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Apostles

How The Apostles Turned The World Upside Down

by Joseph Mattera February 19, 2023

In Acts 1:8-9, Jesus tells the apostles that the power of the Holy Spirit will come upon them so they could be His witnesses in cities and regions. What ensued was so dynamic that the unbelievers described the apostles as those who turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6).

Here are six ways they did this:

1. Through powerful preaching and teaching (Acts 4:28)

The Acts narrative constantly refers to how the church grew because of the power of the Word of God.

Acts 4:4: “But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.”

Acts 6:7: “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem.”

Acts 12:24: “But the word of God increased and multiplied.”

Acts 19:20: “So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”

2. Through mighty gifts of healing that attested to Jesus’ resurrection

After a lame man received healing, it caused great excitement, and many people got saved (Acts 3:1-10). This is the explanation Peter gave to the religious leaders:

Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:9-12)

Furthermore, Acts 8:1-4 gives this amazing account of how the power of Christ impacted a city.

It was said of Philip’s ministry in Samaria, “For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.” The whole island of Malta turned to the Lord after Paul ministered healing to the sick (Acts 28:8-10).

See also Acts 5:14-16 and Acts 19:11,12 for other dynamic accounts of how cities were impacted by mighty miracles and healings.

3. Through discipleship (Acts 2:42, Acts 19)

As soon as 3,000 Jews got saved on the day of Pentecost, they were immediately put through a process of learning the apostles’ doctrine.

Acts 2:42 says, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…”

4. Through exorcisms (Acts 19)

Acts 16:16-18 gives an account of Paul, casting the spirit of divination out of a young slave girl. The result was that he got arrested, leading to the Philippian jailer and his entire household being saved.

(See also the powerful account of how the city of Ephesus was shaken in Acts 19:11-12).

5. Through house church gatherings

Remember, the early church was born in an upper room that had room for only 120 people (Acts 1-2). Also, the early church had large corporate gatherings in the temple and met from house to house. “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes,” (Acts 2:46). Paul also said he ministered to the church, house to house (Acts 20:24). Furthermore, Paul taught all night and raised a young man from the dead in a house church gathering (Acts 20:7-12).

6. Through converting the influential people in a city

Paul ministered to the public intellectuals and philosophers who influenced the city of Athens. He gained several disciples after his lecture (Acts 17:22-33). In the city of Berea, it is said of Paul’s ministry that “Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men” (Acts 17:12). Paul also stood before kings and governors and preached the gospel (Acts 23:23, Acts 25:12). He continually reached people for Christ who had a high level of political connections. Philippians 4:22 says, “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.” Romans 16:23 concludes his greetings to the Roman church, “Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.” Hence, Paul did not merely reach the “down and out.” He reached the “up and in.”

May the Lord stir the contemporary church to walk in the same miracles, power, and strategy as the first-century church so that we can impact whole communities for God.

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Does the Apostle Paul contradict himself?

by Ron Cantor February 2, 2019

written by Ron Cantor

Paul is so confusing! Why is he always contradicting himself? In Romans Chapter 2, Rabbi Saul, Paul the apostle is emphatic that circumcision only has value if you keep the whole law. If you break the Torah, it is as if you were never circumcised. And in Galatians he says, “For in Messiah Yeshua neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Gal. 5:6)

But then, in Romans 3, just after he rails against circumcision he contradicts himself, saying:

What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. (Romans 3:1-4)

What? Paul you just said circumcision is of NO VALUE, now you are saying it has value in every way? Which is it?

Actually Paul is not contradicting himself at all. Let’s break it down.

First of all, we are speaking of two different covenants, both of which are still valid. The first is the Covenant of Circumcision. The second is the New Covenant. The Covenant of Circumcision was made by God between himself and Abraham’s physical children—the Hebrews.

This covenant has many blessings including the land of Israel. However, it is limited.

It can’t change a heart, it can’t forgive sin, and it cannot provide a path to eternal life. What Paul is telling the non Jewish Galatians is, in the Messiah circumcision has no value whatsoever. It cannot bring you closer to God and certainly can’t get you into heaven.

But to Jews in Romans 3 he says, sure, there is lots of value in circumcision. In fact, even if you obey the ritual in unbelief God will honor it. “What if some were unfaithful?” Paul asks, “Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar.”

