Yours, Mine and Ours

There was tremendous fallout from Peter and John's trial before the Sanhedrin.  They had stood boldly against their charges to proclaim the name of Jesus (Acts 4:13).  

Ultimately, the council simply warned them to stop teaching and healing in His name, something which they openly ignored (Acts 4:18-20).  

These believers celebrated and then prayed for even more boldness to tell the world about Jesus (Acts 4:23-30).  God answered their prayer in an amazing and powerful way (Acts 4:31).

Their filling by the Holy Spirit resulted in incredible community.  It was brief glimpse of what church can be like.  "Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul” (v32).  

Complete unity.  

This is what Paul encouraged the Philippians to be (Phil 2:1-11), "being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind."  

Throughout the NT, God calls His church to be unified in and through His Son (2Cor 13:11; 1Pet 3:8).

We much each ask ourselves if this is the condition of our church.  Is my church divided?  Is there a divided focus and mission?  

This doesn't mean that we can't disagree on different issues.  It doesn't mean that we agree perfectly on all things. 

Mark Driscoll refers to "open handed and close handed issues."  The must hold the essential doctrines of our faith with a closed hand.  

These are views on such things as the Person of God, Jesus, the Cross, salvation and the Bible.  We can't budge on these and we hold them tightly in a closed hand.  

Meanwhile, there are other doctrines on which we do not all agree and we hold those in an open hand.  These are things like worship style, the end times, communion and baptism.

The church of Jesus Christ must not be marked by division and bickering.  It must be noted for its unity and singularity of focus.  

One of the big reasons Paul wrote his stinging letter first letter to the church in Corinth was because of factions (1Cor 1:10-17).

The most obvious indication of this Spirit-filled unity in the First Church of Jerusalem is their willingness to share everything with other believers.  They were also open handed in how they viewed their possessions.  

"No one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common” (v32).  They understood that what they had were all blessings from God.  

Yours, mine and ours.

They saw what they had as a way to show grace to others.  These early Christians understood that we are blessed to be a blessing to others.  

And it is a humbling example.  Too often we hold onto what God has given us with a kung fu grip.  

A couple of problems with that.  First, that's not God's design.  Second, it REALLY hurts when He pulls it from our fingers!  We are blessed to be a blessing.

Yours, mine and ours.

Luke tells us that the apostles told everyone about Jesus' resurrection "with great power" (v33).  This was the answer to their prayer for boldness.  

This isn't "kinda sorta special power."  It is MEGA power.  The original Greek describes it as δυναμει μεγαλη/dunamei megala.  

In other words, their testimony about Jesus' resurrection was "mega-dynamic!"  That's what happens when the Spirit of God gets ahold of your life.  Is your testimony "mega-dynamic?"

And don't forget that the empty tomb and the Risen Savior was an essential component of the apostles' teaching (Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30-37).  

We must remember that very most important truth as we tell others about Jesus.  He is ALIVE!  He is RISEN!  And He is till alive today!  

They not only preached with great power but "great grace was upon them all” (v33).  This is χαρις τε μεγαλη/xaris te megala, or “ MEGA grace."  

This is "mega-grace" is a two-sided coin.  On one hand, God had blessed them with His unmerited and undeserved favor.  

On the other, the people of Jerusalem continued to be blown away by what was happening in and through this incredible new movement.

This is a very practical example of the "new command" that Jesus gave His disciples (Jn 13:34-35).  Our love for one another will demonstrate to the world "that you are My disciples."  

The watching world has its eyes on us.  What are they seeing?  Do they see us loving and caring for each other?  

Or do they see us name-calling and infighting?  Let them see our love.  Let them see our love IN ACTION!

Dr. Luke tells us that in the church "there was not a needy person among them" (v34).  Again, can the same be said of our churches today (especially in the US)?  

This isn't to say that our fellowships are to be Christian communes.  No, but it is a call for us to take a "me third" attitude (God first, others second, me third).  

If we saw each other through God's eyes, we would be generous and giving.  Pray that we see with His eyes.

Yours, mine and ours.

We see that these early church members leveraged their belongings, in particular their real estate, to take care of each other.  

They would sell their possessions and give the proceeds to the apostles (v35).  They trusted their leaders to make needed decisions.       

The good doctor then gives us a very practical example of someone who did just that (v36-37).  A guy named Joe.  An average Joe.  

But you may know him better by his nickname.  Barnabas.  This nickname means "son of encouragement."  

One way this Jewish native of the island of Cyprus encouraged his brothers and sisters was to sell a piece of property.  He gave the money to the apostles so they could distribute it to those in need.

One very important reason for this passage is to set up the story of Ananias and Sapphira which follows.  Keep that in mind as you read ahead in Luke's sequel.  Theirs is an example what NOT to do.  But that's for tomorrow.

Do you and I see what God has given us as a means to bless others.  Do we see these blessings as yours, mine and ours?    

©2011

Jay Jennings

Charges Dropped

 The Sanhedrin wants to shut up Peter and John as well as shut down this growing movement.  But once the council hauls these two men in to intimidate them, they realize they have a HUGE problem on their hands.

These two followers of Jesus were fearless (v13).  And despite being a pair of illiterate idiots (“uneducated...common": Gr. agrammatos/αγραμματος and idiotes/ιδιοτης), Pete and John had clearly spent time with that radical Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth.

Do people say the same about us?  Are we known for our boldness?  Is it obvious to others that we spend time with our Savior?

Apparently, the council didn't bring in just Pete and John, but the newly healed man (v14).  If they wanted proof of this most recent miracle, he is standing right before their eyes.  

They all knew him.  He had regularly parked himself at the Beautiful Gate to the temple in order to panhandle (Acts 3:2).  These religious leaders had walked past him day after day, week after week, year after year.  

No doubt, they had ignored him.  Clearly, they had done nothing for him.  Now he stands before them.  In contrast with the courage of Peter and John, the members of the Sanhedrin are speechless.

"But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another" (v15).  The council goes into private deliberation and tries to figure out what in the wide world of sports they are going to do with all of this.  

The rise of Jesus and His followers has stunned the council.  They were sure that His crucifixion would put an end to it.  

Not only were there numerous reports that He was alive, two of their own (Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus) had gone over to the other side.

The question was simple.  "What shall we do with these men?" (v16).  They had used every bit of political capital and leverage with Pilate to crucify Jesus.  They certainly couldn't go back to him about these two Galilean fishermen.  

It's interesting to note that Luke has somehow gotten the information of what was discussed in the Sanhedrin's closed deliberations.  It indicates a couple of things.  

First of all, it reinforces the fact that the good doctor did lots of interviews and a boatload of research in writing his two volumes to Theophilus.  

Second, it reminds us that the Holy Spirit was divinely inspiring his work.

The council had big problem.  "For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it."  They recognize that this miraculous healing is actually a sign of something greater.  And they understand that this miracle is being done through them.

The miracle was both notable and evident.  The Greek for “notable” is gnostos/γνοστος.  It means something notable but also remarkable and extraordinary.  In other words, this healing is all the buzz in the city.  

It was also “evident” or phaneros/φανηρος, which means plainly visible, brought out into the open, widely known and public knowledge.  

It had just happened yesterday afternoon, but with the large crowd present in the Court of the Gentiles the word was out.  

There was no way to spin this.  There was no way to deny it.  There was no un-breaking this light bulb.

The Sanhedrin decides to put a gag order on Pete and John.  "Let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name” (v17).  

Surely they can bully them into stop talking about Jesus.  If they can intimidate these two rubes from the boondocks, they can at least slow down the rumors running rampant in Jerusalem.  

So that's exactly what they do.  They bring the two back in before the full council and "charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (v18).

Pete and John respond to their intimidation with even more boldness.  "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (v19-20).  

In other words, it's totally their decision (i.e. their mistake) if the Sanhedrin wants to disobey God but as followers of Jesus, they must do what He says.  The council may rule in such a way, but these two men will always choose to obey the Lord.

