Acts 4:1–23

But while they were speaking, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to lay hands on them. They were grieved that the apostles preached the resurrection, which their unbelief and their fixed system of doctrine did not accept. They put them in prison, for it was evening. The hope of Israel was set aside; the grace of God had spoken in vain, great and patient as it was. Many, however, believed their word: five thousand people already confessed the Lord Jesus.

There was also a "captain of the temple" (in Greek, strategos). See Luke 22:4, 52; Acts 4:1; Acts 5:24, 26. The word literally means "the leader of an army," and Acts 16:20 uses it of magistrates. But the captain of the temple had charge of the priests and Levites, not of soldiers.

Peter and John were teaching the people, a duty which belonged specially to the priests. They boldly proclaimed the Lord's resurrection from the dead. The Sadducees felt that one of their pet beliefs was touched.

A new group now came forward. While the Lord lived and worked, they had stayed more in the background. Back then the Pharisees were His active enemies. They championed a defective, false righteousness, and they opposed the Righteous One. Now the enemy had another and very different group among the Jews ready: the Sadducees. A truth that exposed their complete unbelief stirred them out of their usual calm... But the resurrection, shown in the person of Jesus, was intolerable. And no one is so intolerant as the people who boast that they tolerate every shade of opinion — when the truth confronts them.

Satan had the Sadducees as his tools against the doctrine of the resurrection, just as he had the Pharisees as fitting tools against a living Christ. We must expect Satan's well-organised opposition to the truth.

Their whole system of thought — their unbelief, to put it plainly — was in danger. At that time most of the leaders of Israel, though not the Pharisees, held that there was no resurrection... It was not only the resurrection. What made it worse was this: a resurrection that had brought the power of God into the world as it now is. A man was raised from the dead and gone into heaven right among them... Where had this mighty deed been done? Among them — in Jerusalem itself, in their own day. It was not done in a corner.

From now on the Sadducees pushed hardest. For them, the resurrection of the Saviour overthrew their creed of denial. How happy they might have been to have their dreadful denials pierced by this glorious light from heaven! But in fact, the more complete the proof of the truth of the gospel, the more they were stirred up against it. If the proof had been weaker, they would surely have acted more gently. But once argument becomes impossible, the will hiding underneath comes out into the open with even more stubborn energy.

The apostles went into custody that evening until the next day. But the word was not bound, and the true light was already shining. Many of those who heard believed. The number of men rose to about five thousand.

Peter and John were teaching the people, a duty which belonged specially to the priests. They boldly proclaimed the Lord's resurrection from the dead. The Sadducees felt that one of their treasured doctrines had been struck at.

This doctrine of the resurrection was recognised as the doctrine the apostles preached openly. It was not that the soul goes to heaven when a person dies. It was that the dead will live again. The Pharisees were the greatest enemies of the Lord while He was on earth. They were the falsely righteous ones, set against the truly Righteous One. In the same way, after His death, Satan raised up the Sadducees, who were enemies of the doctrine of the resurrection.

Their whole system of thought — their unbelief, to be exact — was in danger... They felt most deeply the proclamation of the truth that there was a man risen from the dead and gone to heaven. It overthrew their whole system... Where had this mighty deed been done? Among them — in Jerusalem itself, in their own day. It was not done in a corner. It was not done in some hidden place of the earth. It was not done where nobody had seen it and nobody had heard anything about it.

The expression is "in Jesus," and no doubt the resurrection of Jesus Himself was the great subject of the apostles' testimony. But the expression implies something more... They might have been grieved at their preaching "the resurrection of the dead." But they could hardly have laid hands on them for that. The Pharisees, a far larger group than themselves, held the same faith. What roused their fury and persecution was the exclusive resurrection — announced by Jesus, and now proclaimed through Him.

It was not only the report of the resurrection that these Sadducees feared... They also feared the setting of such an attractive and winning hope before the people. It was a hope full of grace and blessedness: that God would grant those who followed the banner of Christ here below to rise first. The resurrection of the Lord Himself was a kind of pledge and pattern of it.

The resurrection of Him whom man had just killed is the plain, conclusive and unanswerable proof of God's power according to His word. It is the most complete refutation of those who admit nothing beyond the natural course of things in this world. Nobody disputes the laws that govern that course. Nobody disputes the knowledge of those laws that men call science. But the resurrection proves One above those laws, which in no way control or limit His power.

Pre-conceived falsehood will blind a man with unreasoning prejudice. Peter and John were then imprisoned until the next day. However, their word had been most effective in the two hours or so they had been able to speak, and many believed.

Religious authority took offence. Who were these men to speak inside the temple? A mighty miracle had been done in public, and no one could deny it. But officials are sensitive to any invasion of their rights, and they tend to leave God out of the account. And now a group came forward that had stayed more in the background while the Lord lived and worked. Back then the Pharisees were His active enemies. They championed a defective and false righteousness, and they opposed the Righteous One. Now the enemy had another and very different body among the Jews ready: the Sadducees. A truth stirred them out of their usual calm. It convicted them of complete unbelief, and so of hostility to God and His word.

The next step is the arrest and imprisonment of the two apostles. Rough hands seize them. Of the Apostles we read nothing else. They submitted. The power of the Holy Spirit now showed itself in a new way with them. They could suffer, and perhaps with great joy. In perfect peace they let themselves be taken away.

The arrest had evidently been a great mistake, for they found that they could do nothing to the Apostles. A court can never afford to take up a case in haste and then find it must drop it. That course is bound to bring it into disrepute and discredit before men. Yet what had they done? They had kept two men in custody for a whole night for a good deed done to a crippled man! That was the light in which Peter put it, and against which they could urge nothing.

The apostles were put in custody that evening till the next morning. But the word was not bound. The true light was already shining. Many of those who heard believed. The number of men rose to about five thousand.

Nothing could stop the work that had started this way. A little later the opposition of the Sanhedrin grew sharper. Even then the writer of Acts tells us how the work marched on: "And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith."

