Acts 11:27 — 12: 23- Corps Notes - May 18, 1976
Publication Date: 05-18-1076
On Ephesians 4:25 where I want to begin tonight, or where we will begin tonight , the first part of what the Research Team gave me is the work that Walter Cummins published in our wonderful Way Magazine on "The Spoken Word." Also, as we cover Ephesians 4:28 tonight, I had all the information in front of me from another article that Walter Cummins has in the... has had in the Magazine. The first article on Ephesians 4:25 is entitled "The Spoken Word." The one on Ephesians 4:28 is "Workers for God." Both of these pieces of work by Walter are absolutely superb. And I believe that they should appear and will appear in our research journal GMIR whenever we begin publishing that. {GMIR Aramaic word meaning ' to perfect, accomplish , mature, complete, arithmetically to be divisible without any remainder.}
And I noticed again that some of the things that were stated are just so beautifully and logically presented, I'm truly thankful for, not only Walter, but the whole Research Department. I think our Biblical Research Department is just second to none. And it' s even going to be better by God' s mercy and grace next year and in years to come than it is at this time. And right now I do not believe that our Biblical Research Department needs to take a back seat for any academic institution or work in the world.
And I thought today, I have never... I've never thought of Walter Cummins in any other capacity than to be my assistant. I know Vince Finnegan, you know, on the books is my assistant. And that' s great. But I've never thought of Walter Cummins in any other capacity for so many years as always being my assistant. And I think he' s just the most wonderful person that any president could have as his assistant. And also to be chairmen of the Department of Greek, and then the coordinator of the Biblical research of The Way International. For any one man to have that position and that responsibility is an awesome reality and I'm real proud of Walter and real thankful for him. But I am also thankful for the rest of our wonderful men and women in the Research Department.
I would like for the Corps all over the country to go to the Magazine and find "The Spoken_Word," that's the title of it, dealing with Ephesians 4:25 and other scriptures, and before the next Corps meeting next week, you endeavor to master that great piece of work by Walter Cummins. It's just, you know, the spoken Word. Over fifty Greek words are used in the New Testament in connection with the faculties of utterance. Over fifty. And then he takes the most important ones and he lists them and it' s just. .. it' s just a piece of research work that you should really as a Corps master in your heart and in your life.
Ephesians 4:25 in the King James reads, Wherefore put away lyin g, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.
The ' putting away' was interesting to me again because of the Greek word aniko, a-n-i-k-o.
And this word is ' the putting away,' this word ' put away,' aniko, is the same root word as in 4:22, where we use the word ' rest,' meaning ' to rest.' Is that right? Yep, that is right. I taught you that,
didn't I? Did I or didn't I? Doesn't look right to me. It is the same root. What chapter am I missing? Am I missing anything? I don't know. Right now I'm screwed up, ha ha. First time today. You check the word again and I'll do that, too and see what I'm missing here.
But a-n-i-k-o is the word for ' putting away from you. ' To put away. And it' s the same root as the word ' rest.' I don't know where the word appears, but it's got to be in there.
Now, that word ' speak,' every man speak. That word ' speak ' is from the Greek word
laleo, l-a-l-e-long-o. And that' s where Walter' s article on "The Spoken Word"_c omes in because that is.. .he uses that word laleo in here, which I teach in Corinthians when I teach the Foundational Class. And he says the word is employed 24 times in I Corinthians chapter 14. I had forgotten that.
This word is truly significant. I couldn' t quite understand it Research Department, what you said on page 26B 16, where you defined it ' to make vocal utterance,' ' to babble,' 'to talk,' 'to exercise the faculty of speech without reference to the words spoken.' I just wondered if there might not be another word that could be substituted or utilized at this point. I know that Zachariah 8:16 is the quotation that is used here, or spoken of. And that Zachariah 8:16 adds force to what is said by using a quote, a quotation. That' s why my question to the Research Department is, How can it be without reference to what is spoken if it is truth plus the quotation of the Word of God that's given. It doesn't quite fit for me.
'With his neighbor' has to be a believing neighbor. This 'speak truth with his neighbor' is a figure of speech gnome, g-n-o-m-e, which simply is a citation. And that' s a citation from Zachariah 8:16.
There are a series of figures of speech, Corps, in chapter four which just put the 00mph, the highlight, to the particular things that are set whereby you put off the old man. This phrase here 'speak every man truth with his neighbor' is one of them. The other one appears in verse 26, 'be angry and sin not.' ' Steal no more' is another one. 'Corrupt communication' is the fourth one. 'Grieve not the holy spirit' is the fifth one. ' All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking' is the sixth. And then ' be kind' and so forth, is the seventh.
You see, the last phrase in that verse, in King James, For we' re members one of what? [Another] And it' s relative to the neighbor. Now you just look at that. Wherefore put away lying, speak every man truth with his what? [Neighbor] For we are members one of another. That doesn't mean just a neighbor who lives next door, but it has to be a believing neighbor because we are members one of what? [Another]. You could not be a member ' one of another' ifhe was an unbeliever. That's how I know this is going to work. This tells me that the neighbor is a believer. And this ' we' re members one of another' continues the imagery of the Body of Christ.
The literal according to usage of this verse is as follows: Wherefore put away the lie... and I believe in my heart, before I go on with the literal that until man is born again, it's all a lie anyways. And that' s why I believe that this translation will fit in the light of that knowledge. Because when a man is not born again, his whole life is just a lie. Now you're born again, and that ' s why I think the text states it ' wherefore put away the lie,' the life you' ve been living , the screwed up life you have lived outside of God. It' s been just a life of a lie. It' s not truth. It' s just the opposite of truth and that's my reason for translating it this way... Wherefore put away the lie.
You've got to go with that translation. You have no other text to go by both from Aramaic and Greek it's 'lie.' Not 'lying.' If the Research Department has anything to share in the light of that, I'd be blessed to hear, but you' ve heard my reasons for translating it, Research Department, this way.
Now since they're born again, their whole life is changed, so the life of lying, and living a lie, and being a lie, and being false, is to be put away.
And every man... this is the translation ... and everyone, everyone. The word ' man' you could use because it's an inclusive noun, but I prefer to use the word ' one.'
Wherefore put away the lie and everyone speak the truth with his neighbor for we are members one of another. That is literal according to usage.
Now for the expanded according to understanding. It's not bad. Because of this... What we coughing for? Everybody sick?...Because of this... and the reason I went in the expanded along this line is because verse 24 last week told us that we are created by God in righteousness and in true purity, through holiness. Twenty four.
That's why 25, Wherefore ... 'wherefore' can be translated 'because of this.' Because of this what? Being created in righteousness and truly pure. See it's an inside job.
Because of this being created in righteousness and truly pure by the grace and the love of
God.. .Because of this being created in righteousness and truly pure, you put away, completely lay to rest the lie that you have been and were living and each one of you speak the truth using a quotation from the Word with his believing neighbor for we are members one of another in the Body of the Church.
Robinson {Edward} said, he translated, 'speak every man truth with his neighbor' and he said it's from Zachariah 8:16 which adds force to what is said by using a quote. That's why I translated that. I think that' s great. It adds force to what is said. If you're speaking to someone, it adds force to what you say by using a quote, a quotation from God's Word. In other words, ' you share the Word with them.' That' s why I went with that translation. I want to give it to you again in this sense.
Speak the truth using a quotation from the Word, which means 'share the Word.' Quote the Word to them. Tell them what the Word says, with his believing neighbor. Why? For we are members one of another in the Body of the Church. This verse is just mind blowing.
Here, you have a born-again believer neighbor who needs to grow up a little more. So what do you do? Each one speak the truth to that neighbor, that believer, using the Word, quoting the Word because we' re members one of another in the Body of the Church. It's a real positive thing to do.
Verse 26 in King James reads, Be angry.. .ha ha... we like that one, don't we. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
Here is a verse of Scripture that' s very, very difficult for most people. And it' s not too easy for us either. But I think we are able to share the truth of the greatness of this and it's been burning in my heart for a long time to do this with our people.
Everybody has problems with ' how can you be angry and not sin?' You know, how can raise hell with something and not be sinful in doing it? Teed off and not be sinful. And how can you go... and what does it mean 'don't let the sun go down upon your wrath?' See.
In the context, here, verses 26 and 27 deal with your believing neighbor, specifically. Then the Greek word for ' anger' which is from the root orge, o-r-g-long-e means 'anger together with the desire of revenge .' That' s bad. That' s a heavy. The Hebrew word means ' to kill, and all the tumults of passion that terminate in killing.' So it's a real heavy word when it said ' be angry.'
And the way I believe it's used in God' s Word, ' be ye angry' means ' it's a long time anger with your believing neighbor until a change has ensued.' The desire to... of revenge is a change. And I, knowing the Word in the light of the new birth, it's where a change finally comes about. Until that time, you just, long-term, you just stay put witnessing the Word, sharing the Word. You do not dislike the believing neighbor; you simply dislike that he is not fully accepting the Word and walking on it. So it' s a long-term anger until a change has ensued. You just stay faithful.
I don't know what else to do with those words. It is a righteous anger. Yet it is a righteous anger without sin.
Among the scholars, there is a disagreement on these words. Well, I don't know about my being a scholar; that I don' t anything about being about. But it's simple to me because righteous anger is commanded by God's Word when it says ' be ye angry.' Well, the scholars can fight about it. I don' t care. It' s a command. Not just permitted to get teed once in a while when somebody' s off of God' s Word, a believer is off of God's Word. You' re always teed off righteously at any believer, born-again believer, who is off of God' s Word. And for those of us in the Way Ministry, it' s been a lifetime.
Get into it with them on... Oh what subject do you want to talk about? Baptism? Food? One God? See. All that stuff.
The Aramaic is accurate in the words ' and sin not.' It literally translates ' and you will not sin.' Again, this ' be angry and sin not' is that figure gnome. Quotation. A citation from the Old Testament. It' s from Psalm 4:4. But in King James, Psalm 4:4, it's translated 'stand in awe.' The real sense of the Hebrew is ' one of admonition;' sin not. Where we' re admonished to not sin. Sin not.
' Let not the sun go down on your wrath. ' Ha ha. That again is beautiful. People went to bed when the sun went down, when it got dark. That's when they went to bed. So what that simply is saying, ha ha, ' don't go to bed teed off.' Don' t let the sun go down on your wrath. In other words, go to bed; don' t go to bed mad. ' When you go to bed' is what it means. Let not the sun go down when you go to bed. And they went to bed when the sun went down. When it got dark, they went to bed, see.
' Upon your wrath.' And the word ' wrath' here is basically ' irritation.' Ha ha. Previously when I taught Ephesians, I made mention of this fact, ' don' t let righteous anger shake you, wondering if it was right on. When you go to bed, go to sleep.'
Now, this is what we have done with it in the literal, ha ha, according to usage. I got more papers up here than Carter has liver pills, or something. Then, I can' t find my... whatever it is I take off of it.
Okay, verse 26. You be righteously angry.. .this is literal according to usage.. .and you will not be sinning. Don't go to bed even with a momentary irritation, ha ha.
I don't think you get nearly as much fun out of this as I do. It's neat. It's absolutely scrumptious, see. At the opening, is that heavy word, remember? Anger. So it's a real heavy time. So what he is saying, in the heavy time, when your standing on God' s Word and sharing that with the believing neighbor, you' re righteously angry... you're not sinning. And you don't even go to bed with a momentary irritation. In other Words, when you go to bed, thank God the day is over. Say your last prayer and start snoring.
Boy, that would save a lot of sleeping pills, wouldn' t it? Practicing that principle. Boy, oh boy, what a tremendous Word. And hardly anybody understands verse 26. They argue about it, but they don' t get the understanding.
