how the members of the Sanhedrin viewed Peter and John.
13 When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized
that they were uneducated and untrained men,
they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.
14 And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them,
they had nothing to say in opposition.
15 After they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin,
they conferred among themselves,
16 saying, “What should we do with these men?
For an obvious sign has been done through them, clear to everyone living in Jerusalem,
and we cannot deny it.
17 But so that this does not spread any further among the people,
let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.”
18 So they called for them and ordered them not to speak
or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
expect others to discourage the sharing of Jesus.
Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin was a group of religious leaders who made decisions that affected not only religious issues,
but also legal, political, and social matters as well.
In the ancient world, these spheres were often intertwined.
The Sanhedrin included seventy-one leaders and was overseen by the high priest.
Both Pharisees and Sadducees-the two main religious parties in Israel-
were represented, though the Sadducees (the party of the high priest)
was probably more influential.
Peter and John’s boldness was not inherent.
Peter famously denied Jesus three times,
John and the other apostles effectively denied Jesus by their silence in the wake of Jesus’s arrest.
Instead of fearing for their lives, they feared only God.
John and Peter were successful fisherman who likely had some degree of training in the Torah.
Both were obviously literate since they wrote seven New Testament books between them.
they were not completely unschooled.
they certainly did not have the level of training represented by the men questioning them.
They did not have the credentials that most teachers and theologians of the day would have had.
they had something more important than educational credentials.
They had walked with and been mentored by the greatest Teacher the world has ever known.
The presence of the healed man left the leaders speechless.
Having nothing to say meant that the members of the Sanhedrin had no substantive legal charges to bring against Peter and John.
the lame man’s healing had also swung public sentiment toward Jesus’s followers.
They could not deny that Jesus’s name had power.
Jesus made all the difference for Peter and John.
Plus, the man’s presence shut down any arguments the Sanhedrin might have tried to use against their testimony.
So, they resorted to threats and intimidation.
After dismissing Peter and John, the leaders acknowledged their dilemma and determined a plan of action (vv. 15-17).
the apostles were ordered to stop talking about Jesus.
They believed that if they shut down the name, they could shut down the influence and power.