No Idols (part five)

"You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:3-6

So, as long as one worships God, may we do so using images and pictures, or are these then idols? The short answer is we must not use images or pictures even when we are worshipping God.

The first example of how wrong and therefore prohibited this practice is by the second commandment is the golden calf in Exodus 32:1-6. Aaron and the Israelites built a calf out of gold and worshipped it, claiming that they were worshiping the LORD God. Anyone familiar with the biblical account knows that God was sorely displeased with this idolatry. Yes, it was idolatry even though the people claimed they were worshiping the LORD. This narrative is instructive, but Deuteronomy 12 is even more so.

In Deuteronomy 12, God was most specific about how He is to be (and not to be) worshiped. The Israelites were to destroy every vestige of the pagan gods of the Canaanites. They were to worship God only in the place He assigned the tabernacle to stand. They were not to worship the pagan gods, nor were they to worship the LORD God in the manner in which the pagans worshipped their false gods—which included idolatry.

I fully understand that New Covenant believers are not under the Jewish ceremonial law because Jesus fulfilled that law, and the Old Covenant worship was ended (even by the Jews) in 70 AD when the temple was destroyed. So while the particulars have changed, the principle remains. We are only to worship God according to His Word—which includes God’s prohibition against the use of idols.

This paragraph is not universally believed by all Christians, and I did not always believe it myself. But I believe it with my whole heart. We are not to use pictures or images in our worship of the LORD God.

Here are two reasons: (1) The second commandment prohibits it. (2) All people, believers as well as non-believers, are easily swayed to worship the idols even when we think we are worshipping God.

Next time: What about images of God and/or of Jesus if they are not associated with worship?

No Idols (part four)

"You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:3-6

Our consideration of the prohibition of idols must include the rampant idolatry among many Protestants.

What? Protestant idolatry? Yes indeed! There are two common categories of idolatry that hang like a black cloud over many who do not engage in the overt idolatry of using statues and pictures in worship or personal devotion.

The first is category of idolatry is universal to all people. It is so rampant that it is not usually even thought of as worship, much less idolatry. Whatever anyone esteems and serves more than God is idolatry. Did you catch the words “whatever” and “anyone”? This definition reveals the fact that this kind of idolatry is universal. Think of anything that anyone may esteem and serve more than God. It can be, and often is, anything. Stated differently, everything can be an idol.

Idols may be sinful things (anything God forbids). Idols may likewise include good things (things God approves of but are loved more than God). While idolizing sinful things is obviously bad, loving good things more than God is equally bad. Examples may include work, family, and even Christian activities. ANYTHING can be an idol.

That said, I hope we all can see that to one degree or another, we are all guilty of idolatry. That is the bad news. The good news is that God has supplied a remedy for sin—even the sin of idolatry. The sole remedy is faith in Christ. Faith in Christ does not make idolatry any less sinful. Faith in Christ does, however, remove the penalty for our sins, including idolatry. Faith in Christ also results in a change of heart so that the redeemed want to turn from sin, all sin, including the sin of idolatry.

Let us do as David did in Psalm 139. Let us bow before the Lord asking Him to reveal our sins—including idolatry—including everything that rivals our love for God. And may we be motivated remove every idol from our hearts!

Next Time: But what if we are only using idols to assist us in our worship of God?

No Idols (part three)

"You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:3-6

We’ve been considering the second commandment: No Idols. In the last two posts we have considered the fact that the Roman Catholic (RC) church renumbered the Ten Commandments to do away with the second commandment, and why. We considered the classic reason given by the RC church and pointed out that it does not so much answer why they have done this as much as it is a rationalization for idolatry.

Though speculating about another’s motives can be quite unfair, since we heard their explanation and deemed it to be insufficient, I will now offer the most common reason Protestants believe the RC church has done this to the commandment regarding idolatry.

The RC religion is not only filled with idolatrous practices, it is in many ways, filled with and dependent upon idolatry. This is a problem for the RC church since the second commandment (and the rest of scripture) categorically forbids and condemns idolatry.

The RC solution: Do away with (or at least try to hide) the second commandment and ignore the rest of the Bible on the subject. In other words, if the Bible does not support the religious practice, change (or at least attempt to change) the Bible.

I take no delight in writing these things, chiefly because I have so many deeply loved ones who are practitioners of the RC religion. I do not condemn them. My heart breaks for them. But the facts are the facts. Let us pray earnestly for our RC family and friends. May God be pleased to reveal the truth of the gospel to them.

And why is God’s prohibition of idolatry so important? Because, as Calvin wrote: The human heart is a continual idol factory. Here is why: To know and worship God, who is Spirit and cannot be seen, requires faith. It is far easier to worship what can be seen. So sinful human beings seem too default to idolatry, or as Paul wrote in Romans 1:22-25, worshiping the creation instead of the Creator.

Next Time: The most universal form of idolatry.

No Idols (part two)

"You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:3-6

Last time we began considering the second commandment: No Idols. We mentioned that the Roman Catholic version of the Ten Commandments rolls the first two commandments into one, and how they still have ten when they roll the second into the first. (See the previous post of you missed it.) We then began considering why they do this. First, how does a Roman Catholic priest answer the question?(1)

On a Roman Catholic (RC) online publication(2), a RC priest sets out to answer the question. He does not actually answer the question why the RC church combines the first two commandments as much as he explains why idolatry is not bad. In my experience, this is the way the RC church virtually always explains doing away with the second commandment regarding idolatry.

Idolatry is explained away as not sinful because God commanded the Israelites to build the tabernacle, which had images of angels, and because God commanded Moses make a bronze image of a serpent on a pole for the people to look at in order to recover from poisonous snake bites. How should we understand this explanation?

According to their argument, idolatry is not wrong because God directed the Israelites to make images. According to this logic, idolatry is not wrong because God commands it. This neglects answering why elsewhere throughout scripture God overwhelmingly forbids and condemns idolatry.

The plain and simple fact is that in the miniscule number of times that God directed the Israelites to make images: (a) HE directed them to do so; (b) HE told them exactly what these images were to look like and how they were to be used; and (c) HE is GOD!

That is clearly different from people creating images (especially to be used in worship) on our own, out of our own imaginations!

Next Time: A speculative reason why the RC church re-numbers the Ten commandments and why the prohibition of idols is so important.

Notes:
(1) I understand that one Catholic priest does not speak for the entire RC church, but this priest only says what virtually all RC apologists say on this matter.
(2) Click Here to read the article in this RC online publication.

No Idols (part one)

"You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:3-6

As we wade into the waters of the second commandment, there are several points to ponder. We’ll consider them one at a time.

First, the theme of the second commandment, stated briefly, is a prohibition of idolatry. God hates idolatry because it elevates what is not God to a position of being a god. Since there is no other [true] God besides the God of the Bible, all idols are false gods.

Second, this makes the first and second commandments very similar. This explains (but does not justify) the fact that the Roman Catholic version of the Ten Commandments rolls the first two commandments in to one.

Most Protestants number only one God, and no idolatry as two separate commandments. Rome says the two are one, only one God, and that no idolatry is merely a sub-point of only one God. The second commandment, according to Rome, prohibits taking the Lord’s name in vain.

How does Rome do this and still have ten commandments? They divide the tenth commandment You shall not covet, into two commandments as follows: #9 You shall not covet your neighbor’s spouse, and #10 You shall not covet your neighbors goods. We’ll discuss that in greater detail when we get to the tenth commandment.

Why does Rome combine the first two commandments into one? A good rule when explaining [judging?] another’s motives is to admit that we cannot know another person’s motives unless the other person reveals them. If the other person does not reveal their motives, or if their explanation seems suspicious, we can speculate, but we cannot definitively assign motives to another.

In the next post, I’ll share a Catholic priest’s reason for combining the first two commandments, and I’ll speculate what is the real reason.

There is only one God!

And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:1-3

This first commandment (and the first of the first table of the law regarding worship of God) is not hard to understand. Only those bent on breaking it will misunderstand it, purposely, in order to rationalize it. For instance, some have incorrectly seized on the words “before Me,” allowing for the recognition of other gods, as long as God is first, and other gods are not ahead of Him. This is foolishly incorrect, which I trust you can easily see.

This first commandment is obviously a prohibition of recognizing anyone or anything as a god. A shorthand version of this commandment could be stated: “There is only one God.”

That the Bible refers to a Person who is called the Father and is God; a Person who is called the Son and is God; and a Person who is called the Holy Spirit and is called God, does not mean that Christians believe in three Gods. No, we believe in one eternal God, who is eternally three distinct (but never separate) Persons.

Errors about God are fundamental errors. Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs), for example, believe that Jesus is “a” god, but not Jehovah God. This is clearly a belief in more than one God. Challenged with this they will routinely refer to 1 Corinthians 8:5, insisting that “the Bible says there are many gods”. True to their confused ways, they conveniently ignore the context which points out that there are many false gods! The JWs’ false religion is fundamentally wrong in that it they believe in more than one God—and that Jesus is not God.

Then there are the Mormons (LDS). Their fundamental error about God is that God was once a human and that human beings can become gods. The LDS’ false religion is fundamentally wrong in that it they believe in more than one God—and that we can become gods.

One last example: the modern religion of “me-ism.” The devotees of this popular religion imagine what they think God should be, and that god of their imagination becomes their god. When adherents of the religion of me-ism hear truths about God from the Bible that are contrary to the god of their imagination, they like to sanctimoniously say, “MY god would never do that.” Well of course their god wouldn’t do what the only true and living God would do because their god must do what they would do. After all, they created their god in their own image!

Though you may be secure that you are neither a Mormon nor a JW, is there any me-ism in your life and beliefs?

The first "table" of the law is ultimately about worship

And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:1-3

Before considering the first of the Ten Commandments, let us be reminded that the Ten Commandments are understood as being in two “tables” of the law. The two tables are divided into the first four commandments and the last six of the commandments. Why this division?

The two tables of the law legislate two kinds of laws. The first four commandments address vertical requirements—requirements about our relationship with God. The last six commandments address horizontal requirements—requirements about our relationships with each other.

We’ll consider each commandment on its own, but first understand what ties the first four together. They are not only about our relationship with God, but understood more specifically, the first four commandments are about worship.

The first, no other Gods, means we are to worship God and only God.

The second, no idols, means we are not to worship idols, nor are we to worship God using idols.

The third, do not take the God’s name in vain, means not only that we must not swear using God’s name, but that we must not use God’s name, or speak of God flippantly. Neither dare we take God’s name (identifying ourselves as Christians), and then live contrary to His ways. When applied to worship, we must not take God’s name (by worshiping Him) in any manner that misrepresents Him or trivializes Him.

The fourth, keeping the Sabbath day holy means that—while we are to do all we do every day as an act of worship, since we do not—we are to set one day in seven apart, not only to rest from our labors, but to give ourselves more wholly to worship.

Let us understand these first four commandments as a unit about worship. Next, let us consider each of the first four by itself.

Praise God for His Moral Law that condemns us!

And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:1-3

The preamble to the Ten Commandments was to remind Israel, and us, that God is always the Initiator and we are to be responders. God acts on behalf of His people to save, and His people are to respond by obeying Him—starting with the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments are a part of the law, but they are specifically the summary of God’s Moral Law. Some have said that the rest of the law is God’s commentary and instruction on how to obey the moral law found in the Ten Commandments.

Some of the of the particulars in the rest of the Law are specifically and exclusively for the biblical Jewish religion of Israel. These regulate religious ceremonial matters and are therefore called the “Ceremonial Law.” (These last are about the tabernacle, the priests, and the sacrifices.)

Others of the particulars in the rest of the Law are specifically and exclusively for the ancient nation of Israel. These regulate civil matters and are therefore called the “Civil Law.”

Those who are neither citizens of ancient Israel nor members of the biblical Jewish religion are not bound by the ceremonial or the civil law. But the moral law is timeless for every tribe, tongue, and nation. The moral law is found in the Ten Commandments, throughout the rest of the law, and in moral principles within the ceremonial and civil laws.

