The Perseverance of the Gospel Through the Perseverance of the Saints
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Acts 5:40-42
Acts 5:40-42
Firstly, to understand the meaning of this text, and use careful and precise hermeneutics, we must look at the historical background of this text.
One of the key aspects of identifying the historical background of a text is knowing who the author is and what exactly that author was going through while they were writing that portion of the Holy Scripture.
Seeing as how the portion of text that we are examining comes from the book of Acts, we know that Luke is the author.
Tradition tells us that Luke was a Gentile rather than a Jew.
This differed him from the many Jewish individuals who were very influential in the prosperity of the early church.
Many Bible exegetes also use two key texts in Colossians to point out the distinction that Paul makes between the circumcised (Jews) and the uncircumcised (Gentiles).
Those texts (Colossians 4:11 and 4:14) seem to have Luke listed as one of the followers of Christ who is not of the circumcision.
That is to say that he was not a Jew by birth and may not have been raised under the authority of the Mosaic Law.
Looking at information surrounding Luke found in Scripture, we can label him as the historian of the New Testament.
Luke’s gospel was written to a man named Theophilus.
He writes while being focused on the minute details of the key historical events of the life of Christ while Acts; his second book, details the key historical events of the early church.
Within the contents of Luke’s books, he doesn’t focus on himself in providing much information on his background, influence, and other aspects of his life.
However, we can use our Scriptures as a guide in determining what it is that Luke did.
We look in the Bible and we see that Luke was a faithful companion of the Apostle Paul.
Luke was a physician who went with Paul on many of his journeys.
He took care of Paul and helped him in many of his endeavors.
We know that he and Paul were close friends and that by being with Paul, he had the knowledge to be able to communicate these historical events to his reader; Theophilus.
Theophilus is a man mentioned only in the books that were written by Luke. Because of that, we do not know much about him.
However, we can piece together the idea that Theophilus was a man who had earned the respect of Luke. We look at the beginning of both his gospel and the narrative of Acts and see him referred to as “most excellent.”
This is a man who has earned the respect of Luke.
Looking now at the historical situation that the disciples find themselves in, according to this passage, there was a danger in following the mission that Christ had them to complete.
The disciples truly faced persecution that differs from the persecution that you and I may face today.
They were beaten and bruised in the name of Christ.
These disciples have been emboldened by the message of Christ even though they know the consequences of their actions.
According to Matthew 16:24-26, Jesus has commanded them to take up their cross and follow Him .
They have been commanded to acknowledge Christ as Lord and follow Him to their deaths.
The audience of the disciples was hostile.
They did not like the message that they were proclaiming.
They would rather hear the same messages and the same convictions that they had become accustomed to when they were a child.
The Pharisees hated Jesus and His disciples because He had embarrassed them with His teaching and explained to them that they did not possess the God that they believed they were witnessing to.
Looking closer at the text that we are examining, we see the presence of the Sadducees.
The Sadducees were a group or sect of the religious judiaisms of the day.
The Sadducees did not believe in the presence of an afterlife, whether it be a reward or a punishment.
However, they attested to the belief of angels. According to The Mishna, “these 70 elders plus Moses himself are the source for the 71 judges of the Great Sanhedrin” (Sanhedrin 1:6).
The Mishna is a document that details the oral traditions that were passed down during this time.
It was by no means Scripture.
The Sanhedrin was made up of lying individuals who were ready to punish anyone who disagreed with them with violence.
This can be found in verses like Matthew 10:17, 26:59, Mark 13:9, Luke 22:66, and more.
But how do both of these Judaistic parties play into our text in Acts 5?
The disciples were being persecuted by both.
However, when we look at the immediate context of verses 40-42, we see the persecution of Gamaliel.
These same disciples had been taken captive by a sect of the Sadducees and had thrown them into prison.
While the majority of the crowd desired to kill them, in verse 33, a man named Gamaliel steps up.
Gamaliel gives a compromising perspective and then tells the members of the Sanhedrin to do whatever they want.
After this, the Apostles were commanded to never speak or teach in the name of Jesus again.
This is a key aspect of the culture that is of the Jews of this time.
Anyone that they saw as a heretic or one that they thought was going against the Mosaic Law or the books of the Tanakh, were (in their eyes) worthy of being beaten or killed.
They were violent.
Jesus had been murdered a short time before the events that we see in this passage.
We see the sects of the Jews and their intolerance to the views and teachings of Christ.
They hated Christ because they saw Him as someone who contradicted what it was that they believed.
When looking more closely at the cultural practices involved in this passage, I think we must point out the presence and the power of the Sanhedrin.
The Sanhedrin is where the Apostles have just been through this sham of a trial.
We hear the term Sanhedrin many times in sermons or lessons but often we hear and do not understand what exactly the Sanhedrin truly is.
Think of the Sanhedrin as the Supreme Court of the first-century Jews.
The idea of the Sanhedrin goes back to the Mosaic Law and consists of the coming together of Jewish leaders to judge cases that have been brought to them.
However, looking into the immediate context of the passage that we are looking into, we see the corruption of this practice.
The Sadducees and the priests have come together to condemn the teaching of the Apostles.
They do this because they hate the one whom the Apostles are proclaiming.
There is a consistency in the hatred that these people have for Christ and His followers.
All of these aspects of the historical background of this passage of Acts 5:40-42 contribute to the proper understanding of what it is that Luke intended for us to learn from this passage.
Secondly, after establishing the historical background of this text, we must understand the genre of the book as a whole and how that genre impacts the text that we are breaking down.
When it comes to the genre of Acts 5:40-42 and the overall book of Acts, it is evident that this book is historical.
In that what Luke is writing, we shouldn’t view it in the same way we view an Epistle.
Luke is writing to inform Theophilus of the events of the early church.
Because of this and the miraculous work of the Spirit that was going on at this time, this is not a book that should teach us how to “do church.”
Luke does not intend for this writing to be seen as a guidebook of the Christian walk.
Again, Luke is a historian who is writing to a well-esteemed man to give him a well-thought-out and in-depth explanation of the history of the early church.
Because Luke is writing in this way, he is very thorough in the details of what is happening in these initial years after the time of Christ.
Through Luke’s writing, he makes his entire book to Theophilus consistent in its goal.
Theophilus will read a precise and detailed explanation of the events that Luke intends to write of.
The historical events that are described in this book are put there in a dramatic fashion.
Drama is emphasized in the description of these events.
Again, This is a historical narrative.
Looking again at the genre of Acts, we must understand the characteristics that this genre of writing brings out.
As mentioned a moment ago, the book of Acts is a narrative and a narrative emphasizes the drama of the story that is being described.
But what exactly does this mean practically while looking at the text?
Simply put, the story that we are reading flows like a story should.
We are introduced to the characters, (this would be found in the book of Luke) we are told of their ambitions, we see the opposition that stands opposed to their mission, and we see how our characters overcome the opposition.
Luke uses this historical narrative as a way for the reader to know the continual progression of the early church.
Through persecution, imprisonment, beatings, and death, the message of the Gospel is proclaimed throughout all of the known world.
Luke wants us to see the preservation of Christ’s great Gospel.
Thirdly, after establishing the genre of this text, we must understand the literary context of our chosen portion of Scripture.
We can look at Acts 5:40-42 with a better understanding by looking at some of the major themes that are present within the works of Luke.
Looking inside of these books, one of the main themes that is present is history.
As mentioned earlier, one cannot look at Luke’s writings and set them aside from an in-depth, historical analysis of the life of Christ and the early church.
We must remember that this is the reason why Luke picked up the pen in the first place.
He is writing to Theophilus to give him this detailed report.
Along with a historical theme, another theme that is found throughout Luke’s books is the fact that Jesus Christ is the perfect Savior of the world.
This can be seen in both his gospel and Acts as Luke describes the uniqueness of Christ.
He explains that there has never been anyone like Christ and there will never be one like Him.
One final theme that is present in Luke’s books is the consistent reality of suffering in the name of Christ.
This is seen in both the book of Acts and his Gospel as he details the persecution that the messengers of God are earning.
This is a theme that will come back to us as we go into the application.
Once we have understood some of the themes that are prevalent throughout Luke’s writings, we must then look back to the immediate context of our portion of Scripture.
Our context begins in verse 17 of chapter 5 as we learn of the opposition to the Apostles.
We are introduced to a sect of the Sadducees and read that they arrest the Apostles for the teaching and preaching that they are acting out.
As mentioned a moment ago, the Apostles have been motivated by the resurrection of Jesus Christ and have had astounding proof of their faith.
While the Apostles sit in a public jail, they are visited by an angel in verse 19 that opens the doors of their cells and commands them to go into the temple continuing to proclaim the message of Life that they have been given.
Upon escaping from their bonds, they do exactly that which the angel has commanded them.
They go into the temple and proclaim the message of Jesus Christ.
In the second part of verse 21, the narrative jumps back to the opposition as the Sanhedrin wishes for the Apostles to be brought into their presence from the jail.
Ignorant of the miraculous work that had been performed the night before, some officers are sent to the jail to get them, but they are shocked to see no one in the cell.
In verse 23, we see the answer of the officers as they say that they have seen the cell locked and the guards at the door, yet they see no one in the cell.
As they step back and question the situation that they find themselves in, one arrives and says that the same Apostles that they had imprisoned the day before are preaching and teaching about Jesus in the temple. They have been faithful to the command that had been given.
Upon hearing those words, the Sanhedrin sent the captain and the other officials to go and retrieve the Apostles without force or violence. ]
We read in verse 26 that they did not intend to arrest them with force because they feared the people who stood and listened to the Apostles They are arrested, brought before the Sanhedrin, and commanded not to continue proclaiming the name of Jesus.
Hearing the command of the Sanhedrin, Peter replies in verse 29 by saying that they must obey God rather than men.
He says this in direct opposition to the opposition that is demanding to shut down the presentation of the gospel.
In verses 30-32, Peter rebukes the Sanhedrin by explaining the deity of Jesus Christ and blaming them for His murder.
He also mentions the power of the Holy Spirit that is given as a gift to believers.
Hearing the rebuke that they had been given by Peter, the members of the Sanhedrin gained a great hatred for the Apostles.
They wished for them to be killed just as their Savior had been killed.
However, in verse 34, we are introduced to a Pharisee named Gamaliel who explains a few examples of rebellions that had been the result of mere men.
He says that the Sanhedrin can do whatever it is they desire to do to them, and the movement of Christ will be dismantled if it is of human origin. However, he says that if this plan is of God, it will not be overturned.
After hearing the counsel of Gamaliel, we get to the portion of Scripture that has been selected.
In verse 40, they hear the counsel and follow his advice by beating them and ordering them to never again proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. Once their beating was over, the Apostles were released.
They then leave the place in which they had been beaten and begin to proclaim that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for the Name.
After making this powerful statement, we read in verse 42 that the Apostles were more motivated than ever and continued on their mission proclaiming the good news of the gospel.
One final aspect of understanding the literary context of this portion of Scripture would be identifying potential allusions that occur in this text.
However, after reading through this text and looking for some type of allusion, I would not acknowledge the presence of such a thing in this passage. In this passage, we see the theme of suffering for the name of Christ being ever-present rather than being alluded to.
Fourthly, after establishing the literary context of this portion of Scripture, we must then go on to an analysis of the grammar through the implementation of a block diagram. When piecing together a block diagram for our text in Acts 5:40-42, we must keep in mind the authorial intent of Luke. The following block diagram shows the correlation between the words that Luke uses to give us this information.
(Image)
Luke continues his explanation of these events by saying the word; they. This word indicates a focus on the people who are the direct opposition to the Apostles and their message.
So, as Luke goes on, we can see that what happens after this word, directly comes from the “bad guys” of this text.
After we recognize those who are doing the action, we can see what it is that they are doing.
They follow Gamaliel’s advice, call the Apostles in, beat them, and command them.
They declare that the Apostles are not to continue speaking the name of Jesus.
Luke emphasizes this command and shows the severity of the breaking of it
He goes on in verse 41 and brings up another they.
However, he now speak of the Apostles.
So, as we look through verse 41, we will examine the reaction of the Apostles as they comprehend what they had just experienced.
The Apostles leave the Sanhedrin and rejoice.
They rejoice in the fact that God had considered them worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus.
The suffering that they have just experienced directly correlates to the proclamation of the name.
They are being persecuted because of Jesus and His message.
We conclude this examination in verse 42 as Luke writes of the actions of the Apostles.
The Apostles have become emboldened by the Gospel and strive to proclaim the message wherever they go.
The last verse ends with an emphasis on their Savior. Jesus Christ.
After understanding the structure and grammar of the text, we must now examine the specific words in this text. A word that stands out as it brings forth the precise reason why the Apostles are going threw this persecution. The word that we will be examining is the words “His Name.”
This directly means “The Name”.
This word appears at the end of verse 41 as the Apostles praise God in their trials.
When we think of the word “name” we think of the common meaning that we find in the English language.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of the word name is “a word or phrase that constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or thing.”
This often refers to the given or desired word in which a person is called.
In the English language, the word name can go to just about anything.
Anything and everything has a name. This is how we distinguish something from the rest.
However, to understand what Luke is trying to convey when he writes this passage, we need to look at what the original language says.
When we look at the original wording of this text, we need to first understand the language that Luke is writing in. As we all know, Luke is writing the Book of Acts in Greek. This was the language that Luke and the Apostles would have spoken. The Greek phrase that is being explained is “ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος.”
