Acts 5:27-42

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 5:26-42

We are not told what it was that the apostles preached to the people; no doubt it was according to the direction of the angel?the words of this life; but what passed between them and the council we have here an account of; for in their sufferings there appeared more of a divine power and energy than even in their preaching. Now here we have, I. The seizing of the apostles a second time. We may think, if God designed this, ?Why were they rescued from their first imprisonment?? But this was... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 5:17-32

5:17-32 But the high priest and his party (the local sect of the Sadducees) were filled with envy, and they laid hands on the apostles and put them under public arrest. But through the night the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison and led them out and said, "Go, stand in the Temple and tell the people all the words of this life." When they heard this they came into the Temple very early and began to teach. When the high priest and those with him arrived, they summoned the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 5:33-42

5:33-42 When they heard this they were torn with vexation and planned to destroy them. But a certain Pharisee called Gamaliel stood up in the Sanhedrin, a teacher of the law held in honour by all the people, and ordered that the men should be put out of the meeting for a short time. He said to them, "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves regarding these men and think what you are going to do with them. Before these days Theudas arose, saying that he was someone. Men to the number of about... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:27

And when they had brought them ,.... From the temple, to the place where the sanhedrim sat, which, by this, seems to have been not in the room Gazith, nor in the shops, which were both in the temple, but in some part of the city of Jerusalem: they set them before the council ; whereby was fulfilled what Christ had foretold, Matthew 10:17 "they will deliver you up to the councils"; they placed them before the whole sanhedrim; in the midst of it; see Gill on Acts 4:7 ; and as the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:28

Saying, did not we straitly command you ,.... Or give you strict orders, with severe threatenings, that you should not teach in this name ? the Ethiopic version reads, "in the name of Jesus"; which is what is meant, but was not expressed by the sanhedrim; see Acts 4:17 and behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine ; they disregarded the council, and its orders, its commands and threatenings, and preached the doctrines of the Gospel; and particularly that concerning the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:29

Then Peter, and the other apostles, answered and said ,.... Peter began, as the mouth of the apostles, being the eldest man, and very bold and zealous; and the rest followed, or joined, with him in what he said: we ought to obey God rather than men ; this is said in answer to the charge of disobedience to the orders and commands of the council: men, civil magistrates, and ecclesiastical rulers, are to be obeyed in things which are not repugnant to the will of God; but in things that are,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:30

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus ,.... Not from the dead, though this was true; but called him to the work and office of a Saviour, inverted him with that office, and sent him to perform that work; so that this refers rather to the incarnation of Christ, in consequence of the ancient council and covenant of grace: and this the apostles attribute to God the Father, under the character of "the God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob", as in Acts 3:13 , to show that they did not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:31

Him hath God exalted with his right hand ,.... Not at his right hand, though he is exalted to it, and is set down at it, but with, or by his right hand; that is, by his power: for being by him raised from the dead, he was exalted to the highest heavens, and placed in human nature at the right hand of God, on the same throne with him, crowned with glory and honour; and having a name above every name, and all power and authority both in heaven and in earth given him, to be a Prince and a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:32

And we are his witnesses of these things ,.... Of the incarnation of Christ, of his crucifixion and death, of his resurrection from the dead, of his exaltation by the right hand of God, and of his offices as a Prince and a Saviour, and of the influences of his grace, in giving repentance and remission of sins to his people; and even to many of the Jews, who had been his crucifiers, and who were now converted under the ministry of the apostles: and so is also the Holy Ghost ; in his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:33

When they heard that ,.... This defence of the apostles, in which they still insisted upon it, that they had been the crucifiers of Christ, and yet that he was raised from the dead, and exalted in heaven, and was a spiritual Saviour of men: they were cut; to the heart , as if they had been cut asunder with a saw; the Ethiopic version renders it, "they were angry", and "gnashed with their teeth", as if a saw was drawn to and fro; they were filled with rage and madness: and took counsel... read more

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