Text: Acts 4:13-22
I. The boldness of Peter and John.
A. Unlearned men--agrammatoi, men who had no words.
B. Ignorant men--idiotai, men without official status, laymen. "A layman, a man not in office (a private person), a common soldier and not an officer, a man not skilled in the schools." A.T. Robertson
C. Boldness--parresia, from pas, all, and rhesis, speech; freedom of speech, unreservedness of utterance, confidence, clarity, plainness.
D. Its origin: they had been with Jesus. Mk. 3:14, And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach.
E. 1 Corinthians 1:27-28, But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.
A. Unlearned men--agrammatoi, men who had no words.
B. Ignorant men--idiotai, men without official status, laymen. "A layman, a man not in office (a private person), a common soldier and not an officer, a man not skilled in the schools." A.T. Robertson
C. Boldness--parresia, from pas, all, and rhesis, speech; freedom of speech, unreservedness of utterance, confidence, clarity, plainness.
D. Its origin: they had been with Jesus. Mk. 3:14, And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach.
E. 1 Corinthians 1:27-28, But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.
II. Conferring in the council.
A. John 11:47-48, Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
B. Matthew 26:59, Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death.
C. Genesis 3:15, And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
D. Psalm 2:1-3, Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
E. John 3:20, For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
F. "The whole of history since the ascension of Jesus into heaven is concerned with one work only: the building and perfecting of this City of God." Augustine
A. John 11:47-48, Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
B. Matthew 26:59, Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death.
C. Genesis 3:15, And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
D. Psalm 2:1-3, Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
E. John 3:20, For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
F. "The whole of history since the ascension of Jesus into heaven is concerned with one work only: the building and perfecting of this City of God." Augustine
III. The threat: do not speak or teach in the name (authority, power) of Jesus.
A. Isaiah 30:10, Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.
B. "There is not a greater service done to the devil's kingdom than the silencing of faithful ministers; and putting those under a bushel that are the lights of the world." Matthew Henry
C. "The Sanhedrin might utter warnings, threats and prohibitions, and try to silence the church, but their authority was subject to a higher authority still, and the edicts of men cannot overturn the decrees of God." John Stott
D. "'You charge us not to preach the gospel; He has charged us to preach it, has committed it to us as a trust, requiring us upon our allegiance faithfully to dispense it; now whom must we obey, God or you?' Here they appeal to a settled and acknowledged maxim in the law of nature, that if men's commands and God's interfere God's commands must take the place of priority. It is a rule in the common law of England that if any statute be made contrary to the law of God it is null and void. Nothing can be more absurd than to hearken unto weak and fallible men, that are fellow-creatures and fellow-subjects, more than unto a God that is infinitely wise and holy, our Creator and sovereign Lord, and the Judge to whom we are all accountable." Matthew Henry
A. Isaiah 30:10, Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.
B. "There is not a greater service done to the devil's kingdom than the silencing of faithful ministers; and putting those under a bushel that are the lights of the world." Matthew Henry
C. "The Sanhedrin might utter warnings, threats and prohibitions, and try to silence the church, but their authority was subject to a higher authority still, and the edicts of men cannot overturn the decrees of God." John Stott
D. "'You charge us not to preach the gospel; He has charged us to preach it, has committed it to us as a trust, requiring us upon our allegiance faithfully to dispense it; now whom must we obey, God or you?' Here they appeal to a settled and acknowledged maxim in the law of nature, that if men's commands and God's interfere God's commands must take the place of priority. It is a rule in the common law of England that if any statute be made contrary to the law of God it is null and void. Nothing can be more absurd than to hearken unto weak and fallible men, that are fellow-creatures and fellow-subjects, more than unto a God that is infinitely wise and holy, our Creator and sovereign Lord, and the Judge to whom we are all accountable." Matthew Henry
IV. The response: we cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard.
A. Exodus 1:17, But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
B. Hebrews 11:23, By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
C. Daniel 3:18, But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
D. "Under all circumstances, let the servant of God behave himself boldly. Let him remember that this is how he ought always to speak, and that when the honor of his Master and the welfare of souls are concerned, it is not for him to withhold, but to speak out the truth." Charles Spurgeon
E. "These verses contain an important principle in favor of religious liberty, the liberty of conscience and of private judgment. They contain the great principle of Christianity and of the Protestant religion, that the responsibility of men for their religious opinions is direct to God, and that other men have no power of control. The opposite of this is tyranny and oppression." Albert Barnes
A. Exodus 1:17, But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
B. Hebrews 11:23, By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
C. Daniel 3:18, But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
D. "Under all circumstances, let the servant of God behave himself boldly. Let him remember that this is how he ought always to speak, and that when the honor of his Master and the welfare of souls are concerned, it is not for him to withhold, but to speak out the truth." Charles Spurgeon
E. "These verses contain an important principle in favor of religious liberty, the liberty of conscience and of private judgment. They contain the great principle of Christianity and of the Protestant religion, that the responsibility of men for their religious opinions is direct to God, and that other men have no power of control. The opposite of this is tyranny and oppression." Albert Barnes
"As is the Master, so is the servant. That is the broad, general principle that lies in our text. To be with Christ makes men Christlike. A soul habitually in contact with Jesus will imbibe sweetness from Him, as garments laid away in a drawer with some preservative perfume absorb fragrance from that beside which they lie. Therefore the surest way for Christian people to become what God would have them to be, is to direct the greater part of their effort, not so much to the acquirement of individual characteristics and excellences, as to the keeping up of continuity of communion with the Master. Then the excellences will come." Alexander Maclaren
"Note, Those that have been with Jesus, in converse and communion with Him, have been attending on His word, praying in His name, and celebrating the memorials of His death and resurrection, should conduct themselves, in every thing, so that those who converse with them may take knowledge of them that they have been with Jesus; and this makes them so holy, and heavenly, and spiritual, and cheerful; this has raised them so much above this world, and filled them with another." Matthew Henry
"We sometimes see weak things of the world confound the things which are mighty, and foolish things confound what the world esteems wise; as God hath chosen such for His instruments, to make manifest, that the excellency is of God, and not of men. Oh! the blessedness when men, taught and influenced by God the Spirit, come forth in the Lord's name, sent by the Lord's ordination, and crowned with the Lord's blessing upon their labors!" Robert Hawker
"Behold! what a change divine grace will work in a man, and in how short a time! That same Peter, who so lately followed his Master afar off and with oaths and curses denied that he knew His name, is now to be found side by side with the loving John, boldly declaring that there is salvation in none other name save that of Jesus Christ, and preaching the resurrection of the dead, through the sacrifice of his dying Lord. The Scribes and Pharisees soon discover the reason of his boldness. Rightly did they guess that it rested not in his learning or his talents, for neither Peter nor John had been formally educated, they had been trained as fishermen, their education was a knowledge of the sea--of the fisherman's craft: none other had they; their boldness could not therefore spring from the self-sufficiency of knowledge, but from the Spirit of the living God. Nor did they acquire their courage from their station; for rank will confer a sort of dignity upon a man, and make him speak with a feigned authority even when he has no talent or genius; but these men were private men, who stood in no official capacity; men without rank or station. When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and private individuals, they marvelled, and they came to a right conclusion as to the source of their power--they had been dwelling with Jesus. Their conversation with the Prince of light and glory, backed up, as they might also have known, by the influence of the Holy Spirit, without which even that eminently holy example would have been in vain, had made them bold for their Master's cause. Oh! my brethren, it were well if this commendation, so forced from the lips of enemies, could also be compelled by our own example. If we could live like Peter and John; if our lives were 'living epistles of God, known and read of all men;' if, whenever we were seen, men would take knowledge of us, that we had been with Jesus, it would be a happy thing for this world, and a blessed thing for us. It is concerning that I am to speak to you this morning; and as God gives me grace, I will endeavor to stir up your minds by way of remembrance, and urge you so to imitate Jesus Christ, our heavenly pattern, that men may perceive that you are disciples of the holy Son of God." Charles Spurgeon