But
Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves, for we can’t help telling the things which we saw and heard.” When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for everyone glorified God for that which was done. For the man on whom this miracle of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
Acts 4:19-22
Acts 4 [13.] Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They recognized that they had been with Jesus. Seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? Because indeed a notable miracle has been done through them, as can be plainly seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we can’t deny it. But so that this spreads no further among the people, let’s threaten them, that from now on they don’t speak to anyone in this name.” They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
Acts 4 [19.] But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves, for we can’t help telling the things which we saw and heard.”
Acts 4 [21.] When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for everyone glorified God for that which was done. For the man on whom this miracle of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
Acts 4 [23.] Being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, “O Lord, you are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who by the mouth of your servant, David, said,
‘Why do the nations rage,
and the peoples plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth take a stand,
and the rulers take council together,
against the Lord, and against his Christ.’
Meaning:
The council had ordered Peter and John “not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18). These verses record the apostles’ reply and the end of their first trial. Their answer has become one of the best-known statements in Acts about the relationship between human authority and obedience to God.
- “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves”
Peter and John speak respectfully but firmly. They do not insult the council; they invite its members to judge the matter by their own standards. These men were the religious leaders of Israel and claimed to serve God. The apostles ask them to consider honestly whether God’s people should obey a human order that contradicts what God has commanded.
A few weeks later the apostles would say it even more directly: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). The principle has deep roots in the Old Testament. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were commanded to worship the king’s image, they replied, “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up” (Daniel 3:18).
The same apostles also taught respect for rulers. Paul wrote, “Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities” (Romans 13:1), and Peter himself wrote, “Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17). Christians have long discussed how these teachings fit together. Many understand Acts 4:19 as a limited exception: believers should normally obey authorities, but must refuse when commanded to disobey God directly, as here. Others apply it more widely to resisting unjust laws. The text itself concerns a specific command to stop proclaiming Jesus.
- “for we can’t help telling the things which we saw and heard”
The apostles were eyewitnesses. They had walked with Jesus, seen his miracles, heard his teaching, and met him after his resurrection. The risen Lord had told them, “You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem” (Acts 1:8). John later wrote, “that which we have seen and heard we declare to you” (1 John 1:3). For the apostles, silence was not an option; the truth they had seen pressed to be told.
- “they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people”
The council added more threats but could find no grounds for punishment. The healing was popular, and “everyone glorified God for that which was done.” The leaders had faced the same problem with Jesus, when “The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death, for they feared the people” (Luke 22:2). God used the goodwill of the crowd to protect his servants for a time.
- “the man on whom this miracle of healing was performed was more than forty years old”
Luke adds this detail to underline the greatness of the miracle. The man had been lame from birth (Acts 3:2) and had been carried daily to the temple gate. After more than forty years, there was no doubt about his condition, and no natural explanation for his sudden ability to walk.
The Significance of Acts 4:19-22
- God has the final claim
Believers are called to be good citizens, but their highest loyalty belongs to God. When the two truly conflict, God’s command comes first, and the cost of obeying him may be real.
- Courage with respect
Peter and John were bold without being arrogant. Their example shows that firm conviction can be expressed with courtesy, even toward those who oppose us.
- Telling what we know
Not every believer has seen what the apostles saw, but every believer has received the good news. Like them, Christians can share honestly what God has done.
Cross-References:
Acts 5:29: "We must obey God rather than men." The apostles restate the principle.
Daniel 3:18: "we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up." An Old Testament example of faithful refusal.
Romans 13:1: "Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities," The normal duty of believers toward rulers.
1 John 1:3: "that which we have seen and heard we declare to you," The testimony of an eyewitness.
Conclusion: Ordered to be silent, Peter and John asked the council to judge whether it was right to obey men rather than God, and declared that they could not stop telling what they had seen and heard. The council threatened them again but had to release them, because the people were glorifying God for the healing of a man lame for over forty years.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible