Authority

  

DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

BY WHOSE AUTHORITY

Acts 4:5-12

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?" 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 He is "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.'  12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

NIV

Standing up to the rulers, elders, and teachers of the law requires the moving of the Holy Spirit. It is interesting how the so-called religious leaders, those who are supposed to know the holy scriptures better than anyone else, and yet they are more interested in their own self-preservation as the leadership of the people. Peter and John, on the other hand, have all the first-hand experience and knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Almighty God who the presumed leaders profess to know this almighty God, but refuse to acknowledge His Son. It is also interesting they have no compassion or praise to God, for this cripple man who was healed. There is the only interest to prove there is something wrong with Peter and John. They want to know by what power or what name did they heal the cripple, although they refused to even say those words, rather they just said, do this. It would seem they are driving at the fact that Peter and John used some sorcery or even the name of Satan, hoping to catch them in some blasphemy as they accused Jesus of. However, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the truth. First, what they did was an act of kindness. Second, they proclaimed they acted by the power of Jesus using His name to as the authority for this act of kindness. We have this same power available to us if we would only believe and act upon our belief in the name of Jesus. Maybe we are only giving God lip service, saying we believe, but we might have more doubt than faith. It could also be possible that we simply have been influenced too much by the culture we live in and look to the strength of our own abilities before looking to Jesus. No, it is time to stand up against all who oppose the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and accept the power the Spirit has given us to do acts of kindness in the name of Jesus, and not in our name. there is too much humanitarian glory given to men, and there accept that praise from men, but we are not to do that, we are to only accept praise from God, as we humbly walk in faith, doing that which we have been called and empowered to do. We live and walk and act only by the authority of Jesus.