Acts 4

Williams^{(i) 1} While they were talking to the people, the high priests, the military commander of the temple, and the Sadducees came down upon them, ² because they were very much disturbed over their continuing to teach the people and to declare in the case of Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ So they arrested them and put them into prison until next morning, for it was already evening. ⁴ But many of those who heard their message believed, and the number of the men grew to about five thousand. ⁵ On the next day the leading members of the council, the elders, and the scribes, ⁶ met in Jerusalem, including Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all that were members of the high priest's family. ⁷ They had the men stand before them and repeatedly inquired of them, "By what sort of power and authority have you done this?" ⁸ Then Peter, because he was filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Leaders and elders of the people, ⁹ if it is for a good deed to a helpless man, or to learn how he was cured, that we are today being tried, ¹⁰ you and all the people of Israel must know that it is by the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead -- yes, I repeat it, it is by His authority that this man stands here before you well. ¹¹ He is the stone that was thrown away by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. ¹² There is no salvation by anyone else, for no one else in all the wide world has been appointed among men as our only medium by which to be saved." ¹³ They were surprised to see the courage shown by Peter and John and to find that they were uneducated men, and especially untrained in the schools, but they recognized the fact that they had been companions of Jesus, ¹⁴ and since they saw the man who had been cured standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. ¹⁵ But they ordered the prisoners to step outside the council, and they conferred together ¹⁶ and repeated, "What shall we do with these men? For it is evident to everybody living in Jerusalem that an unmistakable wonder-work has been done by them; and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But to keep it from spreading farther among the people, let us severely threaten them not to say anything at all to anyone else about this person." ¹⁸ So they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all about the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them, "You must decide whether it is right in the sight of God to obey you instead of Him, ²⁰ for we cannot keep from telling what we have seen and heard." ²¹ So, after further threatening them, they turned them loose, because they could not find any way to punish them, on account of the people, because they all continued to praise God for what had taken place, ²² for the man on whom the wonderful cure had been performed was more than forty years old. ²³ When they were turned loose, the apostles went back to their companions and told them what the high priests and elders had said to them. ²⁴ When they heard this, with one united prayer to God they said: "O Lord, you are the Maker of heaven, earth, and sea, and everything that is in them, and the One ²⁵ who spoke thus through the Holy Spirit by the lips of our forefather David, your servant: 'Why did the heathen rage, and the peoples make vain designs? ²⁶ The kings of the earth took their stand. The rulers met against the Lord, and too, against His Christ.' ²⁷ "For in this city they actually met against your holy Servant Jesus, whom you had consecrated -- Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the heathen and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do all that your hand and will had predetermined to take place. ²⁹ And now, Lord, give attention to their threats and help your slaves with perfect courage to continue to speak your message, ³⁰ by stretching out your hand to cure people and to perform signs and wonders by the authority of your holy Servant Jesus." ³¹ When they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and continued courageously to speak God's message. ³² Now there was but one heart and soul in the vast number of those who had become believers, and not one of them claimed that anything that he had was his own, but they shared everything that they had as common property. ³³ So with great power the apostles continued to give their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's favor rested richly on them all. ³⁴ For none of them was in want, for as many of them as were owners of farms or houses proceeded to sell them, one by one, and continued to bring the money received for the things sold ³⁵ and to put it at the disposal of the apostles; then distribution was continuously made to everyone in proportion to his need. ³⁶ Now Joseph, a Levite, a native of Cyprus, who by the apostles was named Barnabas, which means Son of Encouragement, ³⁷ sold the farm he had and brought the money and put it at the disposal of the apostles.