Acts 5:33-42 Bible Teaching

WELCOME
PRAYER
SING THE WORD
SILENCE

Okay before we get into our verse by verse we had a question about the term “accursed” used in the Bible.

The Hebrew term translated accursed in the Old Testament is KEL AH LA and the thirty three times it is used in the Old Testament it is translated curse cursed or accursed.

Villified.

In the New Testament the term translated four times from the Greek into “accursed” with the Greek being “anathema.”

The best definition of anathema is “banned or without communication.

“Ana-at-ith-em-ahee” is its root word which mean to communicate. Anathema is its antonym meaning without communication or excommunication.

So when Paul said in Galatians 1:8

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

What he is saying is let him be without communication – presumably from both God and Man.

Interestingly enough, when Paul, referring to Christ on the cross and cites Deuteronomy saying that “cursed is the man who hangs on a tree,” he does not use the same Greek term that he uses in Galatians 1 (anathema or without communication) but instead uses KATARA, which means an actual curse and the loathing of a person to whom it is applied.

So, getting back to the question asked last week by Militia, does God accurse people forever? We are no closer to an answer. But what we can say is He does loath or curse those who, due to sin, hang on a tree.

In the case of Christ who was hung on a tree for our sin and was accursed by God as a result (as evidenced by Jesus crying out, My God why have you forsaken me) we can see that in sin God views all as accursed. But we also see that Jesus was restored to full fellowship afterward so it was not eternal.

My suggestion is taking in the rest of scripture we can say the same – as long as a person is in sin unforgiven by and through the shed blood of Christ they are accursed of God. But once the solution to sin is embraced, such revulsion is utterly lost and forgotten forever.

That is the best I can do.

Acts 5.33-end
February 21 2016
Milk
Alright, last week we read that the twelve apostles were taken from the temple where they were preaching and brought before the Sanhedrim.

And we read that the High priest said to them (at verse 28):

28 “Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

So there it was. How did these leaders respond to Peters preaching?

Before we read how we must note that they had some options. They could turn and repent, as thousands of others had.

They could calmly consider what was said and even if they rejected it could have done so nicely and without fear.

OR . . . they could react in an all together different manner – which they do. Let’s read beginning at verse 33

33 When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.
37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.
38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

So, again, the Apostles had certainly spoke by the Spirit, they spoke truth and but the result was (verse 33)

33 When they heard that (that they had hung the Messiah on a tree as we read last week) they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.

The word used here to describe “cut” (to the heart as it were) is “diaprio” properly means to cut with a saw.

The phrase “to the heart” is not in the original mss and the King James took liberties to assign the cutting to this part of their anatomy.

I say this because when someone is cut to the heart I see it as resulting in contrition not anger.

If we were going to add phrases to the scripture I would think they would say,

“and they were cut in their pride,” or “and their egos were sawn asunder.”

Nevertheless they were injured by these words and when unregenerated of fleshly living people are injured they typically respond in kind and so we read:

“and they took counsel to slay them.”

They deliberated or tried to determine how to take these twelve men out.

I mean this is nothing short of the thinking of a Mafioso, to snuff out those who cause problems, bring our guilt out in the light, or challenge our way of life.

Admittedly it is the natural way and all of us have a tendency to want to eliminate our enemies – if not physically then by marginalizing them, their intellect, their reputation or something about them that will cause others to avoid their influence.

Here it was the extreme of just putting the apostles to death – like they did Christ.

We have to remember that this was the abiding spirit within them. Jesus said plainly that their father was Satan, who was a murderer from the beginning. A killer of life, a dominator of darkness, a lover of control by means of diabolical life-taking measures.

When these extremes manifest in us – when we feel the desire to control, or harm or kill another through any means – this is the flesh and not a work of God.

Two chapters from now we will read one of the most amazing accounts of a man named Stephen who will preach avidly to these same men.

There we will read the outcome – and the only other time that the Greek word for cut is used. After preaching strongly to these men we will read:

Act 7:54 “And when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.”

But in that case they will actually kill the man. Here, the apostles were let go. And it could have been because some cooler heads among them prevailed.

So amidst their being sawn apart by Peter’s words we read verse 34

34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;

Now, the name “GAM-AL-EE-ALE” was apparently common in that day. But according to bible commentator Lightfoot this Gamaliel came from a rather in-depth pedigree orbiting around this nascent Christian faith.

First of all he was apparently the son of Simon whom we read about in Luke chapter 2. It says beginning at verse 25:

Luke 2:25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and (then he pronounced a blessing on Jesus).

What’s wild about this is that Simon blessed the child and by the Holy Spirit recongnized him as the promised Messiah but apparently lost track of his identity so much so that his own son, Gam-all-ee-ale didn’t know that the Jesus the apostles were representing was the one his father identified in the temple.

Additionally, this GAMALLEEALE was the grandson of the famous Hillel, a Jewish Rabbi who helped develop the Mishnah (which represents the oral traditions of the Jewish law) and the Talmud (which is composed of the Mishna and what is called the Gemara, which is a rabbinical analysis of the Mishna). Put it all together in one modern book and we’re talking about 6200 pages of information.

