Redeeming Scripture Archives - Page 11 of 58

Will all True Christians produce good fruit? (Matthew 13:22-24)

What is the Meaning of Matthew 13:22-23 (Luke 8:14)

Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty (Matthew 13:22-23).

Many use the Parable of the Four Soils in Matthew 13:3-23 and Luke 8:4-15 as evidence that all true Christians will bear fruit. This understanding is largely due to the use of the word “saved” in Luke 8:12. Many believe and teach that in order to truly be “saved,” people must not only believe, but also have many good works (or fruit) to provide evidence of their salvation.

But this explanation is based upon a misunderstanding of three key terms in the text. To properly understand the Parable of the Four Soils, it is critically important to properly define the terms kingdom of heaven, salvation, and fruit.

The Kingdom of Heaven

The term “kingdom of heaven” does not refer to heaven itself, or to going to heaven when we die, but instead refers to the rule and reign of God here on earth now. Those who enter into the kingdom, inherit the kingdom, or experience the kingdom are those who live in light of God’s way of doing things on this earth so that they can know the blessing, joy, and fulfillment of God’s reign in their life now.

Salvation

Similarly, the term salvation (or saved) does not refer to justification or receiving eternal life. Instead, it means “deliverance” and the context determines while kind of deliverance is in view.

In this case, those who hear the teachings of Jesus and live in light of them can be delivered from a worthless and pointless existence on earth and instead experience the opposite, which is life in the kingdom of God. The cares and troubles of this world steal away the joys of the reign of God, and we can choose which one we experience by how we respond to the teachings of Jesus.

Fruit

These two terms helps us understand the word fruit.

In this context, while the word can refer to correct teaching about God and Scripture which is heard, understood, and taught to others, the term can also refer to good works and a life of fulfillment and joy that comes from following God’s instructions on how to live. The Word of God contains instructions for how we can live the best life possible, and if we hear, understand, and obey these instructions, our lives will produce a great harvest of blessings for ourselves and others (Matt 13:23).

Jesus is teaching that if you want to have a productive life, the ways of this world will lead you into emptiness and deadness, but His ways will lead to a fulfilling and profitable life full of satisfaction and significance.

It is important to note once again that the presence or absence of fruit in the life some other person is not indicative one way or the other about that person’s eternal destiny. Any individual, whether a believer or an unbeliever, can be any of the four soils in this parable.

Just as it is entirely possible for a true and genuine child of God to allow the devil to snatch away the truths of Scripture from his heart before they can take root or to allow the cares and worries of this world to choke out the promises of Scripture, so also, any unbeliever can see the wisdom in the teachings of Scripture and decide to patterns their lives after these teachings.

Does the Parable of the Four Soils Tell Us who is a Christian?

So the Parable of the Four Soils has nothing to do with whether or not someone has eternal life. It instead describes the four ways that all people—believers or unbelievers alike—might respond to the teaching of Scripture.

While the term fruit can refer to good works, even when it does, these good works cannot be used to determine whether or not a person has eternal life.

They might be helpful in determining whether or not a person is following the teachings of Scripture, but since anybody can follow accept and apply Scripture to their life and experience the positive consequences as a result, we must not think that such obedience to Scripture (or a lack of obedience) provides evidence about who is truly justified and who is not.

Even when the fruit of good works can be seen in someone else’s life, such fruit does not help us see into their heart for whether or not they have believed in Jesus for eternal life.

Understanding the Gospel requires us to properly understand the key words and terms of the Gospel. Take my course, "The Gospel Dictionary" to learn about the 52 key words of the Gospel, and hundreds of Bible passages that use these words.

This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

Good Fruit, Bad Fruit, and the Unforgivable Sin (Matthew 12:33-37)

By Jeremy Myers

1 Comment

In Matthew 12:33-37, in the context of warning the religious leaders about the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, Jesus talks about good fruit and bad fruit. Is Jesus telling people to look at the lives of other teachers to see if they have good works? No! Not at all. Listen to the study to see what Jesus IS teaching and why this is important for properly understanding the gospel.

What is the “fruit” in Matthew 12:33-37 (Luke 6:43-45)?

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned (Matthew 12:33-37)

Matthew 12:33-37 (and the parallel passage in Luke 6:43-45) is a key passage for understanding the symbolic use of fruit in Scripture.

The context makes it explicitly clear that the fruit which comes from a person is not the works their life produces, but rather the words that proceed from their mouth. After Jesus says that “a tree is known by its fruit,” He states that the words of a person reveal what is in the heart. In this context, it is extremely clear that the good fruit of a person’s life are the good words that proceed out of their mouth. If these words agree with the rest of Scripture, they are good words, and therefore, good fruit.

