Acts 4:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.

NIV: Jesus is " ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

NASB: He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE.

CSB: This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone.

NLT: For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’

KJV: This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

NKJV: This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’

This quote is from Psalm 118:22: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." The psalm is a celebration of the provision of God. Verses 8–9 read:

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

It's unclear if the chief priests, elders, and scribes remember that serving God comes before serving men, but clearly, Peter lives it. He will stand and accuse the Jewish leaders of murdering their own Messiah because he trusts that this is what Jesus wants him to do.

The Jewish leaders often speak at cross-purposes with Jesus and His followers regarding the temple. The Sanhedrin thinks the worship of God is based in the temple and the traditions. When Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19), the Jewish leaders have something to twist later into a formal charge (Mark 14:57–58). Not only is it unspeakable for a Jew to damage the temple, under Roman law it is a crime punishable by death to deface a place of worship.

Soon, Jews will tie Stephen to Jesus' words (Acts 6:12–14). Stephen will point out that Israelites worshiped God from the time of Abraham until the time of Moses before they had a tabernacle. And God didn't even ask for a temple! David decided He needed one. Even Solomon, while dedicating the temple, pointed out that no structure built by human hands could contain the glory of God (1 Kings 8:27). The temple is a convenient place for people to come and worship, but respecting it is not equivalent to worshiping God (Acts 7:1–50).

It is Jesus who is the cornerstone of proper God-worship. The Jewish rulers would have recognized this if they'd spent less time worrying about tradition and more time reading their own prophets. The prophets of the Old Testament gave very clear descriptions of the Jewish Messiah. But the leaders of their time ignored and killed them. And so when the priests, scribes, and elders standing before Peter faced their Messiah, they didn't recognize Him (Acts 7:51–53).

Acts 4:5–12 covers Peter and John's defense before the Sanhedrin—the ruling Jewish council. The priests and other Sadducees have arrested Peter and John because after they healed a lame man, they taught a crowd that Jesus rose from the dead (Acts 3). The Sadducees don't believe resurrection is possible and really don't want to hear that a dissident they had killed has come back to life. They ask how Peter got the power to heal the man. Peter tells them, not only is Jesus alive, He's the Messiah of the Jews and the only path to salvation.

Acts 4 continues the story started in Acts 3. Peter and John have healed a man born lame and preached that Jesus has risen from the dead. The Sanhedrin orders their arrest for teaching the resurrection. The Jewish officials warn Peter and John to stop speaking in Jesus' name. Peter and John refuse, but, since they have committed no crime, the Sanhedrin releases them. Peter and John return to their friends, and the Jesus-followers pray for boldness in the face of growing persecution. The church continues to grow, sharing all their possessions so that no one is in need.

Acts 4 gives the first hints of the persecution the church will face throughout its history. Peter and John attract attention when Peter heals a well-known lame beggar, and Peter uses the publicity to tell others about Christ. The Sanhedrin cannot allow the apostles to continue teaching Jesus rose from the dead. They arrest, warn, and free Peter and John, but it's just the beginning. Soon, they will arrest and beat all the apostles (Acts 5:17–42). Then a mob will stone Stephen (Acts 7:54–60). And Saul will persecute Jesus-followers in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1–3) and beyond (Acts 9:1–2). The Sanhedrin fails to realize—if you send Jesus-followers fleeing into the world, they will take Jesus' message with them.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.