Acts (Written)

JUSTICE. Wisconsin Capitol.

Tuesday, 2 April 2024

‘I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, Acts 26:17

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, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

More literally it reads, “delivering you from the people and the Gentiles to whom now I send you” (CG).

Paul just explained his calling to those of the court in which he stood, noting that he had been called as a minister and a witness concerning Christ. He now continues that thought. Taken together, they read, “But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you, delivering you from the people and the Gentiles to whom now I send you.”

The words “delivering you from the people” refer to the Jewish people. That is inserted by the NKJV for clarity. However, simply saying “the people” is a way of specifically identifying them. The fact that they are mentioned indicates that he knew, right from the mouth of the Lord, that he would, in fact, be persecuted by them.

However, the Lord also let him know that he would be delivered from them. The trials which had been held against him were proofs of this very fact. Along with them, it next says, “and the Gentiles.”

The implication is that he would be likewise persecuted by them, exactly as has occurred throughout all of his time recorded in Acts.

Albert Barnes notes that “As the opposition of the Jews arose mainly from the fact that he had gone among the Gentiles, it was important to bring this part of his commission into full view before Agrippa, and to show that the same Saviour who had miraculously converted him had commanded him to go and preach to them.”

Paul’s words are carefully selected to show the substance of his commission and the Source of it, meaning Jesus. It is this ministry to the Jews and Gentiles that Jesus next says, “to whom now I send you.”

In some manuscripts, there is an emphasis in his words where the “I” is in the emphatic position, “to whom I, I send you.” If that is the correct reading, it is the same words used by Jesus, egō apostellō, “I, I send,” that is seen in Matthew 10 when Jesus selected and commissioned the original apostles –

“Behold, I send [egō apostellō] you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

For Paul, he now recounts his own calling. The voice from heaven was sending him out with a promise of deliverance. The purpose of the marvelous commission is to be found in the next verse.

Life application: Paul’s opening words to those in Galatia say –

“Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), ² and all the brethren who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
³ Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, ⁵ to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Galatians 1:1-5

Paul was commissioned to minister to both the Jews and the Gentiles, but his primary mission was to the Gentiles. Jesus said that He would deliver Paul from both. But the fact is that the people he ministered to also needed to be delivered from the Jews as well.

It is the main purpose of the book of Galatians, meaning holding to the grace of God in Christ and not being suckered into law observance by the Judaizers. They had come to Christ, having never observed the law. They were given the Spirit and were saved. But along came the Judaizers who told them that they now needed to be circumcised and observe Moses.

In doing so, they would be setting aside the grace that originally saved them. It would mean they were obligated to the law and grace no longer was of any value to them. Their lives and actions would no longer be acceptable to God. At the Bema of Christ, all they could expect is judgment with no rewards, only loss.

Unfortunately, this infection has crept into the church time and again throughout the church age in various ways. Anytime someone falls back on the law for personal merit before God, he sets aside God’s grace. With Israel called back to the land, everything Jewish has suddenly become popular with many in the church.

This is fine to an extent. But along with this fascination of what God is now doing in the people of Israel after two millennia comes a renewed call to law observance. The church that has carried the banner of God’s grace in Christ has been duped, once again, into the heresy of the Judaizers.

Be on guard for this. God’s grace is not for sale. God’s grace cannot be earned. God’s grace requires faith that He has done it all. Trust in this and do not allow yourself to be brought under the yoke of slavery to the law that got Israel into the position it has been in for eons. Rest in Jesus, revel in the grace He provides, and be appreciative to God for His tender mercies to His people through the finished, final, and forever work of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lord God, thank You for Your wonderful love, mercy, and grace that has been so marvelously revealed in the coming of Jesus. The burdens are lifted. We do not have to earn Your favor and we no longer have a fear of death. Praise You, O God, for what You have done. Amen.

LIBERTY. Wisconsin Capitol.

Monday, 1 April 2024

“But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. Acts 26:16

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, scrolling 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, Paul had asked the question, “Who are You, Lord.” Jesus then responded, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Now, with Paul’s mind certainly overwhelmed with that thought, probably in absolute terror concerning what disaster must surely be coming upon him, Jesus continues, saying, “But rise and stand on your feet.”

