Acts 5:21

And when they heard this, they entered into the temple about daybreak, and taught, But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison-house to have them brought.

They entered ... and taught ... The purpose of the heavenly intervention on behalf of the Twelve is noted below.

The council ... and the senate ... The supposition of some scholars, as mentioned by Russell, seems the best explanation of this unusual word "senate" He said:

Some scholars have suggested that "senate of the children of Israel" was added by Luke for the benefit of Theophilus to whom he wrote and who, though a Roman official, was probably a Greek by birth and would more readily understand the nature of the Jewish Sanhedrin by speaking of it as a senate.[30]

The above supposition appears reasonable, and we therefore view the words "council" and "senate" as synonyms for "Sanhedrin." Others suppose that the reference is to a group of elders, or leading citizens, who were associated with the Sanhedrin on special occasions in the decision of unusually heavy matters; but nothing of this kind is mentioned in the Scriptures.

The particular session in view here, however, was to be the occasion of quite a surprise. One may only imagine the discomfiture of the high priest upon sending for the prisoners to learn that they had escaped the maximum security prison.

The purpose of the angelic rescue of the Twelve from prison was in no wise connected with their personal safety; for the angel's directive still left them vulnerable to the persecution of the priests. It must be concluded, then, that the purpose of their release was to procure the continuation of their preaching of the word of God to the people. None of the miracles wrought upon the apostles, or through them, or upon their behalf should be viewed as anything other than God's working with them for the preaching of the gospel.