Reaching Out
SATANIC STRATEGY (2)
Section II: A Persecutor
Two for Trouble (5:1-11)
Foiled in his first attempt to injure the cause from without, as we saw in the last lesson, the adversary next assailed it from within. He sought to corrupt the infant church and so impede its usefulness, by fostering insincerity among its members. For God’s reality Satan always has his counterfeit and sham. He produces spurious converts, spurious doctrines and miracles, spurious teachers and so-called apostles.
In this case, he counterfeited Christian consecration. Over against Barnabas with his true offering stands Ananias with his make believe. To all appearances, the actions of the two men were the same. Both sold their land and laid their money at the apostles' feet. But, in reality, the difference between the two was as wide as that between light and darkness. One was filled with the Holy Ghost and one with Satan. One was a saint, the other a hypocrite. Moreover, the deceit of Ananias was not due to a momentary lapse; it was a premeditated plan, to which his wife was a willing partner. The church was thus in danger. Such evil leaven would soon leaven the whole lump. Insincerity and hypocrisy are fatal to vital Christianity and disastrous to missionary zeal. All the apostolic writers warn us against it, as we see in this incident, “The love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Tim. 6:10).
However, hypocrisy was checked; the work went forward; multitudes of new converts were gathered in and the power of the gospel was felt far beyond Jerusalem. Once more the clouds broke; wrong was righted; Christ and His cause were triumphant.
Shackled and Scourged (5:17-42)
The next attack was delivered from outside the church, in the form of actual persecution. The continued progress of the work excited the persecutor to try more determined measures. This time all the apostles were cast into prison, and afterwards accused before the Sanhedrin. Their bold testimony cut the Sanhedrin to the quick. It was seriously contemplated to put them all to death. Only Gamaliel’s intervention averted the catastrophe and saved their lives.
As it was, commands were laid upon them, and they were cruelly and severely beaten. Ridicule, questioning and threatening were thus succeeded by blows, wounds and bruises. We note, however, that the Lord was with them. He opened their prison doors and raised them up a friend in the camp of the enemy.
Mountains of ice and mountains of snow are easily removed by the shining sun, though impossible to human energy. In the face of mountains of difficulty, mountains of trial and hindrances in our work – God will provide.
