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Commentary on Acts 3:22-26 By Bob Myhan 22 For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' Since Peter defends his last statement by a reference to Moses, who was clearly prophesying of the messianic or church age, the period of restoration must be the present dispensation of God’s grace through or by means of obedience to the gospel plan of salvation. This will also be a period of destruction because those who do not obey the gospel will be destroyed (Matthew 10:28; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10) The quotation is from Deuteronomy 18:15, 18, 19. 24 Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. Here is definitive proof that the church age was not hidden from the view of the Old Testament prophets, as premillennial dispensationalist would have us believe. Not one prophet failed to speak of these days, the messianic or church age. This also proves that the “times of restoration” are the church age. 25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' Peter probably does not intend to convey that those to whom he is speaking are literally “sons of the prophets” any more than he means that they are literally “sons … of the covenant.” From his next statement, he probably means only that they are of the same people, generally, that is, of “the seed of Abraham.” This is the same point that Paul makes in Romans 11:1-10. God has not turned His back on the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities." As further evidence that God had not turned his back on the nation of Israel, Peter explains that the preaching of the gospel is God’s means of turning them from their iniquities. There has yet been no preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles, except for those who had already been proselytized. There is the suggestion by Peter that the Gentiles will eventually be recipients of the same blessing by the same means. Special Study Just how does God turn people away from their iniquities? AN EXPLANATION OF THE INDIRECT OPERATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE HEART OF MAN IN CONVICTION AND CONVERSION The heart is the fourfold center of man: the intellectual, emotional, ethical and volitional center. As man’s intellectual center, it is his mind or intellect. As his ethical center, it is his conscience. As his volitional center, it is his will. There does not seem to be a separate word for the heart as man’s emotional center. If the heart is to be changed completely, it must be changed intellectually, emotionally, ethically and volitionally. How does the Holy Spirit operate on and change the heart without “an influence or power in addition to and distinct from the spoken or written word”? The Holy Spirit operates on and changes the heart in its intellectual capacity, by means of information that could only have come from God. This information is the word of God. Jesus Himself indicated that the heart is a “seedbed” in which the word of God must be planted. "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.” "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved." (Luke 8:5, 11-12) Because of the intellectual capacity of the heart, man must come to know that he needs to be saved and that only God can save him. This is conviction. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.” “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside." (Matthew 13:3-4, 19). Every other change necessarily involves the intellect. Remember, man must hear and learn from the Father in order to come to Jesus. (John 6:45) The Holy Spirit operates on and changes the heart in its emotional capacity, by means of the word of God concerning His love for mankind. God manifested His love for us by sending His Son to the cross. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). Jesus demonstrated love by giving His own life for us. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13) "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1 John 3:16) We learn about this demonstration of God’s love from the word of God. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16). Our love is, therefore, in response to His love. That is, He creates love in us by having demonstrated and revealed His love for us. We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19). The Holy Spirit operates on and changes the heart in its ethical capacity, by means of the word of God concerning the authority of God. Paul’s conscience had been clear even while he was persecuting Christians. Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." (Acts 23:1) "This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men." (Acts 24:16) His heart had not made proper ethical judgments because it had not been properly educated. "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." (Acts 26:9) But when he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus, he realized the he did not have authority from God to persecute Christians for worshipping Jesus as God. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. (Acts 9:3-9) On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of Peter, changed the hearts of the people ethically by showing that Jesus had authority from God for the things He did. "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-- Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it." (Acts 2:22-23) "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:36-37). Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." (Matthew 28:18) (To be continued) Jesus Died For Us! Shouldn’t We Die With Him? By Bob Myhan Jesus died and shed His blood for many for the remission sins. He tasted death for every person. He washes us from our sins in His blood. And with that blood He purchased His church, to which He adds the saved. (Mt. 26:28; Heb. 2:9; Rev. 1:5; Acts 20:28; Acts 2:46-47) Is it possible for Jesus to ask too much of us? In Baptism:
Have you put Him on in baptism? Have you been raised with Him to walk in newness of life? Have you been made alive with Him? Have you been buried with Him? Have you died with Him? & |