Atos 5
J. Vernon McGee · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 5
Vernon McGee - It is obvious that they were imitating Barnabas. They saw that he got a certain amount of publicity, and they thought it would be nice if they could get that kind of publicity, too. They wanted it. I have found that there are people who will give in order to be noticed. I recall a meeting with businessmen in Pasadena when I was a pastor there. We were planning to start a youth organization, and we were asking these men to give donations for the founding of this movement. It was decided that donations would not be made public. I was informed that one of these men would contribute very little if he were not given the opportunity to speak out publicly to let everybody know how much he was giving. It is quite interesting that he contributed a small amount. After the meeting he confided in one of the men that he had intended to give about ten times that amount, but he had expected to be able to stand up or at least raise his hand to indicate how much he had given. You see pride is still in human nature today. That was the condition of Ananias and Sapphira....I don’t like to have people sing the song that talks about putting “my all” on the altar. Unfortunately, that makes liars out of the people who are singing. We need to be very careful about the songs we sing. A vow to the Lord should never be made lightly. Illustration: A rather pompous-looking deacon was endeavoring to impress upon a class of boys the importance of living the Christian life. "Why do people call me a Christian?" the man asked. After a moment's pause, one youngster said, "Maybe it's because they don't know you." Illustration: One blistering hot day when they had guests for dinner, Mother asked 4-year old Johnny to return thanks. "But I don't know what to say!" the boy complained. "Oh, just say what you hear me say" his mother replied. Obediently the boy bowed his head and mumbled, "Oh Lord, why did I invite these people over on a hot day like this?" Strategies of Satan with Believers 1. Annihilate the church or neutralize its witness from within (Acts 5:1–6). 2. Virulent persecution from without. 3. Smother its witness by according it great popularity. 4. Disturb the unity of the church by creating discord and division 5. Subversion of the church through apostasy and heresy (2 Peter 2:1–2). Satan is No Myth, J. O. Sanders, Acts 5:2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet. KJV Acts 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. and kept back some of the price for himself Joshua 7:11,12; 2 Kings 5:21-25; Malachi 1:14; 3:8,9; John 12:6; 1 Timothy 6:10; 2 Peter 2:14,15 with his wife's full knowledge Acts 5:9 he laid it at the apostles' feet Acts 4:34,35,37; Mt 6:2,3; 23:5; Php 2:3 Acts 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ANANIAS IN EFFECT WAS "SOUNDING A TRUMPET" One is reminded of Jesus' clear warning in Matthew regarding our attitude when we give... “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites (hupokrites) do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men (PROBABLY A KEY MOTIVATOR FOR A&S). Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full (A&S HAD THE REWARD FOR ONLY A FEW SECONDS OR MINUTES AT MOST!). “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (Mt 6:2,3+) In addressing the hypocritical religious leaders Jesus said “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. (Mt 23:5) This was the problem with Ananias and Sapphira who contrived their deceptive scheme to be noticed by men! The gave the impression they gave all the proceeds to the Church. Rackham - Like Judas, Ananias was covetous; and just as greed of gain lay at the bottom of most of the sins and failures (of many) in Acts (e.g., the sin of Simon Magus, the opposition of Elymas, of the Philippian 'masters' and the Ephesian silversmiths, the shortcomings of the Ephesian converts and the injustice of Felix) so Ananias kept back part of the price." The ultimate root of their sin of greed was pride, and remember the middle letter of "prIde" is the "big I!" The praise of Barnabas incited their prIde to seek similar adulation. Satan whispered in their ears "You are as spiritual as Barnabas. Just give a big offering, but make sure to keep enough for yourselves." Solomon describes God's attitude toward pride... “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate. (Pr 8:13). Comment - Note that here the "antidote" for pride is to cultivate a reverential, holy fear of the LORD God. As John said (speaking of Jesus) "He must increase, but I must decrease." (Jn 3:30+) Warren
Atos 5
Vernon McGee - If those who lied to God in our churches were to drop down dead, we would have a lot of funerals. The undertakers would be doing a land-office business.
