Where are we going? Life in the church in Jerusalem is described at the end of chapter 2 and chapter 4. It’s an idyllic picture we would be hard pressed to beat if we were tasked with drafting the image of perfect church life. As beautiful as those passages are, they’re not the only passages…
How did the church respond to persecution? From the early chapters of Acts, we would have to include prayer as one of the characteristic marks of a true church. The fact that they prayed in response to persecution tells us something. What they prayed for also tells us something.
Who should we obey? The council has heard Peter and John’s testimony and must decide what to do. They command and threaten to prevent them speaking anymore in the name of Jesus. Peter and John respond with boldness.
Arrested for Preaching Christ Acts 4 opens with Peter and John still speaking to the crowd at the temple about how the lame man was healed. Here the church begins to encounter opposition as Peter and John are arrested and questioned by the council.
What now? Peter has spoken to the large crowd at the temple who were inquiring about the healing of the lame man. He demonstrated from Scripture that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Servant of Yahweh, who was to come. He made plain their sin of rejecting and crucifying him. He proceeds in this passage to tell them what that means…
How did this happen? How could a grown man walk and jump around minutes after he had to be carried to the gate because he was lame? This was a notable miracle and the people wanted an explanation. Peter begins to explain how this miracle happened in this passage.
Why? Have you ever wondered why God does something, or maybe why he doesn’t do something? The reason we ask such questions, or think about such questions, is because we don’t know the answer. Many saints in the Bible have wrestled with these questions. We don’t have all the answers, but we know in general…
What should we do? Weeks after Jesus had been crucified outside Jerusalem, extraordinary events took place on the Day of Pentecost. While some scoffed at what was going on, others wondered what it all meant. Peter explained the meaning of the manifestation they had witnessed in terms of the purpose of God revealed through the…
Connect the Dots I remember as a child having Connect-the-Dots books. When you connected the dots in the right order, a picture emerged that you couldn’t see before. On the day of Pentecost, Peter connected the dots between Old Testament prophecy and real-time events they witnessed to reveal the clear picture of Jesus of Nazareth…
What is all this then? Christianity has a central core message and event that is vital. Without it, there is no Christianity whatsoever. All the faith, works, laws, worship, etc. are worthless and meaningless without it. Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead is that center. Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension, and return give meaning to the faith (1 Corinthians 15:1-7,…