"Resurrected Redeemer" Acts 4:1-13 (p.911)
Everton Community Church September 16, 2012.
Conflict began this week with an attack that killed four Americans in Libya, including the U.S. ambassador. It was an organized two-part operation by heavily armed militants that included a precisely timed raid on a supposedly secret safe house just as Libyan and U.S. security forces were arriving to rescue evacuated consulate staff, a senior Libyan security official said on Thursday. El-Sharef, eastern Libya’s deputy interior minister, said the attacks Tuesday night were suspected to have been timed to mark the 9-11 anniversary and that the militants used civilians protesting an anti-Islam film as cover for their action. Infiltrators within the security forces may have tipped off militants to the safe house location, he said. He said an unspecified number of militants suspected of taking part in the attack have been arrested and that others were being closely monitored by police to see whether they are linked to a group. Now anti-U.S. protests have spread to 20 countries as outraged Muslims storm embassies in places from Tunisia to Sudan. (http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/09/13/libya-makes-arrests-over-deadly-benghazi-attack-that-killed-u-s-ambassador-official/)
In the midst of being called to account for the events in their midst, Peter and John in Acts 4 respond to the charges. Standing before political and religious leaders, these unlearned, uneducated fishermen, filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ and the resurrection. Instead of apoligizing for offending their audience, they put the blame for the death of Jesus squarely on the sholders of the political and religious leaders. Instead of avoiding confrontation, trying to overthow the powers with physical force or just give them an answer they want to hear, their response is direct and truthful.
An undeniable sign of the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit is boldness. It’s the inner delight of a liberated person expressed in daring. In the midst of human impotence and the timidity of institutionalized religion, the great need today is for boldness in loving, forgiving, speaking the truth in love, and obedience to the strategy of God revealed to us in prayer. (Ogilvie, L. J., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1983). Vol. 28: Acts. The Preacher’s Commentary Series (87–88). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.).
The apostles had a holy boldness. They were possessed by a great affection, a passion motivated by their experience of Jesus, His Resurrection, and His return in power in the Holy Spirit. Thousands had responded to their preaching of the gospel; a lame man had been healed; and nothing was impossible now. In boldly proclaiming the message of the "Resurrected Redeemer", Peter and John fearlessly showed who He is as seen through the: 1) Arrest for the Redeemer (Acts 4:1-4), 2) Accusation for the Redeemer (Acts 4:5-7), 3) Apologetic for the Redeemer (Acts 4:8-13)
1) Arrest for the Redeemer (Acts 4:1-4)
Acts 4:1-4 [4:1]And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, [2]greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. [3]And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. [4]But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. (ESV)
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. Such a crowd gathered around Peter and John while they addressed the people thus in Solomon’s Colonnade that the temple authorities intervened. The “captain of the temple,” the commander of the temple police, was responsible for maintaining order in the temple courts, and he may have had misgivings lest the obstruction caused by so large a crowd might lead to a riot (Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (89). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
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. 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 people to be the master of his own destiny. These theological liberals were the first to persecute the church (Jn. 11:47-50). Messianic ideas among the Jews of that day meant revolt, overthrow of the foreign overlords, and restoration of the Davidic kingdom. There had been such movements before (cf. 5:36–37), and the Romans had put them down. There would be many more in the future. In fact, the worst fears of the Sadducees were indeed realized when war broke out with the Romans in A.D. 66, with terrible consequences for the Jews (F. J. Foakes-Jackson, The Acts of the Apostles, MNTC (New York: Harper, 1931), 32.).
• What is Christianity? Is it a personal comfort, a support group, a social club, a political or social cause, a networking source? Without the reality of a real God, who really acts, redeems and judges, then we are not different than the social climbing Sadducees.
Please turn to Ephesians 4 (p.977)
Reacting against the teaching of the Apostles, the hostile objectors came upon them. Ephistēmi (came upon) has the idea of coming upon suddenly, sometimes with hostile intent (cf. Acts 6:12). Verse 2, records that the authorities were greatly annoyed/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). “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”. That Peter and John were doing so in the temple, the heart of the Sadducees’ domain, was especially galling. (Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament: Acts–Romans [reprint of the 1884–85 edition; Grand Rapids: Baker], 74).
