Golden Text.— “And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducus, came upon them,”
“Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
“And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.”—Acts 4:1-3.
Read Acts, 4:1-22.
Reading on the Lesson. The First Persecution.
1, 2. “They preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” It was this that they taught the people as they preached unto them repentance and remission of sins through Jesus Christ.
3, 4ยท For their faithfulness to Christ and His doctrine Peter and John find themselves in prison; but, while they were for a time bound, they could rejoice that the word of God was not bound, and we rejoice to read that many who heard believed, and the number of men was about 5,000. What a grand gathering from Israel to the glory of Israel’s Messiah, for the gospel was not yet preached to the Gentiles (chapter 11:19).
5-7. “By what power or by what name have ye done this?” They asked Christ a similar question at one time (Matt. 21:23), but not for any good reason. Like some people today, they could not tolerate anything that did not proceed from themselves. But we must remember that all that is not of God shall come to naught (Isa. 8:9-10).
8-10. “By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified.” It thrills one to hear Peter declare to these rulers of the people that this work was wrought by Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had crucified, but whom God had raised from the dead. He knew that these men could kill him as they had killed Jesus, but he had no fear, for he was filled with the Spirit. In the latter part of this story (verses 29-31) they do not ask to be delivered from further persecution, but only that they may have boldness to speak His word and power to honor His name.
11, 12. “This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders.” Read here Gen. 49:24; Isa. 8:14; 28:16; Ps. 118:22; Zech. 3:9; 4:7; 1 Pet. 2:4-8, and see what a fruitful simile you have in this stone which so wondrously speaks of Christ.
13, 14. “They took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus.” Like their Master, they had not been taught in the schools. They had not the wisdom of man, but they had wisdom and power which man could not give them. The power of Christ manifest in us is the strongest kind of preaching, and when they saw it not only in the apostles, but in this poor, helpless beggar, they could say nothing against, though in their hearts they hated it, for they were but carnal, and the carnal mind is enmity against God.
15-17. “What shall we do to these men?” Having sent the apostles aside, they confer among themselves as a council on this to them important matter, and they determine that any more of such work as the healing of this impotent man in the name of Jesus must not be tolerated. Why do they imagine a vain thing and take counsel against the Lord? He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision (Ps. 2:1-4). Their counsel is vain.
18-20. “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” This is their reply to the command not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus, and this command was from the foremost religious people of the day, with the High Priest at their head, whose lips should keep knowledge and who ought to have been the messenger of the Lord of Hosts (Mal. 2:7).
21, 22. “And being let go they went to their own company.” With some further threatening they were let go without punishment, because the people were all glorifying God for that which was done. So they went to their own company of believers, and told all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them, and with one accord they lifted up their voices to God, the Creator of all things, and told Him all and left it with Him, asking only for boldness to speak His word and that through them He would honor His name. The Lord’s answer was to shake the place and fill them again with His Spirit and cause them to speak boldly, as they had desired (verses 23-31). Believing that they were on earth for God, they feared not the face of man.