Sunday, August 1, 2021
Acts 5:12-16
“Miraculous Momentum”
Service Overview: The work of God in and through the apostles generated both attraction and apprehension. The fate of Ananias and Sapphira made it clear God wasn’t going to tolerate half-hearted adherers. However, what God was doing was creating momentum as people came to believe that what was happening was truly a movement of God.
Memory Verse for the Week: “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)
Background Information:
- Solomon’s Colonnade was part of the temple complex built by King Herod the Great in an attempt to strengthen his relationship with the Jews. A colonnade is an entrance or porch supported by columns. Jesus taught and performed miracles in the temple many times. When the believers met regularly at the Temple, they were undoubtedly in close proximity to the same religious leaders who had conspired to put Jesus to death. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 78)
- Peter’s shadow was as efficacious as a medium of healing power as the fringe of his Master’s cloak had been (Mark 6:56). No wonder that the common people sounded the apostles’ praises and that the number of believers increased. Even from outlying towns and villages of Judaea people streamed into the capital with their sick folk in hope of profiting from the apostles’ healing ministry. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 132)
- A new and extremely important thing we are told is that the gospel was beginning to spread beyond Jerusalem. Verse 16 records that “crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.” This is the first time there has been any mention of any area beyond Jerusalem. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 105)
- So much power was invested in the Apostles in the first generation of the church that even the passing shadow of Peter and the handkerchief of Paul were used by God to manifest His power in order to bear witness to His chosen Messiah, Christ. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 92)
- The fear and awe that resulted from the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira also affected the unbelievers, so that “no one else dared join them.” That is, no unbelievers dared to mix in with the crowd of believers as if they were one of them (whether out of curiosity or in hopes of an overflow of the blessings). The fear engendered by the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, however, did not mean that the Church’s growth was slowed. When the people saw how God dealt with sin among the believers, they realized that the Church as a whole was pleasing God and held high standards of honesty and righteousness. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 2739-2745)
- When Jesus performed miracles during His ministry on earth, He had three purposes in mind: (1) to show compassion and meet human need; (2) to present His credentials as the Son of God; and (3) to convey spiritual truth. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 338)
The question to be answered is…
What are miracles?
Answer…
Miracles are simply extra-ordinary occurrences, of divine origin, which transcend human understanding.
The word of the day is… Faith
Why were miracles important for the momentum of the early church?
- They confirmed the credentials of the messenger and their message.
(Psalm 77:14; Mark 16:20; John 2:11; Acts 14:3; 1 Corinthians 1:6; Hebrews 2:1-4)
These miraculous signs confirmed the validity of the apostles’ witness and connected their work to Christ’s healing ministry (see Luke 4:33-37; 8:26-39). (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 80)
It is perfectly clear that in New Testament times, the gospel was authenticated in this way by signs, wonders and miracles of various characters and descriptions… Was it only meant to be true of the early church?… The Scriptures never anywhere say that these things were only temporary—never! There is no such statement anywhere. (Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Sovereign Spirit, 31–32)
- They served to warn those who might otherwise join flippantly.
(John 14:6; Rom. 5:8; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Ephesians 6:12; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 John 1:6, 1 John 5)
Some people imagine we must lower God’s standards for the Church to make progress in today’s world. But this has never been true. The Church has always been strengthened when it catches a vision of the holiness of God and seeks practical holiness in individual lives. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 2725-2727)
One may wonder how the statement that “none of the others dared to join” the disciples can be squared with the report of “more and more” being added to their fellowship; the point seems to be that the death of Ananias and Sapphira scared off all but the totally committed. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 132)
- They served to draw and point people to Jesus.
(Psalm 66:16; Matthew 5:16; John 12:32; Acts 1:8; 3:16; James 4:8; 1 Peter 2:9)
Even as word spread of the sudden deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, the apostles continued to preach boldly about Jesus right in the temple courts. Large crowds continued to gather. Miraculous healings and exorcisms gave credence to the message. Because of the power of God and the faithfulness of his people, the gospel was spreading, taking root, and bearing fruit in lives. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 78)
Conclusion… How do miracles play a role in faith today?