Now this is the expanded one according to understanding, I hope. And again, I would like to just lay some things before the Corps, and especially before the Research Department. I translated the first part of verse 26, You always stay angry with an all-out desire to have them to change which anger will not be sin on your part.
Then I have another translation of that first part of it: You be righteously angry, 'teed off' with sin... 'Teed off' I put in quotes. But don't you sin by acting ' holier than thou' vaunting yourself by acting so righteously like you never sin.
I do not know which one of those two the Research Department feels would be the better. The last part of the phrase that I translated which would go with both of these that I have given you here on the expanded one for understanding. This, the last part, goes with that first one and with the second ... also.. .even if it is only a momentary irritation. When you go to bed, go to sleep. That's what I did with it.
Now, verse 27. King James says, Neither (or neither) give place to the Devil. The word 'place' is simply a portion, a part. No believer will give full place to the Devil, but he may be giving a part, a portion. He' ll mark off a spot, ' this is Devil' s permission over here, over here, no permission, you know. And you really give the Devil a portion or a spot if you stew about it after you go to bed and you toss and you tum and can' t sleep.
This word 'the Devil,' ' the Devil' in the Aramaic is a very interesting and exciting Word to me and it blesses my heart. It' s a compound word where the first part means ' to eat' or ' to devour.' The latter
' to slander' or ' to accuse. ' So when I got to translating this, literally according to usage, verse 27 reads: Do not give any portion or space or an opportunity to the Devil. So I used those three words synonymously: portion, space, opportunity. Do not give any portion or space or an opportunity to the Devil.
The expanded according to understanding: And you will not give a toehold, an opportunity or an occasion for the Devil to eat you. Ha ha. I get more fun than you ever will out of working this stuff, huh.
You see, and to me, that communicates to my understanding. John 10:10. The thief cometh not but for to what? [Steal, kill, and destroy] Right. To eat you out. To beat you. And that's why that Aramaic word, on the word ' Devil' really thrilled me.
And that ' s why I put it into the expanded translation: And you will not give a ' toehold.' Now, at L.E.A.D., you know how important it is to get a what? [Toehold] Ha ha. And when you' re really climbing in, you' re blessed for a toehold. How thankful you are when you get a foothold. Now the adversary can never get a foothold in a believer' s life until he first has a toehold. That's why I translated it that way.
Do not give... and you will not give a toehold ... shave all the rocks off... an opportunity or an occasion for the Devil to eat you. And that' s exactly what he likes to do to believers.
Now we go to verse 28. King James says, Let him that stole steal not more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. And here again, is another great work that I believe should be in our research journal GMIR, Walter' s work on " Workers for God."
It' s just tremendous where he... you know... he just goes into God' s men are called many things in the Word. They' re called: fellow workers, ministers, or servants, slaves, fellow slaves, partners, messengers, soldiers, fellow soldiers, athletes, fellow athletes, stewards, ambassadors, witnesses, all of those. And he covers them so beautifully. And I love very much how he covered the word ' slave,' because it' s a much stronger word than to be a minister, or to be a servant. It is to be one who is branded, marked out, sold out. And baby, from that day on, there are no ifs, and' s, or but' s. You never budge on it. You are branded. Most believers are never branded. They may be servants, they may be ministers, but they are not branded. When you' re branded, you stay faithful. You do not budge. You do not change. You stay put. If all hell breaks loose, you still live the believing Word.
I think the prophet once said, If I was in the midst of hell, God I know you' d be there. (Psalm 139:8) He' d be there. That' s the doulos. That, of course, is just a tremendous piece of work.
And the other great part that I think... and this is a second piece that I want the Corps to master before next Wednesday night, " Workers for God," the work on ' witness.' You see, it's the same word basically that's translated ' martyr,' see. And we got a lot of those canonized. That's not at all what a witness is. A witness is a living example, not a dead one. The word 'martyr' simply means that you lay down your life in witnessing. And boy, when you put the doulos together with ' witness,' then you' ve got power for abundant living. It's just a fantastic work by Walter and I' m real grateful that it was published. Because once it' s in print, people can take a look at it if they want to.
I'd like a cup of coffee, please.
Now, we are in verse 28. The Aramaic translation is ' and he who was stealing.' I understand it from the English, ' let him that stole,' past tense. The Aramaic is real simple, real strong. ' And he, the one who is born again, who was, past tense, stealing.'
Thank you.
His whole life was one of those before he was born again.
Whenever you bring a cup of coffee to a right-hand man, you put the handle to the right. When you serve a cup of coffee to a left-hand man, you put it on the left-hand side and put the handle to the left. Corps principle number seven or something, ha ha. Mrs. Wierwille would say, Well, be thankful you even get a cup of coffee. [Laughter] Ah, you're wonderful.
See, ' let him who stole, steal no more.' 'Stole and steal,' that' s a figure of speech and is polyptoton p-o-l-y-p-t-o-t-o-n. It' s a repetition of the same root word in different parts of speech or reflections. But, that's not earth shaking right now in my heart.
You see, in some Eastern culture, it was not considered a sin or a shame to steal because that's the way they lived, the only way they lived. Somebody told me... or not only told me, one of our people, but it was in a national magazine, that the basic culture of Russia today is to steal. And in some respects I can understand this. If you don't have anything and you're starving to death and there' s a loaf of bread you can get a hold of... steal the dam thing. I understand that.
So this verse is really sharp, really sharp. Let him who stole, even though that man previously considered it the way to live and there was no shame in it, no sin in it. He said, Well, let that fellow who stole, steal no more. Something has happened on the inside of that man. Something that happened, where He is able to meet all of our need according to His riches in glory. Christ in you, the hope of glory. More than conquerors.
A record in the Old Testament, I forget where it is, but it's in there, that it' s never, you never need to borrow or steal bread or... what is that in the Old Testament? Begging bread. One person stand and tell me. {Psalm 37:25, I have been young and now am old; yet have I seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread.} Psalm 27:25 who? {Psalm 37:25} 37:25. All the years, he's never seen the righteous to have to do what? {Beg bread} Beg bread.
First of all, I wish the Christian world could hear this. Secondly, I wish our government in the United States could understand it. The Word says, If you don't work, you don' t eat. A lot of that stuff. Well, what we've been doing is stealing from the people who are willing to work to give to the people who don' t want to work. That's a bunch of crap. That's stealing. That's why this verse is so hot in my soul tonight. Let him who stole, quit stealing, dang it. See.
Many years ago I was really knocked for a loop along some of this line in India, from Dr. Williams. I think he loved India maybe like I love the United States, I don' t know. Because only a man knows how much he loves his own country, I guess.
But... as we were traveling together, he said to me, Dr. Wierwille, I hear you have whores in the United States.
You know, I never had given it a thought. I just took it for granted. [Laughter] And I said, yeah. He said, Why does a rich country like the United States have whores?
And I said, I don't know.
And he said, I can't understand it. Cannot your women make enough money to live? Yeah, but they figure that' s cheaper and more pleasurable or something, I don' t know. And he said, Well, I think it's sinful that the United States has whores.
And I said, What do you mean?
And he said to me, why, I can understand India. He said we don' t enough food, we don' t have enough of anything hardly for a lot of people. And we have whores because that' s the only way they can continue to live physically.
And I thought to myself, well boy, that' s slapping me in the face good. And I took it as a wonderful lesson. There is no excuse in the United States for any women being a whore because she doesn' t need to get screwed and paid for it in order to get money so she can live. There's plenty of work available and if there isn' t she ought to get born again, then there' s a guarantee of work. ..other work, available. I tell you, when you' re honest, some of these men in other countries have some real logic behind their thinking. How would you have liked to have handled that? I just simply admitted, Well, I think we' re wrong in the United States. But I said, I think you' re wrong in India, too, because no reason to have whores here if you get them born again.
So I don' t know. But this verse today as I worked the final working on this verse 28 is when my heart really went back and burned with that truth that Dr. Williams had stated. Because in many Eastern cultures, it was not considered as sin or as shame to steal, if it was a matter of livelihood. You sometimes wonder who will live in the greatest condemnation before God and justice and judgment when the time comes.
For in most of what are called poor countries even, there is sufficient money, food, and other things for the people to live if those in positions of authority were not so selfish and egotistical, and want it for themselves , and let the rest of the world die... or a country die.
The word ' labor' in verse 28 is the word which literally means ' hard work resulting in fatigue.' That's how I felt coming from the woods last night. And I didn' t do anything. It was just hard work being there with the rest of you. Today I got so tired of being with some, I came home. Ah, you' re wonderful.
' Working with his hands' is an Eastern cultural type of thing. Today in our culture, you could have it, you know, the truth is working with your mind or working with your hand, whatever you' re working at. But in Eastern culture, every son was to be trained to work with his hands, even if he was the son of a king. Had to learn a trade, a profession of business.
Jesus Christ was a saddle maker. He made them to ride, I guess, what do you want? Tennessee Walkers , or? See. I think not only did he do that, Paul did it, too, you know. Someday I'm going to find a...or Walter, or some of those, are going to find me a manuscript to prove it. .. and a wonderful carpenter by trade. Many times doing carpentry work and being a saddle maker were sort of in the same household, because building carpentry and having saddles to use for their business and carrying on, were very, very closely aligned. Well, I won' t argue the point, but I wish we' d keep looking.
II Thessalonians.. .Do your hands ever get so dry you can hardly hold anything? Golly, mine are so dry tonight, I wonder why? II Thessalonians, chapter 3:10... this we commanded you that if any would not work, neither should he what? [Eat] Right. Even unemployment is no excuse for stealing. He just doesn' t eat. Goes and gets work. Boy, when I first saw the greatness of these principles many years ago, and then of course, I uniquely by God' s grace, inculcated that into our W.O.W. program and very dynamically in the Corps leadership.
Acts 11:27 — 12:23
May 18, 1976
Acts 11:27
Who these prophets were that came from Jerusalem, I do not know. It doesn’t tell me. But it’s in the
plural and so there was more than just Barnabas, more than Agabus.
Acts 11:28
“Agabus” - In Acts 21:10, is the same fellow. It’s real interesting. In Deuteronomy 18:22
“presumptuously” - means out of his own mind. “Thou shalt not be afraid of him” - means don’t pay
any attention to what he says.
“by” - through
“signified by the Spirit”” - made known by the revelation that the spirit gave him.
“death” famine
“world” - is not the word cosmos. It’s the inhabited world, where people were living.
“which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar” – approximately 44AD. Prophesied before but
came to pass later. But even though it came to pass later, the believers acted immediately.
Acts 11:29
“relief” - for ministering
That’s a tremendously interesting verse to me. Immediately after this declaration came to pass before
the actuality of the famine occurred, the believers went to work; they carried it out.
“every man according to his ability” every man according to his freedom of will and what he wanted
to shares is the text literally, according to usage.
“determined” made up their mind
In other words, they prepared themselves for the coming famine. According to their ability; I believe
that the Christian believers took care of themselves, their families, and also took care of sending their
abundant sharing to Judaea, Jerusalem area, because that’s how they got blessed with God’s Word in
the first place, and they helped all the believers in that area to get their food stuffs and everything
together that when the famine occurred, the body of believers was not hurt.
According to Josephus, I think there were four famines during the next five years, between 44 and 49
or 50 A.D., if I remember correctly, long famines. That 29th verse is a lot bigger than any of us have
ever seen. Again, let me do it for you. After the prophecy by Agabus, they believed what Agabus said
and they went to work.
“every man” - I believe that “every” is without exception; every believing disciple, according to his
ability. If he only had the ability to share, in our terminology, $50, that’s what he shared; somebody
$100; somebody $10,000, that’s how they shared.
214
“determined” - made up their own minds
“relief”- for ministering. Unto whom? The brethren back in Judaea. Helping them; in other words,
what they did was went right back to International Headquarters. That’s how it worked in the early
Church. Boy, that early Church was beautiful.
Acts 11:30
“elders” - This is the first time in the book of Acts the word “elders” is mentioned. “Elders” is a
Hebrew word of which the Greek synonym is bishop. It means not only older people, but it means
older people who have proven themselves as steadfast. Not a neophyte, not a fledgling, not a pledge,
not someone who was just born again yesterday in a class called Power for Abundant Living and
today you give him the responsibility of running the state, or even a Twig. These were elders; older
men, many times, but at least older in their stand on the integrity and accuracy of God’s Word. These
men they happened to send this to, were men like Peter, John, Matthew. They hand delivered it by
two men, Barnabas and Saul. This is the second time now that Saul is in Jerusalem. They didn’t trust
the Palestinian mail or UPS. When it talks about hand delivering it, that tells me a great many things.
Barnabas and Saul would bless the believers. They would share the Word. They would witness and
tell them what had really happened and tell them that the reason we are abundant sharing this with
you is because Agabus said we’re going to have a famine. We just want to bless you and get
everybody, every believer in The Way Ministry in Jerusalem, all signed, sealed and delivered, so that
there is no question about our being taken care of when the rest of the world starves. What a Church!
In our culture today the Christian basically suffers along with every other unbeliever. Sometimes the
unbeliever prospers, the Christian suffers like hell. It’s a bunch of baloney, because God takes care of
His own, if the people listen to God and God’s Word and carry it out. They could have said,
“Agabus, you’re an old nin-com-poop. What do you mean coming up here from Jerusalem and
telling us there’s going to be a famine?”
Now this thing is real neat here in the Book of Acts because you can shove this down any
unbeliever’s throat till it chokes him to death, because everything that’s recorded in the Book of Acts
Josephus records in his history. So if they don’t want to believe God’s Word, shove Josephus’ feet
down their throat, because it did occur and it is historically documented in every historical record of
it. So Agabus was not flipping off the top of his lid when he came up north and he said, “There’s
going to be a famine.” And instead of just sending “cold-turkey” support to Jerusalem, they hand
delivered it with the 1ove of God Barnabas and Saul had in their hearts. They didn’t come with the
attitude, “Well dang it, we owe this to you.” They came with the love of God and said, “We’re so
blessed that we can help you believers in Jerusalem so that we can help one another all over the
world.” – That was the first century Church! What a record!
Acts 12:24
“Word of God grew and multiplied” - That’s what happened when Barnabas and Saul went over
there. They just didn’t come to report about Agabus and to share of the abundance of the believers
back to Jerusalem. They held forth God’s Word.
“word” - logos. It grew and multiplied while they were there. Whenever that Word of God is taught
rightly divided and people believe it, it will always multiply. You can teach God Word and if people
do not believe it, it will not multiply. It only multiplies as people believe. It’s still God’s Word,
whether people believe it or don’t believe it. It’s still God’s Word. It just doesn’t multiply.
Now in Jerusalem the Word of God multiplied because as they heard the Word of God they believed
it, and that’s how it grew. In the growing you multiply. We planted corn here at The Way
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International a few weeks ago. If you’ve been out to the field and looked it’s “that” high. It’s
growing. You come back about September or October and we’ll show you the multiplying. Those
little “trippies” are going to have ears of corn on them, and for every kernel we planted we’re going
to get ears of corn that are odd numbers on each ear, and just hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of
kernels for one little kernel that we planted. That’s multiplying. That’s what the Word is talking
about; the Word of God, not somebody’s ideas, not somebody’s theology, not somebody’s stupid
religion, but the Word of God. It doesn’t say Presbyterian, Lutheran, Anglican, or The Way Ministry.
It says the Word of God. The Word of God grew, and the only way the Word will ever grow is
because somebody plants it. How does the corn grow out here on the field? Not because Gene
Randall sat back here in the house and said, “Oh Lord, let the corn grow.” You know why it grew?
Because Gene got out there at 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning and started working the ground, planting
the stuff, nurturing it with prayer. God gave a little water and sunshine and it’s growing. How is the
Word of God every going to live until somebody plants? Somebody’s got to water. You are those
somebody’s that will have to move that Word. It’s not going to move out here in the senses world,
because the senses world doesn’t give one damn about God’s Word. All they are concerned about is
what can they get out of life without working for it, for the most part. And how can they hogwash
people and how can they go on retirement at 40 instead of 60. The only way the Word of God is ever
going to move is if you people move it. That’s what you’re in the Corps for; to learn God’s Word so
you can move it. You’re not in the Corps because you’re so darn good looking and you’re not in the
Corps because you’re paying to be in the Corps. if I charged you for what I think the Corps is worth
you’d have to have at least three times what you now have. At Ohio State University where we pay
all the taxes and furnish everything for the students, the students are paying over $3000 a year. And
those stupid guys use all my taxes so they can pay for all of it. And yet the student has to supply
$3000 a year, and they don’t go to school half the time, I don’t think. They call it 9 months, but they
only spend about 7 months in school.
I know that if the Word’s going to grow, somebody’s got to plant it. Now how can you plant corn, if
you don’t have any corn? You can’t. Then the best way, if you’re going to get God’s Word to grow is
somebody’s got to have what? God’s Word. And do what with it? Plant it! That’s what it’s talking
about. The Word of God grew. Hey, and it grew in spite of the famine. They’re going to have a nice
famine, that’s right. Oh, they’re going to get real mad. You’ll see that in a little bit after I read you
the rest of it. And yet in spite of everything that happened in that country, in that section of the world,
the Word grew and multiplied.
Acts 12:25
“ministry” - what they went over there to do
Acts 12:1-23 is a parenthesis. A parenthesis is a legitimate grammatical insertion that is there simply
for an enlargement. It does not add to or detract from that which is taught, it simply sits there to
instruct and to teach. I’m going to give you a lot of literal translations according to usage in chapter
12. Everything again that I’m giving you, you can check in the Greek text, the Estrangelo Aramaic
text, and for the most part you can check it in Young’s Analytical Concordance, if you don’t know
Greek or Aramaic.
Acts 12:1
You see, in Acts 11:30, they sent this help to Jerusalem to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and
Saul.
“Herod” - this is Herod Agrippa I. I believe he reigned from 44 A.D. to either 59 or 60. I forget. It
may come up again later. He was the grandson of King Herod at the time of the birth of Christ.
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“The king” - This is unique because he’s the only one since Herod the original that’s called a king
because this Herod Agrippa is the only one who had all Palestine again given to him as king. Talk
about the accuracy of the Word. Festus and those men were never called a king. Herod here was
called a king, and it’s right on, it’s absolutely accurate.
“stretched forth his hands” - is a figure of speech here, which simply means that he put the machinery
into operation that the king had the authority and the soldiers to do it with.
“vex” - maltreat maliciously
“of” – of those from
“certain” - the certain ones he was after were the leaders. The word “certain” implies leaders. He was
after the top brass. He thought if he could kill the leaders he could get rid of God, and the Word of
God. You don’t get rid of God or the Word of God when you get the leaders. You get rid of God and
the Word of God when you get rid of the believers, not the leaders. In other words, when people quit
believing then there’s no more outreach of God’s Word. Now, in order to do this Herod really
reached up;
Acts 12:2
“he killed James the brother of John” - Herod didn’t do this himself, he had “stretched forth his
hand.” He gave that authority and that power and that word to have these people executed. Wasn’t it
James and John who during the lifetime of Jesus at one time were arguing about who would be
sitting on his right hand and who on his left? (Mark 10:35-37)
Acts 12:3
“because he saw“ - seeing - this is a participle form
“(Then were the days of unleavened bread.)” - which tells us we’re getting close to the Passover.
Acts 12:4
“apprehended” - arrested
“prison” - jail
“quaternions” – a quaternion is a body of four. There were four bodies of soldiers, of four each, for
the four watches. There were four watches in a night, and every watch here had four soldiers. Four
times four equals sixteen. That’s why it’s four quaternions; four bodies of four.
“to keep him” - to be sure that Peter didn’t pull any shenanigans.
“Easter” - Passover
“bring” - judge
“forth to the people” – before the people - The judgment was done publicly; he would sit on the
judgment seat, as you will see later, then they would bring the accused out and he’d do it publicly. It
doesn’t mean, “to bring him forth to the people,” in the sense of, “brought forth to the people to do
the judging.” No. He did the judging in front of, or before, the people.
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Acts 12:5
“therefore was kept” - then indeed was kept - Why? Because there were sixteen people, four on every
watch, watching him, there is no way for that boy to get out of there. Four soldiers there all the time;
two in the cell with him, one outside of the cell, and the next one further down the hallway. He’s a
prisoner there indeed.
“without ceasing” - intensely
“of” - by
“for” - concerning
“What’s the use of praying? It’s a losing cause. You can’t win against the government.” Four soldiers
and they were trained, they were hard, they knew their job and they had to carry it out, because there
happened to be a Roman law that said if the prisoner got away, you died. So I’m pretty sure they
were pretty particular. How are you going to get out of that one? Why pray? They haven’t got any
guns. As a matter of fact, they have no political pull; they don’t even know the mayor, let alone the
governor. They don’t know anybody in government that can intercede for them. But, it says, in
contrast prayer was made intensely by the church unto God concerning Peter.
Acts 12:6
“would have brought” - was about to bring - To bring him out of jail. Because it was the Passover
time, he couldn’t do it then, it wasn’t kosher.
“the same” - that
“keepers’ – guards
They’re not going to let him get away. They not only had the guard at the door and one down the
corridor but the two inside were chained to him. The chain was not a little dog chain.
“sleeping” - is interesting to me. It means “with restlessness.” Every four hours they changed guards.
Four watches a night; so every time they changed, what do you think happened? You wake-up.
That’s why the “restless sleeping.” This, what you’re now going to read, occurred at the fourth
watch, which is the last watch of the night, shortly after they had changed and Peter and the guys had
gone back to sleep. That’s why that restless sleeping is so significant in there; so unique. “Peter was
just starting into sleep” really is what it’s all about, on the fourth watch.
The commentaries say 18 guards. They teach that it was during the second or at the latest the third
watch that Peter escaped because they want to give him time to get him out of town with their sense
knowledge. God doesn’t need that time to get a man out of town. He could go with a cloud by day, a
pillar of fire by night. God is not incapacitated because of man’s stupidity. It happened early in the
fourth watch. Even at the fourth watch there’s time to get Peter out of town.
Acts 12:7
“behold” - is always emphasized: “And BEHOLD”
“came upon” - stood over
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“the angel of the Lord” - Whenever the Word of God uses “the angel of the Lord” it is Mr. Gabriel
himself.
“a light shined in the prison” – light shined in the cell - That light is that shekinah glory of God. It is
what covered the children of Israel. It is that glory that was so bright on the road to Damascus that it
sort of caused Saul to have an opportunity. If God’s going to get that boy, Peter, out of there, God’s
really got to do some sleight of hand movement. He’s got to be better than Houdini.
“chains fell off from his hands” - Now how in the world are you going to keep those soldiers sound
asleep when you’ve got big chains and they drop off on that floor? That would get those soldiers up
right now. I don’t know how God did it, but I know God did it. In order for Peter to hear this he had
to hear it in his senses ear-balls. The angel of the Lord kicked him in the ribs. That’s how he woke
him up. Peter had just fallen asleep, and he woke him up and he said, “Peter, get up quickly.”
“his hands” - means he was free in hand – The chains were around his wrists not his hands.
Acts 12:8
“gird thyself” - put your girdle on
“garment” - the outer robe - You would call it a jacket, overcoat, topcoat, raincoat; outer garment.
Acts 12:9
“he went out” - In order to go out, he either had to get between the bars or the door had to be open. I
have an idea it’s a little difficult to get Peter between the bars, so he went out. That soldier standing
guard at that door didn’t even wake up. The unbelieving world says, “Yea, it’s a nice story, but it
takes a Christian’s stupidity to believe it.” Secular history attests to the fact that Peter did get out.
And the unbelieving world, Herod and the gang, knew he got out. If that doesn’t establish the
greatness of God’s Word then you figure it out. I have no problem with it. I not only have God’s
Word to back it up, I have all secular history. That’s right.
“wist” - knew
“by” - through or by way of
“thought” - was thinking
“saw a vision” - This thing was so absolutely phenomenal to him. You would use the phrase today, in
your culture, you and I would say, “It was like a dream to me.’’ We use the phrase, “too good to be
true.”
Acts 12:10
“When they were past” - now having passed by
“ward” - prison.
That means having passed by man number one standing at that cell and man number two standing
down the corridor.
“the iron gate that leadeth unto the city” - That was the outside gate to the prison. When you left that
gate you were in the city.
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“opened” - was opened
“of his own accord” - automatically
“forthwith” - immediately
Acts 12:11
“when Peter was come to himself” - This was just so astounding to Peter. It was like a dream, then all
at once he said “By golly, it’s not a dream, it’s the real McCoy, man. Here I am.” He came to
himself.
“of a surety” - absolutely
“hath” – delete – before sent & delivered
“expectation” - eager looking - The people were just waiting for the day when old Peter got
deprogrammed with his head rolling down the hill. Eagerly, that’s the text.
Acts 12:12
“had considered the thing” - realized what had really happened
“John” - John Mark
“praying” – and praying - What time of the morning? Three-thirty in the morning, they’re still
praying, still together. I want to tell you, those men are going to have to go to the shop and the
factory and out on the farm. Those women are going to have to take care of their kids, they’re going
to have to wash the dishes: the Church praying at three-thirty a.m. Does that communicate anything
to your head?
Acts 12:13
“as Peter knocked” – Peter, having called - You don’t knock in the East, Oriental culture; you don’t
knock. You only knock in the West. Even to this day, in India you stand outside of the door, in front
of the house and you say, “Hey, John, Hey, Mary.” You call even to this day.
“gate” = porch.
“hearken” – answer - one of the texts reads, “a damsel came to ask ‘Who’s there?’”
“Rhoda” – Rose - so whenever you have a lady whose name is Rose, her name is Rhoda.
Acts 12:14
“when she knew” - having recognized
“Peter’s voice” - I told you he called, it tells you that in King James. Knocking is not a voice. When
he knocked at the door, he called. Rhoda comes and she recognized Peter’s voice.
“gate” - door
“for gladness” – from gladness – She was just so tickled to death to hear Peter’s voice, she left him
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standing there.
“told” – reported
Acts 12:15
“constantly affirmed” - kept asserting - She kept telling them, he’s out there.
“angel” - guardian angel
Acts 12:16
“knocking” – calling
“astonished” – astounded - I can understand this, because even some of us are still astounded when
God does a miracle, and we’ve had 2,000 years to practice up. You know, we can talk about them
having the door open, if they’re praying for him to get delivered; they should have had the door open
and the coffee pot on or the tea pot. You know, you can say if you’re praying for rain carry your
umbrella. You can talk a lot. Well, the fact is that it was about 3:30 in the morning and there were
still some people praying. Even though they didn’t have the door open, they’d finally get around to
getting it open. And he comes in and they were flabbergasted.
Acts 12:17
“beckoning unto them with the hand” - I don’t know how to teach you this “beckoning unto them
with the hand.” As I worked this thing deeply, the time was short: therefore, instead of a lot of
visiting, he beckoned with the hand.
“hold their peace” - be silent – Told them to be quiet, “I got to tell you something.”
“shew” – tell
“James” - Is this James, the brother of John? It can’t be, because he has his head cut off. This is the
Lord’s brother.
“brethren” - I believe these are the Lord’s brothers. We know he had how many brothers? Four, at
least; four brothers are mentioned and at least two sisters. You and I would technically know them as
half brothers and half sisters. (Matthew 13:55-56, Mark 6:3)
In verse 17 he declared how the Lord brought him out of prison. My Bible reads (verse 7) that an
angel woke him up; it was the angel of the Lord that woke him up. But the text reads here that the
Lord brought him out. The way God does it is unimportant, but that it’s still God doing it is the key.
Whether He gives it by revelation that you see it, hear it, smell it, taste it or touch it is irrelevant as
long as you get the revelation. The author behind the whole act was God.
In II Peter 1:14 is a fantastic record. I’ve often wondered why Peter was able to go to sleep when he
knew that Herod would chop his head off tomorrow morning at sunrise. You just put yourself in
Peter’s place. How many of you could get a good night’s sleep tonight if you knew that tomorrow
morning at sunrise you were going to be executed? Peter went to sleep. I said it was a restless sleep,
but he still slept. The reason it was restless was not because of fear, but because they kept waking
him up all the time; changing guards every three hours. Why was Peter able to sleep? The key is
written in II Peter 1:14. That’s almost at the end of Peter’s life when that record is written in II
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Peter. The lord by revelation showed him that he was coming to the end of his life. Then back here
in Acts the Lord must have shown him that it wasn’t the end yet.
Herod wasn’t going to chop his head off. Peter didn’t know how. He just had the revelation; knowing
that he wasn’t going to lose his head, so he was able to sleep. He believed God’s Word. Believing
God’s Word gave him sweet rest, sleep. Otherwise, Peter was just as human as you are, and he would
most likely have stayed awake all night, getting ready to get beheaded at sunrise. He didn’t have to.
The lord showed him he wasn’t going to die, so he just laid down between those soldiers and went to
sleep. That’s the only answer there is; revelation. Now, they didn’t give him any dope to put him to
sleep. He was able to sleep because he knew God and knew God’s Word.
Acts 12:18
“no small stir” - I guess there wouldn’t be a small stir if you were locked in with chains, between two
soldiers, the doors locked to the cell, the soldier outside the cell, down the corridor a soldier, and
you’re gone. Everybody else living around that place, and they didn’t see you leave. I think maybe
that would cause no small stir.
