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The One Year New Testament

October 29

Acts 5:17-26

Acts 5:17-26

17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council and all the senate of the people of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

Reflection

Persecution against those proclaiming the name of Jesus now begins to intensify. The rising popularity of the Christian movement (Acts 5:12–16) has provoked the Jewish leaders to jealousy, and the apostles are arrested (v. 18). God’s sends an “angel of the Lord” to carry out a miraculous jailbreak in the night, and the apostles are found teaching the next morning in the temple (vv. 21–26).

Despite the suffering it invites, the apostles continue to faithfully proclaim the gospel to those who will listen. Once we have come to know the goodness of the grace of God in Christ, we are empowered by that same grace to spread the good news to others, even if it is costly, “for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (4:20).

2 Peter 3:14-18

2 Peter 3:14-18

14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Reflection

In his final comments, Peter reiterates the need to keep ourselves holy and blameless in these days of false teaching and hardship (2 Pet. 3:14). These efforts are the natural result of salvation. Because there is a new world coming (v. 13), we are at peace in our spirits and diligent in our efforts. Because we have the truth of the gospel (v. 15), we are to resist the lure of false teaching and spiritual corruption (v. 17). Peter knows that the Christian life is not lived on auto­ pilot. Those who are born again must fight to believe the gospel and grow. But it is a fight they cannot lose. God’s own power has provided all we need (1:3).

We cannot wear out the gospel of Jesus! The same grace of Christ that brought us to Christ will empower our growth in him, nurturing our relationship with the Savior until that final day when we meet him face to face.

Psalm 62:11

Psalm 62:11

11 Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,

Thoughts For Prayer

When we are convinced of the power of God in the gospel, the enemies of God do not feel like a threat to his purposes. Pray for boldness to live for Christ and his gospel, and ask God to give you confidence in his power over all his enemies.

Missions Prayer Requests More

  • June 1, 2025

    Supported Workers: Kep & Debbie James in Africa, Europe, and the Americas

    Countries:

    Pray for continued growth in evangelism and discipleship in the ILC Church that Kep and Debbie planted in Bolivia. Pray for the Costa Rican pastors Kep, Debbie, and Paulo met with in April in San Jose and for the Equipping Servants International (ESI) groups of Spanish speaking pastors in Los Angeles and Central America which Jose oversees.

    Barbados (Caribbean). Population: 282,624 Believers: 34.2%. Since settlement in 1627, Barbados has been Christian. But despite overwhelming religious profession and a large number of evangelicals, real commitment to the lordship of Jesus is the exception rather than the rule. Pray for the Spirit’s renewal and for the church in Barbados to reawaken. Belize (Latin America). Population: 422,924 Believers: 18.8%. Most Belizeans profess Christianity, but only 10% of the population attend church regularly. People need to encounter the true gospel in ways that are meaningful and sensitive to their culture. The Spanish-speaking immigrants sometimes mix truth with superstitions, the Mayans with paganism, and the Garifuna with black magic. Pray for revival and spiritual conviction for any confusion in beliefs. From Operation World DVD-ROM 2010 and www.operationworld.org

The One Year New Testament Copyright Tyndale House Publishers, used by Permission. NIV Bible copyright International Bible Society.