We have come to tell you the Good News. It was to our ancestors that God made the promise but it is to us, their children, [ Var. 'for our children'.] that he has fulfilled it, by raising Jesus from the dead. As Sacred Scripture says in the first psalm: [ 'first psalm' Western reading (following the ancient custom of reading Psalms 1 and 2 as one); var. 'second psalm'.] You are my son: today I have become your father. [ By his resurrection Christ was enthroned as Messiah, and from then on his human nature enjoyed all the privileges of the Son of God. Cf. Rom. 1:4+.] The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to return to corruption, is no more than what he had declared:

To you I shall give the sure and holy things promised to David. [ The quotation from Isaiah introduces the reference to Psalms 16 (the 'holy things promised to - lit. 'of' - David' are explained as the assurance to David in Psalms 16 that 'the holy one of God' would not experience corruption).] This is explained by another text: You will not allow your holy one to experience corruption. Now when David in his own time had served God's purposes he died; he was buried with his ancestors and has certainly experienced corruption. The one whom God has raised up, however, has not experienced corruption. 

My brothers, I want you to realise that it is through him that forgiveness of your sins is proclaimed. Through him justification from all sins which the Law of Moses was unable to justify is offered to every believer.

'So be careful - or what the prophets say will happen to you.

                          Cast your eyes around you, mockers;
                          be amazed, and perish!
                          For I am doing something in your own days
                          that you would not believe if you were to be told of it.' [ The disbelief and rejection of the Jews (cf. Matt. 21:33+; 22:1+) are a favourite theme of Luke, cf. Acts 13:5+; he uses it again as a conclusion to Acts 28:26-27.]

As they left they were asked to [ Var. 'When they left they felt it appropriate to'.] preach on the same theme the following Sabbath. When the meeting broke up many Jews and devout converts [ 'converts' or 'proselytes', here in the wide sense, is equivalent to 'those who feared God' or 'those who worshipped God', cf. 10:2+.] joined Paul and Barnabas, [ Add. 'considering it fitting to accept baptism'.] and in their talks with them Paul and Barnabas urged them to remain faithful to the grace God had given them. [ Add. West. 'And in this way the word of God spread through the whole town'.] - Acts 13:32-43 -

Paul and Barnabas preach to the pagans

The next Sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of God. [ Var. 'the word of the Lord', or '(to hear) Paul who spoke for a long time about the Lord'.] When they saw the crowds, the Jews, prompted by jealousy, used blasphemies and contradicted everything Paul said. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly. [ The 'courage' and 'confidence' of the apostles has been already stressed, 4:13, 29, 31; Luke repeatedly attributes these qualities to Paul, 9:27-28; 14:3; 19:8; 26:26; 28:31, and Paul himself lays emphasis on them, 1 Thess. 2:2; 2 Cor. 3:12; 7:4; Phill. 1:20; Eph. 3:12; 6:19-20.] 'We had to proclaim the word of God to you first, but since you have rejected it, since you do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life, we must turn to the pagans. For this what the Lord commanded us to do when he said:

                                            I have made you a light for the nations,
                                            so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.' 

[ LXX text quoted freely. The words may be taken either as referring to Paul himself (cf. 26:17-18), apostle and teacher of the pagans (cf. Rom. 11:13; 1 Tim. 2:7; Eph. 3:8, etc.) or to the risen Christ (see Acts 26:23 which also, it seems, is based on Isaiah 49:6; and see Luke 2:32, dependent on Isaiah 49:6,9). Christ is the light of the pagans, but since only the apostles' witness can spread this light, cf. Acts 1:8+, Paul considers this prophecy as a command that he must carry out.] 

It made the pagans very happy to hear this and they thanked the Lord for his message; [ Var. 'the word of God'.] all who were destined for eternal life became believers. [ 'eternal life' cf. v. 46, that is, the life of the world to come, cf. 3:15+; only those achieve it whose names are 'written in heaven', Luke 10:20, in 'the Book of Life'. Phil. 4:3; Rev. 20:12+. 'Destined for the life of the world to come' was a common rabbinic expression. In Christian teaching the first prerequisite of this predestination to glory is faith in Christ. See John 10:26+; Rom. 8:28-30, and earlier in Acts 2:39.] Thus, the word of the Lord spread through the whole countryside.

But the Jews worked upon some of the devout women of the upper classes and the leading men of the city and persuaded them to turn against Paul and Barnabas and expel them from their territory, So they shook the dust from their feet in defiance and went off to Iconium; but the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. - Acts 13:44-52 -

Iconium evangelised

At Iconium they went to the Jewish synagogue, as they had at Antioch, [ Lit. 'At Iconium they went to the Jewish synagogue in the same way (or: together)'.] and they spoke so effectively that a great many Jews and Greeks became believers. [ V. 1 is continued in v. 3.]  Some of the Jews, however, refused to believe, and they poisoned the minds of the pagans against the brothers. [ Refusal to believe becomes in a short time active opposition, cf. 19:9; 28:24 and 9:23; 13:45-50; 17:5-8,13; 18:6,13.] 

Accordingly, Paul and Barnabas stayed on for same time, preaching fearlessly for the Lord; and the Lord supported all they said about his gift of grace, allowing signs and wonders to be performed by them.

The people in the city were divided, [ Continuation of v.2.] some supported the Jews, others the apostles, but eventually with the connivance of the authorities a move was made by pagans as well as Jews to make attacks on them and to stone them. When the apostles came to hear of this, they went off for safety to Lycaonia where, in the towns of Lystra and Derbe and in the surrounding country, [ Lystra, a Roman colony. Timothy's home town, cf. 16:1-2. The events of vv. 8-19 take place in Lystra; Paul is not in Derbe until v.20.] they preached the Good News. - Acts 14:1-7 -

Healing of a cripple

HOW? AND IN WHAT WAY, WHEN IT COME TO UNDERSTANDING MATTERS: WHAT I WAS ALWAYS BEING TOLD IS: THERE ARE WAYS AND PREFERENCES TO COMPREHEND ALL MATTERS, WHETHER IT IS OF SPIRITUALITY AND OF UNSPIRITUALITY.

FIRSTLY, IN A LITERALLY MANNER: THAT IS, USED FOR EMPHASIS OR TO EXPRESS STRONG FEELING WHILE NOT BEING LITERALLY TRUE.

SECONDLY, IN A HUMANLY MANNER: THAT IS, FROM A HUMAN POINT OF VIEW, IN A HUMANLY MANNER, BY HUMAN MEANS; WITHIN ABILITY; WITH HUMAN FEELING OR KINDNESS.

THIRDLY, IN A SPIRITUALLY MANNER: THAT IS, IN A WAY THAT RELATES TO OR AFFECTS THE HUMAN SPIRIT OR, SOUL AS OPPOSED TO MATERIAL OR PHYSICAL THINGS.

FINALLY, IN AN UNSPIRITUAL MANNER: THAT IS, NOT SPIRITUAL. BUT SECULAR AND WORLDLY.

WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE/HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY. - Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, and the fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear Him who after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. - Luke 12:4-5 -

I shall not call you servants anymore,

because a servant does not know

his/her master's business;

I call you friends, 

because I have made known to you

everything I have learnt from my Father. - John 15:15 -

We are all aware who it was that said: Vengeance is mine; I will repay. And again: The Lord will judge his people. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. - Hebrews 10:31 -

'Fear God and praise Him because the time has come for Him to sit in judgement; worship the maker of heaven and earth and sea and every water-spring.' - Revelation 14:7 -
                                                

                                                      Page 49

Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -