Acts 5:29

Acts 5:29. we ought to obey God rather than men. Peter here commences his defence with the same words which he had made use of before, when the Sanhedrim dismissed the apostles with threats of future punishment. He took up the same solemn argument now a second time; it was as though he said, ‘I told you before when you threatened me, we must obey God rather than men,' thinking, no doubt, now of his Master's voice from heaven by His angel, the night before, bidding him stand and preach publicly in the Temple.

Not in this, the earliest Church history we possess, do we find any of the leaders of Christianity unfaithful to this principle, twice laid down by their foremost leader; but while they refuse utterly to obey any command which they feel would be contrary to the voice of God, we find them quietly, without murmuring, submitting as now to any penalty the law of the land enforced against them.

This was conspicuously instanced in the life, history, and teaching of Peter and Paul.