When Peter and John are told that they must stop speaking and teaching people about Jesus, their response is clear. They will not stop their preaching.
This is a very bold answer, especially given the fact that the Jewish council had great authority under the old covenant law (see Deuteronomy 17:8–13). That authority was given to them by God. As believers Peter and John were expected to honour and submit to those in authority over them (Exodus 20:12; Romans 13:1–7). In this instance, however, the command for the council contradicts the command of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, to whom belongs all authority (Matthew 28:18–20), had given the apostles the task of being his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to all the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). If the apostles submit to the Sanhedrin, then they are disobedient to Christ. If they submit to Christ, then they will have to disobey the Sanhedrin.
Since all authority comes from God, the answer to their problem is clear. They must obey God rather than men. Stated in the form of a question, the apostles ask the council to consider what should be done when there is a conflict between what God wants and what people want. The council would most certainly agree with the apostles. God must be obeyed before men. Of course to the minds of those in the council Jesus is not the Christ and thus he does not have God’s authority. As a result they reject the answer from the apostles and give them further warnings about the punishment that awaits if the apostles ignore the council’s decision (Acts 4:21).
In reading these details we should appreciate the bravery of the apostles. Standing before the council and making it clear that you will not submit to their instructions would not have been easy. Throughout your life you would have been taught to honour and listen to those in authority—especially to the Jewish elders. Now you are saying that those elders are wrong and their commands are to be rejected. You are putting yourself in opposition to those whom you have always respected. Most certainly the council would claim that the apostles are arrogant and big-headed because of their refusal. How dare a group of fishermen suggest that the religious experts have gotten things wrong?
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.