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Bible Query from Acts August 2008 version. Copyright (c) Christian Debater(r) 1997-2007. All rights reserved except as given in the copyright notice.
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Q: In Acts 1:1 and Lk 1:3, was Theophilus a real person?
A: There are three possibilities, and I favor the third view.
No: The Greek word Theophilus means lover of God, and many see this as a generic invitation to lovers of God in general.
Yes: However, Theophilus was a known Greek name, and some, such as the Nelson Study Bible p.1685 say Theophilus was an individual believer. Likewise The NIV Study Bible p.1532 says Theophilus "almost certainly refers to a specific person rather than lovers of God in general."
Deliberately ambiguous: A third view is that this ambiguity is deliberate, either on Luke’s part or else on God’s part.
Theophilus was the name of a bishop of Antioch (168-181/188 A.D.), and also the name of a patriarch of Alexandria around 391 A.D., but of course these are different people.
Q: In Acts 1:3, was Jesus on earth for forty days after His resurrection, or less than five days as Lk 24:50-52 supposedly implies?
A: Jesus was on earth after his resurrection for forty days. In contrast, Luke 24:50 tells of the last five days, but Luke does not specify the number of days before he led them to Bethany and ascended to Heaven.
Q: In Acts 1:8, did the apostles know in advance what would happen when the Holy Spirit would come upon them?
A: Scripture does not say, but there is no indication they did. Many times when we follow God, God does not always tell us in advance the blessings He has for us.
Q: In Acts 1:10, who were the men dressed in white?
A: They were angels. Luke called them men because they appeared like human beings.
Q: Does Acts 1:11 show how Jesus will return?
A: Yes. Jesus will bodily return in the clouds, just as he bodily ascended into the clouds.
The early Christian writer Irenaeus (wrote about 182-188 A.D.) in Against Heresies ch.15:8, says that 1 John 5:1 indicates that Jesus will return in the exact same flesh as when He ascended.
See also When Cultists Ask p.194 and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.354 for more info.
Q: In Acts 1:12, what is a Sabbath’s journey?
A: This colloquial term was the distance the Pharisees decided a person could travel on the Sabbath without doing work. It was about one mile.
Q: Does Acts 1:12 show we should not travel farther than this on the Sabbath?
A: No. The fact that a "Sabbath’s journey" was a common term and was used here, does not mean we have to follow the traditions of the Pharisees.
Q: In Acts 1:12, why did the disciples go to the Mount of Olives, since in Acts 1:4 they were told not to leave Jerusalem?
A: The Mount of Olives was less than a mile from the walls of Jerusalem proper. It was still within the area of greater Jerusalem, just as a suburb bordering a city is still considered a part of the city environment.
Q: In Acts 1:17, why would God have Judas Iscariot be a part of the ministry prior to Judas betraying Jesus?
A: Judas’ treachery was a part of God’s plan according to Acts 2:23. Judas is just one example in the Bible of unworthy people who act as leaders of God’s flock but are in fact wolves. It happened back then in Acts 20:29-31, and it happens today sometimes.
Q: In Acts 1:17, exactly how did Judas die?
A: See the discussion on Matthew 27:5 for the answer.
Q: In Acts 1:17, does the Bible talk about suicide? if a person would go to heaven or hell if a person committed suicide? ...I do not have a gun to my head. I am just wondering. its one of those questions that no one has ever brought up at a Bible study. I think its cause people are too afraid to ask. thanks.
A: On both suicide and other sins, the Bible does not specify how God judges a person. Suicide is a form of murder, and from the ten commandments we are not supposed to murder. The Bible has a couple of examples of evil people committing suicide: King Saul and Judas.
Some people think that if you accept Christ, you could lose your salvation if you commit any sin and never repent. A person who commits suicide, depending on the means, may not have time to repent before they die.
However, this reasoning is false: while Christians are supposed to repent of all their sins, we are saved by God's grace through faith; not on the basis of our repenting from every sin. I am sure every Christian who dies has not explicitly repented of some sin, because they either forgot about it or were not aware it was a sin. But our salvation is a gift from God to all who accept.
In the early church there was an example of a beautiful, godly Christian mother and her two daughters, who were caught by Roman soldiers. The mother talked to her daughters, and before they were raped, they asked to go to the side of the road by a river [presumably to use the restroom]. Then they threw themselves in the river and drowned. Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History book 8 ch.12 p.332-333 mentions these among the "Admirable martyrs of Christ". However, this was a sin, because you are not supposed to murder. Among early Christian writers, Lactantius (260-325 A.D.) taught that suicide is wrong in The Divine Institutes book 3 ch.18 p.89. Augustine also taught that suicide, even to escape rape, is wrong.
Q: In Acts 1:20, how do these quotes from Ps 69:25 and Ps 109:8 relate to Jesus?
A: Psalm 69:21 also relates to Jesus. There are three points to consider in the answer.
1. These three verses do not say explicitly that they refer to the future Messiah.
2. Nor is there any reason we should interpret these verses to not be applicable to anyone except Jesus and Judas.
3. However, the kind of situation Jesus was in, fits very closely to the types of situations that these Psalms reference.
Q: In Acts 1:20, why did Peter say "his place", since Ps 69:25 says "their place"?
A:. Peter did not recite from memory Acts 69:25 word-for-word, and the book of Acts is telling us (without error) what Peter actually recited. There are two views of the significance of this.
First view: The choice of Matthias as the twelfth apostle was a mistake, since Matthias is not heard of after this, and Paul became an apostle. Peter’s decision to choose a twelfth apostle by lot was based on Peter’s faulty recollection of Psalm 69:25. Thus, while Peter was trying to obey God’s word, even Peter could make mistakes too. That is OK though, because God still works through imperfect people.
Second view: Peter’s paraphrase was a proper application, because the Psalm spoke of the enemies of the Messiah, and Judas was certainly one of those.
Q: In Acts 1:22-26, when they chose Matthias by lot to take Judas’ place, was this what God wanted?
A: Scripture does not record either approval or disapproval of this decision. However, many Christians think this is not what God wanted, for three reasons.
1. God only recognized twelve as apostles in Revelation 21:14.
2. Paul was mentioned as an apostle in 1 Timothy 1:1; 2:7; Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:1; and Titus 1:1.
3. Matthias was never heard of again in the Bible.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.512-514 and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.356-357 for more info.
F.F. Bruce takes the view that this was proper. See The New International Commentary : Acts p.47-48 for his view. F.F. Bruce also points out that they did not replace Judas because he died. Rather, they replaced Judas because he deserted his place. They did not practice literal "apostolic succession" as when James was martyred in Acts 12:2, they did not think to replace him. Tertullian (200-220 A.D.) in his On Prescription Against Heretics ch.20 p.252 also believes the choice of Matthias was proper.
Q: In Acts 2:1, how many days was it between the ascension of Jesus and Pentecost?
A: Since Jesus went up into Heaven about 40 days after the resurrection (Acts 1:3), and Pentecost was 50 days after the Passover, it was about 10 days.
Q: In Acts 2:3 who had the tongues of fire?
A: While scripture does not explicitly say it was limited to the apostles, it probably was. We cannot tell if Matthias had a tongue of fire or not.
Q: In Acts 2:4, why did God delay sending the Holy Spirit until Pentecost?
A: Scripture does not say why there was a fifty-day delay from the Passover. However, two reasons are readily apparent.
Perhaps the Ascension Had to Occur first: Jesus appeared frequently to His disciples before ascending to Heaven. He had to finish teaching them, and give the commission found in Acts 1:7-8 prior to ascending to Heaven. His ascending to Heaven was prior to the Holy Spirit coming upon them.
Followed the Feasts: God instituted the Jewish feasts in the Old Testament. Jesus’ life paralleled the feasts, and it would only be fitting that the Holy Spirit should come on the Feast of Pentecost.
See Today’s Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties p.359-360 for more info.
Q: In Acts 2:4, how did everyone understand the tongues, since 1 Cor 14:27-28 says there should be no tongues in the church without interpretation?
A: The reaction of the crowd shows that the apostles were not speaking in unknown tongues, but in tongues unknown to them but known to the listeners. Thus no interpreter was needed.
As for the idea that they were disobeying 1 Corinthians 14:27-28, remember that
a) The listeners could interpret for themselves
b) This was not in a church
c) 1 Corinthians 14:27-28 was not written yet.
Though Muslims are not Christians, they should have no trouble accepting this account, for one of the most pre-eminent early Muslim historians also states that Jesus’ disciples could miraculously speak the language of the people to whom they were sent. (al-Tabari vol.8 p.99)
See Today’s Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties p.357-359 for more info.
Q: In Acts 2:4, does the Holy spirit filling people prove the Holy Spirit cannot be a person, as Jehovah’s Witnesses teach?
A: No. If that logic were valid, then since God fills the Heavens and the earth as Jeremiah 23:24 says, then God is not a personal god. The fact that the Holy Spirit can do things we cannot do, and the fact that God is infinite, do not restrict Him from also being an intelligent being with thoughts and feelings. As When Cultists Ask p.194-195 points out, Ephesians 4:30 says Christ fills all things, so by the same faulty logic, is Christ not a person either?
While the previous paragraph shows that nothing restricts the Holy Spirit from being a person, the following list shows that the Holy Spirit has the attributes of a person. By person we do not mean a human being, but an intelligent, personal being.
Parakletos (the comforter, the one along side us)
John 14:16,26, John 15:26
Speaks to us Acts 13:2, Heb 3:7
Reminds us John 14:26
Like a parent, so we will not be John 14:18
orphans (orphanos in Greek)
Guides us John 16:13
Teaches us John 14:26 1 Cor 2:13
Lives in us 1 Cor 3:16, 2 Tim 1:14
Rom 8:9,11, Eph 2:22
In our hearts 2 Cor 1:22 Gal 4:6
We live by the Spirit Gal 5:16,25
Led by the Spirit Gal 5:18 Rom 8:9
He intercedes for us Rom 8:26-27
Can be insulted Heb 10:29
Testifies of Christ John 15:26
Has a mind Rom 8:27
Can be grieved Is 63:10, Eph 4:30
Chooses who to give gifts 1 Cor 12:11
Possesses love Rom 15:30
Can think things are good Acts 15:28
Searches deep things of God 1 Cor 2:9-10
God in us 1 John 4:12-13,15-16, Rom 8:9-10,
1 Cor 3:16, 6:19, John 14:23, 15:4
With us always Matt 28:20
Groans (and thus cares) for us Rom 8:26
Gives joy 1 Thess 1:6
See Haley’s Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.139-141 for an extensive discussion.
Q: In Acts 2:4, does this prove speaking in tongues was a normal experience for future Christians?
A: The experience of the twelve apostles in Acts 2:4 neither proves nor disproves this, especially since this speaking in tongues was accompanied by flames of fire. Speaking in tongues was not done before this, because the apostles were not filled with the Holy Spirit prior to Pentecost. For other people who spoke in tongues after this, there is no mention of tongues of fire.
Q: In Acts 2:6-11, as most people at that time spoke either Greek or Aramaic, did the apostles speak to everyone in their own tongue by just speaking these two languages, which would not be miraculous, as Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.1002 suggests?
A: Many people in Palestine spoke both Greek and Aramaic. Asimov’s explanation of this as them speaking two languages does not make any sense for at least five reasons.
1. "a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed,…" (Acts 2:6-7 NIV) How many people today are utterly amazed at learning that a stranger is bilingual?
2. "amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’ (Acts 2:12 NIV).
3. Others said ‘…They have had too much wine." (Acts 2:13)
4. Acts 2:8 says that people of fifteen ethnic groups heard the Gospel in their own language. It would not make sense to list fifteen groups if only two languages were spoken.
5. Finally, it is unlikely all the Parthians and Arabs spoke either Greek or Aramaic.
Q: In Acts 2:15 why did the Jews think it was wrong to have drunk wine at this time?
A: While drinking wine in moderation was practiced, The New Geneva Study Bible p.1713 says that on feast days it was customary to fast until at least the fourth hour.
Q: In Acts 2:16-21, was this prophecy of Joel 2:28-29 fulfilled here, or will it be fulfilled in the Second Coming of Christ?
A: It is to be fulfilled at every coming of Christ. It was fulfilled at Jesus’ crucifixion when the sun turned dark in the afternoon in Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, and Luke 23:44-45. Peter mentioned this in Acts 2:16-21.
It also will turn dark before the second coming of Jesus in Revelation 6:12-14; 8:12; 9:2; 16:10. See also the next question.
Q: In Acts 2:16-21, since this fulfilled the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32, how come the moon did not turn to blood?
A: The moon turning to blood simply means that the moon appears with a red color. The sun was darkened for three hours during Jesus’ crucifixion according to Luke 23:44-45. A non-Christian Palestinian historian named Thales (also spelled Thallus), wrote in 52 A.D., that darkness accompanied the crucifixion of Jesus. A Carian Greek writer named Phlegon also wrote that in the 202nd Olympiad (33 A.D.) there was an eclipse of the sun.
There are two views on Acts 2:16-21:
Totally fulfilled: Since the moon often shows itself during the day, when the sun was darkened, the moon likely would be darkened, or reddened too.
Partially fulfilled: The prophecy in Joel 2:28-32 had a number of parts. The pouring out of the Spirit did not happen until fifty days later at Pentecost. The moon was apparently not darkened here, but it will be darkened at the Second Coming of Christ. The sun was darkened both at the crucifixion and at the Second Coming. See The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.90 for more on how this prophecy was only partially fulfilled.
See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.377 and When Critics Ask p.427 for more info.
Q: In Acts 2:25-26 and 4:25-28, how do Ps 16:8-11 and Ps 2 relate to Jesus and the early Christians?
A: These relate primarily to Jesus. Because Jesus has given us His life, they also relate secondarily to us.
In Psalm 16:8-11, Jesus body never saw decay, and Jesus will have eternal pleasure in Heaven. Our earthly bodies will decay. However, we will later receive glorified bodies, and for us too, those bodies will never see decay, and we will have eternal pleasure in Heaven.
In Psalm 2, Jesus will sit on his throne and rule the earth. Ephesians 2:6 says that we will sit with Christ on His throne (not our own), and reign with Him.
Q: In Acts 2:26, was casting lots voting?
A: No. Casting lots is similar to putting a stone with each candidate’s name on it in a jar, and having someone draw out one name at random.
Q: In Acts 2:34, did David go to Heaven, or not?
A: Eventually, yes. Two points to consider in the answer.
1. At the time David penned the quoted passage, David was still living on the earth.
2. Today David’s soul is in Heaven. However, his body is not in Heaven, as Acts 2:29 says.
See When Critics Ask p.427-428 and Haley’s Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.198-199 for more info.
Q: In Acts 2:38, does this mean water baptism is necessary for salvation?
A: No. Jesus is necessary for salvation. Neither repentance nor water baptism merits our salvation. Those are our responding to Jesus’ work. Baptism is to be an outward sign of our prior inward repentance.
Note that Acts 2:38 was a command, not a formula. If Acts 2:38 was a formula, then one might erroneously conclude that loving God, faith, believing, and trusting God are unnecessary, as they are not mentioned here. All who come to Christ should be baptized, and that is as true today as it was then. However, It is the blood of Jesus, not our baptism that saves us. Still, Christians will want to obey Christ, and be water baptized.
Colossians 2:11-12 shows that circumcision was a type of baptism. As Justin Martyr pointed out, since only males and not females could be circumcised, that proved that circumcision was given by God as a sign, not a work of righteousness. (Dialogue with Trypho ch.23 p.206)
See When Critics Ask p.428-429, The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.208-211, When Cultists Ask p.195-196, and Hard Sayings of the Bible p.514-515 for more info.
Q: In Acts 2:39, does any scripture indicate that the Bible applies to people who were not Jews living in Israel?
A: Yes, there are some verses that extend the promises to us. (All of these quotes are taken from the NIV)
Acts 2:39 "The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call."
Ephesians 1:3 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."
Romans 10:11-12 "As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'' For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,"
Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
2 Peter 1:1 "...To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:" Note that Peter is writing here, and our faith as Gentiles is just as precious as his faith as a Jew, for in truth, there is only one faith.
Romans 11:17 "If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,"
Now Christians have different opinions as to what extent we are the Israel of God, and God’s role for the ethnic Jews today. Looking at such things as the terrible Holocaust of World War II, Satan apparently still has his eye on Jews for evil. Jews themselves have questioned how much protection God is giving them since that happened. In general, Christians who are dispensationalists tend to hold Jewish people today with special respect as God is still dealing with them. Christians who are into "Covenant Theology" tend to say that since the Jews rejected Christ, they currently have no different place than any other ethnic group.
Regardless of how God looks at Jewish people today, they apparently have a special role to play in the endtimes. The 144,000 witnesses in Revelation will all be pure Jewish men. In Zechariah 12:1-9 they will have enemies gathered around Jerusalem. In Zechariah 12:10-14 they will have a mass conversion to Christ, "mourning for the one they pierced." In Daniel 9:26 the Antichrist will make a covenant with the Jews, and break it after 3 1/2 years and destroy the city and the sanctuary.
Prior to the Jews, God promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him (Galatians 3:8-9), we all are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26), and we are all considered children of promise, of Sarah and not Hagar as Galatians 4:24-28.
Q: In Acts 2:40, why did Peter have such an urgency to share the Gospel message with people who were already trying to be good?
A: Peter genuinely cared for them. Just trying to be good is not sufficient to get to God’s Heaven, a transformation is required. Even the Jews needed to be born again.
Peter was even pleading with the Jews to accept Jesus in 2:40. If someone is in a burning house, you do not just invite them to come outside because the weather is nice.
Q: In Acts 2:42, what does the breaking of bread mean?
A: This does not simply mean eating and drinking, because they would not have "devoted" themselves to just eating and drinking. Instead, this refers to partaking of the Lord’s Supper, which Jesus told them to do in remembrance of Him in Luke 22:19 and 1 Corinthians 11:24-26.
Q: In Acts 2:44 and Acts 4:32, does this mean Christians should not own private property?
A: No. This example of the first Christians living in Jerusalem is not necessary for us to follow. In the New Testament there is a counter-example, of Paul’s private ownership of his cloak in 2 Timothy 4:13. Furthermore, Paul exhorted the Corinthians to be generous in 2 Corinthians 8. He would not have to do that if the church already had taken all of their property.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.360 points out that this distribution was voluntary, and not given to all, but given to those who had needs
See When Critics Ask p.429-430, When Cultists Ask p.198 and Hard Sayings of the Bible p.517-519 for more info.
Q: In Acts 2:44, does "everything in common" include promiscuous sex, as the Children of God cult teaches?
A: No, for two reasons.
1. Women and men are not things to be traded or used as objects. This refers to material things, not people or relationships.
2. Since they were obeying God, they would not have evil things in common, such as stolen goods, either.
This sounds like straining a gnat and swallowing a camel, to try to justify promiscuous sex based on this verse, and ignore everything the Bible says about sexual purity. See When Cultists Ask p.197-198 for more info.
Q: In Acts 3:3, what are alms?
A: This is money handed out to poor people.
Q: In Acts 3:13, did the Jews deny Jesus in the presence of Pilate, though Pilate was determined to let Jesus go?
A: Yes. This is shown clearly in Matthew 27:17-26, Luke 23:4-25, and John 19:4-16. It is shown less clearly in Mark 15:9-15.
Q: In Acts 3:17-21, were the Jewish people given another chance to have the Kingdom of God set up on earth here?
A: Christians disagree.
Yes: 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.128 and Scofield believe the Jews as a nation were given the opportunity here to set up the Kingdom of God on earth. Of course, God knew in advance that they would reject this opportunity though.
No: Many others says that the appeal here was made to each individual hearing the message.
Q: In Acts 3:19, why were they told to repent and be converted?
A: This is an important point to notice. Acts 3:19 states that the purpose of repentance and turning to God was so that their sins would be wiped out. There is still an eternal aspect to salvation, since God foreknew and predestined those who would go to Heaven. However Acts 3:19 shows there is a "time" aspect also, and in one respect, our sins are forgiven "when" we repent and are converted.
Q: In Acts 3:21,26, does this support Universalism, that all will be saved?
A: No. Jesus came as the atoning sacrifice for the whole world (1 John 2:2) in order to turn everyone away from their wicked ways. However, for those who choose not to turn from the ungodly ways, God does not force anyone into Heaven against their will. See When Cultists Ask p.198-199 and When Critics Ask p.430 for complementary answers.
Q: In Acts 3:26, was Jesus successful in turning every one away from their iniquities?
A: Two points to consider in the answer.
1. Jesus was completely successful in doing everything He was supposed to do, and in providing everything, on God’s end, for everyone to turn away from their iniquities.
2. However, some choose not to turn away from their sins, and that is not the fault of Jesus.
Q: In Acts 3:32-35 and 2 Cor 8:13-15, are Christians to have financial equality with all other Christians today?
A: Acts 3:32-36 shows that the earliest Christians were very generous and shared things in common, and that no one was in need. However, the Bible neither commands nor gives the example of a "Christian communism", because Acts 5:4 shows that Ananias had the right to keep the land and the money for himself. It is just that he did not have the right to claim to give all the money to the church when in fact he did not.
2 Corinthians 8:13-15 says that no one should have too much and no one should have too little. These are challenging verses for wealthy Christians, but we are to follow all of the Bible, not just parts of the Bible.
See Now That’s a Good Question p.444-445 for more info.
Q: In Acts 4:12, is Jesus really the only way?
A: Jesus is the only way for everyone according to this verse, John 14:6, and Acts 4:12. If you disagree, your disagreement with almost all genuine Christians through out history is a relatively minor issue compared to calling Jesus and Peter either liars or else crazy to think Jesus was the only way. Do you really believe that Jesus said something that misled all His followers for thousands of years, and allowed His apostles to do so, too?
Slander is saying something that a person either knows is a lie, or else has a reckless disregard for the truth. If you believe Jesus and Peter were slanderers, it would be slander for you to say you believe in Jesus and you are a follower of Him.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.515-517, Now That’s a Good Question p.140-141, When Critics Ask p.430-431, and When Cultists Ask p.199-200 for more info. Jesus Under Fire : Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus p.178-205 has an entire essay by R. Douglas Geivett, associate professor at Talbot on this topic.
Q: In Acts 4:12, apart from the Bible, how do we know that all religions are not true?
A: Before answering the question, here is a brief acrostic of the beliefs of some religions.
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Animist - Nearly every tree and rock has a spirit to fear and appease with offerings. |
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Buddhism - Life is suffering. |
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Cargo Cult -(New Guinea) March in formation like the gods (really WWII soldiers) did, so they will return with their gifts of cargo. |
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Daoism (later) - There are many spirits to be worshipped. |
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Epicurean philosophy - Life is great. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. |
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Family of Love (Children of God) be a sexual prostitute for Jesus. |
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Greek - Worship Zeus, who raped Europa and others. There is Hades but no heaven. |
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Hashashins (small Muslim sect) - They got stoned on hashish before assassinating people. |
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Islam - The Trinity is false, and Jesus Christ is not the Son of God |
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Jainism - It is spiritual to starve to death. |
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Khonds (of India) - It is good to slowly torture people to death. |
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Lubavitchers - (of America) The promised Messiah may have come, and his name is Rabbi Menachem Schneerson of New York. |
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Mayan (and Aztec too) Ripping people’s hearts out while alive is pleasing to the gods. |
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New Thought Movement - A receptive mind can cure every illness. Sickness is not reality. |
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Oneida Community - (of America) All adults are "married" to all others in the community. |
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Papua New Guinea - As a sign of reverence, eat the brains of your dead relatives. |
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Quraysh (pre-Mohammed) - worship a moon god idol named Allah. |
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Roman (later) - You must worship the Roman Emperor or die. |
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Shakerism (of America) - All sexual relations are forbidden. |
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Thuggees - (of India) In January one worships God by strangling unsuspecting men. |
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Unitarian Universalists - You may join with any religious belief whatsoever. (except that there is only one way through Jesus.) |
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Vikings - The only way to go to heaven (Valhalla) is to die violently. |
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Witchcraft (early) - There are many things you must do to avoid the evil eye. |
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Yamamato (Indians) - One of the highest virtues is treachery. |
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Zoroastrianism - There is only one true God, and worship of others should be forcibly suppressed. |
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It should be obvious that all of these contradictory statements cannot be true. |
Q: In Acts 4:12, apart from the Bible, how do we know that all major world religions are not true?
