Acts – Eternity

Acts 2:41-47 – The Acts Of The Holy Spirit – The Restored Apostle And Pentecost Jews – Breaking Bread

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Unfailing Love-Holy Communion

Matthew 26:29

“But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

Prestonwood Baptist Church He Looked Beyond My Faults

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Midnight Cry

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words

Lesson Video

Disciple Foot Washing: John 13

Acts 2:41-47 – The Restored Apostle And Pentecost Jews – Breaking Bread

Introduction

Key Terms. (Mine)

Unbelieving Jews. Jews who have not accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Believing Jews. Jews who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Consider the events of Pentecost, the day before, and the days following. On the day before Pentecost, the Jews who were in Jerusalem for the observance of Pentecost were what we call, “unbelieving Jews;” they had no relationship with Christ. On the day of Pentecost, 3,000 Pentecost observant Jews came to know Christ as their Savior and Lord, and were baptized as a sign of their belief in Christ, which made them to be known as “believing Jews.” Let’s consider the things that took place on the day, and days, that followed Pentecost. This post looks backward to the eve before the crucifixion of Christ, and looks forward to the day of the coming of Christ in the air to catch up His saints from our world. We will look a bit deeper into the subject of “breaking bread. “You may come away from this study with thoughts which may be different from the ones that you have had in the past.

Dates come from the Scofield Study Bible.

Lesson Series – The Acts Of The Holy Spirit

Study Text

Acts 2:41-47 – The Restored Apostle And Pentecost Jews – Breaking Bread

The Results Of Pentecost

41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Study Notes

vs 41. After having received the Gospel of Christ that was preached by the Apostle Peter, 3,000 Jews who were in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, believed that message, and were baptized/immersed as a sign of their belief in Christ. (Mine)

vs 42. These new believers in Christ were fortunate to have the Apostles teaching them the Gospel of the risen Christ (the Apostles’ doctrine). They maintained a close fellowship, as new believers in Christ. They had fellowship meals, known as the breaking of bread. They maintained a strong prayer life. (Mine)

vs 43. Consider the blessings that the early believers in Christ experienced at the hands of the apostles. (Mine)

vs 44. There was a common purpose and unity among these earliest of believers in Christ.(Mine)

vs 45. The early believers had a sharing of possessions with those who had such a need.(Mine)

vs 46. The Jews would not have shown a lack of respect for their elders, neither would they have neglected fellowship with their newfound brothers and sisters in Christ. They continued daily temple worship, and met in homes, having fellowship meals. Their experience is one that we would love to have today. “Breaking of bread” was a common term that was used prior to the day of Pentecost, and on later occasions. It is unrealistic to think that the apostles would have so quickly designed an organized church service full of “sacraments,” and other such things of modern day congregational services. These former unbelieving Jews, now Jewish believers in Christ, did not have an overnight change in their theology On one day, they were Torah observant Jews. One day later, they were still Torah following Jews, but with a belief in the Christ that had been the fulfillment of the teaching of the Law. We must be honest in thinking that these Pentecost “born again” Jewish believers in Christ had suddenly ceased from all of their former Hebraic beliefs of worship, and had acquired newfound Baptist or Pentecostal calls to worship, or other denominational liturgies. The only scripture that resembles the “Lord’s Supper” is 1 Corinthians, Chapter 11, occurred in the year 59 A.D., twenty-26 years after the day of Pentecost, per the Scofield Study Bible. Even 1 Corinthians 11, if you examine the subject, you will see a fellowship meal. In that chapter, there is not an example of a small wafer, or a sip of juice being a way of remembering our Lord’s death, burial and resurrection. No scripture shows the “wafer and sip.” (Mine)

2:46 breaking bread in their homes. This refers to the common daily meals shared in the homes. (Reformation Study Bible).

vs 47. God continued calling unbelieving Jews to a belief in Christ. Their numbers increased greatly. (Mine)

2:47 the Lord added. The church belongs to the Lord, and He is the one who sovereignly builds His church (Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 3:9). (Reformation Study Bible)

vs 39. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (This is another topic for another day. Still, the words are true. By the way, God did not ever “uncall or unchoose” anybody. (Mine)

Note. God used the preaching of the Apostle Peter to share the message of the risen Christ to unbelieving Jews on the Day of Pentecost, and later. Peter had been called by Christ, then denied Christ, and was later restored to his position of leadership by Christ. It is important to remember the meanings of the terms, “unbelieving Jews, and believing Jews.” (Mine)

Peter called by Christ. (Matthew 10:1-2; Peter’s denial of Christ (Luke 22:54-62); Peter restored by Christ (John 21:15-17). Peter’s sermon on Pentecost (Acts 2:14-36).

The Passover Meal (An annual occurrence for Jews, given by God to Jews, Exodus 12:1-14; Leviticus 23:4-5; Numbers 28:16; 1491 B.C.-1451 B.C.(Mine)

Passover meals

Matthew 26:17-30, A.D. 33

Mark 14:12-26, A.D. 33

Luke: 22:1-38, A.D. 33

John 13:1-31, A.D. 33

John 13:1-5 (The washing of the feet of the disciples, and the eating of the Passover meal, included Judas). (Mine)

Breaking Bread (In the context of scripture, these are meals among believers in Christ.) (Mine)

Luke 24:28-35, A.D. 33 ( A meal)

Acts 2:42-46, A.D. 33 (A meal)

Acts 20:7-11, A.D. 59 (A meal)

1 Corinthians, Chapters 10 -11, A.D. 59 (A meal, with a time of remembrance of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ). Corinth was a large, worldly city, with much of that sinful influence finding its way into the church at Corinth, which consisted of Jew and Gentile believers in Christ. Key verse:

1 Corinthians 11:27, “in an unworthy manner,” vs “unworthily.” There is a great difference between the two terms (Mine).

King James Bible
Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord

New International Version
So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

English Standard Version
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.

Berean Study Bible
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord.

International Standard Version
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks from the cup in an unworthy manner will be held responsible for the Lord’s body and blood.

NET Bible
For this reason, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
New King James Version
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

In the passages that show Christ in the Passover Meal, He said nothing about excluding anyone from the meal. As a matter of fact, Christ washed the feet of Judas Iscariot, who who betrayed Him, and even included Judas in the meal, along with the other disciples (Mine).

Comments related to this post (Mine).

