Acts 5:40 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

NIV: His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

NASB: They followed his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them.

CSB: After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.

NLT: The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.

KJV: And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

NKJV: And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

The Sanhedrin has several different reasons to hate that Jesus' following continues despite His death. Jesus spent His entire ministry defying the Pharisees (Mark 2:18–22, 24–28; 3:1–6; 8:11–13; 12:13–17), the scribes (Mark 3:22–29; 7:1–23; 12:38–40), the priests (Mark 11:15–18, 27–33), and the Sadducees (Mark 12:18–27). He is recorded giving at least one long, scathing argument against the Pharisees and scribes (Matthew 23:1–36).

The Pharisees and followers of Herod Antipas have been trying to destroy Jesus since shortly after His ministry began in Galilee (Mark 3:6). Eventually, they reached solidarity with the priests, scribes, and elders—the formal members of the Sanhedrin (Mark 12:12). The Sanhedrin manipulated the Roman government (John 19:12–13) and a hapless crowd (Mark 15:9–15) to see Jesus crucified. They know, however, Jesus' body is gone (Matthew 28:11–15).

After Jesus' death, His followers stayed quiet. Suddenly, on the Day of Pentecost, they started speaking in different languages and preaching that Jesus is alive (Acts 2). The majority of the Sanhedrin were from the sect of the Sadducees and didn't believe resurrection was possible. For them, the idea that someone they worked so hard to kill has come back to life is unthinkable.

When the priests heard Peter and John were teaching that Jesus had risen from the dead, they arrested them, but had no justification for anything beyond questioning. The two had just healed a man born lame and the Jewish rulers were, as always, afraid of a public backlash if they went too far (Acts 3:1–10; 4:1–22; 5:26). During that interaction, they ordered Peter and John to stop preaching in Jesus' name. Now that all the apostles have disobeyed that order, the Sanhedrin can legally justify strong action.

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.