Acts 4: Boldness Before the Council
Peter and John are arrested and testify boldly before the religious leaders.
Acts 4 (WEB)
1 As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them,
2 being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 They laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was now evening.
4 But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 In the morning, their rulers, elders, and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem.
6 Annas the high priest was there, with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were relatives of the high priest.
7 When they had stood Peter and John in the middle of them, they inquired, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9 if we are examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed,
10 be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand here before you whole.
11 He is ‘the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.’
12 There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They recognized that they had been with Jesus.
14 Seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 saying, “What shall we do to these men? Because indeed a notable miracle has been done through them, as can be plainly seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we can’t deny it.
17 But so that this spreads no further among the people, let’s threaten them, that from now on they don’t speak to anyone in this name.”
18 They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach 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, judge for yourselves,
20 for we can’t help telling the things which we saw and heard.”
21 When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for everyone glorified God for that which was done.
22 For the man on whom this miracle of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
23 Being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
24 When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, “O Lord, you are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
25 who by the mouth of your servant, David, said, ‘Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?
26 The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take council together, against the Lord, and against his Christ.’
27 “For truly, in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together
28 to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen.
29 Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness,
30 while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.”
31 When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
32 The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
33 With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all.
34 For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet, and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need.
36 Joses, who by the apostles was also called Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,
37 having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Acts 4 (KJV)
1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
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.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
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.
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
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.
14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
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.
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.
18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
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.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
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.
22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
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:
25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
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,
28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
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.
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.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
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,
35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
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,
37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Acts 4 (ASV)
1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,
2 being sore troubled because they taught the people, and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in ward unto the morrow: for it was now eventide.
4 But many of them that heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that 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 as many as were of the kindred of the high priest.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, By what power, or in what name, have ye done this?
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders,
9 if we this day are examined concerning a good deed done to an impotent man, by what means this man is made whole;
10 be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] in him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11 He is the stone which was set at nought of you the builders, which was made the head of the corner.
12 And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved.
13 Now when they beheld the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
14 And seeing the man that was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been wrought through them, is manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
18 And they called them, and charged them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge ye:
20 for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard.
21 And they, when they had further threatened them, let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people; for all men glorified God for that which was done.
22 For the man was more than forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was wrought.
23 And being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said unto them.
24 And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:
25 who by the Holy Spirit, [by] the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say, Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves in array, And the rulers were gathered together, Against the Lord, and against his Anointed:
27 for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together,
28 to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to pass.
29 And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness,
30 while thy stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul: and not one [of them] said that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33 And with great power gave the apostles their witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
34 For neither was there among them any that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto each, according as any one had need.
36 And Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of exhortation), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,
37 having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Summary
The healing and preaching draw the attention of the temple authorities, who arrest Peter and John — though many in the crowd now believe. Brought before the council, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, declares that salvation is found in no one but Jesus. The leaders are astonished by the boldness of these ordinary men and, unable to deny the miracle, release them with a warning. The believers gather to pray for courage, are filled with the Spirit again, and share their possessions so that no one among them is in need.
Main Characters
- Peter — Boldly testifies that there is salvation in no other name but Jesus.
- John — Stands with Peter before the council.
- The religious leaders — Question and warn the apostles but cannot refute the miracle.
- Barnabas — Introduced as a generous believer who sells a field to support the community.
Key Verse
Acts 4:12 (WEB)
There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”
Lessons Learned
- The Holy Spirit can give ordinary people extraordinary courage.
- Faithfulness sometimes means obeying God even when human authorities object.
- The community responded to threats with prayer rather than fear.
- Genuine faith shows itself in generosity and care for one another.
- Spiritual boldness is given, not manufactured. Peter and John spoke before the most powerful religious court in Israel not through personal confidence but because they were filled with the Holy Spirit, who supplied the words (Acts 4:8, WEB).
- Witness flows from personal encounter with Jesus. The council's own observation — "they recognized that they had been with Jesus" — shows that proximity to Christ is what transforms ordinary people into compelling witnesses (Acts 4:13, WEB).
- God's authority supersedes human authority. When earthly commands conflict with God's calling, the believer's obligation is clear: "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves" (Acts 4:19, WEB).
- The community's first response to crisis is prayer. Threatened and released, the believers did not strategize or retaliate — they gathered and lifted their voices to God, asking for continued boldness and God's active hand (Acts 4:24–30, WEB).
- Generosity is the natural fruit of resurrection faith. Believing that Christ had conquered death reordered priorities — possessions were held loosely and shared freely so that no one among them lacked (Acts 4:32–35, WEB).
- One faithful act of generosity can shape a community's identity. Barnabas is named and remembered precisely because his sacrifice was visible and encouraging — individuals who give sacrificially inspire others and knit the body together (Acts 4:36–37, WEB).
- Where does Peter and John's boldness come from?
- How do the believers respond to opposition, and what can we learn from it?
- What does it look like to obey God when doing so puts us at odds with others?
- Why do you think the early church shared their resources so freely?
- When have you needed courage to speak openly about your faith?
- Peter and John's boldness comes directly from the Holy Spirit. Luke states plainly that Peter was "filled with the Holy Spirit" before he spoke (Acts 4:8, WEB), and their transformed courage so astonished the council that the leaders noted they "had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13, WEB). Their boldness was not self-generated; it was a gift of the Spirit rooted in their relationship with Christ.
- When threatened, the believers responded by returning to their community and immediately going to prayer (Acts 4:23–24, WEB). They did not panic, retaliate, or go underground. Their prayer acknowledged God's sovereignty over all earthly opposition (Acts 4:24–28, WEB) and asked specifically for continued boldness and miraculous signs (Acts 4:29–30, WEB). The lesson is that corporate, Scripture-grounded prayer — not self-reliance — is the believer's first and most powerful response to hostility.
- Look for responses that distinguish between legitimate authority (to which Christians generally submit) and commands that directly contradict God's revealed will. Peter and John's answer — "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves" (Acts 4:19, WEB) — sets the pattern: obedience to God is non-negotiable, but the posture is calm, respectful, and without aggression. Encourage participants to reflect on real-life tensions they face. See also Acts 5:29 and Romans 13:1–7.
- Look for responses that connect generous sharing to the community's belief in the resurrection. Luke links the two explicitly: "With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all. For neither was there among them any who lacked" (Acts 4:33–34, WEB). A community convinced that Christ is alive and that eternal life is secured tends to hold earthly possessions loosely. Prompt participants to consider how their own confidence in resurrection shapes (or could shape) how they use what they have.
- This is a personal/application question — no single answer applies to everyone. Look for honesty about the real cost of speaking openly: social discomfort, relational risk, or fear of being misunderstood. The passage reminds us that courage in witness is a gift we can ask for: "Grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness" (Acts 4:29, WEB). Encourage participants to share specific moments and to pray for one another as the early believers did.