Conversions In The Book Of Acts
Saul Of Tarsus (9:1-19; 22:6-16; 26:12-18)
From the conversion of "The Ethiopian Eunuch", we now turn our attention to what is perhaps the most famous of conversions in the New Testament. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus, chief persecutor of the early church - Ac 8:1a "Saul approved the stoning of Stephen.", 3 "Saul started making a lot of trouble for the church. He went from house to house, arresting men and women and putting them in jail."; 9:1-2 "Saul kept on threatening to kill the Lord's followers. He even went to the high priest and asked for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the Lord's Way." Who became Paul the apostle (Ac 13:9), a recipient himself of much persecution for the cause of Christ - cf. 2 Co 11:23-28 -- Whose conversion stands as a powerful testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are actually three records of his conversion in The Book of Acts. Ac 9:1-19 - where Luke describes it as it happened. Ac 22:6-16 - where Paul recounts his conversion before a large crowd. Ac 26:12-18 - where Paul defends himself before King Agrippa. From the example of the conversion of "Saul of Tarsus" we find not only a powerful testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also more evidence concerning the nature of conversions as they are revealed in Acts. For example, when was Saul (Paul) saved? Was it on the road to Damascus, when the Lord appeared to him? Or was it in Damascus, at some point after he arrived there? How was Saul (Paul) saved? Through saying a sinner’s prayer? Or by being baptized?
Such questions can be answered by a careful consideration of Biblical evidence. Let’s begin then with a review of the evidence provided by all three accounts of Saul’s conversion and look at the harmony of his conversion. Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute more Christians - Ac 9:1-2 "Saul kept on threatening to kill the Lord's followers. He even went to the high priest and asked for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the Lord's Way."; 22:4-5 "I made trouble for everyone who followed the Lord's Way, and I even had some of them killed. I had others arrested and put in jail. I didn't care if they were men or women. The high priest and all the council members can tell you that this is true. They even gave me letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus, so that I could arrest people there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished."; 26:9-11 "I once thought that I should do everything I could to oppose Jesus from Nazareth. I did this first in Jerusalem, and with the authority of the chief priests I put many of God's people in jail. I even voted for them to be killed. I often had them punished in our meeting places, and I tried to make them give up their faith. In fact, I was so angry with them, that I went looking for them in foreign cities."
All of a sudden a light shone around him from heaven - Ac 9:3 "When Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him."; 22:6 "One day about noon I was getting close to Damascus, when a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me."; 26:12-13 "King Agrippa, one day I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and permission of the chief priests. About noon I saw a light brighter than the sun. It flashed from heaven on me and on everyone traveling with me."
Then a voice began to speak to him in Hebrew identifying itself as the voice of Jesus - Ac 9:4-5 "He fell to the ground and heard a voice that said, "Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?" "Who are you?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus," the Lord answered. "I am the one you are so cruel to."; 22:7-9 "I fell to the ground and heard a voice asking, "Saul, Saul, why are you so cruel to me?" "Who are you?" I answered. The Lord replied, "I am Jesus from Nazareth! I am the one you are so cruel to." The men who were traveling with me saw the light, but did not hear the voice."; 26:14-15 "We all fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice say to me in Aramaic, "Saul, Saul, why are you so cruel to me? It's foolish to fight against me!" "Who are you?" I asked. Then the Lord answered, "I am Jesus! I am the one you are so cruel to."
Jesus then tells Saul why He has appeared to him - Ac 26:16-18 "Now stand up. I have appeared to you, because I have chosen you to be my servant. You are to tell others what you have learned about me and what I will show you later." The Lord also said, "I will protect you from the Jews and from the Gentiles that I am sending you to. I want you to open their eyes, so that they will turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then their sins will be forgiven, and by faith in me they will become part of God's holy people." He was to go on to Damascus, where he will be told "what you must do" - Ac 9:6 "Now get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do." He will be told "all things which are appointed for you to do" - Ac 22:10 "I asked, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" Then he told me, "Get up and go to Damascus. When you get there, you will be told what to do."
Saul now arrives in Damascus led by the hand, having been blinded by the light - Ac 9:8 "Saul got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a thing. Someone then led him by the hand to Damascus,"; 22:11 "The light had been so bright that I couldn't see. And the other men had to lead me by the hand to Damascus." For three days, he neither eats nor drinks - Ac 9:9 "and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink."
The Lord appears to Ananias in a vision, and tells him to go to Saul - Ac 9:10-16 "A follower named Ananias lived in Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision. Ananias answered, "Lord, here I am." The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. When you get there, you will find a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. Saul is praying, and he has seen a vision. He saw a man named Ananias coming to him and putting his hands on him, so that he could see again." Ananias replied, "Lord, a lot of people have told me about the terrible things this man has done to your followers in Jerusalem. Now the chief priests have given him the power to come here and arrest anyone who worships in your name." The Lord said to Ananias, "Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me. I will show him how much he must suffer for worshiping in my name."’ Ananias then obeys and goes to Saul, and has his sight restored - Ac 9:17-18a "Ananias left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his hands on him and said, "Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me. He is the same one who appeared to you along the road. He wants you to be able to see and to be filled with the Holy Spirit." Suddenly something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see."; 22:12-13 " In that city there was a man named Ananias, who faithfully obeyed the Law of Moses and was well liked by all the Jewish people living there. He came to me and said, "Saul, my friend, you can now see again!" At once I could see." Saul is then told why the Lord appeared to him and how he will be a witness of what he has seen - Ac 22:14-15 "Then Ananias told me, "The God that our ancestors worshiped has chosen you to know what he wants done. He has chosen you to see the One Who Obeys God and to hear his voice. You must tell everyone what you have seen and heard." Then Saul is told to be baptized and wash away his sins, calling upon the name of the Lord - Ac 22:16 "What are you waiting for? Get up! Be baptized, and wash away your sins by praying to the Lord."; 9:18b "He got up and was baptized."
Sauls’ conversion is now complete and he begins his work immediately by preaching in Damascus - Ac 9:20 "Soon he went to the Jewish meeting places and started telling people that Jesus is the Son of God." And later in Jerusalem, Judea, and to the Gentiles - Ac 26:19-20 "King Agrippa, I obeyed this vision from heaven. First I preached to the people in Damascus, and then I went to Jerusalem and all over Judea. Finally, I went to the Gentiles and said, "Stop sinning and turn to God! Then prove what you have done by the way you live."’
As mentioned previously, the conversion of Saul is a powerful testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What other reasonable explanation can be given for the drastic change from "chief persecutor" of the Christian faith to "chief proclamator" of the Christian faith? But the conversion of Saul is also valuable for the insights we can glean into the process of conversion. With that in mind, allow me to share some observations concerning "when" Saul was saved.
It is often stated that Saul was saved on the road to Damascus when the Lord appeared to him; that his conversion took place at that moment. Note that while on the road, the Lord said it would be in Damascus where he would be told "what you must do" - Ac 9:6. In Damascus, Ananias told him to "wash away your sins" - Ac 22:16/ At that point, Saul was still in his sins! He was still not saved! While in one sense he was indeed "converted" on the road (his view of Jesus certainly changed), conversion in the sense of salvation did not occur then. Saul was not saved until after he arrived in Damascus.
From the statement of Ananias in Ac 22:16 (to wash away his sins), we learn that Saul was not saved by virtue of the vision on the road. We learn that Saul was not saved by virtue of the prayers and fasting he had offered for three days - Ac 9:9,11. Saul was saved when his sins were "washed away" - Ac 22:16, which occurred after spending three days in Damascus. Saul’s salvation occurred when he was baptized to wash away his sins! This concurs with what Peter said about the purpose of baptism in Ac 2:38 "Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit."
Concerning baptism and calling upon the name of the Lord we can turn to Peter’s statements. After quoting Joel who wrote of calling upon the name of the Lord to be saved (Ac 2:21 "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (ASV, KJV), Peter told his crowd to be baptized - Ac 2:38 (see above). Now Ananias commands Saul to be baptized, "calling upon the name of the Lord" - Ac 22:16. As Peter wrote, baptism saves us, and is an appeal for a clear conscience - 1 Pe 3:21, in baptism, then we are "calling upon the name of the Lord". We are appealing to God by the authority of His Son Jesus to forgive our sins. While we can certainly pray as we are being baptized, baptism itself is a prayer (an appeal) to God for a clear conscience!
From the conversion of Saul we learn that one is not saved by visions of the Lord (who could have a vision more impressive than Saul’s?) We learn that one is not saved by saying the sinner’s prayer (Saul had been praying and fasting for three days!) In keeping with what we have seen already, one is saved when they are baptized for the remission of their sins - Ac 2:38. One is saved when they are baptized to have their sins "washed away" - Ac 22:16. Of course, we learn from Paul’s discourse in Romans 6 that the simple rite of baptism is efficacious because in baptism we are baptized into Christ’s death - Ro 6:3-4 "Don't you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father." We are united with Christ in the likeness of His death - Ro 6:5 "If we shared in Jesus' death by being baptized, we will be raised to life with him." We are crucified with Christ, and our body of sin is done away - Ro 6:6 "We know that the persons we used to be were nailed to the cross with Jesus. This was done, so that our sinful bodies would no longer be the slaves of sin." We die to sin, and are therefore freed from sin - Ro 6:7 "We know that sin doesn't have power over dead people."
In his commentary on Ro 6:3, Martin Luther wrote: "Baptism has been instituted that it should lead us to the blessings (of this death) and through such death to eternal life. Therefore IT IS NECESSARY that we should be baptized into Jesus Christ and His death." (Commentary On Romans, Kregel Publications, p. 101)
And so we say, as did Ananias, to anyone who has yet to be baptized for the remission of their sins... "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." If you have not responded to the gospel message as we have just examined in Saul’s conversion and would like to do so, by all means please contact me directly at jimnewy@classicnet.net
This study is from The Executable Outlines Series, a collection of sermon outlines and Bible study lessons by Mark A. Copeland . These outlines were developed in the course of my ministry as a preacher of the gospel. Feel free to use them as they are, or adapt them to suit your own personal style. To God be the glory!
The Executable Outlines Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2001
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Conversions In The Book of Acts - IIIb
The Ethiopian Eunuch (8:26-40) Part Two
Having looked at the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch in our last lesson we now turn to some observations concerning what it means to preach Jesus. From Isaiah’s "quotation" (Isa 52:13-53:11), we know it involves teaching. For example how Jesus died for our sins - 1 Co 15:1-3 "My friends, I want you to remember the message that I preached and that you believed and trusted. You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don't, your faith was all for nothing. I told you the most important part of the message exactly as it was told to me. That part is: Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say." How Jesus has been exalted by God - Ac 2:36 "Everyone in Israel should then know for certain that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, even though you put him to death on a cross."; 3:13-15 "The God that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and our other ancestors worshiped has brought honor to his Servant Jesus. He is the one you betrayed. You turned against him when he was being tried by Pilate, even though Pilate wanted to set him free. You rejected Jesus, who was holy and good. You asked for a murderer to be set free, and you killed the one who leads people to life. But God raised him from death, and all of us can tell you what he has done."; 5:30-31 "You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But the God our ancestors worshiped raised him to life and made him our Leader and Savior. Then God gave him a place at his right side, so that the people of Israel would turn back to him and be forgiven."
From the Eunuch’s "question" (Ac 8:36), we know it includes stressing the importance of baptism. If not why did the eunuch ask, "What hinders me from being baptized?" Perhaps because Philip told him what the Lord had said - Mk 16:15-16 "Then he told them: Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world. Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned." The purpose of baptism, as expressed by Peter and Paul - Ac 2:38 "Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit."; Ro 6:3-4 "Don't you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father"; 1 Pe 3:21 "Those flood waters were like baptism that now saves you. But baptism is more than just washing your body. It means turning to God with a clear conscience, because Jesus Christ was raised from death." As we have seen and will see, baptism is the expected response when one believes in Jesus. This can not be repeated or stressed enough because there are so many in todays time that reject it.
Note the immediacy of baptism. Why did the eunuch asked to be baptized right then ("See, here is water.")? Perhaps because baptism’s purpose is such that one does not want to delay it as it is "for the remission of sins" - Ac 2:38. It is to have one’s sins "washed away" - Ac 22:16. It is an appeal for a clear conscience - 1 Pe 3:21. Indeed, in every example of conversion found in Acts, people were baptized immediately, after just one lesson!
