The Book of the Acts of the Apostles, sometimes called the Acts of the Holy Spirit, is not surprisingly, a discerning document. In a study of the text, I have concluded that there are at least forty incidents in this remarkable book where discernment is a factor in the flow of events.

Also, it seems appropriate at this point in our discussion to look at the events that surrounded the explosive beginning of the Christian church. The place of Christian discernment in those dramatic happenings created a fascinating mosaic.

Though the word discern does not appear in the English translation of the Acts, the effect and operation of discernment is strikingly clear.

And it is not surprising that discernment should be a vital part of the acts of the Holy Spirit in the infant church. But the appalling lack of discernment on occasion is very surprising, and we would find it incredible were we not accustomed to the Bible's habitual portrayal of people as they were.

Lack of Discernment

The lack of discernment surfaces quickly. In Acts 1:6 the disciples, after three years at Jesus' feet, after the trauma of the Crucifixion, and after the wonder of the Resurrection, were still asking if the kingdom might come then. Professor F. F. Bruce suggests,

The question in verse 6 appears to have been the flicker of their former burning expectation of an imminent political theocracy with themselves as its chief executives.¹

Casting lots for the choice of Matthias also seems to have been a strange manner for Christians to make decisions. We can surely be forgiven if we harbor doubts about the discernment of the disciples, especially in view of the fact that Matthias was never again mentioned in the Bible and that such a powerful apostle as Paul was about to appear upon the scene.

Later in 12:9, Peter was released from prison and apparently was not able to distinguish a vision from reality. The men of Antioch in 15:1 showed a critical lack of spiritual understanding when they said, "Unless you are circumcised. . .you cannot be saved" (NIV). And somebody surely lacked this precious discernment when Paul and Barnabas differed sharply over Mark in 15:39.

Paul's willingness to undertake vows, 18:18 and 21:26, seems to have been either a lack of discernment, or worse, a surrender to peer pressure. Some disagree, of course, and say that Paul was simply being all things to all men.

Probably one of the most difficult passages in the whole book is 21:4 where Luke perceived the Holy Spirit did not want Paul to go to Jerusalem. Yet Paul insisted on going. Paul knew prison awaited him, 20:13, and that he would not return, 20:25; still he persisted, impelled, it seems, to offer his life as a libation. Could the apostle have been too stubborn to be genuinely discerning? Have not the inerrant Scriptures invariably come through vulnerable and sometimes fallible men? Paul's humanness should not in any way be considered a detriment to his usefulness in giving to us his inspired writings. The facts are that all biblical writers were human, fallible instruments used by the Holy Spirit to fashion an inspired and inerrant book.

The apparent lack of discernment in the Book of Acts is an encouragement by helpful example. We today who make mistakes and fall into bad judgment can take courage. Even the apostles in the holy fire of the New Testament advance were sometimes dull, undiscerning, or even stubborn.

The Discernment of the Scriptures

Though we may attribute the dramatic insights of the speakers in the Acts to the vibrant inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I think it is also true that the leaders of the early church were given penetrating Christian insight into the Scriptures themselves. They were very discerning in their use of the Old Testament in the new age.

Peter's explanation of Pentecost is a classic illustration, and he turned it into a powerful evangelistic instrument. Stephen's rehearsal of the acts of God in the national history of his detractors proved so powerful that they leaped upon him to destroy him. Philip, in 8:30-39, seized a remarkable opportunity when he found an Ethiopian seeking after God and just coincidently reading the Book of Isaiah; he turned the event into effective evangelism, followed immediately by baptism.

Paul's preaching in the synagogue at Antioch may be an example of apostolic preaching to Jews. But it is also an example of the discerning use of the Old Testament to make clear that Christianity is not something new but rather the natural outcome of something that has gone before.

In 15:15, James couched his decision in the context of the Old Testament (Amos 9:11,12) so that when he resisted the Jews' efforts to impose the law on Gentile converts, he did so with their own Scriptures. And Paul in the closing section of the book, appealed to the Scriptures as his basis for going to the Gentiles. Not only would they listen, he said, but reaching the Gentiles had been God's mind all along (Isa. 6:9-10).

A study then of Christian discernment in the Book of Acts must not ignore the judicious use of Old Testament Scripture to launch the New Testament church. Interestingly too, all the main figures in Acts were quoted as using this powerful weapon, the Old Testament. It is as if Luke felt compelled to show that Peter, Paul, Stephen, and James all used the Old Testament to preach New Testament truth. They did so because they were discerning.

Discernment for Ministry

There are numerous dramatic interventions of the Holy Spirit in the lives of needy people in the Book of Acts.

At the temple gate (3:1-5), Peter seemed to know instinctively that this crippled man needed to be seized by the hand, helped to his feet, and commanded to walk. Peter later said to Aeneas before everyone, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat" (9:34, NIV). In this case there was no outstretched hand - only a brief command. But the result confirmed the method. With Tabitha, Peter put everyone out - perhaps to get rid of unbelief. Then again, he only spoke. But it was a creative word. The woman rose from the dead (9:40-41).

Always in the healing ministry Peter reacted differently. Significantly, in these cases, Peter did not anoint with oil, nor did he lay hands upon the sick, though he would have certainly approved of these measures. Trusting his discernment Peter approached each case according to the need.

Philip also had a healing and deliverance ministry as recorded in chapter 8. Particularly interesting is the reaction of the demons at Samaria; they left their victims, screaming as they went. Apparently Philip had discernment in its most specific and particular sense, the discerning of spirits. He knew the intricate working of satanic bondage, and the evil spirits were uncovered before him.

But Paul showed this basic discernment, too. The spirit-controlled girl, chapter 16, had been following him for days, announcing her underworld message. Suddenly, Paul wheeled and addressed himself to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her" (16:18, NIV). The enemy was driven out. And immediately the owners of the slave girl, in a kind of perverse discernment of their own, realized that with the demon gone, fortune-telling powers were gone too, and they were angry. Bruce's comments are helpful at this point.

 She is described by Luke as a "pythoness," i.e. as a person inspired by Apollo, the god particularly associated with the giving of oracles, who was worshipped as the "Pythian" god at the oracular shrine of Delphi (otherwise called Pytho) in central Greece. Her involuntary utterances were regarded as the voice of the god, and she was thus much in demand by people who wished to have their fortunes told.²

During his sea voyage to Rome, Paul's awareness of God's intent was also clear in his words to the fearful passengers as recorded in chapter 27. "Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head" (27:34, NIV) was his message. The mariners about to be shipwrecked were encouraged. For healing, exorcism, or the vital matter of survival at sea, the apostles ministered carefully, sometimes unpredictably, but clearly with discernment.

Natural Surprising Discernment

There are a few places in Acts where discernment appeared where it was least expected.

Gamaliel, the intervening Pharisee, had just the right words to save the apostles (5:34). Was it mere human wisidom, or was the insight from a higher source?

Simon, the supposedly converted sorcerer, after observing that after Peter and John had prayed for the believers they received the Holy Spirit, said, "Give this authority to me" (8:19, NASB). Peter censured and rebuked him severely, threatened him besides. But Simon's use of the word authority was not without significance. There appears to be here this perverse discernment to which we have already referred. In any case, the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the Samaritans was a ministry of authority, and Simon had clearly recognized that authority was involved.

The sons of Sceva attempted exorcism, too, with some discernment, but without vital Christian authority (19:14). Was this again the perverse or clouded discernment that even the sons of Adam sometimes seem to have?

Dr. Nevius, in his classic on the subject of demonic possession, offers that in China some seemed to exercise powers of exorcism even though they were clearly not Christians.³

There are different kinds of discernment. The natural man by keen observation and experience refines his perception to the point that he can make good judgments about many things. But human perception no matter how cultivated. has serious limitations. These examples of discernment in unregenerate men are on the level of natural discernment. They stand in vivid contrast to the enlightened discernment of those who walk with God.

Discernment, Will and Prejudice

The discernment of the Holy Spirit in Acts is apparent in its author, Luke. He wrote with graphic understanding, and from the point of view we are considering here, he frequently, very frequently, focused upon that penetrating Christian insight we have come to call discernment.

When there was need in the early church (4:34), there was discernment enough to know when property was to be sold and discernment enough to know when it was to be retained in private hands, Moreover, Peter seemed to have exceptional discernment in uncovering the deception of Ananias and Sapphira (5:1-11). This dramatic event accompanied by the judgment of death was so unusual that one wonders if even more than discerning was involved in it.

Lenski finds himself asking the same question:

 How did Peter gain such complete knowledge about the sin of Ananias? One answer to this question is found in 1 Corinthians 12:10 ". . .to another discerning of spirits," In the case before us, Peter had even more, namely the direct revelation of the Holy Spirit concerning Ananias and his wife.⁴

The answer, it seems to me, was that the Holy Spirit multiplied His working and added other divine gifts to Peter's penetrating discernment. When Satan's diversionary attack seemed about to pull the apostles away from the Word of God and prayer, the right decision was made.

When the disciples heard that Cornelius and the others had received the Holy Spirit as they had previously (11:17), they were satisfied.

When Peter explained his actions to the elders at Jerusalem (11:18, NIV), the elders had "no further objections." They had discernment that the Holy Spirit was at work.

When Barnabas, in a similar situation, headed to Antioch, he also discerned the evidence of the grace of God among the Gentiles. And "he was glad" (11:23, NIV). When this infant church at Antioch was devoting itself to the discipline of fasting and prayer (13:2, NIV), it was discerning enough to hear the Lord say, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." This was missionary endeavor in its infancy, and at its heart was discernment, the ability to discover the will and truth of God.

Luke's discernment surfaced again (13:6) when he called Bar-Jesus a false prophet. How did he know? Even if Luke had never seen Bar-Jesus, someone had had discernment. Paul too called him as he was. He addressed Bar-Jesus (13:10, NIV), "You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery." Not everyone knows who is a false prophet, let alone what he may be full of. But Luke and Paul seem to have had no trouble.

When Paul and Barnabas related God's working among the Gentiles (15:12), the whole assembly at Jerusalem "became silent." That silence implies a sense of discernment about what the Holy Spirit was doing. When the apostles composed a letter to Gentile converts, it was "a masterpiece of tact and delicacy." And surely the reason is that the church was discerning. By recognizing the directions of the Holy Spirit they avoided schism.

When Aquilla and Priscilla heard Apollos (18:26), they discerned his partial doctrinal knowledge and judiciously invited him to their home so they might carefully teach him more about the Savior. That ordinary people were able to catch the attention of an orator like Apollos and then instruct him more fully is a tribute to their wisdom - and to his humility.

There are times, however, when discernment runs into the blank wall of stubbornness and prejudice.

Early in Acts (9:13) Ananias was afraid of Saul even though the Lord had given him a vision about Saul's coming. Did will or fear or even prejudice stand in the way? Three years later, the disciples were still afraid of Saul. Was it just fear? Or was there a hint of prejudice in their holding back the right hand of fellowship?

Peter's threefold vision in chapter 10 had as its purpose the preparation of the apostle and the church for a ministry to the Gentiles. Prejudice had to be broken down. Stubborn will had to be overcome.

The disciples should have been able to be discerning about God's purpose for the Gentile world without such visions. But iron prejudice and stubborn will short-circuited their perception, hindering their discernment. Even after Peter's extraordinary vision, the apostles in the early church had great difficulty accepting the fact that the Holy Spirit really had ordained that the gospel was to be sent to the Gentiles.

Lessons Learned

Luke's account has a teaching about Christian discernment that is most helpful. Who can help but be encouraged by the failure of even the apostolic elite to be discerning? Who cannot find hope in the appalling lack of discernment at some of the critical moments in the life of the early church?

There is help, too, in seeing how the Holy Spirit worked creatively. The ineptitude of the early believers ought to be an encouragement to us when we fail.

And there is a warning in this chronology of the Holy Spirit. Discernment seems to have failed utterly when confronted with stiffened prejudice and the resolute will. Such failure is reason enough then to seek before God to be as pliable and unprejudiced before Him as it is possible to be, and reason enough also to say that the most important lesson on discernment in the whole Book of Acts is that prejudice and the stubborn will are larger threats to discernment than insensitiveness and ignorance will ever be.

1. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts. p. 38.
2. Ibid., p. 332.
3. John Nevius, Demon Possession. p. 10.
4. R.C.H. Lenski, The Acts of the Apostles. p. 196.

Chapter 10