Bible Commentaries
Acts 4

Verse 1

1 Act 4:1. The first Gospel discourse was delivered in some building suitable for an auditorium, not especially connected with the Jewish institutions. The present one was in the temple, which was the capitol of the religious system that had been established by Moses. That is why the priests and other public men became stirred up over the preaching. Captain is from STRATECOS, which originally means "the commander of an army." Thayer explains it (citing a passage in Josephus) to mean, "The commander of the Le-vites, who kept guard in and around the temple." The Sadducees were a sect of the Jews who did not believe in the resurrection. A full description of this sect is given with the comments on Mat 16:12. All of the classes named came upon the apostles as they were preaching to the people in the temple.

Verse 2

2 Act 4:2. Grieved is from DIAPONEO, which the Thayer lexicon defines at this place, "To be troubled, displeased, offended, pained, worked up." The Sad-ducees did not believe in the resurrection and would naturally resent any teaching in favor of the subject. The main cause of this displeasure, however, was that the apostles were telling that it was through Jesus that the dead would be resurrected. They had already come to hate Him because of His exposure of their sins and inconsistencies (Mat 16:1-4 Mat 22:23 Mat 22:34), and now to have Him held up to the people as the hope of the resurrection, a doctrine they rejected with all the bitterness possible, was more than they could stand.

Verse 3

3 Act 4:3. Laid hands on them means they arrested the apostles. Hold is another word for "prison," but they were put there and held "without charge" for the time, because it was too late in the day to have any hearing on the case.

Verse 4

4 Act 4:4. Howbeit is not in the original text, and does not serve any important purpose, although it is not out of line with the thought of the passage. The original does justify the statement that many believed. That is a frequent expression used by the inspired writers to mean that the people obeyed the commands given them. If the word is used in a restricted sense it will say so, as in the case of the rulers in Joh 12:42. Number of the men was, etc. The Englishmen's Greek New Testament renders this passage, "the number of men became about five thousand." Moffatt translates it, "bringing up their number to about five thousand." It means that the new believers made on this occasion, added to what, they already had, made the total number of disciples in fellowship with the apostles about five thousand.

Verse 5

6 Act 4:5-6. This paragraph shows a meeting of the council or Sanhedrin (verse 15), to see what could be done about the stir that was being caused over the work and preaching of the apostles. According to Thayer, the rulers were leading men of the Jews who were members of the Sanhedrin. The elders in this case is defined by Thayer, "Members of the great council or Sanhedrin," then explains "because in early times the rulers of the people, judges, etc., were selected from the elderly men." Scribes came to have a very influential position in the time of Christ and the apostles. A full description of the word is given with the comments at Mat 13:52. Annas and Caiaphas are both mentioned in connection with the high priesthood. That was due to some interference by the secular government in the affairs of the Jews. (See the comments at Luk 3:2.) All we know of John and Alexander is that they were leading men in Jerusalem at this time, and related in some way to the high priest. Others of the high priesthood who were not so outstanding are merely referred to as such.

Verse 7

7 Act 4:7. After this meeting of the Sanhedrin was called, they brought Peter and John out of the prison where they had been held overnight, and placed them in the midst of the assembly. The last word of the verse is a pronoun that refers to the healing of the lame man. No attempt was made to deny the fact for it was too well known for them to try that plan in their persecution of the apostles (verse 16). Hence they were foolish enough to think they could oppose the work by showing that it was done illegally. As though any law could be made that would forbid' curing a man of a physical infirmity! Power is from DUNAMIS and means strength or ability. This was another question that showed how desperate the council was in its desire to punish the apostles. Whatever might have been the power that was used, if it actually healed a man of a life-long infirmity, and without doing anyone else any harm, there could not possibly be any wrong about it. But these persecutors would not depend solely on the one point of attack; they also demanded to know by what name they had done the deed, which means by what authority they did it. One of Thayer's definitions of the original word is, "To do a thing by one's command and authority, acting on his behalf, promoting his cause." This was also a foolish question, and could not in any way touch the matter of right and wrong in the deed performed. If a man was pretending to offer remedial services to the public independent of the laws of the land, and was suspected of defrauding people, it would be entirely proper to require him to "show his license." But nothing of that kind was being done, for the actual healing of the patient had been done without any infringement of authority, either human or divine. However, the apostles did actually perform their deed under authority to act, as we shall soon see.

