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A Leopard’s Spots Don’t Change…

Passage To Study: Acts 5:27-33

27And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”

29But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

33When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them.

(Verse 27-28) - Straitly command you - Did we not command you with a “threat?” (Acts 4:17-18, 21).

In this name - In the name of Jesus.

Ye have filled Jerusalem - This, though not so desired, was an honorable tribute to the zeal and fidelity of the apostles. When Chastens are arraigned or persecuted, it is well if the only charge which their enemies can bring against them is that they have been distinguished for zeal and success in propagating their religion. (See 1 Pet. 4:16, “If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glory God on this behalf”; also Acts 5:13-15).

Intend to bring this man’s blood upon us - To bring “one’s blood” upon another is a phrase signifying to hold or to prove him guilty of murdering the innocent. The expression here charges them with desiring to prove that they had put Jesus to death when he was innocent; to convince “the people” of this, and thus to enrage them against the Sanhedrin; and also to prove that they were guilty, and were exposed to the divine vengeance for having put the Messiah to death. (Compare Acts 2:23, 36; 3:15; 7:52). That the apostles “did” intend to charge them with being guilty of murder is clear; but it is observable that on “this occasion” they had said no thing of this, and it is further observable that they did not charge it on them “except in their presence.” They took no pains to spread this among the people, “except as the people were accessory to the crime of the rulers,” (Acts 2:23, 36). Their consciences were not at ease, and the remembrance of the death of Jesus would occur to them at once at the sight of the apostles.

(Verse 29) - We ought to obey - (See Acts 4:19).

(Verse 30) - Raised up Jesus - This refers to his resurrection.

Hanged on a tree - That is, on the “cross,” (Gal. 3:13; 1 Pet. 2:24; Acts 10:39; 13:29). This is the amount of Peter’s defense. He begins with the great principle (Acts 5:29), which they could not deny, that God ought to be obeyed rather than man. He then proceeds to state that they were convinced that God had raised up Jesus from the dead, and as they had such decisive evidence of that, and were commanded by the authority of the Lord Jesus to be “witnesses of that,” they were not “at liberty” to be silent. They were bound to obey God rather than the Sanhedrin, and to make known everywhere the fact that the Lord Jesus was risen. The remark that God had raised up Jesus whom they had “slain,” does not seem to have been made to irritate or to reproach them, but merely to “identify” him as the person that had been raised. It was also a confirmation of the truth and reality of the miracle. Of his “death” they had no doubt, for they had been at pains to certify it, (John 19:31-34). It is certain, however, that Peter did not shrink from charging on them their guilt; nor was he at any pains to “soften” or “mitigate” the severe charge that they had murdered their own Messiah.

(Verse 31) - Him hath God exalted – (See Acts 2:33).

To be a Prince – (See Acts 3:15). In that place he is called the “Prince of life.” Here it means that he is actually in the “exercise” of the office of a prince or a king, at the right hand of his Father. The title “Prince,” or “King,” was one which was well known as applied to the Messiah. It denotes that he has “dominion” and “power,” especially the power which is needful to give repentance and the pardon of sins.

A Savior – (See Matt. 1:21).

To give repentance - The word “repentance” here is referring to salvation and speaks of the ultimate bringing of Israel to faith at the time of the end.

To Israel - This word properly denotes the “Jews”; but his office was not to be confined to the Jews. Other passages show that it would be also extended to the “Gentiles.” The reasons why the “Jews” are particularly specified here are, probably:

(1) Because the Messiah was long promised to the Jewish people, and his first work was there; and,

(2) Because Peter was addressing Jews, and was particularly desirous of leading “them” to repentance.

Forgiveness of sins - Pardon of sin; the act which can be performed by God only, (Mark 2:7).

In what sense the Lord Jesus “gives repentance,” or how is his “exaltation” connected with it?:

(1) His exaltation is evidence that his work was accepted, and that thus a foundation is laid by which repentance is available, and may be connected with pardon. Unless there was some way of “forgiveness,” repentance for sin would be of no value, even if exercised. Christ, by his work, provides the only foundation by which repentance may avail before God. The righteousness imputed by God to the believing sinner is the foundation of salvation.

(2) He is entrusted with all power in heaven and earth with “reference” to this, to apply his work to his people; or, in other words, to bring them to repentance. (See John 17:2; Matt. 28:18).

(3) His exaltation is immediately connected with the bestowment of the Holy Spirit, by whose sole influence people are brought to repentance, (John 16:7-11). The Spirit is represented as being “sent” by him as well as by the Father, (John 15:26; 16:7).

(4) Jesus has power in this state of exaltation over all things that can affect the mind. He sends his ministers; he directs the events of sickness or disappointment, of health or prosperity, that will influence the heart. There is no doubt that he can so recall the sins of the past life, and refresh the memory, as to overwhelm the soul in the consciousness of guilt. Thus also he can appeal to man by his “goodness,” and by a sense of his mercies; and especially he can so present a view of “his own” life and death as to affect the heart, and show the evil of the past life of the sinner. Knowing the heart, he knows all the avenues by which it can be approached, and in an instant he can overwhelm the soul with the remembrance of crime.

(5) There is little doubt that this also speaks of the ability to repent itself as well. In the context we see a group of men who had witnessed the miracles of Christ, heard his words countless times, and had seen the resurrection, yet they are here portrayed as unrepentant. It is clear that the intent of god is for us to understand that is God who grants repentance to men, that it is not solely a human capacity.

It was “proper” that the power of pardon should be lodged with the same being that has the power of producing repentance, because:

1. The one appropriately follows the other.

2. They are parts of the same great work - the work which the Savior came to do; “to remove sin, with all its effects, from the human soul.” This power of “pardon” Jesus exercised when he was on the earth, and this he can now dispense in the heavens, (Mark 2:9-11).

And from this we may learn:

(1) That Christ is “divine.” It is a dictate of natural religion that none can forgive sins against God but God himself. None can pardon but the Being who has been offended. And this is also the dictate of the Bible. The power of “pardoning” sin is one that God claims as “his” prerogative, and it is clear that it can pertain to no other. (See Isa. 43:25; Dan. 9:9; Ps. 130:4). Yet Jesus Christ exercised this power when on earth; gave “evidence” that the exercise of that power was one that was acceptable to God by working a miracle, and removing the “consequences” of sin with which God had visited upon the sinner (Matt. 9:6), and exercises it still in heaven. He must, therefore, be divine.

(2) The sinner is, thus, dependent on him for the exercise of repentance, and for forgiveness. It can come at no other hand and because of no other cause.

(3) The proud sinner must be humbled at his feet. He must be willing to come and receive eternal life at “his” hands. No step is more humiliating than this for proud and hardened people; and there is none which they are more reluctant to do. We always shrink from coming into the presence of one whom we have offended; we are extremely reluctant to confess a fault; but it “must be done,” or the soul must be lost for ever. There is no pardon for sin apart from repentance.

(Verse 32) - And we are his witnesses - For this purpose they had been appointed, (Acts 1:8, 21-22; 2:32; 3:15; Luke 24:48).

Of these things - Particularly of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and of the events which had followed it. Perhaps, however, he meant to include everything pertaining to the life, teachings, and death of the Lord Jesus.

And so is also - The descent of the Holy Spirit to endow them with remarkable gifts (Acts 2:1-4), to awaken and convert such a multitude (Acts 2:41; 4:4; 5:14), was an unanswerable attestation of the truth of these doctrines and of the Christian religion. So manifest and decided was the presence of God attending them, that “they” could have no doubt that what they said was true; and so open and public was this attestation, that it was an evidence to all the people of the truth of their doctrine.

(Verse 33) - When they heard that - That which the apostle Peter had said, to wit, that they were guilty of murder; that Jesus was raised up; and that he still lived as the Messiah.

They were cut to the heart - The word used here properly denotes “to cut with a saw”; and as applied to the “mind,” it means to be agitated with “rage” and “indignation,” as if wrath should seize upon the mind as a saw does upon wood, and tear it violently, or agitate it severely. When used in connection with “the heart,” it means that the heart is violently agitated and rent with rage. (See Acts 7:54). It is not used elsewhere in the New Testament. The “reasons” why they were thus indignant were doubtless:

(1) Because the apostles had disregarded their command;

(2) Because they charged them with murder;

(3) Because they affirmed the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus, and thus tended to overthrow the sect of the Sadducees. The effect of the doctrines of the gospel is often to make people enraged.

Took counsel - The word rendered “took counsel” denotes commonly “to will”; then, “to deliberate”; and sometimes “to decree” or “to determine.” It doubtless implies here that “their minds “were made up” to do it; but probably the formal decree was not passed to put them to death.

Jeremiah voiced the question: “Can a leopard change his spots”? There, it was a rhetorical question and the implied answer was: “No – it cannot”. The point being that men cannot change their own natures. They are, as God is, prisoners of their natural state. God cannot sin, for His nature forbids it. Men, in their unregenerate state, cannot do that which is good and righteous and meritorious in God’s eyes, because that is the confining nature of their natural state. We see that here demonstrated. These Jewish leaders had seen all that there was to see of the truth of Christ’s identity and of His power and godhead. They were direct witnesses to it all. They had been confronted with their own sinfulness and their culpability before God by Christ Himself, and now by the Apostles, yet they refused repentance. The leopard cannot change its spots. Men repent because it is given to them by God to repent. Peter tells us that this is a part of the reason why Christ came to earth – to grant Israel repentance. We need to understand that salvation is of the Lord, and of the Lord alone!

I need to pray for those around me who are unsaved, beseeching God to grant them repentance and bring them to Christ as I obey Him and proclaim the Gospel to them.