Satan hates the One who captured him too much to stay hidden, so from time to time he comes out of ambush to give battle. The Lord's servants knew his schemes. They traced the effects back to the right cause. Crying to God, they owned that the opposition was aimed not at them, but at God's Christ.

They put them in prison, for it was evening. The hope of Israel was set aside; the grace of God had spoken in vain, great and patient as it was. Many, however, believed their word: five thousand persons already confessed the Lord Jesus.

Satan stirs up the same hatred of man that led to the crucifixion of Christ. In Acts 4 we find three sets of attackers coming against the men who preached Jesus... For that serious offence "they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day." But God had put His seal on their ministry. And "many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand."

But if the apostles were put in custody that evening until the next day, the word was not bound, the true light was already shining.

In the very town where the Lord had been crucified so recently, the work of gathering together those who should be saved began (Acts 2:47); and the Word did it. The movement did not begin in some obscure village of Galilee and then show itself to the world once it could boast of numbers. Just six weeks after the crucifixion of the Lord, the words of life were spoken in the very centre of Judaism — in the capital city Jerusalem, under the shadow of the temple. Those words bowed hearts to confess the crucified One as their Saviour and their Lord. Nothing could stop the work that started this way.

In Acts 2 Peter lifts up the risen Christ as Moses brought in the budding rod in Numbers 17 to shame the people. There it is a startling object, full of judgement on a rebellious people. Israel cries out under the weight of this, "Brothers, what shall we do?"... In Acts 3 he publishes the name of the same risen Jesus for the healing of these people. That name is set for salvation, not for judgement... Under this preaching the people do not cry out. Instead, "many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand." Peter had declared that he preached Jesus for blessing.

Many of those who heard believed. The number of men rose to about five thousand. This means there were also quite a few women and children present. There is no good reason to take "men" in any sense other than its usual exact one.

Their word had been very effective in the two hours or so they were able to speak. Many believed, so that the number of men alone had become about 5000. That was a marked increase since the day of Pentecost, when 3000 souls came to faith — not men only.

The repentance of the Jews... made a clear division between them and the leaders of their nation. Those leaders held on to their unbelief, and soon began to persecute the followers of Jesus of Nazareth... Those who believed were "added to the church." Those who refused the offered forgiveness kept their place and position in the world that hated the Father and the Son.

The arrest of Peter and John called for a large gathering of the Jewish rulers, elders and scribes, including Annas and Caiaphas (in practice a joint high priest with Annas). These were the same men who had condemned the Lord Jesus to death. Of course it was the preaching of Jesus risen from the dead that angered them. But they could not ignore the striking miracle of the healing of the lame man... So their gathering was a God-ordained means of their hearing the truth about Christ risen from among the dead — the truth they did not want to hear.

The word "elder" comes down from the earliest family days of Israel (Ex. 3:16). The family was the model of government, and in the family the father, as the elder, had authority. The nation then took the same pattern: the heads of houses became the heads of the nation. In this sense the word appears often in the Gospels and Acts (Matt. 26:3, 47, 57, 59; Acts 4:5, 8). In Acts 11:30 we find the first use of the word for the leaders in the Church of God.

The two apostles were kept in custody for the night, since it was evening when they were arrested, and they were to appear before the council the next day. These two Galilean fishermen stood for the first time as defendants before the leading people of their nation... The sight of that assembly could well have overwhelmed the prisoners. Perhaps such a display was meant to intimidate them. But did it? Their position was new to them, yet the Lord had foreseen it. He had warned them that they would stand before kings and rulers for His sake. He had also encouraged them with the promise that the Holy Spirit would teach them what to say.

The common people had the Gospel presented to them in the third chapter, the leaders are going to get it now in the fourth.

But did you ever hear of such utter folly as putting a man in prison, and trying him for a good deed — healing a cripple? God brings the man in, as it were, to give witness to that council. I do not suppose the council invited him, for he was an awkward witness. Look at him now, whole!

Now that he has these guilty leaders in front of him, he does not say, "I know that through ignorance you did it." They were now making it perfectly clear that there was a will — a wicked will. So he allows no excuse, and it is always so with God. When He first meets souls, He meets them as they are, with nothing but grace. When they go on rejecting Christ, there is no use denying that there is a rebellious will.

On the next day the religious authorities crowded together, from the highest down through every grade, and they challenged the two apostles. Peter answered in the power of the Spirit Who filled him. The good deed was done in the name of the One they had crucified, and God had raised Him from the dead. His word describes Him as the Stone, thrown aside by the builders, yet made the head of the corner — the rejected but exalted Messiah.

The arrest of Peter and John called for a large gathering of the Jewish rulers, elders and scribes. It included Annas and Caiaphas, who was almost a joint high priest with Annas. These were the same men who had condemned the Lord Jesus to death. What angered them was the preaching of Jesus risen from the dead. Yet they could not ignore the striking miracle of the healing of the lame man... So their gathering was God's own way of making them hear the truth about Christ risen from among the dead — the truth they did not want to hear.

Annas became high priest in A.D. 7. Cyrenius, or Quirinus, the governor of Syria, appointed him. In the reign of Tiberius he lost the office, and four men followed him in quick succession, the last being Joseph Caiaphas, his son-in-law. It is thought that people still called Annas high priest out of courtesy, since he had once held the office.

The Lord's questioning before Annas (John 18) shows that Annas still had authority in a moral sense, though not in fact. So people may have gone on calling him high priest (see Luke 3:2), because he had once held that office. We are sure that Luke writes about what he had searched out for himself. So if we cannot explain why Annas is called high priest here, it is because there is something we do not yet know. It is wiser to admit our ignorance and wait for fuller light than to accuse the historian of ignorance, until we are quite sure we know better than he did.

Caiaphas was a Sadducee. He received his office in A.D. 17 or 18 from the Roman governor Valerius Gratus, who made and unmade high priests, you might say, as he pleased... God's order in the high priesthood was set aside. It seems that a Gentile, Valerius Gratus, appointed whichever man of the house of Aaron he chose.

Everyone knows the names of the two men on trial, and Scripture keeps the record of their service forever. The story of John and Alexander was well known at the time, but it has almost completely faded away. The great people of the earth are often nearly forgotten, while God's servants of the same day are remembered and honoured.

For the first time these two Galilean fishermen stood on trial before the leading men of their nation... The sight of that assembly could easily have overwhelmed the prisoners. Perhaps such a display was meant to frighten them. But did it? Their position was new to them, yet the Lord had foreseen it. He had warned them that men would bring them before kings and rulers for His sake. He had also encouraged them by promising the Holy Spirit, who would teach them what to say... Had these rulers stamped out the movement? It had taken new life since its Founder's death.

They saw the boldness of these men, but they also saw that they were untrained and uneducated. It was not that Peter and John were ignorant of the truth. The judges were the ignorant ones. It was not that Peter and John knew little of the Scriptures. Caiaphas and Annas and the others were the ones who knew little of the Scriptures... It showed, so to speak, the power and the grace of God made perfect in weakness.

The arrest of Peter and John called for a large gathering of the Jewish rulers, elders and scribes. Annas and Caiaphas were among them, Caiaphas acting as almost a joint high priest with Annas. These were the same who had condemned the Lord Jesus to death. Of course it was the preaching of Jesus risen from the dead that angered them. But they could not ignore the striking miracle of the lame man's healing. So they question Peter and John about this first. They can expect only one answer to their question: by what power, or by what name, had they done this miracle? Their gathering was therefore God's way of making them hear the truth about Christ risen from among the dead — the truth they did not want to hear.

A power had clearly been at work, and all the people had to admit it. Even the priests had to recognise it. They asked "by what power," and then, as if afraid to speak the Name, "by what name did you do this?" Here, then, is the promised power, shown in the miracle. But the miracle was only a picture of power that delivers from sin and everything else.

But did you ever hear of such utter folly as putting a man in prison, and trying him for a good deed — healing a cripple? God brings the man in, as it were, to give witness to that council. I do not expect he was invited by the council, for he was an awkward witness. Look at him now, whole! Yesterday he was a poor cripple until three o'clock, now he is a healthy man.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, he said... "in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead." And you will notice that he does not soften it here. Now these guilty leaders stand in front of him. He does not say, "I know that you did it in ignorance." By now they were making it perfectly plain that there was a will at work — a wicked will. So he allows no excuse, and it is always so with God. When He first meets souls, He meets them as they are, with nothing but grace. But when they go on rejecting Christ, it is no use denying that there is a rebellious will.

If Simon Peter, relying on his own strength, fell before the enemy, he did not fail when he relied on the help of his Master. The rulers, elders, scribes and all the high priest's family called Peter and John before them. But the Holy Spirit filled the two men. Instead of standing as the accused, they became the judges of the men they stood before.

The power of the Name was right in front of their eyes in the case of the lame man healed. It was no less powerful for the salvation of people everywhere. The physical healing of the man was simply a sign of the spiritual healing which the Name of Jesus brings. The despised Jesus of Nazareth is the only door into salvation.

The sight of that assembly might naturally have overawed the prisoners. And perhaps such a display was meant to intimidate them. But did it? Their position was new to them, but the Lord had foreseen it. He had warned them that they would stand before kings and rulers for His sake. He had also encouraged them by the promise of the Holy Spirit to teach them what they should say.

"Full of the Holy Spirit" tells us, it seems, of what habitually or generally marked the person. So Stephen and Barnabas are described this way (Acts 6:5; 11:24)... "Filled with the Spirit," on the other hand, describes vessels God takes up for His service, for a longer or a shorter time.

In the Acts of the Apostles we find that on special occasions one or another were filled with the Spirit (Acts 4:8 and 31; Acts 7:55; Acts 13:9 and 52). He took possession of them with special completeness, so that they could meet the emergency in the full power of God.

Now he stands with John before the leaders and rulers, the men of light and learning. They were a cold and critical audience, bitterly hostile to the men and their message. This was a great test. It would prove beyond doubt whether Peter was serving by the power of the Holy Spirit, or in his own natural energy... This was the man who had trembled with fear and denied his Lord at the taunt of a servant girl. Before an audience like this, he would have had little to say if he stood there in his own natural ability and strength of purpose.

The Lord had said to His disciples, "When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matt. 10:19-20). That promise came true when the apostles were arrested and brought before the rulers of Israel... Those filled with the Holy Spirit can speak God's word with power, as seen in Acts 2. They can also meet their opponents without planning what they will say. They receive from the Lord, as shown here, "a mouth and wisdom" that none of their adversaries can withstand or contradict (Luke 21:14-15).

Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, announces it to all Israel with the utmost readiness and complete boldness. The healing was by Jesus, whom they had crucified, and whom God had raised from the dead. So the Spirit of God stated the question between God and the rulers of Israel in formal terms... He takes no care to avoid offending the adversaries and the rulers. With the people, ignorant and misled, he does everything to win them.

Notice this: the instant the Holy Spirit comes, everything these disciples do is in His power and under His control. They proclaim the good news, but it was "as the Spirit gave them utterance." In Acts 4:8... when opposition arose, it was met in the power of the Holy Spirit.

But did you ever hear of such utter folly as putting a man in prison, and trying him for a good deed — healing a cripple?

When they were put on trial before the rulers, elders, scribes and all who belonged to the family of the high priest, Peter and John were filled with the Holy Spirit. Instead of standing as the accused, they were the judges of the men they stood before.

Filled with the Spirit of God, Peter speaks to them of "the good deed done to the crippled man," clearly implying that a good deed must have a good source. He declares this in plain terms, as a message for the leaders and for all the people of Israel: this was done by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom they crucified and whom God raised from the dead.

It is worth noticing that the word sozo, usually translated in the New Testament as "save," is used in its general sense of deliverance... of the crippled man at the temple gate, Acts 4:9; of the cripple at Lystra, Acts 14:9. In these instances the Greek word is translated "made whole," or "healed."

The next day, when Peter and John were arrested, this man goes boldly into the council. He stays silent, yet he becomes a witness to the power of the Name of Jesus, because he was the one who was healed.

The Lord had said to His disciples, "When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matt. 10:19-20). This came true when the rulers of Israel arrested the apostles and brought them in... Those who are filled with the Holy Spirit can speak out God's word with power, as seen in Acts 2. They can also meet their opponents without preparing what they will say. They receive from the Lord, as shown here, "a mouth and wisdom" which none of their adversaries is "able to withstand or contradict" (Luke 21:14-15).

The secret of Peter's power here was that he was full of the Holy Spirit.

Faced with rulers like these, the man who had trembled with fear and denied his Lord at the taunt of a servant girl would have had little to say, if he stood there in his own natural ability and strength of purpose. But Peter neither trembles nor hesitates. He is the master in that assembly. He makes the truth known with the clearness of a trumpet. He exposes their folly and guilt. He states exactly the terrible question that lay between God and them, and he exalts the name of Jesus.

If this title is one of dishonour and disrepute among men, angels are not ashamed to use it. The angel at the tomb said to Mary Magdalene, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here" (Mark 16:6). The apostles used this same name in their preaching. They testified to Jesus of Nazareth as the crucified but risen and glorified Messiah and Lord (Acts 2:22; Acts 3:6; Acts 4:10; Acts 10:38). More striking still, the exalted One Himself took that name of reproach. Speaking from the glory to Saul of Tarsus, that determined Jew and proud Pharisee, He said: "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting" (Acts 22:8).

And what had done it? The power of the Name of that Jesus "whom you crucified" — that was their guilt — "whom God raised from the dead" — there was God's righteousness.

These rulers of the people, with all their learning, had let the lame beggar lie at the gate of the temple. They made no effort to help him. For all their pride and pretension, they were the powerless men. But Jesus of Nazareth was not powerless, for by His name the helpless cripple was made completely sound. These rulers had crucified Him. If they had had their way, mankind would have lost forever the power that was in His name. They were His enemies, the ones who said, "When will He die, and His name perish?" (Ps. 41:5). But God had raised Him from the dead, plainly showing what He thought of their great sin, what He thought of Christ, and His way of blessing for men.

But then there is another thing. There was the very man who had been made strong, and they could not get rid of this evidence. They had him before them, but he was there as the witness of the power of God. "Seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it." You see, it is not ignorance which is the terrible and damning thing in men's hearts. It is the will that wants to drive the testimony of God, the grace of God, and the power of God out of God's own world, if it could. That was their case. But God made them feel it.

In Acts 2 we had Peter's testimony to the death and resurrection of Jesus as the only way of salvation for the remnant. In Acts 3 he brings the same testimony forward again, as the only way the blessings promised to the nation can reach them. In this fourth chapter, when they stand before the religious rulers, their testimony is the same. They present the miracle of the healed body of the man who had been lame as the witness to the grace of Him whom these builders in their folly had rejected.

He was "set at nought" by men (Mark 9:12); by Herod's men of war (Luke 23:11); and by the religious leaders in Acts 4:11. The verb here signifies "utterly worthless"; contemptible! So man, seeking his own glory, has no appreciation of One whose every motive, every word and every action had the glory of God in view.

Religious teachers are builders, whether in Judaism or in Christendom. They construct what will either last or perish, as the Lord may judge later on (1 Cor. 3:9-17). God's foundation stone is Jesus; on Him alone can men safely build. But Israel's leaders had treated Him with contempt. God's answer to them was the exaltation of His Son. God has now made Him the Corner-stone of a new structure; so the office of Peter's opponents was gone, however fiercely they might contend for it.

The words of Peter in verses 10 to 12 certainly ought to have burned into the hearts and consciences of the council. No cunning lie could ever have given Peter such straightforward boldness. He preaches not himself, but Christ, the Stone despised by these very builders, but established by God as head of the corner. No doubt they knew this scripture (Psalm 118:22); and the application was so clear they could answer nothing to it.

There is first His relation to Israel. Then comes His rejection by the chiefs, and His exaltation despite it. Next is Jehovah's commendation of Him to the believer in the face of divine judgment. Last is His establishment of God's kingdom here below.

The poor blind builders of the great world-system did not see the one stone they could not do without in Jesus. Or, if any light reached their minds, they saw this: if they accepted Him, they must stop their own building, admit their own ruin, and be born again. This they would not do. They could find no place in their building for Him, and so they cried, "Away with Him." There was room for Herod and Pilate, for Priests, Pharisees and people. There was room even for Barabbas, but none for Jesus in their building.

The rejected stone had become the corner stone. They had handed Him over and cast Him out. He received the prominent place of the corner stone. On Him, as the foundation stone, everything rests, and He unites the building.

And what was the stone? Christ, of course, but Christ in glory, as the Head Stone of the corner. Here Peter is in conflict with these poor, foolish builders, and there are plenty of them in our days, people who are building without Christ. The Lord had spoken of Himself as the Stone: "And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him" (Matt. 21:44). The corner stone that is about to fall is the exalted Christ. He is coming in glory later on, to destroy the godless Gentiles in the day of His wrath. Those who fell over the stone and were broken were the Jews, stumbling over Jesus in His humiliation.

Here the nation of Israel welcome Him back. It fits that they welcome Him as the "head-stone of the corner," for that is what His earlier exaltation in heaven had made Him. (Acts 4:11) It is the language of Israel, ready at last for Jesus and His kingdom.

And you will notice that he does not soften it here. Now these guilty leaders stand in front of him. He does not say, "I know that you did it in ignorance." They were making it plain that there was a will behind what they did — a wicked will. So he allows no excuse, and it is always so with God. When He first meets people, He meets them as they are, with nothing but grace. But when they keep on rejecting Christ, there is no denying a rebellious will.

