Peter and John Before the Council
1 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and
1the captain of the temple and
2the Sadducees came upon them,
2
greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming
3in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3
And they arrested them and
4put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
4
But many of those who had heard the word believed, and
5the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5
On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem,
6
with
6Annas the high priest and
7Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family.
7
And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired,
8"By what power or
9by what name did you do this?"
8
Then Peter,
10filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders,
9
if we are being examined today
11concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed,
10
let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that
12by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified,
13whom God raised from the dead--by him this man is standing before you well.
11
14This Jesus is the stone that was
15rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
12
And there is
16salvation
17in no one else, for
18there is no other
19name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
13
20Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
14
But seeing the man who was healed
21standing beside them,
22they had nothing to say in opposition.
15
But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another,
16
saying,
23"What shall we do with these men? For that
24a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17
But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them
25to speak no more to anyone in this name."
18
So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19
But Peter and John answered them,
26"Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge,
20
for
27we cannot but speak of what
28we have seen and heard."
21
And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them,
29because of the people, for all were praising God
30for what had happened.
22
For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
The Believers Pray for Boldness
23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
24
And when they heard it, they lifted their voices
31together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord,
32who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,
25
who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
33"'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain?
26
The kings of the earth set themselves, and
34the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his
35Anointed'--
27
for truly in this city there were gathered together against your
36holy servant Jesus,
37whom you anointed, both
38Herod and
39Pontius Pilate, along
40with the Gentiles and
41the peoples of Israel,
28
42to do whatever your hand and
43your plan had predestined to take place.
29
And now, Lord,
44look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all
45boldness,
30
while
46you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed
47through the name of your
48holy servant Jesus."
31
And when they had prayed,
49the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and
50they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
51continued to speak the word of God with boldness.