Lesson #7, Acts 5.17 - 42

Good Questions Have Groups Talking
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Ask your people to do some Googling and reading about what the average American believes about Jesus. If they are really brave, ask them to ask some people at their office or in their neighborhood.

Acts 5.17 - 42

OPEN

Let’s each share your name and one thing you love about this church.

DIG

1.       Overview. Let’s read this passage as a whole. Look to answer this question: How did this church make an impact on its world?

“Ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.” What a wonderful indictment! The first time my life was threatened in ministry was when a fellow knocked on my door, looked me in the eye, and said, “You have ruined Applegate Valley. I suggest you leave, or I can’t guarantee you’ll be alive a year from now.”

He went on to explain that before Applegate Christian Fellowship started, there were some wonderful parties in the area. But when some of the best party-ers got saved, the party was over. — Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 652.

2.       It is always a good idea to read for emotion. What kind of emotions do you find in this passage?

You find a variety of emotions in this section: envy (Acts 5:17), bewilderment (Acts 5:24), and fear (Acts 5:26; see 4:21 and Matt. 21:26). Yet, when the Apostles came in, the high priest boldly accused them of defying the law and causing trouble. He would not even use the name of Jesus Christ, but instead said “this name” and “this Man’s blood,” lest by speaking His name he would defile his lips or bring down the wrath of God (see John 15:21). — Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 425.

3.       How is the Sanhedrin feeling in verse 25?

It is well to remember that the Sanhedrin was the supreme court of Israel. This must have been an extremely embarrassing moment for them—not a good day! The same authorities who arrested Peter and John came again for the 12. This time, Luke takes pains to mention that they did not use force in the arrest. Why? By now, large numbers of people were getting healed, and, therefore, they loved, and owed a great deal to, the apostles. The authorities were afraid of being stoned, a fear that we can well appreciate through frequent television news reports of disturbances in the Middle East today. — C. Peter Wagner, The Book of Acts: A Commentary (Ventura, CA: Regal, 2008), 119.

4.       By the way, who or what is the Sanhedrin?

During the lives of Jesus and Paul, Jerusalem was the home of a Jewish supreme council often known as the Sanhedrin (συνέδριον, synedrion; Matt 26:59). The Sanhedrin was composed of both laymen (the Pharisees) and religious professionals (the scribes and Sadducees) (see Luke 22:66; John 11:47). This high council had great authority, especially in religious matters, but its reach was limited by the Roman overlords. This is illustrated specifically by the Sanhedrin’s reluctance to carry out a death sentence against Jesus on its own authority (John 18:31). The authority of the Sanhedrin seems to have been parallel to that of the Roman administrators and worked through synagogues outside Jerusalem, even outside Judaea (Acts 9:1, 2). — Mark S. Krause, “Palestine, Administration Of, Roman,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015).

5.       Why had they put the apostles in jail in the first place?

The high priest and his associates had three reasons for arresting the Apostles (this time it was all of the Apostles) and bringing them to trial. To begin with, Peter and John had not obeyed the official orders to stop preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. They were guilty of defying the law of the nation. Second, the witness of the church was refuting the doctrines held by the Sadducees, giving every evidence that Jesus Christ was alive. Third, the religious leaders were filled with envy (“indignation”) at the great success of these untrained and unauthorized men (see Matt. 27:18; Acts 13:45). The traditions of the fathers had not attracted that much attention or gained that many followers in such a short time. It is amazing how much envy can be hidden under the disguise of “defending the faith.” — Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 424.

6.       Were they jealous of the Jesus? From their viewpoint, He was dead. Were they jealous of the apostles? How so?

Yet what Luke tells us here is that the leaders were not really dealing with the claims of the apostles on a noble level. There was something beneath their opposition, something that had been festering away. It was jealousy. Jealousy of whom? Were they jealous of Jesus? Jesus who was dead? Were they jealous of the apostles, these whom they had observed had no education? The answer is probably yes to both possibilities.

They were jealous of Jesus because it was his name, rather than theirs, that was being proclaimed. They were also jealous of the apostles because they were preaching powerfully and doing miracles and because people were following them. The religious leaders wanted both of these things: They wanted to be well known, to have a “name” among the people; and they wanted people to follow them.

