PLEASE USE THE PASSWORD IN RED TO ENTER MODULE BCC-301. – ASOM3467

STUDY MODULE – BCC-301 PSALM 90: EXPOSURE

PLEASE USE THE PASSWORD IN RED TO ENTER MODULE TS105. – ASOM3468

STUDY MODULE – TS105 CRYSTOLOGY- THREE (3) MESSIANIC MIRACLES.

CLASE – MÓDULO I – ED101 LA EDUCACION CRISTIANA DENTRO DE LA IGLESIA – POSTEADA ENERO 25, 2020

Módulo I – ED101 La Educacion Cristiana Dentro de La Iglesia

Profesor:
Rev. Dr. Pedro J. González.
drgonzalez@stucedu.org

Estimada estudiante, ¡Bienvenida al modulo especial de Educacion Cristiana! El seminario toma muy en serio el adiestramiento y la capacitación de los candidatos al ministerio. Yo, Profesor Rev. Dr. Pedro J. González, estaré impartiendo las enseñanzas en este PDF que son necesarias para que puedas desarrollar con éxito tu ministerio como Ministro del Santo Evangelio de Jesucristo en el campo de la Educación. ESTA CLASE LA PRESENTA LA CHRISTIAN TEACHER TRAINING ASSOCIATION. En esta clase del Currículo de estudio, vas a estudiar importante información sobre la Educacion Cristiana, [MÓDULO I – ED101 LA EDUCACION CRISTIANA DENTRO DE LA IGLESIA] luego de la clase, como ya es costumbre, estarás tomando el exámenes o quiezz, para estar seguro de que entiendes el material expuesto.

Cualquier pregunta que tengas, puedes escribirme a mi correo electrónico:

PARA EL ESTUDIANTE: ESTA CLASE FUE POSTEADA HOY ENERO 25, 2020. ESTARÁ DISPONIBLE PARA SU ESTUDIO Y APROVECHAMIENTO HASTA FEBRERO 05, CUANDO ENTONCES SE POSTEARÁ EL EXAMEN DE LA MISMA. USTED TIENE 2 DÍAS, DEL 06 AL 07, PARA COMPLETAR Y SOMETER SU EXAMEN DE ESTA CLASE!!!

MÓDULO I – ED101 LA EDUCACION CRISTIANA DENTRO DE LA IGLESIA

Lo que has oído de mí ante muchos testigos, esto encarga a hombres fieles que sean idóneos para enseñar también a otros. 2 Timoteo 2:2 (RVR1960)

PARA ABRIR EL PDF FILE Y VER LA CLASE CLICK : 2019 MODULO DE EDUCACION CRISTIANA

2019 MODULO DE EDUCACION CRISTIANA UPDATED

Christian Apologetics – Introduction to Apologetics

Profesor:
Dr. Salomón A. Ballestero
drballestero@stucedu.org

Dear Student, Welcome to the Master’s program in Biblical Studies! The seminary takes your education and training of candidates for the ministry very seriously. This time we have Introduction to Apologetics! [CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS – INTRODUCTION TO APOLOGETICS] Interesting teachings related to the defense of your faith will be learned in this study.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: After taking this course, the student should be able to:
I. 1. Have an appreciation for the nature and significance of Christian apologetics, its relation to evangelism and broader theological concerns, as well as its role in ministries of the church;
II. 2. Demonstrate a basic awareness of some of the major intellectual challenges to Christian faith in the contemporary world and the cultural context within which these challenges gain plausibility;
III. 3. Be able to think through various intellectual challenges to Christian faith, understand some possible Christian responses to such challenges, and be familiar with resources available for further study.

Students are encouraged to fully watch each video or audio of the classes posted.

Any question you have, you can write me to my email: drballestero@stucedu.org

CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS – THE BIBLICAL COMMAND

1 Pet. 3:15-16, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

THE BOOK OF JOEL: AN EXPOSITION

Professor:
Dr. Salomón A. Ballestero.
drballestero@seminarioteologicouc.net

Dear student, Welcome to Antioch School of Ministry program! The school of ministry takes the training of candidates for the ministry very seriously. On this occasion we have an Exposition on the Book of Joel. [Dr. Fruchtenbaum’s MBS074 THE BOOK OF JOEL: AN EXPOSITION] Interesting teachings you will learn in this study. after the class, as is customary, you will be taking the exams or quiezz, to be sure that you understand the exposed material.[DR. FRUCHTENBAUM’S MBS074 – THE BOOK OF JOEL: AN EXPOSITION]

The Study is divided in two main parts:

I. THE DAY OF JEHOVAH, A TIME OF INVASIONS: JOEL 1:2-2:17
II. THE SALVATION AND RESTORATION OF ISRAEL: JOEL 2:18-3:21

STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO START WITH A READING OF THE BOOK OF JOEL.

Any question you have, you can write to my email electrónico:

THE BOOK OF JOEL MBS074
BY DR. ARNOLD G. FRUCHTENBAUM, TH.M., PH.D.

Joel 1:1-3 (NKJV)
The Locust Plague in Judah

1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
The Land Laid Waste

Hear this, you elders,
And give ear, all you inhabitants of the land!
Has anything like this happened in your days,
Or even in the days of your fathers?
3
Tell your children about it,
Let your children tell their children,
And their children another generation.

INTRODUCTION: JOEL 1:1

The word of Jehovah that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
The name Joel means “Jehovah is God.” This is an inversion of the name Elijah, which means “God is Jehovah.” The fact that his parents gave him a name in connection with God indicates that they were members of the Believing Remnant of that day. The only thing known about Joel’s family is that he was the son of Pethuel, which means “the openheartedness of God” or “the sincerity of God.”

As far as the date is concerned, like Obadiah, Joel does not reveal the name of the king under whom he prophesied. This has to be determined another way. Joel is quoted twice by Amos: Joel 3:16 is
quoted in Amos 1:2; Joel 3:18 is quoted in Amos 9:13. This would place him before the Prophet Amos. But, because he does not rail against idolatry the way Amos did, he probably prophesied around
835 B.C., during the reign of Joash.

As for his locality, Joel was a prophet from Judah, the southern kingdom, and may have been from Jerusalem because of certain references he made to Jerusalem (Joel 1:9, 13-14; 2:15).

The historical setting that brought about Joel’s prophecy was a recent great invasion by locusts that caused tremendous destruction of the crops of the Land. With the background of this tremendous locust invasion, Joel gave certain prophecies of invasions to come in the future.

The Book of Joel makes two major points. First, God is in control of
world events. Nothing happens anywhere in the world that is outside

of God’s control; nothing that happens to a believer is outside of God’s control. Secondly, God responds to repentance. Where there is true repentance, God will respond accordingly.

The theme of the Book of Joel is the Day of Jehovah or the Day of the Lord. He used this expression in 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; and 3:14. Whenever the Bible uses the term the “Day of Jehovah” or the “Day
of the Lord,” it is the most common biblical term for what is now called the Great Tribulation. Thus, Joel’s theme is speaking about the Great Tribulation. The locust invasion that occurred in Joel’s day is
the starting point. As bad as that locust invasion was, what will happen in the Great Tribulation will be far more severe.

Joel is quoted twice in the New Testament: Joel 2:28-32 is quoted by Acts 2:17-21; and Joel 2:32 is quoted in Romans 10:13.

The way the prophecy came to Joel is stated in the English rendering as: The word of Jehovah that came to Joel. The Hebrew phraseology actually means “the Word of Jehovah took possession of Joel.” This
divine possession resulted in a prophetic revelation. This also happened to the Apostle John when he wrote the Book of Revelation. The Book of Joel can be divided into two main units. The first unit
deals with the Day of Jehovah as a time of invasions. The second unit deals with the salvation and restoration of Israel.

I. THE DAY OF JEHOVAH, A TIME OF INVASIONS: JOEL 1:2-2:17

There are two subdivisions in the first major unit dealing with two invasions: the historical invasion of locusts and the prophetic invasion of demons.

A. The Historical Invasion of Locusts: Joel 1:2-14
It is this invasion that gave rise to the prophecy as a whole. Verses 2-4 give the actual account of that invasion. The uniqueness of this particular locust invasion is emphasized by verses 2-3: Hear this, ye old
men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Has this been in your days, or in the days of your fathers? Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.
Verse 2 states that this is the most unique invasion of locusts in all past history. Joel calls upon the old men of Israel, those who had lived the longest, and asks them if they could remember anything in their
lifetimes like this recent invasion. None of the oldest men in Israel could remember a previous locust invasion that was as bad as this one. In fact, these old men could not remember that their fathers had told them of an invasion as bad as this one. In verse 3, because of the uniqueness of this locust invasion, they are to pass it on to succeeding generations. Let future generations know what a terrible locust plague this was indeed. This is exactly what Joel did when he wrote about it in his book.

Joel described the devastation as he told about four waves of locust invasions in verse 4: That which the palmer-worm has left has the locust eaten; and that which the locust has left has the canker-worm eaten; and that which the canker-worm has left has the caterpillar eaten. Most English translations read that these are four types of locusts: the palmerworm, the locust, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar. The Hebrew rendering is a bit different, since the Hebrew words describe what they actually do. Literally, the four categories are “the gnawer,” “the swarmer,” “the licker,” and “the devourer.” Joel was not talking about four different kinds of locusts, nor was he speaking of the different stages of the development of a locust. Rather, he was speaking of four successive swarms of locusts eating what the previous swarm had left behind.

The number four is often used by the prophets to designate the totality of destruction, especially in the Old Testament in Jeremiah 15:3 and Ezekiel 14:21. What Joel tried to do here was to emphasize the totality of the devastation by presenting these four swarms of locusts, each swarm eating what the previous swarm had left behind. By the time Joel wrote these words, it is not prophecy; it is already history. But this history is going to become the background of something prophetic.

The devastation of the crops leads to the lamentation by the local drunkards in verses 5-7: Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and wail, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number; his teeth are the
teeth of a lion, and he has the jaw-teeth of a lioness. He has laid my vine waste and barked my fig-tree: he has made it clean bare and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.
In verse 5, Joel tells the drunkards that the source of the wine has now been removed, so they are to awaken out of their sleep and weep. The word used here means “to reel in intoxication.” They are to awaken out of reeling intoxication, and they are to weep because they have been destroyed by a nation of locusts in verse 6. It is not unusual for locusts to be depicted as a human military army. In fact, both locusts and ants are depicted as a military army in Proverbs 30:25-27. Joel’s personal agony is seen in his statement: “These locusts have eaten my land.” Verse 7 once again describes the totality of this particular
devastation. The drunkards who live from one cup of wine to the next, those who have not learned to drink in simple moderation as the Bible allows, but have gone into excess, which the Bible forbids, are
the ones lamenting. Indeed, they must, for the source of their joy and security has been eaten by this army of locusts.

In verses 8-12, it is not only the drunkards who lament, but there is a call to the whole nation in verse 8: Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.
The term virgin here does not mean “virgin” as we think of it today, but a young widow who has lost her husband in the first year of marriage. The whole nation is to mourn as a bride who has lost her husband in the first year of marriage.

One of the reasons that they must mourn this way is given in verse 9: The meal-offering and the drink-offering are cut off from the house of Jehovah; the priests, Jehovah’s ministers, mourn.
They must mourn now because there is no offering remaining for the Temple. There is no meal offering because the cattle and sheep are dying due to lack of grain. There is no drink offering because the
vines have all been eaten up. As a result, the priests, who are responsible for making these offerings and who are sustained by these offerings, are also to lament.

Joel again describes the totality of the devastation, resulting in a cessation of the joy of harvest in verses 10-12: The field is laid waste, the land mourns; for the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the oil languishes. Be confounded, O ye husbandmen, wail, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for
the barley; for the harvest of the field is perished. The vine is withered, and the figtree languishes; the pomegranate-tree, the palm-tree also, and the apple-tree, even all the trees of the field are withered: for joy is withered away from the sons of men. Just as the drunkards who are mourning for one reason, the nation is to be mourning for another. The drunkards are mourning because there will be no wine for the next year, but the nation is to mourn because there is nothing left for the first fruits offering to the Lord.

The lamentation of the priesthood is reemphasized in verses 13-14: Gird yourselves with sackcloth, and lament, ye priests; wail, ye ministers of the altar; come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meal-offering and the drink-offering are withheld from the house of your God. Sanctify a fast, call
a solemn assembly gather the old men and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of Jehovah your God, and cry unto Jehovah. In verse 13, Joel called upon the priesthood to begin lamenting, and
they are to do it publicly by girding themselves with sackcloth. He then gave the same reason as he did for the national mourning and lamenting: there are no more drink offerings and no meal offerings for
the House of Jehovah. In verse 14, they are to call a solemn assembly. They are to gather the old men and all the inhabitants of the land. The place where they are to gather is the house of Jehovah. They are too fast; they are to put on sackcloth; they are to cry unto Jehovah to see if the He will respond. The clear implication is that, because there was true repentance, the Lord did respond.

This subdivision spoke of the historic invasion: an invasion of locusts. This, in turn, gave rise to a prophetic invasion: an invasion of demons.

B. The Prophetic Invasion of Demons: Joel 1:15-2:17
The second subdivision describes the devastation that will occur during the Day of Jehovah or the Great Tribulation. Having described the devastation caused by the locusts and pointing out that
this was the worst that had ever occurred until that day, Joel now indicates that as bad as it was in their day, a day is coming when things will get even worse. During the Day of Jehovah, there will be an
invasion that will prove to be even more unique than the locust invasion that had just occurred.

1. The Devastation of the Day of Jehovah: Joel 1:15-20

This passage introduces Joel’s new theme announcing the coming Day of Jehovah in verse 15: Alas for the day! for the day of Jehovah is at hand, and as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
He described the Day of Jehovah as destruction from the Almighty. It is God’s judgment upon this earth. When the Day of Jehovah comes, it, too, will result in massive devastation, even worse than that which
occurred with the recent locust invasion.

There will be a devastation of the crops in verses 16-17: Is not the food cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seeds rot under their clods; the garners are laid desolate; the barns are broken down; for the grain is withered.
As a result of the devastation, there will be no sustenance for the Temple in verse 16, nor will there be any sustenance for the people in verse 17.

Furthermore, this will also lead to a devastation of the livestock because they will have nothing to eat, and they, too, will die according to verses 18-20: How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed,
because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate. O Jehovah, to you do I cry; for the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame has burned all the trees of the field. Yea, the beasts of the field pant unto you; for the water brooks are dried up, and the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
Whereas in the preceding invasion, everything was destroyed by being eaten by the locusts, verses 19-20 bring out that things are destroyed by fire in this invasion. The result is that the same things will be cut off
from the Temple and from the people.

2. The Account of the Future Invasion: Joel 2:1-11

Verses 15-20 describe the results of a second invasion without describing the invasion itself. In this section, Joel begins to detail the account of the invasion by sounding the alarm in verse 1: Blow ye the
trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of Jehovah comes, for it is nigh at hand.
In the ancient world, the alarm was sounded to announce an approaching army (Num. 10:9). Now an alarm will sound from the holy mountain, Mount Zion, upon which the Temple stood. When this
alarm sounds, it will mean that the Day of Jehovah has arrived with full force. The result is that all the inhabitants of the Land are trembling, because that alarm finally signals that the Day of Jehovah,
that day of special judgment has arrived.

What the Day of Jehovah will be like is described in verse 2a: a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, as the dawn spread upon the mountains.

The Day of Jehovah is described in four ways. First, it will be a time of darkness. Secondly, it will be a time of gloominess. Thirdly, it will be a day of clouds. Fourthly, it will be a day of thick darkness. These are common descriptions of the Day of Jehovah or the Great Tribulation throughout the Scriptures (Is. 8:22; 60:2; Amos 5:18-20; Zeph. 1:14-16). Joel concluded his description with the words: as the dawn spread upon the mountains. The point he is making in using this particular illustration is that just as dawn is sudden and widespread, so also will the Day of Jehovah come suddenly and be widespread. It will come not only upon the Land of Israel, although this is Joel’s particular theme, but the Tribulation will also extend to all parts of the world. It is considered to be the darkest period in human history because it is
the outpouring of the wrath of God before the establishment of the Kingdom.

Next, in Joel 2:2b-9, the prophet describes the actual invading army in some detail by using the words as and like. It will have similarities with the locust invasion, yet there will be certain crucial differences.
Joel describes their approach in verses 2b-3: a great people and a strong; there has not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after them, even to the years of many generations. A fire devours before them; and behind them a flame burns: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and none has escaped them.
Verse 2 emphasizes their uniqueness. Just as the locust plague was unique to Joel’s day, the approach of this new invading army will be unique to the future in that it will surpass the locust invasion of the
past. He describes them as a great people and a strong; they will be functioning like a human army. Verse 3 describes the massive devastation they will cause. Whereas the land on one side may look
like the Garden of Eden, once the invasion passes through, all that remains will be a desolate wilderness.
Joel describes the invading army itself in verses 4-9: The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so do they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. At their presence the peoples are in anguish; all faces are waxed pale. They run like mighty men; they
climb the wall like men of war; and they march everyone on his ways, and they break not their ranks. Neither does one thrust another; they march everyone in his path; and they burst through the weapons and break not off their course. They leap upon the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up into the houses; they enter in at the windows like a thief.
Verse 4 describes their appearance as the appearance of horses, and they run as horsemen. Joel is describing something that appears to be “like” an ordinary military invasion, but it is not. Verse 5 describes the noise they make: Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap,
like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble. They make a crackling sound. Verse 6 emphasizes the terror they will cause. As soon as the people see them, they are in anguish. Their faces turn pale or white. Verses 7and 8 emphasize their speed and their discipline. As they march, everyone walks in step and keeps to the line of their part. Verse 9 describes their attack.

It is very clear that what is being described is similar to the locust invasion, yet they are different from locusts. They have certain characteristics, such as horse-like characteristics, which prove that
they are not locusts, though the devastation they cause is similar to that caused by locusts.

The result of this invasion is given in verse 10: The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble; the sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. When this invasion occurs, there will be two major results: first, there will be tremendous convulsions of nature; and secondly, there will be a blackout. The word “blackout” means that no light will be penetrating to the earth from the sun, moon, or stars. Throughout the last days there will be five such blackouts. The blackout Joel is
speaking of here is the third of the five blackouts, a blackout that occurs some time during the first half of the Great Tribulation.

Joel gives the reason all these things have occurred in verse 11: And Jehovah utters his voice before his army; for his camp is very great; for he is strong that executes his word; for the day of Jehovah is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
As Joel concludes his description of this massive invasion, he points out that it will occur because of divine judgment from God. He states that God is able to execute his word, and He will execute it during the great and very terrible Day of Jehovah. The period of special, divine judgment of the Tribulation has finally hit, hence the question: who can abide it?

What Joel described in these verses is the same thing John described in Revelation 9, where he wrote of two demonic invasions: the first, in verses 1-11, is for the purpose of tormenting. The demons are given
authority to torment men for five months, but they are not permitted to kill anyone. The second demonic invasion, in verses 13-21, comes after five months of torment that will destroy one third of the
inhabitants of the world in that day. The reason Joel 2:11 stated that the camp or the army is very great is because, according to these verses in Revelation 9, the army will be comprised of 200 million demons.
The description given by Joel in 2:4-9 is very similar to that given by John. Revelation 9 also mentions the same blackout in which there will be no light penetrating to the earth from the sun, moon, or stars. Thus, Joel set the stage for what John developed later. What Joel described in the prophetic invasion is not a locust invasion, but a locust like invasion. The demons that will be involved in this invasion will have
the appearance of locusts as well as the appearance of horses and horsemen.

3. The Exhortation and Call to Fasting and Prayer: Joel 2:12-17

After the historical invasion of locusts in chapter 1, Joel encouraged the nation and the priests to fast and repent and call upon the Lord in prayer. The same thing will occur in the future. As a result of this
demonic invasion, there will be an exhortation and a call to fasting and prayer in Joel 2:12-14.
Just as it was in the past, an exhortation will be issued in the future in verses 12-13a: Yet even now, says Jehovah, turn ye unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God. Joel stated that the people’s requirement in that future day will be to turn, meaning “to repent.” The repentance is to come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. This time they are not to rend their garments, but to rend their hearts. The word repent means “to turn around.”

Where there is true repentance, God will respond in grace in verses 13b-14: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repents him of the evil. Who knows whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal-offering and a drink offering
unto Jehovah your God?
If they will turn around, God will turn around and leave a blessing behind, so that the destruction will not be total. Indeed, toward the end of the Tribulation, the whole nation will repent in just this way,
and God will respond in grace.

The actual call to fasting and prayer is in Joel 2:15-17. The alarm is sounded once again in verse 15: Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly.
When the trumpet sounded in chapter 2:1, it was a warning that the invading army had arrived. This time the alarm is sounded for the purpose of calling a solemn assembly. That, too, was a biblical use of the
trumpet (Num. 10:10). Once again, the trumpet will sound from Mount Zion, a call to sanctify a fast and to call a solemn assembly. The totality of the call is emphasized in verse 16: gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
All should come to repentance in the nation of Israel; even the old men and the children even the nursing babies, as well as the bridegroom and the bride.

There will be a special calling upon the priests to cry for help, according to verse 17: Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare your people, O Jehovah, and give not your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore
should they say among the peoples, where is their God?
They are to weep between the porch and the altar. This is the space between the Altar of Sacrifice and the front door of the Temple building. They are to call for help based on two things: first, on the basis of being the chosen people; secondly, on the basis of not allowing the Gentiles to deride them and say: Where is their God? Psalm 79 is another example of Israel calling upon the Lord in the closing days of the Tribulation. Psalm 79:10 uses the same reasoning as Joel 2:17: in order not to remain a derision among the Gentiles.

To summarize this unit: Joel describes the recent invasion of locusts and the calling of a solemn assembly, asking God to intervene, lest there be mass starvation. This led to a discussion of a prophetic invasion of demons, bringing destruction by fire, and once again a call goes out for a solemn national assembly for national repentance.

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MINISTERS ARCI AND CHRISTINE CHECK OUT THIS NEWS!!!

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/larger-wave-locusts-threatens-millions-africa-70079587
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-pandemic-threatens-the-people-of-east-africa-and-now-locusts-threaten-their-food
https://www.wired.com/story/africas-huge-locust-swarms-are-growing-at-the-worst-time/
https://qz.com/africa/1836159/locusts-set-to-hit-kenya-east-africa-again-400-times-stronger/

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II. THE SALVATION AND RESTORATION OF ISRAEL: JOEL 2:18-3:21

That Israel will indeed come to repentance is taught in many places in Scripture. The whole nation will then be regenerated, and “all Israel will be saved.” As a result of Israel’s salvation, she will be
restored into all the Promised Land.

A. The Restoration of the Land: Joel 2:18-27

1. The Answer of God: Joel 2:18-20
While the first main unit of the book ended with Israel’s mourning and lamenting in repentance, these verses describe God’s response to that repentance in three ways. First, He responds in mercy in verse 18:
Then was Jehovah jealous for his land and had pity on his people. Two statements are made regarding God’s in mercy on behalf of Israel. First, God’s mercy arises out of His jealousy for his land.
Elsewhere, His jealousy is described as being unique to Jerusalem (Zech. 1:14; 8:2). Secondly, He had pity on his people. God’s pity will never allow a total destruction of the Jewish people.

Secondly, He responds by removing their reproach in verse 19: And Jehovah answered and said unto his people, Behold, I will send you grain, and new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. In verse 17, they had asked that the reproach of the Gentiles against the Jews might be removed, and so it will be.

Thirdly, God will remove the invading army in verse 20. but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it has done great things.
Joel will develop this point further in chapter 3, but he begins dealing with a third invasion: the invasion of a human army known today as the Campaign of Armageddon. That final war will bring about the
Second Coming and the Messianic Kingdom. In this verse, God states: I will remove far off from you the northern army. When the locusts invaded Israel, they came from the south, but most of the time human
armies come from the north. In the counterattack, the main body of the army is destroyed in the Negev Desert, the land in the southern part of Israel that is barren and desolate. Its forepart will be destroyed in
the Dead Sea region on the east side of Israel. The hinder part will be destroyed in the western sea, which is Mediterranean Sea on the west side of Israel. This will result in the stench of dead bodies of the armies
of the Antichrist that come against the Jews in the Campaign of Armageddon. They will be destroyed in the south, east, and west of Israel. The north is not mentioned because this is the direction from which the army invaded.

2. The Restoration of Material Blessings: Joel 2:21-27
Joel draws a contrast between the invading army of verse 20 and what God will do in verse 21: Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice; for Jehovah has done great things.
In verse 20, the stench arises thickly because they had “done great things” in a negative way. In verse 21, the Land does not need to be afraid, rather it can both be glad and rejoice because now Jehovah has done
great things in a positive way.
The animal kingdom will rejoice in verse 22: Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
The beasts who had earlier suffered because of the devastation of the land will also be rejoicing because the pastures and wilderness will spring up again, and there will once again be sufficient food and water.

Not only will the Land and the animals rejoice, Israel also will rejoice in verses 23-26. They give thanks for five reasons. The first reason is given in verse 23a: Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he gives you the former rain in just measure. Too many translations render the Hebrew word here former rain in just measure because that seems to make more sense in the context. But this is not a valid translation because the Hebrew literally reads, “the teacher of righteousness.” This Teacher of Righteousness is the Jewish Messiah Himself. So, they are rejoicing because the Teacher of
Righteousness, the Messiah, is in their midst.

The second reason for the rejoicing of the people is in verse 23b: and he causes to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first month.
The rains will now come in their proper seasons. Joel mentions three categories of rain: the main body of rain, the early rain that precedes it, and the latter rain that follows it. If the rains come in their proper
seasons, the land will produce more. Since the rains will come in their proper seasons after Israel is saved as a nation, there will be rejoicing because that will mean an abundance of crops.

The third reason the people are rejoicing is given in verse 24: And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. Indeed, when the rains come in their proper seasons, an abundance of grain, wine, and oil will occur. Instead of tearing barns down as they had done previously, now they will have more than they can fit into these barns.

The fourth reason Israel will rejoice is given in verse 25: And I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten, the canker worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer worm, my great army which I sent among you. Not only will there be this new abundance, but there will also be a restoration of all previous losses Israel suffered in all previous plagues, such as the locust plague of Joel’s day. God will so massively produce in the Messianic Kingdom that all of the previous losses will be more than compensated.

And the fifth reason for this rejoicing is given in verse 26: And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of Jehovah your God, that has dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never be put to shame. They will have plenty to eat and will be satisfied. The reproach they
felt among the Gentiles, which they prayed might be removed in verse 17, will indeed be removed and now they will rejoice for it.

So, the Land will rejoice, the animals will rejoice, and the people of Israel will rejoice over the restoration of the material blessings. The result of the restoration of material blessings in given in verse 27: And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Jehovah your God, and there is none else; and my people shall never be put to shame. The key result of it all is that they will certainly know that Jehovah is indeed the God of Israel. When they see all of these material blessings in the Kingdom and all previous losses restored, then they will clearly see that God is among them and never again will they be ashamed.

B. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit: Joel 2:28-32
Israel’s national salvation is frequently connected with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Joel describes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in verses 28-29. The timing is given in verse 28a: And it shall come to pass afterward.
Joel specifies the timing of this outpouring with the word afterward. After what? After what the preceding context has been dealing with, after the judgments of the Great Tribulation, after Israel’s repentance. When Israel repents, there will be this outpouring upon the whole nation that
will lead to the nation’s salvation. It is an outpouring that occurs during the last three days of the Great Tribulation (Hos. 5:15- 6:3). Joel describes the universality of this outpouring and its results in
verses 28b-29: that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit.

The term all flesh in this context is “all Jewish flesh.” Joel does not mean that there will be an outpouring upon the whole world in general, but upon the whole nation of Israel in particular. This is the
same event that Paul spoke of in Romans 11. Notice the pronoun your; your daughters, your young men, your old men. He is speaking of Israel, not of the Church. In this outpouring of the Holy Spirit, there will be no distinction of age, sex, or social status. The whole nation will receive this outpouring of the Holy Spirit that will result in prophetic dreams and visions. Thus Joel speaks of that future outpouring of the Holy Spirit that will result in the salvation of the whole nation during the last three days of the Great Tribulation.
Joel points out certain signs that will lead to this outpouring of the Holy Spirit in verses 30-31: And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes.
He mentions two things: first, there will be convulsions of nature in verse 30; and secondly, the whole thing will be signaled by a blackout in verse 31. Once again, no light from the sun, moon, or stars will
penetrate to the earth. The blackout described here is the first of the five blackouts. This one will occur sometime before the Tribulation, because he gives the timing of the blackout as coming before the great and terrible day of Jehovah. Sometime before the Tribulation starts, the first of five blackouts will occur. These are all signs that the final salvation of Israel will soon come.

The prerequisite for the outpouring of the Spirit upon Israel is stated in verse 32: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah has said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah does call.
Joel gives the one prerequisite to Israel’s salvation: Israel must call upon the name of the Lord. The Remnant of Israel will do precisely that.

C. The Judgment of the Gentiles: Joel 3:1-17
The third subdivision deals with the judgment of the Gentiles following Israel’s national salvation.

1. The Announcement of the Judgment: Joel 3:1-8
The timing for the announcement of that coming judgment of the Gentiles is given in verse 1: For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem.
The judgment will be at the time of the restoration of Israel. It will be in conjunction with the time of Israel’s regeneration and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, it will be when God shall
bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem. Hence, it is at the time of Israel’s final restoration, as well as their regeneration. This judgment will take place after the Tribulation in preparation for the Kingdom.
The subjects and the location of the judgment are named in verse 2a: I will gather all nations and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat. The subjects are all nations. The Hebrew word for nations simply means “Gentiles.” All Gentiles who survive the Tribulation will be gathered together for this judgment. The location of this judgment is the valley of Jehoshaphat, also known as the Valley of Kidron. It is one of the two valleys that surround the Old City of Jerusalem. It is in this valley,
separating the Old City from the Mount of Olives, that the judgment will occur.
The basis of this judgment is given in verses 2b-3: and I will execute judgment upon them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations: and they have parted my land, and have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.
The basis of this judgment will be pro-Semitism or anti-Semitism, or how these Gentiles treated the Jews during the Great Tribulation. Many of these Gentiles will be guilty of three anti-Semitic acts during
the Great Tribulation: first, for scattering Israel; secondly, for dividing the Land among themselves, a Land that belongs to the Jews; and thirdly, for enslaving the Jews. Joel gives some examples of the sins of which they are guilty in verses 4-6: Yea, and what are ye to me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all the regions of
Philistia? will ye render me a recompense? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense upon your own head. Forasmuch as ye have taken my silver and my gold and have carried into your temples my goodly precious things, and have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem unto the sons of the Grecians, that ye may remove them far from their border.
Joel mentions three examples of the sins committed against the Jews. First, in verse 4, is the sin of vengeance against the Jews. Joel speaks of the recompense of Tyre and Sidon and Philistia. The Philistine country today is the Gaza Strip, comprised mostly of Palestinian Arabs, and Phoenicia today is Lebanon. Those living in the area of the Philistine country and the Phoenician country will be particularly guilty.
Apparently, these two areas will be especially vengeful against the Jews. Their vengeance against the Jews is now to be repaid by vengeance from God. Secondly, in verse 5, they will be guilty of
spoiling the Temple. And thirdly, in verse 6, they will be guilty of selling Jews as slaves to the Greeks.

Having given examples of their sins, Joel gives the example of the punishment that is to come in verses 7-8: behold, I will stir them up out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompense upon your own head; and I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of
Judah, and they shall sell them to the men of Sheba, to a nation far off: for Jehovah has spoken it.
Joel makes two points. First, the Jews who have been sold far off will be brought back to the Land. Secondly, the sellers themselves will be sold far off. How far off is given elsewhere in Scripture, but the anti-Semites will be slain in this judgment and sent to Hell. In that sense they are indeed sent far off.

2. The Occasion of the Judgment: Joel 3:9-13
In verses 1-8, Joel announces the judgment of the Gentiles and in verses 9-13 he summarizes the beginning and the end of the Armageddon Campaign. The gathering of the nations for war is
described in verses 9-11.
There is a proclamation issued among the nations to prepare for War in verse 9: Proclaim ye this among the nations; prepare war; stir up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.
This is the same proclamation found in Revelation 16:12-16, where the Antichrist will be responsible for gathering these armies together in the Valley of Jezreel and calling for war against the Jews. The
Hebrew words for Proclaim and prepare war mean “to sanctify a war.” In other words, the Antichrist declares a holy war against the Jews. In this holy war, he will bring all the armies together in the Campaign of Armageddon for one final onslaught against the Jews. Furthermore, the mighty men are to be stirred up.
Indeed, the armies that join the Antichrist will not do this merely out of a sense of necessity, but will do it with enthusiasm in verse 10: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
They will turn all farming equipment into weapons of war. Their enthusiasm will be seen in two ways: first, it is seen in the way they will form weapons of war from peaceful materials; secondly, in the way the
weak and cowardly will deceive themselves into believing they are strong and very courageous.
Their speed in coming together is described in verse 11: Haste ye, and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together: thither cause your mighty ones to come down, O Jehovah. Just like the Nazis, they cannot wait to begin killing Jews. Nevertheless, while the nations are gathering, God causes His own mighty ones to come down. This refers to the angels, to carry out His own purposes, not
those of Satan or the Antichrist. Hence, this is going to be both a human and an angelic conflict, ending in Gentile defeat and Gentile judgment.

The gathering of the nations for judgment is given in verses 12-13: Let the nations bestir themselves and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about. Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their
wickedness is great. Verse 12 describes the gathering itself and marks the beginning and the end of the Campaign of Armageddon. When the nations gather for the purpose of annihilating the Jews, the Antichrist will gather them in the Valley of Jezreel, the Valley of Megiddo. But just as the
Antichrist will gather all the nations for war against the Jews, the end result will be that God will gather all the nations in another valley for judgment: The Valley of Jehoshaphat, between Jerusalem and the
Mount of Olives.

In verse 13, the nations are pictured as undergoing “reaping” and “treading.” Throughout the Scriptures, reaping is a symbol for salvation. Thus, the reaping results in salvation because many Gentiles
are pro-Semites; these are the “sheep” Gentiles and they are reaped unto salvation. The pro-Semites are not saved because they were good to the Jews, but they were good to the Jews because they were already
saved. Their pro-Semitic acts show their faith. This is also found in Revelation 14:14-16. The treading results in the destruction of the anti-Semites. This treading is also described in Revelation 14:17-20,
which speaks of this treading as taking place just outside the walls of Jerusalem. The anti-Semite Gentiles will be trodden down into destruction in Hell.

3. The Execution of the Judgment: Joel 3:14-17
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. And Jehovah will roar from Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but Jehovah will be a refuge unto his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am
Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.
In verse 14, this judgment of the Gentiles will be the outworking of the Day of Jehovah, during which time they tried to destroy the Jews. Now, this judgment is an outworking of that period. In verse 15,
another blackout is described. This is the one that happens after the Tribulation and is the fifth blackout of the last days. It is also mentioned in Matthew 24:29. Of the five blackouts of the last days,
Joel mentions three: the one before the Tribulation, the one in the second quarter during the first half of the Tribulation, and one after the Tribulation. According to verse 16, this is a war of judgment against the Gentiles, for God is a refuge for Israel. Following the judgment of the Gentiles, the Kingdom is established in verse 17. This judgment of the Gentiles described by Joel 3:1-17 is the very same judgment as that described in Matthew 25:31-46, the judgment of the sheep and the goats.

D. The Messianic Kingdom: Joel 3:18-21

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and shall water the valley of Shittim. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. And I will cleanse their blood, that I have not cleansed: for Jehovah dwells in Zion.
Joel describes the Messianic Kingdom by stating five things. First, in verse 18a, the Land will be well watered. Secondly, in verse 18b, there will be a special Millennial River, which is also mentioned in
Zechariah 14:8 and Ezekiel 47:1-12. Thirdly, in verse 19, there will be a desolation of Egypt and Edom, which is southern Jordan. According to Ezekiel 29:8-14, the desolation of Egypt is limited to only forty
years, the first forty years of the Messianic Kingdom, but Edom will be desolate throughout the 1,000 years of the Millennial Kingdom. Both of these nations, Egypt and Edom, will be desolate is because of
their previous violence against the Jews. Fourthly, in verse 20, Israel will live in security. And fifth, in verse 21, Israel will experience a national salvation.
In this manner, Joel concludes his book.

© 1984, 2005 Ariel Ministries. All rights reserved.
This teaching was first published by Ariel Ministries as part of the ministry’s Messianic Bible Studies series and is published here with permission from the publisher. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form, except in brief quotation in a review or professional work, without written permission from the publishers (homeoffice@ariel.org; www.ariel.org).

End of class.

Remember, this is not only reading material, it is study material !!!

Read and study the class again, to assimilate it!

FOR THE STUDENT: THIS CLASS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR STUDY AND USE THROUGH MONDAY, APRIL 27, WHEN THEN THE EXAMINATION OF THE SAME WILL BE POSTED. YOU HAVE FROM TUESDAY 28 TO WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, TO COMPLETE AND SUBMIT YOUR EXAMINATION OF THIS CLASS TO THE SEMINARY!!!

THE DAY OF PENTECOST AND THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH

Professor:
Dr. Juan E. Fernandez.
drfernandez@stucedu.org

Dear student, Welcome to the Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry program! The school of ministry takes the training of candidates for the ministry very seriously. On this occasion we have an Exposition on The Day of Pentecost And The Birth Of The Church. [DR. FRUCHTENBAUM’S THE DAY OF PENTECOST AND THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH] Interesting teachings you will learn in this study. after the class, as is customary, you will be taking the exams or quiezz, to be sure that you understand the exposed material.[ THE DAY OF PENTECOST AND THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH]

The Study is divided in four main parts:

I. THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: ACTS 2:1-4
II. THE EFFECTS OF THE COMING OF THE SPIRIT: ACTS 2:5-13
III. PETER’S FIRST SERMON: ACTS 2:14-36.
IV. THE RESULTS OF PETER’S SERMON: ACTS 2:37-47

STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO START WITH A READING OF THE BOOK OF ACTS CHAPTERS 1-15.

Any question you have, you can write to my email:

THE DAY OF PENTECOST AND THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH
BY DR. ARNOLD G. FRUCHTENBAUM, TH.M., PH.D.

“And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Acts 2:2.”

The second chapter of the Book of Acts deals with the day of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, and with the witness of the apostles at the Feast of Pentecost. This class divides itself nicely into four main divisions: the coming of the Holy Spirit; the effects of the coming of the Spirit; Peter’s first sermon; and the results of Peter’s sermon.

I. THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: ACTS 2:1-4

A. The Occasion: Acts 2:1

And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. According to verse 1, the occasion was the day of Pentecost, which was known as the Feast of Weeks in the Old Testament. When it states: the day, with a definite article, it shows that the Feast of Pentecost was now to be fulfilled by the events occurring in this chapter. The Greek word translated was now come means “in the being fulfilled completely.” The point Luke is trying to make in using this particular term is to show that the Feast of Pentecost is about to be fulfilled by these events. If this was observed on a Sunday in keeping with the Mosaic Law, then this day was also a Sunday and the Church was born on a Sunday.
The phrase, they were all together in one place, is taken by some to mean that this was in the Temple Compound, but most likely this one place was a gathering in the upper room, as was the case in chapter 1.

B. The Events of Pentecost: Acts 2:2-4

Three things happened next: a sound to hear, a sight to see, and a miracle to experience. First, the sound to hear was the wind in verse
2: And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. The verse emphasizes the quickness or suddenness by which it came.
The source was from heaven; suddenly something came from Heaven. The content was: a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind. The verse does not say it was a wind, only the sound was like that of a wind. The wind is a very common symbol in Scripture of the Holy Spirit. A more literal translation would be “an echoing sound as of a mighty wind, borne violently.” There was a roar about the wind that caused a shaking like a little whirl sound of a tornado. Although they had heard the sound of a mighty rushing wind, they never felt a blast. The result was that the sound filled all the house where they were sitting. The fact that Luke used the term house excludes this from being the Temple, it was more likely the upper room.

Secondly, the sight to see was the fire in verse 3: And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. The appearance was that of tongues. The action was that of parting asunder. The Greek word means “to cleave asunder” or “to cut in pieces.” The Greek Middle Voice means “parting themselves asunder,” they were distributing themselves. What they saw then was something like [a] fire. Again, it does not say that it was fire, only that it looked like…fire, but they felt no burning. Each separate tongue looked like a fire; they were flame like in appearance and brightness. What they saw was a cluster of flames, initially all united together, and then became separated as they distributed themselves into individual flame like tongues on each one in the room. This was the appearance of the Shechinah Glory, the visible manifestation of God’s presence. The result was that it sat upon each one of them. In other words, one tongue of fire rested on each apostle; a tongue that looked like fire which sat upon each one of them. And thirdly, the miracle to experience was that of the gift of tongues or speaking in other languages in verse 4: And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Tongues is what the fire looked like and now the result was that they also spoke in other tongues. The cause was that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. To be filled means “to be controlled” by the Holy Spirit according to Ephesians 5:18; they were suddenly filled or controlled by the Holy Spirit.

While only the filling of the Spirit is mentioned, this event included other ministries of the Holy Spirit as well. For example, it included the Spirit’s ministry of indwelling according to John 14:17. It also included the ministry of Spirit baptism, as can be seen by comparing Acts 1:5 with Acts 11:15-16.

All this was a fulfillment of a promise that Yeshua (Jesus) made in John 16:7-15. The result was that they began to speak with other tongues. The word tongues mean they began to speak in a language other than their own native language. It was a real, known, spoken language with all the rules of grammar, diction, and syntax common to all languages. It was not merely the rapid repetition of three or four syllables that is passed off as tongues today.

The source of this gift of languages is: as the Spirit gave them utterance. In other words, the Holy Spirit provided the gift of tongues, for the gift of languages is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Apparently, with the experience in the upper room, the apostles would have then gone out into the public area and continued speaking in the very languages of the Jews who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast. This may or may not have been the Temple Compound. Such a great multitude, mentioned in verse 41, could not have fit into the upper room.

So, what happened on this occasion was a new ministry of the Holy Spirit which in turn gave birth to a new entity, the Church, the Body of the Messiah.

C. The Significance of Pentecost

The significance of Pentecost can be summarized in nine parts. First, it marked the coming of the Holy Spirit for a new type of ministry, His New Testament ministry in keeping with John 16:7-15.

Secondly, the coming of the Holy Spirit was marked by the three signs of Acts 2:1-4: the sound of a wind, the appearance of fire, and the gift of tongues.
Thirdly, Pentecost means the giving of the gift of the Holy Spirit, for He is the gift according to John 14:16; Acts 2:38; and 10:45. Whereas before this time, the Holy Spirit did indwell some believers, He did not indwell all believers. Even for the few who did experience the indwelling, it was not necessarily permanent. Now, the Holy Spirit indwells all believers, and this indwelling is permanent.

Fourthly, it means that the power of the Holy Spirit is now provided for each one of us to complete the commission that God gives us (Acts 1:8).

The fifth significance is that Pentecost marks the beginning of the Church; it marks the birth of the Church. This is obvious by comparing several Scriptures. Colossians 1:18 teaches that the Church is the Body of the Messiah. I Corinthians 12:13 states that entrance into this Body, the Church, is by means of Spirit baptism. Acts 1:5 states that Spirit baptism was yet future as of Acts 1. Acts 11:15-16 states that Spirit baptism began in Acts 2:1-4. Because the Church cannot exist apart from Spirit baptism, it means the Church was born on this occasion.

The sixth significance of Pentecost is that it opened the gospel to both Jews and proselytes (Acts 2:10).

The seventh significance is that this means Peter will now use the keys of the Kingdom for the first time. He was given the keys of the Kingdom in Matthew 16:19 to open the door of the Kingdom to the three groups: Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles. Here, he will open the door to the Jews in Acts 2:14.

The eighth significance is that Pentecost is an illustration of the future outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all Israel predicted in Joel 2:28- 29 and declared as such in Acts 2:16-21.

And the ninth significance is that Pentecost signifies that the worldwide preaching of the gospel now begins in earnest, in accordance with Acts 2:9-11.

II. THE EFFECTS OF THE COMING OF THE SPIRIT: ACTS 2:5-13

A. The Jews in Jerusalem: Acts 2:5

Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.

Verse 5 reveals what the situation was at that point: there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews…from every nation under heaven. These were Jews of the Diaspora, faithful, believing Jews from outside the country that came to Jerusalem for the Passover. Because Pentecost was also a required time for Jewish people to be at Jerusalem and because there were only fifty days between Pentecost and Passover, it became customary for those Jews who came to Jerusalem from outside the Land to stay all the way through Pentecost before going home. Pentecost had only now arrived, and Jerusalem was still full of Jewish people from all over the Dispersion. The majority of them were Jews by nationality, while a minority were proselytes, Gentile converts to Judaism.

Furthermore, they were devout men, which indicates something about these men: they were Old Testament type saints in the same way that Simeon was an Old Testament saint (Lk. 2:25), for the same terminology was used of Simeon. These were Old Testament type saints who were separated by geography and therefore had not participated in the Crucifixion. They were believers in the Old Testament sense of the term.
The period of time covered by the Book of Acts is a period of transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament. One of the purposes of the Book of Acts was to reach this type of believer in the Old Testament sense with the new message of the gospel.

B. The Excitement of the Multitude: Acts 2:6-8
Verse 6 reveals the cause of the excitement: And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speaking in his own language.

The cause was: when this sound was heard. The Greek word for sound in verse 6 is not the same as the word for sound in verse 2. Therefore, the meaning of the term sound is not necessarily the sound of the wind. It may also be that they heard the sound of the speaking in other languages; contextually, that is probably the sound that verse 6 is talking about. The result was that the multitude came together and provided the audience for Peter’s first sermon in the Book of Acts. We are then told something about their state: they were confounded; they were confused. The reason was that they heard every man speaking his own language. The Greek word for language here is the origin of the English word “dialect.” It simply means “language.” It explains what the tongues of verse 4 were: they were spoken languages with all the rules of grammar, diction, syntax, and all that a language involves. Everyone who came heard someone speaking in his own native language, the language of the country from which he came.

Verses 7-8 give the reason for that excitement: And they were all amazed and marveled, saying, Behold, are not all these that speak Galileans? And how hear we, every man in our own language wherein we were born? Again, their state was that of amazement and marvel. The Greek word for amazed means “to be in wide open astonishment.” The Greek word for marvelled emphasizes that the wonder kept growing and growing. The more they looked upon the scene, the more the wonder actually grew. The basis of the amazement is seen in their question: are not these that speak Galilaeans? They could tell by their accent that they were all Galileans (Mat. 26:73; Mk. 14:17; Lk. 22:59). The Galilean accent was very distinct, characterized by confusing guttural sounds. They could tell that these men were Galileans, yet they had the ability to speak all these different languages.

C. The Origins of the Multitude: Acts 2:9-11

These verses provide a list of the regions from which the people came. Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, in Judaea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and sojourners from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty works of God. The first four names include the Parthians, the Medians, the Elamites and dwellers of Mesopotamia. These came from east of Judaea, spoke Aramaic, and were descendants of the Ten Tribes. The fifth name given is Judaea, which includes Galilee, and the language spoken here was Hebrew. The next five names are Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia. These are all in Asia Minor or present day Turkey, and they spoke Greek. The next two are Egypt and the parts of Libya around Cyrene. These were in North Africa, where they also spoke Greek. Next were sojourners from Rome, so Europe has representatives, and they spoke Latin. Next, he mentions Cretans who spoke Greek, and Arabians who spoke Nabetean. The makeup was that of two different groups: Jews by nationality, people who were born as Jews, and proselytes, Gentiles who were converts to Judaism.

The content of the language is spelled out in verse 11: we hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty works of God. What they were hearing in these languages concerned the mighty works of God that had been done.

D. The Responses of the Multitude: Acts 2:12-13

And they were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another, what mean this? But others mocking said, they are filled with new wine. There were two different types of responses to the action of the apostles. The first response was that of questioning in verse 12. The cause that raised the question was that they were all amazed and were perplexed; they were at a loss to explain the significance of what they were seeing and what they were hearing. They were asking one another: What mean this? They were not questioning the miracle itself, but they were asking what the significance of the miracle was. As Old Testament type believers, they recognized this to be a supernatural event. Therefore, “what did this mean?”

The second response was one of mockery in verse 13. There were also unbelievers in the multitude. Some mocked, and the content of the mockery was to claim that the apostles were filled with new wine; in other words, they were drunk. The Greek word for new wine actually means “sweet wine.” It means wine that had begun fermenting and it was still fermenting but had not yet completed its fermentation process. This kind of wine was much more intoxicating. The unbelievers in the multitude were claiming that these apostles were drunk with sweet wine.

Thus, there were two responses: the believers questioned what the significance of these events were; and the unbelievers were mocking and claiming that they were drunk.

III. PETER’S FIRST SERMON: ACTS 2:14-36

Peter’s first sermon can be divided into three parts: his sermon, his proof of the Messiahship of Jesus, and the conclusion of his sermon.

A. Peter’s Refutation of the Accusation: Acts 2:14-21

Peter again takes the lead and stands out with the eleven in verse 14: But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke forth unto them, saying, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear unto my words. This is Peter’s first use of the keys of the Kingdom. The fact that Peter is mentioned with the eleven shows that Matthais had been accepted as

being among the apostolic group of twelve. He then lifted up his voice and by so doing he called attention to a very important proclamation. Those addressed were: Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem. And the call is: be this known unto you and give ear unto my words.

He then refutes what some are saying about the apostles’ action on the basis of custom in verse 15: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose; seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

Custom denies the accusation of some that they are drunk with sweet wine. The reason being that it is only the third hour of the day, making it nine o’clock in the morning. That means it is much too early to be drunk.

