2nd Term
OPPOSITION TO THE GOSPEL MESSAGE
Arrest and
imprisonment of the apostle (Act 4:1-31; 5:17-42): After the healing at the
Beautiful Gate, Peter and John entered the temple. While they were preaching,
the Sadducees arrested them for teaching the people that Jesus resurrected,
thereby converting a great number that day. The next day, Peter and John were
made to stand before the High Priest and the members of his Council. They were
amazed at the apostles’ boldness. They knew that the miraculous healing at the
gate was too convincing for the people not to believe. So, they had to free
them after instructing them not to preach the Gospel anymore. On another occasion, the apostles were
arrested and imprisoned for preaching, but that night, an angel freed them and told
them to continue preaching in the temple. The next day when they wanted to
arraign them before the High Priest, they weren’t found in the prison. So, they
went back to the temple and re-arrested them. At a point in their trial, there
was tension which made Gamaliel to tell the council to be careful what they do
to these men. He made reference to similar movements in the past (Theudas, Judas
the Galilean), and advised that if this present one is not of God, then it will
fizzle out just the same way as the others, but if this is of God, then
fighting them, you would only be fighting God in vain. The council heeded
Gamaliel’s advice.
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