Sunday School Lessons: Acts 5 Pt. 2

Lesson 10
Acts 5:17-42

Read verses 17 and 18.
The Sadducees are leading the persecution.  They were filled with jealousy.  Why do you think that is?  This is the second time the apostles were arrested and put into prison.  Do you remember what happened the last time?
Read verses 19-21
Angels are God’s messengers.  God sent an angel, not only to get them out of prison, but to tell them what they were supposed to do.
What were they supposed to teach the people? (Review the content of the Gospel from Lesson 5 and 7)  They went to the temple first thing in the morning and began teaching.  In the meantime, the High Priest was calling the council together and sent for the apostles to be brought to them.  The Council (called the Sanhedrin) was the Jewish Religious counsel and was made up of about 70 men, both Pharisees and Saducees.  They had a great deal of power and influence during the Roman rule.
Read verses 21-26.  
The doors were still locked, the guards were still there, standing guard, but when they went to get them, they were gone!  This was a miracle.  What was the council’s response when they learned that, not only were the apostles not in prison, they were preaching to the people?  What did they do and why?  
Let’s review what we’ve already seen in Chapter 4:

4:5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

That time, they were afraid and they didn’t know what to do with them so they warned them and let them go, telling them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John said “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
Now let’s see what happens this time:

5:27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

What are some of the facts of the Gospel that are in both of Peter’s responses?

33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

This time, the religious leaders were not just afraid—they were enraged and wanted to kill them!  What can you learn about the religious leaders by their actions?
Read verses 34-40
Gamaliel was a greatly respected and powerful man, a teacher.  He was the teacher of Saul, who later became the Apostle Paul.  Gamaliel gives examples of other men who had risen to prominence and had followers, but when they were killed the followers were scattered (or they went away because they no longer had someone to follow).  What was Gamaliel’s advice to the Sanhedrin?  Was this good advice?  What can you learn about Gamaliel by what he recommended?  Things are beginning to heat up now.  Instead of just another warning, they beat the Apostles this time before they let them go.  The warning was the same—stop talking to the people about Jesus!

41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

They rejoiced that they could suffer for Jesus’ name!  And “they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”
What can you learn about the Apostles by their response?  

Proverbs 20:11  Even a child is known by his deeds,
      Whether what he does is pure and right. 

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students.  You can find lessons for previous chapters here.