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The scripture text was taken from Biblegateway.com

The translation of the text is from The New King James Version.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture notes were taken from The MacArthur Study Bible notes that are contained in Biblegateway.com

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Acts 2:36-41 – The Acts Of The Holy Spirit – Baptized Believers

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Michael W Smith A New Hallelujah Featuring The African Children’s Choir

Michael W. Smith – Prepare Ye The Way

Michael W. Smith “Mighty To Save”

Michael W. Smith – Shout Unto God

Michael W. Smith & African Children’s Choir “Siwano”

Lesson Video

As you view the following lesson video, “consider God.”

The Resurrection And Ascension Of Christ; The Holy Spirit Falls On Jerusalem At Pentecost

Acts 2:36-41 – The Acts Of The Holy Spirit – Baptized Believers

Introduction – Present

The topic passage of scripture is one from which a great deal of controversy has developed, as it relates to the need for people to be baptized in order for them to be saved. In order for us to properly address this subject, in particular verse thirty-eight, we must address a similar setting that relates to baptism, as well as a statement that our Lord made that makes clear that which is necessary for a person to be saved. There are also words in Acts Chapter 2 that answer the question, before the words of controversy are spoken.

Before we travel further in this post, let’s consider the Words of Christ, as they relate to a person being saved. We can say that the following verse provides the answer to the “gate-keeper” question of what is necessary for anyone to be granted access to heaven, the kingdom of God, eternity with Christ and all others who will have gained access to heaven.

John 3:3, Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

It is very clear that in order for anyone to go to heaven, that person must be born again. To be born again is to have our flawed spirits regenerated, cleansed from the effects of the fall of Adam and Eve and the following curse upon all of God’s creation.The question may be raised about how the born again process takes place. The answer is provided in verse 8.

John 3:8, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

The way that a person is born again is not by being baptized, but is a spiritual cleansing that takes place by God’s Holy Spirit (verses 3-8). Verse 8 relates the work of the Holy Spirit to the movement of the wind. No one can see the wind, which can go to the left, to the right, to the front of us, or to the rear of us. The wind may go fast or slow, and it may even come to a stop. The wind’s movement can not be seen but, its effect can easily be determined by other verses of scripture, as follows:

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

John 14:19-20, 19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Consider belief in Christ and the born again spirit. Simply stated, if we believe n Christ we have been born again. If we have been born again, we believe in Christ. If we have been born again, we have a spiritual presence and indwelling of the spirit of the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) dwelling within our born again spirit. Such an indwelling includes the born again spirits of every one of whom has ever been born again. But, if we do not have that spiritual relationship of “born again belief” in Christ, we face the eternal condemnation that comes from not being born again (See Revelation 20:11-15 below).

2 Corinthians 5:17,”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Whenever a person has been born again, such a person’s spirit dwells within the Spirit of Christ, and can only take up residence in Christ if that person’s spirit has been cleansed and becomes as pure as the Spirit of Christ. A born again spirit becomes new, and becomes as perfect as the Spirit of Christ. A born again spirit influences a person’s soul (mind) by the indwelling influence of the righteousness of Christ. The words, “in Christ,” mean that our born again spirits are literally dwelling inside of the Spirit of Christ, to include the Godhead of “Father, Son, Holy Spirit.”

Colossians 1:27, “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

When anyone has been born again, the Spirit of Christ dwells within that person’s spirit, which is the expectant hope of spending eternity with Christ.

Ephesians 5:8, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”

1 John 1:5, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”

Until we have been born again, our spiritual existence is one of spiritual darkness. In order for us to find our spiritual presence within the Spirit of God, we must no longer have a spiritual state of darkness, but be like God, and have a spiritual born again state of “light,” as opposed to darkness. If we have not been born again, we can never appear before God, except at the Great White Throne Judgment (for unbelievers) which is the last place where an unbeliever will stand before being cast into the lake of fire, per the following scripture.

Revelation 20:11-15, 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Now that we have learned that we must be born again, in order for us to “go to heaven,” let’s consider verses of scripture that relate to baptism. It is amazing that we will go back to Matthew’s Gospel.

Matthew 3:1-12

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’”

4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

There are people who teach, and believe, that baptism is essential for the purposes of salvation. But, either baptism is essential, or it is not; we can’t have it both ways. There are many situations where baptism is not possible (You can think about that statement). It is also a fact that upon conception that an embryo has a spirit that has been cursed by the fall of Adam and Eve, and needs a Savior, who is Christ! Embryos can not be baptized. The need for salvation, through the new birth, is a need that is met only by the work of God’s Holy Spirit. A miscarriage or stillbirth of a child fits into the same argument as that of the embryo. What can we say about the death of an infant or small child? They all have spirits that need to be born again so that their spirits can dwell within the Spirit of God (1 John 1:5). Consider a person having an inability to understand the words of the Bible; their spirit also needs to be born again. Every embryo, since the time of the fall of Adam and Eve, has been flawed and needs the perfection of the new birth than can only come from the work of God’s Holy Spirit. Children are not born righteous and become unrighteous, and then need to become righteous again; such an illusion is just that,”an illusion”of spiritual truth. Need I “beat this poor horse any further?” I think not. It is also false to say that there is an age of accountability. Do a word search. Such an age is not to be found in God’s Word. Consider the remainder of this post. Anyone’s conclusion about baptism is that it is not essential for salvation, but is a visual statement by a person that they have come to saving faith in Christ and are following Him by the evidence of a changed, “repented,” life style.

Compare Matthew 2:2, “repent,” with Acts 2:38, also “repent.”

Compare Matthew 2: 2, 5, and 6, “Jews were going to Jerusalem, being baptized in the Jordan, “confessing their sins,” which was a baptism of repentance, with Acts 2:38, “being baptized for the remission of sin.” The better definition of “for the remission of sin,” is similar to that of Matthew 2:2, where those Jews, of four years earlier, were going to John the Baptist (not John the Apostle, the author of the Gospel of John) to be baptized “confessing their sins.” John said for the Jews to repent. Peter, on the Day of Pentecost, said for the Jews to repent. Still, there was no salvation in repentance or baptism (John 3:3). A person’s sinful actions do not keep them from going to heaven, or cause them to be unsaved and prevent them from going to heaven (John 10:28, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”) A person’s lack of a “born again” spirit keeps such a person out of heaven. A person who has been born again can never have their spirit “unborn,” and can never be pulled out of heaven, or out of that person’s “internal and eternal” dwelling in “Father, Son, Holy Spirit.” Earlier in Acts 2, we see the words that the Apostle Peter spoke to the Pentecost observing Jews, as follows:

Acts 2:21, And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’

Calling on the Name of the Lord is due to the prompting of the calling of God’s Spirit on unsaved people. A response to that call results in belief and being born again.

“Repent” means a change of mind, and not a spiritually cleansed and born again spirit. A decision of the mind can be changed, but a born again spirit can not be changed or unborn.

See the MacArthur Study Bible notes on Matthew 3:2 and Acts 2:38.

Matthew 3:2 Repent. This is no mere academic change of mind, nor mere regret or remorse. John the Baptist spoke of repentance as a radical turning from sin that inevitably became manifest in the fruit of righteousness (v. 8). Jesus’ first sermon began with the same imperative (4:17). For a discussion of the nature of repentance, see notes on 2 Cor. 7:8–11.

Acts 2:38 Repent. This refers to a change of mind and purpose that turns an individual from sin to God (1 Thess. 1:9). Such change involves more than fearing the consequences of God’s judgment. Genuine repentance knows that the evil of sin must be forsaken and the person and work of Christ totally and singularly embraced. Peter exhorted his hearers to repent, otherwise they would not experience true conversion (see note on Matt. 3:2; cf. 3:19; 5:31; 8:22; 11:18; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20; Matt. 4:17).

See the Strong’s Lexicon explanation of repentance, as follows, Acts 2:38.

[said] to them, “Repent, μετανοήσατε metanoēsate 3340 to change one’s mind or purpose from meta and noeó

3340. metanoeó
metanoeó: to change one’s mind or purpose
Original Word: μετανοέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: metanoeó
Phonetic Spelling: (met-an-o-eh’-o)
Short Definition: I repent, change my mind
Definition: I repent, change my mind, change the inner man (particularly with reference to acceptance of the will of God), repent

Consider the past introductions. Just as Jews were being drawn by God’s Holy Spirit to the preaching and baptism of John the Baptist, in Matthew Chapter 3, we see the same drawing of Jews to Jerusalem, by the same Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. In both cases, Jews were the target of God’s Holy Spirit. In Matthew 3, John told the Pharisees and Sadducees to show by a changed lifestyle that they were truly undergoing a baptism of repentance. In Acts 2, the Apostle Peter told those Jews to show a change in their attitude toward Christ. One additional benefit for the Pentecost Jews is that they would have “the gift of the Holy Spirit,” in that they would have spiritual gifts given to them for their ministry purposes. Upon their new birth, the Holy Spirit took up residence within their spirits, just as with any other person, of whom has: “called upon the Name of the Lord; has placed their belief in Christ as Lord and Savior; has been born again, with God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within their spirits.” So, what do we say about baptism, as it relates to the sermon that the Apostle Peter preached on the day of Pentecost? We see that answer, as follows.

Acts 2:37 “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

The question to Peter was not,”what shall we do to be saved?” A direct answer to such a question can be found in Acts 16, as follows, and has no requirement of baptism, only a belief in Christ.

Acts 16:30-31 (A discussion among Paul, Silas and a Philippian jailer)

30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…”

Acts 2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized;and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
Those who were baptized, were Jews who had received the words of the Apostle Peter about Christ being their Lord and Savior.

Baptism is not a step “toward” salvation, but is an act of obedience for anyone who has come to belief in Christ as their Lord and Savior. Christian baptism is a “believer’s” baptism. Baptism is only for people who have “believed in Christ.” If there are people who do not have a belief in Christ as their Savior, baptism means nothing to them; they are only “getting dunked” in water;they are only getting wet. If we are not a believer in Christ, we can not follow Christ. Unbelievers can not follow Christ. Baptism makes no one a believer in Christ. Only by a person being born again, into Christ, will a person follow Christ.

Consider that which happens after a person has been born again, and has the Spirit of Christ dwelling within their spirit.

John 16:5-11

The Work of the Holy Spirit

5 “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

After we have the Spirit of Christ dwelling within our spirits, we begin to be taught by the Holy Spirit of everything that Christ personally taught His disciples. Such instruction involves the teaching of: vs 8, “sin, and righteousness and of judgment.” No person who has not been born again has the influence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within their spirit and teaching them things of righteousness.

A final word: “You must be born again,” (John 3:3). Then, you should be baptized (immersed), as an act of obedience.

Introduction – Past – Important for review, especially for the reason of the large numbers of Jews being in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, which occurred fifty days after the feast of Passover.

The year was 1491 B.C. God instructed the Jews, while they were in the Egyptian desert, that there were three major feasts in which all males of Israel were required to observe. Those feasts were: “Unleavened Bread; Pentecost (Harvest or Weeks); and Tabernacles (Booths or Ingathering).”The future location where those feasts would be observed would the temple in Jerusalem. (Exodus 23:14-10; Leviticus Chapter 23, and Deuteronomy 16:1-16) (MacArthur Study Bible Chart Leviticus 23).

In 722 B.C., the Jews of Samaria, (the northern kingdom) were captured and taken away by Assyria’s King Shalmaneser to exile in Assyria (2 Kings 17:6, Ryrie Study Bible). As a recognizable group, the Jews of Samaria never returned to their homeland. From 597 B.C. to 586 B.C., through three deportations, the Jews in Judah (the southern kingdom) were taken captive to Babylon by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 25:1-11, 21; 2 Chronicles 36:1-21) The Jews from Judah were kept in exile for 70 years (2 Chronicles 36:21; Ezra 3:8) (Ryrie Study Bible). Ezekiel 36:24-28 tells us that dispersed Jews who are still living around the world at the time of the end of the tribulation, who are known as “true Israel,” will be spiritually transported back to their homeland. (Matthew 24:29-31, ‘Israel is the elect.’ Deuteronomy 7:6; Romans 2:28-29; 6:6-7)

In Acts 2:5-11, per Exodus 23:16, Leviticus 23, and Deuteronomy 16:10,16, local Jews, and Jews from all of the dispersed lands had returned to Jerusalem for the observance of the Feast Of Pentecost, also known as the feast of Harvest and Weeks (Ryrie Study Bible). Even during the diaspora, dispersed Jews would return to Jerusalem to celebrate the three designated feasts (Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Tabernacles). The miracle of Pentecost is shown in Acts 2:11, “we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” It is important to know that this occurrence was a miracle of understanding unknown languages. This interpretation is similar to the United Nations where one speaker’s words are made understandable to all of the attendees regardless of their nationalities.

