Title: Bethany Covenant Church
1Book of Acts
2Book of Acts
- Chapter 81b-40
- The Pure and the Phony
3Pure Phony
- Persecution Acts 81-4
- Preaching of Philip Acts 85-8
- Phony Acts 89-11
- Profession Acts 812-13
- Power Acts 814-17
- Payment Acts 818-19
- Pronouncement Acts 820-23
- Prayer Acts 824-25
4When the Going Got Tough, the Tough Left Town!
- And there arose on that day a great persecution
against the church in Jerusalem, and they were
all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and
Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried
Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But
Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house
after house, he dragged off men and women and
committed them to prison. Now those who were
scattered went about preaching the word.
Acts 81b-4
Does not say they were Christians. Some believe
these were Jews who did not approve of the
persecution and murder.
Scattered is the same word used in Matthew 13 to
describe the sower of the seed
5It Took 81 To Make 18 Happen
- But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit
has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses
in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to
the end of the earth." Acts 18
- And there arose on that day a great persecution
against the church in Jerusalem, and they were
all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and
Samaria, except the apostles. Acts 81
6Philip the Deacon
Not Philip the Apostle. This Philip was one of
the 7 deacons in Acts 65
Jews avoided Samaria and considered the
Samaritans half-breeds and half-faithful. These
people descended from the northern tribes and
worshiped at Mt. Gerizim, which irritated Jews.
- Philip went down to a city in Samaria and
proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds
heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did,
they all paid close attention to what he said.
Acts 85-6
The proclamation is that the Jesus they heard
about is the Christ (Greek) Messiah (Hebrew)
Philip was given power to perform miracles
because he was engaging in spiritual battles
7- Have we seen this before?
- The evil spirit shook the man violently and came
out of him with a shriek. Mark 126 - Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down
before him and cried out, You are the Son of
God. Mark 311 - The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and
came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse
that many said, Hes dead. Mark 926
With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and
many paralytics and cripples were healed. So
there was great joy in that city. Acts 87-8
8Simon Magus, was a magician, probably working in
the occult, sorcery, astrology, divination,
fortune telling and potions.
- Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced
sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of
Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,
and all the people, both high and low, gave him
their attention and exclaimed, This man is the
divine power known as the Great Power. Acts
89-10
9And they paid attention to him because for a long
time he had amazed them with his magic. But when
they believed Philip as he preached good news
about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus
Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he
followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the
great signs and miracles he saw. Acts 811-13
Notice No mention of the Holy Spirit. This will
be an issue later.
Notice No repentance. This will also be an issue
later.
10- When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria
had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and
John to them. Acts 814
11Rocky Son of Thunder
- Recall that John was not exactly a supporter of
Samaria. John and James were called sons of
thunder for a reason. In Luke 9 they ask if
Jesus would let them call fire down on Samaria
because the people rejected Jesus.
- As the time approached for him to be taken up to
heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a
Samaritan village to get things ready for him
but the people there did not welcome him, because
he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples
James and John saw this, they asked, Lord, do
you want us to call fire down from heaven to
destroy them? But Jesus turned and rebuked them,
Luke 951-55
12When they arrived, they prayed for them that they
might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy
Spirit had not yet come upon any of them they
had simply been baptized into the name of the
Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their
hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 815-17
Why this delay in granting the Spirit?
God, who knows the heart, showed that he
accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them,
just as he did to us. He made no distinction
between us and them, for he purified their hearts
by faith. Acts 158-9
13When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the
laying on of the apostles hands, he offered them
money and said, Give me also this ability so
that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive
the Holy Spirit. Acts 818 -19
Simony To buy or sell a church office
14- But Peter said to him, May your silver perish
with you, because you thought you could obtain
the gift of God with money! You have neither part
nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not
right before God. Acts 820-21
The Fall of Simon MagusBenozzo Gozzoli
Simon Magus was asking to purchase a trade secret
from a fellow professional. But Simon Peter
wanted him to understand that he is dealing with
eternal destruction, not simply earthly power and
entertainment.
15Simon vs. Simon
Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord.
Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a
thought in your heart. For I see that you are
full of bitterness and captive to sin. Then
Simon answered, Pray to the Lord for me so that
nothing you have said may happen to me. Acts
822-24
Notice Simon apparently feels he cannot pray for
himself here. He asks the apostles to pray for
him.
He wants protection, not repentance.
Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, Pray
to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my
people, and I will let your people go to offer
sacrifices to the Lord. Exodus 88
16Apostles witness return to Jerusalem
- When they had testified and proclaimed the word
of the Lord, Peter and John returned to
Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan
villages. Acts 825
Last mention of John in Acts.
17- Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, Go
south to the roadthe desert roadthat goes down
from Jerusalem to Gaza. So he started out, and
on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an
important official in charge of all the treasury
of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. Acts 826-27a
Why did the angel of the Lord NOT give the gospel
message directly to the eunuch?
Notice Philip does not question the angel. He
just obeys.
Remember who is writing this A doctor. Wouldnt
you expect a doctor to notice such things?
18If the eunuch was bodily a eunuch and was a Jew,
be probably would have been excluded from the
Temple worship. Deut. 231
- This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on
his way home was sitting in his chariot reading
the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told
Philip, Go to that chariot and stay near it.
Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the
man reading Isaiah the prophet. Do you
understand what you are reading? Philip asked.
Acts 827b-30
Notice Spirit here, but angel before
No record of Jesus ever running. This showed that
the chariot was moving and Philip had to catch
up. It also demonstrates Philips immediate
obedience.
19- How can I, he said, unless someone explains it
to me? So he invited Philip to come up and sit
with him. The eunuch was reading this passage of
Scripture He was led like a sheep to the
slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is
silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his
humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can
speak of his descendants? For his life was taken
from the earth. Acts 831-33
Note A eunuch will have no descendants.
20- The eunuch asked Philip, Tell me, please, who is
the prophet talking about, himself or someone
else? Then Philip began with that very passage
of Scripture and told him the good news about
Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came
to some water and the eunuch said, Look, here is
water. Why shouldnt I be baptized? And he gave
orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and
the eunuch went down into the water and Philip
baptized him. Acts 834-38
- Philip didnt tell the eunuch he first needed to
read something else or start at another passage.
He took him from where he was. - Philip didnt first talk to him about his
condition, or put any pre-conditions on the Bible
study. He took him as he found him. - Philip answered the question.
Why this question?
Why shouldnt I be baptized?
21What was eunuchs concern?
- Race and color
- Religion
- Geography
- Location (Desert)
- Physical defects
- Language
- Culture
22- When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of
the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the
eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way
rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus
and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all
the towns until he reached Caesarea. Acts 839-40
Philip left as he came by divine intervention
Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and
stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one
of the Seven. Acts 218
23Simon Magus
- Irenaeus and the others regard Simon Magus as
the first major heretic, the initiator of a long
chain of interrelated errors. - "Gnostic motifs were already felt in Christian
circles in the Age of the Apostles. Early church
tradition attributes the rise of Gnosticism to
Simon Magus, briefly mentioned in Acts 89-24. - New Bible Dictionary
- Harold O.J. Brown, Heresies
24False Gospel Message
- I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting
the one who called you by the grace of Christ and
are turning to a different gospel which is
really no gospel at all. Evidently some people
are throwing you into confusion and are trying to
pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or
an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other
than the one we preached to you, let him be
eternally condemned! As we have already said, so
now I say again If anybody is preaching to you a
gospel other than what you accepted, let him be
eternally condemned! Galatians 16-9
25Jude 3-4
- Dear friends, although I was very eager to write
to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had
to write and urge you to contend for the faith
that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
For certain men whose condemnation was written
about long ago have secretly slipped in among
you. They are godless men, who change the grace
of our God into a license for immorality and deny
Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
26False Knowledge
- Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your
care. Turn away from godless chatter and the
opposing ideas of what is falsely called
knowledge, which some have professed and in so
doing have wandered from the faith. 1 Timothy
620-21 - Knowledge Gnosis Gnostic
27Gnostic Heresy
- Gnosticism is the doctrine of salvation by
knowledge. (New Advent, Catholic Encyclopedia)
28Gnostic Redeemer
- Among the Samaritans a popular form of
Gnosticism made Simon Magus the redeemer. - The Early Church, Chadwick, H.
29Gnostic Heresy
- Matter was evil, spirit alone was good, the world
is bad and the body is bad, being a prison for
the soul. - Gnosticism pictured a redeemer coming from Heaven
to earth in human appearance to liberate mankind
from enslavement to the world of matter.
30Pop Quiz
- What was the name of the Queen of Ethiopia?
- Candace
- What was the name of the magician in Samaria?
- Simon Magus
- Simon Magus was known as the G______ P______?
- Great Power
- Offering money for a church office is known as
what? - Simony
- Was Philip one of the 12 apostles?
- No, he was a deacon
- The angel told Philip to go down what road?
- Desert Road
- The eunuch was reading from what book?
- Isaiah
- What was the eunuchs name?
- We dont know
31Bibliography
- The College Press NIV commentary Acts. Joplin,
Mo. College Press. - Matthew Henrys Commentary on the Whole Bible.
- The IVP New Testament commentary series Acts.
Downers, Ill., USA InterVarsity Press.