PODCAST
What Is Right?
September 17th, 2019
Acts 4:13-22
Peter and John have just finished responding to the questions of the religious rulers. After Peter’s response, the rulers were surprised at their courage and the fact that these were just ordinary, unschooled men. They “took note that these men had been with Jesus” (v. 13).
“But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say” (v. 14). So, after some deliberation, they commanded Peter and John not “to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus anymore” (v. 18).
Their response was clever (and not without a good helping of irony)! Peter and John appealed to the “rulers” to make a ruling that they were not the ultimate rulers after all. Shrewd and innocent.
They followed with the simple statement, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (v. 20).
It’s important to remember the thing that ultimately gets them off the hook is the fact that “all the people were praising God for what had happened” (v. 21). When people are healed and a community rallies around these good things, opposition to the name of Jesus tends to crumble.
Author: Erik Gernand
