Acts 5:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside."

NIV: "We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside."

NASB: saying, 'We found the prison locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.'

CSB: "We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing in front of the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside."

NLT: The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!'

KJV: Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.

NKJV: saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”

The chief priests have arrested the apostles for preaching in Jesus' name after they had ordered the apostles not to (Acts 4:17–18). The next morning, as the whole council waits to question them, officers go to the prison cells and find them empty. They don't know that earlier that night, God had sent an angel to free His messengers and return them to the temple courtyard to continue preaching (Acts 5:17–23).

A short time before, the priests made sure Jesus' body was even more secured than the apostles. They poured wax over the seam between the great stone and the rock face so that if anyone tried to move the stone the wax would crack. They posted guards around the tomb. But the guards didn't see men come to move the stone, they saw an angel, white as snow and as bright as lightening, roll back the stone and sit on it. The guards were so terrified they "became like dead men" (Matthew 27:4). Meanwhile, the angel spoke to the women at the tomb, telling them that Jesus had risen from the dead and to go and tell the disciples. The guard, on the other hand, went and reported the incident to the chief priests, who bribed them with money and protection to claim that the disciples had stolen Jesus' body (Matthew 27:62–28:15).

The guards standing outside the apostles' prison cells are spared the awesome horror of an earthquake and an angel, so they have no idea they are guarding empty rooms. They are very fortunate they arrested the apostles on behalf of the priests and not the Roman army. When Peter is arrested by Herod Agrippa I, and an angel comes to release him, Herod has the sentries executed (Acts 12:1–19). For now, the temple captain and the priests are just "perplexed" (Acts 5:24). Once again, instead of going to their Scriptures to see how current events relate to the prophets, they try to use their own wisdom to find the path forward.

Acts 5:17–26 occurs after the chief priests arrested Peter and John for preaching and healing in Jesus' name, and ordered them not to do so again (Acts 4:1–22). Now, all the apostles are healing and preaching in Jesus' name (Acts 5:12–16), and so the priests arrest them all. At this point, the Sanhedrin is still afraid of the people (Acts 5:26); after all, the apostles are so powerful the people believe even Peter's shadow can heal the sick (Acts 5:15). Soon, the council will get bolder. A mob will kill Stephen (Acts 7:54–60), and then a Pharisee named Saul will help the council drive almost all the Jesus-followers out of Jerusalem (Acts 8:1–3).

The apostles continue to make hard decisions in the name of Jesus, both inside and outside the church. When Ananias and Sapphira lie to God, the Holy Spirit inspires Peter to pronounce God's judgment on them, protecting the church from the love of the world. Despite the Sanhedrin's watchful eye—and direct orders (Acts 4:17–18)—the apostles continue to preach and heal openly. The guards arrest the apostles, but the Sanhedrin settles for beating them instead of capital punishment. The apostles consider it an honor to suffer on behalf of their Savior.

In Acts 5, persecution from unbelievers begins to accelerate. The Sanhedrin has become aware the apostles teach that Jesus rose from the dead (Acts 4). Now, they start to push back in earnest, arresting and beating the apostles. Soon, a mob will kill Stephen, a deacon (Acts 7:54–60), and the Sanhedrin will empower Saul to run down and arrest any Jesus-follower he can find (Acts 8:1–3). The apostles will stay in Jerusalem. Other Jesus-followers will carry His offer of forgiveness and reconciliation with God into the Roman Empire and beyond. The apostles' faithfulness and submission to the Holy Spirit is why we have the gospel message today.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.