In Jewish Scripture Saul was well versed;
By it he proved that Jesus was God’s Son;
He preached with great effect to the Jews first,
Till the rabbi’s saw how many he won!
They condemned Saul for being a traitor;
Posted guards to catch him at ev’ry gate;
Plotted to kill their former crusader,
Rightly fearing his great threat to their fate!
But the brothers kept him safe out of sight;
In a basket they let him down the wall;
He escaped Damascus in dark of night,
Went to Zion* on believers to call!
This was not the last of Saul’s close escapes;
His life for Christ was filled with jams and scrapes!
*Zion = Jerusalem
There were (and are) about 340 prophecies in the Hebrew Bible concerning the coming, life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah (Christ). They tell He was born in Bethlehem, was raised in Nazareth, details of His life and ministry, and much more. Any Jew, had he looked at his own Scriptures objectively and compared them to the real, live Jesus of Nazareth, would have believed that He was the promised Messiah. When Saul was called directly by Jesus from heaven on the road to Damascus, and he actually considered what he knew of the life of Jesus in the light of his intimate knowledge of the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible), his beginning faith was confirmed by certainty. He knew just what to say to Jews, which Scripture to cite, to convince them that He really was the Son of God, despite the judgment placed upon them in Isaiah’s time that dulled their spiritual insight.
After he regained his sight and strength and convinced the believers in Damascus that his conversion was genuine, he began boldly preaching in the Jewish synagogues (See Acts 9:19-22). Seeing what great effect he had with members, the leaders, who thought he had come to arrest followers of Jesus, turned against him and plotted to kill him. Many Jews believed secretly, and Saul’s Christian friends learned of the plot and kept him hidden, until they were able to let him over the city wall in a basket at night.
Saul returned to Jerusalem, not as originally planned, eith arrested believers, but a believer himself. It was dangerous, since he was not trusted by believers in Jerusalem, because of his terrible persecution; nor was he trusted by the high priest of the Jews, for that official had heard of his conversion. He went there anyway, preenting himself first to the Christians. They would have nothing to do with him until Barnabas spoke up for him, knowing of his conversion and preaching in Damascus. Then Saul began preaching in the synagogues to Jews again, just as he had done in Damascus. Some of the synagogues were called Grecian, dating back to the conquest of Alexander the Great, and his attempt to make Greek the official language of all his empire. Saul and some Grecian Jews disputed to the point that, again, they plotted to kill him. Once more, his believing brethren spirited him out of Jerusalem to the Mediterranean Sea, where he was able to take a boat to his home in Tarsus.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The Conversion Of Saul
Saul started for Damascus, breathing fire,
Hoping to find Jesus-believers there;
He arrived, led, and with a new desire---
To teach the gospel of Christ ev’rywhere!
He saw Jesus, and became a new man,
A believer, the last apostle, saved;
Reversed course entire; witnessing began;
Freed from sin’s wages; forever unslaved!
With boldness he began Jesus to preach;
He who sought to kill those who loved that name;
Now the Jews plotted his life to breach;
Teacher to the apostles Saul became!
Saul was no ordinary, common Jew;
He and the Spirit made all doctrines true!
“He [Saul] went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether man or woman, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from hearven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ “ (Acts 9:1-6) [Brackets added]
Evidently the experience was significant enough for Saul that he instantly believed in Jesus. The bright light blinded him for three days. In Damascus he was taken to the home of a believer. Another, one Ananias, was told by God to go to him and lay his hands on him to cure his blindness. At first Ananias was afraid to go, but Jesus told him that Saul was to be His apostle to the Gentiles (all non-Jews) and to Israel.
The fledgling movement that is known today as Christianity was in need at that time of a man like Saul---a Pharisee, with extensive knowledge of Mosaic law; with his brilliance and wisdom. The apostles and most disciples were poor, uneducated, and confused by the intricacies of the new (not really new; this was God’s plan from the beginning of time; but it was different from the covenant He had made with Moses) plan of salvation. There was strong pressure from Jewish believers (which were most of them at the time) to require all non-Jews to be circumcised and to do other traditional requirements of Judaism. It was Saul (later known as Paul) who was strong enough to circumvent these mistaken beliefs. They were called “Judaizers” and the threat cropped up over and over. Paul wrote half of the New Testament of the Bible, established churches all over the eastern Mediteranean region, and taught them how to function.
