Faith without religion.
The Boldness of Peter and John: Acts Chapter 4 – I Don’t Get The Bible Podcast
Salvation, Holy Spirit, Unity
In a recent episode of the “Get the Bible” podcast, Shawn and Delaney continued their exploration of Acts chapter 4, diving into the astonishment of the elders at Peter and John’s scriptural knowledge despite their lack of formal training. The discussion touched on the miraculous nature of their understanding, possibly attributed to the Holy Spirit, and the cultural references they made, such as the cornerstone story, which isn’t directly found in scripture but is part of Jewish tradition.
The conversation also delved into the Talmud, a significant Jewish text, and its controversial content, highlighting the complexities of religious interpretations. Shawn and Delaney discussed the boldness of Peter and John in the face of threats from the Sanhedrin, emphasizing their unwavering commitment to spreading the message of Jesus despite potential repercussions.
The episode concluded with a look at the early Christian community’s practice of sharing possessions, a concept that has been attempted by various religious groups throughout history but often proves challenging. This communal lifestyle, described in Acts, raises questions about its feasibility and relevance in modern times, especially given the unique spiritual context of the early church. As they wrapped up, Shawn and Delaney hinted at the upcoming challenges faced by the early believers, setting the stage for their next discussion on Acts chapter 5.
Podcast Transcript:
Acts chapter 4 continued well I don’t
get the Bible podcast all right okay so
we just finished with verse 12 which was
talking about salvation MH
and let’s continue on so the elders were
astonished because they could see that
Peter and John didn’t have training in
the scripture but they were like quoting
things like that corner the ster a
build he did it just like that
too they realized they were unschooled
ordinary
men is what they said but since they
could see the man who had been healed
standing with their they had nothing
they could say um so some I just wanted
to clarify that someone would have
needed to have training to know that
verse yeah
and these guys didn’t obviously Peter
and John yeah that’s like and wouldn’t
it be that Jesus had trained them enough
or how did they was it just miraculous
that they knew these well it’s debatable
I think but you know it could have been
one the power of the Holy Spirit just
giving them everything they need because
Jesus told them that is what they would
have to bring this out okay and he said
don’t be afraid of what you’re going to
say don’t even worry about it you’ll
know so that’s a fulfillment of that the
other thing is what’s interesting about
that that rock and how they took the the
Cornerstone away and he’s become the
Chief Cornerstone I think that is I
don’t think there’s anywhere in the
scripture where that’s spoken of I think
it’s more of a historical knowing that
they would uh know that reference
because I don’t if I’m not
mistaken that is not something that is
understandable in the Bible alone we
can’t read a place where it says and and
the and the rock that was removed and it
became the Chief Cornerstone I’m not
sure I could be showing my ignorance now
and our our viewers can tell me no Sean
it says it in Isaiah but I don’t think
it does so that shows that they knew the
culture of the faith too not just the
biblical uh scripture is if that make
sense yeah but sorry if I’m
misunderstanding you but there wasn’t a
stone that was rejected that became the
a leral Stone in building that they’re
referring to in this chapter right now
that’s not part of this story they just
using that they’re using it but they’re
using it from a place that’s not in
scripture is what I’m saying I don’t
think you can go anywhere in scripture
and find that why is it saying then that
they could that they didn’t
know that they were
unschooled about them making that
reference yeah because that’s what I’m
saying is to know that reference in
their history it’s cultural it’s
cultural and you would have to know a
lot okay you would have to really be
trained to know that reference since it
wasn’t in their uh Torah it wasn’t in
their Scrolls okay and uh and what the
story was is that when the Builders of
the temple they would go to the Quarry
to make all their pieces and cut them
and that they cut a piece that was
supposed to be the Cornerstone of the
foundation but when they sent it to the
temple Builders they didn’t know what to
do with it and they threw it in the
weeds oh and they and it laid in the
weeds and grew up all around it and then
when it came time for laying the
Cornerstone they’re like where’s this
piece they had forgotten they had
discarded the Chief Cornerstone of the
whole building wow and that was a rock
right and that Jesus is the rock of the
foundation of the building that’s the
reference of what’s going on here okay
so that is not Ju Just to be clear that
is not a verse from the Old Testament
this is where I’m really going to show
my stupidity no no but that from what
you I’m pretty sure there is no
reference like on the nose and the
Messiah will be like a rock that was I
don’t think there’s anything like that
but how do you know that story happened
because the Jews have something called
the talmud and the
talmood
mood oh my
daughters the tud was so that cows could
understand the Torah just kidding mood
no uh the tud was the uh commentary on
the
