Sunday Evening, April 29, 2007
Acts 6:8-7:60
8. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
You will remember that Stephen was one of the seven chosen to head up the ministry to the needy within the Jerusalem church. As a matter of fact, he was the first of the seven mentioned. Here we read that he was full of faith and power. And why was he full of faith and power? Primarily because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Go back to what Jesus said to His apostles, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you…" Stephen was demonstrating the truth of Jesus’ words, as he did great wonders and miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We do not know if Stephen was doing these great wonders and miracles among the people before his special appointment as one of the seven.
9. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. 10. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
Wherever there were Jews, there was a synagogue. In a town the size of Jerusalem, there would have been many synagogues. Here we have the mention of a particular synagogue that was attended by freed men who were from Cyrene, Alexander, Cilicia, and regions of Asia. [There are different interpretations, ranging from one synagogue here represented to as many as five. However, it makes no real difference].
Because Stephen’s views were seen as radical, he apparently entered into a debate with the leaders of this synagogue. The men of the synagogue were no match for Stephen’s wisdom. I understand the reference here to "the spirit by which he spake" to be the Holy Spirit.
11. Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. 12. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, 13. And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: 14. For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. 15. And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
Since they could not successfully debate with him, they secretly persuaded some men to say that he was guilty of blaspheming both Moses and God. These men were very effective in their efforts. Rumors generally spread quickly, and such was the case. Quickly they brought Stephen before the Sanhedren. Once the council was in session, those who opposed Stephen produced false witnesses who brought definite charges against him. The charges concerned what Stephen had said about the temple and about the law. Specifically, they accused him of saying that Jesus of Nazareth would destroy the temple. They also reported Stephen as saying that Jesus’ goal was to change the customs of Moses.
Verse 15 is very interesting. "And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel." We aren’t told exactly what this meant. What did the face of an angel look like? One thing for sure, they could not deny that there was something different about this man Stephen. This reminds me of the their taking special notice of the fact that Peter and John had been with Jesus (4:13).
Acts 7
1. Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
After the charges were presented, the high priest, who was the president of the Sanhedrin, asked Stephen if the charges were true. In effect, he was asking Stephen to plead either "Guilty" or "Nor guilty." He asked the question in four words; Stephen’s answer is contained in about a thousand words. This is the longest speech recorded in Acts, even longer than any of the recorded sermons of Peter or Paul. We might refer to chapter 7 as Stephen’s defense, but not exactly. As we read Stephen’s response, it becomes increasingly clear that he was not aiming at receiving an acquittal from the Sanhedrin.
At this point, I think it is best that we read large portions of Stephen’s response at one time. Before we do, let me alert you ahead of time to the structure. It is in the form of a historical narrative, beginning with the call of Abraham and continuing through Solomon’s building of the temple. We might divide it into three sections…
2-16… .. The Period of the Patriarchs [Abraham through the sons of Jacob]
17-43.. .. Moses and the Law
44-50…. The Tabernacle and the Temple
Remember that Stephen is dealing with the charges of blasphemy against Moses and against God. Let’s read verses 2-16…
2. And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3. And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee. 4. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. 5. And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. 6. And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. 7. And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place. 8. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. 9. And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, 10. And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11. Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. 12. But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13. And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. 14. Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. 15. So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, 16. And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.
In this first section, which deals with the Patriarchs, with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his sons. Notice that Stephen begins with God’s call to Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia (specifically Ur, as we know form Genesis). In light of the entire context of Stephen’s message, it is hard to escape the conclusion that Stephen was calling attention to the fact that God called Abraham when he was far from the land of Israel. Though he had nothing to go on but the Word of God, Abraham was obedient.
Stephen also calls attention to the fact that God gave him no inheritance in the land of Israel, only the promise that his descendants would inherit it. Rather, God imparted to Abraham the knowledge that his descendants would spend 400 years in a strange land, where they would be slaves. Only after those 400 years would God judge that nation and bring Abraham’s descendants back to the promised land.
In verse 8 we find the link between Abraham and Joseph, who form the main focus of this section. "…And Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs (= Joseph and his brothers)."
With Joseph, Stephen takes up a theme that runs throughout the rest of his speech. This is the theme of rejection. Joseph’s brothers rejected him, selling him into slavery (9). Notice also how Stephen points out that they did not recognize Joseph the first time they saw him (implied in verses 12-13). Praise God that He had a plan for Joseph. He used this rejected brother to preserve the lives of his family members, but notice that this great salvation came in the land of Egypt.
17. But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18. Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. 19. The same dealt subtly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. 20. In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months: 21. And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. 22. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. 23. And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. 24. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: 25. For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. 26. And the next day he showed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? 27. But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? 28. Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? 29. Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons. 30. And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. 31. When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, 32. Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. 33. Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. 34. I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. 35. This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. 36. He brought them out, after that he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 37. This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 38. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: 39. To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, 40. Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 41. And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. 42. Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? 43. Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
This section is all about Moses. Like Abraham, Moses was not born in the land of Israel. Instead, he was born in Egypt. After spending 40 years there, he then spent the next 40 herding sheep in the desert. And when the Lord appeared to him in the burning bush, it was not in Israel; it was out in the middle of the desert. Nevertheless, that lonely place in the middle of nowhere was holy ground. Why? Because the presence of the Lord was there. The great songwriter William Cowper penned these words…
Jesus, where’er Thy people meet,
There they behold Thy mercy-seat;
Where’er they seek Thee, Thou art found,
And every place is hallowed ground.
Surely Stephen is laying groundwork for the concept that God cannot be confined to any locality or nation.
The theme of rejection continues with Moses. Verses 23-28 recount how Moses defended a fellow Hebrew and killed the Egyptian who was mistreating him. This was followed by his attempt to settle an argument between two of his Hebrew brothers. Moses thought that they would understand that God was going to use him to deliver them, but they did not understand (25). They rejected him, and he had to flee into the desert. In verse 35, Stephen refers to Moses in this way: "This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge?"
Nevertheless, God chose that very Moses to lead them out of bondage in Egypt.
Beginning in verse 37, the rejection of Moses becomes even more serious. Listen to how Stephen describes Moses. "This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear" (37). We already know from Peter’s message to the people in the temple that this prophet whom God raised up is none other than Jesus (Acts 3:22-23). Stephen doesn’t elaborate, but he continues to lay the groundwork. In verse 38, he moves right along to describe Moses as the one who gave them the law. Let me read verse 38 from the Amplified Version: "This is he who in the assembly in the wilderness (desert) was the go-between for the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and our forefathers, and he received living oracles (words that still live) to be handed down to us." But despite the greatness of Moses and how God chose to use Him, "…our fathers would not obey (him), but thrust him form them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt…"
Stephen goes on to remind them of how they demanded that Aaron make them gods (of gold) and how they offered sacrifices to the idol he made, rejoicing in the works of their own hands (40-41). There is a strong implication that runs like this: "As they rejected Moses, you have rejected that prophet raised up by the Lord."
God’s verdict was to give them up to worship the host of heaven. He quotes from Amos to drive home his point. Stephen seems to be saying that the seeds of that unthinkable idolatry of later days were to be found in their rejection of Moses and of God in the wilderness.
Go back to the end of chapter 6 for a review of the charges against Stephen. In verse 11, we see that they secretly persuaded men to say that he had blasphemed against Moses and against God. When the official charges were brought, they were more specific. The false witnesses said that he did not cease to speak blasphemies against "this holy place and the law" (6:13). They went on to say, "For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us" (14). Stephen has been dealing with the charge about changing the customs which Moses delivered. In effect, he is saying, "I am not the one who changed the customs of Moses; you are. Just like your fathers, you have rejected the true intent of Moses."
And now he will turn to the the charge concerning "this place," the temple.
44. Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. 45. Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; 46. Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. 47. But Solomon built him an house. 48. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49. Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? 50. Hath not my hand made all these things?
In verse 44, Stephen introduces the subject of the tabernacle. He reminds them that it was Moses who received the pattern of the tabernacle from God Himself. Do you remember the essential character of the tabernacle? No doubt, those listening to Stephen knew it well. The foundational words are found in Ex. 25:8, when the Lord said to Moses: "And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." It was the desire of God to dwell among His people.
What is the other thing we know about the tabernacle? Did it stay in the same place? No, it was portable. Whenever the cloud moved, the people were to move, and that meant moving the tabernacle. This was extremely important, so much so that the Lord gave very detailed instructions concerning which group of Levites was to carry certain parts of the tabernacle (see esp. Numbers 4).
Stephen emphasizes this aspect of the tabernacle by saying in verse 45, "Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus (= Joshua) into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David." By the way, the KJV "Jesus" is obviously a reference to Joshua. "Jesus" is simply the Greek version of the Hebrew name "Joshua." When God’s people went in and took the land of Canaan (which was the possession of the Gentiles up to that time), they took the tabernacle with them. Yes, the tabernacle was very mobile.
Remember that they had charged Stephen with speaking against "this holy place" (6:13). Now Stephen is emphasizing that long before the temple was built, God dwelt among His people in the tabernacle. It is no accident that Stephen also stresses the mobility of the tabernacle. Is it not preparing the way for the concept of the mobility of the gospel, that it cannot be confined to a building, to a city, or even to a particular people?
Now the time came when David desired to build God a house. Let’s go back and read that passage… (II Sam. 7:1-16)
And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; 2. That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. 3. And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee. 4. And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, 5. Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? 6. Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar? 8. Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: 9. And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. 10. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, 11. And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house. 12. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15. But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
David was ashamed that he himself lived in a house of cedar, while the ark of God was housed in the curtains of a tent. Nevertheless, the Lord reminded David that he had never asked for a house of cedar to dwell in. Notice what the Lord says in verse 6, "Wherein I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day…" At this point, if the Lord hasn’t dwelt in any house, we expect Him to tell us where He has dwelt, but that is not what He says. Instead of saying, "I have dwelt," He says, "but have walked in a tent and a tabernacle." Again in verse 7, "In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel…" And He tells them that He never asked them to build Him a house of cedar
We don’t have time to explore this passage thoroughly, but just keep in mind that the Lord never quite identifies the house David’s son will build with a physical structure. We may interpret it that way, but there is still some question about it. When the Lord says in verse 13, "He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom forever," it is difficult to be certain that these are not parallel, that the house Solomon will build is not a family, rather than a structure. Just keep this in mind. We might explore it some more later.
Now back to Acts 7:47, "But Solomon built him an house." Stephen doesn’t give much time and space to the building of the temple. He spends much more time explaining it than he does announcing it. Remember again the charge against him. They said that he spoke "against this place" (6:13). And then they went on to say that they heard Stephen say Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place. These were "false witnesses," but that doesn’t mean there was no truth in what they said. Stephen may have indeed talked about Jesus’ statement from John 2, when He said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
Immediately after saying, "But Solomon built him a house," Stephen then says, "Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands." That statement is a reflection of what Solomon himself said, when he dedicated his magnificent temple. 1 Ki 8:27, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" Then Stephen goes on and immediately quotes "the prophet." Who is the prophet he quotes? It is Isaiah. Let me read to you Is. 66:1-2a, while you follow it here in Acts 7:49-50… "Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For allthose things hath mine hand made…" No doubt, this was a passage to which Stephen had given much thought.
Stephen was not down on Solomon for building the temple, but he was very much opposed to what the Jewish leaders had made of the temple. He would have agreed with Jesus, who the first time He cleansed the temple, said they had made it a house of merchandise (Jn. 2:16), and with the second cleansing said they had made it a den of thieves (Mt. 21:13; Mk. 11:17; Lk. 19:46). Though Stephen does not spell it out in detail, he understands that Jesus Himself is the temple of God, and surely he also understood that this is more than the physical body of Jesus. As Paul would later state it: "In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 2:21).
These Jewish leaders who were opposing Stephen had turned the temple into an institution. They had lost contact with the God whom they claimed dwelt in the temple. Stephen didn’t go on and quote the words after what we read from Isaiah 66:1-2a, but surely his hearers knew those words. Let me read them to you. "But to this man I will look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word" (Is. 66:2b). This describes the character of God’s people, but it didn’t describe the character of the Sanhedrin before whom Stephen stood that day. As their physical temple was made of stones, so their hearts were as hard as stone.
51. Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53. Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
And so we come to the conclusion of Stephen’s message. Only a few words, but powerful words indeed. The charge that they were stiffnecked is an echo of God’s own sentiment, stated in Ex. 33:5, "For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people…" Although they had been physically circumcised outwardly, not so their hearts and ears, as stated by various Old Testament prophets. These concepts come together in Deut. 10:16, "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked." Stephen is saying that was true of their fathers is true of them also, for they do always resist the Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, their forefathers persecuted the very prophets who spoke of the coming of the Just One (a reference to the Messiah). Going farther than their fathers, these have now betrayed and murdered the Just One. Though they claimed to be keepers of the law of God, Stephen flatly asserts that though they received it, they had not kept it.
Stephen is including his opponents in the line of those who opposed Joseph and Moses. And behold, a greater than Joseph and Moses is here. They have opposed and murdered the Just One, the very Son of God, their own Messiah.
54. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
That was all they could take. They were cut to the heart. There is that word again, which literally means "sawn in two." They were sawn in two to their very heart. Then we are told that they "gnashed on him with their teeth." Let me read you an example of the wicked gnashing with their teeth. Ps. 35:15-16, "But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not: 16. With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth." We are most familiar with this expression as a sign of anguish and despair, when Jesus says, "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42. And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Mat 13:41-42). This was certainly evidence of their anger and hatred towards Stephen.
55. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56. And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
This is absolutely amazing. Contrast Stephen’s behavior with the behavior of those who opposed him. They were so consumed with anger that they couldn’t control themselves. In reality, Stephen wasn’t controlling himself either; it was the Holy Spirit who was controlling, leading, guiding him. And what a work of the Spirit this is! Can you imagine this? He must have known what was coming. Did He not know what Jesus had said (Jn. 15:20) "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." Yes, he knew.
What a testimony this is. If he had snarled at them and yelled, they could have taken some satisfaction. But instead, Stephen looks up at heaven, and seeing the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing of the right hand of the God." I’m glad Luke reminds us again that Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. No man could do this on his own.
These verses are filled with meaning far beyond my understanding. However, we must compare what Stephen said with what another said when He was on trial before this same council. Let’s read it in Mark 14:61-62, "But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62. And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." And how did they respond to Jesus? Let’s read it in Mark 14:63-64, "Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? 64. Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death." Now Stephen boldly contradicts the verdict of the Sanhedrin. "I see the Son of man [the same title Jesus used] at the right hand of God." Stephen proclaimed that what Jesus said was true; He was indeed at the right hand of power, just as He said He would be. If they found Jesus guilty of blasphemy, how could they judge Stephen otherwise?
It is also interesting to note that nowhere else in the New Testament do we find this title "Son of man" on the lips of anyone except Jesus. This is the only other time. This title had implications that went far beyond Jesus being only the Jewish Messiah. When Stephen saw Jesus at the right hand of the Father, was he not seeing the fulfillment of what he had long before grasped, that God’s people now had "a way of access to God more immediate and heart-satisfying than the obsolete temple ritual had ever been able to provide" (Acts, Bruce, p. 166).
One question we might ask is this: Why did Stephen see Jesus standing at the right hand of God? Jesus had said that they would see Him sitting on the right hand of power. Nowhere else in the New Testament is there reference to Jesus standing at the Father’s right hand. It has long been suggested that Jesus stood to welcome home His servant Stephen, who is the first recorded martyr for Jesus. Or, was it because Jesus was standing to bear testimony, as the proper posture for a witness was the standing position? As Stephen had faithfully testified for Jesus before men, was Jesus now testifying for Stephen before God?
57. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. 59. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
They couldn’t take it. Surely it was not only his words, but also his calm and peaceful manner than infuriated his opponents. We read that they ran [rushed] upon him with one accord. The word used here is the same that is used of the swine in Mark 5:12-13, "And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea." Notice that phrase again – "with one accord." Yes, they acted with the same passion!
The fact that there were official witnesses suggest that this was not just a mob action, but still a formal execution by the Sanhedrin. We might ask how they could do that without Roman authority. If Pilate was still governor, it is likely that he was willing to look the other way in order to please the Sanhedrin. Besides, he usually stayed in Caesarea, and some matters could not wait. Concerning the witnesses, we read in Deut. 17:7, "The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you." In this case, the witnesses took off their outer garments and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. We will see that name again shortly.
In contrast to their barbaric behavior, Stephen had perfect peace. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee" (Is. 26:3). Stephen’s focus was not upon those who were in the process of taking his life; his focus was on the Lord, whom he had the privilege of seeing. As Jesus had prayed, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit," so His servant now says, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." It’s interesting that rather than speaking to the Father as Jesus did, Stephen speaks directly to Jesus, implying that Jesus is indeed God.
There is one other thing Stephen said that reminds us of Jesus on the cross. As Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," so His servant now says, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." Again, is this not amazing! There is a story in the Old Testament of a man who was similarly stoned to death for his faithfulness to God. It was Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada. You can read the story later, but for now let’s just read about his death. 2 Chr. 24:21-22, "And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD. 22. Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it."
Zechariah was a very godly man, but he couldn’t say what Stephen said. Zechariah asked the Lord to punish them for what they were doing, to repay them for their evil. But Stephen, a man full of the Holy Spirit, could say, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." That is the life of the new covenant. That is why Jesus said could say, "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (Matt. 11:11)
And finally, Stephen fell asleep. That is the peace that passeth all understanding. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"
Monday, April 30, 2007
Acts 4:32-6:7 -- 4/29/07 (The Lord's Church)
Sunday Morning, April 29, 2007
Acts 4:32-6:7
32. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35. And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. 36. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37. Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
The unity theme surfaces again, although it is never far from the forefront. Notice that the "multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul." Let’s be encouraged by that. Sometimes we think it would be great if a dozen people could be of one heart and one soul, but here we find that literally thousands enjoyed that blessing! Remember, that by now the number of men was some 5,000. Could all the believers in Otero County be of one heart and one soul? Yes! Is anything too hard for God. We may not know all the reasons why this doesn’t seem to be the case, but we can pray for it, expecting God to answer.
This kind of unity brings glory to God. Let’s be reminded again of those two powerful passages in the Gospel of John which emphasize love and unity. John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 17:20-21, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."
This wasn’t some idealistic goal they were hoping to achieve, but it was a reality, as seen by the fact that no one called anything his own. They had all things common. This doesn’t mean that they lived in communes, as some have supposed. It simply means that what each one had was available to the entire community, as there was a need for it. As we saw in chapter 2, those who had houses or lands were willing to sell them in order to meet the needs of brothers and sisters. All the verbs in verses 34-35 are in the imperfect tense. In other words, they speak of ongoing, continuing action. Whenever there was a need, someone would step forth to sell something and meet the need.
One shining example of this kind of generosity was Joses, who was given the nickname Barnabas, which means "son of encouragement." Whenever we see Barnabas in the New Testament, we find him giving that encouragement.
There are those who will call this a "communistic experiment," saying that the poverty they experienced later is proof that this did not work. I suggest to you that such reasoning has its roots in American capitalism and individualism, rather than in the Word of God. Notice that right in the middle of this description of unity we find the words of verse 33, "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all." This unity which reached all the way to the pocketbook gave a practical credibility to the witness of the apostles. They preached that Jesus rose from the dead, and the believers proved it by their love for one another, refusing to call anything their own. "Great grace was upon them all." God was blessing them with the power to share both their goods and their testimony.
People in American society try not to make too much of these passages at the end of chapters 2 and 4. Sometimes we are afraid that it does indeed tend toward communism. I read an interesting comment by C. H. Spurgeon concerning this first century practice: "The difference between a communist and a Christian is this – a communist says, ‘All that is yours is mind;’ while a Christian says, ‘All that is mine is yours;’ and that is a very different thing" (In sermon entitled "Building the Church: Additions to the Church;" April 5, 1874).
Acts 5
1. But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2. And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it, at the apostles' feet. 3. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4. Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
Isn’t that a nice little story? Isn’t that the kind of Bible story you want to tell to your children before you tuck them in bed? People who want to believe that the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath and the God of the New Testament is a God of love have lots of trouble with this passage. The God who struck people dead in Old Testament times does the same thing here. Is it any wonder that "great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things"? (5:11).
We are not given as many details as we might like. The brevity of the account contributes to its powerful impression upon us. Wouldn’t we like to know if this was originally the idea of Ananias or of Sapphira? Someone might ask if Peter deliberately kept from Sapphira the knowledge that her husband was dead. God doesn’t see fit to answer our questions, but instead gives us what is profitable for us.
The basic story is quite simple. Ananias and Sapphira had a piece of property. For the sake of simplicity, let’s just suppose it was worth $25,000. They sold it for that price and then brought $15,000 of it to the apostles, to be used to meet the needs of the brethren. However, they gave the impression that they were giving to the apostles the entire amount of money for which they had sold it. While this is not explicitly stated at first, we see in verse 3 that they kept back part of the price of the land.
So what was their sin? Was it that they had stolen from God? No. Peter points out the nature of their sin very clearly, when he says to Ananias, "Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?" There was no problem with them not giving the entire amount. As a matter of fact, they weren’t obligated in any way to give anything. The sharing we read about at the end of chapter 4 was entirely voluntary. No one was coerced to sell anything he had and give even a portion. Ananias’ sin was in that he lied to the Holy Spirit.
Take just a minute to note a couple of things about the Holy Spirit. First of all, He can be lied to. The Holy Spirit is not some impersonal force; He is a person. We see in verse 9 that the Holy Spirit can also be tempted, or tested. Now compare verses 3 and 4. In verse 3, we read that Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit. In verse 4, we find that he lied to God. In the one act of dishonestly he lied to the Holy Spirit and he lied to God. What could be clearer than the fact that the Holy Spirit is indeed God?
At the rebuke of Peter, Ananias died on the spot. It wasn’t Peter who caused his death. Whether we like it or not, the simple conclusion is that he died as a consequence of his sin. About three hours later his wife Sapphira came in. We don’t know why she came in. At any rate, Peter asked her straight out if she sold the land for so much (in our example, for $15,000)? Peter was giving her opportunity to back down and admit that this wasn’t the total price, but she didn’t take the opportunity. She maintained that the $15,000 was the total price. That is when Peter told her that because she and her husband had agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord, those who buried her husband were waiting to carry her out too. At that, she died, and they carried her out and buried her next to her husband.
11. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
And now we come back to the great theme of this whole account, which is the fear of the Lord. After the death of Ananias, we read in verse 5, "And great fear came on all them that heard these things." Is it any wonder? And then in verse 11, after the added death of Sapphira, "And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things."
Please hear me. It is a great privilege to be a part of the household of God. What a privilege to be part of the habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph. 2:22). But we must realize that it is also a fearful thing. Though we have been made near by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13), the God with whom we have to do is still the Creator of the Universe and Lord over all. We love I Cor. 3:16, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you." By the way, while we tend to take this individually, that may not be as accurate as taking it as the body of Christ. "Don’t you know that you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells among you?" Either way, we must not quit reading until we have read verse 17 as well: "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are?" Remember that our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). Even though we are His people, He is still to be feared, to be held in great awe and reverence. Though man has domesticated fire and found great uses for it, woe to the man who loses his fear of fire. So it is with our God.
Someone has said: "The story of Ananias is to the book of Acts what the story of Achan is to the book of Joshua. In both narratives an act of deceit interrupts the victorious progress of the people of God" (Bruce, Acts, p. 110). Before the name Achan is ever mentioned, we read these words in Josh. 7:1, "But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing…" God had told them not to take any of the spoils from the city of Jericho. While God enabled them to defeat Jericho, "the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing…" Then we read the next words, "for Achan…took of the accursed thing, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel." Achan was the only one who disobeyed God, but the people of Israel were considered guilty and God’s anger was kindled against all of them.
It is because of this solidarity as the people of God that the Lord deals so severely with such sin. Is this not why God dealt so severely with the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. "Judgment must begin at the house of God" (I Pet. 4:17). God judges His people more severely than outsiders (though the time will come when outsiders will receive their due reward).
Surely more than one person is asking: "Were Ananias and Sapphira true believers?" At first glance, we want to say, "No way could they be true children of God." We generally come to that conclusion because of what they did and because of what God did to them. However, I remind you of what we studied just two weeks ago from I Cor. 11, where Paul said that many slept (died) because they did not discern the Lord’s body. And consider their sin. They wanted to appear to be more gracious than they were. They were looking for the praise of man. Is there anyone here who has ever sought after the praise of man?
I don’t know whether they were true believers. What we do know is that they were not a shining testimony of the grace of God. The other thing we cannot miss is the high standard within the church at that time. The church of Jesus Christ stood for holiness. We have just read at the end of chapter 4 that its people were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were zealous to speak the truth of the Lord with boldness to those around them. In that atmosphere, sin stands out. As God works that holiness and zeal for His testimony in us, perhaps sin will stand out in a similar fashion.
12. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. 13. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. 14. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) 15. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. 16. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
Though the account of Ananias and Sapphira’s death seems harsh, we must take notice that as a result of this incident there was an increase in spiritual power. We see this in three ways.
First, there was an increase of the signs and wonders performed by the apostles. The sick were healed and those who had unclean spirits were healed as well. When we read about multitudes coming to Peter and the others for healing, it sounds a great deal like the ministry of Jesus, does it not? We must understand that though the Lord used them in doing such miraculous things, they didn’t emphasize the physical miracles. They used them as a platform to preach Jesus. That theme runs throughout these chapters.
Second, we see both the fear and the favor of unbelievers. Notice the parenthesis from the middle of verse 12 through the end of verse 14 (KJV). Again, we see that they were all in one accord. "In one accord" is the translation of that same word (homothumados), which speaks of the one passion they had in common. Look especially at verse 13, "And of the rest durst no man join himself to them; but the people magnified them." The New American Standard renders it: "But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem." "The rest" refers to the unbelievers, the outsiders. People were not eager to join the group that Ananias and Sapphira belonged to! And who can blame them? Perhaps this is why we read that it was the Lord who added to the church! Only the Spirit of God could persuade people to hang around with this crowd. And yet, at the same time, the people magnified them. "The people" likely focuses on the common people, in contrast to the Jewish leaders. Though they were filled with fear, they had great respect for the church.
The third evidence of this increased spiritual power is the fact that multitudes were added to the church. One writer captures the truth of these verses in these words: "When the purity of the church and the obvious presence of the Lord in it make people afraid to join, then there is no way to prevent growth" (The Acts of the Apostles, William Owen Carver, p. 57). This is somewhat of a paradox. If people were scared to join them, then why would multitudes come flocking into the church? Because it was the Father drawing them, the Spirit convicting them, and the truth of the gospel of Jesus giving them hope.
17. Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 18. And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. 19. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20. Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. 21. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22. But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, 23. Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. 24. Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. 25. Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. 26. Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
While they were magnified by the people, they were feared by the Jewish leaders. That is, they feared the growing power of the Jesus movement, of "the way." The Sadducees were especially upset, likely because the witness of the apostles to the resurrection of Jesus was filling Jerusalem. Remember that the Sadducees taught that there is no resurrection from the dead.
So they arrested them (not just Peter and John this time, but all of the apostles) and put them in jail, apparently planning to deal with them the next day. But the Lord had other plans. He sent His angel to open the prison doors and set them free. Before there is any time to rejoice at being set free, the angel gives them an immediate command: "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life." Isn’t that beautiful! What are "the words of this life"? Is it not the message of life in Jesus Christ, who came to seek and to save that which was lost? The Lord wasn’t setting them free so that they could be free of the prison, for "if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" (Jn. 8:36). These men were already free. The Lord delivered them out of the prison so that they would be free to go back and teach the gospel truth to the people. What greater freedom than to be able to proclaim the truth to those who need it so desperately?
Notice the response of the apostles. "And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught." They simply obeyed the Lord. Such simplicity! The Lord commanded them, and they obeyed.
Back at the prison, it was assumed that all was well. The Sanhedrin gathered to try these pesky apostles who were giving them so much trouble. But when they sent for the prisoners, there were no prisoners. All the doors were shut and the guards were in place as usual, but no prisoners. Doesn’t it kind of remind you of the empty tomb! The leaders were more than a little bit disturbed. However, it wasn’t long until someone reported that these same apostles were presently standing in the temple teaching the people.
In verse 26, we read that the officers of the Sanhedrin, along with the captain of the temple guard, brought them without violence. This must have been a relief. If the apostles had chosen to do so, they could have made quite a scene. Had they appealed to the people, it is very likely the people would have resisted on their part. But because the apostles offered no resistance, they were taken back to the council without incident.
27. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28. Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
The high priest, who by virtue of his office was the president of the Sanhedrin, reminded them sternly of the command they were given not to teach "in this name." His words "in this name" may reflect an early reluctance to use the name of Jesus. At any rate, it seemed that their continual teaching of Jesus was intended to make the Jewish leaders responsible for His death.
29. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 30. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
This reminds us of Peter’s earlier words when he and John were before this same council, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you mare than unto God, judge ye" (4:19). Then Peter does what he has done already on three separate occasions (2:23; 3:15; 4:10); he contrasted their treatment of Jesus with God’s evaluation of Jesus. This time he does it in reverse order. God’s evaluation – "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus." Their treatment of Jesus – "Whom ye slew and hanged on a tree." Not only did God raise Jesus from the dead, but He also exalted Him to sit on His right hand as a Prince and Savior.
And what was the purpose of this? That He might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Let me give you a quick study. In the New Testament, you will find stated three times the truth that repentance is a gift from God. The first is here, but you will also find it in Acts 11:18, "When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." And then again in 2 Tim. 2:24-25, "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." We understand that forgiveness is a gift from God, but so also is repentance. God gave repentance to Israel, and then to the Gentiles, and then to those who opposed the servant of God. Praise God that He is able to grant repentance to people like us.
Then Peter reminds them again that the apostles are witnesses of these things, primarily the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. And they are not alone in this testimony, for the Holy Spirit also witnesses to the resurrection. Notice the incidental remark about the Holy Spirit. He is the One whom God has given to those who obey Him. This word translated "obey" is used only four times in the New Testament and means "to obey a ruler or superior." One of the other uses is in verse 29 in the statement, "We ought to obey God rather than men." Our strong tendency would be to say that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who believe, but that is not what we read here. Rather, the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey Him. May this cause us to question our blind acceptance of the idea that we can believe and not obey.
33. When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
Literally, they were sawn in two. You will recall that when Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, the people were cut to the heart (a different word used there), but it wasn’t like this. In 7:54, this same word is translated by the KJV as "they were furious." While thousands were convicted by the Spirit when Peter preached to the crowds, the men of this ruling council hardened their hearts and plotted how they might do away with the apostles.
34. Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; 35. And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. 36. For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. 37. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. 38. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: 39. But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
Among the members of the Sanhedrin, there was one man Gamaliel who kept his cool and retained some common sense. Later Paul testified that he "was brought up…at the feet of Gamaliel" (Acts 22:3). This man was a leading Pharisee and the most well-known teacher of his day, being the leader of the Hillel party. (Vaughan records that he was the grandson of the famous Rabbi Hillel). Gamaliel was highly respected by all the people. His advice was very simple. He mentioned a couple of men who claimed to be somebody and gathered quite a following. But after a while, both of these men were forgotten. Gamaliel suggested that if this Jesus movement was just a work of men, it would die out, just like these other two. On the other hand, if it was from God, there isn’t anything man can do about it. And besides, there was the danger that they might find themselves fighting against God.
40. And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 42. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
The members of the Sanhedrin had to admit that this was good advice, and they listened. As they had done with Peter and John, they commanded these men not to speak in the name of Jesus. But this time, instead of just threatening them, they beat them before letting them go.
So how would the apostles respond to this more forceful threat? Notice the simplicity of the language that describes their response. "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." Can you believe that? They were rejoicing. Isn’t that exactly what Jesus had told them to do? Matt. 5:10-12…
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
They were exceeding glad and they rejoiced that God counted them worthy to suffer on behalf of their Lord Jesus. But they didn’t just rejoice. After their release, they returned to the task before them. They continued doing exactly what they had been doing before. Every day they taught in the temple and from house to house and did not cease to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Remember, they had all prayed that they might be able to speak the Word with boldness (4:29), and now the Lord was continuing to answer their prayer.
Acts 6
1. And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
As chapter 5 began with a threat from within the church, so chapter 6 begins in the same way. There was plenty of opposition from the outside, but we have seen that the apostles remained true to the Lord, even rejoicing when they were beaten. As in that time and every time, the greatest threats we face come from within. We saw in chapter 5 that it was Satan himself who filled the heart of Ananias to lie to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). Remember that of the seven things God hates, as listed in Prov. 6, the climax is "he that soweth discord among the brethren" (Prov. 6:19). We can handle opposition from the outside, but what can we do, if there is discord among God’s people? A house divided cannot stand.
So here in chapter 6, we see an immediate threat to the unity within the body. In the very first verse, we find the seeds of "discord among the brethren." We have already read at the end of chapters 2 and 4 that the believers shared generously with one another. Those who had plenty were in the habit of selling some of their holdings and giving the money to the apostles, who would then use it to make provision for the poorer members of the body. It only stands to reason that widows would make up a substantial percentage of those in need.
The specific problem that arises here can be attributed to two major factors. First of all, there was a general tension between the Grecians and the Hebrews. The Grecians, or Hellenistic Jews, were those Jews who were tied more closely to Greek culture. Most of them spoke Greek and many of them originated from places outside of Israel. The Hebrews, on the other hand, were generally natives of Israel and spoke Aramaic (or Hebrew). These deep seated tensions posed a threat to the unity of the body.
The other factor was simply the tremendous growth in the church. Remember that the Lord was adding daily to the church (2:47). By the time we come to Acts 4:4, the number of believers has grown to 5,000 men along, not counting the women. Right here in 6:1 Luke finds it important to inform us that "the number of the disciples was multiplied." This rapid increase made it difficult for the apostles to keep up with their supervision of the ministry to the needy. Go back to the last verse of chapter 5. Acts 5:42, "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." With this active teaching ministry, where were they supposed to get the time to keep up with the increasing physical needs?
In this situation a specific complaint arose. The Grecians, the Hellenistic Jews, complained that their widows were being neglected in the ministry to the needy. Was their complaint well-founded? We are not told. It certainly doesn’t seem that any of these believers were just looking for something to gripe about. That doesn’t square well with all the notations about continuing in one accord. With the demands increasing so quickly, it seems likely that the apostles were indeed guilty of neglecting this group of widows. However, it definitely wasn’t intentional on their part.
2. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
Notice that when the complaint came to their attention, the apostles took immediate action. Look at verse 2, "Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables." The apostles called all the disciples together to explain the situation. Their first comment demonstrates that they understood the great danger of the present situation. The greatest danger is that they would neglect the Word of God in order to perform this ministry to the needy. Don’t get the idea that they were saying the "serving of tables" was not important. That was the furthest thing from their mind. They were simply saying that it would not be proper for them to do so, because God had called them to a different ministry.
So they told the people to seek out seven men whom they could put over the ministry to the needy. They asked the multitude of the disciples to choose the men, but it was the apostles who gave them the guidelines for doing so. They laid down these qualifications: honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. In other words, these must be men to had a reputation for being honest. We can see why that was very important. And they must be wise in order to deal with the demands of such a ministry. Above all, they were to be men full of the Holy Spirit.
Now listen to verse 4, "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word." "Give ourselves continually to" is that word that we have encountered before, whose root word means "strong." "But as for us, we will be strong in prayer and the ministry of the Word." "We will devote ourselves completely to prayer and the ministry of the Word." By appointing seven men over the ministry to the needy, the apostles would have the freedom to continue what God had called them to do.
Now verse 5, "And the saying pleased the whole multitude…" Can you see the work of the Holy Spirit here? In many local churches today the problem is that nothing pleases the whole multitude of the people. Even though this was a truly great multitude, they agreed that the apostles’ solution was a good one and they came together for the glory of the Lord.
We don’t know how they chose the seven men, but they did so. They are listed for us here in verse 5. The first man listed is Stephen, and Luke notes that he was full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. Being full of the Spirit was one of the qualifications for all of these men, but apparently this was especially evident in Stephen. Very shortly, we will see why this was important. The only other note about a particular man accompanies the name of the last, Nicolas. He was a proselyte from Antioch. That is, he was a Gentile who had converted to Judaism.
It has been pointed out that all the names of these men are Greek names. This indicates that it is most likely all seven of them were a part of the Grecians, the Hellenistic Jews. In other words, the people appointed men who were a part of the group that was being neglected. We might say, "That isn’t fair. The other group should be represented." But it seems the Hebrews were bending over backwards to favor these other brothers and sisters. Isn’t this the way the Lord had designed things to work in His church? Above all, they trusted these men, because they were men who relied upon the Spirit of God to work in and through them.
6. Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
We are not specifically told who laid their hands on these seven men. "They" could refer to the people, or to the apostles. Because of the fact that there was such a multitude of disciples, I think we would be safe to assume that it was the apostles who laid their hands on these men. But in doing so, they were representing all the people of the church. We see the employing of the laying on of hands in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In doing so, they were identifying with these men. Surely they were pledging their support to pray for them. They were acknowledging them as God’s choice to head up this vital ministry in the church.
7. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Now we come to what might be called a "summary statement" about the progress of the gospel. Luke pauses from his narrative and gives a progress report, and it was a glowing report. All of the verbs used in this verse speak of continuing action. The Word of God was increasing. The number of the disciples was multiplying greatly. And a great company of the priests were being obedient to the faith. This last note about the priests is especially interesting. While the family of the high priest were a part of the Sadducees, that was not true of the common priests. It is estimated that there were some 8,000 priests in Jerusalem at this time. No doubt many of them were devout lovers of God, even as was Zacharias, the priest who was the father of John the Baptist.
Conclusion
That is a good place for us to pause. Lord willing, we will continue in verse 8 tonight with the story of how God worked through Stephen. If you haven’t read through chapter 7, I would encourage you to do so this afternoon.
Think with me for a moment. Notice the two problems that arose in chapters 5 and 6 – the deception of Ananias and Sapphira, and then the dispute about the ministry to the widows. Both of them occurred when things were going well, when the church was growing both in number and in spirit. We must always remember that doing the will of God will not prevent us from having problems. The key is how we deal with those problems. That is the beauty of this section of Acts. God used both of these problems for His glory. We read in chapter 5 about how the fear of God came upon the church and even outsiders, about how the apostles bore witness to the resurrection with increased power after this incident. And then in chapter 6, we just read this powerful summary statement in verse 7. As we trust God, He will take what seem to be problems and turn them into opportunities.
Now let us conclude by taking a moment to apply the principles of 6:1-6 to our own situation. As many of you know, these seven men are often considered to be the first deacons. The language itself doesn’t necessarily bear this out. It is sometimes pointed out that the word "ministration" in 6:1 is the Greek word from which we get "deacon." The verbal form of that same word is used in verse 2 and is translated "serve." However, we must also recognize that the same word as "ministration" in verse 1 is also used in verse 4 of "the ministry of the Word." Perhaps it is best to think of these men as the forerunners of deacons.
There is a principle here that we need to grasp. The apostles had a God-given ministry that centered around prayer and the ministry of the Word. Did that mean that no one else had the responsibility to pray and minister the Word of God? No, it didn’t mean that at all. As a matter of fact, we will see that Stephen and Philip, two of the seven men chosen, were greatly used in the preaching of the Word. However, this ministry was especially entrusted to the apostles. They were primarily responsible for overseeing the spiritual welfare of the church. The apostles made it very clear that it would not be right for them to neglect that responsibility, even for something as important as meeting the needs of these widows. That is why they led the people to select these seven men.
In this church we have two pastor/elders. That would be Norman and myself. Like the apostles, are we tempted to neglect the spiritual welfare of the church in order to do other things? Absolutely. It is a constant temptation. I confess that I fall to this temptation more often than I would like to admit. How we need the wisdom with which the apostles spoke and acted.
The other day someone asked me, "Do you think it’s time for us to have some deacons?" As a matter of fact, we do. We don’t have time to go through a history of where we have been over the years, but I know that despite my failures and our failures, the Lord has been working. I am confident that He has brought us to this point.
Perhaps the biggest question we face concerning deacons is this: What should deacons do? In our religious society that question is answered in hundreds of ways. But what about us? Are there biblical guidelines for us to follow? This much we know… we know that we need men to take responsibility for other ministries, in order that the pastors, the undershepherds, of this flock might devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word. We urge you to praying to that end.
Acts 4:32-6:7
32. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35. And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. 36. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37. Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
The unity theme surfaces again, although it is never far from the forefront. Notice that the "multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul." Let’s be encouraged by that. Sometimes we think it would be great if a dozen people could be of one heart and one soul, but here we find that literally thousands enjoyed that blessing! Remember, that by now the number of men was some 5,000. Could all the believers in Otero County be of one heart and one soul? Yes! Is anything too hard for God. We may not know all the reasons why this doesn’t seem to be the case, but we can pray for it, expecting God to answer.
This kind of unity brings glory to God. Let’s be reminded again of those two powerful passages in the Gospel of John which emphasize love and unity. John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 17:20-21, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."
This wasn’t some idealistic goal they were hoping to achieve, but it was a reality, as seen by the fact that no one called anything his own. They had all things common. This doesn’t mean that they lived in communes, as some have supposed. It simply means that what each one had was available to the entire community, as there was a need for it. As we saw in chapter 2, those who had houses or lands were willing to sell them in order to meet the needs of brothers and sisters. All the verbs in verses 34-35 are in the imperfect tense. In other words, they speak of ongoing, continuing action. Whenever there was a need, someone would step forth to sell something and meet the need.
One shining example of this kind of generosity was Joses, who was given the nickname Barnabas, which means "son of encouragement." Whenever we see Barnabas in the New Testament, we find him giving that encouragement.
There are those who will call this a "communistic experiment," saying that the poverty they experienced later is proof that this did not work. I suggest to you that such reasoning has its roots in American capitalism and individualism, rather than in the Word of God. Notice that right in the middle of this description of unity we find the words of verse 33, "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all." This unity which reached all the way to the pocketbook gave a practical credibility to the witness of the apostles. They preached that Jesus rose from the dead, and the believers proved it by their love for one another, refusing to call anything their own. "Great grace was upon them all." God was blessing them with the power to share both their goods and their testimony.
People in American society try not to make too much of these passages at the end of chapters 2 and 4. Sometimes we are afraid that it does indeed tend toward communism. I read an interesting comment by C. H. Spurgeon concerning this first century practice: "The difference between a communist and a Christian is this – a communist says, ‘All that is yours is mind;’ while a Christian says, ‘All that is mine is yours;’ and that is a very different thing" (In sermon entitled "Building the Church: Additions to the Church;" April 5, 1874).
Acts 5
1. But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2. And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it, at the apostles' feet. 3. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4. Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
Isn’t that a nice little story? Isn’t that the kind of Bible story you want to tell to your children before you tuck them in bed? People who want to believe that the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath and the God of the New Testament is a God of love have lots of trouble with this passage. The God who struck people dead in Old Testament times does the same thing here. Is it any wonder that "great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things"? (5:11).
We are not given as many details as we might like. The brevity of the account contributes to its powerful impression upon us. Wouldn’t we like to know if this was originally the idea of Ananias or of Sapphira? Someone might ask if Peter deliberately kept from Sapphira the knowledge that her husband was dead. God doesn’t see fit to answer our questions, but instead gives us what is profitable for us.
The basic story is quite simple. Ananias and Sapphira had a piece of property. For the sake of simplicity, let’s just suppose it was worth $25,000. They sold it for that price and then brought $15,000 of it to the apostles, to be used to meet the needs of the brethren. However, they gave the impression that they were giving to the apostles the entire amount of money for which they had sold it. While this is not explicitly stated at first, we see in verse 3 that they kept back part of the price of the land.
So what was their sin? Was it that they had stolen from God? No. Peter points out the nature of their sin very clearly, when he says to Ananias, "Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?" There was no problem with them not giving the entire amount. As a matter of fact, they weren’t obligated in any way to give anything. The sharing we read about at the end of chapter 4 was entirely voluntary. No one was coerced to sell anything he had and give even a portion. Ananias’ sin was in that he lied to the Holy Spirit.
Take just a minute to note a couple of things about the Holy Spirit. First of all, He can be lied to. The Holy Spirit is not some impersonal force; He is a person. We see in verse 9 that the Holy Spirit can also be tempted, or tested. Now compare verses 3 and 4. In verse 3, we read that Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit. In verse 4, we find that he lied to God. In the one act of dishonestly he lied to the Holy Spirit and he lied to God. What could be clearer than the fact that the Holy Spirit is indeed God?
At the rebuke of Peter, Ananias died on the spot. It wasn’t Peter who caused his death. Whether we like it or not, the simple conclusion is that he died as a consequence of his sin. About three hours later his wife Sapphira came in. We don’t know why she came in. At any rate, Peter asked her straight out if she sold the land for so much (in our example, for $15,000)? Peter was giving her opportunity to back down and admit that this wasn’t the total price, but she didn’t take the opportunity. She maintained that the $15,000 was the total price. That is when Peter told her that because she and her husband had agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord, those who buried her husband were waiting to carry her out too. At that, she died, and they carried her out and buried her next to her husband.
11. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
And now we come back to the great theme of this whole account, which is the fear of the Lord. After the death of Ananias, we read in verse 5, "And great fear came on all them that heard these things." Is it any wonder? And then in verse 11, after the added death of Sapphira, "And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things."
Please hear me. It is a great privilege to be a part of the household of God. What a privilege to be part of the habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph. 2:22). But we must realize that it is also a fearful thing. Though we have been made near by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13), the God with whom we have to do is still the Creator of the Universe and Lord over all. We love I Cor. 3:16, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you." By the way, while we tend to take this individually, that may not be as accurate as taking it as the body of Christ. "Don’t you know that you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells among you?" Either way, we must not quit reading until we have read verse 17 as well: "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are?" Remember that our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). Even though we are His people, He is still to be feared, to be held in great awe and reverence. Though man has domesticated fire and found great uses for it, woe to the man who loses his fear of fire. So it is with our God.
Someone has said: "The story of Ananias is to the book of Acts what the story of Achan is to the book of Joshua. In both narratives an act of deceit interrupts the victorious progress of the people of God" (Bruce, Acts, p. 110). Before the name Achan is ever mentioned, we read these words in Josh. 7:1, "But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing…" God had told them not to take any of the spoils from the city of Jericho. While God enabled them to defeat Jericho, "the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing…" Then we read the next words, "for Achan…took of the accursed thing, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel." Achan was the only one who disobeyed God, but the people of Israel were considered guilty and God’s anger was kindled against all of them.
It is because of this solidarity as the people of God that the Lord deals so severely with such sin. Is this not why God dealt so severely with the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. "Judgment must begin at the house of God" (I Pet. 4:17). God judges His people more severely than outsiders (though the time will come when outsiders will receive their due reward).
Surely more than one person is asking: "Were Ananias and Sapphira true believers?" At first glance, we want to say, "No way could they be true children of God." We generally come to that conclusion because of what they did and because of what God did to them. However, I remind you of what we studied just two weeks ago from I Cor. 11, where Paul said that many slept (died) because they did not discern the Lord’s body. And consider their sin. They wanted to appear to be more gracious than they were. They were looking for the praise of man. Is there anyone here who has ever sought after the praise of man?
I don’t know whether they were true believers. What we do know is that they were not a shining testimony of the grace of God. The other thing we cannot miss is the high standard within the church at that time. The church of Jesus Christ stood for holiness. We have just read at the end of chapter 4 that its people were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were zealous to speak the truth of the Lord with boldness to those around them. In that atmosphere, sin stands out. As God works that holiness and zeal for His testimony in us, perhaps sin will stand out in a similar fashion.
12. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. 13. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. 14. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) 15. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. 16. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
Though the account of Ananias and Sapphira’s death seems harsh, we must take notice that as a result of this incident there was an increase in spiritual power. We see this in three ways.
First, there was an increase of the signs and wonders performed by the apostles. The sick were healed and those who had unclean spirits were healed as well. When we read about multitudes coming to Peter and the others for healing, it sounds a great deal like the ministry of Jesus, does it not? We must understand that though the Lord used them in doing such miraculous things, they didn’t emphasize the physical miracles. They used them as a platform to preach Jesus. That theme runs throughout these chapters.
Second, we see both the fear and the favor of unbelievers. Notice the parenthesis from the middle of verse 12 through the end of verse 14 (KJV). Again, we see that they were all in one accord. "In one accord" is the translation of that same word (homothumados), which speaks of the one passion they had in common. Look especially at verse 13, "And of the rest durst no man join himself to them; but the people magnified them." The New American Standard renders it: "But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem." "The rest" refers to the unbelievers, the outsiders. People were not eager to join the group that Ananias and Sapphira belonged to! And who can blame them? Perhaps this is why we read that it was the Lord who added to the church! Only the Spirit of God could persuade people to hang around with this crowd. And yet, at the same time, the people magnified them. "The people" likely focuses on the common people, in contrast to the Jewish leaders. Though they were filled with fear, they had great respect for the church.
The third evidence of this increased spiritual power is the fact that multitudes were added to the church. One writer captures the truth of these verses in these words: "When the purity of the church and the obvious presence of the Lord in it make people afraid to join, then there is no way to prevent growth" (The Acts of the Apostles, William Owen Carver, p. 57). This is somewhat of a paradox. If people were scared to join them, then why would multitudes come flocking into the church? Because it was the Father drawing them, the Spirit convicting them, and the truth of the gospel of Jesus giving them hope.
17. Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 18. And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. 19. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20. Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. 21. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22. But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, 23. Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. 24. Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. 25. Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. 26. Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
While they were magnified by the people, they were feared by the Jewish leaders. That is, they feared the growing power of the Jesus movement, of "the way." The Sadducees were especially upset, likely because the witness of the apostles to the resurrection of Jesus was filling Jerusalem. Remember that the Sadducees taught that there is no resurrection from the dead.
So they arrested them (not just Peter and John this time, but all of the apostles) and put them in jail, apparently planning to deal with them the next day. But the Lord had other plans. He sent His angel to open the prison doors and set them free. Before there is any time to rejoice at being set free, the angel gives them an immediate command: "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life." Isn’t that beautiful! What are "the words of this life"? Is it not the message of life in Jesus Christ, who came to seek and to save that which was lost? The Lord wasn’t setting them free so that they could be free of the prison, for "if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" (Jn. 8:36). These men were already free. The Lord delivered them out of the prison so that they would be free to go back and teach the gospel truth to the people. What greater freedom than to be able to proclaim the truth to those who need it so desperately?
Notice the response of the apostles. "And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught." They simply obeyed the Lord. Such simplicity! The Lord commanded them, and they obeyed.
Back at the prison, it was assumed that all was well. The Sanhedrin gathered to try these pesky apostles who were giving them so much trouble. But when they sent for the prisoners, there were no prisoners. All the doors were shut and the guards were in place as usual, but no prisoners. Doesn’t it kind of remind you of the empty tomb! The leaders were more than a little bit disturbed. However, it wasn’t long until someone reported that these same apostles were presently standing in the temple teaching the people.
In verse 26, we read that the officers of the Sanhedrin, along with the captain of the temple guard, brought them without violence. This must have been a relief. If the apostles had chosen to do so, they could have made quite a scene. Had they appealed to the people, it is very likely the people would have resisted on their part. But because the apostles offered no resistance, they were taken back to the council without incident.
27. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28. Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
The high priest, who by virtue of his office was the president of the Sanhedrin, reminded them sternly of the command they were given not to teach "in this name." His words "in this name" may reflect an early reluctance to use the name of Jesus. At any rate, it seemed that their continual teaching of Jesus was intended to make the Jewish leaders responsible for His death.
29. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 30. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
This reminds us of Peter’s earlier words when he and John were before this same council, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you mare than unto God, judge ye" (4:19). Then Peter does what he has done already on three separate occasions (2:23; 3:15; 4:10); he contrasted their treatment of Jesus with God’s evaluation of Jesus. This time he does it in reverse order. God’s evaluation – "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus." Their treatment of Jesus – "Whom ye slew and hanged on a tree." Not only did God raise Jesus from the dead, but He also exalted Him to sit on His right hand as a Prince and Savior.
And what was the purpose of this? That He might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Let me give you a quick study. In the New Testament, you will find stated three times the truth that repentance is a gift from God. The first is here, but you will also find it in Acts 11:18, "When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." And then again in 2 Tim. 2:24-25, "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." We understand that forgiveness is a gift from God, but so also is repentance. God gave repentance to Israel, and then to the Gentiles, and then to those who opposed the servant of God. Praise God that He is able to grant repentance to people like us.
