RSV ~ Acts 4 Notes

Acts 4:1 | ISB Notes

the captain: The head of the police force that patrolled the Temple precincts.

Sadducees: Members of the priestly aristocracy of Jerusalem. They were fierce opponents of the apostles and their doctrine of the resurrection (23:8).

See essay: Who Are the Sadducees? at Mk 12.

Acts 4:3 | ISB Notes

already evening: The gates of the Temple were locked shut after the evening liturgy, around 4 P.M. Criminal cases, usually tried within a judicial chamber inside (or adjacent to) the Temple, could not be dealt with until the following day.

Acts 4:4 | ISB Notes

five thousand: A growth of nearly 2,000 since Pentecost (2:41). See note on Acts 2:47.

Acts 4:5 | ISB Notes

rulers and elders and scribes: A formal assembly of the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of ancient Judaism. See note on Mk 14:55.

Acts 4:6 | ISB Notes

Annas the high priest: He served in this capacity from A.D. 6 to 15, at which time Roman authorities replaced him with another (Eleazar). The Jewish leadership, however, still considered him the rightful occupant of the position and so addressed him accordingly (Lk 3:2).

Caiaphas: The son-in-law of Annas and the officiating high priest appointed by the Romans in A.D. 18 (Jn 18:13).

John: Probably the son of Annas and the direct successor of Caiaphas. He was appointed high priest in A.D. 36.

Acts 4:11 | ISB Notes

This is the stone: A paraphrase of Ps 118:22.

• The apostles learned from Jesus that Ps 118 envisions the rejection of the Messiah (Mk 12:10-12). This tragedy is described as the builders of Jerusalem discarding a stone that God would make the honored cornerstone of a new and living Temple (Eph 2:20-22). Peter turns to this text again in 1 Pet 2:4-7 (CCC 756).

you builders: The Psalmist’s depiction of the leaders of Israel as “builders” is here reinforced by the setting: the priestly leaders of the Sanhedrin supervised the building of the Herodian Temple in Jerusalem, which was under continual construction from 19 B.C. until A.D. 63.

Acts 4:12 | ISB Notes

no other name: The powerful name of Jesus is the focus of the entire episode (3:6, 16; 4:7, 10, 17-18). Its Hebrew form can also be rendered “Joshua”, meaning “Yahweh saves” (Sir 46:1; Mt 1:21). The name is invoked in Acts to heal the sick (9:34), perform signs and wonders (4:30), drive out demons (16:18; 19:13), and administer Baptism (2:38; 10:48; 22:16; CCC 430-35, 1507).

Acts 4:13 | ISB Notes

uneducated: Peter and John were former fishermen, i.e., men of labor, not learning (Mk 1:16-20). Even so, their bold defense of the gospel caused many to wonder and made their limited knowledge of traditional Jewish theology irrelevant (1 Cor 1:26-27).

Acts 4:16 | ISB Notes

we cannot deny it: The standing result of the healing miracle is irrefutable.

Acts 4:20 | ISB Notes

we cannot but speak: The apostles are compelled to witness by the power of the Spirit (1:8) and the solid evidence that Jesus has indeed risen (1:3). Even the threats and intimidation of the Sanhedrin (4:21) cannot silence them, especially since Jesus promised to help them in times of persecution (Lk 21:12-15; CCC 425).

Acts 4:25-26 | ISB Notes

At the center of the community’s prayer (4:2430) stands a citation from Ps 2:1-2.

• The Psalmist wonders at the conspiracy of rebel nations plotting against Yahweh and the anointed king of Israel, knowing that God’s plans cannot be frustrated by earthly princes (Ps 2:4-9). Read as a prophecy, the psalm envisions the collaboration of Jewish and Roman authorities in executing Jesus, the anointed Messiah. Mention of rulers being gathered together also echoes the statement in 4:5, where the leadership of Jerusalem is conspiring against the apostles.

Acts 4:27 | ISB Notes

whom you anointed: The Spirit anointed Jesus at his Baptism (10:38; Lk 3:22).

Acts 4:29 | ISB Notes

with all boldness: The believers pray, not for an end to persecution, but for evangelical courage in the face of opposition (Eph 6:18-20; 1 Thess 2:2).

Acts 4:31 | ISB Notes

filled with the Holy Spirit: The apostolic community relives the experience of Pentecost and is renewed in the grace and encouragement of the Spirit (2:1-4). .

Acts 4:32-37 | ISB Notes

A snapshot of community life in the early Jerusalem Church. It is characterized by a selfless concern for all, an even distribution of goods, and a complete trust in the oversight of the apostles. See note on Acts 2:42.

Acts 4:36 | ISB Notes

Barnabas: Introduced early in Acts because of his prominent role later in the book as a missionary and companion of Paul (9:27; 11:22-24). He wa

s among the first to evangelize his native island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea (13:4-12) and would return there a

fter parting company with Paul (15:39). Son of encouragement: A parenthetical aside that suggests Barnabas must have lived up to the true meaning of his name. a Levite: An Israelite descended from the priestly tribe of Levi.