God’s Hand and Plan
An Exegesis of Acts 4:23-31
by John Drury
Acts 4:23-31[i]
|
-23-
Apoluqentes de hlqon pros tous idious kai
aphggeilan osa pros autos oi apciepeis kai
oi presbutepoi eipan. -24-
oi de akousantes[ii]
omoqumadon hpan fwnhn pros
ton qeon kai eipan, Despota, su[iii]
o poihsas ton ouranon kai thn ghn kai thn qalassan kai panta
ta en autois, -25-
o tou patros hmwn dia
pneumatos agiou stomatos Dauid paidos sou eipwn,[iv] Inati efruaxan eqnh kai laoi emelethsan kena; -26-
parestnsan oi basileis ths ghs kai oi arcontes sunhcqnsan epi to auto, kata tou kuriou kai kata
tou Cristou autou. -27-
sunhcqhsan gar ep'
alhqeias en th polei tauth[v]
epi
ton agion paida sou Ihsoun on ecrisas, Hrwdhs
te kai Pontios Pilatos sun eqnesin kai laois[vi]
Ispahl, -28-
poinsai osa h ceir sou kai h boulh
[sou][vii]
prowrisen gevesqai. -29- kai ta nun, kurie, epide epi tas apeilas
autwn kai
dos tois doulois sou meta parrhsias pashs lalein ton logon sou, -30-
en tw thn ceira [sou][viii]
ekteinein se eis iasin kai shmeia kai
terata ginesqai dia tou onomatos tou agiou paidos sou Insou. -31-
kai dehqentwn autwn esaleuqh o topos
en w hsan sunegmenoi, kai
eplhsqhsan apantes tou agiou pneumatos kai
elaloun ton logon tou qeou meta parrhsias.[ix] |
-23- And when they had been let go they went to their own
people and reported as much as the chief priests and the elders had said to
them. -24- And when they heard this, with one accord they lifted up their voice
to God and said, “Lord, you who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and
everything in them, -25- who through the Holy Spirit by the mouth of our
father and your servant David said, ‘Why were the nations insolent and the
peoples scheme vain things? -26- The kings of the earth took a stand and the
rulers gathered in the same place,
against the Lord and against
his Christ.’ -27- For indeed
there were gathered in this city against your holy servant Jesus whom you
anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the nations and the people of
Israel, -28- to do as much as your hand and [your] plan
fore-ordained to take place. -29- And now, Lord, take notice of their threats and
give your servants full boldness to speak your word, -30- by
stretching out [your] hand to heal and by signs and wonders taking place
through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” -31- And when
they had prayed the place in which they had gathered was shaken, and they
were all filled with the holy spirit and were speaking the word of God with
boldness. |
Introduction
As
the believers’ gather for prayer, the recent threat of persecution is on their
minds. Yet when they cry out to God,
they do not ask to be protected from persecution, but rather for boldness to
speak God’s word and for God to perform signs and wonders. These confident requests are made possible by
their belief that God’s hand and plan directs all things. Just as God’s hand was behind the attacks
against Jesus (v. 28), so too will God’s hand be in control of their situation.
This
belief in God’s controlling hand and plan is referred to as divine necessity, a
major theme in Luke-Acts.[x] In
order to learn more about this concept and its significance for Christian
theology and praxis, we will analyze the literary context, structure, and
original meaning of the passage. We will
then attempt to understand the significance of the belief in divine necessity
for this passage and for today.
Literary
Context
Acts
4:23-31 is the final section of a long episode which began in 3:1.[xi] The stirring of the crowds that followed
Peter’s healing of the lame man result in his and John’s imprisonment. The next day they faced the Sanhedrin, who
threatened them yet were amazed at their boldness. This section records the prayerful conclusion
to this chain of events. It clearly begins
in v. 23 as there is a spatial move from the Sanhedrin to Peter and John’s “own
people.”
This
section is followed by a summary of the believers’ communal activity and the
growth of community (
Filling of the Spirit and speaking God’s word boldly as outcomes of prayer is a familiar pattern in Acts. This same pattern of causation is found at the beginning of the Pentecost episode (2:1-41). For the believer’s prayer, these elements happen at the end of an episode. The power to heal and amazement of crowds are typical outcomes, which in turn occasion a kerygmatic speech. These components of the pattern precede the prayer (3:1-4:22). Since this chain of causation moves in a cyclical fashion throughout Acts, it should come as no surprise that prayer and being filled with the Holy Spirit is found at both the beginning of some episodes (2:1-4) and the end of others (4:23-31).
Structure
The
key structural pattern in the believers’ prayer is problem-solution, which is a
special kind of causation (see Fig. 1).
The problem is the paradox that God is the sovereign creator of the
universe (v. 24b) yet nations and kings are conspiring against His anointed
people (v. 25-27). A general to
particular pattern is also at work in this manner: the mention of threats moves
from God’s anointed in general (v. 26), to Jesus (v. 27) and finally to the
believers themselves (v. 29). The problem-solution structure unearths the
important turning point in v. 28, where it is revealed that God is actually
behind the conspiracy against Christ. God’s plan is contrasted with that of
Herod and Pontius Pilate. This verse forms
the hinge between the delineation of the problem (v. 24b-27) and the prayer for
God’s resolution of the problem (v. 29-30).
The key to solving the paradox is that God’s hand and plan is at work
behind all things, including persecution.
By comparing their situation to Christ’s, the believers’ are able to ask
for boldness (v. 29) and miracles (v. 30), for they are confident that God will
work all things out for His aims.
Fig. 1
I. The Problem:
God is Sovereign Creator BUT Conspiracies Rage Against His People (v. 24b-27)
A. God as Sovereign Creator (v. 24b)
C 1.
addressed as despota
/ “Sovereign Lord”
O 2. created everything (“heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them”)
N B. Lament Over the Conspiracies against God’s Anointed (v. 25-27)
T 1.
General Lament Regarding Conspiracies (v. 25-26)
R a.
introduction of the quote: Holy Spirit and David (v. 25a)
A b.
Psalm 2:1-2, which utilizes parallelism and contains 3 couplets (v.
25b-26)
S 2. Particular Background of Conspiracy Against Jesus, God’s Anointed (v. 27)
T * These two are also compared to one another, utilizing Christological interpretation
The Hinge:
God’s Hand (ceir) and Plan Were Behind
the
Conspiracy Against Christ! (v. 28)
Note: He is therefore still Sovereign
(= first stage of solution).
II. The Solution:
Request for Boldness and for Miracles in the Face of Persecution (v. 29-30)
A. Plea for God to recognize the Sanhedrin’s threats (v. 29a)
* This forms a comparison between their threats and those against Christ!
B. Requests from God (who is in ultimate control) for their Present Situation (v. 29b-30)
1. Boldness with which to speak the word of God (v. 29b)
2. God will stretch out His hand (ceira) and perform signs and wonders (v. 30)
Commentary
23. After spending
a night in jail and standing up courageously to the Sanhedrin, Peter and John
return to tous idious, woodenly translated “their own.” It is an idiom used to denote one’s family,
people, or fellow soldiers in an army.[xiii] The tous idious of Peter and John would be the
Christian community. What portion of the
community was present we cannot know.
This is not a problem, for we are interested in what was prayed regardless
of who prayed it.
24a. Despite its supposed spontaneity, the prayer
seems concise and composed. This makes
sense because home prayer in the first century was spontaneous yet influenced
by liturgy.[xiv] Also, Luke would have felt comfortable
summarizing the basic content of the prayer just as he did Peter’s and Paul’s
sermons.[xv]
The
believers lifted up their voices omoqumadon, best translated “with one
accord.” A favored term in Acts, it is
used to exhibit the unity and peace of the church. It may, however, have been a Lukan attitude more than an actuality.[xvi] A more literal understanding of omoqumadon in
the present context implies that the prayer was offered up in unison. It is often asked how this could be possible
in a large group of people. The
importance of this question is diminished when we think of the prayer in its
literary context instead of as a mere window into a historical event. Certainly many prayers were uttered by the
early church. This one is recorded
because it introduces an important theme in Acts: the church can find in God
the ability to withstand persecution.[xvii] As we have said before, this particular
prayer could simply have been a Lukan summary of the
basic form and ideas in the prayers of Jerusalem Christians.
24b. The believers address God as Despota, often translated
“sovereign lord.” It simply means
master, and is the root for the English word “despot.” The same address is made to God in Luke 2:29.[xviii] The term is in no way stronger than the more
common kurie, yet its lack of frequency in the New Testament allows for a
some emphasis to be added.
Although
scarce in the New Testament, Despota is a common address in first century
prayers. Actually, the entire prayer
resembles the structure of those found in Josephus’ Antiquities.[xix] What this implies about Luke’s sources is
uncertain. This fact does, however,
point to the sensibility of the prayer’s internal logic. In other words, God as creator, an appeal to
ancestral relationship, faith in providential control and a request for
miracles would have been easily tied together for the first century reader.
The
believers emphasize God as the creator of all things. This appears at first like a contradiction to
the forthcoming statements about the gathering against God’s anointed, setting
up a paradox to be resolved by the principle of divine necessity (v. 28). Yet simply being reminded that God is the
creator is “a comforting thought for those persecuted by earthly rulers.”[xx] God as creator is linked to God as sustainer
of those who are being threatened.[xxi]
25a.
The believers introduce their quotation of Psalm 2:1-2 with the rather
difficult sentence, which translated woodenly would read “who the father of us
through the holy spirit mouth David servant of you said.” There is considerable confusion regarding both
its text (see above footnotes) and syntax.
Not the least of these difficulties is how stomatos
(“mouth”) relates to the other nouns in the sentence. Bruce contends that David must be regarded as
the Spirit’s “mouthpiece,” citing ancient literature where stomatos is used
in such a way.[xxii] However, it may be possible to think of the
Holy Spirit and David as parallels in a chiasm.[xxiii] If this where so, David could keep his mouth
and he and the Spirit could be regarded as concurrent revelatory mediums.
25b-26. The believers quote Psalm 2:1-2, a favorite
of the New Testament. This Psalm
contains three parallel couplets (see Fig. 2).
The Psalmist made excellence use of the freedom of word order in the
Hebrew language to from chiasms within each couplet.[xxiv] These poetic patterns would not have gone
unnoticed by a first century reader.
Fig. 2
|
A
Inati efruaxan eqnh A’ kai laoi emelethsan kena; B parestnsan
oi basileis ths ghs B’ kai oi arcontes sunhcqnsan epi
to
auto C kata tou kuriou
C’ kai kata
tou Cristou autou. |
A Why were
the nations insolent A’ and the peoples
scheme vain things? B The kings
of the earth took a stand B’ and the rulers
gathered in the same place C against
the Lord C’ and against
his Christ.’ |
Although
eqnh may be translated as “Gentiles,” here the more general
translation “nations” will suffice to express the insolence against God’s
anointed one. The parallelism also
implies a similarity between eqnh and laoi, not a distinction. The kings and rulers -- also parallel rather
than distinct terms -- suncqhsan, or “gather.” This same word is used in 4:5 in reference to
the gathering of the priests, elders and scribes. Luke makes sure to associate the Sanhedrin
with the act of gathering against God’s people.
The
last line of the Psalm speaks of God’s Cristou.
This is the primary title given to Jesus, but it is important to
remember than the word also means “anointed one” and “messiah.” Early Christians would have certainly seen this
as a Christological reference. However,
they would have also been aware of the general experience of nations gathering
together against God’s anointed kings like David. Although primitive Christianity affirmed the
trans-historical nature of the scriptures, they were not ignorant of
history. They saw Jesus as in line with
God’s work in the past and continued to venerate those who came before him.
27. sunhcqnsan is chosen to connect Psalm 2 with the
experience of Christ’s passion. It
appears at the front of the sentence, emphasizing the forthcoming
Christological interpretation of Ps. 2:1-2.
Jesus is referred to as ov ecrisas, which
means “whom you [God] anointed.” This
links to the term Cristos as found in v. 26. Christ too was gathered against by the
nations, the peoples and the rulers.
