Luke the physician wrote how Peter spoke to the multitude gathered outside the house where the upper room and said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call”, and in chapter two and verse forty of the book of Acts Luke shared how Peter, “with many other words did he testify and exhort where we read:
And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying,
Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
The verse begins, “And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, ...” Luke began with the words, “and with many other words” which means “and employing a greater, superior and more excellent number of verbal tones and speech” “did he testify” or “did Peter witness and give solemn testimony” “and exhort” which means “and called, summoned, admonished, begged, entreated and beseeched”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming” the following words. Luke shared how Peter used an even greater number of “speeches” to “witness” and “summon” the people in the multitude to do the following.
The verse goes on to say, “... Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” Luke continued with the words, “save yourself” or “keep safe and sound, rescue from danger or destruction your, the multitude's, own selves” “from this untoward generation” which means “apart and separate from the current crooked, curved, perverse and wicked successive members of a genealogy or nation”. Luke shared how Peter told the people to “rescue” themselves from the “wicked and perverse” “genealogy and nation” in which they resided.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how Peter employed “many other words” to attempt to “witness to and summon” the people in the crowd to “rescue” themselves from the “wicked and perverse” land and time in which they lived. This gives everyone who reads these words the understanding that these people were living in nefarious times even as people do today. They had opportunity to “rescue” themselves by believing and trusting in Jesus Christ as their personal “Savior and Lord”, and when they yielded to Him, they would be forgiven of their sins, granted everlasting life and filled with God's Holy Spirit to help them in their daily lives. God loves everyone, and He knows the conditions in which they live. He offers “salvation or rescue” through a personal relationship with His Son Jesus, and those who are wise will surrender to Him and be “saved” from this “untoward generation”.
Next time Luke shares how the people in the multitude who, “gladly received his word were baptized”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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