The Sanctity of Marriage redux (Heb 13:4)

 Dr. Paul Manuel—2020

 Text:

Heb 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Outline:

      I.    Marriage is an honorable state.

Application: God intends marriage to be a permanent endeavor between a man and a maid lasting as long as both shall live. (Matt 19:6)

     II.    Marriage is a pure state.

Application: All people are responsible to keep God’s commands about sexual morality. (1 Cor 6:18)

    III.    Marriage is an accountable state.

Application: People often behave as if their conduct has no consequences. But actions do have consequences, both good and bad. (Matt 16:27)

Introduction: Much has transpired since man’s first contact with woman in the Garden. Man may even have gotten smarter, some men at least:

Jim said to his co-worker Jack, “I have not spoken to my wife in several months…because I don’t like to interrupt her.”

Some men may even have gotten smarter, although silence does not guarantee marital harmony.

Background: Marriage is not for everyone, but it is for most people, if for no other reason than to provide a proper setting for physical intimacy:

Since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband… To the unmarried…I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. (1 Cor 7:2-3, 8-9)

Many people, however, engage in the latter (i.e., physical intimacy) without adopting the former (i.e., marriage), thereby engaging in immorality and setting themselves outside God’s will, which is not a good place to be. On the contrary, the best place to be is at the center of God’s will, and marriage helps most people with that positioning, especially if they maintain “The Sanctity of Marriage.”

     Paul argues against asceticism (Hughes 1977:563), considering marriage an acceptable state, even a preferable state, although he himself is unmarried (“as I am” v. 8), and he counsels his readers accordingly. Why Paul is unmarried may have to do with his itinerant lifestyle. In any case, he does not consider his occupation to be a disqualifying factor:

Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? (1 Cor 9:5)

Still, he recognizes a husband’s obligation to his wife:

A married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife. (1 Cor 7:33)

Perhaps Paul does not want his attention divided between the needs of those under his care and the needs of a wife. It is a strict way of applying Jesus’ warning against serving “two masters:”[1]

Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. (Matt 6:24)

Nevertheless, Paul realizes that marriage deserves the believer’s respect, and “that….

      I.    Marriage is an honorable state.

     As an honorable state marriage is also a desirous state, something sought because it is advantageous in many ways:

     •   Having a mate can enable a person to “enjoy life” (Eccl 9:9).

     •   Having a mate can bring a person “good” always (Prov 31:12).

     •   Having a mate can be profitable because “two have a good return for their work” (Eccl 4:9).

And most importantly…

     •   Having a mate can bring “favor from the Lord” (Prov 18:22).

     Moreover, marriage is to be a permanent state (“as long as you both shall live”). Divorce, however, is permissible, although it evinces man’s weakness, his rebellious nature (Manuel 2015):[2]

“I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel. (Mal 2:16)

Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. [This suggests that divorce was not an option for Adam and Eve.] Anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery. (Matt 19:8-9)

The vague grounds for divorce that many people claim today (e.g., irreconcilable differences) are simply unacceptable to God, who expects people to resolve their disagreements not retreat from them. Such resolution is especially necessary when children are involved, both for their ultimate good and for the example it sets. The only grounds that accords with God’s will is marital unfaithfulness (again, disobedience), because that truly breaks the marriage bond. Anything less may strain the union, and often does, but does not rupture it irreparably in God’s eyes (although even when it does, reconciliation, however unlikely following divorce, is still possible).

     When a marriage fails, it often demonstrates unrealistic expectations about what such a union entails or, more importantly, an unwillingness to yield one’s personal ambitions to the ambitions of another. Successful marriage always entails some sacrifice (and compromise), but successful marriage always brings great reward, exceeding whatever sacrifice it requires. Marriage is an honorable state.

Application: Many people do not view marriage the same way they regard a career or education, as a goal one achieves only with great effort. Yet there are many similarities, especially in the commitment marriage requires. It is a long-term endeavor, not “to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly.” Marriage is not an experimental lifestyle one establishes on a whim and then discards if it does not go well. There is no such thing as a starter marriage, a brief first union that ends in divorce with no kids, no property, and no regrets. God intends marriage to be a permanent endeavor between a man and a maid lasting as long as both shall live:

What God has joined together, let man not separate. (Matt 19:6)

Marriage is not a temporary arrangement. It is a permanent commitment between two people from the start. As such, marriage is an honorable state.

     II.    Marriage is a pure state.

     When the biblical author says “the marriage bed [is to be] kept pure,” he means that God has imbued the physical act of intercourse with the ability to sanctify the union in His eyes.[3] By the same token, intercourse outside of marriage, lacks the divine imprimatur and is, thereby, impure. That is why God prohibits immorality, because, whether by any sexual license, adultery or fornication, immorality sullies what God has sanctified.[4]

     The term the biblical author uses here, “pure” (NAS “undefiled”) evokes the sacrificial system, and the need for all offerings to meet God’s exacting standards. He expects His people to uphold the same high standard in their personal relations, including the relation of marriage:

Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her. (Lev 18:20)

Do not defile yourselves…because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. (Lev 18:24)

Do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the LORD your God. (Lev 18:30)

God has always wanted His people to remain pure, and for married people this is especially so.

     Nevertheless, purity is not for the married alone; it is for “all,” including the unmarried. They are to maintain their purity as long as they are unmarried. Beyond (or after) that, they are free, even expected to engage in marital intercourse:

Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (1 Cor 7:5)

All people, married and as well as unmarried, must “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor 6:18). No sexual immorality, not adultery or fornication, may have a part in the life of God’s child.

     There is something about marriage that makes it unlike any other relationship, about the intimacy it establishes, an intimacy that Adam understood:[5]

The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. (Gen 2:23-24)

Intimacy does not automatically follow a single act of intercourse (or a formal ceremony). It depends on maintaining a most important attribute in the relationship, the one feature that promotes careful attention to details, details the song “Do You Love Me?” from Fiddler on the Roof that Golde sings to her husband Tevye when he questions her devotion:

Do I love you? [she asks]

For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes

Cooked your meals, cleaned your house

Given you children, milked the cow [= an interesting juxtaposition]

After twenty-five years, why talk about love?

It should be obvious. Golde’s attention to the details of their marriage is proof of her love for Tevye. Such attention to detail combats the forces that would chip away at marriage.

Application: Marriage is not like a series of outer garments a person collects in a clothing store before entering the changing room to see which one fits then deciding what to buy. It is much more like a package of underwear that, once opened, cannot be resealed and returned for a refund.

     Some of God’s commands He directs narrowly, to His people Israel. Other commands He directs broadly, to all people, including gentiles. Prohibitions against various kinds of sexual immorality are of the second type. As such, all people are responsible to keep God’s commands about sexual morality. So the apostle Paul says more than once:

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. (1 Cor 6:18)

Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity…because these are improper for God’s holy people. (Eph 5:3)

Put to death…whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires…. (Col 3:5)

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality. (1 Thess 4:3)

No one is exempt from maintaining moral purity. Marriage is a pure state.

    III.    Marriage is an accountable state.

     A vow people take before God—and all vows are before God—they are responsible to keep, lest they suffer His displeasure, as several passages warn:

When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said. (Num 30:2)

If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. (Deut 23:21)

LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? ….He who keeps his oath even when it hurts. (Ps 15:1, 4)

People must recognize that they are responsible to God for the words they speak (Manuel 2002b).

Application: You may think that much of what you say is inconsequential, and it may be. Much of what you say in the course of a day does not matter, but you say it any way. A promise, however, is not inconsequential.

     A vow or promise may be to another person, but it is essentially before the Lord. Indeed, every vow is before the Lord, whether or not a person intends it to be:

Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth. (Deut 23:23)

Consequently, a vow is a serious commitment one must not make lightly, lest he incur God’s displeasure. God does not take lightly, frivolous vows. For some people a vow or promise comes easily, too easily. The words, “I promise” are often quick to pass one’s lips, especially in casual conversation. They should not. People must reserve such language for solemn occasions (e.g., wedding, court), not make it a flippant addendum for emphasis:

When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. (Eccl 5:4-5)

Many parents use the phrase “I promise” with their children, which can raise unrealistic expectations for the them or damage the parents’ credibility, especially if they do not follow through with their commitments. Ultimately, a vow or promise is to the Lord, which makes both it and the person who utters it accountable before God.

     People often behave as if their conduct has no consequences. But actions do have consequences, both good and bad:

The Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. (Matt 16:27)

What consequences will your actions today have? Marriage is an accountable state.

Conclusion: Silence does not guarantee marital harmony, but fidelity does promote it, in great part because it accords with God’s will. Whether or not you are married, you can understand “The Sanctity of Marriage.” Does your life accord with God’s will?

A Minister’s Manifesto (2 Tim 4:1-5)

 Dr. Paul Manuel—2020

Text:

2 Tim 4:1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Outline:

      I.    His authority is supreme (vv. 1-2).

            A.    The Lord is with you.

            B.    The minister is for others.

Application: It is neither possible nor advisable for a minister to avoid study, for that would deprive him of insights only available through others (2 Tim 2:15).

     II.    His adversary is short-lived (vv. 3-4).

            A.    The enemy is ever deceiving.

            B.    The enemy is essentially deceived.

Application: Do not try to win an argument by humiliating your adversary, lest you turn him into your enemy (Phil 4:5).

    III.    His attitude is stable (v. 5).

            A.    The minister is determined to serve.

            B.    The minister is devoted to serve.

Application: The minister must adapt for the gaps in his education, and the congregation must allow him time to backfill those gaps (1 Pet 3:15).

Introduction: Sometimes you get involved with something without realizing at first what it is about:

The minister received an unexpected phone call from the IRS. “Hello, is this Rev. Green?” “It is.” “This is the IRS. Do you know a Steve Smith?” “Yes, I do.” “Is he a member of your congregation?” “Yes, he is.” “Did he donate $10,000.00?” There was a pause, then minister replied… “He will.”

Sometimes you get involved with something without realizing at first what it is about. Timothy may have started in the ministry without realizing at first what it is about. Paul writes a letter to Timothy telling him some of what he can expect. It is “A Minister’s Manifesto,” general guidelines about how the young leader can fulfill his calling.

Background: While traveling through Asia Minor, Paul writes twice to Timothy, a young man he knows well, a man he introduces to service in the local church. In his second letter Paul tells Timothy with a few broad strokes what to expect. This is not a detailed job description, but a description about what he should emphasize.[1] The first thing Timothy should realize is that…

What Does God Want? (1 Tim 2:1-7)

 Dr. Paul Manuel—2019

 Outline:

      I.    The priority of God is a supplication for authorities (vv. 1-2).

Application: When you pray, do not make it all about you, but make God’s priorities your priorities. (1 John 5:14)

     II.    The preference of God is a salvation for everyone (vv. 3-4).

Application: While communicating the gospel is a sober task, it is not something to dread, because it brings life to those who are perishing (Rom 1:16).

    III.    The provision of God is a savior for all (vv. 5-6).

Application: Whatever people think the reason Jesus came, the reason Jesus gives is the most important: redemption from sin (Acts 4:12).

   IV.    The promotion of God is a spokesman for gentiles (v. 7).

Application: No matter how indirect the route may seem at the time, it will always be the most direct route in the end to the destination He sends you (Isa 55:8-9).

 Introduction:

 Background: Between Paul’s first and second imprisonments, he pens a letter to Timothy (66/67), who accompanied him earlier on his travels through Asia Minor. After urging his young protégé to remain faithful, Paul exhorts Timothy to prayer, explaining how this spiritual discipline should figure prominently in one’s walk with God and, in part, answers the question, “What Does God Want?”

      Paul begins by explaining that…

       I.    The priority of God is a supplication for authorities (vv. 1-2).

1 Tim 2:1 I urge first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

    Paul lists the various means God’s people in the church militant[1] use when communicating with Him: “requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving” (v. 1).[2] Then he recommends the ones who are to be the subjects of such interaction: “everyone [especially] kings and all those in authority” (v. 2).[3] Finally, he gives the intended outcome of such interaction for the supplicants: “peaceful and quiet lives” in “godliness and holiness” (v. 2).[4]

    One of these means of communication is to express “thanksgiving” (v. 1). Ordinarily, “thank you” is a response to someone who has done something favorable for you, but simply being grateful is empty and unfocussed if you do not specify the person responsible for your boon. At that point it is merely a vague and vacuous sentiment. In contrast, a statement of gratitude should identify the responsible party, especially when that party is God. Whenever God is the reason for your benefit, He should be the expressed recipient of your gratitude, the clear object of your appreciation (Manuel 2019).

Application: How is your prayer life? Does it regularly include those in authority as well as stating the intended outcome (e.g., “peaceful and quiet lives”)? If so, then you are praying according to Paul’s instructions. If not, then you should not be surprised when God’s response is not what you request. As James explains:

You want something but don’t get it…because you do not ask God. [And even] when you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives. (Jms 4:2-3)

When you pray, do not make it all about you, but make God’s priorities your priorities. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14). Whether or not God grants your request, there is comfort in knowing that He is not ignoring you or simply dismissing you out of hand. God pays attention to prayers that reflect His priorities. Whose priorities do your prayers reflect?

Lifestyle Evangelism (1 Thess 4:11-12)

 Dr. Paul Manuel—2020

 Text:

1 Thess 4:11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

 Outline:

      I.    Maintain a reserved demeanor (v. 11).
            A.    You are to be unobtrusive.
            B.    You are to be productive.

Application: What is most important is not displaying what you believe on your accoutrements but demonstrating what you believe in your actions (Gal 6:10).

     II.    Maintain a regular demeanor (v. 12).
            A.    You will then be admired.
            B.    You will then be autonomous.

Application: Whatever you heard about heaven, the reality will be far grander and will last far longer than you can ever imagine (1 Cor 2:9).

 Introduction: Sometimes we do not realize the impact personal example can have on another’s behavior.

The Snider’s front door was accidentally left open, and their dog ran out. After unsuccessfully whistling and calling, Mr. Snider got in the car and went looking for her. He drove slowly around the neighborhood for some time, calling for her but with no luck. Finally, he stopped beside a couple out for a walk and asked if they had seen his dog. They replied… “You mean the one following your car?

Sometimes we do not realize the impact personal example can have on another’s behavior. The same holds true in evangelism.

 Background: In 1959, Bill Bright’s campus crusade organization developed a short, easy-to-remember method of communicating the gospel using Four Spiritual Laws (and accompanying Bible verses) that it published in a small pamphlet:

   Law #1  God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

   Law #2  Man is sinful and separated from God, thus he cannot know God's plan for life.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Rom 3:23)

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23)

   Law #3  Jesus Christ is God’s provision for man’s sin through whom man can know God’s love and plan for his life.

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)

What I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Cor 15:3-4)

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

   Law #4  Man must receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord by personal invitation.

To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. (Acts 16:31)

It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, [faith]is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Eph 2:8-9)

By learning these four principles and their accompanying verses, a Christian has an easy-to-follow method of communicating his faith. This method grew in popularity making the Four Spiritual Laws the most common way to share the gospel today.[1]

     While many Christians find it helpful to have a prepared presentation of the gospel in case an encounter offers an opportunity to share your faith, it is better to demonstrate your commitment to God for the people you meet by the way you live. Paul often exhorts his readers to emulate him:

     •   To the Corinthians Paul says:

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1).

     •   To the Philippians Paul says:

“Join with others in following my example…and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you” (Phil 3:17).

     •   To the Thessalonians Paul says:

“You yourselves know how you ought to follow [my] example” (2 Thess 3:7).

St. Francis, a 13^th c. Christian missionary, said, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.”

