Acts (Written)

Sgt York, old and tired. Probably ready for Jesus at this point.

Sunday, 6 March 2022

Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. Acts 5:26

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 apostles were just noted as “standing in the temple and teaching the people” when they were supposed to be locked up in the prison. With that being the case, Luke next records, “Then the captain went with the officers.”

It doesn’t say why the captain has gone with the officers, but the reason seems rather obvious. Anytime there is something sensational or exciting going on, it will add to the spice of life. He was certainly truly curious about the matter and wanted to be in the know concerning it. And more, his men had already been left looking inept or maybe even in collusion with the apostles for them to have been let out of the prison. He probably did not want any repeat in bumbling the matter as had taken place. And so, he, along with the officers, “brought them without violence.”

One can see these officials walking up and, without any force or threats, saying, “You must come with us to the Sanhedrin.” The apostles might have said in front of all of the people, “OK.” There is no hint of any rebellious words or actions. It is a lawful order from those appointed over them, it doesn’t in any way contradict their obligations to the Lord, and so they complied without any conflict at all.

The reason for words from, rather than rough actions by, the temple officers is next explained by the words, “for they feared the people.” This fear of the people is seen elsewhere, such as in Luke 20 –

“Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him ² and spoke to Him, saying, ‘Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?’
³ But He answered and said to them, ‘I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: ⁴ The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?’
⁵ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘If we say, “From heaven,” He will say, “Why then did you not believe him?” ⁶ But if we say, “From men,” all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.’ ⁷ So they answered that they did not know where it was from.” Luke 20:1-7

Due to the passion of the people for the word of God from His apostles and prophets, it was a risky thing to just come against His sent messengers. Depending on the size of the crowd, these temple officers could easily have been overrun or surrounded. From there, their fate would have been sealed. This is what they feared, “lest they should be stoned.”

Exactly what the leaders feared when they challenged the teachings of John the Baptist, so they also feared concerning the teachings of the apostles. Stoning could certainly be a painful and possibly lengthy means of execution. Unless someone was as adept at throwing as Sandy Koufax, it may be a while before anyone got in a headshot suitable for knocking the person out. Until that happened, there would be agony on the checkout line. The officers hoped to avoid this.

Life application: Crowds are a hard thing to control. And when there are passions at work within a crowd, anything can happen, and it can happen very quickly. This is especially true because once something bad happens, it may be from a part of the crowd that is unseen in another part of the crowd. Without knowing exactly what occurred, people may assume the wrong thing and suddenly pandemonium erupts.

This must always be considered. In a crowd of otherwise peaceful but passionate protestors, miscreants may step in and purposefully get the crowd’s passions inflamed. In doing so, they are actually using an unsuspecting crowd to work against itself. This was seen in the US capitol on January 6, 2021. Government agents were planted in the crowd, and left-wing terrorists were also there. These incited the people as a pretext to have the crowd subdued, arrested, and persecuted.

If you are going to participate in a demonstration, it is good to be aware of your surroundings and be ready to identify such wicked dements and provocateurs. You can then point them out before they can cause you and your peaceful agenda much harm. The tactics of the left have been used by communists for many years. These are now coming to peaceful nations, and they are quickly being overrun by really bad people.

Be aware and be observant. Above all, however, be ready to share the good news about Jesus. One never knows who will be receptive to the life-changing news that He has overcome the world, and through Him, the evil heart can be changed.

Lord God, it is a fallen and wicked world, but there are opportunities to share the good news with people. Help us to be responsible and do so. The book is written, and someday the ball will drop. When it does, chaos on a global scale will follow. But we can still get the news out before that terrible day comes. Help us in this. Amen.

Dining room of Sgt York.

Saturday, 5 March 2022

So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” Acts 5:25

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).

The previous verse showed the men of rank baffled concerning the disappearance of the apostles, wondering where things would next turn. Luke’s narrative doesn’t take long to answer the question as the next verse begins to resolve the matter, beginning with, “So one came and told them.”

The verb is an aorist participle and more closely reads, “And a certain one having come” (BLB). The priests and temple guards were standing around dumbfounded, and it is during this time that someone arrives bearing incredible words for them to consider, “saying, ‘Look, the men whom you put in prison’”

It was probably not intentional on the part of the person, but his words actually reflect the incompetence of these leaders and their inability to control the events occurring around them. “The men you put in prison… you know, the ones that aren’t there anymore. Well, have I got news for you!”

