Acts 4:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, "‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain?

NIV: You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: " ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

NASB: who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, ‘WHY WERE THE NATIONS INSOLENT, AND THE PEOPLES PLOTTING IN VAIN?

CSB: You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David your servant: Why do the Gentiles rage and the peoples plot futile things?

NLT: you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans?

KJV: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

NKJV: who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things?

Peter, John, and the other church leaders continue to pray after realizing the persecution Jesus promised (John 15:18–21) is starting in earnest. The quote recorded in Acts 4:25–26 comes from Psalm 2:1–2. It speaks of nations and people who rebel against God and "his Anointed." "Rage" refers to horses who buck and throw their heads before their rider tames them. The "Gentiles" are the Romans, while the "peoples" are the Jews.

Psalm 2:3 explains why the world rages and plots: they want to "burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." They don't want to submit to God's sovereignty. They don't realize that God makes His plans and sets the rulers in their places to enact His plan. Even when they think they're rebelling, they fulfill God's purposes.

The Jesus-follower's prayer goes on to give the examples of Pilate and Herod who, despite themselves, fulfilled Old Testament prophecy and God's plan of salvation when they crucified Jesus (Acts 4:27–28). The people praying now will experience God's omnipotent sovereignty as well. The persecution will heat up. After Stephen is killed, Saul will drive most of the Jesus-followers out of Jerusalem (Acts 7:54—8:3). But this is God's plan and God's timing. When the Jesus-followers flee, they will have been well-trained by the apostles (Acts 2:42). Philip, alone, will bring the gospel to Samaria and Judea (Acts 8:4–40). And a man named Ananias will travel about two hundred miles to Damascus so he is in place to help Saul the persecutor find Jesus and become one of the most successful missionaries in history (Acts 9).

The Sanhedrin, who both arranged for Jesus' crucifixion and spearheaded the persecution of the church, represents the "peoples." They have at least three problems with Peter and John's message. First, most of the chief priests and elders belong to the Jewish sect of the Sadducees who do not believe in life after death, let alone the possibility of resurrection; to claim Jesus, their enemy, has risen adds insult to injury (Acts 4:2). Second, although the people are willing to repent for the collective crime of the murder of Jesus, the members of the Sanhedrin know they are specifically guilty and do not want to admit it (Acts 5:28). Third, the message of repentance, forgiveness, and resurrection resonates with a great number of people, and the Sanhedrin feels their influence slipping away (Acts 5:17).

Acts 4:23–31 finds the Jesus-followers praying for boldness in the face of persecution. Jesus promised them they would see serious persecution (Matthew 10:16–25), but this is the first time they've experienced it directly. Peter and John already told the Sanhedrin they will follow God, not their earthly commands (Acts 4:19–20). They now return to the other Jesus-followers to let them know what's coming. The group affirms that everything that happened to Jesus was according to God's sovereign plan, and they pray that they will remain as faithful in their own trials.

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.