Most Important Notes from BIBL 424 {6,024 words}
I. Lesson 1 - The Book of Acts (Introduction)
A. The Book of Acts provides church history, doctrine, transition from Old to New Testament, ways to interpret Scripture, and many other things. It is one of the most important Books in the Bible. It teaches things to do and things not to do. Dr. Lauren said to "not make the mistake of teaching the experiences of the Apostles but experience the teachings of the Apolstles." Learn from what they taught rather than believing that what they did is what God wants us to do. Are we supposed to wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon us before we act? No, that was their experience, but that is not what they were teaching. The Book of Acts does not teach speaking in tongues, water baptism for salvation, or living in communes, but those are some of the Apostles' experiences.
B. Dr. James Freerksen uses the new KJV. He would like his students to also use the NAS and the NIV.
C. Who wrote the Book of Acts? There is no clear statement to say that, but Luke is the most reasonable choice. The author was one of Paul's companions. There are three "we" passages to show that they were together (Acts 16:10, Acts 20-7 - Acts 21:17, and Acts 27:1 - Acts 28:31). Luke was stated to be one of Paul's companions (II Timothy 4:11 and Philemon 1:24), and the author of Acts was one of Paul's companions. Only Titus or Luke were consistent companions of Paul. The author gave evidence of being a physician (Acts 3:7). The author used technical terms for the man's ankle bone, and that could probably only have been someone with that kind of training. The third Gospel attributes the work to Luke because the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts were written by the same man.
D. Why was the Book of Acts attributed to Luke by the early church? The answer is the pseudopigrapha. Their were many books written by one person but identified as being written by another. The Book of Acts would have been readily received if Paul had been listed as the author because Luke was not Jewish and he did not have special spiritual credentials. The fact that they accepted it as being written by Luke, who was a no one in spiritual areas, is an indication that he probably really did write it. It was probably written as the events were happening.
E. Why did Luke write the Book besides the Holy Spirit? The most obvious reason was probably to instruct Theophilus. Second, he probably wanted to write a history (not the history) of the early church. It is not a complete history of what God was doing everywhere, but it is a specific history of what was being done in and around Rome. The Book of Acts has a ten-year gap, so it is not a complete history. Third, he wrote the Book to give a unity between Jesus' teachings and the work of the early church. The Book of Acts is a bridge of understanding more than being a basis for doctrine. That's why the Apostles' teachings are more important than their experiences. Fourth, Luke wrote this Book to be a defense of the Faith (an apologetic). He showed that Christianity was not subversive (un-Roman) and not intended to destroy Rome. They may have been considered subversive because they did not call the Roman emperor a god. He had to show that Christianity was not a part of Judaism.
F. The chronology of the Book of Acts. The first eleven chapters, called the beginning period, probably happened in the first few years (32AD - 35AD) of the early church. Then comes the ten-year gap. Acts 11:19 and Acts 11:20 show the gap. Acts 12:1 with James' martyrdom was around 44AD. The first period (Acts 1 through Acts 11:19) lasted a couple of years. The "silent" period, which was the second period, was up until about 44AD. The last period was the "Pauline" period and went from 44AD until the end.
G. A good division of the Book is by geography rather than Peter and Paul. The first seven chapters are Jerusalem. Chapters 8-12 shows being scattered into Judea and Samaria. Chapters 13-28 show the expansion throughout the Romans Empire (the uttermost parts of the world).
H. A Second Main Theme of the Book - The Messianic Kingdom is again presented to the Jews, and once again, they reject it. Israel made a deliberate decision to reject Christ and His kingdom.
II. Lesson 2 - The Book of Acts (Chapter 1:1-8)
A. Acts 1:1-3 gives a proof of Christ's resurrection. The Book was written to Theophilius, which means "lover of God." Luke was probably written to a specific person, based on the words in the Gospel of Luke ("most excellent Theophilus"), but that is not necessarily true. The passage in the gospel makes Theophilus seem like a real person. Acts is a continuation of the gospel and the work of Christ through the apostles. Acts has been called the fifth gospel. The important part of these opening verses is the appearance of Christ after His crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus did not just appear to anyone, but He appeared to those that He had called to be witnesses. Acts 10:41 says, "He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead."
B. Acts 1:4-5 promises the coming of the Holy Spirit. The promise of the Spirit was from the Father (also see Luke 24:39 and John 14:26). Baptism of the Spirit is also mentioned. Baptiso means to dip or immerse or submerge. Sunken ships have been called baptized ships. Baptism is a picture of purification, of association, and of dedication. Given these definitions, the baptism of the Holy Spirit differs from water baptism. Water baptism is an open sign. Spiritual baptism is a dipping olr immersing into the Holy Spirit. The spiritual God overwhelms the believer, and he or she is engulfed by the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for "with" in Acts 1:4 is "en". About eighty-five percent of the time, that word means location (in). In the others, it means agent (by or with). Is the Holy Spirit the agent or the realm? Christ will do two works. He will baptize or place His people in the Spirit (a blessing). He will also judge those that are not in the fold (a warning). This is what it means to baptize with fire (Matthew 3:11).
C. Acts 1:6-8 speaks of God's present program. Jesus did not answer their question in Acts 1:6-7. He simply told them what to do in Acts 1:8 (the Great Commission). Several passages in the Gospels are great commisssions from the Lord. Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8 are focused on, but all of them represent the Great Commission because Christians are supposed to do all of them. The Great Commissions are different because the situations are different. In John 20:21, that one happened on resurrection night. In Matthew 28:18-20, the time period is later (maybe between day ten and day thirty (some days later)) and fifty miles from the first (Jerusalem and Galilee). The first one was the "go" part, and the second one was the "how" to make disciples (go, teach, baptize, and make disciples - the pattern for making disciples). In Acts 1:8, He again gives them the commission, and this time it is at the end of His time on earth (day forty).
D. In Acts 1:8, the command is based on a promise (the baptism of the Holy Spirit). If the promise applies to every Christian, then the command to go probably also applies to all Christians. In Matthew 28:20, the promise is that Christ will always be with His disciples "even to the very end of the age." That promise obviously applies to all Christians that have lived after the disciples, so the command to go and make disciples probably also applies to all Christians. Every Christian should be about the Lord's work of making disciples. It is a lifelong work for the person that has received the promises.
III. Lesson 3 - The Book of Acts (Chapter 1:6-7)
A. The kingdom was the prominent theme in the Old Testament. Exodus 19:6 says, "you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." This is when Israel became a kingdom of priests when it became a nation, and that was when they came out of Egypt. Their first king was the Lord. I Samuels 8:7 says, "And the LORD told him: 'Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.'" When God re-establishes the kingdom, He will be the king again. Judges 8:23 says, "But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you." Hosea 13:10-11 says, "Where is your king, that he may save you? Where are your rulers in all your towns, of whom you said, `Give me a king and princes'? So in my anger I gave you a king, and in my wrath I took him away."
B. God said when the final king would be born. Isaiah 9:6-7 says, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this." Jesus will be the fulfillment of that prophecy. Luke 1:31-33 says, "You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
C. The kingdom is sometimes called the kingdom of God and sometimes the kingdom of heaven. Daniel called it the kingdom of God of heaven. Daniel 2:44 says, "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever." Christ's message during His ministry pertained to His coming kingdom. During His ministry, His kingdom was never established (Luke 19:11). The kingdom will not come until He comes back (Luke 17:21 says, "nor will people say, `Here it is,' or `There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."). He is not saying that the kingdom of God is in your heart. He is speaking to the ungodly Pharisees, and He is telling them that they will not see it because what they have in their heart is NOT the kingdom of God. He is not talking about a spiritual kingdom. John 3:3 says, "In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.'"
D. In Acts 1:6-7, they key phrase is "restore the kingdom to Israel?" Implicitly, by His answer, Jesus is implying that it will actually happen. He did not try to tell them that it was already restored or that it never would be. Consequently, the kingdom is both spiritual and physical. Not everyone agrees with this view, but the Bible seems to support it.
IV. Lesson 4 - The Book of Acts (Chapter 1:8-26)
A. In verses 1:8-11, the disciples watched Jesus ascend into heaven. They had become used to seeing Him appear and disappear during the previous forty days, but watching Him ascend into the clouds on that day was a totally new experience. He disappeared into the clouds (a one time event), and He will not reappear bodily until He returns to the clouds in the Rapture. He disappeared bodily into the clouds, and one day, He will reappear bodily in the clouds.
