Acts 4 Commentary
Peter is a changed man. Even the Sanhedrin can see it. Jesus has transformed unschooled ordinary men into lions!
We remember how Peter denied his Master three times. Reason? A servant girl at the High Priest’s residence had ‘accused’ Peter of being a disciple of Jesus. But now everything is different. Peter confesses his faith, not in the presence of the servant girl, but in the presence of Israel’s top leaders – the High Priest and his team. The same team that tried and found Jesus guilty! The same team that was responsible for Jesus’ death!
The Sanhedrin has observed correctly. Peter’s association with Jesus is the reason. Of course, they don’t know anything about the continued presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit with Peter and John. The rulers and the elders of Israel must contend with the same Jesus except they cannot see Him!
“By what power or what name did you do this?” Same question and same answer because the same Jesus has given the answer by the Holy Spirit at work in Peter and John. The power is Jesus’s power and the name is Jesus’ name. It is God’s power and it is God’s name – Jesus is God. Of course, the Sanhedrin has problems with this plain fact.
Peter will nevertheless famously state it: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Verse 12.
See how the disciples now view the scriptures. In them, the Sovereign LORD spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of a human being, their father David. So the holy script has the shape and color of human authors and the culture in which the authors existed, but these writings are the words of the Sovereign LORD by the Holy Spirit. Verse 25a.
The disciples, many of them eyewitnesses, have a picture that we can only put together by reading the four gospels. Herod, Pilate, and Israel’s rulers and elders would be the “kings of the earth” and the “rulers” that band together to plot in vain. Yes, in vain because the Jesus they killed is everywhere and actively at work in His disciples.
Then we have the model church: unity of the heart and mind, zero materialism, sharing, powerful preaching, and powerful manifestations through the grace of God. Consequently, there was no needy person among them! What obedience under the guidance of the Holy Spirit does! Always envious of this church!
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