LIVING IN GOOD CONSCIENCE

Acts 23:1 ... "Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, 'Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day'."

      On the day after Paul's arrest in the Temple the Roman captain brought him before the Jewish Council and the chief priests in the Temple court in order that he might ascertain what charges the Jews were bringing against him. When given an opportunity to speak, Paul opened with the statement quoted above. The high priest, considering Paul's declaration to be sarcastic, gave an order for him to be struck on the mouth. To save himself from such treatment Paul, who was an authority on the Mosaic Law, reminded them that to strike him before he was convicted violated the Law. Even this appropriate statement seemed like impudence to the officials standing around, who indignantly asked the apostle, "Do you revile God's high priest?" Paul replied that he did not know that the one there in the high priestly clothing was indeed the high priest. In effect, he was saying that he did not concede Ananias was fit to hold the office. Ananias was a notorious character, a glutton, a thief, a rapacious robber and quisling in the Roman service. By calling him a "whitewashed wall" (v.3), Paul compared him to a tomb painted white, echoing the words of Jesus in Mat. 23:28 to the Jewish elite, "Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." Outwardly, Ananias was garbed in the spectacular vestments of the high priestly office, but inwardly his heart was as rotten as the inside of a tomb.

      Paul's statement that he lived in all good conscience before God set his life in bold contrast to the high priest and his minions arrayed against him. There was no dichotomy in Paul's constitution. His inward life and his external life harmonized. Unlike his opponents, he did not project himself as a spiritual leader and expect people to defer to his sanctity and piety while in his heart he violated the canons of spirituality, integrity, purity, and sanctification. He wrote to the Christians in Corinth, "I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified," (I Cor. 9:27). The sincerity of this confession of Paul's inner struggle to be consistent in what he taught and what he practiced is evidence of his good conscience. One's conscience is a product of his moral and ethical education. It acts as an inner judge that approves of one's behavior if it conforms to his moral code, and it condemns his behavior if it violates that code. To violate one's conscience in and of itself is an offense against his own soul; i.e., it constitutes a sin against his own self, (Rom. 14:23; Jas. 4:17). A fundamental principle of a blameless life, therefore, is living in harmony with your own conscience.

      It is a serious matter to violate your conscience. When you do, you experience emotional pain that we refer to as a "guilty conscience" that is "hurting you." In time, however, that pain will pass if you choose to ignore it. But the result is a scarred, less sensitive conscience. After multiple instances of such treatment one's conscience becomes callused and totally unresponsive to unethical and immoral behavior. In I Tim. 4:3 Paul refers to liars who, by means of hypocrisy, "seared their own consciences as with a branding iron." A pained conscience is a spiritual warning that your behavior has strayed from the guidelines of your ethical and moral training. It is important that you never disregard such an alert, but act at once to correct the situation while there is still time and opportunity. Thus Jesus teaches in Mat. 5:23-24, "If you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering." In other words, to rectify a situation your conscience is disapproving is more urgent than the need to worship, since worship from a guilty conscience being ignored is not acceptable to God.

BEING A WITNESS FOR CHRIST

Acts 22:15 ... "You will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard."

      In Acts 22:1-21 Luke records the speech Paul made on the flight of stairs that led from inside the Temple compound up into the adjoining Roman fortress. Moments before, Paul had been mobbed by angry Jews who assumed he had brought a Gentile into the Temple. He would likely have been killed by them had not the watchful Romans saw the trouble and rushed down with a squadron of troops to rescue him. When he got up the stairs, Paul asked permission from the captain to address the crowd. Surprisingly, the agitated people became quiet and allowed Paul to speak until he mentioned the word "Gentile" (v.21); then they again flew into a rage.

      While they listened, Paul recounted to them the event of his conversion to Christ at Damascus. After seeing Jesus in the sky above the road on the approach to the city, he heard His command to "arise and go on into Damascus" where he would "be told of all that has been appointed for you to do," (v.10). Later, a man named Ananias,"a man who was devout by the standard of the Law," came to Paul with the Lord's instructions about what was appointed for him to do. First, of course, there was the necessity of obeying the gospel. Ananias said to him, "Why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name," (v.16). Now that he was a Christian, Paul was ordained by the Lord to be the primary instrument by which His gospel of salvation was to be carried to the Gentile nations to the north and west. Unto this great purpose Christ appointed Paul to be an apostle, declaring that "you will be a witness for (Me) to all men of what you have seen and heard."

      Although these words were directed to Paul with respect to the monumental work as an apostle that lay before him, there is a sense in which they may apply to every Christian. Paul literally saw Jesus in His heavenly radiance in the noonday sky, and he clearly heard the very voice of Jesus speak to him from high above. In his years of ministry for Christ, Paul received a great number of special revelations from the Lord in visions and dreams; in II Cor. 12:7 he refers to them as "the surpassing greatness of the revelations." It was his appointed task to be a witness to the things he had seen and heard, for it was by means of his testimony that others were to be led to the faith, persuaded to obey its provisions, and be saved by its power, (Rom. 1:16). No one today receives revelations in dreams or visions; no one hears the audible voice of Jesus or is permitted a visual experience of His radiant Form. But we can, nevertheless, still be witnesses, and very important ones at that!

      Every Christian is to be a steadfast student of God's word, which contains an inspired description of Jesus' deeds and words of salvation. In our faith we can "see" Jesus as He performed great deeds and can "hear" His vital sayings, lessons, and sermons. In Jno. 20:29 Jesus pronounced a special blessing upon those who build faith in Him without having seen or heard Him in person like His apostles were privileged to do. It is therefore our mission also to be "witness(es) to all men of what (we) have seen and heard." We should always be eager and prepared to share these insights with others for their good unto salvation. With this divine appointment filling his heart, Paul later declared in Rom. 1:15, "For my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome." Christians today, motivated by their knowledge of Jesus and His gospel, should also feel this same eager desire to communicate their knowledge unto salvation to any and all whom they can get to listen.

JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

Acts 21:27-29 ... "The Jews from Asia, upon seeing him (Paul) in the temple, began to stir up all the multitude and laid hands on him, crying out, 'Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people, and the Law, and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled the holy place.' For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple."

      At the conclusion of his third missionary journey Paul, along with several Christians from Asia, including Luke the physician, went to Jerusalem. His visit there had a triple objective:  to report to the church on the progress of the gospel in Asia and Europe where he had labored, to bring gifts from the Christians in those regions to their poor brethren in Jerusalem and Judea, and to worship in the Temple. It was this latter activity that led the apostle into extreme trouble and danger. Paul was well known to the Jews from Asia who had come to Jerusalem to observe the festival of Pentecost, for he had preached in their synagogues and engaged in lively debates with them. They fairly hated Paul, for they understood his message to be an attack against orthodox Jews, against the integrity of the Law of Moses, and against the Temple with its sacrifices, rituals and priestly administrators. More than once in Asia they had tried in court to remove him from circulation, and failing that, had tried outright to kill him. With this loathing and rage pent up within them they simply lost control when they spotted their adversary right there within the sacred precincts of the Temple.

      No Gentile was allowed to pass through the gate into the Court of Israel within the outer Temple complex. Having earlier seen Paul somewhere on the city streets in the company of Trophimus, a Gentile of Ephesus, "they supposed Paul had brought (him) into the Temple." Their hatred of Paul immediately erupted in violence.  Starting a riot, they began to beat him with the intent to kill him, and would have done so had not a Roman police squadron quickly run down into their midst and pulled him to safety. As it turned out, Paul had not brought Trophimus or any other Gentile into the Temple, for he fully respected the rules governing the Temple and Jewish reverence for the sanctity of the Temple. The uncontrolled outburst of these people had been based upon a false presupposition. Groundless logic had led them to a false conclusion which almost cost an innocent man his life and made them guilty of murder. Had the Romans not restrained their fanatical zeal and foolishness, they would have spilled innocent blood in the Temple and polluted its sacred grounds far worse than Paul would have had he actually sneaked a Gentile inside.

      There is a most appropriate lesson evident in this account. How often do we size up someone, or an idea, or a situation when we know little or nothing about it? Do we not rush into conclusions when our grounds consist of rumors, appearances, or garbled and unsubstantiated reports? Sometimes we think we have the answers when, in reality, we don't even know the questions. Hardly a one of us hasn't once suffered disgrace and shame when we found ourself suspended in mid-air because we jumped to a conclusion, only to find no substance where we were sure a bedrock of fact existed. We should learn from such an awful experience to be more careful next time and gather more information before we set our mind and begin to act. Worse than our own embarrassment and personal chagrin, however, is the suffering inflicted upon the victim of our baseless, hasty judgments. That person is not due the catastrophe brought upon him, but the person who brings it by groundless, impulsive conclusions is due every part of the shame that comes back upon him when his error is exposed.

REMEMBER THE LORD'S DAY

Acts 20:7 ... "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message till midnight."

      As Paul made his way back to Jerusalem at the conclusion of a third missionary journey, he came to the city of Troas in Asia Minor. Evidently he arrived on Monday, and although he was in a hurry to move on toward Jerusalem, (v.16), he nevertheless tarried in Troas for seven days, or through the following Sunday. The purpose for his delay is indicated in the text, " ... on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together." Knowing it was the practice of the Christians there to assemble each Sunday, Paul knew that if he waited until then he would be able to meet with them. With the passing of the authority of the Mosaic Law, the sacred day of the week for God's people had changed. The Fourth Commandment, (Ex. 20:8), had decreed, "Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy." For a period of about fifteen hundred years the nation of Israel observed Saturday as a day of rest, worship and devotion to God. During Jesus' ministry, which spanned the last days of the authority of the Mosaic Law, He faithfully observed this commandment, as He did every commandment. We read in Lk. 4:16. "And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath." It was Jesus' custom (settled practice) to meet with fellow Jews on the Sabbath Day to worship God, "leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps," (I Pet. 2:21).

      When Jesus was crucified, He fulfilled the Law of Moses and terminated its authority.  We read in Col. 2:14 that Jesus "cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He took it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." At dawn on the third day thereafter, which was Sunday, (Mk. 16:1-2), Jesus came forth from the tomb. A new era had also dawned for mankind ... and on Sunday at that! The day is to be honored as the one on which our Lord was resurrected, proclaiming victory over sin and death, (Rev. 1:18). Sunday is also the birthday of the church. The church was established on Pentecost, which fell on Sunday. The day is to be honored as the one on which God swung open the door of His eternal kingdom for admittance to all who in faith will obey His gospel. Acts 20:7 is our approved example for gathering together to worship our Supreme God. As those under the Mosaic Law had to "remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy," it is necessary for Christians to "remember the Lord's Day (Sunday), to keep it holy." It is not optional for Christians to meet on Sunday to worship. In fact, it is not even a question open for discussion. To the contrary, it is a sin if we don't, (Heb. 10:25-26)!

      The focal point of the Christian assembly in Troas was "to break bread," that is, to observe the Lord's Supper. Paul had well taught these brethren just what he had taught those in Corinth: "The Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, 'This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as oft as you drink it, in remembrance of Me'," (I Cor. 11:23-25). Acts 20:7 is our approved example for determining the time of "as oft as you drink it." Those Christians, who were under the supervision of the apostle Paul, who in turn was under the supervision of the Holy Spirit, met "on the first day of the week" to observe the Lord's Supper. As each week arrives, it begins with a "first day," Sunday. As often as that happens, about 52 times a year, it is the duty of Christians to assemble together in their congregations to memorialize their Lord's death for their sins in this sacred meal.

CONTRADICTORY RESPONSES

Acts 19:9a,18 ... "Some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude. ... Many of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices."

      On his third missionary journey Paul came to Ephesus and for the span of three months preached in the Jewish synagogue where he managed to convert several of its members to the Way of Christ. Most of them, however, responded differently in the manner described in the text above. As a result of the mounting opposition it became necessary for the apostle to separate the disciples from the synagogue. Thus the church of Christ in Ephesus assumed its own identity and became visible as a religious organization separate from Judaism. For the next two years Paul continued in Ephesus. teaching daily in the School of Tyrannus, so that "all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks," (v.10). It seems that it was during this period that the seven churches of Asia in Revelation 2-3 were established, either by Paul himself or by men he trained in the School of Tyrannus and then sent out into the surrounding province to evangelize. As the months of this great spiritual activity continued, great numbers of people, mostly Gentiles, believed the gospel, confessed faith in Christ, and publicly repented of their evil deeds, especially the practice of magic, (v.19). The victory of Christianity over heathenism was so great that v.20 exults, "So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing."

      The two verses juxtaposed above vividly highlight contradictory responses to the same preaching. Paul and his assistants preached the life and doctrine of Christ as God's outreach to save man from sin and its destructive course in human life. They revealed God's love, concern, and grace for those who had been unaware of His existence and of their rebellion against Him. But there were two different reactions to this wonderful good news. Some hardened their hearts, refused to believe, and spoke evil against the Way of Christ in public. Others, however, put their faith in Jesus, confessed Him as Lord, and repented of their sins to live new lives of righteousness. We are made to wonder what caused this difference, for it still occurs among people when the gospel is preached today. Why do some people see Christ as Savior and as The Way to a better life in this world and then to eternal life hereafter, and others see Christ only as a nuisance, an enemy to be resisted, and a threat to the kind of world they want to live in, (disregarding, I might add, any serious consideration of another existence beyond the present one)?

      The answer has to lie in the nature of the human heart. We all know that the sun melts solid ice into easily flowing water, while it bakes wet clay into bricks so hard that houses can be built with them. The nature of a substance determines what effect the sun will have on it. In something of the same way the nature of our hearts determines what effect Christ and His gospel will have on us. The human spirit that is full of pride, self-will, arrogance, and bitterness will probably only be irritated and provoked when the gospel is proposed to it. But the human spirit, though otherwise sinful, that is not controlled by these attitudes is much more likely to be persuaded by the gospel to believe, repent, and render obedience. The next logical question is what set of factors produce these differences in our mental construction. It seems that the answer lies in the nature of our early education, when the basic constitution of human personality and character is being formed. It this be the case, it emphasizes all the more how essential it is for parents to "bring (their) children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord," (Eph. 6:4). The greatest "soul-winning" that the average Christian can do is to train young minds to be receptive to the gospel when they reach the stage of maturity to be accountable.

ENCOURAGEMENT TO A TROUBLED SOUL

Acts 18:9-10 ... "And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, 'Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.'"

