Acts 4:15 ¶ But when they
had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among
themselves, 16 Saying, What shall we do
to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is
manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
17 But that it spread no further among
the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man
in this name. 18 And they called them,
and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said unto
them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than
unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but
speak the things which we have seen and heard. 21 So when they had further threatened them,
they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the
people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. 22 For the man was above forty years old, on
whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
Peter and John are now
sent to wait outside. This is a cause of grave concern because it is impossible
to deny that this healing has happened. News of it is spreading. If these men
can do the work that Jesus did, healing the sick and the lame, who can say but
what His claims were true and maybe their claims are, as well. This news has
got to be squelched right away.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no
law.
We are called to be witnesses for Christ and to make disciples.
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
The leadership, probably caught between the amazement of the
people for this miracle and the danger to their position if this aroused a
disturbance that would come to the attention of their Roman masters, can only
threaten them and then let them go. They were always torn between trying to
squelch what was being preached or trying to ignore it for fear of public unrest.
Mark 12:12 And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them:
and they left him, and went their way.
John 11:46 But some of them went their ways to the
Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. 47 Then gathered the chief priests and the
Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. 48 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.
Acts 4:23 ¶ And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Verse
24 is a wonderful acknowledgement about God creating all things confirmed in
other places than Genesis, chapter one. God’s creation of the universe is not only
confirmed by Moses, writing Genesis under the inspiration of God, but also
Isaiah.
Isaiah
42:5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that
created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth,
and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it,
and spirit to them that walk therein:
Isaiah
45:18 For thus saith the LORD that
created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath
established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am
the LORD; and there is none else.
King
David;
Psalm
33:6 By the word of the LORD were the
heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
And
the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Mark
13:19 For in those days shall be
affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God
created unto this time, neither shall be.
Verses 25 and 26 quote the great Psalm that most of us
understand prophetically to be about the millennial reign of Christ. Peter uses
it here to underscore how futile man’s rules against proclaiming Christ are to
be. Those who do not believe in a physical, millennial reign of Christ on earth
will say that this Psalm was fulfilled here although to say that denies the
implications of its message from verse 7 onward.
Psalm 2:1 ¶ Why do the
heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and
the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his
anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and
cast away their cords from us. 4 He that
sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his
wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
7 ¶ I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said
unto me, Thou art my Son; this
day have I begotten thee. 8 Ask of me,
and I shall give thee the
heathen for thine inheritance,
and
the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces
like a potter’s vessel.
10 ¶ Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be
instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish
from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a
little. Blessed are all they
that put their trust in him.
There are many prophecies in the Bible that have more
than one application, an immediate and a future, as we have seen. Verses in
Psalm 2 show that its ultimate fulfillment will come at the end of the
millennial reign of Christ, as we will see more clearly in Revelation.
With verse 31 I want to
restate something said earlier. The Holy Ghost gave commands to the Apostles
whom Jesus showed Himself to for forty days after His resurrection. The
apostles were ordered to assemble together at Jerusalem and to wait for the
Holy Ghost to be given to them. What do we say then to this passage in John?
John 20:22 And when he had
said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye
the Holy Ghost:
It appears then that,
at least for the early believers in Christ, that the Holy Ghost could be given
more than once, possibly for different reasons.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by
the washing of regeneration, and renewing
of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed
on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should
be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
The question I have to
ask is if while we are sealed and secure with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
does God renew it in us as we are sanctified for Him in life? Could that be
what the following mean more fully?
Ephesians 5:18 And be not
drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
We are saved once and
indwelt with the Spirit as Paul relates the absurdity of being saved and lost
again and again in Hebrews 6:1-6. In the following passage Paul shows that if
you could lose your salvation you could not get saved again. It appears he is
trying to get Christians to move beyond salvation to our sanctification.
Hebrews 6:1 ¶ Therefore
leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection;
not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith
toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of
baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of
eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do,
if God permit. 4 For it is impossible for those who were
once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers
of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the
good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away,
to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son
of God afresh, and put him to
an open shame.
So, the question would
be, are we praying to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to be renewed in the
power and mind of God over sin and self? Or are we satisfied and complacent
about this unspeakable gift?
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