No Other Name

Have you guys ever watched an episode of one of those undercover boss where a boss will set up cameras and then go undercover at his place of employment to find out what things are really like working for his company? The first episode dealt with the coo of Waste Management, he worked alongside the workers picking up trash and then had a meeting with them afterward. Many of them were surprised when he came in at the end of the week and revealed himself to them. But I can imagine if he had just come in and said, “Hey, we are going to make these changes” but didn’t tell them who he was, there would have been a power struggle.

Sometimes leadership doesn’t like to be challenged. Our text today shows us the beginning of persecution in the Church. And it all began with a power struggle. The scene begins with where we left off in the temple. Peter and John have just healed the lame man, they enter the temple together and all the people crowd around Peter wondering at what was done. Peter preaches that the man was healed not by their own power or authority but by the power of Jesus Christ. He then seeks to show them from the scriptures who Jesus was. While he stands there preaching, chapter 4 begins with a scene shift. In walk the priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees. Luke intentionally brings these characters into the scene here because they represent the leadership and rulers of the religious world in which the Apostles lived.

Acts 4:1 “And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,”

The priests were the teachers in the temple and the one’s performing all the functions of the temple. The captain of the temple is most likely the man in charge of the priests and all the activities of the temple. The Jewish name for this position is segan ha-kohanim. He would have been the second in command only to the High Priest. The Sadducees were related to the ruling class in Israel. Key to understanding their role in this chapter is the fact that they did not believe in the resurrection. But a primary motivating factor for the Sadducees is peace with Rome. They would have responded with concern that the preaching of the Apostles could have a destabilizing effect in the region. The second verse tells us exactly why they were upset. We don’t see them stopping to ask questions at this point, they just storm in having made preconceived conclusions and arrest Peter and John. The reasons given are:

Acts 4:2 “Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.”

that the apostles taught in the temple- this introduces the main problem. The priests were more concerned with authority to preach than the message because they needed to hold on to their power over the people.

that they preached the resurrection from the dead through Jesus- The Sadducees did not believe in the after life let alone a resurrection from the dead. So to preach that in Jesus we can be raised from the dead. Luke 20:27 “Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,”

Acts 4:3 “And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.”

Because they did not like what the Apostles were preaching, the priests had Peter and John arrested. At this point the church is only facing what we call soft persecution. It must be understood that arrest and being placed in jail in this culture was not viewed as punishment; rather it was just a temporary holding until a trial or judgment could be conducted. According to the text, they could not take it to trial because it was already evening. The evening prayer would have been around 3 PM; the sermon itself may have taken an hour or so, but then they were placed in hold because they day was closing before a trial could be convened.

Acts 4:4 “Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.”

Luke is intending to imply that even though they were shut up in a prison, God’s word still did that which it was intended to do.

I think of a court room scene, you know Pastor watches the old Perry Mason shows. But often times a lawyer will make a statement that is intended to stir up the emotions of the jury to their side of the story and the opposition will call out “Objection.” Then the statement is stricken from the record, but you can’t strike it from the minds of the jury. The objection really has no effect.

Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, But it shall accomplish that which I please, And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Luke is saying you can shut up the preachers, but the word is already out. The cat is out of the bag and people are being saved. Doing some basic math here the young church is at a minimum of 8120 people by this point.

I. The Question vs 5-7

On the next morning we see how important this situation is to the Jewish rulers.

Acts 4:5-6 “And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.”

The leaders in Israel, the heads of the families or community leaders, the scribes who were often Pharisees came together. To this trial come all the leaders of Judaism at the time. Though the name Sanhedrin is not mentioned in this text, the council is mentioned in vs 15 and likely references the Sanhedrin. Four other key figures are also named: Annas is mentioned as being the high priest even though his rule as high priest ended around AD 14. There are two possibilities and both are probably true. First, the title after one retired was something they held onto even though they did not occupy the position. The second possibility behind calling him the high priest is that Annas held power through his son-in-law, Caiaphas. Evidence that this was true is found in Luke 3:2 and John 18:13. Most likely John and Alexander are only mentioned because Luke’s source names them for historical accuracy.

Verse 7 gives us Luke’s main point to this text.

Acts 4:7 “And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?”

To all these power hungry religious rulers, it didn’t matter that a man’s life had been changed. It didn’t matter that a man who could not provide for himself on his own had been made a profitable citizen. It didn’t matter that a miracle had been performed. What mattered to them was the balance of power. Would you have locked someone up in jail who had just saved a man from a life of misery? And yet they lock these men up because they were a threat to their authority. Their question asks?

By what power or ability? where does your ability to do these miracles come from?

By what name or in whose authority did you do this? The implication is: we didn’t give you authority to heal this man. To these religious rulers, the only authority to preach and minister in the temple comes from this very counsel; thus revealing their true motives for this line of questioning. The reader of the text already knows the answer to this question since Peter declared it in his message earlier in

Acts 3:12-13 “And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.” and Acts 3:16 “And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”

This question “by whose authority was this man healed” should challenge us today.

Everything you know and believe boils down to a trust in some authority.

1. If you believe in biological evolution as the explanation for the existence of mankind. You have as your authority science and what scientists tell you. Have you ever observed macroevolution or the changing of one species into another? Even within the fossil record the evidence of homology that looks for similarities in bones structures to explain evolution is a jumping to conclusions that can be explained by other reasons. The world asks today, “ How can you seriously believe that God created the world is six literal days? The question is not unlike that of the Jews. How dare you challenge the accepted authority of the day?

2. In more religious circles today, Catholicism operates on the same presupposition. The pope is the only one who has a direct line to God. His statements are infallible and he has access to the unwritten traditions passed down from the Apostles. They ask, “How can we know what the bible actually means apart from the Church?” I have even had family members say that if they had to chose between what the bible says and what the Pope says they would chose the Pope. The question the Catholic church asked of the reformers was by what authority do you teach these things? This is the same question the Jews asked of the disciples.

3. In secular agnostic or atheist circles, Jesus was only a good man and the things the bible says that he did were embellished and made up later by the disciples. To them, their own experience has become their authority. They say, I have never experienced the supernatural so therefore it does not exist. Jesus could have been nothing more because their lack of experience of the supernatural says he could be nothing more.

Biblical Christianity threatens these power structures and so those who have already rejected Jesus Christ ask “How could you preach this Jesus? How dare you challenge the accepted authority of the day?” Christianity is a counter cultural message.

It is exclusive as we will see in a few moments.

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

It is restrictive- true Christianity means we are going to live differently.

2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

It is evangelistic- the world thinks we are crazy for preaching Jesus Christ.

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

The world is fine if you believe what you want to believe, but don’t tell me what to believe.

Just like the Jews of that day, the world doesn’t like the authority claims of the gospel.

II. The Answer vs 8-12

So the Religious leaders big hangup was the issue of authority because it was a challenge to their power in the Jewish society. In vs 8, Peter begins his answer.

Acts 4:8 “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,”

Notice that Peter’s answer was not just his answer. Peter answered as he was filled with the Holy Ghost. Matt 10:19 “But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.”

Acts 4:9-10 “If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.”

If we this day be examined- This was obviously a legal questioning of Peter and John. by what means he is made whole- here in this passage is the word for “this one”, a near demonstrative showing that the healed man was there in the room with them. The word whole at the end of verse 10 refers to being healthy. Peter, John and the lame man all appear before the rulers to answer legally for what had happened in the temple. But nothing wrong had been done. They faced persecution because of the name of Jesus and they were innocent of any crime.

1 Peter 4:15-16 “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” These two apostles suffered persecution for their faith, but we must make sure that the persecution we suffer is not because of our own actions.

Peter then reminds them of the same answer he had given the crowds. Jesus Christ who suffered, died and rose again from the death is the one who has made this man healthy again. The answer to the question that they ask is quite simply: Jesus Christ. By what authority and power did you do this? By Jesus Christ.

Peter then defends that Jesus had the power and authority to heal this man from one of the most quoted passages in the Old Testament:

Acts 4:11 “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.”

Psalm 118:22 “The stone which the builders refused Is become the head stone of the corner.”

Peter doesn’t exactly quote the passage. Vs 11 is more of an application of the OT passage to the current situation. Notice the two very significant changes to the verse that Peter makes in applying it to the Jewish leaders. The first is the change from refused in Psalm 118:22 to set at naught. In English, it seems that the OT word is more harsh, but actually the NT passage is harder. In Psalm 118:22 the word mean to set something aside because it was considered unfit, wrong or bad for the task in Acts 4:11 the word means to despise because it is worthless or to scorn. These Jewish leaders didn’t reject Christ through an innocent mistake on their part. It wasn’t just that he didn’t seem to logically fit with their system. They rejected him because he was a threat. They despised Jesus. The New Atheism does not reject God on purely intellectual grounds anymore. The main focus has shifted to showing that the God of the bible is evil. They have rejected Him because they don’t like who He is.

Pilate knew this was the reason they rejected Jesus. Matt 27:17-18 “Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.”

Jesus deal with this same thing. Luke 20:1-2 “And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders, And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?” and in teaching his parable against them he concluded with Luke 20:17-18 “And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” The exact same passage that Peter now references. And the response of the Jewish leaders Luke 20:19 “And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.”

They hated Jesus because he was a threat to their authority.

Peter also adds one word to his allusion to the OT passage. The word is you builders. There is no doubt in Peter’s mind who these builders were. They were the Jewish leaders. Jewish tradition used this idea of a builder as a picture of someone who taught in Israel. Eze 13:10 “Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter:”

Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Is the Key here and we must spend special focus on this verse. Peter concludes his sermon by presenting the gospel. This is a summary of what he is saying No one, no other authority has the power or authority to save you from your sins. Peter is making a very exclusive truth claim here. There is no other.

Not Shiva or Brahma. The false gods of the world have no power to cleanse your sins and forgive you. They are powerless. Many because they are carved statues or made up stories of gods that really came from observing nature. Some have a power from Satan, but God rules over all the gods. Exodus 18:11 “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.”

Not the Pope. The Pope cannot save you. He is just a man and a sinful man at that.

Not Science. Your science cannot save you. Science only deals with the material world and by its very nature is limited. It cannot make your sins go away. It cannot give you hope in the afterlife. When you lie in bed about to take your final breaths, Darwin’s origins of the species will bring you no hope.

Not even the Church. The church cannot save you. And by this I mean all the activities of the church cannot save you. Hebrews 9:9-14 “Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Coming to Church, Singing in the Church, Giving money in the church, teaching a Sunday school class; none of them can save you because only Jesus blood can cleanse our conscience of all the fifth and sin that has been gathering up muck on our souls since the day we were born. Baptism can’t save you. According to 1 Peter, Baptism just washes the body clean but it cannot deal with the problem hidden below.

Romans 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

And definitely not You. Finally, you can’t save yourself either. You can’t pull yourself up by your bootstraps and put yourself back up on your feet. You can’t do enough good to save your soul. We are all corrupted by sin. We are all beyond hope of saving ourselves. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Some people imagine a big scale and their good deeds need to outweigh the bad. James in James 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” says that you can keep the whole law and yet violate it in one point and you are still guilty. Does the judge let you go for killing a man just because you didn’t rob a bank? does he let you go just because you were such a saint all your life and gave money to the poor? No.

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Nothing you can do will save you. Jesus is the only one who can save us from our sins. There is no other name through faith in his name that can forgive our sins.

Conclusion:

This is Peter’s point. Jesus is the only one with authority and power to save us from our sins. You Jewish leaders stand in judgment of us and Jesus but he is the true authority here. No one else can save you. You can’t even save yourself. Jesus Christ by his death burial and resurrection is the only one who can save you from your sins. Today, this message is geared toward those who do not know Jesus as their saviour. Stop trying to earn your salvation, stop rationalizing Jesus away, stop rejecting Him. He is your only hope of salvation.

To the Christian today, if Jesus has the authority and power to save you, why don’t you live as if he has true authority in your lives? Why does what God want always take second place to what you wants? Why is He never considered when you make decisions? If there is no other name by which this man was made whole and fulfilled, why are you seeking fulfillment in anyone but Jesus Christ?

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