Acts Chapter 5:12-42 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly I NDIA: CHRISTIANS ATTACKED On April 17, Hindu extremists attacked a group of Christians at a prayer meeting in Madhya Pradesh, India, causing the death of a 25-year-old man and severely injuring three other believers, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. Hindu radicals disrupted the meeting of more than 400 Christians and began destroying Bibles and other property. They attacked the Christians with sticks and iron rods, accusing them of forcible conversions. During the attack, Amit Gilbert, a master of divinity student, fell into an open well, hit his head on the well s outer wall and drowned. One of the other injured Christians sustained a broken back and at last report remained in serious condition. The Voice of the Martyrs encourages you to pray for those mourning the loss of Amit. Pray that the three injured Christians will fully recover. Pray that Christians in Madhya Pradesh will exemplify the love of Christ through love and prayer for those who persecute them. 1 ORISSA, INDIA: 70,000 DISPLACED UPDATE: The Voice of the Martyrs contacts working to assist believers affected by attacks in Orissa state report that more than 70,000 Christians have been displaced and forced to live in refugee camps. At the Peyton Sahi relief camp which houses 35 families and 130 distraught tribals, Chabila Naik, a man who ran an orphanage for 50 children in Sarangada spent three days in the forest after their houses and churches were razed [with fire]. He has not been reunited with the children, VOM sources said. Stories coming from persecuted believers in Orissa are heartbreaking. Christians spent days hiding in the forest following the attacks that erupted on August 24, after the murder of a prominent Hindu leader by Maoist extremists. One family which did not want to be named said they had to leave their elderly mother in the jungles while the others walked through rain and darkness for 60 hours to get out of Kandhmal, VOM sources added. We had no choice; I could either save my wife and two kids, or stay with her and ask for death for all of us. But, I am sure God has saved her, though I have no idea where she is, the man told VOM sources with tears in his eyes. VOM is assisting displaced believers in Orissa and other areas in India where persecution has spread. Pray for believers who face these intense hardships and have in some cases lost contact with family members. Ask God to protect them and provide for their needs. Pray their testimonies will draw nonbelievers into fellowship with Him. 2 III Peter and the Gospel to the Jews 1:1-12:24 B. The Founding of the Church in Jerusalem 2:1-7:60 6. The Apostles Before the Sanhedrin 5:12-42 a. The Good Verses 12-16 b. The Bad and the Ugly Verses 17-42 1 www.persecutionblog.com/2010/04/india-christians-attacked-.html 2 www.persecution.com/public/newsroom.aspx?story_id=odq%3d
Introduction: As we have seen and well see, there appears to be a pattern developing in Acts. The Holy Spirit was/is active, messages were/are being preached, and people were/are getting saved. Then spiritual warfare breaks out. But even in the midst of the war, God is active. He doesn t desire persecution for believers, but since it does, He blesses believers and the bring Him glory. a. The Good: Luke gives us another example of this truth in this next section. And just as he showed the Holy Spirit working in the Church in spite of the actions of some, Ananias and Sapphira, the Holy Spirit continued to work, as he notes further on in this passage. Luke bookending the event he has been recording, reminds us of the general situation in the early church. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles (Acts 2:43). The language is a bit unclear here in verses 12 and 13. And the Greek allows for a couple of different interpretations. But the approach taken by Longnecker seems to make the most sense contextually. Luke now speaks resumptively of three groups of people and their response to the Sanhedrin s warning and the fear engendered by Ananias and Sapphira s fate: (1) the Christians and their continued meeting together in Solomon s Colonnade; (2) the unbelieving Jews (hoi loipoi, the rest ) and their reluctance to associate too closely with the Christians; and (3) the responsive Jews (ho laos, the people ) and their honoring the Christians with, in fact, many men and women from this group coming to believe in the Lord and being added to the number of Christian believers. 3 So, it was both a frightening and exciting time. God kept the Church momentarily pure. The Spirit was active, continuing to work miracles through the Apostles. In fact they were becoming so common that people were arriving from all over, even the suburbs. The ill and the possessed were brought into Jerusalem. They were on cots, left where Peter s shadow would fall on them and they were healed. Again these events should never be considered as normative because neither Luke, nor later New Testament writings give authority for trying to duplicate them. What is important to take notice of is just how powerfully active the Holy Spirit was during these birth days. This being the case we shouldn t be too surprised to see the number of followers of the Way continue to increase, both men and women. b. The Bad and the Ugly: As we already noted, where the Spirit is active, so is Satan. In this case he once again uses the jealously of the Jewish leadership in his attempt to prevent the ongoing work of God. Verses 17-21a: The specific individuals involved where the Chief Priest and the Sadducee contingent within the Sanhedrin. Their jealously overruled their common sense and they had 3 Longnecker, Richard N., The Expositor s Bible Commentary, Acts, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990 ) 114 (
