable.
Life application: In considering our position in relation to Jesus, there is a dichotomy that needs to be considered. He has given His life for us and there is a bond of closeness that arises from that where we can speak to Him now in the most intimate way. He is nearer to us than any blood relative and He should be dearer to us than our own spouse or children.
And yet, we must also consider the absolute magnificence, splendor, and holiness of the Lord as well. We stand before the perfection of God when we stand before the Lord Jesus. He is our Creator, Sustainer, and continued life. Our conduct before Him should be that of reverential fear and always conducting our lives in a circumspect manner.
Even if those who are “least in the kingdom of God” are greater than John the Baptist, we are no more worthy than he was to untie the strap of one of His sandals. Let us remember this and share our lives and intimate thoughts with Him as our nearest and truest love, and yet let us honor Him with the due respect that is owed to our God. All glory to Jesus, our All in all.
Glorious Lord Jesus, we stand in awe of You. We were created by You, we exist because You allow it to be so, and yet You came to die for us so that we could be reconciled to God through You. How great You are. How magnificent, splendid, and beautiful! Glory to You in the highest, Lord Jesus. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 7, 2023 1:38:23 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:26
Friday, January 6th, 2023
“Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. Acts 13:26
Paul had just spoken of John the Baptist’s denial of being the Messiah, instead pointing the people of Israel to the One who was coming after him. Paul now proclaims that this One has come. His words begin with, “Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham,”
The words are surprisingly widely translated, dividing the three designations into two or three categories. Literally, the words read, “Men, brothers, sons of the stock of Abraham.” This is probably how Paul intended. He is speaking to the men of the synagogue. He refers to them next as brothers. And then, he notes their lineage being traced back to Abraham as a particular point of note because of what he will say in verse 13:32 concerning the promise made to the fathers, a promise that first came to Abraham.
He is carefully defining them so that they pay heed to the details of what he will say. The importance of heeding or not heeding will make all the difference in their eternal future. Therefore, he speaks precisely so that they will be without excuse in their decision concerning the matter presented. Next, he adds another category, saying, “and those among you who fear God.”
An important question arises here: Is this another descriptor of those he just addressed or is it a separate category altogether? In other words, is this a way of saying, “You sons of Abraham who fear God,” or is it “and anyone who is not a son of Abraham but who fears God” as in verse 13:16? Notice the difference between the two verses:
13:16 – and those fearing God
13:26 – and those among you fearing God
The reason this is important is that these are words of warning to his people as much as they are words heralding the good news concerning Jesus. The two are actually inseparable. To reject the good news will lead to being handed the results of that rejection.
The confusion continues with the next words to some degree. They say, “to you the word of this salvation has been sent.” In this, the words are directed to whoever is hearing, be it Jew or Gentile. However, some manuscripts say, “to us.”
In this, it may or may not change the meaning. It still could mean that God’s salvation has been sent to both Jew and Gentile, but it also may be that he is saying that God’s salvation was sent to the literal descendants of Abraham who fear God as opposed to Abraham’s literal descendants and those Gentiles who fear God as well.
In Acts 10:2, the same term is used when referring to Cornelius. He was a man “that feared God.” Because of this, it is hard to be dogmatic, but even if it extends to proselytes of the gate who are in attendance, the result will ultimately remain unchanged. If those proselytes were to reject the message of Paul and continue with observance of Moses, they would – henceforth – be separated from what God is doing in Christ.
This is to be seen quite clearly in verses 13:38 & 39 –
“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
Whether Paul’s words include the proselytes of the gate, or whether they are solely directed to the Jews at this point, an absolute distinction is made between “everyone who believes” and “the law of Moses.” To follow the law will mean that you are not included in everyone who believes. That then means no justification and thus eternal separation from God. This is because, as Paul says in Galatians –
“…knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” Galatians 2:16
&
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’ 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but ‘the man who does them shall live by them.’” Galatians 3:10-12
Life application: Faith in Jesus Christ saves. Nothing else will do.
Heavenly Father, help us to be people of faith, trusting in the merits of Jesus Christ alone for our salvation. And then, Lord, help us to be faithful people, working out our salvation in righteousness and holiness all our days. May our walk be in accord with the honor bestowed upon us when we first believed. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 8, 2023 0:38:17 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:27
Saturday, January 7th, 2023
“For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. Acts 13:27
Paul just mentioned that the word of salvation had been sent to his people, the sons of the family of Abraham, and to those among them who feared God. Now Paul explains the purpose of the mission going forth, beginning with, “For those who dwell in Jerusalem.”
Paul brings the attention of the matter back to where it began. Jerusalem was the seat of power in Israel. It was where the temple was, where the high priest ministered, where the oracles of God and the genealogical records were maintained, and so on. It is the focal point of God’s dealing with the people, even if events in Jesus’ ministry occurred elsewhere in the land. Paul next says, “and their rulers.”
