Acts Chapter 4

There are several outstanding things about the first seven chapters of the book of Acts. The first one is that no Gentiles are involved. The entire context is strictly Jewish.

Israel is referred to a total of 13 times in those first seven chapters. Jerusalem is mentioned 11 times. The Jewish temple in Jerusalem is referred to 12 times. The PEOPLE of Israel are referred to a total of 24 times.

In Acts chapter three a crippled man is healed, which is a type of the perfectlng of Israel as a priesthood. That gave Peter an opportunity to preach, and for the second time Peter pronounces a scathing murder charge against both the rulers of Israel and the people.

So Peter had told all the house of Israel to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. In Acts chapter three he told them to repent and be converted that your sins "may be blotted out." The blotting out is a clear reference to the second coming of Christ and to a future day of atonement for the nation of Israel. He tells his audience that they are the "children of the prophets" and chapter three concludes with:

Acts 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

And so begins chapter four:

Acts 4:1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,

Acts 4:2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

The Sadducees do not believe in resurrection. That's why they grieved. It was religious grief.

Acts 4:3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.

But notice the result of Peter's sermon:

Acts 4:4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

There were three thousand who had believed in chapter two. Now there are five thousand more.

Acts 4:5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,

Acts 4:6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

Acts 4:7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

The whole leadership of the nation of Israel is there. They are all unbelievers. Now the Lord had told these same people earlier:

Matthew 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

And that is exactly what we see happening here. It is the forming of a NEW nation. Just as Moses led the children of Israel out of apostate Egypt, so the Lord Jesus Christ led the "little flock" from WITHIN the nation of Israel out, and we see the forming of a new nation happening here. Notice in Luke:

Luke 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

Luke 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

Luke 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

The kingdom was not given to "the nations" but A NATION. The 12 Apostles are the leaders of that new nation. It has now grown to ever eight thousand people.

Acts 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

Acts 4:9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;

Acts 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

Acts 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

Those are the exact same words Jesus had said before:

Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Jesus Christ is that stone. He IS the rock upon which that church was being built.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

The WE in the context is the people of Israel. It is not a reference to the world, nor to the church, the body of Christ. Peter said "be it known unto you all" in other words all of the leaders, "and to all the people of Israel," back in verse 10.  So the salvation in view here is the salvation of Israel.

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

So the unbelieving leaders have a little private conference:

Acts 4:15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,

Acts 4:16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

Acts 4:17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

Acts 4:18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

Now Peter and John have a decision to make:

Acts 4:19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

There comes a time when religious disobedience is in order. This was one of them.

Acts 4:20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

Peter and John, full of the Holy Ghost had called their bluff:

Acts 4:21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.

Acts 4:22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.

The man had never walked a day in his life and had gone into the Temple for the first time in his life, after he was healed.

Acts 4:23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

Acts 4:24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

Acts 4:25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

Acts 4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

Acts 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

Acts 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the preaching was the gospel of the kingdom and the message was "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The Pharisees demanded to know when the kingdom should come. The Lord's answer was that it "cometh not with observation."

Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Now obviously the kingdom was not WITHIN those unbelieving Pharasees. It was not "in their heart." The phrase "within you" literally means IN YOUR MIDST. Notice here:

Deuteronomy 4:34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

This is exactly what is happening. The new NATION is being formed.

Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

Acts 4:30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

The word of God being spoken was not that "I delvered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins." Paul said that. That truth was revealed to Paul LATER. The word being spoken is the word of the kingdom. A message for Israel about the restoring of the kingdom to Israel at the second coming of Christ.

So there now is a multitude of believers. These do the exact same thing as those in Acts two. They continue stedfastly in the apostles doctrine. The doctrine which the Lord taught the 12 apostles in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Acts 4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

Acts 4:35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

Those things are not at all what the body of Christ has been told to do. We were never told to take no thought about what we would eat or drink or wear. We were never told to "not lay up." Instead Paul said that the parents ought to lay up for their children. Paul wrote that if a man doesn't work he shouldn't eat. Paul worked with his own hands. So we certainly have not seen such a thing as "the birthday of the church" in the book of Acts. We are seeing the fulfillment of prophecy pertaining to Israel.

Acts 4:36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

He is a Levite. What do we know about them? They are not supposed to have any land. But he does, and he sells it after hearing this doctrine.

Acts 4:37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

So the water baptized church at Jerusalem sold out, had all things common, continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine, and were expecting the next thing on Israel's calendar of events. Which is the tribulation, followed by the second coming of Christ.