Anakalypsis / Unveiling the Word

Acts 5:29

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

KJV

ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Πέτρος καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι εἶπαν, πειθαρχεῖν δεῖ θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνθρώποις.

Greek NT

Respondens autem Petrus et Apostoli, dixerunt : Obedire oportet Deo magis quam hominibus.

Vulgate

But Peter and the apostles answered and said, We must obey God rather than men.

ASV

But Peter and the apostles answering, said: We ought to obey God rather than men.

Douay-Rheims

Open in reader with connections →

In this verse

People Peter

In the original Greek

13 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

Πέτρος
petros
noun · 154×
δέ
de
conjunction · 2781×
δεῖ
dei
verb · 103×
θεός
theos
noun · 1311×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
λέγω
lego
verb · 2256×
μᾶλλον
mallon
adverb · 81×
πειθαρχέω
peitharcheo
verb · 4×
ἀποκρίνομαι
apokrinomai
verb · 233×
ἀπόστολος
apostolos
noun · 79×
ἄνθρωπος
anthropos
noun · 549×
ἤ
e
particle · 346×
ὁ
o
article · 19778×

Themes

Historic Christian voices

14 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§450From the beginning of Christian history, the assertion of Christ's lordship over the world and over history has implicitly recognized that man should not submit his personal freedom in an absolute manner to any earthly power, but only to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Caesar is not "the Lord".67 "The Church. . . believes that the key, the centre and the purpose of th…
§2242The citizen is obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel. Refusing obedience to civil authorities, when their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience, finds its justification in the distinction between serving…
1. Jesus Comes to Capernaum. Statements of the Four Evangelists Regarding This. After this John 2:12-25 He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples; and there they abode not many days. And the passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and He found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers…
57. And as to His saying, 'If it be possible, let the cup pass,' observe how, though He thus spoke, He rebuked Peter, saying, 'You savour not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.' For He willed what He deprecated, for therefore had He come; but His was the willing (for for it He came), but the terror belonged to the flesh. Wherefore as man He utters this speech …
And when idolatrous rulers lead their people astray, God in His justice visits that people with judgment. Let no man think that God does not mark the abominations of those who lead His people. The duty of the faithful is to resist idolatry and to reform the church according to the Word of God, even if the magistrate be unwilling.
If the magistrate rule contrary to the Word of God, the people are not bound to obey, for we must obey God rather than man. The prophets openly resisted wicked kings. Elijah rebuked Ahab; Nathan rebuked David; John Baptist rebuked Herod. In like manner, the godly must resist ungodly decrees and call the nation to repentance.
We believe that because of the depravity of the human race, our good God has ordained kings, princes, and civil officers. God wants the world to be governed by laws and policies so that human lawlessness may be restrained and that everything may be conducted in good order among human beings. For that purpose God has placed the sword in the hands of the government, to punish evi…
The magistracy of every nation is instituted by God himself, for the peace and tranquillity of his people, and thus it should be held in the highest honor. If the magistrate is opposed to the Church, he can hinder and disturb it very much; but if he is a friend and member of the Church, he is a most useful and excellent member thereof, and is able to benefit it very much. The d…
1. But the bishops of Asia, led by Polycrates, decided to hold to the old custom handed down to them. He himself, in a letter which he addressed to Victor and the church of Rome, set forth in the following words the tradition which had come down to him: 2. We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall ri…
1. But as regards the persecution which prevailed so fiercely in his reign, and the sufferings which Dionysius with others endured on account of piety toward the God of the universe, his own words shall show, which he wrote in answer to Germanus, a contemporary bishop who was endeavoring to slander him. His statement is as follows: 2. Truly I am in danger of falling into great …
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed, except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the Prince of the kings of the earth.

Cross-references

  • 1Pet 3:15 — But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
  • 1Sam 15:24 — And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
  • 2Sam 24:4 — Notwithstanding the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Isra
  • Acts 4:10 — Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before y
  • Acts 4:19 — But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
  • Acts 4:19 — But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
  • Acts 5:32 — And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
  • Amos 3:8 — The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
  • Col 3:18 — Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
  • Dan 3:15 — Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well:
  • Dan 3:18 — But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
  • Dan 6:10 — Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave
  • Dan 6:13 — Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition
  • Eccl 8:5 — Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.
  • Eph 6:20 — For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
  • Exod 1:17 — But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
  • Gal 1:10 — For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
  • Gen 3:17 — And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sak
  • Gen 27:8 — Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.
  • Jer 15:20 — And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the L
  • Jer 26:12 — Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.
  • Judg 6:25 — And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and
  • Mark 7:7 — Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
  • Matt 2:12 — And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
  • Matt 15:5 — But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
  • Matt 22:21 — They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
  • Matt 23:3 — All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
  • Num 23:26 — But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?
  • Rev 14:8 — And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.