Husbands Love Your Wives

Husbands love your wives.  I'm preaching to myself first.

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I had a bit of insomnia tonight, so I decided to write a quick song. I have been listening to Christian Hip Hop lately and the genre was on my mind. I hope the lyrics lift up my Christian brothers and sisters and call unbelievers to repent and trust in Jesus.

The Unforgiving Servant

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Matthew 18:21-35, ESV

In order to put this story into perspective, we should understand that a talent was equivalent to 20 years of a laborer’s wages, whereas a denarii was equivalent to a day’s wage. So then, the unforgiving servant had been forgiven a debt equal to 200,000 years wages and did not forgive one indebted to him of 3 - 3 ½ months wages.

This parable is a beautiful picture of the mercy of God. Just as the unforgiving servant could never in his lifetime or by any means available repay the debt he owed the King, so too we can never repay our sin debt to God. Often, the question arises as to how God can be just in punishing the temporal sins of man by the eternal means of Hellfire. Perhaps an illustration I gave to my sons would help to clear the matter:

On a given day, you decide that you will slap a number of people in the face. First, you slap your brother. Second you slap me, your father. Third, you slap a policeman at the end of the street. Finally, you slap the President of the United States. Considering these things, will your punishments be equal for your actions against this group of people?

My sons gave the obvious answer of, “No.” Even at a young age, we understand that a punishment not only relates to the nature of the offense, but also the character or position of whom the offense is committed against. Whereas slapping a brother results in one punishment, slapping a father is a much greater offense. Slapping a police officer may result in jail time, while slapping the President may put one’s own physical safety in jeopardy. The action remains the same against all parties, but the punishment changes based upon the position of the one whom the action is taken against. So, if we sin against each other (100 denarii), the punishment is a drop of water against the ocean if we sin against God (10,000 talents). It is impossible to repay the sin debt we owe to God.

What ultimately happens to the unforgiving servant? He is handed over to the jailers until he can repay his debt. What, then, is the moral of the story? We owe an impossible debt (sin) to the King (God). Being unable to pay this debt, the King rightly demands that we and all that we have be sold (the bondage of sin bound for Hell). Pleading for the mercy of the King, he is moved to compassion (forgiveness of the sin debt). If we do not forgive the debt (sin) of others against us, the King is moved to anger and will throw us into prison until the debt can be paid (sent to Hell remaining unforgiven as we have been unforgiving).

Why does the King remain righteous whether he forgives the debt or not? Speaking plainly, there is no argument that we owe God a debt which can never be satisfied. This is because we have sinned against an eternal God and therefore, the punishment must also be eternal. This is what we deserve and it is the only “fair” action that we should expect in light of our sin. However, praise the Lord, God is not fair in the sense of what we consider to be fair. Rather, God is just and merciful. He is just in that Christ died on the cross as a propitiatory, vicarious atonement (fully satisfying payment made in our place) for those who believe. He is merciful in that, due to the cross of Christ, He may pardon our sins and give us new life in Christ as Christ is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25). This is all accomplished by means of God’s grace.

Are you an unforgiving servant? Do you hold a double-standard believing that your sins deserve the forgiveness of the King of Kings, yet you do not give this forgiveness to others? I beg you, repent! In light of the unforgiving servant, Christ leaves us with this simple warning:

“So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:35, ESV

Does the Book of Acts give a clear pattern for the proper structure of Church government? Why or why not?

In his book Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Wayne Grudem suggests the Plural Local Elder Government as the Biblical model. Of this model, Grudem states, “Within such a system [Plural Local Elder Government] the elders govern the church and have authority to rule over it, authority which has been conferred by Christ himself, the head of the church, and by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:38; Heb. 13:17). In this system of government, there is always more than one elder, a fact which distinguishes this form of government from the ‘single elder system’ discussed above.” I would agree with Grudem as there appears to be several verses that support his conclusion. Acts 14:23 indicates that there were a plurality of elders appointed in “every church.” Although James is quite obviously the senior elder at Jerusalem, Acts 15:2 indicates that Paul and Barnabas made their case before the Apostles as well as the elders at Jerusalem. In Ephesus, there was also a plurality of elders as Acts 20:17 indicates. As a last verse, Acts 20:28 also uses plural terminology of the word “overseers” indicating a plurality of elders. So then, regardless of the location of each church, it is quite apparent from the book of Acts that the model was that of plural elders exercising authority over the local congregations.



