Sunday, October 25, 2015

On 11-1-15, Acts 12:1-11 will be our Adult Sunday School/ Uniform Series/ International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as God Rescues Peter or God Releases the Captive

God Rescues Peter 
or 
God Releases the Captive
Acts 12:1-11
November 1, 2015




Commentary 
by
Jed Greenough




I try not to talk about angels but this week I am going to make an exception.  Too many people make angels out to be more than they should.  Angels are in fact servants, servants of God.  

If you are one of these who puts angels a little higher than they should be put, than in the words of the angel from Revelation 22:9 “Don’t do that!”

Their power, their abilities are all given by God and just as easily can be taken away.

Oh, I understand the sight of one must be awesome as we usually see people fall to their knees upon seeing one if they don’t take on human form.

I understand the experience of hearing an angel, of experiencing their protection can make one want to glorify them but their job and ours is to glorify the Father.

How do you get back from being awestruck when the shackles fall off, when the guards don’t awaken and the gate opens in front of you magically?  By remembering it is all from and for God.

Normally I am not a big Peter fan, I’ll admit that with some guilt, but give him credit here.  Peter knew as we read in verses 11 and the not included 17 that it was the Lord who had released him.

No argument will convince me that angels are not actively among us doing everything imaginable and otherwise.  Sometimes we benefit through our prayers and the prayers of others or through God’s choice.  But always it is about God and His plan.

In today’s scripture we read that James the brother of John was martyred but we see Peter saved.  However one day Peter was killed, it is not in the scriptures but a part of what we accept through church history that he also was martyred.  On that day a legion of angels or one could have miraculously saved him again but it was not a part of what God had in mind.

I think it is okay to marvel at the things of power that angels demonstrate and to think of the ways that they do things in the realms we cannot see.  Just so long as we always give the glory and the praise and the honor to the Father.


For Discussion:

  1. Discuss James being martyred in verse 2 but Peter spared.
  2. Discuss the number of guards that Peter had watching him.
  3. Discuss why Herod was going to give Peter a public trial.
  4. Discuss the miracles.
  5. Discuss how people are about angels.
  6. Discuss angelic experiences.  




Upcoming Lessons


11-8-15     Saved by Grace or God Makes No Distinction     Acts 15:1-12














Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Monday, October 19, 2015

On 10-25-15, Acts 11:1-18 will be our Adult Sunday School/ Uniform Series/ International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Trusting the Spirit or Peter Defends His Actions

Trusting the Spirit 
or 
Peter Defends His Actions
Acts 11:1-18
October 25, 2015




Commentary 
by
Jed Greenough




“When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

That is the 18th verse from our lesson for today and I wonder what you think when you read that?  Some of us will think differently based on what we bring to the table if you know what I mean.

I think things like, well that is big of them that they no longer object so they praised God.  

I think things like their prejudice is still showing when they say even Gentiles will be granted repentance.

If you did what Peter did would you have to defend yourself?  Do Christians still think that way about the conversion of different peoples?  I’m sure they do and I’m sure you'd have to defend yourself for associating with them.  It kind of makes fulfilling the great commission a little difficult.

A study that is admittedly starting to get a little dated by The Center for the Study of Global Christianity said that the biggest majority of missionaries going out are going to Christian majority nations!  I know I’d rather go to the Caribbean than Iran how about you?

But what about this idea that someone might object to your efforts and that you might have to defend yourself.  I don’t think you’d have to do that if you were doing it in Israel, Ireland, India or Iraq but what about those people, you know those people, across town?  And especially if you brought them back home to your church to worship going forward.

What is it about our prejudices that gets in the way of our responsibility to each other whoever that might be?  What does it say about our personal faith in the One who thankfully has no prejudice?

The Jewish had believed that the Gentiles were unclean and impure.  Clearly this did not change when they became Christians.  They still thought of themselves as better than the Gentiles.  I’d like to think it was because the church was new and even Peter had not been taught to think differently.

We however have been around a long time as Christians now and yet we think the most vile thoughts about those who are different in color or politics than we are and that objection we cannot defend and still effectively praise God!





For Discussion:

  1. Note how many Peter took with him.  Discuss the reasons that might have been.
  2. Discuss how a group from where you worship might work together to witness.
  3. Discuss Peter’s praying and being in a trance.
  4. Discuss the vision.
  5. Discuss the irony of thought that nothing unclean went into Peter’s mouth but what about what might have come out of his mouth or rattled around in his brain that was unclean.
  6. Discuss verse 9.
  7. Discuss how prejudice gets in the way.









Upcoming Lessons


11-1-15     God Rescues Peter or God Releases the Captive     Acts 12:1-11










Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Monday, October 12, 2015

On 10-18-15, Acts 10:24-38 will be our Adult Sunday School/ Uniform Series/ International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Peter Takes a Risk or Peter Preaches to Gentiles

Peter Takes a Risk
 or 
Peter Preaches to Gentiles
Acts 10:24-38
October 18, 2015




Commentary 
by
Jed Greenough





Do you worship in a congregation that is all black or all white?  You can ask a similar question of any difference that separates us.  

It might be that it is just because that is all that there is where you live but that seems to be how we operate.  If we all only spoke German we would congregate with other Germans because that is what we understand.  But do you ever have a desire to congregate with those who are different?  Do you feel like you could make a difference for others apart from where all are like you?

God calls missionaries especially in this way and others He calls to make a difference for those who are different then they are.  Different in color, culture, language or just because they are not Christians.  Some listen and some do not heed God’s call.

Peter did not argue; it would have been pretty hard to I think.  Earlier in chapter 10 we read that first he has a vision from heaven and then the Spirit tells him that men are waiting for him downstairs and they are!

They were not what a Jew would have in the past considered pure but after the vision and then his discussion in today’s scripture we know Peter would have not missed the point.

You and I might not have the luxury of the vision but you know you have heard the Spirit’s voice!  What might happen to us if we pursue where that voice takes us?

For Peter there was a bit of a journey as it wasn’t just across town that this man Cornelius was waiting.  We might have to go on a journey too whether it be literal or figurative to share God’s message with those who have not heard it or with those who have heard it incorrectly.

Cornelius anxiously awaited the message that God had prepared him to receive.  You see it wasn’t just Peter who was being spoke to and I find that aspect very exciting.  God might be preparing a people for you.

Peter found a large gathering of people because Cornelius shared with “his relatives and close friends”.  We have no knowledge based on the scriptures that He knew what he was going to hear, that was Peter’s job which he completed by heeding the call and sharing the news of Jesus in the remainder of Acts 10.

What do you get from this that pertains to you?  As much as you care to make of it.  Who knows how many are waiting for you?!



For Discussion: 

  1. Discuss how Peter states, “You know the message God sent to the people of Israel…” and how people may have heard of Jesus but that is not enough.
  2. Discuss how important verse 25 and 26 are so that they do not happen among us.
  3. Discuss how God works with those He calls both Christian and non.
  4. Discuss how Peter reacted and how Cornelius reacted to the messages they were given before they met.
  5. Discuss the feeling of reverence that Cornelius felt.
  6. What else would God think of each of us besides that we are each not impure or unclean?
  7. Discuss how what Peter had grown up believing could have ruined everything.








Upcoming Lessons



10-25-15   Trusting the Spirit or Peter Defends His Actions    Acts 11:1-18











Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Monday, October 5, 2015

On 10-11-15, Acts 9:19b-31 will be our Adult Sunday School/ Uniform Series/ International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Saul Earns Credibility or Saul Begins to Preach

Saul Earns Credibility
 or 
Saul Begins to Preach
Acts 9:19b-31
October 11, 2015




Commentary 
by
Jed Greenough










Do you ever wish God would reach out and grab you and make you His tool?  Do you flounder about not knowing how “little old you” could be of service to the kingdom?

Yes, I have myself wished that Jesus would appear to me the way He did to Saul (Paul) and give me so much clarity of purpose.  It has not happened.

But when we read this account of Saul we see that Saul in his convictions was both feared and listened to because of his past.

It has been the most effective of tools to witness through our personal testimony but though we may want what happened to Saul happen to us we fail to witness.

When people know that you were healed miraculously, when they hear you were a criminal, when they know you were a drug addict and now you are not it makes a powerful message.  When people know what you were before and see what you are now they want the same thing.

Saul had a bad history with these early Christians.  They rightfully questioned the veracity of his testimony and people who know of you might do the same thing especially if you were notorious in your ways.

In today’s scripture we see that when threatened Saul kept at it.  He may have had to flee from place to place at times but eventually the truth of his conversion became evident and the success came.

I am certainly grateful for those who do not shirk from telling about the conversion in their life because there are a whole lot of us who let fear of rejection win out over their chance to witness.

There is a verse I love from Acts 5, it is verse 20.  There is a very similar story going on in that chapter like the one we read of today.  In that account Peter and other apostles were jailed for their testimony but God miraculously released them via an angel, He told them to go to the temple courts and, “and tell the people all about this new life.”

“Tell the people all about this new life”  Will you do that?



For Discussion:

  1. Discuss the immediacy of Saul’s preaching.
  2. Discuss the reasons you think God would have called Saul.
  3. Discuss the use of the words powerful and baffled from verse 22.
  4. Discuss the plan among some of the Jews to kill Saul.
  5. In 2 Corinthians 11:33 Paul mentions his being lowered in a basket as mentioned in verse 25.
  6. Discuss the disciples of Jerusalem not letting Saul join them.
  7. Discuss what Barnabas did.
  8. Were Hellenistic Jews practicing Jews or did they take on more than the Greek language?  If they were not Jews in the true sense why would they want him dead?










Upcoming Lessons


10-18-15   Peter Takes a Risk or Peter Preaches to Gentiles     Acts 10:24-38
10-25-15   Trusting the Spirit or Peter Defends His Actions    Acts 11:1-18











Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved