11 A wife should learn quietly with complete submission. 12 I don’t allow a wife to teach or to control her husband. Instead, she should be a quiet listener. 13 Adam was formed first, and then Eve. 14 Adam wasn’t deceived, but rather his wife became the one who stepped over the line because she was completely deceived. 15 But a wife will be brought safely through by giving birth to their children, if they both continue in faith, love, and holiness, together with self-control.

First, I believe the CEB unfortunately changes from “women” to “wife” in these verses. The same Greek word for “woman” or “wife” and the translators must decide which way to translate the text. However, no major translation renders the Greek word gune as “wife” in this paragraph, and with good reason. In verses 8-10 the apostle Paul has described the need for men (not husbands) to pray everywhere by lifting up holy hands. The CEB also translates this as men, not husbands. Paul continues by teaching that women (not wives) should wear modest clothing. The CEB also renders this as women, not wives. In verse 10 Paul teaches that women are wear what is proper for professing godliness. Wives are not the subject, but all women. To suddenly change “women” to “wives” in verses 11-15 is not natural to the reading. There is a footnote that reads, “Or a woman.” This leaves us with a translation that shows Paul teaching that wives cannot teach or have authority over their husbands, but women can teach and have authority over men. The force of the teaching only applies to wives, not to all women.

Second, the CEB uses an idiomatic phrase in verse 14, “But rather his wife became the one who stepped over the line….” Most translations read, “And became a transgressor.” The Greek word parabasis means, “act of deviating from an established boundary or norm” (BDAG). While “stepping over the line” is a fairly appropriate explanation of the word parabasis, it loses the sinful force that Paul intends. To modern ears, “stepping over the line” does not carry much of a negative connotation, if at all. We speak of “crossing the line” as crossing our personal lines of morality and sensibilities. A person “crosses the line” by speaking to us in a way we do not like. I really like that the CEB uses a literal picture of what it means to transgress. However, perhaps a little bit more is needed to show that the stepping over the line is in terms of God’s law. Eve “stepped over God’s line” because she was completely deceived. Because we use “crossing the line” and “stepping over the line” as idiomatic expressions today, I am concerned that some may not understand the sinful force and strong negative connotation intended by Paul.

More to come as I continue examining the CEB.

It does not take much effort to understand why John and Christians from the second century on described Sunday as the Lord’s day. First, we see Christians were gathering on the first day of the week to partake of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7). Second, we know that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week (Luke 24:1). Finally, we observe the disciples gathering on the first day of the week after Jesus rose from the dead (John 20:19). Sunday was a very important day to Christians from the moment that Jesus rose from the dead. Sunday was the day that Christians gathered for worship. Sunday was the day that the Lord’s Supper was commemorated. We could even add on to this that the day of Pentecost also fell on the first day of the week, being 50 days after the Passover Sabbath. In Acts 2 we read that on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus, the apostles preached the opening of the kingdom of God and the forgiveness of sins to those who repented and were baptized (Acts 2:38).

It is not only unfortunate, but I believe devastating to see the growing trend of churches moving worship services from Sunday to Saturday or offering services on both days as if we get to pick which one we would rather attend. There is absolutely nothing wrong with gathering as Christians to worship God and study on Saturday, Wednesday, Monday, or any day of the week. What is wrong is to have Sunday replaced by these other days of worship. In turning church services into a drive-thru menu, we are inadvertently destroying what John specifically called, “the Lord’s day.” Yes, we want to make our services accessible to all people and I understand that some people have to work on Sunday. But to advance the idea that we can worship on another day like Saturday instead of Sunday flies directly in the face of why Sunday was chosen by our Lord and kept by first century Christians. Sunday was not a day picked out of thin air which has no more importance than any other day. Sunday has great significance. Sunday is to be different than any other day. Sunday is the Lord’s day. Sunday is the day we worship the Lord. Sunday is the day we remember the resurrection of our Lord. Sunday is the day we partake of the Lord’s Supper. We can have other days in the week when we gather for worship and study. But please do not suggest or imply that Sunday is just one of seven days and is an optional day of worship. Let’s not lose that Sunday is the Lord’s day.

In the meantime, my new Revelation project is just getting off the ground. The website is still under construction, but the first lesson is available to read and to listen. I hope you will check it out here. The audio expositions will be available as a podcast shortly. I do not take a futurist point of view to the book of Revelation. My first post points out the reasons why. If you are interested in a different perspective on Revelation, even if you end up disagreeing, I hope you will take the time to thoughtfully consider my exposition.

I still have a lot of work to do on this website and I hope to get to those projects soon. I need to write about the Bible translations I am using. I have observed more translation wars in the blogosphere and I would like to weigh in shortly. Hopefully everything will realign in my life so that I can write once a week again. Here’s to hoping….

Robert Estienne, a 16^th century French printer, known later by the Anglicized version of his name as Robert Stephens, was the first to divide the Bible using verse markers. It was said he set the New Testament verse breaks while riding through France.

All of this clearly had been an evolving process over the centuries; and some of it maintains a random feel as chapters and sentences have on occasion been divided with no visible accounting for content or context. However, in some other instances some easy mnemonics appeared out of the choices.

Most serious Bible students and teachers are aware of the “Two’s”: chapter two respectively of Isaiah, Daniel, Joel, and Acts. Thousands of lessons and sermons have used the progression of prophecy found in these passages. These four passages offer us a solid glimpse into the foundation and fulfillment of the promise of the Kingdom of Heaven as it was signified by God; a glimpse at his plan of good will through prophecy; and the culmination of it all in the establishment of the church, when His favor had clearly returned to mankind. It takes us up to the opening of the figurative gates to the Kingdom of Heaven, by Peter with keys in hand, along with the rest of the apostles; and prophesies of our pending access and allowance to become a part of it – in the events of that Pentecost that had followed Christ’s death and resurrection, followed in order with the establishment of His church, the body of Christ.

Isaiah two starts this way.

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s House shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (v. 2 – 4).

Do we need to remind one another that this is prophetic language? “Mountain” signifies that the house of God would be easily identified, that it cannot be hidden – it is not talking about a fancy temple high on a ridge. Peace will reign without a literal plowshare being formed from any sword, but rather a turning from one type of behavior to a new is enjoined. And Christians will not lead in the physical fight against anyone. How hard is all that?

Isaiah looks to the return of the spiritual Kingdom, and in his glimpse of things offers a prophecy of the end of Judah and Jerusalem as the people and the city of God. Israel had already been long ago dispersed to the dustbins of time. Even with that noted some people are slack at identifying that the prophecy had also itself long ago been fulfilled. They would look to our own days and beyond to have Israel or Judah rise from the ash heap, so that some physical kingdom might be raised out of speculative destruction and decay. This even though Isaiah clearly here says God’s favor had already departed from both city and people, and that destruction was already set (v. 10, 11 and elsewhere).

But pending destruction is what was predicted toward Judah and Jerusalem, and was what eventually occurred; and decay and ruin is all that remains. Yet no fanciful notions exist such as are taught today with idyllic lions and lambs idling time together while some inspiring government is established in broken down Jerusalem. That is not what is taught and it certainly is not on the horizon. What a penchant and longing desire we have for ancient ruins and through days that lead nowhere but to dusty death. These false teachers would have you believe some glorious government will ultimately rise out of some pending millennial destruction, to which we must then all pay homage, stealing away with the truth and substituting in yet another glaring misappropriation of the Word of God. And what did Isaiah say for his part?

For the day of the Lord shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up – and it shall be brought low – upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan; upon all the high mountains and upon all the hills that are lifted up; upon every tower, and upon every fortified wall; upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all the beautiful sloops. The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, but the idols He shall utterly abolish. (v. 12 – 18).

Is anything left of those ancient places and of the nation who built them?

In spite of the warnings, Isaiah also had offered the hope of God.

Next time we’ll take a brief look at Daniel two.

~

In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made, each for himself to worship, to the moles and bats, to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the crags of the ragged rocks, from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily.

Sever yourselves from such a man, whose breath is in this nostrils – for of what account is he?

(Isaiah 2: 20 – 22)

If you will be near West Palm Beach Florida next week, you are cordially invited to be our honored guest at the North Haverhill Road Church of Christ annual lectureship. Each year we offer a four evening series leading up to the regular Lord’s Day services of Gospel messages from selected guest speakers.

Mark Broyles, from Kansas City Missouri, and Ralph Walker, of Tampa Florida will be the speakers this year. The general theme is Jesus Still Changes Lives. Both men will speak each evening beginning at 7PM on August 4th and continuing each night through Saturday August 7th. Come early or come late, but come if you can!

On Sunday, August 8th both men will again speak during the morning  and evening services. We will begin at 9:30 AM superseding Brent’s regular study, and that will be followed by the regular Lord’s Day service allowing each speaker audience. The final two lessons will be offered Sunday evening beginning at 6:30 PM.

What better source to listen to when it comes to how to live our life than the One who created us?

The building is located at 4236 N. Haverhill Road in West Palm Beach. you can find a map and more information at the church’s website: www.WestPalmBeachChurchOfChrist.com. A live link to the website can be found at the bottom of every CMS page.

Won’t you join us?

If some skeptic should ask what they should do to work the mighty works of God, we might reply, this is the work of God – that you should believe on Him who He has sent into the world (John 6: 29), or with some similar instruction to start things off. If some completely untaught and religiously ignorant person should ask what he or she must do in order to be saved, we should probably take the time to tell them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16: 31), imparting to them the simple steps of the Gospel of Christ in understandable detail just as Paul and Silas had. And if already sincere seekers should ask what they must do to be saved, to be amenable to Christ and God, we should probably repeat what Peter and the other eleven apostles said to those penitents who were not yet in Christ at that long ago Pentecost assembly: Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you, and to your descendents, and to as many as are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call (Acts 2: 38, 39). Finally, if some other person who has not yet been immersed but is nonetheless penitent and fearing God, might ask what they must do to finish things off and to become acceptable to the Lord, we ought to read to them Acts 22: 16, Mark 16: 16, Matthew 28: 19, or any other of a number of passages related to relieving that condition.

The situations listed above are based upon some of the best and most complete examples found in the NT of conversions. For the safety of souls, is it even possible to offer anything better than that? Isn’t it true that the closer our conversions have come to emulating these and the others given in God’s Word – the better and safer for our souls? While the farther away from these our conversions may be – the more danger we are likely in.  Have you ever thought about that?

Noting these things; I would offer a few simple questions for consideration. Why would anyone believe it is the business of mankind to pick and choose between the elements given in the examples of conversion and from what is taught and commanded within God’s Word? Why would we think it reasonable to hold to just a part of the Word of God? And why would we want to hold to some things to the exclusion of others? Where would we go to find authority for that?

Why would we feel secure in leaving any of it off or in modifying any of it? Why would we think that we might have some latitude to choose between the various elements of the given examples of conversion for any reason?

What process would tempt us to leave out parts of God’s Word or His plan? What authority would have us to add things to it? Under what authority would we be serving?

Are not all of these types of examples listed found within the Word of God? Do not all of these examples contain the same common elements? Have you ever noted a detailed example of conversion in the scriptures that leaves off any of these elements, or that appeals to some others? Where is an exception clause found concerning salvation or its particulars  in any scriptural argument or in any letter within the OT or NT?

Does this exercise not take into consideration several of the various stages where amenable persons have found themselves, according to their own needs and by their own particular religious condition? Is God’s Word complete for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3: 16), or does it somehow lack something? Have we been left with a partial plan on how to please God and how bring ourselves to Christ? Do we need to fill in the blanks? Better yet, do we have a blank page on which we then may write the prescription?

Of the nine detailed examples of conversions found in the NT (located in Acts 2, 8, 9 and 10, 11, 16, 18 and 19 – considered along with the complementary details of Paul’s conversion found in Acts 22 and 26, and several other less detailed descriptions, some already alluded to) — do all of these not contain the same elements? Is there some reason because some point, element, or duty is not mentioned directly in every place, that we have then been granted authority to exclude or strike it out when giving instructions in righteousness and as to how to save someone today?

Why would we believe that we could leave out this duty or that element, thereby exercising control over the Word of God, and by doing so not end up being condemned for judging Christ’s precepts as arbitrary and unnecessary? Have you never read the warnings for adding to or leaving off from God’s instructions or for not doing as we have been commanded? Do you not know of places in the scriptures where persons made assumptions, presumed, acted on their own or left off altogether doing what God had instructed, and what happened to them when they did? Are we to be exempt if we do the exact same things and follow the exact same lead?

Have you ever thought about any of this? Have you ever seriously studied any part of it? Do we in fact believe what we read? Do we understand and believe that what we possess is truly the Word of God? Is it something less than that? For if it is not that, I would suggest that, to appropriate the quote of the Apostle; we are among men most miserable. We must certainly be caught up in some silly fantasy.

Can someone out there pose a scriptural argument offering a legitimate reason to support any of this? To what purpose were the scriptures left to us? Was it to do as we please?

As you read the passages below, ask yourself, “What did Jesus teach and what did the disciples teach and do every single time?” Ask yourself if God’s Word is consistent. Well, is it? Did Jesus or his Apostles teach the same things to everyone or did they modify it for this group or that one as they went along their way and from day to day?

 ~

I know that whatsoever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be put to it; and nothing taken from it. And God does it so that men should reverence Him. (Ecclesiastes 3: 14)

~

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”Then he consented. (Matthew 3: 13-15)

~

An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come down to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in the chariot, he was reading Isaiah the Prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake the chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the Prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”And he said, “How can I, except someone guide me?” and he asked Philip to come and sit with him. The place in the scriptures where he read was this:

“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So he opened not his mouth.

In his humiliation his justice is taken away, And who will declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth.”

 So the eunuch answered and said, “I ask you, of whom did the prophet say this, of himself or some other?”

Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this scripture, preached Jesus to him.

 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptize?”Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and he baptized him.  (Acts 8: 26-38)

~

Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing, believed and were baptized. (Acts 18: 9)

Whatever it is – I won’t get away with it.

God has said that I cannot divide my time between serving Him and myself. There are only two sides – God’s and the World’s. The Lord of Hosts said You will have no other gods before me. Jesus said No one can serve two masters. I can’t be the servant of God doing that. And it simply does not matter what comes in second; I am told that I cannot give in to or fall to the enticements and inducements being pitched. You cannot serve both God and Mammon. That was what Judas Iscariot had going on; wasn’t it? Do we suppose we can have some other “king” than riches in our lives, and manage to skate around God’s Word and still end up in Paradise with life everlasting? Ah, rationality: another gift that just never stops giving!

The Apostle Peter said publicly of Jesus, There is no other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved.

Therefore, in religion it’s a two dimensional world. Both sides are clearly marked and identified. Satan has me if I ignore that, and I am then bowing before the god of this world. The same is true when I let anything else take over my life and supplant the truth of the Word of God – to do so smacks of unbelief and rebellion. I’m told that if I put on that cloak, and lose sight of what it is all about, things will not go well for me when I go off into eternity’s night.

So, if I don’t spend time with the Word of God, I won’t know what to do to save my own soul. And if I supplant the Word of God with anything else: I’m done for. I then cannot tell good from bad. If I flatter myself or deceive myself that I am serving God while doing something outside of his will – I lose.

On the good side: God gave us the answers to the test. How simple is that? However, most of us completely ignore the information. Jesus’ Apostles pointed out that we should save ourselves. But, we don’t seem to be able to figure out how to do it. Along the line, God has said His will has been completely revealed — the mystery has been revealed so that we can save ourselves. All we have to do is follow the instructions. Yet most will choose to follow somebody else’s instructions. Mike Schmidt pointed out in a lesson a few weeks ago that the bumper sticker has the order wrong. “God said it, I believe it, that settles it” should be “God said it, that settles it, I believe it.” Do we have things in the proper order?

So how is it that we can believe something we refuse to recognize? If we don’t revere the authority of the Word, and don’t read the Word of God, how could we ever say that we “love Jesus?” Jesus said If you love me, keep my commandments. How will we ever decipher the good from the bad, the required from the imposed? I suspect that you know there are a good number of the followers of the false religion of Islam who have their little book set and loaded into their memory. We have the truth and pay it no mind.

