And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 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.” (Acts 4:23-24)

God worked something powerful in and through Peter and John. They stood before a council of important men who demanded that they stop proclaiming Jesus. Peter and John refused, but the council couldn’t stop such determined men. All they could do was threaten Peter and John and release them.

When Peter and John met with the other disciples, they reported all that the chief priests and elders had said. They had good news to report. We can picture them saying, “We got to tell them about Jesus! They realized we were like Jesus! They told us not to tell others about Jesus!”

In response to this exciting report, the early Christian community – their own companions had a prayer meeting. Notice that important events moved them to prayer. It should be the same with us!

We see several important things about this early church prayer meeting.

First, they raised their voice. This means that they prayed vocally. It is certainly possible to pray silently in our minds, but we focus our thoughts more effectively when we speak out in prayer.

The word “voice” is in the singular. This means that they did not all pray individually, speaking at the same time. In this prayer meeting, one person prayed, and all agreed with that one, so that they were really praying with one voice.

Next, they prayed with one accord. This means that they prayed in unity. There was no strife or contention among them. There wasn’t one group saying, “We should pray for this” and another saying, “we should pray for that.” They had the same mind when they prayed.

Finally, they addressed God like this: Lord, You are God. They began by reminding themselves who they prayed to. They prayed to the Lord of all creation, the God of all power.

This word Lord in Acts 4:24 is not the most common word for “Lord” used in the New Testament; it is the Greek word despotes. We get the English word “despot” from this ancient Greek word. Despotes was a word used of a slave owner or of a ruler who has power that cannot be questioned. They prayed with power and confidence because they knew God was in control.

When we pray, we often forget just who it is we pray to; or worse yet, we pray to an imaginary God of our own ideas. The disciples had power in prayer because they knew whom they prayed to.

Pray today – but make sure you pray to the God who really exists, the mighty God revealed to us in the Bible. Don’t pray to the God of your imagination.

Click here to read David’s commentary on Acts 4

But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. (Acts 4:15-18)

I love this scene of the religious leaders in Jerusalem, desperately trying to figure out what to do with the “problem” of the disciples of Jesus. During the days of His earthly ministry, Jesus Himself was a problem for these religious leaders – this same council had a role in sending Jesus to the cross. Yet, even with Jesus Himself no longer walking and teaching and working among the people, they had an even bigger problem with the followers of Jesus.

In their desperation, these important men made a confession regarding the power of Jesus: we cannot deny it. That exposed the corruption of their hearts. They acknowledged that a miracle in the name of Jesus had genuinely happened; yet they refused to submit to the God who worked the miracle.

All they could do was make a threat and hope that the good news of Jesus spreads no further among the people. Their fear of the preaching of the good news of Jesus was rooted in their own sinful self-interest, not in any desire to protect the people.

Notice the note of desperation in the words, What shall we do to these men? It was a problem they couldn’t figure out. These men did not respond to their threats and intimidation. These men knew the way their Lord and Savior Jesus was treated, but were not afraid. These men showed the power of God in and through their life. You can’t defeat men and women who are this committed to Jesus Christ! They were commanded to stop talking about Jesus, but everyone knew they would keep doing it.

There is something else wonderful about this story from Acts 4. We see it in the words, they conferred among themselves. How did Luke know what the council discussed among themselves after the disciples left the room? Luke probably found out because a member of that same council later became a Christian: Saul of Tarsus. Acts 26:10 gives us reason to believe Paul (Saul) was a member of this council, able to cast his voteagainst the early Christians.

If this is true, we can say that Peter and John had no idea they were preaching to a future apostle and one of the greatest missionaries the church would ever see. It is an example of the truth that we have no idea how greatly God can use us.

Click here to read David’s commentary on Acts 4

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

Here was bold preaching from Peter. He spoke to the most powerful men of his community and told them that Jesus Christ was the only way to salvation, the only way to be made right with God.

This shows what a remarkable transformation the Holy Spirit did in Peter. The same man who only a few weeks before was afraid to say that he even knew Jesus now proclaimed Jesus Christ as the only way to be made right with God. As he was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:8), Peter did not have the spirit of fear – he had the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7).

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Peter phrased this with great emphasis:
– There is no salvation in any other name than Jesus (Nor is there salvation in any other)
– There is absolutely no other name that can save (for there is no other name under heaven given among men)
– This is a “must” for salvation, being made right with God (by which we must be saved)

Peter didn’t merely proclaim Jesus as a way of salvation, but as the only way of salvation. The idea that there is no salvation in any other, and that there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved is hard to accept for many people – but it is plainly stated.

The world hates this kind of talk. Many people don’t mind if you speak about Jesus being one among many possible saviors or ways to God. But if you believe and speak what the Bible says – that there is no salvation in any other – then get ready to be laughed at, to be hated, to be considered hateful.

Instinctively, many respond: “Isn’t there some way that I can save myself? Isn’t Jesus just for those people who can’t save themselves?” No. If you are going to be rescued; if you are going to be made right with God, Jesus is going to do it.

Such a strong statement from Peter also shows that he understood that Jesus was in fact God. The Old Testament clearly says that God is the only Savior (Isaiah 43:11, 45:21). If Jesus is the only savior, then Jesus is God!

If you wish to believe that everyone will be saved, or that there are many roads to heaven, or that one can take the best of all faiths and blend them into one – you are free to believe such things. You may believe such things and bear the consequences; but please do not claim this is the teaching of the Bible.

Today, remember what the Bible says about the name of Jesus: there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Click here to read David’s commentary on Acts 4

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel” (Acts 4:8)

Peter was in trouble again, and in a stressful situation. He stood before important and powerful men, and it was possible that they could condemn him to death.

At that critical moment, it tells is that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter was instantly filled with the Spirit again. The result of this filling with the Holy Spirit was seen in his supernatural boldness and ability to speak the gospel clearly and to the heart in a really stressful and dangerous moment.

But wait – wasn’t Peter filled with the Holy Spirit before?

Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit in John 20:22, when he was among the disciples when Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4, when he was among the disciples who were “all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

When Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 4:8 it wasn’t the first time, and it wasn’t the last time. The filling of the Holy Spirit Peter experienced in John 20:22 and Acts 2:4 was not a one-time event. It was something God wanted to continue doing in his life.

The filling of the Holy Spirit is not a one-time event that we live off of the rest of our days. It is a constant filling, a continual asking to be filled, and repeated receiving the Spirit’s filling by faith.

There is a wonderful and significant first experience with the filling of the Holy Spirit, often thought of as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11, Acts 1:5 and 11:16). This is an experience valid and important for every believer.

Much of the weakness, defeat and lethargy in our spiritual life can be attributed to the fact that we are not constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit.

In Ephesians 5:18 the Apostle Paul wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, telling us to “be filled with the Holy Spirit.” The grammar of the ancient Greek for the phrase Paul used indicates at least two important things. First, the verb “be filled” is passive, so this is not a manufactured experience. We must never “manufacture” or “fake” some experience with the Holy Spirit. That doesn’t glorify God or bring true help to people, including ourselves.

Second, in Ephesians 5:18 the verb “be filled” is imperative, so this is not an optional experience – it is a command! We should never think of this as if some Christians are “better” or others are “worse” because of what they have or have not experienced with the Holy Spirit. We should simply often come to God and ask Him to fill us with the Holy Spirit.

Peter was often filled with the Holy Spirit. Is this also true of you?

Click here to read David’s commentary on Acts 4

And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. (Acts 4:3-4)

The religious leaders in Jerusalem were angry. Peter, John, and the other apostles and disciples wouldn’t stop telling the good news of Jesus the Messiah. They talked about who Jesus was and what He did for us, especially in taking our sins on the cross and in His resurrection.

The apostles and disciples wouldn’t stop, so the religious leaders tried to make them stop. The temple police came together with the priests and the establishment leaders (the Sadducees) to suddenly arrest Peter and John.

After the arrest, they put them into custody until the next day. Normally, this would be an intimidating experience for Peter and John – or for anyone! They were suddenly arrested by angry officials. They were handled roughly (laid hands on them), and threatened (Acts 4:21 implies this). Finally, they were thrown into jail. The entire atmosphere was intended to make them afraid.

Acts 4:21 even mentions further threats. If there were further threats, there must have been earlier threats. They must have said things like, “If you keep preaching, we will arrest you and beat you.” “If you keep preaching, we will harm your family.” “Remember what we did to Jesus.”

By all outward measures, Christianity – the movement of the followers of Jesus – was very weak at this early point.

– They were few in numbers.
– They were inexperienced in leadership.
– They were commanded to not fight back; they were not militant.
– They were opposed by institutions that had existed for hundreds of years.

Look at all who were against these followers of Jesus in Acts 4. There were the priests and the Sadducees (Acts 4:1); there were rulers, elders, and scribes (Acts 4:5); there were others from the family of the high priest (Acts 4:6). There were also individuals such as the captain of the temple (Acts 4:1), Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander (mentioned in Acts 4:6).

It was a frightening, intimidating situation. Maybe Christianity would be crushed at the very beginning.

It didn’t work out that way. Instead, the number of the men came to be about five thousand: Despite the opposition coming against Christians and the gospel of Jesus they preached, the number of Christians kept increasing, growing to 5,000 from 3,000 at last count (Acts 2:41). Opposition did not slow the church down at all. The power plays, threats, and intimidation didn’t work. More people started following Jesus, not less.

When we feel that Christian freedoms are attacked, we should do every God-honoring thing we can to protect those freedoms. Yet, we should never do it from a spirit of fear. God’s church can and will flourish no matter what the gates of hell bring against us. You can be unafraid because you have an unstoppable Savior.

Click here to read David’s commentary on Acts 4