Acts 4:19 (LSB)

Passage

But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to hear you rather than God, you be the judge;

Nearby Context

Acts 4:17 But lest it spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.”

Acts 4:18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

Acts 4:19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to hear you rather than God, you be the judge;

Acts 4:20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Acts 4:21 And when they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "peter", "john", "answered", "said", "whether", "right", "sight", and "hear". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "peter" and "john", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "And when they had summoned them they..." into verse 20's "for we cannot stop speaking about what...", so "peter" and "john" belong inside that flow. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "peter" and "john" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.