Peter and John Before the Council
1And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. 4Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
5And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 6And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Peter and John Threatened, Released
13Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. 14And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. 17But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. 18And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 21So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. 22For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
The Believers' Prayer for Boldness
(Psalm 2:1-12)
23And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
25Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Sharing among Believers
(Acts 2:42-47)
32And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
36And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Peter and John before the Sanhedrin
1 As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them, 2 being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 They laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was now evening. 4 But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 It happened in the morning, that their rulers, elders, and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were relatives of the high priest. 7 When they had stood them in the middle of them, they inquired, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 if we are examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand here before you whole. 11 He is ‘the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.’ 12 There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”
The Name Forbidden
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 Seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What shall we do to these men? Because indeed a notable miracle has been done through them, as can be plainly seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we can’t deny it. 17 But so that this spreads no further among the people, let’s threaten them, that from now on they don’t speak to anyone in this name.” 18 They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But 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, 20 for we can’t help telling the things which we saw and heard.” 21 When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for everyone glorified God for that which was done. 22 For the man on whom this miracle of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
The Believers’ Prayer
(Psalm 2:1–12)
23 Being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, “O Lord, you are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
25 who by the mouth of your servant, David, said, ‘Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?
26 The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take council together, against the Lord, and against his Christ.’
27 “For truly, in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen. 29 Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.” 31 When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Sharing among Believers
(Acts 2:42–47)
32 The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all. 34 For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet, and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need.
36 Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race, 37 having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Peter and John before the Sanhedrin
1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in custody until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
5 The next day the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, 6 along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others from the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being examined today about a kind service to a man who was lame, to determine how he was healed, 10 then let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 This Jesus is
‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’ a
12 Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
The Name Forbidden
13 When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in response. 15 So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin b and then conferred together.
16 “What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “It is clear to everyone living in Jerusalem that a remarkable miracle has occurred through them, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.”
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God. 20 For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
21 After further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
The Believers’ Prayer
(Psalm 2:1–12)
23 On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, c our father David:
‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against His Anointed One.’ d
27 In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. 28 They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen. 29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, 30 as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Sharing among Believers
(Acts 2:42–47)
32 The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned. 33 With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all.
34 There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, 35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need.
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Footnotes:
11 a Psalm 118:22
15 b Or the Council
25 c Or child ; also in verses 27 and 30
26 d Or His Christ or His Messiah ; Psalm 2:1–2
Peter and John Before the Council
1And as they are speaking unto the people, there came to them the priests, and the magistrate of the temple, and the Sadducees -- 2being grieved because of their teaching the people, and preaching in Jesus the rising again out of the dead -- 3and they laid hands upon them, and did put them in custody unto the morrow, for it was evening already; 4and many of those hearing the word did believe, and the number of the men became, as it were, five thousand.
5And it came to pass upon the morrow, there were gathered together of them the rulers, and elders, and scribes, to Jerusalem, 6and Annas the chief priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the chief priest, 7and having set them in the midst, they were inquiring, 'In what power, or in what name did ye do this?' 8Then Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them: 'Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9if we to-day are examined concerning the good deed to the ailing man, by whom he hath been saved, 10be it known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye did crucify, whom God did raise out of the dead, in him hath this one stood by before you whole. 11'This is the stone that was set at nought by you -- the builders, that became head of a corner; 12and there is not salvation in any other, for there is no other name under the heaven that hath been given among men, in which it behoveth us to be saved.'