The Jewish custom was to drink wine only in the evening. Nine o’clock in the morning was an hour of prayer, the time of the regular morning sacrifice. On this occasion, there were special sacrifices because it was the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost.

The first explanation of the apostle’s actions is that they cannot be drunk, because it is simply too early, and it contradicts Jewish custom.

Peter gives another explanation of their actions, which is based on the Book of Joel in verses 16 21: but this is that which has been spoken through the prophet Joel: And it shall be in the last days, says God, I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh: And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams: Yea and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days Will I pour forth of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heaven above, And signs on the earth beneath; Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord come, That great and notable day: And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

This quotation of Joel 2:28-32 falls into the category of interpretation known as “literal plus application.” When Peter states: this is that, he did not use the normal formula for fulfillment. He did not say, “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by.” He simply said: this is that. Nothing that Joel prophesied actually happened in Acts 2 and nothing that happened in Acts 2, such as speaking in tongues, was even mentioned by Joel. This is literal plus application.

Literally, what Joel was speaking about was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the whole nation of Israel in the last days. An application is always based on one point of similarity. In this case, the one point of similarity was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, resulting in some unusual manifestation. Peter quotes Joel by way of application, for just as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Joel will result in some supernatural manifestations, by the same token, we now have an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in a limited sense, but it, too, has resulted in supernatural manifestations.

B. Peter’s Proof of the Messiahship of Jesus: Acts 2:22-35

Peter now moves to prove the Messiahship of Yeshua.

1. By the Public Ministry, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus: Acts 2:22-24

Peter summarized the public ministry of Jesus in verse 22: Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know.

Those addressed were: Ye men of Israel. They were to focus their attention on Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved [by] God unto you. The means by which He was approved was by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him; His works were His miracles, which authenticated His claims.

Peter showed that the power of God was at work in the life of Yeshua by three words. The first word, works, emphasized His miracles. The second word, wonders, emphasized miracles as demonstrations that appeal to the senses, creating a sense of wonder and awe. The third word, signs, emphasized that which underlined and authenticated the message being presented. Furthermore, this was all done publicly: in the midst of you, even as [you] yourselves know.

After summarizing the ministry of Yeshua, Peter next deals with the death of the Messiah, and he points out that there was a divine side and a human side in verse 23: him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay.

As for God’s side, He was delivered up by God, because the death of Jesus was part of God’s plan, part of the determinate counsel of God. Determinate counsel means “a fixed purpose.” It was part of the fixed purpose of God for the Messiah to die. It was included in the decree of God, for it was part of the foreknowledge of God. The word foreknowledge means “to know beforehand,” but not simply out of knowledge; it means “to know beforehand because of preplanning.” In other words, God knew the Messiah would die because He preplanned it; it was predestined for the Messiah to die. The Greek word is used only by Peter, both here and in I Peter 1:2 and 20. So, from the divine side, God planned the death of the Messiah so that even if the Jews had accepted Yeshua, He would still have had to die. In other words, no matter what, the death of Jesus was inevitable.

As for the human side, the guilty ones are: ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay. These lawless men were Pharisees and Sadducees, the leaders who represented the people, and the guilt of the leaders is the guilt of the nation. It was these leaders who were responsible for turning Yeshua over to Gentile hands; in that sense, they did crucify Him, and they did slay Him.

Next, Peter moved on to the Resurrection of the Messiah in verse 24:

whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. The Greek word for pangs means “birth pangs.” It pictures the Messiah as being born out of death; He was released from death’s agony. The reason was that it was not possible that he should be holden of it. It was not possible that death could keep the Messiah imprisoned forever.

This is a simple story: Yeshua came; He presented His credentials by miracles, signs, and wonders; He was rejected and killed, but then resurrected. This is the essence of the gospel.

2. By the Quotation of Psalm 16:8-11: Acts 2:25-28 For David said concerning him, I beheld the Lord always before my face; For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; Moreover my flesh also shall dwell in hope: Because you will not leave my soul unto Hades, Neither will you give your Holy One to see corruption. You made known unto me the ways of life; You shall make me full of gladness with your countenance.

This quotation falls into the category of interpretation known as “literal prophecy plus literal fulfillment,” because, in the context of Psalm 16, the psalmist was clearly speaking of the Resurrection of the Messiah. Even some rabbis understood this passage to be messianic. For example, in one commentary on this verse, a rabbi wrote, “My glory rejoices over King Messiah.”

Peter declared that the author of this psalm was David, but David was not speaking of himself; he spoke concerning the Messiah. The point of verse 25 is that the speaker’s trust is in the Lord and, for that reason, the speaker rejoices in and dwells in hope in verse 26. He can dwell in hope because the resurrection will come after death according to verse 27. And because of the resurrection, the speaker will walk in the path of life in verse 28.

3. By the Application of the Psalm: Acts 2:29-33
Peter then made the application of the psalm specifically to the Messiahship of Yeshua, pointing out that Psalm 16 could not possibly have been speaking of David in verse 29: Brethren, I may say unto you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us unto this day.

He begins by addressing the crowd as Brethren meaning, in this case, not fellow believers, but fellow-Jews, who were their Brethren in the flesh. His point is that I may say unto you freely of the patriarch David. The Greek word means “that I may confidently tell it all to you,” “that I may tell it to you with fullness and with boldness.”

The evidence that this psalm could not be speaking of David is that David both died and [he] was buried, and his tomb is with us unto this day. According to Jewish tradition, David died on Pentecost.

One rabbi wrote that neither worm nor insect had any power over David, that David did not see corruption. But that is not what the psalmist emphasizes: he emphasizes not seeing corruption because of resurrection. The fact that the tomb of David was right there and known to everybody in that day shows that the psalmist could not have been speaking about David. So, who was the psalmist speaking of ?

Verses 30-31 declare that David prophesied of the Messiah: Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins he would set one upon his throne; he foreseeing this spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

The basis is the Davidic Covenant according to verse 30. Besides being a king, David was also a prophet and received direct revelation of God. He knew about the Davidic Covenant, because God had sworn with an oath to him; the covenant was made with David. The content of the covenant included the fact that of the fruit of his loins he would set one upon his throne. In other words, from David’s loins, one would come who would permanently sit upon the throne. Thus, David understood from God’s promise that the Messiah would be his descendant.

Peter pointed out that, in the prophecy of Psalm 16, David prophesied not of himself, but of the Resurrection of the Messiah in verse 31. Peter states: he [David] foreseeing this. What does the word this mean? It means that, on the basis of the Davidic Covenant, he would have an eternal descendant on the throne, because of the resurrection of the Christ. The Greek has a definite article, the Christ, meaning the Messiah.

Then Peter further states: neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. In other words, His soul did not remain in Sheol or Hades; He was not in the grave long enough for the flesh to become corrupt.

In verse 32 Peter drives his point home that this Messiah is Jesus: This Jesus did God raise up, whereof we all are witnesses.

Peter then discussed the Messiah’s present position in verse 33: Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured forth this, which ye see and hear. As to His present place, He is at the right hand of God the Father. As to His glory, He is exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, the promise of Acts 1:4. God the Father turned control of the Holy Spirit over to the Son, and then the Son poured forth this [the Spirit upon these apostles], which [you now] see and hear. What they now see and hear is the speaking in tongues.

This is the explanation: it is not a result of drunkenness; it is a result of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

4. By the Quotation of Psalm 110:1: Acts 2:34-35
For David ascended not into the heavens: but he says himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit you on my right hand, Till I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.

The point Peter is trying to prove is that David did not ascend into Heaven, his body was still in that tomb, which was a fact they all knew. Psalm 110:1 falls into the category of interpretation known as “literal prophecy plus literal fulfillment.” The Lord invited David’s Lord to sit on the right hand until the Messiah’s enemies become His footstool. David had no human lord; David’s Lord was the Messiah. The Messiah was destined to sit on the right hand of God the Father, and He will remain there “until the Messiah’s enemies become the footstool of His feet.”

C. The Conclusion of Peter’s Refutation: Acts 2:36

Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified. Having preached his sermon, having presented the gospel, Peter now draws his conclusion: Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, let there be no doubt about this fact, that God the Father has made him both Lord and Christ. He has made Him Lord and He has made Him the Messiah; He is the Lord Messiah. He is David’s Lord.

He is Israel’s Messiah: whom ye crucified, which in this context, emphasized the Jewish guilt in the Crucifixion. Elsewhere he will emphasize Gentile guilt, but here we have the emphasis upon the Jewish guilt. The Resurrection was a fulfillment of Scripture, and the Resurrection proves two things: first, the fulfillment of the promise of the Father; and secondly, that Yeshua is both Lord and Messiah.

IV. THE RESULTS OF PETER’S SERMON: ACTS 2:37-47

A. Salvation: Acts 2:37-42

The first result of Peter’s sermon is that it brought conviction in verse 37: Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do?

The cause of the conviction is: when they heard this, when they heard that Jesus was the Messiah but had been rejected and crucified: they were pricked in their heart. The Greek word means “to pierce,” “to sting sharply,” “to smite,” “to stun.” The Greek writer Homer used the word of horses pounding or beating on the ground with their hoofs.

They then said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles. All the apostles were involved, but because Peter had the keys to the Kingdom, he was recognized even by the others as being in charge. The question they raised was: Brethren, what shall we do?

Peter answers that they must do two key things in verse 38: And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The first thing they must do is: Repent ye, which means “to change your mind.” What they need to change their mind about was the accusation that Yeshua was demon-possessed and therefore could not be the Messiah (Mat. 12:22-45). In this first command, Peter used the Second Person plural, pointing out that the first of the two things they must do had priority. These Jewish people listening to Peter were part of the nation and part of “that generation” which had committed the unpardonable sin. They are part of that generation under divine judgment. But while the sin was unpardonable nationally, it was pardonable for the individual. If these Jewish individuals would repent, that is, change their minds about Yeshua, this would save them spiritually. So, the first thing they have to do is to repent.