Christ
is not only anointed, but he is also God’s pais, translated “servant.” Although used in proximity to Christ’s
passion, this is not a reference to the suffering servant of Isaiah but rather
corresponds with David as God’s servant (v. 25).[xxv] It functions as a link to Peter’s preceding
sermon, which also uses the term pais.[xxvi]
Herod,
Pilate, Nations (Gentiles) and
28. As we have alluded to before, the ideas in
this verse form the hinge between the first and second parts of the
prayer. The principle of divine
necessity as expressed in this verse solves the implicit paradox between the
sovereignty of God and the victimization of God’s servants. The solution to the problem is that even the
gathering of nations and kings against God’s people is all part of God’s plan
and guided by His hand.
God’s
ceir (“hand”) is a symbol of his power and work in the
world. God’s boulh
(“plan”/“purpose”) is a dominant theme in Acts.
It is also found in
God
prowrisen (“fore-ordained”) the plots of Herod and Pontius
Pilate. This is the only use of this
particular construction in Acts. It can
be found, albeit in a different form, in the New Testament, especially while
referring to Ps. 2:7 (e.g., Rom. 1:3-4).[xxvii] Usually it is used in connection with God’s
decree of Jesus as Son of God and judge of the world (see Acts
Illustrative
of the Lukan principle of divine necessity, this
verse is crucial to the meaning of the passage.
This one principle provides the perspective the believers choose to take
regarding their own persecuted situation.
We will unpack the implication of this principle shortly (see below).
29. By asking God to turn his attention toward
the threats of the Sanhedrin, they are identifying their own victimization with
that of Christ. “The primitive
community, which speaks in its prayer of the universal alliance of Jews and
Gentiles against the Anointed of the Lord, sees the latter in light of the
persecuted of the Old Testament, and includes itself in the line of persecuted
(Acts 4:32-31)... the crucified Lord identifies himself with all victims.”[xxx]
In
this verse we finally reach the believers’ petitions. Since they have chosen to put their own
problems in the perspective of God’s hand and plan, they are content to request
for boldness to speak God’s word and signs and miracles. Remarkably, they do not ask for an end to or
even protection from persecution.
In
order to know precisely what the believers’ where asking for, let us examine a
few Lukan passages where parrhsia
(usually translated “boldness”) appears.[xxxi] In
During
his Pentecost speech, Peter urges that he may speak to the crowd with parrhsias (2:29). It is often here translated
“frankness” or “freely.” It is implied
that Peter may speak with parrhsia regarding David’s death because the
audience is fully aware of the fact.
Where “courage” or “boldness” may have fit well in
The
verb form (parrhsiazomai) is also found in Acts. Most of these uses can be categorized into
one of the two options illustrated above.
In 4:29-30, parrhsia must therefore mean either
“boldness”/“courage”/“confidence” (4:13; 9:27-28; 13:46; 14:31; 18:26; 19:8;
28:31) or “frankness”/“plainness”/“straight-forwardness” (2:29; 26:26). It seems almost certain that parrhsia here
refers to the confident boldness with which one preaches the gospel. It fits into the pattern of “bold speaking”
found throughout Acts. It also makes
sense for the prayer to be recalling “the preceding incident in which the
apostles’ boldness elicited consternation from the authorities.”[xxxiv]
30. In addition to boldness, the believers also
ask for signs and wonders to be performed by God’s ceir
(“hand”). This use of ceir links God’s
miracles to the divine guidance spoken of in v. 28. Just like his hand guided the plot against
Jesus, so will His hand empower the Christian community. The request for signs and wonders mirrors
what has already happened in Acts.[xxxv] It is surely no coincidence that Luke often
puts miracles with boldness of speech (14:3).
It is also quite normative for miracles to do be done in the name of
Jesus, a pattern found here in the believers’ prayer. Take for instance the healing in chapter 3,
which began the episode that comes to a close in the next verse.
31. With this verse we return to narrative as
Luke records God’s response to the believers’ prayer. God shakes the place where they were
praying. Bruce calls this a “sign of
divine assent,” like those in Exodus 19:18, Isaiah 6:4, and Ezra 6:15, 29.[xxxvi] Furthermore, the Holy Spirit fills all of
them in a way similar to what is found in Acts 2:1-4. In addition, the request for boldness is
granted as they begin to speak God’s word.
God answers their prayer through the Holy Spirit. They are now enabled to do God’s work despite
the persecution they face.
The
Significance of “God’s Hand and Plan”
The believers’ confidence in God’s hand and
plan gave them the perspective by which they asked for boldness instead of protection. Yet the determinism that “God’s hand and
plan” implies seems to threaten personal freedom. Do humans have any choices, or is all of
history set in stone? The principle of
divine necessity, although found throughout the scriptures, seems difficult to
accept.
Some
have tried to downplay the meaning of divine necessity language. For instance, C. K. Barrett remarks that
“Luke is thinking not of a general determinism but of the special disclosures
of God’s purpose in the story of Jesus.”[xxxvii] Also, it is possible to interpret osa (“as much
as”) in
However,
necessity language is a dominant theme throughout the Book of Acts as well as
Luke’s Gospel. God’s hand and plan as
the primary initiator of action in the world is central to the kerygma in Acts.
This applies in a most special way to Jesus, as C. K. Barrett points out
(see Acts
The
principle of divine necessity is especially significant during a time of
persecution. The believers’ realize that
if the abuse Jesus experienced was guided by God’s hand, so too might the
threats of the Sanhedrin be divinely fore-ordained. Furthermore, if it was necessary for bad
things to happen to Christ, then his followers can consider it a blessing to
have bad things happen to them. Take for
instance how the apostles rejoice on account of being honored to suffer for the
Name (
God’s
Plan as Theological Perspective
The
principle of divine necessity plays a significant role in the believers’ prayer
as well as in the whole of Lukan theology. It would therefore seem prudent for us in the
21st century to take into account the meaning of God’s hand and plan when we
develop our theology and live our lives.
The
first issue that divine necessity addresses is the problem of evil. The church in Acts thought it sufficient to
answer the problem of ‘bad things happening to good people’ by acknowledging
God’s sovereign plan. They simply
regarded it as necessary for them to go through trials (
A
second principle we can remember is that necessity language is a matter of
perspective, not dogma. It is a way of
speaking that gives reverence to God. “I
will return to you if God wills,” Paul says in
The
final theological and practical lesson to be learned from the principle of
divine necessity is that God’s plan gives purpose to our lives. We serve a God who has a plan. This should give us the willingness to do His
work, to sacrifice anything, and to be bold in difficult circumstances. God’s plan does not imply that we can be
passive and lazy. Rather, it is part of
the plan that God’s people play a role in it.
We may not always know our calling as specifically as someone like Paul
did, but we can be assured that God has a place for us in His great plan. We have the privilege of being a tool to
bring God glory. That is not an insult
to our freedom, but rather a honor and opportunity, which just happens to also
give purpose to our lives.
Divine
Necessity and Christian Living
Evagrius of Pontus, a 4th Century monk, said, “If you are a
theologian, pray truly; and if you pray truly, you are a theologian.” The believers’ prayed truly because they had
the right theological perspective. We
too can “pray truly” by keeping the principle of divine necessity fresh in our
minds. For instance, we may not need to
so quickly ask for God to “fix” our problems.
Rather, we ought to ask God to acknowledge our problems and give us
increased strength to do His work amid them.
Divine necessity can give us a new prayer perspective. The believers’ problems “were seen in a new
perspective. In fact they did not spend
a lot of time looking at their difficulties or problems!”[xxxviii] Let this be a reminder to us as we go to the
Lord in prayer.
In
addition to its impact on our prayer life, the principle of divine necessity
may also encourage bold and faithful action, even in the midst of trouble. If God is directing all things then we can
have the faith to simply do His work despite the obstacles. Our concern for ourselves can diminish as we
focus on the task given to us. What is
this task? The believers’ prayer puts it
aptly: to speak God’s word with boldness.
Conclusion
In
their prayer, the believers overcome the threat of persecution by trusting in
God’s hand and plan. They identify with
the attacks on Jesus, which were all part of God’s plan. Such a reliance on God’s hand can also be our
perspective, resulting in our own willingness to speak His word with boldness,
even in times of trouble.
December 2001