Acts

5:17-42

2. The early church in Jerusalem, 1:12-6:7

xiv] The disciples before the Sanhedrin

In chapter 5, Luke records the apostle's confrontation with the Sanhedrin. In v17-42 we read of the apostles' arrest, their miraculous escape from prison, their rearrest, and Peter's defence of their actions before the Sanhedrin. Luke records how the apostles, under the Lord, have no need to step back from their preaching mission.

It is quite possible that Luke has no other intent in Acts than simply recording the advance of the gospel from Jerusalem to the center of world, Rome, and the important part played in this advance by his hero Paul, apostle to the Gentiles. None-the-less, life is usually not that simple! Dunn identifies the pointed critique of the Sadducees and their repression of the gospel. Tannehill also thinks Luke focuses on the opposition of the Sadducees, particularly as they represent the temple authorities who plotted Jesus' death and continue in their persecution of his flock. For Luke, the apostles, under the Lord, do not give ground on their preaching mission in the temple and although the authorities rant and rave, they are left befuddled before God's mighty hand; the gospel is not muffled. Tannehill also notes the link between the Sadducees' opposition and the apostles' preaching on the resurrection; the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Johnson notes that this second trial before the Sanhedrin is filled with irony; pomp and circumstance is pitted against the powerful will of God revealed in the miraculous release of the apostles from prison. "God is at work in the apostles, and they will not be stopped." Barrett agrees on "the uselessness of fighting against God", and adds that Luke is also about identifying the apostle's representative role, the independence of Christianity from Judaism, the authoritative foundation of the gospel as a message concerning "the God of our fathers", and of the positive approach, at least at this point of time, of the Pharisees.

In v17-18 Luke records the custodians of temple worship taking action against the apostles for flouting their instruction to cease preaching in the temple precincts.

anastaV (anisthmi) aor. part. "then" - having stood up. Participle of attendant circumstances, identifying an action that accompanies the main verb "were filled." Usually regarded as redundant and only serving to link the Sadducees' action with the preceding verse, so NIV. Possible variant, "Annas stood up." "Thereupon", Bruce.

ousa (eimi) "who were [members]" - being [the sect of the Sadducees]. The participle of the verb to-be is adjectival, attributive, limiting the noun "the party", usually translated as a relative clause, as NIV. Possibly a technical use meaning "current", so "local" as of "the local party (school) of the Sadducees", Barrett.

twn Saddoukaiwn gen. "the Sadducees" - The genitive is relational, identifying the members of the party.

zhlou (oV) gen. "[full of] jealousy" - zeal, jealousy. The genitive is adjectival, descriptive, particularly of content, what they were full of; "envy", Bruce, although a positive sense is possible, "a holy sense of the truth as they believed it to be", cf. Barrett.

epebalon (epiballw) aor. "they arrested" - they laid, threw [the hands upon the apostles]. The use of "apostles" here may indicate a more extensive roundup and arrest than just Peter and John.

dhmosia/ adj. or adv. "public [jail]" - Bruce thinks the word is used as an adjective, as NIV, describing something about the prison, possibly just "city jail", CEV, or "public" in the sense of a jail for the riffraff; "the common jail", Williams. As an adverb it means "put them in prison publically", Barrett, that is, in such a way as to shame them.

Note the limited description of the breakout. Luke does not focus on the miracle, but on the apostles continued proclamation of the gospel and the Sadducees distress.

dia + gen. "during" - through in time or place.

nuktoV "night" - A variant has the article, thus "the night in question."

aggeloV "an angel" - A messenger of the Lord, one who attends to God's divine will.

kuriou (oV) gen. "of the Lord" - The genitive may be ablative of source, "an angel from the Lord", although the lack of the article with both "angel" and "Lord" is typical of the LXX and usually indicates a possessive genitive, as of "belonging to the Lord." The actual identity of "the Lord" is not spelled out, either Jesus, or God.

exagagwn (exagw) aor. part. "brought [them] out" - having led out, brought out. Participle of attendant circumstance, identifying an action accompanying the main verb "he said."

