Reading Acts Together #9: Acts 4:23-31

This little episode happens straight after the previous section, when Peter and John go back to ‘their own people’ and report back to them ‘all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them’ (v23).

After hearing the report they pray – and the reason for doing so is highlighted in v29 ‘now Lord consider their threats’, a reference back to v21, ‘after further threats they let them go’; in light of serious opposition and threats, the early believers pray. This is just another example of the early church devoting themselves to prayer (2:42) and joining ‘together constantly in prayer’ (1:14).

Let me offer four insights about this prayer:

1: It is Trinitarian in shape. In fact, the whole chapter has a Trinitarian flavour to it. If you look back to Peter’s message you can see this. He only starts speaking when he’s ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ and speaks about Jesus – claiming Jesus is the only way to salvation – it can be found in no other (v12). A staggering claim since Isaiah 43:11 states ‘I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no saviour’. Peter is making divine claims here and then claims God raised this Jesus from the dead, referring to another distinct person – God the Father. Either Peter is implying there’s two gods working together here (which no Jew would), or he sees the One LORD – the triune God of Father, Son and Holy Spirit working together to bring about salvation.

In this prayer we see a similar emphasis – they pray to the ‘Sovereign Lord’ (v24), refer to the work of the Holy Spirit speaking through David to write Holy Scripture (v25), and again talk about ‘your holy servant Jesus’ (v27). And the end result leaves them ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ (31), just like Peter at the beginning of his message. We pray to the triune God who reveals and works out his salvation as God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. One God with three distinct persons working in holy love and unity for our good. When the Trinity is neglected or abandoned in our prayers and sermons, the power and glory of God is diminished, even blasphemed. Let us be mindful of who we pray to.

2: In this respect they know that their triune God is sovereign and appeal to his sovereignty in creation and then in the trial and death of Jesus (v24-27). ‘They did what your power and will decided beforehand should happen’ (v28). They find strength and certainty that just as God was behind Jesus’ persecution and was foretold by David (v25-27), he can work in their persecution. And just as Jesus was vindicated through the resurrection, they pray for miracles and signs and wonders ‘through the name’ of Jesus to vindicate their message and point people to salvation (v30). They pray big prayers because they know they have a big God who hears them. They trust in his sovereignty and turn to Him.

3: Notice the connection with the OT. The obvious one is when they quote Psalm 2:1-2 in vv25-26 and then apply it to what happened with Jesus, God’s anointed (v27). But notice also the repeated phrase ‘your holy servant Jesus‘ (v27, v30). The word used to describe Jesus as servant there, is not the usual word for servant. Is not even the same word the disciples use to describe themselves in v29. But it is the same word the Greek translation of the OT used when describing the servant of the Lord in Isaiah. The prayer is shaped in confidence, not only to our triune God, but his Word, and the promised messiah-servant that would come and bring salvation (e.g. Isaiah 42:1-9).

4: They pray for boldness. It’s the same word in the Greek used by the Sanhedrin to describe Peter courage in v13. Peter was filled by the Spirit and spoke with boldness, and because of these threats, they ask for more boldness, great boldness even (v29) – and their prayers are answered in v31 when the place shook with the presence of God, ‘And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly’.

In any time and every opportunity, we need to rely on the Spirit’s power and turn to God in prayer. We need to be asking God for great boldness if our mission is to be effective, trusting in his sovereignty. In fact, ‘research on one hundred effective church planters…found that prayer is the number-one factor for success in church planting. The church planter who has not established an effective prayer life and ministry will not go far’.[1]

But of course, we don’t need research to tell us that, or to limit the importance to church planting – just read Acts and you’ll see how important prayer is.

[1] Craig Ott and Gene Wilson, Global Church Planting: Biblical Principles and Best Practices for Multiplication, p. 309.

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