Part 4

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The Acts of the Hebrews – Part 4

4:1 And as they spoke to the people, the Kohanim, and the leaders of the Beit HaMikdash, and the Tzadukim, came upon them,2 Being disturbed that they taught the people of Yisrael, and proclaimed through gauvh the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in prison until the next day: for it was now evening. 4 But many of them who heard the word believed; and the number of the men were about five thousand.

The approach – “epestesan” implies negative intentions to do harm. Seen in 17:5:

17:5 But the Jews, moved with envy and taking unto them some wicked men of the vulgar sort and making a tumult, set the city in an uproar: and besetting Jason’s house, sought to bring them out unto the people.

How do they approach us? 

You can’t claim the promises of Scripture if you break the promises of scripture:

Prov 6:  My son, if thou become surety for thy friend, thou shalt deliver thine hand to an enemy.

Now we come into the part where we participate in His sufferings. 

Phil 3:10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings: being made conformable to his death.

This is brought about by opposition that pushes us to grow. 

We’ve got Peter and John getting arrested by the temple police by order of the Governor (Sanhedrin) Peter makes a defense speech vv 5-12 and a resolution is made, ending in a warning vv. 13-22. This same order is followed in chapter 5. 

5 And it came to pass on the next day, that their rulers, and zechanim, and Torah Sophrim, 6 And Chanan the Kohen HaGadol, and Cayapha, and Yochanan, and Alexander, and as many as were from the mishpacha of the Kohen HaGadol, were gathered together at Yahrushalayim. 7 And when they had set the talmidim in their midst, they asked, By what power, or by what Name, have you done this?

8 Then Kepha, filled with the Ruach Hakodesh, said to them, You rulers of the people, and zechanim of Yisrael, 9 If we are examined today because of the tov mitzvah done to the helpless man, by what means he is made healthy; 10 Be it known to you all, and to kol Yisrael, 4 that by the Name of gauvh ha Moshiach of Natzeret, whom you impaled, whom vuvh raised from the dead, even by Him does this man stand here before you healthy.

The leaders of Israel crucified their Messiah but יהוה proved them wrong by raising Him from the dead. 

11 This is the Stone that was rejected by you builders, that has become the Rosh Pina. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other Name under the shamayim given among men, whereby we must be saved.

In our age of alleged tolerance that rejects any idea of absolute truth, the belief that Yahusha is the only way is scandalous and widely rejected by many even in mainline evangelical forums there more in line with Antifa, BLM the LGBTQ than the narrow path of Christ!

Salvation

It’s simply impossible for any sinful human being to find salvation on their own or to earn it by anything they do. Because behind all; and I mean all human activity is sin!

Ps 39:5 Behold, thou hast made my days as handbreadths; And my life-time is as nothing before thee: Surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity. 

 Yahusha alone accomplished a three fold salvation for us: Wrath, Dominion, Power.

True salvation delivers us from:

1. the wrath of יהוה
2. the dominion of sin
3. the power of death

• We are liberated from our natural condition of being mastered by the world – that’s dominion (interesting that the mastery of the world right now is in the palm of dominions voting machine, right!!!!) 
• We are liberated from our flesh – fear of disease and threat of death!!!!!!
• We are liberated from sin – doubt, fear, hopelessness

What we have attained in Yahusha is being inverted by Satan to snare humanity into gehenna by inverting those three things: 

• Instead of being liberated from our natural condition of being mastered by the world – that’s dominion. It’s dominion that is instrumental to moving globalism forward into oppression.

• Instead of being liberated from our flesh – it is the flesh – health mandates upon based fear of disease and threat of death that bring about anguish and exploitation. 

• Instead of being liberated from sin – doubt, fear, hopelessness – 2020-21 fans the flames of doubt, fear and hopelessness to bring society into Satans subjection. 

So we need to live our salvation more than ever before and be assured that we have apprehended it:

1. Yahusha has expiated wrath.

2. Yahusha has shifted our jurisdiction: jurisdiction to sin \, consented to by the first Adam is voided by the Second Adam.

