Community Bible Study -- Acts
Text of Presentation, Lesson 5, Acts 5:17-6:7
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Community Bible Study -- Acts Text of Presentation, Lesson 5, Acts 5:17-6:7 Click Here to see Lesson 5 Photos . . . Click Here to return to Acts Home Page |
The events discussed in last week’s lesson may have represented the high water mark of the Jerusalem church. The power of the apostles – through the Holy Spirit – was so great people were healed when Peter’s shadow fell on them. Yet despite such awesome power, an insidious spiritual cancer growing within the church was beginning to show itself. Tonight’s story is more of the same: the great power of the apostles through the Holy Spirit is juxtaposed with another illustration of sinfulness creeping into the church.
What must be going through the apostles’ minds as they leave the jail? Get ready for Jesus’ return? . . . time to flee to the hills? No! God apparently just wants to make clear who’s in charge. The angel tells the apostles: “Go, stand in the temple courts, and tell the people the full message of this new life” (Acts 5:20).
“You gotta be crazy,” they might be thinking: “escape from jail and hang out right in front of the police.” But if an angel lets you out of jail, I guess you do what he says! So they go back to the temple, and resume preaching.
The next morning, the temple police go down to get the apostles to bring them up for a hearing . . . but the jail is empty. The story sounds like a “Keystone Cops” routine: the jail is locked . . . the guards are in place . . . but the cells are empty; the police run around in circles, wondering what has happened. Finally, a bystander solves the mystery: “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people” (Acts 5:25). The apostles – escaped from jail – are in the most unlikely place the police can imagine: right under their noses, continuing to teach about Jesus.
The high priest Caiaphas – who first called for Jesus’ execution (John 11:49-53) – is really ticked off now. He has never experienced such “in-your-face” defiance, and he can’t handle it. So when the apostles are brought into the Sanhedrin, he lets them have it: “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said, “yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching” (Acts 5:28a). And as Caiaphas concludes his diatribe, he displays his real concern: “And (you) are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood” (Acts 5:28b).
Caiaphas is one of those people who think they are so slick and clever they can they can fool everyone. We all know people like that. And the one thing that annoys them the most is to let them know they haven’t fooled you . . . to let them know you see their hidden agenda. That makes them really mad! And that’s what’s happening here: Caiaphas realizes the apostles “have his number”; they understand his hidden agenda.
Before Pilate agreed to crucify Jesus, he made a demand on the Sanhedrin and the Jewish mob. Quoting Matt 27:24b-25:
“I am innocent of this man's blood," (Pilate) said. "It is your responsibility!" All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" (Matt 27:24b-25).
Caiaphas hoped no one would find out the Sanhedrin accepted responsibility for the death of Jesus. But now everyone knows! And that’s what makes him so mad!
Peter and the apostles – emboldened by the Holy Spirit and now reinforced by a visit from an angel – have no fear. Their response lays it right on the line . . . and even seems calculated to push Caiaphas over the edge: “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29b) they proclaim. And they continue: “You’re right, Caiaphas. We’ve been telling everyone the Sanhedrin killed Jesus: the Messiah sent by God for the salvation of Israel. We’ve been telling them God raised Jesus from the dead to his proper place on the throne of heaven . . . and we and the Holy Spirit stand before you as witnesses to this.”
It’s not hard to see why Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin are – to quote Acts 5:33 – “furious and wanted to put (the apostles) to death.”
That brings up what is called “The Counsel of Gamaliel,” which is the title of this lesson. The words of a Pharisee intellectual and member of the Sanhedrin save the apostles from Caiaphas . . . and show a strong belief in God’s plan that contrasts with the creeping sin within the church. Modern Christians should have the same faith is God’s plan – even though it’s ridiculous that we would learn about faith from a Pharisee!
Who is Gamaliel? Christians know him as the tutor of the apostle Paul . . . but within the Sanhedrin, Gamaliel is an expert in the oral law of the Pharisees – perhaps the leading scholar of his day: the “go to guy” for the most difficult points of Jewish law. The bible doesn’t say if Gamaliel participated in the trial of Jesus; but we know that as a Pharisee, he believes in the resurrection, whereas Caiaphas, a Sadducee, does not. There is animosity between these two – even if at this point they’re on the same side!
