Acts 5:17–42

Imprisonment and Release

¹⁷But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is ^athe sect of ^bthe Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.

¹⁸They laid hands on the apostles and ^aput them in a public jail.

¹⁹But during the night ^aan angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said,

²⁰“Go, stand and ¹speak to the people in the temple ^2athe whole message of this Life.”

²¹Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple ^aabout daybreak and began to teach.

Now when ^bthe high priest and his associates came, they called ^cthe ¹Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought.

²²But ^athe officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned and reported back,

²³saying, “We found the prison house locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we had opened up, we found no one inside.”

²⁴Now when ^athe captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what ¹would come of this.

²⁵But someone came and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”

²⁶Then ^athe captain went along with ^bthe officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for ^cthey were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).

²⁷When they had brought them, they stood them ¹before ^athe Council. The high priest questioned them,

²⁸saying, “We gave you ^astrict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and ¹yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and ^bintend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

²⁹But Peter and the apostles answered, “^aWe must obey God rather than men.

³⁰“^aThe God of our fathers ^braised up Jesus, ¹whom you had ^cput to death by hanging Him on a ²cross.

³¹“^aHe is the one whom God exalted ¹to His right hand as a ^2bPrince and a ^cSavior, to grant ^drepentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

³²“And we are ^awitnesses ¹of these things; and ^bso is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Gamaliel’s Counsel

³³But when they heard this, they were ^acut ¹to the quick and intended to kill them.

³⁴But a Pharisee named ^aGamaliel, a ^bteacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in ^cthe Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time.

³⁵And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men.

³⁶“For some time ago Theudas rose up, ^aclaiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. ¹But he was killed, and all who ²followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.

³⁷“After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of ^athe census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who ¹followed him were scattered.

³⁸“So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or ¹action ^ais of men, it will be overthrown;

³⁹but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found ^afighting against God.”

⁴⁰They ¹took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they ^aflogged them and ordered them not to ²speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them.

⁴¹So they went on their way from the presence of the ^1aCouncil, ^brejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame ^cfor His name.

^42aAnd every day, in the temple and ¹from house to house, they ²kept right on teaching and ^3bpreaching Jesus as the ⁴Christ.