Now as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly agitated because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 Now it happened that on the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; 6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. 7 And when they had placed them in their midst, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man, as to how this man has been saved from his sickness, 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—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4: 1-12 LSB
Acts 4: 1-12
Vs. 1-2 Being greatly agitated because they were teaching the people - The priests would be agitated because they had already rejected Christ, and these men were usurping their authority. Some will say in their defense that they believed Jesus to be heretic, and so they were upset about His followers continuing in His teaching. His disciples also continued with His miracles so it became really frustrating for these priests, but there is another reason. The temple priests ran the area like a market, called the Bazaars of Annas. Annas was the former high priest, but now replaced by Rome with his son in law, Caiaphas. They were corrupt, and at the beginning of Jesus' ministry He came in and turned over the tables of their money changers, and again towards the end of His ministry. This was like the Jewish mafia, and Jesus was a threat to their business. Luke refers to it as the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, even though Rome had stepped Annas down. This shows you the nepotism and that no one saw Caiaphas as anymore than a figure head, it was Annas pulling the strings. These priests were also liberal, holding the view of the Sadducees, who are also mentioned. The Sadducees believed that there was no resurrection from the dead, and many only viewed the Pentateuch as inspired. Jesus, knowing this, when they try to trap Him on a question about the resurrection, answers from the first five books of the Bible. He also raises people from the dead and He Himself is witnessed in His resurrected form by some 500 people. These priests were materialist, charging people unfairly, using unjust weights and balances, depriving widows as well. The church is exploding before their eyes, and killing Jesus didn't stop it.
1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,… Luke 3: 1-3
…26But concerning the dead rising, have you not read about the burning bush in the Book of Moses, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!” 28Now one of the scribes had come up and heard their debate. Noticing how well Jesus had answered them, he asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”… Mark 12: 26-28
…10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you. 12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.… Romans 8: 10-12
Vs. 3-4 The number of the men came to be about 5,000 - The church, starting at it's infancy, was born of and into persecution. This is no way a hindrance to it's growth though because the true church is made up of those called by the Father, through the atoning work of the Son, by the resurrecting power of the Holy Spirit. Persecution actually helps keep out the tares. Once people associate Christianity with suffering, then a lot of those who came along for the ride, the ones who were there for the potlucks, the fish and the bread, the hope of healing or socializing, they disappear. I left the visible, outward church, because I could see the God of the Bible didn't condone my worldliness, yet I knew worldly people there that thought nothing of it. I loved sin, and God said He hates it, despises it. I wanted to believe that I could hold both things at once, be saved, yet not repent. I wanted to believe that I had this backup plan, this spare tire, something I had done that guaranteed me a good place when I died, just in case being and living like an atheist didn't work out. I had said the sinner's prayer when I was young, so I thought at least there's that, whatever that is. So I didn't leave the church for persecution, that's not typically an American reason, especially not at that time.
And the number of the men came to be about five thousand - Luke does not use the word anthropos which is the term for humankind in general. He uses the word aner for men which usually refers to males. The 5000 believers in Messiah therefore does not include women and children so that this first church probably had upwards to 10,000 "members" or more. Given that 3000 had believed on hearing Peter's first sermon (Acts 2:41+), about 2000 responded to Peter's second sermon. - Precept Austin
Vs. 5-7 By what power, or in what name, have you done this - Notice, they witnessed a miracle, there's no denying, so the questions are about how and by Who. There is no doubt about who the lame man is, or that he is no longer lame, but remember, they accused Jesus of doing such things by the power of Beelzebub.
…26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.… Matthew 12: 26-28
V. 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit - There is a difference in being baptized by the Holy Spirit, that has to do with regeneration, and being filled. The first happens once, and being filled we are told to seek throughout our lives as the power to minister by whatever gifts we are given. We cannot write down upon a sign outside the church, "revival", and expect it to occur. We cannot produce by mode of music, emotions, or argument, a single saved soul, no, the wind blows where it wills, we must rely upon the Holy Spirit.
