Chapter 4

²greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

³They seized them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.

⁴But many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came 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 all who were from the high-priestly family.

⁷They had Peter and John stand in the middle and asked, “By what power or in what name have you done this?”

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

⁹if we are on trial today for a good deed done to a disabled person—by what means this person has been healed—

¹⁰let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy.

¹¹He is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which became the cornerstone.’

¹²Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.”

¹³Observing the boldness of Peter and John, and realizing that they were uneducated and ordinary people, they were amazed and recognized that these men had been with Jesus.

¹⁴Seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against it.

¹⁵So they ordered them to step outside the council and conferred among themselves,

¹⁶saying, “What should we do with these people? For a notable sign has been performed through them, plain to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it!

¹⁷But to keep it from spreading further among the people, we must warn them not to speak or teach anymore in this name to anyone.”

¹⁸Then they called them back 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 before God to obey you rather than God.

²⁰We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

²¹After further threats, they let them go, unable to find any basis for punishing them because of the people—all of whom were praising God for what had happened.

²²(The man who had received this sign of healing was over forty years old.)

²³Once released, they went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

²⁴Hearing this, they raised their voices together to God and said: “Sovereign Lord, You made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.

²⁵You spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, Your servant: ‘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, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, gathered against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed,

²⁸to do everything Your hand and purpose had predestined to happen.

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

³⁰Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

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

³²The whole group of those who believed was united in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

³³With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work among them all.

³⁴There were no needy people among them. Those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales,

³⁵and put it at the apostles’ feet; it was distributed to anyone who had need.

³⁶Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”),

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