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Acts Study #4: Introduction to the Book of Acts
Hechos Estudio #4: Introducción al libro de los Hechos
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All Bible quotations and the arrangement are found exclusively in the Kingdom Study Bible version, published by Jehovah Has Spoken Publishing Ministries. It is published for free in PDF format on this website.
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“This is the work of Jehovah! It is marvelous in our eyes.” Psalm 118:23
Book 4.5 (Acts): The apostles preached the gospel of Christ to both Jews and Gentiles (1:1 - 28:31)
Complement Part 1: The apostles and leaders of the assembly in Jerusalem were persecuted by the Jews (1:1 - 12:24)
Unique Chapter 1.1: Many Jews of the Diaspora believed the gospel of Jesus Christ (1:1 - 2:47)
Complement Chapter 1.2: The Sanhedrin violently rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ from the apostles (3:1 - 5:42)
Complement Chapter 1.3: The Sanhedrin violently rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ from Stephen (6:1 - 8:4)
Opposite Chapter 1.4: The salvation of Saul of Tarsus: a devout, but false Jew under the Old Covenant (8:5 - 9:31)
Opposite Chapter 1.5: The completion of Cornelius: a devout and true Gentile believer in Jehovah under the Old Covenant (9:32 - 12:24)
Complement Part 2: The missionaries from the assembly in Antioch were persecuted by the Jews and Gentiles (12:25 - 28:31)
Unique Chapter 2.1: The Jews of Asia Minor violently opposed the efforts of Paul and Barnabas to plant churches (12:25 - 15:35)
Complement Chapter 2.2: The Gentiles and Jews of Greece violently opposed the efforts of Paul and Silas to plant churches (15:36 - 18:22)
Complement Chapter 2.3: The Gentiles of Ephesus violently opposed the efforts of Paul to teach the Word (18:23 - 20:38)
Opposite Chapter 2.4: Paul the free man traveled to Jerusalem to witness to the Jews (21:1 - 23:11)
Opposite Chapter 2.5: Paul the prisoner witnessed to the Gentile Roman government in Caesarea before traveling to Rome (23:12 - 28:31)
Comments: For the last several years, I have been publishing studies on the Books of Matthew, Luke, John, and Mark. These four Gospels, obviously, are all about the Life of Jesus Christ: his birth, his baptism, his teachings, his sufferings, his crucifixion, burial and resurrection. These four Books are the doctrinal foundation stones, as it were, of the New Covenant.
But, the teachings of Christ were mostly very basic. Most of the teachings of Christ centered around personal behavior and obedience to God and his Word.
Jesus did give specific teachings about Baptism and its meaning; however, there are many passages about Baptism in the Acts, and also in the letters of the apostles; and so to have a truly Biblical understanding of the doctrine of Baptism, we must study all of these passages IN THEIR CONTEXT, and bring them all together into an understanding of how those doctrines should be practiced, or not, in our day.
In Bible College, we studied Hermeneutics, which is a method of studying doctrines of the Scriptures with a holistic view; that is to say, how did a particular doctrine evolve over time through the Scriptures (if it did)? And what doctrines have remained the same, no matter what Dispensation it might be?
This is very important to understand as we approach the Book of Acts, because it is a TRANSITIONAL and a HISTORICAL BOOK, very similar to the previous four Gospels in that aspect.
During the first century, as Christ appeared, lived a perfect, sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, was buried, rose again from the dead, and returned to Heaven in his resurrection Body, there was a lot of TRANSITION going on between the Old and the New Covenants.
No longer was the one true God to be approached by repentance and faith, through an animal sacrifice in the Temple in Jerusalem to put away your sins; now the only Way to be saved, was by repentance and faith through the Finished Work of Jesus Christ (his vicarious atoning death, burial, and bodily resurrection from the dead).
This change from animal sacrifices in the Temple to the Finished Work of Christ was like a gigantic theological earthquake to the Jews, because their entire world centered around the Temple in Jerusalem. Many Jews could not imagine that God would undo this mighty work that He had begun more than 1,500 years before with the Exodus from Egypt, the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and later, the Temple constructed by Solomon, and rebuilt in their day by Herod.
This change was very hard for many Jews to accept; and many never did accept it. But God did save a great many Jews, like the apostle Paul, the other apostles, and many others like the Jews who were saved at Pentecost, later in this Chapter.
The original Assembly (or church) of Jesus Christ was composed of the twelve apostles, all Jews. During the Life of Christ on Earth, his Assembly grew and contracted, probably many times. After Peter’s message at Pentecost, it grew by 3,000; and later, another 5,000 were added.
In Acts 10, God used Peter to preach the Gospel to the Roman Centurion Cornelius, a Gentile, and his many friends; and Peter witnessed the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, that they were saved. This was another great theological earthquake to the Christian Jews, because for over 1,500 years, Israel had been the center of all things related to the one true God, Jehovah. If a Gentile wanted to be saved, they had to become a Jew, and follow the teachings of Moses in the Law.
Yet, now the same Jehovah God was doing something totally new: Gentiles were being saved by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and not Jews only, as had been the case during the Life of Christ and the early part of the Book of Acts.
