Peter and John before the Council

41 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being distressed on account of their teaching the people and preaching by Jesus the resurrection from among [the] dead; 3 and they laid hands on them, and put them in ward till the morrow; for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed; and the number of the men had become [about] five thousand.

5 And it came to pass on the morrow that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together at Jerusalem, 6 and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of [the] high priestly family; 7 and having placed them in the midst they inquired, In what power or in what name have ye done this? 8 Then Peter, filled with [the] Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders [of Israel], 9 if we this day are called upon to answer as to the good deed [done] to the infirm man, how he has been healed, 10 be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazaraean, whom ye have crucified, whom God has raised from among [the] dead, by him this [man] stands here before you sound [in body]. 11 He is the stone which has been set at nought by you the builders, which is become the corner stone. 12 And salvation is in none other, for neither is there another name under heaven which is given among men by which we must be saved. 13 But seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and perceiving that they were unlettered and uninstructed men, they wondered; and they recognised them that they were with Jesus. 14 And beholding the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to reply;

15 but having commanded them to go out of the council they conferred with one another, 16 saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed an evident sign has come to pass through their means is manifest to all that inhabit Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But that it be not further spread among the people, let us threaten them severely no longer to speak to any man in this name. 18 And having called them, they charged [them] not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answering said to them, If it be righteous before God to listen to you rather than to God, judge ye; 20 for as for us we cannot refrain from speaking of the things which we have seen and heard. 21 But they, having further threatened them, let them go, finding no way how they might punish them, on account of the people, because all glorified God for what had taken place; 22 for the man on whom this sign of healing had taken place was above forty years old.

The Believers Pray for Boldness

23 And having been let go, they came to their own [company], and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 And they, having heard [it], lifted up [their] voice with one accord to God, and said, Lord, thou art the God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them; 25 who hast said by the mouth of thy servant David, Why have [the] nations raged haughtily and [the] peoples meditated vain things? 26 The kings of the earth were there, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. 27 For in truth against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou hadst anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with [the] nations, and peoples of Israel, have been gathered together in this city 28 to do whatever thy hand and thy counsel had determined before should come to pass. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and give to thy bondmen with all boldness to speak thy word, 30 in that thou stretchest out thy hand to heal, and that signs and wonders take place through the name of thy holy servant Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God with boldness.

All Things in Common

32 And the heart and soul of the multitude of those that had believed were one, and not one said that anything of what he possessed was his own, but all things were common to them; 33 and with great power did the apostles give witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 For neither was there any one in want among them; for as many as were owners of lands or houses, selling them, brought the price of what was sold 35 and laid it at the feet of the apostles; and distribution was made to each according as any one might have need. 36 And Joseph, who had been surnamed Barnabas by the apostles (which is, being interpreted, Son of consolation), a Levite, Cyprian by birth, 37 being possessed of land, having sold [it], brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles.

A Lame Man Healed at the Gate of the Temple

31 And Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, [which is] the ninth [hour]; 2 and a certain man who was lame from his mother's womb was being carried, whom they placed every day at the gate of the temple called Beautiful, to ask alms of those who were going into the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to enter into the temple, asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter, looking stedfastly upon him with John, said, Look on us. 5 And he gave heed to them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, Silver and gold I have not; but what I have, this give I to thee: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazaraean rise up and walk. 7 And having taken hold of him [by] the right hand he raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones were made strong. 8 And leaping up he stood and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God; 10 and they recognised him, that it was he who sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter's Address in Solomon's Porch

11 And as he held Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico which is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

12 And Peter, seeing it, answered the people, Men of Israel, why are ye astonished at this? or why do ye gaze on us as if we had by our own power or piety made him to walk? 13 The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he had judged that he should be let go. 14 But ye denied the holy and righteous one, and asked that a man [that was] a murderer should be granted to you; 15 but the originator of life ye slew, whom God raised from among [the] dead, whereof we are witnesses. 16 And, by faith in his name, his name has made this [man] strong whom ye behold and know; and the faith which is by him has given him this complete soundness in the presence of you all. 17 And now, brethren, I know that ye did it in ignorance, as also your rulers; 18 but God has thus fulfilled what he had announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer. 19 Repent therefore and be converted, for the blotting out of your sins, so that times of refreshing may come from [the] presence of the Lord, 20 and he may send Jesus Christ, who was foreordained for you, 21 whom heaven indeed must receive till [the] times of [the] restoring of all things, of which God has spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets since time began. 22 Moses indeed said, A prophet shall [the] Lord your God raise up to you out of your brethren like me: him shall ye hear in everything whatsoever he shall say to you. 23 And it shall be that whatsoever soul shall not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people. 24 And indeed all the prophets from Samuel and those in succession after [him], as many as have spoken, have announced also these days. 25 Ye are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God appointed to our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 26 To you first God, having raised up his servant, has sent him, blessing you in turning each one [of you] from your wickedness.