1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,
The Greek word for "came" is ἐφίστημι (ephistaimi), meaning that the Jewish leaders burst on them urgently with an attack. Peter and John did not even get to finish their sermon. The priests were either the common priests, or most likely the 24 chief priests, who were all Sadducees. The commander of the temple guard had to be a member of one of the priestly families. He was in charge of the temple police. He was the second most powerful man of position, behind the High Priest.
2 They were angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
The Sadducees did not think that uneducated fishermen should teach in the temple ground. They also did not like their subject matter, as Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. The Sadducees had also rejected Jesus and called him demon possessed.
3 So they seized them and put them in jail until the next day (for it was already evening).
No trial could be held in the evening, so they had to be placed in jail overnight.
4 But many of those who had listened to the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5000 men came to a saving faith, not including women and children.
5 On the next day, their rulers, elders, and experts in the law came together in Jerusalem.
The rulers were the 24 chief priests, who were Sadducees. The elders were the Pharisees. The experts were also the Pharisees.
6 Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others who were members of the high priest’s family.
These are all family members of the High Priest. They could be called the mafia family of Jerusalem.
7 After making Peter and John stand in their midst, they began to inquire, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”
The Greek word for "power" is δύναμις (dynamos), meaning divine power. However, they did not mean the divine power of God. They meant the divine power of demons.
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, replied, “Rulers of the people and elders,”
Peter was completely controlled by the Holy Spirit. God is going to answer the Court by using Peter as his human agent.
9 “if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man, by what means this man was healed?”
Peter was using irony. His point was that they were being put on trial for doing a good thing, such as healing a man who had been born lame and was not able to walk for forty years.
10 “let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy.”
The apostles did not heal the man by the divine power of demons. He was healed in the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, whom this same court had crucified. Nazarene was the place of the birth of Jesus, which brought attention to the humanity of Jesus. Peter reminded them that Jesus had raised himself from the dead, emphasizing his deity. The Sanhedrin knew this, but they still rejected the message of the gospel. Why? They had been blinded by Satan. Satan had entered Judaism and placed his puppets in control.
11 “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone.”
Peter paraphrased Psalm 118:22. The builders were the Jewish leaders. The cornerstone was Jesus the Messiah. The builders rejected the cornerstone of the entire House of God.
12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.”
The Jewish leaders had not only rejected the cornerstone. They had rejected their only way of salvation. There are many cults and isms who teach that God is one, and all religions lead to God. They falsely teach that a person can come to God through Moses, Jesus, Muhammed, Buddha, Joseph Smith, Hari Krishna, or any other religious figure. However, when Peter spoke by apostolic authority, he taught that there is only one name by which man can be saved,
13 When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus.
John also was teaching, but Luke emphasized the book on Peter and Paul. Uneducated meant that Peter and John had no rabbinic training. The Jewish leaders were amazed at the knowledge of Scriptures that these fishermen possessed. Then, they recognized that they had been trained by Jesus.
14 And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this.
They knew the man had been standing lame at the Beautiful Gate for forty years. Now, he was healed. The only logical answer was that Jesus did it, because he was the Messiah.
15 But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, they began to confer with one another,
The Sanhedrin was not sure what to do with these men. The people knew what happened.
16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For it is plain to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign has come about through them, and we cannot deny it.”
A miracle had occurred. No law had been broken. The people knew about it. The Jewish leaders were not sure what to do.
17 “But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”
They hated Jesus so much, that they refused to even say his name.
18 And they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
They used political intimidation in order to silence the gospel from spreading.
19 But Peter and John replied, “Whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God, you decide,”
The question asked was it right to follow God or human leaders.
20 “for it is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”
God had a divine plan for these two apostles and no man would be able to stop them.
21 After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened.
The Jews could not charge them with breaking any law. There were 5000 new converts who observed the healing, so the Jewish leaders would not be able to hide their judgment from so many.
22 For the man, on whom this miraculous sign of healing had been performed, was over forty years old.
Luke gave more details about the man who was healed.
The Followers of Jesus Pray for Boldness
23 When they were released, Peter and John went to their fellow believers and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said to them.
Peter and John made their report to other believers.
24 When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said, “Master of all, you who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them,”
God was praised for his creation work.
25 “who said by the Holy Spirit through your servant David our forefather ‘Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot foolish things?’
Peter quoted Psalm 2. The dual authorship was mentioned. The Holy Spirit was the divine author. David was the human agent. The nations are Gentiles. The people are the Jews. This is a prophecy about the second coming of Jesus. The Gentiles will rage. The Jews will plot foolish things. Peter used this passage as a metaphor of the Jewish leaders conspiring against their own Messiah.
26 ‘The kings of the earth stood together, and the rulers assembled together, against the Lord and against his Christ.’”
In the future at Armageddon, the Gentle kings will come against Jesus.
27 “For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,”
At the second coming of Jesus, the kings of the earth will come against Jesus at the Battle of Armageddon. This psalm was used metaphorically. meaning that just as the Gentile kings will come against Jesus at his Second Coming, the Gentile kings (Herod and Pontius Pilate) also came against the Messiah at his first coming. Humans, both Jews and Gentiles, were responsible for the death of the Messiah.
28 “to do as much as your power and your plan had decided beforehand would happen.”
It was also God's sovereign will that Jesus would be put to death as an atonement for the sins of all believers.
29 “And now, Lord, pay attention to their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage,”
The apostles prayed for courage to speak the truth, even if it meant exposing evil. Many modern pastors today do not have the courage to expose evil. They feel that they will offend members and lose attendance and revenue.
30 “while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
The apostles prayed for miracles to authenticate their message.
31 When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God courageously.
They were filled, or controlled, by the Holy Spirit again, to teach courageously. There is only one baptism of the Spirit, but many fillings. Today, one who fills his soul with bible doctrine and continually confesses his sin as according to 1 John 1:9, will be used or controlled by the Holy Spirit. The filling of the spirit is not a charismatic emotional gimmick for lazy Christians who do not study their Bibles. The filling of the spirit comes through study and application of the Scriptures.
Conditions Among the Early Believers
32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common.
This group of believers had grown to 8000 men, plus women and children. There was a unity between believers. The church was innocent. Satan was about to step into this new body called the Church. He tried persecution and threats, but the message spread more rapidly. Now, he will attempt to destroy the Church internally.
33 With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all.
Notice that only the apostles received great power. They received power through prayer. Later on, the apostles will lay hands on their legates, and they will receive power as well. Nowhere is it taught in the Bible that everyone received the power of miracles. This is a modern charismatic teaching that is not confirmed in Scripture.
34 For there was no one needy among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds from the sales
Socialists and communists used this verse to further their political agenda. Socialism and communism forces their citizens to give for the governmental good. It is usually exploited by the leaders, who are totally depraved and evil and cannot be trusted. This was an act of giving in the name of Jesus. The saints in Jerusalem were very poor. Many of the Jewish believers were persecuted and lost much of their property. The Church is to care for its own in the local congregation. It is not to feed the world of unbelievers, because this food will result in strong bodies that will oppose Christ and the Church.
35 and placing them at the apostles’ feet. The proceeds were distributed to each, as anyone had need.
Some of the wealthier believers sold their land and laid the money at the apostle’s feet. Jehovah Witnesses teach their congregations to do this today. Luke was not recording Bible doctrine. He was recording the history of the early church. This was done by apostolic authority. It is not a New Testament doctrine.
This giving actually backfired. After the saints in Jerusalem sold their land, there was no way to earn additional money to tie care of their future upcoming needs. The Jerusalem church was so broke, that Paul later had to take up offerings from Gentile churches to help the Jerusalem church survive.
36 So Joseph, a Levite who was a native of Cyprus, called by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated “son of encouragement”),
Joseph was a Jewish name, meaning Jehovah adds (a son). The apostles changed his name to Barnabas, meaning Son of encouragement. He was a Levite, who according to the Mosaic Law, was at one time responsible for teaching Israel the Word of God.
37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and placed it at the apostles’ feet.
It was against the Mosaic Law for a Levite to own a field, unless it was outside of the land. Therefore, Barnabas did not break the Mosaic Law, as many skeptics claim. Also, after the Babylon Captivity, Israel had lost their land. There were no more Levitical cities or cities of refuge. With Israel out of the land, this law was not in effect. Barnabas sold his land and placed the money at the apostle's feet. This drew admiration from many, but jealousy from some. Satan will use this jealousy in the next chapter in an attempt to bring down the early church.
