Day 163: Acts 8:14-40

“And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.” - ‭‭Acts‬ ‭8:38‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Everyone seems to love an origin story. How did this all begin? What was the catalyst to see this all take place?

By 2050, many experts believe that Africa will be the dominant continent for Christianity. In 1900, there were an estimated 6 million Christians in Ethiopia alone. By 2050, at the current Christian growth rate, there will be 100 million Ethiopian followers of Jesus. In the entire continent of Africa today, there are an estimated 685 million Christians.

This started with one Hellenistic Jew sharing the gospel with (and baptizing) one African.

In the first century, the common belief about Ethiopia was that it epitomized the ends of the earth. So, this work that Philip was doing was to fulfill what Jesus had commanded the early disciples to do in Acts 1:8.

Do you think you could do something like this? Do you have the confidence or the courage to share Jesus with someone the Holy Spirit keeps leading you towards?

21% of the United States today identifies as “none” when it comes to religious affiliation. We need you to go to them and to many others who have yet to say “yes” to Jesus. The challenge is to go find your chariot and ask God to give you the nerve to say something when it is time.

SIDE NOTE: Did you miss verse 37? Yeah, me too. The New Testament is made up of over 5800 Ancient Greek manuscripts. Some are earlier than others. None of the earliest manuscripts include verse 37, but as they copied Luke’s masterpiece, many included it in the later copies. Almost as if to say, “Look, before we baptize anyone, affirmation of belief in Jesus is paramount. We know Philip would have said this.”

Day 162: Acts 7:51-60, 8:1-13

“Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.” - Acts‬ ‭7:58‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Stephen laid down the hammer on these experts. His language was so offensive (uncircumcised would have really set them off) that these men covered their ears and screamed so as not to hear him any longer.

Many among us today are the same way. Hearing the truth is unappealing. The truth will never pamper us. Instead, it confronts us and shows who we’ve really become.I can’t help but think there could have been a better way for Stephen to communicate, but there was no way to improve. He said what needed to be heard at that moment.

So many things happened as a result of his death. Christianity spread beyond the confines of Jerusalem. The young man named Saul in this scene will, in chapter nine, have his own vision of Jesus and go on to write half of the New Testament. What a strong and authentic witness for the gospel to all who saw this take place.

In this scene, we have the first Christian martyr. His life was not wasted but invested, to see many more come to faith in Jesus.

"The man who was to become the apostle to the Gentiles thoroughly agreed with the execution of Stephen. But, as St Augustine said, ‘The Church owes Paul to the prayer of Stephen.’ However hard he tried, Saul could never forget the way in which Stephen had died. Even at this early point, the blood of the martyrs had begun to be the seed of the Church." - Barclay, W. (2003). The Acts of the Apostles (3rd edition fully revised and updated, p. 71)

Day 161: Acts 7:30-50

“Did not my hand make all these things? Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?” - Acts 7:49-50 ESV

The Jewish Temple was the epicenter of Jerusalem and their worship of Yahweh. Within its courts, they sang songs of praise, read the Tanakh (the law, prophets, and writings of the Old Testament), and offered sacrifices on the altar. It was actually the cultural norm of the time to consider the gods in the same way.

It was a theology of containment. This dirt, this city, this place, it is sacred. God's presence was considered to be there, which was equated with His divine favor. Everyone else was on the outside looking in.

Stephen quotes Isaiah 66:1-2, which is very similar to what Solomon prayed when they dedicated the Temple upon its completion, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!" - 1 Kings 8:27

So, where is the best place to worship God? It is wherever you find yourself during the week. At work, at home, at church, on a walk, while swimming, or even at the salon. God is not contained. Everywhere we go, He is there for us to offer a prayer, meditate on His Word, or soak in His presence.

Everything Stephen said up to this point has been agreeable to these Israelite leaders. Tomorrow, things will turn violent.

"The point of all three of these verses is not that God’s presence can’t be found in the temple (clearly Acts 2–4 shows it can), but that God’s presence can’t be confined there, nor can God be controlled or manipulated by the building of a temple and by the rituals of the temple cultus or the power moves of the temple hierarchy. What is being opposed is a God-in-the-box theology that has magical overtones, suggesting that if God can be located and confined, God can be magically manipulated and used to human ends."-Witherington, B., III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (p. 273)

Day 160: Acts 7:1-29

"And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household." - Acts 7:9-10 ESV

Stephen, the former table-waiter, now finds himself faced with a problematic question surrounding the false accusations brought forth about him and what he was teaching. Led by the Spirit, he perceives it is time to let these religious elites know what following Jesus was all about.

Of all things to bring up, Stephen decides to launch into a Hebrew Bible lesson, spanning the history of Israel, starting with Abraham. Though we don't have time to unpack why he puts so much emphasis in today's reading on Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, I do want to point out the language he uses to describe Joseph's experience.

From a spoiled son to a purchased slave and then onto being a prisoner, Joseph endured his fair share of "affliction." In it all, God was at work, rescuing him and laying favor on him everywhere he turned. Yet, rescue and favor didn't come without the trials. He wasn't given a free pass from hardship. Instead, Joseph had to walk through the high waters:  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” - Isaiah 43:2 NIV

Are you feeling any resistance in this world as you follow Jesus? That doesn't mean that God has left you. He is still rescuing you and giving you His favor. This isn't going to be easy, but God will put you into a place where you can have maximum influence in this dark world.

"The sons of Jacob sold their brother Joseph into slavery in Egypt. But God was continuously superintending the accomplishment of that one increasing purpose which he inaugurated when he called the father of the faithful out of Mesopotamia, and which was to find its consummation in the coming of Christ." - Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (pp. 136–137)

Day 159: Acts 6:1-15

“But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.” - Acts 6:10 ESV

Rarely do we hear of someone who is young that is eager to work their way up to a more important job. Usually, the expectation is that God will place us exactly where we want to be right away, and when this doesn't happen, disappointment sets in. This can also go the other way, where we see ourselves trapped in a role, doomed to cycle through its grasp till the end of our days.

Stephen's story is one that should encourage all of us, no matter what role we find ourselves in today.  He was one of the Hellenistic Jews chosen to make sure their widows were getting what they needed as they distributed food. So how does a guy go from being a food referee to verbally body slamming the greatest thinkers of his time and place?

There were two differentiating factors at play, and both are relevant in any position or role in which you might find yourself:

1) Wisdom

2) Speaking by the Spirit

Both are not characteristics we acquire through hard work. They are, as we spoke of yesterday, gifts. Are you sensing a theme in Christianity? We are worshiping a gift-giving God. He gives us what we need and when we need it to accomplish all He's asked us to do.

"Jesus had promised the help of the Spirit (Luke 12:12) and wisdom (Luke 21:15) to his disciples when they were called upon to defend themselves. The early church proved the truth of this promise." - Marshall, I. H. (1980). Acts: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 5, p. 138)

We are still proving the truth of this promise today as we step out in faith to share the Good News about Jesus. Take your small step today. Go the way of Stephen in your faithfulness to Jesus.

Day 158: Acts 5:1-42

"The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." - Acts 5:30-31

These religious leaders are dumbfounded as to why the Apostles won't shut up. Their usual threatening hasn't worked as normally did. These men don't seem to be taking their orders from the same place as the other Jewish people. There is no stopping the supernatural impression of the Holy Spirit. What comes into us has to find expression in our lives no matter what the consequence.

The end of our reading for today shows one of those consequences (flogging), and it didn't seem to phase them.

What kind of gift do you get for someone who has everything? It is an impossible task. If there is no perceived need, no gift on earth will suffice. This is what the hierarchy of the Israelite faith was like in the first century. They didn't feel like they needed the gift of repentance (Luke 15:7) or any forgiveness (Acts 2:38). Yahweh had been pinned down to their own limits and expectations.

May we choose today to gratefully accept the gift of repentance and thus enjoy the burden-lifting power of forgiveness. Perhaps praying the following prayer and soaking in the final quote will be helpful as we close today.

"God, we come to You with open hands, needing your repentance and forgiveness. They are gifts that we never cease to desire and need. Thank you for being so generous. in Jesus' name, we pray, Amen." 

"Rather than suffering fearful intimidation, the apostles became even bolder. They considered it an honor to suffer 'for the Name' of Jesus." - Gaertner, D. (1995). Acts (Ac 5:41–42)

Day 157: Acts 4:1-37

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.” - Acts 4:13-14 ESV

How jarring it must have been for these Jewish elites to hear Peter and John claim that it was the name of the resurrected Jesus that healed this man who couldn't walk. They were the same group that tried Jesus at night and strong-armed Pilate into crucifying Jesus. Their worst fears had come back to haunt them. To make matters worse, the Holy Spirit was now starting to do the work through more than just one man. This would have broken Twitter.

There was nothing exceptional about Peter and John. They were fishermen by trade and had nowhere near the education of these religious leaders. Yet, they were again flawlessly quoting the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) to explain all that was happening.

When you spend time with Jesus, it changes you. When you spend a lot of time with Jesus, others will start to wonder what happened to you. They'll ask for your secret.

