Acts 5 Pretending

Acts 5 – Pretending

 

Barnabas’s gift exposed the sin of Ananias and Sapphira, just as Mary’s gift exposed Judas’s sin (John 12). The couple lied to the Spirit, to the church, and to Peter, and it cost them their lives. Their sin was not in taking money from God but in pretending to be something they were not. While satan cannot fill or control believers, he can do much damage in hearts that are open to temptation. When he failed to destroy the early church, he tried to infiltrate and hinder it by prompting people to live in insincere and hypocritical ways. He still uses such tactics today.

 

Dealing with sin in the church often results in new power for the church. Can you imagine a church so spiritual that people were afraid to join them? Even Peter’s shadow had power!

 

Because the Sadducees could not tolerate evidence of resurrection power, they arrested the apostles again and told them to be quiet. “We ought to obey God rather than men” is the only position to hold when you have the Word of God on your side. Be sure it is conviction and not just opinion.

 

Gamaliel advised neutrality, which means avoiding the truth and letting satan move in (Matt. 12:30,43-45). With all the evidence they had seen, the council’s neutrality was dishonesty. It you followed Gamaliel’s advice in any area of life – science, cooking, finance, it would lead to paralysis and then death.

 

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Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary. J Vernon McGee Thru the Bible

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.