Acts 5

Chap. V. Ver. 1—16. The sin and punishment of Ananias The consequences of these awful judgments from God were such as might naturally have been expected. “Great fear fell upon all the church,” and not upon them only, but also “upon as many (others) as heard these things;” none of “the rest,” therefore, who were not sincere converts, dare unite themselves with the believers. Another effect of this awful judgment was, that the people, fully satisfied of the miraculous powers of the apostles, brought their sick and demoniacs for cure, and, consequently, many signs and wonders were wrought among the people—all contributing to the enlargement and glory of the Christian church, which by this time was increased to 5000, or more persons, as stated in the preceding chapter, (verse 4.) Ver.

17—42. The Apostles again imprisoned, and called to account before the Sanhedrim.—It is shocking to learn from Josephus himself, that many of the high priests were Sadducees; and from this man’s setar surrounded with persons of that sect, it is very natural to suppose that this High Priest was one of them—God’s high priest, believing neither in angel nor spirit, nor in the resurrection from the dead! ((Acts 23:8).) “The Sadducees (says the late excellent Milner) appear at this time to have had the chief sway in the Jewish state. These formed a licentious, worldly-minded sect; and in their opinions, they were the most corrupt of all those which at that time were maintained in Judea. The High Priest and his party were of this sect, and were filled with indignation to see the progress of the gospel.

Their first step was to imprison the apostles, who by night, through the ministry of an angel, were set free, and ordered to preach in the temple. The next morning a full Sanhedrim was convened, and the apostles were ordered to be brought into court. An angel had opened the prison doors, and the court was astonished to find that the prisoners had escaped: they were, however, informed, that they were preaching in the temple. The favourable regard of the common people obliged the Sanhedrim to use some address in conducting their prisoners in a gentle manner before the court. The High Priest upbraids them with their disobedience to the former injunction of silence; to whom they returned their former answer, that they “ought to obey God rather than men.” They bore witness to the resurrection of Christ, and declared that “God had exalted him with his right hand, to be a prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins;”

and that the Holy Ghost, “whom God bestows on those who obey him, witnessed” the same thing. With such plainness did these first Christians lay open the real nature of the gospel, and exhibit it as something extremely different from a mere system of morals, though it included all good morality in its nature. The testimony of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins through his blood, and the operations of the Holy Ghost, as they were doubtless the peculiarities of Christianity, so they were those things which most offended the Jewish rulers; and have been, indeed, the chief object of the enmity of unconverted men in all ages.” “The spirit of persecution was proceeding to exercise itself in violent counsels.

There was, however, one Gamaliel among them, a Pharisee; of a sect not, indeed, inimical to the doctrine of a resurrection, and by no means so heterodox, in general, as the Sadducees, though, on the whole, agreeing with them in the hatred of Christianity. This man was judicious, learned, and respectable, and possessed much worldly prudence. Providence made an important use of him at this time, to prolong twelve most valuable lives, who were designed to spread the gospel through the world; and by their inspired writings (not one of which was yet published) to speak to us at this day. Gamaliel, by some authentic historical precedents, instructed the members of the court, that persons who rose up to propagate new sects, if not sent of God, were soon annihilated.

He wished them to exercise forbearance and moderation towards the apostles, whose influence would soon come to nothing, if it were merely human; if divine, to attempt its destruction would be equally foolish and impious. This sage advice was followed, and the apostles were dismissed; but not without stripes, and a severe charge given them, no more to preach in the name of Jesus. They ceased not, however, to teach and preach Jesus Christ; and rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his sake. We must not here forget to remark, that this Gamaliel was the tutor of St. Paul, who was brought up at his feet, and perhaps had not yet finished his Jewish studies: but how little did this man think that he was now training up a youth, who, but in little more than a year, should come forward as the champion of that Jesus, and that Gospel, which they were now considering the best means to suppress.

Perhaps even Saul himself was now present, attending on his master: perhaps in his own mind censuring his cautious coolness, and anticipating the day when he might be at liberty to persecute the professors of this new sect. But Jesus was exalted on high, “to give repentance to Israel;” and the hour of Saul’s conversion was fast approaching. Though Gamaliel was evidently an enemy of Jesus, yet the temper and moderation of his advice, in this instance, has been commended more frequently than copied; but we have more to admire in the providence of God, who now raised up to the disciples of Jesus an unexpected advocate, and one who, by his prudence, for a while checked the fury of his brethren.

