We previously talked about how Saul, the one persecuting Christians with the support of the Jewish Sanhedrin, became converted to Christianity and became one of the very ones he had been persecuting. At about this same time Deacon Philip went and began preaching in Samaria. There he performed many signs, wonders, and miracles. In the city in which he preached was a sorcerer named Simon, or Simon Magus, as history labels him, who amazed the people with his magical abilities, and the people called Simon the Great Power of God (Ac 8:10). This means they looked upon him as being a deity. But as Philip preached, many of the people believed in Jesus and were baptized, including Simon (Ac 8:13). The people realized what Philip preached was very different from what Simon Magus taught. Yet, there is some doubt if this Simon truly believed because he became enamored with Philip and the great signs and miracles he performed. Even Simon Magus recognized there was a vast difference in the power with which Philip operated than the power with which he operated.

When the Church in Jerusalem heard of the success Philip was having in Samaria, they sent Peter and John to investigate. Peter and John laid their hands on the believers there and they received the Holy Spirt (Ac 8:14-17). Yet, apparently Simon Magus did not receive the Holy Spirit but was very impressed with these apostles’ ability to cause such a change in people and offered money to them if they would allow him to receive such power (Ac 8:18-23). In other words, he was trying to buy his way into becoming an apostle. Peter reprimanded him and said that Simon Magus was full of bitterness and captive to sin. Peter was referencing an Old Testament passage (Dt 29:18) which uses the term “bitter poison” to refer to one turning away from God and following false gods. Peter was proclaiming that his man was deceptive in how he was trying to follow God.

Early church tradition teaches that this Simon, Simon Magus, gave rise to the Gnostic ideas that plagued the early church (Dumond). It seems this Simon was involved in Zoroastrianism which began in Media and Persia which later became Parthia and spread westward. When Assyria captured the Northern Kingdom of Israel, they repopulated the land with those from Babylon and other cities occupied by Assyria (2Ki 17:24-41). They combined their belief practices with those of Judaism and thereby had a form of worship of God but they were actually worshipping false gods (2Ki 17:7-23). Remember, the priests in Northern Israel were not Levites (1Ki 12:31) and did not teach the people properly in the worship of Yahweh (1Ki 12:32-33). Therefore, combining these two religions received no pushback. Simon Magus was likely a descendant of those who taught these practices. Zoroastrianism believes in monotheism, of a type, and a coming Messiah, but for entirely different reasons.

Since Zoroastrianism began in the 6th century BC, scholars proport that other monotheistic religions, like Judaism and Christianity, drew its monotheistic teachings from it. However, who lived in Babylon in the 6th century BC? Daniel. And he was over all the wise men, or Magi, at the time (Da 2:48). Therefore, it is likely that Judaism had influence on Babylonian theology, and not vice versa. Then, Zoroastrianism was created to explain how a polytheistic culture could believe in a supreme god and not forgo the rule of lesser gods underneath him.

From a distance, Zoroastrianism appears similar to Christianity. It seems Simon Magus merged Zoroastrianism and Christianity even further. In Zoroastrianism, there is a supreme being who is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Yet, what this god desires is for people to do good and if they do enough good deeds they will be rewarded in the afterlife. Those who are not rewarded go to punishment, but not for eternity. There will be a Messiah who will come and allow those to one day also be transitioned into paradise. So, you can see how easy it was for Simon Magus to get new Christians confused as to the truth which Paul, Peter, Timothy, Titus, and others were preaching. Because people are saved by the grace of God, they taught that only spiritual matters were important. How one lives in this life is immaterial to one’s belief in Christ. Also, he taught that believing in Jesus Christ would grant them the ability to gain insight into the mysteries of God which were not available to all. This led to the teaching of a hierarchy with more knowledge granted with more privilege granted as one elevated themselves through this hierarchy. Gnosticism became a belief reliant upon Jesus Christ but not in his transforming power or the receipt of the Holy Spirit. It became very appealing because it did not require people to change the way in which they lived. Early on, it was taught that what happens to one’s body is immaterial because the physical had no connection to the spiritual. This belief allowed sexual immorality to continue and still believe one could be right with God. We’ll see that this Simon became even more deceptive as time went on as he incorporated more Christian teaching saying one should do good deeds for others because such actions would appease and please God.

This teaches us that we should remain faithful to truth—God’s truth. Anything that teaches anything other than the belief in Jesus Christ and his death, burial, and resurrection is needed for us to be right with God should be avoided. There is no work we do that will or could ever appease God (Ro 3:20; Ep 2:8-9). It is only through Jesus Christ that we become pleasing to God. We are declared righteous because of our belief in him and not by anything we can do (Ro 5:1).

There were other events that were also at play during this time. We’ll look at those next time. I hope you join me.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We often think we have Bible prophecy already figured out and we look for it to unfold just as we are so sure it will. Yet, God is not always predictable. While what God says will definitely come true, it just may not come true how we thought it would. That could cause us to miss something important if we aren’t really focused on how the Holy Spirit is guiding God’s prophecy to unfold. Let’s look at this though the eyes of Saul of Tarsus in Scripture.

Forty days after Christ’s resurrection was his ascension. During that time period, hundreds of people witnessed him alive after his resurrection (1Co 15:3-8). Just before he ascended, Christ told his disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised . . . in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Ac 1:4-5). Maybe Peter got restless and felt they should do something constructive, so he told the others it was necessary to replace Judas as one of them (Ps 109:8). It was only ten days until the Holy Spirit was to come, but perhaps Jesus did not tell them the Holy Spirit would come on Shavuot (Pentecost). At any rate, it seems Peter was impatient. Joseph called Barsabbas, also known as Justus, and Matthias were nominated. Both had been with them from the time of John baptizing in the Jordan to the time of Christ’s resurrection. They drew lots which fell on Matthias, so he was included as one of the Twelve (Ac 1:26). We are not sure if this was approved by God or not because when drawing lots, one would be chosen whether God was in it or not. Yet, there is nothing in Scripture that says Peter was wrong in doing what he did. However, we do know that God chose Paul as an apostle (Ro 1:1; 11:13; Ga 1:1). So this has always begged the question of who is the actual twelfth apostle? Jesus had chosen the original twelve and we know Jesus chose Paul. Did he choose Matthias?

On Shavuot (Pentecost), the Holy Spirit descended on the 120 disciples who were gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem. We don’t know in whose house they stayed. It could have been the house of Mary, the sister to Barnabas, and mother of John Mark, as her house was used several times for Christ’s followers over the years. They all heard a rushing mighty wind, and the Holy Spirit descended on each of them as tongues of fire (Ac 2:1-4). They each began to speak boldly to many who were in the city for this festival in the language of the other person’s origin. After obtaining a wider audience, Peter preached to all those listening. From his preaching, and the witness of the others, 3,000 people became believers and were brought into the church that day (Ac 2:41). Over time, more people believed and received the Holy Spirit emboldening them to also speak without reservation. The Sanhedrin arrested Peter and John and reprimanded them trying to deter them from speaking further, but they continued to speak about Jesus and his resurrection (Ac 4:1-22). The believers decided to come together and pool their resources (Ac 4:32). Barnabas is one who is mentioned as an example of one doing this.

Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, lied about doing the same and the Holy Spirit had them both die in the presence of others. This demonstrated to everyone the seriousness of their actions (Ac 5:1-11).

The apostles began to perform many signs and wonders which caused more and more to believe in Jesus. The Sadducees had many of them arrested and locked in prison. Yet, an angel of the Lord released them, and they went back to the temple and began to preach again, at the dismay of the Jewish leaders (Ac 5:12-26)-.

The church grew so large so fast that seven individuals, whom they called deacons, were selected to help with the administrative duties of the church so the apostles could devote themselves to preaching (Ac 6:1-7).

One of them, named Stephen, debated with many of the Jews who could not win against his insightful arguments. So, they stirred up the crowd to accuse him of blasphemy and had him stoned to death (Ac 6:8-8:1).

This is when Saul began persecuting Christians because he felt they were against the teachings of the Jewish Scriptures and were creating chaos for the Jewish leaders (Ac 8:3). Saul was a very zealous man, a Pharisee who studied under the tutelage of Gamaliel, a prominent Jewish Rabbi, was from Tarsus in Cilicia, a Roman province in what we would today call southern Turkey, and was born as a Roman citizen, something very uncommon for most people in his day. He was a rising star among the Jewish elite and took the Jewish Scriptures very seriously. He genuinely thought he was doing God’s will by persecuting what he considered a new heretical sect of Judaism. He saw them as someone teaching false doctrine. Because the teaching of Jesus was against the status quo of his teaching and understanding of Scripture, he had believers in Jesus thrown into prison and executed if possible. This caused many believers to flee Jerusalem, and they went to surrounding areas, going as far north as Syria.

A year later, in 34 A.D., Saul was on his way to Damascus to seek out Christians who had fled there due to his persecution. This is when he encountered Christ and was converted (Ac 9:1-19). He then began to preach and teach about Jesus Christ, but many believers were skeptical. His preaching caused an uproar in Damascus after his conversion. The Jewish leaders felt betrayed and tried to have him killed (Ac 9:23). It should be noted that Saul was his Jewish name while the name Paul was his Latin name. It just seems that he had a name change because after this time, the Scriptural text uses his Latin name. This is likely because he was the apostle to the Gentiles (Ga 1:1), so his Latin name would have been used more than his Hebrew name going forward from this point in time.

Paul escaped those in Damascus who were seeking to kill him and went into Arabia in the area at or near Mt. Sinai for about 3 years to seek counsel and instruction from the Lord (Ga 1:17-18). He then went to Jerusalem to visit Peter and James and then went back to his home in Tarsus (Ga 1:21).

Why did Paul seclude himself in Arabia for three years? He knew he needed to seek counsel and instruction from the Lord knowing he was at an inflection point in spiritual history. He had one of the best Jewish educations anyone in Israel could have had and yet he still missed that Jesus was the promised Messiah they had been waiting for. Let’s think about this for a second. He not only knew the scriptures, but, due to his religious training, he had them all practically memorized. Yet, he had missed one of the most important times where God had reached out to his people. How did he miss this? Of all people, he should not have missed this. He not only missed it, but he thought he was on God’s side in persecuting this new sect that, at the time, he felt was heretical.

He knew he needed new insight and a way to look at Scripture differently. The Jewish view of their Messiah and prophetic interpretation about him had been wrong and led Saul to reject Jesus and those who taught about him. The Jewish interpretation of prophetic Scripture was inadequate. He had accepted all the teachings of the past rabbis and knew they had led him astray. Not intentionally. They thought they were correct based upon their understanding of Scripture.

Paul said that God helped him see the emergence of the Church. How? Through prophecy. But it was through scripture the Jewish Leaders had interpreted to be about what would happen after their Messiah set up his rule on the earth. While this is likely still true, after all God is multidimensional, it was these prophetic scriptures that Paul recognized were about Christ’s church and not just about Christ’s reign. At the Council Meeting in Jerusalem, James made the same confession as he quoted from the prophet Amos concerning the rebuilding of David’s fallen tent for Jews and Gentiles which he now saw as God building his church in their current day (Ac 15:13-19; Am 9:11-12). How were they able to see this? Because of where they were in history. They had emerged on the other side of the inflection point of temple worship to Jew and Gentile now worshiping together with each person being a temple indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1Co 3:16). These men could only have interpreted Scripture this way based upon what the Holy Spirit was doing in their current day. This could not have been interpreted prior to their day and their recognition of what the Holy Spirit was doing: something completely different than he had done before. They came to realize that God’s word is continuously unfolding. It is never stagnant and it all points to Jesus Christ.

What about us? We also need to see scripture in light of our current history as well and how the Holy Spirit is leading. We need the Holy Spirit to teach us how to interpret God’s word, not only with what it says but with what is occurring in our day, especially when we have reached an inflection point, a paradigm shift. This was true for the Jewish people as they had just had a paradigm shift through the coming and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit was leading in a new direction and most of the Jewish people had missed it. Rather than trying to understand it, they doubled down on their traditions. Why? The Idumeans and Romans were trying to wipe out their heritage. They felt they did not have time to listen to another upstart, like Jesus, whose teachings affected their delicate balance with the powers that be, and they only wanted him to go away, not upset the apple cart, so to speak, not realizing they were missing the very thing they were trying to preserve.

Could the same mistake be made by the upcoming church that was forming? Join me next time and find out.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Satan has had an influence on history ever since the dawn of time. Yet, I thought it would be interesting to see some of the ways we can see his influence on the Jewish nation and the rise of the church in the New Testament. We will focus on four main points:

1.      How Satan caused a reversal of Israel’s birthright.

2.      How the Jews knew Scripture but still missed their Messiah.

3.      How Satan weakened the church from its very start.

4.      How we can avoid the same pitfalls

Of course, we can’t address all of these points in one post, so I hope you join me for a series of posts in which we’ll discuss these topics as we look at how the New Testament unfolds historically.

We will first look at how Satan attempted to reverse the Jewish birthright. The reversal of Israel’s birthright eventually led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple through decisions made long before Rome was at play in their nation. Recall that Isaac and Rebecca had twin sons: Esau, the firstborn, and Jacob (Gn 25:24-26). Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of porridge (Gn 25:29-34). An animosity grew between Israel, the name God changed Jacob’s name to (Gn 32:28), and Edom, the name for the descendants of Esau (Gn 36:1). Edom would not allow the Israelites to pass through their land as they traveled from Egypt to the land of Canaan (Nu 20:18) so the Israelites had to travel around the land of Moab and then cross the Jordan River near Jericho (Nu 33:48-54). Eventually the descendants of Jacob, now called Israelites, entered Canaan, the Promised Land God gave them, and allotted divisions of the land to each of the twelve tribes to form the nation of Israel.

Once Israel became established as a nation within Canaan, the Edomites would periodically attack. King David subjugated them and put garrisons throughout Edom to keep them submissive (2Sa 8:14). They broke free from Israeli domination during the reign of king Jehoram, some 160 years later (2Ki 8:20-22). They also assisted the Babylonians in attacking the people of Judah (Ob 1:11). Over time, the Nabateans pushed them westward into the Negev and became known as Idumea (the Greek name for Edom) by the first century. Up until this time, while there was still animosity between Edom and Israel, Edom never had the upper hand, so to speak, against Israel.

Yet, Satan was about to set the stage for a birthright coup. To understand how this happened, we first need to understand something about the Hasmonean Dynasty and the Herod Dynasty.

During the Intertestamental Period, Alexander the Great conquered the known world and upon his death, his kingdom was divided into four parts. Two of those parts affected Israel. That would be the Seleucid Empire which later became what we know as Persia, and then Parthia, a nation that co-existed, and was just as strong, as the Roman Empire. The second nation that affected Israel was the Ptolemaic Kingdom with Egypt being its largest part. Both empires vied for the land of Israel with the Seleucid Empire winning that fight.

The defilement of the temple in Jerusalem by the Seleucid ruler, Antiochus Epiphanes, led to the 33-year Maccabean Revolt where the temple was rededicated and the oil for the menorah lasting until new oil could be made and was therefore called the Feast of Dedication which later became known and celebrated as Hanukkah.

The revolt led to the sons of Mattathias Maccabeus being made not only high priests but also military rulers. Over time, they took back more and more land from the Seleucids to form their own territory. They were called Hasmoneans because Mattathias’ great grandfather was named Hasmoneus and created what was known as the Hasmonean Dynasty which lasted for 127 years.

In the beginning, though, they did recognize that they were Levites and kings could only come from Judah. Isaac prophesied about Judah before his death: “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet” (Gn 49:10). Also, Psalm 78:68 states that God chose Judah after the destruction of the tabernacle at Shiloh.

This became Deceptive Error #1: for they felt it was okay to have the high priest a military ruler so long as he didn’t rule as a king. But that seems to be more of a semantic difference. It is difficult for a military leader to also be a spiritual leader for his people. Each role takes 100% of a person’s time. One or the other will suffer. Typically, it is the spiritual aspects that suffer from such an arrangement.

Mattathias’ grandson, John Hyrcanus gained back Samaritan and Idumean (Edom) territory. To “unite” them as part of the Hasmonean territory, he forced them to be circumcised and become Jewish proselytes. However, this was against what God had established: “Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt” (Ex 23:9)

When King David subjugated Edom during his reign, he never forced them to become Jewish. Becoming a Jewish proselyte was to be voluntary. This became Deceptive Error #2: John Hyrcanus used circumcision as a means of subjugation, but Satan turned it into a means of infiltration. Hyrcanus proved to be a good diplomat and was able to get Rome, the rising empire at the time, to agree to Hasmonean independence and even brokered peace with the Ptolemaic Empire.

When Aristobulus I became high priest after the death of his father Hyrcanus, he went a step further and declared himself king. This shows that once power is given, more power is craved. This violated God’s promise to King David that only those from his lineage would be king (2Sa 7:16; Ps 89:4). The Hasmonean Dynasty became a self-declared monarchy, not one necessarily God ordained. This became Deceptive Error #3: Aristobulus I likely felt becoming king would add more influence and allow him to accomplish more for his people, and for himself, of course. Yet, having political and spiritual leadership through the same person has consequences because it is unlikely one will self-correct if not seeking God’s will and leadership. Plus, there is little time to oversee the spiritual needs of the country’s citizens, which is so vitally important.

Aristobulus I died after reigning for only a year. The throne went to his brother Alexander Jannaeus who ruled for 27 years and then passed to his wife Salome Alexandra for 10 years. While she reigned, her son Hyrcanus II was high priest. After her death, Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II vied for the throne and they both invited Rome into their civil war. This became Deceptive Error #4: Both believed using Rome’s power and influence would achieve their goals. Rome agreed to help but then never left. Antipater, the leader of the Idumeans sees his chance and sides with Hyrcanus II, causing Aristobulus II to be put into Roman prison, and gains the favor of the Romans. Rome makes Hyrcanus II high priest but puts Antipater in political power who later gives his power to his son Herod. Both Aristobulus II and his son Jonathan Alexander are assassinated by Romans as they return from Rome to Judea after Aristobulus II’s release from prison.

Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus II, revenges his father’s death and defeats Herod the Great by going to the Parthians who invade and make Herod flee to Rome. There, after three years, Herod gets Rome to name him King of the Jews and returns with Marc Antony who forces the Parthians back across the Euphrates River. Herod has Antigonus killed.

Herod then marries Mariamne I, a Hasmonean princess to give his reign more legitimacy in the eyes of the people as she had Jewish heritage on both sides of her family. Only his descendants through Mariamne had a legitimate right to the throne without Roman support. Herod knew this and became paranoid that his rule would be taken from him. Over a short period of time, Herod takes out all Hasmonean princes and princesses so they could not usurp his throne. He even kills some of his own children and some of his wives, even Mariamne, his favorite, because he feels they are plotting against him. Some of these claims were true. Others were out of paranoia. He often mourned killing Mariamne and had her body preserved in honey for 7 years so he could see her.

Herod the Great ruled from 47 BC to 1 BC. Many sources will say he died in 4 BC, but it has been discovered that there was a printing error which occurred in 1544 when reprinting some of Josephus’ writings (Larson, Steinmann). He ruled from Idumea in the south to territories northeast of the Sea of Galilee (which would be Syria and parts of Lebanon today) with his headquarters in Jerusalem. He ruled at the birth of Christ and was the one who had all those in Bethlehem 2 years of age and younger killed (Mt 2:16).

We need to understand something about the different Herods we encounter in the New Testament. The term Herod is used to describe a dynasty of individuals starting with Herod the Great, so the term Herod was used for many different individuals mentioned in Scripture. There are seven mentioned in the New Testament. So, Herod #1 would be Herod the Great.

Although Herod the Great had many of his children killed, he seemed to have had an affinity for his grandchildren. Herod had his granddaughter, Herodias, marry his son Herod II, also known as Herod Philip, her uncle (Mk 6:17), which made him heir apparent because Herodias was of Hasmonean descent. This angered Antipater II, Herod the Great’s eldest son, who persuaded his father to demote Herod Philip to second heir apparent. Once accomplished, he then plotted to poison his father, so Herod the Great had Antipater II executed. This made Herod Philip heir apparent again since he was now the eldest living son, but when Herod found out Philip’s mother had plotted with Antipater, he had Herod Philip demoted again just before his death making Archelaus, his next oldest son, the heir to his throne. Herod Philip then moved to Rome to live, likely to get out of the chaos and the fear of losing his life. Later, we know that Herodias divorces Philip and marries her other uncle, Antipas.

Upon Herod the Great’s death, his other sons went to Rome to argue their claim to their father’s kingdom with Caesar Augustus who divided Herod the Great’s territory into three parts under the rulership of his three sons: Archelaus, Philip, and Antipas, none of whom had any Jewish heritage. Later, Herod’s grandson (Herod Agrippa I) and great grandson (Herod Agrippa II) also had rulership.

Herod #2: Herod Philip never ruled as did his brothers. He moved to Rome to live. He was the first husband of Herodias (Mk 6:17), Herod the Great’s granddaughter. She had an affair with Antipas when he visited Rome where she now lived.

Herod #3: Caesar Augustus gave the larger part of Herod the Great’s territory to Herod’s eldest living son, Archelaus, but made him ethnarch of Idumea, Judea and Samarea. He had more territory than his brothers, but a lower title. His headquarters were in Jerusalem, and he ruled from 1 BC to 6 AD.

His Aunt, Herod the Great’s sister Salome I, was given a toparchy of the cities of Iamnia and Azotus on the Mediterranean, and Phasaelis next to the Jordan River. Her role would be somewhat like a governor of these cities.

Archelaus was half Idumean and half Samaritan, so the Jews in Judea hated having such a person over them. Archelaus at first tried to appease but then turned retaliatory and had about 3,000 Jews slaughtered which just escalated the discontent.

During this time is when Joseph was warned by an angel not to return to Judea (Mt 2:22), so he went back to Nazareth which was part of Galilee and ruled by Herod Antipas. After seven years of complaining, the emperor finally removed Archelaus and exiled him to Gaul (i.e., France today). Therefore, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus lived in Egypt for less than seven years.

Rather than replacing Archelaus, Rome instituted Roman prefects (somewhat like governors) to rule in his place. Pilate was the fifth one who ruled during the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. Pilate was in office seven years prior to Christ’s crucifixion and for three years after. Prefects ruled until the reign of Herod Agrippa I.

Herod #4: Emperor Augustus made Herod’s other son named Philip tetrarch over territories northeast of the Sea of Galilee (Iturea, Trachonitis, Gaulinitis, Batanaea, and Auranitis; Lk 3:1), what is mainly Syria and parts of Lebanon today. His headquarters were in Caesarea Philippi. He married Salome, the daughter of Herodias. This made them mother and daughter as well as sisters-in-law at the same time. Christ was in his territory during his transfiguration on Mt Hermon.

Herod #5: Caesar Augustus made Antipas tetrarch over Galilee and Perea. His headquarters were in Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, and he ruled from 1 BC to 39 AD. In 26 AD, when Tiberius was Caesar, Antipas traveled to Rome and visited his brother Philip. While there, Antipas and Herodias have an affair and decide to divorce their spouses. My guess is that Herodias missed the status of being the wife of a ruler. John the Baptist spoke out against their sin (Lk 3:19), for according to Leviticus 20:21: If a man marries his brother’s wife while both are still alive, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless. This led to John being beheaded a couple of years later (Mt 14:10) in 28 AD after he began to preach against Herod Antipas and Herodias. Many of the Jewish population were offended by what Antipas and Herodias were doing. Yet, it seems John was the most outspoken and suffered the consequence.

Herodias had her daughter, Salome, dance for Herod Antipas at one of his birthday parties in Machaerus, Perea, on the eastern bank of the Dead Sea (Mt 14:6). She was likely fourteen to fifteen years of age at the time. Some say that since she was so young, it wasn’t a suggestive dance, but that doesn’t seem to be the implication as he was so enamored with her that she could wish for anything (Mt 14:7). At her mother’s request, she asked for the head of John the Baptist. Since he had made an oath, Antipas felt he could not back down and ordered John beheaded (Mt 14:8-11).

The death of John the Baptist sealed the opposition of the two of them being married, at least open opposition. They were officially married in 31 AD. It apparently took them three years to get their divorce from their spouses so they could wed.

In 33 AD, while attending Passover in Jerusalem, Pilate sends Jesus to Antipas for questioning just before Christ is crucified (Lk 23:7).

Herod #6: While this is going on, Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great, is being educated in Rome and became good friends with Emperor Caligula who gave him the territory of his Uncle Philip who had died four or five years earlier and was going to bestow the title of king to him. Hearing of this, Antipas tried to get the title himself but was banished in the process. Caligula gave Agrippa Antipas’ territories of Galilee and Perea. Before bestowing the title of king, Caligula was assassinated. Agrippa was instrumental in getting Claudius to be the next Caesar. In appreciation, Claudius not only gave Agrippa I the title of king but the territories of Idumea, Judea, and Samaria as well which allowed him to rule the same territory in total as his grandfather, Herod the Great, and ruled from 41 AD to 44 AD with his headquarters in Berytus (which is Beruit, Lebanon, today). However, he also lived in palaces in such places as Caesarea Philippi, Caesarea Maritima, and Jerusalem, whether his or built by his grandfather.

Herod Agrippa I had several people from the Church in Jerusalem arrested and had James, the brother of John, and son of Zebedee, killed by the sword (Ac 12:2). Seeing that this pleased the Jewish leaders, he also had Peter arrested. Yet, God sent an angel and had Peter released from prison (Ac 12:3-11). When Herod Agrippa I was in Caesarea Maritima, God struck him down after he gave a rousing speech where he tried to portray himself as a god (Ac 12:21-23). He later died, likely from parasites. After him, proconsuls ruled Judea overseeing the financial affairs of the area.

Herod #7: Herod Agrippa II, the great grandson of Herod the Great and son of Agrippa I, was the king of Chalcis (today southern Lebanon) and was given the territory north and east of the Sea of Galilee (which is today Syria) and later given cities in Galilee and Perea as well as the duty to oversee the temple in Jerusalem, likely because he was of Hasmonean descent which would better appease the Jews. His headquarters were in Casarea Philippi which he renamed Neronias in honor of Roman Emperor Nero.

When Paul was incarcerated in Caesarea Maritima after his 3rd missionary journey, he was able to preach to Agrippa II and his sister Bernice when Festus replaced Felix as governor of the area (Ac 25:13-26:32). He ruled from 50 AD to 93 AD, so he witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and had encouraged the Jews to submit to Roman rule.

So what have we seen here? Clearly Satan was at work. His four deceptive errors with the Hasmoneans led to the eventual coup leading to Esau’s descendants reigning over Jacob’s descendants. Jacob’s birthright had truly been usurped. This eventually led to the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. All these events had the Jewish leaders distracted because they were desperately trying to salvage their Jewish heritage.

What does this mean to us? We cannot solve our problems on our own. We need God. We only make a mess of things and open ourselves up to Satan outsmarting us and making us self-implode. Christ had a better way, but everyone was so focused on what was going on around them politically to try and solve their mess that the work of Christ got overlooked even though what he was doing was right in front of them. Jesus Christ had a different plan, a plan to not only make right what had been wrong, but to solve their sin problem which was the source of all their problems. We, too, need to look at ourselves. Are we too busy trying to solve our own problems or are we looking to see how we can be a part of God’s plan, a plan that will save us spiritually, emotionally, and yes, eventually, even physically? God has the answer to all our problems.

While Satan achieved his goal he had set up, the death of Christ certainly gave a fatal blow to his schemes. Next time we’ll see that the physical temple was not important for the next phase of God’s plan for mankind. But what did Satan do, did he give up? Absolutely not. He never gives up. He pivots. He couldn’t stop the church from forming, but he could counter and that is exactly what he did. Join me next time as we look at what happens next.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In the last couple of posts, we have shown that our position as God made us, and our partnership with angels give us authority that makes us useful warriors in the army of the Lord. Just what kind of authority do we have? Let’s explore that topic today.

Listen to what the Apostle Paul told the church at Ephesus, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Ep 1: 17-23, NIV).

Did you get that? He said God has given us “great power” if we put our faith and trust in Christ Jesus. How did he do that? He disarmed the powers and authorities who had control of us and made a public spectacle of them by taking on our sins on the cross. This allowed him to forgive us and cancel the legal charges Satan had against us which condemned us to be forever separated from God (Cl 2:13-15). He now strengthens us with his power and qualifies us to share in his inheritance in the kingdom of light (Cl 1:11-12). In Ephesians, we read: “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ep 2:6). Therefore, we have been made joint-heirs with Christ, and Paul goes on to say we have been given authority with the same power that raised Christ from the dead if we yield to the power of the Holy Spirit (Ep 1:19-20).

Christ is the head of his Church and we, as part of his Church, are part of his body. He is above all rule, authority, power, and dominion. As his body, we also can overcome these forces as well by using spiritual weapons he has given us. Paul tells us we have the power to demolish strongholds (1Co 10:4-5). These are thoughts and arguments that Satan has set up to go against the knowledge of God. Paul is telling us we have the power to destroy them. We do this in concert with angels (Why Should We Care About Angels) by putting on and utilizing the spiritual armor and tools God has given us (Ep 6:10-20). We don’t plea and beg for God to answer our prayer, but we pray in the authority and power he has given us. Jesus’ words are powerful and cut to one’s very core (Hb 4:12), and angels respond to his words (Ps 103:20). Jesus’ name is powerful and one day all will confess his name and lordship just by being in his presence (Pp 2:9-11). And there is power in his blood to cleanse (1Pt 1:18-19), forgive, and one day all will confess his name and his lordship (Cl 3:17), and his blood protects us and helps us overcome spiritual attacks (Rv 12:11).

So, if you have placed your trust and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, you, my friend, have far more power than you may think. We are now able to have the mind of Christ (1Co 2:26) which means we can see and act in the way Christ would. And if we resist the devil and his forces by utilizing the power Christ has given us and utilize the armor he has bestowed to us, the devil will most definitely flee (Ja 4:7). This is not always easy because we can never let our guard down or give the devil a foothold in our lives (Ep 4:27) because he will most definitely take any and all advantages he can. But we definitely have authority to push back. So, let’s do so. The rewards are far greater for us if we do than if we do not. It is always darkest before the dawn, but that dawn is coming, and it is coming soon.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We know there were prophets in the past who God used mightily. After all, there are whole books of the Bible that were written by these prophets who God told to do certain things and to speak certain words. I have mentioned in a previous post how the messages these prophets spoke, typically of impending doom, were peppered with messages of hope (God's Prophecy of Hope) and that hope is not hope unless it is actually tangible and will come to be in the physical as prophesied.

Do such prophets exist today as well? One of the arguments by many against this tenet is that today we have all Scripture from God so there is no need for prophets today. But did God only use prophets to provide his scripture to us? As I pointed out in another post (Church Age), there were many other prophets who God used but their words did not become part of our canon of Scripture. It would seem it was not the office of prophet that determined the use of their words, but God’s intended purpose of their inspired words which the Holy Spirit gave them. Yet, the common denominator seems to be that all those whom God called to be a prophet pointed their audience to God and to God’s scripture. Their main purpose was to help prevent God’s people from going astray or to help them understand the error of their ways so they would return to God wholeheartedly.

So, if there are prophets today, they should be doing the same. I think there are three criteria they would be fulfilling based on what I just stated above: (1) they provide God’s inspired words, but not adding to what the Bible already has told us; (2) they point people back to God and his precepts; and (3) while they may be speaking about what God will be doing or is doing, they are not adding to Scripture, but utilizing Scripture for us to focus on to either teach us some aspect of Scripture we have not, or are not, abiding by or recognizing.

Yet, we need to recognize that prophecy can be tricky for us to validate before we jump in wholeheartedly. After all, the enemy has his prophets also. Our enemy, Satan, uses them to distract, divide, and confuse us so that we focus on the division their words cause us rather than on the message the true prophets are trying to get us to understand. It seems this has been his modus operandi from the very beginning. Maybe a few examples will help us. During the time of Jeremiah, there were those who opposed his prophecies as being untrue and unfounded and even publicly ridiculed him (Jr 28:1-11), and God proved the false prophet to be untrue as he met an untimely death (Jr 28:12-17). God revealed these false prophets’ true motives as being from the enemy (Jr 23:13-14). Almost all God’s prophets had to deal with false prophets who tried to make the people believe their words null and void. This was true of Isaiah (Is 8:20) and Ezekiel (Ek 22:28) as well.

We find similar cautions in the New Testament also. Jesus warned people of this issue even in his day (Mt 7:15) as well as what would happen in their future (Mt 24:24). John (1Jn 4:1), Peter (2Pt 2:1-3), and Paul (Cl 2:8) also provided this same warning.

So, if we know there will be false prophets among us, wouldn’t that suggest we would also have true prophets of God in our midst as well? Why would we need them if we have all of God’s scripture? Well, it seems the false prophets are using scripture (or, rather, misapplying scripture) to support their false theories and teachings (2Co 11:13). We need true prophets to cause us to focus on the true meaning of scripture and not fall for such false teachings. While, yes, we can accomplish the same on our own, we also know most of us do not dive into scripture and personally pray to understand its true meaning. True prophets will (and should, if they exist today) cause us to focus correctly on what God is telling us through Scripture.

If this was not true, then why would John say to test the spirits to tell if a prophet is true or false (1Jn 4:1)? What was the litmus test? “Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God” (1Jn 4:2-3). So, listen to several messages from those who claim to be prophets. Are they consistent in their messaging? Do they talk about other prophets and demean them? Do they point you to Scripture or focus you on what they say? Does their message align with all Scripture or just the point they are making with a specific scripture reference (which may be out of context if it doesn’t align with all scripture). And, as John told us, is Jesus Christ the center of their teaching?

So, what are these prophets telling us that is putting so many people in a quandary? We’ll get into that in my next post. I hope you join me.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The idea of the coming Kingdom Age is not absent from the Bible. The coming outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our time, which some are calling the Kingdom Age, will bring in an unprecedented harvest of souls for the Lord. This was revealed to Daniel (Dn 7:27) and Jesus also spoke of this as well (Mt 24:14). We know he was not talking about the end of time because Jesus then goes on to talk about what will occur after this which we have labeled the Tribulation Period (Mt 24:15-22). Jesus also told his disciples he was conferring a kingdom to them just as God the Father had conferred a kingdom to him (Lk 22:29).

This is likely the kingdom to which both John the Baptist and Jesus himself were speaking of when he first started his ministry. Reason? The Holy Spirit had not yet been given so he asked his disciples to pray for it to come because the Holy Spirit would be able to do more than he himself could do because the Holy Spirit could work within everyone at the same time (Jn 14:12).

Why would there be a coming Kingdom Age and how have so many people missed it? The former is probably easier to explain than the latter. As previously said, both the Church as well as Israel did not fulfill their original calling. This coming Kingdom Age, highlighted by one of the most unprecedented Holy Spirit outpourings in history, is the graciousness of the Lord to allow the Church to fulfill its original mandate: preach the gospel to the whole world (Mt 28:19-20) and to become a united, unblemished, bride for Jesus Christ (Ep 4:13; 5:27).

I see the Church Age divided into four steps:

1.      Early Church: This was when the Holy Spirit was first given and was allowed to work miraculously to reach many who accepted Christ as their Savior and could then go and duplicate what they had seen, heard, and had been given.

2.      Church Decline: Unfortunately, this started not too long after the expansion of the Church throughout the Roman Empire. Greek and Hellenistic thought processes began to infiltrate Biblical interpretation and the Church becoming hierarchical in structure inhibited the working of the Holy Spirit because those in influential seats of power were often not led by the Holy Spirit. Apostles and prophets were suppressed because they showed that individuals had the power of the Holy Spirit to bring others to Christ rather than relying on the Church organization itself to achieve such a feat, and the prophets would preach and reprimand those in clerical power positions which those in power would not want to occur and so would suppress the validity of such individuals.

3.      Church Reformation: This was a reawakening of the Church to many aspects of the Early Church but still with many weights and flaws of the previous hundreds of years by misguided leaders. Satan was quick to jump on this bandwagon to cause doctrinal disputes which split the church into an ever-increasing number of factions. With no belief in prophets to counter the waywardness, it seemed to create more and more factions until, today, there are hundreds of various denominations which cannot get along and which bicker with each other rather than seeing how to unite within Christ.

4.      Kingdom Age: This is a true reawakening of the Church to the Early Church beliefs and practices. So, it is not so much a new thing, but returning to something the Church once was. We will see the Holy Spirit being outpoured in significant ways that will likely jar many who are stuck in church tradition and rites. We will again see many signs and wonders with many being miraculously healed from all sorts of diseases and maladies by the Holy Spirit as a true testament to his power. As in the Early Church, this will lead many to put their faith in Jesus Christ.

This seems to be when the Church will shine for the Holy Spirit will enable believers to impact others with their lives and many will fall under the conviction of the Holy Spirit leading to a tremendous reaping of souls for the Lord. It is unclear how long this time will last, but it seems to come on the heels of much persecution but ends with a time of great glory. Therefore, the rapture event for the Church does not come to rescue believers but to take them out of the world at the peak of their performance so it can have an even greater impact on those who remain.

Doesn’t that sound wonderful? We, the church, as the bride of Christ will be received by Christ in our glory and not our humiliation. What a great God we serve!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

It’s no coincidence that the Church had its beginning on Shavuot (Pentecost; Ac 2). Israel became a nation (i.e., became betrothed to God [Yahweh]) fifty-two days after the first Passover (Ex 24:4-8). While Bikkurim (Firstfruit) and Shavuot (Pentecost) were not celebrated as festivals until the Israelites reached their Promised Land (Lv 23:10), the covenant God made with Israel to make them a nation occurred on the same day that Shavuot would normally occur. In the same way, the Church was born or was betrothed to God [Yahweh] on the first Shavuot after Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.

The Church did not replace Israel (Ro 11:1-2, 11, 25-29) but the mode of worldwide impact for God was transitioned from a nation to individuals. It was a betrothal because God calls the Church his bride (2Co 11:2; Ep 5:24; Rv 19:7). It is interesting that Shavuot is also known as the First Shofar because the betrothal period is marked by the blowing of a shofar. The sound of the shofar was the very voice of God when Israel was pledged to God at the base of Mount Sinai (Ex 19:18-19; Dt 4:12-13). The sound of a rushing mighty wind, the Holy Spirit himself, occurred when the Church was pledged to God in the upper room in Jerusalem (Ac 2:2) forty days after Christ’s ascension into Heaven (fifty days after his resurrection on Bikkurim, or Firstfruit).

This was the foreshadow (2Co 1:22) of God’s new, more intimate, covenant promised to Israel (Jr 31:31-34). Jesus had fulfilled the previous covenant with Israel (Mt 5:17) and was now making a new blood covenant which would actually forgive sins (Mt 26:28) whereas previously, all the sacrifices just placated sin (Hb 10:1-4).

While the idea of the Church we know of today was alluded to in the Old Testament (e.g. Dt 32:21; Is 65:1), it was not made fully known in how God would use it until God revealed such to the apostle Paul (Ep 3:4-6). The birth, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ had to first occur before his Church could be established. Why is that? Because the power of sin over humans had to be eliminated (Ro 6:7).

We need to fully understand what Christ did for us on the cross. He became our sin so that we could take on his righteousness (2 Co 5:21). What does that mean? Our past, present, and future sin was placed on Christ; all sin ever committed by anyone. Now, that’s quite the burden. The apostle Paul tells us Christ disarmed the powers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Cl 2:15). This implies that he went to Sheol in our place so that penalty of our sin could be dealt with once and for all. So Christ went to Sheol for three days, proclaimed to those on the unrighteous side why their fate is sealed, and preached to those on the righteous side what he just did for them and gave them the gift of redemption. He then brought the righteous home to the third heaven where they are today and why Paul stated to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2Co 5:8). Because of the disarming by Christ to Satan and his kingdom, he can now bestow on those in his Church gifts for building up his Bride and make her strong and effective.

Christ received back from Satan the power he had stollen from Adam (Cl 2:13-15; Jn 10:17-18; Rv 1:18). What power had God given to Adam? God gave him dominion over all the earth (Gn 1:28) to rule in God’s authority (Ps 8:6-8). Satan deceived that out of Eve and Adam rebelled against God (Gn 3:1-7) so Satan connived Adam’s kingdom from him (Mt 4:8-9; Jn 14:30) and all born afterward are born into sin, Satan’s kingdom (Ps 58:3, Jn 12:46; Ro 5:12); therefore, we do not have to choose Satan’s kingdom because we are born into it and must make a conscious decision to leave it (Jn 3:17-18).

God’s people, his Church has gained that power back. Paul tells us the power we have received is the same mighty strength God exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms (Ep 1:18-23), and God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (Ep 2:4-10). Therefore, we, God’s Church, have far greater power and authority than we have been led to believe. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, you already have this power which comes to us through the Holy Spirit. We can exert more and more of this power as we allow the Holy Spirit to control more and more of us.

The early church was given, and operated, in a five-fold ministry, as some have called it. Paul states that Christ gave the Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip his people for works of service so that those who come to Christ may be built up in unity of faith and become mature in the knowledge of Christ (Ep 4:11-13). There is much debate about this verse both from a gift classification perspective and from a gift over time perspective. Paul does use a different conjunction between the first three gifts and the last two gifts. Yet, the conjunctions Paul uses in this verse, (de and kai) while different are still translated as the English conjunction ‘and.’ Yet, just because a different conjunction is used (kai) between the last two does not necessarily mean these are one gift but likely mean they are more connected in character and function than the other three. For example, all pastors are teachers but not all teachers are pastors. This same type of mental gymnastics cannot be done for the other three (apostles, prophets, evangelists). So, in the end, it seems there are still five distinct gifts, but some individuals could be pastors and teachers, while others are teachers but not pastors.

Then, there is the controversy over apostles and prophets being for the early church, but not for today. This, I think, comes down to the definition of these terms. Some state there were only twelve apostles so there were no additional apostles after these individuals. While this is a true statement, this does not necessarily exclude others from being called apostles. For example, the original twelve apostles were also called disciples, but this did not mean Jesus had only twelve disciples. After all, the word ‘apostle’ simply means “an ambassador of the Gospel” usually with miraculous powers.

It seems there were apostles Christ had chosen (Ac 1:2) and then apostles which the churches chose (Ac 14:14; Ro 16:7; 1Co 9:2). Paul also uses the word ‘we’ when he mentioned the term ‘apostles’ in his letter to the Thessalonians (1Th 2:6). He is likely referring to not only himself, but also to Silas and Timothy as well (1Th 1:1). Later, Paul also refers to Andronicus and Junia as apostles, two among many others. Therefore, it seems over time, the term apostle came to be applied to other dedicated individuals for God’s service and not just to the original twelve.

In addition, it seems others were posing to be apostles even though they were not (2Co 11:13). It would seem these individuals, whom he sardonically called “super-apostles” were performing some type of miraculous signs as that was one indication of an apostle (2Co 12:12). Yet, their overall intent was not the advancement of the gospel but their own fame. Yet, if apostles were noted to be only Christ’s original twelve apostles, then these individuals would not have been able to feign being apostles.

The other term to consider is ‘prophet.’ Some claim that once all of Scripture was complete, there was no need for prophets as we now have God’s compete word to follow. While that is true, I’m not sure that settles the issue. After all, prophets were not just to deliver a message that would become Scripture but provide messages from God that warned people about obeying God’s Scripture. Granted, there were many prophets in the Old Testament that became part of our canon of Scripture (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachai) but there were many others who delivered a word of warning from God which did not become part of Scripture, but held true to Scripture (e.g., Gad, Nathan, Ahijah, Azariah, Hanani, Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, Jahaziel, Oded, Huldah, and Uriah). In addition, there were prophets mentioned in the New Testament as well (Silas, Judas [Ac 15:32], Agabus [Ac 21:10], and others [Ac 13:1]). So, just being a prophet does not mean words delivered will become Scripture. Yet, their words will never contradict Scripture.

Yes, we have God’s complete Scripture today, but we have so many different interpretations of Scripture today leading to so many different doctrines based upon the same Scripture. Is this what God would want? Would prophets have prevented such from occurring? Just something to consider.

Also, prophets have always popped up when God’s people have gone astray from following his word. That is why so many were persecuted because they warned people they were not in the right. People get very angry when they are spiritually reprimanded. We also see that throughout Scripture.

While prophets are certainly about the future, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are talking about a future not reported in Scripture. But let’s be honest here, we have so many views of our future, how can we know which are truly correct? Would prophets have prevented that from occurring as well? Again, something we should consider.

In addition, if there are no prophets today, then why does Scripture teach there will be prophets in “the last days” (Jl 2:28-32)? So, we had them, then they went away, and then they’ll return? If so, who determines when we should listen to them again?

Also, if prophets were only for the early church until the canon of Scripture was in place, wouldn’t Scripture have been more explicit about that? At what point is the cutoff for prophets? The canon of Scripture occurred over several hundred years. Also, how do we handle what Paul says about prophecy when he said, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all” (1Th 5:20)? Because if we are no longer listening to prophets, then we are technically treating them with contempt because we are not following them. So, at what point were we allowed to not follow Paul’s advice in this regard? Would this suggest that we should listen to prophecy as long as they do not contradict the Bible itself?

And, if we look at what many prophets are saying today, then many are talking about a Kingdom Age that is upon us, or a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the earth to bring a great revival. Is this something we should listen to or ignore? If this is upon us, why weren’t those of the early church looking for this future for themselves? Wouldn’t Paul have known about this and would have put this in his writings?

I think the short answer is no. Why? Because they were already operating in the idea of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Paul likely expected the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to continue throughout the Church Age, so he would not be expecting it to wane and then come back again. Therefore, his emphasis was on Christ’s return and not another outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

So, what would have caused this decline of the outpouring of the Holy Spirt to get us where we are today? What some have purported, and what is hard to refute, is that the teaching of the spiritual gifts of apostle and prophet no longer being needed is the reason. If these two gifts were meant to be carried farther, what caused their demise? Politics.

Whether we look at Judaism or Christianity, both have not fulfilled their spiritual destiny God had ordained for them because of politics. Not politics itself, per se, but allowing those not led by the Holy Spirit to lead.

As an example, by the time Eli was Israel’s high priest, the people went through the motions of sacrifice, but their hearts were not in it, mainly because his sons were quite corrupt. Likely when the people saw their corruption, they were not as enthusiastic in following the precepts God had required of them. It was at that time God brought Samuel into play. While he was a judge, he was also a prophet by warning the people as to what God required of them.

By the time of Jesus, the high priest position had become a political position and thereby the person being high priest had lost a lot of their concern about following God’s precepts. They were in the position for the power, prestige, and wealth the position provided them. In addition, it led to nationalistic encouragement rather than Scriptural encouragement. This led to the Jews becoming more exclusionary to other nationalities rather than teaching other nations the ways of Yahweh. The letter of the law became more important than the heart of the law.

This is also true of the Church as well. The early church had the spiritual fervor, ever desired to be led by the Holy Spirit. As the church became larger, it became more organized, and over time, became hierarchical. While there is nothing wrong with such organization, it led to those who were not really Christian to hold high positions, ever looking how to increase their power, prestige, and wealth. This led to the Church becoming more political and less spiritual. It would be easy to see how apostles and prophets would be discouraged in such an environment because they would bring stinging remarks that those in prominence were not in keeping with the heart of Scripture. Religious rites became more important than the true leading of the Holy Spirit.

What about you today? What is leading you? Are you more about the letter of Scripture or the heart of Scripture. God has always stated it is better to obey than sacrifice (1Sa 15:22; Ps 40:6; Ho 6:6). Let’s walk in the light of the Holy Spirit and allow him to guide us.

Next, we’ll look at something wonderful that will be coming. I hope you join me for the next post where we will be discussing that.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

It was not the difference between being Jewish and Gentile and how to combine these cultures under the umbrella of Christianity that caused the final division between the two, but the expression of anti-Semitism that developed. Probably one of the earliest writings that set this tone was the Epistle of Barnabas (80-120 AD):

…give heed to yourselves now, and not to liken yourselves to certain persons who pile up sin upon sin, saying that our covenant remains to them also. Ours it is; but they lost it in this way for ever, when Moses had just received it. (Barnabas 4:6, 7)

The main tenet of this author was that the Jews did not receive the covenant from God as they claimed because Moses broke the stone tablets that contained that covenant; therefore, it was not received until Jesus Christ came and it was received by the Gentiles who believed in Him. This thought pattern may have been the genesis to many other writers who went even further into these anti-Semitic beliefs and teachings.

While many of the early church fathers had very good Biblical teaching for which we all have benefitted, they could not seem to get over the stumbling block of Jews and their rejection of Jesus Christ as their Messiah. However, they did not seem to distinguish the difference between individual Jews and the Jewish nation. The national leaders rejected Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah; individual Jews, however, were accepting Him as their Savior. Yet, this distinction seems to be missed in their writings. Here are just a few:

• Ignatius of Antioch was a disciple of the apostle John and was bishop of the church in Antioch, Syria, when Trajan was Emperor and sentenced him to a martyr’s death by beast in the arena. This is an excerpt from one of his writings to Magnesia, one of the regional units, or territories, in Greece (writing between 105-115 AD):

It is absurd to profess Christ Jesus, and to Judaize. For Christianity did not embrace Judaism, but Judaism Christianity, that so every tongue which believeth might be gathered together to God. (Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians, Chapter X)

• Justin Martyr was a second century Christian apologist. He also wrote against Marcion who held that Christianity was in discontinuity with Judaism. This is an excerpt from his third apology (writing between 150-160 AD):

For the circumcision according to the flesh, which is from Abraham, was given for a sign; that you may be separated from other nations, and from us; and that you alone may suffer that which you now justly suffer; and that your land may be desolate, and your cities burned with fire; and that strangers may eat your fruit in your presence, and not one of you may go up to Jerusalem. (St. Justin Martyr Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter XVI)

• Origen was a theologian in Alexandria, Egypt. He refuted Gnosticism and was a critic of many pagan philosophies of his day. He is noted for developing Christian Neoplatonism which combined many of the philosophies of Plato with those of Old Testament scripture. This is an excerpt from one of his responses to the pagan philosopher Celsus’ attack on Christianity (writing between 203-250 AD):

…on account of their unbelief, and the other insults which they heaped upon Jesus, the Jews will not only suffer more than others in that judgment, which is believed to impend over the world, but have even already endured such sufferings. For what nation is in exile from their own metropolis, and from the place sacred to the worship of their fathers, save the Jews alone? And these calamities they have suffered, because they were a most wicked nation, which, although guilty of many other sins, yet has been punished so severely for none, as for those that were committed against our Jesus. (Origen Against Celsus: Book II, Chapter VIII)

• John Chrysostom (344-407 AD) was a priest at Antioch in Syria as well as archbishop in Constantinople and was noted as the early church’s greatest preacher. He was blunt in his preaching which won him notoriety as well as got him into trouble. He was later falsely accused of heresy, deposed, and sentenced to exile. However, his health was so poor he died on the journey. The following are excerpts from some of his sermons:

The synagogues of the Jews are the homes of idolatry and devils, even though they have no images in them [Sermon I:3; based on Jer. vii:11]. They are worse even than heathen circuses [Sermon I:3]. The very idea of going from a church to a synagogue is blasphemous [Sermon II:3]; and to attend the Jewish Passover is to insult Christ. To be with the Jews on the very day they murdered Jesus is to ensure that on the Day of Judgment He will say 'Depart from Me: for you have had intercourse with my murderers' [Sermon III:5 and VI:8]. The Jews do not worship God but devils [Sermon I:3, based on John 8:19], so that all their feasts are unclean [Sermon I:6]. God hates them, and indeed has always hated them. But since their murder of Jesus, He allows them no time for repentance [Sermon VI:1]. It was of set purpose that He concentrated all their worship in Jerusalem that He might more easily destroy it [Sermon IV:6].

It is likely that most of these early theologians would state that they were not condoning the systematic killing of Jewish people and their words have been taken out of context. While that may be true, they also likely did not consider how much weight their words would be taken by those who would come after them or how long-lasting their statements would endure and be such a catalyst for a much more aggressive form of anti-Semitism which still persists today. While their intentions may have been pure and slated at non-Christian Jews and not wanting their congregation to be confused with non-Christian Jewish thinking, it became the focal part of the wedge that started to drive the separation of the church from all Jews and not just those who had not accepted Jesus as their Messiah.

During this time of church history through the teachings of Origen, Clement, and others who were influenced by Greek philosophy and allegorical scripture interpretation like the Jewish scholar Philo, was the use of allegory to explain scripture from a Christian perspective. This method of interpretation allowed them to make leaps that the Christian church was now the continuation of God’s covenant with Israel in the Old Testament. This in itself is not anti-Semitism, but does lay the groundwork for that to develop: if indeed true, then how would, or could, Israel fit into God’s future plans?

This sentiment has continued over the centuries by many. Under the rise of Constantine and the Counsel of Nicaea, further separations were made. As one example, Easter was made the official Christian holiday for celebrating the resurrection of Christ rather than Passover week (Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits). Also, the rights of Jews were severely reduced, and the Jews were later treated very severely, were blamed for plagues that occurred, and were harassed relentlessly. This anti-Semitism was a catalyst for the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and much persecution. Unfortunately, Paul’s statement that salvation had come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious (Ro 11:11) was not considered, but rather the Jews were made to hate instead. Even Martin Luther in the fifteenth century had disparaging remarks against the Jews. So much so that Hitler stated his atrocities against the Jews were simply finishing what Luther had started.

The separation between Jew and Christian has become so far removed that it is likely any mainstream Jew or Christian today would be unable to express any connection between their two faiths. Most Christians today have no real understanding that Jewish holidays have a Christian relevance.

Because of this separation, there is now also a separation between Christian Gentiles and Christian Jews (usually called Messianic Jews) which is unfortunate since they both are followers of Jesus Christ. It seems that these Messianic Jews are the only ones who currently blend the messages of the Old and New Testaments into their liturgical church operations. As an example, there are very few Gentile Christian churches that even mention Communion comes from the last Passover meal Jesus had with his disciples. Even if this aspect is mentioned, the symbolism of the bread and cup within the Passover meal are usually not explained. The argument continues in that Messianic Jews can get too legalistic as did the Jews in the days of old while Gentile Christians can be accused of not understanding the Old Testament meaning in their New Testament practices. It seems everyone can get caught up in tradition rather than understanding. All Christians, whether Jew or Gentile, should remember Paul’s words to the Colossians that whatever one does, it should all be done in the name of Jesus Christ and to the glory of God the Father (Cl 3:17). Praise and recognition should also not be the motivators as that can instead hinder the gospel message (3Jn 1:5, 10), and one’s thought pattern must change to recognize the worth in others that God sees (Pm 1:15-16).

