Acts chapter 5

vs 12

Signs and wonders are obviously so important that, where they do not facilitate the story, we don't even get to hear what they were.

And the believers met in the exact place where Peter and John got in trouble - talk about rubbing it in!

vs 13

So obviously the word had gotten out that the religious leaders weren't keen on them. At this point, then, we start seeing the division between people who respect the Christians, and those who will join.

vs 14

If anyone was going to use the term "men and women", it was Luke.

Ok, I see the apparent contradiction here between 13 and 14. How did their numbers grow if people dared not join them? Like I said earlier, these verses are sort of chapter breaks, showing a new section is going to start.

There are a few solutions, I guess. Perhaps the new believers didn't meet in the colonnade. But I can't imagine the apostles would have worn that (although your friend and mine FF Bruce believes this is the solution). Perhaps "the people" are Jerusalem dwellers, and it was non-Jerusalem Jews who joined them? I don't know.

vs 15

So Peter's shadow had become known as a healing shadow - better than Jesus' robe it would seem! No wonder people are coming to believe, if they are seeing such miracles and hearing the words of Peter that follow them.

vs 16

All were healed. That's a lot of people I reckon. And it's possible that those who lived in towns outside Jerusalem were less scared of the temple authorities too.

vs 17

Uh oh. The tone of the passages has changed. The saduccees are fuming.

vs 18

The public jail! Is that a jail that is controlled by them, or is that like the public public jail? Do they even have the right to do that? Or does the temple have a public jail and some private torture chambers or something?

vs 19

Sweet! Get out of jail free card!

vs 20

The angel isn't freeing them without reason. He wants them to continue preaching - it's too early for them to get locked up yet.