1Zatímco ještě k lidu mluvili, přišli na ně kněží, velitel chrámové stráže a saduceové. 2nelibě nesli, že učí lid a hlásají, že v Ježíšovi je vzkříšení z mrtvých. 3Proto je dali zatknout a uvěznit do příštího dne, neboť už byl večer. 4Ale mnoho z těch, kdo tu řeč uslyšeli, přijalo víru, takže počet mužů stoupl asi na pět tisíc. 5Druhý den se shromáždili v Jeruzalémě židovští přední mužové, starší a učitelé Zákona. 6Byl tam i velekněz Annáš, Kaifáš, Jan, Alexandr a všichni, kteří byli z velekněžského rodu. 7Dali je předvést a začali je vyslýchat: »Čí mocí anebo čím jménem jste to udělali?« 8Tu jim Petr, odpověděl: »Přední mužové v lidu a starší! 9Když se dnes musíme odpovídat z dobrého skutku na nemocném člověku, kým že byl uzdraven, 10tedy ať to víte vy všichni a celý izraelský národ: Ve jménu Ježíše Krista Nazaretského, kterého jste vy ukřižovali, ale kterého Bůh vzkřísil z mrtvých: skrze něho stojí tento člověk před vámi zdravý. 11On je ten 'kámen, který jste vy stavitelé odhodili, ale z kterého se stal kvádr nárožní'. 12V nikom jiném není spásy. Neboť pod nebem není lidem dáno žádné jiné jméno, v němž bychom mohli dojít spásy.« 13Když přední muži v lidu, starší a učitelé Zákona viděli Petrovu a Janovu odvahu a uvážili, že jsou to lidé neučení a prostí, divili se. Poznávali je, že bývali s Ježíšem; 14ale protože teď zároveň s nimi viděli toho uzdraveného člověka, neměli, co by proti tomu mohli říci. 15Poručili jim proto, aby vyšli z velerady, 16a radili se mezi sebou: »Co máme dělat s těmito lidmi? Že se skrze ně stal zřejmý zázrak, je zjevné všem obyvatelům Jeruzaléma, a my to nemůžeme popřít. 17Aby se to však nerozneslo mezi lidem ještě více, pohrozíme jim, že v tom jménu již nesmějí k nikomu mluvit.« 18Zavolali je tedy a přikázali jim, že vůbec ve jménu Ježíšově nesmějí kázat ani učit. 19Ale Petr a Jan jim na to řekli: »Suďte sami, zdali je to před Bohem správné, abychom poslouchali více vás než Boha. 20Je přece nemožné, abychom nemluvili o tom, co jsme viděli a slyšeli.« 21Oni jim znova pohrozili a propustili je, protože nemohli najít nic, zač by je potrestali - už kvůli lidu, neboť všichni velebili Boha za to, co se událo. 22Tomu člověku, který byl zázračně uzdraven, bylo totiž více než čtyřicet let. 23Když byli Petr a Jan propuštěni, přišli k svým a pověděli jim, co všecko jim řekli velekněží a starší. 24Když to uslyšeli, společně zvolali k Bohu: »Pane, ty jsi stvořil nebe a zemi, moře i všechno, co je v nich. 25Ty jsi řekl pod vlivem Ducha svatého ústy svého služebníka, našeho praotce Davida: 'Proč se pohané bouří, proč národy osnují marné plány? 26Pozdvihují ssse pozemští králové a vládcové se spolčují proti Pánu a proti jeho Pomazanému.' 27Ano, skutečně, v tomto městě se spolčili Herodes a Poncius Pilát s pohany a s izraelským lidem proti tvému svatému služebníku Ježíšovi, kterého jsi pomazal za Mesiáše. 28Tak vykonali, co předem určila tvoje moc a tvé rozhodnutí. 29A teď pohleď, Pane, jak vyhrožují! Dej tedy svým služebníkům, aby tvoje slovo hlásali s veškerou odvahou, 30a ty přitom zasahuj svou mocí, aby se skrze jméno tvého svatého služebníka Ježíše dála uzdravení a znamení a divy.« 31A když skončili tuto modlitbu, otřáslo se to místo, kde byli shromážděni, a všichni byli naplněni Duchem svatým, takže s odvahou hlásali Boží slovo. 32Obec věřících měla jedno srdce a jednu duši. Nikdo neříkal o ničem ze svého majetku, že je to jeho vlastní, ale měli všechno společné. 33Apoštolové vydávali s velkou působivostí svědectví o zmrtvýchvstání Pána Ježíše a na nich na všech spočívala velká milost. 34A tak nikdo u nich nežil v nouzi. Kdo měli totiž pole nebo dům, prodávali je a peníze za to stržené přinášeli 35a kladli apoštolům k nohám. Z toho se pak rozdělovalo každému, jak kdo potřeboval. 36Tak levita z Kypru Josef, přezvaný od apoštolů Barnabáš, to je v překladu »syn útěchy«, 37měl pole, prodal ho a peníze přinesl a položil apoštolům k nohám.
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.