From Philip’s "qualification" (Ac 8:37), we know it requires explaining the necessity of faith in Jesus. One must believe in Jesus as the Son of God - Jn 8:24 "That is why I said you will die with your sins unforgiven. If you don't have faith in me for who I am, you will die, and your sins will not be forgiven."’; 20:30-31 "Jesus worked many other miracles for his disciples, and not all of them are written in this book. But these are written so that you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If you have faith in him, you will have true life." Without faith, God won’t do His work in our baptism - Co 2:12 "And when you were baptized, it was the same as being buried with Christ. Then you were raised to life because you had faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from death." It requires explaining the necessity of whole-heartedness in our faith. God has always required whole-heartedness - Mt 22:37 "Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind." Without it, even those saved are in danger of falling away - He 3:12-14 "My friends, watch out! Don't let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God. You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called "today." If you don't, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn. We were sure about Christ when we first became his people. So let's hold tightly to our faith until the end." Unless "you believe with all your heart", you are not a proper subject for baptism!
Concerning baptism we see that baptism involves water. When the eunuch was baptized... "...both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water" - Ac 8:38
"...he baptized him" - Ac 8:38
"...they came up out of the water" - Ac 8:39
Later, we see the same truth expressed by Peter - Ac 10:47-48 ‘"These Gentiles have been given the Holy Spirit, just as we have! I am certain that no one would dare stop us from baptizing them." Peter ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and they asked him to stay on for a few days." We see that baptism involves a burial in water. Both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water - Ac 8:38. If sprinkling satisfies the meaning of baptism, it seems strange that Philip would need to go down into the water. Why get wet, when all he needed to do was get a handful of water? Baptism means "to immerse", and such requires the baptizer to get in the water with the one being baptized. Later, Paul describes baptism as a "burial" - Ro 6:3-4 "Don't you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father. "; Co 2:12 "And when you were baptized, it was the same as being buried with Christ. Then you were raised to life because you had faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from death."
We see that baptism is NOT a public confession of one’s faith. Some say that the purpose of baptism is to publicly confess one’s faith in Christ. Especially those who deny that baptism is for the remission of sins. Seeking to provide a reason for baptism, they offer this as an alternative. But the Bible nowhere says this is the purpose for baptism! If the purpose of baptism is to publicly confess one’s faith why did Philip baptize the eunuch? There was no one else around to witness the baptism. They were all alone in the desert. Why didn’t Philip answer the eunuch’s question differently? The eunuch wanted to know what would hinder him from being baptized.
If baptism is a public confession of one’s faith, we would expect Philip to say he must wait until they get to town, find a church, etc. But the purpose of baptism is such that it can be done in public or in private. With thousands present, or with just the one doing the baptizing. Later, we will see that the conversion of the Philippian Jailor also involved a baptism in relative privacy.
With the conversion of "The Ethiopian Eunuch", we are impressed with the simplicity of salvation. With a simple presentation of the gospel, one can be saved after just one lesson. Whether it is preached to large crowds or to just one person, the gospel is indeed God’s power
to save! - Ro 1:16 "I am proud of the good news! It is God's powerful way of saving all people who have faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles." When the gospel of Jesus is truly preached the death of Jesus for our sins will be stressed. The importance of baptism as commanded by Jesus will be mentioned as well. Such that people will want to know "what hinders me from being baptized?" Such that people will want to baptized immediately. The purpose of baptism will be properly understood, knowing that one can be baptized in private just as well as in public. The necessity for a wholehearted faith in Jesus will be emphasized, otherwise one simply gets
wet in baptism! Was your conversion anything like that of "The Ethiopian Eunuch"? When someone "preached Jesus" to you, were you compelled to ask:
"See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" - Acts 8:36
If not, have you considered why not? Could it be that the gospel of Jesus Christ was not shared with you in its fullness...?
If you have not responded to the gospel message as we have just examined and would like to do so, by all means please contact me directly at jnlnewsted@nts-online.net
This study is from The Executable Outlines Series, a collection of sermon outlines and Bible study lessons by Mark A. Copeland . These outlines were developed in the course of my ministry as a preacher of the gospel. Feel free to use them as they are, or adapt them to suit your own personal style. To God be the glory!
The Executable Outlines Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2001
Having looked at the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch in our last lesson we now turn to some observations concerning what it means to preach Jesus. From Isaiah’s "quotation" (Isa 52:13-53:11), we know it involves teaching. For example how Jesus died for our sins - 1 Co 15:1-3 "My friends, I want you to remember the message that I preached and that you believed and trusted. You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don't, your faith was all for nothing. I told you the most important part of the message exactly as it was told to me. That part is: Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say." How Jesus has been exalted by God - Ac 2:36 "Everyone in Israel should then know for certain that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, even though you put him to death on a cross."; 3:13-15 "The God that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and our other ancestors worshiped has brought honor to his Servant Jesus. He is the one you betrayed. You turned against him when he was being tried by Pilate, even though Pilate wanted to set him free. You rejected Jesus, who was holy and good. You asked for a murderer to be set free, and you killed the one who leads people to life. But God raised him from death, and all of us can tell you what he has done."; 5:30-31 "You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But the God our ancestors worshiped raised him to life and made him our Leader and Savior. Then God gave him a place at his right side, so that the people of Israel would turn back to him and be forgiven."
From the Eunuch’s "question" (Ac 8:36), we know it includes stressing the importance of baptism. If not why did the eunuch ask, "What hinders me from being baptized?" Perhaps because Philip told him what the Lord had said - Mk 16:15-16 "Then he told them: Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world. Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned." The purpose of baptism, as expressed by Peter and Paul - Ac 2:38 "Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit."; Ro 6:3-4 "Don't you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father"; 1 Pe 3:21 "Those flood waters were like baptism that now saves you. But baptism is more than just washing your body. It means turning to God with a clear conscience, because Jesus Christ was raised from death." As we have seen and will see, baptism is the expected response when one believes in Jesus. This can not be repeated or stressed enough because there are so many in todays time that reject it.
