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Proof and Suffering

Two quick thoughts for today:

vv. 38-39:  Gamaliel makes an interesting statement.  I don’t think that he’s necessarily making a prophecy here, but I think what he says is wise and true, as obviously the rest of the council also did.  Taking his statement as a true statement, we have some very compelling evidence for Christianity.  Think about it: an “illegitimate child” from a small town in the boonies of the Roman Empire dies, and a movement starts that spreads His message and resurrection to the ends of the earth using love, not violence to spread it.  Could this be possible if it were not true and not of God?  It certainly seems unlikely.

vv. 40-41:  The disciples are beaten.  How do they respond?  They REJOICE that they are counted WORTHY to suffer as Jesus did.  Jesus said not to be surprised:  the world hated Him and will therefore hate us.  The early Christians believed this.  Do we?  I think that overall, I would characterize Christians in America as whiny.  We don’t take suffering well.  We want our money and our nice churches and our rights.  It’s really no wonder that we’ve lost most of our ability to change our culture – we’ve become almost identical to it.  Where is the Christian who will suffer joyfully?  Where is the Christian willing to die for Jesus?  Where is the Christian who will share Jesus unashamed of His name?  I think (and I can back this up pretty well from the history of the Church) that the decline of Christianity in America has less to do with militant atheists and liberals than it does with Christians who are comfortable being comfortable.  Historically, when Christianity gets comfortable it falls asleep and merges with the existing culture.  However, when the Church is persecuted and suffers as Jesus did, it spreads very quickly.  Tertullian said his famous quote in his Apology to the emperor: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”  So what can we do?  I’m not advocating idiocy and doing things simply in order to be persecuted, but I AM advocating that we joyfully and unashamedly proclaim Jesus constantly, and take the consequences for that.  Make no mistake:  most likely people will get upset, call you a bigot, and a lot of other things.  Take it joyfully, thankful to be counted worthy to suffer as Jesus did.

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Money and Lies
First, a question:

4:32-37 - Do you think the early Christians practiced a form of socialism/communism?  Or was it something different? Why or why not?

Second, the story of Ananias and Sapphira is definitely very different than most things we read in the New Testament - it's not often that people are struck dead.  The NIVAC Acts commentary has some helpful thoughts:

"Five important truths emerge from Peter’s words to Ananias in 5:3.
(1) Satan had so filled and controlled Ananias’s heart that he was carried away in his actions.
(2) Satan’s activity does not remove culpability from Ananias. Verse 3 attributes the act to Satan’s infilling, but verse 4 places responsibility for his action squarely on Ananias.
(3) The most serious thing Ananias did was to lie to the Holy Spirit, not keep back part of the money. Later Peter said that he could have done whatever he wanted with his money (v. 4).
(4) When we lie to the church, we lie to the Holy Spirit. We see the developing theology of the church here. In 5:11 we find the first of twenty-three times that the word ekklesia appears in Acts. Saul/Paul finds out later that when he persecuted the church, he was persecuting Jesus (9:4). Later he expresses the treasured teaching that the church is the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 4:12; 5:23).
(5) Since giving everything was not mandatory (v. 4), the particular desire that Satan had filled Ananias and Sapphira with was the desire for recognition by the church. They lied to win the same sort of esteem that Barnabas had won in the church." [1]

It was never about the money.  God doesn't need money.  But what Ananias and Sapphira did was to try to make people impressed with their sacrifice, all the while trying to keep their comfort.  Who are you trying to impress?  God or others?  I don't think God is going to strike you dead, but I do think that wrong motives such as these can lead to spiritual deadness.  As we read recently, Church is not about being awesome or loved by people, but about Jesus.  Do what you do for HIM, not for the esteem of others.

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We Can't Help It
"So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “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.” And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened." -Acts 4:18-21

This passage is an interesting one.  It brings up a lot of issues that we don't often think about, but that our brothers and sisters in persecuted countries ALWAYS think about.  Today's post is a little more involved, but I'd love to know what you think.

First, read this article from Voice of the Martyrs called "What About Bible Smuggling?"

What do you think?  Are his points valid? Are his examples the same as what we see in Acts 4?  What are the strengths of what he says?  What are the weaknesses?  Should we have any doubts about smuggling Bibles or not?  Let me know ANYTHING you think in the comments.

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The Temple Sermon
"Although both the Pentecost speech and the temple speech call to repentance, review the story of Jesus, and cite Scripture, they are complimentary rather than simply repetitive. Different aspects are emphasized and new perspectives are introduced, broadening the picture of Jesus’ significance for the people of Jerusalem." [1]

The NIVAC Acts commentary has some good observations on the temple sermon, so we'll just take a look at that today:

    "The people’s astonishment over a miraculous happening provides the launching pad for the speech. A new feature is Peter’s serious effort to deflect glory from himself and John. He asks why the people are staring at them “as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk” (v. 12). Peter then refers to “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers” (v. 13a)—a description relevant to his Jewish audience. The miracle is presented as glorifying the one they “handed … over to be killed” and “disowned” (vv. 13b–14).
    Peter makes significant Christological statements in this speech. As at Pentecost, the “name” of Jesus receives emphasis; Acts 3–4 have eight references to it. Longenecker sees this as significant because “the Name (to onoma) was a pious Jewish surrogate for God and connoted his divine presence and power.” The speech begins and ends with the expression of Jesus as God’s “servant” (vv. 13, 26). This directs us back to the messianic servant of Yahweh in Isaiah 42–53. The Septuagint uses the same word (pais) in those passages. Jesus is also called “the Holy and Righteous One” (v. 14), “the author of life” (v. 15), and “a prophet like [Moses]” (v. 22, citing Deut. 18:15, 18–19). As at Pentecost, he is called “the Christ” (v. 20).
    The death of Christ is again given as a fulfillment of prophecy (v. 18), and again God is said to have raised up Jesus (v. 15), with the apostles being witnesses of the resurrection (v. 15). Jesus is the one appointed or designated as their Messiah (v. 20; cf. 2:36). This reminds us of Romans 1:4: “who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” The resurrection was something like an ordination of Christ, when he was confirmed on earth for who he really is." [2]

Any questions or comments?

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How to be the Church
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers."  Acts 2:42

Awesome praise band.
Killer men's/women's ministry.
Bleeding edge technology.
Great community groups.
Engaging and relevant preaching.
Short term missions opportunities.

That's right, the early church didn't have ANY of these things.  The list could go on and on and on, but you get the point:  it's easy for us to look for the wrong things in church.  It's easy to want to be entertained and "ministered to".  It's easy to go for the friends and the comfort of a familiar place.  Why did the early church meet?  Jesus.  What did they have?

1. Teaching
2. Fellowship
3. Breaking bread
4. Prayers

No awesome programs or cool stuff.  Just Jesus, and it was enough.  Not only that, but people were drawn to what?  Jesus.  Every day God added to their number new people who were being saved.  By what? Jesus.  Just Jesus. 

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Peter's Sermon
Today is the first of several sermons that we'll see in the book of Acts.  It's relatively lengthy, so I'm going to do some summarizing for us here.  A lot of commentators see this chapter of Acts as the reversal of the tower of Babel:  there men sought to make a name for themselves and God confused their language; here men seek to make the name of Jesus great and language is united to make that possible.  Peter begins by dealing with that strange phenomenon that the crowd is experiencing (hearing the preaching each in their own language).  Here's a rough outline of Peter's sermon:

I.       Explaining the Phenomena (2:14–21)
II.     The Miracles and Death of Christ (2:22–23)
III.   The Resurrection (2:24–32)
IV.    The Exaltation (2:33–35)
V.      Lord and Christ (2:36)
VI.    A Summons to Repent and Receive Forgiveness (2:37–40) [1]

Peter quotes an extended section of the Old Testament from Joel 2:28–32, which clearly references events in what we've called the Last Days (the end of time).  So, what do you think?  Is Peter saying:

1.  What they are experiencing then, 2000 years ago, are the last days?
2.  That the events of Pentecost initiate that last period of history that will climax with the signs from the Joel passage?
3.  Peter is making no statement about the passage other than the signs they are seeing at Pentecost are the same mentioned in the Joel passage.

