Is religious belief a matter of personal opinion rather than objective truth? Does God accept the worship of all world religions? Survey results will tell you what people in our pluralistic culture may think about such matters, but if you would like to know what God thinks, Acts 4 is a helpful text. Here the apostle Peter boldly proclaims the resurrection of Jesus, saying, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (v 12). In a world where all roads supposedly lead to heaven, people are generally annoyed by such teaching. But religious leaders listening to Peter weren’t just annoyed; they were greatly annoyed! He and John are arrested for disturbing the peace and carried off to jail. Yet even in the face of this hostility, the church continues to grow and the Holy Spirit continues to empower their gospel witness. Standing before the Jewish Supreme Court, who had conspired together in the trial of Jesus, Peter and John must have wondered if they too would be handed over to be crucified. But given the chance to defend themselves, they do the very thing that got them into trouble in the first place—clearly and unapologetically proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ (v 1-12). If we truly grasp the human condition and the judgment we deserve for our sin, we won't complain about the exclusive nature of Christianity. R.C. Sproul said, “We should be amazed, not that there is only one way of salvation, but that there is even one way of salvation.” And this exclusive offer is extended to everyone on the planet! Only Jesus saves, but He will save any who believe. Jesus’ followers will always experience pressure to compromise their faith, tone it down, or remain silent. But the apostles were so convinced of the truth of their message that they were compelled to speak, no matter who objected or what trouble it brought them. These were ordinary men, with no formal theological training. But they were transformed through time spent with Jesus. So when hard-hearted people warned them to stop teaching in His name, Peter and John resolved that they would listen to God instead of people. Staying silent about Jesus was simply not an option (v 13-23). The courage we need as witnesses for Christ is not natural for most of us. We don’t want to offend people, stir up conflict, or risk rejection. But the early church supported one another in prayer, confident that God is in control and their mission must continue. Instead of asking God to take away the persecution, they ask Him to make them bold enough to endure it! (v 24-31). For further meditation: