The narrator continues the orderly account of Christ's work through the apostles, showing how the public healing and proclamation in Acts 3 lead directly into official religious opposition.
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Acts 4
Christ Alone Saves and His Witnesses Speak Boldly
Acts 4 shows that the church's witness cannot be silenced because salvation is found only in the risen Christ, and the Spirit gives boldness under threat.
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Chapter Summary
Acts 4 shows that the church's witness cannot be silenced because salvation is found only in the risen Christ, and the Spirit gives boldness under threat.
Overview
Acts 4 argues that opposition to the gospel is real, but not ultimate. The same Jesus rejected by the rulers has been raised by God and made the cornerstone. His name alone brings salvation, his witnesses must obey God over men, and his church prays for boldness rather than retreat.
Context
Theophilus remains the named recipient, while the wider believing audience is being taught how the early church bore witness under pressure, how apostolic preaching centered on the risen Christ, and how opposition could not silence the gospel.
Acts 4 takes place in Jerusalem after Peter and John heal the lame man and preach in the temple. The scene moves from public temple proclamation to arrest, overnight custody, examination before the rulers, elders, teachers of the law, and high-priestly family, then back to the gathered church in prayer.
Acts 4 shows that the church's witness cannot be silenced because salvation is found only in the risen Christ, and the Spirit gives boldness under threat.
The narrator continues the orderly account of Christ's work through the apostles, showing how the public healing and proclamation in Acts 3 lead directly into official religious opposition.
Theophilus remains the named recipient, while the wider believing audience is being taught how the early church bore witness under pressure, how apostolic preaching centered on the risen Christ, and how opposition could not silence the gospel.
Acts 4 takes place in Jerusalem after Peter and John heal the lame man and preach in the temple. The scene moves from public temple proclamation to arrest, overnight custody, examination before the rulers, elders, teachers of the law, and high-priestly family, then back to the gathered church in prayer.
Social Pressure
- The apostles face institutional pressure from the religious authorities who are disturbed that they are teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They are commanded not to speak or teach in Jesus' name, forcing a clear conflict between human authority and obedience to God.
The council setting reflects Jewish leadership structures in Jerusalem, including priestly authority, elders, scribes, and high-priestly influence. The Sadducean concern over resurrection intensifies opposition, while the temple setting makes the apostles' witness highly public and difficult to ignore.
Acts 4 shows the first major confrontation between the apostolic witness and Jerusalem's authorities. The crucified and risen Jesus is proclaimed as the rejected stone made cornerstone, the only name by which salvation is given, and the Lord whose witnesses continue speaking despite threats.
Chapter Movement
The apostles are arrested for preaching Jesus, Peter boldly proclaims salvation in Christ alone, the authorities threaten them, and the church prays for greater boldness rather than safety.
Discourse Insight
Theological exposition and fulfillment
Acts 4 proclaims the gospel with sharp clarity: Jesus Christ of Nazareth was crucified by men, raised by God, rejected by the builders, made the cornerstone, and given as the only name under heaven by which people must be saved.
Structural Flow
The preaching of Jesus and the resurrection provokes opposition, yet the word continues to bear fruit.
Peter answers the council by identifying Jesus as the risen Christ, the cornerstone, and the only saving name.
The authorities attempt to suppress the message, but the apostles insist they must speak what they have seen and heard.
The gathered believers interpret hostility through Scripture and ask God not for escape, but for courage to continue speaking his word.
The Spirit-formed community continues in unity, resurrection witness, grace, generosity, and practical care.
Chapter Outline
- 1-4: The leaders are disturbed by apostolic teaching and resurrection proclamation, but opposition does not stop many from believing.
- 5-7: The leaders ask by what power or name the healing was performed, setting the stage for clear witness to Jesus.
- 8-12: Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, declares that the healed man stands whole by the name of Jesus Christ, whom they crucified and God raised.
- 11-12: Peter applies Scripture to Jesus and announces that salvation is found in no one else.
- 13-18: The council cannot deny the miracle but seeks to stop the spread of the message by ordering silence in Jesus' name.
- 19-22: Peter and John refuse to stop speaking about what they have seen and heard, because obedience to God outranks human prohibition.
- 23-31: The believers pray to the Sovereign Lord, interpret opposition through Psalm 2, and ask for boldness to continue speaking the word.
- 32-37: The believers are united in heart and mind, the apostles testify powerfully to the resurrection, and generosity meets the needs of the community.
Key Greek Terms
Pastoral Entry
Pastoral Definition
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ἀνάστασις means resurrection, a rising from the dead. Across the New Testament it names both Christ's resurrection and the future resurrection of the dead. In the Pastoral Epistles campaign, the word matters because 2 Timothy names a specific distortion: some say the resurrection has already occurred, and by doing so they undermine the faith of some. That warning keeps resurrection from becoming a flexible metaphor or an over-realized spiritual claim.
Christian resurrection hope is bodily, future, and guaranteed by the risen Christ. It is also present in its ethical power because believers are united to Christ and live now in light of the life to come. The word therefore protects both sides of Christian hope: Christ has truly been raised, and the full resurrection harvest has not yet arrived.
Form in passage Accusative · Singular · Feminine What is this?
Sense Resurrection, rising up
Definition The apostles proclaim the resurrection from the dead in Jesus.
References Acts 4:2, 33
Lexicon Resurrection, rising up
Why it matters The resurrection is the core doctrine that provokes opposition and anchors apostolic witness.
Pastoral Entry
Pastoral Definition
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ὄνομα means name, but in the biblical world a name is not merely a label — it is an identity, an authority, a character in concentrated form. The NT inherits this Hebrew understanding from the OT's dense name theology: to name something is to define it, to call upon a name is to invoke the reality behind it, and to act 'in someone's name' is to act with their delegated authority.
The word carries this weight in almost every significant NT use. When Jesus teaches his disciples to pray 'hallowed be your name' (Matt 6:9), he is not asking that people speak respectfully of God — he is asking that God's character and reputation be held in the esteem they deserve across the whole creation. When he says 'whatever you ask in my name' (John 14:13-14), the phrase 'in my name' does not function as a formula to append to prayer but as a description of praying in accordance with who Jesus is and what he stands for — from his authority, under his character.
The name Christology of Philippians 2:9-11 is the NT apex of ὄνομα theology: the exalted Christ receives 'the name that is above every name,' and at that name every knee bows. Paul is not saying Jesus receives a new word to be spoken; he is saying Jesus receives the identity and authority that the name YHWH carries — an authority before which the whole cosmos bows.
The name above every name is God's own name, now given to the crucified and risen Jesus.
Sense Name, authority, person
Definition The authority of Jesus by which healing and salvation are given.
References Acts 4:7, 10, 12, 17-18, 30
Lexicon Name, authority, person
Why it matters The council tries to silence speaking in Jesus' name, but salvation is found only in that name.
Pastoral Entry
Pastoral Definition
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σώζω names saving action: rescue from danger, deliverance from ruin, and preservation into the safety God gives. In the Pastoral Epistles, the word is not vague religious improvement. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, God wants people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, and God has saved us not because of our works but because of His purpose, grace, mercy, new birth, and the Holy Spirit.
The word also reaches into ministry responsibility. Timothy's persevering attention to life and teaching is described as saving himself and his hearers, not because teaching earns redemption, but because sound doctrine is one of God's appointed means for guarding people in the gospel. Paul can also use the word for the Lord's final rescue into the heavenly kingdom.
σώζω therefore holds together conversion, mercy, truth, sanctifying means, and final deliverance under God's saving initiative.
Sense To save, rescue, deliver
Definition Peter declares that people must be saved through Jesus' name.
References Acts 4:12
Lexicon To save, rescue, deliver
Why it matters Acts 4:12 makes salvation exclusively dependent on Christ.
Pastoral Entry
Pastoral Definition
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σωτηρία is not a vague spiritual wellness but a specific, accomplished rescue with a named agent and a named cost. The word comes from σώζω (to save) and in secular Greek named rescue from real dangers — drowning at sea, defeat in battle, mortal illness. The NT inherits this concrete rescue logic and presses it into the service of the Messianic announcement: God has acted in Jesus Christ to rescue human beings from sin, condemnation, and death.
The problem is real, the danger is mortal, the rescuer is specific, and the rescue has been accomplished. Acts 4:12 makes this structural feature explicit: there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. This exclusivity is not a cultural accident in the passage; it follows the rescue logic at work there: if salvation addresses the real problem of sin, judgment, and separation from God, then the rescue must be specific and located.
A general spiritual resource cannot answer the problem of divine holiness and human guilt. NT usage presents salvation in a threefold temporal scope: believers have been saved (justified, Rom 5:1), are being saved (sanctified, 1 Cor 1:18), and will be saved (glorified, Rom 5:9-10). σωτηρία must not be collapsed into a single past moment or projected entirely into the future.
It is a reality with a definitive beginning, an ongoing dimension, and a future consummation.
Form in passage Nominative · Singular · Feminine What is this?
Sense Salvation, deliverance
Definition The saving rescue found in Jesus alone.
References Acts 4:12
Lexicon Salvation, deliverance
Why it matters Peter moves from the healed man's restoration to the universal need for salvation in Christ.
Pastoral Entry
Pastoral Definition
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Lithos means a stone, a piece of rock, or building material. Matthew uses the ordinary object in vivid contrasts: God can raise Abraham's children from stones, the tempter challenges Jesus to turn stones into bread and invokes protection from striking a stone, and a father does not answer a hungry child with a stone. Jesus then identifies Himself through the rejected stone that becomes the cornerstone.
The noun itself does not automatically mean Christ, hardness, stumbling, or judgment; context assigns each image. Canonical stone imagery moves from created material and human need to temple, rejection, foundation, and living people built around Christ. Sound teaching preserves the literal scene before tracing a warranted theological pattern.
Form in passage Nominative · Singular · Masculine What is this?
Sense Stone
Definition Jesus is the stone rejected by the builders.
References Acts 4:11
Lexicon Stone
Why it matters The stone imagery exposes the leaders' rejection of the very one God made foundational.
Form in passage Genitive · Singular · Feminine What is this?
Sense Head of the corner, cornerstone
Definition The foundational stone appointed by God.
References Acts 4:11
Lexicon Head of the corner, cornerstone
Why it matters Jesus' rejection is reversed by God, making him the foundation of salvation and covenant building.
Pastoral Entry
Pastoral Definition
Open full pastoral entry
παρρησία comes from pas (all) and rhesis (speech) — literally, all-speech, saying everything, holding nothing back. In the Athenian democratic tradition, parresia was the citizen's right to speak openly in the assembly — the freedom of speech that belonged to full members of the community. In the NT, it is transformed from a political right into a theological posture: the confidence to approach God, to speak openly about Christ, and to stand before the heavenly court without shame.
Hebrews 4:16 is the pastoral center of NT parresia: 'Let us therefore approach with boldness (parresia) the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.' The confidence is grounded not in the believer's personal worthiness but in the High Priest who has 'passed through the heavens' (4:14) and who 'can sympathize with our weaknesses' (4:15). Parresia here is the posture of approaching God as one who belongs, not as an outsider requesting audience. The throne is called the 'throne of grace' — the place from which grace and mercy flow — and the invitation is to come with full confidence that the welcome is real.
In Acts, parresia is the characteristic of apostolic proclamation. Acts 4:13 notes that when the Sanhedrin saw 'the boldness of Peter and John,' they recognized them as companions of Jesus. The bold speech came from the Spirit (4:31 — 'they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness'). Parresia is not self-generated boldness; it is the Spirit's work in those who have been with Christ.
First John 4:17 gives the eschatological dimension: 'In this is love perfected with us, so that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.' Parresia at the judgment: the person who abides in love — God's love poured out and returned — approaches the day of judgment without shame. The confidence before God is the confidence of love, not of achieved righteousness.
For the preacher, παρρησία is the word that names what genuine prayer, genuine proclamation, and genuine Christian living look like: not timid, ashamed, or apologetic, but open, confident, and free — because the one we approach has already opened the way.
Sense Boldness, openness, confidence in speech
Definition Courageous freedom to speak openly about Christ.
References Acts 4:13, 29, 31
Lexicon Boldness, openness, confidence in speech
Why it matters The church's answer to threats is Spirit-given boldness to continue speaking the word.
Pastoral Entry
Pastoral Definition
Open full pastoral entry
Pletho means to fill, be filled, or become full. In Luke and Acts it often marks a person or group being filled with the Holy Spirit for prophetic speech, witness, or Spirit-directed action. John the Baptist will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. Elizabeth and Zechariah are filled and speak in relation to God's saving work. At Pentecost, the gathered believers are filled with the Holy Spirit and speak as the Spirit enables them.
In Acts 4, filling leads to bold proclamation. Yet the same verb family can also describe being filled with jealousy, rage, wonder, or completed time. Pletho therefore does not mean spiritual fullness automatically. It names being filled; the content, cause, and fruit of that filling come from the passage.
Sense Filled
Definition Being filled with the Holy Spirit for witness.
References Acts 4:8, 31
Lexicon Filled
Why it matters Peter's defense and the church's bold speech arise from the Spirit's filling.
Form in passage Genitive · Singular · Neuter What is this?
Sense Holy Spirit
Definition The Spirit of God who empowers testimony and bold speech.
References Acts 4:8, 31
Lexicon Holy Spirit
Why it matters Acts 4 shows repeated dependence on the Spirit after Pentecost.
Pastoral Entry
Pastoral Definition
Open full pastoral entry
Δεῖ is an impersonal Greek verb that often carries the sense it is necessary, it must happen, or one ought to act. Sometimes the necessity is ordinary obligation. In other passages, especially around Jesus' suffering, resurrection, mission, and judgment, the word marks what must happen in God's plan.
Pastorally, this word teaches readers to ask what kind of necessity the passage is naming. Matthew 16:21 does not describe tragic accident but the necessary path of the Messiah. Acts 5:29 names obedience that must answer to God. The word can open doctrine, but only when the passage supplies the divine purpose.
Sense It is necessary, must
Definition Divine necessity or obligation.
References Acts 4:12
Lexicon It is necessary, must
Why it matters Peter says people must be saved through Jesus' name, showing divine necessity, not preference.
Form in passage Vocative · Singular · Masculine What is this?
Sense Master, Sovereign Lord
Definition God addressed as absolute ruler in the church's prayer.
References Acts 4:24
Lexicon Master, Sovereign Lord
Why it matters The threatened church begins prayer by confessing God's sovereign rule.
Pastoral Entry
Pastoral Definition
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Παῖς can mean child, boy, servant, or attendant. Its range requires close attention because English must often choose one sense where Greek preserves the same form. Matthew uses it for the boys killed under Herod's violent order. A royal official's παῖς is his boy in John 4, while the centurion's suffering παῖς may be understood as a servant or dependent. Mary's song calls Israel God's servant, and Acts proclaims Jesus as God's glorified Servant, drawing on the scriptural servant pattern.
The noun does not make “child” and “servant” interchangeable theological ideas. Relationship, age, social setting, possessive construction, and Old Testament echoes guide translation. The shared range can illuminate dependence and belonging, but it must not hide exploitation or blur Jesus' unique servant identity.
Form in passage Accusative · Singular · Masculine What is this?
Sense Servant, child
Definition Jesus is called God's holy Servant.
References Acts 4:27, 30
Lexicon Servant, child
Why it matters The prayer identifies Jesus as God's appointed Servant against whom rulers gathered.
Pastoral Entry
Pastoral Definition
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χάρις means grace, favor, or gift, and in the Pastoral Epistles it names God's generous saving favor in Christ, His strengthening supply for ministry, and the blessing that frames Christian life. The word appears in greetings and closings, but it is not merely a polite letter formula. Grace comes from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. It overflows to Paul with faith and love in Christ.
It was granted in Christ Jesus before time began, appears with salvation for all people, trains believers for godly life, justifies sinners, and makes them heirs with the hope of eternal life. Paul can also use the word in thanksgiving, but the main pastoral weight is God's unearned favor that saves, strengthens, and forms a people for good works. Grace is therefore not permission to remain unchanged, and it is not a reward for spiritual effort.
In these letters, grace precedes works, creates faith and love, strengthens Timothy, brings salvation, trains renunciation of ungodliness, and secures inheritance. Teachers should keep all of that together. Grace is free, but never thin. It is mercy in motion through Christ that saves and forms the household of God.
Form in passage Nominative · Singular · Feminine What is this?
Sense Grace, favor
Definition Great grace rests upon the witnessing community.
References Acts 4:33
Lexicon Grace, favor
Why it matters The church's unity, witness, and generosity are sustained by divine grace.
Pastoral Entry
Pastoral Definition
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Martyrion means testimony, witness, or evidence borne to a truth. Paul says Christ gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. Timothy must not be ashamed of testimony about the Lord or of Paul His prisoner. Jesus says the kingdom gospel will be proclaimed in the whole world as a testimony to all nations. Paul tells Corinth that the testimony about Christ was confirmed among them.
The noun can name the apostolic message, its evidential confirmation, or witness confronting hearers. It is not merely a personal story, and the existence of testimony does not remove the need to assess truth, content, and source.
Form in passage Accusative · Singular · Neuter What is this?
Sense Testimony, witness
Definition The apostles give testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
References Acts 4:33
Lexicon Testimony, witness
Why it matters Resurrection testimony remains the central public work of the apostles.
Lexicon data: MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML (CC0) · Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0) · Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon (CC BY 4.0) · STEPBible Data (CC BY 4.0) · Full details
Discourse Connectives (44)
grounds / explanation 8strong contrast / correction 2purpose clause 2conditional clause 2content marker or causal 5continuation or mild contrast 12contrast setup (μέν...δέ) 1negative additive 3additive / emphatic 9
| v.1 | δὲnowcontinuation or mild contrastNote where δέ appears in a μέν...δέ pair — that structure is a deliberate contrast. |
| v.3 | καὶandadditive / emphaticClause-initial καί in Paul often links equal-weight clauses that should be read together.γὰρforgrounds / explanationAsk: what claim is this 'for' grounding? That claim is the main point. |
| v.4 | δὲhowevercontinuation or mild contrastNote where δέ appears in a μέν...δέ pair — that structure is a deliberate contrast. |
| v.5 | δὲthencontinuation or mild contrastNote where δέ appears in a μέν...δέ pair — that structure is a deliberate contrast. |
| v.6 | καὶandadditive / emphaticClause-initial καί in Paul often links equal-weight clauses that should be read together. |
| v.7 | καὶAndadditive / emphaticClause-initial καί in Paul often links equal-weight clauses that should be read together. |
| v.9 | εἰifconditional clauseAsk whether Paul treats the 'if' as assumed true (1st class) or merely hypothetical. |
| v.10 | ὅτιthatcontent marker or causalIf ὅτι follows a verb of speaking/knowing/believing, it introduces content. If it follows a statement, it introduces a reason. |
| v.12 | καὶAndadditive / emphaticClause-initial καί in Paul often links equal-weight clauses that should be read together.οὐδὲnotnegative additiveοὐδέ in a list builds rhetorical force — each addition strengthens the overall negation.γὰρforgrounds / explanationAsk: what claim is this 'for' grounding? That claim is the main point. |
| v.13 | δὲnowcontinuation or mild contrastNote where δέ appears in a μέν...δέ pair — that structure is a deliberate contrast.ὅτιthatcontent marker or causalIf ὅτι follows a verb of speaking/knowing/believing, it introduces content. If it follows a statement, it introduces a reason.ὅτιthatcontent marker or causalIf ὅτι follows a verb of speaking/knowing/believing, it introduces content. If it follows a statement, it introduces a reason. |
| v.15 | δὲhowevercontinuation or mild contrastNote where δέ appears in a μέν...δέ pair — that structure is a deliberate contrast. |
| v.16 | ὅτιforcontent marker or causalIf ὅτι follows a verb of speaking/knowing/believing, it introduces content. If it follows a statement, it introduces a reason.μὲνtrulycontrast setup (μέν...δέ)The μέν...δέ pair is a rhetorical hinge. Both sides matter equally.γὰρforgrounds / explanationAsk: what claim is this 'for' grounding? That claim is the main point. |
| v.17 | ἀλλ᾽Butstrong contrast / correctionAsk: what is being set aside? What is being asserted instead?ἵναthatpurpose clauseἵνα clauses often contain the theological payoff: 'so that God might...' |
| v.18 | καὶAndadditive / emphaticClause-initial καί in Paul often links equal-weight clauses that should be read together. |
| v.19 | δὲButcontinuation or mild contrastNote where δέ appears in a μέν...δέ pair — that structure is a deliberate contrast.εἰWhetherconditional clauseAsk whether Paul treats the 'if' as assumed true (1st class) or merely hypothetical. |
| v.20 | γὰρforgrounds / explanationAsk: what claim is this 'for' grounding? That claim is the main point. |
| v.21 | δὲAndcontinuation or mild contrastNote where δέ appears in a μέν...δέ pair — that structure is a deliberate contrast.ὅτιbecausecontent marker or causalIf ὅτι follows a verb of speaking/knowing/believing, it introduces content. If it follows a statement, it introduces a reason. |
| v.22 | γὰρforgrounds / explanationAsk: what claim is this 'for' grounding? That claim is the main point. |
| v.23 | δὲnowcontinuation or mild contrastNote where δέ appears in a μέν...δέ pair — that structure is a deliberate contrast. |
| v.24 | δὲAndcontinuation or mild contrastNote where δέ appears in a μέν...δέ pair — that structure is a deliberate contrast. |
| v.25 | ἱνατίso whypurpose clauseἵνα clauses often contain the theological payoff: 'so that God might...' |
| v.27 | γὰρforgrounds / explanationAsk: what claim is this 'for' grounding? That claim is the main point. |
| v.29 | καὶAndadditive / emphaticClause-initial καί in Paul often links equal-weight clauses that should be read together. |
| v.31 | καὶAndadditive / emphaticClause-initial καί in Paul often links equal-weight clauses that should be read together. |
| v.32 | δὲAndcontinuation or mild contrastNote where δέ appears in a μέν...δέ pair — that structure is a deliberate contrast.οὐδὲnotnegative additiveοὐδέ in a list builds rhetorical force — each addition strengthens the overall negation.ἀλλ᾽butstrong contrast / correctionAsk: what is being set aside? What is being asserted instead? |
| v.33 | καὶAndadditive / emphaticClause-initial καί in Paul often links equal-weight clauses that should be read together. |
| v.34 | οὐδὲNot evennegative additiveοὐδέ in a list builds rhetorical force — each addition strengthens the overall negation.γὰρforgrounds / explanationAsk: what claim is this 'for' grounding? That claim is the main point.γὰρforgrounds / explanationAsk: what claim is this 'for' grounding? That claim is the main point. |
| v.35 | καὶandadditive / emphaticClause-initial καί in Paul often links equal-weight clauses that should be read together.δὲthencontinuation or mild contrastNote where δέ appears in a μέν...δέ pair — that structure is a deliberate contrast. |
| v.36 | δὲnowcontinuation or mild contrastNote where δέ appears in a μέν...δέ pair — that structure is a deliberate contrast. |
Discourse data: STEPBible TAGNT (CC BY 4.0)
Verb Aspect (101 main verbs)
completed 28ongoing 4resultant 4imperative 3subjunctive 4background 13infinitive 15participle 30
| v.1 | Λαλούντωνlaléōspeakingpresent active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἐπέστησανephístēmicame upaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed action |
| v.2 | διαπονούμενοιdiaponéōdisturbedpresent middle participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionδιδάσκεινdidáskōteachingpresent active infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verbκαταγγέλλεινkatangéllōproclaimingpresent active infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verb |
| v.3 | ἐπέβαλονepibállōlaid ~ onaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionἔθεντοtíthēmiputaorist middle indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed action |
| v.4 | ἀκουσάντωνheardaorist active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἐπίστευσανpisteúōbelievedaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed action |
| v.5 | Ἐγένετοgínomaihappenedaorist middle indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionσυναχθῆναιsynágōgathered togetheraorist passive infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verb |
| v.7 | στήσαντεςhístēmimade ~ standaorist active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἐπυνθάνοντοpynthánomaiinquiredimperfect middle indicativebackgroundImperfect indicative — continuous or repeated past actionἐποιήσατεpoiéōdoaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed action |
| v.8 | πλησθεὶςplḗthōfilledaorist passive participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionεἶπενépōsaidaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed action |
| v.9 | ἀνακρινόμεθαexaminedpresent passive indicativeongoingPresent indicative — ongoing, habitual, or general truthσέσωσταιsṓzōhealedperfect passive indicativeresultantPerfect indicative — completed action with present result |
| v.10 | ἐσταυρώσατεstauróōcrucifiedaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionἤγειρενegeírōraisedaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionπαρέστηκενparístēmistandsperfect active indicativeresultantPerfect indicative — completed action with present result |
| v.11 | ἐξουθενηθεὶςexouthenéōrejectedaorist passive participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting action |