Verse 8

8 Act 4:8. Filled with the Holy Ghost. This does not mean that Peter Just then was filled with the Spirit, for he received that in the second chapter in fulfillment of the promise made the apostles by Jesus (Joh 14:16), and it was to abide with them forever. The writer means that Peter was qualified to speak with authority to this audience, because he was in possession of the Holy Ghost or Spirit. All persons present were expected to hear what Peter said, but the rulers and elders were the ones who had taken the lead in this action against the apostles, hence it was appropriate to make his address especially to them.

Verse 9

9 Act 4:9. To be examined means to be questioned and investigated. Peter did not object to being questioned, but he did not consider that they had even accused him of anything wrong, much less been shown any testimony that was claimed to hint at such a thing. Instead, he virtually held his investigators up to shame by the statement that the investigation was over a good deed done to the impotent (weak) man.

Verse 10

0 Act 4:10. In all of the circumstances that ever came upon the apostles that concerned their work, they never failed to use the opportunity for preaching Christ to the hearers. Peter not only told them that it was in the name of Jesus that the deed was done, but he reminded them that it was the same person whom they had crucified. This was not said in the spirit of petty resentment, for an inspired apostle would not need to resort to that sort of speech. It was in order to show them that even death on the cross did not prevent Him from accomplishing his intended work for mankind. As definite proof that death could not overthrow the plans of Jesus, Peter reminded them that God had raised his Son from the grave.

Verse 11

1 Act 4:11. While the vital facts concerning the experiences of Christ were under consideration in this "investigation," Peter cited these leading Jews t(, a prophecy in Psa 118:22, which they had fulfilled by slaying Jesus. And when God overruled their wicked deed and brought his Son out from the grave, and seated him on the throne in Heaven, he caused that Son to be the head of the earner.

Verse 12

2 Act 4:12. All of the discourses of the apostles contained the same thoughts, even though they were not always worded alike. This verse corresponds to chapter 2:36, 38 and 3:16, 19, and is similar in thought to the "closing exhortations" of evangelistic sermons today. Peter made a strong and exclusive claim for Christ. He not only declared that salvation could be had in Him, but that no salvation could be found in any other. Under heaven given among men. There is much truth involved in this phrase, for it designates the only part of the universe where any means of salvation is being offered. Under heaven would denote that no salvation is planned (or needed) for beings living in Heaven. Among men restricts. the realm outside of heaven to the place where men live as human beings, and that would exclude those in the unseen world or Hades, even though they are "under heaven." Must is from DEI which Thayer defines, "It is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper." Robinson gives the general definition, "It is binding on anyone, it behooves one to do, i. e., one must, one ought." He then says that in the New Testament it means, "It. behooves, it must needs, one must or ought." The passage does not teach that anyone must be saved at all, for the matter of accepting salvation is one to be decided by man; "Whosoever will may come." The verse means that if a man is saved, it must be through the name (or authority) of Christ.

Verse 13

3 Act 4:13. The lexicon defines the original for boldness to mean, "Freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech; openly, frankly; free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage." Perceived is from KATALAMBANO, which Thayer defines at this place, "To lay hold of with the mind; to understand, learn, comprehend." Unlearned and ignorant does not refer to their natural intelligence, for even their enemies did not think the apostles were lacking along that line; had they thought so, they would not have been so uneasy about their influence with the people. The phrase means the apostles were not cultured in the art of learning as taught in the public institutions, but were private citizens without what the world would call "education." The leaders in the Sanhedrin perceived (realized) that the apostles were without these advantages of learning, yet beheld their boldness and ability of speech, and that caused them to marvel. They had to account for it in some way, which they did by concluding that the men had been with Jesus. These Jewish leaders did not know what Jesus had taught his apostles, but many of them had heard Him speak and had known how bold and outspoken he was. Now they conclude that the apostles had been with Jesus so much that they had imbibed the same spirit of courage and force of speech, which'made them (the leaders in the Sanhedrin) fearful of the influence they might have over the common people.

Verse 14

4 Act 4:14. It refers to the boldness of Peter and John. The reason the Jews could not say anything against their outspoken claims for the power of Jesus by which they were working, was that the man whom they had healed was right there with them, and was standing, something no one had ever seen him do before.

