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Old 06-17-2009, 10:05 AM
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George George is offline
 
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Default Re: "Rightly Dividing The Book of Acts"

Aloha all,

These Posts are not meant as teaching commentaries (i.e. a verse by verse exposition); if they were they would be much longer and far more detailed. The purpose of these Posts is to point out WHERE, in the early Chapters of the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit was dealing exclusively with the nation of Israel (Jews and Proselyte Jews) and WHY He hadn’t turned to the Gentiles - yet.

When studying the Scriptures it is always necessary for us to rightly divide “the word of truth”. That means that we must always keep in mind the distinction that the Scriptures make between the JEW; the GENTILE; and the CHURCH {where there is neither Jew nor Greek (i.e. Gentile) – Galatians 3:28 & Colossians 3:11}.

In addition we must always keep in mind that the Bible is not only a Book about “Doctrine” and about “Spiritual” matters, it is also a Book about “History”; and in order to arrive at the “Truth” of Scripture we must always take the “historical context” into consideration when “rightly dividing the word of truth”. This simply means that we cannot “project” (or “insert”) what we “knowNOW (as Christians) back into the “historical setting”. We must accept the written record WHERE, WHEN and HOW we find it, and not make it “say” or “mean” something other than what it says in the “historical context”. Every heresy or false teaching in the age of Grace comes from a failure to place verses of Scripture in their proper time placement (i.e. “historical context”).

As I have pointed out (over and over) in Acts Chapters 2 through 6, Peter and the rest of the Apostles have continually confined their preaching and teaching to the nation of Israel, and Stephen continues to do so in Acts Chapter 7. The Apostles and Disciples have not addressed the Gentiles separately; because God has NOT led them to do so - yet.

Please Note: The word Gentiles shows up only once in the 60 verses in Acts Chapter 7; and that reference to the Gentiles has NOTHING to do with the “Gospel”.

[Acts 7:45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;]

Remember: Steven was a man “full of the Holy Ghost” – which simply means that Stephen’s entire discourse (which was DIRECTED SOLELY at the nation of Israel and its “leaders”) was spoken under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost. This is NOT just Stephen speaking to the nation of Israel – this the Holy Spirit speaking to Israel THROUGH Stephen!

Acts 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

The entire Chapter 7 of the Book of Acts contains the “Proof Texts” for the teaching (doctrine) that in the first Seven Chapters of the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit was dealing exclusively with the nation of Israel (Jews and Proselyte Jews); and that the “message” that the Apostles and Disciples brought forth to the nation of Israel was not “the Gospel of the Grace of God” (i.e. Paul’s Gospel); and that God had not yet turned to the Gentiles.

Consider: The words “gospel”, “save”, “saved”, “salvation”, “death”, “buried”, “resurrect”, “resurrection”, and “sins” DO NOT SHOW UP EVEN ONCE IN THE ENTIRE CHAPTER! The ONLY TIME that the word “SIN” occurs is at the end of the chapter (Verse #60) when Stephen, with his dying breath prays: “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” [Acts 7:60]

Please notice how the Holy Spirit, speaking THROUGH Stephen, starts out by “instructing” the nation of Israel – reminding them of their past “history” (Acts 7:1-38). The Holy Spirit then gives them a slight “warning” or “admonition” (Acts 7:39-43) - before continuing on with the nation of Israel’s “history” (Acts 7:44-50). However, beginning at verse 51, He suddenly goes from “instruction”, “warning”, and “admonishing” to “REPROVING” and “REBUKING” THEM! Remember, this is NOT just Stephen “chewing out” the nation of Israel; this is the Holy Spirit “REPROVING” and “REBUKING” THEM! (Don’t forget: Stephen was a man - said to be “FULL of the Holy Ghost”).

WHERE is the “GOSPEL” in all of this? WHERE is the death, burial, and resurrection (Paul’s “Gospel”) in all of this? The words “death”, “burial”, and “resurrection” cannot be found in the entire Chapter! WHY does the Holy Spirit purposely avoid having Stephen preach the “Gospel” at this point in time? WHY do you suppose this is so?

It’s because, at this point in time, the Holy Spirit is specifically emphasizing to the nation of Israel (NOT the Gentiles – NOT the church) HOW, that all throughout their “history” they have FAILED to OBEY their God, and not only that - they have PURPOSELY REBELLED AGAINST Him! In Verses 51 through 53 He (the Holy Spirit) REBUKES the nation of Israel’s leaders (present) by saying that they are NO DIFFERENT than their REBELLIOUS FOREFATHERS!

At this point in time either the nation of Israel is either going to “get right” (by repenting of killing their Messiah and King, and accepting that responsibility, by accepting the “message” of the Apostles and Disciples [Acts 7:52]) or they are going to REBEL once again, (as they did over and over again in the past) and go AGAINST their God and His Holy Apostles and Disciples. The choice is theirs (the nation of Israel’s). They can either choose to do “GOOD” or to do “EVIL”; they can choose to accept the Holy Spirit’s “REPROOF” AND “REBUKE” and “GET RIGHT” or they can choose to REJECT the Holy Spirit’s “message” – and in doing so REJECT the Third Person of the Godhead.

We know which “choice” they made. They (the nation of Israel) REJECTED the Holy Spirit’s “message” and in doing so they REJECTED the Holy Spirit [Acts 7:51], and they ended up stoning Stephen to death - which gave God the “JUSTIFICATION” to REJECT them (the nation of Israel) and turn to the Gentiles!

As you read - Ask yourself: WHO is speaking? And to WHOM is he speaking to?

Quote:
Acts 7:1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so? {Only Jews}

2
And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, {Only Jews}

3
And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. {Only Jews}

4
Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. {Only Jews}

5
And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. {Only Jews}

6
And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. {Only Jews}

7
And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place. {Only Jews}

8
And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. {Only Jews}

9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into
Egypt: but God was with him, {Only Jews}

10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of
Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. {Only Jews}

11 Now there came a dearth over all the
land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. {Only Jews}

12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in
Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. {Only Jews}

13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.
{Only Jews}

14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.
{Only Jews}

15 So Jacob went down into
Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, {Only Jews}

16 And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.
{Only Jews}

17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in
Egypt, {Only Jews}

18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
{Only Jews}

19
The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. {Only Jews}

20
In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months: {Only Jews}

21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
{Only Jews}

22
And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. {Only Jews}

23
And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. {Only Jews}

24
And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: {Only Jews}

25
For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. {Only Jews}

26
And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? {Only Jews}

27
But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? {Only Jews}

28
Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? {Only Jews}

29
Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons. {Only Jews}

30
And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mountSina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. {Only Jews}

31
When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, {Only Jews}

32
Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. {Only Jews}

33
Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. {Only Jews}

34
I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. {Only Jews}

35
This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. {Only Jews}

36
He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. {Only Jews}

37
This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. {Only Jews}

38
This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mountSina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: {Only Jews}

39
To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, {Only Jews}

40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the
land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. {Only Jews}

41
And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. {Only Jews}

42
Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? {Only Jews}

43
Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. {Only Jews}

44
Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. {Only Jews}

45
Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; {Only Jews}

46
Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. {Only Jews}

47
But Solomon built him an house. {Only Jews}

48
Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, {Only Jews}

49
Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? {Only Jews}

50
Hath not my hand made all these things?

51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. {Only Jews}

52
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: {Only Jews}

53
Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. {Only Jews}

54
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. {Only Jews}

55
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, {Only Jews}

56
And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. {Only Jews}

57
Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, {Only Jews}

58
And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. {Only Jews}

59
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. {Only Jews}

60
And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. {Only Jews}
I shall have more to say about this in another Post. Suffice it to say that the “message” that Stephen preached to the nation of Israel was NOT his own – and it certainly was NOT “the Gospel of the Grace of God”. Stephen spoke these words to the leaders of the nation of Israel under the direct guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit as a last appeal by the Godhead to a disobedient and unfaithful nation (Israel), knowing full well that they (Israel) would REJECT Him once again, but giving them a bona fide opportunity to repent of the sin of REJECTING their Messiah and King, and of having Him killed.

I repeat – the first Seven Chapters of the Book of Acts deals with God the Holy Spirit (in the persons of His Apostles and Disciples) appealing to the nation of Israel (and only Israel) to REPENT of killing Israel’s Messiah and King and ACCEPT the “message” of the Apostles and Disciples; and if they do these things, God will send The Lord Jesus Christ BACK to them Acts 3:19-21. It was only AFTER the nation of Israel REJECTED the Holy Spirit’s “message” and His Apostles and Disciples, did God REJECT them and turned to the Gentiles.

Last edited by George; 06-17-2009 at 10:28 AM.