Acts 5: Tactics of tyranny defeated

In Acts chapter 5, we have the second confrontation between the church and the centralized government of the day, the Sanhedrin council. The first clash came (in chapter 3) in the wake of a miraculous healing, which set the whole temple campus buzzing.

Now, here we are again, with the leaders of the upstart religion multiplying the miracles, and disobeying the authorities by persistently preaching Jesus. The rulers were jealous of the crowds.

As we read through chapter 5, and digest the story of the arrest of the preachers, followed by their trial and punishment, it is instructive to note the tactics employed by both sides. One of the reasons this chapter is in there at all, surely, is to instruct us, because bad government of every kind continues to use the same tools in the preservation of its own power.

First, the church leaders are arrested, and sent to cool their jets for a night in the ol’ Grey Bar Hotel. By itself, according to biblical law, this is an outrage against justice. The apostles had broken no law, no commandment of God. It amounts to kidnapping, and was worthy of capital punishment against those who commanded and carried it out. The bad guys were just getting started.

When the preachers were miraculously freed from prison, the first instinct of the rulers was to arrest them again.

Eventually, the apostles stood trial before the whole Sanhedrin, to answer for their “crime” of not shutting up like they were told. The tactic here is public intimidation.

When the church leaders only defended themselves by telling the truth, the trial went straight from the announcement of charges, to the punishment phase.

The initial impulse of the Council was to murder these preachers, although the wisest one of them (who was still a fool) argued for simply releasing them. They couldn’t do that: they wanted to hurt these guys, make it sting. So they settled on threatening them (another favorite government tactic) and then having them beaten, most likely with the torture device we have nicknamed, “cat of nine tails.” Scripture calls this a scourging.

Intimidation; threats; beatings; sham trials; imprisonment; and, murder. I’d say that just about covers it. Notable in its absence is any confiscation of money and property, but the apostles had already rid themselves of these in the last chapter. No doubt, the rulers would have taken whatever they thought they had. We’ve come a long way since then: governments will now confiscate what you don’t have, yet.

These are the tactics of tyrants. Ignoring biblical justice, they create a counterfeit to their liking. This can be boiled down to one concept: coercive power. Coercive power enables one to say, “Do what I command or else,” and then add something scary.

Jesus, on the other hand, has left his followers with a much different set of tactics, also displayed in this chapter. Keep on preaching the Gospel of a Savior who defeated death. Do not answer curses with curses, but with blessings and truth. When called upon to suffer, do it valiantly.

His people conquered “by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev. 12:11)

Gordan Runyan is the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Tucumcari. Contact him at:

[email protected]