“But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,/ Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.”
John and Peter healed a beggar lame of foot and it was such a wondrous act that some five thousand of men believed when they preached ‘through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.’. For this they were hauled up for an explanation before the council, and their defense made their interrogators all the more angry. Why should the name of Jesus Christ elicit such a violent emotion among their rulers, and elders, and scribes?
Peter spoke: “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole./ This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner./ Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”(4:10-12)
The same antipathy that the elders scribes and the Pharisees had for Jesus we see here. Luke mentions of one similar case, “And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.”(Luke 13:14). Sabbath as literally observed by them did not make them see truth anymore than the word become flesh whom they crucified was in fact the the Lord of Sabbath. Merely observing Sabbath without connecting to the fulfillment of the Law was a lie which they learned from Satan. “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”(John 88:44-NIV). How different are the Evangelicals in our times whose Jesus talk is not backed by works? They cut and paste his words to mean quite something else. The sect of Pharisees was a case in point. It is same in their activism with which they are ready to justify violence and politicians dishonest and serial adulterers as worthy of emulation.
The council had seen and heard them and they forbade them to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus. The answer of Peter and John in vv.19-20. They walked not by sight but by faith. What was dictating in the world of the flesh? What gave the decree of temporal powers its force but Satan? Having heard and seen truth how could they be silent?
17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
GuidetohisWord 
Reblogged this on Bennythomas's Weblog.