Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Thursday February 25, 2021
Pastor Rick Kabrick
Commentary on the Book of ACTS. Part 4. Chapters 5-6. Pastor Rick Kabrick
Same is true with today, a new believer often wants to jump into serving and that’s fine but the best thing is to sit and learn.
But here they held back probably a considerable part of the monies from a similar sale. And they wanted the same response that Barnabas received.
A lesson to others, you didn’t have to do what you said you would do, but you said it knowing you were lying about it. He didn’t have to sell anything…
11 And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.
Luke’s way of reminding us that the cleansing of the church connected with Ananias and Sapphira did no lasting damage.
Well all this was causing quite a ruckus with the Jewish Leadership.
Interesting perhaps a little humor here, remember the Sadducees did not believe in Angels.
Matthew was beheaded with a sword.
Mark dragged through the streets of the city.
Luke was hanged on an olive tree in Greece.
John boiled in oil.
Peter was crucified upside-down in Rome.
James was beheaded in Jerusalem.
James the Less was thrown from a height.
Philip was hanged.
Bartholomew was whipped and beaten to death.
Andrew was crucified.
Thomas was run through with a spear.
Jude was killed with arrows of an executioner.
Paul was beheaded in Rome.
There is another rather humorous thing here. Listen to what happens. So, the guards go to get the Apostles…but they are not there. Doors are locked guards are there but no Apostles.
24 Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed (entirely at a loss) about them as to what would come of this.
The Apostles were not too concerned that they were found again. The LORD had just rescued them and I’m sure they were thinking well if GOD wants to HE will do it again.
We should submit to those in authority over us, that is true, yet submission on the human level is never absolute, and never is more important than submission to GOD.
We could say Pharisees were conservative. Sadducees were more liberal when it came to the TORAH and the Law.
The Sadducees were more determined when the Apostles taught that Jesus rose from the dead. Now, the Apostles insist that Jesus is the long awaited Jewish Messiah, that GOD raised HIM, and that HE Jesus is sitting at GOD’s right hand.
But really what he is pointing out here that the Jewish leaders here don’t have to risk political ruin.
Like Theudas and Judas the Galilean, if GOD isn’t behind a movement, it is doomed to failure.
38-39, “So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.”
This flogging was not just a slap on the wrist and yet they went away rejoicing because they had suffered for HIS namesake.
Satan’s attacks on the church came on many different fronts as it continues to this day.
He attempted many forms of direct opposition and intimidation, and he tried to corrupt the Church from within. These strategies were all unsuccessful in slowing the work of that early Church.
Hebrews were the traditional more orthodox Jews and tended to regard Hellenists as unspiritual compromisers with the Greek culture.
The Hellenists, did the right thing.
The Hebrews, did the right thing.
The 7 chosen men did the right thing.
The Apostles did the right thing.
That is an important point that Luke wants to get across. We often think that none of the religious leaders were converted, but that is not the case. Here we see a great many of priests did become followers of the Messiah Jesus.
Some scholars believe that these were slaves of the Romans who had been freed, became newcomers to the Jewish religion, and had then had some sort of a synagogue in Jerusalem.
It is ironic that the Synagogue of the Freedmen should call themselves that. They may have been freed from one type of slavery, but they certainly remained slaves nonetheless.
Despite their freedom-loving name, the Synagogue of the Freemen were in desperate bondage to sin.
Well they went to great lengths to fix these charges against Stephen. They could match knowledge with him so they do what people do, they lied.