Effective Church Ministry
January 12, 2020
Commentary
This passage gives a run-down of what went on in the early Church:
1. Where did the church meet? (v. 12) – They met where everyone could see them, in the open space on Solomon’s Porch, one of the two great porches that surrounded the temple area.
2. How did the people respond to them? (vv. 13-16) – Some, while holding the believers in high esteem, wouldn’t dare join their group (v. 13). But the vast majority, it seems (more than ever before), came to faith in Jesus and joined the church (v. 14). God, miraculously working through the apostles, healed the sick and cast out demons (vv. 15-16).
One of the qualifications for an apostle was that he had seen the risen Christ (Acts 1:22; I Corinthians 9:1). Since no one can claim that experience today, there are no apostles in the church. If there are no apostles, this means there can be no “signs of the apostles” as found in Acts. This does not mean that God is limited and can no longer perform miracles. It is just that we do not have the need for confirming miracles now that we have the completed Word of God. We should be testing each pastor, evangelist, and teacher today by their message, and not by miracles.
The Sadducees grew even more frustrated at the Apostle’s preaching and were jealous of their successful ministry (v. 17). The apostles risked their lives to share the living Word of God, while the Sadducees desperately tried to defend their dead traditions. The high priest and his associates had the Apostles arrested and put in jail (v. 18). The apostles did not resist arrest or call for a public protest. Instead, they quietly went along with the temple guard. However, during the night, an angel set them free and told them to return to their witnessing in the temple (vv. 19-21). When the Sanhedrin sent for the prisoners the next morning, they found only empty jail cells (vv. 22-23).
Application
Does my church display the three qualities listed above? If not, which one is missing? What can I do to help bring these qualities into my church? It is one thing to criticize, and another to help solve the problem.
Acts 5:12– 23 (NET)
12 Now many miraculous signs and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By common consent they were all meeting together in Solomon’s Portico. 13 None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high honor. 14 More and more believers in the Lord were added to their number, crowds of both men and women. 15 Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets, and put them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow would fall on some of them. 16 A crowd of people from the towns around Jerusalem also came together, bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits. They were all being healed.
17 Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him (that is, the religious party of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. 18 They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple courts and proclaim to the people all the words of this life.” 21 When they heard this, they entered the temple courts at daybreak and began teaching.
22 But the officers who came for them did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the jail locked securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
Illustration: Prayer Brings Fruitful Victorius Life “ JCymbala
“The world has yet to see a Christlike, victorious, fruitful believer who was not a person of considerable prayer”. (Jim Cymbala – Brooklyn Tabernacle).