Superior Word Daily Devotional on the Book of Acts

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 3:25

Saturday, January 1st, 2022


You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ Acts 3:25


The previous words of Peter referred to the prophets having spoken concerning Christ, foretelling the days that had now come in Him. With that stated, he next says, “You are sons of the prophets.”



In other words, Peter now connects the people before him directly to those who spoke of Christ. The prophets had received the words, the prophets’ words foretold the coming of Christ, the words of the prophets were intended for the people of God, and the sons of those prophets had now been the recipients of what was foretold. Thus, they were without excuse if they turned away from the words of the prophets.



It actually doesn’t bode well for them if taken in conjunction with Jesus’ words spoken to the Pharisees during His ministry –



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



Jesus knew that he would be rejected, even though the prophets had foretold of His coming. Peter was now telling them that this same Jesus would now hold them accountable if they continued in their rejection of Him. This was explicit in verse 3:23 where he cited Moses concerning anyone who would not hear the words of the Prophet prophesied by him. With this understood, he next says, “and of the covenant which God made.”



In the Greek, Peter uses the noun and verb form of the same root word. In essence, he says, “and of the covenant which God covenanted.” God had entered into a covenant that was still in force at the time. Israel is being reminded of this with the words of Peter. But more, Peter continues by saying that the covenant is “with our fathers.”



This means that a covenant was made long ago and yet it was still in full effect. It was set forth and the terms remained unchanged. It was open and available to the people standing before him. But more, Peter is implying that he and John who stood before them had been recipients of the covenant promises and that they had not. If they had, Peter wouldn’t have to be standing there explaining all of this to them.



At this point, one would think that Peter is speaking of the Mosaic Covenant. He has just gotten done referring to Moses’ words that were written in Deuteronomy 18, a part of the covenant originally established at Mount Sinai. He then continued on referring to the prophets of that covenant when he said, “from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days” (3:24).



Because of this, the initial thought might have been, “What is this guy talking about. We are all sons of the covenant set forth by Moses.” But this is not at all what Peter is referring to. This is seen in his next words, “saying to Abraham.”



Despite having referred to precepts found in the Law of Moses and of those who lived and prophesied under that covenant, Peter is not at all referring to the Mosaic Covenant. That was a two-way covenant. The offer was made to the people, and they agreed to its provisions. They placed themselves under it and were bound to it. There was no future option to get out from under it. It stuck to them like glue and only in its annulment (through its fulfillment) could they be released from its yoke.



However, the “covenant which God covenanted” with Abraham was a completely different sort. God spoke forth the promise, and it was He who would see it through for those who were to be included in its provisions. With that understood, Peter next cites the promise of that covenant to Abraham, saying, “And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”



This covenant was initially promised in Genesis 12 –



“Now the Lord had said to Abram:

‘Get out of your country,

From your family

And from your father’s house,

To a land that I will show you.

2 I will make you a great nation;

I will bless you

And make your name great;

And you shall be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,

And I will curse him who curses you;

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” Genesis 12:1-3



In Genesis 15, Abraham noted to the Lord that he had no “seed,” meaning offspring. But the Lord promised, on oath and by covenant, that His earlier promise would – in fact – come to pass. There it said –



After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”

4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Genesis 15:1-6



In response to the spoken word alone, Abraham believed the otherwise incredible. He demonstrated faith and was declared righteous. After that, the Lord Himself cut the covenant as is recorded in the rest of the chapter.



In Genesis 17, the sign of the covenant was given, circumcision. The sign anticipated the coming of Christ. In the coming of Christ, the sign was fulfilled. In Genesis 22, a test of Abraham’s faith was made, and Abraham was vindicated through the test. As such, the Lord said to him –



“By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22:16-18



It is this covenant, made with Abraham, and which continued through Isaac and Jacob, that Peter is referring to. This means that Peter’s citing of Moses concerning the Prophet to come, and of his citing of the prophets under the Mosaic Covenant, indicates that even the words of Moses and the prophets anticipated the fulfillment of the Law of Moses by the Messiah and its subsequent annulment by Him, thus allowing for the Abrahamic Covenant to take full effect.



As the Abrahamic Covenant was one based on faith alone, and which bore the sign of circumcision, and because the sign of circumcision is fulfilled in Christ, it means that anyone who demonstrates the faith of Abraham is “circumcised” in the heart and declared righteous through that act of faith – (see Romans 2:29).



All of this is carefully explained in the epistles, but those standing before Peter would have had an inkling of what was being presented. Restoration and fellowship with God cannot be obtained by a person through the Mosaic Code.



Rather, it could only be realized by faith in God’s fulfillment of it in Christ. And anyone, whether of Israel or not, could have possessed that faith. Hence, “all the families of the earth” means that all along Israel was not the only thing that God was focused on. Rather, God was reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus Christ. As will be seen in the next verse, Israel is just the first to be given this offer of reconciliation.



However, Jesus carefully explained this to Israel during His ministry, using the faith of a Gentile to show them this –



Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour. Matthew 8:5-13



Life application: The Mosaic Covenant, which is the basis for the Law of Moses, is not a means to an end for those to whom it was given. Rather, it was a tutor to them, and to us, that something else was necessary to bring peace between God and man. It was a steppingstone in the process. This is clearly and unambiguously stated by Paul in Galatians 3 –



What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. Galatians 3:19-25



As this is so, why would anyone want to return to the law in order to attempt to be pleasing to God? It is a slap in His face, it is a rejection of Christ’s work, and it calls out, “The blood of Jesus was insufficient to do what needs to be done! Thanks for trying, God, but I’ve got this.”



Can you see how disgraceful the theology of those who return to the law for justification is? Don’t just walk away from such teachers… run. God has done the work. All He asks you to do is to simply believe. Have faith in Christ’s finished, final, and forever work; and be pleasing to your Creator. This is all that you can give Him. Jesus has done the rest.



Also, Peter’s words here demonstrate, without any doubt at all, that his “gospel” is exactly the same as that of Paul. He speaks of the gospel of grace through faith. Works are excluded.



Lord God, thank You for the all-sufficient work of Jesus Christ our Lord. Today, we pray for those who are caught up in various religious expressions that are displeasing to You. We pray for those caught up in Judaism, the Hebrew Roots Movement, Seventh Day Adventists, and all others who have set aside the grace of Christ in order to work their way back to You. Open their eyes to what Jesus has done. This we pray in His glorious and exalted name. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 3:26

Sunday, January 2nd, 2022




To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” Acts 3:26
Peter just referred to the covenant made with Abraham, which was a covenant of faith – something even Moses and the prophets spoke of in their words. Now, Peter explains what that means in regard to the coming of Christ Jesus, saying, “To you first.”



Peter is speaking to the men of Israel (3:11). This is perfectly in accord with Jesus’ words of Luke 24 –



“Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’” Luke 24:46, 47



The sentiment is repeated by Christ just prior to the ascension in Acts 1, and then it is picked up now by Peter and later by Paul several times in Acts and then in his epistles –



“Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, ‘It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.’” Acts 13:46



The message was to go first to those who bore the burden of the law, to free them from its bondage. This was even the purpose of Jesus’ earthly ministry, as He said in Matthew 15:24, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”



The house of Israel bore the weight and responsibility of the law. Therefore, the law had to be fulfilled first before a New Covenant could be introduced. Christ came to take the weight of the law upon Himself in order to remove that weight from the people. Jesus said this explicitly in Matthew 11 –



“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30



With this being understood, Peter next says, “God, having raised up His Servant Jesus.” This is not speaking of the resurrection. The structure of the Greek indicates clearly that it is referring to the act of bringing Christ into the world in order to accomplish His mission.



It is the same terminology as was used in verse 3:22, which said, “For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren.’” Jesus was raised up by God within the house of Israel. Peter indicates this, saying that He “sent Him to bless you.”



The verb is a present participle. The words more correctly read, “blessing you.” It is an ongoing action, always present before the people. The blessing of Christ is one that can be appropriated at any point in time because the eternal Christ has been raised up for this very purpose. The contrast between the ongoing action of the law in comparison to the ongoing blessing of Christ is reflected by Paul in 2 Corinthians 3 –



“Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:12-18



This “blessing” is then realized in the action that results from it, which Peter says is “in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” This was exactly what Zecharias the father of John the Baptist prophesied concerning the coming of Messiah –



“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;

For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people

By the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;

79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,

To guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:76-79



Sin is what separates man from God. The law only highlights, and even magnifies, the sin in man. As such, Christ came to take man’s sin upon Himself, and to remove the weight and burden of the law from the people so that they would no longer face the imputation of sin. In turning to Christ, man turns away from sin. Reconciliation is realized, and pure shalom – wholeness in all ways – is restored.



Life application: In Revelation 21:3, 4, it says –



“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”



This is a marvelous promise from the word of God that someday the world in which we live will be behind us. All of the sorrows, pains, trials, divorces, murders… all of it will be gone. A state of perfect wholeness will be realized, and humanity will be blessed with what was originally intended for them.



But this cannot occur unless the sin in man is dealt with first. For those who fail to come to God through Jesus Christ, their sin remains. As such, their condemnation remains. No person can enter into what God has prepared for His people without coming through Jesus Christ. And this is exactly what the first point of the simple gospel of salvation through Jesus proclaims, “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3).



We have sin, Christ is the cure for the sin we bear, and we must believe that these things are true. Unless we acknowledge this, there can be no salvation. And, incredibly, all God asks us to do in order to receive His salvation is to believe. This is what Abraham did, as indicated in the previous verse of Acts. And this is what the gospel Peter and Paul put forth for humanity calls for – BELIEVE!



Let us accept God’s offer of peace and reconciliation which comes through the giving of His Son for us –



“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



Accept what God has done, and be guaranteed a place in the glorious new heavens and earth that Revelation so beautifully describes! Do it today.



Lord God, we are so very grateful to You for having sent Christ Jesus to take care of the sin in our lives. An infinite void separated us from You, but through Him, that gap is repaired. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. In His name, we pray. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:1

Monday, January 3rd, 2022




Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, Acts 4:1




Chapter 3 ended with Peter addressing the men of Israel at the temple complex at the “porch which is called Solomon’s.” It is while Peter is addressing the people that Chapter 4 begins. That is noted with the words, “Now as they spoke to the people.”



Peter is still in the process of giving his speech as this occurs, and his words were heard by some who were not at all pleased with what they were hearing. That will be seen in the coming verses. But, for now, the narrative continues with the identity of those who are not pleased, beginning with “the priests.”



The priests are those descending from Aaron who was designated and ordained as the first high priest of Israel. The term “chief priests” is used many times in the gospels, indicating that there was a hierarchy within the priesthood. Luke does not use that term now, and so this may simply be the priests who were on duty at the time, fulfilling their regular duties as scheduled according to their divisions. Along with them came “the captain of the temple.”



Aaron the priest is descended from Levi. Along with him, all of the tribe of Levi – including those who were not of the priestly class – were designated for the service of the tabernacle and later the temple. They were interspersed throughout the land of Israel in Levitical cities to minister to the people. But Levites from the various clans with Levi were designated to serve in rotating courses at the temple as outlined in 1 Chronicles. Over them would be chief men who stayed at the temple. These are noted by Luke at the time when the plot to kill Jesus was being worked out –



“So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.” Luke 22:4, 5



Over these captains, there would be one to direct all of them. That is the person now being detailed in Acts. Of this captain of the temple, Vincent’s Word Studies says –



“It was the duty of the Levites to keep guard at the gates of the temple, in order to prevent the unclean from entering. To them the duties of the temple-police were entrusted, under the command of an official known in the New Testament as “the captain of the temple,” but in Jewish writings chiefly as “the man of the temple mount.” Josephus speaks of him as a person of such consequence as to be sent, along with the high-priest, prisoner to Rome.”



Along with these came others who were there at the temple as well. As Luke says, “and the Sadducees.” Of this group, Albert Barnes gives a sufficiently detailed description –



The Sadducees are supposed to have taken their name from Sadok, who flourished about 260 years before the Christian era. He was a pupil of Antigonus Sochaeus, president of the sanhedrin, or great council of the nation. He had taught the duty of serving God disinterestedly, without the hope of reward or the fear of punishment. Sadok, not properly understanding the doctrine of his master, drew the inference that there was no future state of rewards or punishments, and on this belief he founded the sect. The other notions which they held, all to be traced to this leading doctrine, were:



That there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit Matthew 22:23; Acts 23:8; and that the soul of man perishes with the body.

They rejected the doctrine of fate or decrees.

They rejected all traditions, and professed to receive only the books of the Old Testament. They were far less numerous than the Pharisees, but their want of numbers was compensated, in some degree, by their wealth and standing in society. Though they did not generally seek office, yet several of them were advanced to the high priesthood.

Of these three classes noted by Luke, it says they “came upon them,” meaning Peter, John, and the beggar who were there before the crowd. The words indicate they didn’t just come to hear, but that they are there to confront the men. The encounter is not one of friendly greeting and acceptance, but rather – as will be seen – one of displeasure and of forceful intent.



Life application: One can go to YouTube, or other video sources, and see people on the streets giving the gospel to others. At times, those who are being recorded may have the attention of the person or people they are witnessing to and then along comes some public official to stop them or even arrest them – quite often when they are perfectly within their rights concerning what they are doing.



The truth is often not acceptable to those who hear it. This is especially so when it comes to religion. As there are about fifty jillion religions out there, it is unpalatable to tell people that you carry the only one that bears the truth. People don’t want to hear that. And yet, anyone who belongs to a religion either thinks what he believes is the truth, or he is an idiot for believing what he knows is untrue.



As such, their standing there – believing in their own religion – should be just as offensive to the officials as that of those presenting the gospel. Therefore, if the evangelists are within their public rights, there should be no harm nor foul. But that is not how things will often go, is it?



Because there is truth, and because that truth can be reasonably verified through study, and because it is at variance with how people perceive themselves before God, the truth can be difficult to swallow. And so, it is easier to rough up, persecute, and even arrest those bearing the truth as a temporary fix to the situation.



As Christians, if we are willing to actually open our mouths and speak, there is always the possibility that people will take offense, and they may have you attacked, arrested, or even killed – depending on the surrounding circumstances. This goes along with the witness for Christ, and we must be willing to accept things as such. How far are you willing to go to get the truth out to others?



Everyone must stand before the Lord someday, and each will see the embodiment of truth in the Person of Jesus Christ. It will be either for salvation or for condemnation. If you do your job properly, you may save a soul from the latter. Our current lives are temporary, but we will all spend eternity somewhere. Let us be willing to share the good news now, even if it means this current life gets more difficult or even cut short for doing so.



Lord God, help us to be bold in our proclamation of the gospel. And give us the strength to never waffle in our conviction that it is the absolute truth of God. We know there is only one way to be reconciled to You. Help us to be strong and defend that truth when it is time to do so. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:2

Tuesday, 4 January 2022



being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. Acts 4:2


The previous verse saw the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees coming upon Peter, John, and the beggar. Now, the account continues, saying, “being greatly disturbed.”



The verb is diaponeomai. It comes from dia (through) and poneomai (to work hard). Hence, it gives the sense of great distress or vexation. One might say, “troubled through and through,” or “thoroughly vexed.” These leaders were highly agitated “that they taught the people.”



Although what they taught is not yet stated, the very fact that these men were standing in the temple teaching would have been enough of a source of grief for them to be indignant. As has been seen in the gospels and already in Acts, the leaders looked at these men as uneducated Galileans.



How could they know anything of value concerning theology or what was culturally or morally right? It was only they, the priests, Levites, Sadducees, and other elites, that could debate such higher points. Not mere Galileans. But what really galled them was that they stood there teaching the people “and preached in Jesus.”



The words are correct, and they clean up a grievous error of the KJV which says, “through Jesus.” The Greek preposition en (in), not dia (through), is used. The preaching of John and Paul is “in Jesus” and it concerns “the resurrection from the dead.”



It is true that the resurrection of the dead for all people comes through Jesus, but this is not the point that John and Peter are making. Rather, it was Jesus who had resurrected just a short time ago. The point isn’t just that people standing there being preached to will be resurrected through Jesus, but that Jesus had resurrected. He is the firstfruits of those to be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:20). If Jesus had not first resurrected, there would be no resurrection. This is the very argument that Paul makes in 1 Corinthians 15 –



“Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” 1 Corinthians 15:12-19



Paul goes on with his logical argument in that chapter explaining all of the finer details that exist because of what occurred “in Jesus.” The truly galling point to these men is that it was they and the other leaders of Israel who had stood before Pilate calling out for His crucifixion. If Jesus had resurrected, then it meant that they had crucified their Messiah.



Such a notion could not be tolerated, and it vexed them through and through to even have it considered. If the resurrection is found in Jesus, then everything that they clung to – their status, their power, their influence – would be taken from them and would belong to the One they had done away with just a short time ago. To them, this was a great affront, and it could not be allowed to be conveyed to the people.



Life application: Again, and again, we see the importance of proper translation concerning the Bibles we use. When giving a general reading of Scripture for our daily devotionals, it may not seem so overly important. At such times, we just read to get an appreciation for the general sense of what is said.



However, as we mature in our thinking concerning Scripture, or when we attend studies that are intended to convey proper doctrine, it becomes more and more important to know exactly and precisely what is being said. Words have meaning. Sentence structure carries ideas that can be misunderstood. Tenses convey the thoughts of the author. If such are botched up, like the translation of the KJV above, real errors in thinking will eventually occur.



Fortunately, the theology of what is conveyed in this verse, and which was mistranslated by the KJV, is properly explained elsewhere. We cannot say, “Well then, no harm no foul.” That is incorrect. The concept of what is conveyed in Acts 4 is important and it is to be rightly understood by those who are reading and thinking on what is being said. Thus, it is important to not get captivated by one translation.



Instead, be studious in your daily reading and change up translations from time to time. This will give you a broader sense of what is going on. When you come to something that doesn’t read as you once read it, you should then say, “I need to find out which is correct, and why!” When reading this word, you are reading the very words conveyed to us by God. Therefore, let us pursue it as best we can for all our days.



Gracious heavenly Father, help us to see what is right and proper concerning various translations of Your precious word. Lead us to understand it more and more each day, and to think on the minutest of details that can actually have the greatest of meaning to the overall narrative. In rightly knowing Your word, we will more closely match our thinking with what You are telling us. May it be so to Your glory. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:3

Wednesday, January 5th, 2022




And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. Acts 4:


The authorities had come upon Peter and John who were presenting words concerning the resurrection to the people. In their disturbed state, it next says, “And they laid hands on them.” The obvious meaning is that being men of authority, they were arresting them. Of these words, the Pulpit Commentary notes –



“The harsh persecution of the disciples at Jerusalem at this time when the Sadducees were in power is in exact accordance with Josephus’s statement in the passage just referred to, that the Sadducees were more severe and cruel in their administration of justice than any other Jews. Their tenet of no life to come made them look to severe punishments in this life.”



As there were more than just Sadducees there, this may be a stretch of the analysis, but the truth of the statement concerning the Sadducees is still relevant to their attitude concerning matters of life. With the arrest f Peter and John, it next says, “and put them in custody.”



The word is new to Scripture, térésis. It signifies the state of safely keeping something. It will be seen again in Acts 5:18 concerning a public jail, and then again in 1 Corinthians 7:19 where it refers to the keeping of the commandments.



This is less of a punishment than it is a way of simply holding them over for a trial. There is a perceived offense that has been committed. As such, there will be an evaluation of that offense, but it will not occur “until the next day.”



Some believe this is based on the words of Jeremiah 21:12, where it says, “Execute judgment in the morning.” If this is correct, then it would show the illegal nature of Christ’s trial which was held, at least partially, at night. That is recorded in Matthew 26. As for Peter and John, they would be held in custody for a trial the next day. Luke records the reason as the verse finishes, saying, “for it was already evening.”



Acts 3:1 had said that “Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.” As this verse says it was already evening time, it would now be about 6pm. Therefore, from the time of their entering through the gate and meeting the beggar until their arrest was about three hours. It would have been an afternoon filled with their imploring the people to heed the message concerning Christ Jesus. Eventually word got to the leaders by some offended soul, and the subsequent arrest came about.



Life application: The comment about the Sadducees by the Pulpit Commentary is valid, even if that is not the reason for their arresting Peter and John. Sadducees are specifically noted three times in Scripture. Each time, it also notes that they say there is no resurrection. Once, in Acts 23:8, it also says they believe there are no angels or spirits.



Regardless of the last points, the fact that they denied any resurrection sets them off as men without any true hope. Their state is reflected in the words of David –



“Arise, O Lord,

Confront him, cast him down;

Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,

14 With Your hand from men, O Lord,

From men of the world who have their portion in this life.” Psalm 17:13, 14



If man’s portion is only in this life, then his attitude will reflect that. However, if a man truly believes in an after-life, his attitude will then reflect that. And further, if a man not only believes in an after-life, but also has the absolute surety of attaining the promises of eternal restoration with God because of the cleansing power of Christ, his life will reflect that as well.



The state of the world in which we live has become one which is turning more and more towards a hope and a portion in this life only. Because of that, the conduct of the people who believe this, especially when they are in power, will reflect this belief.



The doctrine of evolution has brought about an entire change in the thinking of humanity. If we are evolved from unthinking slime, and if we will return to nothing but corruption without any further hope, then the natural inclination is to get everything you can, while you can get it. Why not! “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. And when we die, there will be nothing left to gain.”



It is a hopeless, tragic attitude that more and more permeates the world. And with it comes a diminished value of others in the eyes of those who hold it. “If I am a bug’s descendant, and he is too, then I might as well try to squash him before he squashes me.”



Thank God for Jesus Christ who gives man a hope that transcends this fallen, broken, and evil existence. For those who possess the surety of eternal life, there is a contentment that transcends the temporary and depressing nature of this current walk. There is a hope of eternal joy in the presence of God in a state that we cannot yet comprehend. This is the wonder of the hope that is found in Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us rejoice in Him no matter what our current state is like. Yes, let us rejoice in our Savior!



Lord God, no matter what happens in this life, we possess a hope that transcends the evils we may face. We have this hope because You have sent Jesus. Thank You, O God, for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:4

Thursday, January 6th, 2022


However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. Acts 4:4


The previous verse referred to arresting Peter and John and taking them into custody until the next day. Despite this, their words to the people were not without effect. This is seen as Luke continues, saying, “However, many of those who heard the word.” This is referring to those mentioned in Acts 3:11 –



“Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed.”



No indication of how many were gathered is given, but it would have been no small number. The people were amazed and curious concerning the healing of the beggar, and they would want to know everything they could about the matter. Because of this, they were willing to listen to Peter’s discourse for several hours.



Eventually, the leaders got word of what was going on and were furious that Jesus Christ was being portrayed as resurrected. But it was during this time of Peter speaking that the people were convinced and many “believed.”



This clearly indicates that they had “repented” as Peter told them to do in Acts 3:19. They were a part of the nation that had crucified the Lord Jesus, and they had changed their minds about what happened. No longer was Jesus rejected by them, but rather they had accepted that He died for their sins and rose again. Thus, those who believed were saved through their faith in Christ. This is the intent of what is conveyed by Luke. As such, it demonstrates that they were saved by faith alone in the grace of God found in Jesus Christ. With this noted, Luke next records, “and the number of the men.”



This is the general way that numbers were reckoned. It is found time and again in Scripture –



“You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. 14 And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates. 15 Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.

16 “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.” Deuteronomy 16:13-17



All people were to attend each pilgrim feast, without exception. However, the reckoning is based upon the males. Likewise, it says in Matthew –



“Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.” Matthew 14:19-21



In the feeding of the five thousand, only the men were counted. As such, the number was at least double and possibly triple or more of that number, depending on how many family members were present. Based on Luke’s wording, the same is probably true here. The men are counted, standing as representative of those who accompanied them. With this understood, Luke provides the numbers, saying, “came to be about five thousand.”



Some older translations like the Geneva and the KJV say the number “was” about five thousand. This gives a false sense of what is being conveyed by Luke. It was not five thousand who had been converted, but the number of believers had grown (in total) to about five thousand men. Before Pentecost, in Acts 1:15, there were recorded one hundred and twenty believers. On Pentecost, it says that “three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 3:41).



In that account, it does not specify men, but that may be the case. However, Luke’s specificity now in Acts 4 indicates a body of about five thousand men, meaning a much larger body of believing family members would be counted in that number as well. It is a large amount, but it is still only a very small portion of Israel, and it does not include the leaders who must be a part of the faith before a true national turning can be considered for the coming of the promised times of refreshing Peter spoke of in Acts 3:19.



Life application: No dating is given concerning the event which has taken place. It could have been days, weeks, or months after Pentecost. The matter is not included by Luke because that is not what was important. The fact that the event happened, and that many believed, is what is important.



Further, the number of believers had increased now to about five thousand men. However long that took, it is the result that is focused on. It is a good lesson. If we get caught up on setting numbers in a ministry, the focus is all wrong. We are to enter into the ministry, in whatever particular job we do, without worrying about numbers. We are to continue to minister whether there are five or five hundred.



It is very easy to get so caught up in numbers, such as YouTube views, that we forget that what we should be doing is simply the thing we have been called to do. If we are doing our job properly, and in accord with Scripture, then what we are doing is proper. It doesn’t matter if we have seats filled in a stadium of fifty thousand people if what we are doing is not in accord with the word of God. If it is not, the ministry is to be considered a failure.



Can you imagine the Lord saying, “What you did was not in accord with My word, but the result was effective, so here is a big reward for you”? No. The ends never justify the means, if the means are not aligned with God’s word. Be content with what you do for Christ if what you are doing is done in obedience.



It is certain that the faithful in heart who quietly sit in church on Sunday, and the only thing they have to offer is a small monetary gift or a box of donuts for the ministry, are more pleasing to the Lord than a preacher with a hundred thousand followers on YouTube, but who misuses the word of God. The former will receive their reward while the latter will be punished for his disobedience.



Heavenly Father, help us to have our priorities right. May we not feel that what we do for You is lacking just because it is not great in the eyes of the world. Even the small things we do, when done with a right heart toward You, are pleasing in Your eyes. Help us to remember that this is so. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:5

Friday, January 7th, 2022


And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, Acts 4:5


The words of this verse are in response to what has happened in verses 4:1-3. Some of the leaders gathered together against Peter and John because of their preaching, they laid hands on them, and they put them in custody “until the next day” (4:3). Now, that time has arrived. Luke says, “And it came to pass, on the next day.”



Peter and John were incarcerated all night. With the coming of the new day, Luke records that there was a gathering of the leaders of Israel. This included “their rulers.” The Greek is archón. It signifies one of first rank or power. This is referring to the Sanhedrin or ruling seventy of Israel. In verse 4:15, the gathering will be called a “council.” As such, it certainly would have included some or all of the Sanhedrin. Saying “their” rulers, it indicates that this is a Gentile author writing to a Gentile audience. That is a reasonable inference to be made. Next, he says, “elders.”



The Greek word is presbuteros. It refers to a mature person who is considered one of seasoned judgment. What their distinction from the Sanhedrin is cannot be certain, but they surely held some position of importance. Along with them, it then says, “and scribes.”



The Greek is grammateus. This would be a person learned in the law and thus a religious teacher. Ezra was a scribe as is noted in Ezra 7:6 and elsewhere. These men would have kept recordings of court cases, probably the registers maintained in synagogues, and so on. They would have also kept genealogical records, provided receipts for sales of land and other such things, issued bills of divorce, and so on. Their functions would be more societal rather than religious in nature.



These, and more to be listed in the coming verse, are gathered together to consider the matter of the arrest. It is not at all unlike what had happened in the not too distant past concerning the arrest of another Man –



“As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, 67 ‘If You are the Christ, tell us.’” Luke 22:66, 67



Life application: To this day, people around the world are gathered together to judge matters concerning those who preach the gospel of Christ. In once-Christian nations, preachers are arrested for simply speaking out the words of Scripture and telling people to turn to (or back to) the Lord.



Telling someone that there is only one path to God is deemed offensive. Telling someone that his path to God is false is termed “hate speech.” Because of this people are handcuffed and put in prison. And yet, the fact is that there is only one path to God, and anyone who seeks God apart from Jesus Christ is following a false message.



How willing are you to actually speak what the Bible proclaims? Is it worth being ostracized by friends or family? Or is it easier to just keep your mouth shut and to keep the words of life and restoration to yourself? To what extent are you willing to go to share what others simply cannot do without?



Lord God, help us to never be ashamed of the gospel. May we be willing to proclaim it at all times and in a manner that does not water down the truth of what it conveys. Help us to be bold in our proclamation of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse,Acts 4:6

Saturday, January 8th, 2022




as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. Acts 4:6



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).



The previous verse noted the rulers, elders, and scribes. Now, added to them, Luke says, “as well as Annas the high priest.” Of him, Albert Barnes notes in his commentary from John 18:13 –



“He had been himself a long time high priest; he had had five sons who had successively enjoyed the office of high priest, and that office was now filled by his son-in-law. It was of importance, therefore, to obtain his sanction and counsel in their work of evil.”



As he is called the high priest now, it adds a note of difficulty to the overall narrative because of the next person’s name, Caiaphas. In John 18, it says –



“Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year.” John 18:12, 13



Caiaphas is called the “high priest that year” by John. He was the son-in-law of Annas. Assuming this is shortly after the ascension of Christ, then the narrative gets a bit confusing. However, this could be telling us the events are happening later in the year. Israel had two calendars by which they conducted their affairs.



One began in the springtime in the month of Aviv, which is known as Nisan. That calendar is focused on the Lord’s redemptive narrative (see Exodus 12:2). The other began in the fall in the month of Tishri. That is used in the Old Testament for civil matters and is considered the regnant, or royal calendar. It could be that by this time, the office of high priest had returned to Caiaphas. Of the confusing nature of the appointment of the high priests, the Pulpit Commentary says –



“The succession of the high priests was so irregular, and their tenure of the office so uncertain, in these later years of the Jewish commonwealth, being dependent upon the caprice of the civil rulers who appointed and deposed them at their pleasure, that it does not surprise us to find Annas and Caiaphas high priests at the commencement of John the Baptist’s ministry, then Caiaphas at the time of our Lord’s passion, and now Annas again. It is possible, however, that Annas may have continued to be president of the Sanhedrim, and be called high priest, even when not actually so.”



No matter what, there is not necessarily any contradiction between John 18 and Luke’s note here. And, indeed, it is certain there is not. Of these two, Charles Ellicott also provides insight –



“These are mentioned by themselves as representing the section that had probably convened the meeting, and came in as if to dominate its proceedings. The order of the first two names is the same as in Luke 3:2, and as that implied in John 18:13; John 18:24. Annas, or Ananus, had been made high priest by Quirinus, the Governor of Syria, filled the office A.D. 7-15, and lived to see five of his sons occupy it after him. At this time, Joseph Caiaphas was the actual high priest, … having been appointed in A.D. 17. He was deposed A.D. 37. He had married the daughter of Annas; and the latter seems to have exercised a dominant influence, perhaps, as the Nasi, the Prince, or President, of the Sanhedrin, during the remainder of his life. If he presided on this occasion, it may explain St. Luke’s calling him ‘the high priest.’”



Along with these two, Luke mentions “John, and Alexander.” Of these two, the Pulpit Commentary says –



“Of John and Alexander nothing further is known, but Farrar conjectures that John may be “the celebrated Johanan Ben Zakkai, and Alexander perhaps the wealthy brother of Philo.”



Regardless of their identity, they were known at the time of Luke’s writing, and thus they add validity to his narrative that would otherwise be lacking. Along with these, it next says, “and as many as were of the family of the high priest.”



These would be people of prominence and some measure of status and even possibly of authority. Some speculate that they would be of the party of the Sadducees. Others think they may have become members of the Sanhedrin. Luke finishes the thought, saying that they “were gathered together at Jerusalem.”



The words “at Jerusalem” are not unimportant. Rather, Luke – as led by the Holy Spirit – is clearly indicating the seat of power and authority of the nation. As such, their decision will affect the entire nation. The collective guilt of the people exists because of their rejection of Christ. That national guilt will only be atoned for when Jerusalem, the seat of the nation’s power, repents.



For now, it is certain that all of these chief officials are noted to show that there was a great resistance to the word of the apostles, and they had gathered in force to intimidate them into silence. Will this come about? Or will the testimony of these two apostles convert the hearts of these leaders?



Life application: These are generally the same men who were gathered together to hold trial against Jesus. They had violated the law in many remarkable ways in their interrogation and sentencing of the Lord. As such, they felt they were above the law. But the law issued from Moses and Moses received it from the Lord. One can see that there was no true fear of God for them to have done the things they did. Now, Peter and John have been hauled before them to receive their own interrogation.



In the world today, there is a state of increasing wickedness. The thought of “God” is one of intimidation for those who can be intimidated by religious authority, but it is certain there is no corresponding fear of God in those same people. As such, there is no care about truth, justice, or pursuing that which is righteous. Judges make arbitrary decisions without any fear of God, nor with any care for the rule of law.



Therefore, should you be brought before such people for trial, you can expect that you will not be treated fairly if you are an avowed Christian. As such, you should probably firmly resolve, in advance, that you will uphold your faith in Christ at all costs. If you have a fear of God, and if you are certain that the message of Jesus Christ is true, then you must be willing to live by that. Have faith that He will, in fact, deliver you. It may not be deliverance from prison or execution, but He will deliver you unto Himself – just as He has promised.



Have faith, pronounce your faith without fear, and let the chips fall where they may.



Lord God Almighty, we know that the message of Jesus is true. We know that we have You on our side because of our faith in Him. Give us the courage and the resolve to stand fast in our proclamation of the truth of the gospel and of the faith that saves men. Help us to always be willing to stand up and proclaim JESUS. Amen. 

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:7

Sunday, January 9th, 2022


And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” Acts 4:7

All of those leaders necessary to establish the authority of the tribunal have been named in the previous two verses. They were specifically noted as being “together at Jerusalem.” The seat of national power and authority has gathered together. It is an opportunity to repent and turn from their previous actions. The account to be presented will detail this. For now, with these gathered together, Luke next notes, “And when they had set them in the midst.”



Charles Ellicott notes, “The Sanhedrin sat in a semi-circle, the president being in the middle of the arc, the accused standing in the centre.” This would be a rather intimidating thing. Being encircled by the leaders, and with guards stationed around them as well, there would be every reason to be timid and to quickly acquiesce by even the strongest of rebellious souls. With this in mind, “they asked.”



The verb is imperfect. Rather than “they asked,” it more appropriately says, “they were asking.” One gets the sense of an interrogation being conducted and various people speaking out the same thing again and again. This doesn’t necessarily mean an unorderly questioning, but a repeated one. This occurred when Christ healed a blind man –



“Then they said to him again, ‘What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?’

27 He answered them, ‘I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?’” John 9:26, 27



This is the same sense now. They asked and they kept on asking, trying to find a hole in the story of the apostles. And their question is, “By what power.” The Greek reads, “In what power.” There is a power that exists, and that power has extended to the apostles. As a man does not possess such power in and of himself, it is understood that the power they wield comes from a source external to them, even if it now comes through them.



It is similar to the question put before Christ as he stood before the leaders in the temple –



“Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, ‘By [literally: in] what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?’” Matthew 21:23



It is understood that authority bestows power. They understood that Christ Jesus bore the power. Therefore, the question presented to Him asked of the authority that granted the power. Here, in Acts, the leaders are simply first asking what kind of power was possessed by the men. Next, they ask, “or by what name.”



Again, the Greek reads, “or in what name.” This is the same as when Jesus was asked, “By [literally: in] what authority.” A name is to be taken synonymously with the authority. If a king calls for someone to be arrested or executed, it is in his name that this occurs. His name is the legal authority for the action.



The leaders are trying to determine the source of what has occurred, but the question is put in a most derogatory manner. This is seen in the final words where the English does not convey the sense of the Greek, “have you done this?”



The order of the words in the Greek is, “did this you.” First, the explanation for the word “this” is left off. Instead of saying, “did this miracle,” or “did this sign,” it simply says “this.” There is a note of contempt for those through whom the miracle was accomplished.



Secondly, the question ending with “you” is a way of heaping contempt on them. A long and flowery paraphrase may help convey the meaning – “You? You are country hicks from Galilee. And you did this? C’mon, tell us the story! We’re surprised you can even feed yourselves. So how did YOU do this?”



Life application: When talking about sharing the gospel, there is often the sense from one of the people in the conversation that they are “just not good at it.” This may mean a multitude of things, but one of them is, “I am just not an effective speaker.” Another may be, “I get intimidated by the people I want to talk to.”



Such things should be entirely erased from the mind. The gospel is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). The gospel is not the power of (insert your name here). It is the power of God. What is there to be intimidated over? What is there that you cannot effectively speak forth?



All you need to do is to remember the simple gospel, be able to explain it, and let it be accepted or rejected by the one who hears. A child can do this because even a child can understand what the gospel signifies. Be bold about the power of God that is found in the gospel. Be willing to speak it forth! And then, when you have done your job, find someone else to tell it to.



Lord God, may we be bold in the proclamation of that which contains Your power to save. May we be willing to simply speak forth the gospel as responsible members of Your church. Give us the desire and strength of character to do so. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:8
Monday, 10 January 2022



Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: Acts 4:8




Standing before the leaders gathered at Jerusalem, Peter and John were just asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” Now, in response to that, Luke records, “Then Peter.”



As is the norm, Peter is the one who speaks on behalf of both. It was he that was given the keys of the kingdom of heaven as detailed in Matthew 16 –



“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’” Matthew 16:17-19



The idea of the “keys of the kingdom” will be more clearly understood as Acts progresses. For now, it is also of note that it was also Peter who was given the main commission by the Lord to “Feed My sheep.”



Peter is given specific authority and responsibility, and so he is the one who the narrative focuses on. Luke next notes that Peter is “filled with the Holy Spirit.” This is something explicitly said to the disciples of Jesus concerning their ministry –



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



In fulfillment of that, Peter is filled with the words and the wisdom of God to respond in the manner best determined by Him. As this is so, the exact and perfect words necessary to fulfill His purposes will be realized. Israel had rejected Christ and crucified Him. They bore the national guilt of what occurred.



Like in Acts 2 and again in Acts 3, Peter’s testimony now will be sufficient to unmistakably demonstrate that Jesus was and is their Messiah. They will have the freewill to repent of their actions and be healed, or the words Peter will speak will testify against them as a nation. The collective guilt will remain, and Acts will stand as a valid witness against them that their rejection and subsequent punishment by the Lord is justified.



This begins to be seen once again in the words of Peter now. As such, Luke continues, noting that Peter “said to them.” The council of rulers, elders, scribes, and priestly class – meaning all of those who should know and recognize Christ from Scripture, and who bear the authority for national decisions – are being addressed by the Lord’s messenger, filled with the Holy Spirit. It is in this state that Peter begins, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel.”



There is an underlying ominous tone for the nation with these words. The high priest was the mediator of the sacrificial system of the covenant. It is a minutely detailed system that was set up to anticipate the work of Jesus Christ. But a main point of that system was that various levels of authority within the nation required particular sacrifices for guilt.



In other words, when the high priest sinned, the sacrifice and the blood of the sacrifice had to be handled differently than for the common people (see Leviticus 4:1-12). This is true with a ruler of the people (see Leviticus 4:22-26) and of a sin committed by the entire congregation (see Leviticus 4:13-21).



However, because Christ had come and fulfilled the typology of all of these sacrifices, and because He had then brought the Mosaic Covenant to its fulfillment and annulment, those in these positions must come through Him to receive atonement – meaning the high priest, the rulers, and indeed the entire congregation. The national guilt exists, and it cannot be cleansed apart from acceptance of the work of their Messiah.



A clear note from the Lord’s mouth demonstrates this –



“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.” Matthew 23:1, 2



These rulers sat upon the seat of Moses. They administered the legislative aspect of the covenant. Along with the high priest who administered the sacrificial parts of it, they should have known better. They were responsible for knowing Scripture and understanding the time of their visitation. But they failed in this. The national guilt rested upon them. Peter is, once again, speaking to them in hopes of removing this guilt. If they reject His words, which are now recorded in Acts, those words will stand as a witness against them.



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



Have you ever heard anyone quote this, claiming that their words are inspired of God because of Jesus’ promise? If so, what is the problem with that? The answer is that Jesus was not speaking to or of them. Rather, he was speaking to His disciples, under the law, and in relation to the events that would relate to that particular context, and into the issuing of the New Covenant.



With Scripture complete, we now have the full and complete word of God to guide our speech before the world. It stands as the witness to God’s workings in Christ. We are to know Scripture, and to stand – by faith – upon its words.



This does not mean that people will not be filled with the Spirit during the church age. It is quite apparent that they are from Paul’s words. But when Paul says, “Be filled with the Spirit,” it is passive in the Greek – ἀλλὰ πληροῦσθε ἐν πνεύματι (alla plērousthe en Pneumati).



Paul’s words thus mean that we are not actively filled with the Spirit as Peter was. Instead, we receive the full measure of the Spirit the moment that we believe the gospel and are saved. Just as a man who marries a woman will never get more married, we will never get more of the Spirit. But just as a spouse can get more of his or her spouse through yielding to the other, the Spirit can get more of us as we yield our lives to God. In this, we are passively filled with the Spirit.



How does this come about? It comes about through study of the word, prayer, talking to God, rejoicing in the wonders of God, fellowshipping with other believers, praising God, etc. In our active pursuit of the things of God, we will be passively filled with the Spirit.



When a cup is filled, the cup doesn’t do anything active. It receives the wine because it is in a state ready to receive it. We must be in the proper state to receive the filling of the Spirit, and it isn’t in the manner that Pentecostals and Charismatics insist.



Let us honor the Lord with our lives and in our actions. In turn, we will be filled with the Spirit.



Lord God, thank You for our sealing with the Holy Spirit upon our faith in Christ. Now, may we be responsible with that event and yield ourselves to You, being filled – even to overflowing – with the joy of the Spirit and the life in Christ that we now possess. To Your glory we pray! Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:9
Tuesday, January 11th, 2022


Tuesday, 11 January 2022


If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, Acts 4:9






John and Peter stand before the council for interrogation, and Peter opens by addressing the “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel.” He now continues that with, “If we this day are judged.”



The words, “If we this day,” are a way of saying something like, “Since it is a fact that we are.” There they stood as if wrongdoers being “judged.” This is a technical word signifying to interrogate, inquire into, or examine. In other words, the council is set forth to determine a matter, not merely to make a judgment concerning an issue that has already been decided. It is a tribunal to determine facts concerning “a good deed.”



Here, the word euergesia is used. It signifies an act of beneficence. It is found only here and in 1 Timothy 6:2. After saying this, Peter immediately defines the subject of the act of beneficence without using any verb. The Greek reads –



“…a good work man ailing.”



His answer is abrupt and direct. It can be inferred that the way Peter responds is an emphatic retort to the question that was derogatorily asked of him in verse 4:7. The way the question was asked of them (indicated by the structure of the Greek) was demeaning. Peter’s response is not argumentative, but emphatic –



“By what power or by what name have you done this?”

“…a good work man ailing in what (means) he has been healed.”



It is with this empathic statement that Peter will next explain “by what means he has been made well.” In other words, there is no question that the man was healed. It has been accepted from the outset that it actually took place. However, the questioning of them is to determine how it came about. As far as the healing, the word Peter uses is sózó. It carries with it the sense of not only physical healing, but it is frequently connected to spiritual healing, or salvation.



It appears that Peter is setting up the rest of his response based on the use of this word. He easily could have just used a general term for healing, such as was used of Jesus’ work many times, therapeuó. But that would only refer to a physical healing, such as –



“Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.” Matthew 4:24



On the other hand, sózó is used for both the physical and the spiritual at times, such as is hinted at in Matthew 9 –



“But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, ‘Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And the woman was made well from that hour.” Matthew 9:22



The woman’s faith in Jesus brought her to a state of healing. Likewise, Peter’s healing of the beggar afterward appears to have brought a state of wholeness to him that extends beyond the physical act.



Life application: It is common in churches today to spread a social gospel where doing good things for others becomes a means an end in itself. There are soup kitchens, shelters for the night, and the like. However, in many of these types of ministries there is actually no communication of the gospel at all. In some, there is none because the gospel is deemed “offensive.”



Therefore, the idea is that the body will be taken care of by the ministry, and if the person appreciates the effort, maybe he will want to know about Jesus. If not, that is his choice. This is a perverse abuse of the gospel because it is no gospel at all. The person may be filled, warm, or feel better, but he is just as much on the path to the Lake of Fire as before he entered the doors of the church. In the end, nothing is really solved with this approach.



Unfortunately, this is the only “gospel” proclaimed by the pope in Rome. There is never a mention from the lips of whoever occupies that seat that people need Jesus to be saved. With his example, denominations around the world have followed suit.



The church is failing because the word of God is not proclaimed, and the gospel of Jesus Christ is not preached. If you are in such a church, it is time for you to bring up the faulty view of the ministry and work to get it corrected. If there is an unwillingness to do so, it is time for you to pack up and leave.



First and foremost, people need to hear the saving message of Jesus. After that, everything else will fall into its proper place.



Lord God, may we be willing to put You and Your word first in our lives. Help us to not be a part of that which fails to bring You glory through the sharing of the gospel of our wonderful Lord, Jesus. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:10

Wednesday, January 12th, 2022


“let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. Acts 4:10




Peter’s response to the council that has been assembled concerning the healing of the beggar has already begun. He continues his opening words to them now by naming the Source of the healing miracle that took place, saying, “let it be known to you all.”



Commentators give various ideas on Peter’s words, noting the boldness of what he says. Although this is true, it fails to acknowledge Jesus’ words from the gospels –



“You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” Matthew 10:18-20



Peter was given this promise and he knew that what he was saying was being directed by the Lord. As such, the credit for the boldness may only go to him indirectly. Ultimately his conduct is because of the Lord’s promise and because of the Lord’s hand upon him. As such, he could boldly proclaim the words to this notable gathering of Israel’s highest officials.



But Peter’s words extend beyond them. This is because they stand as the representatives of the nation. What they determined would decide the direction and the fate of the nation. Because of this, Peter continues with, “and to all the people of Israel.”



Whether the records of such meetings were available to the public or not, the intent of the words is that the proclamation stands, and that it will be one that affects everyone who belongs to the nation. It is as if Peter is calling out a judicial decree. As Jesus promised that it would be “the Spirit of your Father” who is speaking, it is – in fact – just this. The Lord God of Israel was conveying through His chosen apostle the words for Israel to hear and understand His intent.



With that in mind, Peter now directly refers to the Source of the healing, saying, “that by the name of Jesus Christ.”



Rather than “by the name,” the Greek more appropriately reads, en tō onnomati, “in the name.” The proclamation was made by Peter, and it had its effect –



“Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.’” Acts 3:6



The Name itself is where the healing was derived from because the name reflects the being. As Jesus Christ is the Lord, in Peter’s invoking the name, the healing was realized. But more, the title “Christ” is affixed to the name. As the word “Christ” is the Greek form of “Messiah,” Peter is saying, “in the name of Jesus the Messiah.”



What this demonstrates is that the office of Messiah is One that was completely misunderstood by the rulers of the people. This is clearly evident from what is happening. If Jesus is the Messiah, and if it was in His name that the man was healed (and determining the Source of the healing is the purpose of the gathering), then they have misunderstood everything about what was to be expected concerning the Messiah, even that He was “of Nazareth.”



They had already dismissed Jesus for exactly this reason –



“They answered and said to him, ‘Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.’” John 7:52



As Nazareth is in the area of the Galilee, they had misunderstood their own Scriptures which clearly identified that God’s light would shine forth from that area –



“Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,

As when at first He lightly esteemed

The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,

And afterward more heavily oppressed her,

By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,

In Galilee of the Gentiles.

2 The people who walked in darkness

Have seen a great light;

Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,

Upon them a light has shined.” Isaiah 9:1, 2



What may have been veiled was at least understandable in the general sense of the words. Something magnificent would occur in this area, and it would shine a wondrous light upon the people. As Israel’s leaders, it is inexcusable that they would not know this. It was their job, above all else, to know what the Scriptures – that established and guided them as a people – proclaimed.



With this understood, the words of Peter continue, saying, “whom you crucified.” Peter has proclaimed that Jesus is the Messiah. As this is so, and as the Scriptures testified to His life and work, it is apparent that their misunderstanding of who the Messiah was to be went even further.



It is unthinkable that the Messiah could have been crucified without it being a part of God’s plan. But here was Peter, proclaiming an obviously miraculous healing in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, “whom you crucified.”



The first point of this is that the blame rests squarely on those seated before the apostles, and to whom the words are directed. The word “you” means the council and thus all of Israel, who was also addressed. The nation bears the guilt for the crucifixion of their Messiah.



However, the second point is that this means the act had to be a part of God’s plan. The words of the Spirit of the Father, through Peter, are manifestly pointing to the fact that they had completely misunderstood everything in Scripture about the coming Messiah. This is true whether they acknowledge it or not.



But the Scriptures clearly indicated that Christ would die for the people. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 indicates this. It is acceptable for them to have misunderstood this, but it is no longer acceptable that they should continue in their ignorance. They have the Scriptures, they have the healed man bearing witness to the power of God being displayed, and they now have an explanation of the Scriptures that resulted from the own actions. The facts and the evidence of the events are undeniable.



Now that this has been clearly and unambiguously presented to the council, Peter tells the leaders what at least some of them already knew, saying, “whom God raised from the dead.”



A dead Messiah couldn’t do a thing to heal a man. And in Israel’s history, there had been plenty of “Messiahs” that had come and gone. However, the One now proclaimed by Peter is given full credit for having accomplished the miracle. As this is so, He cannot be dead. Peter’s words testify that He is not, and that it is God who raised Him. Thus, God’s approval must have been upon Him.



The amount of theology that is piling up in what is stated is literally incredible. It will continue to be explored for thousands of years. New insights into what occurred will arise and be contemplated based on what Peter is proclaiming to the council.



Each person there would be responsible for considering what they heard and applying their knowledge of Scripture to determine if what Peter was saying was in accord with it or not. From there, they would then be responsible for determining the meaning of it all. Or they could simply dismiss his words and ignore the truth of what was completely obvious that was being presented to them. And that truth is based on the very response to the question that they had asked. Their question was –



“By what power or by what name have you done this?” Acts 4:7



The summary of the response is, “by Him this man stands here before you whole.” Again, the Greek actually says, “in Him.” It is in Jesus Christ because it is in the name of Jesus Christ that the miraculous had been realized. The man who was obviously doomed to life as a cripple stood whole and restored, and with a new direction in both his physical and spiritual life, was healed in the name of Israel’s Messiah. The crucified One had prevailed over death, and the power that was realized in His name is evidenced in that fact.



Life application: It was noted that Israel had the Scriptures that testify to the coming of the Messiah. They tell what He would do, where He would do those things, and the result of His work. These Scriptures testified against them –



“And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:37-40



&



“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. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:45-47



Those same Scriptures are still available to Israel today. In their continued rejection of Him, the same condemnation remains that came upon the people two thousand years ago. We must never make the mistake in assuming that because Israel is back in the land that they are right with God. They are not. The favor of the Lord that is promised to be upon the people and the land is future to us now.