God is in the details. And God has also said that he will not overlook the details.

If we never spend a minute actually seeking the Word and identifying what it is we have been told to do, and diligently getting it done: no matter what the investment in time and energy in surrogate things – we will fail. Do we believe that?

How can we know both what God demands and what he would give to us, if we are continuously spinning and thinking but never getting around to doing what we have been told? How would we ever get to the finish line, or rid ourselves of our own sinful leprosy?

But Naaman became furious and went away and said, “Behold, I thought that the prophet would surely come out to me, and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and heal the leprosy! Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

And his servants came near, and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash and be clean?’” (2 Kings 5: 11- 13)

God through Elisha, His Prophet, told Naaman exactly what he must do, just as through Jesus, His Son, he has told us exactly what we must do. Can we not see that? Naaman figured it out.

If we fail to follow the simplicity that is in Christ, and over which the Son of God was murdered — what do you suppose will be the outcome? We need to be both shaken and stirred. Shaken by a fear of God and stirred to drop the doctrines of men and to follow His precepts to the exclusion of everything else.

Will someone please tell us to stop being stupid, to follow the instructions and be healed?

~

Here is water. What stops me from being immersed? (Acts 8: 36)

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5: 10)

The one who rejects Me and does not receive My Words has a judge; the words that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. (John 12: 48)

 And the common people heard Him gladly. (Mark 12:37)

Let he that stole, steal no more. If we are a thief, a plunderer, a pirate or a pilferer we’re to stop what we are doing. God does not approve. And by the way, neither does society or most of our neighbors. The command doesn’t say a thing about getting even with the boss, or ignoring what we “borrowed” from next door. It’s indiscriminant as to whether any ill gotten stuff came from little old ladies, empty houses, from off the floor where it was left by a careless hand, or out of large accounts in escrow. The Apostle simple wrote steal no more. If you’re stealing; you already know what it means.

But rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good. I don’t believe that the Apostle left off thinking with our minds and our applying it to gain honest wages. The point is that he said to do it yourself.  As we can, we should do our own work, mind our own business, and keep our hands in our own pockets and not outstretched or in someone else’s. We are to work the thing that is good. That is the only qualifier.

But, we are to do all of that so that we can be ready to help others. I have had to ask for help when things weren’t so good and when I couldn’t meet the imposed demands. So have others. Many are forced to do that right now; and it is not condemned here or anywhere else in the Bible. Quite the contrary, the Apostle wrote that we should work and profit so that we may have (something) to give to him that is in need. We need to set something aside, and this is not speaking about the collection for the assembly, but to assist others aside from that.

The Word tells me that I personally need to help my family, (and if need be) my brethren, and anyone else I might see that may need assistance. As I may choose. I am not to just walk on by. The charity of the church is not my charity, and it exists to assist for the needs of the saints. So it is reasonable to expect that different levels of requirements were set by God for it than for me. The treasury of a church is to be used for that assembly to dispense to meet their own needs and obligations, and in aiding other Christians that may have need if they can. It is not some general charity. Churches do not exist as mission societies or soup kitchens in their neighborhood or as a general dispenser of monies to all who may come through the door with their hand out; that all comes closer to being part of my duties.

Like everything else we discuss here; to get this right requires thought, work and preparation.

However, you can’t help anyone if you can’t help yourself. And you’ll never help anyone (self included) without planning how you will set it up to be in a modest position to be of help.

More often than not we are not guilty of doing too little, but rather of doing nothing at all. We often neglect what we are supposed to do. And I suggest it’s exactly that way with helping others – with work, giving and assisting. It’s hard to get set up to be able to help at all. Then it’s sometimes hard to part with what we have. That’s called avarice. We’re told to avoid that too. So, we end up rationalizing, and like John D. Rockefeller we’ll give them a dime when their needs are altogether different. Or we’ll just not have the time and resources, and do nothing at all.

Our daughter recently told us she wasn’t going out on a limb for anyone again. I responded that if that had been everyone’s attitude; she never would have made it this far. She has been dependent upon her parents and friends for all sorts of things and upon the largesse of others throughout her life. Some of the positions she found herself in had been hard for all to bear, but we were there and offered what was needed. I also suggested that it is not good to neglect others; and that it is a sensible thing to position yourself, if at all possible, to be able to help as you have ability. We should set aside funds exactly for that purpose. Prudence tells us that we must set our own house in order and pay our bills. Then we should set aside something to help ourselves in times of personal need. We must also set aside as commanded for the church, and then you should set aside another amount to use to help others when things don’t go so well for them. (If this was easy the Lord and his Apostles would never have spent any time on it.)

It is rightly called charity. You can’t neglect it and be safe. Most of us wouldn’t be here without it. And it only requires being careful and planning, and giving back a small part of what has been given to us. In Ephesians 4: 28 it’s what is called giving to him that is in need. Who is not now, or has not at some time been in that group, or as we cannot see that, may be there in the future?

We can all hope that each of us will never be in the position to need the help of others. But isn’t it nice when things haven’t gone well, when someone unexpectedly makes an offer to help? It certainly is appreciated. It is such a blessing.

 ~

 If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you have and give it to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me.

(Matthew 19:21)

(This essay was based on a series by Michael Schmidt and a lesson by Henry Glaus.)

When Peter, less than a week later, stood before the multitude gathered on the temple grounds, that glorious morning, he noted many things. Among those, he said that Jesus had been glorified and had been received into heaven. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this which you now see and hear. (Acts 2:33)

Notice carefully what the apostle had said. The exalted Lord, upon his return to heaven, received the promise of the Holy Spirit, which had been promised to Him upon his resurrection and accession.

So, Jesus received the promise of the Holy Spirit from His Father, and because of His obedience and in His position as the glorified Son of God; He then poured the presence of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh. That corresponding outpouring is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

On this prestigious date The Holy Spirit was poured out first upon Israel, just as promised by God and Christ. Later in Caesarea, it would be poured out on the gentile believers, in complete fulfillment of the prophecies of Daniel, Isaiah, Joel, John the Baptist and all of the rest of the prophets.

What was poured out that day, according to Peter and the eleven, was this which you now see and hear.

They had all been witness to the heralding in of the Kingdom of Heaven that day.

It had nothing to do with being overtaken by the Holy Spirit in some form of power. The only persons listed to be in that position were those same twelve men chosen by Christ to bring the Kingdom of Heaven back out into the light of day. The text is quite clear on this. Only those who choose to ignore these things and the clear imprint of the text as it has been delivered by the Holy Spirit, are capable of finding other events and other persons overtaken by miraculous power at this stage in the proceedings and in these images.

Twelve holy men stood before the multitude speaking in languages hitherto unknown to them. That is exactly what the text indicates. The same sign later accompanied the heralding of the Kingdom to the nations. This is what the scriptures state, and nothing more; the rest are improper assertions and misappropriations of the text.

Peter then said this (and this was rightly noted in a comment to the last post): Repent and be baptized. Upon immersion, then each participant, each believer, received remission of his sins and had received the gift of the Holy Spirit: the gift of God, which has already here been identified. It has nothing to do with an overtaking within each person, or the granting of undue rights to perform miracles. But it is the outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh – the granting of salvation through Christ and the presence of the Kingdom of Heaven with mankind.

The only true mystery is why God has been so merciful to us in our willful ignorance of His Word.

~ 

Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all the ones far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call.

And with many other words he earnestly testified and exhorted, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation’. Then those who gladly received his words were immersed. And about three thousand men were added that day. (Acts 2: 38 – 42)

 ~

 …The eunuch said to Philip, ‘I ask you, and of whom does the prophet speak; of himself, or about some other person?’ And opening his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, Philip preached Jesus to him.

And as they were going along the way they came on some water. And the eunuch said, ‘Behold, water! What prevents me to be baptized?’ And Philip said, ‘If you believe from all the heart, it is lawful.’ And answering he said, ‘I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God.’

And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. (Acts 8:34 – 38)