The early Church in Jerusalem is described as having in Acts 4:32 “one heart and one soul”. Then, it goes on to say in Acts 4:33 “And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all”. But the Church didn’t start here, they became this. As love grew, as one purpose grew, as faith grew, the power to give testimony grew because Jesus said in John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another”. Then, some among them were tempted by Satan, and held back. Then, opposition, jealousy, tried to stop them and in Acts 5:40 “commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus”. But in Acts 5:42 “Every day, both in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that the Christ was Jesus” and this is the example for us to follow.
Extend Your Hand to Heal
Great Grace was on Them All
Acts 4:32-37
This is really an amazing statement in
Acts 4:32 “the group of those who believed were one heart and one soul”.
If we simply read this “one heart and one soul” phrase, we might think of a married couple. And it is true that in
Matthew 19:4–5 “the one who created them from the beginning made them male and female 5 and said, ‘On account of this a man will leave his father and his mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’”
Then in Matthew, Jesus goes on to talk about divorce. God made us to be one flesh, but in the fall, in this age of sin, we are seldom of one mind. In fact, under the curse, we can only have what Prepare-Enrich calls a “Conflicted marriage” in
Genesis 3:16 To the woman he said, “ … to your husband shall be your desire. And he shall rule over you.”
But we don’t live under the curse of sin and death anymore. We can, in Christ, have a “Harmonious” or even a “Vitalized marriage”. But here, I am only talking about the challenge of getting the relationship between two people right. It is much more challenging to get a whole group of people with “one heart and one soul”.
This didn’t happen immediately, it began with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1-4 that Jesus had said would give them “power” in Acts 1:8. Often, “The Spirit of God is often portrayed in Scripture in terms of “breath”, “life” or “wind”, indicating his role in sustaining and bringing life to God’s creation”1. It is this same “Holy Spirit (that) equips and empowers believers so that the reign and reality of God is revealed through them in the world”1.
This “one heart and one soul”, this “great power” and “great grace” described in
Acts 4:33 “And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all”.
didn’t come on them until they began in
Acts 2:46 “And every day, devoting themselves to meeting with one purpose in the temple courts and breaking bread from house to house, they were eating their food with joy and simplicity of heart”
Their singleness of purpose increased as they “they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles” (see Acts 2:42). The grace on them increased as they exercised love for each other. The power to “give testimony” increased when the community around them saw the love they had one for another. And this was what Jesus had told them in
John 13:34–35 “A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”
For What Reason Has Satan Filled Your Heart
Acts 5:1-11
In the midst of this “great grace” where in
Acts 4:32 “the group of those who believed were one heart and soul, and no one said anything of what belonged to him was his own, but all things were theirs in common”.
Something happened as one couple held back for themselves in
Acts 5:1–2 “Now a certain man … with his wife … sold a piece of property, 2 and he kept back for himself some of the proceeds … And he brought a certain part and placed it at the feet of the apostles”
Immediately, Peter has a word of knowledge and recognizes Satan at work in
Acts 5:3–4 But Peter said, “Ananias, for what reason has Satan filled your heart, that you lied to the Holy Spirit and kept back for yourself some of the proceeds of the piece of land? 4 When it remained to you, did it not remain yours? And when it was sold, was it at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to people, but to God!”
It wasn’t that this couple was under any pressure to sell their land. And it wasn’t that, if they sold it, they were required to give all. It was that they said they were, in Acts 5:8 “paid this much for the piece of land” when they were actually paid more and they held back telling the full amount. Peter recognizes this for what it is, a scheme of Satan, but it is this couple that suffers the consequences.
Many Signs and Wonders Were Being Performed
Acts 5:12=16
Proclaim to the People All the Words of This Life
Acts 5:17-26
You Have Filled Jerusalem With Your Teaching!
If This Matter is From God …
Acts 5:34-42
It is important to understand the context here, in Acts 5:12-16 “many signs and wonders … even more believers in the Lord were being added … people of the towns around Jerusalem also came … bringing the sick and those tormented … who were all being healed”. And all of this was happening at the hand of these Galileans. These men did not have the education, they had not earned the position, they were not under the authority of the high priest, yet people were following after them. So, in
Acts 5:17–18 “Now the high priest rose up and all those who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. 18 And they laid hands on the apostles and put them in the public prison”.
Now, we find the wisdom of the world in the middle of the Sanhedrin as Gamaliel speaks out. He is described in
Acts 5:34 But a certain man stood up in the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law respected by all the people, and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time.
So, we know that Gamaliel is one of the Sanhedrin, he is “respected” and he has a position of some authority within the group because he “gave orders”. His wisdom is in
Acts 5:38–39 “keep away from these men, and leave them alone, because if this plan or this matter is from people, it will be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them, lest you even be found fighting against God.”
His advice is “wait and see” and sadly, we are often stuck, waiting for others to see if the power of God will be manifest. And though it says “they were persuaded by him” in Acts 5:39, and even though they heard “lest you be found fighting against God”, they still, in
Acts 5:40 “summoned the apostles, beat them, commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them”.
In this atmosphere of unbelief, it is not likely they will see anything. This is as it was with Jesus in his own home town in
Matthew 13:57–58 “And they were offended by him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown and in his own household.” 58 And he did not perform many miracles in that place because of their unbelief”.
And just as Jesus went on in
Luke 4:43 ‘But he said to them, “It is necessary for me to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose.”’
so also the apostles went on
Acts 5:42 “Every day, both in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that the Christ was Jesus”.
Study Verses
- Acts 4:32-37 Great Grace was on Them All
- Acts 5:1-11 For What Reason Has Satan Filled Your Heart
- Acts 5:34-42 If This Matter is From God …
Today’s Reading
- Acts 4:23-37
- Acts 5:1-42
References
- 1. Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.