Acts 5:40-42 The Fourth Response To God's Truth

The apostles were beaten and commanded to stop speaking in the name of Jesus Christ.  My commentary explained that "when understanding fails, violence starts to take over.  This violence often masquerades as religious zeal, and people begin to destroy each other in the name of their God."

William Temples is quoted as saying, "Christians are called to the hardest of all tasks:  to fight without hatred, to resist without bitterness, and in the end, if God grant it so, to triumph without vindictiveness."  This goes along with something Phillips Brooks said, "The purpose of life is to glorify God by the building of character through truth."

"The Sanhedrin thought that it had won a great victory, when actually the council had experienced a crushing defeat.  It was the apostles who were the winners, because they grew in godliness as they yielded to God's will and suffered for their Master ... Neither the threats nor the beatings stopped them from witnessing for Jesus Christ.  If anything, this persecution only made them trust God more and seek greater power in their ministry."

One other thing worth noting:  "The witness of the church included both teaching and preaching, and that is a good balance.  The word preach gives us our English word evangelize ... However, proclamation must be balanced with instruction so that the sinners know what to believe and the new converts understand why they believed.  The message cannot produce fruit unless the person understands it and can make an intelligent decision."

Father, I thank You for giving me the desire and the ability to teach Your Word.  Don't let me fail to do that according to Your will.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford