Bold Witnesses (Part Two)

INTRO: We live in an age where information is fast and furious. Some of that information is about as useless, as much a waste of time and money as the movie franchise by that same name. (My insincere apologies to fans eagerly waiting for Fast and Furious… X!) But really, with internet and media, and polarized politics, we have to work extra hard to sift through the information we are given to determine if it is true or if it warrants our time and attention at all. Many times we might have to admit that we don’t have enough evidence to be conclusive, or that we need to do a lot more work to investigate and get to the other side of the information maze.

But not everything in life is that uncertain or untrustworthy. Some things have hard evidence that demands our attention. The claims of Christ recorded in Scripture pass the test of historical reliability, despite postmodern cries to the contrary. The evidence is strong and demands that we make a decision about Jesus.

In part two of a section in Acts 4 where Peter and John are bold witnesses under examination by the Sanhedrin, we see how those who oppose Christ are faced with hard evidence that Jesus is still at work through his followers. Their Jesus problem isn’t going away; it’s growing.

But for Christ’s followers, opposition to Jesus by the religious leadership in Israel now becomes opposition to the Apostles and Christ’s growing church. So Peter and John are arrested and jailed overnight for healing a man and preaching Christ publicly in the temple. The next day, they are interrogated by the Sanhedrin, and Peter, filled with the Spirit, gives an astonishingly bold and clear proclamation of the gospel. Then this is what follows:

Acts 4:13–22 ESV

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

We have two major themes working in tandem. There is a continuation of this theme of the Apostles being bold under pressure, and there is a second theme of how the obvious evidence about the continued work of Jesus becomes a significant challenge for those who would oppose him.

But even these opponents must admit what we discussed last week, which is the…

The Boldness of Peter and John (v. 13)

… to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ even when they are being threatened by the highest court in the land, the very same Sanhedrin that had Jesus killed.

The word translated as boldness (in v. 13) to describe Peter and John is exactly what you would expect it to mean. It is a confidence and courage, “the trait of being willing to undertake activities that involve risk or danger; especially [in] being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech.” (Bible Sense Lexicon, Logos Bible Software)

We as followers of Jesus Christ immediately see something here in these two Apostles that we should desire to emulate: this boldness. What do we learn from this verse and context about what it takes to be courageous for Christ?

What does it NOT take to be a bold witness for Christ?

The text tells us that the religious elite were “astonished” by their boldness bc they “perceived that they were uneducated” and “common.”

To think that they were uneducated and common isn’t to say that they were stupid and illiterate. It is the simple recognition that these men are not formally training in the advanced rabbinic schools. Again, there’s nothing inherently wrong or right about being ordinary, any more than there is anything inherently wrong or right about having a superior intellect. We trust God with the way he has made us in this life. And there certainly isn’t anything wrong with receiving extended training and education; see the life and experience of the Apostle Paul.

There’s nothing wrong with being educated or uncommon, but such isn’t a requirement for being used of God to boldly proclaim Christ.

What does it take to be a bold witness for Christ?

“And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

Their knowledge had come in the school of 24/7 ministry with Jesus for three years—his teaching, trials, prayer, compassion—and then witnessing his death, resurrection, appearances, and ascension. The fact that they personally knew Jesus and had been changed by him was evident in their scriptural knowledge, bold proclamation, and spiritual clarity.

It requires being in Christ and learning from Christ.

Like their education, the Apostles’ authority to speak so boldly was literally derived from Jesus. This is authority by association and commission. When we are saved and restored to God through faith in Christ, we are adopted as sons of God and become his ambassadors to the world. Knowing Christ transforms our identity and our mission, our purpose.

But, I think it would be silly for us to assume that they are bold in spite of ignorance. Again, I mentioned last week that we have another word for ignorantly courageous: foolishness. Peter and John are not ignorant; they learned from the Master. Ignorance isn’t a virtue. Humble dependence and hard work in study and in service are virtues.

How will we grow in confidence of our standing in Christ, and courageous that he has given us authority, and bold and clear in our declaration of the gospel? We must draw near to God by the ordinary means of his grace to us: listening to him (through personal study of the word and through sound teaching), communing with him in prayer, fellowshipping with his people (in service to one another and in advancement of the gospel), and experiencing God prove himself as we obey the command of Christ. By doing these things, we abide in Jesus and learn from him.

Here are some other implications from the surrounding text as well, most of these connected in some way to what we just pointed out from v. 13:

It requires being controlled by the Spirit (in fellowship with and dependence on God).

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, -Acts 4:8 (ESV)

Spiritual courage isn’t conjured up by hype; it comes from being controlled by the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, what do I always say is the primary evidence of our dependence on God? Prayer. We see this take place in the very next section of this chapter when the disciples gather after Peter and John are released:

Acts 4:29 ESV

And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,

So too being a bold witness...

It requires a willingness to trust God in spite of the risk.

Since this Sanhedrin is the very same that tried and had Jesus crucified, the most bold among the new covenant community will also be perceived as the greatest threat to their power and authority and become a target. Peter and John are in their crosshairs. But who is sovereign over all his enemies? Jesus, who is Lord. As we said last week, being opposed for the sake of Christ is in fact confirmation that we are following in our Lord’s footsteps.

It requires an obedience to pursue and to seize opportunities.

I find it highly unlikely that the summary statement in verse 4, of their now being more than 5,000 men among the converts, is solely due to the two sermons Peter has preached. The new community in Christ is undoubtedly pursuing public and private opportunities to proclaim Jesus to everyone their lives touch. And what did Peter and John do when their compassionate healing of a man lame from birth drew a crowd? They preached Christ. And what did they do when interrogated by the Sanhedrin about their authority for such things? They preached Christ.

It requires crystal clear proclamation of the gospel.

We’ve seen the clarity of Peter’s first two sermons in chapter 2 and chapter 3, even taking into account his Jewish audience and that Luke undoubtedly summarizes what was longer teaching. And then here again, before the highest court in Israel, Peter boldly declares the crux of the gospel:

Acts 4:10–12 ESV

let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

We’ll continue to talk about the need for this kind of clear gospel proclamation as we continue in v. 14, so let’s move forward. Those who oppose the Apostles have an... Evidence Problem.

The Opposition’s Evidence Problem (vv. 14-16, 22)

Please look back with me at the text. Verse 14 shows they cannot deny that the healed man is literally “standing beside them,” and Ac 3:10 reminds us that people clearly recognized him as the lame man who begged at the Beautiful Gate, and v. 22 here confirms that God miraculously healed this man who had been an invalid for more than forty years!

So they remove Peter and John and everybody else in order to discuss in private what to do. (By the way, this means that at some point there was a source passed down to Luke, or maybe even whom Luke personally interviewed, who was an insider among the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus or another sympathizer or convert to Christianity.)

Anyway, in v. 16 the opposing leaders, admit with perfect clarity: [reread v. 16].

So here’s my summary of their evidence problem:

Miraculous transformation speaks for itself and silences rational opposition.

The miraculous transformation, this man’s healing, speaks for itself. But that alone is not sufficient to bring clarity to the gospel. So too do creation and human conscience declare the existence and glory of God (Rom 1), and are sufficient to convict us of refusing to seek God. But creation and conscience alone do not proclaim the gospel. If they did, people could be saved without ever hearing of Jesus. That is contrary to the plain teaching of Scripture.

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Romans 10:14–15 ESV

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

God has providentially determined that that the gospel of Jesus Christ must be declared and then received. Even our transformed lives are evidence of the power of Jesus, but that alone does not clarify the holiness of God, and the sinfulness of man, and the perfection and sacrifice of Christ, his resurrection and exaltation, and the need for repentance and faith to be saved.

While miraculous transformation doesn’t proclaim the whole gospel, it does silence rational opposition. “They had nothing to say in opposition.” In other words (applying this to more than just the miraculous healing), godly living makes it such that persecution must have ulterior motive and false accusation. Here are a couple of good scriptural reminders for us:

1 Peter 2:12 ESV

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

1 Peter 3:15–16 ESV

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

Just so, the religious leaders in Acts 4 find themselves in a pickle. ‘How can our Jesus problem be growing only bigger with him gone?’ As verse 16 shows, in spite of their private deliberation, the evidence problem really leaves the council with no good legal recourse or socially acceptable option, bc both they and everybody can see the evidence. So what do they have left to do?

The Opposition’s Solution (vv. 17-18, 21)

They decide to use their position of authority to pressure and threaten the Apostles, hoping to scare them into submission.

[review vv. 17-18, 21]

Christ’s opponents are forced to reject the plain evidence and resort to threatening his followers.

Consider what we’ve heard them admit: We can’t deny this notable sign (v. 16). And we can see for ourselves that these guys have been with Jesus (v. 13). Darrell Bock accurately explains, “Rejection of Jesus is not rational but is reflective of a refusal to see what God has done.” - Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 184.

The only solution they can conjure up is to threaten the Apostles and hope that they will cower in fear. How does that work out for them? And what should we take away from Peter and John’s response? How might we answer when commanded by authorities to stop proclaiming Christ?

A Response When Told To Stop (vv. 19-20)

As Jesus promised would happen in the power and guidance of the Spirit, Peter and John’s boldness hasn’t wained. We learn from their example here first of all that…

We must obey God.

Peter & John demonstrate that we have a responsibility to disobey authorities in any specific scenario in which those authorities would prevent us from obeying God.

“whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God…”

Notice the contrast between Peter and John fearing God more than man, versus the religious leaders deciding not to punish these healers because it would displease the populace. We must obey God.

What the authorities will do with that is between them and God.

Because these are the Jewish religious leaders who would claim to be motivated most of all by what God wants, the Apostles can respect them and indict them at the same time: “you must judge.” It is quite literally your job in Israel to be making judgments that are consistent with God’s own character and command.

And when Peter says “we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard,” what he describes is that it simply isn’t even an option to stop proclaiming the gospel.

To not speak of Christ is disobedience to our Lord, denial of the evidence, and contradictory to our very existence.

Jesus commanded us to make disciples and declared that we would be his witnesses in the power of the Spirt. We have become fully convinced (by God) that Jesus died and rose again, and that he is reigning and returning. To us the evidence is as plain as the nose on your face,… or as plain as this guy being healed by the power of God.

So we publicly own up to following Jesus because Jesus has made us his own. We identify with Christ because his life in us has literally become our identity. “We cannot but speak.” We must declare the gospel of Jesus Christ.

To summarize and apply again what we’ve seen today, there is of course this boldness of Peter and John. But since our conclusion last week emphasized and extended application in that area, I’d like us to conclude with application connected to the other group in this text, and it relates to where we began. The religious leaders are faced with a nagging… Jesus problem that won’t go away.

Conclusion: A Jesus Problem That Won’t Go Away

Because of who God is, first of all, and then because of what he has done through Jesus, the entire human race has a Jesus problem that won’t just go away by trying to ignore him.

The reason the Jesus problem won’t go away is because the evidence is prolific.

Evidence that Demands a Verdict and More Than a Carpenter by Josh and Sean McDowell. The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.

What are you doing with the plentiful evidence concerning Jesus? Are you trying to ignore it or explain it away? Or are you ready to submit to Jesus as Lord? (who gave himself up for you and rose again so that you can have forgiveness and restoration to God)

What you do with Jesus changes everything.

The reason the Jesus problem won’t go away is because the people he is saving can’t shut up.

He has transformed us, and he is working in us and through us. We are his people, and his people proclaim his salvation.

The reason the Jesus problem won’t go away is because it’s a God problem.

All of creation is beholden to God for our existence. All of humanity is responsible to God for our refusal to worship him more than ourselves. That sin debt before a holy God is a problem too great for us to resolve by any religious effort of our own. God has, therefore, intervened in human history through the God-man Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the question we will all face one day in the presence of God is… What did you do with the clear evidence of my existence (both in creation and in your conscience)? And what did you do with the salvation I offered through Jesus Christ?

There is only one way to be right with God, and it is to be made right through Jesus Christ. Repent and believe the gospel.

PRAY

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