Acts 5: Persecution Reveals Holiness
HOLINESS IN WORSHIP, PURPOSE, AND PRACTICE BY GOD’S PEOPLE WILL GREATLY IMPACT THE COMMUNITY.
WE BEGIN THIS STUDY STOP BY REMEMBERING THAT HOLINESS IS DEFINED TO BE SET ASIDE, APART FROM OTHERS, BELIEVING AND LIVING DIFFERENTLY AS DEVOTED TO GOD RATHER THAN MAN.
WE FIND TWO STRONG LESSONS FOR US IN CHAPTER 5.
FIRST WE EXAMINE THE INCIDENT OF THE QUICK DEATH OF TWO PEOPLE WITHIN THE EARLY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY.
SECOND WE EXAMINE THE CONTINUED PERSECUTION BY THE JEWISH TEMPLE MASTERS OF THOSE WHO PREACH & TEACH OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD.
PETER AND JOHN HAD ENDED CHAPTER 4 BY ASKING A POWERFUL QUESTION TO THE JEWISH LEADERS WHICH WAS:
“WHOM DO WE OBEY: GOD OR MAN?”
IN ACTS 5, VERSE 29, THEY ANSWER THEIR OWN QUESTION:
“WE OUGHT TO OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN.”
THAT QUESTION AND ANSWER STILL RESIDES IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH TODAY AND EACH GENERATION OF BELIEVERS MUST ASK AND ANSWER IT AGAIN.
IN THE CLOSING VERSES OF CHAPTER 4 WE ARE GIVEN AN INCIDENT IN WHICH BARNABUS SOLD SOME LAND AND BROUGHT THE PROCEEDS OF THE SALE LAYING IT AT THE FEET OF THE APOSTLES TO HELP THE NEEDS OF BELIEVERS IN THE EARLY CHURCH.
INCLUDING THIS INCIDENT IN HOLY SCRIPTURE PROCLAIMED THE GOODNESS OF THIS MAN WHO SHOWED HIS WILLINGNESS TO GIVE FOR THE NEEDS OF OTHERS, A TRULY CHRISTLIKE THING TO DO.
THERE WERE TWO OTHERS, A COUPLE, WHO SAW HIM PROCLAIMED AND WISHED TO BE THEMSELVES LIKEWISE VIEWED BY THE CHURCH.
THESE TWO PEOPLE, ANANIAS (MEANING YAHWEH IS GRACIOUS) AND SAPPHIRA (MEANING BEAUTIFUL) DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THE ACT OF BARNABUS.
THEY SOLD SOME PROPERTY AND BROUGHT PART OF THE PROCEEDS TO THE APOSTLES.
PETER WAS LEADING THE EARLY CHURCH AND WAS HIMSELF FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH PROVIDED HIM WITH THE ABILITY TO DISCERN BOTH ACTION AND INTENT.
THIS SPIRIT GIVEN CAPACITY ALLOWED PETER TO QUICKLY DISCERN THAT WHILE THE PROCEEDS HAD BEEN GIVEN, THE DONATION WAS NOT A GIFT IN FULL.
HE QUESTIONED ANANIAS AND IN VERSE 3 REVEALED THAT HE KNEW THAT SATAN HAD A HAND IN THIS DONATION FILLING THE HEART OF THIS MAN TO WITHHOLD A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS FOR HIMSELF.
PETER QUICKLY UNCOVERED THE MAIN POINT WHICH WAS THAT THE LAND SOLD WAS THE POSSESSION OF ANANIAS AS WERE THE PROCEEDS OF THE SALE.
NO ONE ASKED OR COMMANDED THE LAND TO BE SOLD.
NOR DID ANYONE ASK OR COMMAND THE PROCEEDS BE GIVEN TO THE CHURCH.
BUT THE DONATION WAS IMPURE BECAUSE THIS COUPLE PRETENDED THE ENTIRE PROCEEDS HAD BEEN DONATED WHEN A PORTION HAD BEEN HELD BACK FOR PERSONAL USE.
PETER DISCERNED THE HEART OF THIS MAN AND KNEW HE HAD LIED TO THE HOLY GHOST. (VERSES 3 & 4)
WITHOUT SPEAKING A SINGLE WORD IN HIS OWN DEFENSE, ANANIAS FELL DEAD BEFORE PETER, AND WAS CARRIED OUT AND BURIED.
THREE HOURS LATER SAPPHIRA APPEARED BEFORE PETER NOT KNOWING HER HUSBAND HAD DIED.
PETER ASKED THE SAME QUESTION OF SAPPHIRA WHICH WAS DID YOU SELL THE LAND FOR SO MUCH, MEANING THE AMOUNT DONATED? YES, SHE SAID, FOR SO MUCH.
PETER THEN ASKED HOW IT WAS THAT BOTH PEOPLE AGREED TOGETHER TO DONATE A PORTION BUT TO SAY THEY HAD DONATED ALL THEY HAD RECEIVED, TEMPTING THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD.
SAPPHIRA ALSO FELL DEAD AT THE FEET OF PETER AND WAS CARRIED OUT AND BURIED ALONG SIDE HER HUSBAND.
HERE WAS SPIRITUAL DISHONESTY IN ITS HIGHEST FORM.
ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA WERE NOT LYING TO PETER OR TO THE CHURCH BUT TO GOD.
PETER DID NOT TAKE THESE TWO LIVES. THEY GAVE UP THEIR LIVES AS A RESULT OF THEIR SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THIS EVENT BROUGHT GREAT FEAR INTO THE CHURCH BECAUSE OF THE TRUTH THAT HAD BEEN REVEALED BEFORE THEIR EYES.
THE LORD HAD BROUGHT GREAT GOODNESS IN THE GIFT OF BARNABUS AND HAD BROUGHT GREAT DARKNESS AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE DECEPTION INSIDE THE CHURCH, LED BY SATAN, KNOWN BY GOD, AND QUICKLY REPAID BY GOD WITHOUT DELAY.
LOYALTY AND LACK OF IT WERE BOTH SEEN AND VISIBLY EXPOSED.
THE LESSON FOR US TODAY IS STRONG.
THE DIFFICULTY IN LOCAL CHURCHES TODAY IS THE WITHHOLDING OF A PORTION OF OURSELVES FROM THE LORD.
HERE ONCE MORE WE LEARN THAT THE DEVOTION OF ANY BELIEVER IS MEASURED ONLY BY THE DEPTH OF HIS SURRENDER.
THE LORD’S CHURCH WAS TAUGHT A GREAT LESSON BY THIS EVENT AND THEN MOVED ONWARD TO THE WORK GIVEN IT BY GOD.
IN VERSES 12-16 WE SEE CONTINUED SIGNS AND WONDERS BEING DONE AMONG THE PEOPLE.
MULTITUDES OF BOTH MEN AND WOMEN WERE ADDED TO THE CHURCH.
THEY BROUGHT THE SICK OF THE COMMUNITY AND LAID THEM ON BEDS AND COUCHES SO THAT WHEN PETER WALKED BY, HIS SHADOW MIGHT FALL ACROSS THEM.
SICK PEOPLE WERE BROUGHT FROM SURROUNDING CITIES WERE BROUGHT TO JERUSALEM AS WELL AS THOSE TORMENTED BY UNCLEAN SPIRITS.
ALL WERE HEALED.
THE CHURCH WAS THEN OF ONE MIND AND SOUL WITH LOYAL COMMITMENT TO THE RISEN CHRIST, AND LOYALTY TO EACH OTHER.
WHAT WAS DEMONSTRATED IN THESE DAYS ABOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH?
IT WAS SUPERNATURAL CHURCH:
SIGNS AND WONDERS WERE DONE IN GREAT NUMBERS, EVIDENCE OF THE POWER OF THE LORD WORKING THROUGH THOSE CHOSEN JUST AS PROMISED BY JESUS IN ACTS ONE.
IT WAS A RESPECTED AND GROWING CHURCH:
AUTHENTIC BELIEVERS WERE BEING REBORN BY THE LORD’S DOING THROUGH HIS GIFTED HOLY SPIRIT.
