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G. Campbell Morgan · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Morgan on despotes - Of course we have come to associate everything that is iniquitous with the word "despot"; but, as a matter of fact, it simply means absolute ruler; it indicates final sovereignty. Later, in the prayer they used the other and commoner word (kurios in Acts 4:29), but it opened with a title that indicated their attitude toward God and their conviction concerning Him. The first thought suggested is that of their belief in the sovereignty of God, and they illustrated the meaning of this form of address by saying "Thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is." They were confining them selves for illustration to the things nearest to them, to the very material world which the Sadducees said was everything. The Sadducees denied the existence of any thing beyond that which was patent and self-evident; the heaven, that is, as a firmament with all its mystery; the solid earth; and the sea; these were the sum-total of the things which the Sadducee accepted or believed in. Now these men said, "0 Lord, Thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea." Evidently, therefore, to them God was more than all. This was the subcon scious conviction that underlay the prayer of these men. Prayer always begins there. No man ever prays unless he has this conception of God, as being more than the sum-total of the things of which he is conscious in his philosophy and in his science. Underlying this prayer, therefore, ·which issued in boldness, was this conviction of the absolute sovereignty of God. Acts 4:25 who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, 'WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE, AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS? KJV Acts 4:25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant Acts 1:16; 2:30 WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE, AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS? Ps 2:1-6 Acts 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries PRAYING THE WORD OF GOD Notice how their prayer begins with the "God of Creation" in Acts 4:24 and is followed with the "God of Revelation" in this passage. Who by the Holy Spirit - The Spirit's role in the inspiration of the Scripture, in this case the words of Psalm 2, a clearly Messianic psalm. And so in their prayer, they acknowledge that God's Spirit inspired the written Word. The Spirit is the "Inspirer" and the prophet is the "Instrument." As David Thompson explains "If a church is going to see God do powerful things, it must acknowledge the Scriptures are inspired by God and they are literal. It has been said that “prayer is us talking to God and the Scriptures is God talking to us.” When we carefully and prayerfully study the Scriptures, and when we pray consistent with the inspired Scriptures, we may expect to see God do powerful things." Wiersbe on praying God's Word - Their praying was based solidly on the Word of God, in this case, Psalm 2. The Word of God and prayer must always go together (John 15:7). In His Word, God speaks to us and tells us what He wants to do. In prayer, we speak to Him and make ourselves available to accomplish His will. True prayer is not telling God what to do, but asking God to do His will in us and through us (1 John 5:14-15). It means getting God's will done on earth, not man's will done in heaven. (Bible Exposition Commentary – Be Dynamic Acts). Through the mouth of our father David Your servant - Same word "Servant" describes Jesus in Acts 4:27 and is in keeping with OT passages describing David - ( Sa 3:18; 1 Ki 11:34; Ps. 89:3, 20. The Holy Spirit, the Inspirer, spoke through the mouth of...David, the instrument. As Peter later explained "no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." (2 Pe 1:21+) We saw a similar description of divine inspiration in Acts 1:16+... “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. Related Resources: What is verbal plenary inspiration? What are the different theories of biblical inspiration? How does the translation process impact the inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility of the Bible? Is there proof for the inspiration of the Bible? What does it mean that the Bible is inspired? Who wrote the Bible? Does the inerrancy of the Bible only apply to the original manuscripts? Textual criticism - what is it? Servant (3816)(pais; English - pedo- as in pediatrics, pedobaptism) is translated most often as servant but can also refer to young children. Regarding the uses of pais for servant or slave BDAG writes this describes "one who is committed in total obedience to another." It is surprising that there are no other NT uses outside of the Gospels and Acts. Nevertheless, the concept of a slave as totally committed to the obedience of another, especially God, is portrayed in the noun doulos, which is first used by these new believers in Acts 4:29 to describe their relationship of God. I wonder how many modern believers see themselves as a doulos of God? What difference would it make in our lives if we really understood what this meant? (See comments on Acts 4:29). (1) in reference to age it refers to a child, either boy (Mt 2:16 = "slew all the male children"; Mt 17:18; 21:15; Mk 9:21; Lk 2:43 = "the boy Jesus"; Lk 9:42; Acts 20:12) or girl (Lk 8.51, 54). BDAG adds in this meaning pais "normally below the age of puberty, w. focus on age rather than social status." (2) When pais refers to descent, one's own immediate offspring = son, daughter, child (Jn 4.51); (3) Pais can refer to social position = servant (Mt 8:6, 8, 13 = My servant is lying paralyzed", slave "boy"; Lk 7.7 = my servant will be healed.); as a servant in a ruler's household (Mt 14.2); of "the children who were crying out in the Temple and saying "Hosanna to the Son of David." (Mt 21:15) (4) Of Jesus as the Father's "Servant", the Suffering Servant (Mt 12:18, Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30). David (Lk 1:69) and Israel (Lk 1:54) also described as God's servants (see below). Believers in Jesus are sons and daughters of God and therefore servants following the example of Jesus. “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. (Mt 12:18, Mt 12:18-21 is quoted from Isa 42:1-4) Comment - Regarding Jesus as the Servant of God see the discussion of "Jesus the Servant Dignified by God" which discusses the quotes from Isaiah 42:1 and Isaiah 52:13 (Behold, My Servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.) Servant of God = minister or ambassador of God, called and beloved of God, sent by Him to perform any service, e.g., of David ( Lu 1:69; Acts 4:25); of Israel (Lk 1:54 [cf. Isa 41:8, 9; 44:1, 2; 45:4), of Jesus the Messiah (Mt 12:18 allusion to Isa 42:1; Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30; Isa 49:6; 50:10; 52:13); Of Caleb in Nu 14:24. Gilbrant - In classical Greek pais is a term which defines human relationships. In relation to family it means “son” or “daughter.” In relation to age it means “child” in contrast to adolescent or adult. Xenophon, for example, speaks of separate housing quarters for young boys (pais), adolescents, and mature men (Cyropaedia 1.2.4). In relation to social position pais means “servant” or “slave.” The Hebrew word which is usually translated by pais in the Septuagint is ‛evedh. This term refers to a servant or slave. It comes from the verb ‛ăvadh which means “to work.” When used in relation to God ‛evedh speaks of humility before God. A servant of God is obedient. Thus the Lord declares in Isaiah 52:13, “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently.” (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary) Pais - 25x in 24v - boy(4), child(1), children(1), girl's(1), male children(1), men(1), servant(12), servants(2), slaves*(1), son(1). Matt. 2:16; Matt. 8:6; Matt. 8:8; Matt. 8:13; Matt. 12:18; Matt. 14:2; Matt. 17:18; Matt. 21:15; Lk. 1:54; Lk. 1:69; Lk. 2:43; Lk. 7:7; Lk. 8:51; Lk. 8:54; Lk. 9:42; Lk. 12:45; Lk. 15:26; Jn. 4:51; Acts 3:13; Acts 3:26; Acts 4:25; Acts 4:27; Acts 4:30; Acts 20:12 Pais - over 450x in the Septuagint so only Genesis listed - Ge 9:25-27; 12:16; 14:15; 18:3,5,7,17; 19:2,19; 20:8,14; 21:25; 22:3,5,19; 24:2,5,9-10,14,17,28,34-35,52-53,57,59,61,65-66; 26:15,18-19,25,32; 30:43; 32:5-6,11,17,19,21; 33:5,8,14; 34:12; 39:14,17,19; 40:20; 41:10,12,37-38; 42:10-11,13; 43:18,28; 44:7,9-10,16-19,21,23-24,27,30-33; 46:34; 47:3-4,19,21,25; 50:2,7 FUTILITY OF OPPOSITION TO GOD'S PLAN WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE, AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS? - Why do they quote this OT messianic psalm? The disciples identified with the Psalmist in their present situation in which the “kings of the earth” were opposing their witness (Psalm 2:2), just as they had opposed their Lord. As
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Morgan says "those that believed" " were those who had yielded them selves to the Lordship of Jesus,. to obedience to His teaching." Morgan adds that "The power of this fellowship is revealed in the words: " The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul." It does not matter for the moment whether these believers sold their houses and land, or not. That is not the important thing. Do not begin with the selling of a house, and the selling of land; begin with the fact that "they that believed were of one heart and soul." Were of one heart and soul (cf Acts 1:14+) - Why were they of one heart and soul? Because they believed in one Lord and had one Spirit indwelling each of them. In Acts 4:24 they were homothumadon, on one mind, one accord, which is synonymous with "one heart and soul," which ultimately is a result of the Spirit filling all of them were "one body and one Spirit." (Eph 4:4). How did they have one heart? 2 Chr 30:12 gives us a "clue" - The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD." And in a promise to Israel (which will be fulfilled in last days) we read "I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them." (Jer 32:39) So ultimately they were of one heart and soul because God had enabled this spiritual synergy. Robertson on heart and soul - It is not possible to make sharp distinction between heart and soul here (see Mark 12:30), only that there was harmony in thought and affection. (Word Pictures in the New Testament)
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Morgan - If we cannot understand what that means, we must go to some of the apostolic writings, and listen to their descriptions of what the Church ought to be. If one member suffers, all the members talk about it, and attempt to be sympathetic, and decide to make a collection. That is not the idea at all. That is what we do to-day! This is it: "Whether one member suffereth all the members suffer with it ; or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it." That is corporate consciousness.
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Morgan - These people lived in the conviction of the supremacy of the spiritual over the material. The very life of the Spirit in them made the question of property a secondary question. We may call them improvident. That is the word of the world, and I am not sure that it is not the word of the flesh and the devil also. These people were so mastered by the spiritual power that possessed them, so driven in this fresh and fragrant dawn of the Church's life by the reality of the eternal and the spiritual, that they held with light hands the things of the world. All material property was subservient to spiritual purpose, and so they said that nothing they had was their own. Then observe carefully that there was no compulsion, neither rules, nor regulations, nor pledges! The multiplication of pledges is always a sign of the decadence of the Church's life. There was a great spiritual impulse, but there was no compulsion other than that these men were not compelled to give up anything; everything was voluntary. The distribution was apostolic, and according as every man had need. The movement was purely voluntary, wholly and absolutely spiritual, the answer of external activities to the inward dynamic. One heart, the emotional centrt; one life, spiritual dynamic; one activity, all things belonging to all. Horton - None of them said, "What I have is mine and I am afraid I might need it myself." Instead, they felt a love and responsibility for each other that made them want to share everything. God was supplying their needs and they believed He would continue to provide. The same attitude that sprang up after they were first filled with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost still prevailed (Acts 2:44-45). Again, there was no compulsion. Their sharing was simply an expression of their love and their unity of mind and heart in the one body of Christ (cf. Gal. 6:10). (Acts: A Logion Press Commentary) Bob Deffinbaugh - Now I know that some have said this was a form of communism, but surely that is not what Luke has described to us. First of all, there is no compulsory collection of goods and money from anyone. This is most clear in Peter’s words to Ananias and Sapphira: “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control?” (Acts 5:4a). The land belonged to Ananias and Sapphira. They could do with it what they wished. They did not have to sell the land, or to give any part of the proceeds to be used for the poor. The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was that of deception, lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4). Second, the text does not say that everyone sold everything they had and pooled it all together. It says that no one made selfish use of his right of ownership. I want you to see that actual ownership did not change except in the case of property that was sold. Luke said, “… not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own …” (Acts 4:32). Property still belonged to its owner, but the owner did not claim exclusive rights to his property. This was because the congregation was ‘of one heart and soul.’ There was such love and concern for one another that whatever anyone had that someone else needed was his to use. To put this into more modern terms, the slave owner might loan his Cadillac to his Christian slave to take the children to school or to go shopping. One individual might loan his rototiller to his Christian neighbor who did not own one. The man with a large house would volunteer to host a large gathering of Christians that could not fit comfortably into another house. Someone who had an extra room might make it available for visiting Christians to stay in. Material blessings, then, are not simply for us to enjoy, but for us to share with others who are in need; they are a tangible means of expressing Christian love and unity to believers and to demonstrate the life-transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. (The New Testament Church—Its Finances) As newsman Clarence W. Hall followed American troops through Okinawa in 1945, he and his jeep driver came upon a small town that stood out as a beautiful example of a Christian community. He wrote, "We had seen other Okinawan villages, … down at the heels and despairing; by contrast, this one shone like a diamond in a dung heap. Everywhere we were greeted by smiles and dignified bows. Proudly the old men showed us their spotless homes, their terraced fields, … their storehouses and granaries, their prized sugar mill." Hall saw no jails and no drunkenness, and divorce was unknown. He learned an American missionary had come there thirty years earlier. While he was in the village, he had led two elderly townspeople to Christ and left them with a Japanese Bible. These new believers studied the Scriptures and started leading their fellow villagers to Jesus. Hall's jeep driver said he was amazed at the difference between this village and the others around it. He remarked, "So this is what comes out of only a Bible and a couple of old guys who wanted to live like Jesus." The world at its worst needs the church at its best. Will Work For Friends Read: Acts 4:32-37 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked. —Acts 4:34 Six friends have formed a home-repair club in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They meet one Saturday each month at one of their homes to work on projects that cannot be tackled alone. Having helped one another for 20 years, they say they’re now bonded together like one big family. A similar group has formed in Snohomish, Washington. Their motto is: “Will Work For Friends.” The concern of these groups for their friends reminds me of the early church (Acts 4:32-37). During this time of great persecution of believers, they especially needed the support of one another. Some people voluntarily sold their lands or houses and brought the proceeds to the apostles, and “they distributed to each as anyone had need” (v.35). They were of “one heart” and “had all things in common” (v.32). As followers of Christ today, we too need the spiritual support and encouragement of one another. We may be struggling with a decision about how to serve the Lord, or concerned about a problem at work, or unsure of how to discipline a rebellious child. These are good opportunities to enlist the advice and prayer of fellow Christians. Through love, let’s serve one another—physically and spiritually—in the family of God (Gal. 5:13). Be not weary in your serving; Do your best for those in need; Kindnesses will be rewarded By the Lord who prompts the deed. —Anon. Christians stand strong when they stand together. WHO WILL DO THE WORK? Those who believed were of one heart and one soul. --Acts 4:32 The following letter, which speaks for itself, was circulated in a large congregation. Dear Friend: Our church membership… 1400 Nonresident members… 75 Balance left to do the work… 1325 Elderly who've done their share… 25 Balance left to do the work… 1300 Sick and shut-ins… 25 Balance left to do the work… 1275 Members who do not give… 350 Christmas and Easters members… 300 Balance to do the work… Members who are overworked… 300 Balance left to do the work… 325 Members with alibis… 200 Balance left to do the work… 125 Members too busy with other things.123 Balance left to do the work… 2 Just you and me, friend, and you had better get busy, because it's too much for me! The church is made up of just two kinds of folk; No matter how you and I view it -- The ones who just talk about what should be done, And those who get busy and do it. – Anon Illustration - Sometime ago Denalyn, Max Lucado's wife, bought a monkey. He writes, "I didn't want a monkey in our house, so I objected. "Where is he going to eat?" I asked. "At our table." "Where is he going to sleep?" I inquired. "In our bed." "What about the odor?" I demanded. "I got used to you; I guess the monkey can too." Unity doesn't begin in examining others but in examining self. Unity begins, not in demanding that others change, but in admitting that we aren't so perfect ourselves. Acts 4:33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. KJV Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. with great power the apostles were giving testimony Acts 4:30; 1:8,22; 2:32,33; 3:15,16; 5:12-16; Mark 16:20; Luke 24:48,49; Ro 15:18,19; 1 Th 1:5; Hebrews 2:4 abundant grace was upon them all Acts 2:47; Luke 2:52; John 1:16 Acts 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries APOSTOLIC WITNESSES OF JESUS' RESURRECTION And with great (megas) power - The word power is dunamis (in fact dunamis that was great) which describes the inherent ability within the apostles, a supernatural power provided by the Spirit, which allowed them to accomplish supernaturally what they could not accomplish naturally. This is a clear answer to their prayer in Acts 4:30.