The Followers of The Way…

The story of the chosen Apostles and the first followers of the way of Jesus.

When we read in the book of Acts we follow along and witness the way the first followers of the way taught the people. In paying close attention to the words they used and the way they bore their testamony, we see that they used the OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS to show PROOF and TO BARE WITNESS that the MESSIAH HAD COME AND ROSE FROM THE DEAD.

After the disciples had received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentacost, and were able to speak in other languages, people later heard of this as the news was spread abroad and gathered and asked questions of this thing.

Acts 2:4-6

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Dispelling the Theory of The Greek Bible

Now the people were confounded because they all spoke different languages. They definitely weren’t all Greeks, nor all learned in Greek, nor all Aramaic, nor Hebrew. The day of Pentacost and after is a good witness to the fact that people outside of the area heard of this wonder and came to find out about it. People came who were not from the Galilean area. This is the important thing to remember in order to fully understand this event. In verse 6 it states, “When this was noised (heard and reported like the news) abroad (outside the area) the multitude ( a great number of people) came together (they gathered to see if this thing were so) and were confounded because they heard them SPEAK in their own languages.

This shows the apostles and disciples were not versed in speaking all these foreign tongues. It also shows that if the Apostles wrote their books in Greek (as many theologians claim) it would have been much easier to just speak in Greek, if everyone knew Greek and read Greek in the region as that seems to be the logic that goes with the Apostles wrote their books in Greek? This is what many of today’s shepherds would have us to believe. The truth is, these were Galilaeans and Galilaeans spoke in Galilean dialect. The term Galilean dialect generally refers to the form of Jewish Palestinian Aramaic spoken by people in Galilee during the late Second Temple period (the time starting when King Cyrus gave the decree for the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, the walls and the city. This time period also included the time of the Maccabees.) It was the language used at the time of Jesus and the disciples, and was distinct from the  Judean dialect spoken in Jerusalem. It is also known that most all who spoke the Judean dialect understood Aramaic as a second language, but not all did.

The point here is, Greek was not the language of the 12 apostles of Jesus, nor the Jews. They spoke in their language of Aramaic and or Galilean. They were able to speak in a tongue, where all the PEOPLE HEARD THE WORD IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE. This was done by the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Not by taking a consensus of what language they all needed to hear the word in. They spoke in 18 different languages one after another people heard in their own language of their birth place.

Acts 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

So it is made clear that the massive group of diverse nationalities had heard the news in their own native languages. This also suggests, that many, if not most of these people would not have understood anything told them in Greek as the distinction is made that they heard the tongue from where they were born. Whether they were a Parthian, or a Jew.it’s not clear how many were from each nation, but, the scripture specifically identifies 18 nationalities and or native tongues.

But, they couldn’t believe what they were hearing, so they talked amongst themselves doubting and some just yelled they were drunk, basically frustrated and in denial of it all. Acts 2: 12-13 12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

To prove the truth in what had taken place, Peter quoted the Prophet Joel, as a witness that what he had prophecied had come to pass. Joel’s prophecy was written in Hebrew text for the God of Israel and God’s people. It was not written to come to pass, nor included in the Greek Pantheon of God’s and Goddesses, and not in Baal Worship, or Ishtar, or any of the Pagan religions. Even though in their not so distant past, Alexander the Great had conquered Jerusalem, and later Rome had conquered Alexander and seized Jerusalem and all of Judea. In this sad state of being occupied, they had somehow, by the grace of God, been allowed to keep their Temple laws, even though Rome had taken over Antonio Fortress for their Roman garrison and placed Pontius Pilate to govern over them, and appointed Herod Agrippa as their new King. The entire political climate was a lot like today

Acts 2:14-16 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

Joel 2:28–32 (NKJV) - Joel 2:28–32 NKJV - “And it shall come to… | Biblia

Acts 2:17-21 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

This testimony and witness of Joel shows evidence that the last days began at the time of the disciples and the recieving of the Holy Spirit. And that being said…this was also the time of great tribulation. The times Jesus forewarned them of. A sort of the best of times and the worst of times, but the Lord promised that He would dwell in them and them in Him and sent them the Holy Spirit as he promised. And just wait until you see the power they were given. That very same super power is available for all who believe today. We have not been shown how to use it! How to wield it. But, the good news is…we can all learn! Do you believe it?

Jesus said all we require is faith as the size of a mustard seed and we can move mountains!,

Matthew 17:20 “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

Peter continued to speak to the people of his testimony of Jesus and the things he saw Him do that did indeed fulfilled the words spoken by God’s Prophets and the miracles that He did. Bearing testimony of his own that now through receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, by faith they are granted the power to do such wonders.

Ezekiel 34:26 - Bible verse - DailyVerses.net

Acts 2:22-41 22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

What Does Acts 2:24 Mean?

30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Therefore my friends in the Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ, we are in the final throngs of the later days.

We have been lacking in the power of the Holy Spirit, for we have fallen away, so far away with false interpretations of the Word. The Lord has said he shall teach his people himself.

Sheep Judging (Ezekiel 34:1-16,20-24) | St John's Lutheran Church, Tea Tree  Gully

Jesus came to shepherd the people to return to the ways of God, for the people had gotten far away from the teachings of Moses. Whereas the Scribes and Pharisees sat in the seat of Moses and taught those laws, they also made up their own laws that burdened the people, and yet, they did not follow these laws themselves.

Matthew 23: 1-5 KJV

1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments.

image 112

The scriptures make it very clear that the people are to observe the laws and commandments of God and avoid the man made laws for not even they who make them up are following what they say. Trust in God and follow the good shepherd of the Lord. Open the Bible and He shall teach you Himself!

Read Ezekiel Chapter 34.

Keep pressing into the Kingdom!

Dianne

By Dianne Marshall

I don't sleep I write! Author, Graphic Artist, Researcher and lover of the truth.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
16 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments