1A když takto mluvili k lidu, přišli na ně kněží s velitelem chrámové stráže a se saduceji. 2Nemohli totiž snést, že učí lid a že v souvislosti s Ježíšem hlásají vzkříšení z mrtvých. 3Zatkli je, a protože už byl večer, nechali je do druhého dne ve vězení. 4Mnozí, kdo tu řeč slyšeli, však uvěřili, takže jejich počet dosáhl asi pěti tisíc mužů. 5Nazítří se v Jeruzalémě sešli židovští hodnostáři, starší a znalci Písma, 6velekněz Annáš a také Kaifáš, Jan, Alexandr a ostatní z velekněžského rodu. 7Postavili Petra s Janem doprostřed a vyslýchali je: „Jakou mocí a v čím jménu jste to udělali?“ 8Tehdy jim Petr, naplněn Duchem svatým, řekl: „Vůdcové lidu a starší Izraele, 9jsme tu dnes vyslýcháni kvůli dobrému skutku, jímž bylo uzdravení nemocného člověka. 10Proto vám všem i celému izraelskému lidu oznamuji, že tento člověk před vámi stojí zdravý ve jménu Ježíše Krista Nazaretského, jehož jste vy ukřižovali a jehož Bůh vzkřísil z mrtvých. 11To je ten ‚kámen vámi staviteli zavržený, jenž se stal kamenem úhelným.‘ 12V nikom jiném není spása – na světě není lidem dáno jiné jméno, v němž bychom mohli být spaseni!“ 13Když vůdcové viděli Petrovu a Janovu smělost a zjistili, že jsou to neučení a prostí lidé, žasli a poznali na nich, že byli s Ježíšem. 14Když se podívali na toho uzdraveného muže, jak tam s nimi stojí, neměli co na to říci. 15Poručili jim, ať odejdou z radní místnosti, a začali se radit: 16„Co s těmi lidmi uděláme? Celý Jeruzalém ví, že se skrze ně stal zjevný zázrak, a my to nemůžeme popřít. 17Aby se to ale mezi lidmi přestalo šířit, pohrozme jim, ať už o tom jménu s nikým nemluví.“ 18A tak je zavolali a přikázali jim, ať už o Ježíšově jménu vůbec nemluví ani neučí. 19Petr a Jan jim odpověděli: „Myslíte, že je v Božích očích správné, abychom poslouchali vás více než Boha? 20Nemůžeme nemluvit o tom, co jsme viděli a slyšeli.“ 21Když ale nemohli najít nic, za co by je potrestali, znovu jim pohrozili a s ohledem na lid je propustili. Všichni totiž oslavovali Boha za to, co se stalo – 22člověk přes čtyřicet let chromý byl zázračně uzdraven! 23Poté, co byli propuštěni, přišli ke svým a vyprávěli, co jim řekli vrchní kněží a starší. 24Když to bratři uslyšeli, svorně pozvedli hlas k Bohu: „Pane, ty jsi stvořil nebe i zemi, moře i všechno, co je v nich. 25Ty jsi skrze Ducha svatého řekl ústy svého služebníka, našeho otce Davida: ‚Proč se národy vzbouřily a lidé vymýšleli marnosti? 26Králové země povstali a vládcové se spřáhli proti Hospodinu a proti jeho Pomazanému.‘ 27A opravdu, Herodes a Pontius Pilát se spřáhli s pohany a s lidem Izraele proti tvému svatému služebníku Ježíši, jehož jsi pomazal, 28a provedli, co tvá ruka a tvá vůle předurčila, že se má stát. 29Pohleď nyní na jejich výhrůžky, Hospodine, a dej svým služebníkům, ať mluví tvé slovo se vší smělostí. 30Vztahuj svou ruku k uzdravování a dej, ať se ve jménu tvého svatého služebníka Ježíše dějí divy a zázraky!“ 31Místo, na kterém se shromáždili, se po jejich modlitbě zatřáslo. Všichni byli naplněni Duchem svatým a začali směle mluvit Boží slovo. 32Celé to množství věřících mělo jedno srdce a jednu duši. Nikdo nic nenazýval svým vlastním majetkem, ale měli všechno společné. 33Apoštolové vydávali svědectví o vzkříšení Pána Ježíše s velikou mocí a na všech spočívala veliká milost. 34Nikdo mezi nimi netrpěl nouzi, protože ti, kdo vlastnili pole nebo domy, je prodávali a utržené peníze přinášeli 35k nohám apoštolů. Z toho se pak rozdělovalo každému, jak kdo potřeboval. 36Joses, který od apoštolů dostal jméno Barnabáš (což v překladu znamená Syn potěšení), levita původem z Kypru, 37prodal své pole, přinesl peníze a položil je k nohám apoštolů.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 PETER AND JOHN BEFORE THE SAMHEDRIM. (
Acts 4:1-
Acts 4:13)
the captain--of the Levitical guard.
of the temple--annoyed at the disturbance created around it.
and the Sadducees--who "say that there is no resurrection" (
Acts 23:8), irritated at the apostles "preaching through (rather, 'in') Jesus the resurrection from the dead"; for the resurrection of Christ, if a fact, effectually overthrew the Sadducean doctrine.
4 the number of the men--or males, exclusive of women; though the word sometimes includes both.
about five thousand--and this in Jerusalem, where the means of detecting the imposture or crushing the fanaticism, if such it had been, were within everyone's reach, and where there was every inducement to sift it to the bottom.
5 their rulers, &c.--This was a regular meeting of the Sanhedrim (see on
Matt 2:4).
6 Annas . . . and Caiaphas--(See on
Luke 3:2).
John and Alexander--of whom nothing is known.
7 By what power or . . . name have ye done this--thus admitting the reality of the miracle, which afterwards they confess themselves unable to deny (
Acts 4:16).
8 Then, filled with the Holy Ghost, said--(See
Mark 13:11;
Luke 21:15).
10 Be it known unto you . . . and to all the people of Israel--as if emitting a formal judicial testimony to the entire nation through its rulers now convened.
by the name of Jesus, &c.--(See on
Acts 3:13, &c.).
even by him doth this man stand before you whole--for from
Acts 4:14 it appears that the healed man was at that moment before their eyes.
11 This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, &c.--This application of
Ps 118:22, already made by our Lord Himself before some of the same "builders" (
Matt 21:42), is here repeated with peculiar propriety after the deed of rejection had been consummated, and the rejected One had, by His exaltation to the right hand of the Majesty on high, 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--How sublimely does the apostle, in these closing words, shut up these rulers of Israel to Jesus for salvation, and in what universal and emphatic terms does he hold up his Lord as the one Hope of men!
13 perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men--that is, uninstructed in the learning of the Jewish schools, and of the common sort; men in private life, untrained to teaching.
took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus--recognized them as having been in His company; remembering possibly, that they had seen them with Him [MEYER, BLOOMFIELD, ALFORD]; but, more probably, perceiving in their whole bearing what identified them with Jesus: that is, "We thought we had got rid of Him; but lo! He reappears in these men, and all that troubled us in the Nazarene Himself has yet to be put down in these His disciples." What a testimony to these primitive witnesses! Would that the same could be said of their successors!
16 a notable miracle . . . done by them is manifest to all . . . in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it--And why should ye wish to deny it, O ye rulers, but that ye hate the light, and will not come to the light lest your deeds should be reproved?
17 But that it spread no further . . . let us straitly--strictly.
threaten . . . that they speak henceforth to no man in this name--Impotent device! Little knew they the fire that was burning in the bones of those heroic disciples.
18 Whether it be right . . . to hearken to you more than . . . God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard--There is here a wonderful union of sober, respectful appeal to the better reason of their judges, and calm, deep determination to abide the consequences of a constrained testimony, which betokens a power above their own resting upon them, according to promise.
21 finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people--not at a loss for a pretext, but at a loss how to do it so as not to rouse the opposition of the people.
23 PETER AND JOHN DISMISSED FROM THE SAMHEDRIM, REPORT THE PROCEEDINGS TO THE ASSEMBLED DISCIPLES--THEY ENGAGE IN PRAYER--THE ASTONISHING ANSWER AND RESULTS. (
Acts 4:23-
Acts 4:37)
being let go, they went to their own company--Observe the two opposite classes, representing the two interests which were about to come into deadly conflict.
24 they lifted up their voice--the assembled disciples, on hearing Peter's report.
with one accord--the breasts of all present echoing every word of this sublime prayer.
Lord--(See on
Luke 2:29). Applied to God, the term expresses absolute authority.
God which hast made heaven and earth--against whom, therefore, all creatures are powerless.
25 by the mouth of . . . David--to whom the Jews ascribed the second Psalm, though anonymous; and internal evidence confirms it. David's spirit sees with astonishment "the heathen, the people, the kings and princes of the earth," in deadly combination against the sway of Jehovah and His Anointed (his Messiah, or Christ), and asks "why" it is. This fierce confederacy our praying disciples see in full operation, in the "gathering together of Herod and Pilate, the Gentiles (the Roman authority), and the people of Israel, against God's holy Child ('Servant') Jesus." (See on
Acts 3:13). The best ancient copies read, after "were gathered together," "in this city," which probably answers to "upon my holy hill of Zion," in the
Ps 2:6.
28 thy hand and thy counsel determined . . . to be done--that is, "Thy counsel" determined to be done by "Thy hand."
29 now, Lord, behold their threatenings--Recognizing in the threatenings of the Sanhedrim a declaration of war by the combined powers of the world against their infant cause, they seek not enthusiastically to hide from themselves its critical position, but calmly ask the Lord of heaven and earth to "look upon their threatenings."
that with all boldness they may speak thy word--Rising above self, they ask only fearless courage to testify for their Master, and divine attestation to their testimony by miracles of healing, &c., in His name.
31 place was shaken--glorious token of the commotion which the Gospel was to make (
Acts 17:6; compare
Acts 16:26), and the overthrow of all opposing powers in which this was to issue.
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and spake, &c.--The Spirit rested upon the entire community, first, in the very way they had asked, so that they "spake the word with boldness" (
Acts 4:29,
Acts 4:31); next, in melting down all selfishness, and absorbing even the feeling of individuality in an intense and glowing realization of Christian unity. The community of goods was but an outward expression of this, and natural in such circumstances.
33 with great power--effect on men's minds.
great grace was upon them all--The grace of God copiously rested on the whole community.
35 laid . . . at the apostles' feet--sitting, it may be, above the rest. But the expression may be merely derived from that practice, and here meant figuratively.
36 Joses, &c.--This is specified merely as an eminent example of that spirit of generous sacrifice which pervaded all.
son of consolation--no doubt so surnamed from the character of his ministry.
a Levite--who, though as a tribe having no inheritance, might and did acquire property as individuals (
Deut 18:8).
Cyprus--a well-known island in the Mediterranean.
