Welcome to the STC Podcast this Thursday.  Our Bible reading today is Acts Chapter 4 verses 1-12.  Rather than focusing on a particular verse, we’re going to look at the groups of people Luke draws our attention to, in the continuing story of Peter, John and the beggar who was healed.

REFLECTION:

Peter and John were at Solomon’s Colonnade, a covered area located in the outer courts of the temple in Jerusalem.  The temple mount covered a vast area.  To give you an idea of the scale, the walls were probably the length of 4 ½ football pitches.  This colonnade was always thronging with people.  Worshippers obviously; but money changers, stall holders and traders were there as well.  It’s likely there would have been a good number of sightseers too, as anybody was allowed in this particular space, not just Jews.

So, Peter is delivering his speech to a very large audience, in a great public arena, and the spotlight is well and truely on him.

Now we have set the scene, let’s focus on the people…..

Verse 1 says “priests, and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John.”

The captain of the temple guard essentially represents the police force.  The guard were those responsible for public order within the temple.  By their presence in this story we can assume Peter and John are considered to be breaching the peace or committing a public order offence.

Peter and John are preaching at an important national monument, a great tourist attraction, and all the security guards are being sent in because it looks like a riot is about to break out.

Then there are the Sadducees.  This was a political body or grouping.  They were wealthy, aristocratic families, and hugely influential.  They were on friendly terms with the Romans, because they wanted to keep their own power and position, and maintain the status quo.  These apostles, their radical teaching, and the rapid growth of the early church were definitely a threat to this.

Here we can compare Peter and John to suffragettes or civil rights protestors who suddenly find politicians resistant to any changes, bursting into one of their meetings in order to shut it down.

And then there are the priests – representing the religious authorities. Think of Peter and John preaching a sermon in front of some very experienced bishops, and telling them they have got it all wrong.

The apostles are arrested, put in jail for the night, and the following day brought before “the rulers, elders and teachers of the law.”

The elders here refer to lay leaders in the community, who were highly respected men.  We might think of them as local councillors, but with a much higher social standing and greater authority.

Plus Peter and John are faced with the rulers and teachers of the law.  This is quite a gentle way of describing them – they are fanatical experts in the law, and absolute sticklers for detail when it comes to obeying it.

Together this group was called the Sanhedrin.  Commentators have described them as “the Senate and the Supreme Court of the Jewish nation,” “the wealthiest, the most intellectual, and the most powerful in the land.”

However, my favourite description is this one: “Here was the Israeli Supreme Court – 71 learned, bearded, cold eyed, scowling rabbis calling in two hillbilly fishermen.”

Hopefully you get the picture!

But what is God saying to us today through this?

For me, as I read this passage, the answer to that question was quite simple – would I be prepared to do the same as Peter and John?

From April to August this year, I have been getting ready to attend a special educational needs tribunal at Darlington Crown Court.  It has involved hours of work and several hundred pages of evidence.  I’ve had to think about how we are presenting our case and our arguments, and prepare to stand in front of a judge and say all of this.