Hey there WonbyOne! How is everybody? I understand that those in public school went back after a week of vacation. I hope you enjoyed your time off with your family and friends. =)
Getting right to business (I'm a "right to business" kind of a guy), we studied Acts 8:9-25 this past Friday night, and we broke the text into four parts:
The idolatry of the Samaritans (vv9-11)
The salvation of the Samaritans (vv12-13)
The citizenship of the Samaritans (vv14-17)
The false faith of the Samaritan (vv18-24)
Where the Samaritans represent a group of people Phillip preached to, and who repented, confessing Christ as Lord (Phillip was preaching the "Kingdom of God" (v12), which obviously entails Lordship); not represent all ALL Samaritans, of course.
We had some theological discussion, as well as some really practical discussion, which was great! We spoke about the futility of idolatry (looking at Isa 44:9-20), as well idolatry's inclusion in the list of sins which people, who will not in heaven, continually and unrepentantly walk in (Gal 5:19-21, 1 Cor 6:9-10). We expanded idolatry beyond just worshiping a piece of wood, or a human being claiming to be someone special, to other things as well that we worship more than the true God. John Calvin called the human heart an idol factory, for it is desperately wicked, and will replace God with that which is non-condemning, non-judging and will not hold it accountable for sin. I believe this to be the primary reason liberal theologians twist the Bible, and deny its validity, accuracy or perspiquity (clarity), for they refuse to submit to its authority! They deny the God of the Bible, and worship a false god, who allows them to go on in their sinful rebellion against their creator. Indeed, they're very religious, and say many pious things, but on the inside, in their hearts, they are hypercrites, and refuse to glorify a just and holy God.
We briefly spoke about the difference in the nature of the ministry of the Holy Spirit to believers between the OT and the NT. We've differentiated between being "Baptized" in the Spirt with being "filled" with Him in the past, so we won't diverge to cover that which has been covered already (but if there are questions, lets talk =)). When we study the Bible, and interpret it literally, we find the the Holy Spirit didn't permanantly dwell in a believer until the church age was initiated at Pentecost. These people (the Samaritans) were regenerated already, but the Spirt had not yet come upon them. Peter and John praying that those who were just saved through Philip's preaching (God saves through a positional sanctification of the Spirit, AND faith in the TRUTH, 2 Thes 2:13) was to show both the Jews and Samaritans that there is no division in the church, ratial or any other! We still have yet to see a similar event with respect to the gentiles, and John the babtist's former disciples. This no longer happens today because the church is fully established. The book of Acts is in many ways a "transition" period, where the church is coming into maturity, and many things have to be established, including but not limited to the understanding that the body of Christ is not divided by race, ethnicity, family history, place in the world (rich versus poor, for example), etc. This phase of transition is a testimony of the diffence in the ministry of the Holy Spirit in believers between the OT and the NT.
We finally spent some time talking about Simon's false, non saving faith. Simon was impressed with Phillip's signs (8:6) but wasn't all that interested in his message of salvation! The gospel is a message of God's just wrath towards sin, His perfect and holy standard revealed through His Law (and our consciences), our being lawbreakers by nature because of the fall, and therefore our deserving of His jugement! However, it's also a message of God's grace for sinners, in His forgiving sin, giving a free gift of perfect righteousness (that of Jesus Christ) and changing one's nature through regeneration, so that they love righteousness, and hunger and thirst after it. =) The true gospel has both negative and positive aspects! A person can't be saved if they don't know they're lost. How can a person understand the importance of Christ's death on the cross for sin if they don't understand what they deserve? Some people today want to minimize the gospel, make it quick and easy. The scripture judges their false gospel. Simon would have been interested in an easy gospel, a gospel that allowed him to continue on in his idolatry, but as we clearly saw, Peter wouldn't have it (8:20-23). Let's give it up for the Apostle Peter! Men who are faithful, like Peter is here, are today hated for their refusal to compromise the gospel, and compromise in regards to God's commands. They're seen as unmerciful, ungracious and proud. In reality, we need more men like them!
