Acts

¹As they were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them. ²They were upset because the apostles¹³²⁰ were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.^{1321 3}They arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, since it was now the evening. ⁴But many of those who heard the word believed, and their number came to be about five thousand.

⁵In the morning, their leaders, presbyters, and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem. ⁶Annas (the high priest) was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others that were relatives of the high priest. ⁷After placing the apostles¹³²² in the middle of their assembly,¹³²³ they inquired, “By what power, or in what Name, have you done this?”

⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed them: “Rulers of the people and presbyters of Israel; ⁹if we are examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man and by what means this man has been healed, ¹⁰let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that it is in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth (whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead) that this man stands here before you whole. ¹¹This [Jesus] is ‘the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.’^{1324 12}There is salvation in no one else, and there is no other Name under heaven that is given among mortals¹³²⁵ by which we should be saved!”

¹³Now seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and perceiving that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized¹³²⁶ that these two men¹³²⁷ had been with Jesus. ¹⁴Seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. ¹⁵But after instructing them to step out of the council, they conferred among themselves, ¹⁶saying, “What shall we do to these men? Indeed, a remarkable miracle has been accomplished through them, as can plainly be seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷Nevertheless, to prevent this from spreading any further among the people, let us severely threaten them so that from now on, they will no longer speak to anyone in this Name.” ¹⁸They called the apostles and ordered them not to speak at all or to teach in the Name of Jesus.

¹⁹But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves! ²⁰But we cannot help telling the things which we saw and heard!”

²¹When they had further threatened the apostles, they let them go. They found no way to punish them on account of the people, because everyone glorified God for what had been done. ²²(Moreover, the man on whom this miracle of healing had been performed was more than forty years old).

The prayer of the apostles

²³After being released, the apostles came to their own [company] and reported everything that the chief priests and the presbyters had said to them. ²⁴When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, you who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; ²⁵who by the mouth of your servant,¹³²⁸ David,¹³²⁹ said,

Why do the nations rage,

and the peoples plot a vain thing?

²⁶The kings of the earth take a stand,

and the rulers take counsel together,

against the Lord, and against his Christ. ^13301331

²⁷For truly, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together against your holy servant,¹³³² Jesus, whom you anointed. ²⁸They did whatever your hand and counsel had foreordained to happen. ²⁹And now, Lord, consider their threats and grant your bondservants to speak your word with complete boldness. ³⁰Stretch out your hand to heal, and may signs and wonders be accomplished through the Name of your holy servant¹³³³ Jesus.”

³¹When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaimed the word of God with boldness.

Sharing in the community

³²The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and [one] soul. Not one of them claimed that anything he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. ³³With great power, the apostles gave their witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.^{1334 34}No one among them lacked anything because those who owned lands or houses sold them. They brought the proceeds of what was sold ³⁵and laid it at the feet of the apostles. Then distribution was made to each, according to everyone’s need. ³⁶Joses,¹³³⁵ who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles (which means ‘Son of Encouragement’) was a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race. ³⁷He sold a field that he owned and brought the money, laying it at the apostles’ feet.

The death of Ananias and Sapphira

1320. Greek “they”
1321. Some manuscripts read “from the dead”
1322. Greek “them”
1323. Greek “them”
1324. Psalm 118:22/117 LXX
1325. Greek avnqrw,poij (in the sense of “men, mankind, human race”)
1326. Or “realized”
1327. Greek “they”
1328. Greek paido,j
1329. CT reads “by the Holy Spirit, [through] [the] mouth of David”
1330. Christ (Greek) and Messiah (Hebrew) both mean Anointed One.
1331. Psalm 2:1-2
1332. Greek pai/da, also meaning “child/boy”
1333. Greek pai/doj, also meaning “child/boy”
1334. This last clause may also be translated “and they were all accorded great respect,” which is less likely.
1335. CT reads “Joseph”