Acts 4–5

4TH CHAPTER

Peter and John’s Trial in Front of the Jewish Council

¹Some priests, the officer in charge of the temple guards, and some Sadducees approached Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. ²These religious authorities were greatly annoyed. Peter and John were teaching the people and spreading the message that the dead will come back to life through Jesus. ³So the temple guards arrested them. Since it was already evening, they put Peter and John in jail until the next day. 

⁴But many of those who had heard the message became believers, so the number of men who believed grew to about 5,000. 

⁵The next day the Jewish rulers, the leaders, and the experts in Moses’ Teachings met in Jerusalem. ⁶The chief priest Annas, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and the rest of the chief priest’s family were present. ⁷They made Peter and John stand in front of them and then asked, “By what power or in whose name did you do this?” 

⁸Then Peter, because he was filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and leaders of the people, ⁹today you are cross-examining us about the good we did for a crippled man. You want to know how he was made well. ¹⁰You and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands in your presence with a healthy body because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You crucified Jesus Christ, but God has brought him back to life. ¹¹He is the stone that the builders rejected, the stone that has become the cornerstone. ¹²No one else can save us. Indeed, we can be saved only by the power of the one named Jesus and not by any other person.” 

¹³After they found out that Peter and John had no education or special training, they were surprised to see how boldly they spoke. They realized that these men had been with Jesus. ¹⁴When they saw the man who was healed standing with Peter and John, they couldn’t say anything against the two apostles. ¹⁵So they ordered Peter and John to leave the council room and began to discuss the matter among themselves. ¹⁶They said, “What should we do to these men? Clearly, they’ve performed a miracle that everyone in Jerusalem knows about. We can’t deny that. ¹⁷So let’s threaten them. Let’s tell them that they must never speak to anyone about the one named Jesus. Then the news about the miracle that they have performed will not spread any further among the people.” 

¹⁸They called Peter and John and ordered them never to teach about Jesus or even mention his name. 

¹⁹Peter and John answered them, “Decide for yourselves whether God wants people to listen to you rather than to him. ²⁰We cannot stop talking about what we’ve seen and heard.” 

²¹The authorities threatened them even more and then let them go. Since all the people were praising God for what had happened, the authorities couldn’t find any way to punish Peter and John. ²²(The man who was healed by this miracle was over 40 years old.) 

The Apostles and Other Believers Pray for God’s Help

²³When Peter and John were released, they went to their own people and told them everything the chief priests and leaders had said. ²⁴When they heard this, they were united and loudly prayed to God, “Master, you made the sky, the land, the sea, and everything in them. ²⁵You said through the Holy Spirit, who spoke through your servant David (our ancestor), 

‘Why do the nations act arrogantly? 

Why do their people devise useless plots? 

²⁶Kings take their stand. 

Rulers make plans together 

against the Lord and against his Messiah.’ 

²⁷“In this city Herod and Pontius Pilate made plans together with non-Jewish people and the people of Israel. They made their plans against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. ²⁸Through your will and power, they did everything that you had already decided should be done. 

²⁹“Lord, pay attention to their threats now, and allow us to speak your word boldly. ³⁰Show your power by healing, performing miracles, and doing amazing things through the power and the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 

³¹When they had finished praying, their meeting place shook. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s word boldly. 

The Believers Share Their Property

³²The whole group of believers lived in harmony. No one called any of his possessions his own. Instead, they shared everything. 

³³With great power the apostles continued to testify that the Lord Jesus had come back to life. ⸤God’s⸥ abundant good will^awas with all of them. ³⁴None of them needed anything. From time to time, people sold land or houses and brought the money ³⁵to the apostles. Then the money was distributed to anyone who needed it. 

³⁶Joseph, a descendant of Levi, had been born on the island of Cyprus. The apostles called him Barnabas, which means “a person who encourages.” ³⁷He had some land. He sold it and turned the money over to the apostles. 

5TH CHAPTER

Ananias and Sapphira

¹A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold some property. ²They agreed to hold back some of the money ⸤they had pledged⸥ and turned only part of it over to the apostles. 

