Second Sunday of Pascha – Thomas Sunday

The Epistle for Thomas Sunday is Acts 5:12-20:

¹²By the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. They were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. ¹³None of the rest dared to join them, however the people honored them. ¹⁴More believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women. ¹⁵They even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mattresses, so that as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some of them. ¹⁶Multitudes also came together from the cities around Jerusalem, bringing sick people, and those who were tormented by unclean spirits: and they were all healed.

¹⁷But the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy, ¹⁸and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in public custody. ¹⁹But an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors by night, and brought them out, and said, ²⁰"Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life."

Notes:

v. 12:  Solomon’s Porch:

(Jn 10:22-23) ²²It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. ²³It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon's porch.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (JFB) states:

Solomon’s porch, which was covered over, and the outside of it was enclosed with a wall, which made it very convenient for such a purpose: this was on the outside of the temple eastward, and was a very magnificent structure: the account Josephus {n} gives of it is this;

"there was a porch without the temple, overlooking a deep valley, supported by walls of four hundred cubits, made of four square stone, very white; the length of each stone was twenty cubits, and the breadth six; the work of king Solomon, who first founded the whole temple.''

Now, though this was not the porch that was built by Solomon, yet as it was built on the same spot, and in imitation of it, it bore his name; mention is made of it in Ac 3:11.

{n} Antiqu. l. 20. c. 8. sect. 7.

v. 14:

(Ac 1:15) ¹⁵In these days, Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said,

(Ac 2:41) ⁴¹Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.

(Ac 4:4) ⁴But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

v. 17:

(Mt 22:23) ²³On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him,

(Ac 4:1-2) ¹As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them, ²being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

(Ac 23:1-9) ¹Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, "Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day."

²The high priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

³Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?"

⁴Those who stood by said, "Do you malign God's high priest?"

⁵Paul said, "I didn't know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"* ⁶But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!"

⁷When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these. ⁹A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees part stood up, and contended, saying, "We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let's not fight against God!"

The Rest of the Story:

(Ac 5:21-42) ²¹When they heard this, they entered into the temple about daybreak, and taught. But the high priest came, and those who 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. ²²But the officers who came didn't find them in the prison. They returned and reported, ²³"We found the prison shut and locked, and the guards standing before the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!"

²⁴Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these words, they were very perplexed about them and what might become of this. ²⁵One came and told them, "Behold, the men whom you put in prison are in the temple, standing and teaching the people." ²⁶Then the captain went with the officers, and brought them without violence, for they were afraid that the people might stone them.

²⁷When they had brought them, they set them before the council. The high priest questioned them, ²⁸saying, "Didn't we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood on us."

²⁹But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. ³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree. ³¹God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins. ³²We are His witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

³³But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and determined to kill them. ³⁴But one stood up in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, honored by all the people, and commanded to put the apostles out for a little while. ³⁵He said to them, "You men of Israel, be careful concerning these men, what you are about to do. ³⁶For before these days Theudas rose up, making himself out to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came to nothing. ³⁷After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the enrollment, and drew away some people after him. He also perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad. ³⁸Now I tell you, withdraw from these men, and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be overthrown. ³⁹But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it, and you would be found even to be fighting against God!"

⁴⁰They agreed with him. Summoning the apostles, they beat them and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. ⁴¹They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus' name.

⁴²Every day, in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and preaching Jesus, the Christ.