Bible Illustrating and Journaling - Acts 4:12

Annie’s Ink-Lings

This Week's Scripture Focus:  Acts 4:12 NKJV

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under 

heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Peter and John went to the temple one day and there they healed a crippled man.  The crippled man was so thankful that he began dancing about and praising God for his healing, and he believed in Jesus.  The crowd was amazed, but Peter said why are you so surprised by this?  Then Peter told them, 12“Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed – and you know how crippled he was before.  Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.”  The apostles further taught that confession of sins and belief in Jesus would give them eternal life and that through Jesus there is a resurrecdtion of the dead.  This was greatly disturbing to the priests and to some of the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.  They arrested Peter and John, but the council saw that these were not ordinary men and were afraid to do anything to them except to command them to never again to speak or teach in the name  of Jesus.  But the apostles replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than Him?  We *CANNOT STOP telling about everything we have seen and heard.”   (*Emphasis mine.)

I asked myself why is it that they could not stop telling about everything they has seen and heard?  They had to, not only because of the inner compelling of the Holy Spirit, but also because of the command of Jesus: You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  (Acts 1:8).

Our task is not to convince people, but to testify of the truth of the gospel.

I pray continually that I will be like Peter and John, in that I CANNOT STOP telling everyone about Jesus, and that only through Him is salvation received.

Blessings,
Annie

P.S.

When I first read the verse for today, immediately my mind started questioning what do I need to know about these people, how is this verse going to impact my life, how is this going to feed me spiritually?  These questions led me to do some background research.  Here are some points that I considered. 

Some Background Information from Acts Chapters 3 and 4

1.         Who were the disciples and in what city were they witnessing?

            answer:  Peter and John in Jerusalem

2.         Where did they encounter the crippled man?

            answer:  At the temple.

3.         In addition to physical healing, what did the cripple man receive?

            answer:  salvation in Jesus Christ and spiritual healing.

4.         Who are the Sadducees?

            answer:  The Sadducees were one of the three main Jewish political and religious groups in the years between c.150 BCE and 70 CE. The other two groups were the Essenes and the Pharisees.  They were part of the Jewish council -- the Sanhedrin.  They were ultra conservative and accepted only the written Law of Moses.  The Sadducees believed  that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all (Acts 23:8).  Pope Francis referred to the Sadducees as part of the New Testament’s unholy trinity of Jesus’ enemies: Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees. 

5.         Who had a higher authority over the Peter and John than the Sanhedrin in witnessing about Jesus?

            answer:  God.  There is no authority apart from God, especially concerning His son.

6.         What should our response be to this background information and to this verse, Acts 4:12?
            answer:  Regardless of what the cost may be, we must not stop telling others about Jesus because salvation comes only through belief in Him.