What is the meaning of Acts 4:20? For • The tiny word “for” ties Peter and John’s declaration to the immediate context—an answer to the Sanhedrin’s command to be silent (Acts 4:18–19). • It signals a reasoned, God–honoring defense: obedience to Christ overrides any human prohibition (Acts 5:29). • This conjunction reminds us that Christian boldness is not reckless defiance but a thoughtful response to God’s higher authority (Daniel 3:16–18 shows the same pattern). We cannot stop • The apostles describe an inner impossibility, not merely a decision. – Jeremiah felt the same holy compulsion: “His message becomes a fire burning in my heart… I cannot prevail” (Jeremiah 20:9). – Paul echoed it: “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16); “Christ’s love compels us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). • The Spirit’s power (Acts 1:8) makes silence unthinkable; divine urgency overrides fear, fatigue, or opposition. Speaking • Verbal witness is emphasized; the gospel must be spoken, not merely displayed by lifestyle. – “How can they hear without someone to preach?” (Romans 10:14). – Paul sought prayer “that words may be given me” (Ephesians 6:19). • Bold speech in Acts consistently accompanies Spirit–filled believers (Acts 4:31), showing that proclamation is God’s chosen conduit for salvation (1 Corinthians 1:21). About what we have seen and heard • The message is eyewitness testimony, rooted in historical fact. – “You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:48). – John affirmed, “we proclaim to you what we have seen and heard” (1 John 1:1–3). • They speak of: – Jesus’ sinless life, atoning death, and bodily resurrection (Acts 2:23–32). – His ascension and present lordship (Acts 3:13–15). • Personal encounter fuels public proclamation; like John 1:14, they had “seen His glory,” so silence would betray reality. summary • “For” grounds their boldness in obedience to God above man. • “We cannot stop” reveals an inner, Spirit–given compulsion. • “Speaking” underscores the necessity of verbal gospel proclamation. • “About what we have seen and heard” roots that proclamation in firsthand, historical experience with the risen Christ. Living under Christ’s authority and Spirit’s power, believers today share the same joyful obligation: we simply cannot keep quiet about Jesus. |
    |