The Church Enlarging Its Fellowship

Acts 8:1-8, 14-17, 25

GOLDEN TEXT: “They therefore that were scattered abroad went about preaching the Word.”—Acts 8:4

PERSECUTION is never right, nor is it a joyous matter; nevertheless, God can overrule this, as well as all wrong, for the good of His people, who can learn also the Lessons of “rejoicing in tribulation,” and of tracing divine providences through them—seeing by faith the desirable results.

The persecution of the early church began in Jerusalem, because this so far had been the center of the work, as our Lord had directed—“beginning at Jerusalem.” Not only was it the principal city of Palestine, but, as we have previously seen, it was the resort of pious Jews from all quarters of the world, many of whom sought to make it their home in the close of life, even if they had previously lived abroad.

The persecution which then arose had, doubtless, a twofold effect: (1) It served to test and to sift those who had already named the name of Christ; to prove their loyalty, their willingness to endure hardness as good soldiers; their worthiness to be reckoned among the overcomers. Not only did it test them, but it undoubtedly strengthened them; for experience shows us that every trial and test endured with faithfulness brings victory and increased strength of character. (2) It became the Lord’s means of spreading the truth in every direction, and thus of greatly broadening, as well as deepening, His work in the world. Having first blessed those who, by His providential arrangement, had been gathered to one center, He now scattered them, as lights throughout Palestine and the adjacent countries. Thus, if we carefully study the divine providences, we can see in the past and also in the experiences through which we may be passing, the fulfillment of the divine promise that all things shall work together for good to those who love the Lord, to the called according to His purpose.

What we all need is implicit trust in God and a burning zeal for Him and His service, which naught can daunt or hinder. How beautiful is the simple statement of verse 4, that “they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Word.” Let us resolve that we will follow this example and if thwarted in one way, we will adopt another plan; if hindered in that, we will change again—always observing the laws and principles of righteousness, and relying upon the Lord to overrule the results to His own praise.

There was a Philip amongst the twelve apostles, but it is not he that is referred to in this lesson. This Philip was one of the seven deacons whose choice by the church has been related earlier in the Acts (chapter 6:5). Evidently he had used well the opportunities thus afforded him, by attending not only to the distribution of the natural food to the needy, but by the feeding of his own heart from the spiritual food also—thus preparing himself, as a servant and messenger of the Lord, for further service of a more spiritual kind. The persecution of the church in Jerusalem, merely drove Philip down to Samaria, and upon his arrival he made use of his opportunity there to proclaim the Gospel message.

The fact that Philip now came into Samaria, under the leading of divine providence, and preached Christ, signifies that the time had come for the Gospel to be extended beyond Judaism. It implies, therefore, that this incident occurred at least three and a half years after our Lord’s death—after the close of the seventieth symbolical week, and the full end of Israel’s special favor as respects the Gospel invitation of this age. Perhaps the apostles had less strenuous feelings of opposition against the Samaritans than against Gentiles in general, because they were of mixed Jewish blood.

Many Samaritans, apparently, were ripe for the Gospel, and evidently accepted it and made full consecration to the Lord. Philip’s preaching was backed by the open manifestation of the Spirit in healings, etc., as was all the preaching of that time—intended to establish the faith, and to counteract the wonder-workings of Satan, through necromancers, those possessed of a spirit of divination, etc.

News of God’s favor to the Samaritans, and their acceptance of the Lord, soon reached Jerusalem; and representatives of the whole company of the apostles and others at Jerusalem went down to Samaria to note the work of the Lord, and, no doubt, to encourage the believers. But they went specially because the gifts of the Holy Spirit (miracles, healings, tongues, etc.) could only be communicated through the apostles. However well Philip might proclaim the Gospel and immerse believers, he, not being one of the chosen twelve, had not the power of communicating those gifts. Accordingly we are told that when the apostles arrived they prayed with the disciples, and then laid their hands upon them, communicating some of the gifts—power to speak with tongues, interpret tongues, to perform miracles, etc. These gifts were merely for the establishment of the faith in the early church and later were superseded by the fruits of the Spirit, which have continued with the church down through the age.—I Cor. 12:31 and chapter 13.

QUESTIONS:

Have there, throughout the age, been any good results of the evil practice of persecution of Christians? What was one of the results of persecution in the early church?

Why was divine healing, and other miraculous gifts practiced in the early church?

What operation of the holy Spirit superseded the “gifts” of the early church?

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