The Acts of the Apostles 72

Subtitle: Did You Receive the Holy Spirit?

Acts 19:1-10.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on July 14, 2024.

There is much controversy in the Church over the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, also called being filled with the Spirit. 

I do believe that Pentecostals need to refrain from labeling ourselves as having the Spirit, and non-Pentecostals as not having the Spirit.  As we will see in our story today, even being filled with the Holy Spirit is a work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who believe His testimony.

Think of it this way.  In the days of John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit was leading people to believe his message, repent of their sins, and prepare for Messiah.  However, that same Holy Spirit would lead them to embrace Jesus once John identified the Messiah for them.  Yet, those who embraced Jesus as Messiah before the cross, would need to listen to the Holy Spirit’s testimony to embrace the message of the cross and a crucified Lord.  They would then believe Christ and wait in the upper room until the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them. 

All of this shows that the Holy Spirit was in their lives and working with them long before they were ever baptized in the Holy Spirit.  This is the same dynamic with the men in our story today.

Let’s look at our passage.

Paul comes back to Ephesus (1-10)

It may be as much as a year since Paul had left Ephesus, promising that he would come to them again, God willing.  He had spent only a number of days with them that first time.  However, now he will spend over two years with them.

Let’s back up a bit and recognize that Paul had followed the original land route of the 2^nd missionary journey, and even ended up at the same place where he could go into Asia, or go northwest towards Troas and Greece.  The first time, we are told that the Holy Spirit forbade him from going into the province of Asia.  This led to him going to Greece.  Yet, this time, the Holy Spirit does not forbid him to do so.  Paul drops down into Asia and ends up on the coast in Ephesus.

Now, Ephesus was no small town.  It is estimated to have had a population of 150,000 to 250,000.  It was a bustling city with people coming and going, whether by land routes or by the harbor.

Luke also gives us a side note.  Paul ends up in Ephesus while Apollos was in Corinth.  This gives us some background to the first letter to the Corinthians, in which, Paul speaks about the ministry of Apollos there.  The letter of 1^st Corinthians essentially lets us know that Paul was in Ephesus when he wrote it (see 1 Cor. 16:8).

As Paul comes into the city, we are told that he finds “some disciples.”  The word “some” here emphasizes this particular group of around twelve disciples.  They may or may not have been Ephesians, or have been in the city for very long.  Yet, Paul just happened to run into them, probably while he was speaking to people in the marketplace.

In verse two, Paul also speaks of them believing.  From this, it is questioned whether or not they are truly Christians.  The word disciple as a qualifier is always used of Christians when it is alone.  The same is true of believing.  Yet, some look at verse 4 and give some kick-back to this.  Why would Paul explain to them that John expected his disciples to believe on Jesus if they already did so?

I don’t think we really need to solve the mystery of whether they were only disciples of John, or that they had accepted Jesus as Messiah.  Similar to Apollos from the last chapter, they believed John and perhaps knew Jesus as Messiah, but they were lacking the further work of Christ in his Apostles through the Holy Spirit.

We at least know that they are being led by the Holy Spirit, and now, He has intersected their path with a man who can give them further knowledge in Christ.  They are disciples who are simply deficient in knowledge.  Of course, we can all identify with that.  They are in step with the Holy Spirit, and that led them to one of the Apostles so that they could be helped.  This is the wonderful work of our heavenly Father through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

We are not told what leads to Paul’s question, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”  Does he suspect that they are not filled with the Holy Spirit?  Or, is this a question that he used to quickly discover exactly what they know?  We will not know until we ask him in the Kingdom of God.

I mentioned last week that there are some important distinctions between those who were simply disciples of John, and those who had become disciples of Jesus.  Both understood that repentance was in order.  Yet, once Jesus was revealed as Messiah, the disciples of John were intended to follow Him.  By doing so, they would discover the further truths of the cross, resurrection, Spirit Baptism, and the bringing in of the Gentiles.

This brings us to the odd response of these disciples.  The New King James Version translates it this way.  “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”  It sounds like they are saying that they weren’t even aware of the existence of the Holy Spirit, which is highly unlikely. 

The original Greek is typical of conversations.  We often say things while leaving out words because they are understood in the context.  The Greek literally says, “We haven’t even heard that the Holy Spirit is…”  Yes, His existence could be in view, but the context is speaking of the receiving of the Holy Spirit, not His existence.  They are most likely saying that they hadn’t even heard that the Holy Spirit is to be received.  Thus, they were unaware of the Day of Pentecost and the establishment of the Church.

Paul then begins to explain what they are lacking in verse four.  John intended them to believe on Jesus as Messiah and be baptized in his name.  This leads to them being water baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Their faith is no longer generally in a coming Messiah, but is specifically placed upon Jesus as the fulfillment of that promise.

Paul will, no doubt, connect them to other Christians within the city.  It is clear that they hadn’t ran into Aquila or Priscilla.  Otherwise, they would have instructed them in these things.  These disciples would now be more useful to the Lord.

It appears that Paul lays his hands on them and prays for them after they were water baptized.  When he did this, the Holy Spirit came upon them.  This is a synonymous term with being “baptized with the Spirit,” or being “filled with the Spirit.”  Here, we see that baptism in the Holy Spirit can happen at the same time as a person becoming a Christian.  Sometimes it occurs days or months later, but this isn’t necessary.  These disciples believe in Jesus, are water baptized, and then baptized in the Spirit within the same event.  I would say that Spirit baptism is subsequent to their salvation, but not delayed at all.

