The Boldness of Peter and John Acts 4:13-22

Acts 4:13–22 CSB

When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in opposition. After they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign has been done through them, clear to everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that this does not spread any further among the people, let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.” So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done. For this sign of healing had been performed on a man over forty years old.

Observing Peter and John

There is so much in Acts 4:13. Peter and john were brought in front of these religious leaders on their turf. They were being questioned by numerous people with power and authority in an intimidating way. but they were not moved.

Acts 4:13 CSB

When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.

They saw their BOLDNESS!

They brought these Galilean fishermen in for an interrogation to shut them up. How hard could that be? They were the big wigs…they had authority and clout…and of course, they had God on their side. They observed their boldness. Imagine that being a word used to describe you when it comes to your faith. That word is also translated to mean confidence. I think that might make more sense. When you are confident in something, you have a boldness about you. I KNOW that I am right, therefore I will speak out about the subject. I do not think that the Sadducees expected this type of boldness and confidence from these guys. They knew that when they seized and killed Jesus, these guys were not around to put up a fight. It had been a while since Jesus was crucified and the disciples had been kind of in hiding…or at least that is what it looked like. They were not in hiding; they were being taught by the Messiah…the risen savior. they were being prepared by Him and eventually filled by the Holy Spirit. Which is why they made their next observation....

They were Uneducated and Untrained

The best translations here are without learning and unskilled. This is what theses guys thought of them. That lets us know a lot about the Sadducees. They had the right bloodlines, they had the right connections, they had the right education and practiced the skill of being religious to perfection. Yet, Peter and John were standing in front of them defying all their knowledge and authority. Can you imagine being told by a lowly fisherman that you, a highly trained religious leader, needed salvation from the man you ordered killed? That was definitely bold but did not add up because these guys hadn’t been to the right school or learned in the synagogue. They came to the right conclusion though...

They had been with JESUS!

Bold and untrained and uneducated do not usually go together. These guys didn’t get it but they saw that Jesus had a profound impact on these guys. They did not realize that Peter and John had better training and education than they could have ever recieved at their schools. They were taught by the one who wrote the rules…who authored their very faith…who gives life eternal. They had been with Jesus and they were ready to live their lives for Him. This is something that the Sadducees and Pharisees completely misunderstood in all of their learning. They learned how to follow rules and give orders. They did not learn to follow God. They stopped looking for the savior because the rules were their savior. Their boldness and bullying came from being enabled by men not God so they could not see or chose not to see what Peter and Paul were trying to tell them. So they reacted the way they knew how...

Responding to Peter and John

Acts 4:14–18 CSB

And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in opposition. After they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign has been done through them, clear to everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that this does not spread any further among the people, let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.” So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

The Leaders were stuck

We talked last time about how Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. The way these events have unfolded here is certainly ordained and blessed by God. This shows that when we follow the leading and are “filled” from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we have the Lord’s protection. Consider the series of events which allows them to bring the Gospel to the highest level of Jewish leadership. They healed a man that has been lame for over forty years. They preached salvation through Jesus Christ. They saw five thousand people come to faith. They were seized and questioned. In all of these events they were filled and led by the Holy Spirit. They acted not on their own but for Jesus as they were led. Having the man that was healed there at the hearing was perfect and granted protection for them. It basically shut them up for the moment. These men were in the habit of eliminating their opposition that threatened their power. John 12:9-11

John 12:9–11 CSB

Then a large crowd of the Jews learned he was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, the one he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests had decided to kill Lazarus also, because he was the reason many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus.

The Leaders witnessed the Power of God

Acts 4:16 CSB

saying, “What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign has been done through them, clear to everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

One of the more awesome consequences of them bringing Peter and John in for questioning was that they had to admit that God did something miraculous and that God was getting the praise for it. They acknowledged that an “obvious sign had been done through them.” That can also be translated “a known miracle.” So these big shots saw and acknowledged a miracle had taken place and that it had been done in the name of Jesus and the praise was being given to their God, yet they wanted none of that because that wasn’t in the rule book and they were blind from seeing that it was in THE BOOK…their Holy Scriptures.

The Leaders sought to stop God’s work

Acts 4:17–18 CSB

But so that this does not spread any further among the people, let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.” So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

Amazing! These guys saw a miracle take place in the name of the God they serve and their reaction is to shut it down. Even after their observations regarding the boldness and wisdom of Peter and John, they think that they have the power to go against God. It is amazing to see this. We will see that later in this chapter, one of the leaders named Gamaliel advises against this line of action, which would suggest that this encounter had a positive effect on at least some of the leaders in the Sanhedrin. As for now, they wanted no more of this Jesus talk.

Peter and John’s response

Acts 4:19–22 CSB

Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done. For this sign of healing had been performed on a man over forty years old.

They answered with BOLDNESS!

Acts 4:19 CSB

Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide;

They reiterated that they were doing what God had told them to do. It is important to realize that they are speaking in the name of Jesus and performing miracles in His name and they are also giving the credit to God. There is a subtle but powerful claim in what they are saying that Jesus is God. In Acts 1:8

Acts 1:8 CSB

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

they were told by Jesus to be His witnesses. When responding to the Sanhedrin, they say they are listening to God. This is a key concept in our belief that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the Trinity. Three persons and one God. Many refute this as a Biblical teaching but it can be seen throughout the New Testament. Can you imagine giving someone an answer like this about your faith? Acts 4:20

Acts 4:20 CSB

for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

That is a bold statement in the face of the authorities! Yet, they made that statement being filled with the Holy Spirit understanding the possible consequences.

They answered with Humility

There was a Boldness in their refusal to listen to the orders of the Sanhedrin, but there was humility in their decision to listen the Jesus. The Bible tells us in Philippians 2:8

Philippians 2:8 CSB

he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.

Jesus death was an act of humility because He did not deserve it and He left Heaven to be with us here for our salvation. Peter and John showed humility in a similar way. their life meant nothing if not serving Jesus…They were unable to stop, regardless of consequences.

They answered with Truth

Acts 4:21–22 CSB

After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done. For this sign of healing had been performed on a man over forty years old.

Even though they were defiant, they told the truth and they gave God the glory. They answered in a way that would make it very hard for the Sanhedrin to punish them. This encounter reminds me of the times when the same leaders would question Jesus and he would answer with truth. It is almost like they were listening to Jesus and finally got it! They were threatened further and released because the truth was on their side. God was receiving all the glory from the witnesses of this miracle and their refusal to stop speaking Jesus’ name was based upon truth that was verified by a miracle. The truth is easy when you are filled with the Holy Spirit and listen to His voice. It is easy when we get out of the way. God has a plan and we can only follow the plan He has for our lives if we are Bold and humble ourselves to Jesus. That is possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s trust in the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to live out the truth of God’s word in boldness and humility to see those around us transformed by that same Holy Spirit as He works in us!