Acts 5:17-42, The Gospel Preached with the Help of the Holy Spirit

Acts 5:17-42, The Gospel Preached with the Help of the Holy Spirit

Today's Scripture Summary

The chief priests and Sadducees are jealous of the apostles and imprison them. At night, the Lord's messenger opens the bars and rescues the apostles, but the temple authorities bring them back. When the members of the public try to kill the apostles, Gamaliel, a respected teacher of the law, intercedes. Freed, the apostles rejoice in their humiliation and intensify their evangelism.

1. Angelic Help and Evangelism (5:17-26)

Spreading the word of life comes with hindrances. The religious leaders put the apostles in prison. This is because they ignored their warnings and continued to preach the gospel (4:13-22), and because they were filled with jealousy as the church grew and their status fell. But God helps the apostles. An angel (messenger) of the Lord opens the door at night and pulls the apostles out. The angel commands the apostles to "go and stand in the temple and speak these words of life to all the people" (v. 20). The temple is the place where people gather the most, so a strange thing happens: the jail doors are securely locked, but there are no people inside. The religious leaders retrieve the missing apostles from the jail.

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What did the angel of the Lord command the apostles after they were brought out of prison? Where do I go because I need the 'words of life'?

2 Gamaliel's Counsel (5:27-42)

God helps evangelists who bring the word of life. The high priest doesn't ask how the apostles escaped; he knows they did it in a supernatural way, but he's not interested in that, and he threatens them by reminding them of their first interrogation (v. 28; 4:18). The apostles respond, as before, that it is proper to obey God rather than men (v. 29; 4:19-20). The enraged religious leaders want to kill the apostles, but the wise man Gamaliel counsels them to stay out of their business, citing two historical precedents. In this way, God helps evangelists in unexpected ways. A true evangelist is one who never stops preaching the gospel, even if he suffers for it.

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What was Gamaliel's opinion, as opposed to those who wanted to kill the apostles? What are some ways God has helped you in unexpected ways?

Prayer for the day

Lord, I have failed to fathom your compassion for dying souls and to faithfully speak the words of life. Forgive me for my cowardice in refusing to suffer with you. Let me live as long as I have a mission, so that I may joyfully bear the cross of witness in any life experience.