Bold or Bully?
The first definition for boldness is “willing and eager to face danger or adventure with a sense of confidence and fearlessness.” This is the meaning of the Jewish leaders who admired Peter and John. Acts 4:13 records, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John…they marveled…”
The context reveals that Peter and John had been arrested for preaching Jesus on the temple grounds. What they said and the way they said it impressed even those who wanted them to cease and desist. This boldness produced great results even among their enemies. “And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13).
Their words were clear and forceful. The sermon is recorded in Acts 3. It was given after Peter and John had healed a lame man who had sat daily at the temple gate begging alms. Peter began his message calling attention to the one who was the power behind the healing and not to himself.
He called their minds back to the recent events when Jesus was crucified. He leveled some harsh-sounding-but-true words at them. “…Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied…you denied the Holy One and the Just…and killed the Prince of life…” (Acts 3:12-16). Then, he gave them hope. “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the present of the Lord…” (Acts 3:19).
The leaders of the Jews did not like these words. “…the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached…” (Acts 4:1-2). Therefore, they put them in prison. The next day they brought them before the Sanhedrin to be examined. Peter’s boldness then was on display leading to the text under consideration.
Peter and John were bold—confident and assured. They were willing to be stern, truthful, and even accusatory if such was called for. However, they were also willing to lend comfort and hope to any who wanted to follow them. But, not all people who claim a belief in Jesus have this positive boldness.
III John 9-10 records these words, “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and he forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.”
Diotrephes may very well have thought that he had acted boldly and confidently. He was firm and clear. Yet, his actions betrayed his real intent. He was open to hearing truth. He was convinced of his own conviction to the point that he was willing to remove people from the church who did not follow his path.
The dictionary meaning of “boldness” includes a secondary meaning, “impudent, presumptuous”. This is the boldness on display with Diotrephes. Sadly, there are some today whose portrayal of Christianity is this definition of boldness. The result is that people don’t want to be with Jesus if this is what it means.
— Mike Johnson
