From doing to being: A missiological interpretation of acts 4:23-31

JAM 5:2 (2003), pp. 153-174

FROM DOING TO BEING: A MISSIOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF ACTS 4:23-31

Robert L. Gallagher*

1. Introduction Zeal for the church’s mission nearly cost me my marriage. Ten years

after being filled with the Holy Spirit, I entered full-time ministry in an Australian Pentecostal church. In less than five years, full of youthful energy and vision, I helped create numerous church programs: a Christian elementary school, a national magazine, a radio program, two Bible schools, leadership training seminars, and various evangelistic outreaches. In a hurricane of activity, my young family was swept aside by my all-consuming zeal for the local church to grow.

This paper chronicles some of the journey that brought correction to this distorted picture of God’s mission. Over a period of two years, God graciously brought the scripture, people and literature into my life that caused a paradigm shift in my thinking towards mission and ministry1—that accomplishing God’s mission does not come from doing a host of activities, but from a prayerful relationship with him through the empowering of his Spirit. In simpler terms, mission flows from being rather than doing.

In particular, this paper will examine Acts 4:23-31, one of the key scriptures that God used to cause this paradigm shift in my thinking about his mission. In doing so, the paper will endeavor to approach the passage with three guide rails in mind: first, the scripture should be

* Robert L. GALLAGHER (Ph.D., [email protected],

College Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187-5593), an Australian missiologist, is Assistant Professor of Missions and Intercultural Studies, Wheaton College Graduate School, Wheaton, Illinois, USA.

1 This paper uses the words “mission” and “ministry” interchangeably to refer to God’s work in this world.

mailto:[email protected],501

Journal of Asian Mission 5:2 (2003) 154

interpreted in its grammatical historical sense; second, the scripture must interpret the scripture, and cannot contradict itself; and third, the guidance of the Holy Spirit is needed to interpret the scripture. Furthermore, the paper is divided into three sections: first, the context of Acts 4:23-31; second, the interpretation of the passage; and third, the application of the findings.

2. Context of Acts 4:23-31 Before we look at the passage in Acts 4, it is important to obtain an

understanding of the author’s wider intent through the structure and purpose of the book as a whole. Luke wrote the Book of Acts as the second part of a unified work that included the Gospel of Luke.2 Hence, major themes form a tapestry throughout Luke-Acts. The structures of the two parts are also important to the overall purpose, and should be considered as such when exegeting any pericope. The following section of the paper will consider the passage in its wider contexts by looking at the structure of Luke-Acts, then the Book of Acts, and finally the scene in which the passage to be interpreted is found.3

2.1 Context of Luke-Acts

The discourse analysis of Luke-Acts may be shown to have six

narrative parts with summary statements providing most of the boundary markers.4 The first three parts tell the history of the mission of Jesus largely in Palestine, and the remaining three parts show the continuing movement of Jesus’ mission through the Spirit-filled believers from Jerusalem to Rome.5 According to Acts 1:1-2, the narrative of the Gospel

2 This paper assumes that the author is Luke, the friend and companion of Paul. See Col 4:14; 2 Tim 4:11; and Philemon 24.

3 The discourse analysis of narrative theology may be subdivided into: parts, acts, scenes, episodes, paragraph clusters, paragraphs, sentences and words. This paper will only consider those parts and acts that are relevant to the scene in Acts 4:23-31.

4 The summary boundary markers for the three parts in the Gospel of Luke are Luke 9:51 and 19:28 while those for the three parts of the Book of Acts are Acts 6:7 and 9:31.

5 Also, within this structure, one of the major purposes of the author is to show the mission movement of Jesus from heaven to earth (Luke 1:1-9:50), back to heaven (Luke 9:51-Acts 2:33-36), and then the continuing mission of Jesus on

Gallagher, “From Doing to Being” 155

of Luke describing Jesus’ earthly ministry may be divided into three parts. The first part takes place in Galilee and focuses on Jesus’ miracles (Luke 1:1-9:50).6 The second part records the journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. In this section, Luke concentrates on the teachings of Jesus (Luke 9:51-19:44).7 Finally, the third part narrates the passion of Jesus with emphasis on the ascension (Luke 19:45-24:53). Similarly, from Acts 1:8, Luke’s second volume may also be divided into three parts. In the first part of Acts, the narrator describes the witness to the risen Messiah by the early church in Jerusalem (Acts 1:1-6:7). Next, Luke describes the Spirit-filled witness to the Messiah that continued in Judea and Samaria (Acts 6:8-9:31). Finally, Luke records the witness that was carried to “the end of the earth” (Acts 9:32-28:31). 2.2 Context of the Book of Acts

Based on the six-part structure described above, the passage under

consideration may be shown to be within part four of Luke-Acts (Acts 1:1-6:7). This part focuses on the witness of the church in Jerusalem through the Holy Spirit’s empowerment. Within part four are a number of separate acts: the disciples waiting for the coming of the Spirit as promised by Jesus (Acts 1:1-26); the Spirit coming at Pentecost after the exaltation of Jesus as God and Messiah (Acts 2:1-47); the first persecution, coming from the healing of the physically challenged person at the Gate Beautiful (Acts 3:1-4:31); a picture of early church life, as Barnabas was contrasted to Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 4:32-5:16); the second persecution of the church coming from the Sanhedrin Council (Acts 5:17-42); and another example of church life that highlights the conflict between the Hebraic and Hellenistic Jewish Christians (Acts 6:1-7). All these acts are recorded to depict the significant events surrounding the proclamation of the gospel in Jerusalem.

earth through his Spirit (Acts 2:37-28:31).

