Acts 4
Peter and John Before the Council
4:3. Peter and John had come up to the temple about 3 p.m. (cf. 3:1), hence sundown is near. No longer dealing with someone overturning tables in the temple, the aristocracy is content to follow the law and wait till the next day to try them (night trials were illegal).
4:4. Estimates of Jerusalem’s population at this time vary from 25,000 to 85,000, and Josephus said that there were only 6,000 Pharisees in Palestine. A total of 5,000 Jewish Christian “men” in Jerusalem, not including women and children (so the Greek here), is thus quite substantial. Because they were in the outer court, the converts surely included women as well.
4:5. The Jewish authorities mentioned here represent the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling court of Jerusalem; presumably they gather in their meeting hall in the vicinity of the temple.
4:8 filled In Acts, this term seems to denote a special empowering by the Holy Spirit that is in addition to His work of enabling believers to trust God and to live faithfully (e.g., Acts 2:4; 4:31; 9:17; 13:9).
4:9 examined The Greek word used here, anakrinō, can denote an official judicial proceeding.
a good deed Peter points out that trials are convened for crimes, not for acts of mercy and love. He implies that the religious leaders are corrupt (compare note on v. 2).
4:10 to all the people Peter uses the opportunity of the proceedings to publicly proclaim the gospel.
name Referring to a person’s name was shorthand for their character and reputation. See 3:6 and note.
whom you crucified Peter turns the trial back on his judges, accusing them of the real crime (compare Luke 22:52, 23).
whom God raised from the dead God, the ultimate authority, raised the one whom the council rejected—Jesus. The religious leaders have dramatically misunderstood both the true identity and mission of Jesus and their true standing before God.
4:11 the stone Peter quotes from Psa 118:22. This metaphor is picked up again by Peter (1 Pet 2:4) and Paul (Rom 9:32–33; Eph 2:20). Jesus cites this psalm in Matt 21:42.
rejected From the perspective of the Jewish leaders Peter addresses, Jesus’ crucifixion is like a stumbling block (see 1 Cor 1:23), because anyone who hung on a tree (or a cross, in their view) was viewed as cursed by God (Deut 21:22–23).
by you, the builders Just as the builders did not perceive the stone’s value in Psa 118:22, so Israel’s religious leaders did not recognize their Messiah.
4:12 salvation in no one else Salvation refers to deliverance from God’s wrath and to enjoyment of His favor. This is only given through faith in Jesus, who grants new life to all who follow him and embrace the message of His death and resurrection for the forgiveness of their sins (Acts 3:19–21).
It is the secularists and the relativists who have acted the part of the chief priests, protecting their cherished temple of modernist thought, within which there can be no mention of resurrection, no naming of a name like that of Jesus. And the apostles, in any case, would answer: Well, who else is there that can rescue people in this fashion?
4:13 boldness of Peter and John The apostles had unshakeable confidence in speaking the truth, despite the undoubtedly intimidating circumstances.
uneducated This does not imply that Peter and John were ignorant, but that they lacked formal training in the law of Moses.
they had been with Jesus This is the only explanation for the apostles’ unexpected eloquence and effective speech.
They were therefore at a loss. They couldn’t deny that the disabled man had been healed. But nor could they simply shrug their shoulders and say nothing, as though it was of no concern to them that people were going around saying that resurrection had begun to happen, that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, and that his name was so powerful that invoking it would cure chronically sick people.
4:16 What should we do The religious leaders are uncertain what to do in the face of the evident power of the apostles’ words and deeds; this emphasizes the emptiness of the religious leaders’ claim to have authority over them.
4:19 right The Greek word used here, dikaios, refers in this instance to conformity to a certain standard; in a legal context, it describes whether the accused is, in the court’s opinion, innocent of the charge and may in fact be considered in the right regarding the law’s requirements. Here Peter again appeals to the court’s authority to call them to a higher standard. This response echoes his earlier charge that the proceedings themselves are against the law (see v. 9).
4:20 we have seen and heard The apostles, as eyewitnesses to Jesus, must act as faithful witnesses according to Jesus’ command (1:8).
they were all praising The contrast between the crowd worshiping God and the leaders focused on threatening the apostles shows the leaders’ spiritual backwardness and rebellion against God.
Master This way of addressing God is suitable in light of the recently failed challenges to Jesus’ lordship by the religious leaders.
one who made the heaven and the earth Because God reigns over all creation, He is the only one able to answer His people’s prayers and preserve them in the midst of danger. Compare Gen 1:1; 2 Kgs 19:15; Neh 9:6; Psa 146:6.
4:25 rage The Greek word used here may imply arrogance as well. Those in authority who set themselves against Jesus and His Church feel their power threatened and respond in fierce opposition.
4:26 his Christ The psalmist envisioned the political entities of the world uniting against Yahweh and His anointed one (the Messiah), who bears His name and inherits His kingdom.
4:29 slaves The Greek word used here, doulos, is a frequent NT designation for disciples of Christ, alluding to Christians’ status as freed people purchased by another—Jesus—and submitted to the authority of Christ and His will (e.g., 1 Cor 7:22–23). Luke (the narrator) uses a different word when speaking of Jesus (Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30) and of David (v. 25).
4:30 your hand In the OT, this phrase refers to His strength and ability to accomplish His purposes—especially to save (Deut 4:34; 5:15; Psa 44:3; Isa 62:8). The early church expresses confidence that God will continue to uphold them and bless them as they carry out the mission He has given them.
signs and wonders Alludes to the miracle in Acts 3:1–10. The apostles viewed such acts as verification of the gospel message they preached.
4:31 was shaken The OT frequently describes shaking or earthquakes as a sign of God’s presence (e.g., Exod 19:18; Psa 114:1–7; Isa 6:4).
in common This reiterates the theme of the Christian community’s unity. See 2:42–46.
great grace The Greek text here likely means that God’s favor was present with the early believers in an especially powerful way. It could also mean that the church continued to be held in high esteem by people in and around Jerusalem (as in 2:47).
4:34 needy The Greek word used here, endeēs, probably refers to those who require assistance in order to meet their daily necessities.
4:34–35. In the Dead Sea Scrolls, community officials distributed contributions to the community; in most of Palestinian Judaism, supervisors of charity distributed funds given them.
4:36 Barnabas Barnabas will play a larger role later in the book, especially with regard to extending the mission of the Church to the Gentiles (see 9:27; 11:28–30; 13:2; 15:2–12).
son of encouragement This title is characteristic of how God uses Barnabas in Acts to build others up and support them in their work for the kingdom, especially Paul (compare ch. 13).
4:37 brought the money The language in this verse is similar to that in Acts 4:34–35. The narrative portrays Barnabas as an individual Christian who puts the needs of the community first, without regard to himself. Luke (the narrator) will present Ananias and Sapphira as the antithesis to Barnabas (5:1–11).
