Acts 5:12-16
The Book of Acts – Chapter Five Another Review Acts 5:12-16 1| Another Summary| Acts 5:12-16 “And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.” (Acts 5:12-16). There are crisis moments in the church. At the time of this writing, the Church is centralized in Jerusalem and is a Jewish congregation. After each crisis moment, Luke seems compelled to write a summary of the church’s condition at that moment. He ceases to do this as the Church moves into a world-wide movement. In each summary, Luke suggests the critical elements of the Church. He does not highlight programming or structure, and he does not discuss membership rules. Luke underscores what makes this movement different from all other religions. The first crisis moment is the event of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Peter preached a sermon explaining the event (Acts 2:14-42). This sermon resulted in three thousand individuals added to the group of believers. Luke finds it necessary to share the general details of what was taking place within this group (Acts 2:43-47). He highlights the miracles, unity, financial support, fellowship, teaching, and growth taking place within the body of believers. The second crisis moment is the threat of persecution (Acts 4:1-22). The power of Christ healed a lame beggar. This miracle would not have been any more significant than many others occurring through the church’s ministry. However, the individual receiving the miracle is over forty years of age, which indicates that he begged at the temple’s Gate Beautiful for a long time. His miracle becomes known by all who dwell in Jerusalem. Such a stir is created in the temple that it moves the Sadducees to action. Persecution begins in the early Church. The focus of the persecution is about Jesus. They are threatened never to mention the name of Jesus again. How will the early Christians respond to this threat? They pray and continue to proclaim His name boldly (Acts 4:31). God compelled Luke to declare the state of the Church amid such persecution. His statements expressed an increase of intensity and enthusiasm in each area. In the first report, Luke simply said, “all who believed were together, and had all things in common” (Acts 2:44). He added to this statement that they sold their possessions and goods and gave them to anyone who had need (Acts 2:45). In the second summary, Luke intensified this by saying that “those who believed where of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own” (Acts 4:32). In the first report, Luke said they had “favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Then he cried, “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33). As we turn to the third report viewing the early Church amid persecution, the intensity increased again! Those who were not a part of the early Church hesitated to join because of the high level of commitment required. That requirement was evident due to the demise of Ananias and Sapphira. Luke portrays the ministry’s evangelistic results as “and believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (Acts 5:14). The presence of God was so powerfully present in Peter that people wanted to get in his shadow (Acts 5:15). What happened within the early Church membership became the explanation for the events contained in the remainder of the chapter (Acts 5). Anger filled the high priest and Sadducees (Acts 5:17). The leaders of Israel placed the apostles in jail, but an angel of the Lord delivered them. They were captured again and beaten. But the chapter ends with, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:42). There are some common characteristics of all of the three reports as the early Church grew. They are “positive” reports. Amid persecution and threats, there are no negative statements, no doubts or dismay. In the context of Ananias and Sapphira’s failure, the power of God is so great it overshadows every discouragement. Engrained into every report is “production.” The church is viewed each time as abundantly growing. Despite persecution and the threat of death, Jesus won multitudes of men and women to Himself. The explanation for the success of the early Church is the “power” of God with no indication of self-centered fame or positional authority. What was the key to their success? Amid all the different personality types and needs, the potential for conflict is great. What is their secret? Signs and Wonders Miracles continually happened in their midst. Luke reported in the first view of the Church’s state that “fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles” (Acts 2:43). While in the second report, Luke did not mention signs and wonders, he indeed indicated them. “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 4:33). This report’s context is the expression in the heart of the Church’s prayer after hearing of the threat of persecution. They wanted the same boldness and proclamation of His Word to take place through them by the strength of His hand “to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus” (Acts 4:30). The third statement concerning the Church’s condition begins with, “And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people” (Acts 5:12). As the report continues, the cities outside of Jerusalem began to bring their sick and demon-possessed to Jerusalem to experience deliverance through Jesus (Acts 5:16). There is no doubt that “signs and wonders” were a consistent part of the early Church’s successful ministry. However, there are crucial truths involving “signs and wonders” that we must understand according to these biblical reports. In each account, the apostles were the instruments through which these miracles took place. No one ever credited the members of the early Church with “signs and wonders.” Out of the several thousand early Church members, God used only a few people as instruments of miracles, corresponding with Paul’s teaching (1 Corinthians 12:27-31). We are the body of Christ. The members of the body do not all have the same function. No one discredits the gift of miracles as given by the Spirit of Jesus. But do not envision that everyone in the early Church was doing miracles. It is so easy to develop a spiritual superiority because God may select you to be the instrument. It is also easy to be defeated because God does not select to do through you something spectacular that will be applauded by others. Understanding the essence of “signs and wonders” may be a benefit to us. The phrase “wonders and signs” is used some thirty times in the New Testament. These two words are typically used together. In the Book of Acts, the phrase “wonders and signs” appears four times, while Luke mentions “signs and wonders” five times. These two words refer not to different miracles but different aspects of the same miracle. The idea of “wonders” is the miracle aspect, which is startling, imposing, or amazing. Luke translated it from the Greek word “teras.” It comes from the root word “tereo,” which means “to keep, watch, connoting that which due to its extraordinary character is apt to be observed and kept in the memory.” It is the overwhelming or shocking character of an event. It is entirely reasonable to assume that the early Church members were consistently astounding the populous of Jerusalem. But the astonishment or “wonders” went far beyond healing. They were shaking and invading the demonic realm of their city. Luke reported that there was such a powerful flow of spiritual influence through the early Church members that the city of Jerusalem was being amazed and changed. The focus of “signs” is the spiritual end and purpose of the event. It is a translation of the Greek word “semeion,” referring to a sign, mark, or token, and is a part of a miracle that has a spiritual end and purpose. It leads to something out of and beyond itself. It is a giant finger pointing to God Himself. A miracle is valuable not so much for what it is as its indication of the grace and power of the Doer. It is to lead to something out of and beyond itself. The focus of a miracle is not on the miracle but on the One who gave the miracle. “Astonishment” and “pointing beyond” are two vital aspects of every miracle. God was moving in the early Church to astonish Jerusalem’s populous and point them back to Jesus. The Greek word translated as “miracle” is “dunamis.” It expresses the movement or activity of the resource of God accomplishing the great happening. “Ischus” is a Greek word that focuses on the actual resource. God is great, mighty, and all-powerful. But this is “ischus” without any movement of the resource. However, when the power of God’s resource in Jesus moves upon life, it is “dunamis.” Jesus promised we would become avenues for the power of God (Acts 1:8). The secret to the early Church’s success was their total abandonment to the “ischus” of God in Christ, which allowed them to experience the “dunamis.” The Sanhedrin warned them never to mention the name of Jesus again. But their surrender to the power of God would not allow this. There was an increase, “And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (Acts 5:14). The wonder of Jesus was so powerfully present in their lives that multitudes desired to be close to Peter, as close as his shadow (Acts 5:15). The early Church’s cry was not for miracles but for “signs and wonders” (Acts 4:30). They wanted their world to know the power of Christ moving among them. May it be so with us! Singleness and Wholeness Luke’s emphasis on unity grew stronger in each report regarding the state of the early Church. In the first report, Luke gave two different references to their unity. “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need” (Acts 2:44-45). He added, “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart” (Acts 2:46). Luke strengthened this emphasis in the second report saying, “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul” (Acts 4:32). Also, in the unity of financial involvement, Luke said, “neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common” (Acts 4:32). In his third report, he said, “They were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch” (Acts 5:12). Increasing the statement of unity, Luke added, “Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly” (Acts 5:13). Their unity was so strong that no one unwilling to join that unity connected with the early Church in light of the recent event concerning Ananias and Sapphira. Luke used the Greek word “homothymadon,” translated as “one accord,” to describe their unity in these reports. It is two words combined. “Homo” means “the same.” “Thumadon” refers to the mind or the primary impulse that drives a person. It is the idea of “passion” or “heavy breathing.” Everyone in Jerusalem understood and was aware of the passion the early Church members had for Jesus. Nothing else could have brought them together in such unity. People will unite over a cause, movement, or even philosophy but not for this long and with this intensity. When the city became aware of Ananias and Sapphira’s death, they understood the commitment to this passion must be total. Anyone who did not share this same passion for Jesus did not join their number. Luke again faces us with the total commitment to Jesus exhibited in the early Church, the standard for all Christians in their time. We must face the fact that the passion was intense, but the focus was upon a Person rather than a movement or theology. As people joined the early Church, they did not merely embrace a belief system. They dared not participate because they were homeless and needed financial help. No one was casual and joined because their parents raised them as Christians. Attendance to the fellowship was not a developed habit of activity. They converted to Christianity, and they burned for Jesus. He captured their lives through the fullness of His Spirit, and they could do nothing less. Regardless of the frightening message of Ananias and Sapphira’s death, “believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (Acts 5:14). Perhaps it would be wise for us to take our spiritual temperature! Dare we propose anything less than “together with heavy breathing” (homothymadon)? Spiritual World In each of the three reports, Luke refers to the altering of their physical world. He began in the first report with a simple statement. “Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles” (Acts 2:43). Luke also included the physical act of selling their possessions and goods to help each other (Acts 2:45). In the second report, while not mentioning wonders and signs, Luke declared “great power” and “great grace” occurred in the witness of the early Church and especially the apostles (Acts 4:33). Again, he highlighted the selling of lands and houses to meet others’ physical needs (Acts 4:34). The third report begins with signs and wonders done through the apostles’ hands (Acts 5:12), increasing until “a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed” (Acts 5:16). While the physical results of the early Church’s ministry were impactive, it only gave evidence of the more excellent spiritual results. The invasion of demonic territory, the liberation from bondage, and the merging of the Spirit of Jesus with new believers brought about a furtherance of persecution. Luke moved into the spiritual reaction of the “high priest . . . and those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees)” (Acts 5:17). Indignation filled their inner spiritual world, forcing them to the physical act of putting the apostles in jail. The movement of the early Church was not about physically altering their culture or society. There was a significant spiritual war displaying itself in the physical reality of Jerusalem. The entire spiritual warfare focused on the person of Jesus! As the persecution unfolds in the early Church, the apostles are placed in jail only to be delivered by an angel of the Lord who opened the prison doors and brought them out (Acts 5:19). They obeyed the command of the angel who told them, “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life” (Acts 5:20). Can you imagine the amazement of the officers who came to get the apostles from jail to interrogate them only to discover they were not in jail but in the temple preaching Jesus (Acts 5:22-25)? When the leaders brought them before the court, what was the issue? They did not discuss the jailbreak; they said, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name” (Acts 5:28)? The name of Jesus so repulsed the leaders they did not even want to speak it themselves! All that was happening in the physical world was because of what was happening in the spiritual world. The radical cause in both worlds was the person of Jesus! The early Church was calling for a complete and radical commitment to Jesus. There was no toleration for any deviation from His person, and no one dared join the church without total commitment to Him. It is the issue of this hour as well. Jesus is not one issue among many; He is the issue. He is not one answer among many; the single solution to the spiritual and physical world is Jesus. It is time to examine our alignment with Him.