Acts 4

Peter’s Explanation

Thank you guys, and thank you Kristi & Eloise for that wonderful music, but before we continue in our studies of the book of Acts tonight, please if you would:

“Join me in a word of prayer.”

Last week in our study of the book of Acts, we discussed the miracle that Peter, along with John, performed by healing a 40 year old man that had been lame, and Peter’s explanation to the crowd of people whom witnessed the miracle. This week we’ll be discussing, how the Jewish religious leaders had Peter and John arrested for performing the miracle, and Peter’s bold explanation to the entire Jewish Sanhedrin to how it was done through the name of Jesus. We will also be discussing, the early Hebrew church’s reaction, and prayer, after Peter and John’s release from custody when the Jewish leaders could find no grounds to hold the two apostles after the arrest. We will start tonight by reading the first 22 verses of Acts 4 together. (Read the text )

As with Peter’s first sermon back in chapter 2, the second one had mixed reactions as well. However, many people believed what Peter was saying and responded in faith. In fact, the church swelled from around three thousand people to around five thousand. Lets look at verse 4. (“4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.”).

Peter’s teachings about Jesus’ resurrection had also gotten the attention of the Sadducees, who didn’t believe that people could be resurrected after they died. So they came along with the captain of the temple guard, and seized Peter and John. This was not just a minor brush with the law; the captain of the temple guard held a priestly rank second only to the high priest, and he was responsible for upholding law and order in the temple. Since it was already late in the day, after their arrest, the apostles were jailed for the night. Look at verse 3. (“3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.”)

The Sadducees were a ruling class of wealthy aristocrats. Politically they established favor with the Romans and followed a policy of collaboration with them. Most biblical scholars agree that theologically the Sadducees believed that the messianic age had already begun back during the Mac-ca-be-an period (around 160 BC), so they were not looking for a Messiah. They also denied the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, so naturally they viewed Peter and John as both heretics, and trouble makers.

The purpose of their overnight jail stay, was to give the Jews time to convene the Sanhedrin the next morning. This was a seventy-member body, plus its president the high priest. It was comprised of members of the high priest’s family, experts in the law, (including scribes and Pharisees), and other respected members of the community. They sat in a semicircle as they served as both the Supreme Court, and the Senate of the nation of Israel.

Scripture doesn’t tell us this, but during their night in jail it surely must have occurred to Peter, and John, that they were about to stand before the very group that had condemned Jesus to death less than two months prior. I’m sure they were wondering if history was about to repeat itself? They surely couldn’t count on justice from this court, that had listened to false testimony, and unjustly condemned Jesus. Fear would have been justifiable, since many of the same authorities that had sentenced Jesus to death, were present for this hearing as well. Look at verses 5 and 6. (“5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, 6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.”).

But the next day rather than being afraid, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. Notice verse 8. (“8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:”) His response is an emphatic demonstration of the truth of what Jesus had previously promised His followers back in Luke 21:12–15. Peter certainly received the words and wisdom that Jesus spoke about. As soon as Peter and John were challenged to explain themselves in verse 7, Peter stood up to speak. There were three parts to Peter’s defense:

First off:

1. He focused on the healing of the crippled man, as being an act of authority given to the apostles brought about by using the name of Jesus. Notice verses 8-10. (“8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.”) Peter was neither ashamed, nor afraid, to testify about Jesus by using His name.

Secondly:

2. Peter also drew attention to the fact, that the same group trying this case, had been responsible for the death of Jesus. But God had vindicated the Lord, by raising Him from the dead. Look at verse 10 again, along with verse 11. (“10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.) Then verse 11. (11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’”) Peter considered their actions a fulfillment of prophecy coming from Psalm 118. Jesus was the overlooked and rejected stone that had become the capstone, the crowning piece of God’s creative work in the world.

And thirdly:

3. He changed the topic from healing to salvation in verse 12. Notice, (“12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”) He started by replying to a question about physical and temporal restoration, and moved from there to the subject of spiritual and eternal restoration. The healing of the crippled man was a picture of the salvation available to the Jewish people through Jesus.

Peter’s use of “no other name” in verse 12, also proclaimed the positive uniqueness of Jesus. His death, His resurrection, His exaltation, and His authority, constitutes Jesus as the one and only Savior for the nation of Israel. The Sanhedrin was astonished at the courage of Peter and John. These two were clearly ordinary men. Look at verse 13. (“13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled.) That was also an early assumption about Jesus as well. As John 7:15 tells us. Verse 15 of John 7. (“15 And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know the scriptures, having never studied?”).

The members of the Sanhedrin had to make a decision because the healed man stood right there in front them, so they couldn’t deny the miracle. Notice verse 14. (“14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.”) but neither would they acknowledge it. Even the miraculous power of God could not penetrate the Sadducees’ preoccupation with protecting their vested interests. They shut themselves off from seeing, and responding to the miracle that had occurred. But they also realized, that the crowds of people were certainly taking notice of what had happened. So they told the apostles in verse 17, from now on they should speak to no one in Jesus’ name.

The best they could do, was to solemnly forbid Peter and John from speaking at all in the name of Jesus. The ban on the apostles was intended both, to serve as a warning, and to provide a legal basis, in the event further action needed to be taken in the future. But the powerful Sanhedrin was certainly not expecting the apostles’ response to the orders given to them. Look at verses 19-20. (“19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”) As with the prophets of old, God’s Word was in the apostles’ hearts like a burning fire, and they could not, remain silent.

With all the people praising God for the miraculous healing of the crippled man, the council could see no way to punish Peter and John. So they threatened them again and then let them go. Notice verse 21. (“21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them,).

Consider Peter’s newfound boldness in this passage. He had always been the impulsive one in the group of apostles. He got out of the boat and walked on water, only to lose faith and begin to sink in Matthew chapter 14. He was quick to speak up but frequently said the wrong things all throughout the 4 gospels. Within hours of promising to go to prison with Jesus, and even dying with Him, he had denied Him three times. But now, immediately after the coming of the Holy Spirit, we see him stand boldly and proclaim the gospel of the coming kingdom to a large crowd, use the power of God to heal a forty year old lame man, and defend his faith before the mighty religious leaders of Israel. The Holy Spirit had given Peter a power that couldn’t be explained.

At this stage in the early Hebrew church, the believers were all together “and had all things in common” as chapter 2 verse 44 told us. So when Peter and John had been arrested, jailed for the night, and tried before the Sanhedrin, all the other church members had a stake in what would happen to them. The fact that Peter and John were released with nothing more than a slap on the wrist, was a cause for great rejoicing.

And their joy was not misplaced. While some may have felt a great sense of relief, other believers immediately lifted their voices in prayer and praise. They acknowledged God as being their sovereign Lord and Creator. And quoted the words of Psalm 2:1–2 in verses 25 and 26. (“25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’) The psalmist had written of nations, peoples, kings, and rulers gathering together to oppose God, and those same groups were still doing the same thing.

But at this point in the prophetic timeline, they could see Jesus’ persecution as events that had been ordained by God. The believers did not pray for God to eliminate, or even reduce, their sufferings. Rather, they asked for boldness in the face of threats and opposition. Notice verse 29. (“29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,”). They asked for God’s power, not to use against their persecutors, but so they could continue to heal and minister in the name of Jesus.

God acknowledged the believers’ prayers, He responded by shaking the place they were meeting, and filling them all with the Holy Spirit. As a result, their boldness was out the roof.

The believers withstood this initial persecution from those outside their group, and grew stronger as a result. The next threat, however, would come from within the group, as we will see when we study chapter 5 next week.

But continuing on tonight, from the arrival of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, every mention of the gathering of believers has emphasized their unity. Here they are of “one heart and soul”. Notice verse 32. (32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.”) Beyond being just a mental attitude, the proof of their love for one another was seen in their selfless giving. Even though the believers by this time were numbering around 5 thousand, none among them were in need of anything because they didn’t claim their possessions as their own. The willingness of those with wealth to share with others, more than covered the needs of the group. This was only one of the results of the grace that was on them all.

But as we’ve discussed before, this type of behavior is not to be an example of what our churches should be doing today. At that time the early Hebrew church was expecting the return of Jesus almost immediately, according to Daniel’s prophecy and Peter’s preaching. There would have been no need for them to prepare for future needs, as it is for us today, because everything was going to be provided for them in Christ’s kingdom when He returned. And this would’ve been exactly what would’ve happened if Israel hadn’t rejected Jesus, their Messiah. But we all know they did. So God put a break in His prophetic timeline and turned His attention to us, the gentiles, “The Body of Christ”, the church as we know it today. However, God will re-establish His prophetic timeline after the full number of gentiles has come into the church as the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 11:25 (“25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”) Hopefully some day we’ll be able to talk about this mystery that Paul referred to in greater detail, but for now we’ll be moving on in our lesson:

Generosity even reached the point where some people would sell their houses and property to donate to the needs of the church. One such person was named Joseph, that would become known throughout the rest of the New Testament as Barnabas, a nickname given to him by the apostles. Look at verses 36 an 37. (“36 And Joseph, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus,”37 having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”).

The response of the church to such large gifts is not noted in scripture. However, with everything else said about the church to date, one would think that much praise would be given to God, with heartfelt appreciation expressed to the donor(s). Yet with the steadily growing numbers, it was only a short time until problems arose to jeopardize the unity the believers felt and the sharing they practiced as we will see in later chapters.

I hope you noticed here in chapter 4, that what the lame beggar was looking for, was not what he really needed. He was looking for handouts from others, which had gotten him by for over forty years. But after Peter and John saw his real need, and used the power of God to heal him, the man was absolutely “Born Again”. What can we as believers today learn about our prayer habits from this story? Do you ever pray for something that is more of an immediate want, than a real eternal need? Could it be that the reason God sometimes doesn’t answer our prayers, is because He is more concerned with meeting our eternal needs than in fulfilling our current desires? I think so. Our apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:7–9 (“7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.) Verse 9 (And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”) It was not God’s will to remove the thorn from Paul. Even the prayers of the great apostle Paul were not always answered. Like Paul, our prayers outside of Gods will are seldom answered, but also like Paul, we need to realize that God’s free gift of grace, the offer of salvation, is sufficient for us. And all we really need. It’s just up to us, to accept it.

Lets pray together:

As Kristi and Eloise are getting us ready to sing our last hymn tonight, and as we’re considering all the things we will soon be learning together about the beginning of the church in the book of Acts, and if you have never honored God before by asking His Son, Jesus, to come into your heart and be your personal Lord and savior, this would be the perfect time to do just that. God has made that so easy for us to do. The Bible says that anyone, and I do mean anyone, who calls on the name of the Lord WILL BE SAVED. It doesn’t matter what your past may look like. The Lord just cares about our future. And He wants everyone to spend that future with Him in eternity, in that place He calls heaven. Don’t wait another second. If you have any doubt at all about your eternal security, or what’s going to happen to you when you die physically, I beg you to get it settled right now. Don’t wait another second. Get it taken care of right this minute, right here,--- just quietly, with your eyes closed, heads bowed, and your heart’s toward God, just pray a little prayer like this..............Just pray......

Please, as we’re singing our last hymn, if you need to, just pray that little prayer I mentioned as we sing. And God will save you !! Lets sing together.