Part 2
Acts 1:1-26
Luke had previously written-down an account about all of
the things which Jesus began both to do and to teach when he was on earth
carrying-out his ministry during that time, up to the day when Jesus was taken upwards
by God into heaven. Jesus’ ascension happened after Jesus had commanded the
apostles concerning certain things which were made known to him by the
revelation of information from God through the Holy Spirit-life which he
received when God raised him up giving him his new spiritual body. Jesus had
previously selected these twelve men for himself. These men were “apostles”
because Jesus sent them forth on specific missions or assignments from himself
towards other people. Luke 6:12-16
We read a more detailed account of what the resurrected Christ Jesus
said to them before his ascension. Acts 1:3: to whom also he presented himself
living after his suffering in many sure-signs by means of forty days being seen
by them and saying the-things concerning the kingdom of God, It was to these
twelve that the resurrected Christ Jesus also caused himself to stand beside or
near-by, not as a dead-person but as living after his suffering. The word
“suffering” refers to his experiences, what he was affected by which included
his arrest, being evilly and maliciously treated, his crucifixion, death, and
burial. The resurrected Christ Jesus,
having received his new spiritual body, proved in a lot of sure-signs within
the sphere of action of many indubitable evidences, fixed or sure marks being
the criteria or standards by which to ascertain the truth that he was living
through/during the period of forty days between his resurrection and his
ascension into heaven. He did this while causing himself to be seen by the
apostles physically seen with their eyes and speaking to them the things
concerning the kingdom of God about all that is contained within God's
sovereignty, His kingly or royal dominion and government and rule and territory
and power, etc, which of course is holy and spiritual because God is the Holy
Spirit. See: Matthew 26:47-28:20; Acts 13:28-39, and 28:31.
Application:
They obeyed Jesus command and wait until the Holy Spirit came upon them.
Obedience to God (to God’s word) is the first and one of our responsibilities.
Acts 2:1-47
It is specifically stated what day is being referred to: the day of
Pentecost, detailed by writing that it was in the fulfillment (the filling
altogether, the complete or whole fullness) of the day of Pentecost, not the
day before it nor the day after it. It was the day of Pentecost – exactly ten
days after the ascension of the resurrected Christ Jesus into heaven. Pentecost
was an important feast for the children of Israel. The word
"Pentecost" is taken from the Greek word meaning "fiftieth"
because it was celebrated on the fiftieth day from the day after the weekly
Sabbath during their Passover/Unleavened-bread feast. Pentecost is sometimes
called the "Feast of Harvest" or the "Day of the
First-fruits" or the "Feast of Weeks." See: Exodus 23:16,
Deuteronomy 16:9-12, Numbers 28:26-31, Leviticus 23:15-22.
On this day of Pentecost, the twelve were doing what they had been
doing ever since the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ into heaven - they were
all together at the same place, the temple, for this is where they could all
(the twelve and the other learning-disciples including the women) be together
praying at the appropriate hours of temple-prayer. That day there would have
been a lot of people present in the Jerusalem temple because of it being the
day of Pentecost, and according to the Law of Moses all the Judean/Israeli
adult-males were obligated to attend this feast.
Suddenly (without any warning), there became (came to pass) out from
heaven a sound wholly-as the sound of blowing moving forward vehemently (the
motion of a blast of wind, a strong breathing, as Acts 17:25). The root of
“blowing” also gives us the words “wind” and “breath” and “spirit.” The sound
of blowing filled the whole house (the house of God which is the temple) where
they were sitting-down praying. And at the same time, tongues being thoroughly
distributed (fully divided, completely parted, divided up, divided into parts
with the different parts being imparted, apportioned among them) were seen by
them as-though of fire. These tongues were presented to their eyes to be known
by them as if they were fire, and each-distributed-part sat down-on each one of
them. The word translated "as-though" is an adverb describing the
verb translated "were seen" – they saw the tongues as though they
consisted of fire. Fire symbolizes or indicates God's presence and His
acceptance and purification of what was happening. It is interesting to note
that when Jesus received God's spirit following his water baptism by John, the
spirit was seen as if it were a dove ( Matthew 3:11-17).
There was to be no mistaking what
the twelve heard and what they saw – the time had definitely arrived! And they
were all caused to be filled with Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit is the spirit
that God had promised by means of the Lord Jesus Christ! They already had
soul/breath life within their physical bodies which made them living beings in
the flesh category, but now they had just received Holy Spirit life which made
them living in the spirit category. This is what they were waiting for as
Christ Jesus had instructed them just before his ascension into heaven.
The apostles began to utter-forth with different tongues (different
languages other-than their own known languages) according as the Spirit, which
they had just received, was giving them the words to speak-out. They had seen
tongues as-though of fire and so they knew to speak. They spoke what their
spirit was continuing to give them to speak. The Holy Spirit gave to them the clear utterance of words to speak
aloud, and the apostles knew to speak with their own physical tongue and mouth
and throat in order to express in the physical realm what the spirit within
each one of them wanted them to speak. Then they began to utter-forth with
different tongues according as the Holy Spirit within them gave to them the
words to precisely speak-forth. They did not understand the words they were
saying but they knew that they were speaking supernaturally because the Spirit
within each one of them was what was giving them the words to speak, not their
fleshy, intellectual minds. This was supernatural!
Application: Initial physical evidence of
filling with the Holy Spirit is speaking in new tongues. This is called baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Baptizer is Jesus and baptism place is Holy Spirit. The purpose of this baptism
is to get power for ministry (Evangelism). This is for all believers. The
precondition is believing in Jesus (born again).
Acts 3:1-26
Peter and John were on their way into the temple at the 3:00 p.m. hour
of prayer when this man who was lame from birth asked them for a merciful-deed.
This lame man was in need and asked to be given alms by mercy, to be bestowed
active-relief withholding any merited judgment and punishment from him.
Peter and John must have come-in through this temple-entrance on many
occasions previously, but on this occasion both Peter and John gazed-intently
at him - the holy spirit-life which they both had was working-within them to
fix their eyes intently upon this man at this time. Peter is the one who told
him that he must observe pay-attention and contemplate them, not anyone or
anything else. Did the man believe what Peter said? Yes. The man paid attention
to them expecting to receive something from them. Again, Peter is the one who speaks
and what he is speaking are God's words in this situation being communicated to
his mind by the Holy Spirit-life. He said: “Silver (silver coins, money in
general) and gold (gold coins) does not begin (start, originate) from me (I am
not the source of money), but what I have this I give to you - in the name of
Jesus Christ the Nazarene you must walk.” Some texts include the words “rise up
and” before the word “walk.” Peter had previously received Holy Spirit-life and
so he had the powerful ability of Christ within him. Now he could give the
beneficial effects, resulting from the Holy Spirit working within him, to
another person in accordance with the Christ I Corinthians 12:7-13.
Having spoken to this man, Peter continues to do as the Holy Spirit is
instructing him. He caught him with his right hand and raised him up, and right
then (next to, beside what Peter did, immediately) the man's power to step and
his anklebones were made firm and stable. And the man, leaping out from where
he had been put, stood and walked, and he went together with Peter and John
into the temple walking around and leaping (as dancing, springing) and speaking
in praise of God!
Yes, the man believed the words that Peter spoke to him and he
accepted the help that Peter offered to him in raising him up. Then the man
spoke in praise of God, not of Peter nor of John - he knew
that Peter had spoken God's words to him and so after he was healed he praised
the only true God.
Application: The primary blessing is
Spiritual blessing. Gold and silver is secondary and temporary blessing. The person who blessed with spiritual
blessing first knows how to live by what God gave him to live.
Acts 4:1-37
Even though physically it was only Peter who was actually speaking to
the people, God's Word attributes what was being spoken to both Peter and John
because the same Holy Spirit-life that was in Peter was in John. They were both
in the same situation and these words are what God and the Lord Jesus Christ
wanted them to say at this time.
However, as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the
commander of the temple and the Sadducees stood-on them (in the sense of
quickly approaching and taking position standing near them) because they were
feeling a lot of pain and grief - why? Because Peter and John were instructing
the people and bringing the message by way of Jesus regarding resurrection
out-from the rest of the dead-people.
These people were some of the so-called "religious leaders"
at that time who should have been delighted to hear God's words being spoken,
but instead they disagreed with the truth of resurrection! So, they arrested
Peter and John and put them in custody to keep an eye on them until the next
day because it was late and they didn't want to deal with them that evening.
But, many of the people who had listened to the word (the spoken
account communicated to Peter through the Holy Spirit-life and which he then
spoke to the people) believed that word. They believed God's Word just as Peter
and John believed God's Word and therefore they too received the gift of Holy
Spirit, and the number of grown adult men who believed became five thousand.
There were probably quite a few women and possibly teenagers there as well who
also heard and believed God's Word, but the Bible only mentions the adult-males
because they were the heads of their families and once they believed every
other person within that household ought to believe the same way.
Application: chapter 2: 42-47 and Chapter 4:32-37 shows the dynamic character of
the church. The dynamic character of the church is the presence of God. The
presence of God was with them and their fellowship was based on holistic
approach. They had one heart and one
mind. More than 5,000 people live and act together as one person. our unity and love open door for miracle and evangelism.
If you have any question please contact us
through this e-mail address. pastor@oromochurchtoronto.org
