Acts 4

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

2They were very upset because the apostles were teaching the people and preaching that people could rise from the dead through Jesus.

3They grabbed Peter and John. Because it was already evening, they put them in jail until the next day.

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

5The next day the rulers, elders, and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.

6Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others of the high priest's family.

7They brought Peter and John in front of them and began to question them: By what power, or in what name, did you do this?

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

9Today you are questioning us about a good deed we did for a man who could not walk. You are asking us how he was healed.

10Then all of you, and all the people of Israel, must know this: This man stands before you healed because of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. You nailed Jesus to a cross and killed Him, but God raised Him from the dead.

11Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.

12No one else can save us. There is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.

13The leaders saw how bold Peter and John were. They realized these were ordinary men with no special training. The leaders were amazed, and they recognized that these men had been with Jesus.

14But the man who had been healed was standing right there with them, so the leaders could not say anything against it.

15So they told Peter and John to leave the council room, and then the leaders talked among themselves.

16They asked: What are we going to do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have done a clear miracle, and we cannot say it is not true.

17But we must warn them to stop speaking to anyone in this name, so this does not spread any further among the people.

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: Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to listen to God? You be the judges!

20As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.

21After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened.

22The man who was healed by this miracle was over forty years old.

23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

24When they heard this, they all prayed together out loud to God: Lord and Master, You made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.

25Long ago, You spoke through the Holy Spirit, using the words of Your servant, our father David: Why are the nations so angry? Why do the people make useless plans?

26The kings of the earth stand up to fight, and the rulers join together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.

27This is exactly what happened: Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the non-Jewish people and the people of Israel in this city to plan against Your holy servant Jesus, the one You anointed.

28They did only what Your power and Your plan had already decided would happen.

29Now, Lord, look at how they are threatening us. Help Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness.

30Stretch out Your hand to heal, and perform 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.

32All the believers were one 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 kept telling everyone that the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead. God's grace was working powerfully in all of them,

34So there was no one among them who was in need. From time to time, people who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money from the sale.

35And put it at the apostles' feet, and 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 and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.