The Power of the Gospel (Acts 4:8-20)
You are warmly welcome!
The complete Christian dictionary defines the word gospel as “the good news about Jesus Christ who came into the world to save sinners”. The gospel has power to change/transform lives. 1 Corinthians 1:18, Paul writes, for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” Paul was a witness of the power of the gospel because it had changed him from a persecutor of the church of Christ to a preacher of the gospel.
After the day of Pentecost, Peter filled with the Holy Spirit preached the gospel with power and three thousand people were added to the number of the apostles. ”Everyone was filled with awe and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles” (Acts 2:43). Acts 3:1-10 tells of how Peter and John were used of God to heal a man who was crippled from the gate called beautiful. From that time onwards this man ceased to be a beggar.
Acts 4:8-20 tells of how Peter with boldness answered the council who had asked him and John by what authority they preached. Peter and John’s actions and words threatened the religious leaders of the time. In vs. 12, Peter with great courage says ”salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to man by which we must be saved”.
Peter and John untrained and unlearned and the council were amazed at what being with Jesus had done for them. Even today ‘changed lives’ convince people of Christ’s power. The gospel of Christ has power to transform lives. Have you been transformed by the Gospel? Although the evidence was overwhelming and irrefutable (changed lives and healed man) the religious leaders refused to believe in Christ and continued to suppress the truth.
Even today some people refuse to believe in Christ after seeing people’s lives transformed. Are you one of those people? Is the gospel today as powerful as during the early church? Do we see signs and wonders when the gospel is preached today? (Mark 16:17). In verse 20, even when Peter and John had been threatened, they could not stop proclaiming the good news; ”for we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard”.
May God bless you.