Bibliography
Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994.

Speaking in Tongues in Acts

Introduction
With the birth of the Church in the book of Acts, there were several notable events brought about by the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. Of these events, speaking in tongues remains one of the most hotly debated topics in the contemporary Church. While the argument ranges from whether or not tongues is an active gift of the Spirit today, to the nature of this gift as communicated in the New Testament, the purpose here shall be to communicate these issues as limited by the book of Acts. This paper will examine not only the original language and the context of the passages dealing with speaking in tongues in the book of Acts, but also will consider the application of the issue to both the first-century Church as well as the contemporary Church today.
Original Language
Because of the controversy surrounding the topic at hand, it is important to know a little about the original language in which Scripture was written. This will enable the reader to more fully understand the implications of what is being said by having both the denotation and connotation of terms. Regarding glossolalia, the most important Greek term would be “glossa.” The Strongest NASB Exhaustive Concordance indicates that this term occurs 6 times in the book of Acts. Of these six times, we will be looking at five occurrences, each of which are contained in the following verses: Acts 2:3, Acts 2:4, Acts 2:11, Acts 10:46, and Acts 19:6. Glossa is defined by the Strongest Concordance very simply as, “a tongue, a language.” While these two ideas may at first appear to be synonymous, one use of glossa in our considered passages in Acts indicates that they are not. In other words, the context of Acts 2:3 demonstrates that the physical organ is in mind, while the remaining passages refer to a spoken language.
Looking to further communicate the idea of the term, Vine comments on the distinction by explaining further that glossa, “is used of (1) the ‘tongues…like as of fire’ which appeared at Pentecost; (2) ‘the tongue,’ as an organ of speech…; (3) (a) ‘a language,’…(b) ‘the supernatural gift of speaking in another language without its having been learnt’.” So, while it has been stated that the organ of speech was in mind when translating glossa in Acts 2:3, Vine clarifies that the phenomenon seen was not literally the physical organ itself. This makes sense as the verse indicates that “there appeared to them” these tongues of fire, so as not to confuse these tongues as themselves any actual fleshly organ of speech.
Passages in Question
Having considered the occurrences of the most important term, glossa, and its implications from the original language, we shall now move forward to consider the four pericopes of Scripture which deal with the issue of speaking in tongues in the book of Acts. These are the following: Acts 2:1-4, Acts 2:5-13, Acts 10:44-48, and Acts 19:1-7.
Acts 2:1-4, NASB Updated
1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Following the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, we see here that the disciples noticed a visible sign of the coming of the Spirit, not unlike His coming as a dove at the baptism of Christ. While the NASB states that “they [the tongues of fire] rested on each,” the literal rendering of the text would indicate that “it” rested on each. Because of this, many commentators point out that the tongues themselves are not in mind, but rather the Spirit Himself. Gill notes the differences in manuscripts by stating that the thing sitting was “the fire, or the Holy Ghost in the appearance of fire. The Syriac and Arabic versions read, ‘and they sat upon each of them’; and so Beza’s most ancient copy, that is, the cloven tongues sat on them.” In either case, it is evident by the use of “fire” that this activity is representative of the divine presence of the Spirit.
With this presence of the Spirit, verse 4 indicates that the disciples were both filled with the Spirit and spoke by His gifting. Robertson notes that, “Each one began to speak in a language that he had not acquired and yet it was a real language and understood by those from various lands familiar with them. It was not jargon, but intelligible language.” This is important as some today believe that one universal heavenly language was spoken in which all who heard were able to understand. This idea is disproved, however, by both verse 3 noting the plurality of tongues, and later verse 13 noting particularly that all did not understand. Burton Coffman agrees by indicating that “Despite the insistence of some that this has reference to ecstatic utterances like those of so-called ‘tongues’ today, such a view is refuted, absolutely, by the fact that men of many nations understood every word in their native languages.”
Acts 2:5-13, NASB Updated
5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 "And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9 "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs--we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God." 12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13 But others were mocking and saying, "They are full of sweet wine."
In this passage, we revisit the idea that several languages were being spoken to men of diverse lands. The amazement experienced by the crowd from verse 7 is summed up by Calvin’s comments on verse 11: “Luke noteth two things which caused the hearers to wonder; first, because the apostles being before ignorant and private persons, born in a base corner, did, notwithstanding, intreat profoundly of divine matters, and of heavenly wisdom. The other is, because they have new tongues given them suddenly.” While the reader today may not understand the implications of this comment, it is important to understand how reviled Galilee was in the mind of the 1st Century Jew. MacArthur points out that, “Galilean Jews spoke with a distinct regional accent and were considered to be unsophisticated and uneducated by the southern Judean Jews. When Galileans were seen to be speaking so many different languages, the Judean Jews were astonished.” Perhaps this very point is why the scoffers who did not understand the languages which the Galileans spoke considered them to be intoxicated. Peter goes on to defend the disciples; however, as he remarks that it is only 9am, which was a Jewish time of prayer at the Temple. This was far too early in the morning and far too sacrilegious to be the case.
Acts 10:44-48, NASB Updated
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47 "Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?" 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.
Just as it was on the day of Pentecost, the new Gentile believers also spoke in various tongues. While we do not see the same “tongues as of fire” being distributed amongst the Gentiles, we do see the present circumcised (Jewish) believers amazed that the Gentiles had received the Spirit in the same manner as they, with the speaking of different tongues. The response was so convincing that Peter himself believes none can discredit them from being baptized in obedience to Christ. Henry states that, “The Holy Ghost fell upon others after they were baptized, for their confirmation; but upon these Gentiles before they were baptized: as Abraham was justified by faith, being yet in uncircumcision, to show that God is not tied to a method, nor confines himself to external signs…Now it appears why the Spirit was given them before they were baptized—because otherwise Peter could not have persuaded himself to baptize them, any more than to have preached to them, if he had not been ordered to do it by a vision.”
Considering Henry’s statement, it was necessary in this instance of first-preaching to the Gentiles that the Holy Spirit should come prior to their baptism, that they may be both accepted and indeed baptized. God’s providence here left the Circumcision without excuse to include the Gentiles into the body of believers, although later we see Paul battling against the Judaizers who believed quite the opposite. Like the Jewish believers at Pentecost, it appears that speaking in tongues here again refers to being given the capability to communicate in unlearned languages. Verse 46 also appears to point out that they may have been speaking Hebrew, as the Jewish believers both heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. This praise likely would not have been understood had not at least one Gentile been speaking Hebrew.
Acts 19:1-7, NASB Updated
1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2 He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." 3 And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism." 4 Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 There were in all about twelve men.
This passage of Scripture seems to line up with Henry’s statement regarding Acts 10:44-48. Here we find an instance in Scripture where believers received the Holy Spirit after baptism “for their confirmation.” Like the birth of the Church at Pentecost, and the first inclusion of the Gentiles into the body of believers in Caesarea, these Gentiles also spoke in tongues with the coming of the Spirit. The apparent difference here is that He came with the laying on of hands by Paul. This is similar to Acts 8:14-17, where Peter and John laid hands upon those who had been baptized by Philip, however, there is no account there of any glossolalia. Burton Coffman disagrees, stating that, “It is a mistake to make another Pentecost out of this. Walker said that ‘This was the same phenomenon witnessed on Pentecost and at the house of Cornelius’; but in neither case was the phenomenon due to the imposition of apostolic hands. This is therefore clearly something else.”
While his statement is accurate as far as the coming of the Spirit, he overlooks the relationship we see of these three events between this coming and speaking in tongues. MacArthur comments that, “This signified their inclusion into the church (see note on 8:17). Apostles were also present when the church was born (chap. 2), and when the Samaritans (chap. 8) and Gentiles (chap. 10) were included. In each case, God’s purpose was to emphasize the unity of the church.” So, according to MacArthur, the laying on of hands here was merely an expression of the unity of the Church under the authority of the apostles, and does not indicate anything somewhat different from the speaking of tongues in association with the coming of the Spirit seen in chapters 2 and 10 in Acts.
Conclusion
Having reviewed the usage of the Greek term “glossa” in the book of Acts, as well as the context of the passages where it occurs in reference to “speaking in tongues,” we must move forward to how this applies both to the 1st Century Church as well as the contemporary Church. Restricting this discussion solely to the book of Acts, it is quite evident that speaking in tongues was an evidence of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon believers, be they Jew or Gentile. Additionally, this speaking in tongues was an act whereby God was glorified through the communication of the Gospel in known human languages, although said languages were unlearned by their speakers. There is no indication in Acts that glossolalia was a repeated incident for any individual beyond their first experience with the Spirit, nor is there any indication that speaking in tongues was a certain byproduct of that experience (see Acts 8). Taking these points into consideration, as far as can be gathered from the speaking of tongues in the book of Acts, the 1st Century Church experienced this phenomena in accordance with the coming of the Spirit at salvation alone. If this was not always the case, as it was not, speaking in tongues is not a guaranteed sign that one has received the Spirit of God. While the Gospel has been communicated throughout the world today and the Word of God is available in almost all known languages, it is no longer necessary to assume that speaking in tongues will accompany salvation with the coming of the Spirit. We should not deny the power and will of God to do as He pleases in this world, however, we should also see that for those who insist the occurrence of glossolalia still occurs today, that at a minimum they are being regulated by what is communicated in Scripture, not simply emotions, experience, or church tradition.



Bibliography
Greek Dictionary. The Strongest NASB Exhaustive Concordance. Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 2004.
Vine, William E. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.
Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1996.
Gill, John. Commentary on Acts 2:3. The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible. http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/geb/view.cgi?book=ac&chapter=002&verse=003. 1999.
Robertson, A.T. Commentary on Acts 2:4. Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament. http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/rwp/view.cgi?book=ac&chapter=002&verse=004.
Broadman Press 1932,33, Renewal 1960.
Coffman, James Burton. Commentary on Acts 2. Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New
Testament. http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/bcc/view.cgi?book=ac&chapter=002.
Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.
Calvin, John. Commentary on Acts – Volume 1. Translated by Christopher Fetherstone. 1585.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 2009. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom36.ix.ii.html.
MacArthur, John F. The MacArthur Study Bible. Thomas Nelson: La Habra, 2006.
Henry, Matthew. Commentary on Acts 10. Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole
Bible. http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-com/view.cgi?book=ac&chapter=010.
1706.
Coffman, James Burton. Commentary on Acts 19. Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New
Testament. http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/bcc/view.cgi?book=ac&chapter=019.
Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.
Gill, John. Commentary on Acts 19:6. The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible. http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/geb/view.cgi?book=ac&chapter=019&verse=006. 1999.

What is the significance of the decision made at the Jerusalem “Council” in Acts 15?

The first of all Church councils, the Jerusalem Council, was important as it dealt primarily with the question of what one must do to be saved. MacArthur agrees and notes that, “The apostles and elders defied efforts to impose legalism and ritualism as necessary prerequisites for salvation. They forever affirmed that salvation is totally by grace through faith in Christ alone.” Bock points out that the receipt of the Spirit and Peter’s conclusion regarding the matter demonstrate that “God accepted Gentiles as they were when the Spirit came…God equally receives both Jews and Gentiles…There is no distinction between them when it comes to access to salvation.”
So, it seems quite evident that rendering a decision regarding the issue of salvation in light of the Law amongst Jews and Gentiles was absolutely necessary. This decision was made to help deter the nationalistic pride of Israel detrimental to the spread of God’s kingdom, the badgering of Gentile believers by the Judaizers, and to encourage the proclamation of the Gospel amongst unreached Jews and Gentiles within the Roman Empire. With this decision, the only restrictions made related to holy living in relationship with God: Idolatry, consumption of blood and strangled animals, and fornication.

