Acts 4 Commentary

Peter and John are arrested by the Sadducees for teaching that Jesus was resurrected. But many who heard them preach the gospel believed, and the church grew in size to 5000 men.

The religious leaders assemble to judge Peter and John. This is the same council that condemned Jesus to death. The leaders ask the apostles how they healed the lame man at the temple. Peter boldly tells them the man was healed in the name of Jesus Christ, whom they crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. The only way to be made righteous in the sight of God is through Jesus.

The religious leaders are shocked that Peter and John speak so defiantly. They see that the apostles are uneducated but were followers of Jesus during His lifetime. They set Peter and John free because the people who witnessed the healing are praising God for the miracle, but they warn them not to preach about Jesus anymore. Peter and John reply that they will obey God, not man.

The believers gather together and pray that God would give them courage to continue preaching and healing in Jesus’s name.

God answers the believers’ prayer for boldness by filling them with the Holy Spirit. The church is united in heart and soul. The apostles continue to preach and perform miracles. The wealthier believers sell their land and properties, then bring money to the apostles to dole out to the neediest among them. One of these generous men was called Barnabas.