Lesson 1902

(Lesson 1902)(01-07-17) ACTS 2:22-36

"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."

In today's quote, Peter preached the life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. The sermon Peter and the others preached at Pentecost defined the divine act that provided an opportunity for a lost world to find everlasting life. The blood of Jesus Christ justified the sins of all who will put their faith in Him.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Lesson 1901

(Lesson 1901)(01-06-17) ACTS 2:14-21

"But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

In today's lesson, Peter assured the masses that what they were witnessing was not a drunken display, but rather, it was a demonstration of the awesome power of the Holy Ghost unfolding after He had fell upon the apostles of Jesus Christ.

The last verse of today's quote once again confirms that all those who believe in Jesus Christ will be granted unconditional eternal life, and shall not be judged among the spiritually dead when Christ returns. "whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."~

Lesson 1900

(Lesson 1900)(01-05-17) ACTS 2:1-13

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine."

Today's quote relates how, at Pentecost, the power of the Holy Ghost. as Jesus promised, was bestowed upon the twelve apostles. The awesome power of Jesus Christ was given to His church.

The Holy Ghost, through those apostles, worked an earth shaking miracle that day. That miracle was that as the apostles preached the gospel of Christ in their own language, they were heard and understood in the language of those from the many different countries who were listening.

The miracle performed that day was not so much that the apostles spoke in an "unknown" tongue. They knew perfectly well what they were saying because they spoke in their own language, which was probable either Aramaic or Hebrew. The miracle occurred as the messages were miraculously translated into the ears of those foreigners who had come to listen. Therefore, the miracle that was performed at Pentecost was more a miracle of hearing more so than a miracle of an "unknown" tongue.

Sadly, there are many isms today who contend that somehow the Holy Ghost blessed those apostles with some mysterious "unknown" tongue. That is far from what happened. There is some slight possibility that each of the apostles were miraculously blessed with the ability to translate what Peter preached into the languages of the foreigners, but it is much easier to believe that the Holy Ghost simply acted as a translator for the many who were there.

I say this because there was no interpretor present at Pentecost, other than the Holy Ghost, and because Paul said, in 1Corinthians 14:26-28, "How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, everyone of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. BUT IF THERE IS NO INTERPRETER, LET HIM KEEP SILENCE IN THE CHURCH; AND SPEAK TO HIMSELF, AND TO GOD."

An "unknown" tongue, as the reference is applied in the New Testament, simply refers to a language other than one's own.~

Lesson 1899

(Lesson 1899)(01-04-17) ACTS 1:12-26

"Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles."

Today's quote relates the selection of Matthias to number with the other eleven apostles as a replacement for Judas Iscariot.

It is important to note that, in order to qualify as an apostle, Matthias was required to have been a disciple and witness of the teachings and actions of Jesus Christ from the very beginning of His ministry. That requirement debunks the Roman Catholic contention that there is a succession to the apostleship as the replacements die away. Since an apostle was required to have been a witness to the ministry of Jesus, those posing as apostles today are wholly unauthorized. "Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection."~

Lesson 1898

(Lesson 1898)(01-03-17) ACTS 1:6-11

"When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

In today's quote the apostles watched as Jesus ascended into heaven and completed the fifth and final phase of His divine soul saving mission, His life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension.

Faith in the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ is the ONLY means by which the sins that condemn us can be "justified".~

Lesson 1897

(Lesson 1897)(01-02-17) ACTS 1:1-5

NOTE: I said yesterday that today's lesson would concern the variations in the accounts of the gospels as related by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. However, after further consideration, I have decided to continue through the Acts of the apostle before comparing the gospels.

Acts 1:1-5

"The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."

Today's quote assures that the apostles had, through faith, accepted the doctrine of Jesus Christ. The quote also relates that the apostles were to remain in Jerusalem to await the of the coming of the Holy Ghost.

We should make note that, according to Luke, it is the baptism or the over-washing of the Holy Ghost that empowered the apostles. Luke made it clear that water baptism has nothing to do with obtaining the Holy Ghost. "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."~

Lesson 1896

(Lesson 1896)(01-01-17) John 21:20-25

"Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen."

Today's lesson concludes John's account of the gospels of Jesus Christ. John's writing varies slightly in it's presentation compared to the accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Tomorrow we will point out and try to explain some of those differences.~