“But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.”
Acts of the Apostles 6:1 NLT
At this moment the church is growing, but there is some issues between the congregation . The Greek believers are complaining about the Hebrew because to their eyes the Greek widows are not being able to get food from the daily distribution.
Now the meaning of the word widow is
a woman who has lost her spouse by death and has not remarried.
So these Greek widows have no husbands therefore, they have no one to fend for them support them, feed them, or take care of them. So we brought great distraught on the Greek believers, knowing that their widows were not being able to receive food. They believe they were being discriminated because they were Greek, not Hebrew. Because of this there was discontent in the church.
Now we have to understand. How they feel imagine your Grandmother lets say because she was a different race wasn’t able to get food how would that makes you feel it would be sad you would be angry. Why are they treating her like she didn’t do anything wrong. She has no husband to support her. They shouldn’t be like that.
“So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program.”
Acts of the Apostles 6:2
Now in the apostles, see this day, tell the believers, Hebrew Greek, and all that they should be preaching the word of God they should be teaching people about Jesus and all the miracles he has done . They should not be spending their time running a food program. Now they are not saying they should not have a food program. They are saying they would be more valuable teaching the word of God, for they have seen Jesus the eight slept, and walked with him. They seen him do miraculous things, including raise from the dead. So they would definitely be more valuable teaching nonbelievers about him rather than keep the peace and run a food program.
“And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.””
Acts of the Apostles 6:3-4
That the apostles decided the best thing to do would be to select men who are respected and full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and let them run the food program and deal with any complications with the congregation . This will give the apostles the ability to spend their time in prayer, teaching the word and teaching about the miraculous things Jesus has done.
“Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.”
Acts of the Apostles 6:5-6 NLT
The whole congregation like the idea, and they chose to seven men above, who were all well respected, had wisdom, and especially were blessed with the Holy Spirit.
This might be completely off topic, but when I got out of this was even though the church was People were having conflict and discontent, and by having discontent and conflict in the church it was causing the apostles to not be able to focus on prayer and teaching the word of God so they had to find a solution for this. They decided to have seven other people run a program so that they can focus their time on prayer and teaching the word of God.
I know I speak for myself when I say sometimes we all have that sometimes there’s something that is preventing us from listening to the word of God, or joining a Bible study or even a prayer line and we need to figure out and be like the apostles. First we need to figure out what is stopping us what is taking our attention away from God, and then We need to find a solution that works the best.
For example, let’s say you want to join the Bible study or you want to do your homework but the TikTok is too interesting well find a solution even if you have to make it where you don’t go on TikTok that whole day that you know you’re gonna need to be on the Bible study then you cut that out for that day.
Acts Chapter 5 Verses 1-11
“But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.”
Acts of the Apostles 5:1-2 NLT
Right off the top, Ananias and Sapphira have broken, a commandment. They have broken commandment number nine, which in exodus chapter 20 verse 16 says You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
This means, do not lie.
The lie they have committed, was claiming only part of the amount that was given was all they got for the property. Just to let you know them keeping part of the money was not the sin it was lying about it.
“Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!””
Acts of the Apostles 5:3-4 NLT
Peter is telling Ananias, so what he did is wrong. He’s telling him that Satan filled his heart. What does that mean? What it means is because he lied obviously lying is not from God all sin is from the devil. So, by Ananias, lying to Peter, and to God, he let the devil corrupt his heart. Peter also tell him you weren’t lying to us, but to God God knows our hearts he knows our thoughts before we even sync them, so who are we to try and trick God this is what Ananias was trying to do let’s say, Peter believed him for a second of course God knew he was lying so this is why Peter is saying you weren’t lying to us, (which is the apostles,) but to God.
Psalms chapter 44 verse 21 says “Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.”
There is no way to lie God he is all knowing and anyone who thinks they can lie or get one over on God is only lying to them selves. For our God is all knowing.
“As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.”
Acts of the Apostles 5:5-6 NLT
Ananias did a horrible sin he lied to the Holy Spirit and to God so as soon as he heard what Peter said he instantly fell to the floor and died . In Romans chapter 6verse 23 it says “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.””
Acts of the Apostles 5:7-8 NLT
Now hours later Sapphira the wife of Ananias came to peter and at this time she didn’t know anything that happen but peter gave this woman a chance to see if she would do the right thing. He asked her “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”
And she of course lied saying yes that was the price. Again she has broken the commandment and lied to the Holy Spirit and to God .
“And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.” Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.”
Acts of the Apostles 5:9-10 NLT
The actions her and her husband have done takes us to how bad sin is and how our sins can lead us to our death
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Roman’s 6:23
“Keep the commandments and keep your
life; despising them leads to death.”
Proverbs 19:16 NLT
They did not only break the commandments which the lord said to keep holy, but they have sinned against the Holy Spirit and to God whom is our Lord . He gave his one and only son for us . For them and yet they believed that they could trick him when they did not understand that the property was theirs and the money after they sold the property was theirs to keep . They could have burned it and no one would have said anything and nothing would have happened to them they had no reason to lie . They could have gave $1 to the apostles and kept the rest and bought more property but instead they wanted it to seem as if they were Christian’s they tried to show the people “ look at me I sold everything and gave it to the poor “ when instead they should have told this to peter “ Peter we sold out property for so much but I only want to give half to you for the poor “ but no they didn’t they decided to be greedy and foolish and lie to God.
The moral of this story is that you can not lie ,trick, or pull one over on God he is all knowing and knows the words you think before you can think them. These people were foolish enough to lie to the Holy Spirit and to God.
Acts Chapter 4 Verses 13-22
“The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.”
Acts of the Apostles 4:13 NLT
Boldness meaning
willingness to take risks and act innovatively; other similar words are confidence or courage
The members of the council seen that Peter and John were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. Now, this means that they knew they were not prophets They were not people who studied the Scriptures, or who were trained to know every scripture so they were regular men. The council members also realized these men have been seen with Jesus. Again, these men did not study or go to special scholar school to study the scriptures, they wasn’t apart of this council, nor were they rabbis or priests . In fact they were fishermen. In Mark, chapter 1 verses 16 to 20 it tells us how Jesus found them.
16 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon[a] and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 17 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 18 And they left their nets at once and followed him.
19 A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. 20 He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.
I know I said it multiple times, but again the council seen they were ordinary men, doing amazing things by the name of a man whom they crucified.
“But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves. “What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it.”
Acts of the Apostles 4:14-16 NLT
Now the council members are talking about what to do. They can’t sit there and tell everybody that Peter and John are liars, and that they didn’t heal this man because they saw it, everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. So now this would just look bad on them. So the next best thing to do for them was to forbid John and Peter to teach and do in the name of Jesus.
“But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.””
Acts of the Apostles 4:17 NLT
What does propaganda mean?
The definition for propaganda is
information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.
So the council members did not want John and Peter, spreading misleading information about the man whom they killed, whom they also believed, was a false prophet they believed he was blasphemous so they did not want these men going around, saying “we healed this man, in the name of Jesus”.
“So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.””
Acts of the Apostles 4:18-20 NLT
No, when the members of the council Not to do anything in the name of Jesus they responded and said, do you think God wants us to obey you him we cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard. This is something that they could not do for one. Jesus told them before he ascended to tell everybody what they have seen. It says right here in acts, chapter 1 verse 8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””
Acts of the Apostles 1:8 NLT
And second, I believe this was hard for them to do because if I was to see everything Jesus had done, I would want to tell everybody I would never stop talking about it.
“The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years.”
Acts of the Apostles 4:21-22 NLT
So the council threatened them but had to let them go. There was no way to punish them that wouldn’t start a riot . Why would there be a riot ? There would be a riot because the people of Jerusalem saw these men heal a man who had been lame for more than forty years in the name of Jesus. So to arrest or punish these men would start a riot they would have been punished for doing a marvelous miracle.
Acts Chapter 3 Verses 3-8
in Acts of the Apostles Chapter 3 Verses 3-5 it says,
“When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money.
What does the word lame mean?
The word lame means that a person or animal is unable to walk without difficulty as the result of an injury or illness affecting the leg or foot.
So this beggar was a cripple he wasn’t able to walk he was born crippled so he had never walked before in his life it tells us that he was carried to the gate each day so that he could beg for money.
In Verse 6 it says,
“But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!””
