Snoopy Approaches Acts

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Acts 5:12-16
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Bible Gateway passage: Acts 5:12-16 - New English Translation

The Apostles Perform Miraculous Signs and Wonders - Now many miraculous signs and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By common consent they were all meeting together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high...
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The apostles perform many miraculous signs and wonders. The people hold them in high regard but dare not join them when they gather in Solomon's Portico.

More and more believers are added. The sick are carried out into the streets so that Peter's shadow will fall on them when he passes by.

Crowds come from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those with unclean spirits. All are healed.
 
The religious movement continues to grow, with the apostles providing leadership and healing. Peter is recognized as a powerful figure.
 
So we see in today's scripture that the Apostles who are Filled with the Holy Spirit are preforming signs and wonders continually as they meet together at the Temple ----

We see that the unbelievers dared not to associate with the Apostles but held them in high esteem and spoke highly of them ----

I say ----I think the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira really opened the eyes of people and they realized that being a follower of Christ was to be taken as a serious thing and that casual commitment was not to be entertained ----

Your either all in or your all out -------there is no inbetween like Ananias and Sapphira tried to be ----
You cannot be a Luke warm Christian like Ananias and Sapphira were ----one foot in this physical world and one foot in God's world ----it doesn't work ---your double minded like these 2 were ----

paradox3 -------made this comment on post #131 ---yesterday --------I think what's creeping in here is that the believers are no longer of one heart and mind.

I say ----------And she Hit The Nail On the Head with this Comment

This for me was the first cleansing of the Church ----clearing out the bad leaven ------

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Jesus said ------your either with me or against me ---------and that is the same today Folks ---

The Church continued to grow and the people were bring the sick in droves and they were healed -----many were hoping that if only Peter's shadow would fall on them they might be healed and made well ----was there power in Peter's shadow to heal -----I do not think so --I think the people were so taken with Peter's power that they got carried away in their thoughts about maybe his shadow had the power to heal them -----

Only Jesus has the power to heal us -----and that Stands today -----


This last verse

16 And the people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing the sick and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

We see people are now coming to the Apostles instead of the Apostles going to the people to be healed and made well from other areas around Jerusalem --the gospel is spreading and more people are having Seeds planted in them -------
 
The people are being drawn to the disciples much the same way they were drawn to Jesus. It feels to me like more structure and even rigidity is emerging in the early church.

The insistence on not holding back anything from selling property is one example. The deference being given to the disciples is another.

According to the theory of organizational development I mentioned up thread, increasing bureaucracy is inevitable.

We will see where it all goes. I am not very familiar with the material in Acts but I know the church will face problems.

We have yet to meet Paul and learn about his influence.
 
Hey @unsafe
I am really enjoying this discussion we are having. A few others join us from time to time and I appreciate that as well.

These studies of Snoopy's motivate me to keep reading the Bible. I have tried reading & journalling but I don't find it to be terribly satisfying
 
It kind of reminds me a bit of startup culture, or what I hear of it from my son (who's worked for a couple startups and a couple established companies between co-op and career). A bit chaotic and focussed mostly on building and growing but fairly "flat" in terms of hierarchy and bureaucracy. Most people "report to" someone who is only a step or two from the "top". At one point he was a co-op student with 6 month experience reporting directly to the CTO on a project.

But in the big publicly traded company that they sold out to, that CTO was now a VP for the Canadian operations and was embedded in a bureaucratic hierarchy managing companies and campuses around the world.

So the Acts church is the startup where most of the followers were recruited by the Apostles who in turn "report" directly to Jesus/God.

The modern church, esp. the RCs, is the big, established publicly traded company with a very remote C-Suite and then layers of VPs and Directors below that.

And, yes, startups generally have more energy and engagement happening relative to the big companies, which are the ones where you hear about "corporate drones" and such. Which is very much what we see here and even to some degree in the modern church. Evangelical church plants often have a vibrancy and energy (the presence of the Holy Spirit, if you like) that's missing in older, established mainline churches that are part of large denominational organizations.
 
paradox3 said:
Hey @unsafe
I am really enjoying this discussion we are having
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I also enjoy this discussion as well and am so grateful to you for continuing these studies and discussions ---there is so much for us to lean and know and the best way to do that is to get into the Scripture itself ---in my view ---- :angel:

Acts is a great Book as we see the Church just beginning and as you go forward we see how conflict comes into the church ----and how it was dealt with ----
 
We see a lot of lamenting in churches these days about how much better things used to be. Of course the decline in membership numbers is a sad reality.

I wonder if this yearning for the past is a normal phase in organizational life cycles. The same thing happened in a few hospitals where I worked and also in a community agency.

Somebody once said that people get nostalgic for things that weren't really all that great in the first place.

Sorry to have taken us off on a bit of a tangent.

Will be back with the next story from Acts but probably not for a day or two.
 
paradox3 said:
I wonder if this yearning for the past is a normal phase in organizational life cycles. The same thing happened in hospitals where I worked plus a community agency.
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I think so. It's a normal phase in everyday human life, I think, so it makes sense that it would manifest in our organizations.
paradox3 said:
Somebody once said that people get nostalgic for things that weren't really all that great in the first place
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There's this, too. When people talk about how great things were in the past, the first thing that comes to mind is all the medical advances that likely happened since whatever they think is the past.

Or in music, I am so sick of boomers and even Gen X'ers (i.e. my generation) going on about music was so much better in their day. Honestly, if you think there's no great music being made today, you're not looking hard enough. Most of my current favourite musicians have been in the industry 30 years or less. They just aren't in fields of music that the majority of the North American population pay attention to.

To be honest, I think nostalgia is part of the church's problem right now. People want the church they had in the sixties or seventies, but that was a different world in so many ways. As long as they keep focusing on being that church, they can't become the church they need to be today.

Same with focusing on the church in Acts (to get us back to the passage of the day). While there are things in that church we can learn from (the strong faith, the healing, the outreach), the Christian faith can simply never be that church ever again. 2000 years of history has changed the world, and the church, too much. What worked for a few hundred people in small geographic space isn't going to work for millions or billions spread around the globe, even if the Internet might compress that geography a bit nowadays.
 
It sometimes seems like church congregations are reluctant to let go of things that no longer serve them well.

OTOH they sometimes want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. :rolleyes:
 
Yeah, there's always a fine line between keeping too much and dumping too much, isn't there? Discernment and care is needed in making decisions about things like this. Nostalgia can hold you back but "moving forward" can push you too far away from the good bits of the past.
 
Mendalla said:
To be honest, I think nostalgia is part of the church's problem right now. People want the church they had in the sixties or seventies, but that was a different world in so many ways. As long as they keep focusing on being that church, they can't become the church they need to be today.
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What does the Church --(the people )----need to be toady -----what is the difference today in what the Church needs to hear or accomplish from what was presented in the past ----which is to have eternal life and not experience eternal death when one passes from this world ---

I think the problem with the Church today is ==that it is not like the Church of the past where Jesus was the cornerstone and the head of the Church -----

Toady Jesus is no where to be found in the modern day Church --He is not the Cornerstone nor the head ----Mostly False Christians are heading the Church today in my view not the Saints -----so that is a big problem today as far as I am concerned ----so with False Christians at the helm ----what can be expected ------the Spiritually Blind leading the pack ------

The True Church body in the past was driven by the direction of the indwelling the Holy Spirit ---deacons ----pastors ---and anybody picked to work for the Church were Saved and had the indwelling of the Holy Spirit ----

I think you will see the formation of deacons in the next chapter here ?------

As we see here in chapter 5 -----the bad leaven is weeded out ------Sin is confronted ----the integrity of the Church should not be tainted ----and believe me that is not the case today --Sin is tramped among the so called true Church --and never addressed --never dealt with -just covered up ---Bad leaven is allow to infiltrate the whole batch -----Satan runs tramped in the Church today as it did in the past ---so that hasn't changed ----in this Chapter 5 Peter mentions Satan -----and Satan was eliminated from that Group -----

What The True Church needs to be today is to be Saved and recognize Jesus Christ as the Cornerstone and Head of their Church -----and allow the all the clergy people serving in their Church to be directed by the Holy Spirit ---in their meetings --- in their Decision making ---in their Services and in their Sermons ----

The worldly Church demonations today are driven by their human desires and wants and needs -----not by what God wants and His needs ----for me that is the big problem of the Church body today -----

Many of The hierarchy of the Church today are not driven by God but by their own Human intellect of how they see how their Church should be conducting themselves -----and that is the downfall of the Church today -----

They are like the Pharisees --they present themselves as whitewashed on the outside but are defiled on the inside ----

Great read here on the Church of Thyatria ----mentioned in Revelation -----



AI

The church of Thyatira, as depicted in Revelation 2:18-29, exhibited a complex mix of positive and negative characteristics. While commended for their growing faith, love, service, and perseverance, they were also criticized for tolerating a false prophetess named Jezebel, who led them into idolatry and sexual immorality. This tolerance of sin was a major flaw, leading to a warning of severe judgment unless they repented.

Here's a breakdown of the key characteristics:
Positive Aspects:
  • Growing Works: The church was actively involved in good deeds, and their recent works were even greater than their initial efforts.
  • Love and Service: They demonstrated love for one another and engaged in acts of service.
  • Faith and Perseverance: They exhibited strong faith and steadfastness in the face of hardship.
Negative Aspects:
  • Tolerance of Jezebel:
    A woman named Jezebel, claiming to be a prophetess, was leading the church into idolatry and sexual immorality, and the church was allowing her to do so.

