Bible Study series: Acts 5:17-32. God works miracles to accomplish his purposes. The civil authorities cannot stop God and his people.
Friendly greetings and a warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn. Let’s learn together and apply these truths to our lives.
I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click on this link:
At the link to the original post, next, I write more commentary and dig a little deeper into the Greek. I also offer a section titled Observations for Discipleship at the end. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided in the commentary section for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Acts 5:17-32
17 At this time, the chief priests and those with him, who were of the party of the Sadducees, stood up and were filled with envy 18 and arrested the apostles and put them in public prison. 19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison and led them out and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple courts and speak to the people all the words of this life!” 21 When they heard this, they went to the temple at daybreak and began teaching. When the high priest arrived and those with him, they summoned the council and all elders of the descendants of Israel and sent to the prison to escort them out. 22 But when the officers arrived, they did not find them in the prison, so they turned back and reported, 23 saying, “We found the jail locked up very securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 When the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard this account, they were perplexed about all of this—what this might mean.
25 Then someone came in and reported to them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple courts and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain left with the officers and led them away without violence, for they feared the people stoning them. 27 Leading them onwards, they stood them right in front of the council. The high priest examined them, 28 saying, “We strictly ordered you not to teach in this name! And look! You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood on us!” 29 But in reply, Peter and the apostles said: “We must obey God rather than man! 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on wood. 31 This is the one whom God exalted at his right hand to be the Ruler and Savior, to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses of these words, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to all who obey him!” (Acts 5:17-32)
Comments:
17-18:
It’s the high council or court (Sanhedrin) again, the highest in the land. They had warned the apostles not to preach in Jesus’s name, implying that they knew they were the ones who pushed for his crucifixion (4:5-12). His name convicted them (5:33). That warning provided the basis for prosecution now.
Quick Reference to Jewish Groups in Gospels and Acts
Expect a backlash when you work for God. In fact, if you don’t get one, you may be missing an element or two, like your effectiveness for the kingdom of God.
19-20:
When (not if) you get a backlash for your testimony (hopefully not for your wrongdoing), expect God to see you through, whether you spend years in prison or get an angelic release that night. Either way, God will give you strength, as you walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Ps. 23).
This angel does not have an indefinite article “the.” So it is an angel of the Lord. An angel, both in Hebrew and Greek, is really a messenger. Angels are created beings, while Jesus was the one who created all things, including angels (John 1:1-4). The risen and exalted Jesus is the one who sent this angel. Renewalists believe that angels appear to people in their dreams or in person. It is God’s ongoing ministry through them to us.
Here is a multi-part study of angels in the area of systematic theology, but first, here is a summary list of the basics:
Angels:
(a) Are messengers (in Hebrew mal’ak and in Greek angelos);
(b) Are created spirit beings;
(c) Have a beginning at their creation (not eternal);
(d) Have a beginning, but they are immortal (deathless).
(e) Have moral judgment;
(f) Have a certain measure of free will;
(g) Have high intelligence;
(h) Do not have physical bodies;
(i) But can manifest with immortal bodies before humans;
(j) They can show the emotion of joy.
Angels: Their Duties and Missions
Angels: Their Names and Ranks and Heavenly Existence
Angels: Their Origins, Abilities, and Nature
“this life”: “life” encompasses eternal life down here on earth and salvation. In other words, you don’t need to wait for heaven to live a blessed life. You can live one now. Even the apostles, who are about to be flogged (v. 40), lived a blessed life of friends and family and fellowship within the growing Messianic community. Even in persecution a believer can live a blessed life because he realizes God is with him, no matter what.
God offers people who love and know him eternal life in the here and now, so it means both life now and life in the age to come. The kingdom breaking into the world system through the life and ministry of Jesus brings life right now.
Now let’s look at life more closely.
“saved”:
As noted throughout this commentary on Luke-Acts, the noun salvation and the verb save go a lot farther than just preparing the soul to go on to heaven. Together, they have additional benefits: keeping and preserving and rescuing from harm and dangers; saving or freeing from diseases and demonic oppression; and saving or rescuing from sin dominating us; ushering into heaven and rescuing us from final judgment. What is our response to the gift of salvation? You are grateful and then you are moved to act. When you help or rescue one man from homelessness or an orphan from his oppression, you have moved one giant step towards salvation of his soul. Sometimes feeding a hungry man and giving clothes to the naked or taking him to a medical clinic come before saving his soul.