What do you think and how would you back it up Biblically?

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God Sends Help
For today, I wanted to share this story from “The Jesus Storybook Bible”, called “God Sends Help” to give us a different perspective/paraphrase on the passage:

“Jesus’ friends and helpers huddled together in a stuffy upstairs room. Even though it was sunny outside, the shutters were closed. The door was locked. “Wait in Jerusalem,” Jesus had told them, “I am going to send you a special present. God’s power is going to come into you. God’s Holy Spirit is coming.” So here they were. Waiting. Actually, mostly what they were doing was just being scared and hiding. (You can’t blame them—their best friend had left; the Important People and Leaders were after them; and Jesus had given them a job they didn’t know how to do.) As they waited, they were praying and remembering—remembering how, from the beginning, God had been working out his Secret Rescue Plan.

Suddenly a strong wind filled the little room, whistling through the walls, rustling the straw on the floor. And there—on everyone’s heads, shining in the gloom—were flickering flames. Fire that didn’t hurt or burn. And something more: inside, in their hearts, they felt a strange heat, almost as if all the coldness and hardness were melting away. As if their broken hearts were mending. And God was giving them brand new hearts—hearts that could work properly. How it happened they didn’t know, but they knew God’s power had struck their hearts ablaze…Whispering the promise that would get rid of the poison and the terrible lie and the sickness in their hearts. God’s wonderful promise to them: “You are my child. And I love you”... Could it be? Heaven was coming into their hearts.

There were lots of people from faraway countries in Jerusalem. They couldn’t speak the same language but as they listened to Peter, everyone could understand what he was saying—in their own languages! Many people believed. And became Jesus’ new friends and helpers. And the wonderful news of Jesus spread. Like sparks from a fire. To villages. Towns. Cities. Every day, more and more people believed.” [1]

Questions?  Comments?

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Acts of the Holy Spirit
Hooray!  We're now officially into the book of Acts.  Thanks for sticking with NT in a Year!  This book is often more fully titled "The Acts of the Apostles" in Bibles, but another named given is "The Acts of the Holy Spirit".  The Holy Spirit plays a huge role, especially in the first half of the book, after which time He falls into the background more, but is certain present.  Book titles aren't inspired, so you can feel free to make the decision yourself about which title best represents what we see in Acts. 

Let's take a quick look at the introduction to the book, then I'll give some quick comments about some important stuff.

"In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,  until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.  He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
    And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
    So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

1. Theophilus:  This name means "friend of God" or "lover of God".  The suggestion has been made that this is being used as a generic term for a large group of people that are reading the book, but that's probably not the case.  This was a name that was in use at the time, and it's much more likely that Theophilus is the person that sponsored/funded Luke's research and travels so that he could write this book about Jesus.

2.  The Holy Spirit:  See already in the sections that I've bolded that the Holy Spirit is central to this book.  This is a continuation of Luke's previous book, and they were meant to be read together.  Most people would consider Acts to be the first history book of Christianity, and it doesn't make any sense if you removed the Holy Spirit.

3. Acts 1:8:  This is Luke giving us the rough outline of the book of Acts.  The Holy Spirit will come, then we will see the Gospel go forth into all of the world in that order.  Keep a keen eye out for each of those "ripples" and why they happen.

