Acts (Written)

War heroes. Indian campaign. Texas Capitol.

Saturday, 9 July 2022

So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Acts 8:34

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 the eunuch’s quoting of Isaiah complete, Luke next records, “So the eunuch answered Philip.”

As has already been seen in Acts, the word “answered” is used in the sense of “spoke to” or “addressed.” It is not a response to something but the beginning of a communication. He answered, “and said, ‘I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this.’”

It is an obvious question to begin with. There is simile conveyed in the verses (as a sheep to the slaughter, etc.), and so to the eunuch it could be that the part seemingly speaking about death could be some type of literary device as well. Without knowing the context, it is just a set of words that could really mean anything. In order to know what is being conveyed, he naturally asks for this context. He then adds in the words, “of himself or of some other man?”

The word “man” is not in the original. It asks if it is about himself or someone else. The fact that it is a man is obvious from the text, however. But there are times in the Bible where speaking of a person can mean an entire group of people or even a location –

“But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My friend.” Isaiah 41:8

Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob;
Israel shall blossom and bud,
And fill the face of the world with fruit. Isaiah 27:6

If the eunuch had read through Isaiah, he may have no idea at all whether the words before him are speaking of a man, a group of people, a location, or some other entity. As such, his question is not only appropriate, but it is a wise thing to ask.

Life application: As always, the phrase “context is king” should be remembered and applied. Reading Isaiah and taking the words recorded there in their appropriate context, it should be obvious that the words of Isaiah 53 are messianic in nature. The rabbis of Israel destroy the context in order to hide this fact because it so obviously points to what Jesus accomplished.

But this is not uncommon. People shove the church into passages spoken to Israel under the law all the time. The Sermon on the Mount and the Olivet Discourse, for example, were spoken to Israel and they apply to Israel. The context is purposely manipulated to justify presuppositions about various issues, such as the timing of the rapture. But such manipulations don’t change when the rapture will occur. And so, the only thing that has happened is that a pretext is formed. In the forming of a pretext, people’s doctrine will be harmed.

To understand this concerning the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says in Matthew 5 –

“For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Matthew 5:17

Are the people of the church waiting for the law to be fulfilled? The answer is obvious, “No.” Jesus was speaking to Israel. He still is speaking to Israel. Until they move from the law to Him, they must perfectly adhere to every precept of the law in order to be saved. Those in the church, both Jew and Gentile, have come to Christ. As such, our righteousness is not in the law, but in Him.

Context, context, context. Oh, how sweet will be the doctrine of those who maintain proper context!

Glorious God, help us to maintain proper context in our doctrine. Amen.

Texas war heroes. WWII and Korean War.

Friday, 8 July 2022

 “In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth.” Acts 8:33

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).

Luke now continues the quote from Isaiah 53:8 which speaks of the coming Messiah. The eunuch continues to read out the passage to Philip with the words, “In His humiliation His justice was taken away.” The words vary from the Hebrew text, which reads –

He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;

Despite the differences, the words cited now by Luke follow the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the LXX) exactly. As such, unless Luke only later referred to the Greek to write out the words, it demonstrates that the eunuch was reading from the Greek translation.

The Hebrew and Greek don’t actually vary as much as may appear from the English translation. Albert Barnes notes, “The word rendered ‘prison’ denotes any kind of ‘detention,’ or even ‘oppression.’ It does not mean, as with us, to be confined ‘in’ a prison or jail, but may mean ‘custody,’ and be applied to the detention or custody of the Saviour when his hands were bound, and he was led to be tried.”

As such, the Greek translators may have seen “humiliation” as being equivalent to the idea of His imprisonment. It is in this state of humiliation and being bound and oppressed that He was also denied justice. In studying the events of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, it is clear that a large number of actions occurred that were contrary to the law. Volumes have been written about this demonstrating the completely unfair trial that Christ Jesus faced.

Next, it says, “And who will declare His generation?” The seemingly simple intent of these words is highly debated, and there are many suggestions as to what the meaning actually is. Does “generation” refer to those who are Christ’s after the completion of His work? Meaning those who spring from Him? Does it refer to those who treated Him wickedly? Meaning they are a generation that must be called out and punished for the rejection of their Messiah. And so on.

The greater evidence would point to those of His generation who rejected Him. Jesus spoke of them again and again in the gospels. Two of the many examples are –

“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

“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. ³³ Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? ³⁴ Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, ³⁵ that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” Matthew 23:31-36

With this considered, the final portion of the eunuch’s reading is, “For His life is taken from the earth.” It is a close enough rendering to the Hebrew and the meaning is obvious in both. The Messiah would be “cut off from the land of the living” (Hebrew text) through a death that would be sudden. He was alive, and then His life was ended. In the Greek, it is clear enough. He was on the earth and His life was in Him. However, that life was taken from Him. The reference of the action is the Messiah, not the earth as if He was abducted by aliens or snatched away by angels.

With the reading of these words of Isaiah complete, the narrative will continue in the next verse.

Life application: There may be differences between various source texts, and this can cause confusion as to what the true rendering of Scripture is. This is more the case when it becomes evident that some texts have been purposefully corrupted in order to hide or twist obvious things that don’t fit a particular agenda. Likewise, commentaries may have been written which are clearly biased against what really occurred.

As this is so, it is a good thing that scholars over the years have taken a global view and looked at all of the texts and commentaries and carefully pieced together where errors have crept in or where they have been intentionally inserted into Scripture. By doing this, those corrupted areas of various texts can be highlighted and dismissed. God has ensured that enough translations exist of the word to allow us to do this, and there is very little doubt about what the actual reading of Scripture is.

A very simple example of this is to set a portion of Colossians 1:16 side by side with various translations and see what happened with one particular “translation” –

For in him all things were created. NIV
For by him all things were created. ESV
For everything was created by him. CSV
because by means of him all other things were created. NWT

The Greek is clear and easy to understand. It is speaking of Jesus, and it conveys the truth that everything was created by Him. However, the NWT of the Jehovah’s Witnesses adds in a word, other, that cannot even be inferred. In their older translations, it used to say, “because by means of him all [other] things were created.” However, the addition of this word was so obviously wrong that people would ask, “Hey, why did they insert that word there?” In order to avoid such questions that have no reasonable explanation, they simply took out the brackets. In this, it then removed any future questions by those who might otherwise be seeking the truth.

This sort of manipulation is common, and such an error is easily discovered and dismissed by referring to various translations and then checking with the original. So, when you read the Bible and see things that are hard to reconcile, please understand that there is an answer to your question. Someone out there has done the hard work to point out to you where the resolution is. With a little searching, you will find it.

Be confident that what we have is God’s word. Where variations arise, there is always another source text to refer to that will provide the needed clarification to settle any difficulties.

Lord God, thank You that You have protected Your word so that we can know what is correct and what has been corrupted, either accidentally or purposefully. Thank You for the assurance we have concerning it. We have full confidence that it is reliable. Hallelujah for Your precious word! Amen.

Medal of Honor heroes from WWII, state Capitol, Texas.

Thursday, 7 July 2022

The place in the Scripture which he read was this:
“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth. Acts 8:32

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).

It was seen that the Ethiopian eunuch did not understand what he was reading, and he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. Now, Luke’s next words begin with, “The place in the Scripture which he read was this.”

The verb is imperfect and should read, “The place in the Scripture which he was reading was this.” The word translated as “place” is only found here in the Bible, perioché. It signifies the contents of a passage. Today, we might say, “the chapter of Isaiah,” or something similar. This allows us to know the section, portion, or particular area that is specifically set apart in one way or another. With Philip next to him, the reading from Isaiah in the particular section is cited –

“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.”

This section is Isaiah 53. The exact verses are 7 and 8. The words of this verse in Acts are from the Greek translation of Isaiah 53:7. Everything in the chapter was clearly understood to be a reference to the coming Messiah. Only after Christ came and fulfilled the words so perfectly did the leaders of Israel decide to obscure or change the intent from this messianic understanding.

As for the content, the words, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter,” signify willing compliance and even innocence as if it is the right thing to do. In essence, “This is where My Master is leading Me, and so I will not question His direction.”

The next words, “And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,” indicate the calm nature of the lamb. It will not resist the master’s manipulation of its body as its hair is cut away. Likewise, Christ did not resist as He was mocked, beaten, scourged, and crucified. He willingly submitted Himself to those appointed over Him and to the will of the Father who had sent Him.

And the words, “So He opened not His mouth,” highlight His submission even more. Not only did He not struggle against the physical attacks that He suffered, but He silently endured those things as well, even when false accusations had been leveled against Him. As it says, for example, in Matthew 27 –

“Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?’ ¹⁴ But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.” Matthew 27:13, 14

In all ways, He perfectly fulfilled the prophecy that anticipated His actions.

Life application: For the most part, Isaiah 53 is wholly unknown to the Jewish people. It is not read in the synagogue, and it is quickly dismissed as a metaphor for Israel if someone questions its meaning. However, almost all Jews know that the basis for their national identity goes back to the Old Testament Scriptures, even if they don’t have an idea of what they say. And most Jewish people know that these Scriptures go back to antiquity.

Further, there are certain names in Scripture that are well known and recognized, such as Moses, David, and Isaiah. Because this is true, using the words of Isaiah without identifying who wrote them is actually a good way of evangelizing Jews. If you ask a Jew, “Can I read you something and you tell me who it is talking about?”, most people will say, “Sure.” We all love to prove how smart we are.

And so, if you read Isaiah 52:12-53:13 out loud to a Jew, almost always they will say, “That is speaking about Jesus.” It would be the exception to not hear this reply. Almost all Jews know the record of what Jesus did.

After asking them who is being described, and after hearing their reply as “Jesus,” only then would you identify who has written it, meaning Isaiah. This will cause an immediate disconnect in their previous understanding of what is going on. They know Isaiah is from their own Scriptures. They know that Isaiah predates the coming of Jesus, and they know that the words they have heard describe Jesus. With this now facing them, a wall has been broken down. From there, a more complete description of Jesus can be given and a more perfect explanation of how He fulfills all of Scripture can be presented.

Be sure to use this means of evangelism if the opportunity comes up. Jews need Jesus just as do all other people. Take advantage of what God has presented in Scripture to bring them to an understanding and appreciation of who He is and what His gospel message means.

Lord God, help us to competently and carefully present Your word to those who need to hear it. May we be ready at all times to share it with others. You have carefully provided all we need to bring people to a proper understanding of what Jesus means to them and to their relationship with You. So, help us to use it! To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Texas floor mural. State Capitol.

Wednesday, 6 July 2022

And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. Acts 8:31

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 previous verse, Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch if he understood what he was reading as he read the prophet Isaiah. Luke continues now with, “And he said.”

It is the response of the eunuch to Philip, and it reveals a truth that Paul conveys concerning the speaking of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14. If someone speaks in a tongue, what good is it if the mind is not edified? The answer is, “None.” Likewise, if one reads a passage of Scripture, and if it has no reference to anything else in the mind of the reader, then the mind cannot understand what is being conveyed. As such, and because the eunuch has no reference to what he is reading, he responds, saying, “How can I, unless someone guides me?”

Vincent’s Word Studies notes that the Greek more closely reads, “For how should I be able?” He then says, “the for connecting the question with an implied negative: ‘No; for how could I understand except.’”

This now shows the reason why Philip has been called to meet with the eunuch. He is reading Scripture, and in his reading, he has no reference to understand the context of the passage. With that now possible because someone with a suitable reference is at hand, it next says, “And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.”

Rather, it properly reads, “And he invited Philip, having come up, to sit with him” (BLB). One can see Philip, while the eunuch is talking, pulling himself up into the carriage as if he is going to help out with an explanation. Once Philip is up, the eunuch grants him the honor of sitting with him, probably on his own bench. It shows a willingness on the part of the eunuch to be considerate to a traveler. At the same time, it shows a willingness in him to want to know the meaning of what he is reading.

Life application: 1 Corinthians 14 is mentioned in the commentary above. It is a passage that should be carefully studied by everyone, but the overall message is that of edification. The eunuch is reading a passage of Scripture, but his mind is not being edified because he has no understanding of the subject of the material he is reading.

As such, if the eunuch were to try to teach on the passage himself, he could make the content mean anything he wanted. But there is a context that must be maintained. Philip will provide the appropriate context so that the eunuch will clearly understand what is being conveyed. And this is just what Jesus did for the two He met on the road to Emmaus –

“Then He said to them, ‘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

The overall context of the Bible is Jesus. God is attempting to wake us up to this fact as the pages of Scripture unfold. The passage that the eunuch is reading will be seen to exactingly reveal this truth. To this day, the Jews reject this. And so, when they read the passage that the eunuch is reading (which almost never occurs), their rabbis insert Israel – not Jesus – into it, claiming it is about them.

Let us carefully consider Scripture with Jesus as the main Subject. In doing this, we will not be led astray. And pray for the eyes of Israel to be opened to this truth. Until they are, they will continue to miss the most important point of everything God has done, is doing, and will do within the stream of redemptive history.

Lord God, help our minds to be understanding of what the intent of Scripture is. May we be fruitful in our comprehension of what You are conveying to us, and may we not presuppose things, inserting them into what is being conveyed. Instead, Lord, help us to draw out from the word the truth of what You are conveying to us. Amen.

Elevator doors. Texas Capitol.

Tuesday, 5 July 2022

So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” Acts 8:30

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).

Philip was just instructed to go near to the eunuch’s chariot and overtake it. With that instruction, it now says, “So Philip ran to him.” There could have been any number of misgivings about approaching a chariot, especially if it was accompanied by a contingent of soldiers or guards, which is not unlikely for such travel.

But knowing that the Lord had a plan, his immediate obedience is noted. Once joined up with the chariot, it next says, “and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah.” It was the common way of reading, and it still is in many places today, meaning to read aloud. This is a memory tool, but it would also have been something the others with him could listen to as well.

The words that will be cited in the coming verses are directly from the Greek translation of the book of Isaiah. It is probable that this is the version he was reading aloud as well, because Greek was the common language throughout the Eastern part Roman Empire. With Philip recognizing what is being read, he addressed the eunuch, “and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’”

There is a play on words that is expressed in the question. Philip uses the words ginōskeis (to know) and anaginōskeis (to know again). Vincent’s Word Studies notes: “The play upon the words cannot be translated. The interrogative particles which begin the question indicate a doubt on Philip’s part.”

A good paraphrase might be, “Do you really understand what you are reading?” As he has just been instructed by the Spirit to join himself to the chariot, it probably seemed like an obvious question to ask.

He is an evangelist, he comes up to the chariot and hears Scripture from Isaiah the prophet being read, he is familiar with Jesus’ fulfillment of the prophecy, and he is obviously curious if this person had heard of what Jesus accomplished. With that, his words of questioning are fully understandable.

Life application: If you are pretty well versed in Scripture, and you hear someone listening to an audio Bible in their car at the gas station or in some other place, or if you see someone sitting and reading a Bible, it would be normal to strike up a conversation. If your pastor had recently preached on the passage the person is listening to or reading, your question may be similar to Philip’s, “Hey, do you know what that passage is about?”

This is as common as shingles on a roof and most people are happy to then engage in the conversation. And more, the person may just be curious about the Bible. He or she may not even have a relationship with Jesus. So don’t be afraid to start talking about what you know. Philip followed through with the instruction of the Spirit, and you should follow through with the example as it is laid out in Scripture. Don’t hesitate to engage in a discussion about the word!

What a treasure Your word is, O God! May we never lose the excitement we have about it. And, for sure, that will not happen if we stay in it and read it each day. So, Lord, prompt us to carefully attend to this wonderful treasure daily and to share our knowledge of it often! Amen.