     The primary job of spreading the gospel falls to those God has spiritually equipped for the task, those with the gifts of apostleship and evangelism (Manuel 2012, 2013b). That does not mean Christians without those gifts can remain silent about their faith. [mh\ ge÷noito.] “May it never be!”[2] All Christians must speak about what they believe, even those with other gifts. The way to do this is not necessarily through verbal articulation but through physical demonstration. As Paul writes to the Corinthian believers:

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (2 Cor 3:3)

The gospel need not come through an overt presentation in word but via the subtle illustration in deed. While the “Four Spiritual Laws” booklet offers Christians a way to communicate the gospel, the method it employs, confrontation evangelism, is not one many believers find appealing or feel suited to their personality. Most Christians prefer the more subtle approach of lifestyle evangelism, illustrating their beliefs by their actions. The latter, however, is actually more difficult and more demanding, as it usually requires one’s testimony to extend beyond the brief encounter required to communicate the contents of a small tract. It relies rather on an already established relationship that gives both message and messenger credibility. To be sure, the “Four Spiritual Laws” may be just the right tool for a brief encounter, but it lacks the depth of an extended conversation.

     Lifestyle evangelism is what Paul advocates in this first letter to the Thessalonians, explaining how the believers in that church should live, and giving two ways they can prepare others to hear the gospel, primarily ways their own demeanor can help someone look favorably on the good news. He tells them initially to…

A visit to the Temple (Acts 21:17-32)

A VISIT TO THE TEMPLE (John 21:17-32)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2018
 

There is nothing like actually going to a place to appreciate fully what it has to offer.

Two brothers, George and Carl, grew up in a small town in rural Vermont. George, however, decided to leave the area, and settled in Texas. For years he tried to get his brother to visit him. He constantly extolled the virtues of Texas, particularly noting how big everything was there. Finally, thirty years later, Carl decided it was time to take the plunge, so he bought a ticket and flew to Houston. George picked him up at the airport in a car that was bigger than any Carl had ever seen. As they drove silently out toward George's ranch, Carl remarked to himself that his brother was right; everything in Texas is huge! Finally, as they drove up a very long driveway, the large ranch house came into view. As they went up the walk, Carl was nearly overwhelmed by the size of this house. Inside, the living room seemed to be 40 feet long. Carl asked if he could use the bathroom, so his brother showed him down a long hallway. "Go to the end of this hail, turn left, and the bathroom door will be the first on your right." George went back to the living room to wait when he heard a frightening scream coming from down the hall. He ran to find out what the problem was, and discovered that Carl had turned right instead of left, had fallen into the swimming pool, and was yelling, "Help, don't flush it!"

There is nothing like actually going to a place to appreciate fully what it has to offer. Even if you have been there before, it is often good to see it again, as Paul did with "A Visit to the Temple."

 

After an extensive tour of Asia Minor, the Apostle Paul returns to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. It has been a while since he was in the temple, and he needed to fulfill a vow he made earlier. Besides it will be good to see some old friends. So he goes, and...

 

I. Paul receives a warm welcome from believers in Jerusalem (vv. 17-25).

A. They commend him.

Acts 21:17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.

On Paul's last trip to the capital, he met with the elders of the church and gave a similar report about his ministry: "The whole assembly...listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them" (Acts 15:12). At that time, the controversy was within the believing Jewish community, which had to decide if uncircumcised gentiles could be part of the faith. The answer they proposed and Peter articulated was 'yes':

God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God...showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. (Acts 15:7-9)

This was a decision that echoed the apostle's visit with Cornelius.

"In Jesus' name" (Acts 19:1-20)

IN JESUS' NAME (Acts 19:1-20)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2018
 

Some questions lend themselves to a multiple choice answer and may leave you uncertain about the correct one.

As passengers settled in on the short commuter flight, an attendant announced, "We'd like you folks to help us welcome our new co-pilot. He'll be performing his first commercial landing for us today, so be sure to give him a big round of applause when we come to the gate." The plane made an extremely bumpy landing, bouncing hard two or three times before taxiing to a stop. Still, the passengers applauded. Then the attendant's voice came over the intercom, "Thanks for flying with us, and don't forget to let our copilot know...which landing you liked best."

Some questions lend themselves to a multiple choice answer and may leave you uncertain about the correct one. During Jesus' ministry he posed several questions to his disciples, but none of them was multiple choice, including what they will accomplish "In Jesus' Name."

