By what Power or Name

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

BY WHAT POWER OR NAME

Acts 4:5-7

5 The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?"

NIV

This is just the beginning of another demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life, but we need to stop and visit this beginning for a moment. Although it is a record of an actual event, there is still a life lesson for us to consider. This question the rules, elders and teachers of the law asked Peter and John brings us something to ponder on. They knew there was power at work, power that was not of human origin, but they did not know who it was from. This is the established spiritual leadership of the nation of Israel, and they did not recognize the power of God at work. The other reason for the question could have been they knew the power was from God, but did not what their power and influence over the people to be disrupted by these men, even if God was at work in them. But we will see they were impressed with Peter’s response, so we might well conclude it was more about their not seeing the moving of God, then wanting to crush this new movement. Although they were also wanting to crush it, as they are the ones responsibly for having Jesus crucified. The point we see here is they were trying to trap Peter and John by some means. Whenever God moves in the lives of people some are not going to be happy about it. It is even quite possible those who are the rulers, elders, and teachers of the New Testament today may not like it when a simple uneducated person, who has not paid for their denominational degree from the subscribed bible college, is filled with the Holy Spirit and is used by God to perform miracles and speak with the wisdom of God. Yet it is by the power of the name of Jesus we all can be filled with the Spirit and speak the mind of God. The scriptures can be open to all of us who seek the truth from God. He has poured out his spirit upon all men, if they are willing to be filled, filled to overflowing. That is another point we will see, but should note in this context as well. When Peter responds being filled with the Spirit, he is filled to overflowing. What good is being filled, if we are not filled to overflowing? Others cannot be affected by the Spirit within us, unless it flows out of us, unless it is overflowing from us all over them? The power of the Spirit, the power of the name of Jesus is not exclusive, it does not only belong to the leaders, elders, and the teachers of the Scripture, and it is all inclusive, available to anyone who believes. So as we live and walk in the Spirit, we should be doing it in such a manner that people would ask us, “By what power or what name did you do this?”