Acts 4:16, commentary and pictures

The council speaking here is Jerusalem's rulers, elders, priests and scribes conferring privately about Peter and John after ordering them out. The notable miracle they mean is the open daytime healing of the man crippled from birth, done through the name of Jesus of Nazareth, which was known to thousands throughout Jerusalem. They openly agreed the work was genuine and widely known, admitting it was useless to deny it though they would have covered it with falsehood if they could. Yet though moved upon with a message they could have accepted, they were grieved and arrayed against the truth, seeking to stop its spread by threatening the apostles not to speak in Jesus' name. Their fear was that wider belief in Jesus would weaken their authority, disgrace them, and expose them as guilty of killing the Son of God, showing that plain evidence does not guarantee acceptance when truth is unwelcome.

The Miracle and Admission

Acts 4:16 belongs to the account of the disciples' public witness after Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit gave them boldness so that their words and works represented Jesus. It is part of that same service in which they pressed forward despite their own weakness, because prayer and reliance on Christ equipped them for the work.

The notable miracle in view is the healing of the man crippled from birth, the impotent man, done by Peter and John through power given in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified Jesus. His recovery was plain evidence that such power had been given to the apostles in that name.

That healing was done openly in full light of day before a crowd, with the healed man himself present and recognized, and the work was manifest and already known to thousands throughout all Jerusalem. It was so public and unmistakable that the people of the city recognized him, and its testimony was publicly evident.

Those speaking the words are Jerusalem's rulers in council, the Sanhedrin, including the high priest, rulers, elders, Sadducees, priests and scribes. They ordered Peter and John out of the council to confer privately among themselves, in order to conceal their perplexity at the apostles' boldness.

They openly agreed together that the miracle was genuine, remarkable, and widely known, and admitted it was useless to deny it and they could not deny it. They would gladly have covered it with falsehoods if denial had been possible, but with the healed man's presence before them they were left unable to challenge the evidence.

Opposition Despite Clear Evidence

The undeniable evidence left the rulers perplexed, unable to deny what had been done and unable to stop the work done in Jesus' name. They were grieved at the preaching of Jesus and the resurrection of the dead, and though moved upon by the Holy Ghost with a message they had the privilege to accept, they were arrayed against the truth and refused it. Their perplexity exposed their helplessness before plain evidence of God's work through the disciples.

They feared that if the report spread it would weaken their authority and power. They feared the undeniable miracle would gain many believers in Jesus. They feared their own disgrace would follow and the people would see them as guilty of killing Jesus, the Son of God, responsible for His death and murderers of Him.

They concluded the work must be stopped immediately and its testimony kept from spreading further among the people. They sought to conceal the miracle and suppress the apostles' message by threatening the apostles and commanding them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. Although the healed man's presence left them unable to challenge the evidence, they chose suppression over acceptance.

The evidence of God's work through the disciples was so plain that their opponents were afraid to act against them as they otherwise would have. Clear evidence of God's work does not guarantee acceptance of the truth, since opposition may arise even among professed people of God when the truth is unwelcome.