Acts 5
Read: Acts 5
In this chapter we see a lot happening with the early church. First we see that God does not tolerate false testimony when Ananias and Sapphira lie to the Holy Spirit. This was not because they didn’t give all the money away from selling their land; it was because they lied and said that they gave it all in order to build up their own reputations. Then we see that even with the amazing feats that the apostles are doing, there are still those who push back with persecution. Peter and John had already been arrested once (see Acts 4), yet they continued spreading the message that Jesus had come, had been murdered by the Jewish leaders, and had been raised from the dead to bring forgiveness of sins to those who believe in his name.
Most of us have never been imprisoned, but as someone who has been inside of a prison for ministry purposes, I can definitely say I would not want to stay there long. The reality is that these apostles were in much worse conditions than American prisoners are today. Prison in first century Israel was definitely not the sort of place you wanted to be. Here in the United States, there is a certain level of protection for offenders; but in first century Israel, these men were beaten just for speaking freely.
In the end, they are let go. This is because a wise leader named Gamaliel suggests that they be careful lest they find themselves “fighting against God.” As a result, the Sanhedrin has them beaten and released with a warning not to teach in Jesus’ name anymore. Upon release, these men rejoice “that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name.” And instead of following the orders of the Jewish leaders, the apostles go on teaching and spreading the good news about Jesus.
Today, this sort of mentality is a foreign concept. People in our society are afraid to speak the name of Jesus because they don’t want to offend anyone, or because they don’t want to cause any discord. These sorts of results are quite minor compared to beatings and imprisonments. I pray that we (including myself) would have the same kind of boldness that these men had. Believers today have the same Spirit dwelling inside of us that they did. I pray that we would awaken to the fact of that reality.
