Lesson 3 - Part II
THE TWO SPIRITS
8. What motivated this new Community? Were the leaders and prominent people in it making a name for themselves? Were they after money? No! The new Community was stirred by the Spirit of God which empowered Jesus to go about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38). In this newly established Church we find people joyfully and freely sharing what they had with those who didn't have. Christ was being imitated. No, more than that, the Spirit of Christ was at work in his body the Church. One of them, who would later become prominent, was given the name Barnabas (4:32-37). This new people didn't only speak as the Spirit moved them, they shared because they were motivated by that same Spirit.
9. External persecution was doing more for the Church than against it so another spirit, Satan, sought to corrupt it from within. Ananias and his wife Sapphira conspired with Satan against the Spirit of God (5:3,9). It's my guess that these two were prominent people and their prominence helps explain the need to deal with them in this forthright fashion.
10. When Israel just arrived in Canaan and were in the midst of her enemies, Achan took what had been devoted to God and God dealt with it severely. (See Joshua 7.) Israel learned early that God was just as opposed to high-handed transgression in his own people as he was to sin outside his people. The early Church and those looking on were to learn the same. (See 5:11,13). This pair didn't have to devote their money to God (5:4) but once they did—it was no longer theirs! Swift surgery at a crucial point can save the health and life of the whole body. Obviously this is what happened here. Luke makes it clear that the Church grew in spite of attack from outside or inside (5:11,13-14).
MORE PAIN AND MORE GAIN
11. The risen Lord worked more miracles among the people just as he had done in his earthly ministry and more and more people turned to the Lord (5:12,14-16). It wasn't long before the apostles were imprisoned. An angel frees them and orders them out to preach the gospel which brought new life (5:17-25). More threats and more refusals to be silenced follow (5:27-29). The apostles remind the leaders that they had led the nation astray by murdering their Messiah and the infuriated judges plan to kill them (5:29-33). One of their leaders talks them out of it and the apostles are let off with a flogging and another command not to preach in Jesus' name (5:34-40). They rejoice that through pain they have found gain!
12. The needy were being taken care of but preferential treatment was being given to Aramaic-speaking widows (6:1) so seven qualified men were chosen to see to it that fairness prevailed (6:2-7). This not only blessed the inner life of the Church but it affected outsiders who turned to the Lord (6:7). This incident introduces us to Stephen and Philip who were important figures in the spread of the gospel beyond Jerusalem and Judea. And Stephen leads us to meet Saul (Paul)!
THE MESSAGE AND MURDER OF STEPHEN
13. Stephen was a man full of the Spirit and he spoke with the wisdom of the Spirit (6:3,8,10&7:55). His message to those leaders who rejected and continue to reject Jesus was plain. He told them they were like their fathers who had rejected Moses and the prophets (7:9,25-27,35,38-43,51-53) so the rejection of Jesus was nothing new and it was no proof that Jesus was a fraud. In fact, it might help to prove the opposite. He told them also that as the tabernacle of Moses had given way to Solomon's temple because God didn't dwell in houses made with hands (7:44-49), so Herod's temple (the one they now revered and worshiped in) should give way to the temple which is God's people! This drove them wild and they stoned him to death while he prayed for their forgiveness (7:60). Standing by and approving of the killing (8:1) was Saul, the bitter young enemy of the Christ. Saul would later become his servant!
14. The killing of Stephen set off a widespread persecution of the Church in Jerusalem (8:1) and the disciples were scattered but as they went and wherever they went, they spread the news about Jesus Christ (8:4). Often in trying to beat out a fire we send sparks flying everywhere and they begin new flames elsewhere. This is what happened (see 11:19)
go to Part III