Acts (Written)

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Monday, 10 October 2022 

not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. Acts 10:41

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).

With Peter continuing his explanation concerning Christ Jesus to Cornelius, he just said that God had raised Him from the dead on the third day and caused Him to be seen. With that, he now clarifies what that means, saying, “not to all the people.”

To be seen by all the people was neither necessary nor would it be in accord with their conduct toward Him, having nailed Him to the cross (see Acts 2:23). Further, it would not be in line with Jesus’ words to the leaders as recorded in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. That parable ended with –

“But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’” Luke 16:31

Further, He had told them directly that they should not expect such a sign as is recorded in Luke 11:29-32. They had asked for a sign, but He had told them that no sign would be given “except the sign of Jonah.” The sign of Jonah was his preaching to the Ninevites.

In other words, for Jesus to reveal Himself to the entire nation would then exclude what God desires from His people, meaning faith. If one has sight, then faith is excluded. Jesus even told this directly to the apostles when speaking to Thomas –

“Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” John 20:29

And even with the sight of their eyes, Jesus told them (in Luke 16:31 above) that in His resurrection they would still not be convinced. Therefore, it would have served no purpose for Him to reveal Himself to the people openly. In fact, it would have been counterproductive. Instead, He was seen only by a select few. As Peter says, “but to witnesses chosen before by God.”

It is a word found only here in Scripture, and it is a perfect participle, “having already been chosen.” The word is procheirotoneó. It signifies extending out the hand before. HELPS Word Studies says, “(‘God’s hand extended before’) illustrates how God, the Creator, plans out all the physical scenes of our lives before the foundation of the world (cf. Ps 139:16; Is 43:13 – 45:7). For example, the Lord’s hand determined who would be the initial witnesses of Christ’s resurrection.”

The idea of those select people seeing Jesus is that of being preordained to do so. For whatever reason, He determined these people, and no others, would be actual witnesses of the resurrection. But it was a sufficient number (see 1 Corinthians 15:3:3-8) to accomplish His purposes. Along with this thought, Peter continues with specific details concerning his words, saying, “even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.”

There are three instances noted concerning this, Luke 24:30; Luke 24:42; John 21:13. The result of these occurrences is to absolutely solidify that Jesus Christ rose as a tangible, physical person. He was not an apparition, a spirit, or a hallucination of the mind. Rather, He ate with these people, they handled Him, and they spoke with Him.

Along with these instances are those of the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 (more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time) and the words of Luke in Acts 1 at the ascension. Such occasions provided enough substance to validate Christ’s resurrection and ascension while still leaving the matter to require faith by the nation of Israel. And from there, the testimony of those who saw Jesus after the resurrection now extends to all people of the world. The faith of Cornelius is an early testimony to this.

Life application: The note concerning those who ate and drank with Jesus is an important one. It was first documented in the gospels, and then it is repeated in Acts. Jesus physically and bodily arose from the dead. It is rather incredible to believe that there are people who claim that Jesus did not rise as a physical being even though they claim to believe in the Bible.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, deny a literal, physical resurrection of the Lord. They say, “Jesus’ own words showed that he would not be resurrected with his flesh-and-blood body” (JW.org). This is completely contrary to the words of the gospels, such as –

“And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‘Peace to you!’ ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.’” John 20:26, 27

In order to deny this, they submit the following commentary. Take time to carefully go through their words and see how many errors in thinking and in theology you can find. The analysis is a typical example of taking verse after verse out of context in order to deny the fundamental truth of who Jesus Christ is:

BE ADVISED, THESE OFFSET COMMENTS ARE FROM THE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES AND THEY ARE UNSOUND DOCTRINE. THEY ARE GIVEN FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

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After Jesus’ Resurrection, Was His Body Flesh or Spirit?

The Bible’s answer

The Bible says that Jesus “was put to death in the flesh but made alive [resurrected] in the spirit.”​—1 Peter 3:​18; Acts 13:34; 1 Corinthians 15:45; 2 Corinthians 5:​16.

Jesus’ own words showed that he would not be resurrected with his flesh-and-blood body. He said that he would give his “flesh in behalf of the life of the world,” as a ransom for mankind. (John 6:​51; Matthew 20:28) If he had taken back his flesh when he was resurrected, he would have canceled that ransom sacrifice. This could not have happened, though, for the Bible says that he sacrificed his flesh and blood “once for all time.”—Hebrews 9:​11, 12.

If Jesus was raised up with a spirit body, how could his disciples see him?

Spirit creatures can take on human form. For example, angels who did this in the past even ate and drank with humans. (Genesis 18:​1-8; 19:​1-3) However, they still were spirit creatures and could leave the physical realm.​—Judges 13:15-​21.

After his resurrection, Jesus also assumed human form temporarily, just as angels had previously done. As a spirit creature, though, he was able to appear and disappear suddenly. (Luke 24:31; John 20:19, 26) The fleshly bodies that he materialized were not identical from one appearance to the next. Thus, even Jesus’ close friends recognized him only by what he said or did.​—Luke 24:30, 31, 35; John 20:14-​16; 21:​6, 7.

When Jesus appeared to the apostle Thomas, he took on a body with wound marks. He did this to bolster Thomas’ faith, since Thomas doubted that Jesus had been raised up.​—John 20:24-​29.

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What is presented to you in these words by the Jehovah’s Witnesses is a purposeful manipulation of the word of God. Don’t be misled by the verses they cite. Think about what is presented and carefully consider what is said. In the end, either Jesus rose physically from the dead or He did not. And thanks be to God, He did. Jesus defeated death so that we too may live.

Lord God, may we be prepared to speak out and correct attacks against Your word. Help us to be sound in our thinking, well versed in Your word, and capable of defending the fundamental truths that it presents. May we do this to Your glory and to the correction of the evil doctrines presented by those who have an agenda to tear people away from the truths You have so clearly presented to us. Amen.

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Sunday, 9 October 2022

Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, Acts 10:40

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 just noted concerning Jesus, saying, “they killed by hanging on a tree.” With that, he now says, “Him God raised up on the third day.” The translation of the NKJV does not match the text used by their translators. Rather, they have added in the word “on” without italicizing it. Instead, the Greek of their source text reads “This [One] God raised the third day.”

However, some manuscripts include the word en or “in” by saying, “This [One] God raised up in the third day.” Either way, the meaning is obvious. It is not “three and then rise,” as if he rose on the fourth day, but “on the third day.” This is carefully recorded both as Jesus’ word prior to the resurrection and in Acts and the epistles after the resurrection –

“Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, ²³ and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.’ And they were exceedingly sorrowful.” Matthew 17:22, 23

In all, the resurrection on the third day is noted thirteen times. With that clearly and unambiguously stated by Peter now, and with it confirmed in those other instances, Peter next says, “and showed Him openly.”

The Greek implies more than the translation, saying, “and gave Him to become manifest.” The meaning is further explained in the next verse. He was not shown openly, as if everyone would behold Him, but he was made manifest to those whom God determined should see Him. Being manifest means fully presented before them as an undoubtable proof that it was Him, that it was His same body (personage) even if glorified, and that He had prevailed over the agony of the cross. Those who saw him are clearly identified in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (see commentary on the previous verse).

Life application: Today, it is as common as snowflakes in a blizzard for people to claim that Jesus rose “after” three days. This is based on a faulty understanding of Matthew 12 –

“But He answered and said to them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.’” Matthew 12:39-42

By the misunderstanding of Jesus’ words, it is claimed that Jesus rose after three days. As it is as obvious as lies from a politician that Jesus rose on a Sunday, it has become fashionable to claim that Jesus was crucified on a Thursday. Some even claim it was a Wednesday. First, the “sign of Jonah” is not that Jonah was in the belly of the great fish. The sign of Jonah is his preaching –

“And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’” Jonah 3:4

That is stated by Jesus in Matthew 12:41 but it is also more explicitly seen in Luke 11 where the note about the great fish is entirely omitted. Further, the term “three days and three nights” is an idiomatic expression found in Esther 4:16 and it means any part of those days, as the text there clearly indicates. As such, the account of Jesus’ resurrection being “on the third day” as noted thirteen times in the New Testament does not at all contradict Jesus’ words in Matthew 12. Rather, it shows a lack of proper study by those who try to reconcile something that needs no reconciliation.

