"SILENCE IS NOT AN OPTION" (An Article by Christian Henry) ~ 9/11/25

“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” (Acts 5:29-32)

This series of verses takes place during the aftermath of a miraculous jailbreak. The chief priests had previously arrested the apostles for teaching and healing in Jesus' name, and upon finding their prison cells empty and the apostles, again, preaching in the temple courtyard, they were arrested once more. This time, the guards bring the apostles to the Sanhedrin to be questioned. When the apostles insist that Jesus is still alive and refuse the Jews' command to stop, the priests want them killed. They show that God's will is worth facing persecution and/or death for.

Peter, in the name of the other eleven apostles, who were seemingly all present for the jailbreak and questioning, stood up and attempted to justify what he and his brethren had done. Instead of beginning with formalities, as he had done previously (Acts 4:8), He launches right into their defense. They do not claim to own the power they had to work miracles (a power that proved their divine mission) but appealed to the Lord’s decree, which served as a perfect justification for their actions. God had commanded them to teach in the name of Christ, and therefore they were duty-bound to do so, though the chief priests forbade them.

Of the lineage of David and according to the promises made to our forefathers, Jesus came forth. In doing so, God qualified Christ for, and called Him to, His significant Messianic undertaking. He was murdered and hanged on a tree, as if He had been the meanest and vilest of criminals. They put Him to death in the most infamous manner, but God has restored Him to life. So, Peter asks, who must we side with? You Jews, who killed our Savior, or the God who raised Him once again and, by His almighty power, brought Him from the grave to heaven to sit at His right hand? They had tried to load Him with disgrace, but God has crowned Him with honor, and should not we honor Him who God honors as well?

Jesus’ followers preach in His name; they make known the laws of His kingdom, as He is a Prince, and the offers of His grace, as He is a Savior. To have Christ as our Savior, we need to take Him as our Ruler as well. We can’t be redeemed and healed by Him unless we give up ourselves to be governed by Him.

Peter reminds the Sanhedrin of the repentance and forgiveness promised to His people, Israel, in Christ. No one is freed from the guilt and punishment of sin who is not also freed from its power and dominion - those who are truly turned from sin to God.

The apostles are His witnesses, and silence is not an option. They were to suffer for the truth over and over again because they couldn’t bear staying quiet about it. They proved that Jesus’ name is one worth suffering for.