advanced...jesus promised to empower us with the holy spirit. since the book of acts is a sequel to...

ADVANCED Bible Study

UNVARNISHED TRUTH: LIFE’S GREATEST STORY

UNSTOPPABLE GOSPEL

Fall 2016

THE PASSAGE

Acts 1:4-8,12-14

THE POINT

The Holy Spirit empowers us to spread the gospel.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

When you saw the word unstoppable, what did you think about? Maybe you know that term as a movie title about a runaway train carrying toxic chemicals. Or perhaps you thought of a song about an unstoppable God. In the context of our study in the Book of Acts, unstoppable refers to the growth of the early church and the power of the gospel in our own world. Sometimes even opponents of Christianity acknowledged the power of the gospel. Gamaliel, a Jewish leader mentioned in Acts 5, realized that telling the disciples to stop preaching about Jesus was foolish. He told the San-hedrin that if this movement were merely human in origin, it would die out eventually. “But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God” (Acts 5:39, NIV).

If we agree that Christianity has an unstoppable mission, why do so many Christians fail to have the same passion

SESSION 7UNSTOPPABLE MISSION

THE POINT: The Holy Spirit empowers us to spread the gospel.

and commitment we see among disciples in the opening chapters of Acts? Maybe we know that a bold witness about Christ might offend some people in our pluralistic culture. Perhaps we think witnessing should be the task of church staff members and missionaries. Since I teach ministry stu-dents at a Baptist college, I see the depth of their commit-ment daily. Yet you and I know that some Christians need to reset their priorities and take the message of the Book of Acts seriously. I. Howard Marshall correctly stated, “Luke makes it clear that in his view the essential task of the church is mission.”1 And John Polhill wrote: “The story of Acts can perhaps be summarized in the single phrase ‘the triumph of the gospel.’ It is a triumphant story of how the early Christian community in the power of the Spirit saturated their world with the message of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ.”2

THE SETTING

According to a strong tradition, the author of the Book of Acts was Luke. Paul described Luke as a “physician” (Col. 4:14). Some passages in Acts, such as 16:10, are written in the first person plural (“we”), denoting that Luke traveled with Paul at some points on his missionary journeys. Although both the Gospel According to Luke and the Book of Acts are anony-mous, Christians generally agree Luke wrote both books.

The recipient of both books was Theophilus, a name that means “friend of God” or “lover of God.” Theophilus cannot be identified with certainty, but he might have been a new convert or even a Roman official who was interested in Chris-tianity. Acts ends with the apostle Paul in Rome under house arrest (Acts 28:30-31). According to Christian tradition, Paul was executed at the order of Emperor Nero in the 60s.

Session 7 Unstoppable Mission

STUDY THE BIBLE

Acts 1:4-5

4 While He was together with them, He command-ed them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “This,” He said, “is what you heard from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Jesus Promised to Empower Us with the Holy Spirit. Since the Book of Acts is a sequel to Luke’s Gospel, Luke began with a transitional statement for Theophilus and all readers. Luke’s Gospel had covered Jesus’ earthly ministry, His death, and His resurrection. Luke noted that the risen Jesus had appeared to His followers for 40 days before “He was taken up” (v. 2). The first key event in the Book of Acts then was Jesus’ final words to His disciples before His as-cension (vv. 9-11).

Jesus had appeared to His followers several times before His departure. Now He was together with them again. This phrase might mean “he was eating with them” (NIV), and He certainly had shared meals with them many times. At this final meeting on the Mount of Olives (v. 12), Jesus told the disciples to stay in Jerusalem until the Father’s promise had been fulfilled. Then Jesus pointed to the need for the disciples to be empowered with the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus met with His followers at the end of Luke’s Gospel, He told them they would take the gospel to all na-tions: “And look, I am sending you what My Father prom-ised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high” (Luke 24:49). Even earlier, in the upper room

on the night Jesus was betrayed, Jesus had promised them that they would receive the Holy Spirit in the days ahead. John 14–16 gives us many details about Jesus’ teaching on the Holy Spirit. He assured them that He would “not leave [them] as orphans” (John 14:18).

Jesus’ disciples would have been familiar with the Old Testament teaching on God’s Spirit as well as what Jesus had said. The Hebrew and Greek words for Spirit can mean “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit”—with either a capital or lower case “s.” Jews knew, for instance, that God’s Spirit could turn a valley of dry bones into a living army (Ezek. 37). Jesus had compared God’s Spirit to the wind in His conver-sation with Nicodemus (John 3:8). The reality of the Holy Spirit would not have been a new idea to them, but Jesus wanted them to know that they would soon experience the power of the Holy Spirit in their ministry.

Jesus also reminded them of the distinction between the baptisms performed by John the Baptist and the baptism with the Holy Spirit they would receive soon. John the Baptist had called fellow Jews to be baptized as a sign of their repentance for sins (Luke 3:3). John the Baptist knew he was not the Messiah; he was a forerunner for the Mes-siah. John’s baptism did not empower his followers with the Holy Spirit. In fact, Paul later encountered some followers of John the Baptist in Ephesus and learned they were not familiar with the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-7).

The fulfillment of the Father’s promise would be the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (2:1-4). Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Weeks, was a Jewish holy day that occurred 50 days after Passover (Lev. 23:16). It’s original purpose was a celebration over the wheat harvest. Since Jesus had appeared to the disciples for 40 days, they received the Holy Spirit about 10 days after Jesus’ ascension.

You likely have heard testimonies from Christians about how the Holy Spirit is working in their lives, empowering them for ministry and in living the Christian life. Ideally you also are aware of the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. Jesus does not expect us to serve Him in our own strength and ingenuity. As God’s people, we are empowered by God’s Spirit!

What are some lasting truths in Acts 1:4-5?1. Jesus gave His followers clear instructions about where

the power comes from to serve Him.2. God empowers all believers with His Holy Spirit.3. We should not attempt ministry or service in our own

power; we need to rely on God’s power.

Acts 1:6-8

6 So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”

7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own author-ity. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Spirit Empowers Us to Be His Witnesses Locally and Globally. Jesus must have been a very patient teach-er! In verse 6 the disciples asked Him a question concern-ing the kingdom that reflected a serious misunderstanding of His teaching about the kingdom. The kingdom of God was a major topic in Jesus’ teaching and preaching during His earthly ministry. Mark, for instance, summarized Jesus’ early preaching: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of

God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news!” (Mark 1:15). Jesus had talked about the kingdom during the 40 days of His resurrection appearances (Acts 1:3). Appar-ently, the disciples still thought of God’s kingdom as a na-tional, political kingdom. They wondered when the kingdom would be restored to Israel. In the Old Testament Israel could refer to the entire Jewish nation. After the division of the nation at the death of King Solomon, Israel usually referred to the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim), with Judah being the Southern Kingdom.

Jesus’ emphasis had been on the kingdom of God as God’s reign or rule over His people, not a nation or piece of real es-tate. God reigns whenever and wherever people do His will (Matt. 6:10). When Jesus appeared before Pontius Pilate, He declared, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Many Bible students stress that Jesus inaugurated the king-dom through His death and resurrection, and the kingdom will be completed when He returns.

Jesus replied to the disciples that they could not … know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. In an earlier discussion, Jesus had noted that not even the Son knew the exact time for end-time events (Matt. 24:36). Many people today share the disciples’ curios-ity about the future. Curiosity is not always bad, but Jesus knew that too much attention to times or periods could be distracting. The disciples were too preoccupied with a nationalistic understanding of the kingdom of God and the time for its arrival. Jesus wanted to focus their attention on the task they had right then.

Rather than speculate about the future of the kingdom, the disciples needed to wait for an empowering by the Holy Spirit. They would receive power when the Holy Spirit was given to them. The word power translates a

Greek word used in the Gospels for miracles Jesus per-formed. Jesus did not go into detail here about all the ways that God’s Spirit would be active in their lives. Speaking in tongues on the day of Pentecost was a dramatic demon-stration of spiritual power. At other times, the Spirit em-powered Christians to give a bold witness for Christ (4:8).

As a result of the empowering by the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ fol-lowers would be witnesses to Him and for Him. The word witness has several shades of meaning. First, a witness is someone who can testify to what he or she has seen and heard. Later on, when the Jewish leaders ordered Peter and John to stop preaching about Jesus, they said “we are un-able to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (4:20). A witness in a courtroom today is obligated to tes-tify truthfully to what he or she knows firsthand. Jesus had told the disciples in the upper room that they would testify about Him: “You also will testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning” (John 15:27).