Matthew 12:33-37 Primarily has Bible Teachers in View

It is important to point out that all of the teaching in Scripture about the good fruit of good words primarily have Bible and theology teachers in view.

Most of the passages that invite us to look to the words a person says as an indication of whether they should be listened to or not, only have in view the words they say about Scripture and theology, and even then, primarily to professional teachers.

The biblical teaching about good fruit does not apply to the views a person might have about politics, science, current events, or history. If a person has some nutty views about such things, while we might be wise to ignore their ideas, the biblical teachings about good and bad fruit do not apply to such cases. The biblical teachings about good and bad fruit only apply to people who are teaching Scripture and theology.

We can go a bit further as well.

The biblical teachings about good and bad fruit don’t even apply to the average person who is generally uniformed or uneducated about what the Bible teaches. Instead, the warnings from Scripture about good and bad fruit primarily apply to those whose job it is to teach others about Scripture and theology.

In the days of Jesus, it was the religious leaders, the Sadducees, Pharisees, and scribes. Today it would be the pastors, theologians, and seminary professors. These are the ones whose teachings we must carefully analyze to see whether or not their words align with the overall teaching of Scripture.

In regards to their teachings, we are to be noble Bereans, and search the Scriptures to see whether or not what they say is true (Acts 17:11).

Good Fruit is Not about Good Works

One thing we are not invited to do is look at a person’s works.

The Bible reveals that if you want to know whether or not a person is a false teacher, all you need to do is listen to what they say and compare it with the teaching of Scripture.

After all, when it comes to false teachers, actions can be deceptive, but their teachings will rarely lie. It is as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 that false apostles can appear as apostles of Christ and even Satan is transformed into an angel of light. That is exactly what we see here in Matthew 12:33-37.

But what about the Unforgivable Sin?

It is significant that in the immediately preceding context, the Jewish religious leaders had accused Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub (Matt 12:24). In response, Jesus warns them about speaking blasphemy against the Spirit (Matt 12:31-32).

(#AmazonAdLink) This does not mean that they had spoken blasphemy against the Spirit; only that they were about to. As I explain in my book (#AmazonAdLink) Why You Have Not Committed the Unforgivable Sin, there is no passage in Scripture which clearly tells us what blasphemy against the Spirit is. Though the sin is related to speaking words against the Holy Spirit (cf. Luke 12:10), no passage clearly states what these words are that should not be spoken. It is probably not specific words anyway, but more of general attitude of the heart that is revealed through one’s words.

Nevertheless, although the Bible doesn’t say precisely identify the nature of this particular sin, many pastors and teachers claim to know what this sin is and they use their teachings to create fear in the minds of others by warning them against committing it. Such pastors and teachers should be ignored and avoided, for they are speaking where Scripture has not. Such teachers are close to doing the same thing as the Pharisees in this passage, and it is toward them that Jesus directs the warning about blasphemy!

Matthew 12:33-37 and Good Fruit

This entire context reveals the truth of Jesus’ teaching about fruit.

By verbally challenging the words and teachings of Jesus, the Pharisees revealed the fruit of their heart, showing all that they were bad trees who produce bad fruit, and therefore should not be heeded, listened to, or obeyed. Though by all outward appearances, the Pharisees were the most observant and scrupulous keepers of the Mosaic Law, their accusatory words revealed the true condition of their hearts.

Note, however, that once again, nothing is said in this context about being able to discern the eternal destiny of others. Even when someone speaks falsely, while their words may mark them as a false teacher, this does not mean they are eternally condemned. It is possible that they have eternal life, but are simply confused or deceived themselves.

Though bad fruit from the lips reveals that a bad tree has taken root in the heart, bad fruit reveals nothing one way or the other about whether or not a person has eternal life.

This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

Can we use good works to determine if a person is a Christian? (Matthew 7:15-19)

By Jeremy Myers

382 Comments

In Matthew 7:15-19, Jesus tells His disciples how to tell good teachers from bad teachers. He tells them to look at the fruit. Is Jesus telling people to look at the lives of other teachers to see if they have good works? No! Not at all. Listen to the study to see what Jesus IS teaching and why this is important for properly understanding the gospel.

