Episode 81 - The Acts Series: Counted Worthy in the Suffering (Acts 5:12-42)

Peter’s shadow falls across the street and sick bodies get up. That’s where our table talk lands today, right in the middle of Acts 5:12–42, where the early church is impossible to ignore and impossible to intimidate.

We read the passage out loud and pause to notice what’s actually happening: believers gathering in the temple courts, unity replacing greed and jealousy, crowds forming because they believe God can heal. Then the mood snaps. The Sadducees and the high priest get filled with jealousy, the apostles get arrested, and the story turns into one of the most startling jailbreaks in the Bible as an angel opens the doors and sends them straight back to preach “the full message of this new life.”

From there we follow the courtroom tension before the Sanhedrin and Peter’s blunt line that still challenges modern discipleship: “We must obey God rather than men.” We talk through the claim at the center of Christian faith and Christian apologetics: Jesus is risen, repentance and forgiveness are real, and the Holy Spirit is a witness. We also slow down for Gamaliel’s counsel, because it’s a timeless filter for spiritual discernment: if it’s from God, you cannot stop it without fighting God. When the apostles are flogged and still rejoice for the Name, we ask what kind of Spirit-powered courage makes that possible, and why they keep going day after day.

If you’ve ever wondered what bold faith looks like under pressure, press play. Then subscribe, share this with a friend who needs courage, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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Transcript

Cold Open From Acts 5

SPEAKER_01 0:02

The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name. Day after day in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

Welcome And How We Read

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Hi guys, my name is Cheryl, and you are listening to Healing Strongs Around the Word. We are friends sitting around the table who love God's word and we love digging deep into it. Each episode, you'll hear us reading a Bible passage out loud, and then we stop and start and discuss what we're learning from it right then and there. Today we are reading from the book of Acts, chapter 5, verses 12 through 42. So join us around the word. Welcome back, everybody. We are in Acts chapter 5. We just uh last episode were talking about good old Ananias and Sapphira and learning from their mistakes. And today we are going to find out more about the apostles' healing and uh some persecution that's going on.

Signs Wonders And Healing Crowds

SPEAKER_01 1:22

So I will start us off in Acts chapter 5, verse 12. The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's colonnade. Now, where did we see Solomon's colonnade before?

SPEAKER_02 1:40

Yeah, that's where the guy was healed, the lame guy that they was brought into Solomon's colonnade. The lame guy.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

So it obviously made an impact right there if they're now starting to meet there. Yeah, if they healed him, maybe they can heal me kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

Right. And that's a great spot because anybody could go into that. Yeah, because they're going to the temple, right?

SPEAKER_01 2:00

They're headed that way. Uh for picking up 13. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats, so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed. That's how many of them? All of them were healed.

SPEAKER_02 2:44

He blows my mind just by his shadow.

SPEAKER_01 2:47

Yeah, his shadow and just them being there in the present, their the presence of the Holy Spirit's there. Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. With these people most likely worshiping, praying, gathering, bringing the sick. And they were of one mind.

SPEAKER_02 3:01

And one they were together, one heart, unity in the spirit. And no jealousy and no greed. Wow. What great things can happen.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

Yeah, when you're of one mind and one accord. Um, and no one dared to bother with like they didn't want to mess with them. It was probably a pretty large gathering.

unknown 3:23

Right.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

Because if you had had 5,000 people already, mine says multitudes. Oh, that's a lot. Yeah, multitudes. Always makes me think of angels when I hear multitudes. Multitudes. Multitudes of angels. Legions. Yeah, all of

Jealous Leaders Start The Crackdown

SPEAKER_01 3:37

them. Then the high priest and all his associates who were members of the party of the Sadducees. So, oh, that's interesting. They had parties, like the members of the parties. A sect of it. Okay. That's interesting.

SPEAKER_00 3:52

Well, the Pharisees were more law, keep the law. The Sadducees did not believe in resurrection. Oh, okay. Very good point. That's why they're so sad.

SPEAKER_01 4:04

Sad, you see. That would be sad too, right? Yes. Sorry, we do that joke every time, but I can't help it. It's so funny. They arrested in 18. They arrested the apostles and put them in. Oh, did I? I'm sorry. You were off the big phrase. Oh my gosh. Oh my goodness. Okay, let's go back to 17. Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. Not the Holy Spirit. Right. Yeah, jealousy. Jealousy. We don't want that. No, that's a bad thing. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. I wonder, so when they're saying the apostles, are they saying Peter and John only? Are we throwing in Barnabas in here? Are we throwing in a bunch of people? Like I wonder how many people are in the jail.

An Angel Opens The Jail

SPEAKER_01 4:57

But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. Go stand in the temple courts, he said, and tell the people the full message of this new life. The angel said that? Yeah, the angel said that. And the yeah, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 5:21

All the words of this life, I underlined that because what does that mean? Does it have any more new life?

SPEAKER_01 5:27

Yeah, mine says new life. So this new way of doing things, this new and my life. Is what they start calling these people.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

The way. Yeah, the way. And life is capitalized in mine. Oh it's not in mine. Not in mine. I have little life. Because I think of the way that one's also capitalized a lot of times when they say that.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

Oh, you'll see a lot of churches called New Life. I wonder if they're getting it from this first. That's very interesting. I find it interesting too. He doesn't say go back to the Solony uh Solomon's colonnade. He's saying go into the temple courts. If that I don't know if that's the same part or just say go back there where you were, because they were in jail. The courts wouldn't be the colonnade. Okay, okay. So they're in jail. The angel's telling them this right now. I don't see where it says their reaction to this angel, by the way. Normally we're usually getting this like they freaked out, fear not. He didn't even have to say that.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Now they're full of the Holy Spirit. Maybe they don't fearful. They're like, wow, okay. That's true.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

Yeah, he could have looked like a jailer for all you know. And said, but he opens the door. You know, he opens the door and says, Go stand in the temple courts and tell the people all about this new

Locked Cells And Public Teaching

SPEAKER_02 6:39

life.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

At daybreak, they entered the temple courts as they had been told and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin, the full assembly of the elders of Israel, and sent to the jail for the apostles. But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, We found the jail securely locked with the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside. On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priest were puzzled, wondering what would come of this. Then this is almost sounding like the empty tomb. You know, they had all guards there and everything, but yet it's empty. Then someone came and said, Look, the men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people. At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force because they feared that the people would stone them.

We Must Obey God

SPEAKER_01 7:53

Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. We gave you strict orders not to teach this name, he said. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood. Peter and the other apostles replied, We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead, whom you have killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as prince and savior, that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.

SPEAKER_02 8:43

Need two witnesses. Right. Oh my god. Not only us, but the Holy Spirit's a witness. Well, you don't get a better witness than the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_01 8:52

Right. What do you think about this boldness, too, of what he's saying right now? And the fact that you have you're filling Jerusalem with these believers now. So it's not just two or three people or like maybe ten or twelve multitudes.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

They're like really scared. This is the chief priest. Right. He's he's freaked out. Yeah, and I wonder who it was that went and told him somebody that was in the temple working or something new that they would be upset about this and went.

SPEAKER_02 9:20

But whoever it was, we're learning about them all these many years away, but they weren't named. So maybe that's a lesson in itself. You may be doing something that seems minor and you don't get recognition for it, but yet in his kingdom, you are getting recognition for it. You did a great thing. It's in the book.

SPEAKER_01 9:39

Verse 33.

Gamaliel Warns Against Fighting God

SPEAKER_01 9:41

When they heard this, they were furious. I think we're talking about the priests again, and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamalil, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed them, Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Thutius appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all of his followers were dispersed, and it came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you, leave these men alone, let them go. For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men, you will only find yourselves fighting against God.

SPEAKER_02 10:55

That makes me think Gamaleel was believing. I I feel like that too.

SPEAKER_00 10:59

Why would he go out on a limb like that? Well, I wondered that myself, but Paul was taught under Gamaleel. And Paul definitely did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. He went after the Christians.

SPEAKER_01 11:17

If he's taught under Gamaleel, I wonder if he witnessed some of this. I betcha he was there when this is happening. Yeah, the Sanhedrin, you've got all these important people. He was a he was a Pharisee. So in his though in his writings, I would think he might have mentioned it. I I don't know. It's it's a possibility he could have been there. He was silently observing or trying to figure out what was going on, getting more and more annoyed day by day. But I love that. And that's that's something that you can that's a good thing that you can bring to many situations too. But if this is of God, you'll not be able to stop these men.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

Also, God can use even if he wasn't a believer, God can use those people to prophesy a truth.

SPEAKER_01 12:05

Oh, he did it with Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel. Right. Yeah, we talked about that. Yeah. He can use unbelievers, you can, yeah. Donkeys.

SPEAKER_02 12:14

Donkeys, Valent, boosters.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

Everybody. He really can. So, but I love that. You're not, you're gonna be fighting against God. So it in other words, if this is God's will, what is it? What was it, Mordecai in the book of Esther, when he was saying, you know, when he was talking to Esther at her pivotal point, like, you know, that if you don't do it, you're not gonna be saved. Yeah, if you don't do this, like God will save his people some way, but you will not be saved. Yeah. So it's that same kind of certainty in God. At least you can tell that Gabileel had a very big belief in God, that God makes things happen. Right. I hope he won't I hope he did come one day to believe in Jesus. Me too. That'd be neat to see him and have like Paul did.

SPEAKER_02 12:59

Yeah. He just didn't think he could have seen the Messiah.

SPEAKER_01 13:03

Yeah.

unknown 13:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

If if someone like Nicodemus early on with uh became a kind of a secret follower and was even involved, I believe, in like movies. The burial, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:14

He brought he brought a lot 75 to 100 pounds of nard.