We cannot pick and choose our allegiances. Rather, we must take God’s word as it is given to us. Until they, as a nation and under the approval of their leaders, call out to Jesus, they remain under the wrath of God. His reestablishing them, and the resulting catastrophes to come upon them, are also detailed in the prophets.



Pray for Israel just as you would pray for any lost people. But thank God for His faithfulness to them, despite their continued rejection of Him. Great are His tender mercies to those He has covenanted with. If you are in Christ, this includes you. So, thank God for His favor towards you.



Lord God Almighty, thank You for the hope we possess in Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank You for Your faithfulness to us, even when we stray. And Lord, we lift up Israel. Guide them to search out Your word and to find what they have missed for so long. Yes, Lord God, lead them to You through Your precious word. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:11

Thursday, January 13th, 2022

]

This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Acts 4:11


Peter just referred to Jesus, who was crucified by the leaders. Now, to directly show the fulfillment of Scripture in this, he cites Psalm 118:22, beginning with, “This is.”



The Greek word here is a masculine pronoun. It can be rendered “This,” but it may be more appropriately rendered “He” in this case. Some versions paraphrase it and simply say, “Jesus is…” or, “This Jesus is…” No matter what, the words are clear enough to get the sense of Peter’s intent. With this subject given, he then says that He is “the stone.”



The Hebrew word, translated as “stone,” is eben. That comes from the same root as the word banah, to build. As such, it is something that is employed in a building process. For example, one builds an altar with stones. Also, one builds a temple with stones. In Genesis 28, Jacob is said to have used a stone for resting his head when he had his dream of a ladder reaching to heaven.



One can see the symbolism of Christ in it. A stone was set, and from it a ladder was placed reaching back to heaven. Christ is the stone, Christ is the ladder, Christ is the gate (the door) at the top of the ladder – He is the means of access to restoration with God. In the morning, Jacob set up the stone, building a pillar as a memorial to what occurred.



Understanding the symbolism of the stone, Peter continues, saying of it, “which was rejected by you.”



The accusation is directed to the council, represented by the priests, the scribes, the elders, and the rulers. In other words, all of the leadership of the nation had together rejected the stone. To make this more poignant, he then says, “builders.”



The Greek reads, tōn oikodomōn, “the builders,” and it should be rendered as such. As noted, this is a citation from the 118th Psalm –



“The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.” Psalm 118:22



These people are called “the builders,” because they formed together the civil and religious government, shaping it according to the needs of the nation and (supposedly) in accordance with the law that established them. Through them the nation was built into a nation that was to reflect the name and nature of the Lord as His people.



Jesus had already cited the psalm to them during His ministry –



“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the Lord’s doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.



Now, in fulfillment of the psalm, and in fulfillment of Jesus’ words that they would do exactly what the psalm prophesied, Peter repeats the words to this council, calling what He said to their memory. It is a sharp and piercing indictment that what they had done was known to God before it ever took place, and thus their actions were known to God at that very moment. However, despite their rejection of Him, Peter finishes the citation, saying, “which has become the chief cornerstone.”



If the word “He” is used as the subject, then “who” should now be used to agree with that. If “This” is used, then “which” should be used –



“He is the ‘stone who was rejected by you builders, who has become the chief cornerstone.’”



“This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’”



Either way, the leaders would understand. They were responsible for the building of the nation based on the Law of Moses. In their building, they were to select “stones” appropriate to that task in order to bring the Law and the Prophets to their fullness. As these things pointed to Jesus, they were to recognize that and to then use Him as that very foundational stone of their building.



However, they rejected Him, thus they rejected the cornerstone of what God would do. This is because, despite their rejection of Him, Christ did become the Chief Cornerstone. However, this would not have happened if they did not reject Him first. The paradox is amazing to consider.



Despite their rejection of Him, He was used by God and upon Him the true temple of the Lord would be built. They now had a choice to make in accepting that or rejecting it. Isaiah also prophesied of the event, providing additional confirmation of what God would do in and through Christ Jesus –



“Therefore thus says the Lord God:

‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation,

A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;

Whoever believes will not act hastily.’” Isaiah 28:16



Life application: The words of this psalm, and the corresponding words of Isaiah, will be repeated in the New Testament as it is ascribed to Jesus. They are found in Romans 9:33 (citing Isaiah), Ephesians 2:20 (citing the psalm), and 1 Peter 2:6-8 (citing both Isaiah and the psalm together).



Following such things after learning the symbolism of individual words will give a much fuller understanding of how God is developing theology within Scripture. Individual words, concepts, or material things (like rocks, stones, water, the fig tree, and so on), are consistently used to form concepts that then reveal truths about the nature of God, the state of things in the world in relation to God, how things operate in His mind so that we can align our thoughts to His, and so on.



Don’t rush through the Bible as you read it, but rather think on the things that are presented, and then file them away in your memory. As you come to another use of that thing (a stone for example), think on how its use aligns or contrasts with the previous use you had filed away.



In this, your mind will begin to develop in sound theology. Just don’t make things up on your own. Rather, draw out from what is being revealed. In this, your understanding of God’s intent for how things are presented and how they can be applied to your own spiritual life will be solidified.



Lord God, thank You for the marvelous intricacy of Your word. As we read it, new insights seem to spring forth that allow us to say, “Aha! I get it. I see what God is saying.” Thank You for this wonderful, joyful process of looking into and learning about Your mind. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:12

Friday, January 14th, 2022


Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12




Peter has clearly identified Jesus with the Messianic hope through his citing of Scripture. The council would understand this perfectly. But now, He more precisely identifies Jesus in a particular role that was impossible to come from any other source than God, saying, “Nor is there salvation in any other.



A definite article precedes “salvation” in the Greek – “Nor is there the salvation in any other.” This then refers to the messianic hope of deliverance from sin and restoration with God that was lost at the fall of man. In the Old Testament, the use of an article before “salvation” is found only three times. The first is found in 1 Samuel 14 which is referring to salvation of the nation in battle. The other two times are in the psalms where David obtains “the salvation” from the Lord in battle, and in Isaiah 12 –



“And in that day you will say:

‘O Lord, I will praise You;

Though You were angry with me,

Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.

2 Behold, God is my salvation,

I will trust and not be afraid;

‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;

He also has become my salvation.’

3 Therefore with joy you will draw water

From the wells of [the] salvation.” Isaiah 12:1-3



The words of Isaiah are messianic in nature, and they reflect a sense of “the salvation” being accessible solely from the Lord God. It is a hope that the Messiah would come to provide this, and Peter confirms that this was to be found in Jesus and in Him alone. As he said, it is not found in any other. He then continues on by saying, “for there is no other name.”



The Greek translated here as “other” signifies another, something different, a second, and so on. It is a word of exclusivity. The salvation is found in Christ Jesus, and it is not to be found in any other source. This unmistakably indicates that “the salvation,” of which the leaders of Israel would be perfectly aware of the meaning, was a direct threat to their direct positions within the community. The reason for this is that it then means at least two immediate things, with innumerable new thoughts issuing from them:



No person could be saved through obedience to the Law of Moses, of whom they were the stewards. This is because “Moses” is another name.

If “the salvation” is found in Jesus, then the law must now be annulled in Him.

One of the thoughts that would be a direct explanation for this is that the Mosaic law included the Levitical system of priestly sacrifices. But they never brought about complete cleansing from sin. If they did, a single sacrifice would have been offered and that would have been the end of it. But the sacrifices were repeated continuously – as needed, daily, monthly, and year after year as directed by the law.



But if “the salvation” came through Jesus, then His death was a one-time and for-all-time sacrifice for sin. As it occurred apart from the Mosaic Law, it means that the law must have first been fulfilled in Him and then it was set aside in order to establish the New Covenant.



In other words, as the Law of Moses anticipated the coming of Messiah, and as the Messiah had come, then the New Covenant anticipated in the law itself (Jeremiah 31:31) must be found in Him alone, apart from the Law of Moses. All of this is more fully explained in the book of Hebrews, but the truth of what is stated there would have been understood by the leaders in some aspect, even as Peter spoke out his words to them.



With this noted, Peter adds in more words of exclusivity concerning the name of Jesus, saying, “under heaven.”



The words qualify and further explain “no other name.” There is not any other person born into the stream of human existence by which “the salvation” can be obtained. Peter then adds a synonymous thought to ensure this is more perfectly understood with the words, “given among men.”



This excludes anyone born to Adam. Apart from Jesus, no prophet, no priest, no king, no instructor of the law, no other religious leader (such as Buddha or Muhammed) and so on, is to be found in the stream of humanity “by which we must be saved.”



The Greek uses the word “in.” It is in the name of Jesus, and in none other, that it is necessary to find salvation. One is either in Christ Jesus and he is saved, or he is not in Christ Jesus, and he will not be saved. Everything about what Peter says is clear, unambiguous, and perfectly exclusive to the name of Jesus.



A somewhat paraphrased but marvelous translation of this verse is given in the Weymouth New Testament –



“And in no other is the great salvation to be found; for, in fact, there is no second name under Heaven that has been given among men through which we are to be saved.”



Life application: This verse teaches us what Jesus has already said in John 14:6. There is one way, and one way alone, to be reconciled to God the Father. Apart from Him, the condemnation that rests upon all men (John 3:18) remains upon them. One must move from Adam to Christ in order to be saved. If you are not grounded in, and willing to proclaim, this fundamental truth, then you need to adjust your thinking. God has spoken, and as Paul says, “let God be true but every man a liar.”



We can lie to ourselves and to others, but we cannot lie to God, nor will God ever speak that which is untrue. Ground yourself in Christ and proclaim His name alone for the salvation which has been presented to all men.



Lord God, Your word proclaims that Jesus Christ alone can reconcile us to You. It is an unpopular word in today’s world, but it is… Your word. I will stand upon it to the end. Jesus Christ alone! Amen and amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:13

Saturday, January 15th, 2022


Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13


Only the words of Peter are recorded, but from this verse it appears that both Peter and John had spoken. As Peter is the main focus of the ongoing narrative, it is his words that Luke has focused on. With this understanding, it is probable that John had spoken previously at the temple as well. This is a side issue, but it is at least worth noting.



The focus is on Peter specifically to stand as a testimony that he, as the apostle to the circumcision (meaning the Jews), had witnessed and presented the gospel to them. In their national rejection of Jesus, the focus will then switch to that of Paul and to the effective evangelism of the Gentiles. For now, and understanding this, Luke continues by saying, “Now when they saw.”



The verb is a present participle and should be rendered as such, “Seeing now…,” or “Now seeing…” It is a reference to the council that included the rulers, elders, scribes, high priest, and others of the high priestly family noted in verses 4:5, 6. This gathering is then to be considered the most educated and sophisticated group of people in the nation. What they saw (meaning saw and heard) concerns “the boldness of Peter and John.”



The word signifying “boldness” means more than just being outwardly brash or offensive, but rather it reveals a confidence in what they were conveying. There was no ambiguity, equivocation, or peevishness in them. What they said was plainly stated and would have been plainly understood. With this defining them and their words, it notes that those of the council “perceived.”



The word translated as “perceived” signifies to lay hold of something, and thus to understand or apprehend. Despite their eloquence and confidence of speech, the council had become fully aware “that they were uneducated.”



The word, found only here in Scripture, literally means “unlettered.” This means they had not had any formal rabbinic training. And yet, what they had spoken forth was based upon Scripture and was spoken in the proper context. One would expect Peter’s citing of Scripture to be a “pick and choose” approach that presented a few verses out of context, but this was not the case. This continues to be seen in the next description of them which says, “and untrained men.”



It is a new word in Scripture, idiótés. One can see the immediate connection to our modern word “idiot,” of which it still bears a similar meaning to that of the Greek. It signifies a person who lacks education or proper instruction. Because of this, his words would be poorly structured and easily misunderstood.



However, despite being unlettered and unlearned Galileans – apparent idiots in comparison to them – the apostles spoke with an eloquence and flavor of speech that amazed the council. As such, “they marveled.”



It is the same word used in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, and they began to speak in tongues. At that time, it said –



“Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?’” Acts 2:7



The fluency of speech in other languages of that passage has turned into a fluency of speech and oration in this passage. In both instances, the reaction is to be awestruck to the point of wondering greatly. One can almost hear the mutters among the council, “How can they know these things? They are just country bumpkins!” But this process of thought brought them to a new comprehension. As Luke next records, “And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”



Here, the same word is used as was cited when the crowd recognized the beggar who was healed in Acts 3:10. It was as if a light had switched on. In essence, “The same awareness of the Scriptures that we saw in Jesus is also in them.” And, of course, it should be so. The same Author of Scripture filled them both. This is something Peter carefully records later in his second epistle –



“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:19-21



The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Scripture, and the Holy Spirit filled Jesus, and now He fills the apostle with the understanding and ability to rightly communicate this word to those they encountered. This is explicitly stated of Jesus in Luke 4:1, and it was just noted of Peter in Acts 4:8.



The fact that these men had been with Jesus should have clued them into the fact that more was going on than would normally be realized. But their minds rejected what they perceived in Jesus, instead finding offense at Him –



“Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?’ 57 So they were offended at Him.

