Study #3

Study #3 Acts 9: 1-20

NIV     ¹Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest ²and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. ³As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"  ⁵"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.  "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. ⁶"Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."  ⁷The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. ⁸Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. ⁹For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.  ¹⁰In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"  "Yes, Lord," he answered.  ¹¹The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. ¹²In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."  ¹³"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."  ¹⁵But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. ¹⁶I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."  ¹⁷Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." ¹⁸Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, ¹⁹and after taking some food, he regained his strength Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. ²⁰At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.

Author – Although the author does not name himself, evidence outside the Scriptures and inferences from the book lead to the conclusion the author was Luke.  Date – Most accepted is circa 63 AD soon after the last event recorded in the book for there is no mention of the deaths of Peter or Paul 67 AD or the destruction of Jerusalem 70 AD.

Characteristics - Every page of Acts gives sharp, precise details. The account covers a period of about 30 years and reaches across the lands from Jerusalem to Rome. The book is filled with all kinds of people and cultures, and a variety of governmental administrations.

Saul is first mentioned in Acts 7:58 at the stoning of Stephen, in 8: 1 he gives his approval of the murder, then he begins persecuting the church 8:3, chapter 9 is the account of his conversion.

      The story begins with Saul getting letters of authority from Caiaphas (high priest from AD 18-36) to arrest any from “the way.” This was one of the names for Christianity. Paul heads for a place called Damascus. This city is one of the most ancient cities in the world still standing today. Situated about 70 miles from the Mediteranean, it is an oasis on the edge of the desert. The main caravan route from Egypt to Mesopotamia passed through it, so it was a busy trading center. Many thousands of Jews lived there at this period. A strict Jewish sect, called, the “Covenanter of Damascus,” is described in the Zadokite Fragment. Many scholars today connect this group with the Qumran community. It is about 150 miles from Jerusalem to Damascus.

    While nearing Damascus Paul has a light bulb moment (pardon the pun). He is surrounded suddenly by a dazzling light, he falls to the ground and hears a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul asks, “Who are you, Lord” we can see from this statement Paul understands the voice is from one with authority. The voice replies “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, get up and go into the city and you will be told what to do.” In this sentence we see that the Savior of the world equates us and Himself. The Christians were the ones that Saul was persecuting, and Jesus states “you are persecuting me.” We really are at one with Christ. He knows what is happening in our lives and he suffers with us when things go wrong. Have you ever felt alone only to realize Jesus was with you? How does it feel to know when you are persecuted for Christ, He is persecuted as well? He equates our suffering with Himself, incredible!

     Verse 7, “the men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.” It is unclear here if they heard a voice. In Acts 22:9 it indicates they didn’t hear the voice. When Saul finally finds his feet and gets up he is BLIND and must be lead by the hand into the city. I bet this was different than what he thought when he left Jerusalem. He probably had plans to stay somewhere nice, eat well, forcefully arrest the members of this “sect” in public, haul them back to Jerusalem and get lots of feathers in his Pharisee cap. Now, we find him humbled, afflicted and blind having talked with the living, risen Jesus, the very one Saul didn’t even think existed. Our plans don’t always work like we think they will. Often the outcome is very different that what we thought, especially in the Kingdom. “So the last will be first and the first will be last.” (Matt 20: 16).  

     For three days Saul remained blind and didn’t eat or drink anything. When I read this passage I often wonder if he was so amazed, so moved, so “something” that Saul didn’t eat or drink. Many times I believe we see incredible things of God and have a “so what” attitude, instead maybe we should take some time and really think about what has happened. Often after a mountain top experience with God, a miracle or revelation, we rush right back into the same ole’ – same ole’ never really absorbing what God has done. Has this ever happened with you? I can think of several instances in my life, two stand out in my mind. Several years ago I was not feeling well, off to the Dr. I went. I received blood tests back that indicated Hepatitis C. I went to the church and we begin to pray that God would touch my body with healing or equip me to live with the disease. When I went back for further testing there was no evidence of Hepatitis C. God had taken care of that devastating disease, whether by healing me or by mistaken original blood work I don’t know, BUT I do know He took care of it because we asked. Now, I thanked Him and have done so many times but I didn’t take time out and really think about His goodness, His mercy and His directed care to me. Second instance, last summer while working in my kitchen, I actually heard His sweet and precious voice speak to me on an issue. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I will never get over it or be the same. Yet, a few moments after the incident I went right back to work. I NEVER want to be guilty of that again, when God does something to me, around me or in my circle of community I want to take time and take it in, bask in His presence. I want  to “stop and smell the roses” don’t you? Makes eating and drinking not seem so important…

We’ll stop there for today… Many blessings.

