Last week we looked at the biblical notion, popularized by the Quakers, of “plain speech.” While it’s easy to think of this in terms of vocabulary, the phrase has a broader meaning. It emphasizes directness, which involves simplicity and boldness. We speak plainly when we know the truth and aren’t afraid to share it. We don’t have to hesitate; we can deal with important issues without delay. And we don’t need a thousand words when ten will do. We get to the point.
But as I’ve been reading the book of Acts, I noticed an instance in which Luke (the author of the book) seemed to contradict himself. This passage doesn’t reflect the straightforward manner of communicating we talked about in the previous post. Does that mean we were wrong? Or does it only appear that Luke contradicts himself? Let’s look at the verses to find out.
The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed. – Acts 5:12-16
In this short paragraph, Luke is summarizing the status of the early church in Jerusalem. He begins and ends his report with miracles. God was backing up the gospel with impossible feats of His power! Demons lost their grip on people and diseases fled in the name of Jesus.
How would those healed and delivered react? We can assume that many, if not most, became Christians. The miracles supported the apostolic message that Jesus Christ was no longer dead. God had raised Him out of the grave and made Him Lord of heaven and earth.
Numerous conversions.
A whole bunch of new believers.
This is a sensible conclusion to reach, except that vss. 13 and 14 look like they refute each other. “No one else dared join them . . . nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.” Which is it? Did people join the church or not? According to vs. 13, they didn’t. According to vs. 14, they did.
Not exactly plain speech!
Now, Luke’s a smart guy. He was a physician (see Colossians 4:14) and an historian. He researched records and witnesses for his gospel (see Luke 1:1-4) and wrote the earliest account of the history of the church (the book of Acts). He also served alongside Paul in the ministry of the gospel (see Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-37; 28:1-16; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24). So he knew how to communicate!
What was he trying to say in the passage quoted above? The references to miracles which begin and end the paragraph don’t contradict each other. We’re safe there; we can believe Luke is rehearsing facts that took place in the first church.
But was the church growing? Elsewhere in Acts, Luke insists that it was. Here are some examples:
- “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” – Acts 2:41
- “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” – Acts 2:47b
- “But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.” – Acts 4:4
- “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” – Acts 6:7
Acts 5:14 fits in with these verses. If it wasn’t for verse 13, we’d have no problem! So what was Luke getting at when he said that “no one else dared join them”? If no one else joined the church, the church didn’t grow. But it was growing, so people were joining it.
You see the problem!
I think that Luke is using this historical situation to illustrate what takes place in the hearts of people who hear the gospel. This involves social and spiritual dimensions.
Regarding conditions on the ground, the apostle is telling us that the opposition of the religious authorities to the apostles was strong and was itself deepening (see Acts 4:1-22; 5:17-42; 6:8-8:4; 12:1-12).
But if persecution was gaining strength, so was the gospel! Becoming a disciple of Jesus called for courage; the willingness to live a new way under Christ’s authority. And those who governed the affairs of Jerusalem and Judea didn’t appreciate the competition. They were happy with the control they had over others and were in no mood to loosen their grip on power.
To announce Jesus as Lord was to challenge the systems of the world. The apostles were willing, as were many of those who heard the gospel.
But some balked at the idea. They weren’t sure. They admired the apostles and were amazed at the miracles being done in the name of Jesus. But to affiliate with the church could alienate the authorities. Who wanted to take that chance?
Luke presents the inner struggle and the resulting public treatment of the church. People wanted supernatural blessings, but not at the expense of offending the religious hierarchy.
In the end, they had to choose. Some opted for security. Respect Jesus from far away. Watch, but don’t get involved. Stay safe.
Others decided the Lord was worth the risk. The gospel was true and the signs confirmed it. Go all in!
To summarize, Luke doesn’t contradict himself in Acts 5:13-14. He’s expressing social and spiritual dimensions of the spread of the gospel and how people react to it. For a while, people were afraid and awed; scared of the religious leaders but astounded by the signs and wonders. Some never overcame their fears but others thought that what they’d seen and heard was too good not to be true! The evidence–the lives of the Christians and the miracles of the Lord–convinced them that the gospel was God’s Word. Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Savior. And the only appropriate response is to join His followers.
Openness and awareness will help us when we read the Bible. If we find incongruities or paradoxes, we might be tempted to dismiss them. But let’s take a different tack. Let’s accept them. We don’t have to figure out every last detail in Scripture, but if we stay humble before the Lord, His Spirit will reveal the truth to us.
The truth in the Word.
And the truth about ourselves.
