Acts 3:1 ¶ Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
Acts 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Acts 3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
Acts 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Acts 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
Acts 3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Acts 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
This chapter opens with a miracle performed by Peter and John at the gate to the temple identified as the “Beautiful” gate. Luke again is specific to the time—the hour of prayer, the ninth hour, about 3:00 p.m. The NIV Commentary tells us that: “The stated times for prayer in Judaism were (1) early in the morning, in connection with the morning sacrifice; (2) at the ninth hour of the day (about three o’clock), in connection with the evening sacrifice; and (3) at sunset.”
There was a man that had been lame from birth that was brought there every day to ask alms—to beg. In the next chapter we are told that the man was 40 years old, so it would seem that this had been his practice for a long time and that he would have been widely recognized. He asked for a donation from Peter and John as they were headed into the temple. Both apostles fixed their eyes upon the man, and Peter told the man to look at them. The man complied, expecting to receive some money. Peter then declared that they had no money to give him, but they did have something for him. He then commanded the man to get up and walk “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” Peter then took the man by the hand and lifted him up, and simultaneously the man’s feet and ankles were strengthened. In fact, the man was able to leap up to a standing position and begin walking with them into the temple. He didn’t just walk beside them; he jumped around praising God to express his thanks and happiness. Just think, a man who had never walked before, jumping up and being able to walk and jump around with no learning curve!
This is the first (that Luke chooses to tell us) of many signs and wonders done by the apostles following Pentecost that demonstrate the supernatural empowerment of the Spirit, causing the people to respond in fear or awe (cf 2:43).
“silver and gold have I none” – This is just one of many scriptures that refute the message propagated by prosperity preachers today. Even Jesus was a poor man.
Matthew 8:20 “And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”
Ironside relates an interesting story in connection with verse 6. “That great scholar, Thomas Aquinas, came to the city of Rome to pay his respects to the one who was then pope. In the course of his visit, the pope proudly showed him all the wonders of the papal palace and took him to his treasury and showed him chests of silver and gold received from every part of the world. With something of a smile on his face, he said, ‘You see, Brother Thomas, we cannot say, as did the first pope, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’ [The Catholic church claims Peter was the first pope.] Thomas Aquinas looked the pope in the eye and fearlessly replied, ‘No, and neither can you say, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.’”
Acts 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
Acts 3:10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
Acts 3:11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
Everyone that saw this man joyfully walking and leaping around Peter and John recognized him as the man that had begged at the Beautiful gate of the temple for so many years. They were greatly surprised that he had been healed. Soon there was a large crowd gathered around Peter, John and the man in Solomon’s porch, the outer court area of the temple on the eastern side.
Acts 3:12 ¶ And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
Acts 3:14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
Acts 3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Acts 3:16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Peter decided to take advantage of such a large audience and basically said, “Why are you looking at us like that?” He declared that it wasn’t by their own power or holiness that this miracle had occurred. He explained that God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, had performed this miracle through them to glorify His Son Jesus—that same Jesus they had delivered up to Pilate and insisted that he be put to death even though Pilate had wanted to let Him go. They had asked Pilate to release a murderer (Barabbas, cf Mark 15:11) rather than “the Holy One and the Just,” Jesus, an innocent man. They insisted that “the Prince of life” be killed. Though He was crucified, Peter and John were eyewitnesses to the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead.
Note that Peter was identifying his audience as participants in and guilty of the death of Jesus.
It is also interesting to note that the Greek for the word “Son” is the word for servant. Jesus had always been clear to declare that He came to serve the Father, to do the work of the Father.
John 5:36 “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.”
John 17:1–4 “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”
Peter declared that it was faith in the name of Jesus that had made this man whole again—a miracle they could not deny because they had known this man to be lame for years.
It is obvious to me that the faith that brought about this miracle was rooted in Peter and John. The lame man had no clue that he was about to be healed; he thought he was going to be given some money. Peter even declared that healing faith was by or through Jesus—a faith given by Him to accomplish His will.
Acts 3:17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
Acts 3:18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
After boldly pointing the finger of blame at the crowd for the death of Jesus, Peter began to soften his message. He acknowledged that their actions were due to ignorance—both on the part of the people as well as their spiritual leaders. However, their ignorance was not excusable. The prophets had declared how the Messiah should suffer—especially Isaiah in chapter 53—and these prophecies had been fulfilled in Jesus.