Of course, the Jews now hated Saul(Paul) for his turnabout and planned to kill him in Damascus and Jerusalem. In the course of time they succeeded in having him arrested and imprisoned by the Romans. In 64 A. D. he was beheaded in a time of great persecution by the emperor Nero in Rome. He is buried where he was killed---at St. Paul’s Basilica in Rome, about two miles from the Vatican.
Hoping to find Jesus-believers there;
He arrived, led, and with a new desire---
To teach the gospel of Christ ev’rywhere!
He saw Jesus, and became a new man,
A believer, the last apostle, saved;
Reversed course entire; witnessing began;
Freed from sin’s wages; forever unslaved!
With boldness he began Jesus to preach;
He who sought to kill those who loved that name;
Now the Jews plotted his life to breach;
Teacher to the apostles Saul became!
Saul was no ordinary, common Jew;
He and the Spirit made all doctrines true!
“He [Saul] went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether man or woman, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from hearven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ “ (Acts 9:1-6) [Brackets added]
Evidently the experience was significant enough for Saul that he instantly believed in Jesus. The bright light blinded him for three days. In Damascus he was taken to the home of a believer. Another, one Ananias, was told by God to go to him and lay his hands on him to cure his blindness. At first Ananias was afraid to go, but Jesus told him that Saul was to be His apostle to the Gentiles (all non-Jews) and to Israel.
The fledgling movement that is known today as Christianity was in need at that time of a man like Saul---a Pharisee, with extensive knowledge of Mosaic law; with his brilliance and wisdom. The apostles and most disciples were poor, uneducated, and confused by the intricacies of the new (not really new; this was God’s plan from the beginning of time; but it was different from the covenant He had made with Moses) plan of salvation. There was strong pressure from Jewish believers (which were most of them at the time) to require all non-Jews to be circumcised and to do other traditional requirements of Judaism. It was Saul (later known as Paul) who was strong enough to circumvent these mistaken beliefs. They were called “Judaizers” and the threat cropped up over and over. Paul wrote half of the New Testament of the Bible, established churches all over the eastern Mediteranean region, and taught them how to function.
Of course, the Jews now hated Saul(Paul) for his turnabout and planned to kill him in Damascus and Jerusalem. In the course of time they succeeded in having him arrested and imprisoned by the Romans. In 64 A. D. he was beheaded in a time of great persecution by the emperor Nero in Rome. He is buried where he was killed---at St. Paul’s Basilica in Rome, about two miles from the Vatican.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Gospel Goes To Ethiopia
The good news of Christ continued to spread
On ev'ry day by chance and by intent;
To Gaza road went Phillip, angel-led,
To Ethiop's treasurer he was sent!
"Do you understand what you are reading?"
Phillip asked, of the Scripture in his hand;
"How can I? An explainer I'm needing?"
So Phillip taught Jesus Christ to the man!
He believed, and seeing water ahead,
"Why can't I be baptized right here today?"
The eunuch, filled with joy, eagerly said;
And so it was done, with no more delay!
In a thousand such ways, both far and near,
The gospel of Christ the known world did hear!
Why was a black man, the treasurer for Queen Candace of Ethiopia, on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel? Because he was Jewish; when the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon, David and Bathsheba's son, and king of Israel, in the time of its greatest wealth, size and power, she took back with her a number of Jews who made their home in Ethiopia. This was almost a thousand years before the birth of Christ, 3000 years before our time today. There are a sizable number of Jews in that country today; many have migrated back to the modern nation of Israel. Obviously, the eunuch was descended from those Jews. Therefore, he became a convert to Christianity, and probably witnessed to his fellows in Ethiopia about the good news of Jesus and salvation by grace.
"Now an angel of the Lord said to Phillip, 'Go south to the road---the desert road---that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethioian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Phillip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it.' Then Phillip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. 'Do you understand what you are reading?' Phillip asked. 'How can I,' he said, 'unless someone explains it to me?' So he invited Phillip to come up and sit with him." (Acts 8:26-31) [The eunuch was reading Isaiah 53:7-8.]
For a complete description of this incident, please read Acts 8:26-39. By this date, there were thousands of believers being scattered from Jerusalem to places both far and near. Desoite personal hardship, they were eager to tell others the stoy of Jesus and his resurrection. The story above is but one example of how the gospel was spread to nations throughout the known world, especially in the Roman Empire. Wherever they went, new churches were being established---Turkey, Malta, Greece, Egypt, Rome, etc. For a time, the apostles remained behind in Jerusalem, staying out of sight of Saul and other persecutors; however, they began making longer trips---James went to Spain, Thomas to India, etc. John went to Ephesus in Turkey, Peter to Antioch, also in Turkey. In the end, they were all slain---martyred---for the cause of Jesus Christ. John lived the longest, dying in a Roman prison on the Isle of Patmos in 103 A. D.
On ev'ry day by chance and by intent;
To Gaza road went Phillip, angel-led,
To Ethiop's treasurer he was sent!
"Do you understand what you are reading?"
Phillip asked, of the Scripture in his hand;
"How can I? An explainer I'm needing?"
So Phillip taught Jesus Christ to the man!
He believed, and seeing water ahead,
"Why can't I be baptized right here today?"
The eunuch, filled with joy, eagerly said;
And so it was done, with no more delay!
In a thousand such ways, both far and near,
The gospel of Christ the known world did hear!
Why was a black man, the treasurer for Queen Candace of Ethiopia, on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel? Because he was Jewish; when the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon, David and Bathsheba's son, and king of Israel, in the time of its greatest wealth, size and power, she took back with her a number of Jews who made their home in Ethiopia. This was almost a thousand years before the birth of Christ, 3000 years before our time today. There are a sizable number of Jews in that country today; many have migrated back to the modern nation of Israel. Obviously, the eunuch was descended from those Jews. Therefore, he became a convert to Christianity, and probably witnessed to his fellows in Ethiopia about the good news of Jesus and salvation by grace.
"Now an angel of the Lord said to Phillip, 'Go south to the road---the desert road---that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethioian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Phillip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it.' Then Phillip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. 'Do you understand what you are reading?' Phillip asked. 'How can I,' he said, 'unless someone explains it to me?' So he invited Phillip to come up and sit with him." (Acts 8:26-31) [The eunuch was reading Isaiah 53:7-8.]
For a complete description of this incident, please read Acts 8:26-39. By this date, there were thousands of believers being scattered from Jerusalem to places both far and near. Desoite personal hardship, they were eager to tell others the stoy of Jesus and his resurrection. The story above is but one example of how the gospel was spread to nations throughout the known world, especially in the Roman Empire. Wherever they went, new churches were being established---Turkey, Malta, Greece, Egypt, Rome, etc. For a time, the apostles remained behind in Jerusalem, staying out of sight of Saul and other persecutors; however, they began making longer trips---James went to Spain, Thomas to India, etc. John went to Ephesus in Turkey, Peter to Antioch, also in Turkey. In the end, they were all slain---martyred---for the cause of Jesus Christ. John lived the longest, dying in a Roman prison on the Isle of Patmos in 103 A. D.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Phillip Preaches Christ In Samaria
Wonder of wonders, the gospel was preached
In Samaria with joyful success;
Erstwhile despised Jewish cousins were reached
By Deacon Phillip’s Spirit-filled witness!
Peter and John were sent to verify,
By laying-on hands, the Spirit to pass;
When soothsayer Simon offered to buy
The Spirit, with evil intent, for cash,
Peter denounced him: “God is not for sale!”
Once hated Samaritans were brothers
To Christian Jews on Jesus’ gospel trail,
As were the Gentiles, and all the others!
And so the first baby-steps were taken
To see that none on earth was forsaken!
“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Phillip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Phillip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in the city.” (Acts 8:4-8) [Please read verses 4-25 of Chapter 8 in your Bible for the complete text.]
