Tag signs

Continuity of Miraculous Power (Acts 5:12a)

With the conjunction and of and through the apostles hands (δὲ τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων) of Acts 5:12, the material following the tragedy of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) is tied to the record of what follows (Acts 5:12-16). In effect, using the coordinating conjunction, Luke tells the reader to look at Acts 5:12-16 in light of what has just happened and to see it as a continuation of the Spirit’s work. Notice the continuity.

Do not miss the fact that the power of the apostle’s anointing continued to be at work with many signs and wonders being done among the people. Do not miss the significance of their continued ability to do miracles.

The same Spirit that was at work in the separation of the liars is still at work in the support of the leaders.

Their credentials as approved men of God and authorities to whom the people must listen were in the many signs and wonders (John 10:38; 14:11). If you were struggling with what had happened, your confidence in the apostles would be restored daily by their godly character and their great ongoing power and willingness to help others free of charge. Through the continuity of miracles through the apostles, Christ was telling the church that He continued to be at work both in and through the apostles and that He approved of the outcome with Ananias and Sapphira.

Continuity of Unified Fellowship (Acts 5:12b)

See their cohesion and oneness; the people continued to be unified as a fellowship. It says that they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. In light of verse 13 the all is certainly a reference to the known congregation prior to the event of Acts 5:1-11. That same group of people, minus two, is still meeting in Solomon’s Portico or colonnade.

Figure 1: Solomon’s Porch Concept Art – Covered area with columns

Thousands of people have come to faith since Pentecost; the outpouring of the Spirit was in a room where a 120 people could meet. There are too many people to meet in the upper room mentioned in Acts 2. The apostles have taken up the practice of Jesus (John 10:23); they go to an open place in the temple to meet with the people in a ministry of teaching and miracles.

Unity remained and the custom of coming together in the temple to hear the word continued. When the Lord cleanses His community, the problem is removed, and the people continue in unity. If a church community disintegrates on account of disobedience, it may be an indicator that the Lord is removing the lampstand (Matthew 5:13-16; Revelation 2:5) of that fellowship. Unity is important and after a tragic event it must be guarded and promoted. Why is unity important?

Unity is an indispensable attribute of fellowships that will be effective as witnesses in their communities (Acts 1:8; John 13:35; 17:21) and in the work for which we were saved (Ephesians 2:10; 4:15-16 Galatians 6:2). The ongoing unity made the Jerusalem fellowship fit for witnessing to the world and the work of building up one another. Prince among preachers, Charles Spurgeon (June 19, 1834 – January 31, 1892), puts the importance of unity in perspective:

Satan always hates Christian fellowship; it is his policy to keep Christians apart. Anything which can divide saints from one another he delights in. He attaches far more importance to godly fellowship than we do. Since union is strength, he does his best to promote separation. (Spurgeon, 1868).

The events of Acts 5:1-11 (chastening or church discipline) and Acts 5:12-16 (continued power and unity) are a lesson for the modern church. We are prone to permit and tacitly promote evil when we do not take an active stand against it in our fellowships. Why? We are fearful that we will lose membership, lose financial stability, and lose our ability to reach the surrounding community. But the truth is that the compromise of not confronting and cutting out willful sinning will grieve the Spirit and hence undermine out witness. We cannot bear fruit if we do not abide in His word. Acts 5:1-16 is telling our churches to not believe the lie of losing the church if we deal with sin. The truth is that we will lose our churches if we don’t deal with willful disobedience.

Evaluate and Embrace or Eliminate — People and things that underscore the importance of unity and undertake the ongoing challenge to protect and promote Christ-centered unity in our churches are of the Spirit and missional in nature. People and things that persistently undermine church unity are demonic and are used by the devil in his dogged determination to destroy men and the mission given the local church. Take inventory church. Evaluate and embrace everything that is found to be in the first category. Eliminate with extreme prejudice everything that falls into the second and everyone that, when confronted, will not repent.

In this regard I am especially qualified to say something. My journey with Jesus has included highs in ministry and times of dealing with disobedience in ways that have been painful, public, and yet absolutely necessary for the health of the fellowship… and my own walk with God. Now I am thankful. In the handling of sin in our fellowships we cannot forget the importance of grace, gentleness, and the goal of restoration. Let nothing be done toward the sinning brother or sister that does not take into account God’s grace toward us in Christ (Ephesians 4:32); recipients of grace must not forget their own history of rebellion and the great grace that brought about their repentance. Gentleness, if possible, should be shown toward those who have failed. Only when the sinning persons demonstrates an unwillingness to repent should fellowship be shut off and interactions be limited to what is absolutely necessary. Finally, we should aim for restoration. That means, although a period of separation or being sidelined is in order, we want to see our brothers and sisters back in fellowship and using their gifts for the glory of God and the good of others. Peter failed. After a time he was restored. The brother in Corinth failed. He needed to be put out for a time. But not permanently. He needed to be restored. Restoration should become part of our stories; otherwise our churches become characterized by the false notion that the members have not messed up and that failure is unforgivable and the end of fellowship — an anti-gospel of sorts.

Questions for Consideration

1. Is the fear of repercussions preventing your fellowship from confronting sin issues in the congregation?
2. Does the church have a history of helping a fallen brother or sister get back up?
3. What message does it send to the surrounding community if the person who fails is sent away permanently?

References

Spurgeon, Charles H. (1868). Lectures to My Students. Marshall, Morgan & Scott.

³¹ And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

The answer from Heaven was immediate. As if to say “Let’s shake things up,” the place where they were assembled together was shaken. It says that they were then all filled with the Holy Spirit. This was not a new anointing or fresh anointing as it is called in some circles. The same anointing they had received earlier, in response to the request and renewed surrender, is active in them with expression. What expression? They spoke the word of God in the boldness that they had requested.

But we are made to might ask, (1) why was the building shaken and (2) why is that not happening today when we ask for boldness? First, we must see that a sign was being used as an indicator of a spiritual response. What response, then, is being indicated? When you and I gather to request boldness and backing signs for a ministry that aligns with the mission of witnessing, God answers. The building was shaken as a sign that their prayer was being answered.

Second, for those of us who ask why this is not happening today, we are mistaken. The Spirit is still being poured out on people who believe just as He was poured out on Pentecost; the signs of rushing wind sounds and flaming tongues, however, are no longer needed. Each time a believer receives Jesus the Holy Spirit is given to them (Ephesians 1:13). With the Jews the sign of the promise of the Holy Spirit being provided was heard and seen and experienced as rushing wind, flaming tongues of fire above their heads, and speaking in other tongues respectively. A similar type of sign was given when the Gentiles received Christ (Acts 10:44-48). What was the sign? Gentiles, also known as the uncircumcised, spoke in tongues.

Speaking in tongues was sufficient sign for the circumcised (Jews) to believe that the same spiritual work that had been done in them was now happening in the uncircumcised (Gentiles). There is no mention of the sound of a rushing mighty wind or tongues of fire upon the heads of the Gentiles that heard Peter preach. It was not needed; speaking in tongues was enough to convince Peter and his fellow Jews that the Gentiles had been accepted by Jesus (Acts 10:46). Going forward Jews do not have flaming tongues above their heads when they receive Christ and Gentiles do not erupt in tongues. The purpose of the signs had been served; they had indicated spiritual realities that, when regarded rightly, affect the outlook and conduct of the witnesses. There are times in Scripture where a sign is used to indicate that something spiritual has taken place without seeking to make it normative. That is, there are instances of God performing a work in a special way so as to reveal how He will work in the future in a world we cannot readily perceive. Going forward He continues to do the work but without the sign.

Here is the point, beloved. Pray for boldness and backing signs for the mission of making Him known, the Lord answers these prayers and shakes things up.

God is listening now for prayers to answer. Action: Pray for boldness in the face of persecution. Pray for validation when confronting vicious opponents of the gospel. Let the church convene, call out to God for help, in order that we might succeed in our commission — witnessing.

A word of warning to my fellowship Jesus followers. Don’t try to force God to provide a particular sign. That is, do not insist on signs seen in the early church when there may be one more appropriate for your setting. Backing signs today may be different than what was used in the church in Jerusalem. Do not seek their sign when you may need your own. (In fact, don’t seek signs for yourself at all; they are for those you are trying to reach.) Seek, rather, to have evidence provided by God that will be lend support to the message of the gospel. For example, a sign certifying the gospel in a community that has been ravaged by racism could be real steps toward reconciliation between the races.

In His grip by His grace,
Roderick Barnes