Salvation Is Jesus

Acts 5

We will focus mostly on the last half of Acts 5, where the persecution of Christians for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ continues. But first I’ll briefly give a summary of the first half of chapter 5 where a Christian couple is punished for lying, and the church continues to grow.

Ananias and Sapphira

Ananias and Sapphira sold some of their property, as was commonly happening among the Christians in Jerusalem.  They kept some for themselves, but lied to the church and told them that they were giving the full amount of what was earned from the sale. God reveals to Peter that they are lying and both of them are supernaturally and instantly killed by God for their lies. From the very beginning of the Christian church, God sets a clear standard of honesty and integrity.

This should serve as a clear warning to people (especially church leaders) who do not act with integrity, especially when it comes to finances.  Still, it is a great tragedy in the church today that there are so many dishonest “Christian” leaders who fleece the people for money, or make it appear that they are more generous than they really are.  If God punished Ananias and Sapphira for their dishonesty, then how much more will he punish those who ignore this warning in scripture?

Miracles and a Growing Church

Next we’re told that the church regularly met in a public place called Solomon’s Colonnade. We’re told again that at this point in history, the general public still admired this new religious sect who follow Jesus, but at the same time, many were afraid to be seen meeting with them in public. Even so, miracles continued to take place and crowds of sick and demon possessed were healed, and the most important thing, is the number of believers continued to grow.

Persecution of the Apostles

Starting in verse 17, we’re told the popularity of the growth of Christians caused the high priest and all his Sadducee associates to become jealous. So the apostles were put in jail.

Verses 19-20:

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.”

God frees the apostles and tells them to teach the full message of the new life that is found only in Jesus Christ. Again we see that God’s desire is for people to know and believe the full truth. Mixing and matching religions and philosophies about life and spirituality is clearly not the will of God, as revealed through the Bible.

The next morning when the Jewish leaders called for the prisoners to be brought to them, there was obviously great confusion.  Finally the apostles are found again preaching the name of Jesus in the temple courts. They are arrested again and brought before the Sanhedrin (Jewish leaders)

Verses 28-42:

“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

First notice how “forgetful” the Sanhedrin was being. They said the apostles were trying to make them guilty of Jesus’ blood. The problem with their complaint though, is that they were responsible for leading the mob that demanded that Jesus be crucified, and now they are trying to find ways to kill Jesus’ apostles without angering the adoring crowd.

The apostles continue to respond to the accusations as they always have.  They must obey God, rather than men because Jesus is the only Savior for mankind. There is no forgiveness apart from Him.  The Sanhedrin was furious at the idea that they needed a Savior. Their pride would not allow the thought and it disgusted them. It seems that Theudas was a bit wiser than the rest of the Sanhedrin. He suggests that if the apostles’ message was of human origin, they would eventually disperse, just like all the other followers of leaders who were put to death.  But if their message is from God, then nothing could stop the message from spreading. It seems history shows that their message is from God.

After being beaten then released, the apostles praise God and never stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.