Acts 5

Study Guide 119: Acts 5:1-11:18 REACHING OUT Overview The early church was a dynamic fellowship. It was rooted in faith in Christ, and relationships between Christians were marked by homothumadon, that vital principle of “ one accord.” But we would be mistaken to idealize the early church. It was a fellowship made up of mere human beings. There were tensions within the church, and pressures from those outside who opposed the Gospel message. All these forces sought to disrupt the oneness of the local body of believers, and to halt its growth. In these next chapters of Acts we look at some of the inner and outer pressures which, unless dealt with correctly, can distort our own churches too. TONGUES. For a fuller discussion, see Study Guide 132. However, in these chapters note that “ tongues” served a very special function. In Samaria they were an outward sign of union with the Jerusalem church, for they came only when the apostles laid hands on the new converts (Acts 8:14-17). The Spirit came on Gentiles at the house of Cornelius “ while Peter was still speaking” the Gospel message. Later Peter argued that this was evidence that Gentiles received “ the same gift” as Jewish believers (Acts 11:15-17). Thus in Acts speaking in tongues was an outward evidence of the unity of a church just discovering that it was to be composed not only of Jews but of Samaritans and Gentiles as well!

Commentary “ What’ s happened to us? We were so close before. And then we started growing . . . and. . . .” Carol’ s words reflect a common experience. A little group of believers comes together, grows close, and forms a local church. There’ s an exciting sense of closeness and warmth and enthusiasm. As time passes, growth comes. We be come busier and busier. New people come in whom we don’ t know, and before long the closeness we felt with earlier friends is lost. Soon decisions about buildings and parking lots and programs and staffing and so many other things crowd in on us. It’ s easy then to look back at the earlier days and to long for the intimacy of that smaller group. It’ s also easy, if we’ ve never experienced that kind of fellowship, to doubt whether it is even possible in this day and age. All such longing is not only useless; it is also foolish. It is in the very nature of life to reproduce. It is in the very nature of Christian faith and life to reach out, to welcome more and more people into the family of God. It may be more difficult to maintain warmth and a sense of oneness in a church when growth comes. But the solution is never to push back to the past. The solution is in finding new ways to affirm and to experience our homothumadon. It was no different in the early church. With growth and expansion came tensions. There were disagreements. There was sin. There were suspicion and misunderstanding. But through it all the early church expected that God the Holy Spirit would enable them to experience the unity that He Himself had fashioned in that bond which knits believers to Jesus and to one another.

