Atos 4
James Montgomery Boice · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 4
Boice: It is hard to miss that Luke used this word “standing” intentionally, for emphasis, and perhaps for irony. He could have said merely, “They could see the man who had been healed with them.” But this was a man who previously couldn’t stand. And there is this too. The Greek word for “resurrection” is anastasis. The basic part of anastasis, stasis, is the word for “standing.” To the Greek mind resurrected people were people who were standing up, as opposed to dead people, who were lying down. So there was a sense in which this “resurrected” man was a symbol of the very gospel Peter and the others were proclaiming. Seeing (present tense)( (991)(blepo) basically means to have sight, to see, to look at, then to observe, to discern, to perceive with the eye, and frequently implies special contemplation (e.g., often in the sense of “keep your eyes open”. Blepo especially stresses the thought of the person who sees. Imagine the thoughts coursing through the minds of the Sanhedrin! It is fascinating that Luke used this same verb used to describe Peter and John when they "fixed his gaze on" on the lame man (Acts 3:4), a look which resulted in healing! Luke's uses of blepo in Acts - Acts 1:9; Acts 1:11; Acts 2:33; Acts 3:4; Acts 4:14; Acts 8:6; Acts 9:8; Acts 9:9; Acts 12:9; Acts 13:11; Acts 13:40; Acts 27:12; Acts 28:26 Healed (perfect tense speaks of permanence)(2323)(therapeuo > English "therapeutic") means primarily to care for, to wait upon, minister but here of course means to heal, to cure, often used of the effect of Jesus' miracles (Mt. 4:24; 12:10; Mark 1:34; Luke 6:7; 10:9). Longenecker: But even the miraculous is not self-authenticating apart from openness of heart and mind; and the Sadducees’ preoccupation with protecting their vested interests shut them off from really seeing the miracle that occurred. (Expositor's Bible Commentary) They had nothing to say in reply - The irrefutable, mute testimony of the lame man made them mute! As
Atos 4
Boice adds "This unity is not conformity, where everybody is exactly alike. It is not organizational, where everyone must be forced into the same denomination. The worst times in the history of the church have been when everyone has been part of one large organization. It is not that kind of a unity." Morgan on one heart and soul - The two phrases are not carelessly selected. "One heart," reveals the emotional and inspirational centre; " One soul," reveals the new life as dynamic. This company of people, having believed in Him, submitted to His Lordship, being loyal thereto, were of one heart. They were moved by one great impulse, one love. mastered them; they had one outlook, one in ward consciousness, one inspirational motive. But more, infinitely more, they were of one soul. The word soul here is the word that indicates life; it is not the high word which means spirit, but the word which refers to life as a force, as a dynamic. We can never have the flowers and the fruits of the garden of the Lord unless we have the roots; and we shall never be able to reproduce in any community, in any nation, all the fair and gracious beauty of this condition, save as we can realize anew the one heart and the one life of that early company of first disciples. A WILLINGNESS TO SHARE POSSESSIONS Their oneness of heart and soul was reflected by love in action manifest in a tangible way through their sharing of finances. Because they were one in spirit, they regarded people as more important than things. Does that describe your fellowship dear pastor? Or is the accumulation of things greater priority that caring for the saints? And not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own - Not one is more emphatically "not even one." The NET translates it "no one said that any of his possessions was his own." The NLT has "And they felt that what they owned was not their own." They lived their spiritual lives like a family and here we see the church's first effort at financing ministry, an effort that was voluntary not mandatory, an effort motivated by love and concern, not government or social equality! Do not mistake what Luke is describing. He is describing the display of Christian charity among the close knit body. It was charity which was voluntarily practiced by Spirit filled believers. While their practice was admirable, most commentators suggest that it was not normative. However, practically speaking this pattern in the first church (while not normative) is a wonderful example of how the church can (and often does) function today in supplying the needs of other believers in distress. The point is that all Spirit filled believers should be ready and willing to share as needed, but that this does not entail turning all one's possessions over to the church leaders. The desired, ideal objective is to eliminate need in the body of believers.