“So does God sometimes use the good sense and temper of those who do not themselves receive the Gospel, for the protection of those who are faithfully devoted to his service.” Doddridge.

Notes on the verses

Chap. V. Ver. 3. To lie to the Holy Ghost.—Marg. “to deceive.” Doddridge, “To impose on the Holy Spirit.” But this attempt to impose (or deceive) was by telling a falsehood: we therefore prefer the common rendering. Ver. 4. Unto men—i.e. “unto men only.” Compare (Exodus 16:8). (1 Samuel 8:7). Ver. 5. Gave up the ghost.—Doddridge, “Expired.” So ver. 10. Voltaire, so celebrated for wit and vice, has dressed up the story to make it ridiculous, just as Nero did some of the Christians in pitch jackets, to burn them. If any persons wish to see his misrepresentations exposed, they may see this completely done in Dr. Findlay’s Vindication of the Sacred Books. Ver. 11. And great fear.—There is some difficulty and obscurity in the arrangement of this and the following verses, to ver.

17. Doddridge, following our translators, places a part of verse 12, (“And they were all,” &c.) to the end of verse 14, in a parenthesis, connecting verse 12 with verse 15, thus: “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought; insomuch that they brought,” &c. Dr. A. Clarke, and Preb. Townsend, arrange the verses thus—11, 13, 14, 12, 15, &c. Bishop Sherlock, thus:—Verse 11 to 14, 12 part 2, 13, 12 part 1, 15, &c. Ver. 12. Solomon’s porch.—Josephus informs us, that Solomon, when he built the temple, finding the area of Mount Moriah too small to answer his magnificent plan, filled up a part of the adjacent stages and built an outward portico over it toward the east. This is what was called Solomon’s Porch: it was a most noble structure, supported by a wall 400 cubits high, and consisting of stones of a vast bulk, being 20 cubits long, and six cubits high.

It was only left standing because of its grandeur and beauty; and Josephus speaks of it as continuing even to the time of Albinus and Agrippa.—B. Ver. 16. Them which were vexed with unclean spirits.—See note on (Luke 4:33). Ver. 17. The sect of the Sadducees.—Are there now none, high in the church, and yet infidel in heart? Ver. 20. The words of this life—i.e. of the eternal life they were commissioned to preach. Ver. 23. We found no man within.—This shows that the apostles were put into a part of the prison by themselves. Ver. 29. We ought to obey God.—(There is a passage, says Doddridge, on (Acts 4:19). which bears some resemblance to this, in the apology of Socrates, as recorded by Plato, which appears to me among the finest of antiquity.

When they were condemning him to death for teaching the people, he said, “O ye Athenians, I embrace and love you; but I will obey God rather than you; and if you would dismiss me, and spare my life, on condition that I should cease to teach my fellow-citizens, I would rather die a thousand times than accept the proposal.” What are ten thousand subtleties of the ancient philosophers, when compared with a sentiment like this!]—Bagsver. Ver. 31. With his right hand.—Doddridge, “at his right hand.” Ver. 33. They were cut to the heart—i.e. with vexation; not pierced to the heart with conviction, as those in (Acts 2:37), but as it were stung (to the heart) with vexation. (See Parkhurst in Diaprio.) Ver.

34. Gamaliel.—The elder of that name, a man in so high honour among the Jews, that Onkelos (author of the Targum) is said to have burnt 70 lbs. weight of perfumes at his funeral. Nay, it is said, the honour of the law failed in him.—Doddridge. Ver. 36. Theudas.—[This was probably the same with the Judas, (for Jude is called Thaddeus, (Matthew 10:3).) of whom Josephus says, that ‘a little after the death of Herod the great, he raised an insurrection in Galilee, and aimed at getting the sovereignty of Judea,” and that he was defeated and put to death.]—Bagster. Ver. 37. Judas of Galilee.—{Judas the Gaulonite, as he is termed by Josephus, opposed the levying of taxes by Cyrenius; but he was soon cut off, and all his followers dispersed.

—Bagster. Ver. 42. In every house.—It was long after this before any places of worshiping mainly; frequently several of them in a city were expressly [built]. As a very early [example], a house became a church. See (1 Corinthians 16)[Meads: ae Pn, Somers Te]