Judy's Study of Acts

October 23, 2008
Dear Ones:
My sweetheart of 52+ years is doing a verse by verse study of the books of the Bible. She is doing this without interference or input from me. Periodically I ask her, “How is you study going?” She is presently in the book of Acts and this is what she told me recently:
1. The eleven asked a logical question in light of the Lord’s teaching during His last 40 days on earth. Acts 1:6; Luke 24:25-27, 44-47
2. The eleven were to tarry at Jerusalem until they are baptized WITH the Holy Spirit, not BY the Holy Spirit – Acts 1:5 notice “with” – contrast 1 Corinthians 12:13 notice “by.”
3. The eleven, later twelve, were to evangelize in a definite geographical order: Jerusalem, Judea, [to the Jew first – Mark 7:27] Samaria [half Jews], and the utter most part of the earth. Israel must first come to Messiah before the twelve would go to the rest of the earth.
4. After the ascension of our Lord, the eleven make it their FIRST order of business to bring their number back up to twelve. This looks forward to the offer of the kingdom to Israel in Acts 3. Our Lord, during His earthly ministry, had told the twelve that they would “…sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” in this kingdom – Matthew 19:28. This has nothing to do with the Body of Christ.
5. On the day of Pentecost, only Jews and proselytes were present to hear Peter’s first speech – Acts 2:5-11.
6. Peter stands to make his speech and he addresses “Ye men of JUDEA,” “Ye men of ISRAEL” – Acts 2:14 and 22.
7. Peter does not preach the good news of the cross [The gospel of the grace of God], but preaches the cross as bad news – Acts 2:23-36. Note in vs 36 he is addressing “…all the house of Israel..” This is national Israel.
8. In verse 37 they ask, “…men and brethren, what shall WE do?” National Israel again.
9. Peter tells Israel that they must “…repent and be baptized, EVERY ONE OF YOU, IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST [not in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit], FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS…” Only then would Israel receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
10. In Acts 3 Peter and John, on their way to the TEMPLE, encounter a lame man begging alms. Peter and John heal him and he goes leaping into the temple. This is a picture of Israel healed and entering the kingdom – Isaiah 35:5,6.
11. Peter now offers the kingdom to Israel [there are now 12 apostles to sit on the twelve thrones] – Acts 3:19-21. This is contingent upon Israel turning to their Messiah.
12. Peter tells his listeners that, “Ye are the [sons] of the prophets, and of the COVENANT which God made with our fathers….” – Acts 3:35 and he says that “…all the PROPHETS…foretold…these days – Acts 3:34. This would rule out that the Body of Christ is in view here because the prophets knew nothing of the Church.
13. Chapter 4, Peter is still addressing Israel [nationally], “…all the people of Israel…” – Acts 4:10.
14. In chapter 5, Peter again accuses Israel of murdering their Messiah [Acts 5:30] and presents the Messiah, exalted and at the right hand of God, “to be a Prince and a Savior to I-S-R-A-E-L…”
Judy asked me: “How do ministers get the Body of Christ out of all this?” My answer to her, “They must take clear Scripture and ‘SPIRITUALIZE” it to mean something other than it says.

Shortly after I was saved by the grace of God, I “joined” a local assembly. Come Monday evening I was sent out to “cold canvas” [knock on doors] and present the gospel. I might add that I was sent out by myself. I was a real neophyte, but I had written down the “Roman road” of Scriptures and was eager to present the gospel to anyone that I met. The very first door that I knocked on belonged to a Campbellite preacher [oh woe is me]. He invited me in and I duly presented the Roman road to him. He was very kind to me and asked me to turn to the following Scriptures: [He wanted to prove to me that you must be baptized in water for the forgiveness of sins.]

Mark 1:4 “The baptism of repentance FOR the remission of sins.”
Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved….”
Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.” Sounds just like Mark 1:4.
Acts 22:16 “Arise and be baptized to wash away thy sins…”

There were others, but you get the picture. I went back to my pastor and showed him these Scriptures. His reaction to all of them was: “Oh, those Scriptures don’t mean that!” He then “spiritualized” them to mean something entirely different from what they say. I knew that something was wrong here. I was now dependent on this good man to tell me what the Scriptures mean. And they [apparently] didn’t mean what they said. This set me on a path to study the Word of God. And find the answer[s] to this dilemma. I soon discovered that if I was going to really study the Word I must do it at home. The Bible study at church was so superficial and very “spiritualized.”

How would you answer the Campbellite preacher on the Scriptures listed above?