Getting right to business (I'm a "right to business" kind of a guy), we studied Acts 8:9-25 this past Friday night, and we broke the text into four parts:
The idolatry of the Samaritans (vv9-11)
The salvation of the Samaritans (vv12-13)
The citizenship of the Samaritans (vv14-17)
The false faith of the Samaritan (vv18-24)
Where the Samaritans represent a group of people Phillip preached to, and who repented, confessing Christ as Lord (Phillip was preaching the "Kingdom of God" (v12), which obviously entails Lordship); not represent all ALL Samaritans, of course.
We had some theological discussion, as well as some really practical discussion, which was great! We spoke about the futility of idolatry (looking at Isa 44:9-20), as well idolatry's inclusion in the list of sins which people, who will not in heaven, continually and unrepentantly walk in (Gal 5:19-21, 1 Cor 6:9-10). We expanded idolatry beyond just worshiping a piece of wood, or a human being claiming to be someone special, to other things as well that we worship more than the true God. John Calvin called the human heart an idol factory, for it is desperately wicked, and will replace God with that which is non-condemning, non-judging and will not hold it accountable for sin. I believe this to be the primary reason liberal theologians twist the Bible, and deny its validity, accuracy or perspiquity (clarity), for they refuse to submit to its authority! They deny the God of the Bible, and worship a false god, who allows them to go on in their sinful rebellion against their creator. Indeed, they're very religious, and say many pious things, but on the inside, in their hearts, they are hypercrites, and refuse to glorify a just and holy God.
We briefly spoke about the difference in the nature of the ministry of the Holy Spirit to believers between the OT and the NT. We've differentiated between being "Baptized" in the Spirt with being "filled" with Him in the past, so we won't diverge to cover that which has been covered already (but if there are questions, lets talk =)). When we study the Bible, and interpret it literally, we find the the Holy Spirit didn't permanantly dwell in a believer until the church age was initiated at Pentecost. These people (the Samaritans) were regenerated already, but the Spirt had not yet come upon them. Peter and John praying that those who were just saved through Philip's preaching (God saves through a positional sanctification of the Spirit, AND faith in the TRUTH, 2 Thes 2:13) was to show both the Jews and Samaritans that there is no division in the church, ratial or any other! We still have yet to see a similar event with respect to the gentiles, and John the babtist's former disciples. This no longer happens today because the church is fully established. The book of Acts is in many ways a "transition" period, where the church is coming into maturity, and many things have to be established, including but not limited to the understanding that the body of Christ is not divided by race, ethnicity, family history, place in the world (rich versus poor, for example), etc. This phase of transition is a testimony of the diffence in the ministry of the Holy Spirit in believers between the OT and the NT.
We finally spent some time talking about Simon's false, non saving faith. Simon was impressed with Phillip's signs (8:6) but wasn't all that interested in his message of salvation! The gospel is a message of God's just wrath towards sin, His perfect and holy standard revealed through His Law (and our consciences), our being lawbreakers by nature because of the fall, and therefore our deserving of His jugement! However, it's also a message of God's grace for sinners, in His forgiving sin, giving a free gift of perfect righteousness (that of Jesus Christ) and changing one's nature through regeneration, so that they love righteousness, and hunger and thirst after it. =) The true gospel has both negative and positive aspects! A person can't be saved if they don't know they're lost. How can a person understand the importance of Christ's death on the cross for sin if they don't understand what they deserve? Some people today want to minimize the gospel, make it quick and easy. The scripture judges their false gospel. Simon would have been interested in an easy gospel, a gospel that allowed him to continue on in his idolatry, but as we clearly saw, Peter wouldn't have it (8:20-23). Let's give it up for the Apostle Peter! Men who are faithful, like Peter is here, are today hated for their refusal to compromise the gospel, and compromise in regards to God's commands. They're seen as unmerciful, ungracious and proud. In reality, we need more men like them!
posted by Timothy Nash @ 6:31 PM
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