The truth is that Messiah and His Disciples fulfilled the 70th week of Daniel, from 27-34 A.D., when they confirmed with the Jews for 7 years that He is the promised Messiah, who ratified the everlasting covenant with His blood as the Passover Lamb.
The final act showing that the Jews have rejected Messiah is that they have killed Jesus in the middle of the 70th week
The seven years ended when the Jewish leaders stoned the Apostle Stephen to death, when he proclaimed that they had killed their promised Messiah.
End of the allowed 490 years.....The Punishment upon the Jews happened in the generation who have rejected Messiah ie destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD.
The Jews who have converted to Christ have fled Jerusalem and went in the wilderness as Jesus have warned them in Luke 21:20-23 which is a parallel verse of Matthew 24:1-19
The Church in Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:5-12) | cofcnet
Growth in Jerusalem the first days of the Kingdom was phenomenal! Truly the "time was fulfilled". Within days the church numbered near 10,000 and was drawing incredible attention, which is good for growth but now the persecution promised by Christ has begun. Stephen has given his life for the cause of Christ and a young zealous Pharisee named Saul has emerged on the scene as the chief antagonist of the Church. But instead of smothering Christianity, it serves only to fan the flame though the entire Judean world.
Leaving Jerusalem (Acts 8:1-4):
Time
Stephen's Death - thought to be around A.D. 34 or 35
"At that time" - does not refer to the particular day of Stephen's death, but the general time frame
The "spreading" believed to have occurred around A.D. 37
Great persecution drives Christians from Jerusalem (Acts 8:1)
Many were taken from home and brought into prisons (Acts 8:3)
Many were put to death (Acts 22:4; Acts 26:10)
The Jews would beat them in attempts to get them to blaspheme (Acts 26:11)
This persecution was at the direction of the chief priests (Acts 9:14; Acts 26:10)
To avoid persecution, Christians spread throughout all of Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1)
Samaria was north of Judea and south of Galilee
Apostles remained in Jerusalem - not told why at this point
Some went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (Acts 11:19)
Some may have gone as far as Rome (Romans 16:7) - Andronicus and Junia were in Christ before Paul
They went everywhere preaching the word (Acts 8:4)
At this point, Gentiles were still kept from the kingdom
They were preaching to the Jews only (Acts 11:19)
What seemed to be a horrible tragedy was actually God's providence providing for the world to be taught the Gospel!
When we become discouraged about the task of spreading the Gospel, think of the daunting task facing the early Church!
Philip in Samaria (Acts 8:5-25)
Philip the evangelist, not the apostle
This couldn't have been Philip the apostle because the apostles remained in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1)
This was Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:8), the same one that was one of the seven named to care for the widows in Acts 6:3-6
Acts 8:14 also seems to speak of the apostles as not including Philip ("Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John")
When named one of the seven, the apostles laid hands on Philip, giving him the power to perform the miracles that are mentioned in this chapter (Acts 8:6)
The Samaritans
Samaria was a country, but also a city (many refer to as Sebaste)
Although it was north of Jerusalem, it was at a lower elevation (which explains the fact that Philip went down to Samaria)
Samaritans were bitter enemies of the Jews (John 4:9 ". . . the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.") They were half-breeds, Jews that had been intermingled with heathen peoples.
In what has been called the limited commission, Jesus had earlier instructed the disciples to not preach in the cities of the Samaritans, but only to the "the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matt. 10:5-6)
But Jesus, after his resurrection, had said the Gospel would be preached in all Judaea and in Samaria (Acts 1:8)
Some Samaritans had heard the word taught before by Jesus and many believed (John 4:39-42),
Nevertheless, the Samaritans had never heard the Gospel after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus until Philip (and many still held to the view that the Messiah would come and establish a kingdom and rebuild the temple on Mount Gerazim) (John 4:25)
We know that these particular individuals were under the delusions of an impostor known as Simon (Acts 8:9-11)
Some have said this work of Philip in Samaria was the stepping stone to the work among the Gentiles.
The success of the Gospel in Samaria
The people readily and unanimously accepted the word (Acts 8:6)
The purpose of miracles for the early church was revealed, as the Samaritans were led to believe, at least in part, based on seeing the miracles Philip performed (Acts 8:6-7)
These miracles may have been particularly needful to expose the fraud of Simon (Acts 8:9-11)
When they believed, they were baptized (Acts 8:12) (the natural response to belief - Acts 2:38 and many other examples in Acts)
Great joy came to the city (Acts 8:8)
The apostles Peter and John came from Jerusalem to Samaria to encourage the believers in Samaria and confer the Holy Ghost upon them (Acts 8:14-17).
It appears that Philip, while having the power to perform miracles, did not have the power to confer gifts to others. It was necessary that the apostles come for this task.
The Samaritans had been baptized, receiving the remission of sins, but not miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:16)
Disappointment in Samaria - Simon
Simon had deceived the people of Samaria for some time, passing himself off as some kind of divine power (Acts 8:9-11)
He also believed the teaching of Philip and was baptized (Acts 8:13)
He was amazed at the miracles which Philip did (Acts 8:13 - the meaning of the word translated "wondered" carries the meaning of amazement at the miracles and signs). Contrasted with his own phony act, Simon was amazed at one that truly performed these miracles.
This fascination with the power given to Philip is one sign of the trouble that was to fall upon Simon. Nevertheless, there is nothing from which we could conclude that Simon's belief or baptism was insincere. In fact, the Bible said he believed!
Thus Simon, like the other believing Samaritans, was a baptized believer enjoying God's forgiveness. An amazing triumph for the early church!
Simon, however, was the unfortunate early example of our ability to fall away from God's grace and of how to return to God
Simon wanted to buy the power to bestow the gifts of the Holy Ghost to others (Acts 8:18-19)
Given his background, it is perhaps not too surprising that Satan would attack the heart of Simon in this way
Peter tells Simon in stern language that he is in sin and has no right to this power
God's plan for Fallen Christians
Peter told Simon his heart was not right in God's sight (Acts 8:21)
He told him to repent of his wickedness and pray God for forgiveness
This same plan is given in other parts of God's word (2 Tim 2:24-26; I John 1:8-10)
Simon gives a sign of his repentance by asking Peter to pray for him (Acts 8:24)
Peter and John preach in other villages of the Samaritans on the way back to Jerusalem
Lessons from Samaria
God's word was effective in bringing together former enemies
God's word was effective in turning around the life of a former impostor that falsely claimed divine power
While preaching the Gospel, seeming triumphs may end in disappointment (Matt. 10:20-22 - the parable of the sower). Nevertheless, one need not get down and must continue to preach to others as did Peter and John returning to Jerusalem.
Christians can be forgiven for sins after baptism by repentance and prayer
The Church in Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:5-12) | cofcnet
