Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 1. Priests - At the time of Christ the tribe of Levi was large. It was decided that each would serve in a rotation (Luke 1:9). They studied the Law of Moses in detail so they could follow ever... [ Continue Reading ]
BEING GREATLY DISTURBED THAT THEY TAUGHT THE PEOPLE AND PREACHED IN JESUS THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD. 1. Why were the Sadducees greatly disturbed? 2. The preaching about the resurrection of Jesus was a severe challenge to their belief system. With every convert to Christianity, the Sadducees w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY LAID HANDS ON THEM, AND PUT _THEM_ IN CUSTODY UNTIL THE NEXT DAY, FOR IT WAS ALREADY EVENING. 1. "Laid hands on them" has three meanings in the New Testament. 1. To impart spiritual gifts 2. To bestow blessing, authority or approval 3. To grab, arrest, or treat roughly 2. The third mea... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWEVER, MANY OF THOSE WHO HEARD THE WORD BELIEVED; AND THE NUMBER OF THE MEN CAME TO BE ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND. 1. Here was the problem for the Sadducees. Many were converted. Many believed. 2. They were rapidly losing their following and their influence. 3. The number is about 5,000 men. Typically... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, ON THE NEXT DAY, THAT THEIR RULERS, ELDERS, AND SCRIBES, 6 AS WELL AS ANNAS THE HIGH PRIEST, CAIAPHAS, JOHN, AND ALEXANDER, AND AS MANY AS WERE OF THE FAMILY OF THE HIGH PRIEST, WERE GATHERED TOGETHER AT JERUSALEM. 1. A high level meeting was called. Included in this meeting w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY HAD SET THEM IN THE MIDST, THEY ASKED, " BY WHAT POWER OR BY WHAT NAME HAVE YOU DONE THIS? " 1. How did he do this miracle? By what power? By what name have you done this? 2. "In the name" is a common phrase that means by the power or authority 1. We are not commanded to SAY the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN PETER, FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, SAID TO THEM, " RULERS OF THE PEOPLE AND ELDERS OF ISRAEL: 1. I thought Peter was filled with Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1-47. Did he need filling again? 1. There is a general "filling" - Men full of the Holy Spirit as a way of life 2. Then there is the specifi... [ Continue Reading ]
IF WE THIS DAY ARE JUDGED FOR A GOOD DEED _DONE_ TO A HELPLESS MAN, BY WHAT MEANS HE HAS BEEN MADE WELL, 1. Christians are often "judged" for good being done. The apostles helped a man who was lame. Is that a crime? Did we not do something good? A lame beggar is now an able productive citizen. He c... [ Continue Reading ]
LET IT BE KNOWN TO YOU ALL, AND TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, THAT BY THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED, WHOM GOD RAISED FROM THE DEAD, BY HIM THIS MAN STANDS HERE BEFORE YOU WHOLE. 1. Here is the same sermon outline that Peter preached in Acts 2:1-47. 1. Jesus (savior) Chris... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE _‘STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED BY YOU BUILDERS, WHICH HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE._ ' 1. The corner stone we talk about today is a stone near one front corner of a building to identify when the building was built. 2. In the first century the corner stone was a small stone not useful f... [ Continue Reading ]
NOR IS THERE SALVATION IN ANY OTHER, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED. " 1. No salvation is available anywhere else, by any other person. 1. Buddha? 2. Muhammad? 3. Judaism? 4. Pagan deities? 5. Reformation leaders (Calvin, Luther, etc.)? 6. Re... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHEN THEY SAW THE BOLDNESS OF PETER AND JOHN, AND PERCEIVED THAT THEY WERE UNEDUCATED AND UNTRAINED MEN, THEY MARVELED. AND THEY REALIZED THAT THEY HAD BEEN WITH JESUS. 1. What does "boldness" look like? They were able to see the boldness. It was evident to all in Jerusalem. 2. By the standard... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SEEING THE MAN WHO HAD BEEN HEALED STANDING WITH THEM, THEY COULD SAY NOTHING AGAINST IT. 1. What can you say? The healed man is standing there. 2. They could not deny the healing event. 3. They had to come up with some other way to attack the apostles.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN THEY HAD COMMANDED THEM TO GO ASIDE OUT OF THE COUNCIL, THEY CONFERRED AMONG THEMSELVES, 1. They needed to have a private "strategy" session. In politics today, this is called a caucus. A meeting to discuss strategy. 2. How are we going to handle the "fall out" from this miracle?... [ Continue Reading ]
SAYING, " WHAT SHALL WE DO TO THESE MEN? FOR, INDEED, THAT A NOTABLE MIRACLE HAS BEEN DONE THROUGH THEM _IS_ EVIDENT TO ALL WHO DWELL IN JERUSALEM, AND WE CANNOT DENY _IT._ 1. A notable miracle has been done. 2. Everybody knows about it. 3. We can't deny the miracle.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT SO THAT IT SPREADS NO FURTHER AMONG THE PEOPLE, LET US SEVERELY THREATEN THEM, THAT FROM NOW ON THEY SPEAK TO NO MAN IN THIS NAME. " 1. Since they could not deny the event. It was necessary to contain it. They were trying to put their "spin" on it. 2. All they could do was threaten them. 3. T... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THEY CALLED THEM AND COMMANDED THEM NOT TO SPEAK AT ALL NOR TEACH IN THE NAME OF JESUS. 1. Commanded not to teach or speak in the name of Jesus. 2. This is from the Jewish rulers AND Roman army. Who would dare to violate this order with both Jewish and Roman powers behind it?... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT PETER AND JOHN ANSWERED AND SAID TO THEM, " WHETHER IT IS RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF GOD TO LISTEN TO YOU MORE THAN TO GOD, YOU JUDGE. 1. Be careful here: 1. We often apply this to anything that we don't like. If one does not like the speed limit or a seat belt law, we say that we must obey God rat... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WE CANNOT BUT SPEAK THE THINGS WHICH WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD. " 1. Here is the truth of the matter. These are things they witnessed themselves. 2. Peter was only telling what he saw, heard, and witnessed.... [ Continue Reading ]
SO WHEN THEY HAD FURTHER THREATENED THEM, THEY LET THEM GO, FINDING NO WAY OF PUNISHING THEM, BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE, SINCE THEY ALL GLORIFIED GOD FOR WHAT HAD BEEN DONE. 1. What were the "threats" given? Prison, death, exile? 2. Finding no way (legally) to punish them, they are released. 3. They... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE MAN WAS OVER FORTY YEARS OLD ON WHOM THIS MIRACLE OF HEALING HAD BEEN PERFORMED. 1. New information - He was over 40 years old. 2. He had been known as "the lame man" for 40 years.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEING LET GO, THEY WENT TO THEIR OWN _COMPANIONS_ AND REPORTED ALL THAT THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND ELDERS HAD SAID TO THEM. 1. Peter and John went to the brethren and reported what was done. They told about the threats and warnings. 2. There was no hand wringing. No one asked, "What are we going to... [ Continue Reading ]
SO WHEN THEY HEARD THAT, THEY RAISED THEIR VOICE TO GOD WITH ONE ACCORD AND SAID: " LORD, YOU _ARE_ GOD, WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM, 25 WHO BY THE MOUTH OF YOUR SERVANT DAVID HAVE SAID: _‘WHY DID THE NATIONS RAGE, AND THE PEOPLE PLOT VAIN THINGS?_ 26 _The kings... [ Continue Reading ]
" FOR TRULY AGAINST YOUR HOLY SERVANT JESUS, WHOM YOU ANOINTED, BOTH HEROD AND PONTIUS PILATE, WITH THE GENTILES AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, WERE GATHERED TOGETHER 1. This passage had come to pass. The statement of David was true. 1. Herod, Pilate, Gentiles, and the Jews - gathered together - united... [ Continue Reading ]
TO DO WHATEVER YOUR HAND AND YOUR PURPOSE DETERMINED BEFORE TO BE DONE. 1. God is still in charge. God remains in control of His world. 2. Song: "This is our Father's world, He is ruler yet" 3. Daniel 4:17 - "In order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdoms of men, gives... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW, LORD, LOOK ON THEIR THREATS, AND GRANT TO YOUR SERVANTS THAT WITH ALL BOLDNESS THEY MAY SPEAK YOUR WORD, 1. They did NOT pray a prayer of imprecation. They did not ask that these men be destroyed or punished in some way. 2. They did NOT pray that the threats would be removed, or the danger to... [ Continue Reading ]
BY STRETCHING OUT YOUR HAND TO HEAL, AND THAT SIGNS AND WONDERS MAY BE DONE THROUGH THE NAME OF YOUR HOLY SERVANT JESUS. " 1. Let all see Your power - signs, wonders. 2. Let all know of Jesus.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY HAD PRAYED, THE PLACE WHERE THEY WERE ASSEMBLED TOGETHER WAS SHAKEN; AND THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THEY SPOKE THE WORD OF GOD WITH BOLDNESS. 1. Place was shaken like trees shaken in the wind, or an earthquake. 2. Was this restricted to this one place OR an area w... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE MULTITUDE OF THOSE WHO BELIEVED WERE OF ONE HEART AND ONE SOUL; NEITHER DID ANYONE SAY THAT ANY OF THE THINGS HE POSSESSED WAS HIS OWN, BUT THEY HAD ALL THINGS IN COMMON. 1. The multitude of believers were united. All the Christians in Jerusalem: 1. Believed. 2. Were of one heart and one... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WITH GREAT POWER THE APOSTLES GAVE WITNESS TO THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS. AND GREAT GRACE WAS UPON THEM ALL. 1. They had boldness. They had a sharing spirit. They also had great power to perform miracles, signs, and wonders. 2. Apostles kept on teaching the resurrection of Jesus. Threa... [ Continue Reading ]
NOR WAS THERE ANYONE AMONG THEM WHO LACKED; FOR ALL WHO WERE POSSESSORS OF LANDS OR HOUSES SOLD THEM, AND BROUGHT THE PROCEEDS OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SOLD, 1. No one lacked. If there was a need; it was met. 2. Those who had possessions (land or houses) sold them. 3. They brought the proceeds to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LAID _THEM_ AT THE APOSTLES ' FEET; AND THEY DISTRIBUTED TO EACH AS ANYONE HAD NEED. 1. All available funds were placed in the control of the apostles. The apostles were the ones to manage the distribution. 2. Given out according to NEED.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSES, WHO WAS ALSO NAMED BARNABAS BY THE APOSTLES (WHICH IS TRANSLATED SON OF ENCOURAGEMENT), A LEVITE OF THE COUNTRY OF CYPRUS, 1. Joses (Joseph) is also called by a nickname given by the apostles, Barnabas. 2. He was known as an encouragement to those who were down, depressed, sad, lonely,... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING LAND, SOLD _IT,_ AND BROUGHT THE MONEY AND LAID _IT_ AT THE APOSTLES ' FEET. 1. Here is a specific example of this "fellowship" in the first century church. Here is a example of sharing, selling and giving. 2. The next word in the Bible, BUT (Acts 5:1), shows that not all were willing to ma... [ Continue Reading ]