Acts (Written)

Nice view from Utah state capital.

Saturday, 15 October 2022

For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Then Peter answered, Acts 10:46

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The previous verse told of how astonished those of the circumcision were when the Holy Spirit had been poured upon the Gentiles at Cornelius’ house. A verbal manifestation accompanied the pouring out. As it says, “For they hear them speak with tongues and magnify God.”

The NKJV has the wrong tense for the verbs. It more correctly reads, “For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and magnifying God” (BLB). It is this translation that will be used. First, “they were hearing them speaking in tongues.”

Being an imperfect verb, it means that they heard them speaking in tongues and this continued on. It was a display probably not unlike that which occurred in Acts 2 –

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:4

This was the sign to those who were there at the first, and it is a sign to them now that the same Spirit had approved of these Gentiles in the same way. It is to be remembered that the word glóssa, or “tongue,” simply means a known language. It is normally a language naturally acquired, so these Gentiles were speaking as if the languages they were uttering were commonly known to them.

The symbolism is that of the reversing of the dividing of languages at Babel in Genesis 11. Not only had the Jews spoken in various tongues as the Spirit gave utterance, but even these Gentiles had now been imparted this gift.

Along with that, it says they were “magnifying God.” The word is megalunó. It was used in Acts 5:13 where it noted that the people held the apostle in “high esteem.” It signifies to make great or to declare great. Thus, a word such as extol would be fitting. With this noted, the verse ends with, “Then Peter answered.”

It is a Hebraism already seen in Acts. It is a way of saying that Peter then spoke. He is not answering a question, but he is responding to a situation. Peter has seen the display of the Spirit as poured out on the believers, and so he will next answer with a question for the Jews who are present to consider.

Life application: It is to be remembered that in Acts 2, tongues were spoken. Nothing is said of anyone speaking in tongues since then. As Jews were added to the number, nothing is said of this. In Acts 8, all it notes when the Samaritans had hands placed on them by Peter was that they “received the Holy Spirit.” However, nothing is said about what that meant. Later, when the Ethiopian eunuch believed and was baptized, it said nothing about the Spirit interacting with him.

These are internal clues that the accounts are descriptive and are not to be taken as normative. They simply tell the story concerning the development of the early church. The signs, including the tongues now, are given to confirm acceptance by God in Peter’s presence. With him are a suitable number of witnesses to confirm that the event took place.

As this is the case, there is no reason to assume that anyone after these events recorded in Acts would ever need to speak in tongues. The confirmations have been received, they are recorded in the word, and we now have to accept or reject these things based on faith. When we have sight, faith is excluded. But God expects us to have faith. Hence, we can logically conclude that signs are not needed, nor are they given any longer.

The sensationalism of charismatic churches is just that, sensationalism. It is not grounded in sound theology, and it is harmful to a proper walk with the Lord right from the outset of being told about Jesus.

Lord God, help us to be clear in our thoughts concerning our relationship with You. Why should we need sensational theology when what Jesus has done is the very essence of what is sensational! Thank You for Jesus who has done the incredible to reconcile us to You. Amen.

Outdoor area of capitol, Salt Lake City, Utah

Friday, 14 October 2022

And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. Acts 10:45

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The previous verse said, “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.” With that, a response from the Jews who had come with Peter comes forth. Luke records, “And those of the circumcision.”

The meaning is, “the Jews who believed.” Being circumcised was not the only requirement to being a Jew, but it was one that could not be overlooked. That goes all the way back to Exodus –

“And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. ⁴⁴ But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. ⁴⁵ A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. ⁴⁶ In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. ⁴⁷ All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. ⁴⁸ And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. ⁴⁹ One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.’” Exodus 12:43-49

These believing Jews, meaning believers in Christ had witnessed both the true circumcision of and a partaking in the Passover by these Gentiles –

“Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?” Romans 2:26

“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” 1 Corinthians 5:7

Though these Jews probably did not even consider the coming of the Holy Spirit in this light, it is exactly what has transpired. These strangers, not of Israel, had now become as natives of the land, having been brought into the commonwealth of Israel by a mere act of faith. In the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them, it says they “were astonished.”

A short questionnaire to consider:

Were any of these Gentiles circumcised before this? Probably not, but that is not even a consideration in Luke’s narrative.
Had any of these Gentiles observed a single precept of the Law of Moses prior to the coming of the Spirit? Probably not, but that is not even a consideration in Luke’s narrative.
Did these Gentiles eat their regular, non-kosher, food before hearing Peter? It is certainly the case.
Did any of these Gentiles go through the purification process outlined in the Law of Moses to be cleansed according to the law for having eaten defiled food? See answer to second question above.
Were any of these Gentiles of illegitimate birth according to the law, or were any of them descendants of Ammon or Moab? Who knows? But that is not even a consideration in Luke’s narrative.

Such questions could go on and on. But the obvious answer is that these people received the Spirit regardless of those points of law or any other points of law found in the Law of Moses. They simply believed and were accepted. They joined the commonwealth of Israel apart from the Law of Moses. This explains the words of Paul from Romans 2 above –

“Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law.” These Gentiles, by faith in Jesus, had kept every precept of the Law of Moses through His fulfillment of it. As Leviticus 18:5 promises life to the man who does so, it means that they have now attained that life, proven by the coming of the Holy Spirit. And the astonishment of these Jews wasn’t just one or two of them but “as many as came with Peter.”

This was so unexpected that every single Jew who was in attendance was utterly floored at what had transpired. The word translated as amazed has been seen several times in Acts already. It signifies “remove from a standing position.” Today we might say (as just noted) that they were utterly floored. The thought is the same. They were beside themselves at the event their eyes had beheld, “because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.”

Note the choice of wording, “the gift of the Holy Spirit.” A gift cannot be earned. This does not mean there aren’t conditions in receiving it, but it is something granted apart from any sort of merit.

There may be a condition that everyone who receives a new car must show up at the ribbon cutting ceremony. That is not a work. Rather, it is a necessary condition. A person may need to be over 55 in order to receive a certain gift. Again, that is a necessary condition. The gospel says, “hear, believe, and you will receive.”

The Spirit is not given apart from hearing. There must be a transmission of the message. The Spirit is not given apart from believing the gospel. There must be an inner acceptance of the message that has been spoken. These are necessary conditions. These Gentiles met the necessary conditions, and they were given the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In this case, it was a visible reception of the Spirit. This is not a necessary evidence. Rather, it was a sign of confirmation for Peter and those with them to know, with all certainty, that the Spirit had been given. The account is descriptive; it prescribes nothing. It is simply what happened in order for these witnesses to bear this truth to those already in the church.

With Luke’s completion of the book of Acts, the witness is now recorded. Such outward displays are not only no longer necessary, but they would actually be counterproductive to the normal process of salvation among believers today. Believers are to live by faith, accepting the words of Scripture apart from visible signs and demonstrations of the Spirit.

Life application: Along with the short questionnaire above, a note from Paul in Galatians 3 is also intended to wake people up to the heresy of the Judaizers and today’s modern Hebrew Roots movement adherents –

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? ² This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? ³ Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? ⁴ Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?” Galatians 3:1-4

Those in the church in Galatia had believed the gospel and they had received the Spirit. They were saved and they could never get any more saved than they were at that time. And yet, along came the Judaizers telling them that they had to observe the law of Moses and be circumcised in order to be saved. But they already were circumcised by the Holy Spirit! But they had already been saved! But they had already met the requirements of the law through Jesus’ fulfillment of it! But they had already observed the Passover!

What more could they do? Anything they added to what Christ had done in order to be right with God could only be wrong with God! It would be a flagrant shunning of the work of Christ and an attempt to be more righteous on their own. This is why Paul calls them foolish. They were setting aside the grace of Christ and setting about to establish their own righteousness.

Today, consider what things you are attempting to add to your supposed righteousness before God. Are you trying to merit God’s favor through tithing? Do you feel that if you don’t tithe you are a bad Christian? Or has someone told you it is so if you don’t?

If so, you are trying to merit what you have already been given when you believed. Think each thing you do through. Determine if it is in obedience to the gospel or is it in addition to the gospel? Those things that will exalt you above the cross are to be eliminated. Those things that glorify the cross are to be held fast to.

And how can you tell? You must know the word. Read it! Think on it! And then, apply it to your life! In all you do, do it to the glory of the Lord who saved you through a simple act of faith.

Heavenly Father, what a heavy burden You have taken from us. We no longer need to wonder if we will stand approved before You or not. We know that because of our faith in Jesus, we are approved. THANK YOU FOR JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD! Amen.

Fancy chandelier in Utah gov’s office.

