Lesson 5 - Acts 4:1-12 - ARRESTED
INTRODUCTION: Last week, in Acts 3:12-19, we heard Peter's second sermon at Solomon's Portico after he miraculously healed a man who had been crippled since birth. From that sermon, we learned several excellent examples about proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ: (1) To lift up Jesus, we must deflect any credit or glory away from ourselves. Peter began his sermon by deflecting the glory from himself and John and giving all credit to Jesus. (2) To lift up Jesus, we must tell people who he is. Peter made it clear that the God their father had performed this miracle through His servant, Jesus the Nazarene. (3) To lift up Jesus, we must tell people what He did. Peter told them that Jesus died on a cross for their sins, was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, and would return to establish His kingdom on earth and judge all those who had rejected Him. (4) To proclaim the gospel, we must confront sinners with their guilt. Peter bluntly told them they had committed a horrendous sin against God when they crucified Jesus. And finally, (5) to proclaim the gospel, we must tell sinners that God offers grace to those who repent. Peter told them if they would repent and return, God would "wipe away" their sins. After this sermon, 2,000 men were added to the church.
This week, in Acts 4:1-13, we'll cover the backlash against Peter and John when they were arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, the same religious leaders who crucified Jesus. This marks the beginning of official persecution against the early church. The golden era is over.
Read Acts 4:1-4 - BEING GREATLY DISTURBED BECAUSE THEY WERE TEACHING THE PEOPLE
1 As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
v. 1: "As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them," - While Peter and John were still speaking to the crowd, the commander of the Temple police force, the "temple guard," and "Sadducees" confronted them. The guard apparently feared that the highly excited crowd might get out of control. The Sadducees were Levtical priests who opposed any developments in biblical law that conflicted with their orthodoxy, such as Peter's claim of Jesus' resurrection from the dead (Acts 3:15).
v. 2: "being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead." - Two things disturbed these Temper leaders: (1) These apostles of Jesus were teaching the people. This was Sadducees' function since they were the recognized experts on Torah Law. (2) They were teaching that Jesus had risen from the dead and that there would be a general resurrection of the dead, something the Sadducees specifically denied. They believed the Messiah was an ideal, not a real person, and that the Messianic age was a process, not a one-time event. For practical reasons they stressed cooperation with Rome and maintenance of the status quo. Ask: Who are the enemies of the gospel today? It's not the pleasure-seekers or the criminals, but the liberal religious leaders who corrupt the true gospel and claim to be Christians.
v. 3: "And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening." - It was too late to examine Peter and John officially, so the temple officials placed them under arrest and locked them in jail, probably in the Antonia Fortress (see Map, upper right). So, the Sadducees have bcome the very first opponents of Christianity.
v. 4 - But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand." The key factor here in the numbers of new Christians was belief; believing in their hearts what Peter had proclaimed about Jesus in his sermon. Since Jerusalem's population was estimated to have about 50,000 at the time, about 10% of its male population have become Christians. And when you add uncounted wives and children, the number becomes much greater.
Read Acts 4:5-7 - BY WHAT POWER OR IN WHAT NAME HAVE YOU DONE THIS?
5 On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; 6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. 7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?"
v. 5: "On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem;" - The "rulers" were not civil officials but Levitical priests with considerable religious authority; the "elders" were tribal and influential family heads, and the "scribes" were teachers of the law tasked with applying it to specific situations. The rulers and elders were mainly Sadducees, while most of the scribes were Pharisees. As a body, they were known as the Council or Sanhedrin. Local areas would each have their own Sanhedrins, but this was the national Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. It was, in effect, a religious supreme court that had the authority to carry out its decisions.
v. 6: "and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent." - This is confusing: The high priest was appointed by Rome. "Annas" was actually the previous high priest and his son-in-law "Caiaphas" was then current high priest (i.e., the man behind the man). Little is known about "John and Alexander." Because the Sanhedrin comprised 71 members, there were evidently many others there "of high priestly descent." Peter and John are unlearned men who would presumed ignorant with respect to religious matters.
v. 7a: "When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire," - "them" included Peter and John, plus the cripple who had been healed. The Sanhedrin convened in a semi-circle, and those appearing before them would stand in the center. It was designed to intimidate those under scrutiny.
v. 7b: "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?" - The Sanhedrin demanded to know by what authority or in whose name Peter had "done this"-a very ambiguous question. The term in what "name" could be rephrased under whose jurisdiction have you done this. In reality, Jesus holds jurisdiction over the entire created universe. In any case, the question presents Peter with another golden opportunity to talk about and proclaim Jesus' power.