Second, the Greek word rendered witness in verse 8 also came to mean someone who dies for Christ, a martyr. Later in the Book of Acts, Stephen became the first Christian mar-tyr when he was stoned by an angry mob (7:54-60). James, the brother of John, was the first of the 12 apostles to die as a martyr when he was killed by King Herod Agrippa I (12:1-2). Although Jesus stressed the verbal witness of His followers here in verse 8, this second meaning is evident throughout Christian history. Many have died in recent years in situa-tions that were hostile to a verbal witness for Jesus.

Also, in verse 8, Jesus identified the scope of the Christian mission then and now. Many Bible students take these geo-graphical terms to be a general outline for the Book of Acts. The Christian witness started in Jerusalem, the key city in the Jewish world. The opening chapters of Acts give details

about Christian activity in Jerusalem. When Stephen was killed, the resulting persecution caused Christians to go into the regions of Judea and Samaria (8:1). Judea was roughly the old southern kingdom. Samaria was generally equivalent to the old northern kingdom. Jesus and His followers had visited Samaria earlier, but the Jews generally had a strong anti-Samaritan prejudice. The ends of the earth refers to the global mission of the early church. A large part of the Book of Acts deals with Paul’s missionary journeys and the advance of the gospel into the known world of that time.

Today, many of us are familiar with the notions of local missions, home missions, and foreign missions. Although the terminology has changed in my lifetime, the overall idea remains the same. Christians have an obligation to take the good news about Jesus around the world. Every spring the Baptist college where I teach has a commissioning chapel. Many students, teachers, and staff are commissioned to go on summer mission trips. Some minister in local areas (Oklahoma for us), some across the United States, and some around the world.

Although many Christians gladly acknowledge the rele-vance of verse 8 for us today, some struggle with how it im-pacts their lives. Although I teach many ministry students who are willing to go anywhere to serve Jesus, I know many older people who cannot do that. Of course there are ex-ceptions, since some older Christians are still active. How-ever, we can support God’s unstoppable mission in many ways. Short-term mission trips are excellent. Praying for others who go or who are on various mission fields is vital. Financial contributions facilitate many forms of ministry as well. Sitting in the corner of my office is a globe that was given to me over 40 years ago by a good friend. Although the names of some countries have changed, seeing that

globe every day reminds me that I have an obligation to support all kinds of missionary causes around the world.

What are some lasting truths in Acts 1:6-8?1. Sometimes Christians misunderstand what Jesus

taught us about God’s plans and God’s timing and we need to be corrected and re-focused.

2. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do whatever God wants us to do.

3. Witnessing for Christ can take many forms.4. Believers are to witness for Christ locally and globally.

Acts 1:12-14

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusa-lem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying:

Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

14 All these were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.

Prayer Unites Believers in Our Focus on Christ and His Mission. After reviewing the details of Jesus’ ascension, Luke described a prayer meeting in Jerusalem. We learn that the ascension occurred the mount called the Mount of

Olives, located not too far from Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives had been the scene for some of Jesus’ most famous teaching, including His discussion of the end of the age (Matt. 24:3). Luke noted that the trip from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem was a Sabbath day’s journey, not necessarily meaning the trip occurred on a Sabbath. According to an-cient Jewish sources, a Jew could travel no farther than 2,000 cubits (about three quarters of a mile) on the Sabbath. (For further background, see the article “Sabbath-Day Restric-tions,” in the current Fall 2016 issue of Biblical Illustrator.)

In Jerusalem, the disciples gathered in a room upstairs. Luke’s first readers might have known the exact location, but today Bible students can only speculate. This room might have been the same upper room where Jesus and the dis-ciples celebrated the Passover. Some think the room might have been in the home of John Mark’s mother (Acts 12:12). At least the disciples had a place large enough to gather and pray; in fact, it was large enough for them to stay there.

Luke listed the 11 apostles who attended. Later, Luke re-ported the death of Judas Iscariot and the selection of a suc-cessor for the man who betrayed Jesus (1:16-26). The list of names of the 11 apostles in verse 13 is similar to other New Testament lists (Matt. 10:2-2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16). The differences usually are accounted for by some disci-ples having more than one name. Although 11 apostles are named in verse 12, only Peter, James, and John are high-lighted later in the Book of Acts. Peter and Paul are central to the later chapters of Acts.

Luke also mentioned that the group that was gathered for prayer included some women. Bible students often note that Luke stressed the role of women in the ministry of Je-sus and in the early church more than other writers. For instance, some women helped Jesus and the disciples with

their finances (Luke 8:2-3). Later in Acts, Luke noted wom-en such as Lydia (Acts 16:11-15) and Priscilla (18:26).

The prayer meeting also included Mary the mother of Jesus. Luke had given us the details of Mary’s conception and the birth of Jesus in his Gospel (Luke 1–2). Although Mary may have had reservations about Jesus early in His ministry (Mark 3:20-21,31-35), Mary became a devout fol-lower of Jesus after His resurrection.

Luke also noted Jesus’ brothers were in the prayer meet-ing. Many Christians believe these brothers were the chil-dren of Mary and Joseph, born to the couple after the virgin birth of Jesus. Some scholars suggest these “brothers” were children of Joseph from a prior marriage. The brothers are named in Mark 6:3. Paul reported that James saw the risen Jesus (1 Cor. 15:7). James became a leader in the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13-21). He also was mentioned by Paul (Gal. 1:19). According to Christian tradition, the Book of James was written by Jesus’ brother James, even though the au-thor of the Book of James did not identify himself that way (Jas. 1:1). Jude, another brother of Jesus, generally is consid-ered the author of the Book of Jude.

Having seen the ascension of Jesus, the apostles and these other believers united in prayer. Luke often noted the role of prayer in the ministry of Jesus and in the early church. Jesus regularly prayed (Luke 6:12), and His exam-ple of prayer led the disciples to ask Him to teach them how to pray (11:1). Jesus responded to His disciples by giving them what we traditionally call the Lord’s Prayer (vv. 2-4), although many are more familiar with the longer version in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6:9-13). Prayer was a regu-lar practice in the early church (Acts 2:42; 4:31).

Luke did not report the details of the content of this prayer meeting in Acts 1:14. If you have a strong back-

ground in personal and corporate prayer, you realize that prayer is primarily addressed to God. We reach out to God about all of the things that concern us. We also praise God for His many blessings in our lives. Many Christians know the familiar acrostic A-C-T-S as a way of identifying the key components of prayer. The “A” stands for adoration, or praise of God. The “C” represents confession of our sins. The “T” points to our thanksgiving for everything God has done for us. The “S” points to supplication, which includes petitionary and intercessory prayers. Petitionary prayer is when we ask God for His help in our own lives. Inter-cessory prayer is when we ask God to help other people. Although we do not know exactly what the Christians in Acts 1:14 prayed about, their prayers might have included any or all of the items in A-C-T-S.

When we pray together, we are united with other believ-ers. It’s hard to disagree with one another when we com-mit our concerns to God in prayer. Ideally, prayer focuses our attention on God and God’s agenda for our lives rather than on concerns that might be self-centered or petty. Quite likely these believers in that upper room were praying about what Jesus had said during the 40 days of His appearances after His resurrection, and especially about His instruc-tions in 1:8. They undoubtedly would have been eager to ex-perience the empowering of the Holy Spirit Jesus promised. They also might have pondered the implications of taking the gospel message “to the ends of the earth” (1:8).

A short prayer meeting on a Wednesday night, such as I regularly attend, may not solve all the problems we face to-day, but the pattern of prayer in the early church reminds us that Christians today need to be a people of prayer. Praying alone and together with other believers will help us keep our attention on Christ and His mission. Our mission will

be unstoppable because it is the same mission that inspired Jesus’ original followers.

What are some lasting truths in Acts 1:12-14?1. Christians today share the same mission with the early

Christians—telling others about Jesus.2. Praying together can unite us and keep us from focus-

ing on the minor issues that often divide Christians.3. Praying together can keep our focus on Jesus, our Lord

and Savior, and His mission for the church today.4. Jesus’ mission is unstoppable.

LIVE IT OUT

Respond to the following as you reflect on this Bible study:Give some specific examples of how the Holy Spirit has empowered you to witness for Jesus. _________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________What types of people do you typically witness to about Jesus Christ? _____________________________________ _________________________________________________How has praying with fellow Christians united you? _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________Which component of A-C-T-S is most common in your pri-vate prayers? Which component is most lacking? ______ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

1 I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles, in the Tyndale New Testament

Commentaries [Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980], 49.2 John B. Polhill, “Acts,” vol. 26, in The New American Commentary [Nashville:

Broadman Press, 1992], 71.

