Acts 4: Courage and Boldness

So, continuing from last week’s blog about the first recorded incident of persecution, much of the rest of the chapter deals with what happens after the hearing before the Sanhedrin. Verses 24-37 record the prayer the early Church prayed once Peter and John were released from prison and joined them in their meeting place.

The prayer starts out with praise and moves into their requests. They didn’t pray for protection against persecution. They didn’t pray that God would wipe out all enemies of His message. They didn’t pray for their next meal. What did they pray? Acts 4:29 tells us what they prayed: “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Thy bond-servants may speak Thy word with all confidence,” [NASB] They asked that God grant them the boldness and courage to speak about Christ in spite of the persecution.

Several commentators (Fronczak, Clarke, McGee) address this verse. One commentator (Fronczak) said that what the early Church was praying was, “Now Lord, give us power to speak and to confirm Your Word.” Another (Clarke) said, “While we are endeavoring to fulfill thy counsels, and can do nothing without thee, sustain our courage, that we may proclaim thy truth with boldness and irresistible power.”

Clarke said this about “take note of their threats”: “It is not against us, but against thee, that they conspire; it is not to prevent the success of our preaching, but to bring to naught they counsel; the whole of their enmity is against thee. Now, Lord look upon it; consider this.” Fronczak put it this way: “Their threatenings are against You, not us. They are determined to bring to naught Your Word and course.” We also need to remember that the attacks against us are not really personal attacks on us; they are attacks on the truth of God’s Word and the truth of the resurrection of Christ. Those that persecute us, are in fact, denying the Godhead. It is against Him that they argue and choose not to believe.

What else can I say? We need to be more like the early Church and pray for boldness and courage, not escape plans for possible persecution. The early disciples walked head on into situations that might bring them persecution. Everything from prison, beatings, and death would come their way. They did not pray to be rescued from those situations. They prayed for the courage to face those situations in such a way as to be able to speak God’s Word in the midst of the persecution. What do I pray for today that is significantly different from the early Church’s example? I pray for protection. I pray for peace and no conflicts, I pray I will not have to suffer. I pray for health and happiness. I rarely pray for the boldness and courage to share Christ without being defensive or timid. I need to make sure I’m praying for the most important thing: to proclaim Christ with courage and boldness, no matter what situations I find myself in. The whole modern day Church needs to be praying for that.