All Held In Common

 

Acts Chapter 4

As chapter 4 begins, we are still with Peter and John at the temple where they have brought healing to a lame man. While they are preaching to the crowd, they are interrupted by some official types. The officials are not happy that they are attributing such great power to Jesus, a man who was crucified as a criminal.

The officials in this case included the Sadducees. The Sadducees were wealthy leaders among the priestly class. They seemed to be highly regarded among their own social rank, but not so much with the rest of the people. According to Josephus, the first-century historian, the Sadducees were rather boorish in their social interactions.

They dislike what the apostles are doing, probably for a few reasons.

1.   The apostles are proclaiming the power of Jesus. But Jesus was condemned and crucified by the Roman Empire. As the leaders of the establishment, particularly those who are most benefitting from the Roman Empire’s influence and power, they wouldn’t want seditious ideas spreading among the people.
2.     The apostles are saying that in Jesus is the resurrection. The Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection, and they would not be inclined to encourage the free exchange of ideas. This kind of preaching would be anathema to them. 
3. The Sadducees are what we might call the elite class. The apostles are, as they note in v. 13, uneducated and common men. In their minds, the actions of Peter and John are in defiance of the social order.

All together, these issues would suggest the officials see the apostles as a threat. And there is evidence, in fact, that they are a threat. On the day of Pentecost, 3,000 people were added to their numbers; here, it was another 5,000. How much more could their influence grow?

However, the officials are powerless against the apostles and their message. They seem to fear retribution from the people, so they let the men go with a stern warning. The apostles are cheeky enough to tell them they won’t heed the warning. Their power is evidenced in the man who has been healed, who is still standing in their midst. The power of the Sadducees and their accomplices is shown to be toothless in comparison.

There is much in this chapter that leads us to consider the ways Jesus Christ upsets the conventional order:

Class Conflict – There is the contrast between the temple “elites” and the “common” apostles. The Sadducees, scribes, and priests are educated men of a higher rank in the social structure. The apostles are common men with no formal education. The officials clearly take note of this (v.13).

Power Struggle – Not surprisingly, power is vested in the established order. But the apostles have a source of power that threatens the established order. The source of their power is divine, and it is in the community of believers that they access this power most clearly.

Wealth – In addition to power and authority, is the matter of riches. The text repeatedly draws our attention to wealth – particularly, how the community of the church uses it.

It is a good time to point out that the Acts of the Apostles is the second volume of Luke’s gospel. Both volumes are, in the opening verses, addressed to Theophilus, and Luke begins Acts by referring to his “first book.” Theophilus, which means “lover of God,” might have been an actual person, or it might simply refer to anyone who loves God.

Once you realize they are written by the same person, you begin to see similarities and continuities between the two books. One such continuity is the author’s attitude toward wealth. For example, Luke’s gospel tells many parables where the focus is put on the effects of wealth. And it is in Luke’s gospel that we hear about the rich young ruler who was unable to part with his possessions, and Jesus’ comment that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven (Luke 18:18-25). Luke does not regard wealth as a sign of blessing. In Luke, wealth is a sign of danger.

Here in Acts, Luke’s second volume, attention is drawn to the way the community of the church handles wealth. In chapter 2 there was a rather brief mention that the new Christians sold all their possessions, and everything was shared in common. It is repeated in chapter 4, where new members surrendering all their worldly possessions to the church. In so doing, new members give a public demonstration of their total commitment to the church, and it is ensured that everyone will have what they need.    

Yet, greed cannot be eradicated from our human nature, and you would be right to have some skepticism about how well this worked out. There is much evidence accumulated over two millennia of the church’s existence that our effectiveness in sharing the gospel is hindered by a multitude of sins. Yet, rather than judge it an utter failure, we might see the struggle as encouragement to continually, faithfully examine our relationship with possessions.

And, as we will see in chapter 5, there were serious consequences for failure to show this level of commitment.

May you have the courage to embody the power of Christ.

May you find strength in community.

May you cultivate gratitude.

Questions for Reflection:

·        Where do you see remnants of the early church’s commitment to sharing wealth for the common good? Where do you see its absence?

·        The officials find that they are unable to exercise their power because of the man who has been healed. His presence in their midst was a tangible source of hope for the people gathered there. Where do you find hope? In the words or actions of certain people? In the mere presence of certain people? Somewhere else?

·        “Luke does not regard wealth as a sign of blessing. In Luke, wealth is a sign of danger.” What is your reaction to this statement?