the Apostles arrested and, probably with the assistance of the temple police, put them in a public prison. This would have been a hold facility, where individuals were placed prior to trial, not for punishment. With obedience comes persecution. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God (1 Peter 2:20). This time God intervenes immediately. He does so in a way that could be perceived as quite ironic. He sends an angel to open the doors and free them from the prison. What is ironic about this is the fact that the Sadducees among their other we don t believe it positions, rejected the existence of angels. In addition to letting the Apostles out of prison, the angel instructed them to continue to preach about this life. This refers to the Gospel, the message of the Way of eternal life. So, they went to the temple and next morning they were back preaching to the people. The pattern we see here is one of concern for the truth of and giving out the Gospel. This is the pattern we need to follow because there are many around us in need of words of life. Sing them over again to me, Wonderful words of life, Let me more of their beauty see, Words of life and beauty Teach me faith and duty. Refrain: Beautiful words, wonderful words, Beautiful words, wonderful words, Wonderful words of life. Christ, the blessed One, gives to all Sweetly echo the Gospel call, Sinner, list to the loving call, Offer pardon and peace to all, All so freely given, Jesus, only Savior, Wooing us to heaven. Sanctify us forever. 4 And who do you know who needs the wonderful words of life? What do you intend to do for them? Verses 21b-26: So here s the scene. It s the next morning and the High Priest and the Sadducees contingent went to the Temple. The High Priest convenes the entire council. We re going to take care of this problem of the man once and for all. Send for the prisoners! The temple guards run out to get the Apostles from the public prison. Within a manner of minutes they re back. We ve got a small problem here. We went to the prison to get the prisoners and they re gone. 4 Bliss, Philip B. ) 115 (
What do you mean they re gone? How can they be gone? We don t know sir. The guards were in place. The doors were locked. They re just gone! The definition of insanity is, doing something for the 41 st time expecting this time it will lead to a different result. One wonders if they maybe finally getting it. The more the Jewish leadership gets involved with God s movement, trying to interfere the more they end up with egg on their face. And here they are certainly asking what s going on. So things can t get worse can it? Well no, except someone comes in and announces the prisoners are back in the temple preaching to the people. And while the captain of the guard goes out to get them. Actually, it was more of a case of asking the Apostles if were willing to come because the fear of the people rises to the forefront again. Verses 27-32: The Apostles have been brought before the Sanhedrin. There are two charges thrown out here. The first is that the Apostles were continuing to preach about this name in direct violation to the council s instructions. And this charge is actually valid. The second charge seems to reflect the fear that the Apostles were trying to get the people behind them with the intent of bringing down the council. Clearly this isn t true and Peter doesn t even bother responding to it. What Peter does do is use the accusations as another opportunity to present the gospel. He does this in a way that isn t intended to either placate or reassure the members of the council. 1. The first point was actually a response to Charge 1. Yes they were told not to speak about Jesus, but so what. They were answerable to God before the Sanhedrin. 2. Second, the Covenant keeping God, raised Jesus whom they had hung on a tree. This statement would have been a real slap in the face because Peter is clearly saying, in crucifying Jesus, the leadership was acting against God s will and Jesus resurrection repudiated their actions, condemning them. If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God s curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). Keeping in mind that it was God who said a criminal hung on a tree was accursed which is exactly why Peter chose this word. On one hand Jesus was accursed by taking on our sins. But then He was glorified for that act by the Father and the Spirit through the resurrection. 3. To add insult to injury Peter then says that Jesus was God. In saying God made Him leader and especially using the title Savior, Peter is saying He is God. Jesus is the One who provides restoration and forgiveness to Israel. ) 116 (
4. Finally, Peter reminds the council, what the Apostles would be reminding people of their entire life they were witnesses to these events. And God, the Holy Spirit was not only a participant/witness, but He empowers all who obey these truths. Verses 33-42: So the leadership didn t believe, and God s Spirit bypasses them for these Galilean fishermen? They went ballistic. They felt a murderous rage. They wanted the Apostles dead. But the Holy Spirit was still active. And He worked through member of the Sanhedrin. Gamaliel, a Pharisee, which from a human standpoint explains his willingness to stand against the Sadducee contingent, steps in to get the situation under control. Easton s describes him as The son of rabbi Simeon, and grandson of the famous rabbi Hillel. He was a Pharisse, and therefore the opponent of the party of the Sadducees. He was noted for his learning, and was president of the Sanhedrim during the regins of Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius, and died, it is said, about eighteen years before the destruction of Jerusalem. 5 Gamaliel was himself so highly esteemed among his people that the Mishnah says of him: Since Rabban Gamaliel the elder died there has been no more reverence for the law; and purity and abstinence died out at the same time (Sotah 9:15). 6 First Gamaliel has the Apostles sent out so their presence wouldn t continue to inflame the situation. Then, clearly under the leading of the Holy Spirit, he gives some very sound advice, leave the situation in God s hands. And if the others were jealous for God and were sincere they d have listened. But since their jealously was for their own power his words fell on deaf ears. Gamaliel gave some specific examples of others who had risen up with claims to authority. In each of these cases, because God wasn t behind these movements, they failed. This should also be a warning/encouragement to believers today. We do not need to be fearful of those who would undermine the truth of the Gospel whether from within or without because God will stop their efforts from having any success. Or as Jesus put it: I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). Gamaliel s point was that God could protect His truth. If these men weren t from Him, He d stop them. But if they were, then the council was going against God, not the Apostles. Gamaliel did manage to defuse the situation to some extent. Luke tells us they listened to him, and they did so to the extent that they no longer wanted to kill the Apostles, at least for the moment. But they weren t totally sold so they did again instruct them to stop preaching and then had them beaten. And what was the response of the Apostles? They praise God because they had the opportunity and He considered them worthy to suffer for Him. 5 Easton, M.G. M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 3 rd Ed., Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN, 1897, public domain. 6 Longnecker. ) 117 (
But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed (1 Peter 4:13). The final result of trying to stop these men was they were even more excited and encouraged. And they didn t focus so much on preaching at the temple. Instead they started going houseto-house with the good news. Conclusion: Gamaliel was right. He saw a truth, which continues to be true. The more Satan tries to stop the spreading of the Gospel, the more it spreads. And we, those in Volume 21 of Acts, have the opportunity to be involved in this same work, with the same blessings and risks. Which raises a question For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). The answer no one who is not empowered by the Holy Spirit. As we walk with God, are in His Word, encouraging one another through our prayers, and our presence, God will open doors to be His witnesses in a fallen world. Yes there is a cost to obedience, but finally the blessings out way the sufferings, which we ll see more of in a bit. you will be hated by all for my name s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 10:22). we are children of God, and if children, then heirs heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him (Romans 8:16-17). and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God (Philippians 1:28). Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2). Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed (1 Peter 4:12). And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:10). ) 118 (
Acts Chapter 5:12-42 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly III Peter and the Gospel to the Jews 1:1-12:24 B. The Founding of the Church in Jerusalem 2:1-7:60 6. The Apostles Before the Sanhedrin 5:12-42 a. The Good Verses 12-16 b. The Bad and the Ugly Verses 17-42 Introduction: a. The Good: (Acts 2:43) b. The Bad and the Ugly: Verses 17-21a: (2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 2:20)
Verses 21b-26: Verses 27-32: (Deuteronomy 21:22-23) Verses 33-42: (Matthew 16:18; 1 Peter 4:13) Conclusion: (2 Corinthians 2:15-16; Matthew 10:22; Romans 8:16-17; Philippians 1:28; James 1:2; 1 Peter 4:12; 1 Peter 5:10 ) Personal Application: What does it mean to you to be part of Volume 21 of the book of Acts? What do you want to see written about you this week? Prayer for the Week: Lord, help me remember that I want to read what You want to written about me. In Jesus name, amen.