A: Here are some brief statements.
Jews believe Jesus is not the Messiah from God. Christians believe Jesus is the Messiah from God. Hindus and Buddhists believe that worshipping idols is god. Christian and Jewish teaching says that idolatry is a great evil. Early Christians preferred torture and death to worshipping idols. Mohammed taught Muslims that idolators who do not repent should be killed.
If you stopped and asked five people for directions to get somewhere, and they gave as different answers as these religions give, you would have to conclude that at least some of them were wrong. Either
a) idols are OK to worship,
b) people who worship idols should be killed
b) it is better to be tortured and die than to worship idols,
All three of the above cannot be true.
Either
a) you should be a blessing to others, or
b) it is a good thing, pleasing to God to curse Jews and Christians as Mohammed taught.
Both cannot be true.
Imagine you are looking at the intersection of two streets on a small island. You can probably take any street and eventually end up on any desired destination on the island. Most religions are like that. As long as you want to travel on the island, it does not matter which road you take. You can drive around the island to the right, to the left, or down the middle. The roads will cross eventually. However, if you get off the island and on the mainland of God’s Kingdom, before the hurricane comes, you must take the one long bridge. Saying this is not narrow-mindedness, but geography on the map. Saying there is only one way to God is not narrow-minded opinions by us, but the truth taught by Jesus.
An old tale tells of a con-man who shows new immigrants to America the Brooklyn bridge. With all the cars going over it, the con-man offers to sell the bridge, which he does not own, to the immigrant so the immigrant can make money collecting tolls. Sometimes people want to trust in an imaginary bridge, or a bridge they plan to build themselves. The truth about salvation is that you cannot "buy" anything. You can freely cross the narrow bridge of Jesus cross, or you can stay on the island.
Q: In Acts 4:12, what can you say to someone who thinks all religions lead to God.
A: It depends on the person and the situation. Here are three different but complementary answers.
a. It is comforting to think that all is right with the world, and every religion leads people to God. Are the Taliban, the wealthy Rev. Moon, the immoral Rajneesh, violent David Koresh, suicidal Jim Jones, are all "beacons" that have led their followers to what makes God happy? Was Jesus’ sacrifice, dying in agony on the cross, of no consequence, or worse yet, an unneeded waste? No, Jesus said that broad was the way that led to destruction, and narrow was the road that led to eternal life. Now some reject Jesus’ words as those of a fool, thinking He did not know what He was talking about. However, if we honestly trust Jesus, we have to come to grips with the fact that all is not right with the majority of the world, and that we have work to do in sharing about the narrow way.
b. On a lighter note, if someone tells me that all religions lead to God, I ask if they know they are really sticking their neck out when they say that. For example, in the Thuggee religion it is an act of worship to strangle other people to death. So since they believe all religions lead to God, would they please turn around and close their eyes so that I can practice an act of worship in my religion?
c. Mohammed taught attacking non-Muslims and killing pagans. People called Muslims extremists are simply people who take everything Mohammed said seriously. This kind of violent Muslim might say to a Universalist: My prophet, Mohammed peace be upon him, told us to kill unbelievers. However, before I chop off your head in obedience to Allah, I just wanted you to know I appreciate your validating my religion as being correct.
Q: In Acts 4:12, are religions that do good works good?
A: Here is a letter of recommendation about one of those religions, that emphasized love for others.
"Knowing of your congregation’s deep involvement in the major social and constitutional issues of our country is a great inspiration to me." -- Walter Mondale (U.S. Vice President) in a letter of reference for Rev. Jim Jones. Jones presented this letter of reference to the government of Guyana when Jonestown was first established. (quoted in The New Republic, 12/2/1978) and in Experts Speak p.283.
Q: In Acts 4:19, when should we disobey the commands of religious leaders?
A: Two points to consider: the commands and the leaders.
Commands: In a similar way as the laws of a nation take precedence of the laws of a province, God’s commands take precedence over the commands of others. Everything that people tell you, even the words of godly pastors, one should check against Scripture.
Leaders: Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:5 that there will be people who have the form of godliness but deny its power. We are to have nothing to do with them. Of course, you are having something to do with a person, if you acknowledge them as your spiritual leader.
Titus 3:10 says to have nothing to do with someone who is divisive after you have warned him twice. In Revelation 2:20, the church of Thyatira was rebuked by Jesus for tolerating a false prophetess who promoted sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols.
Now no Christian leader is sinlessly perfect, or 100% on every single doctrinal point. But if a Christian leader is unwilling to submit to God, we should not submit to him. For our Christian leaders who are walking with God, imperfect though they may be, we are commanded to submit to them as Hebrews 13:17 and 1 Peter 5:2-5 show.
One early writer to discuss this point was Tertullian (200-240 A.D.) in Scorpiace ch.14 p.648,
As a historical note, John Wycliffe (~1330-1382) took this one step further. He was influenced by Richard Fitzralph in the idea that "dominion comes from God." This concept is that human power and authority come from God and are sustained by God. Disobedient and ungodly leaders should not be supported, or paid. Wycliffe asked: If the entire Roman Catholic Church is corrupt, then why should England be supplying Rome with money?
What was the Roman Catholic reaction? Wycliffe’s death from a stroke probably saved him from being martyred. Anyway, the church dug up Wycliffe’s body and threw it out.
Q: In Acts 4:21, how did all men glorify God here?
A: The context of "all the people" were all the people who saw what happened. Some of them might turn away from the apostles later, but for now, they were all expressing their praise to God.
Q: In Acts 4:22, what is the significance of the man being 40 years old?
A: The significance is the lesson that age is not significant to God.
Bodies do not grow much after 20, and bodies heal more slowly with age. All of this is irrelevant to God who works miracles.
Likewise, an older person might be reluctant to repent and turn to God, because they have wasted their earlier years, and they feel too set in their ways. All of this is irrelevant to God. Do not try to tell God that you want to come to Him, but that He is not powerful enough to overcome your limitations. God does not believe that, and neither should you.
Q: In Acts 4:23, were Peter and John gossiping, to tell the other believers all the priests said?
A: Four points to consider in the answer.
1. Gossiping is a serious sin, according to Proverbs 26:20,22 and 2 Corinthians 12:20. Gossiping and slander include telling things about others that there is no good reason to say, and telling things falsely.
2. Peter and John were not gossiping, because they were telling what happened to them, and they were telling the truth.
3. In addition, the judgment and actions of the chief priests and elders was important for the other Christians to know about.
4. Finally, they were telling about the healing of God, and one can always tell others about what God has done.
Q: In Acts 4:36, was there a genuine Gospel of Barnabas, written by Barnabas as some Muslims claim?
A: No. The Gospel of Barnabas was a forgery of the Middle ages. Here some of the reasons we know it is not an ancient work.
Basic facts show that is not an ancient work. The Gospel of Barnabas is known only in Italian, and no ancient writer ever referred to it. It mentions things that were not used until centuries later. Furthermore, other gospel forgeries written in Arabic were also found in Granada. They were discovered after 1588, and the forgers were Moors. Though one Muslim writer, Ata ur-Rahman, has confused this with another writing called the Letter/Epistle of Barnabas, there is no similarity except for the name.
Contradicting both the Bible and Qur’an
The following are teachings of the Gospel of Barnabas that contradict Islamic doctrine in the Qur’an, as well as Christian teaching in the Bible.
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Jesus is not the Messiah. ch.83 p.181 ch.97 p.223 ch.42 p.97 |
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A prophet’s words are only to the people they were sent to. ch.43 p.101. (Sura 4:150-151 says not to separate between messengers) |
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The Messiah is Mohammed. ch.97 p.225-227 |
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Ishmael was the ancestor of the Messiah. ch.190 p.425; ch.191 p.407; ch.208 p.459; ch.43 p.103 |
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God created all things for the Messiah. ch.191 p.427 |
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God created everything for Mohammed ch.39 p.91 "[Mohammed] shall be my messenger, for whom I have created all things; who shall give light to the world when he shall come; whose soul was set in a celestial splendour sixty thousand years before I made anything." |
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"The messenger of God [Mohammed] shall answer: ‘O Lord, I remember that when thou didst create me, thou saidst that thou hadst willed to make for love of me the world and paradise, and angels and men, that they might glorify thee by me thy servant.""ch.55 p.131. Also ch.56. p.133 |
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Without faith in Mohammed, none will be saved. (Most Muslims do not believe you should have saving faith in Mohammed.) ch.192 p.429 |
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Jesus is a voice in the wilderness. ch.42 p.97 |
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Angels "rolled" the soldiers away for Jesus. ch.153 p.355 |
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Mohammed is coming. ch.44 p.105 |
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Faithful Muslims who do not have works will be in Hell for 70,000 years. ch.137 p.319 |
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Mohammed will go to Hell and be terrified as he beholds the punishment of others ch.135 p.315 |
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Mary gave birth to Jesus without pain ch.3 p.9 |
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Unlawful to hate anything except sin. ch.86 p.199 |
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God is a father. ch.133 p.307 |
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God is our Father. (-no sons, though) ch.17 p.31,33 |
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There shall be no envy in Heaven. ch.177 p.401 |
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Jesus went to the Sea of Galilee, and having embarked in a ship sailed to his city of Nazareth. ch.20 p.41 (Nazareth is inland.) |
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Romans said the idols were almighty. ch.152 p.353 |
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Canaanites despised Pharisees. ch.144 p.335 |
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Pharisees in Jesus’ time were very strange in their ascetism. ch.145 p.337-339 |
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Funny things about Pharisees. ch.143 p.343-345 |
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Rome has 28,000 gods. ch.152 p.353 |
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Roman Senate decreed that none should call Jesus God of Son of God. ch.98 p.227, or speak of Jesus. ch.157 p.367 |
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Roman Senate’s decree. ch.210 p.461 |
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People who preached penitence were called Nazarenes (after Jesus). ch.194 p.433 |
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Archangels were Michael, Raphael, Uriel. ch.209 p.461 & ch.215 p.471 & ch.220 p.485 |
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Judas smiled when the disciples mistook him for Jesus. ch.216 p.471 |
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Israel says Jesus was God or the Son of God. ch.138 p.321 |
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Barnabas was one of the disciples of Jesus. ch.83 p.191 & ch.88 p.205 & ch.19 p.39 & ch.72 p.167 |
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There was a great famine in Israel in Jesus’ time. ch.138 p.321 |
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God gave Jesus bad consequences because others called Jesus God. ch.112 p.257 |
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The mountains (plural) of Samaria. ch.81 p.189 |
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Coins in chapter 54 (golden denarius divided into sixty minuti) were Spanish.? |
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Abraham’s father claimed there were an infinite number of gods. (The Sumerians did not have the concept of infinity) ch.26 p.57 |
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Whereupon, as the food was going down [Adam’s throat], he remembered the words of God; wherefore, wishing to stop the food, he put his hand into this throat, where every man has the mark." (The phrase "Adam’s apple" was first a Medieval European phrase) ch.40 p.93 |
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Pilate was governor of Judea, when Jesus was born. ch.3 p.7 |
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Jews taught to fast, do alms, make prayer, and go on pilgrimage. ch.89 p.207 |
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Jubilee is now every 100 years. ch.83 p.191-193 |
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Kings’ barons. ch.131 p.301 |
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You desire horses like knights. ch.69 p.159 |
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The burden of the republic. ch.69 p.161 |
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Courtiers. Ch.133 p.307 |
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After the nightly prayer. ch.131 p.299 |
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Pinnacle where the scribes used to preach. ch.127 p.291 & ch.129 p.297 & ch.12 p.19 |
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Prodigal son, new [leg] hose. ch.147 p.241 |
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God is not composite. ch.161 p.377 |
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Man is composite. ch.168 p.389 |
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Lazarus and his two sisters were proprietors in other towns of Magdala and Bethany, just like in the Middle Ages! ch.194 p.433 |
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Jesus (really Judas) was dressed as a juggler. ch.217 p.475 |
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Pine-cones (there are none where Jesus lived). ch.113 p.259 |
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Fistula. (A medical term not used until the Middle Ages for an opening in the body for the purpose of drainage.) ch.120 p.275 |
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Jesus could not read at age 12. ch.9 p.15 |
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Do penance. ch.121 p.277 |
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Jesus made prayer in union with the messenger of God, and Jesus heard Mohammed’s voice, [Did Mohammed live before he was born?] ch.84 p.195 |
Q: In Acts 4:36, so who wrote the Gospel of Barnabas?
