Alright.
You know, it's interesting. I was talking to Alex and he asked me how old Devon was and I said he's 11.
This computer is older than my son. It's December of 2,011 when I bought solid state.
So good stuff. But my little baby's falling apart. Too bad. We were in X 4, continuing in this really exciting book.
There are many, many things to Talk about tonight, certainly. Let's open again in a word of prayer as we ask the Lord to.
Move us along here in the Word of God. So father, we just come before you in Jesus name and By the bar of the Holy Spirit, we're grateful to have the word written in a language that we can understand, a book that we can study all of our lives, a guide.
For us in life and in authority. As we so many see so many authority figures in our world. Weakening and such.
We are grateful Lord for this time of fellowship with like-minded believers and we're grateful, Lord.
To hear from you in Jesus name.
So today what we're looking at is Acts chapter 4 and we want to look through versus one through 31 And then we'll pick up, we'll be doing the next.
Study also will pick up on a theme that crosses over. The 2 chapters and such.
We want to look at this portion here as a further illustration of the major theme or thesis and acts and that's found in Acts 2 chapter 2 verse 42 and I can just read this I've got the new king James Of course, we should know this is this is the distinctives of our assembly.
They, the apostles continued steadfastly in the in the apostles doctrine and fellowship.
In the breaking of bread and in prayers. Acts chapter 2 verse 43 says then fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
Now all who believed were together and had all things in common. And sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all.
As anyone had need. Verse 46, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house.
They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Praising God and having favor with all the people.
And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. The last time that we did axe our brother Jim went through X chapter 3 and I just want to mention just a couple of things there just to recall since we had a bit of a break.
In Acts chapter 3 verses one through 6 we see a lame beggar that is healed.
Peter then uses this as an evangelistic event and preaches boldly to the crowd. We see the same thing in this chapter.
Peter, what is amazing and fascinating about acts and about Peter is that Peter rightly divides the Word of God connecting past events with what is occurring in his day or in the age of grace here but in the beginning of the church and also mentioning in verse 26.
That the program was to go to the Jews first. Remember in Acts one. Chapter, I'm sorry, chapter one verse 8, the commission that is given to the apostles as they had questioned the Lord about whether, you know, he's going to come back soon and such.
Before he sends into heaven. The Lord says those are not things for you to know now, but you to go back to Jerusalem.
Then it preaching Jerusalem then in Judea, then in Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth.
And so we see this unfolding now next. Also, The outline for today.
Would be as follows versus 5 through 7. There's an introductory the first 4 verses, but chapter 4 verses 5 through 7 the arrest of Peter and John.
The arrest of Peter and John. And then in verses 8 through 12, we see Peter's defense and witness.
Versus 8 through 12 Peter's defense at witness. Then in verses 13 through 23. We see the apostles warned and released.
And then finally in verse 23 through 31, the church's praise and prayerful petition.
So Luke now presents. The account of the arrest trial and witness of Peter and John. What's interesting here is, There is a a German Lutheran theologian by the name of Jeremiah and he was an expert in Jewish law and he writes this.
As you pointed out, A person who was unlearned in the Jewish system, someone who did not get rabbinical training and such, if they did something that violated the law, they would be given a warning first.
And if that warning didn't hold, then there were consequences, usually physical consequences, a beating. Or in prison or what have you.
And so we see this pattern in Acts 4 and then an Acts 5. So. They by law would be given a legal warning.
And then punished for an offense if they just relapsed and did the crime again. After due morning.
So let's look at Acts chapter 4 versus one through 4. Versus the introduction here. X chapter 5 the new King James version
Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them.
And of course this is for member healing of the lame man. And the preaching boldly of the Word of God, including connecting events to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
First 2, chapter 4, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus. The resurrection from the dead.
Verse 3, and they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day for it was already evening.
And then verse 4, however, many of those who heard the word believed. And the number of the men came to be about 5,000 so the church is growing.
But they're starting to encounter more persecution. Let's take a look at the arrest of Peter and John.
Let's read verses 5 through 7 and it came to pass. On the next day that their rulers, elders, and scribes as well as Anis.
The high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family, the high priest were gathered together at Jerusalem.
For 7 and one they had set them in the midst they asked by what power or by what name have you done this?
So, we have here an X chapter 4, presentation of the San, a dream, San, Hadrian or Sanhedrin is judging that the apostles were unschooled ordinary men.
It says in verse 13. And tells her they were given a legal warning not to speak anymore in the name of Jesus for 17.
