THE APOSTLE'S TEACHING

It is through the writings of Apostles that we know the Messiah Jesus. Their word is the plumb-line by which we are to judge any teaching concerning him. There are no surviving records of any writings of the Lord Jesus. There is no record that he made any attempts to leave any such thing. Instead he chose certain men to do this on his behalf. In his prayer to the Father, Jesus revealed his intention:

John 17:20: Neither pray I for these (the Apostles) alone, but for those also who shall believe on me through their word.

It was Jesus' intention that we should come to believe on him through the word his God and Father Yehovah gave to him to give to his disciples and to the world. Paul was fully aware of this fact and was deeply concerned lest anyone should try and tamper with the message which had been committed to his trust:

Galatians 1:8-9: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed.

So what are the hallmarks of the Apostle’s teacing about the Messiah Jesus and his message about the good news of coming the kingdom of God?

1. They preached the Messiah Jesus in simplicity: 2 Corinthians 11:3: But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in the Messiah Jesus.

2. Their understanding of him was rooted in the revelation of the Hebrew Bible (These were the only scriptures they knew; the New Testament was not yet written). They used this as the final authority regarding the person and work of the Messiah. This is evidenced by the fact that in the book of Acts and throughout the New Testament (Apart from the gospels and the book of Revelation) the Old Testament is quoted far more than Jesus himself! Selah!

Acts 26:22-23: Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That the Messiah should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

Acts 8:35: Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Acts 17:2: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

Acts 18:28: For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, showing by the scriptures (O.T.) that Jesus was the Messiah [God's annointed one].

Acts 28:23: ¶And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. The same can be said of Jesus himself:

John 5:39: Search the scriptures (O.T.); for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Matthew 26:24: The Son of man goes as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

Luke 24:25-27: Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not the Messiah to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures (O.T.) the things concerning himself.

John 12:16: These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. The Apostles encouraged the disciples to compare and contrast their message with the Old Testament Scriptures.

Acts 17:11: These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. This was the basis of Apostolic authority, as opposed to Pagan, Gnostic and Platonic philosophy or human logic:

Colossians 2:8: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after the Messiah Jesus. Out of the entire record that God has chosen to leave us of the Apostles’ preaching there is not a single mention of Jesus the Messiah as God Almighty. Instead he was proclaimed to be: A man, exceptional by virtue of God’s choosing, empowerment and blameless life: A man whom God had raised from the dead as evidence of his favour A man exalted by God to his right hand until his enemies will be made his footstool.

Acts 2:22-24: You men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Acts 2:32-33: This Jesus has God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this, which you now see and hear. Acts 2:36: Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord (over all) and Messiah [God's annointed]. 

Acts 3:13-15: The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His son Jesus; whom you delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But you denied the Holy [set apart] One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God has raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

Acts 3:22: For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord [Yehovah] your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

Acts 3:26: Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. Amen!

Acts 4:10-12: Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus the Messiah of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him does this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which has become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Acts 4:26: The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord [Yehovah], and against His anointed one [Messiah].

Acts 4:27: For of a truth against your holy [set apart] servant Jesus, whom youu have anointed…

Acts 4:30: By stretching forth your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your holy [set apart] servant Jesus.

Note: the Greek word translated ‘child’ in these 2 verses also means ‘servant’. I think that since Jesus was a ‘grown up’ at the time of his crucifixion and since he was the servant prophesied about in scriptures such as Isaiah 42 and Isaiah 53.

Acts 4:33: And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Acts 5:30: The God of our fathers [Yehovah] raised up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on a tree. Him has God exalted at His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. [All who are new creations in the Lord Messiah Jesus have been grafted into the Israel of God]

Acts 7:37: This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord [Yehovah] your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall you hear. [to hear that one is not a suggestion, it is a command]

Acts 7:52: Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers:

Acts 7:56: And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Acts 8:5: Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached the Messiah unto them.

Acts 8:37: And Philip said, If you believe with all thine heart, you may [baptised]. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus the Messiah is the Son of God.

Acts 9:20: And straightway he preached the Messiah in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

Acts 9:22: But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that Jesus is very Messiah [God's annointed one].

Acts 10:36: The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus the Messiah: (he is Lord over all, only the Father is excluded from his given authority)

Acts 10:38-42: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with [and in him] him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he who was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick [alive] and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins.

Acts 11:20: And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.

Acts 13:23: Of this man's seed God has, according to His promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

Acts 13:27-30: For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead: …

Acts 13:32-33: And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God has fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, You are my son, this day have I begotten you.

Acts 13:37-38: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

Acts 16:31: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus the Messiah [God's annointed], and you shall be saved, and your house.

Acts 17:3: Opening and alleging, that the Messiah must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is the Messiah.

Acts 17:18: Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, he seems to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

Acts 17:31: Because He [Yehovah] has appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He has ordained; whereof He has given assurance unto all men, in that He has raised him from the dead.

Acts 18:5: And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. Acts 18:28: For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

Acts 19:4-5: Then said Paul, John truly baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on the Messiah Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 20:21: Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

Acts 22:14: And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you, that you should know His will, and see that Just One, and should hear the voice of his mouth. The Apostles preached the Messiah simply as a human being a man empowered by his God and Father Yehovah to carry out the commission He had given him to accomplish. Wen Jesus cried out "It is finished" the misson He Father had given him to do was completed!

Acts 14:11: And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia [according to their pagan belief], The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

In contrast, Jesus' chosen emissaries preached that God had fulfilled all the promises made in the Old Covenant and to the prophets by sending and empowering the man [God's annointed] Messiah Jesus to accomplish His will.