Acts (Written)

Old barn. Utah.

Saturday, 13 August 2022

And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. Acts 9:29

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 noted that Saul (Paul) was with those at Jerusalem, and he was coming in and going out. With that remembered, it now says, “And he spoke boldly.” The verb is a present participle. It says, “speaking boldly.” He spoke and he continued to speak in order to convey the truth of what he now knew. As such, his words were “in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Saul had become a defender of the name he once tried to destroy. Many of those in Jerusalem would surely have known him personally, and this would have had a great effect on them in one way or another. Some might have been curious about the change while others may have assumed he had flipped out. No matter what they thought, however, his words were surely based on Scripture. His life as a Pharisee gave him a great and detailed knowledge of the word.

As the word is what reveals Jesus, it is evident that when He came, if He was truly the Messiah, the word would bear out this fact. All Saul needed to do was to show how Scripture foretold what these people had seen firsthand.

This may not have been evident at first. It wasn’t to those who knew Jesus personally. As it says in Luke 24 –

“Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’ ⁴⁵ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” Luke 24:44, 45

This is just what Saul is doing with those of Jerusalem who were aware of the things Jesus did. He was attempting to open their minds so that they too might understand the Scriptures. However, people will argue against the obvious. As it next says, Saul “disputed against the Hellenists.” The NKJV, following the error of the KJV, leaves out a word. The Greek reads, “he was both speaking and disputing with.”

Saul would engage the Hellenists, those Jews who spoke the Greek language, and he would dispute with them concerning the matter of Christ. By this time, the Greek-speaking Jews were as much at odds against the issue of Jesus being their Messiah as were the Hebrew-speaking Jews. Saul engaged both in order to reveal to them that Jesus truly is the Messiah who had been prophesied. However, the Hellenists were as unwilling as the Hebrew-speaking Jews to accept the message. Because of this, Luke notes that “they attempted to kill him.”

The Greek word, epicheireó, means “to take in hand,” thus it would rightly be translated as “to undertake.” They set forth a plan to kill him, and then they undertook to follow through with the plan.

The irony here is that Saul stood and guarded the garments of those who stoned Stephen, and now this same man stood defending Jesus as the Christ – just as Stephen did – and he was now facing being killed by his own Jewish brethren as well. This is seen in the use of the word “disputed.” The only other time it is used in Acts is in verse 6:9 –

“And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen.” Acts 6:8, 9

This verse now (9:29) is the last time the word is used in Scripture, and it reveals the truly ironic nature of what has taken place. God’s word will be proclaimed. When Stephen could no longer do so, a man who was on the opposite side of his disputing was called by the Lord to continue with the task.

Life application: There is a time to dispute a matter and then there is a time to let a matter go. Some people simply want to hear themselves speak. It doesn’t matter how cogent of an argument you put forth, they will continue to ignore the truth and spout off the party line of whatever it is they believe.

Stephen and Paul were willing to dispute with their people in order to convince them concerning Jesus, but it cost Stephen his life, and it threatened to do so to Paul as well. There is nothing wrong with dying for what you believe, but there is a time when you might as well just close your mouth and shake the dust off your feet. Until such people decide they could be wrong, they will never give an inch.

A good way to set the parameters for disputing is to ensure you are talking apples to apples. If someone constantly brings in matters that have nothing to do with the issue at hand, then you are truly wasting your time. You must dispute the same issue for there to be any sound resolution.

For example, if you are making a case about Jesus and you are doing so from the Greek New Testament, a person may say, “But Jesus spoke Hebrew. He was actually thinking this…” That is apples to oranges. Greek is what the New Testament was written in. If you cannot agree to have your basis for a dispute by even using the same language, then there is no reason – at all – to continue with your disputing.

Be wise, be discerning, and be patient with those you are speaking to about Jesus. But also, don’t be a time waster with know-it-alls. You will never win your argument, and you will be wasting your own valuable time in the process.

Lord God, help us to be strong in our defense of Your word, but may we never waste time in the process. And so, help us to use wisdom to know when to speak and when to refrain from continuing with our words. Be with us in this, O God. Amen. 

Utah, around Salt Lake City.

Friday, 12 August 2022

So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. Acts 9:28

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 saw Barnabas defending Saul, noting how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Barnabas’ words were obviously effective, because it next says of Saul, “So he was with them at Jerusalem.”

