Peter heals a lame beggar and second message to Jews (Acts 3:1-26) By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

 Peter heals a lame beggar and second message to Jews (Acts 3:1-26)

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce 

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts &Gospel music   

Chapter 3 Peter Heals a Lame Beggar –The Miracle (Acts 3:1-260)

1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter’s message by faith in the name of Jesus (Acts 3:11-26)

11While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

    

17“Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20and that he may send the Christ (Messiah), who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’ 24“Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ 26When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

 

 

 Verse 1 It was not only the early believers who were not clear the early believers who were not clear concerning God’s New Testament economy in relation to the Judaic temple; even the early apostles did not have a clear vision concerning God’s abandoning of the Judaic things. Hence, even after God poured out the Spirit upon them on the day of Pentecost to initiate a new dispensation, they still would not separate themselves from the Judaic temple. At the initial stage God tolerated their ignorance in this matter. But this led to a mixture of the church with Judaism, which was not condemned by the early church in Jerusalem (21:20-26). Eventually, the temple was destroyed by Titus with his Roman army in A.D.70 as prophesied by the Lord in Matt.23:38 and 24:2. That destruction cleared up the religious mixture.

 

 Verse 6 Peter did not possess silver and gold, but St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome was constructed with a superabundance of gold. He did not have silver and gold, but he had the name, the person, of Jesus Christ, He was poor in silver and gold but rich in Christ. The Roman Church is filled with gold but not with the person of Christ. She is rich in gold but poor in Christ. Verse 6 “in the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene” His power and authority are invoked. Nazarene indicating the One despised by the Jewish leaders (John1:45-46; Acts 22:8; 24:5)

 Verse 15 “Author of life” The Greek word here means author, origin, originator, chief leader, captain. Here it denotes Christ as the origin or Originator of life, hence the Author of life, in contrast to a murderer in the previous verse.

 Verse 16 by faith, through the apostles’ faith or possibly the lame man’s faith. on the ground of faith in His name. His name, denoting the person. The person is the reality of the name; hence, the name is powerful.

 Verse 18 First, the redeeming death of Christ was determined by God in eternity (2:23) and announced beforehand through the prophets in the Old Testament time. This proves again that Christ’s death was not a historical accident, but an act planned by God according to the purpose of His good pleasure and announced beforehand through the prophets.

Verse 19 Turn, turn from sin to God by reversing their verdict about Jesus and confessing Him as the Messiah. Times of refreshing and time…to restore everything (v.21) refer to the millennial kingdom.

Verse 20 refreshing Lit, cooling, reviving: hence, relieving, refreshing. The seasons of refreshing denote a time of revival of all things with joy and rest, referring to the times of restoration of all things in v.21, which will be brought in by the coming of the Messiah in His glory, as taught and prophesied by the Savior in Matt.19:28. It seems that Peter’s word skips over the church age and goes directly from the time of Pentecost to the millennium. This may indicate that Peter did not have a clear vision concerning the church age in God’s New Testament economy. The entire New Testament reveals the before the seasons of refreshing, the church occupies a considerable period of time in God’s dispensation.

 Verse 21 until the times the times of restoration in the millennium, as prophesied in Isa. 11:1-10 and 65:18-25, and referred to by Christ in Matt.17:11 and 19:28. It will be brought in by His coming back.

 Verse 22 Prophet will the Lord your God, referring to the Lord Jesus.

 Verse 25 in your seed, referring to Christ (Gal.3:16)

 Verse 26 God sent back the ascended Christ first to the Jews by pouring out His Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Hence, the very Spirit whom God poured out is the very Christ whom God raised and exalted to the heavens. When the apostles preached and ministered this Christ, the Spirit was ministered to people.

Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

The fellowship of the believers (the beginning of the church life) (Acts 2:42-47) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

The fellowship of the believers (the beginning of the church life) (Acts 2:42-47)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce   

Christian Arts Ministries: Bilical precepts & Gospel music

Scriptures reading Acts 2: 42-47

 

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Verse 42 The first group of believers produced through the apostles preaching and ministering of Christ on the day of Pentecost continued steadfastly in four things: teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers.

 1) Teaching is the unveiling of God’s New Testament economy concerning Christ and the church.

2) Fellowship is the communion and communication between the believers in their communion and communication with God the Father and Christ the Son.

3) Breaking of bread is the remembrance of the Lord in His accomplishing of God’s full redemption; and

4) Prayer is cooperation with the Lord in heaven for the carrying out of God’s New Testament economy on earth.

The first two, teaching and fellowship, conjoined by and to be one group, are of the apostles, but breaking of bread and prayers are not, indicating that besides the teaching and fellowship of the apostles, the believers in Christ should not have any other teaching and fellowship in God’s New Testament economy there is only one category of teaching revealed and recognized by God –the teaching of the apostles and only one category of fellowship that is of God and is acceptable to Him-- the fellowship of the apostles which is with the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ (1 John1:3) and which is the unique fellowship of the unique church, the Body of Christ.

The last two, the breaking of bread and prayer, also conjoined by an to be another group, are practices of the believers in their Christian life and are not related directly to God’s economy for the keeping of the oneness of the church, the Body of Christ. Hence, they are not of the apostles, who brought in God’s New Testament revelation and His fellowship among all the belieers in Christ.  

Verse 43 Wonders and signs are not part of God’s central testimony, which is the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ; neither are they part of His full salvation. They are only evidence that what the apostles preached and ministered and the way they acted were absolutely of God not of man (Heb.2:3-4)

           Verse 44 Also in 4:32 Having all things common was not a sign of love but of Christ’s dynamic salvation, which saved the believers from greediness and selfishness. It was practiced for only a short time at the initiation of God’s New Testament economy; it did not continue for the long run as a practice of legality in the church life during Paul’s ministry, as proved by his words in 2 Cor.9 and other places.

Verse 45 This too was an evidence of the Lord’s dynamic salvation, which caused the believers to overcome earthly possession, which occupy, possess, and usurp all fallen mankind (Matt.19:21-24;Luke12:13-19,33,34;14:33;16:13-14;1Tim.6:17)

Verse 46 In the initiation of God’s New Testament economy, the early believers and even the first group of apostles were not clear that God had forsaken Judaism with its practices and facilities, including the temple (Matt.23:38---“your home”, referring to the God-forsaken temple). Hence, according to their tradition and habit, they still went to the temple for their New Testament meeting. The early believers remembered the Lord by breaking bread daily in their houses; this showed their love and enthusiasm toward the Lord. Or at home; in contrast to in the temple. Meeting in home as the Christian way of meeting together is fitting to God’s New Testament economy. This way differs from the Judaic way of meeting in the synagogues (6:9). It became a continual and general practice in the churches (Rom.16:5; 1Cor.16:19; Col4:15; Philem 2).

Verse 47 Simplicity of heart or singleness; describing the heart’s being simple, single, and plain, having one love and desire and one goal in seeking after the Lord.  They lived a life that expressed God’s attributes in human virtues, as Jesus, the Man-Savior, did (Luke 2:52) together This indicates that from the very beginning of their Christian life the early believers were brought into the corporate church life; they did not live individualistically as Christians separated from one another. 

 

Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God has made this Jesus both Lord and Messiah (Acts 2:22-41) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

God has made this Jesus, who was crucified, both Lord and Messiah (Acts 2:22-41)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce   

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music

 

Scriptures reading Acts 2:22- 41

  22“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25David said about him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, 27because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. 28You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

 

 

 29“Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand 35until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ’ 36“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

 

 37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

 

 

Verses 22-36 Peter reviewed the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth (vv.22-24) and then recited the prophecy of the resurrection, (vv.25-31), quoting Ps.16:8-11. Since David was speaking of the Messiah (v.31), Peter continued, and since Jesus was raised from the dead (v.32), Jesus must be the Messiah (v.36) .

Verse 22 the first message of the apostles’ preaching of the gospel was focused on a man. In his Gospel, Luke presented to his readers this man, from His conception, through His birth, youth, life on earth, death, and resurrection, to His ascension. Here, in this book of Acts, Luke went on to tell us that this man was preached by the apostles as the God ordained Savior.

Verse 23 This counsel must have bee determined in a council held by by the Divine Trinity before the foundation of the world (1Pet.1:20;Rev.13:8), indicating that the Lord’s crucifision was not an accident in human history but a purposeful fulfillment of the divine counsel determined by the Triune God. Including Judas Iscariot, the chief priests, the officers of the temple, the elders, the high priest, the Jewish Sanhedrin, Pilate, Herod, and the Roman soldiers—mainly the Jewish religionists with their deputies and the Gentile politicians with their subordinates . This indicates that Jesus was killed by all mankind.

