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Chapter
3
The Coming of the Spirit
Acts 2
Acts 2 can be divided into three parts:
(1) the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, (2)
Peter's sermon, and (3) life among the believers.
The Jews had three great feast days each year
(Deuteronomy 16)-the Feast of Unleavened Bread
(Passover), the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and
the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles (harvest).
These three great feasts were kept faithfully.
Many Jews of the Dispersion, who had moved in all
directions far from Jerusalem, returned to that
holy city every year to celebrate these feasts.
Pentecost means "fiftieth." Also known
as the Feast of Fifty Days, Pentecost was
celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover. It
was a time of rejoicing. Families gathered for the
reading of the Book of Ruth. Each family brought
an offering of the first harvest to the Lord and
together they remembered the Lord's goodness. No
work was done on this festive day.
The Passover celebration had provided
the setting for Jesus' crucifixion. Now seven
weeks had passed-fifty days, during forty of which
Jesus had appeared to his disciples, encouraging
and teaching them. For ten days following the
Ascension the disciples had waited and prayed.
Pentecost came as it had come for
centuries. The multitude had pressed into the
city. Families were poised for the celebration.
But this particular Pentecost was to be very
unusual for the city-and for the world. It was to
be a once-for-all day. It couldn't help being
different because a once-in-history event had
already taken place; a man named Jesus had been
raised from the dead.
The talk of Jesus resurrection had
aroused alarm in the city. Many rumors were
flying-that his body had been stolen, that he had
not really died. The people, however, had not yet
encountered the greatest evidence of his
resurrection-the power of the lives of changed men
and women. On this Day of Pentecost God would
initiate that powerful witness.
In regard to Pentecost two questions
stand out: (1) What actually happened? and (2)
What did the events mean?
"The Rush of a Mighty Wind"
The 120 disciples were all together in one
place. We do not know where, probably in the upper
room mentioned in Acts 1:13. There had to be,
however, an exodus later from that room to
accommodate the crowd that gathered, perhaps to
the courtyard of the Temple.
Suddenly the Spirit came with two
immediate signs: One was the sound of a mighty,
rushing wind like the roar of a great tornado that
filled the room. The other was the appearance of
fire over the heads of the disciples. These two
signs, one appealing to the ear, the other to the
eye, were too obvious for anyone to dismiss as
mere figments of the imagination. These events
were so real and striking that a great crowd
gathered.
The audience that assembled (Luke calls
them devout-keepers of the Law) heard the
apostles, Galileans, speaking many different
languages. Each hearer heard his or her own
language. That it was a miracle of speaking and
not of hearing is indicated in 2:4. These Jews had
come from every corner of the Roman Empire with a
wide variety of languages. But they were hearing
the words in their own language. They were
witnessing a miracle.
"What Does This Mean?"
They said to one another, "What does this
mean?"-a question that people have been asking
through the centuries. It is an important question
for us to ask today. Some in that crowd suggested
in derision, "They are drunk on wine." They were
not prepared to see a miraculous event
demonstrating the truth of God.
Luke states simply that these
astonishing events are physical evidence of the
moving of the Holy Spirit, who had granted each
disciple to speak another language. Acts 11:15-17
says that these events are the fulfillment of
Jesus' promise that they would be baptized by the
Spirit.
Let us consider for a moment this
baptism of the Holy Spirit. To be baptized by the
Holy Spirit is to be immersed in God's love and
power. It is to relax one's own control and to
surrender to God. It is an act of God's grace. It
should not be viewed merely as a one-time step in
one's spiritual development. Rather, it was and is
a dynamic experience of God's acceptance and
presence. Neither should it be viewed uniformly,
that everyone must experience the Spirit in the
same way.
A careful study of Acts reveals that
everyone did not receive the Spirit in the same
manner. Sometimes hands were laid on; sometimes
not. Sometimes water baptism preceded; sometimes
it followed; and sometimes it is not mentioned at
all. A wide variety of experiences indicates that
the Spirit operates as he chooses and does not
come in a prescribed manner. We cannot predict
exactly the way in which the Holy Spirit will work
in a person's life, but certain common patterns
are observable.
Tongues-speaking, which in Acts appears
to be the use of a foreign language, became a
serious problem later in Corinth when it had
become to itself what some commentators describe
as ecstatic babbling typical of the mystery-cults.
