Act 4 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Acts 4:1-22: 4:1-22 Persecution was a common experience of God’s people throughout the Bible. God’s servants often faced hostility and opposition (Deut 30:7 ; 1 Kgs 18:13 ; Neh 4:1-3 ; Jer 37–38 ; Matt 23:34-37 ; Luke 11:49-51 ; 1 Thes 2:14-15 ). Jesus himself was persecuted (Luke 4:29 ; John 5:16 ), and he told his disciples to expect the same kind of treatment (Matt 10:23 ; 24:9 ; Mark 13:9 ; Luke 21:12 ; John 16:2 ), but he promised that the Holy Spirit would provide strength (Acts 1:8 ; Luke 12:11-12 ; 21:15 ). Acts records frequent times of persecution (Acts 4:3 ; 5:17-41 ; 7:54–8:3 ; 9:1-2 ; 11:19 ; 12:2 ; 13:50 ; 14:19 ; 16:19-24 ), but Acts also reiterates that the Holy Spirit empowers disciples to bear witness in such circumstances (2:44 ; 4:8-13 ; 6:10 ; 7:55 ). The boldness of Peter and John before the hostile high council exemplifies facing persecution with courage and power (4:20 ). 4:1 Sadducees: See profile for The Sadducees at end of chapter.

Summary for Acts 4:1-22: 4:1-22 ^a Persecution was a common experience of God’s people throughout the Bible. God’s servants often faced hostility and opposition (Deut 30:7 ^b; 1 Kgs 18:13 ^c; Neh 4:1-3 ^d; Jer 37–38 ^e; Matt 23:34-37 ^f; Luke 11:49-51 ^g; 1 Thes 2:14-15 ^h). Jesus himself was persecuted (Luke 4:29 ⁱ; John 5:16 ^j), and he told his disciples to expect the same kind of treatment (Matt 10:23 ^k; 24:9 ^l; Mark 13:9 ^m; Luke 21:12 ⁿ; John 16:2 ^o), but he promised that the Holy Spirit would provide strength (Acts 1:8 ^p; Luke 12:11-12 ^q; 21:15 ^r). Acts records frequent times of persecution (Acts 4:3 ^s; 5:17-41 ^t; 7:54–8:3 ^u; 9:1-2 ^v; 11:19 ^w; 12:2 ^x; 13:50 ^y; 14:19 ^z; 16:19-24 ^aa), but Acts also reiterates that the Holy Spirit empowers disciples to bear witness in such circumstances (2:44 ^ab; 4:8-13 ^ac; 6:10 ^ad; 7:55 ^ae). The boldness of Peter and John before the hostile high council exemplifies facing persecution with courage and power (4:20 ^af). 4:1 ^ag Sadducees: See profile for The Sadducees at end of chapter.
4:4 ^ah the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000: See study note on Matt 14:21.
4:13 ^ai ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures: That is, they were not scholars or ordained teachers—they were working men without higher education. The educated members of the Jewish high council were treated as authorities on the Scriptures and matters of religion, so it amazed them to see uneducated men speaking with such boldness about such matters.
Summary for Acts 4:16-18: 4:16-18 ^aj They recognized the miracle but still stubbornly tried to prevent the message. Jesus had encountered similar resistance (Matt 19:8 ^ak; Mark 10:5 ^al; see also Deut 10:16 ^am; 30:6 ^an; Jer 4:4 ^ao).
Summary for Acts 4:19-20: 4:19-20 ^ap The apostles stated a principle that can guide God’s people in dealing with hostile authorities (see also 5:40 ^aq; cp. 1 Sam 15:22 ^ar; Jer 7:23 ^as; Luke 20:20-26 ^at; Rom 13:1-7 ^au). Jesus had predicted that his disciples would encounter hostility and persecution (Luke 21:12-19 ^av).
Summary for Acts 4:23-31: 4:23-31 ^aw The believers heard the report that their leaders had been threatened and commanded never again to speak about Jesus (4:18 ^ax). The Christian movement was clearly under attack from the religious authorities, so they united in prayer. They turned to God, placing their troubles before him and asking him to make them bold in speaking the message and to divinely confirm its truth with signs and wonders. God dramatically answered their request.
Summary for Acts 4:25-26: 4:25-26 ^ay This passage quotes Ps 2:1-2 ^az, which describes the response of the Gentile nations to the Lord’s anointed king. In a similar manner, the Jews and Gentiles in Jerusalem had gathered together against Jesus and now against his followers.
4:26 ^ba The Hebrew term Messiah (“anointed one”) originally referred to Israel’s anointed king; it came to refer to the Messiah, the coming King of Israel who would establish God’s Kingdom forever (2 Sam 7:14-16 ^bb; Ps 89:36-37 ^bc; Isa 9:6-7 ^bd; 11:1-9 ^be; 61:1 ^bf; Jer 23:5-6 ^bg; 33:14-16 ^bh; Luke 1:32-33 ^bi).
4:28 ^bj God’s hand had been directing events all along in order to achieve his purpose. A similar awareness of God’s hand guiding the affairs of his people is found in the Old Testament (cp. Ezra 7:6 ^bk, 9 ^bl, 28 ^bm; 8:18 ^bn, 31 ^bo; Neh 2:8 ^bp, 18 ^bq; Eccl 9:1 ^br; Ezek 8:1 ^bs; Rom 8:28 ^bt; 1 Pet 5:6 ^bu).
Summary for Acts 4:32-35: 4:32-35 ^bv The sharing of early believers was remarkable (see also 2:44-45 ^bw; cp. 6:1 ^bx). Being united in heart and mind, they willingly offered anything they possessed to meet the needs of other believers. This sharing was voluntary and without coercion, and it related to pressing needs in the community and was prompted by Christian love and concern for one another.
Summary for Acts 4:36-37: 4:36-37 ^by Barnabas is held up as an example of generous, unselfish giving in response to the genuine needs in the Christian community.

