Acts 4:15-18 Meaning: Suppressing the Truth They Couldn't Deny
15But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16saying, “What shall we do to these men? Because indeed a notable miracle has been done through them, as can be plainly seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we can’t deny it.
17But so that this spreads no further among the people, let’s threaten them, that from now on they don’t speak to anyone in this name.”
18They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
15But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
17But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
18And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
15But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been wrought through them, is manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
17But that it spread no further among the people, let us threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
18And they called them, and charged them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
15and having commanded them to go away out of the sanhedrim, they took counsel with one another,
16saying, `What shall we do to these men? because that, indeed, a notable sign hath been done through them, to all those dwelling in Jerusalem is manifest, and we are not able to deny it ;
17but that it may spread no further toward the people, let us strictly threaten them no more to speak in this name to any man.'
18And having called them, they charged them not to speak at all, nor to teach, in the name of Jesus,
15but having commanded them to go out of the council they conferred with one another,
16saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed an evident sign has come to pass through their means is manifest to all that inhabit Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17But that it be not further spread among the people, let us threaten them severely no longer to speak to any man in this name.
18And having called them, they charged [them] not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
Meaning in one sentence
The Sanhedrin could not deny the healing miracle, so they threatened the apostles to stop speaking in Jesus' name.
Context
The healing of a man crippled from birth had stirred all Jerusalem. Peter and John were arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, the same council that had condemned Jesus. Now the healed man stands beside the apostles, and the council is stuck. They see the evidence with their own eyes. Everyone in the city knows about the miracle. So the rulers order Peter and John out of the room and talk among themselves. They are not debating whether the healing happened. They are deciding what to do with these men whose message they cannot refute.
Key Words
Three words in this passage carry the tension. The first is gnōston (v.16), which the translations render as “notable” or “known.” It describes something everyone recognises and cannot be hidden. The council is not dealing with a rumour. The miracle is out in the open. The second is sēmeion, the Greek word for “sign.” Throughout Acts, miracles are not just marvels; they point beyond themselves to something true about Jesus. The council understands that this sign points to a reality they do not want to accept. The third word is dianemēthēi (v.17), a rare verb meaning “to spread” like a distribution or a current. The council sees the message moving through the people and wants to stop its flow. They try to dam it with threats, but a current this strong does not obey human authority.
How Christians Read This Verse
Calvin, writing from a Reformed perspective, sees the council’s behavior as a warning: when those in power lack the fear of God, the higher their office the more boldly they rage. He argues that their decree is null before God. Wesley, in his Explanatory Notes, says the council treats Christianity like a gangrene, and that genuine faith will always look like a spreading disease to the world. Matthew Henry, from a Presbyterian tradition, observes that God lets the apostles face smaller trials first. The council’s threat is part of their training for harder things ahead. These readings agree that human authority cannot contain what God has set in motion.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers assume the council’s deliberation shows they were uncertain or fair minded, weighing both sides before acting. In fact, they were fully convinced. They say plainly, “we cannot deny it.” The miracle was undeniable. Their problem was not lack of evidence but refusal to submit. They knew the truth and chose to suppress it.
Living This Out
You may find yourself in a situation this week where the truth about God is plain, but speaking it feels costly. A coworker dismisses your faith. A family member rolls their eyes. The pressure is to stay quiet and keep the peace. The council’s strategy is still common: threaten, silence, move on. But the apostles show another way. They did not argue or defend themselves. They simply did not stop. This week, notice where you are tempted to downplay what you know is real. Ask for the courage to let the truth spread anyway.
Main takeaway: Truth about Jesus cannot be silenced by threats, no matter how powerful the people who make them.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
The leaders told Peter and John, “Do not talk about Jesus anymore.” But Peter and John knew they had to obey God, not men. So they kept telling people about Jesus.
For ages 9, 12
The leaders knew a real miracle had happened. They saw the healed man standing there. But they did not want people to believe in Jesus, so they tried to scare the apostles into silence. The apostles were not brave on their own. They trusted God, and that gave them the courage to keep going.
Questions People Ask
Why did the Sanhedrin send Peter and John out of the room before talking?
They wanted to discuss the situation privately, without the apostles present. The council was the highest religious authority, and they needed to decide how to handle a miracle they could not deny. Sending them out was a standard procedure before making a decision.
What was the 'notable miracle' they referred to?
It was the healing of a man who had been lame from birth, more than forty years old, who used to beg at the temple gate called Beautiful. Everyone in Jerusalem knew him, so when he was suddenly healed and began walking and leaping, the miracle was impossible to hide.
Why were the leaders afraid of the message spreading?
They saw the Christian movement as a threat to their authority and to the established religious order. More than five thousand people had already believed, and if the message continued to spread, they feared losing control of the people. Their concern was political and religious self preservation.
Did the apostles obey the command not to speak in Jesus' name?
No. Right after this scene, Peter and John answer, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves, for we cannot help telling the things which we saw and heard.” They continued to preach, and later the book of Acts says they never stopped teaching and preaching Jesus.
What does 'in this name' mean in verse 17?
It means speaking or teaching about Jesus Christ, using His authority and proclaiming His identity as Lord and Savior. The name of Jesus carried power in the early church, and the council wanted to erase any mention of Him. But the apostles knew that salvation is found in no other name.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study