Acts 5:25–32, 40–42

Explore the Bible

Assistant Professor of Christian Ministries, University of Mobile

Faithful

Acts 5:25–32, 40–42 

Returning to the Scene (25–28)

The disciples were faithful in obedience to God. They had been healing sick people and the demon possessed which caused a stir. The Sadducees had put them in jail out of jealousy but they were freed by an angel of the Lord.

So, having been freed, they began to teach again and once again this led to trouble. Consequently they were brought in front of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, and reminded they were not allowed to be preaching about Christ. Why would the disciples knowingly disobey an order given to them by the Jewish high council?

Standing Their Ground (29–32)

The disciples disobeyed the Sanhedrin because they knew this was God’s will. Peter replied, “We must obey God rather than men.” This is a crucial verse that cannot be overlooked. Christians are to be an obedient lot — we are to obey the laws of the land. The Bible says we are subject to those in authority over us (Rom. 13:1–7). So if this is the case Christians need to obey the laws of the land in which they reside. 

Why then did the disciples disobey this clear order not to preach? There are times where the laws of the state go against the laws of God. When this is the case, Christians must obey God and not the state. This is especially relevant now. Christians all over the world are persecuted just for being Christians. They are told not to meet together, not to have Bibles, not to preach, etc., and yet they continue to do so. Why? Because this is what God commands. 

In the United States living out the Christian life and acting upon biblical precepts is becoming less and less acceptable. Laws have been passed that have made living out Christian principles more and more difficult. Just recently the Catholic organization Little Sisters of the Poor, which helps elderly couples, has gone to trial because they refuse to abide by United States Health Care mandates believing this violates their Christian faith. Situations like this will become more and more common.

Rejoicing for the Opportunity (40–42) 

It is common to hear people question why there is suffering in the world. It is even common to hear Christians wonder why they are suffering when they have done nothing wrong, or even for obeying God. 

However, one need only look at the Bible to see that it is quite frequent for godly people to experience suffering. This is true from Job to the prophets like Jeremiah and Daniel, and even to the New Testament with Paul, Stephen and Jesus Himself. Paul even says, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12).

Peter and the disciples were flogged for their disobedience to the Sanhedrin — flogged for preaching the gospel. How did they respond to this? They rejoiced. They rejoiced because they recognized that they were persecuted for their obedience to God. 

How should this impact us? It should give us a confidence that when we face persecution, it is not necessarily because we have done something wrong. If we are doing God’s will, we are not suffering for our disobedience but suffering because we are obedient. In many instances persecution of Christians throughout history has led to the growth of the Church — and that is an encouraging thought.