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Last time we
finished with chapter four of the Acts of the Apostles which ended with
Luke mentioning that Barnabas, a Levite Jew born in Cyprus had sold his
land and brought the money and laid it at the apostle's feet. At that
time many who had lands and houses sold them and brought the money to be
used for the common good of the first Christian community. The author of
Acts singles out Barnabas by name probably because, among those that
offered their lands, Barnabas was the most well known and has a great
missionary role to play in later chapters when he joins up with Paul.
But another reason for mentioning Barnabas is because Luke wants us to
compare Barnabas' charitable and unselfish example with an episode
involving a man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira which cast the first
satanical shadow over the early church. The episode opens the fifth
chapter.
Ananias and
his wife Sapphira sold a possession and kept back part of the price
secretly for their own use. When Ananias brought the money to the
Apostles, Peter, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, knew what he had done
and said to him: “Ananias, why has Satan filled
your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price
of the land? While it remained, was it not your own? and after it was
sold, was it not in your own power? Why have you conceived this thing in
your heart? You hast not lied unto men, but unto God.” For lying
to God, Ananias died there and then and they took his body and buried
it.
Ananias' sin
was not that he kept back part of the money, the land belonged to him
and even after the sell the money was still his property and he could do
with it whatever he wanted: no one forced him to donate it to the church
and no one would have judged him if he kept it all for himself; he had
free will to do whatever he wanted. But wanting to mimic what Barnabas
had done, he couldn't bring himself to give all of it away. He could
have just laid the sum he wanted to give at the apostles feet without
saying anything and no one would have been the wiser, no one would have
questioned why he didn't give it all, but his actions showed that he
hypocritically and deceitfully planned to deceive the Apostles and the
Holy Spirit by lying about the total sum of the sell and alleging that
the sum he laid down was the full amount.
With Ananias
now dead and buried, no one went to tell his wife what had happened
because they were all afraid of what they heard. Ananias had left his
home to take the money to the Apostles and after three hours hadn't
returned. His wife beginning to worry and not knowing that her husband
had died decided to go and look for him and went directly to where the
apostles were. On seeing her Peter asked her how much they got for the
land. She told them the same as did her husband. Peter then said to her:
"How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?
Behold, the feet of them which have buried your husband are at the door,
and shall carry you out. Then she immediately fell down at his feet, and
yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead,
and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband."
Today it
might seem to us that the couple's punishment of death was rather harsh
for just keeping part of the money for themselves, but at the time it
was a necessity to protect the new church which was founded by the Holy
Spirit on truth and honesty. These were the virtues that gave life to
the church and any deceitfulness had to be wiped out from the beginning
so that the stain of evil would not be allowed to grow and infest the
rest of the community. The sudden, dramatic deaths of Ananias and
Sapphira served to purify and warn the church.
“Great fear seized the whole church” (Acts 5:11). Right away, in
the church’s infancy, God made it plain that hypocrisy and deception
were not going to be tolerated, and His judgment of Ananias and Sapphira
helped guard the church against future pretence. God laid the bodies of
Ananias and Sapphira in the path of every hypocrite who would seek to
enter the church.
The story of
Ananias and his wife serves to testify that Luke's historical account of
the first century Christian Church is accurate. Luke is writing about
the things that happened after Jesus had left this world to communicate
to the people the good news of the Gospel of Christ and that God is
love: why would he what to include a story that would cause offence and
paint a picture of God as judgmental, harsh, cruel? If we think about
it, Ananias was not even given a chance to repent before he was struck
down. Then the apostles didn’t even have the courtesy to inform his wife
about his death and when she came looking for him, she was also struck
down for participating in the lie. What kind of a merciful and loving
God is this? We see this sort of judgement in the Old Testament, but
never think to see it in the New Testament.
Luke writes
the book of Acts in order to record for us the work of God the Holy
Spirit among the community of believers, but he also wants to inform us
of a different spirit which is also at work in the world and in the
church. Hypocrisy is a destructive force within the community of God’s
people. If Satan cannot destroy the church from without, he will attempt
to destroy it from within and it is here that the greatest harm is done.
The first century Christian Church was not a perfect community; they
were still in infancy and had to be taught from the very beginning that
the Holy Spirit will not be mocked by human sin! He is holy and he is
good, but he will not be trifled with. This God will not be mocked.
After this
warning which brought fear among the people we are told that by the
hands of the Apostles many signs and wonders were performed among the
people. They had come to Solomon's Porch which was a sheltered porch in
the temple's courtyard said to have been built by King Solomon and none
of the unbelieving Jews dared to approach them, but through their
continued preaching many more joined their community. The people
magnified the apostles and their fame as miracle workers was spreading
fast. People would bring the sick on beds into the streets so that at
least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.
Christ had never healed anyone only with his shadow so Peter's miracles
are now even surpassing the Lord's. But Christ did say that the apostles
would perform greater miracles than himself. The apostle's fame was
beginning to spread throughout Judea and a great many people from the
surrounding cities came flocking into Jerusalem bringing their sick and
those vexed with unclean spirits: and they were all healed.
All this
filled the high priest and the Sadducees with envy and indignation and
they accused them of disrupting the peace to the Roman authorities who
laid their hands on them and put them in the common prison. But during
the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought the
apostles forth. The angel told them to go and stand and speak in the
temple the word of God. So early in the morning the apostles obeyed the
angel and came to the temple and began preaching.
In the
meantime the high priest had called for the gathering of the great
council and called for the prisoners to be brought before him. When the
officers came to the prison they found the prison doors shut with the
guards standing outside, but when they opened the doors the prison was
empty. The officers returned to the council and informed them that the
prisoners had miraculously disappeared and they wondered at this new
phenomenon and how they should interpret this strange happening. Then
someone came and informed them that the apostles were in the temple and
teaching the people. The captain of the temple and the officers went and
found them and because they feared the people, they brought them without
violence to the council. The high priest said to them: Did we not
command you that you should not teach in this name? But what have you
done, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and by doing so the
people will believe that this man's blood is upon us. In defence Peter
and the other apostles replies that they ought to obey God rather than
men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on
a tree. Him has God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a
Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And
we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost,
whom God hath given to them that obey him.
Hearing this they
were offended and took counsel to slay them. But one Pharisee came to
their rescue, His name was Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, who was held
in high respect among all the people. He commanded that the apostles
leave the court because he wanted to address the council in secret. He
then warned the council to be very careful with want they do to these
men. He reminded them of past events that came to nought. Before Jesus
there was a certain Theudas who boasted that he was somebody and had a
following of about four hundred men. When he was slain all his disciples
scattered and his sect came to nothing and was forgotten. After him came
a Judas of Galilee who rose up in the days of the taxing. This was in
the year 6 or 7 AD and was the second censor of the people, the first
being mentioned by Luke in the Gospel when Joseph and Mary went to
Bethlehem when she was heavy with child and while there gave birth to
Jesus. This Judas also managed to persuade many to follow his doctrines
but when he also perished all his followers were dispersed. Gamaliel
proceeds to tell them that they should leave these men alone because if
their preaching is the work of men then sooner of later they will also
come to nothing and be forgotten, but if their preaching and healings be
from God you cannot overthrow it otherwise you will be found to be
fighting God himself.
The council
agreed with Gamaliel and called the apostles back into the courtroom.
They then had them beaten and commanded them that they should not speak
in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Luke doesn't tell us how they
were beaten because the punishment was well known and written in the
book of Deuteronomy. (25:3) Those found as unrighteous by the court and
were punished with stripes received exactly 40 beatings with a rod. The
apostles of course didn't listen to the demands of the court and
continued daily in the temple and in every house teaching and preaching
Jesus Christ.
In chapter
six, Luke describes certain problems within the ever growing Christian
community, problems which the apostles couldn't spend their precious
time solving and which led to the election of seven deacons to deal with
the internal disputes. The election of the Seven Deacons which the
chapter describes is very instructive and reveals to us human weaknesses
in the early apostolic Church. It allows us to touch the body of the
Church as it took its first historic steps as a society and a community
of men: men who in spite of the fact that they had accepted the new
faith and had enjoined themselves to the body of the Church, continued
to be surrounded with human imperfection and were influenced either by
their own passions or by temptations by the evil one.
The Church
is not a society for the clean and perfect, but a hospital for the weak.
Perfection as a way of life in Christ is the end result which the
faithful attempt to achieve. Overcoming human imperfection and achieving
perfection beyond the renewing energy of the Holy Spirit, presupposes
the continual spiritual struggle of the members of the Church. Thus the
complaints and the resentfulness of the Christians of the first
Jerusalem community, mentioned in the chapter, come and verify the human
element of the Church, which we very often forget about and which is
why, even today, we are so easily scandalized by the weaknesses which we
observe in people in the ecclesiastical enclosure. The enrolment of the
first Christians to the new faith does not mean that they were
automatically transformed or that by some magic their way of life and
behaviour were completely changed overnight.
Luke begins:
"And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied,
there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because
their widows were neglected in the daily ministration."
The Church
was still in its infancy and having taken those first baby steps,
conflicts began to arise among the members from different ethnic
background. From early on, the Christian community began to grow and in
spite of the opposition that the Christian Gospel found among official
Judaic circles, the number of the members of the Church increased very
rapidly. One of the names which from early on was adopted to identify a
member of the Church was the name “Disciple”. The name Christian was not
adopted until it was first used by the Antiochian Church. Until then the
members were called Disciples and the name was to be used widespread
later even outside of the Palestinian borders.
As a result
of the increase of the Christians there appeared various problems. Luke
mentions the complaints of the Greeks against the Judaics in connection
with the daily distribution of foods to Christians who were in need and
especially the Greek widows. From the beginning, the Church showed
particular concern for the welfare of the widows. The Greeks were
Christians who had Judaic roots but who came from Greek places and spoke
the Greek language. The Judaic Christians were Hebrews, born in
Palestine and spoke Aramaic. Thus both the Greek and the Hebrews
belonged to the same race but they spoke different languages and of
course had different mentalities and attitudes. Yet in spite of the fact
that they were of the same race, it was like having two different
communities within the one Christian community. Each community had a
great number of poor folk and widows who needed to receive help from the
community's common funds. The apostles had assigned the responsibility
of distributing the food and funds to the Judaic Christians who quite
naturally took care of their own people first and neglected the Greek
widows. The Greek therefore brought the problem to the apostle's
attention.
“Then the twelve called the multitude of the
disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the
word of God, and serve tables.”
The
problem that arose had to be dealt with and to find a solution, the
twelve Apostles, including Matthias who took the place of Judas
Iscariot, called a general meeting of all the members of the Church, of
the multitude of the disciples. This action by the Twelve shows the
measure of wisdom and humility which discerns them, because even though
they had the power and authority of the Apostolic dignity given to them
by the Lord himself, they do not solve the problem by themselves, but
they place it before the whole body of the Church and ask for the active
participation of all the Disciples.
The
Apostle’s words to the gathering of the Church reveals the deep
consciousness they had for their mission. They had the Lord’s
commandment to preach the Gospel. But now with the increase of the
Christians and the subsequent problems which began to appear in the
internal life of the Christian community, they foresaw a danger of all
their time being absorbed by the work of serving tables and thus their
main work of preaching the Gospels would be neglected.
The serving
of tables, which was daily, must have been the common meals which came
to be known as the Christian “Agapes” or the gatherings of love which
took place daily during the gatherings of the Christians. After the
meals they would then offer the Eucharist and very possibly the practice
of collecting and distributing charity which had been placed at the
disposal of the Apostles for the needs of the members.
The priority
which the Apostles give to the preaching of the Word of God does not
mean that they undervalue the work of serving tables and other works of
charity and love. Both are equally sacred ministries and the practice of
both constituted a commandment by the Lord himself. But comparing the
two, the work of preaching the Gospel was unquestionably far more nobler
and holier. Thus the Apostles had to remain exclusively devoted to it.
“Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven
men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may
appoint over this business.”
The Apostles
proposal to the members of the Church was for them to choose from among
themselves seven of their members to whom would be assigned the
responsibility of serving the tables at the Agape gatherings. Special
attention should be given to the criteria proposed by the Apostle by
which the people were to use to select the Seven. The Seven had to be
men of honest report, in other words they had to have a good name and be
blameless among the people. This is a basic precondition that the Church
has always tried to observe from the times of the Apostle to the present
day. All candidates who are to be chosen to serve the various positions
and ministries within the Church must have this good report, an
unimpeachable life and an unimpaired character. At the same time they
had to be full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom. Every ministry
which is exercised within the body of the Church, even the most
material, is a sacred work which is done in the name of Christ and
serves the salvation of the body of members. Thus even the serving of
tables was a ministry of the saints. And that is why those who were to
be entrusted with this ministry had to be active members of the body of
Christ, partakers of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, men that stood out
for their discernment and wisdom, so that they could exercise the
ministry entrusted them with success. It is clear that the Apostles use
of the word wisdom does not refer to the wisdom that is associated with
knowledge but rather the prudence and good sense and fear of God which
are fruits of the Holy Spirit abiding within us.
The Apostles
entrust the election of the Seven to the multitude of the faithful and
keep their own authority for the appointing, in other words the power to
ordain someone into the diaconate of the Church. St. John Chrysostom
observes that they could just as easily had asked to choose the seven by
drawing lots or by a ballot vote or even select the Seven themselves
inspired by the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless they don’t, but allow the
election of the Seven to the crowd and fully accept those that are
chosen and had the Good report of many. Why? So that they would not
appear as favouring certain people over others. They retained for
themselves only that which was exclusively their work, the number to be
chosen, the appointing and the ordination of the chosen.
Traditionally
we call the Seven chosen as Deacons and Stephen an Archdeacon, but
nowhere in the Acts of the Apostles are they given this title. Their
ministry was to serve the tables, the widows and the poor and thus we
cannot say that they were ordained Deacons like the Deacons mentioned in
Paul’s letters who were Deacons of the priestly order as we know them
today. But if we judge from the case of Stephen and Phillip, it is clear
that they did not only serve the work of charity but also preached the
word of God.
“But we will give ourselves continually to prayer,
and to the ministry of the word.”
In this
verse we see the emphasis given to what is proper for the Lord’s
Apostles. Of foremost importance above anything else are the work of
prayer and the ministry of the word. In contrast the serving of tables
was of a secondary nature. The first was the work of the Apostles and
the second the work of the Seven. St. Luke does not speak of prayer in
general. In the Greek text we find the article “the” before the word
prayer so it should read: “But we will give ourselves continually to the
prayer”. This allows us to conclude that he is referring to a specific
prayer – the public and common prayer offered on behalf of the assembled
community which included the breaking of bread and which has come down
to us as the Divine Liturgy.
Thus prayer
and the ministry of preaching the word of God comprised for the first
years of the Church’s life, the two founding rules of the ecclesiastical
life. With the preaching of the word, God spoke to his people and with
the common prayer, the assembled Church communicated and united herself
with the Lord. Through this double ministry the Apostles played a
significant role. In the ministry of preaching they were the mouth of
God through which he voiced his will. In the ministry of praying they
became the voice and mediators of the people to God. This double
ministry has always been the primal work of the shepherds of the Church
and like the Apostles they should give themselves, or more correctly,
devote themselves to it continually. Every other work is secondary and
must never be exercised at the expense of the main ministry. That is why
the Church has always encouraged various committees to exist within the
structure of the Church; the Church committee who are responsible for
the Church funds and buildings and the charity committees who are
responsible for the cares of the needy within the Parish.
“And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and
they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and
Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas
a proselyte of Antioch:”
The
Apostle’s proposal was accepted unanimously by the assembly of the
multitude of disciples and is proof of the unity of the Apostolic Church
and expresses the spirit of obedience the first Christians had before
the Apostles of the Lord.
First is
mentioned the First-martyr Stephen as a man full of faith and of the
Holy Ghost. By placing Stephen at the head of the list and
characterizing him as a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, Luke
expresses the common awareness and agreement of all the Church
concerning Stephen. It is certain that when Luke wrote the Acts of the
Apostles, St. Stephen had already been martyred for his faith in Christ
and was a partaker of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Next follows the
name of Phillip possibly because in a following chapter, Luke mentions
him preaching in Samaria. Next follow the other names and lastly is
mentioned Nicholas with the observation that he was a proselyte of
Antioch: in other words a believer who as a gentile first joined himself
to the Jewish religion. In the New Testament apart from the proselytes
to Judaism we also have those who “feared” God and those who
“worshipped” God who were people who accepted the Jewish teachings and
mainly the belief in the One God; they took part in the synagogue’s
worship, but had not completely embraced the Jewish faith by receiving
circumcision. Nicholas on the other hand was not just a fearer or a
worshipper of God, but a proselyte, in other words a gentile who had
received circumcision.
“Whom they set before the apostles: and when they
had prayed, they laid their hands on them.”
After
the election the assembled community present the seven before the
Apostles who then pray and lay their hands upon them. The prayer and
ordination being exclusively the work of the Apostles completes the
official posting of those whom the multitude gave preference to. With
the prayer they invoke the enlightening and power of the Holy Spirit so
that the elected will have the strength to exercise the ministry they
are called to do. With the laying on of the hands the transmission of
the grace in a certain way becomes tangible and observable. This was
something which was done even in the Old Testament when the Levites
selected from the people those who were to dedicate themselves to the
ministry of God. In ordination we see the human hand touch the head of
the candidate - these are the sensible and visible elements of the
Sacrament, but the person who performs every work is always God; thus
the invisible and supernatural element is always Divine Grace and so we
can say that it is God’s hand that touches the heads of those ordained
into the Priesthood. In the Acts of the Apostles we come across this
laying of hands on many occasions. Sometimes it is to transmit the gifts
of the Holy Spirit after Baptism, at other times to cure an illness and
at other times for the mission of preaching. From similar testimonies
from Paul we can say that the laying of hands as an action to transmit
spiritual graces for the various ministries had become a common practice
during the early Church.
“And the word of God increased; and the number of
the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of
the priests were obedient to the faith.”
With
the election of the Seven Deacons, the problem of caring for the poor
was solved and the Apostles remained completely devoted to the ministry
of preaching the word of God. It didn’t take long for this arrangement
to bear its fruit. With the spreading of the word, the numbers of the
Christians increase daily in Jerusalem. Among the new Christians who
abandoned the Jewish faith and embraced the new faith were many of the
Jewish priests. The new Christians were obedient to the faith. Faith is
an act of obedience; obedience to the Gospel and obedience to God
himself who gave us the commandment “That we should believe on the name
of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another. (1 John 3:23) Only those
who are obedient to the Gospel of Christ become partakers of his life
and citizens of his kingdom.
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