Acts: The Book Without Love

The book of Acts records many of the first sermons preached in the early church. Here we can find what Peter, Stephen, Paul and others proclaimed. The people that were subject to these proclamations were Jews and gentiles, kings and commons, rich and poor. Will we find them declaring to everyone the gospel of today, “Jesus loves you?” Or will we see them declaring another gospel?

Jesus told his disciples that they would be “witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). If they were to be His witnesses, then surely in this book containing many of their sermons we should readily see if the “Jesus loves you” gospel was their gospel. If we find that it wasn’t their gospel then we should question the mush love gospel that is prevalent today. And why should we not at least question the doctrinal integrity of those who proclaim something that is not found in the sermons of the early church?

I cannot comment on each proclamation found in the book of Acts for it would take at least a book to do so. My goal is to point out many of the major points of these witnesses and always be looking for the message, “Jesus loves you.”

On the day of Pentecost we find Peter delivering the first sermon to the Jews. After telling them about Jesus being the Christ the record says:

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:36-38).

I didn’t find the word “love” even mentioned in that first sermon. But moving on we can give Peter another chance for in the next chapter he by the power of God heals a man and uses the occasion to preach again. Here are a few of the things he speaks about:

But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people (Acts 3:18-23).

Good preaching. Peter is still missing the “love thing” but he has a lot of opportunities remaining. The Jewish leaders show up and they are grieved that the disciples have “preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.”
But Peter tells them:

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:10-12).

Relationships are really beginning to be strained here. Peter is telling the Jewish leaders that they have crucified Jesus and God raised Him from the dead. These leaders are ready to toss Peter and the other disciples into jail. This would be a good time for Peter to start telling them that Jesus loves them. But for some reason he opts for these words:

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:30,31).

Whoa! Doesn’t he understand that if he keeps harping on this “you killed Jesus” line that they are going to be really offended? I guess not. The disciples took a beating, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ” (Acts 5:42).

Let’s leave Peter and move on to Stephen. Perhaps he can come up with a more tender, loving, peaceable message. In chapter six he is doing a lot of miracles and begins preaching also. This gets him an audience with the Jewish leadership and in chapter seven we read his message. He is speaking about the goodness of God toward Israel and about Israel’s rebellion. And then…, oh no! All of a sudden he is talking about their own rebellion:

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it (Acts 7:51-53).

That’s not much of an invitation. But somehow it is pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ, for He opens heaven to be viewed by Stephen. Stephen tells the Jewish leaders that he sees “the Son of man standing on the right hand of God (Acts 7:56). They execute him.

Lets look elsewhere for a more tenderhearted expression. Philip appears in Samaria where he is preaching Christ to them (Acts 8:5). And then he finds an Ethiopian eunuch reading the Scriptures. “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35). This is working good for Philip. But he is the third guy we have come across and still nobody is telling these heathen that Jesus loves them. Is it that they haven’t understood the fullness of the gospel yet?

Next let’s look at the conversion of Saul:

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do (Acts 9:3-6).

Jesus didn’t even tell Saul that He loved him though we know from other scripture that He did. The Lord Jesus Christ arranges for Ananias to deliver some truth to Saul. He tells Ananias that Saul “is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Interesting. Paul is being sent to bear the name of Jesus Christ, not to tell people that Jesus loves them. By verse 20 we see Saul preaching “Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.”

In chapter 10 Peter is still in action, but he still hasn’t discovered the loving message of our modern era:

And we are witnesses of all things which he (Jesus) did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins (Acts 10:39-43).

Peter is still on the “Jesus was crucified and God raised Him from the dead” message. And he says that Christ commanded them to “testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.”

Peter just seems to get more abrasive as time passes. No wonder he is in jail in chapter 12. Perhaps God should have left him there to rethink and refine a more positive message. But He didn’t. In fact God sends an angel to get him out. And not only that but Peter’s jail keepers are put to death because of his release! (Acts 12:19). Maybe Peter forgot to shout to them, “God loves you,” as the angel escorted him out of the prison.

Paul and Barnabus take off on a missionary journey. In Paphos, Elymas the sorcerer opposes Paul. Paul calls him a “child of the devil” and an “enemy of all righteousness,”
then causes blindness to come upon him (Acts 13:10,11). Later at the synagogue Paul preaches an almost chapter long sermon which included the truth of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hope for him to preach the “Jesus loves you” message quickly evaporates. But even without that there were some gentiles listening and there were those that “glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).

Paul continues to preach the Lord Jesus Christ here and there. But he and those with him “were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia (Acts 16:6). This tends to make me think that God had no one in that area that he was particularly fond of at that time. However, in Thessalonica Paul “reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ” (Acts 17:2,3). In Athens he says, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead (Acts 17:30,31). Reporting to the elders in Ephesus he said that he had been “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).

As you likely know, Paul ends up in the custody of Roman courts. It is recorded that Felix and his wife “heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come Felix trembled” (Acts 24:24,25). Before Agrippa he stated,
“Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:22,23). Imprisoned at Rome, he called the Jews “to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening” (Acts 28:23). The book of Acts closes stating, “ And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him” (Acts 28:30,31).

Thus we come to the end of our simple study finding nothing that even resembles the “Jesus loves you” gospel in the whole book of Acts. Not only was there no reference to God’s love in any of the sermons, but the word “love” is not found anywhere in Acts.

The one who proclaims the “Jesus loves you” gospel is welcome to explain why he does so in contrast to the true gospel expounded in Acts. That one should soberly consider the warning given by Paul in Galatians 1:8,9:

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

John 3:16 - The Most Misinterpreted Verse In The Bible

[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
[17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 3:16 is used by many to teach that God loves everybody. From this verse is deduced the three words that are so common to the false gospel taught today - “God Loves You.”

Let me point out to you one person which the Scripture clearly states was hated by God. This is Esau. You can briefly read about him in Romans 9:11-13 and Malachi 1:2-5. He was hated before He was born. He was not hated in the sense of merely being ignored by God but was hated to the extent of God being actively opposed to him and his descendants. If there is one person or group that God hates then how can it be said that He loves everyone?

The basic misinterpretation of John 3:16 stems from giving a meaning to the word “world” which is incorrect. People assume that it means “everybody.” This is an erroneous assumption since the “world” seems to have as many as seven different meanings in the Scripture. These meanings are to be determined by the context of the passage.

In our own culture the word can have various meanings. We often refer to "the world of politics" or "the business world" or a “world of hurt.“ You've heard the sportscaster say, "Today in the world of sports…." Someone else says, “The world is out to get me.” We use “world” to refer to the earth, the whole creation, even the system or practices of life around us summed up as “the world in which we live.” It can even mean “mankind.” These uses of "world" are readily understood by us in their context.

In Scripture it is easy to see various uses of “world.” I John 2:15 begins, “Love not the world….” We would certainly not jump to the conclusion that the world here means everybody that has ever and will ever live. We read the whole verse, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” It is understood that the world system is that which is being spoken about.

Consider John 12:19. In regard to Jesus the Pharisees say "... the world is gone after him." Obviously everybody in the world was not following Jesus. The Pharisees were simply remarking that Jesus was getting a lot of attention or that all kinds of people were coming to Him.

John 17:9 is a most astounding statement. Jesus says, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.” He makes it clear that he prays only for those whom God has given Him. He does not pray for the “world” of this verse. This world is the “world of unbelievers or the non-elect.”

Contemplate the meanings of this word in John 1:10. "He was in the world," (a portion of the habited earth) "and the world" (heaven and earth) "was made through him, and the world" (unbelievers) "knew him not."

Thus, my opinion is that the best interpretation of the "world" of John 3: 16 would be "world of believers" or “world of the chosen. " This interpretation would be in line with such passages as John 6:33; "For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto the world." Jesus is this bread of God. He does not give life to all the people of the world but only to the elect. He explains in verse 51 that this is eternal life that He is referring to, that the bread is His flesh and it is given for the life of the world. Again, the only possibility being the world of believers, since they are the only ones receiving eternal life.

In John 3:17 we see that God sent Jesus into the world “that the world through him might be saved.” This is the same world that we find in John 3:16. It is the world that will not be condemned but that will be saved through Jesus Christ. Jesus is not going to save a world of everybody that ever lived. He is going to save the world that God loved. This is the world of believers.

But someone will say that verse seventeen is only teaching that the world might possibly be saved. In their view they believe that Jesus does not actually save but only makes salvation possible.

Consider this. My wife gave me ten dollars so that I should stop by the store on the way home and buy some eggs, milk and bread. Did she give me ten dollars thinking that I might possibly stop by the store if I feel like it and get the groceries? No! She gave me ten dollars fully expecting me to stop and get the groceries.

Now consider other Biblical examples. One only has to go back to verse 16 to the phrase “should not perish.” Does this merely mean the possibility of not perishing? The believer “ought not perish” or “might possibly not perish?” No! It is a statement of surety. The meaning here is that the believer will not perish.

“Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again” (John 10:17). Is Jesus laying down His life that He might possibly get it back again? Of course not! He is laying down His life with the certainty that He will have it again.

“Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47).
Was the Lord Jesus Christ adding to His church those who should possibly be saved? What an absurdity! He was adding to His church those whom God decreed would be saved!

In all these examples we are dealing with statements of certainty and not statements of possibility. When Jesus says in John 3:17 that the world “might be saved” through Him He is not declaring a mere possibility but the fact that the world will definitely be saved through Him. And this world that is definitely saved is the world of God’s chosen, not every person that has ever lived.

In context this world that is going to be saved through Him is the same world that God did not send Him to condemn. It is the same world that God loves. It is the world of believers or the world of the elect.

The world of John 3:16 is the world that God loves. It is the same world which He will save in John 3:17. When understood properly that this world is the world of the elect believers these verses conform to the systematic teaching of the remainder of Scripture. It also eliminates the conflict of statements made about God’s hate for certain people found in such places as Malachi 1:2-5, Psalm 5:5, Psalm 11:5 and Romans 9:11-13.

You couldn't say "God Loves You" to these people and many others such as Pharoah (Romans 9:17), those who perished in the flood (Genesis 7:23) or whole nations (Deut. 20:16,17) who God instructed Israel to wipe out. God's love is placed upon His people whom He has chosen, the world of believers.