Bible Study on Acts 4, verses 5 to 14, Neither is there salvation in any other

 

Acts 4:5 ¶  And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 6  And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7  And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? 8  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9  If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10  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. 11  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 13  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. 14  And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

 

Notice the use, in verse 7, of the word power for authority.

 

Luke 4:36  And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

 

Here are leaders in the temple and the high priest and members of his family, also priests, with Annas and Caiaphas having been the high priests in their turn at the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry a few years earlier.

 

Luke 3:2  Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

 

They may have taken turns in that position. One source I read said that the Romans appointed the High Priest during their occupation before the rebellions that resulted in the temple being destroyed.

 

John 18:13  And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.

 

Priests served in family groups or clans.

 

2Chronicles 35:4  And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son. 5  And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites.

 

Luke 1:5 ¶  There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth…8  And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course,

 

Peter has preached yet another sermon, this time to the rulers. He has witnessed to proselytes from the many countries in which Jews had been scattered, to the people visiting the temple, and now to the rulers. No one has any excuse. Peter’s boldness can be attributed to the Holy Ghost and if you look at the sermons he stays right on track.

 

He accuses them of crucifying Christ who defied their authority by rising from the dead. What a statement!  

 

Verse 11 refers back to Psalm 118:22 which both Jesus and Peter quote as well.

 

Verse 12 is a meaningful statement not unlike John 14:6.

 

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 

Here is one fulfillment of a promise Christ made.

 

Luke 12:11  And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12  For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

 

The leadership understands that these common, uneducated men had been with Jesus and they were impressed with their boldness to talk about Him. The healed man was evidence in their favor as well that left the leadership of the Jews nothing to say.