With All Boldness

Acts 4:1-31

Main Idea: Luke records a heated showdown between the religious establishment and Peter and John concerning their Christ-centered preaching.

1. Peter and John: Interrupted by the Religious Establishment (4:1-4)
2. Peter and John: Bold before the Religious Establishment (4:5-12)
3. The Religious Establishment: Paralyzed before Peter and John (4:13-18)
4. Peter and John: Bold before Threats (4:19-22)
5. The Church: Bold in Response (4:23-30)
6. Conclusion (4:31)

In 2015 a horrific video was circulated on the Internet, detailing the brutal executions of twenty-one Egyptian Christians by the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group. The video, which I do not recommend watching, showed ISIS soldiers marching the brave Christian martyrs to the seashore. Then, with swords in hand, the ISIS captors made the Christians kneel down and gave them a chance to recant their Christian faith. Remaining true to their convictions, however, the Christian men would not recant. In response, their captors systematically beheaded all twenty-one of our brothers as they quietly mouthed, “Jesus, help me!” Their crime? These men were “people of the cross.”

So it is and has been for our brothers and sisters in the faith throughout history. We have been opposed, arrested, persecuted, and muzzled. And this section in Acts highlights an early situation in which opposition to the people of the cross was heightened.

As we consider the history of opposition to the Christian faith and as we approach this text, we must ask whether we are being opposed. If we cannot cite evidence of at least mild forms of persecution at work in our own lives, it is possible that we have a nimble faith—or perhaps a closet faith—that evades opposition. I heard a preacher once say that everywhere Paul went there were riots, and everywhere American Christians go there are conferences! While I do not think we should seek persecution or opposition, his point raises this question: Are we bold like Peter and John when it comes to telling others about Jesus?

Peter knew what it was like to cower and fear. Not even a hundred days before this event he had cursed and even denied knowing Christ in front of a slave girl (John 18:17). What Judas did for profit, then, Peter did for free! Both men betrayed Jesus. But there is something different about Peter at this point in his story. Let’s look at why this man is now fearless in front of the religious elites that just crucified his Master!

Peter and John: Interrupted by the Religious Establishment

Acts 4:1-4

Following the spectacular healing of the lame man in Jerusalem, Peter made a bold evangelistic appeal that called his listeners to repent and believe in the risen Jesus (3:11-36). While Peter and John were finishing up their appeals, they were interrupted by various members of the religious establishment who were angered by their Christ-centered teaching on the resurrection of the dead (4:1-2). Peter and John were arrested. Yet the gospel message they shared remained powerfully alive and at work in those who heard, and many believed.

The priests, the temple commander, and the Sadducees “were annoyed” (v. 2). The Sadducees were the theological liberals of their day. They didn’t believe in miracles like the resurrection or in angels. Bold peaching regarding the literal bodily resurrection inaugurated by Jesus must have annoyed all the groups but especially the Sadducees!

The apostles were not preaching rules; they were preaching resurrection. Likewise, in our preaching and teaching, we dare not commend a set of moral rules to make people more acceptable before God. Rather, we should commend the risen Lord Jesus Christ, who alone makes us acceptable. He is the hero of the whole Bible and is the One to whom the whole Bible testifies. He is our message. He is our theme. So may we say with Paul, “We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col 1:28).

Peter and John: Bold before the Religious Establishment

Acts 4:5-12

The next day Peter and John are brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish leadership, to face questioning for their resurrection preaching. The “rulers, elders, and scribes” (v. 5) were the religious power players in Jerusalem. Even Annas and Caiaphas, who figured prominently in the trial and condemnation of Jesus, are in attendance. Why is such firepower aimed at two ordinary men? Most likely these religious bullies saw the disciples and their spreading message as a threat to their own social and political power.

They ask, “By what power or in what name have you done this?” (v. 7). Peter and John are standing there before the religious powers that had just tried, arrested, and murdered their Lord. Perhaps in these moments they are wondering, Will we be crucified, too? So how will Peter, who just days before was cowering in front a child, respond? Remarkably, with all boldness.

Peter shows no fear (vv. 10-12). Why? Before Jesus’s crucifixion, when Peter faced that little girl, he was alone. At this point, however, he is indwelt by the Spirit of God!

