Acts chapter 4

vs 19

If the religious leaders were telling Peter and John to do things according to what God told them, they would have said "Amen!" and praised God that the leaders had seen the light. Unfortunately, instead the leaders give them a command to do something against God - what were they to do except say no?

vs 20

Peter certainly can't. He hasn't kept his mouth shut since pentecost. But this confrontation makes it clear - the apostles may not be disavowing the authority of the religious leaders altogether, but they certainly put Jesus above them.

vs 21

Ahhh, the heady days of religious enforcement via threats and punishment. We need to do more of this in our churches! See how well it worked for the temple! :P

In the end, it seems that if people were praising God, then that was good, or at least good enough that they couldn't work out how much punishment you should get for it.

vs 22

Which obviously means he was a lost cause. It certainly means that most people would have given up hope of him ever being able to walk.

vs 23

Something to the tune of "OMG priests r wanna stop uz with teh Jezuz preachings! LOL!"

vs 24

This might seem an odd way to start a prayer, but lots of psalms and prayerful statements in the prophets start off with the creation. Interestingly, lots don't. But creation is not a bad place to start. Certainly puts God in his place as Lord.

vs 25-26

The famous Psalm 2. Who would have ever thought that this psalm would have been used about the religious leaders of Israel plotting against God!

vs 27

In their prayer, the Christians mention Herod and Pilate as the political representatives who fit into this psalm. They're the gentile representatives, sure. But the "people of Israel" are represented there too - no doubt by the religious leaders.

vs 28

This focus on the leaders doing what God had established beforehand is not there to take away their responsibility. It is there more to put God further in the position of power and authority.