Day 79 of Reading the Bible in 90 Days

Welcome to day 79; this means we are very close to ending our 90 day challenge of not just reading the bible alone; but collecting a vast new understanding of what we have been reading. Let us begin today by asking the Lord to give us wisdom knowledge and understanding of what we read and the openness to receive it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Acts chapter 17

¹Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
²And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
³Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

The term Christian Sabbath, referring to the first day of the week is something that was unheard of to Paul and the early Christians because as we see here Paul, everywhere he travel went into the synagogues on the Sabbath days to reason with the Jews, not about the Sabbath day and which day it was; rather about the Messiah being Jesus who was killed and that he rose from the dead.

Jesus revealed everything to the prophets and confirmed everything the church needed with the apostles. Anything that came after them would be questionable. Constantine is the emperor who really established Sunday worship, and the biggest proof that it was an unofficial move is the fact that Mr. Constantine was not an Israelite but a Roman. Revelations that come from the Lord that are spread to man go to the Jew first; we'll read that in a bit.

As many believed on the teachings of Paul, the local Jews who didn't believe on Jesus caused commotion, even for the Gentile Greeks who believed bearing false witness against them. This clearly let's us know that no matter what nation you are from; when you begin to do what the bible says you will be alienated to a certain degree. Every where in the coast of Thessalonica where Paul was teaching, the local Jews came over to dispute with them (v13).

Paul left and went to Athens

¹⁶Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

The city was filled with idol worship. That is worshiping of an object or symbol to represent God. Many people wear a cross to represent Jesus or to commemorate Him; could this be a form of idolatry?

The Athenians were what we call philosophers of the gods with no real doctrine. They were people of "many truths" so they were open to hear what Paul had to say concerning his new doctrine.

²²Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
²³For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.


We have many superstitious people today who serve an unknown God ignorantly, however, Paul declares it to them and us today.


²⁴God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
²⁵Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
²⁹Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
³⁰And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:


Paul tells them and us plainly that we do not and are not to worship God with things made of hands being that He created the heavens and the earth. In the pass God kind of winked at; but now Jesus has come and died and requires all of us to repent from our sins. Paul spoke on the resurrection from the dead and lost many people at that point. They mocked him because a ressurrection is so far out of human comprehension that it cannot be taken seriously by many, which will be to their own demise.

Acts 18

¹After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
⁴And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.


Here again he reasoned with the Jews and the Greeks, every Sabbath. If one is going to keep a day of worship, of reading the bible, of prayer to the God of Heaven, the 7th day of the week should be the first pick. Man can give God glory everyday of the week; but the 7th day is the one to put the emphasis on. We've seen the Sabbath mentioned every chapter every book from Genesis onward.


And Paul's teachings and reasonings were of proving and teaching that Jesus was/is the Christ. Paul did not have to convince anyone about the Sabbath day or any other topic, although I'm sure he taught that; but it was mainly for people to accept Jesus Christ as Lord.


⁶And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. When Paul would come into a coast, he would speak and reason with the Jews first. If they rejected him, he would shake off the dust and move forward to the Gentiles. A preachers job is not to convert you! This is your own job. A preachers job is to give you the information, the knowledge, and you make due with it what you will.

The Lord sends teachers where He has people ready to listen (v9-11).


Paul Still Keeps the Feast of the Lord


²⁰When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; ²¹But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.


The big job in Paul's day was for the apostles and disciples to show the Jews that Jesus was indeed the Christ (v28).

Acts chapter 19

Some Jews believed on the coming Messiah but perhaps had left Jerusalem during the time of Jesus and were only baptized of John's baptism. When Paul met fellows like this he taught them Jesus and baptized them in the name of Jesus (v1-5).


Mocking the Word of God is Not Wise


¹⁵And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
¹⁶And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
¹⁷And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.


Men who were sorcerers or witchcraft attempted to do as Paul and remove evil spirits from people and heal the sick. They laid hands on people and with an evil mind mocking called on the God that Paul preached. The evil spirit let him in on a secret; that he knew Jesus and knew Paul; but didn't know him.
As Paul taught about idolatry, many who are in the business of making a cross started to feel it in the wallet. So quite naturally they made uproars about Paul and what he was teaching in their coast.


²⁴For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;
²⁷So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
²⁸And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
²⁹And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.


And just like that the whole city was filled with confusion and the word of God was broken up for a moment over a man's desire to make a few bucks. Instead of finding a new craft, he wants to delete his soul and the soul of others by keeping them into their pagan worship and idol worship of the goddess Diana.

Acts 20

⁶And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
⁷And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.


Here is a first day of the week (Sunday reference), where Paul was eating with the disciples and he spoke with them, insomuch it went into the middle of the night. This was during the feast of unleavened bread. This does not stamp a change in the Sabbath worship. There are reasons they were eating on the first day of the week as Paul preached. During the Sabbath days after the setting of the sun, Jews often sat around and spoke concerning the word. Also it may have been one of the 7 days of unleavened bread feasting and they were there eating and feasting. We do not know fully; but we know that this tiny insert does not denote a change of the Sabbath day worship.


As clear as the Lord is about the 7th day; I know He would have been just as clear about a change to the first day of the week.


Pentecost or Feast of Weeks Still Kept


¹⁶For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.


Paul tells the preachers to pick up the work he has laid down. Feed the people with knowledge of God and His Christ.


²⁸Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.


Feed the church of God, which Jesus has purchased with His own blood.


Acts chapter 21


Much of the chapter is travelling and going to different coast then they prepare for Jerusalem. However, a prophet tells the disciples that Paul will be arrested and sentenced before the Gentiles if he goes back to Jerusalem. Paul was not scared and proceeded to go saying he was ready to die for the Lord Jesus Christ.


Paul goes to Jerusalem, meets with James and the elders but then goes to the temple where he is recognized and seized, beaten, and arrested. However, he gets a small chance to speak granted by the Greek guard who thought Paul was an Egyptian. The Egyptians today are Arab Muslims who took over the land of Egypt approximately 600 AD. So at this time to be mistaken for an Egyptian is to be mistaken for a child of Ham or what we call today someone from the continent of Africa, someone from a country like Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, etc.


The Greek guard gives Paul chance to address the people.


Acts chapter 22


Paul addresses the Jews in the Hebrew language, which gets their attention and he rehearses the story of how he was blinded while on a mission to arrest and bound Jews who called on Jesus. However, they are not buying his account and are still pursuant to have him killed. Paul then tells them he is a Roman citizen and this gives him more time. Paul being a former pharisee knew that those men, if given chance were going to kill him. Everyone will die for Jesus until death is staring them in the face; then they are looking for ways out of the situation.

Acts 23

¹And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
²And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.


Paul is before the council and they are not playing any games with him because they feel he betrayed them and also let Gentiles into the temple and into the church.


Paul let the high priest know God will slap him too, and he called him a "whited wall" because he has no knowledge because he is to judge by the law; but had someone smitten contrary to the law. Paul saw two sects of groups there, the pharisee and sadducees; and declared himself a pharisee. The oldest trick in the book is to get people mad at you to get mad at each other; and it worked for Paul to buy him more time. He is going through all this when he could of stayed out of Jerusalem. It shows us the power of God.
He was able to get enough pharisees to defend him and they took him out and back into the Roman headquarters in Jerusalem to be held over night.


¹¹And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.


So Paul knew he would not die because the Lord showed him he would have to give the same testimony to the people in Rome; despite a band of 40 men making a vow not to eat or drink until they have killed Paul (v12-13). They planned to have Paul brought out once again to act as if they had more questions for him; then these 40 men would rush him, overbearing the guards and kill him at once. The only thing is God placed Paul's nephew there and heard the plan and he went and told it to Paul.


Paul is then sent with armed men to Felix to hear his trial.


