Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

when out of harmony with God. We are living in the last days, which try men’s souls. Every young
preacher is brought face to face with the ordeal of Peter and John, “Will you obey God or man?”
When you obey God, of course you obey all human authority which is in harmony with God. Here
at Jerusalem we have the pastors and leading preachers in the popular church arrayed against the
followers of our Savior and doing their best to prohibit them from preaching. We have parallel cases
this day on all sides claiming to be the true ministers of God and doing their utmost to prohibit the
spread of the gospel. What were the apostles preaching? The doctrines and experience which Jesus
taught and they received at Pentecost; for they were, in fact, in the midst of Pentecost. You can not
gainsay the identity of the cases; we have the inspired record of Pentecost. Preach it as we read it.
The people enter into the experiences. The clergymen in authority oppose us and forbid us to preach
in what they call their territory, just like they forbade the apostles at Jerusalem. What shall we do?
We here have the answer given by Peter and John, “Obey God rather than men.” I tell you, brethren,
if you will be true to God, you can always know the divine guidance. It is three-fold, — His Word,
Spirit and providence. His Word is for your intellect, His Spirit for your spirit, and His providence
for your body. If we give way to the ecclesiastical usurpation, now everywhere interdicting the full,
free gospel, we will offend God and lose our souls. Good Lord, help us to be true and “obey God
rather than men.” If we do not, God will cast us away and give the glory to others. God helping me,
I will be true and “obey God rather than men.” There is no such a thing as ecclesiastical law per se.
God is the only Law-giver and the Bible the only code of laws in all the world. As all the truth
symbolized in the Old Testament is literalized in the New, and we are living under the New
Testament dispensation, therefore we may consider the New Testament as our code of laws for
church and state. It is bad enough for the wild beast governments [for such are all human
governments, according to Daniel and John] to employ drunken legislators to enact laws instead of
enjoying the benignant government of our Heavenly Father, who desires to rule all of His creatures
in righteousness and love. This state of things we must endure till the Ancient of Days descends to
execute righteous judgments against the wicked nations and fallen churches (Daniel 7:9). But it is
simply preposterous for the Church of God to assume legislative power. All such assumption is
usurpation and rebellion. No ecclesiastical court has a right to enact a law de novo. All they can do
is to recognize and enforce the laws of God, plainly written in the New Testament. Modern
ecclesiastical councils are bold to enact laws not only unknown in the New Testament, but positively
antagonistical to the letter and spirit of the same. All such so-called ecclesiastical laws deserve only
the contempt of God’s people.
SECOND PENTECOST.
23-31. During the imprisonment and trial of Peter and John the one hundred and eighteen, with
quite a host of the Pentecostal converts, are pushing the battle for God and souls on the great temple
campus on Mt. Moriah in the east end of the city, the judgment hall, where Peter and John and Jesus
were tried, being on Mt. Zion, in the west end. When constrained by popular sentiment to release
Peter and John they reluctantly discharged them through fear of an insurrection. Then the apostles
go immediately to the great meetings on the temple campus and report the persecutions of the
preachers and official board and the intervention of the Almighty through the people for their
acquittal. Now they quote the prophecy in Psalms 2, which had actually been fulfilled in the
crucifixion of Jesus, and is still being verified in the rage of the clergy and official board against the
apostles. They allude to the union of Pilate and Herod in the crucifixion of Christ, despite their