Are you suffering dishonor for the Name?

“If it is of God...”

(Acts 5:34-42, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, June 26, 2011)

34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while.

The leaders in Jerusalem were infuriated with the apostles. They had prohibited them from teaching in the name of Jesus, and had even imprisoned them when Peter and the rest insisted that they had to obey God rather than these leaders of the Jews. Then the Lord had acted. He sent an angel who brought them all out of prison without the guards even being aware of what had happened. That messenger of the Lord had instructed them explicitly, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” This “Life” that they were to proclaim had everything to do with Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah. When the apostles were again questioned by the Sanhedrin, they reiterated what they had previously firmly stated: “We must obey God rather than men.”

The thing that particularly enraged the Jewish leaders was Peter's final statement that the Holy Spirit had been given by God to those who obey him. This council of elders in Jerusalem had not obeyed God. They had not received the Son of God as the Jewish Messiah. They had not welcomed the changing of covenants that was unstoppable in the death and resurrection of Jesus. They were agents of the death of Jesus and persecutors of His church, and they were unwilling to receive the repentance and forgiveness that the Lord had for His people. They were not humble before the Lord's miracle-working representatives on earth. They wanted to kill them.

But one of them, Gamaliel, thought this to be a very unwise approach. This Gamaliel was a teacher of the Law. He was a very respected man “held in honor by all the people.” We learn later in Acts that Saul of Tarsus, who would eventually be the Apostle Paul, had studied under him. Gamaliel had enough standing in the Sanhedrin to order that the disciples of Jesus be brought outside while he addressed the Sanhedrin.

35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!”

Gamaliel's reasoning was straightforward. He led them away from their own passions, and urged them to take a moment to consider what they would do. He brought up two cases of other men that had led groups with their claims to be somebody. A man by the name of Theudas and someone else known as Judas the Galilean had risen up and attracted a following sometime before. Both men had died, and shortly after that, their followers had dispersed and come to nothing. Movements like these end by themselves, and persecuting them too much can be counter-productive to those who want to be done with them.

Gamaliel applied this reasoning to the followers of Jesus of Nazareth? If the council of Jewish rulers knew Jesus and his followers to be just another movement among men, couldn't they be confident that the disciples would be scattered without a lot of heavy persecution? If so, the best thing that the Sanhedrin could do would be to keep away from these simple men. They could let them alone with confidence. The movement would fail on its own.

From the vantage point of our day, we can see that the Jesus movement did not fail. But even the Sanhedrin really knew better back then. Theudas and Judas the Galilean did not rise from the dead. There were no guards that reported back any strange events. Men did not have to make up a story about how disciples had come and stolen away the bodies of those men. There were no reports of resurrection appearances. There was no account of changed lives among their followers or heavenly signs and miracles being performed in the name of Theudas. No one had to prohibit people from teaching in the name of Judas the Galilean. Thousands were not gathering and being baptized in either of those names. The reason was that both of those movements were of men, but the Jesus movement was of God, and there was nothing that anyone could do to stop it. Gamaliel had hinted about this: “If it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” The Sanhedrin had to know the force of Gamaliel's reasoning, but these rulers were not willing to receive the truth. Jesus had been killed. The Sanhedrin had been instrumental in the attack against Jesus and in his death. But the death of Jesus did not end Christianity. It ignited it.

So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

This speech was Gamaliel's advice to the rest of the Sanhedrin. Maybe the rest thought it was all they could do, given the situation. So they took his advice. But look at the way that they still found room to express their murderous passions. They called in the apostles and they beat them. Then they tried one more time to force them into submission by commanding them not to speak in the name of Jesus. But they did not kill them. They let them go.

41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

How would Peter, James, John, and the other apostles react to this miscarriage of justice? What would be their most powerful motivator? Personal rejection? Disappointment with the events in their lives? Hatred of those who should have treated them better?

Thankfully the true story is much better than any of these alternatives. They believed in the cross as their salvation. They also believed in it as their privilege as Christian believers. It had been granted to them not only to believe in Jesus, but also to suffer for His name's sake. They knew that the blood of Christ came out of His wounds. Why should any of us be surprised when Jesus does more good from our wounds than from what others might see as our strengths? If we believe in the power of the cross, then we can be patient in trial and even rejoice in tribulation, though the dishonor we suffer is unjust.

Very few Americans are given the privilege today of dying for the name of Jesus Christ. Can we receive it as joy to suffer dishonor for His matchless name? This will help us and will be a good encouragement to the church and a powerful testimony of grace for the world. We cannot expect that kind of miracle from followers of Theudas or the people who thought that Judas of Galilee was something; but it makes perfect sense for those who are filled the Spirit of Christ.

