THEY SEIZED PETER AND JOHN: And the lame man (v
10).
THEM: Including the healed man: vv 9,10,14.
JAIL: "Custody" (RSV). Gr "teresis": only here; Acts
5:18; and 1Co 7:19.
Act 4:4
See sequence: Act 5:14; 6:1,7.
Notice sequence in Joshua: an army of "about three thousand"
(Jos 7:4); another army of "about five thousand" (Jos 8:12); and a king "hanged
on a tree" (Jos 8:29). Cp sequence in Acts: 3,000 converts (Act 2:41); 5,000
converts (Act 4:4); and "Jesus, whom you killed by hanging on a tree" (Act 5:30;
10:39).
FIVE THOUSAND: Prob the 3,000 from Pentecost, plus
another 2,000.
5,000 fed out of 12 "full baskets" (the apostles): Mat
14:13-23; Mark 6:30-46; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15. (The arrest of Peter and John
had done nothing to stem the tide.)
Act 4:5
An assembly of the full Sanhedrin.
Act 4:6
John was known to the High Priest; it is prob for this reason
that the latter 2 are here named. They are not mentioned by Josephus (Xd
89:144).
The entire family of Caiaphas were Sadducees (v 1), who
opposed doctrine of resurrection on general principles. An august company
well-calculated to overawe the humble Galileans (v 13).
Act 4:7
...As if to say, 'What we did to Jesus we can do to you
too!'
Act 4:8
"They will deliver you up to councils": Mat 10:17-20; Mark
13:11; Luk 12:11; 21:15.
Act 4:9
Notice that Peter and John, like Jesus before them, are the
real masters of the situation.
CALLED TO ACCOUNT: "Put on trial"; "examined"
(RSV).
AN ACT OF KINDNESS: 'Just why do you continue to object
to GOOD works?!' (cp Luk 6:6; 13:11).
THIS MAN: The healed man was standing there before
them, along with Peter and John.
WHOM GOD RAISED FROM THE DEAD: Jesus was raised by God:
Acts 2:24; 3:15. On the third day: Mat 16:21; 17:22,23; Mark 9:31; 1Co 15:4;
Acts 10:39,40.
Act 4:11
Psa 118:22 had been so applied by Christ in parable of the
wicked husbandmen (Mat 21:42). When Christ had quoted this same passage to them,
he had concluded with: "The kingdom is taken away from you."
REJECTED: "Exouthenio" = to treat with
contempt.
CORNERSTONE: The foundation stone for a new "temple" to
supplant their own! Peter (sig stone) was another of the living stones in God's
spiritual temple (1Pe 2:4,7).
"The power of this single, apparently throwaway line is
enormous; and yet it seems to go over the heads of the listeners. Maybe they
were not too well versed in their scriptures this time, or were so busy trying
to trip the apostles up that they missed this direct recrimination"
(PC).
Act 4:12
NO ONE ELSE: But only through Jesus: v 10; Acts 8:12.
THERE IS NO OTHER NAME: His was a Name exalted above
all others: Phi 2:9-11; Eph 1:21.
UNDER HEAVEN: A phrase suggesting the universality of
Yahweh's judgment: Gen 6:17; Exo 17:14; Deu 7:24; 9:14; 25:19; 29:20; 2Ki 14:27.
The two NT references (Acts 4:12; Col 1:23) expand the theme to show that the
Father is indeed concerned with salvation for all mankind.
GIVEN TO MEN: To mankind at large, not just to
Israel.
BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED: Thus effectively declaring
their "Day of Atonement" a total futility!
Act 4:13
COURAGE: Outspokenness (sw Act 2:29; 4:29,31). Sw used
of Jesus in Mar 8:32; Joh 7:26; 11:14; 16:25,29; 18:20.
UNSCHOOLED: "Agrammatos", lit "ungrammatical".
("Unlearned" in KJV.)
ORDINARY: "Idiotes" = lit "private", ie laymen.
("Ignorant" in KJV.) Cp idea, John 7:41,52; Acts 2:7.
Act 4:14
THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD SAY: Prob they feared to
reopen the case of Jesus to investigate.
Act 4:16
WE CANNOT DENY IT: They would have suppressed the
evidence if they could.
Act 4:17
SPREADING ANY FURTHER: Gr "dianemomai". The gospel is
characterized as a contagious disease, or as an uncontrollable forest
fire.
IN THIS NAME: Or, by the authority of this man (cp Acts
4:12).
Act 4:18
The triumph of blind bigotry. Truth was not nearly as
important as political expediency. But this command was disobeyed immediately (v
31).
Act 4:20
"A declaration of war." Peter seems to have in mind Balaam's
words in Num 24:13.
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD: Cp Joh 1:14; 1Jo
1:2,3.
Act 4:21
They were, again, afraid of the people.
Act 4:22
OVER 40 YEARS OLD: Lame from birth. Thus his affliction
was well-known -- explaining, in part, why the miracle could not be
denied.
Act 4:24
The first "thanksgiving"!
LORD... YOU MADE... HEAVEN... EARTH... SEA: The God of
the original creation is continuing His work in a new spiritual "creation"! A
quotation from Psa 146:6, which speaks also of prisoners being set free (Psa
146:7) and the way of the wicked being frustrated (Psa 146:9)!
Act 4:25
Quoting Psa 2: also cited Act 13:33; Heb 1:5; 5:5; Rev
2:26,27; 12:5; 19:15.
SERVANT: "Pais": Act 3:13n.
Act 4:27
SERVANT: "Pais": Act 3:13n.
Act 4:28
Cp the foreordained purpose of God, described by Peter in Acts
2:23; 10:42; 1Pe 1:2,20.
Act 4:29
A contradiction: "Slaves" (doulos) with boldness/confidence! A
slave of God = a ruler of world!
Act 4:30
SERVANT: "Pais": Act 3:13n.
Act 4:31
THE PLACE WHERE THEY WERE MEETING WAS SHAKEN: As the
walls of another "Jericho", being thrown down by the power of the
Almighty!
Act 4:32
"If the sum total belonged to all, as in the schemes of
socialism, there would be no scope for individual character and responsibility,
and human character would dwarf to a workhouse level. If nothing were allowed to
belong to any, each would take and keep by force what he could get, and the
conflict of individual graspings would reduce life to a chaos and the world to a
desert. The simple but wise and powerful law that each man shall have the right
to possess what he can lawfully acquire, modified by those other laws that
require him to consider his neighbor and to contribute to the well-being of the
whole, is the sure basis of social order and civilized human life. It only
requires to be regulated by infallible and just authority to make the earth an
abode of joyful life. This will be realized in the Kingdom of God, and not
before" (LM 61).
The fact that this same thing was done "from time to time"
would suggest that it was only the superfluous assets that were so disposed
of.
Act 4:35
AND PUT IT AT THE APOSTLES' FEET: Like soldiers
surrendering their arms. Cp incident, Acts 19:19; and contrast the incident,
Acts 7:58.
Act 4:36
CYPRUS: There were many Jews on Cyprus. They became so
numerous there that they held out against Rome after 70 AD. In 117 AD they
desolated Salamis and took control of island for a time (Spk).
JOSEPH... CALLED BARNABAS: Is this the same man as
"Joseph Bar-sabas" -- change of one letter (Acts 1:23)? (But had he accompanied
the apostles from the earliest times? see Acts 1:21.)
SON OF ENCOURAGEMENT: "Paraklesis" = exhortation. That
is, the man who did what he was told to do -- the rich young ruler in Mat
19:16-30, who had now sold his property (v 37)!