The Apostles Appear Before the Council (summarize Acts 4:32-37 and Acts 5:1-16; preach Acts 5:17-42)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, June 2, 2024

Several years ago I read a series of articles on persecution in the early church. I read certain Bible scholars almost daily to see what they are writing about. One of those scholars is Ben Witherington III. Dr. Witherington commented and reposted another scholar’s comments on a book by Candida Moss about persecution in the early church. I have often thought about persecution. I have thought about how we can stand strong when one is inflicting pain because of our view of Christ. Sometimes, we can simply think that they wish for us to deny Christ, which may be true, but from what I have read, things usually come up differently than that. Usually, a church is meeting and worshipping the Lord, then suddenly, government authorities barge in, hurt many, and put others in prison.

Some of you have read and heard about something Francis Chan shares in his book Forgotten God. He shares about a few Christians, one of whom is a pastor, and they are all taken prisoner in the Middle East. Yet, they are Americans, and eventually, the Americans came to rescue them. During their time of persecution, at least one of them is killed. After they were rescued and sent back to America, they said that they would have rather been in the Middle East under persecution because the Holy Spirit was so strong there. Many are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ, and God is present with them.

Matthew 5:10 (ESV)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 10:19 (ESV)

When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.

We will examine one of many passages in the Book of Acts dealing with persecution.

• Notice how the disciples boldly proclaim Christ and obey God.
• Notice also how the disciples proclaim that they must obey God and not human laws.
• I hope you are encouraged by how God cared for them in persecution.
• I also hope that you are encouraged to obey God and not human laws.
• I hope your Christian faith is so important to you that you will live it and share it no matter the consequences and
• I hope that you can rejoice with the disciples even in persecution.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

It is perfectly clear that in New Testament times, the gospel was authenticated in this way by signs, wonders and miracles of various characters and descriptions … Was it only meant to be true of the early church? … The Scriptures never anywhere say that these things were only temporary—never! There is no such statement anywhere (The Sovereign Spirit, pp. 31–32).

God is still active and what we need to know and be aware of is that the more you step out into faith to follow God, the more you will see amazing things through the Holy Spirit. You will not see miracles if you are not following the Lord.

So, God is at work in the early church and some of the Jewish leaders are not at all happy about this. Let’s get into the passage. This is a long passage, so I will break it into sections to discuss it.

1. Context is important; how did we get to this point?
   1. In Acts 4:32-Acts chapter 5:16, we have an account of the Christian community sharing.
   2. We will not preach through that passage, but we will summarize it.
   3. In Acts 4:32-37, we have the model church. Acts 4:32 says that they were all of one mind.
   4. They were sharing with anyone who had need.
   5. We are also introduced to Joseph, called by the apostles Barnabas (Acts 4:36).
   6. At the beginning of chapter 5 (verses 1-11), we have the account of Ananias and Sapphira. This was one example when all the people were selling possessions and sharing.
   7. So, Ananias sold a house and kept money for himself. But he lied to the apostles and told them he was giving all the money to the apostles for the ministry. He lied to God and his wife, Sapphira, did the same thing.
   8. There is a lot in that passage.
   9. We see theological statements.
   10. They lied to God (verse 4), and in the previous verse, Peter says they lied to the Holy Spirit (verse 3).
   11. It would not have been wrong for them to keep some money. The issue is they lied about it.
   12. The Lord struck down both the husband and the wife.
   13. This passage is very similar to Joshua 8 and the sin of Achan.
   14. Starting at verse 12 we see that many signs and wonders were done among the people through the Apostles.
   15. Verse 12 makes an interesting note that they were in Solomon’s Portico.
   16. Verse 12, many signs and wonders were being done among the people. They were all in one accord.
   17. Verse 14: more believers were joining them, great numbers.
   18. Verse 15: people even want Peter’s shadow to fall on them.
   19. Verse 16: people from neighboring areas were bringing the sick and those tormented with unclean Spirits.
   20. That brings us to today’s section.
2. In verses 17-21a, we see the apostles imprisoned and miraculously released. Let’s read the section, and then I will share a few thoughts.

Acts 5:17–21 (ESV)

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.

