An evangelist, at least that’s what he is called in Acts 21:8, when he hosted Paul and his traveling companions as they journeyed toward Jerusalem. (An ill-advised trip, I believe.) “And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.” Note this is not Philip the Disciple, but the Philip who began his Christian service as a deacon! See Acts 6:5, for that list of seven humble men.

It seems (from the Bible information we have) Philip did not pastor a Church. He rather went from place to place, as directed (sometimes miraculously) by the Holy Spirit! Always preaching the Word of God as he traveled.

“Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.” Here Acts 8:5 details a bit of this man’s itinerary.

Next, unexpectedly too: “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.” Acts 8:26, to another place to preach! Under clear orders from the Lord!

Then, after completing the “Gaza desert” assignment … “The Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. And Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.” Acts 8:39-40

See what I mean?

A traveling preacher!

The point of today’s Lesson … thank God He calls men to serve as shepherds of a flock, pastors to a local Church congregation. But then too, thank God He calls men to be evangelists, roaming the whole land and following the “open doors” God sends their way.

“Preachers at large” one might call them.

Yes indeed, Philip was one such evangelist.

“And God gave (to the Church) some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” Each with a work to do for the Lord: “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-12

What a beautiful picture, the local Church being an organism … not just a lifeless body!

Serving the Church, maybe even serving the Pastors of the Churches … one of the many joys of an evangelist!

Pray for me today.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

Yes, the book of Acts records, in three tandem (successive) chapters the salvation experiences of three men. Elsewhere it relates the conversion episodes of several ladies, too.

In Acts chapter 8 an Ethiopian man is born again. We do not know his name. The soul-winner however, is a preaching deacon named Philip.

In Acts chapter 9 Saul of Tarsus meets Jesus! No explicit soul-winner is mentioned there, though I suspect Stephen played a big role in that event! As that mob stoned Stephen, “They laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.” Acts 7:58, a sight I believe Paul never forgot!

Then in Acts chapter 10 the Roman Cornelius needed (and wanted) to be saved, but did not know how! So the Holy Spirit brought Peter to his side, to give him God’s great plan of Salvation, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now some interesting facts about these three people …

All seemed to be decent moral folks, but still needed Jesus! Otherwise they, good people, would have died and gone to Hell.

One was a black man, the other a Jew, and the third as Gentile as you can get. Thus they represent the whole human race, family! Children of Ham (Ethiopia) and Shem (Israel) and Japheth (a Gentile) … reminding me of the Bible’s great words “whosoever will!”

The first was on his way back home; the second, on his way from home; and the third clearly at home … when they were born again! A soul can get saved … anywhere!

Wow!

I’ll just close with one verse: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30

Then again, with Jesus speaking this time, not Solomon: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up (on the Cross): that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:14-15

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Acts chapters 8 and 9 and 10 … today just a quick overview! But we shall return to these chapters in more detail, beginning tomorrow, the Lord willing.

.

He met a violent death, Stephen, often called the first martyr of the New Testament Church.

After preaching a brilliant Sermon, tracing Jewish history right up to the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus … the Jewish “Council” (Sanhedrin) first “gnashed on him with their teeth” and then “ran upon him with one accord!” But most despicable of all … “They cast him out of the city, and stoned him.” Acts 7:58

He will be dead within minutes.

Then the Bible, describing this godly man’s “departure” from this earthly life, simply says: “He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, HE FELL ASLEEP.” Acts 7:60

Wow!

Not … “He succumbed to the torturous plain!”

Not “He died cursing his murderers!”

Not … “He died struggling for breath!”

Just … “He fell asleep!”

Sort of an “absent from the body … present with the Lord” situation, though Paul will not write those words for a few more years. (2 Corinthians 5:8)

An old Bible commentator of bygone years expressed it this way: “Stones battered his body, but he fell asleep.”

Then he added: “No matter how fierce the storm may blow here, for the Christian … death is sleep, sleep to be broken in upon when our blessed Lord returns to take His people Home; then those who sleep in Jesus will rise first to meet the Lord in the air.”

Lovely!

Are you saved?

Are you ready should death come?

Stephen certainly was.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

The “deacon” Stephen was also a mighty preacher of the Word! By the way, his name has a Greek background, not Hebrew!

And in the chapter (Acts 7) where this great witness for Jesus dies for his faith … this godly man displays an amazing knowledge of Jewish history! A powerful Speech/Sermon ending with Jesus, Whom Stephen describes as “the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers.” Pretty orthodox, and bold!

In today’s Lesson I’d like to share a little “nugget” (related to Stephen’s Oration) I saw earlier this morning, studying the Word.

His paragraph about Moses is phenomenal! In fact, he called Moses a man “learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was MIGHTY IN WORDS and in deeds.” Acts 7:22, with Moses at that time being not quite forty years of age. Still a relatively young man, since he lived to be 120 years of age, with unusual strength and eyesight even then! Moses, “mighty in words!” The adjective used here is “dunatos,” meaning unusually powerful (as in dynamite), if you need an English “loan word” to help define Moses’ considerable verbal skills.

