The apostles answered with clear conviction that their first duty was to God rather than man. They proceeded to testify that the Man whom the leaders had crucified by the Romans had been raised up, and God had exalted Him to His right hand—again, a position of honor and rulership. The council knew the scriptures that we have gone through and knew exactly what the apostles meant.
The apostles kept piling on, adding that Jesus was also Prince and Savior (meaning Deliverer), and that He could give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. We, who are called by God, see repentance and forgiveness as wonderful things, but for the council, this declaration was highly offensive. You’ll notice in verse 33 that the council members were furious and made plans to kill the apostles.
They understood that only God could give forgiveness. You might remember that when Jesus healed the paralytic and told him his sins were forgiven, the people nearby said that He blasphemed (Matthew 9:3). So, when the apostles bring up forgiveness of sins, the leaders were ready to blow their tops because they simply could not accept Who Jesus was. It would cost them too much to accept Jesus as the Christ and accept His message. The mental adjustments needed were too great. The council members were profoundly threatened by this upstart movement that they could not control and which they had already decided could not possibly be correct.
The apostles continued to pour salt into the wounds by saying they were His witnesses to these things. Yet it is interesting to consider just how visible Christ’s ascension on the 40th day may have been. Remember the geography we went through. The ascension was from somewhere on the Mount of Olives, which was elevated.
The apostles also said the Holy Spirit was a witness. Again, the council members knew that the outpouring of the Spirit was prophesied, and they had undoubtedly heard of the events on Pentecost. But the apostles might as well have slapped them in the face when they said the Holy Spirit was given to those who obey God. The apostles were saying that they had received the Spirit because they were obedient to God, and the council members had missed out on this promise because of their rebellion. They had missed out on this gift that was given to some as a result of the Messiah, the Anointed One, ascending.
Peter's words reflect a delicate balance: Submission to government is an act of obedience to Almighty God, but ultimate loyalty remains with Christ, not Caesar (Acts 5:29: We must obey God rather than men.) Historians claim that this teaching helped protect the early Christian community from unnecessary persecution, giving them a moral reputation that even pagan observers (like Pliny the Younger, in the early second century) later acknowledged.
What are we supposed to do when man's laws conflict with God's laws? Peter and the other apostles in Acts 5:29 declare, We must obey God rather than man.
All of us are familiar with the accounts in Daniel 3, where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego obeyed God even when they believed it would cost them their lives. Likewise, Daniel was thrown into the lion's den, which he assumed would be his imminent death. God's people must live responsibly by paying taxes, obeying civil laws, and honoring leaders (Romans 13:7), but we should never compromise our faith when man's law contradicts God's laws.
In Acts 5:29, the apostle Paul admonishes us that if there is a conflict between God’s law and a satanic government mandate, our responsibility is to embrace the priority of divine over human authority in all matters of obedience and faith. This powerful statement draws a firm clear line to obedience to God and obedience to human authorities. While God’s chosen saints are generally called to respect and obey civil authorities (as seen in Romans 13:1), there are numerous instances where God’s commands conflict with man’s tyrannic laws, which according to my conscience includes not being able to assemble in our places of worship. “Obeying God rather than man” must serve as a guiding principle for God’s people, reminding them to prioritize their relationship with God above all else, calling for discernment in navigating the complexities of faith and obedience in a troubled world where human authority too often conflicts with divine will.
It is essential to note that, in I Peter 2, Peter did not say that we are to obey civil governments—but to submit to them, or to be subject to them. This includes being subject to, or submitting to, the penalties of the law imposed when obedience to God will transgress the laws of men. So, when the established authority stands in opposition to God, it becomes anti-Christ, demonic. It then becomes the Christian's responsibility to show where his priorities lie and obey God by submitting to the penalty men's governments impose.
