Attitude check: I Corinthians 13:4

How do I know the Holy Spirit is talking to me? (continued)

• These promises to the apostles began to be fulfilled in Acts 1-2.

• We might wonder if the phrase in Acts 2:38 (“the gift of the Holy Spirit”) means that all people receive some supernatural communication or power from the Spirit.

  • Numerous examples show that baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit in a miraculous way were two separate things. Acts 8:16-18; 10:44-48; 19:1-7

  • So, what is the “gift of the Holy Spirit” that is received at baptism?

    • For centuries, the Holy Spirit had been saying (through prophets) that salvation was coming.

      • Hebrews 3:7; 4:7

      • Jeremiah 31:34; Isaiah 53:11; Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21

      • Salvation was the gift!

• I should not be waiting for something miraculous to occur to either produce or confirm my salvation.

• So, does God do anything today?

  • What God does in answer to our prayers is beyond our ability to know.

  • God is not going to contradict the written word. Galatians 1:6-9

  • God wants us to pay attention to the revealed gospel. Hebrews 1:1-2; 2:1-4

• James 1:5

• II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:3; Jude 1:3

Does the New Covenant authorize worship with instruments?

• God has always been very strict about keeping His word exactly.

  • Acts 16:25

  • Romans 15:9

  • I Corinthians 14:15

  • Ephesians 5:19

  • Colossians 3:16

  • Hebrews 2:12

  • Hebrews 13:15

  • James 5:13

  • We have zero New Covenant passages authorizing Christians to worship through instruments.

  • It’s easy to see that singing is authorized, but there is no clear authority for instruments as worship.

  • Matthew 15:1-9; Colossians 3:17; II John 1:9 – God warns us about staying within what He has specifically authorized.

  • Deuteronomy 4:2; Galatians 1:6-9; Revelation 22:18-19

• Are instruments just aids for singing?

  • When God authorized something, He narrows it down to a certain degree.

  • Instruments are not just aids – they add a new type of music.

Lesson six, continued:

• Andrew after death

  • Relics of apostles

  • Motivations for worship diverted

  • Were Andrew’s remains moved about?

• Andrew’s relics

  • Initially buried in Patra

  • Constantius moved all but head to Istanbul

    • Part of his father’s collection

    • Church of the Holy Apostles

  • Head moved to Rome in 1460

    • Save it from being taken by invading Muslims

    • Returned to Greece in 1964 by Roman Catholic Church

Lesson seven

• James son of Zebedee in scripture

  • Matthew 4:18-22

    • Brother of John

    • Son of Zebedee

    • Fisherman

  • With James, one of Sons of Thunder – Mark 3:17

  • Wanted to destroy Samaritan village – Luke 9:51-56

  • Requested special status – Matthew 20:20-28

  • At the transfiguration – Matthew 17:1-9

  • On watch while Jesus prayed – Matthew 26:36-37

  • His mother also followed Jesus – Matthew 27:55-56

  • Executed by Herod Agrippa (AD 44) – Acts 12:1-2

• Traditions about James

  • Went to Sardinia during first persecution

    • Herod Agrippa’s deportation of Jews in AD 19

    • Jewish enclave had grown very large by AD 33

    • James went there to teach them the gospel

  • Continued on to Spain

    • Taught Jewish enclaves there

    • Made his way across Spain to Compostela

  • Returned to Jerusalem in AD 44

  • Took gospel to Spain – why Spain?

    • Gospel had only spread as far as Samaria

    • Spain not eyed as missionary field until AD 54

      • Paul in Romans 15:24-28

      • Ten years after death of James

      • Desire might have been to visit Christians in Spain

  • Remains were divided

    • Head remained in Jerusalem

    • Body taken first to Sinai, then Spain

      • Save it from pillaging by invading Persians in 2nd century

      • Return it to the farthest reach of his missionary efforts

    • Head remains in Jerusalem

      • Hidden under a wall when Persians invaded

      • Kept in Armenian cathedral in Jerusalem

    • No way to authenticate remains’ identity

  • Foreign missions highly unlikely

    • James executed in AD 44

    • Only 11 years from Pentecost to death

    • “Apostles” mentioned just previous to Acts 2

      • Acts 1; 2; 4:33-37; 5; 6:6; 8:1; 9:27; 11:1

      • No discernable time period for his absence

      • “Apostles” = ALL the apostles?

    • Still, not completely impossible

    • Note Acts 3:1-4, 11; 4:13, 19; 8:14-15

    • No positive conclusions can be made

  • Remains moved to Spain

    • Santiago de Compostela

    • “Saint James of Compostela”

  • About early eighth century

    • Just prior to Moorish invasion

    • Second largest pilgrimage site for Europeans

      • Jerusalem

      • Rome

  • “Rediscovered” – twice!!

Luke 16:19-31

Universalism refuted

• Luke 16:22-23 – One saved, one not.

Materialism refuted

• Luke 16:24-25 – Both still existed after death.

• The eternal spirit lives on after death. The material is not all there is.

• II Corinthians 4:16; 5:1

• Ecclesiastes 12:7

Spiritualism refuted

• Luke 16:27-29 – The dead could not commune with the living.

Soul sleeping refuted

• Some teach that at death, the soul sleeps until judgment.

• Luke 16:24-25 – Both were still conscious.

Predestination refuted

• Some teach that God selected certain people to be saved before time began.

• Luke 16:28-29 – His brothers could hear Moses and repent.

• Man has a choice in the matter!

Purgatory (second chance) refuted

• Luke 16:26 – Gulf could not be crossed.

Authority = right, liberty

Deity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 1:2; John 16:7)

• → Inspired people: apostles, prophets (John 16:13; Acts 8:18)

• → Inspired scripture: Bible (I Thessalonians 2:13)

Gather all the facts

• Commands

  • Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 17:7-10; I Corinthians 7:19; I Thessalonians 4:1-2, 11; II Thessalonians 3:4-6; II Peter 2:21-3:2; I John 2:3-4; 3:22-24; 4:21-5:3; II John 1:4-6

• Statements

  • Psalms 119:104; Matthew 10:34-37; 15:9; 21:42-45; Acts 20:35

• Examples

  • John 15:12; Acts 20:35; I Corinthians 4:16; 10:6-11; 11:1; Philippians 3:17; 4:9; I Thessalonians 1:6; II Thessalonians 3:7-9; Hebrews 4:11; III John 1:9-11

• Inferences

  • Creation → Romans 1:18-21

  • Genesis 2:24-25 → Matthew 19:3-6

  • Genesis 14:18-20 + Psalms 110:4 → Hebrews 7:7-11; 8:6

  • Exodus 3:6 → Mark 12:26-27

  • Psalms 16:10 → Acts 2:24-32

  • Psalms 110:1 → Matthew 22:41-46; Acts 2:33-36

  • Matthew 9:6 → Matthew 9:2

  • Acts 16:9 → Acts 16:10

Harmonize the facts into a conclusion

• Acts 10

  • Vision: unclean animals, “God has cleansed” (Acts 10:10-16)

  • Spirit: “accompany them” (Acts 10:19-20)

  • Angel to Cornelius: “send for … Peter” (Acts 10:5, 22)

  • → Peter infers/concludes: “I should not call any man unholy or unclean” (Acts 10:28, 34-35)

• Acts 11

  • The vision and the commands (Acts 11:5-10)

  • The angel telling Cornelius to send messengers (Acts 11:11-14)

  • Holy Spirit’s command for Peter to go with them (Acts 11:12)

  • The Holy Spirit falling on the Gentiles (Acts 11:15-16)

  • → Jews infer/conclude: “God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:18)

• Acts 15

  • Peter: inference from events with Cornelius (Acts 15:6-11)

  • Paul and Barnabas: examples from 1st preaching journey (Acts 15:12)

  • James: statements from prophets (Acts 15:13-18)

  • → Apostles and elders lead them to a conclusion: “do not trouble” Gentiles (Acts 15:19)

• I Corinthians 9

  • Statement: Deuteronomy 25:4 (I Corinthians 9:9a)

  • Inference: from Deuteronomy 25:4 (I Corinthians 9:9b-10)

  • Example: Old Covenant priests (I Corinthians 9:13)

  • Command: Jesus, Luke 10:7-8 (I Corinthians 9:14)

  • → Paul leads them to a conclusion: Preachers have a “right” to support (I Corinthians 9:4-6, 18)

What we need to know

• We must reason logically and objectively from the text (Acts 17:2, 17; 18:4, 19, 28)

• The failure to do so has resulted in tons of religious division and error (Matthew 15:3-9)

• This did not originate with the Restoration Movement (II Timothy 2:15)

Attitude check: Galatians 1:6-7; 4:16 – When we disagree, the point is to unify on truth.

Why don’t you call your preacher the “Pastor?” (continued)

• Three Greek words are used in the New Testament to refer to the men who are appointed as leaders and watch over the souls in a local church.

  • Presbuteros – elder, presbyter

  • Episkopos – overseer, bishop

  • Poimen – pastor, shepherd

• How do we know these words all refer to the same man?

  • Acts 20:17, 28; I Peter 5:1-2 – These passages use the terms interchangeably.

• Don’t preachers feed the flock, thus making them pastors/shepherds?

  • Yes, they do, but so do other people: song leaders, scripture readers, those who bring short lessons, etc.

  • The Bible makes a distinction between anyone who feeds the flock and those who are specifically designated with special responsibilities. I Timothy 3; Titus 1

• Why this matters

  • We don’t want to imply that preachers have some unauthorized role or authority within a congregation.

  • We don’t want to rob elders of their proper role and authority.

How do I know when the Holy Spirit is talking to me?

• Don’t take Jesus’ promises to the apostles as promises to us.

  • Jesus made several promises about the Holy Spirit to the apostles. Those promises are often quoted today as if Jesus was making promises to all people for all time.

  • John 13-17 – Jesus was speaking with His apostles.

    • Matthew 26:20; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14

    • John 14:26; 15:27

  • “You”: apostles, not all believers everywhere for all time

    • John 14:16-17, 25-26 – Holy Spirit would teach and inspire perfect memories.

    • John 15:26-27

    • John 16:7-13

  • Jesus prayed with and for the apostles in John 17 and then that’s the end of the section (John 18:1).

• These promises to the apostles began to be fulfilled in Acts 1-2.

  • Acts 1:1-8 – Jesus gave orders to the apostles.

  • Acts 1:14-15 – Other people mentioned, but subject returns to the apostles in Acts 1:26.

  • Only the apostles were speaking in tongues in Acts 2.

  • Acts 2:7 and 1:11

  • Acts 2:14, 37, 42-43

• Luke 24:49

• We might wonder if the phrase in Acts 2:38 (“the gift of the Holy Spirit”) means that all people receive some supernatural communication or power from the Spirit.

  • Numerous examples show that baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit in a miraculous way were two separate things. Acts 8:16-18; 10:44-48; 19:1-7