Jewish Good News for Gentiles

As Sam Nadler relates in his book Messianic Foundations, we are complete in Messiah. Knowing Him brings about the transformation and satisfaction of our souls, which is true spirituality. Still, there are those stories of Gentiles who have converted to traditional Judaism, occasionally even using “Messianic Judaism” as a stepping-stone. Somehow, Yeshua was not enough for them. Decisions like this are made from poor discipleship, reflecting a lack of sound teaching in the Word of God. The completed work necessary for salvation and perfect fellowship with God has been accomplished eternally in Messiah, so that we might be a praise to the glory of His grace (Ephesians 1:14). In Messiah, people who are spiritually dead toward God, at the moment of faith are, by His grace, made spiritually alive; not by good works, but for good works (Ephesians 2:1-10).

Simultaneous to that reality of salvation, Gentile believers are made one with Jewish believers in Messiah (Ephesians 2:11-15). This unity of Jews and Gentiles into one new body is a spiritual revelation that was not previously known (Ephesians 3:1-13). Paul hopes that all believers might be strengthened in that love that they might be filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-21). This revelation of Jewish and Gentile unity is important enough to explore further; we might dare say that it is the testimony of Yeshua in our lives.

Gentiles were “without”

Paul goes on to explain how the Gentile’s spiritual past was grim without Messiah: Therefore, keep in mind that once you – Gentiles of the flesh – were called “uncircumcision” by those called “circumcision” (which was performed by hand). At that time, you were separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Isra’el and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:11-12).

The non-Messianic community despised Gentiles as uncircumcised pagans. It was unacceptable for any observant Jew to associate with Gentiles. This is why Peter needed a vision from God to minister to Cornelius, a Gentile “God-fearer.” Mixing was simply not proper or good. Peter would later have to explain why he would go to a Gentile home, or face censure from the other Jewish believers (Acts 10-11).

Thus, the Gentile’s spiritual condition before coming to faith in Yeshua is characterized as “without.” The Gentile is without Messiah, separated from the true vine of Isra’el (John 15:5). The Gentile is without citizenship, excluded from the commonwealth of Isra’el, with no benefits in the community of God. The Gentile is without promises because all covenants of promise were made with Isra’el. The Gentile is without hope. It is like trying to breathe without air. Finally, the Gentile is without God Himself . . . they are in spiritual despair.

So lost and deceived was the Gentile world that they were generally unaware of their own spiritual condition, with no idea of any hope or promise. Though the Jews did have all these things, apart from the promise they were lost as well; in reality, all fall short (Romans 3:23).

Welcome to the Commonwealth

By faith in Messiah, the Gentile’s situation changes. While most of the ways it changes have often been well understood in traditional Christian commentaries, one area on which many seem to be unclear is “the commonwealth of Isra’el,” which includes Gentiles. Some have tended to spiritualize the matter, making the commonwealth of Isra’el equal to “the Church” in keeping with Replacement Theology (or Covenant Theology); whereas others have made it merely a political matter for the Millennial Kingdom in keeping with Dispensationalism (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Fi – The Government of the Messianic Kingdom). Some have also taken this phrase to imply that Gentiles become Israelites.

The word commonwealth is used a few times in the B’rit Chadashah, in Acts 22:28 (Greek: politeia), and Philippians 3:20 (Greek: politeuma). The idea of commonwealth should not be taken to refer to the nation of Isra’el. While the distinction may seem subtle, the Greek word for commonwealth is never used for “nation” (goy in Hebrew, ethnos in Greek). Thus, in Acts 22:28 Paul and a Roman soldier had the same rights because of shared Roman citizenship (politeias), even though they were not of a shared nationality (ethnos). The idea of commonwealth is that of a community that transcends national borders.

The core issue wasn’t exclusion from the nation of Isra’el, but from the life of the people of Isra’el, “the well-being of the community.” As believers in Messiah Yeshua, Jewish and Gentile people do not share the same nationality; however, they share the same rights, values, and relationship with the living God. Moreover, this is a reality that is happening now, not only when the Kingdom on earth is established at Messiah’s return. Paul is indeed saying that in times past the Gentiles were not fellow citizens, but that now, along with Jewish believers, they are!

As a Jewish nation, citizenship also included the idea of community, a way of life, and national life. In the United States citizenship is a legal issue, while the cultural issues are hotly debated. However, as a spiritual theocracy, Biblical Isra’el’s commonwealth included cultural, social, legal, religious and spiritual matters. Whereas for us, the issue of citizenship carries with it the idea of “rights and privileges,” there is even more expressed here: sharing fellowship, a common set of values and a way of life: So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household (Ephesians 2:19).

This is the Gentile’s true spiritual unity within the body of Messiah and identification with Isra’el; not being Jewish, yet they participate as a recipient of the promised Covenant (see the commentary on Jeremiah Eo – The Days are Coming, declares the LORD, When I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el).

Consider an analogy to the modern Jewish state of Isra’el. The Law of Return is for those with Hebrew ancestry; those with at least one Jewish grandparent have the right to citizenship. However, in addition to this, the Gentile spouse of an Israeli citizen may make aliyah (immigrate) and receive citizenship as well. While this does not change her ethnicity, he or she might just enjoy Yom Ha’atzma’ut (Independence Day) and other national holidays, appreciating the state as much as, and possibly more than, those who were born in the Land.

In a similar way, though Isra’el’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt is a freedom celebrated by the Jewish people by the Jewish people, Gentile believers can enjoy Pesach every bit as much as any Jewish believer. They may find it more meaningful than Jewish people who do not know Passover’s fulfillment in Yeshua. How remarkably strange that Gentiles would be cut off, by anti-Jewish tradition, from remembering Messiah through Passover! How wonderful to see this pattern of hostility often reversed in our generation!

This inclusion in the commonwealth of Isra’el gives Gentile believers their relation to the Jewish people in service and witness: I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their false step salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke Isra’el to jealousy (Romans 11:11). The truth that Yeshua is the Messiah of Isra’el would be difficult, if not impossible, to communicate without showing the Jewish Biblical relevance that Yeshua brings to Jew and Gentile alike. Gentile inclusion into the Messianic way demonstrates God’s grace. But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah (Ephesians 2:13).

Being without the Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Isra’el, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12) is considered simply as Gentiles being far off. The terms far and near being used in Ephesians 2:13 and 17, allude to the offerings in the Temple. The word offering in Hebrew is korban, from the word karav, which means to approach or to come near to someone. In offering the proper sacrifice through faith that God would be acceptable in His sight, the worshipper came near or approached God. Though sin separated the worshipper from God, the offering appeased God’s wrath through faith so the one could draw near to Him. The Gentiles did not have the Temple and offerings to approach, so they were considered far off. Through sacrifices based on faith, Jewish people had “front row seats” for an audience with the Kosher King. The Gentiles, however, were not even in the building.

No Border Lines

It must be stressed, therefore, that it was not ethnicity or nationality that made the Gentiles far off, but rather their sin. Sin makes everyone far off. Even for Jewish people it was written: Your sins have made a separation between you and your God. Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear (Isaiah 59:1-2). Through the atonement foreshadowed by the sacrificial system, Messiah paid the price to have you close to Him, and not far off. For He is our shalom, the One who made two into one and broke down the middle wall of separation. Within His flesh He made powerless the hostility – the law code of mitzvot contained in regulations (Ephesians 2:14-15a).

Being brought near by Messiah makes Gentile believers as near as Jewish believers are to God; however, it also makes Gentiles one with Jewish believers! How does God make us one? For He Himself is our peace. Messiah is Sar Shalom, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6); He is our peace with God (Romans 5:1), our peace of mind (Philippians 4:6-7). How is Messiah our Shalom in Ephesians 2:14? He is our peace offering. In the TaNaKh, an offering was at times referred to by its distinctive name. For example, the sin offering may just be called sin (Leviticus 4:20; Second Corinthians 5:21). Yeshua fulfills all of the sacrificial offerings, in that they all point to Him (see Ag – The Feasts, the Isaiah Avenue, and the Romans Road). Here in Ephesians, Paul refers to the peace offering as our shalom.

The shalom, or peace, offering indicated that there was complete peace with God – a completeness you would share with the other worshipers. The offering was actually eaten by those offering the sacrifice, and this brought them together in fellowship, making them one. That’s why the Scripture says that the Gentiles are joint heirs and fellow members of the same body and co-sharers of the promise in Messiah Yeshua through the Good News (Ephesians 3:6; Hebrews 3:14). By faith we trust in and take part in His sacrifice for our sins.

Paul writes of several partitions that Yeshua removes to make us one with Himself: the middle wall of separation, the hostility, and the law code of mitzvot contained in regulations (Ephesians 2:14b-15a). Outside the Holy Temple during the Second Temple period, there was a partition known as the soreg. It was a low wall surrounding the Holy Temple, which served as a boundary.  Beyond this point, entry was only permitted to Jews where who were not impure through exposure to death. The soreg featured signs, in a number of languages, that warned those unauthorized people against entering the area of the Holy Temple. The signs read: No foreigner may enter with the barricade that surrounds the Sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuring death.

In the Temple area, there were actually several partitions: the outer wall, separating the Gentile proselytes from access to the court of the Jews; the inner wall, severing the Jewish people from entrance to the holy part of the Temple where the priests officiated; and even an inner veil that separated the priests from ADONAI. In Messiah, these have all been removed, and there is access for all into the presence of God! This means we are one, all together before Him. If, in Messiah, there is no dividing veil between Ha’Shem and man, then, if we are found in Messiah, there is no dividing wall between any of us as well. The grace that makes us one with the Lord makes us one with each other!

One New People, Reconciled and Restored

Hostility can mean hatred, animosities, discord or feuds. Even as the soreg represented the separation between Jews and Gentiles, we learn from Leviticus 18:24 that defilement caused God to cast out the nations. The idolatrous, pagan Gentile nations were considered defiled; therefore, any interaction with them was ceremonially defiling for Isra’el. This is why we read in Joshua 23:6-7, be very resolute to keep all that is written in the book of the Torah of Moses . . . so that you will not intermingle with these nations. Association with Gentiles would be like stepping in mud. The rabbis decreed that clods of dirt from Gentile lands were to be burnt on the possibility that they might ceremonially defile one’s offerings (Shabbat 15b). Using a play on words, the Talmud connects the hatred for the Gentile nations to the meaning of Sinai itself: For Rabbi Hisda and Rabbi Huna both said, “What is [the meaning of] Mount Sinai? The mountain whereon there descended hostility [sin’ah, literally hatred] toward idolaters” (Shabbat 89a). This mandated division between the people of God and the Gentile nations led to hostility.

By Messiah’s death, He put an end to the hostility that separated Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14). In reconciling us to God, all reconciliation has been provided. To what end did Messiah remove the hostility? He did this in order to create within Himself one new people from the two groups, making shalom, and to reconcile both to God in one body through the cross – by which He put the hostility to death (Ephesians 2:15b-16).

This new people relationship is only possible through the B’rit Chadashah, a spiritual unity that is beyond nationality. Even as ADONAI would unite the ever-wandering nations of Isra’el and Judah through the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34), so this same God unites Jews and Gentiles. There’s a new place of unity in Messiah. He is our refuge from the wrath of God, on the other hand, He is also the place of eternal unity with God, and with all other believers. The ground is level at the cross.

