Scripture
Peter and John before the Council
1While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. 2These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. 3They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. 4But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.
5The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. 6Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. 7They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”
4But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.
As we study the beginning of the early church, it does not take long to realize that it is a miracle that it survived and grew and still exists today. We see that the church faced great persecution and hardship, and many things threatened to keep the church from growing. We know, however, that Jesus promised that nothing would ever stop His church, and even in the middle of persecution, the church continued to grow. From the beginning of the church to today, until eternity, nothing can stop God’s church.
In Acts chapter 4, we see that the church continued to grow despite threats and persecution. In this chapter, Peter and John find themselves in trouble. They had been preaching about Jesus and the resurrection of the dead through Him. Their teaching made some religious leaders very unhappy, so they arrested Peter and John to stop them from teaching and preaching about Jesus. Many might have expected this imprisonment to keep Peter and John’s messages from spreading, but Scripture tells us that the opposite happened. Their arrest did not stop the message of Jesus from spreading. Many people still came to believe in Jesus. Verse 4 tells us that “many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000” (verse 4). Take a moment to consider this incredible growth. The more the religious leaders tried to stop this movement, the more it grew. Nothing was going to stop the church.
The same thing is true today. Nothing can ever stop Christ’s church. When threats come, when the world misunderstands the church, and when threats come, we can hold on to the confidence that God’s church cannot be stopped. May you take great comfort in this truth today.
Moving toward action
Take some time to reflect on Acts 4:4. Write it down. You can write it in your journal, on an index card, or elsewhere if preferred. As you write out each word of this verse, reflect on the truth that nothing can stop the church. Let this verse be an encouragement to you when you feel discouraged. Nothing, no nothing, will ever hold back God’s church, the Body of Christ.
Going Deeper
Acts 4:1-7 (NLT)
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