4.24.16
Acts chapter four presents a conflict between the apostles and the Jewish leaders of the day. The conflict consisted of three parts.
1. The Apostles were teaching contrary to the culture of the day.
“They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus
the resurrection of the dead.”
Acts 4:2
The Sadducee did not believe in a resurrection. That had a difference in opinion and were threatened by the teaching of the apostles.
2. There is opposition to the teaching of Jesus.
“Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
Acts 4:16-17
The leaders were also being threatened for their position of authority and this would impact their livelihood as well as upset their ideology. They desired to stop the spread of truth.
3. The Apostles were told to stop teaching the truth of Jesus.
“Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.”
Acts 4:18
The result of the first two conflicts gave rise to the third: threats to remain silent. Rather than engage in discussion or exchange of ideas, the authorities and power players of the day simply sought to stop the apostles with threats.
In 2016 we face a conflict similar in nature:
I am of course speaking from a perspective as a resident of the United States. Other countries have face opposition and oppression of religious freedom for a long time. Whether the topic is abortion, gay marriage, transgender identification, or other current culturally accepted sin, the truth of God has not changed. True, we should speak the truth in love, but speak the truth we must. Which places us in conflict with the culture and on some level with the powers and authorities of the United States and specific state and local leadership. Not to mention verbal demonstrative statements from celebrities, athletes, and others who influence millions across the U.S. and around the world. We are bedeviled in the arena of public opinion and collectively labeled with often incorrect derogatory names like bigot, close minded, hateful, idiot, and other names not worthy of repeating.
We can look to the apostles in Acts 4 to find three ways in which they met the conflict and prevailed.
1. The Apostles had courage.
“ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people!’”
Acts 4:8
1. We hold to a truth that is different than the establishment.
2. There is an active effort to silence the truth.
3. Those who proclaim the truth are politely
and sometimes not so politely told to be silent.
I am of course speaking from a perspective as a resident of the United States. Other countries have face opposition and oppression of religious freedom for a long time. Whether the topic is abortion, gay marriage, transgender identification, or other current culturally accepted sin, the truth of God has not changed. True, we should speak the truth in love, but speak the truth we must. Which places us in conflict with the culture and on some level with the powers and authorities of the United States and specific state and local leadership. Not to mention verbal demonstrative statements from celebrities, athletes, and others who influence millions across the U.S. and around the world. We are bedeviled in the arena of public opinion and collectively labeled with often incorrect derogatory names like bigot, close minded, hateful, idiot, and other names not worthy of repeating.
We can look to the apostles in Acts 4 to find three ways in which they met the conflict and prevailed.
1. The Apostles had courage.
“ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people!’”
Acts 4:8
Peter did not back down. he stood up to his oppressors and challenged their thinking and ideology with scripture, God's own words. Verse 13 tells us that when the powers that be saw the courage of these men, they were astonished!
2. The Apostles knew their foundation.
“Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:11-12
When one takes a stand, it is good to know the foundation on which your argument is laid. In the case of the apostles and for us, the foundation is firmly and squarely on Jesus - the cornerstone of faith. We can stand knowing that we are not building our faith on unknowns or suppositions, or simply our own opinions, but on the solid truth of Jesus and his word.
3. The Apostles knew who to obey.
“But Peter and John replied, ‘Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!’”
Acts 4:19
The apostles perhaps were thinking at this moment in their reply of the teaching that Jesus had given them in Matthew 10:28 - "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." regardless of their motive, their answer was proof of their maturity and understanding that we are truly aliens or visitors here in this world, and that we must obey our true King above all else.
So let us join with the apostles and echo their answer to the world who would silence them:
“As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Acts 4:20
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