Further Introductory Material

Who Was Luke?
         a.      a Gentile (listed in Col. 4:12–14 with Epaphras and Demas, not with the Jewish helpers)
         b.      from either Antioch of Syria (Anti-Marcion prologue to Luke) or Philippi of Macedonia (Sir William Ramsay on Acts 16:19)
         c.      a physician (cf. Col. 4:14), or at least a well educated man
         d.      became a convert in middle adulthood after the church was started at Antioch (Anti-Marcion prologue)
         e.      Paul’s traveling companion (“we” sections of Acts)
         f.      unmarried
         g.      wrote the third Gospel and Acts (similar introductions and similar style and vocabulary)
         h.      died at the age of 84 at Boeotia

When Was Acts Written?
    A.      There is much discussion and disagreement as to the time of the writing of Acts, but the events themselves cover from about A.D. 30–63 (Paul was released from prison in Rome in the middle 60’s and rearrested and executed under Nero, probably in the persecutions of A.D. 65).
    B.      If one assumes the apologetic nature of the book concerning the Roman government, then a date (1) before A.D. 64 (the beginning of Nero’s persecution of Christians in Rome) and/or (2) related to the Jewish revolt of A.D. 66–73.
    C.      If one tries to relate Acts to Luke’s Gospel in sequence, then the date for the writing of the Gospel influences the date of the writing of Acts. Since the fall of Jerusalem to Titus in A.D. 70 is prophesied (i.e. Luke 21), but not described, seems to demand a date before A.D.70. If so, then Acts, written as a sequel, must be dated sometime after the Gospel.
    D.      If one is bothered by the abrupt ending (Paul still in prison in Rome, F. F. Bruce), then a date related to the end of Paul’s first Roman imprisonment, A.D. 58–63, is favored.
    E.      Some historical dates related to the historical events recorded in Acts.
      1.      widespread famine under Claudius (Acts 11:28, A.D. 44–48)
      2.      death of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:20–23, A.D. 44 [spring])
      3.      proconsulship of Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:7, appointed in A.D. 53)
      4.      expulsion of Jews from Rome by Claudius (Acts 18:2, A.D. 49 [?])
      5.      proconsulship of Gallio, Acts 18:12 (A.D. 51 or 52 [?])
      6.      proconsulship of Felix (Acts 23:26; 24:27, A.D. 52–56 [?])
      7.      replacement of Felix by Festus (Acts 24:27, A.D. 57–60 [?])
      8.      Judea’s Roman officials
         a.      Procurators
           (1)      Pontius Pilate, A.D. 26–36
           (2)      Marcellus, A.D. 36–37
           (3)      Marullus, A.D. 37–41
         b.      In A.D. 41 the procuratorial method of Roman administration was changed to an empirical model. The Roman Emperor, Claudius, appointed Herod Agrippa I in A.D. 41.
         c.      After the death of Herod Agrippa I, A.D. 44, the procurator method was reestablished until A.D. 66
           (1)      Antonius Felix
           (2)      Porcius Festus [1]

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Restoration
I loved what NIVAC John had to say about our passage for today, so here's an extended excerpt:

    "Following their meal as they sit on the beach thinking about their handsome catch of fish, Jesus strikes up a conversation with Peter. The solemn character of the moment is underscored by Jesus’ form of address: “Simon son of John.” Simon was the apostle’s given name but Jesus had renamed him “Peter” (Matt. 16:18). Peter’s name occurs frequently in this Gospel but not like this. Each time Jesus questions Peter here, he uses this full and formal form of address.
    We should keep in mind that these verses are closely linked with the fishing miracle of 21:1–14. Thus, when Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me more than these,” we are forced to examine the context to unravel the meaning of “these.” Is Jesus asking, “Do you love me more than you love these boats and fish?” Or, “do you love me more than you love these men with whom you are working?” These two options are relevant since Peter has rejoined his fishing career and now with his friends around him, perhaps Jesus is calling him to make a choice. Does he love his career or is he willing to be Christ’s disciple with a thoroughgoing call to ministry?
    We must keep in mind that it was Peter who spoke up when Jesus predicted his betrayal. In the Synoptics he said that he alone would continue to be faithful even if the others fell away (Matt. 26:33; Mark 14:29). John describes for us Peter’s zeal to follow Jesus despite warnings of death. “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you” (13:37; cf. 15:12–13). And, of course, the deepest irony of this story is that once Peter utters this pledge, he denies Christ three times. But in the present setting, Jesus is the One who knows all things (1:42; 2:25; 16:30), and he understands that despite this terrible falling, Peter is still a man of faith and commitment. Jesus may then be asking, “Do you [indeed] love me more than these other men love me?” Jesus is asking Peter to examine the strength of his earlier pledges.
    The first step in Peter’s restoration comes when Jesus asks Peter to bring “the fish” to shore (21:10). Even this mundane task sets him apart, affirming his position as a leader among these men. Jesus may even be remembering his call to make these men “fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19), so that now the “catch” is going to be Peter’s responsibility. But fishing will not be the primary metaphor for Peter’s future." [1]

