Acts 5:17-42

Acts 5

On Trial Before the Sanhedrin

¹⁷ The high priest rose up, along with his associates (that is, the party of the Sadducees), because they were filled with envy. ¹⁸ They arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. ¹⁹ But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, brought them out, and said, ²⁰ “Go, stand in the temple and keep on telling the people the whole message about this life.” ²¹ After they heard this, they entered the temple courts at daybreak and began to teach.

When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin (that is, the whole council of elders of the people of Israel). Then they sent orders to the jail to have the apostles brought in. ²² But when the officers arrived, they did not find them in the prison. 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 When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were puzzled about them, wondering what could have happened.

²⁵ Then someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts and teaching the people.”

²⁶ Then the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles in without force, because they were afraid that the people might stone them. ²⁷ After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin. The high priest asked them, ²⁸ “Did we not give you strict orders not to teach in this name? ^[1] Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you are determined to bring this man’s blood down on us!”

²⁹ But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. ³⁰ The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you arrested and killed by hanging him on a cross. ³¹ God exalted him to his right hand as Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins. ³² We are witnesses ^[2] 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 began making a plan to put them to death. ^{[3] 34} But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was highly respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men ^[4] be put outside for a little while.

³⁵ Then he said to them, “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you are about to do with these men. ³⁶ Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, all his followers were scattered, and it all came to nothing.

³⁷ “After him, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and led many ^[5] people in a revolt. He also was killed, and all his followers were scattered.

³⁸ “So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and leave them alone! For if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail. ³⁹ But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. ^[6] Perhaps you might even be found to be fighting against God!”

⁴⁰ They were convinced by him. They summoned the apostles, beat them, ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

⁴¹ The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer shame for the Name. ^{[7] 42} Every day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.