John Calvin Commentary Acts 4:25

"who by the Holy Spirit, [by] the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say, Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples imagine vain things?" — Acts 4:25 (ASV)

Who by the mouth of David. They now come to the second part: they ask for nothing except what God has promised to perform, so that His will and power are joined together, in order that they may fully assure themselves that they will obtain their requests.

Because the kingdom of Christ is now their primary concern, they recall the promise of God, in which He promises to defend and maintain it. Consequently, when the whole world has done all it can to overthrow it, all its efforts will be in vain.

This demonstrates their godliness and sincere zeal, as they are not as concerned for their own safety as they are for the increase and advancement of the kingdom of Christ.

Why have the Gentiles raged? We must indeed confess that David speaks of himself. After he was chosen king by the Lord and anointed by Samuel the prophet, he enjoyed the kingdom with great difficulty because his enemies withstood him on every side.

We know how the rulers and people conspired with Saul and his family. After that, the Philistines and other foreign enemies, despising him when he had newly come to the crown, made war against him, each striving to be the first to attack.

Therefore, it is not without cause that he complains that the kings rage and take counsel together, and that the peoples plot various things.

Nevertheless, because he knew that God was the supporter of his kingdom, he derides their foolish enterprises and affirms that they are vain.

But because his kingdom was established so that it might be a figure or image of the kingdom of Christ, David does not remain with the shadow itself but grasps the substance.

Indeed, the Holy Ghost, as the apostles truly repeat it, sharply reproves the foolish and ridiculous madness of the world in daring to invade the kingdom of Christ, which God had established both in the person of David and of Christ Himself.

And this is a singular comfort: we hear that God is on our side as long as we wage warfare under the kingdom of Christ.

From this we can be assured that however all people, both high and low, may wickedly conspire together against this kingdom, they will not prevail. For what is the entire world compared with God?

But first of all, we must know and be assured of this: God will continually maintain the kingdom of His Son, of which He Himself is the author.

Therefore, we may set His decree (which will not be broken) against the rashness of people.

Trusting in the help of His hand, we should not hesitate to despise all the preparations and resources of these adversaries, however terrible they may be.

And David diligently expresses how great the companies of the adversaries are: he says that they attempt all things, and he also enumerates their counsels, lest any of these should terrify us.

Furthermore, when the Psalm teaches that the kingdom of Christ will endure despite all the efforts of its adversaries, it also shows that there will be many adversaries who will endeavor to overthrow it.

On the one hand, the psalmist presents the kings raging; on the other, the peoples in turmoil. By this he signifies that all classes of people will be offended by it.

And this is no marvel, because nothing is more contrary to the flesh than the spiritual sword of the gospel, with which Christ puts us to death so that He may make us obey Him (Romans 15:16).

Therefore, we must know this for certain: the kingdom of Christ will never be peaceful in the world, lest, when we have to fight, we should be afraid as if at something strange.