Paul says that this work of Yeshua results in making shalom. This shalom is more than a mere cessation of hostilities, it is the true fullness of our purpose, what was desired for us when He created us in His image. By relating to Ha’Shem we fulfill our calling to represent His eternal values of love and life. It’s not being transported out of the world, but living Him out where we are.

The death of Messiah restores us to God because His death removes the penalty, grief, and separation from sin. Those who were far off because of sin (which is everyone), may now be brought near to God. The hostility did not begin with the Torah, but in the Garden of Eden; the Torah merely brought the Adversary to the surface. From the very first sin, we have had hostility towards our Maker. Moreover, ADONAI’s righteous wrath against sinners reveals His hostility against sin. Therefore, Paul states: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of mankind (Romans 1:18a). From the Garden of Eden forward, restoration was needed (see the commentary on Exodus Bz – Redemption). In restoring us to unity with our Maker, Messiah’s redemption would restore believing humanity to one another as well.

The work of the cross is the destruction of everything that has caused disunity. All has been accomplished in Messiah, and in Him you (plural) have been made complete (Colossians 2:10). As Paul has written: Therefore, having been made righteous by faith, we have shalom with God through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah (Romans 5:1). You are at peace with God in Messiah, and you are complete in Him. Therefore, for anyone to attempt to improve on what God accomplished in Messiah, is to demean His perfect salvation for you (Galatians 5:6).

We are reconciled to God, and to each other by trusting in Messiah’s atoning work. Hence, there is one body (Ephesians 4:4); when you came to faith in Yeshua you were immediately made one with every other believer on planet Earth and in Heaven. By His sacrifice, Yeshua has removed the partitions, and by His grace, made us one.

Accepted for Access, Aiming for a New Abode

As a result of this unity, the Gentile believer in Yeshua has new privileges that cannot possibly be overstated. And He came and proclaimed shalom to you who were far away and shalom to those who were near (Ephesians 3:18). Paul notes that Isaiah promised this access: Shalom, shalom to those who are far and to those who are near (Isaiah 57:19). Those who are far are never too far for God to save; those who are near are never near enough not to need God’s grace and mercy. His message of forgiveness for sins and reconciliation with ADONAI is for both Jews and Gentiles, for all fall short of His glory (Romans 3:23).

Throughout Messiah’s ministry, He called people to Himself: those who were thirsty, weary and heavy laden, with the promise of rest and peace (Matthew 11:28; John 7:37). Even after Messiah’s death and resurrection, He preached this message through the apostles, as He does today by His Spirit through all who follow Him (Matthew 28:20; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8). Please note that the three Persons of the Triune God are involved: for through Him (Messiah is the Door and the Way) we both have access to the Father by the same Ruach (Ephesians 3:19).⁷

Replacement Theology and Acts

ADONAI loves His Jewish people! ADONAI has always loved His chosen Jewish nation. To Him, Isra’el is His first-born (Ex 4:22). Isra’el has always mattered to God and Isra’el still is loved by God. Though Ha’Shem has disciplined Isra’el, Hebrews 12:6 tells us that He disciplines those He loves (Ps 94:12; Rev 3:19). YHVH’s love for Isra’el is unquenchable and inexhaustible (Jer 31:35-37). He will do whatever it takes to bring the Jewish nation back to Himself – even using trials and persecution during the last seven years of before He returns to bring Isra’el back to Himself (Dani’el 9:27) during the time called Jacob’s Trouble (see the commentary on the book of Revelation Cg – The Great Tribulation).

Some have tried to use Act’s passages such as Paul’s Macedonia call, Peter’s vision on the roof of Simon’s house in Jaffa, and the false impression that tens of thousands of non-Jews joined the Messianic Community to give the impression that God had rejected His people and taken for Himself a new people, a new nation . . . the Church. But Ha’Shem has chosen no Christian denomination to take the place of the Jewish people, who have come from Abraham’s seed and carry the name of God’s elect nation.

On theological grounds, it is incumbent upon us to examine all Scripture and see ADONAI’s great love for Isra’el as an example of His great love for the Church. God’s love is not blind to sin in His child, for neither Isra’el nor those who call themselves Christians can enter heaven merely by using the name “Isra’el” nor “Christian.” Only by truly loving God as Lord can both “Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:5), and “Christians” (Matthew 22:37-38) enter God’s glorious home. Definitely, no one is “replaced”; rather we are wondrously joined/united together into one body as the Ruach Ha’Kodesh inspired Paul to write: In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesian 2:13-22).

Replacement theology teaches points that directly oppose the Word of God. Note Paul’s rhetorical question and unequivocal answer in Romans 11:1ff: I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. To say that God has rejected the Jewish people explicitly contradicts Paul’s clear statement.

We also know that God has not rejected the nation of Isra’el because the sun is still shining by day and the moon and stars by night. Jeremiah makes the sun, moon and stars signs of God’s faithfulness to Isra’el, and does so in the context of proclaiming the B’rit Chadashah which God intends to make with Judah and Isra’el. The prophet writes: Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The Lord of hosts is His name, “If this fixed order departs from before Me,” declares the Lord, “Then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever.” Thus, says the Lord, “If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Isra’el for all that they have done,” declares the Lord (Jeremiah 31:35-37).

Replacement theology has hidden behind such slogans as “spiritual Isra’el,” or “the true Isra’el,” and have discredited Isra’el as the people of God by directly negating the written Word.

It has been contended that Paul turned to the Gentiles as a result of the synagogue’s rejection of his message. The book of Acts does not support this view at all. Both Acts and Paul’s letters to the churches that he started, indicate that while Paul’s commission was to the Gentiles, he continued to go to the synagogue every Shabbat. When visiting, he was invited to read from the Torah and to give a commentary on the text, something which would have never happened had the Jewish community suspected him of being heretical.

