Leaders in the Early Church

Acts 2:37-41; 3:1-8; 4:13, 18-21

GOLDEN TEXT: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”—Acts 4:13

THREE thousand Jews who heard Peter deliver his Pentecostal discourse were “pricked in their heart” and inquired of him and the other apostles, “What shall we do?” They had been convicted of their share in the sin of crucifying the Lord of glory; and now, recognizing that Jesus was in very truth the Messiah, wanted to do whatever was necessary in order to be in line with the Messianic program. Peter urged them to repent, and to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, “for the remission of sin.”

The whole nation of Israel was a covenant people of God, baptized into Moses, “in the sea and in the cloud.” Through repentance and baptism for remission of sin, these individual Israelites were restored to a position of favor in connection with the original covenant, and needed only to be transferred into Christ in order to be in line for joint-heirship with the Messiah. And so, with no further ceremony, these three thousand were added to the church. Thus they saved themselves from the fate that later befell the nation as a whole, and were among the few, who, in receiving Christ, were made “sons of God.”—John 1:11,12

It was shortly after Pentecost that Peter and John were used as instruments of God to heal a man who had been unable to walk from the time of his birth. Here we have a lesson which evidently was designed for the remainder of the Israelites who did not repent and come into the church. The healing of the cripple prefigured restitution blessings yet to come to all Israel and to Gentile nations as well. It was “all the people” who “wondered” at this miracle, and it was these that Peter “answered.”—Acts 3:11,12

But the apostle’s answer in this case was quite different from his reply to the three thousand who were “pricked in their heart” and inquired “what shall we do?” Amazement and wonderment come far short of a conviction of sin. The Israelites who did not come into Christ at that time, came under the condemnation that was against all Israel as a nation, and Peter knew that this national sin would not be blotted out until after the second advent of Christ. He knew also that then it would be too late to become members of the church of Christ, the called out class of this age—although not too late, thank God, to receive the benefits of divine grace.

So to these, Peter said, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”—Acts 3:19-21

Verse 23 adds that then those who will not hear “that prophet” shall be destroyed from among the people. Thus the apostle made it clear—as Paul also did later on, (Rom. 11:32,33)—that repentant Israelites would be in line for restitution blessings, yet there was to be an end of divine grace, when all who finally proved themselves willfully disobedient would be destroyed.

The apostles soon felt the animosity of Israel’s religious leaders. The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead anyway, and the others were grieved with the claim that the resurrection was to come through Jesus whom they had crucified—for so they had properly interpreted Peter’s sermon on “restitution.” (Acts 4:1,2) But like Jesus, Peter and John had a message to deliver, so when the opposition arose against them, they didn’t misinterpret it as an indication that God wanted them to keep silent. Instead, they saw in it an opportunity for further suffering in the cause of Him whom they loved, and for whom they were now willing to lay down their lives.

What the people saw in these two apostles that reminded them of Jesus was their boldness. Of Jesus we read that He spoke with authority. (Matt. 7:29) So Peter and John, although they were rated as ignorant and unlearned, yet they knew whereof they spoke, and did not hesitate to declare boldly that which they knew to be the truth. Love is “kind,” Paul says (I Cor. 13:4), but let us not interpret this to mean that we should not boldly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints. We do not need to be unkind in order to be bold and courageous in proclaiming the truth.

The religious leaders of Israel had no legal authority under the Roman law, hence could not enforce their demand that the apostles cease preaching the Kingdom message. Peter and John poised the question, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto them more than unto God.” There was only one proper answer to this question, and the priests and the Sadducees, knowing that they were in danger of being exposed before the people, withdrew as gracefully as possible by further threatening the apostles and then letting them go. Boldness has often disarmed the enemies of truth; but notwithstanding, God wants us to be loyal to Him and His Word, whatever the cost may be.

QUESTIONS:

Why was it necessary for the Jews, on the Day of Pentecost, to be baptized for the remission of sin?

What was illustrated by the miraculous healing of the man who had never been able to walk?

Is it necessary to be unkind in order to be bold?

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