Book of Acts · Chapter 4 of 28
37 verses · 19 video commentaries from 9 courses · Berean Standard Bible
1While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,
2greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
3They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in custody until the next day.
4But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
5The next day the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem,
6along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others from the high priest’s family.
7They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people!
9If we are being examined today about a kind service to a man who was lame, to determine how he was healed,
10then let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
11This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’
12Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
13When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.
14And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in response.
15So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.
16“What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “It is clear to everyone living in Jerusalem that a remarkable miracle has occurred through them, and we cannot deny it.
17But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.”
18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.
20For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
21After further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened.
22For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
23On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
24When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them.
25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.’
27In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed.
28They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen.
29And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness,
30as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”
31After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
32The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned.
33With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all.
34There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales,
35and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need.
36Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement),
37sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Acts 4:1-22
Following the healing of the lame man and Peter's sermon, the Jewish leadership, including the Sadducees, priests, and scribes, become upset. They arrest Peter and John, ordering them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, but the apostles declare their resolve to obey God rather than men.
Summarized by AI · The Genius of the Acts of the Apostles · Lecture 2: How Christianity Began · watch the clip
Both Jesus and his apostles face persecution from the same Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. Jesus is persecuted and punished by them in Luke, and the apostles experience similar persecution and punishment from these same authorities at the beginning of Acts, highlighting a continuous narrative of conflict.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Should We Think Luke and Acts Have the Same Author? · watch the clip
While the book of Acts depicts early opposition from Jewish leadership, it's unlikely that the tiny Jesus movement (around 25-50 people in a city of 40,000) was on the radar of either Jewish or Roman authorities in the first year. Roman governors were not typically present in Jerusalem. Later, Paul's letters confirm he faced opposition and beatings from both Jewish and Roman authorities, but this occurred years after Jesus' death, suggesting that initial 'persecution' was more likely informal pushback in synagogues rather than official action.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Christianity One Year After Jesus · watch the clip
Acts 4:8-12
Luke's Gospel and Acts appear to lack a developed theology of the cross, specifically the idea that Jesus' death serves as a ransom or atonement for sins. He omits Mark 10:45, which explicitly states Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many. While Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection are mentioned, they are often presented without a clear salvific purpose for sins.
Summarized by AI · The Mysteries of the Synoptic Gospels: Discovering Matthew, Mark, and Luke · Lecture 15: Was Luke a Historian or a Theologian? · watch the clip
Acts 4:32-37
The Book of Acts describes the early Christian community in Jerusalem as living communally, where converts sold their possessions and gave the proceeds to the apostles. This money was then distributed among all believers according to their needs, ensuring that no one among them was in want. This arrangement eliminated private property and fostered radical equality.
Summarized by AI · Through the Eye of a Needle: Jesus's Teachings on Wealth and Their Modern Relevance · Lecture 6: Wealth in the Wake of Jesus · watch the clip
Acts 4:4
Luke emphasizes that the rapid conversion of thousands in Jerusalem, as seen on Pentecost and after Peter's healing of the lame man, was not due to the disciples' own abilities. The Jewish leaders noted Peter and John were 'unlettered,' highlighting that their success in public rhetoric and conversions stemmed from the power of the Holy Spirit, not their education or skill.
Summarized by AI · The Genius of the Acts of the Apostles · Lecture 3: The Conversion of Paul · watch the clip
Ehrman says the Book of Acts gives legendary material about the earliest church. Acts 1 has Jesus spend 40 days with the disciples before ascending, though Luke's gospel has him ascend on the day of his resurrection; after Pentecost Acts reports 3,000 converts, then 5,000 more after Peter heals a lame man in the temple, roughly 10,000 Christians in Jerusalem within two months of Jesus's death. He thinks there is no way that happened: there is no record of it anywhere else, Josephus says nothing, and Christians were barely known even in Judea.
Summarized by AI · Through the Eye of a Needle: Jesus's Teachings on Wealth and Their Modern Relevance · Lecture 6: Wealth in the Wake of Jesus · watch the clip
The book of Acts presents highly improbable conversion numbers for the early Jerusalem community. It claims 3,000 converts on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41) and another 5,000 shortly after Peter heals a lame man (Acts 4:4), totaling 8,000 converts within a week in a city of about 40,000. Historians find these figures impossible, suggesting a much smaller community of perhaps 30-50 people in the first year, growing to around 1,000-1,500 by 60 CE.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Christianity One Year After Jesus · watch the clip
Acts 4:13
John the son of Zebedee, a fisherman from rural Galilee, would have been Aramaic-speaking and likely illiterate, as explicitly stated in Acts 4:13. This makes it highly improbable that he could have written the sophisticated Greek Gospel of John.
