Hello and welcome to the Women’s Weekly Bible Challenge! I’m
Lisa Ann Spencer.
Today we will begin our study, When the Holy Spirit
Speaks to Women, where we left off in the book of Acts. Grab your Bible, your favorite cuppa, and a
journal to jot down some cross-references; and let’s dig into the word of God.
Last week we pointed out the FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE WITHIN
THE KINGDOM CHURCH, which involved a woman.
Ananias and Sapphira were put to death for their deceit, faithlessness, and
resistance against the will of God. The
Holy Spirit spoke to Sapphira through the apostle Peter in Acts 5:8-9.
The SECOND SIGN OF TROUBLE WITHIN THE KINGDOM CHURCH – “THERE AROSE A MURMURING”
Read Acts 6:1
I bring this passage to your attention because it involves women, and it
also helps us establish the CONTEXT for the book of Acts. The Grecian widows were being neglected in
the daily ministration (the daily distribution of food) which caused the
Grecians to murmur against the Hebrews.
This hearkens back to Acts 2:45-46 and 4:34-35, where daily distribution
was made to everyone according as he had need.
The Grecians are Jews who were born outside of the land of Israel.
Acts 6:1 contrasts the “Grecians” with the “Hebrews”; both
refer to native languages, lands and cultures.
In the introduction to this series, we looked at the list of the Grecian languages in
Acts 2:8-11. They said, “We hear every man in our own tongue wherein we were
born”. Some of the Grecians that were in
attendance on the day of Pentecost had sold their belongings and were now dwelling
in Jerusalem. This was in obedience to
Jesus’s teaching, and the apostle’s doctrine.
They were all expecting Jesus to return within 7 years to set up the
Kingdom in Jerusalem. (We looked at those scriptures in Daniel last week, in
case you missed it and would like to go back and review the previous blog.)
We begin to see disunity in the early Acts church because there
is murmuring. Murmuring is
a terrible sin. There are 33 references to murmuring in the KJB, and all had
severe consequences. (1 Corinthians 10:10)
As a result, the 12 apostles called a special meeting and solved
this problem by appointing 7 men to be over this business of making sure that
no one was neglected in the daily ministration (Acts 6:3-4).
At this point our study will deviate momentarily, from those
involving women,
to establishing the CONTEXT of the book of ACTS. Studying about the women of the Acts period
will only confuse us if we do not understand the major changes that took place
in the book of Acts; it is the transition that bridges Jesus’s earthly ministry to Israel in the Four Gospels, to the Apostle Paul's ministry to the Gentiles in Romans through Philemon.
Acts 6:5 tells us that one of the men chosen for the daily
ministration was Stephen, a man full of the Holy Ghost. This fact is repeated
3 times for emphasis:
- Acts 6:5 …they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost,…
- Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and of power, (resulting from being full of the Holy Ghost [Acts 1:8]).
- Acts 7:55 …he, being full of the Holy Ghost…
The THIRD SIGN OF TROUBLE WITHIN THE KINGDOM CHURCH – “THEN
THERE AROSE…”
The seemingly insignificant murmuring between the Grecians
and the Hebrews quickly escalated into something more sinister.
Read Acts 6:9-10
The synagogue is a Jewish place of worship. [We do not know
where the “Libertine” synagogue is located, but as the other two names in the
passage (Cyrenian [Libya] and Alexandrian [Egypt]) are of particular locations,
we conclude that “Libertine” is also a place name.] The men from these synagogues are Grecian
Jews from those countries who now dwell in Jerusalem. We are not told what exactly they are
disputing about, but it is pointed out in verse 10 that these men were not able
to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which Stephen spake. It is important to understand that Stephen is
speaking by the Holy Spirit, so these men are resisting the Holy Spirit.
Read Luke 21:14-20 to understand the context, when the apostles would not have to study to speak because the Holy Ghost would speak through them during that 7-year tribulation that is upon them.
Jesus had forewarned the disciples about the progression of
events of the end times. There will be false brethren (unbelieving
Jews) among the true believers; the tares among the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30). They will rise up against their Jewish
brethren to kill them. This is a sign to
the nation of Israel that they are in their last days. Daniel wrote about the desolations in Daniel 9:26 that we just read about in Luke 21:20.
These things are about to come upon them.
Read Acts 6:11-15 to 7:1
The leadership of the nation of Israel (the people, the elders, the scribes, the council, and the high priest) is rising up against the Holy Spirit to resist His will. They are resisting the Holy Spirit that God poured out upon the Little Flock of believers (Luke 12:32), which was to teach them all things and guide them into all truth (John 14:26; 16:13).
ACTS CHAPTER 7 – THE TURNING POINT FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL
I encourage you to Read Acts 7:2-53 to hear what the Holy
Spirit says to the nation of Israel through Stephen. It is an excellent review
of their history.
Acts 7:51 is a key verse:
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do
ALWAYS RESIST THE HOLY GHOST: as your fathers did, so do ye.
📔 NOTE: Of course we know that God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Ghost are ONE GOD! But Jesus made a distinction between the
blasphemy against the Son and blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Jesus told them
in Matthew 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy
shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not
be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man,
it shall be forgiven him: but whosover speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it
shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. And though the Holy Ghost was certainly with
the Father when Israel resisted His will in the Old Testament, the Holy Ghost
had never before been poured out on “all flesh” in Israel as it was in early
Acts.
Read Acts 7:54-58
Stephen SAW heaven opened and Jesus standing at God’s right
hand; then the Holy Ghost, through Stephen, SPOKE to the leaders of Israel,
telling them that Jesus was standing at the right hand of God. The leaders knew
what this meant. It meant that Jesus was
returning TO JUDGE and to punish the nation, and to take their kingdom away.
[Bonus material: We must consider Acts 7:57 (how the leaders of Israel “stopped their ears”), in light of the prophet Zechariah, who tells us of the origin of the Grecian Jews. Zechariah 7:9-14 speaks of the nation of Israel who “stopped their ears” from hearing God’s law. For that reason, a GREAT WRATH came upon the Jews dwelling in the land. This is why the Jews were scattered into the other nations. A few Jews returned to the land and rebuilt their Temple after the 70-year captivity, but most remained scattered, up unto the time of Jesus’s earthly ministry.
All Jewish men were required by the Law of Moses to attend three feasts each year in Jerusalem. This is why we see the Grecian Jews, who were born in other nations, attending the Passover and the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. Those who heard and believed Peter’s testimony sold their belongings and returned to the land of Israel to wait for Christ’s return. In Acts chapter 7, it is the Grecian Jews that stir up the Hebrews to resist the truth being preached by Stephen, a man FULL of the Holy Ghost. In verse 57, we read how they “stopped their ears” when God spoke to them through Stephen.
In the Law, God gave Israel instructions to follow when He poured out wrath to punish the nation: Read all of Leviticuschapter 26, but notice verses 40-43, Israel is told to confess their sins (agree with God that their sin was the cause of their scattering into the nations) and accept the punishment (endure to the end in faithfulness to God and His word). But instead of agreeing with God, the Jews once again “stopped their ears” and refused to hear Him.
The Law teaches that there will come a time when Israel refuses to hear, then God will pour out wrath upon them. At that time they will cry out to God, but He will no longer hear them. In fact, He will laugh at them. (Job 9:23; Proverbs 1:26; Psalm 2:4; 37:13). At this point in the book of Acts, Jesus is standing to JUDGE (*see list below) by pouring out wrath, just as He said He would if they continued to harden their hearts. However, the Holy Ghost commanded Jesus not to lay this sin at their charge in Acts 7:60!
Before the foundation of the world (1Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:4; Titus 1:2), the Trinity formulated a plan in Their Wisdom, to offer “exceeding, abundant grace” (1 Timothy 1:14) to Jew and Gentile alike. It was never prophesied in the Old Testament; hence it is referred to as the ‘Mystery’ by the Apostle Paul, to whom it was revealed (Romans 12:3; 15:15; 1 Corinthians 3:10; Galatians 2:9; Ephesians 3:2; Colossians 1:25). The plan would be implemented at the salvation of the Apostle Paul. END OF BONUS MATERIAL]
CONCLUSION OF ACTS 7
The leaders of the
nation of Israel murdered Stephen, a man full of the Holy Ghost. This was
not a sin committed in ignorance. This was a presumptuous sin. They committed
blasphemy, the unforgivable sin. They would not hear God, and God says He will
no longer hear them. The nation of
Israel lost their position of preeminence above the nations on this day. This generation of unbelievers died in
unbelief, just as did the generation that wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.
The stoning of Stephen is PIVOTAL in the history of Israel!
As we move forward from chapter 7 through the book of Acts,
we will begin to read things that were not prophesied in the Old Testament. God begins to make a change; a change that was a secret known only to Him. The Holy Trinity knew
before
the foundation of the world that He would institute a new program
called “the mystery”, in which He would extend grace to everyone, Jew and
Gentile alike.
It is not a coincidence that we are introduced to Saul at
the end of this chapter.
We will come back to Saul in our next lesson, but for now
let’s continue our study of women in the book of ACTS.
After Stephen’s murder, the believers are scattered out of
Jerusalem due to the persecution that arose, except for the 12 apostles who
remained in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). The
scattered disciples continue to preach the gospel of the kingdom to JEWS ONLY (Acts11:19).
In Acts 8:3, we read about Saul making havock of the church,
entering into every house, and haling men and women committing them to
prison. Saul made no distinction and showed no mercy to women.
In Acts 8:5, we read that Philip, one of the 7 men appointed to take care of the widows in chapter 6, went to Samaria. If you remember our study on John chapter 4 and the woman at the well, we showed that the Samaritan woman was a descendant of Joseph, the son of Israel. I remind you of this because Philip is ministering to Jews only, as the Scriptures make plain; not Gentiles. Verse 12 says the Samaritans believed Philip’s preaching of the kingdom of God, and they were baptized, both men and women. This passage helps us understand that although God has postponed His judgment of the nation of Israel, He is still saving individual men and women who believe the truth.
NOTE: Though Philip was a man full of the Holy Ghost, it was necessary for Peter and John to come lay hands on the Samaritans who had believed so that they might receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:14-16). PLEASE understand that this is not the gospel by which we are saved today. We are saved the very moment we believe the gospel of the grace of God; how that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day. The moment we trust in Him after hearing the truth and believing it, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). We do not need anyone to lay hands on us. We do not see anything or feel anything when we are saved; it is simply by faith in God’s word. We would not know how to be saved, nor would we know that we were saved, except that God has told us in His preserved word!
The next woman mentioned in the book of Acts is Candace, the queen of Ethiopia. Even though we do not read about the Holy Spirit speaking to her in this passage, we will resume our study here next week. We’ll quickly move forward and consider Saul’s conversion and note the diminishing of Peter’s ministry after God shows Peter that He is turning to the Gentiles. I hope you’ll join me next week in Part 3 of our study, When the Holy Spirit Speaks to Women.
This material is covered on my YouTube channel:
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