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FROM PENTECOST to PRISON Or the Acts of the Apostles

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FROM PENTECOST TO PRISON or The Acts of the Apostles Charles H. Welch 2 FROM PENTECOST TO PRISON or The Acts of the Apostles by Charles H. Welch Author of Dispensational Truth The Apostle of the Reconciliation The Testimony of the Lord's Prisoner Parable, Miracle, and Sign The Form of Sound Words Just and the Justifier In Heavenly Places etc. THE BEREAN PUBLISHING TRUST 52A WILSON STREET LONDON EC2A 2ER First published as a series of 59 articles in The Berean Expositor Vols. 24 to 33 (1934 to 1945) Published as a book 1956 Reset and reprinted 1996 ISBN 0 85156 173 X Ó THE BEREAN PUBLISHING TRUST 3 Received Text (Textus Receptus) This is the Greek New Testament from which the Authorized Version of the Bible was prepared. Comments in this work on The Acts of the Apostles are made with this version in mind. CONTENTS Chapter Page 1 THE BOOK AS A WHOLE............................................................... 6 2 THE FORMER TREATISE The Gentile in the Gospel of Luke ........................................ 8 3 LUKE 24 AND ACTS 1:1-14........................................................ 12 4 RESTORATION The Lord’s own teaching concerning the restoration of the kingdom to Israel .......................................................... 16 The question of Acts 1:6. Was it right?............................... 19 The O.T. teaching concerning the restoration of the kingdom to Israel .......................................................... 19 5 THE HOPE OF THE ACTS AND EPISTLES OF THE PERIOD................ 20 Further teaching concerning the hope of Israel in Acts 1:6-14............................................................... 22 6 THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE ACTS AND ITS WITNESS Jerusalem - Antioch - Rome................................................ 26 7 RESTORATION, RECONCILIATION, REJECTION The three R’s...................................................................... 29 8 THE TWELVE (ACTS 1:15 TO 2:13) ............................................ 31 9 PENTECOST AND POWER (ACTS 2:1-13)..................................... 33 10 THE WITNESS AT JERUSALEM The typical place of Pentecost (Acts 2:14 to 8:1)................. 36 Pentecost explained: ‘This is that’ (Acts 2:14-40)................ 40 Millennial foreshadowings (Acts 2:41-47)........................... 43 A dispensational miracle (Acts 3:1 to 4:22)......................... 45 The culminating opposition at Jerusalem (Acts 4:23 to 6:15) ........................................................ 47 Stephen’s twofold charge (Acts 7) ...................................... 50 4 Chapter Page 11 PREPARATION FOR THE MINISTRY OF PAUL (ACTS 8:1 TO 11:30) 52 Antioch: The centre of the second section of the Acts (Acts 11 and 12) ........................................................... 60 12 THE INTIMATE ASSOCIATION OF PAUL’S EPISTLES WITH THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES ............................................. 65 13 THE TWOFOLD MINISTRY OF PAUL (ACTS 13 TO 28) ................... 68 14 THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY (ACTS 13 TO 16:5) ‘Separate Me Barnabas and Saul’........................................ 72 ‘Saul, who also is called Paul’ (Acts 13:4-13) ..................... 74 Justification by faith. The opening of the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 13:14-49).................. 76 The Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the Opened Door (Acts 13 to 14:28)......................................................... 80 The open door and the many adversaries (Acts 15:1-35)...... 83 The twofold Decision (Acts 15:3-21) .................................. 86 The Decrees and Paul’s interpretation of their spirit (Acts 15:22-35)............................................................. 90 Preparation for a wider sphere of ministry (Acts 15:36 to 16:5) ...................................................... 92 15 THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (ACTS 16:6 TO 19:20)......... 94 The vision at Troas (Acts 16:6-11)...................................... 97 Phillipi. The first converts (Acts 16:12-15)......................... 99 Satan’s attempt at compromise, and Paul’s refusal (Acts 16:16-18).......................................................... 101 Paul and Silas, and the Philippian jailor (Acts 16:19-40)... 103 Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:1-14) ............................. 106 Athens (Acts 17:16-34).................................................... 110 Paul at Corinth. The second vision (Acts 18:1-17)........... 114 John’s baptism and special miracles (Acts 18:24 to 19:20). 117 16 THE THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY (ACTS 19:21 TO 21:39) Paul at Ephesus (Acts 19:21 to 20:4)................................. 