The Acts, Part 11

Signs and Wonders

Acts 5:12–16 ESV

12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

5:12. Luke now gave another summary statement. The apostles continued to be full of the Holy Spirit and power, that is, they were full of power because they were full of the Holy Spirit. They kept right on doing many miraculous signs and supernatural wonders that were impossible to do apart from the mighty power of God. The Church also remained in one accord, meeting daily at the hours of prayer in Solomon’s portico (and probably overflowing into the Court of the Women beside it). This, of course, was the very place where Peter and John had addressed the crowd after the healing of the lame man, where they had been arrested and thrown in jail overnight.

5:13. The fear that resulted from the death of Ananias and Sapphira also affected the unbelievers so that none of them dared to join in with the crowd of believers in the temple. Some have suggested that the believers also did not dare to join with or come into the company of the apostles lest they be judged as Ananias and Sapphira were. But the evidence is that all the believers continued in just as great a fellowship with the apostles as before, so this interpretation is unlikely. It is clear that no unbeliever dared to mix in with the crowd of believers. Perhaps out of curiosity some had been pretending to be Christians; or perhaps they hoped to receive part of the overflow of the blessing of the Lord, so evidently upon the believers. This did not mean, however, that the Church’s growth was slowed down. When the people saw how God dealt with sin among the believers, they realized that the Church as a whole was pleasing God and held high standards of honesty and righteousness. Therefore they “magnified them,” that is, they held the believers in high esteem.

5:14. The actual result was that more and more believers were “added to the Lord,” that is, to the Lord Jesus, not just to the Church as an external body. This amounted to “multitudes (crowds) both of men and of women.” It has been suggested the number of believers was over 10,000 by this time.

5:15. Because the believers had such confidence in the Lord to meet all their needs, they brought the sick (including the lame, the crippled, the diseased, and the infirm) out “into the streets,” that is, into wide streets or into public squares, and “laid them on beds and couches,” litters and mattresses or mats, so that when Peter passed by, even his shadow might overshadow them. They believed the Lord would honor Peter’s faith and theirs even if Peter was not able to stop and lay hands on each one of them. This undoubtedly also stimulated the faith of those who were sick. It is not always easy for those who are sick to express faith. Although some claim the Bible never says people actually were healed as the shadow of Peter went over them, the clear implication of the context is that people were healed. God used similar methods to restore health to individuals through supernatural means. For example, the woman with an issue of blood was made whole when she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment (Matthew 9:20 and parallels). Also, Acts 19:11, 12 says God performed “extraordinary miracles” (NIV) through the apostle Paul. When handkerchiefs and aprons touched by Paul were taken to the sick, diseases were cured and evil spirits departed those who had been demonized.

5:16. The word of what God was doing soon spread into the surrounding cities (including towns and villages) of Judea. Soon, because of their newfound faith, crowds of believers began to come and kept on coming, bringing the sick (again, including the diseased, the weak, the lame, and the crippled) and those who were vexed (tormented, troubled) by unclean spirits, that is, by demons. As in the Gospels, the Bible makes a clear distinction between the sick and the people who were tormented or possessed by demons. There is nothing in the Bible to teach that all who are sick are demon possessed. The Bible indicates that sickness is in the world because of the activity of Satan and because of man’s sin. But the Bible again and again makes it clear that in individual cases the sickness may not be caused by either sin or Satan. (Compare John 9:1–3.) All of the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits were healed. This undoubtedly includes the sick mentioned in verse 15 as well. This was a critical point in the history of the Early Church, and God was doing special things.

Arrest and Defense

Acts 5:17–42 ESV

17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 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. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 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. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 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.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 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. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 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. 37 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. 38 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; 39 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, 40 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. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

5:17. Once again the local Sadducees in Jerusalem, including the high priest with his family and his close friends, were upset. In fact, they were very upset. This time they were “filled with indignation.” The Greek word zēloō can mean zeal, enthusiasm, or eagerness in a good sense, or it can mean the worst kind of jealousy, the sense of the word as it is used here. It also implies a party spirit and a zeal for their Sadducean teachings against the resurrection of the dead.

5:18. Jealous indignation, then, caused these Sadducees to rise up, go into action, arrest the apostles, and throw them into the common prison. The Greek also indicates they did this publicly. “Common” here is actually an adverb which means “publicly.” They made the arrest with the whole crowd looking on. Apparently the priests and Sadducees had become desperate. Many times they had been afraid to arrest Jesus publicly because they were afraid of the reaction of the crowds. When they finally did arrest Him, it was at night when the crowds were not around. But now they were more afraid that if they did not show their authority, the crowds would lose their respect for and fear of the Sanhedrin altogether.

5:19. During the night an angel of the Lord came to the prison. (The Greek does not have the article “the,” but simply means one of the host of angels who are available as ministering spirits to be sent out to minister to or serve those who are and shall be heirs of salvation; see Hebrews 1:14.) “Angel” means “messenger,” and this angel was a messenger sent from the Lord with the power to open the doors of the prison, which he proceeded to do. The prison had guards, but the account does not say what happened to them. From what the Bible says in other places, it is probable that the Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon these guards so they were totally unaware of the opening of the gates and the departure of the Twelve.

5:20. After bringing the apostles out, the angel commanded them to go and take their stand and keep on speaking “in the temple to the people all the words of this life,” that is, the words that were giving life to those who believed. Similar phraseology was used by Peter and the Twelve when they recognized that Jesus had the words of eternal life (John 6:68). Later Peter identified this as the Word of the Lord which endures forever, the Word which by the gospel is preached (1 Peter 1:25). In all these instances a form of the Greek rhēma is used. Rhēma is often a spoken word or utterance, the concrete expression of the Word (logos) of God.

5:21. Because of the angel’s command, the 12 apostles rose up very early in the morning and went into the temple. By dawn they were already proceeding to teach publicly. This must have astonished the people who had seen them arrested and thrown into the prison the night before. It must also have encouraged the believers and helped all the people to see that God was still with the apostles. It was also further confirmation that their message was true and God was standing behind both them and His Word which they were proclaiming with such boldness. Sometime later that morning, the high priest and his associates called the Council (the Sanhedrin) together. This Council is further identified as the whole Senate of the people of Israel. (And in Greek sometimes means “even.” This is the meaning here. The Council and the Senate were the same body.) This seems to mean that all 71 members were present. In the Greek the words “and all the senate of the children (sons) of Israel” are nearly a word-for-word quote of Exodus 12:21 taken from the Septuagint. The Old Testament passage is a reference to the elders whom Moses called prior to the Exodus. It also implies that on the previous occasion when Peter and John were arrested (as well as on some other occasions such as the trial of Jesus) only those who were Sadducees under the domination of the high priest were called. The Sadducees did make up the major portion of the Sanhedrin and constituted a quorum, so the high priest was able to carry on business this way if he wished. But this time, because they knew they were going against the feeling and desires of most of the people in Jerusalem and Judea, they brought in the full body, expecting them to concur in their decision and uphold the punishment of the apostles. Then they sent to the prison to have the apostles brought in.

5:22. The officers who were sent to bring the apostles were not high officers. The word indicates they were servants or attendants of the high priest or of the temple. Imagine their surprise when they came to the prison and found the apostles were not there. This was something unprecedented. When Jesus was arrested, He submitted and made no attempt to escape, though He could have had 12 legions of angels to help Him. When Peter and John were arrested after the healing of the lame man, they were still in the jail the next morning, and when they were sent for there was nothing to hinder their being brought before the Council. But God does not always work in the same way. He has His surprises.

5:23. Apparently these temple servants or attendants did not waste any time. There were no hidden corners for the apostles to hide in. So all these attendants could do was go back quickly to the Sanhedrin and tell them what they found. They explained that the prison doors were still “shut with all safety,” that is, with full security, which means the doors were all locked. The keepers (the guards) were still standing outside in front of the doors. The Sanhedrin had been careful to be sure that no one could come in and try to rescue the apostles. There was no evidence that anyone had been careless. But when they opened the doors, they found there was no one inside the prison.

5:24. This report of the attendants caused the high priest and his associates, including the captain of the temple guard, to be in doubt (troubled and at a loss concerning the apostles, wondering what would come of this). “Grow” here translates a form of the Greek word for become or happen. This also implies they wondered and were very worried about what would happen next. What a contrast there was between these religious leaders and the common people of Israel. The people were giving respect to the apostles and the believers. They were rejoicing and giving God the praise for the miracles. But these leaders cared nothing for the common people or their needs. They did not want to see revival. They did not want to see God move. All they wanted was to preserve the status quo and to keep their own power structure which they had set up. They did not really want to serve the people or the temple. They wanted the people and the temple to serve them. The question that really filled their minds was how they were going to stop this and keep anything else from happening that would disturb them.

5:25. While the Sanhedrin members were still sitting there wondering and upset, someone arrived and reported that the men who were supposed to be in the prison were in the temple, standing there openly and publicly teaching the people. They were doing again the very thing that had brought their arrest the day before. These Jewish leaders should have learned from this that though they could throw the preachers or proclaimers of the gospel into prison, there is no way God would let them stop the gospel from being preached.

5:26. The captain (commander of the temple guard) then went with the officers (servants, attendants of the temple) and brought the apostles without violence, that is, without the use of force. This probably means they came up to them in the temple very quietly, gathered around them, and talked to them very politely. These temple officers were very careful because they were afraid the people would turn on them and stone them. They had dealt with mobs before. They knew what a mob spirit and mob violence could do when it was stirred up. Actually, of course, they did not need to use force. The apostles went willingly even though they also knew they had but to say the word and the mob would have stoned these officers as blasphemers of God’s servants and enemies of God. Stoning in Old Testament times had been the punishment of willful, high-handed sin and rebellion. The apostles did not resist, however, because they had the words of Jesus that they would appear before councils and kings, and the Holy Spirit would give them the words to say (Matthew 10:17–20). They undoubtedly hoped this arrest would become another opportunity to witness for their Messiah and Saviour.

5:27. When they brought the apostles into the room where the Sanhedrin was meeting, they made them stand before the Council, that is, before its 71 members. It should be noted that when the high priest began speaking, he avoided asking the apostles how they got out of the prison. It was obviously something supernatural, and it may very well be that he did not want to hear about angels he did not believe in. He probably did not want to hear praise to God for this deliverance either.

5:28. The high priest began by asking the apostles if the Sanhedrin had not given them strict orders not to teach in this name. Other versions (NIV, RSV) translate these words as a statement rather than a question. Since the Greek term parangellia has the meaning of “injunction,” in essence the Sanhedrin was saying, “We gave you an injunction not to teach in this name!” The word “this” was used by him in a belittling sense and was intended to be a derogatory reference to the name of Jesus. The high priest accused the apostles of filling Jerusalem with their doctrine (teaching), desiring to bring on the Jewish leaders “this man’s blood”; that is, they accused the disciples of wanting the people to believe they were guilty of murder in the death of Jesus, hoping the crowd would avenge His death. He evidently forgot the declaration of the crowd recorded in Matthew 27:25, “His blood be on us, and on our children.” The statement that they had filled Jerusalem with their teaching was a great admission of the effectiveness of the apostles’ witness. Yet the high priest totally misunderstood their purpose, probably because, in spite of himself, he felt guilty for what had been done to Jesus. The statement that the apostles wanted to bring vengeance on them for the death of Jesus was nothing but pure slander and was completely false.

5:29. Peter and the apostles did not apologize. Without hesitation they answered (with Peter as the spokesman), “It is necessary to obey God rather than human beings” (author’s translation). “Obey” is a word used of obedience to one in authority as in Titus 3:1. With a consciousness of Christ’s authority, the apostles said the equivalent of “We must obey.” Before, in 4:19, they said, “You judge.” But the Sanhedrin did not judge that the apostles were under divinely appointed necessity to spread the gospel. Therefore, the apostles had to declare themselves very strongly here.

5:30. The high priest had not mentioned God or His will. Neither did he mention the name of Jesus. But Peter did not hesitate to point them to the God of their fathers, who had raised up Jesus. Then, once again, he contrasted the way God treated Jesus in raising and exalting Him with the way the Jewish leaders treated Him, hanging Him on a tree. (Both the Hebrew and Greek words for tree also mean wood or anything made of wood, and so “tree” here includes the cross. The cross was made of rough-hewn wood.)

5:31. Contrary to their fears, it was not the apostles’ desire, nor was it God’s purpose, to punish the Jewish leaders for crucifying Jesus. Rather, God had exalted Jesus, the very One they crucified, with (and also “to”) His right hand, to be a Prince (author, founder) and a Saviour, in order to give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins. God’s purpose was to offer the opportunity for repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. Peter, of course, did not mean to restrict this offer of repentance and forgiveness to the people of Israel. God’s purpose has always been to bring blessing to all the families of the earth by offering forgiveness and salvation to all sinners. Their guilt will be canceled if they repent, whoever they are. By exalting Jesus, God put Him in a position where it should be easy for sinners to repent.

5:32. As before, the apostles emphasized they were Christ’s witnesses to “these things,” that is, to these words (rhematōn, used of the “words of this life” in 5:20 and therefore of the gospel message the apostles were teaching and preaching). Peter added that the Holy Spirit whom God has given is also a witness. Peter made it clear that God gave, and still gives, the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. This corresponds to Galatians 3:2 where Paul reminded the Galatians that they received the Spirit by the hearing of faith, and both the hearing and the faith imply obedience. This also points back to Luke 11:13 which says God as a good Father gives the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, assuming they have right motives (see James 4:3). So asking is normally a part of obedience. He is the Giver (John 15:26). It is also quite clear that the giving of the Spirit was not to be limited to the apostles or to their time.

5:33. Apparently the majority of the Sanhedrin took Peter’s words to mean the apostles not only considered them guilty of Christ’s death but also guilty of a refusal to accept God’s authority and obey Him. The apostles had linked their witness to the Spirit’s witness. But instead of accepting the offer of repentance, the members of the Sanhedrin were cut to the heart (sawn through, cut through, cut to the quick with anger, indignation, and jealousy). Immediately they started proceedings to kill the apostles. The same word for kill is used of killing (murdering) Jesus in 2:23.

5:34. This time the entire Sanhedrin was meeting together, and it included some prominent Pharisees. Pharisees probably means “separated ones,” possibly referring to their emphasis on washings and ceremonial purity. The Sadducees dominated the temple and the priesthood at this time, but the Pharisees had the most influence in the synagogues and among the majority of the Jews. Pharisees were generally careful not to exceed the demands of justice in the administration of the Mosaic law. Among the Pharisees was Gamaliel, a doctor (authoritative teacher) of the Law, a person valued highly by all the people. In the Jewish Talmud Gamaliel is said to be the grandson of the famous rabbi Hillel. Hillel was the most influential teacher of the Pharisees, a man who continued to be held in high esteem by all later orthodox Jews. The apostle Paul was trained by Gamaliel and became one of his most prominent students. Possibly, Paul, then known as Saul of Tarsus, was already a member of the Sanhedrin at this time. At this point Gamaliel stood up, took charge of the situation, and ordered the apostles to be taken outside for a little while. Again, it is probable that Paul later told Luke what Gamaliel said and what went on while the apostles were outside.

5:35. Gamaliel gave a stern warning to the Sanhedrin. That the Sanhedrin received such advice from him is a strong indication of the great respect afforded to this rabbi. F.F. Bruce quotes the following statement recorded in the Mishnah: “When the Rabban Gamaliel died … the glory of the Torah ceased, and purity and ‘separateness’ died” (New International Commentary on the New Testament, Acts, p. 115). Bruce goes on to explain that “Rabban” (Aramaic for “our teacher”) was a title of great honor bestowed only upon the most distinguished teachers. This title set them apart from others who were called “rabbi,” which means “my teacher” (ibid.). Gamaliel warned the Council that they must be cautious about (and give careful attention to) what they were intending to do (or, were about to do) to these men. Obviously Gamaliel sensed the anger and indignation rising up in the hearts of the members of the Sanhedrin. This kind of anger can become irrational. It can turn thinking men into an unthinking mob, just as it did at the trial of Jesus when the priest-dominated crowd cried out, “Crucify Him!” (Just a few days earlier the crowd had cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”) Again it must be remembered that the high priest gathered only part of the Sanhedrin at night for the trial of Jesus. It is evident that men like Gamaliel were not present on that night. Neither was the crowd that had cried “hosanna” present. Most of them were staying outside the city in the villages around about. Jesus was already being led out by the Roman soldiers to be crucified when the crowds began coming into Jerusalem the following morning. But in the providence of God, the high priest and the Sadducees were not alone this time. Gamaliel and others were present. Perhaps also Gamaliel did not feel the same anger and indignation; he was a highly respected, rational, and well-educated man.

5:36. By two examples Gamaliel reminded the Sanhedrin that individuals in the past had gathered a following, but came to nothing. The first example was Theudas, who said of himself that he was something, that is, something great. He was probably a man of the same order as Simon the sorcerer who deceived the Samaritans by his trickery and pretended to be the great power of God. Theudas was a common name, and he was probably one of the rebels who arose after Herod the Great died in 4 b.c. Some have confused this Theudas with a later Theudas of whom Josephus, the Jewish historian, speaks. Josephus referred to this latter individual as a “magician” who persuaded a great many people to gather all their possessions and follow him to the Jordan River. This self-proclaimed prophet boasted that he would command the Jordan to part, as did Elijah and Elisha (Antiquities 20.5.1). His grandiose plans were short-lived: Fadus, the procurator who succeeded Agrippa I in a.d. 44, beheaded him (Carter and Earle, Acts, p. 83). To this Theudas about 400 men attached themselves. He was murdered, and all who obeyed him (and believed in him) were dispersed and came to nothing.

5:37. After Theudas, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the taxing, that is, of the census which was taken for the purpose of taxing. The Romans ordered the first census of the people and their property in 10–9 b.c. It reached Palestine about 6 b.c., at the time Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:2). There was another similar census every 14 years after that. The second census reached Palestine, however, in a.d. 6 when this Judas arose and, according to Josephus, taught the people not to pay tribute to Caesar. This Judas of Galilee succeeded in drawing away a considerable number of the Jewish people after him. But he also perished, and all who obeyed him (and believed in him) were scattered.

5:38. Gamaliel’s conclusion was that they should refrain from “these men” (the apostles), that is, withdraw from them and leave them alone. In other words, they should let them go, for if “this counsel or this work” was from (out from) men (it had a mere human source from human ideas, human thinking, or human plotting) it would come to nought, it would be overthrown or destroyed.

5:39. On the other hand, Gamaliel continued, if it was from God they would not be able to overthrow it (or them, that is, the apostles and the movement they were leading). They must therefore let these men go, lest perhaps they also would be found to be “ones fighting against God” (one word in the Greek). It is important to keep in mind here that this was the Pharisee Gamaliel speaking. The Bible here gives us the inspired record which makes it clear that Gamaliel really did say this. But no one must jump to the conclusion that what Gamaliel himself said was inspired. His recorded words were the conclusions of his own thinking, his own human reasoning. There is a measure of truth in what Gamaliel said. Gamaliel did know the Old Testament Scriptures, and they make it very clear that what is from God cannot be overthrown. It is true also that it is foolish to try to use physical means to overthrow spiritual forces. But it is not true that everything from men will always be quickly overthrown; not every movement or political system of mere human origin has been short-lived.

5:40. The whole body of the Sanhedrin was persuaded by the words of Gamaliel. Therefore, they called the 12 apostles back into their council chamber and had them severely flogged with whips. The Greek word for “beaten” actually means “skinned,” and is the same word used of flaying, that is, skinning the animals who were sacrificed under the Law. Thus the Sanhedrin still took out their spite and indignation on the apostles. Undoubtedly they followed the law of Deuteronomy 25:2, 3 which indicated the persons to be beaten had to lie face down and that the limit was 40 stripes. Jesus had anticipated this and had warned His disciples they would be beaten (Mark 13:9). Jesus never promised that His followers would always be prosperous in a material sense or that they would always be free from persecution. He told them they would have tribulation (persecution, affliction, distress, pressure), but He promised, “Be of good cheer (take courage); I have overcome (conquered, and am still conqueror over) the world” (John 16:33). After beating the apostles, the Sanhedrin again commanded (ordered) them not to speak in the name of Jesus (that is, with a view to promoting the authority of Jesus). Then the Council let them go (set them free).

5:41. The apostles went away from the presence of the Sanhedrin rejoicing and continuing to rejoice because they were counted worthy to suffer shame (suffer disgrace, be treated disgracefully, dishonored, insulted, and despised) for the sake of the Name. They rejoiced to be disgraced (beaten with the punishment the Law commanded for evil men and criminals) for the sake of all that the name of Jesus includes. They understood the Name to include His character and nature, especially His messiahship, deity, saviourhood, and lordship.

5:42. It seems that this beating satisfied the anger of the Jewish priests and leaders for the time being, and their opposition subsided for a considerable period. But the apostles still knew they must obey God rather than men, so they refused to obey the command of the Sanhedrin, and they kept right on preaching and teaching the gospel and honoring the name of Jesus. Every day in the temple and also going from house to house they never ceased teaching and preaching the good news (the gospel) of Jesus the Christ (the Messiah Jesus). They boldly defied the orders of the Sanhedrin and paid no attention to their threats. They did not even wait for their backs to heal. Instead they engaged in a regular program of teaching and evangelism.

Harris, Ralph W., ed. 1991. Acts. The Complete Biblical Library: Study Bible. World Library Press.