ACTS

ACTS 4

• Acts 4:1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 

I know it is hard for people in a Democracy or Free Republic to understand this type of thing but in countries where one religion or philosophy dominates the majority of people, it will cause trouble if another way is preached. This is especially true if the religion of the state thinks that they receive their religion directly from God. 

So it is possible to think we are of God when we are not and be deceived. By studying the bible, there are clues to know if we or anyone else is of the faith. 

First of all we must not look to a group or a man made organization. We must look to God. Most of us think in the realm of, "Which church is right or which religion is right?" Actually none of them are 100% right. Only God can have that privilege. The fruits of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. That is where we look for starters. 

• Acts 4:2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 

These rulers and religious leaders thought they had a monopoly on God. They felt threatened by this other doctrine that didn't make them the head or possess a place of importance. If one's income is threatened, it causes trouble. That is one reason the poor receive the gospel easier than the rich. They have much less to lose. 

There are two ways we can be grieved by someone's teaching. One way is if someone is teaching things that will hurt and harm society in general or cause them to lose their eternal souls and the other way is if what is taught makes us feel insecure and threatened. We might lose our place or have to change in some way if we lose the foundation of what we believe. 

If we didn't care in what we believe, of course, it wouldn't matter what someone taught. Persecution is caused by fear and lack of trust in God. In other words the persecutors feel insecure and threatened. If they were sure of what they believed, they probably would ignore dissention unless it was causing civil unrest and physical harm to innocent people. 

We see from the study of Acts that persecution came when the preaching about Christ threatened someone's livelihood as in the case of Paul casting out the demon in a woman who could tell fortunes. In the case of the Pharisees and Sadducees; they would be afraid of losing their importance and standing as religious leaders. 

To believe in Christ sometimes requires one to lose everything and start all over. It is scary but worth it in the end. To gain the whole world and lose our souls, would be a waste. As the saying goes, "We can't take it with us." 

• Acts 4:3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. 

They didn't want to hear about anyone being resurrected or they would have to admit guilt in taking the life of Jesus. If He was truly resurrected from the dead then God had to be in it. 
That would mean that they were deceived themselves and the gospel was the right way. 

• Acts 4:4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. 

No matter who or what came against them, God saved a multitude. God's power can work even if the whole world came against faithful believers and they all were sent to prison. It wouldn't stop the gospel until God closes that door and brings in the time of judgment. We read about that in Revelation.

I believe Jesus would have come and died if it would have saved only one. Unless we think they had one big mega church, we must consider that they met in homes and the persecution against them scattered them in different places.

We are really not supposed to stay in one place and start a commune. We are supposed to scatter and spread the gospel.

Back in the days of the tower of Babel, the reason trouble came and God had to destroy their tower, was because they were commanded to spread out and scatter but they chose to stay in one place and build a city and a tower and making a great name for themselves. They began to depart from depending on God and following His direction and went their own way instead. This created a false unity and led to evil. 

• Acts 4:5 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. 

Here we see the big shots who thought they were something, set about to stop the preaching of the gospel. 

We know that Satan himself will try to stop the gospel. He will attempt persecution at first. Usually if that doesn't work, he will try to corrupt the doctrine and bring in false teachers. If that doesn't work he will try to cause us to lose our first love for Christ or our love for one another which would lead to wars and fights. He could attempt to cause division or unite us in being very big but be watered down in our doctrine so that the ones joining our ranks are not really born again and saved from sin. We could then get so big that we start being the ones that persecute those that disagree with us. 

How do I know this? Read church history. Once any church forsakes the sound teachings of scripture and substitute their own doctrines in its place, they no longer are trusting in the power of God and faith in Jesus to save. People then are not being "born again" by the spirit of God. Being a church member as opposed to being a spirit filled believer are two different things altogether. How big our numbers are is not what is important, it is how many among us are truly saved from sin and ready to enter eternity with the Lord. 

So what do we do about false teachers?  We preach the truth. We don't try to physically stop them unless they disobey the law of the land by harming and abusing people. If all they do is teach error, then just keep on teaching truth by the power of the Holy Spirit with much prayer. We don't have to harm anyone.

Stores that want to teach their employees how to spot counterfeit money, are more successful if they major on teaching them to know the real rather than emphasizing what the false looks like.  Since there was only "one" real, it was easier to demonstrate the real so they can easily spot the counterfeit. 

• Acts 4:7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? 

Here is a good example of the true meaning of "in thy name". By what authority is what they are asking. 

To be baptized in the name of Jesus simply means to be baptized in His authority. We are saved by our faith in Jesus as being the savior from sin sent by God and under the authority of God.

So whether we say, "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" or we say "In the name of Jesus"; it makes no difference. We are being baptized in the authority of God no matter which way we say it when a person is baptized in water. To argue over this is pointless. When we tell people they are not really saved unless they are baptized by the preacher saying, "In the name of Jesus," we are preaching falsely because in the days of the apostles, the name of Jesus would have been Yeshua. We would have to say the name Yeshua if their doctrine was correct. Since it simply means authority and not the actual spoken word, "Jesus" then it makes more sense. We can say, Father, Son and Holy Spirit or say, "Jesus" or "Yeshua" and it would mean the same thing. It is who He is that counts not the literal spelling of His name as beautiful as that sound is to my own ears. 

In the power of or in the name of, simply means in the authority of. God sent Jesus to save us and become the head of the church. We are now under His authority.

• Acts 4:8 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. 

They could not deny the miracle of healing that took place but instead of believing, they gave in to fear and wanted this new teaching stopped in its tracks. Fear of losing their place, losing their income or fear of the Roman government may have been their motive. Notice how the importance of Peter speaking as he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Very important, because without the Holy Spirit what we speak in our human flesh accomplishes very little. We need to learn to speak by the Spirit of God.  

• Acts 4:11 This is the stone which was set at naught 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. 

This fulfills 

• Psalm 118:22.The stone which the builders rejected Is become the head of the corner.

This cancels out any other way or religion to get to God. There is no other way or else God would not have allowed His Son to go through not only physical pain but the agony of Jesus Christ paying the price for every ungodly sin mankind has ever made. 

The danger of rejecting Christ is that when anyone rejects this way of salvtion, people will follow a false Christ or a false religion. 

• John 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

Rejecting truth will cause one to believe a lie. Those that will follow the coming Anti Christ or man of sin will be those that reject the real Jesus Christ. 

• 2Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
• 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
• 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
• 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
• 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
• 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

We can see clearly from many passages the danger in rejecting the truth of the gospel and rejecting the Son of God, Jesus the Christ. The rejection of Jesus opens the door to believing lies and following the false teachers and deceivers.

• Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. 

We know that ordinary men that have no speaking skills or great college education can preach with such authority and boldness when the anointing of the Holy Spirit is present. There are gifted speakers who can charm and motivate an audience and they have this ability naturally but not necessarily by God's spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit is needed when it comes to preaching the gospel with boldness and authority. 

• Acts 4:14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 
• 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. 
• 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. 

Christians should always obey the law of the land according to the words of the apostle Paul, but there are exceptions: 

• Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 
• 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
• 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 
• 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 
• 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 
• 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 
• 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. 

When the law of the land we live in contradicts or goes against the word of God then we must obey God rather than man according to the words of Peter but in all other cases, we must submit to authority of those that run the governments of the world but always realizing that God has the final say. I believe Romans 13 is speaking of secular rather than spiritual rulers. 

Some use Romans 13 to mean church leaders but church leaders are not supposed to exert authority over their brethren in a hierarchy. That was the whole point of the demonstration that Jesus gave just before He was crucified. He washed the disciples feet showing them that they were to be servants feeding the flock of God. They were never to be lords over one another. Apostles and bishops in the bible were servants and those that had the care of the churches upon their shoulders. They were not titles to make them appear higher than the other brethren. Church leadership is to teach, preach, be watchful and warn against the wolves that teach falsely, they were not to be lords and masters to control people. True salvation is to receive freely, never by force. There are other scriptures about obeying leaders that are in the church but Romans 13 is secular leadership.

Isaiah and Jeremiah were prophets but they were jailed, tortured and suffered for their message.  They didn't go around with a herald to announce their arrival saying, "Here comes the great prophet Jeremiah."  Because of past failures of those who tried to set up theocratic governments, we have to avoid allowing any one religion to take over and use the government to force any religion on citizens. We must allow public worship and acknowledging God but not ever use force. A forced conversion to any religion is not real. True religion through faith in Jesus cannot be forced. It comes by the power of God in a life that is changed. We can force this on anyone.

To emphasize separation of church and state so strongly that we remove any mention or public acknowledgement of God though is the opposite extreme that will destroy any country. We need God. We must not ever remove the freedom of acknowledging God in public.

• Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 

So we see by the words of Peter that God overrules even the most powerful ruler in the world. 

• Acts 4:21 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. 
• 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. 

This is from the second Psalm. Sometimes its unbelievable to see how people will react when a person is healed. Jesus had the same trouble when he healed a blind man. It stirs up trouble among the established religions. We think in ourselves that if it was "OF GOD" then he would use us not some uncouth fisherman who has no credentials. Don't we today do the same thing?  We hear of a healing and immediately we try to discredit the healing by pointing out some flaw or sin in the one who supposedly laid hands on the sick and were healed. I want to see all the gifts restored to the church but when they are restored, get ready to face some criticism from those we think are for us. Jealousy is ugly but it has existed since Cain killed Abel. 

Notice too how the apostles and the other people with them gave praise and glory to God for the miracles, and for being able to stand for God against the rulers that were against them. They didn't  praise Peter for his boldness. All glory went to God in this instance. 

• Acts 4:27 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. 
• 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. 

Unbelievers, heathen, evil workers always rise up against the Lord and those sent by the Lord. To  rise up against those that represent God is the same as rising up against God. 

• Acts 4:31 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. 

The apostles and disciples of the Lord constantly gathered together to pray many times and they were refreshed by the spirit and filled with the Holy Ghost. They need this for comfort and to speak with boldness. There is many infillings of the spirit. It was never a one time event. 

This by the way was never meant to disappear. The power and gifts of the Holy Spirit only disappear when there is unbelief and we stop seeking them. God will not give something so precious as the Holy Spirit to those who do not want His spirit or do not seek to be filled with His spirit. 

• Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

When people are truly filled with the Holy Spirit and completely obedient to God they become of the same mind and one accord. This is true unity of spirit and truth. To attempt this with the use of intimidation and force, is not going to be the unity of the spirit. This is why the ecumenical movement is not going to be a unity of spirit and truth. We can't forsake truth and sound doctrine to have unity of the spirit. If someone has to talk us into it or guilt us into something, then it's not the spirit doing it, it is people. 

• Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 

The miracles and signs were never to exalt the apostles themselves but only gave proof of the resurrection of Jesus and that the teaching of the gospel was true. 

• Acts 4:34 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, 

A good church would never let one member suffer hunger or be without the important things that they need to live. This does not mean that we sell all we have and give to one man making him rich just because he claims to be from God. A true man of God is a servant and will want to give rather than receive. 

This communal type of living does not work unless it is completely voluntary with no high pressure or guilt tactics put on people. Unfortunately the failure of the church and the failure of humans have required us to shun this type of living and have our own private property instead. That is not wrong though, it works if we do not become selfish and forget the needs of those that do not have their own private property.

If we try the communal type of living it has always resulted in the use of force. If force has to be used like in the days of Communism, it is doomed to failure. If we rob people of giving from their own hearts, they are not giving for the right reasons. 

• Acts 4:35 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. 

This was done from the heart of love and not because they were trying to buy their way to heaven or to appear righteous in the eyes of men. In the next chapter we do read of someone who gave to be seen of men and not from their hearts. It had tragic results. Giving must always be from a willing heart that gives out of love and not for recognition. DC

Acts 5