Arnie and Fred discuss what the bible says in Acts Chapter 2. Acts Chapter 2 begins 10 days after Jesus ascended to heaven. Jesus had promised the apostles that they soon would be baptized with the Holy Spirit which would give them power to be His witnesses. He told them to go to Jerusalem to wait where they would be endued with power from on high. They did so and we find basically three sections in the Acts Chapter 2 record. The phenomenon of Holy Spirit baptism is recorded as well as Peter's address and the life among the first believers who the Lord added to His church. Take about 30 minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your bible available to ensure that what we discuss is what the Bible says.
Arnie and Fred discuss what the bible says in Acts Chapter 2. Acts Chapter 2 begins 10 days after Jesus ascended to heaven. Jesus had promised the apostles that they soon would be baptized with the Holy Spirit which would give them power to be His witnesses. He told them to go to Jerusalem to wait where they would be endued with power from on high. They did so and we find basically three sections in the Acts Chapter 2 record. The phenomenon of Holy Spirit baptism is recorded as well as Peter's address and the life among the first believers who the Lord added to His church. Take about 30 minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your bible available to ensure that what we discuss is what the Bible says.
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Fred This is the presentation of the Woodland church of Christ, meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. 5:30 p. m. We meet for Bible study at 9:30 a.m. and on Sunday, and 7 p.m. on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson. You may email them to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell@ftc-i.net or to Arnie Granke at agranke440718@twc.com
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Arnie Good afternoon. This is Arnie Granke and Fred Gosnell. We're both members of the church of Christ at Woodland in Sumter, South Carolina. And this is What Does the Bible Say. Last week we studied Acts Chapter one. Just before ascending to heaven, Jesus had assured his apostle they would soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Giving them power to be His witnesses is beginning in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, then in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Pentecost, which is also known as the Old Testament Feast of Weeks or the feast of first fruits, occurred 50 days after Passover and in about the year AD 30 Pentecost occurred just 10 days after Christ ascended into heaven Acts Chapter two describes what happened that day. The chapter breaks down really into into three sections of the phenomenon of the Holy Spirit baptism,, Peter's address and then life among the believers. Most of it involves. Peter's, Ah, address. Fred. You wanna kick it off?
spk_0: 1:52
Fred Okay, well, the Chapter two verse one begins. Uh, there says, that Now, when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind And it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And these were the 12 apostles 12 apostles. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire and one sat upon each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance. So, So here we have what was promised. Jesus had promised them the Holy Spirit would come upon them after they received power at Jerusalem. So, So this was visible. This was a visible sign and then they spoke these foreign languages that they had never learned.
spk_1: 2:44
Arnie You know something that I've noticed that with a lot of people that I've spoken with, they think that all 120 people in Acts Chapter one, all 120 disciples were the ones who received this gift of the Holy Spirit. Let me just call to attention. Everyone this fact. The fact that the word they, the pronoun they in the verse one refers back to its nearest antecedent with his Mathias, who was the number who was numbered with the 11 Apostle. So it was the 11 Apostle. They we're the ones that this occurred with, and it's helpful sometimes to remember that when Luke or any other Bible writer was writing, he didn't number verses and he didn't number chapters. It was he just kept on writing, and sometimes there would be a paragraph break or something of that, of that sort. The numbers and the things that kind of make us think that that's the end of a section, some how, are things that have been added by later people. Much much after the time that the Bible was completed. Well, I guess it's my turn. So I pretty much took all all the time, didn't I? Acts Chapter two beginning in in verse five, There were dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and were confused because everyone heard them speaking his own language. Then they were all amazed and marvelled. Saying one to another look are not all these that speak Galileans? How is it that we hear each in our own language, language in which we were born? Of course, the public recognized very quickly that these men were rural Galileans. They were not privileged elites. They hadn't gone to some kind of rabbinical rabbinical training in seminaries or anything of that sort. And and they wouldn't have naturally known. All of these languages that are that are represented here in the chapter and get fluent in them. And that was, of course, as a result of the Holy Spirit.
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spk_0: 5:19
Fred Yes, And of course, Luke now tells us in verses nine through 13 where these people were from and he begin in verse nine Parthians and Medes and Ellamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia. Phyrgia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome both Jews and prosselytes, Cretans and Arabs. We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God. So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another. Whatever could this mean? Others mocking said, They are full of new wine.. Of course, these, these individuals were from I think it's 16 countries that are named there. Most of them probably spoke Aramaic or Greek. Greek was the common language of the day, and course there were the other local dialects that they would have spoken. And then, of course, the those who heard what the Apostles had to say. There was a mixed opinion, the ysaid. We think that maybe they're a bunch of drunks. And then and then others said, Well, no, this is This is something different than that.
spk_1: 6:29
Arnie Yeah, they understood that there was something, something going on that was unique there. Those those 1st 13 verses, Yeah, pretty much take care of the phenomenon of the Holy Spirit here in the chapter. So the next section begins in Verse 14 and that has to do with Peter's address in the beginning. In Verse 14 Peter, standing up with the 11 raised his voice and said to them, Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you and heed my words for these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel. And it will come to pass in the last days says God, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Old men shall dream dreams. And on my menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out my spirit in those days and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs in the earth beneath, blood, fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. So here he is, quoting from Joel's Prophecy and Joel, Chapter two and verses 28 through 32 And he says, This is that, and they're really three things that are that Joel had mentioned in that that prophecy. One of those things was the visions and prophecy that would occur as a result of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. And Joel 2:28 covers covers that, 28 and 29. And then Joel, 30, Joel two Verse 30 talks about God's judgement upon wicked men, especially upon Jerusalem. These terms about the sun's turning into darkness and the and the moon into the blood. And and all of those things is referred to sometimes as apocalyptic language. And it's used for example in in Matthew Chapter 24 with regard to what was going to happen in the fall of Jerusalem. So that's evidently judgment upon the wicked there, and then verse 20 Verse 21, in, in Acts, Ah, one verse talks about deliverance that shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved and uh so that's the third item that Joel had mentioned and that Peter is quoting from
spk_0: 9:43
Fred yes and once, once Peter establishes that what's going on here is a matter of, ah, prophecy. Joel had said that hundreds of years before. So Peter goes on and begins in Chapter two, Verse 22. He says men of Israel hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst as you yourselves also know. Him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God you have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death. So Peter reminds them that Jesus performed these miracles, and they all knew that it was evident to them and then that God's plan to redeem man included the crucifixion of Jesus. And, of course, David had had spoken of this had had written of this in Psalm 22. And there, David wrote, beginning in verse 12 he had said, Many bulls have surrounded Me strong bulls of Bashan hav encircled me. They gape at me with their mouths, like a raging and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water on all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a pot sherd and my tongue clings to my jaws; you have brought me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me.The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones. They look and stare at me. They divide my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots. So So David had ah written of the what Jesus went through when he was on the cross by inspiration. David wrote that down for us and the course. Peter talks about those same things.
spk_1: 11:32
Arnie Down at verse 24. Peter, continues saying whom God raised up, the previous verse, that they divide my garments among, I'm sorry, you have crucified and put to death. I was still in this old book of psalms, and then he says, whom God raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be held by it. for David says concerning him. I foresaw the Lord always before my face, He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken. Therefore, my heart rejoiced and My tongue was glad; moreover, my flesh also will rest in hope. For you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you make me full of joy in your presence. So David had foretold not only the Messiah's crucifixion in graphic terms as you read, but but he also foreold the Messiah's resurrection. And it certainly wasn't David who had been raised up. As Peter is is quoting from and therefore he, uh, it had to be the Messiah. And that makes David a prophet, shows that he's speaking, as you said, by inspiration and he is a prophet.
spk_0: 13:10
Fred Yes, and and so, uh, Peter goes on in verse 29. He's going to explain these things to them. He says now, men and brethren let me speak freely to you. Of the Patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore being a prophet, that knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he foreseeing this spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. So Peter says that the Holy Spirit was poured out. This is testimony to that. What we're saying is true, it is confirmed. And he says now David was promised that one of his descendants would sit on his throne and Peter says, Now, Jesus, God has raised up. He's at his right hand. So Jesus, when Peter spoke was on David's throne, of course, David's throne being at this time in heaven.
