Acts 5:17-26
Chapter 5
Persecution
The High Priest and all his supporters, that is the party of the Sadducees, became very jealous of the apostles;so they arrested them and threw them into the public jail.
But an angel of the Lord opened the prison door during the night, freed them, and told them:
“Go and stand in the temple court and tell the people the whole message of this life.”
So, they entered the temple at dawn and resumed their teaching. When the High Priest and his supporters arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin, which is the full Council of Israel’s elders. They sent a message to the jail to bring the prisoners.
When the temple guards reached the jail, they did not find anyone inside; so they returned with the report:
“We found the prison securely locked and the guards posted outside the gate; but when we opened the gate, we found no one inside.”
Upon hearing these words, the captain of the temple guard and the high priests were confused, wondering where all of this would lead.
Just then, someone arrived with a report:
“Look, those men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple, teaching the people.”
Then the captain went with the guards and brought them back, but without using force for fear of being stoned by the people.
Commentaries
Persecution.
This time, it is the Sadducees, who deny the resurrection, behind the arrest of the apostles. Luke uses a traditional heavenly intervention: an angel frees them and instructs them to return to the temple to teach. The message is clear: when God wants something to happen, all human opposition becomes meaningless. The leader of the Sadducees accuses them, and Peter’s response remains the same: he denounces the death of Jesus, proclaims His resurrection, and calls for repentance. The reaction is intense. They want to condemn them to death. Then, the Pharisee Gamaliel stands up, speaks, and dramatically changes the situation. Luke emphasizes this wise man’s testimony, respected by all, because attitudes like his help build bridges between opposing sides. Luke concludes the episode with a new experience for the apostles: they leave joyful, not because they have been freed, but because they have had the chance to suffer as Jesus did.