1A když oni mluvili k lidu, přišli na ně kněží, a úředník chrámu a saduceové, 2Těžce to nesouce, že lid učili, a zvěstovali ve jménu Ježíše vzkříšení z mrtvých. 3I vztáhli na ně ruce, a vsadili je do žaláře až do jitra, nebo již byl večer. 4Mnozí pak z těch, kteříž slyšeli slovo, uvěřili. I učiněn jest počet mužů okolo pěti tisíců. 5Stalo se pak nazejtří, že se sešla knížata jejich, a starší, a zákonníci v Jeruzalémě, 6A Annáš nejvyšší kněz {biskup}, a Kaifáš, a Jan a Alexander, a kteřížkoli byli z pokolení nejvyššího kněze {biskupa}. 7I postavivše je mezi sebou, otázali se: Jakou mocí aneb v kterém jménu učinili jste to vy? 8Tehdy Petr, jsa pln Ducha svatého, řekl jim: Knížata lidu a starší Izraelští, 9Poněvadž my dnes k soudu jsme přivedeni pro dobrodiní člověku nemocnému, kterak by on zdráv učiněn byl: 10Známo buď všechněm vám i všemu lidu Izraelskému, že ve jménu Ježíše Krista Nazaretského, kteréhož jste vy ukřižovali, jehož Bůh vzkřísil z mrtvých, skrze toho jméno tento stojí před vámi zdravý. 11Toť jest ten kámen za nic položený od vás stavitelů, kterýž jest v hlavu úhelní. 12A neníť v žádném jiném spasení; neboť není jiného jména pod nebem daného lidem, skrze kteréž bychom mohli spaseni býti. 13I vidouce takovou udatnost a smělost v mluvení Petrovu a Janovu, a shledavše, že jsou lidé neučení a prostí, divili se, a poznali je, že s Ježíšem bývali. 14Člověka také toho vidouce, an stojí s nimi, kterýž byl uzdraven, neměli co mluviti proti nim. 15I rozkázavše jim vystoupiti z rady, rozmlouvali vespolek, 16Řkouce: Co učiníme lidem těmto? Nebo že zjevný zázrak stal se skrze ně, všechněm přebývajícím v Jeruzalémě známé jest, aniž můžeme zapříti. 17Ale aby se to více nerozhlašovalo v lidu, s pohrůžkou přikažme jim, aby více v tom jménu žádnému z lidí nemluvili. 18I povolavše jich, přikázali jim, aby nikoli nemluvili, ani neučili ve jménu Ježíšovu. 19Tedy Petr a Jan odpovídajíce jim, řekli: Jest-li to spravedlivé před oblíčejem Božím, abychom vás více poslouchali než Boha, suďte. 20Neboť my nemůžeme nemluviti toho, co jsme viděli a slyšeli. 21A oni pohrozivše jim, propustili je, nenalezše na nich příčiny trestání, pro lid; nebo všickni velebili Boha z toho, co se bylo stalo. 22Byl zajisté v letech více než ve čtyřidcíti člověk ten, při kterémž se byl stal zázrak ten uzdravení. 23A jsouce propuštěni, přišli k svým, a pověděli, co k nim přední kněží {biskupové} a starší mluvili. 24Kteříž uslyševše to, jednomyslně pozdvihli hlasu k Bohu a řekli: Hospodine, ty jsi Bůh, kterýž jsi učinil nebe i zemi, i moře i všecko, což v nich jest, 25Kterýž jsi skrze ústa Davida, služebníka svého, řekl: Proč se bouřili národové, a lidé myslili marné věci? 26Postavili se králové zemští, a knížata sešla se vespolek proti Pánu a proti pomazanému jeho. 27Právěť se jistě sešli proti svatému Synu tvému Ježíšovi, kteréhož jsi pomazal, Heródes a Pontský Pilát, s pohany a lidem Izraelským, 28Aby učinili to, což ruka tvá a rada tvá předuložila, aby se stalo. 29A nyní, Pane, pohlediž na pohrůžky jejich, a dejž služebníkům svým mluviti slovo své svobodně a směle, 30Vztahuje ruku svou k uzdravování a k činění divů a zázraků, skrze jméno svatého Syna tvého Ježíše. 31A když se oni modlili, zatřáslo se to místo, na kterémž byli shromážděni, a naplněni jsou všickni Duchem svatým, a mluvili slovo Boží směle a svobodně. 32Toho pak množství věřících bylo jedno srdce a jedna duše. Aniž kdo co z těch věcí, kteréž měl, svým vlastním býti pravil, ale měli všecky věci obecné. 33A mocí velikou vydávali apoštolé svědectví o vzkříšení Pána Ježíše, a milost veliká přítomná byla všechněm jim. 34Žádný zajisté mezi nimi nebyl nuzný; nebo kteřížkoli měli pole neb domy, prodávajíce, přinášeli peníze, za kteréž prodávali, 35A kladli před nohy apoštolské. I bylo rozdělováno to jednomu každému, jakž komu potřebí bylo. 36Jozes pak, kterýž přijmí měl od apoštolů Barnabáš, (což se vykládá syn utěšení), z pokolení Levítského, z Cypru rodem, 37Měv pole, prodal je, a přinesl peníze, a položil k nohám apoštolským.
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.