Acts 1-12 MacArthur New Testament Commentary by John MacArthur
Author:John MacArthur [Macarthur, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-57567-862-7
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Published: 1994-03-14T16:00:00+00:00
VIOLENT HOSTILITY
But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and were intending to slay them. (5:33)
Convicting preaching will inevitably provoke a violent reaction from those hardened in sin. When the authorities heard Peterâs bold presentation, they heard it as blasphemy and they were cut to the quick. DiapriÅ (cut to the quick) appears only here and in Acts 7:54. It literally refers to cutting something in twoâan apt metaphor to describe the power of the Word of God (Heb. 4:12). Instead of yielding to the truth, the authorities hardened their hearts. As they had done to Jesus (cf. John 5:16; 7:32; 8:59; 10:31; 11:57) in spite of the abundant evidence, they rejected the apostlesâ teaching and violently opposed them as blasphemers.
The high priest and his fellow Sadducees were enraged with the apostles for several reasons. The apostles had denied their doctrine by proclaiming the resurrection. They had defied the Sanhedrinâs authority by preaching after they had ordered them to stop. By charging the Sanhedrin with executing the Messiah, the apostles assaulted their spirituality. Finally, by winning large numbers of converts they threatened the Sadduceesâ domination of the people. They had had enough and were intending to slay the troubling apostles.
The apostle Paul would later face the same reaction. Acts 9:22â23 records that after his conversion he âkept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ. And when many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him.â âThe wicked plots against the righteous,â wrote David, âand gnashes at him with his teeth. The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow ⦠to slay those who are upright in conduct. The wicked spies upon the righteous, and seeks to kill himâ (Ps. 37:12, 14, 32). In Matthew 23:34, Jesus said, âI am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city.â In verse 37 He lamented, â0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!â
Our gospel presentations must be definitive enough that the world must take note, even if they reject our message. If the gospel we preach is not convicting enough to make some men angry, is it convicting enough to bring them salvation?
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