Note the immediacy of baptism. Why did the eunuch asked to be baptized right then ("See, here is water.")? Perhaps because baptism’s purpose is such that one does not want to delay it as it is "for the remission of sins" - Ac 2:38. It is to have one’s sins "washed away" - Ac 22:16. It is an appeal for a clear conscience - 1 Pe 3:21. Indeed, in every example of conversion found in Acts, people were baptized immediately, after just one lesson!
From Philip’s "qualification" (Ac 8:37), we know it requires explaining the necessity of faith in Jesus. One must believe in Jesus as the Son of God - Jn 8:24 "That is why I said you will die with your sins unforgiven. If you don't have faith in me for who I am, you will die, and your sins will not be forgiven."’; 20:30-31 "Jesus worked many other miracles for his disciples, and not all of them are written in this book. But these are written so that you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If you have faith in him, you will have true life." Without faith, God won’t do His work in our baptism - Co 2:12 "And when you were baptized, it was the same as being buried with Christ. Then you were raised to life because you had faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from death." It requires explaining the necessity of whole-heartedness in our faith. God has always required whole-heartedness - Mt 22:37 "Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind." Without it, even those saved are in danger of falling away - He 3:12-14 "My friends, watch out! Don't let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God. You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called "today." If you don't, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn. We were sure about Christ when we first became his people. So let's hold tightly to our faith until the end." Unless "you believe with all your heart", you are not a proper subject for baptism!
Concerning baptism we see that baptism involves water. When the eunuch was baptized... "...both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water" - Ac 8:38
"...he baptized him" - Ac 8:38
"...they came up out of the water" - Ac 8:39
Later, we see the same truth expressed by Peter - Ac 10:47-48 ‘"These Gentiles have been given the Holy Spirit, just as we have! I am certain that no one would dare stop us from baptizing them." Peter ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and they asked him to stay on for a few days." We see that baptism involves a burial in water. Both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water - Ac 8:38. If sprinkling satisfies the meaning of baptism, it seems strange that Philip would need to go down into the water. Why get wet, when all he needed to do was get a handful of water? Baptism means "to immerse", and such requires the baptizer to get in the water with the one being baptized. Later, Paul describes baptism as a "burial" - Ro 6:3-4 "Don't you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father. "; Co 2:12 "And when you were baptized, it was the same as being buried with Christ. Then you were raised to life because you had faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from death."
We see that baptism is NOT a public confession of one’s faith. Some say that the purpose of baptism is to publicly confess one’s faith in Christ. Especially those who deny that baptism is for the remission of sins. Seeking to provide a reason for baptism, they offer this as an alternative. But the Bible nowhere says this is the purpose for baptism! If the purpose of baptism is to publicly confess one’s faith why did Philip baptize the eunuch? There was no one else around to witness the baptism. They were all alone in the desert. Why didn’t Philip answer the eunuch’s question differently? The eunuch wanted to know what would hinder him from being baptized.
If baptism is a public confession of one’s faith, we would expect Philip to say he must wait until they get to town, find a church, etc. But the purpose of baptism is such that it can be done in public or in private. With thousands present, or with just the one doing the baptizing. Later, we will see that the conversion of the Philippian Jailor also involved a baptism in relative privacy.
With the conversion of "The Ethiopian Eunuch", we are impressed with the simplicity of salvation. With a simple presentation of the gospel, one can be saved after just one lesson. Whether it is preached to large crowds or to just one person, the gospel is indeed God’s power
to save! - Ro 1:16 "I am proud of the good news! It is God's powerful way of saving all people who have faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles." When the gospel of Jesus is truly preached the death of Jesus for our sins will be stressed. The importance of baptism as commanded by Jesus will be mentioned as well. Such that people will want to know "what hinders me from being baptized?" Such that people will want to baptized immediately. The purpose of baptism will be properly understood, knowing that one can be baptized in private just as well as in public. The necessity for a wholehearted faith in Jesus will be emphasized, otherwise one simply gets
wet in baptism! Was your conversion anything like that of "The Ethiopian Eunuch"? When someone "preached Jesus" to you, were you compelled to ask:
"See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" - Acts 8:36
If not, have you considered why not? Could it be that the gospel of Jesus Christ was not shared with you in its fullness...?
If you have not responded to the gospel message as we have just examined and would like to do so, by all means please contact me directly at jnlnewsted@nts-online.net
This study is from The Executable Outlines Series, a collection of sermon outlines and Bible study lessons by Mark A. Copeland . These outlines were developed in the course of my ministry as a preacher of the gospel. Feel free to use them as they are, or adapt them to suit your own personal style. To God be the glory!
The Executable Outlines Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2001
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Conversions In The Book of Acts - IIIa
Conversions In The Book Of Acts
The Ethiopian Eunuch (8:26-40) Part One
The conversions we have noted so far have involved large numbers of people. The 3000 at Pentecost - Ac 2:1-41. The 2000 on Solomon’s Porch - Ac 3:1-4:4. The multitudes in Samaria - Ac 8:5-13. In each case, the gospel message was basically the same. Christ is proclaimed. Responses called for included faith, repentance and baptism. Now we have the opportunity to examine the conversion of just one person. A queen’s treasurer, a eunuch from Ethiopia. A very religious man, who had traveled a great distance to worship God. With the account of the conversion of "The Ethiopian Eunuch" we not only have the opportunity to confirm what we have already learned, we can also glean a few more points regarding Biblical conversions.
Let’s start with a reading and review of the basic facts related to this conversion. Philip is sent to the Eunuch - Ac 8:26-29. An angel of the Lord tells Philip to go toward Gaza - Ac 8:26 "The Lord's angel said to Philip, "Go south along the desert road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza."’ On the way there is a man sitting in his chariot - Ac 8:27-28 "So Philip left. An important Ethiopian official happened to be going along that road in his chariot. He was the chief treasurer for Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia. The official had gone to Jerusalem to worship and was now on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot, reading the book of the prophet Isaiah." As these verses relate to us a eunuch of Ethiopia, in charge of the treasury of Queen Candace was returning home from having gone to worship in Jerusalem. He was reading from the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit tells Philip to overtake the chariot - Ac 8:29 "The Spirit told Philip to catch up with the chariot."
