Acts 4:14-17 - What are we going to do with these men?

4:14,15

The religious leaders were faced with a massive problem, as they often had been with Jesus. The lame man had clearly been healed miraculously, there was no other possible explanation. Indeed, he was standing there with Peter and John. Not knowing what to do, they dismissed Peter and John so they could try and work out what to do about them. 

4:16,17

It wasn’t just that the religious leaders could see the healed man, the crowds had all seen it too. They could not deny the truth of the “notable sign”. Those in power never have quite as much power as they think they have, or as we might think they have. This doesn’t mean that they cannot do terrible things, history quite clearly shows that they can, but they are never as all powerful as they try to make out. As our societies become increasingly anti-Christian we do well to remember this. So they decided to warn Peter and John to “speak no longer to anyone in this name”, i.e. in the name of Jesus.