In other words, the word of Barnabas was sufficient to convince them that Paul was no longer a threat but rather a true brother in Christ and a defender of the faith. As such, Luke notes that Saul was “coming in and going out.”

The words mean he had freedom of access among the believers. As noted, only Peter was there as an apostle along with James the Lord’s brother. Any disciples that were there came to accept that Paul was truly converted, and so Paul’s going out and coming in was as a member of a family. Also, Galatians 1:18 notes that this time in Jerusalem lasted for fifteen days. The reason for such a short visit will be explained in the verses to come.

Life application: Barnabas’ words of recommendation for Paul were sufficient to convince Peter and James that he was converted. From there, he was accepted. On the other hand, if someone were to bring a charge against another, the Bible requires two or three witnesses. The testimony of one is not sufficient.

This is important to remember because people may have an agenda, they may get angry at others, hurt by others, or simply have a misunderstanding with others. In this, it is easy to make a charge against someone that is untrue. Accepting a false charge from one person can cause permanent damage and it can even divide an entire church. Remember this and never allow a root of bitterness to arise within the church. Be sure there is suitable proof of a matter before you accept the words of anyone.

Lord God, we pray for peace in our congregations as we come together to worship You. If there is someone with an ax to grind, we pray that their false charges not become a point of division. Help us to weed out that which is untrue so that we can fellowship in joy with those we meet together with. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Pretty yellow trees in Utah.

Thursday, 11 August 2022

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Acts 9:27

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 noted Saul’s coming to Jerusalem and trying to join the disciples, but they were all wary of him because of his past. With that, Luke continues, saying, “But Barnabas.” It is unknown how there came to be a connection between the two that allowed Barnabas to accept him while no others did.

One speculation is that they previously knew one another. As Barnabas was originally from Cyprus (Acts 4:36) and Saul is from Tarsus, it is possible they received schooling together. It also could be that Barnabas had actually been to Damascus and had met Saul (Paul) during his time there. Or Barnabas may have been informed of Saul’s conversion by someone else who was fully aware of the situation. Regardless of what brought the two together, Barnabas sided with Saul and “took him and brought him to the apostles.”

Here is where Paul’s words of Galatians 1:18, 19 fill in the missing information –

“Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.”

Paul told those in Galatia that he only encountered Peter and James. It could be that the other apostles had gone out to see how things were going elsewhere. This has already occurred in Acts 8 where Peter and John went to Samaria after the Samaritans had believed. For this or whatever other reason, these are the only two that Saul encountered at the time. After being brought to the apostles, it says, “And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road.”

The “he” here appears to be Barnabas. It is he who gave the overall narrative which would have been explained in detail by Saul. As for having seen the Lord on the road, it is an obvious place to start. In Acts 9:2, Saul was going to Damascus to arrest any who were of the Way (Greek: hodos). Now it says in this verse that while he was on the road (Greek: hodos), he encountered the Lord. The similarity between Saul’s encounter and that of Balaam recorded in Numbers 22 may have come to the apostles’ minds while hearing his words.

The Lord was standing in the way (Hebrew: derek) of Balaam and his donkey. Eventually, the Lord appeared to him and said, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way [Hebrew: derek] is perverse before Me” (Numbers 22:32).

Peter will later refer to the account of Balaam (2 Peter 2:15), showing that he was fully aware of the story. As such, the apostles have past precedent from Scripture to demonstrate that the Lord does directly intervene in such a manner in order to bring about a desired change in an outcome. With this in mind, Luke continues with the explanation of Saul’s conversion, saying, “and that He had spoken to him.”

A calling was made, and a conversation continued during that calling. Barnabas relayed this to the apostles, and Saul probably gave a full and exacting account of what was said to him in order to convince them that what occurred was true and reliable. With that, the words of the verse finish with, “and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”

In order for Barnabas to relay this to Peter and James, he had to have been aware of it from someone other than Paul. Throughout Acts, Saul is almost always noted as being accompanied by others. It appears that he was unable to venture out alone, maybe because of a physical affliction such as bad eyesight.

Because of this, it is unlikely that Saul traveled from Damascus to Jerusalem alone. As such, it leads credence to the thought (above) that Barnabas had either personally met with Saul in Damascus or that he had personally talked with someone who had accompanied him back from Damascus. No matter what, Barnabas was fully qualified to testify to the truth of the matter and that Paul had been a bold witness for the name of Jesus in Damascus.