Hearing the eunuch reading Isaiah, Philip asks if he understands - Ac 8:30 "Philip ran up close and heard the man reading aloud from the book of Isaiah. Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"’ The eunuch now asks Philip to help him - Ac 8:31-34 "The official answered, "How can I understand unless someone helps me?" He then invited Philip to come up and sit beside him. The man was reading the passage that said, "He was led like a sheep on its way to be killed. He was silent as a lamb whose wool is being cut off, and he did not say a word. He was treated like a nobody and did not receive a fair trial. How can he have children, if his life is snatched away?" The official said to Philip, "Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or about someone else?"’ He expresses a need for someone to guide him, and invites Philip to sit with him. The scripture under consideration is Isa 53:7-8, which speaks of one led as a sheep to the slaughter and describes one whose life is taken from the earth. The eunuch asks if Isaiah was speaking of himself, or of someone else. Beginning with that Scripture, Philip preaches Jesus to him - Ac 8:35 "So Philip began at this place in the Scriptures and explained the good news about Jesus."
The eunuch expresses a desire to be baptized - Ac 8:36-37 "As they were going along the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, "Look, there's some water. What keeps me from being baptized?" Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." He replied, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." ‘ Seeing some water along the way, he wonders what would hinder him from being baptized. Philip replies that if he believes with all his heart, he may. The eunuch confesses his faith in Jesus as the Son of God. Philip then baptizes the eunuch - Ac 8:38-40 " So he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch went on his way rejoicing and did not see Philip again. But Philip found himself at Azotus. As he was passing through the region, he kept proclaiming the good news in all the towns until he came to Caesarea." Stopping the chariot, both Philip and the eunuch go down into the water. Philip then baptizes him. When they come up out of the water, the Spirit catches Philip away. Though seeing Philip no more, the eunuch goes on his way rejoicing. Philip is found at Azotus, and continues preaching in the cities until he arrives at Caesarea.
One might properly wonder why the Spirit saw it fit to lead Luke to spend so much time describing the conversion of just one person. Clearly there must be important lessons or principles that we can glean from this historical account. With that in mind, let me offer some observations concerning prospects for the gospel. The Ethiopian eunuch was a very religious man. He had traveled a great distance to worship in Jerusalem. He was reading from the Scriptures when Philip found him. In fact, most examples of conversions involved very devout people. The 3000 at Pentecost, who had traveled to observe the feast day. Later, we will study the conversions of such people as Paul, the Pharisee zealous for the Law; Cornelius, the devout Gentile who feared God and prayed always; and Lydia, a woman who met every Sabbath to pray with others. From this we can glean the following. Just because one is religious does not mean they are saved! Religious people are often good prospects for the gospel! They already fear God and respect His authority and as such, they simply need to be shown "the way of God more accurately" -see for example the account of Apollos in Ac 18:26 "Apollos started speaking bravely in the Jewish meeting place. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him to their home and helped him understand God's Way even better." Those who are truly seeking God’s will, will one day have an opportunity to hear the gospel and obey it! This does not discount the fact that rank sinners are often receptive of the gospel message (see for example the Corinthians, 1 Co 6:9-11), but good people are usually more open to the Word.
In the next part of this lesson we will turn to some observations concerning what it means to preach Jesus.
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Ethiopian Eunuch (8:26-40) Part One
The conversions we have noted so far have involved large numbers of people. The 3000 at Pentecost - Ac 2:1-41. The 2000 on Solomon’s Porch - Ac 3:1-4:4. The multitudes in Samaria - Ac 8:5-13. In each case, the gospel message was basically the same. Christ is proclaimed. Responses called for included faith, repentance and baptism. Now we have the opportunity to examine the conversion of just one person. A queen’s treasurer, a eunuch from Ethiopia. A very religious man, who had traveled a great distance to worship God. With the account of the conversion of "The Ethiopian Eunuch" we not only have the opportunity to confirm what we have already learned, we can also glean a few more points regarding Biblical conversions.
Let’s start with a reading and review of the basic facts related to this conversion. Philip is sent to the Eunuch - Ac 8:26-29. An angel of the Lord tells Philip to go toward Gaza - Ac 8:26 "The Lord's angel said to Philip, "Go south along the desert road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza."’ On the way there is a man sitting in his chariot - Ac 8:27-28 "So Philip left. An important Ethiopian official happened to be going along that road in his chariot. He was the chief treasurer for Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia. The official had gone to Jerusalem to worship and was now on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot, reading the book of the prophet Isaiah." As these verses relate to us a eunuch of Ethiopia, in charge of the treasury of Queen Candace was returning home from having gone to worship in Jerusalem. He was reading from the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit tells Philip to overtake the chariot - Ac 8:29 "The Spirit told Philip to catch up with the chariot."
Hearing the eunuch reading Isaiah, Philip asks if he understands - Ac 8:30 "Philip ran up close and heard the man reading aloud from the book of Isaiah. Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"’ The eunuch now asks Philip to help him - Ac 8:31-34 "The official answered, "How can I understand unless someone helps me?" He then invited Philip to come up and sit beside him. The man was reading the passage that said, "He was led like a sheep on its way to be killed. He was silent as a lamb whose wool is being cut off, and he did not say a word. He was treated like a nobody and did not receive a fair trial. How can he have children, if his life is snatched away?" The official said to Philip, "Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or about someone else?"’ He expresses a need for someone to guide him, and invites Philip to sit with him. The scripture under consideration is Isa 53:7-8, which speaks of one led as a sheep to the slaughter and describes one whose life is taken from the earth. The eunuch asks if Isaiah was speaking of himself, or of someone else. Beginning with that Scripture, Philip preaches Jesus to him - Ac 8:35 "So Philip began at this place in the Scriptures and explained the good news about Jesus."
The eunuch expresses a desire to be baptized - Ac 8:36-37 "As they were going along the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, "Look, there's some water. What keeps me from being baptized?" Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." He replied, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." ‘ Seeing some water along the way, he wonders what would hinder him from being baptized. Philip replies that if he believes with all his heart, he may. The eunuch confesses his faith in Jesus as the Son of God. Philip then baptizes the eunuch - Ac 8:38-40 " So he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch went on his way rejoicing and did not see Philip again. But Philip found himself at Azotus. As he was passing through the region, he kept proclaiming the good news in all the towns until he came to Caesarea." Stopping the chariot, both Philip and the eunuch go down into the water. Philip then baptizes him. When they come up out of the water, the Spirit catches Philip away. Though seeing Philip no more, the eunuch goes on his way rejoicing. Philip is found at Azotus, and continues preaching in the cities until he arrives at Caesarea.
One might properly wonder why the Spirit saw it fit to lead Luke to spend so much time describing the conversion of just one person. Clearly there must be important lessons or principles that we can glean from this historical account. With that in mind, let me offer some observations concerning prospects for the gospel. The Ethiopian eunuch was a very religious man. He had traveled a great distance to worship in Jerusalem. He was reading from the Scriptures when Philip found him. In fact, most examples of conversions involved very devout people. The 3000 at Pentecost, who had traveled to observe the feast day. Later, we will study the conversions of such people as Paul, the Pharisee zealous for the Law; Cornelius, the devout Gentile who feared God and prayed always; and Lydia, a woman who met every Sabbath to pray with others. From this we can glean the following. Just because one is religious does not mean they are saved! Religious people are often good prospects for the gospel! They already fear God and respect His authority and as such, they simply need to be shown "the way of God more accurately" -see for example the account of Apollos in Ac 18:26 "Apollos started speaking bravely in the Jewish meeting place. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him to their home and helped him understand God's Way even better." Those who are truly seeking God’s will, will one day have an opportunity to hear the gospel and obey it! This does not discount the fact that rank sinners are often receptive of the gospel message (see for example the Corinthians, 1 Co 6:9-11), but good people are usually more open to the Word.
In the next part of this lesson we will turn to some observations concerning what it means to preach Jesus.
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Conversions In The Book of Acts - IIb
The 2000 At Solomon’s Porch (3:1-4:4) - Part Two
In Part 1 of this lesson we looked at the background of this event occurring and at Peter’s sermon and the conversions that followed. In Part 2 of this lesson we will do an analysis of the conversions this event and Peter’s preaching of the gospel message produced. Lets start by looking at an analysis of the conversions.
Note the following observations regarding Peter’s sermon, noting the Christ-centeredness of Peter’s preaching. As in his sermon on Pentecost while he is explaining the miracle, he directs their attention to Jesus, not the sign. Again Peter’s main theme is the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus - Ac 3:13-15 "The God that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and our other ancestors worshiped has brought honor to his Servant Jesus. He is the one you betrayed. You turned against him when he was being tried by Pilate, even though Pilate wanted to set him free. You rejected Jesus, who was holy and good. You asked for a murderer to be set free, and you killed the one who leads people to life. But God raised him from death, and all of us can tell you what he has done."
The One they killed, God raised from the dead. The One they killed, God has glorified. Yet Peter also introduces a new element, the coming of Jesus from heaven! Jesus is coming again! - Ac 3:20-21 "Then that time will come when the Lord will give you fresh strength. He will send you Jesus, his chosen Messiah. But Jesus must stay in heaven until God makes all things new, just as his holy prophets promised long ago."
The sermon’s climax is the call to "repent therefore, and be converted" - Ac 3:19 "So turn to God! Give up your sins, and you will be forgiven." From this we learn that repentance and conversion are not same thing, otherwise, Peter was redundant. He would have been saying "repent and repent". Repent (metanoeo) means "a change of mind". True repentance is brought on by "godly sorrow" - 2 Co 7:9 "Now I am happy, but not because I hurt your feelings. It is because God used your hurt feelings to make you turn back to him, and none of you were harmed by us." Such repentance then leads one to "salvation" - 2 Co 7:10 "Now I am happy, but not because I hurt your feelings. It is because God used your hurt feelings to make you turn back to him, and none of you were harmed by us." Thus they were being called to change their minds regarding Jesus and their sinful ways.
What is meant by "be converted"? The NKJV and KJV suggest a passive act, but the Greek is aorist active imperative, implying there is something we must do. The key idea is to "turn" or "return". The NIV has "turn to God" and the NASB has "return". But how does one turn to God? Compare Peter’s word’s Ac 3:19, "Repent" with Ac 2:38, "Repent". "Be baptized" (Ac 2:38) and "Be converted" (Ac 3:19) Could Peter be referring to baptism when he says "be converted"? When one submits to baptism, they so do with an appeal for a clear conscience - 1 Pe 3:21 "Those flood waters were like baptism that now saves you. But baptism is more than just washing your body. It means turning to God with a clear conscience, because Jesus Christ was raised from death." In baptism they are calling upon the name of the Lord - Ac 22:16 "What are you waiting for? Get up! Be baptized, and wash away your sins by praying to the Lord."’ Therefore I believe the call to "turn" likely involved baptism.
The blessings promised are similar to those found in the first sermon. There is the forgiveness of sins described as the "remission of sins" in the first sermon - Ac 2:38 "Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit." Described as having one’s sins "blotted out" - Ac 3:19 "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;" (KJV) There is the positive counterpart to the remission of sins described as "the gift of the Holy Spirit" in the first sermon - Ac 2:38-39. In this sermon the counterpart to the remission of sins is described as "the times of refreshing...from the presence of the Lord" - Ac 3:19. I understand Peter to have reference to the same thing, i.e., the Spirit as a gift to the Christian - see Ac 5:32; Ga 4:6; Ep 1:13-14, whom Jesus promised as a refreshing blessing - Jn 7:37-39; see also Jn 4:10-14 (I leave the reader to verify my understanding by opening their Bible and reading these passages).
In this sermon we also find a warning. In the first sermon Peter pleaded with the people to "be saved from this perverse generation" - Ac 2:40. Now we find a reason why, with Moses’ prophecy: "every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people" - Ac 3:23.
Let us now turn to looking at some observations regarding the response the crowd had to the sermon. As mentioned in the introduction, little is said, other than many "believed" - Ac 4:4 "Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand." Are we to conclude from this that was all they did? Did they not also "repent"?