So the question then arose: should these Gentiles who have accepted Christ also follow the teachings of Moses? Eventually, this question was settled at the first Council at Jerusalem in Acts 15:1-31. The answer was NO; Gentiles and Jews have the same Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has shed his precious Blood to redeem all races of mankind without preference or discrimination; however, the Jews have specific obligations and Laws that apply only to them: such as the Feasts of Israel including Passover, Unleavened Bread, Tabernacles, and so on. The animal sacrifices in the Temple were replaced permanently for all races of people; but there are many promises of God in the Hebrew part of the Bible that belong to Israel, and to Israel alone.
“The apostles and elders and brethren sends greeting to the brethren that are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised, and keep the Law’ (to whom we gave no such command): it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that have hazarded their lives for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth: for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: to abstain from food offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if you keep yourselves, you shall do well. Farewell.” Acts 15:23 - 29
Gentiles, by faith in Christ, enjoy the BLESSINGS of the New Covenant along with the Jews; but Gentiles have no part in the inheritance of the land of Israel, or the tribes of Israel, or in the specific feasts of Israel.
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away [Gentiles] were made near by the blood of Christ: for he himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between them; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the Law of Commandments contained in ordinances, in order to make in himself of two one new man: so making peace; and also that he might reconcile both [Jews and Gentiles] to God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity by it. And he came and preached peace to you who were far away, and to them that were near: for through him we both have access by the same Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:13 - 18
So during the Book of Acts, because of these theological “earthquakes” that God had caused to occur, the Christians had to sort out, over time, what doctrines were permanent, and what doctrines were temporary and necessary for the transitional period, but eventually would not be needed for the Great Commission of reaching the entire World for Jesus Christ.
So, the next time you hear a Pentecostal preacher tell you that you must be baptized according to the words of Peter in Acts 2:38:
“Then Peter said to them, “Repent; and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ as a sign of the forgiveness of sins.””
Stop! And realize that this teaching of Peter was given during a transitional period of church history; and should be studied in the light of all Scriptures on the subject of Baptism to arrive at the correct understanding of the doctrine. We will discuss Baptism in more detail in a future study.
Also realize that the Book of Acts has many words that were spoken during a sermon or even during interactions with other people. While the words were preserved by Divine Inspiration, that does not mean that God intended us to receive them as teachings for us today. Think of them as perfectly recorded transcripts of historical events that need to be examined and then compared with other Scriptures to determine the correct meaning.
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak; not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches: COMPARING SPIRITUAL THINGS WITH SPIRITUAL.” 1 Corinthians 2:12 - 13
On the other hand, we cannot take that same approach with the Letters of the apostles! The Letters of Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude are not to be read as we would make a grocery list: "I like that one, but I don't like that one." No! The Letters of the apostles are FOR TODAY: all of them. We can even read 1 Corinthians literally, and understand Paul's teachings about the spiritual gifts as written, as long as we understand that Paul was speaking to a specific Assembly (or church) at a specific time. The spiritual gifts are one of the transitional teachings of the Book of Acts, so we have to read 1 Corinthians in that light. The other letters of the apostles do not have this issue.
God, by his perfect wisdom and purposes, did not give a letter by any of the apostles that looked like a Statement of Faith. Instead, the letters of the apostle use Biblical reasoning and Inspired teaching to lay out the principles of the Christian Faith. Christians have had to construct our own Statements of Faith, as we are able to grow in our faith, and also learn from the mistakes that Christians have made in the past, of which there were many mistakes.
The Golden Ratio design of the Bible, and specifically, of the Book of Acts, gives us a perfect framework in which to understand the flow of the text, and its meaning in its context.
In our next study, we will begin with the first paragraph of Chapter 1 of Acts.
How to be saved
The Bible clearly states that salvation can only be obtained if we repent and believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved.
Luke 13:3: “I say to you, no; but, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Romans 3:21-24: “But now, the righteousness of God apart from the Law is revealed (being testified by the Law and the Prophets), even the righteousness of God as it is through the faith of Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and have fallen short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
It is impossible to keep the Law of Moses! The sole purpose of the Law of Moses (the Ten Commandments) is to make you understand that you are a sinner who has sinned against God. It cannot make you righteous in God’s eyes:
Romans 3:19-20: “And we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be shut, and everyone may become guilty before God; therefore by the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified in His sight: for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.”
Sins can only be paid for by the finished atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross! We cannot pay for our own sins with our suffering, neither in this life nor in the fictitious place called “Purgatory”!
Romans 3:23-26: “For all have sinned, and have fallen short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God has publicly exhibited, to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of past sins, through the patience of God; to declare, I say, at this time his justice; that God may be just, and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus.”
Here is how you can be truly saved TODAY, and know that you have Eternal Life, right now!
The Bible says,
“that if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved: for with the heart, man believes into righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made into salvation: for the Scripture says, “Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed.” For there is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him: for it is written, “whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9-13
Are you ready to do that? If so, then find a place to pray privately, and pray this prayer with all of your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ:
“Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against YOU. I am no good, and you are righteous! You are my only hope for salvation! I believe that you died on the cross for my sins, you were buried, and you rose again from the dead on the third day. I want you to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. Please come into my heart right now. Forgive me for all my sins, and save my soul. In the mighty Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!”
