Acts 4:19

"They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus."

Key Reflection

This command by the authorities sought to silence the apostles, preventing them from preaching about Jesus or spreading his message, highlighting the initial resistance faced by early Christian evangelists despite divine directive and miraculous support. Their defiance underscored the power of their conviction over external threats.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 19. Whether it be right, etc. The apostles abated nothing of their boldness when threatened. They openly appealed to their judges whether their command could be right. And in doing this, they expressed their full conviction of the truth of what they had said, and their deliberate purpose not to regard their command, but still to proclaim to the people the truth that Jesus was the Messiah. In the sight of God. That is, whether God will judge this to be right. The grand question was, how God would regard it. If he disapproved it, it was wrong. It was not merely a question pertaining to their reputation, safety, or life; but it was a question of conscience before God.

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