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The imprisonment of Peter and John and the consequence of Peter's speech (1–4). Interrogation of the Apostles in the Sanhedrin and their response (5–12). The bewilderment of the Sanhedrin and the release of the Apostles (13 – 22). Prayer of the Apostles and a new miraculous sign (23 – 31). The internal state of the primacy of the Church (32–37) Acts 4:1. While they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captains of the church guard and the Sadducees came to them, Acts 4:2. being annoyed that they teach the people and preach in Jesus the resurrection from the dead; Acts 4:3. and they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the morning; for it was already evening. “While they were speaking,” therefore, the speech of the Apostles was “interrupted” by the priests. “The priests and the captains of the guard came,” οί ιερεῖς καί ο στρατηγός τοῦ ιεροῦ ... Certain members of the Greek original point here to certain priests who were serving at the church that week (cf. Luke. 1, 8). The priests intervene here out of annoyance that the Apostles, not having, in their opinion, legal authority, teach the people in the church. “Chief of the Guard,” which consisted of the Levites and oversaw the decorum, silence and order in the church, especially during worship. It was also a priest. “Sadducees” - participate in the capture of the Apostles out of annoyance at their teaching about the resurrection of the dead, which, as is known, they did not recognize. Although, as a “first” measure against the apostles disturbing the peace in the church, it was quite enough to simply remove them from the church or simply prohibit them from speaking, however, in reality we see much more. The priests and others who came with them “laid hands” on the Apostles and “took them into custody until the morning.” This makes us think that the activities and personalities of the Apostles have already attracted the restless attention of the authorities, and the latest event in the church served only as a sufficient reason to present them to the highest court. “It was already evening.” The apostles went to prayer at 9 o'clock (in our opinion, three in the afternoon). Considerable time could pass between the healing of the lame man and Peter’s speech to the people, until the miracle was revealed and the people came running. Peter’s speech itself could have dragged on, perhaps presented by the writer only in its brief essence. It is clear from this that the capture of the apostles took place at a time in the evening when it would have been difficult to assemble the Sanhedrin, and such haste was unnecessary: ​​it was enough to do what was done - to take them into custody until the morning. Acts 4:4. Many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of such people was about five thousand. “About five thousand husbands” (ανδρῶν) - except, as it seems, wives and children. The number of converts this time exceeded even the first success of the day of Pentecost, obviously because, in addition to the power of the apostolic word and the greatness of the miracle, the people themselves were already more predisposed to faith in Christ by all the behavior of the believers, which aroused popular sympathy, and by the extraordinary actions of the Apostles. Well explains the success of the preaching of the Apostolic St. Chrysostom: “about five thousand believed”... What does this mean? Did they see the Apostles in glory? On the contrary, didn’t they see that they were tied up? How did you believe? Do you see the obvious power of God? After all, those who believed should have become weaker because of this, but they did not. Peter’s speech planted seeds deeply and touched their souls.” Acts 4:5. The next day their leaders and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, Acts 4:6. and Anna the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and the rest of the family of the high priest; From the list of those gathered in Jerusalem it is clear that this was the full meeting of the Sanhedrin - in the same composition as at the trial of Jesus Christ (Annas. Caiaphas). “John and Alexander and others” are members of the high priestly family unknown from history, who apparently then had great power in the Sanhedrin. Acts 4:7. and, placing them in the middle, they asked: by what force or by what name did you do this? It is unlikely that the members of the Sanhedrin did not know “in what name” and “by what power” the Apostles performed the miracle that brought them to the highest court. If they nevertheless ask such a question, then either in order to base their accusation of blasphemy on the Apostles’ own consciousness, or, according to Chrysostom’s interpretation, “they assumed that the Apostles, fearing the multitude, would renounce, and thought that they would correct everything by this.” Acts 4:8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: Leaders of the people and elders of Israel! “Filled with the Holy Spirit” - in a special way, to defend a just cause, according to the promise of Christ (Matthew 10:19–20, etc.). Acts 4:9. If today we are asked to answer in kindness to a weak person, how he was healed, The conditional form of the Apostles' answer to the Sanhedrin's question contains, first of all, a subtle and strong indication of the injustice of the trial of the Apostles for their help to the sick. “For this, of course, we should be crowned - as the Apostles say so (Chrysostom) and proclaimed benefactors, but instead we are judged for doing good to a weak, poor, weak and unequal person.” Acts 4:10. then let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him he has been set before you in health. The apostle points to the indisputability of the miracle of healing and the power by which it was accomplished. This is the power and name of Jesus. Acts 4:11. He is the stone that was neglected by you builders, but has become the head of the corner, and there is salvation in no one else, Acts 4:12. for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. In explaining the meaning and power of the name of Jesus, the Apostle cites the saying of the psalm, which the Lord Himself once applied to Himself before the leaders of the Jews (Ps. 118:22; cf. Matt. 21:42). According to the meaning of this saying, the Messiah seems to be the main cornerstone that the builders of the building neglected. The crucified Christ was precisely this Stone, which they, the founders, the leaders of the religious and moral life of the people, neglected when organizing the theocratic life of the people, but - despite everything - this Stone, by the will of God, nevertheless became the head and foundation of the new building of the Kingdom of God on earth. Boldly applying this meaning of the above saying to the modern leaders of the people who crucified Jesus, the Apostle concludes his speech with the majestic confession of Jesus as the true Messiah, whose Name - and it alone - contains, in its power, the salvation of the whole under heaven - not only temporary (like healing the sick), but - what is even more important - eternal and universal (salvation from sins with all their consequences, including death itself). Acts 4:13. Seeing the courage of Peter and John and noticing that they were unlearned and simple people, they were surprised, meanwhile they recognized them that they were with Jesus; “The courage of Peter and John,” who moved from the position of accused to the position of thorough accusers of the full composition of the Sanhedrin, gained strength in their well-known lack of bookishness and simplicity and caused understandable surprise and embarrassment. “It is possible to be unbookish and difficult, and simple and unbookish, but here both coincided. That’s why they were surprised when Peter and John spoke and orated” (Theophilus). Acts 4:14. seeing the healed man standing with them, they could not say anything contrary. The recognition of the Apostles as the constant companions of Jesus assured everyone that these people really continued the work of their Teacher, so hated by the entire Sanhedrin, which had just betrayed the Lord to death. This served, apparently, to the inevitable condemnation of the Apostles to the same fate, by being accused of a religious or political crime. But the presence of the healed man himself shackled this time all the determination of the Sanhedrin, which could not say anything contrary to the true explanation of the miracle presented by the Apostles. How did the healed man get to the Sanhedrin? Probably, by order of the authorities themselves, who hoped to force him to deny the miraculousness of healing, as once when the Lord healed a man born blind (John 9). But both then and now, the Sanhedrin made a mistake in its calculations and only aggravated its shame and injustice. Acts 4:15. And having ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they reasoned among themselves, Acts 4:16. saying: what should we do with these people? For everyone living in Jerusalem knows that they have performed a clear miracle, and we cannot deny this; Acts 4:17. but, so that this will no longer be disclosed among the people, we will forbid them with a threat, so that they do not speak about this name to any of the people. Acts 4:18. And having called them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all about the name of Jesus. The decision that the Sanhedrin takes in the matter of the Apostles represents the decision of confused people. They themselves say that everyone living in Jerusalem knows the obvious miracle of the Apostles, and at the same time they make an order so that it is not disclosed among the people. However, the idea of ​​the decision, apparently, is aimed more at the nature of the explanation of the miracle, rather than at the miracle itself, as a fact, the disclosure of which was already too late and naive. The Sanhedrin forbids talking specifically about the “name” of Jesus, by whose power the Apostles explained the miracle. “What madness! - Chrysostom exclaims on this occasion, - knowing that Christ was resurrected and having in this proof of His Divinity, they hoped with their machinations to hide the glory of the One who was not restrained by death. What compares to this madness? And don’t be surprised that they are again plotting something impossible. This is already the property of malice: it does not look at anything, but is confused everywhere." “Do not speak to any people or teach about the name of Jesus” - do not even speak in private and do not teach in public. Acts 4:19. But Peter and John answered them: Judge, is it right before God to listen to you rather than to God? “Is it fair... to listen to you more than to God.” The Apostles do their work according to the command of God, an obvious and sufficient sign of which is miracles. This command is all the more binding and powerful for them because it commands them to preach not some distant, abstract, untested truth, but what they themselves have seen and heard. It is “impossible” to renounce the right to talk about this, because this would be tantamount to making a reasonable person speechless. This also makes it clear that the command of the Sanhedrin itself went beyond the framework of agreement with the demands of sound reason and the laws of conscience and, as such, more justly deserved the fate to which it now dares to condemn the Divine commands. Acts 4:21. They, having threatened, released them, not finding an opportunity to punish them, because of the people; because everyone glorified God for what had happened. “Not finding it possible to punish them”, Greek. μηδέν ευρίσκοντες τό πῶς κοκάσωνται αντούς, more precisely glorified: “having found nothing how to torment them,” that is: not finding how, on what basis to punish them. “Because of the people” (cf. Matt. 21 and others), out of fear of them, in view of such mass sympathy and disposition for the Apostles. Acts 4:23. Having been released, they came to their own and recounted what the high priests and elders had told them. "They came to their own." At that time, they were in the general meeting (v. 31), probably praying for the release of the Apostles and a successful outcome of their cause. (cf. Acts 12:5). Acts 4:24. Having listened, they unanimously raised their voices to God and said: Sovereign God, who created heaven and earth and the sea and everything that is in them! Acts 4:25. Thou, through the mouth of our father David, Thy servant, said by the Holy Spirit: Why are the heathen troubled, and the nations plotting vain things? Acts 4:26. The kings of the earth rose up, and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ. Acts 4:27. For truly Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered in this city against Your Holy Son Jesus, whom You anointed, “Unanimously... they said.” Probably one of those present, perhaps Peter, was an exponent of the prayerful feelings of the believers, who, repeating the words of his prayer, thus made it the unanimous prayer of the whole society (cf. Acts 1:24). The prayer is based on the saying of Psalm II of David (Ps. 2:1-2), which depicts with evangelical clarity the rebellion of kings and princes of the people against the Messiah and Himself who sent Him, which is what happened during the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus. Since the apostles continued the work of the Messiah, the present uprising against them was also an uprising “against the Lord and against His Christ,” which is why it evoked prayer for their protection and strengthening. “They cite a prophecy, as if demanding from God the fulfillment of a promise and at the same time consoling themselves with the fact that their enemies are planning everything in vain. Thus, their words mean: bring all this to an end and show that they were plotting in vain.” (Chrysostom, cf. Theophylact). The affiliation of the cited psalm to David is not visible from the inscription of the psalm itself, but is probably indicated here by the Apostles by virtue of tradition. “Anointed by You”, όν έχρισας, or rather glory. "whom you have anointed". This followed in His baptism, with the descent of the Holy Spirit on Him. Acts 4:28. to do what Thy hand and Thy counsel have predestined to be. "Do this". The enemies of Christ wanted to do something completely different - to kill Jesus as the unrecognized Messiah, but in reality, without knowing it themselves, they did what the hand of God's omnipotence predetermined to be - by the death of the Messiah to redeem all humanity and restore them to their former dignity and glory (cf. Chrysostom and Theophylact). Acts 4:29. And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to Your servants to speak Your word with all boldness, Acts 4:30. while You stretch out Your hand to heal and to perform signs and wonders in the name of Your Holy Son Jesus. “The place was shaken” - it was not a natural earthquake, but a miraculous one (since only the “place of meeting” was shaken), meaning that their prayer was heard by God, and at the same time it was a harbinger of another further miraculous event - the filling of believers with the bold