CHAPTER 4

(A.D. 33)

PERSECUTION

¹And as they spoke unto the people, the Priests, and the captain of the Temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them (the Sadducees almost completely controlled the High Priesthood, and actually most of the Priestly duties of the Temple),

²Being grieved that they taught the people (worried), and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead (they were angry that Jesus and the Resurrection were being preached, which Doctrine the Sadducees denied [Lk. 20:27]).

³And they laid hands on them (arrested them), and put them in hold unto the next day (a small prison in the confines of the Temple): for it was now evening.

⁴Howbeit many of them which heard the Word believed (they believed on Christ, thereby accepting Him as the Messiah of Israel and the Saviour of men); and the number of the men was about five thousand (seems to speak only of men, so including women and children, it could have numbered ten thousand or more).

⁵And it came to pass on the morrow, that their Rulers, and Elders, and Scribes,

⁶And Annas the High Priest, and Caiaphas, and John (probably was Johanan Ben Zakkai, a famous Rabbi of that time), and Alexander (probably was Alexander Lysimachus, one of the richest Jews of his time who contributed very generously to the Temple), and as many as were of the kindred of the High Priest (possibly all five sons of Annas were present), were gathered together at Jerusalem (some of them probably didnt live in Jerusalem, but happened to be there at that time).

⁷And when they had set them in the midst (Peter and John), they asked, By what power, or by what name, have you done this? (By the crippled man being healed, they already knew the answer.)

⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them (the Holy Spirit is mentioned in one way or the other in the Book of Acts over fifty times), You Rulers of the people, and Elders of Israel (the Holy Spirit, through Peter, is pointing out the responsibility these religious leaders hold as the spiritual guides of the people),

⁹If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man (proclaims Peter, in effect, asking as to how or why a good deed such as this should be questioned at all?!), by what means he is made whole (presents the cause of the attitude and action of the ruling body of Israel);

¹⁰Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel (once again, Peter will not mince words), that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth (he desired that there be no mistake as it regards the One of Whom He was speaking; since the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, Peter is not the same man he was when he denied Christ even before a young maiden; he will now boldly stand up for Christ in front of the entirety of the ruling body of Israel), Whom you Crucified (places the emphasis on the word you, thereby pointedly and directly fastening the terrible sin of Crucifying their Messiah squarely on their shoulders; as stated, he pulled no punches), Whom God raised from the dead (proclaims words they certainly didnt want to hear), even by Him does this man stand here before you whole (the man was evidently brought with Peter and John before the Council; in essence, Peter is saying that a dead man could not produce these results).

¹¹This is the Stone which was set at nought of you builders (Jesus is the Stone [Ps. 118:22-23]), which is become the Head of the Corner (Israel rejected Him, but it did not stop the Plan of God; Israel only succeeded in destroying themselves).

¹²Neither is there Salvation in any other (proclaims unequivocally that Jesus Alone holds the key to Salvation, and in fact is Salvation): for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (says it all!).

RELEASE

¹³Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John (pertains not only to what was spoken, but to the power with which it was spoken as well), and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled (means they had not studied in the Rabbinical Schools; in fact, they were not unlearned and ignorant, but rather the very opposite!); and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus (this explained it all).

¹⁴And beholding the man which was healed standing with them (presents a beautiful picture!), they could say nothing against it (proclaims the proof which was obvious to all!).

¹⁵But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the Council (proclaims the fact that God had left this Council a long time ago), they conferred among themselves (but not with the Scriptures),

¹⁶Saying, What shall we do to these men? (Why would they want to do anything negative to these men?) for that indeed a notable miracle has been done by them is manifest to all them who dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it(infers that the news of this mans Miraculous Healing had spread far and wide, even in the last few hours).

¹⁷But that it spread no further among the people (seems to present their greatest fear), let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this Name (automatically places the situation into a posture which cannot be obeyed).

¹⁸And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the Name of Jesus.

¹⁹But 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 (in effect, Peter and John are saying that these religious leaders are not of God, are not doing the Work of God and, consequently, do not have the Mind of God, irrespective of their claims).

²⁰For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard (there are two groups of Christians, those who cannot speak and those who cannot but speak).

²¹So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them (what had they done that warranted punishment?), because of the people (they feared an uprising): for all men Glorified God for that which was done (and rightly so!).

²²For the man was above forty years old (carries the idea that this man was mature, responsible, and, therefore, could be believed), on whom this Miracle of Healing was showed.

PRAISE AND PRAYER

²³And being let go (Peter and John were no longer under arrest), they went to their own company (probably the other Apostles and others, perhaps many others), and reported all that the Chief Priests and Elders had said unto them (presents the first account of opposition against the Early Church; it was not long in coming).

²⁴And when they heard that (heard the account), they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said (all were praying in one way or the other), Lord, You are God, which has made Heaven, and Earth, and the sea, and all that in them is (a compendium of what was said):

²⁵Who by the mouth of Your servant David has said (refers to the Second Psalm), Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? (This is used by the Holy Spirit to refer to these religious leaders concerning Jesus. This proclaims the fact that the Messiah is the Person spoken of in the Second Psalm.)

²⁶The Kings of the earth stood up, and the Rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ (this Psalm speaks of all the opposition against Christ from the very beginning, but more particularly speaks of the coming Antichrist).

²⁷For of a truth against Your Holy Child Jesus, Whom You have anointed (proclaims Jesus as the fulfillment of all the Prophecies, the Son of God, the Incarnate One, the Saviour of Men), both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles (the Romans), and the people of Israel, were gathered together (they were gathered together for the express purpose of Crucifying Christ),

²⁸For to do whatsoever Your Hand and Your Counsel determined before to be done (speaks of predestination concerning Christ, His Death on Calvarys Cross, and His Resurrection from the dead; but again we state that those who were to Crucify Him were not determined by God; they did this cruel deed by their own choice).

²⁹And now, Lord, behold their threatenings (proclaims those praying turning over these rulers and others to the Lord, in order that He may handle the situation): and grant unto Your servants, that with all boldness they may speak Your Word (proclaims the very opposite of that demanded by the religious leaders of Israel),

³⁰By stretching forth Your Hand to heal (proclaims the request for more Healings and Miracles); and that signs and wonders may be done by the Name of Your Holy Child Jesus (all speak of the Power of God, but in the Name of Jesus).

³¹And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together (this literally happened; the assembly place shook, and did so by the Power of God); and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (it means the Holy Spirit was leading and guiding them), and they spoke the Word of God with boldness (the Lord answered their prayer by giving them more boldness, and they did not hesitate to speak accordingly; this is something the modern Church desperately needs as well, and would have if the Holy Spirit were prevalent and present).

BELIEVERS

³²And the multitude of them who believed were of one heart and of one soul (speaks of unity which can only be brought about by the Holy Spirit; mans efforts to do such always fall short): neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common (once again, this refers to the great persecution suffered by the Believers in Jerusalem at that time; many who came to Christ lost their jobs because they were excommunicated from the Synagogue; many were put out of their apartments, etc.; so, others who did not suffer such losses had to share, which they gladly did).

³³And with great power gave the Apostles witness of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus (this was done by the Holy Spirit greatly anointing the Apostles to attest to the Resurrection of Christ, and by signs and wonders being performed as well): and great Grace was upon them all (is a portrayal of the beginning of the great dispensation of Grace, which actually began on the Day of Pentecost).

³⁴Neither was there any among them who lacked (those who lost their employment, etc., had their needs met): for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold (refers to extra possessions, etc.),

³⁵And laid them down at the Apostles feet (they were entrusted with this largesse): and dis tribution was made unto every man according as he had need (no hint of communism here, as some have suggested).

³⁶And Joseph, who by the Apostles was surnamed Barnabas (Barnabas became a Prophet and an Apostle [Acts 13:1; 14:14], (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus (he was a Jew who had been born in Cyprus and lived there for a considerable period of time, as likely his father had done before him; being a Levite, he was of the Priestly class, although not a Priest),

³⁷Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the Apostles feet (probably refers to property in Cyprus).