Acts Chapter 4

I. FRUSTRATION (Acts 4:1 -3)

A. The anger of the Jewish leaders (Acts 4:1-2): They are disturbed because Peter and John are proclaiming that there is a resurrection from the dead.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Chapter 4)

and the Sadducees—who “say that there is no resurrection” (Acts 23:8), irritated at the apostles “preaching through (rather, ‘in’) Jesus the resurrection from the dead”; for the resurrection of Christ, if a fact, effectually overthrew the Sadducean doctrine.

B. The arrest by the Jewish leaders (Acts 4:3): Peter and John are seized and jailed overnight.

II. MULTIPLICATION (Acts 4:4): In spite of persecution, the number of believers now reaches a new high of 5,000 men!

III. INTERROGATION (Acts 4:5-22): Peter and John are questioned by the high priest.

A. First ordeal (Acts 4:5-12)

1. Question (Acts 4:5-7): “By what power, or in whose name, have you healed this cripple ?”

2. Answer (Acts 4:8-11): “He was healed in the name and power of Jesus Christ.”

a. The power (Acts 4:8 -10) : Invoking the name of Jesus alone is sufficient.

b. The prophecy (Acts 4:11): David predicted this (see Psalm 118:22).

c. The pardon (Acts 4:12): His name and his name alone results in redemption.

B. Private meeting (Acts 4:13-17)

1. The dismissal (Acts 4:13-15): The two apostles are sent out of the room for a while so the religious leaders can confer together.

2. The dilemma (Acts 4:16): The leaders agree that they cannot deny the healing of the cripple, because everyone in Jerusalem is aware of it.

3. The decision (Acts 4:17): They decide to call the apostles back in and threaten them.

C. Second ordeal (Acts 4:18-22)

1 The threats (Acts 4:18, 21 -22): The religious leaders warn Peter and John never again to speak about Jesus.

2. The testimony (Acts 4:19-20): The apostles respond, “We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard.”

IV. SUPPLICATION (Acts 4:23-30)

A. The believers acknowledge God’s sovereignty in dealing with his enemies (Acts 4:25-28).

1. David wrote of it (Acts 4:25-26): See Psalm 2:1-2

2. The disciples witnessed it (Acts 4:27-28). They saw Pilate, Herod and the Jewish leaders conspire against Jesus.

B. The believers ask for God’s strength in dealing with their enemies. (Acts 4:23-24, 29-30)

V. DEMONSTRATION (Acts 4:31) God’s power shakes the building!

VI. COOPERATION (Acts 4:32-35) The believers sell their possessions and freely share with each other. {NOT Communism or Socialism, where people are forced to share.}

VII. EXEMPLIFICATION (Acts 4:36-37) a godly believer named Barnabas is singled out as an example of sacrificial giving.