SPEAKER_00 13:19

Yes, to be to bury his body, to anoint the body. Nard. Verse 40.

Flogged Yet Rejoicing For The Name

SPEAKER_01 13:26

Is that what it was called? Yeah, I think it was gard. Yeah, not lard, but nard. Yeah, lard whatever that is. In verse 40 it says his speech persuaded them, talking about Gamaleel. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name. Day after day in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

SPEAKER_00 14:06

Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

To me, that alone is some, you know, like the case for Christ. You know, uh Lee Strobel writes those books and stuff. But I mean, what a good case for Christianity because these people were flogged. I don't know if you did. You ever see The Passion of the Christ? Oh. I couldn't watch the whole thing. Oh, horrible. I own it, but I couldn't do it again. Horrible what they like depicted in the movie was amazing, excellent, but the depiction of the flogging was probably one of the worst scenes in the Bible. I mean, in the uh the movie from just a just horrendous what Jesus went through. Ripping of the skin. Right.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

And these guys, like I think that this was a flogging by the Sanhedrin. I'm thinking so. It doesn't mention Romans in here at all.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

So the Roman one was even different than maybe it's a lighter flogging, but still they're throwing things on there, like whipping them on their back. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:10

40 lashes, I think, could kill you. So it had to be 39. I don't know that. Yep.

unknown 15:16

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 15:16

39. Um, in verse 41, does your translation capitalize the word name? Yes. Mine doesn't. I'm not liking that. Yeah, we're swapping on that. The name. Name. The name. And it's capitalized. The name Yeshua. Salvation.

SPEAKER_01 15:37

I think you have to have this kind of anointing and power of the Holy Spirit on you to be able to suffer some of these things that they did. Right. And then still want to go out and tell tell people. Right. Because I mean, you think about even Rome. Rejoicing. Rejoicing. Yeah. You think of Rome and like the Colosseum and the throwing, it wasn't always Christians, but I mean they did kill Christians in there. Right. And it's like you could just easily deny him and then just live your life. Right. You know.

SPEAKER_02 16:07

Well, Peter before. Peter after. Peter denied at the drop of a hat before Christ was crucified. After the resurrection and the feeling of the Holy Spirit. He was emboldened. You couldn't stop him. There's no way you could stop him. Right. Yeah. He was like and gave his life to be martyred. Yeah, they say upside down.

SPEAKER_01 16:29

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_02 16:32

He couldn't be killed the same way as the Messiah.

SPEAKER_01 16:36

The anointed one. So again, this just goes back to showing me these people really did see stuff. They were eyewitnesses. It really did happen. That's why it spread like wildfire. It was undeniable. It was undeniable. It was truth. It happened. It's it wasn't just made up and a couple of fanatical people or crazy people. They they were willing to die because they had seen stuff.

SPEAKER_00 16:59

Right. And just like they said, if it wasn't truth, then it would just blow over.

SPEAKER_02 17:04

But well, like these other examples the writer gave, the person died. And so they died, you know.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

Which they did. They dispersed after Jesus died. They still dispersed, but and then he came back resurrection. Right. And these Sadducees don't believe in that.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

Yeah, Jesus is the only savior that was resurrected. Yeah. All the other religions of the world, you can go to the tomb and find a their bones. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:36

Dead body. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:37

Right.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

So I I I love that last line about them going from house to house. They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

And my translation said Jesus is the Messiah. Right. But I like that word Messiah.

SPEAKER_00 17:57

Yeah. Yeshua Hamashiach.

SPEAKER_01 18:01

That sounds good. Salvation. Jesus is our Lord and Savior.

Gospel Invitation And Closing Blessing

SPEAKER_01 18:07

Jesus died on the cross for you and for me. And if there is a listener out there that hasn't had a chance to make Jesus their Lord and Savior, I just want to walk you through that right now. And first of all, tell you, God loves you. God loves you. In fact, it says in John 3.16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. But we all have a problem. And that problem, it's called sin. And in Romans 3.23 it says, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Not some people, all people. Me, you, all of us, and sin has a consequence. Romans 6.23 says, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Wages are what you earn. Sin earns death. But God offers a gift instead, and that's Jesus. You see, Jesus took our place on the cross. God didn't leave us stuck, he gave us Jesus. Romans 5.8 says, but God demonstrates his own love toward us, and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He died for you, he died for me. He lived a life that we couldn't live, that perfect life, and he died the death that we deserved, and he rose again on the third day. So it's real simple. Romans 10 9 says, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. And Romans 10.13 says, For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Whoever, nothing you have done in the past will ever keep you from that. God loves you that much. So if you haven't made that decision, I pray that you would do it. Please do it today. We never really do that, but I don't want somebody listening to this podcast to not hear the best news possible. And so live with that today. Do it, believe it because it's true. I thank you so much for joining us. And until next time, remember faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.