Empowered with Boldness!

Acts 4:27–31 (NASB95) 

27 “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. 29 “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, 30 while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. 

Acts 4:27-31 describes the powerful response to the believers' prayer. After reciting Psalm 2 and acknowledging God's sovereignty, something extraordinary occurs: the place where they are meeting is shaken. This shaking resembles Old Testament theophanies (physical encounters with God), particularly Isaiah 6, where the temple trembles at God's presence. This event signifies God's response to their prayer and His endorsement of their appeal to His authority. It’s not merely a coincidence; it’s a divine affirmation. The shaking, along with other Lukan imagery like the cloud in Acts 1:9 and the wind and sound in Acts 2:2-3, depicts a powerful divine presence answering the believers' pleas.  

This shaking parallels the initial outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, emphasizing the connection between prayer, the Spirit's presence, and bold proclamation. While the first outpouring at Pentecost was characterized by dramatic physical phenomena, subsequent outpourings reveal other gifts that the Holy Spirit provides to believers. In this instance, it was the believers' internal empowerment for their mission, which we continue to experience today. 

After the shaking, they are all filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly speak God’s word, which is a direct answer to their prayer in verse 29. In the Old Testament, "the word" refers to the Law and the prophetic message. Luke's consistent use of this phrase in Acts to denote the proclamation of the Gospel shows that he regarded this message as divinely inspired, carrying the same weight and authority as the Old Testament scriptures. 

The filling of the Holy Spirit empowers them for boldness, a primary effect of the Spirit's presence in Acts. This boldness is not mere human courage; it is a supernatural confidence granted by the Holy Spirit, enabling them to speak God’s truth without fear. This empowerment is crucial in the face of opposition and persecution. Acts also notes that the filling of the Spirit is linked to signs and wonders, suggesting that the believers may have also expected further miraculous manifestations of God's power to accompany their bold proclamation. 

But did you notice that they did not pray for the opposition to be removed? Instead, they prayed for boldness to carry on with their mission despite the opposition. Many times, God uses opposition to advance the progress of His Kingdom. What an inspiring perspective we find in the first-century church. What is your perspective today when things do not go our way? 

Blessings,  

Ryan Goodnight