6 In the first part of the Gospel of Luke, Luke records nine miracles out of a total of twelve in his Gospel. Altogether, there are twenty separate miracles recorded in the four Gospels.

7 In the second part of the Gospel of Luke, Luke places thirteen out of fourteen of Jesus’ parables. There are a total of twenty-two parables recorded in the Synoptic Gospels.


2.3 Context of the Scene Moving from the structure and purpose in the fourth part of Luke-

Acts, we may now consider the context of the passage within act three (Acts 3:1-4:31). The act has three scenes: the healing of the man through faith in Jesus’ name (Acts 3:1-4:4); the witness of Peter and John before the Sanhedrin Council (Acts 4:5-22); and the disciples’ prayer and filling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:23-31). This act is enveloped between two scenes that give a summary of early church life. In Acts 2:42-47, the unified community proclaimed Christ with signs and wonders. Another summary of community life is repeated in Acts 4:32-35. Hence, from the description of community life in Acts 2 that tells of the many miracles which took place during the Jerusalem witness, Luke moves to a particular miracle in Acts 3, and the subsequent events that led to the believers’ prayer. There were many miracles happening in the city, but only this one is recorded. Perhaps the reason for this is that the miracle involved the two apostles Peter and John, and also led to the first persecution of the church. The Lukan narrative unfolds as follows:

After the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter and John continued in the Jewish ritual of daily prayers in the temple.8 On one of their afternoon pilgrimages they came upon a physically disadvantaged person seated in the Gentile court in front of the Beautiful Gate. Since people had to pass this gate to enter the temple, it is reasonable to assume that the two apostles (as well as Jesus and the other disciples) had passed this spot, and possibly this man, many times before. Why God chose this occasion to heal the man is not known. As with other supernatural manifestations of the Spirit that seem so particular, like the man healed at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-18), one can only assume that the guidance of the Spirit was paramount in the selection of whom to heal. Peter stopped in front of the disabled man, and fixed his gaze upon him, and knew immediately that Jesus was going to heal him.9 Instantly, the disabled man was able to walk.

8 See Luke 24:53; Acts 2:46; 5:12, 20-21. 9 Here we could draw on the categories of the spiritual gifts recorded in 1

Cor 12:1-9 to help analyze what happened. Perhaps Peter first received a word of knowledge that this man was to be healed; then a word of wisdom as he grabbed him by the right hand and without prayer lifted him up in the name of the Lord Jesus; then a gift of faith for Peter and the disabled person; followed by a gift of physical healing, as the over forty year old man who had been crippled from birth, had his ligaments, muscles, bones and balancing mechanisms instantly made whole.


A crowd gathered in the Gentile court as the healed man jumped and leaped about, elated that he could now walk after a life-time of dependence on others. Addressing the amazement of the Jewish crowd, Peter spoke of the Messiah in whose name the lame man was healed. As Peter addressed the audience, the Sanhedrin Council, the most powerful religious, social and civil body in contemporary Judaism, gave orders to the temple guard to arrest Peter, John and the healed man.10 Their reasons for doing this were two-fold. First, they were jealous of the apostles, since the people were again following the teaching of the disciples of Jesus and not their own teaching.11 Second, since the Council, largely composed of the Sadducees,12 did not believe in the resurrection of the dead,13 they sharply disagreed with Peter’s theology. This is the same group of seventy scribes, elders and leaders who, along with the high priest Caiaphas, unlawfully tried Jesus in the temple at Jerusalem only several months earlier.14

After spending the night in jail, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke boldly before the Council about the resurrected Jesus of Nazareth. Peter declared that “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”15 The silence of the Council concerning the resurrection of Jesus is stunning. Here was a prime opportunity for them to eradicate what they believed was false teaching; yet not a word of denial came from anyone’s lips. The empty tomb, only hundreds of feet away, served

10 Acts 4:14 states that the healed man was present at the Council’s trial the

next morning, which would suggest that he had spent the night in jail with Peter and John.

11 See John 11:47-53 and Acts 5:17. 12 See Acts 4:1; 5:17. 13 Acts 23:6-8 14 This same Sanhedrin Council tried Jesus (Luke 22:66-23:2), Peter and

John (Acts 4:5-7a), the Twelve (Acts 5:17-18), Stephen (Acts 6:12-15; 7:51-60), and sent Saul to Damascus to persecute any Christians he found there (Acts 9:1-2). Led by Caiaphas, with his father-in-law Annas, the power behind the scenes (Luke 3:2; John 18:12-13; Acts 4:6), the Council had a number of opportunities to repent to God (Luke 22:69-70; Acts 3:17-20; 4:8-12; 5:29-32; 6:15; 7:51-53; 9:28-29), but chose repeatedly not to change their mind because of the desire to protect the Roman/Judaistic power they possessed (John 11:47-48).

15 Acts 4:12. All scriptural quotations are from the New American Standard Bible.


as a reminder of their twisted ploys to silence the truth.16 The Sanhedrin members were unable to refute the miracle of the healed man, and merely threatened the two apostles not to teach about Jesus again. The apostles then returned to the other disciples and reported what had taken place. It is in this context that Acts 4:23-31 must be interpreted and understood.

3. Interpretation of Acts 4:23-31 The narrator does not record the location where Peter and John went

to report “all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them (4:23),” nor does Luke state specifically to whom they reported. Also, Luke does not clarify how the prayer was executed. In other words, did Peter and John pray, all the apostles, or all the disciples? In harmony with the rest of Luke-Acts, the author emphasizes the unity of the group,17 and that the prayer is addressed to the Father.18 Luke’s interest does not lie in the details of the performance, but in the content that showed the mindset of the early church. What follows is a study of this psyche, which played a significant role in my cognitive paradigm shift towards mission.19

The prayer has three sections each of which acknowledges the sovereignty of God: first, over creation (4:24); second, over humanity (4:25-28); and third, over the present situation (4:29-30). Each of these sections will be discussed, followed by an analysis of the results of the prayer. 3.1 Sovereignty over Creation

16 See Matthew 28:11-15. 17 See the following for examples of Luke’s emphasis on the unity of the

early church: Acts 1:14; 2:44-46; 4:32; 5:12a, 15:25. 18 This is clear from the repetition of the phrase, “your holy servant Jesus”

(Acts 4:27, 30). 19 J. Robert Clinton, The Paradigm Shift—God’s Way of Opening New

Vistas to Leaders (Altadena: Barnabas Publishers, 1993) suggests that there are three main types of paradigm shifts: cognitive, volitional and experiential.


The church’s prayer began with a quotation from Exodus 20:11.20 “O Lord, it is you who did make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them (4:24).” The context of the quotation is the covenant ceremony between the nation of Israel and Yahweh at Mount Sinai following their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. After God had given the invitation to come into covenant (Exod 19:4-6), and the nation had agreed to its terms, the ceremony began with the appearance of God before Israel, followed by the covenantal conditions, which are summarized in the Ten Commandments (Exod 20:2-17). The fourth term concerned remembering and keeping the Sabbath holy. No work was to be done on the seventh day of the week by the people. To reinforce the importance of this command, God’s creation week was used as an example (Gen 2:2-3): “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath and made it holy” (Exod 20:11).

In quoting this excerpt from the Sinaitic covenant, the disciples are highlighting the sovereignty of God over all creation and his covenant people. After being threatened by such an authoritative group as the Sanhedrin Council, the believers place God on his throne in the broadest terms. Since God is the Creator, he is also in control of the Sanhedrin and the present circumstances. Moreover, God made a covenant agreement with Israel that they would be his possession among all the peoples. Israel would be to God “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exod 19:5-6). In Exodus 19:5, this covenantal possession of God’s people is linked with his sovereignty over the earth.21 Thus, for the early church

20 F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction

and Commentary (Chicago: Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, 1952), p. 126 states that the words reflect such Old Testament passages as Exod 20:11, Neh 9:6, Ps 146:6 and Isa 42:5. Furthermore, he suggests, “The invocation of God as Creator here and elsewhere has been considered liturgical, from the stereotyped character of the wording.” I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction and Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), p. 106 expands this idea by stating, “The prayer itself reflects the use of the Old Testament, not merely Psalm 2, which is explicitly quoted, but also the prayer of Hezekiah in Isaiah 37:16-20 which has supplied the general pattern and suggested some phraseology.” However, Marshall does not elaborate on this suggested connection with Isaiah.

21 Exodus 19:5 states: “Now then, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine.”


members living in the era of the new covenant,22 the age of the Holy Spirit,23 their lives were in the hands of their sovereign God and not the Council. They were now heirs to God’s new covenant promise and had nothing to fear. 3.2 Sovereignty over Humanity

Having emphasized God’s sovereignty over all creation, the

believers’ prayer now focused on God’s sovereignty over humanity. Again, the prayer quoted another section of the Hebraic scriptures, this time from Psalm 2:1-2. Before the quotation, the early church affirmed that the Holy Spirit empowered the prophets and writers of Scripture to speak God’s words.24 Then, the prayer quoted David, who by the Holy Spirit said, “Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples devise futile things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers gathered together against the Lord, and against his Messiah.”

In writing these first two verses of Psalm 2, David, when contemplating the powerful nations of Egypt, Assyria and Babylon, thought of their rebellion against the Lord. Like high-strung horses, these nations were against God and his anointed king saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us” (Ps 2:3). However, by analogy, the psalmist also foreshadowed another occasion one thousand years in the future, when the nations would be against God and his Messiah. This is what the disciples were aware of in their situation when they said, “For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you did anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your purpose predestined to occur” (Acts 4:27-28). Only weeks earlier, the disciples had witnessed the fulfillment of this prophecy, when they watched the passion of Jesus unfold before their eyes.25

22 See Jer 31:31-34 and Ezek 36:24-28. 23 See Acts 2:17-18 and 1 Pet 2:9-10. 24 See the following instances of this Lukan motif in Luke 1:67; 4:18; Acts

2:3-4; 10:44-46; 11:27-28; 19:6; 20:23; 21:4, 11. 25 To clarify this point, the apostles saw that the “Gentiles” who raged

against the Messiah were the Romans; the “peoples” who devised futile plots were his Jewish adversaries; the “kings” who took their stand were represented by Herod Antipas; and, the “rulers” against the Lord and his Messiah were represented by Pontius Pilate. See F. F. Bruce, Commentary on the Book of Acts: The English Text with Introduction, Exposition and Notes (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986), p. 106. It is interesting to note that Marshall, The Acts of the


In this correlation between David’s psalm and their present circumstances, the disciples underlined the fact that the Messiah of Psalm 2 was Jesus of Nazareth. They did this by the following means: using three messianic titles for their Lord Jesus—the Holy One, the Servant of God, and the Anointed One; and emphasizing the foreknowledge of God in the events of his death and resurrection (Luke 22:22; Acts 2:23-25; 3:18), which was an echo of section two of the psalm (Ps 2:4-6).

As we have seen from the Exodus quotation, the early church does not take passages from the scriptures out of context in order to support its claims. With purposeful intent, the believers built their arguments on the scripture as understood within its original literary and historical setting.26 The meaning and use of the Old Testament passages cited in the New Testament must therefore be decided in view of the original context surrounding the quotation. Therefore, this section from Psalm 2 recalls the whole of the messianic psalm. Evidence for this claim may be seen in the request of the church and the results of their prayer.

