Acceptable to God

For thousands of years, the Jews thought being the chosen people of God meant that they would be the only ones that God would save through his Messiah. Jesus himself sent out his disciples to minister to the people with the instruction, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 10:5-6). In what initially seemed like an unusually harsh encounter with a Caananite women, Jesus made it clear that anyone who puts their faith in him is acceptable to God. Matthew 15:21-28 states:

And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

The Caananite woman’s humble attitude toward Jesus enabled her to gain his affection and also demonstrated her belief that he was Israel’s Messiah. The woman’s statement, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table,” (Matthew 15:27) revealed that she understood God’s grace, that it was an undeserved gift that she had no right to claim for herself, but something that was accessible to anyone who was willing to seek it out.

The conversion of Paul opened the door for the gospel to be spread to the Gentile nations. The Lord Jesus Christ said of Paul, “he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). In spite of Paul being selected to take the gospel to the Gentiles, Peter was the one who was given the first opportunity to preach to a Gentile audience.

Peter had a vision from God that perplexed him, followed by a command from the Holy Spirit to go with three men who were looking for him (Acts 10:17-21). Peter didn’t hesitate to go with these men even though they told him they were taking him to see a leader of the Roman army (Acts 10:22). When they arrived at the centurion’s home, we are told in Acts 10:34-35, “So Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.’” Peter’s insight into the purpose of his visit and the work that God wanted him to be a part of resulted in a major turning point for the spread of the gospel and the growth of the first century church. It was also an important first step in the launch of the Apostle Paul’s ministry.

Cornelius, the Gentile that Peter was sent to preach the gospel to, was described as “an upright and God-fearing man” (Acts 10:22). The Greek word that is translated upright, dikaios (dikˊ-ah-yos) is used “especially of those whose hearts are right with God” and is also “spoken in the highest and most perfect sense of God (Jn 17:25; Ro 3:26; 1 Jn 2:29)” (G1342). Dikaios is translated as righteous in Galatians 3:11 where it says, “Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” From this statement we can infer that Cornelius was a man who lived by faith. Cornelius was also a God-fearing man. This meant that Cornelius worshipped God. Cornelius had an adoration of God that caused him to show God reverence, to stand in awe of him as a person (G5399).

Cornelius’ reputation as an upright and God-fearing man made him a likely candidate to receive the kingdom of God, but it wasn’t enough to save him. Cornelius still had to go through the process of being saved in order for him to have eternal life. Peter told Cornelius about who Jesus was and what he did on the cross so that Cornelius could believe and be saved. Peter concluded with the statement, “Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (10:43). We are told in Acts 10:44, “While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.” The Holy Spirit’s presence in Cornelius and the others who heard Peter’s message was tangible evidence that they were not only acceptable to God but had become members of his family. “Many believers received the Holy Spirit at the same time, which is similar to what had happened previously at Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-4) and Samaria (Acts 8:14-17)…The special manifestation of the Holy Spirit that allowed these Gentiles to speak in tongues proved that God had given them the same ‘gift’ (Acts 10:45) as the Jews” (note on Acts 10:44-48).

A chosen instrument

The Apostle Paul was first introduced in the Bible as Saul, a young man who was present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58). Paul admitted later when he was arrested in Jerusalem that he approved of the death of Stephen and was watching over the garments of those who killed him (Acts 22:20). While he was on his way to Damascus to bring believers there back to Jerusalem to be punished, Paul experienced a dramatic conversion. Acts 9:3-6 tells us, “Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do.’”

Paul recognized Jesus’ authority when he asked the question, “Who are you Lord” (Acts 9:5). The Greek word kurios (kooˊ-ree-os), which is translated Lord, refers to someone who is supreme in authority (G2962). Paul didn’t question Jesus’ authority, but rather did exactly as he was told to and began proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God immediately after his conversion (Acts 9:20).

Jesus told Ananias, the man who was tasked with restoring Paul’s sight and imparting to him the Holy Spirit, that Paul was a chosen instrument who would carry his name “before the Gentiles, and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15-16). Jesus considered Paul to be an asset to his ministry, even though he had been persecuting Christians and trying to stop the spread of the gospel up to the point of his conversion.

