INTRODUCTION

Our last lesson told of the miraculous healing of a man born lame, the preaching of the gospel to the crowd that gathered, and the resultant conversion to faith in Christ of about 5,000 men, not counting women and children. But it told also of the arrest of Peter and John, who were put in prison for the night.

This lesson finds them brought to trial the next day before the council of rulers. Just as the miracle of healing had served the divine purpose of gaining a huge audience for the preaching of the gospel, so now the appearing of the apostles before the council afforded another opportunity for Peter and John to give their testimony to the power of the resurrected Christ.

Verses included in the lesson may be studied under the following outline:

1. Investigation, Acts 4:5-7.
a. Renegade rulers, 5-6.
b. Raging reproof, 7.

2. Identification, Acts 4:8-12.
a. Apostolic answer, 8-10.
b. Apostolic affirmation, 11-12.

3. Irritation, Acts 4:13-17.
a. Befitting boldness, 13-14.
b. Befuddled bombast, 15-17.

4. Injunction, Acts 4:18-20.
a. Dastard decree, 18.
b. Divine duty, 19-20. 

NOTES ON THE TEXT:

INVESTIGATION, Acts 4:5-7.

Sometimes official investigations are held to discover what everybody already knows. Certainly in this case the officials were familiar enough with the name of Jesus as a miracle worker and with the fact that His disciples also had worked miracles under His direction. They had conspired to cause the crucifixion of the Master, and now felt that they must deal with these believers in the Messiah [Christ] they had rejected.

Renegade Rulers, 5-6.

Caiaphas was learning that his idea of killing Jesus to preserve his own position [John 11:47-53] was not working out as be bad expected. These renegade rulers cared nothing for truth or justice; they were concerned only with their own prestige and power, and so were quick to oppose and accuse any possible rivals for popular leadership.

Raging Reproof, 7.

Notice that there was no question as to what had been done; the question was, "By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?" They already knew the answer, but they hated the very name of Jesus, and perhaps they hoped that Peter and John would be so overawed by the proceedings, and by their recollection of what had happened to their Master, that they would hasten to deny His name. The raging reproof implied in this question was not aimed at the miracle, but at the apostolic use of that miracle to glorify the name of Jesus.

IDENTIFICATION, Acts 4:8-12.

But if the rulers did hope to frighten the apostles into denial or at least into silence, they learned that the humble followers of Jesus were no longer, after Pentecost, easily frightened. They were quite ready now to be identified with their crucified but risen Lord.

Apostolic Answer, 8-10.

Peter’s courage did not come from himself; he was "filled with the Holy Ghost." Not only did he give the name of Jesus as the source of his power; he gave to Him the title of Christ, for claiming which Jesus had been accused of blasphemy; he boldly reminded the rulers of their responsibility for the crucifixion; and he faithfully declared the resurrection. The power by which the lame man was healed, the power with which Peter spoke, did not come from a dead Christ, but from Him "Whom God raised from the dead."

Apostolic Affirmation, 11-12.

Moreover, said Peter, solemnly accusing his accusers, the builders or rulers of Israel had rejected the very One and the Only One with power to save. It was apostolic affirmation in the face of persecutors which Peter would not have dared to make without divine inspiration.

IRRITATION, Acts 4:13-17.

We may easily imagine the irritation of these religious officials at being so addressed. Irritation is really too mild a word; the reader may think of a better one. At any rate we can be sure the rulers did not appreciate such talk from their prisoners.

Befitting Boldness, 13-14.

"Unlearned and ignorant men" simply means, in modern parallel, that these preachers had not attended a seminary. But evidently "they had been with Jesus," and so they had every reason to be bold in declaring His doctrine. Besides, as ministers of His power, they had healed a man lame from birth, and it was hard for their enemies to find fault with that.

Befuddled Bombast, 15-17.

Finding themselves in a quandary, the rulers "conferred among themselves" and came to a characteristically confused conclusion. They could not deny the fact of "a notable miracle," but nevertheless they assumed the authority to limit other men’s freedom of speech so that unpalatable truth might be "spread no further among the people." Their befuddled bombast reflected the usual attitude of tyrants: ordinary people must have no rights which could threaten the security of the tyrants.

INJUNCTION, Acts 4:18-20.

So without regard to truth or error, without concern for right or wrong, the religious rulers were ready to issue an injunction against what they considered dangerous doctrine.

Dastard Decree, 18.

History demonstrates, however, that the dastard decrees of self-serving dictators, given enough time, tend to destroy all the authorities that so abuse their position. They may wrongfully oppress for a while, but the “Judge of all the earth” [Genesis 18:25] will eventually even the scales.

Divine Duty, 19-20.

God’s people are obliged to obey authorities, but their highest allegiance is to the highest authority. Even dictatorial rulers ought to be able to understand this, and so the apostles called on those men who pretended to be ruling in the name of God to exercise a little real judgment. Meanwhile, whether the rulers accepted the fact or not, “we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Jesus had told them to be witnesses, and they would witness.

CONCLUSION [I John 5:12]

Apostate religionists who reject the Son of God have no spiritual life; but simple believers in the apostolic testimony have God in their hearts, and so have eternal life.
===============

[From AAB, March 24, 1978, pp. 2-3. -- jrd]

---

Return to NT Lessons
Return to HOMEPAGE