Grace Institute: Luke & Acts: Bearing Withness in Judea and Samaria

Bearing Witness in Judea and Samaria Acts 6:8-12:24 Spring 2008

The Growth of the Church Among the Jews (6:8-9:31)

The Growth resulted from Persecution (6:8 – 8:3)

The Problem

As the church was growing, it faced the problem of making sure all the needy were being taken care of fairly. However, it appears that already there was some ethnic strife within the body, for the Hellenistic Jews were not receiving their fair share. The Hellenistic Jews are those Jews who speak only Greek. A true Jew would also speak Aramaic, and would look down upon Greek speaking Jews.

To address this problem, deacons are selected. All of the deacons have Greek names, suggesting that they were Hellenized Jews.

The Sermon

One Greek-speaking deacon was Stephen. He had irritated some Jews by proclaiming the gospel and doing miracles. So Stephen is arrested, and before his stoning, he gives a lengthy speech.

Stephen begins with a brief history of Israel, including quoting Moses from Deuteronomy 18 (7:37). As part of this history, Stephen demonstrates how the Jews have systematically persecuted God's messengers, including now the “Righteous One (7:52).” The Jews understood that Stephen was claiming that Jesus was the Christ by referring to this “Righteous One.” After Stephen accuses them of not keeping the law (7:53), his listeners cut short his sermon and stoned him.

The Result

Luke makes it clear that the stoning of Stephen forces the church to fulfill Christ's commandment in 1:8. Fearing for their lives, the Christians moved from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria, taking the gospel with them.

The Growth resulted from Philip's ministry (8:3 – 8:40)

Preaching in Samaria

Philip was one of those who moved out into the surrounding territory preaching now in Samaria. However, as the Samaritans begin to respond and believe, they do not receive the filling of the Holy Spirit. This waits until Peter and John came to see what Philip was doing. After the apostles laid their hands on the Samaritans, they received the Holy Spirit. Because of the animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans, the apostolic laying on of hands ensured the unity of the church.

Filling of the Holy Spirit

In the book of Acts, the reception of the Holy Spirit follows no consistent pattern.

• In Act 2:1, the apostles had been believers for 40 days but only received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost after waiting.
• In Acts 2:38, Peter proclaims that all who repent, and are baptized, will receive the Holy Spirit.
• In Acts 8:17 the apostles lay hands on Samaritans to receive Holy Spirit after their belief and baptism.
• In Acts 10:44 Cornelius & his Gentile friends received Holy Spirit while Peter was speaking, and before baptism their baptism.

Belief is the only constant between these examples. Beyond that, Acts does not provide us with a normative pattern from which we can ascertain the timing of the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Preaching to the Ethiopian

After Philip had preached in Samaria God sent Philip to Gaza. While in Gaza, Philip came across an Ethiopian eunuch who was reading his bible. Philip asked what he was reading and if he understood it. And in the course of the conversation which followed, the Ethiopian came to trust in Christ. That led the Ethiopian to a question: “What prevents me from being baptized?”

So, Philip baptized the Ethiopian in a pond on the road to Gaza. Philip didn't say he needed to wait until next Sunday when they would fill up the baptistery and have a special worship service. Philip didn't sit around and make them take a class on church membership. Philip didn't require them to memorize scripture or the doctrinal positions of the church. It says, when he believed was baptized.

In fact, in each and every case in Acts, when we see someone believe in Christ, it is immediately followed by baptism. There was no waiting period between conversion and baptism. They took place one right after the other, so much so that Peter equates them as one and the same in chapter 2.

This is the normative pattern and unless there is good reason not to do so, we should follow this pattern.

The Growth results from the conversion of Paul (9:1-31)

Saul was attending the stoning of Stephen and was in agreement with putting him to death (8:1). In fact, Saul became one of the most zealous persecutors of the church (8:3). On one occasion Saul sought to go to Damascus in Syria to round up the Christians and return them to Jerusalem for persecution.

On the road to Damascus Paul encounters Jesus. A bright light comes from heaven, and Jesus calls to him, “Saul, why are you persecuting me.” Through that experience Paul comes to believe that Jesus is the son of God (9:20), and becomes a powerful apologetic for Christ (9:22).

Paul saw the glory of God, recognized Him as Lord. The Lord identified himself as Jesus. Paul may not have been an eyewitness to the ministry of Jesus, but this serves as Paul's witness of Jesus resurrection. Paul reiterates this conversion experience as his testimony for Christ both in Acts 22 as he is speaking to the Jewish mob and in Acts 26 as he addresses King Herod Agrippa.

Paul's desire was to preach the gospel to the Jews [1]. After all, he was trained as a Pharisee. He knew the law; he knew the Jewish mind. He had better training and education than any of the apostles did. What better person to convince the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah? But Jesus had another plan (9:15-16).

The Third Progress Report (9:31)

The third progress report (9:31) concludes the section on the witness in Judea and Samaria. The church was being built up and continued to increase throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria.

The Growth of the Church Among Gentiles (9:32-12:24)

The growth moves to Caesarea (9:32-11:18)

Peter's Vision

In the first 8 chapters of Acts the gospel has been proclaimed to the Jews in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. In the last 20 chapters, however, the transition is made for the apostles to be witnesses to the remotest parts of the earth. This is also a transition from being a witness to the Jews to being a witness to the Gentiles. Finally the last section of Acts transitions from the witness of Peter to the witness of Paul.

The move to the witness in the “uttermost parts” required a change in theology for the apostles. Thoroughly grounded in the Jewish law and tradition, the thought of interacting with Gentiles was abhorrent. It took a supernatural revelation to Peter, to open the possibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles.

In chapter 10 we are introduced to Cornelius, a Roman centurion, who is described as “one who feared God.” This man was not Jew, but was nonetheless an “Old Testament” saint. He gave to the poor and he prayed to God continually (10:2). God visits Cornelius and tells him to send his servants to find the apostles Peter, which he does.

Peter meanwhile has been on a missionary journey throughout Judea, performing miracles and preaching the gospel in Lydda and Joppa. While in Joppa Peter has a vision in which a large sheet drops from heaven on which are all kinds of animals which were unclean to eat under the Jewish law. God tells Peter to get up and eat the animals, for they are now unclean. Peter, true to his stubborn character, tells God that he is wrong, so God has to repeat his words.

Peter's Visit

But not only are the animals no longer unclean, but more importantly, the Gentiles are not unclean either. As Peter is contemplating these things, Cornelius' messengers arrive and in obedience to God, Peter goes with them to Caesarea and enters the house of this Roman solider.

Peter proclaims to Cornelius and his household that Jesus is Christ and Lord (10:36) and that He is the judge of the living and the dead (10:42). He states that they are witnesses of his crucifixion by the Jews (10:39) and his resurrection (10:40-41). Peter states that belief in Him results in the forgiveness of sins (10:43).

In the midst of this sermon, the Holy Spirit falls upon his listeners, and they begin speaking in languages and praising God. Then Peter says,

“Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”

Through Peter's vision and through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, God has now included the Gentiles in his kingdom. God did not wait for Peter or the other apostles to lay their hands on these Gentiles, for He had to demonstrate in a powerful way that “what was unclean is now clean.”

Peter's Vindication

The Jews were very xenophobic at this time, and held a great prejudice against the Gentiles. This prejudice was carried into the early church, and it took much to overcome. When Peter returns from Caesarea, the apostles and other Jewish Christians in Jerusalem criticize him for having entered the home and eaten with an uncircumcised Gentile (11:2-3).

Peter responds by explaining all that had happened, and then concluding “who was I that I could stand in God's way” (11:17). As Gamliel had said, if this movement was of God, no one would be able to stop it. The gospel was now open to the Gentiles. The Jewish Christians heard this, they “quieted down” and declared that “God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” (11:18).

The growth Moves to Antioch (11:19-12:24)

In 11:19, persecution again spreads the Christians out, this time to Antioch. At first the Christians only share with the Jews in Antioch, but soon some men from Christians from Cyprus arrive in Antioch and begin proclaiming the gospel to the Greeks (11:20). This concerns the apostles, so Barnabas is sent to investigate (11:22).

Barnabas investigates and finds that that many are coming to believe in Antioch. He then travels to Tarsus to find Paul, and the two of them stay in Antioch and teach them for a year.

The church in Antioch becomes an important center for Christianity. This is the first church to preach to the Gentiles. This is the first church to send out missionaries. This is the first church where disciples are called Christians.

Progress Report #4

The fourth progress report (12:24) concludes the section on the witness in Antioch.

Notes

1. Ray C. Stedman, The Acts of the Apostles: An Unfinished Story, “http://www.pbc.org/dp/stedman/adventure/0245.html”