Acts 4:1-31 - Homiletics

The first persecution.

On observing the phenomena attending the introduction and spread of Christianity in the world, one which arrests our attention is the persecution which at different times its disciples have met with from the world. The Lord Jesus himself, "the Author and Perfecter of our faith," was rejected of men and crucified. And when, after his glorious resurrection, the apostles preached the faith, and verified the truth of what they preached by such signal miracles as that recorded in Acts 3:1-26 ; Acts 4:1-37 ., and in consequence drew large numbers of people to the faith of Jesus Christ, we see the hand of power immediately stretched out to arrest the progress of the gospel, and to silence its preachers by threats, imprisonment, and death. What were the secret springs of this first persecution, as they are exposed to view in the narrative before us?

I. THERE WAS THE GENERAL JEALOUSY ON THE PART OF HUMAN POWER OF ANY GREAT MOVEMENT NOT EMANATING FROM ITSELF . "By what power, or in what name, have ye done this?" was their angry question. "Have any of the rulers believed on him?" was the similar question of the Pharisees in our Lord's lifetime. The same jealousy of any free movement, the results of which might be dangerous to the existing power, and which implied an independent spirit on the part of those concerned in it, is apparent also in the Roman persecutions of Christianity, and in the crucial test of loyalty required of the followers of the new doctrines, that they should sacrifice to the emperor. The persecutions of Lollards and Protestants by our own monarchs before the Reformation, and of Romanists and Puritans after the Reformation, were due in some considerable measure to the same impatience of any rival or of any non-dependent power whatever.

II. THERE WAS IN THE CASE OF ANNAS AND HIS CO - RULERS A FIERCE HOSTILITY TO PETER AND JOHN AND THE REST OF THE APOSTLES , ON THE GROUND OF THE DOCTRINE PREACHED BY THEM . The doctrine of those in power was Sadduceeism. They were the secularists of that day. Their creed was this world, and nothing beyond it. No angel, no spirit, no resurrection, no life to come. And this creed they held with a fierceness not unusual with those who hold negative doctrines, and repudiate the bigotry of dogmatism. When, therefore, the apostles with marvelous boldness and confidence, and with a simplicity of purpose and force of eloquence which carried all before them, not only preached generally the doctrine of the Resurrection, but affirmed that Jesus Christ, whom Annas and Caiaphas had given up to be crucified, was actually risen from the dead, that they had seen him and conversed with him after his resurrection, and that by his power and in his Name the lame man had been healed, their indignation knew no bounds. They could not deny the miracle, they could not silence the preachers by argument. But they could cast them into prison, they could, they thought, silence them with threats; and so they did the one and attempted the other. And so it has been since. The pure and holy doctrines of the gospel of Christ have been opposite alike to the polytheism of Greece and Rome, to the polygamy of Mahomet, to the tenets of Rome. And so those in power who held these various doctrines, have in turn drawn the persecuting sword against the faithful who upheld them. It has ever been error and the sword against God's truth.

III. But we can see another reason for the violence of the rulers against the apostles of Christ. We may be sure that the crime of delivering Jesus to the Romans to be crucified had not been accomplished without many and SORE REBUKES OF CONSCIENCE . They knew of Christ's blameless life of active goodness and beneficence; they must have heard from many lips of his healing and his kindness to the sick and poor; they bad heard his teaching themselves, or had heard of it from others, bow wise, how instructive, how Divine it was. And yet, in their envy and malice, they had given him over to death. At least they hoped that no voice could come from the grave to rebuke them, and that their Victim was silenced forever. But now they were told that he whom they had slain was alive again; that he whom they had seen hanging on the cross was at the right hand of God; that he whose head had drooped helplessly in death was in possession of all power in heaven; that he had sent his Holy Spirit with extraordinary gifts to rest upon his disciples; that he healed and made alive: that the marvelous power which they saw in the poor fishermen of Galilee was his power; and that he would come again in glory to reign as the Lord's Christ. Can we doubt that their slumbering conscience was aroused to a very troublesome activity, that guilt awakened fear and alarm, and that most unwelcome anticipations crowded upon their minds? "Ye have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us," was their angry expostulation and the expression of their fears. Clearly, unless these fears brought them to repentance, they would rouse them to hatred and indignation. They did the latter, and this persecution was the result. And beyond a doubt this disturbed but not converted conscience lies at the bottom of much of the world's hatred of the truth of Christ. Men have sense enough to know that if the Word of God is true they are condemned. The doctrines of the gospel are at variance with a heart full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin. The same word which shows the grace and love of God shows the foulness and hatefulness of sin. Men who have settled down into a course of sin and willful ungodliness do not wish to be disturbed. They wish to sin on in peace. They have no thoughts of renouncing all their old ways of thinking and feeling and acting. Whoever disturbs them, and breaks in upon their security, is an enemy. The disturbing doctrines are hateful, and all the more so if reason or conscience sides with them. And so anger and contempt and vengeance cry down the feeble voice of conscience and prompt the hand to violence and persecution. But—

IV. NOTE THE SAINTS OF GOD UNDER PERSECUTION . They flinch not, but are bold to preach the truth unto bonds and unto death. They do not avenge themselves, but commit their cause to God. They flock together not to fight, but to pray, and to exhort and comfort one another. And in the end, instead of being dismayed, they are strengthened. Their faith is increased in the furnace of affliction; the Comforter comes to them; and the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.