Peter and John Arrested
1 And while Peter and John were talking to the people, the priests and the captain [who was in charge of the temple area and] of the templeguardand the Sadducees came up to them,
2 being extremely disturbedandthoroughly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in [the case of] Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
3 So they arrested them and put them in jail until the next day, because it was evening.
4 But many of those who heard the message [of salvation] believed [in Jesus and accepted Him as the Christ]. And the number of the men came to be about 5,000.
5 On the next day, their magistrates and elders and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) were gathered together in Jerusalem;
6 andAnnas the high priestwas there,andCaiaphas andJohn and Alexander, and all others who were of high-priestly descent.
7 When they had put the men infront of them, they repeatedly asked, “By what sort of power, or in what name [that is, by what kind of authority], did you do this [healing]?”
8 Then Peter, filled with [the power of] the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people [members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Court],
9 if we are being put on trial today [to interrogate us] for a good deed done to [benefit] a disabled man, as to how this man has been restored to health,
10 let it be knownandclearly understood by all of you, and by all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you [demanded be] crucified [by the Romans and], whom God raised from the dead–in this name [that is, by the authority and power of Jesus] this man stands here before you in good health.
11 This Jesus is thestone which wasdespisedandrejectedby you,the builders,butwhich became thechiefCornerstone.
12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].”
Threat and Release
13 Now when the men of the Sanhedrin (Jewish High Court) saw the confidenceandboldness of Peter and John, and grasped the fact that they wereuneducated and untrained [ordinary] men, they were astounded, andbeganto recognize that they had been with Jesus.
14 And seeing the man who had been healed standingtherewith them, they had nothing to say in reply.
15 But after ordering them to step out of the Council [chamber], theybeganto confer among themselves,
16 saying, “What are we to do with these men? For the fact that an extraordinary miracle has taken place through them is public knowledgeandclearly evident to all the residents of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17 But to keep it from spreading further among the peopleandthe nation, let us [sternly] warn them not to speak again to anyone in this name.”
18 So they sent for them, and commanded them not to speak [as His representatives] or teach at all in the name of Jesus [using Him as their authority].
19 But Peter and John replied to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to youandobey you rather than God, you must judge [for yourselves];
20 for we, on our part, cannot stop telling [people] about what we have seen and heard.”
21 When the rulers and Council members had threatened them further, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because [of their fear] of the people, for they were all praisingandglorifyingandhonoring God for what had happened;
22 for the man to whom this sign (attesting miracle) of healing had happened was more than forty years old.
23 After Peter and John were released, they returned to their own [people] and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
24 And when they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, “O Sovereign Lord [having complete power and authority], it is You whomade the heaven and the earth and the sea,and everything that is in them,
25 who by the Holy Spirit,throughthe mouth of our father David, Your servant, said,
‘Why did the nations(Gentiles)become arrogantandrage,
And the peoples devise futile things[against the Lord]?
26 ‘The kings of the earth took their stand[to attack],
And the rulers were assembled together
Against theLord and againstHisAnointed(the Christ, the Messiah).’
27 For in this city there were gathered together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined [before the creation of the world] to occur [and so without knowing it, they served Your own purpose].
29 And now, Lord, observe their threats [take them into account] and grant that Your bond-servants may declare Your message [of salvation] with great confidence,
30 while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders (attesting miracles) take place through the name [and the authority and power] of Your holy ServantandSon Jesus.”
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were meeting together was shaken [a sign of God’s presence]; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit andbeganto speak the word of God with boldnessandcourage.
Sharing among Believers
32 Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one [of them] claimed that anything belonging to him was [exclusively] his own, but everything was common propertyandfor the use of all.
33 And with great abilityandpower the apostles werecontinuouslytestifying to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace [God’s remarkable lovingkindness and favor and goodwill] rested richly upon them all.
34 There was not a needy person among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling them, and bringing the proceeds of the sales
35 and placingthe moneydown at the apostles’ feet. Then it was distributed to each as anyone had need.
36 Now Joseph, a Levite and native of Cyprus, who was surnamedBarnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement),
37 sold a field belonging to him and brought the money and set it at the apostles’ feet.