Ordinary – Acts 4:1-13
While talking about churches, one of my daughters asked me, “Dad, why do you think some stories turn out well and others poorly?” While my response may be broader than she anticipated, today’s reflections are my attempt to answer her question.
If we set the story of the early church aside that of the contemporary church we see two stories that are playing out very differently. We are told the early church turned the world upside down while, in this hour, it would seem the world is turning christianity upside down .
That may seem harsh. You may be reacting,”Now hold on, our church is a good church; it has had the same pastor for “x” number of years; we support missions with a generous part of our budget; membership is growing; we have programs that are meeting people’s needs.” That is fine, but where in the bible did you extract those standards of measurement?
When I use the word church, I’m not just speaking about the various groups that assemble weekly and the things they do. The Church I am referring to, strictly speaking, cannot be attended, because it is neither a place nor an event. It is a body of people joined together in Christ. We can attend a church but we cannot attend the Church. The Church are those people, from the first chapters in Acts until now, who have been forgiven of their sins, who have been filled with the Holy Spirit and who now live in communion with God.
What provoked this lengthy introduction is the context of today’s passage which is captured well by Acts 4:16. The Council, comprised of the elders, priests, and scribes had assembled and were asking themselves this question,
What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
After hearing the account from Peter and John, and seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, the religious elite had nothing to say – a rare problem for them.
Acts 4:33 says it was with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. To answer my daughter’s question and account for the very different experiences of the Church then and now, at least one major difference stands out. That is power.
The New Testament is a collection of noteworthy miracles. There is no question these supernatural events attracted people to the gospel and brought glory to God. We may have abundant grace, but do we have power and is that power upon us all? Are we free enough in our contemporary contexts to ask what has happened to power?
Asking questions when things are biblically amiss is a responsibility every believer must exercise. (Warning: Asking questions will never be welcome by the religious elite.) Asking questions is not easy in a context where Pastor is the sole arbiter of God’s will. Nor is this easy where history is auto-sanctified as God’s will. Could there be a more perfect way to sustain an old wineskin? I believe honest biblically-informed questions are an essential variable in how stories play out. If we can express them from our knees, we might see a new-genesis.
If western Christianity mirrors New Testament Christianity than we have no need for questions unless of course this is a dispensation God has ordained to operate with less power. How many of today’s religious elite advocate a dispensation such as this?
While the elite stood by with nothing to say, they “observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began recognizing them as having been with Jesus. Stories turn out differently only where men have spent time in close proximity to Jesus. Therefore, I will echo Paul’s prayer;
“And now Lord, take note of their threats and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant, Jesus“. Amen.