And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
Peter with the other apostles spoke these words in defense before the council when they stood for the second time before rulers bent on their destruction, after God sent His angel to deliver them from prison and command them to teach in the temple. The things they witnessed were that the God of the fathers raised up Jesus whom the rulers slew and hanged on a tree, and exalted Him with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. They gave this witness boldly and without fear, telling what they had seen and heard and even charging the murder of Christ upon the council, while the Holy Spirit joined His own testimony to theirs and revealed Jesus' presence with power. God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him, and obeying Him meant obeying God rather than men by continuing to preach when human rulers forbade it, in loyalty to God at any cost. Through that Spirit-backed testimony the leaders were convicted of guilt for rejecting the evidence God had given them, yet they resisted without repentance and were enraged and planned to slay the apostles, until God moved Gamaliel to counsel them to refrain lest they be found fighting against God.
Apostles' Testimony Before Council
This is Peter's defense together with the other apostles, including Peter and John, before the council for teaching in the name of Jesus. It was spoken when they stood for the second time before a council bent on their destruction, with no fear nor hesitation in word or attitude. God had sent His angel to deliver them from prison and to command them to teach in the temple, and their standing there was in obedience to that divine command.
The things of which they are witnesses are that the God of the fathers raised up Jesus whom the rulers slew and hanged on a tree. God exalted Him with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. This witness embraces His life and death, the cross, His resurrection and exaltation, His ascension, and His work and mission.
They gave this witness boldly and clearly, telling what they had seen and heard. They relied on God's word and Christ's strength, and their words and works represented their Teacher, testifying especially to the resurrection. The Spirit of inspiration came upon them so that the accused became the accusers, charging the murder of Christ upon the council itself. They continued preaching despite strict prohibition, threats, punishment, arrest and opposition. Their bold testimony in Jerusalem was accompanied by the risen Saviour's power, with signs and miracles and healing that led the people to praise God.
This bold testimony belonged to the time after Peter's conversion, in contrast with his earlier self-confidence and denial of Jesus.
Holy Spirit Witness and Gift
The witnesses to these things are twofold, human and divine, for alongside the apostles stands the Holy Spirit Himself bearing His own testimony to Jesus. Their witness to what God did for and through Jesus is joined by His witness, so that clear and bold preaching given under the Spirit's power testifies especially to the resurrection, with words and works that represent their Teacher. The apostles testify to what they have seen and heard of Jesus, and the Holy Ghost also bears witness to the same acts of God in raising and exalting Him.
The Spirit rested especially upon the apostles as they bore witness to the crucifixion and resurrection and ascension. Through His power the presence of Jesus was revealed to the council as they listened, and through that same power the leaders were convicted of guilt for rejecting the evidence God had given them.
God has given the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him, so that receiving the Spirit is bound to obedience to God. That obedience embraces all His commandments, and His obedient witnesses carry His truth to triumph. Deceit in contrast brings certain punishment, for lying to the Holy Ghost and tempting the Spirit of the Lord brings God's judgment just as it fell upon Ananias and Sapphira.
To obey Him is to obey God rather than men. It meant following the divine command brought by the angel God sent to deliver the apostles from prison and to bid them teach in the temple, and continuing to preach at any cost to themselves despite the council's strict prohibition against teaching in the name of Jesus. It meant bold proclamation of His death, resurrection, exaltation and saving work in spite of threats, arrest and opposition, in loyalty to the law of God even through imprisonment, torture and death.
Conviction, Opposition and Warning
The witness bore in the verse warned the rulers that in rejecting it they were opposing God Himself. Through the power of the Spirit joined to the apostles' testimony to what God had done through Jesus, the leaders were convicted of guilt for rejecting the evidence God had given them. That power made the truth evident even to those who heard, revealing Jesus' presence to the council itself. Yet they resisted its conviction and showed no repentance, and that resistance deepened their rebellion.
Cut to the heart by a message delivered in obedience to God rather than men, the rulers were enraged. In that rage those murderers of Jesus planned to slay the apostles and to kill them. They stood thus bent on destruction until God moved Gamaliel to counsel them to refrain. His counsel was that they refrain lest they be found fighting against God.
Obedient witnesses carry God's truth to triumph, while deceit brings certain punishment. Lying to the Holy Ghost, keeping back part of the price, and agreeing together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord will bring God's punishment and judgment just as Ananias and Sapphira fell down dead. The same judgment falls on doing things in a deceptive way, on dealing in the Lord's work in a way that is not straightforward but oppressive and unjust, and on hindering His work. It falls also on using lawyers to take advantage of circumstances, on exacting every exorbitant price, on practicing every connivance of fraud, and on diverting His means into a wrong channel.
The truths witnessed in the verse are an anchor and the hope of Israel. Jesus is the Saviour of the world and humanity's only hope, who opened the way through the sacrifice of His life. In His name the disciples received power to continue His work and to overcome Satan's works. Those who look to Him are to keep God's law and live.
Peter with the other apostles spoke these words in defense before the council when they stood for the second time before rulers bent on their destruction, after God sent His angel to deliver them from prison and command them to teach in the temple. The things they witnessed were that the God of the fathers raised up Jesus whom the rulers slew and hanged on a tree, and exalted Him with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. They gave this witness boldly and without fear, telling what they had seen and heard and even charging the murder of Christ upon the council, while the Holy Spirit joined His own testimony to theirs and revealed Jesus' presence with power. God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him, and obeying Him meant obeying God rather than men by continuing to preach when human rulers forbade it, in loyalty to God at any cost. Through that Spirit-backed testimony the leaders were convicted of guilt for rejecting the evidence God had given them, yet they resisted without repentance and were enraged and planned to slay the apostles, until God moved Gamaliel to counsel them to refrain lest they be found fighting against God.
Apostles' Testimony Before Council
This is Peter's defense together with the other apostles, including Peter and John, before the council for teaching in the name of Jesus. It was spoken when they stood for the second time before a council bent on their destruction, with no fear nor hesitation in word or attitude. God had sent His angel to deliver them from prison and to command them to teach in the temple, and their standing there was in obedience to that divine command.
The things of which they are witnesses are that the God of the fathers raised up Jesus whom the rulers slew and hanged on a tree. God exalted Him with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. This witness embraces His life and death, the cross, His resurrection and exaltation, His ascension, and His work and mission.
They gave this witness boldly and clearly, telling what they had seen and heard. They relied on God's word and Christ's strength, and their words and works represented their Teacher, testifying especially to the resurrection. The Spirit of inspiration came upon them so that the accused became the accusers, charging the murder of Christ upon the council itself. They continued preaching despite strict prohibition, threats, punishment, arrest and opposition. Their bold testimony in Jerusalem was accompanied by the risen Saviour's power, with signs and miracles and healing that led the people to praise God.
This bold testimony belonged to the time after Peter's conversion, in contrast with his earlier self-confidence and denial of Jesus.
Holy Spirit Witness and Gift
The witnesses to these things are twofold, human and divine, for alongside the apostles stands the Holy Spirit Himself bearing His own testimony to Jesus. Their witness to what God did for and through Jesus is joined by His witness, so that clear and bold preaching given under the Spirit's power testifies especially to the resurrection, with words and works that represent their Teacher. The apostles testify to what they have seen and heard of Jesus, and the Holy Ghost also bears witness to the same acts of God in raising and exalting Him.
The Spirit rested especially upon the apostles as they bore witness to the crucifixion and resurrection and ascension. Through His power the presence of Jesus was revealed to the council as they listened, and through that same power the leaders were convicted of guilt for rejecting the evidence God had given them.
God has given the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him, so that receiving the Spirit is bound to obedience to God. That obedience embraces all His commandments, and His obedient witnesses carry His truth to triumph. Deceit in contrast brings certain punishment, for lying to the Holy Ghost and tempting the Spirit of the Lord brings God's judgment just as it fell upon Ananias and Sapphira.
To obey Him is to obey God rather than men. It meant following the divine command brought by the angel God sent to deliver the apostles from prison and to bid them teach in the temple, and continuing to preach at any cost to themselves despite the council's strict prohibition against teaching in the name of Jesus. It meant bold proclamation of His death, resurrection, exaltation and saving work in spite of threats, arrest and opposition, in loyalty to the law of God even through imprisonment, torture and death.
Conviction, Opposition and Warning
The witness bore in the verse warned the rulers that in rejecting it they were opposing God Himself. Through the power of the Spirit joined to the apostles' testimony to what God had done through Jesus, the leaders were convicted of guilt for rejecting the evidence God had given them. That power made the truth evident even to those who heard, revealing Jesus' presence to the council itself. Yet they resisted its conviction and showed no repentance, and that resistance deepened their rebellion.
Cut to the heart by a message delivered in obedience to God rather than men, the rulers were enraged. In that rage those murderers of Jesus planned to slay the apostles and to kill them. They stood thus bent on destruction until God moved Gamaliel to counsel them to refrain. His counsel was that they refrain lest they be found fighting against God.
Obedient witnesses carry God's truth to triumph, while deceit brings certain punishment. Lying to the Holy Ghost, keeping back part of the price, and agreeing together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord will bring God's punishment and judgment just as Ananias and Sapphira fell down dead. The same judgment falls on doing things in a deceptive way, on dealing in the Lord's work in a way that is not straightforward but oppressive and unjust, and on hindering His work. It falls also on using lawyers to take advantage of circumstances, on exacting every exorbitant price, on practicing every connivance of fraud, and on diverting His means into a wrong channel.
The truths witnessed in the verse are an anchor and the hope of Israel. Jesus is the Saviour of the world and humanity's only hope, who opened the way through the sacrifice of His life. In His name the disciples received power to continue His work and to overcome Satan's works. Those who look to Him are to keep God's law and live.