Then they
called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the
name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s
eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us,
we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:18-20
No. The Pharisees, temple guards and Sadducees
were only religious leaders, not technically government leaders (though they
had some influence on the government).
Their command to not speak about Christ did not carry much weight in
government. It was more like a misguided
opinion. The Romans didn’t really care
what people talked about—they only wanted peace.
In
China today, the government tries to stop Christianity but the church keeps
growing. Believers may have to disobey
the government in order to raise up Jesus if Christianity is ever outlawed. We must respect the government and do what
the government asks, but we cannot stop talking about what Jesus has done in
our lives.