B. In verses 1:12-19, the disciples returned a Sabbath's day walk (about one kilometer) from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. They began to pray concerning their plight. They may have been praying for the promise of the Holy Spirit, but that does not mean that Christians should do so today. Christians should focus on the teachings of the Apostles rather than the experiences of the Apostles. Their experience was to the coming of the Holy Spirit, but their teaching was to pray to the Lord and to trust their lives to Him. These verses also mention the death of Judas, but Luke's account differed from Matthew. Matthew 27:5 says, "So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself." Acts 1:18 says, "(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out." According to Dr. Freerksen, these accounts are not contradictory. Matthew wrote what Judas did and what the Chief Priests did. Luke wrote what they both did but attributed all of the actions to Judas. The most likely scenario is that Judas hanged himself. The Chief Priests took the money and bought the land, but it was Judas' money even though he was already dead. They probably cut his body down from the tree and just threw it into the field, which might have been a rocky, rough area. When Judas' body crashed against the rocks, it may have burst olpen from the force of the fall. While no one knows exactly what happened, this is a reasonable approach for reconciling the two passages. Also, Matthew was writing a firsthand account while Luke was basing his account on eyewitnesses.
C. In verses 1:20-26, the disciples choose a replacement for Judas. Many people reject their action because Matthias, the man who they choose, is never mentioned again in the Bible and because Paul seems like a more logical choice. However, Dr. Freerksen defended the disciples' choice for the following reasons.
1. Peter quoted Psalms 41:9 ("Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me."), which was written by David after his trusted counsel, Ahithophel, had deserted him to side with Absalom. David's experience with his friend was similar to Jesus' experience with Judas. Psalm 69:25 says, "May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents," and Psalm 109:8 says, "May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership." Based on Scripture, Peter felt led to replace Judas.
2. The disciples prayed about their decision to replace Judas, so they were trying to be obedient to the Holy Spirit.
3. They chose between Matthias and Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) by casting lots, and God often honored that method of choosing in the Old Testament. However, casting lots is not what Christians today should accept. Instead of focusing on the experience, they should focus on the Apostles' teaching of seeking the leadership of the Holy Spirit in all things.
4. In Paul's writings, he never considered himself one of the twelve. He often referred to the twelve, but he never tried to imply that he was a possible replacement for Judas.
5. Matthias is never mentioned again in the Bible, but most of the other disciples are not either.
6. The disciples established very stringent criteria for Judas' replacement. Acts 1:21-22 says, "Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection."
V. Lesson 5 - The Book of Acts (Chapter 2:1-6)
A. Six view of when the church began.
1. With Adam as the church of all the redeemed.
2. With Moses (Acts 7:38).
3. With John the Baptist (but in John 3:29, John does not refer to himself as the bride, and in Acts 19:1-7, his disciples do not know much about the Holy Spirit.
4. With Christ's ministry (Matthew 16:16-18).
5. At Pentecost - in Acts 11:15, Peter speaks of the beginning, as in the church. Acts 11:15 says, "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning."
6. At the end of the Book of Acts, but Paul's epistles refute that suggestion.
B. On the working of the Holy Spirit before and after Pentecost. In the Old Testament, He worked from without the person. In the New Testament, He works from within. John 7:37-39 says, "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit did not work on all saved people all the time. But in the New Testament, He does.
C. Acts 2:1-3 - the time of the arrival. Two symbols appear in this passage. First, the time of arrival was Pentecost (Feast of Weeks), which represented a new beginning or a new harvest. There was a sound "like" the wind, but it was NOT the wind. In John 3:8, the wind refers to the Holy Spirit. John 3:8 says, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." In Ezekiel 37:9-14, the passage talks about the Holy Spirit being on the inside. The seond symbol was the cloven (divided) tongues on each one, which symbolized all being involved. I Corinthians 12:13 says, "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink."
D. Acts 2:4-6 - the result of the arrival. The one hundred and twenty were baptized by and filled with the Holy Spirit. Filling and baptism are not the same, even the apostles experienced both.
1. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not commanded. It is a promise of God involving all believers (I Corinthians 12:13).
2. The filling of the Holy Spirit is commanded (Ephesians 5:18 says, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit."). Be not controlled by wine but be controlled by the Holy Spirit. But it does not necessarily involve all believers at all times. Peter was filled again in Acts 4:8, and others were filled again in Acts 4:31.
3. Baptism is positional, while filling is experiential.
4. Baptism is an internal evidence (fruits of the Holy Spirit), and filling is an outward evidence.
5. Baptism is permanent, but filling is temporary.
E. The filling of the Holy Spirit involves two Greek words. Plestheis is a participle which means the act of being filled at that moment. Pleres is an adjective which describes one that is filled with the Holy Spirit. Several passages show this distinction by the Greek work that is used.
