Acts 4 reminds me of slick politicians that avoid offending any potential voter by answering questions with vague non-answers. Their ambiguous sidestepping is designed to sound enlightened without taking a stand. Today’s chapter is about giving undiluted answers. We begin immediately after Peter had explained that the lame man was healed by his faith in Jesus. The “captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees… were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead”. We read that Peter and John were arrested, “But many who heard the message believed”. The next morning, the apostles were brought before the religious establishment to be questioned. They were asked, “By what power or what name did you do this?” I am sure it would have been easy to deflect responsibility, and give in to the pressure to conform. Instead, Peter, “filled with the Holy Spirit” gave them the whole truth. “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.” Peter referenced the Messianic verse from Psalm 118, “the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone”. To be perfectly clear, he added, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved”. Peter was willing to offend everyone for love’s sake. How would they know without his testimony?
Please notice the reaction of the rulers and elders, “When they saw the courage… and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished”. Average guys and gals stand out from the crowd when we speak in simple truth. The assembly could not deny the reality because “they could see the man who had been healed standing there”. Their solution was to silence the message, “we must warn them… not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus”. The apostles asked those in charge, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him?” They concluded, “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard”. The establishment feared punishing the apostles because the masses were praising God for the miraculous healing. Instead they issued threats and let them go. Friend, is there any evidence of the healing power of God in your life?
Peter and John returned to the fellowship of believers and reported all that had happened. Together they all prayed, “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your Word with great boldness”. Interestingly they did not ask for protection, but boldness. They prayed that God would continue to heal and perform signs and wonders among the people in the name of Jesus. After they prayed, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly”. Many had studied the Law of Moses and I believe they explained that Jesus fulfilled every righteous requirement. Forgiveness was given through faith, and the resurrection was the proof. “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus”. This was not a one-time event, but a new way of life. “God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them”. When people of faith are motivated by love there is always excess. Some sold property, and “brought the money from the sales… and it was distributed to anyone who had need”. They met the basic human needs of the visitors to Jerusalem and supported the growth of the new church. When we water down the resurrection and the message of salvation, the masses turn to slick politicians, expecting the state to supply basic needs. My friend, are you willing to take a stand and speak God’s Word with boldness?