Joyful Moments in Christ

Bible Study

In our last Bible study, we witnessed Peter and John performing a miraculous healing of a lame beggar, followed by their addressing the astonished onlookers. In the upcoming study, we will explore the culmination of this event.

The Religious Leaders’ Response to the Healing

Regrettably, the religious authorities and Sadducees were dissatisfied with the teachings of Peter and John, and sought to suppress them. Nonetheless, the wisdom of the Holy Spirit surpassed that of mere human intellect, leaving the religious leaders uncertain as to how to discipline these two devout disciples of Jesus.

¹ And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, ² greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. ⁴ But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

Acts 4:1-4 (ESV)

Discussion Question #1: Consider the outcome of Peter and John’s healing of the lame beggar in Chapter 3. How did this action affect both the religious leaders and the crowd?

In these opening verses, we witness the aftermath of Peter and John’s remarkable feat of healing the lame beggar in chapter 3. Although their actions had displeased the religious leaders and resulted in their overnight imprisonment, they also had a positive impact: a multitude of people chose to embrace Jesus, and the number of believers surged to 5,000 men. If we also account for the likely presence of women and children among the believers, this figure becomes even more significant, representing a considerable increase from the 3,000 converts mentioned in Acts 2:41.

Of course, this type of conversion event would greatly displease those who felt like Jesus was an imposter:

⁵ On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, ⁶ with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. ⁷ And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹ if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. ¹² 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.”

Acts 4:5-12 (ESV)

Discussion Question #2: When Peter and John were questioned by the religious leaders, how did they respond?

Discussion Question #3: Who directed Peter and John’s words and what was their major claim?

Peter and John were well aware of the opposition they faced from the religious leaders, yet they remained steadfast in their mission, fully aware of the potential consequences. They understood that even Jesus himself had been crucified for persisting in his claim to be the Son of God, so what could possibly deter them? Nevertheless, they took comfort in the knowledge that the Holy Spirit was with them.

Confident in their calling as missionaries to the world, they fearlessly proclaimed that salvation could only be attained through Jesus. They were undaunted by the physical threats they faced, secure in the belief that their souls were safeguarded by the power of God. As eyewitnesses to Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, they knew that there was nothing that Jesus couldn’t heal.

A Survey: If you were a missionary, which continent would you choose?

The Holy Spirit empowered their words both to the religious leaders and the crowd. For many Christians, sharing the gospel can be a daunting task, hindered by doubts of acceptance. However, numerous verses in the New Testament assure us that the Holy Spirit is available not only to the original apostles and disciples, but to all believers:

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:13 (ESV)

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

Romans 8:9 (ESV)

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV)

Discussion Question #4: Read 1 Corinthians 12:13, Romans 8:9, and Ephesians 1:13-14. What do these verses tell you about the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian?

As I read these verses, I am convinced that the Holy Spirit is working in my life, guiding me with words to say and words to hear. Although I grew up as a Christian, during my high school and early college days, I gradually drifted away from God, placing Him on a shelf to be dusted off when convenient. However, during a visit to my grandma’s house before starting college, she boldly nudged me to prioritize my faith by gifting me a Bible cover, urging me to read my Bible regularly, providing the address of a local church, and encouraging me to join a Christian fellowship. Looking back, I am certain that the Holy Spirit was speaking to me through her words.

While I initially struggled to reconcile my commitment to the Christian Fellowship with my desire for a traditional college experience, eventually, I made the decision to fully commit to God. Though my grandma’s words did not have an immediate impact, they came at the right moment, nudging me to seek out a church and sign up for the Christian Fellowship at the Freshman Activity Fair. Without her guidance, I would not have interacted with so many Christians and it would have been harder for the Holy Spirit to steer me back onto the path of faith. It took two years of nudging, but ultimately, the Holy Spirit worked through my grandma’s words to bring me back to a life of faith.

Discussion Question #5: Have you ever felt the power of the Holy Spirit in either your words or actions or the words or actions of someone else? Describe the experience. Is there an area of your life where you could use the help of the Holy Spirit? Consider praying for his assistance.

There have been moments in my life when I’ve felt compelled to speak boldly to someone, extend an olive branch of forgiveness, or say a prayer for a specific individual. It’s difficult to determine if any tangible outcomes have arisen from these encounters, but similar to my encounter with my grandmother, the fruit from a nudge may take years to develop. Perhaps one day, I’ll have an experience like Peter and John where I speak and see immediate and clear results. However, for the time being, I’m content with the notion that God’s timing is not mine and that he’s instilling patience in me.

¹³ 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. ¹⁴ But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. ¹⁵ But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ 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.”

Acts 4:13-17 (ESV)

This passage emphasizes the potency of the Holy Spirit as Peter and John, who were uneducated fishermen, were able to teach with remarkable eloquence, leaving the religious leaders agitated about the content of their message.

Discussion Question #6: The religious leaders held the belief that Jesus was an imposter and not the Messiah. As you ponder the role of the leaders in this context, imagine what arguments or actions you would have used to convince Peter and John to cease preaching the gospel if you were in their shoes. Why do you think these attempts were ultimately unsuccessful?

After discussing among themselves, the religious leaders were at a loss as to what to do with Peter and John. As they denied that Jesus was the Messiah, they believed it was their responsibility to halt the spread of the gospel message. However, they were unable to find a solution, and here’s what they ultimately decided to do:

¹⁸ So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ 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, ²⁰ for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Acts 4:18-20 (ESV)

Discussion Question #7: How do Peter and John respond to the leaders instructions to stop spreading the gospel message? What gave them this boldness?

Fortunately, Jesus really was the Messiah and had the Holy Spirit on his side! Once again, the Holy Spirit gives Peter and John words that are quite difficult to argue with. Should they follow God’s instructions or their religious leaders’ instructions? In the end, God is much more powerful that any leader and is always correct. Those who resist God are destined to lose. The Bible chronicles such instances repeatedly, and even in when God allows his enemies small victories, God is always ultimately victorious.

Discussion Question #8: Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to disagree with a leader, mentor, or someone in authority? Did you do it respectfully and convincingly? Were you in the right or in the wrong? What was the outcome?

I remember briefly substitute teaching at a Christian school. One day the science assignment included a lesson about dinosaurs being on the ark. In shock, I requested that the teacher save that lesson until her return and I taught the next lesson. Shortly after that, I had a long talk with the principal. I brought in a well done article by Tim Keller: Creation, Evolution, and Christian Laypeople and made my case based on that. It was my hope to convince him to present several different Biblical theories to the children, at least one of which was scientifically grounded, but I was unsuccessful. In the end, I was not permitted to substitute teach any more and I contented myself with teaching my own children theories that agreed with both science and the Bible. Whenever the subject comes up, which is more often than you might expect, I continue to make my case that the Bible and science is not mutually exclusive. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, and sometimes the way that I do either matters more than the outcome. At some point I will do a series on science and the Bible and you can see if you agree!

²¹ 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. ²² For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

Acts 4:21-22 (ESV)

Discussion Question #9: What was the outcome of Peter and John’s skirmish with the religious leaders? Why did the story end this way?

As it turns out, the Holy Spirit worked the situation so that the leaders decided to release Peter and John. The people in the crowd were convinced that the only way that the lame man could have been healed was through the power of God. If we look back to Jesus’ crucifixtion, the people were convinced that Jesus was a blasphemer and needed to die. In this period of history, the mob had a lot of power, and the religious leaders were likely afraid of what might happen if they went against a large crowd of people. This time, they chose to back down and let Peter and John go. As we delve deeper into the book of Acts, we will observe moments when the leaders display more resolve, but ultimately, the Holy Spirit prevails in every situation.

The Believers’ Response to Peter and John’s Release

After being released, Peter and John return to the believers and find very encouraging response:

²³ When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, ²⁵ who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,

“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
    and the peoples plot in vain?
²⁶ The kings of the earth set themselves,
    and the rulers were gathered together,
    against the Lord and against his Anointed’—

²⁷ for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. ²⁹ And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, ³⁰ while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” ³¹ And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:23-31 (ESV)

Discussion Question #10: How did the believers respond to Peter and John’s release?

Discussion Question #11: What did the believers pray? What was the answer from God?

Discussion Question #12: Describe a time when you prayed to God and received an answer. What do you need to pray for now?

A natural reaction to the confrontation between Peter, John, and the religious leaders would be to cower in fear and give up. Instead, the believers turn to prayer founded in scripture. First, they acknowledge God’s power through the idea that God is the creator of the world and everything in it. Second, they acknowledge that the Holy Spirit has spoken in the past through David, allowing David to predict the rulers turning against Jesus. Third, they acknowledge God’s omniscience, the fact that he knew that all of this was going to happen. Finally, they turn to their requests: boldness in their speech and power in their actions. The result of this prayer is the Holy Spirit showing up with an earthquake and words of boldness!

While our prayers are not often answered this immediately or visibly, God does still answer. I remember one time in college when I was running short on money and prayed that God would help me out of the situation. The next day a random check from an aunt arrived in the mail; I was shocked! It was the only check that she ever sent during my time in college, and it wasn’t for all that much money, but it met an immediate need and was a huge answer to prayer. The disciples received an even greater answer, and so can we!

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As you consider the theme of sharing the gospel message with the help of the Holy Spirit, are there any Bible verses that came to mind? If so, add a comment at the end of this post!

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Related Resources

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English Standard Version (ESV): Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.