The moral law cannot save, nor was it ever intended as a means by which to save anyone, anywhere, at any time. Rather, the moral law was and is intended to point out our sin and condemn everyone, everywhere, at all times. Remember, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Remember also that any and every sin has dire consequences for “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a).

But rejoice in God’s grace, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

Let us praise God for His moral law that condemns sinners, for as Paul wrote:

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET." 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. Romans 7:7-8

The law in the lives of those liberated by grace

And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”
Exodus 20:1-2

One more thought about the law for those who have been delivered, whether from Egyptian slavery or slavery to sin.

First, let us be reminded by the Lord Jesus, that prior to being saved, all lost people are slaves to sin.

John 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

Then, the Apostle Paul reaffirms what Jesus said, adding that once freed from slavery to sin, believers are to consider themselves slaves to righteousness

Romans 6:16-18 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (emphasis added)

The point is that once we are freed from bondage to sin through faith in the finished work of Christ, the law is no longer a means of condemnation, but it is instruction regarding how to live in liberty. Woe to the Christian who rejects the law because of grace, instead of understanding its liberating quality in the lives of believers!

The purpose of the Law, for the lost, and for the saved

And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”
Exodus 20:1-2

God spoke and what did He say? He not only spoke, He thundered the Ten Commandments. But before talking about the Ten Commandments specifically, don’t miss God’s preamble.

Before issuing the Commandments, the preamble reminded the people of God’s grace in delivering them out of bondage in Egypt. This is important—really important because it is a reminder—clear back then, that obedience to God’s commands are not a means to gain God’s approval. Instead, obedience to God’s commands are a grateful response to having already received God’s gracious deliverance.

In Israel’s case, the deliverance was from bondage to slavery in Egypt (which was a terrible, but temporal problem). In our case, it is deliverance from bondage and condemnation of sin (which is an eternal problem).

For non-believers, God’s commandments condemn all because we all sin. The condemnation of the law is intended to drive all who are hopelessly lost to Christ for saving grace.

For believers, God’s commandments are how to live in light of God’s saving grace, through faith in Christ!

Let we who trust in Christ never dismiss God’s commandments because “we’re saved by grace, not by keeping the law!” No one has ever been saved by keeping the law, but those who are saved by grace are instructed by the law what living in grateful obedience looks like.

God spoke...

And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”
Exodus 20:1-2

With the preparation to hear from God finished, note first in chapter 20 that God spoke. The commandments are God’s commandments. The Ten Commandments are not merely Old Testament commandments, that we in the New Covenant are free to dismiss.*

Neither are the Ten Commandments Moses’ commandments. I know the “Law of Moses” is an accepted designation for the Old Testament law, but the commandments are God’s commandments, not Moses’ commandments.

Nor are the Ten Commandments exclusively for Israel or for the Jewish people. Yes, they were first addressed to Israel upon being delivered by God from Egypt. But God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt is a prophetic foreshadow, or a “type” of God’s deliverance of all His people (Jew and Gentile alike) from the spiritual bondage of sin, not by Moses but by one greater than Moses: Jesus.

My point is simple: Not only must God’s people (then and now) prepare to enter the presence of God, but once in His presence, what we hear is God’s voice. God’s law. And God’s grace. Let us receive it as such.

*Footnote: When people say we can dismiss Old Testament commandments that Jesus did not specifically address or were reiterated in the New Testament, I ask then, are incest and beastiality also lawful under the New Covenant?

Worship: Consequences

And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the LORD, and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near the LORD consecrate themselves, lest the LORD break out against them." But Moses said to the LORD, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, 'Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.' " Then the LORD said to him, "Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, lest He break out against them." So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them. Exodus 19:21-25

Many people believe that it doesn’t matter what one believes as long as one is sincere. Not according to the Bible.

Beyond that—contrary to what many who claim to believe in the God of the Bible may think—worshiping the true and living God of the Bible in a manner that is unbefitting has great consequences. Approaching Him on our own terms, in ways that we like but He does not, carries the consequence of death!