Did they not also "turn to God"? I think it fair to conclude that the term "believed" encompassed more than simply an acceptance of the facts that had been proclaimed. I also think it fair to conclude that it involved a complete reception of the message preached and to included an obedience to whatever conditions had been proclaimed by the apostles (such as repentance, turning, baptism). That just as faith was not explicitly mentioned in the first sermon, but is fairly inferred, so also with baptism here. Why? Because as we read through the book of Acts the writer Luke used a communication style know as "synecdoche", where a part includes the whole. This style of communication is used even by us today as a short cut. In other words, instead of repeating the responsive actions individually over and over, such as they heard the message, they believed the message, they repented by turning to God, they confessed to believing in Jesus as the Son of God, they were baptized and they received the Holy Spirit of promise. In simple synecdoche style it is much easier just to say many "believed" which would include by inference the whole. The American Heritage Dictionary:
A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole for a part (as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as cutthroat for assassin), the general for the specific (as thief for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made from it (as steel for sword).
From Britannica: figure of speech in which a part represents the whole, as in the expression "hired hands" for workmen or, less commonly, the whole represents a part, as in the use of the word "society" to mean high society. Closely related to metonymy—the replacement of a word by one closely related to the original—synecdoche is an important poetic device for creating vivid imagery.
When preaching, teaching or studying the gospel we must not lose the Christ-centeredness of our focus. This includes his death, resurrection and glorification. That Jesus provides more than just the forgiveness of sin; but as the Prince of Life, He is the source of every spiritual blessing from above - Ep 1:3 "Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven!" That preaching, teaching or studying the gospel of Christ include His return from heaven, for He is second coming!
The clarion call of the gospel is one of repentance! Faith and baptism are certainly important, yea, essential yet repentance was the theme of preaching by John the Baptist - Mt 3:1-2 "Years later, John the Baptist started preaching in the desert of Judea. He said, "Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here."’ The teachings of Jesus also have this clarion call - Mt 4:17 "Then Jesus started preaching, "Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here."’; Lk 13:3 "Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn back to God, every one of you will also be killed.", 5 "Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn back to God, every one of you will also die." And by the apostles - Ac 2:38 "Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit."; 3:19 "So turn to God! Give up your sins, and you will be forgiven."; Ac 20:21 "I told Jews and Gentiles to turn to God and have faith in our Lord Jesus."; see also Lk 24:47
When people respond to the gospel, we should expect to see a change of mind (repentance), brought about by "godly sorrow" - 2 Co 7:9-10 "Now I am happy, but not because I hurt your feelings. It is because God used your hurt feelings to make you turn back to him, and none of you were harmed by us. When God makes you feel sorry enough to turn to him and be saved, you don't have anything to feel bad about. But when this world makes you feel sorry, it can cause your death." We should expect to see a change of life, as they "turn" from their sins and "turn" to God - cf. 2 Co 7:11 "Just look what God has done by making you feel sorry! You sincerely want to prove that you are innocent. You are angry. You are shocked. You are eager to see that justice is done. You have proved that you were completely right in this matter." This change is implied by the word "converted" (turn). A process that involves their baptism into Christ, in which they die to sin and rise to walk in newness of life - cf. Ro 6:3-7. All of which can be summarized as having "believed"!
With this example of conversion, Peter continues to fulfill the commission of his Lord to preach the gospel - Mk 16:15-16. To preach repentance and remission of sins in His name - Lk 24:47. We saw that not all responded in the same way. Yes, 2000 heard the word and believed. But some religious people with their preconceived ideas were resistant to the gospel. Sadly, many people today reject the apostolic preaching of the gospel for similar reasons. I pray that such is not the case with you; that as we study the preaching of the apostles and the responses to it, your heart will be open to the Word of God. Especially to this key verse in our study:
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord," (Ac 3:19)
If you have not responded to the gospel message as those 2000 souls after Peter‘s sermon and call to repentance on Soloman’s Porch as we have just examined, by all means please contact me directly at jnlnewsted@nts-online.net
This study is from The Executable Outlines Series, a collection of sermon outlines and Bible study lessons by Mark A. Copeland . These outlines were developed in the course of my ministry as a preacher of the gospel. Feel free to use them as they are, or adapt them to suit your own personal style. To God be the glory!
The Executable Outlines Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2001
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Part 1 of this lesson we looked at the background of this event occurring and at Peter’s sermon and the conversions that followed. In Part 2 of this lesson we will do an analysis of the conversions this event and Peter’s preaching of the gospel message produced. Lets start by looking at an analysis of the conversions.
Note the following observations regarding Peter’s sermon, noting the Christ-centeredness of Peter’s preaching. As in his sermon on Pentecost while he is explaining the miracle, he directs their attention to Jesus, not the sign. Again Peter’s main theme is the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus - Ac 3:13-15 "The God that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and our other ancestors worshiped has brought honor to his Servant Jesus. He is the one you betrayed. You turned against him when he was being tried by Pilate, even though Pilate wanted to set him free. You rejected Jesus, who was holy and good. You asked for a murderer to be set free, and you killed the one who leads people to life. But God raised him from death, and all of us can tell you what he has done."
The One they killed, God raised from the dead. The One they killed, God has glorified. Yet Peter also introduces a new element, the coming of Jesus from heaven! Jesus is coming again! - Ac 3:20-21 "Then that time will come when the Lord will give you fresh strength. He will send you Jesus, his chosen Messiah. But Jesus must stay in heaven until God makes all things new, just as his holy prophets promised long ago."
The sermon’s climax is the call to "repent therefore, and be converted" - Ac 3:19 "So turn to God! Give up your sins, and you will be forgiven." From this we learn that repentance and conversion are not same thing, otherwise, Peter was redundant. He would have been saying "repent and repent". Repent (metanoeo) means "a change of mind". True repentance is brought on by "godly sorrow" - 2 Co 7:9 "Now I am happy, but not because I hurt your feelings. It is because God used your hurt feelings to make you turn back to him, and none of you were harmed by us." Such repentance then leads one to "salvation" - 2 Co 7:10 "Now I am happy, but not because I hurt your feelings. It is because God used your hurt feelings to make you turn back to him, and none of you were harmed by us." Thus they were being called to change their minds regarding Jesus and their sinful ways.
