Peter, John and the Crippled Beggar

Church History

We started church history last Spring. We first took time to define the church.

What is the church? How would you define it?

Church - A group of people who have received Christ by faith, and have been baptized into His body by the Holy Spirit.

Does anyone remember a verse which gives us our definition?

Ephesians 1:22–23 NIV

And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

1 Corinthians 12:13 NIV

For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Another passage we looked at was Ephesians 2:14-22. This an extended passage shows that it does not matter whether you are Jew or Gentile. God is taking whoever believes and making them a part of this body, or another metaphor is the building, the church.

One of the key differences between believers now, who are a part of what God calls the church, and those who were saints before this age of the church, is the work of the Holy Spirit.

We took time last Spring to look at who the Holy Spirit is, and what His work has been, and what it currently is. We literally looked at all passages where the Holy Spirit is mentioned!

We concluded that:

The Holy Spirit is

Fully God - Acts 5:3-4

A Person (not a force/power/energy) - John 16:13

We also concluded that the Holy Spirit, up to the time Jesus sent the Spirit after returning to the Father did the following:

Prior to Messiah, the Holy Spirit:

Was act work in Creation

Convicted of Sin

Filled, Came upon, or temporarily indwelt only select Individuals

Gave them power or ability to perform a task for God’s purpose to be fulfilled

Inspired men to proclaim and write God’s Word

The prophets also foretold how the Holy Spirit was do different work in the future.

Future work Prophesied:

Will be upon the coming Messiah

Will indwell all of God’s people, writing God’s laws on their hearts.

Jesus also had a lot to say about the coming Holy Spirit.

Jesus said the Holy Spirit will be given:

To all who believe in Him

After Jesus was glorified and returned to the Father

Jesus said the Spirit will:

Be ‘rivers of living water’

Be with you forever

Be in you

Teach all things

Bring to remembrance

Testify about Christ

Guide into truth, disclose what is to come

Give power to be witnesses

Jesus taught about the Spirit because the Spirit is a big part of what He is doing building His church.

We then looked at the coming of the Holy Spirit, as prophesied, on the day of Pentecost.

When the Spirit came, it came upon the believers and they were given power to be witnesses. They spoke boldly, and preached the truth of Jesus, quoting from the scriptures.

The Spirit convicted many, and they repented (changed their minds about Jesus), and were baptized. The church was born as the Holy Spirit indwelt these believers and made them a part of the body of Christ, something that never happened before this time.

That does not mean the Old Testament saints are any less a part of God’s kingdom. They were saved as we were by grace through faith. However, they did not receive the Holy Spirit, nor were they baptized into the body of Christ, the church. In the end, that doesn’t matter in that we and they will all be glorified together and brought into God’s kingdom, and eventually the new Earth to dwell with the Lord forever! Amen!

The next thing we looked at was what the church did. We see that in Acts 2:42-47.

Acts 2:42–47 NIV

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Of key interest to us is verse 42.

Acts 2:42 NIV

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

The apostles teaching was the apostles teaching all that Jesus commanded. Likely doing like Jesus did when he taught the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and the disciples when he appeared to them.

Luke 24:25–27 NIV

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Luke 24:44–49 NIV

He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Teaching The Scriptures

Teaching the scriptures were a key part of the church. The word of God is the truth, and has all we need for life and godliness. Jesus set the example teaching His disciples, and also commanded them to do likewise.

Matthew 28:19–20 NIV

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Teaching them to obey everything I commanded would involve teaching them the scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments.

So the apostles were teaching, and the believers devoted themselves to learning.

Fellowship

They were also devoted to fellowship. Fellowship is not just eating food together. We took time to study that word as it is used in the scriptures and found the following.

Fellowship occurs 19 times in the New Testament. It is translated as ‘fellowship’, ‘participation’, ‘sharing’, ‘partnership’, ‘contribution’, ‘common sharing’, ‘participation in’, and ‘share with others’ in the NIV. The common element is that there is a partnership or working together for a common goal. That goal is the goal of Christ: to build His church, loving God and loving one another.

Breaking of Bread

The final key work of the church was breaking of bread. This spoke of them coming together to remember what Christ has done for us when He died and rose again. This is the foundation of the church, and we must always be firmly fixed on Christ and His work as the foundation.

Prayer

We cannot live our Christian lives on our own. We need to be in reliance on the Lord who is at work in and through us. As Jesus told His disciples, apart from Him we can do nothing. Prayer is a big part of the church.

That brings us to where we are in church history. Acts 3.

Let’s read it together.

Acts 3 NIV

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’ “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

This is not the end of the account. Acts 4 continues the account, but let’s work through what we are seeing so far.

This is the temple. The beautiful gate where the man was healed (Acts 3:2) was toward the front of the temple courtyards.

This second image shows the Temple in the midst of the Temple mount. Note Solomon’s portico/colonnade. This is likely where the believers were coming to hear the apostles’ teaching, and where they went after the healing of the man at the gate (Acts 3:11).

Peter and John healed this man in the power of Jesus’ name. And the man was understandably excited! He was jumping and yelling!

People came running to see what was going on.

Acts 3:12 NIV

When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

Miracles were to be a sign of God at work. The power came from God, not from Peter and John. According to Acts 2:22 - Jesus’ miracles were given by God to accredit him to the people. Jesus submitted to the Father when He came to the Earth and only did what He saw the Father doing. God had Jesus perform miracles to show the people He was God.

Now God has the apostles doing miracles. Why? To show that they were accredited by God. They have a message from God! Pay attention!

The author of Hebrews put it this way.

Hebrews 2:3–4 NIV

how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

God knew the Jews would be looking for signs, for miracles. So, He made it happen so they would listen to the apostles.

Paul puts it this way.

1 Corinthians 1:22–25 NIV

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

God gave what the Jews were looking for, and the apostles did what they were called to do—preach Christ crucified!