Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, they were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus. 14 Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them, they could say nothing in reply. 15 So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, and conferred with one another, saying, 16 “What are we to do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign was done through them, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it may not be spread any further among the people, let us give them a stern warning never again to speak to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. 20 It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After threatening them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them, on account of the people who were all praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing had been done was over forty years old.
The religious leaders were surprised at how two uneducated fishermen with no formal rabbinic training could speak boldly to them with such confidence and wisdom. Filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:8), the Apostles proclaimed the truth despite the danger posed by the Jewish authorities, who recognized them as companions of Jesus. When they saw the formerly lame man who had been miraculously healed, they could not deny that the forty-year-old man who had been crippled from birth (Acts 3:2) was healed by the apostles. They could not ignore or deny the miracle that had amazed many people in Jerusalem. The hardness of their hearts prevented them from accepting the miracle witnessed by the people, and done by the Apostles through the power of Jesus Christ whom they crucified and whom God raised from the dead (Jn. 12:37). Because of their first-hand knowledge of Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection, the Apostles could not remain silent regarding the miraculous works of Jesus and the truth of the Gospel.
The Sanhedrin deliberated on how to deal with Peter and John. The religious leaders acknowledged the reality of the miracle but sought to suppress the Apostles' preaching in the name of Jesus due to the perceived threat to their religious authority. The religious leaders saw the influence of the Christian movement as a challenge to their traditional religious beliefs and practices. In response, Peter and John told the Sanhedrin that their allegiance was to God, and they must follow His divine mandate from Jesus' resurrection and commission to spread the Gospel to all nations (Mk. 16:15-16). The religious leaders were concerned about the public's support of the Apostles due to the crowd's praise of God for the miraculous healing. Consequently, they threatened the Apostles but ultimately released them unharmed.
Almighty God, help us to stand firm in our faith and to be unyielding in the face of opposition. Grant us the courage to speak Your name boldly, knowing that we cannot remain silent about the wonders You have done in our lives. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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