Acts 4:13-20

 Peter and John were forced to defend themselves before the Sandhedrin (which is the Supreme Council or Court presided by the High Priest) after healing a lame man. In verse 8 of this passage, Luke (the author of the Book of Acts) describes Peter as being filled with the Holy Spirit as he boldly presents his defense before the council. This was the same Peter we see in the gospels that strikes me as a goofball, a man who was the epitome of the word "glitch", however after the resurrection of Jesus and the miracle that occurred in the upper room I began to see a different kind of Peter. Another thing that caught my attention was how the council in their perplexed state of mind perceived Peter and John (v. 13) as uneducated and untrained men... Uneducated and Untrained? And yet the council leaders became so impressed at how astutely John and Peter defended the gospel (consistent to what Paul mentions in the book of 1 Corinthians 1:20-21 which reads "God chooses the foolish to shame the wise"). What these ever so highly respected men of the council realized in the end was that John and Peter had been with Jesus ergo this explains the boldness and eloquence of speech. Their courageous defense of the Full Counsel Of God's Word was extremely impeccable as a result of time spent with Jesus. Folks we don't nee a PHD or a Doctorate to present or defend the Inerrant Word of God in order for us to share the gospel to a relative, a friend, a co-worker, a schoolmate or a random stranger. We need only to rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit who guided Peter and John in their defense of the gospel before the Sanhedrin. Communing daily with Jesus through the study of His word, immersing ourselves in His presence regularly allows us to be filled with the Holy Spirit therefore giving us the boldness and wisdom to say what needs to be said when God opens the doors for us to witness. The reaction of the recipient of the good news that you will be sharing to will be one of two things... Either the person repents or demonstrates hostility towards you and rejects the gospel. Whatever the result may be the seed has been planted. My Evangelical Hero, Chuck Smith once said "The same sun that melts the wax is the same sun that hardens the mud." In conclusion in verses 18-19 of Acts 4, the Apostle Luke narrates how the council commanded and threatened Peter and John, warning them to no longer preach in the name of Jesus or face dire consequences... I love the way they responded to the council's threat with much chutzpah. The Evangelical Dynamic Duo's response is as follows (and I'm paraphrasing it a little bit lol) "Which is right in God's eyes? To listen to you (mere men) or to Him (God) go figure! As for us (Peter and John) we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Wow this right here shows us obedience at its best. When we obey God, He takes care of everything else. With that after giving two or more empty threats the council released them.