The rulers of the land determine its direction. This is a precept found both implicitly and explicitly throughout Scripture. All people are individually responsible for their actions, but the rulers of a land direct how the land, meaning the nation of the land, will be determined in the eyes of the Lord. In the case of Jerusalem, being the seat of power, what occurred there was because of what the rulers determined. In the case of their Messiah, Paul continues, saying, “because they did not know Him.”
This does not mean:
1) That they didn’t know who Jesus was as an individual. The gospels are replete with the rulers’ interactions with Him. There was certainly not a ruler in Jerusalem who didn’t know who He was.
2) That the rulers didn’t know His claim to be the Messiah. He told them, but they didn’t listen (John 10:25). Many of the people either proclaimed Him the Christ or learned through interacting with Him that He was the Christ.
3) That there wasn’t sufficient evidence that He was the Christ. He had performed many miracles, fulfilled ancient prophecies, and walked in sinless perfection before them.
In saying that the rulers did not know Him, it means that they willingly failed to recognize Him for who He truly is. He even said this explicitly in John 10:40, saying, “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” And more, Paul demonstrates that they were wholly without excuse in this, saying, “nor even the voices of the Prophets.”
Being the stewards of the oracles of God, they had direct access to every prophecy ever recorded in their Scriptures. These were both exacting and readily available to them. In fact, when Herod wanted to know where the Christ would be born, this is exactly what He did –
“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 So they said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.”’” Matthew 2:3-6
As such, these rulers of Jerusalem were completely without excuse. Again, Jesus told them this explicitly in John 5 –
“Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.” John 5:45, 46
And again, not only did Israel have the voice of the prophets, but he notes that these were the prophets “which are read every Sabbath.” Rather, the verb is a present participle. They “are being read every Sabbath.” The process continues even to this day.
It wasn’t as if the oracles of God were sequestered away and taken out only when a person claimed to be the Messiah, at which time the sages poured over the Scriptures hoping to remember what they said and where to find out the needed details to confirm or disprove a claim. Rather, they were read every Sabbath in synagogues throughout the land and even throughout the dispersion, as evidenced by Paul’s commenting on a Sabbath day reading now in the synagogue in Pisidia of Antioch.
With this marked stain upon those in Jerusalem who had personally seen, interacted with, and rejected their Messiah, Paul next says that they “have fulfilled them in condemning Him.” This is the height of irony. The very people who had the oracles of God before them, and who had interacted with the living fulfillment of those oracles, rejected Him and condemned Him. Paul says that they were so blind to their own Scriptures that they could not even see what was plainly before them.
Life application: The point of Paul’s words is that those in the synagogue were about to be on a sort of trial, just like those in Jerusalem. They were Jews, they had the oracles of God laid out before them, and they had eyewitness testimony of who Jesus is and what He did while among the people. And more, the oracles before them in the synagogue not only told of the things that transpired up until the time of Jesus’ rejection and crucifixion, but they also even told of those things.
In other words, when Paul finishes, they would be just as responsible for their acceptance or rejection of Jesus as were the leaders of Israel who were in Jerusalem. And that same type of trial continues to this day.
The word of God contains the same message today that it did two thousand years ago. We have the exact same witness and testimony that those in the synagogue in Pisidia of Antioch had because we have Luke’s record of it. We also have the rest of the New Testament which is now written and on permanent record before us.
And yet, despite it being read in churches all over the world, many are just as blinded to what it says as the Jews in the synagogue Paul is speaking to. They open up the word, read what it says, and say something ridiculous like, “Jesus is not God.” Or they might say, “Jesus is loving and love wins, we will ordain a homosexual to be a leader over us.”
The very oracles that tell us what God expects of us are ignored, manipulated, or dismissed as archaic writings with no bearing on how we should conduct our affairs before God now. Those with such attitudes will receive their just condemnation. Let us hold the word close to our lives, live in accord with its precepts, and be willing to never waffle in our convictions concerning what it proclaims. God has spoken. Let us consider this soberly.
Lord God, help us to accept Your word for exactly what it is, Your unchanging, infallible, and complete revelation to us concerning the redemption of mankind. May we never trifle with it. Instead, help us to hold it in the highest reverence while we walk in Your presence. It is our light and our guide to return us to You. Thank You for Your precious word. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 9, 2023 2:04:30 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:28
Sunday, January 8th, 2023
“And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. Acts 13:28
The previous verse contained Paul’s continuing words concerning Jesus, noting that those in Jerusalem and their rulers fulfilled Scripture in condemning Jesus. With that, Paul continues, saying, “And though they found no cause for death in Him.”
The verb is an aorist participle, and the word “though” is not in the Greek. The words are more closely rendered, “And having found no cause of death.” Jesus was put on trial in a manner that was in violation of the Law of Moses as well as the later codes of the Jewish people. In fact, it has been noted that as many as eighteen violations of law occurred during His trial. Despite even having false witnesses presented, there was nothing found in Him that was worthy of condemning Him. Even a charge that He committed blasphemy was completely subjective and could not in any way align with the Law of Moses’ statutes and judgments.