What is the Good Fruit in Matthew 7:15-19

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 7:15-19)

In Matthew 7:15-19, Jesus instructs His followers to look to the fruit of a prophet as a way of determining whether or not that person is a true or false prophet. Good fruit comes from a good teacher and bad fruit will come from a bad teacher. It is clear from the context that Jesus is not talking about their works when He refers to their fruit.

Why not?

Because Jesus reveals that the false prophets have more and better good works than the average person. They prophecy in Jesus’ name, cast out demons, and perform many miracles (Matt 7:22). They even submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Matt 7:21). But Jesus says they didn’t do the will of God and He doesn’t even know them (Matt 7:21, 23). Submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and performing a myriad of good works proves nothing whatsoever one way or the other about whether or not a person truly belongs to Jesus.

Therefore, what is the fruit to which Jesus refers? It is the words of the false prophets and how these words line up with the rest of Scripture. In Hebrew thinking, the fruit of a person’s life is primarily seen in their words. The book of Proverbs frequently reveals that the fruit of our life is our words, that we will live or die by what we say, and that our words reveal what we believe in our hearts (cf. Prov 13:2-3; 18:20-21).

The same is true for deciding who is a good teacher and who is a bad teacher.

Bad Teachers Often Look Good

When it comes to discerning good teachers from bad, the words a teacher speaks are critically important because actions are often imitated and faked by false teachers. Indeed, false teachers often make sure they do their good works in front of a watching audience so that there are many witnesses to their charitable deeds and generous actions.

All false teachers look good on the outside.

Jesus says that although false teachers are ravenous wolves on the inside, they wear sheep’s clothing on the outside. By their behavior and actions, they appear to be part of God’s flock. They look like sheep. But their words betray them. Their words reveal the true condition of their heart. It is their words, not their behavior, which reveal that they are wolves.

It is important to note that this passage, like many of the others about fruit, applies only to prophets and teachers. Jesus is not giving a blanket statement here about judging the average person.

In general, there is truth to the saying that “Actions speak louder than words.” In regards to life-related issues such as parenting, marriage, friendships, and employment, people can say all sorts of things and make all sorts of promises, but it is the follow-through of actual behavior that counts the most. So in most areas of life, the actions of a person are important.

But this is not the case when it comes to Bible teaching.

When it comes to discerning a good and healthy teacher of Scripture from a false and unhealthy one, the best and primary way to make this distinction is to ignore the works and look to the words (cf. 2 Pet 2:1-3, 12, 18; Jude 8, 10, 16). To discover wolves in sheep’s clothing you must ignore the outward appearance, for they look, act, and smell like sheep. To discover a wolf, you must look a wolf in the mouth. You must listen to what comes from their lips and then compare it with the truth of Scripture. When you do this, you will see a wolf for what it is. In the words of Little Red Riding Hood, you will find yourself saying, “My! What big teeth you have!”

It’s Not about Eternal Destiny

Note that even here, the issue is not about a person’s eternal destiny.

Neither words nor actions prove whether or not a person has eternal life. Though Jesus does speak about fire in the context, He is not referring to hell, but to the temporal discipline that comes in a person’s life now. The reference to fire is not a warning about an eternal place of torture and suffering, but a warning about what could happen to those who teach false doctrine and those who listen to it.

The opposite of fire is the kingdom of heaven, which Jesus mentions in context (Matthew 7:21). Entering and experiencing the kingdom of heaven is not the same thing as going to heaven when we die. Instead, entering, or living within, the kingdom of heaven refers to experiencing the rule and reign of God in our lives here and now on this earth.

So neither the reference to fire nor the reference to the kingdom of God have anything to do with eternal destiny, but everything to do with what we experience now in the life based on what sort of teachings we hear and whether or not we follow such teachings.

Teaching the right things, submitting to the Lordship of Jesus, and doing the will of God do not help us earn, keep, or prove that we have eternal life, but are instead beneficial for living under the rule and reign of God in our lives. False teachers miss out on what God wants for their lives because they teach wrong truths for selfish reasons. They will experience fire instead of the kingdom of God. Jesus wants His disciples to stay away from such teachers, and so invites us to look at the words they say as an indication of whether they should be listened to and followed. Those whose words do not line up with the revealed truth in Scripture should be avoided and ignored.

If you want to avoid fire in your life and instead experience the reign of God, be careful about who you listen to and what you teach.

Only listen to those whose words line up with the rest of Scripture, and only teach things to other people that are also in agreement with Scripture.

This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

What is the good fruit of Matthew 3:8-10? Is it good works?

