Here is a teaching on chapter 4 of the book of Acts. If you want to check out previous Bible studies and chapters going forward, join our group here. Once you get added into that Facebook group, you can go to the "units" tab and you'll see all of the chapters and their study guides as they are being taught.
First I want to say a quick prayer... Lord I pray that you lift up every single person reading this right now. Please give us knowledge and understanding to know exactly what it is that we're reading and how to implement it in our daily lives. Lord please open up our eyes to see the truth of your words. And please open up our heart to receive the love that you have for us and to love others and to let other people know about you Jesus. I love you with my whole heart. Jesus it's in your name that I pray, Amen.
Acts Chapter 4:
1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
So I'm just going to stop right there and discuss these verses with you guys here. These Jewish leaders still had hatred in their heart and they refused to believe in Jesus so they put Peter and John in jail. In these verses we see that the things that Jesus had said from our Bible study in chapter 15 of the book of John were starting to happen. So in John chapter 15 Jesus was telling his disciples about the world hating them and that if the world hates them to keep in mind that it hated him first. and if the world persecuted Jesus, they would also persecute his disciples. So we see what he said in chapter 15 of the book of John happening in these verses here in chapter 4 the book of Acts. Still many believed and got saved and 2000 more people were added to the number of people that were being saved and that's amazing. Nothing can stop the word of Jesus from being spread and nothing can stop people from being saved. Wicked men, people that have hatred in their heart, they can't stop Jesus, him saving the world, and the gospel of Jesus being spread.
5 The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?"
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: 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 healed. 11 He is "'The stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.' 12 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 these rulers, elders, and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem and they questioned Peter and John and asked them by what power or what name did they heal this crippled man. In verses 8-11, Peter was brave and he proudly pronounced that it was by the name of Jesus that this crippled man was healed. In verse 8 where it says "Peter filled with the Holy Spirit," I wanted to point that out because it's important to know that we as believers of Jesus Christ, when we're saved and we have the Holy Spirit within us, and we're filled with that Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit guides us and show us truth. Whenever we let the Holy spirit guide us and we don't give into our flesh or what our heart desires, but we are led by the Holy Spirit, we will speak truth, and the Holy Spirit will guide us into righteousness.
In verse 10 Peter plainly told them that "Jesus Christ whom they crucified," because we saw in the book of John these names here, we saw Annas (the high priest) and Caiaphas (which was part of the high priest's family.) We saw these people in the book of John there with Jesus' arrest and they were part of his arrest and his crucifixion, but death had no hold on Jesus and God raised him from the dead three days later. By the name of Jesus Christ, in faith, the crippled man was able to walk. In verse 11, the verse that he's pertaining to here is Psalm 118:22.
Then in verse 12 Peter says that no other name under heaven is given to men which to be saved. Jesus Christ is the only one that can save us and salvation can only be found in Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life and no one can come to the Father except through him. So these Jewish leaders and these people that had hatred in their heart crucified the only one that can save them, and Peter plainly says this here that salvation is found in no one else but Jesus.
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 "What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows that they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name."
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
In verses 13-22, the pride of the Jewish leaders got in the way of them believing in Jesus and they tried to get Peter and John not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, but Peter and John refused. Peter and John are witnesses to Jesus and they saw everything. They followed Jesus, they saw his arrest, they saw his crucifixion, they saw his resurrection, they saw him ascend to heaven, and nothing was going to get in the way of them preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and healing people in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter and John knew that obeying God, standing firm in their faith, and testifying about our savior was more important than listening to these leaders that refuse to believe in Jesus. So these leaders let them go because they didn't know how to punish them and all the people were praising God for what had happened. The man that was miraculously healed was over 40 years old, and he was born crippled, so for his whole life he was crippled and by the name of Jesus he was healed and able to walk.
23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: 'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The Kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.'
27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
So I'm going to stop right there and discuss these verses with the guys here. So in verses 23-25, Peter and John went back to their own people, to the other apostles and the believers of Christ, and they told them all that the chief priests and elders said to them, and then they all came together and prayed to God. In verse 26 the verses here that they're referring to is Psalm 2:1-2. In these verses here in verses 23-31, this is a good example of how we should react if someone is trying to tell us not to spread the gospel or stray away from it. We should always pray to God and ask for guidance, strength, and to stand firm in our faith. Praying and having that close relationship with God is so important and he will give us power, strength, courage, and everything that we need to stand firm in our faith and fulfill the calling that he's placed on our heart. We just have to pray, lean on him, and know that having a relationship with him and spreading the gospel are the most important things. We should never let anyone get in the way of us spreading the gospel about Jesus Christ in hope that someone may be saved and go to heaven also. In verse 31, after this powerful prayer that they had prayed the place that they were at was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy spirit and spoke of the word of God boldly.
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.
Alright, so that's all the verses of chapter 4 the book of Acts, but I'm going to discuss these verses with you guys here. In these verses here where it says that "all the believers were one in heart and mind," we saw from our Bible study in chapter 17 of the book of John in verses 22-23 where Jesus was praying to God the Father for his disciples. I'm just going to put these verses here: "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." We also saw this happening from our Bible study on chapter 2 of the book of Acts where they came to complete unity and I put these verses from the prayer that Jesus said to God the Father in chapter 17 of the book of John. We see this happening again in these verses in chapter 4 of the book of Acts.
They all came together, were one in heart and mind in complete unity, they shared everything that they had, the apostles continued to testify about the resurrection of Jesus, and there was no one that was a need among them because from time to time those people that had their own land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles. The apostles would distribute that money to anyone who had need. This is a great example of the believers being in complete unity and not acting on greed or pride, but all coming together for one purpose: spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and testifying about him so that others may be saved and go to heaven also. They all shared everything with each other, they helped each other, and they helped others that were need. In the world that we live in today people can get so caught up in pride, greed, and the love of money and they can lose sight of the things that are really important, and that is spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, having that relationship with him, and coming together with other believers and being in complete unity, just like Jesus prayed to God the Father that his disciples would do.
Acts Ch 4 Study Guide
Why did these Jewish leaders put Peter and John in jail?
What happens when we let the Holy Spirit guide us?
Where does our salvation come from?
In verse 18, why did they want Peter and John to stop speaking or teaching in the name of Jesus?
When someone is telling us not to spread the gospel, what do you think is the best thing to do?
Is prayer important? Why or why not?
In verses 32-37, what is this a great example of?
What is your biggest takeaway from this Bible study?
So that completes our Bible study on chapter 4 of the book of Acts. Next week we're going to go into chapter 5 so make sure you stay tuned for that.
I love you guys so much.
Never forget to choose faith over fear.
-Lorena Camille (Faith Fuels My Fire)
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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
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