05 Acts Chapter 5
Acts 5:1-11 Telling Lies to God
Acts 5:1-11 ISV But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold some property. (2) With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back some of the money for himself and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (3) Peter asked, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back some of the money you got for the land? (4) As long as it remained unsold, wasn’t it your own? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? So how could you have conceived such a thing in your heart? You did not lie to men but to God!" (5) When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized everyone who heard about it. (6) The young men got up, wrapped him up, carried him outside, and buried him. (7) After an interval of about three hours, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. (8) So Peter asked her, "Tell me, did you sell the land for that price?" She answered, "Yes, that was the price." (9) Then Peter said to her, "How could you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you outside as well." (10) She instantly fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in, they found her dead. So they carried her out and buried her next to her husband. (11) And great fear seized the whole church and everyone else who heard about this. The two great tragedies of the early church were Judas Iscariot and Ananias & Sapphira - and there are considerable similarities:
1. The issue in both cases was covetousness.
2. In both cases Satan “filled their heart”.
3. They both did so in a context of the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit - Judas with Jesus, Ananias & Sapphira with Peter and the apostolic assembly.
4.In both cases they died as a direct result. The problem was not that Ananias & Sapphira only gave part of the proceeds. The apostle Peter said: “And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?” indicating that there was no compulsion to give the entire amount. They could have given half and kept half - and no-one would have objected. Our money is ours to freely use for God.
What was wrong is that they lied about the matter: "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back some of the money you got for the land? And later…So Peter asked her, "Tell me, did you sell the land for that price?" She answered, "Yes, that was the price." (9) Then Peter said to her, "How could you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?
They were lying to God’s servants and they were testing God and testing the prophetic gift that was upon the apostles. This is no small matter; especially in the midst of revival and the powerful manifest presence of God. Revivals are characterized by an awe of God that keeps people on the straight and narrow. In the face of this Ananias & Sapphira were trying to be smart - and get all of the spiritual kudos without making the full financial sacrifice. They were trying to trick God.
Financial deceit leads to all sorts of dodges and self-deceptions as the believer attempts to rationalize their behaviour. “Borrowing” becomes pilfering and pilfering becomes covered by lies and takes us out of the light. Satan enters in at our weak points, especially those where we shut down our conscience. We tend to only shut down our conscience when we want to do something else - have an affair, tell a lie, be greedy, or pursue an ungodly option. Money is a powerful incentive to betray Christ - and it will be the choice we have to make in the last days. (Revelation 13:1-18) Thus the New Testament is very stern about financial matters:
1 Timothy 6:5-11 ISV …They think that godliness is a way to make a profit. (6) Of course, godliness with contentment does bring a great profit. (7) For we did not bring anything into the world, and surely we cannot take anything out of it. (8) So as long as we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with these. (9) But people who want to get rich keep toppling into temptation and are trapped by many stupid and harmful desires that plunge them into destruction and ruin. (10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with much pain. (11) But you, man of God, must flee from all these things. ..
Matthew 6:24 ISV "No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!"
Luke 14:33 ISV In the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.
We can cling to cash - and end up trying to serve two masters. In the case of Ananias and Sapphira the master they chose to despise was the Lord!
Money should be our servant and God’s servant, doing His will in His Kingdom. There are at least five financial priorities given in Scripture:
1. Providing for one’s family including aged parents. (1 Timothy 5:8)
2.Providing for the poor neighbor, widows and orphans in their distress, especially one’s brothers and sisters in Christ. (James 1:27, 1 John 3:16-18) 3.Providing for God’s servants who teach you the Word. (Galatians 6:6) 4.Providing for missionaries and itinerant workers. (3 John 1:5-8).
5.Providing international relief especially to Christians. (2 Corinthians chapters 8 & 9) The first two of these are very high priority items!! Those who do not provide for their family “worse than an unbeliever and have denied the faith”. While those who help the poor practice “pure religion” and are assured they possess “the love of God”. The other three do not carry the same weighty spiritual imperatives but are still strongly recommended for believers. A good balance is provided by Paul: 1 Timothy 6:17-19 MKJV Charge the rich in this world that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, He offering to us richly all things to enjoy, (18) that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to share, to be generous, (19) laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Here Paul makes clear: 1. It is OK to be rich if you are generous. 2. God has given us all things richly to enjoy. 3. But we should be humble and remember our treasure is in heaven.
Acts 5:12-16 Power Unleashed
Acts 5:12-16 MKJV And many miracles and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. (13) And of the rest no one dared to join himself to them, but the people magnified them; (14) and more believing ones were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women; (15) So as to carry out the sick into the streets and place them on cots and mattresses, so that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. (16) And also a multitude came from the cities around Jerusalem, bringing sick ones, and those being tormented by unclean spirits, who were all healed. The prayer at the end of Acts 4:1-37 is answered with mighty miracles. It is a glorious season of healing and of proclamation of the gospel - but as we will see tomorrow the Sanhedrin soon opposes it.
“and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.” Again, as at Pentecost, the mighty season of miracles is preceded by Christians being united, in prayer and worship, in one geographical location - in this case - Solomon’s Portico.
[Note on Solomon’s Porch / Portico: A “portico” is an ambulatory, consisting of a roof supported by columns placed at regular intervals - a roofed colonnade. The portico bearing Solomon’s name was that running along the eastern wall in the Court of the Gentiles of Herod’s temple. It had double columns. It is mentioned in John 10;23, Acts 3:11 and Acts 5:12 and seems to have been a favorite gathering place for Christian teaching.]
“And many miracles and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles” - throughout the New Testament it is mainly the apostolic anointing that causes miracles and powerful healings to occur. We should not be astonished that some have healing gifts and others do not. That the miracles happened through the apostles and not through others is no slur on the non-apostles but is simply the ordering of God. The flip side of this is that spiritual leaders should possess real spiritual power - not just organizational skills or academic excellence. The Sanhedrin had the political and intellectual skills, but lacked true spiritual power. The apostles led because they knew Jesus and exercised healing and delivering power in His name. What use is a spiritual leader who cannot deliver people from demons?
“And of the rest no one dared to join himself to them, but the people magnified them;” - the apostles were so clearly the leaders that no-one else claimed leadership or apostleship. They were in a class of their own. They were respected and “magnified” and gained the following of the new Christian community. The problem with many revivals is a swift fracturing of the leadership, or rival claims to leadership of the revival. The post-Pentecost community was “of one accord” and led by Spirit-filled men of God, who were the unchallenged (and unchallengeable) leadership of the movement. This unity and good leadership, which was duly respected, gave rise to a long season of miracles that affected not just Jerusalem but the entire surrounding area. The power was so great that it led to superstitious behavior - “So as to carry out the sick into the streets and place them on cots and mattresses, so that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.” This sort of thing happens on the mission field when the power of the gospel impacts a pre-Christian culture, which then views that power through its own cultural paradigms. In such innocent cases, much to our chagrin, God sometimes honors the superstition!
However, when the Holy Spirit moves He can do the most unusual things - and we see healing by cloths and even handkerchiefs in Acts 19:12. In the Old Testament a man is raised from the dead when his body accidentally falls on the bones of Elisha! (2 Kings 13:21).
Yet I do not think that we should start a ministry of “shadow healing”! Laying on of hands and anointing with oil with a prayer of faith and a word of command is much more biblical! The revival had large numbers of converts - which is always a good sign! Both men and women came to the Lord. This is a mature revival - most revivals seem many women coming to the Lord at first, but few men. The men have much more pride to swallow!
There was regional impact - and both healing and deliverance: “And also a multitude came from the cities around Jerusalem, bringing sick ones, and those being tormented by unclean spirits, who were all healed.” The apostolic anointing was so great and the faith level was so high that they “were all healed.” This phrase (all healed) starts in Ezekiel 47:9 and is the outcome of the river that flows from the Throne of God. We then find it occurring in the ministry of Jesus (Matthew 8:16, Luke 6:19) and finally here with the apostles in Acts. The river of life is a river of healing and when it flows in revival power all are healed. The flip side is that it answers the question “why isn’t everyone healed? ” - with “because the power of God is not yet present in its fullness”. When the river flows, and overflows with abundance, then everyone is healed. But the River of Life is often blocked by division, heresy, greed, unbelief and so forth (as it was at Nazareth Mark 6:5, Matthew 13:58). It is not with the sick that the blame lies - but with us who lead them, who are not in unity, and who lack faith - as the disciples did when confronted with the child tormented by an evil spirit they could not cast out. (Matthew 17:17-20) It wasn’t the child that Jesus rebuked - but His own followers!
Healing and deliverance are the inheritance of the Church when it is in the Spirit, in unity, submitted to Christ and filled with faith.