All of it is a package called salvation and being saved.
Acts is about salvation of entire households and meeting in those saved households (2:2, 46; 5:42; 8:3, but be careful of persecution in 8:3!; 10:2; 11:14; 16:15, 31, 34; 20:20; 21:8).
What Is the Work of Salvation?
How Do We Respond to God’s Salvation?
21:
“council”: That’s my translation of Sanhedrin (see vv. 17-18).
“They listened”: it could be translated expansively as “obeyed” or “heeded.” It is always good to obey the direct order of an angel sent by God! It is marvelous and awe-inspiring to know that God commanded the apostles to preach in the temple, when he knew they would be re-arrested and then flogged (v. 40). He did not tell them to flee the city, though sometimes he might tell you to do that (Matt. 10:23 and 24:16). But God is not the one who flogged them or even ordered it to be done. The Sanhedrin heard the gospel from the twelve. The Sanhedrin did not have to be so hard-hearted. But they refused to convert and got enraged (v. 33) and wanted to kill them. The unjust flogging was on them, not God (see v. 30 and Acts 2:23 for a little more discussion of God’s plan and human free will).
It was important for the twelve to show strength before Jesus’s executioners—or the ones who pushed the Romans to be the executioners. The apostles’ wonderous response to the flogging is seen in the final major section.
22-24:
Who were the assistants? In other contexts, they were officers of the temple or guards (Matt. 26:58; 14:54, 65; John 7:32, 45, 46; 18:3, 12, 18, 22; 19:6). In some contexts it could be translated as “servants,” when Jesus said his “servants” could fight to prevent his arrest, but he was not interested in this outcome (John 18:36).
Next question: Was Saul (soon to be called Paul in Acts) among the Sanhedrin? If he was in town, and he most probably was, then of course he was, maybe standing in the background near Gamaliel; he was Saul’s rabbinic teacher (or mentor), who is about to make his famous speech (5:33-39). If their students were not allowed in the council chamber, then he could have stood right outside. He was zealous and eager to persecute, after all. Yes, the text is silent about his involvement at this time, but he will lead the charge against Stephen (Acts 7:54-8:1). So it is easy, using biblical and historical logic, to imagine he was leading the persecution against the twelve right now. He may have been the source of this story for Luke, later on.
25-26:
“someone”: probably an assistant or jailer, but I still like to imagine it was Saul (soon to be named Paul)! The text does not say it, and if “someone” were he, Luke would have mentioned it—or would he? Saul or “someone” searched the temple or was making his rounds to be sure the place was in order. More likely he was looking for the twelve escapees. Where could they be? They were no longer in their cell or cells. He must have figured that they would break the order not to preach. Sure enough, he discovered them in the temple disobeying the Sanhedrin’s direct order. But the people greatly esteemed them, so the guards were afraid they would be stoned, if they treated the apostles roughly.
“the feared the people stoning them”: If Saul and other rabid zealots were the ones escorting them off, then they were fearful of being stoned. Saul will show no such fear when Stephen was stoned by the mob.
“Look!”: The standard Greek word is usually translated as “Behold!” I chose the updated translation.
27-28:
Council is my translation of Sanhedrin (see vv. 17-18)
“name”: this noun stands in for the person—a living, real person. You carry your father’s name. If he is dysfunctional, his name is a disadvantage. If he is functional and impacting society for the better, then his name is an advantage. In Jesus’s case, he has the highest status in the universe, under the Father (Col. 1:15-20). He is exalted above every principality and power (Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:20-23; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8). His character is perfection itself. His authority and power are absolute, under the Father. In his name you are seated in the heavenly places with Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1). Now down here on earth you walk and live as an ambassador in his name, in his stead, for he is no longer living on earth, so you have to represent him down here. We are his ambassadors who stand in for his name (2 Cor. 5:20). The good news is that he did not leave you without power and authority. He gave you his. Now you represent him in his name—his person, power and authority. Therefore under his authority we have his full authority to preach the gospel and set people free from bondages and satanic spirits and heal them of diseases.
“this man’s blood on us”: The apostles did not hold back in their preaching. They actually linked the crucifixion to the most powerful gathering of men in all of Israel, right in the capital. To be honest, I would have (wrongly) withheld that bit and just preached Jesus crucified and raised and exalted. But the apostles knew that everyone in the city realized that the Sanhedrin were in part responsible for his death. But what was the apostles’ goal to keep reminding the people of the Sanhedrin’s complicity? To break the people free from their tie to the Sanhedrin and by extension Judaism—or that high-level Judaism? Or did they just simply preach the truth of the recent events? All three questions were the apostles’ goal. Let’s move away from Judaism and the temple.
“filled Jerusalem”: In his examination, it is easy to imagine the chief priest gesturing at them and pointing to the city in a sweeping motion.
29:
I like how the twelve were said to speak up, and not only Peter. Who? Philip or Thomas or Bartholomew or Matthew or the new guy Matthias? Whoever it was, the speech lasted a lot longer than the brief (and accurate) summary in these verses.
“we must obey God rather than man”: These are the most famous of words for those bringing about justice when the authorities say no. Some laws are unjust, and limiting speech is one such injustice. The first thing that get restricted in tyrannical regimes is this basic right—freedom of the press and of speaking out against the oppressive regime.
But if people today protest, let it be by proclamations and debates, not burning down buildings or throwing rocks. However, sometimes revolution is needed when the vote happens in a sanctioned body or gathering, as it happened when the men signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Everything was done legally and openly, without a secret conspiracy or a spontaneous eruption of lawlessness and destruction.
30:
“the God of our ancestors”: Peter connects the recent events to the long history of Israel. Those words were relevant to the guardians of Judaism. The Sanhedrin’s God raised Jesus up, so now the august body of men is ensnared by irony. They believed they were doing the God of their fathers a favor by eliminating Jesus, but they were unjust and wrong. God was with Jesus, instead of them.
What about God’s sovereign plan and man’s injustice in carrying out the crucifixion? In other words, God ordained that Jesus would die for the sins of the world, but woe to those by whom this decree was carried out! How did it happen? How do we reconcile the two sides of God’s overarching plan and man’s free will? God knew the hard hearts of certain men, and he let the events flow through them. God’s plan is fulfilled, but the instruments (men) are guilty. To be truthful, we’ll never be able to figure it out completely (see v. 21 and Acts 2:23 for a little more discussion on the tension).
Bruce points out that Peter’s short sermon is a concise summary of early Christian kerygma (content of preaching). Here is the summary: “affirming the act of God in the appearance of Jesus, his enemies’ giving him over to death, God’s reversal of their adverse judgment, his enthronement and saving power, and the apostles’ personal testimony to the truth of their message” (1990, p. 172)
Evangelists who preach to large crowds who do not understand the gospel would do well to incorporate those elements, particularly the last one: personal testimony. Preachers today did not witness the original resurrection and his appearances 2000 years ago, but they have the resurrected Jesus in their hearts. And they may have seen the resurrected Lord in their dreams or a personal appearance. Either way, preach it based on Scripture and personal experience.
“raised up”:
Since the resurrection is so vital to Christianity, let me repeat the basics about NT resurrection theology:
1.. It was prophesied in the OT (Ps. 16:3-11; Is. 55:3; Jnh. 1:17)
2.. Jesus predicted it before his death (Mark 8:31; 9:9, 31; 10:33-34; John 2:19-22)
3.. It happened in history (Matt. 28:1-7; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-8; John 20:1-8)
4.. Power used to resurrect Jesus:
a.. Power of God (Acts 2:24; Eph. 1:19-20; Col. 2:12)
b.. Christ’s own power (John 10:18)
c.. Jesus is the resurrection (John 11:25-26)
d.. Power of the Spirit (Rom. 8:11; 1 Pet. 3:18)
5.. Nature of Christ’s resurrection
a.. The same body that died was raised (Luke 24:39-40; John 20:27)
b.. It was a physical body
(1)) He ate (Luke 24:41-43; John 21:12-13; Acts 10:40-41)
(2)) He could be touched (John 20:27; 1 John 1:1)
(3)) It was a gloried body (1 Cor. 15:42-44; Phil. 3:21)
(4)) He passed through locked door (John 20:19, 26)
(5)) He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9)
c.. It was also a transformed and glorified body
12. Do I Really Know Jesus? What Was His Resurrected Body Like?
And for a review of the basics, please click on this post:
11. Do I Really Know Jesus? He Was Resurrected from the Dead
You can also go to youtube to find out the evidence for it. Look for Gary Habermas or Mike Licona.