As mentioned already, this phrase equates to “for the Name” in the English language.
Looking to the meaning of the word “name” in Greek, we see a similar definition in English.
It is what something or someone is called.
As in English, this is a common word that can have many different examples or uses.
From the time Luke wrote this historical narrative to today, the phrase “ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος” has had the same meaning.
However, the context of verse 41 indicates the significance of this word.
There is a theological importance here as we understand the Name that they are rejoicing in.
The Name that the Apostles are considered worthy of shame for, is Jesus Christ.
Luke is describing Jesus Christ as the Name.
He holds to the idea that there is significance and an important difference between the name of man and the Name of Christ.
Through the book of Acts, we see a constantly building theology based on the word “Name.”
Luke describes the uniqueness of Christ and the power that His name has.
Verses like Acts 2:21, 3:6, 3:16, 4:7, 4:12, 4:18, 4:30, and so on.
There is one other thing that is very interesting when looking at the words that Luke uses in this verse.
To point out this significance, we need to look at the similarity between the Greek words that Luke writes with the Hebrew words that the Jews would have been familiar with hearing. As apostles refer to Jesus as “the Name,” it seems to allude to the text in Psalm 69:30 when it mentions the Name of God.
This psalm speaks of praising or rejoicing in the name of God.
What is interesting about this connection is that in both situations, the psalmist and the Apostles both rejoice in the Name of their Savior.
Both of them are giving praise and glory to Yahweh.
By using the Name, they are putting the name of Jesus Christ on the same level as that of Yahweh.
This connection not only shows a consistency between the New Testament and the Old Testament, but it also shows a very theological concept.
Jesus Christ is God and His Name is to be praised.
After diving in and understanding one of the keywords in this text, we will now cover the big picture of this text. We find the big picture of this entire passage by examining the actions of the Apostles.
Looking at our copy of the text, we must understand what has happened thus far.
Seeing as we have already examined the immediate context of the events of this passage, we can move on to the beginning of verse 40.
Our passage begins with the people that have surrounded the Apostles adhering to the advice of Gamaliel.
Remember what it is that Gamaliel tells the people of the Sanhedrin to do.
He tells them to let the Apostles that they were persecuting go free for a short time.
He practically says that they can do whatever it is they wish to do to these men.
If they want to beat them they can.
If they wish to let them go free, that is their decision as well.
However, he gives some advice to the crowd.
Gamaliel gives two examples of people claiming to be important.
He says that they gained great followings and yet when the individual died, the crowd dispersed.
He sees Jesus and His Apostles as being one more example of such folly.
He weighs the scales of his choices and says that if these men are not from God, their plans will be thwarted.
However, if they are from God, then they will not be stopped.
This brings us back to verse 40 as the people of the Sanhedrin decide to follow Gamaliel’s counsel.
They call the Apostles into their presence.
With their sense of freedom, they beat them.
Imagine the thoughts of the Apostles currently.
They have heard the words of Jesus Christ as they were told to take up their cross and follow Him.
All of them knew what he meant by this statement.
The statement was speaking of persecution.
A brutal persecution that would eventually lead to death.
I imagine being one of the Apostles currently.
What were they thinking?
Perhaps they believed that this was all for them.
Perhaps they believed that their mission would end a little shorter than they had planned.
However, as we all know, this is not the end of their stories.
Once the beating stops, the Apostles hear a command.
A command that contradicts the very thing that their life is to be oriented around.
They are commanded to never again speak in the name of Jesus.
Imagine hearing those words.
Put yourself into the shoes of the Apostles as you are commanded not to do the things that you have been commanded to do by God.
These are men who have seen firsthand the presence of God.
They have lived with Christ for three years and could not reject the calling that He had put on their lives.
They hear the command that they are given, and they are released.
We arrive now to verse 41 and we see one of my favorite lines in all the Bible.
In this verse, we see a declaration from the Apostles that should leave us inspired and ready to do the same.
They go about their leave and they begin to rejoice because Christ has deemed them worthy to suffer shame for His Name.
To have this attitude, they had to do two things.
Firstly, they had to have a high view of Christ.
Secondly, they had to have a low view of man.
Because they have seen Christ firsthand and have seen Him move in such a unique way, they have seen the difference between Him and them.
To come to this conclusion, they must have a great love for the Savior.
They rejoiced in that God had foreordained that they were considered worthy to suffer shame for the Name.
Luke uses his historical narrative as a way to show the drama of this account.
We see the motives of our protagonists as they face the terrible opposition.
We see the drama in the preservation of the Gospel through the perseverance of the Apostles.
