Courage in Christ Saves You-Acts 4

Acts of the Apostles, Sermons

ABC: Assertive Bold Courage. SWS recording 10/30/22. Click link: Bible Study Questions (Acts 4).

  • Are you bold, brave, courageous and confident (Ac 4:13)?
  • For the sake of the truth (Jn 6:63; 8:31-32; 17:17), will you stand against strong, powerful, intimidating opposition, as did Peter and John (Ac 4:19-20)?
  • Why did the gospel proclamation arouse the elite authorities to be so alarmed, angry, agitated, aroused, annoyed and astonished (Mk 10:42-44)?
  • Rather than alarm, isn’t it great news to know that God is alive and is providing a wonderful salvation through his chosen Messiah (Ac 4:12)?

The impact of the 1st apostles. A preacher remarked, “Everywhere St. Paul went there was a riot. Everywhere I go they serve tea.”

The Jewish religious authorities who crucified Jesus were aroused, alarmed, agitated, angry, annoyed and astonished, because “they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschoold [agrammatos], ordinary [idiōtēs] men…and they took note that these men had been with Jesus“ (Ac 4:13).

People in positions of power persecute those with the “Spirit of power” (2 Tim 1:7; Ac 1:8). Why were the leaders of the Temple hierarchy and the ruling class of wealthy aristocrats–the Sadducees–so angry with the teaching and preaching of Peter and John. Because they were in power. They had wielded great power in Jerusalem and among the Jewish people. They were in charge of the central institution that administered God’s law and God’s justice over the people. They guarded the central shrine, the most holy place in Judaism, the place where for 1,000 years the one true God had promised to meet with his people. They oversaw the sacrificial system by which God had promised to maintain and restore fellowship with his people. Thus, they exercised great power economically, socially and politically (Mk 10:42-44). It was with the high priest and his entourage that the Roman governor normally did business. They had the Temple police troops to control the people. They could get things done, or stop things being done. So, they were very concerned that this new movement would upstage them and diminish or overturn their power and prestige and take it over from them. The opposition to the good news of the gospel, the freedom that comes from the death and resurrection of Christ continues as a major theme all through Acts from this point onwards. The “resurrection” would simply negate their positional power and human authority.

  • Because they were not expecting a Messiah, they were exasperated by the apostles’ testimony about Jesus.
  • Because they rejected the supernatural, “they were greatly disturbed because the apostles were … proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead” (Ac 4:2).
  • Because they collaborated with the Romans, they feared the subversive influence of the Christian movement, and were determined to stop it spreading. They regarded the apostles as both agitators and heretics.

Opposition and persecution: The Sadducees could arrest the apostles, but not the gospel. The “captain of the temple guard” (Ac 4:1) was the highest ranking priest after the high priest. He assisted the high priest in performing his ceremonial duties and was the chief of police in the temple area.

  • The healing of the lame man (3:1-10) and Peter’s sermon (3:11-26) converted many people (Ac 4:4). But it aroused the opposition of the Jewish leaders, the Sadducees in particular.
  • They had the 2 apostles arrested (Ac 4:1-3) and brought before the Sanhedrin, including Annas and Caiaphas, who had tried and condemned Jesus (Ac 4:4-6) to question them (Ac 4:7).

“We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Ac 4:20). Peter’s brief sermon repeated the essential facts/words concerning the resurrection of Christ (Ac 3:15), with the added emphasis that he alone could save people (Ac 3:16; 4:12). The authorities realized that the apostles were acting in the same way as Jesus, but couldn’t take stern measures because they had popular support (Ac 4:16). Instead they warned them to stop their teaching about Jesus (Ac 4:17-18), which Peter and John boldly repudiated (Ac 4:19-20). The church cannot obey orders to give up its most characteristic activity—witness to the risen Lord, though it must be prepared to pay the price of refusing to keep quiet.

“Courage” or “boldness” [parresia] is repeated 3 times (Ac 4:13, 29, 31). Peter and John were now facing the very thing that had led them to flee to the Mt. of Olives, the threat of arrest and improsonment. It caused them to desert Jesus out of fear. But now they were filled with the “Spirit of power” (2 Tim 1:7; Ac 1:8), which “astonished” those who had just orchestrated Jesus’ death 2 months ago.

Ordinary courage (Ac 4:13, 19-20, 29). Peter and John were bold, brave, courageous and yet quite ordinary. They seem like simpletons, country bumpkins and the labor class of fishermen who were perceived to be illiterate roughnecks without much education, sophistication or etiquette. They had no airs about themselves. They were simply themselves, but transformed and empowered by the Holy Spirit (Ac 1:8; Ac 2:4, 33; Lk 12:11-12). To the religious leaders, they were not worthy of being taken seriously as untrained amateurs; they had no rabbinic or scribal training, like pastors without a seminary education, or a M.Div or PhD. They were also so used to calling the shots and getting their way. They expected Peter and John to acquiesce and cower before them. But… “[w]hen they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled [agrammatos], ordinary [idiōtēs] men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Ac 4:13). As they had rejected Jesus, they expected to easily dismiss and reject Peter and John.