  • Idolatry:
    The church was engaging in practices that involved worship of idols and consuming food sacrificed to idols.

  • Sexual Immorality:
    They were also participating in sexual sins and licentiousness.

  • Compromise with the World:
    The church was falling prey to the temptations and influences of the pagan culture surrounding them.
Consequences:
  • Warning of Judgment:
    Jesus warned the church that if they did not repent of their tolerance of Jezebel and her teachings, they would face severe consequences, including sickness and tribulation.

  • Promise of Reward:
    Those who remained faithful and overcome the false teachings would be given authority over the nations and receive the "morning star".
In essence, the church of Thyatira serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of compromising with sin and the importance of remaining steadfast in faith and purity.
 
Acts 5:17-21
Bible Gateway passage: Acts 5:17-21 - New English Translation

The high priest and the Sadducees are filled with jealousy and put the apostles in jail.

During the night, an angel of the Lord opens the doors to the prison & leads the apostles out. The angel tells them to proclaim to the people "all the words of this life " (v.20)

They enter the temple courts at daybreak and begin teaching.
 
V.20 in some translations is rendered as "new life" or "life in Christ".

Is this a pivotal moment? The angel of the Lord, who first appeared in the Torah, has made an appearance and given a direction.

But the apostles are asked to teach in the temple and they are not being told to break with Judaism.

The influence of the Sadducees is diminishing. Their conflict with the apostles echoes the dispute of Jesus with the Pharisees.

We see the apostles continuing in the legacy of Jesus through healing and teaching..
 
Most boring jailbreak movie ever. I mean, how much fun is it if an angel just teleports them out of prison? :ROFLMAO:

I think the telling thing, though, is that they go straight back to doing what got them in trouble in the first place instead of fleeing to the hills. They clearly really believe and buy into their message and mission.
 
So we see just how the Apostles were persecuted for doing God's work ----and obeying Jesus' instructions ----

Jesus warned them of this very thing -----so they probably expected persecution along the way ---

John 15

The World Hates the Disciples​

18 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.

19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also

This is the same today ------Folks ----many are persecuted for their Faith in Jesus Christ-----

AI
AI Overview

Yes, Christians continue to face persecution worldwide for their faith. This persecution takes various forms, from subtle discrimination to violent attacks, and it occurs in many different countries and contexts. Organizations like Open Doors UK and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom document these instances and highlight the countries where persecution is most severe.

Specific Countries:
Countries like North Korea, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, and Yemen are often cited as having some of the highest rates of persecution, according to The House of Commons Library.


Numbers:
Organizations like Open Doors International estimate that thousands of Christians are killed each year for their faith.

I say ---we see that jealousy and resentment are dangerous emotions that can drive people to retaliate in very harmful ways ------

True Christians are to learn to take control of their emotions --not allow their emotions to rule them ----and I think the Apostles are showing they are doing well in this area -----as they trust God to look after protecting them -----and they will trust Him so completely after this experience of being jailed and let out ------

This is a very hard thing to accomplish today ----Trusting someone that we cannot see to provide protection over us -in all circumstances ----we can Believe in God but still not trust that He will look after us and protect us ---Trust takes the Right Faith bring deeply rooted and grounded in believing not just in Jesus but in His word that what is promised will come to pass in our life -----that is a hard sell especially if you have little Faith in God and His Word ---

We see God sending His angel to get them out of the jail and they are told to go back to the Temple court yard and preach this new eternal life to the people ------

So they are to preach the New Gospel of God's Grace of Salvation -----and the Apostles Obey ----

Faith --Trust and Obedience to God and His word are key in manifesting His Promises in this Physical Life -----

And we see in this last line that the people after the Apostles gather all together and want the Apostles brought before them ------

verse 21 ----Now when the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), even all the council of elders of the sons of Israel, and sent word to the prison for the apostles to be brought [before them].


I say -------These poor people who are trying to destroy what God wants in place ---must be feeling so frustrated at this point ---they put them in jail and ===Poof ---they are out ----

Head Scratching here I would think by these poor Spiritually Blinded people ----How --Who --When and How ----would be their Question in my view ---- :ROFLMAO:

Confused No Idea GIF by Mashed
 
@unsafe I thought you had jumped ahead to verse 22 but now I see I missed part of verse 21. :)

Yes, this reading ends with the Sanhedrin sending to the jail for the Apostles.

Surprise! Starting with Verse 22, they will not be found
 
Ya I maybe went to far with my last comments ---to include 22 ----I went a bit to quick at the end I think :eek:===my bad ----
 
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