7/19/13

From Jim McGuiggan... ARE GENTILE BELIEVERS

ARE GENTILE BELIEVERS

Jeremiah 31:31-34 is addressed to Jews—not Gentiles! It’s addressed to a people whose fathers were brought up out of the land of Egypt, who had a covenant made with them; a covenant they continued to break down the years. It is to them that God said he would make a new covenant.
The Hebrew writer calls on that text in Hebrews 8:6-13 and he calls the new covenant a “second” covenant. It’s the second covenant because it replaces the first covenant. He says if the first covenant had accomplished what he had in mind God would not have sought for a second. Since Israel continually proved faithless to the first covenant God took away the first that he might establish the second (Hebrews 10:9). It was by this second that believing Jews were set apart as the people of God (Hebrews 10:10).
This covenant of which Jesus is the embodiment and the mediator (Hebrews 8:6) is “new” in relation to Israelites. Those who knowingly rejected Jesus were to be “cut off” from among “the people” (Act 3:22-23). Jewish people are no longer in covenant relationship with God on the basis of the first covenant because that first covenant was removed (and with the removal the removal of the condemnation it brought the nation) so that God could fulfil his promises to them in and by Jesus Christ in a second covenant. Those who knowingly reject the second covenant and cling to (or return to) the first covenant are under a covenant that proclaims their condemnation as a "national" entity. That is, as a nation constituted "a nation" under the terms of the Mosaic/Sinaitic covenant they have been condemned by the very covenant that constituted them a "kingdom" and "nation".
The gracious God did not “dump” Israel but offered them a new relationship with him in and by Jesus under the terms of a new and second covenant.
To speak of the new covenant in relationship to Gentiles is a mistake. God had made no first covenant with them nor did he make a second covenant with them. The terms new and first and second deal with the covenant in Jesus from a Jewish perspective.
Gentiles share in the covenant made in and by Jesus, of course (see 2 Corinthians 3) but we need to allow specific texts to make their own specific points.
In Jesus Christ God brought together Jews and Gentiles as the People of God (Ephesians 2:11-22 and elsewhere), making of them “one new man”. But how he unfolded his eternal purpose in history must be acknowledged. Jews and Gentiles are equal and fellow-heirs in Jesus and God eternally purposed it to be so (Ephesians 2—3) but it was through Jews and not Gentiles that he developed his theodrama in history. We need to acknowledge this.
Gentiles partake of the blessing of Israel’s promises (Romans 11:17-24 and Romans 15:27) and we need to remember that.
We need to allow the Hebrew writer to address his Jewish brothers and sisters. We need to allow the truth, “To the Jew first…” (Romans 1:16 and Acts 3:25-26 and 13:46) for so God purposed it and has worked it out. We need to allow Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews 8 to address who they address—people who continually broke the first covenant, whose fathers were led up out of Egypt and so forth.
I think too that we should insist that all who have the faith of Abraham are “Abraham’s children” for he and he alone was circumcised after his relationship was established with God (Romans 4:9-11). This wasn’t true of Isaac or Jacob (Israel) and they are not the “fathers of all that believe”. Romans 4:11 expressly claims that Abraham was not circumcised until after he was made right with God in order that he might be the father of all who believed whether Jews or Gentiles.
Gentile Christians are not “children of Israel”. True “Israelites” Paul would say (Romans 9:6) are physical descendants of Jacob (Israel) who have embraced Jesus in faith (compare Revelation 2:9, 3:9 and John 8:32-44). Those who knowingly reject Jesus are not truly Israelites. There is an “Israel of God” over against an “Israel” which is uncovenanted (compare Galatians 6:16, a disputed text).
Jews and Gentiles who have embraced Jesus in faith are “Abraham’s children and heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:26-29). From a historical viewpoint and in light of how God developed his redemptive purpose Gentiles are not “Israel” though they are certainly Abraham’s children.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.  

From Jim McGuiggan.... WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

He went into it with his eyes open and finally endured what he always knew he would endure if he was taken. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the thirty-nine year old Lutheran preacher, I mean. He was an outspoken critic of Hitler and his regime, plotted with German military intelligence to kill the tyrant and worked with the resistance movements to shepherd Jews out of the country to safety. He was arrested in 1943 and after about eighteen months in prison he was brutally stripped, tortured, led out naked to execution and [like so many others] hanged with piano wire to prolong the dying process. About three weeks later Hitler committed suicide and something like a week later Germany surrendered.
It isnt easy to say where his changing theology would have led him had he lived longer but with good reason hes been admired as a hero and a man of profound faith, moral strength and sensitivity. Thats how many of his contemporaries saw him and its how tens of thousands see him today. How he saw himself at times is revealing and while its surprising it isnt really surprising. For good or ill, how others see us isnt always how we really are and how we see ourselves isnt always how we really are. In any case, heres what Bonhoeffer said about himself in his poem: Who Am I?

Who am I? They often tell me I would step from my cell's confinement 
calmly, cheerfully, firmly, like a squire from his country-house.
Who am I? They often tell me I would talk to my warden freely and 
friendly and clearly, as though it were mine to command.
Who am I? They also tell me I would bear the days of misfortune equably, smilingly, proudly, like one accustomed to win.
Am I then really all that which other men tell of, or am I only what I 
know of myself, restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage, 
struggling for breath, as though hands were compressing my throat, yearning for colours, for flowers, for the voices of birds, thirsting for words of kindness, for neighbourliness, trembling with anger at despotisms and petty humiliation, tossing in expectation of great events, powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance, weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making, faint and ready to say farewell to it all.

Who am I? This or the other? Am I one person today, and tomorrow 
another? Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others, and before myself a contemptibly woebegone weakling? Or is something within me still like a beaten army, fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?
Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine. Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am thine.

In the end it doesnt matter who others think we are or even who we think we are (see 1 Corinthians 4:3-4). If were his the rest doesnt matter. In saying that I dont mean anything as silly as, the rest doesnt hurt or give pleasure. Of course it does but whether it hurts or pleases, ultimately our reputation doesnt matter.
But it goes deeper than that. If indeed we are Gods children in and through his final work in Jesus Christ it doesnt matter that in fact we are weaklings or Herculean figures, it doesnt matter if in fact we fail often or experience victories on a daily basis or if we struggle vainly to overcome some besetting sin. If we are his, if he has drawn us to him and we have committed to him on his terms whatever else we are God knows we are his and we know we know it too. G.Wade Robinson said it well for us:
Heaven above is softer blue
Earth beneath is sweeter green
Something lives in every hue
That Christless eyes have never seen.
Birds with gladder songs overflow
Stars with deeper beauty shine
Since I know as now I know
I am his and he is mine.


©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Jim McGuiggan.... When you're hanging on a cross...

When you're hanging on a cross...

In 1923 one of the greatest earthquake disasters in history hit Japan and reduced Tokyo and Yokohama to smoking ruins. Millions were homeless, starvation, disease and anarchy were the only things flourishing and the government and military could do nothing about it. They knew a man who could reorganize and restructure things but he was in prison. The common people almost worshiped him but the government, the capitalists, the radical nationalists and the military people hated and feared him. He was in prison for orchestrating a vast non-violent strike in the docks and even though the workers got all that he had demanded for them he himself was thrown into prison for his leadership in the strike action. His name was Toyohiko Kagawa. They let him out of prison and he began the work of rebuilding the nation. The government offered him a huge wage and all the privileges that went with such a role but he turned it all down saying, "To work with the poor I must be poor."
He was born in 1888, the illegitimate son of a wealthy and high-ranking politician and a geisha. The father took a liking to the child and adopted him but before the boy was five both his parents had died and although he was officially a samurai and head of nearly twenty villages he went to live with his grandmother and a stepmother. The stepmother hated him and his life was one of unrelieved misery until when he was eleven a rich uncle adopted him and planned great things for him. If his stepmother’s house was the frying pan his boarding school was the fire.
But he met and learned English from Henry Myers a Presbyterian minister. He learned more than that—he learned about Christ and Myers baptized Kagawa unto Christ. Horace Shipp said, "Young Kagawa became a Christian. He did a rarer thing: he began to practice Christianity."He was a pacifist to the core, at times he literally turned the other cheek and he insisted on giving away all his possessions and often his food. In 1904 Japan without warning attacked the Russian ships at Port Arthur and destroyed their whole Baltic fleet. Japan as a nation hailed this as a great triumph and justified it on the basis of less obvious but threatening developments in Russian foreign affairs. At the seminary where he now attended Kagawa dared to speak against Japan’s act of war and the students would take turns to beat him up. Finally he was expelled, he fell ill (tuberculosis) and went away to die in a little fishing village. But a boat was wrecked on the coast and Kagawa worked until he was absolutely exhausted helping to rescue people. This experience made him determined to live and later his stated aim was "The salvation of 100,000 poor, the emancipation of 9,430,000 laborers and the liberation of twenty million tenant-farmers."
He took a header into the infamous slums at Shinkawa and for nineteen years he lived in a cubicle six feet by six feet, with one side open to act as door and windows. As part of the lowest of the low, even by Shinkawa standards, he shared his living quarters and for four years he held the hand of a murderer that couldn’t sleep alone. He got a little income from a Training school and he doubled it by working as a chimney sweep and gave it away or gave away all the food and clothes it bought. It was from one of his ceaseless stream of visitors that he contracted a fierce eye disease that moved him closer and closer to blindness. The slum bullies robbed him with violence, burned down his shack, knocked his teeth out and challenged his faith by demanding that he give away his clothes. He did that on more than one occasion and had to wear a woman’s robe until he could replace them. Once he was on the verge of taking on a jeering and threatening bully who was going to stop his preaching but instead he turned and ran. The crowd roared with laughter but he was back the next day in the same place preaching Christ.
It’s no surprise then that when the earthquake hit and Japan was in awful need that they let him out of prison and asked him to be Chief of Social Welfare. Once as he visited an American University two students went to hear him speak but when he was done, unimpressed one said to the other, "He didn’t have a lot to say, did he?" A woman behind them leaned over and said, "When you’re hanging on a cross you don’t need to say a lot." He died in 1960.
Toyohiko Kagawa is one face of God’s love for the world.
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland.... What Hinders Me From Being Baptized? (Ac.8:36) 


                          "THE BOOK OF ACTS"

            "What Hinders Me From Being Baptized?" (8:36)

INTRODUCTION

1. With the story of the Ethiopian eunuch, we have an example of 
   conversion involving one...
   a. Who was very religious, yet still lost - Ac 8:27-28
   b. Who was willing to learn, open to being taught - Ac 8:29-34
   c. To whom Philip preached Jesus - Ac 8:35
   d. Who then immediately requested and received baptism - Ac 8:36-38

2. His inquiry, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being 
   baptized?" is enlightening...
   a. It reveals that baptism in water was integral to preaching Christ 
      - Ac 8:35-36
   b. Indeed it was commanded by Christ Himself - Mk 16:15-16
   c. His apostles commanded it as well - cf. Ac 2:38; 10:47-48

3. His inquiry also raises questions that we do well to ask...
   a. What does hinder one from being baptized?
   b. What should not hinder one from being baptized?

[In answer to such questions, let's first notice...]

I. WHAT DOES HINDER ONE

   A. LACK OF FAITH...
      1. Belief in Christ as a prerequisite is clearly stated by Philip
         - Ac 8:37
      2. Jesus also stressed the necessity of faith - Mk 16:16; cf. Jn 8:24
      -- If one does not believe, or is incapable of belief, then that 
         hinders baptism

   B. LACK OF REPENTANCE...
      1. Repentance as a prerequisite to baptism is implied by Peter - 
         Ac 2:36-38
      2. It is clearly a prerequisite to having one's sins "blotted out"
         - Ac 3:19
      -- If one does not repent, or is incapable of repentance, then that
         hinders baptism

   C. LACK OF WATER...
      1. We are talking about baptism in water - Ac 8:36; 10:47
      2. A baptism that "washes away sin", because it is a burial with 
         Christ - Ac 22:16; Ro 6:3-4
      -- If there is no water, then that hinders baptism

[Of course, lack of water is rarely the issue.  God has made water 
plentiful.  It is the lack of faith or repentance that is really the only
thing that hinders one from being baptized.  Yet people often allow
things they should not to keep themselves from being baptized.  Let's now
examine...]