Paul became a chosen instrument of God through the process of divine election. “This means that God’s intention (prothesis [4286]) was according to the principle of election which is God’s free choice without being affected by any outside circumstances or the worth of the individuals concerned” (G1589). Paul later wrote about God’s sovereign choice in his letter to the Romans. Using the example of Jacob and Esau, Paul said, “For this is what the promise said: ‘About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son. And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated’” (Romans 9:9-13).

Paul’s usefulness as an instrument of God was proven out in the successful completion of his ministry, but Paul never took any credit for his success. In fact, Paul argued against his own qualification to be used by God in his second letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 3:4-6). Paul explained the purpose of God’s divine election in his letter to the Romans. Paul began by asking the question, “Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:21-24).

Paul went on to explain the reason for God’s rejection of Israel; their unbelief. The Jews thought they could attain a righteousness standing before God through their own effort of keeping the Mosaic Law. “They did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works” (Romans 9:32). Faith is a critical element in being used by God. It says in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith it is impossible for us to please God and that we must believe that God exists in order for him to reward those who seek him. As a chosen instrument of God, Paul went right to work proving that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 9:22) and as a result, “the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up” (Acts 9:31).

Living Water

Ezekiel’s prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem encouraged the Jewish exiles because it included details about God’s future blessing on Israel. One of the prominent aspects of God’s future blessing was a new temple and the restoration of daily sacrifices. The reason Ezekiel’s prophecy was likely misunderstood was because the temple in his vision was intended for the millennial reign of Christ, a future event that will take place after God’s judgment of the world during the great tribulation.

The new temple that Ezekiel saw in his vision had many of the same characteristics as the old temple except for the presence of a person referred to as the prince (Ezekiel 44:3) and water flowing from the temple that became a river that could not be passed through (Ezekiel 47:5). There is no additional information about the prince associated with the temple anywhere else in Scripture, so it makes sense that there would be confusion about his role and the timing of his entry on the scene. As for the river that flowed from the temple, it is referred to as the river of the water of life in Revelation 22:1 and Jesus told John, “To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son” (Revelation 21:6-7).

Jesus talked about the spring of the water of life during his ministry on earth. In a conversation he had with a woman of Samaria, Jesus said anyone who drank living water would never be thirsty again (John 4:13). Jesus met the Samaritan woman at a well where she was drawing water. John 4:7 tells us the conversation started with Jesus asking the woman for a drink. John 4:9-14 states:

The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus told the Samaritan woman that if she would have asked him, he would have given her living water (John 4:10). The connection Jesus made between the spring of water and eternal life (John 4:14) indicated that he was offering the Samaritan woman the gift of salvation, to be born again (The Samaritan Woman at the Well, The Spiritual Growth Bible, p. 1202).

John elaborated on Jesus’ teaching about living water in John 7:37-39. In this passage, John explained that the Holy Spirit was the living water that Jesus promised to those who believed in him. John said, “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39). Jesus said whoever believed in him would have a river of living water flowing out of his heart (John 7:38). In terms of receiving the Holy Spirit, that meant believing in Jesus was the only thing that was necessary for a person to be saved.

Ezekiel’s vision of the water flowing from the temple provided some insight into the intended effects of believers being filled with the Holy Spirit. In his vision, Ezekiel saw that the farther the water flowed, the deeper it became. When believers walk with the Lord, the presence of the Holy Spirit should be more and more evident over time. In Ezekiel’s vision, the water emptied into the Dead Sea and purified it. Walking with the Lord should result in areas of the believer’s life that are broken (health, finances, relationships) being restored to a healthy state. The fruit trees on the banks of the river in Ezekiel’s vision represented the fruit of the Spirit which should be a constant source of spiritual nourishment to people around us. The living water in Ezekiel’s vision not only made the waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure (Ezekiel 47:8), wherever the water of the river flowed, life flourished (Ezekiel 37:9). This is a picture of believers having a positive influence on the people around us. Not only should the believer’s life be changing for the better as she walks with the Lord, but other people’s lives should be too.

A man of faith (part 2)

Stephen’s speech before the Jewish Council demonstrated his comprehensive knowledge of Scripture and his ability to convey the gospel in terms that were understandable to both religious experts and a person of faith. Stephen condensed the entire Old Testament into a speech that most likely took him no more than 15 minutes to deliver.