Their perseverance allows the Gospel to have such an impact throughout the world.
This all occurs due to not only their perseverance but also the work of the Holy Spirit and the providence of God.
The big picture of this passage of text can be summarized in the faithfulness of the Apostles as they rejoice in their persecution.
They rejoice because of their suffering in the Name of Christ.
After having explained the big picture of this text and the reason why it was selected, we must apply this text to our everyday lives.
I believe that four unique pieces of application can be found within this text.
The first one of those is the certainty of persecution.
The lifestyle and the way of life that the Christian has is different from the accepted way of life that drives the unregenerate sinner.
He has called us to be different.
Yet, as Christ lays out these guidelines for the believer, He also spoke of the certainty of persecution.
We see this in Matthew 16 as Jesus describes what life with Him will be like.
He looks to His disciples and says that whoever is to follow Him and how He commands, must be ready to face the persecution of the world.
Christ tells them in verse 24 of chapter 16 to take up their cross and follow Him.
In that passage, Christ told His disciples to join the death march.
He was making a divide between the ideologies of the world and the teaching that He brought.
He knew that the world would hate Him.
Because of their hate for Him, they would hate His disciples.
Thus, he promised His disciples that they would face persecution.
As believers today, we need to understand that we will face persecution.
If it’s not physical harm then great.
If it’s not martyrdom then great.
However, we will face the wrath and the hate of the world because of the one whom we serve.
If we are following the Word of God and standing firm on the teachings of Christ, we will suffer persecution.
It’s guaranteed. However, just because we suffer persecution, doesn’t mean we are to give up.
The second area of application that I think we can glean from this passage is the perseverance of the believer despite their persecution.
When the Apostles were beaten and flogged, they did not know the extent of their punishment.
All they knew was that the persecution that they were facing had been foretold to them by their Savior.
When they were eventually set free, they got back up.
This is such an important step in the perseverance that is needed in the Christian life.
When we face the persecution of the world, we as believers need to become filled with the promises of God and become filled with the power of the Holy Spirit in that we don’t give up.
When we face persecution, we need to accept the fact that it is occurring and hold fast to the one who has guaranteed that we would experience such a thing.
When we are knocked down, we owe it to our Savior that we get back up.
Thirdly, we as individuals who have been purchased through the blood of Christ face the persecution that we are guaranteed to face, not only are we to get back up, but we are to also rejoice in our persecution.
I imagine that they start to weep and they start to cry out to God in thanksgiving as they rejoice in their persecution.
If they were being persecuted for something unrelated to the things of Christ, they would not rejoice.
They would not feel gratitude for their troubles. However, the text says that they rejoice in their persecution because God had deemed them worthy to suffer shame for His Name.
They understand that the glory of God is their purpose in life. They are to glorify Him in all things.
Christian, when we face the persecution of the world, not only are we to understand that it is inevitable and get back up when it comes, but we are to rejoice in that these troubles have come.
We rejoice because He is worthy of it all.
If we suffer shame for the Name we know that the Spirit is working in us.
We know that we are being set apart.
We are to orient our lives around the glory of God.
Whether it be a time of peace or a time of conflict, the glory of our great God and Savior is to be our everything.
He is great and He is worthy to be praised.
The final area of application that comes from this text is the reaction of the Apostles.
After they have been commanded not to teach or speak in the Name of Jesus again, what do they do?
Well, we see their reaction in verse 42 as the text says that every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. What more needs to be said?
The Apostles have been emboldened by their persecution.
They ignore the command not to speak of Jesus anymore.
Rather, they adhere to the commands of God over the commands of men.
They as a group cannot reject the calling that has been given to them by their Savior.
If they reject their calling, they in turn reject their Savior.
Instead, they remain faithful to their calling and never cease to proclaim the good news of the gospel.
They continue to spread the message of Jesus Christ.
They tell of His deity, his death, and his triumphant resurrection.
Because of the faithfulness of the Apostles, the message spread to all corners of the earth.
Due to the massive spread of the gospel, the Gentile peoples began to be convicted by the Holy Spirit concerning their sins. Because of the faithfulness of the Apostles, Christ saved countless souls through His mercy and grace.
As we reflect on the purpose of this passage and the call that we as believers have been given, we must not reject it.
We must be faithful to our command to go out into the world and make disciples. The gospel message must be fresh off our lips.
We are never to stop speaking about the Savior who has redeemed us from the wretchedness of our sins. He has been faithful to us.
Because of this, we as believers need to be faithful to Him.
In this passage, we see the perseverance of the gospel through the perseverance of the saints.
This should be the theme of our lives.