The Unstoppable Gospel: The Apostles Arrested and Freed
Following the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, the apostles were endowed with supernatural power and boldness to proclaim the glorious gospel. Their message was simple yet revolutionary: Jesus, whom the Jewish leaders had crucified, was indeed the Christ, the Son of God, resurrected from the dead and exalted to the right hand of the Father. This message, accompanied by undeniable signs and wonders, brought thousands to repentance and faith, but it also provoked intense opposition from those who clung to their traditions and earthly authority. The book of Acts chronicles numerous instances where the apostles faced arrest, imprisonment, and persecution, yet time and again, they were miraculously delivered, testifying to the truth that the word of God cannot be bound. These accounts serve as powerful testaments to divine sovereignty, the unwavering courage of faithful servants, and the unstoppable advance of Christ's kingdom.
The First Encounter: Peter, John, and the Lame Man
The initial clash between the nascent church and the religious establishment occurred swiftly. Peter and John, going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, encountered a man lame from birth begging at the Beautiful Gate. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Peter commanded him to rise up and walk (Acts 3:6). Immediately, the man was healed, leaping and praising God, drawing a multitude to the temple porch. Seizing the opportunity, Peter preached a powerful sermon, calling the people to repentance and faith in Jesus, whom they had denied and killed (Acts 3:13-15).
This bold proclamation, especially the assertion of Jesus' resurrection, deeply troubled the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, who did not believe in a resurrection (Acts 4:1-2). They laid hands on Peter and John and put them in hold until the next day. Despite the arrest, the word continued to spread, and the number of believers grew to about five thousand men (Acts 4:4).
The next day, the apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish council, including Annas, the high priest, and Caiaphas. They demanded by what power or by what name they had performed the miracle. Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, declared with unshakeable conviction:
Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
The council, astonished by their boldness and perceiving that they were unlearned and ignorant men, took note that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). Unable to deny the undeniable miracle (the healed man stood with them), they commanded the apostles not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John famously retorted, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:19-20). Finding no way to punish them, because of the people, they were released. Upon their release, the apostles returned to their company, and after a fervent prayer for boldness, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke the word of God with great boldness (Acts 4:31).
Divine Intervention: All the Apostles Imprisoned
The church continued to grow exponentially, with signs and wonders abounding through the apostles' hands, even to the extent that people brought the sick into the streets for Peter's shadow to fall upon them (Acts 5:12-16). This undeniable power and the apostles' continued preaching of the resurrection stirred the indignation of the high priest and the Sadducees. They arrested all the apostles and put them in the common prison (Acts 5:17-18).
However, God's plan for His gospel could not be thwarted by human confinement. In a dramatic display of divine intervention, an angel of the Lord supernaturally intervened:
But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
Obedient to the heavenly command, the apostles entered the temple early in the morning and resumed teaching. When the Sanhedrin convened and sent for the prisoners, the officers found the prison doors securely shut but empty. Greatly perplexed, they soon learned that the very men they had imprisoned were now openly teaching in the temple (Acts 5:21-25). The captain and officers brought them without violence, fearing the people. The high priest then questioned them about their disobedience to the earlier command not to teach in Jesus' name.
Peter, once again speaking for the apostles, delivered another resounding declaration:
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
He proceeded to preach Christ crucified and resurrected, exalted as a Prince and a Saviour, and the giving of the Holy Ghost to those who obey God (Acts 5:30-32). This infuriated the council, who counselled to slay them. But a wise Pharisee named Gamaliel, a respected teacher of the law, intervened, advising caution:
And now I say unto you, 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.
His counsel prevailed. The apostles were beaten, commanded again not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released. Far from being discouraged, they departed from the presence of the council, "rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ" (Acts 5:41-42).
Beyond Jerusalem: Paul and Silas in Philippi
The pattern of arrest and deliverance was not confined to the early days in Jerusalem. As the gospel spread through the missionary journeys of Paul and his companions, they too encountered similar opposition and divine intervention. A notable instance occurred in Philippi, a Roman colony, during Paul's second missionary journey (Acts 16:11-40).
Paul and Silas were followed for many days by a damsel possessed with a spirit of divination, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. When Paul, grieved by this, commanded the spirit to come out of her in the name of Jesus Christ, it left her immediately (Acts 16:16-18). Enraged by the loss of their income, her masters seized Paul and Silas, dragged them before the magistrates, and accused them of troubling the city and advocating unlawful customs (Acts 16:19-21). The multitude rose up against them, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped, beaten with rods, and cast into prison, with a strict charge to the jailer to keep them safely (Acts 16:22-24).
Bound in the inner prison with their feet in the stocks, Paul and Silas responded not with despair, but with worship:
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
The jailer, awaking and seeing the prison doors open, assumed the prisoners had fled and was about to commit suicide, but Paul cried out, "Do thyself no harm: for we are all here" (Acts 16:27-28). Trembling, the jailer brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). Paul and Silas preached the gospel to him and his household, and they all believed and were baptized that very hour (Acts 16:31-34).
The next morning, the magistrates sent word to release them. However, Paul, asserting his Roman citizenship, demanded that the magistrates themselves come and release them, as they had beaten and imprisoned them unlawfully (Acts 16:35-37). Fearing the implications of their actions, the magistrates came, begged them to depart, and escorted them out of the prison. Paul and Silas then went to Lydia's house, comforted the brethren, and departed (Acts 16:38-40).
Lessons from Persecution and Deliverance
The repeated arrests and miraculous freedoms of the apostles teach profound lessons for believers across all ages:
- Unwavering Boldness in Witness: Despite threats, beatings, and imprisonment, the apostles never ceased to preach Christ. Their primary concern was obedience to God, not appeasing men.
- Divine Sovereignty and Protection: God is not limited by prison walls or human authority. He intervenes according to His perfect will, whether through angels, earthquakes, or the counsel of men, to ensure His word goes forth.
- The Power of Prayer and Praise: In the face of adversity, the apostles resorted to prayer and praise, demonstrating their deep trust in God. This spiritual response often preceded miraculous deliverance.
- Obedience to God Over Men: The declaration "We ought to obey God rather than men" stands as a foundational principle for believers facing moral or spiritual compromise.
- Rejoicing in Suffering for Christ: The apostles considered it a privilege to suffer for the name of Jesus, understanding that such trials purified their faith and glorified God.
- The Gospel's Unstoppable Advance: Persecution, rather than halting the gospel, often served as a catalyst for its wider spread and deeper impact, turning jailers into converts and establishing new churches.
Conclusion: The Enduring Commission
The accounts of the apostles arrested and freed are not merely historical narratives; they are powerful reminders that the gospel of Jesus Christ cannot be chained. Though human authorities may seek to suppress the truth and silence its messengers, God's purposes will prevail. The courage and faithfulness of the apostles, empowered by the Holy Ghost and protected by divine providence, ensured that the light of the gospel shone brightly even in the darkest prisons.
For believers today, these narratives call for a similar spirit of unwavering faith and boldness. We are commissioned to carry forth the same message, knowing that opposition may arise, but our God is sovereign. Like the apostles, we are to pray for boldness, trust in God's deliverance, and above all, obey God rather than men. The ultimate freedom is found in Christ, and the enduring legacy of the apostles reminds us that no earthly power can ultimately hinder the eternal work of God's Spirit in advancing His kingdom until Christ returns.