The blind builders of the great world-system could not see that Jesus was the one stone they had to have. And if any light did reach their minds, they saw the cost. To accept Him, they would have to stop their own building, admit their own ruin, and be born again. This they would not do. They could find no place for Him in their building. So they cried, "Away with Him." There was room for Herod and Pilate, for the priests, the Pharisees and the people. There was room even for Barabbas, but no room for Jesus.

God's foundation stone is Jesus; He is the only safe foundation to build on. But Israel's leaders had treated Him with contempt. God's answer to them was the exaltation of His Son. God has now made Him the cornerstone of a new building. Peter's opponents no longer held any office, however hard they argued for it.

They had just seen the power of that Name in one case — the lame man healed. That same power saves people everywhere. The healing of his body was a sign of the healing of soul that the name of Jesus brings. The despised Jesus of Nazareth is the only door into salvation.

Above all, these words meant there was no other name for Israel. He alone was to be their Saviour and Restorer. As He had restored the lame man so that he leaped and rejoiced and praised God, so He alone could restore Israel. There is no other name.

God has set Him at His own right hand in heaven. Yet He gives His name under heaven, among people on earth. What a blessing! It is the one name that saves us, if we are saved at all. We must be saved here and now, by grace and through faith. There is no other name — our own least of all; and no other way, for He is the way. Faith exalts the Saviour and the God who gave Him, and leaves no room for any good works of our own.

Peter closes with the statement that salvation is only in the One they had treated as worthless. There is no other name given to men by which a person can be saved, and that is the name of Him who had made this lame man whole. Salvation they all needed. They too — rulers, elders, chief priests — must be saved. But only in Him had God provided salvation, free and complete, for all who will have it by believing on Him.

Some people think God ought to have opened a dozen ways into His blessing, so they could pick the one that suited them best. They turn away from the blessing because they do not like the way to it. But there is no other way. God has bound up the blessing of sinners with the glory of His Son, and never will one of them be saved apart from Him... God has spoken, and His word is final.

The faith of Christ, and the gospel which proclaims it, have today just this exclusive claim... It is this exclusive claim, inherent in the gospel, which provokes the opposition.

"Unlearned and ignorant" does not mean "without education." The point is that they had no special training for public work. In modern language, they were not university men. But these humble preachers had something far better. They knew God and His Son in their hearts, and the Holy Spirit lived in them.

It was not that they were unlearned in the Scriptures. It was Caiaphas and Annas and these others who were unlearned in the Scriptures. But judged by the mere human standard of education and letters, Peter and John were without doubt ignorant and unlearned men. And the fact that they were filled with the Holy Spirit, I repeat, did not set this aside at all. It did what was infinitely better. It showed the power and the grace of God, so to speak, made perfect in weakness.

There was a total difference in them before and after Pentecost. They then preached Jesus crucified. Were they afraid? No. Peter charges those who had denied Him with being guilty of a damning sin. Yet Peter had done the same thing himself, and in a much worse way, because he had been His companion. How could he do this? His own conscience was now cleansed, for Christ had died in the meantime, and God had given the Holy Spirit... As we see all through the Acts, the boldness in which the apostles spoke and acted was not the boldness of the flesh, but that of the Spirit of God in them.

This fulfilled the words the Lord had spoken to His disciples. He said, "Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict" (Luke 21:14-15). No wonder the elite of Israel's religious schools marvelled.

The Spirit's power shines most clearly in those who can boast of none of this world's advantages. Both high and low praise the learning of the schools. The high do so to make the most of what they have enjoyed. The low usually do so to excuse what they lack, and they overvalue what they do not have. But in the things of God nothing has power like faith in the God who is glorifying Christ. And when someone leans on learning as an object, it is no help at all. It easily becomes a real hindrance and a snare. But God's ways are not like ours. He was pleased to humble man, not only by Christ crucified, but by choosing the foolish things of the world to put the wise to shame.

The great secret of their boldness, and of their being able to speak with divine conviction, was their having been with Jesus. Their school of learning far surpassed every school that had trained the high priest, the scribes and the elders. In the company of the Son of God they had learned the secrets of God. They gained divine knowledge in which the great men of Israel, and of the world, were "uninstructed."

True, we have not been with Jesus in the literal way the disciples were, walking with Him from the beginning of His ministry. Still, it remains true in a moral sense: if we are to bear witness for Christ before others, we too must be with Christ in secret.

The apostles stood there clothed with the unstoppable might of the Lord. Beside them stood the man whose healing quietly proved that might, even in his body. So the council could only order them outside while they talked together. A guilty conscience shows its own weakness, however stubborn it is. God always gives enough testimony to condemn man.

The council had heard the defence. Then came the discussion. First they ordered the apostles to go outside and wait until they were told the decision. But we are allowed, as it were, to sit in on that discussion. We know what was said inside the council chamber.

Here the unfailing word of God exposes how hardened feeling works among His enemies, with no conscience at all. And none are so bitter, none so stubborn, as those who are responsible as His people to do His will, yet have made up their mind to do their own.

At that very moment they admit there is a clear sign in the man who was healed. This they could not deny, but they would not believe. So they stayed in the dark. They did not see how wicked it was to force silence about the Messiah, whose loving-kindness was better than life to His servants.

They longed to discredit its witness. Yet (1) "they had nothing to say in opposition" (Acts 4:14); (2) they had to confess, "we cannot deny it" (Acts 4:16); (3) they found "no way to punish them" (Acts 4:21).

They are well aware that "these men" claim nothing for themselves, and assert nothing but the name of Jesus. But this is the very name they themselves most fear and would banish for ever if they could. How vainly! This is the day above all others for bearing witness to Jesus.

But the will of men did not move, though they had nothing to say against the facts. The power of God was there. No one could refute the testimony. Still they refused to accept testimony from God.

The arrest had clearly been a great mistake, for they found they could do nothing to the apostles. Judicial power can never afford to take up a case rashly and then find it must drop it... Yet what had they done? They had kept two men in custody for a whole night for a good deed done to a helpless man!... They had to keep up some appearance of authority, so they decided to threaten them. But why threaten people who admittedly had only done a good deed? These teachers and rulers looked foolish indeed.

