a Witness in the midst of persecution

After Jesus’ resurrection, he taught about the kingdom of God for forty days before being lifted up into the clouds. He instructed his disciples to wait for the promised baptism of the Holy Spirit so they could be witnesses of Him throughout the Earth. The Holy Spirit empowers us to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, and to live a life that declares from the depths of our soul, Jesus is my King! The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is tangible, even if He is not physically visible.

The book of Acts is a testament to what happens when believers live as witnesses of Jesus. There is love. There is power. There are miracles, healings, signs, and wonders. There is community. There is persecution. There is salvation. It is the establishment of God’s kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Chapters three and four of Acts focus on Peter and John healing a man who had been unable to walk and the consequences that followed. In short, God’s power is revealed as they choose obedience and faithfulness to the Lord despite persecution. Peter and John are imprisoned and threatened for speaking and acting in the name of Jesus. Yet, the Lord is glorified. Thousands come to faith through Peter’s bold preaching. Immediately after their release, they pray together in unity (Acts 4:24):

PRAYER

“And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant it to Your bond-servants to speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:29–30)

Witness

“And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant it to Your bond-servants to speak Your word with all confidence” (Acts 4:29)

The apostles did not allow threats to silence them; instead, these threats fueled their prayers. To paraphrase verse 29: “Lord, consider their threats and act accordingly.” Like Moses and Elijah, they called on the God of Israel to reveal Himself (Exodus 4:1-13; 1 Kings 18:20-39), and He performed miracles. This was a prayer of tested faith. They could have submitted to fear and complied with the authorities, but instead, they sought God’s help to move forward with faith, confidence, and boldness.

They did not pray for their enemies to be stopped or for their circumstances to change; they prayed for strength to stand firm. In times of affliction and persecution, we should not pray for an easy way out, but for boldness to continue being witnesses of Jesus Christ.

Power

“and grant it to Your bond-servants to speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place” (Acts 4:29b–30a)

Although they carried the power of the Almighty, the apostles did not primarily seek the supernatural. Peter understood that whatever he asked in Jesus’ name would be done:

“But Peter said, “I do not have silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!” (Acts 3:6)

Peter was not surprised by the miracles, signs, and wonders, but he may have been aware of the confidence of their fellow followers of Christ. That is why he contrasts the Lord extending his hand for healing, signs, and wonders with the disciples boldly proclaiming the Word. The act of the Lord’s granted gift is in the context of the stretching out of his hand. It is not a cause and effect like we see in chapters three through four: miracle first, preaching later. Rather, witnessing and miracles went hand in hand—each fueling the other. “While” the Lord acts supernaturally, also give the church boldness to speak.

Authority

“Through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:30b)

The high priests had little concern about the miracles, but a main issue with Jesus of Nazareth. They released Peter and John because the healed man stood before them as undeniable proof, and they had no grounds to keep them detained. Furthermore, the people were glorifying God for what had happened:

“They had nothing to say in reply… because they (the people) were all glorifying God for what had happened.” (Acts 4:14, 21)

Even though the religious leaders recognized that Peter and John had been with Jesus—perhaps even acknowledging His authority (Acts 4:13)—they still rejected Him:

“And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 4:18)

The authority given to the apostles through the Holy Spirit was in the name of Jesus. As His witnesses, we are rooted in Him. Jesus is set apart; no name is greater than His. The glory of Jesus is what we must boldly proclaim. He is the one whom we must witness with our lives.

"but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

CONFIRMATION

“And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31)

The confirmation of their prayer had two key outcomes: the ground was shaken, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit to proclaim God’s Word with boldness. As theologian Howard Marshall explains:

“This (the shaking of the ground) was one of the signs which indicated a theophany in the Old Testament (Ex 19:18; Is 6:4), and it would have been regarded as indicating a divine response to prayer.”

They experienced both an external confirmation—the shaking of the ground—and an internal confirmation—being filled with the Holy Spirit to fulfill their calling.

Throughout the Bible, we see different expressions of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Some passages describe the Spirit coming upon people, others mention an outpouring, and others refer to baptism of the Spirit. However, they all point to a divine purpose. In the Old Testament, people were often filled for prophecy (Nu 11:26-29; 1 Sa 10:9-10; 2 Sa 23:2; Is 61:1-3). For Bezalel, it was for craftsmanship in building the Ark of the Covenant (Ex 31:2-3).

People are filled with the Holy Spirit for a specific task—and they can be filled multiple times for different assignments (Ac 4:8, 31). In this instance, the apostles received exactly what they prayed for: boldness to proclaim the Word. Being filled with the Spirit for a task is different than being baptized by the Spirit like it was in Pentecost, and what is now, a key feature of every Christian salvation, the baptism of the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

“This is what the community prayed for—more signs to undergird the Word, more boldness to proclaim it. They surely knew what the result would be—more persecution.” (New American Commentary)

We pray

Today, we still pray for the Lord to fill us with His Spirit—to proclaim His Word, to witness to His holy name, and to bear His image as we fulfill the tasks He has called us to—all for the sake of His glory!

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References:

Bible verses are taken from NASB 2020, unless mentioned otherwise

David G. Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009)

F. F. Bruce, The Book of the Acts, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1988)

Howard Marshall, Acts: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 5, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1980)

John B. Polhill, Acts, vol. 26, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992)