And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
Shortly after the Holy Spirit had been poured out, Peter and John had gone up to the temple to worship and had healed in Jesus' name a man crippled from birth at the temple gate. While they were speaking to the people about Jesus and the resurrection and the healing, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them and broke in upon their witness. The Sadducees denied the resurrection from the dead, so the apostles' Spirit-directed preaching that Jesus had risen and that through Him all the dead will finally be raised grieved and angered them and struck at their cherished teaching, reputation and influence. The disciples bore clear and bold testimony in the power of the Holy Spirit to the very men who had rejected and crucified Jesus, and their preaching with its accompanying miracle stirred Jerusalem and brought them into open conflict with rulers determined to silence them. The captain with the Sadducees laid hands on Peter and John and held them in prison overnight because it was too late for examination, yet the healed man stood by as unanswerable evidence and many who heard believed, rising to five thousand.
Temple Witness Interrupted
Shortly after the descent of the Holy Spirit, Peter and John had gone up to the temple to worship. There, in the name of Jesus, they healed at the temple gate a man who had been crippled from birth. While they were still speaking to the people about Jesus and the resurrection and about that healing, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them and interrupted them.
Those who had rejected and crucified Jesus now heard from the disciples clear, bold testimony given through the power of the Holy Spirit. There was no discouragement and no disowning of their Lord. Their preaching, together with the healing that accompanied it, stirred Jerusalem and brought them into conflict with the religious authorities, who sought to stop their teaching.
The captain of the temple, aided by the Sadducees, seized Peter and John and laid hands on them. They put them in hold in prison overnight until the next day. This was done because it was too late in the day for their cases to be examined. Their intervention followed the apostles' testimony about Jesus and the resurrection and led to the apostles being seized and held until the next day.
The healed man stood present as clear evidence that could not be refuted, so that Peter's words could not be answered. Despite the arrest, many who heard the word believed. Five thousand embraced the teaching. After speaking to the people, Peter faced the Sanhedrin and told of Christ who had walked the earth in human form.
Resurrection Opposition Exposed
The Sadducees rejected and denied the resurrection from the dead, and it was the apostles' teaching that Jesus had risen and that through Jesus there is resurrection from the dead that grieved, angered, and deeply stirred them. That teaching was given under the Holy Spirit's direction while Peter and John were speaking to the people about Jesus and the resurrection, and the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them in confrontation because of it. What they preached was that the risen Christ, through His death and resurrection, would finally raise all the dead from their graves. This preaching threatened the Sadducees' favorite doctrine denying the resurrection, endangered their teaching, and put their reputation and influence at stake.
Some of the temple officials and the captain of the temple himself were Sadducees. Both Pharisees and Sadducees feared that if these teachers went unchecked their own influence would be in greater danger than when Jesus was on earth, for the world would soon believe on Christ and the influence of priests and rulers would be lost. The attackers were inwardly convinced by evidence too strong to doubt that Jesus had risen from the dead and had remained on earth forty days afterward, yet they refused to acknowledge it. Their hearts were unsoftened and their consciences unsmitten for putting Him to death, and only fear of the heavenly power upon the apostles restrained them from violence, while they remained bitter and malicious.
In preaching that Christ had risen from the dead the disciples committed no error. They were giving truth for that time. They did so even though it did not please the rulers and the people.
Shortly after the Holy Spirit had been poured out, Peter and John had gone up to the temple to worship and had healed in Jesus' name a man crippled from birth at the temple gate. While they were speaking to the people about Jesus and the resurrection and the healing, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them and broke in upon their witness. The Sadducees denied the resurrection from the dead, so the apostles' Spirit-directed preaching that Jesus had risen and that through Him all the dead will finally be raised grieved and angered them and struck at their cherished teaching, reputation and influence. The disciples bore clear and bold testimony in the power of the Holy Spirit to the very men who had rejected and crucified Jesus, and their preaching with its accompanying miracle stirred Jerusalem and brought them into open conflict with rulers determined to silence them. The captain with the Sadducees laid hands on Peter and John and held them in prison overnight because it was too late for examination, yet the healed man stood by as unanswerable evidence and many who heard believed, rising to five thousand.
Temple Witness Interrupted
Shortly after the descent of the Holy Spirit, Peter and John had gone up to the temple to worship. There, in the name of Jesus, they healed at the temple gate a man who had been crippled from birth. While they were still speaking to the people about Jesus and the resurrection and about that healing, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them and interrupted them.
Those who had rejected and crucified Jesus now heard from the disciples clear, bold testimony given through the power of the Holy Spirit. There was no discouragement and no disowning of their Lord. Their preaching, together with the healing that accompanied it, stirred Jerusalem and brought them into conflict with the religious authorities, who sought to stop their teaching.
The captain of the temple, aided by the Sadducees, seized Peter and John and laid hands on them. They put them in hold in prison overnight until the next day. This was done because it was too late in the day for their cases to be examined. Their intervention followed the apostles' testimony about Jesus and the resurrection and led to the apostles being seized and held until the next day.
The healed man stood present as clear evidence that could not be refuted, so that Peter's words could not be answered. Despite the arrest, many who heard the word believed. Five thousand embraced the teaching. After speaking to the people, Peter faced the Sanhedrin and told of Christ who had walked the earth in human form.
Resurrection Opposition Exposed
The Sadducees rejected and denied the resurrection from the dead, and it was the apostles' teaching that Jesus had risen and that through Jesus there is resurrection from the dead that grieved, angered, and deeply stirred them. That teaching was given under the Holy Spirit's direction while Peter and John were speaking to the people about Jesus and the resurrection, and the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them in confrontation because of it. What they preached was that the risen Christ, through His death and resurrection, would finally raise all the dead from their graves. This preaching threatened the Sadducees' favorite doctrine denying the resurrection, endangered their teaching, and put their reputation and influence at stake.
Some of the temple officials and the captain of the temple himself were Sadducees. Both Pharisees and Sadducees feared that if these teachers went unchecked their own influence would be in greater danger than when Jesus was on earth, for the world would soon believe on Christ and the influence of priests and rulers would be lost. The attackers were inwardly convinced by evidence too strong to doubt that Jesus had risen from the dead and had remained on earth forty days afterward, yet they refused to acknowledge it. Their hearts were unsoftened and their consciences unsmitten for putting Him to death, and only fear of the heavenly power upon the apostles restrained them from violence, while they remained bitter and malicious.
In preaching that Christ had risen from the dead the disciples committed no error. They were giving truth for that time. They did so even though it did not please the rulers and the people.