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Texts -- Acts 4:1-25 (NET)

Context
The Arrest and Trial of Peter and John
4:1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people , the priests and the commander of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them , 4:2 angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of the dead . 4:3 So they seized them and put them in jail until the next day (for it was already evening ). 4:4 But many of those who had listened to the message believed , and the number of the men came to about five thousand . 4:5 On the next day , their rulers , elders , and experts in the law came together in Jerusalem . 4:6 Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas , John , Alexander , and others who were members of the high priest’s family . 4:7 After making Peter and John stand in their midst , they began to inquire , “By what power or by what name did you do this ?” 4:8 Then Peter , filled with the Holy Spirit , replied , “Rulers of the people and elders , 4:9 if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man – by what means this man was healed 4:10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified , whom God raised from the dead , this man stands before you healthy . 4:11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you , the builders , that has become the cornerstone . 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else , for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved .” 4:13 When they saw the boldness of Peter and John , and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men , they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus . 4:14 And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them , they had nothing to say against this. 4:15 But when they had ordered them to go outside the council , they began to confer with one another , 4:16 saying , “What should we do with these men ? For it is plain to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign has come about through them , and we cannot cannot deny it. 4:17 But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people , let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name .” 4:18 And they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus . 4:19 But Peter and John replied , “Whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God , you decide , 4:20 for it is impossible impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard .” 4:21 After threatening them further , they released them , for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people , because they were all praising God for what had happened . 4:22 For the man , on whom this miraculous sign of healing had been performed , was over forty years old.
The Followers of Jesus Pray for Boldness
4:23 When they were released , Peter and John went to their fellow believers and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said to them . 4:24 When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said , “Master of all, you who made the heaven , the earth , the sea , and everything that is in them , 4:25 who said by the Holy Spirit through your servant David our forefather , ‘Why do the nations rage , and the peoples plot foolish things ?

Pericope

NET
  • Act 4:1-22 -- The Arrest and Trial of Peter and John
  • Act 4:23-31 -- The Followers of Jesus Pray for Boldness

Bible Dictionary

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Arts

Hymns

(Note: In "active" or "on" condition, the hymns music will be played automatically when mouse hover on a hymns title)
  • Ingat akan Nama Yesus [KJ.344]
  • Kristus, Penolong Umat yang Percaya [KJ.254]
  • Manisnya Nama Penebus [KJ.386]
  • Segala Benua dan Langit Penuh [KJ.281]
  • [Act 4:12] Conquering Kings Their Titles Take
  • [Act 4:12] Only One Name
  • [Act 4:12] ’tis For Conquering Kings To Gain
  • [Act 4:12] To The Name Of Our Salvation
  • [Act 4:12] To The Name That Is Salvation
  • [Act 4:13] O Christ, Our God
  • [Act 4:20] Speak For Jesus
  • [Act 4:24] O Father, You Are Sovereign

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

Spiritual Victory and Freedom; Spiritual Warfare; Ob Portu; General; Evangelistic Activities in Acts; Human Government; Who Is Jesus Christ?; Why Evangelize?; Outline; A Sign for Unbelievers

