Peter and John are arrested for preaching Jesus Christ and His resurrection. The next day, at their trial, Peter gives an incredibly bold defense of their healing in Jesus’ name.
Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study Podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to TwoJourneys.org. Now on to today’s episode.
This is Episode 9 in our Acts Bible Study Podcast. This episode is entitled Peter and John Arrested for Healing a Man where we’ll discuss Acts 4:1-12. I’m Wes Treadway, and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these verses we’re looking at today?
Andy
So, this is the beginning of active persecution of the church as it spreads the gospel, as Peter and John are arrested for healing a lame beggar. But we’re also going to see, even more powerfully, the display of the Holy Spirit coming on Peter and John, and giving Peter, in particular, a remarkable boldness to proclaim the exclusivity of Christ, one of the clearest statements on the exclusivity of Christ and of the power of the Gospel. All of us, to some degree, are afraid to evangelize. All of us, to some degree, shrink back from our responsibilities. But the theme verse of the entire Book of Acts, Acts 1:8, “You’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth.” We’re going to see that on display today as Peter, just a few months before this perhaps, was in craven terror of losing his life.
the same Holy Spirit that was at work in Peter and John is at work in us today.
Now, he doesn’t have any fear at all, but boldly preaches the gospel. And so, for us as listeners, as readers of this, we are able to draw inspiration from this and know that the same Holy Spirit that was at work in Peter and John is at work in us today.
Wes
Well, let me go ahead and read the first 12 verses of Acts 4 as we begin our discussion of them.
And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about 5,000. On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead- by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Andy, what’s the context of Acts 4:1-12? And how did the preaching of Peter in Acts 3 bring about the events we’ll look at today?
Andy
Right, so the context is, back in chapter 3, Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer. And as they’re about to enter the temple area to pray, there was a lame beggar there who has put there every day to beg from the people going into the temple court, so he was very well known. And he looked to Peter and John and hoped to get some money from them. And Peter and John looked at him, and they began this interaction, and he said, Peter said, “Silver or gold, we have none, but such as we do have we give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise and walk!”… And he was instantly healed and he began walking around, jumping, praising God (Acts 3:6,8).
And because he was so well known, a huge crowd gathered. And Peter and John took the opportunity to proclaim the gospel, which they did with great power and also clarity from scripture, preaching clearly appropriate to the time that Jesus had fulfilled scripture, how they themselves had rejected Christ, but that now the Lord was calling on them to repent. And that he was going to send Christ and the times for refreshment, the restoration of all things, which is the end of the world. All of these things, Peter and John were preaching right as chapter three ends. And so now we go into chapter 4, and that’s the context. The captain of the Temple Guard comes with the Sadducees and all the authorities, the powers that be. And they are very angry and they’re ready to arrest, and they do arrest, Peter and John for preaching.
Wes
So, verse 2 in my translation begins by describing the attitude of the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees as greatly annoyed.
Andy
Sure.
Wes
Why did they have this attitude toward Peter and John? You’ve mentioned it a little bit already, but what was going on in their minds as they saw what was happening? Why were they greatly annoyed?
Andy
Well, we have to understand the immense religious system that was going on that was run by the Pharisees and Sadducees all the way up to the high priest. It was a money-making machine, an absolute money-making machine. And beyond that, of course, is their political power. So, you’ve got the things that people desire in this world. They frequently begin with P, like pleasures, possessions, power, privileges, all of these things that come to worldly people. These things were centered on the Jewish religion. They were centered on the animal sacrificial system, which the high priest ran, and he ran it like a business.
And so, pilgrims were coming three times a year from, really, all over the Roman world, Greco-Roman world, and they’re coming to worship, and they have to be approved by the high priest and his lieutenants, his soldiers and guards and all that. They had to have their sacrifices approved. If they brought them, guess what? They never were approved, so they might be confiscated. But meanwhile, there was a pen of pre-approved animals over there. They were a little expensive, but they were pre-approved, and you could buy them. Of course, we can’t use your money, we’ll have to change money. So, they made money A to Z. Now Josephus tells us that around the time of Christ, the time of the Passover, almost a quarter of a million lambs were sacrificed. So, you can’t even imagine the amount of money that’s rolling in here. And Jesus, of course, twice cleansed the temple, at the beginning of his ministry and again, at the end.
They were like the mafia, really. This was a money-making machine. So along come Peter and John preaching in the name of Jesus this healing, and they are obviously, what does your translation say, greatly annoyed.
Wes
Greatly annoyed.
Andy
I want to say an aside thing, something I’ve noticed in my own life, something I’ve just noticed in life and in ministry, and that is whenever we’re sinfully angry, there’s usually some idolatry at the root of it. There’s something idolatrous behind all sinful anger. There’s some creature, some created thing that we are trying to protect. That’s why we get sinfully angry.
whenever we’re sinfully angry, there’s usually some idolatry at the root of it.
Wes
Now, obviously they didn’t excuse their arresting of these two men by saying, we’re greatly annoyed with you, therefore, we’re going to arrest you. What was the reason given for the arrest and imprisonment of Peter and John?
Andy
Well, it says they were greatly disturbed or annoyed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. Now, of course, the Sadducees didn’t believe in that, but especially they didn’t believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. As you remember from Matthew 28, when these authorities found out that the tomb was empty, they bribed the guards (I think they were Roman guards), bribed them to say that the disciples had come during the night and stolen him away while they were asleep, which made no sense because if they’d been asleep at their post, they would’ve been executed. So, it just makes no sense, but it’s the lie that really proves the resurrection to some degree. So, they don’t want to hear about a resurrected Christ. This is their worst nightmare.
Wes
And what happens here is not exactly what they intended by arresting them. It says in verse 4 that many of those who heard or had heard the word believed. This surely was not the outcome that they were hoping for. And someone once said, the persistent, bold, courageous proclamation of the gospel always results ultimately in two outcomes, persecution and conversions. How is that illustrated in Acts 3-4 and specifically in these first four verses we’ve looked at in this chapter?
Andy
Yeah, that’s a great insight. When we are bold and faithful in the gospel, and if we are at it long enough, we’re get those two outcomes, and they generally go together. The more fruitful that we are, the more Satan is going to be alarmed and mobilize his demons and then his human henchmen, and so that’s what happens here. But if you look at verse 4, it’s marvelous. Many who heard the message, believe, and the number of men grew to about 5,000. I do believe this is the last kind of census of the church. So we’ve got 3000 that are added on the day of Pentecost. And the number of men, it says, grew to about 5,000. By the way, that’s the exact same kind of count of the feeding of the 5,000. It’s men plus women and children who are not involved in the count.
Wes
Wow.
Andy
So, the church was in the thousands and thousands at this point. So, the gospel is spreading explosively and Satan is going to mobilize his forces to shut it down.
Wes
Now in verses 5-12, the scene shifts to the trial and Peter’s bold statements for Christ. In verses 5 and 6, we see that among those who gathered to decide the fate of Peter and John were Annas and Caiaphas. How was this encounter for Peter so different from the last time he was near these men at the trial of Jesus and what happened to Peter that he now shows such courage in this passage?
Andy
Right. So Annas is the real power. He’s not truly high priest, but Caiaphas was high priest. But the only reason for that, high priest in the Old Testament, was a lifetime office. It was until you died. But the Romans didn’t want any one person being so powerful. So basically, everyone knew that Annas was the true high priest, but all of his family then, on a rotating basis, would take the office for a period of time. So, Caiaphas was high priest that year, John’s gospel tells us. So, it was his turn. But Annas was the real power. That was his father-in-law, Annas was Caiaphas’s father-in-law. And then we see other men of the high priest family. So, it’s all in the family. Like I said, it’s like the mafia. It’s a family-run business here and it’s pretty disgusting.
So how is Peter different? Well, Peter last time went to the house of Annas and Caiaphas, I guess, where Jesus was taken for one of the phases of His trial. Actually, there were multiple phases to Jesus’ trial, but the first one right away was at the high priest’s house where the chief priest, teachers of the law, elders of the Sanhedrin, et cetera. They were gathered together. Peter followed at a distance and went right into the courtyard of the high priest and sat down with the guards, warming himself with the fire. He never got close enough to talk to the high priest, but the servant girl of the high priest saw him, recognized him. And that began his whole cowardly denial of even knowing Jesus, even at the point of calling down curses on himself. He was utterly terrified that night of dying, even though he said he never would be. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (Matthew 26:35), he said, but he actually was not as courageous as he thought.
Now, he actually is. He’s been transformed, and there are two things that did it. First is the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and the clear evidence of that resurrection given, “Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have” (Luke 24:39). And then just as significantly, I would say, the outpouring of the Spirit of God. You can know that Jesus has been raised from the dead, but you might still be a coward. And fundamentally, it was the power of the Spirit that got them out of the locked upper room and down into the streets. Those two things have transformed Peter. Now, he clearly has no fear of death.
Wes
Yeah. What did Annas and Caiaphas hope that killing Jesus would do to his movement, and what do you think they thought about these bold apostles of Christ in light of that?
Andy
Well, they thought “If we just cut off the head of the snake…” So they saw, they looked on it as a bad thing, then the snake would die. And so, they’re trying to crush the movement by killing the leader. And Gamaliel is going to say this, remember this, remember that. You get the leader and then the whole thing dissipates, nothing happens. But we’ll talk about Gamaliel in due time. But the fact of the matter is, they really expected this whole thing to end, and it would’ve it, it would’ve. The disciples had all gone back to fishing. They were not going to take on the Roman Empire, they were afraid. But it was the power of the Holy Spirit that changed everything. So, they assumed that by arresting and crushing Jesus, that would end the movement, but it didn’t.
Wes
What question do these men ask Peter and John, and how is this question a perfect setup for the gospel to be proclaimed?
Andy
Yeah, it’s awesome. There is one better one, it’s going to be in Acts 16 where the Philippian jailer said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Wes
That’s one that we’re all hoping for. Ask me that question.
Andy
Please. Have someone ask me that one. But this one’s pretty good too. They’re not looking to be saved, but they are saying, “By what power or what name did you do this?”
Wes
Oh man, let me tell you.
Andy
Yeah, I’m ready to tell you. And he does tell them, it’s amazing. So, I guess again, an aside… In witnessing, you’re not necessarily going to get somebody, and also the Ethiopian eunuch, he said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” “How can I, sir, unless someone explains it to me?” So, you’re looking for those openings, somebody who’s ready, their hearts are submissive, there’s an opportunity. So, I don’t know exactly that it’s going to be in these words, but you’re looking for what the Philippian jailer said, “What must I do to be saved?” Or, Could you please explain the scripture? I never really understood it. Or, Could you tell me more of the power and the name of Jesus Christ? Looking for openings like that. Now, obviously Annas, Caiaphas, all these guys are not open at all, but they do hand them this phraseology, this doorway. Since you asked, and that’s basically what Peter and John are going to say, since you asked, let me tell you. But by what power or what name did you do this?
Wes
Yeah, it’s really profound thinking about the fact that Peter is the one who will tell us to be ready to give a reason for the hope that we have. And to do that with gentleness and respect, always paying attention, ready for that open door and to step through that in bold obedience.
Andy
Let me say one more thing about power and name. Whatever they meant, there’s significance, theological significance for us. It is by the name of Jesus that all of our prayers are answered. It is by Christ that we have any power to do anything at all. Jesus himself said, “I am the vine and you’re the branches,… apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5) Clearly, this is Jesus working through his disciples to do this miracle.
Do you remember in Jesus’ ministry where the paralyzed man is brought by his four friends, and they lower him down through the roof? And Jesus asked the question, “Which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven, or to say to the paralyzed man, rise and walk?” (Matthew 9:5) The issue is not about the saying; the issue is, is there any power behind it? And with Jesus, to say to a paralyzed man, rise and walk, there’s power behind it. Well, it’s the same miracle they did. Here’s a lame beggar, he’s, I don’t know, paralyzed, but unable to walk. And by that same power, this lame man was given health. And so, this name of Jesus is everything. God, the Father would not even look at them, would not even look at Peter and John. They’re sinners. He wouldn’t do anything for them except that they did it in Jesus’ name. And so, Jesus is their mediator. It’s in his righteousness that they stand. It is by Christ that God has done this healing through them.
Wes
What does the text tell us about Peter as he preaches this message, and what’s the connection between the filling with the Holy Spirit and boldness in the face of threatening governmental authorities?
Andy
Okay, so yeah, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them… So we need to understand this. I believe that baptism in the Spirit happens once for all time at conversion. Not every Christian believes this, I know, but I do believe it. I believe from 1 Corinthians 12:24, it says, “By one Spirit you were baptized into one body.” And so that’s at the moment of being born again. The moment that you’re a Christian, you’re immersed. That’s what baptism means. You’re immersed in the Holy Spirit and in Christ, in his death, his resurrection. That’s baptism. But then after that comes the filling with the Spirit. And the filling can be greater and greater, greater than we can even possibly imagine. Sometimes we’re just filled with the Spirit enough to do some small things. Other times the filling is remarkable and powerful. And I think we see that here, the level of boldness that comes. And that’s the second part of your question. Because of the filling of the Spirit, Peter is extremely bold in what he says.
I guess what I would say here is we need to be continually aware of the need to be filled with the Spirit. It’s a command. We’re actually commanded. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery, instead be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). So, we’re commanded. Now technically, actually, it’s a passive imperative. Very interesting grammar. Literally, it is: “be being filled with the Spirit.” So, you’re commanded to have something done to you.
Wes
Sit there and let this-
Andy
And let the Spirit come, exactly. And so, we are commanded to have the Spirit move in us. And how does that happen? Well, we ask him, we pray, confess any known sin, we’re ready to serve him. We present our bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to him. And then the Spirit fills us, and we act on his behalf.
Wes
Verses 8-12 capture Peter’s response to the council. What’s ironic about Peter’s beginning comment in verse 9?
Andy
Well, it kind of reminds me of what Jesus said, “I’ve shown you many great works from the Father. For which of these are you stoning me?” (John 10:32) I mean, what is going on here? It’s just as ludicrous in John 9 where Jesus heals a man born blind, and the man’s effectively arrested for getting healed.
Wes
How dare you?
Andy
It’s like, how dare you get healed. And he’s just like, do you not see how ridiculous this is? And the blind man says it. When they say, “We know God spoke through Moses. As for this man, Jesus, we don’t know where he came from” (John 9:29). And the blind man says, “Now, that’s remarkable. No one ever in history has opened the eyes of a man born blind. And you don’t know where this man came from. If he were not from God, he could do nothing. Isn’t it obvious?” (John 9: 30-33, paraphrase) Well, we’ve got the same kind of, isn’t it obvious feel here. It’s like, all right, fine. We’re arrested. Rulers and elders of the people, if we’re being hauled in front of the judges here, if we’re being arrested and called to account for an act of kindness… That’s what I have. What’s your translation say?
Wes
Concerning a good deed-
Andy
A good deed, an act of kindness or a good deed. We’re arrested for doing good. “Who is going to harm you,” Scripture says, “if you do good?” (1 Peter 3:14) But if you do wrong, then expect to get arrested or harmed. But well, we do sometimes get harmed or persecuted for doing good things. So, he says, all right, fine. We are in fact arrested for healing a lame man. All right, so we are being called to account for it. And you asked, by what power or name did we do it… So, we’re about to tell you. That’s where we’re heading in the account.
Wes
To whom does Peter point and who does he ultimately want to reach with this message?
Andy
Well, he’s very clear. He says, “Then know this, if you’re asking by what power or name, then know this: it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that he was healed.” And he says more than that, but we’ll zero in on that. That’s the answer to the question. You want to know about power, you want to know about name, that’s the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus, that is the name that is above every name. It is the name of the son of God. It is by his name. And they very clear, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. In case you’re wondering who exactly we’re talking about, Christ is a title which they would’ve denied to him. The Jewish leaders would’ve said, He’s not the Christ. He’s not the anointed one. The Son of David, the Messiah? He’s not. He’s an imposter. Jesus is his given name, which means the Lord saves, Yahweh saves. But Christ is like king, like King Jesus, the one who comes from Nazareth. That is the name, the power name came through him. That’s how this man was healed.
Wes
Why does Peter so deliberately lay the blame for Christ’s crucifixion at their feet? And do you think the rulers noticed this? Surely, they heard the words, but did they understand what he was getting at here?
Andy
Well, all right, so first of all, we need to understand, at this point, Peter disappears. This is the Holy Spirit speaking directly. So, these are the Spirit’s words. And the Holy Spirit is saying, “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you well or healed.” So, the Holy Spirit is very bold and direct through Peter in this matter. It’s incredible power here. And so, he, the Spirit, wants any of them who might still be converted. There is a devastating power and convicting work that must be done when you’ve reached this level of hardness of heart. So, you look at what it took to save Saul of Tarsus, when you’re that deep in… It’s like John the Baptist, “Every valley shall be raised up and every mountain and hill shall be leveled” (Isaiah 40:4).
There’s a leveling that has to happen here. As he called them, you snakes, you brood of vipers, this kind of thing, very strong power. And so, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit says, it is Jesus Christ, whom you crucified. You are the one that orchestrated his death. You’re the one that brought it about. Pilate wanted to let him go. You forced him to do it. And so, he lays the blame directly at their feet. “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead.” Now Gamaliel, in a few chapters, the next chapter, he is going to say, we may find ourselves fighting against God. Well, effectively, Peter’s openly said that you are fighting against God.
