Proclaiming the resurrection in Jesus...

John G. Patton, a nineteenth-century missionary to the South Seas, met opposition to leaving his home in Scotland and going to preach to the cannibalistic peoples of the New Hebrides Islands. A well -meaning church member moaned to him, “ The cannibals, the cannibals! You will be eaten by the cannibals!”

Without hesitation, Patton replied, “ I confess to you that if I can live and die serving my Lord Jesus Christ, it makes no difference to me whether I am either by cannibals or by worms; for in that Great Day of Resurrection, my body will rise as fair as yours in the very likeness of our risen Redeemer, Jesus Christ , our Lord.

Throughout its history the church of Jesus Christ has faced great persecution. During the Roman persecutions of the first three centuries, for example. Christians were thrown to wild animals, crucified, turned into human torches, and tortured in all the cruel ways evil men could devise. Uncounted thousands of martyrs met their deaths with a cool Christian calmness and serenity that unnerved their unbelieving tormenters. So did all of the apostles as well except for John. But far from destroying the church, however, persecution merely served to purify the church, strengthen the church, and growth the church. Persecution has a way of maturing the church in the same way that trials and tribulations in our lives growth and strengthen us. Tertullian once said, “ The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

The America church as rarely faced the physical persecution; most of her attacks have could from Satan’s plots of false teaching and misinformation. Satan’s goal is to attack the body of Christ by attack the mind of the body of Christ through self-centerness, complacentacy , living worldly lives that cannot be distingished from non-Christians and weakly the preached Word of God to satisfily itchy ears.

The first opposition of the church did not take long to arise, and it came from the same Jewish leaders who had executed Jesus. Acts chapters 4 5, 7, 8, and 12 record these persecutions. This morning we will witness the first such persecutions concerning the authority to teach, the authority, the power and the name to heal, and the authority to proclaim the resurrection in Jesus Christ in which we must be saved.

Jesus warned of such persecution in,

John 16:2 ESV

2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.

John 15:18–20 ESV

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

The apostles also taught of the certainty of persecution. Paul wrote to Timothy in

2 Timothy 3:12 ESV

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Let us pray...

Let loo

Proclaiming in Jesus the Resurrection from the Dead (4:1–12) Peter expands on the Christology of the preceding chapters, by using

Psalm 18:22 ESV

22 For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me.

Proclaiming the resurrection in Jesus name!

in his defence speech (4:8–12). then forms the basis of a community prayer for deliverance from oppression and for continuing boldness in proclamation (4:23–30). Both quotations explain something of the significance of Jesus in the divine plan and warn about the consequences of rejecting him. The first is used to justify the claim that ‘salvation is found in no-one else’ (v. 12), and the second to highlight the futility of banding together ‘ “against the Lord and against his anointed one” ’. It is interesting to recall that and 110:1 were foundational to the Christological teaching in 2:24–36. Two of these four passages were used by Jesus in his own teaching ( in ; ; and in ; ; ). The other two psalms may well have been chosen because of the postresurrection teaching of Jesus, which included learning from ‘the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms’ () about the necessity of his suffering and resurrection. 1–2 Considering the accusations and warnings in Peter’s address to the crowd (3:12–26), it is not surprising that the temple officials were greatly disturbed (diaponoumenoi, ‘worn out’, ‘unable to put up with any more’, ‘vexed’), and came up to (epestēsan, ‘confronted’) Peter and John, even while they were speaking to the people (lalountōn de autōn pros ton laon). The authorities in question were the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees. The captain of the temple guard (stratēgos tou hierou, ‘captain of the temple’) was the highest ranking priest after the high priest. He assisted the high priest in the performance of his ceremonial duties and was the chief of police in the temple area, with power to arrest (cf. 5:24, 26). The Sadducees as a party had no specific authority in the temple, but many of the priests came from their ranks. All were offended because the apostles were usurping the role of teaching the people in the temple precincts. This is mentioned twice in 4:1–2, but not specifically confronted until 4:13–22 (cf. 5:25, 42). ‘The people’ (ho laos) is a distinctive term for Israel, deeply rooted in the covenant theology of the OT. Although the priests had a responsibility to protect God’s people from the corrupting effect of false teaching, they are later described as being driven by jealousy in opposing the apostles and their ministry (5:17). What disturbed them most about the apostolic message was their proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducean party, which was made up of chief priests and elders, the priestly and the lay nobility, denied that on the last day there would be a general resurrection from the dead (cf. ; ). Apart from their theological concerns, they perhaps also thought that the apostles’ teaching could be ‘politically, socially, and religiously destabilizing to their relatively good relationship with Rome’. The Pharisees had made this hope popular among the common people, but the apostles were going a step further than the Pharisees and claiming its fulfillment in Jesus (en tō Iēsou may mean ‘in the case of Jesus’ or ‘by means of Jesus’). This expression could refer to the resurrection of Jesus alone or to his resurrection as proof of a coming general resurrection. The flow of the argument in suggests the latter. Jesus’ resurrection, guarantees that God’s promise to ‘restore everything’ (3:21) will most surely be fulfilled and that those who trust in Jesus will enjoy all the benefits of the salvation that his resurrection makes possible in the new creation. 3–4 The reaction of the people and their leaders is dramatically contrasted. The authorities seized Peter and John, hoping to silence them. Since it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day, when an investigation could take place (vv. 5–7). However, many who heard the message about Jesus believed (cf. 2:37). Indeed, Luke records a further advance in numbers from the three thousand who believed on the Day of Pentecost (2:41): the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand (egenēthē [ho] arithmos tōn andrōn [hōs] chiliades pente; NRSV, ESV, ‘the number of men came to be about five thousand’). This number probably included the three thousand baptised at Pentecost. If men (andres) means only males, the total number of believers, including women and children will have been much larger. However, as noted in connection with 1:16, females are included with males in some NT uses of this Greek word. The perspective of these chapters is that people in Jerusalem continued to be generally favourable to the new movement (2:47; 4:21; 5:13, 26), until they were swayed by the false charges levelled against Stephen (6:11–14) and became part of the opposition. 5–6 Those who met in Jerusalem the next day to question the apostles were literally ‘their rulers and elders and scribes’ (autōn tous archontas kai tous presbyterous kai tous grammateis). Jerusalem is probably mentioned again at this point to highlight the significance of the context in which opposition to the gospel was coming. In Roman times, this group constituted the Jewish Council called the Sanhedrin. It is a pity that the TNIV does not translate ‘their’ (autōn), since the word is used here to distinguish the leadership of the old Israel from the leadership of the new. Rulers (archontes) is a general term, which would certainly have included the chief priests mentioned in v. 6. Elders (presbyteroi) is another general term, applicable to both priest and laymen. The teachers of the law (grammateis, ‘scribes’) were the lay, Pharisaic scholars, who were gradually increasing their influence in what had been a predominantly Sadducean assembly. Among the chief priests, Annas the high priest is mentioned first, even though he had held office much earlier, from ad 6 to 15. His influence in national affairs apparently continued beyond the period of his official rule (cf. ). Caiaphas, his son-in-law, was actually high priest at the time, officiating from ad 18 to 36 (cf. Josephus, Ant 18.26–35; , ). John and Alexander are otherwise unknown members of the high priest’s family (hosoi ēsan ek genous archieratikou, ‘those who belonged to the high-priestly clan’). Luke thus indicates that the apostles were arraigned before the same court that tried and condemned Jesus. Indeed, here and in 5:17–42, the trial of Jesus is effectively reopened and the evidence about him is presented once more to the leaders of Israel and to Luke’s readers. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them, or, more literally (as in most EVV), ‘set them in the midst’ (stēsantes en tō mesō). Given that the Sanhedrin was arranged ‘like the half of a round threshing-floor so that they might see one another’ (m. Sanh. 4:3), Luke is probably making a deliberate reference to this formidable setting (cf. Josephus, Ant. 14.168–76). As they began to question them (epynthanonto), they asked, ‘By what power or what name did you do this?’ This form of questioning recalls the challenge to Jesus in (‘Tell us by what authority you are doing these things’ and ‘Who gave you this authority?’). At one level, the Sanhedrin knew the answer already, since the accused had been proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus in connection with the healing miracle (3:12–21). However, the challenge was presumably made here to expose their theology before the court and provide grounds for accusing them of blasphemy. By what power implies ‘By what supernatural power?’ and by what name ‘Who is the source of that power?’ These questions are specifically answered by Peter in v. 10. While being concerned about the great religious issues of the day, these Jewish leaders were like many others in similar positions throughout history, ‘preoccupied with issues of power and reputation’. 8 With reference to the healing of the man crippled from birth (3:1–10), Peter had already stated publicly that the power was not their own (3:12) and that the restoration took place ‘by faith in the name of Jesus’ (3:16). The name of Jesus, which is given some prominence in 2:38; 3:6, 16, continues to be a dominant theme in , , , , , and 30. Now, filled with the Spirit (plēstheis pneumatos hagiou), Peter boldly restates his claim in a much more threatening situation, before the rulers and elders of the people, and effectively puts them on the spot. The verb used here (plēstheis, ‘filled’) is the one employed to describe the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost in 2:4. In 4:8, the aorist passive participle may signify that Peter was already full of the Spirit (as a result of Pentecost) and spoke accordingly (cf. 13:9, with reference to Paul, and the use of the adjective plērēs [‘full’] in 6:3, 5, 8; 7:55; 11:24). However, it must be acknowledged that the same verb is used in 4:31 in a way that suggests a further endowment of the Spirit for boldness in proclamation (cf. the parallel term eplērounto [‘they were being filled’] in 13:52). Either way, Jesus’ promise of ‘words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict’ () was being fulfilled for Peter in this critical context by the Spirit’s enabling (cf. ). 9–10 At one level, this trial was simply about ‘an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame’ (anthrōpou asthenous, ‘sick person’) and about ‘how he was healed’ (sesōstai). Peter begins his defence by appealing to the kindness of their action (euergesia, ‘a good deed’). At the same time, the perfect passive of the verb sōzō is used to confirm the man’s restored condition and possibly to hint at the deeper significance of the event. This verb can refer to healing in the physical sense (cf. the parallel term tetherapeumenon [‘had been healed’] in v. 14), but it mostly refers to salvation in the sense of rescue from the coming judgment of God and enjoyment of life under God’s rule in the Messianic Age (cf. 2:21, 40, 47). Although Peter wants to introduce that eschatological dimension of salvation into his defence, he first reaffirms that ‘this man stands before you healed’ (using the adjective hygiēs, ‘healthy, sound’, BDAG). He then takes the opportunity to make public (gnōston estō pasin hymin; NRSV, ESV, ‘let it be known to all of you’) the true source of this healing. In so doing, he appeals to the leaders and, through them, to ‘all the people of Israel’ (panti tō laō Israēl; cf. 4:1–2 note). Ignorance can no longer be an excuse when the facts are proclaimed like this. The short speeches here and in 5:30–32 restate in various ways elements of the argument in 3:11–19, dramatically demonstrating the need for ‘persistent speaking in the face of opposition’. Peter insists that the healing took place ‘by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth’, reminding them that it was the same Jesus whom they crucified but whom God raised from the dead. As in 2:22–36 and 3:13–18, Peter is arguing that God has accomplished his purposes through Jesus, despite the opposition of his own people (cf. ). In raising him from the dead, God began the great process of renewal and restoration that will culminate in a transformed creation and the general resurrection of all believers to eternal life (cf. 3:19–21 note). What happened to the crippled man was an anticipation of the glory to come, but also a sign of the present, heavenly authority of the exalted Christ to save in the ultimate sense. 11 The text that Jesus used at the end of his parable of the vineyard (; ; ) is modified here to highlight even more directly the tragic error of his opponents (cf. ). The verb ‘ “rejected” ’ in the Greek version of (LXX 117:22, apedokimasan) is replaced with another which more literally means ‘scorned’ (exouthenētheis) and the words ‘by you’ (hyphʾ hymōn) are inserted before ‘ “the builders” ’ to make the application to Peter’s audience abundantly clear. The pattern of v. 10 is reflected in the two lines of the quotation. Jesus is the despised ‘ “stone” ’, scorned by the leaders of Israel, but exalted by God to the place of highest honour and significance. He is now ‘ “the cornerstone” ’ (lit. ‘head of a corner’, kephalē gōnias), which plays an essential part in the building which God is constructing. In other words, he is the key figure in God’s plan for the restoration of Israel and the whole of his creation. In the original context of the psalm, the stone is either Israel or Israel’s king, rejected by the nations but chosen by God for the accomplishment of his purpose. As elsewhere in the NT, however, ‘God’s purpose for Israel finds its fulfilment in the single-handed work of the Christ’. 12 Following his use of as a warning to the leaders of Israel (), Jesus predicted that ‘not one stone’ would be left on another in Jerusalem and its temple (), because his contemporaries did not recognise the time of God’s coming to them (). Although the prospect of judgment is implicit in what he says, Peter goes on to offer hope, even to those who put Jesus to death, with the assertion that ‘Salvation is found in no one else’. This is so because ‘there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved’. Under heaven means in all of God’s creation (cf. ). Once more, the point is made that Jesus’ name is ‘the inescapable decision point concerning salvation’. Members of the Sanhedrin would have agreed that the God of Israel is humanity’s only true saviour (cf. ; ; ; ). But Peter now insists that the name of Jesus is the exclusive means by which God’s saving power can be invoked and experienced. God’s ultimate act of salvation, in preparation for ‘the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord’, has been accomplished through Jesus, so that he is now the exalted Lord upon whom to call for that salvation (2:20–21, 33–36). Even the leaders of Israel must acknowledge their utter dependence on him. Using different terms, Paul makes a similar challenge to a Gentile audience in 17:30–31, and later he states his divine commission to present Jesus as the only saviour for Jews and Gentiles alike (26:15–23). History has revealed many self-appointed saviour figures and humanity has devised many ways of ‘salvation’, but there is a divine necessity (dei, must) that should be communicated to everyone about calling upon the name that God has provided. This is so because of Jesus’ unique place in the divine plan (v. 11). People in a relativistic, multi-faith society find such an exclusive claim very difficult to accept. Alternatives have been proposed to weaken its impact, including the notion that Jesus somehow benefits sincere adherents of other religions, even though they do not acknowledge him as Saviour and Lord. But such approaches are not consistent with the teaching of , that it is actually necessary to call upon the name of Jesus with repentance and faith to benefit from the salvation he offers. Furthermore, the claim of is consistent with the testimony that Jesus bears to himself in passages such as ; ; . Bruce rightly observes that ‘the founders of the great world-religions are not to be disparaged by followers of the Christian way. But of none of them can it be said that there is no saving health in anyone else; to one alone belongs the title: the Savior of the world’. As the lame man experienced healing when he was encouraged to trust in the name of Jesus Christ (3:7), so salvation in the sense of forgiveness, reception of the Holy Spirit, and enjoyment of life in the age to come is available for everyone who repents and is baptised ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’ (2:38–40).

Proclaiming in Jesus the Resurrection from the Dead (4:1–12) Peter expands on the Christology of the preceding chapters, using in his defence speech (4:8–12). then forms the basis of a community prayer for deliverance from oppression and for continuing boldness in proclamation (4:23–30). Both quotations explain something of the significance of Jesus in the divine plan and warn about the consequences of rejecting him. The first is used to justify the claim that ‘salvation is found in no-one else’ (v. 12), and the second to highlight the futility of banding together ‘ “against the Lord and against his anointed one” ’. It is interesting to recall that and 110:1 were foundational to the Christological teaching in 2:24–36. Two of these four passages were used by Jesus in his own teaching ( in ; ; and in ; ; ). The other two psalms may well have been chosen because of the postresurrection teaching of Jesus, which included learning from ‘the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms’ () about the necessity of his suffering and resurrection. 1–2 Considering the accusations and warnings in Peter’s address to the crowd (3:12–26), it is not surprising that the temple officials were greatly disturbed (diaponoumenoi, ‘worn out’, ‘unable to put up with any more’, ‘vexed’), and came up to (epestēsan, ‘confronted’) Peter and John, even while they were speaking to the people (lalountōn de autōn pros ton laon). The authorities in question were the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees. The captain of the temple guard (stratēgos tou hierou, ‘captain of the temple’) was the highest ranking priest after the high priest. He assisted the high priest in the performance of his ceremonial duties and was the chief of police in the temple area, with power to arrest (cf. 5:24, 26). The Sadducees as a party had no specific authority in the temple, but many of the priests came from their ranks. All were offended because the apostles were usurping the role of teaching the people in the temple precincts. This is mentioned twice in 4:1–2, but not specifically confronted until 4:13–22 (cf. 5:25, 42). ‘The people’ (ho laos) is a distinctive term for Israel, deeply rooted in the covenant theology of the OT. Although the priests had a responsibility to protect God’s people from the corrupting effect of false teaching, they are later described as being driven by jealousy in opposing the apostles and their ministry (5:17). What disturbed them most about the apostolic message was their proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducean party, which was made up of chief priests and elders, the priestly and the lay nobility, denied that on the last day there would be a general resurrection from the dead (cf. ; ). Apart from their theological concerns, they perhaps also thought that the apostles’ teaching could be ‘politically, socially, and religiously destabilizing to their relatively good relationship with Rome’. The Pharisees had made this hope popular among the common people, but the apostles were going a step further than the Pharisees and claiming its fulfillment in Jesus (en tō Iēsou may mean ‘in the case of Jesus’ or ‘by means of Jesus’). This expression could refer to the resurrection of Jesus alone or to his resurrection as proof of a coming general resurrection. The flow of the argument in suggests the latter. Jesus’ resurrection, guarantees that God’s promise to ‘restore everything’ (3:21) will most surely be fulfilled and that those who trust in Jesus will enjoy all the benefits of the salvation that his resurrection makes possible in the new creation. 3–4 The reaction of the people and their leaders is dramatically contrasted. The authorities seized Peter and John, hoping to silence them. Since it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day, when an investigation could take place (vv. 5–7). However, many who heard the message about Jesus believed (cf. 2:37). Indeed, Luke records a further advance in numbers from the three thousand who believed on the Day of Pentecost (2:41): the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand (egenēthē [ho] arithmos tōn andrōn [hōs] chiliades pente; NRSV, ESV, ‘the number of men came to be about five thousand’). This number probably included the three thousand baptised at Pentecost. If men (andres) means only males, the total number of believers, including women and children will have been much larger. However, as noted in connection with 1:16, females are included with males in some NT uses of this Greek word. The perspective of these chapters is that people in Jerusalem continued to be generally favourable to the new movement (2:47; 4:21; 5:13, 26), until they were swayed by the false charges levelled against Stephen (6:11–14) and became part of the opposition. 5–6 Those who met in Jerusalem the next day to question the apostles were literally ‘their rulers and elders and scribes’ (autōn tous archontas kai tous presbyterous kai tous grammateis). Jerusalem is probably mentioned again at this point to highlight the significance of the context in which opposition to the gospel was coming. In Roman times, this group constituted the Jewish Council called the Sanhedrin. It is a pity that the TNIV does not translate ‘their’ (autōn), since the word is used here to distinguish the leadership of the old Israel from the leadership of the new. Rulers (archontes) is a general term, which would certainly have included the chief priests mentioned in v. 6. Elders (presbyteroi) is another general term, applicable to both priest and laymen. The teachers of the law (grammateis, ‘scribes’) were the lay, Pharisaic scholars, who were gradually increasing their influence in what had been a predominantly Sadducean assembly. Among the chief priests, Annas the high priest is mentioned first, even though he had held office much earlier, from ad 6 to 15. His influence in national affairs apparently continued beyond the period of his official rule (cf. ). Caiaphas, his son-in-law, was actually high priest at the time, officiating from ad 18 to 36 (cf. Josephus, Ant 18.26–35; , ). John and Alexander are otherwise unknown members of the high priest’s family (hosoi ēsan ek genous archieratikou, ‘those who belonged to the high-priestly clan’). Luke thus indicates that the apostles were arraigned before the same court that tried and condemned Jesus. Indeed, here and in 5:17–42, the trial of Jesus is effectively reopened and the evidence about him is presented once more to the leaders of Israel and to Luke’s readers. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them, or, more literally (as in most EVV), ‘set them in the midst’ (stēsantes en tō mesō). Given that the Sanhedrin was arranged ‘like the half of a round threshing-floor so that they might see one another’ (m. Sanh. 4:3), Luke is probably making a deliberate reference to this formidable setting (cf. Josephus, Ant. 14.168–76). As they began to question them (epynthanonto), they asked, ‘By what power or what name did you do this?’ This form of questioning recalls the challenge to Jesus in (‘Tell us by what authority you are doing these things’ and ‘Who gave you this authority?’). At one level, the Sanhedrin knew the answer already, since the accused had been proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus in connection with the healing miracle (3:12–21). However, the challenge was presumably made here to expose their theology before the court and provide grounds for accusing them of blasphemy. By what power implies ‘By what supernatural power?’ and by what name ‘Who is the source of that power?’ These questions are specifically answered by Peter in v. 10. While being concerned about the great religious issues of the day, these Jewish leaders were like many others in similar positions throughout history, ‘preoccupied with issues of power and reputation’. 8 With reference to the healing of the man crippled from birth (3:1–10), Peter had already stated publicly that the power was not their own (3:12) and that the restoration took place ‘by faith in the name of Jesus’ (3:16). The name of Jesus, which is given some prominence in 2:38; 3:6, 16, continues to be a dominant theme in , , , , , and 30. Now, filled with the Spirit (plēstheis pneumatos hagiou), Peter boldly restates his claim in a much more threatening situation, before the rulers and elders of the people, and effectively puts them on the spot. The verb used here (plēstheis, ‘filled’) is the one employed to describe the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost in 2:4. In 4:8, the aorist passive participle may signify that Peter was already full of the Spirit (as a result of Pentecost) and spoke accordingly (cf. 13:9, with reference to Paul, and the use of the adjective plērēs [‘full’] in 6:3, 5, 8; 7:55; 11:24). However, it must be acknowledged that the same verb is used in 4:31 in a way that suggests a further endowment of the Spirit for boldness in proclamation (cf. the parallel term eplērounto [‘they were being filled’] in 13:52). Either way, Jesus’ promise of ‘words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict’ () was being fulfilled for Peter in this critical context by the Spirit’s enabling (cf. ). 9–10 At one level, this trial was simply about ‘an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame’ (anthrōpou asthenous, ‘sick person’) and about ‘how he was healed’ (sesōstai). Peter begins his defence by appealing to the kindness of their action (euergesia, ‘a good deed’). At the same time, the perfect passive of the verb sōzō is used to confirm the man’s restored condition and possibly to hint at the deeper significance of the event. This verb can refer to healing in the physical sense (cf. the parallel term tetherapeumenon [‘had been healed’] in v. 14), but it mostly refers to salvation in the sense of rescue from the coming judgment of God and enjoyment of life under God’s rule in the Messianic Age (cf. 2:21, 40, 47). Although Peter wants to introduce that eschatological dimension of salvation into his defence, he first reaffirms that ‘this man stands before you healed’ (using the adjective hygiēs, ‘healthy, sound’, BDAG). He then takes the opportunity to make public (gnōston estō pasin hymin; NRSV, ESV, ‘let it be known to all of you’) the true source of this healing. In so doing, he appeals to the leaders and, through them, to ‘all the people of Israel’ (panti tō laō Israēl; cf. 4:1–2 note). Ignorance can no longer be an excuse when the facts are proclaimed like this. The short speeches here and in 5:30–32 restate in various ways elements of the argument in 3:11–19, dramatically demonstrating the need for ‘persistent speaking in the face of opposition’. Peter insists that the healing took place ‘by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth’, reminding them that it was the same Jesus whom they crucified but whom God raised from the dead. As in 2:22–36 and 3:13–18, Peter is arguing that God has accomplished his purposes through Jesus, despite the opposition of his own people (cf. ). In raising him from the dead, God began the great process of renewal and restoration that will culminate in a transformed creation and the general resurrection of all believers to eternal life (cf. 3:19–21 note). What happened to the crippled man was an anticipation of the glory to come, but also a sign of the present, heavenly authority of the exalted Christ to save in the ultimate sense. 11 The text that Jesus used at the end of his parable of the vineyard (; ; ) is modified here to highlight even more directly the tragic error of his opponents (cf. ). The verb ‘ “rejected” ’ in the Greek version of (LXX 117:22, apedokimasan) is replaced with another which more literally means ‘scorned’ (exouthenētheis) and the words ‘by you’ (hyphʾ hymōn) are inserted before ‘ “the builders” ’ to make the application to Peter’s audience abundantly clear. The pattern of v. 10 is reflected in the two lines of the quotation. Jesus is the despised ‘ “stone” ’, scorned by the leaders of Israel, but exalted by God to the place of highest honour and significance. He is now ‘ “the cornerstone” ’ (lit. ‘head of a corner’, kephalē gōnias), which plays an essential part in the building which God is constructing. In other words, he is the key figure in God’s plan for the restoration of Israel and the whole of his creation. In the original context of the psalm, the stone is either Israel or Israel’s king, rejected by the nations but chosen by God for the accomplishment of his purpose. As elsewhere in the NT, however, ‘God’s purpose for Israel finds its fulfilment in the single-handed work of the Christ’. 12 Following his use of as a warning to the leaders of Israel (), Jesus predicted that ‘not one stone’ would be left on another in Jerusalem and its temple (), because his contemporaries did not recognise the time of God’s coming to them (). Although the prospect of judgment is implicit in what he says, Peter goes on to offer hope, even to those who put Jesus to death, with the assertion that ‘Salvation is found in no one else’. This is so because ‘there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved’. Under heaven means in all of God’s creation (cf. ). Once more, the point is made that Jesus’ name is ‘the inescapable decision point concerning salvation’. Members of the Sanhedrin would have agreed that the God of Israel is humanity’s only true saviour (cf. ; ; ; ). But Peter now insists that the name of Jesus is the exclusive means by which God’s saving power can be invoked and experienced. God’s ultimate act of salvation, in preparation for ‘the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord’, has been accomplished through Jesus, so that he is now the exalted Lord upon whom to call for that salvation (2:20–21, 33–36). Even the leaders of Israel must acknowledge their utter dependence on him. Using different terms, Paul makes a similar challenge to a Gentile audience in 17:30–31, and later he states his divine commission to present Jesus as the only saviour for Jews and Gentiles alike (26:15–23). History has revealed many self-appointed saviour figures and humanity has devised many ways of ‘salvation’, but there is a divine necessity (dei, must) that should be communicated to everyone about calling upon the name that God has provided. This is so because of Jesus’ unique place in the divine plan (v. 11). People in a relativistic, multi-faith society find such an exclusive claim very difficult to accept. Alternatives have been proposed to weaken its impact, including the notion that Jesus somehow benefits sincere adherents of other religions, even though they do not acknowledge him as Saviour and Lord. But such approaches are not consistent with the teaching of , that it is actually necessary to call upon the name of Jesus with repentance and faith to benefit from the salvation he offers. Furthermore, the claim of is consistent with the testimony that Jesus bears to himself in passages such as ; ; . Bruce rightly observes that ‘the founders of the great world-religions are not to be disparaged by followers of the Christian way. But of none of them can it be said that there is no saving health in anyone else; to one alone belongs the title: the Savior of the world’. As the lame man experienced healing when he was encouraged to trust in the name of Jesus Christ (3:7), so salvation in the sense of forgiveness, reception of the Holy Spirit, and enjoyment of life in the age to come is available for everyone who repents and is baptised ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’ (2:38–40).

in his defence speech (4:8–12). then forms the basis of a community prayer for deliverance from oppression and for continuing boldness in proclamation (4:23–30). Both quotations explain something of the significance of Jesus in the divine plan and warn about the consequences of rejecting him. The first is used to justify the claim that ‘salvation is found in no-one else’ (v. 12), and the second to highlight the futility of banding together ‘ “against the Lord and against his anointed one” ’. It is interesting to recall that and 110:1 were foundational to the Christological teaching in 2:24–36. Two of these four passages were used by Jesus in his own teaching ( in ; ; and in ; ; ). The other two psalms may well have been chosen because of the postresurrection teaching of Jesus, which included learning from ‘the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms’ () about the necessity of his suffering and resurrection. 1–2 Considering the accusations and warnings in Peter’s address to the crowd (3:12–26), it is not surprising that the temple officials were greatly disturbed (diaponoumenoi, ‘worn out’, ‘unable to put up with any more’, ‘vexed’), and came up to (epestēsan, ‘confronted’) Peter and John, even while they were speaking to the people (lalountōn de autōn pros ton laon). The authorities in question were the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees. The captain of the temple guard (stratēgos tou hierou, ‘captain of the temple’) was the highest ranking priest after the high priest. He assisted the high priest in the performance of his ceremonial duties and was the chief of police in the temple area, with power to arrest (cf. 5:24, 26). The Sadducees as a party had no specific authority in the temple, but many of the priests came from their ranks. All were offended because the apostles were usurping the role of teaching the people in the temple precincts. This is mentioned twice in 4:1–2, but not specifically confronted until 4:13–22 (cf. 5:25, 42). ‘The people’ (ho laos) is a distinctive term for Israel, deeply rooted in the covenant theology of the OT. Although the priests had a responsibility to protect God’s people from the corrupting effect of false teaching, they are later described as being driven by jealousy in opposing the apostles and their ministry (5:17). What disturbed them most about the apostolic message was their proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducean party, which was made up of chief priests and elders, the priestly and the lay nobility, denied that on the last day there would be a general resurrection from the dead (cf. ; ). Apart from their theological concerns, they perhaps also thought that the apostles’ teaching could be ‘politically, socially, and religiously destabilizing to their relatively good relationship with Rome’. The Pharisees had made this hope popular among the common people, but the apostles were going a step further than the Pharisees and claiming its fulfillment in Jesus (en tō Iēsou may mean ‘in the case of Jesus’ or ‘by means of Jesus’). This expression could refer to the resurrection of Jesus alone or to his resurrection as proof of a coming general resurrection. The flow of the argument in suggests the latter. Jesus’ resurrection, guarantees that God’s promise to ‘restore everything’ (3:21) will most surely be fulfilled and that those who trust in Jesus will enjoy all the benefits of the salvation that his resurrection makes possible in the new creation. 3–4 The reaction of the people and their leaders is dramatically contrasted. The authorities seized Peter and John, hoping to silence them. Since it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day, when an investigation could take place (vv. 5–7). However, many who heard the message about Jesus believed (cf. 2:37). Indeed, Luke records a further advance in numbers from the three thousand who believed on the Day of Pentecost (2:41): the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand (egenēthē [ho] arithmos tōn andrōn [hōs] chiliades pente; NRSV, ESV, ‘the number of men came to be about five thousand’). This number probably included the three thousand baptised at Pentecost. If men (andres) means only males, the total number of believers, including women and children will have been much larger. However, as noted in connection with 1:16, females are included with males in some NT uses of this Greek word. The perspective of these chapters is that people in Jerusalem continued to be generally favourable to the new movement (2:47; 4:21; 5:13, 26), until they were swayed by the false charges levelled against Stephen (6:11–14) and became part of the opposition. 5–6 Those who met in Jerusalem the next day to question the apostles were literally ‘their rulers and elders and scribes’ (autōn tous archontas kai tous presbyterous kai tous grammateis). Jerusalem is probably mentioned again at this point to highlight the significance of the context in which opposition to the gospel was coming. In Roman times, this group constituted the Jewish Council called the Sanhedrin. It is a pity that the TNIV does not translate ‘their’ (autōn), since the word is used here to distinguish the leadership of the old Israel from the leadership of the new. Rulers (archontes) is a general term, which would certainly have included the chief priests mentioned in v. 6. Elders (presbyteroi) is another general term, applicable to both priest and laymen. The teachers of the law (grammateis, ‘scribes’) were the lay, Pharisaic scholars, who were gradually increasing their influence in what had been a predominantly Sadducean assembly. Among the chief priests, Annas the high priest is mentioned first, even though he had held office much earlier, from ad 6 to 15. His influence in national affairs apparently continued beyond the period of his official rule (cf. ). Caiaphas, his son-in-law, was actually high priest at the time, officiating from ad 18 to 36 (cf. Josephus, Ant 18.26–35; , ). John and Alexander are otherwise unknown members of the high priest’s family (hosoi ēsan ek genous archieratikou, ‘those who belonged to the high-priestly clan’). Luke thus indicates that the apostles were arraigned before the same court that tried and condemned Jesus. Indeed, here and in 5:17–42, the trial of Jesus is effectively reopened and the evidence about him is presented once more to the leaders of Israel and to Luke’s readers. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them, or, more literally (as in most EVV), ‘set them in the midst’ (stēsantes en tō mesō). Given that the Sanhedrin was arranged ‘like the half of a round threshing-floor so that they might see one another’ (m. Sanh. 4:3), Luke is probably making a deliberate reference to this formidable setting (cf. Josephus, Ant. 14.168–76). As they began to question them (epynthanonto), they asked, ‘By what power or what name did you do this?’ This form of questioning recalls the challenge to Jesus in (‘Tell us by what authority you are doing these things’ and ‘Who gave you this authority?’). At one level, the Sanhedrin knew the answer already, since the accused had been proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus in connection with the healing miracle (3:12–21). However, the challenge was presumably made here to expose their theology before the court and provide grounds for accusing them of blasphemy. By what power implies ‘By what supernatural power?’ and by what name ‘Who is the source of that power?’ These questions are specifically answered by Peter in v. 10. While being concerned about the great religious issues of the day, these Jewish leaders were like many others in similar positions throughout history, ‘preoccupied with issues of power and reputation’. 8 With reference to the healing of the man crippled from birth (3:1–10), Peter had already stated publicly that the power was not their own (3:12) and that the restoration took place ‘by faith in the name of Jesus’ (3:16). The name of Jesus, which is given some prominence in 2:38; 3:6, 16, continues to be a dominant theme in , , , , , and 30. Now, filled with the Spirit (plēstheis pneumatos hagiou), Peter boldly restates his claim in a much more threatening situation, before the rulers and elders of the people, and effectively puts them on the spot. The verb used here (plēstheis, ‘filled’) is the one employed to describe the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost in 2:4. In 4:8, the aorist passive participle may signify that Peter was already full of the Spirit (as a result of Pentecost) and spoke accordingly (cf. 13:9, with reference to Paul, and the use of the adjective plērēs [‘full’] in 6:3, 5, 8; 7:55; 11:24). However, it must be acknowledged that the same verb is used in 4:31 in a way that suggests a further endowment of the Spirit for boldness in proclamation (cf. the parallel term eplērounto [‘they were being filled’] in 13:52). Either way, Jesus’ promise of ‘words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict’ () was being fulfilled for Peter in this critical context by the Spirit’s enabling (cf. ). 9–10 At one level, this trial was simply about ‘an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame’ (anthrōpou asthenous, ‘sick person’) and about ‘how he was healed’ (sesōstai). Peter begins his defence by appealing to the kindness of their action (euergesia, ‘a good deed’). At the same time, the perfect passive of the verb sōzō is used to confirm the man’s restored condition and possibly to hint at the deeper significance of the event. This verb can refer to healing in the physical sense (cf. the parallel term tetherapeumenon [‘had been healed’] in v. 14), but it mostly refers to salvation in the sense of rescue from the coming judgment of God and enjoyment of life under God’s rule in the Messianic Age (cf. 2:21, 40, 47). Although Peter wants to introduce that eschatological dimension of salvation into his defence, he first reaffirms that ‘this man stands before you healed’ (using the adjective hygiēs, ‘healthy, sound’, BDAG). He then takes the opportunity to make public (gnōston estō pasin hymin; NRSV, ESV, ‘let it be known to all of you’) the true source of this healing. In so doing, he appeals to the leaders and, through them, to ‘all the people of Israel’ (panti tō laō Israēl; cf. 4:1–2 note). Ignorance can no longer be an excuse when the facts are proclaimed like this. The short speeches here and in 5:30–32 restate in various ways elements of the argument in 3:11–19, dramatically demonstrating the need for ‘persistent speaking in the face of opposition’. Peter insists that the healing took place ‘by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth’, reminding them that it was the same Jesus whom they crucified but whom God raised from the dead. As in 2:22–36 and 3:13–18, Peter is arguing that God has accomplished his purposes through Jesus, despite the opposition of his own people (cf. ). In raising him from the dead, God began the great process of renewal and restoration that will culminate in a transformed creation and the general resurrection of all believers to eternal life (cf. 3:19–21 note). What happened to the crippled man was an anticipation of the glory to come, but also a sign of the present, heavenly authority of the exalted Christ to save in the ultimate sense. 11 The text that Jesus used at the end of his parable of the vineyard (; ; ) is modified here to highlight even more directly the tragic error of his opponents (cf. ). The verb ‘ “rejected” ’ in the Greek version of (LXX 117:22, apedokimasan) is replaced with another which more literally means ‘scorned’ (exouthenētheis) and the words ‘by you’ (hyphʾ hymōn) are inserted before ‘ “the builders” ’ to make the application to Peter’s audience abundantly clear. The pattern of v. 10 is reflected in the two lines of the quotation. Jesus is the despised ‘ “stone” ’, scorned by the leaders of Israel, but exalted by God to the place of highest honour and significance. He is now ‘ “the cornerstone” ’ (lit. ‘head of a corner’, kephalē gōnias), which plays an essential part in the building which God is constructing. In other words, he is the key figure in God’s plan for the restoration of Israel and the whole of his creation. In the original context of the psalm, the stone is either Israel or Israel’s king, rejected by the nations but chosen by God for the accomplishment of his purpose. As elsewhere in the NT, however, ‘God’s purpose for Israel finds its fulfilment in the single-handed work of the Christ’. 12 Following his use of as a warning to the leaders of Israel (), Jesus predicted that ‘not one stone’ would be left on another in Jerusalem and its temple (), because his contemporaries did not recognise the time of God’s coming to them (). Although the prospect of judgment is implicit in what he says, Peter goes on to offer hope, even to those who put Jesus to death, with the assertion that ‘Salvation is found in no one else’. This is so because ‘there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved’. Under heaven means in all of God’s creation (cf. ). Once more, the point is made that Jesus’ name is ‘the inescapable decision point concerning salvation’. Members of the Sanhedrin would have agreed that the God of Israel is humanity’s only true saviour (cf. ; ; ; ). But Peter now insists that the name of Jesus is the exclusive means by which God’s saving power can be invoked and experienced. God’s ultimate act of salvation, in preparation for ‘the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord’, has been accomplished through Jesus, so that he is now the exalted Lord upon whom to call for that salvation (2:20–21, 33–36). Even the leaders of Israel must acknowledge their utter dependence on him. Using different terms, Paul makes a similar challenge to a Gentile audience in 17:30–31, and later he states his divine commission to present Jesus as the only saviour for Jews and Gentiles alike (26:15–23). History has revealed many self-appointed saviour figures and humanity has devised many ways of ‘salvation’, but there is a divine necessity (dei, must) that should be communicated to everyone about calling upon the name that God has provided. This is so because of Jesus’ unique place in the divine plan (v. 11). People in a relativistic, multi-faith society find such an exclusive claim very difficult to accept. Alternatives have been proposed to weaken its impact, including the notion that Jesus somehow benefits sincere adherents of other religions, even though they do not acknowledge him as Saviour and Lord. But such approaches are not consistent with the teaching of , that it is actually necessary to call upon the name of Jesus with repentance and faith to benefit from the salvation he offers. Furthermore, the claim of is consistent with the testimony that Jesus bears to himself in passages such as ; ; . Bruce rightly observes that ‘the founders of the great world-religions are not to be disparaged by followers of the Christian way. But of none of them can it be said that there is no saving health in anyone else; to one alone belongs the title: the Savior of the world’. As the lame man experienced healing when he was encouraged to trust in the name of Jesus Christ (3:7), so salvation in the sense of forgiveness, reception of the Holy Spirit, and enjoyment of life in the age to come is available for everyone who repents and is baptised ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’ (2:38–40).

“And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you 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 is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.”

Let us pray…

In the name of Jesus they had the authority to preach…

, “And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.”

As Luke begins his narrative here, he tells us these words, “And as they were speaking…” Suggesting to us that both Peter and John were speaking to the people, perhaps in the aftermath of the healing of the lame man and the preaching of Peter’s sermon. Probably, answering questions about the gospel and explaining how they must now live as Christians.

But, before they were finished speaking the temple authorities arrived on the scène and interrupted them. Remember that Peter and John had come to the temple to pray at the ninth hour, around 3:00p.m. and this was the time also for the evening sacrifice. These authorities that had arrived were the ordinary priests who conducted the evening sacrifice. They were chosen by lot to serve at a given time. They had eagerly anticipated their week to minister and were no doubt upset at the disturbance Peter and John had caused. The captain of the temple guard here was the chief of the temple police force, the Chief of Police in other words, which was composed of Levites. He was only second in rank to the high priest and was responsible for maintaining order in the temple grounds. The Romans gave the Jews the right to police their temple. The text tells us that the Sadducees came upon them… Who are the Sadducees? The Sadducees were one of the four sects that made up leadership in the first –century Judaism; there were the Sadducees, and their archrivals the Pharisees, the Essenes, and the Zealots. Even though the Sadducees were small in number they yielded great influence and they were the dominant religious and political force in Israel, since the high priests through that period were all Sadducees. The Sadducees were mostly aristocratic, wealthy landowners.

To protect their political position and wealth, they firmly opposed any overt opposition to Rome. The concerns of the high priest about Jesus are clearly seen and spoken in , “So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” Then the high priest, a Sadducee, gave a solution in keeping with the Sadducees’ philosophy, look at , “But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.”

The religion of the Sadducees was largely one of social custom. They believed only the written law, rejecting the oral tradition so vital to the Pharisees. They did not believe in the resurrection of the body, or in any future rewards or punishments. In contrast to the Pharisees, they denied the existence of angels and the spirit world. , “For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.” So you see there was a major disagreement among them and it even gets worse. Finally, the Sadducees rejected predestination and the sovereignty of God, believing man to be the master of his own destiny. These theological liberals were the first to persecute the church and theological liberals are still persecuting the church today. The text continues to tell us that these Sadducees as they came upon Peter and John, the word here for phrase “came upon them” is the word Ephistemi, which is the idea of coming upon something or someone suddenly most of the time with hostile intentions. The text also shares with us that the Sadducees were greatly annoyed! Why were they greatly annoyed? They were greatly annoyed because Peter and John were teaching the people! As far as the Sadducees and the other priests were concerned Peter and John had no authority to teach; no reputation as teachers, no sanction from the Jewish leadership, no credentials from any rabbinic school, yet they had gathered a huge crowd and stirred up a major commotion.

That was intolerable to the leaders of Judaism since they were seen as “uneducated and untrained.” And to add insult to injury, they were from Galilee, and could anything good come from Galilee. These leaders were offended that these Galilean’s without any connection to any sect, without any known authority, and without any training could have the nerve to be teaching in the temple. But the major source of irritation for the leaders was that Peter and John were proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

The Jewish leaders had just executed Jesus as a blasphemer, and now these men were boldly proclaiming that Jesus is the resurrected Savior and Messiah. They no doubt viewed their preaching and teaching as a direct attack on their authority. For if Peter and John were right and Jesus has been resurrected them the Sadducees are wrong, the Pharisees are wrong, the Essenes are wrong and the Zealots are wrong! “By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar…” This teaching exposing them and shows their lack of truth.

Preaching the truth of God’s Word always will be met with persecution and the preaching of God’s Word will always pursue to bring light into darkness.

So what could these leaders do? They were unable to tolerate the teaching of Peter and John; they had to shut them up and shut them down. They chose the only weapons they had; they had the captain of the temple arrested them. So they arrested them and put them his in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.

By now several hours had passed since Peter and John had entered the temple, and it was already evening. Peter’s sermon must have been much longer than what is recorded in , since he began it soon after the ninth hour. Since it was evening also meant it was too late to convene the Sanhedrin for a trail for a trial that day. Jewish law did not permit trials at night, (though that regulation was ignored in the case of Jesus). Peter and John were then detained in jail overnight for trial the next day before the very same Sanhedrin that had judged Jesus their Lord. Yet, look at the power of our sovereign Lord! The Bibles tells us that many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. Paul speaks of the power of the gospel in his letter to Timothy,

, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

if we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he also will deny us;

if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

for he cannot deny himself.”

Their imprisonment did not nullify the effect of their preaching.

In the name of Jesus… they received their authority to power to heal.

, “On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”

Peter and John offered no resistance during their arrest, they did fuss, they did not fight, and they did not flee, they resist when arraigned before the Sanhedrin, Peter shows us here the discipline and the behavior that he will later teach about in

, “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

Peter and John quietly submitted, knowing that God controlled their circumstances. Knowing that God always has a plan, knowing that God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His plans higher than our plans. Their persecution gave them an opportunity they would never otherwise have had! What opportunity Pastor? Their persecution resulted in them preaching the gospel to the Sanhedrin. Just look at what happens here, “the chief priests which represented the twenty-four priestly orders. Together with the elders ( family heads and heads of tribes) and the scribes ( experts in the law) mostly Pharisees, they all made up the Sanhedrin. They were all gather together there in Jerusalem. This Sanhedrin was the ruling body of the nation of Israel (though still under the authority of Romans) and they also serve as their supreme court. It has seventy-one members, including the high priest. Now at the time of the incident the Sadducees dominated it. The text here mentions Annas, but Annas was not the current high priest, Rome had deposed him in favor of his son-in-law Caiaphas. Annas still bore the title of high priest, just like ex-governors, senators, and even presidents retain their titles. Although not officially in charge, Annas was the real power behind the scenes. Five of his sons, one of his grandsons, and his son-in-law all served as high priests. All who were of high priestly descent were drawn from elite families. The Sanhedrin met in a place called the Hall of Hewn Stone, possibly within the temple area. Having placed the apostles in the midst which is the center of the semicircle, they began the formal questions process, the Mosaic Law specified that whenever someone performed a miracle and used it as the basis for teaching, he was to be examined, and if teaching was used to lead men away from the God of their fathers, the nation was responsible to stone them.

, “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.” On the other hand the messenger was doctrinally sound, the miracle-worker was to be accepted as coming with a message from God. The Sanhedrin demanded to know by what authority, power, or in what name did they produce the healing in this man lame from birth.

In the name of Jesus… the authority of God is seen in the resurrection.

There was one essential prerequisite for Peter’s powerful defense. He faced persecution triumphantly because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ had told the disciples these words, “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” ().

The power behind all Christian ministry and witness depends on the filling of the Holy Spirit. Luke writes this verse using passive voice of the verb filled shows Peter’s yieldedness to the Holy Spirit and its control. To serve God you must yield to His Holy Spirit, to minister for God your must yield to His Holy Spirit, to be used by God you must yield to His Holy Spirit. The yielding to the Holy Spirit does not come from a lengthy prayer or an emotional experience but the filling of the Holy Spirit occurs when a believer walks in obedience to the Word of God.

, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,”

Yielding to the Holy Spirit’s control releases His power in the believer’s life. The principle is foundational to all the rest; yieldedness to the Holy Spirit is the key to successfully handing persecution. Because Peter was Spirit-filled, persecution merely drove him closer to the Lord. Lack of being filled with the Spirit is the reason the church today has difficulty facing opposition. A Spirit –filled, uncompromising church will be uncomfortable in the world, since it will be a rebuke to it. It will however, be a powerful, victorious church. Peter and John confronted the world head on, with a boldness and eloquence that caused their opponents to marvel. They were victorious because they were filled with the Spirit of God.

, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you 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 is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

Instead of being frightened into silence or scared into compromise, Peter displayed great courage and went of the offensive. Submission is not being a coward especially if by your submission you are trusting in Christ for your outcome. Peter has no fear; he starts by placing them on the defensive by having the nerve to place John and himself on trial for the healing of this lame man. Listen, “then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man.” So here he turns the tables on the Sanhedrin and subtly accused them of injustice, certainly it couldn’t be wrong to heal a lame man. Remember when the Jewish leaders accused Jesus of healing a man on the Sabbath?

, “Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.” So since the leadership demanded to know as to how this man was made well, Peter told them and all the people of Israel, these words,

, “…If we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you 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 is standing before you well.” In the very citadel of the Sanhedrin’s power Peter put his judges on trial by proclaiming the truth about the living Christ to those responsible for His execution. By pointing out that they executed Jesus but God raised Him up, Peter showed them to be enemies of God. Peter refused to comprise the gospel by deleting a word that would offend the Sanhedrin. He spoke courageously because he was devoted to the truth and entrusted the outcome to the Lord. This is what was are all called to do tell the truth about Jesus, who He is, what is has done, and that He is coming back for those who are His and coming back to punished those who rejected Him. Tell this to everyone and leave the consequences to God.

One of the most formidable barriers to the Sanhedrin’s acceptance of Jesus as Messiah was that Jesus did not prevent Himself from being killed. But Jesus had share these with His followers,

, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

This did not fit their concept of the Messiah as the political and military deliverer to come and save Israel, so these builders, these leaders of Judaism, they rejected Him. As he had done on the day of Pentecost, Peter turned to the Old Testament Scriptures to build his case. He quoted

, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Later Peter would continue this argument, this teaching in his own epistle.

, “For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.”

So, the text here clearly shows that Peter is not leading them away from the God of their fathers but preaching to them the very truth of God from the Old Testament as fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus was the stone, which the builders (leaders) rejected, and now God has made Jesus the chief cornerstone. In ancient building practices, the cornerstone was the principal stone placed at the corner of the edifice. The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid, and the most carefully constructed of any in the edifice. Jesus describes Himself as the Cornerstone that His church would be built upon, a unified body of believers, both Jew and Gentile. Their rejection of Jesus places them in opposition to God, but God gave Jesus the place of preeminence. Jesus is the cornerstone of God’s spiritual temple, the church; again Peter was not leading them away from God they were leading people away from God.

, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

Now in verse 12 Peter does something that is ironic, instead of pleading for John’s life and his own life, he pleads for the saving of their lives by preaching Christ to them.

, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Peter’s statement that there was salvation in no other name was an implicit invitation to the Sanhedrin to place their faith in Jesus. It was Jesus’ name that brought physical deliverance to the lame man – It was the name of Jesus—that brings eternal salvation to all who call upon him.

Peter emphasizes this by saying that it is the only name under heaven (that is, throughout the whole earth) by which a person can be saved. Further, there is no other name among men (that is, in all of human society) that saves. On Christ as the exclusive way of salvation,

, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

This verse also suggests that salvation comes only through conscious faith in Jesus. Jesus is more than just the source of physical healing but He is the only source of spiritual healing. Deliverance from the devastation effects of sin comes only through Jesus Christ our Lord. The exclusivism of Christianity goes against the grain of our religiously pluralistic society. , “So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.”

But we as Christians must preach an exclusive Christ in an inclusive age. Because of this we will often be seen as being narrow-minded and intolerant. But, when I really think about it as a Christians I must be narrow-minded because the Bible says, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” ().

And we must be intolerant, because the Bible says,

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” ().

Peter’s impassion plea failed to soften the hardened hearts of the Sanhedrin. Yet it was not without some effect. They could not help being impressed with the confidence of Peter and John. They were amazed that these uneducated and untrained men could argued their case so well before the elite Jewish supreme court was shocking, so they were marveling. But finally the explanation slowly dawned on the Sanhedrin, as they began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

No doubt it came back to their memories that the two apostles had been with Jesus in the temple and at His trial. What triggered the Sanhedrin’s recognition was the realization that the apostles were doing what Jesus did. Like the apostles, Jesus had boldly and fearlessly confronted the Jewish leaders with His authority and truth, “ And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” ().

Jesus also had no formal rabbinic training, yet His sure handing of the Old Testament Scripture He had no equal, but the people who heard Jesus teach and preach were amazed, listen to these words, “ About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “ How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority” ().

Jesus performed many miracles during His earthly ministry, Peter and John because of the miracle of healing the lame man. The attempt by the Sanhedrin to suppress the apostles’ teaching had given them a priceless opportunity. They boldly seized it and proclaimed the gospel to the highest officials of the Jewish nation.

, “But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.”

Peter’s convincing defense was in his teaching, for Peter was in fact leading the people to God and the Sanhedrin could not refute that point. The promise of Jesus Christ rings true here,

“But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kinds and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict” ().

That is how we are supposed to handle persecution; but let’s look at some take- aways as well

(1) God is long-suffering with lost sinners. Even though they had denied and slain Christ, He still sent His Holy Spirit to give then a witness to repent.

(2) A true witness involves give people the “bad news” of sin and guilt as well as the “good news” of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

(3) The way to reach the masses is by helping the individual sinner. Transform the life of the one God has placed before you and God will convert all who see and believed.

(4) The best defense of the truth of Christ Jesus is the seeing and living of a transform life. So, live in a way that honors your calling in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(5) Whenever God blesses, Satan shows up to oppose the work and silence the witness. Expect it- but don’t allow it to ever stop you! Greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world.

(6) God has promised to bless and use His Word, so let’s be faithful to witness Jesus.. There is power in the name of Jesus.

(7) The name of Jesus Christ is to be proclaimed in all the earth, so that people might believe and have life through His name. There can be no true faith in Christ unless first there is repentance from sin

When it comes to repentance the difficulty some have in entering the doorway of the kingdom of God is like little boy who got his hand caught inside an expensive vase at Pottery barn. His upset parents applied soap, lotion, and even oil, without success to allow his hand to be release. When all else had failed and that had purchased the vase so that they might break it to release the hand, the frightened boy cried out,

“Would it help if I lest go of the penny I’m holding on too?”

So it is with all of us, so often. We cause others great anguish and risk the truly valuable because we will no let go of the insignificant things we possess today.

There can be no true faith in Christ unless first there is repentance from sin.

Proclaiming the resurrection in Jesus...

Introduction