Mark Bradford's Bible Blog

¹⁰In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

¹¹The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. ¹²In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

Saul, having been struck blind at his vision of Jesus, spent 3 days at the house of Judas on Straight Street. Incidentally, Straight Street still exists in Damascus today. I imagine that this house belonged to a supporter of the chief priests, or maybe it was the home of a relative or friend of Saul’s. This must have been the house where he had planned to stay during his time in Damascus. It was not the home of a believer. Saul spent 3 days there, fasting and praying. His conversion to belief in Jesus was not yet complete. I wonder if God intended for Saul to remain in this state for that long, or if it took Saul that long to admit his sin and say yes to Jesus. Whatever the case, it seems God spoke to Ananias and Saul in visions at the same time. Ananias received his vision instantly, but Saul only received his after 3 days of blindness, fasting, and prayer. I think it’s possible that the reason it took 3 days for God to show Saul this vision was that Saul’s heart was hard. It’s more difficult for us to hear God speak when our hearts are hardened. Lord, keep my heart tender so I can hear you right away like Ananias did!

¹³“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

¹⁵But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. ¹⁶I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Ananias was understandably alarmed when God told him who he was to meet. Word had gone around the believers that Saul had been persecuting the church at Jerusalem and was on his way to do the same in Damascus. His question to God, essentially, is, “Lord, don’t you know what kind of guy this Saul is?” As if God didn’t have all of the facts! God didn’t reply, “Yes, I know all about him.” He just said “Go!” God can handle our dumb questions, but he doesn’t usually answer them. If I had been in Ananias’ place, I would not only have been nervous about meeting Saul, but I would have had a hard time with being told I was to go and place my hands on someone to restore their sight! Imagine if God told you to do that!

What strikes me about this passage is how many times God’s name is used. Ananias says that Saul was coming to “arrest all who call on your name.” God answers that Saul was chosen to “carry my name before the Gentiles,” and that Saul would be shown “how much he must suffer for my name.” It’s all about the name of Jesus. We have lost our sense of the significance of names in modern western culture. But in Biblical times, the name Yahweh was considered so holy that it must not be spoken aloud. Saul was about to be given a new name, Paul. And God’s people were about to be given a new name, Christians.

The nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. (Isaiah 62:2)

Saul was about to be shown how much he must suffer for the name of Jesus. He had been a man of status and privilege, as a Pharisee and member of the ruling council. From now on, his life would be a life of suffering. He would be shipwrecked, imprisoned, stoned and left for dead, and ultimately martyred. Where Jesus had gone, he would follow.

¹⁷Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, ¹⁹and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

I imagine that some of Ananias’ concern was not just about meeting Saul, but entering the house where he was staying. Presumably, those with Saul had the power to arrest him as well. But, like believers had done all along, he went where God told him to go, regardless of the danger. When he met Saul, he placed his hands on him and called him brother. He showed Saul the love of Jesus, knowing who he was and what he had done. We have no reason to believe that Ananias was anyone special in the church. He wasn’t an apostle, or one of the Seven. In verse 10, Luke simply calls him “a disciple.” We’re not all called to be apostles or deacons or preachers, but we are all called to be disciples. If we will answer that calling, God will use us like he used Ananias.

Apparently God had told Ananias of his appearance to Saul on the road, since Ananias refers to it in verse 17. We don’t know if one of the apostles had laid hands on Ananias so he could lay hands on someone for them to receive the Holy Spirit, or if he could do this just because God sent him to do it.  Ananias confirmed who he was and why he was sent to Saul. The words he spoke must have been verbatim what God had shown Saul in his vision. This was final confirmation of the truth of the gospel, and Saul believed. I wonder how many people talk about scales falling from their eyes, which has become a common expression, with no idea as to where that saying came from. We may not have been struck physically blind like Saul was, but before we say yes to Jesus, we are spiritually blind. When we believe, our eyes are opened. Once he believed and his sight was restored, Saul was baptized and had something to eat. He was himself again, and at the same time, he was a new creation.