Verse 15

5 Act 4:15. Commanded them means they ordered the apostles to leave the Sanhedrin while a consultation was being held. It was much like the circumstance where a jury is taken out of the court room, while the lawyers argue over some question of the testimony, as if they feared the men might catch some truth they did not want them to hear.

Verse 16

6 Act 4:16. These Jews knew they could not deny the fact of the lame man's recovery. And it would not have been so bad if only they knew about it; but it was manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem.

Verse 17

7 Act 4:17. Threaten means an indefinite warning that something very bad will be done, without stating what that will be. It is an intimation that does not have any specific charge, as the word is being used in this case. It is very much like the warning of some irresponsible parent or guardian, "If you do not behave yourself, you will wish that you had." These rulers knew they could not cite any law that was being violated by the preaching of the apostles, hence they thought they could daunt them by their cowardly threats.

Verse 18

8 Act 4:18. The leaders in the Sanhedrin concluded that they did not have any recourse to the law, hence all they could do was to threaten the apostles. They brought their victims back into the assembly and ordered them to cease speaking in Christ's name.

Verse 19

9 Act 4:19. The apostles made a respectful but firm reply to the order against speaking in the name of Christ. They made no reference to the threat, doubtless regarding such a subject such a petty thing that it was beneath their dignity. But they put the issue in its true light by showing that the leaders of the Sanhedrin were demanding more consideration for themselves than they allowed the apostles to show for God.

Verse 20

0 Act 4:20. Cannot but speak has a double force as to obligation. The apostles had seen Jesus after his resurrection, and had heard him command them to tell the story to others. Therefore when they preached the Gospel of Christ they were dealing with matters of evidence on which they could speak without any guesswork. They also were under the duty to speak these things to the world, or else they would be guilty of failing in their obligation to Him who had commissioned them for the work.

Verse 21

1 Act 4:21. Because of the people. Public sentiment is a powerful influence, and when it is aroused in favor of a good cause, not many leaders are willing to defy it, especially if they are desirous of maintaining a popular standing. The Sanhedrin officials knew there was nothing in the deed of healing a lame man that could call for any punishment, and if they attempted such a thing the public would unite against it, because they had already expressed an attitude of glory to God for the good deed.

Verse 22

2 Act 4:22. It would have been useless to claim the whole circumstance was a delusion, for the man was more than forty years old who had been healed. A mere child or very young man might have been said to be ready for improvement through the course of nature. Such a theory would not be accepted concerning a man forty years old.

Verse 23

3 Act 4:23. Their own company means the believers who were assembled (verse 31), no doubt waiting to see the outcome of the action against the apostles. When Peter and John were released they went and joined the gathering of disciples and made a report.

Verse 24

4 Act 4:24. The report did not discourage the believers but strengthened their faith. It did not even cause any dissension among them, for they spoke with one accord. They offered a prayer to God whom they recognized to be the Maker of all things.

Verse 25

5 Act 4:25. One reason the disciples were not discouraged, was the fact that what had occurred to the apos- tles was a fulfillment of one of the prophecies. They were acquainted with the predictions that David made in Psa 2:1-2, but acknowledged that it was God speaking through the mouth of the Psalmist. The prediction is in the form of a question, because the prophetic style is not always in the regular form of literal language. Heathen is from ETHNOS, which means the nations in general who are not Jews. The leaders of the Sanhedrin were Jews, but they could accomplish their purposes against Christ and the apostles only by resorting to the Roman courts which were Gentile. Rage is from PHRUSSO, and its general definition is, "To neigh, stamp the ground, prance, snort; to be high-spirited." Imagine is from MELETAO, which Thayer defines, "To meditate or devise, contrive." Vain is from KENOS and is defined, "Vain, fruitless, without effect." The idea is that the enemies of the Lord planned and schemed to destroy the work He was doing on the earth, even to the extent of persecuting his Son first, then the servants who were doing His work. But the prediction was that their schemes would prove to be in vain, for God would finally overrule all to the good of the world.

Verse 26

6 Act 4:26. This verse is somewhat indefinite, meaning that the powers of government in various domains among men would be arrayed against the Lord (the Divine Ruler) and his Christ (or Anointed One).

Verse 27

7 Act 4:27. Of a truth. It was a true prediction that David made, for such opposition actually took place within the knowledge of these disciples. Herod was in the line set up by the Maccabees, and was supposed to represent the interests of the Jews. Pilate was a governor in the Roman Empire, and represented the heathen or Gentile nations. Gentiles and people of Israel are named as a general summing up of the forces that worked against the Lord. The Herod who is named in this verse is Antipas, son of Herod the Great; he is the one mentioned in Luk 23:7-12.

Verse 28

8 Act 4:28. They did not do this planning for the purpose of carrying out the work of God, for they were enemies of Him. The statement means that their schemes were what God had aforetime determined should be done. But although their work was according to the plans of God, they were not justified, for their motive was wicked throughout.

Verse 29

9 Act 4:29. The disciples called the attention of the Lord to the threaten-ings of the Sanhedrin, but not to ask for any personal relief from persecutions. Instead, they prayed for divine help for the speakers of truth, that they might be able to speak the word with all boldness. The last word is from the same original as in 13, meaning to be outspoken and fearless in proclaiming the truth. They were not worrying about what sufferings it might bring on them; they were concerned only in the effectiveness of the truth that was going to be offered to the people.

Verse 30

0 Act 4:30. Knowing that human might alone would not avail, they asked the Lord to confirm the preaching by demonstrations of miraculous power. It should be observed that they wished all of this to be done in the name of Jesus, the very One whose name they had been forbidden by the Sanhedrin to proclaim.

Verse 31

1 Act 4:31. In the days of miracles, God sometimes answered prayers with a physical demonstration, or by something that could be discerned by the natural sense (Joh 12:27-30), and the present case is another of such an evidence. Were all filled with the Holy Ghost. In the book of Acts there are no less than ten places where the expression to be "full" or "filled" with the Holy Ghost is used. It is said of both official and unofficial disciples; sometimes applying to the apostles and at others referring to the ordinary disciples. Since we know that the quail-cations of the apostles were greater than those of any other Christians, we should understand that the expression under consideration is one with various shades of meaning, and the connection must always be considered in each instance for determining the force of the term. It would be natural to ask how two people could be "full" of anything, and yet one of them have more of it than the other. The passage in Joh 3:34 should always be remembered when the subject of the Holy Ghost or Spirit is being studied. That statement shows that the Spirit can be measured or limited according to the will of God. But the mistake that is commonly made is to limit the word "full" or "measure" to the one quality of volume. But that is not a correct or necessary conclusion. A room could be "full" of smoke and still be capable of admitting more of it by making it more dense. A disciple could be full of the Holy Ghost, yet the density of it not be such as to enable the possessor to perform the same works as could the apostles. And so in the present verse, they were filled with the Holy Ghost in such measure or density or strength, that it encouraged them to speak the word with boldness. In the case of the apostles, the measure was such that they could testify with great power, which was what the other disciples prayed for in verse 30.

Verse 32

2 Act 4:32. Was his own (personally), but that it was to be deposited in the common stock of money. For a complete discussion of this subject, see chapter 2:44, 45.

Verse 33

3 Act 4:33. The great power came in answer to the prayer of the other disciples in verse 30, and it consisted in the miraculous deeds that they performed upon the people. The question might be asked, what would the miraculous performances of the apostles have to do with the resurrection of Jesus. It confirmed the testimony they were giving that they had seen Jesus alive after his death on the cross. Had they been false witnesses of that claim, they never could have performed the miracles, for God would not work with them in their activities. All of this proved that when they affirmed that Jesus had appeared to them after his resurrection, they were telling the truth.

Verse 34

4 Act 4:34. As to the merits of this community of resources, see the comments at chapter 2:44, 45. For the present verse and onward, we shall study the outworkings of the system with various kinds of disciples.

Verse 35

5 Act 4:35. The money received for their property was deposited with the apostles. That was logical since no other officials had been designated for any special work.

Verse 36

7 Act 4:36-37. We might wonder at the purpose of this paragraph, as it seems to be mentioned casually without any connection with the line of narrative being run. But it really does have a related purpose in what Luke knew he was about to report on the subject. There was to be given the sad story of some people who met with disaster because of their dishonesty. The present instance was given first to show that some disciples fulfilled their promise and came up to the agreement without a fault. The details of identity for this man are im-portant because of the prominent place Barnabas occupies later in the work of the Lord. We shall hear much of him while studying this book, and even in one of the epistles of Paul he will be named (1Co 9:6).