Acts 4 · The Lantern

Peter and John before the Sanhedrin

Now when they are speaking to the people, there came upon them the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees,

Ere yet they had time to take breath after their first trials, straightway they enter into others. And observe how the events are disposed. First, they were all mocked together; this was no small trial: secondly, they enter into dangers.

"And as they were speaking these words to the people," etc. The princes and the priests, and the rest of the high-ranking men among the Jews, seeing that about five thousand men had believed the apostles, decided to jail them, to prevent the whole crowd believing them.

The apostles had not yet had time to catch their breath from the previous trials before they fell into others. And see how the events are arranged. First the apostles were mocked all together; then they fall into dangers, but not suddenly.

being distressed because of their teaching to the people and their proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection that is out from the dead;

Peter, together with John, preached to them this plain message of glad tidings, that the promise which God made to the fathers had been fulfilled by Jesus; not certainly proclaiming another god, but the Son of God, who also was made man, and suffered; thus leading Israel into knowledge, and through Jesus preaching the resurrection of the dead, and showing, that whatever the pro…

Which very thing, too, we observe to come from divine authority, that the priest should be chosen in the presence of the people under the eyes of all, and should be approved worthy and suitable by public judgment and testimony; as in the book of Numbers the Lord commanded Moses, saying, "Take Aaron thy brother, and Eleazar his son, and place them in the mount, in the presence o…

"Being grieved that they taught the people." Not merely because they taught, but because they declared, not alone that Christ Himself was risen from the dead, but moreover, that we through Him do rise again.

and they laid the hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was evening already.

Many, however, of those having heard the word believed; and the number of the men became about five thousand.

"Howbeit, many having heard the word, believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand." How was this? Did they see them in honor? Did they not behold them put in bonds? How then did they believe? Do you see the evident efficacy? And yet even those that believed already might well have become weaker.

And the number of men became five thousand. If in the five thousand men whom the Lord fed in the desert (Matthew XIV), the people under the law are understood but were refreshed by the gift of Christ, these five thousand instructed by the apostles' teachings can also signify the people of the Gentiles, who spiritually followed the mysteries of the same law.

What is this? Did they not see that the apostles were vindicated? And despite that, they nevertheless bound them. How then did they come to believe? You see the manifest assistance of God? And it had to happen that those who believed were from among the weaker ones.

It came to pass then on the next day the assembling of their rulers and the elders and the scribes

"And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, and Annas the High Priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the High Priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem." For now along with the other evils of the times, the Law was no longer observed.

Indeed the ploy was to bind them before the multitude, but examine them secretly: for they feared those who were bound in the sight of the crowd, and examined them supposedly before a court as lawbreakers; privately, however, that the audience might choose the better course not by their bluntness, and by the wonder of those being examined.

Besides other injustices toward the apostles, they (the rulers, elders, scribes, and chief priests of the Jews) did not even observe the requirements of the law. Pay attention at least to the multitude of chief priests, whereas according to the law there should be one, as long as he lives.

and Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and as many as were of high-priestly descent.

Relying, therefore, upon your love and your piety, which I have abundantly known, in this letter I both exhort and command you, that those of you whose presence there is least suspicious and least perilous, should in my stead discharge my duty, in respect of doing those things which are required for the religious administration.

But do you assist with all diligence those that for the sake of Christ are abused by the ungodly and shut up in prison, or who are given over to death, or bonds, or banishment, in order to deliver your fellow-members from wicked hands.

John and Alexander, then foremost among the priests, and finally all who belonged to the priestly class, in which at that time the higher each member was in authority, the more wicked he was. Such anxious diligence on the part of the chief men itself clearly proves that this was no ordinary affair they were concerned to restrain.

And having placed them in the midst, they were inquiring, “In what power or in what name did you yourselves do this?”

His maid-servant it was that questioned Peter, and he could not bear it: in his house it was that Peter denied, when Another was in bonds there: but now, when he has come into the midst of them all, see how he speaks! "By what name have ye done this?" Why dost thou not speak it, what it is, but keepest that out of sight? "By what name have ye done this?"

And indeed they knew; for distressed, when declaring in Jesus the resurrection, it had seized them. But they question them, awaiting them, thinking that, the court and the crowd being afraid, they would deny, and that everything would thereby be brought about. See how maliciously they question.

Then Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers of the people and elders,

That Christ also is called a Stone. In Isaiah: "Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I place on the foundations of Sion a precious stone, elect, chief, a corner stone, honourable; and he who trusteth in Him shall not be confounded." Also in the cxviith Psalm: "The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner.

"Elders of Israel," according to the teaching and solid authority of the people raised toward greater sanctity. For he divided the assembly of hearers into two, so that those of them who are not equally capable of understanding what is said, some only casually hearing the words, others receiving the announced matter more effectively and more deeply into the soul, might be addre…

"Leaders of the people and elders of Israel." Notice what philosophy. Where necessity demands, Peter reproaches them very strongly.

if we ourselves this day are being examined as to a good work to the ailing man, by what means he has been healed,

it should be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you yourselves crucified, whom God raised out from the dead — in Him this man has stood before you sound.

"By what means this man is made whole: be it known unto you all, and to all the people Israel; that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth"-this is what would vex them most.

The name in this place means the reputation that is held about him and the glory. As the Psalmist also says when he speaks: "How wonderful is your name in all the earth!" (Ps. 8:1) Such a reputation has been poured out among you, that not only it is not honored in glory, but even he who bears such a name you have subjected to the death of evildoers.

"By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth." Do not think, he says, that we conceal His homeland; no, we also declare His homeland; and that is not all: we also confess His sufferings and proclaim His resurrection. "Whom you crucified." He uttered such a word as was able to terrify the Jews, because, as you might imagine, what a blow is dealt to them by these words?

This is ‘the stone which having been rejected by you the builders, which has become into head of the corner.’

"This," says he, "is the Stone which was set at naught by you builders;" and then he goes on to teach them, saying in addition, "Which is made the head of the corner"; that is to say, that the Stone is indeed approved! Great was the boldness they now had, in consequence of the miracle.

This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. The builders were the Jews, who, while all the nations were dwelling in the desolation of idols, they alone were reading the law and the prophets daily for edification.

The stone means Christ Himself; the builders are the teachers of the Jews who rejected Him as if He were useless. But when He rose from the dead, He was set in place as the head of the corner, that is, He became the head of the Church, joining Jews and Gentiles in one faith.

And there is the salvation in no one other; for neither is there another name under heaven which given among men by which it behooves us to be saved.”

Well did you escape from it, because you cast your care on God, and opened your heart to the Lord, believing that you can be saved by no other than by His great and glorious name. On this account the Lord has sent His angel, who has rule over the beasts, and whose name is Thegri, and has shut up its mouth, so that it cannot tear you.

Observe also that the psalmist saying, "there is salvation in no one else," is purely clear: "This came from the Lord" is as it were the logic and the salvific bond, by which every person is not saved by any other than by the one cornerstone.

"And there is salvation in no one else." Here lofty truths are already being proclaimed. Yes, as soon as the hour came to teach, the apostles set aside the prophecies; and when the time came to speak with boldness, they were already setting forth their own thoughts, because then there was nothing by which they could have influenced their listeners for the purpose of correcting…

The Name Forbidden

Now seeing the boldness of Peter and of John, and having grasped that they are unschooled and ordinary men, they were astonished; they were recognizing them then, that they were being with Jesus.

Behold another miracle not less than the former. "And beholding the boldness of Peter and John," etc. "And they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus." Not without a meaning has the Evangelist set down this passage; but in saying, "they recognized them that they had been with Jesus," he means, in His Passion: for only these were with Him at that time, and then in…

But seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and realizing that they were unlettered and ordinary men, they marveled. "Unlettered" is said, not because they were ignorant of letters, but because they were not skilled in the art of grammar. For in Greek, it is more clearly, for this word, "ἀγράμματοι," that is, unlettered, and "idiotae" are called unskilled.

It is possible to be both unlettered and not simple, and simple yet not unlettered; but here both coincided (that is, both lack of learning and simplicity). Therefore the Jews were amazed when Peter and John spoke and orated. From where then did they obtain this knowledge that Peter and John were such? From the words of Peter and John themselves.

And beholding the man standing with them who healed, they had nothing to contradict.

Having commanded them, however, to go outside the Council, they were conferring with one another,

saying, “What shall we do to these men? For truly a noteworthy sign has come to pass through them, evident to all those inhabiting Jerusalem, and we are not able to deny it;

but that it may not spread further among the people, let us warn them no longer to speak in this name to no man.”

And having called them, they commanded them not to speak at all nor to teach in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John, answering, said to them, “Whether it is right before God to listen to you rather than to God, you should judge;

"And 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." When the terror was abated (for that command was tantamount to their being dismissed), then also the Apostles speak more mildly: so far were they from mere bravery: "Whether it be right," says he: and "We cannot but speak." "Whether it be r…

"But Peter and John answering, said," etc. Peter and John replied to the priests and the whole council that they ought to obey the Lord's commandments rather than men's threats. On account of the people, whom they had rendered favorable by their deed, they were sent away from the council; and, coming to their own company, they informed them of what had happened to them.

And again: "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." And they went rejoicing from the presence of the council, because they were counted worthy to suffer insults for the name of Jesus. Behold, Peter rejoices in beatings, who before was afraid at mere words.

for we ourselves are not able not to speak what we have seen and heard.”

And having further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they may punish them, on account of the people, because all were glorifying God for that having happened;

for the man on whom this sign of healing had taken place was of more than forty years.

The Believers’ Prayer

Now having been let go, they came to their own and reported as much as the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

And having heard, with one accord they lifted up their voice to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, You Yourself who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them,

These [are the] voices of the Church from which every Church had its origin; these are the voices of the metropolis of the citizens of the new covenant; these are the voices of the apostles; these are voices of the disciples of the Lord, the truly perfect, who, after the assumption of the Lord, were perfected by the Spirit, and called upon the God who made heaven, and earth, an…

"And when they heard that," it is said, "with one accord they lifted up their voice to God, and said:" and with great earnestness, for it is no prayer made at random.

"O Sovereign Lord God, who made." See how fitting the prayers of the apostles are. When they asked the Lord to show them a man capable of apostolic ministry, they prayed thus: "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all" (Acts 1:24), because then there was need of foreknowledge.

who through the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David Your servant having spoken: ‘So why did the Gentiles rage and peoples devise vain things?

By thus departing from Judaism itself, when they exchanged the obligations and burdens of the law for the liberty of the gospel, they were fulfilling the psalm, "Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast away their yoke from us; "and this indeed (they did) after that "the heathen raged, and the people imagined vain devices; "after that "the kings of the earth set themselves, a…

Which nations rose up against Christ? The nations of the Jews, namely. For although they were all Jews, nevertheless they came from various nations among which they were scattered.

"You by the mouth of our father David, Your servant, said through the Holy Spirit: 'Why did the nations rage, and the peoples devise vain things?'" They bring forward this prophecy, as if asking God for the fulfillment of the covenant, and at the same time consoling themselves with the thought that the enemies contemplate this in vain.

The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.’

For they were gathered together in truth in this city against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed — both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and peoples of Israel —

to do as much as Your hand and Your purpose determined beforehand to happen.

And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to Your servants with all boldness to speak Your word,

in that You stretching out Your hand for healing, and signs and wonders to take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

And when they were praying, the place in which they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and were speaking the word of God with boldness.

The sign that the prayer had been heard was an earthquake: sometimes, however, it happens that the sign is of anger. To be filled with the Holy Spirit signifies to be wholly devoted to the given operation of the divine Spirit and little turned away by fleshly things: or that they were inflamed, and the gift was burning in them, on account of which they spoke with freedom, disre…

"And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together." This was a testimony of God's visitation and that they had been heard, because sometimes this is a sign of wrath, and sometimes a sign of visitation. The apostles prayed not to be delivered from enduring hardships, but for the success of their preaching. But why did God shake the house?

Sharing among Believers

And the multitude who having believed were in one heart and soul; and not one was claiming anything of the possessions to him to be his own, but all things were to them in common.

Thou shalt not turn away from him that is in want, but thou shalt share all things with thy brother, and shalt not say that they are thine own; for if ye are partakers in that which is immortal, how much more in things which are mortal?

Of this high-souled humility the Apostles first, after the Lord, have given us example, who, leaving all that they had without difference at the voice of the heavenly Master, were turned by a ready change from the catching of fish to be fishers of men, and made many like themselves through the imitation of their faith, when with those first-begotten sons of the Church, "the hea…

It should be noted that the Church was placed in paradise, like the first man, "to till it," in such a way that no one would say "that anything he possessed" was "his own." For it began in a state of great perfection that is observed today in the religious life, for the love of Christ was still recent, and in those days "a large number also of the priests accepted the faith." T…

And with great power the apostles were giving the testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and abundant grace was upon them all.

The whole Church, it is then said, "when they had heard that, lifted up the voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, Thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is; who, through the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of our father David, Thy servant, hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

They replied, saying, as if something had been entrusted to them, and this they speak as if concerning a debt. For by divine signs they were showing divine power of Him who had risen from the dead.

"With great power they witnessed of the resurrection." Luke presents the apostles as people who have been entrusted with something, and speaks as if of a duty—that is what "witnessed" means.

For neither was there anyone in need among them; for as many as were owners of lands or houses were selling them, they were bringing the proceeds of what is sold

If we cannot serve God and mammon, can we be redeemed both by God and by mammon? For who will serve mammon more than the man whom mammon has ransomed? Finally, of what example do you avail yourself to warrant your averting by money the giving of you up? When did the apostles, dealing with the matter, in any time of persecution trouble, extricate themselves by money?

"For as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the price of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the Apostles' feet; and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need." A great mark of honor this, that "they laid them at the Apostles' feet." To them they left it to be the dispensers, made them the owners, that thenceforth a…

"There was no one among them who was in need." Therefore "great grace," because there was not a single poor person, that is, there was not a single person in need, owing to the extraordinary generosity of those who gave away their possessions, because they gave not a part, keeping another part for themselves, but everything; and they gave everything not as their own, but as tho…

and were laying them at the feet of the apostles; and distribution was made to each just as anyone would have need.

Then, as you know, believers sold their possessions and brought the prices of them and laid them down at the apostles' feet: a symbolic act designed to show that people must trample on covetousness.

"Selling, they brought the price of what was sold." This testifies to the great dignity and great piety of those who brought it, because they did not even dare to place it in their hands, but "laid it at the feet of the Apostles" and made them masters and stewards over what was brought, so that it might be spent as if not from their own possessions, but as if from the common fu…

Moreover, the candor of those who brought the profit from the sale of their possessions was matched by the honesty of those who distributed it. Trustworthiness in money-managers is rare. Here distribution was made without respect of persons according to the need of each.

Now Joseph, who having been called Barnabas by the apostles — which is, being translated, Son of Encouragement — a Levite, a Cypriot at the birth,

This he says regarding the conspiracy into which they were to enter against the Lord. And that he means this conspiracy, is evident to us. For the blessed David sings, "Rulers have taken counsel together against the Lord," and so forth.

"And Joseph, who, by the apostles, was surnamed Barnabas," etc. Here are given examples of faithful and of deceitful people: Joseph, who was surnamed Barnabas, went away unhurt, because he brought the entire price; Ananias, on the other hand, and his wife Saphira, who kept back by fraud the price of the land they had sold, were cursed, and gave up their unfortunate souls in fro…

Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the surname Barnabas, which in Aramaic means 'son of consolation