In chapter 4 we see Peter and John confronted by religious leaders, priests and others questioning the godly work they are doing and then they place them in jail over night. Word of this spread and those who have heard the word through Peter and John amounted to a number over 5000. When ask by who’s authority do you preach and heal without question Peter steps forward and proclaims Jesus and by his authority is this done. Te accusers see that if any punishment i given out then a riot would most certainly break out. 

While ready this opening section it hit me how much like the religious leaders we can be. How much time do we spend in the word learning studying but yet we do not apply it. Knowing isn’t enough, we can read and study all we want but when it comes down to it we need to be more like Peter ad John. A relationship with Christ is what he seeks from us. It’s great to know his word cover to cover but knowing it and living it are two completely different things. Even with miracles happening right in their face they could not see the awesomeness of Christ instead they were blinded by their own greed and pride.

The story goes on to speak about sharing and giving of possessions. Hearing about the resurection they came to the conclusion that what they owned was not theirs, so they gave with a cheerful heart. There is truly no other way to give but with a cheerful heart. Through this I was blessed and took a look back into my own life and saw how much material possessions mean to me. I know in my own life I need to give more back to the one who has given me everything… life, free will, love, family, friends, etc.

We see Peter and John at the Temple and immediately given the opportunity to minister and heal. The crippled man that everyone just passes at the gate and does nothing to help is asking Peter and John for healing. Instead of just walking past just as everyone else does Peter looks at him as a chance to show god’s amazing power and heal this man. Not to retell the story but everyone is stunned after seeing this man jumping around praising god. They could not believe it was the same man at the gate that they continually pasted by. Peter then uses this time to address the crowd and explain to them that there is no reason to be stunned by this miracle it’s the power of god, he can do anything. Why after seeing and hearing about all the things he has done would you be shock by this act. God gives us the ability to heal and comfort just by showing them the way to him.

Throughout our days how many times has a simple ministry opportunity passed us by? Are we like the normal crowd just walking by people who are crying out ignoring their need to be healed in one way or another? I am just as guilty as the next person who just “walked on by” but I know I want to use the example that Peter and John set and be there for that person just as christ is ALWAYS there when we need him. Personally I am in the hardest struggle of my life and I am faced with pain day in and out it seems like but I know that god is there to heal and comfort. If he wasn’t there or here for me through out this time I would be off somewhere I can’t even imagine. I am seeking his word and his answers for my life. I read Acts 3 and think to myself how much pain (physically and emotionally) that this man sitting at the gate must have dealt with, knowing that there is no one to love him or help him. I think of him and compare it to my life, what if I had no one to heal and comfort me in my times of need? I know I am going a circle here but the point is people need christ. Even just to hear a small prayer or an invite to church. I think we as christians get so caught up in what our lives that we forget that the point of being here on earth is to bring others to him, even a cripple sitting at a gate somewhere.

At the end of this chapter we can see the amazing mercy and forgiveness that christ has and expects from us. He uses Peter to tell the people that he understands that his conviction was done out of ignorance and he was fulfilling a prophecy. Think about that for just a moment. He knew he would be betrayed and hung on the cross, yet throughout all that happened he still forgives them and loves them. How hard is to forgive someone after they have talked about you behind your back or hurt you in any other way. These people wanted him dead and yet they are forgiven. Talk about a true example. All that I can say after reading that is SIMPLY AMAZING!

Acts 3

This chapter opens with a great story of healing and the recognition of personhood. Peter and John were walking to the temple to pray, and as they passed by the Beautiful Gate, they came across a man who was lame from birth and begging for alms. Peter and John stopped, and asked the man to look at them. You can just picture this man, can’t you? Probably hunched over, embarrassed and ashamed to look people in the eye, just hoping for a compassionate handout as the ‘religious’ people entered the temple. But, according to their rules, this man would have been considered the lowest of the low, not worthy of anyone’s time or resources. Peter and John, however, now understood that love is not against the law, and as the man lifted his head to look at them, something amazing happened.

Peter explained that they had no silver or gold to offer him, but he did have the power of the risen Christ within him, the power to heal and restore, and this is what he offered. Peter grabbed the man’s right hand, a hand extended in faith, and helped him stand up. The man was probably shocked that anyone was speaking to him, let alone reaching out to touch him. Maybe he thought to himself ‘what do I have to lose?’ Immediately the man who could not walk began walking, leaping and praising God. It’s not insignificant that he entered the temple – remember, in his previous state, he would not have been allowed to do so. Those inside recognized him as the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate. I love that Luke says “used to”, as if it were a long time ago when really it had been mere minutes since he had been sitting and begging. Now he was leaping and praising, and the people were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. They bore witness to the reality that, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, people were being restored inside and out. It only happened, however, because Peter and John were willing to stop and look, to recognize that the man at the gate was precious to God. Peter and John were on their way to the temple, and stopped to look intently at this man – they embodied what the church is meant to be without even stepping into the building.

Attention was drawn to Peter, John and this man, and Peter, realizing that he now had an audience, began to preach a word to the crowd. He wonders why they are so amazed. Knowing he was in front of a Jewish audience, he spoke of God as the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, the God that glorified his servant Jesus, who was handed over to the authorities and killed but was raised from the dead by God. It was in his name that this man had been made strong. As witnesses of this great moment, Peter urged the people to repent, to know that he whom the prophets had spoken about had indeed come with the power to restore. And here, Peter points to the fact that those who had been previously left out would now be included – that those who repent and believe would be a blessing to all people, in the name of Jesus Christ

History amazes me, even in this time period people could/ would accept the power of christ. They can see his works right in front of their own eyes and yet they seem to use the excuse “they must be drunk”. An entire gathering of people far and wide have come together and with the power of god are speaking in languages not native to them. What this says to me is that people have not changed from one era to the next. We are all truly sinners and doubters. It takes someone like Peter and the other 11 apostles to step up and say listen do no be foolish this is the work of the lord. I feel that these doubters and disbelievers just didn’t want to accept what was happening. They may have heard the prophecy of Joel but felt like it would not happen in their lifetime. So instead of grasping the truth they ran to something that made them feel better about the situation, making excuses. Can’t run from the truth and can hide from god is what they are truly going to find instead of excuses.

Peter simply lays it out for the people, he say look god knew what was going to happen. He knew that you would nail his only son too the cross but death could not hold him. How amazing is it that we serve a god who has already done the hard work we just have to follow his direction. He tells us what to do we just have to decide whether to do it or not. I love how Peter takes a high and mighty king such as David and shows the people that as mighty as he is, he does not  compare to one that couldn’t hold because David is still in the ground and did not ascend to heaven and sit at the right hand of god.

What an amazing day it turned out to be. God blessing the land and using his apostles to lead 3000 souls to or back to him. I feel the presence of god in my church when a handful come forward to accept christ but to witness the power of 3000, WOW! What a day!!!!

Acts 2

Chapter 2 begins with the day of Pentecost. They – the apostles, I assume – were sitting in a house and tongues as of fire appeared among them and rested on each of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit, and were given the ability to speak in different languages. It’s to be noted that they were speaking in discernible and understandable languages. The crowd that gathered was bewildered because they could hear their native languages being spoken – the apostles were proclaiming God’s deeds and power. “What does this mean?”, they asked. It seems as though this passage introduces Acts as a missional text. Jesus had commanded his followers to take the good news to all the ends of the Earth, and the fact that the Spirit enabled them to speak in various languages demonstrates that the message of Jesus is now open and available to all.

Peter then began speaking, defending the group against the sarcastic accusations of those who said they were drunk [it's only 9 in the morning!] and reframing this event in light of what was foretold by the prophet Joel. In light of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Old Testament scriptures were now read and understood by the apostles in a whole new light. Verses 14-35 are just amazing to me; Peter delivering the first sermon, interpreting Holy Scripture in a way that breathed new life into it, proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Messiah.

Those who heard the word were ‘cut to the heart’, and wanted to respond. “What should we do?” Repent and be baptized. Following Jesus requires a change from the old to the new. They received forgiveness for their and the gift of the Holy Spirit, devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer. They were absorbed into the faith community, and began to engage in active, meaningful mission. They shared all that they had with those who were in need, spent their time together, eating, praying and praising God. What a great picture of fellowship in the name of Christ. I’m not about to say that this passage gives us a clear model of what church is mean to look like – this is simply a description of what it looked like in its earliest form. I think there is much to be learned here, however. They were clearly not attached to their possessions, and made it a priority to meet the needs of others. They spent time together, in the temple, every day. To me, this speaks into the idea of church as a two hour block of time, one day a week. Church is a communal, daily reality, actively engaging with fellow believers for the goodwill of all the people. I don’t think we are meant to read this passage and ask how this description can be recreated today. Instead, maybe we should take a look around and ask how our faith communities can best serve our neighbors, day by day.