The second thing they would have to do is: be baptized every one of you. Here Peter used the Third Person singular, which shows that this was a lesser priority. To baptize means “to change your association,” it is a change of identification. True repentance demands the witness of water baptism. For the individual Jew of that generation to escape the judgment that was coming in the year A.D. 70, he must sever his connection with Judaism. The means of separating himself from Judaism was water baptism. By means of water baptism, they will make a new identification with a new group; so, it will mean separation from the old group. Every time baptism is so intricately connected with salvation is when it is addressed to a Jewish audience. This is true here in Acts 2:38 and is also true in Acts 22:16. But baptism with a view to salvation means the salvation from the coming judgment. Baptism will not save them spiritually, but it will save them physically from the A.D. 70 judgment. Repentance will save them spiritually, but baptism will save them physically from that coming judgment for the unpardonable sin.

Also, this baptism must be in the name of Jesus Christ as the new association. This will distinguish the baptism of those who believe in the Messiahship of Yeshua from all other baptisms, such as, proselyte baptism or John’s baptism. The purpose for all this is for the remission of…sins. The Greek word here can also simply mean “on the basis of ” or “because of ” as it clearly means in Matthew 10:41 and 12:41. Just as the Ninevites repented because of the preaching of Jonah, these must now be baptized because of the remission of their sins. Not in order to have their sins remitted, but because they have had their sins remitted by repentance. That is one way of taking it, but, again, the emphasis here is to be baptized in order to be saved physically from the A.D. 70 judgment.

If they do these things, if they repent, and show true repentance by their baptism, the result will be that they will: receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness will be followed by the gift of the Holy Spirit because the Spirit is now given to all believers.

Then Peter tells them what God will do if they repent in verse 39: For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him.

God will grant them the promise of the Holy Spirit. That this promise is for Israel is evident because it says: to all that are afar off, that is, the Jews of the Dispersion. From the divine side, this is what is called “the divine calling” or “effectual calling.” From the human side, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, in keeping with Joel 2:32 and Acts 2:21.

Verse 40 gives a summary of Peter’s message: And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation. In addition to what Luke recorded, he [Peter] testified [concerning the Messiah] and exhorted them [to repent and be baptized.] The main point he makes in this verse is: Save yourselves from this crooked generation. The emphasis is that by separating themselves from that generation, they can save themselves. This is obviously a physical salvation and helps to explain verse 38. They must save themselves from this crooked generation, the generation guilty of the unpardonable sin; they must separate from that generation. Those who will do so become members of the believing Remnant.

Verse 41 shows the response: They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls. The response was that they received his word; they believed, they repented and changed their minds about the Messiahship of Yeshua. Then they were baptized and thus separated themselves from that generation and became members of the believing Remnant. On that day there were about three thousand [Jewish] souls saved and were baptized. There are many pools in Jerusalem, and it was only nine o’clock in the morning. There were many that could baptize, so there was no problem baptizing three thousand people all in one day.

Finally, verse 42 shows discipleship: And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers. And they continued shows this was not just an emotional response. The verse shows the four areas of discipleship in the first local congregation. The first area of discipleship was the apostles’ teaching; the authority of the apostles was recognized from the beginning, and they gave doctrinal teaching orally and eventually put it in written form. The second area of discipleship was fellowship; they were sharing in common; they were sharing spiritual and material blessings. The third area of discipleship was the breaking of bread; the common meal, the communion, the Lord’s supper. And the fourth area of discipleship was the prayers; they prayed at the regular times of prayer customary among Jewish people.

B. The Local Church: -Acts 2:43-47
The second result of Peter’s sermon is the local church. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. And all that believed were together and had all things common; and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need. And day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.

Verse 43 describes the state of the Church: fear [fell] upon every soul, that is, all the believers; this was the “afterglow” of Pentecost. The apostles “did many signs and wonders.” In fact, the only ones who did these signs and wonders in the Book of Acts were the apostles or apostolic legates, those who were appointed by the laying on of hands by the apostles, such as it was in the case of Stephen. Generally, signs and wonders were not performed by the believers at large.

Verses 44-45 show they had fellowship in material things: they had unity in verse 44; and they shared in the community of their possessions in verse 45.

Verses 46-47 reveal the practice of the local congregation in Jerusalem. They came together regularly, day by day, to worship in the Temple Compound, and to break bread in private homes. Their reputation spread everywhere.

This was the birthday of the Church on the Feast of Pentecost as recorded in the second chapter of Acts.

© 1984, 2005 Ariel Ministries. All rights reserved.
This teaching was first published by Ariel Ministries as part of the ministry’s Messianic Bible Studies series and is published here with permission from the publisher. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form, except in brief quotation in a review or professional work, without written permission from the publishers (homeoffice@ariel.org; www.ariel.org).

End of the class.

Remember, this is not only reading material, it is study material !!!

Read and study the class again, to assimilate it!

FOR THE STUDENT: THIS CLASS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR STUDY AND USE THROUGH FRIDAY, MAY 22, WHEN THEN THE EXAMINATION OF THE SAME WILL BE POSTED. YOU HAVE FROM MAY 22, TO SATURDAY 29, TO COMPLETE AND SUBMIT YOUR EXAMINATION OF THIS CLASS TO ANTIOCH SCHOOL OF MINISTRY!!!

FOR THE STUDENT: WHEN YOU FINISH THIS STUDY, SEND AN EMAIL TO THE TEACHER INDICATING THAT YOU ARE READY TO TAKE THE QUIZ FROM THIS UNIT

FOR THE STUDENT: WHEN YOU FINISH THIS STUDY, SEND AN EMAIL TO THE TEACHER INDICATING THAT YOU ARE READY TO TAKE THE QUIZ FROM THIS UNIT

FOR THE STUDENT: WHEN YOU FINISH THIS STUDY, SEND AN EMAIL TO THE TEACHER INDICATING THAT YOU ARE READY TO TAKE THE QUIZ FROM THIS UNIT

The exam – BCC-301 PSALM 90: AN EXHIBITION – is no longer available!

The exam – CRYSTOLOGY – THE THREE (3) MESSIANIC MIRACLES – is no longer available!

The exam – ED101 CTTA CHRISTIAN EDUCATION WITHIN THE CHURCH – is no longer available!

The exam – DT-302- THE BOOK OF JOEL: AN EXPOSITION – is no longer available!

The exam – THE DAY OF PENTECOST AND THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH – is no longer available!

CLASS: STUDY MODULE – BCC-301 PSALM 90: EXPOSURE – DATE FINISHED: 2/05/2020 – FINAL NOTE: A

CLASS: STUDY MODULE – TS105 CRYSTOLOGY- THREE (3) MESSIANIC MIRACLES – DATE FINISHED: 2/23/2020 – FINAL NOTE: A

CLASS: STUDY MODULE – CHRISTIAN TEACHER TRAINING ASSOCIATION – DATE FINISHED: 3/15/2020 – FINAL NOTE: A

CLASS: STUDY MODULE – DT-302- THE BOOK OF JOEL: AN EXPOSITION – DATE FINISHED: 5/03/2020 – FINAL NOTE: A

We can not fail to mention the need to cultivate, from the first moment, healthy and correct habits in the study. Next we will mention nine habits of importance for the good performance of the study of the Bible.

TO SEE CONTENTS PLEASE CLICK ON THE TITLES

PRAYER
Every study of the Scriptures must begin with prayer. Asking the Holy Spirit for direction and wisdom for the study of His inspired Word will guarantee a better use of time and learning. This is one of the most difficult habits to acquire in the biblical study, but at the same time it is also one of the most strategic, because it depends on our reading becoming knowledge and use.
TIME
Sporadic study is of little use, the serious student of the Bible will separate time for reading and study. That time should be daily and the best hours of the day, usually the best time is early morning when the mind is fresh and rested body.
PLACE
It is often believed that any place is good for studying the Bible, but choosing an appropriate site is more important than we imagine. It must be a place, quiet, free of interruptions and where there are as few distractions as possible.
PLAN
One should never study the Bible, without following a definite plan when reading sautéed passages, or studying different books without any specific system, the results tend to be minimal.
CONCENTRATION
It is of supreme importance that we form the habit of concentrating on reading, even though perhaps this means that at first we subject ourselves to discipline, that if we discover that we are progressing in reading without really reading, let’s go back to the beginning and go back to begin by understanding word by word what we read.
OBSERVATION
It is necessary to accustom the mind to pay attention to the simplest details of what we read, for example: The Characters or groups that are mentioned, the places, the events and what is said of each one.
MEDITATION
Perhaps this is one of the most important habits to acquire in the bible study, but at the same time it is also one of the most strategic, because again it depends on our reading becoming knowledge and use.
ANNOTATIONS
Few people are endowed with such extraordinary retention capacity that they can retain everything they read. For that reason it is advisable to always accompany the study with a paper and pencil, we must write down the most outstanding discoveries.
REVIEW
This is one of the fundamental laws of the learning of any subject and much more of bible study, it is not enough just to study, it is necessary to review what has been studied over and over again.

FOR THE STUDENT: The Virtual Library is a resource that you, as a registered student, can use to do your studies and biblical research. Your password or Password to enter the Virtual Library is: BARUC

FORMULARIO DE DATOS DE ASIGNACIÓN

FORMULARIO DE DATOS PARA SOMETER SU ASIGNACIÓN

Este formulario de datos de asignación debe ser presentado a STUCI con todas las tareas.

STUCI prefiere que las asignaciones sean enviadas por correo electrónico a:

asignaciones@seminarioteologicouc.net

Cuando envíe sus asignaciones: El formulario de datos de asignación debe ser copiado,pegado y se inserta en el cuerpo del correo electrónico. Este formulario no puede ser incluido como un archivo adjunto. La asignación de trabajos y reportes deben acompañar este correo electrónico, los trabajos se pueden enviar como un documento. Usted recibirá una respuesta confirmando la recepción automática de su correo electrónico.

Al enviar sus asignaciones (sólo si usted no tiene acceso al correo electrónico): El formulario de Asignación de datos, debe ser la primera página, seguido de la página del título, seguido de la asignación. Comunicaciones enviadas por correo requieren la inclusión de un sobre franqueado, y con su dirección – sin excepciones. No envíe cualquier cosa que requiere una firma en la entrega – pues le será devuelto a usted sin reclamar.

