Acts 9:19-43 - Corps Notes - April 27, 1976
Publication Date: 4-27-1076
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 9:19-43
April 27, 1976
Now we got into a discussion and that was: I made a statement about something about Paul in
Damascus and then going to Arabia and you said Walter taught something else. Was that our last
discussion last week? We’re in chapter 9 of Acts verse 19 and Walter you better come in here.
Acts 9:19, 22-23
According to your teaching Walter, how long was he there? What’d you figure out?
Walter, “I believe I said that he was in Damascus a short period of time. Then went out into the
Arabian desert by himself, and then came back and taught in Damascus for the duration of that three
year period before he went to Jerusalem.”
Dr. -- OK, in verse 19, “Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.” Did
you pinpoint that at all on the amount of time? Just certain days...
Walter, “Just certain days.”
Dr. - What happened between verses 22 and 23? I think where we got hooked up here and we didn’t
communicate last week was on I Kings 2:38-39. I took this “many days” in correspondence with
“many days” of verse 23 in Acts 9 and the next verse, 39, “came to pass at the end of 3 years.” So
the “many days” of I Kings, I know is approximately3 years. In Acts 9:23 – “after that many days…
the Jews took counsel to kill him” - would that be then when he went to Jerusalem in Galatians 1:18
after 3 years? Would that be the point of time? How long was he in Arabia? Any of you remember?
Just says he went into Arabia-, doesn’t it?
Walter - I wondered if that was like Jesus went out in the desert for 40 days, something of that
nature.
Dr. - Let’s just admit we don’t know. Verse 19 - “Saul was certain days with the disciples.” It
doesn’t say how many, just certain days. And verse 22 - “dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the
very Christ.” Now between verse 22 and 23, he goes in to Arabia. Then he comes back to Damascus
that Galatians 1:17 told you about and after 3 years; many days, in Damascus, now he goes to
Jerusalem. Does that fit? Are you following this?
Rev. John Townsend - Yes sir in Galatians on this particular teaching here, Galatians 1:15-17. My
understanding of this here was the “immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.” Tying this in
back with Acts 9:19, in other words after Paul had received meat he was strengthened, and going to
the Word. Then was Saul certain days back. That’s in Damascus.
Dr. -- Right, but he didn’t confer with any leading apostles or anything. He just shared his
experiences and went to the Jews which dwelt at Damascus proving that this is the very Christ. Now,
you either have to go in front of verse 22 with the arrival back from Arabia, or after 22. Where
would you like to put it? You could go before 22, you see, why?
Acts 9:19-23
Now, you know he goes to Arabia after these “certain days” of verses 19-21. Then you could put
Arabia there. Now he comes back from Arabia. Verses 22-23 - “But Saul increased the more in
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strength and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. And
after many days were fulfilled the Jews took counsel to kill him.” Now he’s going to go to Jerusalem.
Why would not the Arabia trip fit in beautifully preceding verse 22? He went to Arabia, returned to
Damascus and Saul increased. Could we do that word “and” instead of “but”? --Yes.
Boy, it’d fit. I could then sort of understand how this could be; he got born again and boy, as soon as
he gets born again he started manifesting the greatness of the Word. Just like some of you did when
you finished the class on Power For Abundant Living or during it even. You get so excited you tell
everybody else. Right? He was so excited about what happened to him and so blessed, he just went
out and straightway started preaching Christ in the synagogue that he is the son of God. He’d just met
him, he ought to know. Then he goes into Arabia; gets it together, gets quieted down. Maybe
Walter’s right - 40 days, I don’t know. But he just goes into Arabia for a period of time, comes back
“and Saul increased the more in strength.” Do any of you have any other translations of 22, first part?
They discuss the first word “but” in verse 22 and decide it should be “and”.
Psalm 52:9 is read.
Acts 9:22
“increased” – 3rd person singular, imperfect tense, passive voice, indicative mood – It could be
translated “was empowered” The words “in strength” is part of “increased.”
We can literally translate it: “And Saul was empowered more and confounded.” That puts it exactly
where we want it. The word ‘strength” is included in the word “increased” and the whole section
here, “Saul increased the more in strength,” we have 3rd person, singular, imperfect tense, passive
voice, indicative mood. Then you can literally translate it: “And Saul was empowered, or was
increased in strength.” Where was he increased in strength? During that period of time in Arabia.
That’s why Arabia comes in front of that verse.
Walter -- There’s a couple texts here that have “to logos” after... He was empowered by the Word or
in the Word.
Dr. -- In the Word, that’s good. That’s good. You see literally what it is saying? – “And Saul was
stronger in the Word, having been in Arabia, and now he comes back and he confounds the Jews.”
Oh, that’s beautiful. If we didn’t do anything all day but do that one, that’s enough. Arabia
experience between 21 and 22.
Walter - Could you put a period after, “And Saul was empowered in the Word.”? And then he
confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus.
Dr. - Hold it a second, I just want to do something here. Is “and” in all the texts for “and
confounded”? Is the word “and” in Aramaic? How would that help us, putting a period there?
Walter - He was empowered more in the Word while he was in Arabia; he spent time studying in the
Word. And then he came back and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus.
Dr. - I don’t see any great advantage making a full stop because we will read it, “And Saul was
empowered in the Word and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Jerusalem proving that this is very
Christ.” What’s the word “very” there?
Walter - There is no word “very” there. Literal: “This is the Christ.”
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Pete - Is verse 21 a parenthetical?
Dr. - Yes it could be. That could be a figure of speech, a parenthesis, because verse 21 is not needed
for the thought concept between 20 and 22. And whenever something is not needed, but it’s there by
way of building up, expanding or magnifying, then it could be a parenthesis. Decided on “but” in
verse 21 and “and” in verse 22. We really don’t have to set it in parenthesis.
Comment – In verse 20, could he have taught in the synagogues on his way to Arabia?
Discussion of Galatians 1:15-17:
Question – could the punctuation after “heathen” in verse 16 be removed so it would say he preached
to the ‘heathen’ (Greek – nations) immediately? Which would fit with Acts 9:20, where it
says,”straightway” (or – immediately) he preached Christ in the synagogues.
Comment – the only problem is: one is synagogues and one is nations.
Dr. – It wouldn’t hurt to put the semi-colon after ‘Immediately’, would it?
Comment – In Acts 9 it says, “synagogues” and in Galatians it says, “nations.” To me synagogues
imply Israelites and they’re not numbered among the nations.
Dr. – Where does it say nations? Galatians 1:16 Yeah, “heathen” would be “nations.” I would have
no problem with that because I would simply see it as an enlargement on Acts 9:20. He not only
preached Christ in the synagogues but also to the heathen. There were a lot of nations, heathens in
Damascus. I’m satisfied are you?
Walter – Many times the adverb precedes the word or phrase it modifies. I’d have to do some
checking structure-wise on the word ”immediately”; whether it could come at the close of the thing
it’s modifying.
Question – I have a question with the “neither” in verse 17.
Dr. – Put a period after the word “immediately.” Read, “I conferred not with flesh and blood neither
went I up to Jerusalem.” O.K. What he’s saying is he didn’t confer with Ananias, any of those other
men that were there in Damascus nor did he go to Jerusalem, the headquarters. He just preached
Christ in the synagogues and among the heathens that were present, the Gentiles. Then he went into
Arabia. Then he comes back from Arabia and spends many days (many days we could document
from I Kings as three years). That’s when he goes up to Jerusalem. It seems to me you got it all put
together. I don’t care what you do with “immediately” it won’t affect the truth; whether it stays like it
is or if you put a period after it.
Question – Why not change the “but” in Acts 9:21 to “and” and leave the “but” in verse 22? Because
I see more of a contrast between verse 22 and 21 than between verse 21 and 20.
Dr. – I think in verse 21 it has to stay “but.” The contrast in verse 21 is the amazement. Here was
this man who had been the persecutor and now being so opposite to it, makes it the “but.” I think we
have to go with “but” for 21 and “and” for 22.
