Acts 5: the unchained and unstoppable gospel of Christ
The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people...Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” (Acts 5:12,17-20)
Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Words of Pharisee named Gamaliel, Acts 5:38-39)
Read the whole passage: Acts 5:12-41
Those who try to stop the message of salvation in Jesus Christ do so in vain. It cannot be stopped.
There have always been times of revival and times of rebellion. I've no idea which we're in now - as I'm very conscious that every generation thinks the next is doomed, and my knowledge and insight into social history over the last 2000 years is not sufficient to say whether the church is stronger or weaker. Nonetheless, we often face times of discouragement - churches that are struggling, hostility from others, and the secular religions of our society that reject God and put self on the throne. I'll bet there are many times in history people have said: the "church is dead - it's not relevant anymore", and yet here it still is.
The story set out in Acts 5:12-41 of how the apostles' public ministry, consequent arrest, and subsequent miraculous release aided by angels gives us encouragement when faced with powers that would appear to stop the growth of the church in its tracks, be they hostility, poverty/lack of resources, or simply the apathy and indifference of others. As we have seen on many occasions, God uses a miraculous sign to not only ensure that the spread of the gospel was not hindered that day in Jerusalem, but also to give us - those reading in generations to come - the truth that the power of God is more powerful that any human force who tries to stop it. God sends one of his angels to break the apostles free, and to tell them to go out publicly into the temple courts and tell people of the new life in Christ.
I've heard it said that one of the most powerful proofs to the resurrection of Jesus is the existence of the church. We don't know what the state of Gamaliel the Pharisee's heart was, although we at least knew he understood and respected the power of God. However, it was he that set out the truth of the matter. In the passage he cites other leaders of new movement who have sprung up from time to time - Theudas and Judas the Galilean. They whipped up a frenzy, gathered followers and generally disrupted the order of things. It also seems they made claims about themselves - possibly relating to their own divinity or revelation from God. Both died in time, and the movements they had whipped up, centred around themselves, died with them. If their purpose or activity is of human origin, Gamaliel says, it will fail (Acts 5:38).
We see new ideas that reject God and his perfect love popping up all the time. Religions both secular and not, empires, movements, social trends. They may last for a year or for hundreds of years, but all things will fail eventually without God at the centre.
On the other hand, Gamaliel says: if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God (Acts 5:39). Nothing can stop the spread of the gospel as it is the work of Yahweh, the God Almighty, sustainer and creator of the universe. I'm reminded of the words of Psalm 2:
and the peoples plot in vain?
...
The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
the Lord scoffs at them.
(Psalm 2:1,4)
Finally, if no one can stop the spread of the gospel, that also includes us! Let us not be discouraged. God promised that as we go and make disciples of all nations, he will be with us to the very end (Matthew 28:18-20). We may feel afraid by the things we see, but God is not - and he will make himself known.
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