“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. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, . .” (Acts 5:12-14)
At the start of Acts 5, Luke related the judgment of Ananias and Sapphira. This couple apparently thought they could gain status and honor by appearing to make a great donation to the Church. They sinned not because they held back some of the money but because they were hypocrites. They lied to the Holy Spirit. They gave to exalt themselves rather than glorify the name of the Lord. Therefore the Lord punished them quite severely. Because of this miraculous judgment some of the Jews were afraid to associate with the apostles and the new Christians, yet many more joined with them because they were attracted by the realization that the Lord was truly with them. What added to their numbers were all the miracles that the apostles performed just as Jesus had done. These helped to spread the gospel as they were part of the witness of the Holy Spirit that authenticated their power and authority and demonstrated the love of God for people who were helpless and without hope.
Since the apostles were attacking the kingdom of Satan, he provoked his followers, the hypocritical religious leaders of the Jews to persecute them. The apostles continued to boldly proclaim the gospel. Their faithfulness shows us that we must do the same despite the persecution that assails us in our world. Such persecution we endure in the west is a serious concern as it grows in intensity. And yet it is not quite as serious as the persecution our brethren in Africa and Asia are enduring. Many of our brethren there are being martyred for the faith. We must never forget to pray for them that the Lord would protect and encourage them with the assurance that He is with them, as He is with us. He has granted us eternal life and will never forsake us even in the darkest of times.