First of all, since all people are guilty of this infraction to one degree or another, all deserve to have God to “break out against us”! There is good news, however: the blood of Jesus atones for this sin as well!

That the blood of Jesus atones for sins regarding worship does not make those sins any less sinful. Nor does God’s forgiveness make it OK to continue in sin. Rather, having been forgiven, we ought to want to turn from sin all the more.

Turning from the sin of unbiblical worship means being committed to worshiping God reverently. Reverent is the antithesis of the modern craze of casual. Only those who do not understand what it means that God is HOLY, think it right to approach God casually.

Secondly, God is very deliberate about how He is to be worshipped. Proof of that is the fact that the largest portion of the Old Testament Law is about worship (tabernacle, priests, and sacrifices). So, because God is so particular about worship, even though we are not offering it through priests in a temple, we must stick to what God requires and reject any and everything that smacks of our innovations to make worship novel and entertaining to our tastes. Worship is about singing, praying, preaching the Word, and administering the sacraments. Those who want more, want what God does not want—with consequences for disobedience attached!

The drama of God's presence even when there is no drama

So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives." Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. Exodus 19:14-19

God instructed Moses and the people to prepare themselves to enter His presence. The presence of the Lord was dramatic, to say the least.

It is not likely that any of us has seen, heard, or felt the presence of the Lord the way they did. Our worship services have not been, nor is it likely that they ever will be punctuated by thunder, lightning, ominous clouds, or trumpet blasts from Heaven. But does that mean, when we gather to worship, that we are not in His presence? Consider the following:

• We cannot escape the presence of the Lord (Psalm 139:7-12). Whether God makes His presence known in dramatic ways or not, He is ever with us.

• According to 1 Kings 19:11-12, though God may reveal Himself in dramatic ways, more often than not, He speaks in a “still small voice.”

• “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18).

• “We walk by faith not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). We do not need to see as long as we believe.

It is God’s kindness not to show us more of His glory than He does, lest we be terrified of Him.

So let us prepare to meet with God as though He were about to reveal Himself dramatically, even if He is pleased rather to reveal Himself in more common ways. Let us believe we are in His dramatic presence even when there is no drama. And by faith let us be changed by being in His presence, even if there was no drama.

Preparing to enter the presence of God

…the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, 'Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain." Exodus 19:10-13

I know that we are not Old Testament Israel. We have not been delivered from Egypt by the mighty hand of God. We are not camped at the foot of Mount Sinai, and we are not about to receive the Ten Commandments. BUT!

I believe that we can learn somethings from Exodus 19, at least in principle, about preparing to meet with, and hear from God when we gather for corporate worship.

About how we dress. It is not about a dress code. But it is about looking our best when we are coming into the presence of the Lord.

About reverence instead of being too casual. This goes way beyond what we wear. It is about our hearts. It is about remembering that even though we can come freely into the presence of the Lord God, it is the presence of the Lord God into which we come. This calls for heart preparation beginning the evening before. This calls for sober mindedness in examining ourselves and confessing our sins (knowing that He forgives) so that we can come to Him with clean hands and pure hearts. And a perfect time to do this is in the prayer meeting before the Sunday worship begins. This calls us to be there unless we absolutely can’t, and to be in our places when the worship service begins.

And praise God that we are not to prepare for worship under penalty of death if we do not. But let us realize that the penalty of death for not preparing at Sinai underscores how important this matter is to God.

All of this suggests a holy excitement, enthusiasm, and expectation that we will offer worship to, and hear from Almighty God Himself.

How do you and I need to be more prepared for corporate worship each Lord’s Day morning?

May the Holy Spirit Act in us!

I guess I have hinted that each of the last few posts were indeed the last post on the book of Acts. Then, each time I thought of one more. This time I’m pretty sure this will be the very last post about the book of Acts!

The book of Acts is actually called “The Acts of the Apostles.” For as long as I can remember I’ve heard it said that the more accurate title would be “The Acts of the Holy Spirit Through the Apostles.” After all, Jesus was quite clear when He said, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). So whatever good the Apostles did was the result of the Holy Spirit working through them. This is true not only for the Apostles, but for every believer in every generation—including us in our generation.

Though we are not Apostles, we can do nothing of lasting spiritual good except as we depend on, are empowered by, and follow the leading of the blessed Holy Spirit.

In Acts 1, the disciples had to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit was given. But for us, there is no wait. He regenerates, indwells, empowers, and abides in every believer. Oh that we would follow the leading of the Holy Spirit every day in all things!

Let us be more conscious of our desperate need for Him. Let us seek His guidance, follow His lead, and live in His power—not to be Apostles, but simply to be the men and women of God He has called each of us to be:

• In our quest for personal holiness

• As more godly husbands and wives, parents and children, and better siblings.

• May we long to be the spiritual church members we are called to be.

• May we be the spirit-filled employers and employees, and students we are called to be.

In short, may we be the disciples of Christ our Lord saved us to be.

And this happens not as we try harder, but as we surrender ourselves more.

Paul: Between Acts 28 and his death by execution

Okay. In case anyone is interested in what happened to Paul after ACTS, there are a few slightly different opinions. Here is the brief scenario that seems most likely to me.

Paul was visited by many while under house arrest in Rome.  Needless to say, Paul spoke about Christ and the gospel every chance he got.  Besides blessing those to whom he spoke, he was chained to a guard at all times.  The guards rotated shifts, six hours each.  They couldn’t help but listen.  Some of them got saved (Philippians 1:2-24, & 4:22).

While under house arrest in Rome, Paul wrote Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon.

While under house arrest in Rome, he was accompanied by several of his friends and co-workers at various times.  Besides Luke, these included Timothy, John Mark, Aristarchus, Epaphras, Justus, and also Demas (who ended up turning away from the faith, 2 Timothy 4:10).

He also met Philemon’s runaway slave Onesimus and led him to faith in Christ (Philemon 1:10-21). The Philippian church sent Paul a gift delivered by Epaphroditus.

Luke did not include the details of Paul’s appeal to Caesar, but most agree that Paul was released as the charges against him were bogus.  During this period, he wrote letters to Timothy and Titus. He left Titus in Crete, and Timothy in Ephesus.

Paul was arrested again, probably in AD 67.  This second Roman imprisonment was not as “easy” as the previous.  He was likely in a regular prison and treated like a common criminal (2 Timothy 1:16, & 2:9). The saddest thing about this second imprisonment was his being forsaken by the believers in Rome (2 Timothy 4:16-17), including Demas (2 Timothy 4:10).

Paul knew that the end was coming (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Tradition tells us that he was beheaded in Rome in AD 67 or 68.

I have heard John MacArthur refer to Paul as the greatest Christian who ever lived.

Acts stops, but does not conclude.

Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. Acts 28:30-31

We come to the end of the Book of Acts. We’ve been at it for nearly three years. The first post in Acts was on May 26, 2020.

The last verses in Acts are the last details recorded by Paul’s dear friend and traveling companion, Luke. What is of particular interest is why Luke stopped where he did. There are several theories.

Realizing that Acts stops, but does not conclude, someone wrote “The Last Chapter of Acts.” The text tells of Paul’s travels to Spain and the British Isles. The authorship, date, and therefore authenticity of this alleged 29th chapter of Acts is unknown, and it is therefore not worth wasting the three minutes it takes to read it.

Some theorize the rest of Acts was somehow lost. Unlikely.

Some have theorized that Luke (who actually wrote Acts as Volume Two of the Gospel of Luke) died. Possible, but had Luke died leaving Acts unfinished, we might expect that Church history and tradition would say something about it. Yet they are silent.

That leaves me with the theory I think is best. What the Holy Spirit wanted recorded and included in scripture was recorded and included in scripture. Nothing more and nothing less.

God does not tell us all we might like to know (about a lot of things!). But we must rest in the Lord, trusting that He has told us all He wants us to know—for now. And if He wants us to know more when we get to Heaven, He’ll tell us. But if He doesn’t, it won’t matter!

Interruptions! ARGH!

Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. Acts 28:30-31

We come to the end of the Book of Acts. We’ve been at it for more than two years.

The last verses in Acts are the last details recorded by Paul’s dear friend and traveling companion, Luke. What is of particular interest is why Luke stopped where he did. More about that in the next post.

For now, Paul was under house arrest in Rome for two more years! Since his initial arrest in Israel, this ordeal interrupted Paul’s life for probably five years. We do not know exactly how much time transpired from his arrest (Acts 23:10) until he was locked up for two years by Felix (Acts 24:27). So Paul was in custody for more than two years in Israel.

We do not know how much time lapsed while being tried by Festus until he was “shipped” to Rome (Acts 27:1). Nor do we know for certain exactly how much time the voyage (including time in Malta) to Italy took. Nor do we know how long it took to travel on land to Rome. But now we know that Paul was held another two years under house arrest in Rome (v.30). It sounds like this entire nightmare consumed more than five years—and at this point in Acts, it is still not resolved!

The point I would like you to join me in considering is how we respond to life’s interruptions. If you are like me, every red light seems to be an impediment to my plans. Argh! And exactly how long is the wait at the longest red light? Well, it is certainly less than five-plus years!

I observe that Paul’s legal problems may have pushed the pause button on Paul’s plans—but it did not push any pause buttons on his devotion to Christ, or on his ministry. In the midst of all these interruptions, Paul loved and served the Lord wherever he was, and whenever he was there!

Lord, may I learn to love and serve You and Your people wherever and whenever. May I see interruptions (especially those beyond my control) as providential opportunities to speak to people about Christ.

Hearing, but unable to hear

So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, , 'Go to this people and say: "Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you will see, and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them." ' "Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!" And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.
Acts 28:25-29

Paul makes a closing argument by quoting from Isaiah 6. Speaking specifically to and about the Jews, nothing had changed since Isaiah’s day. God’s messengers spoke (Isaiah and here, Paul) and even though the people heard with their ears, they could not understand what was being said. Again, only the Holy Spirit can grant understanding of spiritual truth. A human proclaims it, but the Spirit must give the sense or it will be lost on the hearers. This was true of Israel. They rejected the prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah and they rejected Jesus, the Messiah, when He came.

But lest we think this is only true of the Jewish people, it is true of all people. No matter how well the gospel is presented and explained (we must be as clear and convincing as we can be!) only the Holy Spirit can regenerate the spiritually dead. Though Paul said “the Gentiles will hear,” he did not mean that all the Gentiles will hear. Obviously all Gentiles do not hear. He meant that the knowledge of God that was previously confined mostly to Israel was now going to spread throughout the previously, spiritually, deaf Gentile world.

So let us be humbly grateful to Him if we have understood the gospel and received Christ. All glory is His! Also, let us pray for our unbelieving family and friends, that the Lord will mercifully open their ears so that they may “hear” what the Spirit has to say—even as He did with us.

In the end, the Jews who disputed with each other were united in their rejection of Paul and of the gospel.

Some believe. Some don't.

Then they said to him, "We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere." So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. Acts 28:21-24

Though news travels fast in our day, maybe not so much in theirs! The Jewish leaders in Rome knew about the “Christian” issue, but not about Paul’s legal affairs. They were willing to hear his side of the matter.

“Many” came to the place where Paul was staying while under house arrest. There, Paul preached Christ and the gospel. Following Jesus’ example in Luke 24:27, he began sharing the gospel with “the Law of Moses and the Prophets.” By doing this, he made it clear that Christianity was nothing new. This was especially important, considering Paul’s audience was steeped in the Old Testament scriptures.

The result was that some believed and some did not. This is the usual case. We should be grateful when people believe, but not surprised when some do not believe. Though we should be as clear and as convincing as we can be, we must bear in mind that only the Holy Spirit can change people’s hearts, converting non-believers into believers.

So let us share Christ and the gospel with all who will listen, having full assurance that God will save those for whom Christ died!