WORKS AND LIFE
[p. 150] WORKS AND LIFE
While the record of Peter’s service practically ceases at the end of Acts 5, the thread of it is resumed in chapter 9, and I desire to show the result of this new service or exercise of apostolic power. The early chapters are full of Peter’s service, indeed so prominent was he and so effective, that even his shadow was looked to and reckoned upon for relief. Yet notwithstanding the great effectiveness of his service, there is a break, and chapter 6 introduces a development among the saints of a certain sectional feeling. The Hellenist believers murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Notice it was their widows, those in the Greek provinces. Had they complained about the neglect of widows in general, it would have been a different matter, though indeed it is serious to complain at all in regard to the things of God; any complaint must be established on a solid foundation to be justifiable at all. I think the word “murmuring” is used for the first time in Scripture in this chapter in relation to Christians, and it certainly is a sinister feature. Now the Hebrew widows were of just as much interest to Christ as the Hellenist widows; both were equally precious, as believers, to Christ. He has no sectional feeling at all. He is concerned about all. The house of God being a general thought and embracing all the saints, is cared for by Christ, watched over by Him and He has no preferences of any kind as regards persons, nations or cities. Hence the development recorded in chapter 6 is a sinister one, for the element of murmuring is introduced as the result of sectional feeling.
I mention this at the outset as giving rise to the [p. 151] new movement on the part of the Lord, for if the enemy moves, taking advantage of a low state among the people of God, the Lord will also move and His movement will more than outwit and withstand that of the enemy. So here we have a completely new departure on the part of the Lord. The apostles meet the complaint raised, by suggesting to the brethren that seven men be appointed to take up the matter. We have other business to do, they virtually say, than serve tables, that is to minister the word and pray. Most worthy work surely! — but then widows and needy ones have to be attended to, we cannot evade that.
The need of the saints, whether spiritual or other wise, is of paramount importance, indeed, as Paul says, things are to be on the principle of equality; there is to be a levelling up, so that need be met. Even the apostle Paul himself was ready to carry the saints’ bounty to Jerusalem, so that all that was necessary might be supplied. Here the twelve, realising that there was sectional feeling working among the saints said, “Look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business”. That was very wise. The saints were cast on themselves, they were to select seven men from themselves, and it is to be noted that the Hellenists got the advantage, showing that the Spirit of Christ was dominant among the saints. The Hebrews did not arrogate anything to themselves, the deacons, judging by their names, were mostly Hellenists. So the Lord triumphs here, as He will in relation to anything that arises, even when it is the product of a low state among the people of God. The sectional feeling is met; right men came forward to deal with the matter, and among them Stephen, a man “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”.
The work develops under two of the deacons,
[p. 152] Stephen and Philip. The Lord is pleased to put Stephen forward, indeed the enemy compelled him to come to the front, for he was attacked, but the very attack brought out the Spirit of his Master. It says, they could not resist his wisdom and spirit, and then it adds, “they looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel”. It is a wonderful outcome and triumph from the petty murmuring and sectional feeling existing among the people of God. The enemy is defeated, the testimony develops, and after his remarkable address recorded in chapter 7 Stephen kneels down in an atmosphere rife with murderous hatred and begs for the pardon of his murderers. What an exhibition of the Spirit of Christ.
In chapter 8 we have Philip’s service in Samaria, and the apostles are introduced in verse 14, to link on with that work which the Lord had been carrying on through him apart from them. They pray, and the Holy Spirit is given through the laying on of their hands. It seems to indicate that if there is any retirement on the part of those immediately responsible in the house of God the Lord proceeds in His own way, for the work must be done. If we impose limits on the spheres of our activities, the Lord can say: If your sphere is not as great as Mine, I shall go on with Mine. “Lift up your eyes”, He said to the disciples, “and look on the fields for they are white already to harvest”, John 4:35. The harvest belongs to Christ, and if my service does not extend to the whole field, the Lord will bring in others, for the harvest must be attended to and He is Lord of it. A very great obligation rests on those who have light from the Lord; if He imposes limits we must abide by them, but let us not impose limitations for ourselves, nor let our sphere of responsibility be any less than the whole house of God.
The word says, that the light set on the candlestick [p. 153] is to give light to all in the house, not in your locality merely. So the great thing is to hold yourself in regard to the house. Now the apostles had imposed limitations on their service, with the result that the Lord moved on without them. Not only the widows, but the Samaritans, and the eunuch, were met and ministered to, until Saul of Tarsus is broken down, all showing that the Lord had intervened Himself at the particular juncture. Satan had endeavoured to bring in schism in chapter 6, now he is attacking the assembly. He would destroy what he could not corrupt, but the Lord steps in and the man who opposed is himself secured. Saul the great champion of evil is met and challenged. The Lord says, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” The great opponent of the saints is completely won over in his affections, so that “straightway in the synagogues he preached Jesus that he is the Son of God”, Acts 8: 20. Such is the effect of the Lord’s gracious way. If we in any way impose limits on our responsibility or on our service, He can get along without us. We may lay that down as a fundamental principle that the Lord can guide His own sphere. If we are not available He will secure those who are. Scripture speaks of men who “purchase to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus”. This Stephen did. It says “purchase”, for such a degree is acquired only through serious exercises and humiliations. So you get such a trophy as Saul brought in by the Lord, one who is subdued and loves Christ. That is what counts, dear brethren, love for Christ. Saul loved Christ and so he was able to present Him as the Son of God.
