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Acts 4:14–22
“Peter and John answered [the officials], ‘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’” (vv. 19–20).
Recognizing that Peter and John had been disciples of Jesus, the Sanhedrin finally understood why the Apostles had been able to argue so persuasively that Jesus is the Messiah (Acts 4:5–12). The Jewish leaders had not been able to best our Savior in theological debate (e.g., see Luke 20:19–40), and the students of Christ learned from the Master even though they had no training in the official rabbinical schools of the day (Acts 4:13).
As was true when the Jewish officials earlier questioned Jesus, the Sanhedrin found itself speechless before the truth (v. 14; see Luke 20:26). They could not refute the Apostolic testimony. What is more, news of the lame beggar’s healing was spreading through Jerusalem, confirming the message of Peter and John. Even the Sanhedrin could not deny the evident fact of the miracle (Acts 4:15–16). One commentator points out how notable it is that the Jewish opposition to the Apostles never tried to disprove the Apostolic message by producing evidence that the miracles were fraudulent. The greatest miracle of all—the resurrection of Jesus—would have been easy to disprove had it been a hoax. The Jewish leaders would simply need to produce the body of Jesus. They could not disprove the resurrection because Jesus did indeed rise from the dead and ascend to heaven. Similarly, there was no disproving the healing of the lame beggar because he had actually been healed (3:1–10).
So the members of the Sanhedrin found themselves at an impasse. Healing people was no crime, and the miracle had made the Apostles popular with the Jewish crowds in the temple (v. 11; 4:4). There was no basis for a trial, and even if there were, keeping Peter and John in custody would have invited the ire of the people. All the Sanhedrin could do was try to keep the news of Jesus from spreading by demanding that the Apostles tell no one else about the Savior (4:17–18). Peter and John responded by telling the officials that they had no intention of heeding the charge because to do so would be to disobey God in order to obey men, and even the Jewish leaders knew that that was unacceptable (vv. 19–20). John Calvin applies this text to preachers in the church, encouraging them to follow the Apostles’ example here. He writes, “As for those which are called unto the office of teaching, let them be terrified with no threatenings of men, with no color of authority, but let them execute that office which they know is enjoined them by God.”
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Our preachers are sinners just like us, and so they are susceptible to the fear of men like anyone else. One way that we can encourage them is to thank them when they teach the truth with boldness and to pay heed to their admonitions when they are grounded in Scripture.
For further study
- Nehemiah 4
- Daniel 3
- Luke 12:4–7
- Acts 5:29
The bible in a year
- Leviticus 21–23
- Mark 1:1–28