Religion Scripture Readings

2. (15-20) Peter suggests selecting a replacement for Judas.

And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, "Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry." (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) "For it is written in the book of Psalms: 'Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it'; and, 'Let another take his office.'"

a. Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples: Here, Peter takes a natural leadership role among the disciples. There is nothing wrong with seeing Peter as the leader of the first group of the apostles, even as he often was the spokesman among the disciples during the earthly ministry of Jesus.

i. However, the idea that the authority of Peter was supreme, and that he handed it down in unbroken succession, is unbiblical and wrong.

b. Peter's words show a wisdom we did not often see in him before; he begins by noting that Judas didn't spoil God's plan, he fulfilled it (this Scripture had to be fulfilled). This is something that only the wise and mature can see when evil happens.

c. Luke's historical note calls attention to how Judas died. Matthew 27:5 says that Judas hanged himself, but apparently he failed in the attempt, fell, and was killed by the impact of falling from the tree in the Field of Blood.

i. It was a Field of Blood not only because Judas spilled his blood there, but also because the field was purchased with the "blood money" given to the betrayer of Jesus.

d. For it is written: Peter, quoting from two separate Psalms, shows why God would have them choose another disciple to "officially" replace Judas.

i. Their reliance on God's Word is notable; this wasn't the wisdom of man at work, but a principle revealed in Scripture. Also, this is the first time in the New Testament we read that Peter quoted Scripture!

ii. Let his habitation be desolate: David, the writer of these quoted Psalms, knew what it was like to be betrayed by another. When he was a fugitive from Saul, he was betrayed by a man named Doeg (1 Samuel 21-22), and many innocent people died as a result. David may have penned these very words in reference to this betrayer.

iii. Let another take his office: When David was betrayed, he desired that the betrayer would be desolate and that another fill the betrayer's office. It wasn't hard to understand that the Son of David - Jesus, whom David often pictured - would desire the same thing.

iv. Their desire for God's will is notable; because of the principle of the quoted Scripture, they will replace Judas because they believe it is what Jesus wants, not because it is what they want.

 

3. (21-23) Qualifications are stated and two men are nominated.

"Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection." And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

a. One of these must become a witness with us: The disciples were bold enough to make a decision because they knew from God's Word that this is what He wanted. The apostles did not sense an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them; that was yet to come. But God did not leave them without guidance. They knew what to do from the Word. Even when we don't "feel" the Holy Spirit, we still have God's voice permanently established in His Word.

i. When we don't feel a special blessing from the Holy Spirit in an area not revealed by God's Word, we still know what to do: Obey God's Word.

b. Who have accompanied us all the time: Whoever replaces Judas must be one who had been with them since they were baptized by John, stayed with them during the days of Jesus' earthly ministry, and they must have seen the resurrected Jesus.

i. What told them that these were to be the qualifications? Sanctified common sense! There was no direct, awesome revelation from God; their common sense was being blessed because they were in obedience, in fellowship, in prayer, in the Word, and desiring God's will.

ii. Their sanctified common sense was notable; it didn't answer everything, but it did narrow it down to two men.

c. The main job of the new apostle was simply to become a witness with us of His resurrection. We can do the same job by showing that Jesus lives in our lives

 

4. (24-26) The disciples pray and cast lots to select a replacement for Judas.

And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

a. And they prayed: They prayed first, and it was easy to pray because they had already been praying (Acts 1:14).

i. Their doing what Jesus would do was notable. How did Jesus choose the disciples? He prayed (Luke 6:12-13), even as these disciples did, to see who the Lord would add to their number.

b. And they cast their lots: Many people have questioned the method for choosing one of the two men - after all these great spiritual steps, they end up rolling dice to pick the winner. Is this any way to choose an apostle?

i. Their reliance on God is notable. Though they were not yet filled with the Holy Spirit, as they would be, they still wanted to choose a method that would make them rely on God. The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. (Proverbs 16:33)

ii. The casting of lots may be an imperfect way to discern God's will, but it is much better than the methods many Christians use today, relying on emotions, circumstances, feelings, carnal desires and so forth.

c. And the lot fell on Matthias: Was Matthias the right man for the job of the twelfth apostle?

i. Some insist that Matthias was the wrong choice and the use of lots was not right. The idea is that God would have chosen Paul if the office had been left vacant. But we must respect the testimony of the Scriptures; God did not want to leave the office vacant. If He did, it might be seen as a victory for Satan - Jesus picked 12, but one came up short and defeated Jesus' desire to have 12 apostles.

ii. Even though we read nothing more of Matthias, we should not assume he was a "dud" as an apostle; except for Peter and John, none of the original twelve are mentioned again after Acts 1. Matthias was no more of a "dud" than Matthew or Andrew or Thomas or any of the others.

iii. Paul considered himself an apostle, but one born out of due time (1 Corinthians 15:8). It doesn't seem that he objected to the selection of Matthias.

iv. Revelation 21:14 tells us that each of the twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem has the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Is the twelfth apostle Paul or Matthias? Who can say for certain?

d. No one can fault all the things they did before they cast lots. We must believe that all these things put them into the place where God would truly guide their decision. If we would put ourselves into the same place, we wouldn't make many wrong decisions!

i. How many wrong decisions would we make if we did all of these things before the decision? The disciples were in obedience, they were in fellowship, they were in prayer, they were in the Word, they wanted to do God's will, they used sanctified common sense, they did what Jesus would do, and they did what they could do to rely on God.

 

Acts 2

The Holy Spirit Is Poured Out On the Church
A. The initial experience of the filling of the Holy Spirit.

1. (1-4a) The disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit.

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

a. The Day of Pentecost was a Jewish feast held fifty days after Passover. It was a time to celebrate the firstfruits of the harvest.

i. At Passover, the first sheaf reaped from the barley harvest was presented to God. But at Pentecost, the firstfruits of the wheat harvest were given to God; therefore, Pentecost is called the day of firstfruits (Numbers 28:26).

ii. Also, Jewish tradition taught that Pentecost commemorated the day when the Law was given to Israel. The Jews sometimes called Pentecost shimchath torah, or "Joy of the Law."

iii. So on the Old Testament Day of Pentecost, Israel received the Law, and on the New Testament Day of Pentecost, the Church received the Spirit of Grace in fullness.

b. Notice that the followers of Jesus were all with one accord in one place. They were gathered together sharing the same heart, the same love for God, the same trust in His promise, and the same geography.

i. Before we can be filled, we must recognize our emptiness; by gathering together for prayer, in obedience, these disciples were doing just that. They recognized they did not have the resources in themselves to do what they could or should, they had to rely on the work of God.

c. The association of the sound of a rushing mighty wind, filling the whole house, with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is unusual. But it probably has connection with the fact that in both the Hebrew and Greek languages, the word for spirit (as in Holy Spirit) is the same word for breath or wind. Here, the sound from heaven is the sound of the Holy Spirit being poured out on the disciples

d. The divided tongues, as of fire, appearing over each one are also unusual. It probably should be connected with John the Baptist's prophecy that Jesus would baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11).

i. The idea behind the picture of fire is usually purification, as a refiner uses fire to make pure gold. Or fire can burn away what is temporary, leaving what will last. This is an excellent illustration of the principle that the filling of the Holy Spirit is not just for abstract power, but for purity.

ii. In certain places in the Old Testament, God showed His special pleasure with a sacrifice by kindling the fire for it Himself. Fire from heaven came down and consumed the sacrifice. The experience of the followers of Jesus on Pentecost is another example of God sending fire from heaven to show His pleasure and power, but this time, it descended upon living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).

iii. Under the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit rested on God's people more as a nation, that is, Israel. But under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit rests upon God's people as individuals - the tongues of fire sat upon each of them.

iv. "The Church can be repaired by no other means, saving only by the giving of the Holy Spirit." (Calvin)

e. Essentially, the rushing mighty wind and the tongues, as of fire, were only unusual, temporary phenomenon, which accompanied the true gift: And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

i. While it would be wrong to expect a rushing mighty wind or tongues, as of fire, to be present today when the Holy Spirit is poured out, we can experience the true gift. We, just as they, can be all filled with the Holy Spirit.

ii. But we should do what the disciples did before and during their filling with the Holy Spirit. The disciples were filled in fulfillment of a promise. They were filled as they received in faith. They were filled in God's timing. They were filled as they were together in unity. And they were filled in unusual ways.