A: First some clues, and then three possible suspects.
Clues: An Italian printer named Arrivabene in 1547 published the first Italian translation of the Koran. The writer of the Gospel of Barnabas was not well versed in Biblical history nor in orthodox Muslim theology, but apparently he (or she) was very knowledgeable of European Medieval customs. The Italian of the Gospel of Barnabas had evidence of both Venetian and Tuscan dialects. Latin spellings showing Latin Vulgate influence. There are also influences from Dante’s works.
There were Arabic notes in the margin. However, as David Sox (p.51) mentions, they were not written by an orthodox Muslim. The Raggs conjecture that since the dark green, oriental-type binding is very similar to the binding of a Turkish document of 1575 in the Venetian archives, the binding and marginal notes could both have been done in Constantinople.
First Suspect: Fra Marino was the father inquisitor of Venice from 1542 to 1550, and perhaps his motive was revenge (Sox p.68). Felice Peretti (the future Pope Sixtus V) was a severe, devoted inquisitor of Venice who made many enemies. In the sixteenth century there were 843 trials for Protestantism and Anabaptism, 65 for blasphemous speech and 148 for sorcery in Venice alone. (Sox p.57) In the 1530’s Venice was criticized for its tolerance. An Augustinian friar was punished for teaching heresy at the Church of St. Barnabas in Venice. (Sox p.59) A handwriting analysis of Fra Marino’s handwriting and the Gospel of Barnabas show they could have come from the same person according to Sox p.70.
Second Suspect: Anselmo Turmeda (who later became Abd-Allah ibn Abd Allah) from Majorca, Spain, studied in Bologna for ten years. In his biography, written 1383-1390, he claimed to be a priest before his conversion to Islam. His teacher at Bologna was a secret Muslim. De Epalza (p.63-64) says he was a converted Franciscan who took revenge on Christianity after his conversion to Islam. The mention of Spanish coins in the Gospel of Barnabas supports this theory.
Other Suspects: Other Gospel forgeries, these at least written by Moors in Arabic, are from Grenada. None was known prior to 1588 though.
Conclusion: Imagine you were a Muslim who was told that someone found a lost "book" from God. Among other things, this "Sura" mentioned that Mohammed sailed on a boat to Mecca, and this Sura contradicted the teaching of the Bible and contradicted the Qur’an on ten points. The oldest manuscript of the alleged Sura was written in Italian, which is not only not a Mideastern language, but Italian did not exist in the time of Mohammed. Finally, this supposed Sura had some historical customs, which did not occur until 1,000 years later in Europe.
I think it is safe to say a Muslim would probably have a few questions, to say the least. Before you embrace this medieval forgery as an authentic work that shows the "real" teachings of Jesus, remember that this work contradicts the Qur’an, too.
For more information, see Answering Islam, and Origins and Sources of the Gospel of Barnabas. To read the Gospel of Barnabas in English, see
The Gospel of Barnabas translated by Lonsdale and Laura Ragg (Bakhtyar Printers, Lahore, Pakistan, 1981).
Q: In Acts 4:37 and Acts 5:2, why were the church contributions laid at the apostles’ feet?
A: Scripture does not say, but we can see four possible reasons.
Authority: Recognition of the apostles’ authority in the church to take and distribute the money and other contributions.
Lack of Preconditions: By giving the gift this way, there were no strings attached, and no conditions mandate.
Nameless Giving: Since the apostle’s had it distributed instead of the giver himself, there would not be an opportunity for praise or fame for the giver.
Trust: The people giving trusted that the apostles would use the gift wisely.
Q: In Acts 4:37 and Acts 5:2, should churches today operate out of trust, or should they have financial controls?
A: Both. If we know we cannot trust a church leader or organization, we should not be giving to that leader or organization. The issue here is not just fraud, but spending God’s gifts on things that are not honoring God.
However, trust does not mean that financial controls should not also be used. Even good ministries, on occasion have had problems with an employee taking money. Good ministries have caught that with financial controls. There is an umbrella organization, called the Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability (ECFA), that has hundreds of Christian organizations as its members. Each organization has to agree to the Statement of Faith, and each has to conform the ECFA accounting practices, which include an outside, independent audit by an accounting firm once a year.
Q: In Acts 4:37 and Acts 5:2, should contributions today go to a church or directly to the needy poor?
A: There is no hard and fast rule, but there are four points to consider in the answer.
1. Helping the poor, orphans, and widows, should be an important priority in our lives (James 1:27; Deuteronomy 15:11; Isaiah 1:17; 58:6-10; Jeremiah 5:28; 22:16; Galatians 2:10;Psalm 41:21; 24:11-12; 29:7; 31:9,20 68:5; Proverbs 19:9-10; 22:9; Matthew 25:34-36; Zechariah 7:9-10; Acts 10:2,4; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 6:18-19). "If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered" (Proverbs 21:13 NIV)
2. The poor who refuse to work are not to be helped, until they are willing to work (2 Thessalonians 3:10).
3. When you give directly to the poor, give wisely. Try to reduce the chance that the money will be used for drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, or other wasteful things.
4. When you give to or through a church, give wisely. Find out what the organization is supporting. For example, a certain percentage of the offerings of many mainline denominations goes to the World Council of Churches. They were giving money to Rhodesian guerillas, who killed missionaries of one of the member organization of the World Council of Churches.
If some of your money goes to support apostates (such as Episcopalian bishop Spong) or seminaries where they deny Christ’s physical resurrection (such as many at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University), realize that some of the money you claim you are giving to God is being given to wolves who scatter the flock. Why waste money giving it to those who not committed to following the Christ represented in the Bible?
Q: In Acts 5:1-10, what was wrong with Ananias and Sapphira selling land and laying only part of the money at the apostles’ feet?
A: Giving only part of the money was fine. The problem was that they lied and said it was all of the money. See also the next question.
Q: In Acts 5:1-10, how come people who misrepresent their contributions to the church today are not killed?
A: Two points to consider in the answer.
1. On one hand they were dishonest, but it was even a greater sin to lie to the apostles and think they could get away with lying to God.
2. Nothing says that they were more deserving of immediate physical death than all others who have cheated people in the name of religion. However, they received their justice "earlier" to make an example of them during the first days of the church under the direct leadership of the apostles.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.519-521 for more info.
Q: In Acts 5:3-4, is the Holy Spirit a female Spirit as the alleged Korean Messiah Rev. Moon teaches?
A: No. First what Rev. Moon says, and then the Refutation.
Divine Principle (fifth edition, 1977) p.215-216 says, "However, a father alone cannot give birth to children. There must be a True Mother with the True Father, in order to give rebirth to fallen children as children of goodness. She is the Holy Spirit."
"There are many who receive revelations indicating that the Holy Spirit is a female Spirit; this is because she came as the True Mother, that is, the second Eve. Again, since the Holy Spirit is a female spirit, we cannot become ‘the bride’ of Jesus unless we receive the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Holy Spirit is a female spirit, consoling and moving the hearts of the people (1 Cor 12:3). She also cleanses the sins of the people in order to restore them, thus indemnifying the sin committed by Eve. Jesus, being male (positivity), is working in heaven, while the Holy Spirit, being female (negativity), is working on earth."
Refutation: The Holy Spirit does not have x or y chromosomes or sexual organs. However, when the Holy Spirit is referred to in the Bible, the Spirit is referred to as He, and never she. John 14:17 says "The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him,…" (NIV). In the Greek grammar, word endings have gender, and John 14:16, 26 and Acts 13:2 have the masculine gender. John 15:26 and John 16:13 also say "Him".
In summary, John 14:17 is true. Those who insist the Holy Spirit is female do not know Him.
Q: In Acts 5:13,14, how did no one else join the believers, since they were adding to their number of believers?
A: According to The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.365 the literal Greek is "none of the rest". Because of fear of persecution and what happened to Ananias and Sapphira, nobody would tag along with the believers, unless and until they too came to believe.
Q: In Acts 5:30, 10:39; and 13:29 was Jesus hung on a tree, or crucified on a cross?
A: Jesus was crucified on a cross made out of wood. The cross would come from the trunk of a dead tree. Being "hung on a tree" was a curse according to Deuteronomy 21:23. Using this term would emphasize that Jesus took upon himself the humiliation and curse for us.
Q: In Acts 5:34 and 22:3, what do we know about Gamaliel apart from the Bible?
A: Gamaliel, son of Simon, was a famous Jewish rabbi who was the grandson of another famous rabbi named Hillel. Gamaliel died in 52 A.D. The Pharisaic tradition of Hillel believed that a man could divorce his wife for any reason.
Q: In Acts 5:36, when did Judas of Galilee live?
A: According to Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews 18.1.1-6; 20.5.2 (written about 93-94 A.D.); Wars of the Jews 2.8.1; 2.17.8-9, this Judas lived around 7 A.D. He founded the Zealots. See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.378 for more info.
Q: In Acts 5:36, when did Theudas live?
A: First a fact that is not relevant to the answer, and then the answer. Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews 20.5.1 (written about 93-94 A.D.) mentions a Theudas that was decapitated by Cuspius Fadius in 44 A.D. while Fadius was procurator. This would be after the events in Acts.
Answer: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.367, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.377-378, and When Critics Ask p.431-432 say that the Theudas with 400 rebels was another person by the same name. Rebel sentiment against the Romans was high, since there were a group of people, called Zealots, who were almost continuously fighting against the Romans, until the successful, but short-lived revolt in 70 A.D. This Theudas was one who rebelled prior to Judas, while the rebel Josephus mentioned rebelled after Judas.
Q: In Acts 5:36, what evidence is there that Paul studied under Gamaliel?
A: Besides Paul’s excellent knowledge of the Old Testament and claim to be a Pharisee, there is one specific example. In 1 Corinthians 14:21, Paul called a quote from Isaiah 28:11-12 a part of the Torah (Law). The Sadducees and others only accepted the first five books of the Bible as the Torah, but the Pharisees considered all the Old Testament Torah (Wycliffe Bible Commentary p.651)
Q: In Acts 6:9 (KJV), who were the Libertines who formed a synagogue?
A: The word Libertine here means those who were set at liberty. In other words, ex-slaves or freedmen.
In modern slang, a libertine is someone who lives immorally, but that is not what is meant here. So even if someone prefers to use the King James Version, do not preach "you should be libertines of sin", and expect people to understand what you are saying, even though technically this is correct.
Q: In Acts 6:9, what do various translations say?
A: The Greek word in Acts 6:9 is the Synagogue of the Libertinos/Libertinun. There is a manuscript variant, on whether the word for "called" should be first or second declension.
The Williams Translation says, "the synagogue known as that of the Libyans, Cyreneans…" The Greek word for Libya is Libue.
Green’s Literal Translation says, "But some of those of the synagogue rose up, those called Libertines, also some Cyrenians…, …
Wuest’s Expanded Translation says "arose certain ones from the synagogue which is called the synagogue of the Libertines [those who had once been slaves but were set free by Rome], and certain ones from the synagogues of the Cyrenians…"
NASB and uNASB say, " But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians…"
The NIV says, "Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called) – Jews of Cyrene…"
The RSV and NRSV say, "Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians…"
Q: In Acts 6:9, what can archaeologists tell us about the synagogue of the Freedmen?