Their discussion only confirms how powerless they were, for no one makes any real suggestion of what they should do. The facts were plain: a remarkable miracle had been done in the name of Jesus. They would have liked to deny it, but that was impossible... Sad is the stubbornness of men who are determined not to admit their plainly shown guilt! To defend themselves they demand that God keep silence!

The next chapter tells us that this man was forty years old... Everyone knew him. He was no longer a child, and he was in a condition that no one could meet or reach. Now the power of the Name of Jesus has met him. Forty years old, and well known — no one could dispute the fact that he was healed. A notable miracle was to be done, and God takes care to have it well attested.

This happened in the courts of the Lord's house, and He never gave His glory to another. A miracle was done openly in the name of Him whom the council had judged, not long before, to be a blasphemer who deserved death. The controversy about His claim to be a Divine Person was more than settled, but in a way the Jews never expected... A miracle done somewhere else would have been a wonderful event. But this one was done only in the name of Jesus Christ, and in the court of the Lord's house. It was evidence that could not be answered — evidence of the truth of the Lord's claim, while He was on earth, to be equal with God.

They knew perfectly well the remarkable deed the apostle had just done. They recognised it as not merely a miracle but "a sign". Yet they strengthened themselves against the Almighty... They are well aware that "these men" claim nothing for themselves, assert nothing but the name of Jesus. But this is the very name they themselves most fear and would banish for ever if they could.

Man cannot deny that things come from heaven; but he will not believe. He may bring out his hard questions, like those of old, but with no real desire for the truth. What his conscience cannot deny, he will neither allow nor act upon.

Their consultation only confirms their weakness, for they have no concrete suggestion about what to do. The facts were plain: a notable miracle had been done in the name of Jesus. They would have liked to deny it, but this was impossible. Yet they agree to threaten Peter and John, demanding that they stop speaking to anyone in the name of Jesus. Sad is the stubbornness of men who are determined not to admit their plainly shown guilt! To defend themselves they demand that God keep silence!

The rulers of Israel could crucify the Saviour when God permitted it, to carry out His own gracious purposes. But they could not keep Him in the tomb. The precautions they took to keep Him there only made the power of His resurrection more obvious. When the disciples healed the crippled man through the power of the name of Jesus, the rulers had to confess their helplessness. Such a testimony pointed to the very One they had crucified.

Here the unerring word of God lays bare what was at work in His enemies: hardened feeling with no conscience. And none are so bitter, none so stubborn, as those who are responsible as His people to do His will, yet have made up their mind to do their own. They knew all about the remarkable deed the apostle had just done. They recognised it as more than a miracle — as "a sign". Even so, they steeled themselves against the Almighty. God's finger was plain and His lesson clear. In the face of it, they worked together on purpose to wipe out its effects.

An evident sign has been done, which they can no more deny than they are willing to accept. The worst of it, for them, is that it has taken hold of the people. These leaders of the people are not looking for truth. They want what is convenient and what will protect the authority they value. So they decide that they will threaten the disciples and forbid them to speak any more in the name of Jesus. If they cannot refute, they can still forbid.

The early chapters of Acts bear witness to the bitter way in which the leaders tried to suppress the Name of Jesus. They could not object to the healing of the lame man. What they objected to, most strongly, was crediting the goodness and power of that kind work to the Name. In chapter 4 we see how Peter boldly confronted them with the might and glory of that Name. They hit back with threats, and later with floggings, hoping in that way to quench the testimony to the Name they hated. They spoke of Him only as "this Man" or "that Deceiver."

The council summons them and questions them for speaking about Christ. Suppose they had only read the law, or given a lecture on some religious idea (so fashionable nowadays!). They would no doubt have had the support of the great among the people. But the name of Jesus, the glory of Christ, was more than these rulers could bear. So they beat the apostles who served Him faithfully, and ordered them not to "speak in the name of Jesus."

So the council's charge to Peter and John — not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus — was as bold as it was wicked. It was worse still because it came from rulers claiming the highest authority in religion. How solemn to think that without realising it they treated their own Messiah this way! And why did they not realise it? Had God given them useless light through the prophets? At that very moment they admit a clear sign in the man who was healed. This they could not deny — but they would not believe.

And now the testimony in Jerusalem, as far as Acts records it, comes to a close. They tried intimidation (chapter 4), persecution (chapter 5), and martyrdom (chapter 7). The aim was to stop the preaching of the gospel if possible. But, as we learn, none of it worked. Threats, beatings, and even death had no terrors for the Christians. The arrows in the quiver seemed used up. They could devise nothing more terrible than death. So, despite everything the religious authorities could do, the preaching of the Lord Jesus went forward with undiminished power.

In solemn form, no doubt, the court called the apostles in to hear its sentence... What a useless move by Annas, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the high priest's relatives! They had perhaps expected the apostles to submit to that order. They learned at once that the apostles refused.

They knew the remarkable deed the apostle had just done. They recognised it as more than a miracle — as "a sign". Yet they set themselves against the Almighty... They are well aware that "these men" claim nothing for themselves, and assert nothing but the name of Jesus. But this is the very name they themselves most fear and would banish for ever if they could.

Sad is the stubbornness of men who are determined not to admit their plainly shown guilt! To defend themselves they demand that God keep silence!

The early chapters of Acts bear witness to the bitter way in which the leaders tried to suppress the Name of Jesus. They could not object to the healing of the lame man. But they objected fiercely when people credited the power of that good work to the Name.

So the council ordered Peter and John not to speak or teach at all in reference to (or resting on) the name of Jesus (v. 18). That charge was as bold as it was wicked. It was worse still because it came from rulers claiming the highest authority in religion. How solemn to think that without realising it they were treating their own Messiah this way!

They admit defeat. Then they call in the apostles and charge them "not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus." This command raised the most important question possible: obey God, or obey man?... Israel's religious leaders no longer explained the will of God — they opposed it.