They did not park on their sufferings forever. There was power there, but they got up again and did what the Lord of glory wanted them to do. They obeyed God more than men. Every day they went to temple and did what the Sanhedrin had forbidden. They preached and taught that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah. Not only did they do that in the temple, but they went to the various houses where thousands of Christians were worshiping in Jerusalem every day. They preached and taught in those homes the same message of Jesus. This is what the church has been doing for centuries. God has commanded it. The entire enterprise is of God and is unstoppable.

1. Who was Gamaliel?

2. What was Gamaliel's advice and reasoning to the council?

3. What did the council do?

4. How did the apostles respond to all this?

OT Passage: Habakkuk 3:17-19

Jesus - Leader and Savior

"A Leader and Savior to Give Repentance to Israel"

(Acts 5:27-33, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, June 19, 2011)

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.”

Though Israel lived under the authority of the Roman empire in the days of Jesus, the Romans allowed a ruling council of the Jews to exercise some authority. This council, the Sanhedrin, was involved in the condemnation of Jesus. They also attempted to suppress the progress of the church. Their power was considerable, especially in the temple precincts in Jerusalem. They tried to use the weight of their authority to restrict the preaching of Jesus among the Jews.

The preaching of Jesus is the proclamation of the fullness of life. This life comes to us through Christ alone, which may be offensive to some. This gospel also contains an understanding of the the bad standing of mankind as a result of the fall, and an expectation of a coming judgment of all men. Without these important truths the cross of Christ makes no sense. Furthermore, the present way of life that Christianity teaches seems blatantly weak and foolish to the natural man. In any age, these essentials of the faith make the word of life a message that is not only offensive, but even something that should not be tolerated.

In addition, the unacceptable aspects of the Christian proclamation are not just far-off, abstract ideas. They are are very practical and personal. The Lord calls us to surrender to God, to admit our guilt concerning the death of Jesus, and to allow our pride to be crucified. This is all essential if we want to embrace the way of life that Jesus has for us. As a body of men, the Sanhedrin set themselves up as powerful enemies of Christ and this movement. That is why they arrested the apostles. But God miraculously released Peter and the rest from prison, and He sent them back into the temple to do what the Sanhedrin had strictly forbidden. This was humiliating to the Sanhedrin, insubordination... even insurrection. They told the apostles, “You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.”

29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Peter's answer was respectful but uncompromising: “We must obey God rather than men.” The church needs to know what God has clearly said. There was no question for the apostles about the Christian message and of the necessity of proclaiming and teaching it to others. This was a must from God, and no human authority had the right to overrule God.

The content of the message in verses 30-32 was nothing new. We heard the same points in the earlier summaries of core Christian truths in Acts 2, 3, and 4, and we will hear the very same statements again, not only from Peter, but also from Philip, Paul, and Luke, the author of Acts. This is the Jesus message. If anyone brings you a different message than this one and calls it the Jesus message or the new way for the church, they cannot be safely followed.

1. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead.

2. You killed Jesus by hanging him on a tree. This despite the fact that none of these leaders were the ones whose hands did the actual work. You killed Jesus. He died for your sin. You must own this crime if you are to own the power of the cross for your eternal well-being.

3. God exalted Jesus to the position of high authority in heaven at His right hand. He was the Leader above the Sanhedrin. He is the Savior who has rescued you.

4. From that position of highest rule, Jesus was giving repentance to Israel. Not every Jew had repented but many have. Paul said in Romans that a partial hardening had come upon the Jews, that is true, but it was not a total hardening. Thousands of Jews in Jerusalem and Jewish visitors from many other lands had repented of their sins.

5. From that position of highest rule, Jesus was giving forgiveness of sins to Israel. All who would repent and believe were finding the fullness of divine forgiveness.

6. The apostles were witnesses to these things and they were unwilling to stop being witnesses.

7. The Holy Spirit of God was also a witness of these things, whom God had given to those who obeyed him. That was why there were great signs and wonders being performed, and that was why there was boldness and joy among the church in the face of powerful opposition.

33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

This was a great message of grace and good news for Israel. But the leaders did not receive it as a good word to them from God. They did not repent and believe. Instead, they were enraged and wanted to kill these men.

What a mistake! You cannot change the fact that a judgment of God is coming upon the wicked by killing the ones who bring you the message. Don't let anything get in the way of receiving the gift of life that God has for you today. Do you hate Christ? Most people would say, “No.” Do you hate the church? Do you hate Christians? Do you know people who identify themselves as Christians who have been hateful? Have you fallen into the trap of hating the hateful? Have you decided to just marginalize Christ and His church in your heart as a result of what you disapprove of in the church? Jesus is sticking with His people despite their faults. Do you really want to be outside that family? Don't you want the gifts of repentance and forgiveness?

For the church: Let's not make it easy for people to hate the message of grace because we live it out so skimpily. Let your righteousness be the righteousness of your blameless Savior, and live the love of the cross blamelessly. Be lavish with the grace that God has given you. Respect those who are in authority, even when they decide that the message you love is hateful. But submit to God rather than man whenever men blatantly force you to make the choice. As a church, we must insist that we continue to preach and teach in the name of Jesus.

Finally, pray for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who have not yet received Jesus of Nazareth as Leader and Savior of Israel. Be a blessing to them in any way that you can. Can there be any doubt that the apostle Paul would want you to care for them? See Romans 9:1-5. Can there be any doubt that Peter would want you to love the Jews? Surely this is something Jesus wants you to pray for and to seek.

1. What was the council's charge against the apostles and what was their concern?

2. When do Christians need to make a choice between obedience to God and obedience to men?

3. What truths does Peter proclaim in verses 30-32?

4. How could the council have missed Peter's message of grace to Israel?

OT Passage: Isaiah 1:1-20

Doing what the angel of the Lord says...

“Speak to the people...”

(Acts 5:17-26, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, June 12, 2011)

17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council and all the senate of the people of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

Throughout the gospels and here in Acts we read about a group called the Sadducees. There is one important fact that you should know about this influential group of religious leaders. They no longer exist. With the eventual destruction of the temple in AD 70 by the Romans, this group, which was so closely associated with power in the temple precincts in Jerusalem, lost the place that gave them their influence.

This group had been against Jesus, and they were now against His church and the apostles whom Christ had chosen to lead. The Holy Spirit revealed something important here. The Sadducees were jealous. (The word can also mean zealous, but zealous for what? You decide if there is anything good here.) If they envied the apostles, it was not on account of the church's money or political influence. They had neither. What the church had was the power of God sending blessings from heaven upon the desperate in the Name of Jesus Christ. They could not pay their way into the higher strata of life in Jerusalem, but they could say this with credibility, “In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” This greatly disturbed the Sadducees.

What the Sadducees had was apparent power, particularly in the temple precincts. In their mad battle against the Christian Jews, they determined to use their power to arrest the apostles and to put them in the public prison.

19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

This “we'll-see-who's-in-charge-here” moment quickly backfired. The tight spot that the apostles found themselves in was an ideal opportunity for the powers of heaven to show the proud of the earth who was really in charge. During the night, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, bringing the apostles out of their brief captivity. Even when Christians are not released from prison by angels, God is able to demonstrate the way that His almighty power works well through human weakness. That general principle was quickly and conclusively demonstrated here through the miraculous deliverance of the leaders of the church.

Their freedom came with a word of direction. “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” In other words, at least in this instance, the word from God was not “Flee to the mountains!” but “Stand your ground!” or maybe more accurately, “Stand on My ground.” Though the time of the Old Covenant was completed in the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the church through the ascended Christ, God still had a claim upon this city and upon this place of worship that Jesus had once referred to as “My Father's house.” He would use the Roman armies to take it down, but not in Acts 5. The day of Acts 5 would be a day of a more ironic victory, where the church, devoid of the weapons of this world, would be able to stand firm against the enemies of Christ. They would win through the weakness of the cross and through the frank statement of the truth. This makes perfect sense for the followers of Christ, who belong to a kingdom where the King showed His formidable power through weakness.

The instruction of the angel of the Lord was plain: Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” Go. Stand in the place where the message of teaching the truth should be heard in Jerusalem. Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them all the words of this Life. Tell them about Jesus Christ, who died for us, and has risen from the dead. Tell them that He is our saving Lord. Tell them that He is our joy, our Life, not only now, but for all ages. When the sun came up, they went to the temple, and they began to teach.

Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council and all the senate of the people of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to.

Of course this story of deliverance from prison would be well known very soon, and the Sadducees would find out. The high priest sent for the prisoners, and... no prisoners! The officers were “greatly perplexed about” the apostles, “wondering what this would come to.”

25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

The Sadducees were embarrassed in front of the whole council, which included some of their rivals, the Pharisees. The facts of what the apostles were doing, teaching the people in the temple, precisely what they had been warned to not do, came to the council from a person called here by the word “someone.” Very embarrassing. The Sadducees, who were already jealous of the church and of the Lord Jesus, were exposed as those who were not in charge of these events.

The captain and officers arrested their prisoners again, bringing them before the council, but “not by force.” Men that have somehow found their way out of the custody of the priestly powers, men that were disobeying their direct orders, had to be led to the council gently, almost as if they were visiting dignitaries. The Sadducees would have loved to treat them roughly, but they were concerned about the people.

The church would not be stopped by the powers of men. The word of forgiveness based on the blood of Christ had been spoken to them, and it would be spoken through them. They believed, and they were filled with that Spirit that causes men and women everywhere to say, “Send me!” Such people may hear the threats of the powerful, but they will not be stopped by them.

