Molly ManhangaI had an excellent time recapping last weeks story and telling this story of "The Apostles persecuted" to the children.......
The apostles continued to see God answering their prayers as they performed miraculous signs and wonders among the people. All the believers continued to meet publically. Those that had heard about Ananias and Sapphira feared God but in spite of those fears, more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. People brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peters shadow might fall on some of them. Crowds gathered from towns around Jerusalem.
Not everyone was happy. The Jewish high priests were jealous and in their desire to protect the truth of God, they arrested the apostles and put them in jail. In the evening, an angel opened the doors of the jail and brought the apostles out. The angel told the apostles to continue sharing the truth about Jesus. At daybreak, the apostles went to the temple and continued sharing about Jesus.
When the Jewish leaders and some experts came in the morning, they sent some officials to the prison to get the apostles. Upon arriving at the jail, the officers did not find the apostles there. They went back and reported that the jail was securely locked with the guards standing at the doors but when they opened the doors, the apostles were not inside. Then someone came and told them that the apostles were at the temple courts teaching the people. The commander went with his officials and brought the apostles back without using force as they feared that the people would stone them.
The High Priest questioned them and said they were given strict instructions not to teach in the name of Jesus and yet Jerusalem has been filled with their teachings, making the Jewish leaders appear guilty of Jesus blood. The apostle Peter told them that they obey God rather than man and Jesus, whom they had killed by hanging him on a tree, has been exalted to God’s right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. When the Jewish leaders heard this they were furious and wanted to put the apostles to death.
Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honoured by all the people, stood up amongst the Jewish leaders and asked for the apostles to be put outside for a while. He told the Jewish leaders that 2 men, Theudas and Judas the Galilean had also led people but when they died, their followers were scattered and their work failed. He said that if the apostles work was of man, it would fail but if it was of God, then they - the Jewish leaders would be fighting against God. Gamaliel’s speech persuaded the Jewish experts of the law. They called the apostles in and beat them, ordering them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles counted it all joy to be persecuted for Christ’s sake and they went door to door sharing about Jesus and continued to meet with people in the Temple.
Not only do we see from Today’s story that the believers faced external hardships from those outside the Christian community, but next week, we’ll see how they also faced internal problems from within the Christian community.
The apostles continued to see God answering their prayers as they performed miraculous signs and wonders among the people. All the believers continued to meet publically. Those that had heard about Ananias and Sapphira feared God but in spite of those fears, more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. People brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peters shadow might fall on some of them. Crowds gathered from towns around Jerusalem.
Not everyone was happy. The Jewish high priests were jealous and in their desire to protect the truth of God, they arrested the apostles and put them in jail. In the evening, an angel opened the doors of the jail and brought the apostles out. The angel told the apostles to continue sharing the truth about Jesus. At daybreak, the apostles went to the temple and continued sharing about Jesus.
When the Jewish leaders and some experts came in the morning, they sent some officials to the prison to get the apostles. Upon arriving at the jail, the officers did not find the apostles there. They went back and reported that the jail was securely locked with the guards standing at the doors but when they opened the doors, the apostles were not inside. Then someone came and told them that the apostles were at the temple courts teaching the people. The commander went with his officials and brought the apostles back without using force as they feared that the people would stone them.
The High Priest questioned them and said they were given strict instructions not to teach in the name of Jesus and yet Jerusalem has been filled with their teachings, making the Jewish leaders appear guilty of Jesus blood. The apostle Peter told them that they obey God rather than man and Jesus, whom they had killed by hanging him on a tree, has been exalted to God’s right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. When the Jewish leaders heard this they were furious and wanted to put the apostles to death.
Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honoured by all the people, stood up amongst the Jewish leaders and asked for the apostles to be put outside for a while. He told the Jewish leaders that 2 men, Theudas and Judas the Galilean had also led people but when they died, their followers were scattered and their work failed. He said that if the apostles work was of man, it would fail but if it was of God, then they - the Jewish leaders would be fighting against God. Gamaliel’s speech persuaded the Jewish experts of the law. They called the apostles in and beat them, ordering them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles counted it all joy to be persecuted for Christ’s sake and they went door to door sharing about Jesus and continued to meet with people in the Temple.
Not only do we see from Today’s story that the believers faced external hardships from those outside the Christian community, but next week, we’ll see how they also faced internal problems from within the Christian community.
By Molly Manhanga
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