The words which Paul conveys in this verse are much fuller in the sense of the commission during this divine visitation than were recorded in either Acts 9 or Acts 22. Paul is carefully orchestrating his words because of the audience that surrounds him. With that, he continues the Lord’s words to him, saying, “for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.”

What Paul is saying is more of a condensed form of the first vision along with the words given to him through Ananias as well as from the trance that he referred to in Acts 22:17-21.

He is giving his report of the overall account in this manner in order to show that he was, in fact, chosen and designated to take the actions he had taken. As for the word that he uses here for “minister,” is the same as that which he used when speaking of himself in 1 Corinthians 4:1, there translated as “servant” –

“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”

It signifies an attendant, an underling, or a servant. HELPS Word Studies says of this word, “properly, a rower (a crewman on a boat), an ‘under-rower’ who mans the oars on a lower deck; (figuratively) a subordinate executing official orders, i.e. operating under direct (specific) orders.”

Paul was appointed as Christ’s underling to carry the message of the gospel to all those he would encounter. At this time, it was to a gathering of royals and high officials.

Life application: Paul’s words convey what happened, even if they are condensed from several events that took place over time. As he is in a court setting, he needed to get to the point concerning his calling as well as his commission. Therefore, he began with the initial vision and then added information to that which was based on his original calling.

Depending on the forum in which you are standing, it may be appropriate to keep your words short and direct. If you are given a time limit, it is good that you stick to it. It is nice to be heard about a matter that is important to you, but it is also good to be brief and concise.

If you are given a time limit and you go beyond it to any measure at all, each word you speak will be taken in a different light than you intend. People will normally begin to shut your words out and no longer care about what you have to say. This is because you have shown a disdain for their time or the rules by which you were asked to speak.

Let your words be carefully chosen but few in number. In this, you will generally have the greatest impact concerning what you are trying to relay to others.

Lord God, help us to be direct and to the point in our conversations. May this especially be so when we share the gospel. Otherwise, the very people we desire to convert may eventually get worn out from our overzealous words and begin to tune us out. Help us to know when to speak, what to speak, and when to conclude so that we have the greatest chance of touching their lives with our words. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

GOVERNMENT. Wisconsin Capitol.

Sunday, 31 March 2024

“So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Acts 26:15

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, scrolling 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, Paul relayed that in his encounter with Jesus, the Lord had asked him why he was persecuting Him. He then said that it was hard to kick against goads. With that, Paul next says, “So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’”

Paul wasn’t grasping the situation. There was a light brighter than the sun gleaming all around him and those with him. From there the voice of someone speaking. This Person, who was obviously not overwhelmed by the light as Paul and the others had been, asked him a direct question, the answer to which should have been obvious.

But certainly because of cognitive dissonance, he could not get himself to accept the obvious. And so, he must have tried to think of every possible option other than it being Jesus whom he was persecuting. While his mind certainly raced with wonder about who it was that he had been persecuting, the response came with Jesus’ answer, “And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’”

The content of these words, when compared to Acts 22:8, reveals a few differences, but the major one between the two is that in 22:8, it said, “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.” Here, the words, “… of Nazareth” are left off.

The probable reason is because the jurisdiction of Herod’s reign included Nazareth. That is known from Luke 23:7. Paul probably withheld this detail from the conversation to keep from offending Herod, especially before an entire council who could then snicker at the situation.

The incredible thing for Paul is that he had been on his way to continue his attack against Jesus’ followers, but now he was being addressed by the very Person he was working to eradicate from the minds of the people. Jesus was no longer a dead false preacher to him. Instead, He had suddenly become the risen Lord. The thought must have been terrifying.

Life application: When we gather as congregants of a church, we are doing so because there is a church, a body of people who belong to the Lord. Our gathering implies that we have a reason to do so, which is to remember, celebrate, worship, and learn about the One we are gathering together for.

Jesus isn’t just a thought or a concept that should keep us living rightly. Rather, He is the One who prevailed over death. He is the Lord God. Our time in church meetings shouldn’t be a time of simply learning how to live properly by getting away from wrong living. Our time should be a heartfelt appreciation for what God has done for us in the giving of Christ.

