Acts 3:11–4:22

Peter’s Second Sermon

11 While he was clinging to aPeter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called 1bportico of Solomon, full of amazement.

12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?

13 “aThe God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, bthe God of our fathers, has glorified His 1cservant Jesus, the one whom dyou delivered and disowned in the presence of ePilate, when he had fdecided to release Him.

14 “But you disowned athe Holy and Righteous One and basked for a murderer to be granted to you,

15 but put to death the 1aPrince of life, the one whom bGod raised from the dead, a fact to which we are cwitnesses.

16 “And on the basis of faith ain His name, it is 1the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

17 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted ain ignorance, just as your brulers did also.

18 “But the things which aGod announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, bthat His 1Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.

19 “Therefore arepent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that btimes of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

20 and that He may send Jesus, the 1Christ appointed for you,

21 awhom heaven must receive until the 1period of brestoration of all things about which cGod spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.

22 “Moses said, ‘aThe Lord God will raise up for you a prophet 1like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you.

23 ‘aAnd it will be that every bsoul that does not heed that prophet cshall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’

24 “And likewise, aall the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days.

25 “It is you who are athe sons of the prophets and of the bcovenant which God 1made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘cAnd in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’

26 “For you afirst, God braised up His 1Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

Chapter 4

Peter and John Arrested

1 As they were speaking to the people, the priests and athe captain of the temple guard and bthe Sadducees ccame up to them,

2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming 1ain Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

3 And they laid hands on them and aput them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening.

4 But many of those who had heard the 1message believed; and athe number of the men came to be about five thousand.

5 On the next day, their arulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem;

6 and aAnnas the high priest was there, and bCaiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent.

7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”

8 Then Peter, 1afilled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “2bRulers and elders of the people,

9 if we are 1on trial today for aa benefit done to a sick man, 2as to how this man has been made well,

10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that 1aby the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom bGod raised from the dead—1by 2this name this man stands here before you in good health.

11 “1aHe is the bstone which was crejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.

12 “And there is salvation in ano one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Threat and Release

13 Now as they observed the aconfidence of bPeter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and cbegan to recognize them 1as having been with Jesus.

14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.

15 But when they had ordered them to leave the 1aCouncil, they began to confer with one another,

16 saying, “aWhat shall we do with these men? For the fact that a bnoteworthy 1miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

17 “But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man ain this name.”

18 And when they had summoned them, they acommanded them not to speak or teach at all 1in the name of Jesus.

19 But aPeter and John answered and said to them, “bWhether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;

20 for awe cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

21 When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) aon account of the people, because they were all bglorifying God for what had happened;

22 for the man was more than forty years old on whom this 1miracle of healing had been performed.