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Okay, let’s see if we can wrap chapter 13 up today.
We left off with Paul presenting one of the greatest pieces of Good News to a gathering of Jews in a synagogue, saying (and speaking of Jesus) at verse 39:
“And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
This was a promise given to them, and a promise given to all – BY HIM (Jesus) ALL THAT BELIEVE – THAT BELIEVE – are justified from ALL THINGS . . . all sins, all failures, all evil – and then specifically . . . from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
The Messiah has come.
The Old Covenant is ready to pass way, in fact it is passing away, my brothers, and a New Covenant of salvation by grace through faith is upon us!
Having said this Paul continues with the rest of our text today, saying:
Acts 13.40-end
November 13th 2016
Milk
40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.
52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.
Alright, back to verse 40. Paul has introduced them to the Messiah, has delivered to them the Good News, and now adds:
Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; and he quotes a paaages from the Old Testament to them, saying (in verse 41)
“Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.”
The Jews believed with all confidence that their status as God’s chosen and elect nation would continue on out into the vanishing point.
This was not the case. In all actuality they, as a Nation, we’re heading toward some real calamity which would culminate in the complete overhaul by the New Covenant.
Paul’s message was for them, in the face of this good news, that by faith on Jesus they could be saved and so they should therefore “avoid that which is threatened by the prophets” meaning what was written in the part of Old Testament that the Jews would call, “the prophets.”
The Jews divided the Old Testament into three parts, and “the book of the prophets” was one.
In fact I have listed on the Board the way the Jews “saw” their Old Testament.
(GO TO BOARD HERE)
Among the Jews this was the first division of the Old Testament, was called the law and was located in the five books of Moses (also known as the Pentateuch) and are called Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Then we have the prophets, the second and largest part of the Hebrew Scriptures.
It was composed of books of Joshua, Judges, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, (which were called the former prophets) and Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve smaller books from Daniel to Malachi, (which were called the latter prophets).
Finally the Jews called the third portion of their Bible, the psalms or Poetical books. These include Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and the two books of Chronicles.
The place where this specific threat is recorded is Habukkuk 1:5 and was considered part of the minor prophets to them.
The passage was not taken from the Hebrew, but substantially from the Greek translation of the Hebrew called the Septuagint.
The original meaning of the warning was to announce the destruction that would come upon the nation by the Chaldeans and this initial threat was fulfilled.
Remember this. In fact, because it illustrates a great principle, I want to repeat it.
The original meaning of the Habukkuk 1:5 referred to the Chaldeans coming in and wiping out part of the Nation of Israel.
But here in the New Testament, long after this event had passed and accomplished, Paul uses the passage to warn the Jews of His day that there was a threat to the Nation as spoken of by the prophets.
In other words the principle was as applicable to the Jews in the time of Paul as in the time of Habakkuk.
I believe strongly that the principles of the Bible continue to remain viable and alive (even today) and that we ought to read the Bible as a book of principles rather than as a manual of exact specifications.
For example the principle of self-sacrifice is evident in the Old Testament when a family would choose to take an animal they owned and loved as an offering to God for gratitude or sin.
This was a type and principle of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the cross we read played out in the New Testament.
Which continues to be a principle to all who follow Him to “die to our flesh, outside the city limits, and to let the spirit from above reign over us.
It is quite important, in my estimation that the Bible be seen in the light of providing principles rather than as a manual of didactic directives or a system of mandated religious orders that are supposed to be implemented today.
The age of material religion died when the temple, genealogies and priesthoods fell.
Anyway, going BACK to Paul and the Jews of his day the threat of that day loomed over them – and He was telling them to beware (or be aware) that if they held this good news in contempt they, like the Nation of old, would also perish.
God has given them a Messiah, who himself not only manifested miracles but so did His apostles, by the Spirit, in overwhelming ways.
“Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; and Paul, quotes the general meaning of Habakkuk which (again) says:
“Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.”
Habakkuk warned the Nation of despisers that they would wonder and perish at what God allowed to happen to them through the Chaldeans.
The word, perish, does not mean to be destroyed. We know this through the language and from the fact that the Chaldeans did NOT destroy the Nation of Israel.
So Paul is not referring to the Jews of his day being destroyed as in wholly obliterated.
Instead the word literally means “to be removed from the sight, to disappear; and also to be marred or defiled.”
It can also mean to “infuse with shame.”
In other words, the term is used to explain suffering but not eternal destruction the way many people read it today.
Paul then cites God saying in Habakkuk
“For I work a work.” (I do a thing).
Again, the thing to which the prophet Habakkuk referred to was that God would bring upon them the Chaldeans, who would destroy the temple and disperse the Nation but Paul was warning them of the very same fate headed their way through the hands of another army.
Finally, Paul citing the Habbakuk reference has God say:
“for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.”
The Chaldean invasion was beyond the Jews belief – in fact they could not believe it was happening to them though a man (Habukkuk) declared it unto them.
Same application with Paul.
Jesus warned them too. Remember, he said not a stone of the temple would remain on another – and they laughed Him to scorn, unable to believe it “though a man” declared it to them.
So what is the principle application to all readers of the Bible today?
To the Nation of Israel God through Habakkuk said that because of their rebellion:
5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
6 For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.
7 They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.
8 Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.
9 They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.
10 And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.
Here Paul is telling the Nation of Israel the same thing – as did Peter, and John and James and Jesus –
And this coming calamity would be leveled at them through the Roman legions.
Did it happen? Absolutely. And the nation suffered immeasurable loss.
But what about now? What is the principle today and how has it been applied since 70 AD?
People complain because I do NOT believe that afterlife punishment is eternal.
90% of me believes God will reconcile all people to himself once they have been purged of their filth but 10 percent of me wonders (due to certain scriptural passages) about the idea of total annihilation of the utterly rebellious.
In either case, do not get me wrong – unless a person is covered in the blood they will experience a similar fate as the Nation of Israel under the Chaldees and the Nation of Israel under the Romans – a perishing of their unholy parts. And this occurs after this life.
In other words, I am convinced that all individuals (not covered by Christ) experience a purging and perishing of the human will after this life.
I suggest, and could be wrong, but suggest that all souls will face God – those covered by the blood and those not. And the glory of God who is love will purge out (God is a consuming fire) the dross of all not saved which will play a similar role or have a similar effect upon people in the afterlife as the Chaldeans and the Romans had on the nation of Israel – spiritual loss, spiritual suffering, and great surprise and wonderment upon all whom this holy fire falls.
In other words I can’t help but wonder if those who die in this rebellious spiritual state will also be just absolutely . . . astonished at what is happening to them – as astonished as the Nation of Israel was when they were invaded by the Chaldeans and the Romans.
Just a thought. So the teaching ends (verse 42)
42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
There is a great variety of views in the mss evidence regarding this verse and the next. The ancient versions do not help.
Because of this it is really difficult to know exactly what happened here.
Some of the options include:
That most of the Jews there rejected the message but some did not.
That those who rejected the message told Paul to go share it with the Gentiles.
That some of the Jews requested them to return on another Sabbath and teach them.
That some of the proselytes at the gate asked for them to teach them (since they were not considered actual Jews)
And there are a few others. Because it’s not a hill to die on let’s not die on it. But there’s no certainty to interpretation.
(Then as mentioned verse 43 does nothing to clear up the matter and is subject to as many differences as 42, saying)
43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
Im not going to go into the different interpretations but I think that all we can say to this passage is that those who sought after and followed Paul and Barnabas were encouraged to continue in the grace of God. That seems to be a fair representation (verse 44)
44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
As this was the common day of worship a greater multitude would be present than on any other day and we are not told that if this great gathering took place in the synagogue but in all probability it did.
News had traveled concerning Paul’s message the week before and the whole city (probably a common Hebrew exaggeration) showed up to hear the follow-up message.
Here we go:
45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
Now what we see unfolding here was according to plan, did you know this?
Paul says in Romans 11, referring to the Nation of Israel:
11 I say then, Did they (the Jews) not stumble that they fall? Let it not be! But by their “slipping away” (which we are reading about here in their rejection of Paul’s message) came salvation to the nations (to the Gentiles), to provoke them (the Jews) to jealousy.
12 But if their slipping away is the riches of the gentile nations (the non-Jewish world), and their default is the riches of the nations, how much more their fullness?
13 For I speak to you, the nations; since I am the apostle of the nations, I glorify my ministry;
14 if by any means I may provoke those who are my flesh to jealousy, and might save some of them.
So having preached to the Jews first in the synagogue the week before and being generally rejected, Paul and Barnabas begin to preach this message to the Great Unwashed – the gentiles – and this fills the on-looking Jews with envy (the King James says)
That word is better defined as “zeal,” wrath, indignation.”
Why? Think about this. They were promised the Messiah and Paul is saying that He came TO THEM! But they rejected the message so we then see this Good News (which Paul claims was initially meant for them) being given to the fallen heathen world of Pagans!
And, as planned, this angered them. It provoked them to jealousy and wrath. I mean, using the Messiah that was supposed to have come for them “these “Christians” (composed of a bunch of pagan believers) could grow to the point that they may even overwhelm our own power and influence!
. . . And they are getting their start by worshipping one of our own – a Jew who actually came from the line of David!