Profile: The Sadducees
The Sadducees were made up of the priestly class (in contrast to the lay movement of the Pharisees). The Sadducees probably lived in the vicinity of Jerusalem and controlled the Temple system (Acts 4:1-2 ^bz; 5:17 ^ca). They were powerful aristocrats and mediators between Rome and Israel (see Josephus, Antiquities 13.10.6; War 2.10.5). They did not have great favor or influence with the people (Josephus, Antiquities 18.1.4). The term Sadducee probably derives from Zadok, the high priest during the reigns of David (2 Sam 8:17 ^cb; 15:24 ^cc; 1 Kgs 1:8 ^cd) and Solomon (1 Kgs 1:32-48 ^ce); both words have the same Hebrew root. The earliest historical reference to the Sadducees occurs during the reign of John Hyrcanus (135–104 BC), a descendant of the Maccabees (Josephus, Antiquities 13.10.6), but it is clear from this account that they had already existed for some time.
Their theological views are often contrasted with those of the Pharisees (Acts 23:8 ^cf; see also Acts 4:1-2 ^cg). The Pentateuch had primary authority for the Sadducees. They rejected the oral tradition so cherished by the Pharisees. Also in contrast with the Pharisees, the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead (see Matt 22:23-33 ^ch), angelic beings (see Acts 23:8 ^ci), or the concept of final judgment. The Pharisees, by contrast, were so committed to belief in the resurrection that they sided with Paul against the Sadducees when he was on trial for disturbing the Temple (Acts 23:6-10 ^cj).
Despite their differences, the Pharisees and Sadducees united with a single front against Jesus. If the Pharisees opposed Jesus because he made light of their oral traditions, the Sadducees opposed Jesus because he affirmed the supernatural world of angels and demons and appealed to a final judgment and resurrection.
With the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, the Sadducees disappeared from the scene. They left no written records. Since all our information about the Sadducees comes from their opponents, we have a limited idea of what they were really like.

Passages for Further Study
Matt 3:7 ^ck; 16:1-12 ^cl; 22:23-33 ^cm; Mark 12:18-27 ^cn; Luke 20:27-40 ^co; Acts 4:1-2 ^cp; 5:17-18 ^cq; 23:6-10 ^cr