What is meant by "be converted"? The NKJV and KJV suggest a passive act, but the Greek is aorist active imperative, implying there is something we must do. The key idea is to "turn" or "return". The NIV has "turn to God" and the NASB has "return". But how does one turn to God? Compare Peter’s word’s Ac 3:19, "Repent" with Ac 2:38, "Repent". "Be baptized" (Ac 2:38) and "Be converted" (Ac 3:19) Could Peter be referring to baptism when he says "be converted"? When one submits to baptism, they so do with an appeal for a clear conscience - 1 Pe 3:21 "Those flood waters were like baptism that now saves you. But baptism is more than just washing your body. It means turning to God with a clear conscience, because Jesus Christ was raised from death." In baptism they are calling upon the name of the Lord - Ac 22:16 "What are you waiting for? Get up! Be baptized, and wash away your sins by praying to the Lord."’ Therefore I believe the call to "turn" likely involved baptism.
The blessings promised are similar to those found in the first sermon. There is the forgiveness of sins described as the "remission of sins" in the first sermon - Ac 2:38 "Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit." Described as having one’s sins "blotted out" - Ac 3:19 "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;" (KJV) There is the positive counterpart to the remission of sins described as "the gift of the Holy Spirit" in the first sermon - Ac 2:38-39. In this sermon the counterpart to the remission of sins is described as "the times of refreshing...from the presence of the Lord" - Ac 3:19. I understand Peter to have reference to the same thing, i.e., the Spirit as a gift to the Christian - see Ac 5:32; Ga 4:6; Ep 1:13-14, whom Jesus promised as a refreshing blessing - Jn 7:37-39; see also Jn 4:10-14 (I leave the reader to verify my understanding by opening their Bible and reading these passages).
In this sermon we also find a warning. In the first sermon Peter pleaded with the people to "be saved from this perverse generation" - Ac 2:40. Now we find a reason why, with Moses’ prophecy: "every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people" - Ac 3:23.
Let us now turn to looking at some observations regarding the response the crowd had to the sermon. As mentioned in the introduction, little is said, other than many "believed" - Ac 4:4 "Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand." Are we to conclude from this that was all they did? Did they not also "repent"?
Did they not also "turn to God"? I think it fair to conclude that the term "believed" encompassed more than simply an acceptance of the facts that had been proclaimed. I also think it fair to conclude that it involved a complete reception of the message preached and to included an obedience to whatever conditions had been proclaimed by the apostles (such as repentance, turning, baptism). That just as faith was not explicitly mentioned in the first sermon, but is fairly inferred, so also with baptism here. Why? Because as we read through the book of Acts the writer Luke used a communication style know as "synecdoche", where a part includes the whole. This style of communication is used even by us today as a short cut. In other words, instead of repeating the responsive actions individually over and over, such as they heard the message, they believed the message, they repented by turning to God, they confessed to believing in Jesus as the Son of God, they were baptized and they received the Holy Spirit of promise. In simple synecdoche style it is much easier just to say many "believed" which would include by inference the whole. The American Heritage Dictionary:
A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole for a part (as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as cutthroat for assassin), the general for the specific (as thief for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made from it (as steel for sword).
From Britannica: figure of speech in which a part represents the whole, as in the expression "hired hands" for workmen or, less commonly, the whole represents a part, as in the use of the word "society" to mean high society. Closely related to metonymy—the replacement of a word by one closely related to the original—synecdoche is an important poetic device for creating vivid imagery.
When preaching, teaching or studying the gospel we must not lose the Christ-centeredness of our focus. This includes his death, resurrection and glorification. That Jesus provides more than just the forgiveness of sin; but as the Prince of Life, He is the source of every spiritual blessing from above - Ep 1:3 "Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven!" That preaching, teaching or studying the gospel of Christ include His return from heaven, for He is second coming!
The clarion call of the gospel is one of repentance! Faith and baptism are certainly important, yea, essential yet repentance was the theme of preaching by John the Baptist - Mt 3:1-2 "Years later, John the Baptist started preaching in the desert of Judea. He said, "Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here."’ The teachings of Jesus also have this clarion call - Mt 4:17 "Then Jesus started preaching, "Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here."’; Lk 13:3 "Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn back to God, every one of you will also be killed.", 5 "Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn back to God, every one of you will also die." And by the apostles - Ac 2:38 "Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit."; 3:19 "So turn to God! Give up your sins, and you will be forgiven."; Ac 20:21 "I told Jews and Gentiles to turn to God and have faith in our Lord Jesus."; see also Lk 24:47
When people respond to the gospel, we should expect to see a change of mind (repentance), brought about by "godly sorrow" - 2 Co 7:9-10 "Now I am happy, but not because I hurt your feelings. It is because God used your hurt feelings to make you turn back to him, and none of you were harmed by us. When God makes you feel sorry enough to turn to him and be saved, you don't have anything to feel bad about. But when this world makes you feel sorry, it can cause your death." We should expect to see a change of life, as they "turn" from their sins and "turn" to God - cf. 2 Co 7:11 "Just look what God has done by making you feel sorry! You sincerely want to prove that you are innocent. You are angry. You are shocked. You are eager to see that justice is done. You have proved that you were completely right in this matter." This change is implied by the word "converted" (turn). A process that involves their baptism into Christ, in which they die to sin and rise to walk in newness of life - cf. Ro 6:3-7. All of which can be summarized as having "believed"!
With this example of conversion, Peter continues to fulfill the commission of his Lord to preach the gospel - Mk 16:15-16. To preach repentance and remission of sins in His name - Lk 24:47. We saw that not all responded in the same way. Yes, 2000 heard the word and believed. But some religious people with their preconceived ideas were resistant to the gospel. Sadly, many people today reject the apostolic preaching of the gospel for similar reasons. I pray that such is not the case with you; that as we study the preaching of the apostles and the responses to it, your heart will be open to the Word of God. Especially to this key verse in our study:
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord," (Ac 3:19)
If you have not responded to the gospel message as those 2000 souls after Peter‘s sermon and call to repentance on Soloman’s Porch as we have just examined, by all means please contact me directly at jnlnewsted@nts-online.net
This study is from The Executable Outlines Series, a collection of sermon outlines and Bible study lessons by Mark A. Copeland . These outlines were developed in the course of my ministry as a preacher of the gospel. Feel free to use them as they are, or adapt them to suit your own personal style. To God be the glory!
The Executable Outlines Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2001
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
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