Transitioning to a new Identity

Read Acts 11.

The transition continued as Gentiles came to faith in Jesus and Jewish believers moved from Law and traditions to grace.  During this time, the questions and misunderstandings would have been predictable.  Indeed, the tension builds up to chapter 15.

When Peter explained what had happened, the questioners "glorified God" that the Gentiles were repenting of their sin and believing in Jesus as they did.  The Holy Spirit made it plain that there is "no distinction" (v.12) and, even stronger, Peter added, "who am I to stand in God's way?"  Those who treat people differently because of their race do stand in God's way.

The geographical spread of the Gospel is carefully tracked in the book of Acts.  The persecution of believers in Jerusalem had caused them to flee into other parts of the Roman Empire.  Peter had been in the coastal city of Joppa.  He journeyed north to Cornelius' home.  This area was known as Phoenicia.  But they were also aware that believers had left the country and gone to the island of Cyprus and to Antioch, Syria.

Next, the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to encourage those in Antioch.  Realizing that teaching help was needed and some time had passed, Barnabas personally enlisted Saul from Tarsus in the Roman province of Cilicia.  This dynamic partnership solidified the church at Antioch over time.  It was here that believers were first called Christians.  That was not a denomination but a label that they were committed followers of Jesus Christ.  It separated them from Judaism.  The term is only used here, in Acts 26:28, and in 1 Peter 4:16: "Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name."

Carrying the name of Christ as one's label in life is a sobering responsibility. It requires us to daily seek to glorify His name in the way we live.

How God dealt with bigotry and Racism

Read Acts 10.

From the time God chose to work through Abraham and his descendants, Gentiles were included in the promise.  "...and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3c).  The promise in Acts 1:8, foretold that the good news of Jesus would spread "to the ends of the earth."

The initial spreading of the message came as a result of persecution of believers in Jerusalem and Judea.  Philip officially took the message to Samaria.  In Acts 9:17, the Lord Himself announced that Saul of Tarsus would be especially appointed to minister to the Gentiles.  With each step in the expansion of the Gospel, the Apostles were involved.  Peter and John were sent to Samaria to confirm the ministry there.  Here in chapter 10, Peter was sent by the Lord to officially begin Gentile inclusion in the church.

Cornelius, a Roman centurion, did not know everything about Jesus, but he acted on the knowledge he had in worshiping the Lord.  His godly behavior was well-known and characterized by two elements: prayer and financial generosity.  This confirms what the Apostle Paul taught in Romans 1.  When someone does seek to know the true and living God, He will insure that they receive the knowledge that they need.

If the ministry in chapter 8 was considered a racial and cultural breakthrough, this chapter broke the sound barrier!  Peter's statement in verse 28 was, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation."  This was a taboo.  It just was not done.  God had to dramatically and graphically prepare Peter to cross this line, to erase the bigotry, and change his view of other human beings.  As a result, Peter invited the three Gentile visitors to stay with him overnight and then he entered Cornelius' home.  He even stayed with them "for same days" (v.48).

Note in verse 26, bowing down to an Apostle was forbidden by Peter.  "I too am a man."

Cornelius assembled all his family and friends.  Peter’s message underscored the Great Commission.  "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him."  He preached forgiveness of sin by faith in the crucified and resurrected Jesus.  The Holy Spirit demonstrably confirmed that Gentiles could enjoy the same faith and experience as others.  Then, in accordance with the Great Commission, the believers were baptized.

A time to Intervene

Read Acts 9.

The zeal of Saul had intensified.  He knew that some believers in "the Way" were fleeing outside of Judea.  He received arrest authority from the high priest to pursue and apprehend Christians in Damascus, Syria.  Imprisonment or death would be the outcome of a swift Temple trial.

1. But Jesus intervened. (vv.3-9)
Surely, Saul reasoned his anger was righteous.  He thought he was doing God a favor.  Do not miss the question Jesus asked?  He did not ask why Saul persecuted Christians but why Saul was persecuting "Me" (Jesus)?  When the followers of Christ are under attack for their faith, Jesus takes it personally.

The Lord revealed Himself with a blinding light and a voice from heaven.  This event and subsequent days softened Saul's heart, began to retrain his mind, took away the spiritual blindness, and opened his ears to the truth.  Who would trust him?  Perhaps, he was pretending so he could infiltrate the believers.

2. But Ananias obediently went to him. (vv.10-26)
He embraced Saul and baptized him.  Being out of the country provided Saul an opportunity to safely preach Jesus in the synagogues of Damascus for a while.  When the Temple authorities got word of Saul's changed life, they sent a team to assassinate him.  Boldly, Saul returned to Jerusalem and openly proclaimed his new faith.  The disciples there were afraid of him.

3. But Barnabas befriended him.  (vv.27-30)
He even stood up for Saul before the Apostles.  Because Paul was from Tarsus, he could communicate freely to the Greek-speaking Jews with credibility.  The pressure against him, however, continued to mount.  The brothers sent him to back to Tarsus for safety.

With the number one persecutor of Christians now a believer in Jesus, there was a period of peace for believers throughout Israel.

4. But peace did not mean the church relaxed. (v.31)
They grew spiritually.  They lived obediently to the Lord.  The Holy Spirit comforted them.  Their numbers multiplied.

A timely intervention by the Lord and a friend is a good thing.  We all need it occasionally and we all know someone who needs us to come alongside them at a strategic time in their life.

What happens when Christians are persecuted?

Read Acts 8.

The environment went from being hostile toward believers in Jesus to murder and imprisonment.  The Sanhedrin appointed a young enthusiast by the name of Saul of Tarsus to lead the persecution (7:58, 9:1-2).  The bad news is that Christ followers began leaving Judea, fleeing for their lives.  The good news is that they spread the message of Jesus everywhere they went.  In Acts 1:8, Jesus foretold that the message would be proclaimed in "Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."  Now, Philip, one of the seven selected to serve the church in chapter 6, officially took take the Gospel of Jesus to Samaria.

1. Signs confirmed the message.
This was not exactly virgin territory.  Previously, Jesus opened this door of belief at the Samaritan city of Sychar (John 4).  But the message of the death, burial and resurrection would have been new to them.  Like Stephen, Philip had no Bible, just Old Testament knowledge, a personal salvation, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  In this transitional period of time in the book of Acts, God used the miracles of healing and exorcism to confirm the validity of the message preached.  The result was that "there was much joy in that city."  The believers were baptized as a public demonstration of their personal faith in Jesus (v.12).

2. The Spirit confirmed the ministry.
Other passages in the New Testament are clear that the Holy Spirit indwells the believer in Jesus at the moment of salvation (Romans 8:9).  However, here there is an abnormality.  Peter and John were sent by the Apostles to confirm the Samaritan ministry.  For God's own purposes, the indwelling of the Spirit was delayed in this instance until the Apostles arrived.  This happened in Acts 2 in Judea.  It occurred here as the church was being established for the first time in Samaria.  Another abnormality like this is recorded in Acts 10 as Peter officially took the Gospel to the Gentiles (10:44-45).  Step by step the word of God was being spread.

3. Baptism confirmed personal belief.
Next, Philip had a divine encounter with the treasury official of Ethiopia.  As a man of wealth, he possessed his own copy of at least Isaiah.  As a foreigner and a eunuch, he would have been denied access to full worship at the Temple.  But, despite this and his pagan culture, he had traveled to Jerusalem in order worship God.  As Philip explained Isaiah's message and told of Jesus, either he mentioned baptism or the eunuch knew of it.  His question and Philip's answer is clear.  Christian baptism is only for those personally believe in Jesus as Savior.  There is no power in the water.  Without personal faith, there is no meaning.  Being lowered into the water pictures a death to the old self.  Being brought up out of the water pictures being raised to a new life in Christ.    It is what the Holy Spirit has already done on the inside of the believer. (Romans 6:4)

A case against Compromise

Read Acts 7.

This is one of those chapters that causes us to pause and realize we are treading on some holy ground.  Stephen, a recently appointed Deacon in the Jerusalem church, was arrested for preaching that Jesus was the Christ.  Like Jesus, he was brought before the council and falsely accused by lying witnesses.  When given his opportunity to respond, Stephen delivered one of the strongest messages in the Bible.

Amazingly, with the few resources available to him, Stephen succinctly and accurately walked through the rudimentary teachings of Genesis (verses 2-16) and Exodus (verses 17-44).  Then, briefly mentioned Moses' successor, Joshua and two of Israel's kings, David and Solomon.  Along the way, he quoted Amos 5:25- 27 and Isaiah 66:1-2 from memory.  This he did in front of the nation's learned leaders and scholars of the Sanhedrin.

In the New Testament accounts, the council was always offended when a person outside their ranks instructed them in the Scriptures.  But what really set them off was Stephen's closing paragraph in verses 51-53.  He bluntly and rightly accused them of the following:
-Stiff-necked.  In other words they were obstinate, stubborn and unyielding.
-Uncircumcised in heart and ears.  They performed an outward religiosity but had hardened their hearts toward God and could no longer hear the truth of God's word.
-Resisting the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said in John 16:8-14 the Holy Spirit would convict of sin, convince of truth, and point people to glorify Jesus.  But because they rejected the truth, they rejected the Holy Spirit's attempts to prick their conscience.
-Persecuting preachers of truth.   Stephen tied them directly to those who rejected the Old Testament prophets.
-Murdering Jesus.  It was this High Priest and this council that took Jesus to Pilate and stirred up the crowd to chant for Barabbas.
-Did not keep the law.  The pride of these religious leaders, especially the Pharisees, was their idealism in perfectly obeying the Law of Moses and their traditions.

