Acts 5 28

Acts 5:28 kjv

Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

Acts 5:28 nkjv

saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!"

Acts 5:28 niv

"We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood."

Acts 5:28 esv

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."

Acts 5:28 nlt

"We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man's name!" he said. "Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!"

Acts 5 verses

Acts 5 28 Meaning

Acts 5:28 records the High Priest's indignant accusation against the apostles after they were miraculously freed from prison and found preaching again. The verse encapsulates the Sanhedrin's frustration and fear: "Did not we strictly command you that you should not teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” It highlights the authorities' failure to suppress the rapidly expanding message of Christ and their profound concern over being held accountable for the death of Jesus, the very "Man" whose name the apostles continued to proclaim.

Acts 5 28 Context

Acts chapter 5 continues the narrative of the early church in Jerusalem, following Peter and John's earlier arrest and stern warning from the Sanhedrin (Acts 4). Despite the prior command "not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus" (Acts 4:18), the apostles persisted, driven by their conviction to "obey God rather than men" (Acts 4:19). The miraculous power of God was evident through many signs and wonders performed by the apostles, leading to the dramatic growth of the Christian community, even drawing the sick into the streets hoping for healing (Acts 5:12-16). This success, combined with the apostles' unwavering testimony to Jesus's resurrection, inflamed the religious authorities, particularly the Sadducees who denied the resurrection (Acts 5:17). They imprisoned the apostles again, only for an angel of the Lord to miraculously open the prison doors, commanding them to "Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life" (Acts 5:19-20). Discovered teaching in the temple courts the next morning, they were brought before the Sanhedrin again, leading directly to the high priest's angry outburst in Acts 5:28.

Acts 5 28 Word analysis

• Did not we strictly command you: This is a rhetorical question (`Ouch parēngeilamen humin`), anticipating an affirmative answer, "Indeed, we did!" The Greek word `parangellō` (παραγγέλλω) signifies a strong, formal, and authoritative command or injunction from a higher power. It reinforces the Sanhedrin's assertion that their previous prohibition (Acts 4:18) was clear and mandatory.
• that you should not teach: The prohibition was against `didaskō` (διδάσκω), referring to the act of imparting knowledge or instruction. This targets the apostles' fundamental ministry: systematically proclaiming and explaining the truths of Jesus Christ.
• in this name: "This name" (`en tō onomati toutō`) unequivocally refers to Jesus. In biblical culture, a "name" encapsulates the person's authority, identity, power, and very essence. To teach "in His name" means to teach about Jesus, by His authority, and in union with Him. This highlights that the Sanhedrin accurately perceived the core and power source of the apostolic message.
• And look: The Greek phrase `kai idou` (καὶ ἰδοὺ) functions as an exclamation, similar to "Behold!" or "See!" It expresses the High Priest's astonishment, frustration, and perhaps a degree of helpless rage at the apostles' audacity and the profound success of their forbidden ministry.
• you have filled Jerusalem: This is a vivid hyperbole emphasizing the pervasive and undeniable success of the apostles' preaching. It signifies that the message of Christ had reached, permeated, and gained widespread traction throughout the city, reflecting rapid conversion and visible growth of the early church.
• with your doctrine: "Your doctrine" (`tēs didachēs hymōn`) specifically refers to the apostles' teachings, which centered on Jesus's resurrection, His Messiahship, repentance, and forgiveness of sins through His name. This doctrine directly challenged the Sadducees' denial of resurrection and the traditional Jewish religious framework under the Sanhedrin.
• and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!: This reveals the profound fear and central accusation of the Sanhedrin.
  • intend to bring: The Greek word `epipherō` (ἐπιφέρω) suggests not merely an unintended consequence, but a perceived deliberate effort or outcome. They felt the apostles' ongoing message aimed to place direct culpability on them.
  • this Man’s blood: `tou haimatos tou anthropou toutou`. "This Man" points to Jesus Christ. "His blood" refers to His unjust execution and carries the connotation of guilt and accountability for that act.
  • on us!: This harks back to Mt 27:25, where the crowd, incited by the chief priests and elders, took responsibility for Jesus's death ("His blood be on us and on our children!"). The High Priest's statement here shows that the Sanhedrin now fears the apostles' persistent message is successfully exposing their culpability not just before the people, but perhaps before divine judgment, or even Roman retribution for causing civil unrest due to this "blood." They are terrified of the repercussions of the truth they suppressed.

