Acts 4:33, commentary and pictures

With great power the apostles boldly testified that God had raised Jesus from the dead, not discouraged by rejection, crucifixion and opposition but filled with the Holy Spirit speaking through them. Their testimony carried the good news of a risen Saviour and redeeming love to the ends of the earth, and God confirmed it by adding many to the church, healing the sick and re-converting backsliders. Great grace upon them all means God's abundant grace rested on all the believers, making them one in heart and soul, loving one another as Christ loved and setting aside selfishness. That grace showed itself in voluntary, self-sacrificing sharing of possessions through the apostles so that no needy one lacked, not a common-stock community system but means held as lent on trust to advance the gospel and relieve the suffering. The same endowment of spiritual power and grace is needed by those who proclaim the truth today, to be received under the Spirit's control in answer to earnest, persevering prayer and wholehearted benevolence.

Powerful Witness to Resurrection

After Christ's rejection and crucifixion the apostles were not discouraged and crestfallen and ready to disown their Lord as their enemies expected, but gave clear, bold witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power under the Holy Spirit. Their words and works represented the words and works of their Teacher, so that all who heard them said they had learned of Jesus and talked as He talked. Their bold witness came despite their lack of worldly status or recognition and in the face of opposition, for they relied on the Word and Spirit of God.

Their power came from being filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and abundant grace rested on them all. Their witness followed united prayer for boldness, and was joined with unity of heart, love for one another, and freedom from selfishness, so that God spoke through them and blessed their work. Their testimony was powerful because the resurrection and ascension were a living reality to them, fulfilling the promise that followers would do greater works after Christ went to the Father.

Their witness proclaimed that God raised Christ from the dead, carrying the glad tidings of a risen Saviour and of redeeming love, of Christ and Him crucified, to the uttermost bounds of the inhabited world. Zeal for God moved the disciples to bear this witness with mighty power, meaning determined telling of the story of redeeming love and sacrifice. Their witness to the risen Saviour was accompanied by healing, including the restoration of a man who had always been lame.

The resurrection was essential to preaching and faith, for if Christ is not raised preaching is vain and faith is vain, believers are yet in their sins, and those fallen asleep in Christ are perished. The Roman guard also saw Christ's resurrection and testified to it. Though the Sadducees opposed the doctrine of the resurrection, the evidence that Jesus had risen and remained on earth for forty days was too convincing to doubt, and five thousand embraced the teaching.

God bore witness to their gospel message, and under their labors many were added to the church. Hundreds proclaimed that the kingdom of God is at hand and could not be restrained or intimidated by threatenings. Their preaching of redeeming grace reconverted backsliders and even turned former opponents of the gospel into its champions, and those who received the truth devoted themselves to sharing the hope, peace, and joy it gave them. Wherever they went the sick were healed and the poor had the gospel preached to them, strengthening and enlarging the church.

Great Grace and Unity

Great grace upon them all means God's abundant grace rested on all the believers, with the Lord speaking through the apostles and the Spirit animating the whole congregation. The primitive church's unity of heart and soul was accompanied by this powerful witness to Jesus' resurrection and by great grace, flourishing for a time under the influence of the church's gifts. After Jesus' resurrection and ascension the apostles boldly testified with great power that He had risen, despite lack of worldly status and in the face of opposition, relying on the Word and Spirit of God. This testimony and shared grace marked the early church after the Holy Spirit was poured out.

That grace appeared in oneness of heart and soul, with one interest prevailing and one object swallowing up all others, all hearts beating in harmony. Every Christian saw in his brother the divine similitude of benevolence and love, with the only ambition to reveal the likeness of Christ's character and to labor for the enlargement of His kingdom. Their shared love and care expressed Christ's command to love as He had loved them, by acting with one heart, setting aside selfishness and covetousness, and boldly proclaiming God's word. The Spirit of Christ thus animated the whole congregation, carrying the glad tidings of a risen Saviour to the uttermost bounds of the inhabited world.

The grace was seen in self-sacrificing care for converts who had lost homes or livelihoods, sharing possessions through the apostles so each received according to need and no one lacked. Resources served the good of others and the advance of God's work, meeting needs and advancing the gospel. Believers lived a calm, devout, earnest, patient life in the days when the risen Christ's glory shone among them, alongside unity and shared possessions. Those permitted to keep their homes gladly received brethren banished from home and kindred, and when driven forth themselves accepted the lot of the outcast, rejoicing to suffer for truth's sake.

The selling of possessions was not a general relinquishing of all property into a common stock where no one had claims above another, and not a community system fund, but a voluntary selling so there would be no lack among the suffering poor and the cause of truth might be sustained. Each felt no claim on property above Christ's claims, letting Him fully into houses, lands and possessions as far as the needs of His cause and the worthy poor required. Houses, lands and means were handled as lent on trust by the Lord, not as their own, avoiding wastefulness. They were used to advance His work, to publish the glad tidings of the gospel, and to relieve the needy and helpless for whom Christ showed greatest pity and most tender compassion.

This witnessing is recorded in the third, fourth, and fifth chapters of Acts. It marks the early church in the days when the risen Christ's glory shone among them after the Spirit's outpouring, with unity, shared possessions, and care so that no one lacked. At that time unity flourished for a time under the influence of the church's gifts.

Pattern for Church Today

Acts 4:33 shows what God can do when men give themselves to the control of His Spirit, and stands as the example of the spiritual power and grace needed by all who proclaim the truth. The Lord spoke through the apostles, and under their labors chosen men were added to the church who received the word of life and consecrated their lives to give to others the hope that had filled their hearts with peace and joy. Hundreds proclaimed that the kingdom of God is at hand and could not be restrained or intimidated by threatenings, and wherever they went the sick were healed and the poor had the gospel preached to them. Their witness followed prayer and was joined with boldness, unity, and freedom from selfishness. That same power for service is to fill men today by the Spirit of God in answer to earnest, persevering prayer, firing hearts with determination to witness.

Zeal for God moved the disciples to bear witness to the truth with mighty power, meaning determined telling of the story of redeeming love, of Christ and Him crucified and His sacrifice. Believers today are to follow that example, proclaiming redeeming love and Christ crucified with even greater zeal and with a mighty revelation of God's power, seeking the Spirit's power through earnest, persevering prayer and working to spread the gospel. This leaves the church without excuse for being weak and spiritless. The first Christian church is a lesson to all Christians to the end of time, and its consecration sets the principle to actuate those living in the last days under the last message of mercy. The same influence comes upon hearts of believers today, leading them to give with the same unselfish spirit, to practice wholehearted benevolence, and to obey the Holy Spirit, which renews the apostolic experience of power and grace.

That influence leads them to remember property is not their own but lent on trust by the Lord, to avoid wastefulness with it, to use the Lord's goods to advance His work, to publish the glad tidings of the gospel, and to relieve the needy and help the helpless, for whom Christ showed greatest pity and most tender compassion. Each feels no claim on property above Christ's claims, but lets Christ fully into houses, lands, and possessions as far as the needs of His cause and of the worthy poor require. The selling of possessions was not a general relinquishing of all property into a common stock where no one had claims above another, and not a community system fund, but a voluntary selling so there would be no lack among God's suffering poor and so the cause of truth might be sustained. Their generosity showed they valued the mission and the salvation of people more than earthly wealth, caring in self-sacrifice for converts who had lost homes or livelihoods by sharing possessions through the apostles so each received according to need and no one lacked. Their love for sinners showed itself in active benevolence to extend truth to others and in gifts to needy saints, proving their ideas had not contracted but were greatly enlarged. They saw the cause of Christ extending far beyond highest expectations with much accomplished in a short time, and were in ardent expectation that the work would be carried forward with unabated zeal, those who had property submitting it to forward the work.

When the Holy Spirit works and the Lord comes very close to His people, He gives mighty power to do His work so the abundant grace of Christ is revealed through them. The only ambition then is to reveal the likeness of Christ's character and to labor for the enlargement of His kingdom, carrying the glad tidings of a risen Saviour to the uttermost bounds of the inhabited world. Converts flock from all directions, many are converted, backsliders are re-converted and return, sinners unite with Christians in seeking Christ, and even former opponents become champions of the gospel. Those who join devote themselves to reflecting Christ's character and extending His kingdom, carrying the hope of peace and joy to others, with threats unable to stop them, preaching reaching the poor, and God working through them with miracles of grace as God's helping hand to strengthen and enlarge the church. The lack of this working is cause for heavy burden and earnest pleading prayer for that closeness and endowment of power.