How does Acts 4:15 connect to Proverbs 11:14 on seeking wise counsel? Setting the Scene in Jerusalem • Peter and John have just healed the lame man and boldly preached Christ (Acts 3:1-26). • Dragged before the Sanhedrin, they testify “there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). • Confronted with undeniable evidence and untrained men speaking with authority, the council feels cornered. Acts 4:15—A Council Behind Closed Doors “ ‘So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.’ ” • “Conferred together” = deliberate, seek advice, weigh options. • The religious leaders instinctively recognize the need for consultation before handing down a verdict. Proverbs 11:14—The Principle of Saving Counsel “ ‘For lack of guidance, a nation falls, but with an abundance of counselors there is deliverance.’ ” • God designed shared counsel as a safeguard against hasty, destructive decisions. • “Deliverance” (Heb. teshuah) signals rescue, help, stability—outcomes tied to godly wisdom. Connecting the Two Passages 1. Same action, different heart: • Both texts feature leaders gathering advisers. • Proverbs celebrates counsel that honors the Lord; Acts exposes counsel resisting Him. 2. Counsel’s quality determines its fruit: • Sanhedrin ignore prophetic Scripture (Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 53). • Wise counsel submits to revealed truth; foolish counsel conspires against it (Psalm 2:1-3). 3. The test of wisdom is alignment with God’s works: • A healed man stands before them—undeniable evidence of divine power. • Yet, because their counsel is self-protective, they threaten instead of repent (Acts 4:17-18). 4. Proverbs’ warning fulfilled: • “A nation falls” echoes the eventual fall of Jerusalem in AD 70—leadership hardened by bad counsel. • Deliverance was available had they embraced Christ (Matthew 23:37-38). Other Passages Echoing the Pattern • Exodus 18:17-23—Moses heeds Jethro’s godly counsel, relieving the people. • Proverbs 15:22—“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” • 2 Samuel 17—David spared because Ahithophel’s clever but ungodly counsel is thwarted. • James 3:17—Heavenly wisdom is “pure…peace-loving…full of mercy,” the opposite of the Sanhedrin’s plotting. Takeaways for Today • Not all “many counselors” are equal; seek voices saturated with Scripture and surrendered to Christ. • Genuine wisdom welcomes inconvenient truth rather than silencing it. • When confronted with undeniable evidence of God’s work, surrender promptly; delaying hardens the heart. • Leadership—whether in home, church, or nation—thrives or collapses on the caliber of counsel it receives. • Contrast the Sanhedrin’s self-preserving whispers with the church’s prayerful reliance on God’s sovereign plan (Acts 4:23-31); follow the latter. |
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