Luke doesn’t always do this, but he lists some signs that were evidence that they had received the Holy Spirit.  Of course, a person can know for themselves by the witness of the Holy Spirit within them.  Yet, the Bible does speak of external signs that let others know that Spirit Baptism has happened.  Peter witnessed Cornelius and the other Gentiles filled with the Spirit because something visible happened.

In this case, we are told that they spoke in tongues, and they prophesied.  Most likely they were not saying what would happen in the future.  Many people think of prophesy as always about future events.  In Acts 2:11, those speaking in tongues were understood by the crowd that was from all around that part of the world.  “We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”  This apparently doesn’t happen here, but the prophesying (in the common language of that area) most likely is speaking about the works of God. 

Christians should understand that God is doing a prophetic work through us, even when we aren’t a prophet within our church.  When you share the Gospel with the lost, you are speaking on behalf of God an authoritative message from Him.

Now, there are some in the Church today who say that these signs and spiritual gifts are no longer in operation.  They will say that they were only for the first century in order to lay a foundation for the Church.  They then say that these things disappeared and that the Holy Spirit no longer does them.  Of course, there is no Scripture that says this, though some may try to make one particular passage do so.  Until Jesus comes back, we will be in this age where the gifts of the Spirit are necessary for God’s people.  It reminds me of Paul’s argument in the book of Galatians.  Having begun in the Spirit (with Spiritual gifts) will we now be perfected in the flesh (without them)?

I think that these are generally rejected out of fear.  Fear that they seem strange, and also fear that they may lead to false prophecy and kooks.  However, the answer to false prophecy is not to shut down all prophecy so that we can be safe.  Think about it.  You would be squelching the Holy Spirit so that you can be safe.  That is not the way of Jesus, nor his apostles.  The apostles taught people to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that they could know the spirit of those who came into their midst.  They found out and called out any false prophets who ventured into their midst.  The flock was safe because they had shepherds who were filled with the Holy Spirit and had spiritual gifts.  They didn’t build a protective box around their lives and expect God to only work inside of it.  They followed the Holy Spirit outside of the boxes of their traditions, and ideas of men.  They didn’t perish in the wilderness of those who refuse to believe, but entered the promised land by faith and inherited.  May God help us to grow up in Jesus, learn of him, and grow in the Spirit.

Paul then preaches in the synagogue over the course of three months.  During this time, some grew hard to the Gospel while others embraced it by faith.  We must always recognize this reality.  When God is moving and filling people with the Holy Spirit, there are others who are being hardened by the truth.  This is the sad truth of the Gospel.  It is wonderful news to some, but to resist it is more damaging spiritually than if you had never heard it in the first place.  Behold the severity and the goodness of God.

These disciples didn’t have to know everything because they believed in the God who supplies everything.  In due time, the Father who knew their needs even before they did was bringing the solution to them.

Our world and our Republic have become very hard to the Gospel.  However, even now, God is still working by His Holy Spirit to draw people to repentance and faith in Jesus.  They may be hard, but hard people can go through hard things and be broken before God.  He is still showing people the way of the cross.  He is still filling people with the Holy Spirit and enabling them to say no to sin.  He is still equipping people with spiritual gifts, including tongues and prophecy.  He is still leading us to demonstrate the righteousness of Jesus to a world that is full of self-righteousness.

In the end, we will not do anything for Christ without the help of the Holy Spirit.  May God help us to be led by the Holy Spirit in this day when people do what is right in their own eyes at best, and follow the deceiving spirits of this age at worst.

Receive the Holy Spirit audio

The Acts of the Apostles 71

Subtitle: Fervor & Understanding

Acts 18:23-28.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on July 7, 2024.

Our passage is split between the start of Paul’s third missionary journey and an introduction to Apollos.  Apollos was to become a fellow minister.  However, his story also coincides with a story we will look at next week.  It has to do with people who have believed the message of John the Baptist, but have not heard the full teaching of the Apostles.

Let’s get into our passage.

Paul begins his third missionary journey

Verse 23 tells us that Paul stayed at Antioch for “some time” before he went back out on the road.  Some versions say that he “went over” the region of Galatia and Phrygia.  To be clear, Paul went throughout these regions.

You will notice a nice thin line of his travel on maps of the journey, but that should be seen as an average direction of travel.  We are not told how long he spent in each region and all of the towns he visited. 

It is clear that Paul wants to connect with the churches that they had started during the prior missionary journeys.  It is also possible that new ones had started through further evangelistic activity from those churches. 

Paul feels a responsibility for them.  He can make sure that their teaching is correct and hasn’t been corrupted.  He can minister to them with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that were prevalent in his ministry.  He could also give wisdom, or a word of knowledge, for any issues they were facing.

Whether you start a church or not, may God put in us a heart to actively lead people to faith in Jesus.  May he touch our heart with the same sense of responsibility to care for them like a spiritual father or mother.  Christ has sent us to be a light.  We  may plant the seed of the Word of God, water seeds that others have planted, or even bring in a harvest of those who believe.  All of this is the work of God that we need to keep focused upon.

In verse 24, Luke introduces Apollos.  This is the same Apollos that Paul mentions in his letter, 1 Corinthians.  This passage will give us the background to Apollos, but it is also important for another reason.  This is the first of two stories that Luke shares regarding people who were following the teaching of John the Baptist, but had not received the full Gospel of Jesus (the second follows this in Acts 19:1-7).  They seem to be focused on a repentant life and faith in Messiah.

It is good to live a repentant life.  However, God intends us to then move into faith in Jesus and the work that he would do for our sins and the giving of the Holy Spirit.  John himself told his disciples, “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30.  We will come back to this point.

It is interesting that Apollos is going to travel to Corinth and be used of God to encourage the saints there.  The letter of 1 Corinthians shows us that saved people still have mentalities and pathways of thinking that affect their actions.  A division would develop in the church because some people were overly proud of Apollos versus Paul, and vice versa.  This carnal mentality regarding the people God uses to bring the Gospel into our lives will be challenged by the Apostle Paul.  But, let us look at who this Apollos was.

Apollos is a Jew who had been born in Alexandria.  He most likely was impacted by John the Baptist’s ministry on a trip to Jerusalem, whether for a feast or otherwise.  This would have been around 20 years earlier.

Luke also tells us that Apollos was an eloquent man.  He had a knack for keeping a crowd interested in his speaking.  This is one of the reasons some in Corinth seemed to like him better than Paul.

We are also told that Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures.  Do you know how you become mighty in the Scriptures?  You spend a lot of time studying them and being taught how they point towards Messiah.  Christians should not be content to remain weak in the Scriptures.  We need to study them to show ourselves approved of God.

Luke also says that he was “instructed in the way of the Lord.”  Because of what is going to be said in a moment, the intention of this phrase must be pointed toward God’s will in general, as revealed by John the Baptist.  They knew that the Messiah was now here.  John had even identified Jesus as the One.  So it seems likely that Apollos knew that Jesus was the Messiah, and yet had been killed.  He may have also been familiar with some of the teachings of Christ, such as the Sermon on the Mount, etc.

Finally, Luke tells us that Apollos was fervent in spirit.  The word has the sense of boiling with heat.  Figuratively it refers to a person who is full of passion.  There is a certain passion that comes from a living relationship with God’s Word and the leading of His Spirit.

This Apollos arrives in Ephesus.  We are not aware of his full mission.  Was it only ministry, or was it part business?  Regardless, God was working to bring this man’s passion and desire to a greater understanding that had been made available in Jesus and his Apostles.  Apollos is basically doing the same thing as Paul.  He came to Ephesus and went to the synagogue to speak to the brethren about Repentance and faith in Jesus Messiah.  This is where his ministry intersects with the ministry of the Apostle Paul.

Fervor is good, but it needs to be on a foundation of knowledge.  When Aquila and Priscilla hear the teaching of Apollos, they recognize that he has some gaps in his knowledge. 

They take him aside later in order to explain the Gospel of Jesus more accurately.  It is good to note that they did not publicly rebuke him, or humiliate him in the synagogue.  They didn’t do it in such a way as to make themselves look better.  It is good to explain the way of Christ more accurately to people, but be careful that you do not smash the work of the Holy Spirit in them. 

So what was it that Apollos was missing?  We are only told this.  “He knew only the baptism of John.”  It appears that John’s preaching was mainly about repentance.  It may also have included the identity of Jesus as Messiah, but we aren’t told that positively. 

You see, Apollos is being faithful to the light that he has received from God.  The Holy Spirit is working in his life to eventually bring him to the place where his knowledge gaps can be filled in, and this is the day.  If we are hungry for God, then we will listen to “John the Baptist” when he comes preaching.  We will even more listen to the Lord Jesus when he comes speaking.  Most likely Apollos was unaware of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the command to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

He was also missing the understanding of water baptism as a means of identifying with Jesus.  This identification is more than just his role as Messiah, but also the means by which he deals with our sins.  Water Baptism speaks of dying to the flesh life and being raised up by the Spirit to live for Christ.  This is the immediate symbol.  However, it also points to a day when we will die and be buried in the ground.  It testifies of our faith that the Lord Jesus will resurrect us on the day of Resurrection.

Paul and Apollos will not be at odds with one another.  Paul will recognize how God brought Apollos to Corinth to help the church.  It was worldly Christians who tried to exalt Apollos as an apostle that was greater than Paul.  Is this true? 

If we compare the two we see that God’s calling on Paul was indeed greater.  Apollos was a man that was full of passion, but was also deficient in a full understanding of the Gospel of Christ.  Paul on the other hand had been taught the Gospel by Jesus himself, and he had been preaching and establishing churches among the Gentiles for nearly 20 years at this point.  Paul was not deficient in understanding in any means.

Do any of us lack understanding?  If you feel like you lack understanding, then take heart.  God is working in your life to intersect you with teaching and His Word.  You most likely won’t have a vision of Jesus teaching you every night.  However, he is being faithful to give you instruction every day by his Holy Spirit.  If you need something, then God is working to bring you to it.  Trust Him and keep faithful with what you do have.

As a caution, we don’t foolishly go to YouTube and swallow every teaching that we find there because we believe “God is leading us.”  God may also be testing you to see if you will remain faithful to his sure proven words in the Bible.  Be a Berean and search the Scriptures to make sure those things you are taught by others are really true.  To know the Word is to know Jesus, and to know Jesus is to be a person who is in the Word.  They are not separated.  The written word is a picture of Jesus who is the Eternal Word that was with the Father in the beginning of all things.

I mentioned it earlier, but Apollos most likely didn’t know about Spirit Baptism either.  He would have been aware of the Promise of the Father spoken of by the prophet Joel, but he clearly hadn’t been a part of the Jerusalem community as the Spirit was poured out and helped the Apostles to lay down the foundation of faith in Jesus.

At some point, Apollos desires to go over to Achaia.  Corinth was the capital of that province, and in Acts 19:1, we are told that Apollos would be in that city.  He is given a letter vouching for his legitimacy as a Gospel teacher.  It was common for charlatans to come along teaching people for gain, whether wealth or fame.  His ministry is now different because he was better instructed, and because he was teachable.  He will now be more useful for Jesus.

When Apollos arrives in Corinth, we are told that he “greatly helped those who had believed through grace.”  The help here is emphasized as his ability to use the Old Testament Scriptures to show Jews that Jesus is the Messiah that they had been waiting for.  He would “refute” the Jews publicly who were not believing in Jesus.

Fervor and understanding need to be hand in hand.  Don’t settle for fervor without accurate and thorough knowledge.  To guarantee that this doesn’t happen, Become a person who receives teaching and studies the word of God for yourself.  Don’t rely on the knowledge that others have of Jesus.  Come to know Jesus for yourself.

Yet, we must not settle for understanding without fervor.  We might point to the Pharisees, but in truth, their understanding was lacking.  They read the Scriptures and memorized them, but the system of tradition drowned out the voice of the Spirit of God.  To guarantee that this doesn’t happen, become a person of prayer.  Prayer is where knowledge is hammered into a passion from the Holy Spirit.  A real relationship with Jesus through prayer and studying the word will give the Holy Spirit the podium in your inner life.  He will come in and help you in every way.

In God, good things require small actions over a long time.  Faithfulness to the things of God is not loved by your flesh.  Your flesh seeks to short-cut that process.  Whether financially, professionally, in your marriage, or raising kids, no good work in these areas can be done in a mere 5 minutes.  May God help us to see His faithfulness, and may we be inspired to a life of faithfulness ourselves so that we can make a difference in our families, communities, this Republic, and the world.

Fervor & Understanding audio

The Acts of the Apostles 38

Subtitle: Ananias is Tested

Acts 9:10-19.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on March 5, 2023.

Today we will look at a man named Ananias.  He is obviously not the same as Ananias and Sapphira mentioned earlier in Acts.

There were two brave men in the story of Saul of Tarsus.  We will meet the first one here today.  A man who will be the first to hear the Lord say that Saul is changed and needs help from him, which takes a lot of trust.  The second will be Barnabas.  These men will help the early Church embrace a man who had been causing their loved ones to be executed.

People come to Christ from very different backgrounds.  The movie Jesus Revolution is now in theaters, which portrays the Jesus movement of the 1970's.  There were many hippies that were saved during that revival, and it was a challenge to the American Church.  We can become used to a certain type of person being saved.  When God saves someone out of left field, we can become fearful and "crusty."  We can resist what God is trying to do in their life, instead of helping them.

Where does bravery come from?  It comes from Christ.  The test here is not so much about obedience, as it is about how much you trust Jesus.  How much Jesus do I really have?  I might discover that I don't have as much of Jesus as I thought I did.

So, what is the answer to that?  Turn to Christ in repentance and seek him.  Cry out to Jesus that you want more of him, and to become more like him!

Saul was a test to the Church when he was persecuting them.  It tested them to see if they believed in Jesus enough to suffer for him.  However, he became a different test to them when he surrendered to Jesus.  It challenged the believers on just how much they would trust Jesus.  Do you love Jesus enough to forgive him?

This is something that many Christians around the world have to wrestle with today.  How do you love your enemy when they have caused loved ones to be killed?  You can't, but Jesus in you can help you do it.  I like how Paul confesses in Romans 7:18 that no good thing dwelled in him, that is in his flesh.  However, the Spirit of God was dwelling in him, and that made all the difference.

I pray that we will believe in Jesus enough that we will be able to do anything that he asks us because we love him, and because he loves us.

Let's look at our passage.

The Lord speaks to Ananias in a vision (vs 10-16)

Saul has had a powerful confrontation by the Lord Jesus just outside of Damascus.  He had the intention of dragging Christians back to Jerusalem for trial.  However, now he was humbled and blinded by the power of Jesus.  The men helped him into the city, where he proceeded to fast and to pray for what he should do. 

I think the Lord let him sweat a few days because Saul needed to cry out to God in weakness before he could be restored. 

Jesus is going to send Ananias.  Let's note that Jesus could have healed Saul on the spot.  He doesn't have to use somebody, but in his wisdom, he has determined to use a Christian.  There is something good, something perfect, in the grace of Jesus coming through the very group that Saul had persecuted.  It is good for Saul, but also for the Christians.  Talk about shame, and talk about anger.  "Ananias, come be a blessing to this man who has caused so much pain among believers!"  "Saul, I have a blessing for you, but you have to bear the shame of facing the people you persecuted!"

Can I be a blessing to a person like this, someone who has been the source of so much pain?  Can I swallow my pride and let God minister to me through whomever He chooses?  I know that I am working both sides of this at once, but I want us to see that much of life is God working both sides.  We just become wrapped up in our side of the issue, and don't see the other.

Whomever God uses in your life, quit looking at the person.  It was never about Saul, and it was never about Ananias.  It was about Jesus who is being faithful to us, even through imperfect people.

Ananias is introduced as a certain disciple in Damascus.  This was a common name among Hebrews and means the grace, mercy, or favor, of Yahweh.  It was also connected to the idea of a gift because a grace of God is essentially a gift of God, i.e., you don't deserve it.  Ananias would be a precious grace to Saul of Tarsus.

It is important to know that though our name may not be full of such meaning, Jesus does have purpose and meaning for our life.  All Christians are called to be the grace, and the mercy, and the favor of Jesus into the lives of others.

We are told that it is a vision.  Of all the passages that involve heavenly interactions with men, there are some that emphasize an actual physical presence (whether God or an angel).  However, a vision emphasizes that you see something, but others around you do not see it (if there are others around).  A vision can be so real that you are not sure whether it was a vision or not.  Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 12 that he wasn't sure if he was actually caught up into the heavens or simply had a vision.  The difference being that someone in the room with him would see him disappear in the first (physically caught up into heaven), but would think that he was in a trance in the second (it is happening in his mind).  By the way, the difference between a vision and a dream is clearly the issue of being awake or being asleep.  Dreams happen during sleep, and visions happen while you are awake.

Of course, skeptics can scoff at visions, but the proof is always in the life of the person who claims to have had one.  Christians should not be chasing after visions, as if desperate to have one.  In fact, there are people who are taking drugs in order to have a vision.  There are people who make a living "guiding" such people.  That's not how God works.  It is how the occult works, and how false religions work.

The truth is that people have been fitted to interact with God.  We generally do that through prayer, and a still small voice in our hearts and minds.  However, we have been fitted by God for His communications in the forms of dreams, visions, and even physical manifestations.  We could say that the still small voice is the most common, with the others scaling down to physical manifestations of angels, etc., being the rarest.  Let no Christian scoff at God's ability to do these things.

I love the simple answer of Ananias, "Here I am, Lord."  This is the classic good response when God speaks to you.  We are to be a people ready to hear the Lord, and when He is done, ready to obey the Lord.

Jesus tells Ananias to go to the house of Judas who lived on Straight Street.  Judas is the Greek form of Judah.  Judah is most likely not a Christian.  The most natural place for Saul's men to take him would be a leader of a synagogue that was loyal to the religious leaders of Jerusalem.  Ananias is told that he would find Saul of Tarsus there, and that he was praying.

Of course, Saul is a religious man and has probably prayed many times before this.  However, none of his prayers were like they were now.  There is something different about his prayers now.  He is a stripped man who knows that he is nothing before the God of heaven.  It doesn't matter how good your prayers sound, how flowery they are and how smoothly they flow.  Desperate moments help us to be real with God.  We too often have a religious shell around our true self when we deal with one another.  It even infects our approach to God.  This life trains us to keep it up because that is our protection.  However, for the Christian, Jesus is our protection.  God help us to drop the shell, the mask, and be real with God in prayer.  Saul is a humble man seeking God for his eyesight, and for wisdom for what to do now.

Ananias is told that Saul has had a vision too.  He has seen a vision of a man named Ananias laying hands on him and praying for him to receive his sight.  After the vision is over, Saul still has no sight.  This is where our interactions with God are tested.  I may believe that God is telling me something, but then I have to trust him.  Like Moses, God can tell us a great plan of leading the people of Israel out of Egypt, and almost being destroyed by Pharaoh at the Red Sea, and yet miraculous deliverance from God. That's an awesome plan.  I would like to see that movie, but will I tell everyone to pack their bags and follow me into the wilderness?  Of course, Saul doesn't have to do much, but stay there seeking God.  You are probably not surprised that this is where most of us fail, staying in prayer seeking God.

Of course, it is not Ananias who will do the healing, but Jesus.  Both of them need to exercise faith for God's will to be done here.  Whether we are praying for one another because God has told us in general to pray for healing, or we have a specific word from the Lord, we need to be faithful on both accounts, to pray for others, and to ask for prayer.

Notice the mercy of Jesus to this man who had been persecuting his people.  Jesus doesn't want Saul to be lost, even after all he has done.  This is God's love for those who are in the depths of sin and hatred.  People who perish do so over the top of God's love and mercy towards them.

I'm not sure if Ananias is actually objecting, but he does ask God about this man Saul.  He had heard about this Saul of Tarsus, and was making sure that he heard the Lord correctly.  How could he pray for such a man.  Is this the same man who has come here with letters giving him authority to take Christians back to Jerusalem in order to stand trial?

Yet, the Lord overcomes his "objections" firstly by reiterating the command to go.  Ananias may be surprised, but he needs to obey the Lord.  Secondly, the Lord emphasizes to Ananias that He has a purpose in Saul through four statements loaded with God saying: "mine," "My Name," "I will," and "My Name's sake."  

Jesus had chosen Saul to be a vessel of his just as much as he had chosen Ananias.  You can choose to follow Jesus, but you cannot choose who else does so.  Imagine two people who are saved in the same church, one a business man who dresses in a suit, and the other a homeless man.  We could add drug addict to one of these, but it doesn't matter.  On the day they become followers of Jesus, they become brothers.  They come from very different worlds and may have reason to despise the other.  However, we must always remember that the other person belongs to Christ.  They will stand or fall before him, not me. 

I can be found resisting and rebelling against God's purpose in another believer if I am not careful.  I must always seek to please the Lord.  The best way to do that is to remind yourself that you are quite capable of displeasing him.  We must be humble and seek God's leading in all of our relationships.

Ananias goes to Saul (vs. 17-19)

Of course, Ananias obeys and goes to the house where he finds Saul of Tarsus.  He then lays his hands upon him, which symbolizes the touch of the Lord, praying for him to be healed and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

It is made obvious in the passage that Saul receives his sight.  However, it doesn't mention about the Holy Spirit.  However, we will see within short order that the Holy Spirit clearly came upon Saul as he began to minister powerfully in Damascus, and the rest of his letters bear testimony too.  When the Holy Spirit dwells in and fills a believer, they will be empowered to follow the righteousness of Jesus, and they will be enabled to be a witness for Christ.  Saul did this very powerfully.

Let's look at the healing.  We are told that something like scales fell from his eyes.  There are skeptics who would say something to the effect that there is a natural explanation and thus it cannot be attributed to God.  Even if they could go back in time with modern equipment and show that the outer layer of Saul's eyes were damaged, and over the three days, his crying had softened the tissue causing it to fall off, it would still beg this question.  How do you explain the visions by separate men who do not know one another, and the coincidence of the tissue falling off as Ananias prays for him?  You are left with calling them liars.  The evidence screams against this.  By the way, I don't think it is rational to argue that the God who created the universe and put its "laws" into place is not involved if we can discover a natural explanation that only has a "miracle" of coincidence.  God is always involved even in the very natural things of our life.

Sometimes God answers prayer immediately, as He did here.  Sometimes it is answered over a period of time.  God even tells us, "No," sometimes.  But, it is always for our good.  Saul is definitely healed in that he can see.  Yet, there seems to be something residual with his eyes.  He says in one of his letters that he prayed for God to remove a "thorn in his flesh."  This was something wrong with his body that caused difficulty.  Three times he asked and in the end God tells him that His grace was enough for Saul.  Saul also says in Galatians 6:11 that he had written the letter by himself.  They would know because of the large letters he had.  The speculation is that his eyes may have excessively watered as a result of the bright light.  This may have made him look like he had been crying all of the time, and made it hard to see.  It is not that God couldn't heal him, but that Paul goes on to say in 2 Corinthians 12 that the Lord didn't completely heal him in order to keep him humble.  It was for his good.

Seeing a little is better than not seeing at all, and I am sure that there was a lot of rejoicing when Saul realized that he could see.  He had given nothing but pain to the believers of Jesus, and yet, now he was receiving joy from them in return.

Let us remember that God still heals today and believers need to pray for one another in general, but we also need to seek God and hear from Him on specific needs.  That takes times of prayer and fasting.

Saul is then water baptized.  No doubt, Ananias explained that this is what the Lord commanded.  This demonstrates that Saul was dying to his old life focused on him and his career, and coming alive to a new life focused on Jesus and his purposes.  Saul is now a Christian because he has believed upon Jesus with true faith.  This religious Pharisee had received the precious gift of salvation.  He was now truly clean inside and out.

Too many people settle for an outward form of godliness, but miss out on the power of the Holy Spirit to transform their life.  Don't settle for only looking like a Christian, being a poser.  Instead, truly put your faith in Him and be transformed by Him as you are led by the Holy Spirit.

We are told then that Saul stays in Damascus fellowshipping with the believers there.  Of course, where else would he go?  Going back to Jerusalem would not only be awkward, but it would probably end up with him on trial.  Saul knows the Bible inside and out, but doesn't know it like he should.  I am sure that he picked up rather quickly as the believers explained to him about Jesus and passages throughout the Old Testament, like Isaiah 53. 

I want to end by emphasizing the test of obedience that Ananias had.  The Lord gives us general commands in His word that test whether or not we truly love him.  However, from time to time, the Spirit of God will make specific commands known to us.  They may be about things in our life that need to change, that we need to pray for, or people we need to talk with.  Let us pray for courage to be used of God in whatever way He sees fit.  Carve out some room in your prayers and in your time for God to speak to you.

Even Saul could be saved.  Don't let anyone say they can't be saved.  If Saul could be saved, then anyone can be saved.  Seek to let the grace of God give you the privilege of doing something that you don't deserve: introducing others to their Loving Father in heaven.

Tested audio

The Acts of the Apostles 36

Subtitle: The Gospel Goes to Ethiopia?  Part 2

Acts 8:34-40.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on February 12, 2023.

Today we will finish up our look at the Ethiopian Eunuch.

Some days, the world just changes by the grace of God.  Of course, we might think of those changes in terms of being good or bad.  However, when I look back at my life, I find that many times it is the "bad" things that have happened in my life that did the most good for me.

The Ethiopian eunuch is going to be filled with joy because he has come to know the love of God for him.  This is the same joy that we can have.  He goes from being a man pinned down by the Law of Moses as a sinner in need of God's salvation to being a man who has found the salvation of Yahweh in Yeshua, Jesus.

This idea, that some days things just change, is true for individuals, churches, nations, republics, and even this world.  Historically large people groups have been lost from the truth of God, and then, out of the blue, things changed from a situation that had persisted for hundreds, even thousands, of years.

Let's look at our passage.

Philip preaches Jesus to the eunuch (vs. 34-36)

Philip is sitting with the eunuch in a chariot.  This clearly is not a Ben-Hur style chariot.  It is large enough for two people to be sitting, which means it had some sort of bench or seats.  I would presume that there is also a driver operating the chariot.  Thus, the scene has them traveling along the road to Gaza while reading the scroll of Isaiah, particularly chapter 53.

