Shared Word Translation
Acts 4
Peter and John Before the Council
And while they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
And they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men became about five thousand.
And it happened on the next day that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem, and Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and as many as were of the high-priestly family. And placing them in the midst, they were inquiring, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a weak man, by what means this one has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this one this man stands before you healthy.
This is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Now seeing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were marveling, and they recognized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in opposition.
But commanding them to go outside of the council, they conferred with one another, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For that indeed a notable sign has been done through them is evident to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, and we are not able to deny it.
But so that it may not spread further among the people, let us threaten them that they speak no longer to anyone in this name.” And calling them, they commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves; for we are not able not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”
And when they had further threatened them, they released them, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were glorifying God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing had been done was more than forty years old.
The Believers Pray for Boldness
And being released, they came to their own and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
And hearing it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said,
“Master, you are the one who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them,
who through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David your servant, said,
‘Why did the nations rage,
and the peoples imagine vain things?
The kings of the earth stood together,
and the rulers were gathered together
against the Lord and against his Christ.’
"For in this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant[j] Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your purpose had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are being done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and were speaking the word of God with boldness.
The Believers Have Everything in Common
And the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and not even one was saying that anything of the things belonging to him was his own, but they had all things in common.
And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds of the things sold and laying them at the feet of the apostles, and it was being distributed to each as anyone had need.
And Joseph, who was called by the apostles Barnabas (which means, being translated, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, having a field, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles.