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ACTS - In the Triumphal Procession of Christ
Studies in the Acts of the Apostles
PART 1 - The Foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and Syria - Under the Patronage of the Apostle Peter, Guided by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1 - 12)
A - The Growth and Development of the Early Church in Jerusalem (Acts 1 - 7)

17. The Apostles before the High Council (Acts 5:26-33)


ACTS 5:26-33
26 Then the captain went with the officers, and brought them without violence, for they were afraid that the people might stone them. 27 When they had brought them, they set them before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins. 32 We are His witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and determined to kill them.

God loves His enemies, and has more mercy on the evil than our minds can imagine. This hearing turned into a call to repentance uttered by twelve apostolic voices. It was a call for all the rulers of the Jews to turn to their Lord. Not only was the committee of inquiry present, but also the entire council.

The captain of the temple went and besought the ambassadors of Christ, with all gentleness, to go with him to the council. They went with him not as bound criminals, but as respectable, free men. The captain of the temple dared not arrest them, for he was afraid the people might revolt in support of God’s messengers and stone the guards. The apostles followed the temple police willingly.

The seventy elders were gathered together in the house of the high priest. The latter was impatient and restless, his heart charged with hatred, grudge, and rancor. He was particularly indignant that the troublemakers had brought shame upon him before the representatives of the people, by way of their strange exit from prison. Thus he scolded them harshly when they came before him, asking: “Why did you persist in teaching in the name of Jesus, even though we commanded you not to utter the name of this man? In spite of our severe orders, you have filled the entire city of Jerusalem with your silly, senseless doctrine. Your design was nothing but to insult and offend us before the people, and to make us appear as unjust judges, as if Jesus was righteous and we were criminals. That young man of Nazareth was nothing but a deceiver and blasphemer. He died, his body was placed in the earth, and we had rest from him. But you have chosen to mock the high council, insult us, and trespass against us with lies, superstitions, and deception.

Following this charge, Peter and the other apostles rose up together and spoke with all boldness, guided by the Holy Spirit, saying: “We do not follow devised fables, nor do we have evil intent, but we have received God’s revelation, and therefore obey the Lord by our testimony. It is impossible for us to obey you, for God is greater than you are. He is our Lord. Woe to us if we hold our tongue from speaking about His truths! Our lips would be scorched if we failed to speak. We speak on account of God’s direct revelation to us.”

It may be that the elders then asked them: “And what is the content of God’s revelation to you?” One of the apostles would have well answered: “We have no revelation except the truth of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. He did not appear to us as a ghost, but God had raised Him up in the flesh, for Jesus had been with God for all time and eternity, and God with Him.

Then one of the judges cried out: “So you speak like that, as if we were the enemies of God?” Peter answered him boldly and confidently: “It was you, and no one else, that condemned Jesus, the Righteous. You compelled Pilate, the ruler, to crucify Him. Yes, you murdered Christ, and are the enemies of God. Jesus is holy, yet you nailed Him to the accursed cross by the hands of unclean men.

In spite of the gnashing of teeth among the judges, one of the apostles went on to say: “God, however, did not only raise Him from the dead, but also exalted him to His right hand. He made Him the head of the church, the Savior of the whole world. Jesus is the Lord Himself, having the very characteristics of God in Him. He is your expected Messiah, and He lives at the right hand of God, just as He previously spoke to you: “Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

When the council members heard this, some of them got ready to jump. Nevertheless, they controlled themselves, shaking with rage, while waiting for the remaining part of the apostles’ defense. One of them asked: “What more remains than for you to call us to worship your Lord?” One of the disciples answered: “In fact, Jesus will not reject you, but He calls you to repentance. He expects the turning of the whole people of Israel, for he is LOVE. He is prepared to forgive you your sins completely. Come to Him, for His mercy is greater than your hatred. God will forgive you if you truly repent.

It is possible that some man from among the audience, in consternation, asked the fishermen: “Where did you get such daring and impudence to find your judges guilty, while, at the same time, you yourselves offer forgiveness? Who are you, and who do you think you are? Are you yourselves gods?”

The Holy Spirit guided the disciples that they not get caught in the trap of temptation, pride or blasphemy. Therefore, they responded: “We are but witnesses to the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension to heaven. The Holy Spirit dwells effectively in us, for we are believers in Christ, who ascended to on high. This Holy Spirit confirms to us that our knowledge is true, and that we are living in harmony with God.”

One of the elders laughed and said: “What have you, illiterate men as you are, understood about the Holy Spirit?” He immediately received the response to his candid question: “God gives His Spirit only to him who obeys His word, to him who receives Christ’s revelation. He who does not believe will perish, because he disobeys the Holy Spirit in his testimony. All sins will be forgiven to man, but the sin against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.

Each one of the statements of the apostles shot through the seventy elders, like an arrow of divine truth piercing their hearts. Most of the venerable members, whose dignity had been hurt, grew furious over their insult. They jumped up to consume the ones they considered to be blasphemers, hoodlums, and arrogant braggarts. The atmosphere grew darker and darker. Hell was ready to attack the leaders of the Christian church, to consume them in stoning.

PRAYER: O Lord Jesus Christ, You are living. We worship You, and praise You because of the power and courage You gave to Your apostles. In that critical situation they did not deny You, but bore witness to Your truth. Help us, too, at the hour of temptation, to continue faithful to You even to death. Amen.

QUESTION:

  1. Which points of the apostles’ defense against their judges pleased you?

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