³Peter asked, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill you with the idea that you could deceive the Holy Spirit? You’ve held back some of the money you received for the land. ⁴While you had the land, it was your own. After it was sold, you could have done as you pleased with the money. So how could you do a thing like this? You didn’t lie to people but to God!” 

⁵When Ananias heard Peter say this, he dropped dead. Everyone who heard about his death was terrified. ⁶Some young men got up, wrapped his body in a sheet, carried him outside, and buried him. 

⁷About three hours later Ananias’ wife arrived. She didn’t know what had happened. ⁸So Peter asked her, “Tell me, did you sell the land for that price?” 

She answered, “Yes, that was the price.” 

⁹Then Peter said to her, “How could you and your husband agree to test the Lord’s Spirit? Those who buried your husband are standing at the door, and they will carry you outside for burial.” 

¹⁰Immediately, she dropped dead in front of Peter. When the young men came back, they found Sapphira dead. So they carried her outside and buried her next to her husband. ¹¹The whole church and everyone else who heard about what had happened were terrified. 

The Apostles Perform Many Miracles

¹²The people saw the apostles perform many miracles and do amazing things. The believers had a common faith in Jesus as they met on Solomon’s Porch. ¹³None of the other people dared to join them, although everyone spoke highly of them. ¹⁴More men and women than ever began to believe in the Lord. ¹⁵As a result, people carried their sick into the streets. They placed them on stretchers and cots so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some sick people as he went by. ¹⁶Crowds from the cities around Jerusalem would gather. They would bring their sick and those who were troubled by evil spirits, and each person was cured. 

The Apostles’ Trial in Front of the Jewish Council

¹⁷The chief priest and the whole party of the Sadducees who were with him were extremely jealous. So they took action ¹⁸by arresting the apostles and putting them in the city jail. ¹⁹But at night an angel from the Lord opened the doors to their cell and led them out of the prison. ²⁰The angel told them, “Stand in the temple courtyard, and tell the people everything about life ⸤in Christ⸥.” 

²¹Early in the morning, after they had listened to the angel, the apostles went into the temple courtyard and began to teach. 

The chief priest and those who were with him called together the Jewish council, that is, all the leaders of Israel. They also sent men to the prison to get the apostles. ²²When the temple guards arrived at the prison, they didn’t find the apostles. The guards came back and reported, ²³“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors. However, when we opened the doors, we found no one inside.” ²⁴When the officer of the temple guards and the chief priests heard this, they were puzzled about what could have happened. 

²⁵Then someone told them, “The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courtyard. They’re teaching the people.” 

²⁶Then the officer of the temple guards went with some of his men to bring back the apostles without using force. After all, the officer and his guards were afraid that the people would stone them to death for using force. ²⁷When they brought back the apostles, they made them stand in front of the council. The chief priest questioned them. ²⁸He said, “We gave you strict orders not to mention Jesus’ name when you teach. Yet, you’ve filled Jerusalem with your teachings. You want to take revenge on us for putting that man to death.” 

²⁹Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than people. ³⁰You murdered Jesus by hanging him on a cross. But the God of our ancestors brought him back to life. ³¹God used his power to give Jesus the honored position—the one next to him on the heavenly throne as leader and savior. He did this to lead the people of Israel to him, to change the way they think and act, and to forgive their sins. ³²We are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 

³³When the men on the council heard this, they became furious and wanted to execute the apostles. ³⁴But a Pharisee named Gamaliel stood up. He was a highly respected expert in Moses’ Teachings. He ordered that the apostles should be taken outside for a little while. 

³⁵Then he said to the council, “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you do with these men. ³⁶Some time ago Theudas appeared. He claimed that he was important, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, and all his followers were scattered. The whole movement was a failure. 

³⁷“After that man, at the time of the census, Judas from Galilee appeared and led people in a revolt. He, too, died, and all his followers were scattered. 

³⁸“We should keep away from…