ACTS 5
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
The Doctrine of Giving: Some lie about their giving. If you say ‘I tithe’ and you are only tithing some of the time, you’re lying. It is very reasonable and scriptural to sell your properties and give all the profits to your church.
The Doctrine of Lying: How does one lie to the Holy Ghost (lie to God)? “Telling God you will do something (and, letting the church know it?) and then feigning the doing of it”. Example: You give a testimony at church of how much you love the Lord and want to obey Him, and then as soon as you get home you light up a cigarette and put in an R-rated movie. If you lie to ‘the church’ about your giving then you have in effect lied to the Holy Ghost. Lying to the church is equal to lying to God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. 11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
The Doctrine of Judgment: Did Peter kill these two? Did God? Could something like this occur today? Would something like this cause great fear to come upon our church?
Why did God have this all happen this way? I believe it was to cause the church to understand that ‘church’ isn’t something to play around with; unity is to be maintained at ‘all costs’ (this was the key time of unifying of the church body there); lying to each other is not to be tolerated. Also, the ‘man of God’ (at least then) was someone whom God might bring forth judgment upon an erring church member. This might have been akin to Achan in the O.T.
This type of judgment does not seem to be in effect today. It only takes one of these severe judgments to cause a church to never forget it and to always be very careful and to greatly fear the Lord.
Don’t get involved in other church members’ antics, lies, gossip, rebellion, etc., for you will be held equally responsible for it.
12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. 13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. 14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)
15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. 16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
The Doctrine of Miracles: This ‘killing of an erring church member’ might have been done via a ‘sign gift’…the gift of miracles. When people hear and see the power of God working among Christians, among a church, they become ‘believers’.
Remember when Jesus felt virtue going out of Him?… This seems somewhat similar. Peter wasn’t necessarily consciously aware of every healing that was going on as a result of him. This ‘shadow healing’ is probably somewhat where the Charismatics (extremes) get the waving of the coat over the audience to cause healing and power to go out.
This is the way today’s so-called healing crusades should go: every one being healed from everywhere around!
17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. 19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. 21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, 23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. 24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
The Doctrine of Persecution: When there are great spiritual victories in a community, the Devil will stir up trouble. A lesson from this text is that though you might get thrown into prison, rest assured that the good Lord can get you out and back to preaching those truths once again. Thus, if you go to prison for serving the Lord, it is totally up to God as to how much time you serve; for you are His responsibility…you don’t have to worry about things…it is all on God. Another lesson from this text is not be intimidated by the possibility of going to prison for the things you say and do for the Lord. The apostles were let out of prison by the angel and then went right back to the same things that got them thrown in there in the first place. There was not strategy or methodology change after prison…they kept on with what they had been commanded to do. Apparently all the apostles went to prison together…oh the singing and preaching that must have been going on there! Peter, Paul, and Silas were regulars at the local jail.
The wicked want to scare us away from continuing on with our preaching and holy living; but when they see our persistance, it may deflate their overconfidence. Would to God that the religious leaders of our area (and government too) would ‘doubt whereunto this would grow’.
25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. 26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
The Doctrine of Persecution: Just think, though, if ‘they’ did not fear the people; they would have tried to kill them. It’s a good thing when public sentiment is on your side; but, is it on our side today in America? The ‘council’: the religious council of your local state government; the denominational officers. We don’t have an official ‘council’…yet; but, other countries do, and we aren’t far away from this.
It wasn’t just that they were spreading this ‘false teaching’, but also that they were preaching that these religious Jews were the ones responsible for Jesus’ death.
These godly men didn’t physically resist them taking them there; they didn’t fall down on the ground and refuse to move; they didn’t chain themselves to a tree; they didn’t start picketing. Thus, don’t resist when they are trying to arrest you.
Just because some ‘governmental official’ tells us to cease and desist, doesn’t mean that we immediately say ‘yes sir’! It all gets down to who we are going to ultimately obey. God’s laws, principles, commands, etc., are always to be of an infinitely higher authority than anyone else’s (yes, even the police). If the Bible says for us to do it, then even at the threat of the FBI, CIA, EU Police, Interpol, and the like, we by all means should and must do it! We are not just ‘Bible believers’, but we are also ‘Bible obeyers’!
Here are some possible scenarios that might test us on this principle: No preaching against ‘homosexuality’; Banning of KJV Bibles; no ‘proseletizing’; working on Sundays required; can’t mention anything about God while at work….
By the way, this principle of ‘obeying God rather than man’ goes to all forms of authority: employer, police, spousal, parent… Thus, persecution can occur not just from the government, but also from your employer and even a parent or husband. But, in any of these cases, you ought to obey God rather than them.
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
The Doctrine of Jesus Christ: The Father exalted Jesus Christ after His resurrection to be a Prince and a Saviour.
The Doctrine of Repentance: Repentance is a prerequisite to have one’s sins forgiven.
The Doctrine of Persecution: If you get accused of something based upon your being a Christian, don’t back down…be bold; tell them the blatant truth. If they say: “Are you one of those fundamentalist, hellfire and brimstone type of Baptists?” Respond with, “The Bible speaks of hellfire and brimstone, and all that do not repent of their sins and put all their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation will most certainly be punished for eternity in hellfire and brimstone!”
“Are you one of those Christians?” “Are you one of those that is against homosexuality?”
The Doctrine of the Holy Ghost: The Holy Ghost immediately and eternally indwells the spirit of anyone who obeys the gospel (i.e. gets saved). Potentially the main area that the Holy Ghost works in within a believer is that of ‘witnessing of these things’.
33 When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them. 34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; 35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. 36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. 37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. 38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: 39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
The Doctrine of Persecution: What got them so riled up? ‘You slew’, a ‘Prince’ and a ‘Saviour’…
Have you ever had someone who was wanting to ‘slay you’?! Did you know that there are lots and lots of left wing Christ hating liberals out there who would just love to have all of us slain?!
Influential religious men can speak up and then everyone listens and kind of follows along; here it was Gamaliel, who was actually used in the apostles favor. But, it could, and usually does, go in the other direction. Who would be the Gamaliels of our day? Warren, Osteen, that Cardinal in New York, the head of the NAE, Jesse Jackson, Franklin Graham…?
Gamaliel was very wise in the final statement: if it be of God, are you actually going to fight against God?!…. He was very balanced; he considered both sides of the equation; but, most do not.
Be careful what you ‘oppose’….it might be of God. ‘Fighting against strong conservative standards’; ‘opposing door to door evangelism’; ‘fighting against other ‘evangelical’ churches that believe somewhat differently than we do…’; arguing against ‘Briderism’; fighting against those divisive, intolerant ‘Fundamentalists’. Make sure that you are not in any way fighting against God.
40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
The Doctrine of Persecution: Did the Jews beat fellow Jews?! I believe that was against their law. If the government were to beat you, and then command you to not tell people about Jesus Christ (or give them ‘tracts’), what might go through your mind? Though they were commanded by the authorities to stop their door to door evangelism, and though they were persecuted for it, they still kept on…ceasing not to teach and preach Jesus Christ!
The Doctrine of Evangelism: Why do so many churches and church members slowly but surely ‘give up’ on door to door soulwinning? Not ‘enough’ results; occasional harsh treatment from the lost people. Instead of giving up, we should be rejoicing when we suffer shame for His name (door slams, someone yells at you).
This solidly supports door to door evangelism efforts by a church (i.e. ‘in every house’). They went on church evangelism daily…not just for 45 minutes on Saturday.