But now watch this. When God first called Moses to “liberate” the Jews from the clutches of Pharaoh, from Egyptian bondage … Moses countered “O my Lord, I am not eloquent; but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” Exodus 4:10, literally “I am a man of no words!” My tongue is (again defining literally) “heavy!”

Wow!

Moses (in an attempt to shrug off God’s Calling) uses an objection that is not entirely accurate! Because His life afterwards proves time and time again that he IS eloquent in speech!

Anyway (Preachers take note, Sunday School teachers too) God countered Moses’ “excuse” with these words: “Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” Exodus 4:11-12, what a Promise!

What can we deduce from this seeming incongruity? Moses, “I can’t talk” versus Stephen’s “Moses (was) mighty in words.”  

It is NOT a Bible error!

Rather … we might at least see here a consequence of delayed (incomplete) obedience! Moses persisted, I can’t do this Lord, “at least not alone.”

Moses continues with his hesitancy: “And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. (Get someone else!) And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. (Maybe a little too well!) And also, behold, he (Aaron) cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.” Exodus 4:13-14

So now, due to Moses’ stubbornness (or false modesty) he has a helper, a “mouthpiece!” But less than God’s Best, I’d say!

This is an example of smooth-mouthed Aaron, so adroit in speech, explaining away the “golden calf” debacle! “And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.” Exodus 32:24

Aaron says he threw a blob of gold into the fire and suddenly there emerged a golden calf! Smooth words indeed! (When we know from Scripture that Aaron fashioned that thing with his own hands!)

Let me prove that: “And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto AARON. And he received them at their hand, and FASHIONED IT WITH A GRAVING TOOL, after he HAD MADE IT a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” Exodus 32:3-4, King James Version, word for word!

Better had Moses alone led Israel. But Oh, I forgot … he can’t talk!

Reader here today … quit making excuses for not doing what God has called you to do!

I heard an old preacher say once … “God does not call the equipped but instead equips the called.” That is not always true, though. “God often calls those whom He has equipped from birth!” Endowed with “gifts” fit for divine Service!

One quick example of this principle, God to Jeremiah, who was also objecting to his Call … “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5, pre-natal endowment!) The prophet had just said, Moses like: “Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.” Wow!

Do what God asks you to do … teach Sunday School, witness to that co-worker, speak at that retreat! Don’t make bogus excuses, like Moses did and like Jeremiah tried to do.

Let me close with this. A “balance” must be found in this Moses Situation. Too much self confidence in one’s (God-given) ability … can result in PRIDE! Too little confidence in God’s bestowal upon you life … DISLOYALTY to your Saviour! Or outright DISOBEDIENCE!

Enough said.

Thank you, Stephen, for that little thought.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

The Bible is such a realistic Book. And even early in the Acts of the Apostles (the New Testament’s Book of history) that reality is seen. Two problems in a row, three if you consider persecution from outside!

First … the hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts chapter 5, an issue which God solved by himself! (Death to the liars!)

Followed immediately by one of two subsets in the early Church “grumbling” over an issue! “And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a MURMURING of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were being neglected ….” Acts 6:1, Jews who had Hellenized, adopted a few Greek (Grecian) customs. Feeling that they had been slighted by Church leaders (the Apostles) over financial aid (or material provision, like food). And perhaps other such legitimate needs.

But this time God does not miraculously step in to alleviate the problem. He lets His people do so. Here’s the wise result, the Apostles outlining the plan: “Brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.” Acts 6:3, godly, proven men within the Church.

And such Brethren were readily found … “And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch.” More Greek names than Hebrew names, by the way! Talk about deference! Talk about yielding to your Brother, when possible! Acts 6:5

And these me will do what? “Serve tables!” With the verb “serve” being (Greek) “diakoneo,” from the noun “diakonos.” The etymological source of our word “deacon!” It’s actually from a root verb meaning “to run errands!” Yes, we here have the first “deacons” in the Church!

But …. why couldn’t the Apostles take care of this? Men endowed with doses (maybe mega-doses) of Holy Ghost Wisdom?

The reason is clearly given … “It is not reason (an adjective meaning ‘pleasing’ to God) that we should leave the word of God,” and … solve this problem. They did not want to de-emphasize the Word of God! Or spend less time in prayer and Bible study!

Worded differently … give us Preachers a few good, functioning deacons … in order that “We may give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:4, with the verb “to give continually” (Greek “proskartereo”) meaning “to be STRONG towards a matter!” The root is “kratos.” Mighty in the Word of God!

Wow!

Deacons … to care for the more trivial (but not unimportant) matters of business. Such as caring for the widows.

But Preachers, Pastors … to give themselves more fully to prayer and the Word of God!

A formula that God still blesses!

Then what?

The grumbling apparently ceased!

All the widows were happy again, and their needs adequately met!

And then verse 7, subsequently … “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”

Genuine Revival!

Complaining can kill the spirit of Revival!

While joy and peace can be a catalyst of Revival!

Amazing!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.