265: AD Norris – The Apostles, The Acts and their Words

1
00:00:13,800 –> 00:00:15,520
Welcome to good Chris Selfian
talks.

2
00:00:15,520 –> 00:00:18,200
I’m Levi.
And I’m Chris, and I’m Brian.

3
00:00:18,520 –> 00:00:21,080
Thank you for joining us this
week on this podcast.

4
00:00:21,080 –> 00:00:24,920
We select one talk a week to
help us get the Bible in our

5
00:00:24,920 –> 00:00:27,640
Daily News feed.
We post a new episode at the

6
00:00:27,640 –> 00:00:30,130
start of each week.
With the short intro beforehand

7
00:00:30,130 –> 00:00:32,689
to kind of set the stage for the
talk you’re about to listen to.

8
00:00:33,370 –> 00:00:36,210
And now let’s talk more about
this week’s talk.

9
00:00:49,370 –> 00:00:52,290
This week’s talk is class one in
a series by brother AD Norris

10
00:00:52,290 –> 00:00:55,570
that he gave in 1981 at the
Texas Bible School called the

11
00:00:55,570 –> 00:00:57,570
Acts the Apostles and their
Words.

12
00:00:58,060 –> 00:01:01,020
There is no separate title for
the for the different classes.

13
00:01:01,660 –> 00:01:03,780
This is the opening class.
I really enjoyed it.

14
00:01:04,860 –> 00:01:08,900
It is kind of the verse by verse
style of Acts chapter one and

15
00:01:08,900 –> 00:01:11,540
two.
But I found the insights he

16
00:01:11,540 –> 00:01:14,500
brought into those chapters to
be really easy to listen to and

17
00:01:14,580 –> 00:01:16,620
I think it is kind of great for
the podcast form.

18
00:01:16,620 –> 00:01:19,660
I don’t think you particularly
need your Bible in front of you.

19
00:01:20,540 –> 00:01:23,020
I think he is clearly very well
prepared.

20
00:01:23,020 –> 00:01:26,340
I would bet every word is
written of Brother Norris’s

21
00:01:26,340 –> 00:01:29,770
talks.
It sounds like that and really

22
00:01:29,890 –> 00:01:33,530
really enjoyable.
He’s been on the show before

23
00:01:33,530 –> 00:01:36,210
actually.
If you go back and find I think

24
00:01:36,210 –> 00:01:39,090
it’s episode 63 but I don’t I
didn’t look that up exactly

25
00:01:39,090 –> 00:01:40,570
before him.
But it’s an introduction by

26
00:01:40,570 –> 00:01:44,050
brother James and brother James
can’t talks about the benefits

27
00:01:44,130 –> 00:01:49,850
of of listening to these much
older speakers and then and

28
00:01:50,210 –> 00:01:52,050
that’s worth going back and
listening to if you’d like.

29
00:01:52,890 –> 00:01:55,710
So this is the second episode
that that would be that we

30
00:01:55,710 –> 00:01:58,870
feature Brother Norris.
It was great, great talk, very

31
00:01:58,870 –> 00:02:01,350
fun and encouraging to listen
to.

32
00:02:02,350 –> 00:02:05,310
So I’m excited to share it.
Before we pass it over, I did

33
00:02:05,310 –> 00:02:08,630
want to just kind of share a
programming note that Brother

34
00:02:08,630 –> 00:02:11,510
Brian Adams is stepping back a
little bit.

35
00:02:11,750 –> 00:02:14,190
He won’t be as regular on the
podcast.

36
00:02:14,430 –> 00:02:18,030
He’s taken on some extra
ecclesial duties and has asked

37
00:02:18,390 –> 00:02:20,870
to to step back.
But you will hear him again and

38
00:02:20,870 –> 00:02:23,070
we’re going to keep keep the
introduction the same.

39
00:02:25,920 –> 00:02:28,800
So we thank Brian for all the
work he’s done and will continue

40
00:02:28,800 –> 00:02:31,240
to do with the podcast.
But it’ll be going back to the

41
00:02:31,240 –> 00:02:34,200
old days of just Chris and I
every other week for a little

42
00:02:34,200 –> 00:02:36,760
while.
And this show should always be

43
00:02:36,760 –> 00:02:40,720
changing as we keep it going.
Thank you again for listening.

44
00:02:40,720 –> 00:02:42,600
Thank you so much for your
suggestions.

45
00:02:42,840 –> 00:02:45,400
We pray, pray that you will keep
sending them in.

46
00:02:45,480 –> 00:02:48,800
That’s a big help.
So here is Brother AD Norris.

47
00:02:48,840 –> 00:02:49,120
Bye.
Bye.

48
00:02:58,970 –> 00:03:00,250
Good morning, brothers and
sisters.

49
00:03:03,050 –> 00:03:06,010
I have to give notice that it
will be necessary to extend the

50
00:03:06,010 –> 00:03:08,930
school for the next 11 and three
quarter months.

51
00:03:08,930 –> 00:03:12,450
To finish all that has to be
said and each class will have to

52
00:03:12,450 –> 00:03:16,410
last two hours.
However, just in case it’s not

53
00:03:16,410 –> 00:03:19,850
possible to do that, I’ll give
you a selection of the various

54
00:03:19,850 –> 00:03:22,570
things that have to be said and
hope that the appetite will be

55
00:03:22,570 –> 00:03:27,430
wetted.
Apostle is not a very common

56
00:03:27,430 –> 00:03:31,070
word in Scripture, and it’s most
common in the Gospels and the

57
00:03:31,070 –> 00:03:35,510
Acts, especially the Acts.
It’s found once in Matthew and

58
00:03:35,510 –> 00:03:39,830
once in Mark, half a dozen times
or so in Luke, not at all in

59
00:03:39,830 –> 00:03:45,390
John, some dozens of times in
the Acts, and once or more in

60
00:03:45,390 –> 00:03:47,910
almost every letter.
There’s some four or five that

61
00:03:47,910 –> 00:03:51,190
don’t use it.
It means a person who is sent.

62
00:03:52,420 –> 00:03:55,140
It’s usually simply rendered
into English by a variation of

63
00:03:55,140 –> 00:04:00,180
the Greek letters apostle
instead of apostolos, but just

64
00:04:00,180 –> 00:04:02,700
occasionally it’s translated in
other ways.

65
00:04:04,620 –> 00:04:08,300
It’s almost always used of the
special company of 12 whom the

66
00:04:08,300 –> 00:04:12,620
Lord appointed, except that
after the suicide of Judas,

67
00:04:13,140 –> 00:04:18,140
Matthias takes his place, only
referred to once and later the

68
00:04:18,140 –> 00:04:21,100
apostle Paul specially chosen is
given that title.

69
00:04:21,440 –> 00:04:25,080
And here and there you find the
word used of Barnabas, say, and

70
00:04:25,080 –> 00:04:29,160
perhaps another or so once the
word is used of the Lord Jesus

71
00:04:29,160 –> 00:04:33,080
Christ Himself, the Apostle and
High Priest of our profession in

72
00:04:33,080 –> 00:04:37,840
Hebrews chapter 13.
In this original form, it

73
00:04:37,840 –> 00:04:43,000
represents a selection from the
body of the disciples and

74
00:04:43,000 –> 00:04:47,040
disciple. 2 is a somewhat
specialized word in Scripture.

75
00:04:47,840 –> 00:04:50,240
You find it in the Gospels and
in the Acts, and then you lose

76
00:04:50,240 –> 00:04:52,120
it all together.
It’s never used again after

77
00:04:52,120 –> 00:04:55,040
that.
The Lord Jesus Christ has

78
00:04:55,320 –> 00:04:59,200
learners who come to him to be
taught, For the word matates

79
00:04:59,360 –> 00:05:02,840
means a learner.
They are called by that name

80
00:05:02,840 –> 00:05:06,560
almost invariably in the Gospels
and commonly in the Acts.

81
00:05:06,560 –> 00:05:09,720
But by the time the act is over,
and by the time the letters are

82
00:05:09,720 –> 00:05:13,000
written, the words that seem to
take their place are brethren, I

83
00:05:13,000 –> 00:05:17,300
suppose, and Saints.
The learning period isn’t

84
00:05:17,300 –> 00:05:21,140
exactly over, but the
instruction is now complete.

85
00:05:21,860 –> 00:05:24,940
The available material for the
preparation of the Saints of the

86
00:05:24,940 –> 00:05:28,060
Lord is there, and perhaps
that’s why the word disciple

87
00:05:28,060 –> 00:05:32,340
goes and words denoting
sanctified people or people in

88
00:05:32,340 –> 00:05:35,620
brotherly fellowship one with
another take their place.

89
00:05:38,180 –> 00:05:42,580
I want to begin by telling
retelling A brief story found in

90
00:05:42,580 –> 00:05:46,490
Matthew, Mark and Luke.
And letting it hang in the air

91
00:05:46,490 –> 00:05:49,610
until we find it later again in
the act of the apostles

92
00:05:49,610 –> 00:05:53,130
themselves.
And that’s the story given in

93
00:05:53,130 –> 00:05:57,530
Matthew Jackson 19 and Mark,
chapter 10, of a certain rich

94
00:05:57,530 –> 00:06:03,690
young man who came to Jesus and
said, Good master, what good

95
00:06:03,690 –> 00:06:08,170
thing must I do that I may
inherit eternal life?

96
00:06:09,970 –> 00:06:12,210
And he’s told that he knows the
commandments.

97
00:06:13,110 –> 00:06:15,070
And invites the Lord to tell him
which.

98
00:06:15,070 –> 00:06:17,790
And the Lord gives him an
abbreviated list of some of the

99
00:06:17,790 –> 00:06:22,270
most important commandments, And
then professes all these things

100
00:06:22,270 –> 00:06:23,990
have I observed from my youth
up.

101
00:06:26,030 –> 00:06:31,150
Whereupon Jesus, looking at him,
and do not record loving him,

102
00:06:32,190 –> 00:06:35,670
says, If thou wouldst be
perfect, go and sell all that

103
00:06:35,670 –> 00:06:40,310
thou hast, and give to the poor,
and the young man goes away

104
00:06:40,310 –> 00:06:43,790
sorrowful.
Or he has great possession.

105
00:06:46,150 –> 00:06:50,750
A man who apparently wanted to
be a disciple, though perhaps

106
00:06:50,750 –> 00:06:54,710
that wasn’t in the 1st place
quite what he wanted, but found

107
00:06:54,710 –> 00:06:58,230
the conditions of discipleship
at that time at least too hard

108
00:06:58,230 –> 00:07:01,510
to be accepted.
He was rich.

109
00:07:02,350 –> 00:07:09,230
The records tell us that he was
young, that also he was a ruler,

110
00:07:09,230 –> 00:07:12,430
says Luke.
He came and bowed the knee

111
00:07:12,430 –> 00:07:16,390
before Jesus, says Mark.
And as I said, the Lord loved

112
00:07:16,390 –> 00:07:20,790
him when he saw him.
What there was to be loved in

113
00:07:20,790 –> 00:07:23,950
that man may perhaps only later
appear, for his behaviour at

114
00:07:23,950 –> 00:07:28,110
that stage was at least short of
lovable in some particulars.

115
00:07:29,830 –> 00:07:32,270
He seemed to want more, shall we
say, a pass on the head than

116
00:07:32,270 –> 00:07:35,710
loving.
He came to ask the Lord what

117
00:07:35,710 –> 00:07:38,630
were the conditions of eternal
life, hoping it would appear

118
00:07:38,630 –> 00:07:40,790
that the Lord would lay down
conditions he was already

119
00:07:40,790 –> 00:07:43,070
keeping.
All these things have I observed

120
00:07:43,070 –> 00:07:47,750
from my youth up.
What like I get, He came

121
00:07:47,830 –> 00:07:52,710
evaluating goodness in terms of
the good things you did, the

122
00:07:52,710 –> 00:07:56,830
commandments you kept well, the
bad deeds you avoided.

123
00:07:57,910 –> 00:08:00,190
All these things have I kept
from my youth up.

124
00:08:01,970 –> 00:08:04,530
He wanted to judge the Lord in
the same way as he judged

125
00:08:04,530 –> 00:08:07,930
himself good.
Master, what good thing shall I

126
00:08:07,930 –> 00:08:11,570
do?
And was it seems, not at once

127
00:08:11,570 –> 00:08:14,490
deterred by the fact that the
Lord wouldn’t accept the title

128
00:08:14,490 –> 00:08:18,370
for himself?
Why callest thou me good?

129
00:08:19,690 –> 00:08:23,090
There is none good but one that
is God.

130
00:08:25,050 –> 00:08:27,450
And the Lord who had done no
evil, and was to do none.

131
00:08:28,520 –> 00:08:32,039
Who did no sin, neither was
guile found in his mouth, yet

132
00:08:32,039 –> 00:08:35,400
still would not take to himself
a title which he would have to

133
00:08:35,400 –> 00:08:40,480
share with God.
There is none good but one that

134
00:08:40,480 –> 00:08:45,720
is God.
God’s goodness is inherent, is

135
00:08:45,720 –> 00:08:49,520
inseparable from him.
He can never be anything else.

136
00:08:50,840 –> 00:08:55,320
He is under no peril of attack.
There is no danger attaching to

137
00:08:55,320 –> 00:08:57,080
God’s goodness.
He would never be anything

138
00:08:57,080 –> 00:09:01,090
otherwise.
But Jesus had behaved well with

139
00:09:01,090 –> 00:09:04,250
the fragile goodness of a man
who could be tempted in all

140
00:09:04,250 –> 00:09:08,250
points like as we are, who was,
as it were, in his behaviour,

141
00:09:08,250 –> 00:09:11,450
good from moment to moment, and
no bad moment had come, nor

142
00:09:11,450 –> 00:09:16,650
would it come, but he could.
He was one who must fight his

143
00:09:16,650 –> 00:09:21,090
way to goodness by assimilating
his mind to the mind of God, and

144
00:09:21,090 –> 00:09:24,570
finally laying down his life.
Only thus would goodness be his

145
00:09:24,570 –> 00:09:28,830
perfectly.
So when the Lord would not allow

146
00:09:28,830 –> 00:09:32,590
himself to be so described, this
young man might perhaps had he

147
00:09:32,590 –> 00:09:36,830
been more sensitive, and perhaps
laser did when he became more

148
00:09:36,830 –> 00:09:39,710
sensitive.
Recognize that you don’t measure

149
00:09:39,710 –> 00:09:42,350
goodness in a balance.
You don’t pour your good deeds

150
00:09:42,350 –> 00:09:45,190
into a scale and weigh it and
see how much you’ve got.

151
00:09:46,350 –> 00:09:49,470
What you do is pour the goodness
of God into a scale and see how

152
00:09:49,470 –> 00:09:52,790
light is the other pan and how
impossible it is for you to

153
00:09:52,790 –> 00:09:56,790
weigh it down, and then learn to
seek your goodness in another

154
00:09:56,790 –> 00:10:01,090
way.
So the old man went away,

155
00:10:01,090 –> 00:10:06,930
sorrowful, perhaps even
resentful, certainly frustrated

156
00:10:06,930 –> 00:10:09,530
in whatever it was that brought
him there, for the time being at

157
00:10:09,530 –> 00:10:16,810
least, and is lost to our sight,
yet lost with that question mark

158
00:10:16,810 –> 00:10:20,770
hanging invitingly and there,
And Jesus, beholding him, loved

159
00:10:20,770 –> 00:10:24,250
him.
What was to become of a man whom

160
00:10:24,250 –> 00:10:31,440
the Lord loved, we wonder.
At that time there were 12

161
00:10:31,440 –> 00:10:34,760
apostles.
The Lord had selected them

162
00:10:34,760 –> 00:10:39,320
carefully from amongst his own
disciples, had prayed the whole

163
00:10:39,320 –> 00:10:41,800
night through the previous night
that his choice might be the

164
00:10:41,800 –> 00:10:44,480
right choice, went up to the
mountain in prayer.

165
00:10:44,480 –> 00:10:47,240
And when it was dawned, he chose
his 12 apostles.

166
00:10:49,280 –> 00:10:52,240
And if particular attention
attaches to the 1st and the last

167
00:10:52,240 –> 00:10:59,610
of these, we’re not surprised.
The first Simon, Peter, and

168
00:10:59,610 –> 00:11:03,730
Judas is carried, which also
betrayed him.

169
00:11:05,650 –> 00:11:09,290
The latter of these chosen no
doubt in the full knowledge of

170
00:11:09,290 –> 00:11:12,290
what that man would do when the
time came to do it.

171
00:11:12,490 –> 00:11:15,530
Have not I chosen you?
12 And one of you is a devil.

172
00:11:16,730 –> 00:11:19,530
For Jesus knew from the
beginning who it was that

173
00:11:19,530 –> 00:11:22,370
believed, not, who they were
that believed not, and who it

174
00:11:22,370 –> 00:11:29,540
was that should betray him.
The other, the first chosen in

175
00:11:29,540 –> 00:11:32,100
the knowledge of the hard
travail through which that man

176
00:11:32,100 –> 00:11:35,980
must pass, before he became the
fit vessel to introduce the

177
00:11:35,980 –> 00:11:40,220
Gospel to Jews and Samaritans
and Gentiles, before he was the

178
00:11:40,220 –> 00:11:46,220
man to be trusted, and relied
upon the rock layer of the firm

179
00:11:46,220 –> 00:11:50,620
foundation upon which the
community would be built, A man

180
00:11:50,620 –> 00:11:54,860
who would be a great support, a
loyal follower.

181
00:11:55,560 –> 00:11:59,440
A keen learner, an ardent
spokesman, and yet a man who

182
00:11:59,440 –> 00:12:01,240
would have his catastrophic
failures.

183
00:12:01,440 –> 00:12:05,000
Not because he was weaker than
any other, we are sure he was

184
00:12:05,000 –> 00:12:08,720
stronger than most, but because
he ventured into situations

185
00:12:08,720 –> 00:12:10,800
where failure was possible and
conspicuous.

186
00:12:12,560 –> 00:12:15,280
Other disciples did not sink in
the waters because they did not

187
00:12:15,280 –> 00:12:18,760
walk on them.
Other disciples didn’t were not

188
00:12:18,760 –> 00:12:21,520
seen to deny Christ because they
were not there when the time for

189
00:12:21,520 –> 00:12:25,330
denial came.
Peter walked on water, and

190
00:12:25,330 –> 00:12:27,650
therefore also sank when his
faith faltered.

191
00:12:27,650 –> 00:12:31,170
But great faith it was.
Peter denied the Lord three

192
00:12:31,170 –> 00:12:33,930
times, but Peter was alone in
the room with the pile in it.

193
00:12:34,130 –> 00:12:37,410
When they placed his Lord on
trial, the others were far away,

194
00:12:37,410 –> 00:12:41,090
fleeing.
Peter was a man whom the Lord

195
00:12:41,170 –> 00:12:45,210
prayed for, and for whom the
Lord’s prayers were effectively

196
00:12:45,210 –> 00:12:46,850
answered.
Simon.

197
00:12:47,650 –> 00:12:50,380
Simon.
Satan hath desired to have you

198
00:12:50,380 –> 00:12:53,780
all that you may sift you all as
weak, But I have prayed for thee

199
00:12:54,100 –> 00:12:58,300
that thy faith fail not, and
when thou art converted,

200
00:12:58,300 –> 00:13:06,020
strengthen thy brethren.
There should be no poor Peter in

201
00:13:06,020 –> 00:13:11,500
our thinking, no weak, impulsive
Peter in the way we speak.

202
00:13:11,500 –> 00:13:15,260
No, that’s Peter.
Pudding is putting it again in

203
00:13:15,260 –> 00:13:18,470
the way we think.
Leader amongst disciples was

204
00:13:18,470 –> 00:13:23,590
great, and in the Lord’s faith
strong speaking words of faith,

205
00:13:23,590 –> 00:13:27,790
when no other would speak them,
saying, We believe and are sure

206
00:13:27,790 –> 00:13:30,870
that thou the Christ, the Son of
the living God, when the

207
00:13:30,870 –> 00:13:33,230
disciples were forsaking him in
their multitudes.

208
00:13:33,430 –> 00:13:36,030
And when it looks as though a
movement even amongst the 12 was

209
00:13:36,030 –> 00:13:40,230
beginning, will ye also go away?
Said the Lord, with Judas

210
00:13:40,230 –> 00:13:42,350
perhaps as the role of leader in
the retreat.

211
00:13:43,790 –> 00:13:46,790
Peter it was who, when they
reached the coasts of Cesarry of

212
00:13:46,790 –> 00:13:50,990
Philippi, near Sedan, on the
extreme northern border of the

213
00:13:50,990 –> 00:13:55,070
ancient territory, from Dan to
be a Sheba alone spoke out.

214
00:13:55,070 –> 00:13:59,230
When the Lord said, Whom, Say ye
that I am, And answered, Thou

215
00:13:59,230 –> 00:14:02,470
art the Christ, the Son of the
living God, and earned from the

216
00:14:02,470 –> 00:14:06,590
Lord the commendation.
Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona,

217
00:14:07,670 –> 00:14:11,870
for flesh and blood hath not
revealed this unto thee, but my

218
00:14:11,870 –> 00:14:16,540
Father, which is in heaven.
If it were not patronizing to

219
00:14:16,540 –> 00:14:20,020
say so, we would have to say the
Lord chose well when he chose

220
00:14:20,020 –> 00:14:23,500
Peter.
As we follow that man’s life as

221
00:14:23,500 –> 00:14:26,900
we shall in some degree, we see
he could hardly have chosen

222
00:14:26,900 –> 00:14:31,460
better.
We leave the Peter of The

223
00:14:31,460 –> 00:14:33,220
Walking on the water and the
sinking.

224
00:14:34,390 –> 00:14:37,270
The Peter of the half shekel in
the fish’s mouth, the Peter of

225
00:14:37,270 –> 00:14:40,630
the threefold denial, The Peter
of the Simon son of Jonas,

226
00:14:40,630 –> 00:14:44,310
Lovest thou me more than these
of John 21 passed through the

227
00:14:44,310 –> 00:14:47,790
travel and the bitter tears of
the rejection of the Lord, to

228
00:14:47,790 –> 00:14:52,350
the time when the Lord was risen
again, when this bold man goes

229
00:14:52,350 –> 00:14:56,150
inside the tomb and sees the
signs that later would be seen

230
00:14:56,150 –> 00:14:59,110
by him to mean that Jesus was
risen from the dead.

231
00:15:00,200 –> 00:15:03,360
We leave the Peter of the
company of 11 who survived the

232
00:15:03,360 –> 00:15:07,320
suicide of Judas, and were with
the Lord for 40 days when he

233
00:15:07,320 –> 00:15:11,120
showed himself alive after his
fashion by many infallible

234
00:15:11,120 –> 00:15:14,480
proofs.
And we come to the occasion we

235
00:15:14,480 –> 00:15:17,160
read about in the chapter in
Acts, chapter one.

236
00:15:19,800 –> 00:15:23,120
There are by now but eleven of
the original apostles left.

237
00:15:25,330 –> 00:15:27,890
By an inspiration of God that
must surely have come even

238
00:15:27,890 –> 00:15:32,690
before the outpouring of
Pentecost on Pisa, at least he

239
00:15:32,690 –> 00:15:36,090
stands up amongst the disciples
and denounces the change that

240
00:15:36,090 –> 00:15:40,050
must now be made.
There are but eleven of them, I

241
00:15:40,050 –> 00:15:44,610
said, and there should be 12.
How will they define the 12th?

242
00:15:46,330 –> 00:15:51,570
He lays down carefully
calculated conditions wherefore

243
00:15:51,570 –> 00:15:56,150
of these men.
Which have companied with us all

244
00:15:56,150 –> 00:15:59,310
the days that the Lord Jesus
went in and out among us,

245
00:16:00,270 –> 00:16:03,150
beginning from the baptism of
John until the day that he was

246
00:16:03,150 –> 00:16:07,310
taken up, promising to heaven,
Must one be ordained to be a

247
00:16:07,310 –> 00:16:09,230
witness with us of his
resurrection.

248
00:16:12,230 –> 00:16:15,070
Jesus did not choose his
apostles for their looks or

249
00:16:15,070 –> 00:16:19,830
their learning or their virtue.
The next apostle was not to be

250
00:16:19,830 –> 00:16:21,470
chosen for any such reason
either.

251
00:16:23,170 –> 00:16:25,610
They were witnesses by virtue of
their experience.

252
00:16:25,610 –> 00:16:28,890
They had been with him during
all his ministry, had known the

253
00:16:28,890 –> 00:16:32,250
preaching of John, and had
followed him to the day when he

254
00:16:32,250 –> 00:16:34,410
was received up out of their
sight into heaven.

255
00:16:34,650 –> 00:16:36,650
They wanted another man like
that.

256
00:16:37,410 –> 00:16:39,770
No other could be the kind of
witness they were.

257
00:16:40,210 –> 00:16:42,090
Nothing less was to be asked of
him.

258
00:16:42,730 –> 00:16:44,850
So they started with the baptism
of John.

259
00:16:45,050 –> 00:16:47,010
They went on to the teaching of
the Lord.

260
00:16:47,010 –> 00:16:49,770
They continued to the death and
the resurrection and the

261
00:16:49,770 –> 00:16:51,850
ascension.
And they said that’s the kind of

262
00:16:51,850 –> 00:16:55,890
man we must have.
There couldn’t have been many

263
00:16:55,890 –> 00:17:00,730
around.
We find they put forth too, and

264
00:17:00,730 –> 00:17:03,490
it’s an open speculation as to
whether they put forth too,

265
00:17:03,490 –> 00:17:06,930
because they’re only were two
persons eligible in other

266
00:17:06,930 –> 00:17:11,130
respects and having the
necessary experience, and we’re

267
00:17:11,130 –> 00:17:16,810
given the names of those two.
They are Joseph called Bar Sabas

268
00:17:17,770 –> 00:17:20,569
and also justice.
That’s one.

269
00:17:21,609 –> 00:17:26,170
And Matthias.
And they cast lots to select

270
00:17:26,170 –> 00:17:30,210
which one.
So the question arises, is that

271
00:17:30,210 –> 00:17:35,010
the way to make our choices?
Do we put pieces of paper into a

272
00:17:35,010 –> 00:17:38,330
hat and the one who draws the
longest one get the job?

273
00:17:39,690 –> 00:17:41,930
Is that how the Scripture
invites us to select the elders

274
00:17:41,930 –> 00:17:44,730
for our communities?
Is this the biblical method of

275
00:17:44,730 –> 00:17:50,170
making appointments?
And the answer would be yes, if

276
00:17:50,170 –> 00:17:53,690
we’re choosing an apostle, but
otherwise no.

277
00:17:55,530 –> 00:17:58,890
The apostles were doing
something that required that

278
00:17:58,890 –> 00:18:03,410
they should take this course.
The eligible candidates?

279
00:18:03,410 –> 00:18:06,050
They could bring them forward,
but the choice of an apostle

280
00:18:06,050 –> 00:18:10,430
must be Jesus, not theirs.
They were not there to choose

281
00:18:10,510 –> 00:18:13,430
Jesus’s man.
The Lord had chosen the other

282
00:18:13,430 –> 00:18:16,550
11, and the suicide too.
He must choose this one as well.

283
00:18:16,750 –> 00:18:20,190
So they prayed, and they said,
Lord, that not the hearts of men

284
00:18:20,390 –> 00:18:22,870
show which of these two thou
hast chosen.

285
00:18:24,670 –> 00:18:30,350
It was Jesus Job, not theirs.
And so they made a homemade

286
00:18:30,390 –> 00:18:34,990
Uriman Thummim, and they made
their choice, and the lock fell

287
00:18:34,990 –> 00:18:39,820
upon Mathias.
As Jesus, man chosen by Jesus.

288
00:18:42,340 –> 00:18:44,100
And at that point another
question crops up.

289
00:18:44,100 –> 00:18:48,740
Should they have done it at all?
Jesus would in due course select

290
00:18:48,740 –> 00:18:50,620
Paul for the work to which he
had designed him.

291
00:18:50,820 –> 00:18:53,380
Then shouldn’t they have left it
till the Lord gave the sign?

292
00:18:55,420 –> 00:18:57,420
After all, we hear nothing more
about Matthias.

293
00:18:58,580 –> 00:19:00,260
He comes into the picture and he
leaves again.

294
00:19:00,260 –> 00:19:04,420
He’s totally lost to sight.
He’s just a name taking a piece

295
00:19:04,420 –> 00:19:08,680
of paper and getting at a point.
Out of which, as far as we can

296
00:19:08,680 –> 00:19:12,360
see, nothing comes.
Was that a condemnation of what

297
00:19:12,360 –> 00:19:16,120
the apostles did?
No, of course it wasn’t.

298
00:19:17,880 –> 00:19:21,040
It would be impossible to
believe that men making such a

299
00:19:21,040 –> 00:19:24,040
choices that in such
circumstances, that standing up

300
00:19:24,040 –> 00:19:27,040
with the boldness and the reason
that Peter showed, is having

301
00:19:27,040 –> 00:19:30,160
exceeded their office.
It’s our own thinking that tends

302
00:19:30,160 –> 00:19:33,040
perhaps to make the apostles no
better men than we are.

