But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
"Again the Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection (Acts 23:8), were particularly riled at the disciples' preaching the resurrection of Christ (Acts 4:33)." (Ryrie)
an angel of the Lord - "Not the preincarnate Christ as was the angel of the Lord in the OT (Stephen refers to Him in Acts 7:30), but one of God's angels (also see Acts 8:26; 12:7; 12:23)." (Ryrie)
"While the Sadducees, who denied the existence of angels (Acts 23:8), were plotting against the apostles one of those celestial creatures, whose very being they repudiated, came and miraculously set Christ's servants free from prison (cf Act 12:7). We find angels, in the Acts of the Apostles, as God's messengers and instruments: (a) delivering God's people from trouble (v 19; Acts 12:7-10); (b) directing God's people in service (Acts 13:26); (c) guiding God's people in perplexity (Acts 10:3, 7, 22; 11:13); and (e) punishing the wicked (Acts 12:23)." (Walker)
council...senate - "These refer to the same body, the Jewish Sanhedrin." (Ryrie)
did we not strictly charge you not to teach in this name - "This opening question betrays the weakness of the high priest's position in the context. He had indeed strictly ordered the apostles not to teach in this name, but they had boldly declared that they would do so nevertheless — and he had been forced to dismiss their case. As to filling Jerusalem with this doctrine, his own guilt gave him an exaggerated idea of what the apostles were accomplishing, for Messiah's followers were still so much in the minority that after the stoning of Stephen they could be driven from Jerusalem by persecution. Furthermore, the apostles were not seeking to bring the guilt of Christ's blood upon the rulers. The very opposite was true. The bitter antipathy of the high priest against Christ and the apostles is seen in his terms: 'your doctrine' and 'this man.' He does not even say what the doctrine is nor name the name of Christ. This is the first example of that avoidance of the name of Christ by the Jews which later became so general among them. In the Talmud, for example, He is most frequently referred to as 'peloni': 'so and so.'" (Stam)
this man's blood - "These judges have to take the place, so to speak, of culprits, and defend themselves against a charge of murder, brought against them by the prisoners arraigned before them. They refer doubtless to Peter's words in Acts 2:23, 36; 3:15, and especially those in Acts 4:10-12. We must remember, in this connexion, that they and their followers had accepted all responsibility for the crucifixion of Christ before Pilate (Matt 27:25). We notice how carefully they avoided all reference to the miraculous deliverance of their prisoners from the prison-house." (Walker)
"At the trial of Christ, of course, it was 'the chief priests and elders' who had 'persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.' As a result, 'all the people' had joined them in crying: 'His blood be on us, and on our children' (Matt 27:20, 25)." (Stam)
"Believers are to obey the government (Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13-17), unless to do so, as here, would be to disobey God. If disobedience is required, then one must be prepared to suffer the consequences." (Ryrie)
to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins - "But as to bringing Christ's blood upon the rulers, the apostles make it very clear that while Israel and her rulers are indeed guilty of the death of Christ, God has raised Christ from the dead: 'to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.' While hanging on the cross where they themselves had placed Him, He had tenderly interceded: 'Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do' (Lk 23:34). And Peter had but recently offered Israel repentance on these same grounds, saying to the multitudes: 'And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers...repent ye therefore...(Acts 3:17-19). And all this, when they themselves had cried: 'His blood be on us, and on our children' (Matt 27:25). If anything is made clear in the early chapters of Acts, it is the fact that God was loathe to take the people of Israel at their word and judge them for the crucifixion of His Son. Instead He continued to stretch forth His hands to a disobedient and gain-saying people, giving them every opportunity to repent and turn to Christ (See Rom 10:21)." (Stam)
Gamaliel - "A respected rabbi who followed the liberal interpretations of Hillell, another rabbi who lived shortly before the time of Christ. His popularity demanded that the Sanhedrin listen to him. Paul was a student of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3)." (Ryrie)
"The word means 'the reward of God.' We may safely regard him as identical with the famous Rabbi Gamaliel, grandson of that Hillel who founded the more liberal of the two schools into which the Pharisees were divided. He was a man of great learning and noble character, the first of those seven eminent Jewish doctors of divinity who alone were styled Rabban (Master). He had studied Greek literature, and was in advance of most of the Rabbis in culture and liberality. He was held in the highest possible repute by the Jews, and was honourably named 'the beauty of the Law.' He is said to have died eighteen years before the destruction of the temple. As we know, Saul of Tarsus was one of his pupils (Acts 22:3)." (Walker)
Theudas - "This is the only historical reference to him." (Ryrie)
Judas the Galilean rose up - "This revolt (in A.D. 6) is described by the historian Josephus. The followers of this Judas became the 'Zealots.'" (Ryrie)
they beat them - "The verb occurs again in Acts 16:37; 22:19. The Sadducean party were loath to let them off unpunished, and possibly a compromise was thus arrived at between them and the Gamaliel section of the Sanhedrin. The apostles probably received the 'forty stripes save one' spoken of in the Law of Moses (Deut 25:1-3), and the word used suggests a severe cudgelling or flogging. These were the first stripes, so far as we know, received by Christ's followers on His behalf." (Walker)
"The venerable members of the Sanhedrin had now stooped to become common bullies, but their attempt to cow the apostles only emphasized the fact that the apostles had again won a decisive moral victory. Nor did the lashes bring all suffering and pain, for were they not bearing them for the blessed Messiah whom they hoped would soon reign? Thus they left the trail rejoicing, and redoubled their efforts to make Christ known to Israel. And so we witness the fall of Israel's rulers and the rise of the 'little flock' destined some day to reign with Christ in His kingdom (Lk 2:34; Matt 21:42; Lk 12:32; Matt 19:28)." (Stam)
"Again the Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection (Acts 23:8), were particularly riled at the disciples' preaching the resurrection of Christ (Acts 4:33)." (Ryrie)
an angel of the Lord - "Not the preincarnate Christ as was the angel of the Lord in the OT (Stephen refers to Him in Acts 7:30), but one of God's angels (also see Acts 8:26; 12:7; 12:23)." (Ryrie)
"While the Sadducees, who denied the existence of angels (Acts 23:8), were plotting against the apostles one of those celestial creatures, whose very being they repudiated, came and miraculously set Christ's servants free from prison (cf Act 12:7). We find angels, in the Acts of the Apostles, as God's messengers and instruments: (a) delivering God's people from trouble (v 19; Acts 12:7-10); (b) directing God's people in service (Acts 13:26); (c) guiding God's people in perplexity (Acts 10:3, 7, 22; 11:13); and (e) punishing the wicked (Acts 12:23)." (Walker)
council...senate - "These refer to the same body, the Jewish Sanhedrin." (Ryrie)
did we not strictly charge you not to teach in this name - "This opening question betrays the weakness of the high priest's position in the context. He had indeed strictly ordered the apostles not to teach in this name, but they had boldly declared that they would do so nevertheless — and he had been forced to dismiss their case. As to filling Jerusalem with this doctrine, his own guilt gave him an exaggerated idea of what the apostles were accomplishing, for Messiah's followers were still so much in the minority that after the stoning of Stephen they could be driven from Jerusalem by persecution. Furthermore, the apostles were not seeking to bring the guilt of Christ's blood upon the rulers. The very opposite was true. The bitter antipathy of the high priest against Christ and the apostles is seen in his terms: 'your doctrine' and 'this man.' He does not even say what the doctrine is nor name the name of Christ. This is the first example of that avoidance of the name of Christ by the Jews which later became so general among them. In the Talmud, for example, He is most frequently referred to as 'peloni': 'so and so.'" (Stam)
this man's blood - "These judges have to take the place, so to speak, of culprits, and defend themselves against a charge of murder, brought against them by the prisoners arraigned before them. They refer doubtless to Peter's words in Acts 2:23, 36; 3:15, and especially those in Acts 4:10-12. We must remember, in this connexion, that they and their followers had accepted all responsibility for the crucifixion of Christ before Pilate (Matt 27:25). We notice how carefully they avoided all reference to the miraculous deliverance of their prisoners from the prison-house." (Walker)
"At the trial of Christ, of course, it was 'the chief priests and elders' who had 'persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.' As a result, 'all the people' had joined them in crying: 'His blood be on us, and on our children' (Matt 27:20, 25)." (Stam)
"Believers are to obey the government (Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13-17), unless to do so, as here, would be to disobey God. If disobedience is required, then one must be prepared to suffer the consequences." (Ryrie)
to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins - "But as to bringing Christ's blood upon the rulers, the apostles make it very clear that while Israel and her rulers are indeed guilty of the death of Christ, God has raised Christ from the dead: 'to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.' While hanging on the cross where they themselves had placed Him, He had tenderly interceded: 'Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do' (Lk 23:34). And Peter had but recently offered Israel repentance on these same grounds, saying to the multitudes: 'And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers...repent ye therefore...(Acts 3:17-19). And all this, when they themselves had cried: 'His blood be on us, and on our children' (Matt 27:25). If anything is made clear in the early chapters of Acts, it is the fact that God was loathe to take the people of Israel at their word and judge them for the crucifixion of His Son. Instead He continued to stretch forth His hands to a disobedient and gain-saying people, giving them every opportunity to repent and turn to Christ (See Rom 10:21)." (Stam)
Gamaliel - "A respected rabbi who followed the liberal interpretations of Hillell, another rabbi who lived shortly before the time of Christ. His popularity demanded that the Sanhedrin listen to him. Paul was a student of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3)." (Ryrie)
"The word means 'the reward of God.' We may safely regard him as identical with the famous Rabbi Gamaliel, grandson of that Hillel who founded the more liberal of the two schools into which the Pharisees were divided. He was a man of great learning and noble character, the first of those seven eminent Jewish doctors of divinity who alone were styled Rabban (Master). He had studied Greek literature, and was in advance of most of the Rabbis in culture and liberality. He was held in the highest possible repute by the Jews, and was honourably named 'the beauty of the Law.' He is said to have died eighteen years before the destruction of the temple. As we know, Saul of Tarsus was one of his pupils (Acts 22:3)." (Walker)
Theudas - "This is the only historical reference to him." (Ryrie)
Judas the Galilean rose up - "This revolt (in A.D. 6) is described by the historian Josephus. The followers of this Judas became the 'Zealots.'" (Ryrie)
they beat them - "The verb occurs again in Acts 16:37; 22:19. The Sadducean party were loath to let them off unpunished, and possibly a compromise was thus arrived at between them and the Gamaliel section of the Sanhedrin. The apostles probably received the 'forty stripes save one' spoken of in the Law of Moses (Deut 25:1-3), and the word used suggests a severe cudgelling or flogging. These were the first stripes, so far as we know, received by Christ's followers on His behalf." (Walker)
"The venerable members of the Sanhedrin had now stooped to become common bullies, but their attempt to cow the apostles only emphasized the fact that the apostles had again won a decisive moral victory. Nor did the lashes bring all suffering and pain, for were they not bearing them for the blessed Messiah whom they hoped would soon reign? Thus they left the trail rejoicing, and redoubled their efforts to make Christ known to Israel. And so we witness the fall of Israel's rulers and the rise of the 'little flock' destined some day to reign with Christ in His kingdom (Lk 2:34; Matt 21:42; Lk 12:32; Matt 19:28)." (Stam)
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