The Church in Action – We Must Obey God (Acts 5)

Part 5 in the Series – “The Beginning of an Unfinished Work”

Luke’s begins this chapter (Acts 5) contrasting the actions of Barnabas (Acts 4:36-37), where he sold his property and brought the entirety of those funds to the apostles to be distributed to meet the needs of the early church, to the actions of Ananias and Sapphira who also sold their property but kept back some of those funds for themselves. The issue wasn’t that Ananias and Sapphira kept back some of the funds, but it was that they chose to lie that they (like Barnabas) gave it all to the church. It appears that Ananias and Sapphira were attempting to make a public display of their spirituality while inwardly scheming to control some of their assets under the pretense they had given everything just as Barnabas had done. Their motives seemed to be centered around deception and that is what Peter will openly expose by stating Satan had “filled their heart” and they ultimately were found lying to the Holy Spirit. Ananias and Saphira’s actions were judged and their lives were taken by the Lord showing the importance that God places on His church to be pure and holy. Hypocrisy has no place in the church. Jesus condemned the religious leaders seven times in Matthew 23 (specifically verses 13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27, and 29) for it!

Shortly after this the apostles returned to the temple courts (specifically Solomon’s Colonnade/Porch) and began performing various miracles, signs and wonders among the people. The church was growing by significant numbers (men and women), and the people were serious about their faith in not just an internal way, but they did so outwardly by confessing their belief boldly and drawing others to heed the words of the apostles and do the same. Peter’s reputation grew and the miraculous healing by the Holy Spirit through Peter caused people to bring the sick into the streets, hoping that even his shadow might fall on them to bring healing. This highlights a high level of faith in God’s power acting through the apostles.

These religious leaders (Caiphas the High Priest, possibly Annas his father-in-law, other members of the religious sect known as the Sadducees) became jealous and were probably angry over these public healings taking place in the temple courts as well as in Jerusalem and several neighboring towns. They subsequently arrested the apostles and placed them in jail. That night an angel of the Lord visited the apostles (probably a combination of Peter, John and others) while they were in the jail and subsequently opens the door to let them out. The next day, the religious leaders sent their associates to the jail to bring the apostles before them for a hearing, but the apostles were not there because the angel had come to them and opened the gates of the prison cell and instructed the apostles to return to them temple to preach the gospel.

The religious leaders went to the temple grounds and became angry that the apostles were their once again preaching about Jesus and the resurrection, so they decided to bring them before a hearing of the full Sanhedrin council. They were angry with the apostles for disobeying their commands for them not to preach about Jesus so Peter and the other apostles made this reply: “We must obey God rather than human beings! Peter sets out to show them by what authority they can make these claims but the religious leaders are unwilling to accept their words and seek to have them permanently silenced. At some point a well-known Pharisee named Gamaliel stands up and declares, “Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

The words of Gamaliel ring true for Luke records these words; “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.” (Acts 5:42). Although Israel as a nation/people group) continued down the path of rejecting Jesus as Messiah……the followers of Christ (considering themselves worthy to suffer for His name) kept right on proclaiming Jesus as Messiah. This shows the early apostles’ unwavering commitment to telling others about the good news of the gospel. Despite persecution and threats, they continued teaching in both public (temple) and private (homes) settings, focusing on Jesus as the promised Messiah.