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Two works of Christ in Acts 1-12, part 3

Peter and John had just performed a significant miracle, healing a lame man at the gate Beautiful and using this as an occasion to teach the people about the resurrection of the dead. Acts 4:1, 2 tells us,

¹ As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, ² being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

The Sadducees were in control of the temple in those days, and they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:8). So it is clear that Peter and John were using this miracle as a sign of the resurrection. The Sadducees were not pleased. Acts 4:3 says,

³ And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. ⁴ But many of those who had heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

It seems that Peter and John had been teaching for a few hours from the ninth hour to sundown. This was time enough for about 5,000 men to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead by the same power that raised the lame man to his feet. But it was unlawful for them to hold a trial at night, even though they had done so with Jesus a few months earlier.

Acts 4:5, 6 says,

⁵ On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem, ⁶ and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and all who were of high-priestly descent.

Annas (also called Ananus and Ananias) was the official high priest from 6-15 A.D. He was appointed by Quirinius (the “Cyrenius” of Luke 2:2) and later deposed by the procurator, Valerius Gratus in 15 A.D. After him three high priests were appointed by the Romans for short periods of time, and they were succeeded in 18 A.D. by Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Annas.

Nonetheless, Annas continued to be a major political figure in those days, and many considered him to be the legitimate high priest. It seems that Luke agreed with this view, for he speaks of “Annas the high priest.” Officially, however, he was like an elder statesman. Nothing is known for certain about “John” (the priest), although Dr. John Lightfoot believed this was Johanan ben Laccai, who was a famous rabbi at the time. Alexander remains unknown to historians.

The Trial

Acts 4:7 says,

⁷ When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”

The priestly judges sat in a circle and questioned Peter and John, along with the healed man, who were “in the center.” It is noteworthy that they did not question the reality of the miracle but asked about its source of power.

Acts 4:8-12 provides us with a summary of their testimony.

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, ⁹ if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. ¹¹ He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. ¹² And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

The man was healed “by the name of Jesus Christ.” He is the stone rejected by the builders (religious leaders), but “there is salvation in no one else.” Jesus’ Hebrew name is Yeshua, which means “salvation.”

In that the healed man was standing there as a living testimony of the healing power in the name of Jesus, the priests “had nothing to say in reply” (Acts 4:14). And because at least 5,000 had personally seen the lame man walking, they could not deny the miracle (Acts 4:16). Instead, “they commanded them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18).

Acts 4:19, 20 gives their response:

¹⁹ But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; ²⁰ for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

They were referring to the law of public adjuration in Leviticus 5:1, which commands witnesses to give testimony of what they had seen or heard in any court case.

¹ Now if a person sins after he has heard a public adjuration to testify when he is a witness, when he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his guilt.

Peter and John were required by God to tell the court what they had seen and heard, and this commandment took precedence over the commands of men—even when the high priest issues a gag order. Annas was not amused, but he knew what the law said. So he “threatened them” and “let them go” (Acts 4:21).

The Second Outpouring of the Spirit

Peter and John reported their experience to the other believers and prayed in Acts 4:29-31,

²⁹ “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, ³⁰ while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” ³¹ And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

Here we come to the essence of this prophetic chapter. It prophesies of a second outpouring of the Spirit at the end of the age in which “signs and wonders take place,” empowering them “to speak the word of God with boldness.” This coincides with the second calling of Jonah, which he obeyed. We read in Jonah 3:1, 2,

¹ Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.”

This prophesies of the second work of Christ, which is a call to proclaim the word of God with boldness. The story of Jonah assures us that this work will be successful, and the story in Acts 4 tells us that opposition will fail to stop it. Instead of executing the disciples, the priests were forced to release them, even as the second bird and the second goat were released alive.

It is for this reason, I believe, that God has also raised me up to teach the word, for I expect to be part of this second work of Christ. I believe the word will prevail among the nations, represented in the story of Jonah by the city of Nineveh. Jonah means “dove,” and his two callings depict the two works of Christ in Leviticus 14:4.

Likewise, we see that the sailors cast lots to see who to toss into the sea (Jonah 1:7). This was a reference to the two goats, because they also cast lots to see which goat to kill (Leviticus 16:8, 9). So most of the disciples were martyred, because they lived in the time of the first work of Christ. We, however, live in the time of the second work of Christ, and I believe that there will be some in this generation who will fulfill the prophecy in Psalm 118:17, 18,

¹⁷ I will not die, but live, and tell of the works of the Lord. ¹⁸ The Lord has disciplined me severely, but He had not given me over to death.