The Caldwell Commentaries Podcast

Acts Lesson 3: A Productive Wait {Selection of Matthias to Replace Judas: Right or Wrong?}

This lesson is on Acts 1:12-26 and what the disciples of Christ did after His Ascension.  They were told by Him to wait in Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father.  We discuss all those we know were included in the 120 disciples, as well as others we speculate may have been included. We learn about their unified minds (they were all in "one accord") and their passionate prayers and the very high regard they had for the Word of God!  We also discuss the decision of the eleven Apostles to appoint a replacement for Judas, who had betrayed the Lord (and had then hung himself).  

We discuss the three qualifications needed to be one of the Twelve.  We also discuss how it was that Matthias, whose name means "gift of God," was chosen - and if this choice was "of God".  Was not Paul the Lord's choice for Judas' replacement?  Tune in to find out!

Acts Lesson 2: A Last Look {The Ascension - Up, Up, and Away!}

The Lord's final post-resurrection appearance.  It took place in Jerusalem, where He was again with His Apostles, teaching them for the last time about Himself from the Old Testament Scriptures.  When He completed His teaching session, He took His men to the Mount of Olives; the same place He had gone 43 days earlier to pray in Gethsemane and then allowed Himself to be arrested.  It had been the appointed hour for Him to be lifted up on a cross to die for the sins of the world.  Now, in His glorified, resurrected body, it was the appointed hour for Him to again be lifted up, but not on a cross!  This time, He would defy gravity and return to the glory He had with His Father in Eternity Past.  Do you know what the last act of the Lord Jesus was before He left this earth?  He lifted up His forever nailed-scarred hands to bless the men He entrusted with the task of blessing the world with the message of the blessed Gospel of salvation in Him!

Learn about Christ's Ascension, and the important words of two angelic messengers to the Apostles about His one-day Return!  

Acts Lesson 1: The Continuing Work {Linking the 4 Gospels to the Book of Acts}

The Book of Acts is the natural out-flow of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).  It is really what we could call the fifth book of the New Testament "Pentateuch"!  Although Acts is not considered a "gospel," it is an extension of them; it supplementary to them; it is an expansion of them.  It is the record of the continuing story of Christ working through His Church (i.e. ". . . the Lord added to the church daily . . ." (2:47).  The One working in Acts is the Ascended Christ, through His Spirit using the "mouths" and "hands" of the Church body.

Acts, the inspired account of the first 40 years of the Lord working through His Church, presents for us a pattern of every other generation of the Church.  It is an historical book, not a doctrinal book.  It is "a pattern" for Christian enthusiasm, testimony, discipleship, mission-work, and church planting.  Although the Lord's work of redemption for sin was finished, His work of evangelism, through His Church, was just beginning!

Life of Christ Lesson 193b: The Grand Finale - Part II

Between the time of Christ's resurrection and His ascension, He met with His eleven Apostles numerous times (not all of them are recorded).  That 40-day period of time was not only a time of fellowship, but, more importantly, of instruction.  Luke 24:44049 contain the last recorded words of Christ in the four gospel accounts, and they were words that (1) opened the Apostles' minds (verses 44-47) and (2) promised the opening of their mouths (verses 48, 49).

On His eleventh post-resurrection appearance, 40 days after His resurrection, the Lord left His men in a dramatic, climactic way they would never forget!  It would motivate them the rest of their lives.  That unforgettable moment was His Ascension!  In the concluding passages of the Mark and Luke, plus Acts 1:9-11, we discuss 3 topics related to Christ's amazing Ascension: (1) His Return to Heaven, (2) His future Return to Earth, and (3) His Disciples' Return to Jerusalem.

This is an exciting, emotional message; very inspirational and motivational.

Life of Christ Lesson 193a: The Grand Finale - Part I

Well, this is it.  After an extensive study of the Life of Christ in which we went chronologically through every step, every word, every miracle, every event of His life as recorded in all four gospel accounts (a study that took 12 years), we come to "The Grand Finale".  In this Part I look at the final verses of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (John was concluded in Lesson 192 called "Peter's Public Restoration"), we discuss Christ's final post-resurrection appearances to believers, His final commissioning statement to them, and (in Part II) His incredible, visible Ascension back to Heaven.

In the Lord's eighth post-resurrection appearance (upon a Galilean mountain), He appeared before more than 500 believers (I Corinthians 15:6), whose reaction was to worship Him (Matthew 28:17).  In this lesson, we discuss the Lord's "Great Commission".  Christianity is not (contrary to what some seem to believe) an entertainment faith.  Nor is it a fellowship faith or a service-projects' faith.  Christianity is a missionary faith!  Everyone of us who call ourselves "Christian" are commissioned to "GO" forth with the Gospel message, sowing its seed, and teaching any and all who will listen!  Amen.

Life of Christ Lesson 192: Peter’s ”Public” Restoration

This is the continuation of the Lord's seventh post-resurrection appearance, which took place on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and was witnessed by seven of His disciples.  This lesson centers on the Lord's "public" restoration of Peter to his role as an Apostle.  This message gives a lot of history about the famous "foot-in-mouth," impetuous, burly fisherman turned Apostle named Simon Peter!  A lot of us can find ourselves revealed in this man!  A very interesting message; you will not be bored listening.

 

Life of Christ Lesson 191: Fishers of Men

John chapter 21 is the epilogue to the Gospel of John, and it is packed with great information.  In the Lord's seventh post-resurrection appearance and His first in Galilee, He either spoke about or illustrated the three specific ministry roles His men and all His followers were to have in the world after His Ascension:  (1) to be fishers of men, (2) to be shepherds over the flocks entrusted to their care (which can include your own children or a nursery class at your local church), and (3) to be disciples (learners and followers) of Him.

In this lesson, we discuss the only post-resurrection miracle of Christ (other than His Ascension), and it was a miraculous catch of fish.  Was it wrong for the seven disciples in this event to have gone fishing while waiting for the Lord to appear?  What about some of the spiritually significant differences between this miraculous catch of fish and an earlier one Luke 5:1-7?  Why did one net break, causing some fish to escape, and the other did not?  Why was there no count of the number of fish in the first miracle, but an exact count of 153 in the second, and is there significance in that number?

How does the seven disciples' morning breakfast with Christ on the shore give a picture of the yet-future Marriage Supper of the Lamb?  Why did the Lord Jesus, for the first time, not bless the bread before they ate?  Along with a lot of great Bible truths, these and other questions are answered in this packed lesson!

Life of Christ Lesson 190: Christ Deals with Doubt {Thomas}

The sixth recorded post-resurrection appearance of Christ took place one week after Resurrection Sunday evening.  Both the Aramaic name "Thomas," and the Greek version, which is "Didymas," mean "twin" (as in "ditto").  Thomas has "twins" all over this skeptical world of ours!  He can be said to symbolize the "scientific approach" to life: "I will only believe what I can test; what I can touch and see and feel".  Sadly, Thomas also has "twins" ("dittos") all over Christendom, for the Lord has many weak children in His family.  Thomas was a true sheep who fell briefly into the trap of insisting on the world's way of "proving" things - which is that seeing is believing.

It took a loving, living, resurrected Saviour to make a special appearance just for Thomas to "resurrect" a buried faith!  He will do it for you, too!  DO YOU KNOW THIS TRUTH - Thomas is the first person in all four gospels to openly confess Jesus as "God"!?  "Doubting Didymas" became the Apostle to give the strongest and most conclusive testimony to the Deity of Jesus!  How's that for the grace of the Good Shepherd toward a wandering sheep? 

What the Bible Says About Angels

Angelology - the study of angels!  This lesson contains a lot of information on angels.  There is so much disinformation about angels in the world - everything from thinking that "good" people become angels when they die (totally false) to the blasphemous worship angels! 

When did God create the angelic host?  Did Lucifer fall before or after God's creation of man?  Are the total number of angels set forever or can they perish and/or reproduce?  When was the last time the Bible records angels singing (a question most get wrong)?  Why is it so much better to be a fallen human being than a fallen angel?  Are there ranks among the angels?  What about spiritual warfare in the heavenlies?  How many archangels are there?  What is the difference between cherubim and seraphim?  Are there male and female angels?

A very fascinating study!