Now, it was prophesied that God would give the Good News to the gentiles as a means to provoke the Jews to jealousy.
We have a historical record of that happening right here, right? It accomplished what it was supposed to accomplish – to provoke those Jews to envy in hopes it would lead them to turn and live.
Now ask yourselves, since that day, has Christianity really caused the Jews to envy?
They could give a rats nose about Christians today. Christianity is tomfoolery to them today and there is no envy from them left.
That’s because this prophecy was fulfilled THEN. Right here and then.
So what did they do?
They “spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.”
They contradicted the words of Paul, attempting to cause disruption and disorder. Luke adds that they blasphemed.
Now it is doubtful that they would have spoken any evil whatsoever against the being they called “Jehovah” so in all probability they were either blaspheming Jesus of Nazaraeth or the Holy Spirit that witnessed of Him.
According to Jesus speaking against Him is a forgivable sin but to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is unforgiveable in this world or in the world to come.
A phrase which I take to mean as saying that as long as a person resists the message of the Holy Spirit which is given to draw all men to Christ there will be no forgiveness in this world or in the world to come.
The response of these Jews – the brethren of Paul and Barnabas – appears to have set a fire under them and we read (verse 46)
46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.”
Embolden and move to speak, Paul and Barnabas set the record straight with their brethren, saying:
“It was necessary” (it was part of God’s design and command) “that the Gospel was to first be presented to you but you rejected it” (pushed it away from you and by your own conduct, your own free will), “and you declare yourselves unworthy of everlasting life – so we turn to the heathen, the pagan, the Gentiles, the world.”
The terms translated, “and you declare yourselves unworthy of everlasting life” is oo axi-os with “oo” meaning “not” and axious meaning “deserving, suitable, or praiseworthy” of . . . everlasting life (which is best translated as age abiding) “life.”
Stay with me one second now.
What age were these Jews living in? The last age. Jesus had come to save them from destruction which would come at the end of the THAT age.
By accepting Paul’s message those Jews in THAT synagogue could have been found worthy of AGE-ABIDING life – and would have escaped the coming destruction promised to come at the end of that age.
By rejecting the message, they proved themselves NOT SUITABLE to abide in and through THAT AGE but would be destroyed (suffer loss) when judgement fell upon the Nation.
This is direct biblical context folks. Jesus came to rescue (save) His own (Jews who received Him by faith) and give them age-abiding life (life in and through to the end of that age).
Reject Him and they would not receive age-abiding life – they would perish, suffering loss.
Here’s the deal – God promised to redeem Israel. This He did – because that was His promise to them. All of them – of THAT age – not because of their merit or ability – but because He promised to do it.
But this does NOT mean all were saved from suffering loss, does it? No, millions died at His coming with Judgment. It was this judgment that He came to save them from – since He did promise to redeem them all. But, as Jesus said, most would not. And so most suffered loss as there were “few be there who found Him.”
However, since that age has ended and now there is “no difference between Jew and Greek, male and female, bond and free,” and we are in an age of grace by faith – we are all facing the same choice and the same results – only spiritually.
In other words, this is how the principles of the Old and New Testament are affixed and played out in our day and age.
We now all have the Good News offered to us in this dispensation of grace by and through the Holy Spirit. He is calling to all but “all will not.”
We all, too, hear the warnings of the Holy Spirit, of the witnesses of other believers, through the preaching of the word, and by and through the very cosmos of His creation that evidences Him – He is telling everyone today that “today is the day of our salvation.”
But again, most “will not.” Those who will receive His Son are saved from afterlife loss and perishing – a loss for which those who are not saved from it will include the perishing of their carnal minds, wills and emotions in the presence of God.
And as I said, I personally believe that after such loss, or perishing or purging, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord and will be reconciled to God thereafter.
But don’t misunderstand – just because afterlife punishment is not eternal does not in any way mean it is something to take lightly – any more than the Jews could take lightly the destruction of Jerusalem that they experienced for rejecting the invitation in that day.
I hope this explanation helps clear up some uncertainties and vagaries that surround the subject.
So Paul tells these Jews (who have rejected his message) that they have judged themselves to be not suitable to be saved from the coming destruction.
By your disbelief you declare this.
This is the same for all people at their death – by their belief or by their disbelief, they declare this.
(verse 47)
47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, “I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.”
Once again to prove his message Paul appeals to the Old Testament (which is all the scripture they had at this time). Since the Jews recognized the authority of the scripture he appealed to it rather than his own opinion.
This passage is found in Isaiah 49:6 and the fact that it specifically refers to the Messiah there can be no doubt.
As a matter of fact, from the fortieth chapter of Isaiah to the end of the book Isaiah’s primary and main focus is to reference the times and life of the Messiah.
The passage Paul uses says:
“It is a light thing that thou (the Messiah) shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”
The meaning is God says it is one marvelous thing to be the one to raise up the Nation but that the Messiah will also be a light to the Gentiles (and God’s salvation) unto the ends of the earth.
In other words, a student of the Old Testament back in the day would have known that the light of the Gospel would, through Him who redeemed Israel, also go to the Gentiles.
Ever trying to reach his brethren the Jews, Paul appeals to this passage to show them why the Gentiles would respond to their message in this way.
Upon hearing this application to them we read in (verse 48)
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
So when the Gentiles heard this good news that salvation was come to all the ends of the earth they were most happy and glorified this news, this message, this word of the Lord cited from Isaiah.
And then we come to an interesting passage of scripture where Paul adds:
“And as many as were ordained to eternal life.”
Firstly, the Greek best reads:
“And as many as were appointed to age-enduring life believed.”
Secondly, this passage has been interpreted in a number of ways – all dependent upon the views and opinions of the interpreter.
I have tried to set my presuppositions and prejudices aside as a means to really get to the root of the matter.
First of all the Syriac version reads:
“And those who were destined to age abiding life.”
But another version reads, and “those who were “constituted,” to age abiding life believed.”
The Latin Vulgate reads, “As many as were foreordained to eternal life believed.”
And the Weymouth read “and all who were pre-destined to the Life of the Ages believed.”
Of course a Calvinist would read this passage as a validation of their stance that God has appointed some to life and (therefore) the rest to eternal punishment or death).
It is VERY easy to support our prejudices through scripture as there are plenty of passages to support almost any interpretation we desire.
Let me give you an example of how to do this. Did you know that Peter is the one who tempted Eve in the garden?
That’s right. And I can prove it through scripture. In Genesis we read that the serpent tempted Eve. And in Revelation 12 the serpent is identified as Satan.
Then in Matthew 16 Jesus said to Peter, “get thee behind me, Satan,” so therefore we know that Peter tempted Eve!
Right?
Not right.
So while it may appear that this passage supports the Calvinistic idea of election we have to test and challenge it in light of other passages to see if this is true.
The main question is, what is the meaning of the word rendered “ordained” here in the King James?
It is used eight times in the New Testament.
Matthew 28:16 tells us that Jesus sent the apostles, “Into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them,” (previously instructed them to go).
Luke 7:8 says, “For I also am a man set under authority” (I am a man designated, as a soldier)
Acts 15:2 says. “They determined that Paul and Barnabas, etc., should go to Jerusalem.”
Acts 22:10, “It shall be told thee of all things which are appointed (set up) for thee to do;”
Romans 13:1, “The powers that be, are ordained of God.”
The word “tasso” used in all of these places, properly means to place (especially in a certain rank or order).
Its meaning is taken from the military and means to place a body of soldiers in regular order.
Admittedly, the term is never used to denote an internal disposition or inclination arising from one’s own self. In other words it does not mean that they disposed themselves to embrace eternal life.
And it does allude to the fact that AT THAT TIME THEY WERE DISPOSED (placed) to embrace the order given (to believe).
So while we must admit that they were inclined by an influence not of themselves or were disposed to embrace eternal life at that time and that it was solely God who disposed them at that place and in that order to embrace eternal life, the best way to see this (amidst all these factors) is that Luke is saying that those who were “at that moment disposed to hear, heard.”
And that this was according to the plan of God.
I accept and believe this with all my heart. But because those who were there AT THAT TIME were ready to receive eternal life DOES NOT – DOES NOT IMPLY that those who were not disposed to receive at that time will forever remain in this condition. This is the fault in the thinking of the Determinist.
It simply means, then, that those who were appointed to receive and believe at that time did. That’s all.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
God did the inviting and God knew the appointing. But this does not in anyway mean that God appointed ONLY those to receive, JUST those who were disposed to receive THEN . . . at that place and time.
So just because God called and placed those who heard then to believe does not mean others would not believe later.
(Verses 49-51)
49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women (and here we see the wisdom of the Jews – want to gain influence, bring in the honorable women of the land) and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
51 But they (Paul and Barnabas) shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.
The Jews taught uniformly that the dust of the Gentiles was impure, and was to be shaken off.
To shake off the dust from the feet, therefore, was a significant act, denoting that they regarded them as impure, profane, and heathenish, and unworthy of their instruction – to shake the dust was to say that “we will have no further connection with you.
And they came into Iconium, which was the capital of Lycaonia (last verse of chapter 13)
52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.
Apparently in the midst of persecution, they were still filled with Joy and with the Holy Spirit.
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