The Early Apostolic Ministry

Acts 5:42 ... "And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."

      Just before Jesus ascended back into heaven unto the Father, He gathered about Him the apostles and commanded them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." (Mk. 16:15). After the church was established on Pentecost, these men applied themselves zealously to carry out this commission. Since the first converts were "continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching," (Acts 2:42), it seems logical that the apostles were just as devotedly teaching that doctrine to them. When Peter healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and a great crowd quickly gathered to behold the miracle, he took advantage of the occasion to preach Christ unto them, (Acts 3:12-26). The Temple authorities, "being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead," (Acts 4:2), proceeded to arrest Peter and John and put them on trial, When it came their turn to offer a defense, these bold apostles chose rather to speak out on behalf of Jesus and His gospel, (Acts 4:8-12, 19-20). The Jewish Council, however, "commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus," (Acts 4:18). Being released with this official warning, they nevertheless went back among the people "and with great power" gave "witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus," (Acts 4:33).

      The sustained ministry of the apostles, made the more visible by their acts of healing, (Acts 5:12-16), resulted in a great number of people being won to the faith. Then the High Priest and Sadducees, moved further by envy, again arrested the apostles (all of them this time!) and put them on trial. At the conclusion they "called the apostles in, flogged them, and ordered them to speak no more in the name of Jesus," (Acts 5:40). But these witnesses of Christ were not at all intimidated by these threats or rough treatment. Instead, they "went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."

      We marvel today at the rapid growth of the early church from an initial number of 120 (Acts 1:15) to 5000 (Acts 4:4), which was soon "multiplied," (Acts 6:1). The gospel triumphed in people's lives so quickly that "the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved," (Acts 2:47). Conversions occurred on a daily basis then. But in our age conversions occur in a local church more at a weekly, monthly, or even a yearly rate. And today, the number of disciples almost no where is multiplying. The typical growth of a congregation is not due to the conversion of the unchurched, but rather to members moving from one church to another to satisfy personal preference, such as social activity, charisma of a preacher, or higher energy in worshiping. We are made to wonder sadly why our ministry today is so weak and ineffectual in comparison to that of the apostles and other early preachers. Although the full explanation doubtless involves many complicated factors, one of the most significant centers on the phrase "every day." Acts 5:42 reports that the apostles preached Christ and taught the gospel EVERY DAY, and Acts 2:47 reports that people were being saved DAY BY DAY. Can we say we are preaching the Word "every day"? Is our activity in church assemblies on Sunday and Wednesday evening the limit of our effort to enlighten people with the gospel? Is a week of sustained effort in a Vacation Bible School or Gospel Meeting the closest we come to the daily teaching and preaching of Christ and His good news of salvation? These are questions we need to ask ourselves soberly and then give honest answers. We need to find and enact ways in which we can expand the propagation of the gospel from two days a week to seven. In the world about us people, especially children, are daily being taught a humanistic world view and worldly mode of living by their environment in general and by the electronic media in particular. Do we think that on one or two days a week, in a total of less than three hours, we can offset this massive worldly indoctrination? Decreasing conversions prove we cannot!

THE NAME THAT SAVES

Acts 4:12 ... "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."

      When Peter healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, (Acts 3:1-8), a crowd quickly gathered who were "filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened," (Acts 3:9-11). Peter took advantage of this assembly to preach Christ to them and encourage them to accept the salvation which He offered, (3:12-26). As He continued to speak, the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and the Sadducees took note of the situation and were "greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead," (4:1-2). So they had Peter and John arrested, and on the next day brought them before the Sanhedrin (Jewish High Council) for interrogation about their mission. Their first question was, "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?" (v.7). With great boldness Peter answered, "By the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead -- by this name this man stands here before you in good health," (v.10). Then the apostle proceeded to make the declaration about salvation in the initial text above.

      We should notice that Peter calls attention to salvation in two spheres of human experience, both of which he attributes to the power of Jesus. First is the matter of the salvation of the physical body, demonstrated in the healing of the lame man. When Peter released the power that performed the cure, he clearly said, "In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene -- walk!" (3:6) In Biblical terminology "by the name of" means" by the power of." Only someone who was authorized to use Jesus' name could direct His power to perform wonders in the physical realm. Jesus authorized His apostles in Matt. 10:8, and when other tried to access Jesus' power by the unauthorized use of His name, their efforts came to naught and almost resulted in their destruction, (Acts 19:13-17).

      The second sphere of human experience wherein Jesus' power to save is demonstrated is the spiritual. Man is composed of more than merely a physical body, which is often blighted by disease, injury and dysfunction and needs salvation from these degenerative forces. Man is also composed of a soul, which is continually blighted by the spiritual disease of sin. We are assured in Rom. 3:23 that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." In I Jno. 1:8 we are told that "if we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Although men of medicine have learned ways to save the body from many diseases, men are absolutely powerless to deal with the spiritual disease of sin in the human soul. In Matt. 19:25 Jesus' disciples once asked Him, "Who can be saved?" His answer was, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Man cannot remove sin; only God can do that. It is this aspect of salvation that Peter was speaking of when he declared that "there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." Only God can remove sin from the human soul, and He has invested that power in His Son Jesus Christ. When people look elsewhere, or unto anyone other than Jesus, for salvation from sin, their search ends in failure.

      In I Pet. 3:21 this same apostle wrote that "baptism now saves you." And in his statement in Acts 2:38 he added that this baptism must be based on repentance and must be "in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins." These statements tell us how and where the power of Jesus to save people from sin is experienced. The person must repent of his sins and submit to baptism in the name of Jesus. Since "all have sinned," it is imperative that "all" respond as soon as possible to have Jesus' power to save applied to their souls.