24. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
God’s prophets speak the same truth, for He and His truth never change (Mal. 3:66For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6)). That truth centers upon His beloved Son (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)). May we hold the truth of God taught us by “faithful men” (2 Tim. 2:22And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2)), speak “the truth in love” (Eph. 4:1515But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (Ephesians 4:15)), teach “the same thing” (1 Cor. 1:1010Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Corinthians 1:10)) and receive the truth sent for our present need (1 Thess. 2:1313For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)).
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.
They were the descendents (the seed of Abraham) of those who preached the coming Messiah. It was with their fathers that God had made His covenant. Yet they were guilty of casting out and murdering the One in whom all these promises were to be fully realized. Without faith, position and knowledge are helpless to produce blessing. Being raised in a Christian home and being brought to the bosom of the assembly—great blessings indeed—do not automatically impart reality before God.
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.
The Lord Jesus as Messiah had come, sent from God to the people in order to turn them from their sin and disobedience. And they were the more responsible, for He had come first to them. With privilege comes solemn responsibility.
Acts 4:1-151And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. 4Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. 5And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 6And 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. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10Be 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. 11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 13Now 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. 14And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, (Acts 4:1‑15)
1. And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them.
Satan uses the religious leaders of that privileged nation in order to stifle divine truth. The nation had drifted far from God, for its leaders openly taught evil doctrine concerning the resurrection (Mark 12:1818Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, (Mark 12:18); Acts 23:88For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. (Acts 23:8)). It is so today—Christianity, which ought to have been a beacon of pure truth, has become the dwelling-place of every foul and wicked Christ-dishonoring doctrine (Matt. 13:3232Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. (Matthew 13:32); Rev. 18:22And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. (Revelation 18:2)).
2. Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
“Being grieved” at the truth! The awful result of giving up what once they possessed, they chose a liar rather than the Truth. Thus the truth of life from death through resurrection—hope and joy to believers—is a source of grief to them. How blind a dead, faithless religion makes man (Matt. 15:1414Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. (Matthew 15:14))! They chose a hopeless grave, rather then bow before Jesus—the Prince of Life!
3. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
It was morally “eventide” in the hearts of these servants of Satan. Earlier, the enemy had sought to turn aside God’s blessing, by using men to “mock” (Acts 2:1313Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. (Acts 2:13)). Now the enemy seeks to “shut up” the testimony by physical, rather than verbal, means. Joseph—a blessing in prison just as much as when in Potiphar’s house or Pharaoh’s court (Gen. 39-4013And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, 14That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: 15And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. 16And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. 17And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: 18And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out. 19And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. 20And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. 21But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. 23The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper. 1And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt. 2And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. 3And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. 4And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward. 5And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. 6And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. 7And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day? 8And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you. 9And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; 10And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes: 11And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. 12And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days: 13Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. (Genesis 39:13‑40))—gives wonderful encouragement today when the enemy is so busy hindering the truth of God.
4. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
The apostles are put in hold, unable to preach the truth in full liberty—but the Spirit of God is not restrained. The company of believers keeps growing. We needn’t give up preaching and spreading the truth of God. The power (the Spirit) is the same and the Word is the same, and He promises the truth will not return to Him void (Isa. 55:1111So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)).
56. And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 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.
The whole responsible leadership of the Jews is represented here and they take sides against Jehovah and His Christ. It is not the Gentiles, but the very leaders of the Jewish nation who were responsible before God and who gather together against the truth. Professing Christianity is fast moving to this same gross darkness and unbelief (Matt. 6:2323But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:23)).
7. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel.
The solemn message—directed to those most responsible for the death of the Messiah—must be given by one under the control of the Spirit of God. Believers are to be filled with the Spirit of God (Eph. 5:1818And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (Ephesians 5:18)). Only then can a truly effective, fruitful testimony for Christ be rendered in this world.
9. If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole.
“If we be examined.” Christians will always be scrutinized by the world. May the world only find “good deeds” to examine in our lives, rather than things which dishonor the Lord (1 Peter 3:1717For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. (1 Peter 3:17)).
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.
What an indictment! The despised name of Jesus and their horrible guilt concerning Him and God’s complete satisfaction were gloriously shown in His resurrection. And before their very eyes, the healed cripple gave proof to the truth they denied.
11. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
The blessed name of Jesus, so hated of the Jews, is the only hope for them and the world. The urgency of Peter’s message is found in the words, “must be saved”—not “can be saved.” Salvation is not a choice left to man’s will; it is a must, and solemn, eternal issues rest on obeying the gospel.
13. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
It was not so much the words that Peter and John spoke, but the manner of their bold testimony that surprised these learned religious antagonists (Prov. 28:11The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1)). They saw more with their eyes than they heard with their ears. What they saw caused them to marvel, knowing the apostles—unlettered and uninstructed men (JND)—had been with Jesus. Here again we see the Spirit press the importance of our actions over our words.
14. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
The healed cripple didn’t talk, he didn’t walk, he didn’t leap—he stood. For him it was now a time of standing with those who proclaimed the truth. What a powerful silent testimony to Peter’s words he gave! We need wisdom and grace to act thus, “and having done all, to stand” (Eph. 6:1313Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)).
15. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves.
No room for divine truth in this group! Their deliberations were among themselves—God in whom they boasted was left out. The subject was how to stifle the truth they could not deny, even as they had tried to stifle the truth of His glorious resurrection (Matt. 28:12-1312And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, 13Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. (Matthew 28:12‑13)).
Ed.