Acts 3–6

A Lame Beggar Healed at the Temple

3Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ²And a certain man was being carried who was lame from birth.^a He^b was placed every day at the gate of the temple called “Beautiful,” so that he could ask for charitable gifts from those who were going into the temple courts.^{* 3}When he^* saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts,^* he began asking to receive alms. ⁴And Peter looked intently at him, together with John, and^* said, “Look at us!” ⁵So he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶But Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not possess,^c but what I have, this I give to you—in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!”^{d 7}And taking hold of him by the right hand, he raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸And leaping up, he stood and began walking around^* and entered into the temple courts^* with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹And all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰And they recognized him, that this one^e was the one who used to sit asking for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.

Peter’s Sermon in Solomon’s Portico

¹¹And while^* he was holding fast to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s, utterly astonished. ¹²And when he^* saw it,^* Peter replied to the people, “Men and Israelites, why are you astonished at this? Or why are you staring at us, as if by our own power or godliness we have made him walk? ¹³The God of Abraham and of Isaac^f and of Jacob,^g the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in the presence of Pilate, after^h he had decided to release him.^{* 14}But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and demanded that a man—a murderer—be granted to you. ¹⁵And you killed the originator of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses! ¹⁶And on the basis of faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know, and the faith that is through him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all. ¹⁷And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. ¹⁸But the things which God foretold through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christⁱ would suffer, he has fulfilled in this way. ¹⁹Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be blotted out, ²⁰so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and he may send the Christ^j appointed for you—Jesus, ²¹whom heaven must receive until the times of the restoration of all things, about which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times. ²²Moses said, ‘The Lord God^k will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You will listen to him in everything that he says to you.^{l 23}And it will be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet will be destroyed utterly from the people.’^{m 24}And indeed, all the prophets from Samuel and all those who followed him^* have spoken about and proclaimed these days. ²⁵You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God ordained with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed.’^{n 26}God, after he^* had raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning each of you back from your wickedness!”

Peter and John Arrested

4And while^* they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees approached them, ²greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³And they laid hands on them and put them^* in custody until the next day, because it was already evening. ⁴But many of those who listened to the message believed, and the number of the men was approximately five thousand.

Peter and John on Trial Before the Sanhedrin

⁵And it happened that on the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes came together in Jerusalem, ⁶and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all those who were from the high priest’s family. ⁷And they made them stand in their^* midst and^* began to ask,^* “By what power or by what name did you do this?” ⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a sick man—by what means^a this man was healed—¹⁰let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man stands before you healthy! ¹¹This one^b is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone.^{c 12}And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among people by which we must be saved.”

¹³Now when they^* saw the boldness of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were astonished, and recognized them, that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴And because they^* saw the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in return. ¹⁵But after they^* had ordered them to go outside the Sanhedrin,^d they began to confer^* with one another, ¹⁶saying, “What should we do with these men? For that a remarkable sign has taken place through them is evident to all those who live in Jerusalem, and we are not able to deny it!^{* 17}But in order that it may not spread much further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more in this name to anyone at all.”^{e 18}And they called them back and^* commanded them^* not to speak or to teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹But Peter and John answered and^* said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, you decide! ²⁰For we are not able to refrain from speaking about the things that we have seen and heard.” ²¹So after^* threatening them^* further, they released them, finding no way to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened. ²²For the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than forty years old.

The Believers Pray for Continued Bold Witness

²³And when they^* were released, they went to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴And when they^* heard it,^* they lifted their voices with one mind to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them, ²⁵the one who said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your servant,

‘Why do the nations^f rage,

and the peoples conspire in vain?

²⁶The kings of the earth stood opposed,

and the rulers assembled together at the same place,

against the Lord and against his Christ.’^g

²⁷For in truth both Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, assembled together in this city against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, ²⁸to do all that your hand and plan^h had predestined to take place. ²⁹And now, Lord, concern yourself with their threats and grant your slaves to speak your message with all boldness, ³⁰as you extend your hand to heal and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” ³¹And when^* they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak^* the wordⁱ of God with boldness.

The Believers Share All Things in Common

³²Now the group of those who believed were one heart and soul, and no one said anything of what belonged to him was his own, but all things were theirs in common. ³³And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. ³⁴For there was not even anyone needy among them, because all those who were owners of plots of land or houses were selling them^* and^* bringing the proceeds of the things that were sold ³⁵and placing them^* at the feet of the apostles. And it was being distributed to each as anyone had need. ³⁶So Joseph, who was called Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated “son of encouragement”), a Levite of Cyprus by nationality, ³⁷sold a field^j that belonged to him and^* brought the money and placed it^* at the feet of the apostles.

Ananias and Sapphira Lie to the Holy Spirit

5Now a certain man named^a Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, ²and he kept back for himself some of the proceeds, and his^* wife was aware of it.^* And he brought a certain part and^* placed it^* at the feet of the apostles. ³But Peter said, “Ananias, for what reason has Satan filled your heart, that you lied to the Holy Spirit and kept back for yourself some of the proceeds of the piece of land? ⁴When it^* remained to you, did it not remain yours? And when it^* was sold, was it at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to people, but to God!”

⁵And when^* Ananias heard these words, he fell down and^* died. And great fear came on all those who heard about it.^{* 6}So the young men stood up, wrapped him up, and carried him^* out and^* buried him.^{* 7}And it happened that there was an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you both^* were paid this much for the piece of land.” And she said, “Yes, this much.” ⁹So Peter said to her, “How is it that it was agreed by you two^* to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!” ¹⁰And immediately she fell down at his feet and died. So when^* the young men came in, they found her dead, and carried her^* out and^* buried …