Verse 24 Here and in v.32 Peter said that God raised up Jesus. In 10:40-41 he said the same thing again but added, “He rose from the dead.” Regarding the Lord as a man, the New Testament tells us that God raised Him from the dead (Rom.8:11);considering Him as God, it tells us that He Himself rose from the dead (1 Thes.4:14). This proves His dual status –human and divine. The Lord is both God and resurrection (John1:1;11:25), possessing the indestructible life (Heb.7:16). Since He is such aa ever-living One, death is not able to hold Him. He delivered Himself to death, but death had no way to detain Him, rather, death was defeated by Him, and He rose up from it.

Verse 25This is the declaration of Christ in His resurrection. When Chirst is held by God as in Isa.41:13;42:6), God is on His right hand; when He is exalted by God, He is sitting at the right hand of God.(v.33;Psa.110:1;Eph.1:20-21).

Verse 26 This is a quotation from Psa.16:9 in the Septuagint. But in the original Hebrew text the word for tongue is glory, which is a synonym of soul, according to Gen.49:6 and Psa.7:5. Because Christ trusted in God. His heart was made glad and His soul exulted while He was in Hades (v.27). rest or dwell, reside, pitch its tent. After Christ died on the cross, while His soul was in Hades exulting, His flesh (His body) was in a tomb resting in hope, because He trusted in God.

Verse 32 which or whom. The apostles were witnesses of the resurrected Christ, not only in word but also by their life and action, especially bearing witness of His resurrection (4:33). Bearning witness of Christ’s resurrection is the crucial poin, the focus, in carrying out God’s New Testament economy.

Verse 33 Not the promise given by the Holy Spirit but the promise given by the Father in Joel 2:28, quoted by Peter in Luke 24:49 and in 1:4 of this book, concerning the Holy Spirit. The exalted Christ’s receiving of the promise of the Holy Spirit was actually His receiving of the Holy Spirit Himself. Christ was conceived of the Spirit essentially for His existence in humanity (Luke 1:35; Matt.1:18,20) and was anointed with the Spirit economically for His ministry among men (Matt.3:16;Luke 4:18). After still needed to receive the Spirit economically again that He might pour Himself out upon His Body to carry out His heavenly ministry on earth for the accomplishing of God’s New Testament economy.

Verse 34 This proves that up to the time of Pentecost, David still had not ascended into the heavens. Further more, his tomb was still among the disciples on the day of Pentecost (v.29). This fact annuls the inaccurate teaching that says, based on Eph.4:8-10, that when Christ was resurrected, He brought Paradise, with all the Old Testament saints, from Hades into the heavens (2:cor.12).

Verse 34 “the Lord said to my Lord,” The first Lord refers to God and the second, to Christ, whom David called “my Lord” (Matt.22:45). The position of glory, honor, and power (Exo.15:6; 1 Kings 2:19; Mark 14:62).

Verse 35 As God, the Lord was the Lord all the time (Luke1:43; John 11:21;20:28). But as man, He was made the Lord in His ascension after He brought His humanity into God in His resurrection. And as God’s sent and anointed One, He was Christ from the the time that He was born (Luke 2:11; Matt.1:16;John1:41;Matt.16:16) But as such a One, He was also officially made the very Christ of God in His ascension. The Lord was made Lord, the Lord of all, to possess all; and He was made Christ, God’s Anointed (Heb.1:9), to carry out God’s commission.

Verse 38 The New Testament uses three different prepositions to describe baptism’s relationship to the Lord: (1) En.in (10:48). To be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ is to be baptized in the sphere of the name of Jesus Christ, within which is the reality of the baptism. (2) Eis. Into (Matt.28:19;Acts8:16;19:5;Rom 6:3;Gal3:27). To be baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, or into the name of the Lord Jesus, is to be baptized into a spiritual union with the all-inclusive Christ, who is the embodiment of the Triune God. (3) Epi, upon or on (v.38). To be baptized upon the name of Jesus Christ is to be baptized upon the ground of what the name of Jesus Christ stands for. It stands for all that he person of Jesus Christ is and all that He has accomplished, both of which constitute the belief (the faith) of God’s New Testament economy. It is on this ground that the believers in Christ are baptized.

Verse 38 forgiveness of your sins Forgivness of sins is based on the redemption of Christ, which was accomplished through His death(10:43;Eph.1:7;1Cor.15:3); it is the initial and basic blessing of God’s full salvation. Based on it the blessing of God’s full salvation goes forward and consummate in the receiving of the gift of the Holy Spirit. gift of the Holy Spirit Not any gift distributed by the Spirit, such as is mentioned in Rom.12:6, 1 Cor.12:4 and 1 Pet 4:10, but the gift that is the Holy Spirit Himself, given by God to the believers in Christ as the unique gift that produces all the gifts mentioned in Rom.12, 1Cor.12, and 1 Pet.4. those gifts are the abilities and capacities for the service of God, and they come from this unique gift, the Holy Spirit. The all-inclusive Spirit of the processed Triune God in His New Testament economy, both essential for life and economical for power, given to the belivers at the time of their believing in Christ (Eph.1:13, Gal.3:2), as the all –inclusive blessing of God’s full gospel(Gal.3:14) that they may enjoy all the riches of the Triune God (2Cor.13:14).

The Apostles preached and ministered Christ, but when their hearers repented and believerd in Him, they received this wonderful Spirit of the Triun God. This implies that this Spirit is just the resurrected and ascended Christ Himself. The receiving of the Spriit here is both essential and economical, in a general and all-inclusive sense, differing from the receiving of the Spirit in 8:15-17 and 19:2-6), which is particularly the receiving of the Spirit in His falling upon the believers economically.

Verse 40 Testifying requires experiences of seeing and enjoyment concerning the Lord or spiritual things, It is different from merely teaching. Be is active, and saved is passive; hence, be saved is in the active –passive voice. Salvation is to be carried out by God, but man needs to be active to receive what God intends to do. At the time of Pentecost, everything concerning God’s full salvation had been prepared; and the Holy Spirit was poured out as the application and full blessing of God’s salvation, ready for man to receive. Man, be saved!

At the conclusion of his message Peter did not say, “ Be saved from God’s condemnation,” or “from eternal perdition,” but, “Be save from this crooked generation.” The crooked generation refers to the perverted Jews in that age, who rejected God’s Christ (v.36) and were considered by God as the “present evil age” (Gal.1:4). For the crooked Jews to be saved from their present evil age required a genuine repentance concerning their crookedness toward God and a real trun to God. This indicates that they needed to turn to God not only from their sins but also from their generation, their Jewish society, including their Jewish religion. The result of such a salvation was not their entering into heaven but their entering into a new generation –the church. Thus, the saved ones were separated from the Jewish society into the church. Being saved in this way implies being save from God’s condemnation and eternal perdition unto God’s eternal purpose and His pleasure (Eph.3:11;1:9).

Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

 

Peter Addresses the Crowd call on the name of the Lord (Acts 2:14-21) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Peter Addresses the Crowd call on the name of the Lord (Acts 2:14-21)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music

 

Scripture reading Acts 2:14-21

 

14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Verses 16-21 the fulfillment of this prophecy will be in the last days, immediately preceding the return of Christ, when all the particulars (Rev.6:12) of the prophecy will come to pass. Peter reminded his hearers that, knowing Joel’s prophecy, they should have recognized what they were seeing as a work of the Spirit, not a result of drunkenness. 

Verse 17 This differs from the breathing of the Spirit into the disciples out of the mouth of Christ after His resurrection (John20:22). The pouring out of God’s Spirit was from the heavens in Christ’s ascension. The former is the essential aspect of the Spirit in His being breathed into the disciples as life for their living.  The latter is the economical aspect of the Spirit in His being poured upon them as power for their work. The same Spirit is within them essentially and upon them economically. The pouring out of the Spirit in Christ’s ascension was the descension of the resurrected and ascended Christ as the all-inclusive Spirit to carry out His heavenly ministry on the earth to build up His church (Matt.16:18) as His Body (Eph.1:23) for God’s New Testament economy. 

Verse 19 Lit., give. Verses 19 and 20, quoted from Joel’s prophecy, are not related to the things that occurred on the day of Pentecost but to the calamities of the judgment day of the Lord in the future. 

Verse 21 Calling on the name of the Lord is not a new practice that began with the New Testament. Rather, it began with Enosh, the third generation of mankind, in Gen.4:26. It was continued by Job (Job 12:4;27:10), Abraham (Gen.12:8;13:4;21:33), Isaac (Gen.26:25), Moses and the children of Israel (Deut.4:7), Samson (Juge.15:18;16:28), Samuel (1Sam.12:18; Psa.99: 6), David (2Sam.22:4,7;1Chron.16:8;21:26;Psa.14:4;17:6;18:3,6;31;17;55;16;86:5,7;105:1;116:4,13,17;118:5;145:18), the psalmist Asaph (Psa.80:18), the psalmist Heman (Psa.88:9), Elijah (1Kings18:24), Isaiah (Isa.12:4), Jeremiah (Lam.3:55,57), and others (Psa.99:6), all of whom practiced  this in the Old Testament age.

          Isaiah charged the seekers of God to call upon Him (Isa.55:6). Even the Gentiles knew that the prophets of Israel had the habit of calling on the name of God (Jonah1:6; 2 Kings 5:11) The Gentile raised up by God from the north also called upon His name (Isa.41:25). It is God’s commandment (Psa.91:15; Zeph.3:9; Zech.13:9) that His people call on Him. This is the joyful way to drink from the fountain of God’s salvation (Isa.12:3-4) and the enjoyable way to delight oneself in God (Job27:10), that is, to enjoy Him. Therefore, God’s people must call upon Him daily (Psa.88:9). Such a jubilant practice was prophesied by Joel (Joel2:23) concerning the New Testament jubilee.

              In the New Testament, calling on the name of the Lord was first mentioned by Peter, here, on the day of Pentecost, as the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. This fulfillment is related to God’s outpouring of all –inclusive Spirit economically upon His chosen people that they may participate in His New Testament jubilee. Joel’s prophecy and its fulfillment concerning God’s New Testament jubilee have two aspects: on God’s side, He poured out His Spirit in the ascension of the resurrected Christ; on our side, we call on the name of the ascended Lord, who has accomplished all, attained unto all, and obtained all. Calling on the Lord’s name is vitally necessary in order for us, the believers in Christ, to participate in and enjoy all –inclusive Christ with all He has accomplished, attained, and obtained (1Cor.1:2). It is a major practice in God’s New Testament economy that enables us to enjoy the processed Triune God for out full salvation (Rom.10:10-13).

The early believers practiced this everywhere (1Cor.1:2), and to the unbelievers, especially the persecutors, it became a popular sign of Christ’s believers (9:14,21). When Stephen suffered persecution, he practiced this (7:59), and his practice surely impressed Saul, one of his persecutors (7:58-60;22:20). Later, the unbelieving Saul persecuted the callers (9:14,21) by taking their calling as a sign. Immediately after Saul was caught by the Lord, Ananias, who brought Saul into the fellowship of  the Body of Christ, charged him to be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord, to show others that he too had become such a caller. By his word to Timothy in 2 tim.2:22, Paul indicated that in the early days all the Lord’s seekers practiced such calling. Undoubtedly, he was one who practiced this , since he charged his young co-worker Timothy to do this that Timothy might enjoy the Lord as he did.

The Greek word for call on is composed of on and call (by name); thus, it is to call out audibly, even loudly, as Stephen did (7:59-60). The name denotes the person. Jesus is the Lord’s name, and the Spirit is His person. When we call, “Lord Jesus” we receive the Spirit.

This is the conclusion of the quotation of Joel’s prophecy, which began in v.17, indicating that the issue of God’s pouring out of His Spirit upon all flesh is their salvation through calling on the name of the Lord. God’s outpouring of His Spirit is the applying of the Lord’s salvation to His chosen people. To be saved is to receive this Spirit, who is the blessing of the gospel in God’s New Testament economy (Gal3:2,5,14). This Spirit is the Lord Himself as the breath (John20:22) and the living water (John 4:10,14) to us. To breathe Him in as our breath and drink Him as our living water, we need to call on Him.

Lamentation 3:55-56 indicates that our calling on the Lord is our breathing, and Isa.12:3-4 indicates that our calling on the Lord is our drinking. After we believe in the Lord, we need to call on Him that we may not only be saved but also enjoy His riches; this is the real worship to God (John4:24) to the drinking of the living water given by Him. (John 4:14).

 

Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.