The Holy Spirit in Acts
Day 11 — From Jail to Trial before the Priests—Twice
Acts 4:5-22
The miraculous healing of the lame man drew the attention of “the priests and the captain of the temple guard* and the Sadducees who came up to them, “2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening.”
[Sadducees did not believe in life after death or a resurrection at the end]
The Trial:
Prosecutors: Rulers Defendants: Peter
Elders Holy Spirit
Scribes
Annas the high priest
Caiaphas
John
Alexander
All who were of high-priestly descent
Complaint: By what power, or in what name have you done this [healed the lame man]?
Defense: 1. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit before speaking
2. If this trial is about whose authority healed this man, it was the name of Jesus Christ
a. The One you crucified
b. Who God raised from the dead
c. Who healed this man
d. Jesus is the chief cornerstone rejected by you.
e. There is salvation in no other name.
Reaction of Prosecutors:
1. Noted that Peter and John were confident
2. Recognized that they had been with Jesus
3. Recognized they were uneducated and untrained men
4. They were amazed
5. Nothing to say, seeing the lame man before them healed
Processing the facts:
1. “What do we do with these men?”
2. “A noteworthy miracle has taken place through them.”
3. Everyone knows about it, so we can’t deny it.
4. We can’t let this spread.
5. “Let’s command them not to speak in Jesus’ name.”
Bottom Line:
Should we listen to religious leaders who claim falsely to know the truth, or should we obey God?
* The Holy Spirit in Acts
Questions:
1. What are 5 ways the Holy Spirit manifested in this exchange when Peter filled with the Spirit?
2. Thomas Sowell: “When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear..”
In discussions with others who need to hear truth, how much do you soften the information to avoid offense?
Where is the line between making knowledge acceptable (Proverbs 15:2) and watering down the truth?
3. Have you ever had a moment where you have had to obey God, rather than man?
4. This same scenario played out again in Acts 5:17-42, including an angelic jail break and showing up back at the temple preaching. When confronted about the disobedience to the high priest Peter responded: [See Appendix 9] a) “We must obey God rather than men” b) God raised Jesus Who you put on the cross c) God has exalted Him as a Prince and Savior for forgiveness to Israel d) We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit e) The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey Him.
The result was the priests who didn’t want Jesus blood on their hands was to want to kill Peter
Have you ever had a situation where the truth of the gospel actually made people hostile?
5. Is obedience necessary to receive the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit in Acts
Day 12 The Results of the Trial Acts 4:24-36
Reflection, Notes and Prayer