A Surprising Conflict of Allegiances (Acts 5:27-32)

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The Passage: Acts 5:27-32
The One Thing: A Surprising Conflict of Allegiances

Growgroup Discussion Starters
Know
K1 Would you give up your faith in Jesus for $70,000 or not (like Sister Hua)?

Grow
G1 Have you ever been tempted to disobey human authorities for ethical / Biblical reasons? Share as much as you feel comfortable (don’t incriminate yourself or place others in an uncomfortable position!)
G2 When it is right to disobey authorities?
G3 What do we make of Paul advocating for civic obedience under Nero’s tyrannical regime (Romans 13:1-2)?
G4 What was the track record of the Sanhedrin demanding obedience from Peter and the apostles? Why is knowing the track record of human authority / God important in deciding how we respond?
G5 How does Jesus’ response to Pilate in John 19:10-11 help us understand the power dynamics at work in the world?
G6 The Sanhedrin demanded obedience “because we said so”. We can be similarly simplistic in our desire to “obey the Bible”. What factors should we take into account when trying to understand commands / laws we find in the Bible?

Show
S1 Questions to ask yourself when determining whether to disobey human authorities
Why should I obey God? Do I know His love? Do I see His external witness in the world around me? Do I know the internal witness of the Holy Spirit?
Who is it that is demanding my obedience? Why should I obey them?
Would it honour God to obey them even if I don’t agree with their worldview or their way of understanding life?
Is there anything in what they are asking that should move me away from the default Biblical principle of obeying those in authority?
Is what I’m being asked to do by human authorities in conflict with Kingdom Principles that Jesus preached?
Have I prayed and sought wise counsel regarding how to proceed?
Am I willing to pay the price?