A Christian Response to Torture by Authorities (Acts 4)

When innocent people are tortured by churches and courts led by wicked men, God arises. There is a time he has ordained to punish the wicked leaders and uphold the victims. It may seem at this point that there is no justice for those who pray with tears and suffer injustice. However, the Bible says, “God knows who is his.” And, he has kept the wicked for his just wrath. The wrath of God is foolishness to those who play God and play with God’s word. But it is power to the innocent soul drenched in tears for God’s justice. There’s a time when the wicked reigns in the world and the church. But God’s just wrath will overthrow them at the right time.

 

However, in the meantime, the innocent are called to do two things: action and prayer. By action, I mean a non-action called non-retaliation. To those who infer it superficially, it seems passive endurance. Even so, it is more than that. Non-retaliation has the following benefits in a godly person’s life:

 

1. It gets you into God’s good books without extra effort.
2. Your oppressors get registered in God’s bad books precisely because they attack the defenseless, whose defender is God.
3. It helps your attackers to think the right way.
4. It will shame them and make them feel small.
5. Non-retaliation may increase their respect for you (though they may feel uncomfortable to express it). 

 

This is my view of dealing with injustice. Anger against injustice is human. Forgiveness is greater. Non-retaliation is even greater. But doing good to your enemy is the next level. “Therefore, do not be overcome by evil. But overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).” 

 

For instance, Jesus fixed the ear of a high priest’s servant who came to arrest him. Peter, Jesus’ disciple, was moved by righteous anger and love for Jesus. He wanted to protect Jesus and prevent his arrest. Peter had good intentions at heart. He was defending an innocent person. Still, Jesus reprimanded him and told him to keep his sword back (Luke 22:49-51, John 18:10-15). Jesus could have asked his father to send twelve legion of angels to defend himself (Matt. 26:51-55). However, he knew his arrest was God’s will (John 18:11; Matt 26:54). Therefore, he did not retaliate but allowed his father to respond to those who hurt him. The Father God scattered the Jews. The Jews got their due from the Romans when they rebelled against them.

The second aspect is prayer. The apostles prayed when the local authorities threatened to stop them from preaching about the risen Jesus. The crux of this prayer is the understanding that God is still supreme and sovereign over all worldly powers. They prayed for the boldness to testify about Jesus because they knew that the authorities wanted to torture them to prevent this proclamation. The apostles prayed for God to affirm their message with remarkable healings that would serve as signposts for the God-promised life in the coming age. Strangely, they did not pray for protection from the local rulers as many of us would. Instead, they prayed for God to help them complete his mission, come what may.

 

The apostles prayed, “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word boldly (Acts 4:29)." They trusted God’s sovereignty over all human affairs, including Jesus’ crucifixion. It is reflected in their cry, “Sovereign Lord” (4:24), and prayer, “Herod and Pilate did what your power and will had decided beforehand” (4:27-28). In between, Luke fits in Psalm 2 without much editing. “‘Why do the nations rage and the people’s plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.” (Acts 4:25-26)

 

It seems Psalm 2 quote is fulfilled when Herod and Pilate conspired and killed Jesus. However, now, things in the heavenly realms are very different. As the Psalm indicates in its second part, God has installed the risen Jesus as King in heavenly Jerusalem (Psalm 2:4-12). The one who enthrones Jesus laughs at these wicked earthly tyrants and rebukes them in his wrath. All the world’s nations are now Jesus’ inheritance. He will Lord over them with a rod of iron, dashing their egos to pieces like pottery (Psalm 2:7-9). The Psalm ends with warning the worldly rulers to take refuge in the God-appointed King and “celebrate his rule with trembling” instead of rebelling against him. For, in his fury, he may destroy them (Psalm 2:11-12). Therefore, the apostles pray, “Now, Lord, consider their threats.” They are praying confidently with the heavenly reality in mind.

 

Then, Luke writes, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly spoke God’s word.” (Acts 4:31). What does this shaking of the earth and filling of the Spirit indicate? Of course, it is God’s way of answering their heartfelt prayer. However, Luke is hinting at Haggai 2:6 in particular and, perhaps, the whole chapter and its context in general. It has two-fold connotations. First, it is about God shaking the earthly rulers and their Kingdoms. Second, it is about God filling his renewed Temple with his Spirit. 

 

First, the Lord will shake the land’s rulers and their realms. God tells Israel in Haggai that “he will shake the heavens and the earth” and “he will shake all the nations” (Haggai 2:6-7). As the apostles prayed in Acts 4 with the fulfilled heavenly reality of Psalm 2 in mind, God reminded them through the earth-shaking and spirit-infilling a critical verse in the Prophets. They prayed with Psalm 2. It says that Jesus –God’s Son– will rule over all the world’s nations. The Psalm commands the worldly rulers to submit to him without rebelling. The answer to their prayer came from Haggai. In Haggai, God –who announced Jesus as King– will shake the spirits of these wicked earthly rulers and tyrants. He will shake their Kingdoms with his powerful message of the risen ruler of this world (Acts 4:33).

 

Second, the Lord is refilling his new Temple in Jerusalem –the body of Christ– with his Spirit (Acts 4:31) as an answer to their prayer. The message in Haggai also relates to God’s return to Jerusalem: to the Temple, “and I will fill this house with glory (Haggai 2:7).” God is speaking through his prophet to the leaders –Zerubbabel and Joshua– and his people to be strong and do the work of his temple building. God is with them. God reminds them of his covenant with Moses when they came out of Egypt. It stands, and his Spirit remains with them. Therefore, they need not fear. (Haggai 2:1-5). Perhaps Luke wants his listeners to remember how God strengthened Zerubbabel and Joshua to build his Temple against all odds. His Spirit is within the apostles to strengthen them and build for God’s Kingdom.

 

The apostles are laying the foundation of a different kind of Temple –a Temple not made by human hands. It is a temple built by the Spirit. God’s Spirit will indwell his people. It is a living temple made up of living stones, the believers. God will shake the rulers of Jerusalem because now, there is a new King. God is their King, and so is His son, the Messiah. King Jesus has come to right the past wrongs. His Kingdom is being revealed, the Kingdom of servant Kings led by God’s Spirit. They do not Lord it over their subjects but serve and save (defend) them as friends. To this end, he has filled his apostles with his Holy Spirit to preach his word boldly. The shaking of the earth and the infilling of the Spirit indicates the fulfillment of these words. 

 

Next up, in Acts, the believers share all their belongings (Acts 4:32-35). They do not have any lack. Whenever somebody needs something, somebody else sells their belongings to meet their need. It further fulfills Haggai’s passage. In Haggai, God promises his people peace and prosperity, “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine” (Haggai 2:8) . “And in this place, I will grant peace (2:9).” Similarly, the believers are united in feelings and thoughts. They do not claim that anything belongs to them at all. Instead, they share all their possessions (Acts 4:32). Therefore, their preaching carries the punch (4:33). 

 

Luke sandwiches the apostles’ preaching of Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 4:33) between the idea of believers sharing their possessions (4:32) and how fairly it was done through the agency of the apostles (4:34). Thus, Luke emphasizes the effect of the believers’ sharing of their property upon the apostles’ preaching. Their preaching was powerful and gracious. They testified with incredible power to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus (4:33). Haggai declares, “The glory of this house will be greater than the glory of the former house (Haggai 2:9).” Thus, God’s glory is revealed through the apostles’ work of faith and love. All God’s people are one unit. 

 

The apostles preach that God has raised his Messiah, Jesus. Therefore, those who believe will conquer death and have life in the coming age with the Messiah in his Kingdom. Besides, they are living the Kingdom life in the present age by sharing their possessions and caring for the weak. God expects us to do the same: prayer and action. When tortured by wicked rulers and authorities, we follow non-retaliation. However, our prayers will carry the punch if we act in line with God’s truth of love. God has kept the wicked for his just wrath. The wrath of God is foolishness to those tyrants who play God and oppress the weak. But it is power to the person who prays for God’s justice. God has allowed the wicked to reign in the world and the church for a time. But God’s just wrath will overthrow them in due time. Therefore, we should pray and act according to God’s Word.