Atos 11

Atos 11

Ryle wrote) There can be no true repentance without faith. You may cast away your old habits, as the serpent casts off his skin—but if you are not resting all upon the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and looking to be saved by simple faith in Him, you may be wise in your own eyes—but you are just ignorant of the root and fountain, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, in all true gospel religion. You may tell us you have repented—but if you have not at the same time laid hold on Christ, you have hitherto received the grace of God in vain. (The Grace of God in Vain) One of the best illustrations of genuine repentance is found in Paul's description of the saints at Thessalonica… For they themselves (other believers in Macedonia and Achaia) report about us (Paul, Silvanus and Timothy) what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. (1 Th 1:9 +; 1 Th 1:10+) C H Spurgeon in a sermon entitled The Plumbline (Amos 7:7, 8) wrote that… Side by side with that faith, God puts true repentance. When a man attempts to convert his fellow-man, he gives him a sham repentance, or perhaps he tells him that there is no need of any repentance at all. Certain preachers have been telling us, lately, that it is a very easy matter to obtain salvation, and that there is no need of repentance; or if repentance is needed, it is merely a change of mind. That is not the doctrine that our fathers used to preach, nor the doctrine that we have believed. That faith, which is not accompanied by repentance, will have to be repented of; so, whenever God builds, he builds repentance fair and square with faith. These two things go together; the man just as much regrets and grieves over the past as he sees that past obliterated by the precious blood of Jesus. He just as much hates all his sin as he believes that his sin has been all put away. (Amos 7:7-8 The Plumbline) Related Resource: Spurgeon's Sermon - Repentance Unto Life Great articles on repentance primarily from Puritan writers What is repentance and is it necessary for salvation? Acts 11:19 So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. KJV Acts 11:19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. those who were scattered because of the persecution Acts 8:1-4 made their way to Phoenicia Acts 15:3; 21:2 Cyprus Acts 4:36; 13:4; 15:39; 21:16 Antioch Acts 11:26; 15:22,35 speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone Acts 3:26; 13:46; Matthew 10:6; John 7:35 PERSECUTION SCATTERS SEED OF THE GOSPEL A "hinge" verse, opening the door for the Gentiles (most of you reading this note) to hear and receive the Gospel! Acts 11:19 represents a major turning point in the book of Acts, not only in manifesting a wider circumference for the Gospel but also a new center for the launching of subsequent missionary efforts. And so Antioch becomes the base church for Paul's three historical journeys as God's Spirit uses him to spread the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. Barclay introduces this next section - In restrained sentences these few words tell of one of the greatest events in history. Now, for the first time, the gospel is deliberately preached to the Gentiles. Everything has been working up to this. There have been three steps on the ladder. First, Philip preached to the Samaritans; but the Samaritans after all were half Jewish and formed, as it were, a bridge, between the Jewish and the Gentile world. Second, Peter accepted Cornelius; but it was Cornelius who took the initiative. It was not the Christian Church who sought Cornelius; it was Cornelius who sought the Christian Church. Further, it is stressed that Cornelius was a God-fearer and, therefore, on the fringes of the Jewish faith. Third, in Antioch the Church did not go to people who were Jews or half Jews, nor wait to be approached by Gentiles seeking admission; of set purpose and without waiting for the invitation, it preached the gospel to the Gentiles. Christianity is finally launched on its world-wide mission. (Barclay's Daily Study Bible). So then those who were scattered because of (causal = on account of) the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen - Keep in mind that in a real sense the fruit of the martyrdom of Stephen is the inception of the mission of the Gospel spreading to the Gentiles! Oh, to live such a life, that your death bears more fruit that your life! (see John 12:24). As we previously discussed, God sent divine "centifugal force" in the form of persecution to "encourage" the Jewish church in Jerusalem to go outward toward "Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth" as Jesus had instructed in Acts 1:8+. Luke summarizes the repercussions of the persecution... Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him (STEPHEN) to death. And on that day a great persecution began (A REFLECTION OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD) against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison. 4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word (euaggelizo in the present tense = announcing the good news, preaching the Gospel - the same verb used in Acts 11:20). (Acts 8:1-4+) While one cannot be dogmatic (because the Bible does not clearly tell us), the persecution of Acts 8 occurred about AD 35 and the events in Acts 10-11 about AD 43. If this is an accurate approximation, it would seem that these scattered Jews continued preaching the word (Acts 8:4b) for the 7-8 years following their scattering from Jerusalem, but unfortunately focused solely on the Jews. Now in fairness, it should be noted that not everyone sees Acts 11:19ff as following in sequence after Peter's encounter with the Gentiles at Caesarea. Some writers feel that because Luke specifically mentions the persecution in Acts 8:1ff, that "the gospel began to penetrate the Gentile world almost from the very beginning." (Ray Stedman). While I respect Ray Stedman, I do not think he is correct in this assessment, primarily because Barnabas was sent by the Jerusalem church to Antioch and then went to Taurus to retrieve Saul, where he had been for a number of years after the persecution of Acts 8:1ff. If one accepts Stedman's timing of the Gentile evangelism in Antioch, one has to say that there was a gap of many years between the persecution in Acts 8 and Barnabas' visit to Antioch. It is difficult to believe the Jews in Jerusalem would not have sent someone to Antioch very early to examine the Gentile conversions, much like they sent Peter and John to examine the Samaritan conversions in Acts 8 (Compare Acts 8:4-13+ with Acts 8:14-25+). Persecution (more literally = "tribulation")(2347)(thlipsis from thlibo = to crush, press together, squash, hem in, compress, squeeze in turn derived from thláo = to break) originally expressed sheer, physical pressure on a man. Thlipsis is a strong term which does not refer to minor inconveniences, but to real hardships. Medically thlipsis was used of the pulse (pressure). It is a pressing together as of grapes. Thlipsis conveys the idea of being squeezed or placed under pressure or crushed beneath a weight. When, according to the ancient law of England, those who willfully refused to plead guilty, had heavy weights placed on their breasts, and were pressed and crushed to death, this was literally thlipsis. Thlipsis is therefore a strong term which refers not to mild discomfort but to great difficulty. Martin Luther a man well acquainted with afflictions wrote "Whatever virtues tribulation finds us in, it develops more fully. If anyone is carnal, weak, blind, wicked, irascible, haughty, and so forth, tribulation will make him more carnal, weak, blind, wicked and irritable. On the other hand, if one is spiritual, strong, wise, pious, gentle and humble, he will become more spiritual, powerful, wise, pious, gentle and humble." John