Continued proclamation is the order of the day.

staqenteV (iJsthmi) aor. pas. part. "stand" - [go and] having stood. Attendant circumstance participle identifying an action accompanying the main verb "go". As usual, best translated by a finite verb joined by "and", here taking its imperatival force from the imperative "go"; "go and stand in the temple", Moffatt.

panta "[the] full [message]" - all [the words]. They must proclaim "all" the words, hold nothing back.

thV zwhV gen. "of [this] new life" - [all the words] of [this] life. Probably a genitive of reference, "the full message with respect to / with reference to this life." Bruce notes that the words "life" and "salvation" are interchangeable when used of the Christian message (the gospel), cf. 13:26. So, probably a shorthand way of saying "this way of life" = the gospel, although most translators opt for "new life", as NIV.

The story is told with a definite touch of irony. The Sanhedrin was doing its thing, but the Lord was doing his thing. This possibility is later acknowledged by the Pharisees, particularly Gamaliel with his comment, "if it is from God, you will not be able to destroy them." For Luke, the focus is on "the impotence of human authorities to control the course of events", Tannehill, or more particularly, the impotence of human authorities to hinder the communication of the gospel; the message of God's grace in Christ cannot be hindered by any powers or authorities.

akousanteV (akouw) aor.part. "-" - having heard. Temporal participle; "after receiving these instructions", Phillips.

uJpo + acc. of time "at [daybreak]" - under [the early morning]. This preposition followed by an accusative would normally be translated "under", but it is rather awkward to describe the apostles entering the temple "under the dawning sun", although the construction is classical for "at daybreak", as NIV. Culy suggests the construction may imply stealth.

paragenomenoV (paraginomai) aor. part. "when .... arrived" - having come. Temporal participle, as NIV. Obviously they didn't arrive where the apostles were preaching, but "arrived at the place where the Sanhedrin was to meet", Barrett.

kai "[the Sanhedrin]" - [the full assembly of the elders]" - and. Bruce suggests the conjunction here is epexegetic, introducing an explanation of the makeup of the "Sanhedrin"; "the Sanhedrin, that is, the whole Jewish senate", Barclay.

acqhnai (agw) aor. pas. inf. "for" - [sent to the jail] to be brought, led, driven [to them]. The infinitive expresses purpose, "the authorities sent word to the jail in order to have the apostles brought to them."

paragenomenoi (paraginomai) aor. part. "on arriving" - having come, appeared. The participle is adjectival, attributive, "the arriving servants" = "the servants who arrived", although a temporal sense makes better sense, "when the officers arrived at the prison", NJB.

oiJ uJphretai (hV ou) "the officers" - the assistants. "Probably Levities of the temple watch", Bruce.

anastreyanteV (anastrefw) aor. part. "so they went back" - having returned. The participle is possibly attendant circumstance, expressing action accompanying the verb "reported", so translated as a finite verb, "they returned and told their story", Barclay, but also possibly temporal, "afterward they went back and reported", or even consecutive expressing result, "with the result that they went back and reported", as NIV, NAB, REB, NJB .....

legonteV (legw) pres. part. "-" - saying. Pleonastic (redundant) participle.

oJti "-" Introducing a dependent statement, direct speech.

en pash/ asfaleia/ "securely" - with/in all safety/security. Expressing the manner in which the door was locked. "locked tight", CEV.

kekleismenon (kleiw) perf. pas. part. acc. "locked" - having been closed, locked, shut. The perfect tense expressing an action completed with ongoing consequences, so "incarcerated". The substantive participle, along with the noun "jail", forms a double accusative object-complement construction, cf. Wallace p182. "We found (verb) the prison (accusative object) securely locked (accusative complement)."

eJstwtaV (iJsthmi) perf. part. acc. "standing" - [and (we found) the gards] having stood [at the door]. As above, another double accusative object-complement; "we found (verb) the guards (accusative object) standing (accusative complement)."

anoixanteV (anoigw) aor. part. "when we opened them" - having opened. Temporal participle as NIV. "When we unlocked the door we found no one inside", NJB.

dihporoun (diaporew) imperf. "were puzzled" - were thoroughly perplexed, baffled. Note again how the focus of this episode is not so much on the miraculous escape, but rather the confused response of the authorities as they are faced with their incapacity to muzzle the gospel. If the escape were all about escaping arrest then they wouldn't have been sent back to the temple to commence their preaching and so be arrested again. The story highlights the impotence of those who would muzzle the gospel. "Were quite at a loss", Moffatt.