Thursday, 13 October 2022

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. Acts 10:44

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Peter completed his words to Cornelius in the last verse with the words, “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”  The words were direct, and they included nothing else. And yet, it now says, “While Peter was still speaking these words.”

There was nothing of what was said to Israel in Acts 2:38 –

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

Peter was speaking to Israel who had just crucified their Messiah. There was nothing for these Gentiles to repent (meaning change one’s mind). There was no need for these Gentiles to be baptized in water in order to outwardly demonstrate that they had changed their minds. Instead, the inference that must be derived from the narrative is that when Peter had said, “whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” that they had, in fact, believed.

And yet, it was not a belief that required an outward validation, such as them saying, “Yes, I believe.” Rather, it was an inward belief alone. By simply hearing Peter’s words and then by believing in their hearts (the heart in the Bible is the center of our moral being and the place where our volitional choices are made), it says that “the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.”

This means that they heard the word as spoken by Peter. They had faith in what that word said. They then were endowed with the Holy Spirit. This is the process Paul states in Romans –

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

From there, the process continues in Ephesians 1 –

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13, 14

The process, then, is – hear the word of God, have faith in the word which is then manifest in the heart (trusting), and at that moment, the sealing of the Holy Spirit is accomplished.

In the case of Cornelius and those with Him, there is a difference to this process though. As Vincent’s Word Studies rightly notes, “The only example of the bestowment of the Spirit before baptism.”

It is the epistles that set doctrine and explain that which is normative for this dispensation. The account now in Acts is a descriptive account. It prescribes nothing, but simply tells what has happened. As the epistles tell what is prescriptive, what is normative, and what can thus be expected, the account now in Acts obviously serves a particular purpose.

That purpose is explained in the words of Jesus to Peter –

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹ And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:17-19

Peter was the apostle selected by Jesus to confirm that access to heaven is granted to the various people groups reflected in Acts – Jew (Acts 2), Samaritans (Acts 8), and Gentiles (Acts 10). He is the only one recorded as being present at all three instances where the Holy Spirit came upon the believers. Thus, it is he who was given as the witness to confirm the events.

He was there in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost. He was there to tell those who did not believe what they must do in order to receive the Spirit – repent, be baptized for remission, and then receive. He held the “keys” to heaven in regard to what they must do in order to be granted remission and given access to God’s paradise.

He was there in Acts 8. The people had already believed the message, but did not receive the Spirit –

“Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, ¹⁵ who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” Acts 8:14-17

Until Peter came, the confirmation – meaning the coming of the Spirit – was not given. Peter had the “keys” to heaven, meaning the validation that these believers had been received.

And now in Acts 10, the process is repeated. Remember that the Ethiopian eunuch had already received Jesus. He was saved based on that faith, but Peter was not present. As such, a demonstration of Gentile salvation was still required for Peter who held the “keys” to heaven. That demonstration is now realized.

Acts 2 – for believers: faith in Jesus / visibly receive the Spirit. For those Jewish nonbelievers: follow the words of Peter concerning repentance and baptism because they had first rejected Jesus. From there, receive the Spirit.

Acts 8 – receive the word and believe. Wait for Peter to validate the event. With the laying on of hands, they visibly received the Spirit.

Acts 10 – Peter preaches the word concerning Jesus. Gentiles hear the word and believe in their hearts. The Spirit is visibly received.

And so, the question is, which of these three accounts is normative? Which one is to be expected in the future? The answer is, “None of the three accounts is normative.” Peter has now validated that all – Jew, Samaritan, and Gentile – have been saved by faith and faith alone in the work of Jesus Christ. He had also told those of Israel who had rejected Jesus that they had to repent (change their minds) about their rejection, openly acknowledge this, and they too would receive the Spirit.

That is never needed again, except by those who first reject Jesus, because only Israel had rejected their Messiah. Now, when a person rejects Jesus and he later changes his mind (repents), he receives the Spirit upon belief. For those who have never rejected Jesus, the formula of the epistles (noted above) is what is normative and what now occurs.

No outward display of the Spirit is necessary, nor is it to be expected, because the proof has been provided to Peter, it was witnessed as required by Scripture, and it is now documented in Scripture. Hence, these examples are the recorded proofs necessary for those who believe the gospel to know that they too are saved upon faith alone in the work of Jesus Christ.

Life application: What has been presented in Acts concerning salvation clearly demonstrates that there is one (and only one gospel). It also clearly demonstrates that this gospel is open to all, Jew and Gentile, through faith alone.

Now, our doctrine is to be obtained from the epistles. The varied descriptive accounts in Acts are intended to lead us to the stabilizing instructions found in the epistles. The words of Jesus in Acts 1 are being realized with the reception of the Spirit by Cornelius and those with Him –

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

The word went first to Jerusalem, then to Judea and Samaria. Now, it begins to go “to the end of the earth” with the inclusion of these Gentiles in the presence of Peter. With this baseline established, the word will continue to go forth, but without the necessity of Peter verifying what has occurred. The “keys” to heaven have been used for Jew, for Samaritan, and for Gentile.

Lord God, what a marvelous thing You have done through the giving of Jesus! Thank You that we can be included in Your family through a simple act of faith in His completed work. How grateful we are. And we shall praise You forever and ever because of what You have done. Glory to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.

Checking out the gov’s office, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Wednesday, 12 October 2022

“To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” Acts 10:43

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the last verse Peter continued words to Cornelius, saying, “And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.” Peter’s words now continue with, “To Him all the prophets witness.”

It is referring to Jesus, and it is something that Scripture elsewhere explicitly teaches. For example, there is the account after the resurrection where Jesus spoke to the two as they walked on the road to Emmaus –

“’O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ ²⁷ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Luke 24:25-27

Likewise, in Acts 3, Peter said to the crowd gathered before him –

“Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸ But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.” Acts 3:17, 18

These are just a few of the references to this, both from Jesus’ words and from those of the apostles. One important point from the witness of the prophets is that of Gentile inclusion in the work of Messiah. Though Peter does not express the thought at this time, it is a truth that both points to the work of Jesus and the calling of the Gentiles –

“Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:6

Of these words of the prophets, Peter next says, “that, through His name.” The translation is correct. The word dia, or through, is used. It signifies that what will next be said will come about based on an action that is “through” the name of Jesus.

Of this, Vincent’s Word Studies says, “As in the Lord’s prayer: not simply the title, but all that is embraced and expressed by the name: Christ’s ‘entire perfection, as the object revealed to the believer for his apprehension, confession, and worship’ (Meyer).” Peter next says that the means of this “through” action is based upon “whoever believes.”

The Greek reads “everyone believing.” Notice that Peter, who is now speaking to Gentiles who are outside of the covenant people Israel, does not say “who observes,” “who is circumcised,” “who joins himself to,” or any other prescription where some type of self-expressed work must be performed. Rather, Peter levies upon these people an act of faith alone, saying, “everyone believing.” And the object of this faith is, “in Him.”

This is just what Jesus says in John 3:16. It is what is repeated time and time again in Acts and in the epistles. There is no other requirement levied upon the individual than belief in Jesus. If giving up a certain diet was required, Peter would have stated this now. If observance of the Law of Moses was required, Peter would have stated this now. And so on. But he does not. He simply says that everyone believing in Him. With that, and based upon believing in Him, the words are completed with “will receive remission of sins.”

The word is aphesis. It signifies “something sent away.” As such, it is a note that the sins of the believer are “sent away” and thus they are pardoned, forgiven, let go, and so on. This is the heart of the gospel. It is a note that God has entered into the stream of human existence and, through the giving of His Son, has allowed those who accept the payment to be given remission of sins. This allowance is appropriated by faith in Jesus, and it is granted to everyone who is believing in Him.

Life application: What is the common denominator concerning these Gentiles gathered together? For the sake of the narrative, it is that they are all sinners. Peter implicitly tells them this by saying that they need to believe in Jesus in order to have remission of sins. In his words, he carefully explains how this remission is provided.

Again, as noted above, Peter said nothing of law observance. He said nothing of actively working out a set plan that must be pursued by the sin-laden soul. Rather, the set plan is one that calls out for belief in the Person of Jesus who had accomplished the work of God, who had then been hanged on a tree, and who was then raised by God on the third day.

This is what God requires. Nothing more. This will be perfectly evidenced in the next verse. Peter does not say, “You must believe in Jesus and turn from your sin.” That cannot even be inferred in his words. He says that remission of their sin comes through faith. Thus, turning from sin is an act that is to be based upon remission, not for remission. If this were not true, then it would be the act of the individual that brought about the remission. This would then totally destroy the purity of the gospel, and it would negate the idea of Ephesians 2:8-10 –

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Paul places the “good works,” which would include turning from sin, after the belief, not before. Be sure to get this, remember it, and properly present it when speaking to others about their need for Jesus. This is the gospel. Come to Jesus, believe in Him, and be saved.

Lord God, help us to remember to keep ourselves and our actions out of the gospel message. It is all about Jesus and what He has done. May we never presume to add to this wonderful message, but to maintain its purity when we speak to others. It is about Jesus, it is through Jesus, and it is by faith in Him that the gospel is realized in us. Thank You, O God, for Jesus Christ our Lord! Hallelujah and amen.

Big shots room, Utah State Capitol.

Tuesday, 11 October 2022

“And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. Acts 10:42

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The previous verse conveyed Peter’s words, saying, “to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.” Peter will now explain what that thought means, tying the two verses together. The resurrection proves that Jesus was (and is) sinless. This is because, as Paul says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

As this is an absolute truth concerning all of humanity who descend from Adam via a human father, then it secondly proves that Jesus is truly God, born of God the Father. He is the God/Man. We may not think this through to its logical end when we consider the resurrection from the dead, but it is clearly implied. Jesus is both without sin and He is God. With that understood, Peter says, “And He commanded us to preach to the people.”

Peter is surely noting what Jesus said after the resurrection, such as that found in Mark 16:15 –

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’”

Such verses as that, and even just prior to the ascension in Acts 1:8, indicate that the apostles were given a commission to convey what they knew, and it was to extend beyond the borders of Israel. As Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” In this preaching, Peter continues that it was to include more than just the simple gospel, but what the gospel implies. As Peter next says, “and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.”

The word translated as “testify” is stronger than to simply witness or testify (marturomai). Rather, it is a word already used twice in Acts which goes a step further, diamarturomai. By adding the prefix dia (through), it means to thoroughly testify and to even solemnly charge. In other words, conveying the gospel also conveys the necessity to further explain what accepting or rejecting the gospel implies, if the situation so requires it.

That which is to be testified is explained by the next words of the clause. It is Jesus who was ordained by God to be the Judge of both the living and the dead. This was stated clearly by Jesus in John 5 –

“For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
²⁴ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. ²⁵ Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, ²⁷ and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.” John 5:22-27

This thought is expressed elsewhere in the epistles and in Revelation. Jesus, because He came into the world without sin, lived without sinning, died for the sins of the world, and rose again (proving that He remained sinless), is given the authority to judge both the living and the dead. His life gives Him the authority to judge all sin, and His death gives Him the ability to extend that to those who are dead.

In saying that Jesus died for the sins of the world, it means this is true potentially. Any sin that has been committed is potentially atoned for by His death. However, it only actually applies to those who come to God through faith in His provision which is found in Jesus. As Jesus said in John 5, those who believe in Him shall not come into judgment. Their sin has been judged in Him. In this, they have passed from death into life.

However, those who fail to believe remain dead in their trespasses. As such they will be judged for condemnation. It is Jesus who holds the authority to conduct this process because it is Jesus who has prevailed over death. He is the God/Man.

Life application: Some may hear the simple gospel and readily accept it. Others may have questions or simply reject what is presented. In such a case, the one who tells about Jesus should be ready to fully testify to what it means to turn from Jesus. One cannot come to God apart from Jesus. Those who come to Jesus will come to God covered by His atoning sacrifice. They will be found acceptable before God.

But even those who don’t come to Jesus will still come to God before Jesus. This is because Jesus is the One ordained to judge all humanity. When they are raised and stand before the Great White Throne, it will be with Jesus as the witness that they rejected Him. And in the rejection of Him, they will be found guilty and judged as such.

People need to understand this. When Jesus said that He is the Way, He meant it. No human will come before the Father without coming through Jesus. The terms have been set, the Standard has been given, and if a person does not meet that Standard (meaning Christ’s perfection), he is a goner. Only in being imputed Christ’s righteousness can eternal life and reconciliation be provided. This is what we need to be prepared to tell those we speak to. In Jesus is life. Apart from Him is death. He is the God/Man.

Glorious God Almighty, how grateful we are for the offer of reconciliation You have provided for us in the giving of Jesus. May we be willing to always open our mouths and speak out the good news to those we come to meet. And, Lord, may we be ready and willing to tell what a rejection of the gospel means to those who turn it down. Help us to be bold in our proclamation, O God. Amen.