A: The Wycliffe Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology p.321-322 says that on the tip of the southeast hill of Jerusalem archeologists found what is called the "Theodotus Inscription", and it is dated to around 70 A.D.. It reads in part, "Theodotus son of Vettanus, priest and synagogue president, … has built the synagogue … and the hostelry and the chambers and the cisterns of water in order to provide lodgings for those from abroad who need them…." It is thought that his family name was from the Roman family of Vettani.
Q: In Acts 6:11 (KJV), what does "suborned" mean?
A: Jay P. Green’s Interlinear Bible says "induced". The NASB says "secretly induced", and the NIV says "secretly persuaded". Williams Translation says "instigated".
Q: In Acts 6:13, why would religious Jews set up false witnesses?
A: One can be very religious, yet not be right with God. Apparently they thought the end justified the means, and they never thought if God wanted them to use those means. Some people can try to work for God, and yet have a profound lack of faith in God’s ability to take care of things Himself.
Today, if you are ever in a situation where you think you have to do something evil or sin to "help God out", then stop immediately. God does not require help, and He does not desire that kind of help.
Q: In Acts 7:2,4 (KJV), where is "Charan"?
A: This King James Version word should be "Haran" which is in northwest Syria.
Q: In Acts 7:4, when Abraham left the town of Haran, how was he 75 years old?
A: See the discussion on Genesis 12:4 for the answer.
Q: In Acts 7:6 and Gen 15:13, how could God prophesy the Israelites would be oppressed for 400 years, since Exodus 12:40-41 says that they were in Egypt for 430 years to the very day? (Two different Mormons pointed to this as a reason not to trust the Bible.)
A: The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for 400 years, but prior to that, they were in Egypt for 30 years under Joseph. (I know of one seventh grader who figured out this alleged contradiction in less than one minute.) See Bible Difficulties and Seeming Contradictions p.137-139 for more info.
By the way, Irenaeus (182-188 A.D.) quotes Acts 7:2-8,56,60a and what he quotes is what we have today. (Against Heresies Book 3 ch21 p.434)
Q: In Acts 7:7, how was Egypt judged during the Exodus?
A: Judgment can be an evaluation, or a punishment, and both senses were true here.
Evaluation: When God told Pharaoh through Moses to let his people go, Pharaoh’s initial refusal, late conniving, and finally sending the army after them showed his intentions. Rather than stopping this, God allowed Pharaoh to oppose God as he wished. The consequences both showed just how hard Pharaoh’s heart was, and that the continuing plagues only hardened his heart more.
Punishment: Not only did Pharaoh’s son die, but there was judgment on all of Egypt for the 400 years they oppressed God’s people.
Q: In Acts 7:11 (KJV), where is "Cha’naan"?
A: This King James Version word means "Canaan".
Q: In Acts 7:14 (KJV), what is threescore and fifteen?
A: This is seventy-five.
Q: In Acts 7:14, exactly how many went to Egypt in Jacob’s time?
A: Five points to consider in the answer.
1. Stephen said 75. Even if Stephen were mistaken in speaking here, the Bible is recording, without error, what Stephen said. However, we should not be hasty in thinking Stephen was wrong, as the following points show
2. In the Hebrew manuscripts, Genesis 46:27 and Exodus 1:5 both say 70 men, including Jacob, Joseph, and Joseph’s two sons. Acts 7:14 says 75. The Greek Septuagint for Deuteronomy 10:22 also says 70.
3. The Greek Septuagint for Exodus 1:5 say 75. The Greek Septuagint for Genesis 46:27 says 75, because it says Joseph had nine (not two) sons. Genesis 46:20 in The Dead Sea Scroll 4QExoda also says seventy-five. See the last question at the end of Genesis and the last question at the end of Exodus for quotes of what the Hebrew and Septuagint say. See A General Introduction to the Bible p.481 and The Expositor’s Bible Commentary volume 2 p.262 for more info on 70 vs. 75.
4. Who were these extra seven sons in the Septuagint (and probably the Dead Sea Scrolls? Genesis 46:20 in the Septuagint lists these seven "sons" (actually grandsons and great-grandsons) as follows:
" …And there were sons born to Manasses, which the Syrian concubine bore to him, even Machir. And Machir begot Galaad. And the sons of Ephraim, the brother of Manasses; Sutalaam, and Taam. And the sons of Sutalaam; Edom."
Note that this only lists 3 grandsons and 2 grad-grandsons, or five total (not seven). However, both Manasses and Sutalaam had sons (plural).
5. Since Stephen was a Greek-speaking Jew (see Acts 6:1-5), Stephen probably did use the Septuagint and not the Hebrew Old Testament, and this little detail is inerrantly recorded.
Summary: Perhaps Stephen spoke an error here, and the Bible, without error, records what he said. On the other hand, Stephen might have been correct after all.
See Bible Difficulties and Seeming Contradictions p.141-142, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.378-379, Hard Sayings of the Bible p.521-522, and When Critics Ask p.432-433 for more info.
Q: In Acts 7:16 (KJV), who is "Emmor" and where is "Sychem"?
A: This is Hamor of Shechem, who is mentioned in Joshua 24:32.
Q: In Acts 7:16, how were Jacob and the patriarchs buried at Shechem?
A: See the discussion on Genesis 33:18-19 for the answer.
Q: In Acts 7:19 (KJV), what does "subtilly" mean?
A: This King James Version word means "subtly", or "with subtleness".
Q: In Acts 7:19, how did Pharaoh deal subtly with the Israelites?
A: A number of times Pharaoh told them they could go and then changed his mind. After the last time, he later still sent his army after them.
Q: In Acts 7:20 (KJV), how was Moses exceedingly fair?
A: This does not refer to Moses’ skin complexion, which does not matter to God. Rather, it refers to Moses being fair or favored in God’s sight.
Q: Since Acts 7:22 says Moses learned the wisdom of the Egyptians, what did the Egyptians know back then?
A: The Egyptians knew much about astronomy, the calendar, geography (including places as far away as India), use of meteoritic iron, and weaving fine linen clothes. They were excellent architects, and for what it is worth, excelled at embalming bodies.
In the time of Moses, the Egyptians did not know about making saddles suitable for horseback riding, cavalry soldiers, or smelting iron ore.
Q: In Acts 7:30 (KJV), what is "Mount Sina"?
A: This is the same as Mount Sinai.
Q: In Acts 7:36, did they cross the Red Sea or the Reed Sea?
A: Four points to consider in the answer.
1. The Greek word in both Acts 7:36 and the Septuagint version of Exodus 15:4 is eruthro, which means "red", and not "reed".
2. The Hebrew is like the English without the vowels: "Rd" could be either "Red" or "Reed".
3. Either it was the Red Sea, and Stephen was repeating that.
4. Or else it was the Reed Sea, though the Septuagint Greek translated it as Reed. Stephen, a Greek-speaking Jew, is merely saying what he had learned.
Summary: Either way, the Bible can be inerrantly recording what Stephen said.
Q: In Acts 7:38 (KJV), did they have a church back in Moses’ time?
A: The original meaning of the Greek word for church, ecclesia, is assembly. Stephen here is referring to the Israelites assembly in the Wilderness.
Q: In Acts 7:41-43, was the idolatrous calf a false image of the true God, or was it worship of Heavenly beings?
A: Stephen is not explicitly saying the golden calf was worship of Heavenly beings. Rather, he mentions the golden calf, and that God turned away from them, and in the centuries they turned to worshipping many various idols, including Heavenly beings.
As to the use of the golden calf, it probably was an image to a false god. Even it had been made as a graven image to the true God, it still would be sinful and break the second commandment.
Q: In Acts 7:43, who was Moloch and the star Remphan?
A: This was a quote from Amos 5:25-27 in the Septuagint.
Q: In Acts 7:43, should it be "Moloch and Remphan" or "Sakkuth and Kaiwan" as the Massoretic text of Amos 5:26 says?
A: Stephen was a Greek-speaking Jew and he probably was quoting from the Septuagint. Since Acts is merely recording without error what Stephen said, this verse by itself cannot prove which was the original wording in Amos. See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.381-383 for more info and an analysis of the consonants and vowels.
Q: In Acts 7:43, when were they told in the future they would go to Babylon?
A: Deuteronomy 28:64 says that if the Israelites were disobedient, they would be scattered. It did not mention Babylon, though. Stephen is paraphrasing from Amos 5:25-27. It would almost be a quote from the Septuagint, except that Amos 5:25-27 says "beyond Damascus" in both the Hebrew and Septuagint, and Stephen said Babylon, which is the exact location beyond Damascus of the exile of the southern Israelites.
Q: In Acts 7:51-53, was Stephen wise to speak strongly against the Jews here?
A: It probably made no difference, as the Jews under Saul of Tarsus had already decided Stephen’s fate. Stephen’s manner of speaking indicates that his main purpose here was not to try to save his own life, but to save some of his hearers lives, eternally.
Q: In Acts 7:53, how did they receive the law from angels?
A: God used angels in guiding the Israelites with the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. He apparently also used angels to give Moses the original tables of the Ten Commandments.
Q: In Acts 7:55, since Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit, why did the Holy Spirit have Stephen say things that got him killed?
A: Two complementary answers:
1. The Holy Spirit sometimes does deliberately lead obedient Christians into situations where they will glorify God and die for their faith.
2. They were going to kill him anyway. Stephen had already been arrested in Acts 6:11-7:1, and they were going to stone him regardless of what he said.
Q: In Acts 7:56 and Mk 16:19, how could Jesus stand at the right hand of God, since Jesus is God?
A: It is not true that God the Father must be left-handed, because Jesus is sitting on His right hand!
Seriously, right hand means a position of honor.
The word "God" in the Bible, when it does not refer to a false god, has multiple meanings. The simplest proof of this is John 1:2 and Hebrews 1:9. In each of these verses, the word God is used two times, and the meanings are obviously the Father and the Son.
The word "God" has three closely related meanings. They are:
God the Father here and in 1 Peter 1:2,3; Ephesians 1:3,17; 3:14; 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 3:11; 2 Thess 1:1-22; 2:16; Titus 1:4
God the Son in Hebrews 1:8-9; John 1:1,18; 20:28; Hosea 1:7, Isaiah 7:14; 1 John 5:11,12 + 21; Colossians 2:9; Matthew 1:23
God the Holy Spirit in Romans 8:9-16; Luke 1:35; 1 John 4:12,13,15-16; 1 Corinthians 3:16 + 1 Corinthians 6:19; Acts 5:4
In addition,
The Father is eternal in Psalm 90:2; 93:2.
The Son is eternal in Hebrews 7:3; 13:8
The Spirit is eternal in Hebrews 9:14.
Q: In Acts 7:59-60, was Stephen praying to Jesus here?
A: Yes. He specifically addressed "Lord Jesus" and asked "Jesus" to receive his spirit.
Q: In Acts 8:1, was this persecution a good thing?
A: No, it was an evil thing to persecute Christians. However, many see that God used this evil thing for good, as God can use all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Apparently, the earliest Christians were slow to obey the great commission in Matthew 28:19 and especially Acts 1:8. Persecution drove them out of Jerusalem and into other places where they were supposed to be evangelizing anyway.
Q: In Acts 8:1, would the Christians have scattered throughout Judea and Samaria if there had not been the persecution?
A: Probably at a slower pace than if there had not been the persecution.
Q: In Acts 8:1, why did Christians flee Jerusalem because of persecution, while the apostles remained?
A: There are two views.
1. According to Hard Sayings of the Bible p.522-523, the persecution was by the Sanhedrin and directed mainly against the Greek-speaking Christians. Christians who were also Aramaic-speaking Jews were not persecuted until later. See also The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.371-372 for more on this view.
2. They did try to persecute the apostles, when they killed James the brother of John, and imprisoned Peter. However, since God protected Peter, they did not try anymore, because of how it would look to the people.
Q: In Acts 8:2, why did devout believers lament over Stephen’s death, since Stephen went to be with Jesus?
A: Scripture does not say, but we can see a few reasons.
1. They were sorrowful over this "apparently premature" death of the mighty man of God, and all opportunities for God’s service that were lost because of his death. However, God is in control, and what could appear a premature death may have been a factor in Saul coming to Christ.
2. They might have been lamenting that they would not see Stephen again until Heaven.
3. Even though they knew Stephen would be in Heaven, sometimes it is hard to see things through the eyes of faith when the torn, crumpled body of the beloved friend lay before them under a pile of cold, cruel stones.
Q: In Acts 8:3 (KJV), what does "havock" and "haling" mean?
A: These King James Version words mean "havoc" and "hauling" respectively.
Q: In Acts 8:4, did Philip go to the city called Samaria or a city in the region Samaria?
A: There was both a region and a city within it called Samaria. The literal Greek is "a city of Samaria", so it could be any city in the region of Samaria.
Q: In Acts 8:5-8, 8:26-40, which Philip was this?
A: Scripture does not say whether it was Philip the apostle or the Philip the Greek in Acts 6:1-5 and Acts 21:8-9. The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.372, the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.1330, the New International Bible Dictionary p.781, and the skeptical Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.1008 all agree that it was Philip the Greek. The NIV Study Bible p.1658 also says this was the same Philip the Greek in Acts 6:5. This would mean the ability to perform many mighty miracles was not limited to the twelve apostles.
On the other hand, the New Bible Dictionary (1962) p.684 mentions that Papias, Polycrates, and Eusebius all viewed Philip the Evangelist in Acts 8:3 and Philip the apostle as the same person.
Q: In Acts 8:9-24, why did Simon try to buy the right to heal people?
A: From Simon Magus’ perspective, this would not have appeared so bad. Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.1011 says that the Jewish high priesthood was bought in Seleucid times and under the Romans. In the Middle Ages, some popes fulfilled "papal succession" by buying their office of Pope. Simon Magus was only doing what many other false religious leaders did.
However, from the perspective of God and Peter, Simon Magus did a terrible thing. To purchase what God gives freely, and possibly to charge for dispensing the grace God freely gave, would be an insult to God.
Q: In Acts 8:9-24, what happened to Simon Magus?
A: Scripture does not tell us anything about Simon’s eventual repentance or lack of repentance. However, the church fathers Irenaeus and Hippolytus tell us. (Irenaeus was a disciple of Polycarp, who was a disciple of John the apostle. Hippolytus was a disciple of Irenaeus.)
Irenaeus in Against Heresies (wrote about 182-188 A.D.) devotes all of chapter 23 to Simon Magus. He said that Emperor Claudius honored Simon Magus with a statue because of his magic. Irenaeus says that Simon taught that he appeared to the Jews as the Son, to the Samaritans as the Father, and to other nations as the Holy Spirit. Simon freed from slavery a woman from Tyre named Helena, whom Simon said was the first conception of his mind. Simon said this was the same Helen over whom the Trojan War had been fought. Irenaeus says the Simon Magus’ successor was the heretic Menander.
Tertullian in Against All Heresies (200-210 A.D) also devotes the first chapter to discussing Simon Magus. Tertullian says that Simon called himself "The Supreme Virtue", and that his successor was Menander. Tertullian also says in A Treatise on the Soul ch.34, that Simon devoted his energies to destroying the truth after Peter rebuked him. He adds that Helen was a woman of Tyre who was a slave in a brothel.
Hippolytus in The Refutation of All Heresies book 6 chapters 2-7, (225-235/6 A.D.) goes into Simon’s pseudo-Platonic nonsense.
Q: In Acts 8:15-17, was this a normal experience?
A: No. The delay in believing in Jesus without having the Holy Spirit inside of them was either due to:
1. The apostles coming, or
2. Inadequate teaching by Philip, or
3. Incorrect understanding of what Philip taught.
1001 Bible Questions Answered p.50 also says that this is experience was transitional in the history of the church. See also Hard Sayings of the Bible p.523-525 for more info.
Q: In Acts 8:15-17, why was the Holy Spirit not given to the Samaritans when they first heard the Gospel?
A: Christians have two views.
1. The preaching they heard was incomplete.
2. The preaching was fine, but for this "great transition" of preaching to the Samaritans, it was fitting that some of the apostles were present before the Holy Spirit came to these non-Jews. See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.50,53 for more on this view.
Q: In Acts 8:27, why would an Ethiopian go to the Jewish Temple?
A: The ancient land called Ethiopia was actually north of modern Ethiopia in modern Sudan. Persia and the Bible p.245-246, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary p.649, and the skeptical Asimov’s Guide to the Bible mention that after 590 B.C., Jewish mercenaries manned a fort at Elephantine in south Egypt to keep the Nubians from attacking Egypt. Some who came from Ethiopia could have been their descendants.
In addition, the Queen of Sheba visited Jerusalem during Solomon’s time (around 960 B.C.). While Sheba was across the Red Sea from Ethiopia, apparently some people from the land of modern-day Ethiopia converted to Judaism at that time, and were still there in the Twentieth Century.
In summary, this Ethiopian was probably going to the Jewish Temple because he was a Jew.
As a side note, a Roman drawing of the type of carriage that might have been used by Ethiopian Eunuch is in The New International Dictionary of the Bible p.327.
Q: In Acts 8:27, who was Candace?
A: Candace (or Kandake) was a term for the queens of Nubia, much like Pharaoh is a term for the kings of Egypt, and Caesar was a term for the emperors of Rome.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary volume 9 p.363 says that the Ethiopian queens always ruled as regents for their sons, as the son was considered a "child of the sun and therefore too holy to become involved in the secular functions of the state"
Q: In Acts 8:27, why would a eunuch go to worship at Jerusalem, since Eunuchs could not enter the Temple according to Dt 23:1?
A: There are three reasonable possibilities:
1. It is not certain that Jews in the time of Jesus excluded eunuchs, as Isaiah 56:3-5 says that God would accept eunuchs too.
2. He could have gone to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, and had others go to the temple for him.
3. He could have gone to Jerusalem unaware of any prohibition against eunuchs.
See The Expositor’s Bible Commentary volume 9 p.362-363 for more info.
Q: In Acts 8:28,30, Mt 3:3, 8:17, Jn 1:23, Jn 12:38-39, and Rom 15:12 (KJV), who is Esias?
A: This is the prophet Isaiah.
Q: In Acts 8:36, should a person be baptized when they believe?
A: Once a person believes and understands simply what it means to be a Christian, they should be baptized. There are two issues here: classes before baptism, and baptism of believers versus infants.
1. Some Christians believe a person should be baptized immediately after they believe in Christ, as was the Ethiopian Eunuch. Other Christians believe there should be instruction first, and the church in Alexandria took this to extreme by having a two-year class catechumen prior to baptism. Notice that the Eunuch was versed in the Scriptures prior to meeting Philip, and though his knowledge was imperfect, it was sufficient to be baptized immediately.
2. This verse does not address the baptism of believers versus infants. All Christians believe that if an adult believes in Christ and has not yet been baptized, they should be baptized. See the discussion on believer’s and infant baptism in Colossians 2:11-12 for more info.
Q: In Acts 9:1-2, why would the Jewish priests be so desirous to kill Christians?
A: There are three concurrent reasons.
Religious threat: Jesus coming and setting up things in a new way that went against the traditions of the Pharisees was a threat to their religious leadership.
Political power: It was at this time that the Romans took something away that was considered very important to the Jewish leaders; the right to execute people for capital crimes. Since the Romans would apparently acquiesce in the killing of Christians, a conjecture is that this would be a way to at least have the appearance of retaining that power.
Spiritually, Satan was at work here. Even today, Satan is wanting to kill worshippers of God.
Q: In Acts 9:4-7, how come Paul heard and saw different things than the others?
A: The other men saw the light and heard the sound, but God only intended for Saul to understand the words.
Q: In Acts 9:5 (KJV), what are "pricks"?
A: This is an ox-goad. An ox-goad is not meant to kill an ox, but meant to be unpleasant enough to get the ox (or other animal) to move the way his master wants him to go.
Q: In Acts 9:11, is there any archaeological evidence for Straight Street in Damascus?
A: Yes. Not only is there archaeological evidence that the street was once flanked by colonnades (Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.418,1627), but the street is in use today. The street goes from the northeast to the southwest and, at least in Paul’s time, was two miles (3.2 km) long.
Q: In Acts 9:15-16, why did God choose Saul of Tarsus as His chosen instrument?
A: This is one of a number of verses that show the Lord works in mysterious ways. While we today all can read the Book of Acts and see that God chose well, this must have looked very strange to Ananias. It is understandable that Ananias, though believing God, asked for confirmation in Acts 9:13-14, and God freely and graciously gave it to Him.
Q: In Acts 9:16, what was the point of telling Ananias how much Saul would suffer for Christ’s name?
A: Scripture does not say. Ananias should not have felt that Saul of Tarsus got off "easy", because the sufferings he endured likely were more than the sufferings he inflicted on any one person.
Q: In Acts 9:23, who was trying to kill Paul?
A: Acts 9:23 says the Jews were trying to kill Paul. In addition, 2 Corinthians 11:32-33 says that the governor under King Aretus was also trying to arrest Paul.
Q: In Acts 9:26, why were the disciples afraid of Saul, since they should not have been afraid of death?
A: Christians are to be prudent, and Jesus told believers that while persecution was inevitable (John 15:20), believers can flee persecution (Matthew 10:23).
In addition, the disciples might naturally have feared the painful death Saul of Tarsus had given to others.
Q: In Acts 9:27, why was Barnabas not afraid of Saul, even though the others were?
A: Scripture does not say, but we can speculate on three reasons.
Temperament Barnabas was an encouraging kind of guy, and he might have been more willing to trust someone.
Spent time with Paul Barnabas did not just hear rumors that Paul might have changed; he talked with Paul himself and heard Paul debating with others in Damascus.
God showed him If God communicated with Barnabas about Paul, as God did with Ananias, or if God gave Barnabas the confidence, then of course Barnabas would not be afraid.
One point to learn from this is that the God does not always reveal things to the leadership of the church first.
Q: In Acts 9:31, how did the churches live in the fear of the Lord, and how should we do so today?
A: They had an awe of God and His power. The respected His Word, and the fear of the Lord was a motivation for evangelism and holy living.
Other verses that show a believer’s fear of the Lord are Genesis 22:12; Proverbs 1:7; 1 Samuel 12:14; 2 Chronicles 6:33; 19:7; Nehemiah 5:9; Psalm 19:9; 22:25; 33:8; 119:74; 128:1; Ecclesiastes 8:13; 12:13; Isaiah 11:3; Jeremiah 5:22; Micah 6:9; Malachi 3:5, and 2 Corinthians 5:11.
Q: In Acts 9:33, how do you pronounce "Aeneas"?
A: Cruden’s Concordance pronounces this "A-ne-as" with the first two vowels long and the third vowel short. The accent is on the first syllable.
In contrast, the King James Version and the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary pronounce is as a-NE-as, placing the accent on the second syllable.
Q: In Acts 9:43 was a tanner an unclean profession for Jews?
A: The Israelites learned this important trade from the Egyptians, though the Syrians practiced this too. The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.1241-1242 says that the Jews did not consider tanning a good profession among the Jews of Jesus' time. Simon found fellowship among Christians, but he might not have found fellowship among the Jews. The New International Dictionary of the Bible p.726 also says this was a ceremonially unclean profession, and in Joppa the tanner’s houses were located on the south, just outside of Joppa on the coast (where the spent chemicals could be disposed).
The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.379 and The Expositor’s Bible Commentary volume 9 p.383 also say that rabbis considered tanning an unclean trade.
Q: In Acts 10, what is the main application of these two messages?
A: The message communicated to Simon in Acts 10:1-8 is that the Gospel is from the Jews. In Acts 10:9-23, the message communicated to Peter is that the Gospel is also for the Gentiles.
Q: In Acts 10:2,4,31, what was the relationship between Cornelius’ alms and God answering his prayers?
A: Cornelius was an unusual man, being a soldier in an occupying army that gave money to help the poor in the occupied land. Cornelius saw the truth about God in the Old Testament. Three points to consider in the answer.
1. Cornelius’ alms were in no way required to enable the Almighty God to work or to answer his prayers.
2. Cornelius’ sincere prayers were heard, just like God hears everyone’s sincere prayers to know Him.
3. It is interesting that both alms and prayers came up before God. It is almost as though the alms was considered as a form of prayer or as strengthening his prayers.
Q: In Acts 10:2,22,44-48, since Cornelius was God-fearing and prayed to God regularly, yet still he was not yet born again until Peter’s visit, would Cornelius have gone to Hell if He had died?
A: This is a moot point. If the God we are discussing was either not knowledgeable to know Cornelius would accept Jesus joyfully, or not powerful enough to keep Cornelius alive until this time, then we are not talking about the God of the Bible.
Note that Cornelius’ prayers and gifts, prior to hearing about Jesus, were an acceptable memorial to God. This is also true for people who died prior to Jesus who obeyed God’s word in the Old Testament, and Cornelius was respected by the Jews, not for his fear of any god, but for his fear of the true God, their God.
Q: In Acts 12:6, how could Peter sleep so soundly, the night before his execution?
A: People with trouble sleeping sure wish they had what Peter had! Peter had confidence that God was protecting him, and that the words of Jesus would not fail. From John 21:18-19, Peter knew for certain that he would not die until he was old.
We may have no promise as to how long we will live on this earth, but we do have the promise that God will watch over us, and that we will live forever in Heaven. So, sleep well.
Q: In Acts 10:10-16 and Mk 7:17-23, since Jesus said he would not abolish anything in the law in Mt 5:17, why don’t Christians follow the Old Testament dietary laws like Muslims allegedly do?
A: While neither Christians nor Muslims follow the dietary laws, Christians do not because they listen to Jesus. Five points to consider in the answer.
At this time, Jesus' followers obeyed the Old Testament dietary laws. Jesus actually said that not one jot or tittle would pass away until all is accomplished.
The fact of Jesus' resurrection, fundamentally changed the way God dealt with His children. An angel informed Peter, Jesus' apostle, that God had made all food clean in Acts 10:9-16. Note it does not say these animals were always clean, but rather that God had made them clean.
Even Muslims who bring up this objection, themselves have to agree that some the Old Testament dietary laws are not to be followed. Muslims feel they can eat camel meat (and Mohammed did so), yet Leviticus 11:3-8; Deuteronomy 14:6-8 prohibit eating them.
Listen to Jesus in Matthew 15:10,17-20 and Mark 7:14-15. Jesus said it is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean, not what goes in. Mark 7:19 shows that by this Jesus declared all foods clean. If we call Jesus a prophet, we should listen to His words.
A voice from heaven commanded Peter to eat In Acts 10:10-16, showing him that the dietary laws were only in effect until Jesus’ sacrifice, not after. We should obey the voice of God’s angel and Jesus' apostle.
In conclusion, we should not ignore what God’s prophets said, but listen to them.
Q: In Acts 10:20-23, when Peter was commanded not to hesitate to go with the three men, did Peter disobey by questioning them, inviting them into his house, and leaving the next day?
A: Perhaps Peter was not as prompt as possible. On the other hand, if it was late in the day, the only practical thing to do was leave early the next morning rather than try to find a house in the dark. Remember, back then they had no street signs or street lights.
Regardless, Peter definitely intended to go with them. It was not lawful for a Jew to eat with a Gentile, yet after Peter learned his lesson from the vision, he invited the men to eat with him.
It probably took both courage and a direct vision to convince Peter to eat any kind of food. The Jewish skeptic Asimov in Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.1050 points out that in Maccabean times Jews had died under torture rather than eat pork.
Q: In Acts 10:25-26, why did Cornelius try to "worship" Peter?
A: The Greek word here is proskuneo, which means either "worship" or to fall down in reverence. Either Cornelius, who was not yet instructed in the Christian faith, was confused in trying to worship Peter, or else he was showing great respect to the one who would teach him the way to be saved.
Q: In Acts 10:28, was it just non-Jews in general that should not be considered common or unclean, or every single person?
A: In this verse, "no man" means no one in every single person or every race.
Q: In Acts 10:29 (KJV), what does "without gainsaying" mean?
A: This mean without complaining or raising any objections.
Q: In Acts 10:31, does God remember all the righteous things people do?
A: God knows all the righteous (and unrighteous) things we do before we were even born (Psalm 139). However, as far as counting them for getting rewards in heaven; not necessarily. Ezekiel 3:20 gives an example of a righteous man who turned from his righteousness and his righteous acts were not remembered. Also, Paul was concerned lest he drift away and lose the crown he had worked for.
Q: In Acts 10:38, how was God with Jesus, since Jesus is God?
A: On earth, Jesus voluntarily emptied Himself of His glory and temporarily gave up the use of His attributes of deity. However, the Father and Holy Spirit showed that they were with Jesus. They showed this at His baptism and by Jesus’ miracles. See the discussion on Acts 7:56 for more info.
Q: In Acts 10:45-48, is water baptism essential to be saved?
A: No. Four points to consider in the answer.
1. They spoke in tongues prior to being baptized with water.
2. Speaking in tongues is a sign (but not the only sign) of being filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is only for those who are born again,
4. Those who are born again are saved.
So, they were born again prior to being baptized with water. See the discussion on Acts 22:16 for a second example of being saved prior to water baptism. See also the next question for more info.
Q: In Acts 10:45-48, because this passage was a very special occurrence, does this negate using this passage to show water baptism is not essential for salvation?
A: No. This passage does describe an important transition for the church, but that does not disqualify us from understanding all of its teaching. Three points to consider in the answer.
1. Gentiles could be filled with the Holy Spirit, and thus be saved, prior to baptism at this time. This was not impossible for God to do and still be true to His word.
2. Thus, it is possible for people to be saved, prior to baptism at other times, without God breaking His word.
3. If a person’s interpretation of the Bible requires that God cannot be true to His word if anyone after Christ is saved prior to being baptized, perhaps it would be their interpretation, and not God’s word, that is wrong.
Q: In Acts 10:48 and Acts 2:38, since people are baptized in the name of Jesus, since people are baptized in the name (singular) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Mt 28:19, does that mean the three are all Jesus, as Oneness Pentecostalism teaches?
A: No. It was Jesus, not the Father or Holy Spirit, who commanded Christians to be baptized. "In his name", also means by the authority of Jesus, as the Believer’s Bible Commentary p.1608 says. See The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.211-212, When Cultists Ask p.196-197, and 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.120-121 for more info.
Q: In Acts 11:1-3, were the men correct in contending with Peter the apostle?
A: They were correct in one way, and incorrect in a greater way.
Correct: They were correct to question what any Christian was doing, even Peter, when they thought it did not line up with Scripture. Also, Paul corrected Peter in Galatians 2:11-21.
Incorrect: Their scriptural understanding was incorrect. Furthermore, after the Council of Jerusalem settled the issue with all of the living apostles, some of these people continued to cause division, because they would not allow themselves to be corrected by others.
Q: In Acts 11:3, were the apostles obedient to Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 and Acts 1:8 to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth?
A: The apostles were not sinless, and it does not appear they were actively obeying this. The reason might have been their hang-up about associating with non-Jews. Unfortunately, sometimes Christians today can let their hang-ups keep them from fully obeying God, too. See the discussion on Acts 8:1 for how God apparently dealt with that situation.
Q: In Acts 11:14, was Cornelius saved prior to sending for Peter?
A: This passage shows that he was not. However, by God’s grace, Cornelius sought God and sent for Peter. See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.91 for more info.
Q: In Acts 11:19, why were they preaching only to the Jews?
A: At that time there was disagreement on whether a Gentile could become a Christian without becoming a Jew first. Even after that disagreement was settled at the Council at Jerusalem in Acts 15, Paul still had the practice of preaching the Gospel to the Jews first, and only afterward to the Gentiles. Read Acts 18:6 for an example.
Q: In Acts 11:26, what is the significance of the term "Christians" being first used at Antioch?
A: Two points to consider in the answer.
Derision: Other people perhaps first called them Christians as a form of ridicule. At that time there were people who were very devoted to the worship of Caesar, and they were called Caesareans. 1 Peter 4:15 says that if you are insulted because of the named of Christ you are blessed. In 1 Peter 4:16 mentions suffering as a "Christian".
Honor: The believers accepted the word "Christian" as a badge of honor. Christ is the only name under which people can be saved.
Side point: Buddhists are called that because they worship Buddha, as well as others. Muslims are sometimes called Mohammedans because they follow Mohammed. I have heard that Muslims do not mind this, just as long as it is made clear that all (non-Ghulat) Muslims do not worship Mohammed.
Q: In Acts 11:28 (KJV), what is a "dearth"?
A: This word means a shortage, and this refers to a shortage of food due to famine.
Q: In Acts 11:28, Acts 14:17, and 2 Cor 8-9, what evidence is there of a famine throughout all the world in the time of Claudius (41-54 A.D.)?
A: Christians have two views.
Local famine
1. The Greek word for world/land here, oikoumene. It does not necessary mean the entire planet or world, like the Greek word cosmos. Rather the famine was over Judea.
2. Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews 15.9.1-2 (written about 93-94 A.D.) mentions a famine in Judea in 44/46-47/48 A.D.. This famine was caused by drought, and there was disease after the famine occurred.
3. As further evidence, Paul collected an offering from the churches in Greece (where presumably there was no famine) to send back to Palestine in 1 Corinthians 16:2-3 and 2 Corinthians 8:1-4, 13-15, 18-21.
Famine Over the Whole Roman Empire
The Greek phrase here was commonly used by the Romans to refer to the entire Roman world. There was no single famine that affected the entire Roman Empire at the same time. However The Expositor’s Bible Commentary volume 9 p.403-404, says that the historians Suetonius (Life of Claudius 18:2), Tacitus (Annals 12:43), Dio Cassius (History of Rome 60:11), And Orosius (History 7.6.17) mention several times of famine during the reign of Claudius.
Q: In Acts 12:1-2, is this the same Herod who reigned when Jesus was crucified?
A: No. That was neither Herod the Great nor Herod Antipas, but another Herod, called Herod Agrippa, who reigned from 41-44 A.D.
Q: In Acts 12:4 (KJV), what is a quaternion?
A: This was four groups of soldiers, and each group had four soldiers in it.
Q: In Acts 12:15, why did they think "Peter’s angel" appeared at the door?
A: There are two views.
1. The simplest view is that they thought Peter had been killed, and it was Peter’s spirit.
2. However, they could have used other terms, such as "his spirit", rather than "his ghost. As Hard Sayings of the Bible p.526-527 points out, they might have believed that since people have guardian angels, it was his guardian angel, which looked like Peter. See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.385 for more on this view.
Regardless, these were the beliefs of young Christians in that house. The Bible shows they were wrong here, because it was Peter himself who appeared.
Q: In Acts 12:23, how was Herod eaten with worms?
A: This probably refers to him dying from having too many parasites in his intestines. As a side note, this is not something that would often happen to obedient Jews who never ate any unclean animals.
Q: In Acts 12:23, what is extra-Biblical evidence of Herod suddenly dying of worms?
A: Josephus records the following in Antiquities of the Jews 19.8.2. (written about 93-94 A.D.)
"When Agrippa had reigned three full years over all Judea, he came to the city of
Caesarea, which was formerly called Strato’s Tower. There he exhibited shows in honour of Caesar, inaugurating this as a festival for the emperor’s welfare. And there came together to it a multitude of the provincial officials and of those who had been promoted to a distinguished position. On the second day of the show he put on a robe all made of silver, of altogether wonderful weaving, and arrived in the theatre at the beak of day. Then the silver shone as the sun’s first rays fell upon it and glittered wonderfully, its resplendence inspiring a sort of fear and trembling in those who gazed upon it. Immediately his flatterers called out from various quarters, in words which in truth were not for his good, addressing him as a god, and invoking him with the cry, ‘Be propitious! If hitherto we have revered thee as a human being, yet henceforth we confess thee to be superior to mortal nature.’
The king did not rebuke them, nor did he repudiate their impious flattery. But looking up soon afterwards he saw the owl sitting on a rope above his head, and immediately recognized it as a messenger of evil as it had formerly been a messenger of good, and a pang of grief pierced his heart. There came also a severe pain in his belly, beginning with a violent attack… So he was carried quickly into the palace and the news sped abroad among all that he would certainly die before long…. And when he had suffered continuously for five days from the pain in his belly, he departed this life in the fifty-fourth year of his age and the seventh of his reign."