 

2. (4b-13) The phenomenon of speaking in tongues.

And began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs; we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?" Others mocking said, "They are full of new wine."

a. And began to speak with other tongues: In response to the filling of the Holy Spirit, those present (not only the twelve apostles) began to speak with other tongues. These were languages that they were never taught, and they spoke these languages this as the Spirit gave them utterance.

b. Devout men, from every nation under heaven: The multitude from many nations gathered in Jerusalem because of the Feast of Pentecost. Many of these were the same people who gathered in Jerusalem at the last feast, Passover, when an angry mob demanded the execution of Jesus.

c. A crowd quickly gathered, being attracted by this sound, which was either the sound of the rushing mighty wind or the sound of speaking in other tongues. When the crowd came, they heard the Christians speaking in their own foreign languages. Apparently, the Christians could be heard from the windows of the upper room, or they went out onto some kind of balcony or into the temple courts.

i. Not many homes of that day could hold 120 people. It is far more likely that this upper room was part of the temple courts, which was a huge structure, with porches and colonnades and rooms. The crowd would come from people milling about the temple courts.

d. The crowd heard the Christians speaking … the wonderful works of God. All were amazed and perplexed, but some used it as a means of honest inquiry, asking, "Whatever could this mean?" Others used it as an excuse to dismiss the work of God, saying, "They are full of new wine."

i. Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? Galileans were known as uncultured and poor speakers. This was all the more reason to be impressed with their ability to speak eloquently in other languages. "Galileans had difficulty pronouncing gutturals and had the habit of swallowing syllables when speaking; so they were looked down upon by the people of Jerusalem as being provincial." (Longenecker)

ii. They all spoke in different tongues, yet there was a unity among the believers. "Ever since the early church fathers, commentators have seen the blessing of Pentecost as a deliberate and dramatic reversal of the curse of Babel." (Stott)

3. Whatever could this mean? What are we to make of the phenomenon of speaking in tongues?

a. Speaking in tongues has been the focal point for significant controversy in the church. People still ask the same question these bystanders asked on the day of Pentecost.

b. There is no controversy that God, at least at one time, gave the church the gift of tongues. But much of the controversy centers on the question, "what is God's purpose for the gift of tongues?"

i. Some think that the gift of tongues was given primarily as a sign to unbelievers (1 Corinthians 14:21-22) and as a means to miraculously communicate the gospel in diverse languages. They believe there is no longer the need for this sign, so they regard tongues as a gift no longer present in the church today.

ii. Others argue that the gift of tongues, while a sign to unbelievers as stated by 1 Corinthians 14:21-22, are primarily a gift of communication between the believer and God (1 Corinthians 14:2, 13-15), and is a gift still given by God today.

c. Many mistakenly interpret this incident in Acts 2, assuming that the disciples used tongues to preach to the gathered crowd. But a careful look shows this idea is wrong.

i. Notice what the people heard the disciples say: Speaking … the wonderful works of God. The disciples declared the praises of God, thanking Him with all their might in unknown tongues. The gathered crowd merely overheard what the disciples exuberantly declared to God.

ii. The idea that these disciples communicated to the diverse crowd in tongues is plainly wrong. The crowd had a common language (Greek), and Peter preached a sermon to them in that language! (Acts 2:14-40)

d. The gift of tongues is a personal language of prayer given by God, whereby the believer communicates with God beyond the limits of knowledge and understanding (1 Corinthians 14:14-15).

i. Tongues has an important place in the devotional life of the believer, but a small place in the corporate life of the church (1 Corinthians 14:18-19), especially in "public" meetings (1 Corinthians 14:23).

ii. When tongues are practiced in the corporate life of the church, it must be carefully controlled, and never without an interpretation given by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:27-28).

iii. The ability to pray in an unknown tongue is not a gift given to every believer (1 Corinthians 12:20).

iv. The ability to pray in an unknown tongue is not the evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit. This emphasis leads many to seek the gift of tongues (and to counterfeit it) merely to prove to themselves and others that they really are filled with the Holy Spirit.

4. Is the speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance in Acts 2 the same gift of tongues described in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14?

a. Some say we are dealing with two separate gifts. They argue that the 1 Corinthians gift must be regulated and restricted, while the Acts 2 gift can be used any time without regulation. Those who believe they are two separate gifts emphasize that the speech of Acts 2 was immediately recognized by foreign visitors to Jerusalem, while the speech of 1 Corinthians was unintelligible to those present except with a divinely granted gift of interpretation.

b. However, this doesn't take into account that the differences have more to do with the circumstances in which the gifts were exercised than with the gifts themselves.

c. In Jerusalem, the group spoken to was uniquely multi-national and multi-lingual; at feast time (Pentecost), Jews of the dispersion from all over the world were in the city. Therefore, the likelihood that foreign ears would hear a tongue spoken in their language was much greater. On the other hand, in Corinth (though a rather cosmopolitan city itself), the gift was exercised in a local church, with members all sharing a common language (Greek). If one had the same diversity of foreigners visiting the Corinthian church when all were speaking in tongues, it is likely that many would hear members of the Corinthian church speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.

d. As well, it should never be assumed that each person among the 120 who spoke in tongues on the Day of Pentecost spoke in a language immediately intelligible to human ears present that day. We read they all … began to speak with other tongues; therefore there were more than 120 individuals speaking in tongues. Since the nations spoken of in Acts 2:9-11 number only fifteen (with perhaps others present but not mentioned), it is likely that many (if not most) of the 120 spoke praises to God in a language that was not understood by someone immediately present. The text simply does not indicate that someone present could understand each person speaking in tongues.

e. However, we should not assume those who were not immediately understood by human ears spoke "gibberish," as the modern gift of tongues is called with derision. They may have praised God in a language completely unknown, yet completely human. After all, what would the language of the Aztecs sound like to Roman ears? Or some may have spoke in a completely unique language given by God and understood by Him and Him alone. After all, communication with God, not man, is the purpose of the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 14:2). The repetition of simple phrases, unintelligible and perhaps nonsensical to human bystanders, does not mean someone speaks "gibberish." Praise to God may be simple and repetitive, and part of the whole dynamic of tongues is that it bypasses the understanding of the speaker (1 Corinthians 14:14), being understood by God and God alone.

f. All in all, we should regard the gift of Acts 2 and the gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians as the same, simply because the same term is used for both in the original language (heterais glossais). Also, the verb translated gave them utterance in Acts 2:4 is frequently used in Greek literature in connection with spiritually prompted (ecstatic) speech, not mere translation into other languages

 

B. Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost.

1. (14-15) Peter begins his sermon.

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day."

a. Peter, standing up with the eleven: Peter stands and preaches to the crowd as a representative of the whole group of apostles.

i. We should notice that the speaking in tongues stopped when Peter began to preach. The Holy Spirit now worked through Peter's preaching and would not work against Himself through tongues at the same time.

b. Raised his voice: There is a remarkable change in Peter. He has courage and boldness that is a complete contrast to his denials of Jesus before being filled with the Holy Spirit.

i. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter didn't teach as the rabbis in his day usually did. They would gather disciples around them, sit down, and instruct them and any others who might listen. Instead, Peter proclaimed the truth like a herald.

c. For these are not drunk: Peter deflects the mocking criticism that the disciples were drunk. In that day, it was unthinkable that people would be so drunk so early in the day (about 9:00 in the morning).

i. Commentator Adam Clarke says that most Jews - pious or not - did not eat or drink until after the third hour of the day, because that was the time for prayer, and they would only eat after their business with God was accomplished.

d. These are not drunk: We shouldn't think that the Christians were acting as if they were drunk. The idea of "being drunk in the Spirit" has no foundation in Scripture; the comment from the mockers had no basis in reality.

i. "Nor, must we add, did the believers' experience of the Spirit's fullness seem to them or look to others like intoxication, because they had lost control of their normal mental and physical functions. No, the fruit of the Spirit is 'self-control,' not the loss of it." (Stott)

2. (16-21) Peter quotes the prophet Joel.

"But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.'"

a. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: In the midst of this great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, among signs and wonders and speaking in tongues, what did Peter do? Essentially, he said, "Let's have a Bible study! Let's study what the prophet Joel said!"

i. This focus on God's Word did not quench the moving of the Holy Spirit; it fulfilled what the Holy Spirit wanted to do. All the signs and wonders and speaking in tongues were preparing for this work of God's Word.

ii. Unfortunately, some people set the Word against the Spirit. They almost think it's more spiritual if there is no Bible study. Sadly, this is often due to the weak and unspiritual teaching of those who teach the Bible!

b. The prophet Joel: This quotation from Joel 2:28-32 focuses on God's promise to pour out His Spirit on all flesh. What happened on the day of Pentecost was a near fulfillment of that promise, with the final fulfillment coming in the last days (which Peter had good reason to believe he was in).

c. The idea of the last days is that they are the times of the Messiah, encompassing both His humble coming and His return in glory. Because Jesus had already come in humility, they were aware that His return in glory could be any time.

i. Though there were still to be some 2,000 years until Jesus returned, until this point, history had been running towards the point of the ultimate establishment of God's kingdom on earth. But from this time on, history runs parallel to that point, ready at any time for the consummation.

ii. It may also be helpful to see the last days as something like a "season," a general period of time, more than a more specific period, such as a week. In the whole span of God's plan for human history, we are in the "season" of the last days.

d. I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh: In using the quotation from Joel, Peter explained what these curious onlookers saw - the Holy Spirit poured forth upon the people. Before, the Holy Spirit was given in drops, now He would be poured forth.

e. Peter also used the quotation to an evangelistic purpose. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit means that God is offering salvation in a way previously unknown: Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. It will be many years until the gospel is offered to Gentiles, yet Peter's sermon text announces the gospel invitation by saying, whoevercalls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.

i. The idea is expressed in Proverbs 18:10: The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

3. (22-24) Peter introduces the focus of the sermon: The resurrected Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know; Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it."

a. Many people would think it enough for Peter to stop after the quotation from Joel - think of what we have in it! An outpouring of the Holy Spirit, miraculous dreams, visions, and prophecy, signs and wonders regarding the Day of the Lord, and an invitation to call on the name of the Lord. But it isn't enough, because Peter hasn't spoken about the saving work of Jesus on our behalf. Everything until now has been introduction; now comes the essential message.

b. Peter starts off with hear these words as he had said before, let this be known to you, and heed my words (Acts 2:14). Peter wanted people to pay attention, and he spoke as if he had something important to say - something many teachers fail to do.

c. As you yourselves also know: Peter refers to what these people already knew about Jesus. They already knew of His life and miraculous works. Often in speaking to people about Jesus, we should start with what they already know about Him.

d. Peter knows that Jesus' death was by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God. At the same time, those who rejected Him and called for His execution were responsible for the actions of their lawless hands.

i. Peter did not flinch at saying, "You crucified this Man who was sent by God." His first concern was not to please his audience, but to tell them the truth. What a difference from the man who, a few months before, even knowing Jesus! (Matthew 26:69-75)

e. Yet, it was not possible that Jesus should remain bound by death, as explained by Peter's following quotation from Psalm 16. It was not possible that Jesus should remain a victim of the sin and hatred of man; He would certainly triumph over it.

i. Having loosed the pains of death: In the phrase pains of death, the word pains is actually the word for "birth pains." In this sense, the tomb was a womb for Jesus!

ii. "It was not possible that the chosen one of God should remain in the grip of death; 'the abyss can no more hold the Redeemer than a pregnant woman can hold the child in her body.'" (Bruce, quoting Bertram)

 

4. (25-36) Peter develops the theme of the resurrected Jesus.

"For David says concerning Him: 'I foresaw the LORD always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.' Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

a. For David says concerning Him: Peter tells us that Psalm 16:8-11 is prophetic, with application to the Messiah. Jesus probably taught Peter this when He instructed the disciples in the Scriptures (Luke 24:44-45).

b. Your Holy One: Jesus bore the full wrath of God on the cross, as if He were a guilty sinner, guilty of all our sin, even being made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Yet, that work was an act of holy, giving love for us, so that Jesus Himself did not become a sinner, even though He bore the full guilt of our sin.

i. This is the gospel message! That Jesus took our punishment for sin on the cross and remained a perfect Savior through the whole ordeal - proved by His resurrection. Apart from the resurrection, we would have no proof that Jesus successfully, perfectly, paid for our sins.

c. Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption: Because Jesus bore our sin without becoming a sinner, He remained the Holy One, even in His death. Since it is incomprehensible that God's Holy One should be bound by death, the resurrection was absolutely inevitable.

i. Instead of being punished for His glorious work on the cross, Jesus was rewarded, as prophetically described in the Psalm: You have made known to be the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.

d. David … is both dead and buried: Peter points out that this Psalm cannot be speaking of its human author, David - he is dead and remains buried. The Psalm must speak prophetically of the Messiah, Jesus.

e. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses: Jesus of Nazareth, the man they all knew (as you yourselves also know, Acts 2:22), was the one who fulfilled this prophetic Psalm. How did Peter know this? He saw the resurrected Jesus! The basic evidence of the resurrection was simply the report of reliable eyewitnesses: Of which we are all witnesses.

f. He poured out this which you now see and hear: Peter affirms that what is going on is the work of the risen and ascended Jesus, who has sent His Holy Spirit upon His church.

g. Therefore let all the house of Israel know: The sermon concludes with a summary. Simply, all Israel should know that even though they crucified Jesus, God has declared Him both Lord and Christ.

i. It is as if Peter said, "You were all wrong about Jesus. You crucified Him as if He were a criminal, but by the resurrection, God proved that He is Lord and Messiah."

ii. When Peter exhorted them whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21), there is little doubt who the Lord is that he spoke of: Jesus.

iii. "That the early Christians meant to give Jesus the title Lord in this highest sense of all is indicated by their not hesitating on occasion to apply to him passages of Old Testament scripture referring to Yahweh." (Bruce

 

C. The response to Peter's preaching.

1. (37) They respond with a question: What shall we do?

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

a. It is fascinating to see what an incredible work of the Holy Spirit happened here. Peter offered absolutely no invitation, merely a declaration of truth, but the listeners themselves gave the invitation!

i. The exercise of the gift of tongues produced nothing in the listeners but astonishment and mocking; it wasn't until the gospel was preached that conviction from the Holy Spirit came. This was the work God really wanted to accomplish.

b. Cut to the heart is a good way of describing the conviction of the Holy Spirit. They now knew that they were responsible for the death of Jesus (as each of us are), and that they had to do something about it.

i. Peter had a little experience with cutting before; when Jesus was arrested, he cut off the right ear of one of the men who came to arrest Jesus (John 18:10). All this was an embarrassing mess that Jesus had to clean up - this was Peter in the flesh, doing the best he could with a literal sword of human power.

ii. When the resurrected Jesus changed Peter's life, and when the power of the Holy Spirit had come upon him, he did some effective cutting: Cutting hearts, opening them to Jesus. This is what Peter could do in the power of the Spirit, doing God's best with the sword of the Spirit, God's Word. Which sword was more powerful?

c. When God is working on someone's heart, they want to come to Him; they will act to come to Him. Perhaps that's why people are listening to this right now, because they want to come to God!

 

2. (38-40) Peter invites the multitude to come to Jesus.

Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation."

a. Peter must have been pleasantly astounded to see what God had done in this situation; instead of people wanting to crucify him because of Jesus, thousands of people want to trust in Jesus as Lord and Messiah.

b. Repent, and let every one of you be baptized: Responding to the question, "What shall we do?" Peter gave them something to do. This means that we must do something to be saved, we must do something to follow Jesus; it doesn't just "happen."

c. The first thing Peter told them to do is repent. To repent does not mean to feel sorry, but it means to change one's mind or direction - they had thought a certain way about Jesus before (considering Him worthy of crucifixion), now they must turn around their thinking, embracing Him as Lord and Messiah.

i. Repent sounds like such a harsh word in the mouths of many preachers and in the ears of many listeners, but it is an essential aspect of the gospel. Repent has been rightly called "the first word of the gospel."

ii. When John the Baptist preached, he said Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! (Matthew 3:2). When Jesus began to preach, He said Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17). Now when Peter begins to preach, he starts with repent!

iii. Repentance must never be thought of as something we must do before we can come back to God. Repentance describes what coming to God is. You can't turn towards God without turning from the things He is against.

iv. In this sense, repent is a word of great hope. It says "You don't have to continue the way you've been going, you can turn to God," something many people desperately want.

d. The second thing Peter says they must do is be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, as an expression of their belief and complete trust in Him.

i. Baptism made a clear statement. In that day, Jews were not commonly baptized, only Gentiles who wanted to become Jews. For these Jewish men and women to be baptized showed just how strongly they felt they needed Jesus.

ii. "While baptism with water was the expected symbol for conversion, it was not an indispensable criterion for salvation." (Longenecker)

e. The promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off: As they repented and demonstrated faith and obedience by baptism, the gift of the Holy Spirit would be given to them as it was given to the original group of disciples. Peter also specifically promised that the promise of the Holy Spirit would be given to those who believe in all succeeding generations (all who are afar off).

i. They saw the glorious work of the Holy Spirit among the disciples, and Peter told them that it was something that these people could take part in; they didn't only have to be observers. And since the promise is for all who afar off, it includes all people up to the present time.

f. And with many other words he testified and exhorted them: Peter's sermon didn't end there. He continued to urge the crowd to come to Jesus in repentant surrender.

g. Be saved from this perverse generation: Any generation that is responsible for putting Jesus to death is a perverse generation. But since every generation is responsible for Jesus' death, every generation needs salvation

 

3. (41) The response to Peter's sermon.

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

a. About three thousand souls were added to them: This day of Pentecost saw an amazing harvest of souls. The church went from about 120 people to 3,120 people in one day.

i. Think of how this touched lives. Many of the 3,000 were undoubtedly pilgrims who came to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, expecting something special from God, but not expecting anything like this. Many in this crowd would eventually travel far from Jerusalem, back to their homes, taking the good news of Jesus Christ with them.

b. Those who gladly received his word were baptized: Those who believed on Jesus that day did so gladly, even making a dramatic statement in baptism. They would not have submitted to baptism unless they were fully convinced of who Jesus was and their great need for Him as a Savior.

i. How could you baptize 3,000 people? There were huge resources of water available on the temple mount, and pools and reservoirs nearby, so it was not difficult to find a place where the baptisms could take place.

c. What a baptism service that must have been! But God continues to do such great things. After the 1990 Summer Harvest Crusade, there was a mass baptism at Corona del Mar. They couldn't count how many were baptized, but the event was attended by more than 5,000 people. It was reported as the largest baptism service in the history of America.

D. The life of these first believers.

1. (42) The foundation of their Christian life.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

a. On the day of Pentecost, the sound of the rushing wind, the tongues of fire, and the conversion of 3,000 were all remarkable events; but the things described in Acts 2:42 were the abiding legacy of God's work.

b. First, they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine: They relied on the apostles to communicate to them who Jesus was and what He had done. They just trusted in Jesus; now they want to know more!

i. Continued steadfastly uses a Greek verb communicating "a steadfast and single-minded fidelity to a certain course of action." (Longenecker) There was to be no departure from the apostles' doctrine, because it was the truth of God.

ii. Thankfully, God allows us to sit under the apostles' doctrine - the New Testament record. Every pastor should seek to be unoriginal, in the sense that we don't have our own doctrine, but the apostles' doctrine.

c. They continued in fellowship: The Greek word koinonia has the idea of association, communion, fellowship, and participation; it means to share in something.

i. As Christians, we share the same Lord Jesus, we share the same guide for life, we share the same love for God, we share the same desire to worship Him, we share the same struggles, we share the same victories, we share the same job of living for Him, we share the same joy of communicating that gospel to others.

d. They continued in the breaking of bread: Even living so close to the time when Jesus was crucified, they still never wanted to forget it - how much more should we?

e. They continued in prayers. Whenever God's work is done, God's people are praying.

f. Everything else we read about the power and glory of the early church flows from this foundation of the word, fellowship, remembrance of Jesus' work on the cross, and prayer.

i. From Luke's description of the early Christian community, "The educated reader would have got the impression here that the Greek ideal of society had been realized." (Dictionary of New Testament Theology)

2. (43) The presence of the power of God.

Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

a. The power of God was evident because fear came upon every soul. One of the greatest, most powerful works God can do is to change the human heart towards a reverent honor of the Lord.

b. The power of God was evident because many wonders and signs were done, and where God is moving, lives will be touched in miraculous ways.

3. (44-45) Their close hearts and sharing in the common life of Jesus.

Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

a. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common: With the influx of more that 3,000 believers, most of whom stayed in Jerusalem and didn't have jobs, the family of Christians had to share if they were to survive.

i. We shouldn't regard this as "early communism," because it was voluntary, temporary, and flawed to the extent that the church in Jerusalem was in continual need of financial support from other churches. Also, we don't have any evidence this continued very long.

b. The Jews had a tremendous custom of hospitality during any major feast like Pentecost; all visitors were received into private homes, and no one could charge for giving a bed or a room to a visitor or for supplying their basic needs. The Christians took this tremendous feast-time hospitality and made it an everyday thing.

c. Sold their possessions and their goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need: The power of God is evident here because Jesus became much more important to them than their possessions.

4. (46-47) The Christian family lived together and grew.

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

a. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house: The church is meant to worship God and learn His Word together, but it is meant to do more; God wants us to share our lives with one another.

b. Praising God and having favor with all the people: Their Christian experience was daily, joyful and simple - good examples for us to follow.

c. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved: This is God's prescription for church growth. If we take care to follow the example of Acts 2:42-47a, God will take care of growing the church Himself

 

I thought that I would share this simple e-mail that I recieved, it gave me asmile. I hope that all that read also come away with one.

Take 60 seconds to read this wonderful story. It will give you time to settle your brain, gather your thoughts, calm down and start your week off on a positive note.

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him some chips. He gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.

His smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. He gave him his biggest smile ever...
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked, "dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied "I ate potato chips in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we under estimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!

Have lunch with God.......bring chips.

Send this to people who have touched your life in a special way. Let them know how important they are. I did!!!!

God still sits on the throne. You may be going through a tough time right now but God is getting ready to bless you in a way that only He can.

Keep the faith!

My instructions were to pick four people that I wanted God to bless, and I picked you.>

Please pass this to at least four people you want to be blessed. This prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to pray for one another.

Here is the prayer:

Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and e-mail buddies reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

I know I picked more than four, so can you!
--

 

Acts 3

A Lame Man Healed

A. The healing of the paralytic at the Gate Beautiful.

1. (1-3) The request of the paralyzed beggar.

Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.

a. We were told many signs and wonders were done through the apostles in Acts 2:43; this chapter gives a specific example, one of the many.

b. At the hour of prayer: Apparently, Peter and John saw no problem in continuing their Jewish custom of prayer at certain hours of the day.

i. Morgan points out that Peter and John were not going to the temple at the hour of sacrifice, but at the hour of prayer which followed the afternoon sacrifice.

ii. Calvin saw a missionary intent in what Peter and John did: "Furthermore, if any man ask, whether the apostles went up into the temple that they might pray according to the rite of the law, I do not think that that is a thing so likely to be true, as they might have better opportunity to spread abroad the gospel."

c. The gate of the temple which is called beautiful: The Jewish historian Josephus describes a gate made of fine Corinthian brass at the temple, seventy-five feet high with huge double doors, so beautiful that it "greatly excelled those that were only covered over with silver and gold." (Cited in Stott)

d. To ask alms: The lame man simply wanted to be supported in the condition that he was in. God wanted to completely change his condition.

i. When Peter and John gave him no money, we might have heard him complain: "You don't care about me. You won't support me. Look at the mess I'm in." But Peter and John have no interest in supporting him in his mess. They want to transform his life by the power of the risen Jesus Christ.

ii. "It is not the Church's business in this world to simply make the present condition more bearable; the task of the Church is to release here on earth the redemptive work of God in Christ." (LaSor)

2. (4-10) The healing of the lame man.

And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them; walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

a. The lame man was correct in expecting to receive something from them, but he received much more than the monetary donation he would have been satisfied with!

i. Many of us haven't even come to the place where we really expect something from God. This is faith, plain and simple, even if the man was expecting the wrong thing.

ii. Better yet, we should expect the right things from God. We are so often ready to settle for much less than God wants to give us, and our low expectations often rob us.

b. Silver and gold I do not have: Peter didn't have any money, but he did have authority from Jesus to heal the sick (what I do have I give to you). Peter knew what it was like to have God use him to heal others, because Jesus had trained him in this (Luke 9:1-6).

i. For some people, to say silver and gold I do not have is about the worst thing anyone can say. They feel the church is in ruins if it must say "silver and gold I do not have." But how much worse it is if the church does not have the spiritual power to say, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk"?

ii. There is a story about a humble monk walking with a Roman Catholic cardinal at a time in the Middle Ages when the Roman Catholic church was at its zenith of power, prestige and wealth. The cardinal pointed to the opulent surroundings and said to the monk, "We no longer have to say, silver and gold I do not have." The monk replied, "But neither can you say, In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."

c. Peter said, what I do have I give you. He gave the lame man power in the name of Jesus, but he could not give it unless he had it in his own life. Many people want to be able to say rise up and walk without having received the power of Jesus in their own lives.

d. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up: It was one thing to say, "rise up and walk," but it was another thing entirely to so boldly take the man's hand and lift him to his feet. At this moment, Peter was receiving the gift of faith described in 1 Corinthians 12:9. This is a supernatural ability to trust God in a particular situation.

i. This wasn't something Peter did on a whim or as a promotional event; he did it under the specific prompting of the Holy Spirit. God gave Peter the supernatural ability to trust Him for something completely out of the ordinary.

e. Immediately his feet and bones received strength: Strength did not come to the lame man until Peter said "rise up and walk," and not until Peter took him by the right hand and lifted him up.

f. Entered the temple … walking, leaping, and praising God: As soon as he was healed, the formerly lame man did three good things. First, he attached himself to the apostles (entered the temple with them). Secondly, he immediately started to use what God had given him (walking, leaping). Finally, he began to praise and worship God (praising God).

g. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms: If this man was more than 40 years old (Acts 4:22), and had been crippled since birth, and was a familiar sight at this temple gate (Acts 3:10), then Jesus must have passed him by many times without healing him. Why? Because God's timing is just as important as His will, and it was for the greater glory of God that Jesus heal this man from heaven through His apostles.

 

. Peter preaches to the gathered crowd.

1. (11-12) Introduction: Why do you think we have done something great?

Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed. So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?"

a. When Peter saw it, he responded to the people: Peter wisely takes advantage of the crowd, but he knew that the phenomenon of the miraculous in itself brought no one to Jesus, it merely aroused interest. Though they were greatly amazed, they weren't saved yet!

i. Peter knew that saving faith did not come by seeing or hearing about miracles, rather faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).

b. Peter denies that the healing is due to either his power or godliness. Many "healers" today who would never claim to heal in their own power still give the impression that healing happens because they are so spiritual, so close to God, or so godly. Peter knew that it was all of Jesus and nothing was of him.

c. Why do you marvel at this? Peter's point is simple: Jesus healed all sorts of people when He walked this earth, so why should it seem strange that He continues to heal from heaven?

2. (13-18) Peter preaches Jesus.

"The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled."

a. Peter makes it clear which God he is speaking of; this is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

i. In our modern world, there are so many different (and strange) ideas about God, it is helpful for us to be clear about which God we serve and speak about. We can say "God" when talking to someone else, without realizing that our idea of God and their idea of God are completely different. Perhaps it would be helpful for us to more carefully define the God we are speaking of: The God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

b. His Servant Jesus: The greatness of Peter's sermon is that it is all about Jesus. The focus on the sermon is not on Peter or anything he has done, but all about Jesus.

c. Whom you delivered up and denied: Peter boldly lays the guilt of Jesus' death squarely where it belongs. Pilate, the Roman governor, was determined to let Him go, but the Jewish mob insisted on the crucifixion of Jesus (John 18:29-19:16).

i. Were the Jews guilty of the death of Jesus? Yes, but so were the Gentiles. The Romans would not have crucified Jesus without the Jews, and the Jews could not have crucified Jesus without the Romans. God made certain that both Jew and Gentile shared in the guilt of Jesus' death. In fact, it was not political intrigue or circumstances that put Jesus on the cross. It was our sin. If you want to know who put Jesus on the cross, look at me - or look in the mirror.

ii. Peter was not afraid to confront their sin, and he shows amazing boldness. "One commentator says that the miracle of the speech of Peter is a far more wonderful one than the miracle wrought in the healing of the man who lay at the Beautiful Gate." (Morgan)

d. Asked for a murderer to be granted to you: One of the ironies of the crucifixion of Jesus is that while the crowd rejected Jesus, they embraced a criminal and a murderer named Barabbas (Luke 23:13-25, John 18:39-40). Peter is boldly confronting this audience!

e. And killed the Prince of life: Of course, the Prince of life could not remain in the grave, and the apostles are united witnesses of the fact of His resurrection.

f. And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong: Peter says that it is in the name of Jesus that this man has been made whole. This means more than Peter said, "in Jesus name." It means that Peter consciously did this in the authority and power of Jesus, not the authority and power of Peter. Peter will not even take credit for the faith that was exercised in the healing (yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness).

i. "In Semitic thought, a name does not just identify or distinguish a person, it expresses the very nature of his being. Hence the power of the person is present and available in the name of the person." (Longenecker)

g. I know that you did it in ignorance: Peter recognizes they called for the execution of Jesus in ignorance of God's eternal plan. This does not make them innocent, but it does carefully define the nature of their guilt. If we sin in ignorance, it is still sin, but it is different from sin done with full knowledge.

h. He has thus fulfilled: Despite all the evil they did to Jesus, it did not change or derail God's plan. God can take the most horrible evil and use it for good. Joseph could say to his brothers, "you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good." (Genesis 50:20) The same principle was at work in the crucifixion of Jesus and is at work in our lives (Romans 8:28).

