Chapter 4

A lot happens in chapter 4. It is a chapter that basically changes the game. And in the process, there’s a bit of a role reversal from the Gospels.

During the Gospels, the disciples basically looked like bumbling fools much of the time. What a difference the coming of the Spirit makes – suddenly these Keystone Cops Wanna-bes are out there preaching up a storm, and making the religious leaders look like a kindergarten Sunday School class.

It’s a lot to take in. So let’s go back to the beginning.

The narrative of chapter 4 is in 2 distinct sections. Firstly we have verses 1 – 22, which is about the fallout from the disciples’ healing activities in restoring the crippled man. Then we have 23 to 37 which goes into detail of how the Disciples lived together.

Well, haven’t we got ourselves into trouble! The Disciples thought they were just giving a man the chance to live normally – but it looks like this fact has upset the religious leaders.

The irony is there in the passage if you look carefully. As Peter correctly points out in his speech in part, “Are we being arrested becase we looked after this poor man?”

This causes a bit of strife among the leaders, who are very against the early Christians’ antics. But there’s not much they can do. They speak sternly to the disciples and tell them “not to tell anyone else” about Jesus.

Well, right contrary people that they are, the Disciples start preaching as soon as they’re outside.

We finish the chapter by looking at how the society of the Christians has changed since the Ascension, and boy, has it ever! The image that is built up here is simply incredible. They met daily, they ate together, they even lived together. And they were GROWING. Boy, were they ever!

So what can we get out of this?

One simple thing: You have to do whatever you believe God is telling you to do, regardless of what others (including your leaders) think. As we can see here, the fact that the Disciples didn’t listen to the council was a pivotal point, and it lead to you and I getting the chance to hear the Gospel.

More than that, though, there’s once again this incredible model of a church that is going places – the hospitality between them is a non-negotiable.
Can you imagine what we’d look like if we were willing to show the courage and love that this church showed?

I can’t say for sure what it might be like – but I can say that it’d be amazing.