Acts 8:1-8
ACTS 8:1-8
1-3 The Persecution Spreads
• The more the Jewish leaders thought about the implications of Stephen’s message, the angrier they became.
• The persecution initially targeted the leaders (Peter, John, etc.), but now was aimed at the entire body of believers.
• See John 16:33, Matt. 13:5, 20-21
• “ALL” scattered does not mean ‘all’ it means ‘many’. Possibly the Hellenistic believers, not the Hebrew believers.
• V. 2 – The death of Stephen was a serious loss and was deeply felt.
• V. 3 – Saul’s persecution heats up.
1 Corinthians 15:9 (also Philippians 3:6)
Galatians 1:13 ‘tried to destroy it…’
8:4 The Gospel Message Spreads
“What seems, at first glance to be a setback for the Church is used by God for His glory and the spread of His Kingdom.” Wagner
8:5 – Philip goes to Samaria
The possibility of a Samaritan becoming a Christian without first becoming a full-fledged Jew had never occurred to the earliest Christians. The racial divide was too deep.
Philip – the first cross-cultural missionary.
• Acts 21:9
• Acts 7:5
• Two primary spiritual gifts:
EVANGELIST: The gift of evangelist is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to share the gospel with unbelievers in such a way that men and women become Jesus’ disciples and responsible members of the Body of Christ.
MISSIONARY: The gift of missionary is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to minister whatever other spiritual gifts they have in a second culture.
8:5-8 EVANGELISM BY WORD AND DEED
• WORD: “Proclaiming Christ” – what are the key elements to proclaiming Christ?
• DEED: “Miraculous signs” – what signs and wonders are evidenced in Philips ministry in Samaria?
• WHY did the Samaritan people listen carefully to Philip?
• DOES this same criteria apply today? If so, does it mean more in certain parts of the world than others?
• RESULTS:
1. Paid close attention to the message.
2. Great joy broke out in the city.
• What good are signs, wonders and miracles?
“Ministries of the miraculous, where paralyzed people walk, deaf people hear, and demonized people are freed, never saved anyone. Healings bring glory to God, but even the most dramatic ones are at best temporal. They do no impart eternal life. The deeds only prepare the way for the Word.” Wagner
But prepare the way they do – and quite well! The whole Gospel of John is organized around seven miracles of Jesus!
Changing water into wine 2:1-11
Healing a boy 4:46-54
Healing a crippled man 5:1-15
Feeding 5,000 6:5-14
Walking on water 6:15-21
Healing a blind man 9:1-41
Raising a dead man 11:11-45
The point…
“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31
1-3 The Persecution Spreads
• The more the Jewish leaders thought about the implications of Stephen’s message, the angrier they became.
• The persecution initially targeted the leaders (Peter, John, etc.), but now was aimed at the entire body of believers.
• See John 16:33, Matt. 13:5, 20-21
• “ALL” scattered does not mean ‘all’ it means ‘many’. Possibly the Hellenistic believers, not the Hebrew believers.
• V. 2 – The death of Stephen was a serious loss and was deeply felt.
• V. 3 – Saul’s persecution heats up.
1 Corinthians 15:9 (also Philippians 3:6)
Galatians 1:13 ‘tried to destroy it…’
8:4 The Gospel Message Spreads
“What seems, at first glance to be a setback for the Church is used by God for His glory and the spread of His Kingdom.” Wagner
8:5 – Philip goes to Samaria
The possibility of a Samaritan becoming a Christian without first becoming a full-fledged Jew had never occurred to the earliest Christians. The racial divide was too deep.
Philip – the first cross-cultural missionary.
• Acts 21:9
• Acts 7:5
• Two primary spiritual gifts:
EVANGELIST: The gift of evangelist is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to share the gospel with unbelievers in such a way that men and women become Jesus’ disciples and responsible members of the Body of Christ.
MISSIONARY: The gift of missionary is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to minister whatever other spiritual gifts they have in a second culture.
8:5-8 EVANGELISM BY WORD AND DEED
• WORD: “Proclaiming Christ” – what are the key elements to proclaiming Christ?
• DEED: “Miraculous signs” – what signs and wonders are evidenced in Philips ministry in Samaria?
• WHY did the Samaritan people listen carefully to Philip?
• DOES this same criteria apply today? If so, does it mean more in certain parts of the world than others?
• RESULTS:
1. Paid close attention to the message.
2. Great joy broke out in the city.
• What good are signs, wonders and miracles?
“Ministries of the miraculous, where paralyzed people walk, deaf people hear, and demonized people are freed, never saved anyone. Healings bring glory to God, but even the most dramatic ones are at best temporal. They do no impart eternal life. The deeds only prepare the way for the Word.” Wagner
But prepare the way they do – and quite well! The whole Gospel of John is organized around seven miracles of Jesus!
Changing water into wine 2:1-11
Healing a boy 4:46-54
Healing a crippled man 5:1-15
Feeding 5,000 6:5-14
Walking on water 6:15-21
Healing a blind man 9:1-41
Raising a dead man 11:11-45
The point…
“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31
posted by Doug Love at 8:21 AM
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