Monthly Archives: September 2020
Apostles Without Quarters – Acts 9:32-35
Summary:
The “quarters” in Verse 32 were the quarters of the Roman empire that Luke, the author of Acts, also referenced in Luke 3:1. There the word “tetrarch” is a compound Greek word. “Tetr” means fourth and “arch” means ruler, as when arch-angels rule over other angels. Put them together and it means tetrarchs ruled over a fourth part of the Roman Empire.
The Bible isn’t a book of science, but when it touches on scientific things like this it is always scientifically accurate. It took science 3500 years to learn that uncovered food get contaminated with germs, something God talked about in Numbers 19:15. It also took science about that long to learn that “bloodletting,” such as the doctors performed on George Washington to help with his throat infection, was only letting his life slip away (Lev. 17:11).
The “saints” in those quarters were living, breathing believers, not dead people canonized by Rome. The word “saint” is the noun form of the word sanctify. If you are sanctified, you’re a saint—even the carnal Corinthians (I Cor. 1:2)!
The early part of Acts 9 is all about the conversion of Saul, who became the Apostle Paul. In our last lesson we learned that with his conversion the focus in Acts begins to shift away from the 12 to Paul. That’s because they were Israel’s apostles for Israel’s 12 tribes. But when the Jews crucified the Lord and stoned Stephen they showed they rejected the kingdom that Peter offered them (Acts 3:19). After that, Paul was given the new program of grace, so the focus in Acts shifts to him.
So here in Acts 9, we have to ask why Luke has gone back to talking about Peter (9:36). The answer is: because God didn’t drop Israel like a hot potato! Even though the nation had rejected the Lord, He kept reaching out to individuals within the nation (Rom. 10:21).
“Palsy” is the Bible word for paralysis (Mark 2:3). Peter is going to heal this paralyzed Jew named Aeneas. Aeneas means praise, and praise is what the nation of Israel was supposed to be. They were supposed to be the source of praise to God on earth. That’s why God created that nation (Isa. 43:21). And someday in the kingdom, they will show forth God’s praise to the nations (Isa. 61:9-11).
But after the Jews rejected the kingdom by stoning Stephen in Acts 7, here in Acts 9 we see a symbol of what they had become instead. We see a man whose name means praise suffering from palsy, or paralysis. That’s a type of how God’s program to have the nation of Israel lead the nations in praise of God had bogged down and become paralyzed.
He was paralyzed “eight years.” This happened 38 A.D., eight years after the Lord began his ministry (Luke 3:23). So this paralyzed victim of palsy was a symbol of how Israel had been paralyzed since the beginning of the Lord’s ministry by their own unbelief. The Lord did His best to raise them up from that paralysis, as we see symbolized in Matthew 9:6, but they crucified Him instead.
When Peter likewise healed a paralyzed Jew, it wasn’t to portray the spiritual healing that the Lord was offering Israel, as the Lord’s miracle of healing did. It was to depict what God will do for Israel in the future. That’s why this miracle was repeated. God will someday make Israel a source of His praise in the earth after 2,000 years of spiritual paralysis! When this man obeyed the Lord and made his bed after getting healed, that’s a picture of how Israel will begin to obey God after the Lord raises them up from their paralysis.
When they do, it will have an effect on the nations, as we see pictured when this healing had an effect on people (9:35). “Lydda” is the Greek spelling of “Lod,” part of the people who returned to Israel after the tribulation of the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 2:1,33). They picture what will happen after the Jews go through the Tribulation and return to the promised land after seeing God lift the paralysis of their nation.
We see more proof of this when “Saron” also turned to the Lord after seeing Aeneas healed (9:35). “Saron” is Sharon, and Sharon will also turn to the Lord after seeing the lame man leap as an hart (Isa. 35:1,2,6)—just like Aeneas did!
Where Did Israel Get Sacrifice Animals in the Wilderness?
“When Israel was in the wilderness for forty years, where did they get the animals for their sacrifices to God?”
When Moses initially asked Pharaoh to let Israel go into the wilderness for just three days to sacrifice to God, Pharaoh asked, “who are they that shall go?” (Ex. 10:8). Moses replied, “We will go… with our flocks and with our herds” (v. 9).
The answer to your follow-up question, “Did they grow crops to feed those animals?” is that they were all grazing animals (Ex. 34:3) that fed on the grass found wherever they went.
When you also ask why they needed quails to eat flesh if they had those animals, we know that they didn’t eat their animals, for when they tired of manna and eggs from their flocks, “the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?” (Num. 11:4). God replied in anger,
“The Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat… a whole month” (v. 18,20).
Moses wondered how God was going to make good on that promise, and asked God, “Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?” (v. 22). That shows that their animals wouldn’t have lasted a month if they started eating them. They milked their cattle, they didn’t eat them.
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.
Our Love For God and God’s Love For Us
Thanksgiving and Renewed Courage
“And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and the three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage” (Acts 28:15).
We’re often gripped with anxious moments as we face new or different situations. It seems it was no different with Paul. Though he was the great apostle of grace, he evidently had some anxiety or fear of what he faced in Rome. Rather than inventing or enhancing fears, our focus in this article is his response of thankfulness to God for His provision.
Years of trials, travel, and travail led up to this last leg of Paul’s journey to Rome. His life literally hung in the balance of the whim of Caesar. Yet during his approach to Rome, God sent brethren, who longed to see him, out to meet him.
These were probably some of those mentioned in Paul’s letter to the Romans. Though we don’t know who or how many came to meet him, Paul was on a first name basis with twenty-four Roman brethren and was acquainted with many more he mentioned in general terms in the closing of that letter.
Two that stand out in the list would be Aquila and Priscilla. These two, of kindred spirit with Paul, had previously risked their lives for him (Rom. 16:4). What would hold them back from going out to receive him at a time like this?
Thus, we find Paul thanked God at the very sight of the brethren that met him on the road that day. and he received courage. The word courage in the New Testament is used as a noun only here; but as a verb, it is used eight other times. For instance, God gave Paul courage in Acts 23:11 when He assured Paul that he would be going to Rome. This meeting brought him courage.
Just as Paul thanked God for his meeting with brethren, others may be thankful for meeting with you. God can use what we may consider insignificant for His glory.
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.
Two Promises
What Do Good Guys Wear? – Acts 9:20-31
Summary:
Why did Saul preach the kingdom gospel of “Jesus is the Christ” (v. 20 cf. John 20:31) instead of the gospel he later preached of “Christ died for our sins” (I Cor. 15:1-4)? It’s important to know the answer, for those who say he preached the kingdom gospel early in his ministry say he preached the kingdom program in his early epistles. That would mean Romans, Corinthians, Galatians and Thessalonians were written to Jews under the kingdom program and not to us.
But what would you preach if you were facing unsaved Jews in a synagogue who didn’t know Jesus was their Christ? Jesus is the Christ! That’s where we must begin with unsaved Jews. But that’s not all he preached, that’s all Luke wrote down. Nineteen years later Luke said that’s still all he preached in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1), but we know he preached his gospel there too (Rom. 16:25 cf. I Thes. 1:5). He preached that Christ died for us there (I Thes. 4:14; 5:10), so he probably preached that in Acts 9:20 as well.
So why didn’t Luke say he preached more? He was writing as a historian, not a theologian. The new program of grace was given to Paul, not him. Paul’s theology is in his epistles.
Saul nearly died when he didn’t drink for three days (9:9). He was strengthened a little in v.19 and more here (v. 22). He proved Jesus was Christ to those unsaved Jews the same way he did in Acts 17:2,3, by proving their own Scriptures predicted Christ would die and rise again—like Jesus did!
They didn’t like his message so decided to kill the messenger (v. 23). The phrase lie in wait (v. 24) refers to a secret ambush (Pr. 1:11). Paul knew about this secret because he was a prophet (I Cor. 13:2) and prophets could know stuff like that (II Ki. 6:11). The disciples helped him escape in a basket over the city wall (v. 25). II Corinthians 11:32 tells us that they got the government to do their dirty work of trying to kill him, just as they convinced Pilate to execute the Lord.
The word “assayed” means to try (Heb. 11:29). You’d think the disciples would know that anyone who had to escape those unsaved Jews in a basket was a legitimate believer, but they figured it was all a clever ruse to gain their confidence and trap them and kill them.
When Acts 9:26,27 says Saul went to Jerusalem and saw the 12, we know three years have passed (Gal. 1:13-18). Now you’d think Saul would have wanted to see the 12 apostles right away, and maybe he did. But the Lord would have steered him away from them lest people think he got his message from them and preached the same thing they did.
