Atos 5
G. Campbell Morgan · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 5
Morgan noted "“Observe that Peter said no word to Ananias about his death. The sentence was not calling down upon a man of a curse at the caprice of an ecclesiastical official. The death of Ananias was the act of God.” We lose the approval of God when we seek the applause of men. Gotquestions comments - Right away, in the church’s infancy, God made it plain that hypocrisy and dissimulation were not going to be tolerated, and His judgment of Ananias and Sapphira helped guard the church against future pretense. God laid the bodies of Ananias and Sapphira in the path of every hypocrite who would seek to enter the church. (Why did God kill Ananias and Sapphira for lying?)
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Morgan says, “The church pure is the church powerful. . . . The only power [able to make] a church pure is that of the indwelling Spirit of God.” The purity of the church led to their testimony spreading, and “believers were increasingly added to the Lord” (v.14). Let’s be the kind of people who “deal truthfully” (Prov. 12:22) so we can be used by the Lord. Lord, by Your Spirit grant that we In word and deed may honest be; All falsehood we would cast aside, From You, O Lord, we cannot hide. —D. De Haan There are no degrees of honesty. Be Safe—Not Sorry! Read: Acts 5:1-11 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 31-32; Acts 23:16-35 Do not quench the Spirit. —1 Thessalonians 5:19 Two young women lost their lives in a fire that swept through their apartment as they slept. Their home was equipped with a smoke detector that was in good working order, but it hadn’t gone off. Why? Fire inspectors concluded that the device had been deactivated for a party the night before. The unit had been disconnected to keep it from sounding off because of the smoke from cooking and candles. In Acts 5 we have another example of two people who apparently deactivated an alarm system that could have saved their lives. Ananias and Sapphira must have quenched the Holy Spirit by turning a deaf ear to their consciences, believing they had plenty of good reasons for doing what they did. But their action cost them their lives. We need to realize that the Holy Spirit was not given to annoy us like a sensitive smoke detector. He doesn’t sound false alarms. When He activates our conscience by bringing to mind a principle or warning from God’s Word, it is really His love and wisdom in action. By weighing the warnings of His love against the cost of our foolishness, we’ll soon realize that it’s always better to be safe than sorry. —MRD II Our conscience is a gift from God, It is a guiding light; And when aligned with God's true Word, It shows us what is right. —Sper To ignore your conscience is to invite trouble. Nobody Can Keep A Secret From God Read: Acts 5:1-11 Cleanse me from secret faults. —Psalm 19:12 Washington, D.C., is full of secrets. Some say as many as 3 billion! But not all of them are legitimate secrets that safeguard national security. Many are documents concerning hazardous medical experiments made years ago on human subjects without their knowledge or consent. Others are contracts and bills that civilian manufacturers, often guilty of excessive overcharges, labeled “confidential.” But now, under a new policy inaugurated by the Department of Energy, “a pyramid-like tomb of classified documents” is being systematically exposed to public scrutiny. As a result, many people and companies are being sued. Life, like Washington, is full of secrets. Most secrets are trivial and unimportant. Some, however, are evil and tragic, as illustrated in today’s Bible reading. What about secret sins? We may be able to hide them successfully from people, yet on God’s timetable a day is scheduled when He who “knows the secrets of the heart” (Ps. 44:21) “will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing” (Eccl. 12:14). Bring those secrets out in the open. Confess your sins now and claim the complete cleansing that is promised through the Savior’s sacrifice (1 Jn. 1:9). You cannot hide your sin from God, He knows what's in your heart; Confession is the quickest way To make a brand-new start. —Sper Our secret sins are open scandal to God. NOT IN IT FOR THE MONEY It is unfortunate when the ministry of the Gospel is sometimes hindered by an overemphasis on money. The unsaved world is convinced that most preachers and missionaries are only involved in "religious rackets" to take money from innocent people. No doubt there are religious "racketeers" in the world today, people who "use" religion to exploit others and control them. We would certainly not agree with their purposes or their practices. We must make sure that nothing we do in our own ministry gives the impression that we are of their number. A wrong attitude toward money has hindered the Gospel from the earliest days of the church. Simon the magician thought he could buy the gift of the Spirit with money (Acts 8:18-24). Ananias and Sapphira loved money more than they loved the truth, and God killed them (Acts 5). For eighteen fruitful years, Dr. H.A. Ironside pastored Moody Church in Chicago. I recall the first time I heard him announce an offering. He said, "We ask God's people to give generously. If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, we do not ask you to give. We have a gift for you—eternal life through faith in Christ!" He made it clear that the offering was for believers, lest the unsaved in the congregation stumble over money and then reject the Gospel. (BORROW Pause for Power - Warren Wiersbe) Restoring Integrity Read: Acts 5:1-11 You have not lied to men but to God. —Acts 5:4 One sunny day, four high school boys couldn’t resist the temptation to skip classes. The next morning they explained to a teacher that they had missed her class because their car had a flat tire. To their relief, she smiled and said, “Well, you missed a quiz yesterday, so take your seats and get out a pencil and paper.” She waited as they sat down and got ready for the quiz. Then she said, “First question: Which tire was flat?” No one can get away with lying. In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira thought they were lying only to Peter and the other believers. But the apostle said to them, “You have not lied to men but to God.” Truth is an attribute of God. When we lie, we offend Him. And sooner or later He will uncover every falsehood—if not in this life, then at the judgment (Rom. 14:10-12). We live in a highly competitive world, and sometimes we may be strongly tempted to shade the truth to get ahead. But the short-term gains from lying are worth little compared with the long-term benefits of telling the truth. If you have deceived someone, confess it to that person and to the Lord. It may be humbling, but it is the first step to restore integrity in your life. The road that leads to misery Is caused by a tongue that wags; Beware of lying lips, my friend, And a mouth that boasts and brags. —Shade To avoid lying, do nothing that needs to be covered up. Acts 5:12 At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico. KJV Acts 5:12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. NET Acts 5:12 Now many miraculous signs and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By common consent they were all meeting together in Solomon's Portico. At the hands of the apostles Acts 2:43; 3:6,7; 4:30,33; 9:33,40; 14:3,8-10; 16:18; 19:11; Mark 16:17,18; Mark 16:20; Ro 15:19; 2 Cor 12:12; Heb 2:4 they were all with one accord Acts 1:14; 2:42,46; 4:32 in Solomon's portico Acts 3:11; John 10:23 Acts 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Vance Havner comments that "Here is the church in the full bloom of her power: a Spirit-filled church, a wonder-working (not a wondering!) church; a church that stirred up the devil." At the hands of the apostles - This is an important detail because many today desire signs and wonders. But notice that Luke says these signs and wonders were performed not by the disciples in general but by the apostles. And while some maintain there are still apostles today, there is absolutely no way they are apostles in the true Biblical sense, for they lack one of the major requirements of a NT apostle -- they have not seen Jesus physically and personally. While God's Spirit used the hands of the apostles to carry out the signs and wonders we must not forget that they were enabled to perform them "through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:30) The apostles were God's instruments. God was the One performing the signs and wonders. Apostles (652)(apostolos from apo = from + stello = send forth) (Click discussion of apostle) means one sent forth from by another, often with a special commission to represent another and to accomplish his work. In the ancient world a apostle was the personal representatives of the king, functioning as an ambassador with the king’s authority and provided with credentials to prove he was the king's envoy. At times in the NT apostle carried the broad meaning of one sent as a messenger or delegate with instructions from a group or an individual (cf 2Cor 8:23, Php 2:25-note). And so in its broadest sense, apostle referred to all believers, because every believer is sent into the world as a witness for Christ. But the term is primarily used as a specific and unique title for the thirteen men (the Twelve, with Matthias replacing Judas, and Paul) whom Christ personally chose and commissioned to authoritatively proclaim the gospel and lead the early church. The thirteen apostles not only were all called directly by Jesus but all were witnesses of His resurrection, Paul having encountered Him on the Damascus Road after His ascension. Those thirteen apostles were given direct revelation of God’s Word to proclaim authoritatively, the gift of healing, and the power to cast out demons (Mt 10:1). By these signs their teaching authority was verified (cf. 2Co 12:12). Their teachings became the foundation of the church (Ep 2:20-note), and their authority extended beyond local bodies of believers to the entire believing world. Bob Utley on many signs and wonders - These two terms appear in Peter’s quote from Joel 2 in Acts 2:19. Miracles were repeatedly performed (cf. 2:43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 7:36; 14:3; 15:20). Remember that the miraculous is not automatically a sign of deity (cf. Matt. 24:24; and 2 Thess. 2:9), but it was and is a way to confirm the Christian message. Many signs and wonders were taking place among the people - These signs and wonders were in essence an answer to their prayer in Acts 4 - "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:29-30). In fact as Paul later wrote the signs and wonders were in themselves "confirmatory signs" substantiating that these men were indeed apostles for Paul wrote "The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles." (2 Cor 12:12) Beloved, you can mark it down... The church pure is the church powerful! Would you describe your local assembly as "powerful?" The Lord Jesus had predicted "These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Mk 16:17-19) To whom did Jesus make these promises? Clearly He spoke to His apostles. As Henry
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Morgan adds "This was...the most remarkable testimony to the growth of Christianity in Jerusalem at that time." Filled (4137)(pleroo) in this context has it literal meaning to fill something full, like a net with fish (Mt 13:48), like the fragrance of perfume in a room (Jn 12:3) and here of the Holy Spirit filled with God's holy Word, permeating so to speak the entire city. Teaching (instruction) (1322)(didache from didasko = to give instruction) describes the activity of teaching (instruction). The idea of didache was to impart knowledge (In this case the Gospel) about which the people were ignorant or ill informed. Ultimately the purpose of the teaching was to shape the will of those who heard the teaching. Wiersbe astutely observes that "even this hateful indictment was an admission that the church was increasing and getting the job done! The wrath of man was bringing praise to the Lord (Ps. 76:10 = " For the wrath of man shall praise You; With a remnant of wrath You will gird Yourself.") (Wiersbe Commentary on Acts) Notice the high priest brings two charges - failure to stop teaching in "this Name," and intent to bring "this man's blood" upon the Sanhedrin. John Phillips on bring this man's blood upon us - That was a guilty conscience