(Take from the New Testament Documents : Are They Reliable 5th edition p.105. F.F. Bruce points out that though Josephus and Acts are similar, the differences are great enough so show that Luke could not have just copied from Josephus.
Q: In Acts 12:25 and Acts 15:37, is this John Mark the one who wrote the Book of Mark?
A: Yes.
Q: In Acts 13:1, was Simon/Simeon Niger from the land of the country of Niger?
A: No. the country did not exist then, and niger is simply the Latin word for black.
Q: In Acts 13:1, the word "niger" means black, so was Simon Niger a black person?
A: He could have been. However, as Mr. Pink or Mrs. Green can tell you, surnames do not necessarily denote skin color. However, The NIV Study Bible says this surname could indicate his dark complexion.
Q: In Acts 13:1, could Lucius of Cyrene be the same as Luke, the author of Luke and Acts?
A: Most likely not. While Luke was a shortened form of Lucius (as well as Lucanus), nothing indicates that Lucius and Luke were the same person. Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.916 says the same.
Q: In Acts 13:6, why was the sorcerer called Bar-Jesus?
A: Bar-Jesus means "son of Jesus". Perhaps his father had been named Jesus. Allegorically speaking, cults today can be said to try to be "sons of Jesus". They claim to be compatible with Christianity, plus they claim to be "new and improved" versions of what Jesus taught.
Q: In Acts 13:6-13, what extra-Biblical evidence exists for Sergius Paulus?
A: Two sources.
1. An inscription at Soli (now Karavastasi) on the northern coast of Cyprus mentions the proconsul Paulos. (Inscriptiones Graecae ad res Romanas pertinentes, 3:930. An inscription in Pisidian Antioch of L. Sergius Paullus, a propraetor of Galatia in 72-74 A.D. was probably his son. (See W.M. Ramsay The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament, 1914 chapter 12). See also The New Bible Dictionary (IVP) for more info.
2. The early Christian father Tertullian (200-240 A.D.) in On Idolatry chapter 9 mentions that the magician who served Sergius Paulus lost the use of his eyes.
Q: In Acts 13:7, what was the difference between a procurator and a proconsul?
A: Most provinces were under the Emperor, but a few, including Cyprus were under the Senate. To govern the provinces, procurators were appointed by the Roman Emperor; while the Roman Senate appointed Proconsuls. See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.388 and The NIV Study Bible p.1670 for more info.
This used to be a major Bible difficulty. If Cyprus was an imperial province, Luke would be wrong to use the word "proconsul"; it would seem he should have used the word "procurator". However, as Bible Difficulties Answered p.29-30 points out, it was discovered that the Emperor and Senate had made a "swap", and at this time Cyprus was under the Senate, and Luke indeed used the correct word. Also, as the answer to the previous question stated, an inscription has been found of the "proconsul" Paulus.
Q: In Acts 13:9-11, why did Saul rebuke Elymas so sharply?
A: There is a time and a place for sharp rebuke, and this was it. Elymas had not only deliberately chosen to reject the truth himself, but he was actively trying to turn others away from the truth. In 1 Thessalonians 2:16, Paul speaks of those who actively opposed God’s message.
In 2 Peter 2:20-21, Peter speaks of some people for whom it would have been better for them not to know the truth than to know it and reject it. Today we should differentiate between four kinds of people.
1. Those who are likely to want to know the truth and to follow it. They should be taught.
2. Those, like in 2 Peter 2:20-21, who will reject the truth that you give them. Giving them more can be like throwing pearls before swine. A question I like to ask people in Rev. Moon’s Unification church is this: if somehow you learned for certain that Rev. Moon was not from God, what would you do? Would you still follow him anyway, or would you seek the truth, whatever it may be?" I have only received an answer, "that they would follow the truth" once.
3. Those, like Elymas, who not only reject the truth, but try to turn others away. It was a further manifestation of the truthfulness of God’s words that Elymas was made blind. This is done not so much to help Elymas, as to authenticate the truth for Sergius Paulus and others.
4. Newly acquainted: we do not know which category they are in.
Q: In Acts 13:11, what kind of mist fell on Elymas?
A: This does not mean water rained on Elymas, but rather his eyesight was clouding over, as though in a mist.
Q: In Acts 13:19, who were the seven nations of Canaan that the Israelites conquered?
A: When Paul was speaking, he was apparently thinking of (alphabetically) the Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, Hittites, Hivites, Jebusites, and Perizzites. Deuteronomy 7:1, Joshua 3:10, and Joshua 24:11 have these seven in a different order, so there is nothing special about the order.
The nations sort of blended together, as there were many small city states. Exodus 3:8; 3:17; Exodus 23:23; Deuteronomy 20:17, Joshua 12:8, and Judges 3:5 mention six nations, with each of the six verses leaving out the Girgashites. Exodus 13:5 mentions only five nations, leaving out the Girgashites and Perizzites. 1 Kings 9:20 and 2 Chronicles also mention five nations, leaving out the Girgashites and Canaanites.
See the discussion on Deuteronomy 7:1 for more info on the nations that lived in Canaan prior to the Israelites.
Q: In Acts 13:19 (KJV), where is "Chanaan"?
A: This King James Version word should be "Canaan".
Q: In Acts 13:20, what do "about 450 years before Joshua to Samuel" mean to Old Testament dating?
A: This is similar to 1 Kings 6:1 says that Solomon built the temple in the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of Egypt. Since archaeologists are reasonably certain Solomon’s temple was completed in October/November 960 B.C. (Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.1673). This would make the Exodus about 1440 B.C. Since Samuel died about 30 years before Solomon’s Temple, this would be about 990 B.C..
The date of 1440 (or 1447/6 B.C.) for the Exodus is important, because in the early Twentieth Century many held a date of the Exodus of over a hundred years later. However, the later date does not line up with archaeological evidence.
Q: In Acts 13:22, how could David be a man after God’s own heart, since David sinned with Bathsheba and Uriah?
A: David’s sin was horrible. The wonderful news is that David repented, and God accepted His repentance. Of course there was discipline and consequences: the child died, the sword did not depart from David’s house, and David’s beloved sons, Amnon and Abimelech both died violently. Abimelech killed Amnon. Abimelech was killed after David sent his army to put down Abimelech’s revolt.
All of these negative things are still small compared to the fact that God mercifully forgave David. Not only did God forgive David, but God both "forgives and forgets". While God does not "lose information", God chooses to view David as though those sins were never committed.
It should be obvious to all that when David, Solomon, Abraham, or others committed some sin, Christians have no need to follow their bad example. God does not call us to sin as they did. However, when Jesus set an example to do something, I do believe in following His example.
Q: In Acts 13:30, how did God raise Jesus from the dead, since Jesus is God?
A: This is a repeat of the answer for Galatians 1:1.
Even humans can work together jointly. The three in the Trinity worked together even more in this wonderful miracle. Here is what scripture says.
1. The Father was involved. (1 Thessalonians 1:10; Acts 3:26)
2. Jesus was involved in raising Himself. (John 2:19-21; 10:18)
3. The Spirit was involved. (Romans 8:11)
4. God did. Acts (17:31; 2:32; 3:10; Hebrews 13:20)
5. Father and/or Spirit. (2 Corinthians 4:14)
Q: In Acts 13:48, what is this verse saying about election?
A: This verse is merely saying that when Paul spoke to this particular crowd, all the elect (people who would go to Heaven) in the crowd believed at that time.
Q: In Acts 13:52, if the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit, should Christians today be this way?
A: Yes. Perhaps it was easier back then, with the apostles around, and Jesus’ resurrection only a few years prior, but Paul’s command in Philippians 3:1 is as much a command today as it was in his time. Now That’s a Good Question p.71-72 points out that we should not idealize the early church. They had significant problems too, as 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Colossians, and the book of Revelation show.
Q: In Acts 14:12-14, why would the Lystrans think Paul and Barnabas were Zeus and Hermes?
A: There is a myth recorded in the eighth book of Ovid’s Metamorphoses (lines 626 ff.) that Zeus and Hermes came to Lystra unrecognized, and visited an elderly couple named Philemon and Baucis. They shared their home, while nobody else would. Zeus and Hermes destroyed the other houses, but changed theirs into a temple with marble columns and a golden roof.
F.F. Bruce in The New Testament Documents : Are They Reliable? 5th edition p.96 says that an inscription at Sedasa near Lystra (c.250 A.D.) records the dedication to Zeus of a statue of Hermes by men with Lycaonian names.
Clement of Alexandria (193-217/220 A.D.) in Exhortation to the Heathen ch.4 p.186 gives a number of other examples of people being called gods or even a specific god. He says that Ceux, son of Eolus, was called Zeus by his wife Alcyone. Her husband called her Hera. Ptolemy IV was called Dionysus. Alexander wanted to be considered a son of the Egyptian god Ammon, and have horns on his statues. Menecraetes the doctor took the name of Zeus. The grammarian Alexarchus wanted to be known as the sun-god. Nocagors of Zela was called Hermes and used to dress as Hermes. He also cites various other people who were worshiped as god.
See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.391-392 and the Geneva Study Bible p.1737 for more info.
Q: In Acts 14:14, why did Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes?
A: There are three views.
1. This was their way to try to show the Lystrans that they had on ordinary clothes and they were just ordinary men.
2. A normal sign or grief of distress, according to the New Geneva Study Bible p.1737, or of protest and sorrow as the Believer’s Bible Commentary p.1625 says.
3. It was a Jewish custom to tear their robes when they heard blasphemy. The Bible Knowledge Commentary : New Testament p.392 teaches this view, and adds that the rips were made four to five inches into the neckline of the clothes.
Q: In Acts 14:19, how come the Jews persuaded the Lystrans to stone Paul, since just previously they had wanted to worship him as a god?
A: This illustrates fickleness at its most extreme. Perhaps the Lystran perspective was like this.
Some Lystrans wanted to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods. A second group might have wondered if they were imposters.
1. For the first group, Paul and Barnabas made them look foolish.
2. For the second group, they did not want imposter gods.
3. For all Lystrans, Paul and Barnabas advocated turning from their traditional idol worship to follow a "new" God, for whom they could not make idols.
4. Idol priests who made money from sacrifices would not want to hear this.
5. Idol worshippers who were basically told that their past offerings were money that was wasted, would not want to hear this.
Sadly, it is often more comfortable to believe a lie, when the truth involves admitting that you were wrong in the past.
Q: In Acts 14:23, why did they fast at that time?
A: In combination with their prayers, they fast to ask God for direction in ordaining elders.
Q: In Acts 14:27 (KJV), why were they "rehearsing"?
A: In the King James Version, this word means they were recounting to the others what had happened. Williams translation says "in detail reported to them".
Q: In Acts 15:1, was Peter one of the men who came to Antioch, as Asimov’s Guide to the Bible (p.1049) says it might have been?
A: Is it possible Peter might have come. However, if a "delegation" came to Antioch, and the delegation represented the apostles, it is unlikely that Peter came.
Q: In Acts 15:1-29, was Peter the "Pope" of the first church council, as some Roman Catholics would like to say?
A: No. Peter was a leader in this church council but not the sole leader. In support of this is the following.
1. The dispute was brought before the apostles and others in Acts 15:4,6
2. Peter spoke in Acts 15:7-11, but others spoke too in Acts 15:1; Acts 15:2; Acts 15:5.
3. Peter did not have the last word, Paul and Barnabas (supporting Peter) spoke next in Acts 15:12
4. The very last word was given by James, who gave his "judgment" in Acts 5:13-21.
5. The letter that was sent out was not sent out as a "papal bull", or even by Peter’s authority (Acts 15:22-29). Rather, it was sent out by the authority of all the apostles and elders.
See When Cultists Ask p.200-201 for more info.
Q: In Acts 15:5, when these Pharisees became Christians, why did God not set them straight on circumcision and the Old Testament Law?
A: Scripture does not say, and God has the prerogative to reveal as much or as little as He wishes. For those who do not learn something God that has revealed already, God has