Mark Bible Acts, Ananias, laying on of hands, Saul of Tarsus

Simon the Sorcerer

⁹Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, ¹⁰and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” ¹¹They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. ¹²But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

This story is a source of theological debates on many subjects such as a second work of grace, apostolic miracles, the laying on of hands, “once saved, always saved,” and others. As much as I enjoy a good theological debate, I think this passage is mainly about pride and the power of God vs the power of the occult. Simon was a sorcerer or magician. We don’t know how much of what he did was real and how much was mere illusion the way “magicians” use illusions today. But there is real power in the occult, and it is the power of Satan. Don’t be fooled. There is no such thing as “white magick.” All spiritual power which does not submit to the lordship of Christ is satanic. Simon had enjoyed fame and admiration for the things he did. Fame and admiration are addicting. Simon had done such impressive things, people not only said he had the power of God, they said he was the power of God. When people say things like that about you, it messes with your head, even if you are saved.

Because of what happens next in this story, many, especially Calvinists, say that Simon’s salvation was not sincere. But the scripture never says that. In verse 13, Luke says that Simon believed and was baptized, the same as the others who were saved by believing in Philip’s message. Then he followed Philip everywhere. The Amplified Bible says in verse 13 that Simon devoted himself constantly to Philip. He became a devoted member of the new Jesus movement in Samaria. In Acts 13:8-11, Luke tells of another sorcerer, Elymas, who opposed the gospel. His fate was far different from Simon’s. If Simon was not truly saved, he would have opposed Philip from the beginning as someone who threatened his spiritual authority in Samaria.

¹⁴When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. ¹⁵When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into^[c] the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

When the apostles learned that Samaritans were believing and being baptized, Peter and John were sent that they might receive the Holy Spirit. This seems to have been another instance of the apostolic laying on of hands, like what Philip had received in 6:5-6. Some say that this laying on of hands conferred miraculous powers, that it was the reason Stephen and Philip had those powers. If that’s true, then this was a way of conferring authority on early church leaders in Samaria. This was something that, apparently, only the apostles could do, and Philip could not. Some who teach this doctrine of the laying on of hands by the apostles in Acts say that because only the apostles could do this, when the last of those who had received the Holy Spirit in this way died, the age of miracles in the church ended. I’m not sure I buy that, but I think it warrants further study.

The other major point of controversy that this passage brings up is that they had not received the Holy Spirit when they believed and were baptized. Since I am an Arminianist/Wesleyan/Nazarene, it’s easy for me to see this in the context of a second work of grace. But Luke doesn’t say whether Peter and John laid hands on everyone who had converted, or just some. If this was the baptism of the Holy Spirit like at Pentecost, it would have included everyone. If it was more of an ordination of leaders, like with the Seven, then it was only some. Since Simon does not appear to have received this anointing, maybe it was the latter.

¹⁸When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money ¹⁹and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

²⁰Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! ²¹You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. ²²Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. ²³For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

²⁴Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

Simon was a new Christian, and though I believe he was sincere, he had some basic misunderstandings of the gospel. He saw that when Peter and John laid hands on someone, they received the Holy Spirit. As someone who had been admired for having spiritual powers, this appealed to his pride. He wanted that power for himself. Though some say that this sin proves Simon was not really saved in the first place, I think it just shows that even after we are saved, we can still be tempted, and we still battle with our sinful nature, as Paul describes in Romans 7:14-25. This is simply an example of sin in the life of a believer. Peter’s response, though harsh, is speaking the truth in love. The literal meaning of Peter’s statement in verse 20, “”May your money perish with you,” in the Greek, literally means, “To hell with you and your money.”

Many take what Peter says in verse 21 to mean that Simon was not really saved. But this assertion denies the fact that the sinful nature remains in us, even after we are saved, and that it’s possible for believers to sin and be restored. The Bible clearly teaches both of these principles, and there are many examples of them in scripture. Just because Simon sinned here doesn’t mean he was never saved. He had no part or share in this ministry. Which ministry? Not the Church of Jesus Christ, the apostolic laying on of hands. Peter said Simon’s heart was not right before God, and he was full of bitterness and captive to sin. One commentary I read today says that the tense in verse 23 is actually future tense, that Peter was warning Simon that he would become full of bitterness and captive to sin if he did not repent. Even if the NIV is correct about the tense, I think Simon was being drawn back into his old life by his sinful nature and his many years of practicing the occult. The occult has a powerful hold on anyone who practices it, and even after someone who lives that sort of life is saved, they can easily be drawn back into it the way a former addict can be drawn back into their old habits. Just as powerful is the appeal of pride, which affects all of us, and from which all sin springs. Simon had been called the Great Power, and had given that up to accept Jesus. It’s easy to see how witnessing what Peter and John did might give him the idea that he could get some of that status back in this new faith. If you don’t think pride affects believers, I’d like to know what churches you’ve attended.

Peter’s response to Simon is the rebuking of a believer, not a condemnation of an enemy of Christ, the way Paul condemned Elymas in 13:8-11. He tells Simon to repent and pray rather than to believe and be baptized, as was required for new converts. Simon’s response was not all it should have been. He didn’t humble himself before the apostles and repent then and there, he just wanted to avoid the consequences of his sin, which makes many doubt his sincerity. But we all want to avoid the consequences of our sin, don’t we? We don’t know if Simon ever repented or not. But we do know the formula for a believer who sins and wants to be restored. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord.

²⁵When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.

When the persecution of the church began after the stoning of Stephen, the apostles stayed in Jerusalem while the church scattered. But after having been to Samaria and seen what God was doing there, Peter and John took their time getting back to Jerusalem and preached the gospel in many Samaritan villages. I wonder if they went to the village that John had wanted to call down fire from heaven on in Luke 9:51-56. Before the resurrection and Pentecost, John was a believer in Jesus, but full of pride and erroneous ideas about what the gospel was all about, much like Simon here. But after he received the Holy Spirit, his only concern was proclaiming the word of the Lord to all people, including Samaritans. That’s the change that the Holy Spirit can bring about in our lives if we will submit to him completely.

Mark Bible Acts, laying on of hands, occult, Philip, Simon the sorcerer

Stephen Is Arrested

⁸ Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. (NLB)

We don’t know how much time passed between Stephen’s “ordination” by the apostles to administrate the food program in the early church and this event, but I can’t help but think that Stephen’s willingness to take on this ministry had something to do with the power and wisdom he received to work miracles and witness as he did. Stephen is most known as the first Christian martyr, but equally significant is the fact that he is the first person in the early church, other than the apostles, who is recorded as having performed “great miracles and signs.” Many attribute this to the apostles’ “laying on of hands.” (6:6) That may well be, but I think Stephen’s willingness to take on a necessary but unglamorous ministry had a lot to do with it also. He was faithful with little, and God entrusted him with much (Matthew 25:21).

⁹ But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. ¹⁰ None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke. ¹¹ So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.” (NLB)

The use of the singular form of the word synagogue in the Greek indicates that this group was from one particular synagogue. It was a group of former slaves from various regions. Apparently this synagogue was formed specifically for this group. In my last post, I talked about the division in Jerusalem between Hebrews and Hellenists, those who adhered to Jewish traditions and spoke Aramaic, and those who came from other areas, embraced Greek culture, and spoke Greek. The group who argued with Stephen here must have been Hellenists, coming from those areas. It’s ironic that Stephen’s opposition came from the same group he had been appointed to minister to. The food program was intended to make sure that the needy among the Hellenist Christians had their needs met, and that the Hebrews’ needy were not shown favoritism. Though these were not Christians who accused Stephen, they may have had friends and relatives who had converted, and had been part of that controversy. Maybe part of this conflict stems from that.

Some scholars also note that one of the regions named is Cilicia, where Saul of Tarsus came from (Acts 21:39). For that reason some believe that this may have been Saul’s home synagogue. As a member of the Sanhedrin and a Pharisee, being from the same area as some of the accusers, he may have had a role in this whole episode. He’s probably the one who told Luke this story. His observation and approval of Stephen’s stoning in the next chapter is probably no coincidence.

In their debate with Stephen, his accusers could not stand against the wisdom and Spirit with which he spoke. Stephen’s wisdom, Spirit, and willingness to serve all came from the same place; his love for Jesus. He was chosen for service because he was known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom (6:3). His wisdom and Spirit only increased after the apostles laid hands on him and he served in the ministry to the widows and orphans. If we have the level of spiritual commitment that Stephen had, and if we are willing to serve like he was, God will grant us his wisdom and fill us with his Spirit. The word in verse 11 that the NLB translates persuaded and that the NIV translates induced is translated suborned in the KJV. Suborned means bribed, or otherwise induced. Suborned testimony is false testimony.

¹² This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.^[b]

¹³ The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. ¹⁴ We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth^[c] will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

¹⁵ At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s. (NLB)

Until now, the apostles had been held in high regard by all the people, and so the persecution thus far had been relatively mild. The only way that those who opposed the church could justify killing followers of Jesus was by turning public opinion against them. It’s the same thing they did to Jesus, and they used the same method, false testimony. As is the case with the worst of lies, they contain a grain of truth. Jesus never said that he would destroy the temple, though he was accused of saying he would (Mark 14:58), but he did predict that the temple would be destroyed (Mark 13:2). Jesus was misquoted, and so was Stephen. As for changing the customs of Moses, that much was true. Christianity did do that, at least for those who converted. Stephen must have taught that Jesus was greater than Moses or the temple, and that sacrifices for sin were no longer necessary because of the sacrifice of Jesus. That would have been enough for them to twist his words and accuse him of blasphemy the way they did with Jesus. Again, the early Christians were being treated the way Jesus was treated, which caused them to rejoice (5:41).

Luke says in verse 15 that Stephen’s face became as bright as an angel’s (NLB). Other translations say they saw his face as the face of an angel (NIV) or that his face had the appearance of the face of an angel (Amplified). The Spirit and wisdom that was with Stephen leading up to this point sustained him in this trial. That same Spirit will also sustain us in our trials if we will be faithful like Stephen was. Saul of Tarsus, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, and Gamaliel were all there to witness this, and I imagine that they all told Luke about Stephen’s appearance when he interviewed them for this book. The impression that the look on Stephen’s face made on them just before he was stoned must have burned in their memory. Paul never forgot it, and testified to it later (Acts 22:20). What Saul of Tarsus meant for evil, God used for good, which Paul the Apostle understood later.

Mark Bible Acts, laying on of hands, Stephen

The Choosing of the Seven

¹In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

This account tells us of the first examples of lay leadership in the early church. Jews residing in Jerusalem at that time were divided into 2 groups, Grecian Jews and Hebraic Jews, or Hebrews and Hellenists. Hebrews spoke Aramaic, embraced Jewish culture and customs, and tended to be from Judea. Hellenists spoke Greek, embraced Greek culture and customs, and were more likely to be from the larger Roman empire. They were all Jews living in Jerusalem, but came from different cultures and had different traditions. The two groups distrusted one another. David Guzik, in his commentary, says, “Hebrews tended to regard Hellenists as unspiritual compromisers with Greek culture, and Hellenists regarded Hebrews as holier-than-thou traditionalists.” It seems this distrust had extended itself into the early church. Even after we become believers, unfortunately, we often bring our own prejudices into the church with us. This was the first case of division in the early church, but as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, God made sure that the church came through it without damage.

The complaint that the Hellenists had seems to be valid. Food was already being distributed to widows, but apparently in an unorganized way. The Hebrews were probably in the majority, and unorganized volunteers would naturally make sure that widows they knew personally got taken care of first. Luke had already pointed out that “they gave to anyone as he had need” (2:45), and that “There were no needy persons among them.” (4:34) Their hearts were in the right place, but without organization some may have fallen through the cracks. It’s possible that the Grecian Jews’ complaint was about a perceived slight rather than an actual one. But when someone, especially in the body of believers, believes that they have been wronged, it does no good for the person accused of the slight to try to prove their innocence. It really doesn’t matter if the slight was intended. What matters is how the aggrieved party feels. If the insult is real to them, then it’s real. Harmony in the church is more important than proving you’re right.

²So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. ³Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them ⁴and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

The apostles knew that it would be impossible for them to do what Jesus had called them to do and also administrate the food program to the widows and orphans. Many pastors, out of sheer necessity, especially in small churches, are forced to do many duties which should be done by volunteers in the church. This only reduces the amount of time that they can devote to study, prayer, sermon preparation, and ministry. I’ve often heard that the church is like a football game. There are thousands in the stands in desperate need of exercise and 22 on the field in desperate need of rest. If you think all the church needs from you is your attendance and money, think again. Giving of your time and talents to the church is part of your stewardship.

The method used to choose the seven “deacons”, as some call them, is interesting to me. They were nominated by the church body, and “ordained” for this duty by the apostles. They didn’t volunteer. In my church, when a ministry like this is set up, people are asked to pray about whether God is leading them to participate in the ministry, and to volunteer if they feel led to. In this case it seems assumed that those nominated would agree to serve. I have been nominated several times for election to my church’s board, but have refused to have my name on the ballot each time, because board meetings tend to conflict with music rehearsal times, and I feel called to music ministry, and have no interest in church government. But none of these men said “I don’t feel called to this ministry”, or “I’m not gifted in that area.” They looked on what some might have considered a menial duty as an important ministry, which it was. It was the church being the church. Caring for widows and orphans was high on Jesus’ priority list, no less important than preaching the gospel. After all, how did Jesus say that people would know we are his disciples? By seeing how we love one another (John 13:35).

The criteria they used for choosing the Seven, as they came to be known (Acts 21:8), was exactly right, and it’s the same criteria we should use for lay leadership today. They nominated those who were known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. This was a practical ministry, and they needed those who were both spiritual and practical. That can be a hard combination to find! Have you ever met someone who is, as the saying goes, “so spiritual that they’re no earthly good?” A ministry like this needs those who are good with organization and detail, in addition to being people of God.

⁵This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. ⁶They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

Everyone agreed that this was the right course of action. The apostles needed to devote themselves to preaching and prayer, and at the same time, others needed to make sure that the needs of the needy among them were met. Of those named here, Stephen is the most famous, being the first Christian martyr. His story immediately follows this one. Philip also plays a significant role in the coming chapters. His evangelism in Samaria results in the episode with Simon the sorcerer (8:4-25, blog), and he is the one who witnesses to the Ethiopian eunuch (8:26-40, blog). He became known as Philip the Evangelist (Acts 21:8). Of the others, not much is known. Those who give of themselves in ministries like this may never become “celebrities” in the church, but as Jesus said, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45)

Many point out the fact that all of the names listed are Greek names, indicating that all of the Seven were Hellenists. This is seen by some as an attempt to mollify the Hellenists in the church by choosing leadership from their own number. That may be, but it’s also possible that all of the names are in Greek simply because Luke wrote the Book of Acts in Greek. It was written to a largely Gentile readership, so it’s natural that Luke would give the Greek versions of their names. We don’t know for sure how many of the Seven were Hebrews and how many were Hellenists.

⁷So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

As they obeyed God and devoted themselves to ministry, the word of God spread. A church full of people who are willing to serve others will always grow. The church in Jerusalem got past this possible source of division and went on to greater victories. Luke says that even “a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” This may well have been the final straw for the temple leadership that led to the persecution that followed. It was one thing for this new sect to appeal to the common folk, but when priests started converting to faith in Jesus, that could not be tolerated.

Mark Bible Acts, early church, laying on of hands, Philip, Stephen