power of the Holy Spirit. It was also a symbol of God's omnipotence, assuring the Apostles that they had nothing to fear from the threats of the Sanhedrin, that he who shook the place of their prayer meeting was strong to protect them (Zlat., Theophilus). Thus, to encourage the assembled believers, the Lord immediately granted their prayer and granted what they asked: to speak with boldness and to support their word with signs and wonders. So they spoke thus, and the place of the meeting “was shaken.” Acts 4:32. The multitude of those who believed had one heart and one soul; and no one called anything of his property his own, but they had everything in common. Acts 4:33. The apostles testified with great power to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; and great grace was upon them all. The miracle of the healing of the lame man and the great moral victory of the Apostles over the Sanhedrin during its first uprising against the new society were a great event in the early Christian Church. From then on, the community of Christians multiplied almost threefold compared to those who believed on the first day of Pentecost. Therefore, the writer again finds it necessary to make general comments about the internal state of this multiplied society (verses 32–37). As the main characteristic feature of this society, he points out that this multitude had complete unanimity and brotherly love: “one heart and one soul” - perfect unity in thought, in feeling, in will, in faith, in the entire structure of spiritual life. Truly a wondrous phenomenon in a sinful, self-loving world. Another characteristic feature that naturally flowed from the first was the complete communication of property, not under compulsion or any law obligatory for everyone, but completely voluntarily, due to the brotherly love and moral unity that animated everyone. “No one... called anything his own,” although there was property, it was fraternally provided to all those in need, according to their needs, establishing general contentment and the complete absence of those in need. It was the most characteristic and grandiose mutual aid society in the history of mankind, not without an intelligent and complex organization, with a special common treasury, which, on the one hand, was constantly replenished with the proceeds of donated and sold property for the common benefit, and on the other hand, it also continuously supported the complete absence of poor and needy people in the society. And at the head of this wise organization were not some great statesmen, but simple Galilean fishermen, the Apostles, or, better to say, the abundantly “new power of truly Christian grace-filled inspiration that flowed through them,” the power of faith and love for the Savior (“great grace was upon all of them”). Explaining the tension of the high animation of believers, the writer makes mention of the great power of the preaching of the Apostles “about the resurrection of the Lord.” This resurrection is the foundation of the entire Christian faith (1 Cor. 15:14), and therefore is the foundation and focus of all Apostolic preaching, of course, constituting not the exclusive, but only the primary, main subject of this preaching. Acts 4:34. There was no one in need among them; for all who owned lands or houses, selling them, brought the price of what was sold Acts 4:35. and laid them at the feet of the Apostles; and everyone was given whatever they needed. “Everyone who owned”, όσοι κτήτορες ... υπῆρχον, “the Lord’s great ... byahu”. A more precise meaning of the expression: not “all who”, but “those who”. Just as “selling them” does not mean that the owners “sold everything”, leaving nothing for themselves. Both were a matter of good will and brotherly love of everyone and allowed the most varied degrees, alien and shadows of outside compulsion (cf. Acts 5:4). “They laid them at the feet of the Apostles” - at their complete disposal and control. Acts 4:36. So Josiah, called Barnabas by the Apostles, which means son of consolation, is a Levite, a native of Cyprus, As an example of the good donations mentioned, probably more instructive than others, the writer points to Josiah, nicknamed by the apostles Barnabas, which means “son of consolation.” This Barnabas, later such a famous companion of the Apostle Paul, was a prophet (Acts 13:1), and his nickname probably meant the special comfort of his inspired and prophetic speeches (1 Cor. 14:3). He was also a Levite. This is also remarkable: hitherto there has never been a case where the sacred knee bowed before Christ by faith in Him. But soon there are references to many priests who submitted to the faith of Christ (Acts 6:7). “Cyprian by birth” - from the island of Cyprus, closest to the coast of Palestine on the Mediterranean Sea. Acts 4:37. who had his own land, having sold it, brought the money and laid it at the feet of the Apostles. Priests and Levites could have real estate, as can be seen from the example of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32ff.) You might be interested in: