No Other Name
Read Acts 4:1-22
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them . . . “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves.
(Acts 4:8, 12-15)
Reflect
Jesus promised his disciples that they would experience persecution for their faith (John 16:33). This began soon after the Holy Spirit’s arrival when Peter and John were dragged before the Sanhedrin. Knowing that Peter and John were unschooled, the council was amazed at what being with Jesus had done for them. A changed life convinces people of Christ’s power. Yet although the evidence was overwhelming and irrefutable (changed lives and a healed man), the religious leaders refused to believe in Christ and continued to try to suppress the truth.
Many people react negatively to the fact that there is no other name than that of Jesus to call on for salvation. Yet this is not something the church decided; it is the specific teaching of Jesus himself (John 14:6). If God designated Jesus to be the Savior of the world, no one else can be his equal. Christians are to be open-minded on many issues, but not on how we are saved from sin. No other religious teacher could die for our sins; no other religious teacher came to earth as God’s only Son; no other religious teacher rose from the dead. Our focus should be on Jesus, whom God offered as the way to have an eternal relationship with himself. There is no other name or way!
Respond
One of your greatest testimonies is the difference others see in your life, priorities, and attitudes since you have believed in Christ. Don’t be surprised if some people reject you and your positive witness for Christ. When minds are closed, even the clearest presentation of the facts can’t open them. But don’t give up either. Pray for those people and continue to spread the gospel.