• Excerpt from "he Sower, The Seed And The Hearts Of Men" by Zacharias tanee Fomum

God has spoken and caused it to be recorded in the Bible. All who love Him read, re-read, study and memorize the Word of God. For a person to build spiritual roots through reading the Word, he must do the following:

1. Read the Bible on a daily basis.
2. Read the Bible in an ordinary way, chapter after chapter and book after book. He must not jump from one part to the other or from one verse to the other.
3. He must meditate on what he reads. He must think about what the Bible is saying, work out its implications and commit himself to them.
4. He must be willing to obey all that God will say to him through the Word. Without a deliberate commitment to obey the message of the Bible, reading it becomes a futile activity.
5. He must be anxious to hear God speak through His Word.
6. He must plead with God, saying, “Lord, speak to me. Let me hear Your voice.”
7. He must stubbornly continue to read and meditate until God has spoken to him.
8. He must read believing that the Holy Spirit who spoke the Bible into existence will surely speak to his heart as he reads.
9. He must come to the Word of God prepared to hear things that he has not heard before and be prepared to have any misconceptions that he has had, removed. 
10. He must be prepared to abandon anything he has thought was God’s Word or God’s will in the light of what God will say to him.
11. He must put away all prejudices as he approaches the Word of God. If not, he will twist the Word to say what he wants to hear.
12. He must confess any sin in his life and forsake it completely. God will not speak to him through His Word when he is consciously living in sin.
13. He must ask the Lord for an increasing capacity to understand the Word and for an enlarged heart to contain the things that God will say to him.
14. He should memorize the Word of God and in that way hide it in his heart; so that he may not sin against the Lord when temptation comes.
15. He should work at the Word of God continuously.

The Psalmist says, 

“I have laid up thy word in my heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).

“I will meditate on thy precepts and fix my eyes on thy ways. I will delight in thy statutes; I will not forget thy word” (Psalm 119:15-16).

“ Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live and observe thy word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. I am a sojourner on earth; hide not thy commandments from me! My soul is consumed with longing for thy ordinances at all times” (Psalm 119:17-20).

“Give me understanding, that I may keep thy law and observe it with my whole heart” (Psalm 119:34).

So, a person must come to the Bible with great joy in his heart because the King of all the universe is going to speak to him. He must come determined to hear the King speak. He must receive the King’s Word with joy and depart from the King’s presence to go out on the one mission of doing what the King has ordered.

In this way, the person will grow in the knowledge of the King and the King’s ways. He will be rooted in the King and in the King’s Word, and so prepare for the future.

There are other things that contribute to proper root-formation. Some of these include:

• Secret fasting,
• Secret giving to the Lord and His work,
• Secret ministry to others,
• Secret love of those who deserve no love,
• And many other things.

In fact, all that is done for the Lord in secret so that it is not known by man and praised, will contribute to root-form

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“Would you explain 1 Timothy 5:23 about Paul’s advice to Timothy to drink wine?”

This verse has long been a source of controversy. It is the “wino’s” golden text, though abused mightily in the effort. Paul encourages his friend:

“Be no longer a drinker of water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.”

Perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this text is to segment it by its significant points.

(1) Timothy was afflicted with a stomach ailment, the nature of which is not precisely known. It was a sickness that came and went, but apparently more often “came” than otherwise. The apostle obviously suspects bad “water” as the source of the young man’s problem. Since the days of Hippocrates it was recognized that contaminated water could produce illnesses. Moreover, Ephesus was an ancient and decaying city. Its harbor was silting up which, in turn, created sewage problems that poisoned some of the underground water supplies. Such might well have been the cause of Timothy’s medical ailment (Williams, p. 101).

(2) The sentence is elliptical, i.e., certain words must be mentally supplied in order to complete the thought. The sense thus should be: “Be no longer a drinker of water only, but also take a little wine?” (see John 6:27; cf.1 Corinthians 4:20 with 1 Thessalonians 1:5). The apostle is not instructing Timothy to abstain from water entirely; rather, for medicinal purposes the youth was enjoined to mix with his water a “little wine.”

(3) The use of wine was a widely recognized remedy for some illnesses among both Jews and Greeks, as reflected in the Hebrew Talmud, the writings of Hippocrates, Plutarch, and Pliny (Fee, p. 135). “Wine was often helpful in settling stomachs and preventing dysentery (it disinfected water)” (Keener, p. 619).

(4) Something of Timothy’s character is revealed. He had refrained even from the medicinal use of wine, a perfectly legitimate remedy, for the sake of his influence. Such was going too far, however. His service to Christ was more valuable than the possible damage that might be done by some misguided critic. Incidentally, this negates the speculation of some that “wine” here possibly was grape juice. The young man would hardly have needed exhortation to use a little grape juice with his water.

(5) To suggest, as some have done, that Paul sees in Timothy a “false asceticism” due to the influence of the false teachers at Ephesus, is an example of drawing a conclusion without sufficient evidence.

(6) This passage can hardly provide any comfort for those who desire to engage in the pleasurable consumption of beverage alcohol. Imbibers rarely drink just a “little,” nor do they dilute their wine with water. They are looking for the “glow,” the “buzz.” Furthermore, ancient wines were not nearly as potent as today’s fortified wines.

(7) Finally, to contend that this passage is much too personal to warrant any importance, and therefore such constitutes an argument negating the Bible’s claim of verbal inspiration (as liberal critics charge), is absurd in the extreme. In fact, as Spence has argued, this passage provides evidence of the genuine Pauline authorship of this document. No forger of the 2nd or 3rd century would ever have dreamed of weaving something of this nature into the text (p. 207). It does, however, reveal the great love and concern of Paul for his young companion in the gospel.

What About Moderate Social Drinking?

*"In the 2nd chapter of John, Christ’s first miraculous sign was the turning of water to wine at a wedding. We know the purpose of wine at weddings – social consumption. And, if we look at the passage honestly, we know that this is a fermented beverage; for when the host tasted it he was confused that the best wine there was served last."

“In 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul instructed Timothy to take in wine for his stomach’s sake. Take notice that the apostle specified a “little” wine. If it were grape juice or non-fermented drink, I am sure that there would have been no concern over the amount consumed?"

“Looking into the qualifications of deacons and elders, the elders are told to be given to no wine but deacons not to be given to “much” wine. Are they talking about grape juice?"

“Christ would not create something that is sinful. So, if alcohol consumption was and is a sin, He would not have created it at all. Paul, inspired of God, understood the nature of God, and what was or was not pleasing to Him, and would not have advised his disciple to sin (consume alcohol) even for health purposes.”*

Normally we do not take the space to deal with “questions” that are more of an essayed affirmation than they are a serious inquiry. In this case, however — because of the prevalent interest in the theme, and due to the common erroneous conclusions drawn — we are prepared to make an exception. Hence we respond to the paragraphs above in order.

Jesus Turned Water to Wine

There is no proof that the “wine” at the marriage feast in Cana was fermented. The Greek word for “wine” in this text is oinos, which may refer to a fermented beverage (cf. Eph. 5:18), or it may denote freshly squeezed grape juice (cf. Isa. 16:10 – LXX). Since the word for “wine” is generic, the student has no right to import the concept of an alcoholic beverage into this passage without contextual justification — of which there is none.

Moreover, what may be “social consumption” in our day, says nothing about the practice of the first century. The juice of the grape was a common drink in that land of many vineyards.

Finally, the fact that the ruler of the feast could still distinguish the quality of the latter beverage from the former, suggests that his senses were not dull as a result of previous guzzling! [Note: For further study see “John 2:1ff – The Wine that Jesus Made”.

Timothy Took Wine for His Stomach

The fact that Paul instructed Timothy to “take a little wine for his stomach’s sake” involves several things.

First, it suggests that the young evangelist had been reticent to drink the wine prior to the admonition. If drinking fermented wine was common for the primitive Christians, the exhortation would scarcely have been needed.

Second, Timothy obviously suffered from a stomach ailment which required medicinal remedy. The water in Asia Minor could be very dangerous, hence the young evangelist was encouraged to take “a little wine” along with his water. The sentence is elliptical: “Be no longer a drinker of water [alone], but [with it] take a little wine . . .” (1 Tim. 5:23).

This text must be viewed in light of Timothy’s malady, and the conditions of that day. Paul’s advice, therefore, no more encourages the modern practice of social drinking than would the use of a prescription drug be a precedent for “pot” smoking.

Elders Qualification Quibble

With reference to the qualifications of an elder, Paul affirms that the candidate for bishop must not be “addicted to wine” (1 Tim. 3:3; Tit. 1:7).

The Greek expression, paroinos, means “given to wine, drunken”. 

To read into that some sort of license for moderate drinking is an irresponsible stretch. Would an admonition against “drug addiction” grant any measure of comfort to someone wishing to “smoke pot” recreationally? 

Would such a warning be interpreted as a license for the moderate use of cocaine?

Moreover, Paul’s restriction regarding deacons  that they must not be “addicted to much wine” (1 Tim. 3:8)

 — similarly provides no permission for the moderate use of recreational alcohol in today’s world of distilled spirits  which are far, far stronger than were the fermented beverages of the primitive age. 

The fact is, within the same context, church officers are charged to be “sober” (nepho), which signifies “to be free from the influence of intoxicants” .

Josephus employs the word nephaleos (“sobriety”) of the priests, as they functioned in their appointed roles, commenting that they “are [not] permitted to drink wine". The word literally means “holding no wine”.

It is entirely possible that the use of “wine” in the Timothy and Titus contexts may be an example of the figure known as synecdoche, a form of which is when a specific object is made to stand for a general truth. For example, “bread” (Mt. 6:11) stands for food of any sort. It is mentioned specifically, however, because it was commonly eaten at meals.

Accordingly, moderation in “wine” may simply stand for the principle of self-control in at large. It is interesting how certain terms appear to balance one another. The bishop must be “temperate” (1 Tim. 3:2), and " . . .deacons in like manner . . .not given to much wine" (3:8); similarly, " . . .women in like manner . . .[are to be] temperate" (3:11). 

In Titus 2:2, men are to “be temperate” and “women likewise . . .not . . .enslaved to much wine” (2:3).

Thus “wine,” because it was a common beverage, may be a specific illustration for moderation in general  without any allusion as to whether or not it involved fermentation.

The New Testament represents the abuses of wine in a series of words that depict stages in transgression.

First, there is potos (rendered “banqueting”  1 Pet. 4:3). It denotes a drinking party, but as R.C. Trench noted, “not of necessity excessive . . .but giving occasion for excess”  and yet it is condemned! 

This aptly describes the modern cocktail scene.

Second, there is oinophlugia, which is rendered “wine-drinking” (Berry, Greek-English Interlinear, 1 Pet. 4:3), or “excess of wine”.

No conscientious Christian would want to dabble with beverage alcohol  in any of these degrees.

The Creation Argument

It is truly remarkable that a brother would make the argument that if the pleasurable consumption of beverage alcohol is wrong, God would not have created it. The implication thus is: since liquors are here, the Lord must endorse them.

Would the gentleman care to make the same argument with reference to cocaine, opium, or marijuana? While it is true that “every creature of God is good” (1 Tim. 4:4), it is good for the purpose for which it was created; anything can be perverted.

God never intended that grapes, grain, the poppy, the marijuana plant, etc., be used as recreational, mind-altering substances.

For those who wish to pursue this study in greater detail, we highly recommend the following books:

 The Bible and “Social” Drinking by W.D. Jeffcoat (1987), and “Beverage Alcohol” by Louis Rushmore (1998). 

Credit: Christiancourier

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Bible teachers

1. The Saturation Approach

We taught on the saturation approach, it is like osmose. When the roots stayed on the soil, it absorbs. If you read a passage forty times in January, you read the same passage forty times in June, you read the same passage forty times in December, you will absorb different things each time; If in the second year you read it again 40 times and in the second year forty times, especially with the epistles, you will absorb them, it enters you, the Word of God penetrates you. That is what they call the saturation approach. Like the epistles of Paul, I learn that approach on my own as I stumble on it, I just find that I needed to read, especially like Ephesians which I read 50 times, before analysing it


2. The Emotional Approach

Another approach I taught them is the emotional approach. In that approach, you enter the passage, you live it, like a historical book. 1 Samuel and all those historical books, you will understand many things only by living the passage, imagining it. But there are many people who are not born with an imaginative mind. You notice that the different approaches are based on different personalities, our personalities are different, God speaks to us differently. Even in our human relationships, we respond and we communicate differently, we perceive and receive things differently.


3. The Analytic Approach

The other approach is the analytic approach, it is taking a passage and analyse it, using the tools of Kipling. Why? When? What? Who? How? Where? By using those six servants of Rhodia Kipling, he has adopted these six servants as basic tools for analysis. When you have a passage, you ask: who is in this passage? How do they interact? What is the passage talking about? Why are they doing the things? When? What are the time elements in the passage, how? What happened before the other or after the other?
Where is it taking place? By using all those servants of Rhodia Kipling. That is the simplest approach for analysis, there are other analytical approaches.


4. The Dialectical Approach

The fourth approach I told them, was the dialectical approach, you take a passage, you look at the paragraphs and bring out the main thought, then you go down to the sentences of each paragraph, bring out the main thought, you look at the phrases and the syntax and you bring out the building block and then you study the words in order to get the feel of what is taking place, then after that, you reconstruct it again. It consists on breaking down to the smallest expression and to reconstruct it. It is the understanding that a passage is like a building, you break it down in order to
understand then you reconstruct it in order to have the sense.

Dialectic follow 3 principles:
1. Thesis: The main ideas:
2. Anti thesis - the context of contrary ideas
3. Synthesis - what comes out when all factors are taken together

The students of the Bible should also develop biblical dialectic.


5. The Thematic Approach

The fifth approach was the thematic approach, where you take a theme and you try to identify all the passages and references and you study all those passages in order to have the complete idea about it. For example, the women of the bible, they are about 175. when you finish studying the wicked, the model, the insignificant, etc... when you have looked at all of them and you want to understand why the bible says the church is the bride of Jesus, you can understand the vocation of the church by understanding the vocation of womanhood. So, according to the Bible, Jezebel, though she was a human being, she is a kind of church,
Eve is a kind of church,
Deborah is a kind of church,
that is thematic.
Or you can study the Blood of Jesus, you can study the Death of Jesus. There is the thematic approach. In order to have a clear idea about important things. So, we taught them a bit about the thematic approach



6. The Biographical Approach

The biographical approach, where you study the personalities of the Bible, in order to learn from them, in their dealing with God and in their service for God. When you want to produce evangelists in the church, you must study who were the evangelists of the Bible. By studying the evangelists of the Bible, you may begin to understand what you need to do to produce the evangelists of the church. So, there are the biographical approach. I use it a lot. When I want to teach those who are leading prayer houses, I ask myself: was there any person in the bible who was leading a house church? Let me look at her so I may know what I am to teach our people. leaders to study the leaders in order to enter a school of leadership, who of the leaders succeeded? Which one stayed? I resemble who?
That is the biographical approach


7. The Panoramic Approach

Then there was the panoramic approach, it is camera and telecopy. That is to take the whole picture, the different trends and their inter-relatedness, it is bringing the drama, the context and the purpose together.

I need one of those who were there to start teaching them.
Pray that some people will arise, some people who will give the Bible back to the brethren, so that it can be a book of God for them



We need to have dignity, not pride.

Don't make your weight over anybody, you should not receive a service that anyone does not want to give you. Don't enslave yourself to service people would not want to offer to you. You need somebody to tell you to stop your covetousness. You see somebody's lap top and you want to have it, you are just useless. If you cannot afford it, why do you desire it. You are committing sin, you don't have a need.

You are not permitted to have a need for which you don't have the means, that is what it means to be covetous. An honest man plans his needs according to his means. To have desires that you cannot afford, you are a spineless vegetable man.

Dignity means that you are contented with what you have

BTA, PFC2017, Day 33

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                   Isaiah 43:2-12


When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you. 

 This is because I, the Lord, am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt to pay for you, and I gave Cush and Seba to make you mine. 

 Because you are precious to me, because I give you honor and love you, I will give other people in your place; I will give other nations to save your life. 

Don't be afraid, because I am with you. I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. 

 I will tell the north: Give my people to me. people in prison. Bring my sons from far away and my daughters from faraway places. 

Bring to me all the people who are mine, whom I made for my glory, whom I formed and made."  

