Gleaning Important Lessons from Peter's First Sermon in Acts

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Today is Pentecost Sunday which is on the seventh Sunday after Easter Sunday. Acts 2 opens up with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has always been co-eternal and co-equal with the Father. Deists would want to say that the Holy Spirit is just a force. Genesis 1:26 where God said, "Let us create man..." - the Father couldn't be talking to the angels. Rather, the Father was talking to the Son and the Holy Spirit. Who else could create but God? Doesn't God exist as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? The Spirit of God is mentioned in the Old Testament. John 14 has Jesus promising the Holy Spirit as the Comforter. Jesus was soon going to physically leave the Earth and He ascended in Acts 1. 

Peter could no longer be the same. John 21 reveals Peter's restoration. Peter was allowed to taste failure so he can appreciate his restoration. Jesus had restored Peter back into the pastorate. Peter would later begin his first pastoral work in Acts 2:14-40 by preaching his first Sunday sermon. I think Luke would've summarized the whole sermon rather than put the whole thing. Perhaps, Luke just placed the more important points rather than the flowery words Peter may have used. Regardless, we have the important gist of the sermon that would drive the message. Peter now spoke boldly only by the grace of God.

Peter quoted from the authority of Scripture to convict the Jews unto repentance

The New Testament canon wasn't completed yet we already having the writings of the Apostles to serve as a guide. To say the apostles never spoke about Scripture to "debunk" Sola Scriptura is absurd. Instead, Peter quoted from Scripture during his sermon. You can see he speaks from Joel and Psalms. Back then, the Bible wasn't divided yet into chapters and verses so he doesn't say, "Read Joel 2:28-32 and Psalm 16:18-19." as a reference. What we know is that he quotes from Scripture with authority. He addresses the Jewish crowd with the Old Testament Scriptures to point out that prophecy was indeed getting fulfilled right before their very eyes.

There was the false accusation that the apostles were drunk with new wine. So Peter quoting from Scripture was going to prove them otherwise. Some people do quote from Scripture but only to justify the wrong. Peter was quoting from Scripture to the crowd to prove them wrong. Psalm 16 was also quoted when David made mention of the Holy One will not see corruption. Jesus' resurrection proved that He has power over the grave. Jesus allowed Himself to die as the Father willed in order to pay the penalty for our sins. You can see Jesus paid the penalty and rose again from the dead to prove He has power over death.

Peter also mentions that David is dead and buried in his grave until this day. Did Peter mention David's death to contrast it with Jesus' resurrection? Peter also mentions that David was aware that out from the latter's family tree will come forth the Messiah. Jesus was, according to the flesh, from the line of David. Joseph his stepfather was from David's lineage from Solomon. Mary the earthly mother of Jesus came from the lineage of Nathan, another son of David and Bathsheba. Psalm 110:1-2 is quoted revealing David's unique relationship. According to the flesh, David is Jesus' many times great-grandfather and yet Jesus is also David's lord. It's like Mary's unique position that she is Jesus' mother in His humanity. However, Mary in John 2:1-12 is aware that Jesus is also her Lord when He politely rebuked her. Mary's proper response was to point others to Jesus.

Peter's loving conviction of the Jews

The Jews of Jesus' day were indeed responsible for the death of the Savior. However, it was planned by God in eternity past. 1 Corinthians 2:8 states that would have the princes of the world knew - they would have not crucified the Lord of glory. Satan himself hardened the hearts of the crowd. What Satan didn't realize was that his madness was allowed by God to fulfill prophecy. God had really allowed Satan to do what he does for a purpose. Remember that God allowed Satan to harm Job. God certainly allowed Satan to harm Jesus. Jesus being the submissive Son knew it was all part of the plan. 

Peter showed compassion rather than hate the crowd. Peter reminds them that Jesus is Lord and that He was the one they crucified. The crowd was full of unbelieving Jews who were gathered on that day. They were soon asking what should be done. They have realized their guilt. The blood of Jesus was on their hands. I believe many of them there were screaming, "Crucify Him!" on Good Friday. Rather than destroy them, God kept them alive for a reason. Now, we can see the reaction.

Peter soon said in Acts 2:38-39 with, "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." Repent and be baptized? Does this teach baptismal salvation? The word for here means "eis" which is "because of" not "in order to". The Greek word repentance is metanoneia or a change of mind which results in a change of actions. Repentance is being sorry for your sins. They were called to repent of their sins. Repentance of sins doesn't mean forsaking them but it would result in forsaking them. A turn from sin starts with from and works itself from without. It's a mental rotation of one's mind from sin to the Savior that leads to an outward turn of sin. Turning from sin to the Savior on the inside leads to a turning of sin on the outside. Baptism here is a result of salvation and not the cause of salvation.

Peter soon told them, "Save yourselves from this untoward generation." The Jews were told it was time to abandon what they were used to and start anew. Their generation was used to the hardheadedness and hardheartedness. Now, it was time to change one's lifestyle by the grace of God. It was a call for the Jews to abandon everything they knew from Judaism to Christianity. The Jewish faith was long perverted by the Pharisees. I think it might be safe to say that Judaism was founded by the Pharisees and not Abraham. The Pharisees were appealing to Moses' seat for their corrupt authority. The Jews during the 400 years of silence up to Jesus' ministry were growing up with the corrupt Jewish system. The Jewish faith became false the moment it rejected Jesus. Fortunately, even biological Jews can be saved and the gift of salvation is available to both Jew and non-Jew.

The result of Peter's sermon

A good man of God brings good fruits, right? Peter a man who was once timid and denied Jesus now boldly declares the Gospel. Peter was now seeing much repentance and conviction. Peter would later have a false convert named Simon the sorcerer. However, let's focus on Peter's wonderful sermon and what its results were.

We can see believing and baptism. Believing comes first before baptism. That's why infant baptism is something that was rejected as unscriptural. Why some Protestant denominations do infant baptism is not the same reason Roman Catholics do it. For some Protestants, infant baptism is done like the dedication ceremony where the child is dedicated to God with godparents to lead the child to faith. Later, the same child gets the believer's baptism once they have made their profession of faith. However, I tend to stick to the believer's baptism. Baptists were called as such not because Jesus made John the Baptist the first pastor. It's because Baptists have openly baptized by immersion telling Roman Catholics that their infant baptism is unscriptural and lost their heads for it. Every person baptized in Acts were believers and none were infants. Roman Catholics do a poor job in justifying infant baptism and baptismal salvation. Baptism happens because you are already saved not in order to be saved. Was the thief on the cross baptized? What if a person gets saved in jail (and might be in a country where Christianity is outlawed) or is forbidden (as a minor) by his or her family to attend a Bible-believing church? Those certainly will hinder their desire for baptism.

The fruit of fellowship happened among the saved. They stood fast by apostolic doctrine. What makes a church apostolic? It's not because of any claim that they came back from the apostles. The word apostolic means "belonging or relating to the early followers of Jesus Christ and to their teaching". Want to know if a church is apostolic and belongs to the true Church? Check its doctrine if it matches completely with what the Bible says. Sola Scriptura is the principle where Scripture is the final authority, not the sole authority. They started to redistribute their property according to people's needs. Some say it's a call for Communism while it isn't. Communism has a twisted view of equality. Rather, the people redistributed their property according to needs. They gave provisions that would be equivalent to Proverbs 30:8 where they sought to live more according to needs than wants. It's all about an equitable society and not the delusion of an "equal" society. They were in unity and harmony. 

What can be seen here is far different from what happens in churches today. Peter was preaching the hard truth to a hardheaded crowd. He didn't water down or pull any punches. We can see that the glory is not Peter's but God's. Peter himself 

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