And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
The officers brought the apostles from their teaching without violence for fear of being stoned and set them before the large Sanhedrin, where the high priest questioned them for disobeying his strict command not to teach in the name of Jesus and charged them with filling Jerusalem with their doctrine to bring the guilt of His blood upon the rulers. This was a second arrest after bold preaching of the crucified, risen and ascended Christ with healings that added hundreds daily, when angels had opened the prison and commanded them to speak the words of this life in the temple, where they were found teaching when the prison was found empty and guarded. The questioning sets the scene for their testimony that they must obey God rather than human authorities and continue to witness to Jesus. It teaches that human law which forbids obedience to God must not be obeyed, for God has a government above human law and proves He lives by delivering His servants. The same principle holds when the spurious Sunday sabbath, which has not one syllable for its sanctity in the Word of God, is enforced by decrees and threats that those who do not keep it shall not buy or sell.
Before the Council
This moment belongs to the closing part of Acts 5, from verse 17 to the end, which follows the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira for keeping back part of the price and lying to the Holy Ghost while pretending full giving, and the many signs and wonders and healings done by the hands of the apostles. The whole chapter shows that God Himself punishes deceptive, unstraightforward, oppressive and unjust dealings in His work, using lawyers to take advantage, exacting exorbitant prices, connivance and fraud, hindering the triumph of truth and diverting His means into a wrong channel.
Before the arrest the apostles had continued boldly preaching in Jerusalem Christ's work, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, with healing miracles that drew growing crowds and many new believers. Hundreds were daily joining the crucified, risen and ascended Saviour through that healing and preaching, amid strong opposition to the message that alarmed the priests and elders.
The priests and elders made a second arrest and put the apostles in prison, but angels opened the doors and, contrary to the high priest and elders, commanded them to stand in the temple and speak all the words of this life, to make known God's words. When the council sent for the prisoners, the officers found the prison shut with all safety and keepers standing at the doors but empty. They then found the men standing in the temple teaching the people, and brought them back from teaching.
The captain with the officers brought Peter and the apostles without violence because they feared the people would stone them, and set them before the large and imposing Sanhedrin, the Jewish council. Set before the council, the high priest questioned them for disobeying his strict command not to teach in the name of Jesus. He charged that they had filled Jerusalem with their doctrine and intended to bring the guilt of Jesus' blood upon the rulers. The rulers who were now unwilling to bear blame for slaying Jesus are the same who had joined the mob's cry, swelling it with the crowd, for His blood to be on them and on their children.
Obeying God Above Men
The bringing before the council and the high priest's questioning about teaching in Jesus' name sets the scene for the apostles' defense that they must obey God rather than human authorities. Having been freed from prison by the angel and sent to teach in the temple, they chose to obey God rather than the rulers and to continue bearing witness to Jesus when confronted. There before the Sanhedrin that confronted them Peter gave his account of Jesus and with the others bore testimony.
God overruled the priests' ban on preaching in the name of Jesus Christ and showed He has a government above human law by sending His angel to free His servants with the command to make known God's words, so that when the officers came they found them preaching in the temple. Brought again without violence to answer why they taught in that name, their deliverance proves that God lives and delivers His servants. That questioning is persecution, oppression and bondage on Satan's side against God's government, for God does not bring people by persecution and oppression, while Satan is always on the side of the oppressor.
Human law that forbids obedience to God must not be obeyed, as Peter answered that it is right to hearken to God more than to men. The same principle applies when the spurious Sunday sabbath, which has no sanctity and not one syllable for its sanctity in the Word of God, is set up and enforced by decrees and threats that those who do not keep Sunday shall not buy or sell. The Holy Spirit was present at the council and gave the rulers conviction that Jesus was the Son of God, but they suppressed that conviction and resisted the further evidence God gave through the apostles, showing that repeated resistance to the Spirit's testimony hardens people and deepens rebellion.
The officers brought the apostles from their teaching without violence for fear of being stoned and set them before the large Sanhedrin, where the high priest questioned them for disobeying his strict command not to teach in the name of Jesus and charged them with filling Jerusalem with their doctrine to bring the guilt of His blood upon the rulers. This was a second arrest after bold preaching of the crucified, risen and ascended Christ with healings that added hundreds daily, when angels had opened the prison and commanded them to speak the words of this life in the temple, where they were found teaching when the prison was found empty and guarded. The questioning sets the scene for their testimony that they must obey God rather than human authorities and continue to witness to Jesus. It teaches that human law which forbids obedience to God must not be obeyed, for God has a government above human law and proves He lives by delivering His servants. The same principle holds when the spurious Sunday sabbath, which has not one syllable for its sanctity in the Word of God, is enforced by decrees and threats that those who do not keep it shall not buy or sell.
Before the Council
This moment belongs to the closing part of Acts 5, from verse 17 to the end, which follows the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira for keeping back part of the price and lying to the Holy Ghost while pretending full giving, and the many signs and wonders and healings done by the hands of the apostles. The whole chapter shows that God Himself punishes deceptive, unstraightforward, oppressive and unjust dealings in His work, using lawyers to take advantage, exacting exorbitant prices, connivance and fraud, hindering the triumph of truth and diverting His means into a wrong channel.
Before the arrest the apostles had continued boldly preaching in Jerusalem Christ's work, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, with healing miracles that drew growing crowds and many new believers. Hundreds were daily joining the crucified, risen and ascended Saviour through that healing and preaching, amid strong opposition to the message that alarmed the priests and elders.
The priests and elders made a second arrest and put the apostles in prison, but angels opened the doors and, contrary to the high priest and elders, commanded them to stand in the temple and speak all the words of this life, to make known God's words. When the council sent for the prisoners, the officers found the prison shut with all safety and keepers standing at the doors but empty. They then found the men standing in the temple teaching the people, and brought them back from teaching.
The captain with the officers brought Peter and the apostles without violence because they feared the people would stone them, and set them before the large and imposing Sanhedrin, the Jewish council. Set before the council, the high priest questioned them for disobeying his strict command not to teach in the name of Jesus. He charged that they had filled Jerusalem with their doctrine and intended to bring the guilt of Jesus' blood upon the rulers. The rulers who were now unwilling to bear blame for slaying Jesus are the same who had joined the mob's cry, swelling it with the crowd, for His blood to be on them and on their children.
Obeying God Above Men
The bringing before the council and the high priest's questioning about teaching in Jesus' name sets the scene for the apostles' defense that they must obey God rather than human authorities. Having been freed from prison by the angel and sent to teach in the temple, they chose to obey God rather than the rulers and to continue bearing witness to Jesus when confronted. There before the Sanhedrin that confronted them Peter gave his account of Jesus and with the others bore testimony.
God overruled the priests' ban on preaching in the name of Jesus Christ and showed He has a government above human law by sending His angel to free His servants with the command to make known God's words, so that when the officers came they found them preaching in the temple. Brought again without violence to answer why they taught in that name, their deliverance proves that God lives and delivers His servants. That questioning is persecution, oppression and bondage on Satan's side against God's government, for God does not bring people by persecution and oppression, while Satan is always on the side of the oppressor.
Human law that forbids obedience to God must not be obeyed, as Peter answered that it is right to hearken to God more than to men. The same principle applies when the spurious Sunday sabbath, which has no sanctity and not one syllable for its sanctity in the Word of God, is set up and enforced by decrees and threats that those who do not keep Sunday shall not buy or sell. The Holy Spirit was present at the council and gave the rulers conviction that Jesus was the Son of God, but they suppressed that conviction and resisted the further evidence God gave through the apostles, showing that repeated resistance to the Spirit's testimony hardens people and deepens rebellion.