You may be thinking, Wasn’t he already filled with the Spirit at Pentecost back in chapter 2? Yes, he was! So does Luke’s comment here regarding “filling” call into question the permanence of the Spirit’s indwelling in a Christian’s life? No! Instead, Luke is saying that the indwelling Spirit freshly empowered Peter, which enabled him to preach boldly. This is a wonderful reality for believers. God is with us forever. And God will often supernaturally fill us with his Spirit to enable us to do his will. This episode seems to be one fulfillment of Jesus’s words in Luke 21:12-15:

But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to bear witness. Therefore make up your minds not to prepare your defense ahead of time, for I will give you such words and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

In his answer Peter declares the death and resurrection of Jesus to be fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (v. 11; cf. Ps 118:22). The psalmist highlights how God’s Servant was formerly rejected by the establishment but by divine decree was raised to honorable office. The Servant leader is the stone on which the temple would be built. Likewise, Jesus Christ was rejected by the establishment but was exalted to the right hand of God. He is the stone on which the new spiritual temple is built.

Peter is emphasizing God’s sovereignty and providence in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. In response to the religious powers’ question regarding the name or authority on which he acted, Peter essentially says, “The Messiah whom you beat, humiliated, rejected, and killed—yet whom God has raised from the dead—is my authority.” Peter knew Jesus Christ as Lord. Jesus is the new foundation of a new temple: the church.

Ultimately, Peter boldly tells them that their plan did not work. The Jesus they thought they killed and discarded had just healed a man. That fact should’ve been a pretty good indication that Jesus was no longer dead but alive. The religious establishment was on the wrong side of God’s work in the world, which meant they were in big trouble. They were the ones on trial. The helpless, crippled man whom they considered to be a nothing was on the right side, and they needed what he had just experienced. And what that man had experienced was the blessing that resulted from the aposles’ faith in the only name that is able to save. And that name—Jesus—is the name the religious establishment did not want Peter and John speaking. As it turned out, the apostles could not help themselves!

Consider some takeaways from their response.

Be bold because the resurrection is true. In verse 10 Peter’s boldness grows as he denounces the religious establishment for their role in Jesus’s death. Peter is emboldened because, although Christ had been murdered, God raised him from the dead. Weeks later, through the Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus, the gospel was spreading and being validated by signs and miracles. Therefore, the apostles would not be silenced because they knew to anticipate the other resurrection Christ promised. For Jesus, death clearly was not the last word. Likewise for us, his followers, death will not have the last say. Most of us will never face physical death because of our faith. However, some of us might. Take courage no matter what you face because all who are united to Jesus will be raised like Jesus. As Martin Luther said, “The body they may kill, His truth abideth still!” (“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”).

Be bold out of love for neighbor. Peter’s exclusive claim (v. 12) is an implicit invitation to the religious powers to trust in the name of Jesus. The lame man received physical deliverance through Jesus Christ. He is also the only One who can grant a greater deliverance. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news about how God loves us and gave himself for us. Those transformed by Jesus are known for their love (John 13:35; 1 John 3:14; 4:20). Love calls us to take risks and to seek the well-being of others (even if it requires us to suffer). Love does not consider the glory of self as the bottom line. It pursues God’s glory and others’ good. As Christians, we ought to desire for people to know God and be forgiven because that is their highest good and it results in praise to God.

Remember the exclusivity of the gospel. The pathway to salvation is narrow. We cannot create our own pathways to God based on our own efforts or ideas. God has provided a glorious way for sin to be atoned for and righteousness to be found in Jesus Christ. The gospel is incompatible with both universalism (in the end all will be saved) and inclusivism (in the end some who were ignorant of Jesus but who responded to “the light they’ve received” will be saved). This is an offensive aspect of the gospel to the modern mind. But no matter what we might hear from some Christian teachers today, the early church took the exclusive claims of Christ seriously. I think they did so for a couple of reasons.

First, to say there could be another way to God proves unloving because it is simply untrue. The Scriptures teach that God provided one way. Even if a person’s faith in an idol or moral code is sincere, sincerity of faith does not save. Rather, the object of our faith saves, and that object is none other than the Lord Jesus. While it may seem accommodating and loving to tell someone there are other ways to God, it is actually wicked because it is a lie from the enemy. In suggesting such a thing, you are withholding from them the only source of life and leaving them clinging to something that will not save.

Second, implying there is another way is disrespectful to Jesus. It suggests he didn’t really have to die on the cross. If there is another way to God, then trusting in what Jesus did at Calvary simply becomes another way among a plurality of options for salvation. This diminishes Christ’s glory and devalues his work. Scripture reveals plainly that “there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5). There is one door to God (John 10:9), yet he welcomes anyone in the world who would believe on him (John 3:16; Rom 10:13). We are loved by Jesus and should desire for him to be rightly esteemed by others. And this is our neighbor’s highest good—to glorify Jesus.

