Tuesday, July 7
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13
The New Testament church exploded in growth. There were 3,000 baptized on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41). Thousands more were added to the church a few weeks later (Acts 4:4). Soon the authorities recognized what was happening. These New Testament believers had been with Christ. Their lives were changed. They were transformed by His grace, and they could not keep silent.
Read Acts 4:1-20. What happened here? What happened when the authorities tried to silence Peter and John? What was their response?
These believers were new in Christ, and they had to tell their story. Peter, a loud-mouthed fisherman, was transformed by the grace of God. James and John, the sons of thunder who had difficulty controlling their tempers, were transformed by the grace of God. Thomas the skeptic was transformed by the grace of God. The disciples and members of the early church each had their own stories to tell, and they could not keep silent. Notice this powerful statement by Ellen G. White in the book Steps to Christ: “No sooner does one come to Christ than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus; the saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart”. — Page 78.
Notice, too, what the religious leaders said in Acts 4:16. They openly acknowledged the reality of the miracle that had been performed — the healed man was standing right there before them. Even with all this, they refused to change their attitude. And yet, despite this open defiance, Peter and John were not going to back down from their witness.
What relationship is there between knowing Christ and sharing Christ? Why is knowing Christ personally so essential to our being able to witness about Him?
