They ceased not to teach and preach Christ Jesus

And so on to the second imprisonment of the apostles - all the apostles, I wonder? 

I ask myself: were the Sadducees so down on the apostles?  Dummelow’s One Volume Bible Commentary satisfies me with: “The proceedings of the apostles displeased the authorities –

1.    Because they taught the people without having received the education and ordination of rabbis;

2.    Because they preached the resurrection, a doctrine particularly distasteful to the Sadducees, the dominant party among the influential members of the priesthood;

3.    Because they feared that the people would become inflamed with enthusiasm, and they this would lead to collisions with the Romans.”                               Dummelow p. 823 on Acts 4:1-22

And, under Matthew 3:7 “The views of the Sadducees were in most respects the opposite of those of the Pharisees.  They made no pretensions to piety.  They acknowledged the Law of Moses as alone authoritative, and rejected the traditions of the elders.  They were hostile to the aspirations of the national party, and leaned for support on Rome.  Sceptical, or semi-sceptical, in their religious views, they rejected the popular beliefs in angels and spirits, in a future life, and in the resurrection of the dead.  They were a worldly, wealthy, and selfishly ambitious party, and their adherents were chiefly found among the chief priests” Dummelow p. 630.

It seems they were not specifically worried about the effects of the healing that was being done in Jesus’ name, but about the apostles having enough influence to cause the people to rise up and avenge the murder of Jesus by slaying them.

The apostles were freed from the prison by “an angel of the Lord.”  The “high priest” enters the picture – calling the council together and all the senate of the children of Israel – and is told that the apostles have escaped from prison.  He asks why the apostles disobey the order not to preach Jesus teachings.  Peter answers that there is no other way they can perform. 

Gamaliel (Paul’s teacher) steps in and says, “Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”  What a wise man.

But these men never learned!  They were beaten and commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus, but they were reported as being “…daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”

Joyce Voysey