the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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Christian Standard Bible ®
Acts 4:20
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalDevotionals:
- DailyParallel Translations
As for us, you couldn't shut us up if you tried."
for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard."
for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard."
For it is not possible for us to keep from saying what we have seen and have knowledge of.
for as for us *we* cannot refrain from speaking of the things which we have seen and heard.
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
for we can't help telling the things which we saw and heard."
For we cannot but speak the things, which we have seen and heard.
As for us, what we have seen and heard we cannot help speaking about."
For wee cannot but speake the things which we haue seene and heard.
For we are not able not to speak what we saw and heard.
We can not chose, but speake that we haue sene & herde.
for we cannot avoid publishing what we have seen and heard.
for we, on our part, cannot stop telling [people] about what we have seen and heard."
for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard.
for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."
For we canot but speake that which we have sene and hearde.
for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard.
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
for we cannot but speak what we did see and hear.'
We cannot keep quiet. We must speak about what we have seen and heard."
for it is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard."
For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard."
We cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard."
As for us, we can't help talking about what we have actually seen and heard."
for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."
For we cannot but speake the things which we haue seene and heard.
For we cannot stop speaking about the things which we have seen and heard.
for we can't help telling the things which we saw and heard."
for we cannot stop talking about what we have seen and heard."Acts 1:8; 2:32; 22:15; 1 John 1:1,3;">[xr]
For what we have seen and heard we cannot but speak.
For we cannot but speak that which we have seen and heard.
We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard."
For we must tell what we have seen and heard."
for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard.
for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard."
For, we, cannot but be speaking the things which we have seen and heard.
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
For we are not able to refrain from speaking about the things that we have seen and heard."
For we cannot but speake that, which we haue seene and hearde.
We cannot be quiet. We must tell people about what we have seen and heard."
for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard."
For we cannot stop speaking of what we ourselves have seen and heard."
For we moten nedis speke tho thingis, that we han sayn and herd.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
we cannot: Acts 2:4, Acts 2:32, Acts 17:16, Acts 17:17, Acts 18:5, Numbers 22:38, Numbers 23:20, 2 Samuel 23:2, Job 32:18-20, Jeremiah 1:7, Jeremiah 1:17-19, Jeremiah 4:19, Jeremiah 6:11, Jeremiah 20:9, Ezekiel 3:11, Ezekiel 3:14-21, Micah 3:8, 1 Corinthians 9:16, 1 Corinthians 9:17
the things: Acts 1:8, Acts 1:22, Acts 3:15, Acts 5:32, Acts 10:39-41, Acts 22:15, Luke 1:2, Hebrews 2:3, Hebrews 2:4, 1 John 1:1-3
Reciprocal: Numbers 23:26 - General Job 4:2 - withhold himself from speaking Psalms 30:12 - and Psalms 39:2 - my sorrow Psalms 119:13 - I declared Ecclesiastes 3:7 - and a time to speak Isaiah 1:2 - for the Lord Isaiah 8:11 - with a strong hand Jeremiah 13:15 - for Amos 3:8 - who can Amos 7:15 - Go Mark 4:22 - General Mark 12:17 - and to Luke 20:25 - unto God John 9:4 - must John 15:27 - ye also Acts 5:42 - they Acts 10:42 - he commanded 1 Corinthians 14:32 - General 2 Corinthians 5:14 - constraineth Galatians 1:10 - do I now 1 Thessalonians 2:2 - bold 1 John 1:3 - which 1 John 3:9 - and he Revelation 1:2 - and of all Revelation 6:1 - one
Cross-References
Then she also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain worked the ground.
And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,
but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.
Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's guardian?"
Then He said, "What have you done? Your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground!
So now you are cursed, alienated, from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood you have shed.
If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."
His brother was named Jubal; he was the father of all who play the lyre and the flute.
When the boys grew up, Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman, but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.
You are of your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of liars.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
For we cannot but speak,.... It was not physically, but morally impossible; or it was not lawful, and therefore they would not speak any other, and they could not avoid speaking, say they,
the things which we have seen and heard; as the miracles and doctrines of Christ, his resurrection from the dead, of which they were eye and ear witnesses. This shows their great fidelity and integrity, their inviolable attachment to Christ, and their fearlessness of the displeasure and wrath of men.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
For ... - This is given as a reason why they should obey God rather than man. They had had so clear evidence that God had sent the Messiah, and they had received a direct and solemn command Mark 16:15 to preach the gospel, that they could not be restrained. There was a necessity laid on them to preach. See 1 Corinthians 9:16. Compare Jeremiah 20:9; Acts 18:5; Job 32:18-19; Psalms 39:1-3.
