The opening paragraph (vv.12-16) shows us the continuing success enjoyed by the believers as the Lord worked through the apostles, attesting their words through signs and wonders.
The impact upon the crowds is considerable, although the scene is somewhat set for us by the fact that some would not identify with them because they were afraid. But others, both men and women, "believed in the Lord and were added to their number" (v.14).
God is clearly at work in power but, where that is so, as we've already seen, Satan is at work to stir up trouble for the Lord's people, seeking to hinder the work. The passage before us gives just such an incident and helps us to know how to handle opposition ourselves and how to pray for others.
1. Tied (vv.17-25)
The response of "the high priest and all his associates who were members of the party of the Sadducees" was to be filled with jealousy. And that jealousy expressed itself in the arrest of the apostles and their being tied-up in the public prison.
But they aren't in prison for long! The scene is almost comical when the Sanhedrin call for them to be brought to them. They aren't there! So where are they? Back speaking to the people. They were delivered in the night by the visit of an angel who gives them God's message: go on telling the people about this new life.
This release from prison through angelic intervention is, of course, of interest to us. But Luke doesn't make much of it. What really matters is not how God rescues his people but the reason why he does so - so that they might go on preaching the good news, testifying to the Lord Jesus.
He has many means at his disposal; some spectacular, others more mundane. But we must always keep our eye on the ball, which is the gospel of his grace and his purposes of salvation for a lost world.
Where the Lord's people are in chains or hindered in one way or another from preaching the gospel, we do well to remember that the Lord is able to deliver if he chooses to and, whatever happens, as Paul could say from his prison cell, "God's word is not chained!"
2. Tried (vv.26-39)
When found, the apostles are arrested and brought to the Sanhedrin and accused by the leaders of having disobeyed their word and of making them guilty of Jesus' death. The key points of this tense trial scene are the speeches made by Peter and the apostles and then by Gamaliel.
i) Peter's speech - The response made by Peter and the other apostles to the case against them by the Sanhedrin is very instructive to us in how to react to persecution.
They can no doubt see the fury in the eyes of their captors yet they do not for a moment consider trying to negotiate their way out of this by reaching some form of compromise ("We won't mention you leaders explicitly if you won't hurt us"). Rather, what they do is to remain entirely focussed on God and his purposes and allow those to dictate their actions.
In their speech, they highlight their desire to obey God above all else (vv.29,32). Their allegiance to him will colour their actions entirely. They will obey him as the God of their Fathers, who had raised his Son Jesus from the dead and who had given his Spirit to those who obey him. This is a pattern we can learn from.
Although Paul chose at times to use the law for protection, it was always for the sake of the gospel. Our response to opposition must have the gospel and obedience to God at its heart. Our witness and defence of the gospel needs to be, as Peter himself says, "with gentleness and respect" but also with a boldness that is ready to show the sinfulness of sin and the centrality of the gospel.
ii) Gamaliel's speech - The reaction to Peter's speech is fury and a desire to put the apostles to death. The persecution of the church is hotting up. This time it is the whole group of apostles who have been arrested; they are not simply warned but imprisoned and now are threatened with death. Having released his people from prison by angelic means, how will the Lord act now?
Through a surprising source. A Pharisee called Gamaliel gets up and, with the apostles put outside, advises the Sanhedrin on the situation. His advice is to do nothing against this new movement because history shows that if God isn't in it, it will come to nothing. But if he is with them...well, they'll find they're fighting against God himself!
Gamaliel is not a closet-believer, although his words seem to hint that he thinks that God may well be in this. Here we see that the God who can work through miracles also takes and uses anyone he chooses to help his people and the cause of the gospel, even someone possibly hostile to the gospel.
We should be careful that we do not rule out this possibility as we face difficulties ourselves and the church more widely. For example, in the debate on origins, not all the scientists who oppose the theory of evolution are Christians, not all who think that the universe has a Creator believe in him. The Lord is free, in his power and wisdom to use whoever he chooses to give help to his people and to advance the gospel.
3. Freed (vv.40-42)
The outcome is that Gamaliel's speech is persuasive enough for the Sanhedrin to let the apostles go - but not before they have them flogged (40 lashes minus 1). So they lost, then? Actually, no. What seems like a defeat to human sight can be a victory in the hands of God.
Didn't Jesus set the pattern in his death and say the same would be true for us? That's exactly what we see here as the apostles rejoice that they have been privileged to suffer for his sake.
And not only do they rejoice but they resume their ministry of telling others about Jesus, teaching the believers from home to home and reaching out to others daily in the temple courts.
The Sanhedrin thought they possessed real power, power that would allow them to bully the believers into submission. But real power belongs to the God who is able to fill his people with joy, even as the blood streams down their backs, and who can empower them for ongoing witness, even under threat of death.
The persecution has intensified but God has not been taken aback nor shown to be lacking in ability to rescue his people and to continue his work of rescuing men and women from the darkness. Whatever opposition we may encounter ourselves, however sorely oppressed the church worldwide is, the same is true today. Which is a cause for great rejoicing and redoubled efforts in preaching the good news about Jesus.
John Stott comments, "Persecution will refine the church but not destroy it. If it leads to prayer and praise, to an acknowledgement of the sovereignty of God and of solidarity with Christ in his sufferings, then - however painful - it may even be welcome." May the Lord help us to grasp that and to work out the implications for our lives. Amen.