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Timing here has always been a problem for people. I don’t think it is a problem. I think we’ve solved
the problem. I’m sure we can handle that “Saul was empowered in the Word”. What did he go into
Arabia for? To get it together. You’ve got to remember now that Paul was not a nincompoop. That
old boy had a lot of theological background. He knew that Old Testament about the Messiah and the
rest of the stuff. Now as soon as he’s born again, he starts witnessing that he’s the son of God. “But”,
“opposition”, “amazed”; they can’t believe that this is that guy. Well it is. So he just goes into
Arabia, works the Word; gets it together with himself, and comes back. “And Saul was empowered
in the Word and confounded the Jews”. Up in verse 20 he just simply preached Christ. He didn’t
confound anybody. But when he comes back with the logic of that Word and has it all put together,
then he confounds the Jews. And the word “confounded” is; he put his foot in their mouths and
twisted it. He perplexed them; he confused their minds. What are you looking up Walter?
Walter -- “confound” - to pour together, co-mingle, disturb, stir up, bewilder.
Dr. -- He just simply put them in shock with the way he was able to put the stuff together. His logic
was just like when we put the four crucified together; finally you get trough and nobody has a word
to say. He confounded the Jews and that publicly. “After many days”; he stood ‘er in there about 3
years and poured it to them. And that’s all sort of interesting. I can’t find it, but there is some place
an historical record that it’s just at this period of time that the Jews were given control of Damascus
under one of the guys out of Rome. And that, that was taken away from them after a period of a little
over 3 years. That is exactly the time I’m looking for and that fits right in there. Then Damascus
again becomes a Roman city. In this period of time the Jews called the shots. That’s in history some
place. I’ve read it, but can’t remember where.
“certain days” – seems to be limited, brevity
“many days” – seems to be leaning more toward the three years stuff
“these days” – is an indefinite note of time. Sometimes it means a “few days” like in Acts 1:15. In
Matthew 3:1, “these days” is a longer period of time. That’s all I know about “certain days”, “many
days” and “these days”.
“kept the city of Damascus with a garrison” - What happened before this? The history of this period I
either got from Josephus’ Antiquities or out of the Jewish Encyclopedia.
“increased…in strength” - empowered - It’s an inside job. He built himself up. The word for that is a
take-off of the word dunamis and has to be an inside job. The more you work this, the deeper that
thing is true.
“Proving” - in verse 22 - comes from the word which means to compare. What I believe he did in
verse 22 under “proving”, was he just compared one scripture with another, showing that this is the
Christ or the Messiah. See why that “proving” would be that?
Anonymous speaker - Acts 17:3, you have “alleging”, proving, open thoroughly. (Note: this is not
the same Greek word as used in Acts 9:22)
Acts 9:24
“laying await” - plot, plan; their lay out for their attack on him
“was known of Saul”- was communicated to Saul
“watched” – were watching
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Bullinger’s notes on Acts 9:24:
In II Corinthians 11:32, Paul says, “the governor under Aretas kept the city with a garrison.” This
Aretas was Herod’s father-in-law, upon whom he made war because Herod had abandoned his
daughter for his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias. Perhaps to do the Jews a pleasure, like Felix, Aretas
endeavored to seize Paul.
Dr. reading from an unrevealed source: The falling of a rich border town like Damascus from the
hands of the Romans into those of Aretas would be a natural occurrence of the war. If it could be
proved that the city was placed in the power of the Arabian ethnarch (II Corinthians 11:32 on the
title ethnarch [governor] under Aretas), under these particular circumstances and at the time of Saint
Paul’s journey, good reason would be assigned for believing it probable that the ends for which he
went were assisted by the political relations of Damascus. It would indeed be singular coincidence if
his zeal in persecuting the Christians were promoted by the sympathy of the Jews for the fate of John
the Baptist.
Dr. -- Good piece of work. And you see that it would give the Jews tremendous freedom in that city
at that period of time
Acts 9:25
“in a basket” – that’s like Moses
Walter - That basket is where they took up 7 baskets full (Matthew 15:37). Must have been big
baskets if Paul would fit in one.
Acts 9:26
“assayed” – tried
“join himself to the disciples” – to meet with the disciples
“they were all afraid of him and believed not” – hesitated, or were hesitant of him, or they hesitated
to believe.
This is the verse that has caused me some major problems in my head. Earlier in Acts we read that
word had preceded Saul; that he was coming to Damascus. Now he’s in Damascus for 3 years
preaching his heart out and the disciples at Jerusalem, when he comes back there, are still hesitant.
Why? You mean to tell me that word didn’t get from Damascus back down to Jerusalem in 3 years
time, that this fellow Paul was right on? I can’t believe that, Walter. Got any texts that say anything
else? Why would they hesitate to believe that he was a disciple? Is the answer in the word “disciples”
and that these disciples that he tried to join himself to, a group of new believers in Jerusalem and
they had not been informed? But the apostles had been, because of verse 27. Would that be the
answer?
Walter -- Could have been a group of new disciples that had known him when he had been
persecuting the Christians, but had not kept up on the church news; recently converted believers.
Dr. -- Then we don’t have any problem with it.
Earl – These are the same Jews that couldn’t renew their minds to get off the law. And that these
disciples had brothers and sisters, maybe even some of their personal family blood relations that Paul
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had persecuted and had put to death. And they could have carried that with them even though they
had heard a rumor somewhere that he had believed.
Dr. – I think it would be the easiest if we stick with newly converted believers. These could have
been people that he knew previously as a Jew. Now converted and they are brand new and he tried to
join himself in their ‘twig meeting’ and they said, “Look man, you can’t be a disciple.” - only
because they hadn’t heard about it, because in verse 27 Barnabas must have believed that he was.
Acts 9:27
“took him” - helped him
‘‘apostles’’ - Peter and John.
“declared” - related
Someone says - “Walter taught the apostles were Peter and James according to Galatians 1:18-19.
Someone said they couldn’t understand why they had not heard that Paul had been converted because
that had to have been a big event.
Dr. – They were just born again and they just hadn’t heard. There are people in the U.S. that don’t
know who is president. The Bible says they didn’t, so it’s not a question of whether you understand it
or not, the Word said they didn’t, so we have to work the Word to find out and think why they would
not have understood.
Someone says - The Jews had so much control of that city. It seems to me this guy Saul who sat at
the feet of Gamaliel, who was like the budding star of Judaism on his way up to Damascus to wipe
out those Christians. And on the way he gets born again--they wouldn’t want anyone to know about
it. They would be embarrassed. They would want to stifle it. If they controlled the input and output of
that city, messages and news, they just might have squelched the news right there.
Dr. – That’s a good logical argument, that these were just newly born Jews and they wouldn’t know.
Acts 9:28
Dr. to Walter -- You put the 15 days (of Galatians 1:18) in verse 28 that he was with them? That’s
where it belongs.
Walter -- Yes. Galatians 1:21-23. Maybe this group, being new ones, they had heard but they just
couldn’t imagine and maybe they knew that the Jewish hierarchy was deceptive in some of their
dealings and that they might promote something like this.
Dr. -- I can see what he said, that the Jews would squelch that thing; they wouldn’t even bring up his
stupid name.
Dr. reads a note from Bullinger on Acts 9:22, “Instead of searching the Scriptures to see if these
things were so, the believers at Damascus were occupied with the change in Saul’s attitude. Hence
we read nothing of believers.” I think that’s an unfair assumption. Just because it doesn’t say they
searched the Scriptures daily when Saul taught to see whether these things were true, does not mean
that they weren’t searching the Scriptures.
That Barnabas fellow in verse 27, you have to know who he was. Remember later on in Acts, the
holy spirit separated them. (Acts 13:2)
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Acts 9:29
“spake” - preached.
“Jesus” - omit
“disputed” questions coming up and being kicked back and forth
“went about to slay him” laid out plans on how they were going to kill him
Acts 9:30
“brought him down” - escorted him
The record in verse 32 picks up Peter and we never get back to Paul till Acts 11:25. What did he do
through those years when he went back to Tarsus until he got back to Antioch? Could that have been
the years when he traveled to what we know as the British Isles? Historically, I think you have five to
seven years there. There’s an old record that the Word got to the British Isles, and that Paul brought
it. If he did, this could be the period of time here. I’m sure he did something besides just sit at home
and drink tea.
Acts 9:31
“had the churches rest” - there was no persecution. Generally there was no persecution against the
body of the church. I wish we knew more about that period of time, but it just is not in the Word.
And there is very little in secular history, or profane history, that has ever indicated anything that
would make it possible for me to know very much about this period.
“and were edified” - It’s during that period of time that the Church was edified, built up, a lot of
believers added.
“fear” – reverence, respect
“in the comfort of the Holy Ghost” - with the Comforter, the pneuma hagion
I see the greatness of the manifestations in those words. And that’s why I believe the Lord had the
record put in here now about healing, then about Cornelius and all of that. To show you how it grew
because they walked in the reverence they didn’t sit around. They walked; they were out witnessing,
and meeting in their little bodies of believers in homes. They were operating the manifestations of the
spirit. That’s the comfort of the holy ghost. I wonder why they didn’t put a chapter there at the end of
verse 31? Maybe we should put a chapter after verse 30 and a chapter after verse 31 because there
are whole periods of time involved here.
Acts 9:32
“Lydda” - This city was west of Jerusalem. There must have been believers there, it says so. Got that
city on your map? See it’s sort of NW on this map here.
Acts 9:33
“which had kept his bed” - It simply means he couldn’t get around. He was bed fast completely for 8
years and it tells you why.
“sick of the palsy” - He had paralysis.
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A lot of things happen between verse 33 and verse 34 that are not written in the Word. How much
teaching or preaching Peter did and how much he shared in between those verses I do not know.
Acts 9:34
“maketh you whole” - heals you
“arise and make thy bed” - What he simply said was, “Get up and roll up your sleeping bag.”
I told you that the Church received edifying by the comfort of the holy spirit, the manifestations in
operation. Then comes this record here of this wonderful man’s deliverance after having been
paralyzed for 8 years. The understanding and the depth of the Word here is that these men were
operating manifestations and by the operation of those manifestations walking forth in the reverence
of the Lord. By the operations of the manifestations he was able to set this man free.
“maketh you whole” - Walter, come in here. Let’s check out something. In Aramaic you can do the
same thing. Are there any texts at all that I could work that would say “Aeneas, Jesus Christ has
made thee whole, healed you,” past tense?
Walter – It is, being perfect, it is ‘has healed you’.
Dr. -- But why the ‘passive’? Does that affect us at all? Well, Walter, can I translate it that way?
Walter -- Yes.
Dr. - - Tom, Aramaic too?
Tom - - Yes. It’s a participle but you can definitely translate it “has” or “had.”
Walter -- It’s a deponent so it’s not really a passive. I don’t know why they have it here. It’s just,
“Jesus Christ has healed you.” Perfect tense.
Dr. -- What I wanted you to see on this, I didn’t check the text but that’s what I mean by Way Corps
principle number one. (Acquire an in-depth spiritual perception and awareness) How did I know it?
Didn’t I make him check it or something? Ordinarily I check it myself, but it’s good for you to see
Walter work and some of the rest. These men are capable of doing this stuff. Now I’ll forget it, you
kids can all afford to remember it. By his stripes you were healed. (I Peter 2:24) See why all that
stuff goes through my mind when you read this stuff. Therefore, it doesn’t really make that much
difference to me reading it, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole.” Which is true at the moment,
but it’s also true that he has made him (past tense) just like we have been delivered. “By his stripes
we were healed.” That’s that in-depth spiritual perception that you don’t get in two years of the
Corps but it lays the foundation for it and the real in-depth foundation, that if you stay faithful on the
Word and just keep working away. The more you work the Word the greater that in-depth spiritual
perception becomes.
Dr. -- You say in Aramaic it’s a participle form – the word ‘healing’?
Tom -- It has the essence of “has caused to be healed.” I just found that out. They’ve got so many
weird little marks that I just figured it all out.
Dr. - - That “make thy bed” – What’s that do in the text? Is it like the quilt or the little pallet?
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Walter - - It’s ‘spread for yourself’ in the Greek. Like spreading a couch.
Dr. - - Spread for thyself – what?
Tom - - In Aramaic it’s a litter or a bier, like a stretcher type thing. And same as Greek – it has the
word for spread.
They look it up in a dictionary and a Young’s Concordance and Bullinger’s Lexicon (p. 378).
