Acts 4 7

Acts 4:7 kjv

And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

Acts 4:7 nkjv

And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?"

Acts 4:7 niv

They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?"

Acts 4:7 esv

And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"

Acts 4:7 nlt

They brought in the two disciples and demanded, "By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?"

Acts 4 verses

Acts 4 7 Meaning

Acts 4:7 details the interrogation of Peter and John by the Jewish religious council, the Sanhedrin. Having healed a lame man and boldly proclaimed Jesus’ resurrection in the temple courts, they were arrested. This verse records the Sanhedrin's central question to them: By what inherent ability or supernatural enablement ("power") and by whose invoked authority or essence ("name") did they perform this miraculous deed and subsequent teaching. It signifies a demand for their credentials and the ultimate source of their actions.

Acts 4 7 Context

Acts 4:7 unfolds shortly after Pentecost, following the significant miracle of a lame man being healed at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple through Peter and John (Acts 3). This healing, accompanied by a powerful sermon from Peter proclaiming Jesus as the resurrected Messiah, caused a great stir, attracting both believers and religious authorities. The temple guard, along with priests and Sadducees, were disturbed by the apostles' teaching about resurrection, especially the resurrection of Jesus. They arrested Peter and John, and by the morning (Acts 4:3-5), brought them before the Sanhedrin – the highest Jewish ruling council. This council included figures like Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, who had previously condemned Jesus. The immediate context of Acts 4:7 is this formal legalistic interrogation of the apostles, seeking to understand the source of their unusual and effective power, especially since they were perceived as uneducated common men. This questioning is an attempt to control the burgeoning movement by discrediting its leaders and silencing its message.

Acts 4 7 Word analysis

• And when they had set them in the midst, (Greek: kai stēsantes autous en tō mesō)
  • set them: Implies being physically placed or presented. This refers to Peter and John (and possibly others who were arrested with them) being brought forward for formal inquiry.
  • in the midst: (Greek: en tō mesō) Lit. "in the middle." This phrase signifies their presentation before the full council, implying a judicial, formal, and public setting for interrogation. It mirrors how Jesus Himself was brought before the Sanhedrin.
• they asked, (Greek: epezētoun)
  • asked: Implies an official inquiry or a demand for explanation, not a casual question. The verb carries a sense of seeking or searching out thoroughly. They sought to find out the truth behind the apostles' actions to formulate a charge.
• By what power, (Greek: En poia dynamei)
  • By what: Inquires about the specific source or instrument.
  • power: (Greek: dynamei - dative form of dynamis) Refers to inherent ability, miraculous might, divine enablement, or supernatural force. It points directly to the incredible nature of the healing that occurred. The Sanhedrin acknowledged something supernatural had happened, and they wanted to know its origin – a source other than human ability.
• or by what name, (Greek: ē en poia onomati)
  • or by what: Provides an alternative or additional angle to their inquiry.
  • name: (Greek: onomati - dative form of onoma) Is profoundly significant in Hebrew and Greek thought. It signifies much more than just a label; it embodies the essence, character, authority, reputation, presence, and person of an individual. To act "in a name" meant to act by the authority and nature of that person. The council suspected an invocation of a deity or a recognized figure, potentially fearing a new cult or rebellion if it wasn't authorized by their traditional structures.
• have ye done this? (Greek: epoiesate touto)
  • done this: Refers directly to the miraculous healing of the lame man (Acts 3:6-8) and the accompanying public preaching and declaration about Jesus' resurrection that immediately followed. This question encompasses both the physical act and the spiritual claim associated with it.

• "By what power, or by what name": This phrase constitutes the core of the Sanhedrin's interrogation. It's a dual question probing both the instrument or source of energy (power) and the authority or identity (name) behind the astonishing deed. They were trying to ascertain if the apostles' actions aligned with accepted Jewish practices or if they derived from an illegitimate or dangerous source, perhaps even sorcery or an unrecognized deity. This formulation forced Peter to explicitly state the one name that both performed the miracle and validated his authority: Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The implied polemic is against Jesus himself; they sought to understand how He could empower such actions after they had condemned Him.

Acts 4 7 Bonus section

The Sanhedrin's question "By what power, or by what name" is incredibly ironic, given their previous role in condemning Jesus. They sought to discredit the source of power that they had just put to death. Their legalistic framework for understanding authority (which typically came through rabbinical ordination or priestly lineage) utterly failed to comprehend the spiritual authority now flowing from the resurrected Messiah through "uneducated and untrained men" (Acts 4:13). This highlights a core theological tension throughout Acts: the tension between human religious control and the explosive, Spirit-led, unpredictable expansion of God's Kingdom. The emphasis on "name" resonates deeply with Old Testament concepts where Yahweh's Name represented His very being and active presence. The apostles' actions in "the Name of Jesus" were thus not merely invoking a dead teacher but demonstrating the living presence and power of God Himself, manifested in Jesus Christ. This verse sets the stage for a divine counter-question: if not by God, then by whom could such things be done?

Acts 4 7 Commentary

Acts 4:7 serves as the pivotal moment of confrontation between the nascent Christian movement and the established Jewish religious authority. The Sanhedrin, in demanding to know the "power" and "name" behind the apostles' actions, implicitly acknowledged the undeniable reality of the miracle while simultaneously challenging its divine origin. They were accustomed to authority being vested in their human institutions and traditions, thus seeking a conventional source for what was clearly an extraordinary event. This line of questioning provided Peter with the perfect platform, Spirit-empowered (as detailed in Acts 4:8ff), to unequivocally declare that the miracle was performed by the power of the resurrected Jesus Christ, the very stone rejected by the builders, yet made the cornerstone by God (Acts 4:10-11). The Sanhedrin's focus on "power" and "name" reveals their struggle to comprehend spiritual reality through a legalistic and traditional lens, highlighting the inherent conflict between human religious structures seeking control and God's sovereign, transformative power at work through His Spirit. It exemplifies how truth, even when miraculous, can be met with suspicion and opposition by those whose vested interests are challenged. This passage teaches believers to stand firm in their faith, boldly testifying to Christ even when questioned by opposing authorities, trusting that God will provide the words.