Acts Lesson 11: The Persecution Begins {Good Lesson for our Times!}

While Peter (accompanied by John and the healed lame man) was still in the midst of his powerful second sermon (Acts 3:12-26), he was interrupted by the sudden appearance of "the priests . . . the captain of the Temple [guard] . . . and the Sadducees" (4:1). They came to arrest both Peter and John (likely also the former lame man). These enemies of Christ were not only furious that His followers were preaching His resurrection, but doing so in broad daylight in the Temple! Interestingly, in Acts, it is primarily the Sadducees who take the lead in persecuting the Church. This is because their erroneous theology taught there is no resurrection of the dead! In this lesson (Acts 4:1-22), we not only discuss the interruption of Peter's sermon (the arrest), but the interrogation he and John faced the next morning before the Sanhedrin Council, the inspiration of Peter's remarkable speech in answer to that interrogation, the immense impression his speech made on the Council, and then their intention to silence them with threats to never speak or teach in the name of Jesus again! The response of the two Apostles to the threat of those in authority over them to never preach of Jesus was fantastic!! They would obey the Higher Authority, God! Anti-Christian governments and powerful institutions are increasingly trying to stop the spread of the Gospel message of Christ Jesus - we need to follow the example of Peter and John!