Acts 4:23-37 Lesson 226

Acts 4:23-37
Lesson 226

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

What happened after Peter and John were released from prison?

Byzantine icon of Barnabas.

Who were -

Herod -
Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great (who tried to kill the infant Jesus in Matthew 2:16) and Malthrace. Ambitious, self-destructive, and without principles, the Romans appointed Herod tetrarch (ruler) over Galilee (Luke 3:1) and Perea after his father's death.  Jesus called him a "fox" (Luke 13:32) because of his reputation for being sly, cunning, cowardly, and sordid. Herod had John the Baptist beheaded for criticizing his marriage to his niece and brother's ex-wife, Herodias (Matthew 14:3-12; Mark 6:17-18; Luke 9:9). At the time, Herod was at war with Aretas, the Arabian king of Petraea, for divorcing Aretas' daughter so he could marry Herodias.  After Jesus' arrest, He was brought before Herod and mocked (Luke 23:6-12). Herod was eventually dethroned by the Romans for "confederating with the king of Parthia against the Roman empire." Herod and his niece/wife, Herodias, died in exile in Spain.

Barnabas -
Barnabas ("the son of consolation" or "the encourager") is a nickname for Joses (Joseph).  Barnabas was Jewish, a Levite from Cyprus (Acts 4:36), John Mark's cousin (Colossians 4:10), and an important early Christian.  When the apostles doubted the sincerity of Paul's conversion and feared him because of his earlier persecution, it was Barnabas who convinced them that Paul's faith was genuine (Acts 9:26-27). "A good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith" (Acts 11:24), Barnabas sold his land and donated the proceeds to the church (Acts 4:37). Barnabas and his cousin John Mark traveled with Paul on his first missionary journey.  A rift developed between Barnabas and Paul (Acts 15:36-41) when Mark left the mission early and returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13).  Barnabas and Mark then traveled to Cyprus without Paul (Acts 15:39). Mark and Barnabas eventually reconciled with Paul, and Barnabas worked with Paul for a year in Antioch, teaching and building the church (Acts 11:25-26). When a famine struck the Roman empire, Barnabas helped Paul bring "relief" to Judea (Acts 11:29-30).

Study Tip:

Before starting each study session, take a few minutes and ask God to open your heart to His teachings.

The Acts of the Apostles

The King James Bible

Acts 4:23-37
Peter and John are released

23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Margin notes:

"They went to their own company." (4:23) - "They went to the other apostles."

"Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?" (4:25) - "Why did the heathens get angry and plot in vain." Paraphrased from Daniel in Psalm 2:1-2.

"The rulers were gathered together against the Lord." (4:26) - As we saw in Luke 22:66-67.

"Thy counsel." (4:28) - "Your purpose." This is a reference to God's divine plan.

Grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word." (4:29) - The apostles are asking God's help in overcoming persecution and for the courage to "speak boldly." Paul will later ask for the same (Ephesians 6:19-20).

"By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus." (4:30) - The apostle's prayer was answered in verse 5:12.

"When they had prayed, the place was shaken." (4:31) - It shook like they had been hit by an earthquake.

"Neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own." (4:32) - This means, "No one said that any of the things he owned was his own."

"Cyprus." (4:36) - The third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Located off the coast of Syria, Cyprus is 148 miles long and 60 miles wide.
Famous as a source of copper, lumber, wine, and oil, the island enjoyed great commercial success. Called Chittim in the Old Testament (Numbers 24:24; Isaiah 23:1), we see in this passage that Cyprus was the birthplace of Barnabas (Acts 4:36).

New Living Translation

Acts 4:23-37
The Believers Pray for Courage

23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said.

24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: "O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-

25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,

   'Why were the nations so angry?
      Why did they waste their time with futile plans?

26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
      the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
      and against his Messiah.'

27 "In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed.

28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will.

29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word.

30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

The Believers Share Their Possessions

32 All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.

33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great blessing was upon them all.

34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them

35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.

36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means "Son of Encouragement"). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus.

37 He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's Question:

1. Why did the apostles pray for boldness? (4:29)

Believers are not saved by the Mosaic Law (Galatians 2:19) but by the grace (gift) of God (Romans 6:14; 7:6).

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. The apostles asked God for the boldness (courage) to stand up to the powerful opposition they faced. Peter and John were arrested by the same men who crucified Jesus.  They spent a night in jail and knew that the Pharisees would be watching when they were released. This was the first time they endured prison; more persecution would come, and Christians needed to be steadfast against the establishment that stood against them.  There is no better way to gain courage than by calling on the strength of God.

We see in verse 4:31 that their prayer was answered.

Application thought for the day:

Verses 4:24-30 are a good example of how early Christians prayed.
"Notice how the believers prayed. First they praised God (4:24); then they told God their specific problem (4:27) and asked for his help (4:29). They did not ask God to remove the problem, but to help them deal with it. This is a model for us to follow when we pray. We may ask God to remove our problems, and he may choose to do so. But we must recognize that often he will leave a problem in place but give us the strength and courage to deal with it." (The "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; page 2134).

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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