| v.12 | δεδομένονdídōmigivenperfect passive participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionδεῖdéōmustpresent active indicativeongoingPresent indicative — ongoing, habitual, or general truthσωθῆναιsṓzōsavedaorist passive infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verb |
| v.13 | Θεωροῦντεςtheōréōsawpresent active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionκαταλαβόμενοιkatalambánōrealizedaorist middle participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἐθαύμαζονthaumázōastonishedimperfect active indicativebackgroundImperfect indicative — continuous or repeated past actionἐπεγίνωσκόνepiginṓskōrecognizedimperfect active indicativebackgroundImperfect indicative — continuous or repeated past action |
| v.14 | βλέποντεςsawpresent active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἑστῶταhístēmistandingperfect active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionτεθεραπευμένονtherapeúōhealedperfect passive participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionεἶχονéchōhadimperfect active indicativebackgroundImperfect indicative — continuous or repeated past actionἀντειπεῖνsay in oppositionaorist active infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verb |
| v.15 | κελεύσαντεςkeleúōorderedaorist active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἀπελθεῖνleaveaorist active infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verbσυνέβαλλονsymbállōconferredimperfect active indicativebackgroundImperfect indicative — continuous or repeated past action |
| v.16 | λέγοντεςlégōsayingpresent active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionποιήσωμενpoiéōdoaorist active subjunctivesubjunctiveSubjunctive mood — conditional, purpose, or contingentγέγονενgínomaidoneperfect active indicativeresultantPerfect indicative — completed action with present resultκατοικοῦσινkatoikéōlivepresent active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionδυνάμεθαdýnamaiablepresent middle indicativeongoingPresent indicative — ongoing, habitual, or general truthἀρνεῖσθαιdenypresent middle infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verb |
| v.17 | διανεμηθῇdianémōspreadaorist passive subjunctivesubjunctiveSubjunctive mood — conditional, purpose, or contingentἀπειλησώμεθαwarnaorist middle subjunctivesubjunctiveSubjunctive mood — conditional, purpose, or contingentλαλεῖνlaléōspeakpresent active infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verb |
| v.18 | καλέσαντεςkaléōcalledaorist active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionπαρήγγειλανparangéllōcommandedaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed action |
| v.19 | ἀποκριθέντεςansweredaorist passive participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionεἶπονépōsaidaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionἀκούεινlisten topresent active infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verbκρίνατεkrínōjudgeaorist active imperativeimperativeImperative mood — command or exhortation |
| v.20 | δυνάμεθαdýnamaiablepresent middle indicativeongoingPresent indicative — ongoing, habitual, or general truthλαλεῖνlaléōspeakingpresent active infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verb |
| v.21 | προσαπειλησάμενοιprosapeiléōthreatening ~ furtheraorist middle participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἀπέλυσανlet ~ goaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionεὑρίσκοντεςheurískōfindingpresent active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionκολάσωνταιkolázōpunishaorist middle subjunctivesubjunctiveSubjunctive mood — conditional, purpose, or contingentἐδόξαζονdoxázōpraisingimperfect active indicativebackgroundImperfect indicative — continuous or repeated past actionγεγονότιgínomaihappenedperfect active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting action |
| v.22 | γεγόνειgínomaiperformedpluperfect active indicativeresultantPluperfect — action completed before another past action |
| v.23 | Ἀπολυθέντεςreleasedaorist passive participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἦλθονérchomaiwentaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionἀπήγγειλανreportedaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionεἶπανépōsaidaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed action |
| v.24 | ἀκούσαντεςheardaorist active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἦρανraisedaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionεἶπανépōsaidaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionποιήσαςpoiéōmadeaorist active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting action |
| v.25 | εἰπώνépōsaidaorist active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἐφρύαξανphryássōrageaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionἐμελέτησανmeletáōplotaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed action |
| v.26 | παρέστησανparístēmitook ~ standaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionσυνήχθησανsynágōgatheredaorist passive indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed action |
| v.27 | συνήχθησανsynágōgathered togetheraorist passive indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionἔχρισαςchríōanointedaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed action |
| v.28 | ποιῆσαιpoiéōdoaorist active infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verbπροώρισενproeídōpredestinedaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionγενέσθαιgínomaitake placeaorist middle infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verb |
| v.29 | ἔπιδεepeîdonlookaorist active imperativeimperativeImperative mood — command or exhortationδὸςdídōmigrantaorist active imperativeimperativeImperative mood — command or exhortationλαλεῖνlaléōspeakpresent active infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verb |
| v.30 | ἐκτείνεινekteínōstretch outpresent active infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verbγίνεσθαιgínomaiperformedpresent middle infinitiveinfinitiveInfinitive — verbal noun or complementary verb |
| v.31 | δεηθέντωνdéomaiprayedaorist passive participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἐσαλεύθηsaleúōshakenaorist passive indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionἐπλήσθησανplḗthōfilledaorist passive indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionἐλάλουνlaléōspeakimperfect active indicativebackgroundImperfect indicative — continuous or repeated past action |
| v.32 | πιστευσάντωνpisteúōbelievedaorist active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionὑπαρχόντωνhypárchontapossessionspresent active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἔλεγενlégōclaimedimperfect active indicativebackgroundImperfect indicative — continuous or repeated past action |
| v.33 | ἀπεδίδουνgivingimperfect active indicativebackgroundImperfect indicative — continuous or repeated past action |
| v.34 | πωλοῦντεςpōléōsoldpresent active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἔφερονphérōbroughtimperfect active indicativebackgroundImperfect indicative — continuous or repeated past actionπιπρασκομένωνpipráskōsoldpresent passive participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting action |
| v.35 | ἐτίθουνtíthēmilaidimperfect active indicativebackgroundImperfect indicative — continuous or repeated past actionδιεδίδετοdiadídōmidistributedimperfect passive indicativebackgroundImperfect indicative — continuous or repeated past actionεἶχενéchōhadimperfect active indicativebackgroundImperfect indicative — continuous or repeated past action |
| v.37 | πωλήσαςpōléōsoldaorist active participleparticipleParticiple — verbal adjective, supporting actionἤνεγκενphérōbroughtaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed actionἔθηκενtíthēmilaidaorist active indicativecompletedAorist indicative — punctiliar or completed action |
Verb forms indicate aspect — not interpretive weight. Consult context before drawing conclusions about emphasis.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Theological Argument
Acts 4 argues that opposition to the gospel is real, but not ultimate. The same Jesus rejected by the rulers has been raised by God and made the cornerstone. His name alone brings salvation, his witnesses must obey God over men, and his church prays for boldness rather than retreat.
From arrest to testimony, from threats to prayer, from pressure to Spirit-filled boldness, from resurrection witness to shared grace-filled community.
- 1.The proclamation of Jesus and the resurrection provokes opposition from religious authorities.
- 2.Human opposition cannot stop the word from bearing fruit, as many believe despite the apostles' arrest.
- 3.The council's question about power and name gives Peter an opportunity to identify Jesus publicly.
- 4.Peter's defense is Spirit-filled, fulfilling Jesus' promise that his witnesses would be given words under pressure.
- 5.The healed man stands as embodied evidence of the living authority of Jesus.
- 6.The leaders crucified Jesus, but God raised him, overturning their judgment.
- 7.Jesus is the stone rejected by the builders but made the cornerstone by God.
- 8.Because Jesus is the appointed cornerstone, salvation is found in no one else.
- 9.The council cannot deny the sign but still attempts to suppress the name of Jesus.
- 10.The apostles rightly refuse silence because God's command outranks human prohibition.
- 11.The church interprets opposition through Scripture, especially the rebellion of rulers against the Lord and his Anointed.
- 12.The believers ask not for safety or revenge, but for boldness to speak God's word.
- 13.The Spirit answers by filling the church and empowering continued proclamation.
- 14.The community's unity and generosity flow from great grace and resurrection-centered witness.
Theological Focus
- The exclusivity of salvation in Jesus Christ
- The name of Jesus as the source of healing and salvation
- The resurrection as the heart of apostolic witness
- The rejected stone becoming the cornerstone
- The Holy Spirit empowering witness under pressure
- The priority of obedience to God over human command
- Prayer as the church's response to persecution
- God's sovereignty over opposition and human rebellion
- Boldness as Spirit-given courage, not natural personality
- The church's unity and generosity as fruit of grace
- The public nature of gospel witness
- The impossibility of silencing true witness to Christ
- Salvation in Christ Alone
- Resurrection of Christ
- Christ the Cornerstone
- The Name of Jesus
- Holy Spirit
- Obedience to God
- Persecution and Witness
- Sovereignty of God
- Prayer
- Church Unity and Generosity
Covenant Significance
Acts 4 shows that Israel's leaders have rejected the one God appointed as cornerstone, yet God's covenant purpose advances through the risen Christ. Psalm 118 and Psalm 2 frame the opposition as rebellion against the Lord's Anointed, while the Spirit-formed community displays the life of the renewed people of God.
Old Testament Connections
- Jesus is identified as the rejected stone made cornerstone, showing God's reversal of human rejection.
- The council's opposition fulfills the pattern of rulers gathering against the Lord and his Anointed.
- The healing in Jesus' name demonstrates that covenant blessing and restoration now come through the risen Messiah.
- The apostles' witness stands in continuity with Israel's Scriptures while confronting Israel's leaders with their rejection of Christ.
- The church's unity and generosity display covenant community life shaped by grace and resurrection witness.
- The name of Jesus is the only saving name given under heaven, universalizing the necessity of the Messiah beyond Jerusalem.
- Psalm 118:22 provides the cornerstone image used to interpret Jesus' rejection and exaltation.
- Psalm 2 frames the opposition of rulers against the Lord and his Anointed as part of a larger pattern of rebellion.
- The language of Sovereign Lord as Creator grounds prayer in the God who made heaven, earth, sea, and everything in them.
- The shared-life generosity resonates with covenant care for the needy among God's people.
- The prophetic pattern of rejected messengers finds its climactic focus in rejection of Jesus and opposition to his apostles.
Canonical Connections
Peter applies the rejected-stone image to Jesus, showing that the leaders' rejection of Christ has been overturned by God's appointment.
The church reads its opposition through Psalm 2, recognizing that hostility against Jesus and his witnesses belongs to the wider pattern of rebellion against God's Messiah.
Acts 4 intensifies the biblical theme of salvation in the Lord's name by declaring that salvation is given only in Jesus' name.
Peter's Spirit-filled defense aligns with Jesus' promise that his disciples would be given words when brought before rulers.
The apostles' witness centers on the resurrection, continuing the apostolic gospel pattern established at Pentecost.
The believers' shared resources reflect the covenant concern that need be met among God's people, now expressed in the resurrection community.
Cross References
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God,
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he...
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer. Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together, and had all...
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree. God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to...
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all, and in us all.
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let’s hold tightly to our confession. For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been...
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you....
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made...
Clarifies how the passage points to the gospel of Christ.
What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things? Who could bring a charge...
Shows Old Testament grounding that frames or supports this passage.
You saw until a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken in pieces together, and...
Shows Old Testament grounding that frames or supports this passage.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If it happens, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your...
Shows Old Testament grounding that frames or supports this passage.
When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.
Shows Old Testament grounding that frames or supports this passage.
However there will be no poor with you (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess) if only you diligently listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all this...
Shows Old Testament grounding that frames or supports this passage.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Shows Old Testament grounding that frames or supports this passage.
Therefore the Lord Yahweh says, “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. He who believes shall not act hastily.
Shows Old Testament grounding that frames or supports this passage.
“Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, who is enthroned among the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
Shows Old Testament grounding that frames or supports this passage.
Shows Old Testament grounding that frames or supports this passage.
Shows Old Testament grounding that frames or supports this passage.
Shows Old Testament grounding that frames or supports this passage.
Provides immediate literary context around the same argument flow.
As the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering. When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, “You men of Israel, why do you marvel at...
Provides immediate literary context around the same argument flow.
As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them, being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. They laid hands on them, and put them...
Provides immediate literary context around the same argument flow.
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. Seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could say...
Provides immediate literary context around the same argument flow.
Being let go, they came to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, “O Lord, you are God, who made the...
Provides immediate literary context around the same argument flow.
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of it, then brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has...
Canon-Wide Connections
Cross-reference data: OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Gospel Clarity
Acts 4 proclaims the gospel with sharp clarity: Jesus Christ of Nazareth was crucified by men, raised by God, rejected by the builders, made the cornerstone, and given as the only name under heaven by which people must be saved.
Gospel Guardrails
- Jesus was crucified by the same leadership world now examining the apostles.
- God raised Jesus from the dead, vindicating him over human judgment.
- Jesus' name heals, showing his living authority.
- Jesus is the rejected stone made cornerstone, fulfilling Scripture.
- Salvation is found in no one else.
- The gospel must be spoken even when authorities oppose it.
- The Spirit empowers witness to the risen Christ.
- Great grace rests upon the community that testifies to the resurrection.
- Do not present Jesus as one saving option among many.
- Do not separate healing or signs from the proclamation of Jesus' death and resurrection.
- Do not confuse institutional religious power with submission to God.
- Do not make boldness a personality trait rather than Spirit-enabled obedience.
- Do not define church courage as anger or aggression · Acts 4 courage speaks God's word under threat.
- Do not pursue community generosity apart from resurrection grace and apostolic witness.
Gospel Cross References
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.
For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God,
him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he...
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer. Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together, and had all...
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree. God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to...
There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all, and in us all.
Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let’s hold tightly to our confession. For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been...
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you....
But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made...
What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things? Who could bring a charge...
Primary Emphasis
Acts 4 presents Jesus as the crucified and risen Christ, the rejected stone made cornerstone, and the only Savior given under heaven. His name heals, his resurrection is proclaimed with great power, and his authority demands witness even when earthly authorities forbid it.
Chapter Contribution
Acts 4 argues that opposition to the gospel is real, but not ultimate. The same Jesus rejected by the rulers has been raised by God and made the cornerstone. His name alone brings salvation, his witnesses must obey God over men, and his church prays for boldness rather than retreat.
Motifs in This Chapter
Trace the Spirit's presence, empowerment, renewal, and mission-bearing work across Scripture.
Follow resurrection hope, vindication, and life-over-death patterns across the canon.
Trace servant identity, obedient mission, and suffering service across Scripture.
Follow faith, believing response, trust, and persevering allegiance across Scripture.
Study kingdom reign, divine rule, and gospel kingdom proclamation across Scripture.
Doctrines in This Chapter
When human commands directly contradict God’s revealed will, believers are called to faithful obedience to God while maintaining integrity and respect.
Jesus remains central as the Anointed One against whom the nations rage but whom God has installed as Lord.
Believers hold possessions as entrusted resources to be used for the good of the body and the advance of the gospel.
Jesus is the rejected yet exalted cornerstone, central to God’s redemptive structure and authority.
God rules over nations and rulers, and even opposition to Christ unfolds within His redemptive plan.
True unity flows from shared faith in the risen Lord and is expressed through mutual care and shared purpose.
Generosity and unity arise from divine grace at work, not from coercive systems.
Faithful gospel proclamation often brings resistance, yet opposition does not nullify God’s saving purpose.
Peter’s boldness and clarity arise from being filled with the Holy Spirit, demonstrating divine empowerment in the face of opposition.
The church responds to threats not with panic but with unified, Scripture-shaped prayer.
God’s acts in history, such as the healing, provide tangible confirmation of the gospel’s truth.
The apostles’ testimony to Jesus’ resurrection remains central to church identity and mission.
Salvation is found only in Jesus Christ. No other name or system provides reconciliation with God.
True Christian courage flows from union with Christ and the Spirit’s filling, not from social status or rhetorical training.
The Holy Spirit empowers believers for bold witness, especially in contexts of resistance.
The church’s mission continues even when restricted or threatened, grounded in personal testimony of Christ’s saving work.
Doctrinal Weight
Peter declares that salvation is found in no one else and that no other name under heaven has been given by which people must be saved.
The apostles proclaim that God raised Jesus from the dead, and they testify to the resurrection with great power.
Jesus is the rejected stone whom God made the cornerstone, fulfilling Scripture and establishing him as the foundation of salvation.
The healed man stands whole by the name of Jesus, and salvation is given in no other name.
Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit for testimony, and the gathered believers are filled again to speak God's word boldly.
Peter and John refuse to obey human commands that would silence obedience to God's mandate.
Opposition becomes the setting for clear proclamation of Christ and greater boldness.
The church prays to the Sovereign Lord who created all things and who rules even over hostile rulers.
The church responds to threats through unified, Scripture-shaped prayer for boldness.
Great grace produces unity of heart and mind, shared possessions, and care for those in need.
Reading Lenses
Theological exposition and fulfillment
- Acts 4 proclaims the gospel with sharp clarity: Jesus Christ of Nazareth was crucified by men, raised by God, rejected by the builders, made the cornerstone, and given as the only name under heaven by which people must be saved.
Formation Focus
Acts 4 teaches that the risen Jesus is the only Savior, the rejected cornerstone, and the Lord whose witnesses must speak even under threat.
The church must not be surprised by opposition, ashamed of Christ's exclusivity, or prayerless under pressure.
Spirit-given boldness, Christ-centered clarity, reverent obedience, Scripture-shaped prayer, generous unity, and courage under threat.
Practice Response
- Speak of Jesus plainly when opportunities arise under pressure.
- Refuse to soften the exclusivity of Christ while maintaining humility and love.
- Obey God rather than human commands when obedience to Christ is forbidden.
- Pray Scripture back to God when threatened or discouraged.
- Ask for boldness before asking for ease.
- Encourage believers by remembering God's sovereignty over hostile rulers.
- Practice visible generosity as evidence that resurrection grace has reshaped the community.
Warnings and Misreadings
- Acts 4 warns that religious authority can oppose the very Christ it claims to serve. It also warns that no salvation exists outside Jesus' name. To suppress the gospel is to stand against God, and to reject the cornerstone is to reject the only foundation of salvation.
- Treating Acts 4:12 as narrow tribalism rather than the apostolic declaration that God has provided salvation only in Jesus.
- Using 'obey God rather than men' to justify personal rebellion in any situation rather than recognizing the specific conflict between God's command to witness and man's command to silence Christ.
- Admiring Peter and John as naturally courageous without seeing their boldness as Spirit-given.
- Reading the church's prayer as a generic prayer meeting rather than a Scripture-shaped response to persecution.
- Assuming the church prayed primarily for safety, when the text shows they prayed for boldness.
- Reducing the shared possessions section to a political or economic system rather than seeing Spirit-formed generosity meeting real needs.
- Treating opposition as failure rather than as the context in which gospel witness advances.
- Missing the contrast between undeniable evidence and hardened resistance in the council.
Discipleship Questions
- Am I more concerned with avoiding pressure or with faithfully speaking the name of Jesus?
- When challenged, do I defend myself first or point clearly to Christ?
- Do I believe salvation is truly found in no one else but Jesus?
- Where might fear of people be tempting me to silence what I have seen and heard of Christ?
- Does my prayer life under pressure ask mainly for relief, or for boldness to obey?
- Do I interpret opposition through God's sovereignty and Scripture, or through anxiety?
- Is my life with the church marked by resurrection-shaped unity and generosity?
Pastoral Applications
- Teach the church that opposition to the gospel is not evidence that Christ has lost authority.
- Preach Acts 4:12 with clarity and compassion: salvation is exclusive because Christ alone is the crucified and risen Savior.
- Train believers to answer pressure with testimony to Jesus rather than self-protection.
- Use Peter and John's response to clarify Christian obedience when human authorities command disobedience to God.
- Lead threatened or discouraged believers to pray Scripture-shaped prayers rooted in God's sovereignty.
- Encourage the church to pray for boldness, not merely for easier circumstances.
- Connect resurrection witness to church unity and generosity, showing that doctrine and shared life belong together.
- Warn leaders against the danger of preserving institutional control while resisting the work of God.
Pastoral Trajectories
The apostles' public witness to Jesus immediately draws official resistance.
The council's questioning becomes a God-given setting for Spirit-filled testimony.
Jesus was rejected by the builders, but God made him the cornerstone.
The church responds to intimidation not with panic, retaliation, or retreat, but with worshipful prayer.
The Spirit fills the believers, and they continue speaking God's word boldly.
Great grace upon the church produces unity, generosity, and care for those in need.
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain
The Biblical World
Chapter At A Glance
The apostles are arrested for preaching Jesus, Peter boldly proclaims salvation in Christ alone, the authorities threaten them, and the church prays for greater boldness rather than safety.
Acts 4 shows that Israel's leaders have rejected the one God appointed as cornerstone, yet God's covenant purpose advances through the risen Christ. Psalm 118 and Psalm 2 frame the opposition as rebellion against the Lord's Anointed, while the Spirit-formed community displays the life of the renewed people of God.
Acts 4 proclaims the gospel with sharp clarity: Jesus Christ of Nazareth was crucified by men, raised by God, rejected by the builders, made the cornerstone, and given as the only name under heaven by which people must be saved.
Spirit-given boldness, Christ-centered clarity, reverent obedience, Scripture-shaped prayer, generous unity, and courage under threat.
Focus Points
- The exclusivity of salvation in Jesus Christ
- The name of Jesus as the source of healing and salvation
- The resurrection as the heart of apostolic witness
- The rejected stone becoming the cornerstone
- The Holy Spirit empowering witness under pressure
- The priority of obedience to God over human command
- Prayer as the church's response to persecution
- God's sovereignty over opposition and human rebellion
- Boldness as Spirit-given courage, not natural personality
- The church's unity and generosity as fruit of grace
- The public nature of gospel witness
- The impossibility of silencing true witness to Christ
- Salvation in Christ Alone
- Resurrection of Christ
- Christ the Cornerstone
- The Name of Jesus
- Holy Spirit
- Obedience to God
- Persecution and Witness
- Sovereignty of God
- Prayer
- Church Unity and Generosity
Cross References
One afternoon Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those entering the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.
Immediate cause
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
Cornerstone fulfillment
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the Lord and against His Anointed One:
Opposition interpreted
When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say. For at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.”
Spirit-given defense
But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. On account of My name they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons, and they will bring you before kings and governors. This will be your opportunity to serve as witnesses. So make up your mind not to worry beforehand how to defend yourselves.
Witness before rulers
Men of Israel, listen to this message: Jesus of Nazareth was a man certified by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead,...
Earlier apostolic proclamation
They brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, where the high priest interrogated them. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.” But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.
Repeated obedience principle
As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the...
Cornerstone development
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved. It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”
Salvation in the Lord's name
There will be no poor among you, however, because the Lord will surely bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, if only you obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commandments I am giving you today. When the Lord your God blesses you as He has promised, you will lend to many nations but...
Care for the needy
Passages
Chapter opening: Acts 4:1-12
The captain of the temple (ο στρατηγος του ιερου). Twenty-four bands of Levites guarded the temple, one guard at a time. They watched the gates. The commander of each band was called captain (στρατηγος). Josephus names this captain of the temple police next to the high priest ( War . VI. 5, 3). The Sadducees (ο Σαδδουκαιο). Most of the priests were Sadducees now and all the chief priests since John Hyrcanus I deserted the Pharisees (Josephus, Ant .
XVII. 10, 6; XVIII. 1, 4; XX. 9, 1). The Sadducees were slow to line up with the Pharisees against Jesus, but they now take the lead against Peter and John. Came upon them (επεστησαν αυτοις). Second aorist active indicative (intransitive). Burst upon them suddenly or stood by them in a hostile attitude here ( Lu 20:1 ; 24:4 ; Ac 6:12 ; 17:5 ; 22:20 ; 23:11 ).
Being sore troubled (διαπονουμενο). Present passive participle of old verb διαπονεω (perfective use of δια) to be worked up, indignant. In the N. T. only here and 16:8 . Because (δια το). The articular infinitive with two accusatives, one the object (the people), the other ("they") of general reference. In Jesus (εν Ιησου). In the case of Jesus, an actual instance of resurrection which the Sadducees denied ( Mt 22:23 ).
This same use of εν appears in 1Co 4:6 (in us). The Sadducees were also aristocrats and political ecclesiastics who disliked popular disturbances. In particular, they resented the claim about Jesus whom they had helped crucify.
In ward (εις τηρησιν). Probably in one of the chambers of the temple. In safe keeping (from τηρεω, to guard). Old word, in the N.T. only here and Ac 5:18 ; 1Co 7:19 . So in papyri. Now eventide (εσπερα ηδη). Hence no trial could take place before the next day, a regulation violated in the case of Jesus.
Men (ανδρων). Strictly, men and not women, for ανθρωπος is the term for both men and women. But in Lu 11:31 ανδρες seems to include both men and women and that is possible here, though by no means certain, for see Mt 14:21 where the women and children are expressly excepted.
Rulers and elders and scribes (τους αρχοντας κα τους πρεσβυτερους κα τους γραμματεις). The three classes composing the Sanhedrin (rulers=chief priests who were Sadducees, the scribes usually Pharisees, the elders not in either class: 24 priests, 24 elders, 22 scribes). Were gathered together (συναχθηνα). First aorist passive infinitive of συναγω with accusative of general reference and the subject of εγενετο.
Annas (Hαννας). One of the rulers or chief priests, ex-high priest (A.D. 7-14) and father-in-law of Caiaphas (Καιαφας) who was actual high priest at that time, though the title clung to Annas as here (both so called in Lu 3:2 ), Caiaphas so by Roman law, Annas so in the opinion of the Jews. They with John and Alexander are the leaders among the Sadducees in pressing the case against Peter and John.
In the midst (εν τω μεσω). The Sanhedrin sat in a semicircle. They inquired (επυνθανοντο). Imperfect middle, began to inquire. Or in what name (η εν ποιω ονοματ). As if by some magical formula such as exorcists practised ( Ac 19:13 ) as if to catch them by ( De 13:1 ). Have ye done this (εποιησατε τουτο υμεις). Note emphatic use of υμεις (ye).
Filled with the Holy Spirit (πλησθεις πνευματος αγιου). For this occasion and so above all fear as in verse 31 and as in 2:4 .
Concerning a good deed done to an impotent man (επ ευεργεσια ανθρωπου ασθενους). Objective genitive. Note ευεργεσια (old word, in the N.T. only here and 1Ti 6:2 ), as a benefactor, not a malefactor. Skilful turn made by Peter. Is made whole (σεσωστα). Perfect passive indicative of σωζω, stands whole.
Be it known (γνωστον εστω). Imperative present active third singular of ειμ, to be, and the verbal adjective γνωστον. Whom ye crucified (ον υμεις εσταυρωσατε). Too good a chance to miss, and so Peter boldly charges the Sanhedrin with responsibility for the death of Jesus. Note υμεις (ye) again. Whom God raised from the dead (ον ο θεος ηγειρεν εκ νεκρων). Note repetition of ον (whom).
This is God's answer to their act of crucifixion. In him doth this man stand (εν τουτω ουτος παρεστηκεν). Rather (note play on ουτος), "In this one (ον, ον) this one stands (present perfect active indicative, intransitive)." In Jesus this man stands before you whole (υγιης). It was a centre shot.
Of you the builders (υφ' υμων των οικοδομων). The experts, the architects, had rejected Jesus for their building ( Ps 118:22 ) as Jesus himself had pointed out ( Mt 21:42 ; Lu 21:17 ). This very Rejected Stone God had made the head of the corner (either the highest corner stone right under the roof or the corner stone under the building, Isa 28:16 ) as Jesus showed, as Peter here declares and repeats later ( 1Pe 2:6 f. ).
Salvation (η σωτηρια). The Messianic salvation as in 5:31 ; 17:11 and as Jesus meant in Joh 4:22 . It is amazing to see Peter speaking thus to the Sanhedrin and proclaiming the necessity of salvation (δε σωθηνα) in the name of Jesus Christ and in no other. If this was true then, it is true today. There is no second (ετερον) name to go beside that of Jesus in India, China, Japan, or America.
The boldness (την παρρησιαν). Telling it all (παν, ρησια). See also verses 29 , 31 . Actually Peter had turned the table on the Sanhedrin and had arraigned them before the bar of God. Had perceived (καταλαβομενο). Second aorist middle participle of καταλαμβανω, common verb to grasp strongly (κατα), literally or with the mind (especially middle voice), to comprehend.
The rulers recalled Peter and John from having seen them often with Jesus, probably during the temple teaching, etc. They were unlearned (αγραμματο εισιν). Present indicative retained in indirect discourse. Unlettered men without technical training in the professional rabbinical schools of Hillel or Shammai. Jesus himself was so regarded ( Joh 7:15 , "not having learned letters").
And ignorant (κα ιδιωτα). Old word, only here in the N. T. and 1Co 14:24 ; 2Co 11:6 . It does not mean "ignorant," but a layman, a man not in office (a private person), a common soldier and not an officer, a man not skilled in the schools, very much like αγραμματος. It is from ιδιος (one's own) and our "idiosyncracy" is one with an excess of such a trait, while "idiot" (this very word) is one who has nothing but his idiosyncracy.
Peter and John were men of ability and of courage, but they did not belong to the set of the rabbis. They marvelled (εθαυμαζον). Imperfect (inchoative) active, began to wonder and kept it up. Took knowledge of them (επεγινωσκον αυτους). Imperfect (inchoative) active again, they began to recognize them as men that they had seen with Jesus.
They could say nothing against it (ουδεν ειχον αντειπειν). Imperfect again, they kept on having nothing to say against it. The lame man was standing there before their eyes in proof of what Peter had said.
They conferred among themselves (συνεβαλλον προς αλληλους). Imperfect active again. With Peter and John and the lame man outside, they began to compare (συν, βαλλω) notes and take stock of their predicament.
What shall we do? (Τ ποιησωμεν). Deliberative aorist active subjunctive (ingressive and urgent aorist). Notable miracle (γνωστον σημειον). Or sign. It was useless to deny it with the man there. We cannot deny it (ου δυναμεθα αρνεισθα). That is, it will do no good.
That it spread no further (ινα μη επ πλειον διανεμηθη). First aorist passive subjunctive of διανεμω, to distribute with ινα μη, negative purpose. Let us threaten them (απειλησωμεθα αυτοις). Hortatory aorist middle subjunctive of απειλεω, old verb (note middle voice). In the N. T. only here and 1Pe 2:23 . That they speak henceforth to no man in this name (μηκετ λαλειν επ τω ονοματ τουτω μηδεν ανθρωπων).
Indirect command with the infinitive and double negative (μηκετι, μηδεν). They will not say "Jesus," but make a slur at "this name," contemptuous use of ουτος, though they apparently do mention the name "Jesus" in verse 18 .
Not to speak at all (καθολου μη φθεγγεσθα). Same construction as above, infinitive in indirect command with negative μη (and μηδε).
For we cannot but speak (ου δυναμεθα γαρ ημεισ--μη λαλειν). Both negatives hold here, "For we (note emphatic ημεις) are not able not to speak" (what we saw and heard). This is defiance of the civil and ecclesiastical authorities that was justified, for the temple authorities stepped in between the conscience and God. Peter and John were willing to pay the price of this defiance with their lives. This is the courage of martyrs through all the ages.
When they had further threatened them (προσαπειλησαμενο). The "further" is in "pros" (in addition), Finding nothing how they might punish them (μηδεν ευρισκοντες το πως κολασωντα αυτους). Note the article "to" before πως (how), "the how." Aorist middle deliberative subjunctive κολασωντα in indirect question after πως from κολαζω, to lop (κολος, lopped), to curb, to prune, to correct, to punish.
Old verb, in the N. T. only here and 2 Peter 2:9 . Glorified God (εδοξαζον τον θεον). Imperfect active, kept on glorifying God while the Sanhedrin were threatening Peter and John. It was to laugh at the helplessness of the Sanhedrin.