1. Acts 2:4 ("All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.") - the act of being filled.
2. Acts 4:8 ("Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people!") - the act of being filled.
3. Acts 4:31 ("After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.") - the act of being filled.
4. Acts 6:3 ("Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.") - the character trait of being a Spirit-filled Christian.
5. Acts 6:5 ("This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.") - the character trait of being a Spirit-filled Christian.
6. Acts 7:55 ("But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.") - the character trait of being a Spirit-filled Christian.
7. Acts 9:17 ("Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'") - the act of being filled.
8. Acts 11:24 ("He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.") - the character trait of being a Spirit-filled Christian.
9. Acts 13:9 ("Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said,") - the act of being filled.
10. Acts 13:52 ("And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.") - neither. This was the imperfect tense to show continually being filled.
F. Sin robs the believer of the filling or controlling influence of the Holy Spirit, but sin does not rob the believer of his or her position in the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
G. Speaking in tongues displayed three particular characteristics.
1. The tongues were earthly languages.
2. All of the one hundred and twenty were involved. So, this was not the gift of tongues, but it was an example of the gift.
3. The tongues were not happening so that everyone could hear the gospel in their own language. It was an attention getter that would cause everyone to listen to Peter as he spoke.
VI. Lesson 6 - The Book of Acts (Chapter 2:7-40)
A. In verses 7 through 13, tongues got the peoples' attention, but Peter alone preached. The people that heard his sermon in their homeland languages were "dwelling"/living in Jerusalem (verse 5). They were hearing the message in their native tongue, and it got their attention. Some of the people were Gentiles converted to Judaism (proselytes).
B. Peter compared what was happening with what Joel had prophesied. Joel 2:28 says, "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." There are four ways to interpret his remark.
1. Allegorical Fulfillment - a nonliteral fulfillment.
2. Pesher Fulfillment - a pseudo-fulfillment (false).
3. Partial Fulfillment - part was fulfilled.
4. Beginning of the Fulfillment - it will be completed someday but not yet. Peter is seeing the Holy Spirit on 120 people, noy on all flesh..
C. Peter mentions the last days because they began with the first advent of Christ. They will end with His second advent.
D. Peter's sermon is to show that Christ is the Messiah.
1. In verse 22, proven by His works.
2. In verses 23-32, proven by His resurrection.
3. In verses 33-36, proven by His acsension.
E. In verses 37-40, Peter tells his hearers to respond to his message, which is to repent and be baptized.
1. Repent means to change one's mind or opinion, or to turn. Faith is included in repent even though Peter does not say so. This literary technique is called synecdoche, which means that one thing is exchanged for another. Repentance is one aspect of conversion. Conversion involves repentance, faith, and calling on the Lord, and a person cannot do one without doing all three.
2. Be baptized does not mean baptismal regeneration.
a. Parenthetical Phrase View - based on the context. In verse 19, he says repent and be converted, but he does not mention baptism. The Bible never says that baptism saves. Romans 4 and 10 do not mention baptism.
b. "Repent" and "be baptized" are not equal commands. "Repent" is a second person command meaning "you be baptized." "Be baptized" in the Greek is a third person command meaning "let everyone be baptized." The two commands are not equal.
c. Preposition Significance View - The above points also apply to this view. However, in addition is the use of the preposition "eis" which means (1) into, unto, for or (2) because of. In Peter's sermon, is he saying let everyone be baptized for the remission of sins or because of the remission of sins?
F. An English example of this preposition conflict can be seen in the statements: During the Civil War, Virginia fought with the South and During the Civil War, Virginia fought with the North. Both statements can be true depending on how "with" is translated. The translation of "eis" in baptism can be determined by looking at other New Testament examples.
1. In Matthew 3:11, "eis" is because of based on Matthew 3:7-8. Matthew 3:11 says, "I baptize you with water for repentance." Matthew 3:7-8 says, "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.'"
2. In Matthew 12:41, "eis" is because of. Matthew 12:41 says, "The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. "
VII. Lesson 7 - The Book of Acts (Chapter 2:41-47)
A. Peter says that the people will receive the gift of the Spirit. Based on the Greek, he could have meant that they would receive specific spiritual gifts or that they would receive the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Either way, however, he emphasized that God would forgive any Jews concerning the death of Christ if they would come to Him.
