ACTS
4
Persecution
Begins
Peter
& John, after healing a lame man, had been preaching the gospel
inside the temple
grounds (on Solomon's porch)
Acts
4:1-4 Peter & John put in jail overnight - then tried next day
Mt.
10:16-20 In Jesus' limited commission, He warned of persecution.
Captain
of the temple:
In charge of the 24 courses of priests, elders, scribes and
to maintain peace in the temple.
Sadducees:
Denied the resurrection (Acts
23:8)
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vs.
5-6 Peter & John put on trial before the Sanhedrin
Rulers
(chief priests),
elders, scribes:
24 courses of each made up the Sanhedrin 72
total +
Acts
3:17-20 Peter & John's preaching charged their leaders as guilty. This
is why they had layed hands on them.
High
priests - Annas
(father-in-law of) &
Caiphas. Aaronic
priesthood was to be a
lifetime appointment, but Roman rule appointed high priests as they
chose.
Annas
is the legitimate height priest, Caiphas
was appointed by Rome
These
2 men were familiar with Jesus Christ from His trial:
Jn.
18:12-14, 24 Jesus was taken first to Annas, then to Caiphas
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vs.
7 This was a good question.
1
Pet. 4:11 "If
anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone
ministers,
let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all
things
God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong
the
glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."
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vs.
8-12 Jesus is identified as "the stone which you
builders rejected.
Psm.
118:22
The
chief priests and elders questioned Jesus' authority too & He identified
Himself as the rejected chief cornerstone.
Mt.
21:23, 42-43 "Now
when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of
the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, 'By what authority
are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?'
"
(42)
"Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone
which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This
was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes
' (43)
Therefore
I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given
to a nation bearing fruits of it."
vs.
12 There is no other name under heaven...by which we must be saved.
This
excludes Mohammed, Buddha, Joseph Smith, or any other.
Paul
rebuked the Corinthians for following men:
1
Cor. 1:12-13 "Now
I say this, that each of you says, 'I am of Paul,' or 'I am of Apollos,'
or 'I am of Cephas,' or 'I am of Christ.' (13) Is Christ divided?
Was
Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
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vs.
13 Seeing their boldness, they perceived they had been with Jesus
Can
the world identify us as being a follower of Christ?
Do
we spend enough time with Him in His word & prayer to be so
identified?
When
Peter denied Jesus in the high priest's courtyard:
Mt.
26:73 "And
a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, 'Surely
you also are one of them, for
your speech betrays you.'
"
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vs.
14-16 They couldn't deny the miracle. They had seen this man daily at
the temple - everyone knew him.
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vs.
17-22 The Sanhedrin try to intimidate
them by threatening them.
We
might ask, "by what authority" did they forbid them to preach
in the name of Jesus Christ.
Note
- They did not forbid them to teach at all, just not in the name
of Jesus Christ.
However
- If they couldn't proclaim what they had seen and heard,
then there was no message to preach.
1
Cor. 15:12-19 Herein are the consequences of preaching anything other
than the gospel - we become liars proclaiming a message
without hope.
vs.
23-30 The prayer of the disciples - for praise to Him, for boldness
to speak
through His power, and for His help.
Their
reaction to the threat was joy to be worthy to suffer:
Jas.
1:2-4 "My
brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, (3) knowing
that the testing of your faith produces patience. (4) But let patience
have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking
nothing."
Their
praise to God was acknowledged by quoting from Psm. 2
Psm.
2:1-ff A prophecy foretelling of oppositions to Christ and His overcoming
them by His great power - In His power He laughs at
their feeble attempt to fight against Him.
Isa.
40:21-24 The great and powerful are but mere stubble before God.
INVITATION
Where
will you place your trust? In Him who can take away sin.
Mt.
10:28-31 In Jesus' limited commission, He reassures the apostles and tells
them where to put their fear, their reverence & their trust.
