Daily Scripture Reading Acts 5:16-36
It is human nature to run from danger. People run from explosions, wild animals, and gunshots. Because of this, Christians have a tendency to back down when a non-Christian expresses strong opposition to the truth of the Bible. Many believers try to share the gospel in a way that will not make people mad.
Today we will see that the apostles did the opposite. They faced very strong hostility from the Jewish leaders, but they spoke the truth about Jesus with confidence regardless of the consequences. Perhaps we should do the same.
At the end of yesterday’s reading we saw that the apostles were performing many signs and wonders, the believers regularly gathered together, and the non-believers held them in high esteem. Multitudes of people were becoming believers.
Acts 5:16 Also the multitude from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.
Acts 5:17 ¶ But the high priest rose up and those with him (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.
A key word in this verse is the word “jealousy”. The Sadducees were not driven by a desire for truth or a concern that the apostles were propagating false teaching. They did not rejoice that sick people were being healed. Instead, they were upset that the apostles had the power to heal when they did not. This shows how little they cared for the welfare of those outside their clique.
If religious people in the 1st century had such distorted values and priorities, then perhaps we should ask if today’s religious leaders also have warped objectives. Do church leaders make their decisions based on what advances the cause of Jesus Christ, or are they more concerned with protecting their own pride and position?
Acts 5:18 And they laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.
Acts 5:19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, and taking them out, he said,
Acts 5:20 “Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.”
Notice the angel of the Lord gave the apostles a command to preach in the temple. In the following verse we see that the apostles did as they were commanded.
Acts 5:21 Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach. ¶ Now when the high priest and those with him came, they called the Sanhedrin together, even all the Council of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the jailhouse for them to be brought.
Acts 5:22 But the officers who came did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported back,
Acts 5:23 saying, “We found the jailhouse locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors, but we opened it and found no one inside.”
Acts 5:24 Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this.
This is the same group of leaders who, only months earlier, felt an earthquake and saw the veil of the temple was torn in two when Jesus was crucified. Furthermore, they paid the guards to say the disciples of Jesus had stolen the body of Jesus. Now, they learned the apostles had escaped jail even though the doors were still locked.
Acts 5:25 But someone came and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”
Acts 5:26 Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).
It is a fundamental reality of life that those who govern are outnumbered by those they govern. The leaders of a city are outnumbered by the citizens of that city. Church leaders are outnumbered by the members of the church. The priests and Sadducees in 1st century Jerusalem were outnumbered by the common people.
The common people in 1st century Jerusalem thought highly of the apostles, and they outnumbered the leaders who were against the apostles; therefore, the leaders were constrained in what they could do to the apostles. The apostles were speaking in public, and the authorities knew if they used violence to arrest the apostles, then the people might turn against them.
Acts 5:27 ¶ And when they had brought them, they stood them before the Sanhedrin. And the high priest questioned them,
Acts 5:28 saying, “We strictly commanded you not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
Take note of the word “commanded”. We read about this in Acts 4:18.
Look at the last phrase of this verse where the high priest accused the apostles of bringing the blood of Jesus upon them. It almost sounds like the Sanhedrin tried to deny responsibility for the death of Jesus. The Jewish leaders accused Jesus of committing blasphemy by claiming to be God; therefore, it seems the Jewish leaders would have been proud that they eliminated a blasphemer.
Acts 5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered and said, “We must obey God rather than men.
This is similar to the answer Peter and John gave in Acts 4:19-20. The apostles knew obeying God is more important than obeying man.
The Bible tells us to obey the governing authorities, but the Bible also tells us to obey God. When commands from human leaders contradict commands from God, then we have to obey God, not man.
Acts 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging Him on a tree.
As we have noted several times in the opening chapters of Acts, Peter once again declared that Jesus rose from the dead.
In the English language, the pronoun “you” can be either singular or plural. In Biblical Greek, the singular 2nd person pronoun is different than the plural 2nd person pronoun. In this verse Peter used the plural 2nd person pronoun.
Peter did not back down. In fact, he used the plural pronoun “you” to lay the responsibility for the death of Jesus upon the Sanhedrin.
It is human nature to back away from threats and run from danger. When Christians run into opposition, the natural response is to soften our message so as not to offend people.
However, Peter did not do that. He spoke the truth, just as Jesus had always spoken the truth. We need to do the same in the 21st century. We need to speak the truth with confidence. We need to do so regardless of the consequences. Christians need to be willing to die for what we believe.
Acts 5:31 This One God exalted to His right hand as a Leader and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 5:32 And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God gave to those who obey Him.”
Pay attention to Peter’s statement that the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey God. The belief within Christianity is that believers are the ones who receive the Holy Spirit. That is not a contradiction. In order to be saved, people have to confess Jesus as Lord. if Jesus is Lord of your life, then you will obey Jesus. Thus, the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey.
Acts 5:33 ¶ But when they heard this, they became furious and intended to kill them.
Notice the words “furious” and “kill”. When Jesus was living on earth, He was a threat to the religious establishment, so they killed Him. Then the apostles of Jesus became a threat to the religious establishment, so they wanted to kill the apostles as well.
Acts 5:34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time.
Acts 5:35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men.
Acts 5:36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who were following him were dispersed and came to nothing.
Tomorrow we will finish reading Gamaliel’s advice to ignore what the apostles were doing.
The Jewish leaders commanded the apostles to stop speaking in the name of Jesus. The apostles obeyed God rather than men, and almost got themselves killed.
What are the risks you face when you speak the plain truth about Jesus?
Do you have enough conviction about your beliefs to speak the truth in the face of strong opposition?
Do you love Jesus and your fellow humans enough to speak the truth regardless of the consequences?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”