"Acts" Lesson 163

Lesson 163: “ACTS’

It is agreed by most that Luke is the author of the Book of Acts; however, there are several suggestions as to the purpose of the writing. One believes that Acts gives a historical account of what happened to the original apostles whom Jesus called and trained. After listing the eleven apostles and the new one elected in place of Judas, Luke never mentioned nine of them any more. He gave one sentence about James (12:2) and only a slight mention of John. After Acts 12, Peter moved off the stage and even the story of Paul was not complete leaving us to doubt that this is actually the “acts of the apostles”. Another suggest that the book should be called “the acts of the Holy Spirit” since this is the first account of the coming of the Spirit. Luke specifically referred to the Holy Spirit fifty times but eleven chapters do not mention the Spirit at all. Others have said the book was written to reveal the geographic expansion of Christianity using Acts 1:8 as an outline. Christianity was evidently already in Rome before Paul got there, so Luke missed a major part of the story if the geographic expansion of Christianity was his intent. What then was he trying to do with this book? His purpose was to proclaim the expansion of Christianity to all the then known world “without hindrance” (28:31). God was doing something in the world in Jesus Christ that could not be stopped by anyone or anything. Luke wrote and God guaranteed that no barriers could prevent the spread of the gospel across the world.

In every century, God’s people have asked; “who are we”? Why are we here”? These answers are found in the Book of Acts when the church was empowered by the Holy Spirit for the ministry to which God had called it. Luke epitomized the ministry of the church and stressed that it was to take the resources available and apply them to the needs of those around us. The mission was to move out in obedience to the command of Christ and to be His witnesses in the world no matter the cost. The Book of Acts reminds us that our purpose as God’s people is to be on mission for Him today. The mission outreach started with the Jews, gradually expanded to include the Samaritans and then to the Gentiles. The Book is about God and His presence in the life of every believer through the power of the Holy Spirit. The disciples relied on that power in their bold proclamation of the gospel and that same power is ours today. The picture Luke gave us of God is completed with a statement from Peter concerning God’s love and an opportunity to respond to His love and grace so that they may be redeemed. “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34). Luke reminds us of the roots of our faith, the reason for our existence as the church and the resources by which we can carry out our work.

The New Testament is clear about these two things. All Christians receive the Spirit and only Christians receive the Spirit. The Spirit is a gift of grace fulfilling God’s promise that cannot be gained through human effort or achievement but through repentance and salvation. Luke prayed; “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your Word with great boldness. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly” (Acts 4:29-31). This is a payer that should start each and every meeting of Christians at whatever function they are attending. We need to acquire this boldness in our prayers and our witness for Jesus Christ. Perhaps we will be ignored, made fun of or even scorned but our answer should be the same as the apostles’; “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). If we are bold enough to do this, God will send a “Gamaliel” (Acts 5:34) to our defense. “Therefore, in the present case I advise you; leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men. You will only find yourselves fighting against God” (Acts 5:38-39). God controls the growth of His church. If the church resulted from hum plans, energies and manipulations, it would have died long ago.

In the Book of Acts we find the first deacons. The seven men chosen to assist the Twelve are not identified as deacons, but the verb “to wait on” (diakonein) comes from the same root as the noun (diakonos) translated into English as deacon. The selection of the seven grew out of the needs of the apostles in ministering to the congregation and the special responsibilities of the seven involved practical service. Those chosen for this assignment had already demonstrated evidence of the working of the Spirit in their lives and ministry. Following the example of these seven, deacons of today will see their responsibilities as serving with the pastor in ministering to the needs of the church, congregation and the community. One of these “practical” duties is prayer, which when done consistently, will bring on effective ministry. They chose Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, and amid opposition from the Synagogue of the Freedmen, other leaders, he stood and boldly proclaimed the gospel of Christ. He minced no words but called them stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears that resist the Holy Spirit. This made the men furious but Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the Right Hand of God “STANDING”! And while they were stoning him he prayed for Jesus to receive his spirit. This proves two other points in the Scriptures; that to be away from the body is to be with Christ in heaven (2 Cor. 5:8, Phil. 1:23) and that Jesus Himself will come to bring you home (1 Thess. 4:16). What joy to know that if we live close enough to our Lord and Savior that Christ Himself will STAND to greet us as he did Stephen.

In chapter ten we find where God tries to do away with prejudice when he sends a vision to Peter. Peter, being Peter, argued with God about the vision and about what was clean and unclean, three times. The same number of times that he denied Christ (Luke 22:54-62). While he was still wondering what God was trying to teach him, three men came for him on the request of Cornelius who got his instructions from a holy angel. Peter went with them but was sure to say; “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him”. However, he did not go against God’s will in this matter and became a witness for Christ when he told them; “God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean” (Acts 10:27-28). Peter saw what we all should see and that is that God does not see you as you are but as what you can be through Jesus Christ. God gives believers His Spirit regardless of human barriers. Our opinions and thoughts about others pale into insignificance alongside the will of God. Peter was criticized severely for going into the Gentile’s house but explained; “if God gave them the same gift as He gave us, who was I to think that I could oppose God” (Acts 11:17). The great Gentile church at Antioch was born! A point to remember through the apostles, Peter, Paul, Barnabas and others is to be sure you are filled with the Holy Spirit and not full of yourself such as the Pharisees and teachers of the law (Matt. 5:20).

Evangelism continued as God started the worldwide mission of the gospel by leading the church to dedicate two experienced evangelists. This was the final significant breakthrough in the New Testament for the spread of the gospel. Paul and Barnabas led the church’s active evangelistic efforts among Gentiles “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). These men were “set apart” by and for the Lord to do the work to which He called them. No one spoke more boldly than Paul and considering that the Lord dropped him on the road and blinded him with a bright light AND spoke to him in a voice like thunder from heaven, this in most understandable. We should all be “dropped” and spoken to loudly so that we can see, hear and understand that our mission is the same as Paul’s. Paul and Barnabas had a sharp disagreement over where they would go and whom they would take with them. They parted ways, Barnabas choosing Mark and sailing to Cyprus; Paul choosing Silas, going through Syria and Cilicia. Notice that even in the disagreement that he was; “commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord” (Acts 15:36-41), giving us an example to agree to disagree but continue to teach the gospel of Christ.

Still another great lesson comes from Acts when Paul and Silas were tossed in jail, after being severely flogged, for preaching the Word of God. The site of the prison was probably an underground dungeon with their feet and hands bound to hooks anchored in the mortar between the stones. Although they were in a desperate situation their prayers were not prayers of despair. They sang and prayed at midnight and God honored that spirit and attitude, sent deliverance and conversion as a result. God used an earthquake to shake the entire jail area and provide opportunities for witness, revealing to the nonbelievers the power of God. He can use the same “shaking” today and the Scripture calls us to; “Rise at midnight to give You thanks for Your righteous laws” (Ps. 119:62). Scripture also calls us to test the spirits to see if they are from God (1 John 4:1-3). Paul and Silas found a group of people who did just that. “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:10-11).

“God is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:25). He does, however, want man to seek Him and reach out for Him and find Him just as the apostles did, following in their footsteps in spreading the gospel. The Book of Acts lets us “hear” the Lord as He tells us not to be afraid, keep on speaking and not be silent (18:9). Keep your courage, have faith in God that it will happen just as He told the apostles and still tells us through His Word. I like to think of the Book of Acts in yet another light. As I study to show myself approved, I can image a physical “ax” which I use to rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).