The church of Acts 2 is in a good spot.  People are sharing.  Signs are happening.  The truth about Christ is proclaimed and received.  Acts 3 does not contain the word pneuma or spirit.  Spiritual activity certainly occurs.  A lame man walks.  Peter issues his famous “I have no silver and gold” line.  However, the topics are Christ, repentance and the testimony of scripture to Christ.  So notice the point of the whole miracle was Christ.  It draws attention to Christ, and the Spirit is not mentioned.  In chapter 4 the question of power will come up, and the testimony to the Spirit will begin.

Acts 4:8  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders…” In his editorial note, Luke makes sure we know that the Spirit is filling Peter. In chapter three there is astonishment and wonder from the crowd, but no overt opposition.  The Spirit is preparing Peter to say hard things to hard people.

Acts 4:25  “who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain?”” Peter says his hard things, and he is nearly jailed.  Peter’s big sermon in Acts 2 ends with the conversion of many.  Peter’s big speech in Acts 4 ends with a run in with the law.  As a preacher, he is hit or miss. This prayer though is from the fledgling church that Peter helped begin.  They have heard that Peter is in trouble, and their response is a prayer that begins with a beautiful theology of scripture’s inspiration.  The points to note in v24 and 25 are 1) God is sovereign 2) Psalm 21 is penned by David 3) However, he was saying the words “by” or “through” the Holy Spirit.  They begin their prayer of comfort not by taking comfort in their circumstances but by taking comfort in the truth that God’s word is sure and inspired by God’s Spirit.

Acts 4:31  “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” The church’s response to political and judicial drama wasn’t to lawyer-up or run for office.  They depended wholly on prayer.  Their prayer has three basic parts 1) God we get that you have big plans 2) Look upon our threatening circumstances 3) Grant us boldness in speaking your word.  They don’t pray for Peter’s release or that Rome would fall.  They pray for boldness in doing what Jesus commanded.  That is the kind of prayer that shakes the earth.  Notice especially the same “get ready for adversity” language occurs in v43 “all filled with the Holy Spirit” as did in v8 “filled with the Holy Spirit.”  The Spirit rushes in on God’s people not for the peaceful times but for the times of adversity with regard to the mission.

Acts 5:3  But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?

Acts 5:9  But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”

The first internal challenge to the church wasn’t heresy, apostasy, or scandal.  It was money.  If anyone says, “Money is not a spiritual matter,” or the half-as-naive, “Money is a force for good,” they are in a dangerous spot.  Ananias is killed for lying to the Holy Spirit.  This is the word we get the prefix pseudo- from and means misrepresent.  There must have been some earlier conversation or assertion on Ananias part where he claimed that he would donate one hundred percent of the proceeds to the collection (v4).  Ananias was seeking to gain something by misrepresenting how much he was giving, and Sapphira his wife was on board.  The accusation against her is that she was testing the Spirit. This word is the same as James 1:13 “I am being tempted by God.” They are not tempting God or the Spirit to sin, but are instead flirting with acting as an adversary of the church. The Jerusalem council was external, Ananias and Sapphira are an attack from within.

Acts 5:16  The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Multitudes are still being added to the church.  They still gather daily in the temple.  They still sit under the apostle’s ministry of signs and proclaiming Christ from scripture.  What we see is that the healing ministry is taking off.  The healing is a draw. Families are bringing those affected by unclean spirits from miles around. The word for “unclean” can refer to ceremonial process but by Luke’s day it was a common way to refer to the demonic or Christ-opposing spirits (cf.  Matthew 10:1; Matthew 12:43; Mark 1:23, 26; Mark 3:11).  Notice that in Acts 4, the very clean Jerusalem council, rejects the apostles’ message. In Acts 5, those affected by unclean spirits flock or are drug to the apostles.  This isn’t spiritual warfare, it is spiritual mutiny or surrender of territory.

ESV Acts 5:32  And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The “him” of v32 is the “him” of v31, Jesus.  This is important.  We began by noting that Acts 3 does not directly reference the Holy Spirit or even Spirits.  Likewise, we should see in this verse that Peter is outlining that the plan of God is about Christ, and the Spirit is a gift to those who obey Christ.  The word for obedience is not the most common but is instead two ideas together of obey + authority.  Essentially “obey Christ as authority.”  The Spirit never calls a man “Come obey me.” The Spirit always calls, “Obey Christ.”