Acts Chapter 24


Paul explains that they are making false claims against him and that he caused no trouble while in Jerusalem, he simply believes all things written by Moses (the law) and the prophets. This includes things concerning JESUS, and the resurrection of life to the just and unjust.


¹⁴But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
¹⁵And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.


Felix held Paul up and allowed one Festus to judge by bringing the men of Jerusalem to present their case on why Paul should be killed!


Acts chapter 25


⁷And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.


They couldn't prove anything; so Festus was going to have it sent back to Jerusalem saying it is a matter between the people. Paul appealed wanting it to go before Caesar since he was a Roman citizen. So King Agrippa was brought in to hear the matter and he wanted to hear about it; and they believed it was a matter for the Jews to judge on but Paul kept appealing.


Acts chapter 26


Paul is given chance to address king Agrippa and he rehearses his life and what took place for him to leave being a pharisee to one who followed Christ. It reminds me, when Malcolm X left the nation of Islam to become a follower of Christ, the nation instantly put it out for him to be killed. It has similar sentiments as Paul's events. Paul tells his matter and let's king Agrippa know this is why they want him killed.


²¹For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
²²Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:


All Paul ever desired to do was to teach to people what the scriptures says. Festus believed Paul was going crazy by learning to much; but Paul said he's not and that Agrippa was understanding of his words.


²⁷King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. ²⁸Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.


Agrippa was almost converted on Paul's story. They allow Paul to go to Italy.

Acts 27

¹And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band.
The sea was violent and Paul suggested that they should not have set sail; but the sailors felt they knew better than Paul.


¹¹Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
¹⁴But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. ¹⁵And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.


They were caught up in what we call a hurricane and they could no longer control the ship and they just let the wind take it to where it was going to go.


²¹But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
²³For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
²⁴Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.


God sent His angel to comfort Paul and deliver him and the men of the ship.


Acts chapter 28
The ship finally crashes

Acts 28

They come across barbarian people who treated them kindly; and Paul was bit by a venomous snake. I read in the paper the other day that a woman who was suppose to be on the flight that crashed in South America, she missed the flight and obviously preserving her life; but the next week, she was in a car crash that took her life. The barbarians thought the same of Paul, thinking he was a murderer who's life was been sought for him to survive the boat crash; but then get bit by a poisonous snake. Paul just shook the thing off and wasn't poisoned nor did his hand swell up. So then the barbarians believe he was a god.


¹⁸Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.
¹⁹But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.


Same story of the Jews doing more persecution than other nations; the Gentiles wanted to let Jesus go; but the Jews put on the pressure; same thing they did with Paul.

However Paul read the scriptures to them to reason with them.


²³And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.


Peter remained there teaching the word of God to all who would hear.
This finishes our reading for today; we will resume tomorrow.


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Peace & Grace

Day 78 of Reading the Bible in 90 Days

Good day and into day 78 we go, and like Tina Turner use to sing, we are going to continue to keep trucking along. God is good and greatly to be praised. Let us begin in Acts chapter 7

They begin by questioning Stephen as they did Jesus. Stephen let the spirit of the Lord speak as commanded by Jesus and he probably did not fear because Jesus warned him that they will bring you before councils for my names sake. And they asked Stephen is it true that he spoke against Moses.

Stephen then began to break the whole story of Jesus beginning in Abraham and walked them right up to their current day. He said important things in between here that we'll point out. He spoke of how the Lord appeared to Abraham and told him to leave his family and move to Canaan, then He gave Abraham the covenant of the circumcision to do on the 8th day, Isaac and Jacob came along, the the twelve patriarchs, and they went into Egypt. They were evil treated 400 years then the Lord prepared to deliver the children of Israel.

³⁴I 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.

Reading this chapter with Stephen breaking everything down, gives us a clean history of all we've been reading starting at Abraham.

³⁷This 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.

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

This is the same Moses who told the children of Israel, when they were too scared to face God at the mountain and made a request that we all live with today that God not speak with us directly, but through Moses (Moses had to die at some point so another prophet the Lord said He will raise). This prophet everyone better listen to. Moses proclaimed this while the church was in the wilderness? The church? Yes. The church did not begin on the day of Pentecost; the church has been active since the wilderness. When the Lord came down and proclaimed His commandments, and Israel entered into a covenant, the church began.

However, the children of Israel turned to paganism, made a calf, and from that God made them to worship the host of heaven. That is particularly why many Christians worship on the first day of the week, in Roman ideology it is known as the day of the Sun, Sunday. That is a host of heaven. Muslims come and make a pilgrimage in Mecca to a stone (that is suppose to represent something for Allah), and the Jewish people have this star, which is not only a host of heaven, but a idol worship as well. They accredit the star to David, but we read through David's stories and know there was never a mention of stars for David. The star came from this:

⁴³Yea, 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.

A pagan god Moloch, and the star was for Remphan, and for this God carried the children out into slavery into Babylon where they are still till this day.

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

Stephen started calling the pharisees names, stiff necked, resisters of the Holy Spirit, just like their fathers who killed the prophets who came in the name of the Lord.

This made the pharisees terribly upset and they stopped listening and charged at him, after he told of a vision he had.

⁵⁶And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
⁵⁷Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,


They through him out of the city, stoned him, and you'll never guess who consented his death? The future apostle to the Gentiles, Saul. Saul was his Hebrew and original name, named after the first flesh and blood king of Israel, king Saul. The Gentiles called him Paul. Even unto death, Stephen asked the Lord not to lay this sin to their charge, as Jesus said Father forgive them because they really do not know what they are doing. I tell people this all the time; not to hold grudges even when the person purposes lies or does evil against you. If they really knew the consequences and had understanding of the lake of fire; they truly would not do the evil against you or anyone else that they do. So you are to forgive as Jesus said because they really don't understand.

Acts 8

¹And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
²And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
³As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.


Saul was a very zealous pharisee and created much havoc to the church, throwing many men and women into jail for the name of Jesus. In places today like the Americas and much of Europe, they have a freedom of religion. However, if you went into Iran and began a Christian crusade, you'd find great opposition.


So many of the Jews of Jerusalem began to leave Jerusalem and go to other surrounding nations to avoid the persecution they received from their very own brothers. They saw what Jesus doctrine left Him; dead on a cross, but at His own will. So the true doctrine of Jesus is not accepted in the mainstream.
Phillip, a disciple, went to Samaria and preached the gospel and many believed and were baptized. A man named Simon was amazed at the gospel and the healing that Phillip had the power to do through God and he was also baptized. He was a witchcraft and really only wanted the praise of men. When Peter and John came and put hands on the people for them to receive the holy spirit, Simon wanted that power and offered money. 

¹⁸And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
Peter's response to Simon goes to anyone who believes that they can buy their way into the kingdom of God or buy the use of the power of God. ²⁰But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.


God owns everything, so to offer money for knowledge is foolish. Just ask and you will receive in the name of Jesus.


Phillip Meets the Ethiopian Jew

²⁶And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
²⁷And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
²⁸Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.


This man was returning from a commanded feast of the Lord and he was reading the book of Isaiah, chapter 53 possibly and Phillip joined him and asked him if he is understanding all that he is reading? The man replied, "how can I unless someone teaches me?" It is great when one is humble; then they are able to receive help. But if he'd replied; yeah man I can read brother!" This would have cause Phillip to leave him alone.


After Phillip taught Jesus to the Ethiopian, they saw water, and he baptized himself immediately in the name of Jesus. I called the man a Jew because the directive the apostles and disciples received from Jesus was to go not in the way of the Gentiles; but rather to the lost house of the tribes of Israel. So they were teaching only Israelites for a long while. So the man was a citizen of Ethiopia; but was a physical child of Jacob. As we have today, many Jews who are citizens of the country they were scattered into, but they are still children of Israel.

Acts chapter 9

¹And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
²And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.


Saul went and received permission from the high priest to go into other jurisdictions to arrest people who were following Jesus. He genuinely believed he was doing the right thing by God. It is comparable to Muslims today flying planes into buildings and doing suicide bombing, they believe they are doing a good service to God. So did Saul, he believed genuinely that he was doing the right thing. This is probably why the Lord had mercy on him.


Paul Blinded and Laid Down

Paul was suddenly blinded with a bright light from heaven, so bright that it literally laid him down on the earth. Then he heard a voice call his name. It was Jesus that asked him, "why are you persecuting me, it is hard for you to kick against the pricks." Paul humbled himself immediately and asked the Lord what he should do (v3-7). The average person would have be scared and upset because they know they were guilty. Paul did not think he was doing any wrong, he believed he was straightening out wrong. The men around Saul, saw him laid on the ground, they heard a voice but didn't see any man nor the bright light.


⁹And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.


A man named Ananias was sent to give Saul back his sight and instructions. He was worried at first to do it because he'd heard of what Saul was doing to the saints; but the Lord let him know that Saul was a chosen vessel to carry out the work of the Lord and show him how he must suffer great things for the Lord's name sake (v12-16).


Sometimes it takes the Lord going hard at us to get our attention. We may not be blinded but we may lose our jobs, our car, spouse, kids, or we may get to the top, with houses, cars, popularity, money, and simply not be fulfilled and finally resort to our God. Saul was converted and baptized and began preaching. ²⁰And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.


Now the Jews of Jerusalem sought out to kill him as he was doing to the saints. The truth turned him from the hunter to the hunted. When Paul returned to Jerusalem the disciples were not convinced that he was converted so no one would work with him. Then Barnabas came and took Saul under his wings and they travel together and taught. Peter and the disciples did great miracles in raising the dead, healing, and the church finally received rest once Paul left for Tarsus to teach. That is how reckless he was to the church.

Acts 10

¹There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
²A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
³He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.


This is a Italian Gentile who the Lord is preparing to become part of the the household of Israel under the new covenant. An angel appears to him and sends him to send for Peter to be told what he needs to do. Why didn't the angel tell him? The Lord has certain rules of conduct, or a decorum if you will, that He established with the children of Israel. They are His priest so the word of God will go to them first, then they will spread it to the rest of the world.


Examples of this were in Egypt, when Pharaoh had a dream and none of his men could interpret the dream, Joseph the Israelite was brought in and did interpret the dream. Nebuchadnezzar, when he had a dream that need interpretation, they sent for the captive Jew, Daniel also from the priest nation of the Lord. When Israel was thriving, all nations came up to hear the wisdom of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord. Also when Jesus was born and Herod was looking for him, he did not go ask the Romans, he went to the chief priest of the Levites for the answers. It is the way the Lord operates, the Father gives it to the Son, the Son to the holy angels, and the angels give it to a child of Israel before it is manifested throughout the world.


Even if a Gentile is able to read it for himself out of the bible; every book in the bible was written by a child of Israel. So Cornelius was sent to the head of the church among men, Peter to be inducted into the church. Now Peter was not going to give this Gentile as much as a crumb of knowledge without the Lord fully preparing him and the Lord did that; because Peter remembered, "go not in the way of the Gentile."


So Peter has a vision that is to help him prepare to teach Cornelius.

¹³And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
¹⁴But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
¹⁵And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.


Right here our dietary law is snapped in half. We can officially eat the pig, the catfish, the shrimp, if you like rodents, eagles, and any other thing common or unclean, go right ahead and eat it because the Lord has dropped His dietary requirements. It wasn't easy for Peter to accept either because he strictly kept the dietary laws. The Lord had to do it three times before Peter accepted it; and he still pondered on why the Lord would all of the sudden okay the eating of unclean animals?


¹⁹While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
²⁰Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.