In Acts chapter 5 by comparison, it tells how the Sanhedrin reminded the apostles of the first warning, verse 28 of this chapter, and turn them over to be beaten or flogged because they had persisted in their sectarian ways versus 40.
So Luke makes the connection that versus one through 4 not only ends the account of the crippled man or the beggars healing, but also introduces the first appearance of Peter and John before the scene had Sanhedrin.
Luke shows that the early opposition against preaching arose primarily from priestly and Sadducee and ranks.
So this is the primary. Driver the opposition, the priests. Which included the Sandhatron also included the priests, the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees.
Here is the living. Commentary, the, the Bible expositors commentary. The captain of the temple guard was the commanding officer of the temple police force.
He was considered in theory and rank only to the high priest and had the responsibility of maintaining order in the temple precincts.
I think this is very interesting. Background. The Saduacy saw themselves as continuing with their fathers had begun.
This traces all the way back to the Maccabean period. Where they had obtained independence for 80 years.
And during that time, the agency saw themselves as preserving. it is like ways.
And, They had made a steady, kind of a. A relationship with the Roman government and they wanted to maintain status quo and so as priests from the tribe of Levi.
I'm sorry, the sadges saw themselves as continued with their fathers had begun as priests from the tribe of Levi, they claim to represent ancient orthodoxy and were uninterested in innovations.
Thus they opposed any developments in biblical law, the oral law. Remember, Jews believed there was the written law, Mosaic law, as well as an oral law, which forms the basis for a lot of rabbinical commentary.
They resisted speculations about angels or demons and particularly the doctrine of resurrection. Mark 12 or 18 mentions this also likewise they rejected what they considered to be feudal hopes for God's heavenly intervention in the life of the nation.
And for a coming Messiah.
Since as they believe the age of God's promise had begun with the Maccabean heroes and was continuing on under their supervision for them the Messiah was an ideal, for them the Messiah was an ideal, not a person.
And the messianic age was a process. Not a cataclysmic. Cataclysmic act or even anything that could be dated.
So this is the type of belief system that they had. Furthermore, as political rulers and dominant landlords, to whom a grateful nation had turned over all political and economic powers during the time of the Maccabean supremacy for entirely practical reasons they stress cooperation with Rome and the maintenance of the status quo.
And this is the basis here. Most of the priests were of Saduacy in persuasion.
The temple police force was composed entirely of Levites. The captain of the temple guard was always a high caste Saduacy and and so were a lot of the high priests.
Versus 2 and 3, the priests and sadges were greatly disturbed over what they heard. About 2 matters in particular.
The first was the or the was the issue of the apostles teaching the people and activity. Those of the Saduacy saw as a threat to the status quo.
And of course the apostles like Jesus were creating great popular support. And acting unofficially in a way as to disrupt established authority.
An authority vested in Saduacy in hands. Second, they didn't like the fact that Peter and John were annoying the Sadducees because they were proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
This probably means that they're attempting to prove from the fact of Jesus resurrection the doctrine resurrection with it which the Sadducees denied.
Remember next chapter 23 verse 6. Paul is in front of. He's in, he's progressively moving toward Rome and he senses in the crowd.
There's Sadducees as well as Pharisees and he throws out the idea of the resurrection distracts him completely and is able to reduce a lot of the tensions for himself.
So Peter and John were taken into custody by the Temple Garden since it was evening. Put into prison until the sand hatred could be called together.
Verse 4. Not everyone agreed with the Sadducees views of the activities and the message of the apostles.
Later in Acts, Luke will speak of the general tolerance of the people, the moderation of the Pharisees.
As well as the desire of Rome for peace in this land. So, let's just read Acts 23 verse 6.
As an example, but when Paul perceived the one part where Fat, Sadducees and the other were Pharisees, he cried out in the count, men and brethren.
I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee concerning the hope and resurrection of that I am being judged and all.
Heck breaks loose then. Here I've ever here, however. We find out that the the.
In in spite of the you know the Jewish congregation continues to grow and so in verse 5 though the sadgeses had among them the nation's the title of rulers really they actually were a minority party.
And and govern through the Sanhedrin. Now imagine what this is like you got a bunch of guys Peter probably possibly illiterate.
He was a rough, you know, fisherman, certainly his language spoke of that. You have John who might have had a little bit more education.
And they go before what is the equivalent of the Senate and the Supreme Court of the Nation. They probably sit in a semicircle and here are these guys.
It's hard to imagine the power that the Sadducees had to cast them out of the synagogue to physically hurt them to create all sorts of trouble and these guys boldly preach.
Preach. The gospel. So.
First 6 and stressing that the early opposition to Christianity rose. Principally because of the sagacies Luke's made, Luke makes the point that the Sadduceian element was especially represented in the first trial of the apostle.
So this is particularly the Sadducees. Anis the High Priest was there, so were Caiaphas, John and Alexander, and other men of his family.
Anis, as you remember, was the power broker. Even when he was not the high priest he was behind the scenes.
Controlling things. Essentially, or influencing. He had been high priest for 9 years and the whole family, it was just a kind of a corrupt family.
And also the appointment itself was essentially approved by Rome also. So there was a huge tight connection. Verse 7 here.
Before such an assembly, which, Peter and John were brought and the man who was healed was also probably there.
Luke doesn't say this. Whether he had been imprisoned or not, but he's a witness.
And so the apostles were called on. To give an account for their actions. And they use this occasion for aggressive evangelistic preaching.
Let's look at the second portion here. Peter's defense and witness versus 8 through 12.
There is, prophetic here. There's a prophetic portion.
Wonders and works and miracles. Remember how he says, believe my words or at least believe the works, believe, but just believe.
So he says this starting in verse 12, loop 21. Before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you.
Do you delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons? You will be brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
First 13 but one but it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. 14 therefore settle it in your hearts and not to meditate before end on what you will answer First 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.
We saw this of course with Jesus toward the latter part of his ministry where they just simply stopped asking him questions because his wisdom was so so precise and so unassailable.
We also see this with Stephen also were the thing words that he's saying they simply can't overcome them and of course they enrage.
They, they come against him. This is the wisdom of God. So maybe Luke was thinking of a lot of these incidents when he wrote his his gospel.
I mean, I'm sorry, the book of Acts following the Gospel of Luke.
But, there are a number of these incidences and acts. Yeah, and certainly he wrote about Peter's first defense before the Jewish Sanhedrin here and also the threat that occurs in chapter 5.
Because almost every item of Jesus's prophecy is shown in Luke's account of Peter's situation.
Think about this here. The expression, this is one commentator writes the expression filled with the Holy Spirit notes a special moment of inspiration that compliments and brings to a functional focus that presence in every believer's life of the person of the person and ministry of God's spirit.
So these guys being filled with all the spirit begin to preach. Peter's defense focuses on the healing of the crippled, crippled man.
And he says, He questions them. Let's read verses 9 through 10. If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man by what means has he been made well?
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, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man stands here before you hold.
So Peter's defense consists of. For a good deed done to a helpless man.
The second piece of it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified whom God raised from the dead.
Peter's message is specifically addressed to the rulers of the people and elders of Israel. And he also has everyone else in mind also.
Here. Commentators will talk about the fact of the Greek verb here to be saved and they all say something along the lines of.
Selvation here is the restoration of health physically and also the preservation from maternal deaths spiritually.
Peter moves easily from the healing of the crippled man to the salvation of mankind and from a defensive position to an aggressive witness.
These are fascinating sermons that he gives in acts. Their models for evangelists today. There are 2, what's interesting about Peter is that from an a man who was not schooled in letters or didn't go to rabbinical schools, he makes 2 very distinctive.
Christological statements. Early church or primitive church statements here. The first one is that of the rejected stone which becomes the capstone of the building.
And then this is. Apparently there's in Judaism there's a frequent word play between the words for stone and sun.
Rooted generally in the Old Testament. this kind of became a messianic expression in the combination of the stone and the son of man, in which Daniel uses in chapter 2 and chapter 7.
And it's continued in this early. Period here. And for this reason that Jesus concluded his parable of the vineyard and the rejected son with a quotation from Psalm 118 versus 22 and 23.
I'll read it for you. It says the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. So it's this distinctive feature that Peter picks up on and is put from someone 18.
First 22 building on the association of stone and sun. Peter. Essentially.
Combines or comes up with the ideas here, these New Testament ideas of the foundation stone and a stumbling stone.
Their references to Isaiah, but the thought here is of Jesus has the rejected stone that became the capstone and complements the building.
This is the dominant theme here. The second Christological statement that he makes is Peter's proclamation of salvation.
So. Luke and this is important to link this back in chapter one or I'm sorry in loop chapter one verse 69 it refers to the horn of salvation this is Zechariah's hymn of praise.
After he finds after he can speak again. Simeon's Prayer Luke chapter 2, the references to your salvation.
And then in introducing the Ministry of Jom the Baptist in, chapter 3, 6, God's salvation.
So. A horn of salvation, your salvation got salvation. Now Peter boldly addressing the Sanhedrin Sanhedrin says He makes a messianic designation.
And he proclaims this. Selvation is found in no one else. Then in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Nazareth whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead.
Nor is there salvation in any other acts for verse 12. For there is no other name under heaven among which men must be saved.
So there's no compromising for Peter in his breaching. It doesn't water anything down, nor did the other disciples.
This is an incredible. Statement for someone who's wholly committed to the uniqueness of Jesus as the only Savior and this is what he's saying to them.
Peter and the other apostles never watered down the fact that apart from Jesus, there's no salvation for anyone.
Let's move on to our next portion. Let's serve some thoughts.
So fascinating stuff. Boy, that's a big clock.
Versus 13 through 23. So commentators will say that literacy might have been high among the Jews of the first century, but when it comes to theological disputes or arguments.
You have to have rabbinical training.
And the San Heatron thought of the common man is incapable of of carrying on sustained theological arguments until they meet Peter.
And John. So but here Peter and John. Whom the council observed to be, they, they actually say that they were uneducated and untrained men speaking fearlessly and confidently before the Jewish Supreme Court.
And Senate. Their judges could not but wonder at such ordinary men having such a mastery of biblical argumentation when commentator writes.
These men had been with Jesus was the only possible explanation.
In other words, Peter, despite his lack of rabbinical training, taught as one who had authority and of course that's what Jesus did.
It's not, it's the authority of obviously who Jesus was, but it was the ability to interpret it, to bust through the Romanical commentary and say directly what God had to say.
Which is the principal thought here.
Just as Jesus was couple, Jesus teaching was coupled with a demonstration of miraculous powers.
Which reinforced his message. The same thing now occurs with Peter and John. And we begin to see this as a regular occurrence in acts.
Remember, at 1 point,
Paul is They're very, at 1 point, just as very shadow. Can can work wonders and such.
Of course, this is from God. And notice that the man for whom on whom the miracle was performed was 40 years old and so at that point he wasn't a young man and yet he has he's up there leaping for joy and running something that by the way, and Rogers can't do anymore because of boy, that's really something.
Okay. But. Even the miraculous.
Is not authentic authentication a part from an openness of heart in mind and we saw that in the Gospels we're seeing that here.
The Sadducees preoccupation with protecting their vested interests shut them off from really seeing the miracle that had occurred.
Of course that's
Part and parcel of the Gospels, right? She's preached. And some people heard adhears to hear some people.
Might have been curious and some people yawned and walked away. You know, it's just.
I have to have a heart for it. Let's look at versus 15 through 17. Luke knew what was going on, how he knew what was going on among the Sanhedrin is is hard to understand.
Maybe he was maybe Paul was a member of that council and told Luke later on. Maybe you heard some of the discussion from his, Paul from his teacher, Gamel and told it to Luke, who knows.
But at some point, you know, he found out what the council was had had discussed and such. And so What is certain about the council's response is this.
Number one, they would have denied the miracle if they could. Number 2, they had no heart disposition to be convinced either by what happened or the apostles arguments.
And number 3, they felt the need. To stop this, to stop the Apostles activity in teaching.
And took. Hey, proposed to take. measures to stop this. So that versus 18 through 20.
The decision of the council was to impose a ban on the apostles. That would be a warning to them but also to set up further legal, further legal basis to punish them if this didn't work.
So one thing that they did conclude. One step before this, so they commanded the apostles not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus.
The one thing that they did conclude is the number one these men had been transformed by an association with Jesus.
They were against God's having raised Jesus from the dead. And we're unaware of the coming of the Holy Spirit really remember Joel I'm sorry Peter preaches in Joel.
And he preaches about the occurrence of the early currents of what is going on. And then he also includes a portion about Jesus the second coming.
The whole point is it's just these are the miraculous signs that are accompanying the formation of the church.
And so their their ears were closed to all of this. God's word was in Peter and John's heart like a burning fire and they couldn't contain it just like Jeremiah spoke about.
They just had to witness. They had to witness about Jesus earthly ministry and resurrection. They have been commanded by the risen Lord to proclaim his name to the people.
When they faced this ban, the response was never even in doubt. Whether it's right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge, verse 19, verse 20, for we cannot but speak.
The things which we have seen and heard. Remember the prologue to First John is like that that which we have seen and we've heard.
And we've looked upon, we say to you, so that your faith you might have like minded faith with us and that our joy may be complete.
We're not on any elite level. We This is the message for all.
So.
Wrote someone out there I'm not sure if this applies in when I was writing her.
Let's look at versus 21 through 22 the Sanhedrin or Sanhedrin had given its warning.
After stressing its nature and what would happen if they didn't accept the warning. They further threatened them and let them go.
And then. All of the people. Since what they had heard and what they apostles had done glorified God for what had been done.
So. It's just an extraordinary thing. You have the religious leaders opposing but people giving glory to God.
Let's look at the last, portion here. The church's praise and their prayerful petition versus 2,331.
The church's response to the apostles being let go of the release was number one a spontaneous outburst of praise.
Number 2, singing Psalms. And number 3 prayers of petition. Here, look at verse 24.
Let's read that chapter 4 verse 24.
So when they heard that. They raised their voice to God with one accord and said, Lord, you are God who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them.
Who by the mouth of your servant David have said, Why did the nation's rage and the people plot vain things?
First 26 the kings of the earth took their stand in the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.
So. The church's response includes and, description to God drawn from Hezekiah's prayer in Isaiah, chapter 37, and a quote from Psalm 2.
Versus 25 through 26. What's interesting about this, The references to Jesus passion in terms of Psalm.
Chep, chapter 2. And a prayer of, again, petition for divine enablement in the Christians present circumstances versus 29 through 30.
The prayer of the church. Is concerns 2, matters of theological importance. These are the ones that stand out.
And this is again only by the Holy Spirit. Peter interprets some too in a way that takes it beyond what the Holy of the Old Testament says.
Commentaries will write that some to became Messianic. As in the later years of Israel and in, in later years, in a Romanical commentary, but in this particular case, Peter links it to events in his day.
So here is a song written in the Old Testament. But then he links these together. So he talks about the kings of the earth verse 26.
And he links that with King Herod. He talks about the rulers in verse 26 and he links that with the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.
Talks about the nations in verse 25. And he links that with the Gentile authorities. And finally, he talks about the people in verse 25 with the people of Israel.
So it seems that. It more than it seems. Peter is given divine inspiration to make this interpretation about the events that are occurring in his day, linking it to an Old Testament song.
Maybe he had memorized it in. Bible school when he was a kid, but the ability to do this is from God.
There's just no question about it. Second, the church's prayer. Relates to this relates the sufferings of Christian believers.
Directly to the sufferings of Christ. And by inference to the suffering of God's righteous servants in the Old Testament.
This is the term, the terms pressure, this, this rabbinical term for the ability to interpret passages, which of course the religious authorities accrued to themselves.
But here are these rough men doing it. The theme here is the union of the sufferings of Christ with those of his own, this this thought here, is the theme that is developed throughout the Old Test or the New Testament.
Think of mark 8, Romans 8. Colossians won first Peter. And it reaches its peak expression in Paul's metaphor of the body of Christ that he uses in First Corinthians.
Notice that the most significant The most significant fact here is that the early Christians were not praying for relief.
From oppression or judgment. On their oppressors but for enablement with all boldness that they may speak.
The lords of the Lord amid oppression and for God to act in mighty power. Through the name of your holy servant, Jesus verse 30.
Remember, Jesus says, you know, anything in my will, I will grant it. This is their will.
And this is extraordinary because we see extraordinary things in the early church, right? That the unity that they had.
Miraculous signs. Speaking in tongues. Notice by the way in the speaking of tongues is an unknown language speaking about Jesus Christ to those who could hear that.
We see that unusual unity that they had in possessions. There's very distinct. We see that in chapter 2 we'll see it again in chapter 5.
And these are things all of the the benefit of the Holy Spirit being poured out here. Their concern was for God's Word to number one go forth and number 2 the Christ name be glorified.
Leaving to God, Himself, their own circumstances. And it was this type of prayer here that pleased God.
Certainly. Obviously, Luke is taking pains here to, allow for a pattern of prayer here for us.
Finally verse 31. As a side of God's approval, Luke tells us that. The place where they assembled together was shaken.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. So here is such as the motivation and divine enablement, their prayers were answered and they spoke the Word of God with boldness or another meaning of the Greek word here is with confidence or forthrightly.
And that takes us to the end of our portion here. Any thoughts? Fast moving acts, lot packed in here.
Great book. Any thoughts?
That clock is paid. It's really big. It's great.
These thoughts? Okay. Close them.
Thank you, Rick