The Book of Acts

(enhanced notes from R. B. Thieme, Jr.)

The relevant Analytical Literal Translation is included. Bob really did not provide his own translation back in 1965. He only occasionally goes back to the original Greek (usually a few words in each lesson).

There is not a corrected translation of the book of Acts. Bob corrects a few words here and there. The text which I added to the notes is from the Analytical Literal Translation.

Although most of the notes are found below, this is a project that I continue to work on (December 19, 2021).

Bob’s teaching of the Book of Acts is fascinating from the standpoint of the sort of teaching style and approach which he developed. In no other study can you see Bob’s transformation as a pastor-teacher than in this series. For many years, he taught a book from the Bible almost entirely from the KJV, making a few changes here or there. He might cover half a chapter in an hour (or an hour and fifteen minute) session. Then he began to give a few words in the Greek from each verse. Eventually, Bob would give most of the words from the Greek, along with their morphology; and even give his corrected translation. We find much of this metamorphism in his teaching of the Book of Acts, which began in 1965 and continued into 1970.

1965 Acts                                                                                                        Lesson #1

1 11/28/1965 Acts 1:1–3a The ascension

There is no, the Word of God is alive and powerful...

Chapter 1

We know from the first three verses of this book that this is volume two of the Gospel of Luke. Luke is the writer of the third Gospel and the second volume deals with the book of Acts. The book of Acts is actually the written history, the sacred history of the early church before the canon of scripture was completed. There are many things in the book of Acts which are doctrinal and which are just as true today as they were in the day in which it was written, and there are certain things in the book of Acts which would never occur again because these things actually look the place of the Canon of scripture before the Canon was completed.

The place of Acts in the New Testament is to give us a history of the early church before it had a Bible. Many of the New Testament epistles were already in circulation, most of them were not. Many times when we read about the believers in the book of Acts searching the scriptures they were actually studying the Old Testament scriptures because as yet they did not have the New Testament. The style in the Greek of Acts is exactly the same as the style of Luke. There is no question as to the fact that Luke wrote both Acts and the third Gospel.

He wrote this somewhere between 61 and 63 AD. He was writing Acts while Paul was writing the four prison epistles. Luke was with Paul and both of them were writing at the same lime.

Act 1:1 The first account indeed I made concerning all [things], O Theophilus, which Jesus began both to be doing and to be teaching, [see Luke 1:1-3]

Verse 1— a Classical Greek prologue. This is actually the Attic Greek principle involved and it is not the same as the usual Koine Greek. Luke, by the way, was one of the great educated men of his day and this is quite obvious from the Greek of the first three verses.

“The former treatise” is a reference to the Gospel of Luke; “have I made” is an aorist tense indicating the time when Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke; “0 Theophilus” is a vocative referring to a person in the Roman empire. We know exactly the status of this person because of the phrase in Luke 1:3. “most excellent.” He was a knight of the Roman empire. At the lime that Luke was writing the knighthood of the Roman empire was made up of many hundreds of men who were not simply millionaires but who had tens of millions of dollars, sometimes even hundreds of millions.

There has never been wealth like the Roman empire. Some men owned 100,000 slaves. One reason for the collapse of the Roman empire, they wanted more and more luxuries. There was not enough manufacturing in Rome. They would sail to India. Caravans would come from China, and they would only take gold. Their gold was drained in about 100 years. Rome lasted another 100 years or so. People depended upon the Roman government.

We are about 50 years away from a similar collapse. We have a totally false economy. Increasing number of people today dependent upon the government. The government provided entertainment and all the food.

When Luke wrote, this was a golden age of Augusta.

Theophilus was a knight because of the phrase “most excellent” found in the third verse. He probably had 100 million dollars; and like published Luke’s writings.

“of all that Jesus began” — this is the key to the Gospel of Luke as it relates to Acts. The completion is the story of Acts. Notice the order here. With us it is teach, learn and do: but with Jesus it was “do and teach.” Both of these are present active infinitives and the order is extremely important. Before Jesus could teach He had to first of all do. This refers to miracles, all of the acts of healing, to every supernatural act performed in the power of the Spirit by Jesus Christ, and He had to do these things in order to get a hearing. This is the principle which is given in Isaiah. that the Messiah would come with signs to Israel. These signs are the various miracles, acts of healing, and as He performed these signs then people would listen to Him. In order to get a crowd, in order to get a hearing. He first of all fulfilled the signs and the miracles. So first of all. with Jesus it was do and teach. With us it is teach, learn, and do.

The performance of divine good is based upon understanding the filling of the Spirit, the categories of doctrine, their application. When you have two infinitives together the last one is the whole purpose. The purpose of doing was to get a hearing. The great thing is the message, not the miracles. The miracles will alleviate suffering for a few moments but it is the teaching of Jesus which results in eternal life and great repercussion as far as time is concerned.

Act 1:2 until the day [in] which He was taken up [into heaven], having commanded by [the] Holy Spirit the apostles whom He chose,

Verse 2 is a transitional sentence. It is still a part of the prologue. “Until the day in which he was taken up.” This transition is the transition between volume one and volume two of Luke’s writings. “Until the day” is a reference to the ascension. This is the last day covered in the book of Luke; this is the First day covered in the book of Acts. Aorist tense: point of time of the ascension. Passive voice: the humanity of Christ was lifted up by the power of God the Father, the author of the divine plan. The passive voice indicates that He did not propel Himself in His humanity. His humanity is lifted up into the 3^rd heaven.

“after that he had given commandments” — there were many commandments that Jesus gave after His resurrection. Remember that Jesus spent forty days on the earth after He had been resurrected and during that time He briefed born again believers in the vicinity of Jerusalem. But there were two commandments that were more important than all of the others put together and these are the two that God the Holy Spirit led Luke to discuss in Acts. The First is found in verse 5 and has to do with the doctrine of the baptism of the Spirit. It is vitally important that every believer understand the baptism of the Spirit because this is how the Church is made, this is when the Church began, and this is the whole key to positional sanctification. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation to enter even believer into union with Christ. Therefore Jesus made a specific promise with regard to the baptism of the Spirit. It is also necessary to understand this because in 70 AD the Jews are going into the fifth cycle of discipline, they will be scattered throughout the earth until the second advent of Christ. Therefore, there must be someone or some organization to replace Israel as custodians of the truth and disseminators of the gospel. So on the day of Pentecost the body of Christ will begin. The secret to the body of Christ is the baptism of the Holy Spirit whereby every believer, whether he is formerly a Jew or a Gentile, is entered into union with Christ. So this as the First thing that was emphasized just before the ascension.

The second factor which was emphasized was the ministry of every believer on the earth, and this is found in verse 8. This has to do with the fact that every believer is in full time Christian service.

“through the Holy Spirit” — dia plus the genitive connotes instrumentality. It reminds us that during the course of His earthly ministry the humanity of Christ was sustained by the Holy Spirit. In other words, the humanity of Christ was indwelt by the Holy Spirit and during His entire ministry Jesus Christ was Filled with the Spirit. “Through the Holy Spirit” is a reminder, then, that all the time that Christ was on the earth He was sustained by the Holy Spirit. He did not depend upon His own divine attributes and He did not use His own divine attributes independently of the plan of the Father.

