Acts 5:27-42
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 Jesus as the Christ.
Reflection
The jealousy and hatred among the Jewish leadership against the apostles is so great that they are enraged to the point of wanting their deaths (Acts 5:33). Here we see the spiritual collision of this present world system with Jesus and his kingdom. This is not a battle of human strategy and weapons. The Holy Spirit himself empowers the witnesses of Jesus (v. 32).
Every time the gospel meets with opposition in Acts, God finds a way to advance the message. As the gospel victoriously crosses social, religious, cultural, and ethnic boundaries, Luke shows that God stands behind the message. Some of the most intensive efforts to destroy the movement—like the persecution of the church in Jerusalem —lead to a further expansion of the gospel (8:1–4). No one is able to overthrow the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation, both here in Jerusalem and to the end of the earth (Rom. 1:16).
1 John 1:1-4
1: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
Reflection
John begins his letter by grounding his readers in the historical reality of the gospel. The Son, who existed “with the Father” (1 John 1:2) “from the beginning” (v. 1) has entered human history as a real human being, the man Jesus. John was an “eye,” “ear,” and “hand” witness. God became a man so that the “life” that is in Christ Jesus might be “made manifest” (v. 2) and then “proclaimed” (vv. 2, 3) and received. The essence of that life is to be in “fellowship” (i.e., close relationship) with God the Father and with Jesus Christ (v. 3). This fellowship is exactly what Jesus prayed for when he was on earth (John 17:3).
The gospel is not a vague, abstract set of ideas or a checklist of behaviors. It is, above all, the good news of what God has done in history by sending his Son to rescue us from the destruction that we deserve because of our sin.
Psalm 59:10
10 My God in his steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
Jesus will triumph over all his enemies, either by destroying them in the end, or by bringing them under his rule now as they embrace the gospel. Pray for those in your life who are resisting Christ, and ask Jesus to triumph over them now so that they willingly bow their hearts to him before it is too late.