238
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
April 1927
M ay 29, 1927 Peter Ündaunted by Persecution Lesson Text—Acts 5:27-42
P ith and P oint Whatever our circumstances, it can never be necessary to disobey God. One of the curses of the ministry is utter smoothness. When a file gets smooth, it is of no use. We should de clare the whole counsel of God regardless of the cost. Whenever we ' shell the woods with Gospel shot, it is to be expected that some one will get hurt. The most effective witnesses are those whom God orders to open their mouths. Persecution: often does in this life what the coming of Christ will do completely -.-^separates the wheat from the tares. Christianity has made martyrdom sub lime and sorrow triumphant. Whoever is right, the persecutor is always in the wrong. S uggestive Q uestions , What is. the two-fold office of thé ex alted Saviour?. (Note two. titles in v. 31). Could the Jews have Him as Prince without taking Him as Saviour? (Matt. 1:21). Is repentance a human act alone? (v. 31 : cf. 2 Tim. 2:25). To how many is God willing to give the power to repent? (2 Pet. 3:9). '. What effect did Peter’s witness to Christ have on the day of Pentecost? (2: 37; cf. 5:33). ; In the long run, is- it true that the counsel of men against God must come to naught ?Hv. 38; cf. Isa. 8:10; 46:9, 10). What had Jesus told H is. disciples would happen to them? (Matt. 10:17). W h a t balm did He give them for their wounds? (Matt. 5:11, 12). How does the grace of God equip a Christian for persecution? (v. 41; cf. Rom. 5:3-5).. —o— G olden T ext I llustration “We ought to obey God rather than men” {Acts 5:29). Napoleon’s soldiers were once standing up on a hill gazing down upon the pyra mids. Shortly they were tq make their descent to battle. Napoleon addressed them, “Soldiers, from the summits of yonder pyramids forty ages survey your conduct. Act like heroes." On, ye Christians, under Jesus’ com mand, and, fighting for the truth of God, remember that from the summits of the everlasting hills of heaven, millions of saints and angels survey your conduct-; therefore, quit you like men , be strong." Charles Wesley wrote : “See there thy starry crown That glittèrs through, the skies Satan, the world and sin tread down. And take the glorious prize.” Ü? Ü? When the roll is called up yonder, where will-your roll be?—T. C, H. —o— You are not “down and out” when you are on your knees ; you are “in and up.” — T. C. H. —o— “You cannot scold a man out of his: sins.” Let us try the gentler way, and see what can be done by prayerful, lov ing persuasion.
JfOLLOWING the strange manifesta tion of the Holy Spirit in the case of Ananias' and Sapphira, a great number, of believers were added to the Lord—the
Verses 30-32 record Peter’s brief de fense of the Gospel. Scholars have ac knowledged that it is one of the finest ex amples of pleading on record. He charges them with slaying Jesus and reminds them that the right hand of God had raised Him up as Prince and Sav iour, that through Him forgiveness of sins might be possible to all men. “And we are witnesses of these things and so also is- the Holy Ghost” (v. 32). They could not deny'the last remark, for the keepers of the prison no doubt had in formed them how God’s witnesses had passed out of jail while all the doors re mained locked (v. 24). This ¡‘cut them to the heart, and they took counsel to slay the apostles (v. 33). Then it was that Dr. Gamaliel, a man of great reputation, arose and gave his famous advice (v. 34). He cautions them to go slow. Thus far the advice is good. Caution is always commendable in moving against any religious activity. We must be sure of our ground and tol erant .toward those who are misled. Gamaliel’s main argument, however, is doubtful doctrine even though it has been often quoted by many good people. “Leave false cults alone,” they say, “since they are of man they will come to naught, but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it” (vs. 38, 39). Is it true that because a movement fails it is proven not to be of God? It is a sad fact that beneficent Christian institutions, born in prayer, have been suffered to languish and die. There have been .sacrifices of life and property for the truth’s sake— and the end apparent defeat. Is it true, on the other hand, that' long continuance, or. seeming success, proves a movement to be of God? Many of the devil’s institutions have stood the test of time and continue to this hour in their soul-wrecking business: Prophecy indi cates that in the end of the age many shall follow these pernicious movements. Gamaliel’s idea simply was that their responsibilities were discharged by let ting the apostles alone. This was far from the truth. Gamaliel’s doctrine was easy for the spiritually lazy. It was their business to find out if these men were preaching the truth. By their own Scrip ture they could have tested them. There were plenty of witnesses to the resurrec tion and to the works of the apostles. If they were right, they should side with them. If they were, fakers, they should warn the people against them. The apostles were given a fearful beat ing and warned not ta speak in the name of Jesus (v. ,40). “They departed re joicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His,Name” (v. 41). In the temple and in the houses they con tinued the witness of Christ. 'When we read this bit of history, it makes one won der if the Church of today is the legiti mate descendant of the Church described here. Those were days when Christian workers got scars for medals. In these days, Christianity has become very res pectable, sermons are highly polished and Christian workers are too often feasted and coddled.
14th verse says, " Mul titudes of both men and women." It is not strange that we should immediately read t h a t the high priest and his asso ciates were offended at the growing influ
ence of the apostles (v. 17). Few things are harder to bear than the popularity of rivals. It was not long before they managed to get Peter and the apostles clapped in jail (v. 18). “BUT the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors' ’ (v. 19). This divine “but” deranged the plans of the enemy. Early the next morning the apostles- were preaching away again. When the high priest sent to the jail to have them brought before the Senate .of Israel, the authorities discovered that their prison ers were gone (vs. 21, 22). Strange to say, Peter and his- associates did not be have like escaped convicts but as men whose work had been temporarily inter rupted. As soon as possible they got back to it. The fact that they were in the tem ple preaching indicated that they knew they had more than human power behind them. The officers took them again into cus tody but “without violence for they feared the people" (v. 26). That is one bright spot in this dark picture. The people favored them. They saw their burning zeal for the salvation of souls, and could not help contrasting it with the utter lack of care for souls on the part of the re ligious leaders who opposed them. They were hailed before the' council. “Did not we. command you that you should not teach in this name? Behold you have filled Jerusalem with your doc trine" (v. 28). They asked no questions about how they got out of jail. They wanted no more testimony to supernat ural powers)1 They were not ignorant of the miracles performed by Jesus and the apostles. They frankly admitted that the Gospel had been spread all over Jerusalem. Here is a testimony from the mouth of enemies that the disciples had fulfilled the first part of Jesus’ commission— “beginning at Jerusalem" (1:8). That meant that the Gentile opportunity was near at hand. “Ye intend to bring this man’s blood upon us" (v. ,28). The charge is interest ing in view of the fact that when Jesus was delivered for crucifixion, these very rulers had led in the cry, “His blood be on us and on our children" (Matt. 27:25). Evidently they had a feeling that their in vocation was about to be fulfilled. Peter had no cotton string for a back bone on this occasion. The answer was, “We ought (lit. “must”) to obey God rather than men” (v. 29). The world owes much to that word of Peter, uttered before the Sanhedrin. It is the founda tion of all true liberty.
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