scripture commentary by their rabbis on
the scripture and Jews hold the talmud
up higher than they do the
Tanakh they don’t just look at yeah they
hold the interpretations up and and I’m
I’m going to tell you something and this
is going to get us in hot water but that
thing is corrupt oh like it is they talk
about men having sex with children under
three oh my gosh yeah and it’s corrupt
and and they still cling to that as
having the most Authority so we have
that within the nation of Israel their
talmud their commentary on scripture
saying things like that and yet we go
around we pick on Mormons for saying you
can have extra wives Muslims for saying
that you know all of it is a mess yeah
yeah um and so okay so they’re like even
more astonished because they’re kind of
referencing the talmood which is
probably if the Torah and the Tanakh
are uh accessible only to the scholars
andmood really is only accessible really
okay all right like how does he know
this this vague reference yeah by the
way speaking of Torah Torah was the
first five books tanak is all of it is
that correct no uh tanak is all of it
yeah Torah is oh yeah the pentat that’s
another word it’s the first five books p
is Tora first five books yeah I just saw
another podcast a Christian podcast
where some girl runs it and she has
someone else on it as an interview and
he’s like yeah the Torah is the Jewish
law it’s this book this book this book
Genesis Exodus Dey yeah and she’s like
what she’s like we come from the same
religion yeah oh my God it was
astonishing she was like I had I’m
like like I get not knowing that the
first five books are the Torah yeah
outside of the Tanakh but she literally
didn’t even know Judaism was like
connected to it’s pretty wild so it’s I
feel like we aren’t doing worthless work
here no we’re not because no one knows
anything but uh
okay where were we
okay they’re impressed the elders didn’t
know what to do because it was like like
we said the guy who was healed was also
standing there and they had to withdraw
from they ordered the three of to
withdraw from the Sanhedrin so that they
can confer together and these men say
what are we going to do with them
everyone in Jerusalem knows they’ve been
performing
signs um but we need to stop this from
spreading any
further so they basically just tell
them they can’t do it anymore there’s
nothing else that they say though but
they called them in again commanded them
to speak to not speak nor teach about
Jesus anymore and Peter and John
replied
which is right in God’s eyes to listen
to you or to him you be the judges as
for us we can’t help but speak what we
have seen and heard I love that bravery
it’s a pivotal moment I love it it is
and it continues to happen he keeps
doing that and it’s pretty awesome cuz
they literally can’t do anything about
it it’s like they know I would imagine
if they could do something about it
there might be some more strategy would
you think oh yeah like I don’t know
Jesus used wisdom in moments like that
but they could have put him to death
right there well I mean we’re going to
come to chapter seven and they put a guy
to death but and that’s
because well you started out by saying
they weren’t as worried about arresting
Peter and John because they had less of
a crowd but it might actually be that
they’re worried about the reputation of
putting someone to death because they
can’t like everyone saw that it was a
miracle that happened tremendous insight
yeah that’s always a possibility when
when it doesn’t say it but the
circumstance shows yeah that very well
that’s why we try to remain humble in
what we say is happening because there
are a lot of views of what possibly
could be happening that’s just as viable
as mine well no I’m just going well
thanks for saying that but I’m going off
what you’re saying yeah I know but still
you brought something to the table that
could be true that I didn’t even mention
yeah well so but it so it is possible
that they could have put Peter and John
to death right here just for this
because it wasn’t just to death but it
was to death of of the life you knew
fishing they weren’t going to be
fishermen anymore when they speak out
like that all they’re going to do is go
out to the fishing community and it’s
all Jewish and they don’t have anything
to do with these guys so their
livelihood their family the festivals
everything leads to an an
excommunication from the community the
ultimate expression of of that is death
which they’ve proven they’re capable of
doing they’re going to get even more
bold in doing it with stepen because
they’re going to unlawfully take his
life don’t spoil it I mean
spoiler I’m not there
yet I just met Stephen this morning
while I was
reading I did not know he this is not a
movie that you paid $10.99 to see kind
of I need don’t get the Bible I don’t
know anything about it I don’t want it
the fact that you know you just met step
is a beautiful thing I mean wow look at
where you’re going I’ve never even heard
of Stephen yeah thanks Christian
Church
anyway okay so after further threats
they let them go they could not decide
how to punish them all the people are
praising God for what happened the
because the man was healed yeah um so on
their release Peter and John go back and
apparently they have a whole group of
people around them um Peter and John
went back to their own people reported
all the cheat all that
happened um and then they all started
praying um to sort of celebrate that I
suppose Sovereign Lord you made the
heavens and earth and the Sea and
everything in them you spoke by the Holy
Spirit through the mouth of the servant
Our Father David why did the Nations
rage and the people’s plot in vain Etc
should I keep reading this so uh are you
saying that uh did we already talk about
where Peter and John come out of the
jail and they’re rejoicing for the
tribulation and they go to the house and
they knock on the
door and uh and Roda answers the
teenager is that here oh that’s not here
oh dang
but I think that might happen in the
next chapter okay all right cuz this
happens again they get arrested again
okay uh now I’m forgetting but this is
not here it’s not here okay it’s not
Acts chapter 4 all right no
um but it says indeed Herod and pontious
pilate met together with the Gentiles
and the people of Israel in the city to
conspire against your holy servant Jesus
this is all the prayer um
is there should I read this is there it
feels like a really
significant just kind of like why they
pray like this but um it’s kind of a
dumb question they kind of like the
prayer of Moses and the prayers like
that the Jews will pray and they almost
pray both they’re always praying to
honor him and thank him show recognition
for what he’s done and by doing that
they’re repeating their history in their
prayer to the people who are listening
they they do that a lot yeah like they
like describe what happens as their
prayer yeah and in context like you’re
saying so with the what they’re
fulfilling or what they expected to
happen or that’s interesting yeah um
okay and after they prayed the place
where they meeting was shaken they’re
all filled with the Holy Spirit and
spoke the word of God boldly okay and
what is that speaking the word of God
once filled with the Holy Spirit after
the place had shaken what is that lots
of debate some say they spoke in tongues
a unknown language to earthlings but
known spiritual ears spiritual tongue
could be the question I have from all
that is let’s just say on faith all that
happened why isn’t happen today the
Earth shaking and yeah why doesn’t the
Earth shake anymore and why don’t they
why don’t we have these miraculous gifts
of the Spirit now a lot of people say
it’s cuz we’re faithless perhaps but it
seems to me like that’s not necessary
anymore cuz it’s all fulfilled these
were the signs necessary for a group
that believed in signs were shown signs
throughout their 2,000 year history
before so all of that needed to be part
and parcel of what they were
experiencing but if the church is still
ongoing and we are exactly like this
Apostolic Church this is what all the
charismatic churches say that’s right we
are and we should be doing signs so they
fake them and they fake tongues and they
fake healings and raising the dead and
and there’s no excuse for it if we are
still in this age we should be doing
that there’s no getting around it and
we’re not and also to say that we’re
faithless for that is not correct there
are there are at least the amount of
people in that time currently 5,000 or
whatever there are at least that many
people that are very faithful right now
who don’t have the Earth shaking around
right so it can’t be a faith thing
yeah um okay the end of chapter 4
describes the believer sharing their
possessions which is a very
specific uh side note I feel like that I
I would imagine a lot of people latch on
to people that we even know do this um
all the Believers were in one heart and
mind no one claimed any of their
possessions was their own they shared
everything they had um and to the point
where there was like it’s with the
intent they say that there was no needy
persons among them so people gave to a
sort of pot that was then redispersed
they were so good that they could not
yeah
it just every
religious community has tried that to
some extent or another at some point in
their history or another the Mormons the
Quakers all of them have tried it in
different ways yeah and it doesn’t work
and it may have worked then I don’t know
but they call it the AXS to uh lifestyle
or something like that huh a for
lifestyle uh a for lifestyle actually
this it’s act two because I think there
somewhere it says and they had all
things in common oh yeah and and so uh
common communal all things shared but
it’s never worked ever did it work for
them I don’t know I mean uh they’re GNA
we’re going to later on read about a
couple I don’t want to I don’t want to
spoil the thing but you know there’s
some downfalls to it because that is
material thinking Kingdom yeah and
that’s what all people have tried to do
do so the question I have for you is is
this in the Bible the story about having
all things in
common no not at all is it in the Bible
oh sorry yeah yeah it’s in the Bible
right yes so shouldn’t it be I mean I
mean if we’re doing Church yeah and
that’s in the Bible shouldn’t every
Church be doing this and there’s another
evidence that they were under super
strong spiritual Unity Jesus was coming
back to take her and we are not yeah and
how improbable would it be for people
even with us to try to live this way
yeah even our family taxes even our own
family yeah yeah yeah the right there
just in a few paragraphs shaking the
place was shaking and they were sharing
possessions
and but you actually aren’t spoiling it
I do know what’s about to happen Okay
and it doesn’t seem to work for them
fully see what if she
knows um but that’s the end of Acts four
okay so we can move on to acts five in
the next episode thank you Delaney
thanks everyone see you soon