Many who don’t believe in Christ may consider the exclusivity of the gospel narrow-minded or even hateful. Yet we ought to speak the truth in love, even knowing that the truth may make some people think we are bigoted. That is a small risk to take when we sincerely desire that our unbelieving friends enjoy what we have in Christ. After all, what medical professional would keep the cure to cancer to himself? We work for the Great Physician who has shared with us the only cure to death itself, and he freely offers it to all who repent and call on his name. We, his colaborers, must not fail to tell about it.

In discussing witnessing and the exclusivity of the gospel, consider the early church. Their context was inclusive, relativistic, agnostic, and atheistic in similar ways to our modern culture. Consider Tim Keller’s comments and counsel on the evangelistic edge of the early church,^[2]

They were both attractive and growing, yet hated and attacked. This description of the early church cuts us two ways. If on the one hand, we experience no attacks or persecution for our faith, it means we simply are being cowards. We are not taking risks in our witness, we are not being bold. On the other hand, if we experience attacks without a . . . fruitfulness and attractiveness (i.e., if we get lots of persecution and no affirmation), it may mean that we are being persecuted for being harsh or insensitive or strident. Jesus said we would only be blessed if we were persecuted “for righteousness’ sake.” It is quite possible (indeed, it is very normal) for Christians to be persecuted not for their faith, but for their discourtesy, insensitivity, and lack of warmth and respect in their dealings with others. Insensitive, harsh Christians will have persecution but not praise. Cowardly Christians will have praise but not persecution. Most Christians (whose walk with God is weak) actually get neither! But Christians who are closest to Jesus will get both, as he did. (Evangelism, 45)

May God give us a closeness to Jesus so that we might commend him lovingly like the early church did. And may we be bold risk takers in our witness to Christ while also being marked by sensitivity and warmth.

The Religious Establishment: Paralyzed before Peter and John

Acts 4:13-18

It particularly confounds the religious leaders that these common fishermen are the ones speaking so boldly about Scripture (v. 13). Men with their lack of education and training were not expected to speak with either courage or confidence before the supreme powers of the land. The only explanation for the ability of Peter and John to do so is that they had received a tremendous education about Scripture from the Savior they claimed to follow! They were bold because they had the Holy Spirit, and they personally knew the One who had all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18). They “had been with Jesus”!

God can effectively use anyone—even the uneducated—who will listen and to follow his Son. You may never get the chance to receive formal training in Scripture, but be encouraged: God can use you. One day you may even speak to kings and people in high positions. Should that happen, there’s no need to fear: You know the ruler over all creation (Col 1:15). God can use the PhDs (think Paul) and the GEDs (think Peter), the doctors (like Luke) and the tax collectors (like Matthew). Praise God for his wonderful grace!

When the religious leaders conclude that the boldness of Peter and John resulted from their being with Jesus, and they see that a crippled man has indeed been miraculously healed, they are dumbfounded (v. 14). They order the apostles to leave the Sanhedrin and have a little huddle to discuss the big mess. On the one hand, a notable miracle has taken place in a public way they cannot deny. On the other hand, they must stop the news about Jesus from spreading. Thus, they command Peter and John not to say the name of Jesus.

In taking this approach, these leaders act out of fear for their own futures rather than out of fear of God. They do not want to lose their power and influence. So instead of asking, “What must we do to be saved?” they ask, “What must we do to keep our power?” They love the praise that comes from people more than the praise that comes from God. That’s why they are more concerned with doing damage control than they are with taking seriously the message of repenting and believing.

Peter and John: Bold before Threats

Acts 4:19-22

Peter and John reply boldly to the demand of the Sanhedrin (vv. 19-20). The New American Standard Bible renders their response this way: “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (v. 20; emphasis added). They had seen with their own eyes and touched with their own hands the resurrected Lord Jesus. His glory was undeniable. They were acting in obedience to him.

Importantly, while Christians are called to obey rulers and authorities on earth (Rom 13:1-17), they aren’t to do so in ways that contradict God’s Word or violate their consciences. If you are faced with an absolute decision in which you must obey God or the authorities, you can be certain that obeying the Lord is the right path. Doing so can be risky, but disobeying God’s explicit Word is never an option. Like Peter and John, we must have the primary aim of pleasing God. May God make us both wise and bold in speaking about the gospel of his Son.

In view of the obvious healing miracle and now the rejoicing public, the leaders were still in a bind (vv. 21-22). The only action they could safely take against the men was to threaten the apostles further about speaking about Jesus. In the end the leaders could find no basis on which to punish them.