Peter listened to them and they told him why they were there and Peter rose up to go see Cornelius the next day. Peter wisely took some disciples with him for witnesses that he would later need. Cornelius filled his house with his people that wanted to see and hear the word of God. Gentiles had not been able to witness Jesus but they heard about what He did and they heard about the Church growing; and quite naturally some wanted in. We have Gentiles today who sincerely want to help the Jews and the lost children of Israel.


²⁵And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
²⁶But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
²⁷And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.


Peter seeing what everyone was there for and putting together what the vision was all about told them and made me put away my ham sandwich.
²⁸And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.


He said it was unlawful for a Jew to keep company (in spiritual communing) with any other nation; however, God has shown him not to call any other man common or unclean. The Jews view other nations as uncleaned, uncircumcised, and common. And the Lord had to show Peter that He is the God of all people, and the Jews are not just some wonderful people He chose to save; the Lord wants to save all, He has chosen the Israelites to bring all back to Him.

Therefore, no one is common or unclean. This was not speaking of food or animals, it was speaking of men. So the dietary law is still in full affect. Please put down your catfish!


³⁴Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
³⁵But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.


Everyone should know this by the way the Lord has beaten up on Israel for transgressing His commandments. He did not have respect for them just because they are Abraham's seed. All must still keep the laws of God.
As Peter was teaching them of Jesus, the Holy Spirit fell on them as it happened to the Jews in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.


⁴⁴While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
⁴⁵And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
⁴⁶For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
⁴⁷Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?


There we have the first Gentiles brought into the church under the new covenant.

Acts 11

¹And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
²And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,
Peter had to come back to the Jews and explain why he went and spoke to the Gentiles concerning the Word of God.


¹²And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:
Peter needed the witnesses because they were surely going to stone him for doing what he did because they considered it breaking the commandment of Jesus. The Jews seem like they want any reason to stone someone.


¹⁸When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
When Peter finished his rehash of what took place they were at ease and happy that God had granted the Gentiles repentance to eternal life. They could have taken an easier path in knowing this by simply reading the books of the bible where it in Isaiah. This news of the Gentiles coming in took time to catch hold to the children of Israel.


¹⁹Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
They were still teaching the Jews only!


²⁵Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:
²⁶And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
This is very late in the game and Paul still is a smaller figure in the church and they were growing so much they were called Christians.

Acts 12

¹Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
²And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
³And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)


Herod began to persecute some of the church. He killed James the son of Zebedee, the brother of John. Remember these brothers asked to sit on the right and left hand of Jesus in His kingdom. Jesus said they have to drink from the cup He drank and be baptized with His baptism; and they said they will do it. Jesus told them they would indeed do it. And here we see James being killed for the name of the Lord. This pleased the pharisees so Herod proceeded to take on Peter.


Peter was sent to prison; but an angel miraculously delivered him out. Herod killed the guards for allowing him to escape. Later on the Lord repayed the evil Herod had done by having him killed in an ugly way.


²³And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

Acts 13

²As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
³And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 

Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem and were officially ordained as apostles and set for their work, which they were set apart to do. That is to be the apostles to the Gentiles. Paul must have wrote more or talked more with clearness to the Gentile because his writings are the ones we know of today; but Barnabas was with him for much of the time they taught together. They had John with them, and I will presume that they went in groups of twos or threes so that one preached and the other read the law. One preached while the other was the reader.


¹⁴But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
¹⁵And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.


Years and years after Jesus death, Paul the apostle to the Gentile continued to keep the Sabbath day as the the 7th day of the week and did as Jesus custom was in Luke chapter four, Paul read the law and the prophets, Paul read the scriptures. At this point they are the New Testament book, so it is not written yet, but all they needed to share the gospel is in the Old Testament.


Paul was asked to speak and he spoke, giving the run down on the history of the children of Israel and how it has everything to do with Jesus Christ (v16-41). Paul's teachings were well received, not only by the Jews but by the Gentiles sitting outside the temple as they listened.


⁴²And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.


