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.