Acts 5:1-42; Acts 17:1-34; Acts 18:1-28; Acts 19:1-41; Acts 20:1-38; Acts 21:1-40a The Gospel Cannot Be Locked Up
Acts 5:17-21 LITV And rising up, the high priest and all those with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, were filled with zeal, (18) and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in public custody. (19) But an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison during the night, and leading them out, he said, (20) Go! And standing in the temple, speak to the people all the words of this Life. (21) And hearing, they went into the temple about dawn and taught.
Peter gets let out of jail by angels - twice here with the Sanhedrin in chapter 5, and later under Herod in chapter 12. Peter spoke the “words of Life” and even the angels wanted Peter to keep preaching! The gospel cannot be locked up if God wants it to be proclaimed!
There is a time when preaching is urgent, when a great spiritual movement is going on and we MUST preach! (At other times I hardly preach at all - as with my three and a half years in the Philippines. The need there was to train and equip the preachers - not for me to do the preaching myself.) Here the urgency is so great that God sends angels so Peter can go into the midst of the temple at dawn and preach the gospel!
There is also a touch of humor in today’s passage. The Sanhedrin put Peter in jail and there he is preaching, in the temple, back on their turf again. The doors are locked, but he is out and the gospel is being proclaimed. But the main point is this: The gospel cannot be locked up if God wants it to be proclaimed!
God will get His Word out. He will send a messenger, if not you, then someone else, if not the wise, then the foolish, if not the strong, then the weak will be sent - and will be made strong. The gospel has an extraordinary ability to escape confinement - and the Internet is helping that process! I minister in many more countries than I could physically visit. By the way feel free to reproduce these devotionals for non-profit ministry purposes. May the gospel move freely! The Devil may take away your ministry budget, but God will supply through another means, the Devil may stand you with floodwaters so you cannot reach the convention you were supposed to preach at - but God will raise up another opportunity, right where you are. In 1994 I was “stick” for ministry opportunities so I started Eternity Online Magazine on the Internet and had over one million readers per month by 1997! Satan imprisons - but God releases.
Satan may bind you up in one way, but God will release you in another!
You may be an invalid, imprisoned by arthritis, but God can release you to pray and to be an intercessor and give strength to the works of God. All the strength in my ministry comes from the prayers of the saints!
You may not be able to be in “full-time ministry” because of a disabled child that requires special care. But the disabled community needs “chaplains” that understand the pain and weariness and frustration and discrimination. Could that be where you are to minister?
There are special restrictions on the gospel in places like Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Tibet. These are the so-called “closed countries” - and there are many more of them. There many of God’s preachers are jailed, or tortured or killed. But the gospel is not jailed - radio broadcasters send in their signals, the Internet reaches other places, people smuggle in Bibles and so on and so forth. China is a closed country that has experienced a great revival.
Why is God so concerned that the gospel be preached? Because it is the “word of Life”. It brings eternal life to spiritually dead people. It is not just another religious opinion - it is spiritual power and grace. It is the power of God unto salvation. (Romans 1:16)
If God is so concerned about the proclamation of the gospel that He would send angels to unlock Peter - how much more does he want to unlock your power to proclaim His Word? Proclamation is a priority for God, and should also be a priority for us.
God will give you a certain message for a certain place at a particular time. “Now, In the temple…the words of Life.” You have to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in this. It is best to know how God wants His gospel proclaimed. But even if you don’t, or aren’t sure - proclaim it anyway.
Where are the most needy places in the world for the gospel to be proclaimed?
1. India, Indonesia and China.
2.Muslim nations 3.The urban slums of the developing world in which 1.5 billion people dwell.
How can we proclaim it there? By Internet, Christian radio, the Jesus film, personal witness, development work, medical missions and so forth. Hopefully a combination of the above.
I have projects in these places (mainly evangelistic Internet cafes). If you are interested in supporting them or helping out just email me on johned@aibi.ph Acts 5:21b-33 Murderous Hearts
Acts 5:21-33 ISV After they heard this, they went into the temple at daybreak and began to teach. The high priest and those who were with him arrived, called the Council and all the elders of Israel together, and sent word to the prison to have the men brought in. (22) When the temple police got there, they did not find them in the prison. They came back and reported, (23) "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside." (24) When the commander of the temple guards and the high priests heard these words, they were utterly at a loss as to what could have happened to them. (25) Then someone came and told them, "Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!" (26) So the commander of the temple guards went with his men to bring them back without force, because they were afraid of being stoned to death by the people. (27) When they brought them back, they made them stand before the Council, and the high priest began to question them. (28) He said, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in his name, didn’t we? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man’s blood on us!" (29) But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. (30) The God of our ancestors raised Jesus to life after you hung him on a tree and killed him. (31) God has exalted to his right hand this very man as our Leader and Savior in order to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. (32) We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who keep on obeying him." (33) When they heard this, they became furious and wanted to kill them.
If the people had ignored the gospel the Sanhedrin would not have been worried. It was the reception of the gospel by multitudes that was toppling the spiritual order of that time. The people were glad of the miracles and the message of Life, but the Sanhedrin was angry, defensive and even became murderous. Their charge was: “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man’s blood on us!" The gospel was spreading and being accepted. Peter had “filled Jerusalem” with the gospel!
Peter was so popular that the arresting officers were afraid to touch him: “ ..went with his men to bring them back without force, because they were afraid of being stoned to death by the people.” Their attempts to restrain the gospel prompt this reply from Peter and the other apostles: “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) This is slightly stronger than his previous “We must listen to God rather than men” (Acts 4:19) and indicates a much stronger confrontation is taking place. By the end of this discourse the relationship will have totally broken down “they became furious and wanted to kill them.” The apostles were asking the Sanhedrin to repent of their murder of Jesus Christ. On the other hand the Sanhedrin was determined to defend their guilty actions, - even if it meant killing more people. As we shall see this caused a split in the Sanhedrin between moderates such as Gamaliel, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea and the hard-liners such as the family of Annas.
Underlying the dispute is the question of, to put it crudely, “who owns the Holy Spirit” - the religious establishment - or Jesus! At the end of the apostle’s speech there is the phrase “and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who keep on obeying him.” Now it was obvious that the members of the Sanhedrin were not doing miracles or empowered by the Holy Spirit - and it was equally obvious that the apostles were so empowered. Those who the apostles laid hands on received the Holy Ghost, but the chief priests had no such power.
If the apostles were genuinely dispensing the Holy Spirit, and by implication were obeying God, and if the Messiah had come - then the whole Levitical priesthood was out of a job! The priesthood was all about anointing - who had it, who didn’t etc. If the anointing had “moved on” - they and their whole structure, were finished. The critical notion here is of a “change of priesthood” from Aaron’s descendants to the spiritual “priesthood of Melchizedek” which we find in Psalms 110:1-7:
Psalms 110:1-4 MKJV A Psalm of David. Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I place Your enemies as Your footstool. (2) Jehovah shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion; rule in the midst of Your enemies. (3) Your people shall be willing in the day of Your power, in holy adornment from the womb of the morning: You have the dew of Your youth. (4) Jehovah has sworn, and will not repent, You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
If Jesus had risen from the dead, ascended into Heaven and was at God’s right hand (Pslam110:1) as the apostles claimed (Acts 5:31) then the priesthood had changed - for He had taken up the priesthood of Melchizedek described in Psalms 110:1-7 above and later in Hebrews:
Hebrews 6:20 MKJV where the Forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (see all of Hebrews 7:1-28 as well)
Thus the battle is between the Aaronic priesthood (Jews) and the Melchizedek priesthood (Jesus, apostles and Christians) and the key in the tug of war was whether Jesus had risen and was at God’s right hand. Jesus at God’s right hand was such a hot topic that it got Stephen stoned to death:
Acts 7:55-58 MKJV But being full of the Holy Spirit, looking up intently into Heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. (56) And he said, Behold, I see Heaven opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. (57) And crying out with a loud voice, they stopped their ears and ran on him with one accord. (58) And throwing him outside the city, they stoned him. And the witnesses laid their clothes down at the feet of a young man named Saul.
If Jesus was actually at God’s right hand and pouring out the Holy Spirit, then the game was over, the priesthood had changed, they had crucified the Messiah, they were under judgment, and so on and so forth. The apostles from Galilee, the uneducated fishermen would be the future - and of course they were! Systems do not like to change - especially religious systems 1400 years old. In the end, in spite of many miracles, the Jewish religious leaders chose death rather than life and murder rather than repentance. Let us be careful when God does new things in our midst.
Acts 5:34-42 The Wise Counsel of Gamaliel
Acts 5:34-42 MKJV Then there stood up one in the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law honored among all the people. And he commanded the apostles to be put outside a little space. (35) And he said to them, Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. (36) For before these days Theudas rose up, boasting himself to be somebody; a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves to him; who was slain. And all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered and brought to nothing. (37) After this one, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the Registration, and drew away considerable people after him. Yet that one perished; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered. (38) And now I say to you, Withdraw from these men and let them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will come to nothing. (39) But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps you be found even to fight against God. (40) And they obeyed him. And calling the apostles, beating them, they commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. (41) Then indeed they departed from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be shamed for His name. (42) And every day in the temple, and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching the gospel: Jesus Christ.
Gamaliel is a fascinating character: Gamaliel came from an impeccable lineage - a Pharisee of Pharisees he was the grand-son of Hillel, one of the main expounders of the Jewish Law and a strict Pharisee. Gamaliel’s father was Rabban Simeon (Rabban is a very high title, even higher than Rabbi). This Rabban Simeon may have been the devout Simeon that blessed the infant Jesus in the Temple. Gamaliel himself was also one of the Misnic doctors, the 35th since the giving of the Law. Gamaliel taught the Apostle Paul, and there is a legend that Gamaliel too became a Christian at some point (though this has not been confirmed). Gamaliel became president of the Sanhedrin and it was said: "when he died, (in AD 52) the glory of the law ceased, and purity and pharisaism died;’’ (the above information is a condensation of information in the ISBE and Gill’s Commentary).
Since Gamaliel would have been good friends with both Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea and presumably his former pupil - Paul would also have prayed for his conversion, I’d like to think that the legend of the salvation of this noble man was true! Gamaliel was certainly close to the line in his speech here when he recognized the work of God :
“And now I say to you, Withdraw from these men and let them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will come to nothing. (39) But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps you be found even to fight against God.”
Now this is excellent advice when dealing with a revival. Some revivals are false - if so they will fizzle; but if a revival is of God, then we can be found to be “fighting against God” if we criticize it. The things to look for are genuine repentance and conversion and the fruits of faith, holy living and godly wisdom. Odd manifestations sometimes occur in the spiritual atmosphere that surrounds revivals and especially as Satan tries to distract, deceive and disrupt the work of God. Such manifestations neither authenticate the revival nor do they make it unholy. They “just happen” and should not be sought. Only God in Christ and His work in us should be sought.
Sometimes wrong doctrine is preached. If inadvertently, out of ignorance, then the preacher should be gently corrected. If deliberately, then stern rebuke is in order. Few revivals are led by theologians - the New England revival of Jonathan Edwards being the exception rather than the rule. Theology can be really messy at the outset of a revival. However if the preachers are humble and teachable in this regard and the fruit of changed lives is present then the signs are good for the future.
God is orderly but He is seldom neat and tidy. He does not plant his trees all in a row or make square continents. There is a certain fractal looseness, a higher geometry with God. In line with this the Holy Spirit seldom follows neat social expectations. Jesus broke many of the social rules of the day - for instance in talking to the woman, who was a Samaritan, who also had a checkered sexual history. Indeed few preachers even today would dare open up such a conversation. The Holy Spirit often offends the social and ecclesiastical order of the day - and certainly did so in Jerusalem in the time of Jesus. This is not to say that upsetting people is a good thing! But it is to say that we should not quench the Holy Spirit simply because God is working outside our “cultural box”. After all, His “cultural box” is much larger than ours! The apostles are beaten, quite unjustly, but do not rush to get a lawyer! Instead their reaction is a mature one: “Then indeed they departed from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be shamed for His name. (42) And every day in the temple, and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching the gospel: Jesus Christ.” The apostles did not give in to the “fight or flight” reaction. On the “fight” side they did not get a lawyer or start a riot - though they could have done so. On the “flight” side they did not stop preaching the gospel, either in the temple or from house to house. They stood form, kept on going and showed a mature mastery of the situation. They were not silenced, nor were they provoked into foolish over-reaction.
Some recent commentators have noted that the phrase “and from house to house” probably means “from house fellowship to house fellowship” as in “the church that meets in their house”. ( 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, Philemon 1:2). About half the time the word “house” is used in the New Testament it means “church fellowship”. For instance: Titus 1:11 - “whose mouth you must stop, who subvert whole houses, teaching things not right for the sake of ill gain.” During the NT era, especially during times of persecution, the church tended to meet in the homes of the wealthier believers - such a Lydia, Philemon and businessmen such as Aquila and Priscilla. Though there were a few church buildings they did not come along (as a normal way of doing church) until much later.
There is plenty of evidence that God seems to bless both ways of being church (buildings and house churches). However house churches are better when there is persecution or when funds are limited or when there is an urgent need to share the gospel quickly in an area. Church buildings seem to be better when a strong institutional presence in the community is required.
Let us show grace to the many wonderful movements that God raises up.