Different teams were translating the KJV. There was some esprit decor, the Oxford team knew that pneuma meant spirit. The Cambridge group translated the same word ghost, which showed their own group spirit.

“unto the apostles whom he had chosen” — who did the choosing? Jesus Christ. This is an aorist middle indicative. The word to choose is an aorist tense and this means that the appointment comes in a point of time which is divorced from time and perpetuated forever. In this case the apostles are appointed by Christ and they are perpetuated as apostles. The middle voice here is reflexive, and that means that this is strictly the decision of Jesus Christ.

Remember this for the time that we get to the great election. The first half of the book of Acts is all about the importance of the function of the Holy Spirit. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks upon the frontal lobe.

Matthias was probably very sweet and very sincere. And he could pat hands and tell people that everything was going to be alright.

Act 1:3 to whom also He presented Himself living after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking the [things] concerning the kingdom of God.

Verse 3 the post resurrection appearances of Jesus Christ. “To whom also” — Jesus Christ is not only involved in appointing apostles, He also is involved in briefing believers in Jerusalem in those days before the Church began. We know the exact time. Jesus Christ rose on the firstfruits. He died three days before on the Passover. In fact, the whole schedule of the death, resurrection of Christ and the beginning of the Church is given in the feasts. The firstfruits occurred on Sunday. It bothered the Jews because Sunday was the first day of the week and the Sabbath was their big day, and every Sunday once every year they celebrated the firstfruits. It always occurred on the same day, Sunday. The next feast after that was exactly fifty days away, and fifty days is simply the word “Pentecost.” Fifty days away you have a Sunday again. The resurrection took place on Sunday; the Church started on Sunday.

There was a doctrinal basis for all of this. In six days in the days of the restoration of the earth God worked. He provided in six days everything that man would need in innocence and He rested on Saturday, the seventh day, simply because there was nothing else to do. This is a picture of the work of Christ on the cross.

Our days are named after Norse gods.

On the cross Christ did the work and we rest in that. Our rest is faith — “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved.” Now Sunday is the first day of the week and we worship or rest on the first day of the week, and this is a picture of faith-rest in the Christian life. As a result, in the next six we produce, and the point is that we produce on the basis of grace or we produce on the basis of the faith-rest technique. Jesus Christ rose on Sunday. He was on the earth after His resurrection forty days. Then He ascended. There were then ten days before the Church began, and it was sometime during that ten days that they had the election of Matthias.

“he showed himself alive” — this is during the forty days. “Alive” is a reference to the resurrection and the word is a present active participle. The present tense is linear aktionsart and that means that He kept on staying alive in His humanity, in fact His humanity could no longer die.

“after his passion” — the word passion doesn’t mean passion at all, it means after His suffering and it refers specifically to the cross; “by many infallible proofs” — these infallible proofs are then given.

“being seen of them forty days” — He was alive on the earth in His resurrection body for forty days, and being seen reminds us of the resurrection appearances of Jesus Christ, many of which are recorded in the scripture.

Mary Magdalene had no illusions about human behavior. She learned Bible doctrine much more quickly than the Apostles did.

Bob will discuss the resurrection body next Sunday morning.

1965 Acts 1:3b–5a                                                                                         Lesson #2

2 12/05/1965 Acts 1:3b–5a The ascension promises

We are studying in Acts that period of time just before the ascension. During that time Jesus taught many things and two of the promises are recorded because they arc the two most important. The first of these promises is found in verse 5 and it has to do with receiving power to witness. It has to do with the ministry of the Holy Spirit for the Church Age is executed entirely by the Holy Spirit. Since this is different from any previous dispensation never before in the history of the human race were all believers indwelt by the Spirit. Here is something new and therefore Jesus must brief them on this particular operation. Only a very few people in the past had the Holy Spirit for any reason whatever, and they could lose Him.

Witnessing is more than giving out the gospel; but it is the whole structure of the Angelic Conflict; where we have a witness to the angels and to the unbelieving world.

How did the church get along without the completed canon of Scripture? The is what Luke tells us. The post-canon period is about a.d. 132 and forward.

Pre-ascension and post-ascension appearances of Jesus.

The doctrinal significance of the resurrection

When Christ went to the cross He was the unique person of the universe, he was God and He was man in one person forever. He is coequal with the Father and with the Spirit and yet He is different from the Father and the Spirit in that he is true humanity. Yet he is different from all true humanity in that He is perfect and He is God. So Jesus Christ who hung upon the cross is unique.

When He hung upon the cross he was deity. He had sovereignty, righteousness, justice, love. eternal life, omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, immutability and veracity. He was also true humanity and minus the old sin nature. He was indwelt by the Holy Spirit for the First three hours and He also had a human spirit and a human soul. When He hung upon the cross in the last three hours our sins were poured out upon Him. Obviously now the deity cannot die. Deity cannot die because deity is sovereign and sovereignty is not subject to anyone or anything. Deity cannot die because deity is eternal life. Deity cannot die because of immutability, deity cannot change. Deity could not hang upon the cross because deity is omnipresence and omnipresence cannot be reduced to one point. So it is quite obvious that the deity of Christ could not and did not die. That is what He had to become true humanity. But during those last three hours the sins of the entire world were poured out upon Christ and when they were the Holy Spirit left. Jesus said: “My God [the Father), my God (the Holy Spirit), why hast thou forsaken me?” The answer is 2Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him. who knew no sin. to be sin for us. that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” When He was made sin for us the Father judged Him. and therefore forsook him [spiritual death. and the Holy Spirit forsook Him. So that our sins were poured out upon Him and He died spiritually. All of our sins were judged at that point, they can never be judged again. It was His humanity that died spiritually.

Three hours later when all of this had been accomplished then Jesus said. “It is finished.” Mission accomplished. He came to save the world, he provided this salvation through dying for our sins. and once this mission was accomplished He declared it. Then. after he declared it was Finished, immediately He came back into fellowship with the Father. While bearing our sins He cried. “My God.” but once it is over then He says “Father.” “Father, into they hands I dismiss my spirit.” and he dismissed His spirit. In other words. He died physically. So Christ died twice on the cross. First He died spiritually, bearing our sins. Secondly, he died physically, and when He died physically His spirit went into the presence of the Father. His soul went to Paradise, and His body went into the grave.

Now from that particular point Jesus Christ rose again. But when we are talking about resurrection we are talking about the humanity of Christ. Deity did not die: deity is not resurrected. Then we are talking about the humanity of Christ forty days on the earth, and then we are talking about ascension. The humanity of Christ ascended into the presence of the Father and this was the first time that any member of the human race has ever been in the third heaven. Until that time all of the Old Testament saints had gone to Paradise. Abraham’s bosom. and there they had resided until this time. Once Jesus Christ ascends into the presence of the Father then we have this very significant and wonderful fact. humanity as represented by Christ is accepted by God. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father and this is higher than all angelic creatures. For the first time in the history of the human race a member of the human race. a human being, is higher than the angels. Jesus Christ coming into the world was created lower than the angels and when he was seated at the right hand of the Father He was made higher than the angels.

“Going to the moon is like going to Tomball.” Our physical bodies are not designed to travel around in space very well. Jesus was the first astronaut and He went all the way to the 3^rd heaven. Jesus did not even require a launching pad. His body was recognized as a human body.

His voice was recognizable; Jesus could eat or not eat. We apparently do not have blood? Jesus can walk through doors, open or closed. So the body must be differently designed. In the atomic structure of anything has more space that solid. A different atomic structure.

We will have a body exactly like His forever. We can travel through space; or slow down and walk along a road.

During the time that Christ is seated there His enemies are being made His footstool, this is occurring all the time that we are in the Church Age. Even time a person is born again it resolves the angelic conflict and eventually the number of people in the Church Age will equal the number of demons operating under Satan on the earth. When that occurs then the Church will go to be with the Lord. The ascension is based upon resurrection. Christ had to have a different body than the one with which He came into the world.

Act 1:3 to whom also He presented Himself living after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking the [things] concerning the kingdom of God.

“and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God”— what is the kingdom of God? There are actually three kingdoms on the earth at the present time. The first is the kingdom of God. The second is any national entity divine institution #4. Thirdly, there is the kingdom of Satan which takes many forms: religion, internationalism, etc. The first two are recognized by God and the third is in conflict with God. Divine institution #4 is made up of X number of believers and unbelievers. The kingdom of God today is made up of anyone who is in union with Christ. This is the Church universal, the invisible body of Christ. This is what will be mentioned in verse 5 where it says, “John baptized with water: but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” This is the kingdom of God. and during those forty days what Jesus was primarily doing was not making appearances but teaching, he briefed. He taught them about the kingdom of God. In other words. He taught the Church Age.

Verses 4-8 begins the post-resurrection ministry of Christ.

Act 1:4 And being assembled together, He gave strict orders to them not to be departing from Jerusalem, but to be waiting for the promise of the Father, "Which," [He said,] "You heard from Me; [Luke 24:49]

Verse 4 “And being assembled together.” Notice that whenever the Church was taught, even before it was the Church, there was always an assembly. Jesus is teaching that assembly for forty days. but after He leaves there will be a gift. He leaves one category of gift. the pastor-teacher, and that is to carry on the principle that when believers are assembled there are those who have the gift and can teach them.

“he commanded them” the Greek word for command paraggellô (παραγγέλλω) [pronounced par-ang-GEL-low]. Aggellô, from which we get our word “angel,” simply means to announce or to tell. Par is para and is the preposition of immediate source. So to announce from the immediate source is actually the word here. This is a little more than simply giving a command, it means to teach and command. The command comes from the immediate source of doctrine.

“that they should not depart from Jerusalem” in all of this briefing He kept saying, “Stay here.” The Church has to begin in one place and it will begin in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the place of cursing, the place of the crucifixion, and cursing is always turned into blessing in God’s plan and cursing will be turned into blessing on the day of Pentecost, the Church will begin in the place where the curse occurred, where Christ was made a curse for us on the cross.

“but wait for the promise of the Father” the word “promise” is in the singular even though it involves many promises because they all pertain to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will do certain things for them and thereafter when any person is born again that person will receive five things immediately from the Holy Spirit. So “the promise of the Father which ye have heard” takes into consideration all of the teaching that Jesus did during that forty days. Why did Jesus stay that forty days? Because during that forty days He covered the whole realm of doctrine necessary for the beginning of the Church Age.

Two facets of this promise arc given. The first is given in verse 5. the second in verse 8.

Act 1:5 because John indeed baptized [or, immersed, and throughout book] in [or, with] water, but you_p will be baptized in [or, with] [the] Holy Spirit after not many [of] these days [fig., in a few days]." [Matt 3:11]

Verse 5 a contrast of baptisms. We have here two categories of baptisms. We have ritual baptism, and ritual baptism always involves water, in a ritual baptism water always represents something. For example, in the baptism of Jesus the water represented the plan of God for them incarnation. When Jesus went into the water he said in effect I will go to the cross. In reality, water in the baptism of Jesus represents the cross. Then in the baptism of John. John baptized with water. The water in the baptism of John represented the kingdom of God and when people believed in Christ they were entered into the kingdom of God. Then. thirdly, the baptism for the believer in the Church Age. Here the water represents Christ. When you go into the water it represents Christ in His death. Identification with air is identification with Christ in His resurrection. So the water actually represents current and retroactive positional truth.

We also have some real baptisms. The Greek word to baptize means identification, and there arc four real identifications found in the scripture.

John is the herald of the First advent and the only ritual authorized in John’s ministry was water baptism.

“For John truly baptized” aorist active indicative The aorist tense indicates even act of baptism performed by John. But lie baptized “with water,” water representing the kingdom

There is no reaffirmation of your faith or of your salvation. You get right with God in one way and one way only; rebound.

“but ye” here is the contrast now. The word “ye” is you all, plural “shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” The word baptize means identification, and this starts back in Homer’s Odyssey in which baptized was first used in 900 BC. When Jesus said “but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit” he is referring to an actual identification. This is in the future tense and means that the baptism of the Spirit had not taken place as yet. This is very important because the Church cannot begin until the baptism of the Spirit begins. There is no church unless you are entered into union with Christ. Never once in the Old Testament anywhere under any circumstances is the baptism of the Spirit mentioned. Then, this is in the passive voice. Voice in the Greek always indicates the relationship between the subject and the verb. In this case the subject receives the action of the verb which means the moment we believe we receive the baptism of the Spirit. We do not do something to get it, we do not work for it, it is something that God does for us. Actually, it is something we cannot feel even.

“with the Holy Spirit” is not with the Holy Spirit, it is really “by means of the Holy Spirit” we have the instrumental case here. The Holy Spirit is the instrument of the baptism. You are not baptized into the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit baptizes you into Christ. Connect this with 1Corinthians 12; 13. “For by means of one spirit are we all baptized into one body.”

“not many days hence” was actually ten days.

This doctrine is continued into lesson #3.

1965 Acts                                                                                                        Lesson #3

3 12/12/1965 Acts 1:5b–12 Pre–ascension briefings

At most there were 120 people who saw the Lord Jesus Christ launched into space (what about the 500?). Just before He launched Himself into what we call the doctrine of the ascension He had several things to say which are of extreme importance to us. In the pre-ascension briefing there are only two things that are mentioned. One of them is found in verse 5 and that deals with our union with Christ, the baptism of the Spirit. The second, also connected with the Holy Spirit. “Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you” is a reference to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit leading to the filling of the Holy Spirit and this is the basis of witnessing.