Then Peter reminds them again that the apostles are witnesses of these things, primarily the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. And they are not alone in this testimony, for the Holy Spirit also witnesses to the resurrection. Notice the incidental remark about the Holy Spirit. He is the One whom God has given to those who obey Him. This word translated "obey" is used only four times in the New Testament and means "to obey a ruler or superior." One of the other uses is in verse 29 in the statement, "We ought to obey God rather than men." Our strong tendency would be to say that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who believe, but that is not what we read here. Rather, the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey Him. May this cause us to question our blind acceptance of the idea that we can believe and not obey.
33. When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
Literally, they were sawn in two. You will recall that when Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, the people were cut to the heart (a different word used there), but it wasn’t like this. In 7:54, this same word is translated by the KJV as "they were furious." While thousands were convicted by the Spirit when Peter preached to the crowds, the men of this ruling council hardened their hearts and plotted how they might do away with the apostles.
34. Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; 35. And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. 36. For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. 37. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. 38. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: 39. But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
Among the members of the Sanhedrin, there was one man Gamaliel who kept his cool and retained some common sense. Later Paul testified that he "was brought up…at the feet of Gamaliel" (Acts 22:3). This man was a leading Pharisee and the most well-known teacher of his day, being the leader of the Hillel party. (Vaughan records that he was the grandson of the famous Rabbi Hillel). Gamaliel was highly respected by all the people. His advice was very simple. He mentioned a couple of men who claimed to be somebody and gathered quite a following. But after a while, both of these men were forgotten. Gamaliel suggested that if this Jesus movement was just a work of men, it would die out, just like these other two. On the other hand, if it was from God, there isn’t anything man can do about it. And besides, there was the danger that they might find themselves fighting against God.
40. And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 42. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
The members of the Sanhedrin had to admit that this was good advice, and they listened. As they had done with Peter and John, they commanded these men not to speak in the name of Jesus. But this time, instead of just threatening them, they beat them before letting them go.
So how would the apostles respond to this more forceful threat? Notice the simplicity of the language that describes their response. "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." Can you believe that? They were rejoicing. Isn’t that exactly what Jesus had told them to do? Matt. 5:10-12…
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
They were exceeding glad and they rejoiced that God counted them worthy to suffer on behalf of their Lord Jesus. But they didn’t just rejoice. After their release, they returned to the task before them. They continued doing exactly what they had been doing before. Every day they taught in the temple and from house to house and did not cease to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Remember, they had all prayed that they might be able to speak the Word with boldness (4:29), and now the Lord was continuing to answer their prayer.
Acts 6
1. And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
As chapter 5 began with a threat from within the church, so chapter 6 begins in the same way. There was plenty of opposition from the outside, but we have seen that the apostles remained true to the Lord, even rejoicing when they were beaten. As in that time and every time, the greatest threats we face come from within. We saw in chapter 5 that it was Satan himself who filled the heart of Ananias to lie to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). Remember that of the seven things God hates, as listed in Prov. 6, the climax is "he that soweth discord among the brethren" (Prov. 6:19). We can handle opposition from the outside, but what can we do, if there is discord among God’s people? A house divided cannot stand.
So here in chapter 6, we see an immediate threat to the unity within the body. In the very first verse, we find the seeds of "discord among the brethren." We have already read at the end of chapters 2 and 4 that the believers shared generously with one another. Those who had plenty were in the habit of selling some of their holdings and giving the money to the apostles, who would then use it to make provision for the poorer members of the body. It only stands to reason that widows would make up a substantial percentage of those in need.
The specific problem that arises here can be attributed to two major factors. First of all, there was a general tension between the Grecians and the Hebrews. The Grecians, or Hellenistic Jews, were those Jews who were tied more closely to Greek culture. Most of them spoke Greek and many of them originated from places outside of Israel. The Hebrews, on the other hand, were generally natives of Israel and spoke Aramaic (or Hebrew). These deep seated tensions posed a threat to the unity of the body.
The other factor was simply the tremendous growth in the church. Remember that the Lord was adding daily to the church (2:47). By the time we come to Acts 4:4, the number of believers has grown to 5,000 men along, not counting the women. Right here in 6:1 Luke finds it important to inform us that "the number of the disciples was multiplied." This rapid increase made it difficult for the apostles to keep up with their supervision of the ministry to the needy. Go back to the last verse of chapter 5. Acts 5:42, "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." With this active teaching ministry, where were they supposed to get the time to keep up with the increasing physical needs?
In this situation a specific complaint arose. The Grecians, the Hellenistic Jews, complained that their widows were being neglected in the ministry to the needy. Was their complaint well-founded? We are not told. It certainly doesn’t seem that any of these believers were just looking for something to gripe about. That doesn’t square well with all the notations about continuing in one accord. With the demands increasing so quickly, it seems likely that the apostles were indeed guilty of neglecting this group of widows. However, it definitely wasn’t intentional on their part.
2. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
Notice that when the complaint came to their attention, the apostles took immediate action. Look at verse 2, "Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables." The apostles called all the disciples together to explain the situation. Their first comment demonstrates that they understood the great danger of the present situation. The greatest danger is that they would neglect the Word of God in order to perform this ministry to the needy. Don’t get the idea that they were saying the "serving of tables" was not important. That was the furthest thing from their mind. They were simply saying that it would not be proper for them to do so, because God had called them to a different ministry.
So they told the people to seek out seven men whom they could put over the ministry to the needy. They asked the multitude of the disciples to choose the men, but it was the apostles who gave them the guidelines for doing so. They laid down these qualifications: honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. In other words, these must be men to had a reputation for being honest. We can see why that was very important. And they must be wise in order to deal with the demands of such a ministry. Above all, they were to be men full of the Holy Spirit.
Now listen to verse 4, "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word." "Give ourselves continually to" is that word that we have encountered before, whose root word means "strong." "But as for us, we will be strong in prayer and the ministry of the Word." "We will devote ourselves completely to prayer and the ministry of the Word." By appointing seven men over the ministry to the needy, the apostles would have the freedom to continue what God had called them to do.
Now verse 5, "And the saying pleased the whole multitude…" Can you see the work of the Holy Spirit here? In many local churches today the problem is that nothing pleases the whole multitude of the people. Even though this was a truly great multitude, they agreed that the apostles’ solution was a good one and they came together for the glory of the Lord.
We don’t know how they chose the seven men, but they did so. They are listed for us here in verse 5. The first man listed is Stephen, and Luke notes that he was full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. Being full of the Spirit was one of the qualifications for all of these men, but apparently this was especially evident in Stephen. Very shortly, we will see why this was important. The only other note about a particular man accompanies the name of the last, Nicolas. He was a proselyte from Antioch. That is, he was a Gentile who had converted to Judaism.
It has been pointed out that all the names of these men are Greek names. This indicates that it is most likely all seven of them were a part of the Grecians, the Hellenistic Jews. In other words, the people appointed men who were a part of the group that was being neglected. We might say, "That isn’t fair. The other group should be represented." But it seems the Hebrews were bending over backwards to favor these other brothers and sisters. Isn’t this the way the Lord had designed things to work in His church? Above all, they trusted these men, because they were men who relied upon the Spirit of God to work in and through them.
6. Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
We are not specifically told who laid their hands on these seven men. "They" could refer to the people, or to the apostles. Because of the fact that there was such a multitude of disciples, I think we would be safe to assume that it was the apostles who laid their hands on these men. But in doing so, they were representing all the people of the church. We see the employing of the laying on of hands in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In doing so, they were identifying with these men. Surely they were pledging their support to pray for them. They were acknowledging them as God’s choice to head up this vital ministry in the church.
7. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Now we come to what might be called a "summary statement" about the progress of the gospel. Luke pauses from his narrative and gives a progress report, and it was a glowing report. All of the verbs used in this verse speak of continuing action. The Word of God was increasing. The number of the disciples was multiplying greatly. And a great company of the priests were being obedient to the faith. This last note about the priests is especially interesting. While the family of the high priest were a part of the Sadducees, that was not true of the common priests. It is estimated that there were some 8,000 priests in Jerusalem at this time. No doubt many of them were devout lovers of God, even as was Zacharias, the priest who was the father of John the Baptist.
Conclusion
That is a good place for us to pause. Lord willing, we will continue in verse 8 tonight with the story of how God worked through Stephen. If you haven’t read through chapter 7, I would encourage you to do so this afternoon.
Think with me for a moment. Notice the two problems that arose in chapters 5 and 6 – the deception of Ananias and Sapphira, and then the dispute about the ministry to the widows. Both of them occurred when things were going well, when the church was growing both in number and in spirit. We must always remember that doing the will of God will not prevent us from having problems. The key is how we deal with those problems. That is the beauty of this section of Acts. God used both of these problems for His glory. We read in chapter 5 about how the fear of God came upon the church and even outsiders, about how the apostles bore witness to the resurrection with increased power after this incident. And then in chapter 6, we just read this powerful summary statement in verse 7. As we trust God, He will take what seem to be problems and turn them into opportunities.
Now let us conclude by taking a moment to apply the principles of 6:1-6 to our own situation. As many of you know, these seven men are often considered to be the first deacons. The language itself doesn’t necessarily bear this out. It is sometimes pointed out that the word "ministration" in 6:1 is the Greek word from which we get "deacon." The verbal form of that same word is used in verse 2 and is translated "serve." However, we must also recognize that the same word as "ministration" in verse 1 is also used in verse 4 of "the ministry of the Word." Perhaps it is best to think of these men as the forerunners of deacons.
There is a principle here that we need to grasp. The apostles had a God-given ministry that centered around prayer and the ministry of the Word. Did that mean that no one else had the responsibility to pray and minister the Word of God? No, it didn’t mean that at all. As a matter of fact, we will see that Stephen and Philip, two of the seven men chosen, were greatly used in the preaching of the Word. However, this ministry was especially entrusted to the apostles. They were primarily responsible for overseeing the spiritual welfare of the church. The apostles made it very clear that it would not be right for them to neglect that responsibility, even for something as important as meeting the needs of these widows. That is why they led the people to select these seven men.
In this church we have two pastor/elders. That would be Norman and myself. Like the apostles, are we tempted to neglect the spiritual welfare of the church in order to do other things? Absolutely. It is a constant temptation. I confess that I fall to this temptation more often than I would like to admit. How we need the wisdom with which the apostles spoke and acted.
The other day someone asked me, "Do you think it’s time for us to have some deacons?" As a matter of fact, we do. We don’t have time to go through a history of where we have been over the years, but I know that despite my failures and our failures, the Lord has been working. I am confident that He has brought us to this point.
Perhaps the biggest question we face concerning deacons is this: What should deacons do? In our religious society that question is answered in hundreds of ways. But what about us? Are there biblical guidelines for us to follow? This much we know… we know that we need men to take responsibility for other ministries, in order that the pastors, the undershepherds, of this flock might devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word. We urge you to praying to that end.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Acts 3:1-4:31 -- 4/25/07 (The Lord's Church)
Wednesday Evening, April 25, 2007
Acts 3:1-4:31
Acts 3
1. Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
Notice that they went up to the temple at the hour of prayer, which was 3:00 in the afternoon. Bruce comments: "The apostles continued to live as observant Jews, attending the set season of worship in the temple at Jerusalem" (Acts, Bruce, p. 83).
The ninth hour (3 p.m.) was the time of the evening sacrifice. At that time, people would gather in the temple precincts for a time of public prayer. Apparently this is why Peter and John were coming to the temple at this time.
2. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
The temple was a very "complex complex." It wasn’t just a simple building. The outermost section was the "court of the Gentiles." Inside it were various courts, such as the Court of the women and the Court of Israel and the Court of the Priests. The Gentiles could only enter the court of the Gentiles. There were signs posted which warned them not to go any farther, upon pain of death. There were several gates leading from the court of the Gentiles into the inner courts. (Edersheim says 13; Bruce says 9). One of those gates was "the Beautiful Gate," which we have mentioned here. This was a common place for beggars to be stationed. It was here that Peter and John encountered this lame man, who was waiting for people to bless him with charitable donation.
3. Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. 4. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. 5. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 6. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. [a few mss do not have "arise and"]7. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Sure enough, when this lame beggar saw Peter and John approaching the gate, he asked them if they might be able to help him. This is what this man would have asked anyone coming through the gate. He saw nothing different about these two men, but when Peter looked him squarely in the eye and asked him to give them his attention, he must have anticipated that they were going to give him something. Peter’s response is quite well known. He said, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee; In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." Don’t you know that was a shock to this man! In all his years sitting at the gate, nothing like this had ever happened. Who knows what he thought at first.
The fact is, this man didn’t have much time to think about it. Believing that God was working, Peter took the lame man by the hand and lifted him up. Notice the word "immediately." God immediately strengthened his feet and ankles. The man stood. And then he walked. But that wasn’t enough. With great joy, he entered into the temple with Peter and John, "walking, and leaping, and praising God."
We know this was a great miracle. We know that this man had been lame from birth, and later in 4:22 we learn he had been in this condition for over 40 years. Legs that have been unused for 40 years don’t suddenly stand, much less walk and leap. Yet that is exactly what happened. How could it be? Notice that Peter addressed him "in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth." The authority for this miracle was Jesus and no other, as Peter would soon declare.
F. F. Bruce relates an incident (whether factual or not, I don’t know)…
Cornelius a Lapide tells us how Thomas Aquinas called upon Pope Innocent II once when the latter was counting a large sum of money. "You see, Thomas," said the Pope, "the Church can no longer say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’" "True, holy father," said Thomas, "and neither can she now say, ‘Arise and walk.