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them - It is interesting that in Ephesians 5:18-19+, the first Greek word in verse 19 is laleo in the present tense which is significant as it shows that one of the first "effects" of being filled with/controlled by the Spirit (and not by alcohol or other "intoxications" of the world - as in Eph 5:18a) is controlled speech! And all through Acts, it is not just "controlled" speech, but it is bold speech.
As the Life Application Commentary says "There are two kinds of courage: reckless courage that is unaware of the dangers it faces, and the courage that knows the peril and yet is undaunted. Peter's boldness is of the latter variety. (Life Application Bible Commentary – Acts)
Jesus had promised the disciples supernatural enablement to speak boldly
“When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:11–12) (Mt 10:18-20 is similar adding in v20 "“For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.")
Alexander Maclaren said "Only he who can say, "The Lord is the strength of my life" can go on to say, "Of whom shall I be afraid?"
The verb filled is aorist tense, meaning at a point in time and in context a point in time in the past. Passive voice signifies that the filling is from a Source independent of Peter. Peter's yielded spirit and obedient walk, allowed the Spirit to exert His influence and power in and through Peter. There was no emotional high or mystical filling associated with Peter's filling. Peter did not even pray to be filled. He simply walked in a manner worthy of the Lord, which resulted in his being filled. That's how Peter was filled and that is how every believer in Christ can be filled. Obviously, one needs to keep short accounts of one's sin. We all struggle with sin and we all sin every day. In order to not grieve or quench the Spirit's filling and power, we need to confess our sins and repent of our sins.
I agree with Dr John MacArthur that "ALL Christian ministry and witness depends on the filling of the Holy Spirit." (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Acts) I would add that "all fruitful" ministry depends on filling with the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Php 1:19), for Jesus Himself made it crystal clear when He declared to His disciples that "apart from Me you can do (absolutely) nothing (pleasing to God or of eternal value)!" (Jn 15:5) How much ministerial activity in your church would continue if the Holy Spirit were removed?
MacArthur writes "A Spirit-filled, uncompromising church will be uncomfortable in the world, since it will be a rebuke to it. It will, however, be a powerful, victorious church. Peter and John confronted the world head on, with a boldness and eloquence that caused their opponents to marvel (cf. Acts 4:13). They were victorious because they were Spirit-filled." (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Acts) - Precept Austin
9-10 Jesus Christ the Nazarene, Whom you crucified - You notice, the gospel doesn't change, regardless of the hostility of the crowd. He indicts them, because of you Christ died in the most horrible fashion. They don't claim the power to be their own, as many false prophets and messiahs throughout history did and will. They always claim to "have the anointing", to have healing power, special knowledge, but the disciples don't try to market themselves like that. They point to the true source, Christ. "We were fishermen, and considered good at that, but this Guy, Jesus, He made the fish, and could even tell us where to cast the net on a bad day, but we could never even imagine healing someone like this, it's not in us. The glory belongs to Him."
V. 11 He is the Stone which was rejected by you - You are the builders, the religious leaders, the keepers of the temple. They were still rejecting the prophets though, and everything that they said about Jesus before He arrived. The cornerstone in building is the first stone laid for the foundation and it determines the layout of all the other stones.
He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS - What incredible irony! Peter (the "rock") now begins to speak about the Stone in the Sanhedrin meeting hall known as the "Hall of Hewn Stone!" These men would soon find themselves "hewn" by the Sword of the Spirit wielded by Peter and in eternity "hewn" by the Stone breaking them when It fell on them! Woe! - PA
…21I will give You thanks, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation. 22The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23This is from the LORD, and it is marvelous in our eyes.… Psalm 118: 21-23
MacArthur adds "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. He was the stone which was rejected by them, the builders or spiritual leaders of the nation. Although they rejected Jesus, God made Him the very corner stone through His resurrection and exaltation. 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. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Acts) - J Mac from PA
V. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved - Not by works of the law, not by Gautama, not by Mohammad or any other name, only Jesus. I should also note that there are many false versions of Jesus out there as well, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and many fringe groups, including people in evangelical churches, follow a different Jesus than the One of Scripture. Many follow the Jesus of their own making, the one they carved out with their imagination, the one who doesn't challenge their sin, or their high idea of self.
5“Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”… John 14: 5-7
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