Many of our contemporaries, even ministers, want to be well known and have a following. Much of the evil in the world happens as a result of jealousy. It is seldom given that name, of course. Still, when attacks are made on those who are being much used by God it is usually jealousy that lies behind it. People resent the fact that someone else is getting the attention. — James Montgomery Boice, Acts: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1997), 106–107.

7.       Compare and contrast the Sanhedrin with the apostles. What did they have in common? How were they different?

What a contrast between the Apostles and the members of the council. The council was educated, ordained, and approved, and yet they had no ministry of power. The Apostles were ordinary laymen, yet God’s power was at work in their lives. The council was trying desperately to protect themselves and their dead traditions, while the Apostles were risking their lives to share the living Word of God. The dynamic church was enjoying the new; the dead council was defending the old. — Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 425.

8.       What did the Sanhedrin believe about Jesus?

From their point of view, Jesus was only an upstart rabbi. He had come from who knows where and had taken it upon himself to be a rabbi. It is true that he did it powerfully and winsomely, so that he gained a large following. But if he was not who he claimed to be, and they were not ready to bow to that claim, Jesus of Nazareth was a false prophet, a blasphemer. He cleverly made out that he was God. He did not state his claims too openly, because if he had, they could have summoned witnesses, convicted him of blasphemy, and gotten rid of him early on. In the end they did get rid of him, but here was the devilish thing: They had destroyed him, but “that name” was still being proclaimed before the people. I detect, as I read these chapters, that although they would have said, “We were right to do what we did,” deep in their hearts they felt guilty for having destroyed what was quite obviously a very righteous man. — James Montgomery Boice, Acts: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1997), 106.

9.       What does the average American feel about Jesus?

Jesus Christ remains a central figure and perennial person of interest in the American religious landscape—especially in the days leading up to Easter. And 2015 is no exception.

On Sunday, March 29, National Geographic Channel premiered its adaptation of Bill O’Reilly’s book Killing Jesus to 3.7 million viewers—the channel’s biggest audience in history. CNN’s Finding Jesus miniseries has also sustained impressive viewership. Google searches of Jesus Christ climbed by 53 percent in the week leading up to Easter—a likely result of both seasonal television programming and the approaching holiday.

But what do Americans believe about Jesus? Who do they say he is? Here are five popular American perceptions of Jesus, based on recent Barna Group research.

1. The Vast Majority of Americans Believe Jesus Was a Real Person

Jesus Christ has made a cameo in hundreds of pop culture places, from The Da Vinci Code to South Park. But, although the character of Jesus has certainly been fictionalized, satirized and mythologized over the centuries, the vast majority of Americans still maintain that he was a historical figure. More than nine out of 10 adults say Jesus Christ was a real person who actually lived (92%). While the percentages dip slightly among younger generations—only 87 percent of Millennials agree Jesus actually lived—Americans are still very likely to believe the man, Jesus Christ, once walked the earth.

2. Younger Generations Are Increasingly Less Likely to Believe Jesus Was God

The historicity of Jesus may not be in question for most Americans, but people are much less confident in the divinity of Jesus. Most adults—not quite six in 10—believe Jesus was God (56%), while about one-quarter say he was only a religious or spiritual leader like Mohammed or the Buddha (26%). The remaining one in six say they aren’t sure whether Jesus was divine (18%).

Millennials are the only generation among whom fewer than half believe Jesus was God (48%). About one-third of young adults (35%) say instead that Jesus was merely a religious or spiritual leader, while 17 percent aren’t sure what he was.

In each older generation, the belief in Jesus as divine is more common—55 percent of Gen-Xers, 58 percent of Boomers and nearly two-thirds of Elders (62%) believe Jesus was God. https://www.barna.org/barna-update/culture/714-what-do-americans-believe-about-jesus-5-popular-beliefs#.VmXvNfmDGko

10.   Compare Acts 5.29 with Romans 13.1 – 5. When are we to submit to government? When are we to disobey government?

Here’s where it gets interesting. Does a Christian wife have to do everything her husband says, no matter what?

No, that’s not what the Bible teaches.

A wife’s submission—as a husband’s—should first be to God. 1 Peter 2:13–14 (NIV) reads,

 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

That, of course, means I should obey the laws of the land and pay my taxes. As citizens and believers, we have to obey those laws. That’s the way our country works. Authority has been instituted by God, and we must respect it. But what if that same government passed a law tomorrow that said no one can pray to God anymore?