Las presentaciones recibidas que no satisfaga la información requerida no serán revisadas.

FORMA DE DATOS DE ASIGNACIÓN

(Todos los datos deben ser completados.)

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We’re happy to share this list of 14 “best practices” that may be helpful as you write papers and reports.

Not every item may apply to you personally, but a few will prove to be of assistance. We have students from many countries, speaking many languages – if some of these instructions seem rudimentary, please recognize the needs of our international student body.

We want your work as a student with Christian Union Theological Seminary and Emmaus Road College of the Bible to produce ever-increasing knowledge for your ministry to the Church. I suggest you print this message and keep it nearby as you produce papers and reports as a Christian Union student.

1. Basic requirements for your reports and papers

There are some basic paper writing requirements set forth for your degree, which you can conveniently find here at our Christian Union Theological Seminary website under the Academics tab.

Find our web page related to your degree program, read the requirements for papers, and print them out so you can have them for convenient review as you complete your assignment.

In addition to the website instructions, we encourage students to use a title page for each assignment.

A good title page contains:

1. The course number of the text (you can find this on your degree program page)
   2. The full title of the text.
   3. The name of the text’s author(s)
   4. The name of the text’s publisher and the year the book was published (found within the first few pages)
   5. Your name
   6. The name of the degree you are seeking at Christian Union Theological Seminary and Emmaus Road College of the Bible
   7. The fact that the paper is prepared for Christian Union Theological Seminary and Emmaus Road College of the Bible
   8. The date you are submitting the paper for grading

Most title pages have each item on an individual line, with spaces between lines, and all lines set alignment-centered on the page. Title pages do not count as part of a paper’s minimum length requirements.

2. Formats for submission

It is always best to submit your report in Microsoft Word compatible formats whenever possible, using a common 11 or 12 pt. type (Times New Roman is a good choice. Choosing unusual fonts causes problems when your grader does not have the font on his computer). Double-space lines. Using a larger type size to artificially inflate the length of a paper is frowned upon, and can result in having your paper returned without a grade or receiving a lower grade. Do not set your entire paper in boldface type. Send your report in as one, single document. Do not send in multiple documents for a single assignment.

3. Common seminary capitalization questions

Capitalize the word Bible when it refers to the Word of God. Also capitalize the words Old Testament, New Testament and the various books of the Bible (such as I Corinthians). Capitalize the word Trinity when it refers to God. Capitalize Father, Son and Holy Spirit when referring to the Three Persons of the Trinity. Out of reverence many students choose to capitalize Him, His, He and other pronouns when they refer to God, and of course this is acceptable, but take care to capitalize these words consistently throughout your paper.

Capitalize the word church when it refers to the complete number of truly saved individuals in Jesus Christ throughout history, often referred to as the Church Universal or the True Church. Also capitalize the word when it is part of a proper name such as Hillside Church or in the proper name of an established denomination, such as Church of God in Christ. When the word is used generally to refer to one or more local churches use the lowercase spelling of the word.

Examples: We’re attending worship services at church next Sunday. The visiting preacher’s lecture is on the subject of Christ’s sacrifice for the Church. The speaker will preach at Hillside Church next week. He’ll speak at other local churches before returning to seminary next month.

Capitalize the word pastor when used as a title preceding a name. Do not capitalize when the word is used as a description following the name, or as a word describing a general position.

Examples: We also enjoyed Pastor Smith’s comments. Smith serves as pastor for Hillside Church. He leads a monthly devotional time for pastors in our region.

4. Common quotation marks usage

In American English, when ending a quotation you commonly first place the period which ends the sentence, then the closing quotation mark. See William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White’s The Elements of Style or www.grammarbook.com for more details. The same order holds true for partial sentences being quoted and ending with commas, colons, semicolons, etc. Most often, you will first place the punctuation mark, and then place the closing quotation mark. There are some minor exceptions.

5. Proofreading and self-correcting

I always encourage the student to perform good proofreading and self-correcting before sending in a paper for a grade. Some of our students are better at this than others – but proofreading is a very important step. It’s better to delay a paper for one or two days for good proofreading than to rush it in with careless errors! This is true with academic papers, and with normal ministry items like church bulletins and published orders of Sunday morning service.

If writing and grammar are not your best subjects, you may wish to ask a trusted friend with a strong academic background to help you with your proofreading. Do not look at asking for help as a sign of weakness – rather, look at it as allowing the Lord to use others to help you in your ministry progress.

6. Grammar helps at no cost

From time to time, even the best writer and/or grammar student needs a resource guide for help with things like using apostrophes or quotation marks properly. I suggest all our students add www.grammarbook.com to their internet bookmarks for when that time arises. This is a free online resource to help answer challenging grammar questions. There are many free grammar guides available online, feel free to use them when writing a paper.

It is advisable to purchase a copy of The Turabian Style Manual for writing papers at the Ph.D. or Th.D. program levels. You can also purchase a copy of William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White’s Elements of Style, (not a requirement, merely a suggestion) for less than $10.00 in paperback form in most chain bookstores or college bookstores.

7. Bad habits to avoid:

1. When writing academic papers, do not refer to the author by his first name only. Use his first and last name when you refer to him for the first time in your paper, and then his last name only throughout the rest of the paper.
2. Do not copy directly from the textbook without making it clear you are quoting from the text. This is a very serious issue.
3. Do not share your personal thoughts, experiences or additional insights instead of reviewing the chapter for your report. First show you have read and understood the material, then share your thoughts, experiences and additional insights to what you have read and understood. This can be a struggle for students who are also preaching weekly: The skillful retelling of personal experiences and stories from history, so extremely useful in the pulpit, can actually become a distraction when writing summary papers for seminary.

8. Quoting the author in your paper

I encourage students to consider providing some quotes from the author in each paper. While not essential to paper writing or your grade, it is helpful because authors often best summarize their own thoughts on a given subject, especially near the end of chapters. When you do choose to quote from the author, be sure you are using quotation marks correctly and please provide the page number from which the quote is taken.

Quoting can be accomplished by simply following this format:

Billings, in his book The Deliberate Church, summarizes his feelings on the matter when he reports that “knowing Christ as Lord and Savior should change the way we look at people around us” (p. 25).

9. Show your work in chapter-by-chapter form when appropriate

Some degree programs advise students to review the text in chapter-by-chapter manner. This is a wise way for any student to review any textbook. When doing so, break your paper into reviews of each chapter, using the chapter titles as headings as you go.

Provide quotation marks and page number references when quoting directly from the author. This shows your grader that you are not “skipping over” a chapter as you present your assignment, and that you are not simply copying words out of the textbook to fill up the required length of your report.

10. Clearly distinguish the author’s thoughts from your thoughts and/or thoughts from other sources

When writing academic papers, it is important to distinguish which thoughts belong to the text’s author, which thoughts belong to you, the student, and which thoughts come from other sources. This is easily accomplished by using the style below:

In this chapter, the author states we must always love our local church despite its flaws and imperfections. I agree, but would like to add that times can come when such flaws and imperfections grow so deep that false doctrines about Christ exist. This leaves no recourse other than separation, as seen during the Reformation. This exception is clarified in the pamphlet “Ichabod’s Legacy” by Rev. Bill Jonesboro of Augusta GA, who also preached in April of 2007 that “the only way to help a church where the Spirit is no longer present because of years of false teaching is to leave it.”

11. Provide book, chapter and verse references, and note which Bible translation is quoted

Nearly every paper written for Christian Union Theological Seminary and Emmaus Road College of the Bible will contain references to Scripture. When quoting from the Bible, please provide book, chapter and verse references. Also, with the wide array of translations and paraphrases in today’s marketplace, it is important to let your grader/professor know which version of the Bible you are using.

This is accomplished early in your paper simply by inserting a line which states, as an example: “All Bible references in this paper come from the King James Version of the Bible, except where clearly noted by the student.”

We suggest our students use translations rather than paraphrases for their primary Bible, and for the purposes of writing papers. Usually, one can discover if their Bible is a translation or paraphrase by looking over its first few pages. Paraphrase versions of the Bible (such as The Message) have their useful place as sources of additional comment, but please use actual translations for your primary Scripture references.

12. Using B.C. and A.D. correctly (and understanding B.C.E. and C.E.)

Always use capital letters when writing B.C. and A.D. The correct way of writing years with B.C. and A.D. is to put A.D. in front of the date and B.C. after it.

Examples:
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius took place in A.D. 79.
The murder of Julius Caesar took place in 44 B.C.

Now that communication between the various cultures of the world is becoming more commonplace, some writers think a dating system based on one particular religious view is no longer appropriate. They have adopted the notations B.C.E. and C.E., which stand for “before common era” and “common era.” However, in seminary we are very comfortable using B.C. and A.D., as these notations honor the history-changing existence of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Some students have shown offense to the notations B.C.E. and C.E. when they encounter them in textbooks. They are not obliged to use them (outside of quoting directly from the text material).

13. Do you desire to review a text, but it isn’t on your degree list? Be sure it is approved by your Christian Union Theological Seminary advisors before you start.

Christian Union Theological Seminary will consider accepting a review of a text that is not on your degree list, but before you start your report work, be certain the book has been cleared by our advisory committee.
When submitting a paper on one of these “elective” texts, help minimize potential confusion by indicating which CUTS staff member approved the textbook as an elective, and the date the book was approved.

14. Some other helpful best practices: Footers and page numbers

I encourage students using Microsoft Word to use the footer setting to place their name, degree and text title at the bottom of each page, in small (7 pt. is fine) type. This is not a requirement, but it is a good practice. Making sure pages are numbered is another good practice. Remember, your papers represent your approach to your seminary studies – a neat and well-organized paper demonstrates you take your studies seriously.

Remember, it’s all about learning, and applying what you learn to ministry!

I hope these suggestions are of some use, and that you will take them to heart to strengthen your presentation of papers with Christian Union Theological Seminary and Emmaus Road College of the Bible. Earning a degree from a seminary is a tremendous undertaking, and since you will be using your knowledge to impact people for Christ, it deserves the best effort you can provide. If our CUTS staff can be of any help to you, please do not hesitate to call on us. We’re here to help you succeed and accomplish mighty things for the Kingdom of God!