College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Acts 4:28-37
8. IN THE UPPER ROOM. Acts 4:28, Acts 5:11.
a.
The Prayer Service. Acts 4:23-31.
And being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said unto them.
And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O Lord thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:
who by the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say,
Why did the Gentiles rage,
And the peoples imagine vain things?
The kings of the earth set themselves in array,
And the rulers were gathered together,
Against the Lord, and against his Anointed:
for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together,
to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel foreordained to come to pass.
And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness,
while thou stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus.
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4:23-30 The apostles left the assembly in triumphant joy but with no pride. Being let go they came to their own company. Who was this company and where were they gathered?
We are inclined to the opinion that the term refers to the other apostles and those who were their close friends and associates.
The upper room was the abode of the apostles (Acts 1:13) so it does seem reasonable that this was the place to which Peter and John returned upon this occasion.
Can we not imagine them entering the room and hurrying into the presence of their friends to tell with mingled joy and apprehension all that had been said and done?
Immediately upon hearing the news the whole assembly cried out in a united prayer to God. Note the appropriativeness of this prayer
(1) They were in need of protection and guidance and in their prayer they addressed God as the one who didst make the heaven and earth and sea and all that in them is. If He was indeed so great He could afford them protection and direction. (2) Then the second Psalm is quoted in which we have a description given by David hundreds of years before. The prophetic picture found its fulfillment in the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. What Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles and the people of Israel did to Jesus was only in fulfillment of God's purposes. Since, then, God had thus delivered in the terrible days of His Son's adversity, He could now do the same for His chosen children. (3) The one petition made in this whole prayer was that God would consider the threatenings of His enemies and grant boldness to His servants as they spoke His word, that He would continue to accompany the words of the apostles with the signs and wonders that were already in evidence with their work. These supernatural demonstrations were to place the stamp of divine approval upon the words spoken by the apostles.
141.
Who composed the company to whom the Apostles went following their trial?
142.
Where was the company gathered? How do you know?
142.
Give the three points of appropriativeness in the prayer of the company.
Acts 4:31 Almost before the last word of the prayer had been uttered the answer arrived. Notice please how the petitions of their prayer were answered:
1) They prayed that God would consider the opposition and would in the face of it grant boldness. The answer: The place where they were meeting was shaken as a reed in the wind. This was the answer of the Lord reminding them that He had heard and was interested enough to let them know His concern. They, knowing His character, would realize that He would not thus answer them unless He was in agreement with their request. This gave them great boldness. 2) They prayed that God would continue to manifest His supernatural power; here in this earthquake He stamped an affirmative answer on the request.
And so they were indeed in accord with the Holy Spirit and He could thus literally fill their hearts and lives. The closer in accord our spirit is to the Holy Spirit, the more completely does He fill our lives. Following this experience the little company could go forth into the city with God's own assurance. They could truly speak the work of God with boldness.
144.
Give the requests of the prayer and show how they were immediately answered.
145.
The earthquake had what relationship to all being filled with the Holy Spirit?
b.
The Unity of Believers. Acts 4:32-37.
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul: and not one of them said that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
And with great power gave the apostles their witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
For neither was there among them any that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
and laid them at the apostles-' feet: and distribution was made unto each, according as any one had need.
And Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of exhortation), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,
having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles-' feet.
Acts 4:32-35 Since Pentecost, the creation day of the church, our attention has been centered upon the work of Christ in the lives of but two of His servants. Luke now opens the door of information to let us behold something of the work of the Master in the life of the whole church. Observe the wonderful power of Christ in the multitude of them that believed:
1)
They were of one heart and one soul. There was total unity of love and faith.
2)
They knew that they had been bought with a price and therefore they were not their own. But this unselfishness reached right into their material possessions and caused them to seek the common good of all. We have much talk of this unselfish attitude today but not much of its fruits.
3)
This actual and practical unity afforded a bulwark of strength for the testimony of the apostles. The apostles could point to a group of living examples of the power of their resurrection message. Hence could they give with great power their witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
4)
--Great grace was upon them all. Because of the aforementioned virtues proceeding from the surrendered lives God's favor and approval rested upon them.
Luke tells us why God's favor and approval rested upon them. He says it was because of the utterly selfless attitude and life of the believers. There was none that lacked for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles-' feet: and distribution was made unto each, according as any one had need.
146.
What change of thought is found beginning with Acts 4:32?
147.
Give the four points in Acts 4:32-37 which manifests the power of Christ in the lives of those that believed.
148.
How did the unity of the church afford to the apostles opportunity to give with greater power their witness of the resurrection?
149.
What is the meaning of the statement great grace was upon them all?
Acts 4:36-37 An example is given of one who portrayed the spirit and work of the united Jerusalem church. Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas did like many others, sold his own field that his brethren might not be in want.
150.
Who was given as an example of the unity of the Jerusalem church? What did he do?
c.
The First Church Discipline. Acts 5:1-11.
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles-' feet.
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
While it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost: and great fear came upon all that heard it.
And the young men arose and wrapped him round, and they carried him out and buried him.
And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much. And she said, Yea, for so much.
But Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to try the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them that have buried thy husband are at the door, and they shall carry thee out.
And she fell down immediately at his feet, and gave up the ghost: and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband.
And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all that heard these things.