Ephesians 4:1-16 [4:1]I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, [2]with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, [3]eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [4]There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-- [5]one Lord, one faith, one baptism, [6]one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. [7]But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. [8]Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." [9](In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? [10]He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) [11]And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, [12]to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, [13]until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, [14]so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. [15]Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, [16]from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (ESV)
• Although there are specific roles such as shepherds and teachers, each and every member of the body of Christ is to mature. That maturity involves knowledge and growth to the stature of the fullness of Christ. Each and every one of us had the privilege and responsibility to speak the truth in love to others to encourage this growth. God has equipped His body that everyone ministers.
The major source of religious leaders 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, the idea of a general resurrection was an apocalyptic concept with all sorts of messianic overtones. Messianic ideas among the Jews of that day meant revolt, overthrow of the foreign overlords, and restoration of the Davidic kingdom. … The notes of Peter’s sermon alarmed them: resurrection, Author of life, a new Moses. These were revolutionary ideas. The movement must not spread. It must be nipped in the bud. (John B. Polhill, The New American Commentary: Acts [Nashville: Broadman, 1992], 140)
Unable to tolerate the apostles’ preaching, in verse three we see that the authorities arrested/laid hands on them, and put them in custody/jail until the next day. There was a difference in attitude between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees were primarily teachers who were prepared to argue vigorously for their interpretation of the law (Matt. 19:3ff.), but who were also reasonable men who would urge temperate treatment for those who disagreed (Acts 5:34–39). The Sadducees, on the other hand, were primarily political activists who controlled the high priest’s office and were prepared to crush the opposition. It was the chief priests who sought to kill the Lord Jesus (Luke 22:2), and when He was arrested, He was brought to the high priest’s palace (Luke 22:54). Here in Acts, the Sadducean party is prepared to deal rigorously with His followers (Custer, S. (2000). Witness to Christ : A commentary on Acts (52). Greenville, SC: BJU Press.)
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 which was 3 p.m. (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.
• As a people who are used to planning our own schedule, when something derails our plans we tend to get annoyed. Often however, it is God Himself who is dealing with the circumstances in our midst to give us an opportunity that we otherwise would not have, should we have stuck to our own schedule. This requires a discipline. We must both allow enough time to accomplish what we set out to do and yet be sensitive enough to be observant to new opportunities to proclaim Christ. It is often circumstances that we did not plan that present the greatest opportunity.
Imprisoning the apostles, however, did not nullify the effect of their preaching. As verse four records: Many of those who had heard the word/message believed; You can imprison preachers, you can silence preachers, you can kill preachers, but you cannot imprison, silence or slay the word of God.
Quote: Luther, famously said: ‘I simply taught, preached, wrote God’s Word: otherwise I did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my Philip or my Amsdorf, the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that never a Prince or Emperor inflicted such damage upon it. I did nothing. The Word did it all.’ (Henry H. Mitchell, The Recovery of Preaching (Hodder and Stoughton, 1979), 124.)
So, while the apostles languish in jail the message they have preached is actively at work in the hearts of its hearers, and to such effect that the number of the men came to be about five thousand. When many “believed” (a term used to describe the response of conversion) this meant that they belonged to the fellowship of believers. The number of believers had grown from 120 (1:15) to more than 3,000 (2:41) to 5,000 with the addition of these converts (Gaertner, D. (1995). Acts. The College Press NIV Commentary (Ac 4:4). Joplin, MO: College Press.).
• In a culture of casual religious association, there was a define number of believers that were formally willing to counted as belonging to the congregation.
Illustration: 4323 Modern-Day Agony
Christians in Chad, Africa, were being persecuted for refusing to participate in old tribal initiation rites they say are pagan. This resulted in the tortured deaths of pastors, evangelists, and other church leaders who declined to commit acts counter to their faith: drinking chicken blood offered to idols. The persecution originated when then President Francois N’garta Tombalbaye launched a cultural revolution assertedly to rid the nation and its four million inhabitants of unwanted foreign influences and to establish an identity with the country’s past. But church leaders reportedly met and agreed to oppose the rites, and some church groups say they would not readmit members who take part. The evangelical churches in Chad numbered more than 1,500 congregations with tens of thousands of members (Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.).
2) Accusation for the Redeemer (Acts 4:5-7)
Acts 4:5-7 [5]On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, [6]with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. [7]And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?" (ESV)
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.
Please turn to John 15 (p.902)
As they sat in jail overnight, or perhaps as they faced the stern, demanding faces of the Sanhedrin, Peter and John might well have remembered Jesus’ words on the night before his death:
John 15:18-25 [18]"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. [19]If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. [20]Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. [21]But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. [22]If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. [23]Whoever hates me hates my Father also. [24]If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. [25]But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: 'They hated me without a cause.' (ESV)
• So the question must be considered, how do people regard you? If you find yourself liked by everyone, not really coming into disagreement or opposition, it may be that you are acting so like the world around you, that you are accepted as their own. To fulfill the calling of Christ, to keep His word, it means testifying of the exclusive nature of faith only in Him.
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. We see the composition of some of the members of this group in verse six. 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-prime minister's are still called "right honorable". 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 the high-priestly family/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. In verse seven we see having set/placed the apostles in the midst/center of the semicircle in which they sat, they began the formal questioning process. The Mosaic Law specified that whenever someone performed a miracle and used it as the basis for teaching, he was to be examined, and if the teaching were used to lead men away from the God of their fathers, the nation was responsible to stone him (Deut. 13:1–5). On the other hand, if his message was doctrinally sound, the miracle-worker was to be accepted as coming with a message from God. (Homer Kent, Jr., Jerusalem to Rome [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992], 45–46)
The Sanhedrin demanded to know by what power, or by 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.
• When an opportunity arises when we stand out for a belief, we need to be prepared to explain why we do or say what we do (1 Pt. 3:15). When we are charged with being intolerant, closed minded, exclusionary, or bigoted, we need to say that the actions and words that we profess are not our own, but based on the directive from Christ. When He is our explicit source of authority, then the issue of accepting or rejected truth is one of eternal proportions, and not a private opinion or idosyncry of ourselves.
What's in a name:
Illustration: ( 2411 Origin Of Surnames)
Until about the year 1100, most people in Europe had only one name. With population increasing it became difficult to distinguish among people, so surnames were added. These came from four primary sources: a man’s occupation, such as John Cook, or Miller; location, such as John Overhill or Brook; family relation such as John’s son (Johnson); and characteristics, such as John Small, Short, Longfellow, and so forth.
In addition to the need for identification, one occupation had to go a step further: the fighting men. In the Middle Ages combatants wore heavy suits of armor which made them unrecognizable. To prevent friend from fighting friend, each knight identified himself by painting a colorful design on his armor. In this manner was born the family coat of arms. (C. R. Hembree as recorded in Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.)
Our lives take us into battle, the Sprit embowers our fight and scripture is our weapon to tear down all strongholds who oppose the kingdom of God (Eph. 6:10-17)..
3) Apologetic for the Redeemer (Acts 4:8-13)
[8]Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, [9]if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, [10]let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by him this man is standing before you well. [11]This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. [12]And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." [13]Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. (ESV)
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 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.
The use of the aorist passive (plēstheis, “filled”) in the expression “filled with the Holy Spirit” denotes a special moment...that complements and brings to a functional focus the presence in every believer’s life of the person and ministry of God’s Spirit (Longenecker, R. N. (1981). The Acts of the Apostles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.) (304). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
• How easy it seems to depend upon our own resources in the service of the Lord; but how futile. Here a humble fisherman, quite unaccustomed to public speaking until just a few days earlier, courageously addressed the highest authorities in the land. Jesus had promised such power and boldness for occasions just like this (Luke 21:14–15)( Gangel, K. O. (1998). Vol. 5: Acts. Holman New Testament Commentary (59–60). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. ).
• Yet, believers today should never claim this promise as an excuse for neglecting to study or prepare for teaching or preaching (Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (285). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.).
Instead of being frightened into silence or compromise, Peter displayed great courage and went on the offensive. Submission is not cowardice. In verse nine, he began by indicting them for the incongruity of putting him and John examined/on trial … for a good deed/benefit done to a crippled/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. Peter and John were being tried before a council, but their aim was not just to get off the hook. They used the opportunity to declare the gospel. This became a hallmark of Christian witness in Acts and in the history of the church. The gospel is such urgent news that we must use every opportunity we have; indeed, we must seek opportunities to get the message across (Fernando, A. (1998). Acts. The NIV Application Commentary (155). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
• There are times to answer questions, or defend attacks against Christianity but there comes a time to show the blatant hypocrisy that critics of Christianity often have. When we are called intolerant, hypocritical or closed minded then ask the accuser to have a hearing, accept our words or listen to what we have to say. If this is denied, then we need to show how the charges against Christianity are nullified by the intolerant, hypocritical or closed minded attackers themselves.
Since the Sanhedrin had demanded to know by what means/how this man has been healed/made well, by what name (Or authority) the apostles performed the miracle, Peter told them. In verse 10, he desired them and all the people of Israel to know that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth/the Nazarene—whom they crucified, but God raised from the dead—the beggar stood before them well/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. As verse 11 specifies, Jesus was the stone that was rejected by them, the builders or spiritual leaders of the nation. Although they rejected Jesus, God made Him the cornerstone through His resurrection and exaltation. The image of a cornerstone is used as both the chief stone and the stone at the corner of a foundation. In the first century A.D., the expression chief cornerstone was also used to refer to the stone placed on the summit of the Jerusalem temple. Thus Peter used the phrase to point out that when the people rejected Jesus Christ, they rejected the One who completed the plan of God for humankind (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Ac 4:11). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.).
Please turn to Ephesians 2 (p.977)
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.
Ephesians 2:19-22 [19]So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20]built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21]in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22]In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (ESV)
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 given among men, by which we must be saved. The crux of the sermon is a play on the Greek word sōzō, which means both physical “salvation” in the sense of healing (v. 9) as well as the spiritual, eschatological sense of salvation (v. 12). The physical “salvation” of the lame man through the name of Jesus is thus a pointer to the far greater salvation that comes to all who call upon his name in faith (Polhill, J. B. (1995). Vol. 26: Acts. The New American Commentary (143). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
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.”
• The exclusivism of Christianity goes against the grain of our religiously pluralistic society. However, the thrust of Peter’s words here is not merely on affirming the exclusiveness of Christ’s salvation, but also its glorious inclusiveness, for it extends to all who come to Christ irrespective of their religious tradition and practices, or even their entire lack of them. It would, however, take the full course of the Book of Acts to convince the church of this global inclusiveness, which had of course been established in the terms of Jesus’ commission: ‘… and to the ends of the earth’ (1:8) (Milne, B. (2010). The Acts of the Apostles: Witnesses to Him ... to the Ends of the Earth. Focus on the Bible Commentary (110). Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications.).
Peter’s impassioned plea failed to soften the hardened hearts of the Sanhedrin. Yet it was not without some effect. Verse 13 records that they could not help being impressed with the boldness/confidence of Peter and John. The word “boldness” is parrēsía, “telling all” (pan-rēsia). It means the conviction, communication, and character of an adventuresome life based on undeniable truth and experience. Boldness arrests attention, compelling people to listen. It combines the emphasis of “I know this is true because it’s happened to me,” with a “thus saith the Lord” clarity. It is rooted in Scripture and personal communion with the Lord. There is no apology or solicitous equivocation. True boldness, which comes from “being with Jesus” is (attractive) because we know that He has won the battle with death, Satan, and the world (John 6:20). (Ogilvie, L. J., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1983). Vol. 28: Acts. The Preacher’s Commentary Series (87–88). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.).
The παῤῥησία [boldness of speech], the unembarrassed manner, and the perfect confidence, which characterized the defence made by the apostles when they stood forth, and, then, the unexpected circumstance that they spoke, not as the party accused, but proceeded to assume the position of a party that brought accusations and refuted errors, already created the greatest astonishment in the minds of the judges (Lange, J. P., Schaff, P., Gotthard, V. L., Gerok, C., & Schaeffer, C. F. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Acts (73). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
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 astonished/marveling. The explanation slowly dawned on the Sanhedrin, as they recognized that they had 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.
• Don't be intimated by so called professionals. A Christian immersed in the scriptures, by the power of the Holy Spirit, can do what no so called professional can.
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.
(Format note: Some base commentary from MacArthur, J. (1994). Acts (125–135). Chicago: Moody Press.)