Was wrought (γεγονε). Second past perfect active without augment from γινομα.
To their own company (προς τους ιδιους). Their own people as in Joh 1:11 ; 13:1 ; Ac 24:23 ; 1Ti 5:8 ; Tit 3:14 , not merely the apostles (all the disciples). In spite of Peter's courageous defiance he and John told the brotherhood all that had been said by the Sanhedrin. They had real apprehension of the outcome.
With one accord (ομοθυμαδον). A concert of voices as already seen by the word in 1:14 ; 2:46 and later in 5:12 ; 7:57 ; 15:25 . O Lord (Δεσποτα). Our word despot. Old word for relation of master to slaves or household servants ( 1Ti 6:1 ; 2Ti 2:21 ; Tit 2:9 ; 1Pe 2:18 ). Simeon thus addressed God ( Lu 2:29 ). So in 2 Peter 2:1 ; Jude 1:4 ; Re 6:10 . See "slaves" in verse 29 .
By the mouth of our father David (του πατρος ημων δια πνευματος αγιου στοματος Δαυειδ). From Ps 2:1 f . here ascribed to David. Baumgarten suggests that the whole company sang the second Psalm and then Peter applied it to this emergency. The Greek MSS. do not have δια (by) here before στοματος, but only δια before πνευματος αγιου (the Holy Spirit). Hort calls this a "primitive error" perhaps due to an early scribe who omitted this second δια so close to the first δια (Robertson, Introduction to the Textual Criticism of the N.
T. , p. 238). A small list of such primitive errors is there given as suggested by Dr. Hort. Why (ινα τ). This Greek idiom calls for γενητα (second aorist middle subjunctive), That what may happen . The Gentiles (εθνη). So always in LXX, while λαο (peoples) can include Jews. Did rage (εφρυαξαν). First aorist active indicative of φρυασσω, late word, to neigh like a horse, to prance or stamp the ground, to put on lofty airs.
Only here in the N. T. in this quotation from Ps 2:1 . Imagine (εμελετησαν). First aorist active indicative of μελεταω. Old verb from μελετη (care), to practise, to caution, as orators and rhetoricians. Only here in the N. T. in this quotation.
Set themselves in array (παρεστησαν). Literally, stood by. Against his Anointed (κατα του Χριστου αυτου). Against his Messiah, his Christ.
Both Herod and Pontios Pilate (Hηρωιδης τε κα Ποντιυς Πειλατος). Luke alone ( Lu 23:12 ) tells of the reconciliation between Herod and Pilate at the trial of Jesus. So Peter and the rest interpret this prophecy as directly fulfilled in their conduct towards Jesus Christ. Whom thou didst anoint (ον εχρισας). As in verse 26 (cf. Lu 4:18 ; Isa 61:1 ). Inaugurated as King Messiah.
Foreordained (προωρισεν). First aorist active indicative of προοριζω, "They rise above sight and seem to see the Hand which 'shapes men's ends, rough hew them how they will'" (Furneaux).
And now (κα τα νυν). "And as to (accusative of general reference) the now things (the present situation)." Only in the Acts in the N. T. ( 5:38 ; 17:30 ; 20:32 ; 27:22 ). Grant (δος). Second aorist active imperative of διδωμ, urgency of the aorist, Do it now. To speak thy word with all boldness (μετα παρρησιας πασης λαλειν τον λογον σου). Literally, "with all boldness to go on speaking (present active infinitive) thy word."
Peter and John had defied the Sanhedrin in verse 20 , but all the same and all the more they pray for courage in deed to live up to their brave words. A wholesome lesson.
While thou stretchest forth thy hand (εν τω την χειρα εκτεινειν σε). Luke's favourite idiom, "In the stretching out (articular present active infinitive) the hand as to thee" (accusative of general reference), the second allusion to God's "hand" in this prayer (verse 28 ). To heal (εις ιασιν). For healing. See verse 22 . And that signs and wonders may be done (κα σημεια κα τερατα γινεσθα).
Either to be taken as in the same construction as εκτεινειν with εν τω as Revised Version has it here or to be treated as subordinate purpose to εν τω εκτεινειν (as Knowling, Page, Wendt, Hackett). The latter most likely true. They ask for a visible sign or proof that God has heard this prayer for courage to be faithful even unto death.
The place was shaken (εσαλευθη ο τοπος). By an earthquake most likely as in 16:26 , but none the less a token of God's presence and power ( Ps 114:7 ; Isa 2:19 , 21 ; Heb 12:26 f. ). Were gathered together (ησαν συνηγμενο). Periphrastic past perfect passive of συναγω. They spake (ελαλουν). Imperfect active indicative, began to speak, after being filled (επλησθησαν, aorist passive indicative) with the Holy Spirit. Luke uses the very words of the prayer in verse 29 to describe their conduct.
Of one heart and soul (καρδια κα ψυχη μια). It is not possible to make sharp distinction between heart and soul here (see Mr 12:30 ), only that there was harmony in thought and affection. But the English translation is curiously unlike the Greek original. "There was one heart and soul (nominative case, not genitive as the English has it) in the multitude (του πληθους, subjective genitive) of those who believed."
Not one of them (ουδε εις). More emphatic than ουδεις, "not even one." Common (κοινα). In the use of their property, not in the possession as Luke proceeds to explain. The word κοινος is kin to συν (together with)=ξυν (Epic) and so ξυνοσ=κοινος. See this word already in 2:44 . The idea of unclean ( Ac 10:15 ) is a later development from the original notion of common to all.
Gave their witness (απεδιδουν το μαρτυριον). Imperfect active of αποδιδωμ, old verb to give back, to pay back a debt ( Lu 7:42 ), but a late omega form instead of the usual απεδιδοσαν. They kept on giving their witness with power after the answer to their prayer (verse 31 ). Of the resurrection (της αναστασεως). It was on this issue that the Sadducees had arrested them ( 4:1-3 ).
That lacked (ενδεης). Literally, in need, old adjective, here only in the N.T. Were (υπηρχον). Imperfect active of υπαρχω, to exist. Sold them and brought (πωλουντες εφερον). Present active participle and imperfect active indicative. Selling they brought from time to time, as there was occasion by reason of need. Hence the wants were kept supplied. Laid them (ετιθουν). Imperfect active again, repetition , of τιθημ, late omega form for the usual ετιθεσαν.
Distribution was made (διεδιδετο). Imperfect passive of διαδιδωμ, late omega form for διεδιδοτο (the stem vowel ο displaced by ε). Impersonal use of the verb here. According as any one had need (καθοτ αν τις χρειαν ειχεν). Imperfect active of εχω with καθοτ and αν with the notion of customary repetition in a comparative clause (Robertson, Grammar , p. 967).
Barnabas (Βαρναβας). His name was Joseph (correct text, and not Jesus) and he is mentioned as one illustration of those in verse 34 who selling brought the money. The apostles gave him the nickname Barnabas by which later he was known because of this noble deed. This fact argues that all did not actually sell, but were ready to do so if needed. Possibly Joseph had a larger estate than some others also.
The meaning of the nickname is given by Luke as "son of consolation or exhortation" (υιος παρακλησεως). Doubtless his gifts as a preacher lay along this same line. Rackham thinks that the apostles gave him this name when he was recognized as a prophet. In Ac 11:23 the very word παρεκαλε (exhorted) is used of Barnabas up at Antioch. He is the type of preacher described by Paul in 1Co 14:3 .
Encouragement is the chief idea in παρακλησις though exhortation, comfort, consolation are used to render it ( Ac 9:31 ; 13:15 ; 15:31 ). See also 16:9 ; 20:12 . It is not necessary to think that the apostles coined the name Barnabas for Joseph which originally may have come from Βαρνεβους (Deissmann, Bible Studies , pp. 308-10), son of Nebo, or even the Hebrew Bar Nebi (son of a prophet).
But, whatever the origin, the popular use is given by Luke. He was even called apostle along with Paul ( Ac 14:14 ) in the broad sense of that word.
Having a held (υπαρχοντος αυτω αγρου). Genitive absolute with present active participle of υπαρχω and dative of possession. Sold it and brought (πωλησας ηνεγκεν). Aorist active participle of πωλεω and second aorist active indicative of φερω because a single definite instance. So also with εθηκεν (laid), first aorist active.