SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/20/2017
9:41 AM
My Worship Time
Focus: Persistence
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts 5:29-32
Message of the
verses: “29 But Peter and the
apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. 30 “The God of our
fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31
“He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to
grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 “And we are witnesses
of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who
obey Him."”
When we were studying the 4th chapter of Acts
we look at a verse that is similar to verse 29 “But Peter and John answered and
said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you
rather than to God, you be the judge (Acts 4:19).” Once again we see Peter place the Sanhedrin
in opposition to God. Now we mentioned
that the priests were made of the Sadducees who did not believe in miracles or
angels and this comes in direct opposition of what the apostles have done
through the power of the Holy Spirit which was miracles and also the fact that
Jesus arose from the dead goes against their beliefs and so the truth was
staring them right into the face and they refused to see it.
Once again we also see that Peter accuses this group of
Jewish leaders with the death of Jesus Christ, and with good reason for they
were the ones behind having Jesus put to death.
Yes you can blame the Romans and you can also blame mankind for whom
Christ died for, but this group of men were the ones who kept pushing for the
death of Christ and Peter reminds them of it.
John MacArthur writes “Diacheirizo
(put to death) appears only here and in Acts 26:21. It means ‘to put to death with one’s own
hands.’ Far from backing off, Peter
intensifies his accusation of the Sanhedrin.
He had previously charged the Jewish authorities with responsibility for
Jesus’ death (2:23-34, 36; 3:13-15; 4:10).
Now he insists they are as guilty as if they had killed Him with their
own hands. They had not merely put the
Messiah to death, but to the shameful death of ‘hanging Him on a cross’ (cf. Deut.
21:23).”
Peter goes on telling this group of Jewish leaders that
this Jesus whom they had as much killed with their own hands is the One whom
God raised from the dead and then set Him at His own right hand in heaven. John MacArthur writes on the word “Prince” “archegos (‘Prince’) refers to the
originator or pioneer of something (cf. it use in Heb. 2:10 and 12:2). Here it describes Jesus as the source of eternal
life (cf. Acts 3:15) and is closely connected with the term ‘Savior.’ He came to grant ‘repentance to Israel, and
forgiveness of sins.’ Repentance from
sin is an integral part of saving faith, not a human work added to it. The apostles’ claims to be witnesses to and proclaimers
of the momentous events of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection were never disputed
by their opponents. And not only were
they witnesses, but ‘so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who
obey Him.’ Two interesting points are
made here. First, the saved are
described as ‘those who obey Him.’ They
are characterized by obedience (cf. Romans 1:5; Heb. 5:9), which is synonymous with
saving faith. The verb used is peitharcheo, which means ‘to obey one in
authority.’ Salvation is surrendering in
obedience to the authority of Jesus Christ as Lord. Second, the Holy Spirit is given to every
saved person at salvation (Cf. Acts 2:4; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20;
12:13). So Peter makes obeying God and
the gift of the Holy Spirit synonymous with saving faith.”
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “In his own house” (2 Kings
21:23).
Today’s Bible
question: “What Jewish girl became a
Persian queen without the king knowing she was a Jew?”
Answer in our next SD.
10/20/2017 10:10 AM
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