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Turn with me again in the scriptures. You can remember to turn that on. There we go. Turn with me in the scriptures, please to Acts chapter 4. We will continue our study from this morning in The book of Acts.
Acts chapter 4. Let's ask the Lord to bless our time together. My grace Heavenly Father. We thank you once again for this opportunity to hear from your word. It is our desire that your spirit would meet with us that you would lift up our hearts and our minds Lord that we would understand your truth.
Lord, we live in a difficult age. There are many things we can learn from how the early Christians encountered Opposition how they responded to it in a way that was honoring and glorifying to you. So Lord give us direction give us understanding we pray in Christ's name.
This morning we gave an introduction as to why we have Moved from John chapter 5 to Acts chapter 4. No, my Bible was not misbound or anything like that. It is just simply the fact that we are following papyrus 45 and so as a result the next set of verses visible in that very fragmentary Document will come to us at the end of this chapter acts 427 I believe is the first few words that we have and So we have moved into the book of Acts.
We Surveyed the first three chapters in essence this morning reminded ourselves of the nature of this particular book and in looking at the beginning of chapter 4. We recognize that one of the themes that we are going to be encountering in looking at the book of Acts is.
The.
Conflict that exists between the church as it seeks to proclaim the lordship of Christ Within a world that is opposed to God and to his truth, and of course there are different kinds of Opposition that the church will face.
Much of this opposition will come from the Jewish people come from those who would seek to Deny that Jesus is the Messiah Seek to deny this fulfillment of prophecy and the life of Christ. But then we will begin to see the interaction of the early church with Greek culture as the gospel goes forth, especially in Acts chapter 17 when it We have Paul's sermon on Mars Hill very very important section that while we won't be getting there for quite a while We'll get there eventually and when we do You will see that that is a very very important section but also encountering governmental authorities and in fact, I would say that one of the key texts we know Romans chapter 13 very very Important in regards to our relationship to governing authorities.
But in tonight's reading you will likewise encounter I think one of the key texts that we have in the New Testament giving us guidance as to how we as Christians are to interact and so Acts chapter 4 We already looked at the first few verses, but let's look at the context as they were.
Speaking to the people the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came up to them being greatly disturbed or greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead and they grasped hold of them laid hands on them and Put them in jail until the next day for it was already evening.
But many of those who had heard the message believed and the number of the men came to be about 5 ,000. On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem and Annas the high priest was there and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and all who are of high priestly descent.
When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire by what power or in what name have you done this? Then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit said to them rulers and elders of the people if we are on trial today for a benefit Done to a sick man as to how this man has been made.
Well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ The Nazarene whom you crucified whom God raised from the dead by this name This man stands here before you in good health.
He is the stone which was rejected by you the builders. But which became the chief cornerstone and there is salvation and no one else for there is no other name under heaven That has been given among men by which we must be saved now as they observed the confidence and if Peter and John understood that they were uneducated and untrained men.
They were amazed and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus and seeing the man who had been healed standing with them. They had nothing to say in response or reply. But when they had ordered them to leave the council They began to confer with one other saying What shall we do with these men?
For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them as apparent to all who live in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it. But so that it will not spread any further among the people. Let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.
And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God you be the judge.
For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard. When they had threatened them further. They let them go finding no basis on which to punish them on account of the people because they were all glorifying God for what had Happened for the man was more than 40 years old on whom this miracle of healing had been.
Performed.
So here is the situation. It is a very very well-known Incident it is.
Really.
One of the only times that we have recorded for us in the post-resurrection period and interaction between the Jewish leaders and Christian leaders that Well doesn't result in violence the next time we see something like this.
We're going to have the stoning of Stephen and incidents like this and so there are. Some serious times coming but but here you have the first encounter and you can tell this from the language Luke mentions and they were they're sort of beginning to understand.
Wait a minute. I think these are these are some of the disciples. These are some of the men that were with that were with Jesus.
And.
