GOT TO APPRECIATE THEIR SPIRIT
Acts 5:40-42 NKJV
And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
This chapter tells the story of the showdown between the religious leaders and the apostles. Amazing miracles were taking place so that multitudes were coming into Jerusalem bringing the sick and demonized and they were being healed. This caused great indignation and jealousy among the Jewish leaders, so they imprisoned the apostles. But the Lord sent an angel who opened the prison and released them so that they might go stand in the temple and preach “all the words of this life.”
Now the apostles were arrested again, and the Jewish council was debating what to do with them. So, they threatened them to which Peter gave a short but sweet response basically telling the council that obeying God was their only option. Peter’s message made the leaders so mad they started figuring out how to kill the apostles.
A leader named Gamaliel warned the Jewish council to be wary of what they did to the apostles. His message basically consisted of if this work was of men, it wouldn’t amount to much. If it was of God, you can’t stop it. It was good advice, and the leaders listened, but then we see what happened in verse 40.
They beat the apostles and threatened them. It’s so easy to skip over that part. They beat them. Remember these were the days when there were no human rights advocates to petition for lesser treatment. In 1994 there was a huge uproar in America because an American teenager was sentenced to six lashes with a cane for stealing and vandalism in Singapore. After our government intervened, the sentence was reduced to four lashes. The young man who received the lashes said it was hard to sit for a couple of days. I can almost guarantee that the apostles got more than four. The Jews of that day were not known for their mercy.
What happens next is inspiring. When the apostles leave the place of being beaten, they were rejoicing. They were not crying or complaining, they were rejoicing. That is impressive. And they were rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. They were rejoicing that they suffered for their identification with Christ. This is a mindset of a different kind. They were willing to look past the pain and the shame instead counting it an honor to suffer for His name.
Not only were the apostles not intimidated by the beatings and the threats they doubled down. Meaning they went back to preaching and teaching Jesus daily in the temple which was public. And in houses which was more private. So, they were threatened, beaten and came back stronger.
APPLICATION
There is no sense in comparing the apostles mindset with the that of the American church today. It is easy to see that we are not in the same league when it comes to handling persecution. What is valuable is to look at their mindset and ask how we can adjust so that we bounce back quicker from setbacks. And ask how can we grow so that we no longer shrink back from identifying with Christ even if it means being beaten with the whips of social media and public opinion.
These guys changed the world. May we adopt that same spirit so that we might change our world also.