A parent's authority is sacred: suppose I were a Jew, and he tells me not to become a Christian. I disobey him because there is a higher obligation. This matters morally. We may never set aside legitimate authority out of our own will or self in any way. We may do it only on the direct authority of God. I never have a right of my own, but I ought to obey. And the point is simple. What makes me obey a parent or a magistrate, or whoever it may be, is the authority God has given them — and it does. So that authority cannot be real when it calls me to disobey God's direct command.

So ended the first conflict with the religious power. The council did not come out of it victorious... What had been gained? News of the miracle had spread far more widely, and the highest religious authority in the land had set its seal on it as real.

The council ordered Peter and John not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus. That charge was as bold as it was wicked, and worse still because it came from rulers claiming the highest authority in religion. How solemn to think that they were treating their own Messiah this way without realising it! And why did they not realise it? Was the light God had given them through the prophets useless? At that very moment they admitted a clear sign in the man who was healed. They could not deny it, yet they would not believe. None are so bitter and stubborn as those who, responsible as His people to do His will, have made up their mind to do their own.

This reply put the case with unanswerable plainness and moral power. A ruler, especially a religious one, must uphold what is righteous before God. Their charge amounted to listening to themselves instead of to God. They demanded not one more word in the name of Jesus, though God had just honoured that name openly and unmistakably.

These religious leaders of men were opposed to Christ. The apostles were not setting themselves up against the civil power. That a Christian must never do. But Judaism was a religious system, judged by God and set aside, and here it was acting against Christ.

Obedience to the governing authorities is the plain direction of the word of God for His people (Rom. 13:1; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17). It is not for us to ask how that authority came to power, or what kind of person holds it. Our part is to obey. But sometimes the will of man clashes with the word of God and tries to force that will on our consciences. Then we must obey God rather than man.

It is our duty to obey them and submit to them in all things. This holds as long as they do not call on us to disobey God or act against our conscience. If they do that, we must — what? Resist? No, but suffer.

We may suffer for obeying God, but then this is an honour. The apostles were whipped because they were determined to obey God, and they bore the consequence humbly. For a Jew, a whipping in the council counted as a great disgrace. But they bore it quietly, and went out rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonoured for the Name. This was not "passive resistance" but holy obedience — suffering the consequence without a complaint and full of joy.

The rulers did not know the presence of that Spirit who fills the weakest with a boldness no one can deny. Not for one moment would the apostles give way to man when God was in question. Nothing can intimidate the Holy Spirit, and when someone speaks as He leads, he has all the power of God on his side. What are chief priests and scribes and elders to one who has the Spirit of God with him?

Now Peter and John allow no ambiguity about their course. God had commanded them to preach Christ; the prohibition of man had no weight with them. "We cannot," they say, "but speak of what we have seen and heard." What a position for the rulers of the people! A testimony like this shows that the leaders of Israel had fallen from their place as interpreters of God's will. The apostles do not drive them away or attack them: God would judge them. But they act at once on God's behalf, and they set aside the council's authority completely in the work God had given them. The testimony of God was with the apostles, not with the rulers of the temple.

The word of God plainly tells His people to obey the governing authorities (Rom. 13:1; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17). We are not to ask how that authority came to be, or what kind of person holds it. Our part is to obey. But sometimes the will of man clashes with the word of God and tries to force that will on our consciences. Then we must obey God rather than man.

Several things worked together to open the apostles' lips in testimony and praise to Christ: faith in Him, love for souls, a special call, God-given authority, and devotion to His glory. What they had seen and heard was tied to the honour due to God and to His Anointed. It was tied as well to the believer's blessing and the unbeliever's misery. So it would be a terrible thing for them to stay silent! A necessity rested on them, just as it later rested on Paul (1 Cor. 9:16).

The Greek uses two different tenses here. It is striking to compare the "We have seen and heard" of 1 John 1 with the "We saw and heard" of Acts 4:20. The first is doctrinal. The second testifies to the reality of their historical experience. Note too the special emphasis on the pronoun: "We saw and heard."

Moses had to build the tabernacle to the pattern God showed him on the mountain. In the same way, Paul could preach only what he had seen and heard — what he had received from the Lord. Even the Lord, as a witness in this world, placed Himself under the same conditions. He said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen" (John 3:11). It is the same for every servant and witness (see Acts 4:20; 1 John 1:3).

What a difference between the man who sat by the fire in the high priest's hall and the man who takes the lead in Acts 4! One fell before the attack of a servant girl; the other makes a nation tremble with his appeals. How do we account for the difference? The presence and power of an ungrieved, unquenched Holy Spirit explains it fully. And the weakness or power of many today comes from the same principle.

Peter and John were deeply convinced of the importance of the facts of the gospel. So when they were told to proclaim them no more, they replied: "We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." You might as well tell the sun to stop shining and the river to stop flowing as tell such men to be quiet. Every Christian should be able to say the same words.

A notable sign was the cure of the lame man who for many years had lain at the beautiful gate of the temple. This sign above all raised the anger of the chief priests, because the whole episode was a striking confirmation of the resurrection. Acts 4 stresses three things about it. They longed to destroy its witness, yet (1) they "had nothing to say in opposition" (Acts 4:14); (2) they had to confess, "we cannot deny it" (Acts 4:16); (3) they found "no way to punish them" (Acts 4:21).

The arrest had been a clear mistake, for they found they could do nothing to the apostles. A court can never afford to take up a case in haste and then find it must drop it. That course is bound to bring the court into disrepute and discredit before men. Yet what had they done? They had kept two men in custody for a whole night for a good deed done to a helpless man! That was the light in which Peter put it, and against it they could urge nothing. They still had to keep up some appearance of authority, so they decided to threaten them.

Threatening, and threatening again, are signs of weakness and ill-will. They are not the signs of power that knows how to hold back until the critical moment comes. Threats are the natural resource of those who do not have the truth. They can find no charge of wrongdoing against the people they want to punish. In this case too, as often, they feared the people, not God. They did not love the people; they despised them. But they needed the people as a tool of influence, and losing that was what they dreaded most.