How did Paul share his faith with the Athenians in Acts 17?
In his customary fashion, Paul was in the synagogue at Athens reasoning with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles. He also took the opportunity to share his faith in the marketplace, defending his views amongst the Epicureans and Stoics as well. With this new teaching to the Athenians, Paul was brought to the Areopagus in order to defend his views before the city’s philosophers and authorities. Henry notes that the Areopagus was “the town-house, or guildhall of their city, where the magistrates met upon public business, and the courts of justice were kept; and it was as the theatre in the university, or the schools, where learned men met to communicate their notions.”
Using this most important site in the city, Paul took advantage of the opportunity to share his faith by means of appealing to the supernatural nature of the Athenians. Their concern for pleasing the gods extended to the point of making an altar to an unknown god, for fear of offending any they may have forgotten. Because of this, Paul was able to use the altar as a springboard to share the Gospel of the one true God. Beginning with Creation, Paul moved forward addressing the idolatry of the Athenians and ending ultimately with the resurrection of Christ. As usual, Paul’s message met mixed reviews, with some believing, some scoffing, and some desiring to learn more.



Bibliography
MacArthur, John F. The MacArthur Study Bible. Thomas Nelson: La Habra, 2006.
Bock, Darrell L. Acts. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007.
Henry, Matthew. Complete Commentary on Acts 17. Matthew Henry Complete
Commentary on the Whole Bible". com/view.cgi?book=ac&chapter=017>. 1706.

Is suffering persecution normal for a Christian?

The question of Christian persecution as normative is not something modern Americans generally consider. With health and wealth preaching as well as Scripture verses being taken out of context (such as John 10:10, etc.), it is hard to understand that there is no promise in the Christian life that we shall go without persecution. Quite the opposite is true, because we should in fact expect it (John 15:8,20; etc.). Drummond agrees by stating that, “Every man who lives like Christ produces the same reaction upon the world…He [Christ] prepared His Church beforehand for the reception it would get in the world. He gave no hope that it would be an agreeable one (emphasis in original).”
While Drummond addresses what we should expect in the Christian life, Bock encourages the believer by looking at the example of the Apostles: “They [the Apostles] show that suffering is not to be feared, nor is it necessarily an indication of failure. In fact, it may well come with the territory of sharing the need for Jesus in a world that seeks self-sufficiency…If Jesus, the servant and example, experienced sacrifice and rejection by many, should those who follow him expect anything different?” So, while it is true that any believer who is following the example of Christ should expect persecution and suffering, it is also true that we should glory in such suffering as it brings us closer to Christ and is used by God to further His kingdom. As Paul has indicated in his letter to the Philippians, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Is God involved in the suffering of a Christian, both regular suffering and persecution?
Too often, God’s love is flaunted by a wicked world (outside and inside the visible Church) unwilling to come to terms with its sinfulness. The truth of the matter is that God is both perfectly loving and perfectly just. Additionally, God is absolutely sovereign. This does not mean that we are some mindless robots that have no will in the actions we carry out or receive against ourselves; however, it does mean that God is in control and works in all things. Considering these points, we can look to Scripture for verification. First, Paul demonstrates God’s goodness in Romans 8:28 by acknowledging that God, controlling all things, works them together for the good of the believer. This means that while we may not understand our circumstances (which may include both suffering and persecution), we are able to trust that God is working it out for our good. Second, Luke indicates in Acts 3:18 that the suffering of Christ, God’s own Son, was according to the plan of the Father. This is accomplished in grace, as without it we would still be dead in our sins. Finally, Paul communicates to the Philippian believers that, “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear {to be} in me.” So it is quite apparent that God works things which we do not understand together for our good, He planned the suffering of His own precious Son, and we are blessed should we share in this suffering as it progresses the kingdom of God. In light of these three points, we are able to glory in suffering and accept that God remains in control in spite of this suffering. MacArthur puts it well by stating, “The Gr. verb translated ‘granted’ is from the noun for grace. Believers’ suffering is a gift of grace which brings power (2Co 7:9,10; 1Pe 5:10) and eternal reward (1Pe 4:13).”4