It was since 722 B.C. that the dispersed Jews were living in lands of people who spoke languages that were not Hebrew. The Greek Empire lasted from approximately 336 B.C. until 146 B.C. It was during that time that the Jews “were sucked into the Greek culture,” per Judaism Online:

(http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/greek_persecution/)

Also, it was during the times of the four world empires of “Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome” (Daniel 7:4-7) that the Jews were living in the lands of other cultures and were subject to those cultures, and oppressive actions, and attitudes toward the Jews.

On this Day of Pentecost, all of the Jews who were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover, “heard them speak in his own language” (vs 6). The Pentecost Jews heard the disciple Jews speaking in the upper room (vs 13), 120 in number, including 12 Apostles (vs 15) speaking in their Galilean dialect (vs 7) to at least 3,000 Pentecost Jews (2:41) who were from many far-away lands; “And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?” (vs 8).

This discussion on “tongues” is not in the same in this chapter context as that of the discussion on spiritual gifts in Romans 12, and 1 Corinthians 12-14. The teaching here is that 120 Galileans spoke in their own Galilean language, and that more than 3,000 Passover Jews, of other languages, could hear the 120 disciples speaking words that were understandable to the Passover Jews.

It is important to know that many Jews who had been dispersed to foreign lands, many of which were far away from Jerusalem, had forgotten how to speak their native Hebrew language. They had learned to speak other languages, including Aramaic and Greek. When Saul (Apostle Paul) received the heavenly message from the risen Christ, Saul heard the words of our Lord in Aramaic, which was the common tongue of the first century Jew (Scofield Study Bible, MacArthur Study Bible, Holman Christian Standard Bible, Acts 26:14). It is also important to know that the New Testament was written in the Greek language. Can we not say that “Divine” intervention was involved in choosing the Greek language for the writing of the New Testament? The preciseness of the Greek language provides us with the words for the New Testament that are far superior to those of any other language.

Consider the sermon that the Apostle Peter preached to the Jews who were present in Jerusalem. Consider the effectiveness of God’s Holy Spirit, in that one hundred and twenty Jews, who were born again believers in Christ, had devoted themselves to prayer for a period of ten days, from the time of the ascension of Christ into Heaven until the Day of Pentecost. Consider that God’s Holy Spirit led the Apostles to appoint a successor to replace Judas Iscariot during that ten-day period. Also, consider that at the end of Peter’s sermon to the Pentecost observing Jews, three thousand Jews believed in Christ as their Lord and Savior, and were Baptized (immersed) as a sign of their belief in Christ as their Lord and Savior (Acts 2:41-43)

Lesson Series – The Acts Of The Holy Spirit

Study Text – Baptized Believers

Aftermath To Peter’s Sermon

Acts 2:36-41

36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

A Vital Church Grows

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

Study Notes

The following study notes come from the MacArthur Study Bible, and are provided by Biblgateway.com

Acts 2:36-41

2:36 Peter summarizes his sermon with a powerful statement of certainty: The OT prophecies of resurrection and exaltation provide evidence that overwhelmingly points to the crucified Jesus as the Messiah. both Lord and Christ. Jesus is God as well as anointed Messiah (cf. Rom. 1:4; 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:3; Phil. 2:9, 11).

2:37 cut to the heart. The Gr. word for “cut” means “pierce” or “stab,” and thus denotes something sudden and unexpected. In grief, remorse, and intense spiritual conviction, Peter’s listeners were stunned by his indictment that they had killed their Messiah.

2:38 Repent. This refers to a change of mind and purpose that turns an individual from sin to God (1 Thess. 1:9). Such change involves more than fearing the consequences of God’s judgment. Genuine repentance knows that the evil of sin must be forsaken and the person and work of Christ totally and singularly embraced. Peter exhorted his hearers to repent, otherwise they would not experience true conversion (see note on Matt. 3:2; cf. 3:19; 5:31; 8:22; 11:18; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20; Matt. 4:17). be baptized. This Gr. word lit. means “be dipped or immersed” in water. Peter was obeying Christ’s command from Matt. 28:19 and urging the people who repented and turned to the Lord Christ for salvation to identify, through the waters of baptism, with His death, burial, and resurrection (cf. 19:5; Rom. 6:3, 4; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27; see notes on Matt. 3:2). This is the first time the apostles publicly enjoined people to obey that ceremony. Prior to this, many Jews had experienced the baptism of John the Baptist, (see notes on Matt. 3:1–3) and were also familiar with the baptism of Gentile converts to Judaism (proselytes). in the name of Jesus Christ. For the new believer, it was a crucial but costly identification to accept. for the remission of sins. This might better be translated “because of the remission of sins.” Baptism does not produce forgiveness and cleansing from sin. See notes on 1 Pet. 3:20, 21. The reality of forgiveness precedes the rite of baptism (v. 41). Genuine repentance brings from God the forgiveness (remission) of sins (cf. Eph. 1:7), and because of that the new believer was to be baptized. Baptism, however, was to be the ever-present act of obedience, so that it became synonymous with salvation. Thus to say one was baptized for forgiveness was the same as saying one was saved. See note on “one baptism” in Eph. 4:5. Every believer enjoys the complete remission of sins (Matt. 26:28; Luke 24:47; Eph. 1:7; Col. 2:13; 1 John 2:12). the gift of the Holy Spirit. See notes on 1:5, 8.

2:39 the promise. See note on 1:4. all who are afar off. Gentiles, who would also share in the blessings of salvation (cf. Eph. 2:11–13). as many as the Lord our God will call. Salvation is ultimately from the Lord. See note on Rom. 3:24.

2:41 those who…received his word were baptized. See note on v. 38. three thousand. Luke’s use of a specific number suggests records were kept of conversions and baptisms (see note on v. 38). Archeological work on the S side of the temple mount has uncovered numerous Jewish mikvahs, large baptistry-like facilities where Jewish worshipers would immerse themselves in ritual purification before entering the temple. More than enough existed to facilitate the large number of baptisms in a short amount of time.

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The translation of the text is from The New King James Version.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture notes were taken from The MacArthur Study Bible notes that are contained in Biblegateway.com

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Acts 2:14-36 – The First Gospel Sermon Of The Christian Dispensation

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Acts 2:14-36 – The First Gospel Sermon Of The Christian Dispensation

Introduction

(http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/greek_persecution/)

Lesson Series – The Acts Of The Holy Spirit

Study Text

Acts 2:14-36

Peter’s Sermon

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.

15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning Him:

‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face,

For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’

29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. 34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:

‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’

36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Study Notes

The following study notes come from the MacArthur Study Bible, and are provided by Biblgateway.com

Acts 2:14-36

2:14–40 After the Holy Spirit’s arrival, the first major event of church history was Peter’s sermon, which led to 3,000 conversions and established the church (vv. 41–47).
2:14 with the eleven. This number of the apostles included the newly-appointed Matthias, who replaced Judas Iscariot (see notes on 1:23, 24).
2:15 the third hour. Calculated in Jewish fashion from sunrise, this was 9:00 a.m.
2:16–21 See Introduction to Joel: Interpretive Challenges; see notes on Joel 2:28–32. Joel’s prophecy will not be completely fulfilled until the millennial kingdom. But Peter, by using it, shows that Pentecost was a pre-fulfillment, a taste of what will happen in the millennial kingdom when the Spirit is poured out on all flesh (cf. 10:45).
2:17 last days. This phrase refers to the present era of redemptive history from the first coming of Christ (Heb. 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:20; 1 John 2:18) to His return. My Spirit. See notes on 1:2, 5, 8. all flesh. This indicates all people will receive the Holy Spirit, because everyone who enters the millennial kingdom will be redeemed (cf. Matt. 24:29—25:46; Rev. 20:4–6). visions…dreams. Dreams (Gen. 20:3; Dan. 7:1) and visions (Gen. 15:1; Rev. 9:17) were some of God’s most memorable means of revelation since they were pictorial in nature. While they were not limited to believers (e.g., Abimelech, Gen. 20:3 and Pharaoh, Gen. 41:1–8), they were primarily reserved for prophets and apostles (cf. Num. 12:6). While frequent in the OT, they were rare in the NT. In Acts, most of God’s visions were associated with either Peter (chaps. 10, 11) or Paul (chaps. 9, 18; cf. 2 Cor. 12:1). Most frequently they were used to reveal apocalyptic imagery (cf. Ezek., Dan., Zech., Rev.). They were not considered normal in biblical times, nor should they be so now. The time will come, however, when God will use visions and dreams during the Tribulation period as predicted by Joel 2:28–32.
2:18 prophesy. The proclamation of God’s truth will be pervasive in the millennial kingdom.
2:19 wonders…signs. Cf. 4:30; 5:12; 14:3; 15:12. “Wonders” is the amazement people experience when witnessing supernatural works (miracles). “Signs” point to the power of God behind miracles—marvels have no value unless they point to God and His truth. Such works were often done by the Holy Spirit through the apostles (5:12–16) and their associates (6:8) to authenticate them as the messengers of God’s truth. Cf. 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3, 4. Blood…fire…vapor of smoke. These phenomena are all connected with events surrounding Christ’s second coming and signal the establishment of the earthly kingdom: blood (Rev. 6:8; 8:7, 8; 9:15; 14:20; 16:3); fire (Rev. 8:5, 7, 8, 10); and smoke (Rev. 9:2, 3, 17, 18; 18:9, 18).
2:20 sun…darkness…moon into blood. Cf. Matt. 24:29, 30; see note on Rev. 6:12. day of the Lord. See Introduction to Joel: Interpretive Challenges; see note on 1 Thess. 5:2. This Day of the Lord will come with the return of Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Thess. 2:2; Rev. 19:11–15).
2:21 whoever calls. Up to that hour of judgment and wrath, any who turn to Christ as Lord and Savior will be saved (see notes on Rom. 10:10–13).
2:22–36 Here is the main body of Peter’s sermon, in which he presented and defended Jesus Christ as Israel’s Messiah.
2:22 Jesus of Nazareth. The humble name that often identified the Lord during His earthly ministry (Matt. 21:11; Mark 10:47; Luke 24:19; John 18:5). attested…by miracles, wonders, and signs. By a variety of supernatural means and works, God validated Jesus as the Messiah (cf. Matt. 11:1–6; Luke 7:20–23; John 3:2; 5:17–20; 8:28; Phil. 2:9; see notes on 1:3; 2:19).
2:23 by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. From eternity past (2 Tim. 1:9; Rev. 13:8) God predetermined that Jesus would die an atoning death as part of His pre-ordained plan (4:27, 28; 13:27–29). lawless hands, have crucified. An indictment against “men of Israel” (v. 22), those unbelieving Jews who instigated Jesus’ death, which was carried out by the Romans. That the crucifixion was predetermined by God does not absolve the guilt of those who caused it.
2:24 not possible. Because of His divine power (John 11:25; Heb. 2:14) and God’s promise and purpose (Luke 24:46; John 2:18–22; 1 Cor. 15:16–26), death could not keep Jesus in the grave.
2:25–28 David says. The Lord was speaking of His resurrection prophetically through David (see note on Ps. 16:10).
2:27 Hades. Cf. v. 31; see note on Luke 16:23. The NT equivalent of the OT grave or “sheol.” Though sometimes it identifies hell (Matt. 11:23), here it refers to the general place of the dead.
2:29 his tomb is with us. A reminder to the Jews that David’s body had never been raised, so he could not be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Ps. 16.
2:30–32 Peter exposits the meaning of Ps. 16 as referring not to David, but to Jesus Christ. He would be raised to reign (v. 30; cf. Pss. 2:1–9; 89:3).
2:30 being a prophet. Peter quoted Ps. 132:11. As God’s spokesman, David knew that God would keep His oath (2 Sam. 7:11–16) and Christ would come.
2:31 Peter quoted Ps. 16:10.
2:32 God has raised up. Cf. v. 24; 10:40; 17:31; 1 Cor. 6:14; Eph. 1:20. That He did so attests to His approval of Christ’s work on the cross. we are all witnesses. The early preachers preached the resurrection (3:15, 26; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30, 33, 34, 37; 17:31).
2:33 After Jesus was risen and ascended, God’s promise to send the Holy Spirit was fulfilled (cf. John 7:39; Gal. 3:14) and manifest that day. exalted to the right hand of God. See note on 7:55.
2:34 The Lord said to my Lord. Peter quoted another psalm (Ps. 110:1) concerning the exaltation of Messiah by ascension to the right hand of God, and reminds the reader that it was not fulfilled by David (as bodily resurrection had not yet been; see note on v. 29), but by Jesus Christ (v. 36). Peter had been an eyewitness to that ascension (1:9–11)
2:36 Peter summarizes his sermon with a powerful statement of certainty: The OT prophecies of resurrection and exaltation provide evidence that overwhelmingly points to the crucified Jesus as the Messiah. both Lord and Christ. Jesus is God as well as anointed Messiah (cf. Rom. 1:4; 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:3; Phil. 2:9, 11).

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The translation of the text is from The New King James Version.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture notes were taken from The MacArthur Study Bible notes that are contained in Biblegateway.com

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Acts 2:1-13 – God’s Holy Spirit Sent From Heaven – Check The Numbers – Michael W. Smith

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Acts 2:1-13 – God’s Holy Spirit Sent From Heaven – Check The Numbers

Introduction

(http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/greek_persecution/)

Lesson Series – The Acts Of The Holy Spirit

Study Text

Acts 2:1-13

Coming of the Holy Spirit

1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The Crowd’s Response

5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” 12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
13 Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”

Study Notes

The following study notes come from the MacArthur Study Bible, and are provided by Biblgateway.com

Acts 2:1-13

2:1 Day of Pentecost. “Pentecost” means “fiftieth” and refers to the Feast of Weeks (Ex. 34:22, 23) or Harvest (Lev. 23:16), which was celebrated 50 days after Passover in May/June (Lev. 23:15–22). It was one of 3 annual feasts for which the nation was to come to Jerusalem (see note on Ex. 23:14–19). At Pentecost, an offering of firstfruits was made (Lev. 23:20). The Holy Spirit came on this day as the firstfruits of the believer’s inheritance (cf. 2 Cor. 5:5; Eph. 1:11, 14). Those gathered into the church then were also the firstfruits of the full harvest of all believers to come after. in one place. The upper room mentioned in 1:13.

2:2 a sound…as…mighty wind. Luke’s simile described God’s action of sending the Holy Spirit. Wind is frequently used in Scripture as a picture of the Spirit (cf. Ezek. 37:9, 10; John 3:8).

2:3 The disciples could not comprehend the significance of the Spirit’s arrival without the Lord sovereignly illustrating what was occurring with a visible phenomenon. tongues, as of fire. Just as the sound, like wind, was symbolic, these were not literal flames of fire but supernatural indicators, like fire, that God had sent the Holy Spirit upon each believer. In Scripture, fire often denoted the divine presence (cf. Ex. 3:2–6). God’s use of a fire-like appearance here parallels what He did with the dove when Jesus was baptized (Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16).

2:4 all. The apostles and the 120. Cf. Joel 2:28–32. filled with the Holy Spirit. In contrast to the baptism with the Spirit, which is the one-time act by which God places believers into His body (see notes on 1 Cor. 12:13), the filling is a repeated reality of Spirit-controlled behavior that God commands believers to maintain (see notes on Eph. 5:18). Peter and many others in Acts 2 were filled with the Spirit again (e.g., 4:8, 31; 6:5; 7:55) and so spoke boldly the Word of God. The fullness of the Spirit affects all areas of life, not just speaking boldly (cf. Eph. 5:19–33). with other tongues. Known languages (see notes on v. 6; 1 Cor. 14:1–25), not ecstatic utterances. These languages given by the Spirit were a sign of judgment to unbelieving Israel (see notes on 1 Cor. 14:21, 22). They also showed that from then on God’s people would come from all nations, and marked the transition from Israel to the church. Tongues speaking occurs only twice more in Acts (10:46; 19:6).

2:5 Jews, devout men. Hebrew males who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. They were expected to celebrate Pentecost (see note on v. 1) in Jerusalem, as part of observing the Jewish religious calendar. See note on Ex. 23:14–19.

2:6 this sound. The noise like gusty wind (v. 2), not the sound of the various languages. speak in his own language. As the believers were speaking, each pilgrim in the crowd recognized the language or dialect from his own country.

2:7 Galileans. Inhabitants of the mostly rural area of northern Israel around the Sea of Galilee. Galilean Jews spoke with a distinct regional accent and were considered to be unsophisticated and uneducated by the southern Judean Jews. When Galileans were seen to be speaking so many different languages, the Judean Jews were astonished.

2:9–11 The listing of specific countries and ethnic groups proves again that these utterances were known human languages.

2:9 Parthians. They lived in what is modern Iran. Medes. In Daniel’s time, they ruled with the Persians, but had settled in Parthia. Elamites. They were from the southwestern part of the Parthian Empire. Mesopotamia. This means “between the rivers” (the Tigris and Euphrates). Many Jews still lived there, descendants of those who were in captivity and who never returned to the land of Israel (cf. 2 Chr. 36:22, 23). Judea. All the region once controlled by David and Solomon, including Syria.

2:9, 10 Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia. All were districts in Asia Minor, in what is now Turkey.

2:10 Egypt. Many Jews lived there, especially in the city of Alexandria. The nation then covered the same general area as modern Egypt. Libya adjoining Cyrene. These districts were W of Egypt, along the North African coast. Rome. The capital of the Empire had a sizeable Jewish population, dating from the second century B.C. proselytes. Gentile converts to Judaism. Jews in Rome were especially active in seeking such converts.

2:11 Cretans. Residents of the island of Crete, off the southern coast of Greece. Arabs. Jews who lived S of Damascus, among the Nabatean Arabs (cf. Gal. 1:17). we hear them speaking.See note on v. 6. wonderful works of God. The Christians were quoting from the OT what God had done for His people (cf. Ex. 15:11; Pss. 40:5; 77:11; 96:3; 107:21). Such praises were often heard in Jerusalem during festival times.

2:13 new wine. A drink that could have made one drunk.

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The scripture text was taken from Biblegateway.com

The translation of the text is from The New King James Version.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture notes were taken from The MacArthur Study Bible notes that are contained in Biblegateway.com

Everyone should own a MacArthur Study Bible.

Acts 1 – The Acts Of The Holy Spirit

May 10,000 times 10,000 Believers In Christ be unleashed onto the crime-ridden cities of America, and of the world.

Lesson Video

Acts Chapter 1

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Introduction

The video of this post comes from the King James Version. The text is shown in the New King James Version. There will be times in this post that a clarification will be made to show where the KJV words are incorrect. It is important for believers in Christ to understand any limiting factors that may be present in their study and reference materials. We need to be able to share the Gospel of Christ in a way that is correct, clear, concise, and not confusing.

Lesson Series – The Acts Of The Holy Spirit

Verses Of Note

Let’s consider the KJV Great Commission.”In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

In “the name” indicates a unity/triunity of Father, Son, and Spirit, not separate persons, but God in three persons. God is not a “ghost.” God is Spirit (John 4:24), and not “a spirit,” which would make Him “one of many spirits.” The KJV John 4:24 says that God is “a spirit.” The NKJV states “Spirit,” just as the NASB writes. Consider the following bar of information that comes from the Greek Lexicon, from Biblehub.com Matthew 28:19. (Mine)

them in the name ὄνομα onoma 3686 a name, authority, cause a prim. word

Matthew 28:18-20 King James Version (KJV)

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:18-20 New King James Version (NKJV)

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

The following verses state “Holy Ghost” in the KJV: Acts 1:2, Acts 1:5, Acts 1:8, Acts 1:16

Acts 1:12 New King James Version (NKJV) – Sabbath Day’s Journey (See note below)

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey.

Psalm 109:8 The replacement for the disciple, Judas, was prophesied in Psalm 109:8 In the KJV and NKJV, the word “office,” is present in both translations. (Mine)

Psalm 109:8 King James Version (KJV)

8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.

Psalm 109:8 New King James Version (NKJV)

8 Let his days be few, And let another take his office.

109:8 The Apostle Peter cited this verse as justification for replacing Judas the betrayer with another apostle (cf. Acts. 1:20). (Mac Arthur Study Bible)

Consider the fulfillment of Psalms 109:8 in Acts 1:20. Notice that in the KJV, “bishoprick” is used to describe the prophesied “office” of Judas. Notice in the Greek Lexicon bar that “Office” is the prophesied word, and not Bishop. At the time of Psalm 109:8, there was no such identifier as “bishop.” The translators of the KJV used the correct word for the replacement of Judas in the Psalm. Additionally, in the KJV, “Bishop” is incorrectly used in the following verses of scripture: Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-2; Titus 1:7; and 1 Peter 2:25. In each instance, the correct word is “overseer, and can be used as elder or shepherd. The word “Bishop” became seen in a religious heirarchy political sense. In the first century church, each congregation was an autonomous assembly of believers, who were led by a plurality of elders, overseers and shepherds, but not by bishops (Acts 14:23; 20:17, 28)(Mine).

HIS OFFICE.’ ἐπισκοπὴν episkopēn 1984 a visiting, an overseeing from episkeptomai

Acts 1:20 King James Version (KJV)

20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

Acts 1:20 New King James Version (NKJV)

20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it’; and, ‘Let another take his office.’

Study Text

Acts 1 New King James Version (NKJV)

Prologue

1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

The Holy Spirit Promised

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Jesus Ascends to Heaven

9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

The Upper Room Prayer Meeting

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Matthias Chosen

15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16 “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; 17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”
18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. 19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it’; and, ‘Let another take his office.’
21 “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” 26 And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Study Notes

The following study notes come from the MacArthur Study Bible, and are provided by Biblgateway.com

Acts

1:1 former account. The Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:1–4; see Introduction: Background and Setting). That account chronicled the life and teaching of Jesus, through His death, resurrection, and ascension (Luke 24:51). Theophilus. The original recipient of this book. See note on Luke 1:3. all that Jesus began both to do and teach. Jesus taught the disciples by word and deed the truth necessary to carry on His work. On the cross, He finished the work of redemption, but He had only started the proclamation of its glories.

1:2 taken up. Christ’s ascension to the Father (cf. Luke 24:51). Luke uses this term 3 other times (vv. 9, 11, 22) to describe the end of the Lord’s earthly ministry (cf. John 6:62; 13:1, 3; 16:28; 17:13; 20:17). through the Holy Spirit had given commandments. The Spirit was the source and power of Jesus’ earthly ministry (cf. Matt. 4:1; 12:18; Mark 1:12; Luke 3:22; 4:1, 14, 18) and of the apostles’ service (cf. Luke 24:49; John 14:16, 17; 16:7). “Commandments” are authoritative NT truths, revealed to the apostles (cf. John 14:26; 16:13–15). He had chosen. The Lord sovereignly chose the apostles for salvation and service (cf. John 6:70; 15:16).

1:3 presented Himself…by many infallible proofs. Cf. John 20:30; 1 Cor. 15:5–8. To give the apostles confidence to present His message, Jesus entered a locked room (John 20:19), showed His crucifixion wounds (Luke 24:39), and ate and drank with the disciples (Luke 24:41–43). forty days. The time period between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension during which He appeared at intervals to the apostles and others (1 Cor. 15:5–8) and provided convincing evidence of His resurrection. kingdom of God. Cf. 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31. Here this expression refers to the sphere of salvation, the gracious domain of divine rule over believers’ hearts (see notes on 1 Cor. 6:9; Eph. 5:5; cf. 17:7; Col. 1:13, 14; Rev. 11:15; 12:10). This was the dominant theme during Christ’s earthly ministry (cf. Matt. 4:23; 9:35; Mark 1:15; Luke 4:43; 9:2; John 3:3–21).

1:4 being assembled together with them. An alternative reading, “eating with them,” is preferred (cf. 10:41; Luke 24:42, 43). The fact that Jesus ate provides additional proof of His bodily resurrection. wait for the Promise of the Father. Jesus repeatedly promised that God would send them His Spirit (Luke 11:13; 24:49; John 7:39; 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; see note on John 20:22).

1:5 John…baptized with water. See note on 2:38. baptized with the Holy Spirit. The apostles had to wait until the Day of Pentecost, but since then all believers are baptized with the Holy Spirit at salvation (see note on 1 Cor. 12:13; cf. Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; Titus 3:5, 6). not many days from now. God’s promise was fulfilled just 10 days later.

1:6 restore the kingdom to Israel. The apostles still believed the earthly form of the kingdom of Messiah would soon be re-established (cf. Luke 19:11; 24:21). They also knew that Ezek. 36 and Joel 2 connected the coming of the kingdom with the outpouring of the Spirit whom Jesus had promised.

1:7 This verse shows that the apostles’ expectation of a literal, earthly kingdom mirrored what Christ taught and what the OT predicted. Otherwise, He would have corrected them about such a crucial aspect of His teaching. times or seasons. These two words refer to features, eras, and events that will be part of His earthly kingdom reign, which will begin at the second coming (Matt. 25:21–34). The exact time of His return, however, remains unrevealed (Mark 13:32; cf. Deut. 29:29).

1:8 The apostles’ mission of spreading the gospel was the major reason the Holy Spirit empowered them. This event dramatically altered world history, and the gospel message eventually reached all parts of the earth (Matt. 28:19, 20). receive power. The apostles had already experienced the Holy Spirit’s saving, guiding, teaching, and miracle-working power. Soon they would receive His indwelling presence and a new dimension of power for witness (see notes on 2:4; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; Eph. 3:16, 20). witnesses. People who tell the truth about Jesus Christ (cf. John 14:26; 1 Pet. 3:15). The Gr. word means “one who dies for his faith” because that was commonly the price of witnessing. Judea. The region in which Jerusalem was located. Samaria. The region immediately to the N of Judea (see note on 8:5).

1:9 taken up. See note on v. 2. God the Father took Jesus, in His resurrection body, from this world to His rightful place at the Father’s right hand (Luke 24:51; cf. 2:33; John 17:1–6). a cloud. A visible reminder that God’s glory was present as the apostles watched the ascension. For some of them, this was not the first time they had witnessed divine glory (Mark 9:26); neither will it be the last time clouds accompany Jesus (Mark 13:26; 14:62; see note on Rev. 1:7).

1:10 two men…in white apparel. Two angels in the form of men (cf. Gen. 18:2; Josh. 5:13–15; Mark 16:5).

1:11 Men of Galilee. All the apostles were from Galilee except for Judas, who had killed himself by this time (cf. v. 18). in like manner. Christ one day will return to earth (to the Mt. of Olives), in the same way He ascended (with clouds), to set up His kingdom (cf. Dan. 7:13; Zech. 14:4; Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Rev. 1:7; 14:14).

1:12 mount called Olivet. Located across the Kidron Valley, E of Jerusalem, this large hill rising about 200 ft. higher in elevation than the city, was the site from which Jesus ascended into heaven (Luke 24:50, 51). Sabbath day’s journey. One-half of a mi. (about 2,000 cubits), the farthest distance a faithful Jew could travel on the Sabbath to accommodate the prohibition of Ex. 16:29. This measurement was derived from tradition based on Israel’s encampments in the wilderness. The tents farthest out on the camp’s perimeter were 2,000 cubits from the center tabernacle—the longest distance anyone had to walk to reach the tabernacle on the Sabbath (Josh. 3:4; cf. Num. 35:5).

1:13 upper room. Where the Last Supper may have been celebrated (Mark 14:15) and where Jesus had appeared to the apostles after His resurrection. Bartholomew. This disciple is also called Nathanael (John 1:45–49; 21:2). James the son of Alphaeus. See note on Matt. 10:2. The same person as James the younger, also called “the Less” to distinguish him from James, the brother of John (Mark 15:40). Zealot. See note on Matt. 10:4. Judas the son of James. The preferred rendering is “the brother of.” See note on Matt. 10:3. He was also known as Thaddaeus (Mark 3:18).

1:14 continued…in prayer. The pattern of praying in the name of Jesus started at this time (cf. John 14:13, 14). with the women. Doubtless they included Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Clopas, the sisters Mary and Martha, and Salome. Some of the apostles’ wives also may have been present (cf. 1 Cor. 9:5). Mary the mother of Jesus. See notes on Luke 1:27, 28. Mary’s name does not appear again in the NT. brothers. Jesus’ half-brothers, named in Mark 6:3 as James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. James was the leader of the Jerusalem church (12:17; 15:13–22) and author of the epistle that bears his name. Judas (Jude) wrote the epistle of Jude. At this time they were new believers in Jesus as God, Savior, and Lord, whereas only 8 months earlier John had mentioned their unbelief (John 7:5).

1:15 in those days. Some unspecified time during the believers’ 10 days of prayer and fellowship between the ascension and Pentecost. Peter. See note on Matt. 10:2. The acknowledged leader of the apostles took charge.

1:16 Men and brethren. The 120 believers who were gathered (v. 15). this Scripture had to be fulfilled. The two OT passages Peter quotes in v. 20 are Pss. 69:25; 109:8. When God gives prophecies, they will come to pass (cf. Ps. 115:3; Is. 46:10; 55:11). the Holy Spirit…by the mouth of David. Scripture contains no clearer description of divine inspiration. God spoke through David’s mouth, actually referring to his writing (see note on 2 Pet. 1:21).

1:17 obtained a part in this ministry. Judas Iscariot was a member of the 12, but was never truly saved which is why he was called “the son of perdition” (John 17:12). See Matt. 26:24; John 6:64, 70, 71; cf. 2:23; Luke 22:22.

1:18 this man purchased a field. Because the field was bought with the money the Jewish leaders paid Judas to betray Jesus, which he returned to them (Matt. 27:3–10), Luke refers to Judas as if he was the buyer (cf. Zech. 11:12, 13). wages of iniquity. The 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas. falling headlong. Apparently the tree on which Judas chose to hang himself (Matt. 27:5) overlooked a cliff. Likely, the rope or branch broke (or the knot slipped) and his body was shattered on the rocks below.

1:19 Akel Dama…Field of Blood. This is the Aram. name of the field bought by the Jewish leaders. Traditionally, the field is located S of Jerusalem in the Valley of Hinnom, where that valley crosses the Kidron Valley. The soil there was good for making pottery, thus Matthew identifies it as “the potter’s field” (Matt. 27:7, 10; see notes on v. 18).

1:20 it is written. See note on v. 16. Peter used the most compelling proof, Scripture, to reassure the believers that Judas’ defection and the choice of his replacement were both in God’s purpose (cf. Ps. 55:12–15).

1:21 went in and out among us. The first requirement for Judas’ successor was that he had participated in Jesus’ earthly ministry.

1:22 baptism of John. Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist (Matt. 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–23). a witness with us of His resurrection. A second requirement for Judas’ successor was that he had to have seen the resurrected Christ. The resurrection was central to apostolic preaching (cf. 2:24, 32; 3:15; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30–37).

1:23 Barsabas…Justus. Barsabas means “son of the Sabbath.” Justus (“the righteous”) was Joseph’s Lat. name. Many Jews in the Roman Empire had equivalent Gentile names. Matthias. The name means “gift of God.” The ancient historian Eusebius claims Matthias was among the 70 of Luke 10:1.

1:24 You have chosen. Judas’ successor was sovereignly determined (see notes on v. 20).

1:25 his own place. Judas chose his own fate of hell by rejecting Christ. It is not unfair to say that Judas and all others who go to hell belong there (cf. John 6:70).

1:26 cast their lots. A common OT method of determining God’s will (cf. Lev. 16:8–10; Josh. 7:14; Prov. 18:18; see note on Prov. 16:33). This is the last biblical mention of lots—the coming of the Spirit made them unnecessary.

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The scripture text was taken from Biblegateway.com

The translation of the text is from The New King James Version.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture notes were taken from The MacArthur Study Bible notes that are contained in Biblegateway.com

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