Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
Peter and John were teaching the people and proclaiming that the dead are raised through Jesus, that He Himself had risen and through His death and resurrection would raise all the dead from their graves. This testimony followed the healing of a man lame from birth in the temple in the name of Jesus, declaring His resurrection and ascension and charging the Jews with rejecting Him, which stirred Jerusalem and gave public power to the message. The temple rulers were grieved and angered by it, especially the Sadducees because they denied any resurrection and saw their doctrine, reputation and influence endangered unto extinction if a resurrected Saviour was preached. The Pharisees were angered because it would make the ceremonies and sacrificial offerings of no effect, while the priests were displeased because it exposed their false claim that His body had been stolen and threatened their influence as exposing them as responsible for His death. Though seized, imprisoned and commanded to speak no more, the apostles boldly testified by the Holy Spirit to a risen Saviour, and many who heard believed, bringing the number of men to about five thousand.
Teaching and Setting
Peter and John were teaching the people and proclaiming that the dead are raised through Jesus. Their preaching joined Jesus himself to the hope of resurrection. It declared that Jesus had risen, and that through His death and resurrection He would ultimately raise all the dead from their graves and finally bring them out of their graves.
This teaching brought them before the Sanhedrin, where Peter's testimony before the council identified Jesus as raised by God and exalted as Prince and Saviour, with the apostles and the Holy Spirit as witnesses. It was given after the healing of a man lame from birth in the very precincts of the temple in the name of Jesus. With that healing they declared that Jesus had risen and ascended to heaven and had given power to His followers, and they charged the Jews with rejecting and murdering Him, while testifying that God had raised Jesus. The healing of the crippled man gave strong public support to the message, and the preaching stirred Jerusalem.
Their testimony about Jesus' resurrection was clear and bold, given through the Holy Spirit with great power. Their words and works reflected their Teacher, so that listeners recognized they had learned from Jesus. This testimony reminded listeners of Christ's words.
Opposition and Motives
The priests, the captain of the temple, the elders, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the other temple authorities and rulers were grieved, distressed, perplexed, angered, bitter and malicious over the teaching of Peter and John. They were cut to the heart because the apostles taught the people and proclaimed through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. Their grief was stirred in the very precincts of the temple, where the apostles preached a resurrected Saviour and worked miracles in His name.
The Sadducees were deeply troubled because they denied that there is any resurrection of the dead. Preaching a risen Christ and doing miracles in His name directly opposed that denial, endangered their favorite doctrine, put their reputation at stake, and threatened their standing and influence. If allowed to continue, that doctrine would be rejected by all and their sect would soon become extinct. The Pharisees were angry because the tendency of the teaching would undermine the Jewish ceremonies and make the sacrificial offerings of no effect.
The priests were displeased because they had spread the false claim that the body of Jesus had been stolen. The leaders feared losing their influence as the people accepted the apostles' teaching, judged that if these new teachers went on unchecked the world would soon believe on Christ and their own influence would be lost, leaving them in greater danger than when Jesus was on earth. They wanted to stop the disciples because their growing influence threatened their own standing and exposed them as responsible for the death of Jesus. The healing of the crippled man gave strong public support to the message and helped stir Jerusalem, which sharpened that fear.
The evidence that Jesus had risen and had remained on earth forty days afterward was too convincing to doubt. Even determined opponents inwardly believed He had risen, yet they refused to acknowledge it. Their knowledge did not soften their hearts, smite their consciences, or make them repent of putting Him to death. When power from heaven came upon the apostles in a remarkable manner, fear held the leaders from violence, but their bitterness and malice were unchanged.
To intimidate, silence and stop the preaching, the officials seized Peter and John, laid hands on them, and put them in prison until examination, since it was too late that night. They then brought them before the Sanhedrin and commanded them to speak no more in that name. Peter, who had once cowardly denied his Lord, now boldly declared the power of a risen Saviour, their threats were powerless, and being restrained from violence by fear of the people they set the apostles free. The apostles nevertheless continued to testify, knowing that God had given them their message.
Fruit and Faithfulness
Many who heard the teaching believed and joined those who accepted the gospel, so that the seed Christ had sown bore fruit. Five thousand had already embraced the new doctrine, with five thousand openly declaring faith in Christ. That number brought the men to about five thousand. Great numbers received the teaching after the healing of the lame man and the testimony that God had raised Jesus.
The disciples committed no error in proclaiming that Christ had risen and preaching the resurrection from the dead through Jesus. Moved by the Holy Ghost they were giving truth for that time.
Their message did not please the people, and the professed people of God were arrayed against the truth. Their arrest and being laid hold of and put in hold did not mean their message was wrong.
Truth must be prized and persistently declared whether it pleases or not. Hearts open to receive it must accept the light. It is not safe to resist conviction because of opposition.