3. Yahusha has rendered the capacity of death dispelled.

He alone, not the leaders of the Jews, or the faithfulness to Torah, could produce true salvation.  

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Kepha and Yochanan, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took special note, that they had been with gauvh. 14 And beholding the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go outside out of the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, 16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? For that indeed a notable ness has been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Yahrushalayim; and we cannot deny it. 17 But that it spreads no further among the people, let us strictly threaten them that they speak to no man in this Name from now on.

Yahusha is alternative medicine, and His medicine gives an immunity that transcends mortal mans understanding! It scares them:

18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the Name of gauvh. 19 But Kepha and Yochanan answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of tvkt to listen to you more than to vuvh, you can judge. 20 We just cannot stop speaking about the things, which we have seen, and heard.21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing on how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men gave tehilla to vuvh for that which was done. 

Look; what they ran from; now they being filled the Ruach gives them boldness and courage.

It’s a threefold filling: three times in vv. 13, 29, 31 they apprehend what they hadn’t possessed ever before! 

This is the polar opposite of the disciples at Yahusha’s arrest and what followed when they deserted Yahusha entirely out of fear of man. 

When we get to this level of boldness man can reject who you are but they cannot reject what you have done in walking out your faith. A miracle cannot be denied since the healed man was standing right there!

This is what יהוה requires of us to stand tall and stand as the healed man or woman before the world! You are the miracle. Just stand! You just standing there is the miracle…and don’t the heathen hate it! Because it testifies to their death. 

The proof of the miracle in the text could not be denied since the healed man was standing right there. They were rendered speechless by reality, as they were trying to silence the witnesses. 

The one has nothing to say the other can’t stop speaking!

22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this ness of healing was done. 23 And being let go, they went to their own people, and reported all that the chief Kohanim and zechanim had said to them. 24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to vuvh with one accord, and said, Master vuvh, You are tvkt, who has made the shamayim, and the olam, and the sea, and all that is in them: 25 Who by the mouth of Your eved Dawid has said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine worthless things? 26 The melechim of the olam stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Master vuvh, and against His Moshiach. 

The proof of the miracle in the text could not be denied since the healed man was standing right there. They were rendered speechless by reality, as they were trying to silence the witnesses. 

The one has nothing to say the other can’t stop speaking!

27 For of an emet against Your kadosh Son gauvh, whom You have anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the gentile pagans, and the people of Yisrael, were gathered together, 28 To do whatever Your hand and Your counsel determined before to be done. 29 And now, Master vuvh, see their threats: and grant to Your avadim, that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 By stretching out Your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the Name of Your kadosh Son gauvh. 31 And when they had made tefillah, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Ruach Hakodesh, and they spoke the word of vuvh with boldness.

Look, when the Kahal faced crisis, it responded by falling on its knees, raising its voice together – action brings one into one accord! Recognizing we cannot and will not win the victory in our own strength. 

A threefold prayer request concludes the corporate prayer petition; in light of the severity of their situation at the hands of others they trust in YHWH’s sovereignty; they ask Him, “consider there threats and enable your servants to speak your words with great boldness.”

1. יהוה be aware of their threats.
2. יהוה act on our behalf.
3. intervene in the plot against us…Just as you did with your son. 

32 And the multitude of them that believed were echad: no one claimed that any of the things, which he possessed, was his own; but they had all things be-yachad. 33 And with great power gave the shlichim witness of the resurrection of the Savior gauvh: and great favor was upon them all.

34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands, or houses sold them, and brought the prices of those things that were sold,35 And laid them down at the shlichim’s feet: and then distributions were made to every man according as he had need. 36 And Yoseph, who by the shlichim was surnamed Bar- Nava, 1 which is, being interpreted, The Son of Encouragement a Lewite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37 Had a field, and sold it, and brought the money, and placed it at the disposal of the shlichim.