If you have turned from your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and only Savior from sin, please message me through Facebook and let me know that you have done that, so that I can pray for you and rejoice with you in what God has done in your life. Amen.
Hechos Estudio #4: Introducción al libro de los Hechos
¡Si está utilizando un teléfono inteligente, por favor, gírelo al modo horizontal! ¡Gracias!
Todas las citas bíblicas y el arreglo se encuentran exclusivamente en el Reino Estudio Biblia (REB) en español, publicada por los ministerios editoriales Jehová ha hablado.
Está publicado de forma gratuita en formato PDF en este sitio web.
No hay costo ni obligación de descargar este PDF, y ningún la publicidad.
“¡Esta es la obra de Jehová! Es maravilloso a nuestros ojos”. Salmo 118:23
Book 4.5: The apostles preached the Gospel of Christ to both Jews and Gentiles (Acts)
Complement Part 1: The apostles and leaders of the Assembly in Jerusalem were persecuted by the Jews
Unique Chapter 1.1: Many Jews of the Diaspora believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Complement Chapter 1.2: The Sanhedrin rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the apostles
Complement Chapter 1.3: The Sanhedrin rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ from Stephen
Opposite Chapter 1.4: The salvation of Saul of Tarsus: a devout, but false Jew under the Old Covenant
Opposite Chapter 1.5: The completion of Cornelius: a devout and true Gentile believer in Jehovah under the Old Covenant
Complement Part 2: The missionaries from the Assembly in Antioch were persecuted by the Jews and Gentiles
Unique Chapter 2.1: The Jews of Asia Minor violently opposed the church-planting efforts of Paul and Barnabas among them
Complement Chapter 2.2: The Gentiles and Jews of Greece violently opposed the efforts of Paul and Silas to plant churches among them
Complement Chapter 2.3: The Gentiles of Greece violently opposed the teachings of Paul against idolatry
Opposite Chapter 2.4: Paul the free man traveled to Jerusalem to witness to the Jews
Opposite Chapter 2.5: Paul the prisoner witnessed to the Gentile Roman government in Caesarea before traveling to Rome
Introducción
La traducción al español de este estudio está pendiente.
¿Exactamente cómo y cuándo naciste de nuevo?
He aprendido por experiencia que aquellos que se niegan a responder lo hacen porque nunca han nacido de nuevo; no tienen idea de lo que significa, y por eso no pueden responder.
Si ese es tu caso, entonces tu destino eterno en este momento es el Infierno; y más tarde, el Lago de Fuego.
Afortunadamente, podemos cambiar nuestro destino eterno del Infierno al Cielo, si nos arrepentimos de nuestros pecados y recibimos a Jesucristo como nuestro Salvador personal.
Primero, debemos creer que Jesús es el Hijo de Dios; que fue crucificado por nuestros pecados, que fue sepultado y que resucitó de entre los muertos al tercer día.
Romanos 10:8-11: “Pero ¿qué dice? “La Palabra está cerca de ti, incluso en tu boca y en tu corazón”, es decir, la Palabra de fe (que predicamos), que si confesarás con tu boca al Señor Jesús, y creerás en tu corazón que Dios le levantó de los muertos, tú serás salvado: porque con el corazón, el hombre cree para justicia, y con la boca, la confesión se hace para la salvación: porque la Escritura dice, “cualquiera que en él creyere, no será avergonzado”.
Entonces, debemos arrepentirnos de nuestros pecados e invocar el Nombre del Señor Jesús para salvarnos.
Romanos 10:12-13: “Porque no hay diferencia entre el judio y el gentil: porque el mismo Señor sobre todo es rico a todos los que le invocan: porque está escrito, “Cualquiera que llamará sobre el Nombre del Señor será salvado”.
Juan 1:12: “Pero cuantos le recibieron, él les dio autoridad para convertirse los niños de Dios: incluso a aquellos quien creen sobre su Nombre”.
Cuando hacemos eso, entonces nacemos de nuevo instantáneamente en el Reino de Dios.
Estas listo para hacer eso? Si es así, entonces busca un lugar para orar en privado y haz esta oración con todo tu corazón al Señor Jesucristo:
“Señor Jesús, sé que he pecado contra TI. ¡No soy bueno y usted eres justo! Creo que moriste en la cruz por mis pecados, fuiste enterrado y resucitaste de entre los muertos al tercer día. Quiero que vengas a mi vida y seas mi Señor y Salvador. Por favor entra en mi corazón ahora mismo. Perdóname por todos mis pecados y salva mi alma. En el poderoso Nombre de Jesús, oro, ¡Amén!”
Si se apartó de sus pecados y aceptó a Jesucristo como su Señor y único Salvador desde el pecado, por favor envíeme un mensaje a través de Facebook y hágame saber que lo ha hecho, para que pueda orar por usted y alegrarme con usted en lo que Dios tiene hecho en tu vida. Amén.