Acts 1 - Study Notes

From time to time, I get the chance to teach a Sunday School class. Here are the notes from the class.

Acts 1 Bible Study – Digging Deeper

"The Acts of the Apostles" is the name given since at least the middle of the second century to the second volume of Luke's two volume history of Christian origins.

There has almost never been any doubt that the author of Acts is also the author of the third gospel. Luke 1:1-4 (Question 1 How do these statements help assure us of the historical accuracy of the Book of Acts (and the gospel of Luke)?

Theophilus -

• It means "beloved of God" or "friend of God."
• Little is known about him. Second-century sources indicate he was a wealthy, influential official in Antioch.
• Theophilus was a Roman citizen who was a believer.
• He may have been a high-ranking Roman official because Luke referred to him as "most excellent Theophilus" (Luke 1:3). The term excellent is also used by Luke in reference to Felix and Festus, who were Roman governors (Acts 23:26, 26:25).
• Put yourself in Theophilus’ shoes.

The scroll for Acts is 25 feet in length! It cost Luke to write these books, not only time, but also financial resources. What is God asking of us today?

Acts begins with a prologue in which Luke says that he told us in his first volume "all that Jesus began to do and teach." Acts is intended to tell us what Jesus continued to do and teach after his ascension to heaven, but now through his witnesses. We are to continue the work of evangelism and teaching that Jesus began.

What does v.1 tell us about Luke’s theme or subject for the Book of Acts?

if “Luke” is about what Jesus began to do and teach, then “Acts” is about what Jesus continues to do and teach.

Verse 2: And we are to utilize the same power that Jesus did, namely "through the Holy Spirit". Any work that we try to do or teach without the Holy Spirit is not His work.

"the apostles whom he had chosen" Jesus chose His own missionaries, taught them, and commissioned them with certain responsibilities. The same is true of all Christians: we are chosen by Christ. John 15:16.

Verse 3: "To them he presented himself alive" Luke 24: 40 – 43. – Jesus is ALIVE! He proved it! The Greek word for "proof" here is a word that includes the idea of being convincing – infallible. No other religion in the world can claim anything like this!

Appeared to them during 40 days. NT accounts of Jesus' appearances make clear that Jesus was not continually visible to the apostles during the forty days, but appeared to them on various occasions. 1 Cor 15: 5-7.

The apostles’ exposure to the proofs of the resurrection was spread over more than a month. The resurrection would become the center of every sermon they preached that is recorded in Acts.

"Speaking about the kingdom of God": A constant theme of Jesus' teaching. See, for example, Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:11. It also a theme of the first missionaries, the Seventy, in Luke 10:1-9. As it should be with us also, preaching the coming kingdom!

Verse 4: Luke had previously recorded this request for the apostles to stay in Jerusalem (Luke 24:49) until they “were clothed with power from on high.

• The disciples, many of whom were from Galilee, would otherwise perhaps have returned to Galilee, but Jerusalem was to be the place of the Spirit's descent. Jesus orders them to stay in Jerusalem.
• “Don’t start ministering until you have the power to do so.”

What was the "promise of the Father" that He had told them about? The gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the apostles they would receive the Holy Spirit after He left them (Luke 24:44-49, John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; 20:22).

Verse 5: For John the Baptizer's prediction that the Messiah would baptise people with the Holy Spirit, see Mark 1:8; Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16; John 1:33.

"Not many days from now": The apostles had been with Jesus 40 days, and they would have to wait another 10 days before the Holy Spirit fell, hence, 50 days from Resurrection to Pentecost.

Verse 6: When Christ taught the apostles about the kingdom after His resurrection, they thought perhaps now He would begin His reign.

• The apostles were probably familiar with Ezekiel 36:26 and Joel 2, which say that the kingdom will come when the Holy Spirit is poured out.
• When they heard Christ say the Holy Spirit would come soon (v. 5), they thought He was about to set up His kingdom on earth. .
• Notice that they do not ask, “When?”, as they had before, but the question is “At this time..?” .
• Prophecies are found in Jeremiah 33:7; Psalms 14:7; 85:1; Hosea 6:11.
• Did they also have hopes of having great positions of authority in the reign of the Messiah, as before? Luke 22:24-29.
• Remember that Israel at this time could be considered a "Roman occupied territory".

Verse 7: Jesus answered the disciples' question about the time of the kingdom's coming,

• He didn't tell them there would be no kingdom. He simply said that the time of the kingdom's coming was not for them to know.
• If there were no literal kingdom planned for the future, Christ would have said so in Acts 1:7.
• It is not for us to know when the Lord will return, for no man knows the day or the hour(Matt 24:36, 25:13, Mar 13:32).

Verse 8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you"

• They are presently powerless. That powerlessness was manifested at the arrest of Jesus. He was arrested and all of the disciples fled into the night. They ran like frightened sheep. But there will be a change. They will receive power.
• The Greek word is dunamis. This is the word from which derives our English words "dynamite", "dynamic" and "dynamo." It is more than mere authority. It the power of ability.

"You will be my witnesses":

• Their task will not be speculation about the end, but filling up the time that does remain with bearing witness to Christ throughout the world.
• A witness is simply someone who tells what he knows, what he himself has seen and heard. 1 John 1:1-2
• The word in the Greek is where we get the term “martyrs”.
• We are witnesses. There is no sense in which we are “to be witnesses”.

"Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" is something of an outline of the book of Acts. Chapters 1-7 = "in Jerusalem"; 8:1-11:18 = "Judea and Samaria"; and the rest of the book, "to the ends of the earth." The Holy Spirit was given for this reason: to empower the apostles to be Christ's witnesses in Jerusalem, and then on to the ends of the earth.

Verses 9: The Ascension.

For direct verbal echoes, see 2 Kings 2:9-13 (Elijah's ascension).

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” John 14:3-4

“But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. John 16:5-8

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Rom 8:34

“and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come.” Eph 1:19-21

• While only Luke tells us the story of the Ascension, there are other possible traces of the tradition of the Ascension in Ephesians 4:8-10; 1 Timothy 3:16; John 20:17.
• He had given them the instruction they needed, their commission, and told them to await the descent of the Spirit. His work was done and so he left them.
• Note the quiet removal; no pomp, no ceremony, as would have certainly been the case in a legendary account.
• Cloud the Shekinah glory of the Lord? Clouds at Trans, Ascen, Return
• What is the point behind the Ascension? The Return

Verse 10: While they strain to look(gazing into heaven) for Jesus, two angels stood by them.

Verse 11 There is almost a reproach in the words of the two angels: "Why are you standing here looking into the sky?" It is a gentle reproach as indicated by the fact that they encourage them with the thought that the Lord will return, just as they saw him leave.

• Why two angels?(Deut 19:15)
• The Ascension occurred on the Mount of Olives, as we are told in v. 12.
• He will return to the Mount of Olives, as Zechariah tells us... Zech 14: 4-5
• The same Christ who ascended into heaven in Acts 1:9 will return the same way. He won't be different. He will return in the same glorified body that the disciples saw when Christ joined them for breakfast by the Sea of Galilee in John 21:4-14.

1. He said that He would leave (John 6:62, 20:17).
2. He said that He needed to leave in order for the Spirit to come
3. He needed to make the disciples realize that He would not be appearing to them again
4. He is now interceding for us in heaven
5. He will be returning the same way He left

Application: Knowing that Christ will return someday should motivate us to serve Him diligently. Someday we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive rewards for what we did while on earth (2 Cor. 5:10). Christ said, "Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be" (Rev. 22:12). One of the greatest motivators for serving Jesus is that He will reward us for what we have done.

Verse 12: They were on the Mount of Olives for the Ascension. The spot was a Sabbath days journey – how far? Half mile?

Verse 13: They go to the Upper Room where they were staying.

• The disciples most likely gathered in the same upper room where the Last Supper was held and where Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection.
• In those days, houses frequently had upper rooms or chambers. The upper rooms were like living rooms. It was a place for fellowship or devotions.
• In Acts 9 we read a dead widow named Dorcas was placed in an upper room prior to her planned burial (she was resurrected by Peter).

Eleven Apostles The list of apostles is the same as in Luke 6:14-16 except Judas Iscariot

Verse 14: Everybody was together praying.

• While the disciples were waiting for the Holy Spirit, they didn't just stay in the upper room. Luke 24:53 says they "were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God."
• So the upper room served as a meeting place.
• One thing they weren't praying for was the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit's coming didn't depend on their prayers. Acts 1:4 says that the Holy Spirit was a promise of the Father. They already had the promise; it was just a matter of waiting. In fact when the Spirit did come in Acts 2:2, the people weren't even in prayer.

"The women" were probably the ladies who were with Jesus throughout His ministry, death, and resurrection:

• Mary Magdalene,
• Mary the wife of Clopis,
• Mary and Martha, Salome, and perhaps others (cf. Luke 8:1-3). Acts 1:14 says that the disciples were praying with Mary, not to her.
• This is the last mention of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
• Christ's mother and half-brothers were also in the upper room. (James, Joseph, Simon, and Jude--whom we see mentioned in Matthew 13:55
• Christ's brothers at one time weren't believers, but they became believers by the time Acts 1 was written.
• How did they become saved? Scripture doesn't say, but I think it may have happened when James saw Christ after the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:4, 7).
• Who else was there with the 120? Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimethea..?

Fear of the Jews - John 20:19 “..when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you."

The overarching principle at this point in the disciples lives is not so much that they spent time rejoicing at the Temple and praying in the upper room, but that they were obedient to Christ's command to stay in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came.

Verse 15: During the 10 day wait between Ascension and Pentecost, business needed to be done.

• Peter stood up among the brethren – leader or among equals?
• About 120 in the company. But their small number was made up by the power they derived from God.
• Within thirty years the gospel spread all over the known world and penetrated Rome.
• They were people just like us.

Verse 16: Scripture to be fulfilled. Holy Spirit spoke - by David - concerning Judas.

• Judas was a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
• The Old Testament prophesied that Judas would be replaced (Ps. 109:8), so the change was a part of God's plan.
• Peter reassured them that God's plan wasn't thwarted because Judas betrayed Jesus.
• God doesn't lose those who really belong to Him.
• Judas's betrayal fulfilled Scripture. That doesn't mean God made Judas betray Jesus; it simply means that He used Judas's actions to accomplish His purpose.
• God can work through men whether they are saved or not.

Verse 17: Judas was one of their number.

• At this time, the disciples were all probably wondering why Judas betrayed Jesus.
• Christ had told them that one day the disciples would sit on twelve thrones (Matt. 19:28), but now there were only eleven disciples.
• So the things Peter says are a message from God that Judas's betrayal was expected, and that the prophecy in Matthew 19:28 wasn't wrong.

Verse 18: Judas bought a field with the 30 pieces of silver, and died in it.

• These verses tell a different story from Matthew of how the Field got its name.
• Here the blood is Judas’ rather than Jesus’.
• “falling headlong”: Literally flat or prone.

Verse 19: “their language”: i.e. Aramaic, a dialect related to Hebrew.

“Blood”: Here the “blood” in question is that of the betrayer; in Matthew 27:4-5, it is that of the betrayed.

Verse 20 Psalm 69:26

Verses 21-22: Note that Paul does not meet the requirements for being an apostle (not being with Jesus throughout his earthly ministry), but 1 Cor15:8-9: but traceability to Jesus was still required.

Note that Luke does not suppress Paul’s claim to be an apostle: in Acts 14:4 Luke writes “When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it ...”.

Verse 22: The “baptism of John” marks the start of Jesus’ ministry: see Mark 1:1-4 and Acts 10:37 (Peter’s teaches at Cornelius’ house). This verse is a summary of vv. 1-5.

Verse 23: This verse sets us up to expect the election of Joseph; it is almost as though he was better known than Matthias.

Verse 26: “they cast lots”: This is no casting of votes, for it is God who does the choosing (v. 24) via the incalculable lots. Prov 16:33 “The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.”

First, then, in the place of Judas, the betrayer, Matthias, who, as has been shown was also one of the Seventy, was chosen to the apostolate. Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius of Caesarea,

Application: The call of Matthias reminds me of a story told by Fred Craddock about his own ministry and sense of call. Craddock says that he always imagined that someday he'd do something really great, he'd be a martyr for Jesus. There'd be a monument built for him to recognize his deed and people would come by and read "Here's where Fred gave it all for Jesus."

He always thought his call would play out as a spectacular $100 bill kind of experience. But then he came to realize that his ministry was actually about giving lectures, reading books, grading papers, going to meetings. He knew he'd finally accepted that call when he took the $100 bill to the bank and said, "give it to me in quarters." Now, Craddock says, he lives out his call one ordinary quarter at a time.

Any good Studies in Galatians?

Does anyone know any good Bible Studies on the book of Galatians? I have one by Merrill Tenney(below), but in case anyone knows another one, let me know!

Philippians 1:27 - 30

From the very outset of his letter to the Philippians, Paul has maintained a focus on the church as a whole, with an attempt to promote unity. In his opening address in 1:1 he addresses the whole church and not just those who are living right. He says, “to all the saints in Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons.” He regards them all as saints. Further, he attempts to promote humility and unity through his own example in the introduction when he includes both himself and Timothy together under the title “servants of Christ Jesus.”

It is only after addressing them as a unified whole (1:1-2), praying for them to this end (1:3-11), and giving his own life as a model (1:12-26), that Paul turns in 1:27-30 to urge them to lives worthy of the gospel of Christ; they are to stand firm by contending for the faith as one man and by not being frightened in any way by those who persecute them. The emphasis in 1:27-30 is on unity in the face of pressure from without.

Philippians 1:27 – 30 (ESV)
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.
29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,
30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

27 – (Verses 27-30 are one long sentence in the Greek with politeuesthe as the main verb.)The only command that appears in this section is conduct yourselves (here in the ESV “manner of life”)(politeuesthe)—an unusual term for Paul. Generally, the apostle uses another term to describe living the Christian life, namely, “walking” (peripateo; Rom 13:13; Eph 4:1; Col 1:10; 1 Thess 2:12). But here he chooses a term which originally carried the idea of taking a personal, active role in the political affairs of the “state” (polis). It concerned the actions of those who were citizens of Rome and who also had certain responsibilities as well. The fact that the church was composed of Roman citizens may well indicate a play on words where Paul uses their Roman citizenship as a picture of their heavenly citizenship and responsibilities in the church and to the gospel.

Worthy - (axios is the word “worthy” in Greek, and means “having the same weight as another thing”.) He is exhorting them to live their lives like what they are citizens of heaven, so their conduct in a sense "weighs as much as" the gospel they preach. In other words, they are to practice what they preach. Warren Wiersbe tells the following story illustrating a worthy walk... “We have some neighbors who believe a false gospel,” a church member told his pastor. Do you have some literature I can give them?” The pastor opened his Bible to 2 Corinthians 3:2, You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men. He said, “The best literature in the world is no substitute for your own life. Let them see Christ in your behavior and this will open up opportunities to share Christ’s Gospel with them.”

Standing fast - conveys the ideas of firmness or uprightness & means “to stand firm and hold one’s ground." The word indicates the determination of a soldier who stands his ground not budging one inch from his post.

Mind (psuche) is the Greek word translated elsewhere as "soul". One "soul" indicates that unity must extend down to the soul. They were to maintain a single "souled" (minded) focus in the face of opposition. Christians face a common foe & should not fight each other but should unite against the enemy.

The word Paul uses for "strive" is sunathleo. The word athleo is where we get our word athlete. It's the word used in 2 Timothy 2:5 where Paul says, "An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules." It's also used in Philippians 4:3 where Paul tries to get Euodia and Syntyche to be reconciled with each other after their dispute, "I ask you, true yokefellow, help these women, for they have labored side by side with me [that's the same word] in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life."

The image is of people engaged in spiritual warfare (imagery that will hardly be lost on those who live in a military colony!), standing their ground firmly by the power of the Holy Spirit, who as the one Spirit is also the source of their unity.

28 – Frightened (pturo) pictures a frightened horse shying away on the battlefield and about to stampede. Do not be fearful as the result of being intimidated. Don't be afraid, scared, frightened or terrified like a horse shying in battle.

But what kind of opposition would possibly intimidate the Philippian believers? Although we cannot be certain, the best guess is related to the fact that Philippi was a Roman military colony, whose populace was devoted to the emperor. The cult of the emperor, whose "divine" titles were "lord" and "savior," apparently flourished in Philippi, so that every public event also served as an opportunity to proclaim "Caesar is lord"--in very much the same way as "The Star-Spangled Banner" is sung before public events in the United States. If a believer attended an event such as this (or if they didn’t attend, that may raise suspicion), and not proclaim Caesar’s divines title, that would be like staying seated during the national anthem. Additionally, their Lord had been crucified by the Roman "lord," thus branding him forever as an enemy of the state, of the insurrectionist type. Thus believers in Christ could scarcely be more out of touch with the sympathies of the local populace than in a place like Philippi.

Sign - First, the sign shows that the enemies of God and His people are under His judgment (everlasting suffering in hell, eternal punishment, not annihilation). Secondly, opposition to the gospel gives evidence of the salvation of those who suffer hostility. In other words, persecution for the sake of Christ proves believers belong to Him. Therefore persecution that tends to be discouraging to believers should in fact be a source of confidence and joy because it shows they are saved.

29 – “Granted” in Greek it is the same root word as “grace”. Suffering in behalf of Christ is one of God's gifts to us. John 15:18-21

Thomas à Kempis said – “Jesus has many who love his kingdom in heaven, but few who bear his cross. He has many who desire comfort, but few who desire suffering. He finds many to share his feast, but few his fasting. All desire to rejoice with him, but few are willing to suffer for his sake. Many follow Jesus to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the cup of his passion. Many admire his miracles, but few follow him in the humiliation of the cross.”

30 – Phillips translation render this verse as follows: “It is now your turn to take part in that battle you once saw me engaged in, and which, in point of fact, I am still fighting.”

Conflict (agon - our English "agony") was a familiar term in Paul's day which pictured the well-known struggle of athletes in Greek Olympiad(boxing, running, wrestling).
“The conflict which you saw in me” refers to the hostile opposition and persecution he and Silas faced when they were imprisoned in Philippi (Acts 16:16–40). “And now hear to be in me” refers to Paul's present imprisonment in Rome mentioned in (Phil 1:12–18).

27 – 29 Summation: One who professes salvation from sin and who has received imputed righteousness should live in a godly life style. Paul wants the saints to live as citizens of another kingdom & to do this, believers are called to STAND (v27), STRIVE (v27) & SUFFER (v29) all for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Gordon Fee writes “One of the reasons most of us in the West do not know more about the content of Philippians 1:29-30 is that we have so poorly heeded the threefold exhortation that precedes (Phil 1:27)"

Questions and Applications:
1. If you are not suffering, what does it mean for you to walk worthy of Christ? (Col 1:10-11).
2. How do we respond to people who oppose us or our message? What would it look like for us to stand firm in our faith? (1 Pet 3:15)
3. What positive results did Paul expect from the Philippian believers who stood firm and worked together? What is the goal of this way of living?
4. When Paul mentions suffering, the idea is that is that in His grace God grants believers the privilege of suffering for His sake. How can suffering be a gracious gift?
5. How committed are you (we) to sharing the gospel and advancing the kingdom of God? When was the last time you shared your faith?
6. Paul was deeply committed to the gospel and those who came to trust in Christ. He agonized over new believers’ growth in the Lord and used all his available energy (which he received from the Lord), to help those Christians. Each of the letters he wrote can in some way be deemed a “follow-up” letter, written in order to bless, direct, encourage, and in short, “to mature,” those Christians. Are we willing to undergo stress to help other believers in the faith?

Philippians 1:12 - 26

Having thanked God for the Philippians’ long term support and participation in the gospel with him (1:3-8)—as well as having prayed for their love and fruitfulness (1:9-11)—the apostle now moves on to relate what the effects of his imprisonment are (1:12-26). Contrary to what the Philippians may have thought, his “chains” have really served to advance the gospel. Should he be released—and this is what he expects to happen—he will continue to work with the Philippians for their progress and joy in the faith (1:25). He can think of no other course of action fitting for his life. Paul’s attitude can be summarized in eight words: “To know Christ (3:10-11) and to make him known (1:22)!

Philippians 1:12-18(NKJV)
12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,
13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;
14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will:
16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains;
17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.
18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

12 – Paul tells them that his situation is actually furthering the gospel. Do we look at something with out natural eyes, say to ourselves, “God is not in this situation.”, and then, “Surprise!”, God is glorified?

13 – The whole palace guard knew that Paul was in prison because of Jesus. Palace guard probably refers to members of the Imperial guard that guarded him day and night. And all the rest – everyone else who knew of Paul knew the reason he was in chains.(Acts 28:23-24, 30-31)
14 – Most of the brethren with Paul became bolder to speak of Christ. I would think that if we saw our leader in chains, we would shut up. Most of the believers jn Rome became more bold.

15 – Some people preach Jesus with less than pure motives. Some preach him with good motives. John MacArthur says here: “When afforded the opportunity to speak to pastors and church leaders I am often asked, "What has been the most discouraging thing in your ministry?" There are two issues that deeply distress me. One is seeing those who ought to be the most mature in the faith--who know the Word of God well, have experienced the blessings of spiritual growth and fellowship, and have seen God's power demonstrated time and again--turn their backs on the faith and walk into sin. That's much more discouraging than when a new and untrained Christian falls into sin through ignorance. The other thing that most distresses me is being falsely accused by fellow preachers of the gospel. For whatever reason, there are men who seem to desire to discredit the ministry of others. As a result they falsely accuse other ministers, not because those they attack are unbelievers, but simply to discredit them.”

16 – The former group preach out of selfish ambition, wanting to add affliction to Paul. Paul was not alone, but felt alone. "At my first defense [the first trial in Rome] no one supported me, but all deserted me (2 Tim. 4:16). When Paul wrote to the Philippians he was so lonely that he said of Timothy, "I have no one else of kindred spirit" (Phil 2:20). It was not enough for these people to have Paul in prison, they attacked him when he was there.

17 – The latter out of love, knowing that Paul was appointed for his role in the ministry. There are others who preach Christ out of love. The Greek word translated "appointed" (keimai) was used to describe a soldier's being placed on duty. Others saw Paul as appointed by God for His task. Which group are we going to be in, the detractors or the defenders?

18 – Christ is preached and Paul rejoices. No matter what is the motive, if Christ is preached, we should rejoice. At times, we may need to decide to rejoice, even when we do not feel like it.

A.W. Tozer wrote, "In this day of universal apprehension when men's hearts are failing then for fear of those things that are coming upon the earth, we Christians are strategically placed to display a happiness that is not of this world and to exhibit a tranquillity that will be a little bit of heaven here below"

Philippians 1:19-26(NKJV)

19 For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.
25 And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,
26 that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.

19 – Paul is confident that God was going to work things out for His glory.
MacArthur says of deliverance “The Greek word translated "deliverance" (soteria) is the word for salvation. That's how the King James Version translates it, although soteria can also be translated "well-being" or "escape." … The key thought is that Paul knew his current distress was only temporary and that he would be delivered from it.”
Paul may have identified with Job’s sufferings, and had the same hope as Job "Though ... worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God" (Job 19:26, KJV).
He is confident in the prayers of the Philippians. Somehow God, who is sovereign, acts upon the prayers of the saints.
The Greek word translated "supply" (epichoregia) means "help," "bountiful supply," or "full resources." Paul was speaking of the resources of the Spirit, not of the Spirit Himself(Rom 8:26, Gal 5:22, Eph 3:20). He grants all that is necessary to sustain the righteous.

20 - The extent of Paul's confidence may be seen by his use of the Greek word apokaradokia, translated "earnest expectation." Seen only here and Rom 8:19. Thayer says this word has the meaning “to watch with head erect or outstretched, to wait in suspense.” No matter what happens, Christ will be magnified!

