Acts 4:17 Cross References

Acts 4:17

17: But perhaps we can stop them from spreading their propaganda. We'll warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus' name again."

"Didn't we tell you never again to teach in this man's name?" the high priest demanded. "Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about Jesus, and you intend to blame us for his death!"

"Don't say such things," the people say. "Don't prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!"
Should you talk that way, O family of Israel? Will the LORD have patience with such behavior? If you would do what is right, you would find my words to be good.

For some of the Jews had killed their own prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us and driven us out. They displease God and oppose everyone
by trying to keep us from preaching the Good News to the Gentiles, for fear some might be saved. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.

And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Greece, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don't need to tell them about it,

I dare not boast of anything else. I have brought the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I lived before them.
I have won them over by the miracles done through me as signs from God--all by the power of God's Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ all the way from Jerusalem clear over into Illyricum.
My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.
I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says, "Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand."
In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.

"This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You wrote a letter on your own authority to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, and you sent copies to the other priests and people in Jerusalem. You said to Zephaniah,
`The LORD has appointed you to replace Jehoiada as the priest in charge of the house of the LORD. You are responsible to put anyone who claims to be a prophet in the stocks and neck irons.
So why have you done nothing to stop Jeremiah from Anathoth, who pretends to be a prophet among you?
Jeremiah sent a letter here to Babylon, predicting that our captivity will be a long one. He said we should build homes and plan to stay for many years. He said we should plant fruit trees, because we will be here to eat the fruit for many years to come.'"
But when Zephaniah the priest received Shemaiah's letter, he took it to Jeremiah and read it to him.

The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn't know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God

Now Pashhur son of Immer, the priest in charge of the Temple of the LORD, heard what Jeremiah was saying.
So he arrested Jeremiah the prophet and had him whipped and put in stocks at the Benjamin Gate of the LORD's Temple.
The next day, when Pashhur finally released him, Jeremiah said, "Pashhur, the LORD has changed your name. From now on you are to be called `The Man Who Lives in Terror.'

But as you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain by supernatural means. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits.
The whole statue collapsed into a heap of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. The pieces were crushed as small as chaff on a threshing floor, and the wind blew them all away without a trace. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.

Why do the nations rage? Why do the people waste their time with futile plans?
The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one.
"Let us break their chains," they cry, "and free ourselves from this slavery."
But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them.

Then Amaziah sent orders to Amos: "Get out of here, you seer! Go on back to the land of Judah and do your preaching there!
Don't bother us here in Bethel with your prophecies, especially not here where the royal sanctuary is!"
But Amos replied, "I'm not one of your professional prophets. I certainly never trained to be one. I'm just a shepherd, and I take care of fig trees.
But the LORD called me away from my flock and told me, `Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.'
"Now then, listen to this message from the LORD! You say, `Don't prophesy against Israel. Stop preaching against my people. '

When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end.

Now go and write down these words concerning Egypt. They will then stand until the end of time as a witness to Israel's unbelief.
For these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay any attention to the LORD's instructions.
They tell the prophets, "Shut up! We don't want any more of your reports." They say, "Don't tell us the truth. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies.
Forget all this gloom. We have heard more than enough about your `Holy One of Israel.' We are tired of listening to what he has to say."

So these officials went to the king and said, "Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people, too. This man is a traitor!"

And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give your servants great boldness in their preaching.
Send your healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God."
The council accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.

"But you caused the Nazirites to sin by making them drink your wine, and you said to my prophets, `Shut up!'

This made the LORD very angry, and he sent a prophet to ask, "Why have you worshiped gods who could not even save their own people from you?"
But the king interrupted him and said, "Since when have I asked your advice? Be quiet now before I have you killed!" So the prophet left with this warning: "I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have not accepted my counsel."

So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he came back to life! If that happens, we'll be worse off than we were at first."

But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, "Lord, who has believed our message?"
Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news--the Good News about Christ.
But what about the Jews? Have they actually heard the message? Yes, they have: "The message of God's creation has gone out to everyone, and its words to all the world."

Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together to discuss the situation. "What are we going to do?" they asked each other. "This man certainly performs many miraculous signs.
If we leave him alone, the whole nation will follow him, and then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation."

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