Acts 5:1-2 There is a little three lettered word that can be set up most anywhere in the chain of narrated events to serve as a stop sign. That word is but. Here in the midst of the history of the onward march of the church Luke must set up this stop sign. There was a great unity of belief, of possessions, and great were the results of this unitybut. It is here we have the first effort of Satan from within the body. We have witnessed in the past record the evil forces from without, but this chapter opens with the account of the first marks of the evil one within the fold. Let us notice the first church discipline.
Two members of the Jerusalem congregation, two members in good standing as far as those of Jerusalem knew, were Ananias and Sapphira, his wife.
Someone might say that the possession of land was their trouble, that if they had not the possession they would have had no sin. This is not so for their sin was located in their heart and not in their field.
The sin was twofold: the love of the praise of men and the love of money. No doubt those noble souls who sold that which was theirs for the help of others were admired by those of the church. This was what Ananias and Sapphira wanted, but they were not willing to obtain it through unselfish effort. Their difficulty lay in that root in their heart which is the source of all kinds of evilthe love of money.
151.
What is peculiar about the efforts of Satan in the case of Ananias and Sapphira?
152.
If Ananias and Sapphira had not owned the field would they have escaped the sin they committed?
153.
What was the two-fold sin of Ananias and Sapphira?
Acts 5:3-10 According to Peter they were guilty of the sin of hypocrisy, of pretending, which amounted to nothing short of lying. Yes, of lying to the Holy Spirit. Peter also says that Satan was the one who suggested the decision of these two. How the words of Peter must have cut the heart of Ananias when he reminded him that he need not lay the blame upon the land, or by saying that if he had never had the land he would never have sinned (as we are so wont to do). Peter reminded him that it was purely a matter of his own choice, that he, in league with the Devil, decided to try to deceive God with a lie, to deceive not man, but God!
The congregation was no doubt greatly surprised when the sin of Ananias was brought to light before them all. But we are persuaded that even Peter himself was not prepared for the results of his rebuke. Here are the words of Luke which describe the startling incident.
Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the spirit.
We quote the fine expression of J. W. McGarvey as to the reason for such a stringent measure:
There is no evidence that Peter had any will of his own in this sudden death. It seems to have been a sudden stroke of the divine will, the responsibility for which attached not to Peter as an officer of the church, but to God as the moral governor of men. The propriety of it may be appreciated if we suppose Ananias to have succeeded in his undertaking. His success would have been but temporary for the fraud, like all other frauds, would have been detected sooner or later, and when detection came it would have brought with it a serious discount in the minds of the people on the powers of the Holy Spirit dwelling in the apostles. To learn that the Spirit could be deceived would have undermined the whole fabric of apostolic authority and might have overthrown the faith of many, if not all. The attempt brought on a crisis of vital importance and demanded such a vindication of the power of the Spirit as could be neither mistaken nor forgotten.
The immediate effect was precisely the effect desired: -Great fear (or awe) came upon the whole church and upon all who heard these things-'.
The scene was too awe-inspiring for lamentation. Hence, there was no delay in the burial of this one. Such a one did not deserve anything more than a hasty burial of the Achan in the camp. The young men who acted as pall bearers were probably directed to do so by Peter. The whole congregation, the young men included, were also evidently explicitly told not to carry the sad news to Sapphira.
And so it came to pass that three hours had passed, probably spent in prayer and heart searching, when into the assembly stepped the wife of the deceased. With the discernment of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10) that was Peter's he knew the moment Sapphira faced him that she was as guilty as her husband. But to bring before the minds of all present the complete evidence on the case and to allow Sapphira with her own mouth to condemn herself (knowing how much Ananias had laid at his feet as a full price for the land), he framed the question in the manner he did:
Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much (naming the price Ananias had given).
Sapphira was all ready to carry out her part of the act and she answered, Yea, for so much. Peter gives to her the same rebuke he delivered to Ananias but adds the punishment to her rebuke which he did not do in Ananias-' case. Peter says in essence: Your husband was struck dead for his part in this sinhe has just been buried; the feet of them that carried him to his grave are at the door to do the same for you. What a thought! Sapphira like her conspirator fell down under the hand of God and died at the very feet of the apostle. The young men who were about to enter came in and knowing the circumstances, finding Sapphira dead carried her out and laid her by her husband.
154.
According to this incident what definition does Peter give for hypocrisy?
155.
What portion of Peter's rebuke must have cut Ananias the deepest?
156.
How was this sin originated?
157.
What two surprises are present in this incident?
158.
Why was so stringent a punishment necessary?
159.
What was the immediate result of the discipline?
160.
Why was there such an immediate burial?
161.
How it is that Sapphira did not know of the death of her husband?
162.
How did Peter detect the guilt of the pair?
163.
What did Peter add to the rebuke of Sapphira that he did not include in the rebuke of Ananias?
Acts 5:11 The failure of the plot proved as propitious to the cause of Christ as its success would have been disastrous. -And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all that heard these things.-' This fear was excited not merely by the sudden and awful fate of the guilty pair; but also by the evidence which the incident furnished of the heartsearching power which dwelt in the apostles. The disciples now had a better conception of the nature of apostolic inspiration and the unbelieving masses were awed into respect and reverence. (Ibid. p. 87).
164.
What did the death of these two add to the conception of the disciples?