For a table of his appearances and other facts, please see:
14. Do I Really Know Jesus? He Appeared to His Disciples
“wood”: the Greek word could be translated “tree,” but I like the more general term. The cross was made of wood. The Greek word echoes Deut. 21:22-23, which talks about someone being guilty of a capital offense and his body being exposed on a pole. In the LXX (third-to-second century B.C. Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) of that text, the word for pole is xulon. In Jesus’s case he was accused of blasphemy (Mark 14:61-64), and ignorantly found guilty of it, which carried the death penalty (Lev. 24:16).
31:
Next, “savior”: the Savior saves from Satan, world system, and oneself), “Deliverer” (he who delivers from Satan, world system and oneself) and Preserver (he who preserves from Satan, world system, and oneself). The two words are titles or names of Jesus. They describe his character and person—who he is. We can now preach those attributes of who he is.
“repentance”: it comes from the noun metanoia (pronounced meh-tah-noi-ah), which literally means “change of mind”; however, throughout the New Testament, it means more than that. It means regret and turning around and going in the other direction, and it must bear fruit (Matt. 3:8; Acts 20:21; 2 Cor. 7:9-10; Heb. 6:6). It is a radical life change.
“to Israel”: Never fear preaching the pure gospel to anyone, even Israelites and even the Sanhedrin! Every Jew needs to hear about Yeshua ha–Meshiach (Jesus the Messiah) and be given the chance to repent and accept him.
“forgiveness”: it comes from the Greek noun aphesis (pronounced ah-feh-seess), which means “release” or “cancellation” or “pardon” or “forgiveness.” Let’s look at a more formal definition of its verb, which is aphiēmi (pronounced ah-fee-ay-mee), and BDAG, a thick Greek lexicon, defines it with the basic meaning of letting go: (1) “dismiss or release someone or something from a place or one’s presence, let go, send away”; (2) “to release from legal or moral obligations or consequence, cancel, remit, pardon”; (3) “to move away with implication of causing a separation, leave, depart”; (4) “to leave something continue or remain in its place … let someone have something” (Matt. 4:20; 5:24; 22:22; Mark 1:18; Luke 10:30; John 14:18); (5) “leave it to someone to do something, let, let go, allow, tolerate.” The Shorter Lexicon adds “forgive.” In sum, God lets go, dismisses, releases, sends away, cancels, pardons, and forgives our sins. His work is full and final. Don’t go backwards or dwell on it. Please, please read Ps. 103:10, and 12; Mic. 7:19.
Please read these verses for how forgiving God is:
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Ps. 103:10-12, ESV)
And these great verses are from Micah:
18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
19 He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea. (Mic. 7:18-19, ESV)
Please see my post about forgiveness:
“sins”: it comes from the Greek word hamartia. A deep study reveals that it means a “departure from either human or divine standards of uprightness” (BDAG, p. 50). It can also mean a “destructive evil power (ibid., p. 51). In other words, sin has a life of its own. Be careful! In older Greek of the classical world, it originally meant to “miss the mark” or target. Sin destroys, and that’s why God hates it, and so should we. The good news: God promises us forgiveness when we repent.
Bible Basics about Sin: Word Studies
Human Sin: Original and Our Committed Sin
32:
“Holy Spirit”: He is given to those who obey. In this context, obey means to repent. It would be to place too much weight on the order of the process: believe – repent – receive, or some variation of it. Leave that to professional theologians. I believe the Spirit through the gospel draws people to Jesus, even before they convert. The Spirit is then given to or poured out on people who obey God in his call to repentance and believe in the Lordship of Jesus. The Spirit will live with them forever.
For systematic theology:
The Spirit’s Deity and Divine Attributes
The Spirit in the Life of Christ
The Spirit in the Church and Believers
GrowApp for Acts 5:17-32
1. The apostles filled the entire city of Jerusalem with the gospel about Jesus. How can you help your church to reach your city?
2. After the angel released them, the apostles went right back out and boldly preached, though the Sanhedrin had ordered them not to do this. How determined are you to obey God in your own personal commission?
RELATED
The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts
Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?
SOURCES
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