Disruptive Tensions in the Early Church ActsProblem DescribedDangerWrong ResponsesSolutionParallel Problems Today Acts 5:1-11 Acts 5:12-42Permit sin Ignore sin Acts 6:1-7Serious division within the church — destruction of homothumadon 6:8-7:59Jealousy, anger, and hatred against the church by outsiders Growing Tensions: Acts 5-7 These three chapters of Acts bring us back again to look at the Jerusalem church. There, with growth, came tensions from both within the believing community and from without. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT The major focus of your study may well be on these tensions that had the potential of destroying the early church’ s unity and spiritual power, yet were overcome. The chart can be used to help teams of group members study each incident, and explore ways to deal with parallel problems in congregations today. Sin (Acts 5:1-11). The first tension emerged from within. A couple named Ananias and Sapphira wanted a reputation for benevolences like that of other believers who had sold their possessions for the benefit of the whole church. But Ananias and Sapphira didn’ t want to give all. There was no demand by God or by the believing community that they should give all. As Peter asked, “ After it was sold, wasn’ t the money at your disposal?” (Acts 5:4) But rather than openly give a part, the two conspired to pretend that they had turned the full purchase price over to the church. The sin was not in the choice they made for the use of their possessions; the sin was in their hypocrisy and in the lie they attempted to tell, not only to the brotherhood, but to the Holy Spirit. God’ s judgment was swift. Both died. And the whole church was gripped with a deep sense of reverence and awe for God (called “ fear” in the text). Here is a remedy for our insensitivity as well. Let’ s regain awareness of just who this God is who has called us into relationship with Himself. When we are filled with awe because God is present with us, the little pretenses and games we play with one another are quickly set aside. Official persecution (Acts 5:12-42). The aggressive preaching of the apostles, authenticated by “ signs and wonders” (healing miracles), led to a revival. “ More and more men and women believed in the Lord” (Acts 5:14). This success filled the religious leaders with jealousy; they angrily imprisoned the apostles. But Peter and the others were released by an angel. By daybreak they were again speaking “ the full message of this new life” (Acts 5:20) to eager crowds. The temple guards were ordered to rearrest the apostles. Afraid of the people’ s reaction, the guards “ invited” the apostles to come with them rather than attempting to drag them away. The Jewish leaders were furious at the disciples’ continued charge that the Jesus they themselves had killed was now exalted by God to be Saviour and Lord. The leaders now wanted to murder the Twelve as well! Instead, they commanded the apostles not to tell others about Jesus, and they let them go. The response of the Twelve sets the pattern for our response to similar pressures. “ Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 5:42). Suspicion within (Acts 6:1-7). As the number of disciples continued to increase, some of the Greek-speaking Jewish believers felt that their widows were being neglected when the resources of the church were distributed. This group of believers was made up of foreign-born Jews who had gathered for Pentecost from several different lands (see Acts 2:8-10). They first heard the apostles’ message in their own languages. Later, not knowing the Aramaic language of Palestine, they could communicate in Greek, the common second language of the Roman world. Suspicious of the motives of the native-born stewards in charge of the distribution, these Hellenists raised a complaint that might well have hardened into a bitter split if it had not been handled wisely. What happened was that the apostles called the church together and told them to “ choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). These would be responsible for the distribution. The men they chose had names like Stephen and Philip — names that identify them as Hellenists! The misunderstanding was healed as men who those who had complained would trust were appointed to care for the distribution to all! And “ so the Word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly” (Acts 6:7). The corporate witness of the church to the reality of Jesus’ presence in their community brought its own sure response (see John 13:34). LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN “ That’ s not fair” debates often mark children’ s relationships. Junior boys and girls particularly are deeply concerned about fairness. “ She got the bigger piece!” “ He has more than I do.” Here’ s how to help your class members begin to deal with such conflicts in the spirit of the early church. First, help them work out a fair approach. Set up problems: How will each get the same sized piece of cake? How can each get the same number of candies? How can each have a fair share of chores? Possible solutions: One cut the cake evenly, another get first choice of pieces. Each take one candy alternately. Write chores on a slip of paper, draw one chore each day from a bowl. Second, note the Acts 6:1-15 principle: trust the person who is worried about fairness so he or she will feel safer. Greek Christians thought the others were unfair, so the others trusted them to distribute the food fairly. We can trust the other person to go first when a fair way of dealing with the disputed issue has been worked out. Hatred (Acts 6:8-7:59). The success of the church, and particularly its constant affirmation of Jesus, now brought a strong reaction. The preaching of the Gospel had polarized Jerusalem. Some responded to the message, while many others became just as hardened against it. These became opponents of the church, even as they had opposed Jesus during His earthly life. The growing anger now broke out in a vicious mob attack on Stephen. Stephen’ s defense before the mob (Acts 7:1-60) traced the spiritual hardness of Israel from the days of Moses to the present. It was a bold challenge to these men, in which they were charged with faithlessness to the God they claimed to serve. Enraged, the listening crowd dragged Stephen outside the city gates and battered his body with stones until he died. Thus the church offered up the blood of her first martyr, who prayed for his murderers as he died, “ Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN Dislike for Stephen was shown in an unmistakable way! But often boys and girls have “ enemies” who show their dislike in other ways. Pushing at the bus stop. Telling stories to get them in trouble. Breaking their toys. And so on. Ask your boys and girls to list “ Ways you know someone doesn’ t like you.” Talk then about what to do when another child or adult doesn’ t like them. Tell the story of Stephen to show that even when people hated him enough to murder him, Stephen prayed for his enemies. Work with your children to write a prayer they can pray for someone who does not like them. Give each child a copy of the class prayer, and encourage him or her to pray it when someone does something to him that shows he does not like him.

Expansion: Acts 8:1-40Christ in His final charge to His disciples had told them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came to bring them power. Then they were to reach out beyond Jerusalem to share Jesus with the entire world. In Acts 1:8 Jesus gave a pattern for that expansion: “ You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This pattern, in fact, gives us a way to outline the Book of Acts. There are several ways to outline the Acts’ history of the early church. One is to see this record as a report first of Peter’ s ministry to the Jews (Acts 1-12), and then as a report of Paul’ s mission to the Gentile world (Acts 13-28). Another is to see it as a history of the development of the Christian movement; its origins (Acts 1-5), its transition days (Acts 6-12), and its expansion to be come a world religion (Acts 13-28). However, perhaps the best way to see Acts is in the framework suggested in Acts 1:8, as the record of an expanding, dynamic life-force, reaching out to bring more and more of mankind into a vital relationship with Jesus Christ. Judea and Samaria. The death of Stephen launched a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem. The believers, except for the apostles, were driven out and scattered throughout Judea and Jerusalem. Everywhere the believers went they told others about Christ, and the message was received — even in Samaria. The response of the Samaritans must have been something of a surprise. While the people of this district were viewed as mongrel Jews until excommunicated by Judaism in about a.d. 300, they were looked down on as a semi-heretical and “ foolish” sect. The origin of the Samaritans goes back to the deportation of the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 b.c. Those Jews still left in the land mingled with other people imported by Assyria to form a loose culture that retained much of the Old Testament tradition, but developed its own theology and worship system. That the Samaritans had seriously distorted the revealed faith is clear from Jesus’ conversation with a Samaritan woman, recorded in John 4:1-54, and also from Jesus’ clear distinction between Israel and Samaria during His days on earth (cf. Matthew 10:5-7). Now, however, the Samaritans not only heard the Gospel, but “ the people with one accord gave heed” (Acts 8:6, KJV). Hearing reports of the mass conversion, the apostles sent Peter and John to investigate. Discovering that these men and women had truly believed, Peter prayed for them that they might also be given the gift of the Holy Spirit. This significant incident in the life of the early church receives varying interpretations. What is important to observe here, however, is that the progression of the church outward from Jerusalem (Acts 1:8) proceeded in a series of steps that were given the seal of approval of God’ s Spirit. Here the Samaritans, later the Gentiles, were shown to be members of the one church of Jesus Christ, led by the apostles of our Lord (Acts 10:44-46; Acts 19:1-6). Since the 700-year-old antagonism between Samaritan and Jew had some of its roots in religious rivalry, it would have been easy for the Samaritans to accept the new faith, but to continue to affirm their identity as a group separate from Christian Jews. By mediating the gift of the Spirit through Peter, God not only affirmed the unity of the church as a single community, but also affirmed the authority of the apostles whom Jesus had chosen to lead it during the early years. Simon. Acts 8:1-40 tells us that Peter’ s act in Samaria was misunderstood by at least one observer. Simon, a magician who had won a large following among the Samaritans, offered the apostles money if they would only give him such power. Magicians were well known in the ancient world, and are spoken of in both Testaments. Our word is derived, through the Latin and ancient Greek, from magi, a priestly clan in Persia. From the first century a.d. on, the word was used of a variety of magicians, soothsayers, and astrologers. The usual guiding motive behind the life of such a person was acquisition of power to influence people and events through occult knowledge and arcane practice. The Scripture makes it clear that this stands in direct conflict with God and His ways (see Deuteronomy 18:10-14; Galatians 5:20). There are supernatural powers under the control of Satan; seeking knowledge or power through the occult and spirit world is unquestionably anti-God. Acts 8:1-40 records Peter’ s stern rebuke of Simon. We hear nothing more of this magician in the biblical record. There is, however, early tradition telling of a heretical sect from the same era called the Simoniani. Whether or not this sect sprang from this Simon whom Peter confronted has never been confirmed. The chapter closes with the report of the conversion of an Ethiopian government official. He was apparently a convert to Judaism, or at least a “ God-fearer” who believed in Israel’ s God but who had not undergone the rites of conversion. The Holy Spirit led Philip away from Samaria and brought him to explain to the Ethiopian eunuch the way of salvation as expressed in the Old Testament passage, Isaiah 53:1-12. Hebrew believers had begun to fan out across the ancient world. The Gospel message was carried with them. This seed would soon bring a rich harvest. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT This chapter of Acts gives a special perspective on personal, one-on-one evangelism. Acts 8:1-40 tells us that persecution scattered the believers, who “ preached (literally ‘ told the good news’ ) wherever they went.” The image is not of public preaching, but of talking about Jesus with everyone the believers met. The other incident concerns Philip, who was led away from a great revival he stimulated (Acts 8:12-13) to share the Gospel with a single individual (Acts 8:26-40). To emphasize this lesson, why not ask group members to rank in terms of spiritual significance: evangelists, missionaries, TV preachers, pastors, individual believers. Then discuss criteria by which these should be ranked. If the “ numbers” criteria is used, examine Acts 8:1-40. Point out that if each present believer reached just one person, millions more would be won than by the most important single evangelist! Encourage each group member to begin now praying for God’ s leading to a person who needs to hear the Good News of Christ.