As for the words “preached boldly,” they come from a new word in Scripture, parrésiazomai. It will be seen seven times in Acts and then again in Ephesians 6:20 and 1 Thessalonians 2:2. It is derived from the word parrésia, meaning freedom, openness, etc. Hence, this word means “to be frank in utterance, or confident in spirit and demeanor” (Strong’s).

Paul’s words were not just a show, but they were words of confidence that what he proclaimed was absolutely true and verifiable. Having been a Pharisee, he had the knowledge necessary to make the connections from Scripture that fully supported the notion that Jesus is Lord and that He is the fulfillment of all that the Hebrew Scriptures proclaimed.

Life application: You, or someone you know, may feel unacceptable to speak out concerning Jesus because of what occurred in the past. You may have belittled Christians or harmed them in some way. Because of this, you may feel unworthy of doing anything within the church except sit in the pew and listen. But this is exactly the opposite of what the Bible reveals.

The change that occurs in a person is intended to be a complete change. Where you belittled others, you can now build up. Where you harmed others, you can now provide healing. The past is gone. As Paul says –

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

God has saved you through the giving of His Son. The internal change that has taken place can, and should, be used to help others in the same way. Be willing to open up about your past. Tell others who you were then and who you are now, and give them confidence that they too are acceptable to God because of what Jesus has done.

Lord God, even the very best of us were totally corrupt before You. We had no chance of ever standing in Your presence. But then came Jesus. Our lives are changed, and we have put on garments of righteousness – His righteousness – in order to be acceptable to You. May we never hold back from telling others about this glorious transformation. Thank You for the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sandy sedimentary layers and erosion makes pointy things.

Wednesday, 10 August 2022

And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. Acts 9:26

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 had Saul (Paul) being let down through the wall of the city of Damascus in a large basket. We now see where he went after leaving there. Luke records, “And when Saul had come to Jerusalem.”

As was noted in verse 9:19, Saul probably was converted, immediately went to Arabia, returned to Damascus and preached, and then was forced to leave “after many days.” From there, he went to Jerusalem. However, some say that he was converted, stayed in Damascus for an extended period, left there, and went to Arabia. After his time in Arabia, he then went to Jerusalem.

That is less likely and does not fit with Paul’s words of Galatians 1 where he says –

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, ¹⁶ to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, ¹⁷ nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
¹⁸ Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.” Galatians 1:15-18

The two accounts fit more naturally with 1) conversion, 2) immediate trip to Arabia, 3) return to Damascus for “many days” (meaning Arabia and Damascus totaled three years – Galatians 1), and then 4) trip to Jerusalem. This, not the other scenario, properly reconciles Acts and Galatians. Now, while having finally returned to Jerusalem after such a long time, it says, “he tried to join the disciples.”

Nothing is said here of how he did this, nor is it explained in Galatians. But it may be as simple as having gone to wherever they met, knocked on the door, and tried to sit down and fellowship with them. However, it says, “but they were all afraid of him.”

Imagining the scenario just mentioned, we could see a couple of the disciples coming to the door and saying, “Yeah, we know who you are. You’ve come to spy on us and have us arrested.” There was terror in seeing him and remembering what he had previously done. Continuing on with that thought, it next says, “and did not believe that he was a disciple.”

Paul probably protested that he had been converted and was a changed man, but the fear of the past wouldn’t allow them to believe that he was sincere. Rather, they probably thought it was a ploy to get them to let their guard down, and then they would all be rounded up and arrested. This is all speculation, but it fits the idea of what Luke records.

The next few verses do not contradict what is now recorded. Here, the word “disciples” is used. In the next verse, and in Galatians 1, the word “apostles” is used. As such, the two accounts can be reconciled as the same visit without any difficulty. That will be seen when those verses are looked at.

Life application: The verses of Acts 9 are a long series of narrative style writing. Throughout the entire chapter, whether the focus is on Saul or Peter (coming later in the chapter), nothing is prescribed. This is generally how Acts is written. It is a recorded account of what occurred in the early church.

There are several healings (and raising the dead in one case) in Acts 9, which are then misapplied by modern churches and used as examples of how to heal others, claiming that all we need is faith to do what the apostles did.

