Disciples Sharing the Gospel from House to Houseby Stephenoch
5:42Acts 5:42
And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
After being beaten and forbidden on pain of death to speak any more in the name of Jesus, the apostles went out rejoicing to be counted worthy to suffer shame for him and continued every day without ceasing to teach and preach him as the Christ. They did this both openly in the temple and privately from house to house wherever they were invited, even in secret homes where believers feared to confess openly. Filled with the Holy Spirit they spoke boldly what they had seen and heard of his birth, work, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, fearlessly charging his blood upon his murderers and trusting God's word and Christ's strength rather than wealth or honor. Their witness was confirmed by healings and miracles in his name, so that believers were added, disciples multiplied, and the word of God grew. This daily public and house-to-house teaching and preaching is the pattern for missionary work, calling those who have received light to take the Bible into families, explain it simply, help the sick, and win hearts until sinners are converted.
Persecuted Yet Unceasing Witness
The council had the apostles beaten with rods and repeatedly ordered them at the peril of their lives and under threat of death to speak no more in the name of Jesus, yet they left rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. They turned that shame into glory and pain into joy for the sake of their Master who had borne humiliation and agony before them, praising God that they could suffer for Him. By this they proved their persecutors unable to overthrow them.
They refused to stop and disobeyed the order, continuing every day without ceasing to teach and preach Jesus Christ despite deep prejudice, confusion, threats, and punishment. They did this both publicly in the temple and privately from house to house in every house where they were invited. That private work included secretly entering private homes at the request of occupants who dared not openly confess faith for fear of the Jews.
Testifying boldly under the power of the Holy Spirit, their words and works represented Jesus so clearly that people recognized they had learned from Him. They relied on God's word and Christ's strength rather than wealth, weapons, honor, or recognition. Their message told the story of His birth, work and mission, cross and crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. They boldly testified to what they had seen and heard of His resurrection and fearlessly charged His blood upon His murderers.
Their ministry was accompanied by signs and miracles through His name, with the sick healed and the poor having the gospel preached to them. So believers and the number of disciples increased and the word of God grew and multiplied. Going from place to place they raised up companies of believers and left them in the care of faithful teachers while moving on to still other places. Under their labors chosen men were added who consecrated their lives to give to others the message that had filled their own hearts with peace and joy, until hundreds were proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand, showing their mission was unfinished and still to be brought before kings.
Closing the account of Ananias and Sapphira's deception and death and the apostles' signs, healings, and increase of believers, the verse shows a work of teaching and proclaiming Christ every day in the temple and in homes that God will cause to triumph. It warns that He will just as surely punish deceptive, oppressive and unjust dealings, taking advantage by lawyers, exorbitant prices exacted, connivance at fraud, every hindrance to the truth, and diverting His means into a wrong channel.
Pattern For House Ministry
Daily teaching and preaching about Jesus both in public worship in the temple and in homes is the pattern for missionary work. It means taking the Bible from house to house, visiting families and opening and reading it to people. Those who have received divine light share it with others by giving Bible readings in people's homes, explaining Scripture clearly and simply, and helping the sick, thereby gaining the people's love.
Through such human effort the Lord speaks through the workers and the Holy Spirit convicts hearts. God makes the truth powerful to save and the Saviour blesses those who do this work. He enlarges small efforts to satisfy hungry hearers who follow to hear the Word, making them hungry to hear and bringing many souls to the knowledge of the truth. So this leads to genuine conversion and the conversion of sinners, as when preaching the Word everywhere under the power of the Holy Spirit converted thousands in a day.
Receiving Christ's grace leads believers to value the souls for whom He died, make time for prayer and communion with God, gather for worship, visit others, and keep teaching and preaching Jesus Christ. Having their own hearts filled with peace and joy, they consecrate their lives to giving the message to others and cannot be restrained or frightened by threatenings. Doing this requires the self-denying life of Christ, being wide-awake to do the whole duty and sustaining the work by sacrifice. There must be a waking from stupor and indifference, because there is a world to save and a message to give and no sleeping in this judgment hour.