Gentile Converts: Acts 10:1-11:18 Acts 9:1-43 of Acts tells of the conversion of Paul, and events we looked at in Study Guide 117. And then the Acts history sketches one of the least-expected events in the Bible. Gentile believers were suddenly welcomed into the church, with the same rights and privileges and blessings as the Jewish believers in Christ! And again at this turning point, the central figure is the Apostle Peter. Peter. Peter and his brother Andrew were both members of the original Twelve. They were fishermen, perhaps in partnership with and certainly friends of James and John. The Gospels show that Peter was leader of the Twelve. He is listed first in the four New Testament lists of the disciples. He is the most-frequently mentioned disciple. With James and John, Peter was a member of the inner circle of Jesus’ intimates. In Acts, Peter clearly had the leading role, from his preaching of the first sermon on Pentecost, to mediating the Spirit to the Samaritans, and then to first proclaiming the Gospel to Gentiles. While a leader, Peter remained a man of contrasts. He was bold, yet unstable. Quick to recognize Jesus as God’ s Christ, Peter was just as quick to object when Jesus spoke of the coming cross (Matthew 16:1-28). Ready to promise commitment to the death, Peter three times denied the Lord on the night of His trial (Mark 14:1-72). In Acts the inconsistent Peter of the Gospels seems to have emerged as a man of firm and consistent leadership. Yet, later at Antioch, Peter would refuse to eat with Gentile converts for fear of the criticism of other Hebrew-Christians. Peter stands as a reminder to us to rely on the stabilizing and strengthening power of the Holy Spirit. God can take our strengths and our natural gifts and use them, and He alone can protect us from our weaknesses. Because the Spirit is with us, we too can expect to live victoriously. After these chapters, the focus of Acts shifts to the Apostle Paul. Tradition tells us that Peter continued his ministry among the Jewish people and traveled widely. Two of his last letters are found in the New Testament, the final one being written shortly before his own martyrdom. Early historians seem to agree that Peter died in Rome, executed during the violent persecution of Christians by the emperor Nero in a.d. 64. The centurion. In the Gentile center of Caesarea, an officer of the Roman army who had come to believe in God was visited by an angel. The angel told the officer, Cornelius, to summon Peter, who would communicate God’ s message to him. The next day, as the Roman’ s messengers were on the way to Joppa where Peter was staying, Peter had a vision. Three times a sheet filled with animals forbidden by Jewish Law as food (this is the meaning of “ unclean” here) was lowered from heaven. Three times a voice commanded Peter to eat. And three times Peter protested against the divine command. Each time the lesson was driven home: “ Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:15). While Peter was puzzling about the meaning of the vision, Cornelius’ messengers knocked at the door. Gentiles. To understand the need for Peter’ s preparation and the angry reaction of the Jewish believers when they heard later that Peter had actually entered a Gentile’ s home, we need to realize the attitude of the Jew toward all foreigners. For hundreds of years the Jews, full of a sense of their own destiny as God’ s chosen people, had been politically subject to a series of foreign rulers. Vicious wars, filled with unspeakable atrocities, had been waged by and against the foreigners. Yet the Jews remained in bondage. The fact that this bondage was to men who had no standing or covenant relationship with God made the situation even more galling. Israel was forced to submit to a race they considered unholy and with whom they would never choose to associate. The Gentile was viewed with far greater loathing, and with less respect, than the slave of colonial days. In fact, no pious Jew would ever enter a Gentile’ s home. He would be contaminated if he did, unable to worship God until he had been ceremonially cleansed. Thus in the earliest days of the church, the believers were astounded to find God extending His Spirit to the Gentiles! This called for a radical reorientation of their conception of God, and of themselves as the chosen people. At Cornelius’ home. Peter, taught by the vision of the unclean animals lowered from heaven, went with Cornelius’ messengers. He entered the centurion’ s home and began to speak. “ You are well aware that it is against our Law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean” (Acts 10:28). Peter had responded quickly to God; he accepted a concept that, nevertheless, would keep on dividing the church for generations! Cornelius told of the angel’ s visit. Now he and his family and friends were eager to hear what God would tell them through Peter. So Peter began to speak about Jesus. He repeated again the basic apostolic Gospel we’ ve seen in Acts 2:1-47 and Acts 3:1-26, and again in Acts 4:1-37. And as Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard. The Jewish contingent with Peter was amazed. They heard these Gentiles speaking in tongues just as they themselves had at Pentecost. It was clear that God had given these Gentiles the same gift that He had given them. Recognizing that God had revealed His will, Peter had the whole Gentile company baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Acts 11:1-30 reports the reaction of some in the Jerusalem church. They attacked Peter sharply. Peter went over the events step by step and shared this unanswerable conclusion: “ So if God gave them the same gift as He gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God!” (Acts 11:17) And the passage reports, “ They had no further objections and praised God, saying, ‘ So then, God has even granted the Gentiles repentance unto life’” (Acts 11:18). A new and exciting day had come for the early church. Soon the whole world would be invited to believe. LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN Put on the board a series of concentric circles. In the bull’ s-eye draw stick figures representing the child and his parents. Explain that the circles closest to the center are for people who are “ like you and your family.” But the circles that are farthest away are for people who are “ not like you and your family.” Let the boys and girls suggest people who fit in each circle. Explain the lesson that Peter learned. That is one circle that includes everyone: the circle of God’ s love! Erase all the circles except the outer one. How good that God wants everyone to believe in Jesus, and become part of God’ s family. No matter how different from us people may seem, God loves them, and we are to love them too and help them know Jesus. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Lead your group to brainstorm and then discuss. Considering their cultural viewpoint, the response of the majority in the early church to Gentile conversion was an amazing phenomenon. It was clear evidence of the reality of God’ s presence in these people’ s lives. What parallels are there in our world of similar cultural conflicts? What groups are alienated from one another? What are the implications of the Gospel for such divisions? How might (or is) Christ’ s presence in His church revealed in such relationships?

Teaching Guide Prepare What divisions are you aware of in your group or congregation? Pray that God will use this study to help in the healing.

Explore In a minilecture briefly survey the content of each major division: Acts 5-7, Acts 8:1-40, and Acts 10-11. If you plan to concentrate on only one of these, give more time in your lecture coverage of the other two.

Expand

1. Look closely at the tensions that may tend to destroy unity in modern congregations even as they threatened the unity of the early church. Use the chart, and the approach suggested in “ link-to-life” above.
2. Or look at the role of personal evangelism in the expansion of the church. See “ link-to-life” above.
3. In view of racial and religious tensions in so many parts of the world, it is valuable to remember that oneness in Christ is a reality which must be affirmed and lived! Ask each group member to read privately Acts 10:1-48 and Acts 11:1-30, and in a single sentence sum up the message they convey. Compare answers. The group members should recognize the message of a unity in Christ that supersedes cultural differences. Then guide them to discuss local or national differences that exist today, and how to deal with them in a Christian way. See “ link-to-life,” above.

Apply Discuss: “ How do you and I find harmony with people with whom we differ in the church? Is the statement, ‘ I love him, but I don’ t like him,’ a valid expression of Christian homothumadon? Why or why not?