INTERESTING FACTS : John Witherspoon   born Feb. 15, 1723, [Feb. 5, 1722, old style], Gifford, East Lothian, Scot. died Nov. 15, 1794, Tusculum, N.J., U.S. Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University); he was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence.[1]

 

"[N]o man, whatever be his character or whatever be his hope, shall enter into rest unless he be reconciled to God though Jesus Christ.[T]here is no salvation in any other than in Jesus Christ of Nazareth."[2]

 

Daily Reading : ACTS 4 - 6

 

TEXT : Acts  4:5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,  4:6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.  4:7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?  4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,  4:9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;  4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.  4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.  4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.  4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.  4:14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

 

THEME : SALVATION

 

Acts 4 

 

In going over the last two chapters, where we met with so many good things that the apostles did, I wondered what was become of the scribes and Pharisees, and chief priests, that they did not appear to contradict and oppose them, as they had used to treat Christ himself; surely they were so confounded at first with the pouring out of the Spirit that they were for a time struck dumb! But I find we have not lost them; their forces rally again, and here we have an encounter between them and the apostles; for from the beginning the gospel met with opposition. Here,  I. Peter and John are taken up, upon a warrant from the priests, and committed to jail (Act_4:1-4).  II. They are examined by a committee of the great Sanhedrin (Act_4:5-7).  III. They bravely avow what they have done, and preach Christ to their persecutors (Act_4:8-12).  IV. Their persecutors, being unable to answer them, enjoin them silence, threatening them if they go on to preach the gospel, and so dismiss them (Act_4:13-22).  V. They apply to God by prayer, for the further operations of that grace which they had already experienced (Act_4:23-30).  VI. God owns them, both outwardly and inwardly, by manifest tokens of his presence with them (Act_4:31-33).  VII. The believers had their hearts knit together in holy love, and enlarged their charity to the poor, and the Church flourished more than ever, to the glory of Christ (Act_4:33-37). [Matthew Henry][3]

 

Acts 5 

 

In this chapter we have,  I. The sin and punishment of Ananias and Sapphira, who, for lying to the Holy Ghost, were struck dead at the word of Peter (Act_5:1-11).  II. The flourishing state of the Church, in the power that went along with the preaching of the gospel (Act_5:12-16).  III. The imprisonment of the apostles, and their miraculous discharge out of prison, with fresh orders to go on to preach the gospel, which they did, to the great vexation of their persecutors (Act_5:17-26).  IV. Their arraignment before the great Sanhedrin, and their justification of themselves in what they did (Act_5:27-33).  V. Gamaliel's counsel concerning them, that they should not persecute them, but let them alone, and see what would come of it, and their concurrence, for the present, with this advice, in the dismission of the apostles' cheerful progress in their work notwithstanding the prohibition laid upon them and the indignity done them (Act_5:41, Act_5:42). [Matthew Henry][4]

 

Acts 6 

 

In this chapter we have,  I. The discontent that was among the disciples about the distribution of the public charity (Act_6:1).  II. The election and ordination of seven men, who should take care of that matter, and ease the apostles of the burden (Act_6:2-6).  III. The increase of the Church, by the addition of many to it (Act_6:7).  IV. A particular account of Stephen, one of the seven.  1. His great activity for Christ (Act_6:8).  2. The opposition he met with from the enemies of Christianity, and his disputes with them (Act_6:9, Act_6:10).  3. The convening of him before the great Sanhedrin, and the crimes laid to his charge (Act_6:11-14).  4. God's owning him upon his trial (Act_6:15). [Matthew Henry][4]

 

TRUTH FOR TODAY : "SALVATION IS ONLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST."

 

Everything we believe in Christianity depends on the inspiration of the Scriptures.  Without the doctrine and knowledge that the Bible was written by God (through men) we have no foundation for any of our beliefs.  Therefore, the truth that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," is critical to Christianity.  Without that fact, we have no basis for any of our claims.

 

In Acts chapter 4:8 we see that Peter was - "filled with the Holy Ghost," before he said anything to the rulers of the people and the elders of Israel.  Further, the miracle that was performed in Acts chapter 3, was credited to Jesus Christ (Acts 4:10).  When Peter says - "be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel," Peter is stating that neither he, nor any of the Apostles or disciples, were performing miracles or preaching and teaching by their own power and wisdom.  For instance, in Acts chapter 3:12 Peter asks - "why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?" Clearly, we see in the book of Acts how the early Church went to God continually, in prayer, for strength and for wisdom. They never claimed any [miraculous] power was from them.  The early Church was completely dependent on Christ.

 

The Apostle Peter tells the Jews that Jesus Christ - "is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner." Here, Peter is quoting from Psalm 118:22; and Isaiah 28:16.  You should notice that in the New Testament there is a constant emphasis on the "written" Word of God.  That is, the early Church made continual reference to the Scriptures of the Prophets from Genesis through Malachi.  The Apostles after being taught by Jesus for three years, then being filled with the Holy Spirit, expounded on the Scriptures in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), the Torah, (the Law of Moses) and the Prophets.  Naturally, this includes the Psalms and Proverbs.  The point is, the early Church did not teach any - "strange doctrine," but rather, their teaching came directly from the Holy Scriptures as well as Jesus Christ.

 

This brings us to the main point found in Acts 4:12 - "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." The Bible is clear about Jesus of Nazareth - he is the Savior of the world.  There is no other philosopher, spiritual leader, or teacher of religion that can bring a person to Heaven.  You see this clearly in Acts 4:12.  Specifically, there is no other name on earth by which men and women can be spared from the wrath to come, or to gain entrance into Heaven.  Jesus said in John14:6 - "...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Therefore, Apostle Peter leaves no room for ambiguity or argumentation either.  Jesus is the Christ.  He is the one the Prophets spoke of in the Old Testament, saying he would bring to light to both Jews and Gentiles.  That is, Jesus who is called Christ, is the one, true Messiah.  Other than Jesus, there is no Savior. He is the only savior.

 

Again, our reliance is on the inspiration of the Scriptures.  To state it again -without inspiration (that is, God himself wrote the Holy Scriptures; all 66 books using man as his agent) there is no solid foundation to build upon and no footings to walk into the light.  However, the evidence that God wrote the Bible is found in the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Bible.  No other book in the world, stakes its reputation on the fact that it predicts the future.  With this in mind, the coming Messiah was written about in hundreds of Scriptures by the Prophets.  There was to be no mistake about it - when the Messiah came, both Jew and Gentile would know him.  This is because the Scriptures were specific on the details of his life, death, resurrection, and his everlasting kingdom.

 

When it comes to evidentiary considerations, the times we live in furnish us with more evidence than we could enter into a court of law.  The signs are everywhere.  Sociologically, politically, and economically, we see the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments happening before our eyes.  In addition, they are wars, rumors of wars, pestilences, famines, earthquakes, false prophets, false teachers, false christ's, and a defection from orthodox Christianity that is appallingly manifest.  In other words, the signs of Jesus' return are plain for the unbiased and discriminate mind to observe.  Therefore, we have intelligent reasons to trust in the Bible, and its prophecies, predictions, principals, and promises.

 

It is clear - you are either for Jesus or against him.  Again, typical of our LORD, he does not leave you with many options concerning religion.  "He that is not with me is against me," said Jesus.  It cannot be made any plainer.  Further, with nearly 60% of all evangelicals now believing there is more than one way to Heaven, the time to be definitive in Biblical theology is now.  Choices are being made.  Either Peter's statement in Acts 4:12 is true or it is not.  "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." This is Biblical theology.  It is what the Bible declares.  Most importantly, it is true.  There is no salvation without Jesus Christ.

 

Joh 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Joh 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. Joh 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. Joh 17:18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. Joh 17:19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; Joh 17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.