Peter and John's situation in Acts 4.5-22 was serious, and their future was by no means assured. The possessed considerable religious and judicial authority, even though its power was limited by the Roman occupation.
-
Imprisonment
The first measure taken is precisely their detention (Acts 4.3). The could pass longer prison sentences and renew the arrests, which in fact would happen a few weeks later (Acts 5.17-18).
-
Corporal punishment
The court could inflict flogging. This penalty was common in first-century Judaism (Deuteronomy 25.1-3). Indeed, Peter and the other apostles would later be beaten before being released (Acts 5.40).
-
Religious exclusion
The authorities could also impose various religious sanctions, up to exclusion from the Jewish community. Such a measure already existed in the time of Jesus (John 9.22; John 12.42).
-
The death penalty?
The question is more complex. Under Roman rule, the normally no longer had the right to legally carry out a death sentence without the authorization of the governor (John 18.31). However, in certain circumstances, executions could be carried out in a more or less irregular manner.
A few years later:
- Stephen would be stoned after his appearance before the (Acts 7.54-60);
- James, the brother of John, would be executed by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12.1-2);
- James, the brother of the Lord, would also be put to death around AD 62, according to the historian Flavius Josephus.
Thus, even though Peter and John were probably not immediately threatened with an official death sentence, they could not rule out that possibility. After all, Jesus himself had appeared before several of these same men a few weeks earlier.
-
Why were they finally released?
Several factors explain their release:
- the miracle was undeniable (Acts 4.16);
- the man who had been lame stood beside them (Acts 4.14);
- all the people were glorifying God (Acts 4.21);
- the authorities feared a reaction from the people (Acts 4.21);
- above all, they sought to silence the preaching in the name of Jesus (Acts 4.17-18).
Conclusion
From a human point of view, Peter and John risked at the very least a long detention, corporal punishment, and religious exclusion. The possibility of an execution, though less immediate, could not be entirely ruled out. Their boldness before the therefore appears all the more remarkable. A few weeks earlier, Peter had denied his Master out of fear (Matthew 26.69-75); now, filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4.8), he stands courageously before the same authorities who had obtained Jesus' condemnation. This scene is thus one of the first fulfillments of the Lord's words:
“You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles” (Matthew 10.18).