Bible Study WHAT HAPPENED IN ACTS?

[Dave...]

OT SAINTS SAVED BY FAITH

First, to grasp what was happening in Acts, you must understand that the OT saints were also saved by faith. They put their faith in God that He would provide a Savior. God had passed over their sins until Christ died on the cross.

Hebrews 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

No ceremonial things ever saved anybody. This includes animal sacrifices, which pointed towards Christs death on the cross and was a reminder of sin, and also includes water baptism, which is an outward expression of an inward truth. No "types" can save. (read Hebrews 9)

Romans 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, To demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

God had passed over the sins committed by OT saints until Christ's substitutionary death on the cross. The OT saints still living after Jesus' death on the cross needed to be born again. The OT saints who were already physically dead, by their faith, were saved. They had to wait and were kept in the paradise side of hades until their sins were atoned for on the cross.

See the link for a greater explanation.

HE LED THE CAPTIVES FREE AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN
http://www.biblestudymanuals.net/eph4v9.htm

Read the link, it's worth your time and will lay out a foundation for you to understand this part. This is not the complete picture, but should help to get a basic understanding of what was happening.

WHAT HAPPENED IN ACTS?

A person cannot be born again without being baptized into Jesus' death and raised up with Him, this is what it means to be born again. This spiritual baptism is done by Jesus with the Holy Spirit, hence the term 'baptism with the Holy Spirit.' Nobody in the OT could be born again because there was no death or resurrection to be baptized into. They were kept in the paradise side of Hades until then. These OT saints needed to wait for Jesus to die on the cross to pay for there sins (Romans 3:25-26) before they could go to heaven (John 3:13, Ephesians 4:7-9). The OT saints still living needed to be upgraded (Born again), It was due to them (promise of the Father) because they had faith, but to be baptized into the Body of Christ by Jesus with the Holy Spirit, they first needed for Jesus to die on the cross to atone for their sins, to be resurrected, and to ascend and be glorified, sitting at the right hand of the Father. Then, and only then could He send the promise of the Father, 'the' Helper, 'the' Holy Spirit, who is the Agent of this spiritual baptism, so they could be baptized into His death and resurrection, i.e. born again, made one with Him, baptised into the Church-His Spiritual Body-"in Christ". After the transition of bringing OT saints (still living) to NT standards, the norm is "we are all baptised with one Spirit into one Body" (1 Corinthians 12:13). This happens for us now the first moment we believe in faith.


The difference between the nature of the relationship between the Holy Spirit and saints from the OT to the NT can be seen in John 14:16-18.

The Church is the Body of Christ. Ephesians 1:23, Colossians 1:24

Christ is the Head of the Church. Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 5:23

The birth of the Church. Acts 2 (birth = the first born again, the first baptized into the Body)

This is still a future event in Acts 1:5, Jesus ascended in Acts 1:9, Holy Spirit given Acts 2:33.

To be baptized with the Holy Spirit by Jesus is how we are born again. Romans 6:3-6, Colossians 2:9-12.

Jesus is the prophesied baptizer. Matthew 3:10-12, John 1:33-34, Acts 1:5

The Holy Spirit is the agent of baptism. 1 Corinthians 12:13

You cannot be born again unless you are baptized into the Body of Christ. Romans 6:3-6, Colossians 2:9-12.

His baptism with the Holy Spirit is that which saves (not water baptism). 1 Peter 3:21, Titus 3:5


Conditions that needed to be met. Nobody could be born again until.........

----A) Jesus died and was resurrected to atone for our sins.

----B) We were given the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit who is the agent of baptism, who will be the seal of our inheritance.


After Jesus' death and resurrection, 'the' Holy Spirit--'the' Promise of the Father--'the' agent of baptism, could then only be given after these happened first as prophesied.

...........1) Christ must go away, depart, physically seen no more. John 16:7, John 16:10.

...........2) He must be glorified. John 7:39.

...........3) To "send" the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, John 15:26, Acts 1:4-5) He must first go away.

...........4) He must go to the Father. John 16:7-10.


At Pentecost the conditions were met. (Acts 2:33)

1) They were not seeing Him (physically ascended)

2) He was glorified (exalted)

3) He could then "send" the Holy Spirit.

4) He was with the Father, at his right hand.

This is part of the transition from the OT to the NT. After those who were alive, in faith, both before and after Christ's death, resurrection and ascention, received the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit as the Agent of their baptism by Jesus into union with Him, being born again, the transition was over.


For us now...

We are all baptized into one Body. (Spiritual baptism, not water) 1 Corinthians 12:13 (norm for today)

There is one Body, one baptism. (Spiritual baptism, not water) Ephesians 4:4-6, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

When you are baptized (Spiritual baptism, not water) into Christ and Born again, you are complete in Him. Colossians 2:9-12, 2 Peter 1:3-4

There is no need of a second blessing. John 3:34

Even during this transitional period, the saved by faith (old covenant) Old Testament saints needed to be upgraded to the New Testament baptism (born again, baptized into the body of Christ, the Church.) Acts 19:1-7.

This Gift from Acts 11:15 (the Holy Spirits permanent indwelling, sealed until the day of redemption) was the same Gift given to the Apostles at the beginning, i.e. The birth of the Church, which is Now for all nations and people. Acts 2:38, Acts 2:39. (also notice it is speaking of "the" Holy Spirit as the Gift.

Christ was the first in preeminence. Colossians 1:18

John 7:39, John 14:16-17, John 14:26, John 15:16, John 16:7, John 16:10 were all fulfilled at Pentecost Acts 2:33, and not John 20:21-22.

Continued...

 

[Dave...]

" the believers in Samaria who were converted under the ministry of Philip had to wait a short while to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, until Peter and John came up to Samaria and layed hands on the converts (Acts 8:17). In that unique transitional situation as the Church was beginning, those particular believers had to wait for the Holy Spirit, but they were not told to seek Him. The purpose for that exception was to demonstrate to the apostles, and to bring word back to the Jewish believers in general, that the same Holy Spirit baptized and filled Samaritan believers as baptized and filled Jewish believers--just a short while later Peter and a few other Jewish Christians were sent to witness to Cornelius and his household in order to be convinced that the gospel was for all men and to see that "the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also"(Acts 10:44-45). Those special transitional events did not represent the norm, as our present text makes clear, but were given to indicate to all that the body was one"....

"Why did the Samaritans (and later the Gentiles) have to wait for the apostles before receiving the Spirit? For centuries, the Samaritans and the Jews had been bitter rivals. If the Samaritans had received the Spirit independent of the Jerusalem, that rift would have been perpetuated. There could well have been two separate churches, a Jewish church and a Samaritan church. But God had designed one church, in which "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female," but "all are one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:2.)...

By delaying the Spirit's coming until Peter and John arrived, God preserved the unity of the church. The apostles needed to see for themselves, and give firsthand testimony to the Jerusalem church, that the Spirit came upon the Samaritans. The Samaritans also needed to learn that they were subject to apostolic authority. The Jewish believers and Samaritans were thus linked together in one body....

Today, believers receive the Spirit at salvation (cf.1 Cor. 12:13). There was no need for delay after Jews, Gentiles, Samaritans, and Old Testament saints were already included in the church. (Macarthur)


Today...