3. (19-21) Peter's call to repentance.

"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began."

a. Repent therefore: As he did in his first sermon (Acts 2:38), Peter calls upon the crowd to repent. He is telling them to turn around in their thinking and actions.

i. Repentance does not describe being sorry, but describes the act of turning around. And as he used it in chapter two, here also Peter makes repent a word of hope. You have done wrong, but you can turn around to get it right with God!

b. And be converted: Conversion is a work God does in us. Being a Christian is not "turning over a new leaf," it is being a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).

c. Blotted out has the idea of wiping ink off of a document. Ink in the ancient world had no acid content and didn't "bite" into the paper. It could almost always be wiped off with a damp cloth. Peter is saying that God will wipe away our record of sin just like that!

d. What are the times of refreshing Peter spoke of? He is referring to the time when Jesus returns and rules the earth in righteousness. Peter goes so far as to say, "that He may send Jesus Christ," thus implying that if the Jews as a nation repented, God the Father would send Jesus to return in glory.

i. Peter makes it clear that Jesus will remain in heaven until the times of restoration of all things, and since the repentance of Israel is one of the all things, there is some sense in which the return of Jesus in glory will not happen until Israel repents.

ii. Peter is essentially offering Israel the opportunity to hasten the return of Jesus by embracing Him on a national level, something that must happen before Jesus will return (Matthew 23:37-39; Romans 11:25-27).

iii. One may raise the hypothetical question, if the Jews of that day would have received the gospel on a national level, then would Jesus have returned way back then? Hypothetically, this may have been the case, but there is no point in speculating about something that didn't happen!

4. (22-26) Peter warns of the danger of rejecting Jesus.

"For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities."

a. For Moses truly said to the fathers: The Jews of Peter's day were aware of this prophecy of Moses (recorded in Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19), but some thought that the Prophet would be someone different than the Messiah; Peter makes it clear that they are one and the same.

b. Every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed: The destruction promised in the prophecy would become the legacy of this generation of Jews. Many, but not all, of this generation rejected Jesus twice over.

c. Hidden in the idea of the promise to Abraham (all the families of the earth shall be blessed) and in the words to you first is the undeveloped theme of the extension of the gospel to all the world - even Gentiles.

d. Sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities: God's desire to bless us and to do good for us also includes His desire to turn us all away from our sins.

i. Just as the lame man was hindered by expecting something from God, but expecting the wrong thing, so it was with the Jewish people at this time. They were expecting the Messiah, but not the right kind of Messiah. They were looking for a political Messiah, not one to turn every one of you from your iniquities. Are you expecting the right things from God today?

 

Acts 4

Peter and John Face the Sanhedrin
A. Peter preaches to the Jewish leaders.

1. (1-4) The arrest of Peter and John.

Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

a. The captain of the temple refers to the "police force" of the temple precincts: The captain, together with the priests and the Sadducees, all came together to arrest Peter and John.

b. The Sadducees would be greatly disturbed that Peter and John preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead; they did not believe in the afterlife or resurrection at all.

c. They put them into custody until the next day because it was illegal under Jewish law to have a trial by night, though this is what the Jewish rulers did to Jesus.

i. From the Mishnah, Sanhedrin 4.1: "Judgments about money may be commenced in the day and concluded in the night, but judgments about life must be begun in the day and concluded in the day" (cited in Williams).

ii. There was nothing wrong in the way that the Jewish leaders were investigating the matter; it was their responsibility to do so. What they did after they found out the facts was wrong.

d. The number of the men came to be about five thousand: Despite the opposition coming against the gospel, the number of Christians keeps increasing, growing to 5,000 from 3,000 at last count (Acts 2:41). Opposition did not slow the church down at all.

i. In the Western world, Christians rarely face persecution. Satan instead has attacked us with worldliness, selfish pride, a need for acceptance, and status. The martyr can impress unbelievers with his courage and faith; the self-centered, compromising Christian is despised by the world.

2. (5-7) Peter and John are brought before the Sanhedrin.

And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?"

a. Rulers, elders, and scribes: These Jewish rulers are the same ones who recently condemned Jesus to death. Peter and John, standing before the Jewish rulers, must have thought that the trial of Jesus was going to happen all over again and they would be crucified like their Master, but it didn't seem to matter.

b. The ideas behind by what power and by what name are virtually the same. In their thinking, the power resided in the name, because the name represented the character of the person.

3. (8-12) Peter boldly preaches to the Jewish leaders.

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

a. He is instantly filled with the Spirit again, evident by his supernatural boldness and ability to speak directly to the heart of the matter.

i. The filling of the Holy Spirit Peter experienced in Acts 2:4 (along with other disciples) was not a one-time event; it was something God wanted to keep doing in their lives.

b. The tone of Peter's reply - especially when he says "If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man" - shows that he is not intimidated by this court, though humanly speaking, he should be intimidated by the same court that sent Jesus to crucifixion.

i. For a good deed: Peter's logic is piercing - why are we on trial for a good deed?

c. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth: Peter preaches Jesus, the Jesus they crucified, the Jesus God raised from the dead, the Jesus who healed this man.

d. This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders': The quotation from Psalm 118:22 is appropriate. Jesus was rejected by men but exalted by His Father.

e. Peter doesn't merely proclaim Jesus as a way of salvation, but as the only way of salvation. The idea that there is no salvation in any other, and that there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved is an offensive one in our pluralistic, eclectic age; but it is the plain teaching of the Bible.

i. Does this mean that everyone must make a personal decision for Jesus Christ? What about the infant who dies? What about the person who has never heard about Jesus? God will deal with them fairly and justly, and those who are saved will be saved by the work of Jesus done on their behalf, even if they lacked a full knowledge of Jesus. But what about you?

ii. If you wish to believe that all are saved or that there are many roads to heaven or that you can take the best of all faiths and blend them into one, fine, believe so and bear the consequences; but please do not claim this is the teaching of the Bible.

 

B. The Jewish rulers react to Peter's sermon.

1. (13) What they saw in Peter and John's character.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

a. They were uneducated and untrained men: Indeed, Peter and John were Galilean fishermen with no formal education, but they had the one essential qualification for ministry - they had been with Jesus.

i. It was as if the Sanhedrin said, "These guys are just like Jesus! We thought we solved the Jesus problem when we crucified Him, but now it is worse than ever!"

ii. People should go to Jesus directly, but often they won't. The only Jesus they are going to see is what shines through us. We must work to make the fact that we have been with Jesus as obvious in our lives as it was in theirs.

b. They saw the boldness of Peter and John: Because they had been with Jesus, they are naturally bold. When you are a servant of the all-powerful God, what do you fear from the courts of man?

i. "A few men unarmed, furnished with no garrisons, do show forth more power in their voice alone, than all the world, by raging against them." (Calvin)

c. "It is particularly striking that neither on this nor on any subsequent occasion … did the Sanhedrin take any serious action to disprove the apostles' central affirmation - the resurrection of Jesus. Had it seemed possible to refute them on this point, how readily would the Sanhedrin seized the opportunity! Had they succeeded, how quickly and completely the new movement would have collapsed!" (Bruce)

2. (14) What they saw in the man who was healed.

