Acts 5:26, commentary and pictures

The captain with the officers brought the apostles from the temple to stand before the council without force or violence because they feared the people would stone them. The favor and support the apostles had won by publicly teaching Christ and by what the people had seen and heard restrained the rulers and checked their hostility, so their power was constrained by public opinion. Though commanded not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus and shut in prison to stop their work, the apostles continued to testify boldly through the Holy Spirit to His death, resurrection, and ascension, with healings and miracles daily adding to their cause. God's angel had opened the prison doors and freed them with the command to go into the temple and speak all the words of this life, and was watching over them at the arrest so that violence against them would have magnified God's name. Their bringing without violence led to confrontation over disobeying the human command, answered by the principle that it is right to hearken to God more than to men, proving God lives and upholds a government above human law and will deliver His servants when persecution for obeying Him is repeated.

The Peaceful Arrest

The captain with the officers went to the temple and brought the apostles to stand before the council without violence and without force, because they feared the people lest they should be stoned. The arrest was peaceful and gentle, not by open compulsion, since the officers dared not seize them roughly in the midst of the crowd. The favor, support, and popularity of the apostles with the people restrained the authorities and checked their power and hostility toward them. Their authority was constrained by public opinion, so they could not use force openly when the crowd might resist them.

The apostles had won the people by their public teaching in the temple, turning the attention of the people away from the rulers to the gospel of Christ. The people had been so moved by what they had seen and heard that the rulers could not turn them against the apostles. For that reason fear of being stoned by the crowd held the rulers back from acting openly upon their hostility.

The priests and rulers had meant to fix upon the disciples the charge of insurrection, of murdering Ananias and Sapphira, and of conspiring to deprive the priests of their authority and put them to death. They hoped to excite the mob to deal with the disciples as it had dealt with Jesus. But they feared that many who were weary of arbitrary rule and anxious for change would accept the truths proclaimed by the apostles and acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, so that the anger of the whole people would turn against the religious authorities for the murder of Christ.

The peaceful fetching followed the assembling of the council and the discovery that the prison was shut with all safety with the keepers standing outside yet empty inside. Then came the report that the men who had been put in prison were standing in the temple teaching the people, after angels had opened the prison doors and bidden them go speak all the words of this life. So the captain fetched them gently to answer for filling Jerusalem with their doctrine.

Set before the council, they faced the high priest's charge that they had disobeyed the strict command not to teach in the name of Jesus, had filled Jerusalem with their teaching, and were intending to bring the guilt of Jesus' death upon the rulers. That charge exposed that the rulers were now unwilling to bear blame for killing Jesus, though they had once joined the mob in calling that blood upon themselves and their children.

Faithful Witness Under Threat

The captain's coming with the officers to bring the apostles in without violence belongs to the account of their continuing to teach Christ and preach in the temple though commanded not to speak nor teach in the name of Jesus. Their witness went on under threat of examination and punishment, while the authorities stood opposed to it and sought to kill them. That continued teaching was turning the attention of the people away from the rulers to the gospel of Christ, which is why the arrest was restrained from violence.

Their words and works in that ministry testified boldly, through the Holy Spirit, to Jesus and His resurrection. They boldly proclaimed Christ's death and resurrection and His identity as the crucified, risen and ascended Saviour. Their preaching was accompanied by healings and other miracles, and hundreds were daily enlisting under His cause.

It is the account of humble disciples having no earthly power or weapon but God's word, triumphing over opposition through Christ's strength. In it the cross is presented as bringing hope and salvation to the world. The high priests, elders, priests and rulers had shut the apostles in prison to stop their work, opposing them and seeking to kill them. Although the apostles were miraculously delivered from prison, they were not saved from examination and punishment but must suffer for the sake of Jesus whom they preached.

Divine Authority and Protection

God's angel was watching over the apostles at the arrest, and had violence been offered to His servants the angel would have magnified God's name. The captain with the officers brought them before the council without violence or force because they feared the people would stone them, and that fear restrained their hostility from acting openly. Their restraint was held in check because the apostles' public teaching had won the people's support.

God had sent His angel to open the prison doors and free His servants after the priests had shut them in prison to stop their work. The angel commanded them to go into the temple and make known God's words and speak all the words of this life. In this God overruled the human law that forbade preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. When the council assembled and sent for its prisoners, the officers found the prison shut with all safety with keepers standing outside yet empty inside, then learned the men were standing in the temple teaching the people, so the captain fetched them gently to answer for filling Jerusalem with their doctrine.

The bringing without violence led to confrontation before the council over teaching in His name. It was answered by the principle that it is right to hearken to God more than to men. This proves that God lives and upholds His government and that He has a government above human law.

The event illustrates that persecution, oppression, and bondage for obeying God are Satan's work on the side of the oppressor. The same is to be repeated when the spurious Sunday sabbath that has no syllable for its sanctity in the Word of God is enforced by threatening that those who do not keep Sunday shall not buy or sell. It gives assurance that God will deliver His servants then as He did then.