speaking. They had already brought that blood upon themselves when they had incited the mob to shout, "His blood be on us, and on our children" (Matt. 27:25). The apostles, however, had no desire to bring the blood of Christ to the door of these men. Their desire was to bring that blood to their hearts, that they might be saved from their sin. (Exploring Acts) And intend to bring this man's blood upon us - This was already a fait accompli by the leaders themselves! And yet they accuse the apostles of having in mind as a purpose to make them guilty of the blood of Jesus. They were deceived and deluded, for in fact the teaching was to release one from their guilt of sins against God by belief in the atoning blood of Jesus. In essence, the spiritually blind religious leaders had it "backwards." Intend (1014)(boulomai) refers to a settled desire, one born of or springing from reason and not from emotion. To will, to wish, to will deliberately, to intend, to have a purpose, to be minded. To bring (1863)(epago from epi = upon + ago = bring) is literally to bring upon, to lead up to, to introduce (as to a place - Lxx of Ezek 14:15). Used only in Acts 5:28, 2 Pe 2:1 ("bringing swift destruction upon themselves") and 2 Pe 2:5 ("brought a flood upon the world"). Gilbrant on uses in the Septuagint - Often epagō is used figuratively to bring something upon someone, usually something evil. This use is found not only in classical Greek but in the Septuagint and the New Testament. God promised to bring evil on apostate Israel and Judah (Jer 6:19; 11:11). Moses announced that God would bring the plague of death on the firstborn of the Egyptians (Exodus 11:1). Epagō also is employed in the Septuagint to express the idea of bringing sin(s) upon someone (Ge 20:9; Ex 32:21,34; 34:7). But in a few instances this verb is used positively (cf. Jeremiah 32:42). (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary – Delta-Epsilon) Epago - over 150x in the Septuagint - Ge 6:17 = " I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth"; Ge 7:4; Ge 8:1; Ge 18:19; Ge 20:9; Ge 26:10; Ge 27:12; Ex. 10:4 = "I will bring locusts into your territory."; Ex 10:13; Exod. 11:1 = "“One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt"; Exod. 15:19; Exod. 15:26; Exod. 28:43; Ex. 32:21; Exod. 32:34; Exod. 33:5; Exod. 34:7; Lev. 22:16; Lev. 26:25 = "‘I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant"; Lev. 26:36; Deut. 23:13; Deut. 28:49; Deut. 28:61; Deut. 29:27; Jos. 23:15; Jos. 24:7; Jdg. 4:7; Jdg. 9:24; 1 Sam. 5:6; 1 Sam. 15:23; 2 Sam. 17:14; 1 Ki. 8:46; 1 Ki. 9:9; 1 Ki. 21:21; 1 Ki. 21:29; 2 Ki. 22:16; 2 Ki. 22:20; 1 Chr. 4:10; 2 Chr. 7:22; 2 Chr. 34:24; 2 Chr. 34:28; Est. 9:25; Job 10:17; Job 22:17; Job 34:28; Job 38:5; Job 42:11; Ps. 7:11; Ps. 78:26; Ps. 88:7; Prov. 6:22; Prov. 26:11; Isa. 1:25; Isa. 7:17; Isa. 10:12; Isa. 10:24; Isa. 15:7; Isa. 15:9; Isa. 24:21; Isa. 26:14; Isa. 26:21; Isa. 27:1; Isa. 31:3; Isa. 42:25; Isa. 48:9; Isa. 63:7; Jer. 4:6; Jer. 5:15; Jer. 6:19; Jer. 11:11; Jer. 11:23; Jer. 15:8; Jer. 17:18; Jer. 18:22; Jer. 19:3; Jer. 19:15; Jer. 22:7; Jer. 23:12; Jer. 25:13; Jer. 32:42; Jer. 36:31; Jer. 42:17; Jer. 44:2; Jer. 45:5; Jer. 48:44; Jer. 49:36; Jer. 49:37; Jer. 51:64; Lam. 1:21; Ezek. 5:1; Ezek. 5:17; Ezek. 6:3; Ezek. 11:8; Ezek. 13:13; Ezek. 14:15; Ezek. 14:17; Ezek. 14:22; Ezek. 23:22; Ezek. 26:7; Ezek. 28:7; Ezek. 29:8; Ezek. 30:24; Ezek. 33:2; Ezek. 39:21; Dan. 4:26; Dan. 9:12; Dan. 9:14; Dan. 11:32; Hos. 13:15; Amos 1:8; Amos 5:9; Zeph. 3:17; Hag. 1:11; Zech. 13:7; This man's blood upon us - Note their derogatory description of Jesus as "this man's," so loathe are they to even have His Name on their lips. I was watching a great Jewish entertainer on television recently and she did mention the Name above all names, except she used it as a curse word! Woe! Tragedy of tragedies! He Who would be her Messiah, instead was her curse word! Deceit is a horrible condition for when one is deceived they do not even know it. The Sanhedrin were deceived and refused to accept responsibility for their strategic role in the Crucifixion of Jesus. Robertson on this man's - Contemptuous slur and refusal to call the name of Jesus as in the Talmud later.