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NOTES for Act 4:1-22

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1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
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The statement that the healed man had been healed in the name of Jesus was quite bold. The fact is that, when sacred names were involved, Yahwists in general and Jews in particular had always been quite cautious. In Judaism this caution reached the point that the name Yahweh, for example, was forbidden to be pronounced aloud at all, so that no one would accidentally say it in vain and thereby violate the third commandment of the Decalogue. And if we speak of healing, healing was possible only by God's name. The statement that healing was possible in the name of Jesus in effect meant that His name was being equated with God's name and included among the sacred names. Of course, the name "Jesus" or, more precisely, "Yeshua," includes the name Yahweh, but everyone understood that this was not the point. That is why the representatives of the temple elite were concerned. By speaking of healing in the name of Jesus, the apostles were thereby in effect declaring not only Jesus' messiahship, but also His divinity, however they understood it.

They were publicly declaring that one could appeal to Jesus just as one appeals to God. There was something here to think about. Of course, the concept of the sacred in Yahwism, and therefore in Judaism, was broad enough; it was connected with the concept of theophany, of God's manifestation, and the sacred names themselves were sacred precisely in this sense: invoking them was connected with theophany, with God's manifestation.

Still, no holy thing could replace God as the source and condition of all holiness. To speak of the name of a man, even if that man was the Messiah, as a sacred name was something new and unprecedented. This question required, at the very least, serious discussion. Yahwism, and later Judaism, had a calm enough attitude toward various views and theological theories, and Jewish tradition knows the most unusual and unexpected interpretations of the Torah and theological concepts.

Practice was another matter, especially prayer practice: here Judaism had always been quite conservative and cautious. But such conservative caution was foreign to the apostles. That is understandable: they were not learned rabbis and interpreters of the Torah, but witnesses of what they had seen with their own eyes. God had revealed to them what He had revealed, and for them not to bear witness to the revelation would have meant not listening to God, preferring people to Him. The apostles, of course, could not do that. Conflict with the Temple and the Sanhedrin became unavoidable.

Other notes

 
For Act 4:1-10
1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
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At first glance, what Peter says to the Sanhedrin is nothing but rebuke. He tells them plainly that they have made the greatest mistake of their lives: they crucified the One for whom, in theory, they had been waiting with all their soul, the Messiah...  Read more

At first glance, what Peter says to the Sanhedrin is nothing but rebuke. He tells them plainly that they have made the greatest mistake of their lives: they crucified the One for whom, in theory, they had been waiting with all their soul, the Messiah. "Their deeds were evil," and therefore they "are already condemned" (see John 3:18-19)... And on a human level it is very easy to understand such accusations from the apostles against the chief priests who killed their Teacher. We ourselves would surely have said even more.

Yet there is something more here. The apostles say this not from themselves. Verse 8 contains very important words: "filled with the Holy Spirit." Peter's answer to the Sanhedrin is not so much an accusation as a witness and a sermon. True good news. A sermon that is not embarrassed to point to the need for repentance. A witness that gives people a chance to choose the light (see John 3:19).

By the way, it is the witness of Peter, the one who himself was given a second chance. In addressing the chief priests, the apostles still, to put it in our terms, do not "write them off." Otherwise, why preach? They do not repeat the mistake of the prophet Jonah (see Jonah 4); they already know that God does not want "to judge the world, but that the world might be saved" (John 3:17).

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For Act 4:13-21
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
Hide
Still, the stubbornness of the elders and scribes is astonishing. They themselves say plainly that Peter and John have performed an obvious miracle - and immediately forbid them to speak about the One...  Read more

Still, the stubbornness of the elders and scribes is astonishing. They themselves say plainly that Peter and John have performed an obvious miracle - and immediately forbid them to speak about the One in whose name this miracle was performed. In a sense, this is done for their own peace of mind: if the apostles stop speaking about Jesus, everything will quietly die down and be forgotten - and the scribes themselves will be able to forget that such a Man existed and avoid thinking about what He means for them, what He says to each one.

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For Act 4:13-21
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
Hide
How familiar to many of us is what happens in the hearts of the scribes and elders sitting in the Sanhedrin. Having seen a miracle, they...  Read more

How familiar to many of us is what happens in the hearts of the scribes and elders sitting in the Sanhedrin. Having seen a miracle, they are closed and unready to receive it like children. Instead of praise, they immediately turn on their reason, calculating how this miracle may harm or help them. And reason at once orders Peter and John to be driven out of the Sanhedrin so they will not hear their conversation. Even now they want to cover an unclean conscience. But the miracle remains a miracle; more than that, outside the window the people are rejoicing, "glorifying God for what had happened."

And what benefit is there in all this? It is much calmer and safer when the people listen quietly, without questioning a single word of yours. These people, the elders, understand perfectly well that a person moved by the Holy Spirit obeys only Him and will not think about their welfare, authority, or "truth." Fearing that the masses may be seized by the Spirit, they try to cut this phenomenon off "at the root," forcing Peter and John to be silent. But the Spirit "breathes" (see John 3:8), and the apostles faithful to the Lord carry His sparks away in their hearts, to share them with those to whom the Lord will send them and who will want to receive Him.

Hide
 
For Act 4:1-37
1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
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The Apostles were not frightened by the Sanhedrin's threats and prayed that God would give them courage to proclaim the Good News. Many of them would later...  Read more

The Apostles were not frightened by the Sanhedrin's threats and prayed that God would give them courage to proclaim the Good News. Many of them would later die as martyrs and become examples for many thousands of Christian martyrs. The courage for which they ask has nothing to do with a readiness to commit a reckless act. For the Apostles, God's will is far more real and substantial than all the threats made by Christ's opponents. Christian courage is therefore directly connected with faith—with the fullness of life in the risen Lord Jesus. The stronger this faith, the more evident it is to a person that no threats can compare with the blessedness and happiness Christ gives. Conversely, the fear of losing life, property, work, or friendship, from which all of us suffer to some degree, calls the reality of our faith into question...

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