Open line program on 18 February, 2023 hour 1
Listener:
Thank you Michael for doing this program, I really get a lot out of it. I have a friend who told me that you cannot use the book of Acts as book of doctrine for church and I wonder if you agree with that and if that’s true, how can 2 Timothy 3:16 square with that?
Dr Michael Rydelnik:
Well, obviously all scripture is inspired. It doesn’t say we cannot use, in fact it would be a mistake not to use the book of Acts for truth for our lives. It says it’s all scripture inspired and it’s profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness. It doesn’t say for doctrine by the way. But, nevertheless, here’s what I think your friend is saying has an element of truth but needs to be presented in a more nuanced way cos we certainly do get doctrine from the book of Acts. For example, if I wanted to say that Gentiles need to convert to Judaism in order to become followers of Jesus. Right, if I want to say God wants them to take circumcision before believing in Jesus, the book of Acts would say in chapter 15, no, no, that’s not necessary, that’s not what they decided at the Jerusalem Council that all people can come to faith in Jesus wherever they’re at, regardless of their status as Gentiles or Jews. Right?
Listener:
Right.
Dr Michael Rydelnik:
That’s a doctrinal teaching. You get it from the book of Acts. So, that’s no question that that’s true. The problem is that the book of Acts is a descriptive book about what happened with the Apostles. It’s purpose is not necessarily to prescribe anything but to describe it. When I talk about, for example, justification by faith in Acts 15, that’s also confirmed in the book of Romans and in Galatians, which primary purpose, for those two books, is to teach doctrine. So, though the book of Acts does teach doctrine, it’s primary purpose is to describe the experience of the Apostles and transmission of the Gospel through their ministry. Right?
Listener:
Right. I agree …
Dr Michael Rydelnik:
And the reason I mention this is that the Holy Spirit works in a very, I would say, in an unusual way in the book of Acts. There are some places where people receive the Holy Spirit, after, like in Acts 8, the Samaritans come to faith but they receive the Holy Spirit only when Peter lays hand on them, Peter and John. Yet Romans 8:9 says that if anyone doesn’t have the Holy Spirit, he doesn’t belong to Him. In 1 Corinthians 12:13, it says we are all baptized in one Spirit in one body. So, what do I do with that? And then, there are other places like in Acts 10, where the Holy Spirit falls on Cornelius and people at the moment that he believes. So, what’s going on there? Why is that different from Acts 8? What it was was in the transition nature of the book of Acts, it was a transition from how the Holy Spirit worked in the old testament to how He works in the new testament. There were some unusual events happening and it describes those events but if we want to get the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, where should we get it? We should get it from the epistles. See what I mean? So, I think it’s a more nuanced answer than what you heard from your friend. There are some cases when we have to compare scripture with scripture and on some issues when the book of Acts may some inconsistency in what’s going on, we have to say this is because of the transitional nature of the book of Acts. However, we will take our doctrine right from the epistles, that was their purpose, their design was to teach doctrine, not to describe what did happen, ok, does that help?
Listener:
Appreciate your answer.
Scripture:
2 Timothy 3
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [c]instruction in righteousness, -nkjv
Acts 15
15 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.
3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. 4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
The Jerusalem Council
6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. 7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 So God, who knows the heart, [a]acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, 9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus [b]Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. 13 And after they had [c]become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: 14 Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
16 ‘After this I will return
And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down;
I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will set it up;
17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name,
Says the [d]Lord who does all these things.’
18 [e]“Known to God from eternity are all His works. 19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from [f]sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
The Jerusalem Decree
22 Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas,[g] and Silas, leading men among the brethren.
23 They wrote this letter by them:
The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,
To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, [h]saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”—to whom we gave no such commandment— 25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one [i]accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual[j] immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
Farewell
-nkjv
Acts 8
14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. -nkjv
Romans 8
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His -nkjv
1 Corinthians 12
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink [g]into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. -nkjv
Acts 10
Preaching to Cornelius’ Household
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which God sent to the [l]children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom [m]they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission[n] of sins.”
The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And [o]those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days. -niv
Meditations 
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