Atos 5
McGee - Simon Peter knows what will happen to her. He did not know what was going to happen to Ananias, but now it is quite obvious what will happen to this woman. And his wife came in, not knowing what had happened - She did not have a clue! It is surprising that no one grabbed her as she came in and told her "You won't believe what happened to Ananias." But God was in charge and He would see His judgment through to completion. She was undoubtedly ready to receive commendation and praise from Peter for such a generous gift to the needy! Such is the self-deception of hypocrisy. Look out! You could be acting the part of a religious hypocrite and not even have a clue! Pray Psalm 139:23-24! Acts 5:8 And Peter responded to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?" And she said, "Yes, that was the price." KJV Acts 5:8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Acts 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONFESS And Peter responded to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?" - Peter did not have to ask this question, but in so doing it at least gave her an opportunity to tell the truth about what A&S had received for the sale.
Atos 5
Vernon McGee - May I compare this to modern faith healing? Modern faith healers never heal all the people who come to them. Have you ever noticed that? The apostles had sign gifts, friend. No one in the church since then has had those gifts. People were healed, every one of them. They emptied the hospitals. This was the power of the early church. We must remember that at that time there was no written New Testament. The church is built on Jesus Christ—He is the Cornerstone—and the apostles were witnesses to Christ. The sign gifts were given to them to demonstrate the fact that they spoke with God’s authority, Today we have a written New Testament as our authority. Afflicted with unclean spirits - A separate group from those with pure physical sicknesses. The majority of the sick were not demon possessed! Evil (demonic) spirits were afflicting them. Afflicted is the verb ochleo found only here in NT and in the present tense means they were continually being troubled, disturbed, tormented, harassed. (See Utley's topic - Demonic or Unclean Spirits)
Atos 5
Vernon McGee observes "This is the same sort of thing that happened at the resurrection of Christ. The stone wasn’t rolled away to let Jesus out; He was out before the stone was rolled away. The stone was moved to let those on the outside come in. The same thing happened here. The doors did not need to be opened to let the apostles get out. They were out long before the doors were unlocked." (Thru the Bible) Locked (2808)(kleio) literally means to shut, close or lock a door (after the resurrection the disciples were together and the doors were shut… for fear of the Jews = Jn 20:19, 26). Now the 12 are in fact locked behind prison doors but are no longer fearful! We can attribute this to the "Pentecost Effect!" Locked is in the perfect tense which speaks of permanence = shut tight! The picture of the perfect tense is that when the guards had locked the door, they remained locked (or so they thought!) Securely (803)(asphaleia from a = without + sphallo = to totter or fall) means "make no slip" and describes that which displays firmness, security, safety. It can speak of a stable circumstance (safety, security) in 1 Th 5:3 and here in Acts 5:23 is a legal technical term for keeping the prisoners securely guarded. Guards (5441)(phulax from phulasso = to guard) means a guard, prison keeper, sentinel. Three uses - Acts 5:23, 12:6, 19. Notice the irony of guards guarding a cell without prisoners! God has a wonderful sense of humor. Standing (2476) (histemi) (5x in Acts 5 - Acts 5:20, 23, 25, 27) - The perfect tense speaks of permanence = "Graphic picture of the sentinels at the prison doors" - ATR)! They took their position in front of the jail cells and remained standing. The idea is that the guards remained on alert. The jail door was locked tight and the guards were standing firm! These details by Luke serve to accentuate the fact that the likelihood of escape borders on impossible! For men that would be true, but not for God, for "nothing is too difficult" for our God! (Jer 32:17, 27+) What is the "door" in your life which you think God cannot open? But when we had opened up, we found no one inside - Given the secure door and standing sentinels, this must have been a mind blowing experience! One wonders why they had to open up. Perhaps the doors were solid (not bars) and restricted vision through a small window. Toussaint comments that "The facts recorded in these verses are filled with irony: (1) The guards were carefully keeping empty jail cells secured (Acts 5:21b–23). (2) The highest powers of Israel were gathered to judge prisoners they did not have. (3) While the frenzied leaders were deliberating as to what had happened to the men who had been in their custody, they were told the apostles were preaching in the courts of the temple." (BKC) Acts 5:24 Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this. KJV Acts 5:24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words Acts 5:26; 4:1; Luke 22:4,52 They were greatly perplexed Acts 2:12; 4:16,17,21; John 11:47,48; 12:19 as to what would come of this Isa 9:7; 53:1,2; Da 2:34,35,44,45; Zech 6:12,13; Mark 4:30-32 Acts 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GOD'S WAYS PERPLEX HIS ENEMIES