Remember this. Don’t let your thoughts about Jesus get misdirected from the fact that He is ever present with you. In Him you live and move and have your being because He is God. Let your life be a continuous stream of conscious understanding that He is with you. He is there in the trials and in the good times. He is as close to you in intimacy as you allow Him to be. Consider this and live in intimate fellowship with Him from moment to moment.

Lord God, may You be the Lord of our lives at all times. You are there when we gather as a church, but You are also there when we are alone on a walk. There is never a time You are not with us. Help us to remember this and to always have faith that You are with us. In this, may we live our lives accordingly and to Your glory. Amen.

LEGISLATION – Wisconsin Capitol.

Saturday, 30 March 2024

“And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ Acts 26:14

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, scrolling 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, Paul told the king about the light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that was shining around him and those with him. He continues next with, “And when we all had fallen to the ground.”

Again, Paul gives a bit more detail than in the past. He says that not only he fell to the ground, but those with him did as well. This was not stated by Luke in Acts 9, and Paul left it out of his words to those of Israel gathered before him in Acts 22.

Apparently, the light was so overwhelming that they were simply stunned by it to the point of bringing them to the ground. From there, he next says, “I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language.”

Paul specifically identifies the voice as being in Hebrew. This was unnecessary in Acts 9 and Acts 22. However, Paul is addressing a room filled with various people, all of whom would have spoken Greek, along with any other language they knew. Therefore, Paul continues with the words spoken to him, saying, “‘Saul, Saul.”

The spelling of the name of Saul in both Acts 9 and Acts 22 indicated a Hebrew, not a Greek, address. The Hebrew is SAOUL, the Greek is SAULOS. There was no need for him to tell the audience this in Acts 22 as they were Jews who listened to the account.

However, it may be that he specifically addresses the council with the words “in the Hebrew language” to let the non-Hebrews know that it was the Jewish Lord who spoke to him, thus definitively identifying to them that the Messiah is, in fact, Jewish.

Further, this is one of the many proofs that the NT was written not in Aramaic or Hebrew, but in Greek. If not, then this, and each other such instance, is a non-scriptural addition. In this case, it is the spelling of the name that indicates this to us. Of the words spoken by the voice to him, he next says, “why are you persecuting Me?”

Again, as in the past, the voice asks, “Why are you persecuting Me?” In fact, Paul had persecuted Christians. Therefore, an attack against the body is an attack against the head. Paul’s efforts were only hurting himself as the voice then tells him with the words, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

Rather, the Greek is less specific, saying, “Hard for you to kick against goads.” It is an exact repeat of Acts 9:5, and it is how a Hebrew would speak, normally using less definitive wording than a Greek to express the same thought. Of kicking against the goads, the scholars at Cambridge describe that action –

“The figure is from an ox, being driven on in his work. When restive or lazy, the driver pricks him, and in ignorance of the consequences, he kicks back, and so gets another wound. The words would imply that God had been guiding Saul towards the true light for some time before, and that this zeal for persecution was a resistance of the divine urging. It is not unusual for men who are moved to break away from old traditions at such times, by outward acts, to manifest even more zeal than before for their old opinions, as if in fear lest they should be thought to be falling away. This may have been Saul’s case, his kicking against the goads.”

According to Vincent’s Word Studies, this metaphor concerning the goads is not found in Hebrew writing, but it was common among Greek and Roman writings.

Life application: As noted above, the words of Paul in this verse, as recorded by Luke, clearly indicate that the New Testament was first penned in Greek. Paul conveyed his name in Hebrew in the past, but he does so in Greek now for the benefit of the hearer. From there Luke clearly expresses the Greek form, something unnecessary in the previous accounts of this event.

Instances like this are found throughout the New Testament as well –

“‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’” Matthew 1:23

“Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, ‘Talitha, cumi,’ which is translated, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise.’” Mark 5:41

Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. John 5:2

And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. Revelation 16:16

These are just a few examples. If the words were not originally penned in Greek, but rather in Hebrew (or Aramaic), such explanations would not be necessary. And more, their inclusion now would mean that the words are not inspired.

This is important because we can see the transfer of the redemptive message away from only Israel to the entire world. But this was initiated long before the writing of the gospels when the Greek translation of the Old Testament was made. That is what is most commonly cited in the New Testament.

God was preparing the world for the message of the Messiah to go out in the most common language of the day, Greek. From there, it would then be translated into other languages. Some alphabets, such as the Cyrillic, were actually developed for the purpose of bringing Scripture to the people of the world.

Because of the work of Christian ministries, the Cyrillic alphabet is now used from Mongolia and Russia even to Ukraine and Serbia, along with many other nations. To this day, new written alphabets are being developed by people groups that do not have a written alphabet. This is being done to share the good news about Jesus.

From the Hebrew and Aramaic of the Old Testament to the Greek of the New, the whole world is being given this wonderful treasure we call the Holy Bible in their own languages. Thanks be to God for those who are going forth to make this possible!

Lord God Almighty, we lift up the missionaries who are sharing the good news of Jesus around the world. Give them wisdom and fortitude to continue on. May Your hand guide them and bless them each step of the way. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Fancy hall. Wisconsin Capitol.

Friday, 29 March 2024

“at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. Acts 26:13

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, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

A bit more precisely, the Greek reads, “Mid-day on the road, O king, I saw from heaven – beyond the brightness of the sun – a light having shone around me, and those journeying with me” (CG).

In the previous verse, Paul noted that he was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. Now, he continues his words stating, “Mid-day on the road, O king.”

In Acts 22:6, Paul uses the term peri mesēmbrian, “about midday.” However, he now says hēmeras mesēs, or “day mid.” They mean essentially the same thing, but it shows that he was not peculiar about the specifics of time. It also shows that this is not simply a faked narrative where the author went back and copied what he had already said.

Instead, Luke is detailing Paul’s words which are focused less on the specific timing than on the event itself. He next says, “I saw from heaven.”

The light is from above. It wasn’t the sun itself, and it wasn’t something shining the reflection of the sun. Rather, its source is separate from and greater than that of the sun. Understanding this, he next says, “beyond the brightness of the sun.”

The words that what he saw was brighter than the sun are unique to this verse. The light was beyond anything in the heavens. The redeemed are said to shine magnificently in Daniel 12:3 and in Matthew 13:43. As this is so, how much more magnificently does the Lord shine in His exaltation.

As this glorious radiance exceeded even that of the sun in brilliancy, and because it was from heaven, Paul would have been completely overwhelmed in the splendor of the light, something he avows is the case, saying, “a light having shone around me, and those journeying with me.”

The light literally encompassed the men as they traveled. Imagine what their thoughts must have been at this time! Paul’s generality concerning the time of day is not where his detail is centered. Rather, he was giving those gathered an account that was focused on the magnificence of Christ.

Life application: It is not uncommon for people to take Paul’s words from the various times he tells about this divine visitation and look for a contradiction in what he is saying. They do this in order to diminish the power of Scripture in the eyes of those they are trying to deceive.

Some do it to dismiss Christianity altogether while some do it to call into question Paul’s apostleship. When looking at individual translations, it is possible to come up with apparent contradictions in Paul’s words. However, in the Greek, and in properly translated versions, those supposed contradictions are removed.

This is also the case with other parts of Scripture. For example, people will argue over Isaiah 7:14 which uses a word that does not necessarily mean “virgin” and then call into question the citation of that as “virgin” in the New Testament.

All of a sudden, it appears that Matthew has made an error. But Matthew is not citing the Hebrew text of Isaiah. Rather, he cites the Greek translation, the Septuagint, which predates the coming of Christ by hundreds of years and which was translated by Greek speaking Jews.

They knew that Jesus would be born of a virgin. That is why they chose a Greek word that means “virgin.” So, you can see how deceivers, knowing full well that these things are so, will still try to trip people up and ruin their faith.

This is why it is important to study such things. In closely evaluating Scripture, you will see that God is carefully instructing His people in the details of the greatest story ever told. Above all else, the Bible is focused on the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

Be confident in this. God has given us a sure and reliable word. Trust that it is so!

Lord God, help us in our times of doubt or weakness to be strong in our faith. May we be about the business of being grounded in Your word and in a right application of it in our daily lives. Yes, help us in this, O God. Amen.