ACTS: ALIGNING WITH GOD'S SOVEREIGN WORK OF DISCIPLING

VII. Peter's Example Of Discipling The Misinformed

(Acts 3:17-26)

 

I.               Introduction

A.    The book of Acts explains "the orderly and sovereignly directed progress of the kingdom message from Jews to Gentiles, and from Jerusalem to Rome," Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, p. 351.

B.    Accordingly, we can learn much about aligning our ministry efforts with God's sovereign work from studying the Early Church era as presented in the book of Acts.

C.    Acts 3:17-26 records how God used Peter to disciple some of his misinformed religious countrymen.  We also face the need to disciple misinformed religious associates today, so we view this passage for our insight:

II.            Peter's Example Of Discipling The Misinformed, Acts 3:17-26.

A.    The Apostle Peter acknowledged that his Hebrew audience had rejected and condemned the Messiah Jesus to death out of "ignorance" (agnoia, Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 11), Acts 3:17.

B.    Accordingly, trusting the innate power of God's inspired Word to persuade his listeners, Peter explained the truth about Christ, using Scriptures his Hebrew audience knew well to authenticate his message, Acts 3:18-26:

1.      Peter explained that the Old Testament prophets had predicted that Messiah should suffer, and that Jesus had fulfilled this prediction, Acts 3:18.  One such passage would be Daniel 9:26 where after the sixty-ninth "seven" of years following Artaxerxes Lingimanus' edict on March 5, 444 B. C. to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, Messiah would be "cut off," meaning he would be executed. (B. K. C., O. T., p. 1364) The 69th "seven" ended on March 30, A. D. 33, and four days later, Jesus was crucified on April 3, A. D. 33. (Harold W. Hoehner, Chron. Aspects of the Life of Christ, 1979, p. 139)

2.      Peter added that his listeners in Israel needed to repent and believe in Jesus Christ for the times of refreshing of the Messianic Kingdom might come from the Lord, Acts 3:19-21:

                         a.  Zechariah 12:10-13:1 predicted Israel's repentance regarding Christ in the latter days, what we now know occurs at Christ's Second Coming to earth. (Acts 3:19a)

                         b.  Amos 9:11-15 was one out of many Old Testament passages that predicted Israel's national restoration in the Messianic Kingdom. (Acts 3:19b-21)

3.      Peter then alluded to Moses' prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15-19 about the arrival of the Prophet in Israel who would be like himself to whom Israel was to give heed lest they be destroyed, asserting that Jesus of Nazareth was that Prophet and Messiah, Acts 3:22-23.

4.      Indeed, Peter mentioned that all the Old Testament Hebrew prophets foretold of these things and that Israel was heir with their forefathers of the Abrahamic Covenant promises of God's blessing to the Hebrew people first and then, through them, to the Gentile world, Acts 3:24-25.  Indeed, that Abrahamic Covenant, well known by all of Peter's listeners, is found in Genesis 12:1-3.

5.      The word "Son" in Acts 3:26 KJV translates the Greek noun pais, what can also mean "Servant" (Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 609-610), what is the better translation here, so the Messiah would turn Israel from sin back to the Lord that He might bless her, Acts 3:26.  One important Old Testament passage expressing this truth is Isaiah 49:1-7: It predicted that Messiah as God's "Servant" would first be rejected by Israel, but that God would make Him a light to the Gentiles, what starts to occur in the Church era, and that He would be worshiped by Israel in the end, what we now know occurs at Christ's Second Coming!

 

Lesson: To disciple misinformed religious fellow countrymen, Peter acknowledged that their rejection and condemnation of Jesus the Messiah to death was done in ignorance.  Accordingly, Peter explained from God's authoritative, innately supernaturally powerful Word the truth that had been predicted by Israel's prophets concerning Christ, and how Jesus Christ fulfilled those prophecies in His suffering and death at His first coming and in His enthronement in the Messianic Kingdom in the latter days when Israel repents with regard to Him.

 

Application: (1) To disciple religious associates who are misinformed, may we first recognize that their problem is a matter of ignorance of the facts and thus not scold them for their beliefs, but merely focus on informing them about what they do not know.  (2) Then, may we trust the innately, supernaturally empowered Scriptures themselves and present their truths to inform our listeners of the truth.  (3) Obviously, to be effective at this, we need to KNOW what Scripture teaches, requiring that we have spent time reading and studying it so that the Holy Spirit can bring to our remembrance what we have read in speaking to the misinformed, cf. John 14:26.