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Obeying God Rather Than Men

Passage To Study: Acts 5:40-42

40And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

(Verse 40) - And to him they agreed - Greek: They were “persuaded” by him; or they trusted to him. They agreed only so far as their design of putting them to death was concerned. They abandoned that design. But they did “not” comply with his advice to let them entirely alone.

And beaten them - The usual amount of “lashes” which were inflicted on offenders was 39, (2 Cor. 11:24). “Beating,” or “whipping,” was a common mode of punishing minor offences among the Jews. It was expressly foretold by the Savior that the apostles would be subjected to this, (Matt. 10:17). The reason why they did not adopt the advice of Gamaliel altogether doubtless was, that if they did, they feared that their “authority” would be despised by the people. They had commanded them not to preach; they had threatened them (Acts 4:18; 5:28); they had imprisoned them (Acts 5:18); and now, if they suffered them to go without even the “appearance” of punishment, their authority, they feared, would be despised by the nation, and it would be supposed that the apostles had triumphed over the Sanhedrin. It is probable, also, that they were so indignant, that they could not suffer them to go without the gratification of subjecting them to the public odium of a “whipping.” People, if they cannot accomplish their full purposes of malignity against the gospel, will take up with even some petty annoyance and malignity rather than let it alone.

(Verse 41) - Rejoicing - Nothing to most people would seem more disgraceful than a public whipping. It is a punishment inflicted usually not so much because it gives “pain,” as because it is esteemed to be attended with disgrace. The Jewish rulers doubtless desired that the apostles might be so affected with the sense of this disgrace as to be unwilling to appear again in public, or to preach the gospel anymore. Yet in this they were disappointed. The effect was just the reverse. If it be asked WHY they rejoiced in this manner, we may reply:

(1)   Because they were permitted thus to imitate the example of the Lord Jesus. He had been scourged and reviled, and they were glad that they were permitted to be treated as he was. (Compare Phil 3:10; Col. 1:24; 1 Pet. 4:13), “Rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings.”

(2)   Because, by this, they had evidence that they were the friends and followers of Christ. It was clear they were engaged in the same cause that he was. They were enduring the same sufferings, and striving to advance the same interests. As they loved the “cause,” they would rejoice in enduring even the shame and sufferings which the cause, of necessity, involved. The kingdom of the Redeemer was an object so transcendently important, that FOR it they were willing to endure all the afflictions and disgrace which it might involve.

(3)   They had been told to “expect” this, and they now rejoiced that they had THIS evidence that they were engaged in the cause of truth. (Matt. 5:11-12; 10:17, 22; 2 Cor. 12:10; Phil 1:29; James 1:2).

(4)   Religion appears to a Christian so excellent and lovely, that he is willing, for its sake, to endure trial, persecution, and death. With “all” this, it is infinite gain; and we should be willing to endure these trials, if, by them, we may gain a crown of glory. (Compare Mark 10:30).

(5)   Christians are the professed friends of Christ. We show attachment for friends by being willing to suffer for them; to bear contempt and reproach on their account; and to share “their” persecutions, sorrows, and calamities.

(6)   The apostles were engaged in a cause of innocence, truth, and benevolence. They had “done” nothing of which to be ashamed; and they rejoiced, therefore, in a conscience void of offence, and in the consciousness of integrity and benevolence. When other people “disgrace” themselves by harsh, or vile, or opprobrious language or conduct toward “us,” we should not feel that the disgrace belongs to “us.” It is “theirs”; and we should not be ashamed or distressed, though their rage should fall on us. (See 1 Pet. 4:14-16).

Counted worthy - Esteemed to be deserving. That is, esteemed “fit” for it “by the Sanhedrin.” It does not mean that “God” esteemed them worthy, but that the Jewish council judged them fit to suffer shame in this cause. They evinced so much zeal and determination of purpose that they were judged fit objects to be treated as the Lord Jesus had himself been.

To suffer shame - To be “dishonored” or “disgraced” in the estimation of the Jewish rulers. The “particular” disgrace to which reference is made here was “whipping.” To various other kinds of shame they were also exposed. They were persecuted, reviled, and finally put to death. Here we may remark that a profession of the Christian religion has been in all ages esteemed by many to be a “disgrace.” The “reasons” are:

(1)   That Jesus is himself despised;

(2)   That his precepts are opposed to the gaiety and follies of the world;

(3)   That it attacks that on which the people of the world pride themselves;

(4)   That it requires a “spirit” which the world esteems mean and grovelling - meekness, humility, self-denial, patience, forgiveness of injuries; and,

(5)   That it requires “duties” - prayer, praise, seriousness, benevolence. All these things the people of the world esteem degrading and mean, and hence, they endeavor to subject those who practice them to disgrace. The “kinds” of disgrace to which Christians have been subjected are too numerous to be mentioned here. In former times they were subjected to the loss of property, of reputation, and to all the shame of public punishment, and to the terrors of the dungeon, the stake, or the rack. One main design of persecution was to select a kind of punishment so “disgraceful” as to deter others from professing religion. Disgrace even yet may attend it. It may subject one to the ridicule of friends - of even a father, mother, or brother. Christians hear their opinions abused; their names vilified; their Bible travestied; the name of their God profaned, and of their Redeemer blasphemed. Their feelings are often wantonly and rudely torn by the cutting sarcasm or the bitter sneer. Books and songs revile them; their specialties are made the occasion of indecent merriment on the stage and in novels; and in this way they are still subjected to shame for the name of Jesus. Every one who becomes a Christian should remember that this is a part of his inheritance, and should not esteem it dishonorable to be treated as his Master was before him, (John 15:18-20; Matt. 10:25).

For his name - For attachment to him.

(Verse 42) - And daily  - (Compare 2 Tim. 4:2. See also notes on Acts 2:46).

What makes this account so amazing is the near proximity of these events to the cowardice and abandonment of the disciples in the matters regarding the crucifixion.  We are only some few months down the road from those terrible events and their terrible failure to stand by the Lord and stand up for the truth.  These disciples have been changed in every regard since then by their exposure to the truth of the resurrection and the enabling power of the coming of the Holy Spirit.  That makes all of the difference!  It could not have been any human thing that made the difference – it had to be the Divine and powerful action of God on their behalf! That is the difference for you and I as well.  It isn’t our “want to” that makes us faithful to God.  It is certainly true that we must seek God and choose His will to serve and submit to; but in the end evaluation, it cannot be our effort that secures the blessing and accomplishes the purpose of god – it is He Who works in us both to will and to do that which is of His good pleasure!

I need to submit  myself to His gospel and to His desire for me, and trust His enabling grace and power to enable me to do what He desires me to do!