Summarized by AI · Did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John Actually Write Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? · Did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John Actually Write Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? · watch the clip
Luke emphasizes that the rapid conversion of thousands in Jerusalem, as seen on Pentecost and after Peter's healing of the lame man, was not due to the disciples' own abilities. The Jewish leaders noted Peter and John were 'unlettered,' highlighting that their success in public rhetoric and conversions stemmed from the power of the Holy Spirit, not their education or skill.
Summarized by AI · The Genius of the Acts of the Apostles · Lecture 3: The Conversion of Paul · watch the clip
The traditional identification of the beloved disciple as John, son of Zebedee, faces challenges because the disciple John was an Aramaic-speaking fisherman, and ancient fishermen were generally illiterate. The book of Acts explicitly states that Peter and John were perceived as 'uneducated common men,' making it unlikely John could have authored a sophisticated Greek philosophical work like the Gospel of John.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 12: Three Enigmatic Letters | 1, 2, and 3 John · watch the clip
Jesus and his twelve disciples, who were also from low socioeconomic classes (e.g., fishermen like Peter and John, who were illiterate), needed financial support for their itinerant ministry. Luke's Gospel states that some women, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna (wife of Herod's steward), and Susanna, ministered to them out of their own resources, suggesting wealthy donors. Other possibilities include begging or foraging.
Summarized by AI · Through the Eye of a Needle: Jesus's Teachings on Wealth and Their Modern Relevance · Lecture 5: Jesus' Life, Wealth, and Priorities · watch the clip
Historical evidence suggests that John the son of Zebedee, a fisherman from rural Galilee, would have been uneducated and illiterate. This is supported by the fact that less than 5% of people in rural Galilee at that time could read, and even fewer could write. The New Testament book of Acts also explicitly states that Peter and John were 'uneducated and untrained men,' indicating their illiteracy.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Who Really Wrote the Gospel of John? · watch the clip
There is a high probability that Jesus' disciples were illiterate, especially if they were day laborers from rural Galilee. The book of Acts explicitly states that two prominent disciples, Peter and John, were 'uneducated and untrained men' (aggrammatoi), indicating their illiteracy.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Was Jesus Literate? · watch the clip
Acts 4:28
A central theme in both Luke and Acts is the unfolding of God's divine plan. In Luke, Jesus' mission is presented as necessary and according to God's plan, and this theme continues in Acts, where the spread of Christianity is also depicted as necessary and guided by God's overarching design.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Should We Think Luke and Acts Have the Same Author? · watch the clip
Acts 4:32-35
John the Baptist, Jesus, and Paul all appear to have been celibate and lived lives of noticeable non-consumption. Similarly, the Essenes practiced celibacy and communalized property, a practice also adopted by the earliest followers of Jesus in Jerusalem, as described in Acts.
Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 11: The Christian Body | Ascetic Enthusiasm · watch the clip
The early Jewish converts described in the Book of Acts sold their possessions and shared their resources, ensuring no one among them was needy. This practice of voluntary poverty aligns with Jesus' teachings and is believed to be the origin of the term 'Ebionites,' meaning 'the poor.'
Summarized by AI · Earliest Christian Heresies · Lecture 4: The Ebionites · watch the clip
Antony's decision to embrace an ascetic life was inspired by the apostles' example of giving up everything to follow Jesus. He reflected on how the apostles in Acts sold their possessions and distributed them to the needy, and how Jesus instructed the rich man to sell all he had and give to the poor to gain treasure in heaven.
Summarized by AI · Holy Pain: Why Early Christians Embraced Suffering · Lecture 4: Monasticism | Suffering Transformed · watch the clip
The early Christian community in Jerusalem is characterized by remarkable unity and communal living. Believers shared all their possessions, with those owning land or houses selling them and distributing the proceeds to meet everyone's needs, ensuring no one among them was in want.
Summarized by AI · The Genius of the Acts of the Apostles · Lecture 2: How Christianity Began · watch the clip
Acts presents an idealized and romanticized view of the early Christian community, depicting them as unified in 'one heart and soul,' sharing all possessions, and having no needy persons among them. While this portrays a harmonious ideal, other evidence suggests early Christianity was marked by tensions and disagreements, leading scholars to question the complete historical accuracy of this portrayal.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 10: Acts | When Christianity Became “Historical” · watch the clip