ti (tiV) "what" - certain. Here the particle is most likely interrogative, as NIV. Possibly best translated as a direct quote of what they thought; "they wondered 'what will happen because of this?'", NCV.

an + opt. "-" - Probably an example of an oblique optative, a construction used only by Luke in the NT., expressing what is merely thought in indirect discourse, much the same as a deliberative subjunctive, but stronger, BDF#386. Wallace, on the other hand, does not regard it as oblique since it is with the particle an and is thus a potential optative functioning in an incomplete (always so in NT.) conditional sentence 4th class where the stated condition, which must be supplied, has a vague possibility of occurring in the future. So, the authorities "were puzzled" in the terms of something like: "if these men have somehow vanished from a jail cell which was locked and properly guarded (unstated protasis), "what could be happening?", NJB (apodosis). The "wondering", not in the Gk. but deduced from the use of the optative, is possibly akin to "being amazed", that is, troubled by a divine mystery; something unnatural had occurred. "They were completely mystified at the apostles' disappearance and wondered what further developments there would be", Phillips.

paragenomenoV (paraginomai) aor. part. "then [someone] came" - having come, arrived, appeared. Usually treated as a temporal participle, as NIV., but properly attendant circumstances and so translated as a finite verb joined to the verb it attends with "and"; "however, someone came and reported to them", Moffatt. (James is the expert when it comes to participles!).

eisin (eimi) + pres. part. "[are] ..... teaching [the people]" - Forming a present periphrastic construction where the durative nature of the action is probably being emphasized, "they are teaching again."

tote "at that" - then, at that moment.

oJ strathgoV "the captain" - a commander of a military unit. Here referring to the captain of the temple guard.

apelqwn (apercomai) aor. part. "went" - The participle forms a temporal clause with tote.

meta + gen. "they did [not] use [force]" - not with force. The sense here is that the officers led the apostles as if escorting them rather than as if they had arrested them; "they dared not use any violence", Phillips.

efobounto (fobew) imperf. "they feared" - they feared. The imperfect tense expressing durative action, ongoing fear.

mh liqasqwsin (liqazw) aor. pas. subj. "that [the people] would stone them" - lest they should be stoned. A particular usage of the subjunctive with this negation used after the verb "fear" expressing "warning, caution or anxiety", Wallace. The officers are probably anxious about their own safety, rather than the safety of the apostles.

agagonteV (agw) aor. part. "having brought" - having brought [them they stood in the council]. The participle is probably attendant circumstance; "they brought them in and placed them before", Barclay, but possibly temporal; "when they brought them in to face the Sanhedrin", NJB.

oJ arciereuV - iJreuV "the High Priest" - Note the possible alternate reading "priest", or even "temple manager"

ou "-" - no. Variant. This negation used in a question where the answer is positive; "did we not strictly order you ..?", Barclay.

paraggelia/ (a) dat. "strict [orders]" - [didn't we command you] with a command. Emphasizing the command. Possibly an imitation of a Hebrew infinitive absolute, Barrett. The apostles, having previously been commanded to be silent, are in a sense, now in contempt of court.

mh didaskein (didaskw) pres. inf. "not to teach" - The infinitive is used to form a dependent statement expressing what the authorities originally told the apostles not to do, namely, "teach".

epi tw/ onomati toutw/ "in this name" - upon/on the name this/that. Presumably "in the name of Jesus", cf. 4:18, but the authorities don't want to mention Jesus' name. "We gave you strict orders not to go on teaching in that name", NCV.

peplhrwkate (plhrow) perf. "you have filled" - The perfect tense (an aorist variant exists) is probably extensive (consummative), emphasizing the completed past action of filling Jerusalem with their teaching which has now produced ongoing disturbing consequences.

tou anqrwpou toutou "of this man's [blood]" - [the blood] of this man. "The expression is disparaging", Barrett.

to aiJma (a atoV) "blood" - Referring to Jesus' execution. The authorities feel they are being accused of playing a part in a sham trial and execution. The apostles certainly hold the Jewish authorities responsible, rather than the Roman authorities. "Whom you crucified", is fairly pointed, and Peter goes on to restate the charge in 5:30. It is unlikely that the authorities feel any shame for their actions, but they certainly would be concerned if the populous begin to hold them responsible for a miscarriage of justice. "You are determined to fasten the guilt of that man's death upon us", Phillips.

