Acts 5:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

NIV: God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.

NASB: He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

CSB: God exalted this man to his right hand as ruler and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

NLT: Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven.

KJV: Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

NKJV: Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

During Jesus' ministry, He specifically told the Twelve that men would drag them before courts and flog them, but they were to teach their oppressors about Him anyway. This is exactly what is happening here. Jesus also told them to not worry what they will say; the Holy Spirit will give them the right words (Matthew 10:16–20).

The words Peter is using go far beyond the Sanhedrin's initial concern about resurrection and popularity. "Leader" is from the Greek root word archēgos and can be translated as "prince," or "captain," or even "pioneer" or "founder." Some translations use "author" to translate this word in Hebrews 12:2. Peter is directly accusing the Sanhedrin of executing the One who originated the Jewish people and promised to save them—not only killing Him but defiling Him by hanging Him from a tree (Acts 5:30; Deuteronomy 21:22–23; Galatians 3:13–14).

With that accusation, it's no wonder the council can't hear Peter's call for repentance. God raised Jesus from the dead, and His death and resurrection provide the means by which they can repent of their sins and receive forgiveness from God. Before too long, some of the priests will repent and follow Jesus (Acts 6:7). Right now, they can't get over the audacious claim that the heretic they had crucified is sitting in a place of honor at God's side.

Acts 5:27–42 occurs in the aftermath of a miraculous jailbreak. The chief priests arrested the apostles for teaching and healing in Jesus' name (Acts 5:17–18). On the morning of the inquiry, the guards find the prison cells empty and the apostles, again, preaching in the temple courtyard (Acts 5:22, 25). The guards bring the apostles back, and the Sanhedrin questions them. When the apostles insist Jesus is alive, the priests want them killed. But a Pharisee, Gamaliel, calms the situation. The Sanhedrin do flog the apostles before releasing them, starting the long history of physical persecution against Christ-followers. Verse 29 is a cornerstone of Christian ethics: that God's will is worth suffering for.

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.