1. Why did the authorities arrest the apostles?

2. What are “the words of this life?”

3. What was the initial reaction of the leaders to the empty prison?

4. Why were the officers afraid of being stoned by the people?

OT Passage: Isaiah 6

Desperate for Jesus and a New Normal

“They were all healed.”

(Acts 5:12-16, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, June 5, 2011)

12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico.

It is not every person's ambition to live large. Many people simply want to live a normal life. But in all the diversity that we have in our world today, what is a normal life? Every definition that we might come up with seems so bound up in the expectations of a given place or time. More than any cultural blinders, we have expectations that come from being used to life after the fall.

Sin is normal. Medication is normal, because illness is normal. Even death seems normal to some through long exposure to a world of loss. Unemployment, dissatisfaction, hopelessness can be the way that life just seems to be under the sun. The Christian believes that a Savior has come to us from heaven, a place that is not very normal, at least to us. Our Messiah has won for us a new cosmos where righteousness dwells. How would Jesus have defined normal?

He came to bring good news to the impoverished and to give new strength to those who had given up on life. He brings freedom to people who may have thought that there was no way out of prison. He has gladness for you that is not a fake substitute. He will make the weak solid and overturn generations of pain. He has animals and land for his people, food for the hungry, and justice for the oppressed. He will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations. This is His definition of normal, and everything that is less than that is less than the normal of heavenly life.

When He had accomplished our salvation through His life and death, He set about the work of bringing the news of life and the experience of life to people throughout the earth. Maybe the experience of life in the church in Jerusalem in those opening years should be viewed by us as a true taste of what normal really should be in the Kingdom of God. In that normal kingdom life, “many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people.”

These works of heavenly healing were not taking place spontaneously, they were sent by God through the hands of people. Specifically, these signs and wonders were taking place “by the hands of the apostles.” This was important, since it was the Lord's will to connect the teaching of the kingdom with these signs of new life. We are told that the people of the Jerusalem church “were all together in Solomon's Portico.” They gathered there to hear the teaching of the apostles. Lives were being changed.

13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,

There were three reactions to all of these great events that are listed for us in verses 13 and 14,

First, people did not dare to join the Christians. We know that the report spread quickly about God's immediate judgment on the lie of Ananias and Saphira. That combined with the miracles that the apostles were performing caused many to have a new sense of the fear of the Lord.

Second, “the people held them in high esteem.” The fear of God and the esteem of His people can go together. Everything about the church was admirable. It was not a place of hypocrisy, but of obvious love and power.

Finally, “more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.” This great growth in the church took place despite the fact that many people were afraid to be associated with them. Many could not resist the pull of this new normal that they were seeing from afar. They were seeing the life of Jesus on earth in a community that was different. Many people wanted to be a part of it.

15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Verses 15 and 16 suggest that the group that was especially attracted to the Lord's people was largely comprised of those who knew that they needed the help of heaven. Sick people were coming in droves, and were being carried to the church by those who cared for them. They might have wanted to stay away, not because they did not admire the church, but because they were afraid of the God that they knew they needed.

If your child was sick or demon-possessed and you had no other place to go, what would you do if you heard that one of the neighbors was healed by Peter. What would you do if you heard a report like the one at the end of verse 16, that “they were all healed?” Wouldn't you feel a strong desire to go where the apostles might be?

As the word was spread of the amazing signs of the Lord's power, wouldn't you be interested to at least find out what they were talking about in Solomon's Portico? Perhaps you would have some lingering ambivalence, afraid of being associated with this group that was despised by some powerful people, and where God was so near that a couple was struck down simply for their lie about how much they gave. If you were not sure about it all, perhaps you would at least line the road where Peter might come by, so that his shadow might fall on your child.

But if you listened to what the apostles said, there would be one Name that would stand out. That Name was attracting the desperate from all over the various towns outside of Jerusalem. That one Name that still has the power of heaven is Jesus. He is still setting people free from sin and death. He is displaying a new kind of normal that comes from His wounded hands and feet.

Why is the church so lacking in power now? Why is it that we simply cannot say the words today, that “they were all healed” when referring to those who come to our worship services or classes? We should not be too quick to offer our opinions on this question. God knows the times and the seasons. He knows the beginning from the end.

But maybe we have gotten too used to the normal of this world of loss and disappointment. Maybe we need to be desperate. One thing is for certain. Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. The church should be the place where desperate people find new life.

1. What was the normal life of the church described here?

2. Why were they all together in Solomon's Portico?

3. What were the three reactions of those outside to the church?

4. What was the church especially known for among those who were facing sickness?

OT Passage: Isaiah 61