Idols in the Wilderness (Acts 7:30-43)
The Indictment Continues Stephen, accused by the Council, continues his indictment to Israel. 7:30-35. “An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush.” The miracle of the bush which burned and was not consumed (cf. Exod 3:2-3), prefigures the history of Israel, especially since her rejection of Christ. […]
Houses, Lands, and Family—A Hundredfold
So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and […]
Stephen’s Indictment of Israel (Acts 7:1-29)
Typology in Stephen’s Speech Stephen the table waiter of chapter 6 now becomes an angel of God (cf. 6:15), that is, a messenger of the Lord. The theme of Stephen’s sermon is Israel’s resistance to the Holy Spirit throughout its history (see Acts 7:51-53, especially v 51). But behind this theme is the typological lesson […]
Getting to Know Christ, 1 John 2:4
[cherry_row] [cherry_col size_md=”12″ size_xs=”none” size_sm=”none” size_lg=”none” offset_xs=”none” offset_sm=”none” offset_md=”none” offset_lg=”none” pull_xs=”none” pull_sm=”none” pull_md=”none” pull_lg=”none” push_xs=”none” push_sm=”none” push_md=”none” push_lg=”none” collapse=”no” bg_type=”none” bg_position=”center” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_attachment=”scroll” bg_size=”auto”] [cherry_row_inner type=”full-width” bg_type=”none” bg_position=”center” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_attachment=”scroll” bg_size=”auto” parallax_speed=”1.5″ parallax_invert=”no” min_height=”300″ speed=”1.5″ invert=”no”] [cherry_col_inner size_md=”8″] by Zane Hodges, originally published in the June, 1990 edition of “Grace in Focus”. First John 2:4 […]
Boldness and Unity (Acts 4:23-37)
The Believers Pray for Boldness After Peter and John exhibit boldness before the Sanhedrin (vv 19-20), they are found in prayer (vv 24-30). There is no bragging about how they stood up to the Sanhedrin, for they realize it is God who grants boldness (v 29; cf. Elijah in 1 Kgs 17:1). Peter had once […]
From Fishermen to Fearless: Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:1-22)
The Church’s First Fight Although our Lord was more often confronted by Pharisees, the infant Church finds its first clash with the Sadducees. While Pharisees represent religious hypocrisy, the Sadducees represent religious unbelief. 4:1-2. And the Sadducees came upon them. While the Pharisees hated our Lord manifested in flesh, as a sect, the Sadducees seemed […]
The Lame Man (Acts 3)
Introduction (3:1-12) 3:1-8. In Acts 3, Peter and John heal a man who was lame from birth. There are three ways to look at the miracle of this passage. First, we can look at the man himself. Over 40 years old (Acts 4:22), he was doubt- less a pitiable sight. It is not unlikely that […]
A Man Approved by God (Acts 2:22-26)
In considering Peter’s message to his audience, one can find not only an explanation of the career of Christ—this is its basic thrust—but one can also find the underlying principles of that career which can be applied to Christian experience. From the Bad Part of Town 2:22. Jesus of Nazareth. This is the first recorded […]
When the Holy Spirit Came (Acts 2:1-21)
God’s Harvest Program The three central feasts of Judaism, at which every male was commanded by the Old Testament to gather, have symbolic, typological significance: Passover speaks of redemption (the Cross). Pentecost is connected with harvest (the Church). Tabernacles anticipates full blessing (the Kingdom). Leviticus 23:17 and Num 28:26 connect Pentecost with harvest and first-fruits. […]
Judas & Matthias (Acts 1:15-26)
Reminder That Jesus’ Betrayal Was Prophesied (Acts 1:15-20) 1:15-17. Prayer results in an understanding of God’s will because it leads to an understanding of God’s Word. It is not a fuzzy or unexplainable feeling that results in the comprehension of God’s mind. Rather, the Spirit illuminates the mind of Peter as to the Word of […]