Recognizing that most of the of the high leaders would have been receiving Reports about Jesus's teaching and activities They themselves would not necessarily have been following Jesus around listening to him teaching and preaching and so on and so forth.
So they begin to perceive that the disciples had had been with Jesus during his life and So here's the encounter and so you have quite the interesting group of people that come together. This next morning they're gathered together in Jerusalem and you have Annas the high priest and Caiaphas now you might go.
Wait a minute. I thought Caiaphas was a high priest. Well, remember that biblically, you're only supposed to have one high priest at a time and he serves until his death and then he is replaced and this is the paradigm from the Old Testament, but Israel was under the domination of Rome at this point in time and the high priesthood had become Had come into the control of the of the Sadducees primarily.
It was a political Position now and so you'll notice even the language that's used here and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and all who are of high priestly descent and So, you know you look at the very word out in the name Alexander not exactly your normal Jewish name, but Alexander the Great had conquered this area long before this time period and so the Sadducees were some of the most compromised when it comes to The adoption of a worldview outside of that which would be derived from the scriptures.
I mean as you as you know, they have a very deficient view of The resurrection may have even had a deficient view of the canon of Scripture. They're a highly politicized Sect. We have a few of those in our day as well.
You may have noticed that frequently end up on television, but So that's where these individuals are coming from. What had happened of course is once politics got involved. Then the biblical parameters of who was to be high priest were overridden by political expediency and so the Romans Place into that position.
Those that would be most amenable to cooperating with their particular Agenda shall we say and so we have Annas being high priest. We have Caiaphas being high priest. They're both alive at the same time.
This is due to the political situation of the day. Rather than following the biblical norms that were that were there and so you have All of the political leaders are present all those who are of high priestly descent.
When they had placed them in the center, they began to question them. They began to inquire of them By what authority by what power or in what name? You had done this thing and we see from the rest of the narrative that You know, we we can't tell whether the the man had been arrested overnight and put in jail he's there.
Whether he was allowed to go free the day before and then just came back and asked to be a part of this. So, you know, we're just we're not given any of that information but he is there he is present in the in the deliberations and so this action Would be probably the healing specifically even though what had really perturbed and bothered the authorities was the unauthorized preaching in the temple districts and especially the proclamation of The resurrection in the name of this Jesus now, I I I hope you you noted In verse 10 we're going to be told that this is done by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene and we are so used.
To hearing.
The name Jesus Christ. We're so used to hearing it that unfortunately a large portion of Evangelicals, I think believe that Christ is Jesus last name as if people had last names in that day. Which they did not in this sense anyways.
It is I think useful in your mind to to make the translation To the Messiah just to remember that especially Standing in the midst of the Jewish Council in Jerusalem that word is going to mean the Anointed One the Messiah and Everything that that comes with that which would include you got to understand one of the concerns It's not really brought out here, but it's very plain in the Gospels and it's it's very obvious historically.
One of the concerns that especially the Sadducees are going to have here and those who are in political power is Anyone running around claiming to be the Messiah is bad news for them. Part of their job in essence is to suppress Messianic fervor amongst the Jews.
That's how their position under the Romans can remain firm and They're doing fine. The Sadducees are doing good. They're they're the ones that are working with the Romans. They're the compromised ones.
And so they don't want people chasing off after Messiah's into the wilderness to start attacking Roman garrisons and all the rest that kind of stuff things that happened a good bit in in the seven decades leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in 1870, so It's part of their job to suppress any Messianic movements and so it's not you'll notice you're not going to get here an argument from The Jewish leaders that well Jesus can't be the Messiah because this prophecy over here says this and that prophecy over there says that and You don't get that that's that's not where they're coming from.
These men have different concerns and different Originating authorities. They may be very religious and they may know the Torah very well.
But.
Sadly History tells us. Even Christian history tells us that.
When.
Religion and politics become mixed you can have people that look very very religious that do not have Any of the heart of that religious faith left within them? They may know the text but the knowledge of those texts is just simply a means to power for them and so When we're when we have described for us who these people are and then we hear the use of the term Jesus Christ We need to keep in our mind exactly what that would have meant to the people who heard it Jesus the Messiah.
The Messiah there had already been a number of people had claimed to be the Messiah. There would be be people in the next 40 ish years up to the destruction of Jerusalem. There would be more there's gonna be some more even in the next century who are going to try to gather together the the Jewish people and have Messianic movements and Well goodness there.
We've had a Messianic movement only what a few decades ago in the United States with some guys. So it it's something that has happened over and over and over again, and I'm not even including The moonies who claimed that he was in fact The Messiah the spiritual Messiah while as Jesus was the physical Messiah.
That's a whole nother ballgame that so we won't get into this evening. So The utilization of that term for us Jesus Christ is just simply a phrase. But I don't think for anyone in the New Testament Was the emphasis upon that word Christos?
Mashiach anointed one ever lost that was central and especially as we saw this morning in light of What Peter had been saying in his sermon the the prophets have prophesied this is the one written in the prophets.
This is all messy a Messianic fulfillment language that is is being used here, and so they're placed in the middle of What obviously is intended to be a rather intimidating situation I mean to To sort of draw a parallel would be if you were brought before the president and the joint chiefs and let's say I was gonna say speaker of the house and stuff, but in our day that that almost makes it humorous sadly.
But you know really powerful people who are meaning to who first of all have the power to imprison you. There is no Bill of Rights for these folks. I'm not sure there's a Bill of Rights for us anymore today either, but these are the they've already spent the night in jail and.
All.
The hype men of high priestly descent are there and so this is the this is the leadership of the people of Israel and They place them in the center and basically inquire of them by what power or Authority or in what name have you done this and so they want credentials.
If you're gonna walk into our temple and do these things and proclaim these things. Where are you getting this authority from? In what name have you done this are you following a certain rabbi? Are you a part of a certain rabbinical school or whatever else it might be?
So as soon as the opportunity is presented Peter filled with the Holy Spirit Said to them and so we we dare not just rush by that with a mere observation of the fact that when you listen to what Peter says one of the things that Secular Unbelieving scholars will will do is they'll look at Peter's Language and they'll look at Peter's boldness and let's say Fishermen can't speak like that.
Well, maybe they can't but any human being filled with the Holy Spirit can. Especially when it's God's intention to accomplish something pretty amazing to that particular person at this particular time and that's exactly what God's intention is and Certainly it is a theme in the New Testament that when Christians are Placed in positions of persecution when they are asked to give an answer for the hope that's within them.
That the Holy Spirit of God is promised to them To bring to their mind and bring to their utterance. That which God would have them to say in that particular Instance and that we are to trust that he's not going to leave us alone at that particular point in time.
And so Peter says to them rulers and elders of the people. So these are the the rulers and the if you're interested this has nothing to do with Presbyterianism, but the presbyter oi the the elders. That's why Presbyterian that's very term means having multiple elders so it's obviously not the only thing that marks the Presbyterian movement, but These are the rulers and the presbyter oi the elders of the people.
If we are being examined or on trial today. For a literally it's a good work a good work Done to a a man who was weak or sick. Specifically as to how this man has been made Whole or well or literally saved.
I mean it's a the word to be saved. Sozo is the same word for either for salvation of one's soul or the healing of one's body. They're the same the same word and so his Response is well, we had a sick man.
And if you're asking how this sick man has been saved has been made. Well, let it be known to all of you. Now remember Peter Peter knows what role these people had the crucifixion of Jesus. He he knows that they were there because Peter was there remember the three denials.
Peter knows not that they would have seen him at that, but he would have seen them and.
So.
Don't don't miss the. The fact that Peter is a human being who's already failed in his speech at times past Who's already proven to be a man with clay feet like all of us and Here he is staring into the faces of all the men who were involved in the crucifixion of his Lord Most powerful men in his nation that he's been raised to look up to and he's just a fisherman.
But now he's a fisherman who's met the risen Lord and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene Whom you.
Crucified.
Now in the original language, there's not a nice little pause. There's not an interceding clause it is In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucify. It's exactly the same in the original language as it is in English so part of the description and identification of the name power and authority by which this man had been made whole is added the description whom you crucified.
Many of us might have wanted to try to deflect in some way whom someone had crucified. Whom was crucified by the Romans, you know, there might have been some way to try to Lessen the impact. But that's not what he does.
Whom.
You crucified then whom God raised from the dead. Now you Peter was not had not obviously read how to win friends and influence people. Had not graduated from most seminary classes as to how to gently present difficult truths.
He's he's Still in his first sentence and has already accused the leaders and elders of Israel with the crucifixion of the Messiah Whom God then raised from the dead after their despicable act straight straight off the bat.
Wow. Whom you crucified. Whom God raised from the dead. By this name. It's literally in this. This one stands before you whole or well or in good health.
When we say by this name, we might limit that in our thinking to just you know, just the name of Jesus. But he has given us quite the identification. There's no way to to miss who it is that Peter's talking about.
He is talking about Jesus the Messiah the Nazarene whom they crucified and God raised from the dead. It is by that one the specifically crucified and resurrected one by that one. This man stands here before you in good health.
Now again, we mentioned this morning and I just I just mentioned to you if you weren't here. Here's this man and For many years. He's not a young person for many years. He had been a fixture in that place.
Everybody knew who he was no one could deny the reality of The miracle that had taken place. But its intention and its purpose is here laid out for us. So plainly in Establishing the authority of the apostolic message of who Jesus Christ is and what the gospel is.
That's why that miracle took place. And I think this is going to be important because we're gonna be able to work through enough of acts that we're gonna start seeing that there is going to be a Shifting over time of the numbers of miracles and the natures of these miracles and I think there is a Actual reason to it that is important and that we can start seeing if we look carefully even at this early stage what the purposes of these miracles were and So he has made an incredible statement before these men he has already brought an Indictment Against these men that as the leaders and the elders the people of Israel they are guilty of having used the Romans to crucify the very Messiah himself.
But God had not been thwarted in their evil but had raised the Messiah from the dead and Their witnesses to this and it is by that one That the man had been healed as soon as he says this. He says he is the stone which was rejected by you the builders.
But which became the chief cornerstone now you go. Hmm that looks somewhat familiar.
That's because we are familiar with this particular passage it's going to be utilized a number of times, but notice notice what he does with it as The Apostle Paul himself will later do with the very Center of Jewish expressions called the Shema the prayer that every Jewish person would say every morning their confession of faith and monotheism in first Corinthians chapter 8.
Paul is going to break it up into parts and insert material in it showing the fulfillment of What it was actually referring to in light of what happens in Jesus Christ. Well here you have Paul and Paul.
I'm sorry Peter. Quoting from Psalm 118. But notice what he does. He is the stone which was rejected by.
You.
The builders and. So he makes direct. We would call it.
Apostolic.
Application of a prophetic text and is saying You know that text which you all know because it's part of our it's part of our this is this is in this altar. This is where it is so are You going to? Listen to what it says and hear the fact That you are the fulfillment.
You know it you've memorized it, but the builders. Who rejected are you? So he inserts that word in there. He is the stone which was rejected by you The builders, but which became the chief cornerstone.
That must have been an amazing Statement for these men to hear they couldn't have missed it. They had to have understood What was being said and the application it was being made at the same time they've got to go how could a how could a fisherman be quoting from our text and So easily making application in this way so boldly in the presence.
We sort of thought that we might maybe intimidate The witnesses things like that no no no intimidation going on here. He is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone.
All they want to do is. You know let's we've got to stop this. We've got to we've got to get these guys to stop this. This is not good for us. That's all they're concerned about. It's almost like at this point they do not even hear The application of these texts themselves in the sense that my goodness if that's the case then what is to be done with us?
It's not like what you had at Pentecost. When Peter makes application there on the day of Pentecost and the response is men and brethren. What shall we do? These men. It's not what shall we do? It's what shall we do with these guys try to shut him up and control our political response every time the gospel is proclaimed.
And you see that Response what shall we do and there's the piercing to the heart rejoice? Because even in the experience of the Apostles that was not the majority response. Oh, yeah the first First few chapters here.
We're up to 5 ,000. That's pretty good but that's because God is laying the foundation of the church before the Persecution is now going to spread these people all out all over the place and start a global mission in.
Many instances you look at what Paul does later on. What's the norm? What's the normative experience? Preaching presentation eventually resistance and a few believe while the majority become hostile in this situation with these men you're talking about some pretty hardened people and Even though the application is directly to them you the builders Rejected this stone, but he has become the chief cornerstone now at the same time.
Put yourself in the position of these powerful men. The church at this point isn't much to look at. You know, I mean, they don't even really know what size it might be they don't know how many people are involved, but it's just it's just some of the rabble and.
That's pretty much how the world always looks at the church. At least the believing Church. It's just you know, the rabble the the real the people that really believe this stuff. They're not going to be overly impressed and then Peter makes application and there is salvation.
Now it is again The the word for The man having been made whole is a verb here salvation same root. There is salvation in no one else. We automatically just limit that solely to Spiritual applications and things like that.
It is obviously being used in a little different context here, but there is a connection. It was Jesus that brought this wholeness about and it's Jesus who is the one who is the author of salvation? He's the chief cornerstone.
There is salvation in no one else for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved and so clearly you have.
This the.
Saving of the man now being applied beyond those that are just sitting outside of gates asking for alms. Everybody's in the position of needing to be saved and so you have the spiritual state of man.
Under.
Discussion here and what that means is even you men you the leaders and elders of the people of Israel need Salvation. And there is salvation in no one else if he is the chief cornerstone. Then you cannot reject the chief cornerstone and go off and build your own building.
There is salvation in no one else. Peter and John had never heard of inclusivism. They had never heard of having a pluralistic view of religions. There is the direct statement There is salvation in no one else.
And I know that the modern person tries to read this and say well. You know, this was just in their context and you know, it might be different someplace else. That's sort of hard to fit into. For there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men By which we must be saved.
It's not. There's no other name given amongst the Jews during the first century by which we must be saved. It is there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.
You can't get much more exclusivistic Than the language here demands of us.
Now.
Plainly Peter is not attempting. He's not sitting back going. You know, we have an opportunity here to set up a friendly working cooperation between ourselves as the Apostles of Jesus and The Jewish leadership and we'll let them have their area and maybe we can get them to have our area and that's that's how We'll cooperate together.
That's not in Peter's minds. That's not how you approach this. You have directly stated to them That they are guilty of crucifying the Messiah they are the very builders that were prophesied in their own scripture as Rejecting the stone that becomes the chief cornerstone.
He's made direct application of that text to the leaders themselves. And now he has said there is salvation in no one else and There is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.
This immediately raises the huge questions of well Couldn't these people just continue on in the worship that they were doing. It was God-ordained worship. They're offering the sacrifices in the temple.
They were singing from the psalter. Wouldn't that be enough?
Of course today and I think I've mentioned this to you before in our world today passages like this in Many theological seminaries are extremely embarrassing ever since 1945 you might say 1945 yes the Holocaust I've pointed out before New Testament theology since World War two has been deeply impacted by any kind of text such as Whom you crucify you're not allowed to say that because certain Nazi propaganda Utilized passages from John or elsewhere in the Bible and sadly Anti-jewish literature produced in the medieval period and in the Reformation period both by Catholics and Protestants Martin Luther and Johan Eck Utilized passages like this and then the Nazis picked up on that and you have six million people dead as a result in Horrific fashion and therefore there must be embarrassment at the abuse and misuse of these texts rather than hearing what they actually said and Recognizing the importance of what they said the importance of the fact that God holds men accountable for their actions and their deeds and Yet in the midst of all this that there is this balance that must be kept.
That the scriptures specifically warned the branches that have been broken off from boasting against those that had the Branches are grafted in from boasting against those that were broken off, etc Etc.
You have to allow scripture to be taken in a balanced fashion, but it's gets you into a lot of trouble in many places today and There is especially in liberal denominations a movement even within Roman Catholicism.
There's a movement Very popular that says you you should not evangelize Jewish people. They're just fine where they are. There's they as long as they do what they do. They're gonna be good. Peter does not leave that as an option because if these men are the builders that rejected the stone that became the chief cornerstone and if that chief cornerstone is Jesus whose name in whose name is salvation.
There is no other name and It has been given Amongst men by which we must be saved. They're saying you need to be saved. You men need to be saved you think you're right with God. You are not right with God.
You must repent and believe in Jesus Christ that is an Amazingly strong and we would consider today offensive Approach that is taken by the Apostle right there in the midst of the Jewish leaders. So what can we learn from this this evening?
Well, guess what? We aren't going to be brought before Jewish leaders anytime soon but we may well be brought before those who have a worldview that finds the exclusive nature of the claims of Christ just as offensive as The Jewish people would have found the claims of Christ in that day.
We are seeing it all around us we are being accused more and more of hate speech and There's less and less dialogue about what that means and more and more. Let's punish people who do that and not worry about anything else taking place in our land.
Even on the level of just employment. You work for a large corporation today and there is literally an Inquisition going on looking for intolerant people. You have to attend seminars on Tolerance and all of it is saying to you.
You cannot believe that there is objective truth you cannot believe that there is one way of salvation and If you believe those things you certainly can't say anything about it. You cannot act on the basis of your beliefs.
This is happening all around our culture and so the question once again becomes as The disciples will say we didn't get down to that point this evening, but we will next time that we're together. What's better?
To obey you or obey God. As for us we cannot stop speaking and testifying about what we have seen and if that's what Being a martyr is speaking and testifying. Then that's what we are called to do. To speak and to testify concerning what God has done in our lives.
We are not like the Apostles. We didn't go running into the grave 2 ,000 years ago. But the same spirit that lived in them the same spirit that gave Peter utterance in That day has not grown weak and old and feeble.
Since that time the testimony of that empty tomb Remains powerful this day it is an irrefutable argument and You can present it and trust the Spirit of God. To make that come alive in the hearts of those that he wants to draw to himself.
Recognizing that the historic reality is in the hearts of those under his judgment. It will only cause them to be all the more angry. But what is our calling? Why do we do what we do? That really is something we are going to get to think about over and over again as We consider how the early church responded.
In fact, as you know, you probably know One of the most important Texts in regards to the sovereignty of God in the crucifixion is found in the prayer of the early church later on in this chapter Teaches us a lot and So I'm thankful that at this point in by God's providence.
That we are working through this material because I think Probably by the time I speak on this subject again We will be able to list three four a dozen.
More.
Examples of where Christians have had to face difficult issues because of the rising animosity amongst the secular West toward the Christian gospel. We cannot avoid thinking about these very very important things.
Let's pray together. Indeed our Heavenly Father you have decreed that your people would experience Persecution and difficulty. You have placed them in that situation and then you have equipped them by your spirit to give testimony to your honor and glory.
And so Lord we would ask that as we are placed in similar situations that we would Likewise be reliant upon your spirit. That we would know your word. That we would be students of your word. That we've memorized your word.
Therefore be proper instruments in your hands to accomplish your purpose. Be with us even in the course of this week. We may not know there may be some in the sound of my voice right now who will be called upon to give Reason for the hope that's within them.
May they do so to your honor and glory the salvation of your elect people. To the honor and glory of the name of Jesus for it's in his name that we pray. Amen.