When you arrive at the moon, what have you accomplished? Nothing. The throne room of God the Father is billions of light years away. No human being will every get out of our universe until the rapture of the church. One Person has broken through all space barriers. It takes a resurrection body to so what He did; and some day, we will do the same. We did not see this, because it is God’s plan for us to make decisions based upon the Word of God.

Jesus Christ we share His election, His Sonship, His Kingship, His priesthood. We share all of these things because we are in union with Him.

The first beautiful prayer was a total flop. You can sound great and talk to the Lord and it is nothing but hot air. “Lord, show us who You have chosen,” and God did not choose either one. The 12^th Apostle would be Paul.

Act 1:5 because John indeed baptized [or, immersed, and throughout book] in [or, with] water, but you_p will be baptized in [or, with] [the] Holy Spirit after not many [of] these days [fig., in a few days]." [Matt 3:11]

Bob reviews the types of baptisms (found in the previous lesson). Review of baptism of the Spirit. Christians cannot get together on everything; Bible teachers cannot get together on everything. Differences exist as long as we are on this earth. But, every believer is in union with Christ, which is a result of the baptism of the Spirit.

Hi is important because there are a bunch of kooks who think that the baptism of the Spirit is an experience.

A Greek man who had a wife used her for perpetuating his seed. He spent a lot of time either with his boy or his mistress. The woman was not allowed out of the house; so she could not go look for him.

The baptism of the Spirit was an amazing thing. This made a great change in the position of the woman. Christianity is why women are free. Christianity has done for women that nothing else has. The Bible tells us that the woman is human. The baptism of the Spirit gives true freedom to all members of the human race. You cannot make people equal in this world. All people are different in mentality, athleticism, business ability, etc.

The world is filled with nice unbelievers. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. We are new creatures because we are in Christ. We are not new creatures because we have given something up.

Morality is not Christianity. Christianity begins at the moment of salvation. We become new creatures apart from our own volition (that is, we don’t know that we are made into new creatures).

The Ascension

Act 1:6 So indeed, having come together, they began questioning Him, saying, "Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?"

Verse 6 — “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’’ This is a ridiculous question. Jesus has just talked to them about the baptism of the Spirit, the means whereby a new kingdom will be developed. The baptism of the Spirit forms a new kingdom. In the Church Age we have a kingdom on earth but it is a kingdom made up of believers. These believers all have one thing in common, they are all in union with Christ. This is the body of Christ and so obviously this is a different kingdom. This kingdom must exist because during the Church Age the Jews are under the fifth cycle of discipline. They are scattered, they are not restored. The Church Age is the age when the Jews are scattered, when they no longer have responsibility for the Word custodianship of it or responsibility for its dissemination. So they ask a silly question. At this time they are under the fourth cycle of discipline in which they are under the domination of the power of Rome. They want to get out from under the power of Rome, they want to go back to their wonderful days when they were independent.

The disciples might want to become the 11 rulers of the new kingdom, independent of Rome.

Act 1:7 But He said to them, "It is not yours_p to know times or seasons which the Father placed in His own authority,...

Verse 7 — “it is not for you to know the times or the seasons.” The word “times” is chronos (χρόνος) [pronounced CHRON-oss] from which we get out English word “chronology,” and it means a succession of events, one event after the other. Usually chronos (χρόνος) [pronounced CHRON-oss] is connected with the history of Israel under its cycles of discipline. The Greek actually says “it is not from you to know the times.” “From you” is a genitive of source and it indicates that the ignorance of the disciples to understand the upper room discourse is hurting them now. In other words, you don’t have this information in you. It is available but you don’t happen to have it in you. It is “not from you to know.” Yet we have a detailed teaching of this in Matthew chapters 24 and 25. There are detailed teachings of this in the book of Isaiah. There are many passages of scripture, beginning with Leviticus chapter 26, that teach the times. And they should know the times, they should understand the times. They should understand that they are right here in this transitional period and when this transitional period is over the Jews are going to be scattered throughout the world. So “it is not from you to know", which is another way of saying they are ignorant. They should have this information, they should understand that the kingdom of Israel will not be restored. They will be scattered throughout the earth and will remain scattered until the second advent, and when Christ returns to the earth they will be regathered. They did not understand the times and because of this they were not oriented or prepared for the coming of the Church Age.

The second word is “seasons.” the Greek word kairos (καιρός) [pronounced kī-ROSS] which means an epoch or a period of time. Chronos (χρόνος) [pronounced CHRON-oss] is a succession of events but kairos (καιρός) [pronounced kī-ROSS] is dividing them down into sections. The disciples should understand by now the four sections of time, or the four dispensations: The Age of the Gentiles Genesis 1-11, the period when there was one race in the world, the Gentiles; the Age of Israel which was interrupted by the cross, resurrection, ascension and session; the Church Age. By now the disciples should begin to understand the age of the Church because for three years Jesus has been periodically briefing them on things pertaining to the Church Age. But they didn’t get it and as a result they are not prepared for it. After the Church is the Jewish Age is completed and then Christ returns, and then we have the Age of Christ or the Millennium. They don’t understand the Church Age, yet they should. They are going to start the Church Age and will be the nucleus and have to know what they are doing.

“which the Father has put under his own authority?” The word “power” is authority here.

Act 1:8 but you_p will receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you_p, and you_p will be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and as far as [the] end of the earth."

Verse 8 — “But ye shall receive power.” This power is actually inherent power, dúnamis (δύναμις) [pronounced DOO-nahm-iss]. They are going to receive inherent power. The power they are going to receive is the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit who will indwell them. “Ye shall receive” is future tense indicating that this power and the reception of it is ten days away.

“after that the Holy Spirit” is come upon you: ye shall be witnesses unto me” — the impact for Christ comes from the power of the Holy Spirit. They will be witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. The area of witnessing is given and this is also an historical sequence. First it will start in Jerusalem, and one of the purposes of the book of Acts is to show us that the Church did not begin all over the world, the Church began in one spot. With the beginning of the Church in Jerusalem there is a problem. In Jerusalem from the day of Pentecost we have Church Age believers and throughout the rest of the world we have Old Testament believers. And for awhile you are going to have Old Testament saints and New Testament saints living in the same world. The book of Acts shows how eventually what started in Jerusalem went throughout the entire world and there are no longer any Old Testament saints, they are phased out.

Acts 19 is the final time that an Old Testament saint is brought into the church.

It starts out in Jerusalem. Then this thing will spread “in all Judea,” the southern kingdom. Then it will go to the hated place, Samaria. When we get to Acts chapter eight we see the gospel going to Samaria. Then before too long we get into “the uttermost parts of the earth” by the end of the book of Acts. So this is the historical sequence from starting in one spot and moving the Church throughout the world.

This method provides a stable beginning. The authority is clearly understood throughout the Roman empire. Doctrine was consolidated; the Word was firmed up; and then the gospel went throughout the world. People become confused by apostasy, and that spreads like wildfire; and it spreads from different places.

The church begins in one place.

Act 1:9 And having said these [things], while they [were] looking, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him from their eyes [fig., sight].

The first launching.

