Acts 5:25

Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. THEN CAME ONE AND TOLD THEM. The Sanhedrim sat in a chamber at the south side of the temple, while Solomon's porch, where Peter appears to have 'spoken unto the people all the words of this life,' was in another direction. [SAYING.] This bracketed word is an addition to the true text....

17-25 There is no prison so dark, so strong, but God can visit his people in it, and, if he pleases, fetch them out. Recoveries from sickness, releases out of trouble, are granted, not that we may enjoy the comforts of life, but that God may be honoured with the services of our life. It is not for the preachers of Christ's gospel to retire into corners, as long as they can have any opportunity of preaching in the great congregation. They must preach to the lowest, whose souls are as precious to Christ as the souls of the greatest. Speak to all, for all are concerned. Speak as those who resolve to stand to it, to live and die by it. Speak all the words of this heavenly, divine life, in comparison with which the present earthly life does not deserve the name. These words of life, which the Holy Ghost puts into your mouth. The words of the gospel are the words of life; words whereby we may...

Verse Acts 5:25. _THEN CAME ONE AND TOLD THEM_] While they were in the perplexity mentioned above, a messenger surprised them with the information that the very men whom they had imprisoned the preceding night were standing in the temple and teaching the people!...

EXPOSITION ACTS 5:1 ANANIAS (Ἀνανίας) In Nehemiah 3:23 the Hebrew name היָנְנַעֲ (God covers or protects) is thus rendered in the LXX. But the name occurs nowhere else. The very common name היָנְנַהֲ_, Hananiah _(God is gracious), is also rendered in the LXX. Ananias (Ἀνανίας), and is doubtless the name meant here and in Acts 9:10; Acts 23:2, etc. SAPPHIRA does not occur elsewhere. It is either derived from the Aramean הרָיפָשַׁ, beautiful, or from the Hebrew ריפִסַ, a sapphire. A POSSESSION (see...

THEN CAME ONE AND TOLD THEM, SAYING,.... Who this man was, is of no consequence to know; it can hardly be thought that he was one of the number of the disciples, or a member of the church, or a professor of the Christian religion; but rather an enemy, and one that sought his own interest, and to obtain the favour and affection of the chief priests and elders, and therefore very officiously came to them, and reported as follows: BEHOLD, THE MEN WHOM YE PUT IN PRISON, last night, ARE STANDING IN THE TEMPLE; openly and publicly, and without fear; AND TEACHING THE PEOPLE; in the name of Jesus, which the sanhedrim had forbid them to do....

CHAPTER 5 _ 1. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1)._ 2. Signs and wonders by the Apostles (Acts 5:11). 3. The second arrest of the Apostles and their Deliverance (Acts 5:17). 4. Before the Council (Acts 5:26). 5. Gamaliel's Advice (Acts 5:34). 6. The Apostles beaten and dismissed (Acts 5:40). With this chapter the scene changes. Beautiful is the ending of the previous chapter, Barnabas having sold his land, laid the money at the feet of the Apostles. He

A HOSTILE ENCOUNTER WITH THE JEWISH AUTHORITIES. This account closely resembles that in ch. 4; the imprisonment is at the hands of the same men, extends over one night, and Peter's two declarations (Acts 4:19; Acts 5:29) are very similar. In spite of a few added touches, Gamaliel and his historical reminiscences, we cannot but feel the paucity of materials that were at the author's disposal for this part of his history. As in Acts 4, the attack comes from the Sadducees. If so the motive could only be political. The Resurrection is not mentioned to explain their action; they were filled with jealousy. They could not wish the new sect to become important; a real Messiah would be the end of their power. Here, as in Acts 4, no ground is given for the arrest. Not only Peter and John are arrested but the apostles generally. Th

TROUBLE IN THE CHURCH (Acts 5:1-11)...

ONE. App-123....

_Then came one and told them_ Better, _And there came_, &c. The English _then_is often in such a position taken for an adverb of time. The proceedings were evidently well known, and the hall of judgment was not far from where the Apostles were teaching at the very time. _are standing in the temple, and teaching the people_ The order of the original should be preserved: _are in the temple standing_, &c., for the words look back to the command of the angel in Acts 5:20. This _standing_implies the prominent and undaunted position which the Apostles had taken up. They were not like prisoners who had escaped, and so were seeking a place to hide themselves; but like men whose work had been interfered with, and who, as soon as they were able, had come back to it again....