11  How to  Handle  Persecution (4:1-31)

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. And it came about on the next day, that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. And when they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, 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. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the very corner stone. 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.” Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. But when they had ordered them to go aside out of the Council, they began to confer with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to any man in this name.” And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “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 what we have seen and heard.” And when they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which they might punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. And when they had been released, they went to their own companions, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is Thou who didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Thy servant, didst say, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples devise futile things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ.’ For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur. And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Thy bond-servants may speak Thy word with all confidence, while Thou dost extend Thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Thy holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness. (4:1–31)

Throughout its history the church of Jesus Christ has faced persecution. During the Roman persecutions of the first three centuries, for example, Christians were thrown to wild animals, crucified, turned into human torches, and tortured in all the cruel ways evil men could devise. Uncounted thousands of martyrs met their deaths with a calmness and serenity that unnerved their tormenters. So, according to tradition, did all the apostles except John.

Far from destroying the church, however, persecution merely served to purify and strengthen it. It matures the church the way trials mature individual believers. After surviving three centuries of violent attacks the church emerged as the dominant force in the Roman empire. In the words of the church Father Tertullian, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

In modern times the church (at least in the West) has rarely faced physical persecution. Satan’s attacks have become much more subtle—the type of attack detailed, for example, in C. S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters. Instead of threatening the body, Satan’s persecutions today aim at the ego. They threaten our selfish pride, need for acceptance, or status. Satan has largely destroyed the spiritual effectiveness of the church without having to kill the individual believers in it. In fact, letting believers live self-centered, complacent, indolent, worldly lives is more effective in keeping people from being attracted to the Christian faith than killing them. Martyrs are respected for the strength of their character; compromisers are despised.

The first opposition to the church did not take long to arise, and it came from the same Jewish leaders who had executed Jesus. Acts chapters 4, 5, 7, 8, and 12 record those persecutions.

That the church should face persecution came as no surprise, since the Lord Jesus Christ warned His followers to expect it. In John 15:18–20 He said,

In John 16:2 He warned, “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.”

The apostles also taught the certainty of persecution. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). Peter added, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Those Christians who live godly, Christ-centered lives will inevitably come into conflict with the satanic world system. And the day may soon come when believers will be physically persecuted, tortured, or even martyred, as the world escalates its hatred of the true gospel.

Acts chapter 4 records the first outbreak of persecution against the church. Verses 1–31 can be simply divided into two sections: the persecution manifest and the persecution met.

THE PERSECUTION MANIFEST

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. (4:1–4)

Luke’s use of the plural pronoun they suggests both Peter and John were speaking to the people. Perhaps in the aftermath of the healing and Peter’s sermon both apostles were dialoguing with the crowd. Before they were finished speaking, however, the temple authorities arrived on the scene to arrest them. The priests were the ordinary priests conducting the evening sacrifice. They were divided into twenty-four courses and were chosen by lot to serve at a given time. They had eagerly anticipated their week to minister and were no doubt upset at the disturbance Peter and John had caused.

The captain of the temple guard was the chief of the temple police force, which was composed of Levites. He was second in rank only to the high priest and was responsible for maintaining order in the temple grounds. The Romans gave the right to police the temple to the Jews, and this stratēgos (a word meaning commander, or general) ranked next to the high priest in authority.

The Sadducees were one of the four sects that made up first-century Judaism, along with their archrivals the Pharisees, the Essenes, and the Zealots. Although small in number, they were highly influential. They were the dominant religious and political force in Israel, since the high priests through that period were all Sadducees. The Sadducees were mostly aristocratic, wealthy landowners. To protect their political position and wealth, they firmly opposed any overt opposition to Rome. John 11:47–48 highlights their concerns: “Therefore the chief priests [Sadducees] and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, ‘What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.’” Then the high priest, a Sadducee, gave a solution in keeping with the Sadducees’ philosophy: “But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.’” (John 11:49–50).

The religion of the Sadducees was largely one of social custom. They believed only the written law, rejecting the oral tradition so vital to the Pharisees. They did not believe in the resurrection of the body, or in any future rewards or punishments. In contrast to the Pharisees, they denied the existence of angels and the spirit world (Acts 23:8). Finally, they rejected predestination and the sovereignty of God, believing man to be the master of his own destiny. These theological liberals were the first to persecute the church.

Ephistēmi (came upon) has the idea of coming upon suddenly, sometimes with hostile intent (cf. Acts 6:12). The authorities were greatly disturbed with the apostles for several reasons. First, they were annoyed that they were teaching the people at all. They had no reputation as teachers, no sanction, no credentials, yet had gathered a huge crowd and stirred up a major commotion. That was intolerable to the leaders since Peter and John were “uneducated and untrained” (v. 13); that is, they had not undergone rabbinic training. Worse, they were from Galilee, from which nothing good could be expected (John 1:46; 7:41, 52). Commentator Albert Barnes writes, “They were offended that unlearned Galileans, in no way connected with the priestly office, and unauthorized by them, should presume to set themselves up as religious teachers” (Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament: Acts-Romans [reprint of the 1884–85 edition; Grand Rapids: Baker], 74). That Peter and John were doing so in the temple, the heart of the Sadducees’ domain, was especially galling.

But the major source of irritation was Peter and John’s proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. The Jewish leaders had executed Jesus as a blasphemer, and now the apostles were boldly proclaiming Him as the resurrected Messiah. They no doubt viewed that as a direct attack on their authority. Nor were the Sadducees pleased that the apostles were preaching the resurrection from the dead. As already noted, they rejected the idea of a general resurrection. If Jesus had risen, they were exposed as heretics. Further,

Unable to tolerate the apostles’ preaching, the authorities laid hands on them, and put them in jail until the next day. By now several hours had passed since Peter and John entered the temple, and it was already evening. Peter’s sermon must have been much longer than what is recorded in chapter 3, since he began it soon after the ninth hour (3:1). The fact that it was evening meant it was too late to convene the Sanhedrin for a trial that day, and Jewish law did not permit trials at night (though that regulation was ignored in the case of Jesus). Peter and John were detained in jail overnight for trial the next day before the very Sanhedrin that had judged their Lord.

Imprisoning the apostles, however, did not nullify the effect of their preaching. Many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. As was to prove the case repeatedly through the centuries, persecution led to the expansion of the church. Five thousand represents the cumulative number of the men in the Jerusalem congregation, not those added at this time. This is the last mention of a specific number in Acts; from this time on the church grew too fast to keep an accurate count. Luke does, however, note the church’s continued growth (5:14; 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:31).

THE PERSECUTION MET

And it came about on the next day, that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. And when they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, 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. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the very corner stone. 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.” Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. But when they had ordered them to go aside out of the Council, they began to confer with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to any man in this name.” And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “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 what we have seen and heard.” And when they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which they might punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. And when they had been released, they went to their own companions, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is Thou who didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Thy servant, didst say, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples devise futile things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ.’ For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur. And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Thy bond-servants may speak Thy word with all confidence, while Thou dost extend Thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Thy holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness. (4:5–31)

This section records the church’s reaction to the initial outbreak of persecution. From that response believers can learn seven principles for handling persecution in all times and places.

BE SUBMISSIVE

And it came about on the next day, that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. And when they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” (4:5–7)

Peter and John offered no resistance during their arrest (v. 3), nor did they resist when arraigned before the Sanhedrin (cf. 1 Peter 2:18–24). They quietly submitted, knowing that God controlled their circumstances. Persecution gave them an opportunity they would never otherwise have had—to preach to the Sanhedrin.

The rulers (also called chief priests) represented the twenty-four priestly orders. Together with the elders (family heads and heads of tribes) and scribes (law experts, mostly Pharisees), they made up the Sanhedrin. The next morning, they were gathered together in Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin was the ruling body of the nation (under the ultimate authority of the Romans) and also its supreme court. It had seventy-one members, including the high priest. At the time of this incident it was dominated by the Sadducees. Annas was not the current high priest, having been deposed by the Romans in favor of his son-in-law Caiaphas. He still bore the title of high priest, just as ex-presidents of the United States are still called president. Although not officially serving as high priest, Annas was the real power behind the scenes. Five of his sons, one of his sons-in-law (Caiaphas), and one of his grandsons all served as high priests. The identification of John and Alexander is uncertain. Some manuscripts read “Jonathan” instead of John, and Annas had a son named Jonathan, who later replaced Caiaphas as high priest. Nothing further is known of Alexander. All who were of high-priestly descent may refer generally to those of the elite families from which the high priests were drawn, or specifically to members of Annas’s family.

The Sanhedrin met in a place called the Hall of Hewn Stone, possibly within the temple area. Having placed the apostles in the center of the semicircle in which they sat, they began the formal questioning process. Homer Kent, Jr., points out that

The Sanhedrin demanded to know by what power, or in what name the apostles had healed the lame man. A name represented authority. The question implied Peter and John were rebels, since the Sanhedrin had not granted them authority to act. Whatever their motive for asking, the question provided an opening for Peter to preach to them.

BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, (4:8a)

There was one essential prerequisite for Peter’s powerful defense. He faced persecution triumphantly because he was filled with the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 2:4; 13:9). The Lord Jesus Christ had told the disciples that “when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not become anxious about how or what you should speak in your defense, or what you should say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:11–12). All Christian ministry and witness depends on the filling of the Holy Spirit (see the discussion of the filling of the Spirit in Ephesians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 1986]). The passive voice of the verb translated filled shows Peter’s yieldedness to the Spirit’s control. He did not become filled by lengthy prayer or an emotional experience. The filling of the Spirit occurs when the believer walks in obedience to the Word and Spirit (cf. Eph. 5:18; Col. 3:16). Yielding to His control releases His power in the believer’s life.

This principle is foundational to all the rest; yieldedness to the Holy Spirit is the key to successfully handling persecution. Because Peter was Spirit-filled, persecution merely drove him closer to the Lord. Lack of being filled with the Spirit is the reason the church today has difficulty facing opposition.

A Spirit-filled, uncompromising church will be uncomfortable in the world, since it will be a rebuke to it. It will, however, be a powerful, victorious church. Peter and John confronted the world head on, with a boldness and eloquence that caused their opponents to marvel (cf. v. 13). They were victorious because they were Spirit-filled.

BE AGGRESSIVE IN SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES

Peter … said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, 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. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the very corner stone. 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.” Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. (4:8–13)

Instead of being frightened into silence or compromise, Peter displayed great courage and went on the offensive. Submission is not cowardice. He began by indicting them for the incongruity of putting him and John on trial … for a benefit done to a sick man. He thus turned the tables on the Sanhedrin and subtly accused them of injustice—certainly it couldn’t be wrong to heal a lame man.

Since they had demanded to know as to how this man has been made well, by what name (or authority) the apostles performed the miracle, Peter told them. He desired them and all the people of Israel to know that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—whom they crucified, but God raised from the dead—the beggar stood before them in good health. In the very citadel of the Sanhedrin’s power Peter put his judges on trial by proclaiming the truth about the living Christ to those responsible for His execution. By pointing out that they executed Jesus but God raised Him up, Peter showed them to be the enemies of God. That approach was frequently employed in Acts (cf. 2:23–24; 3:14–15; 10:39–40; 13:27–30). Peter refused to compromise the gospel by deleting what would offend the Sanhedrin. He spoke courageously because he was devoted to the truth and entrusted the outcome to his Lord. That is an example for all persecuted believers to follow.

One of the most formidable barriers to the Sanhedrin’s acceptance of Jesus as Messiah was that He could not prevent Himself from being killed. That did not fit their conception of the Messiah as a political and military deliverer. As he had done on the day of Pentecost, Peter turned to the Old Testament Scriptures to build his case. He quoted Psalm 118:22, applying it to their rejection of Jesus Christ (cf. Mark 12:10—11; 1 Peter 2:4, 6–8). Peter was not leading the Jews away from God but preaching the very truth of the Old Testament as fulfilled in Jesus. He was the stone which was rejected by them, the builders or spiritual leaders of the nation. Although they rejected Jesus, God made Him the very corner stone through His resurrection and exaltation. Again, Peter puts them in opposition to God—they rejected Jesus, but God gave Him the place of preeminence. He is the cornerstone of God’s spiritual temple, the church (Eph. 2:19–22). They were the ones leading the people away from God.

In verse 12 Peter gives what amounts to a direct invitation to the Sanhedrin to repent and embrace Jesus Christ to be saved. He had already declared that the healing of the lame beggar had been done in Jesus’ name. Now he goes further and proclaims that 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. Saved is a form of the same verb (sozō) used in verse 9 to describe the healing of the lame man. Not only was Jesus the source of physical healing, but He is also the only source of spiritual healing. Deliverance from the devastating effects of sin comes only through Jesus Christ. Peter did not invent that truth; he is merely echoing his Master. In John 14:6 Jesus declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” This same exclusivity is claimed by our Lord in John 10:7–8 when He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers.”

The exclusivism of Christianity goes against the grain of our religiously pluralistic society. A chapel built at the North Pole in February 1959 by the men of Operation Deep Freeze 4 typifies the prevalent attitude today toward religious belief. The structure contained an altar, over which was hung a picture of Jesus, a crucifix, a star of David, and a lotus leaf (representing the Buddha). On the wall of the chapel was an inscription that read “Now it can be said that the earth turns on the point of faith.”

Christians preach an exclusive Christ in an inclusive age. Because of that, we are often accused of being narrow-minded, even intolerant. Many paths, it is said, lead to the top of the mountain of religious enlightenment. How dare we insist that ours is the only one? In reality, however, there are only two religious paths: the broad way of works salvation leading to destruction, and the narrow way of faith in the only Savior leading to eternal life (Matt. 7:13–14). Religious people are on either one or the other. Sadly, the Sanhedrin and all who followed them were on the broad road to hell.

Peter’s impassioned plea failed to soften the hardened hearts of the Sanhedrin. Yet it was not without some effect. They could not help being impressed with the confidence of Peter and John. They were amazed that uneducated (in the rabbinical schools) and untrained men (not professional theologians; laymen) could argue so effectively from the Scriptures. That two Galilean fishermen powerfully and successfully argued their case before the elite Jewish supreme court was shocking, so that they were marveling. The explanation slowly dawned on the Sanhedrin, as they began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. No doubt it came back to their memories that the two apostles had been with Jesus in the temple and at His trial (John 18:15–18).

What triggered the Sanhedrin’s recognition was the realization that the apostles were doing what Jesus did. Like the apostles, Jesus had boldly and fearlessly confronted the Jewish leaders with His authority and truth (cf. Matt. 7:28–29). He, too, had no formal rabbinic training (cf. John 7:15–16). Yet in His sure handling of the Old Testament Scriptures He had no equal (cf. John 7:46). Jesus had performed many miracles during His earthly ministry. Peter and John were on trial largely because of a miracle they had performed.

The attempt by the Sanhedrin to suppress the apostles’ teaching had given them a priceless opportunity. They boldly seized it and proclaimed the gospel to the highest officials of the nation. That is how to handle persecution—face it with the boldest proclamation of the truth.

BE OBEDIENT TO GOD AT ALL COSTS

And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. But when they had ordered them to go aside out of the Council, they began to confer with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to any man in this name.” And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “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 what we have seen and heard.” And when they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which they might punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. (4:14–22)

The unexpected boldness of Peter and John, and the presence of the healed man standing with them, put the Sanhedrin in an impossible position. Seeing the man who had been healed standing with the apostles, they (for the moment) had nothing to say in reply. Peter’s convincing defense that he was, in fact, leading people to God, not away from Him, was unanswerable. The promise of Jesus to His apostles to give them “utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute” (Luke 21:15) had been fulfilled.

Having ordered Peter and John to go aside out of the Council, the members of the Sanhedrin began to confer with one another. Peter had completely turned the tables on them, and now court was recessed while they considered what to do with these men. The question was not an easy one to answer. Peter and John had broken no laws and had ably defended themselves from the Old Testament Scriptures. Further, to punish them would be risky, in light of the fact that a noteworthy miracle had taken place through them and was apparent to all who live in Jerusalem. The reality of the power of the risen Lord had spread through the whole city. Even they could not deny it. Sadly, though they could not deny it, neither were they willing to accept it. They were a living illustration of our Lord’s words in John 3:19 that “the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.” Such is the blindness of sin; they knew the truth, yet refused to accept it, just as they had rejected the truth of the resurrection (Matt. 28:11–15).

The Sanhedrin was reliving its worst nightmare. They had executed Jesus for claiming to be the Messiah. Undaunted by that, His followers were going everywhere repeating those claims. Worse, they were proclaiming with irrefutable proof that He had risen from the dead. And they had performed a noteworthy miracle to authenticate their claim to represent God. The Sanhedrin felt compelled to take action in order that this teaching may not spread any further among the people. They had to stop the incriminating truth that they had executed their Messiah. Accordingly, they decided to try to intimidate the apostles into silence by warning them to speak no more to any man in this name.

Because of that decision, they summoned Peter and John back into the courtroom and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Ironically, the early believers had to be commanded to be quiet, while many modern ones have to be commanded to speak. This was an important crossroads in the history of the church. Had the apostles acquiesced to the Sanhedrin’s demand, all subsequent church history would have been radically different. Everything hinged on their willingness to obey God at all costs—even their lives.

Peter and John did not vacillate but immediately answered that they would refuse to obey the Sanhedrin’s command. They appealed to a higher court by asking the question of whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to men rather than to God before the supreme court of Israel (cf. Acts 5:29). Which court is higher? By such an appeal to the divine judge the apostles impaled the Sanhedrin on the horns of a dilemma. They certainly did not want Peter and John to continue to speak, yet they could hardly tell them to obey men instead of God. Peter again indicted them for being the enemies of the God they professed to represent.

It is a clearly biblical principle that believers are to obey their government. Peter himself taught such obedience in 1 Peter 2:13–17 (cf. Rom. 13:1–7). The reaction of Peter and John, however, marks the limits of that obedience. They would gladly obey if they could do so without disobeying their sovereign Lord. But when God’s commands conflict with those of the government, the government must be disobeyed. The actions of the Hebrew midwives (Ex. 1:15–17) and Daniel (Dan. 6:4–10) further illustrate that obligation.

Although Peter and John refused to obey the Sanhedrin, they nevertheless treated them with respect. They did not argue with them, nor pretend to submit and then go and disobey. Instead, they carefully and respectfully explained that they could not stop speaking. Like Paul, who exclaimed, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16), they were compelled to speak.

The content of their message, what they had seen and heard, stresses that they were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life, death, and, especially, His resurrection (cf. 1 John 1:1, 3). One obvious way for the Sanhedrin to escape their dilemma would have been to deny that Jesus rose from the dead. That they never attempted to do so provides powerful evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. F. F. Bruce comments,

The Sanhedrin was cornered; they had run out of options. Having threatened the apostles further they let them go, since they could find no legitimate basis on which they might punish them. It was not a commitment to justice that caused them to free the apostles so much as practical politics. They feared the reaction of the people, all of whom were glorifying God for what had happened; for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. He had the birth defect for all forty of those years, and everyone knew him because he sat at the site of the temple daily (Acts 3:2). The healing was undeniable and powerful. Modern claimers of apostolic healing power leave crippling birth defects alone.

In the midst of persecution, Peter and John remained obedient to God. Like them, no bribes or threats should cause us to be unfaithful to our Lord. Later, in his first letter, Peter wrote from experience as well as inspiration,

BE COMMITTED TO FELLOWSHIP

And when they had been released, they went to their own companions, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. (4:23)

It is noteworthy that the first thing Peter and John did after being released was to go to their own companions. That group should not be limited to the other apostles, nor expanded to include the entire church (since there was no building where all 5,000 men, plus women and children, could have gathered). It may have been some or all of the original group that met in the upper room (cf. 1:13–15). They reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them and no doubt received comfort and encouragement from the others. A primary benefit of persecution is that it results in greater solidarity. Persecuted believers naturally draw together for mutual support. Acts 4:32–35 describes the unity that resulted from this initial outbreak of opposition. Perhaps one reason for the disunity in today’s church is the lack of external pressure. And the false unity being attempted through compromise and indifference toward true doctrine only compounds the problem by moving the church ever further from the true unity that comes out of confrontation by the truth. If we confronted the world system more aggressively, the resulting opposition would drive us closer together and enrich our mutual dependence. That real unity marked the early believers.

BE THANKFUL

And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is Thou who didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Thy servant, didst say, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples devise futile things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ.’ For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur.” (4:24–28)

Peter and John returned not in a state of fear and dejection but of exhilaration. They had preached to the Sanhedrin and had been granted the privilege of suffering for their Lord (cf. Acts 5:41). When the rest heard their report, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is Thou who didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them.” Despotēs (Lord) is an uncommon title for God in the New Testament, appearing only five other times (Luke 2:29; 2 Tim. 2:21; 2 Peter 2:1; Jude 4; Rev. 6:10). It is the word from which our English word “despot” derives, and denotes an absolute master. Faced with opposition, they took comfort in God’s sovereignty. All their suffering was in His will. Being the Creator of everything, He is in complete control of all events. Confidence in the absolute rulership and might of God was enough to sustain them.

They derived further comfort from the knowledge that such opposition had been foreseen in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit, speaking through the mouth of … David in Psalm 2:1–2, spoke of the opposition Christ (and by implication His followers) would face: Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples devise futile things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. They had witnessed the initial fulfillment of that prophecy in the city of Jerusalem. The final fulfillment is presented in Revelation 17:9–14 and sets the stage for His second coming revealed in Revelation 19:11–21. Those opposed to God’s purposes had gathered together against God’s holy servant Jesus, whom God had anointed as His servant. They included Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel. All they had accomplished, however, was to do whatever God’s hand and … purpose predestined to occur. Predestined is from proorizō (Rom. 8:29–30; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:5, 11) and means “to determine beforehand.” It reminds us that God is the supreme historian who wrote all history before it ever began. Having done their worst, they merely succeeded in fulfilling God’s eternal plan (cf. Acts 2:23). As the psalmist expressed it, “The wrath of man shall praise Thee” (Ps. 76:10).

BE DESIROUS OF GREATER BOLDNESS

“And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Thy bond-servants may speak Thy word with all confidence, while Thou dost extend Thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Thy holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness. (4:29–31)

How far those gathered together were from being intimidated by the Sanhedrin’s threats is seen in the conclusion of their prayer. After asking the Lord to take note of those threats to register their guilt and to protect the threatened preachers, their praise turns to petition as they request that God enable His bond-servants to speak His word with all confidence. Their description of themselves as bond-servants refers back to the use of despotēs in verse 24 to describe God. They asked not for protection or a place to hide but for even more courage to boldly proclaim God’s truth—the very thing they had been ordered not to do. They also requested that God would continue to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of His holy servant Jesus to confirm His gospel.

God’s answer was not long in coming. When they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together (perhaps the upper room, Acts 1:13) was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (for the third time), and began to speak the word of God with boldness. As on the Day of Pentecost, there was a physical manifestation of the Spirit’s presence, a shaking. God granted them the fullness of the Spirit for the boldness they desired. As in Acts 4:8, the filling of the Spirit does not involve speaking in foreign languages but speaking in their own language the gospel with power. After the first coming of the Spirit at Pentecost when the rest of the believers were also filled, the miracle of languages disappeared and the filling is for power in speaking the truth from God. So it is in Acts 13:9 with Paul. It should be noted that the miracle of languages will appear again in the case of the entrance into the church of the Samaritans (Acts 8:17–18), Gentiles (Acts 10:44–46), and the disciples of John the Baptist (Acts 19:6).

The church had successfully faced its initial trial of opposition. Instead of succumbing to the temptation to compromise the gospel, it became even bolder. The persecution also served to draw the congregation closer together and to their Lord. In what was to become a recurring theme in church history, opposition only made the church grow stronger. As He had with Joseph (Gen. 50:20), God took the evil intentions of men and used them for His own purposes.