Acts 5: 33-42
Have you ever been on the wrong side of a business deal, a
dispute in your family, or a mess down at the local church that you attend? Most of us have and what makes these times so
difficult is our desire to be right, yes, we believe we are in the right and
the others must be in the wrong. We
never stop to ask the simple question, who is behind this? But that should be our first question, and
then if we win, what have we won, and at what cost?
Now, as we continue the discussion of the night the “Jail
House Rocked,” we find that upper management and middle management did not like
the response given them by Peter and the apostles of Jesus Christ. Taking up the account from doctor Luke in
Acts 5:33-35, “But
a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by
all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little
while. And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do
with these men.” We should
notice that management and the people respected Gamaliel who used his position
to order Peter and the apostles out of the room and by doing so he removed the
object of their anger and was able to reason with the upper management
group. He explained how others had claimed
to be somebody and how others had joined them, but also how it had come to
nothing.
But it is what Gamaliel said next that showed him to be a
wise teacher and man; “So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these
men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will
fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might
even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, (Acts 5:38-39
ESV). Yes, they did what Gamaliel
suggested, but remember they are powerful men, they are the upper management
who had to let Peter and the apostles know who was in charge, and once more
they aired, not understanding that God was at work in the affairs of men. So they did as reported; “So they took his advice, and when they had
called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the
name of Jesus, and let them go. (Acts 5:39-40 ESV) It’s so important to understand that religious
men who are void of a relationship with Christ and have a place of management
in the church or family always try to save face, and by having the apostles
beaten and ordering them to not speak the name of Jesus they had a very worthless
victory.
The Scripture does not tell us what the apostles were
thinking as they were beaten, but the passage from Micah 6:8 came into my mine;
“He has told
you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do
justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” This is what doctor Luke recorded;
“Then they
left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to
suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to
house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.” (Acts
5:41-42 ESV)
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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