 

When Paul is on his third missionary journey, he visits Ephesus and finds a small group of John the Baptist's disciples. While there the apostle does three things "In Jesus' Name": baptizes, heals, and frightens.

 

I. Paul baptizes in Jesus' name (vv. 1-10).

A. He promotes the Spirit.

Acts 19:1 Paul took the road through the interior [of Asia Minor] and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. 4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

Disciples in the early church, like those in rabbinic Judaism, mark progress in their education not by the academic degrees they receive but by the teachers under whom they study. Disciples in the Corinthian church, for example, are careful to note their academic pedigree: "One of you says, 'I follow Paul'; another, 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Cephas'; still another, 'I follow Christ." (1 Cor 1:12). Believers also mark their progress by the baptism they receive, whether from John or Jesus. John and Jesus are not the only two who baptized, but their ablutions mark a divide in a disciple's devotion, to God in general (acknowledging repentance from sin) and to Jesus in particular (accepting salvation from sin).

 

Despite his title, John does not inaugurate the practice of baptism among the first followers of Jesus. Ritual ablution is a common practice that God establishes through Moses centuries earlier to remedy ceremonial defilement, and He includes it in the early church to mark the ceremonial cleansing of new members. Purification is especially important for gentiles because of their contamination from idolatry. On this occasion the candidates are Jewish disciples of John who are prepared for the messiah's ministry but do not have a full understanding of his advent. They know what he taught in life—how he came "to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10)5—but not what he accomplished in death— "the forgiveness of sins" (Matt 26:28).

Good news for gentiles (Acts 10:1-48)

BIBLICALLY SEPARATE (Acts 10:1-48)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2018
 

Some potentially risky situations require certain precautions to avoid complications later.

Flying to Los Angeles from San Francisco, a passenger noticed that the "Fasten Seat Belts" sign was kept lit during the whole trip although the flight was a very smooth one and relatively short. Just before landing, one passenger asked the flight attendant about it. "Well," she explained, 'Up front there are 17 University of California girls going to LA for the weekend. In back, there are 25 Coast Guard enlistees. What would you do?"

Some potentially risky situations require certain precautions to avoid complications later. When Peter leads a Jewish group to meet a gentile group at the home of Cornelius, two groups that normally are "Biblically Separate," it is necessary to take certain precautions to ensure that the two groups get along well.

 

Although the focus in the Old Testament is on the descendants of Abraham, God has always welcomed gentiles, either separately (e.g., Jethro, Melchizedek) or as part of the nation (e.g., Rahab, Ruth). These same two options remain open for gentiles who come to God in the New Testament. Some become converts (e.g., Nicolas) while others remain separate, called "God-fearers." The two groups differ in their observation of biblical law, with God-fearing gentiles obeying what He expects from everyone (e.g., idolatry), while converts also obey what God expects from Jews (e.g., holidays). This chapter is about a group of gentiles that remains separate and does not convert. As the account begins...

 

I. The Lord renews the invitation.

A. He speaks through a vision (vv. 1-8).

Acts 10:1 At Caesarea [a western port city in the north] there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea." 7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa [a western port city in the south].

Cornelius is an unusual gentile; he has a reputation for righteousness, not merely as a 'nice' person: He is "devout and God-fearing," one who gives "generously" to the poor, and who prays "regularly" (v. 2). He is one of those rare gentiles who has adopted Israel's God as his own. Moreover, he is not alone in his faith. His whole family believes, as does at least one member of his staff.

 

What Cornelius sees is not a vague, shadowy apparition: "He distinctly saw an angel of God" (v. 3). Angelic visitations are not common in the Bible, especially to gentiles . Whether or not the centurion realizes how rare this situation is, he responds as most people do, not in disbelief but in "fear" (v. 4). He takes seriously the instruction he receives and sends representatives to Joppa, perhaps wondering how a stranger there, a Jew, will receive him. While the synagogue in Capernaum is open to gentiles, there is no guarantee that Jews in Joppa will be like-minded. What he does not know is that God will prepare the way.

B. He speaks through a trance (vv. 9-16).

Acts 10:9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13 Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." 14 "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.