Further, this charge of blasphemy could not stand the scrutiny of Pilate. Therefore, they went to him with a different charge, pitting Jesus against the Roman authority and claiming His actions were seditious, something the gospel records completely refute. Despite all of this, Paul simply states that “they asked Pilate that He should be put to death.”
Jesus was a threat to the leadership of Israel. It was quite apparent that He was approved of God, and they knew He was who He claimed to be. This is not explicitly stated in the gospels, but it is perfectly evident at every turn of a page. They, however, were not looking to cede their power, status, and authority to anyone. Also, they did everything in their power to frustrate Jesus’ work every step of the way.
Eventually, Jesus became such a threat to their positions within the nation that they illegally set about to have Him done away with. In this, they had no authority to put Him to death and so they appealed to Pilate to do so. Despite Pilate not desiring to be a part of the matter, the rulers of Israel manipulated him to the point that he conceded to allow the execution of Jesus.
Of the words of this verse, Charles Ellicott does a magnificent job of tying the entire scenario of what Paul says together with references from the gospels –
“And though they found no cause of death in him.—Technically, the Sanhedrin had condemned our Lord on the charge of blasphemy (Matthew 26:66), but they had been unable to prove the charge by any adequate evidence (Matthew 26:60), and finally condemned him by extorting words from His own lips. When they came before Pilate they shrank at first from urging that accusation, and contented themselves with stating in general terms that they had condemned Him as a malefactor (John 18:30); though afterwards, as if seeking to terrify the wavering governor, they added that by their law He ought to die because He made Himself the Son of God (John 19:7), and that by making Himself a king He spake against the emperor (John 19:12).”
Life application: Despite all that occurred in the illegal trial of Jesus, the death of Jesus was preordained by God. And more, John confirms that even the high priest of Israel prophesied of this fact –
And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.” John 11:49-52
The death of Jesus was necessary for the people of the world to be reconciled to God. However, this does not in any way mitigate the crimes committed by the Jewish leaders. They were responsible for their actions which were contrary to the law of God, despite the overall matter being in accord with the will of God.
This should give us comfort when we see wrongs committed against Christians, or even if they are committed against us because we are Christians. God’s ultimate purposes are being met, even through our trials, whether the events are contrary to God’s law or not.
As an example, a missionary may be martyred for his faith by a bunch of Hindus. This is against the law of God and those Hindus will be punished for what they have done if they fail to come to Christ. However, many may see the death of this missionary and convert to Christianity, maybe even one of the perpetrators. The expansion of God’s kingdom has occurred, and His ultimate will for this to come about has been met, even though the details were contrary to His law.
This is what happened with Joseph when he was sold by his brothers to Egypt, and it is something that occurs elsewhere in the Bible. God takes the wrongdoings of man, and He turns them into wonderful things that ultimately bring Him great glory. So, when evil comes upon you or others, trust that God is in control, and He is working out something far greater than any of us could ever imagine.
Lord God, how grateful we are to know that You are in total control of all things. We need not worry one iota about what lies ahead because we know that through good or bad or life or death, our salvation and eternal destiny are set because of what Jesus has done for us. Thank You, O God, for Your kind hand upon our eternal destiny. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 10, 2023 2:57:35 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:29
Monday, January 9th, 2023
“Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. Acts 13:29
In the previous verse, Paul noted that the rulers of Israel asked Pilate to have Jesus put to death, even though they found no cause for death in Him. Paul now continues with, “Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him.”
This is an all-encompassing statement of what occurred. It includes Christ’s rejection by the rulers, His being apprehended, tried, beaten, handed over to Pilate, scourged, offered gall, crucified, mocked, given sour wine, and so on. The Jewish Scriptures are filled with hints of these things. And even though some of them were written about the trials or afflictions of others, such as David, they bear a dual fulfillment in anticipation of Christ Jesus.
Of the words “all that was written,” Bengel rightly says, “They could do no more (nothing beyond what was written). In Jesus all things that were written were fulfilled.” All that was done to Jesus is just what was prophesied about Him. Without leaving anything out, and without their adding anything not recorded, what happened to Christ Jesus is the exacting fulfillment of what was written beforehand. After that, Paul says, “they took Him down from the tree.”
This was approved by Pilate once it was confirmed that Jesus was dead. The body was taken down by Joseph of Arimathea (Mark 15:46). Nicodemus joined him (John 19:39) and together they prepared the body for burial according to the custom of the Jews. After this, Paul says, “and laid Him in a tomb.”
This was also accomplished by Joseph and Nicodemus –
“Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.” John 19:41, 42
Even these actions were prophesied in advance. These things, recorded in the four gospels, exactly fulfill a vast array of prophecies found in Scripture. Paul carefully detailed all of this to ensure that those who heard it would be fully aware of things they may not have heard before. From there, it would be their responsibility to check out what was said. If they simply dismissed his words, or if they were just too lazy to determine if what he said was true, the responsibility for their failure would rest solely with them.
