In the meantime the high priest and those with him had "called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel." The priests and rulers had decided to fix upon the disciples the charge of insurrection, to accuse them of murdering Ananias and Sapphira, and of conspiring to deprive the priests of their authority. They hoped so to excite the mob that it would take the matter in hand and deal with the disciples as it had dealt with Jesus. They were aware that many who did not accept the teachings of Christ were weary of the arbitrary rule of the Jewish authorities and anxious for some change. The priests feared that if these dissatisfied ones were to accept the truths proclaimed by the apostles, and were to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, the anger of the entire people would be raised against the religious leaders, who would then be made to answer 81 for the murder of Christ. They decided to take strong measures to prevent this.

Imidlertid havde ypperstepræsten og de, som holdt med ham, "sammenkaldt rådet, alle Israels børns ældste." Præsterne og rådsherrerne havde besluttet at rette en beskyldning for oprør mod disciplene, at anklage dem for at have myrdet Ananias og Safira og for at lægge råd op om at berøve præsterne deres myndighed. De håbede på denne måde at ophidse pøbelen, så den ville tage sagen i sin egen hånd og behandle disciplene, ligesom den havde behandlet Jesus. De var klare over, at mange, som ikke antog Kristi lære, var trætte af de jødiske myndigheders enevældige styre og gerne så en forandring. Præsterne var bange for, at hvis disse misfornøjede skulle erkende de sandheder, som apostlene prædikede, og anerkende Jesus som Messias, ville hele folkets harme blive vakt mod de religiøse ledere, som så ville blive draget til ansvar for mordet på Kristus. De besluttede sig til at tage strenge forholdsregler for at undgå dette.