07-12-2010, 12:17 AM
:heartbeat::heartbeat: Acts 5:29 :heartbeat::heartbeat:
27 When they had brought them[Peter and John- Acts 4:13, and other un-named apostles], they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us."
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.
30 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 "And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."
...and the first time the high priest had threatened the apostles and "commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus" -
Acts 4:13-22
Threat and Release
Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, saying, "What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. "But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name." And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard." When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.
Imagine, uneducated and untrained men(by the religious leaders' standards!) having the "confidence" and unfaltering faith to bravely stand by obedience to God, whatever the cost, instead of obedience to the Pharisees' gag order! And so it is today, for we cannot stop speaking about Jesus in God's plan of salvation; and we will not obey men's words over God's words. Peter, John, and the other apostles were led on their mission by only their trust in Jesus as the prophesied Messiah and the Holy Spirit of God. We, too, must measure men's words against God's, in order to provide "witness of these things", and if a choice needs to be made: "We must obey God rather than men."!
:heartbeat: Acts 1:8
"... but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Love to you from
Your sister in Christ, Willa :heartbeat:
27 When they had brought them[Peter and John- Acts 4:13, and other un-named apostles], they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us."
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.
30 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 "And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."
...and the first time the high priest had threatened the apostles and "commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus" -
Acts 4:13-22
Threat and Release
Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, saying, "What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. "But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name." And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard." When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.
Imagine, uneducated and untrained men(by the religious leaders' standards!) having the "confidence" and unfaltering faith to bravely stand by obedience to God, whatever the cost, instead of obedience to the Pharisees' gag order! And so it is today, for we cannot stop speaking about Jesus in God's plan of salvation; and we will not obey men's words over God's words. Peter, John, and the other apostles were led on their mission by only their trust in Jesus as the prophesied Messiah and the Holy Spirit of God. We, too, must measure men's words against God's, in order to provide "witness of these things", and if a choice needs to be made: "We must obey God rather than men."!
:heartbeat: Acts 1:8
"... but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Love to you from
Your sister in Christ, Willa :heartbeat: