Podcast 137, Acts, “Pt 2 B, Ch 2”

Podcast 137, Acts, “Pt 2 B, Ch 2”In this podcast we shall continue with Acts, Chapter 2. If you haven’t listened to Podcast 136, Acts, Pt 2, A, may we suggest that you listen to that first. We begin Part 2 by Quoting the words of Christ who quotes Isaiah the prophet. Matthew 15: 7-9Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.Peter continues, Acts 2:22-32Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.That is an incredible testimony from a man who only shortly before denied knowing the Savior not once but three times. What a difference the Holy Ghost makes! Peter again testifies of the Holy Ghost.Acts 2:33-36Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.Peter teaches the roles of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Ghost. Jesus Christ, raised from the dead by the Father, sat on the right hand of the Father, and the Holy Ghost descended upon man. There are three separate Gods, all with very specific roles in the wonderful plan of salvation. As the Father and the Son are sitting upon their thrones, it is the Holy Ghost, who is a spirit, not a resurrected being, “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” And everything that is done is done “by the foreknowledge of God.” Also note Peter’s words, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God (speaking of the Father) hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” If we have any doubts about whom the Father is, listen to one of the greatest and most familiar scriptures of all.John 3:16-18For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.And how do we know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We know because of the Holy Ghost. Dozens of scriptures from the New Testament bear witness of this. I refer to only one.John 14:26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.Peter teaches that the Holy Ghost is a gift given only through the power of the priesthood. The difference between having a prompting of the Holy Ghost and having the Gift of the Holy Ghost is that the Holy Spirit may speak to one’s heart through prayer, but the Gift of the Holy Ghost means that the Holy Spirit remains and dwells in their heart. Peter said, Acts 2:37-40Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 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. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.Remember when we spoke earlier of the body being a temple.1 Corinthians 6:19–20What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”Paul also taught, 1 Corinthians 3:16–17Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”And of course, as with the outpouring of the Spirit, the Christian celebration of the Day of Pentecost was blessed with thousands of souls being baptized into the church. On the Day of Pentecost all the apostles were present.  One gets the impression that from that point on missionary work accelerated in the church.Acts 2:41-47Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.One may also assume, I suppose, that persecution, which has always been a serious threat, also accelerated. As with Christ, the church he established also posed a threat to the Pharisees and Sadducees as well as to the authority of Rome. But from that cauldron, we still received the New Testament though many of the apostles and other faithful saints became martyrs.