This brings up the topic of civil disobedience.  Are there times when it is proper if not imperative for followers of Christ to disobey governmental authority?  The answer is "yes."  

The Bible clearly commands us to submit to our government (1Pet 2:13-17).  And that includes corrupt and evil rulers like Rome (Rom 13:1-7).  Remember, our Savior Jesus was without guilt and broke no law despite being executed (Lk 23:4, 14-15).  

But when what the government demands goes in the face of God's commands, we MUST obey God.  The Jewish midwives did it (Ex 1:15-17).  Daniel did it (Dan 6:4-10).  

Peter and John could not keep quiet.  And a big reason was that Jesus had commanded them to tell the entire world about Him.  "You will be My witnesses  in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).  

They were also filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit for such a time as this (Lk 12:11-12).  They'll just be obedient to Jesus, thank you.

The Sanhedrin tries to throw their weight around and threaten these men even more (v21).  They couldn't even find anything to charge them with.  

But these two illiterate idiots could not and would not be pushed around.  Part of the council's problem was they were worried about the polls.  

They were worried about public support.  They were paralyzed "because of the people” (v21).  

Do you let the fear of man keep us from doing what we know God is commanding us to do?

Dr. Luke concludes his account of this hearing by reminding us of the man who started this whole thing (v22).  The healed man.  

The Sanhedrin had treated him like a pawn, like a piece of evidence.  They had absolutely no compassion for the man.  They were unwilling to celebrate what God had done for him.

The once-disabled panhandler was more than 40 years old.  For more than four decades, he had never walked.  

How many times had the members of the council walked past him in and out of the temple courts?  

Yet his life was changed when two Galilean watermen stopped and looked into his eyes.  The Spirit of God opens our eyes to see people as Jesus sees them.

©2011

Jay Jennings

A Couple of Idiots

 Peter has just preached his third Spirit-filled sermon in the book of Acts (Acts 4:5-12).  This third installment, "Rocky III," knocks out the Sanhedrin.  

They had brought Pete and John to trial.  But Rocky turned the tables and accused these religious leaders of murdering Messiah.

Beginning in verse 13, the 71 members of the Jewish council responds not only to Pete's sermon but their healing of the disabled man in the temple courts.  

The first thing they noticed about Peter and John was their boldness.  The Greek word here is parresia/παρρησια, which means freedom, lack of fear, courage, confidence.  Friberg says it also includes the idea of a joyful sense of freedom.

Pete and John weren't afraid of anything.  In many ways, it just doesn't make sense.  Just a few weeks ago, Peter folded up like a cheap suit when challenged by a servant girl (Lk 22:56-57).  

Why?  What's the difference?  These men had seen the risen Jesus!  These men are now filled with the Holy Spirit!  

Oh, that we would spend time with One God raised from the dead!  Oh, that we would empty ourselves of the crap of life in order to be filled with God's Spirit!  

When these things happen, God does extraordinary things through ordinary people.

The Sanhedrin also noted "that they were uneducated, common men" and were blown away.  Once again, a look at the original language is instructive.  

"Uneducated" is the word agrammatos/αγραμματος, which at its core means illiterate. Putting the negative a-/α- before -grammatos/-γραμματος, and, voila!  It describes someone who can’t read or write.

Now this could certainly mean something as simple as they were uneducated and unlearned men.  They may have simply been indicating that these two smelly fishermen weren't graduates of any college, much less any seminary.  

But I think a look at the next word gives us insight into the Sanhedrin’s opinion of these two fearless Galileans.

"Common" is the Greek word idiotes/ιδιοτης.  I honestly think the translators have cleaned things up a bit.  

While the word can certainly mean someone who is unskilled and has no professional knowledge, it also indicates an ignorant, ill-informed person.  In other words, an IDIOT!

The highly-educated Sanhedrin couldn't believe they had been whooped by a couple of illiterate idiots!  It didn't make any sense.  

These two rubes had completely embarrassed them.  One of them had just knocked their socks off with his knowledge of what the Old Testament says about Messiah (Acts 4:11-12).

I think the council's opinion of Pete and John was, while demeaning and arrogant, actually right on target.  But it's a reminder that God does extraordinary things through very ordinary people.  

How had these two illiterate idiots boldly bumfuzzled the best minds in Israel?  Luke tells us that the council "recognized that they had been with Jesus" (v13).  

OK, they did have just a bit of training.  They had spent the past three years following the radical Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth.  And this had been an education like no other!  

When we spend time with Jesus and are filled with His Spirit, crazy things begin to happen.

God can do extraordinary things through very ordinary people.

This idea is stated over and over in the Bible.  Time and time again, God gets a hold of a broken, ordinary person and does extraordinary things.

-A drunk and naked sailor: Noah

-A hotheaded murderer: Moses

-A gorgeous member of a harem: Esther

-A hot and bothered king willing to kill: David

-A coward hiding from the enemy: Gideon

-A bartender: Nehemiah

-A unmarried pregnant teen girl: Mary

-A blue-collar construction worker: Joseph

It's the same idea that Paul writes about to the jacked-up church in Corinth.  "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong" (1Cor 1:27).  

Notice that God made the strategic decision to use the foolish and weak in order to make sure the world knows that He is behind it all.

And that includes a couple of illiterate idiots like Pete and John.  Because God does extraordinary things through very ordinary people.  

Are you ready for Him to use you? 

©2011

Jay Jennings

Rocky III

 Here in Acts 4:5-12, Luke describes the first part of Peter and John's trial before the Sanhedrin.  The religious authorities broke up Pete's sermon in Solomon's Porch and tossed the two apostles in the pokey for the night.  

"On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem" (v5).  These are the positions that made up the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, including the high priest.  

The Roman government allowed these 71 men to handle all things Jewish among the people, in particular, matters regarding the temple.  This same group oversaw the conspiracy and manipulation of the system to execute Jesus.  

Dr. Luke tells us that our old friends "Annas the high priest and Caiaphas” were in attendance, as well as two men named "John and Alexander, and all who were in the high priestly family" (v6).  

The Gospel accounts seem to go back and forth in telling us who the high priest was during Christ's crucifixion.  The entire high priesthood during these years centered on Annas.  He held the office from AD 6-15.  

His son-in-law Caiaphas was the current high priest when this all goes down (AD 18-36).  Several of Annas' sons also served in the position, including Jonathan ("John" mentioned above? Hmm, could be.) in AD 36.

Annas clearly wielded great power and influence.  He had an iron-fisted grip on the high priesthood.  

Roman authorities had removed him from the position, but he was able to manipulate the system to get his puppets into place.  

Annas was more like a mafia boss still running his empire from prison than the God's high priest.  More godfather than God lover.

Annas and his toadies pound the table and demand Peter and John to tell them what was going on (v7).  The room had to be thick with tension and threat.  

These same men conspired to crucify Christ.  Certainly these two bumpkins from boondocks would face a similar fate.

At this point, Pete testifies.  Well, not so much testifies as preaches.  He begins his third sermon in the opening chapter of Acts (Acts 2:14-40; 3:12-26).  

The man Jesus called Rocky answers the bell and begins throwing haymakers.  Let's call this "Rocky III."

God had filled him with the Holy Spirit.  Pete wasn't just baptized in the Spirit.  God had filled him to the brim.  

Remember, while Peter was the leader of the disciples, he was continually tripping over himself.  One moment he's declaring Jesus is Messiah and the next moment Jesus calls him Satan.  

Just some two months prior Pete denied Jesus three times!  When the Spirit fills ordinary people, they do extraordinary things.

This is a reminder that while God's Spirit indwells all believers, He completely fills others.  The thing that keeps most of us from being filled with the Spirit is that we are full of it.  

