What is the meaning of Acts 4:9? If we are being examined today • Peter and John are standing before the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court (Acts 4:5-7). • Their calm acknowledgment—“If we are being examined today” (Acts 4:9)—reflects Jesus’ promise: “They will seize you and persecute you…to bear testimony” (Luke 21:12-13). • Rather than defensiveness, they exhibit readiness, echoing “always be prepared to give an answer” (1 Peter 3:15). • The line reminds believers that scrutiny for doing right is part of faithful witness (John 16:2; 2 Timothy 3:12). about a kind service • The Sanhedrin’s focus should have been the kindness done, not an offense. • Scripture celebrates such deeds: “Jesus…went around doing good” (Acts 10:38). • Believers are urged: – “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds” (Matthew 5:16). – “Do not grow weary in doing good” (Galatians 6:9-10). • By framing the miracle as “a kind service,” Peter underlines the heart of the gospel: practical love (Titus 3:8). to a man who was lame • The recipient is the man “lame from birth” who sat at the Beautiful Gate (Acts 3:2). • His lifelong condition magnifies God’s power; like the blind man in John 9:1-3, his ailment sets the stage for divine glory. • Prophetic fulfillment shines through: “Then the lame will leap like a deer” (Isaiah 35:6). • Similar healings—Mark 2:3-12 (paralyzed man)—affirm that the Messiah’s kingdom reverses brokenness. to determine how he was healed • The council wants an explanation; Peter supplies it in the next verse: “by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead” (Acts 4:10). • Earlier Peter credited “faith in His name” for the miracle (Acts 3:16). • Jesus had pledged: “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do” (John 14:13). • The miracle forces a verdict: either acknowledge Jesus’ risen power or suppress the evidence (Acts 4:16-17). • For believers, it confirms that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) and that His name still brings wholeness (Mark 16:17-18). summary Acts 4:9 captures Peter’s respectful yet bold response: if authorities wish to investigate a gracious act toward a disabled man, let them know it happened through Jesus. The verse highlights three truths—expect scrutiny for good deeds, let kindness display the gospel, and always point healing and help back to the risen Christ. |
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