Act 4:17-18 | MHM | STEP | v. 17–18 : The council decided they could not punish Peter and John, even though they wanted to, because the people supported them. The miracle was obvious, and everyone was praising God for it. If the council punished the apostles, the people would turn against them. So instead, the leaders commanded Peter and John not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus anymore. They threatened them strongly, but they had no real reason to forbid the preaching of Jesus. Their main concern was to stop the message from spreading further, even though God wanted it to go everywhere (Acts 4:17-18; Psalms 2:2 ).

‏ Acts 4:17-18

v. 17–18: The council decided they could not punish Peter and John, even though they wanted to, because the people supported them. The miracle was obvious, and everyone was praising God for it. If the council punished the apostles, the people would turn against them. So instead, the leaders commanded Peter and John not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus anymore. They threatened them strongly, but they had no real reason to forbid the preaching of Jesus. Their main concern was to stop the message from spreading further, even though God wanted it to go everywhere (Acts 4:17-18; Psalms 2:2 ^a).

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