This sets up Philip to share the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus with him.  It says that Philip "preached Jesus" to the man.  Luke has used the verb "preached" earlier in this passage.  In verses four and five, he first mentions that the scattered believers were "preaching Jesus."  In the next verse, he says that Philip "preached Christ" to the people of Samaria. 

These phrases should really be taken synonymously.  To preach the word of God, Scripture, is to preach Jesus because all of Scripture is pointing towards our need of him.  In fact, as the living Word of God (see John 1), the Scriptures are a written down form of Jesus, just as Jesus is a human form of the Father (the perfect representation of God).  Furthermore, to preach the word is to also preach about the promised Messiah, or Christ.  Similarly to preach about God's Anointed One is to reveal that Jesus of Nazareth is that very one.

Philips ability to preach to the eunuch is really set up by his question in verse 34.  Is this passage about the author, Isaiah, or is it about someone else?

Questions are an important part of Bible study.  The eunuch is having trouble understanding the identity of whom Isaiah is writing.  This is quite understandable when you read Isaiah 53 without already knowing that it speaks of Jesus.  The passage truly is surreal.

Isaiah starts out by saying that no one believes the report of him and the prophets.  A particular servant of God would come forward who would be despised and rejected by Israel, his people.  However, the Lord would lay all the sins of the people upon him.  This servant would be chastised, bruised, and killed, but not for himself.  In fact, he doesn't object to this treatment, but faces it silently, like a lamb being led to the slaughter, like a sheep before the shearers.    His soul is actually made to be an offering for their sins, and he makes intercession for transgressors.  It then pictures all of this as the "wisdom" of the servant.  By his wisdom (i.e., not saying anything as he is executed for the sin of others), God's righteous servant will justify many because he will be bearing their iniquities.  This is all pictured as the "pleasure" of the Lord, and it also appears to be the pleasure of the Servant who is going along with it out of wisdom.

This is a perplexing passage if you do not know about Jesus.  How thankful are you that you do know about Jesus?  That didn't come about by accident.  It happened by the grace and mercy of God.  It is good to explain a passage to someone, but it is more important for them to know Jesus.  We can become so bogged down in the details of studying the Bible that we can "miss the forest for the trees."  I am not against detailed Bible study.  I am just reminding us to always keep the main thing as the main thing.

So, we are told that Philip preached Jesus to him "beginning with this Scripture."  They went on a Bible field trip.  It is probable that the eunuch had only one scroll, but it is also possible that he had more than one.  Thus, Philip uses what is available to show the eunuch what Christ has done, and what God now expects of him.

This is something that all believers need to be able to do.  Of course, you will be limited if you were saved just this morning.  However, don't be afraid of that.  You responded to something when you responded to the message of Jesus with faith.  That is quite enough to share with another person.  We do need to be people of the Word of God, but more specifically, we need to be people who can show how the Word of God points to Jesus and leads us to faith in him.

People need to know Jesus.  It is as simple as that, and it doesn't take a theologian, or someone who knows the original languages of the Bible, to do introduce people to him.  It only takes someone who know Jesus themselves.  Do you have a living relationship with Jesus.

The eunuch sees some water and asks a question.  What hinders me from being baptized?  Of course, we could back up one notch and recognize the many who hear the gospel, but do not believe.  What hinders them?  However, this was not the problem for the Ethiopian eunuch.  He believed what he was hearing about Jesus.

Philip must have said something similar to Peter's answer to the crowd in Acts chapter two.  The crowd asked what they needed to do, having killed Messiah.  Peter told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and their sins would be forgiven.  In fact, they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit too!

Notice that spiritual life is not about exhaustive knowledge of God's Word, but is about having a believing relationship with Jesus that we are willing to publicly live out.

Regardless, at the first sight of water, this man is quick to point out that he could follow through on the Gospel imperative.  The Gospel calls us to follow Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  That relationship involves discipleship, learning the way of Christ, but one of the commands of Christ is that we be baptized in water.

We do need to be careful of treating the Bible as merely a list of things to do, things we will check off of our list.  A believing relationship made alive by the Spirit of God must be the foundation of anything we do for our Lord.  Yes, when you follow the Spirit of God, He will give you some to-do lists, but it will come as we respond to the written Word and the work of the Spirit of God.

A textual issue (vs 37)

So, the eunuch has asked a question.  What keeps me from being baptized?  The answer is given in verse 37.  There is a textual issue here.  If you are reading the KJV or a translation based on it, then you will have this verse.  If you aren't then you will probably have a footnote.  Even the NKJV, gives a footnote that says, "Acts 8:37  NU, M omit v. 37. It is found in Western texts, including the Latin tradition."

A bit of explanation.  NU is actually a reference to two different Greek texts.  "N" stands for Nestle and Aland's Testamentum Novum Graece, a Greek Bible.  "U" stands for the Greek text put out by the United Bible Society called The Greek New Testament.  Lastly, the "M" stands for the Majority Text.  In essence, all three of these editions of the Greek agree that the verse is not originally from Luke.  It is only found in Western texts and some older texts in the Latin tradition.

You will run into footnotes like this from time to time no matter which Bible you are using.  They point to the fact that we do not have the original manuscript that Luke wrote, or any other originals for the books of the Bible.  It is important to have at least a cursory understanding of this subject.

How do I know that the Bible has been faithfully transmitted through the centuries when we do not have the original documents? 

Many handwritten copies were made through the centuries in order to increase the reach of the Bible.  Of course, people memorizing portions of the bible would have also played a large part in the spread of the Gospel.  On top of this, copies that were made of papyri (a course paper) and even parchment (treated animal skin) would wear out over time and need to be replaced.  Christians in the earlier centuries were not thinking that it would be important to preserve the first copies.  Still, we do have many manuscripts that we have today that go back even to the middle of the 2nd century (100's AD).  We also have writing of sermons and books against heresy from the early bishops and Church leaders.  On top of this there are many translations into other languages such as: Latin, Syriac, Coptic, even Ethiopic, etc. 

By comparing these manuscripts, we can easily spot spelling errors (they didn't have spell check), and simple mistakes made by copyists that have been well known through the ages.  In short, we come down to a recognition that 98.3% of the Bible has no real questions about what the original was.  And then, only about 1/1000th of the text has any serious variations that are viable and affect the meaning.  However, even then, none of these variations affect any doctrine.

Acts 8:37 says some significant things that we would feel a bit strange taking out of the Bible.  However, no biblical doctrine is supported by only one verse.  We don't need Acts 8:37 to justify that a person needs to believe in Jesus with their whole heart, aka, not half-heartedly.  Second of all, the confession of the Ethiopic eunuch is very similar to Peter's confession of who Jesus is at Caesarea Philippi.  The majority of scholars believe that this verse was not part of the original, but it doesn't hurt us either way.

By the way, if you look into this further, you will find that two different 2nd century church Fathers write about this passage in a sermon style.  Between the both of them, the content of verse 37 is stated.  In other words, Luke may not have written these words, but sermons and retellings of this story by Philip may have accurately described what was said between them.  That oral tradition may just be the source of this insertion.

If you want more information on this subject of Biblical Textual Criticism, then click on this link to a video of Daniel B. Wallace,  Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.

The eunuch is baptized (vs 38-40)

So, what are the prerequisites of water baptism?  It is clear from the following baptism that the eunuch met those prerequisites by Philip's judgment.  Water baptism is a symbolic event that gives a picture of what is happening in our life, or shows the declaration that we are making.  We are declaring that we believe that Jesus is the Messiah and that he has paid the price for my sins, even my life.  We are confessing that we are dying (going under the water) to our old life, and coming alive to Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is a public expression of your acceptance into the Church of Jesus, but also of the inward reality.  You have come alive to the Spirit of God and are now following Jesus by faith.

In our modern age, many are so afraid of legalism that they make a false separation between intellectual faith and practical faith.  Jesus said if you love him, then you will obey his commands, and one of those commands is to be water baptized.

At this point, we are told that they go "down into the water."  Some emphasize that the going down means that he is fully immersed.  However, the word baptize already means to be fully immersed.  It not clear whether the going down into the water is simply a description of getting out of the chariot and walking out/down into the water.  The same can be said for the phrase "when they came up out of the water."  It can be at the point of coming up from being put under the water, but it can also be a reference for them walking out of the water back to the chariot.

Whether it happened at the point of coming up from being under the water, or as they walked out of the water, something amazing happened.  Philip disappears.  At least, this is what it looked like from the eunuch's perspective who "saw him no more."  One moment Philip was there and the next he was gone.

We really don't know what it was like from Philip's perspective.  Yet, we are told that the Spirit of the Lord "caught Philip away."

It is interesting that this being "caught away" is the same word that is used for the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.  Philip was snatched up, but not in a way in which the eunuch saw him flying away.  He disappeared. Verse 40 tells us that Philip was "found" in Azotus, a town that was around ten miles away.  Of course, we are not told that Philip was transported all that distance.  That's where he was found, i.e., a word that involves searching for someone.

This "rapture" is not the same as the rapture mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.  Philip is still in his mortal body.  He has not been transformed into a glorified, heavenly body.  Yet, this does give testimony to the fact that God has the power to take people up at will.  It seems to me that somethings are so strange that God has to give us examples in the Scripture so that we can accept what He promises later.  This "rapture" word is used thirteen times in the New Testament.  Most of these are literally talking about being taken up, or snatched up, like in an arrest.  Others are metaphorical, or rather, spiritual uses.  Here is a pdf of the use of this word in the New Testament.

We should notice that Philip goes about preaching in Azotus and goes north up the coast all the way to Caesarea, which is northwest of Samaria.

Let's bring this to a close by talking about the eunuch.  The text says that he "went on his way rejoicing."  Now I wouldn't blame the eunuch if he thought that Philip might have been an angel.  After his disappearance act (not a normal thing for humans to do), the eunuch would rightly wonder who this guy was.  Of course, our passage is clear that Philip is not a heavenly angel.  Yet, he is a messenger sent by God.  It doesn't matter if we receive a message from a heavenly angel or an earthly messenger.  What matters is that the message is from the God of heaven.

The eunuch goes on his way rejoicing because he now has a relationship with this God of the Israelites through the work of Jesus.  It is the work of Jesus that will encourage him when he reads further in the scroll and reaches Isaiah 56.  His worship would no longer be about all the rituals and activity that he had a duty to do, but would be a joyful following after the one who had suffered in his place.  He would forever know that God loved him.  His lot in life was not destined to be a "dry tree" who would leave no heritage in this life.  Instead, he would become an apostle of the Gospel to his own people!  He would have a spiritual heritage that would have eternal rewards.  This is the God we serve.  The God who turns eunuchs into fruitful trees!

Eunuch part 2 audio