Acts of the Apostles 3:6 NLT
Now Peter didn’t have money but he gave the man what he had . Okay but what did he have? Peter had FAITH in Jesus and that is what made it possible for him to heal this man. Peter doesn’t use the words “Jesus Christ of Nazareth” as a magical spell. He has faith in the name and the person who is Jesus . He also has the power of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Acts 1:8 and Acts 2:1-4.
He has authority from Jesus to heal if it is for Jesus’ purposes mentioned in John Chapter 16 Verse 23 which says “At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name.”
John 16:23 NLT
Peter also has the confidence that Jesus will heal and honor his words because in John Chapter 14 Verses 13-14 it says ,
“You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”
John 14:13-14 NLT
Now in verses 7 and 8 it tells us Peter heals this man so let’s take a look at that.
“Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.”
Acts of the Apostles 3:7-8 NLT
Now this man did not ask to be healed. He asked for money , he was a beggar. This man didn’t wake up that day and say I want to be healed. No, he had a plan he was gonna do what he does every day get carried to the beautiful gate and beg for money. But something greater happened Peter healed him. Now when this man sees that his ankles were healed and strengthen,, he doesn’t complain that he didn’t get money from Peter , instead he gets up , and what did he do next? It says, in verse 8 what he did
“He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.”
Acts of the Apostles 3:8 NLT
We need to be more like this man, we should be happy and praise God even though he didn’t give us what we wanted he gave us what we needed even though it’s not what we asked for. God created us he formed us in the womb. He knows what’s best for us. So instead of complaining because he didn’t give us what we wanted we should be thankful because he gave us what we needed. He gave us what we needed before we even knew we needed it.
Acts Chapter 2 Verses 42-47
Once reading all 5 verses in the section you can easily understand what’s going on. People are listening to the apostles and are becoming a family in religion. They became a community they follows the laws of God ,it says in verse 42
“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” Acts of the Apostles 2:42 NLT
So we can see they are doing what is right here and if you also look back to verses 46 and 47 you can see other acts the people was doing .
“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” Acts of the Apostles 2:46-47 NLT
So right from the first verse in this section you can see these people who believed are starting to become one in the Lords eyes, for they are doing what is right, they are changing their ways and listening to what the apostles have to say. It says they devoted themselves to the apostles teachings, and to fellowship now what does the word devoted mean?
The word devote or devoted means to give all or a large part of one’s time or resources to ( for example ,a person, activity, or cause).
So not only was they listening to what the apostles had to say, but they were giving a large part of their time ,their energy , and their lives to do what the apostles was teaching them. Such as fellowship, praying sharing their meals ,participating in the lords supper and worshiping at the Temple.
Now anyone can say they’re devoted to something, but as I always say, words without actions are merely empty air if you’re going to say something or not, do it might as well save your breath but here in verse 45 it shows us that these believers were actually devoted They didn’t just say it
“They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.” Acts of the Apostles 2:45 NLT
They physically sold their property and possessions, and shared the money with those in need. Now if that’s not really devoted I don’t know what is, because I know for a fact, none of yous or me would sell our property and possessions and give the money to somebody In need.
When you put this chapter in a different translation, this section I studied on, comes up as “ a vital church grows”
The word vital means absolutely necessary or important.
So that title means a very important church grows, and upon reading it, you can really see how a church is forming . Some people may think a church Has to be in a building but it doesn’t the building doesn’t make it a church. The people do, without people the church would just be a building. Now without a building, a bunch of people praising God is still a church.
In Matthew, chapter 18, verse 20 it says
“For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”” Matthew 18:20 NLT
And in 2 Corinthians chapter 6:16 it says
“And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16 NLT
These people were creating a very important church. They devoted themselves to what the apostles were saying. They were believers. They did what we think we can do. We think when the time comes, we will be able to sell our jewelry our house, our clothes, and then give the money to people who need it but in all reality, you’re only lying to yourself when you say that.
We need to be more like these people. We need to devote our self to God. We need to make time to join that livestream ,to join that Bible study ,to do the Bible homework ,to read the Bible ,to pray we need to devote ourselves to make time for him.
In John chapter 3 verse 16 it says
““For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NLT
He gave his son for you , at least make time for him.