"Being filled with the spirit must be distinguished from being baptized with the spirit. The apostle Paul carefully defines the baptism with the spirit as that act of Christ by which He places believers into His body (Romans 6:4-6; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27). In contrast to much errant teaching today, the New Testament nowhere commands believers to seek the baptism with the Holy Spirit. It is a sovereign, single, unrepeatable act on Gods part, and is no more an experience than are its companions justification and adoption. Although some wrongly view the baptism with the Spirit as the initiation into the ranks of the spiritual elite, nothing could be further from the truth. The purpose of the baptism with the spirit is not to divide the body of Christ, but to unify it. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, through the baptism with the Spirit "we were all baptized into one body" (1 Corinthians 12:13; cf. Galatians 3:26-27; Ephesians 4:4-6)

Unlike the baptism with the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit is an experience and should be continuous. Although filled initially on the day of Pentecost, Peter was filled again in Acts 4:8. Many of the same people filled with the Spirit in Acts 2 were filled again in Acts 4:31. Acts 6:5 describes Stephen as a man "full of faith and the Holy Spirit," yet Acts 7:55 records his being filled again. Paul was filled with the Spirit in Acts 9:17 and again in Acts 13:9.

While there is no command in scripture to be baptized with the Spirit, believers are commanded to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18 ). The grammatical construction of that passage indicates believers are to be continuously being filled with the Spirit. Those who would be filled with the Spirit must first empty themselves. That involves confession of sin and dying to selfishness and self will. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to consciously practice the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and to have a mind saturated with the Word of God. Colossians 3:16-25 delineates the results of "letting the word of Christ richly dwell" in us. They are the same ones that result from the filling of the Spirit (Ephesians 5:19-33). As believers yield the moment by moment decisions of life to His control, they "walk by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16). The baptism of the Spirit grants the power that the filling with the Spirit unleashes." (Macarthur)

 

[Dave...]

PARADISE

"While Paradise is not now a part of Sheol/Hades it will be mentioned here because it was located in Sheol/Hades at one time. Before the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ everybody who died went to Sheol/Hades, which was at that time divided into at least two compartments. One was a place of torment while the other was a place of blessing, which was referred to as Abraham's Bosom (Lk. 16:22-25). As we mentioned before, Tartarus may be a specific place in Sheol/Hades.

We know that Jesus Christ went "into the lower parts of the earth" (Eph. 4:9), that is to Sheol/Hades, "in the heart of the earth," for three days and nights while his body was in the grave (Mat. 12:40). The Lord Jesus told the repentant thief that he would join Him in Paradise that same day (Lk. 23:42,43). This tells us that Paradise was located in Sheol/Hades at that time. We believe that this was the same place referred to as Abraham's Bosom in Luke 16. However, after Jesus Christ rose from the dead He ascended to the Father, taking the saints who were in Abraham's Bosom to heaven with Him. Thus, He took "captivity captive" (see Eph. 4:8-10).

That Paradise was moved to heaven is confirmed to us by the Apostle Paul who speaks of a man who was "caught up into Paradise" where he "heard unspeakable words" (II Cor. 12:3,4). With Jesus Christ's work complete, the believers who had been confined to Sheol/Hades were now taken to Heaven to wait in God's presence until the time of their resurrection to enter His Kingdom on Earth. Since that time, at death all believers go to Paradise in Heaven to await the time of their resurrection. This is true whether they belong to the Kingdom Church of the future or the Body of Christ Church of the present Dispensation of Grace."

 

[Dave...]

Old Testament saints all died in faith not having received the promises made to Abraham (Gen. 17:4, 18:18, 22:18; Rom. 4:13; Gal. 3:7, 9, 14, 29...

4:28 "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise."(see Eph. 2:12-22)

Gal. 3:16, 19 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ....What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Isa. 32:15, Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest.

44:3, For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;

59:21, "As for Me," says the Lord, "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants' descendants," says the Lord, "from this time and forevermore."

Jer. 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

32:40, And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.

Ezek.11:19, Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,

36:27, I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

Galatians 3:14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Acts 1:4, 5, And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

John 7:38, 39, He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

16:7, 13: 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. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

14:16, 17: And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

In Eph. 1:13 "Holy Spirit of promise."

Hebrews 11:39. And all these (OT saints), having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

Gal. 3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed."