The early disciples were not naturally equipped with the courage or the strength of the mind that would be needed to go up against someone with great power. This was given to them through the power of the Holy Spirit when it was needed, but normally the early disciples were just common ordinary men and women.
This is what makes what Peter and John did so incredible. These were just ordinary commoners going up against the most rich and powerful in the land in that day.
There were a number of priests who, in serving their allotted week's Temple service (Luke 1:8, 23), were not far from Salomon's Colonnade. They were able to hear Peter's declarations about Jesus as the Messiah.
This alarmed them at what they considered dangerous teaching against Jewish authority. Think about it. There are a lot of countries in the world today that do not have freedom of speech as found in the United States of America. The news is full of horrow stories of what happens to people today who say the wrong things in the wrong places. To visualize what happened to John and Peter is not so hard.
The priests who heard them probably alerted the captain of the Temple guard. The captain would be the commander of the Temple police force and more than likely a member of one of the important priestly families.
The priests also alerted the Sadducee, who were from the priestly line. The Sadducee had held the high priesthood (Luke 22:4, 52; Acts 5:24) from the time of the Maccabees revolt (168-165 B.C) and also held other prominent positions in the Sanhedrin.
Even though all of this was true, Acts 6:15 tells us that "all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel".
Even though they were rich and powerful, Acts 6:10 says that they "were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake." (Third Mellennia Ministries, http://thirdmill.org/studybible/note.asp/id/43714, Third Millennium Study Bible Notes on Acts 4:1-22)
The apostles tells us why they could do these things when it is written in 2 Timothy 4:16 and 17, "...the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me; that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion".
It was not through their own courage and fortitude that they could do this. Paul says "...the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me...".
EXTERNAL REFERENCES:
( The BibleGateway edition, http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/14a/less09m.html, February 22-28)
(Third Mellennia Ministries, http://thirdmill.org/studybible/note.asp/id/43714, Third Millennium Study Bible Notes on Acts 4:1-22)
OTHER CHRISTIAN TOPICS:
JESUS CHRIST BECAME A MAN TO MEET THE REAL PEOPLE OF THE DAY.
CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS TODAY DWELL ON TRADITION LIKE THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES DID 2000 YEARS AGO.
JESUS CHRIST WOULD NOT APPROVE OF TODAY'S CLASS WARFARE.
JESUS CHRIST WAS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT GOD WANTS ALL OF US TO BE.
