5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. (Acts 4:5-11 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Here observe, 1. What a combined force did unite and join together of rulers, Scribes, elders, high priests, high priests kindred, and who not? They all, though of different interests, yet hold together as one, to extinguish and put out the light of the gospel, as soon as it began to shine forth. Need we wonder that the devil struggled so hard at the dawning of the reformation to blow out the light of the gospel; when we consider what opposition he discovered against the first plantation and propagation of the gospel? As Herod would have strangled Christ in his cradle, so would the high priest have stifled Christianity in its infancy. They all gathered together at Jerusalem. Sad! that a message of such glad tidings as the gospel, should meet with so bad entertainment.
Observe, 2. How the apostles are here arraigned and questioned. By what name and authority; that is, by what power or virtue they had done this? Some think, they suspected the apostles to have wrought by the black art, being assisted by the devil. But did not this miracle give a sufficient convincing light to demonstrate that it was heaven-born, and shewed evidently that it was wrought by a supernatural and divine power? Cursed men! who accounting it a credit for themselves to do evil, make it a crime for the apostles to do good: Was there any reason for their asking, by what power, when the thing itself proclaimed it to be done by the power of God?
Observe, 3. The bold and resolute answer of St. Peter, to the foregoing malicious and ridiculous question.
Where note, 1. His holy courage.
2. The cause of it.
He was filled with the Holy Ghost. In the 5th and 6th verses, we find a full bench, not of justices, but of professed enemies, enough to have dashed ten prisoners at the bar out of countenance. But behold the ingenuous and holy boldness of a good Christian in a good cause. St. Peter, who formerly, when full of himself, was baffled by a damsel, and frighted into a denial of Christ by a silly wench; now being filled with the Holy Ghost silences and confounds his most potent and malicious accusers.
Lord! how woefully weak are we when we rely on our own strength, but how able to do all things when Christ strengthens us! In te stas et non stas, says St. Austin. “Thou art sure to come down when thou stands on thine own legs; but shall be mightily upheld and carried on, when supported and conducted by God’s hand.”
Observe, 4. A singular instance of the apostles’ boldness: namely, in preaching Jesus Christ to them that had imprisoned them. Be it known unto you, that this Jesus whom ye crucified, is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, and is become the head of the corner; neither is ther salvation in any other &c.
Where note, 1. The title given to the rulers of the Jewish church, Builders; So they were by office, and here are called so, to remind them of their duty; namely, to increase, strengthen, and beautify the building, the church of God; not to demolish, weaken, or deface it.
Note, 2. The contempt which these builders cast upon Christ the chief corner stone; they refused him and set him at naught, according to the prophecy, Psalm 118:22 which was a prophecy of the rejection of the Messiah, though the Jews would not so understand it; for they dreamt of such a pompous Messias coming according to their hearts desire, that it should be incredible that any Jews should ever reject or despise him.
Note, 3. the title given to Christ, the corner stone; so called, because he supports and sustains the whole building; and as the corner stone is equally necessary for both sides of the building, which are united to it and borne up by it, in like manner both Jew and Gentile are united in Christ, and saved by him.