Honoring God’s Authority Above All | Acts 4:13-22
In this passage Peter and John are arrested by the Jewish Sanhedrin for the healing of a crippled man (healed in Jesus' name). Now, they are given with a choice to obey God or the Sanhedrin and they boldly choose to obey God.
Important points to keep in mind:
* The disciples were unschooled. They had no training in rhetoric speech.
* “Unlearned:” Not trained in Greek rhetoric like the priests. Certainly they were uneducated in one sense – they, like Jesus, had no formal rabbinic education according to the customs and standards of that time.
* Yet they were educated in two important ways: they knew the Scriptures, and they had been with Jesus.
Looking at Acts 4:14-22 we understand that:
* Peter answered them boldly.
* The reason for their uneducated boldness: They had learned from Jesus (Acts 4:13).
* Philosophers often stressed obeying God more than people. Socrates said that.
* Old Testament prophets modeled this boldness (Nathan confronted David, Elijah confronted Ahab, and Jeremiah confronted kings).
* Apostles were being witnesses here. They were just speaking what they have seen and heard.
* Temple authorities tried to suppress the truth using their power.
* The man who had been healed was a living testimony. No one can challenge your testimony.
* Peter and John were sent away with a threat.
The temple authorities were trying to work in their power to suppress the truth. They normally got their way because of their political power. They were not expecting Peter and John to speak back to them because they were considered unlearned.
What was the result of the trial that Peter and John had to go through?
* 2,000 more people came to believe in Jesus.
* Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit again.
* Peter got to preach about Jesus to the leaders of the Jews.
* Hostile examiners confirmed a miraculous healing.
* The enemies of Jesus were confused.
* Peter and John were bolder for Jesus than ever before.
* God was glorified.
Remember:
Let us honor God’s authority. The Scripture also gives us guidelines to obey earthly leaders as well. But God’s authority comes before any other authority.
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. ~ Acts 4:13
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “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.” ~ Acts 4:18-20
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