Highlights
- Peter mentioned his healing power (act of kindness) comes from Jesus vs 8;
- Jesus Christ, the cornerstone – salvation is found only in him vs 12;
- Availability and teachability is more important to God than one’s qualifications vs 13 – unschooled, ordinary men vs 13;
- Peter chose to obey God and his courage comes from what he had seen and heard of Jesus vs 13, 19 – 20 – cannot help speaking about him because of Jesus encounter;
- Qualification plus you = get a job. Availability +teachability+trust in God = everything in life (wisdom, knowledge, understanding, protection, power, friendship, love, justice, resources etc). God is a massive big leverage one could draw on in fear and love – Ed Tiong 8 July 2020;
- Friendship with God = Friendship with all His creation – humans of all ranks + all other living things – Ed Tiong ( HM Tiong ) 8 July 2020
Acts 4:8-21
[8]Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, answered them, “Leaders of the people and elders:
[9]if we are being questioned today about the good deed done to the lame man and how he was healed,
[10]then you should all know, and all the people of Israel should know, that this man stands here before you completely well through the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth — whom you crucified and whom God raised from death.
[11]Jesus is the one of whom the scripture says: ‘The stone that you the builders despised turned out to be the most important of all.’
[12]Salvation is to be found through him alone; in all the world there is no one else whom God has given who can save us.”
[13]The members of the Council were amazed to see how bold Peter and John were and to learn that they were ordinary men of no education. They realized then that they had been companions of Jesus.
[14]But there was nothing that they could say, because they saw the man who had been healed standing there with Peter and John.
[15]So they told them to leave the Council room, and then they started discussing among themselves.
[16]“What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone in Jerusalem knows that this extraordinary miracle has been performed by them, and we cannot deny it.
[17]But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn these men never again to speak to anyone in the name of Jesus.”
[18]So they called them back in and told them that on no condition were they to speak or to teach in the name of Jesus.
[19]But Peter and John answered them, “You yourselves judge which is right in God’s sight — to obey you or to obey God.
[20]For we cannot stop speaking of what we ourselves have seen and heard.”
[21]So the Council warned them even more strongly and then set them free. They saw that it was impossible to punish them, because the people were all praising God for what had happened.