52
The Acts of the Apostles
undermine the Jewish ceremonies, and make the sacrificial offerings
of no effect.
Hitherto all the efforts made to suppress this new teaching had
been in vain; but now both Sadducees and Pharisees determined that
the work of the disciples should be stopped, for it was proving them
guilty of the death of Jesus. Filled with indignation, the priests laid
violent hands on Peter and John, and put them in the common prison.
The leaders in the Jewish nation had signally failed of fulfilling
God’s purpose for His chosen people. Those whom the Lord had made
[79]
the depositaries of truth had proved unfaithful to their trust, and God
chose others to do His work. In their blindness these leaders now
gave full sway to what they called righteous indignation against the
ones who were setting aside their cherished doctrines. They would
not admit even the possibility that they themselves did not rightly
understand the word, or that they had misinterpreted or misapplied the
Scriptures. They acted like men who had lost their reason. What right
have these teachers, they said, some of them mere fishermen, to present
ideas contrary to the doctrines that we have taught the people? Being
determined to suppress the teaching of these ideas, they imprisoned
those who were presenting them.
The disciples were not intimidated or cast down by this treatment.
The Holy Spirit brought to their minds the words spoken by Christ:
“The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me,
they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will
keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for My
name’s sake, because they know not Him that sent Me.” “They shall
put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever
killeth you will think that he doeth God service.” “These things have I
told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told
you of them.”
John 15:20, 21
;
16:2, 4
.
The God of heaven, the mighty Ruler of the universe, took the
matter of the imprisonment of the disciples into His own hands, for
men were warring against His work. By night the angel of the Lord
[80]
opened the prison doors and said to the disciples, “Go, stand and speak
in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” This command
was directly contrary to the order given by the Jewish rulers; but did the
apostles say, We cannot do this until we have consulted the magistrates
and received permission from them? No; God had said, “Go,” and