B. In verse 41, three thousand joined the one hundred and twenty. They were immediately baptized and added to the membership. Dr. Elmer Towns thinks that people should only be added when their current lifestyle would not become a basis for future church discipline. However, the example of the early church was to receive members easily and to dismiss them easily. In the early church, membership was required.
C. The early church practiced five basic activities.
1. They continued in the Apostles' oral teachings.
2. They continued in fellowship with each other - Their reason was to edify the body of Christ. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." I Corinthians 12:20-22 says, "As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!' On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable."
3. They continued in the breaking of bread - This was not merely eating together. In the Greek, the translation is the breaking of "the" bread, which is probably a direct reference to the Lord's Supper. The correct interpretation of this passage is that the early church observed the two ordnances of baptism and the Lord's Supper.
4. They continued in prayer - More specifically, according to the Greek, they continued in "the" prayers, which probably means that they had some type of regular, special prayer meeting.
5. They had all things in common.
D. Did the Apostles teach to live in a commune environment? The probable answer is NO, for four reasons.
1. Acts 5:4 with Ananias shows that giving all of one's possessions was voluntary. Acts 5:4 says, "Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."
2. Living in communes did not last. After Acts 5:4, it is not mentioned again, and later in the book, people's homes were meantioned. These early believers were probably so quick to give up their possessions because they truly believed that Christ's return was imminent. Later, special offerings had to be taken up for them because they had no resources.
3. Communal living leads to non-productivity. The people do not share wealth. They share POVERTY.
4. On giving, the Apostle Paul provides the Apostles' teaching on New Testament church giving. II Corinthians 8:7 says, "But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving." II Corinthians 9:6-7 says, "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
E. In verses 46-47, the daily lifestyle was to be in one accord, in the temple daily, and going from house to house.
VIII. Lesson 8 - The Book of Acts (Chapter 3:1-11)
A. In verses 1-3, many miracles were dones during this time (Acts 2:43), and this was only one. But it was the one that led to the first persecution of the church. The Beautiful gate, which is identified, was probably the Corinthian gate. That gate was in front of the court of the women (where the widow offered her two mites), and it was a place where both men and women could go. It was also in the path between outside the temple and the treasury (the treasury was probably in the court of the women), so people that had come to give money would pass right by the Corinthian gate. Peter and John regularly went to the temple to pray at the ninth hour or 3:00 pm. This is supported by Luke 1:8-10, which says, "Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside," and by Revelation 8:3, which says, "Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne." There was a set time for the burning of the incense, and the people believed that they should pray outside the temple while the priest was offering the incense on the inside.
B. In verses 4-6, Peter told the lame man to look him in the eye, something a beggar is usually reluctant to do. He did so, and then he was in a position to receive God's blessing.
C. In verses 7-11, the first result is that the man was healed. He leaped to his feet, not just walked, and this was significant of the work that had been done. His healing was a fulfillment of Isaiah 35:6, which says "Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert." His ankle bones were converted, and his leg muscles and coordination were immediately developed. He had never walked before. The second result is that the man praised God. The third result is that the others saw what happened and followed him to Solomon's porch, where Peter preached to them. They were amazed and filled with wonder.
D. Observations about Biblical Miracles - miracles are God working supernaturally according to His will in the natural realm.
1. Every biblical miracle always involves an outward physical need. Dr. Freerksen does not categorize salvation as a biblical miracle.
2. Every biblical miracle involves a complete work. The lame man was not partially healed. He was completely healed.
3. Every biblical miracle always involves true faith. But true faith is not related to the receiver or the instrument. Paul would have had more faith than the lame man, but he was not healed of his thorn in the flesh, and Peter denied that he had been anything special in the healing of the lame man. The man was healed because it was God's will.
a. True faith believes God for what He has said in His word.
b. True faith involves acting on God's will.
c. True faith is not a leap in the dark hoping to please God.
E. Miracles always involve a particular Age. God did many things for the Jews in the Wilderness, during the times of Elijah and Elisha, and with the beginning of the early church in bringing in that new era. Hebrews 2:3-4, which says "how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will," suggests that the Apostles and their miracles involved a new program or new era. Luke 4:23-27 shows that not all miracles are for everyone. That passage says, "Jesus said to them, 'Surely you will quote this proverb to me: `Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum. I tell you the truth,' he continued, 'no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed--only Naaman the Syrian.".
Tom of Bethany "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
Index to Selected Essays And Book Reviews
BIBL 424 - The Book of Acts (Lessons 9-16)
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