Acts 4:19, commentary and pictures

Peter and John had been seized and ordered by the rulers with threats to speak and teach no more in the name of Jesus, and under the Holy Spirit they boldly answered by asking their judges themselves to decide whether it is right to listen to men more than to God, declaring they must obey God and speak what they had seen and heard. When human rulers command what God forbids or forbid what God requires, obedience to God comes first and no human authority can rightly bind the conscience to disobey Him. God's word stands as supreme above all human law, so a Thus saith the Lord is never to be set aside for church or state, and this is the foundation of religious liberty. Believers therefore cannot be silenced by threats, imprisonment, or danger to life from openly proclaiming Christ, Scripture, and God's commandments. This does not mean needless defiance, for government is to be honored in its rightful place until such a conflict arises.

Setting and Answer

The Sanhedrin seized and imprisoned Peter and John to intimidate and silence them, commanding them to speak no more and teach no more in the name of Jesus and backing the order with threats. Restrained from violence by fear of the people, the rulers at last set the apostles at liberty. The disciples continued proclaiming Jesus despite the prohibition, accepting imprisonment rather than stopping their preaching.

Under the power of the Holy Spirit the apostles gave clear, bold testimony about Jesus that represented their Teacher. They proclaimed the gospel of a risen Saviour, declaring as present truth that Christ had risen from the dead and that the impotent man was healed through Jesus of Nazareth, and they would not be stilled by threats from wicked rulers. God bore witness to their words and works. Their powerful preaching made the evidence of God's work so plain that their opponents were afraid to act against them.

Their answer asks the hearers themselves to judge whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken to men more than to God. It expresses their faithfulness to their calling, their commitment and resolve to obey God, and their necessity to testify to what they had seen and heard. The verse shows the transformation of Peter, who in cowardice had once denied his Lord, now boldly declaring the power of the risen Saviour. After refusing to be restrained or intimidated by threatenings, the apostles went forth and raised up companies of believers in many places, leaving them in charge of faithful teachers and going on to still other places. Hundreds proclaimed that the kingdom of God is at hand, the Lord spoke through them, and wherever they went the sick were healed and the poor had the gospel preached to them.

Obeying God Above Men

When human rulers and civil authorities command what conflicts with God's will or forbid what God requires and has commanded, obedience to God takes precedence over obedience to them. No human authority can rightly bind people to claims or demands that require disobedience to God, and those who are ordered not to preach about Jesus must refuse to stop speaking about what they have seen and heard, accepting threats and imprisonment rather than violate duty to God. When men forbid the work of going forward in Christ's name advocating the truths committed to believers, the answer to give is that listening to God comes before listening to men, because believers cannot keep from speaking the things they have seen and heard.

This does not require defying authorities in general or acting against law and order unnecessarily. Human government is to be recognized as an ordinance of divine appointment and obeyed as a sacred duty within its legitimate sphere, and only when its claims conflict with the claims of God must God be obeyed rather than men. Until that conflict arises believers should act with care, carefully consider words spoken or written so as not to appear antagonistic to law and order, avoid needless attacks on authorities, and do and say nothing that would needlessly close the way so their witness is not mistaken for opposition to law and order.

The verse states the principle of religious liberty to be held when human authority forbids speaking in the name of Jesus, and the principle is to be firmly maintained now, with the banner of truth and religious liberty held by those who know God's word. God's word is to be received as supreme authority above all human legislation, so that a Thus saith the Lord is never set aside for a Thus saith the church or Thus saith the state, and the crown of Christ is lifted above earthly diadems. The same appeal to conscience became a principle defended by the Reformers and reformed princes at the Diet of Spires in 1529 when they rejected the emperor's decree restricting religious liberty and prohibiting the reformed doctrines, declaring that in matters of conscience the majority has no power. God's government stands against persecution and oppression.

The principle applies when authorities prohibit openly teaching Scripture and proclaiming God's commandments and the faith of Jesus. This includes openly teaching that God is Creator and that the seventh day is His Sabbath.

Faithful Witness Under Threat

Believers cannot keep back what they have seen and heard, and cannot withhold their witness to Jesus, so when ordered to be silent they refuse to stop proclaiming Him and salvation through Christ. Though threatened, imprisoned, and in danger to their lives, Peter and John would not cease speaking of what they had seen and heard, accepting threats and imprisonment rather than violate duty to God. Their answer openly puts the question to the council to judge whether it is right before God to hearken to men rather than to God, expressing resolve to keep witnessing despite threats and human attempts to silence the gospel. When men forbid the work of going forward in Christ's name advocating the truths committed to believers, this is the answer to give, that listening to God comes before listening to men.

God by the Holy Spirit had given them present truth to declare, that Christ had risen from the dead and that the impotent man was healed through Jesus of Nazareth, and they would not be stilled by threats from wicked rulers. They would not stop proclaiming the truth about Jesus though the message displeased hearers and brought opposition, refusing to yield to pressure from religious authorities. Believers must therefore persist in declaring the truth whether it pleases people or not, and must not resist conviction because of opposition.

The same principle is to be firmly maintained now, with the banner of truth and religious liberty held by those who know God's word, and it applies to believers who must remain faithful when human laws oppose God's law. God's word is to be received as supreme authority above all human legislation, so that a Thus saith the Lord is never set aside for a Thus saith the church or Thus saith the state, and the crown of Christ is lifted above earthly diadems. This was the principle maintained at the Diet of Spires in 1529, when the reformed princes rejected the emperor's decree restricting religious liberty and prohibiting the reformed doctrines, declaring that in matters of conscience the majority has no power. It applies when authorities prohibit proclaiming God's commandments and the faith of Jesus and openly teaching Scripture, while human government within its legitimate sphere is to be recognized as an ordinance of divine appointment and obeyed as a sacred duty. Until that conflict arises believers should act with care, carefully consider words spoken or written so as not to appear antagonistic to law and order, avoid needless attacks, and do nothing that would needlessly close the way or be mistaken for opposition to law and order.