Daniel was presented with this exact quandary when the king of the Persian Empire signed a law that no one could pray to any god except the king himself. What did Daniel do? The Bible tells us that he continued to pray to the Lord, just as he always had. He didn’t change his practice at all.

There comes a point where the law of God supersedes the law of man. What if the government passes a law that says we can’t preach the Gospel anymore? Do we shut everything down? No, we go on preaching and teaching just as we always have. When the apostles were told by the authorities that they could no longer preach in the name of Jesus, they said, “We ought to obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29). — Greg Laurie, Married. Happily.: Secrets to a Great Marriage (Dana Point, CA: Kerygma Publishing—Allen David Books, 2011).

11.   Wives are told to submit to their husbands. Are there any exceptions?

Let’s apply this principle to marriage. Say the husband is a nonbeliever, and you are the sweet, godly, Christian wife. Somehow he learns about the biblical principle of submission, and he kind of likes that idea. So he says to his wife, “Why don’t you submit to me while we go out drinking tonight?” Or, “Why don’t you submit to me while I ask you to do this immoral thing right now.”

Do you submit? No, because there is a higher law at that point. If your husband asks you to do something that is against God’s law, you are not to submit. On the other hand, if what your husband is asking you to do doesn’t violate any of God’s commands, you submit to the best of your ability. — Greg Laurie, Married. Happily.: Secrets to a Great Marriage (Dana Point, CA: Kerygma Publishing—Allen David Books, 2011).

12.   Should a wife submit to an unloving husband?

“Wait a second,” some wives are saying. “The Bible also says, ‘Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church.’ If my husband isn’t loving me as Christ loved the church, then I must not be obligated to submit to him. After all, if he is the initiator, if he is the one who should be taking the lead and is failing to do that, I’m not under any obligation to do my part.”

First Peter chapter 3, however, contradicts this thinking:

 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror. (vv. 1–6)

This passage deals with a Christian woman who is married to a non-Christian man—and what she can do to reach her husband for Christ. I also believe these verses apply to a Christian woman who is married to a nominally Christian man, or a man who may name the name of Christ, but has not stepped up into the role of spiritual leader. God has given wives a positive strategy to follow in reaching their husbands, and clearly lays out the role and responsibilities of the Christian wife in the marriage relationship.

In fact, as a wife begins to apply the principles found here, she might even see her husband become a new-and-improved model. — Greg Laurie, Married. Happily.: Secrets to a Great Marriage (Dana Point, CA: Kerygma Publishing—Allen David Books, 2011).

13.   Is there any case that we should not obey the law?

Now this brings up a very important question. Should a Christian always obey the law? Because these guys were told to no longer preach. Well I would say under most circumstances we absolutely should obey the law. Romans 13:5 say we must obey the government for two reasons. To keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience. God has raised up the government. That includes the military. That includes police. That includes elected officials. As weird as they can be at times. And I won’t comment on recent developments, but I think you know what I am talking about. But what about if government so-called tells me to do something that is contrary to what the Word of God says? Should I still obey government? Well the answer is no. — Greg Laurie, The Greg Laurie Sermon Archive (Riverside, CA: Harvest Ministries, 2014).

14.   Remember the mid-wives in the story surrounding Moses’s birth? Who can recount that story? Were those women right to disobey their authority?

You remember that in the days of Egypt Pharaoh was in charge and he told the Jewish midwives to kill all of the Jewish baby boys because there were too many Jews and he was frightened that they might take over his kingdom. And so he gave this command. You kill those little baby boys. You can let the girls live but if it is a boy kill them. Well the midwives wouldn’t do it. They disobeyed. Was that wrong? No. It was right. And of course they spared the life of one little baby and they put him in a little basket and floated him down the Nile and Pharaoh’s daughter happened to come into contact with them and that little baby was named Moses. And he ultimately delivered Israel from that bondage. — Greg Laurie, The Greg Laurie Sermon Archive (Riverside, CA: Harvest Ministries, 2014).

15.   Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego disobeyed authority. Who can recall that story for us? Why did they disobey authority? Were they right in doing so?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were told to bow before the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar. Did they do it? No. They did not. They refused. And they were thrown into a fiery furnace for it. But God spared and delivered them. — Greg Laurie, The Greg Laurie Sermon Archive (Riverside, CA: Harvest Ministries, 2014).

16.   How would you summarize what the Bible teaches about submission to human authority?

When we come to passages like the first chapter of Exodus, we are reminded that God’s law always comes before man’s law. Scripture does not teach blind-and-blanket submission. The fact is, there is a time to submit, and there’s also a time to resist.

Before we run with that principle too far, however, a word of caution may be in order. The Exodus passage does not teach children to disobey their parents, wives to usurp their husband’s leadership in the home, or anyone to reject ethical authority. But the passage does make one thing clear: submission to civil authority has limits. As Peter once told the Jewish ruling council, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). — Charles R. Swindoll, Great Days with the Great Lives (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006).

17.   Verse 42. Why do you suppose they met at home in addition to in the temple courts?

Small groups were foundational to the early church. As you examine what the first home groups did, you can begin to develop a plan for your own small group.

The Bible tells us that the small groups in New Testament times pursued the biblical purposes of fellowship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism, and worship. It was true then and it’s true now that a healthy group will be focused on balancing those purposes. — Steve Gladen, Leading Small Groups with Purpose: Everything You Need to Lead a Healthy Group (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2013), 40–41.

18.   What experience have you had with home Bible studies? Who has a story?

AT THE CLOSE of our Friday night Bible study, Carol came and sat beside me. She began asking questions that gave me a small window into her spiritual life. After about fifteen minutes I explained to Carol what it means to know Christ personally. She was soon praying with me to receive forgiveness and salvation. That night Carol was born into God’s family.

Carol’s husband, Joe, had seen no need to attend the Bible study but became curious about the change he noticed in Carol’s life. About five months into the study Joe showed up at one of our Friday meetings. He liked the idea of getting to know some of the men in the neighborhood better. Later he began to show interest in some of the spiritual concepts being discussed. After about eight months Joe prayed to receive Christ.

The story of Carol and Joe is typical of what can happen through an evangelistic home Bible study. My wife, Betty, and I have been involved with home Bible studies for twenty-two years. Our primary objective is to help people develop a personal commitment to Christ and to help new Christians grow in their relationship to Christ.

This process is similar to what takes place between a mother and her baby. A strong bond exists between the mother and child even before the birth. When the baby is born, the mother naturally gives loving attention to the baby with the objective of helping him grow and mature. Likewise, the Christian and nonChristian develop a strong bond as they meet regularly for Bible study. When the nonChristian is born into the Kingdom of God, he naturally depends on the mature believer for guidance in Christian growth.

But if we are to be effective in winning the world to Christ, we must take the gospel into the world, not expect the world to come to us. I am reminded of the salt block on my grandmother’s farm many years ago. The cows had to interrupt their grazing and come to the salt block when they wanted salt. In a similar way, we Christians often expect the community at large to come to our church facility if they want salt. This is not what Christ intended when he commanded us to be the salt of the earth. His desire is for us to be sprinkled in neighborhoods, within the workplace, among our family members, on campuses, or wherever else we find ourselves. Hosting an evangelistic home Bible study is one way to permeate your sphere of influence with the Good News. — Discipleship Journal, Issue 52 (July/August 1989) (NavPress, 1989).

19.   What makes for a good home Bible study?

Unless you know what the target is, you cannot hit it. For Saddleback Church, success is a church full of healthy followers of Christ. We determined that healthy followers of Christ are people who are balancing the five biblical purposes in their life and in their heart.

They are:

·  experiencing healthy relationships with other people (fellowship)

·  growing in Christ both cognitively and experientially (discipleship)

·  discovering and using their God-given gifts and abilities (ministry)

·  reaching out and sharing the love of Christ with unbelievers (evangelism)

·  surrendering their heart and life to Christ on an ongoing basis (worship)

Our target is health as expressed through balancing those five biblical purposes. The way we get there is through our small groups. — Steve Gladen, Leading Small Groups with Purpose: Everything You Need to Lead a Healthy Group (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2013), 43–44.

20.   What do you want to recall from today’s conversation?

21.   How can we support one another in prayer this week?