Acts 4
Boldness in the Face of Opposition
The Tension of Truth and Power
As we step into Acts 4, we find Peter and John standing boldly before the Sanhedrin, and the atmosphere is tense. They’ve just healed a man in Jesus’ name and now they’re proclaiming the resurrection—something the Sadducees flat-out rejected. It’s almost comical to remember it like this: the Sadducees are so sad, you see, because they don’t believe in the resurrection. That pun might be corny, but it’s memorable.
What’s sobering is realizing just how many were aligned against them—eleven different individuals or groups: the priests, the captain of the temple, the Sadducees, elders, scribes, Pharisees, rulers, and even specific people like Annas, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander. That’s a lot of pressure. Yet in the midst of that pressure, Peter and John don’t flinch. The first half of Acts 4 is full of persecution, while the second half is about prayer. What hinges these two is the question we still ask today: will we let fear silence us, or will we raise our voices in boldness for Jesus?
Power, Not of Ourselves, but the Spirit's
The religious leaders were baffled—not just by the miracle, but by who had performed it. Verse 7 cuts to the chase: “By what power or what name did you do this?” That’s the right question. And Peter’s response is both bold and clear: it was done in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth—whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead. He doesn’t sugarcoat it.
What hits us here is that these weren’t men of influence or education. Acts 4:13 reminds us: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished.” Why? Because these men had been with Jesus. That’s what made the difference. And it’s what still makes the difference today.
We aren’t building the church on our charisma or our cleverness. The fruitfulness we long for—depth and width, quality and quantity—comes from the Spirit of God. If we’re filled with the Spirit, there will be signs of transformation, and those around us won’t be able to deny the "before and after" difference that Jesus makes.
When We Pray, We Rise
When Peter and John were released, they didn’t head to social media or retreat in fear. They went back to their people. That phrase grabbed us. They brought their burden to the body of Christ, and together they raised their voices in unified prayer. And this wasn’t just loud praying—it was united, powerful, and scriptural. They even quoted Psalm 2 together. The response to opposition wasn’t to fight back with fists, but to press in with prayer.
One phrase in particular stands out from their prayer in verses 29–30: “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” That’s our prayer too. Not for safety or status, but for boldness. For signs and wonders that point to Jesus. For hearts to be healed and lives to be changed—not because of our strength, but because we are surrendered to His.
We were challenged recently with a question: have we ever prayed as long and as hard for healing or revival as we’ve spent preparing sermons or studying? That hit home. Maybe it’s time we spent less time proving we’re right and more time praying for people to be made right with God.
One Heart, One Mind, One Mission
The chapter ends with an image of radical unity. The believers were of “one heart and mind.” They didn’t claim anything as their own. Instead, they shared freely, lived generously, and proclaimed Jesus with great power. This is what the Spirit-filled life looks like—not just bold words, but a bold way of living.
We’re inspired by the shift we see between Acts 4 and what’s coming next in Acts 5 with Ananias and Sapphira. Here in chapter 4, we see the purest form of community, of shared life and selfless giving. This is the Church—not just a gathering, but a family on mission, proclaiming the resurrection, meeting needs, and staying unified under the name of Jesus.
Let’s be a people who respond to opposition with prayer, who trade fear for faith, and who live with such boldness and fruitfulness that others can't help but notice: these are ordinary people who have been with Jesus.