One of the texts frequently appealed to “prove” Paul turned away from the Jews and went to the Gentiles is Acts 13:46-47. And Paul spoke out boldly and said: It was necessary for the word of God to be spoken to you first (Romans 1:16). Since you reject it and judge yourselves unfit for eternal life – behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, “I have placed you as a light to the [Gentile] nations, so that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth”. It should be noted that Paul quoted from Isaiah 49:6. By preaching to the Gentiles, Paul was fulfilling the promise given to Isra’el by the prophets. The statement, we turn to the Gentiles, cannot be understood here as rejection of the Jews, because Paul continued to go to synagogue every Shabbat and to preach the gospel to the Jewish people all over Asia Minor and Greece until he reached Rome. In fact, three days after arriving in Rome, Paul gathered together the leaders of the Jewish community and says to them very clearly: Brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans (Acts 28:17). Since Paul’s statement to the Jews in Rome is true, it indicates that he remained faithful to the Torah and to Jewish customs and traditions throughout his entire lifetime. The fact that he continued to frequent the synagogue proves false the claims that God has rejected Isra’el and also false that Paul had rejected his own people.⁶

Not only that, but Jeremiah tells us that the Gentile nations are to proclaim what God has declared. Hear the word of the LORD, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands, “He who scattered Isra’el will gather them and will watch over His flock like a shepherd” (Jeremiah 31:10). This verse clearly shows the error of Amillennialism, Covenant Theology, Replacement Theology, or the so-called “Hebrew roots movement” (see the commentary on Galatians, to see link click Ak – The Hebrew Roots Movement: A Different Gospel). These false theologies see no future for Isra’el, but instead see the promises to Isra’el being fulfilled spiritually by the Church. They do take “scattering” above literally, however, they then try to allegorize Isra’el’s return. But the two statements above are brought together in a way that they cannot be separated (see the commentary on Jeremiah Em – O LORD, Save Your People, the Remnant of Isra’el). Therefore, if the Church is not Isra’el, just what is the relationship between the two? See the commentary on Jeremiah Eo – The Days are Coming, declares the LORD, When I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el.

The Sacrificial Offerings,
the Isaiah Avenue, and the Romans Road

Yeshua fulfills all of the Sacrificial Offerings, in that they all point to Him. We can see this in “the Isaiah Avenue” (scriptures leading one to salvation in Isaiah) and in “the Romans Road” (scriptures leading one to salvation in Romans).

Messiah’s fulfillment of the Sin Offering (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Fc – The Sin Offering) can be seen in the Isaiah Avenue: For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a filthy garment, and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away, like the wind (Isaiah 64:5), and the Romans Road: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Jesus’ fulfillment of the Guilt Offering (see the commentary on Exodus Fd – The Guilt Offering) can be seen in the Isaiah Avenue: Behold, ADONAI’s hand is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. Rather, your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God. Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear you (Isaiah 59:1-2), and the Romans Road: For sin’s payment is death, but God’s gracious gift is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord (Romans 6:23)

The Lord’s fulfillment of the Burnt Offering (see the commentary on Exodus Fe – The Burnt Offering) can be seen in the Isaiah Avenue: We all like sheep have gone astray. Each has turned to his own way. So, ADONAI has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6), and the Romans Road: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us (Romans 5:8).

Christ’s fulfillment of the Grain Offering (see the commentary on Exodus Ff – The Grain Offering) can be seen in the Isaiah Avenue: For to us a child is born, a son will be given to us, and the government will be upon His shoulder. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, My Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and shalom there will be no end – on the throne of David and over His Kingdom – to establish it and uphold it through justice and righteousness from now until forevermore. The zeal of ADONAI-Tzva’ot will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:5-6), and the Romans Road: For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

Yeshua’s fulfillment of the Peace Offering (see the commentary on Exodus Fg – The Peace Offering) can be seen in the Isaiah Avenue: You keep in perfect peace one whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3), and the Romans Road: Therefore, having been made righteous by trusting, we have shalom with God through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah (Romans 5:1).

Miracles in the Book of Acts

Acts is a historical narrative, in contrast to the epistles, which teach doctrine. Acts is a chronicle of the infant experiences of the Messianic Community; the epistles contain instructions for believers throughout the Church Age. Historically, believers committed to a biblical perspective have recognized the difference. They have understood Acts as an inspired historical record of the apostolic period, not necessarily viewing every remarkable event recorded there as normative for the entire Church Age.

The book of Acts was never intended to be a primary basis for Church doctrine. It records only the earliest days of the Church Age and shows the Church in transition from the TaNaKh to the B’rit Chadashah. The apostolic healings, miracles, signs and wonders seen in Acts  were not common, even in those days. They were exceptional events, each with a specific purpose, always associated with the ministry of the apostles, and their frequency can be seen decreasing dramatically from the beginning of Acts to the end, as seen below (also see Ap – Peter Heals a  Lame Beggar: A Closer Look at Miracles in Acts). Therefore, miracles in the book of Acts were  for the purpose of authenticating the ministry of the apostles.⁵

1. The Holy Spirit comes at Shavu’ot, the birth of the Church (2:1-4).

2. Tongues of fire came to rest upon the disciples (2:3).

3. One hundred and twenty people were given the gift of languages at one time (2:4).

4. Peter heals a beggar, crippled from birth, who jumped to his feet and began to walk (3:1-10).

5. The disciples prayed for the power to heal, signs and wonders, earthquake response (4:31).

6. Peter confronted Ananias and Sapphira with their sin and they died (5:1-11).

7. The apostles healed many, with the implication that they could heal at will (5:12).

8. Peter’s shadow fell on people and the implication is that they were healed (5:15).

9. An angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail allowing both apostles out (5:18-19).

10. Stephen did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people (6:8).

11. Stephen saw Jesus (the Son of Man) standing at the right hand of God (7:56).

12. Philip did many miraculous signs, with shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So, there was great joy in that city (8:6-8).