IT WAS A HEALING CHURCH:
THE HAND OF THE LORD MOVED THE APOSTLE’S HANDS AND WORDS TO ARRANGE EVERY ILLNESS TO BE HEALED.
NONE WERE LEFT BEHIND. VERSE 16 TEACHES US THAT ALL WHO CAME WERE GIVEN HEALING.
IN VERSES 17-21 WE ARE TOLD THAT THE HIGH PRIEST AND HIS SADDUCCES WERE FILLED WITH INDIGNATION AT THESE EVENTS.
THEY CHOSE TO ARREST THE APOSTLES AND PUT THEM IN PRISON, INTENDING TO DEAL WITH THEM HARSHLY THE NEXT DAY.
DURING THE NIGHT AN ANGEL OF THE LORD OPENED THE DOORS OF THE PRISON AND LED THE APOSTLES OUT OF THE PRISON.
THE ANGEL COMMANDED THEM TO AGAIN ENTER THE TEMPLE AND SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE THE WORDS OF THIS LIFE WHICH THE APOSTLES OBEYED EARLY THE NEXT MORNING.
THE TEMPLE MASTERS ASSEMBLED AND SENT FOR THE APOSTLES TO BE BROUGHT BEFORE THEM FROM THE PRISON.
THE OFFICERS SENT TO BRING THE APOSTLES RETURNED EMPTY HANDED AND TOLD THE TEMPLE MASTERS THE APOSTLES COULD NOT BE FOUND IN THE PRISON.
THEN ANOTHER OFFICER ARRIVED TO SAY THESE SAME APOSTLES WERE NOW IN THE TEMPLE TEACHING THE PEOPLE.
THE GUARDS COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN THE PRISON. THE APOSTLES HAD BEEN STRONGLY SECURED THE NIGHT BEFORE AND NOW WERE INEXPLICABLY GONE.
THE TEMPLE MASTERS COULD NOT SILENCE THE APOSTLES OR COULD NOT EVEN KEEP THEM IN PRISON FOR ONE NIGHT.
WHAT COULD THEY DO? THE POPULARITY OF THE APOSTLES AMONG THE PEOPLE WAS CLEAR AND THE CONTINUED HEALINGS WERE EVIDENCE TO THE PEOPLE THAT GOD WAS MOVING AMONG THEM.
ALL THEY COULD DO WAS TO BRING THE APOSTLES BACK FOR MORE THREATS AND WARNINGS.
AS THEY DID SO, PETER SPEAKS AGAIN TO THE TEMPLE MASTERS KNOWN AS THE SANHEDRIN, MAKING THREE POINTS HE HAD USED BEFORE:
HE AND THE APOSTLES MUST OBEY GOD AND NOT MAN.
JESUS CHRIST IS GOD’S MESSIAH AND IS ALIVE, NOT DEAD.
JESUS IS LIVING IN EACH OF US BY HIS HOLY SPIRIT GIVEN.
AFTER MORE THREATS WERE GIVEN TO THE APOSTLES INCLUDING THE ANGRY TEMPLE MASTERS DISCUSSING AMONG THEMSELVES APPLYING THE DEATH PENALTY TO THESE CHRIST FOLLOWERS,
A HIGHLY RESPECTED RABBI ROSE TO SPEAK.
HE REQUESTED THE APOSTLES BE REMOVED FROM THE COURT CHAMBER BEFORE HE SPOKE.
HIS NAME WAS GAMILIEL, A MOST WISE AND HONORED PHARISEE WHO WAS THE GRANDSON OF AN EVEN MORE RESPECTED RABBI NAMED HILLEL WHO HAD FOUNDED A RABBINICAL SCHOOL AMONG THE PREVIOUS GENERATION.
NOW GAMILIEL REASONED WITH THE ENTIRE SANHEDRIN AGAINST THEIR RUSH TO JUDGMENT AGAINST THE APOSTLES.
GAMILIEL REMINDED THE TEMPLE MASTERS THAT SERIOUS DISRUPTION HAD OCCURRED BEFORE IN JERUSALEM.
HE REMINDED THE GROUP THAT A PREVIOUS CULT WITH MANY FOLLOWERS LED BY A MAN NAMED THEUDAS HAD RISEN AND THEN FADED AWAY BECAUSE GOD WAS NOT WITH HIM.
