And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and give to Thy bondsmen with all boldness to speak Thy word in that Thou stretchest out Thy hand to heal, and that signs and wonders take place through the name of Thy holy servant Jesus (29:30).
There are here three things requested―(1) boldness to speak, and (2) the hand of God with them to heal, and that signs and wonders might take place at the same time that they beseech Him (3) to look upon their threatenings.
One cannot but observe the meekness and gentleness of Christ in this Christian community, in that they do not ask for any punishment on their enemies, only that God would look upon, their threatenings, “according to His watchful Providence, His restraining power, and His protecting care.” Look upon their threatenings; for they had not been few (vss. 17, 21). Although the threatenings of the Sanhedrim were like a sword suspended over the heads of the apostles, they do not pray for wrath or vengeance upon their adversaries, for they had heard how their Saviour had prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do;” and they had just been seeing the fruit of that prayer of His on the cross in the forgiveness and salvation of thousands of Jerusalem sinners; and knowing their commission (Luke 24:4747And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47)), and that through His name even these hostile rulers might be saved, they were in spiritual sympathy with the Saviour-God and His exalted Son, and could not have prayed for vengeance like the souls under the altar, who will be all right in thus praying in a day of judgment (Rev. 6:1010And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? (Revelation 6:10)).
For the present “mercy rejoiceth against judgment,” and we have such privileges in Christ that now, and to faith, we have our portion ensured without needing to wait and pray for the destruction of our enemies. “Grace reigns,” and instead of cherishing revengeful feelings, we lift up holy hands to God without wrath or doubting (1 Tim. 2:88I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. (1 Timothy 2:8)); and the very Peter of this crisis teaches us by the example of Christ― “who when suffering threatened not”―how to act in perfect grace towards those who may oppose us for our testimony, or our Christian walk (1 Peter 2:11-2511Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. 13Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 15For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 17Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 18Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. (1 Peter 2:11‑25)). Even Michael the Archangel reads us a lesson not to “despise dominions,” or “speak evil dignities.” For when he contended with the devil, and disputed about the bod, of Moses―I suppose as to the justice his having it raised for the crucifixion before Christ had died and abolished death, and got it out of His domain―he merely says, “The Lord rebuke thee, and brings against him no railing accusation.
“With all boldness to speak Thy word.” Not only that they might not be intimidated by the declared opposition of their rulers, seeing that no combination of power can prevail against the Lord and His Anointed; but with a spiritual energy which gives power and edge to the word spoken by men full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, even when there is no declared opposition to them or it. The preaching of some men is as different from that of others as night is from day even when both may be nearly equal in the amount of truth spoken: for the on is speaking from intellect and memory, the other “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Spiritual boldness in declaring God’s testimony may sometimes be found in those who are utterly destitute of all natural courage, an whose nature makes them so shy, that they would have blushed and felt put out, in unconverted days, if a child had looked them straight in the face; any this is the God-given boldness for Christ which can alone be bestowed by being filled with the Holy Ghost.
They were certainly not intimidated by the threatenings of the rulers: who to save their places and their own importance had forbidden them to preach or teach in the name of Jesus: for they pray for all boldness—boldness of thy most absolute degree and of every sort―to speak the word of God about His Son, the very thing forbidden. The apostle Paul, though so great a preacher of the Word, frequently desires the brethren to pray for him―that, as he writes, Ephesians 6:1919And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, (Ephesians 6:19) “utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly (or with boldness) to make known the mystery of the Gospel... that I may be bold in it as I ought to speak.” This is deeply expressive of his sense of dependence on the Holy Ghost to continue this spiritual power and energy in his soul despite continual opposition. And in preaching, this divine boldness is half the victory: for it makes us confident in the Lord, like Jehoshaphat’s host who went against their enemies with a choir of singers unto the Lord, “and that they should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out bore the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for His mercy endureth Forever’’ (2 Chron. 20). There must be that Spirit-given courage in us in preaching Christ that makes us feel within us a tone of triumph as we speak: a “Thanks be unto God who always causeth us to triumph in Christ”―if we are so in the enjoyment of God’s power in preaching His Word that a savor of Christ shall be felt, and the truth be laid with convicting energy on the souls of men. “Clothed with power from on high” is what their Lord had promised them: and for this they now prayed.
And that signs and wonders may be done, &c., verse 30. This formed a third petition of their prayer: they seek the continuance of miraculous powers as the external signs of their divine commission. In Mark’s Gospel we have this commission given, and these signs connected with it thus: “And He said to them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the glad tidings to all the creation. He that believes, and is baptized, shall be saved; and he that disbelieves shall be condemned. And these signs shall follow those that have believed: In My name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they should drink any deadly thing, it shall not injure them; they shall lay hands upon the infirm, and they shall be well. The Lord, therefore, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat at the right hand of God. And they, going forth, preached everywhere, the Lord working with [them] and confirming the Word by the signs following upon it” (Mark 16:15-2015And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. (Mark 16:15‑20)).
By the Holy Ghost they were now better instructed and guided into the truth of their Lord being exalted a Prince and a Saviour than to ask Him for fire from heaven on those who were opposed to Him (Luke 9:5454And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? (Luke 9:54)); for, now, that He had been exalted, they had been taught that He was not in Elijah-testimony but in Elisha-power to work deeds of mercy, and not send tokens of judgment. They would have their boldness increased by seeing the Lord’s hand with them, healing, as He had promised; and for this they prayed— “And that signs and wonders take place through the name of thy holy servant, Jesus.” That indicates the power by which they expected them to be accomplished. We have read “in the name of Jesus,” chapter 3:6, and again, 4:10, 18; but this is through His name. In that Thou stretchest forth Thy hand for healing—a continuance of similar healing power is one item in their prayer.