Read Acts 4:8-12 - BY THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST THE NAZARENE
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead-by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
v. 8: "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people," - Jesus had promised when the apostles stood before opponents, God would fill them with the "Holy Spirit" and give them the words to speak (Luke 21:12-15). Filling reflects specific control by the Holy Spirit, and it controlled Peter as he stood as a witness for Jesus. Peter starts by respectfully addressing his interrogators in a formal manner out of respect for the positions they held.
v. 9: "if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well," - As noted in v. 7, the Sanhedrin's chief concern was not the healing of the man but "proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead" (v. 2). But they framed the question in such way that Peter is able to interpret their concern as the healing of the crippled man. This gives him the opportunity to point out that he and the other apostle have been arrested for doing a good deed! Unlike some healing controversies, this healing didn't take place on the Sabbath, so that there was really no ground for the Sanhedrin to arrest Him and John-a moot case. But they did it anyway.
v. 10a: "let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene," - Now Peter answers the question of v. 7: "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?"-and Peter answers: "by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene." It was by Jesus' power that the man crippled for life was healed. The apostles have already made to clear that they do not possess any such power within themselves. The healed man standing in their midst proves his statement-proof of not only Jesus' power to heal, but also His power to save.
v. 10b: "whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead" - Peter is only guilty of performing a good deed, whereas the Sanhedrin is guilty of crucifying the One who has the power to heal and save. By saying this, Peter laid the guilt for Jesus' death at their feet and gave witness to the fact that God reversed their judgment by raising Him from the dead. (We should note that the Sanhedrin did not deny the fact that Jesus has risen then or at any later time, inasmuch as hundreds of people had seen Jesus alive after His crucifixion [1 Cor. 15:6]).
v. 10c: "-by this name this man stands here before you in good health." - The healed man standing in their midst proves Peter's statement-proof of not only Jesus' power to heal, but also His power to save. The Sanhedrin arrested them on the premise that they would be found guilty, however, Peter has turned the tables on them and pronounced the Council as the guilty party! By doing this, he laid the guilt for Jesus' death at their feet and gave witness that God raised Him from the dead.
v. 11: "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone." - The "CHIEF CORNER stone" is a prophetic metaphor for Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Jesus previously applied this quote from Psalm 118:22 to Himself as a Messianic prophecy (Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10-11; and Luke 20:17). In plain language it means that the religious authorities had rejected Jesus, who was in fact the person God had sent to be the foundation for making salvation available to the entire world. In saying this, Peter showed that the Jesus' teaching did not lead people away from God, but in fact exactly fulfilled everything that God had predicted. Israel's leaders had rejected Jesus as an unacceptable Messiah, yet, He would prove Himself to be the most important part of what God was building for the human race.
v. 12: "And there is salvation in no one else;" - Now Peter confidently declares that salvation comes through no one but Jesus, as opposed to the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the leaders they represent. They aren't empowered by God to save anyone. In this context, it appears that Peter was referring to both the national deliverance of Israel and the personal salvation of individuals. The bottom line was that the Messianic Age to which the Jews looked forward would come only if Israel's leaders repented and accepted Jesus Christ as their Messiah. (See, Matt. 24 generally).
v. 12b: "for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." - Peter stressed that Jesus was a man who lived "under heaven and among men," and that as the Messiah, Jesus the Nazarene is (note present tense) is God's only authorized saviour.
NOTE: Peter was addressing an audience of some of the wealthiest, most educated, and influential men in Israel; yet, in an ironic twist, Peter, an uneducated Galilean fisherman, stands before them as their judge rather then their victim. These are the same group of people who had condemned Jesus to death, and Peter surely knew at this moment that he was taking his life in his hands.
POSTSCRIPT: As the story continues, we learn that the Sanhedrin is perplexed: that these uneducated men could speak with such authority and perform miracles. When they summoned Peter and John, they agreed to release them with the warning that they were never again to speak or teach again in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John boldly answered them, saying, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:19-20). After giving them another warning, the Sanhedrin merely decided to let then go. Amazing.
APPLICATION-confident witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ:
1. Confident witnesses for Jesus are filled with the Holy Spirit. Some by nature may be more daring souls than others, but we're not talking here about natural inclination, but supernatural power. Jesus promised that He would give us the words and wisdom which none of our opponents would be able to disprove (Luke 21:12-15). If we want to be like Peter and John, who were like Jesus, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit.
2. Confident witnesses have spent much time with Jesus and learned from Him. We often say that we want to be like Jesus, but we have misconceptions about what Jesus was like. The point is, if we're going to be like Jesus, we will be bold witnesses who confront religious hypocrisy and false doctrine head-on. We won't be mean or rude but will have the fruit of the Spirit, including kindness and gentleness. Most importantly, will have spent enough time with Jesus to learn from Him the importance of speaking out when God's truth is being compromised. We will fear God more than we fear social customs or what others think of us.
3. Confident witnesses testify of what they know for certain. The disciples could not stop speaking of what they had seen and heard (v. 20). They had seen the risen Lord Jesus. They saw Him ascend into heaven. They had heard Him explain from the Scriptures the many passages about Himself. They had seen Him heal this lame man by His power. And so they spoke confidently about these matters.
4. Confident witnesses insist Jesus is the only way of salvation. We live in an age where tolerance has become the primary virtue. People don't object if you say, "I've accepted Jesus as my personal Savior." They say, "That's nice for you, but I'm into something else." Or they say, "All that matters is that you're a good person and believe in something, i.e., all roads lead to God." Many of them are kind and loving people, but they are eternally lost unless they trust in Jesus Christ alone.
ENDNOTE: The good news is there is salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ for all who will trust in Him alone! To trust in Christ means to abandon your trust in your own good works, to let go of your pride, and acknowledge that you are a sinner, separated from God. Like the lame man, there is no hope for you to heal yourself. Only Christ can heal your soul.