“stir” - disturbance
Acts 12:19
“Herod had sought for him” Herod had sent out all his top men, police, FBI, etc. He sent them all out
looking for Peter. That’s why in that verse 17 a little while ago he said, “be silent” and he de-clared
unto them, and departed, left immediately, for another place. God had already told him the FBI
would be looking for him, so he split, left town.
You talk about men walking by the Word; by revelation. I’ve read to you about how Agabus made a
prophecy, and the believers do what? Operate. The believers could have said, “Agabus is stupid,
there’s not going to be any famine.” But they believed what Agabus said and carried it out. Peter
believed what God said. That’s how he got out of jail. The reason God could give him revelation is
because God knew in His foreknowledge that Peter would believe. Peter had not come to the place in
life that he did not want to live; he still wanted to live, so God gave him revelation; told him what He
was going to do. Peter believed it, laid down and had a good night’s rest, the best he could with the
guys waking him up every three hours.
Herod looked for him, sought for him, and this text means exactly what I told you; he got his top
brass out and they canvassed the area looking for Peter. They didn’t find him.
“he examined the keepers” – he examined the guards - he gave them the third and fourth degree
“put to death” – executed - because their prisoner had escaped.
“abode” - spent time
“he” – refers to Herod
Acts 12:20
“highly displeased” - ready to start a war
“to him” – i.e. to Caesarea
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“king’s chamberlain” - the man who took care of the king’s bedroom
“king’s” – royal – “kings” you understand, because the royal country was always the country of the
king. All Palestine was under Herod Agrippa I, that’s why it’s the king’s country.
These people from Sidon and Tyre, knowing about the famine, sent a special deputation down. This
is 44 A.D.
Acts 12:21
“a set day” - a set day in August, I believe
“royal” - same word as “king’s” in verse 20
“royal apparel” - kingly apparel - This particular royal apparel was made out of solid silver, that
when the sun hit it, it shone across the desert.
“throne” - judgment seat - he said he was going to bring Peter out in front of the people. Judgment
was always made in public. Today a judge can close a court can’t he? If it’s a trial I believe it has to
be open to the public if a jury’s there; I think it has to be open.
“oration” - political speech – hasn’t changed a bit, has it?
“unto them” – i.e. - telling them how good he was to them, “All you have to do is trust me. I’ll take
care of you. No matter what the famine does or what the people say, I’ll take care of you. Give you
social security; from the womb to the tomb.”
Acts 12:22
“people” - populace
“the voice of a god, and not of a man.” - That’s what they said of Herod Agrippa I.
Acts 12:23
“smote him” - earlier he smote Peter, but this is a little different smiting. “Smote” means the laws
had already been set up and King Herod ran his head up against a “stone wall.” That‘s why the Word
of God says the angel of the Lord smote him.
“he gave not God the glory” - In other words, when the people said he was God, he didn’t say, “Wait
a minute, I’m only Herod Agrippa I.” He was willing to be elevated to the position of God, where
people would worship him. God didn’t quite like that; a little revolting.
“gave up the ghost” - his spirit, which means life, which means he died. It doesn’t say in that verse
that it happened immediately does it? It just tells us what happened. This occurred in the year 44 AD.
If that is true; that it occurred in 44 AD, then 41 AD will become very interesting, because that would
be three years before 44 AD.
Reads from - Josephus, the Historian (p. 412)
Now, when King Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city
Caesarea. And there he exhibited shows in honor of Caesar, upon his being informed that
there was a certain festival celebrated to make vows for his (Caesar’s) safety. At which
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festival, a great multitude was gotten together of the principal persons, and such as were of
dignity throughout his province. (That’s how the people from Tyre and Sidon got there: he
called together principal persons and such that were of dignity throughout his province) On
the second day of which, shows he put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a
contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theater (the theatre is the public square where
the judgment seat is set up) early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment
being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shown out after a
surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked
intently upon him: and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another
from another (though not for his good) that he was a god: and they added, -“Be thou merciful
to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thou only as a man, yet shall we henceforth
reverence thee only as superior to mortal nature.” Upon this, the king did neither rebuke
them, nor reject their impious flattery. But, as he presently, afterwards looked up, he saw an
owl sitting on a certain rope over his head, and immediately understood that this bird was the
messenger of ill tidings, as it had once been the messenger of good tidings to him; he fell into
the deepest sorrow. A severe pain also arose in his bowels, and began in a most violent
manner. And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he
departed this life, being in the fifty-fourth year of his age.
That‘s Josephus.
This feast was in honor of the emperor’s safe return from Britain, where he had been. And it was the
festival of Quinquennalia (A sort of ancient Roman version of Olympic Games, celebrated every 4
years.), observed on the same day of the same month in honor of Augustus, whose name the month
had received; August; Caesar Augustus. We got the name “August” from Caesar Augustus.
I read you a poem the other day that I want to read again to you:
First came the Word with precision,
Then came man with his own opinion,
Inserted some doubt, turned it about,
And today we call it Christian religion.
This I have written for you for the Corps meeting:
The Roman Catholic Church teaches and maintains that Peter was the first bishop of Rome, and thus
the first Pope. They also maintain that Peter’s pontificate extended over a period of twenty-five
years, namely AD 41-66, and that he suffered martyrdom in Rome along with Paul. That the Roman
Catholic position is contradicted by the facts of history is axiomatic. Peter could never have been the
bishop or the first Pope of Rome from AD 41-66: is proven by the following historical facts:
1. In 44 AD he was in prison in Jerusalem: Acts 12.
2. In 52 AD he was at the Council of Jerusalem: Acts 15.
3. In 53 AD Paul joined him in Antioch: Galatians 2.
4. In 58 AD Paul wrote to the Romans, but does not mention Peter. In Romans 1:11 he wants
to impart special gifts, and in Romans 1:15 he is ready to preach the gospel again there. He
sends greetings to twenty-seven persons, but none to Peter, when he wrote to Rome.