21 – Whether he lives or dies, he belongs to Christ. He wasn't merely saying that Christ was the source of his life, that Christ lived in him, or that Christ wanted Paul to submit to Him. Though all those statements are true in themselves, they are only parts of this great truth: life in its sum is Christ.

22 – If he lives, he will be fruitful, but he cannot tell if this will happen. If Paul lived on in the physical world, he fully expected that would result in "fruitful labor." He considered being alive in our world to be synonymous with fruitful labor for Christ.

23 – He is hard pressed to decide, wanting to be with Christ, which is better. “Hard-pressed" (Gk. sunecho) speaks of being hemmed in on both sides. It pictures a cattle squeeze, that pushing in on each side, forcing the cow into a position where it cannot move so the farmer can administer medication.
According to Paul, being in Christ's presence is "very much better”. More than "better" or "much better," to be with Christ so far surpasses anything in this life that it is "very much better." It's as though Paul could find no adequate words to express the comparison between being on earth and being with Christ in heaven.

24 – To remain alive is better for them. Even though he wishes to be in the presence of Christ, he will stay alive if it’s better for someone else.

25 - The Philippians needed Paul. Philippians 2:1-4 indicates they needed to learn humility. Chapter 3 implies they were imperiled by the Judaizers. In 4:1-3 Paul had to deal with contentious women in the Philippian church. And this was one of the better NT churches!
I know I will remain with you - Paul's personal conviction concerning his future--not a revelation that he was going to remain on earth.

26 - His point was not that the Philippians' confidence would overflow because of him, but because of Christ's working in him.

MacArthur asks “What happened to Paul? Most likely he was released shortly before the burning of Rome in A.D. 64. He was imprisoned again and beheaded sometime between A.D. 65-67. During the time of his freedom before his final imprisonment and execution, he helped many churches. Paul's assurance of release as expressed in Philippians 1:25-26 proved correct.

After his first imprisonment God gave Paul a few more years for fruitful ministry. He fully lived for Christ. That's all that ought to matter to us. It doesn't matter what trouble we're in or what detractors we have--even if we're facing death. What's important is that Christ is glorified and His kingdom advanced. Paul's example is a pattern for us as we grow in Christ and seek to honor Him.”

Philippians 1:1-11

Background -
On the Second Missionary Journey (between 49 and 52), Paul and Silas were "kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia" (Acts 16:6). They tried to go into Bithynia, "but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them" (Acts 16:7). They finally reached the coast at Troas, where Paul had a vision of a Macedonian begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:9).

Once in Philippi, Paul and Silas met some women praying on the Sabbath at the river, led by Lydia, "a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshipper of God" (Acts 16:14). She welcomed Paul's message, was baptized with her household, and invited the missionaries and a cluster of believers into her home, where the tiny church began to grow.

One day they were met by a slave girl who prophesied from an evil spirit. Finally Paul turned to her and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her." With their slave girl no longer able to prophecy, her owners had Paul and Silas flogged and thrown in prison for "throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice" (Acts 16:20-21).

At midnight an earthquake opened the prison doors and the jailer was converted and baptized with his household in the middle of the night. At daylight, Paul and Silas were thrown out of town, but not before a church had been established.
After Paul and Silas left, Luke may have stayed on in Philippi. Paul kept in touch with the Macedonian churches through Timothy (Acts 19:21-23; Philippians 2:19-20) and visited them twice more, probably during the autumn of 54-55 and again in the spring of 55-56 (Acts 20:1-3).

The church at Philippi provided financial and material support several times during Paul's journeys. He bragged to the Corinthians about their generosity:
"We want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.... They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will" (2 Corinthians 8:1-5).

They shared with Paul a "partnership in the gospel from the first day" (Philippians 1:5). Paul recalls, "In the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need" (4:15-16). The warm Letter to the Philippians is strong evidence to this deep love between the apostle and some of his dearest converts.

Four brief chapters, the theme of these chapters is joy, Paul mentions it at least 16 times in these four chapters. He also mentions Christ 50 times. And that is because his joy is found in Christ and so is our joy. John Macarthur said “This is the theme of this marvelous little letter...the believer's joy. It is the epistle of joy. Paul is writing it to the Philippians. He loves the Philippians and they love him. In fact, it's my personal conviction that the love bond between Paul and the Philippians exceeded the love bond between he and any other of the churches.”


(NKJV) Philippians 1:1 -11
1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1This is the only epistle that Paul does not claim his apostleship in the opening. Here, he claims his bondservant status. A bondservant was one who willingly submitted themselves to serve another. He and Timothy serve Jesus Christ.
He addresses this letter to all of the believers in Philippi, and calls them saints. You are a saint today!
In Christ Jesus – By nature of the union with Jesus, we are in Him.
There were multiple bishops(overseers) and deacons in a single church.
2 The greeting itself is identical to that found in 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans, Ephesians and Philemon and has thus become a standard for Paul. Grace is the gift of God, peace is the result.

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,
5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

3 – My God – Paul’s relationship with God is reflected here. Not our God, But my God.
The very thought of the Philippians brought Paul good memories. Can you think of someone that, when you think of them, you are thankful? Macarthur says “A key to joy in the Christian life is to be able to recall the goodness of people--to look past imperfections to capture broader and sweeter realities. A heart dominated by the joy of the Holy Spirit remembers the sweet things in life without dwelling on the distressing things. It savors thoughts of another's goodness, kindness, love, compassion, gentleness, sacrifice, and care. It forgives the rest.”
4 Paul seems to be praying for them with every prayer he makes.
Paul prays with joy for them. Not the prayers we sometimes pray, “Lord, get that guy..”, ‘Lord, change them..”.
5 The source of Paul’s joy was their fellowship. We have koinonia with each other through the gospel.
These believers were there from the start of the church in Philippi and had exhibited participation with Paul since then.
6 As verse 5 looks back on the work God has done through them in the past, verse 6 looks toward the work God will do through them in the future, culminating in the “day of Jesus Christ”.
Jesus is not done with me yet. I should also remember this for when I deal with other Christians – He is not done with them yet either.
John Piper said of this verse, “The fact that God is at work in his people, changing the thought patterns and preference of our sinful nature, so that we love what he loves, re-tooling the grooves in our brain, knitting together the complex strands of our emotional wounds with infinitely greater skill than the world's foremost micro-surgeon—there's no greater promise than this.”

7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.
8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

7 During Paul’s imprisonment, the Philippians sent him money and sent Epaphroditus’ services to support him, thus sharing in Paul’s ministry. Do we realize that we are partakers in the gospel?
8 Paul calls for God to be a witness of his feelings for the Philippians. Affection lilterally means “bowels”, showing how deep his feelings are for them.

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which [are] by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

9 He already told them that he prayed for them regularly, now he tells them the content of his prayer: that they would grow in love with knowledge and discernment.
10 - Sincere is a word meaning "without wax". When a bowl maker wanted to let people know that his bowls had not broken and then fixed with wax, he used the word "sincere".
11 – The purpose of Paul’s prayer for them was the glory of God.

Three points of application:
First we see that Paul lived as though his days were numbered. Psalm 90. Paul had learned to “number his days.” Paul wrote to and prayed for these saints, because he knew that sooner or later he would not be able to minister to them personally. I wonder how many of us have learned to “number our days.”
Second, notice that Paul did not use the sovereignty of God as an excuse for passivity in prayer. It was Paul’s assurance that God would finish the good work He started in the Philippians that motivated Paul to pray (and work) for their growth. God’s sovereignty is the incentive for effort, not our excuse for passivity.
Third, Paul’s words and actions in our text remind us that we don’t have to be physically present to minister.

Questions for Application/Discussion:
What does verse 6 reveal about God’s work in our lives?
Why do you think Paul prayers focused more for spiritual welfare of others, than their physical welfare?
How would you distinguish the difference between knowledge, insight, and discernment? What is one specific thing you could do to help another Christian(s) with their growth?

Greek Alphabet

Hebrew Alphabet

Remember, Hebrew reads Right to left, so start at Alef..

Theophilus

Put yourself in the place of Theophilus, you want to know how this “Jewish religion” moved from Jerusalem to Rome. Also, you want to know more about what you believe than you do.

Meaning: lover of God
a Christian, probably a Roman, to whom Luke dedicated both his Gospel (Luke 1:3) and the Acts of the Apostles (1:1). Nothing beyond this is known of him. From the fact that Luke applies to him the title "most excellent", the same title Paul uses in addressing Felix (Acts 23:26; 24:3) and Festus (26:25), it has been concluded that Theophilus was a person of rank, perhaps a Roman officer.
Theophilus is the name to which the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles is addressed. His life would coincide with the writing of Luke and Acts, sometime between 40-150, depending on which tradition one subscribes to. Coptic tradition asserts he was a Jew of Alexandria, while another tradition claims he was a converted Roman official, owing to the honorific, "most excellent" (Lk. 1:3). Yet another tradition maintains that this Theophilus was not a specific person, as "theophilus" means "lover of God", and thus the books could be addressed to anyone who fits that description.

In "The Acts of the Apostles." Dr. Luke writes about the activity and actions of the apostles as they take the message and ministry of Jesus to the First Century world. Beginning in verse one and through the ending verse of the book, Dr. Luke gave to his friend, Theophilus, an ongoing account of how the followers of Christ continued the witness and work of Christ under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Dr. Luke invested all of his effort and energy in this one man to bear witness to him and to disciple him.