spk_1: 14:24
Arnie Exactly. And and he says that beginning in Verse 34 for David did not ascend into the heavens. But he says himself, the Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies my footstool. your its, your footstool and so Here he's he's pointing out the very fact that Jesus is reigning in heaven. And let me just say this. A lot of times people think that Jesus is going to be reigning here on earth at some later point. Jesus is reigning in heaven. He's there now. The kingdom is now. It's not going to be for a 1000 year period in Jerusalem. All that's gonna be gone at the at the end of at the end of time. Jesus is is the king and he's reigning now. Here are here is the one passage here. Psalm110 verse one, The Lord said to My Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool. By the way, that's another prophecy from from David that that says that. And when we look in Acts, Chapter 15, 1st Corinthians .15. Yeah, thank you. First Corinthians 15 and verse 24 as Paul is writing to the Corinthians on the on the subject of Resurrection, He said, he speaks about the end coming in verse 24. Then comes the end. When he delivers the kingdom to God the Father ,when he puts an end to all rule and authority and power. For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. Speaking of resurrection, then that's when death is destroyed. So Jesus is the king. He's the king now. And the fact of the business,, these people had had murder and, uh, Peter indicts them on for the murder of the Messiah that they've been waiting for for 1500 years, who was now both Messiah and King.
spk_0: 16:54
Fred Of course. That that promise, uh, David had Peter had talked about David and that promise we can read about in Second Samuel 7, 12 to 16. And Samuel says there, When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, speaking there, I will set up your seed after you who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But my mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you and your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever. Of course. Samuel is talking to David here. And he refers to David's son, Solomon, which would build which would build the temple.
spk_1: 17:56
Arnie That was Nathan talking to him,
spk_0: 17:59
Fred Uh, so Solomon would build the physical temple. But the descendant of Solomon would be would be the Lord who would establish his kingdom forever. Not an earthly kingdom, but a spiritual kingdom. And in Psalm 132:11 there, David again, right? He says, The Lord has sworn in truth to David. He will not turn from it. I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body. So, So his descendant, Jesus, would be the one that would sit on David's throne. Which throne would be in heaven.
spk_1: 18:34
Arnie That throne indeed is in heaven. And I think people again get confused sometimes with prophecy. Because prophets very often, speak about one individual, and then shift without telling you so to another individual. So Second Samuel, seven deals both with Christ and with Solomon. And, you can obviously tell which parts have to do with Solomon and which parts have to do with Christ. Christ is not going to be the one who who disobeys the Lord and and steps out of line. That would be that would be Solomon and he would receive God's discipline. But the reigning for ever in heaven, of course, is going to be is going to be a Christ. So, Peter, after having referred to these prophecies from the Old Testament in Acts two, Verse 36 says, Therefore, let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ. And when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles, Men, and brethren, what shall we do? So so they ask a question that's essentially boils down to I guess sometimes we think of that is being what we're gonna do now, and that's that. Maybe it's part of the the question, but they're really asking what must be done. What is what is obligated of them now to, uh, to rid themselves of the curse that they brought about upon themselves by by slaying the King and Messiah. So as they as they think about what Peter said and they realized their guilt there. They're horrified by that, and they seek the Apostles help.
spk_0: 20:39
Fred So Peter, Peter answers them and beginning in verse 38 it says, Then Peter said to them, Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are afar off, as many has the Lord, our God shall call. And with many other words, he testified and exhorted them, saying, Be saved from this perverse generation. So So they wanted to know. How do we? How do we fix this? In that we have murdered the Messiah. What shall we do? So Peter gives them basically some terms of deliverance And then he says that they would receive this promise. The Holy Spirit's gift was not the Holy Spirit himself. Peter didn't say you were will receive the Holy Spirit.
spk_1: 21:30
Arnie They weren't all going to be able to speak in tongues for example.
spk_0: 21:33
Fred No. He said you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Of course,
spk_1: 21:37
Arnie Was the Holy Spirit's gift
spk_0: 21:38
Fred That was the Holy Spirit's gift, and that was deliverance from the consequences of what they had done. And Joel in 2:32 says, It shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, there shall be, notice, deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls. So so they wanted to know about, What shall we do? How are we gonna fix this? That we have murdered the Messiah and Peter tells them, repent and be baptized. And then, of course, you would be delivered from the consequences of what you have done
spk_1: 22:16
Arnie now, Fred, just so that we can understand this correctly here. Is Peter indicating that they simply needed to repent. And if they wanted to, they could they could be baptized there. Is that what he's telling them?
spk_0: 22:31
Fred No, he said, repent and be baptized, and I think it's a cord, coordinating conjunction is the and is so so, yhose two things are connected together. It's not one or the other. It's one and the other, which he said, repent and be baptized.
spk_1: 22:49
Arnie And he's asking, answering their questions. What must we do? You must repent and be baptized. I think a little bit further along, we're going to see here in just another versus so that sort of Ah, back up of that.
spk_0: 23:09
Fred Remember, Peter is speaking by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So, so what Peter is saying are the holy Spirits words. And of course, we've discussed this before, what the Holy Spirit provided to the apostles. Those words came from God. So, so this is not just Peter saying. Well, this is my opinion. I think this is what you are to do. No, this is a command. This is what you must do in order to be delivered from the consequences of your murder of the Messiah.
spk_1: 23:37
Arnie Well, he continues on down, to down to verse 41. Here, let me let me see here. Those that gladly received his word were baptized and that day there were 3000, about 3000 souls were added to them. It's interesting that he mentions that they were baptized here. About 3000 souls did that. These were individuals who had gladly received his word. What happened to those that didn't gladly receive his word? They weren't baptized. If you if you receive God's word not gladly, and decide not to be baptized, you have not met the terms of for the remission of sin, the terms of deliverance.
spk_0: 24:33
Fred Yeah, well, you know, And you know, sometimes that even today sometimes people they'll they'll look at this and they say, Well, you know, I believe that ought to be good enough And of course there are, there are those that teach that that all you have to do is believe. But, but that's not what, that's not what Peter said. Peter said, Repent and be baptized. And we find, you know, other occasions that we've talked about, that those kinds of requirements are given. It's not, it's not what Fred thinks he ought to do. It's not what Arnie thinks he ought to do. It's what the Bible says, which is what God says that we must do. We don't get to choose how to obey God. We have to find out what God requires of us, and then we must obey it. And just as Peter told them, they said, What must we do? Peter said repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ or by the Lord's authority, that you must do this.
spk_1: 25:33
Arnie Now remember what, what Joel had been referring to there, back there in Joel, Chapter two, that Peter had had quoted from there. There were three things that he had spoken about. He had spoken about visions and prophecy and and of course they were. They were seeing that and hearing that at that moment he spoke about, about God's judgement upon wicked men, especially upon Jerusalem that came in AD 70. Who was delivered in AD 70? The disciples were the ones who were delivered, that they were the ones who had called upon His name. Josephus, by the way, points out that when the con, conflagration began and the Romans destroyed the city and slaughtered everybody, except for about 95,000 that were carried off into slavery, that there was no indication that any disciples of Christ, any Christians at all suffered in that that they all escaped that. I wonder why?
spk_0: 26:45
Fred Yeah, so, so we're told then, in Verse 42 says that they continued... Of course, this would be talking about the 3000. Yeah. And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine, and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayers. And I might point out here that Pentecost, the way they figured Pentecost was seven Sabbaths plus one day. So that would be 50 days. The 50th day would be the first day of the week. So So So when they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and prayers, they were worshiping in spirit and in truth during that time on that first day. So then it says that fear, Verse 43, came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together and had all things common and sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart praising, praising the, uh, I lost my place...
spk_1: 27:56
Arnie praising God and having favor with all the people.
spk_0: 28:00
Fred Thank you. So, so what we're told here is these people that had obeyed that they had come to Pentecost from all of these different countries, and they had only intended on being there just for the period of Pentecost. So they had only brought enough things with them to sustain them for that time. So here they have now obeyed the gospel, and they're gonna have to stay around there and be instructed on some more things. So, so those that had goods and had land or what not, they sold it. And then they provided for these people for the next, uh, days that they were gonna be there. And I think we'll go through it to about Acts Chapter eight before they're finally scattered abroad.
spk_1: 28:48
Arnie And then, of course, the end of verse 47 And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. So there were still others besides the original 3000 that were that were being saved. The word church, by the way, is just an English word. But the Greek word actually means a called out body. The people who have been called out of darkness and into light and who had obeyed the gospel constituted that called out body. And it was just exactly as Jesus had told Peter. You recall back in in Matthew, Chapter 16 in the area of Caesarea Philippi, When Peter had confessed that Jesus was both Lord and Christ, Jesus said On this rock, I will build my church. Or my called out body. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I'll give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. And, here's the thought. The church and the kin.. the kingdom are one in the same. Well, we appreciate you, you listening. We hope that we've had a study thatwill be beneficial to you. Feel welcome to write us an email if you want to discuss that a little bit further. We hope that you tune in to us again next Lord's Day. This is Arnie Granke and and Fred. Gosnell wishing you a very good Lord's Day.