Acts 4
4
Peter and John are brought in front of the council
1The apostles were still talking to the people, when some priests, the captain of the temple guard, and some Sadducees arrived. 2These men were angry because the apostles were teaching the people that the dead would be raised from death, just as Jesus had been raised from death. 3It was already late in the afternoon, and they arrested Peter and John and put them in jail for the night. 4But a lot of people who had heard the message believed it. So by now there were about five thousand followers of the Lord.
5The next morning the leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met in Jerusalem. 6The high priest Annas was there, as well as Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other members of the high priest's family. 7They brought in Peter and John and made them stand in the middle while they questioned them. They asked, “By what power and in whose name have you done this?”
8Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and told the nation's leaders and the elders:
9You are questioning us today about a kind deed in which a crippled man was healed. 10But there is something we must tell you and everyone else in Israel. This man is standing here completely well because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You put Jesus to death on a cross, but God raised him to life. 11He is the stone that you builders thought was worthless, and now he is the most important stone of all.#Ps 118.22. 12Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.
13The officials were amazed to see how brave Peter and John were, and they knew that these two apostles were only ordinary men and not well educated. The officials were certain that these men had been with Jesus. 14But they could not deny what had happened. The man who had been healed was standing there with the apostles.
15The officials commanded them to leave the council room. Then the officials said to each other, 16“What can we do with these men? Everyone in Jerusalem knows about this miracle, and we cannot say it didn't happen. 17But to keep this thing from spreading, we will warn them never again to speak to anyone about the name of Jesus.” 18So they called the two apostles back in and told them that they must never, for any reason, teach anything about the name of Jesus.
19Peter and John answered, “Do you think God wants us to obey you or to obey him? 20We cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard.”
21-22The officials could not find any reason to punish Peter and John. So they threatened them and let them go. The man who was healed by this miracle was more than forty years old, and everyone was praising God for what had happened.
Peter and others pray for courage
23As soon as Peter and John had been set free, they went back and told the others everything that the chief priests and the leaders had said to them. 24When the rest of the Lord's followers heard this, they prayed together and said:#Ex 20.11; Ne 9.6; Ps 146.6.
Master, you created heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. 25And by the Holy Spirit you spoke to our ancestor David. He was your servant, and you told him to say:#Ps 2.1,2 (LXX).
“Why are all the Gentiles
so furious?
Why do people
make foolish plans?
26The kings of earth
prepare for war,
and the rulers
join together
against the Lord
and his Messiah.”
27Here in Jerusalem, Herod#4.27 Herod: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. and Pontius Pilate got together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel. Then they turned against your holy Servant#4.27 Servant: See the note at 3.13. Jesus, your chosen Messiah.#Lk 23.7-11; Mt 27.1,2; Mk 15.1; Lk 23.1; Jn 18.28,29. 28They did what you in your power and wisdom had already decided would happen.
29Lord, listen to their threats! We are your servants. So make us brave enough to speak your message. 30Show your mighty power, as we heal people and perform miracles and wonders in the name of your holy Servant#4.30 Servant: See the note at 3.13. Jesus.
31After they had prayed, the meeting place shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and bravely spoke God's message.
Sharing possessions
32The group of followers all felt the same way about everything. None of them claimed that their possessions were their own, and they shared everything they had with each other.#Ac 2.44,45. 33In a powerful way the apostles told everyone that the Lord Jesus was now alive. God greatly blessed his followers,#4.33 God greatly blessed his followers: Or “Everyone highly respected his followers”. 34and no one went in need of anything. Everyone who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money 35to the apostles. Then they would give the money to anyone who needed it.
36-37Joseph was one of the followers who had sold a piece of property and brought the money to the apostles. He was a Levite from Cyprus, and the apostles called him Barnabas, which means “one who encourages others”.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
Acts 4
4
1And as they are speaking unto the people, there came to them the priests, and the magistrate of the temple, and the Sadducees —
2being grieved because of their teaching the people, and preaching in Jesus the rising again out of the dead —
3and they laid hands upon them, and did put them in custody unto the morrow, for it was evening already;
4and many of those hearing the word did believe, and the number of the men became, as it were, five thousand.
5And it came to pass upon the morrow, there were gathered together of them the rulers, and elders, and scribes, to Jerusalem,
6and Annas the chief priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the chief priest,
7and having set them in the midst, they were inquiring, ‘In what power, or in what name did ye do this?’
8Then Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them: ‘Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9if we to-day are examined concerning the good deed to the ailing man, by whom he hath been saved,
10be it known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye did crucify, whom God did raise out of the dead, in him hath this one stood by before you whole.
11‘This is the stone that was set at nought by you — the builders, that became head of a corner;
12and there is not salvation in any other, for there is no other name under the heaven that hath been given among men, in which it behoveth us to be saved.’
13And beholding the openness of Peter and John, and having perceived that they are men unlettered and plebeian, they were wondering — they were taking knowledge also of them that with Jesus they had been —
14and seeing the man standing with them who hath been healed, they had nothing to say against [it],
15and having commanded them to go away out of the sanhedrim, they took counsel with one another,
16saying, ‘What shall we do to these men? because that, indeed, a notable sign hath been done through them, to all those dwelling in Jerusalem [is] manifest, and we are not able to deny [it];
17but that it may spread no further toward the people, let us strictly threaten them no more to speak in this name to any man.’
18And having called them, they charged them not to speak at all, nor to teach, in the name of Jesus,
19and Peter and John answering unto them said, ‘Whether it is righteous before God to hearken to you rather than to God, judge ye;
20for we cannot but speak what we did see and hear.’
21And they having further threatened [them], let them go, finding nothing how they may punish them, because of the people, because all were glorifying God for that which hath been done,
22for above forty years of age was the man upon whom had been done this sign of the healing.
23And being let go, they went unto their own friends, and declared whatever the chief priests and the elders said unto them,
24and they having heard, with one accord did lift up the voice unto God, and said, ‘Lord, thou [art] God, who didst make the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that [are] in them,
25who, through the mouth of David thy servant, did say, Why did nations rage, and peoples meditate vain things?
26the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ;
27for gathered together of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, were both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with nations and peoples of Israel,
28to do whatever Thy hand and Thy counsel did determine before to come to pass.
29‘And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and grant to Thy servants with all freedom to speak Thy word,
30in the stretching forth of Thy hand, for healing, and signs, and wonders, to come to pass through the name of Thy holy child Jesus.’
31And they having prayed, the place was shaken in which they were gathered together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and were speaking the word of God with freedom,
32and of the multitude of those who did believe the heart and the soul was one, and not one was saying that anything of the things he had was his own, but all things were to them in common.
33And with great power were the apostles giving the testimony to the rising again of the Lord Jesus, great grace also was on them all,
34for there was not any one among them who did lack, for as many as were possessors of fields, or houses, selling [them], were bringing the prices of the thing sold,
35and were laying them at the feet of the apostles, and distribution was being made to each according as any one had need.
36And Joses, who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas — which is, having been interpreted, Son of Comfort — a Levite, of Cyprus by birth,
37a field being his, having sold [it], brought the money and laid [it] at the feet of the apostles.
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