The central theme of Stephen’s speech was the Israelites’ rejection of their Messiah, Jesus Christ. Citing from Deuteronomy 18:15, Stephen said of Moses, “This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts turned to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him’” (Acts 7:37-40). The identity of the unnamed prophet spoken of by Moses “is not revealed anywhere in the Old Testament. By Jesus’ day, the Jews had developed a clear expectation of a figure that would fulfill Moses’ words. Priests and Levites from Jerusalem asked John the Baptist if he was ‘the prophet,’ and he denied it (John 1:21). Peter identified ‘the prophet’ as a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 3:22, 23)” (note on Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

After reciting numerous details about God’s redemption of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Stephen abruptly concluded his speech with a reference to a passage in Psalm 11 that pointed to God’s judgment of the wicked (Acts 7:49-50). King David prophesied, “The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup” (Psalm 11:4-6). Following this statement, Stephen delivered a crushing blow to the council members pride by accusing them of murder. Stephen said, “You stiffnecked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it” (Acts 7:51-53).

It’s not surprising that the Jewish council members were enraged by Stephen’s comments and sought to kill him as he concluded his speech. The interesting thing to note about Stephen’s stoning was that his vision of the heavens being opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56) seemed to be the straw that broke the camels back. It says of the council members in Acts 7:57-58, “But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him.”

Stephen’s death instigated a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). The religious leaders were concerned about the effect that the death of this man of faith was having on the people and did everything they could to put an immediate stop to the church’s exponential growth. In particular, a man named Saul took it upon himself to stunt the church’s growth (Acts 8:3), but the gospel began to spread like wild fire, and Saul like Stephen soon became a man of faith after an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9).

A man of faith

The growing pains of the early church led to an expansion of leadership and the appointment of seven men that were tasked with caring for widows in the body of Christ. One of the qualifications for the position was that the men had to be of good repute or to have a testimony, to be a witness for Christ. The men also had to be full of the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3). It says in Acts 6:5 that the twelve apostles chose Stephen, “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.”

Stephen’s faith was evident to everyone around him. When it says that Stephen was full of faith, it means that the presence of the Holy Spirit was visibly and consistently displayed in his actions. Stephens faith was abounding or you might say overflowing to those around him.

Hebrews chapter eleven gives us great examples of faith from Old Testament believers and frames these examples by first telling us, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1, NLT).

Luke said that Stephen was full of grace and power and was doing great wonders and signs among the people (Acts 6:8). Grace and power are like the engine and fuel in a car that make it possible for you to get somewhere. Without these critical elements, our faith doesn’t involve action and as James pointed out, it is useless to us (James 2:14-17).

The Greek word that is translated grace in Acts 6:8, charis (kharˊ-ece) refers to “the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life…particularly that which causes joy, pleasure, gratification” (G5485). Paul said in Ephesians 2:5 that it is by grace that we are saved and later explained that grace is a gift from God. Paul told the Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

The fact that Stephen was full of grace didn’t have anything to do with him being a good person or a model Christian, but about him being open to the influence of the Holy Spirit and being willing to act on the things that he was prompted to do. Stephen spoke out boldly about his faith in Christ and wasn’t afraid of the religious leaders who wanted to silence him (Acts 7).

The power that fueled Stephen’s work was miraculous power. The Greek word that is translated power in Acts 6:8, dunamis (dooˊ-na-mis) refers to “a spirit of strength, meaning manly vigor in opposition to a spirit of cowardice” (G1411). Dunamis is also “spoken of God; the great power of God, meaning His almighty energy.” When God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) on the first day of creation, it was dunamis that caused the light to begin shining.

Stephen’s appearance before the council in Jerusalem was the result of jealousy and envy among the religious elite. It says in Acts 6:12-14 that the elders and scribes seized Stephen and brought him before the council and set up false witnesses to testify against him. We know that God was with Stephen during this encounter because it says in Acts 6:15, “And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (To be continued)

Growing pains

The exponential growth of the first century church during its early stages brought both positive and negative consequences to Jesus’ disciples. After Peter healed a lame beggar, five thousand of the people who heard him proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead believed his message and became members of the church. It says in Acts 4:32, “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.” This radical, new lifestyle set the believers apart from the rest of society and called attention to the changes that were taking place in their lives. As a result, some people joined the church who were not true believers.

Ananias and his wife Sapphira pretended to sell their property and give all of the money to the church but lied and kept back part of the price of their land (Acts 5:3). Peter confronted Ananias asking him:

“Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God. (Acts 5:3-4)

The dire consequences that followed this act of sin (Acts 5:5-10) were intended to keep the church on course as the gospel spread quickly throughout Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. If left unchecked, “not only would dishonesty appear profitable, but the conclusion that the Spirit could be deceived would follow. It was important to set the course properly at the outset in order to leave no doubt that God will not tolerate such hypocrisy and deceit” (note on Acts 5:9, KJSB).

The high priest and all of the religious leaders who were loyal to him were filled with jealousy because of the success of the apostle’s ministry and the church’s sudden growth (Acts 5:17). Because of this, “they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison” (Acts 5:18). The next day, “they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought” (Acts 5:21), but an angel of the Lord had opened the prison doors and brought them out during the night (Acts 5:19). It says in Acts 5:26 that the captain of the officers went and brought the apostles back, “but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.”

Peter and the other apostles took advantage of the opportunity of appearing before the supreme Jewish court by proclaiming the gospel to the very men who were determined to stop them from teaching the people about Jesus (Acts 5:29-31). It says in Acts 5:33, when the men heard the apostles message, “they were enraged and wanted to kill them.” Gamaliel, one of the members of the council, cautioned the others about the possibility of them opposing God in their effort to stop the apostles from preaching the gospel. He told them, “if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it” (Acts 5:39).

Rather than killing the apostles, the Jewish council “beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go” (Acts 5:40). The effect of this severe beating, thirty-nine lashes with a whip (see note on Acts 5:40, KJSB), was that the apostles “left the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus” (Acts 5:41-42).

The name of Jesus

Peter and John’s arrest after healing a man who was unable to walk resulted in them being interrogated by all who were of the high-priestly family in Jerusalem. It says in Acts 4:7, “And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?” The religious leaders already knew the answer to this question (Acts 4:2). The reason why the leaders asked Peter and John what name they used to perform the miracle was to see whether or not they were willing to associate themselves with Jesus and risk being punished by them as he was. Luke tells us that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit when he answered them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well” (Acts 4:8-10).

Peter’s boldness was a remarkable contrast to his earlier denial of the Lord (Luke 22:54-62). The filling of the Holy Spirit enabled Peter to say things that he might otherwise have held back because of fear. It says in Acts 4:13 that, “when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” The religious leaders saw a similarity in the way Peter and John were behaving and the way Jesus behaved when he was on trial. Peter and John were uneducated, common men. The only thing that set these men apart and made them different than they were before was the filling of the Holy Spirit, God’s presence in their hearts.

Peter’s statement about Jesus was a clear-cut declaration of the religious leaders’ rejection of Israel’s Messiah. Peter said, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12). Peter indicated that the name of Jesus is connected with people being saved and that there is no other name by which we must be saved. Name is “used to imply authority, e.g., to come or to do something in or by the name of someone, meaning using his name; as his messenger, envoy, representative; by his authority, with his sanction” (G3686). When Peter said there was no other name by which we must be saved, he was saying that there was no other authority for a person’s sins to be forgiven, and eternal life to be granted to him besides the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was a very controversial and dangerous statement for Peter to make, given that Jesus had been condemned and crucified by the men he was speaking to.

The religious leaders were reluctant to challenge Peter’s declaration about them because the man who was healed was standing right in front of them. They asked themselves, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name” (Acts 4;16-17). The religious leaders thought they could control the situation by preventing Peter and John from using the name of Jesus. “But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). The reality of what had happened was too much for Peter and John to contain.

After they heard about what had happened with the religious leaders, the friends of Peter and John prayed for the same boldness that they had displayed (Acts 4:24-30). At the conclusion, Luke tells us, “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). The boldness of these believers was characteristic of a frank and fearless mind (G3954). They were so confident in the name of Jesus that they spoke freely about having a relationship with Christ.

Wonder and amazement

The Apostle John explained at the end of his book that the reason he had talked so much about the supernatural things that Jesus did was “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). John identified believing as a critical component of being a follower of Christ and said that believing results in people having life, “in his (Jesus Christ’s) name.” Name is used “to imply authority, e.g., to come or to do something in or by the name of someone, meaning using his name as his messenger, envoy, representative; by his authority, with his sanction” (G3686).

After Jesus was resurrected, he told his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of this age” (Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus’ authority is what made it possible for his disciples to continue doing supernatural things even though he was not present with them. Jesus associated having his authority with the power of the Holy Spirit and told his disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Peter and John began exercising Jesus’ authority immediately after they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). It says in Acts 3:1-7 that as they were going up to the temple to pray, they saw a man who had not been able to walk from birth. Peter took the man by the right hand and raised him to his feet, “and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God” (Acts 3:7-8). All the people who saw the man walking and praising God “were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him” (Acts 3:10).

The people were filled with wonder and amazement not because they saw the lame man get up and walk, but because Peter and John were followers of Jesus. The people of Israel had collectively rejected Jesus as their Messiah and thought that when Jesus died on the cross, that would be the last that they would hear of him, but Peter took it upon himself to set the record straight. Acts 3:11-16 states:

While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

Peter said faith in the name of Jesus had not only made it possible for the lame man to walk, but had also given him perfect health or wholeness (Acts 3:16). This meant that the man had been made perfectly sound in body; whatever had caused his disability was completely illuminated along with any other physical defects or diseases. It seems likely that at least part of the people’s wonder and amazement was due to the lame man’s physical appearance being transformed right before their very eyes.

Wonder and amazement are associated with the state of being out of one’s usual mind (G1611). In other parts of the New Testament, the Greek word ekstasis (ekˊ-stas-is) is translated as trance, “a state in which the soul is unconscious of present objects, being rapt into visions of distant or future things.” Ekstasis is also associated with strong emotions and is where the English word ecstasy comes from. The people’s wonder and amazement at the supernatural event that had taken place made them perfect targets for Peter’s gospel message (Acts 3:17-25). Peter encouraged the people of Israel to repent so that their sins could be blotted out (Acts 3:19) and told them God wanted to bless them by turning them from their wickedness (Acts 3:25). While Peter was speaking, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came and arrested Peter and John, but hearing the gospel had already turned many of the people back to God. Acts 3:3-4 tells us, “And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed and the number of the men came to about five thousand.”

Resurrection of the dead

The concept of a resurrection or the restoration of life after death was introduced in the Old Testament of the Bible through miracles that were performed by prophets. When Elijah raised a widow’s son from the dead, it says in 1 Kings 17:22, “the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived” (KJV). The resurrections that will take place after the Great Tribulation and the Millennial reign of Christ differ from the Old and New Testament miracles that were performed in that these future resurrections will result in a permanent restoration of life.

Abraham, who is known as ‘the father of faith,’ believed in the resurrection of the dead. It says in Hebrews 11:17-19, “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” The Greek word that is translated raise, egeiro (eg-iˊ-ro) means “(through the idea of collecting one’s faculties); to waken (transitively and intransitively), i.e. rouse (literal from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figurative from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence)” (G1453).

The basis for the resurrection of the dead is found in the New Covenant that God established after Israel and Judah were taken into captivity. The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel revealed key aspects of the New Covenant hundreds of years before Jesus Christ was born. God told Jeremiah, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33). Rather than dealing with Israel on national basis, the new covenant, “will be based on an individual, personal knowledge of God (vv. 33, 34) and characterized by the indwelling of God’s Spirit (Ezek. 36:26, 27; 37:14)” (note on Jeremiah 31:31-34).

God revealed to Ezekiel specific details about how he intended to have a relationship with his people under the new covenant. God said, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezekiel 36:26-27). This is a key prophecy related to the regathering of Israel at the end of the great tribulation. “The regathering from the nations (Ezekiel 36:24) will precede God’s national cleansing of Israel (Ezekiel 36:25, Zechariah 13:1) and the placing of his Spirit within his people (Ezek. 36:26, 27; 37:14, cf. Zech. 12:10)” (note on Ezekiel 36:22-38).

Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14) provided further insight into God’s plan to revitalize the nation of Israel. The vision came to Ezekiel at a time when the people were very discouraged. “After being away from their homeland for so long, they felt like all their hope was gone. Nevertheless, God affirmed that he could bring them back to their homeland from wherever they were. His Spirit will be placed within Israel, the reign of the Messiah will begin, the confirmation of the new covenant will be given, and God’s presence and identification with his redeemed people will be evident” (note on Ezekiel 37:1-38). God told Ezekiel:

“My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” (Ezekiel 37:24-28)

The events described in Ezekiel 37:24-28 take place after the Great Tribulation. Revelation 20-21 outlines how God will fulfill his promise to provide an eternal dwelling place for the people of Israel and to live among them forever. One of the key aspects of God plan is the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. “The new heaven and the new earth are not duplicates of the heaven and earth that now exist. The word ‘new’ is a translation of the Greek word kainon (2537), which means ‘qualitatively new.’ To some, this suggests that the new earth will be as the current earth was at its creation” (note on Revelation 21:1-22:5).

The Apostle Paul told the believers in Corinth that the resurrection of the dead will result in them becoming immortal. Paul said, “For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:52-53). Paul connected immortality with the Lord Jesus Christ, who was the first person to be resurrected from the dead and was credited with gaining the victory over death for all believers (1 Corinthians 15:56-57). In Revelation 21:3-4 we see the celebration of Christ’s victory over death. John tells us, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’”

Empowering of the Holy Spirit

The prophet Ezekiel spent a considerable amount of time warning God’s people about the impending disaster of Jerusalem’s fall, but he also encouraged them by talking about the future hopes and trials that were coming (Introduction to the book of Ezekiel). After pronouncing judgments on the surrounding nations (Ezekiel 25-32), Ezekiel said the Lord GOD would seek out his people “as a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered” (Ezekiel 34:11).

The LORD’s concern for his reputation among the nations caused him to take action to vindicate his holiness by implementing a new covenant that would change the people of Israel’s ability to do what he wanted them to. God said, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Jesus promised his disciples the indwelling of the Holy Spirit before he was crucified. Jesus said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the Helper. The Greek word that is translated Helper, parakletos (par-akˊ-lay-tos) means “an intercessor” (G3875). The Holy Spirit helps believers do what God wants them to, to walk in his statutes and obey his rules (Ezekiel 36:27).

Just before he ascended into heaven, Jesus told his disciples they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). Jesus was talking about the empowering of the Holy Spirit (G1411), the work of the Holy Spirit that makes it possible for believers to obey Jesus’ commands and become more like Christ. “For Jesus, obedience is not optional. Jesus makes obedience the evidence of our love for him. Jesus knows, however, that obedience to his commands is so hard that it is impossible on our own. That is why as soon as he tells us we must obey as proof of our love for him, he promises a Helper in that obedience. One of the central functions of the Holy Spirit is to assist believers to obey Jesus (cf. John 14:21, 23)” (A Theology of Biblical Counseling, Lambert, p. 169).

The empowering of the Holy Spirit is necessary to know Christ and obey him. The Apostle Paul admitted his own lack of ability to do what Jesus wanted him to in his letter to the Romans. Paul said, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out…Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death” (Romans 7:18, 24). Paul identified the root cause of every believer’s problem with obedience in his letter to the Galatians. Paul said, “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Galatians 5:17). Paul indicated the solution to this problem was keeping in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).

Paul used the analogy of marching in military rank to illustrate the need for believers to conform themselves to the mind of Christ. Keeping in step represents submission of the heart to the Holy Spirit, the means of unity and harmony in the Church. As believers depend more and more on the Spirit, they are empowered by the Spirit to know more and more of the love and fullness of Jesus Christ himself (A theology of Biblical Counseling, Lambert, p. 171).

Dunamis, the miraculous power that the Holy Spirit imparts to believers, is “power in action” (G1411). Paul indicated that this power resides in the gospel and is what causes people to be saved (Romans 1:16). Jesus said his disciples would be his witnesses after receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. We see this beginning to take place in Acts chapter three when Peter and John healed a lame beggar (Acts 3:1-10) and then, preached the gospel to all the people who came to see what had happened. Afterward, Peter and John were arrested and asked the question, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” (Acts 4:7). It says in Acts 4:8 that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit when he replied, “let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well” (Acts 4:10).

Peter and John’s boldness was a result of them being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). Because Peter and John were depending on the Spirit to make them more and more like Christ, they were able to perform a miracle and to testify to the power of the Holy Spirit that was at work inside them (Acts 3:11-12). Paul understood that his own abilities didn’t do him any good when it came to telling others about Christ (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Paul told the Corinthians that God had intentionally made him suffer to keep him from becoming conceited (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul said, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).