What is the meaning of Acts 5:21? At daybreak • Obedience is immediate; the apostles lose no time after the angelic release (Acts 5:19–20). • Dawn echoes other decisive moments when God’s people rise early to act (Genesis 22:3; Mark 16:2). • Light overtakes darkness, illustrating how the gospel advances despite night-time imprisonment (John 1:5). the apostles entered the temple courts • They return to the very place of previous arrest, showing fearless faith (Acts 4:1–3). • The temple is the heart of Jewish worship, so the message is proclaimed where the need is greatest (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:46). • Public ministry, not hiding, fulfills Christ’s mandate to be witnesses “in Jerusalem” (Acts 1:8). as they had been told • The angel’s command is taken literally, underscoring trust in divine authority (Acts 5:20). • Their submission models New-Covenant obedience (John 14:15). • Faith and works unite; believing the message results in decisive action (James 2:17). and began to teach the people • Teaching, not political revolt, is their weapon (Matthew 28:19–20). • Content centers on “the full message of this new life” (Acts 5:20), the risen Christ (Acts 2:32). • Continuous tense—“began… and kept on”—points to perseverance (2 Timothy 4:2). When the high priest and his associates arrived • Religious power contrasts with humble apostles (Matthew 23:6). • Unbelief blinds leaders to God’s obvious intervention (John 12:37). • Their arrival after dawn hints at spiritual sluggishness (Romans 13:11–12). they convened the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel • Maximum authority gathers, as in Christ’s trial (Luke 22:66). • Human courts presume control, yet God has already overruled by releasing the apostles (Psalm 2:1–4). • Fulfillment of Jesus’ warning that His followers would stand before councils (Mark 13:9). and sent to the jail for the apostles • The leaders act on yesterday’s information, unaware of God’s overnight deliverance (Acts 5:22–23). • Earthly confinement cannot restrain the gospel (2 Timothy 2:9). • Irony abounds: while officials seek imprisoned men, those men are freely preaching under their noses (1 Corinthians 1:27). summary Acts 5:21 showcases swift, courageous obedience birthed from divine deliverance. At first light the apostles re-enter the public arena, faithfully teaching Christ in the very stronghold of opposition. Meanwhile, Israel’s highest council gathers, confident in its authority yet oblivious to God’s higher rule. The verse affirms that when believers heed God’s word without delay, no earthly power can silence the gospel or hinder its advance. |
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