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • One of the remarkable features of chapters 8 and 9 is the obedience of Moses and Aaron to God's commands (cf. 8:4, 9, 13, 17, 21, 29, 36; 9:5, 7, 10, 21). In chapter 10 there is a notable absence of these references. The care...
  • The texts of the individual psalms do not usually indicate who wrote them.1However some of the titles of the individual psalms do contain information about the writers.2This is the only really reliable information we have as ...
  • In this "second psalm"(Acts 13:33) David (Acts 4:25) exhorted the pagan nations surrounding Israel to forsake their efforts to oppose the Lord and His anointed king. He urged them to submit to the authority of the Son whom Go...
  • David expressed amazement that the nations would try to overthrow the Lord and the king He had placed on Israel's throne to serve as His vice-regent. If Israel's kings submitted to the throne in heaven, they enjoyed God's ble...
  • 118:22-24 The psalmist seems to have been comparing himself to the stone that the builders (his adversaries) had rejected in view of the preceding context (cf. v. 18). The imagery is common. Whenever builders construct a ston...
  • There is a shift in emphasis in Solomon's anthology here. Pleasing God (cf. Col. 1:10; 1 John 3:22) becomes a greater factor in the proverbs that follow whereas those in chapters 10-15 had living successfully more in view. Ne...
  • "The section begins (1-6) and ends (23-29) with double illustrations drawn from nature and agriculture. Between lies a meditation in eight broadly equal parts on how Jerusalem's leaders refused the word of invitation and inhe...
  • This message to the people involved another symbolic act (cf. 13:1-11). This incident may have occurred between 609 and 605 B.C.19:1 Yahweh told Jeremiah to take some of Judah's elders and senior priests and to go and purchas...
  • This prophecy continues the emphasis on judgment from the previous one and stresses the irrevocability of Jerusalem's destruction (cf. Jer. 7:16; 15:1-4).14:12-14 The Lord spoke to Ezekiel again. He revealed that Jerusalem's ...
  • 34:11-12 The Lord further promised to search for His wandering sheep Himself, to care for them, and to deliver them from the places where they had scattered in the gloomy days of their national distress (cf. Jer. 30:4-7; Luke...
  • 3:5 The Lord also had a message concerning the false prophets who were misleading His people. The false prophets gave benedictions to those who paid them, but people who did not give them anything received maledictions of doo...
  • The first part of this oracle focused particularly on the true King who would come and exercise sovereignty over the nations (ch. 9). Now the emphasis changes to the people of the King, the Israelites, who will return to the ...
  • Jesus proceeded to elaborate on the dangers the apostles would face and how they should deal with them.In His descriptions of the opposition His disciples would experience, Jesus looked beyond His death to the time of tribula...
  • 16:18 "I say to you"(cf. 5:18, 20, 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44; 8:10) may imply that Jesus would continue the revelation the Father had begun. However the phrase occurs elsewhere where that contrast is not in view. Undoubtedly it ...
  • 22:41-42 Having received several questions from His critics, Jesus now turned the tables and asked the Pharisees one. He wanted them to explain what the Scriptures taught about Messiah. This would face them and the crowd with...
  • 26:1-2 These verses record the fourth major prediction of Jesus' death that He gave His disciples (cf. 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19). Matthew just finished recording Jesus' claim to judge humankind (25:31-46). Now he wrote that ...
  • "The other major example of the concentric [chiastic] pattern in Mark's story [beside 2:1-3:6] is the series of Jesus' conflicts with the authorities in Jerusalem [ch. 12], comprised of seven episodes: Episodes A and A1 invol...
  • This is the second major song of praise in Luke, the "Benedictus."This title also comes from the first word in the Latin version translated "blessed"(Gr. eulogetos). The first part of the song praises God for messianic delive...
  • Jesus used His condemnation of the Pharisees' hypocrisy as an occasion to warn His disciples against being hypocritical. The context of this teaching in Matthew's Gospel is Jesus' instruction of the Twelve before He sent them...
  • Jesus' authority was crucial not only for the Jewish leaders who opposed Him but for Luke's readers. This passage established Jesus' authority beyond reasonable doubt.20:1-2 Luke's reference to Jesus preaching the gospel as w...
  • This parable taught that Israel's religious leaders who had authority were mismanaging their authority. It also affirmed Jesus' authority, not just as a prophet, but as God's Son. The leaders had expressed fear of death (v. 6...
  • 21:10-11 Luke's interruption of Jesus' teaching suggests a break of some kind in His thought. It seems clear from what follows, in verse 11 especially, that Jesus now broadened His perspective from the wars that would precede...
  • Luke alone recorded this aspect of Jesus' Roman trial. He probably did so because Herod Antipas found no basis for condemning Jesus either. Thus Luke cited two official witnesses to Jesus' innocence for his readers' benefit (...
  • 7:14 Toward the middle of the week Jesus began teaching publicly in the temple. This verse sets the scene for what follows immediately.7:15 It was quite common for Jewish males to read and write. The people do not appear to h...
  • 14:5 Thomas voiced the disciples' continuing confusion about Jesus' destination. Apparently the "Father's house"did not clearly identify heaven to them. Without a clear understanding of the final destination they could not be...
  • John began his account of Jesus' trials with a brief description of His arrest and by identifying the chief religious leaders who examined Him.18:12 The commander (Gr. chiliarchos, cf. Acts 22:24, 26, 27, 28; 23:17, 19, 22) i...
