Early Church Persecuted for their Faith

Acts 4:1–12
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During China’s Boxer Rebellion of 1900, insurgents captured a mission station, blocked all the gates but one, and in front of that one gate placed a cross flat on the ground. Then the word was ... More

Persecution

This chapter records the first persecutions of the early church. In the Gospels we find great opposition coming from the Pharisees. However, As Peter and John were speaking to the people they were confronted by a group of Sadducees and arrested (vv. 1-4). In Acts it is the Sadducees who oppose the Christians. This is because they disbelieved the doctrine of the resurrection which the apostles were preaching so powerfully. Despite this a lot of people who had heard the message believed it. So, by now there were about five thousand followers of the Lord (v. 4).

The Sanhedrin’s seventy-two members met and asked, “By what power or by what name, have you done this?” (Referring to the healing of the lame man) (vv. 5-7). Unwittingly they had handed Peter his text for a great sermon. With great boldness he turned the tables on the Sanhedrin and put them on trial (v.8). Filled with the Spirit of God, Peter called attention to the fact that the miracle was a good deed, not a crime (v. 9). Then he stated how this was done in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the one whom they had crucified and God had raised from the dead (v. 10). Jesus is the only one in all the world that can save anyone (vv. 11-12).

Not often will we be sent to jail for sharing the gospel on the street as Peter and John were. However, we do run risks in trying to win others to Christ. We might be willing to spend a night in jail if it would bring 5000 people to Christ, but shouldn’t we be willing to suffer for the sake of even one. What is it God would have us do to share the Gospel with someone today?

Application

What do I risk in witnessing? Possibly rejection or persecution from someone. Whatever the risk may be, I must realize that nothing done for Christ is ever wasted.

Acts 4:1-12 (English Standard Version)

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