Walter - - This is the word that’s used where they spread their garments in the way when he came in
on the colt. (Matthew 21:8, Mark 11:8 & Luke 19:36)
Girl - - Places in Mark and Luke where it is used, is when he told them to go and prepare a place for
the Passover and it says it was “furnished.” (Mark 14:15 & Luke 22:12)
Dr. - - O.K. I got it. “Arise and prepare thy couch.” That means wrap it up; wrap your sleeping bag
up. It was a quilt like thing called a mattress, a couch. It was cloth about that thick that they’d just
wrap up and put under their arm. When they wanted to go to bed they would throw it out and lie
down on it. That’s what he did here. And that’s exactly what he told him. Prepare your mattress, bed,
couch, which simply means wrap it up. It can’t mean ‘make it’, like you would say, “make your
bed.” He’s been asleep in it for 8 years. He couldn’t get out of it, he was paralyzed. What he was
saying to him is, “Jesus Christ has healed you. Wrap that old lousy thing up. Get it out of the way.”
Tremendous miracle!
Acts 9:35
“all that dwelt” - without any distinction
“turned” – Greek: epistrephō – believed on, turned to, turned on. That’s good – turned on.
Acts 9:36
“certain disciple” - a disciple, that one disciple. Like Ananias. (Acts 9:10)
“Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas” - Here’s one of the unusual things because
Tabitha is Aramaic, so they had to interpret it. The word Dorcas means antelope. I think this is the
first reference to a woman’s deliverance after the day of Pentecost. That increases the effectiveness
of ‘comfort of the holy ghost’ and all that twig work. God is no respecter of women or men.
“almsdeeds” - she shared abundantly.
Acts 9:37
Here you have a statement of a Christian believer getting sick and dying.
“upper chamber” – upper room. I’m surprised they’ve never argued that’s the same upper room the
about 120 did it. One of the texts puts it as “the upper room.” Dr. laughs…”Ah, those birds.”
Acts 9:38
“there” – in town
“sent” – Greek – apostellō - apostle
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“desiring” - entreating, pleading with him
“delay to come” – refrain from coming pronto, right now
Acts 9:39
“Peter arose” - walking in the reverence of the Lord, comfort of the holy spirit. Peter arose and went
by revelation. Not because they entreated him. Now it didn’t hurt for them to come and ask him, or
even entreat him, but I do not believe Peter went because of their begging him. That’s why I think
that verse 31 could have been made a chapter because everything now circles around it.
“chamber” - room
“coats and garments” – under-garments and dresses; the good works she was doing among the people
was helping them in their need, working with them, giving them stuff.
Acts 9:40
“put them all forth” – threw them all out. He asked them to leave; again revelation.
“kneeled down” – this has been carried over into the Christian church where people kneel to pray in
some denominations.
“prayed” - I believe he prayed in the spirit. This type of prayer edifies. I think he prayed until he
himself knew within himself, and then the revelation came.
Acts 9:41
“he gave her his hand and lifted her up’’ - inspired action
Acts 9:42-43
“tarried many days” – went to stay for a long time
“one” – certain. I put the word certain here back with “certain disciple” (verse 36), which means a
real sharp pointed one. A certain Simon; a real right on Simon.
“a tanner” - That again is real interesting because of walking in the reverence of the Lord and
comfort, the comforter of pneuma hagion. A tanner would be the most unlikely person to go to if you
were on an ego trip. He had the stinkin’-ist business in town. What softened his heart to go to Simon
the tanner? Walking and the comfort of the holy spirit. All along here you see the unfolding of this
because we are going to go to Caesarea next and God has been working on his heart through all these
things to bring Peter - humble. That’s why he went to Simon the tanner. And Simon the tanner was a
fantastic believer.
All the tanning businesses were always on the opposite side of the city where the wind came in and
not allowed in the city; Zoning. The hides were always tanned outside with the sun and the air, and it
was sort of nice and stinky. But I love that record; that he would go there. God is no respecter of
persons, or professions, or businesses. So the next time you’re doing the bathrooms for the believers,
you think of Simon the tanner. The next time you’re picking up a piece of paper or junk outside,
think of Simon the tanner. It’s not in the work; it’s in the heart, what you have. This man was a
believer. And that’s where Peter went.