Curiosities in Acts

Before I get into another study, I wanted to share some things you may find curious in the Acts of the Apostles. Here they are:

(1) After the 1st Chapter of Acts, Mary the mother of Jesus is never mentioned again. Did you know that Mary is never again mentioned by name in the rest of the New Testament? It seems the Lord knew that the cult of Mary would eventually arise and do damage to the gospel message. (This is no reflection on Mary. She is the mother of our Lord Jesus. Not the mother of God.)

(2) Did you know that James the brother of Jesus was not an apostle, yet he was given the place of Overseer in the church in Jerusalem, and wrote one of the general epistles? Jesus actually appeared to James by himself. There is a reason for this. We'll talk about it later.

(3) Did you know that the speaking in other languages is recorded but three times in Acts, and that each time is a sovereign act of God, but that each time connects directly with the day of Pentecost. Keep in mind that Acts covers roughly 35 years of early Church history.

Note: When Paul wrote the Corinthian Church, which is an earlier writing than the Acts of the Apostles, he says that tongues will cease. The interesting thing about this word is that it leaves room for this gift to be used at various times.

The Greek word for 'cease' is where we get our English word 'pause'. (Greek: 'pauo.') Pauo speaks of something that is rendered inactive, or restrained. The word does not mean abolish. It is similar to putting a car out of gear. There have been times throughout Church history where this gift has been used in various ways, and especially with missionary work.

Just some things to think about.

This study was originally part of a series on the book of Acts given to members of Hebraic Foundations from July 10, 2002 through January 19, 2003. They were written by Pastor Buddy Martin, a former United Pentecostal Church minister, who founded Christian Challenge International. Writings are the copyright of Buddy Martin and reprinted on this site by permission. For a list of all the articles in this study, go here.

Page added October 22, 2004

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