But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.’ 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” Matthew 13:53-58



Life application: It should not be expected that believers today will suddenly be filled with the Spirit and start to rightly quote Scripture when challenged by others. The passage before us is descriptive. It simply describes what occurred in order to establish the basis for the faith, and to demonstrate that even with an active working on the part of the Spirit, the leaders and people of Israel rejected their Messiah.



Today, we have the whole counsel of God, and we are expected to know it. And, we are expected to not only know it, but to handle it properly. There are countless professors of theology that do neither in both colleges and seminaries around the world. They are untrained in proper theology because they are first unschooled in the word.



Those who grow in the word first will be able to avoid this happening to them. They will know when faulty theology is presented. Even if they do not necessarily know what is correct, they can at least weed out that which is incorrect.



Learning proper theology is hard work, but once it is obtained, then right doctrine can be applied to that theology. The most important aspect of this process is to be properly learned in Scripture. Therefore, read the Bible. Keep reading the Bible. And then, read the Bible more. Never stop reading this word. It is a safeguard against the poor theologies that abound in the world today.



As a final note, be sure to read the Bible.



Lord God, give us the strong hunger to desire Your word at all times. Help us to be wise and to set it before us when we rise. Help us to be discerning and to contemplate it throughout the day. And, Lord, help us to consider it once again before we retire at night. May our days be filled with reading and considering Your precious word. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:14
Sunday, 16 January 2022



And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. Acts 4:14




The previous verse noted the boldness of Peter and John despite being uneducated and untrained. It also noted that these two had been with Jesus. With that thought in mind, a thought that brought them into union with the One the council had supposedly done away with, the thought is surely that they must be punished for speaking about Jesus and the resurrection. However, there was a problem with that. Luke introduces that with the words, “And seeing the man.”



As in verse 4:10, it is evident that the man who was healed was right there in front of everyone. He would have been known by sight to anyone who regularly passed through the gate where he sat. His deformed and emaciated legs would have been readily apparent to them, and yet he now stood before them healed. And more, the credit has gone solely to the One they had crucified, and whom the apostles avowed had been resurrected. The apostles were proclaiming that it was in the power of His name that the council was seeing the man “who had been healed standing with them.”



This was a huge problem for them, because if every one of them had passed by the man time and time again, and if he had remained unhealed with each passing, it then meant that they – the leading men of Israel – were unable to do what these uneducated men were able to do by simply proclaiming healing in the name of Jesus.



They had seen the miracles of Jesus during His entire ministry. Again, and again, they had challenged Him and spoken against Him. And now, those who followed Him had performed their own miracle. But they had done it under the authority of His name. This would only be effective if His name truly had power, and His name could only hold such power if He was alive. The conundrum for them was an impossible one. As such, “they could say nothing against it.”



The Greek word, antilegó, translated as “say against,” signifies “to contradict.” It is a compound word coming from anti, or “opposite to,” and legó, meaning “to say.” The apostles have made a claim that the man was healed through Jesus. He stood there healed, something otherwise completely impossible for them to have done. As such, the authorities could not contradict their claim. If they could not do that, then they could not punish Peter and John for any wrongdoing, even if they wished to. And verse 4:21 indicates that this is exactly what the leaders wished to do.



Life application: Many have come to Christ over the years. Some simply accept the gospel, but their lives don’t need a lot of change. They simply believe and are grateful for what happened. Some have larger changes where it is evident a new direction has taken place. Friends of family may see it and be curious, or they may think the person has simply flipped out. They accept the change but aren’t sure of the power behind it. And then, there are those whose lives are so utterly changed that it truly is an inexplicable conversion.



Such a person may have been a brawler, a drunkard, a drug addict, a prostitute, or some other lost soul. Nobody would have ever thought he or she would amount to anything again. And yet, there he or she is, cleaned up and completely whole again. When asked what happened and the answer is “Jesus,” it is something that simply cannot be contradicted. What was otherwise ruined and on the way to the garbage dump of human history suddenly becomes a precious gem in the stream of human existence.



Such people are living testimonies to the healing power of the name of Jesus. But just because many believers did not have such tremendous conversions, it doesn’t change the fundamental truth that every person who comes to Christ has had such a change. They each went from being 100% lost to 100% saved. Let us remember this. It is an argument that anyone can use while witnessing to others.



God does not grade on a bell curve. Rather, there are the redeemed of the Lord, and then there are all others. The problem isn’t the severity of the sin, nor the amount of sin in one’s life. The problem is that there is sin in one’s life. Let us each be thankful for the healing that came about through Christ’s cross, and let us be willing to tell others of the gift that they too can share in. It is a gift that everyone needs.



Heavenly Father, we are all in need of Jesus. Being saved through His cross is something that no person can do without if they want to be restored to You. Help us to be able to explain this fundamental truth to all who we encounter along life’s path. Everything else will find its place after that, but help us to remember to get this truth through first. Help us to share the good news that is found in the forgiveness of sins, and eternal life through Jesus. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:15
Monday, 17 January 2022



But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, Acts 4:15


Luke just noted that the council had no way of speaking against the healing of the beggar because he was there, standing with them. However, this doesn’t mean that a decision by the council could not be made. As such, Luke continues with, “But when they had commanded them.”



They are Israel’s leaders, and as such, they had the right to direct the men within the parameters of the law. Further, they had the right to deliberate matters that came before them. In order to do this, they determined it would be better to confer without the continued presence of the apostles and the healed man. Therefore, they were directed “to go aside out of the council.”



This is still a common practice in courts. Private discussions and reviews occur, such as when the jurists are directed to go into a private setting to decide a matter or when the judge and the lawyers confer alone. In this, the objective is obviously not to speak against the healing of the man, but to stop the apostles from speaking about Jesus. That is evident from earlier in this same chapter –



“Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” Acts 4:1, 2



The apostles were proclaiming Jesus was alive when those of the council had seen Him crucified and dead. They were proclaiming He was the Messiah when the leaders of the nation had rejected Him. They were proclaiming healing in His name while these same leaders had ambled past the man day after day without ever entertaining such a thought.



What was happening was like a stain upon them in many ways and they wanted it washed away. As such, they looked for an answer to the matter and “they conferred among themselves.”



The main reason for this private deliberation was to come to an agreed resolution on the matter. Each division of these men had something to gain from stopping the speech of the apostles, and each of them surely had something to lose if the matter was not handled properly. Certain aspects of their previous involvement in the crucifixion of Christ could come to light.



But more, and this surely had to be on their minds, is the continued nagging thought that what these men had been preaching might be true. The evidence of the healing was undeniable. The conversion of many thousands had already taken place. These things were not hidden in a corner. What was decided by this council wasn’t just a matter of imprisoning a couple of hicks from Galilee. Rather, it was something that appeared to be substantial, and it was growing more so with each day that passed.



Life application: Up to this point, the apostles have been obedient to the rulers of Israel. They allowed themselves to be taken into custody. They spent the night in the jail. They have stood before the council of leaders and stated their case. Now, they have complied with being removed from the council as it deliberates.



Likewise, Paul writes in Romans something that corresponds to Jesus’ words of rendering unto Caesar what is due to Caesar –



“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” Romans 13:1-7



At what point does allegiance to the governing authorities no longer apply? It is a question each person must be prepared to consider. Is it ever right to be disobedient to such authorities?



The Bible is often used as a tool to meet set agendas by one side or another. One common method is for those who couldn’t care one iota about God or what the Bible says to cite verses from Scripture in order to shame Christians into silence. This is consistently done by taking verses completely out of their intended context. But unless those Christians know what the context is, they may actually be having their rights stripped from them by the very source which gives them their rights within the faith in the first place.



Christians must know the Bible well enough to know when it is being cited properly or not. They must engage in critical thinking, and they must be grounded in what is morally right. Without these things, the Christian is set to be misused by those who may have evil intent for them. Please read and know your Bible.



Lord God, we thank You for Your wonderful word. May we be wise and diligently study it daily. Give us wisdom in its contents, the ability to discern its truths, and the smarts to know when it is being miscited by those who have perverse agendas. Yes, Lord. Help us to be well-informed concerning this precious word. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:16

Tuesday, January 18th, 2022


saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. Acts 4:16


The verse now begins in the middle of a thought that started with the previous verse. Taken together, they read –



“But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, ‘What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.’”



As can be seen, it is the council that has gathered together that has sent Peter and John outside while they confer. With them excused, they begin by “saying, ‘What shall we do to these men?’”



For such a council, the question is wholly inappropriate. They were called together to hear a matter, judge as to its legality in accord with the law, and to then determine the verdict on that matter alone. The verdict was to be “Guilty before the law” or “Not guilty of violating the law.” Only if a finding of guilt was determined would a punishment then be decided upon. And that too was to be according to whatever the law set forth.



Nothing like this is now taking place. To ask, “What shall we do to these men?”, is to decide a punishment without a verdict of guilt. It is obvious that what they wanted was to quiet them concerning the message they proclaimed. But it is a message that was validated as to its truth, as they themselves note, saying, “For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done.”



Rather than “miracle,” the word sémeion, or “sign,” is used. It should be translated as such. It is true that this was a miracle, but miracles are often signs. However, miracles don’t necessarily point to something else. They are often simply a demonstration of power which results in an effect. A sign goes further and points to something else.



In this case, it is a sign because it points directly to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah. It is a confirmation of this to the house of Israel. This is evident from what occurred in the healing of the beggar. He did not have faith to be healed. In fact, he did nothing. The record shows that Peter simply saw him and healed him. A miracle? Yes. But it is a miracle that is a sign –



“And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, ‘Look at us.’ 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.’ 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.” Acts 3:4-7



After this, Peter spoke to the people clearly stating that it was not they who healed the man, but rather the faith which is found in Jesus (not the man’s faith) that made it possible. This was carefully detailed during the analysis of Acts 3. It is this sign that was given, and the council even acknowledges that it is so. They go further, though, saying that the sign has been done “through them.”



It is an absolute confirmation that the sign points to something else. The sign was done dia, through, them. They were simply the means, not the Source, by which it came about. This is the same thing that is revealed in the confirmation that the Lord was with Moses. He was given three signs while on Mount Sinai. They were given to him to validate that his authority came from the Lord. When Moses presented them to the people, the signs confirmed the messengers –



“So Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. 30 And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.” Exodus 4:28-31



The people believed that the Lord was with Moses and Aaron. What they ultimately failed to do was to believe the Lord who sent them. The same is true here. That begins to be seen with the next words where they acknowledge that the sign done through them “is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem.”



Everyone who saw the healing of the beggar had to face the stark truth that it was a miracle. But more, they had to acknowledge that it was a confirmation of the power of Jesus, a sign. The apostles denied that they had been the source of the healing. Instead, they openly stated Who the Source was.



The sign pointed to the truth that Jesus is, in fact, alive. As such, it means He resurrected. And because of this, it proves that He is the Messiah. Even the council knew it was a sign. Not only was it evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, but they finish the thought with, “and we cannot deny it.”



Astonishingly, their own words testify to the truth of the matter, and their own words testify against them. They believed the words of the apostles that Jesus worked through them, but just like Israel at Moses’ time, they have failed to believe in the Lord who sent them.



Life application: Head knowledge does not always equate to acceptance of the heart. There are people in churches, denominations, and seminaries all over the world that know what the Bible says about Jesus being resurrected. They know what the doctrine of the Trinity states. They know Jesus is said to be God incarnate. These things are understood by them. And yet, they don’t believe the God who has revealed these things.



Their religion is dead because they have never appropriated the grace of God by simply believing the gospel. Unless the head knowledge becomes belief in the heart, they are as far from God as any pagan. God is not a point of academics. And the things He has done are not simply acts without meaning. The very creation calls out who God is and what He is like –



“The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

2 Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge.

3 There is no speech nor language

Where their voice is not heard.

4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world.” Psalm 19:1-4



When we pursue knowledge, such as the knowledge of creation, we err if we do not include God in the pursuit. Our contemplation of all things should include God’s handiwork in what we are considering. With that in mind, we will become more and more in tune with a knowledge that goes beyond the mere mechanics of a thing. We will have an appreciation of why God has arranged things as He has.



May we let our every thought and study be guided by the desire to know more about our God who has so carefully arranged the world for man, and who has so consciously worked to return man to Himself through the giving of His Son.



Lord God, help us to see You as we seek out the wonders of life. Help us to appreciate You and all You have created and designed. You are worthy of our contemplations in such things. And so, may we never fail to add You into our evaluation of the things that we encounter from day to day. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:17

Wednesday, January 19th, 2022




But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” Acts 4:17


The council has deliberated concerning the matter of the healing and the apostle’s proclamation. They have even acknowledged that they cannot deny the authenticity of what occurred in the healing of the man. But they feel they must respond to what has occurred nonetheless, and so they render their decision, saying, “But so that it spreads no further.”



It has already been noted that what occurred has become “evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem,” as noted in the previous verse. However, being Galileans, it is certain that they would pass the words on to others visiting from Galilee, and they would probably continue to proclaim Christ to others visiting Jerusalem as well. If they were to go back to Galilee, there would even be their firsthand witness to share with the people. With just a few men, the entire nation could be apprised of the event rather quickly “among the people.”



This is the threat. If the message of Jesus is conveyed, saying that He has risen and it has been validated by a sign, it would mean that the leaders were complicit in the crucifixion of the Messiah. What would at first be news of a great miracle and the coming of the Messiah, would quickly turn into a backlash against the authorities who failed to recognize that He was, in fact, the Messiah. The people would no longer be compliant to their failed leadership. As such, the decision is to “let us severely threaten them.”



Manuscripts vary here. Some simply say, “threaten them.” Others say, “threaten them with a threat.” The latter seems more natural from the Hebrew perspective. Repeating a word in this manner is a common form of literary device that magnifies the intent of a matter. One might say, “With blessing I will bless you,” or “With killing you shall kill him.” In this, the matter is intensified. If this is what they said, it is likely Luke would have carefully recorded the intent of their words into the Greek.



Either way, their words will have no effect on the men. They will immediately refuse to comply and Acts 5 will have them once again arrested and taken before the council resulting in an even stricter penalty levied upon them. For now, however, the words of the council continue with, “that from now on they speak to no man in this name.”



The Greek preposition is epi, “upon.” It is the same one that was used in Acts 3:16. At that time, it was noted that Peter had healed the man based upon the faith found in (based upon) the name of Jesus. The same is being conveyed here. The council does not want the apostles to speak upon the name of Jesus, meaning as a foundational subject of their faith.



This is what defines the words “that it spreads no further.” The miracle was simply a proof of the authority of the name. It is the name that both convicts and offends, and it is proclaiming the foundation of that name that the council demands should come to an end.



Life application: Philippians 2 refers to the name of Jesus in the most exalted way that it could be proclaimed –



“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2: 9-11



This is a citation based upon Isaiah 45:23 –



“I have sworn by Myself;

The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness,

And shall not return,

That to Me every knee shall bow,

Every tongue shall take an oath.”



Paul directly equates the name and authority of the Lord (Yehovah) of the Old Testament to Jesus in the new, clearly identifying the two as the same Being. As such, the name of Jesus is an affront and an offence to both Jew and to Gentile. The Jew (meaning the nation of Israel) has rejected the name. The Gentile world, for the most part, also rejects it. There are innumerable religions and false gods associated with them. To be told that someday all will bow the knee to Jesus is an obvious affront to those people.



And more, many within supposed “Christian” denominations also find the name an affront because they proclaim “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:4). Thus, it is intolerable even to them that they have gotten things wrong.



With advancements in internet technology, the true Jesus can easily be contrasted to the false. No wonder the whole world will someday be opposed to the true gospel! The timing of the rapture, despite false predictions that arise almost daily, is (and will remain) completely unknown to us until it happens. There is no guarantee that believers will be free from intense persecution before that day. Indeed, in much of the world, this is as common as sand is in the desert.



If we truly believe the message of Christ, we must be willing to stand for it – even through any adversity that must come. This is not an issue of losing one’s salvation, but it is an issue of demonstrating faith to a world that increasingly needs such a witness. If not you, then who? Be sure to hold fast the name which is above every name. Hold fast to JESUS.



Gracious and merciful heavenly Father, You have done all that we need in order to be reconciled to You. As such, is it too difficult a thing for us to do all that we can to share this message of hope and reconciliation? Give us the fortitude to stand fast in the exalted name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:18

Thursday, January 20th, 2022


So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. Acts 4:18


The previous verse said, “But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” The intent of those words is now conveyed in the council’s injunction as explained by Luke, beginning with, “So they called them.”



In verse 19, only Peter and John will be noted. However, it is likely that these words were conveyed to the beggar as well. It is hard to imagine it would be otherwise, but the focus is on the apostles. The only thing that will be expressed about the beggar is found in verse 4:22. That will be a reference to his age, but the location of where the man himself is has been dropped from the narrative. As far as the words of the council, it simply says they called the apostles “and commanded them.”



The word translated as “commanded” is used by Luke several times when he refers to Jesus’ commanding those who were healed, or who saw His healing, not to tell anyone about the matter. It was also seen in Acts 1:4 when He commanded those assembled with Him to not depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father. As such, one gets the sense of an order that is to be maintained without exception. As far as the command from the council, it is “not to speak at all nor teach.”



The structure of the Greek words bears a strong emphasis. It is a strict prohibition as if saying, “You are absolutely never to speak or teach – at all – concerning this matter.” Further, Luke introduces a word into Scripture here that will only be seen again in 2 Peter 2:16 and 2 Peter 2:18. In 2 Peter 2:16, it is a reference to the donkey speaking to Balaam that is found in the book of Numbers. HELPS Word Studies gives a definition of the word that is exactly the opposite of what it means. They say –



“…to make a generic or unintelligible sound (resembling the whinny of a horse, LS); (figuratively) to speak in a way that is not understandable to the listener (‘unintelligible’).”



Rather, it means “to utter a clear sound” (Strong’s). It comes from the word pheggos, meaning brightness or light, and phémi, to declare. As such, Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines it, saying, “to give out a sound, noise, or cry; used by the Greeks of any sort of sound or voice, whether of man or animal or inanimate object — as of thunder, musical instruments, etc.; (φθέγγεσθαι [phtheggesthai]) denotes sound in its relation to the hearer rather than to its cause.”



When the donkey spoke to Balaam, it was a clearly understood proclamation. Likewise, the council was also clear. There was to be no proclamation made, nor teaching conducted “in the name of Jesus.”



As in the previous verse, the preposition in the Greek is epi, upon. They were not to speak or teach “upon” the name of Jesus. The name is the foundation of their proclamation, and the command is that they were not to make such an utterance again. The reason this is important is because the same preposition is used in Matthew 23:2 –



“saying, ‘Upon the seat of Moses the Pharisees and scribes sit.’”



Moses’ seat means his place of position and authority. It is the foundation of the law, and the Pharisees and scribes sat upon it. They are clearly calling the apostles to not speak upon the name of Jesus because it would clearly usurp their position upon the seat of Moses. But this is exactly what has happened. This is explained meticulously in Hebrews –



“Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.’ He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:8-10



The words “the first” and “the second” are referring to the Old and the New Covenants. Jesus’ work takes away the Old Covenant. The authority of Moses’ seat rests in Him, the embodiment of the law. As such, he is the Foundation of the New Covenant, and through His work a new and better hope is realized. The slight correction of the preposition makes a huge difference in being able to properly evaluate and understand what is being conveyed.



The council knows full well what the healing of the beggar means, but they have rejected that meaning and have fallen back on Moses. Their hope is a futile one, indeed. Because of their choice, their condemnation remains.



Life application: A couple important lessons are to be realized from studying this verse. The first is to think on the explanation of Greek words rather than to assume a commentary’s evaluation is necessarily correct. The meaning of the word translated as “speak” is exactly the opposite of what HELPS Word Studies gave (as noted above). Rather than to make an unintelligible sound, it is to speak out so that what is said is clearly understood by the hearer.



The second lesson is that just because a translation, or many translations, all say the same thing, it does not mean that they are correct. After analyzing this verse for commentary, forty-six versions of this verse were compared. Only one rendered the preposition as given in the Greek, the Literal Emphasis Translation, which says, “And having called them, they commanded them to not speak at all nor to teach upon the name of Jesus.”



And yet, the meaning of “upon” has a set and definite purpose that more clearly and perfectly explains the intent of what is being said. The contrast concerning the seat of Moses (upon which the council sat) to the position of Christ who now is at the right hand of God (Act 2:33) is absolute.



Because of these things, be sure to spend as much time and thought as necessary to consider the Scripture that you are studying. Think on what is presented, meditate on what you have read, and ask the Lord to lead you as you consider this magnificent treasure we call “the Holy Bible.”



Lord God, Your word is a treasure. It is a light to our feet as we walk along the path of life. It is a lamp that illuminates the world around us so that we can avoid evil and pursue what is good and right. Help us, O God, to carefully and conscientiously consider Your word each and every day of our lives. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:19

Friday, January 21st, 2022




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).



Peter and John have just been called in and commanded to not speak or teach upon the name of Jesus. Now they wisely choose to appeal to a higher authority. That begins with Luke recording, “But Peter and John.”



Although referring to both Peter and John in the same sentence is not unusual, it is of note that it is almost always Peter who is then noted as speaking. However, Luke specifically notes John and includes his voice in what is said, demonstrating that the matter is something they both agree to and openly avow. With this noted, Luke continues that it is both who “answered and said to them.”



John is not just a timid bystander allowing Peter to carry all the weight of what is spoken. He clearly has his priorities in line with what is right and is willing to speak out along with Peter, even against the entire council that has gathered to hear their words, and which has now commanded their silence about Jesus Christ. Their bold stand starts with, “Whether it is right in the sight of God.”



This is what is of paramount importance, and their words clearly indicate it as such. The highest human authorities in the land have gathered, those who sit on Moses’ seat, those who minister in the temple, the elders, and so on. They all have rendered a decision concerning a matter, but Peter and John together voice their minds, elevating the matter to one that must be pleasing to God, first and foremost.



The implication clearly is that they believe those in authority before them are – by default – not pleasing to God in their judgment. Their words want to know if it is right in God’s sight “to listen to you more than to God.”



How can this be? It comes back, once again, to Scripture. The words of the author of Hebrews clearly demonstrate that Moses was the highest authority in the land. As these men sat on Moses’ seat, they were sitting in the place of God concerning the law –



“Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” Hebrews 10:28



This is why the author of the psalm (as agreed to by Jesus in John) uses the term elohim, or “gods,” to describe such men –



“I said, ‘You are gods,

And all of you are children of the Most High.’” Psalm 82:6



They were elevated to such a position that they were considered separate from the people in this regard, making decisions on behalf of God when in accord with the Law of Moses. However, the Psalm doesn’t end with that. In the next verse it says –



“But you shall die like men,

And fall like one of the princes.” Psalm 82:7



They were, in fact, men. Their position was to uphold Moses. But Moses wrote of one to come who would present words introducing a New and better Covenant. Jesus claimed, and then proved, to be that One –



“Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your law, “I said, “You are gods”’? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” John 10:34-38



This is then what the author of Hebrews tells the people in his next words of Hebrews 10 –



“Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:29-31



The Son of God had come. He had demonstrated His position and authority, and He was now to be heard, confirming the very words of Moses that the council had rejected. So, who should the apostles listen to, God or these men? With this stated to them, they adamantly state, “you judge.”



The apostles had clearly presented their case to the council, proving that the same Jesus whom they had crucified had healed the man. The sign stood as confirmation of the claim that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah) and, as such, He was to be obeyed. If a right and honest decision was made concerning the matter by the council, it would be that He – rather than they – were to be obeyed concerning their decision.



Life application: The words of this verse are in accord with the words of Acts 5:29 –



“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’”



Though the passage is descriptive in and of itself it states, they form a precept that still applies to all believers. We cannot disobey God, meaning what He has stated in Scripture, and rather obey a lesser authority. For example, though abortion is not directly addressed in Scripture, a moral precept concerning the matter is clearly defined in Scripture. If a society says that its people are to abort children, that must be disobeyed by believers. Abortion is a moral evil that is not to be allowed within the church, even if it is allowed within society.



All moral issues are first and foremost to be evaluated against Scripture. What man decides must be rejected when that decision does not align with the moral basis provided by God.



A second precept to be drawn, once again, from this verse is that the Law of Moses is now fulfilled and annulled in Christ. This is perfectly obvious from what has been stated, right in this verse, from Acts. Jesus had earlier said to the people –



“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.” Matthew 23:2, 3



If the law were still in effect, Peter and John would be guilty of violating both the Law of Moses and Jesus’ instructions concerning it. But a New Covenant with a new Leader and direction had been instituted. In disobeying the leaders on what they decided, it is a clear indication that this New Covenant had superseded the old. The lesson is to stay away from any teacher who instructs you to obey any precept of the Law of Moses. Our doctrine is to be obtained solely from what is presented in the New Covenant.



Lord God, it is right and proper that we will obey You rather than men. When a law of the land in which we live is contrary to a precept that is clearly presented in Your word, give us the wisdom to recognize it, the voice to speak against it, and the willingness to disobey it rather than to be found disobedient to Your word. Give us both the wisdom and the desire to be obedient in this. To Your glory we pray. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:20

Saturday, January 22nd, 2022

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20






Peter and John had just stated to the council, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.” Now, they add on their note of intended non-compliance to the council’s determination, beginning with, “For.”



In essence, they are clearly justifying why they will not comply with the decision that has been rendered. They had said, “you judge.” As for them, they have already judged and if the two judgments do not align, it is theirs that will take the priority. That is unambiguously made known with the words, “we cannot but speak the things.”



They will speak, and there is a higher authority that requires them to do so. That thought is tied in with the idea of listening to God. If God has spoken, then it would be inappropriate to not heed the things that He has said. Again, as noted in the previous verse, this is a clear indication that the Law of Moses is now no longer in force.



The men who stood and commanded Peter and John to not speak in the name of Jesus were those who sat upon Moses’ seat. They bore the authority of Moses, and Moses has spoken for God. If Peter and John were disobedient to them, it was as if they were disobedient to God… unless they had proof that their conduct was validated by God.



As Moses had spoken of the coming Messiah, and as he had told them that He must be heard, then it is a poignant note that Messiah’s word would now be what held rule over the people of Israel. In essence, Moses, almost fifteen hundred years earlier, had talked himself out of a job at some point in future history. Time had met up with that point, and now a new order of things had come. That time is validated by their next words, which say, “which we have seen and heard.”



The council itself had noted that the healing was a sign. Added onto that were all of the doctrines of Christ that Peter and John had been taught, all of the miracles, signs, and wonders He had performed, the cross which had taken His life, and then the resurrection where He stood alive and whole before them.



They had the proofs needed to assure them of what was right and proper, and they would boldly proclaim those things no matter what. The decision was not a difficult one because it was fully supported by the hand of God upon the message they proclaimed.



Life application: Many people were raised in Christian homes, and what they believe is based upon what they were taught. That is a good thing. However, many people were brought up in Buddhist, Muslim, or Shinto homes, and they believe what they were taught. Someone could then say, “Well that is a good thing too.”



What is the difference? The answer depends on which God or “god” one is serving. That there is one God can be deduced in various ways. We do not need a book to determine this. Simply taking the time to think the matter through can bring the human mind to know this.



And more, there are certain things about this one God that can be known as well. These things take careful thought to deduce, but it can be done. Eventually, one can weed out all non-monotheistic religions, Hinduism, for example. And more, one can then weed out incorrect monotheistic religions, Islam, for example.



These things can be done. In the doing, one is left with actually only one possibility as to what God is like. But this does not prove that the God presented in Scripture is the one true God. However, there is such an abundance of evidence that He is – such as in fulfilled prophecy – that eventually a person must reasonably ask, “If there is a God, and if He has presented Himself to the world, is what I am reading about Him in the Bible true?”



One can say, “The fulfillment of these prophecies is interesting, but it is still just random chance. The descriptions are perfectly in accord with what I can know about God, but someone just figured out the same thing and wrote a book that matches what I know. I just cannot believe that God would make this effort.”



Or, one can say, “I have all the evidence I need to believe that the God presented in the Bible is the true God, and that He has actually communicated His message to mankind in a knowable, verifiable way. I accept this word, and I believe.”



In the end, it comes down to one word – faith. God asks us to simply believe that He has done it. The smartest biblical scholar on the planet is as far from God as is the vilest murderer if he will not believe. God has spoken, and He has presented His word to the people of the world. He asks you to have faith in what He says. Trust Him and believe.



Lord God, thank You for the Holy Bible that tells us of what You have done, are doing, and have yet to do for us in order to bring us back to You. It is a precious and sacred word that we possess. Help us to be responsible with it all the days of our lives. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:21
Sunday, 23 January 2022



So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. Acts 4:21


Peter and John have clearly stated their intentions to speak concerning what they had seen and heard. The council’s command found no footing in them, but there was nothing further that could be done other than bring more empty words of threat. This is seen now in verse 21, beginning with, “So when they had further threatened them.”



As just noted, Peter and John plainly stated that it was their intention to continue speaking out. They knew it was right, they had the authority of the Lord to do so, and those who administered the law had no justifiable reason to punish them. All they could do was threaten them some more and then “they let them go.”



Whether the beggar was there with them, or if he had already been excused, Luke’s words center on the apostles. Their words effectively communicated the events that occurred, the healing that had been performed stood as its own witness to the truth of their words, and thus their defense was valid. Those who wished to silence them had to release them, “finding no way of punishing them.”



Here is a new word that will only be seen again in 2 Peter 2:9, kolazó, to chastise. Vincent’s Word Studies says it was, “Originally, to curtail or dock; to prune as trees: thence to check, keep in bounds, punish.” The council was in a bind because they did not have the weight of the law behind them to support them and to legally keep the apostles curtailed. There was nothing to be found in Scripture that would justify one of the punishments authorized by Moses. In fact, just the opposite was true.



Luke, who carefully and meticulously provides every necessary detail, says nothing of witnesses – even false witnesses – that could testify against the apostles. But witnesses were required in order to render punishment upon offenders. Should they abuse their authority in such a way, it would cause real problems for them “because of the people.”



This was their main concern, not just at this time, but at other times as well. For example, when the leaders confronted Jesus about a matter, instead of directly responding to their question, knowing it was a trap, He asked them another question that put them in a bind. Their fear of the people’s reaction dictated their words and their judgments –



Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

24 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25 The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”

And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.



The same state of fear concerning the people is seen in them now in Acts. They understood that they were limited by the constraints of the law, and the people were aware of what those constraints were. In this case, the apostles had the support of the people and therefore the council had to give up any intention of punishing them. If they did, it would have aroused the masses who had – only one day before – seen the sign of the healing “since they all glorified God for what had been done.”



These words follow directly upon what the beggar himself had done –



“So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God.” Acts 3:8, 9



When the man was healed, he gave God the praise. When Peter addressed the crowd, he then denied that he had accomplished the miracle, but instead said that it had been upon “the faith” in Jesus’ name that it had occurred. It was a demonstration of God’s approval of Christ Jesus.



Further, Peter indicated to the people that Jesus was the fulfillment of the words of Moses that God would raise up a Prophet like him. As this was accepted by the people, it meant that what was done was in accord with the law of Moses. Because of this, the people glorified God for the man’s healing. If the council were to punish the apostles, it would be taken as an act against the Law of Moses and against God who directed the issuance of that law. The consequences of that would be that the people would surely revolt.



Life application: In the US, there is a constitution that establishes the rule of law. The government, when run by miscreants, will do its best to work around the law, override the law, or simply suspend the law. But the constitution is the basis of the law. It is what gives them power in the first place. Because this is so, if the people are aware of what the constitution says, they will rightly revolt when the fundamental precepts found in this document are not adhered to.



For example, the Second Amendment to the US Constitution clearly and unambiguously provides for the bearing of arms by the citizens of the nation. When the government whittles away at this right, there will be blowback from the citizens through the legal process. If that is ignored, at some point the people will be (not may be) justified in taking action against the government because the fundamental right – set down in the nation’s founding document – has been violated.



The word of God is of far greater weight and importance than the US Constitution. It is the very source of humanity’s rights, responsibilities, and code of conduct before God. Man has no right to add to it or to take from it. It must be adhered to, in its proper context, and accurately explaining it is to be held as a sacred charge by those who preach it and teach it.



When this is not the case, the people should question on what authority the pastor, priest, preacher, teacher, church, or denomination thinks they stand. They should rightly revolt against any authority that does not align its teachings to be in accord with this word. Unfortunately, like the citizens of the nation in regard to their establishing documents, the people cannot do this if they do not know what the word of God says.



Therefore, it is incumbent upon you to read this word, to study this word, and to be able to defend a right interpretation of this word at all times – lest your life be led astray from what God intends for you by miscreants who enter the church in order to tear the people away from what is sound and proper.



Lord God, may we be sound in our doctrine because of our study of Your word. Keep us from being led astray by those who would curtail our freedoms in Christ, but also from those who would lead us to abusing our freedoms as well. May our walk before You be in accord with Your word at all times. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:22

Monday, January 24th, 2022


For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. Acts 4:22


In the previous verse, the council had found no way of punishing Peter and John, having been worried about the reaction of the people because they all understood that God was the source of the healing. The reason for this is now noted by Luke, saying, “For the man was over forty years old.”



In his usual meticulous fashion, the age of the man is carefully recorded by Luke. This, combined with Acts 3:2, shows the stunning nature of the miracle –



And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb … For the man was over forty years old.



He bore his defect even from before the day of his birth, he was now over forty years old, and he was instantaneously healed of his affliction. The impossibility of what occurred, apart from it being the work of God, was clearly evidenced and noted by the people. No other explanation would suffice. Hence, the next words of Luke are provided, which say, “on whom this miracle.”



As in verse 4:16, rather than the word “miracle,” it is the word sémeion, and is to be translated as “sign.” The event was miraculous, but it also carried with it the intent of identifying Israel’s Messiah. It is a sign because it points directly to this fact. It is a confirmation that Jesus is the Messiah to the house of Israel.



The beggar did not have faith to be healed. In fact, he did nothing. Peter simply saw him and healed him. It was a miracle that is a sign for all of Israel, including the council, to recognize and understand that Christ Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophetic utterances of Scripture, including the words of Isaiah 35 –



“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer,

And the tongue of the dumb sing.” Isaiah 35:5, 6



With this understood, the sign is next described as one “of healing.” The word here, iasis, is the noun form – “a healing” – found only in Luke’s writings. It is seen in Luke 13:32, here, and once again in Acts 4:30. It is a word carrying the idea of supernatural healing.



The sign had been performed, and it was one of healing that pointed directly to the work of God in Christ Jesus because it was His name upon which it “had been performed.” There was no consultation with a group of doctors. There was no team of trained medical professionals. There was only the proclamation of the name and Peter extending his hand forth to raise the man. The work was immediate, it was effectual, and it was absolutely complete in its scope. Israel has been presented with the sign as a witness both to and against them.



Life application: As noted, the sign to Israel of the healing of this man is given as a witness that Jesus is the Messiah. But it may extend beyond the immediate application to be a witness of what will someday come to pass in Israel. Israel, as with all people, is a nation born with a defect – sin. It was in them before they were brought forth because of the sin of our first father, Adam.



The man was over forty years old at the time of his healing. The number forty is an important number in Scripture. Bullinger notes “its association with a period of probation, trial, and chastisement.” Further, he says, “It is the product of 5 and 8, and points to the action of grace (5), leading to and ending in revival and renewal (8).”



Israel did, in fact, reject Jesus. They went into a time of exile as was in accord with the words of Scripture that said it would come about for failing to adhere to the words set forth for them as a nation. However, someday Israel will be instantaneously healed when they recognize Jesus as their long-rejected Messiah. This man is given as an object lesson and a witness against them to know and understand their crippled state before God.



The coming words of Acts will show this, but they will include a note against the Gentiles as well (Acts 4:27). Jesus is the One whom the world came against, and it is up to each person to come to Him for healing and restoration. There is no other name given by which this can come about. Be sure to call out to God through the exalted Name above all names and be reconciled to Him. Call out today in the name of JESUS!



Lord God, help us to get out the wonderful word concerning the gospel of Jesus. It has the power to heal the troubled soul and bring man back to a right relationship with You. Give us the strong desire to be willing to speak, and the fortitude to follow through with that desire as well. May it be so, to Your glory. Amen.

[PrisonerOfHope]

Daily Bible Verse, Acts 4:23

Tuesday, January 25th, 2022


And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. Acts 4:23






With Peter and John officially released from the custody of the council, Luke records what immediately follows, saying, “And being let go, they went to their own companions.” The word “companions” is inserted. The Greek word, translated as “own,” can be a district, people, family, home, etc. It is a word designating something uniquely one’s own possession.



As such, a word like people, group, family, companion, or so on is appropriate. They were with an unfamiliar group, and they immediately returned to their own group. The lines are clearly drawn, and they show that even if all are of Israel, there is an unmistakable separation between the two. Once there, they “reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.”



In these words, there is a designation, chief priests, not noted in the earlier account. Instead, there it mentioned the rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander. The word has been used throughout the gospels, and it may be a way of referring to the priests who were serving or who had served as the high priest. The selection of high priests was as much of a political one as anything else. Rather than there being one high priest until his death, they were appointed by their rulers at this time.



Another possibility is that these were the leaders of the twenty-four courses of priests that were originally set up at the time of David to minister throughout the year in the temple complex. That division is found in 1 Chronicles 24.



Life application: The apostles have been commanded to not speak nor teach anymore in the name of Jesus. That is a part of what will be conveyed to the group that Peter and John have returned to. This is a time that probably caused them some consternation, and so the very first thing they have done is to gather with other believers and discuss what occurred.



There is a lesson for us in this, which is to seek the counsel of other believers when we are facing matters of great importance. In doing this, we can get a better sense of what to do because our own thoughts might be clouded by the events hemming us in. Others, however, can add in thoughts that have been unaffected by our own circumstances. This is stated early on in the book of Proverbs –



“A wise man will hear and increase learning,

And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.” Proverbs 1:5



And again –



“Where there is no counsel, the people fall;

But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14



Let us take advantage of the wise counsel of others in order to make right decisions concerning the large and important matters we face. In doing so, we will surely avoid many pitfalls as we wind our way through life.



Lord God, may we be wise in how we conduct our affairs before You. When we face really important matters that can affect the direction of our lives, help us to use wisdom and seek out good advice when it is necessary. Lead us to do this. Your word shows that this is a good and proper path, and so may we take it and be spared the ills of going it alone! Amen.