• What an amazing passage! Doesn’t that just excite you? As we look at the rest of this passage, you will see even more great irony. But now notice that the Jewish High Court is unhappy with what is happening in the new Christian faith. I call them the Jewish High Court, but we have at least two major groups. This is the Sanhedrin. We have the Pharisees who accepted our whole Old Testament. They accepted the Ten Commandments and the books about them; they accepted the prophetic books. They also believed in the resurrection. Paul, the apostle, was a Pharisee. Then we have the Sadducees. They were much smaller, and they were politically tied to Rome. They didn’t believe in the resurrection. Jesus’s resurrection meant that they were no longer in power. If the resurrected order is taking place, the Sadducees and their ties to Rome will no longer be in power.
• The Bible says that they were filled with jealousy, so they took the apostles and imprisoned them. Now, it appears that they took all the apostles, all twelve, and imprisoned them.
• The Bible says that they were put in “public jail.” This could mean that they were in a public jail or publicly put in jail. They may have wanted everyone to see this.
• Okay, so at night an angel from the Lord let them out and told them to go and speak to the people the whole message of the Lord. Interesting that the angel did not tell them to flee or anything else. They were to go back to the very place where they were taken prisoner. So, they obey.

In verses 21b-26, we see some very ironic events. Let’s read them.

Acts 5:21–26 (ESV)

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.

1. So, the people were guarding an empty jail cell. I find that funny.
2. The people who were supposed to be in power were clearly not in power at all.
3. In verse 24, the chief priest hears about this and is very perplexed. This literally means that he doubts it. He doesn’t believe it. But then he finds out that the people who were imprisoned had not fled, but they were now teaching.
4. It is fortunate for the guards that they were guarding a Jewish prison and not a Roman prison. Later in Acts 12, an angel lets Peter out of prison, and Herod has the guards put to death for losing a prisoner.
5. Back then, you went to jail until trial; that was all. They didn’t have long-term prisons with cable television as we do today. After trial, you were sold into slavery, beaten, killed, or released.
6. Then, notice in verse 26 that the ones in charge were worried they would get stoned, bringing the apostles back.
7. Now, in verses 27-32, we see the apostle’s response.

Acts 5:27–32 (ESV)

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.”

1. In verse 28, they say, we gave you strict orders not to teach in “this name.” Notice they will not say the name of Jesus.
2. Then, in verse 29, Peter is once again the spokesperson for the group. He says they must obey God and not man.
3. How much does the Gospel mean to you? Put yourself in the place of the persecuted. Say that you are a schoolteacher, and you hold a Bible study in your room, and then after a while, you are told you can no longer do this? Suppose that you are a schoolteacher, and a student brings up the Christian faith and is interested in how you become a Christian. Do you share with him? No, you could not do that because you would be fired! Is your job worth this person’s eternity? Suppose that church is illegal, and so a church meeting is happening in a home. Do you attend? That is what they face in other countries.
4. In the Book of Acts, we see that it is very important to share the Gospel with people. They must fulfill the Great Commission. Jesus is eternal life.
5. So, now Peter shares about Jesus with this group. He shares the Gospel. Verse 31: Jesus is the Prince and Savior of the world.
6. Peter says that they are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit. Do you remember what I shared with you at the beginning of this sermon about the Holy Spirit?
7. In verses 33-42, we see the ruling:

Acts 5:33–42 (ESV)

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.

1. Gamaliel was the one who trained Paul. He was a brilliant scholar revered for a long time after this, and he says, if this is of man, it will diminish, and he cites two examples. But he says if this is of God. You will be fighting God. Wow!
2. But notice the end of this passage: The disciples leave rejoicing that they were counted worthy of persecution. This is right after they were beaten.
3. Lastly, the disciples continued teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ every day in houses and in the temple.

Some applications:

1. We see God’s presence with the disciples.
2. God’s presence let them out of the jail (verses 19-20).
3. God’s presence helped them rejoice in suffering (verse 41).
4. We must be ready for persecution (1 Peter 3:15).
5. When persecuted, we can rejoice that we are counted worthy to be persecuted for Christ (verse 41).
6. We must obey God and not human laws when there is a contradiction (verse 29).
7. We must obey what God communicates to us just as the Apostles did following verses 20 and 21.

As we continue to preach through Acts, I pray that you are challenged to be a disciple of Christ all the time.

Pray