In this week’s study we will see the young church face a serious problem that potentially could cause a division that would greatly weaken the foundations of the church. We will look at how they solve it, and what its implications are for us today.

Before we move in to this week section, it would be good to ask ourselves a question and that is “What is the purpose of the church?” Is the purpose of the church to grow big buildings and big budgets? Obviously it is not, but if we ask that a different way the answer might not be so obvious. Is the purpose of the church to help the needy? Is the purpose of the church to be a political action committee? Is the purpose of the church to grow disciples?

Last week we when we left the new Christians they had just seen their leaders chastised by the Jewish Supreme Court and were singing and praising God for it. They asked God for courage to carry on doing what they were for Him, and they had no intention of following the orders of the court to stop preaching. The New Testament church at this point is strong, unified and pure. This is especially hammered home by verse Acts 4:32.

Last week we left Peter and John preaching in the temple during one of the thrice-daily prayer times. They cured a lame man, and used it as an opportunity to speak. The priests at that time were chosen by lot, which was a way used back then to determine God’s will. It was a great honor to be chosen by lot to serve, and the interference from Peter and John must have upset them greatly. There is no indication that there was any riot, or uprising. The account just says that the Sadducees were “greatly disturbed”

In this second half of his sermon, Peter returns to his hard line that everyone most repent and convert to Christianity (although it would not be known by that name for some time yet) if they want to avoid the judgment to come. Since Peter is addressing an audience of Jewish believers he uses the common ground of the Old Testament Scriptures to connect Jesus to prophecy and show that he is the one that has been promised by their own Holy Books to come and bring them salvation. For them belief in God was a given, they just had to learn that Jesus was God.