<p>5:29 <i>But Peter and the apostles answered and said:</i> <em>We must obey God rather than men</em>- Something the Jews often said in excusing themselves from obeying various demands of the Roman empire. Peter is trying to reason with them in language they would understand and which had fallen from their own lips in other contexts. The specific obedience to God he had in mind was in preaching the Gospel. He uses the same word a few verses later in saying that the &quot;Holy Spirit... God has given to those that <em>obey</em> Him&quot; (:32). What he meant was that the Spirit had been given to those who obey His command to preach. Peter was alluding to the great commission, which promised the disciples the gifts of the Spirit in their preaching work which was their obedience to that commission.</p>