"Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, 'We ought to obey God rather than men.'"
Acts 5:29
Part 3
What led up to Peter’s statement: “We ought to obey God rather than men?”
Yesterday:
To the crowd who had come to see the formerly lame man, Peter preached Jesus, which offended the authorities!
Peter and John were held overnight for trial the next day. The officials want to know by “what name or power” they have done this miracle.
Today:
Here is Peter’s answer, the Gospel message to them.
“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole” (Acts 4:10).
The same Jesus that these men condemned to death and crucified.
The same Jesus that God raised from the dead…
The same Jesus that healed this man…
“This is the Stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12)
Peter doesn’t just say that Jesus is A WAY of salvation, he preaches that Jesus is THE ONLY WAY! Peter is saying, “THERE IS SALVATION IN NO ONE ELSE!”
The Sanhedrin could not believe that these men were “without professional training,” and were just “laymen!” How could they have such words? They conceded that Peter and John “had been with Jesus.” Their ruling was, and they “commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18). To which the men answered,
“…Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).
The Sanhedrin threatened them some more and then set them free because they were afraid the people would revolt against them (Acts 4:21). From this one event in the Temple, 2,000 more people believed in Jesus Christ and were added to the Church, but most of all, Jesus Christ was glorified!
After Peter and John left the council, the Church gathered to pray. They didn’t pray for safety, or that no one else would be arrested, they had one consistent request in their prayer.
“And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus” (Acts 4:29-30).
Their prayer is not for their safety or comfort, or for the “advancement of the disciples,” they ask God to give them the boldness to be consumed with God’s glory, and His cause. The very things they ask for can only lead them into more conflicts, not fewer!
“Boldness means that you realize that as a Christian,
there are more important things in your life than your life!”[1] (DeYoung).
These servants of the Lord will not back down. They have their marching orders from their God, and they will obey Him no matter what! Believer, what would you do under this kind of religious pressure? Will they obey their rulers or God? What did the Church do next? Tomorrow we will see.
Quote: “Faith is not a feeling. Faith is willed obedience in action”[2] (Elisabeth Elliot).
[1] Kevin DeYoung’s quote, cited by Joseph Henson III.
[2] Elisabeth Elliot’s quote is from her book, Suffering Is Never for Nothing. Downloaded: Monday, July 20, 2020. From: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/obedience?page=4.