Action – Follow the right voice (5:17-42)
Have you noticed how there seems to be people making stands for all sorts of things in life? There are thousands of causes, and there are people fighting for all sorts of things. Even within the “church” community, there are people with sincere hearts working on different sides of the same issue, there are groups, both in churches and in the world, that are splitting apart over differences that people say are very important. And so, as we seek to be God’s people in St. Pierre, and in Action, we need to develop wisdom in understanding what is worth taking a stand for and what is not.
We join in the story again just a few verses after last week, as we see what God is doing with this new community of God’s people, this new Israel forming, growing and showing the power and evidence of God, with miracles and fellowship and Generosity, we come to renewed opposition, yet again taking this tension between opposition and God’s ability and power at overcoming. This time it is the religious and cultural leaders in Jerusalem.
5:17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.”
21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this.
25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.
27 Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “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.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 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. 35 Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 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. 37 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. 38 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. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
40 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.
41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 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 Christ.
Comedy of errors in arrest (Absurdity of fighting against God)
We see the beginning of the story has some classic elements of comedy in it, as it shows more conflict between the Word of God spreading and the religious authorities of Jerusalem. We have the council that has already told them to stop, now arresting
Sadducee (Because they were sad you see), were a group within Judaism, and contained most of the wealthy and influential,
And so they were arrested, put in jail and left till the next day to stew, perhaps to soften them up, make them more co-operative. They were locked up, as the Council tried to stop this group with its miracle reports and overt works of God, and instead just give another instance of miraculous action of God, and a reminder of their identity as the sent ones of God.
And so they promptly escaped from their cell, with an Angel letting them go, but also giving them a commission, or at least a reminder of what they were to be about.
Verse 20: told to preach the whole of the life of Christ and his teachings: reminding of the full mission, the whole message about this life (the life of Christ). We don`t do just the parts we like, we don’t do just the easy and convenient stuff, but the whole calling of walking as Christ did is the duty of the community of Christ. Of being the sent ones, the witnesses.
At daybreak: they didn’t waste any time; they were on a mission...from God. And they were going to be about it.
And this is where the comedy hits its peak. This council, now ready to make them sweat it out, goes to get them, but all they find is mystery, a locked door, jailers unaware of anything, and empty cells, Awkward...and they start trying to find them until someone looks out the window (so to speak, because the Sanhedrin that it mentioned is attached to the temple), and this aid to the whatever, has to tell them...hey, you know those guys you locked up and they vanished, they are back out there in the temple court doing exactly what they got arrested for...
And so for the second time in two days, they have to bring them in.
Testifying to God rather than defending self (knowing what is important)
Peter wasn’t interested, either then or in the earlier arrest, to give a defence or justification, but instead took it more as a chance to witness to the Christ who was calling them to do this.
It`s like the GOSPEL video from just after Easter, God doesn`t need us to defend him, because it is like defending a lion, he doesn`t need the help, just unlock the cage.
How would the activities we set our minds to be altered if we were less interested in justifying who we are, proving that we are in the right, and winning, but instead focus on witnessing for the God who has called us to be a people of fellowship and giving
The chief priest is accusing them of spreading tales of “that man”, referring to Jesus obliquely, wanting to remove connections, distance themselves from Jesus and their own culpability.
Reaction of Anger to frustrated plans (Planning against God brings frustrating results)
And so, they tell the disciples to speak no more of him again...
And Peter responds back with the question, shall we listen to man or to God?
This has been used both good and bad, to justify staying strong amidst the worst persecution, but also to justify the worst offences. This is a core concept to understand correctly as we seek to follow all the teachings of Christ, to be in action with God where we are and where is calling us to go...How do we get the right understanding of this part. And I think the key to it is in the way of Christ, Christ never forced people to come, to change, it was not one of imposed strength and control, but of freeing, of offer and serving, you can see this even in the two choices in orders.
Two sets of strict orders, one from the Angel sent by God, one by the ruling council. The ruling council has more obvious consequences, you can see them, the authority to arrest, to beat, to bring to the Romans for death, The other is hard to see the result, because figuring out what will happen when one ignores God`s instruction is a bit harder to figure out, sometimes death, sometimes nothing...at least at that time. But the nothing is a silence that hits pretty hard, because it is the removal of oneself from the Action of God
Contrast between Peter (Free and fearless) and Chief Priest (controlled by fear and wanting to keep the status quo)
Gamaliel’s observation (God’s action is powerful, God’s word will prevail)
It is by God’s action and not clever plans or persuasive and dynamic speech that God’s kingdom will grow.
- History bears out his example more often than not, Gamaleil references two recent movements, and both came to naught when God was not moving in it. This should certainly hold warning for us as we seek to do Action and not just activity together. The centrality of our need for God, to be involved in what He is doing and not just hoping that God might join us in what we are doing, or worse yet, simply doing what we can manage on our own. We might put on a great show, might have spectacular short term success, but at the end of the day it is just lights and distraction without God.
Sadducees were the majority on the ruling council, Pharisees being the minority but with the most support among the people. The Sadducees viewed only the torah (first five books) as authoritative, did not view life after death as supportable by the torah, and were the more conservative, upper-class rich and powerful. Pharisees were more progressive, seeing the full prophetic writings as from God, and seeing that God was about more than the here and now, believed in resurrection from the dead. So from this group that has more in common with the early church, a first word of caution, of hesitation to jump into offensive action. Wait and let this pass if it is not of God.
-Gamaliel’s advice could be useful for us today, and certainly for some of the Christian groups in the states when we get so up at arms about different books being written, such as Dan Brown, and bring fame and notoriety to something that would not have been worth the read before they hear the outcry from Christian groups, and suddenly everyone wants to read it.
Unstoppable message
The book of Acts shouts out that this is an unstoppable message; this is a kingdom more powerful than religious authorities or the status quo. And we need to realize that we too are part of this work of God that will go forward. For those of you who are in the midst of the trials and set backs of life, who are wondering where God is in all of `this`, you need to hear that God`s movement goes forward and is more powerful than any opposition.
The problem with neutrality and God.
The one caution to bring forward in Gamaliel`s choice of response is one of neutrality, and at the end of the day, this `lets sit back and wait and see` approach isn`t going to cut it. God is looking for more than just not being hostile, and the offer of an entirely different life; a true life to the full has to have decision. God is not interested in people who want to sit on the side lines and see, just like he is not interested in people who just want to avoid hell but have no desire to know or love Christ.
They consider it a blessing to suffer for Christ (Perspective of what is important in God’s Kingdom and work)
The early church kept its focus and its understanding in the midst of intense suffering because they knew the God who suffered more, and even to suffer was an opportunity to better follow the life of Christ.
So what can we get from this?
If we want Radical freedom, a meaningful life filled with the action of God, then we need to be all about following the radical calling of a God who serves, and suffers, but is triumphant and powerful, and as we hear the call of God to serve, to help, to show and share Christ, it is in the midst of this action that freedom and true life are found.
- We can also realize that there is wisdom in understanding when we make a stand and when we do not, when do you make a stand for something, and what constitutes something worth taking a stand for... this passage shows things that are worth taking a stand for (Peter in preaching), and what not to take a stand for (Gamaliel and fighting against God)