Bibliography
Drummond, Henry. The Ideal Life and other Unpublished Addresses. 1897. Christian
Classics Ethereal Library, 2009. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/drummond/ideal.ix.html
?highlight=suffering,persecution,normal,christian#highlight.
Bock, Darrell L. Acts. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007.
MacArthur, John F. The MacArthur Study Bible. Thomas Nelson: La Habra, 2006.

What is the significance of Acts 1:8?

Prior to Christ’s ascension to Heaven, He gave His apostles a command which has popularly become know as “the Great Commission.” This commission is contained in Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, and Acts 1:8. MacArthur notes, “The apostles’ mission of spreading the gospel was the major reason the Holy Spirit empowered them.” We see that this is evident throughout the book of Acts as we recount the missionary endeavors of the early Church. An important addition, however, is afforded us by Henry, who comments that, “They had not strength of their own for it, nor wisdom nor courage enough; they were naturally of the weak and foolish things of the world; they durst not appear as witnesses for Christ upon his trial, neither as yet were they able (emphasis in original).” So then, while it is true that Christ has given all believers a commission to share their faith with unbelievers (we are included here for two reasons: First, if only the apostles were commissioned to evangelize, the Church would have died out with them; and second, Romans 10:17 demonstrates God’s promise that faith comes through hearing the Gospel), He has also given them a means of power to accomplish this task, namely, the Holy Spirit.


What kinds of tongues were being spoken at Pentecost? Were any of them unknown (so-called “heavenly”) languages?
The context of Acts 2:1-13 demonstrates that the passage speaks of tongues as known human languages. This is evident from vv. 8-11 which list many lands with many languages whose occupants were hearing the Gospel in their own language. Although verse 13 may be used as an example of ecstatic utterance, this is not a valid argument for two reasons: First, Peter in verse 15 indicates that the assumption of those from verse 13 is inaccurate as they, as Jews, would not be drunk so early and certainly not at a time of prayer at the Temple; Second, the fact that those who heard in their own languages were “amazed and perplexed” (verse 12) demonstrates that the languages were indeed communicable to human beings. It is my determination that these scoffers were local to Jerusalem and did not experience the familiarity with language as those who were present from the Diaspora.
Concerning the nature of tongues here, MacArthur agrees by stating these were “Known languages, not ecstatic utterances. These languages given by the Spirit were a sign of judgment to unbelieving Israel. They also showed that from then on God’s people would come from all nations, and marked the transition from Israel to the church.” Further, Robertson indicates that, “Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 14:22 that ‘tongues’ were a sign to unbelievers and were not to be exercised unless one was present who understood them and could translate them. This restriction disposes at once of the modern so-called tongues which are nothing but jargon and hysteria. It so happened that here on this occasion at Pentecost there were Jews from all parts of the world, so that some one would understand one tongue and some another without an interpreter such as was needed at Corinth.” Considering these points as well as my own, it is my conclusion that the “kinds” of tongues spoken at Pentecost were again, known human languages, and the idea of possible heavenly languages is not considered here nor mentioned in Scripture until Paul’s first epistle to the church at Corinth.



Bibliography
MacArthur, John F. The MacArthur Study Bible. Thomas Nelson: La Habra, 2006.
Henry, Matthew. Complete Commentary on Acts 1. Matthew Henry Complete
Commentary on the Whole Bible. http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-
com/view.cgi?book=ac&chapter=001. 1706.
Robertson, A.T. Commentary on Acts 2:4. Robertson's Word Pictures of the New
Testament. http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/rwp/view.cgi?book=ac&chapte
r=002&verse=004. Broadman Press 1932,33, Renewal 1960.

What is the significance of Jesus’ resurrection for Christians?

In 1 Corinthians 15:16-20, Paul comments, “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.” Scripture makes it quite clear that the resurrection of Christ from the dead is absolutely significant to the faith of believers. Without it, as Paul stresses, not only is our faith worthless, but the expression of this faith should be greatly pitied. Paul goes on further in verse 21 to explain why resurrection is necessary to the Christian’s faith. Death came through Adam, a man, and so resurrection from death came through Christ, a man (and yet also God). This expression demonstrates God’s love and justice. Because God must punish sin, which had its origin in Adam, the Cross is necessary. Because God loves those whom He has predestined to faith, He takes the punishment upon Himself in His Son Jesus Christ.
The Greek verb used in chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians is “egeiro.” This term means “to waken, to raise up.” So then, it is not merely that God requires justice by punishing sin, or that God demonstrates His love by providing the propitiation for that sin, but that in the resurrection, Christ demonstrates His conquering of both sin and death and provides a future hope of life for those who believe in Him.
What are your thoughts on who Theophilus was? Was he a real person?
In consideration of the identity of Theophilus, Bock comments that he “is unknown but that he appears to be a person of high social standing and could well be a Christian Gentile wavering in his faith because of the pressure placed on the church…He could be a patron or simply the most important intended reader. Barrett (1994: 65) notes that the name is common and that Luke 1:3 with ‘most excellent’ in its address speaks to a person, not an ‘ideal’ figure.” There seems to be an argument that “Theophilus” is not a real person, but rather a symbolic representation of believers in Christ. As the name means “friend of God,” it is argued that this refers to those who by faith are indeed friends of God. However, as Bock notes, it seems more likely that Theophilus is a real person, an individual to whom can be attributed the title “most excellent” from Luke 1:3.
Coffman has more to say on this issue as he states, “The use of ‘excellent’ denominates Theophilus as a man of equestrian rank, that is a knight, the term being used of such officials as the governor of the province…there is no reason to suppose that Luke used this name otherwise than as the personal cognomen of his friend, who might also have been his patron.” With the use of an official title and the study of Acts 23:26, it would appear that the words “most excellent” can only refer to a real individual. It is therefore my conclusion that Theophilus was a real person, likely a governor or some other government official. Coffman further adds that “The omission of the title ‘excellent’ in Acts 1:1 supports the speculation that Theophilus was governor of an unnamed province when Luke was written, but that he was no longer governor when Acts was penned.”4 This comment further supports my conclusion as the giving of an honorific title as well as a later reference to this same recipient without said title indicates, as Coffman points out, an individual who perhaps held a high office for a term and later did not. This could also indicate an individual of importance who later became a closer friend of Luke, allowing for the comfort in communication with him (Theophilus).



Bibliography
MacArthur, John F. The MacArthur Study Bible. Thomas Nelson: La Habra, 2006.
Thomas, Robert L., ed. The Strongest NASB Exhaustive Concordance. Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 2004.
Bock, Darrell L. Acts. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007.
Coffman, James Burton. Commentary on Luke 1. Coffman Commentaries on the Old and
New Testament. hapter=001>. Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian University Press, 1983-1999.

The "Man" with whom Jacob Wrestled (Genesis 32:24)

In consideration of this passage of Scripture, Beza, with no particular explanation, simply states that the identity of the man with whom Jacob wrestled was God, “That is, God in the form of a man.” Gill, on the other hand, notes various interpretations of this man’s identity, listing them as follows: “not a phantasm or spectre, as Josephus calls him; nor was this a mere visionary representation of a man, to the imagination of Jacob; or done in the vision of prophecy, as Maimonides; but it was something real, corporeal, and visible: the Targum of Jonathan says, it was an angel in the likeness of a man, and calls him Michael, which is not amiss, since he is expressly called an angel, (Hosea 12:4); and if Michael the uncreated angel is meant, it is most true; for not a created angel is designed, but a divine Person, as appears from Jacob's desiring to be blessed by him; and besides, being expressly called God, (Genesis 32:28,30); and was, no doubt, the Son of God in an human form.” While Gill demonstrates that some have commented that this was either a vision or interaction with simply an angelic being, he comes to the same conclusion as Beza in that this “man” is God, yet more specifically identifies Him as the Son of God.
Henry, as Gill, observes more than one possible answer to the question of the identity of this “man,” however, he does not indicate which of these possibilities he believes. He states, “Some think this was a created angel, the angel of his presence (Isa. 63:9), one of those that always behold the face of our Father and attend on the shechinah, or the divine Majesty, which probably Jacob had also in view. Others think it was Michael our prince, the eternal Word, the angel of the covenant, who is indeed the Lord of the angels, who often appeared in a human shape before he assumed the human nature for a perpetuity; whichsoever it was, we are sure God’s name was in him, Ex. 23:21.” While Henry seems to make a distinction between these two possibilities, being either an angel in the order of cherubim, a protector of the Glory of God (e.g. consider the cover of the Ark of the Covenant), or the Son of God (as Henry calls Him, the eternal Word and the Lord of the Angels), MacArthur points out that these are likely one in the same individual. He comments that, “The angel, who delivered the Israelites from Egypt, was none other than the Lord Himself (Ex 14:19; 23:20-23; 33:12,14,15; Nu 20:16). He is sometimes identified as the Angel of the Lord.” As stated earlier, Gill indicates that this was not merely a vision. Henry elaborates on this point by commenting that, “It was not only a corporal [sic], but a spiritual, wrestling, by the vigorous actings of faith and holy desire; and thus all the spiritual seed of Jacob, that pray in praying, still wrestle with God.”[3]
As a final commentator, MacArthur, like Beza, has short and direct comments to the identity of the “man” with whom Jacob wrestled. Unlike Beza, MacArthur uses two specific evidences to support his conclusion, one from the text and one from a later reference to the event: “The site name, Peniel, or ‘face of God’ given by Jacob (v. 30) and the commentary given by Hosea (Hos 12:4) identifies this man with whom Jacob wrestled as the Angel of the Lord who is also identified as God, a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ.” With this statement, MacArthur leaves no ambiguity to his conclusion of the man’s identity.
Considering the various points of these commentators, it is my conclusion that this is a theophany, or more specifically a Christophany, that is, that the “man” with whom Jacob wrestled was the preincarnate Christ. Several evidences point me to this conclusion (some of which have already been raised). First, the context of Hosea 12:4 shows that God is sometimes referred to as an angel, not that it was merely an angel that wrestled with Jacob. Second, the “man” had the supernatural power to alter Jacob’s anatomy so as to cause a permanent limp with a simple touch. Third, the “man” exercised divine authority in renaming Jacob as God had done earlier with Abram and Sarai. Fourth, the meaning of this new name given Jacob (“Israel”: he who strives with God; or God strives) shows that his wrestling and striving was with God Himself. Fifth, the name of the place given by Jacob where these events occurred (“Peniel”: the face of God) affirms this “man” was God Whom Jacob saw face to face. Sixth, the sons of Israel no longer eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh as a sort of holy reverence for this event, further supporting that God is the reason this touch merited such reverence, not that it was merely the touch of a man. Finally, the characteristics given in this passage are descriptive of only one other individual in Scripture: The Angel of the Lord, or the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, an identification confirmed by the evident deity, character, deeds, and power of this “man.”

Bibliography
Beza, Theodore. "Commentary on Genesis 32". "The 1599 Geneva Study Bible". www.searchgodsword.org/com/gsb/view.cgi?book=ge&chapter=032>. 1599-1645.
Gill, John. "Commentary on Genesis 32:24". "The New John Gill Exposition of the
Entire Bible". apter=032&verse=024>. 1999.
Henry, Matthew. "Complete Commentary on Genesis 32". "Matthew Henry Complete
Commentary on the Whole Bible". . 1706.
MacArthur, John F. The MacArthur Study Bible. Thomas Nelson: La Habra, 2006.