II. WHAT SHOULD NOT HINDER ONE

   A. PRIDE...
      1. Some are too proud to admit they need forgiveness for their sins
      2. Some are too proud to acknowledge they are mistaken about their
         need for baptism
      3. Such pride will keep God away - cf. Ps 138:6; Jm 4:6
      -- Pride should never hinder one from being baptized

   B. FAMILY...
      1. Some are concerned what their family will think
      2. Perhaps they are afraid of being disowned by their family
      3. Jesus made clear that family should not prevent us from doing 
         His will - Mt 10:37-38
      -- Family should never hinder one from being baptized

   C. PEER PRESSURE...
      1. Some are afraid of being ridiculed or ostracized by their 
         friends
      2. It was peer pressure that kept some from confessing Jesus - cf.
         Jn 12:42-43
      3. Jesus made it clear that what others think should not sway us 
         - cf. Lk 9:26
      -- Peer pressure should never hinder one from being baptized

   D. IMPROPER MISUNDERSTANDING...
      1. Some believe they do not know enough to be baptized
         a. They presume that one must know everything the Bible teaches
         b. Yet like the eunuch, most conversions in the NT occurred 
            after one sermon
         c. Jesus stated that much teaching follows, not precedes, 
            baptism - Mt 28:19-20
         d. If one is a penitent believer, willing to follow Jesus as 
            Lord, they are ready
      2. Some believe they are not good enough to be baptized
         a. They presume that they must reform themselves first
         b. But baptism is for sinners, not saints
         c. Much spiritual development occurs after salvation, not before
            - cf. Col 3:1-14
         d. If one has repented (changed their mind to serve God), they 
            are ready
      -- Improper misunderstanding should never hinder one from being
         baptized

   E. LOCATION, TIME OF DAY OR NIGHT...
      1. Some may think baptism can occur only at certain times
      2. As in response to the invitation at the end of a sermon, or at a
         special baptismal service
      3. The eunuch's baptism illustrates it can be done anywhere, 
         anytime - Ac 8:38
      4. Likewise the baptisms of the Philippian jailor and his family 
         - Ac 16:25-33
      -- The time or place should never hinder one from being baptized

CONCLUSION

1. After the eunuch was baptized, he went on his way rejoicing - Ac 8:39
   a. He believed that Jesus was the Christ, who died for his sins
   b. He confessed his faith in Jesus as the Christ
   c. Though not mentioned, we can assume that he repented of his sins

2. If you desire the same assurance of salvation the eunuch enjoyed...
   a. Then let nothing hinder you from obeying the gospel in the same 
      manner
   b. Be baptized as soon as possible, upon the confession of your faith
      in Jesus

   "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away
   your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." - Ac 22:16



Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2012

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From Mark Copeland... The Conversion Of The Ethiopian (Ac.8:26-40) 


                          "THE BOOK OF ACTS"

               The Conversion Of The Ethiopian (8:26-40)

INTRODUCTION

1. The conversions we have noted so far have involved large numbers of
   people...
   a. The 3000 at Pentecost - Ac 2:1-41
   b. The 2000 on Solomon's Porch - Ac 3:1-4:4
   c. The multitudes in Samaria - Ac 8:5-13

2. In each case, the gospel message was basically the same...
   a. Christ is proclaimed
   b. Responses called for included faith, repentance and baptism

3. Now we have the opportunity to examine the conversion of just one
   person...
   a. A queen's treasurer, a eunuch from Ethiopia
   b. A very religious man, who had traveled a great distance to
      worship God

4. With the account of the conversion of "The Ethiopian"...
   a. We not only have the opportunity to confirm what we have already
      learned
   b. We can also glean a few more points regarding Biblical conversions

[Let's start with a reading and review of the basic facts related to this
conversion...]

I. THE CONVERSION OF THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH

   A. PHILIP IS SENT TO THE EUNUCH...
      1. An angel of the Lord tells Philip to go toward Gaza - Ac 8:26
      2. On the way there is a man sitting in his chariot - Ac 8:27-28
         a. A eunuch of Ethiopia, in charge of the treasury of Queen
            Candace
         b. Returning home from having gone to worship in Jerusalem
         c. Reading from the prophet Isaiah
      3. The Spirit tells Philip to overtake the chariot - Ac 8:29

   B. PHILIP PREACHES JESUS TO HIM...
      1. Hearing the eunuch reading Isaiah, Philip asks if he understands
         - Ac 8:30
      2. The eunuch asks Philip to help him - Ac 8:31-34
         a. He expresses a need for someone to guide him, and invites
            Philip to sit with him
         b. The scripture under consideration is Isa 53:7-8
            1) Which speaks of one led as a sheep to the slaughter
            2) Which describes one whose life is taken from the earth
         c. The eunuch asks if Isaiah was speaking of himself, or of
            someone else
      3. Beginning with that Scripture, Philip preaches Jesus to him 
         - Ac 8:35

