[Wed, 29 May] Acts 5:12-42 (780 words; 2/8)

Yesterday's reading concluded with a shocking display of Peter's power at the instant deaths of the deceitful couple, Anaias and Sapphira. This episode installed great fear and awe about this community, and proved that God was indeed in its midst. The verses which follow continue demonstrate this presence and power, but now back in a positive direction. Great numbers of men and women join the group as believers, and, in a summary which could have been written about Jesus, many were brought to Peter and were all healed, even by his passing shadow. Peter is certainly the chief of the apostles, but I doubt Luke means to say that only Peter had miraculous powers of healing. More likely is that Luke needs to highlight a 'hero', and cannot tells the stories of everyone else. Peter is the 'hero' of the first half or so of Acts, before in ch. 13 the focus is handed over to Paul, who takes the Gospel out into the wider world among the Gentiles. Indeed, a similar summary of amazing healing power is told of Paul in Acts 19:11-12.

Following all this success, and having ignored the warning to speak anymore in the name of this Jesus, the High Priest and Sadducees with him are jealous. In an honour/shame society, honour was a limited resource -- the more someone had, the less for everyone else. Besides their growing popularity, it was shameful that the apostles had disobeyed them. They are arrested and thrown in jail. Jail was not for punishment but for holding for trial, which could not take place at night. Punishment would likely be a beating or perhaps a flogging (more on that below). 

The trial goes badly for the authorities. They are initially humiliated by the apostles escaping and having to be escorted cordially back to their trial. The jailers are Levites, and not the Romans of the Antonia Fortress which guarded the temple mount. If they had been Roman, or servants not of the Sanhedrin but of Herod Agrippa I, they would have been executed (see 12:18-19; 16:27; 27:42). This does not mean the apostles are off the hook, however. Even though the Romans forbade official execution, the governor was no longer in town as he had been for the Passover, and flared tempers might lead to a lynching (see 7:54-60).

This does not deter Peter and the apostles, though. The High Priest complains that the apostles are trying to put blood guilt on the heads of the Sanhedrin, a serious charge. Blood guilt had to be dealt with. Peter and the apostles reaffirm their loyalty to God rather than man, implying that the Sanhedrin is not on God's side. If that point was lost on them -- which it wouldn't be -- it is hammered home by the declaration that God reversed the Sanhedrin's decision to hang Jesus on a tree (a reference to Dt 21:22-23), by raising him from the dead. The 'tree' should have proved Jesus was under God's curse. Rather, "God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." (5:31). The apostles and the Holy Spirit are witnesses to these things: those of the Sanhedrin are really the ones on trial here!

A murderous impulse seizes the court (5:33), but Gamaliel, a vastly respected Pharisee (who taught Paul), cools their blood by reasoning that God cannot be defeated, and if these men truly are acting on his behalf, it will be disasterous to oppose them. But, if these men are like everyone else who thought they were somebody, the Romans will dispatch them. So best stand back and see what happens. It is wise counsel, but Gamaliel has also failed to understand these Christians: they are not after political power. 

The apostles are flogged and let go. They might have been beaten with rods, or they might have been flogged in a more brutal way, the forty lashes minus one which Paul received on five occasions (2 Cor 11:24). This involved being tied to a post or laid out on the ground, and flogged with a calf leather strap twenty-six times on the back, and thirteen on the chest. The maximum possible allowed by the law was forty (Dt 25:2-3), so the Jews would 'minus' one to make sure they did not exceed that.

However the apostles suffered that day, the pain was supposed to inflict shame and humiliation, which in that culture is worse than the pain. Instead, they rejoiced that they had been counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake of the Name. Jesus will soon turn the whole world upside down (1 Cor 1:18-25).