Acts 5:17-42 Lessons from Perilous Times
Good morning! Turn with me in your Bibles to Acts 5:17-42, page 913 in the pew Bibles.
We are going to look at a pretty lengthy portion of the book of Acts this morning, all one account. And, as any good pragmatic historians will do, we will reflect on the causes and results of these events and try to deduce some useful lessons from them.
But first, let’s pray.
As we talked about last week, things were going really well for the church. Lots of people were coming to faith in Christ, lots of people were getting healed of various diseases and delivered from unclean spirits, lots of people respected the fledgling church even if they were afraid to join them in the Temple.
But our passage starts with a “but…”
17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.
Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
My God add His blessing to His Word…
So there are a few useful lessons that I think we can deduce from this text, things that were true then and are true now.
The first is simply that God is always, always, always at work.
What I mean is that though, as we saw in the previous text, that the Holy Spirit was active in healing the sick, delivering the possessed, and bringing people to faith in Jesus, all the good things, that He is just as much at work in what we perceive to be bad things.
Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1 that, “in the last days there will be times of great difficulty.”
Do you know when the “last days” are that Paul was describing? It is the entire age of the Church, from the Ascension of Jesus until His return. This includes Acts 5, and it includes today.
The great difficulty that the Apostles were facing at this moment was opposition from the Jewish authorities, the High Priest and the Sadducees. They were filled with jealousy and arrested the Apostles, all twelve of them, and put them in the public prison.
This is bad, right? The leaders of this new movement bound in prison, this was their chance to stop this whole thing in its tracks. But the Word of God is not bound, and God was not done working.
17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.
What would you say is the greatest travesty of human history? Some might say the crucifixion of Jesus or countless other atrocities, but in truth, it’s the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and mankind has been opposing Him and murdering each other ever since.
The angel, in verse 20, commanded the Apostles to, “speak to the people all the words of this life.” That’s the gospel, the Good news that Jesus died on the cross that mankind might be forgiven of their sins by turning from their sin and believing in Him.
And that’s exactly why they were tossed in prison. Because, the second lesson is, that the fallen character of mankind is always opposed to God.
The Good News that Jesus died to save sinners, which is everybody, is exactly that, good news! But the Good News that draws one person to faith in Jesus enrages another.
Jesus said in Luke 10:16, “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
After the Angle released the Apostles and set them back on their mission, they didn’t skip town like a criminal might, they went right back to work in the Temple.
Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.
Notice in all that the High Priest said and accused the Apostles of, he never used Jesus’ Name, he wouldn’t even say His Name he hated Him so much.
But we must also remember that people are not the enemy, they are captives manipulated by powers that they are unaware of.
Ephesians 6:12 says, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
The irony is not lost on me that it was Gamaliel, a Pharisee, and the mentor of a young Pharisee named Saul, who would eventually become the Apostle Paul, it was Gamaliel who stood up and quieted the rage of council.
God, who is always, always, always working, used His own enemies’ power against them.
34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
What was the first lesson? God is always, always, always at work. To paraphrase Genesis 50, and verse 20, What you meant for evil, God used for good.
41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
What the enemy meant for evil, to stop this movement and to silence the gospel, God used to encourage the Apostles, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus’ Name, and they continued to do the work of teaching the disciples and preaching the gospel.
One final thought. The Apostles rejoiced in their suffering for Jesus’ Name. This points out a difficult truth: We are not just called to belief, to faith, but to suffering for His Name.
1 Peter 4:12-16 says,
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
Philippians 1:29, For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake…
Matthew 5:11-12, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Anybody that tells you that God just wants you to be happy, and healthy, and wealthy, and problem free, is a liar and the truth is not in them.
It is often a temptation to wonder where God is when things are going wrong and we are hurting, or we are suffering for His Name’s sake. But God is not far from us, He is within us, His Spirit dwells in us by faith in Jesus. And though people may stand opposed to Him and hate us because of His Name, He is always, always, always at work.
Jesus said in John 15,
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.
Amen.
