Acts: The Gospel Unleashed Part 25
Notes
Transcript
Radium
In 1898, Marie and Pierre Curie, two of the most prominent pioneers in researching radioactivity, discovered the element radium. Radium was particularly intriguing because it glowed in the dark, and as Marie noted, “These gleamings seemed suspended in the darkness [and] stirred us with ever-new emotion and enchantment”
Soon enough, the radium craze was on. After it was observed that radium could treat cancer, many people mistakenly thought it could also be used to treat other diseases as well. Before long, radium was widely considered a “miracle” substance, sold in pharmacies for all kinds of ailments. It was also widely believed that radium could prevent aging, and companies sold radium toothpaste, radium cosmetics, and even radium water.
Around this time, American inventor William J. Hammer went to Paris and obtained a sample of radium salt crystals from the Curies. Hammer discovered that by mixing the radium with glue and zinc sulfide, he could make glow-in-the-dark paint. His discovery would soon be used by the U.S. Radium Corporation to manufacture wristwatches with radium-painted dials. Advertisements for the product, which they called Undark, boasted of how it was all "made possible by the magic of radium!" U.S. Radium would also receive government contracts during World War I to produce watches and airplane instruments for American soldiers.
US Radium hired ladies to paint the radium onto wrist watches and other services. They did - Because the concotion of glue and zinc sulfide didn’t treat the brushes well - the ladies developed a stratagy for coping with this - they would lick the brushes and use their lips to tame these stray bricles.
The smallest Addition to the gospel is essentially - no matter how helpful laminating is not life but death!
But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.
So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.
When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.
But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.
And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,
and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me.
Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name.
And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
“ ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,
that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things
known from of old.’
Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,
but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.
For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers,
with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.
Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,
it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:
that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.
And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.
And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.
But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
How can I have a right relationship with the Living God?
How can I have a right relationship with the Living God?
The Scriptures give us a real view of God’s real people.
The Scriptures give us a real view of God’s real people.
And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.
Same word Luke used in the gospel to describe Barabbas’ crimes.
a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder.
Tony Merida
We should always go to battle when the gospel is at stake.
Confusion about the gospel often causes conflict within the church.
Confusion about the gospel often causes conflict within the church.
We must continually clarify the gospel.
We must continually clarify the gospel.
Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
We must reject anything that is added to the finished work of Christ.
We must reject anything that is added to the finished work of Christ.
Your salvation does not rest in your obedience but in the obedience of Christ.
God determined to found the New Kingdom through Christ which would contain both Jews and Gentiles.
Albert Mohler Said
James, therefore, comes to understand the Gentiles’ inclusion in God’s people as the fulfillment of a prophecy long ago declared in the Hebrew Scriptures. He quotes from Amos 9:11-12 (for a similar theme, see Jeremiah 12:15). In so doing, James recalls the very voice of God, who spoke through the prophets his plan of redemption, which would rebuild the house of David with a new remnant—a multitude of people from all the nations. When Jesus established the new kingdom, he fulfilled that prophetic promise and founded the restored house of David which would include Jews and Gentiles.
We must handle the convictions of our brothers and sisters with care.
We must handle the convictions of our brothers and sisters with care.
James suggests an appeal to the Gentiles to avoid some practices that may offend Jewish believers. (His goal is to encourage healthy fellowship.) James wants the Gentiles to know that where Moses is read and respected, Jewish believers might be understandably sensitive about certain things; thus, out of love for their brothers, the Gentiles should avoid certain practices.
He asks the Gentile believers to avoid contact with (1) pollution that comes from idols, (2) immorality (probably the kind associated with pagan rites and temple prostitution, though he may also have intrafamilial relations in view; Lev 17–18), (3) strangled things (probably a reference to what happens to animals consumed among the Gentiles), and (4) blood (Leviticus prohibits eating meat with blood that hasn’t been properly drained; cf. Lev 17:10-14; Acts 15:29; 21:25). James provided a wise policy that would uphold the gospel of grace while helping preserve Jew-Gentile fellowship. Grace is defended and displayed.
“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.
Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience—
I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience?
Never sacrifice the conscience of your brother on the altar of your pride.
Never sacrifice the conscience of your brother on the altar of your pride.
Paul humbly submitted himself to the needs of those around him. If his actions could cause any offense, he abstained from those behaviors, even if they were not sinful. Paul’s attitude and James’ command in Acts 15 call all believers to subordinate personal preferences to the needs of others.
The grace that saves us is the grace that should be displayed in our interaction with others.