Acts chapter 5
5:3, 4 The Deity of the Holy Spirit is evident within this passage. In verse 3 Peter states that Ananias has lied to the
Holy Spirit. Then in verse 4 Ananias is told that he has lied to God.
5:4 Communal sharing is still being practiced some weeks or months after Pentecost, but it was totally voluntary.
Ananias's sin was not that of keeping back part of what he sold, but his hypocrisy about it.
5:5 Though God does not judge every believer's sin with death, in some situations God does (1 Corinthians 11:30; 1
John 5:16). As with Achan, this first act in a new era serves as an example (Joshua 7:10-26).
5:12 Solomon's porch refers to the colonnaded eastern wall of the temple courtyard. The early Christians commonly
gathered here for mass meetings (3:11). Few places could better accommodate the thousands.
5:21 Both council and senate refer to Jewish Sanhedrin. It functioned both as the high court and legislative body of
the Jews. See the note on 23:6.
5:29 Peter is not sanctioning civil disobedience, as he makes clear in his first epistle (1 Peter 2:13-17; Romans 13:1-
7). We are to obey civil government, but when it goes contrary to the explicit commands of God, we must obey God
and be ready to suffer the consequences.
5:36-39 Many false messiahs have arisen throughout the ages, as Christ Himself predicted (Matthew 24:5). These
have all died and have amounted to nothing. Gamaliel cites two such cases from his lifetime to discourage and rash
actions against the Twelve. God in His providence uses this to protect His servants. Gamaliel advice must not be
regarded, however, as biblical precept. False teaches do not inherently cease with the passing of time. Paul, one of
Gamaliel own students (22:3), did not follow or teach this principle. We are to note, rebuke, and oppose false
teachings (Romans 16:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14; Jude 3).
Acts chapter 6
6:1 The Grecians were not Greeks but Hellenists who allowed Greek culture and language to influence their lives.
For some reason Hellenistic widows were not receiving the same care as the other widows. The apostles have
become overburdened serving tables (not waiting on, but dispensing communal funds) and seek others to assist
them. Though these seven are not deacons as such, that office later arises to meet similar needs (1 Tim. 3:8-13).
The biblical principles for the care of widows should not be gleaned merely from this historical incident. One must
always look for the full teaching of the Scriptures. The apostle Paul provides extensive teaching on this subject in
1Timothy 5:3-16.
6:5-7 The gracious nature of the early church is seen in its diligence and willingness to correct the irritation. This
graciousness can be seen in that all seven men who are chosen have Greek names. The result: God prospers the
work.
6:9 The synagogue was the assembly of the Jews similar to the Christian assembly, but founded before Christ. There
evidently were synagogues in Jerusalem composed of various ethnic groups, The Libertines were slaves who had
been freed along with their descendants. Stephen has an active ministry among these Hellenistic Jews.
6:11 -13 Stephen is falsely accused of blaspheming in three areas: (1) God, verse 11; (2) Moses or the law, verses
11, 13; and (3) the temple, verse 13. Stephen answers these charges in his sermon.
Acts chapter 7
7:2 .God spoke to Abraham in Ur before he moved to Haran (cf Gen. 12:1; 15:7; Josh. 24:2, 3: and Neh. 9:7.
7:2-53. The theme of Stephen's speech concerns Israel's repeated rejection of God's messengers, despite God's
grace. Using Joesph and Moses, Stephen shows how Israel rejected first their own brother Joesph (v. 9) then Moses
as the deliverer (v. 27) and later
Moses as the God-appointed leader (v. 39). It was the Sanhedrin and the nation, not Stephen, who blasphemed
Moses (v. 37) and the Law (v. 53). Stephen, through indirect suggestion, shows that Christ has been rejected like
Joesph and Moses. Such rebellion is not a characteristic of God's redeemed people.
7:6. Four hundred years is the round number used (as in Gen. 15:13) to express 430 years in Egypt (Ex. 12:40).
7:14. The number 75 should not be seen as in conflict with the Old Testament accounts. Genesis 46:26 identifies the
number as 66, in referring to those who accompanied Jacob to Egypt. Exodus 1:5 gives the number 70, but refers to
all those who came out of Jacob's loins, including Joesph, his two sons, and Jacob himself. Stephen here includes
within that number all his kindred,totaling 75.
7:38 The reference to the gathering of the Israelites in the wilderness as a church is unfortunate. In Acts the Greek
term (ekklesia) sometimes possesses its general sense of congregation or assembly. Here it is used for gathering of
the nation of Israel when it received the Law. In Acts 19 it is used of the town meeting of the unbelieving mob of
Ephesus (verses 32, 39, 41). The 111 other occurrences of the word refer to the church of Jesus Christ.
7:43 Moloch or Molech is a Canaanite title for deities to whom human fiery sacrifices were offered (Leviticus 18:21; 2
Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 32:35). Remphan or Rephan probably comes from the Egyptian name for the god associated
with the planet Saturn.
7:60 Stephen's prayer demonstrates that he was speaking the truth in love, not in malice.
Acts chapter 8
8:1-4 The earlier persecutions of chapters 4 and 5 involved persecutions of the Christian leaders, the apostles, by
the Jewish leaders, primarily the priests. This persecution is much more severe, since it involves the laypeople and
since it comes from the unrelenting hands of Saul. yet God's work prospers in that the gospel is widely spread
outside Jerusalem.
8:14-17 The ministry of Peter and John must be understood in the light of the unique historical situation. As at
Pentecost, God is initiating a new work-the beginning of the church among a distinct ethnic group. The Samaritans
were Jews of mixed blood whom the other Jews despised. At Pentecost, no human instrument was involved in the
baptism of the Holy Spirit. Here God delays the outpouring until after the arrival of Peter and the laying on of his
hands. Thus, the Jerusalem church and the Samaritan church are united into one work, one body. Without Peter's
involvement, this work may not have been accepted by some Jews. Thus schism was avoided from the start.