This is, of course, an incomplete look at chapter 2 of Acts. Maybe I have overlooked some things, or inaccurately read what Luke was trying to say about the beginnings of the faith community. Joel and I certainly want to encourage dialogue and active participation on this blog – please feel free to comment.

Acts 1

I have to agree with Ian, I love the picture this chapter paints for us, the questions it raises and the message it ultimately brings. He tells us that he will return and that no one knows when that day will be so until then do my work, tell ALL not just those in Jerusalem but all over about me. He doesn’t want us as followers to limit our ministry to specific aspects of the world. He says everywhere you go tell people about me. It makes me wonder about my day and the little things that are done and if I’m fulfilling that request.

I can’t imagine how awe struck the apostles must have been watching this happen. How long would they have stayed starring into the heavens if the two men didn’t come before them and snap them back into reality? They remind them that he will return and he will do it in the same way he left. To me this seems like a motivation for the apostles. They see that it’s their time to teach what has been taught to them. As soon as they return to Jerusalem they see the need to replace Judas. It is like the first step before heading out into the world. They seek God’s guidance and show us that in all things he will give us HIS answer if we are truly seeking it. They came down to two different men, we do not know to much about them except that they were following Christ from the beginning. We don’t know if there were any personal issues or feelings involved. Did some like one and some like the other? Something we will never know. They turned to God for what he wanted done. So many times we turn to God asking for what we want done then we get frustrated when then answer is not what we are looking for. It’s a principle that has been taught and preached to us over and over again. The fact that in this moment they were unclear which direction to go but they knew that the answer was going to be giving to them if put it in God’s hands. That is the message I find throughout this chapter, ask and seek his guidance and answers without your own selfishness interfering.

Acts 1

Luke begins Acts by resetting things a little bit; he mentions his ‘first’ book, where he wrote all about what Jesus did and taught, how he suffered and died but then presented himself to be alive, continuing to speak about the Kingdom. Jesus told his followers to stay put to wait for ‘the promise of the Father’, the Holy Spirit. I wonder if they were still a little confused when they ask Jesus if this was now the time that he would ‘restore the Kingdom to Israel’ – were they still expecting Jesus to overthrow Rome? If so, then we begin to see how vital this promise of the Spirit was – the living, breathing voice of God that continues to speak and guide the people of God. Jesus seems to be steering them away from that faulty Messianic expectation by giving them a wider vision. Not only were they to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, but also in Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Maybe the question wasn’t supposed to be ‘will you restore the kingdom to Israel?’ but ‘will you restore the the world to the Kingdom, and how can we be a part of it?’

I love how the two men in white robes appear minutes after Jesus is taken up to heaven and ask ‘why do you stand looking up toward heaven?’ It’s as if they’re saying ‘there’s work to be done … didn’t you hear that bit about the ends of the earth? Get going!’ How often do we get caught standing around like that, believing that salvation is all about going to heaven after we die, or waiting for Jesus to come back and do it all himself. These two men could easily be saying the same things to the church today.

I love the picture of the upper room that we read of next. Jesus’ followers, probably not really sure where to start or what to do next, devoting themselves to prayer. Finally, Peter steps up and gets down to some practical business – replacing Judas. Two men were chosen as candidates. They begin to pray, asking God to show them which one was to be chosen to be the replacement apostle. Curiously, the decision was ultimately made by the casting of lots, and it fell on Matthias. After praying, did they have different ideas about who was to be chosen, so they decided to cast lots instead? Or did they maybe believe that the Spirit would speak through the lots? It raises questions about decision making in the church, how we are to interpret the moving of the Spirit among us.

That’s chapter 1. I believe Joel will be posting at some point this weekend as well. I understand that this is not an in depth, comprehensive exegesis of the text, but it’s a way to start tangibly engaging with it, raising questions and making observations. Again, please feel free to comment and join in the dialogue – this is the whole idea behind starting a blog like this.

Nine years ago, the authors of this blog were involved in a bible study @ Camp Sebago in what was affectionately known as the Funhouse. In the years following, the authors continued to stay in touch and wrestle with the Bible via email. Today, we are joining forces once again to continue on the path of learning more about God as revealed in his Word, and what it all means for how we are to live.

Welcome to the Funhouse Bible blog. Joel and I will soon be selecting a book of the Bible that we are going to work through. Each of us will post our thoughts as we move along through the text, and invite those who read to join us in the dialogue and share their thoughts as well.