Acts 5:34-42
Chapter 5
and then he spoke to the assembly:“Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you plan to do to these men.
For some time ago, Theudas appeared claiming to be someone important, and about four hundred men joined him. However, he was killed, and all his followers were scattered or disappeared.
After him, Judas the Galilean appeared during the census and convinced many to follow him. But he also perished, and his entire group was broken up.
So, in this case, I advise you not to interfere with these men. Leave them alone. If their movement is human-made, it will fall apart on its own.
But if it is from God, you cannot stop it, and you may even find yourselves fighting against God.
”The Council was persuaded by him.
They summoned the apostles, had them whipped, and ordered them not to speak again of Jesus, the Savior. Then they released them.
The apostles left the Council rejoicing because they were deemed worthy to suffer shame for the sake of the Name.
Day after day, both in the temple and in people’s homes, they kept teaching and proclaiming that Jesus was the Messiah.
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.