In other words, don’t believe everything you hear until you check things out for yourself. Study, pray, and contemplate. There are no contradictions in the Bible, just issues that are presented for every level of scholarly study. Think of a tall bookshelf. There are shelves where little children can reach and there are shelves that only those who have grown can reach. The Bible presents things easy enough for children to understand, and it presents things so complicated that the smartest scholars still search them out.

Revel in the marvel of this amazing treasure, be ready to explore it daily, and then apply its teachings to your life. Do these things for best results! J

Lord God, thank You for this remarkable treasure that we call the Holy Bible. It is a marvel of wonder and delight. May we be willing to expend the necessary time to understand its every detail and nuance. Give us the desire to devote our days to seeking out its treasures. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Special visitor outside of Utah Supreme Court.

Saturday, 8 October 2022

And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Acts 10:39

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 presentation concerning Jesus Christ by Peter to Cornelius continues with these words, saying, “And we are witnesses of all things.”

Peter explains that those who were with Jesus now stand as witnesses to the events that occurred. This was what was stated by Jesus just prior to His ascension –

“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

This is also a part of Paul’s presentation of the gospel, noting it as a confirmation of the events that occurred –

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. ⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. ⁷ After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. ⁸ Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Peter acknowledges this fact to support his words concerning the life and work accomplished by the Lord. With that noted, he continues, saying, “which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem.”

The point of stating this is that Jesus’ ministry clearly fulfilled the messianic expectation of the Jewish people. Peter was a Galilean and a large portion of Jesus’ ministry, as recorded in the synoptic gospels, is focused on the area of Galilee. John’s gospel gave a much greater amount of detail in the land of Judea and especially in Jerusalem.

Despite having been clearly presented to the Jewish people as their Messiah, they rejected Him. As Peter says, “whom they killed by hanging on a tree.” The second verb is an aorist participle, and the clause more correctly reads, “whom they killed, having hanged upon a tree.”

Two technical points about this clause should be noted. The first is that the KJV unjustifiably adds in the word “and,” saying, “whom they slew and hanged on a tree.” That causes it to read as two separate actions, something that is not supported by the text, nor by the gospels. However, some older manuscripts (and thus some translations) have the word “and” prior to the two actions, saying, “And they also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross” (NASB 1977). In this, an increased force is placed upon the entire clause. As Vincent’s Word Studies says, “They added this crowning atrocity to other persecutions.”

In this, the KJV is to be wholly rejected as a failed translation, but the NASB and other such translations are quite possibly the correct renderings of the clause, assuming the Greek text they use is the original.

The point of either Greek text is quite clear though. Jesus was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. There were sufficient witnesses concerning Him and His deeds in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem to testify to the people of His rightful claim to being the Messiah. And yet, despite these things, they killed Him by hanging Him on a tree.

Peter has not yet explained what Jesus’ death signifies, but he has stated it as a fact. If the account were to end there, Cornelius would have to say, “What a sad story. Another failed Messiah.” But this is not the end of Peter’s discourse. More is to come.

Life application: Crucifixion is how Jesus was killed. He did not die as the kings whom Israel fought in the book of Joshua. At times in that book, it says that they were put to death and then hanged. For example –

“And afterward Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees; and they were hanging on the trees until evening.” Joshua 10:26

In Jesus’ case, He died while being hanged on a cross. It is the instrument of His death. In that death, He fulfilled the final portion of the law and the prophets, setting it aside and ushering in the New Covenant. It is for this reason that Paul says –

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14

The cross death of Jesus was considered a shameful death. And yet, Paul says that it is his only point of boasting for righteousness. Let us consider that and remember it as we interact with others. We should be willing to bear the disgrace of Jesus’ death so that others may bear the glory of His resurrection. May it be so today and always in our lives.

Lord God, surely the story of the cross of Jesus is the most wonderful story of all. Thank You for what transpired there and what it means to the people of the world. Today, we pray that we will be able to properly represent our Lord Jesus in all we say and do. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

Restroom sign, Utah capitol.

Friday, 7 October 2022

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38

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 is in the middle of his explanation to Cornelius about the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. He continues now with, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth.”

