When Peter and John were on trial for their faith in Jesus, their boldness was anything but ordinary. As they carried out the work of Jesus, healing people and teaching people in Jesus’ name, they made many people very angry because they disagreed with the messages they were spreading and the things they were teaching. As a result, they were imprisoned and threatened. This would have deterred many people, but their boldness grew stronger because of the power of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 4, religious leaders arrested Peter and John for teaching about the resurrection of the dead through Jesus and healing people in Jesus’ name. They asked the men, “By what power or in whose name have you done this?” (verse 7). With this question, Peter was filled with boldness by the power of the Holy Spirit. He said, “Let me clearly state to all of you and all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man that you crucified but whom God raised from the dead” (verse 11). A little further on, Peter said, “God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (verse 12). Everyone was amazed by the boldness of these men because they had no professional religious training in the Scriptures (verse 13). Their boldness must have come from somewhere else, particularly the Holy Spirit.
This boldness described in these verses in Acts 4 is not unique to Peter and John. The Holy Spirit gives every believer boldness as we seek to share and defend our faith. The power of the Spirit in us allows us to face questioning, difficulties, and so much more with boldness and confidence. If you are a follower of Jesus, this includes you. The Holy Spirit in you empowers you and gives you the boldness to share your faith, even in the face of difficulties and hardships. Lean into His boldness and power today.
Where do you need courage and boldness in your life today? Maybe you need the courage to share your faith or speak the truth when you know that the truth will be unpopular. Ask the Holy Spirit in prayer for that boldness you need, and then look for opportunities to act on that boldness.
"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, 9 are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
‘The stone that you builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.’
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. 15 So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves."
