Act 4:12 | KingComments | STEP | Here Peter begins his fourth speech in this book. Again he takes the opportunity to preach the Name of the Lord Jesus and the gospel. In this he is led by the Spirit ( ). He is even “filled” with the Holy Spirit. His audience is now a company of religious dignitaries. Peter does not disregard their dignity, nor does he despise their position, but he makes it unequivocally clear that Jesus Christ is far above them. There is no hesitation or fear whatsoever. Fearless, he confronts this company with the same Lord Whom they condemned and put to death only a few weeks ago. Peter points out to them the nonsense of their interrogation. Surely it is too absurd for them to be questioned about a benefaction to a sick person! It should be a cause of great joy and gratitude and not an interrogation. Instead, the interrogators feel threatened in their position. And he knows the background to that. He knows that their resistance stems from the means used. He then elaborates on that means. In the clearest and firmest terms, Peter tells his listeners – and over their heads the whole people – Who is responsible for this man’s health. That is none other than “Jesus Christ the Nazarene”. There must be no misunderstanding about this, it must be known to everyone. This Name must have cut them through the soul. And Peter does not leave it at that. Without fear of this highest religious court, he places this Name before their conscience by accusing them of having crucified Him, immediately following it with what God did to Him. God has raised Him from the dead. Also in this speech the resurrection of the Lord Jesus occupies an important place. It is through the Name of the resurrected Jesus Christ that the man is healed. This presentation turns their entire world of feeling upside down and shakes their existence to its foundations. That despised Name, that Person Who is so hated and executed by them, would be alive and still working on earth? Peter continues his defense calmly and vigorously. He supports his argument again with a quotation from God’s Word that they know so well. Also in his previous speeches he quoted verses from the Old Testament to apply them to Christ. On the day of Pentecost he mentioned some of David’s prophecies about the death, resurrection and glorification of the Lord Jesus and the consequence that God made Him Lord and Christ. At the door of the temple, called ‘Beautiful’, he spoke of a Prophet like Moses. Guided by the Holy Spirit he always knows how to quote the right verse at the right moment. This time he quotes a verse from Psalm 118 ( ). He quotes the same verse he heard the Lord use in front of a group of religious leaders ( ; ; ). This verse is the correct quote here to tell this group what they have done. From the context of the psalm we see that it is about the temple, God’s house. We read about the gate of Yahweh through which the righteous enter ( ). It is about the house of Yahweh ( ) and about the altar ( ). The “builders” are the leaders to whom Peter speaks. They have despised and rejected the cornerstone, that is Christ. The cornerstone is the stone that is laid on the foundation and on which the house is built. Starting from that stone, the whole building is erected. Christ is the cornerstone of the new temple with which they, the leaders, want nothing to do ( ). He is also the cornerstone of the building that God is building now, His church, the house of God today ( ; ). On Him rests the whole new building, the church. Peter connects to the quotation, and thus concludes his defense, pointing to the exclusivity of the Name of the Lord Jesus. Only through His Name salvation is possible. The difference with his previous speeches is that in it he offered forgiveness to the people when they repented. He does not do that to the leaders here. The only thing he does is to speak about the Name that alone can save. He is irreplaceable. Without Him salvation is unthinkable. Again and again it is about the ‘Name’. To state that there is no salvation outside of Him means that the Lord Jesus claims to be God, because God demands in the Old Testament the exclusive right to be the only Savior ( ). For the unbelieving Jew, the Messiah is merely a man and not God. With the fact that there is no salvation outside of Him Peter states that the Lord Jesus is God. This is reprehensible to the Jew. If he would read his own Old Testament well, he would discover that it says that the Messiah is both God and Man ( ; ; ). Certainly, the religious leaders do not want to acknowledge that, blinded as they are by the seeking of their own honor. The Sanhedrin rejects Him instead of leading the people to that stone. There is no salvation in anyone but Him. That salvation is also not limited to Israel. “Under heaven”, that means on all the earth, there is no other Name given among men, by which they are to be saved than the Name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene. That leaves no choice and no excuse. It is He and no one else; it is He for everyone; He is absolutely necessary.

‏ Acts 4:12

Accountability by Peter

Here Peter begins his fourth speech in this book. Again he takes the opportunity to preach the Name of the Lord Jesus and the gospel. In this he is led by the Spirit (Lk 21:12-15). He is even “filled” with the Holy Spirit.

His audience is now a company of religious dignitaries. Peter does not disregard their dignity, nor does he despise their position, but he makes it unequivocally clear that Jesus Christ is far above them. There is no hesitation or fear whatsoever. Fearless, he confronts this company with the same Lord Whom they condemned and put to death only a few weeks ago.

Peter points out to them the nonsense of their interrogation. Surely it is too absurd for them to be questioned about a benefaction to a sick person! It should be a cause of great joy and gratitude and not an interrogation. Instead, the interrogators feel threatened in their position. And he knows the background to that. He knows that their resistance stems from the means used. He then elaborates on that means.

In the clearest and firmest terms, Peter tells his listeners – and over their heads the whole people – Who is responsible for this man’s health. That is none other than “Jesus Christ the Nazarene”. There must be no misunderstanding about this, it must be known to everyone. This Name must have cut them through the soul.

And Peter does not leave it at that. Without fear of this highest religious court, he places this Name before their conscience by accusing them of having crucified Him, immediately following it with what God did to Him. God has raised Him from the dead. Also in this speech the resurrection of the Lord Jesus occupies an important place. It is through the Name of the resurrected Jesus Christ that the man is healed.

This presentation turns their entire world of feeling upside down and shakes their existence to its foundations. That despised Name, that Person Who is so hated and executed by them, would be alive and still working on earth?

Peter continues his defense calmly and vigorously. He supports his argument again with a quotation from God’s Word that they know so well. Also in his previous speeches he quoted verses from the Old Testament to apply them to Christ. On the day of Pentecost he mentioned some of David’s prophecies about the death, resurrection and glorification of the Lord Jesus and the consequence that God made Him Lord and Christ. At the door of the temple, called ‘Beautiful’, he spoke of a Prophet like Moses.

Guided by the Holy Spirit he always knows how to quote the right verse at the right moment. This time he quotes a verse from Psalm 118 (Psa 118:22). He quotes the same verse he heard the Lord use in front of a group of religious leaders (Mt 21:42; Mk 12:10; Lk 20:17). This verse is the correct quote here to tell this group what they have done.

From the context of the psalm we see that it is about the temple, God’s house. We read about the gate of Yahweh through which the righteous enter (Psa 118:20). It is about the house of Yahweh (Psa 118:26) and about the altar (Psa 118:27). The “builders” are the leaders to whom Peter speaks. They have despised and rejected the cornerstone, that is Christ.

The cornerstone is the stone that is laid on the foundation and on which the house is built. Starting from that stone, the whole building is erected. Christ is the cornerstone of the new temple with which they, the leaders, want nothing to do (Isa 28:16). He is also the cornerstone of the building that God is building now, His church, the house of God today (1Pet 2:4-7; 1Tim 3:15). On Him rests the whole new building, the church.

Peter connects to the quotation, and thus concludes his defense, pointing to the exclusivity of the Name of the Lord Jesus. Only through His Name salvation is possible. The difference with his previous speeches is that in it he offered forgiveness to the people when they repented. He does not do that to the leaders here. The only thing he does is to speak about the Name that alone can save. He is irreplaceable. Without Him salvation is unthinkable. Again and again it is about the ‘Name’.

To state that there is no salvation outside of Him means that the Lord Jesus claims to be God, because God demands in the Old Testament the exclusive right to be the only Savior (Isa 43:11 ; Isa 45:21). For the unbelieving Jew, the Messiah is merely a man and not God. With the fact that there is no salvation outside of Him Peter states that the Lord Jesus is God. This is reprehensible to the Jew.

If he would read his own Old Testament well, he would discover that it says that the Messiah is both God and Man (Isa 9:6; Mic 5:2; Zec 12:10). Certainly, the religious leaders do not want to acknowledge that, blinded as they are by the seeking of their own honor. The Sanhedrin rejects Him instead of leading the people to that stone.

There is no salvation in anyone but Him. That salvation is also not limited to Israel. “Under heaven”, that means on all the earth, there is no other Name given among men, by which they are to be saved than the Name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene. That leaves no choice and no excuse. It is He and no one else; it is He for everyone; He is absolutely necessary.