      Having established congregations of the Lord's church in Philippi, Berea, and Thessalonica in Macedonia, Paul proceeded on south into Greece as far as the great commercial city of Corinth. He made this trip alone, for Timothy and Silas stayed in Thessalonica to help the church there become stronger. A strange mood seems to have seized Paul's mind as he reached Corinth, for later, when he wrote an epistle to them and reflected on the beginning of his ministry there, he said, "I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling." That mood of apprehension and fear became an impediment to his work for the Lord, so much so that it appears he was reluctant to preach in his usual manner of courageous boldness. The Paul who was fearless to face down an angry mob in Ephesus, (Acts 19:28-31), was afraid to speak out for Christ in Corinth where it seems there had been no resistance or threat against him at all. The text above is the inspired record that the Lord saw the need to speak to Paul in a night vision to boost him out of this trench of fear and encourage him to resume his ordinary style of aggressive evangelism.

      We do not know what came over Paul to induce this fearful paralysis. Like Peter walking on the water to Jesus, did he suddenly become self-conscious and begin to think about the waves of potential trouble sweeping all about him? Having disregarded awful dangers in Thessalonica, Philippi, Lystra, Jerusalem and Damascus, did he fail to remember that the Lord was always his companion in spirit? at least until the Lord reminded him in the vision at night? Sometimes God's servants are suddenly gripped by fear for reasons which they themselves do not understand. After a long time of working boldly for the Lord, even against hostile forces, they one day lose courage to do even easy tasks when no opposition faces them. Perhaps it is just a manifestation of our human weakness, facilitated by deepening humility, as we grow in the Christian graces.

      The Lord, however, does not want His servants to be hindered by fear for long. A brief bout with this paralyzing emotion is beneficial in teaching the Christian that he ought not "to think more highly of himself than he ought to think," (Rom. 12:3), but when that lesson is learned the mood should be overcome. Something of this sort happened to the prophet Elijah. After a most courageous public ministry in opposition to the king and queen and the prophets of Baal in their promotion of idolatry, Elijah was suddenly terrified when Queen Jezebel threatened his life. In fear he fled Israel and did not stop until he had crossed a barren desert and taken refuge in a cave at Sinai. Then the Lord took measures to snap Elijah out of his mental oppression. "What are you doing here, Elijah?" the Lord twice asked him, (I Kgs. 19:9,13), as though to say, "Elijah, I did not commission you as My prophet to hide in a cave four hundred miles from home!" Then He commanded, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Syria," (I Kgs. 19:15). Although this was a commission to strike fear into the prophet's heart, since Syria was Israel's mortal enemy, Hazael was her military commander, and Elijah was, in effect, inducing a man to overthrow the reigning king and seize his throne, the prophet proceeded to do it fearlessly. The Lord's encouragement indeed "put his heart back into him." The same was the case with Paul in Corinth. And the same will be the case with the timid Christian today who takes his fear to Jesus in prayer.

THE TERMINAL POINT OF TIME

Acts 17:31 ... "He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed."

      It is said the ancient Greeks believed in what is called a "circular view" of time.  After the passage of a vast number of years, an "aeon," history begins to repeat itself. The events of an aeon duplicate those of the preceding one. When Paul came to Athens and spoke on Mars Hill before the assembly of Stoic and Epicurean philosophers, he introduced them to a new concept of time, which is called the "linear view." According to it, time moves in one direction along a line from a definite incipient point to a definite terminal point. The initial point is the creation of the universe by God, (Gen. 1:1); the terminal point is that referred to by Paul in the above quotation. Its occurrence will be marked by the appearance of "a Man," Jesus Christ, in the zenith of the sky with a host of accompanying angels, (I Ths. 4:14-17). Cataclysmic events immediately follow, including the resurrection of the dead, (Jno. 5:28-29), the dissolution of the universe in "intense heat," (II Pet. 3:7-12), and God's judgment of both men and angels, (Rev. 20:12; Jude 6). From the beginning of time backward was eternity past, and from the end of time onward is eternity future. Eternity signifies infinite duration. What we call "time" is therefore only a finite segment of the infinite line of unmeasured eternity.

      Paul's revelation to the Greek assembly did not explore the details of this novel truth in opposition to their former understanding, for he made only this single statement regarding it. Rather, he called attention to the need of everyone to make preparation for this climactic "day," which God has already "fixed," when He will judge each and every human life. We are now somewhere moving along the timeline toward that special day, and are much closer than 2000 years ago when Luke wrote these words of Acts 17:31. Our forward course is inexorable; nothing can alter the progression thereof but God, who will terminate it. Human infidelity, doubt, and denial cannot stop it. Neither our ignorance of it nor indifference toward it can change it. In Acts 17:30 Paul said that "having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent." The End is coming whether we know it or not, whether we admit it or deny it, whether we ignore it or seriously contemplate it.

      The present age is one of lack of faith and denial of Biblical revelation, but even universal accord in such denial in no way changes the substance of reality. There is this admonition given in II Pet. 3:3-4, "Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.'" Scoffing at Biblical revelation and public questioning of divine announcements does not make them null and void. It is easy and simple to deny any proposition, especially if spoken by one who is noted for great mental ability. A denial of truth, however, does not make it false. The future in becoming the present will prove which is real, the proposition or the acclaimed denial. Many people resolutely deny there will be a Final Judgment, because there is great relief in the conclusion that they will never be held accountable for how they behaved in this life.

      The choice of whether to believe anything is an ability God has granted us the liberty to exercise. But God has also endowed us with a mental capacity called WISDOM; and when allowed, wisdom will counsel you to believe that this earth will not always be here and that its dissolution will come with God's judgment of man. Wisdom urges you to live each day with a view toward the time when "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad," (II Cor. 5:10). This spiritual sensitivity will guide you in thought, in speech, and in conduct. It will motivate you to interpret life within the context of God's grace and then reverence God whose Presence is all pervasive. It will also regulate your interaction with people about you, (Mat. 25:31-40). It is the ultimate tragedy of human life to wait until the Final Judgment to concede that it is, after all, a reality, (Rom. 14:10b-12), for then it will be too late to prepare for it. In lovingkindness and great mercy God has revealed to us the approach of this Terminal Point of Time.

MASTERING ADVERSITY

Acts  16:25 ... "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them."

      Paul and Silas, led by the Holy Spirit, came to Philippi to preach the gospel and encourage the citizens to accept Christianity. The converts were Lydia, a business woman, and members of her household. The evangelists were given lodging in her house while they continued their work in the city among the people. One day Paul cast out of a young girl a demon called a "spirit of divination," (literally, a "Pythian spirit"). She was being exploited by some greedy men, who were using her soothsaying power to their profit. Paul's exorcism of the spirit eliminated this power and terminated the men's source of income. Becoming enraged, they proclaimed that Paul and Silas were disturbing the peace of the city and, to make the situation worse, were Jews. The two gospel preachers were quickly arrested, beaten, and thrown into prison. Also, their feet were fastened in stocks, probably forcing their legs apart into a wide angle that soon produced great discomfort. There they sat in darkness through the rest of the day and into the night, in the midst of other prisoners who were likely criminals, aching from the cruel beating and their lacerated backs covered with clotted and dried blood. They had come to Philippi with the offer of eternal salvation, but they had been incarcerated for the humanitarian act of releasing a poor girl from evil affliction. They had done nothing for personal gain, nor anything to hurt anyone.

      There is an important lesson for Christians here. When we have done our best to live for Christ and carry on His service, terrible  things may yet happen to us. Then we search for an explanation and can find none. For all appearances it seems we have been rewarded cruel treatment for the good we have done. Suddenly we find our trust in the Lord being put to a severe test. We have come to the proverbial "fork in the road." One path is the way of continued faithful service to God, in spite of the horrible hand that has been dealt us. The other path is the way of abandoning Christian effort and considering bad luck as only an impersonal turn of fate. When serving as minister of a congregation in Arkansas, this writer was asked to visit a couple who had once been faithful, zealous workers in the church, but had then become spiteful and contemptuous of the Christian religion. My visit in their home was most congenial until I brought up the subject of their returning to the church. In rather angry tones they explained to me why they had forsaken Jesus and His church a few years before. Their only child, a six year old boy, had died while undergoing a simple tonsillectomy. They said God had been cruel to them, repaying them evil for the good they had done in His service in the church. They resentfully declared they wanted no more to do with God and made it very clear that I had best leave them alone. Sadly, I had no choice but to do that.

      Paul and Silas had sufficient cause for adopting such an escapist attitude and turning away from further service to Christ. Instead, they found reason to pray and sing praises to God. Their attitude was that God rules in this world and knows what is best for man. In the case of Christians, whom He claims as His children, He can and will turn the worst situation into a blessing, if they adhere to the faith and truly love Him. Paul and Silas survived their ordeal in Philippi, and later Paul wrote to the church in Rome, "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God," (Rom. 8:28). In human experience it is premature to judge God cruel and revile Him for bad things that come upon us. We are assured in Jas. 1:13, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone." Cruel turns in life are not "acts of God," at least not in the sense of being stumblingblocks thrown into the path of the faithful to see how they will react to them. When such adversities appear, in due time God will act to reduce them and bring success to those who love Him and continue steadfastly in the faith.

THE US AND THEM PROBLEM

Acts 15:8-9 ... "God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith."

      As the church leaped the boundaries of Jewish culture, and congregations that were essentially Gentile sprang up, a dichotomy developed among Christians which tested their spirituality to the utmost. For some time there was a real possibility that the church might divide into a Jewish branch based in Jerusalem and a Gentile branch based probably in Syrian Antioch. The tension did not seem to be so much a Gentile phenomenon as the effort of Jewish Christians to impose a form of Judaized Christianity upon Gentiles. The apostle Peter, himself a Jewish Christian, admitted this in v.10 (just after the above quotation) when he said, "Now why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?" Previously, some Jewish disciples had traveled all the way from Jerusalem to Antioch just to make a partisan demand of the Gentile brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved," (v.1). Being themselves products of bigoted and myopic Jewish training, Paul and Barnabas realized the danger to the church in the unbridled course of these visitors. They therefore engaged these men publicly in "dissension and debate," (v.2). At last, the church in Antioch decided they should appeal directly to the source of the problem, the brethren in Jerusalem. Consequently, they "determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue," (v.2).

      When this delegation reached Jerusalem, they met with the apostles and elders to discuss the full scope of Gentile deference to Jewish Christianity. The conclusion reached by this "council" was, in reality, a  judgment by the Holy Spirit (v.28); Gentile Christians were relieved of any deference to Jewish brethren beyond four essentials: -1- abstaining from the pollutions of idols, -2- abstaining from fornication, -3- not eating animals having been strangled, and -4- not eating or drinking blood, (v.29).

      In his speech before this assembly Peter made the statement quoted above (vs. 8-9). It addresses a perennial problem in the church, which in turn reflects an ever present problem in the world at large. It is typical of people to look at others and think in terms of us and them, (note Peter's use of this phrase). At one time "us and them" is black and white, at another time male and female, or old and young, or rich and poor, or educated and uneducated, and so on. But "us and them" is not a Christian attitude, notwithstanding Peter's use of the phrase. (See Gal. 2:11-14 to find the trap into which it led Peter.) This attitude impedes Christian fellowship and stifles love, kindness, compassion and the other Christian graces. In Gal. 3:28 we are taught that in Christ "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." But because of the persistent "us and them" mentality we have been unable through the past to realize this ideal of "no difference between us and them ... for we are all one in Christ Jesus." Consequently,  the church has divided and subdivided time and again along the lines of whatever "us and them" happen to be. As a result, the appeal of Christianity to the people of the world has been greatly diminished, just as Jesus in Jno. 17:21 inferred it would be when His advocates are divided. As Christians we must learn not to draw lines between groups of people where God has not Himself drawn them.

THE WITNESS TO GOD'S EXISTENCE

Acts 14:17 ... "He (God as Creator) did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your heart with food and gladness."

      In I Jno. 4:12 the apostle stated that "no one has beheld God at any time." The God who created the universe, who created man, and who maintains our existence in favorable circumstances, is a God who is invisible to us. Seeking and adoring a God whom we cannot see in our life on earth demands great faith in us. Some people are unwilling to worship and serve a God whom they cannot see and therefore turn to appealing attractions they can see. One of Jesus' apostles, Philip, even dared request of Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us," (Jno. 14:8). A friend of mine attempted to open conversation with a young lady on a train in Germany. She had no faith in God's existence, and each time my friend made a statement, she would answer, "Doch kann ich Gott nicht sehen!" that is, "But I cannot see God!" We all can wish that God would reveal Himself to us visibly, so that the faith of believers would be confirmed and full confidence in His reality established in the heart of non-believers. God will not, however, grant this supreme experience to us while we live in earthly bodies. Though He wills that we draw near to Him, He also wills that our approach be through faith. We are told in Heb. 11:6 that "he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Those who do put their faith in God and conform their lives to His will, shall receive the reward for it in heaven when it shall be granted to them to see God directly. Those who enter heaven are promised in Rev. 22:4 that "they shall see His face."

      Although God does not allow us to look upon His being with physical eyes, (an experience our earthly frames could not withstand!), He has nevertheless revealed overwhelming evidence of His existence to man whom He made in His image. Paul was speaking to idolatrous Lacaonians when he made the statement in the lead text above. He told these people who worshiped Jupiter, Mercury, and other imaginary deities that there is only one true God; and though He is invisible, He has given in the phenomenon of nature witness to His being. The regularity of rainfall, the progression of the seasons, and the fruitfulness of the earth all testify to God who established in the beginning the laws of nature that regulate and maintain the systems upon which our physical life depends. The eye is dim and the mind is dull which refuses to detect the hand of a caring God behind the capacity of nature to sustain life on earth, which is hardly more than a rocky sphere covered with a few inches of topsoil and encapsulated in a relatively thin packet of atmosphere.

      How fragile is our existence on this planet! Of the nine that constitute our solar system, ours is the only one that can sustain life. A little closer to the sun and our life systems would be extinguished in the greater radiation received. A little farther into space and the reduction of solar energy would be devastating to the maintenance of life. A little less gravity and our atmosphere would escape. A little more gravity and the delicate balance of nature would be radically, disastrously tilted.The atheistic materialist considers these intricate systems and attributes them to a quirk of fate ... "Such things just happen!" It is the conviction of this writer, however, that it takes as much faith to believe that random chance produced the wonderful material context in which we live as it does to believe God created it. Whether people will accept it or not, God has declared that He left His signature in the design of the universe and that He expects us to see it and accept the Person who wrote it. Those who will do that have a foundation upon which to stand and receive the rest, yea, the greater part of God's revelation --God as He is presented in the Bible, and also, God as He is seen in the Person of Jesus Christ. The more that a person accesses the knowledge of God in these revelations, the more he becomes like his Creator, (II Cor. 3:18).