The Mighty Ones (4:1-22). The leadership of the new Israel. Persecution and power: the 1st stage. The arrest of Peter and John. The council brings the apostles to trial.

  • Peter and John are arrested (4:1-4).
  • Before the Sanhedrin (4:5-12). Peter defends himself before the Sanhedrin. Proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
    • A hearing is called (4:5-7) before:
      1. the “rulers“–the families of the priesthood [Annas, Caiphas and others (Jn 18:13-23)];
      2. the “elders“–the family heads, the wealthy landowners, who constituted the civic leaders of the Jews;
      3. the “teachers of the law” or scribes–the legal experts, in a sense the lawyers who interpreted the law.
    • Peter’s defense (Ac 4:8-12; Ps 118:22). “Salvation is found in no one else” (Ac 4:12)–a controversial claim, because our age of tolerance rejects absolute truth. Yet, no sinful human being can attain salvation on their own, or to earn it by anything they do, for behind all human activity is sin. People are offended by this claim because they spend their entire lives rationalizing their sin. So, the only one way for God to save humanity from itself was to take that sin on himself (2 Cor 5:21). There is no other way to have sins forgiven, for sin taints any other attempt to be saved. No one can stand before God and say, “Look, I did my best,” for anyone’s best is not good enough (Isa 64:6). The only “best” is to accept the way through Jesus by faith.
  • No loyalty save to God (4:13-22). They rejected the disciples but could not reject what they’d done (Ac 4:14). They were in a quandry. They want to find them guilty as they did Jesus, but the proof of their miracle couldn’t be denied, since the healed man was standing right there. Though rendered speechless by reality, they tried to silence the witness of the apostles (Ac 4:16-17). One has nothing to say; the other can’t stop speaking. Peter and John are freed with a warning to not teach the people in the name of Jesus, which they were reluctant even to pronounce (Ac 4:17). But the apostles said, “we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Ac 4:20). The court threatened them further and let them go (Ac 4:21).
  • The church prays for greater boldness (4:23-31). Their prayer had (1) Backing [God]. (2) Basis [Scripture]. (3) Balance: Adoration (Ac 4:24) before petition (Ac 4:29-30). Having being bold in witness, they were now bold in prayer.
    • The occasion: community prayer (4:23-24a). ‘They raised their voices together in prayer to God [theos] and called him “Sovereign Lord [despotēs]” (Ac 4:24a). They reminded themselves that he is the God of creation (Ac 2:24b), of revelation, and of history (Ac 2:25-28; Ps 2:1-2). “Communism” [yours is mine] vs. “common-ism” [mine is yours].
    • Plea for boldness and power (Ac 4:29-30). They did not protest but pray. They did not pray for their safety, but that they might “speak your word [preach the gospel] with great boldness” (Ac 4:29), and that God would confirm his Word with signs and wonders (Ac 4:30).
    • God’s response to the prayer (4:31).

References:

  1. Wright, N.T. Acts for Everyone, Part 1. Chapters 1-12. 2008.
  2. Witherington III, Ben. The Acts of the Apostles. A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. 1998.
  3. Stott, John. The Message of Acts. 1990. Through the Bible through the year, Daily reflections from Genesis to Revelation. 2006.
  4. Peterson, David G. The Acts of the Apostles. The Pillar NT commentary. 2009.
  5. Osborne, Grant. Acts. Verse by Verse. 2019.
  6. Marshall, I. Howard. Acts. Tyndale NT commentaries (TNTC). 1980.
  7. Barclay, William. The Acts of the Apostles. The Daily Study Bible Series. 1976. 
  8. Fernando, Ajith. The Message of Jesus in Action. 2010. 

Community life of Jewish Christianity (4:23-5:16).

  • The church prays for greater boldness (4:23-31).
    • The occasion: community prayer (4:23-24a).
    • Plea for boldness and power (4:24b-30).
    • God’s response to the prayer (4:31).
  • A spirit of giving cf. a spirit of greed (4:32-5:11),
    • Community life (4:32-37). Their impressive generosity.
    • Ananias and Saphira (5:1-11). Judgment in the church. God adds, multiplies, subtracts, but never divides.
  • The apostles heal many and the church grows (5:12-16). Signs and wonders among the people. The awesome presence of God.
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