When they had brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, 28 “We gave you strict orders [did we not?] to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, as is the holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him.” 33 When they heard this, they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up, ordered the men to be put outside for a short time, 35 and said to them, “Fellow Israelites, be careful what you are about to do to these men. 36 Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important, and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed, and all those who were loyal to him were disbanded and came to nothing. 37 After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census. He also drew people after him, but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered. 38 So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. 39 But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him. 40 After recalling the apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. 41 So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. 42 And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus.
The high priest accused the Apostles of disobeying the orders of the Sanhedrin to stop preaching in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18) and of trying to turn the people in Jerusalem against the authorities who condemned Jesus (Mt. 27:25). Peter and the Apostles did not cower before the Sanhedrin but challenged their authority to order them to stop teaching in the name of Jesus. Peter repeated their commitment to follow God's commands above human authority (Acts 4:19). Peter recounted the basic facts about Jesus’ Passion and accused the Sanhedrin of being complicit in Jesus’ death. He reaffirmed that God raised Jesus from the dead. “Hanging him on a tree (Deut. 21:22-23)” was OT language Peter used to highlight that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies. Peter also proclaimed that God exalted Jesus as both leader and savior for the benefit of the people of Israel and humanity as a whole to grant them God’s gifts of repentance and forgiveness. The Apostles affirmed their role as witnesses to Jesus' resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s presence and power inspired the preaching and divine works of the Apostles and stirred men’s hearts to accept the Gospel. The gift of the Holy Spirit is for all who obey God.
The Sanhedrin reacted with hostility to Peter’s remarks about Jesus’ death and resurrection and wanted to put the Apostles to death, but a prominent Pharisee named Gamaliel, a respected teacher of the Law and a leader of the Sanhedrin, warned them to exercise caution and prudence in dealing with the Apostles. Gamaliel gave the Sanhedrin two examples of previous leaders of Messianic movements who perished at the hands of the Romans and their movements died with them. If the Apostles’ teaching is of human origin, it will fail; if it comes from God, the Jewish leaders will be fighting against God and their efforts will be futile. The Sanhedrin followed Gamaliel’s advice and decided to have the Apostles flogged (forty stripes less one [2 Cor. 11:24; Deut. 25:3]) and again ordered them to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. When they were released, the Apostles rejoiced that they were found worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus (Mt. 5:11-12). They continued to publicly proclaim the Gospel and they declared in the Temple and homes that Jesus was the Messiah. By their resilience and commitment, the Apostles were models for other disciples to follow.
Almighty God, strengthen us with the Holy Spirit that we may boldly proclaim the Gospel as the Apostles did. Help us to trust in your guidance, and fill us with your Divine love so that we may willingly accept our trials as we try to serve you. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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