Wes
And puts their actions in direct contrast to what God has done. They’ve put Jesus to death. God has raised him up. So clearly you’re at cross purposes here.
Andy
Right. And to double down on that, he quotes this familiar passage. “He is the stone the builders rejected, which has become the capstone.” That’s what the text says. And that is Psalm 118:22. And the text reads, “The stone the builders has rejected.” The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone or the chief cornerstone, et cetera. But Peter changed it a little. He made a slight emendation. What Peter says is, “He is the stone you builders rejected.” So, we now know who the builders are, it’s you. The builders are the ones in charge, the masters of the society, et cetera. You rejected him, but God raised him from the dead. You rejected him, but God chose him to be the chief cornerstone of the capstone, et cetera. So, he definitely lays the blame for Jesus’ death at their feet.
Wes
Now we want to talk about Acts 4:12, which is one of the greatest single verses for evangelism as we speak to the exclusivity of Christ. But is there anything else we need to say about verses 8-11 before we dig in?
Andy
I don’t think so except the one thing is just to be seeking continually to be filled with the Spirit. If you feel like you’re weak or cowardly or shrink back from evangelism, the answer is the power of the Holy Spirit.
And again, keep in mind Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2: “I was with you in weakness and fear and much trembling so that my preaching might not be the display of human wisdom, but of the power of the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:3-4). So, huh, that’s interesting. You can be in weakness and fear and much trembling and still be a display of the Spirit of God. The point is, did you do it? Did you share the gospel? Did you go ahead and share? So, the boldness is not going to take away the tremors and all that. What the boldness will do is enable you to do what you should do, which is to share the gospel boldly with lost people. So that’s what the Holy Spirit does. That’s the last thing I want to say about that.
Wes
All right, so turning our attention then to this final verse in chapter 4, Acts 4:12. What does this verse teach us about the role of Jesus’ name in salvation, and why does Peter say it’s the only name by which we must be saved?
Andy
All right, so here’s the verse. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” That’s the statement. And so, this is a statement, as you said, Wes, of exclusivity, the exclusivity of Christ. Many people go to John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” And I think that’s obviously a clear statement of exclusivity. But this one is, I think, every bit as clear in its own way. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. So, the idea of exclusivity is this, that Jesus Christ is the only Savior from sin. He’s the only possible way of salvation. There is no way to get to heaven apart from Christ.
And so fundamentally, though we live in a pluralistic nation, and I completely uphold the right of Muslims and Buddhists and atheists and practitioners of transcendental meditation and all that to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and to not be arrested for their views. That doesn’t mean I think that those views are valid or will help them on Judgment Day. I don’t think they will. I think those views will be condemned by Almighty God and by Jesus on Judgment Day. And I think it’s my responsibility to say, while I uphold your right to hold them, I want to tell you the truth about your views. And so, whether you’re a Muslim or a Buddhist or a Jewish person who rejects Jesus as Messiah or an atheist or any one of a number of other religions or worldviews, but not a Christian, you’re lost. You’re under the wrath of God and there is no way to be saved other than Christ.
Jesus really truly is God in the flesh. He really truly is the Son of God, the only begotten son of God.
Now, it all comes down to who Jesus really is. Jesus really truly is God in the flesh. He really truly is the Son of God, the only begotten son of God. And this is the way I phrased it many times. God did not send his son, his only son whom he loved into the world to live and then to die a bloody death under his own wrath on the cross to provide one of many ways to get to heaven. That’s not why he did it. He did it because there was no other way. As Paul says plainly in Galatians 2:21, “If salvation could be won or earned by the law, then Christ died for nothing.” If you could have earned your salvation by law keeping, then why did Christ have to die? So, Christ’s death on the cross is God’s statement of the futility of every other way to get to heaven other than Jesus. There’s no other mediator, the Bible says. There’s no one else who’ll stand between us and God, there’s no one else who can drink in the wrath of God that we deserve. There is no other Savior.
Now, we have to be very clear, as Americans, very clear in upholding, as I did at the beginning of this part of my statement, the right of people to hold faulty views and to live peacefully in our society. But the distinction between that right and whether their views are right, their views aren’t right, their views are wrong, and they will do them no good on judgment day. They will damage them and before then too, I believe. And so, we want to tell the truth. You do have every right to believe whatever you want to believe, and we uphold that. We believe in absolute separation of church and state. But what we’re telling you is Judgment Day is coming and those views will not help you. There is no name, no other form of salvation, no other pattern of salvation than Jesus Christ. And by repentance and faith in Christ alone our sin is forgiven. And that’s because Jesus’ blood shed on the cross is God’s only provision for us law breakers for the death penalty we deserve to be paid by a substitute, only Jesus.
Wes
Only Jesus. Andy, any final thoughts for us on this passage we’ve discussed today?
Andy
Well, I want to zero in on that last statement. Salvation is found in no one else. So, we zeroed in on that. There’s no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. So, you have to be saved. You have to be saved. And the idea of that is we’re talking about the worth and value of your soul. So, if you’re outside of Christ looking in, this is the top priority of your entire existence. “What would it profit you,” Jesus said, “if you should gain the whole world and lose your soul?” (Mark 8:36) So that salvation, that you would receive forgiveness of sins, is the absolute top priority of every human life, every human existence, nothing is as important as that. You must be saved through faith in Christ. So, I urge you, if you’re listening to this podcast, not yet saved, that you would repent and turn to Christ.
Now, I believe the overwhelming majority of people listening to this podcast have received salvation and forgiveness of sins. But we have to take Acts 4:12 and turn it around and say, okay, if this is true, how should I act? And what should I do in my workplace, in my neighborhoods, in my family, with lost people that I know? I need to be certain that they know the forgiveness that only Christ can give.
Wes
Well, this has been Episode 9 in our Acts Bible Study podcast. We want to invite you to join us next time for Episode 10 entitled, The Church Faces Persecution with Prayer, where we’ll discuss Acts 4:13-31. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys podcast and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
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Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study Podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to TwoJourneys.org. Now on to today’s episode.
This is Episode 9 in our Acts Bible Study Podcast. This episode is entitled Peter and John Arrested for Healing a Man where we’ll discuss Acts 4:1-12. I’m Wes Treadway, and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these verses we’re looking at today?
Andy
So, this is the beginning of active persecution of the church as it spreads the gospel, as Peter and John are arrested for healing a lame beggar. But we’re also going to see, even more powerfully, the display of the Holy Spirit coming on Peter and John, and giving Peter, in particular, a remarkable boldness to proclaim the exclusivity of Christ, one of the clearest statements on the exclusivity of Christ and of the power of the Gospel. All of us, to some degree, are afraid to evangelize. All of us, to some degree, shrink back from our responsibilities. But the theme verse of the entire Book of Acts, Acts 1:8, “You’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth.” We’re going to see that on display today as Peter, just a few months before this perhaps, was in craven terror of losing his life.
the same Holy Spirit that was at work in Peter and John is at work in us today.
Now, he doesn’t have any fear at all, but boldly preaches the gospel. And so, for us as listeners, as readers of this, we are able to draw inspiration from this and know that the same Holy Spirit that was at work in Peter and John is at work in us today.
Wes
Well, let me go ahead and read the first 12 verses of Acts 4 as we begin our discussion of them.
And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about 5,000. On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead- by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Andy, what’s the context of Acts 4:1-12? And how did the preaching of Peter in Acts 3 bring about the events we’ll look at today?
Andy
Right, so the context is, back in chapter 3, Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer. And as they’re about to enter the temple area to pray, there was a lame beggar there who has put there every day to beg from the people going into the temple court, so he was very well known. And he looked to Peter and John and hoped to get some money from them. And Peter and John looked at him, and they began this interaction, and he said, Peter said, “Silver or gold, we have none, but such as we do have we give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise and walk!”… And he was instantly healed and he began walking around, jumping, praising God (Acts 3:6,8).
And because he was so well known, a huge crowd gathered. And Peter and John took the opportunity to proclaim the gospel, which they did with great power and also clarity from scripture, preaching clearly appropriate to the time that Jesus had fulfilled scripture, how they themselves had rejected Christ, but that now the Lord was calling on them to repent. And that he was going to send Christ and the times for refreshment, the restoration of all things, which is the end of the world. All of these things, Peter and John were preaching right as chapter three ends. And so now we go into chapter 4, and that’s the context. The captain of the Temple Guard comes with the Sadducees and all the authorities, the powers that be. And they are very angry and they’re ready to arrest, and they do arrest, Peter and John for preaching.
Wes
So, verse 2 in my translation begins by describing the attitude of the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees as greatly annoyed.
Andy
Sure.
Wes
Why did they have this attitude toward Peter and John? You’ve mentioned it a little bit already, but what was going on in their minds as they saw what was happening? Why were they greatly annoyed?
Andy
Well, we have to understand the immense religious system that was going on that was run by the Pharisees and Sadducees all the way up to the high priest. It was a money-making machine, an absolute money-making machine. And beyond that, of course, is their political power. So, you’ve got the things that people desire in this world. They frequently begin with P, like pleasures, possessions, power, privileges, all of these things that come to worldly people. These things were centered on the Jewish religion. They were centered on the animal sacrificial system, which the high priest ran, and he ran it like a business.
And so, pilgrims were coming three times a year from, really, all over the Roman world, Greco-Roman world, and they’re coming to worship, and they have to be approved by the high priest and his lieutenants, his soldiers and guards and all that. They had to have their sacrifices approved. If they brought them, guess what? They never were approved, so they might be confiscated. But meanwhile, there was a pen of pre-approved animals over there. They were a little expensive, but they were pre-approved, and you could buy them. Of course, we can’t use your money, we’ll have to change money. So, they made money A to Z. Now Josephus tells us that around the time of Christ, the time of the Passover, almost a quarter of a million lambs were sacrificed. So, you can’t even imagine the amount of money that’s rolling in here. And Jesus, of course, twice cleansed the temple, at the beginning of his ministry and again, at the end.
They were like the mafia, really. This was a money-making machine. So along come Peter and John preaching in the name of Jesus this healing, and they are obviously, what does your translation say, greatly annoyed.
Wes
Greatly annoyed.
Andy
I want to say an aside thing, something I’ve noticed in my own life, something I’ve just noticed in life and in ministry, and that is whenever we’re sinfully angry, there’s usually some idolatry at the root of it. There’s something idolatrous behind all sinful anger. There’s some creature, some created thing that we are trying to protect. That’s why we get sinfully angry.
whenever we’re sinfully angry, there’s usually some idolatry at the root of it.
Wes
Now, obviously they didn’t excuse their arresting of these two men by saying, we’re greatly annoyed with you, therefore, we’re going to arrest you. What was the reason given for the arrest and imprisonment of Peter and John?
Andy
Well, it says they were greatly disturbed or annoyed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. Now, of course, the Sadducees didn’t believe in that, but especially they didn’t believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. As you remember from Matthew 28, when these authorities found out that the tomb was empty, they bribed the guards (I think they were Roman guards), bribed them to say that the disciples had come during the night and stolen him away while they were asleep, which made no sense because if they’d been asleep at their post, they would’ve been executed. So, it just makes no sense, but it’s the lie that really proves the resurrection to some degree. So, they don’t want to hear about a resurrected Christ. This is their worst nightmare.
Wes
And what happens here is not exactly what they intended by arresting them. It says in verse 4 that many of those who heard or had heard the word believed. This surely was not the outcome that they were hoping for. And someone once said, the persistent, bold, courageous proclamation of the gospel always results ultimately in two outcomes, persecution and conversions. How is that illustrated in Acts 3-4 and specifically in these first four verses we’ve looked at in this chapter?
Andy
Yeah, that’s a great insight. When we are bold and faithful in the gospel, and if we are at it long enough, we’re get those two outcomes, and they generally go together. The more fruitful that we are, the more Satan is going to be alarmed and mobilize his demons and then his human henchmen, and so that’s what happens here. But if you look at verse 4, it’s marvelous. Many who heard the message, believe, and the number of men grew to about 5,000. I do believe this is the last kind of census of the church. So we’ve got 3000 that are added on the day of Pentecost. And the number of men, it says, grew to about 5,000. By the way, that’s the exact same kind of count of the feeding of the 5,000. It’s men plus women and children who are not involved in the count.
Wes
Wow.
Andy
So, the church was in the thousands and thousands at this point. So, the gospel is spreading explosively and Satan is going to mobilize his forces to shut it down.
Wes
Now in verses 5-12, the scene shifts to the trial and Peter’s bold statements for Christ. In verses 5 and 6, we see that among those who gathered to decide the fate of Peter and John were Annas and Caiaphas. How was this encounter for Peter so different from the last time he was near these men at the trial of Jesus and what happened to Peter that he now shows such courage in this passage?
Andy
Right. So Annas is the real power. He’s not truly high priest, but Caiaphas was high priest. But the only reason for that, high priest in the Old Testament, was a lifetime office. It was until you died. But the Romans didn’t want any one person being so powerful. So basically, everyone knew that Annas was the true high priest, but all of his family then, on a rotating basis, would take the office for a period of time. So, Caiaphas was high priest that year, John’s gospel tells us. So, it was his turn. But Annas was the real power. That was his father-in-law, Annas was Caiaphas’s father-in-law. And then we see other men of the high priest family. So, it’s all in the family. Like I said, it’s like the mafia. It’s a family-run business here and it’s pretty disgusting.
So how is Peter different? Well, Peter last time went to the house of Annas and Caiaphas, I guess, where Jesus was taken for one of the phases of His trial. Actually, there were multiple phases to Jesus’ trial, but the first one right away was at the high priest’s house where the chief priest, teachers of the law, elders of the Sanhedrin, et cetera. They were gathered together. Peter followed at a distance and went right into the courtyard of the high priest and sat down with the guards, warming himself with the fire. He never got close enough to talk to the high priest, but the servant girl of the high priest saw him, recognized him. And that began his whole cowardly denial of even knowing Jesus, even at the point of calling down curses on himself. He was utterly terrified that night of dying, even though he said he never would be. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (Matthew 26:35), he said, but he actually was not as courageous as he thought.
Now, he actually is. He’s been transformed, and there are two things that did it. First is the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and the clear evidence of that resurrection given, “Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have” (Luke 24:39). And then just as significantly, I would say, the outpouring of the Spirit of God. You can know that Jesus has been raised from the dead, but you might still be a coward. And fundamentally, it was the power of the Spirit that got them out of the locked upper room and down into the streets. Those two things have transformed Peter. Now, he clearly has no fear of death.
Wes
Yeah. What did Annas and Caiaphas hope that killing Jesus would do to his movement, and what do you think they thought about these bold apostles of Christ in light of that?
Andy
Well, they thought “If we just cut off the head of the snake…” So they saw, they looked on it as a bad thing, then the snake would die. And so, they’re trying to crush the movement by killing the leader. And Gamaliel is going to say this, remember this, remember that. You get the leader and then the whole thing dissipates, nothing happens. But we’ll talk about Gamaliel in due time. But the fact of the matter is, they really expected this whole thing to end, and it would’ve it, it would’ve. The disciples had all gone back to fishing. They were not going to take on the Roman Empire, they were afraid. But it was the power of the Holy Spirit that changed everything. So, they assumed that by arresting and crushing Jesus, that would end the movement, but it didn’t.
Wes
What question do these men ask Peter and John, and how is this question a perfect setup for the gospel to be proclaimed?
Andy
Yeah, it’s awesome. There is one better one, it’s going to be in Acts 16 where the Philippian jailer said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Wes
That’s one that we’re all hoping for. Ask me that question.
Andy
Please. Have someone ask me that one. But this one’s pretty good too. They’re not looking to be saved, but they are saying, “By what power or what name did you do this?”
Wes
Oh man, let me tell you.
Andy
Yeah, I’m ready to tell you. And he does tell them, it’s amazing. So, I guess again, an aside… In witnessing, you’re not necessarily going to get somebody, and also the Ethiopian eunuch, he said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” “How can I, sir, unless someone explains it to me?” So, you’re looking for those openings, somebody who’s ready, their hearts are submissive, there’s an opportunity. So, I don’t know exactly that it’s going to be in these words, but you’re looking for what the Philippian jailer said, “What must I do to be saved?” Or, Could you please explain the scripture? I never really understood it. Or, Could you tell me more of the power and the name of Jesus Christ? Looking for openings like that. Now, obviously Annas, Caiaphas, all these guys are not open at all, but they do hand them this phraseology, this doorway. Since you asked, and that’s basically what Peter and John are going to say, since you asked, let me tell you. But by what power or what name did you do this?
Wes
Yeah, it’s really profound thinking about the fact that Peter is the one who will tell us to be ready to give a reason for the hope that we have. And to do that with gentleness and respect, always paying attention, ready for that open door and to step through that in bold obedience.
Andy
Let me say one more thing about power and name. Whatever they meant, there’s significance, theological significance for us. It is by the name of Jesus that all of our prayers are answered. It is by Christ that we have any power to do anything at all. Jesus himself said, “I am the vine and you’re the branches,… apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5) Clearly, this is Jesus working through his disciples to do this miracle.
Do you remember in Jesus’ ministry where the paralyzed man is brought by his four friends, and they lower him down through the roof? And Jesus asked the question, “Which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven, or to say to the paralyzed man, rise and walk?” (Matthew 9:5) The issue is not about the saying; the issue is, is there any power behind it? And with Jesus, to say to a paralyzed man, rise and walk, there’s power behind it. Well, it’s the same miracle they did. Here’s a lame beggar, he’s, I don’t know, paralyzed, but unable to walk. And by that same power, this lame man was given health. And so, this name of Jesus is everything. God, the Father would not even look at them, would not even look at Peter and John. They’re sinners. He wouldn’t do anything for them except that they did it in Jesus’ name. And so, Jesus is their mediator. It’s in his righteousness that they stand. It is by Christ that God has done this healing through them.
Wes
What does the text tell us about Peter as he preaches this message, and what’s the connection between the filling with the Holy Spirit and boldness in the face of threatening governmental authorities?
Andy
Okay, so yeah, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them… So we need to understand this. I believe that baptism in the Spirit happens once for all time at conversion. Not every Christian believes this, I know, but I do believe it. I believe from 1 Corinthians 12:24, it says, “By one Spirit you were baptized into one body.” And so that’s at the moment of being born again. The moment that you’re a Christian, you’re immersed. That’s what baptism means. You’re immersed in the Holy Spirit and in Christ, in his death, his resurrection. That’s baptism. But then after that comes the filling with the Spirit. And the filling can be greater and greater, greater than we can even possibly imagine. Sometimes we’re just filled with the Spirit enough to do some small things. Other times the filling is remarkable and powerful. And I think we see that here, the level of boldness that comes. And that’s the second part of your question. Because of the filling of the Spirit, Peter is extremely bold in what he says.
I guess what I would say here is we need to be continually aware of the need to be filled with the Spirit. It’s a command. We’re actually commanded. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery, instead be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). So, we’re commanded. Now technically, actually, it’s a passive imperative. Very interesting grammar. Literally, it is: “be being filled with the Spirit.” So, you’re commanded to have something done to you.
Wes
Sit there and let this-
Andy
And let the Spirit come, exactly. And so, we are commanded to have the Spirit move in us. And how does that happen? Well, we ask him, we pray, confess any known sin, we’re ready to serve him. We present our bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to him. And then the Spirit fills us, and we act on his behalf.
Wes
Verses 8-12 capture Peter’s response to the council. What’s ironic about Peter’s beginning comment in verse 9?
Andy
Well, it kind of reminds me of what Jesus said, “I’ve shown you many great works from the Father. For which of these are you stoning me?” (John 10:32) I mean, what is going on here? It’s just as ludicrous in John 9 where Jesus heals a man born blind, and the man’s effectively arrested for getting healed.
Wes
How dare you?
Andy
It’s like, how dare you get healed. And he’s just like, do you not see how ridiculous this is? And the blind man says it. When they say, “We know God spoke through Moses. As for this man, Jesus, we don’t know where he came from” (John 9:29). And the blind man says, “Now, that’s remarkable. No one ever in history has opened the eyes of a man born blind. And you don’t know where this man came from. If he were not from God, he could do nothing. Isn’t it obvious?” (John 9: 30-33, paraphrase) Well, we’ve got the same kind of, isn’t it obvious feel here. It’s like, all right, fine. We’re arrested. Rulers and elders of the people, if we’re being hauled in front of the judges here, if we’re being arrested and called to account for an act of kindness… That’s what I have. What’s your translation say?
Wes
Concerning a good deed-
Andy
A good deed, an act of kindness or a good deed. We’re arrested for doing good. “Who is going to harm you,” Scripture says, “if you do good?” (1 Peter 3:14) But if you do wrong, then expect to get arrested or harmed. But well, we do sometimes get harmed or persecuted for doing good things. So, he says, all right, fine. We are in fact arrested for healing a lame man. All right, so we are being called to account for it. And you asked, by what power or name did we do it… So, we’re about to tell you. That’s where we’re heading in the account.
Wes
To whom does Peter point and who does he ultimately want to reach with this message?
Andy
Well, he’s very clear. He says, “Then know this, if you’re asking by what power or name, then know this: it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that he was healed.” And he says more than that, but we’ll zero in on that. That’s the answer to the question. You want to know about power, you want to know about name, that’s the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus, that is the name that is above every name. It is the name of the son of God. It is by his name. And they very clear, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. In case you’re wondering who exactly we’re talking about, Christ is a title which they would’ve denied to him. The Jewish leaders would’ve said, He’s not the Christ. He’s not the anointed one. The Son of David, the Messiah? He’s not. He’s an imposter. Jesus is his given name, which means the Lord saves, Yahweh saves. But Christ is like king, like King Jesus, the one who comes from Nazareth. That is the name, the power name came through him. That’s how this man was healed.
Wes
Why does Peter so deliberately lay the blame for Christ’s crucifixion at their feet? And do you think the rulers noticed this? Surely, they heard the words, but did they understand what he was getting at here?
Andy
Well, all right, so first of all, we need to understand, at this point, Peter disappears. This is the Holy Spirit speaking directly. So, these are the Spirit’s words. And the Holy Spirit is saying, “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you well or healed.” So, the Holy Spirit is very bold and direct through Peter in this matter. It’s incredible power here. And so, he, the Spirit, wants any of them who might still be converted. There is a devastating power and convicting work that must be done when you’ve reached this level of hardness of heart. So, you look at what it took to save Saul of Tarsus, when you’re that deep in… It’s like John the Baptist, “Every valley shall be raised up and every mountain and hill shall be leveled” (Isaiah 40:4).
There’s a leveling that has to happen here. As he called them, you snakes, you brood of vipers, this kind of thing, very strong power. And so, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit says, it is Jesus Christ, whom you crucified. You are the one that orchestrated his death. You’re the one that brought it about. Pilate wanted to let him go. You forced him to do it. And so, he lays the blame directly at their feet. “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead.” Now Gamaliel, in a few chapters, the next chapter, he is going to say, we may find ourselves fighting against God. Well, effectively, Peter’s openly said that you are fighting against God.
