Acts: The Kingdom Advances - Week 10 (5:12-42)
Acts 5:12-42
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Acts 5:12-42 〰️
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This week’s passage continues the formation of the early church. In 5:12-42, we read another tale of the early church and the resistance they faced for proclaiming the name of Jesus. In Acts 4:5-12, we read of Peter and John facing the Jewish leadership for their claims made of Jesus and the accusations against those who instigated His death. And here, again, the apostles are facing the religious leaders for proclaiming the Gospel. Verse 17-18 tells us that the Sadducees, “filled with jealousy,” arrested the apostles and put them in jail. This was likely intended to be a message for the people, that they would see the cost of becoming a “Christian.” Backing up a little, v12-16 reads that the apostles (Peter, specifically, is named in v15) were performing miracles, healing those who were sick and tormented by unclear spirits.
This attention was likely what spurred the jealousy of the religious leaders, as they (in the temple) were no longer “needed,” and therefore likely foresaw a threat to their livelihood. Because of this, we then read that the Sadducees were “enraged and wanted to kill [the apostles]” (v33). In this, there’s a cool parallel with the Gospel of Luke, where we read that “The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put him to death, because they were afraid of the people” (Luke 2:22). Likely, the same religious leaders who sought to— and succeeded in— killing Jesus wanted to do the same against the apostles. In both instances, the Pharisees/Sadducees saw their status quo under threat.
The next portion of this week’s passage gives us insight into what happened to the apostles and how they were permitted to continue preaching the Gospel. Now, Luke, author of the book of Acts, was, of course, not present for this event, as the apostles were “taken outside for a little while” while Gamaliel spoke (v34). This is another instance of divine inspiration from the Holy Spirit in writing this book, as those who were not present knew details of a conversation. This gives us insight into how the Pharisees and Sadducees handled their dispute with the apostles. Gamaliel, a noted Pharisee (and, interestingly, the teacher of Saul—soon to be Paul), is the one who brought reason to the priests. He reminded them of previous “movements” in which leaders would rise up, gain a following, and be killed, only for their followers to scatter (v35-37). Connecting the dots, Gamaliel tells them that if this really is a nothing movement, then it will fizzle out just as the others have, but “if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” (v39). Luke tells us that the leaders were persuaded. In what possibly could have been an execution for the apostles turned into a flogging.
It can be humorous to read in retrospect, but v41 tells us that the apostles “went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name [of Jesus].” We read that Jesus was flogged in the temple in Luke 22:63, but He was not released. This could have been on the apostles’ minds, but here we see that they were celebrating that they were counted worthy to be persecuted for the name of Jesus. If you remember back to Jesus’ words to the apostles in Luke 21, He tells them,
“…they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to bear witness. Therefore make up your minds not to prepare your defense ahead of time, for I will give you such words and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will kill some of you. You will be hated by everyone because of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. By your endurance, gain your lives.” (v12-19)
Knowing this, they probably knew they were on the right track! If they faced resistance to the Gospel, whether threats of word or life, they knew they were doing as Jesus instructed. Something for us to consider is that if we’re facing zero persecution for what we believe to be true, there is a chance comfort has taken precedence. Jesus told us that we “will have suffering in this world” (John 16:33). While we’re certainly not instructed to seek out suffering, it can be a measure of our faithfulness to the Great Commission to go and make disciples. If we never face discomfort or a cost for following Jesus, we’re either not in rooms in which we can share the good news of Jesus, or we’re living in secret or fear. Again, this is not to say we should seek out confrontation or cause disruption, but we should ask ourselves, “am I living my life in a way that is sacrificially obedient to Jesus in following Him and making disciples?” The bottom line for those of us who believe, if we truly believe that Jesus is the risen Savior who paid the debt of our sins, then why wouldn’t we tell anyone and everyone we can? If people who have a one-way ticket to hell have an opportunity to hear the Gospel, why would we not extend the invitation that was first extended to us?
Discussion Questions
Could someone read Acts 5:12-42 for us?
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
Why do you think the religious leaders were so opposed to the message of Jesus?
In v41, how did the apostles respond after they were punished? Why do you think they responded this way?
In what ways do we “rejoice” in persecution for proclaiming the name of Jesus?
During this time, those who followed Jesus faced imprisonment and execution for following Jesus. For us today, what is the “cost” of fearlessly proclaiming the Gospel?
How can we, as a community, support and encourage one another in sharing the Gospel?