  • As the other evangelists, John alternated his account of the events surrounding Jesus' religious trial. He described what was happening in the courtyard (vv. 15-18), then what was happening inside (vv. 19-24), then what happe...
  • Longenecker identified five phenomena about the structure of Acts that the reader needs to recognize to appreciate what Luke sought to communicate."1. It begins, like the [Third] Gospel, with an introductory section of distin...
  • If I were to boil down to one sentence what the Book of Acts is in the Bible to teach us, I would say this.The message of Acts is that the church of Jesus Christ is God's instrument to glorify Himself in the present age. The ...
  • I. The witness in Jerusalem 1:1-6:7A. The founding of the church 1:1-2:461. The resumptive preface to the book 1:1-52. The command to witness 1:6-83. The ascension of Jesus 1:9-114. Jesus' appointment of a twelfth apostle 1:1...
  • The key to the apostles' successful fulfillment of Jesus' commission was their baptism with and consequent indwelling by the Holy Spirit. Without this divine enablement they would only have been able to follow Jesus' example,...
  • The Holy Spirit's descent on the day of Pentecost inaugurated a new dispensation in God's administration of the human race.78Luke featured the record of the events of this day to explain the changes in God's dealings with hum...
  • Luke introduced the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry with His baptism with the Spirit (Luke 3:21-22). He paralleled this with the beginning of Jesus' heavenly ministry with the Spirit baptism of His disciples (Acts 2:1-4)...
  • In this part of his speech Peter cited three proofs that Jesus was the Messiah: His miracles (v. 22), His resurrection (vv. 23-32), and His ascension (vv. 33-35). Verse 36 is a summary conclusion.2:22 Peter argued that God ha...
  • 2:37 The Holy Spirit used Peter's sermon to bring conviction, as Jesus had predicted (John 16:8-11). He convicted Peter's hearers of the truth of what he said and of their guilt in rejecting Jesus. Their question arose from t...
  • Luke recorded the events of this section (3:1-6:7) to document the continued expansion of the church and to identify the means God used to produce growth. In chapters 3-5 the emphasis is on how the Christians' witness brought...
  • Luke had just referred to the apostles' teaching, to the awe that many of the Jews felt, to the apostles doing signs and wonders, and to the Christians meeting in the temple (2:43-44, 46). Now he narrated a specific incident ...
  • "In his former address Peter had testified to the power and presence of the Spirit of God at work in a new way in the lives of men through Jesus. Now he proclaims the power and authority of the name of Jesus by which his disc...
  • 3:17-18 If Peter's charges against his hearers were harsh (vv. 13-15), his concession that they acted out of ignorance was tender. Peter undoubtedly hoped that his gentle approach would win a reversal of his hearers' attitude...
  • In chapters 4-7 there is a series of similar confrontations with each one building up to the crisis of Stephen's death and the persecution that followed. The first four verses of chapter 4 conclude the incident recorded in ch...
  • 4:5 The "Council"(v. 15) before which soldiers brought Peter and John the next day was the Sanhedrin, which was the senate and supreme court of Israel. It consisted of the high priest, who served as its presiding officer, and...
  • 4:13-14 The Sanhedrin observed in Peter and John what they had seen in Jesus, namely courage to speak boldly and authoritatively without formal training (cf. Matt. 7:28-29; Mark 1:22; Luke 20:19-26; John 7:15). They may also ...
  • 4:23-28 After hearing the apostle's report, the Christians sought the Lord (Gr. Despota, sovereign ruler) in prayer."Three movements may be discerned in this prayer of the early church: (1) God is sovereign (v. 24). (2) God's...
  • Luke now gave a specific instance of what he had just described in verses 34 and 35. This reference to Barnabas is significant because it introduces him to the reader. Barnabas becomes a major character in Acts later. Further...
  • 5:1-2 "But"introduces another sacrificial act that looked just as generous as Barnabas' (4:37). However in this case the motive was quite different. Ananias' Jewish name means "Yahweh is gracious,"and Sapphira's Aramaic name ...
  • This pericope is another of Luke's summaries of conditions in the church that introduces what follows (cf. 2:42-47; 4:32-35). It also explains why the Sadducees became so jealous that they arrested not only Peter and John but...
  • The popularity and effectiveness of the apostles riled the Sadducees just as Jesus' popularity and effectiveness had earlier.5:17-18 The high priest "rose up"(Gr. anastas, cf. v. 34) taking official action as leader of the Sa...
  • Gamaliel's advocacy of moderation is the main point and reason for Luke's record of the apostles' second appearance before the Sanhedrin. Whereas the Sadducees "rose up"against the apostles (v. 17), Gamaliel "rose up"against ...
  • The scene shifts back to life within the church (cf. 4:32-5:11). Luke wrote this pericope to explain some administrative changes that the growth of the church made necessary. He also wanted to introduce the Hellenistic Jews w...
  • 6:8 Stephen was full of grace (cf. cf. 4:33; Luke 4:22) and power (cf. 2:22; 4:33) as well as the Holy Spirit (vv. 3, 5), wisdom (v. 3), and faith (v. 5). His ability to perform miracles seems unrelated to his having been app...
  • Stephen began his defense by going back to Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, and to the Abrahamic Covenant, God's foundational promises to the Jews.7:2-3 Stephen called for the Sanhedrin's attention addressing his hea...
  • Stephen continued dealing with the Mosaic period of Israel's history, but focused more particularly now on Moses' teaching, the Mosaic Law. This is what the Jews of his day professed to venerate and follow exactly, but Stephe...
  • Stephen concluded his defense by indicting his accusers. They had brought charges against him, but now he brought more serious charges against them.In his first speech to the Sanhedrin, Peter had been quite brief and forthrig...
