Commentary on Acts 12:24-25

By Bob Myhan

²⁴But the word of God grew and multiplied.

This writer cannot help but to be reminded of the parable of the sower.

“The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred." (Mark 4:14-20)

Thus, “the word of God grew and multiplied” in two ways—in its proclamation and in its effect. That is, both the preaching and reception of it increased. It also grew within the hearts of those who had received it, as they continued to allow their lives to be influenced by it. As Jesus told the woman of Samaria:

Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:13-14)

²⁵And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.

The ministry of Barnabas and Saul was to deliver to the elders of the churches in Judea the funds that had been given by the disciples in Antioch for the relief of the poor saints in Judea. (11:28-30) We have already previously shown that there was more than one congregation in Judea. Barnabas and Saul had, therefore, delivered aid to the elders of each church wherein there were needy saints. It is only natural their return to Antioch would begin at Jerusalem, for that would be the last of the churches visited—it being the highest in elevation.

It is also at the very least possible, even probable, that Saul would take advantage of the opportunity on this occasion to preach to the churches in Judea. (Acts 26:20) When he later writes that he was “unknown by face to the churches of Judea” (Gal. 1:22), he was speaking of the time when he was sent to the areas of Syria and Cilicia (Gal. 1:21; Acts 9:28-30). At that time he was only for two weeks in Jerusalem but he was definitely preaching.

So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.

Thus, when he later says that he “declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance” (Acts 26:20), there is no reason not to take the order of mention as the order of occurrence. That is, he preached (1) “to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem” (2) “throughout all the region of Judea and” (3) “then to the Gentiles.” In other words, he had already preached in Judea before beginning his ministry to the Gentiles, which Luke begins to detail in chapter thirteen.

(To be continued)

A Study of the Holy Spirit (Part 2)

By Bob Myhan 

While the Old Testament reveals that there is a plurality of persons in the Godhead, it does not specify the number of those persons. The New Testament does.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matt. 3:16-17)

In the above, we have three distinct persons: (1) the Son on earth, (2) the Spirit descending and (3) the Father in heaven. As seen in part one, Jesus distinguished Himself from the Father and Spirit and each of them from one another.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:26)

"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” (John 15:26)

Thus, the Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God. However, the Son is not the Father, the Father is not the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is not the Son. They are three persons but one Deity. There is no distinction as far as their Deity is concerned but there is a distinction of Personality. This differs from the “gods” of Roman, Greek and Norse mythologies. Consider the following.

And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked. Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.” (Acts 14:8-16)

The Greeks made more than a personality distinction between Zeus and Hermes. The two were different deities. Zeus was the chief god, although he was not first. He was the son of Cronus, who was the son of Uranus, according to Greek mythology. Hermes was the messenger of the gods. Jupiter and Mercury were the Roman equivalents of Zeus and Hermes, respectively. All the gods of the Greeks were collectively called the Pantheon (“all gods”).

Zeus and Jupiter were both considered the god of thunder. To each of the other gods was attributed a particular aspect of nature. Thus, rather than being equal they had varying degrees of power. Almost all of them were born of sexual unions. They were not one in any way; some were greater than others. They were creatures not creators of man, created in the image of man with emotional luggage and sexual drives not unlike men and women.

In contrast to this, the One True and Living God has always existed as a tripartite being. Initially revealed as God, the Spirit of God and the Word of God, they came to be known in the New Testament as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These designations and distinctions are probably for the specific purpose of distinguishing their respective roles in the fulfillment of the eternal purpose.

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. (Eph. 3:8-12)

All three persons in the Godhead took part in the physical creation. The Father planned it, the Son executed it and the Holy Spirit organized it.

The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews indicates that the Father made the worlds through the agency of His Son.

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds (Heb. 1:1-2).

John implied that all things were made through the agency of the Word of God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:1-3)

Paul implied that a second agent acted on behalf of the Word.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (Col. 1:15-16)

And Moses tells us who that agent was.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Gen.1:1-2) 

(To be continued)

To Go To Heaven an Individual