After the apostles perform many signs and wonders by the power of God, they are opposed yet again by the high priest and the rest of the Jewish council. After God himself releases them from prison to continue to preach the name of Jesus, the elites try again to contain them, forbidding them to teach in this way. In their retort, the apostles remind them that they are serving God, not any manmade agenda. The push and pull of this passage reminds us that the word of God is not bound in any way - God will achieve his purposes, and no hand of man can stop him. We are also reminded of the slavery of sin, and how Christ, through the gospel, releases us from people pleasing and status-chasing to be free. In our newfound freedom, we learn the challenging joys of obeying the Lord and liberating others with the truths of God’s love.