Gamaliel’s point is that the Jews know God has promised a deliverer – a Messiah – and calculations by the rabbis led them to believe he would come in the 1st century. Hence every Jewish revolutionary who tried to overthrow the Romans, attracted followers who called him the Messiah. Gamaliel mentions two recent messianic pretenders by name. The first is Theudas, who stormed the Roman garrison at Sepphoris, capital of Galilee, shortly after the death of Herod. (Josephus refers to Theudas as Judas son of Ezekias.) The other is Judas the Galilean from Gamla, whom both Luke and Josephus report led an anti-tax revolt in the time of the census of 6 AD. (Gamla was a hotbed of Jewish revolutionary activity; photos are posted on the web site.)
Theudas and Judas and all other false Messiahs were killed, their followers scattered, and their movements collapsed. But the Jesus movement is different. Jesus was crucified, and his followers also scattered . . . but only 2 months later, His followers are back: boldly and articulately claiming He is alive, and He is the Messiah. In a manner reminiscent of Jewish prophets, the Jesus people defy rulers and claim to speak from God. Gamaliel suggests the Sanhedrin step back and let God speak about them. If Jesus is not the Messiah, the movement will collapse like those of Theudas and Judas. But if it does not collapse . . . Jesus just may be the Messiah, and anyone trying to stop Jesus’ followers will be opposing God . . . not a smart thing to do! To quote Gamaliel:
Nevertheless, remember how mad Caiaphas is – and why he’s so mad. Although Gamaliel’s logic convinces him not to kill the apostles; he has them brutally beaten before releasing them (Acts 5:40). Under the punishment of flogging, the victim was stripped to the waist, tied to a post, and beaten with a leather whip – often with imbedded metal or glass – for up to 39 lashes under Jewish law. People died from being flogged, but after the apostles were flogged, they “rejoic(ed) because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name (of Jesus)” (Acts 5:41).
Despite excruciating physical pain, the apostles return to the temple and again go from house to house “teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah” (Acts 5:42). Their empowerment by the Holy Spirit seems beyond comprehension. Gamaliel is already being proven correct.
That brings us to the last part of the lesson: the spiritual cancer of sin growing within the church. To understand it, we first need to define our terms. “Hebraic Jews” are the Jews living in the land now called Israel (or Palestine). They form the majority, and mostly live in Jewish villages. Their language is Aramaic. Jesus and all the apostles are “Hebraic Jews.”
“Grecian Jews” – also known as “Hellenized Jews” – were Jews living in the Greco-Roman areas around the Mediterranean: Turkey, Greece, Italy, Egypt, etc. They are a small minority living and working in the cities among a Gentile majority. Their language is Greek. Because Hellenized Jews are in constant contact with their Gentile neighbors, most of them adopt at least some of the Greco-Roman culture; hence Hebraic Jews looked down on Hellenized Jews as “less Jewish.” (There are exceptions: some of the Hellenized Jews – like Paul and Stephen – reacted against Greco-Roman culture and became extremely devout.)
So what’s happening with the food distribution? Since everything is shared in common, the food is in a central warehouse. The apostles and the other 120 believers prior to Pentecost are all Hebraic Jews. All church leaders are surely Hebraic Jews. While the apostles spend their time teaching, the details of food distribution are left to others; and somehow the Grecian Jewish widows get “overlooked” (Acts 6:1)
It’s doubtful this was just an oversight. That would be a charitable explanation, but if it were an oversight, it’s doubtful it would have been such a big deal. More likely, the problem is that the sinful attitude of Ananias and Sapphira – which we discussed last week – was symptomatic of a deeper problem within the church. When the food was passed around, the Hebraic Jewish majority made sure “their people” received food, but made no special effort to take care of the Hellenized Jews.
Nevertheless, when confronted with this problem, the apostles show the godliness and sincerity we would expect of them . . . and also good organizational skills. They set up a formal food distribution system, led by six Hellenized Jews and one Gentile convert to Judaism – all men of good character and great sincerity.
And the apostles pray . . . pray that God will bless these men for this task. Afterward, there are no more complaints of discrimination in food distribution within the church.
These seven are considered the first deacons of the church. Most churches today have the office of deacon . . . and usually the role of a deacon is what we see here: oversight of the physical welfare of church members, so the teachers can focus on spiritual welfare.
Next week we will meet Stephen, who might be considered the “chief deacon.” We’ll learn of his profound ability to teach the word: his arguments for Jesus were so convincing the Sanhedrin felt they had to get rid of him. False witnesses accuse him of blasphemy – just as was done with Jesus some weeks before – and he is taken out and stoned to death. We will also meet Gamaliel’s student Saul for the first time: a Pharisee who wants to ignore his teacher’s advice and wipe our Christians. Will he be successful?