THE JOY OF CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP

Acts 13:52 ... "And the disciples were continually filled with joy and the Holy Spirit."

      The thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of Acts relate the events that highlighted the missionary tour of Paul and Barnabas across the island of Cyprus and into the southeastern part of what is now Turkey. John Mark, a nephew of Barnabas, accompanied them as far as Perga, the seaport where they entered the mainland. There he left them and returned to his home in Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas, however, proceeded inland to Pisidian Antioch and preached the gospel in the Jewish synagogue there. From v.5 through v.41 of this chapter Luke records in some detail the sermon Paul delivered, one that seems to have particularly affected those who were proselytes to Judaism. A week later when they convened for the Sabbath service, "nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of God," (v.44), which Paul again proclaimed.  Envious of the large audience, the Jews began to contradict and blaspheme Paul. They continued this hostility day after day until it became necessary for Paul and Barnabas to move on to another city, but not before "the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region," (v.49).

      When they departed, the two evangelists left behind a church of Christ in Antioch to continue the work of the Lord and radiate the light of truth and salvation to the country about it. At this point the inspired writer reports that "the disciples were continually filled with joy and the Holy Spirit." Born in the fire of adversity, and with their mentors driven away, these young Christians were nevertheless enthused and buoyant with joy. Their response to the reception of the gospel is common in the New Testament and should likewise characterize anyone today who experiences the benefits of the gospel.

      These people had lived in ignorance of the true God, but now they had learned about Him. With this knowledge they saw for the first time that the idols they had been worshiping were imaginary, vain, and impotent. These new disciples discovered that they had been living in sin, estranged from the God who loved them, and doomed to eternal destruction. But Paul had announced to them that "through Him (Christ) forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things," (vs. 38-39). Upon hearing this, they had put their faith in Christ, and in that faith had obeyed the gospel unto the remission of their sins. For these young Christians of Antioch it was as though a dark night of ignorance had suddenly passed and a bright new day of truth had dawned upon them. It was as though lost children had found their Father and been reunited with Him. It was as though they had been between the teeth of a lion (Satan) and then snatched way to safety at the last moment. As these realizations became ever clearer to them, the joy that could not be disturbed by hardship filled their souls.

      The experience of the Christians in Pisidian Antioch in the mid-first century should be the same for Christians anywhere at any time. To this writer there is a difference between joy and happiness. The word "happiness" is derived from the root "hap," which expresses chance, something occurring at random. As good fortune comes to you by chance, you are made happy; but when it is followed by misfortune, as so often it is, you become unhappy. Happiness will rise and fall with the tide of daily experience. But true joy is the product of blessings bestowed by God upon those who believe and obey His word revealed by Christ. These blessings are invariable; they do not operate by chance, because their source is God with whom there is "no variation or shifting shadow," (Jas. 1:17). In war or in peace, in hunger or in fullness, in want or in plenty, Christians can still be filled with joy when they consider the great spiritual treasures and privileges they have in their Lord Jesus. It is from this perspective that Paul wrote Php. 4:11, "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." With much or with little he always rejoiced that he had a Savior to secure him, a Father to love and claim him, and an eternal home in heaven awaiting him at the end of this earthly sojourn, (II Tim. 4:6-8).

HOW THE WORD OF GOD GROWS

Acts 12:24 ... "But the word of God continued to grow and to be multiplied."

      The first years of the church of Christ were a time of rapid growth in many ways. The increase in the outpouring of God's grace was the most important of them; it was, in fact, the basis of all the others.  Through God's involvement in human affairs there was a great advance in society of all that is good and true and righteous. The realm of evil had to retreat before the progress of God's power through the preaching and teaching of His word, through the extension of His kingdom, and through the great improvement in the lifestyle of converted sinners. Those early years were a period of glory, triumph, and joy for those who loved the Lord. Even today, after the passage of almost two millennia, Christians still look back upon the church's youth with pride and gladness, and then yearn for the restoration of such results in the present.

      One might wonder, however, in what sense we may understand the report by Luke that "the word of God continued to grow and to be multiplied." Does it refer to growth in substance? That is, was God continually revealing more of His holy message to the apostles, so that the body of the gospel was growing? There is no doubt that progressive revelation of divine truth was taking place. Paul, for example, once referred to "the surpassing greatness of the revelations" given to him, (II Cor. 12:7). Indeed, the light of knowledge from God was becoming brighter as time passed until the apostles had completed their earthly mission.

      Careful consideration leads this writer to conclude, however, that Acts 12:24 presents another view of the growth and multiplication of God's word. Rather than growth in substance, it refers to a growth in effect. As the apostles and other evangelists preached the message revealed to them, it had tremendous effect upon those who heard it. The reason for this is clearly stated in Rom. 1:16-17, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, 'But the righteous man shall live by faith.'" When the word of God was preached in its truth, simplicity, and power, it convicted sinners, showed them the way to a better life, and induced them to obey in faith its requirements. This is the effect reported in Acts 6:7, "The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem." The same results are reported concerning the people in Thessalonica: "Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit. ... You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, ... so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia," (I Ths. 1:5-7).

      In the present we do not witness the same effects we read in these reports in the New Testament, and we are made to wonder why. Although the reasons are many and complex, surely a major cause is our failure to preach the word of God as they did in the beginning. Today we impose constructions on the gospel that pervert its message, although the gospel needs no modernization to address the situations of contemporary life. We hear much about adapting the gospel to meet our current needs and life conditions. Our real need, however, is to adapt our lives to conform to the standard of God's word. We need to realize that, if the New Testament can be made all things to all people, it finally becomes nothing to anyone. The average mind can understand that God's word clearly forbids certain lifestyles that have recently become popular. So, when those who present themselves as ministers of that word give their sanction to those forbidden lifestyles, mixed messages come across to the masses of people. Confusion results, respect for the divine word diminishes, and its preaching does not have the effect it should. But the power to change lives yet resides in that word to anyone who will take it as it is simply written!

THE SON OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Acts 11:24 ... "For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord."

      It is unusual for the Bible to pay such a high compliment to an individual, but Luke, the inspired writer of Acts, saw fit to pen these words of tribute to Barnabas. Luke introduces him into the record in Acts 4:36-37 as Joses (or Joseph), a Levite and native of the island of Cyprus. In the earliest stage of the church's existence he sold some land and handed the proceeds to the apostles to be distributed among destitute brethren. For this generosity the apostles gave him a new name, Barnabas, which is Aramaic for "son of encouragement." He is next mentioned when he made himself a friend to Saul of Tarsus and commended him to the Christians in Jerusalem, who conceded to admit him into their fellowship. Until then these Christians had doubted that Saul was sincere and supposed he was really seeking a devious way to continue his policy of persecuting them. Barnabas' third appearance in Acts is the one here in chapter 11. When the church in Jerusalem heard that the kingdom was growing rapidly in Antioch of Syria, it commissioned Barnabas to go there, look over the situation, and help it along the true path. This selection shows the high esteem and confidence with which the apostles and other brethren looked upon Barnabas.

      Barnabas was a good man. His generosity in Acts 4, his desire to promote Saul as a Christian worker, and his personal interest in the growth and development of the church in Antioch illustrate what this expression means. He was unselfish, magnanimous and pure-minded. Second, Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit. Everyone who obeys the gospel to become a Christian receives "the gift of the Holy Spirit," (Acts 2:38). This "gift" is the indwelling of the Spirit Himself, for it says in I Cor. 6:19 that "your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God." The indwelling Spirit is sometimes likened to a holy fire that burns within the soul of a Christian, who is thus commanded in I Ths. 5:19 to "quench not the Spirit." The intensity of this spiritual Flame burns within us to the extent that we respond to it with zeal, enthusiasm, holiness and purity. The Flame is quenched and dimmed to the degree by which we allow indifference, worldliness and immorality to enter our lives. Barnabas welcomed the residence of the Spirit within him and cooperated with this divine Presence in an extraordinary way. Third, Barnabas was a man of faith. He was fully convinced that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of all who repent and submit to His teaching, and that He is the Head of the church which is God's eternal kingdom.

      The result of Barnabas' influence and work in Antioch was that "considerable numbers were brought to the Lord." This man had submitted his life to be an instrument in God's hand to perform the divine will among people. Wherever God has such a ready and willing tool, He can perform great deeds in our world. More people like Barnabas are needed in the church today, people who are pure minded and not absorbed in their own personal interests, people who are magnanimous in promoting their brethren with no desire or expectation of praise or reward. Barnabas was not a super-saint whose standard is unrealistic for average Christians today. What he accomplished in character and in deed is well within reach of any of us, if we really care to achieve it. Anyone who fully yields his will to God is a choice candidate to become another "son of encouragement." More bona fide Barnabas types in our brotherhood would surely result in "considerable numbers (being) brought to the Lord." People will listen to and cooperate much more readily with one whom they truly believe is more interested in their welfare and future than in his own status, acclaim, and career advancement.

ACCEPTANCE INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Acts 10:34-35 ... "And Peter said, 'I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him."

      The tenth chapter of Acts describes a great turning point in the history of Christianity and the progress of the church. Although Jesus had commanded that "repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem," (Lk. 24:47), His disciples had not surpassed the bounds of Judaism before this chapter. Apparently these people, who had been reared to believe that Gentiles were the off-scouring of the earth, could not conceive that the Kingdom of God was also open to those of any nation who would be happy to meet its requirements for citizenship. Even the apostles did not have this vision. So when God willed to convert Cornelius, a Roman army officer, He found it necessary to convince Peter by means of a vision (vs. 9-15) that Gentiles were eligible for discipleship in Christ and membership in His church.

      When Peter came to the house of Cornelius in Caesarea, he used the "keys of the kingdom" given him by Jesus in Mat. 16:19 to open the way for the first non-Jew to enter as a child into God's family, He was speaking to himself as much as to others when he said, "God is not one to show partiality." All his life he had been taught as a Jew the opposite, that God's covenant-love rested upon those who were descended from Father Abraham. Some fifteen years later Peter used this revelation to try to convince certain Jewish brethren that Gentiles did not have to be proselytes to Judaism before they could become Christians. In Acts 15:7,9 he told them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. ... And he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith." The door to the church was not at the end of the corridor of Jewish observance; it opened straight from the world of Gentile abominations.

      Nevertheless, one has to leave those abominations behind in that sordid world when he enters into the Kingdom of God. These days we are not much concerned about Jewish prerequisites to Christian discipleship, but the principle of what one must do to enter into that discipleship is certainly a matter of paramount concern. In order to be accepted by God and granted citizenship in His Kingdom, one must "fear God and do what is right." To fear God means to hold Him in the most profound respect possible. In fact, it is a spirit that transcends respect and attains to reverence. God must be recognized as present at all times and in every place, (Psa. 139:7-12). As one humbles himself in the immediate presence of royalty, the God-fearer will continually humble himself in the perceived presence of Him who is King of kings and Lord of lords. To "do what is right" (also called "righteousness") means to observe the canon of behavior God has set forth in His book of instruction, the Bible. Presentations designed to convince others of one's righteousness are no substitute for the real thing, obedience to the word of God. Jesus declared in Mat. 7:21, "Not every one who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven." Anyone who is irreverent, or who balks at obedience to God's will, is denied entrance into the Kingdom of God.

      All who submit themselves to these requirements shall indeed be accepted. This is emphasized in Gal. 3:26,28 as follows, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ... There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

CONVERSION OF THE FOREMOST SINNER

Acts 9:5-6 ... "And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.'"

      Although Saul of Tarsus had not actually thrown rocks at Stephen to help kill him, he had been "in hearty agreement with putting him to death," (Acts 8:1), and had guarded the robes of those who had thrown rocks. Not being content with Stephen's execution, he embarked on a personal crusade against the church of Christ. In Acts 8:3 it says that "Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he put them in prison." His zeal in persecuting grew with his efforts, and he soon began to look to places beyond Jerusalem and Judea where Christianity was spreading. Fixing his attention on Damascus, about 140 miles away, he determined to purge that city of its Christian disciples. Having obtained letters of authority from the High Priest, Saul was approaching Damascus when suddenly a light from above, brighter than the noonday sun, flashed about him, dropping him to the ground and blinding him. A Voice from the zenith of the sky asked him why he was persecuting Him. When Saul asked who was speaking to him, the Voice answered, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting," (v.5). Realizing his life was hanging by a thread, Saul asked, "What shall I do, Lord?" (Acts 22:10).

      Jesus' reply is instructive and most relevant to us today. Though Saul was about as sincere in his religion as a person can become, being "found blameless as to the righteousness which is in the Law (of Moses)," (Php. 3:6), and having lived "with a perfectly good conscience before God," (Acts 23:1), he was nevertheless a sinner. Later, he admitted that he was not only a sinner, but among the mass of sinners he was "foremost of all," (I Tim. 1:15). Overcome with astonishment that he had actually been persecuting the Lord in heaven, who was the Jesus of Nazareth toward Whom he had been so furious, Saul trembled with fear over his fate. He must have conceived a sudden hope that the Lord would yet be merciful and not destroy him. His question, "What shall I do, Lord?,"was an appeal for mercy unto his salvation. Jesus' reply, "Rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do," was the response to his appeal.

      Why did Jesus not forgive Saul's sin right there in the middle of the road? It is evident that He did not, since Acts 22:16 (a parallel account) informs us that Saul took his sins into Damascus with him. Is not a personal appearance by Jesus to someone sufficient to save him? Could not Jesus dispense enough of His infinite, amazing grace to remit Saul's sins at that moment? Of course He could! But He did not! Nor does He now in the case of anyone. That method of forgiving sin ceased with Jesus' return to heaven. In the present age the "treasure" of the gospel is committed to "earthen vessels," (II Cor. 4:7). The Lord has entrusted His gospel with its "power of God for salvation" (Rom. 1:16) unto His disciples (the "earthen vessels") and made it their duty to use it to convert sinners. Jesus had in Damascus one of these "earthen vessels" ready, a disciple named Ananias, and He soon gave him the commission to administer the gospel to Saul, (vs. 10-16). When Jesus said, "It shall be told you what you must do," He was referring to the gospel Ananias would soon present to Saul.

      Notice that Jesus did not say what Saul "could do," or "might do," or should do" when he got to Damascus. He used the absolute imperative, "must!" For Saul there was no discussion, arbitration, or compromise possible. There was only the declaration that he MUST respond affirmatively to what Ananias would tell him. We are told in Acts 22:16 what that MUST was: "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name." It is evident that Saul now believed, had repented of sin, and had confessed Christ as Lord. But the imperative to be baptized remained before his sins could finally be removed.

MODEL EVANGELISM

Acts 8:35 ... "Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, he preached Jesus to him."

      Philip is introduced at Acts 6:5 as one of the "seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom" who were appointed to supervise the work of distributing food equitably to Hellenist and Hebrew widows in the church. Because this service is generally taken to be that of deacons, we come to know this man first as "Philip the Deacon." He evidently occupied himself with this work until the great persecution against the church zealously promoted by Saul of Tarsus. At that time the Christians of Jerusalem were "scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria," (Acts 8:1). Consequently, "Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them," (v.5). Since the original meaning of "evangelist" was "one who preaches the gospel of Christ," Philip the Deacon became "Philip the Evangelist." It is by this designation that we today know him best.

      Philip deserves to be called "evangelist" because Luke, in recording Philip's ministry, emphasizes that what he preached was indeed the gospel of Christ. When Philip arrived in the city of Samaria, he "began proclaiming Christ to them," (v.5). Verse 12 states that, while he labored there, "Philip [was] preaching the good news about the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ." Finally, he was called away from Samaria to the road that led from Jerusalem southward to Gaza and then on down to Egypt. The Holy Spirit saw a prospective disciple traveling that road and wanted him to have the opportunity to learn the gospel, obey its requirements. and become a true child of God. When Philip found this man, a nobleman of Ethiopia, he was reading from the scroll of Isaiah at the place now designated as chapter 53. When Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading, the man answered that he did not. He then invited Philip to enter the chariot and teach him. It was at this moment the evangelist "opened his mouth and, beginning from this Scripture, preached Jesus to him."

      The object of evangelism proceeds from the Divine proclamation of Ezk. 18:4, "The soul who sins will die." In Rom. 3:23 we are told that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." These two premises force the conclusion that everyone is due to die because of his sin. The human situation is hopeless, until we find in I Tim. 2:4 that God "desires all men to be saved" and that He gave His own Son, whom He sent here in human form, to offer "Himself as a ransom for all," (v.6). Everyone should love God with perpetual praise and thanksgiving that He does not desire to carry out upon anyone the penalty of death for sin. He sent Christ to pay that penalty for us. But God requires us to do something for Christ's ransom to save us. We must put our faith in Jesus as God's Son and our Savior, and be baptized in water.

      Evangelism is the effort to persuade a person to make that critical, utterly vital response. That is what we see in the case of Philip and the Ethiopian nobleman. Anyone who refuses to make this response is effectually saying, "No, God, I do not want Christ to ransom me. I had rather pay the penalty of death for sin myself." And that, my dear reader, is not so much physical death as eternal death ... being separated from God's presence forever ... and everlasting exclusion from the Paradise of Heaven.  That decision, and the awful result to which it leads, is the ULTIMATE HUMAN TRAGEDY!

THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MARTYR

Acts 7:60 ... "Falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them!' And having said this, he fell asleep."

      Stephen was one of the seven men appointed by the apostles to oversee the work of distributing daily sustenance equally to Hellenist and Hebrew widows. As he performed this duty, he somehow ran into disputes with Jews from certain synagogues in Jerusalem. But because Stephen was filled with wisdom and the Spirit of God, these adversaries performed badly in the debates. It is evident that their goal was not to define truth and righteousness but rather to protect selfish interests. We read in Acts 6:11-12 that "they secretly induced men to say, 'We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.' And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they came upon him, and brought him before the Council."

      The seventh chapter of Acts is devoted to Stephen's trial before the highest court of the Jews, the Sanhedrin. It was far from a fair trial; from its beginning it is obvious the purpose of the Jews was to convict and destroy Stephen. Acts 6:13 reports that "they put forward false witnesses," just as they had previously done in the "trial" of Jesus. In the middle of his testimony (v.51) Stephen abruptly turned from his presentation to make a severe indictment of these men for obstructing the will of God and for murder, whereby they perpetuated the tradition of their ancestors. In their countenances he apparently read the malice and injustice in their hearts. His severe words to them, however, were not motivated by anger and hatred, for his dying words as they stoned him was a prayer that God would forgive them of the terrible sin they were committing.  Stephen felt pity for them in their spiritual blindness and hardheartedness and spoke to them the strong words he did for their real benefit.

      This Christian martyr, the first on record, serves as a worthy model for all who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. He made no compromise of the truth to save himself, but rather boldly defended it. In fact, a close analysis of his speech reveals he was more interested in revealing God's plan of human redemption than he was in his own defense. Had he been allowed to finish his discourse, he probably would have extended the gospel invitation to the Jewish leaders to accept it and be baptized into Christ. Stephen's heroism and steadfastness may have had a positive impact upon one special adversary that day, Saul of Tarsus, who later became a Christian and an apostle of Jesus.

      In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. ... Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great," (Mat. 5:10,12). Fortunately, in the present situation, it is not likely we will suffer Stephen's fate in our stand for Christ. Nevertheless, if we truly stand loyal to Christ in a society that every day is turning further away from God and making light of His word in the Bible, we shall suffer persecution in some form. It says in II Tim. 3:12 that "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." Because Christ in His gospel uncovers and condemns the sin in people's lives, they will despise and ridicule His teaching. And those who become disciples of Jesus they will persecute in one way or another. The opposition of society to Jesus and His disciples has recently become more prevalent and more overt. The challenge to maintain our identity in Christ is growing stronger, and we must valiantly rise to meet it. The offense we may take is with the word of God and righteous conduct. If that is not sufficient, as it was not for Stephen, we must be "ready to suffer." But suffering for Christ is never in vain, for "great is your reward in heaven." (See Rev, 7:9-17).

THREE NECESSARY CHRISTIAN ASSETS

Acts 6:3 ... "Select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task."

      The church Christ promised to build (Mat. 16:18) was established in Jerusalem in 33 AD on the Day of Pentecost. Jews had come from most of the Roman Empire to observe this major religious festival, and some of them were among the 3000 who were baptized into Christ and added by the Lord to His church of that day of its inception. It seems that these foreign Jews, called "Hellenists," stayed longer than they had first intended in order to be further established in their new-found faith. Using up the funds they had brought to cover their anticipated needs, they soon found themselves in financial straits. The church responded to this crisis at once with the programs mentioned in Acts 2:44-45 and 4:31-37. There were doubtless many facets to this benevolent work, one of which was distributing food daily to Christian widows, some of whom were "Hebrews" (native Palestinians) and the others foreign born "Hellenists," (Greek speaking). Perhaps subconsciously, the men who made the allotments favored the Hebrew widows, since they spoke the same language and were culturally most similar. In any case, the Hellenist widows were being neglected, or overlooked, in the "daily ministration," and their complaint was brought before the apostles. These inspired men offered the remedy presented in the introductory text above.

