But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The leaders acknowledge the miracle is undeniable and widely known, yet their primary concern isn't truth, but controlling the narrative and preventing the spread of this movement. They resort to "threatening with threats," a powerful ancient way of expressing intense intimidation, not out of genuine authority, but out of fear that the name of Jesus will gain more followers.
But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The religious leaders are reeling from the public healing of a lame man by Peter and John, and the subsequent boldness of the apostles. Though they can't deny the miracle, they fear its impact, recognizing that the disciples' message, rooted in Jesus' name, is gaining traction among the people. Therefore, they resolve to intimidate Peter and John with stern threats to silence them, hoping to stop the spread of this disruptive teaching.
The authorities are terrified. Not just of the apostles' actions, but of the idea spreading. What was it about Jesus' name that struck such fear?
The leaders in Jerusalem recognized the power behind Peter and John. They saw a man miraculously healed, and they knew the apostles were ordinary people. The only explanation they could grasp, however reluctantly, was that these men were acting 'in the name of Jesus' (Acts 4:10).
A Growing Movement
Their primary concern wasn't just stopping Peter and John. It was about preventing the spread – the 'distribution' of this message and power among the people. They feared a full-blown movement, with more people believing in Jesus, the one they had just crucified.
The Name as a Threat
It's crucial to see that 'this name' wasn't just a label. For the council, the 'name of Jesus' represented a direct challenge to their authority and their established religious order. To speak in His name was to acknowledge His power, His authority, and the truth of His resurrection – all things they desperately wanted to suppress.
They decided to 'warn them with threats.' What does this intense phrasing reveal about their desperation and the apostles' inner strength?
The language used here – 'let us threaten them with threats' – is incredibly forceful. It's a way to express the utmost intensity, possibly echoing an ancient Hebrew idiom where repeating a word emphasizes its meaning.
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A Desperate Measure
This wasn't a calm, reasoned debate. This was a high-stakes attempt to intimidate. The council members knew they couldn't logically refute the evidence of the healed man (Acts 4:14, 16). Their inability to deny the miracle forced them into using brute force – threats and intimidation – to silence the messengers.
The Authority of the Apostles
What's fascinating is their underlying recognition, even in their fear, that Peter and John were 'unlearned and ignorant men' (Acts 4:13). Their boldness, therefore, couldn't be explained by human education or influence. This implies, to the council members themselves, that the power must be divine. Yet, instead of yielding, they doubled down on threats, revealing a deep-seated resistance to God's power.
Understand the original words
onoma · Greek Noun
The formal title, reputation, authority, and character of a person. In the New Testament, invoking the 'name' of Jesus signifies acting under His delegated authority and bearing witness to His identity as the Messiah.
laleō · Greek Verb
To proclaim, declare, or communicate the message of the Gospel. It implies a public and authoritative declaration of the truth of God, often in the face of opposition.
didaskō · Greek Verb
The act of instructing others in the doctrine, commandments, and truth of God. In a biblical context, it is the systematic communication of the faith to equip others in knowledge and practice.
c. AD 30
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth is crucified in Jerusalem under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, following a death sentence issued by the Jewish Sanhedrin.
c. AD 30
Resurrection of Jesus
According to Christian belief, Jesus is resurrected from the dead, a foundational event for his followers.
c. AD 30
Ascension of Jesus
Jesus ascends into heaven, as witnessed by his followers. The disciples later receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
c. AD 30
Healing of the Lame Man
Peter and John, empowered by the Holy Spirit, heal a man lame from birth at the temple gate in Jerusalem.
c. AD 30— this verse
Arrest and Trial of Apostles
Peter and John are arrested by the temple authorities and brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court.
c. AD 30
Sanhedrin's Threat
The Sanhedrin, unable to deny the miracle, issues a stern warning to Peter and John, commanding them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
Just as the elders feared the spread of news and sought to silence Samuel, so the religious leaders in Acts feared the spread of the gospel and sought to silence the apostles.
Jeremiah 1:7God's command to Jeremiah to speak His word without fear mirrors the apostles' commission, highlighting the futility of human attempts to silence God's message.
John 9:22The parents of the man born blind were threatened by the religious authorities not to speak about Jesus, showing a pattern of silencing witnesses to Jesus' power.
Acts 5:29Peter's response, 'We must obey God rather than men,' directly counters the threat in Acts 4:17 and underscores the apostles' commitment to divine authority over human prohibition.
2 Timothy 2:9Paul's statement that the 'word of God is not chained' resonates with the situation in Acts, illustrating that even severe threats cannot ultimately stop the spread of God's message.
meyerActs 4:17: "But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name."
Acts 4:17-18 . In order, however, that it be not further brought out among the people, i.e. spread by communication hither and thither among the people, even beyond Jerusalem. The subject is τὸ σημεῖον , not διδαχή ; but the former is conceived of and dreaded as promoting the latter. ἐπὶ πλεῖον , magis, i.e. here ulterius . See Acts 20:9 , Acts 24:4 ; 2…
bengelActs 4:17: "But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name."
Acts 4:17 . Διανεμηθῇ ) They regard the whole as a gangrene or canker . For so it is described in 2 Timothy 2:17 , “Their word will eat or have pasture ( νομὴν ἓξει ) as doth a canker or gangrene ” ( γάγγραινα ).— ἀπειλῇ , with threatening ) Your efforts are vain, ye rulers. These men have a resource to flee to: Acts 4:29 .— τούτῳ , this ) They do not de…
The leaders acknowledge the miracle is undeniable and widely known, yet their primary concern isn't truth, but controlling the narrative and preventing the spread of this movement. They resort to "threatening with threats," a powerful ancient way of expressing intense intimidation, not out of genuine authority, but out of fear that the name of Jesus will gain more followers.
The religious leaders are reeling from the public healing of a lame man by Peter and John, and the subsequent boldness of the apostles. Though they can't deny the miracle, they fear its impact, recognizing that the disciples' message, rooted in Jesus' name, is gaining traction among the people. Therefore, they resolve to intimidate Peter and John with stern threats to silence them, hoping to stop the spread of this disruptive teaching.
The religious leaders are reeling from the public healing of a lame man by Peter and John, and the subsequent boldness of the apostles. Though they can't deny the miracle, they fear its impact, recognizing that the disciples' message, rooted in Jesus' name, is gaining traction among the people. Therefore, they resolve to intimidate Peter and John with stern threats to silence them, hoping to stop the spread of this disruptive teaching.
"But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus." — The leaders acknowledge the miracle is undeniable and widely known, yet their primary concern isn't truth, but controlling the narrative and preventing the spread of this movement. They resort to "…
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Last reviewed October 2026