Parallel Bible results for "acts 4"

Acts 4

The Message Bible MSG

1 While Peter and John were addressing the people, the priests, the chief of the Temple police, and some Sadducees came up,

2 indignant that these upstart apostles were instructing the people and proclaiming that the resurrection from the dead had taken place in Jesus.

3 They arrested them and threw them in jail until morning, for by now it was late in the evening.

4 But many of those who listened had already believed the Message - in round numbers about five thousand!

5 The next day a meeting was called in Jerusalem. The rulers, religious leaders, religion scholars,

6 Annas the Chief Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander - everybody who was anybody was there.

7 They stood Peter and John in the middle of the room and grilled them: "Who put you in charge here? What business do you have doing this?"

8 With that, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, let loose: "Rulers and leaders of the people,

9 if we have been brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding this healing,

10 I'll be completely frank with you - we have nothing to hide. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole.

11 Jesus is 'the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.'

12 Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one."

13 They couldn't take their eyes off them - Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus,

14 but with the man right before them, seeing him standing there so upright - so healed! - what could they say against that?

15 They sent them out of the room so they could work out a plan. They talked it over:

16 "What can we do with these men? By now it's known all over town that a miracle has occurred, and that they are behind it. There is no way we can refute that.

17 But so that it doesn't go any further, let's silence them with threats so they won't dare to use Jesus' name ever again with anyone."

18 They called them back and warned them that they were on no account ever again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

19 But Peter and John spoke right back, "Whether it's right in God's eyes to listen to you rather than to God, you decide.

20 As for us, there's no question - we can't keep quiet about what we've seen and heard."

21 The religious leaders renewed their threats, but then released them. They couldn't come up with a charge that would stick, that would keep them in jail. The people wouldn't have stood for it - they were all praising God over what had happened.

22 The man who had been miraculously healed was over forty years old.

23 As soon as Peter and John were let go, they went to their friends and told them what the high priests and religious leaders had said.

24 Hearing the report, they lifted their voices in a wonderful harmony in prayer: "Strong God, you made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.

25 By the Holy Spirit you spoke through the mouth of your servant and our father, David: Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean plots, peoples?

26 Earth's leaders push for position, Potentates meet for summit talks, The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers!

27 "For in fact they did meet - Herod and Pontius Pilate with nations and peoples, even Israel itself! - met in this very city to plot against your holy Son Jesus, the One you made Messiah,

28 to carry out the plans you long ago set in motion.

29 "And now they're at it again! Take care of their threats and give your servants fearless confidence in preaching your Message,

30 as you stretch out your hand to us in healings and miracles and wonders done in the name of your holy servant Jesus."

31 While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence.

32 The whole congregation of believers was united as one - one heart, one mind! They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, "That's mine; you can't have it." They shared everything.

33 The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.

34 And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale

35 to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person's need.

36 Joseph, called by the apostles "Barnabas" (which means "Son of Comfort"), a Levite born in Cyprus,

37 sold a field that he owned, brought the money, and made an offering of it to the apostles.

New Living Translation NLT

1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees.

2 These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead.

3 They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning.

4 But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of believers now totaled about 5,000 men, not counting women and children.

5 The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem.

6 Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest.

7 They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people,

9 are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed?

10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.

11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’

12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say.

15 So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves.

16 “What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it.

17 But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.”

18 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?

20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”

21 The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God

22 for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years.

23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said.

24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—

25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans?

26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the LORD and against his Messiah.’

27 “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed.

28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will.

29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word.

30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

32 All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.

33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all.

34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them

35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.

36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus.

37 He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.