Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
Obviously? Please provide your evidence.
Acts Chapter 2 and the Birth of the New Testament Church
- Thread starter Robert Pate
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Obviously? Please provide your evidence.
beameup
New member
Peter's sermon in Acts 3 is directed at NATIONAL repentance as a pre-condition for the return of Jesus Messiah. His "gospel" was not that of salvation of Gentiles by grace through faith. The "gospel" for Israel was that they crucified Messiah out of ignorance, and Israel was given a one-year period of "grace" to repent.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
It was only after one-year "grace-period" that the Jewish national leadership blasphemed the Holy Spirit (the unpardonable sin) at the stoning of Stephen. Then followed the appearance of Jesus to Paul (Saul), to whom was given the "full gospel" of salvation by grace through faith, without works.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
It was only after one-year "grace-period" that the Jewish national leadership blasphemed the Holy Spirit (the unpardonable sin) at the stoning of Stephen. Then followed the appearance of Jesus to Paul (Saul), to whom was given the "full gospel" of salvation by grace through faith, without works.
That is not all they did--
Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Act 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Act 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
What is your point?
Regardless of what Peter preached it was accompanied by the Holy Spirit. God approved of Peter's message and confirmed it by the Holy Spirit. That is good enough for me.
I don't think that the Jews were ready to hear Paul's indepth Gospel just yet.
What Peter preached was enough of a shock for them. They heard that they had crucified their Messiah, Acts 2:36. No one can become a Christian if they don't believe that Jesus is the Christ, that is the first step to becoming a believer.
Peter's message was repent and be baptized, Acts 2:38, Because you have done a terrible thing. The response was, "What shall we do?" As the results of Peter's message many became Christians, Acts 2:41 also Acts 4:4. All of this gave birth to the New Testament church.
I don't think that the Jews were ready to hear Paul's indepth Gospel just yet.
What Peter preached was enough of a shock for them. They heard that they had crucified their Messiah, Acts 2:36. No one can become a Christian if they don't believe that Jesus is the Christ, that is the first step to becoming a believer.
Peter's message was repent and be baptized, Acts 2:38, Because you have done a terrible thing. The response was, "What shall we do?" As the results of Peter's message many became Christians, Acts 2:41 also Acts 4:4. All of this gave birth to the New Testament church.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Act 19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
Act 19:3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
Act 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
Act 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Act 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
LA
Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mk.16:15-18).
Can you lay your hands on the sick and heal them?
Evidence that what the apostles were preaching was of God, was that they could do miracles.
They would perform a miracle and then when they had everybody's attention they would preach Jesus.
Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
It wasn't just the Apostles who received this gift:
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mk.16:15-18).
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Are we able to do the same works as Jesus did?
Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
I never said that. Instead, I said that the Lord Jesus said that those who believe the "gospel" to which He referred would do these things:
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mk.16:15-18).
Your quote from Mark doesn't answer my question. I asked, "Are we able to do the same works as Jesus did"?
I'll add to that, are we able to do greater works than Jesus did?
Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
Why are you so insistent on changing the subject?
Of course we are not able to do greater works than the Lord Jesus did.
Of course we are, he said so.
Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
So are you saying that we can do greater works that those which the Lord Jesus did while He walked the earth?
Jesus said, "Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also and greater works than these he will do because I go to My Father." (John 14:12)
Who did the works when Jesus was flesh and blood? Was it him or is there a higher power?
Mar 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Mar 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
Did you not notice that those words were addressed to His Apostles?
An apostle is a messenger. The NT church of God did not have an ecclesiastical hierarchy.
You have evidently confused the NT church with the Roman church.
The NT church is egalitarian.
The sense in which Jesus said they would do greater works, is found in comparing Elija with Elisha.
LA