Counted Worthy
Acts 5:29-42
Jeff Hughes – April 13, 2003
Calvary Chapel Aggieland
I. Introduction
a. Persecution is often God’s tool of choice for refining us and bringing us closer to Him. In Isaiah chapter 1 verse 25, God tells us this - 25 I will turn My hand against you, And thoroughly purge away your dross, And take away all your alloy.
b. I bought a piece of jewelry one time, a piece of what I thought was silver jewelry. It was silvery and shiny on the surface, but underneath was a cheaper metal. When I turned it on, it turned green. I thought it was shiny and pure all the way through, but I was wrong. That piece of jewelry wasn’t pure, it was alloy.
c. God’s desire is to have a pure church, free from the weight of sin. We saw this last week, as well as in the story of Ananias and Sapphira. We see the church under fire today as we continue in our study of Acts.
d. If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you will know that persecution and tribulation are something that comes with the territory. I asked my pastor one time, after a really hard week, if it ever let up. He told me – no, not really, you get breaks every now and again, but for the most part, it is constant.
e. The imprisonment and trial of the apostles was certainly tribulation in the lives of these men. But, as we will see today, the tribulation passes, and the apostles get a breather at that point.
f. The first time, back in Acts chapter 4, Peter and John stood before the rulers of Israel, the Sanhedrin, they presented the gospel to this hardened body of politicians.
g. This defense in front of the Sanhedrin would be similar to the last. God, being so merciful, extended the grace of Salvation to the same group of men who condemned Jesus Christ.
h. The early church was a pure church. A spotless bride being prepared for Him. But, along with this tribulation, with this persecution, came blessing. God was preparing the church to serve Him, and to carry the gospel to the very ends of the earth.
II. PRAYER
III. Illustration
a. While preparing our study for today, I ran across a quote from A. W. Tozer that was very appropriate considering our study today.
b. Those first believers turned to Christ with the full understanding that they were espousing an unpopular cause that could cost them everything.
c. Shortly after Pentecost some were jailed, many lost all their earthly goods, a few were slain, hundreds were ‘scattered abroad.’ They could have escaped all this by the simple expedient of denying their faith and turning back to the world. This they steadfastly refused to do.
d. To make converts, we are tempted to play down the difficulties and play up the peace of mind and worldly success enjoyed by those who accept Christ. We will never be completely honest with our hearers until we tell them the blunt truth that, as members of a race of moral rebels, they are in a serious jam, and one they will not get out of easily. If they refuse to repent and believe on Christ, they will most surely perish. If they do turn to Him, the same enemies that crucified Him will try to crucify them.
e. The gravity of deciding to follow Christ is something many can’t or won’t come to grips with. So many churches embrace a doctrine of what I call “easy believeism”. They teach a watered-down, sugar coated gospel of peace and prosperity in the Christian life. It is getting the rose without the thorns. You won’t hear talk of sin, suffering, condemnation, wrath, death, or Hell in these places. You will hear prosperity, health, and happiness.
f. This is selling people short at the least, and an outright lie at the most. AS we covered last week, each one of us will have some rain in our lives to go along with the sunshine, to help us grow.
g. As we study the Bible, we find that true joy is found in abiding in Christ. We abide in Christ by Bible Study, prayer, and fellowship in a body of believers.
h. As we continue along in our study today, we will see how the apostles respond under pressure, they stand before the Sanhedrin, and answer the charges against them today. Our study is from Acts chapter 5, verses 29 – 42, and we will finish Acts chapter 5 today. Follow along as we read.
IV. Study
a. Intro
i. 29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." 33 When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. 34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it--lest you even be found to fight against God." 40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
ii. We see a chain of events here. The apostles answer the charges against them, and continue to defy the Jewish leaders, as they seek to follow and please God, and not men.
iii. We see the Sanhedrin, the leaders almost lose it. They had killed Jesus in their rage, and they had a mind to kill the apostles here, but we see God delivering them from the hands of these sinful men once again.
iv. We see one of the leaders, an unlikely defender of the apostles, stand up as a voice of reason and insight, to encourage the council to let the apostles go.
v. We also see the apostles judged and we see their sentence carried out on them right there. They are commanded to keep quiet once again.
vi. Finally, we see the apostles’ reaction to the sentence, and how closely the followed, or didn’t follow the directions given to them by the Sanhedrin.
vii. In today’s study we will look at six points. The Answer, The Accusation, the Angry Leaders, the Argument, the agreement, and the Apostles’ joy.
viii. Our first point concerns Peter’s answer to the Sanhedrin, it is found in verse 29.
b. The Answer (Acts 5:29)
i. 29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.
ii. Last week, we saw the high priest level the charges against the apostles, and we see bold Peter as the first to jump up and give a defense of the gospel.
iii. Back in chapter 4, verse 19, Peter alludes to the fact that he and the apostles would obey God rather than man, if that is what God commanded. God clearly commanded them to proclaim the gospel. The Sanhedrin and the high priest were in opposition to God. The apostles had faith in the power of God to guide and direct them through whatever the Sanhedrin might throw at them.
iv. Peter is reaffirming that faith here, but also, he is reaffirming his answer that he gave the high priest when he was before him before. God was the higher authority in the apostles’ lives, and Peter was making this abundantly clear to the Sanhedrin and the high priest at this point.
v. Really when you think about it, they had no other choice but to preach and teach the gospel. Jesus had commanded them to. Jesus was the ultimate authority, the spiritual authority.
vi. Romans chapter 13 tells us that God has put people in authority over us to keep the peace. But, if what they command us to do goes against the laws of God, then we are to disobey.
vii. We have several examples of this in scripture. Rahab hid the Israelite spies in Jericho, and God blessed her and her family for it. Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego refused to bow to the image of Nebbuchadnezzar (Rack, Shack and Benny), and got thrown in the furnace. God saved them, and blessed them through their experience. Daniel kept praying to the Lord even though it was forbidden, and was thrown in the lion’s den, but God saved Daniel as well.
viii. This tells me something. God’s commands are to be followed, no matter what others around us may think, say, or do. If we chose to disobey, our reasons must be clearly outlined by God, and they must be done in a spirit of humility. If you look at any of these examples, including the one we are studying today, you will see that this is the case in all of these incidents.
ix. If we step out without clear direction from God, such as we find in His Word, or, if we step out in a haughty spirit, we are in for a fall. But that wasn’t the case for Peter and the other apostles.
x. No, they were clearly in the middle of God’s will, and they drew strength and comfort from that. Peter continues in verses 30 through 32.
c. The Accusation (Acts 5:30-32)
i. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.
ii. The Sanhedrin sought to keep Jesus’ blood from their hands, even thought they had called for it from Pontius Pilate. Peter had accused them of being responsible for Jesus’ death before, and here, we see that he does it again.
iii. But, the first thing he does is testify to the resurrection of Jesus. God had raised Jesus from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus is a cornerstone of the Christian faith, and Peter was testifying about it. We will celebrate His resurrection next week.
iv. We also see in verse 30 that Peter accuses the Sanhedrin of murder. This was a much stronger accusation then the one found in chapter 4. Here, what we are seeing is Peter squarely accusing the Sanhedrin of murder, just as if they had killed Jesus by their own hands.
v. The word murder there is the Greek word diachirezo, and what it means is to put to death by one’s own hands. The only other place we see this word in scripture is when Paul is describing hid run-in with this same group later on in Acts chapter 26. The Sanhedrin sought to kill Paul later, just like they had plotted to kill Jesus.
vi. The last thing I want us to see in verse 30 is that Peter not only accused them of putting Jesus, their Messiah to death, but Peter accused them of putting Him to the shameful death of hanging on a tree. This is significant, because in Deuteronomy 21, we read that anyone who hangs on a tree is cursed.
vii. Galatians 3:13 tells us that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, because He became a curse for us, by hanging on that tree. Jesus took away our sins on that cross, and He was the Messiah that the nation of Israel had been waiting for.
viii. Look down at verse 31. Peter testifies to them about the Ascension of Jesus in this verse. God exalted Him to the right hand, where He sits on the throne of the universe that He created, as both Prince and Savior.
ix. He is our king and He is our Savior. As we saw back in chapter 4, salvation is only found in His name. Jesus gives us forgiveness from our sins by trusting Him and repenting of our sins. It is only through Him that we can repent. Without Jesus, we don’t have that opportunity.
x. I want us to notice something here. The offer is open to the Sanhedrin. This is the second time that the offer is open to the Sanhedrin. God is longsuffering. It is not His will that anyone would perish, even the same people that put Jesus to death.
xi. In verse 32, we see that the apostles are proclaiming that they are God’s witnesses concerning the events they had just described. They had been with Jesus during his earthly ministry. They had seen Him delivered up and crucified. They had seen Him risen from the grave, and they had seen Him ascending into heaven.
xii. The other witness was the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit sealed the early church and served as an affirmation by God that their ministry was of Him.
xiii. The apostles had been there when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, and they prayed in other languages when empowered by the Spirit, and many other miracles were worked through them like the healing of the lame man, all by the power of the Spirit.
xiv. The Holy Spirit was upon each of them, and that was plain for most people to see. They were directed and moved by the Spirit, but I want us to notice one thing Peter points out here.
xv. The Spirit is a witness for those who obey God. The reverse is true as well. If we don’t obey God, the Spirit does not give you witness. The Sanhedrin wanted the apostles to obey them. They were determined to obey God rather then the Sanhedrin, and it is because they want a close relationship with God.
xvi. The apostles were accusing the Sanhedrin of not obeying God, and more importantly, of killing the Messiah. The Sanhedrin were angry already, because the apostles didn’t follow their commands, but now, they were testifying about the resurrection of Jesus. The Sadducees there didn’t even believe in the resurrection, and the apostles were shouting it from the rooftops!
xvii. This must have just sent these guys over the edge, and we see this in verse 33.
d. The Angry Leaders (Acts 5:33)
i. 33 When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them.
ii. These guys did not like what Peter was saying one bit. They were furious! Peter obviously had not persuaded them to his point of view. The religious leaders were angry enough to kill.
iii. We will see this situation play out again in two more chapters, as we will see the first martyr for the church, Stephen, in front of these same rulers, and they do kill Stephen.
iv. Whether or not they had the legal authority to kill the apostles is arguable. The Jewish leaders should have no right to put someone to death, as this was reserved for the Romans. It was the Roman government, at the behest of these rulers who put Jesus to death.
v. The question comes sometimes, is anger wrong? The answer is it depends. Scripture tells us to be angry and not sin. But, the Lord tells us in another place that if we hate our brother, then it is a sin just like murder.
vi. The Lord was even angry in scripture when He overturned the money changers tables in the temple. Remember that scene? He told them that they had turned His house of prayer into a den of thieves.
vii. Did Jesus sin there? No. Clearly, He didn’t. There is a kind of righteous indignation that comes from the Lord that can be called anger, but it is not sin. But, there is a fine line. It upsets me that children are murdered everyday in the name of parental rights, and it angers me that Christians are killed everyday in Sudan, and our government is doing nothing to stop it.
viii. But if somebody cuts me off in traffic, and I get mad about it, that’s sin. That has to do with my rights and my feelings getting hurt, which in the grand scheme of things don’t matter very much to God. What does matter is God’s feelings, God’s commands, and God’s relationship with us. Hope that helps.
ix. So, the Sanhedrin contemplated killing the apostles at the very least, which is sin. This is clearly spelled out in scripture. But, this was not God’s will for the apostles to die that day. God steps in and uses an unlikely person to persuade these guys not to kill the apostles, and we see this in verses 34 – 39.
e. The Argument (Acts 5:34 – 39)
i. 34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it--lest you even be found to fight against God."
ii. The Sadducees, the political party that included the high preist and his family, were the ones who seized the apostles, and were the most whipped into a frenzy about what they were teaching in the temple courts.
iii. But here, we see a Pharisee, or teacher named Gamaliel stand up and try to talk the Sadducees down from doing something foolish.
iv. Gamaliel is recorded in history as being one of the most influential thinkers in all of Jewish history. He was the grandson of Hillel, the founder of Israel’s strongest school of religion.
v. His contemporaries called him the “beauty of the law”. He was the teacher and mentor of a man that we will look at in depth soon, Saul of Tarsus.
vi. Jewish historians tell us that Gamaliel’s criticism about Saul was that he could not find him enough materials to read. This isn’t surprising, simce Greek scholars tell us that Paul’s vocabulary and literary style are by far the most advanced in and Greek writer, Saul was brilliant, and this is the man who taught him.
vii. Gamaliel was given the title Rabban, meaning our teacher. It is a step higher from rabbi, meaning my teacher. So, we know that he was highly respected, as the Bible tells us here in verse 34.
viii. Gamaliel wanted the apostles taken away for a while so that the Sanhedrin could discuss the issue.
ix. In verses 35 through 39, we see a word for word account of what Gamaliel said behind closed doors. Some have questioned, as we saw back in chapter 4, how Luke could know this information. The answer, while we can’t be dogmatic, is most likely that Saul of Tarsus was there with his teacher, taking note of these proceedings.
x. The main thrust of Gamaliel’s argument is restraint for the Sanhedrin concerning that handling and punishment of the apostles. He called for restraint when many around him were calling for blood.
xi. He makes a convincing argument, and he does it by citing two different failed uprisings among the people is Israel, and how neither came to much of anything.
xii. The first example was a man named Theudas. Gamaliel tells us that Theudas claimed to be somebody – either a prophet or the Messiah, and that he raised up 400 followers.
xiii. The Jewish historian Josephus describes a Theudas who led a rebellion that was put down by the Roman government, in which Theudas was captured and beheaded by the Roman officers who caught up to him, with many of his followers being killed in the incident as well.
xiv. The second example Gamaliel gives is a man named Judas of Galilee. Josephus also tells us about Judas. Who led a rebellion against the new taxation put into place by the Romans in AD 6. It was the same census that forced a carpenter from Nazareth named Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary to Bethlehem to be counted and taxed, and you know the rest of the story.
xv. This Judas was put to death as well, by the government, and nothing came of his rebellion either.
xvi. In verse 38, we see Gamaliel drawing the point out of both of these stories. The point is, they should waste no energy on trying to put down this new religion, because if it is not of God, he claims that it will come to nothing, as the rebellions of Theudas and Judas.
xvii. Gamaliel had it all wrong. Christianity is not a rebellion against the Jewish religion, it was the completion of it. The plan and work that the apostles were doing was of God, and it would definitely come to something.
xviii. On the other hand, as we see in verse 39, if the apostles were acting on behalf of God, the Sanhedrin’s attempt to quiet them would fail. Gamailel recommended a “wait and see” attitude for the Jewish leaders at this point.
xix. If the apostles were acting on behalf of God, Gamaliel supposed, if the Sanhedrin tried to quiet the apostles, then they would have been fighting against the will of God, something that Peter had already accused them of.
xx. Gamaliel had some things right in this argument and some things wrong. What he got right was that trying to stop the will of God was foolish, and it would be unsuccessful.
xxi. What he got wrong is that everything that God doesn’t support, won’t flourish. This is dead wrong, and I’ll share with you why.
xxii. Cults and false religions are thriving in America today. These are definitely not of God, and millions of people are involved in them. What powers the movements? Two things – the flesh, and Satan.
xxiii. Gamaliel’s logic was faulty on that one. A plus B did not equal C. The rest of the Sanhedrin didn’t catch this error though, and let’s see their decision in verse 40.
f. The Agreement (Acts 5:40)
i. 40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
ii. Even though Gamaliel’s argument was a faulty one from a logical standpoint, it had the affect that he wanted. It was the outcome that God wanted as well.
iii. The Sadducees on the council agreed, and they called for the apostles. They hauled them in for a verdict, sentencing, and punishment.
iv. The verdict was guilty. They were guilty of disobeying the Sanhedrin and filling all of Jerusalem with the teaching of Jesus. One thing I want us to notice here, is that the apostles didn’t offer a defense or try to beg for the mercy of this court. They simply explained their actions and left the outcome to God. That is faith. Plain and simple faith.
v. Their sentence was to face the traditional Jewish punishment of thirty-nine lashes with a whip. This was a legal punishment for the Sanhedrin of one of the temple officials to perform for breaking the law, which is what the apostles were accused of. They did not obey the commands of the Sanhedrin.
vi. This was no trivial punishment, this inflicted much pain and suffering on the part of the apostles.
vii. This is a punishment still used in some countries today. If you think back, in 1994 the government of Singapore convicted an 18 year old American man named Michael Fay for vandalizing some cars. He was sentenced to four months in jail and 6 lashes with a cane. After much arguing, posturing, and lobbying by the American government, the sentence was reduced to 4 lashes with a cane and three months in jail. I remember that it was a big media frenzy, and that it was being portrayed as cruel and unusual punishment. Obviously, the punishment wasn’t much of a deterrent for the guy, because in 1998, he was arrested on drug charges in Florida while he was attending college.