  • Stephen's speech caused a revolution in the Jews' attitude toward the disciples of Jesus, and his martyrdom began the first persecution of the Christians.Luke recorded the Sanhedrin's response to Stephen's message to document...
  • Luke recorded this incident to show the method and direction of the church's expansion to God-fearing Gentiles who were attracted to Judaism at this time. This man had visited Jerusalem to worship, was studying the Old Testam...
  • Peter's sermon on this occasion is the first sermon in Acts addressed to a Gentile audience (cf. 14:15-17; 17:22-31). It is quite similar to the ones Peter preached in 2:14-40 and 3:11-26 except that this one has more informa...
  • "Peter's rescue from prison is an unusually vivid episode in Acts even when simply taken as a story about Peter. Because it is not connected with events in the chapters immediately before and after it, however, it may seem ra...
  • In contrast to Herod and like Peter, the word of the Lord, the gospel, continued to grow and multiply through God's supernatural blessing. Therefore the church continued to flourish in Jewish territory as well as among the Ge...
  • Luke recorded the events of Paul's first missionary journey to document the extension of the church into new territory and to illustrate the principles and methods by which the church grew. He also did so to show God's supern...
  • Luke devoted more space to Paul's evangelizing in Philippi than he did to the apostle's activities in any other city on the second and third journeys even though Paul was there only briefly. It was the first European city in ...
  • 21:27-28 The Jews from Asia, possibly from Ephesus, were obviously unbelievers. They charged Paul with the same kind of crimes the unbelieving Jews had accused Stephen of committing (6:11, 13-14). The Jews permitted Gentiles ...
  • "The irregular structure of Luke's account of Paul's defense before the Sanhedrin evidently reflects the tumultuous character of the session itself. Three matters pertaining to Luke's apologetic purpose come to the fore: (1) ...
  • Sermons and Speeches in Acts984SpeakersOccasions and or HearersCitiesReferencesPeter (1)Selection of successor to JudasJerusalem1:16-22Peter (2)Signs on the day of PentecostJerusalem2:14-36Peter (3)Healing of lame man in the ...
  • Paul passed from a loosely connected series of exhortations in 12:9-21 to a well-organized argument about a single subject in 13:1-7."Forbidding the Christian from taking vengeance and allowing God to exercise this right in t...
  • Paul's reference to the Holy Spirit's power (vv. 4-5) led him to elaborate on the Spirit's ministry in enlightening the minds of believers and unbelievers alike. The Corinthians needed to view ministry differently. The key to...
  • The spiritual blessings that have come to us are the work of all three members of the Trinity. God Himself is the basis of these blessings.1:4 The first blessing is election. God has sovereignly chosen some people for salvati...
  • Masters should seek to please the Lord in their dealings with their slaves even as slaves should try to please Christ as they serve their masters. They should not threaten because our heavenly Master does not threaten us. Thr...
  • 3:8 Paul had regarded his advantages over other people as what put him in a specially good position with God. However, he had come to realize that absolutely nothing apart from Jesus Christ's work on the cross was of any valu...
  • 3:20 Children are to obey (hypakoute) both parents. The Greek word for obey implies a readiness to listen to and carry out parental instructions. The Greek word for children (tekna) means youths in contrast to babes and toddl...
  • "Moses and Abraham hold the most prominent places in the roll of faith; and the central event of both their lives, as Hebrews presents them, is a journey."36711:23 Faith confronts hostility in a characteristic way that the wr...
  • James' three questions in these verses all expect positive answers, as is clear in the construction of the Greek text.2:5 Since God has chosen the poor of this world to be the recipients of His blessings it is inconsistent fo...
  • 2:4 Not only is Jesus Christ the source of the believer's spiritual sustenance, He is also our foundation. Peter not only changed his metaphor from growth to building, but he also changed it from an individual to a corporate ...
  • Peter continued to give directions concerning how the Christian should conduct himself or herself when dealing with the state since his readers faced suffering from this source.2:13-14 The Christian's relationship to the stat...
  • "As is true of NT epistles in general, the address of Revelation contains three elements: the writer, the addressees, and the greeting."181:4 John sent this letter to the seven churches mentioned in chapters 2 and 3, which we...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • 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...
  • 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.'--Acts 4:13.Two young Galilean fisherm...
  • 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 h...
  • We shall probably not do injustice to John if we suppose that Peter was spokesman. If so, the contrast of the tone of his answer with all previously recorded utterances of his is remarkable. Warm-hearted impulsiveness, often ...
  • We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.'--Acts 4:20.THE context tells us that the Jewish Council were surprised, as they well might be, at the boldness of Peter and John, and traced it to their having bee...
  • Thy servant David…'; Thy Holy Servant Jesus…'; Thy servants.-Acts 4:25, 27, 29.I DO not often take fragments of Scripture for texts; but though these are fragments, their juxtaposition results in by no means fragmen...
  • Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 18. -And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. 19. But the ...
  • And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apo...
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