303
00:19:33,600 –> 00:19:36,920
Our own mistakes, which tends to
make like to think that even the

304
00:19:36,920 –> 00:19:39,000
12 themselves could make
mistakes like ours.

305
00:19:39,600 –> 00:19:42,800
That leads us to think of them
as doing what they shouldn’t

306
00:19:42,800 –> 00:19:45,600
have been doing here.
It’s an irrational thought that

307
00:19:45,600 –> 00:19:48,800
that record would be set out
with no word of condemnation,

308
00:19:49,600 –> 00:19:52,400
with every indication that the
Lord answered the prayer that

309
00:19:52,400 –> 00:19:54,520
was given to him.
It’s the way in which this

310
00:19:54,520 –> 00:19:57,320
record stands before us that
convinces me, and I would think

311
00:19:57,320 –> 00:19:59,960
would convince you, that the
apostles were doing the right

312
00:19:59,960 –> 00:20:03,280
thing when they made that
opportunity for the Lord.

313
00:20:03,780 –> 00:20:08,500
And the Lord chose Matthias.
Oh, it’s true, we don’t hear of

314
00:20:08,500 –> 00:20:10,060
Matthias again.
That’s a perfectly fair

315
00:20:10,060 –> 00:20:13,420
statement.
But then of the 12 whom do we

316
00:20:13,420 –> 00:20:15,380
hear of again?
Peter.

317
00:20:16,740 –> 00:20:19,820
John.
James, the brother of John, but

318
00:20:19,820 –> 00:20:23,220
only because he was slain by the
sword for no other reason and

319
00:20:23,220 –> 00:20:26,940
nobody else.
So Matthias joins the company of

320
00:20:26,980 –> 00:20:30,020
eight others, of whom we hear no
more as the Acts of the Apostles

321
00:20:30,020 –> 00:20:33,370
go their way.
It’s no condemnation of their

322
00:20:33,370 –> 00:20:35,330
choice of him that he fades from
the picture.

323
00:20:38,090 –> 00:20:41,850
All the same, the picture does
present an intriguing little

324
00:20:41,850 –> 00:20:45,890
speculation for us.
Two men are put forward and both

325
00:20:45,890 –> 00:20:50,210
their names are given.
Mathias is 1, he’s the one who’s

326
00:20:50,210 –> 00:20:53,890
chosen, and the other is Joseph
Barsabas.

327
00:20:53,890 –> 00:20:59,490
Justice, it seems, doesn’t it at
first sight to lack a certain

328
00:20:59,490 –> 00:21:02,740
sense of proportion.
Why do you name the two

329
00:21:02,740 –> 00:21:04,740
candidates?
And knowing now by the time you

330
00:21:04,740 –> 00:21:09,020
write your record which one has
been selected, Give 3 handles to

331
00:21:09,020 –> 00:21:12,540
the name of the man who’s not
going to get chosen anyway, and

332
00:21:12,540 –> 00:21:14,100
only one for the name of the man
who is.

333
00:21:14,580 –> 00:21:18,580
Why this elaboration of the name
of the second in the election

334
00:21:18,580 –> 00:21:26,060
who never takes up the office?
Joseph Varsabhas, Justice Luke

335
00:21:26,060 –> 00:21:28,740
is a shrewd historian apart from
me in an inspired man.

336
00:21:29,460 –> 00:21:32,820
He writes in a carefully
calculated way, and also under

337
00:21:32,820 –> 00:21:35,180
the guidance of the spirits.
And we would think there was

338
00:21:35,180 –> 00:21:39,020
some reason that may have lain
behind that elaboration of the

339
00:21:39,020 –> 00:21:40,660
name of the man who wasn’t
chosen.

340
00:21:42,140 –> 00:21:45,780
Well, perhaps there was.
But can I leave that hanging

341
00:21:45,780 –> 00:21:48,660
there too for a moment, and
continue?

342
00:21:49,420 –> 00:21:51,060
We shall return to it, if God be
willing.

343
00:21:54,300 –> 00:21:56,220
And now the day of Pentecost
comes.

344
00:21:57,930 –> 00:22:00,210
The Lord has left the earth some
seven weeks ago.

345
00:22:02,010 –> 00:22:04,410
This is the day when they gather
in there in gatherings.

346
00:22:04,410 –> 00:22:08,850
This is the day of celebration.
And this time the Lord sends

347
00:22:08,850 –> 00:22:13,610
down his par from on high.
And the trolls speak with tones.

348
00:22:14,610 –> 00:22:18,050
And the first, if not the only,
fulfillment of the prophecy of

349
00:22:18,050 –> 00:22:20,490
joy.
It shall come to pass in the

350
00:22:20,490 –> 00:22:23,490
last days, that I will pour out
of my spirit of all flesh.

351
00:22:24,820 –> 00:22:27,740
Your young men shall see
visions, and your old men shall

352
00:22:27,740 –> 00:22:30,780
dream dreams, and your sons and
your daughter shall prophesy

353
00:22:32,180 –> 00:22:36,020
came about.
These men are not drunken, as

354
00:22:36,020 –> 00:22:38,580
you suppose, seeing it is not
9:00 in the morning.

355
00:22:38,580 –> 00:22:41,460
But this is that that was spoken
by the prophet Joel.

356
00:22:43,420 –> 00:22:47,780
They heard them speak with
tongues wherever they came from.

357
00:22:47,780 –> 00:22:50,580
They heard them speak with
tongues, and they came, if we

358
00:22:50,580 –> 00:22:54,100
may turn to the second of the
Acts, from these places, at

359
00:22:54,100 –> 00:23:01,900
least, Acts chapter 2, verse 8,
verse seven.

360
00:23:02,700 –> 00:23:06,340
They were all amazed and novel,
saying, one to another, Behold,

361
00:23:06,540 –> 00:23:10,460
all us, all these which speak
Galileans, and how here we every

362
00:23:10,460 –> 00:23:13,830
man in our own tongue, wherein
we were born Spathians and

363
00:23:13,830 –> 00:23:17,230
Meads, and Elamites, and the
dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in

364
00:23:17,230 –> 00:23:21,150
Judea and Cappadocia, in Pontus
and Asia, in frigia and

365
00:23:21,150 –> 00:23:24,950
pamphalia in Egypt, and in the
parts of Libya about Tsarinae,

366
00:23:25,070 –> 00:23:28,350
and strangers from Rome, Jews
and prostates, Cretans and

367
00:23:28,350 –> 00:23:30,630
Arabians.
We do hear them speak in our

368
00:23:30,630 –> 00:23:34,630
tongues the wonderful works of
God, and we’re all amazed and

369
00:23:34,630 –> 00:23:36,310
we’re in doubt, saying one to
another.

370
00:23:36,830 –> 00:23:42,420
What meaneth this?
I would think they were all in

371
00:23:42,420 –> 00:23:45,780
Jerusalem with a purpose that
would not have been frustrated

372
00:23:46,020 –> 00:23:48,660
by the fact that they had a
different language from the

373
00:23:48,660 –> 00:23:52,260
Jewish language.
I would think they came there

374
00:23:52,260 –> 00:23:55,500
perfectly, were able to get
around and do what they came

375
00:23:55,500 –> 00:23:58,020
for, and hear what they came to
hear, and speak with whom they

376
00:23:58,020 –> 00:24:03,380
came to speak in either Aramaic
or more probably, Greek.

377
00:24:04,300 –> 00:24:08,060
These people who came to
Jerusalem at this time, they

378
00:24:08,060 –> 00:24:10,940
wouldn’t be bewildered by not
knowing the language of the

379
00:24:10,940 –> 00:24:13,900
place.
So they wouldn’t, I think, have

380
00:24:13,900 –> 00:24:18,820
needed for the sake of witness
that Peter and the other should

381
00:24:18,820 –> 00:24:21,180
speak to them in their own
native dialects.

382
00:24:22,860 –> 00:24:24,060
But they would have recognized
them.

383
00:24:25,780 –> 00:24:28,140
They would have known that it
was a very surprising thing that

384
00:24:28,140 –> 00:24:31,620
these Galileans an indication
they did know the language they

385
00:24:31,620 –> 00:24:34,750
were talking about, an
indication that these Galileans

386
00:24:34,750 –> 00:24:37,870
were able to do things that
Galileans shouldn’t do, couldn’t

387
00:24:37,870 –> 00:24:39,390
do.
Galileans were Rustics.

388
00:24:39,870 –> 00:24:41,950
They knew their own dialects,
They could speak with their own

389
00:24:41,950 –> 00:24:44,910
country tongue.
But these foreign languages not

390
00:24:44,910 –> 00:24:48,510
Galileans.
So the wonderlay not in the

391
00:24:48,510 –> 00:24:50,710
tongues being needed for
understanding, but in the

392
00:24:50,710 –> 00:24:54,110
tongues being a sign, a sign
that they were doing things that

393
00:24:54,110 –> 00:24:57,710
man couldn’t do, left to
himself, given the gift from God

394
00:24:57,710 –> 00:24:59,550
that no man could have
simulated.

395
00:25:00,350 –> 00:25:04,190
And they were amazed, and the
best of them believed.

396
00:25:05,230 –> 00:25:09,070
And the same day they were added
unto the Lord about 3000 souls.

397
00:25:12,310 –> 00:25:16,550
Peter’s message fully responded
to the prayers the Lord had

398
00:25:16,550 –> 00:25:20,750
prayed for him.
Here was no Peter, bulled up to

399
00:25:20,750 –> 00:25:24,110
the last moment, and then
fleeing as the others had.

400
00:25:25,390 –> 00:25:28,910
Here was a Peter who would see
it through, preach him, would

401
00:25:28,910 –> 00:25:33,970
have a company, go to prison if
need be, and ultimately faced

402
00:25:33,970 –> 00:25:35,890
calm with the death that he
would have to die.

403
00:25:37,970 –> 00:25:41,930
The Lord whom Peter had denied,
when the Lord was on trial for

404
00:25:41,930 –> 00:25:47,290
his life, and said, I know him
not with an oath, I know not the

405
00:25:47,290 –> 00:25:49,490
man cursing and swearing, I know
not.

406
00:25:49,490 –> 00:25:53,730
The man of whom thou speakest
was a Peter whom the Lord had

407
00:25:53,730 –> 00:25:57,490
spoken to, and said, Simon, son
of Jonas, lovest are me more

408
00:25:57,490 –> 00:26:02,400
than these others.
And Peter, don’t say that there

409
00:26:02,400 –> 00:26:05,800
was no longer, though all men
shall deny thee, yet will not I

410
00:26:05,800 –> 00:26:08,280
He was not going to make
comparisons anymore.

411
00:26:09,960 –> 00:26:13,080
Peter wouldn’t even say he loved
Jesus in the word the Lord used.

412
00:26:14,160 –> 00:26:17,360
He would choose a lesser word
and say, Lord, thou knowest that

413
00:26:17,360 –> 00:26:23,040
I am thy friend that would taste
the first denial.

414
00:26:24,880 –> 00:26:27,880
Then the Lord came back to Peter
and said, Simon, son of Jonas,

415
00:26:27,880 –> 00:26:31,320
lovest thou me?
Leave the others out of it?

416
00:26:32,190 –> 00:26:37,750
Answer yourself, do you love me?
And Peter would not budge.

417
00:26:38,750 –> 00:26:41,950
The Lord might climb down the
ladder of his exaltation to

418
00:26:41,950 –> 00:26:43,950
stand a little closer to Peter’s
level.

419
00:26:43,950 –> 00:26:48,150
But Peter was not climbing up.
He’s staying just where he was.

420
00:26:48,150 –> 00:26:50,910
He would make no claims.
Lord, thou knowest that I am thy

421
00:26:50,910 –> 00:26:55,110
friend.
So the Lord comes right down and

422
00:26:55,110 –> 00:26:58,550
stands by Peter’s side, speaks
Peter’s language, and says,

423
00:26:58,590 –> 00:27:04,180
Simon, son of Jones, up thou my
friend, And Peter was grieved

424
00:27:04,180 –> 00:27:06,660
because the Lord said to him,
the third time, art thou my

425
00:27:06,660 –> 00:27:09,540
friend.
The third time was too painful,

426
00:27:10,540 –> 00:27:13,940
too reminiscent of I know him
not, I know not the man.

427
00:27:14,100 –> 00:27:17,020
And the third time I know not
the man of whom thou speakers,

428
00:27:17,380 –> 00:27:21,260
too painfully reminding of the
going out and sobbing that Peter

429
00:27:21,260 –> 00:27:23,540
did.
When he realized what he’d done,

430
00:27:24,540 –> 00:27:28,060
no wonder he was grieved.
But there was nothing more he

431
00:27:28,060 –> 00:27:32,490
could say, nothing more he would
say, Lord, thou knowest all

432
00:27:32,490 –> 00:27:33,890
things.
Thou knowest that I am thy

433
00:27:33,890 –> 00:27:39,090
friend, and the feed my sheep,
and the tend my lambs, and the

434
00:27:39,090 –> 00:27:42,210
tend my sheep, which the Lord
gave to Peter, after each of the

435
00:27:42,210 –> 00:27:45,850
successive threefold
restorations, took Peter on the

436
00:27:45,850 –> 00:27:48,650
path of service that was to take
him to his triumphant death.

437
00:27:51,330 –> 00:27:56,130
So Peter stood up and preached
to the murders of the Lord, and

438
00:27:56,130 –> 00:27:58,810
had no hesitation in labeling
them for what they were.

439
00:28:00,320 –> 00:28:05,480
Hear the closing part of Peter’s
speech, Acts, chapter 2, verse

440
00:28:05,480 –> 00:28:10,600
29.
Men and brethren, let me freely

441
00:28:10,600 –> 00:28:15,040
speak unto the patriarch David
that he is both dead and buried,

442
00:28:15,960 –> 00:28:18,600
and his sepulchre is with us
until this day.

443
00:28:19,960 –> 00:28:23,280
Therefore, being a prophet, and
knowing that God had sworn with

444
00:28:23,280 –> 00:28:26,280
an oath to him that of the fruit
of his lines, according to the

445
00:28:26,280 –> 00:28:29,260
flesh, he would raise up Christ
to sit on his throne.

446
00:28:29,420 –> 00:28:34,140
He’s seeing this before speak of
the resurrection of Christ, that

447
00:28:34,180 –> 00:28:38,260
his soul was not left in hell,
neither his flesh did see

448
00:28:38,260 –> 00:28:41,540
corruption.
This Jesus did God raise up,

449
00:28:42,500 –> 00:28:48,500
whereof we all our witnesses He
just quoted Psalm 16.

450
00:28:48,500 –> 00:28:52,340
To them thou would not leave my
soul in hell, neither would thou

451
00:28:52,340 –> 00:28:54,180
suffer thine holy one to seek
corruption.

452
00:28:54,990 –> 00:28:57,990
And Psalm 16 was written by
David, and Peter was concerned

453
00:28:57,990 –> 00:29:00,430
to show it couldn’t have been
about himself, that he was

454
00:29:00,430 –> 00:29:06,070
writing and justice.
See what Peter did that day, mil

455
00:29:06,070 –> 00:29:08,510
and brethren, the patriarch
David.

456
00:29:08,670 –> 00:29:11,270
He is both dead and buried.
There’s his grave.

457
00:29:13,550 –> 00:29:15,510
His suffocory is with us until
this day.

458
00:29:15,670 –> 00:29:18,230
If they let you look inside it,
you’ll see only dust.

459
00:29:19,910 –> 00:29:25,060
His flesh did seek corruption.
But being a prophet and knowing

460
00:29:25,060 –> 00:29:28,860
that God had sworn about his
coming, seed men and brethren,

461
00:29:28,900 –> 00:29:33,660
there’s another grave.
They probably won’t let you look

462
00:29:33,660 –> 00:29:37,140
inside it now.
They’ll have taken precautions.

463
00:29:38,300 –> 00:29:40,940
But we know and they know and
you know that there’s nobody in

464
00:29:40,940 –> 00:29:44,460
it.
And there’s only one reason why

465
00:29:45,660 –> 00:29:48,620
this Jesus did God raise up.
Where are we?

466
00:29:48,620 –> 00:29:54,080
Are witnesses.
We’ve looked in, we’ve seen and

467
00:29:54,080 –> 00:29:58,640
we know.
And so Peter stood before them

468
00:29:58,640 –> 00:30:02,440
as the chief of the ambassadors
of the Lord Jesus Christ to use

469
00:30:02,440 –> 00:30:05,360
the first of the keys.
The Lord gave him the keys of

470
00:30:05,360 –> 00:30:08,320
the Kingdom of heaven.
I were given to thee, and opened

471
00:30:08,320 –> 00:30:10,720
the door of salvation to
repentant Jews.

472
00:30:11,160 –> 00:30:13,840
And with these words he
challenged them to repentance.

473
00:30:15,040 –> 00:30:21,540
Verse 33 Therefore being by the
right hand of God exalted, and

474
00:30:21,540 –> 00:30:24,420
having received of the Father
the promise of the Holy Spirit,

475
00:30:24,940 –> 00:30:27,940
he has said forth this which ye
now see and hear.

476
00:30:29,340 –> 00:30:32,340
What David is not ascended into
the heavens, but he says

477
00:30:32,340 –> 00:30:35,140
Himself.
The Lord turned to my Lord, sit

478
00:30:35,140 –> 00:30:38,300
down my right hand, until I make
thy pose the footstool of thy

479
00:30:38,300 –> 00:30:41,860
feet.
Therefore let all the House of

480
00:30:41,860 –> 00:30:47,140
Israel know assuredly the God
hath made that same Jesus whom

481
00:30:47,140 –> 00:30:51,030
ye have crucified, both Lord and
Christ.

482
00:30:53,670 –> 00:30:55,510
Oh, what a different Peter is
this.

483
00:30:57,590 –> 00:31:01,150
That place of trial, where
rulers were examining the

484
00:31:01,150 –> 00:31:05,470
apostles for their faith,
suddenly became A cause in which

485
00:31:05,510 –> 00:31:09,350
they stood in the dock, waiting
to be condemned.

486
00:31:11,630 –> 00:31:18,110
God hath made this same Jesus
which ye have crucified both

487
00:31:18,110 –> 00:31:21,950
Lord and Christ.
Not just He is now alive, and we

488
00:31:21,950 –> 00:31:23,870
are glad, but he’s now alive.
And you killed him.

489
00:31:25,710 –> 00:31:27,350
What are you going to do about
that?

490
00:31:29,430 –> 00:31:31,870
That was Peter’s call to
repentance.

491
00:31:32,630 –> 00:31:35,030
He did it later.
Not very much later either,

492
00:31:35,030 –> 00:31:39,750
still in Jerusalem.
Well, he said, Ye refused the

493
00:31:39,750 –> 00:31:45,030
Prince of life and desired A
murderer to be granted unto you.

494
00:31:46,790 –> 00:31:50,110
There you had in front of you
Jesus of Nazareth and Barrabas.

495
00:31:51,270 –> 00:31:55,510
Now Barrabas was a robber and
had committed murder during the

496
00:31:55,510 –> 00:31:58,150
rebellion.
And what did you do?