Peter and John Threatened, Released
13And beholding the openness of Peter and John, and having perceived that they are men unlettered and plebeian, they were wondering -- they were taking knowledge also of them that with Jesus they had been -- 14and seeing the man standing with them who hath been healed, they had nothing to say against it, 15and having commanded them to go away out of the sanhedrim, they took counsel with one another, 16saying, 'What shall we do to these men? because that, indeed, a notable sign hath been done through them, to all those dwelling in Jerusalem is manifest, and we are not able to deny it; 17but that it may spread no further toward the people, let us strictly threaten them no more to speak in this name to any man.' 18And having called them, they charged them not to speak at all, nor to teach, in the name of Jesus, 19and Peter and John answering unto them said, 'Whether it is righteous before God to hearken to you rather than to God, judge ye; 20for we cannot but speak what we did see and hear.' 21And they having further threatened them, let them go, finding nothing how they may punish them, because of the people, because all were glorifying God for that which hath been done, 22for above forty years of age was the man upon whom had been done this sign of the healing.
The Believers' Prayer for Boldness
(Psalm 2:1-12)
23And being let go, they went unto their own friends, and declared whatever the chief priests and the elders said unto them, 24and they having heard, with one accord did lift up the voice unto God, and said, 'Lord, thou art God, who didst make the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that are in them,
25who, through the mouth of David thy servant, did say, Why did nations rage, and peoples meditate vain things?
26the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ;
27for gathered together of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, were both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with nations and peoples of Israel, 28to do whatever Thy hand and Thy counsel did determine before to come to pass. 29'And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and grant to Thy servants with all freedom to speak Thy word, 30in the stretching forth of Thy hand, for healing, and signs, and wonders, to come to pass through the name of Thy holy child Jesus.' 31And they having prayed, the place was shaken in which they were gathered together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and were speaking the word of God with freedom,
Sharing among Believers
(Acts 2:42-47)
32and of the multitude of those who did believe the heart and the soul was one, and not one was saying that anything of the things he had was his own, but all things were to them in common. 33And with great power were the apostles giving the testimony to the rising again of the Lord Jesus, great grace also was on them all, 34for there was not any one among them who did lack, for as many as were possessors of fields, or houses, selling them, were bringing the prices of the thing sold, 35and were laying them at the feet of the apostles, and distribution was being made to each according as any one had need.
36And Joses, who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas -- which is, having been interpreted, Son of Comfort -- a Levite, of Cyprus by birth, 37a field being his, having sold it, brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles.
Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin
¹ While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees came up to them. ² They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. ³ They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. ⁴ But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
⁵ The next day the rulers, the elders, and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. ⁶ Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others of the high priest’s family. ⁷ They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! ⁹ If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, ¹⁰ then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. ¹¹ Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’*
¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
¹³ When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. ¹⁵ So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. ¹⁶ “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
¹⁸ Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? You be the judges! ²⁰ As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
²¹ After 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. ²² For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
The Believers Pray
²³ On 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. ²⁴ When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. ²⁵ You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David:
“‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
²⁶ The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord
and against His anointed one.’*
²⁷ Indeed, Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. ²⁸ They did what Your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. ²⁹ Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness. ³⁰ Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”
³¹ After 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.
The Believers Share Their Possessions
³² All 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. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all ³⁴ that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
³⁶ Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), ³⁷ sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Footnotes:
4:11: The image of the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone is a powerful metaphor from Psalm 118:22, illustrating how the one who was cast aside—Jesus—has become the foundation of God’s salvation plan.
4:12: Peter emphasizes that salvation is found only in Jesus, highlighting the exclusivity of the gospel’s saving power. This would have been a radical statement to the religious leaders.
4:16: The miracle of the healed man was undeniable, even to those who opposed the apostles, demonstrating the undeniable evidence of God’s power at work.
4:20: Peter and John’s bold response shows their unwavering commitment to sharing what they have witnessed, even in the face of threats.
4:26: This is a quotation from Psalm 2, a Messianic psalm, which speaks of the opposition of the nations and rulers against God’s anointed King, a reference to Jesus.
4:29: The believers pray not for safety but for boldness, showing their desire to continue proclaiming the gospel despite opposition.
4:32: The early church’s radical unity and sharing of possessions reflect their deep commitment to living out the love and generosity that Jesus taught.
