they pierced.

A I WILL SHOW WONDERS:

(1) Heavens.

(2) Earth.

(3) Blood.

Seven-fold conclusion.

(4) Fire.

Wonders as spoken of in the

(5) Pillars of smoke.

Apocalypse and Isaiah 13:9,10.

(6) Sun.

(7) Moon.

It is essential to the understanding of the theme that we notice the statement of Acts 2:30:

`Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins,

according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne ...'.

Although to stay here breaks the statement of the apostle, we pause to draw attention to the pertinent fact that

Pentecost, instead of speaking of Christ as the Head of the Church, focuses attention upon His right to the throne of

David. What possible meaning, other than a literal one, can be given to this passage or to the Psalm that is quoted?

If Pentecost sets forth Christ as King in connection with the throne of David, in what way can it be connected with

the Church?

Continuing our quotation at Acts 2:33 we read:

`Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy

Ghost (Spirit), He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear'.

`He hath shed forth THIS': `THIS is that'.- Peter is still maintaining his theme. He is still explaining Pentecost: it

is the evidence that Christ is King, and that the kingdom will one day be restored. Further proof is given by quoting

from Psalm 110. David's son is David's Lord (Matt. 22:41-46). The Lord is now there at the right hand of God,

`from henceforth expecting' (Heb. 10:13). The heaven must receive Him until the times of restitution (Acts 3:21).

The first thing that Peter commanded his awakened hearers to do was to `repent'. In this he was continuing the

ministry of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:2), and of the Lord (Matt. 4:17). As already shown, the interval between the

two prophecies of Joel is a consequence of Israel's non-repentance. Baptism for the remission of sins is not church

truth. Not a single passage in any one of Paul's epistles can be found to countenance such teaching. How can we

therefore speak of `continuing stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine' when the very first principles of that doctrine are

by us set aside?

`Save thyself' is Soson seauton as in Luke 23:37, but in Acts 2:40 the Greek reads Sothete, `Be ye saved'. The

`untoward generation' is but another description given to `that wicked and adulterous generation' to which no sign,

but the sign of the prophet Jonah, was to be given. Here, that sign is evident. The apostles were witnesses of His

resurrection: Pentecost was a witness to `Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God', `This Jesus', `That same

Jesus'. This Son, yet Lord, of David, was `Lord and Christ'. The Day of the Lord was His day. The name of the

Lord upon which they called, was His name, the miracle of the next chapter enforcing the fact that `there is none

other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved' (Acts 4:12).

We have now examined three orthodox interpretations, and found them wanting, for: (1) The Epistles are as

much inspired as the Gospels; (2) The appointment of Matthias was according to the will of God; (3) The church, as

we understand the word today, did not begin at Pentecost.

We must now turn to more positive testimony.

First, let us consider the ministry of the apostle Paul. In chapter 1 of this book we have dealt with apostleship

and, in some measure, with the apostleship of Paul. We must now take the subject further, and turn to Acts 9, where

Paul's conversion and commission are first recorded.