Once again this Friday our QUESTION does not come from a TalkofJESUS.com READER COMMENT, however after listening to this ANSWER from Ligonier, a trusted theological source, please feel free to ask your additional question in a comment or comment on the sermon which I hope that you will share.
Roger@TalkofJesus.com
Order from Chaos
IF a reader had asked, “What is the Holy Spirit?” our comment string of answers likely could have been chaos.
Today’s QUESTION, ‘Who is the Holy Spirit?’ provides an opportunity for me to share an answer from this week’s Ligonier broadcast on Wednesday.
Sinclair Ferguson provides one of the BEST explanations of the Holy Spirit I have heard.
I pray that you will take a few minutes to listen to it on the LINK below. – Roger
It is true of many ‘christians‘ in this 21st century — it was true of all but a remnant of faithful ‘jews‘ in the first century in which the messiah Jesus lived, died and was risen — and it was true when His Apostles and disciples preached in the Spirit of God. Men and women do not naturally fear what we have been told about the LORD if we have not encountered Him personally.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
They certainly did not know what to expect when the Holy Ghost first came to various jewish disciples of Jesus.
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
Peter, John and the Apostles have proclaimed Christ boldly, first in Jerusalem.
By the power of the Holy Ghost(KJV) many signs have accompanied the receiving of the Spirit among the faithful jewish followers of The Way of Jesus. Even Saul of Tarsus, zealous persecutor of The Way, has encountered the risen Lord Jesus personally and then retreated to Arabia to reconsider what the LORD has in store for him, returning to meet Peter some three years later.
Everything seems to be looking up for these remnant ‘chosen‘ followers of Jesus as they now obediently ‘GO INTO THE WORLD TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS!’
Beyond Jerusalem
The Apostles had encountered some internal ‘church‘ problems with their new disciples in Jerusalem.
And in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
However this ministry problem seemed to resolve quickly in spite of jewish cultural differences between Greeks and Hebrew traditions of those whose fathers had returned to Jerusalem from exile to rebuild the temple. Furthermore, at least two of new disciples became powerful preachers of the truth of the Gospel – Stephen and Philip.
7 And the Word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Acts of the Apostles 6:7
Like Gentiles (sort of)
Samaria (to some jews) and also Galilee, as part of Israel separated from Judah long ago, had an ‘unjewish‘ stigma to some religious Judeans.
Cities visited by Philip the evangelist
Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them. The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what was being said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. 7 For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice.. – Acts 8:5-6a NASB
Note this same sign of expelling UNCLEAN SPIRITS which Jesus had done! (Most 21st centuries don't quite grasp what to make of this, but think 'controlling ghosts' as real evil influences of behavior and you are on the right track. - RH
[KJ21] 9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who earlier in the same city had used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great..
When Peter and John came to Samaria, Simon asked Peter for this same power the Apostles and some disciples like Philip had demonstrated.
The Holy Ghost appears with more POWER than any force of darkness dictating the power of evil in mortal flesh.
But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Philip (the Hellenist deacon) & Peter (a Galilean Hebrew Apostle)
So WHERE in the WORLD does all of this converge?
Peter had come from Jerusalem to Samaria to meet with Philip when he also met Simon who wanted the power of the Holy Ghost. We have just learned that now Peter’s missionary journeys have brought the Apostle to Joppa, BUT a Roman calls the Apostle to come to the Roman (Herod-built) port of Caesarea.
Peter and John had remained in Jerusalem for two years after Christ’s resurrection. Once Stephen was martyred most disciples of Jesus fled for other towns. But after Saul met the Lord on the road to Damascus the Gospel began to spread in different directions.
And as we have just learned in the journeys of Peter to Lydda and Joppa, the Apostle now heads north to Caesarea where Philip has been proclaiming the Gospel for sometime now.
Peter, the Hebrew-raised rock anointed by Jesus to lead His church goes to Caesarea after wrestling with the Voice of God telling this faithful jew to obey this new vision which led him to follow these Romans back to Caesarea, where these GENTILES would have worshiped PETER!
Now that you have caught up on these long journeys and Peter is on his way back to Jerusalem you might think that all will go smoothly. It doesn’t.
The HOLY Ghost
Before we return to Jerusalem with Peter, I thought it important that we consider the NOW-INCREASING ROLE of THE HOLY SPIRIT.
The "HOLY SPIRIT" AND the "HOLY GHOST" ARE the SAME, translated in New Testament from the SAME words in Greek: ἅγιοςπνεῦμα [hagios pneuma]
I remind 21st c. christians of the AWESOMENESS of the SPIRIT of Almighty God by referring to the Holy Ghost here) – RH
ἅγιος, -α, -ον, (from τὸ ἄγος religious awe, reverence; ἄζω, ἅζομαι, to venerate, revere, especially the gods, parents [Curtius, § 118]), rare in secular authors; very frequent in the sacred writings; in the Sept. for קָדושׁ;
properly reverend, worthy of veneration: τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ, Luke 1:49; God, on account of his incomparable majesty, Revelation 4:8 (Isaiah 6:3, etc.), equivalent to ἔνδοξος.
Ghost πνεῦμα pneuma From πνέω (G4154)
– The KJV translates Strong’s G4151 in the following manner: Spirit (111x), Holy Ghost (89x), Spirit (of God) (13x), Spirit (of the Lord) (5x), (My) Spirit (3x), Spirit (of truth) (3x), Spirit (of Christ) (2x), human (spirit) (49x), (evil) spirit (47x), spirit (general) (26x), spirit (8x), (Jesus’ own) spirit (6x), (Jesus’ own) ghost (2x), miscellaneous (21x).
the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son
1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost G4151 had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost G4151 not many days hence.
2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, G4151 and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit G4151 gave them utterance.
2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; G4151 and they shall prophesy:
4:18 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,G4151 and they spake the word of God with boldness.
8:17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. G4151
8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit G4151 of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
Acts of the Apostles 8:38-39a NASB
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power,
Acts 10:38 KJ21
43 To Him all the prophets bear witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.”
44 While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all those who heard the Word.
And the Messianic Jews who had come with Kefa were mishpoyel (standing in awe) that also upon the Goyim the matnat HaRuach Hakodesh has been poured out.
Gevurot 10:45
Orthodox Jewish Bible
46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Peter Baptizes the Roman Gentiles
Then answered Peter,
47 “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Ghost, as well as we?”
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
And the Moshiach’s Shlichim and the Achim b’Moshiach, the ones throughout Yehudah, heard that also the non-Jews received the dvar Hashem. But when Kefa went up to Yerushalayim, those of the faction of the Bris Milah were taking issue with him, 3 Saying, “You entered into a bais of anashim arelim (uncircumcised men) and you sat at tish with them.”
Acts of Peter welcoming the Gentiles - To be continued...
From a background of my own evangelical christian Americanthinking I had always squirmed with a certain sense of unfairness that Ananias and Saphira died instantly at Peter’s feet when the Apostle confronted them about a sale of THEIR OWN possessions.
Wasn’t the profit from THEIR MONEY from a SALE of their landone of the most generous GIFTS of CHARITY anyone could have given to the Apostles? They gave most of it to the CHURCH. It was certainly more than a 10% tithe.
So how much should Anaias and Saphira have given to the CHURCH?
Our Offerings to ‘the church’
Here’s MY gentile ALL-AMERICAN take on what Peter and the Apostles should have expected.
Wouldn’t giving EVERYTHING to the Apostles make the saints of the first century Church COMMUNISTS, or at the very least SOCIALISTS?
The COMMUNITY of the Jerusalem Churchseems unlike everything WE THE PEOPLE of the United States have come to expect as a 21st century christian ‘church.’ Yet most of our our preachers love to proclaim such generous gifts of substance from leading contributers like Ananias and Saphira to the church. (We know who they are.)
How many of US would sell our possessions just to give money to our local church?
WHY would GOD strike DEAD any believer in Jesus for holding back a few possessions for themselves?
It seems ‘un-American, doesn’t it?
OUR hearts recoil as our tongues to cry out, ‘THIS IS UNFAIR.’
ACTS of the Church in context
Most Christians know this story from ACTS 5:1-11 and the generosity of Joseph of Cypress from the preceeding two verses in Acts 4.
I have not skipped this story until now to avoid controversial contempory issues, but rather to maintain a storyline of Peter as the first leader of the Church.
A Chronological context ofActs from a first century perspective
Luke published Acts of the Apostles in about
the year of our Lord, 62,
just prior to empire-wide persecution of the Jews (including the sect of Christ followers) and the Jerusalem War which led to its fall in A.D. 70.
The Forgotten Saga of The Way
Christians reading Luke’s historical account of events some thirty years earler(in ~A.D. 30’s) would already have suffered persecution, loss of their possessions and lands, and even deaths of family and other saints of their church as most fled with little left to places of reletive safety.
Thissect of The Way, along with Jerusalem’s former ruling classes, would no longer have enough possessions to sustain daily life in Jerusalem, some even without food to eat.
28 AD John the Baptist is executed by Herod Antipas, son of King Herod in Judaea.
32 – 36AD Estimated date of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
44 AD Judaea is annexed as a Roman province after the death of Herod Agrippa.
49 AD Claudius passes an edict expelling all Jews from Rome.
64 AD The Great Fire of Rome speculated to have been started by Nero to make room for his palace. Christians Persecuted as scapegoats. Nero begins construction of the domus aurea (the Golden House).
67 AD The future Emperor Vespasian is sent to Judaea to put down a Jewish revolt.
Death of Paul the Apostle.
Some believe Luke wrote Acts after the fall of Jerusalem (A.D. 70; his death was probably in the mid-eighties).
It is more likely, however, that he wrote much earlier, before the end of Paul’s first Roman imprisonment (ca. A.D. 60–62).
Who should these new disciples of the Apostles ACT like during these desparate times of yet anotherjewish diaspora due to persecution?
Certainly the daily lives of every saint of the early church read like an unseen saga of suffering known to early readers of the GOSPELS, ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, the EPISTLES and THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRISTto John.
Possessions of the Church + Banking on the Risen Lord
We return now to Luke's second account ACTS of the Apostles in about AD32-36, as we have learned, and a fledgling gathering of saints in Jerusalem who increasingly must depend on the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the cohesion of love binding their community to each other.
Luke reveals their agreement or community compact:
For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each to the extent that any had need.
ACTS of the Jerusalem church 4:34-35 NASB – AD 30’s
This NEW community in the Spirit of The Way in Jerusalem applied Christ’s love for each other AND IT WORKED.
Luke tells later saints of the church how the Apostles gave us this example.
Luke begins with a positive example.
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus by birth, the one the apostles called Barnabas, (translated Son of Encouragement) sold a field he owned..
Joseph, from the priestly Levitical line, is a faithful Jew who traveled to Jerusalem for its major festivals. Then after the Holy Spirit fills the community of faith on Pentecost, Barnabas (Joseph) fully commits to this new community of The Way led by the Apostles.
Joseph of Cypress (Barnabas) sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
ACTS 4:37 CSB
Luke encourages the poor and needy commuinties of Christ who will read of their sacrificial generocity years later while many saints suffer severe persecution.
32 Now the multitude of those who believe were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
.. all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
ACTS 4:33,35b-36 NKJV of the Jerusalem Chruch after Pentrecost
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.
Unlike Joseph of Cypress, Luke does not give us much detail about this couple, but his name, Ananias, would have been familiar in their community of fellow Jews.
Ἁνανίας – Ananías, an-an-ee’-as; of Hebrew origin (H2608); Ananias, the name of three Israelites:—Ananias.
a certain Christian [at Jerusalem], the husband of Sapphira: Acts 5:1-6.
a Christian of Damascus: Acts 9:10-18; Acts 22:12
a son of Nedebaeus, and high priest of the Jews circa A.D. 47-59.
Ananias = “whom Jehovah has graciously given”
(Luke the gentile Physician likely understands this irony as will the Apostles.)
The Hebrew root of Ananias also points to a familiar Scriptural example from Daniel: חֲנַנְיָה
Hananiah = "God has favoured"
the godly friend of Daniel whom Nebuchadnezzar renamed Shadrach; one of the three friends who with Daniel refused to make themselves unclean by eating food from the king's table which went against the dietary laws which God had given the Jews; also one of the three who were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to a graven image of Nebuchadnezzar and who were saved by the angel of the Lord.
source: BlueLetterBible.org Lexicon :: Strong's H2608 - ḥănanyâ
Ananias is a leading man of means among these five hundred or so followers of the Apostles. And he has sold some of his possessions for the church to graciously give to others in need of his charity.
(But is their generous gift to the church truly their own?)
ACTS 5:2 However, he kept back part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge, and brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
WHY?
Didn’t Luke tell us that ALL brought the proceeds of the things that were sold and laid them at the apostles’ feet?
AND also, these ACTS of GENEROSITY of ALL sharing ALL of their possessions resulted in
the Apostles distributing to each as anyone had need?
The offering of Anaias’ portion of the sale may have exceeded the value of what most could contribute who shared everything they sold. So often leading contributors of the Church receive public accolades for their ‘generosity.’
Yet what had Peter learned from Jesus preaching about our portion of riches?
10 “And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him;
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.
“Now when they bring you before the synagogues and the officials and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Peter and ALL of those touched by the tongues of fire on Pentecost have already experienced this.
But in this same teaching, Jesus warns again of the danger of riches to those who would cling to their possessions.
“Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive..
Gospel of Luke 12:15b-16[21] NASB20 – Jesus cautioning against greed
AND IN THE END of Jesus’ parable:
We know the expression, but hear little of it's context: EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY..
‘And I will say to my [SOUL], “You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is demanded of you; and as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’
“Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control?
Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart?
You have not lied to men, but to God.”
Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last.
So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.
6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.
FAR DIFFERENT from our 21st century receiving of this weeks 'offering' when we are obliged to put something in the basket (or plate) rather anonomously.
Saphira
I might easily expound at length on Saphira's role as the wife of Ananias. Should she agree with her husband's dishonesty OR tell the truth even when her husband is dishonest?
Just a Scriptures familiar to her for your own consideration:
All quotes from BlueLetterBible.org
and they shall become one flesh. – Genesis 2:24b
There certainly was no one like Ahab who gave himself over to do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him. – 1 Kings 25:25
His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.” But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong. – Job 2:9-10
An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones. – Proverbs 12:4
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
Gospel of Luke 14:26 + a caution of JESUS – v.27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
SAPHIRA, one with ANANIAS as his wife had a choice: Yet both also gave their word to the Apostles to remain one with the community of Christ in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Which choice will SHE make when confronted by truth?
Three Hours Later
Perhaps she had been window shopping in Jerusalem for some new clothes or possions appropriate to their high status. Maybe she had asked Ananias for some of their new-found profit. (This is just spectulation.)
