Acts 4:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

NIV: After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

NASB: And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

CSB: When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.

NLT: After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

KJV: And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

NKJV: And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Peter, John, and other leaders of the church are in a room in Jerusalem, praying for the strength to continue preaching the word of God (Acts 4:23–30). "Word" is from the Greek root word logos which means an idea, a doctrine, and/or a message. John 1:1 identifies Jesus as the Word of God. Here, before the New Testament books have been widely spread, the "word of God" does not yet have the commonly-understood meaning of "Scripture." It does mean the total message God means to give mankind. This includes that Jesus is the Son of God, that He is the Savior, that He rose from the dead, and that He is the core of salvation.

Sometimes, the Bible shows us people who are praying for things they already know God wants. Daniel counted the years until it was time for God to restore Jerusalem and then prayed that God would make it happen (Daniel 9:2, 16–19). In Jesus' "High Priestly Prayer," Jesus asks God to guard the testimony of His followers—which was God's plan all along (John 17:15). In the same way, the leaders of the church in Jerusalem pray for the boldness to speak God's word and the signs to validate that teaching (Acts 4:29–30).

If they know this is God's will, why do they pray for it? Praying for God's will shows that we are ready to submit to His plan. It prepares our hearts for the changes about to happen. It is a way of stepping forward to volunteer for His work. It is good to have a demeanor that is properly submissive to God. To state that willingness in words for a specific goal at a specific time is powerful.

The Holy Spirit honors their request by making Himself evident in their midst. They have chosen a path of hardships, persecution, and martyrdom. The Holy Spirit will never abandon them, and He will continue to strengthen them until their work is finished. Later, when faced with danger, they will be able to look back at this moment and remember both their willingness and the assurance that God approved of their prayer.

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.