The Bullet Point Bible

Acts 4

Peter and John Arrested

1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,2 angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.3 So they seized them and put them in jail until the next day (for it was already evening).4 But many of those who had listened to the message believed, and the number of the men came to about 5,000.

  • The opposition to the apostles' preaching came from powerful Jewish religious and political groups: priests (concerned with temple order), the temple captain (security), and Sadducees (theologically opposed).
  • The Sadducees were particularly provoked because they denied the concept of resurrection (Acts 23:8), which was central to the apostles' message about Jesus.
  • The arrest demonstrates the immediate conflict between the gospel message and the established religious authorities in Jerusalem.
  • Despite the arrest and opposition, the message spread effectively, leading to significant church growth ("the number of the men came to about five thousand"). This highlights the power of the gospel message.
  • The timing of the arrest (evening) necessitated overnight imprisonment, setting the stage for a formal trial the next day.
  • This event fulfills Jesus' warnings to his disciples that they would face persecution for his name's sake (Matthew 10:17-18).
Peter's Defense Before the Sanhedrin

5 On the next day, their rulers, elders, and experts in the law came together in Jerusalem.6 Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others who were members of the high priest's family.7 After making Peter and John stand in their midst, they began to inquire, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, replied, "Rulers of the people and elders,9 if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man-by what means this man was healed -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, this man stands before you healthy.11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone .12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved."

  • The assembly represents the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish judicial and religious council, indicating the seriousness of the situation.
  • Key figures like Annas (former high priest, still influential) and Caiaphas (current high priest), who were involved in Jesus' trial, were present.
  • The council's question focused on the *authority* ("power" or "name") behind the healing, a challenge similar to what Jesus faced (Mark 11:28).
  • Peter, explicitly "filled with the Holy Spirit," demonstrates boldness and divine empowerment as promised by Jesus (Luke 12:11-12).
  • Peter directly confronts the council, attributing the healing to Jesus Christ, whom *they* crucified but *God* raised, highlighting the conflict between human action and divine vindication.
  • The healed man served as undeniable evidence supporting Peter's claims (Acts 4:9-10).
  • Peter quotes Psalm 118:22, applying the "rejected stone" prophecy to Jesus and identifying the council members as the "builders" who rejected him. This was a text Jesus also applied to himself (Matthew 21:42).
  • The statement in Acts 4:12 is a clear and uncompromising declaration of the exclusivity of Jesus Christ for salvation, a core tenet of Christian belief.
The Council's Reaction and Warning

13 When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus.14 And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this.15 But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, they began to confer with one another,16 saying, "What should we do with these men? For it is plain to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign has come about through them, and we cannot deny it.17 But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name."18 And they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.19 But Peter and John replied, "Whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God, you decide,20 for it is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard."21 After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened.22 For the man, on whom this miraculous sign of healing had been performed, was over forty years old.

  • The council was astonished by the apostles' boldness (Greek: *parrhesia* - confidence, freedom of speech), especially given their lack of formal rabbinic training ("uneducated and ordinary men").
  • Their association with Jesus was recognized as the source of their transformation and confidence.
  • The undeniable evidence of the healed man silenced immediate contradiction (Acts 4:14).
  • The council's private deliberation reveals their primary motive: damage control and suppression of the movement, rather than seeking truth (Acts 4:16-17).
  • The command was absolute: *no* speaking or teaching in Jesus' name.
  • Peter and John articulate a fundamental principle: obedience to God takes precedence over obedience to human authorities when the two conflict (Acts 4:19). This echoes prophetic and later Christian stances on civil disobedience for faith.
  • Their testimony was based on empirical evidence – what they had personally "seen and heard" as eyewitnesses of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and works.
  • Popular opinion, praising God for the miracle, constrained the council's actions, forcing the apostles' release despite threats.
  • The detail that the man was over forty years old emphasizes the chronic nature of his condition and the undeniable power of the healing (Acts 4:22).
The Believers Pray for Boldness

23 When they were released, Peter and John went to their fellow believers and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said to them.24 When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said, "Master of all, you who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them,25 who said by the Holy Spirit through your servant David our forefather,25 ' Why do the nations rage,25 and the peoples plot foolish things?26 The kings of the earth stood together,26 and the rulers assembled together,26 against the Lord and against his Christ .'27 "For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,28 to do as much as your power and your plan had decided beforehand would happen.29 And now, Lord, pay attention to their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage,30 while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."31 When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God courageously.

  • The apostles immediately rejoined their community ("their own people"), demonstrating fellowship and shared experience.
  • The community's response to persecution was united prayer, addressing God as "Sovereign Lord" (*Despota*), emphasizing His absolute power and control over creation and history.
  • They interpret the opposition through Scripture, quoting Psalm 2:1-2, seeing the conspiracy against Jesus (involving Herod, Pilate, Gentiles, and Israelites) as a fulfillment of prophecy against God's Anointed (Christ).
  • The prayer affirms God's sovereignty even over the evil actions of humans, stating these events occurred according to God's predetermined plan (Acts 4:28). This reflects a theological understanding of divine providence.
  • Crucially, they did not pray for the threats to stop, but for *boldness* (*parrhesia*) to continue speaking God's word despite the threats.
  • They requested continued divine confirmation through healing, signs, and wonders in Jesus' name, linking supernatural power to the proclamation of the message.
  • God's answer was immediate and dramatic: the place was shaken (a sign of God's presence, cf. Exodus 19:18, Isaiah 6:4), they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (a corporate experience), and they received the boldness they prayed for.
  • Note: The quoted Psalm 2:1-2 is marked as `"{{...}}"` because the believers are citing it as God's word spoken through David by the Holy Spirit.
Unity and Generosity in the Church

32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common.33 With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all.34 For there was no one needy among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds from the sales35 and placing them at the apostles' feet. The proceeds were distributed to each, as anyone had need.36 So Joseph, a Levite who was a native of Cyprus, called by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated "son of encouragement"),37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and placed it at the apostles' feet.

  • This section describes the ideal state of the early Jerusalem church, characterized by profound unity ("one heart and mind").
  • This unity manifested in radical generosity: believers voluntarily shared their possessions, ensuring no one in the community was needy. This was not mandated communism but a spontaneous outpouring of love and shared identity in Christ.
  • The apostles continued their powerful witness to the resurrection, which was accompanied by "great grace" – God's favor evident upon the entire community.
  • The system involved selling property and entrusting the proceeds to the apostles for equitable distribution based on need, showing both trust in leadership and organized care.
  • Barnabas is introduced as a specific, positive example of this sacrificial giving. His background (Levite from Cyprus) shows the diverse makeup of the early church.
  • The apostles renamed him Barnabas ("son of encouragement"), likely reflecting his character and actions that built up the community.
  • This positive example of generosity and trust sets a stark contrast to the deceitful actions of Ananias and Sapphira described in the next chapter (Acts 5).
  • This communal lifestyle served as a powerful testimony to the transformative power of the gospel.

The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® https://netbible.org copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved

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