Life application: There are many who dismiss the things written about Jesus as fables, but it is beyond credulity to think that the Scriptures that were maintained and built upon for well over a thousand years were somehow not speaking of what the gospels later detail. Everything was written precisely and with the minutest detail to let Israel, and now us, know that Jesus Christ is the exacting fulfillment of everything that was written.
Each person is expected to check these things out. In accepting the word is what it claims to be, we should then be prepared to defend it and explain what we have learned. There are many who will simply refuse to believe. There are also people who have been told the stories aren’t true, but who are curious to check them out anyway. It might be you who they come to who will start that process, so be ready! Let us share all we can about this wonderful story concerning what God has done in the sending of Jesus to bring us back to Himself.
Thank You, Lord God, for the precision of Your word. It is so carefully structured and meticulously detailed that we have every assurance that Jesus is truly the Christ. And through tears of joy in our confidence of this fact, help us to share the good news with others as well. Jesus! Jesus has come! Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 11, 2023 0:44:41 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:30
Tuesday, January 10th, 2023
But God raised Him from the dead. Acts 13:30
Paul has been speaking on the Sabbath to the Jews in the synagogue of Antioch of Pisidia. He just spoke of the fulfillment of all that was written concerning Jesus, at which time they “took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.” But that is not the end of Paul’s speech. Rather, those words lead to his next thought, the greatest words ever spoken, saying, “But God raised Him from the dead.”
Paul first and foremost proclaims this because of what it signifies about Jesus Christ. The wages of sin is death. Though this is stated by Paul in Romans, it is not something foreign to the Hebrew scriptures. It is implied in the Lord’s words to Adam at the very beginning –
“Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16, 17
God could have just not put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden. Or He could have allowed the man to eat of it. If there was something inherently wrong with the fruit of the tree that would negatively affect the man, He could have changed either the fruit or the man to make it acceptable to eat.
But these things were not the issue at all. The issue was obedience to the Lord’s command. In other words, the issue was the giving of law. God gave Adam a command. In violating that command, death would result. If the law had not been given, nothing would have happened to the man. The same is true with any other tree. God could have made a list of the trees man could eat and which ones he could not eat.
Acceptable:
Durian
Pomegranate
Apple
Fig (but only June 6th through August 27th)
Unacceptable:
Cherry
Star Fruit
Fig (from August 28th to June 5th)
Jack Fruit
Violating the law, not the nature of the fruit itself, is what brings death. In eating the fruit, which is contrary to the law, the disobedient act calls for the set punishment to be rendered. Jesus was under the Law of Moses, the Lord’s set standard for Israel. In that law, a provision is made for absolute obedience to bring life. That is found in Leviticus 18 –
“You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 18:5
It is said by various scholars that Leviticus 11:44 contains the central theme of the book of Leviticus, “…you shall be holy; for I am holy.” This is an acceptable postulation. With that in mind, Leviticus 18:5 certainly contains the main logical reason for it.
It is such an important verse, that it is what is revealed in the thought of Genesis 2 & 3, and it is substantially repeated several times in both the Old and New Testaments. In Genesis 2, as noted above, the Lord gave a command which promised death if disobeyed. The implication then is that life would result through obedience.
In Genesis 3, because of man’s disobedience to the Lord’s law, access to the tree of life, by which man could live forever, was denied. Death entered the world. In Leviticus 18:5, a promise is made that through obedience to the Law of Moses the man shall live. Many pass this off as meaning “live happily,” have a “higher life,” possess “true life,” etc. This is not at all what is being relayed here. It is a promise that if a man keeps the requirements of the law, he will live and not die. On the flip side, if one does not keep the requirements of the law, he will die and not live.
The Lord dwelt among Israel. Access to Him was restricted because of the sin-nature of man, but also because of the law itself. However, in fulfillment of the law, access would naturally be granted once again. It could not be otherwise. The law is given to give life. If life is promised, then it must be granted.
If one doesn’t die, then he continues to live. If he lives forever, then he has eternal life. This is the implication of the words, and it is solidified by the using of a definite article in front of the word “man.” The text actually doesn’t say “if a man does.” It says, “if the man does.” This verse anticipates Christ. He is the Man who, in fact, did keep the ordinances and judgments of the Lord. Thus, God raised Him from the dead. He now possesses eternal life.
This is because in His fulfillment of the law, the law was made obsolete. It was annulled and set aside. As the law is done away with, there is nothing to ever bring about death again.
This is exactly explained in the book of Romans and elsewhere in the New Testament as well. Christ fulfilled the law, and thus the law is fulfilled. In Him, life is granted. If you are looking for access to restored paradise, and to the Tree of Life, you need to look no further than Jesus Christ. He is “The Man who did.”
Nehemiah 9:29 refers to Leviticus 18:5 after the people’s return from the punishment of exile. Ezekiel 20 repeats it three times showing that failure to keep the Lord’s law is what resulted in that punishment. Paul then cites the same verse twice, in Romans 10:5 and in Galatians 3:12, to show that Christ, who fulfilled the Law of Moses, is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes in Him. It is faith in His completion of this law that grants eternal life. He did the work; we must do the believing.
The second point that Paul is making in his words to the synagogue is the contrast between Israel’s rulers and God. Paul just said in verse 13:27 that “those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, … did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets.” Now, in verse 13:30, Paul says that “God raised Him from the dead.”
The contrast is clear. The stewards of the law did not know their Messiah, but God knew Him. And more, those stewards of the law obviously did not know the law, but Jesus did. And, in turn, they then did not know the Giver of that law, but Jesus did. This is all to be understood from Paul’s words to those at the synagogue, and thus to us who are reading the recorded words.
Life application: It is violating God’s law that brings about death. And the more law that is given, the more burdensome the weight is. Take the example above concerning the list of fruit. That is but a few of the fruits in the world. Suppose the list included every fruit on the planet and it was equally long in what was acceptable and what was unacceptable. Any slip-up would be a violation of the law.
Now suppose that the restrictions for the fig – about certain times of the year making the fruit acceptable or unacceptable – applied to every fruit. And more, each fruit had a different set of days that were ok or that were forbidden. Imagine the weight of the law! And now, let us add in a set time of the day when each fruit cannot be eaten. The burden increases with each law added. This is what Paul is telling the people in Galatians 3:19. The law “was added because of transgressions.” Later, he says that “the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ” (Galatians 3:24).
If all men fell in Adam because of one law, imagine the burden of meeting God’s perfect standard! Now consider the magnitude of what the words “But God raised Him from the dead” mean! Jesus! God’s grace is found in the giving of Jesus for our sins. He prevailed over the huge burden of the law. Why would any person on this planet want to go back under the Law of Moses where only death, condemnation, and eternal separation from God are found? Let us consider carefully where we will hang our hats. Let us come to God through Jesus Christ our Lord because God raised HIM from the dead!
Lord God, thank You for the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! Hallelujah and Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 11, 2023 22:07:43 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:31
Wednesday, January 11th, 2023
“He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. Acts 13:31
The previous verse contained the most wonderful words ever recorded. Paul had told those in the synagogue, “But God raised Him from the dead.” Wonderful words of victory, indeed! Now, he continues with what occurred after that, saying, “He was seen for many days.”
Paul bears conviction in his words. Even though he did not personally share in the events he now conveys to those in the synagogue, he had seen the risen Lord and knew that what he had been told by those who saw Jesus after the resurrection was true. The “many days” Paul refers to is explicitly stated by Luke as he opened the book of Acts –
“The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:1-3
Paul next states who those were who were blessed to share in these post-resurrection events, saying that it was “those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem.”
Paul’s words focus on the apostles. It is true that the women saw Him immediately after the resurrection and many others did as well. In fact, Paul expands on these events in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 –
“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, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.”
As these things are stated as a fact in 1 Corinthians, one might wonder why Paul focuses on “those who came up with Him from Galilee.” The answer is found in this same paragraph –
“Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. 27 For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. 28 And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. 29 Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.”
The events that occurred in the rejection and crucifixion were led by those in Jerusalem and by the rulers of the nation. But they were the stewards of the law. As they chose to reject the One who had fulfilled their law and enacted a New Covenant, Christ revealed Himself after the resurrection to those who had been appointed to administer this New Covenant. It is the same theme found throughout Scripture: Law vs. Grace.
Jerusalem, emblematic of the law, was now to be replaced by a new form of worship –
“The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.’
21 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 4:19-24
This new form of worship was to enter not merely as being at a physical location (meaning at a temple in Jerusalem), and yet it was to include a kingdom, nonetheless. In Luke 22, Jesus participated in the Passover. There it notes that His twelve apostles were with Him (Luke 22:14). Later in the chapter, it says –
“But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Luke 22:28-30
It is these (minus Judas who hung himself) that Paul focuses on in his words to those in the synagogue. The apostles had a message to convey. As for the audience now, they were of Israel, and they had a choice to make, just as those in Jerusalem and their rules had. It is these apostles who were appointed to herald this New Covenant, and “who are His witnesses to the people.”
Someone had to tell what Christ Jesus had done. Those in Jerusalem rejected Him, but those who continued with Him in His trials did not. They would be the ones to judge Israel. As for the direction Paul and those with him were set to take, that will be referred to later in this chapter, specifically in verse 13:47.
Life application: There is no contradiction in the idea of those who come to Jesus, who worship in spirit and truth, while at the same time there is a kingdom that will be judged by the twelve apostles that will also be set up. The nation of Israel is not the entirety of what God is doing. The New Covenant allows for the inclusion of Gentiles, but the nation of Israel still has messianic prophecies that are to be fulfilled in the millennium.
