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Chapter 34
Loyalty to God Under Persecution
THE apostles continued their work of mercy, in healing the afflicted and in proclaiming a
crucified and risen Saviour, with great power. Numbers were continually added to the
church by baptism, but none dared join them who were not united heart and mind with the
believers in Christ. Multitudes flocked to Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those who
were vexed by unclean spirits. Many sufferers were laid in the streets as Peter and John
passed by, that their shadows might fall upon and heal them. The power of the risen
Saviour had indeed fallen upon the apostles, and they worked signs and miracles that daily
increased the number of believers.
These things greatly perplexed the priests and rulers, especially those among them who
were Sadducees. They saw that if the apostles were allowed to preach a resurrected
Saviour, and to do miracles in His name, their doctrine that there was no resurrection of
the dead would be rejected by all, and their sect would soon become extinct. The Pharisees
saw that the tendency of their preaching would be to undermine the Jewish ceremonies and
make the sacrificial offerings of none effect. Their former efforts to suppress these
preachers had been in vain, but they now felt determined to put down the excitement.
Delivered by an Angel
The apostles were accordingly arrested and imprisoned, and the Sanhedrin was called to try
their case. A large number of learned men, in addition to the council, were summoned, and
they counseled together what should be done with these disturbers of the peace. "But
the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they
heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught."
When the apostles appeared among the believers and recounted how the angel had led them
directly through the band of soldiers guarding the prison and bade them resume the work
which had been interrupted by the priests and rulers, the brethren were filled with joy
and amazement.
The priests and rulers in council had decided to fix upon them the charge of insurrection
and accuse them of murdering Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11), and of conspiring to
deprive the priests of their authority and put them to death. They trusted that the mob
would then be excited to take the matter in hand and to deal by the apostles as they had
dealt by Jesus. They were aware that many who did not accept the doctrine of Christ were
weary of the arbitrary rule of the Jewish authorities and were anxious for some decided
change. If these persons became interested in, and embraced, the belief of the apostles,
acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah, they feared the anger of the entire people would be
raised against the priests, who would be made to answer for the murder of Christ. They
decided to take strong measures to prevent this. They finally sent for the supposed
prisoners to be brought before them. Great was their amazement when the report was brought
back that the prison doors were found securely bolted and the guard stationed before them,
but that the prisoners were nowhere to be found.
Soon the report was brought: "Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in
the temple, and teaching the people." Although the apostles were miraculously
delivered from prison, they were not saved from examination and punishment. Christ had
said when He was with them, "Take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up
to councils." God had given them a token of His care and an assurance of His presence
by sending the angel to them; it was now their part to suffer for the sake of that Jesus
whom they preached. The people were so wrought upon by what they had seen and heard that
the priests and rulers knew it would be impossible to excite them against the apostles.
The Second Trial
"Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they
feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. And when they had brought them, they
set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, saying, Did not we straitly
command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem
with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood upon us." They were not as
willing to bear the blame of slaying Jesus as when they swelled the cry with the debased
mob: "His blood be on us, and on our children."
Peter, with the other apostles, took up the same line of defense he had followed at his
former trial: "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey
God rather than men." It was the angel sent by God who delivered them from prison,
and who commanded them to teach in the temple. In following his directions they were
obeying the divine command, which they must continue to do at any cost to themselves.
Peter continued: "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on
a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give
repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things;
and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him."
The Spirit of inspiration was upon the apostles, and the accused became the accusers,
charging the murder of Christ upon the priests and rulers who composed the council. The
Jews were so enraged at this that they decided, without any further trial and without
authority from the Roman officers, to take the law into their own hands and put the
prisoners to death. Already guilty of the blood of Christ, they were now eager to imbrue
their hands in the blood of His apostles. But there was one man of learning and high
position whose clear intellect saw that this violent step would lead to terrible
consequences. God raised up a man of their own council to stay the violence of the priests
and rulers.
Gamaliel, the learned Pharisee and doctor, a man of great reputation, was a person of
extreme caution, who, before speaking in behalf of the prisoners, requested them to be
removed. He then spoke with great deliberation and calmness: "Ye men of Israel, take
heed to yourselves what we intend to do as touching these men. For before these days rose
up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred,
joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and
brought to nought. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and
drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him,
were dispersed. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if
this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: but if it be of God, ye
cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God."
The priests could not but see the reasonableness of his views; they were obliged to agree
with him, and very reluctantly released the prisoners, after beating them with rods and
charging them again and again to preach no more in the name of Jesus, or their lives would
pay the penalty of their boldness. "And they departed from the presence of the
council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily
in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ."
Well might the persecutors of the apostles be troubled when they saw their inability to
overthrow these witnesses for Christ, who had faith and courage to turn their shame into
glory and their pain into joy for the sake of their Master, who had borne humiliation and
agony before them. Thus these brave disciples continued to teach in public, and secretly
in private houses, by the request of the occupants who dared not openly confess their
faith, for fear of the Jews.
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