In this section of Acts we see that God was working in a Gentile's life, Cornelius, and the Lord was working in Peter's life, and the Holy Spirit brought them together so the Gentiles could receive the good news of Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit and baptism (without being circumcised). Peter reports back to Jerusalem. The new church was growing in Antioch, and Barnabas was sent and saw the great things of the Lord. He went and got Saul in Tarsus to come and help disciple the new believers. They stayed there for a whole year, and the believers were first called Christians there. The Spirit revealed to Agabus that a sever famine was coming, and the new church took up a donation for the Jerusalem church, and it was delivered by Barnabas and Saul. The apostle, James was killed by Herod the King. Herod arrested Peter, but an angel of the Lord helped in his escape. The church rejoiced, and Peter left the area. The angel of the Lord struck Herod because he did not give God glory, and he was eaten by worms and died. Barnabas and Saul went back to Antioch, and they brought John Mark with them. 

In this section of Acts, due to persecution of the saints, they scatter throughout Judea and Samaria, which helps fulfill Acts 1:8, Jesus' command to take the good news to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the remotest parts of the earth. Philip, one of the 7 "deacons," goes to Samaria, and the gospel is received. Peter and John come and the people receive the Holy Spirit. Philip then is led to an Ethiopian Eunuch who was reading Isaiah. Philip explained to him from Isaiah about Jesus. He believed and was baptized. In chapter 9 we have Saul's encounter with the risen Lord Jesus. He was blinded by the experience, but three days later the Lord brought Ananias to Saul to receive his sight and the Holy Spirit. Saul begins to preach Christ at first it was at Damascus, but a threat was placed on his life, so he escaped in a big basket being let down from a hole in the wall. Then he went to Jerusalem, and thanks to Barnabas, he was accepted. He began to preach there, and a plot was set against him, so the brethren took him to Caesarea and then to Tarsus. This section ends with Peter doing two miracles, he healed a paralyzed man in Lydda, and then raised to life, Tabitha, also known as Dorcas. The gospel kept spreading, and Peter stayed in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.

In these two chapters of Acts, the church was growing so much that the 12 Apostles needed help, so they chose 7 men who had a good reputation and full of the Spirit and wisdom to be in charge of taking care of the people in need, especially the feeding of the widows. They were Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch (6:5). Nowadays we would call this the first deacon ordination. Stephen also performed great wonders and signs among the people which cause the Synagogue of the Freedmen to come before the council. They had false charges against him, like Jesus did. The high priest asked, "Are these things so" (7:1)? Then Stephen went into the history of the Jews and how Abraham was not from here. Then Abraham had Isaac, and Isaac had Jacob and Jacob had the 12 patriarchs who were jealous of Joseph. Then from Joseph in Egypt to Moses, and how the Jews always rebelled against Moses. Through Moses came the tabernacle, and with King David wanting to build the Lord a house, his son Solomon did, but God's plan was not to dwell in a building built by hands. Then Stephen said the council was just like the Jews of the OT, they constantly rebel against God and persecuted the prophets that the Lord sent. This angered them so much they stoned him to death, and a young man named Saul watched and was in agreement to the whole thing.

In this section of the Acts of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, we find Peter and John heal a lame beggar, who was over 40 years old. Peter said, "Look at Us!" The man looked up expectantly, and Peter said, "Silver and gold we do not have, but what we have we will give to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, walk!" He did and he went jumping and leaping and praising God all the way into the temple with Peter and John. This brought forth Peter's second sermon. Peter and John were arrested and told not to speak in the name of Jesus, but they declared they could not stop. The believers shared their goods, and no one was in need. here we learn of a godly man named Joseph, but the apostles called him, Barnabas which means "Son of Encouragement." Ananias and Sapphira lied before the Lord about their gift, and they both died in their sin. The disciples were arrested again, but an angel of the Lord freed them and commanded them to enter the temple and proclaim "the whole message of this Life" (5:20). This time the disciples said, "We must obey God rather than men." The apostles were flogged, and ordered to not speak in the name of Jesus, and then released. 5:42, "And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."

In today's lesson, we see that the book of Acts is a continuation of the gospel of Luke which was the story of Jesus. As one of my pastors said, "It is not the Acts of the Apostles, or of Peter and Paul, it is a continuation of Jesus' ministry, now instead of in the body, in the Spirit." The group of believers, both men and women, started at 120. Peter directed them to select another disciple in place of Judas, and Matthias was chosen. On Pentecost, when there were Jews from every nation under heaven, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and Peter preached from Joel chapter 2, "And it shall be in the last days, God says, that I will pour forth My Spirit on all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy." People heard the gospel spoken in their own languages. At the end, 3,000 souls repented and were baptized. Verse 42 says, "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer."  Chapter 2 ends with "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Jesus was betrayed by Judas and was arrested. He went before the Jewish religious leaders and then to Pilate, the Roman governor. The Jews wanted Jesus crucified instead of stoned because they wanted Him to be accursed by God. In the midst of this, Peter denied Jesus three times. Jesus was crucified, and while He was on the cross, He made sure that John would take care of His mother, Mary. Jesus died on the cross quickly, so the Roman soldier pierced His side to make sure He was dead. Out spewed water and blood. John witness this. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus buried Jesus. Mary Magdalen saw the angel first and told the disciples who came. John saw and believed. Later, Mary saw Jesus face to face. Jesus came to the disciples, but Thomas was not there. He refused to believe until he could touch the nail scarred hands and the pierced side. Eight days later, Jesus showed up again, and Thomas saw and declared Jesus as his Lord and God. (The first to declare Jesus as God.) John ends with Jesus reinstating Peter into ministry after his denial, and He reminds Peter to not worry about other people and their ministry, but he was to follow Jesus. 

In this section, Jesus is with His closest disciples, and He is preparing them for His departure. He tells them His time is coming. Mary anointed Jesus feet for burial. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a colt. Many people do not believe in Jesus, but some do, but they are afraid. Jesus washed the disciples' feet, including Judas. Peter is told he will deny Jesus. Jesus commanded them they were to love one another. Jesus told them not to be troubled, but believe in God and in Jesus. He also encouraged them that when He was gone, the Holy Spirit will come. Jesus warned them that the world will hate them and that difficulties will come, but the Holy Spirit will guide them. Jesus is going home and preparing a place for us. Chapter 17 ends this section with Jesus' prayer where He prays for His disciples, and then for those who will believe due to their words. He wants the Father's love that is in Him, to be in us too!

This is Jesus' public ministry. John records 7 miracles which he called "signs" because they direct people to see that Jesus was the Son of God. The first was turning water into wine at a wedding in chapter 2. The second sign is found in chapter 4, healing a nobleman's son. The third, Jesus healed a man at Bethesda. The fourth was feeding the 5,000 and the 5th was walking on the water, both are found in chapter 6. Jesus healed a man born blind in chapter 9, and then the 7th sign, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in chapter 11. This section also has discussions with the religious leaders, and it is full of deep spiritual insights.

In this lesson, we learn from Dr. Alan B. Stringfellow that the gospel of John resembled the items found in the tabernacle. Jesus was the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world, the altar. He was living water - the basin. He was the Bread of Life, and the Light of the World, and His prayer was the incense offered up to God. Jesus prayer in chapter 17 brought us into the Holy of Holies through the veil, and then we find that through Jesus' sprinkled blood, our sins are atoned for, and we now have access to God the Father. Jesus also fulfilled the Passover, the Feast of Booths/Tabernacle, Hanukkah, the Festival of First Fruits (1 Cor. 15:20-23), and the Festival of Trumpets, but it was not until Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came in Acts, and then ultimately when Jesus comes again to take the "wheat," believers in Christ, home that Pentecost will be fulfilled. In the "I Am" sayings of Jesus, He expresses that He is everything we need, and He is also God. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father but through Me!" 

John starts of with simple words but profound meaning. Jesus is the Word. He is with God. He was God. He was creator God. He was life. He was light, yet the world did not comprehend. The Word was with God in the beginning. He came into the world, but they did not know Him, and His own people did not receive Him. Verse 12, "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become children of God, even to them that believe on His name." We can not become children of God with our own efforts, but only through God. God became flesh and tabernacled, dwelt, with "us." John and the disciples and those that followed Jesus beheld His glory, as of the only begotten of the Father. They saw His glory, and as we read this book, we too will see His glory.