As the apostles went out and preached the good news they performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. ‘More and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number’ (v.14). As a result, ‘Crowds gathered… bringing their sick… all of them were healed’ (vv.15–16).
Sadly, their success led to ‘jealousy’ from religious leaders (v.17). Once again we see how envy is such a temptation for those of us who are seen as religious. In their jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in jail (v.18). But once again God performed a miracle. He sent an angel of the Lord to open the doors of the jail and bring them out.
With huge courage they obeyed the command to ‘Go, stand in the temple courts… and tell the people the full message of this new life’ (v.20).
When they were caught doing exactly what they had been arrested for doing in the first place, they were re-arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest who said to them, ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name… Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood’ (v.28).
Peter and the other apostles were loyal to God and to their calling. They replied, ‘We must obey God rather than human beings!’ (v.29).
Jesus said, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s’ (Matthew 22:21). In saying this, he defined the limits of the authority of human beings and our loyalty to it. When it conflicts with loyalty to God, God takes precedence. Out of loyalty to God, they continued preaching the gospel – even when they were on trial.
The brief sermon (it takes only three verses – Acts 5:30–32) is all about Jesus. It is astonishing that they were able to cover so much in such a short presentation. They preach about the cross, resurrection and the exaltation of Jesus. They proclaimed Jesus as Prince and Saviour. The talk includes a description of the way of salvation: repentance and forgiveness of sins.
In addition, they managed to include the whole Trinity: God the Father (‘The God of our ancestors’, v.30), God the Son (‘Jesus’, v.30) and God ‘the Holy Spirit’ (v.32). This sermon produces such fury that, like the South Korean missionaries, they faced the threat of death.
However, in the providence of God, there was a wise man on the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who pointed out to his fellow members (by giving examples from recent history) that ‘if [the apostles’] purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God’ (vv.38–39).
Although his speech persuaded them, nevertheless the apostles were flogged and ‘ordered… not to speak in the name of Jesus’ (v.40).
Once again, with extraordinary courage and loyalty to God and their calling, ‘The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ’ (vv.41–42).