Luke’s narrative of the events is certainly precise, but it is almost like a comedy at this point. These are the leaders of the religious life of the people of Israel. They have the authority of the law of Moses behind them. And yet, they are completely unaware of what is happening and ineffective in controlling what is going on. With this comedy of events unfolding, the level of humor only increases with the next words, saying that the apostles “are standing in the temple.”

The list of people who were referred to in the previous verse was, “the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests.” Their duties centered on the temple! And yet, the apostles were already there at the temple. While these men had been home sleeping, the apostles had been brought out of a locked and guarded cell. And instead of running home or fleeing to Galilee, they were standing in the temple that these leaders were responsible for.

The word “standing” implies a fearless and purposeful attitude. It is exactly what the messenger who brought them out of the prison had said –

“Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” Acts 5:20

The apostles had complied, and they had done so exactingly, including that of the final words of the verse, which say that they were “teaching the people!” The priests bore the law of Moses. The Levites were then between the priests and the people as instructors of the law. And yet, these apostles were there teaching the people something new because the covenant they spoke of was new. Moses was taken away (Hebrews 10:9), his law was now obsolete (Hebrews 8:13), and as such, it was annulled (Hebrews 7:18) for all who would come to Christ.

This is what the introduction of a New Covenant means, and this is what the apostles were sharing with those who would hear them. But what was certainly just as galling to these leaders was that the apostles were even speaking at all. Peter and John had recently been arrested when they had healed the lame beggar. When they were brought before the leaders for a trial it says, “So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.”

In continuing this, the apostles were arrested. But in their escape from the prison, they were right back in the temple and teaching about life in Christ Jesus again. The situation would certainly seem intolerable to the leaders!

Life application: Do you believe the gospel? Do you believe that you will live forever because of what Christ did? Do you truly believe this? Then how can you shut up about it? Who can keep such things in? We are all destined to die because these bodies we have are mortal and corruptible. But if you truly accept that the message of the Bible is true, what happens to us now is hardly worth considering.

It is true that pain can really, really stink. Inconvenience is inconvenient. And loss is frustrating. But if this is all temporary anyway, then what does it really matter in the end? Let us tell the world about what we possess. Don’t hide away the one thing that can truly change the lives of people permanently. Be bold! Tell the world about JESUS!

Lord God Almighty, You hold the span of our lives in Your hands. Nothing will happen to us that You didn’t already know would occur. As You possess this knowledge, please give us the supernatural peace that is found in Christ Jesus to accept what happens, to not let it deter us from telling about Jesus, and to keep our eyes on the life which is truly life – the life that lies ahead. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

Kitchen at York house.

Friday, 4 March 2022

Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. Acts 5:24

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).

No one was inside! The prison was shut securely, the guards were properly stationed, and yet the cell was empty! With that being the case, it next says, “Now when the high priest.” Some manuscripts leave out this designation. Further, for those manuscripts that contain it, the word here translated as “high priest,” hiereus, is one that is not used this way elsewhere. Rather, in the New Testament, this word is translated simply as “priest.”

However, in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word kohen, which also simply means “priest,” is used to refer to the high priest at times. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, this is then translated as hiereus. Luke would have known this, and the obvious nature of who it is referring to meant that calling him “the priest” was sufficient to convey the meaning of “the high priest.” Along with this individual is next noted, “the captain of the temple.”

It is the same word used in Acts 4:1. He had authority as the main officer of the temple complex and may have been the actual arresting officer on the previous day. Luke next says, “and the chief priests.”

This is the same word used to refer to the high priest when it is in the singular. It is also the same word in the plural used elsewhere already to refer to those “chief priests” that were not currently filling the role as the high priest, such as in Acts 4:23. All of these together are said to have “heard these things.”

The report is from the officers who had gone to collect the apostles. One can almost see it, “Well, we went to the prison, the guards were standing right there. The door was shut, bolted, and locked. We unlocked it and went in… but nobody was there!” It was as if they had been beamed out by Scotty. There wasn’t a trace of them, nor was there a trace of any escape. They were just gone. Because of this, Luke finishes the verse with, “they wondered what the outcome would be.”

It is the same word used by Luke in verse 2:12, diaporeó. It comes from dia (through) and aporeó, to be perplexed. As such, it is an intensive word signifying very perplexed or perplexed through and through. This group of leaders was completely confounded at what had happened, and they wondered what it all meant.

Life application: None of what is said here is without purpose. These men, the leaders of the nation, had all been gathered together to have a trial concerning the actions of the apostles. It is perfectly clear that they were locked away awaiting that trial, and it is fully evident that they were not where they were locked away.

As this is so, it is a sign to them that they should take these things to heart and to consider the force behind the actions. As will be seen, the apostles will be questioned concerning their actions at the temple, but the issue of them being brought out of prison will not even be addressed. No question concerning it will be raised, or at least as is recorded by Luke.

This exclusion of such an important and relevant question tells us all we need to know concerning the state of their hearts. They were unwilling to ask because they already knew the truth of what had happened. Jesus had broken through the greatest place of bondage of all, death. They were fully aware of this –

“Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. ¹² When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, ¹³ saying, ‘Tell them, “His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.” ¹⁴ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.’ ¹⁵ So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.” Matthew 28:11-15

Why should they ask about such a simple matter as a group of apostles being brought out of a locked prison cell when He had been brought out of the pit of Sheol itself? The answer for them would have simply been a further indictment upon them that they did not want openly exposed.

What is unstated in the Bible is often as telling as that which is stated. Because of this, and because it is recorded and considered a reliable document of actual history, there is no reason to not accept what is being stated. It is also a reason why such things no longer need to occur today. The record that it can be done is sufficient to tell us that when it is prophesied to be done again (meaning the rapture of the church), it will occur as prophesied.

Until then, we are to live by faith in what the recorded witness, the Holy Bible, states. And so, let us do so. Let us have faith in the word and never equivocate on our proclamation of it being the literal truth of God.

Heavenly Father, Your word says that someday Your faithful – of all of the ages – will be taken to glory. Some are in the grave. Some will be in prison on that day. Some will be in their offices working. There will be people around the world in seemingly impossible states of confinement or simply leading their lives in a normal way. And yet, they will be taken out and brought to You. It is a marvelous hope that we possess. Thank You for the surety of this. Your word proclaims it, and it shall be. Hallelujah and Amen!

Sgt York’s (and my!) Hero.

Thursday, 3 March 2022

saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” Acts 5:23

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 just seen that the officers who were sent to retrieve the apostles from prison returned and reported. Their report is now given, beginning with, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely.”

This is the same word used in verse 5:21, indicating the actual place of imprisonment, such as a dungeon. There is probably a main building, and then within the building are individual cells, possibly with chains, and the cells were kept secure with doors or bars. It is the same word used to describe Paul’s incarceration in Acts 16 –

“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” Acts 16:25, 26

As can be seen, there were both chains and doors in this place. There are at least doors where the apostles were being kept, and those doors were securely shut when the officers arrived. Concerning the doors, the Greek reads “in all security.” If there were locks, they were untampered with. If there were bolts, they were in place. All of the measures that would be proper to lock up the apostles had been taken, and they had not been manipulated or removed. And more, it next notes, “the guards standing outside before the doors.”

Not only had every physical measure remained secure, but the guards were completely unaware of any change in the status of the occupants of the cell. They had been taken in, the guards had been posted, and they remained stationed just where they were posted. All is as it was when the apostles were ushered in. And yet, the officers next exclaim, “but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”

This would have been a complete shock to all. The dungeons may have been a part of a building made by hands, but they very well may have been cut directly into the earth, like a cave. From there, doors would be set. Either way, the utter impossibility of getting out of such a place, especially in just a few hours, would be obvious. And yet, the dungeon where they had been was empty.

This means that the apostles had been supernaturally transported out of the prison, or that the guards had gone into a type of supernatural blindness (as occurred in Genesis 19:11 and 2 Kings 6:18). If the guards were in a trancelike state, they could have been manipulated into allowing the apostles out without even knowing it.

Either way, the hand of God was upon what occurred, and the apostles were not where they had been placed only a few hours before.

Life application: Psalm 147, a psalm already cited in the Acts commentary over other points that have occurred, also speaks of the event found in this passage, saying, “The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.”

How this event in Acts occurred is less important than the fact that it did occur. The Lord validated His ability to set the prisoners free from an otherwise impossible situation. It is unlikely that this was a life-threatening incarceration where the men may have faced execution. Rather, it more likely was a one-night stay in the local jail awaiting a trial that would have led to some type of minor punishment, at best.

And yet, the Lord intervened in order to show that He is willing to release His people from their bonds when He sees fit. At other times, He will allow His people to remain in jail, to be punished, or even to be executed – such as with John the Baptist or James the brother of John (see Acts 12:2).

Because the Lord acted as He did in this instance and not in others, we should ask, “Why now? Why at this time?” The answer seems to be that He was confirming to the leaders that He is in control, that the message of Jesus that the apostles proclaim is true, and that they must come to Him in order to be right with God.

In this, it is a dual-edged sword. They can either be cut to the heart and accept Jesus, being saved through Him, or they will be cut off from Him. Their failure to acknowledge His miracles, which further validate the message of Christ, will witness against them. God is at work! He is doing things to bring people either to repentance or to judgment. With His word now written, it stands as the ultimate tool for either.

Let us use this precious word to convict hearts, to witness to the truth, and to lead people to the gospel of Jesus. But this cannot happen if we do not share it with others. May we be wise and responsible in this most urgent of matters.

Lord God, You are great and Your ways are perfect. Everything You do has purpose and is carefully laid out so that the most beneficial avenue is available for people to come to You. And yet, how many take another path into perdition! Help us to be a part of keeping people from that sad end. Use us to get the message out now. Amen.

Bedroom of Sgt York, Tennessee

Wednesday, 2 March 2022

But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, Acts 5:22

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 just noted that the high priest and those with him, the council, and all the elders of Israel had sent to have the apostles brought from prison. With that noted, Luke next says, “But when the officers came.”

Luke’s thoughts are progressing through the sequence of time – “when…came.” The officers were dispatched. In coming to the place where they were sent, they got a big surprise. As Luke next records, “and did not find them in the prison.”

The word for “prison” now reverts to the term used in verse 5:19. To see the progression of his use of different words to show what is going on, the three different terms can be placed side by side –

5:18 – They were put in public custody.
5:19 – The angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison.
5:21 – The leaders sent to the dungeon to have them brought.
5:22 – The officers did not find them in the prison.

To get an idea of this, we could use the booking of someone today. “Sam was taken to the county jail. While he was in there, Tom opened the door of the cell. The police came to bring Sam from his confinement. But the cops didn’t find him in the cell.”

Luke is carefully recording what took place as if he was an eyewitness from a distance, like a spectator. Each word and each thought reflects what he had been told as he investigated the matter concerning this time of incarceration of the apostles. Because of this, his words are credible and there is no reason at all to not take them as they are written. With the officers not finding the apostles in the prison, Luke next says, “they returned and reported.”

Like the first clause, this is an aorist participle. It reads, “and having turned back.” Luke is still in the process of his careful annotation of each detail in the sequence of time in which it occurred. The text is alive and exciting as it reveals what occurred. With their having turned back, it closes with, “they reported.”

With the action of the events concerning the sending of the officers now coming to a logical point of conclusion, Luke sums up what transpired by noting that they gave their report. The details they will present in that report will be seen in the next verse.

Life application: Although you don’t need to read the Bible in the original languages, it is good to have a translation that at least reflects the original. But translations are a lot of work and even the best will erringly translate things at times. However, if you take the time to learn the basics of what various verbs mean, when someone says, “that is an aorist participle,” you can at least have an idea of what the text should say.

So, when you read a commentary and come across something you don’t understand, take a moment and do a general search on “What does aorist mean?”, “what does participle mean?”, and “What does aorist participle mean?” From there, you will find something like (using quotes from sources highlighted by Google) –

Aorist – “Aorist Tense. The aorist tense is the Greek grammarian’s term for simple past tense.”
Participle – “The Greek grammarians called a participle a μετοχή [metékhō] ‘participation, share’, because it shares the properties of a verb and of an adjective. Latin calqued the word as participium, from which English gets participle.”
Aorist Participle – “When an aorist participle is used adverbially, you will often find it appropriate to translate into English using the word ‘after,’ or perhaps ‘when,’ with the auxiliary verb ‘had’ (e.g., ‘when he had looked up’), or simply the auxiliary verb ‘having’ (e.g., having looked up).”

In doing a quick search like this, you still might not have any idea of how it all fits together, but you will slowly begin to get a sense of what is going on. And a lot of this is just a way of being more precise in relation to the original, but the difference between “they returned” and “they, having returned…” is not that great. The sense is still understandable. To know that one is more precise than the other may or may not even be something you really want to know. If not, then press on and continue to enjoy whatever commentary you are reading.

In the end, the words of Solomon tell us what is really important –

“Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.
¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.” Ecclesiastes 12:12, 13

Sometimes one can study the details and miss the big picture. We are to love the Lord our God, fear Him, and keep His commandments (in the context of the dispensation in which we live). If knowing the minutest details of the word is a part of your fearing God, that is great. If a simple knowledge of the gospel is all you know and that leads you to fear God, then that is sufficient. Each person will deal with the Lord on the level that is suitable, but be sure to fear God always, at whatever level you are on. He is the great God after all!

Lord God, You are great and all that You do is marvelous! Amen.