Finally, this GAMALLEEALE was apparently also Paul’s instructor in all things Pharisaical. Paul says in Acts 22:3

“I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

This man was one heavy hitter to the Jewish faith. Tradition says that he died eighteen years before the destruction of Jerusalem; and he died as he had lived, a Pharisee.

Interestingly there is no evidence that he ever embraced the Christian faith but based on his actions here he was evidently more liberal in his views than the other members of the sanhedrim.

So he stands and speaks – having as Luke says, a good reputation among the people. And the first thing he does is separate the apostles away from the group, or as Luke puts it, he puts some space between them and once they were gone he said (verse 35):

35 “Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.”

We often read of the envious and evil characteristics coming from those who persecuted the Christians but here we get a strong dose of reason. So he says, “take heed of how you all react to this situation and to these men.”

And then he gives them an illustration saying (verse 36)

36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.

Now, we could go into a major exercise to try and discover the history of this Theudas but its not worthy the time. The Josephus accounts etc create nothing but difficulty so I would just say we can assume there was such a character who, according to this account:

“boasting himself to be somebody,” and a number of people followed him, even 400 but he wound up dead and his flock scattered. Then Gammy adds:

37 After this man (Theudas) there rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.

Unlike the conflicting historical account of Theudas Josephus does supply us with an account of this man, (in his Antiquities. b. xvii. chap. x. 5,) and calls him a Galilean who revolted against a certain tax. (I won’t go into the details).

In any case Gammy uses these two stories to illustrate a point and says (verse 38 and 39) :

38 And now I say unto you, “Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: (39) But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

We need to discuss this attitude. First of all, it may or may not be true as it was spoken not by Christ nor his Apostles but by an unbelieving Jew whose world view was very old world.

But . . . is there any merit to it? After all (and as we shall see) this advice will get the apostles released.

So the first thing we have to decide is . . . is Gammy right?

On the one hand the ancient Israelites did NOT live by this standard but actually went in and wiped out entire people groups who posed a threat to the faith.

So in terms of consistency with the Old Testament Gammy’s advice is incongruent.

Additionally, to accept it as true we then must admit that all religions that have proliferated on earth are endorsed by God.

Hinduism
Buddhism
Islam
Mormonism
Scientology
All faiths that have a presence of power on earth must be given God’s approbation based on this thinking.

And all that have failed to thrive must not have been from Him.

This is a very sticky wicket because conversely if Gammy is wrong then there seems to be a justification for religious wars as a means to protect God’s handiwork from becoming diseased.

In other words if Gammy’s advice is off then the works of Man ought to be challenged in God’s name as a means to help put them to a quick death before they can get legs.

To me the knee jerk reaction to his logic is that it is sound – but this might be a result of the fact that we know upon reading it we know that it will favor the apostles.

Additionally, it just seems right, based on faith, and sound reasoning. If it’s of men it will not last and if it is of God nothing can stop it.

The question remains, if something is of man can or will it last and if it is of God can anything stop it?

As an eternal principle I think the statement is true – the things of Man will vanish and nothing will thwart the things of God.

As an temporal principle I think it is partially correct – that is nothing will thwart the things of God. And the only thing we can say in terms of the things of Man is that God uses them (and therefore allows them) to exist until they have served their purpose.

Therefore the overall abiding principle is God is in charge and allows or disallows all things.

Seeing things this way removes the onus from us to attack things of flesh and blood (as Gammy is suggesting here) and to only try and reach people through things of the Spirit.

In the end we have to remember that just because this advice was said and printed in the Bible does not make it entirely true.

But it is certainly very shrewd and prudent and went a long way in protecting the lives of these apostles.

The last line of verse 39 is intriguing –

“But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”

The word for fight against God is Theo-mak-ahm-ahee and this is the only place in the entire NT that it is used.

It’s a word that more and more as I age in the faith frightens me.

To make war against God. The way Gammy puts it is that they needed to be careful so as to not find themselves making “war against God.”

And we have a really, really good example here in Acts 5 of the circumstances that might surround our getting ourselves to such a place.

Here the Sanhedrim were the ones guilty of putting Jesus to death. They made a stance against Him. And as Danny and Mike pointed out to me last week they even cried at the time, “Let His blood be upon our heads and the heads of our children.”

We’ll now the apostles were directly giving them what they requested – they were putting His blood on their heads.

This, and the fact that the apostles doctrines were filling Jerusalem was pushing them into a place where they wanted to shed more blood – that of these twelve men.

But gammamelia steps in and uses prudence in the face of their empassioned zeal.

Like the Sanhedrim we can become overzealous, thrashing and kicking against people we are sure are evil – even people who threaten us – but in the end we may discover we have only been in a war with God.

Not that they are right with God, but that if God allows them to exist, who are we to try to stop them – especially with tactics that germinate from the flesh.

Paul makes the principle and correct approach clear in Ephesians 6:12 when he says:

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

We can get so wrapped up, zealous, fervent with what we might even convince ourselves is righteous indignation against other people and their institutions that we don’t even see that we are in fact warring against God.

Listen – its NOT that fallen, man-made institutions are God’s – but its that God allows them to thrive for whatever reason and our job is to bring in the light rather than to war with the flesh.

James makes it clear:

James 1:20 “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

A lesson I have had to learn firsthand the hard way.

Galatians 5:22-23 describes for us the perfect approach to all people of all groups –

Hindus
Buddhists
Muslims
Pornographers
Mormons
Terrorists
And all who personally attack us –

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Jesus said it well in Matthew 5:44-45

“I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Our war is not against ANY human being. Why? Because all human beings – to some extent or another – are living under some false assumption or another – ourselves included. If we made fighting and correcting human beings our aim we would be in a never ending war.

Instead we wrestle NOT against flesh and blood (no matter how deluded or evil or mean they are to us), but (we wrestle) against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

And how do people who walk in the spirit wrestle against a principality, or a power, or against rulers of darkenss of this world and SPIRITUAL wickeness in high places?

By and through spiritual weaponry –

Prayer, information, the Word of God lovingly dividing truth and error THROUGH the things of the Spirit, which include:

“love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

You want to really step up into a higher, deeper, relationship with God? Let go of prejudice, anger, and dark opinions about the individuals of these different aberrant groups –

Start seeing yourself as only a few degrees removed from where they presently stand, and instead of seeing the world in terms of an “us verses them” start seeing it in terms of “we are all of us in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars” and your Christian compassion and love for all people will lift you into a higher better way to exist.

You will be criticized for this world view. Even good well meaning Christians will mock this love – they will say it’s a step away from the faith.

Never. It is based on the faith, on the King, and on the economy of heaven over which He reigns.

In any case, GAMALLEEALE’s wisdom had an affect. (verse 40)

40 And to him (Gamalleeale) they (the Sanhedrim) agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

Obviously they were intending to put these men to death but they were moved to just beat them – which in our day is a major infraction of civil rights – but it goes to show the power this group had over the people.

They needed to save face, show an exercise of authority, but also avoid creating an uprising which would have displeased the Romans.

So they beat them. This was under the direction of the law and not arbitrarily delivered so we believe that they were inflicted with lashes, and the Law prescribed that they could receive up to forty but it was probably 39.

This was a frequent punishment on apparent rabble-rousers. In fact Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 11:24

“Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.”

So on five separate occasions Paul was beaten with 39 lashes. A brutal age to be a Christian standing in the face of religious tradition. But this was not a surprise to the apostles. All the way back in Matthew chapter 10 (verse 17) Jesus warns them, saying:

“But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues.”

Verse 41

41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

It’s interesting but in that day and age few things would be seen as more disgraceful than a public whipping. I mean this was a culture where a man would not ever run in public as their image was to be one of appointment and decorum.

So to strip them down and lash them in the public eye was a source of real embarrassment.

But having been told by Jesus this would happen, and perhaps sharing in just a little of His public humiliation, the Apostles were not ashamed. Instead they departed from the council and rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name, for His cause, for sharing Him and representing Him in whom they trusted and placed their very salvation.

Paul, a Pharisee of Pharisees, said this of himself and his apostleship in Philippians 3:5-11

5 “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. “

2nd Timothy 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

1st Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

The suffering and public lashings these Apostles endured, and their deaths, along with all the millions of Christian martyrs over the centuries of physical barbarism are but pictures and types for us in this much more civilized age where lacking public executions and scourges we too – perhaps even moreso then in ages past – are asked, (even expected through the direction of scripture) to submit to the public scourging and crucifixion of our intellectual, and emotional, and sexual flesh –

To turn the other cheek figuratively when maligned without a cause, to forgive all from the heart when they don’t appear to deserve it; to love when people are the least loveable – all forms of our flesh being mortified before God . . . for Him and His cause, and to perhaps walk away from each debasement with the same attitude as these men,

“rejoicing that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”

Last verse (42) And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. (which was only paving the way for each of them but one to be put to death in the future)

We face an interesting paradox (among many) as followers of Christ – one which He faced in His life so therefore I suppose it should not be much of a shock.

But the paradox is this:

As followers of Him we are expected to die to our flesh, live by the spirit, and allow ourselves to figuratively be crucified, to be buried, and to rise to new life in and through our faith.

The call can be weighty if undertaken by the flesh and quite humbling even when embraced and fulfilled by the Spirit.

But this is the personal expectation every Christian chooses to meet – to follow and be like Him.

The paradoxical nature of this is that where each individual is invited to take up their cross and die with Christ, to rise to new life fortified and guided by the Spirit PART of this life is to refrain from judging, fighting with or warring against those of the faith who either are failing to do the same or justify themselves in acts that are obviously contrary to the call.

Isn’t that interesting? That part of dying to our flesh and being buried with Christ and having our flesh publicly scourged in the courts of public opinion is to love those who are doing the scourging in God’s name?

Not easy. Not possible through our flesh. But all things are possible . . . with God.

Q and A?
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