Wes
And puts their actions in direct contrast to what God has done. They’ve put Jesus to death. God has raised him up. So clearly you’re at cross purposes here.
Andy
Right. And to double down on that, he quotes this familiar passage. “He is the stone the builders rejected, which has become the capstone.” That’s what the text says. And that is Psalm 118:22. And the text reads, “The stone the builders has rejected.” The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone or the chief cornerstone, et cetera. But Peter changed it a little. He made a slight emendation. What Peter says is, “He is the stone you builders rejected.” So, we now know who the builders are, it’s you. The builders are the ones in charge, the masters of the society, et cetera. You rejected him, but God raised him from the dead. You rejected him, but God chose him to be the chief cornerstone of the capstone, et cetera. So, he definitely lays the blame for Jesus’ death at their feet.
Wes
Now we want to talk about Acts 4:12, which is one of the greatest single verses for evangelism as we speak to the exclusivity of Christ. But is there anything else we need to say about verses 8-11 before we dig in?
Andy
I don’t think so except the one thing is just to be seeking continually to be filled with the Spirit. If you feel like you’re weak or cowardly or shrink back from evangelism, the answer is the power of the Holy Spirit.
And again, keep in mind Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2: “I was with you in weakness and fear and much trembling so that my preaching might not be the display of human wisdom, but of the power of the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:3-4). So, huh, that’s interesting. You can be in weakness and fear and much trembling and still be a display of the Spirit of God. The point is, did you do it? Did you share the gospel? Did you go ahead and share? So, the boldness is not going to take away the tremors and all that. What the boldness will do is enable you to do what you should do, which is to share the gospel boldly with lost people. So that’s what the Holy Spirit does. That’s the last thing I want to say about that.
Wes
All right, so turning our attention then to this final verse in chapter 4, Acts 4:12. What does this verse teach us about the role of Jesus’ name in salvation, and why does Peter say it’s the only name by which we must be saved?
Andy
All right, so here’s the verse. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” That’s the statement. And so, this is a statement, as you said, Wes, of exclusivity, the exclusivity of Christ. Many people go to John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” And I think that’s obviously a clear statement of exclusivity. But this one is, I think, every bit as clear in its own way. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. So, the idea of exclusivity is this, that Jesus Christ is the only Savior from sin. He’s the only possible way of salvation. There is no way to get to heaven apart from Christ.
And so fundamentally, though we live in a pluralistic nation, and I completely uphold the right of Muslims and Buddhists and atheists and practitioners of transcendental meditation and all that to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and to not be arrested for their views. That doesn’t mean I think that those views are valid or will help them on Judgment Day. I don’t think they will. I think those views will be condemned by Almighty God and by Jesus on Judgment Day. And I think it’s my responsibility to say, while I uphold your right to hold them, I want to tell you the truth about your views. And so, whether you’re a Muslim or a Buddhist or a Jewish person who rejects Jesus as Messiah or an atheist or any one of a number of other religions or worldviews, but not a Christian, you’re lost. You’re under the wrath of God and there is no way to be saved other than Christ.
Jesus really truly is God in the flesh. He really truly is the Son of God, the only begotten son of God.
Now, it all comes down to who Jesus really is. Jesus really truly is God in the flesh. He really truly is the Son of God, the only begotten son of God. And this is the way I phrased it many times. God did not send his son, his only son whom he loved into the world to live and then to die a bloody death under his own wrath on the cross to provide one of many ways to get to heaven. That’s not why he did it. He did it because there was no other way. As Paul says plainly in Galatians 2:21, “If salvation could be won or earned by the law, then Christ died for nothing.” If you could have earned your salvation by law keeping, then why did Christ have to die? So, Christ’s death on the cross is God’s statement of the futility of every other way to get to heaven other than Jesus. There’s no other mediator, the Bible says. There’s no one else who’ll stand between us and God, there’s no one else who can drink in the wrath of God that we deserve. There is no other Savior.
Now, we have to be very clear, as Americans, very clear in upholding, as I did at the beginning of this part of my statement, the right of people to hold faulty views and to live peacefully in our society. But the distinction between that right and whether their views are right, their views aren’t right, their views are wrong, and they will do them no good on judgment day. They will damage them and before then too, I believe. And so, we want to tell the truth. You do have every right to believe whatever you want to believe, and we uphold that. We believe in absolute separation of church and state. But what we’re telling you is Judgment Day is coming and those views will not help you. There is no name, no other form of salvation, no other pattern of salvation than Jesus Christ. And by repentance and faith in Christ alone our sin is forgiven. And that’s because Jesus’ blood shed on the cross is God’s only provision for us law breakers for the death penalty we deserve to be paid by a substitute, only Jesus.
Wes
Only Jesus. Andy, any final thoughts for us on this passage we’ve discussed today?
Andy
Well, I want to zero in on that last statement. Salvation is found in no one else. So, we zeroed in on that. There’s no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. So, you have to be saved. You have to be saved. And the idea of that is we’re talking about the worth and value of your soul. So, if you’re outside of Christ looking in, this is the top priority of your entire existence. “What would it profit you,” Jesus said, “if you should gain the whole world and lose your soul?” (Mark 8:36) So that salvation, that you would receive forgiveness of sins, is the absolute top priority of every human life, every human existence, nothing is as important as that. You must be saved through faith in Christ. So, I urge you, if you’re listening to this podcast, not yet saved, that you would repent and turn to Christ.
Now, I believe the overwhelming majority of people listening to this podcast have received salvation and forgiveness of sins. But we have to take Acts 4:12 and turn it around and say, okay, if this is true, how should I act? And what should I do in my workplace, in my neighborhoods, in my family, with lost people that I know? I need to be certain that they know the forgiveness that only Christ can give.
Wes
Well, this has been Episode 9 in our Acts Bible Study podcast. We want to invite you to join us next time for Episode 10 entitled, The Church Faces Persecution with Prayer, where we’ll discuss Acts 4:13-31. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys podcast and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
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