497
00:31:59,630 –> 00:32:03,550
You saw before you Abel, who was
to be killed, and Cain, who

498
00:32:03,550 –> 00:32:04,990
killed him.
And you said, we don’t want

499
00:32:04,990 –> 00:32:10,150
Abel, we want Cain.
You’ve turned the course of

500
00:32:10,150 –> 00:32:12,070
justice and common sense upside
down.

501
00:32:12,430 –> 00:32:15,920
You desired A murderer.
You said, give life to the

502
00:32:15,920 –> 00:32:19,720
killer, and you refused.
The Prince of life, you said

503
00:32:19,840 –> 00:32:23,680
kill the life giver.
That was how wicked and stupid

504
00:32:23,680 –> 00:32:30,600
you were, said Peter.
The Cain and Abel record is a

505
00:32:30,640 –> 00:32:36,760
universal record for all time
not ask Cain, who was of the

506
00:32:36,760 –> 00:32:40,760
wicked one, and slew his
brother, and wherefore slew he

507
00:32:40,760 –> 00:32:43,760
him, because his own works were
even, and his brother’s

508
00:32:43,760 –> 00:32:46,040
righteous.
The world had allied itself with

509
00:32:46,040 –> 00:32:49,440
the cause of Cain, so that, as
the Lord said, the blood of all

510
00:32:49,440 –> 00:32:51,840
the righteous men shed from the
foundation of the world, should

511
00:32:51,840 –> 00:32:56,240
be required of this generation.
From the blood of Abel, whom

512
00:32:56,240 –> 00:33:00,880
Cain slew, to the blood blood of
Zacharias, the son of Barakaius,

513
00:33:01,200 –> 00:33:03,320
whom he slew between the temple
and the altar.

514
00:33:11,970 –> 00:33:16,450
And they needed to be told, and
they needed to be convicted, and

515
00:33:16,450 –> 00:33:19,130
they must forswear the things
their fathers had done.

516
00:33:19,290 –> 00:33:22,410
They themselves had connived
that not this man but Baraba

517
00:33:22,410 –> 00:33:26,610
some of them perhaps, had
shouted, and turn again.

518
00:33:28,610 –> 00:33:32,490
Therefore let all the House of
Israel know assuredly that God

519
00:33:32,490 –> 00:33:36,770
hath made the same Jesus whom ye
have crucified, both Lord and

520
00:33:36,770 –> 00:33:40,870
Christ.
When they heard this, they were

521
00:33:40,870 –> 00:33:43,790
pricked in their hearts, and
said, Men and brethren, what

522
00:33:43,790 –> 00:33:48,310
shall we do?
You can say it calmly.

523
00:33:49,350 –> 00:33:51,310
When they heard this, they were
pricked in their hearts, and

524
00:33:51,310 –> 00:33:53,070
said, Men and brethren, what
shall we do?

525
00:33:53,310 –> 00:33:55,870
Or you can say it with the sense
it surely must have and say,

526
00:33:55,990 –> 00:33:58,550
When they heard this, they were
pricked in their hearts, and

527
00:33:58,550 –> 00:34:00,870
said, men and brethren, whatever
shall we do?

528
00:34:02,750 –> 00:34:05,750
What can be done for the likes
of us who did so wicked a deed?

529
00:34:05,950 –> 00:34:12,570
How can we be restored to God?
And just as at an earlier stage

530
00:34:12,570 –> 00:34:15,610
men had come to Jesus and said,
What shall we do that we may

531
00:34:15,610 –> 00:34:18,889
work the works of God?
What works must we do?

532
00:34:20,090 –> 00:34:22,449
And Jesus had answered, This is
the work of God.

533
00:34:22,449 –> 00:34:24,370
That ye believe on him, or he
has sent.

534
00:34:25,850 –> 00:34:31,210
Faith is what you need.
So said Peter, now men and

535
00:34:31,210 –> 00:34:35,889
brother, and what shall we do?
And the answer is not much,

536
00:34:37,090 –> 00:34:40,730
physically.
To bring about your entry into

537
00:34:40,730 –> 00:34:43,210
the way of salvation, you are to
repent.

538
00:34:44,290 –> 00:34:48,050
You’re to think differently.
You’re to turn around and want

539
00:34:48,050 –> 00:34:51,010
to go another way.
You’re to change your minds.

540
00:34:52,010 –> 00:34:55,370
You’re to be back ties.
And then of course, means that

541
00:34:55,370 –> 00:34:57,890
you’ll have to take the trouble
to step down into the water.

542
00:34:57,890 –> 00:35:01,130
But it only becomes baptism
because God accepts it as such.

543
00:35:02,010 –> 00:35:06,650
It’s his baptism.
And then, well, the help will

544
00:35:06,650 –> 00:35:10,190
come from God, and the promise
is unto you, and to your

545
00:35:10,190 –> 00:35:13,910
children, and to all that be
afar off, even as many as the

546
00:35:13,910 –> 00:35:16,750
Lord our God shall call.
And with many other words did

547
00:35:16,750 –> 00:35:20,470
Peter testify and exhort,
saying, save yourselves from his

548
00:35:20,470 –> 00:35:25,230
untoward generation.
So that’s what they had to do.

549
00:35:26,430 –> 00:35:29,470
Accept the verdict of the
picking of their hearts when

550
00:35:29,470 –> 00:35:31,470
their conscience was touched,
with the horror of what they had

551
00:35:31,470 –> 00:35:34,640
done.
And with the repentance of that

552
00:35:34,640 –> 00:35:36,040
and the knowledge of the Lord
Jesus.

553
00:35:36,040 –> 00:35:38,680
Which in some ways they would
have had already and Peter would

554
00:35:38,680 –> 00:35:42,640
have filled up for them.
Go down and die to an old life,

555
00:35:44,280 –> 00:35:47,800
later, to be described as being
crucified with Christ.

556
00:35:49,280 –> 00:35:54,000
Instead of calling out, crucify
him, saying what the repentant

557
00:35:54,000 –> 00:35:56,790
robber had said.
We indeed justly, for we

558
00:35:56,790 –> 00:35:58,470
received the due reward of our
deeds.

559
00:35:58,630 –> 00:36:00,390
But this man hath done nothing
amiss.

560
00:36:00,590 –> 00:36:02,990
Lord, Remember Me when I comes
into thy Kingdom.

561
00:36:03,110 –> 00:36:08,230
This is what they must do.
And more than 3000 did it.

562
00:36:09,710 –> 00:36:13,110
The outcome for a while was a
church marked by match, this

563
00:36:13,110 –> 00:36:18,630
harmony, unlimited generosity,
and giving and joy in

564
00:36:18,630 –> 00:36:24,760
fellowship.
Verse 41 Then they that gladly

565
00:36:24,760 –> 00:36:28,160
received his word were baptized,
and the same day they were only

566
00:36:28,160 –> 00:36:32,440
done to them about 3000 souls.
And they continued steadfastly

567
00:36:32,600 –> 00:36:35,480
in the apostle’s doctrine and
fellowship, and in the breaking

568
00:36:35,480 –> 00:36:39,920
of bread, and in the prayers.
And fear came upon every soul.

569
00:36:40,840 –> 00:36:44,240
And many wonders and signs were
done by the apostles, and all

570
00:36:44,240 –> 00:36:46,440
that believed were together, and
had all things common.

571
00:36:47,080 –> 00:36:49,800
And they sold their possessions
and goods, and parted them to

572
00:36:49,800 –> 00:36:55,440
all men, as every man had need.
And they, continuing daily with

573
00:36:55,440 –> 00:36:58,320
one accord in the temple, and
breaking bread from house to

574
00:36:58,320 –> 00:37:01,400
house, did eat their meat with
gladness and singleness of

575
00:37:01,400 –> 00:37:04,720
heart, praising God and having
favour with all the people.

576
00:37:05,640 –> 00:37:08,960
And the Lord added to them day
by day those that were being

577
00:37:08,960 –> 00:37:11,400
saved.
As the revised version puts it.

578
00:37:14,840 –> 00:37:18,200
This turns out from that at
least this point that the

579
00:37:18,280 –> 00:37:21,840
miraculous gifts of the Holy
Spirit were not very widespread.

580
00:37:23,080 –> 00:37:25,800
Not at that time, perhaps.
Not at any time, at least, I

581
00:37:25,800 –> 00:37:28,360
mean not placed in many people’s
hands.

582
00:37:29,760 –> 00:37:32,080
For the speaking with tongues
was certainly done by some

583
00:37:32,080 –> 00:37:35,160
members of the original company.
The multitude was not involved

584
00:37:35,160 –> 00:37:38,760
in that.
And though thousands repented

585
00:37:38,760 –> 00:37:43,600
and were baptized, we find that
when that had happened many

586
00:37:43,600 –> 00:37:46,080
signs and wonders were done by
the apostles hands.

587
00:37:47,560 –> 00:37:52,220
And no other miracle worker is
named either there or in any

588
00:37:52,220 –> 00:37:54,620
chapter until we come to chapter
6, where in very special

589
00:37:54,620 –> 00:37:57,820
circumstances similar powers are
exercised by Steven and by

590
00:37:57,820 –> 00:38:00,340
Philip in Chapter 7, or chapter
8 rather.

591
00:38:01,620 –> 00:38:04,700
So it does look as though God’s
work in salvation did not

592
00:38:04,700 –> 00:38:07,980
empower by any means all,
perhaps not most.

593
00:38:08,180 –> 00:38:11,900
Possibly only a small minority
of his servants with the power

594
00:38:11,900 –> 00:38:16,420
to work mighty gifts, and the
apostles were prominent and 1st

595
00:38:16,420 –> 00:38:22,270
amongst them.
What else emerges from this is

596
00:38:22,270 –> 00:38:26,190
this matter of having all things
common they’re selling of their

597
00:38:26,190 –> 00:38:28,230
property and their distribution
of it to others.

598
00:38:28,630 –> 00:38:30,990
A first and devotive attempt in
communism.

599
00:38:30,990 –> 00:38:36,030
Do I hear you saying?
People have said that, but I

600
00:38:36,030 –> 00:38:41,070
don’t think it was.
That was a very poor church,

601
00:38:42,190 –> 00:38:46,310
that congregation in Jerusalem.
Maybe they were poor in any

602
00:38:46,310 –> 00:38:48,910
case, but they seem to be cut
off from public relief at this

603
00:38:48,910 –> 00:38:51,370
time.
We learned later of the widows

604
00:38:51,370 –> 00:38:53,370
who were neglected often, they
thought were neglected.

605
00:38:53,610 –> 00:38:56,610
In the daily ministrations in
chapter six we learned of relief

606
00:38:56,610 –> 00:38:59,610
parties and funds and goods
being sent from Antioch and

607
00:38:59,850 –> 00:39:02,930
elsewhere throughout Asia Minor,
too, for the relief of the poor

608
00:39:02,930 –> 00:39:05,570
Saints that were in Jerusalem.
They needed money badly.

609
00:39:05,610 –> 00:39:10,130
There they were, destitute.
And so those who had resources

610
00:39:10,130 –> 00:39:13,450
couldn’t see their brother in
starve, and they sold them, and

611
00:39:13,450 –> 00:39:15,530
they gave the money and laid it
at the apostle’s feet.

612
00:39:17,880 –> 00:39:20,760
That was what they were doing.
They were sharing their goods

613
00:39:20,760 –> 00:39:24,160
because somebody would have died
if they hadn’t, and they got

614
00:39:24,160 –> 00:39:26,920
help from her outside, because
it was still needed and it kept

615
00:39:26,920 –> 00:39:29,960
on being needed.
This was no philosophy of

616
00:39:29,960 –> 00:39:32,880
communism.
This was an urgent and brotherly

617
00:39:32,880 –> 00:39:36,880
response to need and it stayed
like that throughout the whole

618
00:39:36,880 –> 00:39:39,320
period of the New Testament as
far as we can tell.

619
00:39:41,820 –> 00:39:44,780
So then this company meets
together and they need help and

620
00:39:44,900 –> 00:39:47,020
they keep on needing it a little
bit later.

621
00:39:47,300 –> 00:39:50,100
A bit more help is forthcoming,
as you will see if we turn to

622
00:39:50,100 –> 00:40:00,380
Chapter 4, Chapter 4, verse 36.
Now we start earlier, verse 34.

623
00:40:01,290 –> 00:40:03,890
Neither was there any among them
that lacked for as many as were

624
00:40:03,890 –> 00:40:07,010
possessors of lands or houses,
sold them, and brought the

625
00:40:07,010 –> 00:40:09,930
prices of the things that were
sold, and laid them down at the

626
00:40:09,930 –> 00:40:12,890
apostles feet, and distribution
was made to every man according

627
00:40:12,890 –> 00:40:16,770
as he had need.
And Joseph’s who by the apostles

628
00:40:16,770 –> 00:40:19,970
was surnamed Barnabas, which is
being interpreted the son of

629
00:40:19,970 –> 00:40:24,130
consolation A Levite, and the
country of Cyprus having land

630
00:40:24,130 –> 00:40:26,930
sold it and brought the money
and laid it at the apostles

631
00:40:26,930 –> 00:40:31,000
feet.
Well, there’s some reason one

632
00:40:31,000 –> 00:40:33,240
would think for picking this
particular man out.

633
00:40:34,520 –> 00:40:37,880
He joins the procession of those
who give generously to the cause

634
00:40:38,120 –> 00:40:40,960
of seeing to it that the poor
are housed and clothed and fed

635
00:40:41,600 –> 00:40:44,400
and his name is given to us.
And it is well the authorized

636
00:40:44,400 –> 00:40:48,640
version, the King James version
says Joe says the revised and

637
00:40:48,640 –> 00:40:54,400
later version say Joseph.
So his first name was Joseph and

638
00:40:54,400 –> 00:40:58,680
his second name was Barnabas.
Ah, but not originally.

639
00:41:00,440 –> 00:41:02,600
We don’t know what his father’s
name was.

640
00:41:04,080 –> 00:41:08,320
Who by the apostles were
surnamed Barnabas.

641
00:41:10,080 –> 00:41:14,080
They do what the Lord Jesus did
say, with Thomas or with Simon

642
00:41:15,240 –> 00:41:20,160
and gave him a new name.
And their new name for him was

643
00:41:20,160 –> 00:41:22,880
Barnabas.
He was previously called Joseph.

644
00:41:24,880 –> 00:41:27,080
Well, we’ve met one Joseph
already, haven’t we?

645
00:41:28,220 –> 00:41:29,860
The men with the three handles
to his name.

646
00:41:30,820 –> 00:41:34,900
Joseph Barsabas justice, given
those names.

647
00:41:34,900 –> 00:41:38,260
Surprisingly, when he wasn’t
going to be chosen, the man

648
00:41:38,260 –> 00:41:42,460
whose only claim to fame was the
didn’t become an apostle so far.

649
00:41:44,300 –> 00:41:46,380
And now we have Joseph
introduced to us again.

650
00:41:46,500 –> 00:41:47,860
It doesn’t have to be the same
Joseph.

651
00:41:47,860 –> 00:41:51,780
It’s quite a common name.
And now we have a new name given

652
00:41:51,780 –> 00:41:53,580
to him, and we’re told the
apostles gave it to him.

653
00:41:53,580 –> 00:41:58,320
So it wasn’t these before.
Well, one can never prove it,

654
00:41:58,320 –> 00:42:03,400
but how attractive is the
thought that Joseph, son of

655
00:42:03,400 –> 00:42:08,400
Saba, Joseph Barsabas?
Who wouldn’t want to claim the

656
00:42:08,400 –> 00:42:10,960
word justice for himself?
For there is none good but one

657
00:42:10,960 –> 00:42:13,640
that is God.
He’d be glad to get rid of that

658
00:42:13,640 –> 00:42:15,360
name when he became a disciple,
I’m sure.

659
00:42:16,080 –> 00:42:21,360
So Joseph Barsabas doesn’t get
elected to the apostleship, but

660
00:42:21,360 –> 00:42:24,240
was considered eminently worthy
of the job by the apostles.

661
00:42:26,160 –> 00:42:28,160
And the apostles find him out of
the same name.

662
00:42:28,920 –> 00:42:33,240
Why not the same man?
And say not bar Sabbas, but bar

663
00:42:33,240 –> 00:42:37,320
Abbas?
Not the son of Sabba, but the

664
00:42:37,320 –> 00:42:42,120
son of consolation, the son of
comfort, the son of excitation,

665
00:42:43,000 –> 00:42:45,440
because of his renown for the
good deeds he did.

666
00:42:46,600 –> 00:42:49,880
He’s doing 1 here.
There are plenty more to come

667
00:42:51,210 –> 00:42:53,170
before we finally loose sight of
Bar Abbas.

668
00:42:53,170 –> 00:42:57,730
We have met a very remarkable
and wonderful man, and this is

669
00:42:57,730 –> 00:42:59,130
where we meet him for the first
time.

670
00:43:00,490 –> 00:43:05,250
Not saying anything, not
claiming anything for himself,

671
00:43:05,250 –> 00:43:08,890
not gaining a name of renown for
his deeds or his words, but

672
00:43:08,890 –> 00:43:12,490
giving something away, letting
other people help by what he

673
00:43:12,490 –> 00:43:16,370
gives them.
So Joseph bar Savas, just as

674
00:43:16,370 –> 00:43:20,220
perhaps, becomes Joseph the son
of consolation and comfort, and

675
00:43:20,220 –> 00:43:25,500
gives his goods for the poor.
We shall have once more to put

676
00:43:25,500 –> 00:43:27,740
him on the shelf for a little
while, for we’re going more or

677
00:43:27,740 –> 00:43:30,780
less chronologically through
those parts of the acts that we

678
00:43:30,780 –> 00:43:35,180
do touch.
And now we move on to Chapter 6.

679
00:43:38,580 –> 00:43:44,060
In chapter 6, as I’ve intimated
already, a problem arose about

680
00:43:44,060 –> 00:43:46,420
the distribution of the urgently
needed relief.

681
00:43:47,620 –> 00:43:51,860
We read verse one, and in those
days when the number of the

682
00:43:51,860 –> 00:43:55,420
disciples was multiplied, there
was a murmuring of the Grecians

683
00:43:55,420 –> 00:43:58,500
against the Hebrews, because
their widows were neglected in

684
00:43:58,500 –> 00:44:04,420
the daily ministration.
Grecians and Hebrews, meaning

685
00:44:04,860 –> 00:44:08,060
Jews who spoke naturally Greek
and Jews who spoke naturally

686
00:44:08,060 –> 00:44:13,300
Aramaic, or perhaps even more
exactly, Jews coming in from the

687
00:44:13,300 –> 00:44:16,540
foreign world, and Jews who
lived in Judea or Galilee.

688
00:44:17,900 –> 00:44:20,340
Home born Jews and Jews from
afar.

689
00:44:20,980 –> 00:44:22,780
Jews of the land and the
dispersion.

690
00:44:22,780 –> 00:44:28,380
The Diaspora.
Fellow Jews grouped together

691
00:44:28,380 –> 00:44:31,580
against the Gentiles, no doubt.
But when they got together and

692
00:44:31,580 –> 00:44:34,380
there weren’t any Gentiles
around, not always getting on

693
00:44:34,380 –> 00:44:38,900
very well, they had their
language relations problems even

694
00:44:38,900 –> 00:44:44,410
then, and either the Grecian
widows were being neglected or

695
00:44:44,410 –> 00:44:48,650
the Grecians thought they were.
Somebody had hard feelings

696
00:44:48,650 –> 00:44:51,850
against the others.
A rift was developing within the

697
00:44:51,890 –> 00:44:56,410
congregation in Jerusalem, and
they brought the message to the

698
00:44:56,410 –> 00:44:59,770
apostles.
And the apostles said at first

699
00:44:59,770 –> 00:45:03,050
sight with a seeming, but I’m
sure quite unreal appearance of

700
00:45:03,050 –> 00:45:05,170
arrogance.
It is not meat that we should

701
00:45:05,170 –> 00:45:06,770
leave the world of God and surf
tables.

702
00:45:08,080 –> 00:45:10,200
We will give ourselves to the
word of God and prayer.

703
00:45:10,440 –> 00:45:12,920
Look out for yourselves. 7 Men
of honest report.

704
00:45:14,520 –> 00:45:18,080
I’m sure they were too busy to
be able to spend time on such

705
00:45:18,080 –> 00:45:22,120
minor matters of administration.
Just as Jethro said to Moses he

706
00:45:22,120 –> 00:45:24,080
ought to be too busy to do that
kind of thing, but should

707
00:45:24,080 –> 00:45:26,400
delegate the job.
They were right to delegate,

708
00:45:27,680 –> 00:45:31,480
right perhaps to convey
responsibility, and proved very

709
00:45:31,480 –> 00:45:36,160
right by what happened for that
congregation in which Grecians

710
00:45:36,160 –> 00:45:40,030
were the aggrieved.
And if there was a grievance,

711
00:45:40,230 –> 00:45:43,350
the aramed speaking.
Hebrews were the aggressors.

712
00:45:44,110 –> 00:45:47,670
Chose seven people with Greek
names to resolve the problem.

713
00:45:47,750 –> 00:45:51,430
Isn’t that remarkable?
And they sought out 12, seven.

714
00:45:51,430 –> 00:45:55,700
I mean Stephen, a man full of
faith under the Holy Spirit, and

715
00:45:55,700 –> 00:45:58,500
Phillip, and Trochorus, and
Dicarno, and Timon, and

716
00:45:58,500 –> 00:46:01,540
Parmenos, and Nicholas a
proselyte, Nicholas a proselyte

717
00:46:01,540 –> 00:46:03,740
of Antioch.
They chose those seven, and they

718
00:46:03,740 –> 00:46:05,940
brought them to the apostles,
and the apostles laid their

719
00:46:05,940 –> 00:46:07,700
hands on them, and they got on
with the job.

720
00:46:08,500 –> 00:46:10,140
But a marvellous act of
generosity.

721
00:46:10,140 –> 00:46:12,660
It was to say, we will wait the
dice.

722
00:46:12,660 –> 00:46:16,260
We will load the dice in favor
of those who are dear grief

723
00:46:16,260 –> 00:46:18,660
persons.
They will then have surely no

724
00:46:18,660 –> 00:46:22,130
cause to complain.
The seven people with Greek

725
00:46:22,130 –> 00:46:25,290
names were given their job and
did their job, we presume, and

726
00:46:25,290 –> 00:46:26,250
we don’t know what the answer
is.

727
00:46:26,250 –> 00:46:28,450
We don’t need to know.
That’s of no importance to us at

728
00:46:28,450 –> 00:46:30,930
all.
But they must have done it well.

729
00:46:32,290 –> 00:46:34,050
And they didn’t stop when they’d
done it.

730
00:46:36,090 –> 00:46:37,810
They had gone before the
apostles and received the

731
00:46:37,810 –> 00:46:40,370
Commission.
The apostles had laid their

732
00:46:40,370 –> 00:46:42,570
hands on them.
By what means we do not know.

733
00:46:42,570 –> 00:46:44,970
But at least two of them,
Stephen and Philip, as I’ve

734
00:46:44,970 –> 00:46:47,530
said, subsequently became
workers of miracles.

735
00:46:48,250 –> 00:46:49,810
There’s no evidence that they
were before.

736
00:46:50,520 –> 00:46:52,960
The company of those who could
work miracles had to that extent

737
00:46:52,960 –> 00:46:57,480
apparently been increased, and
neither Stephen, nor Philip, nor

738
00:46:57,480 –> 00:47:00,120
the others, perhaps that we
don’t care about them, wasted

739
00:47:00,120 –> 00:47:01,800
the opportunities which this
gave them.

740
00:47:03,080 –> 00:47:08,000
Stephen is first in the field,
as we learn into a state, and

741
00:47:08,000 –> 00:47:10,880
Stephen, full of faith and
power, did great wonders and

742
00:47:10,880 –> 00:47:14,680
miracles among the people.
Then there arose certain of the

743
00:47:14,680 –> 00:47:18,200
synagogue, which is called the
Synagogue of the Libertines, and

744
00:47:18,200 –> 00:47:21,720
of the Seradians, that the
Alexandrians, and of them of

745
00:47:21,720 –> 00:47:25,320
Siddithia and Asia, disputing
with Steven, and they were not

746
00:47:25,320 –> 00:47:27,880
able to withstand the wisdom
with which he spoke.

747
00:47:30,360 –> 00:47:32,720
The outcome of that we’ll hope
to consider tomorrow.

748
00:47:32,720 –> 00:47:35,760
But just notice what that
synagogue was.

749
00:47:35,760 –> 00:47:38,000
All those synagogues were.
If there were more than one

750
00:47:38,000 –> 00:47:43,720
involved, it included amongst
its members Libertines, which

751
00:47:43,720 –> 00:47:45,640
means, one would think, freed
slaves.

752
00:47:47,380 –> 00:47:53,220
It include people who came from
Sirenia, North Africa, part of

753
00:47:53,220 –> 00:47:59,300
the modern Libya, Alexandria,
Egypt, the city of Learning,

754
00:47:59,300 –> 00:48:03,460
where there was even then a
university November of Asia.

755
00:48:04,060 –> 00:48:07,020
Well, that’s the southwestern
part of Asia Minor as we now

756
00:48:07,020 –> 00:48:11,540
know it.
And Silesia, where’s that

757
00:48:13,100 –> 00:48:15,140
Silesia?
Can you picture it?

758
00:48:15,900 –> 00:48:19,940
The map of Asia Minor like that?
And your way around Palestine

759
00:48:19,940 –> 00:48:23,140
down there and here a bump in
the map.

760
00:48:23,620 –> 00:48:26,620
That’s Solicia, Southwest Asia
Minor.

761
00:48:28,140 –> 00:48:31,940
And what was its capital city?
Anyone know?

762
00:48:33,620 –> 00:48:37,620
Tarsus is right.
So Stephen was in dispute with

763
00:48:37,620 –> 00:48:42,820
those who included members of
the Jewish community exiled in

764
00:48:42,820 –> 00:48:44,940
Solicia, whose capital city was
Tarsus.

765
00:48:45,470 –> 00:48:48,830
And when events ran their
dreadful course, and Steven was

766
00:48:48,830 –> 00:48:54,670
lynched the end of the chapter,
and they laid down their clothes

767
00:48:55,750 –> 00:49:00,110
at the feet of a young man whose
name was sore.

768
00:49:01,750 –> 00:49:07,830
Saul of Tarsus, a citizen of no
mean city, was chief amongst the

769
00:49:07,830 –> 00:49:12,750
witnesses who murdered Steven.
Would not Saul of Tarsus have

770
00:49:12,750 –> 00:49:16,340
been chief amongst the
protagonists who stood in all

771
00:49:16,340 –> 00:49:21,500
his arrogant gemelial, taught
for his sake, wisdom, and

772
00:49:21,500 –> 00:49:26,220
watched Stephen locked down his
argument like 9 pins, and they

773
00:49:26,220 –> 00:49:29,300
were not able to withstand the
wisdom with which he spake.

774
00:49:30,860 –> 00:49:36,780
That’s how we first meet Saul,
the defeated Judaizer, the man

775
00:49:36,780 –> 00:49:39,300
who couldn’t stand up to a
common Greek speaking Christian

776
00:49:40,380 –> 00:49:44,180
and hated him for it and saw
that he was murdered.

777
00:49:58,170 –> 00:50:00,250
Thank you for listening to the
good Christadelphian Talks

778
00:50:00,250 –> 00:50:02,850
Podcast.
We hope this talk helped you in

779
00:50:02,850 –> 00:50:04,370
your walk and brightened your
day.

780
00:50:05,570 –> 00:50:07,570
If you would like to hear more,
please subscribe for new

781
00:50:07,570 –> 00:50:10,130
episodes.
We are on all major podcast

782
00:50:10,130 –> 00:50:14,200
platforms and also on YouTube.
If you enjoyed this particular

783
00:50:14,200 –> 00:50:16,680
talk, please share it with
someone else who you think might

784
00:50:16,680 –> 00:50:19,440
enjoy it too.
For show notes on the talk you

785
00:50:19,440 –> 00:50:23,520
just listened to, visit
[email protected]

786
00:50:23,840 –> 00:50:26,280
or check out the Show Notes
section of your podcast player.

787
00:50:27,600 –> 00:50:30,080
Please share your thoughts on
the talk from this week on our

788
00:50:30,080 –> 00:50:32,800
Facebook or Instagram pages
where we are at good Chris

789
00:50:32,800 –> 00:50:36,080
Adelphian talks, or leave a
comment on our YouTube channel

790
00:50:36,120 –> 00:50:39,000
where these talks are posted as
well, if you enjoy listening to

791
00:50:39,000 –> 00:50:41,320
the talks that we post and hear
one that you think we should

792
00:50:41,320 –> 00:50:42,850
share.
Please tell us about it.

793
00:50:43,450 –> 00:50:46,450
You can send a suggestion using
the Contact Us tab on our

794
00:50:46,450 –> 00:50:49,490
website or message us on any of
our social media accounts.

795
00:50:50,090 –> 00:50:52,970
Thank you for listening.
God bless and talk to you next

796
00:50:52,970 –> 00:50:53,210
week.