By Jeremy Myers

4 Comments

In Matthew 3:8-10, John the Baptist invites his audience to bear fruit worthy of repentance. Is he talking about good works? No, the context indicates that the good fruit does not refer to good works, but to good words that are in alignment with Scripture. This is important for properly understanding the gospel.

What is the good fruit of Matthew 3:8, 10?

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance. … And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 3:8, 10).

Matthew 3:4-12 contains several key terms that have been widely misunderstood by many Christians.

The four terms in this passage are fruit, fire, baptism, and repentance. It is necessary to properly understand all four terms in order to properly understand the text, and if anyone of the four terms is misunderstood, this leads to a misunderstanding of the other three. Since fire, baptism, and repentance are defined at length elsewhere in my online course, The Gospel Dictionary, the meaning of these terms will only be summarized briefly here.

The Meaning of Three Key Terms: Fire, Baptism, Repentance

The term fire in this context does not refer to eternal hell, but to the temporal discipline that would come upon Israel as a result of living in ways that God did not want, intend, or desire.

The baptism of John was not Christian water baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus (for Jesus hadn’t even begun His ministry yet), but was instead a form of Jewish ritual washing which symbolized a death to the past and a new birth to live a different way in the future.

Similarly, repentance refers to a turning away from beliefs and behaviors that were displeasing to God and a turning toward things that are in accordance with His will.

The Meaning of Fruit in Matthew 3:8-10

Understanding these three terms help us better understand what John means when he refers to fruit in this context. John the Baptist went out to the Jordan River to preach about the coming Messiah and invite the Jewish people to prepare the way for Him through repentance (Matt 3:1-3).

Those who sought to make such changes in their life symbolized it by getting baptized in the Jordan River. Jewish religious leaders were among those who came out to hear John preach, and when John saw them, he warned them about the fiery judgment that was about to come upon them and said that repentance was the only way to avoid such judgment.

What is interesting about John’s instructions is that the religious rulers were the must scrupulous law keepers among all the Jewish people of that day. When most people think about repentance, they think about turning away from sin, and specifically, turning away from the sins of breaking biblical laws and commands.

But the religious leaders were not guilty of such sins. They were the most devoted and disciplined law keepers in the land. So when John calls the religious leaders to repent, he is not calling them to turn back to obedience of the law, but to turn away from law keeping as a means of living in a right relationship with God and others.

John’s call to repentance was a call to turn away from a life based on the law and toward a life based on love. In the parallel passage of Luke 3:7-14, John provides several examples of what this sort of loving behavior looks like.

So when John speaks about fruit in connection to repentance, he is inviting the religious leaders to live their lives in a way that reveals this change in focus from law to love.

They are no longer to be scrupulous law-keepers, but must instead become generous love-givers.

And while this love will reveal itself in what the leaders do, John’s first concern is with what the leaders say.

Teach and Believe Differently!

In Matthew 3:9, immediately following his admonition to bear fruits worthy of repentance, John challenges the religious leaders to rethink some of their theology and to start teaching something different. He tells them that they should no longer say, “We have Abraham as our father.”

The Jewish leaders believed and taught that since the Jewish people were God’s chosen people (through His choice of Abraham), God needed them to accomplish His will on earth. They believed and taught that God would never set aside the Jewish people or raise up another group of people to do His will.

John challenges this line of thinking and says that if the Israelites do not start living as God wants and desires, God will bring judgment upon them and will raise up a new group of people to do His will on earth. If necessary, God could even raise up a people for Himself from the very stones at their feet.

But if the people do not repent of their beliefs and loveless observance of the law so that they might instead live as lights of love in this world, God would cut down the tree of Israel and cast it into the fire, before raising up another tree in its place (Matt 3:10). The “fire” of this verse is not a reference to hell, but of the temporal discipline that came upon the Israelite people during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

John’s point is that the religious leaders were wrong in thinking that God could not and would not set them aside. God could, God would, and indeed, God did (temporarily, at least … I do not hold to replacement theology in which the church replaces Israel. God will fulfill all of His promises to Israel).

So John’s teaching about fruit in Matthew 3:8, 10 is in reference to the twin beliefs of the Jewish people that God was primarily concerned with their obedience to the law, and that God would never set aside Israel as His primary means of accomplishing His will in this world. John wanted the religious leaders to change these beliefs, and therefore, change what they taught. Yes, such changes would also lead to a change in behavior, but even then, such changes indicate nothing whatsoever about someone’s eternal destiny.

John challenges the Religious Leaders to Change their Teachings

The fruit of repentance in Matthew 3:8 would be seen in how the Jewish religious leaders started teaching differently about what God expected from them in this world.

God wanted them to turn away from the requirements of law-keeping, and view both themselves and the Gentiles as equally loved, accepted, and forgiven by God. Such teaching is in line with the rest of biblical revelation, and therefore, is the proper fruit that John called the religious leaders to develop.

Their fruit would be the words that come out of their mouths which reveal the beliefs they hold in their hearts.

This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

What does the Book of Acts teach about Forgiveness?

By Jeremy Myers

1 Comment

This study on forgiveness looks at the topic of forgiveness in the Book of Acts. Forgiveness is a key theme in Acts, and we see how Peter and Paul teach about Acts as the spread the gospel message throughout the world.

Note that this study is an excerpt from my Gospel Dictionary online course. This course considers 52 key words of the Gospel and thousands of biblical texts. The course contains over 100 hours Bible teaching. You can take the course by joining my online discipleship group.

The Book of Acts is a book of transitions. It shows the transition from the ministry of Jesus to the ministry of the Apostles, and how the Apostles continued to carry on the ministry of Jesus, following His instructions to take it to the end of the world. The Apostles begin in Jerusalem, and then take the Gospel message to the Samaritans, and finally to the world. The appearance of the gift of tongues helps verify that God has accepted these other people groups into His family, but another way that the Book of Acts shows these transitions is through the preaching of Peter to the various people groups about the forgiveness of sins. A later transition occurs when Paul takes up the same message and spreads it even further.

Let us consider several of the texts that discuss forgiveness in Acts.

NOTE: Before you read this post, it might also be helpful to read my article on the Two Types of Forgiveness.

Forgiveness in Acts 2:38

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The Book of Acts begins similarly to the Gospels. In the Gospels, John came preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Here it is Peter who preaches a nearly identical message. Peter preaches to the Jewish people who were gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost that although Jesus was the promised Messiah, He had been condemned and crucified (Acts 2:22-36). Nevertheless, God raised Jesus from the dead, thereby proving that Jesus was who He said He was and had not committed the crimes for which He was killed (Acts 2:24, 32, 36).

When the truth about what they had done is revealed to them, those who heard Peter asked what they should do in response (Acts 2:37). Peter tells them to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. This is not a message about how to go to heaven when they die, but is instead a message about how to be released (Gk., aphēsis) from the sin which was revealed in the death of Jesus. To repent is to recognize the sin they are committing and turn away from it. To be baptized refers not only to the symbolic death, burial, and resurrection through water, but to also be immersed into the teachings and instructions of the apostles about Jesus Christ (see Baptism).

Therefore, Acts 2:38 reveals that when the people realized the magnitude and significance of their sin in killing Jesus, they asked Peter what they should do in response. Peter tells them to turn away from committing this sin in the future and to commit themselves instead to learning about Jesus and following His ways. If they did this, they would be released from the sin which had led to the killing of Jesus.

Since Jesus instructed His disciples to begin in Jerusalem with the truth of His life, death, and resurrection (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8), it is appropriate that the first time this message is preached in the Book of Acts, it is in Jerusalem. The reader should expect, therefore, that as the Book of Acts progresses, the message about how the death of Jesus releases humanity from sin continues to spread to the rest of the world as well. This is indeed what we see.

Forgiveness in Acts 5:31

Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

After the message was taught in and around Jerusalem, the truth about how the death of Jesus next spreads to the rest of Israel. In Acts 5, Peter tells the Jewish religious leaders that although they killed Jesus by hanging Him on a tree (Acts 5:30; cf. Deut 21:23; Gal 3:13), thus indicating His identity as a cursed scapegoat victim, God exalted Jesus and calls all Israel to repent of their sin so that they might be forgiven or released (aphēsis) from it.

Forgiveness in Acts 10:43

To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.

When the message about Jesus spread further outward, this time to the God-fearing Gentiles, the Book of Acts once again makes mention of the fact that they were told about how to receive remission, or release (aphēsis), from their sin. Peter declares this message to Cornelius and his household. Cornelius, of course, was a Roman centurion (Acts 10:1). Since military forces often make use of scapegoating tactics to defeat an enemy and create peace in a conquered region, Peter is effectively telling Cornelius that Jesus calls us away from such practices.

As with his message to the religious leaders, Peter also tells Cornelius, as a Roman military leader, that Jesus was hung on a tree (Acts 10:39), which is a reference to the crucifixion of Jesus and the implied curse that came with such a death (cf. Deut 21:23; Gal 3:13).

And while a person receives eternal life when they believe in Jesus for it, this is not what Peter is saying to Cornelius in Acts 10:43. Peter does invite Cornelius and his household to believe in Jesus, but not for eternal life. Instead, Peter invites him to believe in Jesus for the remission of sins.

This means that if Cornelius believes in what Jesus has revealed about sin through His death on the cross, then this will lead Cornelius to follow the example of Jesus, and live free from this type of sin. Just as Peter’s message about Jesus called the Israelites to live in peace with others (Acts 10:36), so also, Peter calls Cornelius and all Gentiles to learn from Jesus and live in ways that leads to peace.

Forgiveness in Acts 13:38

Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins.

As the Book of Acts transitions from the ministry of Peter to the ministry of Paul, the story shows that Paul follows in similar steps as did Peter. During Paul’s first missionary journey, he begins by visiting a Jewish synagogue and declaring to them the revelation of Jesus about sin and how to be released from it (Acts 13:14). The forgiveness of sins that Paul refers to is aphēsis. Paul also includes the truth about justification by faith (Acts 13:39), which is a truth that Paul emphasized everywhere he traveled and in many of the letters he wrote.

Silhouette of bird flying and broken chains at beautiful mountain and sky autumn sunset background

Forgiveness in Acts 26:18

“… to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”

After Paul is arrested and imprisoned, and as he turns his eyes toward Rome (Acts 25:11-12), he has an opportunity to share with the Roman Procurator Festus and King Agrippa what he plans on saying to Caesar (Acts 25:24-27). So once again, this text reveals that Paul’s message to the Roman officials is nearly identical to the message of Peter to the Roman Centurion Cornelius. Paul, like Peter, is telling both Jews and Gentiles, both religious leaders and political officials, that Jesus reveals the way to peace.

The words that Paul quotes in Acts 26:18 are the words which Jesus said to Paul on the road to Damascus. Jesus told Paul that he was being sent to help turn people from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to the power of God. The darkness that the world lived under is the darkness of the power of Satan, which is the power of accusation (see Satan). Jesus wanted Paul, just as He wanted Peter and all of His followers, to show people how to receive forgiveness (aphēsis), or to be released, from this sin.

Paul goes on to say that when he tried to call both Jews and Gentiles to turn from their violent ways, but was threatened with death instead (Acts 26:20-21). Just as Jesus revealed, and is seen throughout the Bible, when a person does not repent of their sin, the result is religious violence performed in the name of God. The Book of Acts ends with similar themes (cf. Acts 28:17-31), but does not provide any information about Paul’s trial before Caesar.

One reason for this abrupt ending to the Book of Acts, is that just as both Peter and Paul called both Jews and Gentiles, both religious leaders and political officials, to turn from their ways of violence based on accusation, and live free from such sin by following Jesus into the way of love and peace, each person who reads Acts is supposed to pick up the mantle of Peter and Paul for themselves, and continue to spread this message to the utter most parts of the earth.

This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

Will all True Christians produce good fruit? (Matthew 13:22-24)

What is the Meaning of Matthew 13:22-23 (Luke 8:14)

The Kingdom of Heaven

Salvation

Fruit

Does the Parable of the Four Soils Tell Us who is a Christian?

Good Fruit, Bad Fruit, and the Unforgivable Sin (Matthew 12:33-37)

What is the “fruit” in Matthew 12:33-37 (Luke 6:43-45)?

Matthew 12:33-37 Primarily has Bible Teachers in View

Good Fruit is Not about Good Works

But what about the Unforgivable Sin?

Matthew 12:33-37 and Good Fruit

Can we use good works to determine if a person is a Christian? (Matthew 7:15-19)

What is the Good Fruit in Matthew 7:15-19

Bad Teachers Often Look Good

It’s Not about Eternal Destiny

What is the good fruit of Matthew 3:8-10? Is it good works?

What is the good fruit of Matthew 3:8, 10?

The Meaning of Three Key Terms: Fire, Baptism, Repentance

The Meaning of Fruit in Matthew 3:8-10

Teach and Believe Differently!

John challenges the Religious Leaders to Change their Teachings

What does the Book of Acts teach about Forgiveness?

Forgiveness in Acts 2:38

Forgiveness in Acts 5:31

Forgiveness in Acts 10:43

Forgiveness in Acts 13:38

Forgiveness in Acts 26:18

Theological Study Archives

Bible Study Archives

Advertise or Donate

Search (and you Shall Find)

Get Books by Jeremy Myers

Schedule Jeremy for an interview

Click here to Contact Me!