As such, there is one New Covenant that is based upon a single gospel. How God structures things within that New Covenant is entirely different than what existed under the Law of Moses. Just because Israel will be at the head of the nations someday, that has no bearing on how the gospel is now received. Any who come to Christ, Jew or Gentile, must do so through faith in what He has done, as is revealed in the gospel mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15 above. As Paul says in that same chapter while speaking of Peter and the others, “Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed” (1 Corinthians 15:11).
Hear the gospel! Accept what it says through faith! Believe and be saved! Call on Jesus today!
Glorious Heavenly Father, how good it is that You have opened the door for the whole world to be saved through the work of Jesus Christ. Those who were never under law are brought into the commonwealth of Israel. And those of Israel who believe are brought out from under the law. All are saved by Your grace through faith in the finished, final, and forever work of Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank You for the gospel, O God! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 12, 2023 23:42:15 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:32
Thursday, January 12th, 2023
“And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. Acts 13:32
Paul just referred to the fact that Jesus was seen for many days after His resurrection and that the apostles have become His witnesses to the people. With that, he now continues, saying, “And we declare to you glad tidings.”
The words literally mean, “And we preached to you the gospel” as was seen, for example, in Acts 14:21 and elsewhere. The gospel is the good news, and it is “that promise which was made to the fathers.”
Of these words, Barnes says, “The promise here refers to all that had been spoken in the Old Testament respecting the advent, sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ.”
This is certainly not merely speaking of the “fathers” as noted in verse 13:17 which includes those to the time of the captivity in Egypt. Rather, it is inclusive of any of the faithful line of people who anticipated the Messiah and from whom the people of Israel descended. This is certain, for two main reasons. The first is that Paul will speak of the deity of Christ, the incorruptibility of Jesus, the resurrection of the Lord, the forgiveness of sins, etc.
These things may have been hinted at simply because of how the Lord structured both the recorded history of the world in His word as well as how He structured the rites and rituals found in the Levitical portion of the law, but to clearly demonstrate them, Paul will cite David in the Psalms, Isaiah, Habakkuk, etc.
What was promised in veiled terms to Adam, Noah, Abraham, and so forth became more and more specific through the later prophetic utterances. Eventually, the word carried so much specificity in it that when Jesus came, it should have been evident to Israel that He was what those prophecies were pointing to – He and none other. This is now what Paul proclaims to those in the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia.
Life application: It is true that the Bible says so many things that anyone can make up almost anything from its pages and create a false religion or doctrine from it. That has happened from the very beginning (see the book of Galatians, for example, to see this even in Paul’s time), and it continues to this day.
Many false religions began in recent history that are based on a manipulation of Scripture. Even within the very recent past, this is so. David Koresh used Scripture to identify himself as “the Lamb of God” spoken of in Revelation. The problem with this rests on the fact that those who followed such people 1) do not know Scripture well enough to avoid such falsity, and 2) remain unwilling to check out what Scripture says to determine if what they are being told aligns with what the Bible proclaims.
Be sure to know the Bible well enough to avoid being drawn into such traps when they come before you. But more, be sure to tell others to do this as well. Continuously speak of the importance of knowing Scripture personally. One’s knowledge of the word is what will keep a person on the straight path concerning what God has done, is doing, and will do for His people. God is telling us the story of Jesus Christ. Let us not get diverted from that basic and all-important point.
O God, thank You for Your word. It is there to keep us from the traps and snares set before us and to lead us to the true and right understanding of who Jesus is. Give us both the wisdom and the desire to hold it closely, read it daily, and to contemplate its riches always. Thank You, O God, for this precious and sacred word. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 14, 2023 1:47:58 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:33 Friday, January 13th, 2023
“God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.’ Acts 13:33
Paul just proclaimed to those at the synagogue, “And we declare to you glad tidings.” He then went on to say, “that promise which was made to the fathers.” With that, he now explains his words, saying, “God has fulfilled this.”
The word he uses is found only here in Scripture, ekpléroó. It means more than just fulfilled, but that it is completely fulfilled in every detail. In other words, God made promises that were to be realized in the coming of the Messiah. In the sending of Jesus, they are not just fulfilled here or there, but entirely. He is the fulfillment of every messianic expectation that God had laid before His people. Understanding this, Paul continues with, “for us their children.”
The Greek is very precise and emphatic. It reads, “to the children of them, to us.” Some manuscripts say, “to our children.” As such, it seems that one of the scribes attempted to align Paul’s words with those of Peter when he spoke to those in Jerusalem –
“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.”
Of this change, Cambridge rightly says, “…this weakens the language greatly, for what the audience whom St Paul addressed would desire was a fulfilment for themselves. Their children would inherit what they received, but a promise to be fulfilled to their children would not move them so much as one of which they were to be sharers themselves.”
The focus is on the fulfillment of the promises by Jesus and that it is now available to be appropriated by the people of Israel. This is confirmed in Paul’s next words, saying, “in that He has raised up Jesus.” The KJV adds in the word “again” in this clause, saying, “in that he hath raised up Jesus again.”
The reason they appear to have done this is probably that it puts the focus on the resurrection rather than the incarnation. In other words, Jesus was “raised up” by God at the incarnation. He was then “raised up” by God again at the resurrection. However, by not italicizing the word “again,” the KJV translators have illegally added to Scripture a presupposition, even if that presupposition may be correct. The translation is therefore not acceptable.
With that noted, Paul will next go to the Hebrew Scriptures to demonstrate that what he is saying is something that was anticipated in the coming of Jesus. The messianic expectations are fulfilled in His resurrection.
Concerning that thought, Albert Barnes rightly states, “He does not say that every part of the promise had reference to his resurrection; but his being raised up completed or perfected the fulfillment of the promises which had been made respecting him.” That is validated next in Paul’s citation from Scripture. To introduce the thought, he starts off by saying, “As it is also written in the second Psalm.”
Here, some manuscripts simply say, “in the first Psalm.” Cambridge explains the variation, saying, “What we now call the first psalm was formerly regarded as an introduction to the whole and not counted in the numbering. The quotation which follows is, according to the present order of the Psalms, taken from Psalm 2:7.”
Either way, the ordering of the psalms as they are now laid out goes back to an undetermined time in antiquity. It has remained in that state since. The actual quotation of Paul says, “You are My Son.”
Paul indicates that the Father/Son relationship referred to in the psalm is a messianic expectation. Someone may attempt to deny that, but the other words of the psalm confirm that it is so. In Acts 4, Peter cites the psalm while speaking to the people of Israel, clearly presenting it as a messianic psalm. And more, it was understood that way by the people when Peter cited it. Therefore, it was to be taken as an axiom that Paul’s citing of these words was messianic as well. With that, he continues with, “Today I have begotten You.”
Albert Barnes poignantly notes concerning these words –
“It is evident that Paul uses the expression here as implying that the Lord Jesus is called the Son of God because he raised him up from the dead, and that he means to imply that it was for this reason that he is so called. This interpretation of an inspired apostle fixes the meaning of this passage in the psalm, and proves that it is not there used with reference to the doctrine of eternal generation, or to his incarnation, but that he is called his Son because he was raised from the dead.”
He may be correct in this, although the words “raised up” in this verse may speak of the entire earthly life of Jesus from incarnation through resurrection. That will be explored further in Acts 13:37.
Despite that, and even if Barnes is correct, this does not negate the Sonship of Jesus as defined through either eternal generation or the incarnation. It is simply a point of Sonship that is derived from the resurrection. Paul states this elsewhere as well –
“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” Romans 1:1-4
When the Lord spoke out the Psalm, He declared “Today.” It is an affirmation that the event was proclaimed and thus it was so. Christ Jesus is the Son of God, but the affirmation points to resurrection which confirms that it is so. He is the Son within the Trinity. He is the Son through the incarnation.
The resurrection proves that these things are so because only the Lord (Yehovah) could accomplish those things necessary to fulfill the Law of Moses. And more, only the Lord Jesus was first born without sin, meaning that God is His Father and that He is the God/Man. Though these things were already true, the resurrection proves that they are so. No other man could resurrect as He did. As Peter said in Acts 2 –
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.” Acts 2:22-24
It is not possible that a man bearing sin could resurrect. Likewise, it was not possible that a sinless Man could be held by death. This is what Paul is now conveying to the people in the synagogue.
As a point of theology, for those who are in Christ, the sin debt has been paid. We are now deemed sinless before God. As such, it is not possible that death can hold Christ’s redeemed.
Life application: Regardless of the intent of the KJV translators concerning the addition of the word “again” as noted above, it is not their place to do this without noting that it is an added word. Their failure to italicize that word after adding it into Scripture has changed the word of God. If they felt there needed to be clarity, that is what italicizing additions is for.
Further, that is the purpose of Bible commentaries. They are given to explain what is going on in Scripture, clarify difficult passages, etc. Translators are not given this right unless they clearly identify words they have added to Scripture. Without doing this, their presuppositions replace the word of God as it has been given.
This is something the Jehovah’s Witnesses have done in verses, such as Colossians 1:16, in their failed New World Translation. It is inappropriate, and it is the mark of a poor translation. In this case, the King James Version has perfectly failed to give a suitable rendering of the Greek. But this is not unique to that translation. It is often sloppy, inconsistent, contradictory, and just plain wrong.
Be careful to read many translations as you study the Bible. It is fine to read the Bible and enjoy the poetic nature of what is written. And this is often the case with an archaic translation like the KJV because it is soft on the ears. But that does not mean the theology to be derived from the translation is correct. So be on guard and diligently study the word.
A small error like the one noted above will not lead you down a false path, but it is nonetheless an illicit addition. If you read the KJV, be sure to annotate this in the margin. And be sure to read other, better, translations as well to get a fuller understanding of what God’s word says.
Lord God, we can know Your word is true through a careful study of it. Although there are things we may not understand, we can still have faith that those things that are difficult have a suitable resolution, even if we have not yet found it. Thank You for Your precious word. Help us to contemplate it all our days and to grow in our knowledge of You through it. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jan 14, 2023 22:48:55 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Acts 13:34
Saturday, January 14th, 2023
“And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus:
‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’” Acts 13:34
In the previous verse, Paul cited the second psalm concerning God’s declaration that the Messiah is the begotten Son of God. With that remembered, he now continues with, “And that He raised Him from the dead.”
The words introduce another proof that Scripture anticipated and foretold the resurrection of the Messiah. In this, one must remember that to be resurrected, a person must first have been dead. Considering that, there must have been a reason for Christ’s death.
Paul has already said that the people and the rulers rejected Jesus and that they asked Pilate to put Him to death. He will later note that Christ died for forgiveness of sins. Thus, there are both the deeds of man as well as the foreknowledge and providence of God tied up in the crucifixion of Jesus. Concerning the resurrection from the dead, Paul continues by saying, “no more to return to corruption.”
In these words, Paul uses the same term that was introduced by Peter in Acts 2:27, diaphthora. It was seen again in Acts 2:31. Now it will only be seen four more times, all in Acts 13. It signifies thorough corruption and decay. Paul says that because Jesus has resurrected, He will never again see the prospect of this type of corruption. But more, Albert Barnes correctly states the matter, saying –
“…the body of Christ never in this sense saw corruption. The word is therefore used to denote ‘death, or the grave, the cause and place of corruption.’ The word is thus used in the Septuagint. It means here simply that he should not die again.”
Hence, the point of Paul’s words is to say that Christ went to the place of corruption, even though He did not corrupt while there. And, further, he will never go to that place of corruption again. The victory over the grave is total. Next, Paul says, “He has spoken thus.”
Paul will cite Isaiah 55:3, and yet he says “He has spoken” while referring to God. Thus, it is a proclamation concerning the divine inspiration of the writings of the prophet. God was speaking through him concerning the coming Christ, saying, “I will give you the sure mercies of David.”
This is an almost exact citation from the Greek translation of Isaiah, and it more literally says, “I will give to you the holy of David, the sure.” The meaning must be inferred. Thus “the holy [blessings] of David, the sure [blessings].”
Those things that were promised to David speak of eternal kingship and rule. For example, the Lord said to David directly –
“And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” 2 Samuel 7:16
The psalmist likewise repeated this sentiment, and it is what Isaiah was referring to –
“I have made a covenant with My chosen,
I have sworn to My servant David:
4 ‘Your seed I will establish forever,
And build up your throne to all generations.’ Selah.” Psalm 89:3, 4
The promises to David are repeated elsewhere, such as in Psalm 132:11, 12. These verses presuppose a resurrection because elsewhere Scripture refers to the sacrificial death of the Messiah. If the Messiah died, and yet the sure mercies of David belong to the Messiah, then the resurrection is implied in them. Paul’s words to the synagogue are direct, logical, and are irrefutable when taken in the greater context of Scripture.
Life application: In the commentary above, it was noted that there are both the deeds of man as well as the foreknowledge and providence of God tied up in the crucifixion of Jesus. Despite this, it does not mean that God actively caused the people of Israel to reject Jesus or crucify Him.
God’s plan included both, but that was because God already knew the outcome of what would be done by the people. Therefore, Israel cannot say, “By rejecting and crucifying Jesus, we were fulfilling God’s plan and thus are without guilt.” Rather, if they were honest in their words, they would say, “By rejecting and crucifying Jesus, we acted exactly as the Lord knew we would. We are guilty and our actions testify against us.”
God’s foreknowledge does not in any way negate our responsibility to act or not act on a matter in a proper manner. This is true with salvation, it is true with not shooting Adolph Hitler, even if we knew he would grow up to be a bad person, and so on. We must act as people who are responsible for our actions at all times.
Understanding this, the Calvinistic concept of not having free will to choose Jesus and then call on Him to be saved is shown to be both irresponsible and utterly ridiculous. We must act, we are responsible to act, and God is not going to “regenerate” us to act to believe the gospel message. Despite being corrupt, depraved beings, we can still see the good in what God has done, desire that avenue by accepting Jesus, and then be given the seal of that act when we believe.
We are responsible for hearing the word and for accepting it. So, believe the good news! Accept what God has done and be saved. Jesus rose! His rule is everlasting, and He is mighty to save. Yes, call on Jesus today.
Lord God, You already know everything we will ever do. And yet, Your word says that You save us upon belief in what Jesus has done. There is a lot of baggage that people have heaped upon their salvation over the past millennia. And yet, You have saved them, knowing what they would do after You saved them. This demonstrates the amazing greatness of Your salvation. Thank You for the cleansing flood of forgiveness that covers all such things. Yes, thank You, O God, for Jesus. Amen.
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