The Imprisonment - 5:18-25

Acts 5:18-25

17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council and all the senate of the people of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.”

This time it wasn't just Peter and John who were booked, but rather it says, the apostles in general, and they were quickly put in a public prison. However, during the night they were rescued by an angel of the Lord. Luke, allows us to see that this rescue mission from the angel of the Lord was not about the safety and security of the apostles, but rather the glory of God, as the angel commanded them to go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life. Verse 21 tells us they obeyed the angel of the Lord, but in doing so we must note that they publicly disobeyed the Sanhedrin, who had told them not to speak in the name of Jesus.

This is NOT a section of scripture teaching us that we have the right to disobey the authorities that God has placed us under, for ALL Authority is from God. However, because God is sovereign and will even use the sin of humanity to ultimately bring glroy to His name we must trust that as he sets up unjust leaders, it is because he will ultimately bring glory to his own name, by showing their authority to be impotent.

However, because God sets up all authority, we are to respectfully obey them UNLESS, they command us to do that which God, through His word commands us not to do or they command us to stop doing what God has made clear to us. This is not a call for rebellion, but a call to submission to God! We live in a world of anti-authority, and in the church we have learned well to hide our rebellion behind 'God.' The truth is, we can't find anywhere in scripture where it is ever okay to disobey our leaders no matter how unfair they are unless they ask us to cross the line and disobey God. Which the truth is, most of us don't struggle with this. We are willing to disobey our authorities when it fits our selfish needs, but in a land where spreading the gospel is legal, for the glory of God we halt at this...may we switch our perspectives...