This is when we tell them the honest truth: There is salvation in no other name. Jesus has changed the world, and He will continue to do so, one soul at a time.

"The point of v. 13b is that the authorities recognized not only that these men were companions of Jesus, but that in terms of their amazing speech, and lack of training, they were cut from the same cloth." -Witherington, B., III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles (p. 196)

Day 156: Acts 3:1-26

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago." - Acts 3:19-21 ESV

In Acts 2, we saw God perform a miracle with tongues of fire, enabling the disciples to speak in other languages. That sign opened up the opportunity for Peter to share a message that inaugurated the Church as we know it today.

In today's reading, we see another miraculous event that paves the way for a second sermon from Peter. A man who was “lame from birth” was given the instantaneous ability to walk and leap, which resulted in praise. Luke records that the crowd is utterly “astounded" and soon surrounds Peter, John, and this newly restored man. This was another moment where Peter could have shared anything, and again he doubles down on this idea of repentance.

These people didn't need to be entertained or impressed. They, instead, needed a change.

The Greek word for repent is μετανοέω metanoeō and is used 34 times in the New Testament. Louw and Nida's definition of the word is on point: "to change one’s way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness."

They needed a reset from what they had been thinking and living. I don't know about you, but this is something that I need every day. May we beg God each day for a greater desire for minds and lives that honor and glorify Him.

"The meaning of repent (2:38) is clarified by the addition of turn again (RSV) or rather ‘turn to (sc. God)’ (so other modern versions). This verb signifies the act of turning away from one’s former way of life, especially from the worship of idols, to a new way of life, based on faith and obedience to God (cf. Isa. 6:10; Joel 2:12–14). The immediate result will be the ‘blotting out of their sins’; the list of accusations against them will be obliterated (cf. Col. 2:14), which is another way of saying that their sins are forgiven (2:38)." - Marshall, I. H. (1980). Acts: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 5, p. 99)

Day 155: Acts 2:1-47

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” - Acts 2:37-38 ESV

The same Peter who rebuked Jesus, cut off someone's ear, and denied our Savior three times, is now found here stepping up in the inaugural moment of the Christian Church to preach the very first message. It was a sermon given in response to skeptics who were claiming that the disciples had been sipping too heavily on the "new wine."

What struck me from our reading today is how strong of a message Peter brought these thousands of Jews who had gathered for the Jewish feast of Pentecost.

“You crucified Jesus” isn't how I usually start a time of sharing my faith with someone else, but this crowd needed desperately to hear the truth. Turns out, they were starved for it. So much so that Peter continued with "many other words" saying, "save yourself from this perverse generation."

Result? 3,000 souls were brought into eternal life.

Now, there is such a thing as being belligerent, but there is also such a thing as being too passive in our approach to sharing our faith with others. May God help us find the balance today between the two so that we can effectively reach those who need Jesus.

"It is thus quite correct to stress that in Acts 2 we see repentance (and faith) leading to baptism, the forgiveness of sins, and the reception of the Holy Spirit. This was apparently normally the case. Acts then provides us with a record of ‘missionary’ baptisms, stories about the conversion of those on the outside who are then brought into the family of Christian faith." - Witherington, B., III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles (pp. 154–155)

Day 154: Acts 1:1-26

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” - Acts 1:8 ESV

Jesus dies, resurrects, and spends extended time with His disciples over the course of forty days, and yet the disciples continue to hold out hope for Him to restore political independence away from Rome. In their minds, the term Messiah and abandonment couldn't coincide.

For their benefit, Jesus condenses all that He had told them in John 14-16 down to one statement: They were to receive power from the Holy Spirit, and we will see how this empowerment materializes in our reading tomorrow.

The Holy Spirit doesn't come into us as Christians to just make us good people; He also comes to make us powerful. We aren't given a spirit of passivity when we place our faith in Jesus. Quite the opposite (see 1 Timothy 1:7).

The word for witnesses here is the Greek word martys, which is also translated, of course, as martyr.  These men and women Jesus was sending out weren't promised power that would exempt them from suffering. Instead, they were promised power that would enable them to be willing to die as they shared the Good News of Jesus with the entire Roman Empire.

This is the same power that is at work in us today.

"Holy Spirit, enable us to do what we cannot. Drive us from passivity and into a powerful life of dependence on you. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen."

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” - Romans 8:11 NIV

"Instead of indulging in wishful thinking or apocalyptic speculation, the disciples must accomplish their task of being witnesses to Jesus. The scope of their task is worldwide. It begins with Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and it stretches to the end of the earth."- Marshall, I. H. (1980). Acts: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 5, p. 65)