17. Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,
As the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished.
The religious leaders fearing a loss of power and prestige decide to get these upstarts under control. Of course you need to remember that the Sadducees didn't believe in a resurrection either.
18. And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
The priests arrested then and tossed them in jail.
When you think about it, these priests were not too bright! Not that long ago they arrested and killed the leader of these upstarts and 50 days later they grew by 3,000 people.
Liars were dying, sick people were being healed and the priests arrested them so they could put a stop to it?
Think about it, these guys were not the brights candle.
19. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
20. Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
21. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
After these very intelligent men toss them in Jail, God has the door opened and sends them back to the temple to teach again.
Not knowing or realizing what has happened, the priests decide to convene a trial and they send to prison for our intrepid heroes.
22. But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told,
23. Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
Can you imagine the look on the guards faces when they arrived at the jail. The doors are locked, the jailers are in place and the cells are empty.
24. Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
The New Living Translation says it this way...
24 When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end.
I imagine that these guys were at their wit, obviously they did not like what was going on and something needed to be done, but what?
25. Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
Someone, a guard perhaps, had the job of telling them this great news. Do you ever wonder if his voice tembled and wavered a bit? Was he shaking?
26. Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
Now they arrest them AGAIN!
Lets think this out.....
Yesterday you arrest them and toss them in Jail. Today, they are outside of jail and no one knows how it happened, so you arrest them a second time?
