Persecuted Christians

Reading Acts 5

²⁷ The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ²⁸ "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood."

²⁹ Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than human beings! ³⁰ The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. ³¹ God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. ³² We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

³³ When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.

Gospel John 3

³¹ The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. ³² He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. ³³ The person who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. ³⁴ For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. ³⁶ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them.

Sermon

Last week, Peter speaks in Solomon’s portico after healing man disabled from birth. Peter and John then arrested by Council of High Priest. Asked by what power or in whose name they have been acting?

Peter, having so recently shrunk away and denied Jesus three times, is now bold. He criticises the leaders of the Temple for their part in Jesus’s arrest and crucifixion. Temple leaders see they are uneducated men and are amazed by the way they speak. No point in debating. Man who had been healed stands alongside them. Nothing much they can do, except warn them to stop preaching in name of Jesus and let them go.

After their release, all the believers meet together and pray for boldness. Share all possessions. Everything they own held in common. No one was needy among them – both those who owned property sold it and gave it to the apostles for use in the church.

This is the golden age of the early church, when everything is hopeful, many people are healed, and everyone behaves as if Jesus were about to return imminently. Like the communist ideal, it does not last long.

Ananias and Sapphira cheat, and they pay a dreadful price for their deception. Apostles arrested and thrown into prison, but miraculously escape. There are still some of the religious leaders prepared to stand up for them, but not for much longer. A lot of the rest of Acts is about persecution. Even so, the church grows and many wonderful things happen.

We carry on reading Acts right through to Pentecost 22 May. If anyone wants to fill in the gaps rather than only hear Thursday’s passages, let me know and I will copy the lectionary. It’s a great story. There’s a lot we can learn from the early church.

We may now be facing increasing persecution as Christians in increasingly secular or politically ‘correct’ nation, where once the rights and privileges of the C of E were not questioned. Congregations are ageing – many average over 70 years old – church may be dying unless we can welcome more families and young people.

What will future bring? Will persecution lead to the church going underground (like disciples after crucifixion) or flourish in adversity (like early church hounded and persecuted to death)? Whatever the truth, the answer is in our own hands.