The Gentiles were keeping the Sabbath day. We know because they had to do what the Jews were doing. But if by any reason we believe they were not keeping the Sabbath, when they asked Paul to return and teach them, they did not say, tomorrow (as in Sunday), they said the next Sabbath. It is beyond the bible that Sunday became accepted as a day of rest, which has no credibility with the Word of God. We've read how serious the Lord has been concerning the Sabbath day these 78 days. He stoned a mad for picking up sticks, He told Israel it is a sign between He and them, He said He is the Lord of the Sabbath, and would have left the children of Israel in the land if they would have only kept the Sabbath day of all the commandments (Ezekiel 20).

 They couldn't do it; and with all this, I do not believe that Jesus would establish this day and change it subtly without informing the apostles clearly. I think this is good reasoning we can think about as we read.


⁴³Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
⁴⁴And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
⁴⁵But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.


The local ministers and Jews persuaded them to continue in the grace of God, but the next Sabbath the whole city came out. This made the Jews and local ministers became jealous and spoke against God by speaking against Paul.
This is when Paul realized what his job was:


⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
⁴⁷For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.


The Jews expelled Paul and Barnabas out of their coast but not before getting many Gentiles to believe and glorify the Lord.


Acts chapter 14


¹⁰Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
¹¹And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
¹²And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
¹³Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
¹⁴Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,


The Works of God were thought to be the from the gods of the Elements.
They called Barnabas and Paul planets because they were healing people. Paul was the chief speaker so they gave him the greater planet.


²²Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.


It takes much tribulation of this world to enter into the kingdom of God.

Acts 15

¹And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.


The Circumcision Disputed

⁵But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. A section of the pharisees who had believe on Jesus still taught it necessary for all who want to be saved must be circumcised according to as Moses wrote.


Peter, however, thought that the Lord sent him to open the door to the Gentiles and gave them the Holy Spirit as He did for them and made no difference. They received the Holy Spirit without needing to be circumcised, so Peter thought it not pertinent to have them circumcised (v7-11).


Notice, Peter didn't receive this by the Holy Spirit, but by his own reasoning. Moses did not consult the Lord on the divorce issue; but selected the lessor of two evils, and Joshua did not consult the Lord before the Gibeonites deceived him and entered a league with the children of Israel. Peter and the apostles could have made a similar error; because we read in Genesis that all must needs be circumcised as Abraham to enter the covenant; and in Ezekiel, we read how no uncircumcised person in flesh or heart will enter the Lord house.
So circumcision is necessary, however, perhaps Peter meant that teaching the Gentiles should continue regardless of them being circumcised or not.


²⁹That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. This is what they all agreed to have put on the Gentiles. However, ask yourself this; does it make sense for One God to have laws, statues, and commandments for one group of people to keep; but another group can avoid keeping the same laws, statues, and commandments?


This chapter ends with Paul and Barnabas departing because Paul didn't want John to continue with them and Barnabas did so they departed from each other.

Acts 16

¹Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
²Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
³Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.


Here we have Timotheus, a Gentile with a Greek father and a Jew for a mother, wanted to teach with Paul and we see Paul took him to be circumcised before he could join them. If Paul said it did not matter for the circumcision; why then did he have Timotheus circumcised?


Paul did some travelling in then came to Macedonia where he met a young lady who was a psychic and she brought much money to some men by her psychic predictions. Paul summoned the evil spirit out of her and the men of course were upset and brought Paul before the council of their city.
They accused Paul:


²¹And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
They had Paul and his men beaten and put in jail. However, the Lord afflicts and He delivers.


²⁵And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
²⁶And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
²⁷And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.


We do remember to the guards who Peter escaped from. So these guards were going to kill himself. But Paul and his men did not even escape. They stayed put and waited on word from the Holy Spirit. The guard believed and was baptized by Paul.


So the council of the town allowed Paul and his company to leave in peace. This finishes our reading for today. The count down will continue tomorrow.


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Peace & Grace