Samaria was part of the Holy Land between Galilee and Jerusalem. It was part of the original kingdom of Israel; however, when the ten northern tribes broke away in civil war, followed by capture by the Assyrians, the people left behind intermarried with Canaanites. Jews of the southern tribes despised them; they would go across the Jordan River to pass outside of Samaria. Jesus taught brotherly love and equality for all---Jew and Gentile, men and women, free and slave; He offered salvation to the whole world, not just the Jews of Judea. The old prejudices were very difficult for some Jewish Christians to ignore.
Simon was a magician who had become famous in Samaria by his tricks and wonders. He was astounded by Phillip’s miracles, and “believed” along with the others. Phillip’s power was that furnished him by the Holy Spirit. While many believed in Jesus as Lord, they did not receive the Spirit. Peter and John were sent from Jerusalem to Samaria to verify the sincerity of belief in Jesus. They laid their hands on the heads of the converts, and the Holy Spirit indwelled each of them. Simon offered money to Peter in exchange for laying hands on him, so that he would be able to use the Spirit’s power to make profits for himself. Peter was indignant. He detected the intention of Simon’s heart and denounced him. I believe that many church members of our time are not true believers and will be turned away by God at the final judgment.
In Samaria with joyful success;
Erstwhile despised Jewish cousins were reached
By Deacon Phillip’s Spirit-filled witness!
Peter and John were sent to verify,
By laying-on hands, the Spirit to pass;
When soothsayer Simon offered to buy
The Spirit, with evil intent, for cash,
Peter denounced him: “God is not for sale!”
Once hated Samaritans were brothers
To Christian Jews on Jesus’ gospel trail,
As were the Gentiles, and all the others!
And so the first baby-steps were taken
To see that none on earth was forsaken!
“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Phillip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Phillip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in the city.” (Acts 8:4-8) [Please read verses 4-25 of Chapter 8 in your Bible for the complete text.]
Samaria was part of the Holy Land between Galilee and Jerusalem. It was part of the original kingdom of Israel; however, when the ten northern tribes broke away in civil war, followed by capture by the Assyrians, the people left behind intermarried with Canaanites. Jews of the southern tribes despised them; they would go across the Jordan River to pass outside of Samaria. Jesus taught brotherly love and equality for all---Jew and Gentile, men and women, free and slave; He offered salvation to the whole world, not just the Jews of Judea. The old prejudices were very difficult for some Jewish Christians to ignore.
Simon was a magician who had become famous in Samaria by his tricks and wonders. He was astounded by Phillip’s miracles, and “believed” along with the others. Phillip’s power was that furnished him by the Holy Spirit. While many believed in Jesus as Lord, they did not receive the Spirit. Peter and John were sent from Jerusalem to Samaria to verify the sincerity of belief in Jesus. They laid their hands on the heads of the converts, and the Holy Spirit indwelled each of them. Simon offered money to Peter in exchange for laying hands on him, so that he would be able to use the Spirit’s power to make profits for himself. Peter was indignant. He detected the intention of Simon’s heart and denounced him. I believe that many church members of our time are not true believers and will be turned away by God at the final judgment.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Persecution Of Believers By Judaism
The killing of Stephen signalled the start
Of persecution against the new sect;
Led by Saul, temple guards searched ev’ry part
Of town, jailing all those they could detect!
Believers scattered, abandoning home;
New churches sprang up wherever they went---
Antioch and Ephesus, Egypt, Rome,
In the Orient and the Occident!
The good news of Jesus’ living waters
And His resurrection spread like wildfire
In a dry and thirsty world of squatters
Doomed to live fore’er in the Lake of Fire*!
The more severe the harassment became,
The more widely believed grew Jesus’ name!
*Revelation 20:14-15
“On that day [the day Stephen died] a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. And Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.” (Acts 8:1-3) [Brackets added]
A seemingly odd phenomenon has accompanied each great persecution of Christianity---the faith grows more during those terrible times than occurs in times of relative acceptance. Despite the tragedies and suffering of many believers in Jerusalem, new churches began to spring up in places where refugees went to start over. They carried the gospel with them and told others about Jesus. God must have known this would happen, not that He would incite persecution. Looking at humans from His viewpoint, those who make the decision to believe in Jesus Christ have made the most important decision possible for them to make; how long they live after trusting in Jesus is not as significant to Him after that. He loves His children, though, and heals their illnesses and gives them blessings; His heart, however, aches for those who are lost and who need to come to Christ.
This persecution marked the beginning of the rift between Judaism and Christianity, which widened and became permanent in the years that followed. Nevertheless, most believers at this time were Jews, and it was difficult to get them to drop their adherence to circumcision and other traditions and practices of Judaism; many continued to practice the old rituals and tried to add the doctrines of salvation through grace, not of works, to the works they had grown up with. The same Saul that led the persecution of the new believers eventually made an 180 degree turn, became a believer himself, and is largely responsible for the final cleavage
Of persecution against the new sect;
Led by Saul, temple guards searched ev’ry part
Of town, jailing all those they could detect!
Believers scattered, abandoning home;
New churches sprang up wherever they went---
Antioch and Ephesus, Egypt, Rome,
In the Orient and the Occident!
The good news of Jesus’ living waters
And His resurrection spread like wildfire
In a dry and thirsty world of squatters
Doomed to live fore’er in the Lake of Fire*!
The more severe the harassment became,
The more widely believed grew Jesus’ name!
*Revelation 20:14-15
“On that day [the day Stephen died] a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. And Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.” (Acts 8:1-3) [Brackets added]
A seemingly odd phenomenon has accompanied each great persecution of Christianity---the faith grows more during those terrible times than occurs in times of relative acceptance. Despite the tragedies and suffering of many believers in Jerusalem, new churches began to spring up in places where refugees went to start over. They carried the gospel with them and told others about Jesus. God must have known this would happen, not that He would incite persecution. Looking at humans from His viewpoint, those who make the decision to believe in Jesus Christ have made the most important decision possible for them to make; how long they live after trusting in Jesus is not as significant to Him after that. He loves His children, though, and heals their illnesses and gives them blessings; His heart, however, aches for those who are lost and who need to come to Christ.
This persecution marked the beginning of the rift between Judaism and Christianity, which widened and became permanent in the years that followed. Nevertheless, most believers at this time were Jews, and it was difficult to get them to drop their adherence to circumcision and other traditions and practices of Judaism; many continued to practice the old rituals and tried to add the doctrines of salvation through grace, not of works, to the works they had grown up with. The same Saul that led the persecution of the new believers eventually made an 180 degree turn, became a believer himself, and is largely responsible for the final cleavage
Monday, April 5, 2010
The First Martyr After Jesus
Toseh guilty of killing the Son of God,
The Sanhedrin, priestly Jewish oe’rseers,
Heard His tomb was bare, must have thought it odd,
The guards reporting no strange mischievers!
Then Peter and John, point-blank to their face,
Charged them with murdering their promised Sire,
Exposing to the whole world their disgrace,
Added fuel to Jud’ism’s growing fire!
Next, all apostles followed suit, and, last
In a cold, rebuking speech Stephen gave,
Reviewing their vile, idolatrous past,
Their anger burst---they stoned him to his grave!
Onlooking, and guarding their robes, stood Saul,
A young Pharisee, later known as Paul!
The twelve original apostles (Matthias took Judas Iscariot’s place after he betrayed Jesus and committed suicide) plus the first disciples were not bashful about accusing the Sanhedrin to its collective face of murdering the Son of God. To keep Jesus’ friends from “stealing” the body and then publicly claiming that Jesus was resurrected, guards were assigned to keep watch day and night on the cave-tomb where He lay/ They saw and heard nothing unusual, yet on Sunday, the third morning, the stone was rolled away, and the tomb was empty. Beginning that day, Jesus appeared to His disciples and others, ate with them, and was seen by as many as 500 at one time for the next 40 days. He was in His resurrection body, with the nail and spear scars, which Thomas felt of. After giving his followers final instructions to wait in Jerusakem until the arrival of the Holy Spirit, He ascended to heaven, where He assumed His role as King and Lord; all authority on heaven and earth was given to Him.
The Sanhedrrin hurriedly announced a fabrication that the disciples had somehow stolen and secreted the body of Jesus, trying to allay the claims of believers that Jesus was resurrected. Nevertheless, there had to be many who suspected the truth---that Jesus was Who He said He was, for we are told in Acts 6:7 “large numbers of priests became believers” in Jesus Christ.
The apostles at first assumed they were still a part of Judaism; they met daily in Solomon’s Colonnade in the outer court of the temple in large groups, plus small group meetings in homes. At first there was no objection by the Sanhedrin. But when Peter and John healed the well-known man crippled from birth on the steps of the temple, they arrested and warned them not to speak in “that name”---meaning Jesus of Nazareth--- any more. Obeying God rather than men, the apostles kept right on teaching and healing in Jesus’ name. Their fame spread outside of Jerusalem, and many sick and lame were brought into the city and placed in the streets, in the hope that Peter’s shadow would fall on them and give them healing. All the apostles were arrested and questioned by the Sanhedring, scourged, and warned again not to teach in Jesus’ name.
By this time the Sanhedrin was boiling with rage. Still, the apostles kept on preaching the gospel. Deacons were appointed, and other laymen filled with the Holy Spirit were teaching and healing. Then came Stephen, one of the first seven deacons, who was arrested and brought before the whole Jewish council. He preached a cold, rebuking sermon, reviewing the disobedient and idolatrous history of Israel, accusing them of worshiping the temple as an idol more than they worshiped God. That was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”, for their anger burst out; they dragged him out of the city and stoned him to death. A brilliant young Pharisee named Saul watched with approval the killing of Stephen and held the robes of the rock-throwers. His name became Paul later, and he was responsible for breaking Christianity away from Judaism, completely and forever. Please read Chapter 7 of the Book of Acts in the Bible, which quotes Stephen’s speech.
The Sanhedrin, priestly Jewish oe’rseers,
Heard His tomb was bare, must have thought it odd,
The guards reporting no strange mischievers!
Then Peter and John, point-blank to their face,
Charged them with murdering their promised Sire,
Exposing to the whole world their disgrace,
Added fuel to Jud’ism’s growing fire!
Next, all apostles followed suit, and, last
In a cold, rebuking speech Stephen gave,
Reviewing their vile, idolatrous past,
Their anger burst---they stoned him to his grave!
Onlooking, and guarding their robes, stood Saul,
A young Pharisee, later known as Paul!
The twelve original apostles (Matthias took Judas Iscariot’s place after he betrayed Jesus and committed suicide) plus the first disciples were not bashful about accusing the Sanhedrin to its collective face of murdering the Son of God. To keep Jesus’ friends from “stealing” the body and then publicly claiming that Jesus was resurrected, guards were assigned to keep watch day and night on the cave-tomb where He lay/ They saw and heard nothing unusual, yet on Sunday, the third morning, the stone was rolled away, and the tomb was empty. Beginning that day, Jesus appeared to His disciples and others, ate with them, and was seen by as many as 500 at one time for the next 40 days. He was in His resurrection body, with the nail and spear scars, which Thomas felt of. After giving his followers final instructions to wait in Jerusakem until the arrival of the Holy Spirit, He ascended to heaven, where He assumed His role as King and Lord; all authority on heaven and earth was given to Him.
The Sanhedrrin hurriedly announced a fabrication that the disciples had somehow stolen and secreted the body of Jesus, trying to allay the claims of believers that Jesus was resurrected. Nevertheless, there had to be many who suspected the truth---that Jesus was Who He said He was, for we are told in Acts 6:7 “large numbers of priests became believers” in Jesus Christ.
The apostles at first assumed they were still a part of Judaism; they met daily in Solomon’s Colonnade in the outer court of the temple in large groups, plus small group meetings in homes. At first there was no objection by the Sanhedrin. But when Peter and John healed the well-known man crippled from birth on the steps of the temple, they arrested and warned them not to speak in “that name”---meaning Jesus of Nazareth--- any more. Obeying God rather than men, the apostles kept right on teaching and healing in Jesus’ name. Their fame spread outside of Jerusalem, and many sick and lame were brought into the city and placed in the streets, in the hope that Peter’s shadow would fall on them and give them healing. All the apostles were arrested and questioned by the Sanhedring, scourged, and warned again not to teach in Jesus’ name.
