The Acts of the Apostles II

Acts Sixth Part
Cap. 5 Ananias, Sapphira and the jailed apostles.

Ananias and Saphira (1-11). The lie of them was the one to try to give everything, when they hive a single. They wanted to have greater reputation between the brothers, of whom they deserved its death was a judgment of God, as well as the death of Acán (Joshua 7), seted out like permanent example of the displeasure of God, of the sin of the greed and religious hypocrisy. Does not hurt to us of death whenever we incur him, if  it did it would all along fall people died in the churches. But the incident indicates the acttitude of God towards a cloudy and bad heart; and those that in spite of the patience and the longer of God persist in such acttitude, can wait for a payment in the end worse. Soon it can have been not only for punishment of these, but also for the healthful effect of the church (fear, transparency, honesty, discipline).

Imprisonment of the apostles (12: 42). Let us notice the surprising influence and popularity of apostles (12: 16). The sick people of all the region of around came in multitudes, and all were healed. It is looked like the story of the ministry of Jesus back in Galilea. God certainly was making its part to present that it was with the apostles and in the movement that were directed. But the governors were frenetic, but for which they feared the town, and by the moderate influence of Gamaliel they would have stoned the apostles. Gamaliel was the rabbi more celebrated of its days. He was pharisee. There was considerable hostility between pharisee and saduceos. The priests and the saduceos formed the most of Council. They detested the idea resurrection of between deads. Gamaliel, even though was not believing Christian rather seems to have gotten along with the Christians and with the saduceos. Look the audacity of Peter in defying governors (4: 8-13; 5:29 - 32). This was himself  Peter who few weeks before had itself intimidated before the joke of a woman and it had denied his teacher. Also instead of complaining the apostles their sufferings, was glad of them, a great lesson for the Christians of nowadays who rather look themselves like the generation of whom they were lost in the desert, single they murmur and they complain everything and of all God he is guilty (5: 41). 

  

Historical evidence of the book of Acts of the Cap. 5

 

Answering Peter and the apostles, they said: It is necessary to obey God before that to the men. ' The God of our parents raised Jesus, whom you killed hanging him on a log. To this one, God has exalted with his right-hand side for Prince and Salvation, to give to Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things, and also the holy Spirit, which God has given those that they him obey. They, hearing this, get ungry and they wanted to kill them.

Then getting up in the council a pharisee called Gamaliel, doctor of the law, venerated of the whole people, ordered that they should extract out for a moment the apostles and then he said: Israelite Males, look for you what are gone to do with regard to these men. Because before these days Teudas got up, saying that was someone. This one a number joined as  four hundred men; but he was dead, and  all those who  were obeying were dispersed and reduced to nothing.

After this one Judas Galilean got up, in the days of the census, and took  very much people. He died also and they all those who him were obeying were dispersed. And now I say to you, separate you of these men and leave them; because if this advice or this work belongs to the men, it will vanish; more if it belongs to God, you will not be able to destroy it; do not be maybe found fighting against God " Acts 5:29-39. In the verse 34, a very respected pharisee, called Gamaliel, convinces the members of the Sanedrin angry who do not kill the apostles. The Jewish history has left witness of a lot of information brings over of this man.

To begin Gamaliel was grandson of Hillel, who was considered by the Jews as one of the most respected erudite about the times of Christ. Besides the Bible affirms that Gamaliel enjoyed a high respect on the part of the people, which was one of his bigger rabbis and the Jewish writings they confirm it.

One of the more ancient passages of the Talmud affirms: " Since there died the Rabbi Gamaliel, the glory of the law has disappeared ". The writings that they find in the Mishna affirm: " Since there died the elder Rabino Gamaliel, there has no been more reverence for the law. The purity and the abstinence disappeared in the same date ". One of the above mentioned favorites to Gamaliel belonged " for benefit of the humanity ". He was so respected by the peoples of his epoch that when Gamaliel died, there were burned more of seventy pounds of perfums and of salves for respet to him on having come the Jews to produce tax and was about this man that Paul affirmed: " I of certain am Jewish, born in Tarso de Cilicia, but servant in this city, instructed to Gamaliel's feet, strictly in conformity with the law of our parents, jealous to God, as today you are all of you. Acts 22:3

Another person mentioned in Acts, chapter 5 verse 37 is Jude of Galilee, the founding father of the celotes. This man is mentioned by the historian Josefo doing a detailed declaration he brings Jewish antiquities over of him in the following paragraph of his qualified work:

" Coponio, of the equestrian Roman order (that governed from 6 to 9 A.D.) was sent as attorney of Judea by the whole authority of Rome, including the death penalty. Cirenio, the Roman senator, of high range, also was sent for Cesar to being governor of Syria and adviser of the property there and in Judea (6 A.D.) …. Whereas the Jews were unwilling to register his properties, a certain Judas de Gamala (the Galilean one) affirmed that this Act would give course for the slavery, so that he and a pharisee called Sadoc initiated a revolution, beginning a new movement (the celotes) that caused the ruin ".

Josefo mentions also Jude and his children in the following paragraph taken of the Jewish Antiquities:

" Fado turned into attorney, happening to Tiberio Alejandro, and crucified Jacobo and Simon, children of Jude Galilean who had caused a raising encouraging to the village to the revolt when Cirenio realized the census in Judea ".

 

 The Most Important Lesson taken of Acts Cap.1

 

" We must obey God rather that men!. The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead – whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savoir that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel."  Acts 5:29-31

 

 Acts Seventh Part

Cap. 6  The Choosing of the Seven

 

Commonly called deacons, even if not is in this passage. This is the beginning of the distinction between spiritual and temporary officials in the church. The work had grown to such proportions that it was demanding too much of the time of the apostles, who in these moments were in the labor of expanding the kingdom of the skies, and not of his administration, labor to which they were called the seven, does not mean with this that later they were not doing it.

Probably the church already had one or two years of life, and the jealousies and the complaints began to appear between the congregation of some against others

(known history will seem to the reader). It is a sad contrast with the beautiful picture of the Cáp. 4:32-36. The appointment of the Seven seems to have given good result, since continuation says to us that the disciples were multiplying greatly. Merit of the unction that they had to administer the God's work (6:7).

Of the seven two of them they turned out to be the big ministers: Stephen and Philip. Philip took the gospel to Samaria and to the west of Judea, with miracles and prodigies that were demonstrating the God's support in his department. Stephen as this one demonstrated the power of God between the gentiles and Jews, with the difference of having the honor of being the first martyr of the church. Opposite to the council, his face was shining of angelic glory (6:15), as if the sky was extending his hand across the veil to give him the welcome to the home (7:55,56) not without before having realized the labor that one entrusted him, a great example of what is the passion and the zeal for that one that not refuse likewise for each of us.  

Acts Octave Part
Cap. 7  Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin

The Speech (7:2-53) was in his most part a summary of the history of the O.T, emphatically specially in Israel's disobedience, which was presaging the homicide of the Messiah. His reference that God was not living in  made temple of men's hands, was a response to to the acusación of them, of which he had preached that Jesus would destroy the temple (7:48; 6:14) be that he has said it or not, clearly there was implied that in Christ's gospel already there was no need of the temple.

 

His martyrdom (7:54-60). He died like Christ had died, in the sense of not having not any more pussy-cat resentment towards his despicable assassins, on the contrary he asked as the Teacher not to take them polls this sin (7:60). Some of the presents can never have forgotten his preach, but the picture of his death. Between these Saul of Tarsus was.

 

" A young man called Saul " (7:58). Here we have one of the decisive points of the "History". From this day it began Saul's career as persecutor of the church, nevertheless we can be sure that Stephen 's last words gave directly in the target, penetrating deeply in the being of Saul, and preparing the way for the vision in the way to Damascus. Saul, young aristocrat of Tarsus, educated in Jerusalem to Gamaliel's feet (22:3) at the same time as Jesus was growing in Nazareth, evidently was absent of Judea during Jesus' public department, he had never seen him. But now when the church was going in increase, Saul had returned. In all his life he had never seen a death as that of Stephen, we can believe that the martyrdom of this one has been at least partly the price that was pay to Saul's soul.

 

 Acts Ninth Part
Cap. 8 Extent of the gospel to Samaria and to the west of Judea

 

The first pursecuted of the church (8:1-3)  Jesus had ordered the disciples to preach the gospel in the whole world (1:8). Probably it had passed one year, two or more and still they were situated in Jerusalem, preaching and making miracles, being an object of a popularity without precedents defying the leaders of the nation and enjoying a valuable time , when God allowed that the bomb of the pursuit should explode in that place to stimulate them to the work that was waiting for them. The persecuted was necessary to initiate the missionary work of the church. This way,  they were dispersed, taking with them the gospel where wants that they were. Nevertheless the apostles were too powerful in that one at the time in order that they were touching  and they stayed some time in Jerusalem to take care of the central interests of the church.

In Samaria  (8:4-25). This was to harvest of the seed that Jesus himself had sowed a few years before (Juan 4:35). He was Philip who came first there. Let's notice that God qualify him in order that he was working miracles to confirm and to endorse his message

(8:6, 7,13). This was necessary to offset Simon's claimed miracles the magician. But Philip could not give the special gift of the Holy Spirit, and for this Peter and John were sent. Probably it has been the gift of languages as that of Pentecost, in Cornelio's house and in Efeso, or some visible manifestation of the Holy Spirit, to confirm furthermore the work as coming of the sky. Peter had opened the door of the gospel the Jews, now the Samaritans and later the gentles.

The Ethiopian  (8:26-39). He was a treasurer of the kingdom of Ethiopia; it is possible that he has been a Jew, or a Jewish proselyte, who had come as pilgrim to Jerusalem. He was a pious, and fearful man of God, since he was taking with him a copy of the Writings to read and to learn them of them. His conduct pleased to God, he sent to crossed in his way a special messenger, "Philip".

His Baptism (8:36-39). In that time it seems to have been the initial step to become a Christian, since Jesus had ordered it (Matthew 28:19). The 3.000 who believed in the day of Pentecost, called the fruits of the gospel, were all the baptized ones (2:38). The Samaritans after received credit the gospel also were baptized (8:12,16). Saul was baptized (9:18; 22:16). Cornelio the turned elegant first one was baptized (10:47,48). Lidia was baptized (16:15), and the jailer of Philipos (16:33). Also the corinth (18:8), and the ephesus (19:5). Paul speaks about the baptism as a representation of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and about the union with in the death and in the hope of the resurrection for eternal life (Romans 6:3-7; Colossians 2:12).

Philip (8:40). He crossed approximately 80 kilometres, from Azoto up to Caesarean where he had his home (21:8, 9). There is called he the "Evangelist" he is distinguished from Philip by the apostle (Luke 6:14). In the church he was getting like a deacon, and in the work in general already we know what was his ministry as Evangelist. ( He had four daughters who were prophetess 21:9)