“Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.” (Rom. 15:8) Jesus’ ministry to His people continued even though Christ had been crucified. Christ made a prayer while hanging on the Cross, for His beloved people, Israel. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do..” (Luke 23:34) Thus, the answer to this prayer is the subject of the book of Acts. Paul had two ministries. His first ministry did not differ from the ministry of Christ to His people. THE JEWS WERE NOT SET ASIDE AT THE CROSS! Jesus had made His prayer, and the Father allowed them approximately 40 more years to “repent”. Peter’s messages were delivered to bring about “repentance”. Notice Acts “..Repent, and be baptized..”. Acts “Repent ye therefore and be converted.” Their prime sin was the denial that Jesus WAS the Messiah, the Christ. “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” John “..We hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.” Isaiah 53:3 Paul continued the same message. Paul and Barnabas preached the Word of God in the synagogues, Acts 13:5. In Acts 14:1 Paul went to the synagogue of the Jews in Iconium. In Acts 17:1 we read that in Thessalonica Paul reasoned with the Jews in the synagogue out of the Scriptures three Sabbath days. In verse 3 he says, “..this Jesus, Whom I preach unto you is Christ.” That is Jesus is the Messiah Who was prophesied to you by the prophets. Though “some of them believed” the Sanhedrin did not accept Christ as King. In Acts 17:10, we find Paul and Silas in the synagogue of Berea. In Athens we find Paul disputing “in the synagogue with the Jews..” In 18:8, we find an unusual conversion, “And Crispus, THE CHIEF RULER OF THE SYNAGOGUE, believed on the Lord..” In Acts 18:19, we find Paul in Ephesus, “..he, himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.” In Acts 19:8, we find Paul in the synagogue again, “spake boldly for the space of three months..” When Paul was finally bound and taken to Rome as a result of his own petition, he found himself in fetters. He called for the Jewish Sanhedrin to come to him. Acts28:20, “For this cause therefore have I called for you to see you, and to speak with you: because that for THE HOPE OF ISRAEL I am bound with this chain.”
THE BOOK OF ACTS IS A RECORD OF GOD. THE FATHER’S ANSWER TO THE PRAYER OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS!
The Jews did not accept their King. Therefore, they were set aside. More on this later.
Truth for Today
Through our paper and this website, we make available the writings of Bible teachers such as Dr. E. W. Bullinger, Mr. Charles H. Welch, Mr. Stuart Allen, and other men of God who have lived and labored faithfully, honoring the Lord's command in II Timothy 2:15 and Philippians 1:10 to "Rightly Divide" the Word of Truth.