121 Paul at Troas (Acts 20:4-16) ............................................. 126 The prison ministry foreshadowed (Acts 20:17-38) Elders and Overseers................................................... 129 Paul surveys his ‘Acts’ ministry (Acts 20:18-21) ......... 133 ’Pure from the blood of all men’ (Acts 20:22-27)......... 138 Final counsel, example and commendation (Acts 20:28-38)..................................................... 146 From Tyre to Jerusalem (Acts 21:1-17)............................ 145 The reception of the apostle at Jerusalem (Acts 21:18-21) . 147 The apprehension of the apostle in the Temple (Acts 21:27-34)........................................................... 150 ‘And when the seven days were almost ended’ (Acts 21:27)............................................................... 152 17 FROM JERUSALEM TO ROME (ACTS 22:1 TO 28:22) The section as a whole, and Paul’s opening speech (Acts 22:1-22)............................................................ 154 5 Chapter Page Paul’s defence before the Council (Acts 23:1-35) ............. 157 Paul before Felix and Festus (Acts 24 and 25)................... 160 Paul before Festus and Agrippa (Acts 25 and 26) .............. 164 From Cæsarea to Melita (Acts 27)..................................... 169 From Melita to Rome (Acts 28:1-22) ................................ 173 Paul’s relation with Israel during the whole period of the Acts attested (Acts 28:17-22)............................. 177 18 THE DISPENSATIONAL LANDMARK (ACTS 28:23-31) The kingdom of God ... concerning Jesus (Acts 28:23)..... 180 Paul’s use of the O.T., and the structure of the section....... 183 The critical importance of Isaiah 6:9,10 demonstrated ....... 186 The quotation of crisis (Isaiah 6:9,10) .............................. 189 The testimony of the Lord’s prisoner (Acts 28:30,31)........ 192 INDEX OF STRUCTURES ................................................................... 195 INDEX OF GREEK WORDS ................................................................ 197 6 FROM PENTECOST TO PRISON The Acts of the Apostles CHAPTER 1 The book as a whole The very focal point of our witness is Acts 28, for we believe that in that chapter the dispensation of the mystery began. From time to time there have appeared in The Berean Expositor studies of this great dispensational boundary, and from time to time the place and purpose of Pentecost and allied themes have been touched upon. We have, however, never found opportunity to give the Acts itself systematic examination before, and as we desire to remember the needs of new readers, and knowing that the book of the Acts is the battleground of the whole position that we take up, the time seems ripe for such an exposition. In many minds one of the uppermost questions relative to the purpose of the book is: Does the Acts introduce something new, or does it confirm something old? This of course embraces the questions that arise out of Acts 1:6 (where the apostles asked the Lord if He would at that time restore the kingdom to Israel) and the place and purpose of Pentecost. The baptism with the Holy Ghost that took place at Pentecost must certainly be tabulated as a new experience, but the question that needs careful answer is: Did that new experience usher in a new dispensation, or did it confirm something old? There is but one true way to deal with this and all other subjects that come into our study, and that is to see their place in relation to the book as a whole. This can only be done after a patient perusal of the whole book, and the comparison of each part with its corresponding member. To express opinions before this has been done is but to express opinions and nothing more. Patiently to plough through the complete book to lay bear its structure is not the work of a few hours merely. This, however, has been done, and although the results may be glanced at in a few minutes, the bearing of the outline thus discovered abides, and rightly influences the interpretation of every section. Let us, then, go over the book of the Acts together, and make its outline our own. Commencing our reading, we are at once apprised of the fact that another treatise had been written by the same author, which must have some bearing upon the Acts itself. While we cannot make a digression here to study the connection that may exist between the first and second treatises, we are conscious that the opening verses of the first chapter sound very much like a résumé of something already written. Upon examination we discover that Acts 1:1-14 overlaps Luke 24:36- 53, details of which we reserve for later. The recognition of this overlap, however, influences the structure, for, with this fact before us and the truth as our goal, we are compelled to tabulate our findings as follows: A 1:1-14. The former treatise. All that Jesus began both to do and teach. The new record commences with Acts 1:15: ‘And in those days Peter
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