Bring out the people who have eyes but don't see and those who have ears but don't hear. 

 All the nations gather together, and all the people come together. Which of their gods said this would happen? Which of their gods can tell what happened in the beginning? Let them bring their witnesses to prove they were right. Then others will say, "It is true."

The Lord says, "You are my witnesses and the servant I chose. I chose you so you would know and believe me, so you would understand that I am the true God. There was no God before me, and there will be no God after me. 

 I myself am the Lord; I am the only Savior. 

 I myself have spoken to you, saved you, and told you these things. It was not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses, and I am God," says the Lord.

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A.D. stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “year of our Lord,” and it means the number of years since the birth of Jesus Christ. 

what does C.E. mean, then?
Some people use C.E. instead of A.D. C.E. stands for Common Era, and people use it in order to avoid Christian references. Quatr.us feels that since this is a Christian dating system, we don’t want to try to hide that.
There are other dating systems in the world that non-Christians use, and Common Era makes it sound like everyone should use the Christian system. You can also say this stands for the Christian Era, if that makes you more comfortable using it.

 Do People still use A.D.?
No, a lot of people prefer A.D. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, for example, also uses A.D. and B.C. So does the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.

How did people count years before Jesus?

Of course nobody used the birth of Jesus as a way to count years back when Jesus was alive.


People counted by the reigns of their rulers
The Romans mostly counted by emperors: “in the fifth year of the Emperor Augustus,” or “in the second year of the Emperor Tiberius.” In the Persian empire, they counted by kings. In China, people kept track of dates by emperors, although sometimes emperors issued a new era name, and then the dating started over with the new era name.

They counted by the Olympic Games
Sometimes the Romans counted by Olympiads  how many years it had been since the first Olympic Games in 776 BC. Or they counted from the (mythical) date of the foundation of the city of Rome, in 753 BC.

When did people start to use B.C. and A.D.?
As people converted to Christianity, though, they wanted to count their years by Christian events and not Greek festivals or Roman emperors. Not long after the fall of Rome,
in 525 AD, a few christian priests and  bishops  began to count from the birth of Jesus. But most people in Europe didn’t start to use this Christian calendar until about 800 AD, in the time of Charlemagne.

Spread  of A.D. dates all around the world?

As Europeans gradually conquered more and more of the world after 1500 AD, they brought their calendar with them. So people began to use the Christian calendar in Africaand India around 1500 AD, in North and South America a few years later, and in China and Japan only around 1900 AD, about a hundred years ago.

What does a.m and p.m. stand for?
                            

At 12:00, it is not obvious what the time is. So we will have  "12:00 a.m." and "12:00 p.m." to help denote actual time.

From the Latin words meridies (midday), ante (before) and post (after), the term ante meridiem (a.m.) means before midday and post meridiem (p.m.)means after midday.

Each period consists of 12  hours  numbered: 12 (acting as zero).

The 24 hour/day cycle starts at 12 midnight (12 a.m.), runs through 12 noon (12 p.m.), and continues to the midnight at the end of the day. The 12-hour clock has been developed from the middle of the second millennium BC to the 16th century AD.

The 12-hour time convention is common in several English-speaking nations and former British colonies.

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All the people who were not Jews were so called by them, being aliens from the worship, rites and privileges of Israel.

So, Gentiles are all nations except the Jews. In course of time, as the Jews began more and more to pride themselves on their peculiar privileges, it acquired unpleasant associations, and was used as a term of contempt.

The word was used contemptuously by them. In the New Testament it is used as equivalent to Greek.

From the Jewish perspective, Gentiles were often seen as pagans who did not know the true God.

During Jesus’ time, many Jews took such pride in their cultural and religious heritage that they considered Gentiles “unclean,” calling them “dogs” and “the uncircumcision.”

Gentiles and the half-Gentile Samaritans were viewed as enemies to be shunned (John 4:9; 18:28; and Acts 10:28).

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus alluded to the common association of Gentiles with paganism: “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” (Matthew 5:47). In another place in the same sermon, Jesus noted, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7). In both cases, the NIV simply translates the word in question as “pagans.”

Jesus came to offer salvation to all people, Jew and Gentile. The prophet Isaiah predicted the Messiah’s worldwide ministry, saying He “will bring forth justice to the Gentiles” and would be “a light to the Gentiles” (Isaiah 42:1, 6).

In Mark 7:26, Jesus helps a Gentile woman who had asked for her daughter’s freedom from a demon.

As the gospel spread in the early New Testament era, many Gentiles were converted. Acts 11:18 records the reaction of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, who “praised God, saying, ‘So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.’”

When the Gentiles in Pisidian Antioch heard the good news, “they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).

Gentiles were long seen as enemies of the Jewish people, yet Christ provided good news for both Jews and non-Jews.

Paul praised the Lord’s goodness in his letter to the (mostly Gentile) church in Ephesus:
“Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups [Jew and Gentile] one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:12–14).

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Pharisees 

Jewish group mentioned, either collectively or as individuals, ninety-eight times in the New Testament, all but ten times in the Gospels.

The root meaning of the word "Pharisee" is uncertain. It is probably related to the Hebrew root, meaning "separate" or "detach."

From whom did the Pharisees separate? From those, especially priests or clerics, who interpreted the Law differently than they? From the common people of the land ( John 7:49 )?

From Gentiles or Jews who embraced the Hellenistic culture? From certain political groups?

All these groups of people the Pharisees would have been determined to avoid in their resolution to separate themselves from any type of impurity proscribed by the levitical law or, more specifically, their strict interpretation of it.

In any case, they were certainly one of the groups that sought to adapt Judaism for the postexilic situation.

John Hyrcanus was at first "a disciple" of the Pharisees but became their enemy. The Pharisees were opponents of the Hasmonean rulers from then on. The hostility was especially great during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus (103-76), and they seem to have taken a leading part in opposition to him; it is usually assumed that Pharisees composed either all or a large part of the eight hundred Jews he later crucified (Ant13.14.2 [380]). The one exception to Pharisaic opposition to the Hasmoneans was Salome Alexandria (76-67), under whom they virtually dominated the government.

Josephus's information about the Pharisees under the Romans is spotty.

Under Herod (37 b.c.-4 b.c.) the Pharisees were influential, but carefully controlled by the king.

Some individual Pharisees did oppose Herod on occasion. Josephus gives almost no information about the Pharisees from the death of Herod until the outset of the revolt against Rome (about a.d. 66).

At first they attempted to persuade the Jews against militant actions (War2.17.3 [411]). Later Pharisees appear as part of the leadership of the people during the revolt, some individuals playing a leading role in it.

The New Testament depicts the Pharisees as opponents of Jesus or the early Christians.

On the other hand, they warn Jesus that his life is in danger from Herod ( Luke 13:31 ), invite him for meals ( Luke 7:36-50 ; 14:1 ), are attracted to or believe in Jesus ( John 3:1 ; 7:45-53 ; 9:13-38 ), and protect early Christians ( Acts 5:34 ; 23:6-9 ).

Paul asserts he was a Pharisee before his conversion ( Php 3:5).

The clearest New Testament statement of Pharisaic distinctives is Acts 23:8: "The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels, nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all."

This would give the impression that doctrine was the basic concern of the group. However, Mark 7:3-4 says that "The Pharisees do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash.

And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles." Thus, we are also told of the Pharisees' concern for washing (ceremonial cleansing) and observance of "the traditions of the elders, " a description of the Oral Law. Matthew 23 calls attention to their

(1) positions of religious authority in the community,
(2) concern for outward recognition and honor,
(3) enthusiasm for making converts, and
(4) emphasis on observing the legalistic minutia of the law.

In verse 23 Jesus condemns them, not for what they did, but for neglecting "the more important matters of the law justice, mercy and faithfulness."

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Acts 4:1-12 

This portion of Scripture declares to us that Jesus alone saves. These words were spoken by the apostle Peter as he and John stood on trial before the ruling council of the Jews, the Sanhedrin, to explain the miraculous healing of a crippled man. We want to examine three points from this passage: the prosecution of the Sanhedrin, the power for defense, and the proclamation in defense. First, though, we must recognize the context of this trial, which marked the beginning of persecution for the church of Jesus Christ.

 P.G. Mathew, founder and senior
 minister of
 Grace Valley Christian Center. 

The Promise of Persecution

In the third chapter of Acts we read that the apostles Peter and John had instantly and miraculously healed a forty-year-old congenital cripple in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. As soon as he was healed, the man began to walk, leap and praise God, attracting the attention of a great crowd who gathered around Peter, John and the man to find out what had happened. Because of this good deed the apostles were arrested by the Jewish authorities and put in jail to await trial the next day.

This event marked the beginning of persecution for the disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself had foretold persecution for his disciples while he was still on earth. In Luke 21:12-17 we read, “But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me.” Jesus never guaranteed his disciples health, wealth, fame, position, and power. In this passage he was promising persecution, including arrest, imprisonment, flogging, and death.

Persecution is part of the normal Christian life. We recently visited the site of ancient Smyrna, which is the modern city of Izmir in Turkey. The early church in Smyrna experienced persecution as promised by the Lord of the church in Revelation 2:10, “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

To all who believe in him, Jesus promises eternal life and entrance into his eternal kingdom, which is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. But we must recognize that what the world did to Jesus Christ of Nazareth it will also do to his followers. Didn’t Jesus say, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up the cross and follow me”? Christians will be persecuted.

The Prosecutors

Acts 4:3 tells us the Jewish leaders seized Peter and John and put them in jail. The next day they were brought before the Sanhedrin to stand trial for preaching the gospel. The enemies of the gospel were coming out in full force against the apostles. But who were these prosecutors who so vehemently opposed the apostles and the Lord Jesus Christ?

First, there were the priests. Animated by the devil, the priests and captain of the temple police, who was the second-most powerful person next to the high priest, were all united against the apostles and their message. Then there were the rulers of the people, the elders, and the scribes–the professional theologians who said they knew it all and yet knew nothing.

Next, there were the Sadducees, who were arch-enemies of the gospel. They were the ones who had initiated this first persecution. Descendants of the Maccabees, they believed that the messianic age began during the Maccabean period, around 168 B.C., and continued to the present day. However, they were not trusting in a personal Messiah or in any divine intervention for salvation. They were the forerunners of today’s liberation theologians who rely on human authorities and power rather than on the true and living God. Wealthy aristocrats and members of the ruling class, they were known for their unprincipled collaboration with Rome. In order to protect their own power, position, and wealth, they had already opted to put one person to death–Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Sadducees were materialists and rationalists. They denied the realm of the supernatural, including the existence of angels and demons. They denied divine ordination, grace, and any judgment to come, including any future reward or punishment. Like many modern people, the Sadducees also asserted that miracles could not happen, and, therefore, in their minds the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ could not happen, even though they were well aware that it had and had even given bribes to the soldiers to keep them quiet. I am sure they told themselves: “We have made up our minds: Jesus did not rise from the dead. Don’t disturb us with the facts!”

The Sanhedrin also included the powerful high priest Annas whose five sons, one grandson and son-in-law, Joseph Caiaphas, were also high priests at one time or another. This supreme court of Israel, convened at this time to try the apostles, was made up of seventy-one of the most wealthy, powerful, educated and cultured Jewish leaders and had the power to try all non-capital offenses.

United by Hate

All of these–priests, captain of the temple police, rulers, scribes, elders, and high priests–stood united against the apostles and their gospel, and, ultimately, against Jesus Christ of Nazareth. If we ask why there was such hatred, the Scripture will tell us it is because their hearts were evil.

In John 3:19-20 the Lord Jesus Christ gives us this analysis of the unbelieving heart: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light.” Loving darkness and hating the light–that is a clear description of the rottenness of a fallen human heart.

Unbelievers hate the messengers of the gospel and the message of the gospel. Additionally, they hate that which results from the gospel message, which, in this case, was the healing of a forty-year-old congenital cripple. They hated seeing this man instantly healed and standing with the apostles as proof of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

These unbelieving people were blind to everything God was doing. They considered this good deed of healing a cripple by the power of Jesus a crime for which they had to convene the Sanhedrin and try the apostles. They refused to believe in Christ and be saved and they were determined to do everything in their power to prevent others from being saved. Jesus spoke about such unbelieving people while he was on earth, calling them hypocrites, blind guides, blind fools, whitewashed sepulchers, a brood of vipers, and those who murdered God’s prophets (Matthew 23).

Rejecting God’s Grace

In Acts 4:2 we read that these leaders were greatly disturbed when they heard Peter and John speaking to the crowd. Why were they disturbed? Were they grieving because of their sins? Were they mourning because they realized they had murdered the Son of God? Oh, no. They were upset because the apostles were teaching and declaring in the name of Jesus the resurrection from the dead. They were grieved because the apostles were proclaiming that in Jesus Christ there was, finally, a solution for the problem of humanity. What unbelief! What perversion! What hardness of heart! What blindness! These leaders should have been rejoicing that a congenitally crippled man, whom they could not help at all, was finally healed. And as religious leaders, they should have been rejoicing that God was revealing a gospel that offered all men forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus.

But these leaders rejected Christ and the gospel of God’s grace. Why? Because they hated him and his apostles. Friends, our times are no different. The vast majority of leaders–powerful people, politicians, legislators, philosophers, media moguls, judges, and theologians–hate the gospel, the Bible, and the messengers of the gospel. Why? Because they hate Jesus Christ, the only Savior. They reject Christ and the salvation that he offers. At the same time, however, they welcome every human solution to man’s problems. They offer clean needles, “safe-sex” condoms, and abortions for all. They work hard to give everyone access to the Internet, as if that would solve all man’s problems. The only thing they hate is the declaration of the truth from the Holy Scriptures.

What are the results of this animosity toward Christ? Solutions which will not really solve human problems. These people want to help others by solving their problems but they fail because they are blind. Hating Jesus Christ, they want to spread their hatred to others and silence Christ’s messengers at the same time. But such people do not realize that they are the blind leading the blind straight into a pit.

The Trial

So Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin to stand trial. Imagine how intimidating it would have been to stand before this court. This body of seventy-one leaders were the most educated, most wealthy, most powerful, most cultured, and best-dressed people of the Jewish society. Who were Peter and John? Galilean fishermen–ordinary, non-professional, unsophisticated, powerless people. In fact, Luke describes them as aggrammatoi and idiwtai–unlearned and idiots.

The Sanhedrin began to question the apostles. What do you think they were interested in finding out? Were they marveling at the wonderful grace of God shown in this great miracle? Did they ask, “Was this man really born crippled? Was he really healed? Can anybody verify this miracle? How did you do this great and wonderful thing?” No.

These leaders were elitists who treated the common people with contempt. They had no compassion toward others. Rather than rejoicing at this great kindness God had shown to the crippled man, the leaders asked the apostles, “By what power or what name did you do this?” And what they were really saying was, “Peter and John, who gave you the authority to heal this crippled man? Don’t you realize that we, not you, are the authorities in religious matters? We are the trained professionals. We have all the degrees and credentials. What do you have? You are just like your master Jesus–he had nothing! Here you are, always teaching and preaching. You should get a license and pay us an annual fee before we allow you to tell anybody about this type of thing! We should be able to tell you what to say, not the other way around. Why? Because we are the official authorities, and you should respect that.”

What else do you think they said? “Hey, Peter and John, we did not authorize you to teach about Jesus Christ. We are against him. He was a blasphemer, so we crucified him out of obedience to God. He was doing miracles and teaching people without our authority. Don’t you remember how we asked him, ‘By what authority are you doing this?’ He refused to give us a straightforward answer, and so we did God a great service and crucified him.

The truth is, these prosecutors did not recognize any authority outside of themselves, even God’s authority. In fact, they did not even believe in a personal God, in heaven or hell, or in the resurrection from the dead. They were the rationalists, the scientific thinkers, the cultured, sophisticated philosophers of their time. And so these prosecutors asked the apostles, “By what power or what name did you do this?”

The Power for the Defense

The second point we want to examine is the power of the defense. Acts 4:8 tells us that Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak to the Sanhedrin. What was the power behind Peter’s defense? The Holy Spirit.

There are several verses which refer to this power which God gives his people when they are confronted by the mockers and opponents of the gospel. As we examine them, I urge you to remember them, because the same promises that Jesus Christ made to his disciples while he was on earth are relevant to us today.

