Acts 5:22-42
Acts 5:22-42 - Counted Worthy to Suffer for His Name
Acts 5:22-42
Recap
Peter and John are arrested for preaching in Jesus name
The high priest warns them and lets them go
Then Peter and John go into the temple and continue preaching
This time they’re arrested and thrown in prison
The Angel of the Lord appears to them and sets them free
The Angel commands them to go back and start preaching again
So they return to the temple and begin to preach again
Now the religious leaders hear about this and send officers to the prison to see if Peter and John are still locked up
Scripture
Acts 5:22-42 (NKJV) 22 But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, 23 saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”
When the officers get there the doors are still shut, the prison is still secure but Peter and John are gone
You can imagine the Pharisees right about now
They secured Jesus’s tomb and it was empty
Now they secure the prison with His apostles in it, and it’s empty too
24 Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. 25 So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”
The high priest and his entourage are confused at this point
But then someone came in and tells them, “the same guys you arrested and imprisoned are back in the temple teaching again”
26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set [them] before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” 29 But Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.
So the captain of the guard goes and brings Peter and John again before the religious authorities
But not with violence because they fear the people
Remember the people are still greatly affected over the miracles they’ve seen
They’re moved by the Holy Spirit by the teachings
So much so that the temple guards are worried about being stoned by the people if they take Peter and John by force
But they come willingly before the chief priest again
He asks them “didn’t we command you not to teach?”
But Peter replies “we must obey God” — again showing a distinction between God and the religious establishment
There are times when those things coincide and there are times when they don’t.
How do we determine which is which? Does it align with His word
But the council has this to say also:
“you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”
Remember what Peter had said before after being filled with the Spirit:
“We cannot but teach the things which we have seen and heard”
And Peter has openly told them YOU are the ones who killed Jesus.
Peter isn’t being vindictive, he’s not spreading gossip or rumors, nor is he causing division:
He’s simply teaching the people what happened
When is telling the truth about a circumstance “causing division” vs relaying the truth? When our motive is self focused vs others focused
Self focused leads to us defending our actions and our reputation
Other focused leads to us looking out for the well-being of others
The Pharisees are particularly upset: not because they killed Jesus unjustly
But because Peter and John are telling others the truth about what they did
The unregenerate heart is more worried about reputation than character
30 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 “Him God has exalted to His right hand [to be] Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 “And we are His witnesses to these things, and [so] also [is] the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
So Peter tells them — the God of our fathers raised up Jesus
Not some new religion
We don’t worship a different God
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — the God of our fathers — raised up Jesus whom YOU murdered
And this Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father — to give repentance and forgiveness of sins
Even in the midst of these two arrests, being imprisoned and now brought before the council again Peter is still bringing them an opportunity for repentance
But not through coddling or pacifying them
He’s doing it by confronting them with truth
He makes the statement that we are all witnesses to this truth, as is the Holy Spirit — whom God has given to those who obey Him
When do we receive the Holy Spirit? After obedience
Obedience to the law? No, obedience to the call to repentance
Mark 1:15 (NKJV)
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Acts 2:38 (NKJV)
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
33 When they heard [this,] they were furious and plotted to kill them.
The unregenerate heart responds violently when confronted with the truth
34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while.
Side note: Gamaliel happens to be the teacher who instructed the apostle Paul
35 And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 “For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. 37 “After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38 “And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 “but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it--lest you even be found to fight against God.”
So Gamaliel offers some wisdom here that in my mind happens to be more in line with Godly teachings
He tells them this isn’t the first time a radical sect has sprung up among the people
On two other occasions sects began and died out
So he recommends leaving these guys alone
But his reasoning is what makes this Godly
He says if they aren’t of God they will fall to the same fate as these two other sects
But if THEY ARE OF GOD, then we’re going to find ourselves fighting against God
He recognizes the sovereignty of God and Gods ability to throw this group down
40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten [them,] they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
So once again the apostles are let go
But notice how the consequences of their obedience has gotten worse again
First they were arrested, threatened and let go
Next they were arrested, imprisoned and God had to free them
Now they’re arrested again, beaten, threatened and let go
Each time they’re obedient to God He works in their circumstances — but not without difficulty and discomfort
And each time the difficulty grows and God brings them through it, their faith grows too
41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus [as] the Christ.
Despite the fact that the difficulty and discomfort grow — they rejoice
You cannot rejoice in difficulty if your eyes are fixed on your circumstances
You cannot rejoice in difficulty if your eyes are fixed on this world and the things in it
Jesus said:
Matthew 5:11-12 (NKJV) 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great [is] your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
They could rejoice in their persecution because:
Jesus said that this is exactly what was going to happen — which means I can trust Him
Because Jesus said that when I suffer for His name — great is my reward in heaven
This perspective is what allows them to go back out and teach in Jesus name all over again
We will never have the ability to rejoice in suffering while our eyes are fixed on this world
We will also never have the ability to be faithful and obedient if our eyes are fixed on this world
Comments