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The book of Acts

Peter and John before the sanhedrim

Chapter 4:1 to 22

The crowd that had gathered to see the miracle that had been performed on the lame man and heard Peter’s explanation attracted the priests, the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees.

The priests had a special influence on the country's politics and many were relatives of the high priest. The captain of the temple guard obeyed their orders. The Sadducees were members of a powerful Jewish religious sect that did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. These religious leaders were those who had the most to gain financially by cooperating with the Romans (the Pharisees were not in the group, and we know that some of their leaders had been converted, as Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus).

What Peter was saying disturbed them a lot, for it was they who had planned the seizure and encouraged the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. The news that was spreading in the temple, giving his personal testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, was especially harmful to them because, if true, the crime they committed would be proved (Peter and John were two witnesses), and they would lose all their authority. They had to silence the two apostles, therefore they arrested the two until the next day, as it was already dusk, and they were not allowed to have a meeting of the sanhedrim (council) for judgment at night.

Nevertheless, nearly five thousand men in the crowd who heard the testimony of Peter and his explanation about the fulfilment of the prophecies in the person of Jesus Christ believed.

The next day a great meeting of the three classes that comprised the superior court, or council, was held in Jerusalem: the authorities (chiefs of the priests who were Sadducees), scribes (usually Pharisees), and elders (overseers, leaders of the people) in the following proportion: 24 priests, 24 elders, and 22 scribes.

Annas was high priest, a lifelong appointment according to the Mosaic law (Numbers 35:25), but after only seven years the Roman authorities ordered his son in law Caiaphas to take his place in the year 14 AD. It is assumed that this John that gathered with them was a son of Annas, and Alexander was a man of prominence at that time, according to the historian Josephus. The others, who "were of the family of the high priest", wishing to continue pleasing him, would certainly approve of what he determined.

The inquisition began by asking the apostles "By what power or by what name, have you done this?" It was similar to the question that the chief priests and the religious leaders had made ??to the Lord Jesus a few weeks before: "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority? "(Matthew 21:23).

The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, was himself the sovereign authority in the temple and His wise answer confused these small "authorities". The question asked implies that the apostles ought to be acting in the role or place of someone who had a higher power. No doubt this was true, as Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, readily explained to them. It was an excellent opportunity to expose the Gospel for the third time, now to the civil and religious authorities of the country.

It was a short and direct speech, addressed to those who had crucified their dear Master. Peter stated that he and John had been brought before the court to:

• Give account of a benefit they had done to a sick man. He did not say it, but it was clear that they were not criminals, but benefactors, therefore could not suffer punishment. Furthermore, these authorities could see the beggar daily at the temple gate, and did not heal him because they could not.

• To declare how the healing was done. A doctor is hardly ever called to court to explain how he heals the sick, because healing is not a crime.

Nevertheless, Peter continued with his "defence" informing the court and all the people of Israel (represented by the court):

• The healing was done in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, "whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead."

• By saying Jesus Christ, Peter is declaring that He is the Messiah of the prophecies (Christ is the Greek equivalent of Messiah). They could not deny they had crucified Him. Peter could state with certainty that God had raised Him from the dead, because he had seen and been with Him.

• Jesus Christ was "the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone." This is a prophecy in Psalm 118:22 that those religious Jews should know very well. They probably did not understand its meaning, given the context that involves the "gate of the LORD" and salvation, which, we now know, refer to the Lord Jesus. He was rejected and killed by religious Jews, the "builders", but God raised Him and placed Him above all things, and His church is being built on Him, the indispensable "cornerstone", on which its entire structure is based. Peter delves into this in his first epistle (2:1-8). There is salvation in no other because "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

With these stirring words, Peter ended his defence before the court. The transformation that had been operated in this Galilean fisherman, who had three times denied with an oath to be a disciple of the Lord, was impressive. His simple and clear statement had in a few moments bluntly proved his innocence and revealed the great guilt of the Jewish leaders that occupied the court.

The boldness with which Peter stood before those illustrious "authorities" won their admiration, and showed his conviction that he and John had been with the resurrected Jesus. The transformation in Peter was not only due to the certainty that he had now about the identity and the position of the Lord Jesus, but also to the Holy Spirit that filled him. Even today, the Holy Spirit transforms men and women so that they are able to exert their function in the church, whether in missionary work, in ministry, in support of workers, etc.

The man who was healed was also standing with Peter and John, an undeniable witness to the supernatural miracle done in the name of the Lord Jesus, and the court was forced to accept this other evidence that Peter's testimony was true. It was now impossible to deny the facts.

The "authorities" ordered the three "defendants" to be removed aside out of the council so that they could decide on what to do about these unforeseen circumstances. Their greatest concern was that everybody might come to the knowledge of what Peter and John proclaimed, i.e., the identity of Jesus Christ and His resurrection, which was evidence of the great sin that the leaders of the people had committed. They could not imprison them without condemnation, and they could not condemn them for healing the lame man or for giving testimony of what they saw and heard.

They decided to release them after intimidating them with a stern warning to be silent and never again to speak to anybody in the name of Jesus. Therefore, they called them and told them so. However, Peter and John answered them by asking if they judged it was right in God's sight to listen to them rather than God, since it was not possible for them to stop talking about what they had seen and heard.

The "authorities" threatened them further, but had to let them go without punishment because all the people were praising God for the event. The man they had healed was over forty years old, being therefore widely known by the public in his former condition.

 

R David Jones

 

 

1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them,

 

 

 

 

 

2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

 

3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.

4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes,
6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

 

 

 

7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?"

 

 

 

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:

 

 

 

 

9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well,

 

 

 

 

10 let it be known to you all, 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 whole.

11 This is the 'STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED BY YOU BUILDERS, WHICH HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE.'

 

 

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

 

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

 

14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 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.
17 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."
18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done.
22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

Acts chapter 4 verses 1 to 22