Author: Shari Gannon

These are the activities of the baptized:  to receive the word handed over by their preachers… to engage the fellowship engendered by that word… to receive the gift of Christ’s body in the breaking of the bread… to pray in thanksgiving and praise while interceding for all… to witness with wonder and awe the miracle of repentance being worked and their sin forgiven (cf. vs. 42-43).

These are the activities of the baptized in every generation.  You might note how these activities reflect the marks of the church.  There are seven of them.  Five of them are the marks the Lord lays upon his church—that is, God’s Word, Baptism, Supper, forgiveness, and the office of ministry, here represented by the apostles.  The Lord marks out his people by subjecting them to these works of his.  This same Lord also draws from his people their prayers… their thanksgiving, their praise, and their intercessions.  The seventh mark of the church is suffering—the holy cross laid upon you.

How that seventh mark is received by God’s church is particular to every generation… particular to each person of that generation.  In the generation depicted here, the mark of the holy cross is described as commonality.  The believers—that is, the baptized—met in common… they held property and possessions in common… they shared the proceeds of their financial transactions in common… they met in the Temple in common… they enjoyed the breaking of the bread in common… and they shared the gladness and generosity of their hearts in common.  The distinctiveness of this commonality earned them the favor of all the people (vs. 44-46)

Now to you, you people of this particular generation… It seems as if you have fallen out of favor with all people.  Christ and his church no longer enjoy widespread cultural respect.  The leaders of our nation and its cultural influencers appear ready to force marginalization and ostracization upon you.  Such is the holy cross imposed upon this generation… this generation’s suffering.  Like that first generation, and every generation since, in response, you cling to the Word of God, the sacraments, forgiveness, and prayer—the enduring marks of the church.

Table Talk:  Discuss the necessity of suffering peculiar to each generation.
Pray:  Heavenly Father, grant me my own cross and your Word that I might bear that cross’ burden.  Amen

Acts 2:42-47 English Standard Version

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Peter is preaching in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.  He minces no words.  First his confession of the Lordship of Jesus rings out boldly and forthrightly: “God has made him both Lord and Christ…!”  Then his accusing finger of guilt stabs them in the heart: “…this Jesus whom you crucified.”  Peter’s preaching, full of the Holy Spirit, was driven all the way to the hearts of his hearers.  Their desperate situation was revealed to them:  they had killed the Messiah.  From the depths of their despair, they cried out, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter has a ready answer for them… He preaches the same sermon as Jesus, “Repent!”  “Repent and suffer the kingdom of God to be done unto you—that is, be baptized.”  Be baptized in the name of the very Messiah whom you crucified… Be baptized for the forgiveness of such sin… the forgiveness of all your sin… Be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit—that is, receive faith itself… faith that this Jesus whom you crucified is both Messiah and Lord.  Peter applied this promise to his hearers… he applied this promise to his hearers’ children… he applied this promise to those entirely out of earshot—those far away… he applied this promise to them because the Lord called them to himself.  Peter’s answer to their desperate question, “What shall we do?” turns them from looking to their own doings and instead to the hearing of, and the receiving of, the doings of God.

A similar existential crisis is worked among you, you who are the contemporary equivalent of the crowds gathered in Jerusalem.  As the Holy Spirit drives the Word of God through your ears and into your heart, you—like them—get caught out by the depths of your sin:  Your hands, too, are red with the blood of the Messiah.  Like those crowds, the desperate question bursts from your lips, “What shall we do?”  The answer given you is the same answer given them: “Repent!  Turn from your own doings and suffer God’s doings upon you!  Be baptized!  Have your sin forgiven.  Receive faith as the Holy Spirit works it.”  To be saved from this crooked generation is not your doing but the call of God.

Table Talk:  Discuss the existential crisis brought on by Peter’s preaching.
Pray:  Heavenly Father, repent me; turn me from death to life.  Amen

Acts 2:14a, 36-41 English Standard Version

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem,

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Gamaliel… there are two of them mentioned in scripture.  The first was the son of Pedahzur, head of the tribe Manasseh, and chosen to lead the family’s tribe (Nu. 1:10).  The second is the Gamaliel of the highest council in Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin, and a teacher of Saul.  He is featured in this incident from the days of the early church.

Gamaliel, from his position among the Sanhedrin witnessed two things.  The first thing he witnessed was the apostles “…teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus” (Acts 5:42).  They did so unceasingly wherever they could get a hearing.  They refused to be silenced.  And, somehow, it appeared they had divine and miraculous assistance in escaping the imprisonment meant to silence them (Acts. 5:19).  The second thing Gamaliel witnessed was the behavior of his fellow members of the Sanhedrin.  The Sanhedrin were filled with jealousy.  The apostles healed the people (Acts 5:16).  The Sanhedrin were filled with murderous rage.  Peter and the apostles claimed, when it came to preaching that the Christ is Jesus, they would obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29ff).

Gamaliel, after witnessing both the apostles and the Sanhedrin, stood up and gave counsel to the council.  As he spoke, he gave witness to history… the failed history of other movements (Acts 5:36-7).  Then he speaks of these apostles of Christ Jesus, saying “Let them alone.  If this is of man, it will fail.  If it is of God, you’ll not be able to overthrow them” (cf. Acts 5:38-39).  As a result of Gamaliel’s speech, the Sanhedrin called the apostles before them once more, beat them, charged them not to speak the name of Jesus, and let them go (cf. Acts 5:40).  Once released, those apostles did not cease teaching and preaching the name of Jesus.

Gamaliel’s advocacy before the Sanhedrin blunted the impact of that council’s jealousy and murderous rage.  His counsel of “wait and see” gave those first apostles the opportunity to bear witness to Jesus Christ “… in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Table Talk:  Discuss how “Gamaliel’s Rule” could be used and misused.
Pray:  Heavenly Father, grant me opportunity to preach and teach Jesus.  Amen

Acts5:29-42 English Standard Version

but Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. ³⁰ The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹ God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³² And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

³³ When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. ³⁴ But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. ³⁵ And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. ³⁶ For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. ³⁷ After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. ³⁸ So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; ³⁹ but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, ⁴⁰ and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. ⁴¹ Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. ⁴² And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.