Acts
chapter 8 directly follows the stoning of Stephen. I see chapters 8, 9 and 10 (Ethiopian Eunuch,
Saul of Tarsus, Cornelius) happening simultaneously. God is doing something; he is showing the
world that he is making a change. God
made the change in Acts 9 (conversion of Saul/Paul); but in Acts 8, 9 and 10
God is moving things around and preparing the world for the dispensation of
grace.
The
12 apostles were told by the Lord to stay in Jerusalem because that was the
center of the prophetic program – first Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria and the
uttermost parts of the earth, but also because that is where the Lord was going
to return.
Acts 1:8, 11
But ye shall receive power, after that the
Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part
of the earth…. Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing
up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
They
knew that they would not reach the uttermost part of the earth until the Lord
returned. Remember this verse; it’s
important:
Matthew
10:23
But when they persecute
you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall
not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
So when we think of their great
commission, the Lord had already told them that he would return before they
even left the nation of Israel. Even
though they faced great persecution in Jerusalem, they had great faith. They saw the resurrected Lord and they watched
him go up. Unlike the other disciples,
they were witnesses to his resurrection and ascension.
The 12 apostles did not all go to Samaria.
Acts 8:14
Now when the apostles
which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they
sent unto them Peter and John:
So
when the 12 apostles heard that Samaria had received the word of God (through
Philip’s preaching)…
Acts 8:5
Then Philip went down to
the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them
…they sent two
apostles. In John 20, Christ gives the
apostles the authority to remit sins. Of
the 12 apostles, Peter, James and John were the Lord’s inner circle and they
had great authority. Peter was the head
apostle.
Matthew
18:18
Verily I say unto you [Peter],
Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye
shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
The
12 had authority, but there needed to be two, which is the number of witness
for the nation of Israel.
Matthew
18:20
For where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Deuteronomy
17:6
At the mouth of two
witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to
death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
Isaiah 8:2
And I took unto me faithful
witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of
Jeberechiah.
Zechariah
4:11
Then
answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the
right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? Then said he, These are the two
anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the
whole earth.
Revelation
11:3-4
And I will give power
unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred
and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks
standing before the God of the earth.
So
two witnesses, Peter and John, were sent to Samaria and here is why:
Acts 8:15
Who, when they were come
down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
The
reason the apostles sent two was for a purpose – so that they might receive the
Holy Ghost, which was the promise to the Jews worshipping in Jerusalem on Pentecost.
Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
How
did they receive the Holy Ghost at that time?
He didn’t just flow down from heaven like he did for the apostles.
Acts 2:1-4
And when the day of
Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven
as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were
sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven
tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
But
that is not how everyone else received the Holy Ghost – not until Cornelius,
and that was after Saul/Paul was converted.
Acts
8:16-17
(For as
yet he was fallen upon none of them [the believers in Samaria]: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus.) Then laid they
their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
So ten apostles stayed in Jerusalem,
and only two with great authority went for the purpose of laying hands on them
so that they might receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, which is what God and
Peter had promised. Peter quoted Joel to
the Jews on Pentecost.
Acts 2:17
And it shall come to pass
in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see
visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Peter and John were Spirit-lead and
they were fulfilling the word of God.
They didn’t need a vision from God because the Lord had already told
them. The Spirit of God was directing
them to lay hands on people so that they too might receive the Holy Ghost; they
already had been given that authority.
They were not forced out of Jerusalem by circumstances; they left in
obedience to the plan and purpose of God.
They did not violate the great commission. They did not pack up and leave Jerusalem to
relocate.
Here is something else to help you
gain understanding. Who sent Philip to
Samaria in the first place? Remember
Philip from Acts 6:
Acts 6:3,
5
Wherefore, brethren, look
ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and
wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they
chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip,
and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of
Antioch:
Two of those seven men are famous, Stephen
and Philip; and they were chosen by the apostles out of the little flock to
represent the Grecian widows.
Acts 6:1-2
And in those days, when
the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the
Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the
daily ministration. Then the
twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not
reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
The events of Acts 7 through 10 were
happening simultaneously. The reason God
had to give Peter the vision with the sheet coming down from heaven with the
unclean animals in Acts 10 was because he was in no way violating any edict
from the Lord Jesus or the scriptures.
God himself had to intervene [to get Peter to go to gentiles], and even
then Peter was kicking against it.
Acts
10:13-14
And there came a voice to
him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But
Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is
common or unclean.
Peter knew what was going on, and he
knew that what they did in Samaria in Acts 8 was according to the will of
God. So who sent Philip to Samaria? God did.
The reason Peter and John went to Samaria was because God put it into
motion.
Acts 8:5-7
Then Philip
went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which
Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits,
crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and
many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
God was working through
Philip. He was there working under the
power of the Spirit of God. If he
wasn’t, God would not have been doing those wonderful works. So when the apostles left Jerusalem it was
for a purpose which was not in conflict with the great commission.
Hopefully this helps...Maranatha!
†††
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No comments:
Post a Comment