The main point of Psalm 2 is this: David prophesied the rejection and death of Jesus the Messiah, and the early believers had witnessed those very events. The defiance of the nations was a part of God’s foreordained plan, that God would give his Son kingly authority over the nations of the world; then there would be people from the nations that would willingly obey and worship God’s King and Judge. In all this, God’s sovereignty over humanity was foremost in the minds of the prayers of Acts 4 when they quoted Psalm 2.27

Apostles, p. 106 states concerning the peoples of Israel: “The inclusion of Israel among the foes of the Messiah marks the beginning of the Christian understanding that insofar as the people of Israel reject the Messiah they cease to be the Lord’s people and can be ranked with unbelieving Gentiles.” This statement needs to be carefully weighed against Paul’s comments in Romans 9-11. Furthermore, in Luke 23:7-12 is the only reference to Jesus appearing before Herod. See Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 127-28 for further details on Herod Antipas who was involved in the imprisonment and beheading of John the Baptist, and had the prophet/teacher Manaen, from the church of Antioch in Syria, as his foster brother (Acts 13:1).

26 See Scott J. Hafemann, Paul, Moses, and the History of Israel (Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr, 1995).

27 David’s Psalm 2 may be divided into four sections: first, the rebellion of the nations (Psalm 2:1-3); second, God’s sovereignty over the nations (Psalm 2:4-6); third, the Messiah’s coronation and inheritance of the nations; and, fourth, the worship of the nations.


3.3 Sovereignty over the Present Situation Not only did the disciples of Acts 4 recognize the sovereignty of

God over creation and humanity, but they also fulfilled Psalm 2 by their prayer and worship. In acknowledging God’s hand in what they were experiencing, the church also embraced God’s promise to his Son that the nations of the earth would be his inheritance. They did this by requesting it come to pass through them. They understood that they were joined to the risen Messiah through the Holy Spirit, and that when they prayed, the Messiah himself was praying. The early believers understood that Jesus actually had a spiritual union with his church.

Without regard to their own discomfort or acknowledgement of spiritual warfare, the believers made three requests in their prayer: “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that your bond-servants may speak your word with all confidence, while you extend your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 2:29-30). First, the believers asked to surrender to God’s sovereignty; second, for boldness of speech; and, third, for miracles of healing to be manifested through them in Jesus’ name. These three requests will now be discussed in turn. 3.3.1 Surrender to God’s Sovereignty

In the first request, it is important to note the yielding nature of the disciples. Rather than hold resentment, or anger, or fear, the church surrendered their feelings and the outcome to the Judge of all the earth. They simply asked God to take note of the threats of the Sanhedrin Council and trusted in him for the results. Peter and John, faced with submission to the Council’s authority, decided that they should obey the higher authority of God. “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge” (Acts 4:9). Hence, the believers’ prayer was reminding everyone that God was the sovereign Judge. 3.3.2 Boldness of Speech

Second, having been commanded by the Council “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18), and knowing that they could not stop speaking about what they had seen and heard (Acts 4:20), the company of believers prayed to the Lord Jesus that he would give them boldness to speak his word. In the phrase “your bond-servants,” the notion of submission to the sovereign God, who is over all including the highest religious and civil authority in Judaism, is evident. In addition,


here was a request for a supernatural impartation of the Spirit to enable a freedom of utterance that was beyond their natural abilities. Again, we see the interrelationship between the Spirit and human proclamation that is such a strong mission motif in Luke-Acts. When the Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Jesus they spoke his words with authority and God’s mission was accomplished. This was a fulfillment of what Jesus had promised them.

When Jesus was teaching on prayer he had promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit would be available to them if they asked their heavenly Father for help (Luke 11:13). “And, when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not become anxious about how or what you should speak in your defense, or what you should say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:11-12). Then in Luke 21:12-15 this same promise of inspired speech in the midst of persecution is repeated with assurance from Jesus, “I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.” By comparing these two passages, it may be shown that Jesus equated the work of the Holy Spirit as his work. The Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit are working as one within the church of the Messiah.28

Indeed, this happened with Peter before the Council when “Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers and elders of the people’” (Acts 4:8). Peter received an impartation of the Spirit29 and was empowered to speak to the leaders with such authority and wisdom that “as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). Even the Sanhedrin recognized the connection between the apostles’ words and the presence of Jesus, except they understood it in the past tense. Yet Jesus was still with Peter and John through his Spirit, and was still

28 Luke views the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of the Lord Jesus. The mission of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke is continued in the Book of Acts through the power of the Holy Spirit. Hence, during the second mission journey of Paul, the Holy Spirit forbids the mission team of Paul, Silas and Timothy to go into the region of Asia to speak the word; and in the very next verse, Luke records that the Spirit of Jesus forbids the group to go into Bithynia. In both instances, Luke is talking about the same Person of the Trinity yet uses different terminology to underscore his theological belief that the Spirit, as the guiding Lord of the mission of the church, is Jesus himself. See Acts 16:6-7.

29 Note the occasions that Peter was filled with the Spirit: John 20:22; Acts 2:1-4; 4:8, 31.


speaking to the Council who were “stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears...always resisting the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51a).30 3.3.3 Miracles of Healing

The final request of the disciples’ prayer is their desire to see the power of God continue in miraculous wonders and signs. After the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, “many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles” in Jerusalem (Acts 2:43). This was evidence that Jesus was alive and continuing his work through his followers. Thus, at Pentecost, Peter stated: “Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through him in your midst” (Acts 2:22) and “God has made him both Lord and Messiah—this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). In fact, the situation the believers in Acts 4 addressed was due to a miracle of healing that even the Council could not deny. “For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them [Peter and John] is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we [the Council] cannot deny it” (Acts 4:16). Yet, the disciples prayed that God would continue to extend his hand to heal, and that more signs and wonders would take place through the name of Jesus. They did not take for granted the power of God being manifested in their midst, but earnestly asked God for more miracles.31

30 The same members of the Council here in Acts 4 are still hardened in their

hearts to the gospel in Acts 7:51a. Jesus’ prophecy to the high priest Caiaphas in Matthew 26:64 came to pass whenever the Sanhedrin Council had the believers in judgment before them (Acts 4, 5 and 7). “And the high priest said to him [Jesus] ‘I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you [Caiaphas] shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.’” Jesus was quoting two Messianic passages from Ps 2:6 and 110:1; and Dan 7:13. The proof that Jesus was the Messiah that was seated at the throne of authority in heaven and had come back in power, were the followers of Jesus witnessing to his resurrection with such boldness accompanied by miracles. In fact, Stephen before the Council (Acts 6:10, 15) was further proof of the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah; and then finally “being full of the Holy Spirit” during his martyrdom, he quoted the same verse from Daniel (Acts 7:56).

31 Perhaps they were reminded of Jesus’ teaching on prayer in Luke 11:1-13 that highlighted the importance of continued persistent prayer. In this passage, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus recited the Lord’s prayer followed by a parable about a friend at midnight demanding three loaves of bread for his guest. Not because of his friendship will the man get out of bed


The church referred to these miracles as “signs and wonders.” Signs point towards the destination of the journey. Travelers do not stop to admire the sign pointing down the road since that is its purpose. The sign is to guide the travelers to their journey’s end. And so it was for the mission of God in Jerusalem. The miracles pointed to the risen Messiah and were evidence that what God had predetermined had come to pass. “And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them [Peter and John], they [the Council] had nothing to say in reply” (Acts 4:14). The sign of the healing pointed to the risen Lord, but the Council continued to refuse to acknowledge the truth about Jesus because of their jealousy and lust for power.32

In addition, because of their miraculous nature, wonders 33 are a catalyst to make people think about their meaning. As the Jewish people wondered over the supernatural happenings that had taken place, the early church desired that they would “repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that he may send Jesus, the Messiah appointed for you” (Acts 3:19-20). Also, in this request in ch. 4 for continued signs and wonders, the believers asked for God’s hand of grace and mercy to be extended to the people through Jesus the Anointed. This is a continuation of the Hebraic concept of God’s right hand of blessing upon his covenant people bringing physical well-being.34

and give him the bread, but “because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs” (Luke 11:8). Then Jesus went on to say: “And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened” (Luke 11:9-10). Jesus by referring to the heavenly Father’s intense desire to “give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” then climaxed these teachings on prayer (Luke 11:13). This same desire for God’s continuing power and presence is seen in the Acts 4 request for miracles to continue.

32 Luke 20:20; John 11:47-53. 33 Wonder and amazement are a work of the Holy Spirit that is a repeated

mission motif in Luke-Acts. See Luke 5:9; Acts 2:7, 12, 43; 3:10; 4:13. 34 Culturally, the Hebraic father’s blessing was normally passed onto the

eldest son via the right hand (Gen 48:13-20). Now Jesus is seated at God’s right hand. Further, the left hand of God is one of judgment, as in the case of the Philistines who captured the ark (1 Sam 5:6-7, 9, 11; 6:3, 5). Also, since Israel was in covenant with God, a part of the covenant’s blessings was the promise for divine prosperity (Deut 28:1-14).


Furthermore, the believers recognized that the Trinity was simultaneously working to bring about the witness in Jerusalem of the messianic fulfillment of Jesus being raised from the dead and sending the Spirit to the earth. Luke reinforced this significance by repeating the reference to Jesus as Messiah found in Acts 4:27, with the same two combined messianic titles: Holy One and Servant of God. The believers requested that God would do miracles in the name of the Messiah, God’s holy servant Jesus. This was the same name that had healed the lame man (Acts 3:16). The phrase “in the name of” relates to the Old Testament significance of naming.35 In the Hebraic scriptures, names often revealed either the psychological condition of the circumstances at the birth of a child,36 the character of the person,37 or a change in spiritual status, as in the case of Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah (Gen 17:5, 15), and Jacob wrestling with God and being renamed Israel (Gen 32:24-32). Thus, the request for the continuance of miracles through the name of Jesus the Messiah indicated that the believers knew their prayer would be answered according to the will of the holy servant Jesus.38

In Peter’s sermon in Acts 3, Luke noted a number of messianic titles from the Hebraic scriptures that are given to Jesus of Nazareth: God’s Servant (3:13, 26), the Holy One (3:14), the Righteous One (3:14), the Prince of Life (3:15), the Messiah (3:18, 20),39 the Prophet (3:22-23) and

35 Names of places in the Hebraic scriptures also are helpful in revealing

God’s purposes and events. For example, Hagar, the Egyptian servant of Sarai, encountered God in the desert and named the place after the revelation of God (Gen 16:13), as did Jacob with his experience at Bethel (Gen 28:19).

36 For example, Joseph named his sons Manasseh and Ephraim (Gen 41:50-52), Phinehas’ wife named her son Ichabod in 1 Sam 4:21, and Hosea his children to indicate the circumstances of their lives (Hosea 1:4, 6, 9).

37 In John 1:42, Jesus renamed Simon, the son of John, and called him Cephas (Peter). Also, see Matt 16:17-18 and Luke 5:1-11.

38 This meant that the authority for such a request to be answered came from the finished work of the cross and the authority given to Jesus by God; but also, that the answer needed to be within the divine purpose of the Messiah. This follows the invitation of Jesus to the disciples throughout the Gospels that “if you shall ask the Father for anything, he will give it to you in my name.... In that day you will ask in my name.” See John 14:12-14; 15:7, 16; 16:23-24, 26-27.

39 In the Hebraic scriptures, when the prophet, priest, or king were dedicated to the service of God, they had a ram’s horn full of olive oil poured over their head to symbolize the power and presence of the Spirit of God upon them to serve God and his people. So in Psalm 2:2 David speaks of the Anointed of God, the redeemer of humankind that will usher in God’s kingdom of peace,


the Seed (3:25). The speech is enveloped by the messianic title, God’s Servant (vv. 13, 26). This title, along with the Holy One, is again referred to in the believers’ prayer in Acts 4.40

In summary, the prayer of the disciples within the larger prayer of Acts 4 consists of three requests: first, they surrendered to the sovereignty of God and asked him, and not themselves, to judge the command of the Sanhedrin Council for “them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18); second, as God’s sovereign servants they asked that he would grant them the supernatural ability to continue to speak the word of God with boldness. This was an echo of the promise of Jesus in the Gospels that the inspiring wisdom of the Holy Spirit would be available to them in their hour of trial; and, third, they called for God to continue to heal through the work of his holy servant Jesus. These messianic titles of the “Holy One” and “the Servant” were references to the Isaianic Servant who would invite the nations to be a part of God’s new Kingdom of peace, righteousness and justice. The people of the Way41 were aware that they were now living in this age of the new covenant of the Holy Spirit and the fulfillment of these messianic promises (Acts 2:16-21). 3.4 Results of the Prayer

The answer to the prayer seemed to be immediate. Acts 4:31 states:

“And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” After they had “lifted their voices to God with one accord” (Acts 4:24a) there was a physical demonstration of God’s affirmation by having the building shake.42 righteousness and justice (Isa 61:1-3). Thus, the word anointed in Hebrew is translated “Messiah” and the Greek equivalent is the word “Christ.”

40 The title of the Servant of God occurs in a number of passages in Isaiah, but this paper will briefly explore only four: Isa 42:1-9; 49:1-7; 52:13-53:3; 53:10-54:3. At times the title may refer to the nation of Israel as God’s Servant, and at other times to the person of the Messiah; but for the church, the title always pointed to the coming Redeemer of all the nations.

41 The early name for the followers of Jesus was “people of the Way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). It was not until Gentiles began to follow the Jewish Messiah in Antioch of Syria that they were called by the derogatory term, “Christians” (Acts 11:26).

42 Compare the following scriptures as signs of divine affirmation: Acts 2:2-3, Exod 19:18 and Isa 6:4. Other examples of God’s power upon objects are


God then granted their prayer in three direct ways: First, their surrender to the justice of God was answered as “the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them” (Acts 4:32). There was unity in the church. The Holy Spirit enabled them to be more concerned about others than themselves. The threats of the Council did not cause a division among the ranks of the believers, but being filled with the Spirit, they united around the purpose of their King.

Second, the Spirit gave them boldness to speak about Jesus as the resurrected Messiah. They had prayed for confidence to speak God’s word and they then went out into the streets of Jerusalem, and did just that with “great power.” God also gave them abundant favor with the people of Jerusalem to proclaim with power the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

Third, the refilling of the believers with the Holy Spirit brought healing to the city and miracles.43 No physical healings are noted as a direct result of the prayer in Acts 4, though in Acts 5:12-16 “many signs and wonders were taking place among the people” because of the apostles. Also in Acts 5, Luke mentions the growth of the church along side the healing of the sick and deliverance from demons. The witness had now gone beyond the walls of the city to include “people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem” (Acts 5:16a).44 The mission to Judea and Samaria had begun (Acts 1:8). At this stage of the witness, there were even extraordinary miracles taking place, such as Peter’s shadow falling on people, “and they were all being healed” (Acts 5:16). So, even though no healings were mentioned immediately after the prayer, it might be assumed from the record in Acts 5 that there was a continuation of signs and wonders from Acts 2:43.

Further, there were miracles of a social and economic nature that could only be the work of the Holy Spirit. The situation in Acts 4:32-34 recalls the conditions after Pentecost in Acts 2:44-45, “all those who

found in Luke 8:22-25 (the stilled storm), Luke 9:10-17 (the multiplied bread), Matth 21:18-22 (the withered fig tree), and John 2:1-11 (the water turned to wine).

43 Note that the early church received refillings of the Holy Spirit. Such was the situation with the apostle Peter. It could be argued that he first received the Spirit in the upper room (John 20:22), filled again at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), then before the Council (Acts 4:8), and again after the prayer in Acts 4:31.

44 Compare the extraordinary miracles of Paul in Acts 19:11-12.


believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.” In subjection to the lordship of the Messiah, the members of the congregation “who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the apostles’ feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need” (Acts 4:34b-35). This resulted in a miracle—a sign and wonder to the Jerusalem community—that nobody could deny: that the followers of Jesus conducted a voluntary social service program whereby “there was not a needy person among them” (Acts 4:34a). This was a powerful testimony that supported their spoken message, even more so after the debacle of the hypocrites Ananias and Sapphira.45

Hence, the results of the prayer were three-fold relating directly to the apostles three requests: God took note of the threats of the Council by causing the church to have unity of mind and purpose under his sovereignty; they immediately continued in witnessing “to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus” with boldness, and the healing of the sick and demonized, together with signs of socio-economic equality were performed in the city of Jerusalem.

In Acts 4:31 Luke also links prayer, the Holy Spirit, and speaking the word of God as a mission paradigm for the church to follow. This tripartite model of ministry is first mentioned in Luke 3:21-23 at the installation of Jesus’ mission. It was during the water baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist:

…while he [Jesus] was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are my beloved Son, and in you I am well pleased.” And when he began his ministry, Jesus himself was about thirty years old.

Here the narrator observes that it was while Jesus was praying that the Holy Spirit came upon him enabling his ministry to begin. In Luke-Acts the prayer motif is connected with the accomplishment of God’s salvific purposes. God’s people in prayer allowed the Spirit of God to bring forth his mission.46

45 Luke compares the encouragement of Barnabas (Acts the Christian

community (Acts 4:36-37) with the scheming hypocrisy of Ananias and his wife Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). See also Acts 5:13-14.

46 There are prayer parallels in Luke-Acts. Through prayer, the Holy Spirit equips and transforms God’s people “on their way” towards accomplishing God’s


Further, God’s affirmation of Jesus was composed of two separate quotations joined together. “You are my beloved Son” comes from Psalm 2:7a; 47 and, “in you I am well pleased” from Isaiah 42:1a. Both quotations are from mission contexts. We have already seen that the next verse in Psalm 2 says, “Ask of me, and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as your possession;” while the context of the Isaiah quote says, “Behold, my Servant, whom I uphold; my chosen one in whom my soul delights. I have put my Spirit upon him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.”

Thus, as prayer and the filling of the Spirit accompanied the beginning of Jesus’ mission, so they accompanied the beginning of the church’s mission in Jerusalem. Before the feast of Pentecost there was a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons who “with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 2:14). Then as the feast of Pentecost was being fulfilled they were immersed in the Holy Spirit and began calling people to repent, be water baptized and to receive the gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:38). And now as the mission moved beyond the borders of the city to witness next in Judea and Samaria, the prayerful church once again was filled with the Holy Spirit to accomplish their task.48 This pattern of the people of God praying, and the filling of the Holy Spirit propelling people into mission is a Lukan motif that begins at the baptism of Jesus and continues throughout Luke-Acts.49

mission in the world. This is evident in the anointing of the Spirit at the baptism of Jesus and the church (cf. Luke 3:21 and Acts 1:14; 2:1-4; 10:1, 9, 44; 11:15-17); the appointment of Christ’s and the church’s apostles (cf. Luke 6:12 and Acts 6:5-6; 13:1-4); the approval of God through extraordinary miracles (cf. Luke 9:28 and Acts 4:31; 19:6, 11); and the anguish of the suffering Savior and his saints (cf. Luke 22:41 and Acts 7:59, 9:15).

47 Marshall, The Book of Acts, p. 106 states that “the words ‘Thou art my Son’ (Ps 2:7), spoken to Jesus at His baptism by the heavenly voice, actually hailed him as this Messiah.”

48 In Palestine during New Testament times there were many groups involved in mission of one kind or another. For instance, in Matth 23:15 Jesus spoke of the scribes and Pharisees who would “travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte;” that is, a Gentile convert to Judaism, as in Acts 2:10, 6:5, and 13:43. Jewish revolutionaries such as Theudas and Judas of Galilee mentioned by Gamaliel in Acts 5:36-37, “drew away some people” after them.

49 See Luke 4:1, 14, 18.


4. Application of Acts 4:23-31 It was this reoccurring Lukan mission paradigm that influenced my

understanding of ministry more than anything else. My work in the church was demanding more and more of my time. My family was patiently suffering from both an absent husband and father. On top of an already overflowing church schedule of meetings, committees and preaching, I accepted speaking invitations that took me away from my family for weeks at a time. And all the while I was completing graduate studies at the local university.

“This is God’s call on my life” was my continual answer to my wife’s pleas to spend more time at home. How could she respond to such a claim? After nearly eighteen months of trying to communicate that I needed to slow down and devote more time to my family, my wife reverted to the only avenue of communication left—she bared her heart in a letter and showed me drawings from my two little girls that depicted how they missed me in their lives. Both these vehicles opened my heart to feel the pain I was causing those I loved the most. But, how was I to change? What was I to do?

It was then that God graciously showed me the prayer life of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke and the continuing importance of prayer in Acts 4. Gradually a shift in my thinking occurred as I saw that the mission of Jesus himself, as well as the ongoing mission of his church, came from a relationship with God. Though involving works, mission was not based on works. In union with the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the first believers ministered to people from a position of relationship—of being with God rather than doing. This was the most important ingredient in mission: that mission comes from being, not doing.

So began a lifestyle change in how I did mission. Slowly I learned to say no to good opportunities, delegated tasks that others could do, prioritized my work responsibilities, and sought for balance in the intellectual, spiritual, physical and social dimensions of my life. 50 I altered my weekly planner to include healthy blocks of time with my family and one-day retreats with God each week, away from telephones and people. This change of focus aroused some concern from my church leaders, yet I knew that if I was to have a healthy relationship with my God, wife and children, in the midst of an effective ministry, I needed to follow the Lukan pattern of prayer, Spirit and mission.

50 See Jesus’ development in Luke 2:40, 52 for these four dimensions.


Furthermore, I asked myself the question: What is “Christian” success? So often the church has accepted western society’s definition of success without critical evaluation. Multiple seminars and conferences promote steps to success for a healthy church body based on the social axiom that bigger is better. Yet this is the secular business model, found nowhere in the scriptures. Godly success is finding the will of God and doing it, whether this means a life of prosperity or hardship. What is often promoted as success in life may be illustrated by an industrial image. We measure our success by how many cups on the conveyer belt of life are filled to overflowing. A twelve-cup life of multiple gifts is more successful than a two-cup life. There is much pressure to perform at the peak of our excellence and fill as many cups in pursuing life’s journey as possible. Doing is promoted as essential to a Christian life well lived.