viii. So, what was different? First, the apostles didn’t do anything wrong. They had obeyed God, but they still suffered for it. Second, they got a whole lot more punishment in their lashing than the American kid ever got, and they didn’t have some lawyers and a whole government trying to prevent them from being lashed.
ix. It would have taken weeks for the apostles to heal up from this. It would have been one of the most painful things that they ever went through in their life. It would have left an impression on them, unlike the guy that got caned in Singapore.
x. Once the apostles were beaten and bloodied, they were commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus ever again. What is implied here is that next time, the Sanhedrin would not be so quote-unquote “merciful”. Meaning that the next time they are caught, they would most likely be killed, and we will see this played out in chapter 7 of Acts.
xi. After this scene, the Sanhedrin let the apostles go. Now, remember, the place where the Sanhedrin met was in the temple itself, and it is probable that many people saw what had happened to the apostles, and the punishment would serve a dual use. First, they threatened the apostles within an inch of their life. Second, the Sanhedrin had humiliated them publicly.
xii. We see their reaction in verses 41 and 42 -
g. The Apostles’ Joy (Acts 5:41 – 42)
i. 41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
ii. The apostles left the council area, and they were rejoicing. They weren’t hanging their heads, they weren’t moping around. The had a true joy in their hearts.
iii. But something else I notice here. That is humility. They didn’t come away defiant or angry, they left everything up to God, and they didn’t sweat the small stuff.
iv. Someone once said that the door of life is a door of mystery. It becomes slightly shorter than the one who wishes to enter it. And thus only he who bows in humility can cross its threshold.
v. They left the Sanhedrin with a humble heart, rejoicing. No doubt that they weren’t happy. There is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is based on circumstance, it ebbs and flows. Joy is a constant baseline of peace. Happiness is fleeting. Joy can be continuous. Happiness is dependent upon something or someone outside of yourself. Joy is self-enabling and comes from within our hearts. True joy is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
vi. They had joy because they got to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. They were no doubt thinking back to Jesus’ sermon on the mount. We find this from the account in Matthew chapter 5 – Jesus says –
vii. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
viii. The apostles realized that they were going to get rewarded in heaven for what they had just endured for the name of Jesus.
ix. What I notice in verse 42 is that the beating and the threatening by the Sanhedrin did no good for their purposes. The apostles didn’t listen to the Sanhedrin. No, they listened to God when He told them to preach the gospel.
x. The faith of the apostles was rock solid, and tribulation wasn’t going to put a dent in it. They not only continued teaching from house to house, where they wouldn’t be noticed by the Sanhedrin, but they kept teaching in the temple as well, where they would be noticed. The didn’t waver. Asking these guys to stop proclaiming the gospel would be like asking these guys to stop breathing. Their relationship with the living God had totally consumed them.
xi. I pray that each one of us would have that same kind of relationship with God as well, that we would be consumed by His presence. Let’s stop right there, and we will pick up with chapter 6 next week, if I don’t decide to teach a special message for Easter. You’ll just have to come to our new place of meeting next week, to find out!
xii. I‘d like to close with a short story.
h. Conclusion
i. The story is told about the baptism of King Aengus by St. Patrick in the middle of the fifth century. Sometime during the rite, St. Patrick leaned on his sharp-pointed staff and inadvertently stabbed the king’s foot. After the baptism was over, St. Patrick looked down at all the blood, realized what he had done, and begged the king’s forgiveness. Why did you suffer this pain in silence, the Saint wanted to know. The king replied, "I thought it was part of the ritual." Pain is not good in itself. What is good in any painful experience is, for the sufferer, his submission to the will of God, and, for the spectators, the compassion aroused and the acts of mercy to which it leads.
ii. All of us have pain in our lives. The good news is, we can find joy and peace in a relationship with Jesus Christ, if you haven’t made that commitment in your life, in a minute we’re going to pray and give you that opportunity. God is waiting for you to call on Him, so He can give you that joy and peace in your life.
i. Let’s Pray.
V. Closing Prayer
STAND FOR LAST SONG!!!!
