Understanding Temple politics can help us gain insight into what was happening when Peter and John were arrested. Acts 4: 1While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. 2 These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. 3 They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning.[1]
The Sadducees
The Sadducees were the wealthy aristocracy that made up the Jewish priestly order. They were small in number but influential. They rejected the authority of the Bible beyond the five books of Moses and did not believe in resurrection after death. As a result, they focused on profiting from business in the Temple and had forged a rocky working relationship with the Roman government.[2]
These were the leaders who arrested Peter and John. They were angry because they did not believe that there was a resurrection, and the disciples were claiming that through Jesus, there is a resurrection of the dead. The ruling class had put Jesus to death only a few months prior, and now a beggar was healed in the name of Jesus. These rulers thought they had rid themselves of the “Jesus problem,” but now His disciples continued to be a thorn in their side.
The Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin was a council of 71 members who acted as the judicial authority for the Jewish nation. It was composed of both Sadducees and Pharisees. Pharisees were a Jewish sect that focused on strict obedience to Jewish law but believed in a resurrection after death. This council was to protect the Jewish faith and examine new teachings. They were right to investigate what Peter preached, but they did not have the right to arrest innocent men and then refuse to examine the evidence honestly.[3]
The Trial
When Peter preached the resurrection of Jesus, it declared war on the theology of the Sadducees. This is the reason for Peter and John’s arrest. Yet, in the trial, resurrection is never mentioned; why? There would have been a great argument between the Sadducees and Pharisees. Instead, the focus is on whose authority and power the disciples used to heal the beggar. The Sanhedrin thought they were the ones with the power and authority. Yet, the inconvenient truth of a beggar healed in the name of Jesus stood before them.
We shouldn’t be surprised when people attack us for political reasons as we proclaim what Jesus has done for us. Those in power may not like what we say, and our world views of who God is and who we are in His sight will differ. They may consider our testimony of what God has done in our lives an inconvenient truth they want to ignore.
Jesus warned the disciples of something similar. Matthew 10: 16 Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.[4] This is still good advice for us in our world. We must depend on the guidance of the Holy Spirit when we find ourselves in conflict over who Jesus is.
To find out more about Temple politics, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/peter-and-john-arrested
[1,4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Barton, B. B., & Osborne, G. R. (1999). Acts (p. 56). Tyndale House.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 416). Victor Books.