This hyper-Protestant work ethic affects our Evangelical churches, mission agencies and universities. All too often our attitude to work is propelled by workaholism and compulsivism in attempting to follow these perceived norms of operation.51 In the process, the development and well being of the staff and faculty are sacrificed for the dream of the visionaries. Stress and fatigue, causing emotional and physical burnout, are all too common amongst the leaders of our Christian institutions. There is little theology of play and practice of Sabbath rest. Token offerings of spirituality are submerged by the push for program productivity.52

51 This paper does not advocate laziness or slothfulness (Pro 12:27; 15:19;

19:24; 21:25; 22:13; 24:30; 26:13-15). Work is a blessed opportunity from God to express human creativity after his image (Gen 1:26-27; 2:15). Yet, within many institutions of contemporary western Christianity, there are unhealthy imbalances of work and play. Sadly, little space and time is devoted to developing life’s rhythms of rest and relationships (Exo 20:8-11; 34:21-24; Lev 25:8-12).

52 Educational establishments especially continue to model this secular falsehood. For example, concerning the student’s academic workload, every department and course does what is right in their own eyes with little consideration to the overall balance in a student’s life. Quantity of work is stressed over quality. Little attention of the board of trustees is given to the spiraling costs for education and the burgeoning burden of paying back loans. And then there is the ever-increasing faculty pressure for publications in an already saturated information marketplace. Even the historical and contemporary models in Christian mission—those multi-gifted individuals who in a single lifetime plant multiple churches, reach multitudes for Christ, work night and day without ceasing, sacrificing home and health for the kingdom’s sake—are placed


Yet the life of Jesus in mission is not one of striving or struggling for bigger, or better. There was a pattern of being with God that is often missing in Christian circles today. A rhythm of spirituality is evident in Jesus’ life whereby every major event in his earthly life is soaked in prayer. “But the news about him was spreading even farther, and great multitudes were gathering to hear him and to be healed of their sickness. But he himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.”53 Luke records the importance of prayer in the life of Jesus like no other gospel writer. Luke sees Jesus in prayer at his baptism (Luke 3:21); in selecting the twelve (Luke 6:12); at Peter’s confession of faith (Luke 9:18); at the mount of transfiguration (Luke 9:28-29); before the teaching of the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-2); at Gethsemane (Luke 22:41); and at Calvary (Luke 23:34, 46). Prayer surrounds every important event in Jesus’ ministry. Prayer is the means whereby God directed Jesus’ mission of salvation to “lost” humanity. It is the way Jesus apprehended the dynamic power of the Spirit for salvation history. The Messiah’s redemptive work flowed from his relationship with God in prayer, not from his many deeds.

In the same way, Luke records in the Book of Acts the early church having this pattern of prayer, Spirit and mission. The believers’ prayer in Acts 4 is just one example of the church praying and seeking the power of God before accomplishing mission.54 The prayerful disciples followed on unattainable pedestals for us to emulate.

53 Luke 5:15-16 54 Other examples of this Lukan mission paradigm are: before Pentecost the

first church prayed (Acts 1:14), then the gift of the Spirit came upon the believers for mission as the church was “continually devoting themselves to...prayer” (Acts 2:42); Peter and John followed the Jewish custom of praying three times a day in the temple (Acts 3:1), and consequently, Peter, filled with the Spirit spoke boldly to the Council (Acts 4:8); the apostles devoted themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4, 6) while the Spirit was upon the seven chosen men (Acts 6: 3, 5, 10; 7:55); Peter and John prayed for the Samaritan believers for the Holy Spirit to come upon them (Acts 8:15-20); Cornelius, a God-fearer who “prayed to God continually” (Acts 10:2, 4, 31), received the Holy Spirit along with his family and friends (Acts 10:24, 44-48; 11:15-18); Peter was praying when he saw the vision (Acts 10:9; 11:5); prayer surrounded Peter’s angelic release from prison (Acts 12:5, 12) that enabled his mission to continue; the sending of Saul and Barnabas by the Holy Spirit for their first mission to the Gentiles from Syrian Antioch, occurred while the team was “ministering to the Lord and fasting” (Acts 13:2); and then they were sent out by the Holy Spirit after further prayer (Acts 13:3-4); the appointment of elders amongst the Galatian churches came through prayer and fasting (Acts 14:23); the first mission into


Jesus’ paradigm of mission flowing from being. They prayed to their sovereign Messiah and he refilled them with his Holy Spirit. Only then did they begin to advance to the next stage in the Christian mission of expansion from Jerusalem to Rome. The church today needs to re-evaluate its methods of mission. Scriptures teach that mission flows from being rather than doing, but secular western culture teaches that only by hard work can anything be accomplished. This attitude is summarized by Benjamin Franklin’s axiom: “God helps those that help themselves.” Like the early believers in Acts 4, contemporary Christians must choose to follow Jesus’ model, and not the model of the world.

Europe involved guidance from the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6-7), a place of prayer (Acts 16:13), and suffering prayer (Acts 16:25); mission at Ephesus involved Paul praying for twelve men to receive the Holy Spirit so that “when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying” (Acts 19:6); and, prayer and healing were integrated in Paul’s mission in Malta (Acts 28:8-9).

From doing to being: A missiological interpretation of acts 4:23-31

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