Peter messed up.  Big time - but Jesus restores Peter.  This is one of the very last scenes in John's Gospel, and what does it teach?  Forgiveness.  Forgiveness and a mission.  Beyond simply restoring Peter, Jesus gives him a mission:

Take care of my people.
Take care of my people.
Take care of my people.

Forgiveness and restoration is not only about Peter, but about the people of God.  He is a fisher of men, and he must now go back to that mission.

Questions?  Comments?

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Believing
"We me Thomas already earlier in the Gospel. In 11:16 he committed himself to following Jesus even though it meant he might die. It was a loyal (though pessimistic) sentiment. In 14:5 he readily admitted his ignorance of Jesus’ words as the Lord described his departure. In this final episode Thomas is absent when Jesus reveals himself to his disciples in Jerusalem on Easter Sunday (20:24). Upon hearing their assertion that Jesus has been resurrected (“We have seen the Lord,” cf. 20:18, 20) and that he has visited them, Thomas remains skeptical and obstinate. He demands evidence (20:25). This demand reminds us of the Capernaum official in 4:48, “ ‘Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,’ Jesus told him, ‘you will never believe.’ ” There too we found people who demanded hard proof before they would trust Jesus in faith...
    ...Thus John has finished the main body of his Gospel. The choice is ours. After reading the many episodes from Jesus’ life in these twenty chapters, we are summoned to make a judgment. Since chapter 5 we learned that the trial of Jesus was not really taking place in a Jerusalem courtroom with Pilate or the high priest. The venue of Jesus’ trial was in fact the entire world. Accusations have come and gone—divine acts (signs) with potent meanings have been given—and we have watched as men and women have been divided. No one remained neutral. Some found Jesus’ personal claims so outrageous that they were filled with rage and worked to sabotage him. Others observed his deeds, listened to his words, and decided to believe that he indeed was God’s messenger, his Son, bearing divine truth for the world. The pressing question rests here: How will we stand in this parting of the crowd?
    Through his literary expertise John has placed us in the drama by making us view the evidence in the case for and against Jesus. He knows well that his readers—in Jerusalem, Ephesus, Rome, Singapore, Lusaka, Cambridge, and Chicago—will not have the same experience that he or even Thomas had. We look on the evidence from afar. Nevertheless, there is still good evidence to be had—there is an historical story that must be read—and this story is sufficient to make belief not only defensible but reasonable. We stand with the Beloved Disciple looking at the emptiness of the tomb (20:8), recognizing that these indeed were Jesus’ burial clothes. John invites us to make the same decision uttered in that garden: “The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed” (italics added).
    Throughout the Gospel faith and seeing are joined (6:36; 11:40; 6:46–47; 20:25–29). But this means more than seeing Jesus and choosing to believe. It is about a different sort of vision altogether. Many saw Jesus and marveled, but it was seeing through faith that permitted them to see his glory, to recognize his sonship, to respond to his shepherd’s voice. Faith permits a vision, a knowing inaccessible to the person whose sight remains shaped by the world. As C. H. Dodd reminds us, however, “now that He is no longer visible to the bodily eye, faith remains the capacity for seeing His glory.” Therefore we are called to read John’s story and there discover a vision, a knowledge, that invests everything in the historic person of Jesus Christ." [1]

"Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."