Peter and John were teaching the people and proclaiming that the dead are raised through Jesus, that He Himself had risen and through His death and resurrection would raise all the dead from their graves. This testimony followed the healing of a man lame from birth in the temple in the name of Jesus, declaring His resurrection and ascension and charging the Jews with rejecting Him, which stirred Jerusalem and gave public power to the message. The temple rulers were grieved and angered by it, especially the Sadducees because they denied any resurrection and saw their doctrine, reputation and influence endangered unto extinction if a resurrected Saviour was preached. The Pharisees were angered because it would make the ceremonies and sacrificial offerings of no effect, while the priests were displeased because it exposed their false claim that His body had been stolen and threatened their influence as exposing them as responsible for His death. Though seized, imprisoned and commanded to speak no more, the apostles boldly testified by the Holy Spirit to a risen Saviour, and many who heard believed, bringing the number of men to about five thousand.
Teaching and Setting
Peter and John were teaching the people and proclaiming that the dead are raised through Jesus. Their preaching joined Jesus himself to the hope of resurrection. It declared that Jesus had risen, and that through His death and resurrection He would ultimately raise all the dead from their graves and finally bring them out of their graves.
This teaching brought them before the Sanhedrin, where Peter's testimony before the council identified Jesus as raised by God and exalted as Prince and Saviour, with the apostles and the Holy Spirit as witnesses. It was given after the healing of a man lame from birth in the very precincts of the temple in the name of Jesus. With that healing they declared that Jesus had risen and ascended to heaven and had given power to His followers, and they charged the Jews with rejecting and murdering Him, while testifying that God had raised Jesus. The healing of the crippled man gave strong public support to the message, and the preaching stirred Jerusalem.
Their testimony about Jesus' resurrection was clear and bold, given through the Holy Spirit with great power. Their words and works reflected their Teacher, so that listeners recognized they had learned from Jesus. This testimony reminded listeners of Christ's words.
Opposition and Motives
The priests, the captain of the temple, the elders, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the other temple authorities and rulers were grieved, distressed, perplexed, angered, bitter and malicious over the teaching of Peter and John. They were cut to the heart because the apostles taught the people and proclaimed through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. Their grief was stirred in the very precincts of the temple, where the apostles preached a resurrected Saviour and worked miracles in His name.
The Sadducees were deeply troubled because they denied that there is any resurrection of the dead. Preaching a risen Christ and doing miracles in His name directly opposed that denial, endangered their favorite doctrine, put their reputation at stake, and threatened their standing and influence. If allowed to continue, that doctrine would be rejected by all and their sect would soon become extinct. The Pharisees were angry because the tendency of the teaching would undermine the Jewish ceremonies and make the sacrificial offerings of no effect.
The priests were displeased because they had spread the false claim that the body of Jesus had been stolen. The leaders feared losing their influence as the people accepted the apostles' teaching, judged that if these new teachers went on unchecked the world would soon believe on Christ and their own influence would be lost, leaving them in greater danger than when Jesus was on earth. They wanted to stop the disciples because their growing influence threatened their own standing and exposed them as responsible for the death of Jesus. The healing of the crippled man gave strong public support to the message and helped stir Jerusalem, which sharpened that fear.
The evidence that Jesus had risen and had remained on earth forty days afterward was too convincing to doubt. Even determined opponents inwardly believed He had risen, yet they refused to acknowledge it. Their knowledge did not soften their hearts, smite their consciences, or make them repent of putting Him to death. When power from heaven came upon the apostles in a remarkable manner, fear held the leaders from violence, but their bitterness and malice were unchanged.
To intimidate, silence and stop the preaching, the officials seized Peter and John, laid hands on them, and put them in prison until examination, since it was too late that night. They then brought them before the Sanhedrin and commanded them to speak no more in that name. Peter, who had once cowardly denied his Lord, now boldly declared the power of a risen Saviour, their threats were powerless, and being restrained from violence by fear of the people they set the apostles free. The apostles nevertheless continued to testify, knowing that God had given them their message.
Fruit and Faithfulness
Many who heard the teaching believed and joined those who accepted the gospel, so that the seed Christ had sown bore fruit. Five thousand had already embraced the new doctrine, with five thousand openly declaring faith in Christ. That number brought the men to about five thousand. Great numbers received the teaching after the healing of the lame man and the testimony that God had raised Jesus.
The disciples committed no error in proclaiming that Christ had risen and preaching the resurrection from the dead through Jesus. Moved by the Holy Ghost they were giving truth for that time.
Their message did not please the people, and the professed people of God were arrayed against the truth. Their arrest and being laid hold of and put in hold did not mean their message was wrong.
Truth must be prized and persistently declared whether it pleases or not. Hearts open to receive it must accept the light. It is not safe to resist conviction because of opposition.