We started our overview of the Book of Acts, looking at the four critical questions that reveal the progressive revelation taking us from a strictly Jewish church with a Jewish gospel of repentance and baptism, to a Gentile gospel of belief and faith. We got through the first question found in Acts 2:37-38 – What shall we do (as a nation) to repair the damage done of killing our Messiah? Peter told them to repent of this heinous act, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Dear friends, this is not our salvation, nor our baptism. This is Jewish salvation, seeking to bring in the kingdom. Getting a clear understanding of Acts, helps us avoid the pitfalls of bad doctrine that is prevalent in Christianity today.
In Acts 8, after the final offer of the kingdom has been rejected, by stoning Stephen, Philip is sent to Samaria, to preach the gospel. This is the beginning of the transition from a strictly Jewish outreach. When Jesus sent out the Apostles in Matthew 10:1-8, he told them to go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Do not share the gospel of the kingdom with any Gentile or Samaritan. The door of salvation is now being opened to those who are not pure Jews! We will see the following questions this coming Sunday, beginning with the gentile proselyte – the Ethiopian Eunuch at the end of Acts 8.
On the board, there are six different occasions listed, where salvation, baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit are different, showing a progression to salvation for the Gentile world in this Mystery period, known as the Dispensation of Grace. We will see that played out as we walk through our overview of Acts of the Apostles.