Let us beware when we think we are rich because we have the world’s goods. The simple fact is that Peter and John possessed what all the money in the world could not buy. They simply trusted the Lord and the Lord honored that trust. The church of Laodicea could have learned much from this incident, as can we.
9. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: 10. And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. 11. And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.
In our day people are skeptical about physical healings. Often, it is suspected that there was nothing seriously wrong with the person in the first place. Not so here, because this man had been lame from birth. There were people who knew that. And there was no mistaking the fact that this was indeed the same man they had seen begging at the Beautiful Gate. No doubt, many of them had passed him as they came into the temple. But he was a different man now. His behavior immediately attracted a crowd.
It is apparent that Luke abbreviates this account somewhat, because Solomon’s Porch was located in the Court of the Gentiles. This man must have accompanied Peter and John to the prayer service, and then they must have gone back out (probably by the same Beautiful Gate) into the Court of the Gentiles and specifically to Solomon’s Porch. Perhaps there was some restraint in the inner court, especially at the hour of prayer. Now all restraint was lifted and the people were eager to find out how this had happened.
[Time does not permit us to compare this event to Jesus’ saying to the paralyzed man, "Thy sins be forgiven thee" in Mark 2.]
12. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
At the very outset Peter makes it absolutely clear that this miracle was not accomplished through the power of men. Let no one think that Peter and John had some special power or holiness that enabled this man to walk. Remember, when Peter had told the man, "Rise up and walk," he had said, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Of course, the people weren’t present at that time, so now he declares to one and all that there is nothing special about him and John.
13. The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. 14. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 15. And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Look at verse 13. In these few words, Peter said so much! First of all, notice that Peter immediately puts things into context for them. Let everyone know that to understand this miracle, we must begin with "the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers." This is the God to whom they were praying in the temple. But without beating around the bush, Peter then immediately affirms that "the God of our fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus." That’s what this miracle was all about. Yes, it was great that this man was healed, but there was more than that. God was glorifying His Son Jesus.
And then Peter reminds them of how they had treated Jesus. Again, I hate to sound like a broken record, but I must speak the truth of God’s Word. Those who are constantly telling us that we must never say anything negative should take a close look at these early chapters of Acts. The Holy Spirit, speaking through the apostle Peter, did not hesitate to speak the truth, even if it was what we might consider negative. Listen to these words: "…Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life…" Even the Roman governor Pilate could see that Jesus wasn’t guilty. Three times he had said to them, "I find no fault in him," but they refused to listen. Instead, they insisted that Pilate release the murdered Barabbas. In so doing, they killed the Prince of life. What a title. The word "Prince" is from a root that means "beginning." It is the same word that is used in Heb. 12:2, which speaks of Jesus as "the author and finisher of our faith."
Now comes the good news. They killed Him, but God raised Him from the dead. Their verdict was "Crucify," but God’s verdict is found in Rom. 1:4, "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:" And then Peter adds again, "Whereof we are witnesses." Remember that when they chose the replacement for Judas Iscariot, they chose from among those who had walked with Jesus and seen Him after the resurrection, in order that he might join them in giving witness to the resurrected Christ.
16. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Now Peter comes back to the miracle that has been accomplished. He has already warned them not to think that he and John had accomplished it by their own power or holiness. Rather, the power for this miracle came through the name of Jesus and through faith in that name. The "name" embodies the character of the person possessing the name. The Lord Jesus did it. The man, on the other hand, simply exercised faith in Jesus. As a result, they could see that he had been made perfectly whole.
17. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. 18. But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Peter is very gracious toward them, saying that it was through ignorance that they crucified Jesus. He is even more gracious in affirming that even their leaders acted through ignorance. Some might give him an argument, but remember that he is speaking by the Spirit. Compare 1 Cor 2:7-8, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8. Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
Now Peter says reminds them that the prophets had spoken of the Messiah suffering. He had already alluded to this, when he spoke of the God of their fathers glorifying His servant/son Jesus (an allusion to Is. 42, one of the "suffering servant" passages). Those prophecies were fulfilled in the suffering of Jesus, who is indeed the Messiah.
19. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21. Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
Remember the meaning of the term "repent." What does it mean? It is literally "a change of mind." "All that they had to do to avail themselves of this salvation was to change their former attitude to Jesus and bring it into line with God’s attitude" (Bruce, p. 90). Peter has graciously reminded them that it was through ignorance that they crucified their Messiah. They didn’t know; they didn’t understand. But now that the truth has been made clear and the apostles have given witness to it, all they need to is to change their mind and align their thinking with God’s truth. They (especially their rulers) had somehow convinced themselves that in killing Jesus, they were doing service to God (see Jn. 16:2). But now that God had glorified Jesus through the resurrection, surely a change of mind was in order.
I remind you that although repentance is a change of mind, it is a change of mind that leads to a change of life. Notice that Peter’s invitation was, "Repent and be converted," or "Repent and return." The repentance was the inward attitude; the returning was the accompanying change of life. True repentance always results in a turning to God. Today there are certain segments of professing Christianity that are saying, "Repentance doesn’t necessarily involve sorrow." Here we have a graphic illustration of the foolishness of such a statement. How could they align themselves with the truth of God, admitting that they had killed the Author of life, and find no sorrow within? How could they not hate and utterly denounce the ugliness of their sin? Paul tells that godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation (II Cor. 7:10).
Praise God for this good news! Even though they had slain the Son of God, they are invited to come and enjoy the life purchased through His death and resurrection. John Newton had a grasp of this truth when he penned these words… (from "In Evil Long I Took Delight")
Alas! I knew not what I did,
But now my tears are vain;
Where shall my trembling soul be hid?
For I my Lord have slain.
A second look He gave, which said;
"I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom shed;
I die, that thou mayest live.
Thus, while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue;
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too.
With pleasing grief and mournful joy
My spirit now is filled,
That I should such a life destroy,
Yet live through Him I killed.
And now listen to what follows this repentance and turning to God. First, "that your sins may be blotted out." Praise God! "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." And then, that "times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Those times begin with our initial conversion, but they don’t end there. On how many occasions has the Lord brought to us times of refreshing? And finally, "And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Surely this is speaking of the second coming of Jesus. He was and is in heaven until the time when God chooses to restore (or fulfill, establish) all things, according to the words of the prophets, but understand that He is indeed coming.
22. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 24. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 25. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
In these verses Peter brings us again to the prophets. He has been referring to the things spoken by the prophets (verses 18 and 21). Now he singles out Moses and a particular prophecy. Let me read it to you from Deut. 18:18-19, "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." Surely this is a warning for all those who reject the good news of Christ, for that Prophet that God promised to raise up is none other than Jesus.
Then in summary fashion, Peter reminds them that all of the prophets from Samuel onward have "foretold of these days." Surely "these days" refers to the coming of their Messiah and all associated with it.
Verse 25 points to the great privilege God had given to these people to whom Peter spoke. They were children of the prophets. That is, they were heirs of the promises which God had given through the prophets. In addition, they were children of the covenant which God had made with their fathers, their ancestors. Yes, they were descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And now it was their privilege to be a part of that generation that first saw the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, "And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed." As Paul would later emphasize, Jesus was that seed of whom God spoke when He made this promise to Abraham.
26. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
What great privilege and responsibility was theirs. Jesus was that prophet that Jesus had raised up. Jesus was that seed through whom all nations would be blessed. "They had not paid heed to Him at first when God sent Him; let them pay heed now, when God in His pardoning grace gave them a fresh opportunity; else they would forfeit the covenanted blessing" (Bruce, p. 94).
Acts 4
1. And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2. Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. 4. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
The disturbance in the temple did not escape the notice of the Jewish leaders. The "captain of the temple" was the man in charge of the temple guard. These leaders were upset about two things. First of all, that men like Peter and John, who had not been trained in the rabbinical schools, were taking the initiative to teach the people. The second concern most certainly came from the Saducees, with whom Jesus had more than one encounter. They were especially upset that through Jesus these men were alleging a specific instance of resurrection, for the Saducees did not believe in the possibility of resurrection from the dead.
They immediately arrested Peter and John. Since it was too late in the day to hold a trial, they jailed them overnight. However, from their point of view, much damage had already been done, for many of those who heard their teaching believed.
The last part of verse 4 literally reads, "And the number of men became about 5,000." Rather than 5,000 being saved on this occasion, Luke seems to be saying that the total number of believers had now reached about 5,000. However, that was only the number of the men. In the Greek language, there was two words for "man." The one most commonly used can refer to mankind, including both men and women. The word used here refers to males, as distinct from females. So we don’t know how many were saved on this occasion. Remember that the Lord had been adding to the church daily (2:47), and by now it seems likely that quite a bit of time (perhaps even a year) had passed since the Day of Pentecost.
5. And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 6. And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
This is an official gathering of the Sanhedrin. The actual word occurs in 4:15, translated in the KJV as "council." This was the senate and supreme court of the Jewish nation. This council was made up of the ruling high priest, who was the president, and 70 other members.
Annas is referred to as the high priest. However, that doesn’t tell us the whole story. Repeatedly in the gospels, Caiphas is designated the high priest. In Luke 3:2, both Annas and Caiphas are referred to as the high priests. It is John 18:13 that gives us the most accurate picture. "And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year." The Saducees consisted mainly of the family of the high priest. Annas had been high priest for nine years. For the half century that followed, five of his sons, one grandson, and one son-in-law (Caiphas) occupied the office. So even though Annas was not the high priest at this time, he exerted a great deal of influence. We know nothing of John and Alexander. They were most likely members of the high priestly family.
The Sanhedrin was made up of primarily (if not exclusively) of Saducees and Pharisees. At this time, the Saducees made up the majority, but the Pharisees were a powerful minority.
7. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
They asked, "Where did you get the power to do this miracle?" They also asked, "Or by what name did you do it?" In other words, "Who gave you the right to do such a thing?" They knew that there had to be some authority behind this miraculous deed.
8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9. If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10. Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Note that Luke specifically notes that Peter was filled with the Spirit. Remember what Jesus had told His apostles. Luke 12:11-12, "And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12. For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say." Now Peter has the privilege to find that Jesus is true to His Word.
Peter delivers the same basic message that he had spoken to the crowd that assembled in the temple the day before. The lame man was made whole by the name of Jesus Christ. Peter gave a direct answer to their question. The power and authority came from Jesus Christ. But Peter didn’t stop there. He reminded them that they had crucified this Jesus through whom the man was healed. They crucified Him, but God raised Him.
Now Peter tells them something he didn’t tell the crowd. "This is the stone which set at nought by you builders, which is become the head of the corner." Do you know where that comes from? Peter is quoting the scripture. The words come from Ps. 118:22, "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner." It is obvious that Peter is referring to Jesus as the cornerstone. They rejected Jesus, but God made the one they rejected the cornerstone of the building. It is the cornerstone that gives direction to everything else. It is the most important stone in the building. When the cornerstone isn’t right, the building can never be right. The actions of these Jewish leaders fulfilled the scriptures.
Peter concluded his remarks with those words we know very well, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." So now Peter has moved from an explanation of the miracle at hand to a bold declaration that Jesus is the only salvation, and there is no other. They didn’t ask for all that, but Peter, who was filled with the Spirit, blessed them with this crucial message.
13. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. 14. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
"Boldness" doesn’t speak of how loudly Peter spoke. Rather, it refers to the freedom to speak what needs to be spoken. The Spirit provided this freedom. Recognizing the great freedom with which Peter spoke, they began to seek an explanation, especially in light of the fact that these were "unlearned and ignorant men." That does not mean Peter and John were dumb. They were simply saying that these men had not been trained in the accustomed manner, in the schools for the rabbis. In our modern day, it could be said that "they hadn’t been to Bible college or seminary." In light of the fact that they had not received religious training in the schools of the rabbis, how were they able to speak like this?
There was one thing that couldn’t be denied – these men had been with Jesus. They took special knowledge of this fact. But what did they mean? Surely they saw a great likeness between the teaching of Jesus and that of Peter and John. Go back to John 7:15, "And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" Neither had Jesus had official rabbinical training. Like Jesus, Peter handled the Old Testament scriptures with skill and wisdom. And like Jesus, he spoke in such a way that his opponents had no answer.
One other similarity might be mentioned. Jesus supported His teaching by the mighty works which He performed. So it was with Peter and John. The healing of the lame man could not be denied (vs. 14). This gave great weight to what Peter said.
Let me ask you a question: When had Peter and John been with Jesus? We want to say, "They walked with Him for three years." No doubt, that is what these religious leaders thought. However, that doesn’t give us the whole picture. After three years of walking with Jesus, Peter denied Him and all of the apostles forsook Him. It wasn’t until after the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit came upon them, that they spoke with this boldness. Yes, they had walked three years with Jesus, but they had also been with Jesus this very day. Remember, Peter was filled with the Spirit. They enjoyed constant fellowship with their Lord, because Jesus had blessed them with His indwelling Spirit. O that people might take special knowledge of the fact that we have been with Jesus!
15. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16. Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. 17. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
Notice that they absolutely could not deny the genuineness of the miracle. They knew that this man had been lame from birth and was now able to walk. This is where the men of the Sanhedrin had to deny the voice of their own consciences. Though they knew that this was a work of God, they did not want the knowledge of this miracle to spread any further. Why not? Why shouldn’t they want everyone to know about this great miracle? Because it was performed in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. They opposition to Jesus figured into every decision they made.
