0405 OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN

WE MUST OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN

There are famous hypothetical dilemmas of ethics, in which the situation seems to make the participant question their guiding principles. You are in a life raft and three people are dying of hunger and thirst; who would you eat first? Your kidnapper forces you to shoot either a stranger or your wife; who would you shoot? You are in a prison camp and you must steal in order to eat. Would you commit suicide in order to protect your family? 

The Jewish high council was trying to contain this new Jesus movement, to put a stop to the rapid growth of the message of a risen Christ. They had already arrested Peter and John and questioned them. Then they charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered, “You must judge whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God. For we cannot help but speak of what we have seen and heard.” In other words, they must obey God, rather than men. The Jewish leaders ought to know about such choices, don’t you think? They had to make them all the time with Rome. Indeed.

So, they further threatened them and let them go. And the church only became more bold and continued to grow in spite of their lockdown. It was only getting messier for the Jewish leaders.

Now the high priest and the Sadducees are filled with jealousy, so they arrest Peter and John (again) and put them in the public prison, ready to bring them to trial the next morning. During the night, the Lord released them and told them, “Go.” “Stand.” and “Tell.”) Go to the temple. Stand right there in the crowd. And Tell the Good News about Jesus. And so, Peter and John obey the Lord’s command to Go, and they Stand, and they Tell. 

The council brings them back again. And for the second time in as many chapters, the council speaks a warning: “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.” Acts 5:28

What would you do in that moment? What would I do? I know that as a people pleaser I would try to find some compromise, would apologize in some way for being so firm in my words, and would tell them that I will back off and stop offending them. It’s hard for me to imagine speaking any other way to an authority figure who is so confrontational. 

But how did Peter respond to the moment? He answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”

The Jewish leaders certainly must understand this principle of obeying God rather than men. They have faced it before, many times. And yet, what they claim God is saying to them seems so backwards to them. They are used to thinking that they stand on God’s side in this and every matter.

Gamaliel calms them down and convinces them to let the men go, and see whether or not it is God who is providing these words. They agree to his test. But just to be sure, before they let Peter and John leave, they beat them one more time, with another warning.

Do you know yet what you would do? The ethical question seems easy enough to answer: Obey God, rather than men. 

But isn’t it God who places all authorities in their positions? So, as Paul tells the Romans, “Submit to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” If this is true, then there should never be a true choice that you have to make between obeying God and obeying men. So do not be too hasty to make yourself into a martyr and continue to stir up trouble. Don’t stir up trouble, that is, unless God has told you otherwise. Then you must obey God, rather than men.

May you always obey God. May you obey earthly authorities as long as you are able. And may you have the wisdom to know the difference.