Government, poor as it may be now, is right and needed. But it is never right when those who should govern shrink back in fear of the people, instead of acting before God Who authorised them. Sadly, the religious council was the body without God and opposed to Him. The poor and simple, ignorant as they might be, in this case all glorified God for what was done. They had known the sufferer for many years, the man whom divine power healed. Owning the good hand of God wounded no interest of their own class.

The opposition of the enemy had failed, and was bound to fail. It had only given them a chance to set the blessed Name before the whole council of the people. That was the Name they were glad to make known. So it had furthered their work, not hindered it... The threats only show the restraint placed on men who plainly meant harm. And the threats strengthened the very men they were meant to frighten, so they went forward.

So ended the first conflict with the religious power. The council did not come out of it victorious. The presence of the high priests did not intimidate the apostles, and they did not fear their threats. The rulers, however, feared the crowd. What had been gained? The miracle now had wider publicity, and the highest religious authority in the land had confirmed that it was real. The enemy was this time completely foiled. The rulers saw the Galilean fishermen as ignorant, unlearned men. Yet these men had braved the anger of the council, and the council confessed itself powerless to punish them.

The next chapter tells us that this man was forty years old. Forty, we have seen, is in Scripture the number of perfect probation. Everyone knew him. He was no longer a child, and he was in a condition that no one could meet or reach. Now the power of the Name of Jesus meets him. Forty years old, and well known, no one could dispute the fact of his being healed. A notable miracle was about to be done, and God takes care to have it well attested.

It was established in a manner that defied contradiction, and effectively refuted any suggestion of collusion. The man once lame, and well known to have been such from his birth, was walking, and had entered the Temple on his own legs. Nor was that a mere spasmodic effort, for the power he had received he was still using... No one denied it. No one attempted to deny it.

FORTY = 10 × 4. Complete probation to bring to light good or evil. Moses was forty years in the desert, being himself tried... The tribes were tested forty years in the wilderness. Acts 13:18... Nineveh was given forty days for repentance. Jonah 3:4. The Lord Jesus was under temptation forty days. Mark 1:13.

A certain man was carried daily and laid at the "Beautiful" gate: a cripple from his birth, who begged his bread. This was the picture of Israel. The place where they stood was called "Beautiful," but they were like this lame beggar and had never really walked... Their history now, as under probation, had closed, for the man was "above forty years old" (Acts 4:22). Once a paralytic lay at the pool of Bethesda (John 5) for thirty-eight years — the time of Israel's wandering in the wilderness... their history was not then fully told. But now all had closed as far as they were concerned. Forty years spoke of their moral end as a people under the old state of things.

He was forty years old now, and every day they carried him and laid him down at that gate. Had he ever seen the Lord passing in or out? Certainly, if he had, the Lord did not use healing power on his behalf. Every cripple, every sick one, did not receive benefit from Him... Now, however, the hour in the counsels of God had arrived for this one to be made whole.

As the next chapter tells us, he was above forty years old — the complete period of probation had been fulfilled in him. The Lord Jesus had not healed this man during His life on earth, though He so often taught in the temple. He was healed by the power of His Name, now that He was glorified in heaven. Peter had neither silver nor gold, but he could wield the power of the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth... Today many earnest Christians are mainly concerned with collecting the silver and gold to support the Lord's work. Meanwhile the power of the Name lies largely unused. This is to our reproach.

A notable sign was the cure of the lame man who for many years had lain at the beautiful gate of the temple. This especially raised the anger of the chief priests, because the whole episode strongly confirmed the resurrection. Acts 4 stresses three things about it. Much as they longed to discredit its witness, (1) they "had nothing to say in opposition" (Acts 4:14); (2) they had to admit, "we cannot deny it" (Acts 4:16); (3) they found "no way to punish them" (Acts 4:21).

They could not deny the reality of the miracle; they would not believe the gospel... they charged the apostles not to speak at all, or teach in the name of Jesus. They wanted to punish them, but so far found no way to do it. They were afraid of losing the people's favour, and they had no fear of God.

It was the Spirit of God who had gathered them to the name of the risen Christ. The people of Israel — their leaders at least — were now becoming enemies of the apostles, just as they were enemies of Christ. A new people was taking shape... They knew the One on high who had accomplished and secured everything. So they were drawn more and more to the circle of those who confessed Him. And they were pulling away from their old belongings and their old boast — in principle, and more and more in heart.

At that time in Jerusalem there were many people who formed a company. So when the hostile authorities released the apostles, they knew where to go. The church of God is a company distinct from the world. That has been forgotten. Through the years the aim of the adversary has been to mix the church with the world... The church is not a part of the world's religious system. The church is a called out company. That is what the word translated church, or assembly, really means.

They now belonged to a new association, separate from the old congregation of Israel. In Acts 5:11 it is plainly called the assembly — not that it came into being then, but clearly as something already there and known.

They did not act like strong-minded men with dogged determination, set on their course despite every obstacle. Like men of God, they admitted their own weakness and turned to prayer. But they did not pray alone, as Elijah did, for example. They acted as members of the body of Christ, and reported affairs to "their own company." Then the whole assembly prayed as one company... It is an early example of the shared prayer that should always mark what an assembly does.

"They went to their own company." A precious relief from the company of the ungodly! Their report of the ominous threats of the chief priests and elders does not dismay the disciples at all. Instead, they lift up their hearts and voices in praise to the Lord... But in beautiful triumph the disciples add, "to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." The vanity of man's hostility and pride is tragic: it is God in control, not they.

When you see someone who claims to be a Christian going on in fellowship with the world, you may be sure he is going wrong. Must we not do business in the world? Certainly. But to find congenial society in the world that cast out the Son of God is another thing... So they went to their own company, and they told them everything that had happened to them... They brought the matter into the presence of God. That is always where we find our help and our hiding place.

This verse takes for granted that, like the apostles who "being let go... went to their own company" (Acts 4:23), we also find our society and companionship among the people of God. It also means we watch over one another's souls and care about one another's spiritual growth... We are far more influenced by the company we keep than many of us like to admit.