Acts 4:25Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They cite the prophecy as though demanding from God what had been promised, and at the same time consoling themselves that the enemies devise everything in vain. Thus their words mean: bring all this to its end and show that they have devised vain things. See how they say nothing superfluous, but speak only of the Lord’s power. Or rather, as Christ said to the Jews, “If I by the Spirit of God” speak (Mt 12:28), so they also say, “by the Holy Spirit.” See, the Savior also speaks of the Spirit. Listen to what they say: “Master, God, who by the mouth of our father David Your servant said by the Holy Spirit: Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples devise vain things?” In Scripture it is customary to speak of one thing as many.

They set forth this prophecy as though asking God to fulfill the covenant, and at the same time comforting themselves that the enemies were devising these things in vain.

It goes without saying that this prohibition and threat had no effect on the apostles. They returned home after experiencing the first persecution for the name of Christ. They had also seen the first instance of the Holy Spirit's help. Jesus Christ had foretold that it would not be they who spoke at trial, but the Holy Spirit. Therefore they first resolved to pray to God that He would continue His help to them, through signs and wonders, for the conversion of unbelievers. Then, having received a new sign confirming God's good pleasure, for the place where they prayed was shaken, they preached the Gospel with still greater boldness.

Peter and John reported to their own what the chief priests and elders had said to them. As earlier, so here the sacred historian does not define more closely the content of the threats with which Peter and John were released from the Sanhedrin hall. But the content of the prayer, with which the souls of the believers responded to the news of these threats, indicates it to us. This first known public Christian prayer is a petition. The believers pray to almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, for His defense against their persecutors. They ask Him to grant them strength to remain firm and fearless confessors of Christ’s name while suffering for Christ.

"By the mouth of David," and so forth. This prophetic saying is interpreted thus: why do the Gentiles rage against the Lord Jesus, that is, the Romans who crucified the Lord? And why do the peoples, the representatives of the twelve tribes of Israel, devise vain things, which they failed to accomplish, since the Messiah whom they put to death rose from the dead?

Cf. Ps 2:1-2. The prayer rests on David's psalmic saying about the rising of kings and princes against the Lord and against His Christ. It applies this to the revolt carried out against Jesus Christ, and now against His apostles. Thus the apostles preached that in Christ the most widely known prophetic and messianic psalms had been fulfilled. Such was the second psalm, which once formed a single whole with the first psalm. Alongside the general correspondence between the position of David the anointed one and the higher Anointed One, Jesus Christ our Savior, Who possessed the whole fullness of the Messiah's gifts, interpreters also note particular correspondences. By the raging Gentiles are meant the Romans. By the peoples devising vain things are meant the twelve tribes of Israel.

Many heretics divide the Godhead, saying that the God who created the world is one God, and the Father of Christ another. Then, having divided Scripture, they say that the Old Testament is the covenant of the Creator of the world, while the New is that of the Father of Christ. Following their impious point of view, they say that these Gods and their Scriptures contradict one another. They say that those who take refuge in the Lord are enemies of Him who created the world, and that better men receive help from Him. Then they say that the people of the Creator of the world were accused by Christ and His teaching. The present passage refutes their impiety by setting forth the example of the apostles.