🙏🏽 Dear Heavenly Father – We humbly bow before Your authority. Let us sit at Your feet and learn from You how You raised up Your Church body under the Lordship of the head, Jesus. Reveal to us what You have planned for us as members of that body. Let us set aside our own expectations as we learn what You are revealing in these chapters. We thank You and praise You, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Ananias and Sapphira
5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”
“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
Points to Ponder: I’d like to write this off as another tough teaching (TT) and to put it on the list of things I don’t understand, but… we just saw Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement, sell his property and bring it to the apostles. It was an act of sincere humility and trust in what they were doing. This early Church was ‘all-In’… every one of them. They all shared and no one was in need. ACTS 4:31
You only have to live a few years before you know enough about human nature that you are ready to expect the posers – the hypocrites who see the favorable response towards Barnabas and want it for themselves. They don’t have the same motivation… the same trust… the same humility… they just want the same rewards. This is a lack of integrity – when your outward appearance is at odds with your inner desires. (IMHO – this is why many people experience a lack of peace in their lives. They don’t like their inmost self and believe that if they change their outward appearance and actions, they, themselves will change. This does not work; it does not address the root cause of their inner turmoil. How many times have we seen people mimic the actions of others then get disappointed when the results are not the same.)
Since Ananias and Sapphira seem to have been included in the group of believers… they haven’t lost their salvation; just their mortal lives. Apparently, God had no margin for the pretenders in His early church. We are reminded there is no excuse for lying – God knows the truth. By lying, you are hurting the credibility of God; you are not encouraging others. You are being motivated by selfish reasons.
If you are still struggling with the habit of lying, then make this a priority. Focus on it. Check your words, preferably BEFORE they leave your mouth. You are not getting away with anything. Remember what our Lord said about lies and deception… [John 8:44, Luke 8:17)
But there are many pretenders in the Church today. Yes – and they are not struck down like Ananias and Sapphira, but God doesn’t change. And just because He could, doesn’t mean He does. The early Church did not have the New Testament. We do – so we read it diligently, asking God to reveal His will to us, to feed us with His truth as we are able to understand it.
Remember Achan in Joshua 7? He also kept some things for himself… it did not end well for him. After being led into the promised land, Achan was condemned for keeping certain things for himself; Ananias and Sapphira seem to be the parallel example in the New Testament as God is building His Church, leading to the promised land of eternity.
The Apostles Heal Many
12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.
Points to Ponder: Again, God does not change. While His early Church was marked by many signs and wonders, causing many believers to meet together – His contemporary Church seems to set a standard, that if it hasn’t happened to them personally, then it’s up to God to convince them. As if God has to prove Himself to a lowly creature, created by Him.
There are still miracles being seen today. The dead coming back to life… cancer that suddenly disappears… but both the arrogance and ignorance of man will keep him blind to the love of God and the offer of salvation for those who submit their wills to Him and humbly approach Jesus to call Him, Lord.
The Spiritual power of these early apostles is astounding. Even the surrounding people, in the streets, were healed. But unless they humbled themselves and joined the believers, their healing only gave them more time in this life – not eternal life.
The Apostles Persecuted
17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”
21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.
Points to Ponder: Leaders – both political and religious – will always fight the power of those who speak the truth about the absolute authority of Jesus. Until they become believers, they cannot help themselves but to respond with jealousy. Whenever anyone or anything threatens what you believe is yours, that is jealousy that you feel. Whether it is possessions, relationships, status… if your identity is tied to anything, other than being a child of God, then you will feel the emotion of jealousy, when someone or something, threatens to take that away.
The contrast of the humble apostles is striking. Being released from jail they are told to return to doing the very thing that caused their imprisonment and they do.
25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.
27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
Points to Ponder: This story is a stark reminder of human nature. The Jewish leaders were entrusted with the very Word of God. They were anointed throughout their history to bring God’s Word to the nations. Yet, they imprisoned those who actually remained faithful in doing so – those that had the audacity to remind them, out loud, that ‘they must obey God instead of human beings’. The leaders’ jealousy had then blossomed into a desire to kill these apostles. But God, 💥, had raised up a Gamaliel for such a time as this.
Gamaliel – ‘a teacher of the law and honored by the people’, speaks volumes about how he spent his life prior to this moment. He had seen ‘uprisings’ like this before; but he had also studied Scripture enough to know the possibility that this time might be different. [Spoiler alert: [Acts 22:3] Later we learn about a certain student of Gamaliel.]
The Choosing of the Seven
6 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Points to Ponder: Fighting within the Church is not new… and expecting the pastor/minister/leader to ‘fix’ things… is not new either. In the wilderness, they all went to Moses to solve their problems! [Exodus 18:13-17] Here we a division among different ethnic groups… those with Greek lineage, the Hellenistic Jews, and those of Israeli descent, the Hebraic Jews. And I’m sure that each side felt righteous in their ‘serving of widows.’
The Twelve, i.e. the apostolic leadership, confronts this division by putting first things first. The Word of God is the priority and surely there were capable believers among them who could resolve the issue of fairly distributing food to those who need it.
It is important to note that the apostles didn’t ask for ‘volunteers’, where the heart of the motivation was unknown, surely this must have led in part to the issue and division they were now facing. Instead, they asked this early church to choose seven men, known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. How we live our lives now is important. How we demonstrate our convictions places us for opportunities that we cannot foresee – but God knows and we trust Him.
Notice the seven chosen include names that are both Hebrew and Greek, in origin.
The apostles could then leave this issue with other trusted servants and the Word of God could spread – the Church grows AND we see a LARGE NUMBER OF PRIESTS becoming obedient. (Nice!)
Stephen Seized
8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”
12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Points to Ponder: Stephen was selected because he was known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom, now he is confirmed to also be full of God’s grace and power – performing great wonders and signs. Naturally, opposition arose… and now from other Jews from outside of Jerusalem who tried to argue with him and failed. They secretly enlist others to falsely accuse Stephen. And anyone who has read the Scriptures up to this point, are just shaking their heads, knowing that this will not end up well. 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏿♂️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏿♀️🤦♀️🤦♂️
Summary: We started these chapters with the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira that resulted in great fear – within and outside of the church. And well it should! 😲 We say things like… there but by the grace of God, go I. I wonder how often we really consider the providential hand of God… not just when great things happen unexpectedly (🙌🏼 yay!) but when after every bad choice we make… we somehow are able to take another breath, live another day, make another choice… all by His Grace. Amazing Grace! We learn that just because God can, He doesn’t always. (2 Peter 3:9)
The apostles are focused on the commission given to them by Jesus. They are empowered to display many signs and wonders and are obedient to telling others about Jesus and the meaning of His resurrection. As they draw others to look to Jesus, we see others rejecting this change to their comfortable culture. First the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the teachers of the law… then even among the different Jewish groups that formed the early Church.
But the apostles are obedient… they are on-mission… and their work is rewarded – even a large number of priests became obedient.
🙏🏼 Heavenly Father – we thank You for the time You have given each of us. Let us be like these apostles and remain steadfast. Strengthen us, guide us, protect us and Let the morning bring us word of Your unfailing love, for we have put our trust in You. Show us the way we should go, for to You, we entrust our lives. [Psalm 143:8] Amen.