Act 1:10 And as they were looking intently into heaven [or, at the sky] as He [was] going, then look!, two men had stood by them in white robes,

Bob and his friends would gather and look up, until a number of people came along and also looked up. Then, they would ease their way out of the crowd and go somewhere else and look up.

Verse 10 — they stood there with their eyes bulging: “two men stood by them in white apparel” two angels have joined them. The words “two men” is actually “two persons.”

Act 1:11 who also said, "Men, Galileans, why have you_p stood looking attentively into heaven? This Jesus, the One having been taken up from you_p into heaven, will come in the same manner [in] which manner you_p saw Him going into heaven."

Verse 11 — “Which also said.” Now they bring them down to earth: “ye men of Galilee” — what stranger could walk into a crowd and tell they were all from Galilee? How did they know they were from Galilee? They were angels and they had been sent to brief them.

“this same Jesus” — Jesus is the title of His humanity, it was the humanity of Christ which ascended: “which is taken from you [ascension] into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

They had been standing on the Mount of Olives and looking up. This is the original, historical launching pad.

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

Act 1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount being called Of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey [away] [i.e. the distance which Jews could travel on the Sabbath without breaking the Law, which was less than a mile].

Verse 12 — they were standing on the Mount of Olives looking up. Jesus will be returning to the same place Zechariah 14:4. He is not coming back today and they might as well get down and start learning some of the things which are necessary so that they will know how to operate during His absence. The Church Age is the period when Christ is absent from the earth. Now, everything that Jesus wants us to know we have in the Word of God. 1Corinthians 2:16 says the Word of God is the mind of Christ. We have everything that Jesus is thinking in writing. This is our instructions during His absence. We have everything that we need in time for any circumstance.

1965 Acts                                                                                                        Lesson #4

4 12/19/1965 Acts 1:13–26; 1 Tim. 1:12; 1Cor. 12:11; 15:7 The twelfth apostle; baptism of God the Holy Spirit

Acts1:13 And when they entered [Jerusalem], they went up into the upstairs room where they were staying: both Peter and James, and John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James [the son] of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas [the son; or, the brother] of James. [cp. Jude 1:1]

Verse 13 – “where they abode” is in the imperfect tense which means that they probably resided here. There is a list of the people present, the eleven apostles to Israel and they are appointed apostles to the Church. Peter is mentioned first because his leadership is obvious. Thomas is mentioned, even though he totally failed 40 days before in the matter of believing in the resurrection. This did not keep him from being on the roster of apostles. To each of these is given apostleship, the gift of absolute dictatorship for the next 50 years or so while the Church is being established.

There are to be 12 apostles. Obviously someone had to take the place of Judas and the big question is who is going to be the replacement. This is a sovereign choice of God the Holy Spirit, according to 1Corinthians 12:11. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to appoint spiritual gifts. The twelfth one is not even saved yet, and for five more years he will not be saved, but there is going to be an attempt to elect a replacement.

Paul is not immoral; but he is religious and very self righteous; and therefore, the worst sinner who has ever lived. Paul was better oriented to the grace of God. He became better oriented to grace than any other believer who has ever lived.

Acts1:14 These all were continuing with one mind in prayer and petition, together with [the] women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with His brothers.

Verse 14 – “These all continued with one accord.” This means they were in harmony with one another and were all in fellowship with God. There were 120 of them and they were well equipped to spend the next ten days. The resurrection is on the feast of the firstfruits, and there are fifty days between the firstfruits and the next feast which is Pentecost. For forty days the eleven disciples and the others are gathered together in the upper room and they are in harmony with one another, which indicates that they stated out in fellowship. According to John 20:22 they were given the Holy Spirit, so they are controlled by the Holy Spirit. Yet in spite of that of that they get into a sin which is fantastic because it doesn’t depend upon the filling of the Spirit or their walk with the Lord, it depends upon their knowledge of doctrine. So there is an area of sin into which people fall through ignorance of Bible doctrine. This was their failure; and this will lead them to a terrible choice, to elect an Apostle.

“and his brethren” – the four brothers of Jesus, mentioned in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3. Jude and James are half-brothers of the Lord, and each wrote a book.

Acts1:15 And in these days, Peter having risen up in [the] middle of the disciples, said (and [the] crowd of names [fig., the number of people] at the same [place] was about a hundred and twenty),

God does not use perfect people. Peter failed greatly; but after rebound, he becomes a useful servant to God.

Verse 15 – “Peter stood up.” Peter is the presiding leader in the roster of disciples given in verse 13; “in the midst of the disciples” – the word “disciples” is used for 120 people here. Then there is a parenthesis which tells us how many people were involved in this operation.

Acts1:16 "Men, brothers, it was necessary [for] this Scripture to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas (the one having become a guide to the ones having arrested Jesus),

Verse 16 – Peter’s speech was based on scripture. But when we start praying for the will of God and are ignorant of doctrine we are going to wind up out of the will of God. There is no substitute for knowledge of Bible doctrine. The will of God is declared through the Word of God.

“Men and brethren” – because there were ladies present and they were included in the “brethren.”

“this scripture” – there is going to be a dissertation on the Word; “must needs have been fulfilled” – that is, it is necessary to fulfill a scripture from the Old Testament.

“which the Holy Spirit by the mouth of David spoke before” – this was a prophecy from David. David was a king but he was also a prophet, and many of the Psalms which David wrote contained prophecy.

“concerning Judas” – Peter is right in this part of his interpretation; “which was a guide to them that took Jesus” – the word “guide” is used in the sense that he guided the soldiers to where Jesus was in order to betray Him, but the word means “traitor.”

Acts1:17 because he had been numbered with us and obtained [or, was chosen to have] the share in this ministry."

Verse 17 – “For he was numbered with us.” This is a foreshadowing of what we have today. Always among born again believers there are a certain number of unbelievers numbered with them, identified as Christians though they are not Christians because they have not accepted Christ as saviour; “and obtained part of this ministry” – so that Judas was actually identified with the twelve when they went to Israel as apostles and he actually had a part of their ministry. This means that the miracles performed in Matthew chapter ten were also performed by Judas.

Acts1:18 (This one indeed then acquired a field by [the] payment of [his] unrighteousness, and having fallen headfirst, he burst open in the middle and all his inward parts were poured out.

Verse 18 – “Now this man purchased a field.” This is what happened to the money that was used for the betrayal. Judas became conscience stricken. Then he tells how Judas died. There are two accounts: one that he hung himself and the other that the rope broke. Apparently it was some time before it was known that Judas had hung himself and the rope rotted, he had been hanging so long that he simply broke asunder. This was one man who was never taken down, he had no friends, no loved ones, no one who cared, he had the respect of no one. This is why Peter mentions this. Judas is not loved or respected by anyone, among the pharisees or from among the disciples of Jesus. But who is worse than Judas? Saul of Tarsus. As an unbeliever, Saul was worse than Judas.

Judas had been hanging for so long that the rope finally broke and he burst apart.

Acts1:19 And it became known to all the ones living in Jerusalem, with the result that that place is called, in their own language [i.e. Aramaic], Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)

Verse 19 – “And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem.” Everyone knew about Judas but no one cared for him.

“insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama [Aramaic], that is to say, The field of blood.”

Acts1:20 "For it has been written in a scroll of [the] Psalms: 'Let his residence become desolate, and let no [one] be dwelling in it'’; and 'Let another take his position of overseer.' [Psalm 69:25; 109:8]

Verse 20 – Now Peter quotes the scripture for which he has in mind for this message. “For it is written” – at this point he cites scripture which is to be used in this regard, and he is going to quote from two passages. The first is from Psalm 69:25—“Let his habitation be desolate,” and the second is from Psalm 109:8— “and his office let another take.”

“Let his habitation be desolate” indicates that the Potter’s field was a place of desolation and no one has any regard for Judas; “let no man dwell therein” means that there is now a vacancy among the apostles, the eleven, there should be twelve.

Acts1:21 "Therefore, it is necessary of the men having accompanied us in every time in which the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us—

Verse 21 – Peter suggests that they fill the vacancy right away. Peter gets into error because the appointment of the twelfth apostle is strictly the appointment of God. In 1Corinthians 12:28 we see that the fact that there would be apostles was the sovereign decision of God the Father. In Ephesians 4:8, 11 the sovereignty of the Son is involved in spiritual gifts. In 1Corinthians 12:11 it is the sovereign ministry of the Holy Spirit to actually select who is involved in apostleship.

Peter is misapplying Scripture and misinterpreting it.

120 people agreed to vote on this issue. Peter has introduced democracy to the nascent church.

A church called a man to be their church in Illinois. They were probably unanimous in their selection of him. They called him as a pastor, which means pastor-teacher. He went to the board and said, “My gift is not pastor-teacher; I have the gift of evangelism.” They mutually agreed to separate. And so Billy Graham went into evangelism.

The word “wherefore” means “Which of these people.”

Acts1:22 having begun from the baptism [or, immersion, and throughout book] of John until the day which He was taken up from us—[for] one of these to become a witness with us of His resurrection."

Verse 22 – “must one be ordained.” There is no word for ordained in the original, it is the word to become. It is “it is necessary for one to become a witness with us with regard to the resurrection.”

Acts1:23 And they put forward two: Joseph, the one being called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

Verse 23 – the nominating committee. Everything is done decently and in order, and this is highly commendable. The only problem with it is that the sovereignty of God is not in it at all. Now there is a ballot and there are two men on it. Joseph Barnabas and Matthias.

Acts1:24 And having prayed, they said, "You Lord, knower of the hearts of all [people], disclose which one of these two You chose

Verse 24 – the beautiful and useless prayer.

“show which of these two though hast chosen” – this is where they have gone astray. God hasn’t chosen either. They recognize that it is God who does the choosing and yet they are voting to choose themselves. In other words, they are superimposing their volition on the sovereignty of God, and this is a most ghastly sin. They are out of fellowship at this point and when people are out of fellowship they are tremendously inconsistent.

Acts1:25 to receive the share of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place."

Which was to hell.

Acts1:26 And they gave [fig., cast] their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Verse 26 – the futile election. Matthias is numbered with the eleven apostles and said to be the twelfth. Note 1Corinthians 12:11, “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He [the Holy Spirit] wills.” The gift given is a sovereign decision by God the Holy Spirit.

1Timothy 1:12 (I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,) —this verse emphasizes the fact that Christ put Paul into the ministry. All 3 members of the Trinity participate in this selection.

1Timothy 1:13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,... 

1Timothy 1:14 ...and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 

1Timothy 1:15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

1Timothy 1:16  But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.  

1Corinthians 15:7ff, all of the apostles had to be a witness to the resurrection.

1Corinthians 15:7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 

1Corinthians 15:8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me. 

1Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 

Paul was grace oriented. If the church voted on Paul, he would have never been voted an Apostle.

1Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 

Paul would be the great theologian; and he would be the chief example of what God can do with a man.

1Corinthians 15:11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 

120 disciples failed. They voted for an Apostle, which was not their prerogative. The plan of God moves forward, despite any of our failures.

1965 Acts                                                                                                        Lesson #5

5 12/26/1965 Acts 2:1–4 The day the Church began

Believers of the previous dispensation will be integrated into the church.

Age of Israel, broken down into 3 parts. The Church Age begins on the day of Pentecost a.d. 30. God the Holy Spirit did not indwell believers in the Age of Israel. So, the faith-rest technique was spirituality during that time frame. There was the enduement of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.

A contrast between the Acts and the epistles. Precanon versus post-canon periods. Special gifts and Apostles existed in the precanon period. No one has the gift of tongues, miracles, or Apostles today. We will study this transitional period.

The book of Acts is a record of many failures. Paul failed twice. Practically everyone failed in the book of Acts, except, perhaps, Stephen.

Church Age has positional truth, which did not exist in the past. Specialized priesthood during the Age of Israel. Today, every believer is a priest. We are in full-time Christian service. We also have the complete canon of Scripture, where God reveals to us by His Word.

“Moses longed to see My day.”

Some woman who claimed that Jesus was talking to her from the end of her bed. These people are not mentally right.

We are picked up and put into union with Christ by the Holy Spirit.

Satan’s first advent in the garden. As a result of his first advent, the first advent of Christ. Now the first advent of the Holy Spirit. This begins the Church Age.

The church is removed and Jesus returns for the 2^nd advent.

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

Chapter 2

The day the Church began. Verses 1-4, the first advent of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:1 And when the Day of Pentecost [had] come, they were all with one mind at the same [place].

Pentecost is simply the timetable. Jewish time begins and ends at night. This probably took place in the morning.

The Passover was the time of the cross. 3 days later the feast of the firstfruits. All during that day is a 7 day feast called unleavened bread. Firstfruits then 50 days. Firstfruits is on a Sunday? The gap represents the Church Age. Feast of the Trumpets, which is an assembly feast, where the Jews are gathered up. Feast of the Tabernacles is the Millennium. A 7 month blank out represents the Church Age.

Verse 1 – the day the Church began. Acts deals with the pre-canon transitional period of the Church Age. One of the unusual characteristics was the existence of temporary spiritual gifts. On the day of Pentecost we have certain characteristics which were different from anything in previous dispensations. First of all, positional truth/baptism of the Spirit did not exist in the past. Furthermore, no believer on the Old Testament was ever indwelt by Christ. Then there was the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Universal indwelling of the Holy Spirit did not exist in the Old Testament but from the day of Pentecost every believers is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Also, in the Church Age every believer is his own priest. We also have something they didn’t have in the Old Testament: a completed canon of Scripture, so that God reveals Himself to us by the Word only.

The timetable for the first advent of the Spirit is give: “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come.” Pentecost was God’s schedule for starting the Church; “they” includes 120 believers—Acts 1:15; “were all,” imperfect linear aktionsart, goes back to John 20:22 where they had received the Holy Spirit; “with one accord.” The Church started that way, and that was the end of it right there. The Church has two times when it will be with one accord: the day it begins and the day it ends with the Rapture. “One place” refers to Jerusalem and it indicates that when the Church Age began it began in one spot only; it was localized. Harmony on the first day of the Church Age; and harmony when the rapture occurs.

The tongues crowd makes a big deal out of this one accord and one Spirit. And they are the most disrupted and disagreeing of all the Christian cults.

Acts 2:2 And suddenly [there] came from heaven a sound like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Verse 2 – “And suddenly.” When things begin with God they begin, often, suddenly. All of a sudden we have the Jewish Age and then in the next second we have the Church Age. The Jewish Age is discontinued for a time.

“there came a sound” – the Church begins with a sound and the Church will end with a sound. The Church began with the noise of the coming of the Spirit; the Church will end with a loud noise: the trumpet at the Rapture. The Greek word here means a roar, a reverberation; “as a rushing mighty wind” – like the rush of a tornado. This is an analogy: “as” introduces an analogy. The word “it” is not it, it is the second masculine singular pronoun and it should be translated, “and he”—reference to the Holy Spirit; “filled the room” – the Holy Spirit has arrived for the new dispensation. The Jewish dispensation began with Abraham; the dispensation of the Church began with God. He filled the room, not it. The Church Age has now begun. This is the 1^st advent of the Spirit. He has come as God.

What gathered the people in Jerusalem? This great noise. Everyone rushes into the streets because they hear this great sound. Peter will give his message of salvation. The noise gathered the crowd. This is an evangelistic opportunity. They need to be evangelized and there needs to be a sign involved. The prediction by Isaiah that the Jews will be evangelized in Gentile languages. Thousands of Jews have come from all over the world. They were scattered all over the world from the time of Alexander the Great. Some of these Jews have been living elsewhere for hundreds of years. They do not speak Aramaic, even though they are Jews. When they come out into the streets, they hear gentiles languages; they are evangelized in gentile languages.

The evangelization takes place outside from where they are. The church is the place where believers are taught. It is not where evangelization takes place. People bring their unsaved friends to church; but, evangelization takes place on the outside. At the end of v. 2 they are all sitting; and in v. 6, they are outside in the streets evangelizing.

Acts 2:3 And [there] appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and [one] sat on each one of them.

Verses 3-4, the principle of the Spirit’s advent. “And there appeared unto them”—He appeared in a special way—“cloven tongues” – the Greek means divided into parts or distributed. This is the gift of tongues actually. It should be translated, “And it was distributed to them divided tongues.” They were divided into languages. The Holy Spirit was dealing out the languages. The word “tongues” is a reference to the gift of tongues, which is declaring the gospel in a foreign language. The Holy Spirit is just dealing out the gift of tongues to each one. That is what “cloven tongues” means. The Greek word simply is the word to divide, a present passive participle, dramatic present, passive voice: they received this distribution, they didn’t get to pick, the Holy Spirit made the decision; “like as of fire” – “as” is an analogy.

Fire represents judgment. The gift of tongues was designed to announce the fifth cycle of discipline, i.e. maximum judgment to the Jews. This is the fulfillment of Isaiah 28:11,12. Cf. 1Corinthians 14:21, 22. This announcement of the gospel to the Jews is an announcement of judgment to the Jews, but it is an announcement that includes grace. It says cursing can be turned to blessing through faith in Christ. While they are being warned of coming judgment they are also given the out: and literally, “and he [the Holy Spirit] sat upon each of them.” This is not the gift of tongues at this point. The Holy Spirit distributed the spiritual gifts but as soon as He sat upon each of them for the first time God the Holy Spirit indwells every believer. “And” is the conjunction which separates. “Each of them” means every believer involved. John 7:34 this had not occurred before.

God does not judge us without the opportunity of grace (at least, regarding the human race).

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled of [or, with] [the] Holy Spirit, and they began to be speaking with different tongues [fig., foreign languages], just as the Spirit was giving them to be declaring boldly.

Verse 4 takes us to an experience. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does five things for us at the moment of salvation. We do not experience these things, these are things the Spirit does for us—regenerating, indwelling, sealing, baptizing, giving of gifts. We do not ask for any of these. This is an aorist tense and it indicates that in a point of time when the Church began, they began with the filling of the Spirit.

“and they began to speak” – the word “began” is a chronological verb in the aorist tense, indicating that they immediately began to speak with other languages; “as the Spirit gave them utterance” – it is the Holy Spirit who gave them utterance. The word “gave” is imperfect linear aktionsart, the Holy Spirit kept on giving them utterance. “Utterance” is an infinitive: “gave them the ability to speak.”[1]

Isaiah warned about this in his writing and speaking around 700 b.c. The time period that we are look at is around a.d. 32. The fifth cycle of discipline with be administered in a.d. 70, Tongues continue as a Satanic operation after 70 a.d.

1965 Acts                                                                                                        Lesson #6

6 01/02/1966 Acts 2:5–12; Isa. 28:9–11; 1Cor. 14:21 What about tongues?

The background for this passage is the cycles of discipline. Bob reviews the application of the 4^th and 5^th cycles of discipline.

Isa 28:9 “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? 

Isa 28:10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” 

Isa 28:11 For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people, 

Isaiah 28:9-11. The word “stammering lips” in verse 11 is a reference to Gentile languages. This is the sign which would indicate the coming of the fifth cycle of discipline. The Jews were responsible in the Old Testament for the dissemination of the gospel. They were custodians of the Word of God and were responsible for getting the gospel out to Gentile people. And the sign that the fifth cycle of discipline would come for a prolonged period of time was to be the fact that the Gentile languages would be used to evangelize them, the Jews. In other words, this is putting missionary activity into reverse.

1Cor. 14:21–22 In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”  Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers

Cf. 1Corinthians 14:21-22, a quotation of Isaiah 28:11, 12. Tongues have nothing to do with those who believe, but to those who do not believe. The Jews were to go to the Gentiles, and the warning to the Jews was that they personally were going to be evangelized in Gentiles. But this is more than a warning, it is a sign with a purpose. When they go into the fifth cycle of discipline in 70 AD they will be scattered, and they will remain scattered until the Second Advent. During this particular period all Jews are under the curse of the fifth cycle of discipline, and the only way to remove the curse on any individual Jew is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and become a member of the Church, the body of Christ. Only when a Jew believes in Christ during this age is cursing turned to blessing. There needs to be a warning which fulfils the principle of a sign, and the warning is the fact that the Jews, through a miracle, will be evangelized in Gentile languages—“tongues are for a sign.”

Antoinine Caesars the long period of peace, for 100 years; on 3 continents, there is no war. Bible doctrine in the Roman empire, this was the greatest period of peace. It was often difficult to find Roman soldiers at this time. Bible doctrine makes the difference in a national entity. This was true in Judah, untouched (I guess during the time of Solomon?). It is the impact of Bible doctrine. Remarkable things which occur.

Interesting approaches. A ghastly prayer for peace during a football game, praying in the names of all the gods. Somehow, through liberalism, we are going to know peace. The world has known periods of time where there is peace; but this is when one or more countries have great armies; and there is the influence of Bible doctrine over the same region.