It became a problem because it disrupted worship,
caused people to become overly
subjective-concentrating upon edifying themselves
rather than glorifying God and helping others-and
it separated Christian believers because some were
saying that all must speak in tongues (1
Corinthians 12:29-30). But Paul makes clear that
not all will speak in tongues, just as not all
will be apostles, prophets, or teachers. If read
carefully, Paul's statement to the Corinthians (1
Corinthians 12 and 14) is a statement against the
use or promotion of tongues-speaking in the
Church.
The answer to the second question,
"What does this mean" lies in the objective work
of God in Christ, not in one's subjective
contemplation of one's own spiritual life. Our
response is to let the coming of the Holy Spirit
come in whatever manner God chooses and let the
results be whatever God wills.
Peter then came forth to explain the
meaning of the events. Raising his voice over the
crowd, he delivered a powerful sermon, rich in
Scripture, which is a model for preachers. It can
be divided into three sections: the explanation of
the phenomena, the death and resurrection of
Jesus, and counsel to those convicted of sin.
He quickly dismissed the charge of
drunkenness, stating humorously, "It is only 9:00
A.M." Rather, he says, prophecy has been fulfilled
here today. (See Joel 2:28-32.) The messianic age
has come-in Jesus of Nazareth. Peter does not
dwell long on Jesus' life but goes directly to his
death and resurrection. You are guilty of his
death, he says in effect, but God raised him up,
defeating death itself. Of this we are witnesses.
And note Acts 2:33: "Being therefore exalted at
the right hand of God, and having received from
the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has
poured out this which you see and hear."
Here is the meaning of these events: It
is found in Jesus. "God has made him both Lord
[master, ruler] and Christ [promised Messiah]" (v.
36).
"What Shall We Do?"
Peter may have said more. He was normally more
wordy, and this sermon takes fewer than five
minutes to read. No matter how long it was, the
response was as striking as the message. "What
shall we do?" they cried.
Peter's answer is the first word of the
gospel. It was the rallying cry of the prophets.
It was the first word of both John the Baptist and
Jesus as they began to preach. "Repent!" Peter
urged, "and be baptized . in the name of Jesus
Christ" (v. 38). To repent is to change the course
of one's life. Specifically, it is to turn to
Jesus.
Jesus had said that the Holy Spirit
would convict people of their sin (John 16:8). The
proper response to this conviction is repentance,
faith, and obedience. When the Spirit moved that
day, three thousand responded and were added by
God to the Church. And the number kept increasing
day by day (2:47).
How do we account for this rapid
growth? There are three reasons: (1) the
convicting of sin by the Spirit through obedient
witnesses and enthusiastic new converts; (2) the
continuing wonders and signs, and (3) the joyful,
loving life-style of the believers.
"All Things in Common"
It is vital for the reader of Acts to catch the
contagious enthusiasm of these men and women of
faith. They believed. They knew. They had
experienced God personally. Many could say, like
the people of John 4:42, "We have heard [and seen]
for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the
Savior of the world."
Note the factors that shaped these
people into a community of faith and witness. They
had all things in common:
They had a common experience of
forgiveness. They were filled with the same
Spirit. They had a common purpose. They had a
common leader. They had common experiences of
worship and learning. They shared all of their
goods in common. They enjoyed daily face-to-face
communication and enthusiasm.
This was a good day in the life of the
Church. The believers were not without problems,
but they were not problem-centered; they were
Christ-centered.
Christ had brought them together, and
Christ would minister through them to one another.
He would merge their lives and empower them with a
mighty witness to the world. Although challenges
to their faith and life together were soon to
come, this inner dynamic of the indwelling Spirit
of Christ was to be their strength and hope.
Certainly the same Spirit is alive in
the church today.
Chapter 4
Witness in Jerusalem and
Judea
Acts 3-5
Chapters 3 and 4 of Acts center around
a dramatic event-the healing of a lame beggar at
the gate called Beautiful leading into the
Temple-and the rush of eventful responses to this
healing.
"I Give You What I Have"
Peter and John went to the Temple at three in
the afternoon, one of the regular times of prayer.
This had been their custom for many years.
Believing that the gospel was a fulfillment of the
Law, the Jewish believers continued this practice
until the nonbelieving Jews later expelled them
from the Temple.
Beggars customarily sat beside the
entrance to the Temple, knowing that there they
could catch men in a generous mood as they went to
pray. On this day, as every day, a man who sat
there had been lame from birth. For forty years he
had been carried to the gate and left to beg for
alms. For forty years he had eked out an existence
on a pittance. This life was all he had known.
But today was to be different for that
beggar. Little did he know that healing was so
close. He wanted alms, but he was to receive life.
He is emblematic of so many persons who live
unaware of life's potential, not knowing that
something better is available.
To understand Peter and John's actions
properly, we must go back to Jesus' instructions
to his disciples. He had commanded them not only
to preach, but to "heal the sick" (Matthew 10:8a),
to continue the work of healing that he had
already begun. And note that the healing that
Jesus brought was for the whole person-mental,
physical, social, and spiritual.
Peter gazed into the beggar's haunting
eyes, realized his thoughts, and said, "I have no
silver or gold, but I give you what I have." If
the man had heard only the first part of that
sentence, he would have turned away, as so many
do, to seek another more generous hand. But he
listened on: "In the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, walk." And before the beggar could laugh
or become angry or feel mocked by Peter's words,
he felt himself being pulled to his feet by
Peter's strong arm.
Once on his feet he felt strength in
his legs and feet. He began to leap and walk and
run like a colt who has just discovered its legs.
What did Peter and John do?
1. They took the initiative, regardless
of the consequences. They did not know what was to
follow with all the publicity surrounding the
healing.
2. They acted straightforwardly and
boldly. Hesitation would have lost the beggar's
attention and diminished their own faith.
3. They believed in the power of Jesus'
name. Their faith was based on the Resurrection.
4. They gave what they had. The
disciples had given up everything else-fishing,
collecting taxes, personal ambitions, their own
pride. Had they given the man money, what would he
have done? He could have bought food, but soon he
would be back begging again. Their gift proved to
be infinitely more valuable than money.
5. They refused to accept the credit
for the healing; rather, they praised God and used
the occasion to point to God's power. In this
spirit a Christian physician said, "I do the
plumbing; only God can do the healing." What were
the results of the disciples' action? The beggar
stood and began to walk. He went into the Temple,
walking and leaping. He praised God. He was filled
with joy. All the people were filled with wonder.
And Peter took the opportunity to witness to
Christ.
For this message on Solomon's Porch,
Peter had a ready audience. The miracle had
arrested their attention. It was a bringing
together of deed and word, a great act of God;
then came the explanation, calling for a response
from the people. Note the sequence:
deed-word-response.
"To This We Are Witnesses"
Once again the focus of Peter's sermon was the
resurrection of Jesus. It is the Resurrection that
puts everything else in proper perspective. Jesus
is the Nazarene (Acts 3:6, 4:10), God's servant
(3:13, 3:26), the one they delivered up to death
(3:13), the holy and righteous one (3:14), the
author of life (3:15), the one God raised from the
dead (3:15), the cornerstone (4:11), and the only
one in whom salvation is possible (4:12)-the
fulfillment of history.
All of this commotion roused the
priests and the Sadducees, who had Peter and John
thrown into prison, an experience that occurs
often through the Acts account. Even so, five
thousand people believed that day because of the
willingness of Peter and John to be obedient to
Christ. What started out to be an ordinary day
culminated in a glorious expansion of the Church.
"We Cannot But Speak"
The next morning Peter, called before the
council, and John, with a fresh filling of the
Spirit, continued boldly to confront the Jewish
leaders with the message of Christ. The disciples
were single-minded. "There is salvation in no one
else" was their word.
Such audacity from uneducated,
seemingly insignificant fishermen astounded the
council and presented them with a dilemma.
Conferring among themselves, they decided to order
the disciples to cease speaking about Jesus.
Characteristically, Peter and John
replied that they had no choice. The council had
its right to judge, but the disciples must go on
speaking of what they had seen and heard. What can
stop that kind of determination?
The disciples' release from prison
brought a joyful reunion with their friends. They
reported their experience, and together they
lifted their voices in prayer for boldness to
speak on in the face of threats to their safety.
In this moving time of prayer the Spirit again
came upon them, and they spoke with renewed
courage.
"All Things in Common"
Once again in the paragraph following (4:32-37)
this time of prayer, Luke calls attention to the
communal nature of the fellowship. Apparently, the
writer finds this fact to be as significant as the
disciples' witnessing to the mighty power of God.
There was no needy person within the fellowship
because they provided for all. There were none
hungry, none cold, none lonely, none without a
place to sleep. This behavior reflects Jesus'
concern for the whole person. It also reflects the
unselfish, giving nature of Christians: they love
their neighbors as themselves.
The believers met individual needs by
pooling their resources. They voluntarily sold
their land in order to distribute the money. It
was for many a total disregard for their personal
well-being in favor of the group. It was not just
what they did that is so striking. It is their
willingness to do whatever was necessary to
fulfill the imperative of love given to them by
Jesus.
That the disciples were not required to
sell their land is made clear in the story of
Ananias and Sapphira. Barnabas (this is our first
mention of this stalwart leader) had sold a field
and had brought the entire proceeds to the
disciples. Perhaps Ananias and Sapphira had seen
that this act brought attention to Barnabas.
Perhaps the disciples had expressed gratitude. And
let us suppose that this misguided couple craved
some attention and praise for themselves. Having
sold some property, each in turn came to the
disciples and reported a false amount. Peter
perceived their deception and confronted them. The
principle involved was the necessity of honesty
before God and one another. A lack of integrity
erodes the foundations of our life together and
our witness to the world. Ananias and Sapphira
wanted their companions to believe they had given
the entire proceeds; they wanted the approval and
acceptance of the group. They wanted their
generosity known and, perhaps, applauded. They
also, however, wished selfishly to take care of
themselves. Perhaps they were simply afraid of
going hungry. By trading honesty for security of
material wealth, they lost everything.
"We Must Obey God"
After this interlude, Luke again focuses on
ministry. The pace of the disciples' preaching and
healing accelerated as they met daily in Solomon's
Porch where all could see and hear them. More and
more people felt compelled to receive their
message. People from surrounding towns brought
their sick for healing. But with increasing
popularity with the masses, the disciples
experienced increasing disfavor with the Jewish
religious authorities.
The Sadducees had them imprisoned, but
an angel released them during the night,
thoroughly confounding the authorities. Again they
brought the disciples in, but gingerly, for fear
of stirring up the masses of people. Repeated
arrests were inevitable. The disciples had been
ordered to refrain from preaching about Christ,
and their refusal to heed magnified the offense.
They were seen as heretical troublemakers,
inflaming the people. The council was enraged
further by Peter's defense as he said, "We must
obey God rather than men."
The twelve might have been killed on
one occasion were it not for the famous Pharisee
Gamaliel, the teacher of Saul of Tarsus. Gamaliel
urged a moderate, wait-and-see approach. He
suggested that if the movement were really of God,
it could not be destroyed. The council followed
his advice, and after beating the disciples and
charging them again not to speak of Christ, they
released them. It would be interesting to know
whether Gamaliel ever made a final decision on the
truth of the apostles' claim.
The disciples returned home, rejoicing
that they were able to suffer for the sake of
Christ. The next day found them again in the
Temple and in their homes sharing with renewed
fervor the message of the gospel. They continued
in the face of contempt, threats, imprisonment,
and beatings. They didn't ask, "Is it safe for
me?" but, "Is it right with God?"
Chapter 5
Ministry and Martyrdom
Acts 6:1-8:3
How exciting were those early days in
the life of the Church! As the Church enjoyed
rapid growth and dramatic displays of God's power,
the disciples began to organize and mobilize for
more effective ministry and for greater outreach
into society with the gospel.
"Serving Tables"
One of the primary characteristics of the
first-century church, as we have noted, was the
people's charity and generosity to one another.
Many who lived near Jerusalem were extremely poor.
Later, this prompted believers throughout the
Roman Empire. In this respect, the church was
healthier than many Christian churches today.
Even then, however, problems arose. The
Greek Christians began to grumble that the Greek
widows among them were not being treated fairly in
the distributions set apart for the poor. Jewish
tradition for centuries had demanded that the
community bear responsibility for widows and
orphans. The early church was continuing this
tradition, but an old jealousy reared its ugly
head, that between the Aramaic and Greek
(Hellenist) Jewish believers. But a problem became
an opportunity. A potential crisis threatening the
life of the community became a unifying force
instead and enabled greater and more effective
ministry. That the widows' fund might be fairly
distributed, seven men were appointed, chosen by
the people and anointed by the apostles. These
men, who bore Greek names, were of eminent
qualification for their position of ministry.
Their spiritual caliber was high, their commitment
deep.
The common assumption of the work
assigned the seven was that they served the food.
The phrase used, "waiting on tables," can also
mean financial administration. But whatever it
included, these men assumed their work of "waiting
on tables" gladly, enabling the apostles to
continue their ministry of prayer and preaching.
This pleased everyone, and the church prospered.
The number of disciples increased greatly in
Jerusalem.
This kind of spirit fostered tremendous
growth in the early church. They did not avoid the
problem. They faced it positively and humbly.
Their solution required humility and commitment by
the seven men chosen. The church recognized here a
variety of ministries as the concept of gifts
within the Body was even now taking shape through
their lives.
This concept of ministry in practice
was one of the great strengths of the New
Testament church. Spelled out later in such
passages as Ephesians 4, Romans 12, and 1
Corinthians 12, it stated that the ministries of
the church were effected through spiritual gifts.
Spiritual gifts could not be earned or deserved
but were given by a gracious God.
Each person who was gifted, however,
had the clear responsibility to use those gifts to
the very degree that God had given them.
Furthermore, gifts were not for personal glory but
for the glory of God. They were not for individual
edification, but for the building up of the whole
community of the faithful.
"They...Stoned Him"
One of the men chosen to wait on tables,
Stephen, "full of faith and the Holy Spirit," was
to become the first recorded Christian martyr. The
Greek word for witness has given us our English
word martyr. To be a witness came to carry with it
the willingness to die, if necessary, for the
cause. Stephen's witness shone in bright color,
and he was stoned for it. Hebrews of that day
regarded Christianity as a Jewish sect or
synagogue. There were many of these sects in
Jerusalem; among others there were the synagogues
of the Freedmen, Cyrenians, Alexandrians,
Cilicians, and Asians (6:9). The "synagogue of the
Galileans," as the church was called, met for
prayer and the breaking of bread in their houses,
but they also attended the Temple and the various
festivals. They were a part of the Jewish nation.
To other Jews, the Galileans were that strange
party that taught that a notorious criminal who
had been crucified at the last Passover was
actually the long-waited Messiah. It was a
sacrilege! Pious Jews waited to crush this
outrageous heresy.
The apostles' first organized
opposition came from the Sadducees, who strongly
opposed the teaching of a resurrection. As we have
noted, the center of preaching in the Book of Acts
is the resurrection of Jesus. The Pharisees, too,
joined in active opposition, as we see in Saul of
Tarsus. In Acts 6:9-10, it is the Cilicians and
Asians who say of Stephen, "We have heard him
speak blasphemous words against Moses and God" (v.
11).
As Stephen's enemies began to build a
case against him, young Saul, too, could have been
there, taking part in discussions, later stirring
up the people and engaging false witnesses in
order to bring charges against Stephen. These
false witnesses testified that they had heard
Stephen say that Jesus would disregard the Mosaic
law and would destroy the Temple, both gross
inaccuracies. Had not Jesus said, however, that
"those who hate me will hate you?"
Stephen was brought before the high
priest and the council, the highest and most
powerful court in the Jewish system. Here, before
this awesome assembly, he had his finest hour.
Confronting his accusers, Stephen delivered a
masterful sermon that traced God's dealings with
his people from the call of Abraham, through the
patriarchs, through Moses and the escape from
Egypt, through Joshua, David, and Solomon.
The central character of Stephen's
narrative is none other than God. Were these deeds
not all done by God's hand? And God was in Jesus,
a fact which their hardness of heart kept them
from seeing. Stephen charged them with (1) not
understanding the Scriptures, (2) having a false
religion, (3) resisting the Holy Spirit, (4)
killing Christ, and (5) not keeping the Law. With
this confrontation, two great powers came into
conflict-the power of tradition found in the
Jewish leaders, a tradition they protected for its
own sake; and the power of change, found in
Stephen, a power that seeks truth for the benefit
of men and women.
All this was too much for the members
of the council. They ground their teeth against
him in rage. They closed their ears and, venting
their anger with loud shouts, they threw him out
of the city and began to throw rocks at him. It
was a terrible scene of callous inhumanity out of
control. At the same time, it was a magnificent
witness of God's power and love.
Stephen's prayers immediately preceding
his death are reminiscent of Jesus' prayers on the
cross. The same spirit dwelt in both Christ and
Stephen. His response to his murderers was
forgiving love. Kneeling in the posture of
humility and praying for his enemies, he died.
What good could come of this tragedy?
Let us venture a few thoughts. (1) The message of
the gospel was clearly pronounced. The message is
much like that of the Book of Hebrews; that is,
the same God who was at work through the ages has
come now through Jesus, the righteous one. (2)
Witness is clearly identified with martyrdom. In
the years to follow, this scene was to be repeated
many times. And the sacrificial deaths of many
believers came to be one of the primary reasons
for the dynamic quality of early Christianity.
The power lay not in that they died,
but in how they died, as witness-martyrs.
(3) Finally, Stephen's death had a
profound influence upon one young man, at least,
at whose feet the witnesses threw their outer
garments and who was willingly agreeing to the
death-Saul, later to be know as the Apostle Paul.
Augustine said well, "The church owes Paul to the
prayer of Stephen."
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