Acts 4:19-37
Acts 4:19-37
Recap
When we left off, Peter had healed a lame man
He and John were arrested and brought before the religious authorities
They wanted to know in who name this man was healed
Peter and John told them it was through faith in Jesus Christ, whom they crucified
The religious authorities conferred amongst themselves and then order Peter and John not to preach in Jesus name
Scripture
Acts 4:19-37 (NKJV) 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. 22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.
So Peter asked them should we listen you or God?
Notice there is a distinction
The religious authorities are not always in alignment with God
Peter responds “we cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard”
Peter is not being willful or rebellious here
He is stating through the power of the Holy Spirit that he is not capable of not speaking the truth about Jesus
So the Pharisees threaten them again and then release them
Luke adds detail to this which really drives home the truth of this miracle
Everyone saw the miracle occur
The man was over 40 years old (his condition had existed for a long time)
23 And being let go, they went to their own [companions] and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You [are] God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 “who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.’
So they let Peter and John go and they return to their companions (the other disciples and apostles)
They tell the others about the order they received to not teach in Jesus name
And they all reflect back on Psalm 2:1-2
Flip to that passage:
Psalm 2:1-12 (NKJV) 1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, [this is where Peter leaves off] [saying,] 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” [said the rulers of the earth] 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision [contemptuous mockery]. 5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: 6 “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.” [said the Father]7 “I will declare the decree: The LORD [the Father] has said to Me [the Son], ‘You [are] My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give [You] The nations [for] Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth [for] Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’“ [said the Son quoting the Father] 10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish [in] the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed [are] all those who put their trust in Him.
Their listening to Peter tell them what happened with the Pharisees
It says: “So when they heard, they raised their voice to God with one accord”
They all recount this psalm
because it’s exactly what God said would happen
that the rulers and authorities ARE plotting in vain against Him
They are taking counsel with one another against God and His Son
They break their bonds, they don’t want to be controlled by God, they will not submit to His will
But the rest of the psalm explains where their efforts will get them
God laughs in contemptuous mockery…
He sets His Son up
He delivers the nations to Him
None shall escape
because of all this he says: blessed are all those who put their trust in Him
They recount this psalm because this is exactly what’s happening
But also because God sees it and has already stated how this will end
Therefore trust Him
27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 “to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 “by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
Peter tells them: Herod, Pilate, the gentiles [Rome] and Israel are the rulers who took counsel together against your Anointed
But they were doing only what God had permitted them to do
Then they pray and ask for boldness in light of these threats
And power to authenticate the truth of their message with signs and wonders in Jesus name
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Jesus had told them that whatsoever you ask in My Name it shall be done…
And their prayer was for boldness and power
Not for themselves, but that they might do His will
And the building shook and they were all filled with the Spirit
Jesus granted them their prayer
32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
They were of one heart and one soul — they were one in their mission
They were all completely committed and completely surrendered to His will
So much so that: anything they possessed of this world was no longer seen as their own personal property
But was seen as an asset to be used collectively for the accomplishment of their mission
To preach with boldness, faithfully taking the message wherever it may go
33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid [them] at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. 36 And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, 37 having land, sold [it,] and brought the money and laid [it] at the apostles’ feet.
Is this passage prescriptive or descriptive? Descriptive — it’s telling you what they did, not commanding you to do it
The point of this passage is not that they were required to sell all
The point is that their focus had changed
They no longer saw the world through the lens of SELF — my house, my car, my money
They now saw the world through the lens of God — His mission, His purpose, His will
What is that shift called? Repentance
They didn’t sell their goods in order to be right with God
They sold their goods because they simply didn’t care about the things of this world anymore
The things of earth had grown strangely dim, in light of His glory and grace…
The greatest priority, for which they were all singularly focused was:
To be used by God in the building of His church, His kingdom
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