13. Simon said that anyone that Peter and John laid their hands on received the Holy Spirit (8:19).

14. After baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch, the Ruach ADONAI snatched Philip away (8:39).

15. Sha’ul had a conversation with Yeshua (9:4-6).

16. The Lord blinded Sha’ul with something like scales for three days (9:8-9, 18-19).

17. Peter healed Aeneas in Lydda, a paralytic, bedridden for eight years (9:32-35).

18. Peter raised Dorcas (Tabitha) from the dead (9:36-42).

19. Cornelius clearly saw and heard an angel from God, and talked to him (10:3-8, 30-33).

20. Peter had a vision about the inclusion of the Gentiles into the Messianic Community, and he had a conversation with the Lord (10:9-16 and 11:5-10).

21. The Gentiles received the Ruach ha-Kodesh just as the Jews did (10:44-47 and 11:15-17).

22. An angel of the Lord spoke to Peter before breaking him out of prison (12:6-11).

23. Because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of ADONAI struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died (12:23).

24. Paul cursed blindness on Elymas the magician (13:11).

25. Paul and Barnabas performed many signs and wonders in Iconium (14:3).

26. Paul healed a man in Lystra who was lame from birth, who had never walked (14:8-10).

27. Paul was stoned, but was miraculously healed (14:19-20).

28. Paul exorcised a demon from a slave girl (16:18).

29. The Lord spoke to Paul through a vision (18:9).

30. God was doing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them (19:11-12).

31. The seven sons of a Jewish ruling Cohen named Sceva tried to invoke the name of Yeshua, but the man with the evil spirit sprang at them, subduing and overpowering all of them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded (19:13-16).

32. Paul raised Eutychus from the dead at Troas, the miracle of resurrection (20:7-12).

33. Paul had a vision from an angel of God (Acts 27:23-36).

34. Paul did not die after being bitten from a snake (28:3-6).

35. Paul healed the father of Publius (28:8-9).

The Letters of Paul

First Missionary Journey: Part of the Big Four

1. Galatians (about salvation) written in 48 from Antioch

Second Missionary Journey:

2. First Thessalonians (about the end times) written in 50 from Corinth

3. Second Thessalonians (about the end times) written in 50 from Corinth

Third Missionary Journey: Part of the Big Four

4. First Corinthians (about salvation) written in 55 from Ephesus

5. Second Corinthians (about salvation) written in 56 from Macedonia

6. Romans (about salvation) written in 57 from Corinth

Paul’s Journey to Rome: Prison Letters

7. Ephesians (about Christ) written in 60 from Rome

8. Colossians (about Christ) written in 60 from Rome

9. Philemon (about Christ) written in 60 from Rome

10. Philippians (about Christ) written in 61 from Rome

Fourth Missionary Journey: Pastoral Letters

11. First Timothy (about the Church) written in 64 from Macedonia

12. Titus (about the Church) written in 64 from Macedonia

13. Second Timothy (about the Church) written in 67 from Rome

Introduction to the Book of Acts
from a Messianic Jewish Perspective

To Linda, faithful editor, friend, encourager, and prayer warrior.
Her insightful additions and deletions make our commentaries easier to read and understand.

The book of Acts is the first volume of the congregations of God. It records the story of the Messianic Community from its explosive beginning on the festival of Shavu’ot to the imprisonment of its greatest missionary in Rome. During those three decades, the Messianic Community exploded from a small group in Jerusalem to hundreds of thousands of believers in dozens of congregations throughout the Roman Empire. Acts describes how the Spirit of God controlled and empowered the expansion of the Messianic Congregation/Church. Indeed, the book could well be called “The Acts of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh Through the Apostles.”

Acts is a significant book for several reasons. Without Acts it would be very difficult to understand the flow of the early history of the Messianic Community/Church. With it, however, we have a core history around which to assemble the data in the epistles, enriching our understanding of them. The book follows first the ministry of Peter, then Rabbi Sha’ul/Paul. From it, we learn principles for discipling believers, building the Body of Messiah, and evangelizing the world.

Although a work of history, not theology, Acts nevertheless emphasizes the doctrinal truths concerning salvation, Yeshua ha’Natzrati is boldly proclaimed as Isra’el’s long-awaited Messiah; and that truth, is ably defended from the TaNaKh (2:22ff, 3:12ff, 4:10ff, 7:1ff, 8:26ff, 9:22, 18:5 and 24-28, 28:23).

The book of Acts also teaches much about the Spirit of God, who is mentioned more than fifty times. He regenerates, immerses, fills, and sanctifies believers. The Ruach Ha’Kodesh is seen choosing missionaries (13:2) and directing their operations (8:29). He presided over the first council of the Messianic Community/Church and basically directed and controlled all of her operations.

The doctrinal importance of Acts is not limited, however, to its teaching on Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. While it does not flow around doctrinal issues, but historical events, it does, however, touch on many theological truths. The importance of the book of Acts is in its preservation of the main doctrinal themes presented in the preaching of the apostles, though there is no evidence of an attempt to develop a systemized theology.¹

The Use of the Tree of Life Version

Because I am writing this commentary on the book of Acts from a Jewish perspective, I will be using the Tree of Life Version unless otherwise indicated. There will be times when I substitute Hebrew for English names using the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) by David Stern. But generally, I will be using the TLV translation for the Jewish perspective.

Author

The author of the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts writes anonymously. In fact, none of the writers of the four gospels identify themselves by name. But church tradition, as far back as the early part of the second century, has always agreed that Luke was the writer of both the gospel of Luke and Acts. Taken together, Luke, a Hellenistic Jew, wrote more of the New Covenant than any other writer, including Paul. Luke is mentioned by name only three times in the New Covenant (Colossians 4:14; Second Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24). From these passages and Luke’s books we discover several things. Luke was a well-educated Greek living in Asia Minor. Luke’s use of the Greek language was superior. His lively, entertaining style resembles the writing style of Greek novelists at the time. He was also a careful historian, often tying his story to specific dates and historical incidents and figures. Luke was also a physician (Colossians 4:14). His medical training shows in his use of technical medical terms. After he met Paul, Luke was the apostle’s constant companion, even in jail. In the “we” passages, beginning in Acts 16:10, Luke switches to the first-person plural, showing that he was there and part of the action.

Date

The date of the gospel is closely tied to its companion volume Acts. Since Paul was in prison
in Rome at the end of Acts (about AD 62), Luke may have finished Acts before Paul’s release
and later martyrdom. This would place Acts around AD 62, and the Gospel of Luke was probably written in the early 60s.

Where and How Luke Got His Information

Luke was not an eyewitness to anything he describes in his gospel, nor to most of what he wrote about in the first fifteen chapters of Acts. He never saw Jesus. The opening paragraph of his gospel, Luke tells where and how he got his information (Luke 1:1-5). He heard about Jesus from the apostles and others who told him what they had seen and heard. Luke’s two books were written probably about thirty years after Jesus rose from the dead.²

Style

Luke likes to write things in sequence. Right from the beginning, in the preface to his gospel (Luke 1:1-3), he states that he is writing a narrative, and that he is going to tell things in sequence, in consecutive order (Greek: kathexes). In fact, Luke is the only gospel author who claims to write in such a way. He builds his case in meticulous fashion, the order of events and stories playing a major role in the structure and style. The same reason also lies behind Luke’s custom of first introducing his important characters in passing fashion, returning to them later as though they were already a known part of his story (see Barnabas, Paul, Apollos and Agrippa).

Luke also adopts typical Greek rhetoric style in the narration of Paul’s defense speeches (22:3-21, 24:10-21, 26:4-23). His use of these speeches reflects the purpose of the book, enabling him to present Paul as a loyal Jew who has devoted himself to fulfilling the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He likewise represents his writing as “history” according to the biblical genre. This allows him to substantiate the events which he records as the fulfillment of Yeshua’s command to his disciples to witness to the ends of the earth. In this way he demonstrates how the Gentiles have come to be included in God’s Kingdom, in total agreement with Isra’el’s most basic beliefs, written in the Torah and spoken by the prophets.

Furthermore, Luke frequently introduces summaries and brief statements through which the reader can focus on his goal (2:42-47, 4:32-35, 5:12-16, 6:7, 9:31 and 42, 11:21 and 24, 12:24, 14:1, 16:5, 19:20, 28:31). This gives a feeling of progress and historical momentum unique to Luke-Acts in the B’rit Chadashah. The same is true of the reports of signs and wonders that follow the apostles in their evangelistic work.³

The use of ADONAI

Long before Yeshua’s day, the word ADONAI had, out of respect, been substituted in speaking and in reading aloud for God’s personal name, the four Hebrew letters yud-heh-vav-heh, variously written in English as YHVH. The Talmud (Pesachim 50a) made it a requirement not to pronounce the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of God, and this remains the rule in most modern Jewish settings. In deference to this tradition, which is unnecessary but harmless, I will be using ADONAI where YHVH is meant.1 In ancient times when the scribes were translating the Hebrew Scriptures, they revered the name of YHVH so much that they would use a quill to make one stroke of the name and then throw it away. Then they would make another stroke and throw that quill away until the name was completed. His name became so sacred to them that they started to substitute the phrase the Name, instead of writing or pronouncing His Name. Over centuries of doing this, the actual letters and pronunciation of His Name were lost. The closest we can come is YHVH, with no syllables. The pronunciation has been totally lost. Therefore, the name Yahweh is only a guess of what the original name sounded like. Both ADONAI and Ha’Shem are substitute names for YHVH. ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, while Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir.

The use of TaNaKh

The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T (for “Torah”), N (for “Nevi’im,” the Prophets), and K (for “Ketuvim,” the Sacred Writings). It is the collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. The term “Old Covenant” implies that it is no longer valid, or at the very least outdated. Something old, to be either ignored or discarded. But Jesus Himself said: Don’t think I have come to abolish the Torah and the Prophets, I have not come to abolish but to complete (Matthew 5:17 CJB). I will be using the Hebrew acronym TaNaKh instead of the phrase the Old Testament, throughout this devotional commentary.

The Use of the phrase, “the righteous of the TaNaKh,”
rather than using Old Testament saints

Messianic synagogues, and the Jewish messianic community in general, never use the phrase Old Testament saints. From a Jewish perspective, they prefer to use the phrase, “righteous of the TaNaKh.” Therefore, I will be using “the righteous of the TaNaKh,” rather than Old Testament saints throughout this devotional commentary.

The Use of Disciple and Apostle

Luke indicates that Jesus chose twelve from among His disciples, and that these He named apostles. Consequently, I will be using the word disciples as a general term for those who were committed to following their Master to learn from Him. And I will be using the word apostles for the Twelve whom Messiah invested His time and sent out with His delegated authority. Obviously, Yeshua chose twelve special disciples to be His apostles. Also, at times, I will also be using the Hebrew word talmid (singular) or talmidim (plural), which means student or learner, to refer to His Twelve apostles. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they carried on His ministry after He had ascended back to the Father in heaven.