PetroV kai oiJ apostoloi "Peter and the other apostles" - The order in the Gk. suggests that it was Peter who actually spoke and did so with the agreement of, and on behalf of, the other apostles.

apokriqeiV (apokrinomai) aor. pas. part. "[replied]" - having answered [Peter and the apostles said]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "said", redundant.

peiqarcein (peiqarcew) pres. inf. "We [must] obey" - to obey [is necessary]. The infinitive functions as the subject of verb "is necessary." The sense is that where there is a conflict between the authority of God and the authority of man (secular or religious powers), "we must obey the orders of God rather than the orders of men", Phillips.

qew/ (oV) dat. "God" - Probably best classed as a dative of reference "to obey is necessary with respects / reference to God." "Man" is also dative being the complement of "God".

twn paterwn hJmwn "of our fathers" - Genitive of relationship where Peter ties the apostles and the authorities together under the same God, Yahweh. "The Christian faith is the fulfillment, not the contradiction of Judaism", Barrett.

hgeiren (egairw) aor. "raised [Jesus] from the dead" - raised, lifted up. The NIV, as do most commentators, assumes that Luke is referring to the resurrection of Jesus, but it is possible that Luke has in mind the establishing of Jesus as messiah, in the same sense as God "raised up (exalted) David", cf. 3:26, 13:33. God anointed Jesus as Israel's long-awaited prophet, priest and king. NRSV has "raised up", but gives the game away with a tense change to the perfect, "had killed" for "killed", similarly aorist. "It was the God of our fathers who raised Jesus, who you murdered by hanging him on a cross of wood. God has raised this man to his own right hand as prince and saviour", Phillips.

dieceirisasqe (dieceirizw) aor. "you had killed" - you sized and killed. "Murdered".

kremasanteV (krennanumi) aor. part. "by hanging him [on a tree]" - having hung [upon a tree/wood/post + gallows, cross]. The participle is instrumental, Jesus was murdered "by means of" crucifixion. The reference is to Deut.21:22-23.

uJywsen (uJyow) aor. "[God] exalted" - lifted up, exalted. It does seem logical that if "exalted" is intended here, in terms of Christ's ascension and glorification, then the previous "raised/lifted up" in v30 refers to the resurrection, but none-the-less it probably refers to Christ's resurrection and ascension.

th/ dexia/ dat. "to [his] right hand" - The dative is possibly local, as NIV, but instrumental seems better, "by/with his right hand."

archgon kai swthra "Prince and Savior" - Best treated as a double accusative, "exalted him as Prince and Savior", Culy, so NIV., but possibly as compound accusatives that are predicative, "exalted him to be Prince and Savior", Barrett. The term "Prince" probably equates with "Lord" = the glorified messiah, Bruce. "Savior", a not-so-common title for Jesus, but an obvious one in that he is the one who rescues us from sin and death.

dounai (didwmi) aor. inf. "that he might give" - to give, grant. Variant of a genitive article exists producing an articular infinitive. The infinitive is adverbial, probably expressing purpose, "in order to give", Williams.

metanoian (a) "repentance" - The gift of a time of repentance, an opportunity to repent, rather than repentance itself.

Israhl "Israel" - The gift is to Israel first, and then to all flesh.

hJmeiV "we" - The position is emphatic.

twn rJhmatwn toutwn "of these things" - of these words. Probably a genitive of reference, "we are witnesses with respect to these matters, that is, the glorification of the messiah, Jesus, through his death resurrection and ascension."

kai "and so is [the Holy Spirit]" - and. Here establishing a coordinate relationship. The apostles' witness "is only possible in the power and at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit", Dunn.

toiV peiqarcousin (peiqarcew) pres. part. "to those who obey [him]" - to the ones who obey. The participle functions as a substantive. An unusual word, obviously meaning something less mechanical than "practice obedience / obey his commands." "Commitment" is more likely; "full commitment to Christ's cause", Dunn.

Acts Introduction

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