HE FURTHER REMINDED THAT THIS MAN HAD LED A REBELLION THAT HAD 400 MEN ALL OF WHOM SCATTERED WHEN THE LEADER HAD BEEN KILLED
THERE WAS ANOTHER CULT LED BY A MAN NAMED JUDAS OF GALILEE WHICH ALSO FAILED.
NOW HIS WISDOM WAS GIVEN TO THE TEMPLE MASTERS,
HE SAID THAT THESE APOSTLES ARE BEST LEFT ALONE BY THE SANHEDRIN AND IF THEIR GROUP IS NOT GOD LED, IT WILL FADE AS HAD OTHERS.
IF IT IS OF GOD, NOTHING THE SANHEDRIN CAN DO WILL BE ABLE TO STOP IT. IF IT WAS OF GOD AND THE TEMPLE MASTERS STOOD AGAINST IT, THEY WOULD BE STANDING AGAINST GOD HIMSELF.
THE COURT OF PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES ACCEPTED THE WISDOM OF GAMILIEL, AND AGREED THEY WOULD NOT SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY AGAINST THE APOSTLES.
INSTEAD, THE APOSTLES WOULD BE HARSHLY WARNED AND BEATEN TO ASSURE THE WARNING WAS SERIOUS THIS TIME.
IT WAS LIKELY THAT THE LAW FOUND IN DEUTERONOMY 25:2-3 WAS USED WHERE ONE BEATEN HAD TO LIE FACE DOWN AND ACCEPT AS MANY AS 40 STRIPES.
AFTER THE BEATINGS, THE WARNING WAS AGAIN GIVEN THE APOSTLES NOT TO CONTINUE THEIR TEACHING IN THE NAME OF CHRIST AGAIN. THEN THE APOSTLES WERE FREED.
VERSE 41 TEACHES US THAT THE APOSTLES LEFT REJOICING THAT THEY HAD BEEN CONSIDERED WORTHY TO BE BEATEN FOR THE LORD.
THE APOSTLES MADE NO CHANGE IN THEIR PREACHING OR TEACHING BOTH IN THE TEMPLE AND FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL.
THEY BOLDLY DEFIED THE ORDERS OF THE TEMPLE MASTERS NUMEROUS TIMES, OBEYING GOD RATHER THAN MAN.
FROM THE EXPOSURE OF THE SINS OF ANANIAS & SAPPHIRA TO THE HEALING OF THE LAME MAN TO THE TRIALS BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN, THE APOSTLES PROCLAIMED THE GOSPEL BOTH IN WORD AND DEED.
NO GOVERNMENT OF MAN HAS EVER BEEN ABLE TO STOP THE GOSPEL BY PERSECUTION.
NO DEFEAT HAS EVER BEEN GIVEN TO THE GOSPEL MESSAGE BY MAN.
IN JUST OVER 250 YEARS AFTER THESE EVENTS, THE CHRISTIAN GOSPEL WAS GIVEN TO A ROMAN GENERAL NAMED CONSTANTINE BY A SIGN AND AFTER HIS MILITARY VICTORY IN 315 A.D. HE BECAME CEASAR OF ROME AND THE CHRISTIAN FAITH WAS DECLARED THE OFFICIAL RELIGION OF ROME AND ALL OF ITS PROVINCES.
HERE GOD HIMSELF WAGED AND WON THE CULTURE WAR OF THIS TIME.
CONSTANTINE’S MOTHER WENT TO JERUSALEM AND BUILT MANY CHRISTIAN WORSHIP CENTERS INCLUDING THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER AS WELL AS THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY.
IT WAS WRITTEN THAT SHE FOUND THE TRUE CROSS AS WELL AS THE TWO CROSSES ON WHICH THE TWO THIEVES WERE CRUCIFIED.
NEXT STUDY STOP WILL TEACH US OF THE MINISTRY OF THE NEW OFFICE OF DEACONS AND HOW THE GOSPEL WAS SPREAD EVEN BY THEM, LEADING US CLOSER TO THE RADICAL SALVATION OF PAUL.