The Church: Bold in Response

Acts 4:23-30

After their hearing, Peter and John return to their companions and tell them what transpired. In this scene we see the church sharing in the shake-up of Peter and John. Indeed, these Christians practiced good listening. But they also practiced empathy and were driven by the mission of God. Likewise, we should constantly remind ourselves that we are all participants in the Lord’s mission. When one of our brothers or sisters suffers on behalf of the testimony of Jesus, we should not only aim to empathize with them but also to embolden them through prayer.

As we turn our attention to the church’s prayer in this chapter, consider three observations.

This prayer is rooted in God’s attributes(vv. 24-30). The gathered beleivers address God as “Master” (v. 24) or “Sovereign Lord” (ESV). This title ascribes absolute authority and rule to God. The church, at the outset, reminded themselves of God’s control of all things (vv. 24-25).

Thinking about God’s sovereignty should bring us great comfort and security. Our God is the One with unchallengeable power! Everything that was, and is, and ever will be answers to him.

This prayer is rooted in the Scriptures (vv. 25-28). In quoting Psalm 2:1-2 the church reminds itself of God’s sovereignty and providence over all history. Psalm 2 in its entirety describes the victory of the Lord and his Anointed One against the conspiracy of the nations. Equipped with a Christ-centered understanding of Scripture, the church rightly understands Psalm 2 as foretelling gospel events (Acts 4:27-28). The descendant of David would suffer rejection but emerge victorious as ruler over all the nations. This is precisely what we see in Jesus’s life, death, resurrection, and promise of return. It appears the early church kept that truth in view.

God told his people beforehand that the nations would conspire together against the Messiah, yet he would be triumphant and become ruler over all. The church realized they were in the final chapter of a great unfolding drama, and the next step is the return and reign of Christ. They trusted this promise and let that make them bold. We too should realize that we are in the final chapter of the true story of the world. No matter what you might face today, Jesus is indeed coming back soon. And then every knee will bow and confess he is Lord. Let this embolden you as you speak and live for the King.

This prayer is for mission above comfort (vv. 29-30). The church aligns itself with Christ and his sufferings. In this hostile first-century context, having more boldness meant more gospel preaching, but that preaching would inevitably put believers in difficult circumstances. In their mission, then, the church prayed for boldness and perseverance rather than comfort. They knew Jesus was worth more than their lives.

Suffering is unavoidable for the Christian. In every generation the gospel always cuts against cultural convictions and norms in some way. Paul would later write, “All who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12).

Thinking about all this in light of the freedoms we in the United States enjoy, I wonder how our prayers might differ from those offered by the early church in view of the “American dream” ideology that permeates our culture. Could it be that our prayers are more about our comfort being maintained or enhanced than they are about asking that God’s greater glory be displayed? When we pray for a fellow citizen facing opposition, for instance, it’s not usually sufficient to pray, “Father, alleviate this!” Rather, we might add, “But Lord, if you choose not to, may the gospel advance because of this struggle!”

Conclusion

Acts 4:31

After the church prays, God awesomely answers (v. 31). Peter and John were shaken by the Sanhedrin, but Almighty God shook the church and gave them boldness as a result. They were again filled with the Spirit and continued to speak the gospel with boldness.

We live in a world where our brothers, who live only hours away from us by plane, are being killed for their faith in Jesus. Yet we so often worry ourselves with trivial things and become paralyzed by fear at the thought of sharing the gospel here in our land of freedoms. This should make us ask, Why are we not seeing a move of the Spirit like we see here in Acts? Could it be that we’ve grown more concerned about our social standing or reputations than about Christ and his mission? Are we more interested in accumulating new toys and gadgets than in seeing the mercy of Christ being powerfully proclaimed to and embraced by our neighbors?

Consider the power within us: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you” (Rom 8:11). The same Spirit who empowered the early Christians dwells within us. No matter the trials and persecutions we may face today or in ten years, we have a glorious resurrection coming. Let this encourage you afresh toward sharing in the mission of redemption. May God grant us the boldness of Peter and John by the power of his Spirit.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Describe a time when you experienced timidity about your Christian faith. What do you think was causing your fear?
2. Why did the preaching of Peter and John upset the religious establishment?
3. How is the power of the Holy Spirit related to bold proclamation?
4. What did Peter mean by the phrase “the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone” (v. 11)?
5. Consider the millions of unreached and lost people living today. Now consider what Peter says in Acts 4:12. How should we respond?
6. What characteristics did the religious establishment observe in Peter and John (v. 13)? What does this teach us about the importance of spending time with Jesus?
7. What does this story teach us about preaching Christ?
8. Why do you think the church addressed God as “Master” in its prayer (vv. 24-30)?
9. Why did the church quote Psalm 2:1-2 in its prayer?
10. Why should we pray for boldness? What does boldness look like in evangelism?