Signs and Wonders That Never Cease

Acts 5:12-48

12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed. 17 Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, 18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.

In our last study we looked over the hypocritical faith of Ananias and Sapphira. We saw how they tested the Spirit of the Lord, and hardened their hearts in greed and selfishness, and made shipwreck of the faith (1Tim.1:19). In summary we should aim to remember not to grieve or quench the Spirit, which was the sin the couple was put to death for (Eph.4:30). The apostles were sent on a mission to preach the gospel in Jerusalem and into the remotest parts of the known world, and to do that it was necessary to submit entirely upon the Holy Spirit. The severity of the judgment was because Ananias and his wife agreed to test the Holy Spirit, and made a hasty vow that brought upon them swift condemnation. To protect the momentum of the Spirit’s working they were judged promptly. When we make vows to God, we should always do so with fear and trembling, so that we enter in by faith in the promised rest of God. Ananias feared the Lord but presumed upon His grace. Their own fear and anxiety of judgment killed them, and God used it to create and establish fear in the rest of the Church, and in those outside contemplating joining her, as we will see in our study today. John MacArthur comments on the necessity of keeping the purity of the Church. He writes:

To be useful to the Lord, and individual must be pure (cf. 2 Tim.2:19-21). No one stated that truth any more clearly than the noble nineteenth-century Scottish pastor and “evangelist” Robert Murray McCheyne. He gave the following advice to a young man entering the ministry:

Do not forget the culture of the inner man – I mean of the heart. How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God’s sword, His instrument – I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hands of God. (Andrew A. Bonar, ed, Memoirs of McCheyne [reprint, Chicago: Moody, 1978], p.95)

What is true of believers individually is also true of the church collectively. The church that would reach the world must be pure; it must be a church that deals with sin. God displayed the importance He places on the purity of His church by His dramatic judgment of Ananias and Sapphira. While God may still intervene directly in the lives of sinning Christians (1 Cor. 11:30), disciplining sinning believers is the responsibility of each congregation. Sadly, church discipline is practically an ignored duty today. It has fallen prey to the unbiblical notion that loving people and building up their self-esteem means tolerating their sin. Biblical love, however, seeks the wellbeing of others. Since the goal of discipline is to deal with sin, which is harmful, love and discipline are not mutually exclusive (cf. Prov. 27:6). It is because God loves believers that He chastens them (Heb. 12:5-6).

And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch.

Some would consider the death of Ananias a wonder. It certainly makes me wonder. It brings fear to my heart. I know the verse that says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb.10:31). God is not dead and surely alive working in hearts even today. Too many believers today are looking for signs, like the world is looking for love, in all the wrong places. We have the Word of God as the greatest sign and testimony that should continually cause us to wonder how it survived the intense criticism throughout its existence. I mean really, what other sign or wonder do we need? These Words are living and powerful! These Words have the power to kill and make alive (Dt.32:39; Isa.19:22)! If signs and wonders do still occur today it is always through the Word of God. But I want you to notice that it was only through the hands of the apostles that these miracles were occurring. To some degree every time we read or study the writings of the apostles they still have power to do signs and wonders in our soul, because the Word of God is still living and active. But it is never done apart from the truth of His Word. It is also important to note that the momentum of the Spirit’s power came through the prayers of the Church as they were all in one accord praying among the people. This fellowship of believers did not hide their faith, even in the face of persecution, they continued in Solomon’s Porch. Solomon’s Porch was a place where Jews could go and offer prayers within the Temple grounds. This was the same area that the lame man was healed and the apostles, Peter and John, were arrested. Therefore it was a great risk for the Christians to return and offer prayers after being threatened not to speak in the Name of Jesus Christ. However there continued to be many signs and wonders among all the people. Word probably quickly began to spread that if you needed a miracle it could be granted at Solomon’s Porch.

Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.

The amazing thing about this “miracle Porch” though, was that it was not a gathering to be entered into lightly or presumptuously. Because of the death of Ananias and his wife, the reputation of the gatherings was one of respect and fear. Those who were not truly serious about the proper worship of God did not attempt to join them. This was not an assembly that played games with God. The miracles were not done to prosper the elite apostles but to truly bring restoration to a broken congregation. God will not be mocked.

Gal. 6:7

Do not be deceived. God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, . . .

In spite of the fear of these gatherings, people were being converted, and the number of the people began to increase times a hundred. Both men and women were confessing and calling upon the Lord for salvation. Here in lies the question. Will you allow your “fear of God” to keep you from the fellowship of God? Remember it was Ananias’ and Sapphira’s fear and unbelief that killed them. While it is good to fear the Lord, it is also good to love the Lord. He is a merciful and gracious King who bestows good gifts upon us. He takes no delight in the death of the wicked, but He demands purity in His congregation. He will not tolerate an attitude of willful disobedience to His gracious love. Ananias’ and his wife’s death was to remind both, those within and without, about the fear of God. While we know we can come to God always like a father, He will not allow imposters to sow seeds of disunity in His presence. Like a father protects his daughter from the perversions and lusts of men; God will not allow His bride, the sons and daughters of God, to be polluted by the corruption of sin. The five thousand or so that were converted at Pentecost may have increased up to twenty thousand or so, to eventually expand the number of the church to the Gentiles in Samaria and throughout the Roman Empire.

. . . so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.

Here again we see the reputation of the miracles that the apostles were doing. The people were making the apostles into "gods" who could just perform miracles at will. While I believe that the Bible supports the term “gods”, I don’t believe that the apostles would have accepted what the people were making them into. The immediate context does not say that the shadows of the apostles healed them, but that only the people had high hopes of the apostles healing them. Notice it says, “. . . that at least the shadow of Peter passing by *might* fall on some of them.” This verse speaks nothing of the shadow healing anybody. It only speaks to the expectations of those sick people in the streets. This does not mean that the apostles did not heal anybody, but that the witness of their miracles extended so far, and was so great, that it was like Jesus was alive again.

Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Again, the testimony of the miracles is what attracted the people from the surrounding cities. It is important to understand that when it says they were all healed it means that all of those legitimate sicknesses and torments were dealt with by the gospel. It does not mean that every single person with a malady, who came to find relief, was healed. The terms signs and wonders usually equates with someone “getting their healing”, but I believe it is just as much a wonder when someone doesn’t get their healing. Maybe God gave them something better by not healing them? Maybe their healing was being bound to their affliction?

Psalms 119:71

It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.

Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, . . .

The works that the apostles were doing stirred up the anger and jealousy of the Sadducees. Once the word got to the high priest, he began to confer with the other Sadducees, to put an end to this rebellion. Apparently the Pharisees were not included in this council. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead and that may have been why they did not want to include them in this council. When Peter and John were arrested the whole body of the Sanhedrin counselled. The Pharisees and Sadducees could rarely agree on anything, so the Sadducees took matters into their own hands to conspire how to deal with these Christians making a mess of their city and Temple.

. . . and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.

Here we find the Temple guards arresting the apostles and putting them in the public prison. This may also be translated “public stocks”. The Greek word δημοσίᾳ literally means ‘in view of all’ and the word for “prison” is τηρήσει, which could also mean “keeping”. Therefore when we put them together it could easily translate, “. . . and laid their hands on the apostles and ‘confined them in view of all.’” Either way we translate it, the apostles were repaid with evil for doing good. I personally believe that the latter translation is the correct one, because the Sadducees wanted to make a public example of them, and cease the opposition of the people through public mockery. This would have silenced the crowds in Solomon’s Porch and caused them to think about attempting to continue to speak in Christ’s name. What are you going to do if someone tells you that you can not speak in Christ's name? If we think about this carefully, we should be careful how we speak in Christ's name. Ananias and his wife serve as examples of what happens to those who use God's name in vain. If we use God's name to profit ourselves we have received our reward and like Ananias' household have lost our eternal reward.

John 6:27

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.