2. Last week, we:
looked at the arrest, incarceration and miraculous jailbreak of the apostles in Acts 5:17-25.
learned that, jealous of the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the early church, the high priest and his associates had locked the apostles in jail.
found that the apostles were freed by an angel during the night and were encouraged to continue publically proclaiming the good news of Jesus in the temple courts.
understood that the temple guard was dispatched to bring the apostles before the Sanhedrin and, rather than resist or incite opposition, the apostles went peaceably with them.

3. “The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.  “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 human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

4. “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 the Sanhedrin: “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. ”

5. “Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone
“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 Messiah.”

6. How did Luke get a hold of the material for this account, seeing that the words of Gamaliel were only addressed to the members of the Sanhedrin after the apostles had been removed from the room?
The interesting answer to this question is that not all members of the Sanhedrin might have been so set against the church.
It is quite possible that Luke received the material for this account from one of the church’s “men on the inside” as it were.

7. Notice that the apostles are not asked by the Sanhedrin how they escaped prison … why?
The displayed arrogance and selfishness of the religious elite of Judaism certainly played a role, but there is another factor to consider.
The Sanhedrin was made up two sects of Jews – the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
The Pharisees outnumbered the Sadducees and represented mainstream Judaism in the Hellenistic world, while the Sadducees represented a more aristocratic elite.

8. “The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.” (Acts 23:8)
Were the question to be asked of the apostles and the answer be given that an angel freed them from prison, it would bring to the fore a simmering issue already present within the Sanhedrin.
Rather than lose focus on what the high priest desired from this gathering of the Sanhedrin – the extinction of the church – he chose to allow the question to go unasked.

9. By the Sanhedrin’s own admission, the teaching of the apostles had filled Jerusalem.
Notice though that the chief priest calls the gospel being proclaimed “your” teaching, even though the apostles consistently maintained that it is Christ’s teaching and not theirs.
It seems that the hatred of the Sanhedrin for Jesus had not waned following His crucifixion, as they cannot even bring themselves to call Him by name.

10. Furthermore, they indicate offense that the guilt of Jesus’ is constantly being ascribed to them by the apostles.
“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”. (Matthew 27:24-25)
Though they accepted responsibility in that moment, yet now express offense that the apostles are calling them to task on their own commitment.

11. The comments of the high priest gave the apostles an opportunity to respond and Peter, speaking for the apostles, seized the moment.
He informed the Sanhedrin that:
the early church will continue obeying God rather than the whims of the Sanhedrin.
you killed Jesus, God raised Him from the dead, and we are witnesses to this.
all can be saved by faith in Christ, yes even the members of the Sanhedrin can be saved.

12. Peter does not vilify either the behaviour or the intentions of the Sanhedrin. He does not argue for better treatment or an end to their persecution – he simply bears witness to the resurrection of Christ.
The response of the Sanhedrin is violent - they desired the deaths of the apostles.
The Sadducees denied that the dead could or would be raised, while the Pharisees maintained that the resurrection of the dead was a very real eventuality.
The Sadducees couldn’t just make the apostle’s executions a reality because they were outnumbered within the Sanhedrin.

13. Gamaliel was a Pharisee with a very solid pedigree
Gamaliel was a Pharisee with a very solid pedigree. He was a big deal in first century times and was one of the most sought after voices within Judaism. Church tradition maintains that perhaps even by this time, Gamaliel had embraced the Christian faith, covertly assisting his fellow Christians.
Gamaliel asked the Sanhedrin to recall other recent insurrectionists.
With these failed uprisings in mind, Gamaliel urged the Sanhedrin to just let history run its course. If the work of the early church was simply originating in the minds of the apostles, then it would eventually fail.

14. If what is occurring within the church was of God, then not even the Sanhedrin will be able to stop it. In fact, suggested Gamaliel, the Sanhedrin would simply find itself contending against God.
As a Pharisee, Gamaliel most likely provided an opinion that all the Pharisees would have supported, so seeing their desire for an execution slipping away, the Sadducean members of the Sanhedrin agreed with Gamaliel’s approach.
Each apostle was flogged and then they were released en masse with the repeated injunction that they no longer speak in the name of Jesus.

15. This incident does nothing but encourage the church to continue preaching and teaching about Jesus.
It was an honour to experience flogging as a result of association with Jesus and they rejoice in their suffering.
“If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” (1 Peter 4:16).
As they did with the first ordinance of the Sanhedrin, the apostles ignored it, continuously proclaiming the gospel both in private homes and publically in the temple courts.

16. Application
What message is it that we declare to the world around us, particularly to those who might be seen as persecuting the church?
Is our message the good news of Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection and the salvation now available in His name or is our message composed of our religious opinions on the hot topic of the day or a defense positing why we ought not be persecuted?
What might happen if we shared the simple good news of Christ’s death and resurrection so that it filled Mount Albert?

17. The apostles saw the persecution they faced as evidence that they were in the right and counted physical and reputational suffering as a joy, something to be rejoiced over.
The question is not only would we remain faithful as did the early church, but is much more would we joyfully accept persecution for our faith in Jesus?
Would we accept persecution as did the apostles, realizing it is a praiseworthy reality, or would we get ourselves all tacked up for a bare-knuckle fight against our oppressors?

18. As we continue through our study of the book of Acts may God speak to us clearly by His Spirit equipping us for what is occurring within our culture, enabling us to be both effective and powerful witnesses to the death and resurrection of Jesus.
May He use each one of us to impact the community around us in the name of Jesus and may He strengthen our resolve were opposition to come our way.