THE PASSAGE

Acts 2:22-24,32-33,36-38

THE POINT

Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and reigns as Lord.

Are you a member of any group, club, or organization right now? How many such groups have you identified with at any time in your life? For a long time I was a “joiner,” meaning I often joined organizations for a variety of reasons. When I was in college, for example, I belonged to a student organiza-tion that took care of the college mascot, a bison. The guys in the club fed the bison and kept his pen clean. Like many organizations, however, this group was short-lived. Eventu-ally the bison was taken to a farm. The club tried to maintain its identity for a while, but the group eventually disbanded. Probably you have been a member of a group that had a wor-thy cause, benefitting society in some way. My wife was a volunteer in many humanitarian groups across the years.

This session focuses on what makes the church unique among all organizations. A sociologist might see many sim-ilarities among churches, businesses, social clubs, sorori-

SESSION 8UNSTOPPABLE MESSAGE

Session 8 Unstoppable Message

ties, and other organizations. From the human level, groups often have mission statements, officers, budgets, and other common features. The church is unique, however, because of its unchanging message. The church was founded to pro-claim the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. The church is committed to its original leader, Jesus, but He is not a mere human leader. His death on the cross for our sins, His resurrection, and His ongoing reign as Lord and Savior make Him unique. Although local churches are important to many of us for their humanitarian deeds, fellowship, and service to the community, the church is distinctive because of what it proclaims about Jesus. The church’s unstoppable message is the unstoppable gospel, the good news of salva-tion through Jesus.

THE SETTING

In last week’s session we learned that Jesus told His disci-ples to remain in Jerusalem until they received power from the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). The disciples obeyed Jesus and gathered in Jerusalem to pray and to select a successor for Judas. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples, and they “began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech” (Acts 2:4). Jews from around the known world had moved to Je-rusalem, and many visitors were in town for this impor-tant holy day. The crowd was amazed to hear the disciples speaking in their own languages (v. 6). They presumed the disciples had not studied these foreign languages, so how could they speak them? Some speculated that somehow the disciples were drunk (v. 13).

The Holy Spirit played a major role throughout the Book of Acts. The empowering of the Holy Spirit was not always

THE POINT: Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and reigns as Lord.

manifest with the gift of speaking in tongues, but Acts re-ported a total of four events that are similar. The event in Acts 2 could be called the Jewish Pentecost since it actu-ally happened on the Jewish holy day. A “Samaritan Pen-tecost” happened when converts in Samaria received the Holy Spirit (8:14-17). The “Gentile Pentecost” was when Cor-nelius and other Gentiles received the Holy Spirit (10:44-46). A “Baptist” or “Ephesian Pentecost-type event” was when the followers of John the Baptist in Ephesus received the Holy Spirit (19:1-7). Although these four Pentecost-type events are dramatic and memorable, the Holy Spirit was ac-tive in many other ways in the early church.

STUDY THE BIBLE

Acts 2:22-24

22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: This Jesus the Nazarene was a man pointed out to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through Him, just as you yourselves know. 23 Though He was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used law-less people to nail Him to a cross and kill Him. 24 God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.

Jesus Died and Rose Again to Bring Salvation. When some members of the crowd suggested the disciples were drunk, Peter responded. Peter was often the major spokes-person for the disciples in Jerusalem. Standing “with the Eleven” (v. 14), Peter explained that the disciples’ ability to speak in tongues was the fulfillment of a prophecy of Joel.

Peter quoted Joel 2:28-32 to demonstrate that centuries ear-lier God had spoken to Joel about the event they had just observed. Rather than being drunk, the disciples were em-powered by God’s Spirit to communicate in languages the crowd recognized as their own native tongues.

Peter began his sermon by addressing “Men of Judah and all you residents of Jerusalem” (Acts 2:14). After noting the importance of Joel’s prophecy, Peter identified his audience as Men of Israel (v. 22). At this point the primary audi-ence for the gospel message was Jews. The mission to the Samaritans and Gentiles (1:8) began after the persecution that involved Saul (8:1).

Peter focused his sermon on Jesus. He identified Jesus as the Nazarene, which means Jesus grew up in Nazareth (“Jesus of Nazareth,” NIV). Matthew mentioned this term when he reported that Mary, Joseph, and the young Jesus returned from Egypt and settled in Nazareth (Matt. 2:23). Jesus had been born in Bethlehem, but some people thought of Him as a native of Nazareth (John 1:46).

Peter quickly noted that God had empowered Jesus to do many miracles, wonders, and signs. The Gospels and Book of Acts are full of stories about Jesus’ miracles and the miracles done by His followers. These miraculous events were not merely unusual and dramatic; they always pointed to the uniqueness of Jesus. “In Acts every reference to miracles is in the context of the apostolic message of the resurrected Jesus going forth.”1 The Greek word rendered miracles or “deeds of power” (NRSV) is the root for our word dynamite. This word covers miracles such as healing of the sick and exorcisms of evil spirits. The words wonders and signs suggest that these unusual events point to some-thing important or significant we can learn from them. The word signs, for instance, is a key word in John’s Gospel.

John reported several signs done by Jesus that pointed to His relation to God the Father. The first sign, for example, was Jesus’ changing water into wine (John 2:11).

In verse 23 Peter focused on the crucifixion of Jesus. We need to recall that the crucifixion had occurred roughly 50 days earlier and would have been fresh on the minds of many in the audience. The day of Pentecost was a Jewish holy day celebrated 50 days after Passover, and Jesus died in the Passover season.

Peter stressed the complementary roles of God and hu-mans in the death of Jesus. Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross occurred according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge. As William Barclay noted, “the Cross was no accident. It belonged to the eternal plan of God.”2 Jesus’ death for our sins was part of God’s set purpose. Peter did not dwell on the details of God’s eternal plan for the redemption of human sinners. He quickly noted the role of lawless people who killed Jesus. The activities of people such as Judas, who betrayed Jesus, the Jewish lead-ers, who tried Jesus, and Roman officials such as Pontius Pilate, who allowed the crucifixion, are included in the cat-egory lawless people or “wicked men” (NIV). There are many facets to the death of Jesus, and “Peter carefully bal-anced the elements of God’s divine purposes and the hu-man responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus.”3

Peter then stressed that God raised Jesus from the dead. Luke already had noted that the risen Jesus appeared for 40 days before His ascension. Surely many in Peter’s audi-ence had heard stories about these appearances of the risen Jesus, even if they had not actually seen Jesus themselves. Later on, the apostle Paul summarized several of these ap-pearance stories (1 Cor. 15:5-8). Paul also reminded the Christians in Corinth about the centrality of belief in Jesus’

resurrection (vv. 13-14). Here Peter stressed to his Jerusalem audience that God’s raising of Jesus ended Jesus’ pains of death (“agony of death,” NIV). The Greek word translated pains literally could be rendered “birth pangs.”

Although the early believers were convinced of the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, the Book of Acts reports resistance to this key Christian belief. The Sadducees, for instance, were Jews who rejected the general idea of resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:8). Their resistance to preaching about Jesus will be central in a later session. At the Areopagus in Athens, some of the apostle Paul’s audience ridiculed belief in bodily resurrection because of their commitment to pa-gan philosophies (17:32).

Peter reinforced his affirmation of Jesus’ resurrection with a quotation from David in Psalm 16:8-11 (2:25-28). Peter explained that David was not talking about his own escape from death. Indeed, Peter’s audience knew about David’s tomb (v. 29). Rather, David’s psalm was a prophecy about his descendant, the Messiah, who would be raised from the dead instead of remaining dead as David did (vv. 30-31).

Our salvation is based on two of the crucial points in Peter’s sermon. First, Jesus died as part of God’s eternal redemptive plan for human sinners. Second, God raised Jesus from the dead. Unless both of these facts are true and acknowledged by sinners, they will miss the salvation God offers through Jesus (1 Cor. 15:3-4).

What are some lasting truths in Acts 2:22-24?1. God demonstrated His special relation to Jesus by em-

powering Jesus to perform many miracles.2. The death of Jesus resulted from God’s eternal plan of

salvation and the actions of sinful humans.3. God raised Jesus from the dead, confirming Jesus’ spe-

cial relation to God the Father as His Son.

Acts 2:32-33,36

32 “God has resurrected this Jesus. We are all wit-nesses of this. 33 Therefore, since He has been ex-alted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, He has poured out what you both see and hear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!”

Jesus Is Exalted As Lord. After citing David’s psalm about the resurrection of the Messiah, Peter reminded his audience that God has resurrected this Jesus. The his-torical reality of Jesus’ resurrection was and is central to the Christian faith. In an effort to discredit the witness of believers to the risen Jesus, the Jewish religious leaders bribed the guards at Jesus’ tomb to say the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body (Matt. 28:11-15). Across the centuries other theories have been proposed by non-believers in an attempt to raise doubts about Jesus’ resurrection. For ex-ample, some claim Jesus did not really die on the cross but merely passed out. Christian apologists have offered sound refutations to all these theories.

Peter declared, We are all witnesses of this. Peter was standing with the other 11 apostles at the beginning of his sermon (Acts 2:14). We know that the successor to Judas had been selected from people who were eye witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection (1:21-26). Paul reported that at one time the risen Jesus appeared to over 500 people (1 Cor. 15:6). We cannot be sure how many of these witnesses to the res-urrection were present on the day of Pentecost, but Peter

knew that in a courtroom he could call many witnesses to testify about Jesus!

The apostles had seen Jesus ascend (Acts 1:9-11). In Acts 2:33 Peter affirmed that Jesus had been exalted to the right hand of God. Several New Testament texts reinforce what Peter stated. For instance, Stephen saw Jesus stand-ing at the right hand of God (7:56). Paul mentioned the risen Jesus being seated at God’s right hand (Eph. 1:20). The tra-ditional term session refers to Jesus being seated near God the Father and interceding for believers. The New Testa-ment also suggests that the risen Jesus is not localized in the same way as an ordinary human is. Jesus had told His followers that He would be with them always (Matt. 28:20). Peter’s main point was that the risen Jesus had a glorified body and was in the presence of God the Father.

The exalted Jesus, Peter stated, received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit. Many Christians will see in this statement that Peter was pointing toward the Christian belief in the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity encompasses the relations of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Several New Testament texts men-tion all three manifestations of the one God. For example, Jesus commanded believers to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). Paul referred to all three divine persons at the end of 2 Corinthians (2 Cor. 13:13; v. 14 in most other English translations). Christians to-day often use analogies to illustrate the relations of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. No analogy is perfect, but some of them help us understand an important theological truth.

In his sermon Peter stressed the intimate relation of Father, Son, and Spirit as the context for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples through the mediation of Jesus,

God’s Son. Jesus poured out what you both see and hear. In the upper room, Jesus had touched on the many tasks of the Holy Spirit and anticipated Peter’s comment. Jesus said, “When the Counselor comes, the One I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me” (John 15:26).

Peter again quoted one of David’s psalms to reinforce his point in verses 34b-35. Psalm 110:1 speaks of the Lord sit-ting at God’s right hand. David was not talking about him-self; David pointed to the exaltation of the Messiah.

Peter hoped his audience would now acknowledge that Jesus, the person they crucified was indeed both Lord and Messiah. The New Testament authors used a wide range of word pictures, images, and titles to capture who Jesus was and is. Peter was inspired here to highlight two of the most important ones. First, Jesus is Lord. Bible students often note that “Jesus is Lord” was a crucial affirmation of the early church (Phil. 2:11; Rom. 10:9). Although the Greek word rendered “Lord” might be a modest term of respect in some contexts, when it is used about Jesus it points to His deity. A first-century Jew knew that the Hebrew name for God, often spelled “Yahweh” today, was too sacred to say out loud. Eventually the Jews said the Hebrew word Adonai (Lord) out loud rather than saying “Yahweh.” For a Jew to affirm Jesus as Lord required acknowledging Jesus’ deity.

Anyone in the first century, Jew or Gentile, knew that the term Lord was an affirmation of loyalty or allegiance. Early Christians rejected appeals to acknowledge pagan gods, the Roman emperor as a god, or worship of angels. For them, only Jesus was Lord.

Second, Peter noted that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Jewish expectations about the Messiah. Messiah, or Christ, means “anointed one.” Peter had been at the center

of a famous episode when Jesus tried to clarify what kind of Messiah He was. At Caesarea Philippi, Peter had boldly called Jesus “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). Jesus then explained to Peter and the other apostles that He would suffer and die before He was raised from the dead (v. 21). Peter could not accept that view of messiah-ship, and Jesus had to rebuke Peter (vv. 22-23). As Peter preached to the Jews on the day of Pentecost, he could af-firm that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah.

Like many sermons today, Peter’s sermon was heading to-ward a call to commitment. Peter stated crisply and clearly what his audience needed to affirm about Jesus. It would not be enough for them to say that Jesus was a great teach-er, social reformer, prophet, or martyr. Jesus was the resur-rected, exalted Lord and Messiah.

What are some lasting truths in Acts 2:32-33,36?1. Early Christians were eye witnesses to the fact that Je-

sus had experienced a bodily resurrection.2. The risen Jesus now is seated at the right hand of God

the Father.3. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit

are unified in providing the power of the Holy Spirit to all believers.

4. Jesus is both the fulfillment of the Jewish hope for the Messiah and our Lord and Savior.

Acts 2:37-38

37 When they heard this, they came under deep con-viction and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: “Brothers, what must we do?”

38 “Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the

forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The Message of Christ Calls for a Response. Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost began with a clarification of the miraculous speaking in tongues and then moved to a discussion of the death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus. Peter clearly anticipated that his audience needed to make some kind of response to his claims about Jesus.

God used Peter’s sermon to convict the audience of their need for salvation. Luke noted that they came under deep conviction. That phrase could be rendered “they were cut to the heart” (NIV). The crowd asked Peter and the other apostles, Brothers, what must we do? This heartfelt ques-tion is similar to the one the Philippian jailer put to Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (16:30).

Peter replied to the crowd, stating several actions that overlap and are interdependent. First, they needed to repent. The Greek word for repent includes much more than feeling sorry for some mistake. F. F. Bruce called it “a complete change of heart, a spiritual about-face.”4

Second, they needed to be baptized. John the Baptist had preached about repentance and baptism, but Peter insisted on baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. Baptism is the outer symbol of the inner repentance and conversion Chris-tians experience. Our baptism signifies the forgiveness of … sins. The preposition for can mean “on the ground of, on the basis of ” rather than being the prerequisite for forgiveness.5 Although some groups insist being baptized is part of the salvation process, the overall witness of the New Testament is that baptism is a symbol of forgiveness.

Third, as followers of Jesus, they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. According to the New Testament, to be

a Christian means to be “in Christ” and “in the Spirit.” Paul described himself as “a man in Christ” (2 Cor. 12:2). Paul also contrasted life in the flesh and life in the Spirit, telling believers, “You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spir-it, since the Spirit of God lives in you” (Rom. 8:9). Paul also referred to the gifts of the Spirit several times. F. F. Bruce noted, however, “The gift of the Spirit is to be distinguished from the gifts of the Spirit. The gift of the Spirit is the Spirit himself, bestowed by the exalted Lord under the Father’s authority; the gifts of the Spirit are those spiritual faculties which the Spirit imparts.”6

The response to Peter’s sermon was positive. About 3,000 people were added to the church that day (2:41). About 120 were identified as followers of Jesus earlier in Acts (1:15). Sometimes, however, the response to the gospel was negative. When, for instance, Stephen boldly preached to fellow Jews, “they were enraged in their hearts and gnashed their teeth at him” (7:54). These angry people then killed Stephen.

Today, people still need to make a response to the mes-sage about salvation through Jesus. Our culture is as plu-ralistic as was the first-century world. Some people resist making an either-or choice about Jesus as Lord and Savior. Many would like to limit Jesus to the role of hero, super-star, or prophet. Christians today need to make sure people understand the implications of the gospel message and call for a response to that message.

What are some lasting truths in Acts 2:37-38?1. People sometimes are convicted of their sins and their

need for salvation when they hear a clear presentation of the gospel message.

2. Christians today need to be candid about what is in-volved in accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.

3. Sometimes large numbers may respond positively to the gospel message.

LIVE IT OUT

As you reflect on this session, respond to the following:What are the most common misunderstandings of Chris-tianity in our world? _______________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________What are the most important beliefs held by Christians about Jesus? ______________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________How can a lost person become a Christian? ___________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

1 Andy Chambers, Exemplary Life: A Theology of Church Life in Acts [Nashville:

B&H Academic, 2012], 113.2 William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, in The Daily Study Bible Series, sec-

ond edition [Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1955], 21.3 John B. Polhill, “Acts,” vol. 26, in The New American Commentary [Nashville:

Broadman Press, 1992], 112.4 F. F. Bruce, The Book of the Acts, revised edition, in The New International

Commentary on the New Testament [Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing

Company, 1988], 69.5 Polhill, “Acts,” NAC, 117.6 Bruce, The Book of the Acts, 71.

THE PASSAGE

Acts 2:41-47

THE POINT

Loving people is a powerful expression of loving God.

Imagine that the breaking news right now is about a natu-ral disaster in another country. A hurricane, avalanche, or earthquake has killed thousands, injured others, and de-stroyed lots of property. What will happen in the next few days? Because this kind of scenario has played out many times in recent years, we know that many humanitarian or-ganizations in the United States will reach out to the trou-bled land. These organizations will send great amounts of food, medical supplies, and other resources as soon as they can mobilize. Many relief workers will travel to the crisis point as well.

What motivates these humanitarian groups? Words such as concern, compassion, and care barely scratch the sur-face for their actions. Christians also often are involved in reaching out to people in crisis situations such as these. The primary Christian motivation for helping others facing such

SESSION 9UNSTOPPABLE LOVE

THE POINT: Loving people is a powerful expression of loving God.

situations is love. Although humanitarian organizations might be populated by Christians, humanists, or people from other faith communities, Christians identify love as their primary reason for helping others. They realize that their love for God and God’s love for them should express itself in loving ac-tions toward other humans. When Jesus was asked about the Great Commandment, He responded with a two-part answer. He quoted two Old Testament texts about loving God with our total being and loving our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:34-40). The apostle John likewise linked these two kinds of love (1 John 4:7-12,20-21). This session focuses on the ex-ample of the early Christians in Jerusalem. They exemplified well the kind of loving people a church should be today.

THE SETTING

This session focuses on one of Luke’s occasional summary texts in which he reminded his readers of the general situ-ation in the early church. Acts 4:32-37 and 5:12-16 are also such summaries. This passage gives us a snapshot of the early church in Jerusalem. Probably few churches today come close to this ideal picture, but we can learn from this study how to live for Christ faithfully in our world.

STUDY THE BIBLE

Acts 2:41-42

41 So those who accepted his message were bap-tized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apos-tles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers.

Session 9 Unstoppable Love

Unstoppable Love Meets Spiritual Needs. Peter was a passionate preacher. As he explained what had happened on the day of Pentecost, he pointed to Jesus as the true “Lord and Messiah” (2:36). His audience responded posi-tively, and many accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Luke noted that about 3,000 people were added to the church that day. Earlier, Luke had mentioned about 120 people had gathered when the disciples selected a successor for Judas Iscariot (1:15). Although Luke was not inspired to note the numerical growth of the church in every chapter, clearly the early church in Jerusalem was growing quickly!

How big a deal is the numerical size of a church? I have heard lots of discussions across the years about the relative merits of quantitative growth versus qualitative growth. Luke did not address that issue directly, but he reported on both types of growth in the Book of Acts. In the first century, the Christian movement was relatively small compared to the overall population of the Roman Empire. William Barclay, commenting on the situation outside of Jerusalem, wrote, “They were like a little island of Christi-anity surrounded on every side by a sea of paganism.”1 Yet the church grew quickly and had a revolutionary impact on its culture. Later, some people in Thessalonica warned, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too” (17:6).

Perhaps we also should remind ourselves these early dis-ciples did not gather in church buildings, such as most read-ers today do. Maybe they met outdoors; sometimes they were in the temple complex; often they met in homes (2:46).

In verse 42 Luke identified four characteristic activities or practices of the early church. First, they devoted them-selves to the apostles’ teaching. Luke did not mention the specific contents of that teaching, but quite likely it

included the themes of Jesus’ teaching and preaching during His earthly ministry. We know He talked about the kingdom of God during the last days before His ascension (1:3,6-7). Since the promise of the Holy Spirit’s empower-ment had been fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, the disciples probably probed that topic as well. Some of these teachings lie in the background of New Testament books later written by some of the apostles. Matthew and John, for example, wrote two of the four Gospels. Simon Peter did not write a Gospel, but our New Testament includes two letters by Peter. According to tradition, John also wrote three letters as well as the Book of Revelation. We do not have audio or video recordings of the teaching of the apostles, but we can study the written record of their teachings.

Second, the disciples experienced a close fellowship. The Greek word also can mean “community” or “partnership.” My childhood memories of church “fellowships” involve cookies, chips, and soft drinks. But Luke intended to re-fer to the intimate relations that often thrive in a tight-knit community. Large churches today often recognize the need for small-group experiences to help their members bond to one another and minister to one another.

Third, these disciples shared the breaking of bread. Bible students often mention two possible interpreta-tions for this phrase. It could refer to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in the early church. Jesus had shared the last supper in the upper room on the night he was be-trayed. Paul reported that event in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Second, the early Christians apparently shared an agape or love meal at times. This may have involved sharing ordi-nary food that pointed to their fellowship together. Some Bible students believe Paul referred to both types of meals in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.

Fourth, the disciples devoted themselves to prayers. As we saw in our first session, praying was a regular practice of the early church (1:14). The original followers of Jesus knew He was a man of prayer, and they wanted Jesus to teach them to how to pray (Luke 11:1). Luke mentioned prayer in connection with many of the key events in the Book of Acts. For instance, prayer was involved in the commissioning of Barnabas and Saul for what we call the first missionary journey (Acts 13:2-3).

Here in Acts 2:42 Luke noted the early church’s attention to spiritual needs. The church could not be successful in its missionary endeavors without a strong spiritual founda-tion. All four of these practices aided the church in its wit-ness to a lost world. Prayer especially can keep us sensitive to the needs of those around us. The church I attend regu-larly takes time in public worship and small-group meet-ings to identify prayer concerns. These needs involve the members of our local church, our town, and even global needs. It’s easy to talk in general terms about the world’s needs, but prayer can sensitize us to specific needs the church can address.

What are some lasting truths in Acts 2:41-42?1. God is actively involved in numerical church growth.2. We should commit ourselves to the same spiritual prac-

tices that marked the early church.3. Praying for others can lead to a genuine caring for

other people.

Acts 2:43-45

43 Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apos-tles. 44 Now all the believers were together and held

all things in common. 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need.

Unstoppable Love Meets Physical Needs. Luke’s glow-ing description of the spiritual activities of the Jerusalem church in verse 42 seems to stand in sharp contrast with the opening words of verse 43. At least the word fear might surprise some readers. The Greek word is the source for our term phobia, but here it could be translated “amaze-ment,” “awe,” or “reverence.” The disciples experienced a deep reverence for God as they realized everything He had done through His Son Jesus. “The fear of the Lord” was a common theme in the Old Testament. For instance, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10).

The awe or fear the disciples experienced was an appro-priate response to the many wonders and signs done through the apostles. We saw in our last session that Peter pointed to the “miracles, wonders, and signs” Jesus did as evidence for His being the Son of God (2:22). When Jesus commissioned the 12 apostles, He gave them authority to perform miracles (Matt. 10:1,8). The Book of Acts notes several times the apostles did miracles such as healings or exorcisms (Acts 4:30; 5:12). In next week’s session we will focus on Peter and John healing a lame man (3:1-10).

One of the more unusual practices of the Jerusalem church was that the believers … held all things in common. Although some have claimed verse 44 is support for com-mon ownership of all property, many believe verse 45 clari-fies that the disciples responded to specific needs by selling property at various times. For example, verse 45 “speaks against the early Christian community adopting a practice of community ownership … their practice was to sell their

property and goods and apportion the proceeds whenever a need arose.”2

Prosperity sometimes brings its own problems. The rap-id numerical growth of the Jerusalem church may have prompted the need for a voluntary sharing by members who had possessions and property. We do not know the de-tails of the economic status of all the early Christians. We know that some were slaves (1 Pet. 2:18). The growth of the church may have exceeded the church’s material resources. We know that some of the Hellenistic Jews later felt “their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution” (Acts 6:1). That problem was resolved by the selection of the seven, which included Stephen and Philip (vv. 3-6).

Luke gave more details about this sharing of resources in a later passage (4:32-37). There he mentioned the exam-ple of Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement, who “sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apos-tles’ feet” (v. 37). The apostles distributed the money given by generous disciples such as Barnabas to those in need (v. 35). Unfortunately, not every Christian in Jerusalem was as generous and honest as Barnabas. Luke also told the story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira, who sold prop-erty and “kept back part of the proceeds” (5:2). Ananias and Sapphira went separately to meet with Peter. Peter accused each of lying to the Holy Spirit about their ap-parent generosity, and both dropped dead (vv. 2-10). Again the church experienced the holy fear that Luke mentioned earlier (vv. 5,11).

Some have called this voluntary sharing by the early Chris-tians the “Jerusalem experiment” since we do not know of any other first-century church that followed the same pat-tern.3 Eventually the Jerusalem church faced a financial hardship, and they needed the help of other Christians.

For instance, Paul agreed with the Jerusalem leaders that he would “remember the poor” in their church (Gal. 2:10). Paul actively raised money for the Jerusalem church as he traveled. He mentioned this offering briefly at the end of 1 Corinthians (16:1-4), but he devoted two chapters to the collection in 2 Corinthians 8–9.

The Jerusalem church’s concern for the poor and needy is not unique in the New Testament. In fact, the Old Testa-ment shared a common concern for the poor. When Jesus complimented Mary for anointing Him with expensive oint-ment, Judas protested. Jesus referred to Deuteronomy 15:11 in His reply to Judas: “For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have me” (John 12:8). Poverty is a perennial problem, but the law code and Jesus both pro-moted an ongoing concern for the poor among God’s peo-ple. James, Jesus’ brother, identified loving our neighbors as clear evidence of true faith. A person with genuine faith, James suggested, would not ignore the physical needs of another person (Jas. 2:8,15-17).

Most readers will be familiar with the contemporary need for the church to address both the spiritual and physical needs of our world. The gospel addresses the needs of the total person. A good friend of mine leads a small mission congregation in our town that actively ministers to the poor, hungry, and homeless. He preaches regularly, teaches the Bible, coordinates a clothes closet and a food pantry, and helps the needy in many other ways. Across the years, he has enlisted the aid of many volunteers from area churches as well as many of the students at the college where he and I both taught.

Although ministering to the physical needs of people has much biblical support, caring for the needs of others often provides an opportunity for a verbal witness about

Jesus. Ultimately, there is no conflict between evangelism and social action. Some people who might be reluctant to come to our church buildings can be impacted from our ministry to their physical needs. Jesus, for instance, was able to talk to the Samaritan woman about physical thirst and then move the discussion to spiritual issues (John 4: 7-15). John wrote Gaius about both his physical and spiri-tual well-being (3 John 2).

How would you evaluate your church in comparison to the Jerusalem church? The Jerusalem church balanced spiritual needs and physical needs. A church’s calendar of events, budget, and staff positions might provide a clue to its priorities. The same is true of my role and your role as individual Christians. Of course, what we stress in our in-dividual lives relates to our spiritual gifts and calling, but we need to remind ourselves of the need to minister to all human needs.

What are some lasting truths in Acts 2:43-45?1. We should have a reverent awe about God and His ac-

tivities in our world today.2. We should share generously to help people who need

food, clothing, and housing.3. We should seize every opportunity we have to share our

witness about Jesus.

Acts 2:46-47

46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting to-gether in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.

Unstoppable Love Creates Opportunities to Share the Gospel. Sometimes I wish I could interview a disciple from the Jerusalem church in the time period of Acts 2. I’m natu-rally curious and have lots of questions! How did accepting Jesus change his or her life? What did he or she do on a typical day? Did he change occupations? How did his or her faith impact their family relations?

Luke was not inspired to answer my curiosity questions, but he highlighted what was most important for us to know. For example, in verse 46, Luke noted two places the dis-ciples regularly gathered First, they met together in the temple complex. At this point in Luke’s story most of the disciples came from a Jewish background. Samaritans and Gentiles are highlighted later in Acts. These believers in Je-sus might have gone to the area around the temple for sev-eral reasons. “The Christian presence in the temple testifies not only to their remaining faithful to their Jewish heritage but also evidences their zeal for witness.”4 Eventually, these Jewish Christians would realize the full implications of Je-sus being the perfect high priest and the perfect sacrificial victim, themes stressed in the Book of Hebrews. Also, Jew-ish resistance to their message about Jesus being the Mes-siah likely led to their expulsion from Jewish centers, such as the temple and synagogues. We know that Paul often vis-ited synagogues to encounter Jews, but then he moved on to the Gentile audiences (see, for example, 13:44-52). The Jews were a natural target group or audience for the Christian message, so the Jerusalem disciples saw no need to stay away from the temple.

Second, the disciples broke bread from house to house. As we saw earlier, the reference to breaking bread might point to the Lord’s Supper, but many Bible students think in this context it refers to hospitality. Luke frequently noted

activities in homes, such as at Lydia’s house (16:40), at Jason’s house (17:7), and at other homes (20:20). Other New Testament authors stressed the need for hospitality as well. The writer of Hebrews said, “Don’t neglect to show hospitality” (Heb. 13:2).

In both the temple complex and homes, the disciples could offer a verbal witness to their faith in Jesus. The non-believer might, for example, be intrigued by the joyful and humble attitude of the believers who shared meals with them. Sometimes today Christians are criticized for being too negative. We are depicted at times in the media as angry, belligerent critics. Luke stressed the positive, joyful attitude of these early disciples. Paul later noted, “Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person” (Col. 4:6). Peter sounded a similar note: “Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Pet. 3:15b-16a). Both Peter and Paul included an emphasis on the attitude we have when we share our faith.

Besides having a winsome attitude, these early believers regularly were praising God for what He was doing in their lives. Later, we will see these disciples encountered adver-sity and persecution. The lives of early Christians was no more trouble-free than our lives as Christians are today, and perhaps considerably more so. Still, they knew lots of reasons to praise God frequently.

At this point these early Christians enjoyed a positive re-lationship with many people in Jerusalem. Luke noted they found favor with all the people. This favor or “goodwill” (NRSV) might allow for some exceptions, such as the Sad-ducees (4:1-3), but Luke’s comment reflects a wide approval

of how these disciples behaved. Their lifestyle and verbal witness had a positive impact on many.

Luke added that the Jerusalem church continued to expe-rience numerical growth. Every day God added to them those who were being saved. About 3,000 people respond-ed to Peter’s sermon. The later persecution by the Sadducees did not slow this growth. After Peter and John were arrest-ed, about 5,000 people accepted the gospel message (4:4). (For further background, see the article “The Earliest Con-verts,” in the current Fall 2016 issue of Biblical Illustrator.)

The love that motivated the church’s ministry to the spiri-tual and physical needs of the people contributed to this church growth. Sometimes a non-believer might notice your distinctively Christian behavior and inquire about your be-liefs. Typically, however, we need to offer a verbal explana-tion about why we follow Jesus. Our motivation for help-ing others is not a mere humanitarian interest in a person’s well-being. We serve a risen Savior, and we want others to share that faith as well.

Luke’s description of the Jerusalem church may strike some readers as an idealized, non-realistic view of a church. A re-cent in-depth study of summary texts in Acts, such as the one we have studied this week, stressed the Jerusalem church be-ing a model for today. “The first summary narrative in Acts 2:42-47, coming on the heels of the Pentecost narrative, de-scribes Luke’s vision for exemplary life in the local church,” wrote Andy Chambers.5 John Polhill noted, “Luke’s sum-maries present an ideal for the Christian community which it must always strive for, constantly return to, and discover anew if it is to have that unity of spirit and purpose essential for an effective witness.”6 Rather than looking around for that elusive ideal church, we should commit ourselves to making our local church more dedicated to the mission Jesus gave us.

What are some lasting truths in Acts 2:46-47?1. Christians today need to create many ways to witness

to their faith in Jesus.2. We can offer a verbal witness in one-on-one relations,

in small groups, and in large public settings.3. We should regularly praise God for the ways He is con-

stantly blessing us.4. God often blesses our faithful witness to Jesus.

LIVE IT OUT

As you reflect on this session, respond to the following:At which of the practices or activities Luke named in verse 42 does your church excel? Which practice needs more attention in your church? ___________________________ _________________________________________________Are you more inclined to try to meet people’s physical needs or their spiritual needs? How could you bring a bet-ter balance to your efforts so that you address all needs people have? ______________________________________ _________________________________________________What have you praised God for this week? ____________ _________________________________________________

1 William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians, in The Daily Study Bible Series,

second edition [Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1956], 49.2 John B. Polhill, “Acts,” vol. 26, in The New American Commentary [Nashville:

Broadman Press, 1992], 121.3 T. B. Maston, Biblical Ethics [Waco: Word Books, Publisher, 1969], 249.4 Polhill, “Acts,” NAC, 121.5 Andy Chambers, Exemplary Life: A Theology of Church Life in Acts [Nashville:

B&H Academic, 2012], 83.6 Polhill, “Acts,” NAC, 122.

THE PASSAGE

Acts 3:1-10

THE POINT

We intersect daily with people who need Christ.

How do you usually respond to interruptions? Do you see them as a major problem? Or is the interruption a minor in-convenience? Maybe the interruption becomes an opportu-nity that you soon gladly welcome into your life. Or maybe the interruption is something that brings dreaded news and you wish you could avoid it at all costs.

What we count as an interruption generally involves the intersection of at least two lives. You are headed in one di-rection on the road of your life when another person’s jour-ney crosses your path. Many times we do not even notice the other person. For example, the person who takes my money when I buy groceries is typically just a friendly face with a name tag. Most of us intersect with many people ev-ery day, either in person, on the phone, or in social media. Do you typically take the time to notice these people? What do you know about them? Could you name their spiritual

SESSION 10UNSTOPPABLE OPPORTUNITIES

SESSION 10 Unstoppable Opportunities

needs or concerns? In this session, we will see how we can use the intersections of life to impact the lives of others with the good news of salvation through Jesus. Intersec-tions and interruptions become opportunities for witness-ing and ministry.

THE SETTING

So far in our study of the Book of Acts, we have looked at Jesus’ last instructions to His followers before His ascen-sion, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pen-tecost, and the characteristics of the Jerusalem church. In chapter 3, Luke reported the encounter between two apostles, Peter and John, and a lame man in the temple complex. Through the power and authority he received from Jesus, Peter healed the lame man.

STUDY THE BIBLE

Acts 3:1-4

1 Now Peter and John were going up together to the temple complex at the hour of prayer at three in the afternoon. 2 And a man who was lame from birth was carried there and placed every day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so he could beg from those entering the temple complex. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple complex, he asked for help. 4 Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, “Look at us.”

See the Opportunity Your Intersections with People Provide. Two of the 12 apostles, Peter and John, are high-

THE POINT: We intersect daily with people who need Christ.

lighted in this episode. Actually, John never speaks, but this pair were both present throughout the story. Peter and John are familiar to most readers who know the Gospels.

Simon Peter was a key figure in several events in Jesus’ life, but we most often recall that he denied Jesus three times. Although Peter had denied Jesus, in the Book of Acts, he was a powerful witness to the risen Jesus and a key leader in the early church.

John is probably the brother of James. According to tra-dition, John wrote a Gospel, three letters, and the Book of Revelation. Some Bible scholars suggest that the apostles went about in pairs because of the Jewish legal requirement that there be two witnesses to make a testimony valid.

Peter and John likely went to the temple complex on a regular basis. We saw in last week’s session that the early Christians often assembled at the temple (2:46). One reason for going to the temple was to witness to the Jews who gath-ered there for worship. Eventually, the Christian witnesses focused more on a Gentile audience, but at this point the Jews in Jerusalem were a natural target group.

The apostles arrived at the hour of prayer, “the ninth hour” (ESV), or three in the afternoon. This hour was also the occasion for the afternoon animal sacrifice. The apostles could be sure a large crowd would be in the temple area. Some readers might be puzzled by the custom of set times for prayer. We know we can pray to God any time of the day or night. Having set times for prayer is a helpful spiritual discipline. Daniel, for example, had the custom of praying three times a day (Dan. 6:10).

On this visit to the temple Peter and John noticed a man who was lame from birth. Later, Luke noted that the lame man was over 40 years old (4:22). Perhaps the crowds were so large these apostles never saw him before, but at least

this time the man interrupted the two apostles, asking for money. We do not know the man’s name, but he must have been a familiar figure in the temple. Every day friends or family carried him to the temple and placed him at the Beautiful gate. Bible scholars offer several possible loca-tions for this gate, but there is no definitive reference in Jewish literature. Obviously it was a high traffic spot in the temple, allowing the lame man many potential donors.

Depending on where you live or where you have traveled, you might have seen beggars along sidewalks or on road sides. Sometimes homeless people stand or sit by an exit ramp on the highway that passes by my town. In biblical times, begging and receiving financial gifts was a common custom. The Jews were expected to care for the poor, and the poor presented themselves in public asking for help. Jesus noted this custom in the Sermon on the Mount. Je-sus stressed that we should not be flamboyant when we “give to the poor” (Matt. 6:2). Traditionally this custom was called giving “alms” (KJV, NRSV). In his Gospel, Luke had highlighted Jesus’ encounter with a blind beggar in Jericho (Luke 18:35-43). (For further background, see the article “Alms and Almsgiving” in the current Fall 2016 issue of Biblical Illustrator.)

When the lame man asked for help, Peter and John focused their attention on the man. They looked at him intently. We do not know exactly what went through the minds of the apostles. Perhaps there were several oth-er beggars or crippled people in the area. But they took the man’s plea for money as an opportunity for a miracle and a chance to witness about Jesus to the man and to the crowd in the area. Peter and John “looked straight at” (NIV) the lame man! Rather than randomly looking over the entire crowd, they locked their own attention on him

and his needs. Obviously, the man was crippled and in need of money, but they realized he had a deeper need, a need for salvation through Jesus. I know I’m bothered when I talk to someone who seems to be looking around the room, as if someone else is more interesting to him or her. Peter and John used body language to assure the lame man they wanted to talk to him!

They wanted the man’s total attention, so they said to him, Look at us. Perhaps this instruction to the man was neces-sary. Maybe beggars were always looking for the next po-tential donor. If a donation were not forthcoming, the beg-gar shifted his attention quickly to someone else. At any rate, the apostles wanted to help this man in a way he did not anticipate!

The apostles went to the temple complex looking for op-portunities to tell people about Jesus. At this point in the story, the disciples had an overall good relation with their fellow Jews. Luke commented earlier that the disciples had “favor with all the people” (2:47), referring to the crowds in Jerusalem.

The early disciples probably learned from the example of Jesus that an interruption could become an opportunity for ministry and witness. For instance, one time Jesus was busy teaching, and some men made a hole in the roof of a house in order to lower a paralyzed friend down in front of Jesus (Luke 5:18-26). That kind of interruption would cap-ture anyone’s attention. Rather than express frustration at the interruption, Jesus healed the man. On another occa-sion, Jesus was on the way to help Jairus’s sick daughter when a woman suffering from serious bleeding interrupted Jesus (8:41-48). Jesus healed her and then went on to deal with Jairus’s crisis. The original followers of Jesus could easily see that Jesus was not bothered by so-called inter-

ruptions. Indeed, Jesus used these intersections in His life to deal with people who needed His help.

As you look back over the last few weeks, can you iden-tify a time you turned an interruption into an opportunity for ministry and witness about your faith in Jesus? I have a good friend who is a mall-walker. He’s an elderly man and very sociable. So as he walks some laps at the local shopping mall to keep in good physical shape, he strikes up conversations with people. Knowing my friend well, he can tactfully and politely turn a conversation to a spiritual subject. He’s not an overly aggressive person, but he knows these “chance meetings” can be opportunities for meaning-ful witness. For you and me there may be other situations that allow a verbal witness for Christ. When I travel, people sometimes ask what I do. When I say I teach the Bible at a Baptist college, some people quickly change the subject! Some, however, want to discuss the Bible and a meaningful dialogue ensues.

What are some lasting truths in Acts 3:1-4?1. We can deliberately visit places where we can witness

for Christ.2. We can turn interruptions in the routines of our lives

into opportunities for ministry.3. We need to focus our attention on people who need the

good news about Jesus.

Acts 3:5-8

5 So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” 7 Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and

at once his feet and ankles became strong. 8 So he jumped up, stood, and started to walk, and he entered the temple complex with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.

Share the Love of Christ Through Those Encounters. When Peter and John focused their attention on the lame man, he must have hoped they would give him some money. They had said “Look at us” emphatically (3:4), so he turned to them. With the large crowd at this time of day in the temple, it may have taken a conscious effort to tune out the hustle and bustle that surrounded these three men. The lame man was a beggar, and now he expected to get some-thing from them. He clearly expected money. He probably never expected to be healed after being lame from birth—for more than 40 years.

Peter told the beggar he did not have silver or gold to give him. At these opening words the lame man must have been severely disappointed. Maybe he thought, Why did these guys bother to talk to me when they had nothing to give me? I could be dealing with someone who actually has money and is willing to hear my tale of woe! Luke did not tell us what the man thought, but we can imagine such reactions.

Peter then told the lame man to get up and walk! The lame man must have been shocked by this command. He had never walked in his life. He had not learned to walk as a child and then lost the ability to walk. He had never walked! The key to this story, however, is not what the man was thinking. The significance of the healing is that Peter relied on the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene. Names were important in biblical times. Names generally were associated with the identity or character of a per-son. Indeed, sometimes a life-changing experience led to

a new name. For instance, “Abram” became “Abraham” as he entered deeper into a covenant relation with God (Gen. 17:5). “Jacob” became known as “Israel” after a climatic wrestling match (32:28). By referring to the name of Jesus, Peter indicated the power to perform this miracle came ul-timately from Jesus, the Son of God. John B. Polhill, writ-ing in The New American Commentary, stated: “In the biblical sense a name is far more than a label. It represents a person and is an extension of that person’s being and personality. To invoke the name of Jesus is to call upon His authority and power.”1

After commanding the lame man to walk, Peter helped the man stand up. The man’s feet and ankles became strong. Rather than merely walking around in a tentative way, as if he were testing his legs, the healed man soon was walking, leaping, and praising God. Having never experienced a miraculous healing such as this, I can barely imagine the excitement and exuberance the man felt. After 40 years of being lame, now he could walk—and leap and jump!

Luke earlier had mentioned that God the Father empow-ered Jesus, His Son, to do “miracles, wonders, and signs” to confirm Jesus’ relation to God (Acts 2:22). Jesus had then given the power and authority to do miracles to His followers when He commissioned them (Matt. 10:1). Luke also noted that the apostles were performing “many won-ders and signs” in Jerusalem (Acts 2:43). This healing of the lame man is the first detailed story of a miraculous healing in Acts. Later in the Book of Acts, Luke mentioned other miracles (5:12-16; 8:5-8). Peter healed the paralyzed Aeneas (9:32-35) and raised the dead Dorcas (Tabitha) back to life (vv. 36-42). The apostle Paul cast out an evil spirit (16:16-18), raised Eutychus back to life (20:7-12), and healed a sick man, Publius’s father (28:7-10).

Miracle stories such as these in the Gospels and the Book of Acts are important for several reasons. The miracles Je-sus performed point to His deity. These miracles also met serious human needs, such as nourishment (the feeding of the 5,000), healing from disease, and life itself. The miracles performed by the early Christians was one way God con-firmed the authenticity of their message. Miracles such as the healing of the lame man provided an opportunity for further ministry and witness.

As you study this text, you may be wondering, God has never empowered me to perform a miracle, so what is the relevance of this story to me? God has not given me the gift of miracles either, but this story reminds me that, like Peter and John, I need to seize opportunities to witness about Je-sus. People who are very focused and task-oriented find in-terruptions challenging. We want to keep working on a proj-ect or playing a favorite hobby. Like Peter and John, however, we need to find ways to intersect with the lives of others. These intersections could be considered nuisances, inconve-nient moments, or bad interruptions, but they can become opportunities to speak to someone about your faith in Jesus.

Peter made it clear to the lame man that the miracle was done under the power and authority of Jesus Christ. We do not know exactly what the lame man might have known about Jesus. Since he spent part of every day in the temple complex, he probably had heard some stories about Jesus, His death, and His resurrection. Our technological social media did not exist then, but the so-called grapevine has been around for a long time. News about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost may have attracted his attention. So Pe-ter’s brief reference to the name of Jesus Christ the Naza-rene may have triggered some awareness of Jesus. We do know that as soon as he could walk, the man began praising

God. Maybe the man thanked Peter and John eventually for the role they played, but as a Jew this man immediately and properly thanked God for the gift of healing.

Because of my natural curiosity, I wish I knew more about what happened to this man. Did he talk to Peter and John more about Jesus? Did he become active in the Jerusalem church? Did the man share his experience with his family and friends? Did they become Christians also? Luke was not inspired to answer those curiosity questions. We do know that Peter and John intersected with the life of a lame man, healed him, and pointed him to Jesus. Even if we cannot heal the sick, we can take advantage of encounters we have with people every day and point them to Jesus.

What are some lasting truths in Acts 3:5-8?1. We can use the felt needs of the people we encounter to

start a conversation about spiritual issues.2. We need to be honest in our encounters about what we

can and cannot offer people.3. Our encounters with other people should eventually

point them to Jesus and their need for the salvation He provides through His death and resurrection.

4. Sometimes we need to build a relationship over time in order to witness to another person—sometimes we can witness to someone right in the moment whom we’ve never met before.

Acts 3:9-10

9 All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple complex. So they were filled with awe and astonish-ment at what had happened to him.

One Encounter Often Leads to More Opportunities to Share Christ. Have you ever been in a crowded area and then realized something has happened to attract everyone’s attention? Maybe you were in a large department store and someone had a medical emergency. The arrival of the para-medics captured the attention of everyone. The healing of the lame man was breaking news in the temple complex: All the people saw him walking and praising God. I have had several college students who were physically challenged. If these students suddenly had been healed by God, they would have praised God and let everyone know about the healing. The whole campus would have been abuzz with excitement. That’s sort of like what was the situ-ation in the temple complex.

When Jesus healed people, He sometimes told them not to tell anyone. For example, when Jesus healed a leper, He said, “See that you say nothing to anyone” (Mark 1:43). Bi-ble scholars often suggest that Jesus did not want people to misunderstand who He was until He had more time to explain Himself and His mission on His own terms. The disciples, however, did not prohibit the healed man from praising God! The healed man’s natural inclination to praise God likely would lead to more opportunities for the early Christians to witness for Christ.

Many in the crowd in the temple complex recognized the healed man. They had never seen him walk before, but he was a familiar face to them. Maybe some had donated mon-ey to this beggar. Some might have chatted with him across the years and knew something about his background and family. Some might even have prayed for his healing. Now he was walking and leaping!

The crowd was filled with awe and astonishment or “wonder and amazement” (NIV). Jesus had done many

miracles, some in Jerusalem. For instance, Jesus healed a man who was born blind (John 9:1-7). John reported a long sequence of events that occurred after that healing. But miracles such as the healing of the lame man were not daily occurrences. The crowd naturally was astounded at the dramatic change in the lame man’s situation.

Peter addressed the crowd, seizing the opportunity to wit-ness to them about Jesus (3:11-26). Peter would not claim any credit for the miracle, except that he followed Jesus Christ, whose authority and power were evident in the mir-acle. The healing attracted the attention of the crowd who listened to Peter preach, but some of the Jewish religious leaders also noticed the events in the temple complex. In next week’s session, we will look at the rejection of Peter’s witness by those leaders. In that context, Luke noted that many in the crowd accepted Peter’s message and “the num-ber of the men came to about 5,000” (4:4).

If you or I take advantage of an encounter with another per-son to witness to him or her, we may get more opportunities to witness. If the first person is receptive to your witness, you might get to talk to some of his or her friends or rela-tives about your faith in Jesus. Your witness can have a posi-tive ripple effect. The intersection of Peter and John with the lame man led to the opportunity to witness to a large crowd. You and I might never speak to a large crowd, but your and my witness can indirectly reach many other people.

What are some lasting truths in Acts 3:9-10?1. Sharing the love of Christ in a one-on-one encounter

often can lead to other opportunities to witness.2. Some people might be open to your witness, but some

might not be receptive.3. God provides many opportunities for us to witness

about Christ.

LIVE IT OUT

As you reflect on this session, respond briefly to the following questions:

When was the last time you had the opportunity for a ver-bal witness about your faith in Christ? _______________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________Do you actively seek opportunities to witness for Christ? _________________________________________________If not, why are you reluctant to talk to others about Jesus? _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________Do you focus your attention on the needs of other people, or do you tend to overlook the needs of others? Why? _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________What can you do this week to reach out to someone who needs Jesus? _____________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

1 John B. Polhill, “Acts,” vol. 26 in The New American Commentary [Nashville:

Broadman Press, 1992], 128.

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