Instead of being broken hearted and repenting before God of their multiple sins, they became angry and filled with such resentment that they immediately committed a second recorded murder.

Taking such a bold stand for the faith cost Stephen his life.  However, there was One in heaven who personally observed the entire incident and was pleased with His servant.  Jesus allowed Stephen to get an advance glimpse of the throne.  Indeed, he saw Jesus, not sitting but standing to welcome home this faithful man with those words of "well done."  

In a secular culture that increasingly demands Christ followers to be accepting of sin,
In a religious culture where the Bible is forsaken for cultural acceptance,
In a positive thinking culture that encourages a prosperity gospel with good thoughts and words of peace toward everyone,
Stephen provides a benchmark of one who obeys God rather than men.

Church leadership 101

Read Acts 6.

With the explosive growth of the church in Jerusalem came the first recorded dissension.  Though most would have been bilingual in using Aramaic and Greek, there existed some tension between those Jews native to Israel, Jews who moved there from outside the country, and Gentiles who embraced faith in Jesus.

The environment of generosity, mentioned in chapter two, particularly benefited the widows and others who struggled within the congregation.  Criticism arose that the Greek speaking widows "were being neglected."  To put an end to the criticism, the Apostles appointed seven men to be charge.  All seven had Greek names.

This is the first mention of delegation of responsibilities in the church.  And, it is the simplest of leadership plans.
1. There were those who devoted themselves "to prayer and the ministry of the word" (v.4).
2. There were those who served to meet specific needs.

However, ministering in the name of Jesus, representing the body of believers, and fulfilling a fiduciary assignment required much more than a willingness to serve.  Each was selected based upon their personal reputation, personal character, and an obvious godliness.  The result was two-fold: a)the original criticism is never mentioned again in Scripture; b)"And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith."

These men, often referred to as the first Deacons in the church, could also minister the word of God.  Stephen is immediately mentioned as speaking for Christ and defending the faith.  In chapter 7, he became the first recorded martyr for Christ.  Philip led the Ethiopian to Jesus and baptized him in chapter 8.  In Acts 21, when the Apostle Paul made his way back to Jerusalem, he stopped in Caesarea to see Philip.  There Philip is called "the evangelist, who was one of the seven."

So, while the assignment to serve may have seemed merely practical, it is obvious that each one was involved in obeying the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).  The Deacons knew the Scriptures and to led others to Jesus.

What confidence in God's word will Bring

Read Acts 5.

The church in Jerusalem was growing by the thousands.  In chapter 2 there were 3,000 baptized believers who had banded together for mutual spiritual growth, accountability, and service.  "And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." (2:47)  In 4:4, the number of believers had grown to 5,000.  Here in 5:14, the congregation was expanding exponentially.  "And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women..."

The twelve Apostles continued to lead, to minister to the human needs of the sick and afflicted, and to preach publicly.  This became an overwhelming challenge to the religious leaders.  Jealousy motivated the Sanhedrin to react.  Without charge of a crime, the Apostles were arrested and imprisoned.  But the word of God would not be silenced.

Verse 19 records the first of three times in Acts where God opened prison doors.  The angel told them to preach on the Temple steps.  Their mission was to "speak to the people all the words of this Life."  Jesus said, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10b)  And, later Jesus added, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." (John 14:6)  They proclaimed Jesus, crucified for our sins and raised as proof of being the Messiah, God in the flesh.

Though the council threatened them to stop, by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, these men stood firm.  "We must obey God rather than men" (v.29).  The only hope the Sanhedrin had was that, perhaps, this Jesus movement would die out on its own.  It did not.  It continues to grow day by day, "more than ever."

Beaten and released, the Apostles rejoiced "that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name" (v.41).  That is certainly not a natural response to be being falsely arrested, threatened, and beaten.  But faith in Jesus provides the believer with an eternal perspective on temporal circumstances.

2 Timothy 3:12 reminds us, "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."  That is, not "may" but "will".  We do not go looking for such rejection, but in the process of living a changed life not everyone will appreciate our stand for the Scriptures.  Our message our standards for living, and our ultimate judge are not the result of popular vote or denominational decision but the unchanging word of God.