Acts
As they were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple
guard, and the Sadducees came up to them.
They were disturbed because
they were teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection from the dead
through Jesus.
They arrested them and put them in jail until the next day,
since it was already evening.
But many of those who had heard the Gospel-word believed it, and the number of men came to about five thousand.
The next day, their rulers, elders, and religious teachers gathered
together in Jerusalem.
Annas the high priest was there, as well as Caiaphas,
John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest.
They made Peter and
John stand in the middle of them, and inquired, “By what power or in what
name have you done this?”
Then Peter, filled with holy spirit, said to them,
“Rulers and elders of the people,
if we are being tried today for a good thing
done to a crippled man — how this man has been healed —
let it be known
to you all, and all the people of Israel, that it was by the name and authority
of Jesus Messiah of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God
resurrected from the dead, that this man stands here before you in good
health.
He is ‘the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but has
become the cornerstone.’
There is salvation in no one else, as there is no
other name in the whole world given among people by which we must be
saved.”
When they saw the courage of Peter and John, and found out that they
were unlearned, ordinary men, they were astonished. They recognized that
they had been with Jesus.
Seeing the man who had been healed standing
with them, there was nothing they could say.
But when they had commanded
them to leave the council they conferred among themselves:
“What should
we do with these men? A notable miracle has been done through them, as can
be plainly seen by everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
But
so that this spreads no further among the people, let us warn them not to
speak to anyone in this name from now on.”
They called them in and
commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
But
Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to
obey you rather than God, you can judge for yourselves.
We cannot
possibly stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
When they had further threatened them, they let them go, since they could find no way to
punish them because of the people, as everyone was praising God for what
had happened.
For the man who had been healed by this miraculous sign was
more than forty years old.
When Peter and John had been released, they came to the other believers
and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
When
they heard it, with one mind they raised their voices to God: “Lord of all, You are the
One who made the heaven and earth and sea, and all that is in them.
You
said by holy spirit through our father, Your servant David, ‘Why do the
nations rage, and the people plot futile opposition?
The kings of the earth take a
stand, and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His
Messiah.’
Truly in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the
Gentiles and the people of Israel, did gather together in opposition against Your holy
servant Jesus, whom You anointed.
They did what Your authority and
Your plan predetermined to happen.
Now, Lord, notice their threats and
give to Your servants the ability to speak Your Gospel-word with all
boldness,
while You stretch out your hand to heal, and cause signs and wonders
to happen through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”
When they had
prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken. They were all filled
with holy spirit, and they spoke the Gospel-word
of God with boldness.
The group of those who believed were of one mind and heart. Not one of
them claimed that any of his belongings was his own, but they shared all their
property in common.
With great power the Apostles were giving their
testimony to the resurrection of the lord Jesus, and great grace was on them
all.
No one among them lacked anything, because those who owned lands or
houses sold them and brought the money from the sales,
and laid it at the
Apostles’ feet to be distributed according to anyone’s need.
Joseph, who the Apostles also called Barnabas, which translated means
“son of encouragement,” was a Levite and a native of Cyprus.
He sold some
land that he owned, brought the money and laid it at the Apostles’ feet.
Acts