Questions tagged [acts]
The second half of Luke's history of the church, which was commissioned by Theophilus. It covers the actions of the Apostles from Christ's ascension to heaven to Paul's imprisonment in Rome.
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Per Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3 why did John the Baptist preach the “baptism of repentance” and not “repent” for the forgivness of sin?
John the Baptist never told any one to directly repent of their sin. He preached the "baptism of repentance" for the forgiveness of sin. Is there a significant difference in the two concepts?
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2
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6answers
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Per Acts 3:19, to whom or to what does Peter say to “return”?
Acts 3:19 (ESV)
19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted
out...
According to Dr. Charles P. Bayliss of Dallas Theological Seminary in an article published in the ...
2
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2answers
43 views
Per Acts 5, Acts 11 and 2 Timothy 2, is repentance a gift?
Acts 5:31 (KJV)
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a
Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 11:18 (KJV)
When they heard these ...
0
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1answer
64 views
Is “believe” a synecdoche for immersion? [closed]
Acts 19:1 Now it happened, that while* Apollos was in Corinth, Paul,
having gone through the upper-parts of the region, came to Ephesus
and found some disciples. 19:2 He said to them, Did you°...
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0answers
33 views
Is zulou a variant of the word zugia or zugon? [closed]
In the Acts of the New Testament (5:30 et al), there is the Greek phrase EPI ZULOU, but I cannot find this word in Liddell and Scott. Is it an Attic variant of the word zugia or zugon?
If so, it ...
2
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5answers
62 views
Is the anointing of Jesus mentioned in Acts 10:38 an anointing as king, priest or what?
When I think of an "anointing" I primarily think of a prophet marking a person off as king in the same way that Samuel anointed David:
KJV 1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and ...
9
votes
2answers
574 views
Why did the apostles not adhere strictly to the instructions of the Lord concerning water baptism?
In Matt 28:19, Jesus commanded the apostles to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, but we see in Acts of the Apostles that they baptized in the name of Jesus ...
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5answers
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Is Jesus’ response to worship in John 9:38 only consistent with him being God?
ὁ δὲ ἔφη· πιστεύω, κύριε· καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ.(John 9:38, NA27)
He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. (John 9:38, ESV).
The apostle Peter in Acts (10:26-27), similar incident with ...
2
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1answer
35 views
Can Luke's use of κράτιστε be taken as his way of acknowledging someone who held the office of High Priest?
1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of ...
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2answers
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The time of restoration of the Kingdom asked in Acts 1:6? Why didn't Jesus answer plainly?
It does not seem that Jesus gave a direct answer when the disciples asked him about the Kingdom in Acts 1:6.
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at
this time restore ...
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0answers
21 views
The Book of Acts and the Elamites
The Elamites are the most curious group of people in the entire Bible. They first appear in the Book of Genesis where they are the sovereign kings over the vassal-states of the cities of the plain.
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2answers
104 views
Does Paul contradict what he said in Acts 17:29-30 in Romans 1:18-25?
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God ...
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0answers
21 views
Did Aeneas turn to the Lord with all the others in Lydda and Sharon?
In Acts 9:32-35
32 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was ...
2
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1answer
65 views
Into how many parts is the cloven tongue parted in Acts 2:3?
Acts 2:3 KJV
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
The word DIAMERIZO is interpreted as "cloven" or split in the KJV. I had always "assumed" that ...
2
votes
3answers
92 views
How possible is it that the Gospel of Luke and Acts were written for Paul’s defense?
The abrupt stop of the historic information in the book of Acts leads to the conclusion that the history stops because that was when Luke wrote Acts and his Gospel. Note where the history stops:
...
1
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1answer
126 views
Why were Peter and John needed to lay hands on Samaritans when Philip was there?
Acts 8 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached
Christ unto them. 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto
those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the ...
2
votes
2answers
93 views
Is Acts 1:8 a promise or command?
The render of the famous Acts 1:8:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and
to the ends of the ...
1
vote
1answer
21 views
What is the force of the optative ἔχοι in Acts 17:11?
In the Greek, Acts 17:11 reads:
οὗτοι δὲ ἦσαν εὐγενέστεροι τῶν ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ, οἵτινες ἐδέξαντο τὸν
λόγον μετὰ πάσης προθυμίας, τὸ καθ’ ἡμέραν ἀνακρίνοντες τὰς γραφὰς εἰ
ἔχοι ταῦτα οὕτως.
The ...
1
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2answers
74 views
How long was the ark at Kirjath Jearim in 1 Samuel 7:2?
In the text its clear that the ark was captured & then kept afterwards at Kirjath Jearim before Saul had been anointed king & Saul went on to rule for about forty years.David came into power ...
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vote
3answers
126 views
In Romans 1:16 why does Paul say “to the Jew first”?
KJV Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is
the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek.
I am looking for a very ...
1
vote
1answer
29 views
Is Luke's mention of “the hour of prayer” in Acts 3:1 intended to establish that time as the time for Christians to pray?
Does the mention of "the hour of prayer" in Acts 3:1 suggest that Christians are to pray at a specific time?:
Act 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the
hour of prayer, ...
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3answers
75 views
In Acts 5:9-11 why does Peter dispense immediate judgment?
In Matthew 13:30 Jesus taught a parable about not pulling up weeds until the harvest:
NIV Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that
time I will tell the harvesters: First ...
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votes
2answers
52 views
In Acts 4:13 how did Peter and John's ignorance indicate that they had been with Jesus?
KJV Act_4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and
perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled;
and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with ...
-1
votes
1answer
73 views
Are Christ’s words to Ananias in Acts 9:12 and 15 an approval of Paul’s message of grace?
Acts 9:11-18 (KJV)
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is
called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called
Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he ...
0
votes
5answers
370 views
In Galatians 2:11-13 why does Peter fear the Jewish believers?
KJV Gal 2:11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to
the face, because he was to be blamed. Gal 2:12 For before that
certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but ...
1
vote
2answers
78 views
What does “polluted” (ἀλισγημάτων) mean in Acts 15:20?
In Acts 15:19-20, James renders his judgment on the matter of the Gentiles that Peter has brought before the Jerusalem council:
It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult ...
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0answers
20 views
In Acts 15:17 what specifically does it entail to “seek the Lord”?
In Acts 15:17 James finds confirmation of Peter's assessment that "God has granted repentance to the gentiles" in Amos' prophesy:
NIV Acts 15:17 that the rest of mankind may seek [out] [ἐκζητήσωσιν]...
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1answer
192 views
Why is Acts 8:37 omitted in some Bibles?
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
-- Acts 8:37 (KJV)
Why don't some versions of Bible ...
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1answer
169 views
Acts 12:19 Who are Herod's prison guards with Peter?
In Acts 12:19, Herod gives order to kill prison guards:
Act 12:19 And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers (φύλαξ), and commanded that they should be put to ...
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3answers
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Why does Paul say that God doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands?
If the God that made the world and everything in it, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, then who dwelt in the tabernacle? What God dwelt in Solomon’s temple? Paul’s statement sounds like a ...
2
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1answer
122 views
Was Paul being sarcastic when he claimed that he didn't recognize Ananias?
Related: Was Paul literally predicting that God would strike Ananias?
From Acts 23:1-5 (NIV):
1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in ...
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vote
1answer
39 views
Was Paul literally predicting that God would strike Ananias?
Related: Was Paul being sarcastic when he claimed that he didn't recognize Ananias?
From Acts 23:1-3 (NIV):
1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my ...
1
vote
1answer
160 views
Who or what is the captain of the temple mentioned in acts 4:& 5
Acts 4:1 (KJV)
And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through ...
4
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2answers
62 views
Who are “the rest” in Acts 5:13?
Acts 5:12-14 reads:
12 At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking
place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s
portico. 13 But none of the rest ...
3
votes
1answer
47 views
Who put forward, prayed, and drew lots in order to choose the twelfth apostle?
Acts 1:23-26 23 So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas
(who was also called Justus), and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and
said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which ...
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1answer
58 views
Does Peter's Vision in Acts 10 Imply Blood Consumption?
A general but off-topic question was posed related to this thought. See here:
What is the significance of Acts 10:13, 11:7 "make sacrificial slaughter"
Acts 10:10-16 describes Peter's ...
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vote
3answers
274 views
Is the 480 years mentioned in 1 Kings 6 accurate?
1 Kings 6:1 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in ...
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vote
1answer
64 views
Why does the Greek translation read in Acts (Luke-Acts) that Jesus was killed by “hanging him on a tree?”
The question is NOT supposed to discredit or undermine the significance of Jesus’ crucifixion, but rather to understand the reasons for primitive and/or differentiated terminology that we see in Acts ...
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1answer
537 views
Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews in Acts 6:1
In Acts 6:1 what were the distinguishing differences between the Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews?
The related questions to this passage are:
1) How unfamiliar were the Hellenistic Jews to ...
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vote
1answer
39 views
Is there any difference between the chains in Acts 26:29 and 28:20?
In Acts 26:29, Paul, pleading his case before Agrippa says: "Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains....
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1answer
55 views
Acts 17:28 translation
I have in my mind a verse/phrase made by Paul "in him we live and breathe and have our being", which is from Acts 17:28.
Looking at a broad representation of translations (http://biblehub.com/acts/17-...
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2answers
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In Acts 19:14 - How else could “Seven sons of Skeva” be translated?
In Acts 19:14, Is "Seven Sons of Skeva" a valid translation? Are there any other plausible interpretations?
Westcott and Hort / [NA27 variants] ἦσαν δέ τινος Σκευᾶ Ἰουδαίου
ἀρχιερέως ἑπτὰ υἱοὶ ...
4
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3answers
110 views
How could a diaspora Jew be considered a “high priest” at Acts 19:14?
Acts 19:14 (ESV) refers to "Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva" who were practicing exorcism at Ephesus. While some translations refer to Sceva as a "chief priest," the Greek word ...
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1answer
46 views
Who did God's will in Acts 4:27, 28
The NKJV reads:
For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever ...
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1answer
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Is it Paul or Luke that is speaking in Acts 19:5?
Is it Paul or Luke that is speaking in Acts 19:5?
ἀκούσαντες δὲ ἐβαπτίσθησαν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ. [Acts 19:5, SBL Edition]
John Gill would say it's Paul:
these are the words of the ...
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3answers
55 views
bible ownership [closed]
Apart from the Ethiopian, whom Philip meets Acts 8;29, is there any evidence for the private ownership of any works of Scripture before about 400 A.D.? Otherwise, what is the earliest evidence that ...
0
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1answer
51 views
Why does the ethos of David's Psalms not reflect the Royal Law?
In Acts 13:22 David is said to be a man who's heart accords with God's own heart:
Berean Literal Bible And having removed him, He raised up David to
them as king, to whom also He said, having ...
2
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1answer
77 views
How Should “keep” be defined in Acts 15:5
I have a source (author) that says the word "keep" in Acts 15:5 should be defined as "to guard" or "to put a fence around" to which the logic of defining the term as such is based on the context. I ...
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2answers
1k views
How far was a “Sabbath's Day Journey”?
From the information in Acts, what is the least amount of distance the disciples might have traveled, in order to get an idea of what they thought a "Sabbath's Day Journey" was?
NKJV, Acts 1:12 - ...
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3answers
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In Acts 2:6, does αὐτῶν refer to the disciples or to the hearers?
I am trying to resolve an issue regarding Acts 2:6. Someone with whom I am engaging is claiming that the devout Jews from every nation miraculously understood what was being said to them, as if the ...
