Acts 5:27-29 (ESV Strong's)
And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
Obedience Expands the Gospel
Early in the church the formula was very simply: Teach and preach the gospel; be beaten for teaching and preaching the gospel; repeat over and over! This is what has happened as we reach these verses above. The Apostles were obedient to preaching that Jesus was the Messiah. What was the result?
Acts 2:47 (ESV Strong's)
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Acts 4:4 (ESV Strong's)
But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
Acts 5:14 (ESV Strong's)
And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,
Acts 6:7 (ESV Strong's)
And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
How did all this happen? The passage above states that they were accused of teaching so much that “you have filled Jerusalem” with their teaching. The word “filled” means to “cram full.” Notice what is said later in this same chapter:
Acts 5:42 (ESV Strong's)
And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
Obedience to preach the Gospel will always yield results because God uses preaching to accomplish His plans in the hearts of mankind (Romans 10). We are to obey God and not man when it comes to proclaiming the Gospel of Christ.
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