27.02.

2016 THE GREAT CONTROVERSY AND THE EARLY CHURCH

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they
were uneducated and untrained men, they marvelled. And they realized that
they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13
This week we look at the issues of the Great Controversy faced by the apostolic church.
As always, the controversy is fought in the hearts and minds of men and women as well
openly in the church and society as mankind is faced with the choice to accept or reject
Jesus.
The Problem of Preconceived Opinions
Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He
through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had
chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible
proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to
the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not
to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He
said, you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Therefore, when they had come
together, they asked Him, saying, Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to
Israel? Acts 1:1-6
One of the great barriers Jesus faced with even His own disciples was the preconceived
opinions they had from their interpretation of the Scriptures. Despite three and a half
years of teaching, despite seeing the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ and
acknowledging Him as the Son of God, here they were at the Mount of Ascension asking
Jesus again whether He would now restore the glory of the Kingdom to Israel.
Before we criticise the disciples, we should understand that their attitude came from
their understanding and interpretation of the Old Testament scriptures. The Psalms and
the books of the Prophets have many references to the future glory of Israel. (There is a
large section of Christendom today which interprets these prophecies to mean the
restoration of the nation of Israel).
The disciples however, had missed the Old Testament teaching of the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God consists of Gods people in Gods place, under Gods rule i.e. the
Kingdom of God has its subjects who are under Gods rule in the sphere or place where
God is recognised as sole Ruler. Gods rule or law is consistent with His own character.
If Man had not fallen, Eden and this planet earth would have been the Kingdom of God
on earth a place where the citizens chose to live under the loving rule of God. Gods
desire is to restore the Kingdom of God on earth. To that end, Jesus came to earth as the
Son of Man, the Last Adam and accomplished that which the first Adam failed to do and
which Gods chosen nation, Israel had failed to do.
In Christ, the promises of the Old Testament regarding the Kingdom of God are fulfilled.
All who are in Him are Gods people. They live under His authority for He is the Living
Word, and they are called to live in His presence by faith, entering into the Most Holy
Place where He stands today (Hebrews 10:19).
All this was missed by the disciples. They were looking for a restored kingdom, but to
them it was the kingdom of Israel. God had a much greater restoration in mind. Through
His Son, He was going to restore the Kingdom of God on earth.

How is it with us? Like the Israelites of old, do we forget that as spiritual Israel, the
Churchs purpose is to reveal the Kingdom of God here on earth? Have we become proud
that we are the recipients of Gods choosing and Gods grace? Paul has a message for us:
Do not be arrogant, but fear Romans 11:20
Like the disciples, do we have preconceived opinions when we study the Bible? Within
the church itself we find many different interpretations of Bible passages and verses.
How shall we know if our conclusions are in keeping with Gods meaning when He gave
the words to the authors of the Bible?
The Solution to Preconceived Opinions
A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel. Luke 2:32
(Amplified)
He was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. John 1:9
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to
babes. Matthew 11:25
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and
blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 16:17
Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone
wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God
or whether I speak on My own authority. John 7:17
...may the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give to you the spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Ephesians 1:17
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea,
the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10
These things I have written to you with reference to those who are trying to deceive you
[seducing you and leading you away from the truth and sound doctrine]. As for you, the
anointing [the special gift, the preparation] which you received from Him remains
[permanently] in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But just as His
anointing teaches you [giving you insight through the presence of the Holy Spirit] about
all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as His anointing has taught you, you must
remain in Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him]. 1 John 2:26, 27 (Amplified)
The Bible tells us how to know the mind of God regarding Scripture:
1. Read the Word with humility. We are not intelligent enough to understand the Word
by ourselves.
2. Jesus is the true Light. Do not depend on other people for your understanding of
Scripture.
3. Seek revelation from God rather than just reading and knowing the literal words of
the Bible. Satan is a very good Bible student too, but it has not profited him at all.
4. If we truly want to know Gods will He will show us His will.

5. The Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth. Always ask the Spirit to guide you to
understand what God is saying to you when you read the Bible. (Otherwise Satan
will be very happy to whisper into your ears a false understanding of the Bible).
And you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. John 8:32
The Beginning of the Beginning
Christs work on earth was finished. By His death and resurrection He had inaugurated
the Kingdom of God on earth. This inauguration was to be celebrated at Pentecost. In the
40 days prior to His ascension He had taught many things about the Kingdom of God to
the disciples (Acts 1:3).
In the 10 days between Ascension and Pentecost, Christ asked the disciples to wait in
Jerusalem. Though they were converted, the disciples would still be ineffective without
the power of the Holy Spirit attending them (Acts 1:4, 5).
The Saviour knew that no argument, however logical, would melt hard hearts or break through the crust of worldliness and
selfishness. He knew that His disciples must receive the heavenly endowment; that the gospel would be effective only as it
was proclaimed by hearts made warm and lips made eloquent by a living knowledge of Him who is the way, the truth, and
the life. The work committed to the disciples would require great efficiency; for the tide of evil ran deep and strong against
them. A vigilant, determined leader was in command of the forces of darkness, and the followers of Christ could battle for
the right only through the help that God, by His Spirit, would give them. Acts of the Apostles: p. 31
Pentecost
The reason for Pentecost on earth was the glorification of Christ in heaven. His Father
had seen His sacrifice and was satisfied (Isaiah 53:11). Thus He was exalted to the right
hand of the Father, the Heavenly Sanctuary was anointed (Daniel 9:24) and the Holy
Spirit (the other Comforter) was sent down to earth for the inauguration of the Church
and the bestowing of Divine power on the disciples to carry out the Great Commission.
Christ's ascension to heaven was the signal that His followers were to receive the promised blessing. For this they were to
wait before they entered upon their work. When Christ passed within the heavenly gates, He was enthroned amidst the
adoration of the angels. As soon as this ceremony was completed, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in rich
currents, and Christ was indeed glorified, even with the glory which He had with the Father from all eternity. The Pentecostal
outpouring was Heaven's communication that the Redeemer's inauguration was accomplished. According to His promise He
had sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to His followers as a token that He had, as priest and king, received all authority in
heaven and on earth, and was the Anointed One over His people. Acts of the Apostles: p. 38-39
Jesus had told His disciples, the Spirit will testify of Me (John 15:26). So it was that in
the power of the Spirit that Peter preached to representatives of all nations under
heaven (Acts 2:5) testifying to them of the death of Christ for the sins of the world;
testifying to them that He has risen to the right hand of the Father and gives the gifts of
forgiveness and the Holy Spirit to all who believe (Acts 2:22-38).
It is the preaching of Christ - His work for mankind and His gifts to mankind that convict
men and women to believe with their hearts unto salvation and righteousness (Acts 2:37,
Romans 10:10). It is this preaching alone that will make men choose to leave the
kingdom of Satan and enter the Kingdom of God. We often depend on our talents of
oratory and of persuasion to bring men to Christ, but Peter shows us the true way.
Paul too declares the way to preach the gospel: I determined not to know anything
among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear,
and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive

words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith
should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:2-5
The disciples of Christ had a deep sense of their own inefficiency, and with humiliation and prayer they joined their
weakness to His strength, their ignorance to His wisdom, their unworthiness to His righteousness, their poverty to His
exhaustless wealth. Thus strengthened and equipped, they hesitated not to press forward in the service of the Master. Ibid:
p. 57
Facing the Sadducees: Acts 4:1-30
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant
Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was
determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a
murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the
dead, of which we are witnesses. Acts 3:13-15
The Sadducees and Pharisees were not usually friends. But whenever the issues of
salvation arise, former enemies will become friends (see Luke 22:12). In this story we
find the following:
1. Opposition gave the disciples an opportunity to witness before the highest council
of the land.
2. They declared again salvation is found only in Jesus (Acts 4:12).
3. Those who heard the disciples realised that they had been with Jesus (4:13). Do
people who hear us recognise that we have been with Jesus?
4. The opposition had no defence! (4:14)
5. We are not to stop testifying when opposition or persecution arises (4:18-20)
6. God is glorified despite opposition if all has been done in His name and power
(4:21).
7. We are to claim Gods power and ask for holy boldness to witness for Him (4:2430).
8. God will answer by equipping us with His Spirit (4:31).
The Stoning of Stephen (Acts 7)
Acts chapter 5 tells us that though the apostles were persecuted and even imprisoned,
they were saved from death during these early years of the church.
The story of Stephen is different. He became the first martyr of the church.
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Acts 6:8
But the Jews brought false accusations of blasphemy against him (Acts 6:9-15). When he
was called to defend himself, his face looked the face of an angel and he gave one of the
most stirring sermons of the New Testament. He gave them a history of the Israelites,
followed by a testimony of the life and work of Christ and how his people, the Israelites,
had resisted the work of the Holy Spirit by not accepting Jesus (Acts 7:1- 56).
The Jews responded by condemning Stephen to death by stoning the penalty for
blasphemy.
The 2 choices again:
The convicting voice of the Holy Spirit leads to one of 2 choices in every human being.
His voice always cuts to the heart as it did when Peter preached (Acts 2:37) and when
Stephen preached (Acts 7:54).

The human response is either positive, Repentance and turning to God or negative
Rejection, turning away from God.
If we choose to turn away from God we shall become more and more like our father the
Devil (John 8:44) who is a liar and murderer from the beginning.
What is our Response to Persecution?
Are our hearts like the stony ground in the parable of the Sower; hearers of the Word
who are quickly discouraged by persecution?
Or are we like Daniels three friends?
Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will
deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do
not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. Daniel
3:17, 18
Changing Attitudes; Acts 10 and 11:1-18
The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect
day. Proverbs 4:10
Throughout these studies we have seen that whenever one accepts Jesus Christ as
Saviour, he is accounted righteous before God (justification). But he is not perfected
immediately the work of sanctification takes a lifetime. The Holy Spirit changes our
attitudes, our lifestyles, our understanding of God and His love and our relationship to
our fellow human beings over our lifetime.
We see this in the story of Peter and Cornelius. Even though God had said throughout the
Old Testament that salvation was for Gentile and Jew, the Jews had lost sight of this
they thought they were the people chosen by God to be His special people.
There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the
Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who
gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. Acts 10:1, 2
There are many non-Christians who have been convicted by the Holy Spirit and are
devoutly seeking after God.
He said to him, Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.
Acts 10:4
God hears the prayers of the heathen who seek Him.
What God has cleansed you must not call common... While Peter thought about the
vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go
down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them. Acts 10:15, 19-20
We have all got One Father (Malachi 2:10) He looks upon all mankind as His children
and wants all to be saved.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be
saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 2:3, 4
Then Peter opened his mouth and said: In truth I perceive that God shows no
partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by
Him... And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who

was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets
witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard
the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came
with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
Acts 10:34-35, 42-45
Thus was the gospel brought to those who had been strangers and foreigners, making them fellow citizens with the saints,
and members of the household of God. The conversion of Cornelius and his household was but the first fruits of a harvest to
be gathered in. There are in our world many who are nearer the kingdom of God than we suppose. In this dark world of sin
the Lord has many precious jewels, to whom He will guide His messengers. Everywhere there are those who will take their
stand for Christ. Many will prize the wisdom of God above any earthly advantage, and will become faithful light bearers.
Constrained by the love of Christ, they will constrain others to come to Him. Ibid: p. 139-141
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