A. They serve to destroy disinterest.
(Proverbs 15:19; Romans 12:9-13; Ephesians 5:16; 6:10-12; Titus 2:14; Revelation 3:16)
I have yet to meet someone who wouldn’t want to see a miracle. My concern is that I’ve met many people whose pursuit of miracles is greater than their pursuit of God. (Francis Chan, Forgotten God, 61)
Satan wants to divide the church, disgrace the church, and decrease the church, and he will do it, if we let him. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 338)
Sometimes you have a church that goes so much over to the side of its own fellowship and the joy and wonder of its gathering together that it loses sight of the fact that it is called to be a witness in the world. The world tends to be forgotten. On the other hand, the church sometimes goes the other way. The Christians are in the world all the time doing good works but without the necessary base that comes from the unity, worship, and prayers of the Christian community. Luke is teaching that both are necessary. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 104)
B. They serve to dismantle derision.
(Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 3:34; 14:7; 21:4; 23:9; 24:9; 26:4; 2 Timothy 3:12; 2 Peter 3:3)
Jesus came into the world to give sight, not only because He wanted to but also because He could. A miracle is called that for a reason. It is harder to lift the hardness off of the heart of a sinner than it is to give a blind man physical sight. (Jackie Hill Perry, Gay Girl Good God, 146)
The crisis that the church is facing today is largely a result of the impact of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment on the church and the advent of what was called nineteenth-century liberalism. In the past, to be liberal simply meant to be free and open. In and of itself, the term liberal describes a virtue. But when you put that suffix -ism on the end, it refers to a particular school of theology that has had massive influence on the visible church across denominational lines. It began with German theologians attacking the supernatural dimensions of historic Christianity and denying the validity of biblical miracles. They tried to reduce the Christian faith to a moral code or a system of values. They should have left the orthodox churches and sought to establish a completely new religion because that’s what they were actually doing. (R.C. Sproul, What Is the Church?, 10-11)
C. They serve to unveil false faith.
(Jer. 32:27; Romans 10:17; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 11; James 2:19)
Persecution has always had a tendency to separate the curious from the committed, the fakers from the followers, the make-believers from the true believers. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 79)
The real reason for the growth was that authentic believers were being born. That was the Lord’s doing! Only His Spirit can convict, convince, and confirm His love in a person. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 121)
God wants to heal the whole human being, not just the diseased flesh. Most of all, He wants to heal the wounded human spirit—the invisible dimension of our being that is broken by sin, shame, and despair. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 84)
Gospel Application…
Jesus is still in the business of the miraculous; changing hearts and making dead people alive in him. Because of this, those in him will one day live into the forever-norm of the miraculous.
(Psalm 90:2; Ecclesiastes 3:11; Matthew 25:46; John 5:24; 14:2-3; 17:3; Romans 6:23)
Jesus’ miracles we’re not so much violations of the natural order, but a restoration of the natural order. God did not create a world with blindness, leprosy, hunger, and death in it. Jesus’ miracles were signs that someday all these corruptions of his creation would be abolished. (Tim Keller, The Prodigal God, 126)
The greatest miracle of all is the transformation of a lost sinner into a child of God by the grace of God. That is the miracle that meets the greatest need, lasts the longest, and costs the greatest price—the blood of God’s Son. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 339)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- Have you ever witnessed something that could only be explained as being miraculous?
- What things are miraculous, but are often overlooked?
- How have miracles served to encourage your faith? How have you seen them effect the faith of others?
- In Matthew 12:39 Jesus says a “wicked and adulterous generation” seeks a sign, yet in Acts 4:30 the church prays that the Lord would “Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” How might we reconcile this seeming contradiction?
- How can we guard our hearts when it comes to miracles so as to cherish the miracle-maker over the miracle itself?
Quotes to note…
God wants us to trust Him to provide miracles when He sees fit. He doesn’t just dole them out mechanically, as if we can put in a quarter, pray the right prayer, and out comes a miracle. Miracles are never an end in themselves; they are always a means to point to and accomplish something greater. (Francis Chan, Forgotten God, 61)
When we make miracles the focus of our energy and pursuit, we ignore the priorities God tells us to pursue and we impose our own desires upon God. (Francis Chan, Forgotten God, 61)
The way to spread Christianity is to be Christian. . . . Jesus sends us out not to argue men into Christianity, still less to threaten them into it, but to attract them into it; to live so that its fruits may be so wonderful that others will desire them for themselves. William Barclay (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 80)
There are at least a dozen references in Acts to women, as Luke shows the key role women played in the apostolic church. This is a remarkable thing when you consider the general position of women in the culture of that day (see Gal. 3:26–28). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 338)
Something beyond human ability was involved in the healings and transformed lives which were occurring as a result of Christ’s Spirit in the apostles. This prompts us to ask, “What is happening in our churches which could be explained only by the presence of His Spirit at work?” That leads to my favorite question of church leaders at conferences: “What are you attempting which could not be done without the power of the Holy Spirit?” (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 121)
People need more than the shadow of our busy lives. They need personal contact; they need to be listened to; and they need the physical contact of touch. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 122)
Every person who was ever physically healed in the New Testament eventually grew old and died, but everyone who has experienced spiritual healing through faith in Jesus Christ shall never die. There’s no miracle greater than the miracle of eternal life. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 84)
If we have service without inner strength, soon the service becomes superficial and essentially no different from the kind of social work the world does. On the other hand, if we focus on our fellowship and forget the task, the church becomes self-centered. The two have to go together. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 104)
Jesus had said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Now this was happening. Up to this point the disciples had been witnessing in Jerusalem only. But now the gospel was spreading into Judea, that is, to the little towns around Jerusalem in the old tribal territory of Judah. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 105)
“Science proceeds on the assumption that whatever events occur in the world can be accounted for in terms of other events…just as immanent and this-worldly. [So] …a miracle is irreconcilable with our modern understanding of both science and history.” (John Macquarrie, Principles of Christian Theology, 248)
Most of the guns aimed against the Scriptures in our day do not come from secularists, who could care less. They come from unbelieving seminary professors and ministers who simply will not identify with the truth of the gospel. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 93)
More of the responsive Jews than ever were coming to faith. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 79)
What makes Christianity attractive? It is easy to be drawn to churches because of programs, good speakers, size, beautiful facilities, or fellowship. People were attracted to the early church by expressions of God’s power at work; by the generosity, sincerity, honesty, and unity of the members; and by the character of the leaders. Have our standards slipped? God wants to add believers to his church, not just newer and better programs or larger and fancier facilities. Make the truth about God the center of your witness. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 80)
Evil spirits and demons are fallen angels who joined Satan in his rebellion and thus became perverted and evil. At times, these evil spirits enter people’s bodies, take up residence, and control them. Though not all disease comes from Satan, sometimes demons can cause a person to become mute, deaf, blind, or insane. In every case recorded in Scripture where demons were confronted by the power of God, they lost their power. God limits what evil spirits can do. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 80)
The Spirit who discerns and judges sin in the Church is also the Spirit of Jesus, the Healer of the sick in soul and body. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 63)
The great respect for the leadership of the apostles was a major aspect of the Church’s early success. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 64)
5:13. This verse probably means that no hypocrite or unbeliever dared joined them. The case of Ananias and Sapphira frightened them too much! (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 365)
5:12. Once again the apostles were used by God to perform many miraculous signs and wonders (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 365)
Rapid numerical growth was a phenomenon of the early church (cf. 2:41, 47; 4:4; 6:1, 7; 9:31). (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 365)
Miraculous signs (cf. v. 12) confirmed the Word of God in the midst of the young church. This shows God’s sovereign sanction of the church, following His discipline of it. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 365)
In defiance of the council’s orders, the apostles continued to carry on their ministry among the people, with “many miraculous signs and wonders” being performed. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 317)
12b-14 Luke now speaks resumptively of three groups of people and their response to the Sanhedrin’s warning and the fear engendered by Ananias and Sapphira’s fate: (1) the Christians and their continued meeting together in Solomon’s Colonnade; (2) the unbelieving Jews (hoi loipoi, “the rest”) and their reluctance to associate too closely with the Christians; and (3) the responsive Jews (ho laos, “the people”) and their honoring the Christians-with, in fact, many men and women from this group coming to believe in the Lord and being added to the number of Christian believers. Thematically, the resume serves to support the thesis statement of v.12a; structurally it relates to its paragraph much as 4:33 with its reference to the apostles’ continued preaching relates to its own paragraph. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 317)
These “signs and wonders” were God’s way of authenticating their ministry (Rom. 15:18–19; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:4). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 338)
One of the qualifications for an apostle was that he had seen the risen Christ (Acts 1:22; 1 Cor. 9:1), and, since nobody can claim that experience today, there are no apostles in the church. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 338)
Verses 13 and 14 seem to be a contradiction. The first says that people did not dare to join the church and verse 14 says that believers were added increasingly. The key to the difference is “the rest” of verse 13 and “believers” of verse 14. What had happened to Ananias and Sapphira had put the cost of commitment to Christ and loyalty to the fellowship at a high price, and the opportunists were not able to raise that kind of spiritual capital. The church really stood for something in those days! It was preaching Christ boldly rather than begging for new members in order to raise the budget or build a building. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 121)
People are ill today. They need Christ’s healing hand on their hearts, minds, and bodies. There’s a difference between sermons on healing and providing opportunities for people to receive prayer for Christ’s healing. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 122)
the Church still exists to make bad men good; and men will always throng to a Church where lives are changed. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 46)
Miracles are parables in visible form. They show us a symbolic picture of what God wants to accomplish in every human life. So when God shows us a visual parable, such as a miraculous healing, we need to look beyond the surface of the event and see God’s lesson. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 84)
God was authenticating His messengers by these miracles, signs, and wonders. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Acts, 44)