In other words, we are full of ourselves.  Full of sin.  Full of self.  Jesus is our example.  We must empty ourselves in humility (Phil 2:1-11) in order to be filled with His Spirit. 

Jesus had actually predicted, promised and prophesied this moment.  "And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" (Lk 12:11-12).  

And that's EXACTLY what (or should I say "Who"?) was happening to Peter.  God's Spirit had filled and empowered him.

Rocky pulls no punches and comes out swinging.  He tells them that this "good deed done to a crippled man" (v9) was done "by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified" (v10).   

He immediately turns the tables on the sinful Sanhedrin and puts them on trial for murder!  

Yeah, we healed the guy.  And we did it in the name of Jesus!  Now what in the world are you going to do about it?  This is Spirit-filled boldness!

Rocky swings with a two-punch combination.  He first charges the council with killing the Christ.  BAM!  

He unleashes the second punch by testifying that "God raised (Jesus) from the dead!" (v10).  POW!!  

Again, the resurrection of Jesus is central to the proclamation of the Gospel in the book of Acts.  Clearly these early disciples saw the empty tomb just as important as Calvary's cross.  

Pete tells them that it's by the name of Jesus, the One who killed and the One God raised that "this man is standing before you” (v10).

First Rocky uses the clear evidence of the once disabled man for proof, he now flips back to the OT to support his charges even further.  "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone" (v11).  

He quotes Psalm 118:22, a verse quoted and reference many times in the NT as being about Jesus (Lk 20:17; Eph 2:20; 1Pet 2:4-8).

The verse from Psalm 118 speaks of the massive construction project of Solomon’s first temple.  According to Jewish tradition, masons quarried and cut enormous stones for the temple miles from the project because no hammer was to be heard at the construction site.  

The first stone that arrived, the cornerstone, didn’t match specifications.  It wasn’t what builders expected.  They rejected it and put it aside (some even say they rolled it over the side of the cliff into the Kidron Valley below).  

It was only later that project managers realized this was exactly the stone they should have used to start the project!  

Jesus is saying that this rejected cornerstone in Solomon’s temple that the psalmist wrote about foreshadowed His arrival as Messiah.  Christ was rejected because He wasn’t the kind of stone they expected.  

The people want a king.  A REAL king.  A warrior king.  But what they didn’t realize was that Christ is EXACTLY the kind of king they need.  

The builders (religious leaders) may reject Him, but Jesus that doesn’t change the fact that He is indeed the THE Cornerstone. 

Pete is drawing a line in the temple sand.  Jesus is Messiah.  He has been sent from God the Father.  Either accept Him or reject Him.  And once you’ve made your choice, prepare for the consequences. 

With the Sanhedrin wobbling on the ropes, Rocky goes for the knockout.  "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (v12).  

He boldly tells the council that God's salvation is found only in Jesus.  In other words, everything God tells us about salvation in the OT is about Christ. 

Pete makes it VERY clear.  Christianity is VERY exclusive.  But it is also VERY inclusive.  Jesus is the only way (Jn 14:6).  But anyone may enter through Him.  

This is an EXTREMELY unpopular thing to proclaim in our world today.  We must pray for Spirit-filled boldness to stand up for this truth.  

"Rocky III" is over quickly.  This fight does NOT go the distance.

©2011

Jay Jennings

Break It up! Move along!

 As Peter wraps up his second sermon, the cops show up (v1).  There in the Court of the Gentiles under Solomon's Porch, the religious police roll up with blue lights flashing.  It was "the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees."  

"Break it up.  Move along.  Nothing to see here."  Or so they thought.

In just a few short days, the Gospel of Jesus had turned Jerusalem upside down.  The Sadducees thought they had put an end to all of this when they crucified the Carpenter/Rabbi.  

But something very strange was happening.  Instead of crushing this rebellion, they had stoked its fire.  

There are several things happening in this short passage.  There's the Sadducees and their lack of belief in the resurrection.  There's the fact of Jesus' resurrection and it's impact on the lives of His followers.  