Note that the message of God’s prophets revealed His plan and purposes. It was God’s will that Christ should suffer, bear our sins and provide a way for our redemption.
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Acts 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Acts 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
“repent” = Webster: to reconsider, to change the mind or the course of conduct
“times” = a set or proper time; a fixed, pre-determined time
In light of the truth Peter had just proclaimed, he calls for the people to repent of their sin and rejection of the Messiah and turn back to the God of their fathers in faith. If they do, their sins will be wiped away, and they can look forward to experiencing the times of refreshing that will begin with the return of Jesus Christ. Jesus will remain in heaven until God’s appointed time for the fulfillment of His plan as foretold by His holy prophets. When Jesus returns, He will usher in “the times of restitution of all things.” I think this is talking about the establishment of Israel in fellowship with God and the lifting of the curse on creation during the millennial kingdom.
Deuteronomy 30:1–6 “And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee….And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”
Jeremiah 33:14–16 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.”
Isaiah 11:6–10 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.”
Zechariah 8:3–5 “Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.”
Acts 3:22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
Acts 3:23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
Peter goes on to quote from Moses in declaring Jesus as God’s prophet as well as His servant. The Jews recognized these verses in Deuteronomy as a reference to the Messiah.
Deuteronomy 18:17–19 “And the LORD said unto me….I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.”
Point is made that anyone that rejects the prophet Jesus will “be destroyed from among the people.” In other words, they will face condemnation and not allowed to fellowship with God in the kingdom.
John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Acts 3:24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
Peter again emphasizes that all the prophets beginning with Samuel foretold the days of Messiah. I could not find a prophecy from Samuel; however, the book of Samuel records a prophecy given by Nathan to David. God promised David that one of his seed would rule from his throne over an eternal kingdom—a reference to the Messiah.
2 Samuel 7:4–13 “And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David….I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime….And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”
Isaiah affirmed this truth.
Isaiah 9:6–7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.”
Acts 3:25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
Acts 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Peter reminds his audience that they are descendants of the prophets and Abraham. God made a covenant with Abraham that through his seed all the people on planet earth were to be blessed.
Genesis 12:1–3 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
That blessing was to come through the Messiah, God’s Servant Son, Jesus. Jesus came first to Israel, to the Jewish people, to plead with them to turn away from their sin and turn back to God in faith and obedience.
I’ll close with another good quote from David Guzik: “The lame man at the Beautiful Gate wanted something; but God wanted to give him something much greater. The same was generally true of the Jewish people Peter preached to. They expected the Messiah in a certain way, but God wanted to give them something much greater. They looked for a political and military Messiah, and not so much one to turn every one of you from your iniquities. It shows how important it is for us to expect the right things from God.”
Acts 4:1 ¶ And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
Acts 4:2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
Acts 4:3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
The chapter break is unfortunate since this is obviously a continuation of the preceding chapter. “They” is a reference to Peter and John. It is Peter’s words that are recorded, but obviously John interacted with the people in the crowd as well. At some point during the gathering the priests, the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees apprehended the two apostles. The religious leaders had learned that Peter and John were preaching a message of power and salvation based upon the resurrection of Jesus, and they didn’t like it. The two apostles were placed in prison overnight.
The Sadducees were a powerful sect of religious liberals who did not believe in the resurrection.
Acts 23:8 “For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection….”
The NIV Commentary provided more information on the Sadducees. They were “descendants of the Hasmoneans, who looked to Mattathias, Judas, Jonathan, and Simon Maccabeus (168–134 B.C.) as having inaugurated the Messianic Age and saw themselves as perpetuating what their fathers had begun. As priests from the tribe of Levi, they claimed to represent ancient orthodoxy and were uninterested in innovations…. For them, the Messiah was an ideal, not a person, and the Messianic Age was a process, not a cataclysmic or even datable event.”
Acts 4:4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
Evidently, the gospel message touched the hearts of many that heard it, and about 5,000 men responded in belief.
Acts 4:5 ¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
Acts 4:6 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.
Acts 4:7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
The next morning the religious leaders gathered to confront the two apostles. Specifically named are Annas the high priest and Caiaphas. In their gospels both Luke and John provide further information.
Luke 3:2 “Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests….”
John 18:13 “And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.”
Some references pose the possibility that John was the son of Annas that succeeded Caiaphas as high priest. The context indicates that John and Alexander were kin to the high priests and that the family was gathered together in Jerusalem at that time. The NIV Commentary concludes that the reference is to a gathering of the Sanhedrin, basically the supreme court of the Jewish people.
The first question put to the apostles: “By what power, or by what name, have you done this [miracle of healing is implied by the context}?” They knew it had been done through supernatural empowerment. This was a God-given opportunity to share the gospel with the whole ruling body.
Acts 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
Acts 4:9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
Acts 4:10 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.
Peter maintains the position of designated spokesman. Point is made that he was filled with Holy Ghost prior to giving his response; this implies to me that Peter was being given the very words to use as he answered the authorities. It also implies to me that although every believer is sealed by the indwelling Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our inheritance in Jesus, we need ongoing specific empowerment of the Holy Spirit to accomplish great things for God.
Ephesians 1:12–14 “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
Peter first clarifies that his answer is in response to the healing of the impotent man—a good deed, not one worthy of imprisonment. He then declares boldly that in no uncertain terms everyone should understand that this healing was done “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead.” It was through the power of Jesus Christ that this man had been completely healed and made whole—just as if he had never been impotent. What a picture of our salvation! When God saves us from our sin, He declares us justified—just as if we had never sinned.
Note that Peter wasn’t afraid to be politically incorrect. He pronounced the ruling authorities accountable for the death of Jesus. He wasn’t afraid of the consequences to him or worried about delivering a seeker-sensitive message; he was interested in declaring the truth.
One can’t help but think of the words of Jesus as He taught the disciples.
Matthew 10:17–20 “But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.”
Luke 21:12–15 “But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.”
John Trapp: “Evil times we must needs say they are when good deeds and evil are dangerous alike; when to cure or to kill is equally criminal.”
Acts 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
“This is the stone” – The “stone” is sometimes used in scripture to picture the Messiah. What both the psalmist and Isaiah declare, Peter affirms as applying to Jesus.
Psalms 118:21–22 “I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”
Isaiah 8:13–14 “Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”
Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”
1 Peter 2:5–8 “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.”
Again, boldly and without apology or excuse, Peter declares that Jesus is the only name under heaven through which one can find salvation—to be spiritually healed and made whole.
We know that the spiritual leaders understood Peter’s application because they understood it when Jesus had made the same application previously.
Matthew 21:42–45 “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.”
Acts 4:13 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.
Acts 4:14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
The religious leaders were amazed at the boldness of Peter and John; they knew that they had not been educated or trained in the established rabbinic educational system. They also recognized them as having been companions of Jesus, He who had also boldly and confidently confronted them. However, the man that had been healed was standing with them; and they could not deny their assertions (just as was promised in the verses from Matthew 10 and Luke 21 quoted above).
Isn’t it interesting to note that not one of the religious leaders questioned the veracity of the resurrection of Jesus!
Acts 4:15 ¶ But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
Acts 4:16 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.
Acts 4:17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
Acts 4:18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
The leaders decided they needed to make a decision as to how to respond to the apostles and asked them to “wait outside,” so to speak, while they conferred. They knew they couldn’t deny the miracle because there were too many witnesses to it. This implies to me that they would have denied it if they thought they could get away with it. They decided that the next best thing was to ensure that the witness of this man and the message of the apostles not be allowed to spread. So they decided to threaten them and forbid them to speak or teach in the name of Jesus any more.
Courson: “You may not be able to grab the hand of a lame man and say to him, “In the Name of Jesus, stand up and walk,” but there are other things you can do.
In Mark 9:41, Jesus said we can give a cup of cold water in His Name.
He said we could receive a little child in His Name (Matthew 18:5).
We are to baptize in His Name (Matthew 28:19).
We can pronounce the remission of sins in His Name (Luke 24:47).”
Acts 4:19 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.
Acts 4:20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
Acts 4:21 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.
Acts 4:22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
It is significant to me that though Peter has been the main spokesman, both Peter and John answer the ruling authorities. They basically said: As God is your witness, You can decide whether or not it is right that we should obey God rather than you. As far as we are concerned, we are going to testify to the things that we have seen and heard and know to be the truth.
In other words, they believed they were doing God’s will, and they were not willing to go against that will in submission to the will of any man—no matter how powerful he might be or what penalty they might incur.
All the authorities could do was threaten them further and let them go. They had no valid reason to punish them. The people supported them and glorified God for the man’s healing—a man who was over 40 years old.
Wiersbe: “Our examples from the Bible acted with respect and courtesy even when they defied the law. Christians can respect authority and, at the same time, disobey the authorities….Jesus teaches us that righteous protest against injustice always involves sacrifice and suffering and must be motivated by love.”
Acts 4:23 ¶ And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
Acts 4:24 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:
Acts 4:25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
Acts 4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Once freed, Peter and John went back to their friends and told them all that had been said to them. The response of the group of believers was to lift up their voices in praise and prayerful worship to God. They acknowledged Him as their Creator and quoted the words of David.
Psalms 2:1–2 “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed….”
The question of the psalmist reverberates to this very day. Why do the masses and royalty of earth position themselves against God and His Messiah? God’s word is a message of His desire to raise man up from the depths of sin to which he has fallen and restore him to the position of blessing that was his at creation. God’s commands are rooted in His love and concern for us, in His desire to protect and empower us, in His desire to bless us abundantly.
And we know the answer to the psalmist’s question.
Ephesians 2:2–3 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”
Ephesians 6:11–12 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Acts 4:27 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,
Acts 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
As the body of believers continued to pray, they acknowledged how Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles and the people of Israel acted in accordance with God’s purposes when they schemed to destroy “Thy holy child Jesus,” the anointed Messiah.
Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
Acts 4:30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
Acts 4:31 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.
The prayer moved into a time of asking God to continue to strengthen the apostles with boldness to speak His word and to continue to perform healings to serve as signs and wonders, testifying to proof of Jesus as the Messiah.
When the people finished praying, “the place was shaken.” Was it just an emotional upheaval or an earthquake or maybe both?
Every believer there was subsequently filled with the Holy Spirit and went out to speak the word of God with boldness. “Please, LORD, fill me with Thy Spirit to always do the same!”
Note: They were already sealed with the indwelling Holy Spirit but were filled anew to strengthen and empower.
Acts 4:32 ¶ 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.
Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
Acts 4:34 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,
Acts 4:35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
Again Luke emphasizes the unity of heart and spirit of the believers in the early church. They all considered “their stuff” to be “God’s stuff” to be used to supply the needs of all and accomplish His will. The apostles continued to boldly witness about the resurrection of the LORD Jesus.
“great grace was upon them all” – I always love to see the Greek for the word “grace”—“especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.” When we are acting with the grace of God, we are acting according to His influence. Those actions always impact our lives in ways that others recognize as godly. When the body of believers lives according to “grace,” no one in the body should be allowed to go without what they “need.” Our stuff should be reckoned God’s stuff and used accordingly. “Lord, please continue to grow me in discernment in this area.”
David Guzik made an important observation on this section of scripture:
“Unfortunately, this generosity of the early Christians soon began to be abused. Later the Apostle Paul taught regarding who should be helped and how they should be helped. Paul’s directions were that:
The church must discern who the truly needy are (1 Timothy 5:3).
If one can work to support himself, he is not truly needy and must provide for his own needs (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, 1 Timothy 5:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:11).
If family can support a needy person, the church should not support them (1 Timothy 5:3-4).
Those who are supported by the church must make some return to the church body (1 Timothy 5:5, 10).
It is right for the church to examine moral conduct before giving support (1 Timothy 5:9-13).
The support of the church should be for the most basic necessities of living (1 Timothy 6:8).”
Acts 4:36 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,
Acts 4:37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Luke singles out one man as an example of a man living by “grace,” Joses, surnamed Barnabas. His name means “son of consolation” or “son of encouragement.” He was a Levite from the country of Cyprus that sold his land and brought the money to the apostles to use for the benefit of the growing church.
I believe my ministry is to be a daughter of encouragement, especially in the body of believers according to the words of Paul.
Galatians 6:10 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”