It has already been remarked that these two verses contain an important principle in favor of religious liberty the liberty of conscience and of private judgment. They contain the great principle of Christianity and of the Protestant religion, that the responsibility of men for their religious opinions is direct to God, and that other men have no power of control. The opposite of this is tyranny and oppression. It may be proper, in addition, to present some further remarks, involved in the principle here stated:
(1) Religion, from the beginning, has been favorable to liberty. There was no principle more sacred among the Jews than that they were to be independent of other nations. Perhaps no people have ever been so restive under a foreign yoke, so prone to rebel, and so difficult to be broken down by oppression and by arms, as were the Jews. So true was this, that it appeared to other nations to be mere obstinacy. They were often subdued, but they rose against their oppressors and threw off the yoke. No people have been found who were so difficult to be reduced to slavery. It is well known that the Romans were accustomed to subject the captives taken in war to perpetual servitude; and commonly the spirit of the captive was broken, and he remained quietly in bondage. But not so the Jew. Nothing ever tamed his spirit. No bribes, or threats, or chains could induce him to violate the laws of his religion. Even in captivity, we are told that the Jewish slaves at Rome would observe the Sabbath; would keep the feasts of their nation, and would never conform to the customs of an idolatrous people. To the Romans this appeared to be mere obstinacy. But it was the genius of their religion. The right of liberty of thought was one which they would not surrender. The spirit of the patriarchs was favorable to liberty, and implied responsibility only to God. Familiarity with the sacred books had taught them these lessons, and neither time nor distance could obliterate them. In the time of Christ, the great mass of the nation were evidently opposed to the tax paid to the Roman nation, and sighed under this burden, until they rose and attempted to assert their rights; and their city, and temple, and land were sacrificed rather than yield this great principle.
(2) This same principle was evinced by the apostles and by the early Christians. With this doctrine fresh upon their hearts, they went forth to other lands. They maintained it at the expense of their blood, and thousands fell as martyrs in the cause of liberty and of private judgment in religion. No one ever defended liberty more firmly than the early martyrs; and each one that died, died in defense of a principle which is now the acknowledged right of all people.
(3) The designs of tyranny and superstition have been to destroy this principle. This was the aim of the Sanhedrin; and yet, when Peter and John appealed to their consciences, they did not dare to avow their purpose. This has been the aim of all tyrants, and this the effect of all superstition. Hence, the Church of Rome has taken away the Scriptures from the people, and has thus furnished incontestable evidence that in its view the Bible is favorable to liberty. For centuries, tyranny reigned in one black flight over Europe; nor was the darkness dispelled until the Bible, that taught people the principles of freedom, was restored to them.
(4) The effect of the principle avowed by the apostles had been uniform. Luther began the reformation by finding in a monastery a copy of the Bible, a book which until that time - when more than twenty years of age - he had never seen. The effect on the liberties of Europe was immediately seen. Hume admitted that whatever liberty England possessed was to be traced to the Puritans. Our own land (America) is a striking instance of the effect of this great principle, and of its influence on the rights of man. And just in proportion as the New Testament is spread abroad will people seek for freedom and break the chains of oppression. The best way to promote universal liberty is to spread the Bible to the ends of the earth. There is not a precept in it that is not favorable to freedom. It tends to enlarge and liberalize the mind; to teach people their rights; to put an end to ignorance, the universal stronghold of superstition and tyranny; and to diffuse the love of justice, truth, and order. It shows man that he is responsible to God, and that no one has a right to ordain anything which contravenes the liberty of his fellow.
If it be asked here what the principle is, I answer:
(1) That people have a right to their private judgment in matters of religion, subject only to God. The only restraint which, it is now settled, can be imposed on this, is, that no man has a right, under pretence of conscience, to injure or molest his fellow-men, or to disturb the peace and harmony of society.
(2) No magistrate, church, council, or parent, has a right to impose a creed on others, and to demand subscription to it by mere authority.
(3) No magistrate, church, or parent, has a right to control. the free exercise of private judgment in this case. The power of a parent is to teach, advise, and entreat. The duty of a child is to listen with respect; to examine with candor; to pray over the subject, and to be deliberate and calm, not rash, hasty, impetuous, and self-willed. But when the child is thus convinced that his duty to God requires a particular course, then here is a higher obligation than any earthly law, and he must obey God rather than man, ever a father or a mother, Matthew 10:37-38.
(4) Every man is responsible to God for his opinions and his conduct. Man may not control him, but God may and will. The great question before every man is, What is right in the sight of God? It is not, What is expedient, or safe, or pleasurable, or honorable among people? but, What is right in the sight of God? Neither in their opinions nor their conduct are people free from responsibility. From this whole subject we see the duty of spreading the Bible. If we love liberty; if we hate tyranny and superstition; if we wish to extend the knowledge of the rights of man, and break every arm of oppression, let us spread far and wide the Book of God, and place in every palace and every cottage on the globe a copy of the sacred Scriptures.