And there's God's hand in what's happening, as He begins not-so-gently nudge the early church to take the Gospel beyond the city walls of Jerusalem.

First, the Sadducees were extremely ticked off at Pete's preaching on Jesus' resurrection.  The Sadducees were a small religious sect made up of the most wealthy.  

They were actually rivals to the Pharisees.  The Sadducees controlled the temple while the Pharisees controlled the synagogues.  

The Sadducees were the compromising liberals and the Pharisees conservative legalists.  The comparisons to the 21st century American church are quite rich.

The Sadducees accepted only the Pentateuch (the first five books of the OT).  They didn't believe in anything supernatural.  No angels.  And no resurrection of the dead.  

So for the Sadducees, it’s rather sad, you see.  I guess that’s the First Century version of a Dad Joke.  Whatever the case, the apostles had jumped all over their pet peeve.  Resurrection.

Second, Peter and the rest of the early church knew that the resurrection was a critical and essential fact of their faith.  

Christians who see no need to not only accept and believe but celebrate the empty tomb are really no different than the Sadducees.  

As a matter of fact, the Apostle Paul went so far as to say to say that if God didn't raise Jesus, we're still dead in our sins.  

If there is no resurrection, "we are of all people most to be pitied" (1Cor 15:17-19).  A careful reading and study of 1 Corinthians 15 is important in understanding the importance of the resurrection.

We can't underestimate the impact seeing the risen Jesus had on His followers.  For 40 days, He lived with them, ate with them and taught them.  

He didn't just appear to His closest apostles but to several hundred followers (1Cor 15:3-8).  This fact could not be denied or disputed.

While the cross of Christ must not be ignored, the early church proclaimed a Gospel centered on a resurrected Jesus (Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15, 26; 4:10; 10:40; 13:18).  

We must remember that the cross and the resurrection come as a package deal.  These two events are essential to each other.  Like peanut butter and jelly.

Jesus lived the perfect life we couldn't live.  He died the death we should have died.  And He was raised to a heaven we don't deserve.  (The first two sentences belong to Mark Driscoll.  I’ve added the third.)  

We need both the cross and the empty tomb.  They are a package deal.  Peter and the early church clearly understood this.

Third, we can't ignore God's hand in what's happening here.  Certainly, Peter and the apostles preached with Spirit-filled boldness.  They were clearly unafraid of the consequences.  

But Jesus had commanded them to be His "witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" after His Spirit gave them the power to do so (Acts 1:8).

To this point, they were obedient to Step One.  They were incredible witnesses for Jesus in Jerusalem.  

And it had gone quite well for them in those very early days.  Luke tells us that they had the "favor with all the people" (Acts 2:47).  

But God had bigger plans for His Gospel message.  They were to take it beyond the city walls.

As God so often does, He uses sinful people as tools in His hand for divine purposes.  In the OT, He used sinful nations such as Assyria and Babylon to execute His will.  

He used Judas Iscariot, the religious establishment and the Roman government to carry out the sacrifice of His Son.  

And here, He is using first the sinful Sadducees and later Saul the Pharisee to get the message of the Gospel beyond Jerusalem.

Luke goes on to tell us that the Sadducees tossed Pete and John in jail that day (v3).  But bars can't contain the Gospel of grace.  People were coming to faith in Jesus.  

The good doctor tells us that "the number of the men came to about 5,000" (v4).  Now this probably is a cumulative total of saved men in the early church to this point, not just those repenting as the result of Pete's second sermon (but it could be argued either way).  

Don't miss the fact that Dr. Luke tells us this number was simply the men.  The number was clearly larger.  When God changes men, He changes families.  

The larger number impacted for Christ is more likely closer to 15,000-20,000.  Grace was flowing freely through the streets of the city! 

In the end, the Sadducees thought they were putting an end to this annoying movement by arresting these men and breaking up the crowd.  But they were only being used by God to get the Gospel to a lost and dying world.

"Break it up.  Move along."  That's EXACTLY what God had in mind!

©2011

Jay Jennings