Perhaps the greatest compliment ever paid a group of believers was the one recorded in Acts 4:13: “And they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus.”
When you are in the presence of a person whom you dearly love and/or deeply respect, it affects you definitely, and sometimes even dramatically. So it was with these early church disciples who had been with Jesus. So powerful was His love for them—and their love for Him—that they were changed dramatically. The unbelieving world around them could see the change; so definite was it that non-believing men and women took note of the fact that they had been with Jesus. What did unbelievers see in this early church that caused them to take such note of His followers?
First, I believe it was their power with God, which was conspicuous. Peter and John (Acts 3:1ff.) were going to the temple to pray when a man lame from birth (45 years) asked them for alms—a hand-out for some temporal help. Peter, in response, fixed his eyes on the lame man and replied: “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I unto thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” The man not only stood up, he leaped—and, walking into the temple with Peter and John, he was praising God. It was a public demonstration of the power of God, a miracle that was undeniable. (Acts 4:14: “And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.”) The undeniable miracle spawned a message that was unquenchable (4:17). Threatened and sternly warned not to teach in the name of Jesus, Peter replied, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (4:19,20)
Second, their obedience to God was compelling. The council commanded them to not teach in the name of Jesus, but the commitment of these first-century followers of Christ was set in a holy boldness: “And he spake boldly in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 9:29) “Long time therefore abode they (Paul and Barnabas) speaking boldly in the Lord.” (Acts 14:3) “And he (Apollos) began to speak boldly in the synagogue, being fervent in the Spirit.” (Acts 18:26) “And he (Paul) went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months.” (Acts 19:8) “Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold.” (Acts 13:46) “We were bold to speak unto you the gospel of our God with much contention.” (I Th. 2:2) The church today lacks this holy boldness, by and large, yet desperately needs it in the present evil age: “The righteous are bold as a lion.” (Provs. 28:1)
Third, I note their unimpeded praise to God, praise that was constraining. (Acts 14:23-30) They praised God for His power (vss. 24-27) and for His wisdom (v. 28).
And, finally, their prayer was consequential. The place was “shaken!” (Acts 14:31) The body of believers were all filled with the Holy Spirit; they spake God’s Word boldly: “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness.”
What was the outcome of this witness in the first-century world? “And believers were the more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and women.” (Acts 5:14)
Most who will read this post live in the “Western world,” where we are neither commanded nor threatened by the authorities to not teach in the name of Jesus. But our “corner” of the world is a rather small part of the bigger world at large, including Asia, Africa, the Middle East—places where believers are indeed both commanded and compelled by the most hostile means of persecution. Studies done by daring observers of contemporary history have revealed that in the past few decades, believers in such places as China have experienced, albeit in an “underground” fashion, a revival of (house) churches and a multiplication (100 million) of Christians that has exceeded the phenomenal growth of this church in the book of Acts, where “believers were the more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and women.”
If that is indeed the case, we can only rejoice; but let us spiritually steel ourselves for when the authorities may well one day command us to not teach or preach or evangelize in name of Jesus. God grant to us, should that day come, a “holy boldness” such as we read of in these accounts of what happened to believers who were all “filled” with the Holy Spirit. May we have power that is conspicuous (for His glory); obedience that is compelling; praise that is constraining; and prayer that is consequential. Amen.
“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)