A SHIFT OF POWER

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” —Acts 4:18–20

The esteemed members of the council had a simple yet complex question to answer: “What are we going to do with these men?” (Acts 4:16).

They knew they could neither explain nor deny what Peter and John had done in healing the lame man at the temple gate. All of Jerusalem knew about this miracle, and the Jewish leaders were afraid of public backlash if they dealt with the disciples too harshly. As powerful as this group of men was, in light of the reality of Jesus’ power and the witness of the disciples, all they could do was ask them to stop, albeit with various threats.

With a courage that undermined the assumed power imbalance between the council and the disciples, Peter and John said no: “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Their answer demonstrated the reality that the real power was now in favor of the disciples. The council could warn, threaten, and even begin to persecute the apostles and their new converts, as they soon would, but this new movement was not going to be stopped. As witnesses of Jesus, the disciples were beginning to fulfill the commission He had given them, and the community of disciples was growing strongly in Jerusalem.

This was not a carefully formulated strategy for evangelism but an organic movement that combined the courageous witness of the disciples with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. This combination was far greater than the power of the Jewish council. Peter and John had made the correct decision about which power to obey, and their enthusiasm for sharing the story of Jesus carried them on.