After being beaten and forbidden on pain of death to speak any more in the name of Jesus, the apostles went out rejoicing to be counted worthy to suffer shame for him and continued every day without ceasing to teach and preach him as the Christ.
They did this both openly in the temple and privately from house to house wherever they were invited, even in secret homes where believers feared to confess openly.
Filled with the Holy Spirit they spoke boldly what they had seen and heard of his birth, work, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, fearlessly charging his blood upon his murderers and trusting God's word and Christ's strength rather than wealth or honor.
Their witness was confirmed by healings and miracles in his name, so that believers were added, disciples multiplied, and the word of God grew.
This daily public and house-to-house teaching and preaching is the pattern for missionary work, calling those who have received light to take the Bible into families, explain it simply, help the sick, and win hearts until sinners are converted.
Persecuted Yet Unceasing Witness
The council had the apostles beaten with rods and repeatedly ordered them at the peril of their lives and under threat of death to speak no more in the name of Jesus, yet they left rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. They turned that shame into glory and pain into joy for the sake of their Master who had borne humiliation and agony before them, praising God that they could suffer for Him. By this they proved their persecutors unable to overthrow them.
They refused to stop and disobeyed the order, continuing every day without ceasing to teach and preach Jesus Christ despite deep prejudice, confusion, threats, and punishment. They did this both publicly in the temple and privately from house to house in every house where they were invited. That private work included secretly entering private homes at the request of occupants who dared not openly confess faith for fear of the Jews.
Testifying boldly under the power of the Holy Spirit, their words and works represented Jesus so clearly that people recognized they had learned from Him. They relied on God's word and Christ's strength rather than wealth, weapons, honor, or recognition. Their message told the story of His birth, work and mission, cross and crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. They boldly testified to what they had seen and heard of His resurrection and fearlessly charged His blood upon His murderers.
Their ministry was accompanied by signs and miracles through His name, with the sick healed and the poor having the gospel preached to them. So believers and the number of disciples increased and the word of God grew and multiplied. Going from place to place they raised up companies of believers and left them in the care of faithful teachers while moving on to still other places. Under their labors chosen men were added who consecrated their lives to give to others the message that had filled their own hearts with peace and joy, until hundreds were proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand, showing their mission was unfinished and still to be brought before kings.
Closing the account of Ananias and Sapphira's deception and death and the apostles' signs, healings, and increase of believers, the verse shows a work of teaching and proclaiming Christ every day in the temple and in homes that God will cause to triumph. It warns that He will just as surely punish deceptive, oppressive and unjust dealings, taking advantage by lawyers, exorbitant prices exacted, connivance at fraud, every hindrance to the truth, and diverting His means into a wrong channel.
Pattern For House Ministry
Daily teaching and preaching about Jesus both in public worship in the temple and in homes is the pattern for missionary work. It means taking the Bible from house to house, visiting families and opening and reading it to people. Those who have received divine light share it with others by giving Bible readings in people's homes, explaining Scripture clearly and simply, and helping the sick, thereby gaining the people's love.
Through such human effort the Lord speaks through the workers and the Holy Spirit convicts hearts. God makes the truth powerful to save and the Saviour blesses those who do this work. He enlarges small efforts to satisfy hungry hearers who follow to hear the Word, making them hungry to hear and bringing many souls to the knowledge of the truth. So this leads to genuine conversion and the conversion of sinners, as when preaching the Word everywhere under the power of the Holy Spirit converted thousands in a day.
Receiving Christ's grace leads believers to value the souls for whom He died, make time for prayer and communion with God, gather for worship, visit others, and keep teaching and preaching Jesus Christ. Having their own hearts filled with peace and joy, they consecrate their lives to giving the message to others and cannot be restrained or frightened by threatenings. Doing this requires the self-denying life of Christ, being wide-awake to do the whole duty and sustaining the work by sacrifice. There must be a waking from stupor and indifference, because there is a world to save and a message to give and no sleeping in this judgment hour.