This thinking is contrary to faulty liberal thinking today. Bible doctrine leads to the golden age of any national entity. The period of peace for Judæa was about 200 years.

Rome in a.d. 70 will take over Jerusalem. Those who survive of the Jews will go into captivity. But prior to this, the Jews will be warned, and that will take place in Acts.

When the Jews go into the fifth cycle of discipline, they will be scattered. Jews will not be gathered up to their own region. Some are gathered for a period of time.

There needs to be a warning, a miracle; to warn the Jews. Tongues is a miracle. The word tongues always refers to a foreign language. It never refers to an ecstatic utterance. The first fulfillment of this sign is below, starting with Acts 2:5.

Bob was a language major throughout his college years. Bob had the only parent teacher conference for Bobby when he took Latin and was not very enthusiastic.

Acts 2:5 Now [there] were Jews dwelling in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation of the [ones] under heaven.

The disciples were Galileans and they barely spoke their own language. Aramaic was a combination of Chaldean and Hebrew, established in the Babylonian captivity.

The first fulfillment of this sign is found in Acts 2, beginning at verse 5. “And there were dwelling in Jerusalem.” Why the gift of tongues on this occasion? Because there were dwelling in Jerusalem “Jews.” The word for “dwell” means to dwell temporarily, to dwell according to a standard, and the Jews who were dwelling in Jerusalem were there according to one standard: Judaism. That is why we have the word “devout,” a word that is never used in Scripture for spirituality, it is used for an unbeliever who is religious. In other words, the worst kind of an unbeliever. These are religious Jews and they have come to Jerusalem for one purpose: for the holy period which is being observed. It began with the Passover which was followed by the feast of unleavened bread. In the midst of the feast of unleavened bread there was the firstfruits, and the fourth feast at the end is Pentecost. Pentecost is fifty days after the feast of the firstfruits. The feast of firstfruits was always held on Sunday, and that bothered the Jews because Sunday was the first day of the week. Pentecost was always held on Sunday, and Pentecost simply means fifty days. Actually, these feasts were a part of God’s plan and they showed His schedule. The Passover represents the cross; Christ died on the Passover—“Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” The firstfruits represents His resurrection. Unleavened bread is fellowship with God in time—operation phase two. Pentecost is not only the day the Church Age began but it is also the beginning of the warnings for the Jews that they are going into the fifth cycle of discipline. All of these things were involved in the phrase, “There were dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews.” These are religious Jews, they are not saved. They have come from all over the world for one reason, they are pilgrims who at least one in their life time tried to get into the holy city to observe the Passover during the Pentecost period, a period of great religious activity. They are said to be “out of every nation.” They are out of every nation based on several principles.

When Alexander the Great came to Jerusalem on his conquest of the world the Jews came out to meet him. Under the leadership of the high priest they brought out to him the Daniel manuscript and pointed the story of Alexander out from chapter eight. Alexander was so impressed that he was found in Scripture that he immediately took a liking to the Jews, and he became their benefactor. He immediately discovered that they were excellent in administration and wherever Alexander went during his twelve years of conquest he took Jews. In this way the Jews had their first scattering, and they were scattered all over the earth. Then, during the course of the Roman empire Jews had been discovered in the field of administration to have great abilities and were also in international business. Therefore Jews were scattered all over the Roman empire. Many of the Jews had been living away from home for several hundred years, and they had now gathered in Jerusalem during this particular holy period.

Alexander went all over the region setting up democracies. He took many Jews with him. He would leave behind good administrators. These Jews were being scattered.

In Alexandria (in Egypt?), a great banking system was set up.

Acts 2:6 Now this sound having occurred, the crowd came together and was bewildered, because they were each one hearing them speaking in his own language.

Verse 6 – “Now when this was noised abroad” is erroneous. In the Greek it says, “Now when they heard the sound.” This was the sound of verse 2, apparently an explosion of some kind. When the Holy Spirit came there was a tremendous explosive type noise which woke up everyone in Jerusalem. This is how the crowd was gathered together on the day of Pentecost: people came to investigate, “the multitude came together.” And it says “they were confounded [startled], because that every man heard them speak in his own language.” Here is the gift of tongues. The people hear the disciples speak to every man in his own language. The language of Judea at this time was Aramaic, but these men had been away from Judea a long time and they spoke Gentile languages. “They heard” is in the imperfect tense, referring to linear aktionsart: “they kept on hearing.” The word “speak” is in present linear aktionsart. So there is an interesting contrast here, and this is an idiom in the Greek, an imperfect tense followed by a present tense. The two are always related and both of them in the field of linear aktionsart. The imperfect tense means that once they heard their own language spoken, in many cases over a thousand or two thousand miles from home, they gravitated to the speech to see what was going on. The idiom used to declare this is the imperfect tense plus the present tense. In other words, they kept on listening all the time the speaking was going on. The disciples kept right on witnessing and the people kept right on hearing. They kept listening for two reasons: because they were astounded and because of the content.

Acts 2:7 Then they themselves were all being amazed and were marveling, saying to one another, "Listen! All these [who] are speaking are Galileans, are they not?

Verse 7 – “And they were all amazed.” The word “amazed” is exístêmi (ἐξίστημι) [pronounced ex-ee-STAY-me] which means to stand out of yourself, and to stand out of yourself or to jump out of your skin means to be amazed. They were utterly startled. They were so astounded that all they could do was concentrate on what they heard. This is what the verb implies.

“and marveled, [kept] saying one to another, Behold are not these who speak Galilieans?” A Galilean is a unilingual individial. Galilean is used for a person who has had no formal education.

Acts 2:8 "And how [is it that] we each hear in our own language in which we were born?

Verse 8 – “And how hear we every man in his own language, wherein we were born?”

Acts 2:9 "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the ones dwelling in Mesopotamia, also in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

In verses 9-11 we have the mechanics of the gift of tongues. First of all there are languages—people from all over the world. Parthians, who occupy the country which is north of Persia or Iran and south east of the Caspian Sea. The Medes, along with the Persians, were once part of a great empire.

The Elamites were part Persian and part Semitic who lived in wild, mountainous country east of Babylon. This is a very isolated area.

The “dwellers of Mesopotamia” bring us into the Tigris-Euphrates valley. Judea refers to southern Palestine.

Cappadocia takes us to Armenia, its western side, famous for being the Hittite empire. Pontus is an area of southern Russia, located on the Black Sea.

Asia refers to the Roman province of Asia. “Strangers of Rome” is literally, “those dwelling among the Romans.” Includes areas settled by the Gauls. Some settled down in a region we now call Turkey.

All these are representative of the Roman empire, as represented by Jews. Jews lived throughout the entire Roman empire.

Acts 2:10 also Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya, the [one] along Cyrene, and the visiting Romans, both Jews and proselytes [i.e. converts to Judaism],

All of the languages of the world were spoken by this 120 people.

Phrygians were professional soldiers.