Interesting Question -- Who Art Thou, Lord?" - Part 1633

"And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, "Lord, Thou art God, which hast made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is ..." (Acts 4:24)

While zealots within the modern day religious culture work hard to separate the Lord from God, it is clearly evident that the apostles know in whom they served. Even Saul, stopped on the road to Damascus understood, in response to his question, "Who art thou, Lord?" that Jesus was His Name. Herein, Peter and John are confirming the same revelation that these spoke in one accord on the day of Pentecost. That is, this same Jesus whom ye/we have crucified is BOTH Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36)

In context, Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And thee, a certain man, lame from his mother's womb laid at the gate of the temple called Beautiful. When he asked for alms, Peter told the man, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And Peter took him by the right hand, and lifted him up, and immediately the lame man's feet and ankle bones were strengthened. When the people saw the man walking, they were filled with amazement and wonder, praised God -- for the man was well known to them as the one who sat lame at the gate. (Acts 3:1-26)

Continuing on, as Peter and John spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them. They were grieved that these two apostles were teaching the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. Thus, they laid hands on them and put them into the hold until the next day, for now it was eventide. Still, the day had been a good day, because many of the people heard the Word and believed, and the number of the men was about five thousand.

And it came to pass on the morrow that their rulers and elders and scribes, and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?"

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, "Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole ... Be it known unto you all and that to all the people of Israel, that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by Him doth this man stand before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is 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 4:1-12)

For those in charge, this was a disaster. Not only was there a man standing before them healed, but also, to them, both Peter and John were considered unlearned and ignorant men, whose knowledgeable teachings to the people only further proved that these must have been with Jesus. So they had meetings, conferring among themselves, to determine how they could stop Peter and John from preaching and teaching in the Name of Jesus. (Acts 4:13-23)

It is here that we again learn of the message that Peter and John were preaching, that in essence, was creating havoc within the community. That is, Jesus is both Lord and Christ. The Son of man still being Lord of the sabbath, as discussed in earlier posts. But even more to the point, is that Peter and John were revealing to the people that this same Jesus, whose Name in this current dispensation we believe and honour, is the same God who created the world in the beginning,

That Jesus is God manifest in the flesh -- Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending! (I Timothy 3:16; Titus 3:4-7; Revelation 1:8, 11)

"And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, "Lord, Thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: who by the mouth of Thy servant David hast said, "Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and His Christ." For of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together. For to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done. And now Lord, behold their threatenings; and grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word -- by stretching forth Thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the Name of Thy holy child Jesus." (Acts 4:24-30)

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the Word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all." (Acts 4:31-37)

A couple of points worth noting here. First, we often refer to David as the psalmist, and therefore, inherently put his writings into a separate category from the prophets of old, who similarly brought forth the Word of the Lord. But herein, we see the Lord -- Thou art God -- speaking in the same manner with David as He did with the prophets. "... By the mouth of Thy servant David." (Acts 4:25-26; Psalm 2:1-2) Note that in Psalms, the prophesied Christ is referred to as His anointed, which we understand after the fact to be the Messias --"which is being interpreted, the Christ." (John 1:41)

Remember, just and devout Simon who waited for the consolation of Israel, the Holy Ghost upon him? It had been revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before the Lord's Christ. When he saw the child with Mary and Joseph in the temple -- his eyes (by his own admission) had seen Thy salvation; which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel. In other words, he was witnessing the "dayspring from on high" that would visit His people. (Luke 2:25-39; Luke 1:78)

Interestingly, by the mouth of Thy servant David, the Lord goes on to say, "Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision." (Psalms 2:1-4; Psalms 37:13; Luke 19:4; Matthew 12:14; Matthew 27:1-2; Mark 3:6; Acts 4:25-28)

And the same psalmist writing in another place -- while the wicked -- those who say within their heart there is no God -- plotted against the just, and gnashed upon Him with teeth, the Lord shall laugh at him for He seeth that his day is coming ... for the arms of the wicked shall be broken; but the Lord upholds the righteous!" (Psalms 37:12-17)

And yes, I am admittedly digressing from my original point.

In moving forward, Peter and John acknowledged that the Lord -- "Thou art God." (Acts 4:24) Not another G/god, or a different G/god, or even a G/god in three persons -- as those who present a FALSE man-made trinity teaching [a tri-une God in three persons, co-existent, co-eternal] but the ONE AND SAME GOD who created the earth, and all that which inhabits within -- who then prepared for Himself a body so that He Himself could become the perfect sacrifice, paying the ultimate price for our salvation. In other words, after His kindness and love, God became our Saviour.(Titus 3:4-7; I Timothy 3:16)

And God spake all these words, saying, "I am the Lord thy God ..." (Exodus 20:1-2; Deuteronomy 5:22)

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is ONE Lord." (Deuteronomy 6:4; Acts 2:36)

"Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no G/god but Me; for there is no Saviour beside Me!" (Hosea 13:4)

"I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no Saviour ..." (Isaiah 43:11)

"I, even I, am He that blotteth out Thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." (Isaiah 43:25)

"For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He that hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord and there is none else ... tell ye, and bring [them] near; yea, let them take counsel together. Who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I -- the Lord? And there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour, there is none beside Me. Look unto Me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else ..." (Isaiah 45:21-22)

"I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me; I girded thou though hast not known Me; that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me; I am the Lord and there is none else ... I the Lord do all these things." (Isaiah 45:5-6)

"I am God and there is none else; and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure ..." (Isaiah 46:9-10; Deuteronomy 2:7)

Third, the prophecies established in the old did come to fruition, as it is written. And yes, the heathen -- to this very day rage against the Name of Jesus. This includes those within our community who preach another gospel from the apostolic doctrine established in the early church, Those who teach that God in all His majesty and glory could never have have had enough compassion and love for His beloved, to have gone the distance and become as one of us. Nevertheless, as John so aptly writes, "He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not." (John 1:10-11)

Not another but in these last days God speaking to us by [His] Son -- whom He had appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds, who being the brightness of [His] glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they ..." (Hebrews 1:1-12)

The apostles understood who Jesus was, when they boldly declared, lifting up their voice to God with one accord  -- "Lord, Thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is ..." (Acts 4:24)

And so should we. Stand in the offering plate.