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With Paul being so against Gentiles becoming Jewish proselytes in order to become Christians, we have to wonder if the apostle Paul became a Gentile. Although Paul was adamant about what made one a follower of Jesus Christ, it is not that he threw away his Jewish heritage. He was actually quite proud of it (Ro 11:1). At times, however, he did set aside his Jewishness, for he did not want it to be a stumbling block to others and confuse them (1Co 9:20-22). But for the most part, he kept a lot of the Jewish customs. On his second missionary journey, he hurried back to Jerusalem to keep the Passover (Ac 18:21). On this journey he also seemed to have kept a Nazarite vow (Ac 18:18). On his third missionary journey, he observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Philippi (Ac 20:6) and wanted to get to Jerusalem in time for Shavuot [Pentecost] (Ac 20:16). Paul, therefore, did not live like a Gentile in every aspect. Yet, he was not bothered by blending the two. Paul’s main emphasis was that Jesus Christ came and died for the sins of mankind and everyone needed to hear about Him, accept Him, receive salvation through Him, and receive the Holy Spirit in order to live a life pleasing to God. Everything else was just tradition. The Law of Moses had shown them their sin (Ro 3:20); keeping it did not save them (Ro 3:23, 28). Salvation through Jesus Christ is for all, both Jew and Gentile (Ro 3:21-31).

Paul saw no problem with keeping the Jewish traditions/customs or even the Law itself as long as it was kept in its proper context. It is something one chooses volitionally to do but not committed to do. Therefore, there was no need to impose this on Gentiles as it was not necessary for salvation. However, anyone, either Jew or Gentile could decide to keep the Jewish feasts and any other customs as long as they knew this was not making them any better than anyone else (1Co 8:8). After all, the Jewish feasts were just as important to Gentile Christians as to Jewish Christians: Pesach (Passover) was a reminder of the crucifixion of Jesus and thereby forgiveness of sins (1Co 5:7), Matzah (Feast of Unleavened Bread) was a reminder that Jesus Christ was a sinless sacrifice for them and that accepting Him they were now also dead to the power of sin (Ro 6:3), Bikkurim (First Fruits) was a reminder of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and thereby a promise for their future resurrection (Ro 6:4), and Shavuot (Pentecost) was a reminder of the gift of the Holy Spirit and the union of both Jewish and Gentile believers (Ro 10:12). Even the other feasts would be an important reminder for their future: Rosh Hashanah (New Years’ or Feast of Trumpets) would represent God not forgetting the nation of Israel as He remembers His covenant with them (Ro 11:25-26) and demonstrating that God always remembers His promises; Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) would represent the promise of Christ’s Second Coming and the salvation of the nation of Israel (Zc 13:1; Ro 11:27); and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) would represent the promise of Jesus Christ, their Messiah and Savior, setting up His earthly reign on David’s throne and dwelling with His people (both Jewish and Gentile Christians) on earth (Zc 8:3, 14:9; Rv 20:4).

While Paul was mainly focused on Gentiles, he did not forget about the Jews and would often first preach in their synagogues wherever he went (Ac 14:1, 17:2). The other disciples focused more on the Jews but also did not forget about Gentiles entirely. Much of this information is not found in the scriptures but from the Roman historian Eusebius, the Christian theologian Clement, as well as others. From these sources we find the other places that the disciples preached the gospel message. These places are countries we know today as Albania, Algeria, Crete, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Gavdos, Great Britain, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Sicily, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

The apostles, other than Paul, concentrated their gospel message to the Jews who lived in Jewish colonies throughout the Roman Empire. Many of the places overlap with where Paul preached, which is not really that remarkable when one finds even in the New Testament scripture that the churches were composed of both Jews and Gentiles.

It is interesting to note that one of the main areas where there is no overlap is northern Africa. However, it makes sense for the apostles to concentrate here as this was once part of the Israeli-spawned Carthaginian Empire before being defeated by Rome at least a century earlier. Shortly before Israel was taken by Assyria, many of the Israelites fled to Carthage, which was then known as Kirjath-Hadeschath, and became a significant part of Carthage’s rise to power. Therefore, it is likely that a large contingent of Jews still lived in these areas of North Africa. This is just part of the total Jewish/Israeli population that existed in the first century AD.

From this we see that God has always cared for both Jews and Gentiles and has a plan for both.

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It’s a surprise to many, both Gentiles and Jews, that the Church was originally Jewish, composed of only Jews and Jewish proselytes. When the Holy Spirit descended on that first Shavuot (Pentecost) after Christ’s ascension, all who believed and received the Holy Spirit were either Jews or Jewish proselytes (Ac 2:1-4, 41, 47). This continued as more and more people believed. It seems that the Christian Jews were very accepting of Jewish proselytes becoming Christians and were treated as equals. Nicholas, a Gentile and Jewish proselyte, was made a deacon of the church in Jerusalem (Ac 6:5). Philip preached to many in Samaria who accepted Christ as their Savior (Ac 8:12-17). Normally, Samaritans were not accepted by the Jews because they were considered half-breeds. Therefore, these were either Samaritans who had become Jewish proselytes prior to their acceptance, or the current Christian Jews were willing to accept them because of the similarity in their religious beliefs since no one challenged their becoming Christians. Even Philip preaching to the Ethiopian eunuch was not challenged since this eunuch was already a Jewish proselyte (Ac 8:26-39).

When God, through a vision, lead Peter to preach to a Roman Centurion and his household and they believed and received the Holy Spirit, it caused quite a stir. The Jewish Christians in Jerusalem had a hard time accepting that true Gentiles – not proselytes – had received the Holy Spirit. However, when Peter explained how God had orchestrated the whole thing, they accepted it and rejoiced (Ac 11:1-18). After that, other Jewish believers started telling other Gentiles (i.e., non-Jews) about Jesus Christ and they believed (Ac 11:19-21). During this time, Saul, who was a very zealous Pharisee, had received permission from the Sanhedrin to charge and arrest any Jew who had converted to what was then called “The Way” so they could be brought to trial for conviction of heresy (Ac 8:3, 9:1-3). This persecution first started with the stoning of Stephen. Stephen had been a deacon of the Jerusalem church and very outspoken about Jesus Christ (Ac 6:8-15, 7:57-58). Saul was adamant about finishing the job. This persecution caused many Christians to flee Jerusalem to other nearby areas – one being Damascus. Word got to Saul that The Way was spreading its teachings in that area. There has been much criticism of this passage of scripture with some saying that neither Saul, the high priest, nor the Sanhedrin would have any clout in Damascus to carry this out. However, since the letters from the high priest were to the synagogues, it is likely Saul would solicit their help in finding the correct suspects, ask their help with getting judicial authority or going under the radar of judicial authority, or help in securing the necessary means for carrying out the arrest. Also, the letters would carry the weight of the high priest’s authority and may have had financial implication to their synagogue for not helping. In addition, Jerusalem and Damascus would both have been considered part of Syria at this time of history. However, on the way to Damascus, Saul encountered Jesus Christ, had a change of heart, became part of The Way, and then poured his zeal into spreading the gospel (Ac 9:1-22). Later Saul’s name was changed to Paul (Ac 13:9).

Barnabas was part of the delegation from Jerusalem to go and investigate what was going on in Antioch where Gentiles were becoming believers. He saw that it was a good thing and of the Holy Spirit. He later went and got Paul from Tarsus where he was staying at that time and brought him to Antioch (Ac 11:22-26). From there, Paul and Barnabas went on their first missionary journey (Ac 13:1-3). This started many debates about how one should become a Christian, and how Jews and Gentiles could be part of the same group identifying with Jesus Christ.

For some reason, debate has always been a part of the Church – probably because we don’t all look at things from God’s point of view. Unity only comes from a single point of view, and that point of view must be God’s. Let us all strive to find and keep that unity.

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