Now the assembly is at rest, the happy result of the Lord’s intervention! Everything must give way to Him and it does give way, the effect being that the assemblies had rest and were edified and multiplied. At this juncture we get the thread of Peter’s service [p. 154] resumed, and he seems to have gained greatly by his experience, for he says to the first man he helps, “Aeneas, Jesus, the Christ, heals thee: rise up, and make thy couch for thyself”, Acts 9: 34. Virtually, he meant, You must learn to help yourself. What can you do for yourself? You cannot lean on any one in this world, you must learn to do things for yourself. Certainly you can trust the Lord, and I am not disparaging what God may do in us; but it is obvious that what Peter had in his mind was that this man should be set up in his locality able to do something for himself. For eight years he had been a paralytic, and a burden to others, but this state of things was to come to an end. I believe Peter discerned the time had come when souls should learn to do things for themselves, and we have arrived at a moment when saints have to recognise their direct responsibility to God, each to do something, if only in relation to what is personal. It would alter the state of things greatly among the saints were the apostle’s words to Aeneas taken in.
The next case is that of Dorcas, and she does not need to be told to do anything like this, for she was a woman of very great activity, so much so that her name has been handed down in connection with work done for the poor and needy. But we find that in spite of her good works and almsdeeds, this woman dies; her activities do not keep her alive. We do not minimise what she did, but emphasise this, that she died; and we may glean from this passage that we too may do much and yet come short of living. The close of the narrative makes prominent that Peter presents her to the saints and widows, living; it is no longer the idea of Dorcas, not a word is said as to what she did then, all that we have is a living woman presented to the saints. That is enough; if you have a woman alive spiritually, you do not need to say much.
[p. 155] You will notice here also that widows are spoken of. It was not surprising that it should be so, for Dorcas had befriended them, but it is noteworthy that before Peter meets the situation he puts them all out. Now, spiritual people are not put out. Verse 14 states that Peter “having called the saints and the widows presented her living”. Saints are distinguished from widows in this verse, and the widows were the weeping ones. I want you to recognise that what you do must not be just something that calls out the sympathy of unspiritual people; what is of interest is the sympathy of spiritual people, hence the Spirit of God distinguishes between widows and saints — widows are obviously not always saints in that sense. They remembered the good deeds of Dorcas — praiseworthy indeed they were, but the fact remains that in spite of their tears, the widows were put forth. This is solemn. The Holy Spirit is working through Peter, there is a spiritual movement, and I may be faced with having no part in it, in spite of the fact that I am moved and weeping. My very emotions might become a hindrance spiritually.
It is a serious matter here, a question of death and life, and tears avail nothing. Let us ask ourselves the question, what are our activities? what is the end of them? Peter here puts the widows forth, then he kneels down and prays, he needed the power of God, and that is just what is needed. So, conscious of this — he must not be interfered with, the atmosphere must be cleared of all natural sentimentality — he turns to the body with “Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes, and, seeing Peter, sat up”. Peter represented for the moment God’s power, and Tabitha opening her eyes and looking upon him, sits up, and then, having given her his hand, he raised her up — there was the power of God exercised in a man. Peter “having called the saints and the widows, presented her living”; she is a living woman now, that is the thought.
Life is a great thing. This fits in with John’s ministry, and it seems as if Peter in this lapse between chapters 5 and 9 had been spiritually helped of God (one speaks of it with great satisfaction), for he says in effect, Now it is a question of life, people must live for themselves and be known as living. So he presents her to the saints, as if to say, Here is a living Dorcas for you — a living one — not now a garment maker, but a living woman. It is spiritual life, I need not remind you, that is contemplated, that which would answer to God. “The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day”, Hezekiah said (Isaiah 38:19) . If there is anything one would love it is to be among the saints as alive spiritually. We want that, as the apostle says, “God ... has quickened us with Christ”, Ephesians 2: 5. He quickens each of us in our souls so that we live Godward. But we are quickened together also (Colossians 2: 13), so this woman is presented living to the saints; henceforth they have a living woman in their midst, whose heart from that moment will be wholly for God, for Christ and for the saints.
I felt it might help us to have our attention called to this peculiar result of apostolic service as the narrative is resumed in this part of Acts. The product of it is a man who was a burden to others able to make his own bed; and a woman who dies though she had a great reputation, now made to live and given back to the saints as alive.