In Luke 12:11-12 we find this promise, “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” We must have a biblical view of the Holy Spirit, the comforter and defense attorney who will come to our aid. May we trust in him to fill us with himself so that we know what to say and how to say it with great confidence and boldness!

In Luke 21:14-15 Jesus told his disciples, “But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words,” meaning Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit will give us words, “and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” Our enemies may kill us but they will not be able to resist or contradict what we say.

In Mark 13:11 we read, “Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” And in Matthew 10:19-21 we read, “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking but the Spirit of your Father,” meaning the Holy Spirit, “speaking through you.” In these verses we see that the Holy Spirit will give us sufficient strength for our defense.

Peter, along with all the other disciples, had been filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, as we read in Acts 2:4. But now a fresh inspiration was given to him as he stood before this august body of powerful, educated, cultured people who were trying to intimidate him. The Spirit of God came upon Peter and he began to speak with great boldness and clarity. He was not intimidated by the Sanhedrin. If we stand with the Spirit of God, the whole world becomes nothing, and we realize that even the most powerful men are but creatures and less than nothing.

We find this infilling of the Holy Spirit mentioned again in Acts 4:31. It says that the disciples were again filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Such are the seasons of refreshing which come to us from the presence of God to help us through the crises of life. The infinite, eternal God, the Holy Spirit, comes upon us and gives us such wisdom, words and power that we can make a defense of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ before anyone.

The Proclamation in Defense

The third point we want to look at is the proclamation Peter made in his defense. In Acts 4:9 he said, “If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple. . .” In other words, Peter was asking, “Men of the Sanhedrin, why are you examining us? Have we committed a crime? Have we killed anyone or stolen anyone’s property or fomented a insurrection? No! We did a good deed, an act of kindness, by bringing healing to a cripple in the name of Jesus Christ.” These are words of the Holy Spirit given to Peter the fisherman–the unschooled, ordinary apostle of Christ.

Peter was telling the Sanhedrin that rather than committing a crime, John and he had done a good deed. This is what Jesus himself did. In Acts 10:38 Peter reminded the household of Cornelius that they knew “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” Jesus had done many good works, and now , through the apostles, he was doing good by bringing salvation to the oppressed.

Peter told the Sanhedrin in verse 10, “then know this,” meaning “I want you, the Sanhedrin, as well as all the people of Israel to know something.” What should they know? “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.” Listen to Peter! Full of power and the Spirit of God and wisdom, Peter was on the offense, not the defense. What was he telling the council? “You killed Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah. You killed him! But God raised him up and he is back, doing the same things he did before. The sick are healed, the dead are raised, and the good news is being proclaimed to the poor. Jesus is back!”

The Stone You Builders Rejected

In verse 11 Peter quoted Psalm 118:22, saying, “He is the stone” referring to Jesus Christ, “you builders rejected.” The word “you” is not in the Septuagint text, but Peter added it by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So Peter was saying, You Sanhedrin, you builders, rejected the stone, Jesus Christ, “which has become the capstone.” This word “rejected” in the Greek is an interesting word, exouqenhew, which means “to treat someone with contempt.” In other words, Peter was telling the Sanhedrin, “You considered Jesus Christ to be nothing. You are the builders, the authorities, the leaders who are supposed to point people to the way of salvation, but when Jesus Christ of Nazareth came, you treated him with contempt. He was the cornerstone, the foundation stone who can bear the weight of all our burdens, but like builders who examine a stone, you looked at him, consulted each other, and finally said, ‘He is no good. This Jesus Christ of Nazareth is a worthless blasphemer and a nobody. Let’s get rid of him.'”

Is Jesus nothing? No. He is the eternal God–the self-sufficient, self-existing, eternal God. In fact, we read in 1 Corinthians 1:28 that he “chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are.” This God chooses big zeros like us to nullify the claims of people who think they are great and powerful. Praise be to God, he chose me–a zero–and made me somebody, and he continues to do that today. God takes to himself the zeros of the world–the lowly things, the despised things, things that are not–and makes them the splendor-filled bride of Jesus Christ.

Peter was now on the offensive. He was, in effect, telling the Sanhedrin, “You builders, you authorities, are the ones who should be opening the gate to the kingdom of heaven, but what are you doing? You are closing it and refusing to enter yourselves. Not only that, you prevent anyone else from entering into the kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ. You rejected Jesus Christ, the only Savior, the only problem-solver, the stone chosen by God, but I have news for you: He is back, and he has become the chief cornerstone.”

Christ the Cornerstone

The Bible has much to say about this stone, which stands for Jesus Christ. This stone is a stone that judges every sinner, as we read in Matthew 21:42-44: “Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes”? Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.'”

The Jewish leaders rejected the capstone, Jesus Christ, and crucified him, but God glorified him. Jesus was saying that God’s kingdom would be taken away from the Jews and given to those who would produce fruit. Then he said, “He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces. . .” What did Jesus mean? He was not speaking about placing one’s trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation; rather, he was saying that this stone has become a stone of stumbling upon which men fall and are broken into pieces. And in the same verse we read, “he on whom it falls will be crushed.” That means the stone the builders rejected, having said, “He is a nothing but a blasphemer,” would come back and judge those who rejected him. The Lord Jesus Christ, the chief stone of the building, the stone that bears the entire weight of the building, will deal with those who refuse to believe in him.

Isaiah 8:14 tells us this stone is a stone of stumbling for those who do not believe in him: “And he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” Jesus ought to have been a sanctuary and salvation for his people, but they did not believe in him. Therefore, he has become a stone of stumbling and judgment.