Resources: “NIV Study Bible” and “Beacon Bible Commentary” by Joseph H. Mayfield and Ralph Earle

 

 

study #2

Bible Journey         

 

LESSON 2

 Continue Acts 5: 17-42 (beginning at 34) ³⁴But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. ³⁵Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. ³⁶Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. ³⁷After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. ³⁸Therefore, 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. ³⁹But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."  ⁴⁰His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.  ⁴¹The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. ⁴²Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. New International Version

 

Yesterday, I completed the study through verse 33, now to continue.

 

I love this part of the story because it just goes to show you never know where help may come from. Gamaliel was a Pharisee, there is no indication that he was Christian or even in sympathy with Christianity. But he was well known, respected and loved among the Jews of his day. He was a kind man who did not regard Greek culture as sinful. He was one of the very few Pharisees who was given the highest title “Rabban.” When he died it was said, “Since Rabban Gamaliel died there has been no more reverence for the Law; and purity and abstinence died out at the same time.”  We hear this name later in the writings of Paul, for this is who he studied under (Acts 22:3). As a Pharisee, Gamaliel would have believed in fate and free-will, that all things were in the hand of God and yet that man was responsible for his actions. Therefore, he stopped the mob rage towards the apostles based upon the fact that they must be careful just in case this was from God and not man. He quotes two examples of false leaders that came to nothing and reminds them if this Jesus “sect” is not of God it will blow over. As we can see 2000 years later, it really was from God or it would have flickered and gone out long ago. In our own situation, there may be times when new and innovative teachings come to our churches. When these come, rather than attack them, maybe we need to allow time, thought and God to sort through them. It could be they are from God and not from man. We must never be closed minded to new ideas but weigh them with prayer and patience. It does not mean we must accept them but, chances are, if they are of human origin they will die out. Our preferences and opinions must take a back seat (not to say they aren’t legitimate) they just have to be in the back ground. God may be doing a new thing and if so…don’t we want to be in on it?

The rulers then have the apostles flogged. I never realized the intensity of a flogging until I saw the move directed by Mel Gibson called “The Passion.” I have a new respect and attitude when I see in scripture that Jesus or other believers were “flogged.” That means these guys were half beat to death and this segment of scriptures ends with them rejoicing after a flogging and going right back to the temple courts and/or houses to PREACH. How can this be???? Truly, they show no thought of self, simply consumed with the risen Savior. We must ask ourselves, are we consumed with the risen Savior? Would we risk life and limb to proclaim what we have seen and heard concerning Christ? Would we rejoice upon receiving the 39 lashes (which incidentally was known to kill some) and consider it something to praise for just because we tasted some of Jesus same suffering? Just where does my love and loyalty lie?

Information obtained from: “The Acts of the Apostle’s” by William Barclay and “All the Men of the Bible” by Herbert Lockyer

4/11/07

Hello Everyone,

     Here in at our local flock, there are five staff members that gather weekly to pray over, discuss, tear apart, and feed on the text for Sunday. On Monday we talked about this being my weekly Bible study. We feel it will help our congregation come in better prepared to hear what God has to say on Sunday.

     RULES of the studies. These studies are not for me, they are for us as we journey together in life. We are not lone rangers but a community just trying to understand and better know God. The studies will contain questions, these are not necessarily for you to answer back to me BUT for you to take your time, contemplate with God and honestly answer for yourself. NOW, anytime you want to comment back to me please feel free!!!! I love it and if it is general I enjoy sharing it with everyone else. If it is personal I will dialog only with you. I don’t put your name on it so you can be very non-threatened and open, for general comments/questions. Please, NEVER, feel like you must agree with me, many don’t and that’s really okay, I’m not God (thank goodness). J

     If you miss a study you can log into my blog at Harrisonvillenaz.org. I attempt to keep at least four studies there all the time. I really thrive on this and I am so glad you are taking part. I do want you to know if at anytime you don’t want these studies just let me know, it won’t hurt my feelings. Now may the Lord bless us as we look at His revelation of Himself to us.

Blessings, Nancy

 

Bible Journey         

 Acts 5: 17-42 ¹⁷Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. ¹⁸They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. ¹⁹But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. ²⁰"Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life."  ²¹At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.  When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. ²²But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, ²³"We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside." ²⁴On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this.  ²⁵Then someone came and said, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people." ²⁶At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.  ²⁷Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ²⁸"We gave you strict orders not to

teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood."  ²⁹Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! ³⁰The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. ³²We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."  ³³When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. ³⁴But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. ³⁵Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. ³⁶Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. ³⁷After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. ³⁸Therefore, 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. ³⁹But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."  ⁴⁰His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.  ⁴¹The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. ⁴²Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. New International Version

 

Vs 17 “Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.”

     This was not the first arrest of the apostles they were arrested back in 4:1-4. They were forbidden from proclaiming Christ it didn’t work!

     Who are the Sadducees? This is one of the religious parties that existed among the Jews in the days of Christ and the early church, but exercised comparatively little influence among the people. They were the wealthy, aristocratic and Hellenistic (influenced by Greek culture after Alexander the Great had been through the region). Their origin is uncertain, but it is to be seen in the period in Jewish history between the restoration of the Jews (536 BC) and the fall of Jerusalem 70 AD. The Sadducees had a number of distinctive beliefs, contrasting with the Pharisees: 1) They held only to the written law (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy) and rejected any traditions.

2) The Sadducees denied the resurrection of the body, personal immortality, and retribution in a future life. They believed that the soul died with the body. 3) They denied the existence of angels and spirits. 4) They believed that there was no need of divine providence to order their lives. That they were master of their own destinies and that the doing of good or evil was entirely a matter of free choice. NIV Bible Dictionary, page 884

     It makes sense that these folks would be jealous of Jesus and His disciples. They were attracting the crowds, the Sadducees cash cow. If the people began to follow the teaching of the disciples the hierarchy of the day would crumble and since they were at the top, the fall would be hard. So, they arrest the apostles and put them in the public jail (vs 18). Obviously, God had other plans since he sent an angel, who successfully breaks them out of jail (vs 19). Then sends them right back to the temple courts (vs 20) to tell about this new life. Can you see the humor all over this… the Sadducees don’t believe in angels – angels rescue, the Sadducees work at the temple – the apostles go right back into their lair, the Sadducees don’t believe that God intervenes in our lives and these apostles are teaching about new life in Christ… I’m really am sitting here chuckling. If this doesn’t convince you that the Lord has a sense of humor just look at the duck billed platypus.      

     We see in the next few verses the Sadducees come together, in full pomp and circumstance, send for the apostles only to discover no one can find them. The jail is secure and the apostles are MIA. Then all of a sudden somebody hollers, “There they are in the temple court teaching.” Who ever this informant was it had to be either a tattle tale or someone who’s jabbing at the Sadducees. (Maybe it was one of the Pharisees, they didn’t get along with each other.) So, the Sadducee police go gather up the disciples and bring them in. Note that they do it nicely (vs 26) because the people love the apostles and the guards are afraid of the people, do I detect a cowardly lion in the midst?

    I see a big contrast here, in verse 21, we see these nobody apostles after being in jail go right back to the temple courts in obedience to what the angel said and Jesus commissioned them. If the disciples were afraid we see no evidence of it, only obedience. Contrast the temple guards, who were soldiers, possibly thugs and they are afraid or the church crowd. Hummmmmm…

     This could teach us a couple of things. First, the apostles had experienced a resurrected Jesus. They touched Him, they ate with Him, and they walked with Him, then, watched Him ascend into the clouds. They had direction and commands from the Lord. They had experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They had experienced and seen miracles. NO WONDER they weren’t afraid. Those soldiers were just doing their job, for bosses who looked down on them and might fire them any day told to arrest these preachers who the people loved. NO WONDER they were scared of the crowd. So, what does this say to us? What’s our fear factor when it comes to God things, are we afraid to speak out or live a certain way? Could it be we haven’t really met and know the one who is resurrected? We don’t know what the Lord’s direction is?  We haven’t experienced the Holy Spirit or ever seen a miracle? Why the fear?

 

²⁷Having brought the apostles; they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ²⁸"We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood."  ²⁹Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! ³⁰The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. ³²We are witnesses of these things,                                                                        

and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."  ³³When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.

     This is pretty amazing. How quickly people forget sin. These were the very people who had Jesus arrested, hauled to Pilate, and crucified. The very people who called out in Matthew 27: 25 “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” Now they act like it’s the disciples themselves blaming them and they had nothing to do with it. Amazing! Yet this causes me to look at my self. How many times have I said something that hurt someone and the next time I see them I act like nothing has happened? Or was part of bad decisions and then blamed those very decisions on someone else? Amazing!

    We then come to Peter’s incredible reply, “we must obey God rather than men!” may this be our cry! Let us learn all we can about God and follow it. May we look for His approval rather than any human? May we be more concerned with how the Savior feels than any one else.

    Now, again I am struck by the humor in this passage. Peter reminds these leaders that they are the very people who killed Jesus who would not settle for a flogging but insisted on crucifixion (hanging on a tree).  The very ones who tore their garments, spit on and hit Jesus when he made the statement “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One” (Mark 14: 62). It reminds me of finding the five year old with cookie crumbs around the mouth, the broken cookie jar near by and when asked did you get a cookie they act like they don’t know what you’re talking about… “Me, not me.”

     Now, Peter uses these very words again but in the same breath offers forgiveness, which they ignore or don’t even realize. Instead, the rulers become furious and want to kill them. In my experience I have often seen people become angry, defensive, belligerent, etc. when Jesus, repentance, forgiveness begins to be discussed. It is so much easier to be defensive than to look inside at ourselves, our own failures, loneliness, emptiness and admit we need God. As you sit in front of your computer, with no one else around, can you take a moment and pull down the walls, the anger, the hate and really talk to the one who made every effort to bring peace to you? Or would you rather murder Him or the messenger?