The problem with this is that nothing in Acts 9 is prescriptive. Nobody takes the account of Paul being let down in a basket through a window in the wall as something that we should be doing. And yet, it is in the same narrative format as Peter’s healing of Tabitha later in the chapter (Acts 9:36-43).

Let us remember the context of passages when we evaluate them and let us remember the style of writing that is used. What is the purpose of what is being said? Why did the Lord include a particular story? How is it relevant to the greater story?

Be sure to ask such questions. The answer to them will then remind you that what is stated is not telling us to do the same thing, nor is it giving us instruction on how to do those things. It makes as much sense to use Peter’s healing of Aeneas (Acts 9:33-35) for a class on healing as it does to use the story of Paul’s escape from Damascus to have a class on basket weaving.

Stick to what is reasonable, and don’t get sidetracked by people who claim what is clearly not theirs to claim. For right doctrine, consult the epistles.

Heavenly Father, Acts is such a wonderful book. Thank You for how it confirms the things later referred to in the epistles, so that we have a sure and reasonable account of what occurred and why these stories given in Acts will later help with the explanation of right doctrine in the epistles. Each book has its purpose. So, help us to use them accordingly. Amen.

Nifty rock designs in the Utal hills.

Tuesday, 9 August 2022

Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket. Acts 9:25

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).

Because of the plot to kill Paul, and because the gates were watched day and night, we now read, “Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.” The action of the verse is missing in this translation. Young’s gives a better sense –

“and the disciples having taken him, by night did let him down by the wall, letting down in a basket.”

Because of this, Young’s will be used to understand what is going on. The words, therefore, begin with, “and the disciples having taken him.”

It wasn’t just a sudden knee-jerk reaction, but a carefully planned event. They were able to secure what was needed, they were able to have an appropriate location for what they planned, and they had taken Paul and readied him. From there, it says, “by night did let him down by the wall.”

Rather than “by the wall,” as if they used the wall to sort of help the process of rappelling down, it says, “through the wall.” This is understood from 2 Corinthians 11:33 –

“but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.”

During the night when no one would be able to see what was going on, the disciples were able to help Paul with his escape in this manner. The sense is that there was either a window directly in the wall of the city that could be barred up during a siege, or the sides of the house rose above the wall of the city and there was a window in the wall that would allow for this to take place. Both are seen in walled cities of antiquity. Luke then finishes the thought with, “letting down in a basket.”

The Greek word is spuris. It is a large basket such as was seen in Matthew 15:37 during the feeding of the four thousand by Jesus. It would have been plaited or braided, and it could have been made of rope or possibly wicker.

Because of its size, some translations add in a descriptor and say, “large basket.”

Life application: In 1 Corinthians 11, the whole paragraph concerning Paul’s adventure says –

“If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. ³¹ The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. ³² In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; ³³ but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.” 1 Corinthians 11:30-33

Paul ties in the lowering of him down in this manner with his “infirmity.” In other words, he was unlike the spies of Israel who went into Jericho. There it says –

“Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall. ¹⁶ And she said to them, ‘Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.’” Joshua 2:15, 16

These two spies were young (Joshua 6:23) and capable of rappelling down the wall by themselves. Paul was not. He was infirm and had to be let down in a basket, probably something that he was lovingly razzed about over the subsequent years. The tone of his words somewhat points to a state of ridicule over the event.

Despite the humor, the point is that Paul was assisted by others in his ministry in a way that seems unimportant to it, and yet it could not have continued without this happening. As such, the most seemingly innocuous assistance at one point in time may turn out to be something of the greatest importance later in time.

Therefore, we should not dismiss our seemingly small and relatively unimportant help in the church. What you do may not be noticed, it may not appear huge or grandiose, but consider the fact that if you don’t do the things you do, that may have the greatest impact on other things that are visibly great to people’s eyes. Well, if those things didn’t get done without you, then aren’t your efforts a critical part of what was finally realized?

Be content that you and your efforts, like the unnamed disciples that helped Paul because of his infirmities, are ultimately having the greatest impact in the lives of others.

Lord God, when we go out to a nice restaurant, it wouldn’t be a great experience if the dishes were to come out with food from someone’s previous meal still on them. The clean dishes had to get that way somehow. The things that seem unimportant actually have great value in the finished product. Help us to understand this concerning our own lives in the church. May our small contributions have a great and lasting effect. Amen!