Acts
5:11 … And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of
these things.
The death of Ananias and Sapphira resulted in fear both within
the Church and outside the Church. In this verse we have the first use of the
word “church” in Acts and the word means the gathered community or fellowship. When
Jesus used the word a couple of times prophetically then the disciples would
likely have related to the word as the Congregation of Israel and not the
Church in a New Testament sense.
Acts
5:12-16 … Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people
by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.
None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And
more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and
women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on
cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of
them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the
sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
So those who were the ekklesia, the called out, were
added to the Lord in multitudes but none of “the rest” would join. In other
words, none of the Jewish leadership would join but the Holy Spirit was
bringing large numbers of the people into the Church.
God continued to confirm the ministry of the Apostles
using signs and wonders. They were still gathering in Solomon’s Porch to the
east of the Temple where Jesus had taught in Jerusalem and it was the sight of
the first sermon by Peter outside the “Upper Room” at the occasion of the
healing of the man born lame.
Remember that Jesus promised that His disciples would do
greater miracles than He did. Here is one example as Peter’s shadow was used by
God to heal the sick. Jesus said in John 14:12 … “Truly, truly, I say to
you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works
than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
Luke will alternate between pictures of the interaction
of the Church with the world and the life of the Church in fellowship and
worship. It is a blessing to us to have this balance so that we can see how to
relate to a hostile government as well as how to relate to brothers and sisters
within the Church.
Acts
5:17-21a … But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the
party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles
and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord
opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the
temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” And when they heard
this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.
This jealousy in the Jewish leadership was the result of
God saving so many people so quickly. It also aggravated in the Sadducees
because they didn’t believe in a resurrection. So the preaching of the
resurrection of Christ and His promise to resurrect His followers was
especially irritating to the Sadducees.
In this particular prison break, the angel opened locked
doors and brought them past their guards who were apparently awake but unaware.
Luke doesn’t tell us exactly how that happened and I suspect that the apostles
were not really clear on the way the angel did that. However, the apostles did
what the angel said and went to the temple and started teaching the Gospel at
daybreak.
Acts
5:21b-26 … Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they
called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent
to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, they did not
find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, “We found the prison
securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them
we found no one inside.” Now when the captain of the temple and the chief
priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering
what this would come to. And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom
you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” Then the
captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they
were afraid of being stoned by the people.
You can see that God took them from the prison without
anyone in authority being aware of their escape. When they were missing the
authorities didn’t know what to do or where to look until someone came and told
them that the apostles were teaching in the temple again. The authorities were
moving carefully because they could have a riot if they acted to forcefully.
Acts
5:27-32 … And when they had brought them, they set them before the
council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you
not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your
teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the
apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers
raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his
right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness
of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom
God has given to those who obey him.”
The first accusation of the high priest was simply
something that the apostles couldn’t do. They were obliged to practice civil
disobedience to remain obedient to God but they did it in humility. The second
accusation was true. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Gospel was beginning
to spread even outside Jerusalem by word of mouth and people were even bringing
the sick into Jerusalem from the surrounding area for healing (as we saw in
verse 16 of this chapter). The third accusation is a foolish point because the
authorities chose to have Jesus blood on their hands.
Matthew
27:24-25 … So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that
a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd,
saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the
people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
This is only 2 months later and, as the Church was
growing and the crowd was changing, the leadership didn’t want blame. They were
so sure in their sin that they called for Jesus’ blood on themselves and their
children but Ezekiel’s prophecy showed that they couldn’t call for that. God,
anticipating the depth of their sin, had Ezekiel prophecy that the descendants
do not share the guilt of their parents unless they cooperate in their sins
(Ezek. 18:20). The soul that sins shall die except for repentance and the
atonement of Christ.
The focus of the apostles at this point was the heart of
the Gospel. You can distinguish two Greek words for the teaching we get from
the Apostles. First there is “didache” (διδαχή) which means teaching. Much of
what Jesus shares in, for example, the Sermon on the Mount is didactic in
nature and tells us how to live. The epistles are also largely focused on this
sort of teaching. However, notice that Peter’s Gospel presentations are tailored
toward preaching what the kerygma (κήρυγμα) or Gospel facts.
1) The
crucifixion (v. 30)
2) The
resurrection (v. 30)
3) The
ascension (v. 31)
4) The
witnesses (v. 32)
The object being to convert individuals and then teach
those with new hearts how to live rather than trying to teach those with dead
hearts how to live. It is pretty much common sense but you know how uncommon it
is to find common sense these days. So Peter didn’t tell the Sadducees to
follow the golden rule. He told them to repent and come to Jesus for cleansing
from their sins.
In discussing the “witnesses” then Peter points out the
core of effective preaching and that is Peter as an Apostle is a witness but so
is the Holy Spirit on the other end. Peter is broadcasting and the Holy Spirit
is turning hearts to God. Then they get some help from Gamaliel.
Acts
5:33-39 … When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.
But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in
honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a
little while. And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about
to do with these men. For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be
somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed,
and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas
the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people
after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the
present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if
this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you
will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So
they took his advice,
Gamaliel’s advice was godly as far as it went. Gamaliel
had been Saul/Paul’s teacher and may have still been his teacher at this point.
Of course Paul was of the “kill them all now” camp rather than Gamaliel’s wait
and see camp.
Gamaliel asked for a closed session of the council and
then wisely said that they were either struggling with nothing or with God. He
should have gone farther in his council. He should have asked the hard questions
about Jesus and the atoning sacrifice of Isaiah and all the other prophets.
The council should have been able to determine that they
were, in fact, opposing God. They had heard the preaching or kerygma but
without the regeneration of the Holy Spirit they just continued on their way.
However, on this particular day, God used Paul’s teacher Gamaliel to free the
apostles.
Acts
5:40-42 … and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged
them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the
presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer
dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house,
they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
It is frightening to see the actions of people who are
darkened in their understanding. These religious leaders were guilty of Jesus’
blood. Then they beat those who came proclaiming the Gospel and told them not
to use the name that is above every name.
Philippians
2:8-11 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted
him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
That is the name that the religious leaders rejected.
Here in the Book of Philippians, Paul is preaching (the Kerygma). This is the
proclamation. Just like Peter’s use of proclamation to this council. Paul goes
on in two steps of application.
First, therefore, because of the kerygma here is the didache;
Philippians
2:12-13 … Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as
in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with
fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work
for his good pleasure.
And what does that look like? Do this …
Philippians
2:14-16 … Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be
blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a
crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud
that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
Do what the angel said in Acts 5:21 and preach all the words
of this life. 
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