NT Doctrine — Acts 5:12-42

It was summer in Jerusalem. There was more than one kind of heat, though. The gospel of Jesus burned like a bonfire in His disciples.Luke tells us the miracles that accompanied Jesus were even more prevalent in the Apostles. One Jesus was trouble enough for the Sanhedrin, but now there were at least a dozen of Him, and because of them, thousands who lived that power and teaching.

So far as we know, the area known was as “Solomon’s Porch” was along two or more sides of the Court of Gentiles. It was a nice shady spot near on the Temple plaza where rabbis typically gathered to discuss things, but the thick presence of the disciples of Jesus crowded out the previously thin scattering of scholarly groups. Even among those who would not dare join them, the believers were considered good people, a definite improvement in the atmosphere.

It got to the point where the common folks brought their sick and dying out to lay along the sides of the streets where the Twelve commonly walked. Their hopes were that at least the shadow of their leader, Peter, would pass over them and perhaps heal them. It became a real traffic nightmare, because crowds of people from walking distance of the city brought all their sick and demonized folks for healing and deliverance.

And day after day, they testified that Jesus was the Messiah and had risen from the grave by His own authority. The healing and other miracles were a sign of His divine authority at work in His followers. They taught Moses the way Jesus had taught him, a path clearly not where the Jewish leadership was taking them. The mood in the city was quickly turning unfriendly to the Sanhedrin.

The Sadducees in particular were incensed at this whole trend. The High Priest exercised his authority and had the Apostles arrested and put in their jail. They planned to convene a court session the next day, but during the night, an angel came and released them. He commanded them to go out and keep teaching and preaching in the Temple plaza. Upon hearing this, they promptly went at sunrise back to Solomon’s Porch and began teaching as soon as anyone showed up, and that didn’t take very long.

So when the Sadducees had gathered in council, they called for the prisoners to be brought before them. The Temple Guard officers went and found everything secure, but no prisoners. The priestly men began discussing how this could be, and how it could turn out. In the middle of this grave discussion, when one of their associates burst in and told them that the prisoners were back in the Temple plaza, preaching and teaching again.

This time the Captain of the Guard himself went with his troops to ensure things went peacefully. They came and politely asked the Apostles to come back to the Sanhedrin court with him. The officials were concerned that the Temple Guard would be stoned if they were to rough up the disciples of Jesus, because it was obvious the crowds were more in favor of the disciples than they were of Jewish leadership.

When the men were standing before the council, the spokesman demanded to know why they had disobeyed the previous court orders not to teach in the name of Jesus. He warned darkly that their teaching was blaming the Sanhedrin for His death, showing contempt for the Sanhedrin Council.

Peter was blunt. He and his associates were going to obey God, not any mere men. They were guilty of murder, but God had raised Him back to life. He was the Son of God and heir to Heaven’s throne. It was their privilege to offer His forgiveness upon the believer’s repentance. Peter and his associates were eyewitnesses to all of this, and they had the backing of God’s Holy Spirit, a gift He was now giving to all who commit to obeying Him as Lord.

In their minds, every one of the Sadducees was thinking about how they could hold a grisly execution for these arrogant bumpkins from Galilee. But one of the councilors stood up and called for an executive session, and the disciples of Jesus were hustled out into the hallway. This councilor was named Gamaliel, a highly respected peer of the Sanhedrin. He recounted two messianic rebellions. When the self-proclaimed Messiahs died, so did their movements. The rebellions just fell apart because God was not behind them.

Gamaliel advised the Sanhedrin to leave these followers of Jesus alone. If it’s another false Messiah, then their movement would also fall apart. But if God is behind this, no power on earth could stop it, and the Sanhedrin would be lined up on the wrong side. They all agreed to accept his advice.

The called in their prisoners and had them beaten with rods across their backs, according to their legal traditions. Again, they were ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus, and dismissed.

But the disciples simply came out of the place celebrating. Being counted as the same kind of threat to the Jewish leaders as Jesus was fit them like a great honor. And they promptly went back to teaching about Jesus and performing miracles all over the city.