“And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?”
They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: 'By what power or what name did you do this?' — the officials' question (dynamis, power; onoma, name) cuts to the heart: they want the apostles to implicate themselves either in magical practice or in claiming Jesus' power. The 'this' refers to the lame man's healing; they cannot deny the miracle (evidence is before them) but seek to discredit its source.
Church Fathers on Acts 4:7
And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? Acts 4:7 And yet they knew it well; for it was because they were grieved that they preached through Jesus the resurrection that they arrested them. Then for what purpose do they question them? They expected the numbers present would make them recant, and thought by this means to have put all right again. Observe then what they say:
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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