The Irrationality of Unbelief

A Sermon on Acts 5:17-32

Originally preached Feb. 13, 1966

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Scripture

Acts 5:17-32 ESV KJV

But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them …

17¶ Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 18And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. 19But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. 21And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, 23Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. 24Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. 25Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. 26Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. 27And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.

29¶ Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Sermon Description

Unbelief and rejection of the gospel flows from a heart that is fallen and corrupt. In this sermon on Acts 5:17–32, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains this central problem that plagues all humanity. For when people say that the gospel is foolish or for the primitive, they are not doing so as free thinkers, but as sinners who reject God and His way of life. This is seen when the apostles John and Peter are put in prison by the Jewish leaders. These unbelieving Jews reject the message of the crucified and resurrected Messiah and they persecute those that believe. This is unbelief manifest in irrationality. They do not put forth arguments, but they simply reject the message and the messengers. So, when those who hear the gospel of Christ reject it with anger and hatred, it should not be surprising for the Bible predicts and explains this rejection. God’s word says that all are sinners by nature and are wholly opposed to God. As it was in the days of the Apostles, so it is also true in modern times. All around us people scoff and ridicule the message of a crucified Savior due to unbelief. And this unbelief can only be remedied by the grace of God.

Sermon Breakdown

The passage describes the reaction of the high priest and Sadducees to the apostles' preaching and miracles. They were filled with indignation and imprisoned the apostles.
Unbelief is not due to intellectual reasons. Many intelligent people believe the gospel. Unbelief has been present throughout history.
Unbelief is not due to lack of knowledge. Unbelief was present even before modern scientific discoveries. Knowledge does not address fundamental questions about human existence, God, morality, and the afterlife.
The real cause of unbelief is irrationality, not intellect. It is a matter of feeling and prejudice, not reason. The high priest and Sadducees reacted with anger and jealousy, not open-mindedness.
Unbelief manifests itself with intolerance, not openness. Society today tolerates moral perversions but not the gospel.
Unbelief is marked by hatred and rage, not calm objectivity. The gospel is ridiculed and attacked, not discussed rationally.
Unbelief relies on force and authority to suppress dissent, not reason or evidence. The high priest and Sadducees imprisoned the apostles to stop their preaching.
The gospel presents the truth about life, God, human existence, and eternity. It offers life and salvation. To reject this is irrational.
Unbelief is futile because it pits itself against the power of God, not just human messengers. God delivered the apostles from prison. The gospel has outlived all attempts to destroy it.

Sermon Q&A

What Was the Main Cause of Unbelief in the Early Church According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Acts 5:17-32, the main cause of unbelief in the early church was not intellectual reasoning but rather emotional prejudice and pride.

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say unbelief is irrational rather than intellectual?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that unbelief is irrational because:

Men with great minds have believed the gospel throughout history
Former opponents of Christianity have become believers without losing their intellectual capacity
People with identical educational backgrounds and intellectual abilities can have completely different responses to the gospel
The unbelievers in Acts showed emotional reactions ("filled with indignation") rather than calm, rational inquiry
They rejected evidence of miracles and supernatural events that didn't fit their preconceived beliefs

As Lloyd-Jones states: "Unbelief is not intellectual. The trouble is not the cause of it is not intellectual. What is it? Well, I make bold to say that unbelief is always the result of irrationality."

How does modern unbelief compare to the unbelief of the Sadducees in Acts 5?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones draws direct parallels between the unbelief of the Sadducees and modern unbelief:

Both are characterized by pride and jealousy over position and status
Both demonstrate angry rejection rather than calm investigation
Both involve selective tolerance (modern society tolerates moral perversions but not Christianity)
Both use authority and force to silence believers
Both reject the gospel message irrationally despite its life-giving benefits

Lloyd-Jones emphasizes: "Unbelief doesn't change. There is no difference. Christ remains the same. Belief and faith are the same. Unbelief is the same."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the true motivations behind unbelief?

The true motivations behind unbelief according to Lloyd-Jones are:

Pride and jealousy about position and status
Fear of losing intellectual respectability
Emotional prejudice against the gospel
Hatred and rage against believers
Unwillingness to be humbled by God's message

He explains: "That's the trouble, you know, that's the real cause of unbelief. What will people think of you if you become a Christian? What about your intellectual respectability? Does anybody but a fool any longer believe this? That's why most people are not Christian."

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the irrationality of rejecting the gospel?

Lloyd-Jones describes the irrationality of rejecting the gospel by highlighting what the unbeliever is actually rejecting:

The most loving message possible - "God so loved the world"
A message that brings freedom and life, not restriction
The teaching of Christ which, if followed, would solve the world's problems
A person (Jesus) who demonstrated only goodness and compassion
A power greater than human power (as shown by the angel freeing the apostles)

He concludes: "To reject this and to reject it with feeling and passion and scorn and indignation is nothing but a sheer demonstration of utter irrationality."

The Book of Acts

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.

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