there salvation in any other. For there is no other Name under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved.”
The chief priests and the ancients ordered Peter and John to be taken out, and said one to another: “What shall we do to these men? for a miracle, indeed, hath been done by them, conspicuous to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; it is manifest, and we cannot deny it. But that it may be no further divulged among the people, let us threaten them, that they speak no more in this Name to any man.”
Then, calling the two apostles, they charged them not to speak at all in the Name of Jesus. But they answered them, saying: “If it be just in the sight of God to hear you rather than God, judge you, for we cannot[1] but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
COMMENTARY.
The doctrine of the Divinity of Jesus Christ was taught by Peter in word and deed. He called Him the Son of God, and the Author of life; and he proved it by the great miracle worked in His Name, for were He not God, His Name would have been powerless to work the miracle.
The difference between cur Lord's own miracles, and those of the apostles. Jesus worked miracles in His own Name, and by His own power. He said to the young man of Naim: “Young man, I say to thee, arise 1” and by the power of His almighty word the dead came back to life. The apostles, on the contrary, did not work miracles in their own name, but in the Name of Jesus. Thus Peter said to the lame man: “In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” This word of Peter was not almighty, but on account of Peter’s faith Jesus willed to use His Omnipotence to cure the lame man.
The object of the apostolic miracles. God willed, by the miracles which the apostles worked, or rather which He worked through them,
- ↑ We cannot. The apostles boldly declared that they could not obey this command; and gave as their reasons a) that God Himself, namely Jesus, the Son of God, had commanded them to teach; b) that they were only teaching what was true, namely the things which they had seen Jesus do, and heard Him speak. The threats of punishment had no effect on the apostles, as you will see in the following chapters.