In these words, there are a couple of intentional connections to the previous verses. The word “anointed” is the Greek word chrió. It is the root of the word Christos (Christ) used in Acts 10:36. Thus, Peter is making a verbal confirmation that Jesus is the Christ because he was anointed by God as such. Further, Ellicott notes the grammatical parallel between the words “Jesus of Nazareth” in this verse and “word” in verses 10:36 and 10:37 –

The word [logos, divine utterance] which God sent
That word [rhéma, the contents of the utterance] you know
Jesus of Nazareth

The utterance of God and the meaning that it conveys is parallel with the Person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Again, as has been seen in previous verses in Acts, the location is affixed to His name because Jesus was not an uncommon name. To define who is being referred to more explicitly, the name of His town, Nazareth, is affixed as a part of the title

Of the anointing received from God by Jesus of Nazareth, it was “with the Holy Spirit.” In the Old Testament, the act of anointing a priest or a king or even an object (such as the pillar Jacob raised in Genesis 31) was accomplished to signify being set apart to God. It would also typologically anticipate the spiritual anointing of God upon Christ.

In the prophets, the noting of being anointed becomes a point of messianic anticipation as the words obviously point to One who was yet to come and who would accomplish marvelous things or fulfill promises made by the Lord to the people. This is the idea that carried on to the time when Jesus came and fulfilled those prophecies, such as –

“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
¹⁸ ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
¹⁹ To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.’
²⁰ Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹ And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” Luke 4:16-21

The gospels clearly tie the baptism of Christ in with this anointing. He was already holy and sinless, but the act of baptism became the visible and explicit act of God acknowledging Him as the One especially set apart and anointed to fulfill the messianic promises.

With this noted, Peter continues with, “and with power.” The power here obviously refers to more than just something a person might be born with or that a person might develop through exercise. It is referring to abilities that are clearly divine in nature, being bestowed by God, such as healing the sick, opening the eyes of the blind, and even raising the dead. With this anointing, and with this power, Peter next says, “who went about doing good.”

The words “went about” are literally “went through.” It signifies the scope of His ministry, going through the land in order to do that which was for the benefit of those whom He encountered. There was never a secondary agenda to profit, gain fame, or wield authority over others. Rather, He carefully demonstrated an attitude of selfless care for those around Him, tending to them as a Shepherd over His flock. Also, Peter says, “and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.”

The layout of the words is explained by Vincent’s Word Studies, saying, “The and (καὶ) has a particularizing force: doing good, and in particular, healing.” In other words, the healing was a particular point of the “doing good” that highlights the ministry of Jesus. And this is well described throughout the gospels.

Peter’s note of the healings being for those “oppressed by the devil” shows that the troubles of this life find their root in his crafty works against man. The word translated as “oppressed” is found only here and in James 2:6. It is a word that signifies “powerfully bringing someone down (denying them the higher position or blessing they should enjoy)” (HELPS Word Studies).

The point is that if the devil has the ability to oppress man, and Jesus has the ability to heal them, then Jesus has power over the afflicter of man, meaning the devil. This now ties the thought of Jesus’ baptism into His anointing. At the time Jesus was baptized, it said in Luke –

“When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. ²² And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’” Luke 3:21, 22

After that was recorded, the genealogy of Jesus, going all the way back to Adam, and then to God who created Adam, was given. Thus, it was a confirming note that this Person was to be the One to restore what was lost through the devil’s cunning, but who was promised at that time (see Genesis 3:15). Immediately following that, in Luke 4, the account of the devil tempting Christ was given as is recorded in Luke 4:1-13.

The devil could not defeat the resolve of Christ Jesus the way he had done to Adam. Christ had gained mastery over the devil and was thus able to heal those oppressed by the devil, as Peter next notes, “for God was with Him.” This is exactly what is recorded by Luke –

“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ² being tempted for forty days by the devil.” Luke 4:1, 2

God’s Holy Spirit filled Jesus, demonstrating God’s approval of Him and His being with Him. Peter is clearly revealing the interactions of the Godhead in his presentation of who Jesus is.

Life application: The power that man needs to be free is found in Jesus. The devil already has authority over all people as is stated in Scripture. But Jesus overcame the devil, defeating Him for any and all who will simply come to Him by faith. It was in violating God’s law that the devil gained authority over man. The introduction of the Law of Moses highlights this fact. But in Christ’s fulfillment of the law, a New Covenant was introduced.

In this New Covenant, there is freedom from the imputation of sin (2 Corinthians 5:19) and the bestowal of God’s grace upon us. The Bible gives only two positions for the state of man, we are born under the authority of the devil, and we stand condemned. It is our default position. Jesus offers humanity to receive what He has done and move back to God through Him. Once that occurs, it becomes man’s new default position.