And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

a. They could say nothing against it: This miracle was examined by doubters and stood up as a genuine miracle. This was not a case where the healing was "lost" in a few hours, as some claim happens today.

b. Previously, this man was completely lame, having to be carried wherever he went (Acts 3:2), and now he was completely healed. This contrasts many who get up out of wheelchairs at modern "healing services" yet come with a limited ability to walk, but are able for a few moments to walk much better because of the hype, emotion, and adrenaline. Yet they tragically leave the arena in the wheelchair, having "lost" their healing.

3. (15-18) Taking counsel, the Jewish leaders command Peter and John to stop preaching Jesus.

But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, "What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name." And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

a. They conferred among themselves: How did Luke ever find out what the Sanhedrin discussed among themselves? Undoubtedly, because member of that Sanhedrin later became a Christian: Saul of Tarsus.

b. We cannot deny it: The corruption of their hearts is plain. They acknowledge that a miracle has genuinely happened, yet they refuse to submit to the God who worked the miracle.

c. So that it spreads no further among the people: Their fear of the preaching of Jesus was rooted in their own sinful self-interest, not in any desire to protect the people.

d. How did Luke know the private discussions of the Sanhedrin? In all likelihood, there was a dynamic, brilliant young rabbi present among the Sanhedrin named Saul of Tarsus who later reported all this to Luke.

i. Even though Saul himself did not know it, God was working in his heart through Peter and John. They had no idea they were preaching to a future apostle and the greatest missionary the church would ever see. We have no idea how greatly God can use us!

4. (19-20) Peter and John respond to the command to stop preaching Jesus.

But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

a. Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge: It is self-evident that they should listen to God instead of man. Peter makes an effective appeal to this truth.

b. We cannot but speak: Peter and John must speak of the things which they had seen and heard. They had to, not only because of the inner compulsion of the Holy Spirit, but also because of the command of Jesus: You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem (Acts 1:8)

c. They did not originate this message; they merely speak the things which we have seen and heard, as reliable eyewitnesses.

5. (21-22) Peter and John are released with threats of future punishment.

So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

a. Finding no way of punishing them, because of the people: The Jewish leaders were completely unmoved by an obvious miracle from God, yet they would respond to public opinion. This proves they cared far more about man's opinion than God's opinion.

b. They all glorified God for what had been done: This whole situation started out looking pretty bad. Peter and John were on trial before the same court that sent Jesus to Pilate for crucifixion. Satan meant it all for great evil, but before it is all over, see what God did:

i. Two thousand more people come to believe on Jesus.

ii. Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit again.

iii. Peter gets to preach Jesus to the leaders of the Jews.

iv. Hostile examiners confirm a miraculous healing.

v. The enemies of Jesus are confused.

vi. Peter and John are bolder for Jesus than ever before.

vii. God is glorified.

 

C. The early church prays for boldness.

1. (23-24) Introduction: They acknowledge their God.

And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them."

a. They reported all that the chief priests and elders had said: We can just picture Peter and John saying, "They let us tell them about Jesus! They realized we were like Jesus! They told us not to tell others about Jesus!"

b. They raised their voice: They prayed vocally. It is certainly possible to pray silently in our minds, but we can focus our thoughts more effectively when we speak out our prayers.

i. It isn't that they all prayed, speaking at the same time. One person prayed, and all agreed with that one, so that they were really praying with one voice (voice is in the singular).

ii. "With one accord they lift up their voice to God. This does not mean that they all prayed at once. That would have been confusion. Disorder in meetings, a number of people talking at the same time in a boisterous way with outward demonstrations, is an evidence that the Holy Spirit is not leading, for God is not a God of disorder." (Gaebelein)

c. With one accord: They prayed in unity. There was no strife or contention among them. There wasn't one group saying, "we should pray for this" and another saying, "we should pray for that." They had the same mind when they prayed.

d. Lord, You are God: They begin by reminding themselves who they are praying to. They are praying to the Lord of all creation, the God of all power.

i. This word Lord is not the usual word for "Lord" in the New Testament; it is the Greek word despotes. It was a word used of a slave owner or ruler who has power that cannot be questioned. They prayed with power and confidence because they knew God was in control.

ii. When we pray, we often forget just who it is we are praying to, or worse yet, we pray to an imaginary God of our own ideas. The disciples had power in prayer because they knew who they were praying to.

 

2. (25-28) They pray in light of the Scriptures.

"Who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: 'Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the LORD and against His Christ.' For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done."

a. By the mouth of Your servant David have said: Peter, speaking for all the disciples (remember they were praying with one accord), recognized that words of the Old Testament (Psalm 2 to be exact) were really the words of God. God was speaking by the mouth of [His] servant David.

b. Why did Peter quote Psalm 2 here? Because he and the other disciples understand what is happening to them by seeing what the Bible says about it. From Psalm 2, they understand that they should expect this sort of opposition and not be troubled because of it.

i. When we pray, we must see our circumstances in light of God's Word. For example, when we are in conflict, perhaps we need to know we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age. (Ephesians 6:12)

ii. Seeing our circumstances in light of God's Word also means seeing when there is a sin problem. Then, we should say with the Psalmist, When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. (Psalm 32:3-4, Peterson). Perhaps we are in the same place the Psalmist was, in sin and needing to confess and get right with God.

iii. We also use Scripture in prayer to pray the promises of God. When we need strength, we can pray according to Ephesians 3:16: That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. God's Word will speak to our situation!

c. Because they saw their circumstances in light of God's Word, they could recognize that the wrath of man never operated outside of the sphere of God's control; these enemies of Jesus could only do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

i. This brings real peace, knowing that whatever comes my way has passed through God's hand first, and He will not allow even the most wicked acts of men to result in permanent damage.

3. (29-30) They ask for more boldness, more power, and (essentially) more trouble!

"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."

a. Grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word: This request is consumed with God's cause and glory, not the comfort and advancement of the disciples. They ask for things that will lead to more confrontation, not less!

b. By stretching out Your hand to heal: They do not ask to do miracles themselves. They understand that Jesus heals by His hand, only He does it from heaven through His people.

i. It is a snare to long to be used to do miraculous things. It is often rooted in the pride that wants everyone to see just how greatly God can use me. I should be delighted in the power of God, not because He has used me to display it.

 

D. The sharing heart of the early church.

1. (32) Their attitude towards each other and towards material possessions.

Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.

a. Those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of things he possessed was his own: Because of their unity, they regarded people more important than things.

b. They had all things in common: They recognized God's ownership of everything; it all belonged to God and His people.

c. All things in common: Was this an early form of communism? There is a contrast between communism and koinonia. "Communism says, 'What is yours is mine; I'll take it.' Koinonia says, 'What is mine is yours, I'll share it.'" (LaSor)

i. "The Greek here does not mean that everyone sold their property at once. Rather, from time to time this was done as the Lord brought needs to their attention." (Horton)

d. Some people think that this radical sharing of possessions among the early church was a mistake. They say it was based on the wrong idea that Jesus was returning immediately, and that it led to much poverty in the Jerusalem church later on.

2. (33) The effective witness of the apostles.

And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.

a. With great power: This is both the result and the root of the attitude in the previous verse. Acts 4:32 shows they were putting God first, people second, and material things a distant third.

b. Gave witness to the resurrection: Notice again the central place the resurrection of Jesus holds in the message of the first Christians. They preached a resurrected Jesus.

c. Great grace was upon them all. Grace is God's favor, His smile from heaven, and it was upon them all. God's favor was evident everywhere.

3. (34-37) Examples of early giving.

Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

a. All who were possessors of lands or houses sold them: This radical giving was absolutely necessary to meet the needs of this rapidly growing church. Remember, many of these Jerusalem Christians came as "refugees" from abroad, having responded to the gospel on Pentecost.

b. All who were possessors of lands: People didn't wait for someone else to give. When a need arose, they gave of their own possessions to help someone else.

i. Unfortunately, this generosity of the early Christians soon began to be abused, and Paul had to give strict instructions to the churches on who should be helped and how.

ii. Paul's directions are that the church must discern who the truly needy are (1 Timothy 5:3). If one can work to support himself, he is not truly needy and must provide for his own needs (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, 1 Timothy 5:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:11). If family can support a needy person, the church should not support them (1 Timothy 5:3-4). Those who are supported by the church must make some return to the church body (1 Timothy 5:5, 10). It is right for the church to examine moral conduct before giving support (1 Timothy 5:9-13). And the support of the church should be for the most basic necessities of living (1 Timothy 6:8).

c. Joses, who was also named Barnabas: One man named Barnabas was a notable example of this giving spirit

 

Acts 5

The Church Grows Despite Opposition
A. The lie of Ananias and Sapphira.

1. (1-2) What Ananias and Sapphira did.

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet.

a. After they saw the great generosity of Barnabas, and how well he was respected, Ananias and Sapphira decided they wanted some of the same respect.

b. He kept back part of the proceeds: They sold the possession, and gave only a portion to the church, while implying that they had sacrificially given it all to the church.

i. The word for kept back is nosphizomai, which means "to misappropriate." The same word was used of Achan's theft in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Joshua 7:21), and in its only other New Testament use, it means to steal (Titus 2:10).

ii. "The story of Ananias is to the Book of Acts what the story of Achan is to the book of Joshua. In both narratives an act of deceit interrupts the victorious progress of the people of God." (Bruce)

c. His wife also being aware of it: Clearly, both husband and wife were in on the deception.

i. "There may indeed be the further implication that Ananias and Sapphira had vowed to give the whole proceeds of the sale to God, but then changed their mind and handed over only part." (Bruce)

ii. "Once the love of money takes possession of a person, there is no evil that he cannot or will not do." (Horton)

iii. According to Calvin, these are the "evils packed under" the sin of Ananias, beyond the mere attempt to deceive God and the church: The contempt of God, sacrilegious defrauding, perverse vanity and ambition, lack of faith, the corrupting of a good and holy order, and hypocrisy.

2. (3-6) Peter confronts Ananias.

But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.

a. Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart: God apparently gave Peter supernatural knowledge of what Ananias had done. This spiritual gift, called the word of knowledge, is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8.

i. When Peter said this, Ananias must have been crushed. Certainly, he was expecting praise for his spectacular gift, but was rebuked instead.

b. Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit: Peter did not accuse Ananias of lying to the church, or to the apostles, but to the Holy Spirit Himself.

c. While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Peter freely acknowledges that the land and its value belonged to Ananias alone; he was completely free to do with it what he wanted. His crime was not withholding the money, but in deceptively implying that he was giving it all.

i. Of course, his sin was greed (in keeping the money); but his greater sin was pride, in wanting everyone to consider him so spiritual that he "gave it all."

ii. It wasn't that Ananias' gift wasn't big enough, but that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 15:8).

iii. The spirit of Ananias is alive and well in the church today. Far too many want to be considered "spiritual" while refusing to pay any kind of price in their service to God.

d. Their sin was so unnecessary: While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Ananias was free to use the money for whatever he wanted, except as a means to inflate his own spiritual pride.

e. Satan had filled the heart of Ananias, yet Peter could ask why he had conceived this thing in your heart. Satan can influence the life of a believer, even a spirit-filled believer, but he can't do your sinning for you. Ananias had to conceive it in his heart.

f. Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last: Peter did not pronounce a "death sentence" on Ananias. He simply confronted him with his sin and Ananias fell down dead. It isn't the business of the church to pronounce a "death sentence" on anyone!

i. "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." (Morgan).

ii. Peter was probably more surprised than anyone when Ananias fell down dead!

g. God struck Ananias dead for his sin. Doesn't this seem rather harsh?

i. The greater wonder is that God delays His righteous judgment in virtually all other cases. Ananias received exactly what he deserved; he simply could not live in the atmosphere of purity that marked the church at that time.

ii. The physical means by which Ananias died was probably a heart attack. Ananias lived in a time, and among a people, who really believed there was a God in heaven we must all answer to. It frightened him to have his sin exposed and to know he was accountable before God for it. How many people would be frightened before God if confronted with sin like this? Today, too many people would yawn or debate if confronted with sin like this!

iii. What Ananias did also must be seen in the context of its time. This was a critical juncture for the early church, and such impurity, sin, scandal and satanic infiltration could have corrupted the entire church at its root. "The Church has never been harmed or hindered by opposition from without; it has been perpetually harmed and hindered by perils from within." (Morgan)

iv. Why don't we see God judge the same way now? In part, because the church has so many "branches." Even if the entire body of Christ in the United States was to become corrupt through scandal or sin, there is plenty of strength in other parts of the "tree."

v. "The Church's administration to-day is not what it was, or there might be many dead men and women at the end of some services." (Morgan)

h. The shock of being exposed was too much for Ananias. For many Christians in compromise, their greatest fear is not in sinning itself, but in being found out.

i. As much as anything, the lesson of Ananias and Sapphira is that we presume greatly on God when we assume that there is always time to repent, time to get right with God, time to get honest with Him. Any such time given by God is an undeserved gift that He owes no one; we should never assume it will always be there.

i. God's purpose was accomplished in the church at large: So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. Surely, this is one of the great understatements of the Bible!

 

3. (7-11) Peter confronts Sapphira.

Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much." Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

a. How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Sapphira was a knowing and willing participant in the sin, as well as the blatant cover-up. God's judgment of her is just as righteous as His judgment of Ananias.

b. We don't know if Ananias and Sapphira had a good or a bad marriage, if they agreed often or fought often. We do know that they at least agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord. They should have found agreement for the Lord, instead of against Him!

i. Married couples in the Lord have a responsibility to keep each other from sin, and to refuse to participate in sin together, for God will hold each accountable. The concept of submission does not extend to submitting unto sin.

c. Great fear came upon all the church: This is the first use of the word church in the Book of Acts. What is the church?

i. "The Greek word has both a Gentile and a Jewish background. In its Gentile sense it denotes chiefly the citizen-assembly of a Greek city … but it is its Jewish usage that underlies its use to denote the community of believers in Jesus. In the Septuagint it is one of the words used to denote the people of Israel in their religious character as Yahweh's 'assembly.'" (Bruce)

ii. In other words, Luke chose a term that was used in his Bible to describe the people of God in the Old Testament. It was not the only term, but certainly one of the terms.

iii. "The Christian ekklesia was both new and old - new, because of its relation and witness to Jesus as Lord and to the epoch-making events of his death exaltation and the sending of the Spirit; old, as the continuation of the 'congregation of the Lord' which had formerly been confined within the limits of one nation, but now, having died and risen with Christ, was to be open to all believers without distinction." (Bruce)

4. Observations on the account of Ananias and Sapphira.

a. Were Ananias and Sapphira saved? It is impossible to say for certain, for only God knows. But we can see that it is possible for a Christian to sin unto death (1 John 5:16-17), and we have New Testament examples of saved Christians being judged by being "brought home" in death (1 Corinthians 11:27-32).

b. Notice that their great sin was rooted in pride; pride will corrupt the church more quickly than anything else.

c. In noticing the comparison between the incident of Ananias and Sapphira and Achan in the book of Joshua, it is interesting also to look at the contrasts. In Joshua, God expected the people of God themselves to execute the judgment upon the offender. But in Acts, God takes this type of judgment out of the church's hand and executes it Himself. The church has no place in administering such punishment itself or in having civil authorities do so for them