The Purpose of Acts

Each of the letters in the B’rit Chadashah was written to deal with a set of problems facing a specific congregation, or reflects the relationship of the writer to a particular community. One of the main purposes of the book of Acts is to explain the relationship between the Jewish and Gentile segments of the early community, and to reconcile Paul’s ministry with Peter’s. Luke opens up with the story of the proclamation of the gospel in Jerusalem, which then spreads to the ends of the earth in fulfillment of the words of the prophets (Isaiah 2:3; Acts 1:8). The book of Acts can in many ways be seen as an apologetic for peace between Jews and Gentiles in the body of Messiah. Luke is Paul’s disciple and has taken pains to research and put in order the written and oral material that he gathered in Isra’el and in the diaspora.

Luke succeeds in reconciling the two great leaders in the Church so well that the reader has difficulty finding much difference between them.

Peter – Apostle to the Jews: Peter’s first healing was a cripple (see Ap – Peter Heals a Lame Beggar), he healed through a shadow (5:15), his success caused Jewish jealousy (5:15-17), he dealt with Simon the sorcerer (8:9-24), he raised Dorcas to life (9:36-41), he was miraculously released from prison (12:7).
And the word of God kept on spreading (6:7).

Paul – Apostle to the Gentiles: Paul’s first healing was also a cripple (14:8-18); he healed through handkerchiefs and aprons (19:11-12), his success also caused Jewish jealousy (13:45), he also dealt with a sorcerer named Bar-Jesus (13:6-11), he also raised someone to life, Eutychus (20:9-12), he was also miraculously released from prison (23:26). So, the word of
the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing (19:20).

The similarities between the two men indicate a comparison between the ministry to the Jews and to the Gentiles in the book of Acts. It is important to note that Chapter 15 – which deals with the problems between the Jewish and Gentile parts of the body of Messiah – divides Acts in half. These indications suggest that Acts was written in order to accomplish the following goals:

1. To demonstrate the validity and equality of Peter’s and Paul’s ministries.

2. To place the ministry to the Gentiles in its proper perspective with respect to the Messianic Community.

3. To show that the ministry to the Gentiles was a part of God’s design from the beginning of the apostolic ministry, commanded by Yeshua Himself.

4. To communicate to the readers that although God has ordained the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles, this in no way threatens the Jewishness of the apostolic mission, nor Torah-observance and Jewish customs. The book of Acts begins in Jerusalem with vision of the restoration of the Kingdom of God to Isra’el and ends with Paul assuring the Jewish leadership in Rome that I had done nothing against our people, or the customs of our fathers (28:17).4

The Outline of the Book of Acts

The basis for this commentary is taken from:
Arnold Fruchtenbaum and Ariel Ministries in San Antonio, Texas.

Introduction to the Book of Acts from a Messianic Jewish Perspective (Ac)

The Letters of Paul (Ad)

Miracles in the Book of Acts (Ae)

The Sacrificial Offerings, the Isaiah Avenue, and the Romans Road (Af)

Replacement Theology and Acts (Ag)

The Jewish Good News for Gentiles (Ah)

I. Witness in Jerusalem – 1:1 to 8:4 (Ai)

A. When Will Yeshua Restore the Kingdom – 1:1-11 (Aj)

B. Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas – 1:12-26 (Ak)

C. The Ruach Ha’Kodesh Comes at Shavu’ot – 2:1-13 (Al)

D. The Dispensation of Grace (Am)

E. Peter Speaks to the Shavu’ot Crowd – 2:14-41 (An)

F. The New Covenant Community Begins – 2:42-47 (Ao)

G. Peter Heals a Lame Beggar – 3:1-10 (Ap)

H. Peter Speaks at the Temple – 3:11-26 (Aq)

I. Peter and John Stand before the Sanhedrin – 4:1-31 (Ar)

J. Ruach-Filled Community Life – 4:32-37 (As)

K. Ananias and Sapphira Lie to the Ruach – 5:1-16 (At)

L. The Apostles are Persecuted – 5:17-42 (Au)

M. Deacons Anointed for Service – 6:1-7 (Av)

N. Stephen’s Testimony to the Sanhedrin – 6:8 to 7:53 (Aw)

O. The Stoning of Stephen – 7:54-8:4 (Ax)

II. Witness in Judea and Samaria – 8:5 to 11:18 (Ay)

A. The Good News Spreads to Samaria – 8:5-7 (Az)

B. Simon the Sorcerer – 8:8-25 (Ba)

C. An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53 – 8:26-40 (Bb)

D. Sha’ul Turns from Murder to the Messiah – 9:1-31 (Bc)

E. Signs and Wonders Follow Peter – 9:32-43 (Bd)

F. The Centurion’s Vision – 10:1-8 (Be)

G. Peter’s Vision – 10:9-23 (Bf)

H. Peter Goes to the House of Cornelius – 10:24-48 (Bg)

I. Peter Reports to Jerusalem – 11:1-18 (Bh)

III. Witness to the End of the Earth – 11:19 to 28:31 (Bi)

A. The Church in Antioch – 11:19-30 (Bj)

B. Peter’s Persecution and Deliverance – 12:1-19a (Bk)

C. Herod Agrippa Gets His Due – 12:19b-25 (Bl)

D. Paul’s First Missionary Journey – 13:1 to 14:28 (Bm)

1. Barnabas and Saul Sent Out from Syrian Antioch – 13:1-12 (Bn)

2. Paul’s Message in Pisidian Antioch – 13:13-52 (Bo)

3. Paul’s Message in Iconium – 14:1-7 (Bp)

4. Paul’s Message in Lystra – 14:8-20a (Bq)

5. The Return to Syrian Antioch – 14:20b-28 (Br)

E. The Council at Jerusalem – 15:1-21 (Bs)

F. The Council’s Letter to the Gentile Believers – 15:22-35 (Bt)

G. Paul’s Second Missionary Journey – 15:36 to 18:22 (Bu)

1. Disagreement between Paul and Barnabas – 15:36-41 (Bv)

2. Timothy Joins Paul and Silas – 16:1-5 (Bw)

3. Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia – 16:6-10 (Bx)

4. Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi – 16:11-15 (By)

5. Paul and Silas in Prison – 16:16-40 (Bz)

6. Synagogue Responses Vary to Paul’s Visit – 17:1-15 (Ca)

7. An Unknown God in Athens – 17:16-34 (Cb)

8. Many Respond to the Good News in Corinth – 18:1-17 (Cc)

9. Sailing East to Revisit Messianic Communities – 18:18-22 (Cd)

H. Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – 18:23 to 21:16 (Ce)

1. Priscilla and Aquila Teach Apollos – 18:23-28 (Cf)

2. God’s Power Displayed in Ephesus – 19:1-22 (Cg)

3. Idol-Makers Start a Riot in Ephesus – 19:23-41 (Ch)

4. Paul Raised Eutychus from the Dead at Troas – 20:1-12 (Ci)

5. Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders – 20:13-38 (Cj)

6. Paul Went on to Jerusalem Despite Warnings – 21:1-16 (Ck)

I. Paul’s Journey to Rome – 21:17 to 28:31 (Cl)

1. Paul’s Witness before the Jews – 21:17 to 23:35 (Cm)

a. Paul’s Advice from Jacob and the Elders at Tziyon – 21:17-26 (Cn)

b. Paul’s Arrest in Jerusalem – 21:27-36 (Co)

c. Paul’s Witness on the Steps of Fort Antonia – 21:37 to 22:21 (Cp)

d. Paul was Protected by Roman Law – 22:22-29 (Cq)

e. Paul’s Witness before the Great Sanhedrin – 22:30 to 23:11 (Cr)

f. The Conspiracy to Kill Paul – 23:12-22 (Cs)

2. Paul’s Witness before Gentiles and the Children of Israel – 23:23 to 26:32 (Ct)

a. Paul Escorted to Caesarea – 23:23-35 (Cu)

b. Paul’s Witness before Governor Felix – 24:1-27 (Cv)

c. Paul’s Appeal to Caesar – 25:1-12 (Cw)

d. Festus Seeks Agrippa’s Counsel – 25:13-27 (Cx)

e. Paul’s Witness before Agrippa – 26:1-32 (Cy)

3. Paul’s Witness before Caesar – 27:1 to 28:16 (Cz)

a. Paul Sails to Rome – 27:1-11 (Da)

b. The Storm along the Shore of Crete – 27:12-26 (Db)

c. The Shipwreck at Malta – 27:27-44 (Dc)

d. Paul Ashore on Malta – 28:1-10 (Dd)

e. Paul’s Arrival at Rome – 28:11-16 (De)

f. Paul Keeps Spreading the Good News – 28:17-31 (Df)

J. Paul’s Fourth Missionary Journey (Dg)

Glossary – (Dh)

Bibliography – (Di)

End Notes – (Dj)

Acts, Where Life and the Bible Meet

1. My suggestion is to look at the outline (Ab), and the Introduction (Ac) before starting on the commentary itself.

2. The DIG and REFLECT questions are in bold blue, and will help to give you a deeper understanding of the book and make it more personal to you. Go slowly and give yourself time to answer these questions. They really strike at the heart of the commentary. What are the DIG questions for? To dig into the Scripture “story” is to find out what’s going on, to figure out the main idea, the plot, the argument, the spiritual principle, and so on. What are the REFLECT questions for? To apply the “story” in the scripture to your own life; to take personal inventory and to decide what you are going to do about it! Many of the DIG and REFLECT questions are taken from the Serendipity Bible.

3. I would strongly suggest that you look up the references that are given in each section. Many times this will greatly enhance the background, and hence, your understanding of the scriptures that you are reading on a particular day. Take your time, read only as much as you can digest.

There are times when I refer you to either another file in Isaiah, or a file in another book of the Bible, to give you more detail on a particular person, topic, concept or theology. An example might be something like the Great White Throne Judgment (see my commentary on Revelation, to see link click Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment). If you feel you already know enough about the Great White Throne Judgment, you can skip the reference and continue reading. But if it interests you, or if you don’t know what the rapture is, you can go to that file and read it first before continuing. It’s your choice. 

4. All scripture is in bold print. The NIV 2010 is used unless indicated otherwise. However, sometimes the purpose of the bold print is merely for emphasizing a certain point. When bold maroon is used, it is for special emphasis. The words of Jesus are in bold red.

5. When bolded teal is used, it is quoted from one of the two Jewish commentaries listed in the bibliography. This will give you the moderate Orthodox Jewish interpretation. It is useful for word studies, but its Christology is obviously entirely wrong. Where rabbinical interpretation is cited, I will add, “The rabbis teach. . .” in front of the passage. Although it is not a Christian interpretation, I think it is interesting to see how the rabbis interpret these passages.

6. Read the Scriptures for a particular day from your Bible, then skim the DIG and REFLECT questions, read the commentary and reflect on it; answer the DIG and REFLECT questions, then read your Bible again. Hopefully, it will have greater meaning and understanding for you the second time you read it. Then live it out.

7. If you come to a Jewish word or phrase that you don’t understand, see the Glossary at the end of the book (see Dh – Glossary).

8. To download a pdf file, click on the red rectangle on the top of any page.

9. You can download anything you want from this devotional commentary for bible study. Nothing can be sold © 2018 all right reserved by Jay D. Mack, M. Div.