Scientists in the truest sense

“…[Isaac] Newton and many of his day who cleaved to the scriptural account of Creation and the Deluge were scientists in the true sense. Being well grounded in many different disciplines of scientific investigation and study, they were able to discern when a theory or hypothesis in one field violated well-known, well-established laws and principles in that of another.

“...most moderns specialize to the point that they have no broad scientific base upon which to stand. The result is that while theorizing in their field (e.g., geology, biology) they are oblivious to the fact they are moving against the laws of physics, chemistry, and statistics. In so doing they venture farther and farther from reality and fact, all the time deluded that such flights of imagination are science.”

Floyd Nolen Jones, The Chronology of the Old Testament, page 22

Christ the Mediator

“Arise, my soul, arise, Shake off, &c. C. Wesley. [Christ the Mediator.] 1st published in Hymns & Sacred Poems, 1742, p. 264, in 5 stanzas of 6 lines and entitled ‘Behold the Man.’ (Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. ii. p. 323.) In 1780 it was included in the Wesleyan Hymn Book as No. 194 in an unaltered form, and has been repeated in all subsequent editions (ed. 1875, No. 202). From the Wesleyan Hymn Book it has passed into all the collections of the Methodist bodies in all English-speaking countries, and also into many hymnals outside of Methodism both in Great Britain and America. It has also been rendered into various languages. One in Latin, by the Rev. B. Bingham:—‘Surge, surge, Mens mea,’ is given in his Hymnologia Christiana Latina, 1871. Mr. Stevenson has collected in his Methodist Hymn Book Notes, 1883, numerous illustrations of the direct value which this hymn has been to many.”

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) page 78

1. Arise, my soul, arise,
Shake off thy guilty fears.
The bleeding Sacrifice
In my behalf appears.
Before the throne my Surety stands,
My name is written on his hands.

2. He ever lives above,
For me to intercede;
His all-redeeming love,
His precious blood to plead,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

3. Five bleeding wounds he bears,
Received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers,
They strongly plead for me.
“Forgive him, O, forgive,” they cry,
“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

4. The Father hears him pray,
His dear Anointed One;
He cannot turn away
The presence of his Son.
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.

5. My God is reconciled,
His pard’ning voice I hear;
He owns me for a child,
I can no longer fear.
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And, “Father, Abba, Father,” cry.

H. M. (Hallelujah Meter: 6.6.6.6.8.8.). Sing to the tune Lenox, by Lewis Edson (1748–1820), an early American composer, singing master, and blacksmith. The tune first appeared in 1782 in the book The Chorister’s Companion by Simeon Jocelin and Amos Doolittle.

An Explanation, and other music links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• An Explanation of The Sacred Harp -- “J. S. James shares his opinion concerning his and the other Sacred Harp revisions.”
• Awake Thy Soul: Singing the Centuries-Old ‘Sacred Harp’ in Baltimore -- “Raucous at times, haunting at others, shape-note singing can come across as an indecipherable wall of sound at first because of its polyphonic harmony singing.”
• Biblical Standards for Musical Choices -- “Our music should also be spiritual rather than carnal. Much of today’s music is simply Pop, Rock and Roll, or Country Music repackaged with a religious theme.”
• Bruce Johnson Sacred Harp Recordings -- “Recordings made by Bruce Johnson of Morgan County, Alabama, in the 1950s.”
• Buck Owens: From Sherman Sharecropper to the Bakersfield King -- “...during the 1960s and 1970s Owens soared to a level of success and influence that had scarcely been experienced by other country stars.”
• Charles Wesley and the Hymns of Methodism -- “The hymnody of the Wesley brothers, Charles and John, has resulted in some of the best-loved hymns within the Christian tradition.”
• Earthquake hymn 354t LEBANON -- “In the final months of 1755...a great earthquake in Lisbon that killed tens of thousands of people and destroyed most of the city...”
• How Sacred Harp Singing Took Shape in Texas -- “For Texan singers, culinary hospitality is a point of pride. Anyone fortunate enough to attend a Texas all-day singing or convention will be hard-pressed to come away hungry.”
• J. T. Allison’s Sacred Harp Singers -- “...the 1927-1928 recordings by J. T. Allison’s ensemble represent a curious anomaly...of the convergence of two important cultural movements of the southeastern U.S.-the emerging country music recording industry and the impressive tradition of singing religious folk music from shape-note tunebooks...”
• Our Treasury of Medieval Hymns -- “By the fifteenth century, themes congenial to Luther’s coming Reformation were already being sung, such as the text attributed to the Imitation of Christ author Thomas à Kempis.”
• Singing is good for you. Singing with others may be even better. -- “The ‘Sing With Us’ study...linked singing in the choir to reduced stress hormones and increased cytokines, proteins that can boost the body’s ability to fight serious illness.”
• The Colored Sacred Harp -- “Compiled by Judge Jackson of Ozark, Alabama.”
• The Sacred Harp Cookbook? Which one? -- “But there’s not just ONE, I know of THREE different ‘Sacred Harp Cookbooks’...”
• Traveling to Camp -- “The camp meeting was an innovation of the Second Great Awakening in the United States in the early 19th century.”

All manner of pleasant fruits, new and old

Martin Luther probably did not say, “The Bible is neither ancient nor modern. It is eternal.” Neither did he likely write, “The Bible is not antique or modern. It is eternal.” Both of these statements are frequently quoted unsourced, and almost as frequently quoted sourced to authors who quoted the words unsourced – but never with a distinct reference to some writing of Martin Luther, as far as I can find.

Regardless of who wrote or said it, it seems to contain a kernel of truth, doesn’t it? We might also just as well turn it around and say, “The Bible is both ancient and modern. It is eternal.” The Bible itself is forever settled in heaven. The message of the Bible is timeless and relevant for all people in all places – throughout all generations!

Some folks are obsessed with antiques. Others must have whatever is the newest and most up to date. The Bible is full of surprises; it is ever old and ever new, a faithful and trustworthy friend who reveals to us fresh insights as we travel along life’s highway. It contains “all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old” which God has set in it for us. It is the top-of-the-line Bread of Heaven. Like manna, it provides complete spiritual nutrition. everything you need for life and godliness.

Synagogues and Schools

Acts 19:8-12 Paul teaches in the synagogue and the school of Tyrannus

Verse 8: Following his encounter with the disconnected disciples at Ephesus (1-7), Paul spent three months teaching at the synagogue. He took the witness recorded in the Old Testament, and with boldness laid out its teachings concerning the kingdom of God.

Verse 9: The simple expression “that way” describes the faith and practice of the followers of Christ (cf. v. 23; 18:25-26; 24:14, 22). Because of the hardness of hearts and opposition, Paul determined to move out of the synagogue and teach from the school of Tyrannus.[1] He did something similar in Corinth (cf. 18:4-7). His discourses at the school of Tyrannus were conducted on a daily basis.

Verse 10: The word went forth from Paul at Tyrannus’s school, spreading out from Ephesus across Asia, and among both Jews and Greeks. This continued for two years. Paul’s total stay in Ephesus was about three years (Acts 20:31). The three-year period includes the preliminary visit to Ephesus (18:19-21), meeting the twelve disciples (19:1-7), three months at the synagogue (19:8), two years at the school of Tyrannus (19:9-10), and the season after Timothy and Erastus left for Macedonia (19:22).

Verses 11-12: Paul preached in Ephesus, and the Lord worked through him – “confirming the word with signs following.” Miracles are not “normal,” they are outside the realm of the natural. “special miracles” indicate things that even stand out as unusual among things already outside the realm of the natural. Handkerchiefs or aprons that touched his body were carried to sick folks. The miraculous effect included cures for diseases and driving out evil spirits. This is reminiscent of a woman healed by touching the hem of Jesus’s garment (Luke 8:43-44), as well as miracles under the shadow of Peter (Acts 5:15). See also Romans 15:18-19. In contrast to Paul’s “special miracles” the Ephesians practiced “curious arts” (v. 19).

---

[1] Notice and contrast the initial contact with and reception of Paul in the synagogue at Ephesus, which was positive. See Acts 18:19-21.

Check your sources, again

In May 2024 I wrote a post for my blog titled “Check Your Sources.” It grew out of discovering a discrepancy in the online resource Blue Letter Bible. Probably most of us tend to trust what we consider reliable resources; probably most of us do not question the resource unless and until we run into a problem.

Later in May I read at John M. Asquith’s site a claim that the Wycliffe Bible was not translated from Jerome’s Vulgate. Because of researching this claim, I discovered another resource I use has some unexpected question marks surrounding it. When researching a “disputed” King James Bible reading, I check the translations of prior English Bibles. This includes the wording of the Wycliffe translation (available on HathiTrustOrg). There seems to be some question about what we have commonly accepted as the “Wycliffe Bible.” In 1850 Josiah Forshall and Frederic Madden produced a “Wycliffe Bible.” Scholars (and the rest of us) have generally (or carelessly) accepted the work of Foshall and Madden as the work of Wycliffe. Yet, “some surprising discrepancies and inadequacies in their work have been discovered.” We may too uncritically refer to what the “Wycliffe Bible” says. Perhaps too little effort has gone into ferreting out what is the original work of John Wycliffe. Swedish scholar Sven L. Fristedt at the University of Stockholm produced three volumes on the subject of The Wycliffe Bible: Part I, The Principal Problems with the Forshall and Madden Edition; Part II, The Origin of the First Revision as Presented in De Salutaribus Documentis; Part III, Relationships of Trevisa and the Spanish Medieval Bibles. Nevertheless, these works appear to be little-known to the wider audience of Bible researchers.

“The Early Version of the Old Testament up to Baruch iii.20 (EV I) is contained in MS E (Bodl. 959), the manuscript that FM [Forshall and Madden] take to be the original copy of the translator or translators. FM did not, however, print their text from E, nor did they explain their choice of manuscripts, either here or elsewhere.” The Wycliffe Bible

Fristedt concludes that the FM edition does not represent “the most reliable reproduction of the original translation.” At the least, greater care should be taken in referring to what “the Wycliffe Bible” says. (And even the Forshall and Madden edition has two versions.) Wiping the egg from his face, again, he passes along a lesson learned (again).

• Always check your sources.

The Church, the Body

THE CHURCH, THE BODY

The Bible uses many metaphors to refer to the church, the local congregation of baptized believers. Many of them are familiar to us – a bride (John 3:29; 2 Corinthians 11:2), a building (1 Corinthians 3:9; Psalm 127:1), a city/Zion (Matthew 5:14; 1 Peter 2:6-10; Psalm 127:1), a field (1 Corinthians 3:6-9), a flock (Luke 12:32), a house or temple (Ephesians 2:20–22; 1 Timothy 3:15). The church is a bride and Jesus the husband; a building and Jesus the builder, a field and Jesus the owner, a flock and Jesus the shepherd, a temple and Jesus the inhabiter of it.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. Here the church metaphor is “body.”

Romans 12:4-8 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

The teaching through the metaphor of “the body” emphasizes unity (one life), diversity (many parts, functions), and headship (one head). It puts us in our place.

It puts us in our place in regard to ourselves. We are not alone (Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think”)

• Considering the church as a body jettisons high thoughts of ourselves (“not to think of himself more highly”).
• Considering the church as a body reminds us God is working with others (“God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith”).
• Considering the church as a body exalts the goodness of each having his own important and varying gifts (“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us”).

It puts us in our place in regard to one another. We are the body (1 Corinthians 12:27 “ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular”). 1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

• The church as a body is one in the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3 “endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”). There is organic unity and practical unity.
• The church as a body serves both the head and one another (1 Corinthians 12:4-6 “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all”). 
• The church as a body, through differing gifts of the Spirit, can serve and function effectively and efficiently (1 Corinthians 12:4–7). Every member has an unique function and also depends on the other members (1 Corinthians 12:14–25). 
• The church as a body – the whole body, every member of it – shares one and the same life.  “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

It puts us in our place in regard to our Lord. Christ is the head (Colossians 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church”). 

• Jesus Christ is head in the sense of authority to whom we submit (Ephesians 5:23–24 “the church is subject unto Christ”). 
• Jesus Christ is head in the sense of influencing and ministering to the body, e.g. for health and growth (Colossians 2:19 “the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together”). 
• Jesus Christ is head in the sense of his exercising power over the body for its good. He is the Saviour of the body (Ephesians 5:23).

We church members need to be put in our place, in at least two senses.

To put someone is his place is to remind someone of his position, to show him he is not better than others, not as important as one thinks he is. Understanding the church as a body performs this function for us. We are part of something bigger than ourselves

To put something is its place is to position or arrange an object correctly, such as installing physical objects in their intended or correct location. A library book has a certain and exact number which identifies its placement in the proper order in relation to the rest of the books on the shelf. Understanding the church as a body teaches us of our proper placement “on the shelf” – under and subject to the head of the body, Jesus Christ.

Praise or prayer cannot outrun God’s love

Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion… Psalm 65:1

Is this the language of my heart? Am I indeed waiting until that Jesus be ready to receive my poor praise? Hath God the Holy Ghost prepared my heart? Oh then, hasten to him, my soul, with thy morning offerings, poor as they are; for sure I am, Jesus is waiting to be gracious. God will accept both thee and thy offering in him the Beloved. Go forth to meet him as early and as often as thine heart can wish: depend upon it, thy Redeemer will be beforehand with thee, and is waiting thy coming. Neither thy praise nor thy prayer can outrun his love; for both are the blessed effects of his grace, and of his own quickenings. Precious Jesus, grant me to come as often as I need thee. And, Lord, if thou wilt grant me this blessing, I shall never be from thee, for I need thee every moment.

Robert Hawker (1753-1827)

His eye is on the sparrow

Luke 12:6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

The story of “His Eye Is On the Sparrow” from Civilla Martin’s letter to Phil Kerr:

“Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle,—true saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheelchair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy, Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. 

“One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness, and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: ‘His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.’ The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn ‘His Eye Is On The Sparrow’ was the outcome of that experience, singing itself to us that very afternoon in its complete form.”

“[Kerr adds] The following day she mailed the poem to Charles H. Gabriel, who wrote the music and sent it on to Charles M. Alexander in England, where it was first sung in Royal Albert Hall in the Torrey-Alexander revival services.”

Found in Music in Evangelism and Stories of Famous Christian Songs (Third Edition), Phil Kerr, Glendale, CA: Gospel Music Publishers, p. 135[i]

The statement of Mrs. Doolittle is founded in Matthew 10:29 and Luke 12:6, and therefore the song is grounded in those texts.

W. S. and Civilla Martin are buried at the Westview Cemetery in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. “Civilla D. Martin was born in Jordan Falls, Nova Scotia, on Tuesday, August 21, 1866. She passed away on Tuesday, March 9, 1948 in Atlanta, Georgia. She taught school. She also assisted her husband, Walter Stillman Martin, an evangelist and composer, in the writing of gospel songs.” Charles H. Gabriel wrote the music circa 1906.

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,

Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,

When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain:

I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,

For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,

And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;

Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,

When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,

I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

---

[i] The first edition was printed in 1939. The story also appeared in Defender Magazine (Phil Kerr, “Famous Living Hymn Writers,” Defender Magazine, Volume 16, No. 7, November 1941, p. 24). I have not located the first printing of Kerr’s book or the Defender Magazine printing of the story.

We Brake for Steak, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Why do Mormons use the KJV? -- “The second reason for why Mormons use the King James Version...is that the King James Version was respected and chosen by Joseph Smith.”
• Why Codex Sinaiticus Doesn’t Say What Its Website Says It Says -- “The only way to know whether or not the English translation really conveys what Codex Sinaiticus says is to compare the translation to the Greek text itself.”
• We Brake for Steak -- “This special event on Friday and Saturday nights draws hordes from hundreds of miles to this vintage storefront on Texas 75 in Leona, less than a mile off Interstate 45, midway between Dallas and Houston. ”
• Trailblazer -- “Dale Blasingame was the first to visit every state park in a year, and he can tell you where to start your own adventure.”
• The Sufficiency of Scripture -- “We should go to Scripture for our doctrine, practice, guidance, and everything we need to live as Christians.”
• The Sinner’s Prayer Absent From Evangelism in Church History -- “Salvation promised to the repetition of a sinner’s prayer, or an evangelistic presentation climaxing in the repetition of such a prayer? Never.”
• The Redlands Hotel: Enjoy a Small Town Getaway Fit For a Queen -- “The Redlands Hotel is one of the city’s most significant landmarks. The tallest building in town, it was built in 1915 when the city called itself the ‘Queen City of East Texas.’”
• Renewal in Blue -- “Every summer of my youth, I eagerly packed my bags, left the big city behind and traveled to the Piney Woods to live the life of a farm girl with my grandparents.”
• Preface of Anti-Paedo-Rantism, by Abel Morgan Pastor of the Baptist Church at Middletown, NJ (1747) -- “That truth may prevail above error, Christianity spread in purity, and godliness abound with power, till we all come in the unity of the faith...”
• One Example of the Shoddy Way People Treat the Preservation Passages -- “Recently, I encountered a lengthy but well-written blog post describing the three major approaches to the preservation of God’s Word.”
• Leave the Hyphen off Conservatism -- “...think tankers and pundits on the right have spent large sums of time and money sorting themselves into separate tribes and attacking their rivals.”
• From Erasmus to Maius, by An-Ting Yi -- “The History of Codex Vaticanus in New Testament Textual Scholarship (open access PDF and ePub).”
• Does God have a Controversy with the King James Bible? -- “H. Wayne Williams’ book was first printed in 1997, but has since fallen out of circulation. Now, Pastor Matt Furse has made Pastor Williams’ original book available, online...”
• Culling Time -- “About 55 years prior, around 1917, the farms surrounding Jacksonville, in Cherokee County, south of Tyler, produced 90% of the tomatoes shipped from Texas.”
• American Revolution Gravestone Symbols -- “On Memorial Day in 1892 in Acton, Massachusetts, simple wooden markers were placed next to the graves of those who were known to have taken part in the War for Independence.”

Feet washing history

Miscellaneous notes concerning the practice of washing the saints feet.

It must be confessed, That if exact Practice be required, and clearness in Gospel-Institutions before Communion; who dare be so bold as to say his hands are clean, and that he hath done all the Lord Commands, as to Institutions in his Worship? and must not confess the Change of Times doth necessitate some Variation, if not Alteration either in the matter or manner of things according to Primitive Practice, yet owned for true Churches, and received as visible Saints, though ignorant either wholly or in great measure, in laying on of hands, singing, washing of feet, and anointing with oyl, in the Gifts of the Spirit, which is the Urim and Thummim of the Gospel?

Differences in Judgment about Water-baptism, No Bar to Communion, John Bunyan, Henry Jessey, London: Printed for John Wilkins, 1673, pp. 116-117

Art 8 Wee believe that washing the Saints feet is A duty that Should Bee Practiced By the Churches of Christ Jesus Christ gives us the example.

Article 8 of the Articles of Faith of Isbell Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Rusk County, Texas; organized November 25, 1900

“Called for resolutions, when the following was presented and adopted:

“Resolved, That we do not regard the observance, or non-observance of feet washing a test of fellowship; but is open to conviction of each church and each individual member.” (page 3)

“On motion, the Association agreed to refer Liberty Church to special resolution passed by the Body on feet washing, as an answer to query sent up from that church.” (page 6)

Minutes of the Fourteenth Annual Session of the Mount Zion Baptist Association, held with Shiloh Church, Rusk County, September 16th 1870, p. 3, 6

All the Sermons in Acts

APPENDIX H – ALL THE SERMONS IN ACTS

Definitions: address, a speech given to an audience; sermon, an address on a religious or moral subject; speech, a form of communication in spoken language, made by a speaker before an audience for a given purpose. All these accurately apply to the “formal” communication made by the Christians in Acts.

According to E. W. Bullinger, “Eighteen speeches or addresses are recorded: —” [i]

 

Seven by Peter

1. To the assembled believers, 1:15-22

2. On the day of Pentecost, 2:14-40

3. In the Temple, 3:12-26

4. Before the Sanhedrin, 4:8-12

5. Before the Sanhedrin, 5:29-32

6. In the house of Cornelius, 10:28-43

7. In the council at Jerusalem, 15:7-11

 

One by James

1. In the council at Jerusalem, 15:13-21

 

One by Stephen

1. Before the Sanhedrin, 7:2-53

 

Seven by Paul

1. In the Synagogue at Antioch, 13:16-41

2. At Lystra, 14:15-17

3. On Mars’ Hill, 17:22-31

4. At Miletus, 20:18-35

5. On the stairs before the castle, 22:1-21

6. Before Felix, 24:10-21

7. Before Agrippa, 26:2-29

 

Two others

1. That of Gamaliel, 5:35-39

2. That of Tertullus, 24:2-8

 

J. W. Griffith gives 26: [ii]

 

1. Peter Preached to the Church, 1:15-26
2. Peter’s Pentecostal Sermon, 2:14-36
3. Peter’s Sermon in the Temple, 3:12-26
4. Peter’s Answer Before the Council, 4:5-12, 18-20
5. The Praise Sermon of the Disciples, 4:23-31
6. Peter’s Living Object Lesson, 5:1-11
7. Peter’s Second Answer Before the Council, 5:17-42
8. Stephen Preaches to the Council, 7:2-60
9. Philip Preaches to the Eunuch, 8:26-40
10. Paul’s First Sermon, 9:17-31
11. Peter Preaches to the Gentiles, 10:34-43
12. Peter’s Defense of His Preaching, 11:1-18
13. Paul’s Sermon at Antioch Pisidia, 13:16-49
14. Sermon for Which the Preacher was Stoned, 14:6-20
15. A Message on a Vital Question, 15:1-11
16. An Extraordinary Sermon, 16:25-34
17. A Philosophical Sermon, 17:22-34
18. Prevailing Preaching, 19:8-20
19. An All-Night Sermon, 20:1-12
20. A Farewell Sermon, 20:17-38
21. Paul’s Personal Experience, 22:1-21
22. A Message of Defense, 23:1-11
23. A Reasoning Sermon, 24:1-27
24. A Sermon to Royalty, 26:1-32
25. A Sermon at Sea, 27:10-26
26. Paul’s Last Recorded Sermon, 28:17-31

According to Danny Dwyer, “One of the distinct characteristics of Acts is its record of speeches that make up nearly one third of its contents. Some of these are the speeches of political leaders and contributing characters that are part of the story. While these are important, the ones most important to the biblical narrative of the witness of the Church are the sermons and sermon summaries.” Dwyer asserts that there are “ten sermons and seven sermon summaries.” He adds, “Acts is not just a historical record, it is an apologetic for Christianity. Sermons were the central methodology in Acts of accomplishing this goal.”[iii]

Joseph A. Fitzmyer claims 28 speeches: [iv]

 

1.         1:4-5, 7-8                    Risen Christ to Apostles and Disciples

2.         1:16-22                        Peter at the Choosing of Matthias

3.         2:14b-36, 38-39          Peter to Jews Gathered in Jerusalem on Pentecost

4.         3:12b-26                      Peter in Temple after Cure of the Lame Man

5.         4:8b-12, 19b-20          Peter before the Sanhedrin, I

6.         5:29b-32                      Peter before the Sanhedrin, II

7.         5:35b-39                      Gamaliel before the Sanhedrin

8.         6:2b-4                          The Twelve before the Assembled Disciples

9.         7:2-53                          Stephen before the Sanhedrin

10.       10:34b-43                    Peter at Cornelius’ Conversion

11.       11:5-17                        Peter to the Apostles and Brothers in Jerusalem

12.       13:16b-41                    Paul at Antioch in Pisidia

13.       14:15-17                      Barnabas and Paul to the Crowd in Lystra

14.       15:7b-11                      Peter at the “Council” in Jerusalem

15.       15:13b-21                    James to the Assembly in Jerusalem

16.       17:22-31                      Paul to the Athenians at the Aeropagus

17.       18:14b-15                    Gallio to the Jews of Corinth

18.       19:25b-27                    Demetrius to Fellow Silversmiths

19.       19:35b-40                    Town Clerk to the Ephesians

20.       20:18b-35                    Paul to Ephesian Presbyters at Miletus

21.       22:1, 3-21                    Paul to Jerusalem Crowd at His Arrest

22.       24:2b-8                        Tertullus before Governor Felix

23.       24:10b-21                    Paul before Governor Felix

24.       25:8b, 10b-11              Paul’s Appeal to Caesar

25.       25:14c-21, 24-27         Festus before King Agrippa

26.       26:2-23, 25-27, 29      Paul before King Agrippa

27.       27:21-26                      Paul to Fellow Travelers abroad Ship

28.       28:17c-20, 25b-28       Paul to Jewish Leaders of Rome

 

“In this list of 28 speeches one has to distinguish different sorts; there are ten Pauline and eight Petrine discourses, and one each of the risen Christ, Demetrius, the governor Festus, Gallio, Gamaliel, James, Stephen, Tertullus, the town clerk of Ephesus, and the Twelve. Moreover, there are six missionary speeches addressed to Jews (2:14b-36, 38-39; 3:12b-26; 4:8b-12; 5:29b-32; 10:34b-43; 13:16b-41), two evangelizing sermons addressed to Gentiles (14:15-17; 17:22-31), a prophetic indictment (Stephen’s speech, 7:2-53), two didactic speeches (15:7b-11; 15:13b-21), two apologiai or defense speeches (22:1, 3-21; 26:2-23, 25-27, 29). Two of the speeches of Paul (22:1, 3-21; 26:2-23, 25-27, 29) present an oratorical form of what the reader has already read about in narrative form in 9:1-31...”[v]

 

Henry J. Cadbury lists 24 “principal speeches” in Acts as, eight by Peter; two by James; one by Stephen; nine by Paul; and four by non-Christians.[vi]

A count of the number of sermons or addresses in the book of Acts will vary based on the purpose of and standards used in the count – for example, the simple mention of “preached,” etc. versus Luke having written down some of the sermon/address. Others not mentioned by Bullinger, Cadbury, Fitzmyer, or Griffith include, Philip in Samaria, 8:5-6; Peter and John in Samaria, 8:25; Philip to the Eunuch, 8:26-40; Philip from Azotus to Cæsarea, 8:40; Scattered disciples to Phenice, Cyprus, and Antioch, Acts 11:19-21; Paul and Barnabas at Salamis, 13:4-5; Paul at Paphos, 13:6-12; Paul and Silas to the women at Philippi, 16:13-15; Paul at Thessalonica, 17:1-4; Paul and Silas at Berea, 17:10-12; and Paul to the disciples in Ephesus, 19:1-7.

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[i] Companion Bible, Bullinger, p. 1575.
[ii] All the Sermons of Acts, p. 3.
[iii] Dwyer, The Book of Acts, pp. 6-7. See also Fitzmyer, that almost a third of Acts is speeches, about 295 verses of 1000, p. 103. He defines a speech as “an address directed to a group or an individual in a nonprivate setting, usually involving the attention of a number of people. When there is an extended discourse, there is no problem in recognizing it, but when one encounters dialogue or conversation, how much of it should be included? ... I limit the discourse or speech to that given by one and the same person, and I do not include prayers and forms of dialogue.” pp. 103-104
[iv] pp. 104
[v] Ibid., pp. 104-105
[vi] “The Speeches in Acts,” in The Beginnings of Christianity: Part I, the Acts of the Apostles, p. 403.