As Luke undertakes the opportunity to witness, he does so as the "least likely" in many people's opinion. He writes as the only Gentile writer in the New Testament and from the position of a layman.
Luke invested his time and energy writing the Gospel of Luke on a scroll approximately 25 feet long.
Some people argue that the name Theophilus originated from two Greek words that formed a compound word which means "God lovers." Their conjecture is that this refers to a category of people who may be identified as "God lovers." If you read in Luke 1:3, you find this possibility is ruled out because Luke addresses his Gospel to one entitled "most excellent Theophilus."

It was not uncommon for writers in literary circles to dedicate their books to distinguished persons. We have the example of the Jewish historian Josephus (A.D. 37-c.100), who dedicated his two-part work, Against Apion, to an individual named Epaphroditus.
Josephus introduced his first volume by addressing him as: "Epaphroditus, most excellent [kratiste] of men" (1:1). (In citations from Josephus, the first number will refer to his book number and the second to the numbers used in the Greek text which also appear in English translations.)
The second book of Against Apion began with these words: "By means of the former volume, my most honored Epaphroditus, I have demonstrated our antiquity..." (2:1). Here we see opening words that are strikingly similar to Luke's dedication.
Luke's dedication to his gospel implies that Theophilus may have been interested in discipleship, or was already a Christian. There, Luke told Theophilus that he wrote Luke-Acts for him, "So that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught" (Luke 1:4). F.F. Bruce painted the following fairly reasonable portrait of Theophilus. He wrote: "It is quite probable that Theophilus was a representative member of the intelligent middle-class public at Rome whom Luke wished to win over to a less prejudiced and more favorable opinion of Christianity than that which was current among them....Theophilus had already learned something about the rise and progress of Christianity, and Luke's aim was to put him in possession of more accurate information than he already had," The International Commentary on the New Testament, "The Book of Acts," revised edition, page 29."
However, Luke must have had a much wider readership in view than just Theophilus. The fact that both the gospel and Acts have survived indicates that the two volumes were copied, widely distributed in the churches, and publicly read.
While not explicitly stated, Luke's purpose in Acts seems to be to show the continuing work of Jesus, carried out by the power of the Holy Spirit and through the agency of the Church. In short, Luke is saying that Jesus is alive, and his life and work proceed in the Church--and in greater power.

The Muratorian canon confirms the Lukan authorship of the Book of Acts: "Moreover the Acts of the Apostles are included in one book. Luke addressed them to the most excellent Theophilus, because the several events took place when he was present; he makes this plain by the omission of the passion of Peter and of the journey of Paul when he left Rome for Spain."

Sermon Preparation

Got his from David Hocking while I was in School of Ministry - maybe someone can use it.

SEVEN STEPS OF SERMON PREPARATION
By David Hocking
1. PRAY
Psalm 119:18,125,130; James 1:5-8
2. READ AND REREAD THE PASSAGE
Timothy 4:13; Revelation 1:3 (use various translations)
3. EXAMINE THE CONTEXT THOROUGHLY
A. Make a note of all conjunctions and adverbs
B. Consider the theme and organization of the book
C. Note the number of paragraphs
D. Determine if your passage is dependent upon that which precedes it or follows it
4. DISCOVER THE MEANING AND USAGE OF KEY WORDS
A. Find out how many times a given word is used (concordance)
B. Find out the meaning of the word (lexicon and dictionary)
C. Analyse the form of the word (verb, noun, participle, tense, voice mood, gender, number, etc.)
D. Compare other Scriptures that use the word (concordance and works like Treasury of Scripture
Knowledge)
5. DEVELOP THE OUTLINE FROM THE PASSAGE
(Never impose an outline upon a passage)
A. Note the number of paragraphs
B. Find the central point in each paragraph
C. List the main verbs
D. Place nouns & participles (verbal nouns) under each verb to which they relate or
upon which they are dependent (subjects and objects)
E. Put pronouns, adjectives, participles (verbal adjectives), and prepositional phrases under the
nouns they modify
F. Make your points dependent upon each main point immediately above them
G. Ask yourself what the connection is
Are they questions? Are they issues? Are they reasons? Are they insights? etc.
6. USE COMMENTARIES FOR ADDITIONAL HELP
A. REASONS to check the commentaries
1. To make sure you are not overlooking something
2. To see the possibilities of interpretation
3. To gain a greater understanding of the passage
4. To keep yourself from pride and arrogance over what "you" have discovered!
B. TYPES of commentaries
1. Sermonic -compilation of sermons that were actually preached
2. Devotional -emphasis on application (watch out for those that become allegorical when it is not indicated in the passage where symbolical language is involved)
3. Expository -emphasizes understanding of the passage and the context, relying upon a historical and grammatical approach to interpretation
4. Exegetical- emphasis on the meaning and usage of words
7. SELECT YOUR TITLE AND EVALUATE YOUR APPLICATIONS
A. Does it reflect what the passage actually teaches?
B. Does it touch on human need?
C. Does it communicate to this generation?

REMEMBER -You don't make the Bible powerful; it already is the power of God! What we need is the power of the Holy Spirit in our preparation as well as in our preaching!