Acts 14

Acts 14 (New International Version)


In Iconium
1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. 4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5 There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. 6 But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach the gospel.
In Lystra and Derbe
8 In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.
11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 16 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

The Return to Antioch in Syria
21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.




Commentary/Significant points of discussion:

• [See v.1] 'At Iconium'- as they had done previously at the church at Pisidian Antioch and throughout their missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas preach the gospel in a Jewish synagogue where there are a significant number of Jews present
  
• [See v.2] 'a great number of Jews and Greeks believed'- once again their preaching is powerful and effective as they are able to convert a large number of Jews and Gentiles
  
• [See v.3] 'spent considerable time there'- despite the opposition 'stirred up' [v.2] against them, Paul and Barnabas remain where they are continuing to speak 'boldly for the Lord' and the 'message of his grace' which applied to both Jews and Gentiles alike
  
• Q: Why did Paul and Barnabas remain when they were persecuted?
  
• A: The 'Jews who refused to believe' [v.2] were trying to poison and stir up other Gentiles who did not believe to oppose the new believers; hence, the opposition was directed towards the newly converted and not as much towards Paul and Barnabas
  
• [See v.4] 'people of the city were divided'- as successful as the ministry of Paul and Barnabas was, the opposition mounted with every level of success they achieved; much of the same can be said for our spiritual lives where the enemy's opposition grows bigger with every step of faith we take in God and this is the enemy's way of trying to discourage us from continuing God's work
  
• There is clearly a battle between two sides: God's kingdom and the kingdom of darkness (Satan); as believers we need to be aware of those who oppose us and want to quench our spiritual fires
  
• [See v.5] 'plot...to mistreat them and stone them'- the hostility and bitterness has boiled over and reached it peak as the opposition is ready to carry out acts of physical violence against the apostles
  
• [See v.6] 'fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe'- Paul and Barnabas flee as their lives are threatened but not for the purpose of escaping and giving up what they have been doing as they refused to be silenced and 'continued to preach the gospel' wherever they went
  
• [See v.9] 'Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed'- as the apostles are in Lystra continuing their ministry, this time on the streets, they spot a man who has been paralyzed since birth and Paul, using the gift of discernment through the Holy Spirit, sees that the man has faith when he looks at his face
  
• Just as Peter had done before, Paul receives the gift of faith through the Holy Spirit to believe that the man would be healed and tells the man to 'stand up' [v.10]
  
• [See v.10] 'the man jumped up and began to walk'- the lame man's faith is evident by his willingness and readiness to obey Paul's command; our faith can be measured by our response to our beliefs- whether we sit idle and wait around for something to happen or we jump up to our feet in great anticipation and joy for the things God has promised to us
  
• [See v.12] 'Barnabas they called Zeus...Paul they called Hermes'- upon witnessing the miracle the crowd responds by worshipping Paul and Barnabas as incarnations of the mythical "gods"; the people of Lystra clearly had a different idea of who God was because to them God could be both human and a deity
  
• [See v.13] 'wanted to offer sacrifices to them'- it seems like the people are afraid of angering the "gods" and want to offer sacrifices to appease their wrath; their fear of God is not based on doing what is good and right and hating evil as it should be but is based on prevention and doing whatever is most rational, safe or sufficient according to their own understanding
  
• [See v.14] 'they tore their clothes'- Paul and Barnabas show that they are human just like everyone else in the crowd and merely representatives of God, not "gods" themselves
  
• [See v.15] 'turn from these worthless things'- the apostles make it clear that to follow God the people must completely reverse their ways and turn around from their pagan worship of idols; we don't just add God to our lives like He is just some icing on top of the cake and whatever we feel comfortable with we keep
  
• [See v.17] " 'shown kindness by giving you rain...crops...food...joy' "- the apostles preach to the people that all the everyday blessings of life come from God and not the imaginary "gods" they have been worshipping; God 'has not left himself without testimony' because nature itself is a witness to the living God containing all the blessings to man and joys that are provided to the hearts of many
  
• [See v.19] 'Jews came from Antioch and Iconium'- the same Jews who had kicked Paul and Barnabas out of their cities have now come all the way to Lystra to stir up the crowd to stone them
  
• 'stoned Paul...dragged him outside the city'- the crowd went from wanting to honor the apostles with sacrifices to trying to execute them; once they realized the threat that the gospel presented to their own pagan worship, they responded with the fierceness of an animal to oppose it
  
• 'thinking he was dead'- Paul was left for dead after being stoned when in fact he was still alive; whether this was a miracle or not the author does not state, but the greater miracle is that Paul 'got up and went back into the city' [v.20]
  
• Is Paul's courageous act of going back despite the risk of losing his life relentlessness or craziness? How willing are we to pursue God's call to completion by persevering in God's will?
  
• [See v.20] 'he and Barnabas left for Derbe'- the apostles leave but continue their missionary journey, preaching the gospel and making disciples
  
• [See v.21] 'returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch'- Paul and Barnabas return to the cities they had previously attempted to evangelize with the chief mission to strengthen the resolve of these disciples and to encourage them to continue in the faith despite the persecution
  
• It's important to not only evangelize and convert people but to support them so that they remain strong and committed to the journey of faith which has 'many hardships' [v.22] one must go through
  
• [See v.23] 'appointed elders for them in each church'- the apostles assign the duties of administration to these new converts in order that their churches be well established and able to grow, yet the health and well-being of the church rested in 'the Lord, in whom they had put their trust'
  
• [See v.26] 'sailed back to Antioch'- Paul and Barnabas return to their home church from which they had begun their mission and report to the church 'all that God had done through them' [v.27] and now it became clear that the work to which God had called the apostles to before they had left the church in Antioch was to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles for which God 'had opened a door' [v.27]
  
  
  

Acts 13

Acts 13 (New International Version)


1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
On Cyprus
4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.
6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.”

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch
13 From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. 14 From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”
16 Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country; 18 for about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness; 19 and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as their inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years.

“After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

23 “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. 24 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. 25 As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’

26 “Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.

32 “We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:

“‘You are my son;
today I have become your father.’

34 God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said,

“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’

35 So it is also stated elsewhere:

“‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’

36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. 40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

41 “‘Look, you scoffers,
wonder and perish,
for I am going to do something in your days
that you would never believe,
even if someone told you.’”

42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.

46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.





Commentary/Significant points of discussion:

• Luke listed the leaders of 'the church at Antioch' [v.1], all of whom were 'prophets and teachers'; since the early church did not have the New Testament writings, prophets and teachers were absolutely essential to the church
  
• Barnabas' name is mentioned first and Saul's name last; Barnabas at this point was the more known figure as leader of the church and Saul was kind of considered to be "The Rookie", "Greenhorn" or "The New Guy"
  
• The calling of Barnabas and Saul came through the Holy Spirit as 'they were worshiping the Lord and fasting' [v.2]; they were going about their normal business of giving service to the Lord through worship and hungering for God through fasting
  
• This revelation from the Holy Spirit most likely came through one of the prophets in the church; God uses our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to reveal our calling to us
  
• [See v.2] ' "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul" '- if we want to be set apart for God to use us, we must also be set apart from the things in this world that keep us from pursuing our calling
  
• [See v.3] 'fasted and prayed'- since it wasn't clear what kind of 'work' [v.2] to which Barnabas and Saul had been called to, the leaders of the church fast and pray to seek the Lord's will for them
  
• 'sent them off'- with a clear sense of direction from God, the leaders of the church lay their hands on Barnabas and Saul, indicating that God was with them, and send them off to pursue their calls as missionaries
  
• [See v.4] 'sent on their way by the Holy Spirit'- Barnabas and Saul are led by the Spirit and not by their own efforts or wisdom; having confidence that God was leading them, they took the step of faith to live out God's will for them
  
• So many Christians today think of faith as believing that God can do something and playing the waiting game, but how can you have faith when you don't even know God's will? We cannot have faith without knowing and living God's will!
  
• This was the first planned mission of the early church to save the lives of others and not to save their own lives as before when they had to flee in the face of persecution; God doesn't have to use persecution to get us to our feet when we know His will and are willing to act on it
  
• [See v.4-5] 'went down to Seleucia...sailed from there to Cyprus'- this was an overseas mission that required Barnabas and Saul to sail a hundred miles across the Mediterranean Sea from the port city of Seleucia near Antioch to the island of Cyprus, which happened to be Barnabas' birthplace and hometown
  
• 'John was with them as their helper'- accompanying Barnabas and Saul was John Mark, the same "Mark" who would later write one of the four gospels; having grown up in Jerusalem, he witnessed many of the events in Jesus' life and would be able to powerfully relate to others who were being preached to
  
• [See v.6] 'traveled through the whole island'- they started out proclaiming the word of God in the synagogues at Salamis and went from east to west, preaching the word of God in cities where there was a synagogue
  
• 'came to Paphos'- Paphos, on the western part of the island, was a spiritually dark place and was especially infamous for its worship of Venus, the goddess of love
  
• [See v.6-7] 'Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul'- Sergius Paulus, the proconsul ruling over the Roman province, kept around Bar-Jesus (who was a Jew) because he wanted to learn about the Jewish faith which he suspected would lead to salvation
  
• [See v.7] 'wanted to hear the word of God'- one could see why Sergius Paulus would be so curious to find out more about the Jewish faith and saw a golden opportunity with Barnabas and Saul in town; what he didn't know was that Barnabas and Saul weren't going to tell him about the Jewish faith but about Jesus Christ the savior of men
  
• The name Bar-Jesus itself reveals a lot about who this man was; Bar-Jesus meant "son of Jesus", as if Elymas (Bar-Jesus' Gentile name) was supposed to represent the truth, when in reality he was a 'false prophet' [v.6] who mixed magic and Judaism together
  
• The farther one went from Jerusalem and Israel, the more one would find Jews who claimed to represent Judaism but merged it with pagan doctrines and practices
  
• [See v.8] 'opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith'- Elymas senses the threat of Barnabas and Saul preaching the truth to the proconsul, knowing that the proconsul was 'an intelligent man' [v.7] who would be able to see the contradictions of Elymas' false teachings against the word of God
  
• Opposition against the word of God is nothing new in the book of Acts with relentless persecution against the church, but here we find a new kind of opposition, one that is not trying to physically eliminate the ones who are spreading the gospel but trying to lead people spiritually astray through erroneous teachings
  
• Satan's new strategy is to pose as the ones who are spreading the gospel when in fact they are the ones out to deceive many by twisting and perverting the truth; one can easily appear to be righteous but one's words must teach righteousness if one is truly a "son of God" and not a 'child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right' [v.10]
  
• [See v.9] 'Saul, who was also called Paul'- because Saul had been born with all the rights of a Roman citizen, he had also been given a Roman name, Paul, along with his Jewish name, Saul
  
• 'filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas'- Paul uses his gift of spiritual discernment (supernatural ability to discern good and evil spirits) by staring directly at Elymas and exposing his 'deceit and trickery' [v.10] in front of the proconsul
  
• Discernment allows us to see what is true and false whereas a lack of discernment leaves us vulnerable to simply going along with everything and "respecting" everyone's opinions; Paul did the exact opposite, sharply rebuking Elymas with a boldness that reflected his unshakable belief in the truth
  
• 1 Corinthians 2:15 says, "One who is spiritual discerns all things"; Paul made a judgment about Elymas, specifically God's judgment through the Spirit and not by his own wisdom, and was able to access what God was doing in the Spirit by being spiritually alive
  
• [See v.11] 'hand of the Lord is against you'- Paul not only rebukes Elymas but pronounces God's curse of blindness (physical but representing his spiritual blindness) on him; it's one thing not to believe yourself, but to try to deceive others into not believing is equal to standing between God and man, and one that will bring the hand of the Lord against you
  
• While it may seem harsh, this was actually God's grace providing Elymas a chance to repent and turn from his sins the same way that Paul was given a second chance when he was blind for three days
  
• [See v.12] 'When the proconsul saw...he believed'- if it wasn't already enough that Paul had exposed Elymas as a deceiver and a fraud, he had to be convinced after God's power was demonstrated through Paul
  
• Paul knew what was at stake and was the reason he defended this man's faith from being twisted in order that he may be saved and have eternal life; we are called not only to spread the gospel but to protect "the sheep" that God has made us shepherds over
  
• [See v.13] 'sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them'- the three missionaries continue on their journey and leave the island of Cyprus to arrive at Perga in what is modern day Turkey; however, John Mark decides to cut his journey short and desert his fellow missionaries for reasons not clearly stated or explained
• The author no longer uses 'Barnabas and Saul' but now uses 'Paul and his companions'; God has moved Paul from being a follower to a leader
  
• [See v.16] ' "Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles" '- Paul addresses the crowd in the synagogue who are a mix of Jews and Gentiles who were interested in the Jewish faith but did not consider themselves true believers in Judaism
  
• [See v.17-23] Paul begins his sermon with a survey of Israel's history including the divine selection of the patriarchs, God's deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, the forty years in the wilderness where the Israelites tested the Lord, God's fulfillment of His promise to their forefathers to give them the land of Canaan, the time of the judges, the creation of a monarchy (king as ruler) and finally the coming of Jesus Christ as Savior
  
• Paul's emphasis is on giving credit to God for Israel's glorious history; it was by God's sovereign hand that the Israelites were able to escape slavery, survive in the wilderness on God's manna, inherit Canaan, etc.
  
• The Israelites did nothing but grumble against and disobey the Lord; surely we can see God's love and grace in enduring the Israelites' sinful and rebellious acts against Him and still remaining true to His promises
  
• Israel wanted a king but the wrong kind of king who was not after God's heart; God gave Israel king Saul so that the Israelites might learn from their sin, and after ruling 40 years, God removed king Saul and replaced him with king David who was after God's heart but still a sinner
  
• When God finally gave Israel their king, the king of kings in Jesus Christ, they rejected him even though he was the one who fulfilled all the messianic prophecies in the Scriptures that they read in the synagogue every Sabbath!
  
• [See v.24-29] Paul contrasts John the Baptist and how he received Jesus with the rulers of Jerusalem who rejected Jesus; John the Baptist was so humbled that he thought himself 'not worthy to untie' [v.25] the sandals of Jesus while the Jewish leaders of Jerusalem couldn't wait to get their hands on Jesus and execute him by hanging him on a cross
  
• [See v.30-37] Paul preaches about how God resurrected Jesus and how 'he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jersusalem' [v.31]; man's best efforts to resist God and interrupt His plans and purposes were futile as the Lord overcame sin and death
  
• Even when there seems there is no way, God makes a way when we choose to follow Him; in the case of Jesus we might think that his death would have been the end of it all- God's plan and everything- but no, God made a way and raised Jesus to life so that he would be king over Israel
  
• [See v.38-41] Paul proclaims the forgiveness of sins through Jesus by God's grace and not our own 'justification' [v.39]; salvation is not made or earned by us but it is given to us freely because of God's grace
  
• The Jews had it all wrong-- they thought that by being of Jewish descent and by keeping the Old Testament laws and being righteous they were destined for God's kingdom
  
• How blind were the Jews to think that they would be rewarded for causing God so much pain and suffering as their history had shown?
  
• The Israelites proved that they fell way short of obeying God's laws; it was time for them to accept God's righteousness in the person of Jesus and not their own righteousness
  
• God was offering Israel freedom from its sinful past so that they could move on and put their wicked ways behind them to find new life in Christ
  
• How God longs for His people to be free from the things that destroy us-- so much so that God gave His only son, Jesus, to take our burdens as He watched him die on the cross; when Jesus asked Him, "Why have you abandoned me?", God was in so much pain that He could not say anything in return- how God feels our pain with silent tears of love!
  
• Despite the good news, Paul gives a stern warning that those who do not accept and embrace the person and work of Jesus Christ will 'perish' [v.41]
  
• [See v.42] 'invited them to speak further'- Paul's has partly accomplished his mission as many in the congregation are interested in knowing more about God's message of salvation
  
• [See v.43] 'urged them to continue in the grace of God'- yet Paul stresses that the walk of faith is not something we just do one time and then we are done for good; we have to continue at it and work at it
  
• [See v.45] 'when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy'- as Paul is preparing to preach to the entire city on the next Sabbath, the leaders of the synagogue become envious of the attention that Paul is garnering
  
• The leaders of the synagogue feel like they are no longer in charge and seem to be more concerned about losing their popularity than serving God; it is important to examine our faiths to see that we are not doing things for any other motive than to seek, serve and please God
  
• 'began to contradict what Paul was saying...heaped abuse on him'- the Jews bitterly oppose Paul's preaching and blaspheme God and Jesus, unable to accept the message that the Gentiles were to receive the same grace from God; to the Jews, the Gentiles were inferior beings who didn't belong in the same class
  
• If not already upset by the sea of Gentiles around them in the synagogue, the Jews are furious that their "assigned" seats are now being taken by the Gentiles
  
• This fear of having to change our relationships with people is what keeps people from becoming Christians; even many Christians today want to believe in Jesus but are not willing to let Jesus change their relationships because they want to "preserve" their identity, but how can our hearts be radically changed if we still think and act the same way as we did before?
  
• [See v.46] ' "we now turn to the Gentiles" '- Paul chooses to be wise in not wasting his time trying to convince the hardened hearts of the Jews but preaching to the Gentiles who had open hearts; the enemy can use others around us to try to distract us and steal away the precious time that God has given us
  
• [See v.50] 'stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas...expelled them'-just as the 'word of the Lord spread through the whole region' [v.49], persecution comes and the missionaries are forced to leave by the Jewish leaders who resort to political means to gain the support of prominent Gentile women and political leaders of the city
  
• [See v.51] 'shook the dust off their feet'- this was equivalent to "I don't want any part of you, you are not worthy to hear the gospel you Jesus haters"; how ironic that the very law that the Jews set up is now being applied against them- they are the "unclean" who the bearers of the gospel must now separate from to be "clean"
  
• [See v.52] 'disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit'- despite the adverse circumstances and the hostile atmosphere that the disciples just endured, they were content and happy because they were filled with the Holy Spirit
  
  

Acts 12

Acts 12 (New International Version)


Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison
1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

Herod’s Death
Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.
21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

24 But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.




Commentary/Significant points of discussion:

• [See v.1] 'King Herod arrested some...intending to persecute them'- Herod Agrippa I, descended from a line of kings under the Roman Empire known as the Herods, began to persecute the church
  
• The Herods were infamous for their persecution of Christians: (1) it was Herod the Great who had killed the children of Bethlehem in a effort to kill Jesus, (2) his son, Herod Antipas, killed John the Baptist and 'ridiculed and mocked' [Luke 23:11] Christ and (3) his grandson, Herod Agrippa I, now kills James the Apostle
  
• 'James, the brother of John' [v.2] becomes the first of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ to be martyred, beheaded by 'the sword' [v.2]; he had been very intimate with Jesus, often mentioned along with Peter and John who were close to Jesus
  
• This fulfilled what Jesus had spoken to James and John concerning 'the cup' that they would have to drink if they wanted to be his closest followers, which, at the time they had no idea of what that would actually mean, and to which they had plainly responded that they could drink 'the cup', not realizing that it would mean facing intense persecution and possibly losing their lives for Jesus Christ. Jesus' promise of 'the cup' to the two are recounted in Mark 10:35-40:
  35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
  36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
  
  37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
  
  38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
  
  39 “We can,” they answered.
  
  Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
  
  
• James became the first to drink this 'cup' of suffering and death; James and John had been seeking the special status of being the Lord's closest followers and instead Jesus grants them suffering which was true glory
  
• How many Christian leaders or pastors out there today have built a special status for themselves but have not even experienced an inkling of suffering ? Is there real glory in big paychecks and big ministries and putting your own face on the cover of books ?
  
• [See v.3] 'he saw that this met with approval among the Jews'- there was clearly a political motivation behind this persecution of Christians; Herod was seeking to gain political power by doing what pleased the people- persecuting the Christians who the Jews disliked and opposed
  
• Q: Why are the Jews suddenly against the church which was highly regarded in the beginning of Acts ?
  
• A: The apostles were no longer as visible and present in Jerusalem as they once were and as a result the lack of signs and wonders might have caused the masses of Jews to lose their fear of God or respect for the apostles. And on top of it, now this message had been preached to the Gentiles which offended most Jews, and which most Jews saw as both a threat to, and a separation from, their native Judaism. In their eyes, this Christian church had to go!
  
• 'proceeded to seize Peter also'- Herod has Peter arrested, hoping this will further increase his political ratings
  
• [See v.4] 'put him in prison...intended to bring him out...after the Passover'- Peter was put in prison but Herod decided that it would be more politically advantageous for him to not bring Peter out in the public during the Passover when pilgrims would flood Jerusalem because: (1) there would be the risk of a possible riot, (2) Herod wanted to show how seriously he observed the Passover to gain the approval of the Jews and (3) Herod wanted to wait until he could have the undivided attention of the people
  
• 'guarded by four squads of four soldiers each'- knowing that Peter had miraculously escaped prison before (Acts 5), Herod assigns a whole team of guards to watch Peter; he couldn't afford to be embarrased politically by having Peter escape
  
• How foolish that Herod believes that by his own powers he could somehow outwit God and prevent the Lord from delivering Peter out of prison
  
• [See v.5] 'Peter was kept in prison...the church was earnestly praying to God for him'- there is a clear contrast here between Herod having his soldiers and prisons and the church having the power of prayer; which do you think would prevail ?
  
• Q: What does it mean to pray 'earnestly' ?
  
• A: To pray passionately with a heart that genuinely cares about the things that we pray for and with words that come out of sincerity and firm belief that indicate how serious we are about what we are praying
  
• There is power in earnest prayer and especially when our prayers are in line with the things God cares about; Jesus said in John 15:7, "7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."
  
• [See v.6] 'Peter was sleeping'- apparently Peter isn't too worried or anxious about the upcoming trial and the possible consequences he could face including being executed; God gave Peter rest and comfort despite the fact that he was sandwiched 'between two soldiers', for Psalm 127:2 says, "...for he grants sleep to those he loves."
  
• [See v.9] 'had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening...thought he was seeing a vision'- as Peter is suddenly awakened by an angel sent by the Lord who instructs Peter to get dressed and to follow him, Peter didn't believe that this was really happening but obeyed anyway; obeying the Lord is not about understanding everything that is happening or about to happen, yet how many of us plan our entire lives beforehand making sure everything is weighed carefully and evaluated before taking the next step ? Isn't that type of mentality not trusting God but rather trusting our own measures of what we should do and not do ?
  
• [See v.10] 'passed the first and second guards'- how is it possible that these two guards are standing right there and are not aware of Peter passing them by ? God supernaturally deadened their senses and consciousness; these men aren't even allowed to see the mighty hand of God as before in previous chapters of Acts- because God's judgment has come and their time for repentance has passed- they were already shown great signs, wonders and miracles and given a chance to repent and believe but they turned away to serve Satan who is now trying to attack the church's leaders in an attempt to destroy the church
  
• 'came to the iron gate...opened for them by itself'- how miraculous that the gate is not just unlocked but literally open; all Peter has to do is to go through it
  
• No obstacle is too great for the Lord to overcome and when we obey the Lord He opens doors in a way that is so plain to see and hard to miss like the towering 'iron gate' that opened in front of Peter
  
• Yet how many of us worry that we will never get through the 'iron gate' as if it was bigger than God when God has made it clear to us that He is with us and behind us and that He will take care of the 'iron gate' and make a way for us ?
  
• [See v.11] 'rescued me from Herod's clutches'- it is only when Peter has escaped the prison and has walked outside on the streets that he realizes that this wasn't just a vision but that it was really happening- God had delivered him from death with His mighty hand
  
• This was not a sneaky escape but outright bold and daring; when 'the chains fell off Peter's wrists' [v.7] it must have been very loud, and instead of bypassing or avoiding the guards somehow, Peter and the angel went by them like they were walking through the main doors
  
• Sneakiness characterizes ones who do wrong but the righteous are characterized by boldness as stated in Proverbs 28:1, " 1 The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion" ;
  
• And the best that the ones who do wrong and evil can do is to pretend to be bold as Proverbs 21:29 says, "29 The wicked put up a bold front, but the upright give thought to their ways"
  
• [See v.18] 'there was no small commotion among the soldiers'- there is widespread panic among the prison guards who know that they are doomed if Herod finds out that Peter has escaped, and to make it worse, they have no explanation because God has kept it from their memories and consciences
  
• [See v.19] 'he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed'- finding no explanation, Herod concludes that this was an "inside job" secretly plotted by the guards and he has them all executed; how ironic that the ones who were supposed to execute Peter have now become the executed and Peter who was condemned has been set free- talk about God turning the tide !
  
• Herod chooses to take many lives for one man but God took one life for billions of people; how preciously God values each life
  
• [See v.22] ' "This is the voice of a god, not of a man" '- the people of Tyre and Sidon praise Herod excessively with false words of kindness hoping that it would please him and calm his fury from the prison incident so that they could gain his favor
  
• [See v.23] 'because Herod did not give praise to God...he was eaten by worms and died'- Herod received this false adoration and worship from the people, which was equal to not giving the glory to God; adoration and worship belong to God only and not men
  
• Herod had dressed in 'his royal robes' [v.21] in order to appear like he was God but he ends up dying the least honorable death of being 'eaten by worms'; his deceitfully divine appearance was masked by his corrupt heart on the inside
  
• God's judgment came down on Herod because he refused to glorify God; thus there was no glory in his death whereas there was great glory in James' death
  
• The church's prayers were answered by God far beyond what they had expected as they thought saving Peter's life was enough to ask for but God removed the opposition completely by killing Herod; even a little faith can go a long way because God is that much greater
  
• [See v.24] 'the word of God continued to spread and flourish'- politics and the ways of man is no match for the power of God as the church is blessed and continues to grow; James' death has only made the church more alive and the opposition has been weakened
  
  

Acts 11

Acts 11 (New International Version)


Peter Explains His Actions
1 The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’

8 “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

9 “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

11 “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’

15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

The Church in Antioch
19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.





Commentary/Significant points of discussion:

• [See v.3] ' "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them" '- upon returning to Jerusalem, Peter is criticized by the many Christian Jews who are offended that a "fellow Jew" would associate with Gentiles
  
• Jews looked down on Gentiles and believed that they were superior to them because they were God's chosen people and had all the privileges that no one else had; it's plain to see that their hearts have not yet been changed like Peter's and they still consider Gentiles to be 'uncircumcised men' who have no right to be God's people
  
• [See v.4] 'Peter told them the whole story'- Peter repeats his account of how God had led him to bring the gospel to the Gentiles and how also the Gentile to whose home he had been sent had also been prepared by God to receive the message from Peter that would bring them salvation through Jesus Christ
  
• Telling the story of your experience as a witness is often more powerful than stating the facts or knowledge about God or Jesus which can seem vague and confusing to the layperson who may not know anything about Christianity
  
• [See v.15] ' "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them" '- God had approved of Peter's ministry in preaching to the Gentiles; the Jews had criticized Peter for doing this without their approval but who were they to 'stand in God's way' [v.17] ?
  
• It's important to sense and recognize where God is working and in what direction He is heading just as Peter had so that we may stay on the path God has for us and not become lost in our own ways
  
• [See v.18] 'they had no further objections and praised God'- a change in the hearts of the Jewish believers is evident as they allow God's work to overcome their prejudices and traditions; how glorious!
  
• [See v.19] 'Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews'- initially, the gospel had only been preached to Jews by the Christians scattered over the Roman Empire, but now, for the first time, it was being brought to the Gentiles in the Roman city of 'Antioch'
  
• [See v.21] 'The Lord's hand was with them...great number...believed and turned to the Lord'- because God's hand was with this ministry in Antioch, God blessed and multiplied their efforts; clearly, you cannot turn people to the Lord without the hand of the Lord, i.e. you can turn people to church, to counselors, to friends, etc., but only the Lord can turn a person to Him
  
• Q: What does 'The Lord's hand was with them' mean to you ?
  
• A: The human hand does most of our work, so in that respect, God was doing a lot.
  
• A: God's anointing was with them, evidenced by His signs and wonders.
  
• A: God's hand reached down and directly intervened to save them.
  
• [See v.23] 'saw what the grace of God had done'- Barnabas becomes a witness to God's amazing grace in Antioch; grace is something we don't deserve but receive, what was it about Antioch that made them so undeserving of that grace ?
  
• Antioch was the third largest Roman city only behind Rome and Alexander and was highly sophisticated for its times and culturally rich, but it was also morally depraved
  
• 'encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord'- as a leader of the early church, Barnabas took great care of all the believers growing in the Lord so that they were strengthened and equipped to serve, causing 'a great number of people' [v.24] to turn to the Lord and continuing the growth of the church
  
• It is important not only to show hospitality to outsiders coming into the house of God but also to continue to encourage them and help them to grow spiritually
  
• The race only begins when people start their walk with God and as leaders we are called to pick them up when they fall down or to give them a hand if they are struggling because if no one does, then they may be just left alone, with no one to help them and then they see all those people far ahead of them and say, "I give up"; the church is called a "body" and in a body all the different parts need to work together and be on the same page in order for the body to properly function
  
• [See v.26] 'Barnabas and Saul...taught great numbers of people'- after 12 years in quiet ministry and preparation in Tarsus where Saul had fled to escape persecution, Barnabas finds him and upon reuniting they work together to continue to grow the church in Antioch
  
• 'disciples were called Christians first at Antioch'- here the historical origin of the name "Christian" as a follower of Jesus is revealed; soldiers in the Roman army would add -ian after their general's name to identify themselves, and in the same way, people who followed Christ came to be called "Christians"
  
• [See v.28] 'predicted that a severe famine would spread'- a prophet by the name of Agabus predicts through the Holy Spirit that there will soon be bad harvests and food shortages throughout the Roman Empire
  
• [See v.29] 'as each one was able, decided to provide help'- in preparation for this difficult time the people of the church gave what they could to those that would need the surplus to survive when the famine would come; God blesses anything we can give as long as it's done out of true generosity to help those that need it
  
  
  
  

Acts 10

Acts 10 (New International Version)


Cornelius Calls for Peter
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

Peter’s Vision
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Peter at Cornelius’s House
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 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. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.




Commentary/Significant points of discussion:

• [See v.1] 'At Caesarea'- Caesarea was one of the cities governed by the Roman empire for which Cornelius served as a soldier
  
• [See v.2] 'devout and God-fearing'- Cornelius was a Gentile who lived in the ways of the Lord, giving 'generously to those in need' and sought to know the Lord and have relationship with Him, praying 'regularly'
  
• How humble of a man Cornelius was to believe in the religious system of the Israelites who were supposed to be his subordinates under the authority of the Roman empire
  
• [See v.3] 'he had a vision...saw an angel of God'- while praying at the customary Jewish hour of prayer at 'three in the afternoon', God sends an angel who tells Cornelius that the Lord has heard his prayers and remembered what he has done for the poor; how encouraging it must have been for Cornelius to receive this blessing from God
  
• The poor have a special place in God's heart and God blesses those who make sacrifices on their behalf; along with prayer, serving the church is about doing what the word of God says and when we do, it honors God as a 'memorial offering' [v.4] to Him and God blesses us
  
• [See v.5] 'Now send men to Joppa'- God commands Cornelius to send for Peter who is staying with Simon the tanner and Cornelius obeys immediately, sending three men to Joppa; Peter was to preach the gospel to Cornelius who would become the first Gentile to be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
  
• [See v.9] 'About noon the following day'- just prior to the arrival of three men sent by Cornelius, Peter also receives a vision while he is praying; how perfect God's timing is as He prepares Peter for the arrival of these three men
  
• [See v.11-12] 'He saw...something like a large sheet...by its four corners...contained all kinds of...animals'- a sheet is lowered from heaven and on it are all sorts of animals
  
• Peter had been distracted by his hunger while praying and so he must have really paid attention when he saw all these animals he could eat; God uses even our distractions to speak to us
  
• [See v.13] ' "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." '- God commands Peter to eat the animals
  
• [See v.14] ' "Surely not, Lord!" '- instead of obeying God's command, Peter protests and tries to defend himself, saying that he has 'never eaten anything impure or unclean' in his entire life; Peter's Jewish customs prohibited him from killing or eating any "unclean" animals, and there were sure to be both clean and unclean animals on the sheet from heaven
  
• Peter had spent his whole life making sure he didn't go near or make any contact with the Gentiles because the Jews, as "God's chosen people" in the Old Testament, believed that it would defile them or make them "unclean" to associate themselves with Gentiles who didn't belong to their holy, inner circle
  
• How many Christians today believe that they belong to an exclusive, members-only club and the first thing they think of when stepping into a church is "how can I join the inner circle of holiness" ?
  
• Jesus prayed for the disciples in John 17:13-15, "13 I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."
  
• To be "God's chosen people" we must be "in the world" like Jesus was, being the hands and feet of the body of Christ reaching out to the world, but not "of the world" thinking and acting like the world; put shortly, we are called to be distinct from the world but not removed or distant from the world
  
• How surprising that Peter would still think this way after having been with Jesus who spent most of his time on Earth with sinners; Jesus was not defiled because he was around sinners and what made him "clean" and not defiled in God's eyes was that he remained sinless , in thoughts and actions
  
• The root of sin begins inside our hearts; if our hearts are not clean then we cannot be "clean"
  
• [See v.15] ' "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." '- Peter's longheld notion of being "clean" is turned upside down as the Lord shows him that He will extend His offer of salvation to the Gentiles who like the Jews will be cleansed by the blood of Jesus and made "clean"
  
• In the Old Testament, the Israelites failed to live up to God's standard of being "clean" and pure and thus were defiled in His eyes; they had to keep ceremonial rituals of cleansing by making atonement through animal sacrifices
  
• But God was talking to Peter about the ultimate cleansing, once and for all, that had made him "clean" through the blood shed on the cross by Jesus Christ
  
• Furthermore, God was the one who was going to make them "clean", purifying the very roots of their hearts and making them holy whereas before it was the task of the Jews to perform cleansing rituals
  
• Jesus came so that we might be freed from being attached to our ideas of what is proper or not as if those are the very ideals that keep us "clean" and holy when in truth those walls of segregation- both in our thoughts and actions, is our sinful nature of trying to squeeze God into a box of our own limitations and shortcomings
  
• God had to shake up Peter's thinking and change his heart in order that the gospel be preached to the Gentiles; God was breaking down the barrier that would keep the church from growing
  
• Despite the fact that God spoke to Peter 'three times' [v.16] in the vision, Peter didn't understand, 'wondering about the meaning of the vision' [v.17]
  
• [See v.19] 'While Peter was still thinking...the Spirit said to him'- Peter is about to receive revelation knowledge through the Holy Spirit regarding the meaning of the vision as he is instructed to 'go downstairs' [v.20] and meet the three men sent by Cornelius
  
• [See v.22] ' "have you come...so that he could hear what you have to say" '- Peter has been invited to go to the house of a Gentile, worse yet an officer of the Roman army which had oppressed the Jews, to preach the gospel ? How is Peter going to respond ?
  
• [See v.23] 'Peter invited the men...to be his guests'- Peter's dramatical change in heart is evident as he goes against his Jewish customs and not only lets the Gentiles into his house but treats them as 'guests' to be entertained
  
• [See v.24] 'Cornelius was expecting them'- Cornelius was waiting for Peter, having faith in God to bring Peter to speak to him even when he wasn't sure of the chances that a Jew would come to the house of a Gentile
  
• [See v.25] 'Cornelius met him and fell at his feet'- Cornelius literally worships Peter, thinking him to be some angel or "special" man in God
  
• But Peter quickly refuses to be treated like God to whom only worship is appropriate and not to men or angels, informing Cornelius that he is 'only a man' [v.26] and thus an equal
  
• From Peter's treatment of a Gentile as an equal amd entering the house of a Gentile which was strictly prohibited by Jewish law, we can see how much his heart has amazingly changed in just a few days
  
• The Holy Spirit gave Peter revelation knowledge regarding the vision he received from God a few days earlier; this happened when it occurred to Peter that the vision wasn't about clean and unclean foods but that it was about people and his arrogant mind considering the Gentiles to be "unclean" people, leading to the revelation that no one was underneath God's love
  
• [See v.34-35] ' "God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation" '- Peter speaks out the revelation that he has received in his heart from God; the gospel went beyond Jews and Gentiles, transcending cultures, nations and races
  
• God does not see what we look like and judge us but by what is in our hearts- whether we 'fear him and do what is right' [v.35]
  
• [See v.36-43] Peter proclaims the gospel to Cornelius and other Gentiles just as he has preached to the Jews, presenting the same message
  
• This fulfilled what was foretold in the Old Testament of a day when a light would shine in the darkness of the Gentile world as stated in Isaiah 60:1-3,
  1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come,
  and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
  2 See, darkness covers the earth
  and thick darkness is over the peoples,
  but the LORD rises upon you
  and his glory appears over you.
  3 Nations will come to your light,
  and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Acts 9

Acts 9 (New International Version)


Saul’s Conversion
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

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.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

Aeneas and Dorcas
32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.




Commentary/Significant points of discussion:

• [See v.2] 'if he found any there who belonged to the Way...he might take them as prisoners to Jersusalem'- Saul continued to go all out to persecute the Christians, going all the way to Damascus which was 150 miles away from Jerusalem
  
• The name used for this early Christian movement was 'The Way', implying that being a Christian was not just about having a set of beliefs or principles but living in such a way that would reflect those beliefs; Jesus himself said that he was 'The Way' to salvation in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
  
• In today's modern world the name Christianity is tossed around with all the other different religions and classified as just another belief; it's almost as if humans have forgotten that in their early history Christianity was known as "the way, the truth and the life"
  
• [See v.3-4] 'a light from heaven flashed around him...fell to the ground'- just as Saul is about to reach Damascus, a light so bright that it terrifies him appears and Saul literally collapses to the ground in fear
  
• '"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me"'- Saul had thought the whole time that he was serving God and doing the Lord a favor by persecuting Christians when he was actually persecuting God Himself
  
• The fact that God repeats Saul's name twice shows His great emotion rather than anger; how many people do you know that would be sentimental towards you instead of angry and enraged if you killed their brothers or sisters ?
  
• [See v.5] '"I am Jesus"'- Saul knew who Jesus was because he was a member of the Pharisees who sat in judgement of Jesus before he was crucified; we can just imagine at this moment how convicted Saul must be of his guilt having thought that Jesus was a false prophet and that he was no longer alive
  
• '"Who are you, Lord"'- this is a question Paul would spend the rest of his life trying to figure out and Jesus would be the one to show him who God was
  
• '"Now get up and go into the city"'- Instead of telling Saul what to expect and to do in the city, Jesus gives him only one command at a time without revealing the whole plan that will eventually unfold
  
• God guides us step by step and moment by moment even though we might not understand or know exactly what to expect
  
• [See v.8] 'Saul got up...but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing'- the entire time Saul had shut his eyes against the light of the Lord, too terrified to even look, but when he does open his eyes again, he cannot see the light; God took away his sight
  
• [See v.9] 'For three days he was blind'- Saul's physical blindness now becomes a representation of his spiritual blindness and of the Israelites' as well
  
• 'did not eat or drink'- how humbling this must have been for Saul, unable to have even the basic necessities of life to satisfy his hunger; yet God had done this so that Saul might grow deeper spiritually and hunger for the truth in the silence of his thoughts which was the only thing he had during those three days
  
• We can guess the thoughts that Saul must have come to face in those dark hours; he must have begun to realize how his persecution against the Christians was not favorable to God and to question his misconceptions about who Jesus was
  
• In his blindness Saul must have felt the pain of what it feels like to not know where you are going; Saul must have hungered for God's guidance and searched for a future desitination- one he could not see- eternity
  
• In these three days Saul died to himself so that he would be raised to new life afterwards just as Jesus was resurrected three days after his death; how radical of a change that Saul goes from being this dogged persecutor of Jesus to getting a taste of what it's like to be in Jesus' shoes
  
• [See v.10] 'The Lord called to him in a vision'- a disciple by the name of Ananias receives a vision from God where he is told that he will be the one to place his hands on Saul and restore his sight; by Ananias' response "Yes, Lord" he shows his willingness to be God's servant
  
• God uses ordinary people like Ananias to do His work; all we have to be is willing
  
• [See v.11] 'for he is praying'- God tells Ananias that Saul was praying; for the first time Paul was really praying to God with Jesus as the mediator and not merely repeating formal prayers as he had done before
  
• [See v.13] '"Lord...I have heard many reports about this man"'- as logical and justified Ananias' comments seem in regards to Saul's persecution of the church, God does not need to be told by man anything He does not already know; God knows everything
  
• [See v.15] '"This man is my chosen instrument"'- if Ananias wasn't already reluctant enough to support Saul, he must have went from feeling bad to bitter and resentful when God told him that Saul was the one He had chosen to proclaim Jesus Christ as the Messiah to the Gentiles and his fellow Israelites
  
• How differently does God see our potential from the way the world sees our potential ? God sees what we can become without looking at our past records as the world often judges our character according to the good or bad things we have done
  
• [See v.16] '"how much he must suffer for my name"'- Saul's higher calling from God comes at a price- he will have to endure much suffering; we like to think of suffering as the lowest of human conditions but God eventually takes us to higher places
  
• [See v.17] 'Then Ananias went to the house'- despite having to swallow the bitter pill, Ananias obeys the Lord's command and goes to the house of Judas where Saul is
  
• '"Brother Saul"'- Ananias addresses Saul as a 'Brother' and thus as a fellow believer in Christ and lays his hands on him to bestow the blessing of the Holy Spirit upon Saul in an act of love; how much faith in God it must have taken for Ananias to accept Saul as God's appointed one after all the horrible things that Saul had done to his brothers and sisters in Christ
  
• '"you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit"'- Saul is physically healed of his blindness as well as of his spiritual blindness as he receives the Holy Spirit
  
• Afterwards, Saul was baptized and 'regained his strength' [v.19] by breaking the fast with food; he was now a new man in God, strengthened both physically and spiritually
  
• [See v.19-20] 'spent several days with the disciples...began to preach in the synagogues'- Saul's radical conversion is apparent as he now desires to fellowship with the same saints he wanted to kill before and boldly proclaims Jesus to be the 'Son of God' [v.20], a term that was understood to refer to Israel's awaited Messiah
  
• In the context of today's world, people seem to understand 'The Son of God' to mean that Jesus is not God; in Jesus' times, to be called a "son of" someone meant that you were wholly identified with that person and that their identity was your identity- in Jesus' case everyone knew what he meant when he called himself the "Son of God", i.e. he was God
  
• [See v.21] 'All those who heard him were astonished'- Saul's conversion is amazing and a testimony to the power of Jesus in changing a life; Paul himself would later write in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
  
• The promptness with which Saul serves the Lord reminds us that we can serve the Lord even if we are new in faith; when we are willing to serve, God gives us strength just as He did with Saul who 'grew more and more powerful' [v.22]
  
• [See v.22] 'baffled the Jews...proving that Jesus is the Christ'- the Israelites could not refute any of the claims or arguments that Saul was making; his expert knowledge of the Old Testament made it easy to see that Jesus was the Messiah as promised in the Scriptures
  
• [See v.23] 'Jews conspired to kill him'- after three years had passed, the Jews had grown desperate in their attempts to silence Saul and prove him wrong, and now realize the only viable way is to get rid of him; what the Lord had told Ananias about how much Saul would have to suffer for His name has now become reality and Saul will find out what it's like to be on the other side as the persecuted having once been the persecutor himself
  
• [See v.25] 'lowered him in a basket'- Saul wouldn't only find out what it was like to be persecuted but would also come to know the might deliverance of God; here he escapes the city at night by hiding in a basket
  
• [See v.26] 'he came to Jerusalem...but they were all afraid of him'- Saul returns to Jerusalem converted in Jesus Christ and seeks to fellowship with the disciples but they aren't convinced that he still isn't the Christian murderer that he was a few years ago
  
• [See v.27] 'Barnabas...brought him to the apostles'- yet thanks to Barnabas who welcomes Saul into the family of God, Saul is able to join the apostles
  
• Just as Barnabas reached out to Saul with the love of Jesus, our hospitality as Christians welcoming others into the church community regardless of their background or record is an extension of the love of Jesus; Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:8, "love believes all things"
  
• [See v.28] 'in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord'- Saul continued to proclaim Jesus as the promised Messiah in Jerusalem; he was essentially taking Stephen's place and consequently the same Jews who'd persecuted Stephen now 'tried to kill him' [v.29]
  
• [See v.30] 'sent him off to Tarsus'- Saul's Christian brothers in Jerusalem send him off to Tarsus by way of Caesarea for his own protection in the midst of threats and assassination plots; how humbling it must have been for Saul to know that the very people he tried to kill before are now saving his life
  
• [See v.31] 'the church...enjoyed a time of peace'- persecution was no longer needed to spread the gospel and for the church to grow in great numbers 'throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria'; this time of peace corresponded with Saul's exit from the Holy Land (Jerusalem) to return to his native land (Tarsus)
  
• 'encouraged by the Holy Spirit...living in the fear of the Lord'- many were comforted by the presence of the Lord but also lived with an awareness of their actions according to the word of God; fearing God is a way of 'living', a way of making choices that train us against our natural instincts to fear all other things besides God
  
• What does it mean to fear God ?
  
• It says in Proverbs 8:13, "To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech"; 'evil behavior' and 'perverse speech' are outward evidence of the inward attitudes of the heart- a God-fearing heart loves to do what is right, good and pleasing to God
  
• [See v.32] 'Peter traveled about the country'- whereas before people were coming from afar to Jerusalem to receive the ministry of the apostles, now the roles are beginning to shift with Peter travelling 25 miles outside of Jerusalem to Lydda
  
• Peter heals a paralytic and raises a dead woman to life by the power of Jesus; we can see the transformation of Peter in how he now follows Jesus and the Holy Spirit as opposed to before when he was the one trying to get Jesus to follow his ways, e.g. in Matthew 16:22, Peter was the one who tried to convince Jesus from going to the cross
  
• [See v.43] 'Peter stayed in Joppa...with a tanner named Simon'- it was forbidden by Jewish law to even go near anyone who worked with dead animals because it was considered unclean; Peter had made contact with the dead woman's body earlier which was also unclean
  
• God is breaking traditions and rituals that Peter has held onto for his entire life as a Jew, esp. the notion of being clean
  
  

Acts 8

Acts 8 (New International Version)


1 And Saul approved of their killing him.
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
Philip in Samaria
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
Simon the Sorcerer
9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

25 After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
Philip and the Ethiopian
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.




Commentary/Significant points of discussion:

• [See v.1] 'giving approval to his death'- Saul, who we later come to know as Paul, had no hesitation in persecuting Stephen or any other Christian
  
• 'a great persecution broke out'- Stephen's death as a martyr was just the beginning of the persecution of the early Christians; a much greater persecution was coming now
  
• 'all...were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria'- except for the apostles who stay behind, all the Christians in Jerusalem are forced to flee
  
• [See v.2] 'Godly men...mourned deeply for him'- not all the Israelites had been opposed to Stephen and because of his death some of them are repenting now
  
• [See v.3] 'Saul began to destroy the church'- Saul was the ringleader in the persecution of the church, mercilessly attacking Christians
  
• [See v.4] 'Those who had been scattered preached the word'- remember that Jesus had told his followers earlier to spread the word not just in Jerusalem but 'in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth' [Acts 1:8]; they are following his command now but not without a wake-up call from God
  
• As Christians do we often get too comfortable in our situations that God has to literally wake us up by turning up the heat of the situation (persecution) and making us aware of what needs to be done?
  
• One could look at Stephen's act of martyrdom and see that it had little effect but to increase opposition against the church; yet it was his very act of courageousness and bravery that woke up the church to spread the gospel
  
• God is a Sovereign God who does not need the obedience of man to accomplish His purposes; He can use both those who oppose Him and the faithful, to His glory
  
• [See v.5] 'Philip went down to a city in Samaria'- Philip had been one of the seven men appointed to serve the church and its widows back in Acts 6; he was one of those forced to flee Jerusalem in the face of persecution
  
• [See v.6] 'the crowds...paid close attention to what he said'- the hand of God was clearly evident in Philip's preaching of the gospel as 'miraculous signs' such as the casting out of demons and healing of paralytics were performed by God's power
  
• After the Israelites had rejected God's offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, God was now extending this offer to the Samaritans; ironically, the Samaritans were despised by the Israelites who considered them to be half-breeds (intermarriage of pagans and lower class Israelites) who stained the pure worship of God
  
• It was Jesus who had broken down this wall of hostility by speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well; Jesus had sown a seed in Samaria- his offer of "living water" to the woman was a foreshadowing of Philip's nurturing of that seed through preaching of the word which would lead to a great revival of the Samaritans
  
• [See v.8] 'there was great joy'- the fruit of Philip's preaching of the word was evident in the joy of the Samaritans; Philip was now reaping the harvest of what Jesus had planted
  
• [See v.9] 'a man named Simon had practiced sorcery'- before this great revival in Samaria, a magician named Simon had deceived many people into thinking that he was literally a god to be worshipped, i.e. 'the divine power known as the Great Power' [v.10]
  
• But Simon's magic powers had nothing to do with God or being Godly; the power of magic doesn't come from God but from Satan, e.g. recall in the Old Testament when the Pharaoh's magicians performed the same miracles as those done by God until God did something they did not have the power to do
  
• Magic is an occult sin because it seeks power from somewhere else other than God
  
• [See v.12] 'But when they believed Philip as he preached...they were baptized'- the power of Simon's magic was nothing compared to the real power of God manifested through Philip in miraculous healings and exorcisms throughout Samaria
  
• Even 'Simon himself believed and was baptized' [v.13] and became a follower of Philip and his ministry
  
• [See v.14] 'Samaria had accepted the word of God'- before when the people had witnessed Simon's magic, they had focused on man; now, as they witnessed the miracles which God performed through Philip, they became focused on the message , i.e. 'the word of God'
  
• 'they sent Peter and John to them'- this fulfilled what Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:19, '19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven'; Peter and John are now welcoming the Samaritans, who had previously been excluded from being part of God's people, into the kingdom of Heaven
  
• [See v.17] 'placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit'- the laying on of hands by Peter and John as they pray for the Samaritans seems to be of particular importance as if the actual act of touching the person who is receiving symbolizes the transfer of God's gift being the Holy Spirit (in the Old Testament the laying on of hands on the sacrificial animal symbolized the transfer of the Israelites' sins and thus was a punishment, not a gift)
  
• The empowerment and filling of the Holy Spirit is received through the laying on of hands as prayer is offered, in accordance with 2 Timothy 1:6, '6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.'
  
• [See v.18] 'When Simon saw that the Spirit was given...he offered them money'- Simon wants to buy the power of God and thus have authority over the Holy Spirit; he wants to play God!
  
• This makes us wonder if Simon believed and followed Philip and his ministry with a genuine heart of faith or if he simply was trying to appear to the people as doing the "right" thing; no matter how much a person appears outwardly to be faithful, deep down in the secret place of their heart they may still not have submitted to Jesus Christ
  
• Simon clearly had not repented of his old ways of practicing magic which got him hooked on possessing powers that would give him much fame and acclaim; his entire focus was on having power for personal gain and not on serving others which would cost him
  
• A Christ-centered life is reflected by complete submission to the power of the Holy Spirit which in turn builds up gifts that benefit others
  
• Simon had followed Philip and his ministry because he was 'astonished by the great signs and miracles' [v.13]; do we as Christians follow certain ministries because we are taken back more by their power than the message they are presenting ?
  
• [See v.20] 'May your money perish with you'- Peter discerns that Simon is 'full of bitterness and captive to sin' [v.22] and tells him the equivalent of "to Hell with you and your money", implying that Simon was on his way to hell
  
• 'you thought you could buy the gift of God with money'- Peter doesn't rebuke Simon for his craving of power and prestige but rather for his faulty assumption behind it all which was that one could buy the grace of God; no man is worthy nor deserving of God's grace which is given unconditionally- it is God's gift
  
• Simon's sin is turning away from the grace of God and seeking instead to manipulate God (to give him his desires), who is sovereign; it amounted to disobedience towards God's new covenant of grace (on the scale of seriousness for sins, think of how the Israelites in the old Testament disobeyed God's commands and were cursed as a result)
  
• The purpose of Peter's rebuke was to turn Simon towards repentance, prayer and righteousness so that he may be saved
  
• [See v.24] 'Pray to the Lord for me'- instead of humbling his own heart before God, Simon asks Peter to humble his heart for him; Simon seems unwilling to go directly to God for forgiveness
  
• 'nothing you have said may happen to me'- Simon is more concerned with the consequences of his sin than the sin he has committed; apparently he thinks he didn't do much wrong!
  
• How many Christians consider themselves sinners but do not recognize their sins ? If we can't identify our sins against God then how can we repent from our sins ?
  
• [See v.26] 'an angel of the Lord said to Philip'- just as Philip and his ministry is flourishing and prospering in Samaria, God commands him to go to 'the desert road'
  
• It seems like a foolish thing to do to leave a successful ministry and to go out in the desert in the middle of nowhere but Philip obeys God's command and goes; how willing are we to obey God when it doesn't seem to make any sense ? How often do we rationalize our disobedience according to our fears ? (e.g. "I'm not sure it's right for me")
  
• [See v.27] 'he met an Ethiopian eunuch'- this Ethiopian man was accomplished and respected yet he seemed to be seeking spiritual answers and he was obviously hungry for God's word, 'reading the book of Isaiah the prophet' [v.28] for which he must have shelled out quite a bit of money
  
• 'This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship'- how strange that this man had not been saved in Jerusalem; God's timing is mysterious but there is a purpose to it all!
  
• [See v.29] 'The Spirit told Philip'- the Holy Spirit speaks to Philip and gives him specific directions to go up to the chariot
  
• [See v.30] 'heard the man reading'- at this moment Philip knows that God had arranged this meeting; God had prepared this man's heart to be open to the preaching of the gospel
  
• After reading the prophecies of Isaiah concerning the Messiah, the eunuch asks Philip 'who is the prophet talking about' [v.34] and Philip 'told him the good news about Jesus' [v.35]
  
• [See v.38] 'Philip baptized him'- the emphasis here is on baptism being an important part of being a believer
  
• [See v.39] 'Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away'- through the Holy Spirit Philip is supernaturally transported to Azotus which was about 20 miles or so away
  
• 'went on his way rejoicing'- the eunuch's great joy is evidence of his salvation; his faith was firmly rooted in God despite Philip's departure