In Daniel 2 we read about the stone that comes down from heaven and strikes every authority in the world, crushing them into powder. This stone will cause all the kingdoms of the world to disappear in a moment. Remember, this is speaking about Jesus Christ! So I must ask you: Why do you think this stone is a zero, a nothing? The answer is, because your heart is hard and you love darkness more than light.

This same stone will judge, crush, and punish all arrogant, rebellious, and stubborn people who say, “We are materialists and rationalists who use our minds and refuse to acknowledge the supernatural. Not only that, we don’t believe in judgment.” But it doesn’t matter whether you believe in judgment or not. You will be raised up and have to face him.

This stone is also a stone of salvation. In 1 Peter 2 beginning with verse 4 we read, “As you come to him, the living Stone–rejected by men but chosen and precious to him. . .” Peter was quoting from Isaiah 28 in reference to Jesus Christ, and we want to note that not only did the Sanhedrin reject Christ, but people throughout the centuries have rejected him, refusing to submit to him. But what does Peter say? Jesus was chosen and precious to God.

And in verse 6 we read, “For in Scripture it says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'” That describes salvation. The same stone that the builders rejected will save you. He will bear the weight of your guilt, your punishment, your death and your hell. He is a powerful, foundational stone.

Then Peter says “to you who believe this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone. . .has become. . .a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.'” If you reject Jesus Christ, he will see to it that you fall. Some people may ask, “Why do you say God will make us fall? Isn’t God love, and isn’t it his business to forgive?” Wait and see. Try telling him on the day of judgment, “God, I thought you were love and that your job is always to forgive, no matter what we do.” See what God tells you then.

In the latter part of verse 8 of 1 Peter 2 we read, “They stumble because they disobey the message–which is also what they were destined for.” Every person whom God has chosen from the foundation of the world will believe in, submit to, receive, and worship the Lord Jesus Christ , but those who are not chosen will not. Therefore, if the Spirit of God is at work in your heart, telling you to put your trust in this living Stone, do so immediately, and you will discover that this Jesus is able to bear your burden. He is the one who said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Salvation in Christ Alone

In Acts 4:12 we find the final thrust of the sword of the Spirit in Peter’s defense speech. As Peter stood before these powerful, sophisticated, cultured, wealthy rulers of the Jewish people, the Holy Spirit gave him these words: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven,” meaning in the whole world, “given to men,” as a gift from God “by which we must be saved.”

Now, generally when we speak about this verse, people say, “This is too extreme for us. We believe in diversity and in accepting every way of salvation. This view is too absolute, and anyone who believes it is a narrow-minded exclusivist. Do you really think Jesus Christ is the only Savior of the Jews as well as the Gentiles, including Indians, Chinese, Tibetans, and so on?” Let me tell you, there are only two paths: the broad way, which goes to hell, and the narrow way, which leads to life.

Go ahead, then, call me an extremist, an exclusivist, and a narrow-minded preacher. Accuse me of believing in this absolute truth that Jesus Christ is the only Savior of the whole world. I do not mind because Peter’s statement is true: “There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

What does it matter if this statement is true? Well, suppose a doctor discovers a sure cure for AIDS. He will tell his patients, “You cannot be healed by anything else. But if you come to me and take one of these pills, you shall be instantly healed. In fact, I can show you many people who were healed instantly. Not only that, this treatment is free. It is given gratis. Additionally, we welcome anyone who suffers from this disease.” If you were suffering from this debilitating disease, would you call this doctor an extremist, an exclusivist, and a narrow-minded person? Absolutely not, because everything he says is true, and you need his pill.

If Jesus Christ is the only Savior of the whole world, what else can I say as a minister of the gospel? Though it is exclusivistic, narrow-minded and extremist by your standards, it is the truth and so I must declare it. Can you show me anyone else who can give us true salvation? We need a God/man, a Savior, who can identify with God and with us. The only such Savior is the God/man Jesus Christ, true God and true man, who alone died for our sins, rose from the dead, is seated as king on the throne and even now is ruling the universe and his church. It is he who died for sins and was raised for our justification. It is he who saves us from the wrath of God, from hell and from death. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth and he holds the keys of hell and death.

Let Us Believe in Christ

You may call this view extreme, narrow-minded, and exclusive, but it happens to be true. And you will soon discover that if you don’t believe in God, you still have faith, but it is a perverted faith in dying men. Soon you shall die and stand before the great Judge of all the earth. Then you will have to face the fact that you rejected him, treated him with contempt, and considered him as nothing. You will have to acknowledge that you tried and crucified him, but God glorified him. Jesus Christ alone is the Savior who gives us salvation from God’s just wrath against sinners.

As Peter said, “Salvation is found in no one else,” meaning it is found in Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Let me assure you, Jesus alone saves, not Jesus and Mary, nor Jesus and Mary and the saints. Whether we believe it or not, Jesus alone saves, and his purposes shall be accomplished! No matter how much the enemies of the gospel oppose God’s plan of saving his people, they will all fail, and ultimately God wins by saving his people and judging those who must be judged.

May God help us to realize that salvation is found only in Jesus Christ. May we understand that we cannot save ourselves but we must receive this salvation through faith in Christ and administered by the Holy Spirit. And if the Holy Spirit is now granting you repentance and the gift of faith to trust in Jesus Christ alone, I urge you to act now. Tell him even now that you want to be saved, and you will be saved.

May God help us all to repent and be converted that we may emerge from death to life, from darkness to light, from hopelessness to peace, and from hell to heaven, to live with God for eternity. Amen.

Written By: P.G. Mathew

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