He didn’t! God gave him a whole new message and pro-gram, the message and program of grace! When Saul finally did meet with the 12, they didn’t tell him what they preached. He already knew what they preached. He wouldn’t have been killing them without doing his homework. He killed them in all good conscience (Acts 23:1). No, he told them what he preached (Gal. 2:1-7). We assume Saul spent those three years in Arabia learning the mystery, since it took the Lord three years to train the 12.
From Acts 9 forward in Acts, the focus shifts away from the 12 to Paul, and that begins here. That explains why Peter had the gift of prophecy in Acts 5:1-9 when he just knew Ananias and Sapphira were lying, but didn’t know Saul wasn’t lying here when he said he was a disciple. He was beginning to lose his spiritual gifts! Not all at once, for he’s about to heal a man and raise a woman from the dead. But God had already taken away his gift of prophecy and given it to Paul.
How did Barnabas know Saul wasn’t lying? We’re not told. Perhaps he saw Saul use his gift of prophecy, or heard him preaching. All we know for sure is that Saul hung out with the 12 in Jerusalem (v. 28) for fifteen days (Gal. 1:18). Long enough to get the Grecians angry enough to kill him (v. 29).
When the churches had rest after Saul got saved (v. 30,31), that proves he was the main persecutor of the church. And if God can save His worst enemy, that proves that He can save you, no matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ…and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).
Video of this sermon is available on YouTube: What Do Good Guys Wear? – Acts 9:20-31
No Excuses
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:12-13).
1 Corinthians 10:13 takes away all our excuses regarding temptation. A pastor once jokingly told me that this is his least favorite verse in the Bible. It’s a convicting verse, because it shows that we have no one to blame but ourselves when we succumb to temptation and sin. You hear people make the facetious excuse when they fall into sin that “The devil made me do it!” But the devil never makes us do anything. He does tempt and deceive, but the responsibility for falling into sin is our own.
Verse 13 is relatively well-known, but verse 12 needs to be remembered with it. In order for verse 13 to work in our lives, verse 12 must first take place. Verse 12 shows that to be able to turn from temptation there needs to be humility and a distrust of self. If we proudly believe that we are strong and can stand up to any temptation, we’re going to fall.
J. Vernon McGee told the following: “I think of the little boy who was playing around one evening in the pantry. He had gotten down the cookie jar. His mother called to him and said, ‘Willie, what are you doing in the pantry?’ He said, ‘I’m fighting temptation!’”1 Standing there with the cookie jar in our hands is not the place to fight temptation! We’re going to fall when we think we can fight temptation.
By first having a realistic view of ourselves and our weakness, then can we live by and apply verse 13, which points us to the faithful God. Not trusting ourselves and turning to the Lord is where we find strength against temptation.
There are those who feel that nobody has ever been tempted like they are tempted. But no matter what tempts you, there have been and there are others who are tempted the same way. It’s comforting to know that “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man.” You’re never alone in whatever temptation you are facing. There are always others who have the exact same struggle you do.
To overcome temptation, we need to look to God, Who is always faithful. This is how and where we find the strength and wisdom to turn from any temptation or endure it: we look to the Lord, seek His aid, and obey His Word. God is faithful to be with us always and to help us. He is faithful to His Word and faithful to the promises of verse 13.
God promises the Body of Christ that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to deal with. He does not promise that He will take all temptation away. When temptation comes, He does promise “a way to escape” it so that we are strong enough to bear it. The way out is always there right along with the temptation. God promises the appropriate way of escape from each particular temptation. Thus, we are given the choice whether or not we’ll look for or take the way out that He provides.
Regarding the temptation of idolatry, Paul wrote in the next verse, “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, FLEE from idolatry” (v. 14). Regarding the temptation of fornication, earlier in 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote the church to “FLEE fornication” (6:18). We need to let the devil see the backs of our shoes when it comes to temptation. Many times, the solution is just to run as fast as we can to get away from the sin that is tempting us. As Warren Wiersbe once said, “The believer who thinks he can stand may fall; but the believer who flees will be able to stand.”
However, sometimes it’s not possible to remove yourself completely from a temptation. When it is not possible to avoid the circumstance, God is faithful, and we need to keep our eyes on Him and He will give the strength to bear it. Because often the solution and God’s escape is a closer walk with Him.
1. J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible, Vol. V (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson
Publishers, 1983), p. 635.
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.
As Cold Water to a Thirsty Soul
Days of Future Past – Matthew 24:37-51
Summary:
Right before the Lord comes to defeat the Antichrist and all the unsaved men who ally themselves with him, they’ll be eating and drinking like they always do (v.38) so won’t know when He’s coming (v. 36).
That phrase “eating and drinking” is associated with banqueting in the Bible, especially in conjunction with “giving in marriage” (v. 37). Any father who’s paid for a wedding reception knows that! But believers who don’t take the mark of the beast won’t be able to buy enough food and wine to eat and drink like that (Rev. 13:17). And believers will think twice before marrying due to the Lord’s warning in Matthew 24:19. Only unbelievers will feel safe enough to marry in the Tribulation, thinking Antichrist will give them “peace and safety” (I Thes. 5:2,3).
Believers will also be unable to plant and build (Lu. 17:26), for they can’t build or plant on land they’ve sold, and that’s what they’ll have to do to be saved (Lu. 18:18, 22 cf. Acts 4:34,35).
Now I know that “one taken and one left” scenario described in Matthew 24:40,41 sounds like the Rapture, but believers are taken to heaven at the Rapture (I Thes. 4:14). Unbelievers are taken to judgment here, like Noah was (Mt. 24:39)—the judgment of Armageddon (Lu. 17:36,37 cf. Rev. 19:17-20).
Some unsaved people will gather themselves to that battle (Joel 3:9-12), while Satan will hoodwink others into going (Rev. 16:13-16). God will gather still other unbelievers to Armageddon in the “reverse Rapture” depicted here in Matthew 24. We know God knows how to teleport people (Acts 8:39). Acts 17:30-34 shows it will be “day” in some parts of the world when the Lord comes and “night” in other parts.
In Matthew 24:42 we see more proof the Lord isn’t talking about the Rapture here. That verse sounds more like a warn-ing of a disaster than advice to prepare for a happy event!
The Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief in the night (Mt. 24:43,44), and if men are not ready they’ll suffer the same kind of serious damage as they do from a thief. But if you’re not ready for the Rapture you just get Raptured! Those who teach the “partial Rapture” theory say you’ll be left behind if you’re not worthy, but they base that on Luke 21:36. But that’s talking about being able to “stand” before the Lord after the battle. After the Lord defeats Antichrist’s armies, the worthy ones left standing will enter the kingdom (Mal. 3:1-3). But all who believe will be raptured, not all who behave (I Thes. 4:14-17).
How will they get ready? Well the Lord will expect them to be feeding His servants (Mt. 24:45). If they don’t, they can’t be saved (James 2:15-17). If they do, they’ll be “blessed” (Mt. 24:46) with the kingdom (Mt. 25:34-40). The Lord’s “goods” (Mt. 24:47) are “all that He hath” in the kingdom (Lu. 12:44), the Gentile nations (Ps. 2:8). He’ll rule over them (Rev. 19:15) with help from worthy Jews (Rev.2:26, 27).But you’ll be ruling over the angels in heaven (I Cor. 6:3).
Some Jews won’t be ready because they’ll believe the Lord’s coming is far off (Mt. 24:48 cf. Ezek. 12:27). So while worthy people will be feeding God’s people, unsaved men will be persecuting them (Mt. 24:49). They’ll be getting drunk and living it up—but not for long (v. 50,51)!
But eating and drinking and marrying is the opposite of what men will be doing before the Rapture (I Tim. 4:1-3). That’s another way you know that Matthew 24 is not about the Rapture. Only Paul talks about the Rapture. It was a “mystery” (I Cor. 15:51-53) until the Lord revealed it to him.
But an old saying says not to let your roots in this world grow too deep, or you might not want to leave it when He comes. The Greek word for “caught up” in I Thessalonians 4:13-17 is translated “take Him by force” in John 6:15. Don’t make the Lord have to tug on you twice when He tries to take you away from this life and all the things you love by loving them too deeply. Instead, be one of the ones who are honoring Him with your life, and serving Him with your words, your time, your talent, your money, and with every breath you breathe.
Video of this sermon is available on YouTube: Days of Future Past – Matthew 24:37-51