8:18-24 Simon the sorcerer made an outward profession of faith (verse 13), but his response demonstrates his lack
of spiritual life. Early Christian writings substantiate this fact. Simon, like Elisha's servant Gehazi (2 Kings 5:20-27),
sought to use God's miraculous gift for his own benefit.
8:37 Acts 16:32-34 and 18:8 demonstrate that faith precedes baptism.
8:40 Philip appears to have established his ministry in Caesarea, since about 20 years later he and his family are still
there (21:8).
Acts chapter 9.
9:1 The persecution described in chapters 7 and 8 continues for some time, since Saul will not allow it to cease. Even
after the Christians are scattered from Jerusalem and Judea, Paul travels 150 miles to Damascus to harass them.
9:5 Saul is depicted as a rebellious beast that fights against the prod of its master (26:14). He is persecuting Jesus in
that he is afflicting the body of Christ. When someone does something for or against a Christian, Jesus Christ not
only knows but feels it just as we do (Matthew 25:35-40). He is moved with the feeling of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:
15).
9:7 The men which journeyed with Saul are important as witnesses to this event. Saul is not experiencing some
emotional or traumatic seizure. Someone is communicating with Saul as these men bear witness. A study of Paul's
two parallel accounts in chapters 22 and 26 makes the events clearer. This verse says that the men stood
speechless. But this must be understood to say that whereas Saul continued to lie to the ground as Jesus spoke with
him, these men were able to get up, because they had all fallen to the ground (26:14). This verse says that the
witnesses heard a voice, whereas 22:9 says they did not hear the voice. This seeming contradiction has two possible
explanations. First, 9:7 could be saying that the witnesses hear Saul's voice but did not see anyone to whom Saul
could be speaking, whereas 22:9 says, "They heard not the voice of him that spake to me." They neither saw nor
heard anyone. The second explanation takes note of the Greek grammar and seems to fit the meaning of the
passage better. Chapter 9 says that the witnesses heard a voice (Greek phones, genitive case); chapter 22 says
that they did not hear the voice (Greek phonen, accusative case). The first form allows hearing that may or may not
involve understanding; the latter form involves hearing with understanding. Hence chapter 9 apparently says that the
witnesses heard without understanding the voice of the One who spoke to Saul. Chapter 22 says that they did not
hear with understanding, thus saying the same thing. A comparable situation occurred when God spoke from heaven
to Jesus, but many in the crowd only discerned it as thunder (John 12:28, 29).
9:15-17 Note that even Saul's commission does not come directly from God but through a God-appointed disciple. By
contrast, his apostolic authority did come directly form Christ, not by succession through one of the apostles
(Galatians 1:1, 11, 12).
9:23 The many days of this verse allow for Saul's lengthy stay in Arabia (Galatians 1:17, 18). Apparently, after his
conversion and brief stay in Damascus, Saul spent over two years alone with God in a desert region receiving
revelation (Galatians 1:12). Then after another brief ministry in Damascus he fled to Jerusalem, returning to that city
three years after he first left for Damascus (Galatians 1:18).
9:31 This verse summarizes a period of almost 10 years in the life of the early Jewish churches, during which peace
and prosperity prevailed, and about which the Book of Acts is otherwise silent.
9:32 About the time that Saul traveled to Damascus and Philip headed toward Caesarea, Peter had an itinerant
ministry throughout Judea and Samaria which ultimately brings him to Caesarea.
Acts chapter 10
10:1 A centurion was a Roman military officer who commanded about one hundred men. The importance of the
Cornelius incident in the history of the early church is evidenced in that, not only does chapter 10 record the
historical account, but chapter 11 reiterates it. Herein is recorded the conversion of the first Gentiles (cf. 11:1, 18).
Gentiles who had become circumcised proselytes had no doubt already been saved (2:10; 8:27), but not those
uncircumcised (and so unaccepted by the Jews for fellowship). This event happened very early in the history of the
church (cf. 15:7, 14).
10:2-4. Though Cornelius’s good works and prayers served as a memorial, they did not save him. He was saved
after he heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. See verse 44:11:10-14.
10:5,6. Philip probably was already in Caesarea (8:40), but God required Cornelius to send for Peter. Peter’s
presence here was just as important as it was in Samaria (8:14-17). On each of the three occasions where God
initiates a new aspect of the church age (at Pentecost among the Jews, then among the Samaritans, and here
among the Gentiles), God chooses Peter for the task, thereby providing unity and equality among each of these
groups within the church. Note that even Peter comes under attack for his actions (11:1, 2). How much more any
other man!
10:15. God uses the sheet vision to teach Peter two important truths: (1) God has now cleansed all animals for food,
contrary to the dietary codes of the Mosaic Law; (2) all men are fit for salvation (v. 28).
10:36-43. Peter’s preaching presents in clear fashion the gospel: how Christ lived and died, was raised from the
dead, and how He did this sacrificially and vicariously for our sins.
10:44-47 Cornelius's household was saved when they heard the gospel (11:13-15). Note that they receive the
baptism of the Holy Spirit at the moment of their belief without the laying on of hands (11:15-17), just as apostles
teach that we receive the Holy Spirit when saved (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13; John 3:24; 4:13). Note also that the
receiving of the Holy Spirit precedes water baptism, indicating that salvation precedes water baptism , since only
Christians possess the Holy Spirit. Spirit baptism is no substitute for water baptism. The demonstration of tongues
seems to have been given for the benefit of the Jewish brethren rather than for Cornelius and his household (verse
45).