First Sunday After Epiphany (Baptism of the Lord) – Year C

Sermon Notes from the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People

RCL Readings –  Isaiah 43:1-7, Psalm 29,  Acts 8:14-17,  Luke 3:15-17,  21-22

ACNA Readings –  Isaiah 42:1-9,  Psalm 89:1-29 (89:20-29),  Acts 10:34-38,  Luke 3:15-22

Seasonal Introduction. Following the Christmas season, Christians around the world celebrate Epiphany. While the story of a Jewish baby born in his ancestral home may be interesting it would hardly be remarkable, let alone world-changing. But Christmas isn’t only about a human baby boy, it is about God coming to dwell among men as a man. During the season of Epiphany we look at how God revealed Himself, starting with the pagan magi and ending with Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain. This week, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all heard and seen by those at Jesus’ baptism and God revealed His love for His Son.

Common Theme. God’s power is revealed in each of the scriptures leading up to the Gospel passage this week—fire, water, and the Holy Spirit all play a prominent role. God is gracious to those who are humble and obedient. God reveals that despite (or because) of His greatness, bowing before Him means that we do not need to fear Him as we are called by His name.

Hebrew Context. During the 2nd Temple period, Jewish scholars noted the lack of prophecy following the deaths of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Why? Isaiah 59:2 states that “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God.” Likewise, Micah 3:4, “Then they will cry to the LORD, but He will not answer them; He will hide His face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil.” Could iniquity really be the main reason for the cessation of prophecy in the nation? After all, at the time of this question, Israel was more faithful than they had ever been under the prophets. 

They believed that the main reason why prophecy had ceased was because the Spirit of the LORD was no longer among the people. Jewish scholars writing in the early Talmudic Period repeated this claim throughout their writings. There were those righteous enough on whom the Spirit of the LORD could rest however, the scholars boldly declared that, though they were fit to prophesy, as Moses had, their generation was not deserving of His presence. We read that Micah was able to prophesy only because of the Spirit of the LORD. This gives rise to one reason why Luke emphasizes the Holy Spirit’s presence on those who prophesied leading up to the birth of John and Jesus. 

Not only was the cessation of prophecy a prevalent topic among Jewish scholars in the post-Second Temple period, but it was also lamented in Jewish historical texts of the time, starting with the Maccabean accounts. I Maccabees 9:27 described the suffering under the Greek Seleucid Empire, “So there was great distress in Israel such as had not been since the time a prophet had last appeared among them.” This loss was seen as connected to the departure of God’s presence, or the Shekinah, from the Temple. Ezekiel 10 vividly depicted this departure in a vision, where the glory of the Lord left the Holy of Holies and the Temple, accompanied by cherubim.

Despite the absence of national prophets, God’s voice did not disappear entirely. People like Anna the prophetess were still known for their devotion and service to God and others, like Honi the circle-drawer, were known to speak to God and receive His response. Their teachings and ministries weren’t recorded in sacred manuscripts; however, they were still important religious leaders within their local communities. Moreover, we see God communicating through dreams and visions. Judah Maccabee had a vision according to II Maccabees 15:11-16. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, also had a vision, and even the foreign Magi received a vision from God warning them to avoid Herod.

Finally, as the prophetic voice waned, a new tradition emerged: the bat kol, (daughter of the voice)—”From the time that the last prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, died, the Holy spirit ceased to exist among Israel. Nevertheless, they would avail themselves of the bat kol.” The bat kol was understood as an echo of prophecy, offering divine communication to a broader audience. Unlike prophecy, which was exclusive to specific individuals, the bat kol could be heard by many at once during significant events. Events, such as Exodus 19:19 was seen as an early form of the bat kol, and echoed with the still quiet voice to Elijah on that same mountain.

This phenomenon is evident at the baptism of Jesus. The voice from heaven—accessible to more than just one prophet—declared, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” This moment exemplifies the inclusivity of the bat kol, where God’s voice was heard by a gathered audience, affirming Jesus’ identity and mission.

Isaiah 43:1-7. Isaiah 43 offers a profound and reassuring message from the Lord: "Do not be afraid." This phrase, one of the most common heavenly messages, addresses a fundamental barrier to fulfilling God’s will—fear. Fear paralyzes individuals, silencing them when they should speak and discouraging them when they should act. It prevents people from stepping into ministry or drives them away from the mission field when challenges arise. Yet, while fear may hinder us, it never hinders God. The Lord’s work continues unhindered by human anxiety, and He calls His people to trust in Him instead of succumbing to fear.

In these opening words of Isaiah, God speaks as Creator and Redeemer, addressing His people with tenderness and authority. He commands them not to fear, not because their circumstances are easy or secure, but because He has redeemed them. He assures them of His presence and ownership: “You are mine.” These words do not suggest immunity from hardship. On the contrary, the text explicitly acknowledges that God’s people will encounter trials—symbolized by fire and water. These metaphors highlight the inevitability of challenges, yet the command remains clear. When we do come to a time of trial we should not panic, but rather trust in God.

Interestingly, in the opening verse, God refers to His people as "Jacob" rather than "Israel." This distinction is significant. Jacob, as a patriarch, was often characterized by fear. He fled from Esau after deceiving him and also from Laban when conflict arose. Upon his return to Canaan, hearing that Esau was approaching, Jacob sent women and children ahead of himself in fear. Despite Jacob’s fears, the Lord remained with him and repeatedly reassured him not to fear. This parallel serves as a reminder that God’s faithfulness endures even when His people falter.

The historical context of Isaiah’s prophecy is equally important. The prophet was addressing a rebellious community, warning that Assyria and later Babylon would bring devastation and exile. Despite these dire predictions, God’s message to Israel was one of hope: “Do not fear, for I am with you.” Even in the diaspora, God’s presence and faithfulness would not waver. His promise extended to the future restoration of His people, bringing the descendants of Jacob back to the land of Israel from all directions—north, south, east, and west. But even the return from exile should highlight, not diminish the fact that the sovereign Lord remained committed to His covenant people even when they were suffering the consequences of their rebellion.

Psalm 29. David boldly commanded the heavenly beings to give glory and honour to the LORD. How could David do this? Throughout the Psalm it should be made abundantly clear that all things (including us) should give God the glory and honour that is due Him.

David used the term the “voice of the Lord” 7 times in this psalm. Reflective of the opening lines in Genesis and the creation week. David also used God’s personal name “Yahweh” 18 times and His name would later be paired with His voice in the passage. When the Lord speaks He does so through a variety of ways. On occasion, God has spoken directly with people; at other times He communicates His desires in dreams and through the mouths of prophets. Angels have often been the messengers of the divine voice. Scripture continues to be the word of the Lord that can be heard every day. Even nature itself can be the vehicle for how God speaks. Sometimes the voice of the Lord is found in the quiet stillness and sometimes He is in the storm. 

In this psalm, David described the strength and power of a storm and likened it to the voice of God. Both historical (the flood) and geographical (a mighty storm striking the northern levant) references are made within the Psalm to declare the power of God. Some of the language in the psalm echoed the Creation event of Genesis. “The voice of the Lord is over the waters” (verse 3) resonates with the Spirit of God hovering over the depths at the Beginning. The voice of the Lord is paralleled with the Lord Himself as “The Lord sits enthroned over the Flood” (verse 10). The Flood of Noah was a cataclysmic event of darkness and destruction, and yet, despite its violent nature, God ruled over it. Many of the most destructive forces experienced by those in antiquity were forces of nature; earthquakes, thunderstorms and raging seas. Just like our modern times, elemental nature was completely out of the control of humans. This Psalm is David’s reminder to us that it is the Lord, not us, who is in control of the might and power of the created world.

Acts 8:14-17. Acts 8 tells the story of two men going to Samaria, Simon, a great magician, and Philip, one of the servants of the church. Simon seems to have gone for prestige but Philip went to preach the good news of the kingdom of God. Samaria was not generally friendly to Jews, in fact, John even made a note that “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans” when Jesus started to speak to a Samaritan woman in John 4. This hostility was mutual, particularly after John Hyrcanus (a Jewish king in the Hasmonean line) destroyed the Samaritan Temple in retribution for their actions against the Jewish town of Maresha.

Such was the hostility that, in Luke 9 after a Samaritan village refused hospitality to Jesus, James and John asked, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” Philip showed the inverse of that attitude when he faithfully obeyed the final command of Jesus before His ascension in which He declared that His disciples would be His “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria…” 

The Samaritans, despite their many religious and political differences to the Jewish people, at that time expected a Messiah. While many were amazed by the sorcery of Simon, the message of Philip was even more compelling. Philip, who would later baptize the Ethiopian Eunuch, proceeded to baptize those Samaritans who turned to God. However, the Holy Spirit did not fall on the Samaritans. 

We might speculate why that was. Perhaps God wanted to display that there was a certain amount of authority in the Church leadership He had set up? Perhaps it was so that the early Church, almost exclusively Jewish, would accept these Samaritans after those in authority accepted them? Perhaps it was so that John would realize that, had Jesus acquiesced to John’s desire to punish the Samaritans with fire from heaven, he would not have seen the Holy Spirit descend on them as it had on the disciples at Pentecost. 

One thing we do learn throughout Acts is that the Holy Spirit isn’t a formula. The Holy Spirit descended prior to baptism at times, during baptism at other times, and after baptism in this particular case. When Simon tried to buy the power of the Holy Spirit from the apostles, he was declared wicked in his intent and exhorted to immediately seek God’s forgiveness.

Luke 3:15-22. The baptism of Jesus raises several questions, particularly: why does Jesus need (or desire) to be baptized? To answer this, we must first understand the ministry of John the Baptist. The type baptism that John called the nation of Israel to was one of repentance. This should prompt us to question whether Jesus, who was sinless, required such a baptism of repentance. However, this line of questioning displays a later, Christian understanding of baptism as a personal act of faith and repentance. Even the Greek word for baptism, baptizō, betrays a Christian lens. In the Septuagint, the term appears only twice—in Isaiah 21:4 and 2 Kings 5:14—and neither passage reflects the Jewish practice of ritual cleansing so prevalent in the 1st century.

Mikvahs, or ritual baths, were a central feature in this time, with over 200 mikvahs found in Jerusalem alone. However, the term mikvah, מִקְוֵ֥ה, simply refers to the location where water gathers together, such as in Genesis 1:10 when it is first used, “and the waters that were gathered together He called Seas.” The act of immersion as part of a religious ceremony was simply called washing (רחץ, rachatz) or cleansing/purifying (טהר, taher). Much of the idea of ritual cleansing originally came from the Torah and largely revolved around ritual purity from touching things that reflected a form of death in their culture—loss of blood, bodily fluids, and skin conditions. 

Over time, these practices developed beyond individual purification to encompass national preparation. Passages like Zechariah 13:1 and Ezekiel 36:24-26 exemplify this expansion. Zechariah describes a “fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.” Similarly, Ezekiel prophesies, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you…” 

The Dead Sea Scrolls provide additional insight into the Second Temple Jewish understanding of ritual purity in the first century. The Hodayot (Thanksgiving Scroll) emphasizes both internal as well as external purity, reflecting a theme Jesus himself uses in Matthew 23:26: “You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.” Hodayot also refers to a connection between ritual immersion and the Spirit of God, where it writes mankind aren’t purified by the water alone but by the will of God. Not only did individuals need to be pure and clean but Israel as a nation needed to be pure, clean, and ready for the Messiah—including on the inside and this required repentance and God’s purifying act. They desired to have the Torah on their hearts as God commanded them to in Deuteronomy 6:6 and 11:18. 

This understanding of a corporate need for preparation to receive the Messiah is reflected in John’s ministry that takes place in the wilderness, a setting deeply connected with messianic expectation in Jewish thought. Through his preaching, anticipation for the Messiah reaches new heights among the Jewish people and John attracts disciples throughout Israel. Israel wanted to be prepared for the Messiah in both body and spirit. Jesus identifies as part of the nation of Israel and His baptism reflects that identity. In this way the baptism of Jesus is not like our baptism. 

Unique to Luke's account, Jesus prays after being baptised and then is anointed by the Holy Spirit. Recall that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, has grown in the Holy Spirit, and now is anointed by the Holy Spirit. All three persons of the Godhead are now present as we hear the bat kol from heaven. Here, this voice from heaven also quotes Scripture: “You are my Son” from Psalm 2, and “In whom I am well pleased” from Isaiah 42. Jesus receives affirmation from his Father, not because of great miracles or teachings, but by joining with Israel in humbling themselves before God.

Hebraic Perspective. As John the Baptist’s ministry gained popularity, some began to wonder if he might be the foretold Messiah. John dispelled this notion by explaining that his baptism involved only water, while the coming Messiah’s baptism would include both fire and the Holy Spirit. From a Hebraic perspective, the baptism in fire and the Holy Spirit are not two separate elements but rather descriptive of a single, unified event.

In Jewish tradition, the elements of fire and the voice of God are often paired. For example, Exodus 20:18—the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai—provides significant insights. While most English translations state that the Israelites "witnessed the thunder and lightning" as God gave His commandments, the Hebrew text offers a more nuanced picture. It says that the people “saw the voices and the fires” along with the sound of the shofar: כָל-הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת-הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת-הַלַּפִּידִם, וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר. This phrasing suggests a synesthetic experience—seeing not only the fire but also seeing the voices—which underscores the powerful sensory nature of revelation from God.

The tradition arose that all emanations of the Divine Presence, whether they are the voice of God, the Holy Spirit, or the Shekinah involve fire. As Psalm 18:13 states, “The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice, hailstones and coals of fire.”

 This connects fire not only with God's presence but specifically with His voice. Examples of the link of fire and the presence of God being found together throughout Scriptures includes God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15, the burning bush in Exodus 3, and the throne of God in Ezekiel 1.

There are two different and, Hebraicly, simultaneous interpretations of the transformative fire of God. First, the fire of God can be destructive. Irenaeus connected the fire that John spoke of in Matthew 3:11 with the “day of the Lord” coming as a “burning furnace, and all sinners shall be stubble, they who do evil things, and the day shall burn them up.” in Malachi 4:1. Simultaneously, fire purifies, refines, and provides life. Many scholars and artists have connected the time of Pentecost and the baptism by the Holy Spirit with fire.

In this light, the baptism of the Messiah, described as involving both Spirit and fire, becomes a moment of refinement and transformation. For the individual, this baptism is deeply personal, burning away the chaff of sin and impurity. For the community, baptism is a collective act that strengthens the bonds of faith and unity among believers. Ultimately, the image of fire as part of baptism conveys its complete role: a consuming force that eliminates what is unworthy and a purifying agent that prepares believers for a life of holiness and service.

ACNA Readings

Isaiah 42:1-9. This passage of Isaiah is most often known as the ‘Servant Song’ for its opening in which God tells Israel to behold His servant. There are four servant songs in Isaiah, this being the first. Christianity almost universally declares that the servant is the Messiah while Jewish commentators vary. An early Aramaic translation of Isaiah 42:1, Targum Yonatan, specifically used the term מְשִׁיחָא (Messiah) as a descriptor of the servant.

The Hebrew word for servant, עֶבֶד (eved), can also refer to a slave, an individual subject, or even a vassal king and tribute nation (as seen in 1 Chronicles 18 where Moab, Edom and Syria became a vassal nations under David). Isaiah makes it clear that God chooses the servant but He also delights in him. Importantly, God puts His Spirit on this servant. As Luke points out in the Gospel, it is after the Spirit of God descends on Jesus that God once more declares these words, but not simply of His servant—of His Son. The servant is clearly more than a slave but someone who is specifically chosen to have a dynamic relationship of delight and love.

This relationship wasn’t kept for God, His Spirit, and the servant. God chose the servant in order to act on His behalf. Jesus echoes this in John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…” The servant in Isaiah will be a light for the nations, open the eyes that are blind, bring out those who sit in darkness—all things that Luke highlights regarding the Messiah. Certainly Zechariah, in his song, understood this to be in direct relation to his own son—the prophet of the Most High—and the Messiah who would follow.

Regardless of our understanding of the concept of eved as servant or slave, both are commonly used in a negative light. Slavery is understood as stripping away freedom and rights. Even servants have to serve the wishes of their master and have to submit to a higher authority However, the truth is, that being a servant or slave of God is not a bad thing. Time and time again, God has demonstrated His deservedness to rule and reign over us. His call to servanthood is one rooted in righteousness and not in fear of a master. In Isaiah we read that God delights in His servants who are humble and obey Him.

Psalm 89:1-29. Only one psalm is attributed to Ethan even though he was famous for his wisdom. This Psalm is a declaration of praise to God for His loving kindness and faithfulness. Ethan was one of the singers, appointed by David, to sing at the Temple Solomon would build. He notes that God’s steadfast love and faithfulness were timeless—they would endure forever. Being a contemporary of David and Solomon, Ethan ties these eternal characteristics of God with the promise He made with David, establishing his throne forever.

Interestingly, Ethan doesn’t show God’s love and faithfulness in the traditional way of the Psalms, by sharing all the works God did in the redemption of Israel. Instead he chooses to show God’s might and power through His rule and reign above all creation. God’s faithfulness isn’t just some aspect of God, He will always remain faithful to Himself in everything He does. If God created the world, surely He retains power over it and everything in it. As for God’s love, if it is a faithless love then no one would sing of it. However, Ethan notes that, as the loving kindness and faithfulness of God lasts forever, so too should the praise of God’s mercy! 

Having established his trust in God’s faithfulness, Ethan returned to the anointing of David. He states, in Psalm 89:19, how God spoke through a vision concerning David to someone called the “godly one” לַֽחֲסִידֶיךָ. David is both a king of the people and a servant of the Lord. The future pattern of a servant-king who is anointed by God, is established in this vision. To anoint מְשַׁחְ mashach is also literally ‘to make a messiah’ and connects into the messianic role of the Davidic family. Psalm 89:26 notes that the family of David will also have an intimate relationship with the Lord. They will call God as ‘Father’ as well as saviour. This was true of David as well as all his descendants and even more so by Jesus the Messiah, the son of David. 

Acts 10:34-38. Peter had spent years being discipled by Jesus. He knew from Scripture that Israel was called to be a light to the nations, and he was further filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Peter even was living in Joppa, the city often associated with the prophet Jonah—who was sent by God to preach to the Gentiles. In Acts 10:34-43, Peter preached a sermon that would have fit any of his previous sermons. The only major difference was the audience.

Despite Peter’s knowledge, he still required a vision from God to truly understand that God cared more for if we fear Him and obey Him—not whether we are Jewish or Gentile. For Peter, this didn’t change the message he delivered: namely, the good news. Peter could only testify to what he had personally seen: Jesus was baptized by John and anointed by God with power through the Holy Spirit; Jesus fulfilled God’s desires by doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; and that He both died and was raised to life.

Cornelius, although a gentile, would have understood Peter’s message as he was a man who not only feared God and obeyed Him but he also seemed to have followed several Jewish customs. Cornelius gave alms to the poor, engaged in the ritual daily prayers that had developed during the Babylonian captivity—the one described in Acts appears to be the Mincha, or afternoon, prayer—and, given the vast physical and literary evidence of God-fearers in the Jewish world, Cornelius almost certainly attended a Jewish synagogue.

Even as Peter delivers his message, God continues to prove that He has no partiality between Jew and gentile. The evidence of the Holy Spirit upon gentiles is the impetus for Peter to command them to be baptized, even without circumcision. Their baptism demonstrates to everyone that they were accepted as Gentile followers of Jesus. Interestingly during the ministry of Jesus the first Gentile Jesus dealt with was a Roman centurion from Capernaum, now the first Gentile into the early church was also a centurion!

Endnotes

1.  See also Micah 3:5-7
2.  They also noted that there would be a time when the cessation of prophecy would not be bad, as it would also cause false prophecy to cease along with the spirit of uncleanness. In Zechariah 13:2, God declared, “...I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land of the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness.”
3. Micah 3:8
4.  Luke 2:36-38
5.  Ta’anit 23a 4-18
6.  Tosefta Sotah 13.4 (Tosefta were supplemental commentaries in relation to the Mishnah.)
7.  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all told to not be afraid: Genesis 15:1, 26:24, 46:3. Joshua and Gideon were told to not fear: Joshua 1:9; Judges 6:23. And all Israel was told not to fear: Exodus 14:13; Isaiah 41:10, 43:1. This act of God’s grace continued to be shown in 2nd Temple literature, such as I Enoch 15:1 and Tobit 12:17. We see it throughout the gospels as well, from Zechariah in Luke 1:13, Mary in Luke 1:30, or the shepherds in Luke 2:10. Finally we see it was the women at the empty tomb in Matthew 28:5 and John the revelator in Revelations 1:17.
8.  A psalm of David.
9.  Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 13.10.2-3
10.  These are more associated with the terms λούω (louo, wash) and καθαρίζω (katharizo, cleanse) such as Hebrews 10:22, “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed (λελουσμένοι) with pure water.”
11.  See also 1QS 11.17-19
12.  Isaiah 40:3
13.  See Hebraic Context
14.  Irenaeus Against Heresies 4.4.3
15.  Jewish sages and scholars disagree widely on who the servant is in Isaiah. The Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b.14, indicates that the servant in Isaiah 53 is related to the Messiah. Tehillim 18.3 provides a list of people God considered to be servants, from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to Moses and Joshua and finally David. From the Middle Ages, Rashi says the servant is the nation of Israel while Rabbi Yosef Kara says it may even refer to Cyrus. Rabbi Radak and later Rabbis, Metzudos and the Malbim, stated that Isaiah is referring to the Messiah. Rashi’s view that the servant is Israel continues to be quite popular but each of the other arguments are known.
16.  I Kings 4:31, “For [Solomon] was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman…”
17.  Another tradition says that Ethan the Ezrahite would be a disciple of Ezra or from Ethan’s order/school of singers. However, the term Ezrahite (האזרחי) is a completely different word than Ezra (עזרה). It is also only mentioned in relation to the singers (I Kings 4:31; Psalm 88:1, 89:1) standing before the Tabernacle (I Chronicles 6:31-33, 44; 15:19). Perhaps this is his title because Ethan and Heman were designated to sing at dawn (זרח) or for some other, unknown reason.
18. The Hebrew word חסיד hassid first appears etymologically in Deuteronomy 33:8 where Moses is blessing the tribe of Levi. The blessing given by Moses involves the mysterious communication device called the Thummim and Urim belonging to an individual called ‘the holy one’. The wording and meaning of Deuteronomy 33:8 is such that most translations give a slightly different meaning. Often when this happens,aDFF the Jewish sages highlight each possible meaning, assuming that God wrote it that way on purpose. However it is translated, חסיד hassid, for instance, is sometimes translated as pious one, saint or faithful servant, in each case the ‘hassid’ is an individual. Commentators often portray the receiver of the vision to be David himself, perhaps through the word of Nathan. On this reading the “godly one” of Psalm 89:19 may be David.
19.  Arguments, such as, “who is my neighbour” were very common in Jewish society as many argued that it was only those Jews who devoutly followed God who counted as a neighbour, while others argued that it was all people. Nonetheless, it is clear from writings fFFFFfff FFFFFFFFFFFFFFarchaeology that Gentiles routinelyFf FFFjoinedFFFFF the FF devout in the worship of the fffffffffffffff of Abraham, Isaac, Fand Jacob ffffFfFFFFFFduring ffFFFFFFFfFFF 2nd FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFffFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTemple FFFFFFfFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF.FFffffffFfffffffFfffffffffffff
20.  Peter was a disciple of John the Baptist before he became a disciple of Jesus. Whether he was actually at the baptism of Jesus is unclear in Scripture but, as a rdisciple of John, he would have quickly heard about the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
21.  The Jewish people often prayed three liturgical prayers throughout the day, the morning (Shacharit), the afternoon (Mincha), and the evening prayer (Ma’ariv). The 9th hour is thought to correspond with the ff-afternoon. Luke makes a deliberate choice to ff his readers that Cornelius was prayingf in thefffff ninth hour and that God not only heard his fffff, fff fff to it.fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
22.  In the 1st century, many of the synagogues throughout the world included Gentiles (Acts 13:43, 17:1-4). One synagogue, excavated in Aphrodisias, Turkey, had an inscription including 69 Jewish donors but also 54 among those who were ‘God-fearers’, or Gentilic followers of God. Gentilic inclusion in the worship of the Jewish God was part of the difficulty of the early church as they sorted out how to apply God’s statutes and commandments given to the Jewish people and Israel (see Isaiah 56 and Acts 15).