So they came up with a plan. The plan was simple – threaten Peter and John, commanding them not to speak any more in the name of Jesus.
18. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
They called Peter and John back into their presence and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. This presented a clear choice for Peter and John. The Sanhedrin commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, but Jesus Himself had commanded them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mk. 16:15). Jesus had told them that they were to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). They had to decide whether to obey these men or to obey God. For them, there was no decision to make, for they had already surrendered themselves to the Lord.
Notice what they said: "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." That reminds me of that passage we read from I John this past Sunday evening. 1 John 1:1-2…
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2. (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;
Above all else, what they had seen and heard was Jesus. How could they not speak about the Jesus who had loved them and given Himself for them (Gal. 2:20), who had purchased them with His own blood (Acts 20:28). They were not their own, for they had been bought with a price (I Cor. 6:20).
This is a concept to which we need to give much attention. How can we not speak the things which we have seen and heard? Are we seeing and hearing Jesus? For Peter and John, it was not a matter of making some logical decision. Their testimony could have been phrased in the words of John 7:37-39. Rivers of living water were flowing out of them, as they kept on coming to Jesus and drinking from Him and trusting Him. This was the result of the Holy Spirit filling them.
21. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. 22. For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was showed.
They didn’t want to let them go, but they felt like they had no choice. If they tried to inflict some punishment on them, they were afraid the people would rise up against them, because all the people were glorifying God because of this miracle. Why shouldn’t they? A man who had been lame for over 40 years had been healed!
23. And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25. Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26. The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28. For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
When Peter and John returned to the other believers and reported what had happened, the response was immediate; they lifted up their voice to God with one accord. Praise God that He has seen fit to preserve for us their prayer, which was voiced by one of them. What a prayer it is!
First of all, notice that this prayer was based in scripture…
…Lord, thou art God, which has made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.
Ex. 20:11; Neh. 9:6; Ps 146:6
…Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. Ps. 2:1-2
Using the scripture, they affirm that God is in control of all things. There is no, "Poor us. What are we going to do?" If God could speak into existence the heaven and earth and the sea and all the creatures that inhabit them, then surely He will have no problem dealing with this little situation.
Then notice how they describe their current situation with the very words of scripture. In verses 25 and 26 do we not find a wonderful an amazing fulfillment of Psalm 2! It is happening just as David said it would. By the way, did you catch that? How did they know that David wrote Psalm 2? How do we know that David wrote Psalm 2? Because we are told right here. Somehow God revealed it to them, whether through some word of Jesus which had been passed down, or by direct revelation of the Spirit on this occasion.
Now verse 28, "For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." With these few words they make it clear that they understand what is really going on. The Gentiles and the Jews, with their powerful leaders, are only doing what God had determined from the beginning. In reality, they are only pawns in the hands of the Almighty God.
Think about it. They didn’t have to live in fear, because their God was in control of everything. Do we serve that same God? Does He have everything in hand? Remember what we read last Wednesday evening: Ps. 118:6, "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" Can we say the same? Is there any reason for us to fear man?
29. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30. By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
This is the conclusion of their prayer. "Lord, behold their threatenings." I don’t see any fear in these words at all. Rather, I am reminded of God’s response to the raging and plotting of the heathen in Psalm 2. Ps. 2:4, "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision (= "the Lord scoffs at them," NIV, NASV)." "Behold their threatenings" must have been spoken with a certain holy chuckle.
Out of all of this, listen to their one request: "Grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word." This is all they asked for. Notice what they didn’t ask for. They didn’t ask for any form of protection. They didn’t plead with God to not let any of them be imprisoned, nor that they not be hurt physically, nor that he would protect their lives. Later, Paul would use similar language, when writing to the Philippians from prison. "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death" (Phil. 1:20).
On the other hand, they do ask that God would confirm and give witness to their message by healing and giving them the ability to perform signs and wonders in the name of Jesus.
[We don’t have time to deal extensively with the word "child" here in verse 30. The same word is translated "son" in verse 13, but "servant" in verse 25. Suffice it to say that this word (pais) can mean either "child" or "servant." A thorough study helps us understand the link between King Jesus of Psalm 2 (the Royal Psalm) and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 42 and 53.]
31. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Praise God! He answered their prayer. They received exactly that for which they had prayed. The key statement of this verse is not that the place was shaken, but that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God with boldness. The shaking of the building was simply a confirmation by God that He was answering their prayer.
Do you see the fear of God in this whole passage? They didn’t fear men, because they did fear God. They lived their lives with a constant view to the question: "What does God think?" That’s all that really mattered to them. Their eyes were on the Lord. That is what gave them the courage to pray that God would give them boldness to speak His Word. They were not dumb. They knew perfectly well what this would mean, that it could bring more persecution, but their desire was to glorify their Lord by obeying Him and making Him known.
Conclusion
That is where we will stop tonight. The rest of the verses in this chapter fit more closely with what we find in chapter 5.
As we think back through chapters 3 and 4, let’s keep in mind those four principles that enabled the early church to present such a powerful witness to the Lord Jesus Christ…
1. The power of the Spirit (Peter was filled with the Spirit, and then we are specifically told that all of
them were filled with the Spirit)
2. The truth of the message of the gospel (as preached by Peter before the people and then the council)
3. The fear of the Lord (seen especially in the fact that they didn’t fear man)
4. The unity of the body (seen by their unity in prayer)
Acts 3:1-4:31
Acts 3
1. Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
Notice that they went up to the temple at the hour of prayer, which was 3:00 in the afternoon. Bruce comments: "The apostles continued to live as observant Jews, attending the set season of worship in the temple at Jerusalem" (Acts, Bruce, p. 83).
The ninth hour (3 p.m.) was the time of the evening sacrifice. At that time, people would gather in the temple precincts for a time of public prayer. Apparently this is why Peter and John were coming to the temple at this time.
2. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
The temple was a very "complex complex." It wasn’t just a simple building. The outermost section was the "court of the Gentiles." Inside it were various courts, such as the Court of the women and the Court of Israel and the Court of the Priests. The Gentiles could only enter the court of the Gentiles. There were signs posted which warned them not to go any farther, upon pain of death. There were several gates leading from the court of the Gentiles into the inner courts. (Edersheim says 13; Bruce says 9). One of those gates was "the Beautiful Gate," which we have mentioned here. This was a common place for beggars to be stationed. It was here that Peter and John encountered this lame man, who was waiting for people to bless him with charitable donation.
3. Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. 4. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. 5. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 6. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. [a few mss do not have "arise and"]7. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Sure enough, when this lame beggar saw Peter and John approaching the gate, he asked them if they might be able to help him. This is what this man would have asked anyone coming through the gate. He saw nothing different about these two men, but when Peter looked him squarely in the eye and asked him to give them his attention, he must have anticipated that they were going to give him something. Peter’s response is quite well known. He said, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee; In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." Don’t you know that was a shock to this man! In all his years sitting at the gate, nothing like this had ever happened. Who knows what he thought at first.
The fact is, this man didn’t have much time to think about it. Believing that God was working, Peter took the lame man by the hand and lifted him up. Notice the word "immediately." God immediately strengthened his feet and ankles. The man stood. And then he walked. But that wasn’t enough. With great joy, he entered into the temple with Peter and John, "walking, and leaping, and praising God."
We know this was a great miracle. We know that this man had been lame from birth, and later in 4:22 we learn he had been in this condition for over 40 years. Legs that have been unused for 40 years don’t suddenly stand, much less walk and leap. Yet that is exactly what happened. How could it be? Notice that Peter addressed him "in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth." The authority for this miracle was Jesus and no other, as Peter would soon declare.
F. F. Bruce relates an incident (whether factual or not, I don’t know)…
Cornelius a Lapide tells us how Thomas Aquinas called upon Pope Innocent II once when the latter was counting a large sum of money. "You see, Thomas," said the Pope, "the Church can no longer say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’" "True, holy father," said Thomas, "and neither can she now say, ‘Arise and walk.
Let us beware when we think we are rich because we have the world’s goods. The simple fact is that Peter and John possessed what all the money in the world could not buy. They simply trusted the Lord and the Lord honored that trust. The church of Laodicea could have learned much from this incident, as can we.
9. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: 10. And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. 11. And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.
In our day people are skeptical about physical healings. Often, it is suspected that there was nothing seriously wrong with the person in the first place. Not so here, because this man had been lame from birth. There were people who knew that. And there was no mistaking the fact that this was indeed the same man they had seen begging at the Beautiful Gate. No doubt, many of them had passed him as they came into the temple. But he was a different man now. His behavior immediately attracted a crowd.
It is apparent that Luke abbreviates this account somewhat, because Solomon’s Porch was located in the Court of the Gentiles. This man must have accompanied Peter and John to the prayer service, and then they must have gone back out (probably by the same Beautiful Gate) into the Court of the Gentiles and specifically to Solomon’s Porch. Perhaps there was some restraint in the inner court, especially at the hour of prayer. Now all restraint was lifted and the people were eager to find out how this had happened.
[Time does not permit us to compare this event to Jesus’ saying to the paralyzed man, "Thy sins be forgiven thee" in Mark 2.]
12. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
At the very outset Peter makes it absolutely clear that this miracle was not accomplished through the power of men. Let no one think that Peter and John had some special power or holiness that enabled this man to walk. Remember, when Peter had told the man, "Rise up and walk," he had said, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Of course, the people weren’t present at that time, so now he declares to one and all that there is nothing special about him and John.
13. The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. 14. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 15. And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Look at verse 13. In these few words, Peter said so much! First of all, notice that Peter immediately puts things into context for them. Let everyone know that to understand this miracle, we must begin with "the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers." This is the God to whom they were praying in the temple. But without beating around the bush, Peter then immediately affirms that "the God of our fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus." That’s what this miracle was all about. Yes, it was great that this man was healed, but there was more than that. God was glorifying His Son Jesus.
And then Peter reminds them of how they had treated Jesus. Again, I hate to sound like a broken record, but I must speak the truth of God’s Word. Those who are constantly telling us that we must never say anything negative should take a close look at these early chapters of Acts. The Holy Spirit, speaking through the apostle Peter, did not hesitate to speak the truth, even if it was what we might consider negative. Listen to these words: "…Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life…" Even the Roman governor Pilate could see that Jesus wasn’t guilty. Three times he had said to them, "I find no fault in him," but they refused to listen. Instead, they insisted that Pilate release the murdered Barabbas. In so doing, they killed the Prince of life. What a title. The word "Prince" is from a root that means "beginning." It is the same word that is used in Heb. 12:2, which speaks of Jesus as "the author and finisher of our faith."
Now comes the good news. They killed Him, but God raised Him from the dead. Their verdict was "Crucify," but God’s verdict is found in Rom. 1:4, "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:" And then Peter adds again, "Whereof we are witnesses." Remember that when they chose the replacement for Judas Iscariot, they chose from among those who had walked with Jesus and seen Him after the resurrection, in order that he might join them in giving witness to the resurrected Christ.
16. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Now Peter comes back to the miracle that has been accomplished. He has already warned them not to think that he and John had accomplished it by their own power or holiness. Rather, the power for this miracle came through the name of Jesus and through faith in that name. The "name" embodies the character of the person possessing the name. The Lord Jesus did it. The man, on the other hand, simply exercised faith in Jesus. As a result, they could see that he had been made perfectly whole.
17. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. 18. But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Peter is very gracious toward them, saying that it was through ignorance that they crucified Jesus. He is even more gracious in affirming that even their leaders acted through ignorance. Some might give him an argument, but remember that he is speaking by the Spirit. Compare 1 Cor 2:7-8, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8. Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
Now Peter says reminds them that the prophets had spoken of the Messiah suffering. He had already alluded to this, when he spoke of the God of their fathers glorifying His servant/son Jesus (an allusion to Is. 42, one of the "suffering servant" passages). Those prophecies were fulfilled in the suffering of Jesus, who is indeed the Messiah.
19. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21. Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
Remember the meaning of the term "repent." What does it mean? It is literally "a change of mind." "All that they had to do to avail themselves of this salvation was to change their former attitude to Jesus and bring it into line with God’s attitude" (Bruce, p. 90). Peter has graciously reminded them that it was through ignorance that they crucified their Messiah. They didn’t know; they didn’t understand. But now that the truth has been made clear and the apostles have given witness to it, all they need to is to change their mind and align their thinking with God’s truth. They (especially their rulers) had somehow convinced themselves that in killing Jesus, they were doing service to God (see Jn. 16:2). But now that God had glorified Jesus through the resurrection, surely a change of mind was in order.
I remind you that although repentance is a change of mind, it is a change of mind that leads to a change of life. Notice that Peter’s invitation was, "Repent and be converted," or "Repent and return." The repentance was the inward attitude; the returning was the accompanying change of life. True repentance always results in a turning to God. Today there are certain segments of professing Christianity that are saying, "Repentance doesn’t necessarily involve sorrow." Here we have a graphic illustration of the foolishness of such a statement. How could they align themselves with the truth of God, admitting that they had killed the Author of life, and find no sorrow within? How could they not hate and utterly denounce the ugliness of their sin? Paul tells that godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation (II Cor. 7:10).
Praise God for this good news! Even though they had slain the Son of God, they are invited to come and enjoy the life purchased through His death and resurrection. John Newton had a grasp of this truth when he penned these words… (from "In Evil Long I Took Delight")
Alas! I knew not what I did,
But now my tears are vain;
Where shall my trembling soul be hid?
For I my Lord have slain.
A second look He gave, which said;
"I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom shed;
I die, that thou mayest live.
Thus, while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue;
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too.
With pleasing grief and mournful joy
My spirit now is filled,
That I should such a life destroy,
Yet live through Him I killed.
And now listen to what follows this repentance and turning to God. First, "that your sins may be blotted out." Praise God! "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." And then, that "times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Those times begin with our initial conversion, but they don’t end there. On how many occasions has the Lord brought to us times of refreshing? And finally, "And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Surely this is speaking of the second coming of Jesus. He was and is in heaven until the time when God chooses to restore (or fulfill, establish) all things, according to the words of the prophets, but understand that He is indeed coming.
22. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 24. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 25. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
In these verses Peter brings us again to the prophets. He has been referring to the things spoken by the prophets (verses 18 and 21). Now he singles out Moses and a particular prophecy. Let me read it to you from Deut. 18:18-19, "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." Surely this is a warning for all those who reject the good news of Christ, for that Prophet that God promised to raise up is none other than Jesus.
Then in summary fashion, Peter reminds them that all of the prophets from Samuel onward have "foretold of these days." Surely "these days" refers to the coming of their Messiah and all associated with it.
Verse 25 points to the great privilege God had given to these people to whom Peter spoke. They were children of the prophets. That is, they were heirs of the promises which God had given through the prophets. In addition, they were children of the covenant which God had made with their fathers, their ancestors. Yes, they were descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And now it was their privilege to be a part of that generation that first saw the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, "And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed." As Paul would later emphasize, Jesus was that seed of whom God spoke when He made this promise to Abraham.
26. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
What great privilege and responsibility was theirs. Jesus was that prophet that Jesus had raised up. Jesus was that seed through whom all nations would be blessed. "They had not paid heed to Him at first when God sent Him; let them pay heed now, when God in His pardoning grace gave them a fresh opportunity; else they would forfeit the covenanted blessing" (Bruce, p. 94).
Acts 4
1. And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2. Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. 4. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
The disturbance in the temple did not escape the notice of the Jewish leaders. The "captain of the temple" was the man in charge of the temple guard. These leaders were upset about two things. First of all, that men like Peter and John, who had not been trained in the rabbinical schools, were taking the initiative to teach the people. The second concern most certainly came from the Saducees, with whom Jesus had more than one encounter. They were especially upset that through Jesus these men were alleging a specific instance of resurrection, for the Saducees did not believe in the possibility of resurrection from the dead.
They immediately arrested Peter and John. Since it was too late in the day to hold a trial, they jailed them overnight. However, from their point of view, much damage had already been done, for many of those who heard their teaching believed.
The last part of verse 4 literally reads, "And the number of men became about 5,000." Rather than 5,000 being saved on this occasion, Luke seems to be saying that the total number of believers had now reached about 5,000. However, that was only the number of the men. In the Greek language, there was two words for "man." The one most commonly used can refer to mankind, including both men and women. The word used here refers to males, as distinct from females. So we don’t know how many were saved on this occasion. Remember that the Lord had been adding to the church daily (2:47), and by now it seems likely that quite a bit of time (perhaps even a year) had passed since the Day of Pentecost.
5. And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 6. And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
This is an official gathering of the Sanhedrin. The actual word occurs in 4:15, translated in the KJV as "council." This was the senate and supreme court of the Jewish nation. This council was made up of the ruling high priest, who was the president, and 70 other members.
Annas is referred to as the high priest. However, that doesn’t tell us the whole story. Repeatedly in the gospels, Caiphas is designated the high priest. In Luke 3:2, both Annas and Caiphas are referred to as the high priests. It is John 18:13 that gives us the most accurate picture. "And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year." The Saducees consisted mainly of the family of the high priest. Annas had been high priest for nine years. For the half century that followed, five of his sons, one grandson, and one son-in-law (Caiphas) occupied the office. So even though Annas was not the high priest at this time, he exerted a great deal of influence. We know nothing of John and Alexander. They were most likely members of the high priestly family.
The Sanhedrin was made up of primarily (if not exclusively) of Saducees and Pharisees. At this time, the Saducees made up the majority, but the Pharisees were a powerful minority.
7. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
They asked, "Where did you get the power to do this miracle?" They also asked, "Or by what name did you do it?" In other words, "Who gave you the right to do such a thing?" They knew that there had to be some authority behind this miraculous deed.
8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9. If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10. Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Note that Luke specifically notes that Peter was filled with the Spirit. Remember what Jesus had told His apostles. Luke 12:11-12, "And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12. For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say." Now Peter has the privilege to find that Jesus is true to His Word.
Peter delivers the same basic message that he had spoken to the crowd that assembled in the temple the day before. The lame man was made whole by the name of Jesus Christ. Peter gave a direct answer to their question. The power and authority came from Jesus Christ. But Peter didn’t stop there. He reminded them that they had crucified this Jesus through whom the man was healed. They crucified Him, but God raised Him.
Now Peter tells them something he didn’t tell the crowd. "This is the stone which set at nought by you builders, which is become the head of the corner." Do you know where that comes from? Peter is quoting the scripture. The words come from Ps. 118:22, "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner." It is obvious that Peter is referring to Jesus as the cornerstone. They rejected Jesus, but God made the one they rejected the cornerstone of the building. It is the cornerstone that gives direction to everything else. It is the most important stone in the building. When the cornerstone isn’t right, the building can never be right. The actions of these Jewish leaders fulfilled the scriptures.
Peter concluded his remarks with those words we know very well, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." So now Peter has moved from an explanation of the miracle at hand to a bold declaration that Jesus is the only salvation, and there is no other. They didn’t ask for all that, but Peter, who was filled with the Spirit, blessed them with this crucial message.
13. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. 14. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
"Boldness" doesn’t speak of how loudly Peter spoke. Rather, it refers to the freedom to speak what needs to be spoken. The Spirit provided this freedom. Recognizing the great freedom with which Peter spoke, they began to seek an explanation, especially in light of the fact that these were "unlearned and ignorant men." That does not mean Peter and John were dumb. They were simply saying that these men had not been trained in the accustomed manner, in the schools for the rabbis. In our modern day, it could be said that "they hadn’t been to Bible college or seminary." In light of the fact that they had not received religious training in the schools of the rabbis, how were they able to speak like this?
There was one thing that couldn’t be denied – these men had been with Jesus. They took special knowledge of this fact. But what did they mean? Surely they saw a great likeness between the teaching of Jesus and that of Peter and John. Go back to John 7:15, "And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" Neither had Jesus had official rabbinical training. Like Jesus, Peter handled the Old Testament scriptures with skill and wisdom. And like Jesus, he spoke in such a way that his opponents had no answer.
One other similarity might be mentioned. Jesus supported His teaching by the mighty works which He performed. So it was with Peter and John. The healing of the lame man could not be denied (vs. 14). This gave great weight to what Peter said.
Let me ask you a question: When had Peter and John been with Jesus? We want to say, "They walked with Him for three years." No doubt, that is what these religious leaders thought. However, that doesn’t give us the whole picture. After three years of walking with Jesus, Peter denied Him and all of the apostles forsook Him. It wasn’t until after the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit came upon them, that they spoke with this boldness. Yes, they had walked three years with Jesus, but they had also been with Jesus this very day. Remember, Peter was filled with the Spirit. They enjoyed constant fellowship with their Lord, because Jesus had blessed them with His indwelling Spirit. O that people might take special knowledge of the fact that we have been with Jesus!
15. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16. Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. 17. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
Notice that they absolutely could not deny the genuineness of the miracle. They knew that this man had been lame from birth and was now able to walk. This is where the men of the Sanhedrin had to deny the voice of their own consciences. Though they knew that this was a work of God, they did not want the knowledge of this miracle to spread any further. Why not? Why shouldn’t they want everyone to know about this great miracle? Because it was performed in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. They opposition to Jesus figured into every decision they made.
So they came up with a plan. The plan was simple – threaten Peter and John, commanding them not to speak any more in the name of Jesus.
18. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
They called Peter and John back into their presence and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. This presented a clear choice for Peter and John. The Sanhedrin commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, but Jesus Himself had commanded them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mk. 16:15). Jesus had told them that they were to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). They had to decide whether to obey these men or to obey God. For them, there was no decision to make, for they had already surrendered themselves to the Lord.
Notice what they said: "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." That reminds me of that passage we read from I John this past Sunday evening. 1 John 1:1-2…
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2. (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;
Above all else, what they had seen and heard was Jesus. How could they not speak about the Jesus who had loved them and given Himself for them (Gal. 2:20), who had purchased them with His own blood (Acts 20:28). They were not their own, for they had been bought with a price (I Cor. 6:20).
This is a concept to which we need to give much attention. How can we not speak the things which we have seen and heard? Are we seeing and hearing Jesus? For Peter and John, it was not a matter of making some logical decision. Their testimony could have been phrased in the words of John 7:37-39. Rivers of living water were flowing out of them, as they kept on coming to Jesus and drinking from Him and trusting Him. This was the result of the Holy Spirit filling them.
21. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. 22. For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was showed.
They didn’t want to let them go, but they felt like they had no choice. If they tried to inflict some punishment on them, they were afraid the people would rise up against them, because all the people were glorifying God because of this miracle. Why shouldn’t they? A man who had been lame for over 40 years had been healed!
23. And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25. Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26. The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28. For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
When Peter and John returned to the other believers and reported what had happened, the response was immediate; they lifted up their voice to God with one accord. Praise God that He has seen fit to preserve for us their prayer, which was voiced by one of them. What a prayer it is!
First of all, notice that this prayer was based in scripture…
…Lord, thou art God, which has made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.
Ex. 20:11; Neh. 9:6; Ps 146:6
…Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. Ps. 2:1-2
Using the scripture, they affirm that God is in control of all things. There is no, "Poor us. What are we going to do?" If God could speak into existence the heaven and earth and the sea and all the creatures that inhabit them, then surely He will have no problem dealing with this little situation.
Then notice how they describe their current situation with the very words of scripture. In verses 25 and 26 do we not find a wonderful an amazing fulfillment of Psalm 2! It is happening just as David said it would. By the way, did you catch that? How did they know that David wrote Psalm 2? How do we know that David wrote Psalm 2? Because we are told right here. Somehow God revealed it to them, whether through some word of Jesus which had been passed down, or by direct revelation of the Spirit on this occasion.
Now verse 28, "For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." With these few words they make it clear that they understand what is really going on. The Gentiles and the Jews, with their powerful leaders, are only doing what God had determined from the beginning. In reality, they are only pawns in the hands of the Almighty God.
Think about it. They didn’t have to live in fear, because their God was in control of everything. Do we serve that same God? Does He have everything in hand? Remember what we read last Wednesday evening: Ps. 118:6, "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" Can we say the same? Is there any reason for us to fear man?
29. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30. By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
This is the conclusion of their prayer. "Lord, behold their threatenings." I don’t see any fear in these words at all. Rather, I am reminded of God’s response to the raging and plotting of the heathen in Psalm 2. Ps. 2:4, "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision (= "the Lord scoffs at them," NIV, NASV)." "Behold their threatenings" must have been spoken with a certain holy chuckle.
Out of all of this, listen to their one request: "Grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word." This is all they asked for. Notice what they didn’t ask for. They didn’t ask for any form of protection. They didn’t plead with God to not let any of them be imprisoned, nor that they not be hurt physically, nor that he would protect their lives. Later, Paul would use similar language, when writing to the Philippians from prison. "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death" (Phil. 1:20).
On the other hand, they do ask that God would confirm and give witness to their message by healing and giving them the ability to perform signs and wonders in the name of Jesus.
[We don’t have time to deal extensively with the word "child" here in verse 30. The same word is translated "son" in verse 13, but "servant" in verse 25. Suffice it to say that this word (pais) can mean either "child" or "servant." A thorough study helps us understand the link between King Jesus of Psalm 2 (the Royal Psalm) and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 42 and 53.]
31. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Praise God! He answered their prayer. They received exactly that for which they had prayed. The key statement of this verse is not that the place was shaken, but that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God with boldness. The shaking of the building was simply a confirmation by God that He was answering their prayer.
Do you see the fear of God in this whole passage? They didn’t fear men, because they did fear God. They lived their lives with a constant view to the question: "What does God think?" That’s all that really mattered to them. Their eyes were on the Lord. That is what gave them the courage to pray that God would give them boldness to speak His Word. They were not dumb. They knew perfectly well what this would mean, that it could bring more persecution, but their desire was to glorify their Lord by obeying Him and making Him known.
Conclusion
That is where we will stop tonight. The rest of the verses in this chapter fit more closely with what we find in chapter 5.
As we think back through chapters 3 and 4, let’s keep in mind those four principles that enabled the early church to present such a powerful witness to the Lord Jesus Christ…
1. The power of the Spirit (Peter was filled with the Spirit, and then we are specifically told that all of
them were filled with the Spirit)
2. The truth of the message of the gospel (as preached by Peter before the people and then the council)
3. The fear of the Lord (seen especially in the fact that they didn’t fear man)
4. The unity of the body (seen by their unity in prayer)
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