By this time the Sanhedrin was boiling with rage. Still, the apostles kept on preaching the gospel. Deacons were appointed, and other laymen filled with the Holy Spirit were teaching and healing. Then came Stephen, one of the first seven deacons, who was arrested and brought before the whole Jewish council. He preached a cold, rebuking sermon, reviewing the disobedient and idolatrous history of Israel, accusing them of worshiping the temple as an idol more than they worshiped God. That was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”, for their anger burst out; they dragged him out of the city and stoned him to death. A brilliant young Pharisee named Saul watched with approval the killing of Stephen and held the robes of the rock-throwers. His name became Paul later, and he was responsible for breaking Christianity away from Judaism, completely and forever. Please read Chapter 7 of the Book of Acts in the Bible, which quotes Stephen’s speech.
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Power Of The Holy Spirit
Despite the warning, Christians met each day,
Proclaiming Jesus the Christ; sick and lame
From far and near, were healed, where’er they lay,
By the apostles, all in Jesus’ name!
Their fame among the people grew and grew;
The apostles were jailed again by the priests;
The Sanhedrin puzzled o’er what to do,
At last scourged them, warned, and given release.
Cots and pallets of the sick filled the streets,
Hoping Peter’s shadow would pass and touch;
The Spirit powered many wondrous feats,
Enabling those first Christians to do much!
The same Spirit indwells Christians today---
“Dear Lord: Give us as great a faith as they!
“Then someone came and said, ‘Look! The men you put in jail
are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.’ At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They didn’t use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in the name,’ he said. ‘Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty pf this man’s blood.’ Peter and the other apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead---whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins tor Israel. We are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.’ When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.” (Acts 5:25-33)
Then the Jewish leaders withdrew to discuss what they should do. A very wise elder named Gamaliel advised them to do nothing to the apostles.
“ ‘Therefore, in the present case I advise you leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is human in origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men, you will only find yourselves fighting against God.’ “ (Acts 5:38-39)
Truer words were never spoken. The mystery for us today is, after nearly 2000 years of growth and billions of believers in Jesus as the Christ, Judaism still stubbornly hangs to their refusal to accept Him as such. The Bible prophesies that when Jesus returns to earth, He will put a new heart in the Jews, they will turn to Him, and mourn their killing Him the first time He came.
Proclaiming Jesus the Christ; sick and lame
From far and near, were healed, where’er they lay,
By the apostles, all in Jesus’ name!
Their fame among the people grew and grew;
The apostles were jailed again by the priests;
The Sanhedrin puzzled o’er what to do,
At last scourged them, warned, and given release.
Cots and pallets of the sick filled the streets,
Hoping Peter’s shadow would pass and touch;
The Spirit powered many wondrous feats,
Enabling those first Christians to do much!
The same Spirit indwells Christians today---
“Dear Lord: Give us as great a faith as they!
“Then someone came and said, ‘Look! The men you put in jail
are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.’ At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They didn’t use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in the name,’ he said. ‘Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty pf this man’s blood.’ Peter and the other apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead---whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins tor Israel. We are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.’ When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.” (Acts 5:25-33)
Then the Jewish leaders withdrew to discuss what they should do. A very wise elder named Gamaliel advised them to do nothing to the apostles.
“ ‘Therefore, in the present case I advise you leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is human in origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men, you will only find yourselves fighting against God.’ “ (Acts 5:38-39)
Truer words were never spoken. The mystery for us today is, after nearly 2000 years of growth and billions of believers in Jesus as the Christ, Judaism still stubbornly hangs to their refusal to accept Him as such. The Bible prophesies that when Jesus returns to earth, He will put a new heart in the Jews, they will turn to Him, and mourn their killing Him the first time He came.
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