• "Did not we strictly command you... and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!": This combined statement starkly illustrates the clash between human religious authority and divine truth. The Sanhedrin's desperate attempt to control the narrative and suppress the movement is failing miserably due to the Holy Spirit's power. Their ultimate fear revolves around the unaddressed guilt of crucifying Jesus. The apostles' consistent proclamation of Jesus as Messiah inherently implied their judges were guilty, striking at the heart of the Sanhedrin's moral and religious legitimacy.

Acts 5 28 Bonus section

The High Priest's refusal to even name Jesus directly, instead referring to Him as "this Man," is a subtle yet significant detail. It indicates his and the Sanhedrin's deliberate effort to diminish Jesus, stripping Him of His Messianic claims and reducing Him to merely a common man, a human whose memory they wished to eradicate. By avoiding "Jesus" or "the Christ," they tried to deny the very essence of the apostles' preaching and its implied threat to their authority and established religious order. This verbal dismissal highlights their theological blindness and political posturing, striving to control the narrative by controlling the very name associated with the revolutionary "doctrine."

Furthermore, the involvement of the Sadducees, explicitly mentioned in Acts 5:17, is crucial for understanding the intensity of their indignation. As the dominant religious party in the Sanhedrin at this time, they denied the resurrection of the dead. Therefore, the apostles' central message—that Jesus had risen from the dead—was a direct theological challenge to their core beliefs and authority, sparking both theological offense and an existential threat to their traditional power base. Their fear of the "blood" implies a growing popular opinion that was perhaps aligning with the apostles, forcing the Sanhedrin to consider consequences beyond their direct theological disagreements.

Acts 5 28 Commentary

Acts 5:28 dramatically portrays the profound conflict between the Sanhedrin's desire for control and the unstoppable spread of the Gospel. The High Priest's incredulous opening, "Did not we strictly command you," underscores the clear previous order, yet highlights its utter ineffectiveness. The evidence of their disobedience is undeniable and astonishing: "you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine." This hyperbole signifies the explosive growth of the early church, demonstrating that human prohibitions are powerless against God's appointed mission when empowered by the Holy Spirit. The apostles, far from being silenced, had successfully saturated the city with their teaching about the resurrected Christ.

The Sanhedrin's most significant and revealing fear is laid bare in the closing accusation: "and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!" This points directly to their culpability in Jesus's crucifixion and echoes the self-cursing cry during Jesus's trial (Mt 27:25). The Sadducees, leaders of the Sanhedrin, found the resurrection message deeply offensive as it contradicted their theology. They also feared the political instability that such a burgeoning messianic movement might cause, which could provoke further Roman intervention and threaten their precarious authority. The apostles' unwavering proclamation of Jesus as the living Messiah inherently brought a charge of guilt upon those who condemned Him. Thus, the High Priest's accusation reveals a leadership haunted by its past actions, desperate to suppress the truth that continually pointed back to their involvement in shedding innocent blood. They desired silence not for justice, but to evade accountability for the divine judgment implied by the apostles' persistent witness.

Examples:

• Irrepressible Truth: The high priest's frustration parallels a government attempting to suppress a deeply held belief; the more they forbid it, the more it spreads.
• Accountability's Shadow: Like a hidden truth waiting to emerge, the Sanhedrin's fear of "blood on us" shows that one's conscience and the truth of history will always demand accountability.