START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Acts 5:27-32
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OBSERVE:
This is not the first time that the Apostles will get into trouble with the authorities, nor will it be the last.
We remember that these events are occurring after the resurrection of Jesus, and his appearances over the period of forty days; and also after the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, fifty days after the resurrection. The church has already begun to grow.
In the previous chapter, Peter and John healed a crippled man near Solomon’s Portico in the temple, and then preached to the crowd that gathered. The priests, captain of the temple, and Sadducees were annoyed because the Apostles were preaching the resurrection of Jesus. Even worse, these Apostles held the priests, captain of the temple, and the Sadducees responsible for crucifying Jesus!
This is all the more pointed because the Sadducees denied the doctrine of the resurrection altogether. How much more galling to have these fishermen declare that this Nazarene carpenter had been raised to life!
On that occasion, Peter and John were arrested, spent the night in jail, and appeared before the ruling council, called the Sanhedrin. At that time the Apostles were given a stern warning not to preach in Jesus’ name, and were released.
In Acts 5, the Apostles were back at it again, just as they said they would be.
The high priest has them arrested — again — to spend yet another night in jail. But this time an angel of the Lord intervenes to open the prison doors during the night.
Here we see an example of New Testament humor. The high priest and his bunch:
called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought (Acts 5:21).
Imagine the scene. The Sanhedrin, in its full strength, numbered 71 (plus minor priests and aides who were present for the formal proceedings). They are all waiting for the suspects to be hailed before them. But when the temple police go to the prison, the prisoners are gone!
Where oh where would the Apostles be found? Right back out in the temple like the day before, preaching that Jesus was the risen Messiah!
Now the authorities must be very careful:
Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people (Acts 5:26).
Remember, the popularity of this little movement has grown from twelve to 5,000. And the people of Jerusalem are deeply impressed by the healing that they are witnessing on a large scale.
So, once again, the Apostles are standing before the council, and the high priest complains:
“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.”
Note the anxiety. The high priest is afraid that the blame for Jesus’ death will rest on the council, rather than the Romans. But both the high priest and the Prefect Pontius Pilate were complicit in the crucifixion. The priests brought the charges against Jesus, and demanded his death; and Pontius Pilate acceded to their demands — and had Jesus executed by Roman soldiers.
Peter presents a case for Christian civil disobedience:
“We must obey God rather than any human authority.”
He couldn’t be more clear. He had already declared after they were arrested the first time, and were told not to preach Christ:
“Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).
Nothing has changed, as far as Peter and the Apostles are concerned. They are law-abiding citizens under normal circumstances — but when forbidden to preach the Gospel, they will defy the human authorities. Ultimately they serve God, not the authorities.
Peter reiterates the basic message of the Gospel:
“The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might 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.”
All of the ingredients of the kerygma (proclamation) of the church are there — Peter connects the coming of Jesus with their Jewish roots. He accuses the council of having Jesus killed. But God has thwarted their plot and has raised up Jesus from the dead so that Israel might repent and be forgiven for his sake. Peter also makes clear that the authority of the Apostles to preach is from the Holy Spirit of God himself; and that same Holy Spirit is given to all who follow God.
Simple, direct, and bold. No wonder the Apostles were always in trouble!
APPLY:
Here we have a classic case of civil disobedience. Peter has made it very clear that when the edicts of human authorities contradict the commands of God, God’s will wins out every time with the Apostles.
The Apostles have been instructed to preach the Gospel to all creatures throughout the entire world, and make disciples of all nations. The priests and the council in Rome don’t want them to speak of Jesus’ resurrection, and certainly not his death at their behest. These are irreconcilable differences.
This raises the question for us as Christians today. We are instructed throughout the New Testament to obey those in authority, and to pray for them:
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval (Romans 13:1-3).
For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right (1 Peter 2:13-14).
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
So, Christians are to be solid, loyal, tax-paying citizens — except when the commands of the rulers contradict the commands of God.
This is where the Christian must be very discerning, especially today. We must be careful not to “baptize” our own political or cultural leanings, and then conclude that we can defy the law of our government because we believe that “God is on our side.” That is a misuse of the Gospel.
However, when the government institutes a law that is inherently evil, and compels obedience, the Christian citizen has no choice but to try and change that law, or to resist it.
RESPOND:
There have always been Christians who have had the discernment to see that government sometimes oversteps its bounds, and had the courage to resist those laws.
The Apostles defied the orders not to preach in Jesus’ name.
In Arkansas in 1861, a Methodist preacher was arrested for speaking against slavery.
In the 1930’s, many German Christians opposed the anti-semitic laws of the Nazis, and resisted Hitler’s efforts to create a Nazi church that espoused the racial superiority of Aryans. Many German Christians were imprisoned, and even killed.
In the 1960’s, Black ministers saw it as their duty to challenge the laws of segregation that were in opposition to the U.S. Constitution and the principles of the Declaration of Independence — and the clear teaching of the New Testament that God is impartial to race and ethnicity. Many were beaten, imprisoned, and even killed for their beliefs.
There are laws that have been established by certain decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years that trouble many Christians. The legalization of abortion in 1973. The approval of same-sex marriage in 2015.
For many of us, these decisions contradict the teaching of Scripture as we understand it. We have the right to speak out against these laws in our churches and in the public forum. We have the right to refuse to perform a wedding in our churches when that ceremony contradicts our doctrine.
However, we must strike a balance. We do not have the right to impose our beliefs and practices on others in this culture. If a gay couple chooses to marry, we may disapprove, but we cannot legally intervene. But we must resist any effort by the state to dictate to the church who may or may not be married in our churches.
The truth is, Christians are not persecuted in the United States simply because of their faith. But in many other countries, the mere act of gathering to worship on Sunday morning may put Christians in danger of discrimination, arrest, and worse.
For those of us in the United States, we do well to maintain perspective:
In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood (Hebrews 12:4).
Our convictions should be clear and our primary loyalty to God paramount. As G.K. Chesterton once said,
Jesus promised his disciples three things — that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble.
Our Lord, grant me the boldness to preach the Gospel, even when it is not popular. And help me, as the Scripture says, to ‘speak the truth in love.’ Amen.
PHOTOS:
"Jesus Promised His Disciples 3 Things" uses this photo:
"G.K. Chesterton at Work" is in the Public Domain.
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