Beit Tefillah Brit Chadashah Study

1
Beit Tefillah Brit Chadashah Study

• Portion Acts 19
• Read portion
• Outline
• Spiritual Objects
• Unsuccessful Exorcism
• Turning from Idolatry

Slide 1
2
Spiritual Objects

• Acts 1911-12 And God wrought special miracles
  by the hands of Paul So that from his body were
  brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons,
  and the diseases departed from them, and the evil
  spirits went out of them.
• Questions
• Can objects become holy?
• If so, can the holiness (i.e. spirit of holiness)
  be extended to people or other objects?

Slide 2
3
Spiritual Objects

• 2 Kings 214 And he took the mantle of Elijah
  that fell from him, and smote the waters, and
  said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when
  he also had smitten the waters, they parted
  hither and thither and Elisha went over.
• Matt 2318-19 And, Whosoever shall swear by the
  altar, it is nothing but whosoever sweareth by
  the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools
  and blind for whether is greater, the gift, or
  the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

Slide 3
4
Spiritual Objects

• We learn here from Yeshua that the altar was holy
  and as such it is the altar that makes the
  offering holy.
  
• Mat 311 he shall baptize you with the Holy
  Ghost, and with fire
  
• Personal Opinion Based upon the above verses I
  would say that the answer to our questions is
  yes. It may be that the spirit of holiness can
  be extended from one person / object to another
  in a similar manner as fire extends from one
  candle to another (i.e. the source or the fire is
  not diminished any).

Slide 4
5
Unsuccessful Exorcism

• Acts 1914-16 And there were seven sons of one
  Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did
  so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus
  I know, and Paul I know but who are ye? And the
  man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them,
  and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so
  that they fled out of that house naked and
  wounded.
• What went wrong here?

Slide 5
6
Unsuccessful Exorcism

• What went wrong here?
• Proposed answer 1 Sceva, a Jew, and chief of
  the priests stating that Sceva was a Jew could
  be superfluous unless he was high priest of
  something other than Israel. Furthermore why
  would the high priest of Israel be in Ephesus
  with his seven sons? It may be that Sceva and
  his sons were a part of the idolatrous worship
  system in Ephesus. Maybe they saw what Paul was
  doing and were trying to mimic but were not
  followers of Yeshua.

Slide 6
7
Unsuccessful Exorcism

• Proposed answer 2 Or were they believers and
  they just did not understand exactly what they
  were dealing with in a similar manner that
  Yeshuas disciples had trouble in Mark 928-29?
• Mark 928-29 And when he was come into the
  house, his disciples asked him privately, Why
  could not we cast him out? And he said unto
  them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by
  prayer and fasting.

Slide 7
8
Turning from Idolatry

• Acts 1926-27 Moreover ye see and hear, that
  not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all
  Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away
  much people, saying that they be no gods, which
  are made with hands So that not only this our
  craft is in danger to be set at nought but also
  that the temple of the great goddess Diana should
  be despised

Slide 8
9
Turning from Idolatry
Slide 9
10
Turning from Idolatry

• Diana Of Ephesus Goddess of the Amazons. Ancient
  worship focused on the nature goddesses
  Isis-Ishtar-Inanna and called Her Queen of
  Heaven. By Roman times she is called Diana yet
  at Ephesus in Anatolia Her worship was most
  profound under the names Mother of Animals,
  Many-Breasted Artemis.

Slide 10
11
Turning from Idolatry

• Columnar, wearing a unique ritual garment adorned
  with animals, her crown and staring gaze
  incorporate Astarte, while Her moon disc and
  horned beasts evoke Diana. Her temple built by
  Amazons (undoubtedly matrilineal priestesses),
  was one of the wonders of the ancient world, a
  goal of devout pilgrimage.

Slide 11
12
Turning from Idolatry

• In AD 380 her shrine was rededicated to Mary,
  whose old age and death Church legend placed at
  Ephesus. Note the similarity of posture, palms
  bestowing blessing, with countless images of
  Mary. (last four slides taken from
  http//jblstatue.com/pages/diana_of_ephesu.html)

Slide 12
13
Turning from Idolatry

• Thoughts Paul was turning both Jews and
  Gentiles away from idolatry throughout Asia and
  this caused an angry mob in Ephesus from those
  worried about losing their livelihood selling
  idol statues and desecration of their gods. The
  scary thing is that this false goddess name is
  still around today in such observances as Easter.

Slide 13
14
Turning from Idolatry

• Easter being the English form of AstarteQueen of
  the HeavenDiana (see http//www.religioustoleranc
  e.org/easter1.htm). Just like in Ephesus during
  Pauls day, so today if you tell people that
  celebrating Easter is pagan they will likely get
  upset. May it be HaShems will to quickly send
  us the Moshiach and eradicate all idolatry.

Slide 14