Greetings to Mungo, and really, everyone responding to my comments:
Jesus Christ spoke Aramaic. Yes, But The Holy Spirit inspired the Hebrews to write the Septuigent several hundred years prior to His earthly ministry because of the Hebrew people lacking the ability to know Hebrew well, due to extended captivity, due to disobediance. If it is good for the Holy Spirit to ensure we have the record in Greek, then it is good enough for me. These things are very basic.
Now, addressing some issues, I am not sure if some do not like the verses I quote and referrence, or if they do not like ME doing the referrencing of them. Either way, lets look at a few things. By the end of Acts, Paul was saying he had said nothing but that which Moses and the prophets did say. In fact, he was running around showing them, saying in effect, look, my kinsmen in the flesh - you are fulfilling the bad part of Scripture, repent, bear the fruit of repentance and receive the kingdom. Peter said much the same. The Holy Spirit was poured out for nearly 40 years, but did the kingdom promised to THEIR fathers come? No, it did not, rather, we read that they were blinded and that a new message was given by revelation, announcing the calling of a new assembly. And in the teachings there, the OT quotes all but vanish (5 or 6 quotes are used). That is a huge difference.
After the 12, and Paul sent the Word to all Israel, and each and every one of them had the opportunity to receive a bonified Miracle via the Holy Spirit, the last leaders of the Jews not only reject the kingdom offer presented during the Lord's earthly ministry and again throughout the Acts period, they divorce God. Yes, the word "departed" in Acts 28:25 is the Greek word for divorce. The word "departed" in 28:29 is the actual word departed and not the same as the one in v.25. So Paul quotes the most dreadful verse of Scripture, Isa. 6:9-10, and makes a tremendous statement, where we read for the first time in all of Scripture:
Acts:
28:28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
(The year is AD62, and Paul had been in chains for the hope of Israel, but now he is a prioner for the hope of you Gentiles (read Nations)).
And after this, the apostle revealed the mystery, which was 'hid in God', hid from generations and from ages, BUT NOW...
And it is revealed, according to Scripture, to you-wards:
Ephesians 3
3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
3:2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery
(...)
3:5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed...
Eph.
2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
2:13 But now...
It is in Ephesians where it is first made known that anyone would or could ever have the hope of going to heaven to be with the Lord there. And in this church there is no Jew and there is no Gentile. The Jew, if called into this company of believers, had to put aside his dispensational advantage, while at the same token, the gentile had to put aside his dispensational disadvantage.
Col.
1:25 Whereof I (Paul) am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now...
I am not making it up or adding my thoughts to the word of truth, I am simply asking that you receive this word with all readiness of mind and search to see if it is so. That is not too much to ask. I would point out the obvious here, that the book of Hebrews is written to, well, the Hebrews. But even Paul had to lay aside all that he had once counted as 'gain' in order to reach for this high calling revealed in the prison epistles. The law, the Sabbaths, all of that belong particularly to the Hebrews. They were called out of all nations to be God's chosen channel of blessing to the nations, but now says the apostle, is revealed that gentiles have been blessed without the preeminence of Israel. This is what is happening now. We are not, as they were during the Acts, standing outside the synagogue waiting to hear Israel's message after they first have received it. No, something new has been introduced, something with different instructions and a different practice, something written to an super heavenly company of His choosing & calling, see Eph. 1:3-6, 2:6, &c &c.
Differences:
Eph 3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
When we see these words, ‘For this cause’, we immediately realize that this refers to something that has gone before. And this is the case here, and especially referring to the two chapters before.
Paul has been describing a church here, that is reconciled, at peace, blessed far above all that is flesh, and the strife that is found in the flesh, and built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone. And this building is growing together that it might be an habitation for the Spirit. There are immediately 5 things that are unique and readily discernible. . Abraham is absent, OT quotes no longer are the standard, angels are mentioned but once only to be set aside, because The Mystery is a new revelation. These first 5 things are different than anything else we’ve ever found in the Bible before:
1. Blessings that were promised are unique, because it is every blessing that is spiritual. That is different than they'd ever had before because they'd never had every blessing that is spiritual.
2. And the sphere of their enjoyment is unique, because the enjoyment is in heavenly places, whereas every blessing before this had always been spoken of as being enjoyed on the earth.
3. The period of choice is unique, because these were chosen before the overthrow of the world, whereas all other choosing had been since the overthrow.
4. The position is unique, made to sit together in heavenly places, in Christ. That is a high and unique position.
5. The unity is unique. Back in 2. 15, that the twain, the Jew and the Gentile, were created one new man.
It is all these things that Paul has in mind, when he starts out to say, “For this cause”. It is everything Paul has already been speaking about in the first two chapters of the first letter written after Israel takes her place amidst the nations, departing to have great reasoning among themselves. (Acts 28.28, 29).
Col 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.
God chose an earthen vessel by which He would fulfill (Greek pleroo, "complete") the Word of God. That's what Paul did - with the revelation of the mystery [secret] given to him, God has completed His word to the world.
I can make a list of differences if you like, just ask. Search to see if it is so. Don't come down on me for quoting Scripture though, it is not productive.
Bless
RE: Communion:
It is evident that the vital truths of the epistle to the Hebrews were not yet well known. So God had not taken
away the `picture book' of the material illustrations (types and shadows) which Israel had had for so long. Thus
water baptism, which represented spiritual cleansing, was joined to repentance, but it did not teach baptismal
regeneration, for if it did, the New Testament would contradict itself. The precious blood of Christ alone is the basis
for the deliverance from sin and gives salvation.
The 3,000 who repented, wisely clung to the apostles' doctrine (the teaching which Peter had just given) and the
fellowship with one another and prayer. This fellowship was a very practical one, for verse 44 tells us that they had
`everything in common' that is they shared everything, their meals, their money which they had by selling their
possessions (verse 45). The `breaking of bread' was not celebrating communion, for this breaking of bread was a
Jewish idiom for a meal. The hard Jewish loaves had to be broken before being eaten. Thus we find the Lord Jesus,
when sharing a meal with the disciples, `broke bread' (; ). It was the same thing when Paul, before the shipwreck,
exhorted those on board to take a meal for their health :
`35After he (Paul) said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all.
Then he broke it and began to eat. 36They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves.' ().
So here in chapter two, `the converts broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts'
(verse 46). Some today, not understanding this, teach that they kept on taking the Lord's Supper and this is part of
the apostles' doctrine which must be kept now. But we read here in the Acts that believers not only ate together, but
sold their possessions and shared the money together (verses 44,45). We cannot help noticing that those who claim
to be copying the apostles' doctrine today seldom if ever do this. Why? This was just as much `apostles' doctrine' as
sharing a meal.
`To explain the breaking of bread as Holy communion is to pervert the plain meaning of words, and to mar
the picture of family life which the text places before us as the ideal of the early believers' (Page).
The daily breaking of bread at home surely refers to the regular meals at home and common meals `from house
to house'.
Excerpt from 'Acts of the Apostles' by Stewart Allen