   C. THE EUNUCH IS BAPTIZED...
      1. The eunuch expresses a desire to be baptized - Ac 8:36-37
         a. Seeing some water along the way, he wonders what would hinder
            him from being baptized
         b. Philip replies that if he believes with all his heart, he may
         c. The eunuch confesses his faith in Jesus as the Son of God
      2. Philip baptizes the eunuch - Ac 8:38-40
         a. Stopping the chariot, both Philip and the eunuch go down into
            the water
         b. Philip then baptizes him
         c. When they come up out of the water, the Spirit catches Philip
            away
         d. Though seeing Philip no more, the eunuch goes on his way
            rejoicing
         e. Philip is found at Azotus, and continues preaching in the
            cities until he arrives at Caesarea

[One might wonder why the Spirit led Luke to spend so much time
describing the conversion of just one person.  Clearly there must be
important lessons or principles that we can glean from this historical
account.  With that in mind, let me offer..]

II. SOME OBSERVATIONS

   A. PROSPECTS FOR THE GOSPEL...
      1. The Ethiopian eunuch was a very religious man
         a. He had traveled a great distance to worship in Jerusalem
         b. He was reading from the Scriptures when Philip found him
      2. In fact, most examples of conversions involved very devout
         people
         a. The 3000 at Pentecost, who had traveled to observe the feast
         b. Later, we will study the conversions of such people as:
            1) Paul, the Pharisee zealous for the Law
            2) Cornelius, the devout Gentile who feared God and prayed
               always
            3) Lydia, a woman who met every Sabbath to pray with others
      3. From this we can glean the following...
         a. Just because one is religious does not mean they are saved!
         b. Religious people are often good prospects for the gospel!
            1) They already fear God and respect His authority
            2) As such, they simply need to be shown "the way of God
               more accurately" - cf. Ac 18:26
         c. Those who are truly seeking God's will, will one day have
            an opportunity to hear the gospel and obey it! - Mt 5:6
      -- This does not discount the fact that rank sinners are often
         receptive (cf. the Corinthians, 1Co 6:9-11), but good people 
         are usually more open to the Word        

   B. WHAT IT MEANS TO PREACH JESUS...
      1. From Isaiah's "quotation" (Isa 52:13-53:11), we know it involves
         teaching:
         a. How Jesus died for our sins - cf. 1Co 15:1-3
         b. How Jesus has been exalted by God - cf. Ac 2:36; 3:13; 
            5:30-31
      2. From the Eunuch's "question" (Ac 8:36), we know it includes
         stressing:
         a. The importance of baptism 
            1) Why did the eunuch ask, "What hinders me from being
               baptized?"
            2) Perhaps because Philip told him...
               a) What the Lord had said - Mk 16:15-16
               b) The purpose of baptism, as expressed by Peter and Paul
                  - Ac 2:38; Ro 6:3-4; 1Pe 3:21
            -- As we have seen and will see, baptism is the expected
               response when one believes in Jesus
         b. The immediacy of baptism
            1) Why did the eunuch asked to be baptized right then ("See,
               here is water.")?
            2) Perhaps because baptism's purpose is such that one does
               not want to delay
               a) It is "for the remission of sins" - Ac 2:38
               b) It is to have one's sins "washed away" - Ac 22:16
               c) It is an appeal for a clear conscience - 1Pe 3:21
            -- Indeed, in every example of conversion found in Acts,
               people were baptized immediately, after just one lesson!
      3. From Philip's "qualification" (Ac 8:37), we know it requires
         explaining:
         a. The necessity of faith in Jesus 
            1) One must believe in Jesus as the Son of God - Jn 8:24;
               20:30-31
            2) Without faith, God won't do His work in our baptism - cf.
               Col 2:12
         b. The necessity of whole-heartedness in our faith
            1) God has always required whole-heartedness - cf. Mt 22:37
            2) Without it, even those saved are in danger of falling away
               - cf. He 3:12-14
         -- Unless "you believe with all your heart", you are not a
            proper subject for baptism!
            
   C. BAPTISM...
      1. Baptism involves water
         a. When the eunuch was baptized...
            1) "...both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water"
               - Ac 8:38
            2) "...he baptized him" - Ac 8:38
            3) "...they came up out of the water" - Ac 8:39
         b. Later, we see the same truth expressed by Peter - cf. Ac 10:47-48
      2. Baptism involves a burial in water
         a. Both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water - Ac 8:38
            1) If sprinkling satisfies the meaning of baptism, it seems
               strange that Philip would need to go down into the water
            2) Why get wet, when all he needed to do was get a handful
               of water?
         b. Baptism means "to immerse", and such requires the baptizer
            to get in the water with the one being baptized
         c. Later, Paul describes baptism as a "burial" - cf. Ro 6:3-4;
            Col 2:12
      3. Baptism is NOT a public confession of one's faith
         a. Some say that the purpose of baptism is to publicly confess
            one's faith in Christ
            1) Especially those who deny that baptism is for the 
               remission of sins
            2) Seeking to provide a reason for baptism, they offer this
               as an alternative
            3) But the Bible nowhere says this is the purpose for 
               baptism!
         b. If the purpose of baptism is to publicly confess one's
            faith...
            1) Why did Philip baptize the eunuch?
               a) There was no one else around to witness the baptism
               b) They were all alone in the desert
            2) Why didn't Philip answer the eunuch's question 
               differently?
               a) He wanted to know what would hinder him from being
                  baptized
               b) If baptism is a public confession of one's faith, we
                  would expect Philip to say he must wait until they get
                  to town, find a church, etc.
         c. But the purpose of baptism is such that it can be done...
            1) In public or in private
            2) With thousands present, or with just the one doing the
               baptizing
         -- Later, we will see that the conversion of the Philippian
            Jailor also involved a baptism in relative privacy
         
CONCLUSION

1. With the conversion of "The Ethiopian", we are impressed with the
   simplicity of salvation... 
   a. With a simple presentation of the gospel, one can be saved after
      just one lesson
   b. Whether it is preached to large crowds or to just one person, the
      gospel is indeed God's power to save! - cf. Ro 1:16

2. When the gospel of Jesus is truly preached...
   a. The death of Jesus for our sins will be stressed
   b. The importance of baptism as commanded by Jesus will be mentioned
      as well
      1) Such that people will want to know "what hinders me from being
         baptized?"
      2) Such that people will want to baptized immediately
   c. The purpose of baptism will be properly understood, knowing that
      one can be baptized in private just as well as in public
   d. The necessity for a wholehearted faith in Jesus will be emphasized,
      otherwise one simply gets wet in baptism!

Was your conversion anything like that of "The Ethiopian"?  When someone
"preached Jesus" to you, were you compelled to ask:

 "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" - Acts 8:36

If not, have you considered why not?  Could it be that the gospel of
Jesus Christ was not shared with you in its fullness...?




Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2012

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From Mark Copeland... The Follow-Up Of The Samaritans (Ac.8:14-25) 


                          "THE BOOK OF ACTS"

               The Follow-Up Of The Samaritans (8:14-25)

INTRODUCTION

1. The conversion of the Samaritans was simple and straightforward...
   a. Philip preached Christ and the people heeded him - Ac 8:5-6
   b. They responded by believing and being baptized - Ac 8:12-13

2. Unique with the Samaritans' conversion is the follow-up that
   occurred...
   a. It has been described as one of the most extraordinary passages
      in Acts
   b. Used to teach various doctrines related to confirmation,
      sanctification, and spiritual gifts

[We must be careful not to draw conclusions contrary to the rest of the
Scriptures.  With that goal in mind, let's first review...]

I. THE FOLLOW-UP BY PETER AND JOHN

   A. THEY IMPART THE SPIRIT...
      1. Hearing of the Samaritans' conversion, the apostles sent Peter
         and John - Ac 8:14
      2. Peter and John imparted the Spirit to the Samaritans - Ac 8:15-17
         a. While the Samaritans had been baptized, they had not
            "received the Spirit"
         b. The Spirit had not yet "fallen upon" any of them - cf. 
            Ac 10:44-46; 11:15-17
         c. Through prayer and laying on of the apostles' hands, they
            "received the Spirit"

   B. SIMON TRIES TO BUY THE GIFT...
      1. He sought to buy the ability to impart the Spirit - Ac 8:18-19
      2. Peter rebuked him strongly, called upon him to repent and pray
         - Ac 8:20-23
      3. Simon asks Peter to pray for him - Ac 8:24

[Peter and John preached the gospel in many villages in Samaria on their
return to Jerusalem (Ac 8:25).  Now let's go back and look at some
questions frequently raised...]

II. THE FOLLOW-UP EXAMINED MORE CLOSELY

   A. FREQUENT QUESTIONS...   
      1. Why is it said the Samaritans received baptism by Philip, but
         not the Spirit?
      2. What does it mean "that they might receive the Holy Spirit"?
      3. What did the apostles have that Philip did not?
      4. Was this some sort of confirmation?  Second stage of
         sanctification?  

   B. PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS...
      1. Whatever Luke meant to "receive the Holy Spirit"...
         a. It required the apostles' laying on of hands
            1) Philip could not impart it, making it necessary for the
               apostles to come
            2) Simon could see that it was through the apostles' laying
               on of hands the Spirit was given - Ac 8:18
         b. It was something visible or audible
            1) It caught Simon's attention, who sought to buy the
               ability to impart it
            2) It was clearly something miraculous, perhaps speaking in
               tongues - cf. Ac 19:1-7
            3) It involved the Spirit "falling upon them," as with
               Cornelius - cf. Ac 10:44-46
      2. Was it actually the Spirit Himself, or something the Spirit 
         gives?
         a. All Christians receive the Spirit upon obedience to the
            Gospel - Ac 2:38; 5:32; 1Co 12:13; Ep 1:13-14; Ga 4:6; 
            Ro 8:9-11
         b. But in NT times many (not all) Christians received miraculous
            gifts - 1Co 12-14
      3. Since the Samaritans had believed and been baptized (Ac 8:12,16)...
         a. They probably received the Spirit as any baptized believer
            normally would
         b. They apparently had not received the Spirit regarding
            miraculous gifts (see below)

   C. PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION...
      1. The expression "receive the Holy Spirit" is a metonymy =
         "receive spiritual gifts"
         a. Metonymy - A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is
            substituted for another with which it is closely associated
            1) E.g., "Washington" for the United States government;
               "Crown" for royalty
            2) E.g., "The pen is mightier than the sword" ("pen" stands
               in for "the written word"; "sword" stands in for "military
               aggression and force")
         b. What the Samaritans had not received were miraculous
            spiritual gifts that the Spirit often bestowed in the early 
            church - cf. 1Co 12:1-11
      2. The apostles of Christ had the ability to impart spiritual
         gifts
         a. Paul imparted the "Holy Spirit" in this way - cf. Ac 19:1-7
         b. Paul hoped to impart such a gift to the Romans - Ro 1:11
         c. He imparted such a gift to Timothy - 2Ti 1:6
      3. The ability to impart spiritual gifts was limited to the
         apostles
         a. Which is why Philip could perform miracles, but not pass
            the ability on to others
            1) The apostles had laid hands on him earlier - Ac 6:5-6
            2) Philip, like Steven, could then do miracles - Ac 6:7;
               8:6-7
         b. Which is why it was necessary for Peter and John to come to
            Samaria
            1) If spiritual gifts came simply by praying, why send for
               Peter and John?
            2) It took an apostle for the spiritual gifts to be imparted!
      4. It was this ability to impart spiritual gifts that Simon wanted
         to buy
         a. He was not content to simply receive a spiritual gift
         b. He wanted that apostolic ability to impart spiritual gifts!
            - Ac 8:19

CONCLUSION

1. The ministry of Philip among the Samaritans had...
   a. Been confirmed by the miracles which Philip did in their midst 
      - Ac 8:6-7
   b. Resulted in true conversions when they believed and were baptized
      - Ac 8:12-13

2. Peter and John's mission to Samaria appears straightforward...
   a. To impart miraculous spiritual gifts by the apostolic laying on
      of hands
   b. Which served to establish the new converts in their faith - cf.
      Ro 1:11

Today, conversion occurs wherever people believe and are baptized (Mk
16:16; Ac 2:38; 22:16).  They are established in the faith when they
observe the apostles' doctrine (Mt 28:20; Ac 2:42) which was revealed and
confirmed by the miraculous gifts of the Spirit in the first century (cf.
He 2:1-4)...


Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2012

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