23/07/2024
Acts 8:30-31 (KJV) And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
An angel has led Philip the evangelist to an Ethiopian court official on his way home from worshiping the Jewish God in Jerusalem. The official was reading from the of Isaiah 53: (a prophecy about Jesus' ex*****on (Acts 8:26–29). At this time, reading was usually done aloud, so Philip would have heard him.
Although the Ethiopian official traveled to Jerusalem, understood Judaism, and worshiped the Jewish God, he didn't understand all of the Jewish Scriptures. He was separated from Isaiah by language, likely he read the Greek versions of the Hebrew Scriptures. He was also separated by time and culture. He was right to read the passage and understand it as far as he could, but he was also right to accept help understanding when he got stuck. The question asked here, and the answer given by Philip (Acts 8:31) are key in our understanding of how spiritual knowledge is gained. In short, no one is meant to learn about God entirely alone—the Great Commission is to "make disciples," which requires explanatory interaction.
Jews today typically skip over Isaiah 53. They either don't understand the purpose of the "Suffering Servant" nor do understand how the prophecy so closely matches what Jesus experienced—and it makes them uncomfortable.
The Jews have a long literary heritage of interpretations and arguments about Scripture that they use to try to figure out what the Old Testament means. Jesus promised that when He left, He would send the Holy Spirit to "guide [us] into all the truth" (John 16:13).
at that moment of need in the studding advent of the Ethiopian official his critical need was not just any man but one suitable for his inadequacy, someone who is the custodian of the required knowledge. In this case, the Holy Spirit found Philip fit and sent him.
Hear what Isaiah said in respect to the barrier between reading and understanding
Isaiah 29:11- (KJV) And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
verse 12,
And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
Isaiah 29:24 (KJV) They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.
LEARNING DOCTRINE
Now the word “doctrine” in the Greek text is "DIDASKALIA" , which is a word that simply means “teaching or instruction"
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
"Correction” was translated from the Greek word “EPANORTHOSIS,” which means “restoration to an upright or a right state...
For many people, doctrine is a nasty word. They see doctrine as that which divides believers and causes arguments within the church. Well, doctrine is not the bad guy – contentious people who are ignorantly contending to retain the body of Moses are the problem.
However learning doctrine Is a sensitive, essential and unavoidable exercise that determines the resolve of poor and wrong knowledge. it provides an unusual opportunity to those that hunger and thirst after the precise knowledge of Christ and expound more perfectly to those that need clarity of what they have already known.
This is what IMMORTALITY CAMPAIGN firmly represents, on this ground our monthly conference stood invariably .
JULY EDITION STARTS TOMORROW WEDNESDAY TILL FRIDAY AT OUR USUAL VENUE.
GILGAL ECUMENICAL CENTER IRRI / AVIARA ROAD IRRI.
THEME: WE SHALL BE CLOTHED.
5:00PM DAILY.
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A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. ... come and get throughly furnished unto all good works
