Acts
Bible Study
Lesson 11
Acts 4
Verses 32—37
¥ All the believers sold everything they had and gave it all to the Apostles for distribution.
¥ Even though they had nothing, there was no need among all the believers.
¥ The Kingdom was so close that they had no need of any possessions, land or even shelter.
-
This was a demonstration of their faith and they were following the command in
the Gospels to sell their possessions. Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:23; Luke 12:33
Luke 14:33 "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up
all his own possessions.
¥ The filling of the Holy Spirit was so complete that they were able to be of one mind and share everything they had with the group.
¥ One positive example of this was Joseph or Barnabas who's name meant ÒencouragementÓ.
¥ ItÕs
interesting to note that the Jews in early Acts were not working but sold all
their possessions and lived off the pool of money, trusting others to supply
their need.
Acts 2:42 They were
continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
- They were literally Òtaking no thought of tomorrowÓ since God would take care of them through their King Jesus.
- He
demonstrated what the Kingdom would be like by healing the sick, raising the dead,
feeding the hungry.
Matthew 6:30—34 30"But if God so clothes
the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the
furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31"Do
not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What
will we wear for clothing?' 32"For the Gentiles eagerly seek
all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these
things. 33"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,
and all these things will be added to you. 34"So do not worry
about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble
of its own.
- ItÕs also
interesting that when Jesus commissioned the Disciples in Matthew 10 he told
them to bring nothing with them for everything would be supplied to them.
Matthew 10:9—10 9"Do not acquire gold,
or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10or a bag for your
journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of
his support.
¥ In contrast to the Kingdom focus, Paul says that if you donÕt work you donÕt eat.
- GodÕs supply is through work.
- The Thessalonians were quitting work in anticipation of the Rapture. This was wrong.
- Even Paul supported himself by making tents with Aquila and Priscilla. (Acts 18)
- God never promises those in the Body of Christ that he will provide our material needs but He does promise peace.
2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make
all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything,
you may have an abundance for every good deed;
Philippians
4:11—19 11Not
that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever
circumstances I am.12I know how to get along with humble means, and
I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have
learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance
and suffering need.13I can do all things through Him who strengthens
meÉ19And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches
in glory in Christ Jesus.
Acts 5:1—11
¥ At the end of Acts 4 we see the blessings of the Millennial Kingdom. God would supply all of their needs
¥ At the first part of chapter 5 we see a foretaste of Millennial Kingdom judgment.
- Some say this is the start of the end of the foretaste of the Millennial Kingdom
- This would be a little premature because God is still working with Israel. They are still the Òsons of the covenantsÓ.
- This shows
how quickly Christ will judge those who do wrong. He will be ruling with a rod
of iron.
Revelation
12:5
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of
iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Revelation
19:15
From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations,
and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the
fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
Isaiah
66:23—24 23"And
it shall be from new moon to new moon And from sabbath to sabbath, All mankind
will come to bow down before Me," says the LORD. 24"Then
they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed
against Me For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And
they will be an abhorrence to all mankind."
¥ Notice that Peter knew immediately that they were lying. He had a word of knowledge from the Holy Spirit, a gift that has since been withdrawn
1 Corinthians 12:7—10 7But
to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8For
to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word
of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9to another faith by the
same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10and
to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another
the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to
another the interpretation of tongues.
- These
gifts were in effect until the scripture was complete then they faded away.
1
Corinthians 13:8—13 8Love
never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if
there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done
away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10but
when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11When I was
a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child;
when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12For now we
see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I
will know fully just as I also have been fully known.13But now
faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
¥ Hebrews 6:5 says these Jews have Òtasted of the power of the age to comeÓ. This relates the events happening in early Acts with the coming of the Millennial Kingdom.
¥ The sin was not of holding back a portion of the land they sold, it was of lying to the Holy Spirit.
- The property was in their full control before they sold it and the money they received was in their full control after it was sold. They could have kept it with full disclosure.
- It seems they wanted to look good in the eyes of those around them.
¥ Notice that Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit in verse 3 and to God in verse 4.
- This makes the Holy Spirit not a mere force of God but a person.
- The Holy Spirit is God.
- In the Bible, the Holy Spirit has intellect, passions, and
will, and can be grieved. In short, the Spirit has a personality.
A. The Holy Spirit is a person
We might shirk that the Spirit is
merely a power, a force, or an "it", when in fact, Scripture reveals
that the Holy Spirit is a person. The Holy Spirit is a person in the same sense
that God the Father is a person, and the Lord Jesus Christ is a person.
1. He
acts as a person
a. He
teaches (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:13)
b. He
testifies (John 15:26)
c. He
guides into all truth, He hears, speaks, shows (John 16:13)
d. He
prays for us (Romans 8:26)
2. He
has the attributes of a person
"What
constitutes the essentials of personality? Usually three things - a person must
possess intelligence, emotions, and will. A thing lacks these, but the Holy
Spirit is not a thing because He has intelligence, emotions and will".
a.
Intelligence -
The
Spirit knows the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-11)
b.
Emotions -
The
Holy Spirit can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30, and He loves Christians (Romans
15:30).
A
person not a thing or power experiences both of these emotions.
c. Will
The
Spirit gives gifts to men as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11)
3. He
is treated as a person since He can be...
a. Lied
to (Acts 5:3)
b.
Tested (Acts 5:9)
c.
Resisted (Acts 7:51)
d.
Grieved (Ephesians 4:3 0)
e.
Outraged (Hebrews 10:29)
f.
Blasphemed Against (Matthew 12:31)
g. Called Upon (Ezekiel 37:9)
For previous notes and additional mid-Acts materials please visit http://www.MidActsTruths.com