Acts 4

¹While [Peter and John] were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,

²greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of [the] dead.

³They seized [Peter and John], and because it was evening, they put [them] in custody until the next day.

⁴But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

⁵The next day [the] rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem,

⁶along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others from the high priest’s family.

⁷They had [Peter and John] {brought} in [and] began to question them: “By what power or what name {did} you do this?”

⁸Then Peter, filled with [the] Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people!

⁹If we are being examined today about a kind service [to a] man [who was] lame, [to determine] how he was healed,

¹⁰[then] let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: [It is] by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified [but] whom God raised from [the] dead, [that] this [man] stands before you healed.

¹¹This [Jesus] is ‘ the stone you builders rejected, which has become [the] cornerstone.’

¹²Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

¹³[When] they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that [these men] had been with Jesus.

¹⁴And seeing the man who had been healed standing [there] with them, they had nothing to say in response.

¹⁵So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin [and] then conferred together.

¹⁶“What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “[It] is clear to everyone living [in] Jerusalem that a remarkable miracle has occurred through them, and we cannot deny [it].

¹⁷But to keep [this message] from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.”

¹⁸Then they called them in [again] and commanded [them] not to speak [or] teach at all in the name of Jesus.

¹⁹But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.

²⁰For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

²¹[After] further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because {all} the people were glorifying God for what had happened.

²²For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years [old].

²³On their release, [Peter and John] returned to [their] own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

²⁴[When] [the believers] heard this, they lifted up [their] voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them.

²⁵[You] spoke by [the] Holy Spirit through [the] mouth of Your servant, our father David:‘ Why {do} the nations rage and [the] peoples plot in vain?

²⁶The kings of the earth take [their] stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.’

²⁷In fact, this is the [very] city [where] Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with [the] Gentiles and [the] people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed.

²⁸They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen.

²⁹And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness,

³⁰as You stretch out Your hand to heal and [perform] signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

³¹[After] they had prayed, [their] meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

³²The multitude of believers was one [in] heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned.

³³[With] great power the apostles continued to give [their] testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all.

³⁴There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell [ their property ], bring the proceeds from [the] sales,

³⁵and lay [them] at the apostles’ feet for distribution [to] anyone as he had need.

³⁶Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (vvv meaning Son of Encouragement ),

³⁷sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid [it] at the apostles’ feet.