Acts 5:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

NIV: We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.'

NASB: And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.'

CSB: We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

NLT: We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.'

KJV: And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

NKJV: And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

A large part of Jesus' ministry was preparing the Twelve to be His witnesses. He told them they would witness before courts, governors, and kings who would persecute them (Matthew 10:16–18). He said they would be His witnesses to the "end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The testimony they are to give witness to is that Jesus died and rose again after three days, and offers reconciliation with God, as the Old Testament said He would (Luke 24:45–48).

Their witness—and ours, as believers—is not pursued alone. The Holy Spirit equips them with words to say (Matthew 10:19–20), showing them the truth about Jesus (John 16:13), and reminding them of what Jesus taught them (John 14:26). He also bears witness of Jesus (John 15:26) and "He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment" (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit still bears witness in the hearts of Jesus-followers, giving us confidence that we are saved (Romans 8:16).

"Witness" comes from the Greek root word martys, which originally meant someone who explains what they have experienced; this was most often used in a legal or historical forum. Peter and John witnessed Jesus' transfiguration (2 Peter 1:16–18). Hundreds saw Jesus after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3–7). However, the connotation of martys changed throughout the years, very much due to the experiences of Jesus' earliest "witnesses."

Today, we express this concept through the term "martyr." Inherent in the job description of a witness of Jesus is the possibility—sometimes probability—of dying rather than going back on the testimony. Although the Bible only records the death of John's brother James (Acts 12:1–2), church tradition says all the apostles except John died for their faith, as did Paul. At the time described in this verse, they will just be beaten. But they will not be discouraged. They will rejoice, "that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name" (Acts 5:41).

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.