      To qualify for this work, usually recognized as the service of deacons, the men had to meet three criteria. First, they had to be of good reputation; second, they had to be full of the Spirit; and third, they had to be full of wisdom. As we read this, let us not restrict these requirements only to those seven men in Acts 6, or even to the men who now serve as deacons in the churches. Rather, it should be the goal of every Christian to meet these criteria, whether we every hold office in a church or not. These qualities are valuable assets to any Christian and ought to be coveted by every disciple of the Lord.

      To be of good reputation means to be respected as one who is honest, upright, and beneficial to his community. Although we should not court the favor of people by dramatizing good works in order to highlight our piety, we do want to be recognized by them as being pious and devoted by love to serving our community. We are taught in I Pet. 3:15-17 to "sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts ... and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong." In other words, as Christians we should be so committed to good works, motivated by good conscience, that we are recognized and valued as good people. If bad treatment comes upon us, let it be persecution for good deeds rather than justly deserved punishment for evil activity, (see I Pet. 4:15).

      To be full of the Spirit means to be a wide open channel through whom the Holy Spirit operates in this world. Since the Spirit works through the revealed word (Scripture), a person who is well-informed in God's word, devoted to teaching it to others, and adept in applying it to life experience, may fitly be described as "full of the Spirit." So it is not surprising that in Acts 4:31, after it says "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit," it reports that the Jerusalem Christians "began to speak the word of God with boldness."

      Wisdom is the proper application of knowledge. There is no substitute for wisdom. Without it a person can be a brilliant fool and lead an unproductive life. Great knowledge of God's word is not enough. Only the wisdom by which that word can be effectively used is sufficient, and God will give it upon request, (Jas. 1:5).

The Early Apostolic Ministry

Acts 5:42 ... "And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."

      Just before Jesus ascended back into heaven unto the Father, He gathered about Him the apostles and commanded them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." (Mk. 16:15). After the church was established on Pentecost, these men applied themselves zealously to carry out this commission. Since the first converts were "continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching," (Acts 2:42), it seems logical that the apostles were just as devotedly teaching that doctrine to them. When Peter healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and a great crowd quickly gathered to behold the miracle, he took advantage of the occasion to preach Christ unto them, (Acts 3:12-26). The Temple authorities, "being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead," (Acts 4:2), proceeded to arrest Peter and John and put them on trial, When it came their turn to offer a defense, these bold apostles chose rather to speak out on behalf of Jesus and His gospel, (Acts 4:8-12, 19-20). The Jewish Council, however, "commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus," (Acts 4:18). Being released with this official warning, they nevertheless went back among the people "and with great power" gave "witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus," (Acts 4:33).

      The sustained ministry of the apostles, made the more visible by their acts of healing, (Acts 5:12-16), resulted in a great number of people being won to the faith. Then the High Priest and Sadducees, moved further by envy, again arrested the apostles (all of them this time!) and put them on trial. At the conclusion they "called the apostles in, flogged them, and ordered them to speak no more in the name of Jesus," (Acts 5:40). But these witnesses of Christ were not at all intimidated by these threats or rough treatment. Instead, they "went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."

      We marvel today at the rapid growth of the early church from an initial number of 120 (Acts 1:15) to 5000 (Acts 4:4), which was soon "multiplied," (Acts 6:1). The gospel triumphed in people's lives so quickly that "the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved," (Acts 2:47). Conversions occurred on a daily basis then. But in our age conversions occur in a local church more at a weekly, monthly, or even a yearly rate. And today, the number of disciples almost no where is multiplying. The typical growth of a congregation is not due to the conversion of the unchurched, but rather to members moving from one church to another to satisfy personal preference, such as social activity, charisma of a preacher, or higher energy in worshiping. We are made to wonder sadly why our ministry today is so weak and ineffectual in comparison to that of the apostles and other early preachers. Although the full explanation doubtless involves many complicated factors, one of the most significant centers on the phrase "every day." Acts 5:42 reports that the apostles preached Christ and taught the gospel EVERY DAY, and Acts 2:47 reports that people were being saved DAY BY DAY. Can we say we are preaching the Word "every day"? Is our activity in church assemblies on Sunday and Wednesday evening the limit of our effort to enlighten people with the gospel? Is a week of sustained effort in a Vacation Bible School or Gospel Meeting the closest we come to the daily teaching and preaching of Christ and His good news of salvation? These are questions we need to ask ourselves soberly and then give honest answers. We need to find and enact ways in which we can expand the propagation of the gospel from two days a week to seven. In the world about us people, especially children, are daily being taught a humanistic world view and worldly mode of living by their environment in general and by the electronic media in particular. Do we think that on one or two days a week, in a total of less than three hours, we can offset this massive worldly indoctrination? Decreasing conversions prove we cannot!

THE NAME THAT SAVES

Acts 4:12 ... "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."

      When Peter healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, (Acts 3:1-8), a crowd quickly gathered who were "filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened," (Acts 3:9-11). Peter took advantage of this assembly to preach Christ to them and encourage them to accept the salvation which He offered, (3:12-26). As He continued to speak, the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and the Sadducees took note of the situation and were "greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead," (4:1-2). So they had Peter and John arrested, and on the next day brought them before the Sanhedrin (Jewish High Council) for interrogation about their mission. Their first question was, "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?" (v.7). With great boldness Peter answered, "By the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead -- by this name this man stands here before you in good health," (v.10). Then the apostle proceeded to make the declaration about salvation in the initial text above.

      We should notice that Peter calls attention to salvation in two spheres of human experience, both of which he attributes to the power of Jesus. First is the matter of the salvation of the physical body, demonstrated in the healing of the lame man. When Peter released the power that performed the cure, he clearly said, "In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene -- walk!" (3:6) In Biblical terminology "by the name of" means" by the power of." Only someone who was authorized to use Jesus' name could direct His power to perform wonders in the physical realm. Jesus authorized His apostles in Matt. 10:8, and when other tried to access Jesus' power by the unauthorized use of His name, their efforts came to naught and almost resulted in their destruction, (Acts 19:13-17).

      The second sphere of human experience wherein Jesus' power to save is demonstrated is the spiritual. Man is composed of more than merely a physical body, which is often blighted by disease, injury and dysfunction and needs salvation from these degenerative forces. Man is also composed of a soul, which is continually blighted by the spiritual disease of sin. We are assured in Rom. 3:23 that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." In I Jno. 1:8 we are told that "if we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Although men of medicine have learned ways to save the body from many diseases, men are absolutely powerless to deal with the spiritual disease of sin in the human soul. In Matt. 19:25 Jesus' disciples once asked Him, "Who can be saved?" His answer was, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Man cannot remove sin; only God can do that. It is this aspect of salvation that Peter was speaking of when he declared that "there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." Only God can remove sin from the human soul, and He has invested that power in His Son Jesus Christ. When people look elsewhere, or unto anyone other than Jesus, for salvation from sin, their search ends in failure.

      In I Pet. 3:21 this same apostle wrote that "baptism now saves you." And in his statement in Acts 2:38 he added that this baptism must be based on repentance and must be "in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins." These statements tell us how and where the power of Jesus to save people from sin is experienced. The person must repent of his sins and submit to baptism in the name of Jesus. Since "all have sinned," it is imperative that "all" respond as soon as possible to have Jesus' power to save applied to their souls.