Acts 4:1-31 (Wednesday Evening Bible Study)

Acts 4:1-31

• If you saw someone do something extraordinary which changed someone’s life for the better, no laws broken, no one hurt, would you see them put in jail?   That is what we see done in Acts 4
• Context:
• Last Wednesday night we looked at how that Peter and John healed the lame man begging outside the temple. The healed man is now jumping and praising God hanging on to Peter and John as they enter the temple courts.  A crowd gathers and Peter and John use this opportunity to preach about Jesus. Tonight we will get the rest of the story in Acts chapter 4.
• Acts 4:1-4
• While they were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple police, and the Sadducees confronted them, 2 because they were annoyed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 So they seized them and took them into custody until the next day since it was already evening. 4 But many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
  • Why would anyone be upset about a cripple man being healed?
    • The Ancient thinking assumed that sickness and being crippled was due to sin of that person. Changing a lame man’s fate was messing with the righteous judgment of God.
  • How did the Jews in the first century see miracles?
    • Not like the modern world, which assumes miracles are impossible. The Jews in the 1st century saw miracles has something that was possible.  The question was not a miracle’s reality but its source. This may be one reason Peter and John were detained…to determine under whose influence was this miracle being done.
  • What is that disturbed the priests, the Captain of the guard and the Sadducees?
    • “2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.”  The Priests and the Captain were officials of the temple. The Captain was in the #2 spot behind the High Priest. The Sadducees were not officials but a particular philosophy and it was the dominant political party among the priests and temple leadership. The Sadducees did not believe in the bodily resurrection… so we can see why they might take issue with what Peter and John are teaching, especially when some of the same may have been plotting to kill Jesus in the past. If they had been teaching the Law of Moses do you think they would have arrested them?
  • What impact did this miracle & message have on the church?
    • See verse 4 4But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand
• Acts 4:5-7
• 5 The next day, their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem 6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the members of the high-priestly family. 7 After they had Peter and John stand before them, they began to question them: “By what power or in what name have you done this?”
  • Any names here you remember here from the trial of Jesus?
    • The High Priest Annas and his son in Law Caiaphas, who was the current High Priest.
  • What court are Peter and John standing before?
    • The Sanhedrin, the Jewish high Court.
  • What is the court wants to know?
    • They want to know the source or by what authority brought about this miracle.
• Acts 4:8-12
• 8 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders: 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man, by what means he was healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing here before you healthy. 11 This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders,
  which has become the cornerstone. 12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”
  • Put yourself in Peter and John’s place, would you being intimidated?
    • Think, you are a simple fisherman, you are standing before the court that murderer your master. 71 sets of eyes are looking down on you.   
  • What does Peter have going for him?
    • He is filled with the Holy Spirit… Is this a promise fulfilled? See Luke 12:11-12 11 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
  • What does Peter call this miracle?
    • an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame…
      • By calling it is this what is Peter indicating?
        • It is a good work from God.  I doubt the Sanhedrin is going to take Peter’s word for it.
  • How does Peter answer the question, “By what power or what name did you do this?”
    • It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,… Would the court recognize that name?  Big time.  
  • What does Peter charge the court with?
    • whom you crucified. But what did God do? God raised from the dead. This becomes a repeated phrase. 
  • What does Peter use to back up his claim about Jesus?
    • See verse 11 “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ This is from Psalm 118:22 which Jesus quotes in His parable about the vineyard. See Mark 12.
  • What amazing claim does Peter make in verse 12?
    • 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
      • How bold is the claim that Peter and John are making?  What does it mean?
        • That Jesus is the exclusive source of salvation!  Who else makes this claim?
          • Jesus -John 14:6 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
          • Paul- 1 Timothy 2:5 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
          • John- John 1:18 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
  • What Peter says was controversial in his day… what about in our day?
• Acts 4:13-17
• 13 When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 After they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign has been done through them, clear to everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that this does not spread any further among the people, let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.”
  • What did the leaders notice about Peter and John?
    • See verse13 “realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” They were astonished by the courage of Peter and John.  They were uneducated (no formal rabbinical training) but yet they spoke with confidence and composure.  They could not intimidate them. 
  • Whose presence is making it difficult for the Sanhedrin to dismiss all this?
    • See verse 14  The Healed man.
      • What is the other problem they have with the miracle?
        • It cannot be denied too many witnesses.  
      • So what do they decide to do?
        • Let Peter and John go with a warning.
• Acts 4:18-22
• 18 So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; 20 for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done. 22 For this sign of healing had been performed on a man over forty years old.
  • How do Peter and John respond to the courts demands?
    • Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
  • What was motivating Peter and John to keep preaching the gospel?
    • They loved Jesus and they had to please God rather than man – also concern for those who did not know about Jesus.
• Acts 4:23-28
• 23 After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David your servant: Why do the Gentiles rage and the peoples plot futile things? 26 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers assemble together against the Lord and against his Messiah. 27 “For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, 28 to do whatever your hand and your will had predestined to take place.
  • What is the immediate response to the report from Peter and John?
    • Prayer
  • What do we find in the middle of this prayer?
    • A quote from Scripture
  • How does this quote fit with the  prayer? 
  • Psalm 2:1-2                                                          Acts 2:27-28
  • Why do the nations rage? Gentiles
  • And the peoples plot in vain. People of    Israel
  • The Kings of the earth take their stand. Herod & Pilate
  • And the rulers gather together against 
  • The Lord & against the Anointed One. Sanhedrin implied
  • What is recognized in this prayer?
    • We are experiencing  what was written about
  • Whose plan was this?
    • God’s
• Acts 4:29-31
• 29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.
  • What are they asking God to Consider?
    • Threats…what does that mean?  They are asking God to attend to the problem.
  • Are they praying for protection?
    • No …they are praying for boldness!
  • What else are they asking the Lord to do?
    • Preform sings and wonders… more healing thru the name of Jesus, to validate the gospel… Notice- not strike down their enemies.
  • So they ask for boldness in the face of more persecution because if one healing brought trouble what would more healings bring?
    • More trouble.
  • What does God do to validate their prayer?
    • God said Amen by shaking the place.
• TAKE AWAY
  • What can we learn from Peter and John what they experienced in Acts 4?
    • Speak the truth about Jesus.  Don’t be intimidated to being quiet.
  • What were the spiritual weapons they used in this spiritual fight?
    • Prayer, scripture
  • What were the willing to go through if God answered their prayer?
    • Suffering