We see today God’s blessing on unbelieving Israel:

When it comes to Nobel Peace Prizes, despite making up only .2% of the world’s population, Jews have won around 15 percent. That’s 75 times the number it should be based on population. More technology comes out of tiny Israel, than all the other Middle Eastern nations combined. Israel’s stock market was barely affected by the global economic meltdown in 2007. And, most of all, despite being surrounded by dozens of Muslim nations that would love to see Israel annihilated—we are thriving.

So as Paul states—circumcision does have much value to the physical descendants of Abraham. But that alone cannot produce eternal life. Salvation is ONLY through Yeshua. What Paul was so upset about was that non-Jews were literally mutilating themselves for no reason. He says regarding salvation: “For in Messiah Yeshua neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.”

So, Paul is not confused, nor does he contradict himself. For the Jew, circumcision has value—but it cannot produce salvation. For the non-Jew, salvation through Yeshua can be obtained as a free gift through faith without performing any ritual. And if one thinks that based on circumcision, whether Jew or non-Jew, he will obtain eternal life, he is wrong and goes against the principles of the Gospel.

Yeshua died so that all could enjoy forgiveness of sins, the salvation of our souls.

February 2, 2019 0 comment

Articles

Jesus’ Supernatural Response to Today’s Toxic Division and Violence

by Jared Laskey April 24, 2018

written by Jared Laskey

Jesus’ Response to Division and Violence

Jesus was born into a tumultuous climate. Political, social, economic, cultural and racial tension was experienced throughout all of Israel. The Romans were oppressing and occupying Israel whose religious leaders of the Pharisees and Sadducees were sold out to the political leaders. The priests were getting rich off merchandise sold on temple grounds, revolutionaries would riot and assassinations were done by groups inside and outside the government.

Pontius Pilate intentionally offended the Jewish people to show that he was in control (Luke 13:1). In fact, he took sacred money from the temple, using it to build an aqueduct for Jerusalem. Many Jews rose up to protest the acquisition of temple monies, but hidden among the crowds were Roman soldiers. When given a signal, they turned the protest into a massacre.

Despite the upheavals in the 1st century, Jesus came, someone who was different than any other. He was a miracle worker, declaring the coming of the kingdom of God (Mark 1:15, Luke 17:20-21). Walking from town to town, preaching a message of God’s love, His ministry attracted thousands of people who wanted to make Him king (John 6:15). The people may have wanted a political answer, but Jesus gave them a spiritual one.

It may seem like there are many things dividing people today. But as Christians we should consider Jesus’ approach to uncertain times. Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” And He came to destroy the work of the devil (1 John 3:8). But He didn’t do this through political means, whether litigation, petition, voting or protesting. Instead, He showed love and grace; to the woman at the well in John 4, to the man with dropsy in Luke 14, to the many children in Mark 10 and many others. He also praised the faith of a Roman centurion in Matthew 8, whose political persuasion and military career stood against Israel.

And the people He surrounded Himself with were a diverse group. The Apostles were on the left, the right and the in-between of politics in their time. Simon the Zealot was an extremist against the government while Matthew was a tax collector working for the government. But both were peers who became friends following Jesus (Matt. 10:1-4). They were together when Jesus summed up the law and the prophets. Saying that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:37-40).

His disciples were looking for a political answer to the chaos in the streets of their nation, like many other people. But Jesus did something they didn’t expect…He died on the cross and rose from the dead making, “us alive together with Christ,” (Eph. 2:5). His solution was grace, revealing love to all people. For, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, and there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” (Gal. 3:28).

After Jesus rose from the dead, the disciples were still thinking He would take the throne in Israel. Acts 1:6 says that they asked Him, “Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Then in the following verses, Jesus said, “It is not for you to know the times or the dates, which the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

He didn’t give them marching orders, nor a political charge. Instead, He modeled love, giving His disciples the Great Commission to preach the gospel to all nations. And the disciples obeyed, reaching out to the poor, the rich; to the Greek and Jew, and to many other nations. Peter went to Rome, Thomas went to India. Andrew went to what we know of as Russia, while Philip went to North Africa. Simon the Zealot went to Persia, Matthew went to Ethiopia. And Bartholomew went to Armenia while James to Syria.

By acts of love, under the power of the Holy Spirit, the apostles changed their world. And that is what the church needs to do now, reaching across political party lines. Loving all people, while sharing the Gospel with them. We are to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all He has commanded (Matt. 28:18-20).

This article was written by Jared Laskey of Fireborn Ministries. Jarred leads Destiny Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia and lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of the Holy Spirit. He is also the co-author of Veronica’s Hero.

April 24, 2018 0 comment