As sin is no longer imputed to those who are in Christ, the default position is set forever. The devil can never again break the bonds between God and man. This is the marvelous offer of peace and reconciliation that God presents to man. Be sure to accept this offer and then share what has occurred in you with others. Be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ our Lord today.

Lord God, thank You for Jesus. In Him, there is hope. In Him, there is reconciliation. And, in Him, there is peace and fellowship with You once again. May we never take lightly the wonderful thing You have done in the sending of Jesus. Hallelujah for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Voice of the people.

Thursday, 6 October 2022

that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: Acts 10:37

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 just said in the previous verse, “The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all.” He now continues his words to Cornelius, saying, “that word you know.”

It is now a different word than the previous verse:

The word (logos) which God sent to the children of Israel
that word (rhema) you know

The first is the message (the declaration of God) itself. This now refers to the contents of the message. One can say, “It is the gospel that saves. This is the word God has sent.” The question may then be, “But what is the gospel?” In response, the actual gospel is given – “This is the gospel: Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures, Jesus was buried, and Jesus rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”

The first is the message, the second is the contents of the message. In the case of what Peter will next say, the words begin with events prior to the crucifixion, explaining the work of Jesus. From there, they meet up with the culmination of His work. It is this that forms the substance of the gospel. Hence, the gospel is inclusive of the fact that Jesus is God. When saying, “Jesus died for our sins,” it must be rightly understood who Jesus is. One must believe in the right “Jesus” for the gospel to be properly conveyed. Understanding this, Peter continues, saying, “which was proclaimed throughout all Judea.”

More precisely, it says, “that came throughout all Judea.” Peter is essentially saying, “Cornelius, surely you have heard what came about in the land of Judea. You may not know all the details, but that’s ok, I’m here to explain them to you.” His words now are the beginning of the explanation of what the message (rhéma) is. From there, he continues with, “and began from Galilee.”

Again, more rightly it says, “having begun from Galilee.” Galilee is not a great distance from Caesarea. With so much of Christ’s ministry there, it was likely that Cornelius would have heard something of what had transpired, maybe even from news about the centurion described in Matthew 8. He may not have a full sense of all that transpired, but he must have surely heard some of the events that took place. These things were “after the baptism which John preached.”

The word translated as “preached” is not the same as in the previous verse. This means to proclaim or herald a message. John heralded repentance to Israel in preparation for the coming of Messiah. Peter includes John the Baptist’s ministry in his words, clearly assuming that even a Roman centurion in Caesarea would have heard about his proclamation. There would have been a national stir that the Messiah was coming and that His forerunner was telling them that it was so.

Peter is ensuring that Cornelius was fully aware of the fact that Jesus was prophesied to come, that He was heralded as that coming One, and then he will next describe the nature of the One who came.

Life application: If God united with humanity in order to redeem man. And if that Man, Jesus, went to the cross to die for the sins of humanity, does it make any sense at all that God in Christ would lie when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”?

The answer is, “No.” If God, who cannot lie, has spoken that Jesus is the only way to be reconciled to God, it would make no sense at all for Him to then provide another avenue of reconciliation. In fact, it would be the stupidest thing in the history of creation to have Jesus crucified if there was another avenue available. What would be the point of His death if there was?

People who say, “I believe that Jesus died for our sins, but there are other paths to God as well,” are not thinking clearly. We must evaluate the circumstances and decide what is true and what is not true. There cannot be truth in the words of John 14:6 if we believe there is another path available to be reconciled to God. And if the words of John 14:6 are not true, then Jesus isn’t God. The person they say they believe died for our sins is not the Person that uttered His words of exclusivity.

Let us always think such matters through to their logical end. God has spoken through Jesus. What He has said is, and it will not change. From that, let us consider how very important it is to speak the gospel to others. It is the only message that can save.

Heavenly Father, how good it is to know that You have given us a path to reconciliation. It is remarkable that You have done so. Why should we then assume that it is one of many paths? Even one is surprising, and it is the most incredible thing that has ever come about. Jesus Christ died for our sins. How can we shame that act by believing that there is any other path to restoration with You? May we never presume to even consider it. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.