Alas! evil shews itself there also (chap. 5). If the mighty Spirit of God
is there, the flesh also is there. There are some who wished to have the
credit of devotedness which the Holy Ghost produces, although devoid of
that faith in God, and that self-renunciation, which, shewing itself in the
path of love, constitutes all the value and all the truth of this
devotedness. But it only gives fresh occasion to manifest the power of the
Spirit of God, the presence of God within, against evil; as the preceding
chapter shewed His energy outside, and the precious fruits of His grace. If
there be not the simple fruit and of good already described, there is the
power of good against evil. The present state of the assembly, as a whole,
is the power of evil over good. God cannot endure evil where He dwells;
still less than where He does not dwell. However great the energy of the
testimony which He sends to those who are outside, He exercises all
patience until there is no remedy within. The more His presence is realised
and manifested (and even in proportion as that is done), the more He shews
Himself intolerant of evil. It cannot be otherwise. He judges in the midst
of His saints, where He will have holiness; and that according to the
measure of the manifestation of Himself. Ananias and Sapphira disregarding
the presence of the Holy Ghost, whose impulse they pretended to follow,
fall down dead before the God whom, in their blindness, they sought to
deceive in forgetting Him. God was in the assembly.
Mighty, though painful, testimony to His presence! Fear pervades every
heart, both within and outside. In fact, the presence of God is a serious
thing, however great its blessing. The effect of this manifestation of the
power of a God present with those whom He acknowledged as His own was very
great. Multitudes joined themselves by faith to the confession of the name
of the Lord-at least from among the people, for the rest dared not. The
more position we have in the world, the more we fear the world which gave
it us. This miraculous testimony to the power of God was also displayed in
a still more remarkable way, so that people came from far to profit by it.
The apostles were constantly together in Solomon's porch.
But alas! the manifestation of the power of God, in connection with the
despised disciples of Jesus, and working outside the beaten track in which
the self-importance of the high priest and those that were with him found
its path, together with the progress made by that which they rejected, and
the attention drawn to the apostles by the miracles that were wrought,
excite the opposition and jealousy of the rulers; and they put the apostles
in prison. In this world good ever works in the presence of the power of
evil.
A power different from that of the Holy Ghost in the assembly now displays
itself. The providence of God, watching over His work, and acting through
the ministry of angels, frustrates all the plans of the unbelieving heads
of Israel. The priests shut up the apostles in prison. An angel of the Lord
opens the prison doors, and sends the apostles to pursue their accustomed
work in the temple. The officers whom the council send to the prison find
it shut, and everything in order; but no apostles.
Meanwhile the council are informed that they are in the temple, teaching
the people. Confounded and alarmed, the council send to fetch them; but the
officers bring them without violence, fearing the people. For God holds
everything in check, until His testimony be rendered, when He will have it
rendered. The high priest remonstrates with them on the ground of his
former prohibition. Peter's reply is more concise than on the former
occasion, and is rather the announcement of a settled purpose, than the
rendering a testimony by reasoning with those who will not hearken, and who
shewed themselves to be adversaries. It is the same in substance as what he
had said when previously brought before the rulers: God is to be obeyed
rather than men. Opposed to God, the heads of Israel were merely men. In
saying this, all was decided: the opposition between them and God was
evident. The God of their fathers had raised up Jesus, whom the rulers of
Israel had crucified. The apostles were His witnesses, and so was the Holy
Ghost, whom God had given to those who obeyed Him. All was said; the
position clearly announced. Peter, in the name of the apostles, formally
takes it on the part of God and of Christ, and in agreement with the seal
of the Holy Ghost, who, given to believers, bore witness in the Saviour's
name. Nevertheless there is no pride, no self-will. He must obey God. He
still takes his place in Israel ("the God," he says, "of our fathers"); but
the place of testimony for God in Israel. The advice of Gamaliel prevails
to turn aside the purposes of the council, for God has always His
instruments ready, unknown perhaps to us, where we are doing His will;
nevertheless they cause the apostles to be beaten, and command them not to
preach, and send them away. They were at a loss what to do-only made the
opposition of their will the more evident, while how simple the path when
sent of God, and consciously doing His will! We must obey God.
The object of this latter part of the chapter is to shew that the
providential care of God, whether miraculously by means of angels, or by
disposing the hearts of men to accomplish His purposes, was exercised on
behalf of the assembly, even as the Spirit of God bore testimony in it and
manifested in it His power. The apostles, in no wise terrified, return,
full of joy at being counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus; and
every day, in the temple, or from house to house, they cease not to teach
and to preach the good news of Jesus the Christ. However weak they might
be, God Himself maintains His testimony.
