Acts 4:13-22

 Acts 4:13-22

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.  But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.  But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.  But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”  So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”  And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.  For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

The manner of Peter and John was troubling to them because they were uneducated according to their standards of education.  However, they had just spent the last three years of their lives with Jesus and they were now indwelt by the Spirit of God.  This provided them with a boldness that was confusing to these religious leaders.  They could not find a category for these men in their worldview.  They were unlike the uneducated masses and yet far different than the educated elite.  This has always represented a threat to the human power structures.  There are many ways in which we should desire for our experience to be like theirs.

THE COMPARRISION TO JESUS: Boldness is a characteristic that is not often considered when discussing Christian character.  The religious leaders were able to observe two things about Peter and John.  First, they were uneducated.  They were fishermen by trade and in that day, they would have had a limited amount of schooling as compared to the religious leaders who were questioning them.  Second, they were bold.  The answers they gave and the way they confronted them with the crucifixion of Jesus was nothing if not bold.  They seemed to have no fear of suffering the same fate as Jesus.  Men naturally are intimidated by those who have higher education and position than themselves.  However, this was not true of Jesus and was not true of Peter and John.  It is instructive to see that the characteristic of boldness was immediately indicative of having been with Jesus.  People often associate Christianity with weakness.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Out mission of taking Christ to our neighbors and the nations requires that we be bold, like Jesus, no matter what our status or level of education.

THE COMMANDMENT TO BE SILENT: Words are powerful weapons and have been used throughout history to advance the cause of Christ in the world.  Jesus was a master of words and His disciples continued to follow His example.  Faith is inspired by words.  The religious leaders are well aware of the power of words and so they insist on the silence of these men.  They want to do all they can to make sure that the message of Jesus no longer be heard amongst the people.  This same tactic has been used around the world.  The enemies of the Church are doing all they can to silence the followers of Jesus.  They threaten, prosecute and torture them but the message of Jesus continues to spread.  As followers of Jesus, we must readily speak out and share the love of Jesus wherever we go.  When we allow fear, timidity or threats to silence us; the cause of Christ is hindered and the enemy is pleased.

THE COURAGE TO BE A TESTIMONEY: The religious leaders were in a difficult position.  They could not deny the fact of the miracle because it was so evident and because the people were so excited about it.  They could not punish Peter and John any more than they had because the people saw them as heroes.  However, they desperately didn’t want them to continue to speak of Jesus and the resurrection.  They decided all they could do at the moment was to threaten and warn them to stop speaking about Jesus and then release them.  Peter’s answer demonstrates amazing courage.  He simply affirms that it was impossible for them to stop speaking of what they had witnessed.  He made it clear that speaking of Jesus was the clear commandment of God and asked them to judge whether they should obey them or God.  All who believe and obey God will speak of who He is and what He has done. 

APPLICATION: Our courage to share the Gospel with others will be proportionate to the time we spend with Jesus.  Our words are powerful instruments in the hands of God to transform the lives of men and impact the world for His glory.  We must be prepared to face threats and persecution because of our words.  No matter the consequences, we are called to be witnesses of Jesus and His resurrection.