003:005 So he looked and waited, expecting to receive something from them.
003:006 "I have no silver or gold," Peter said, "but what I have, I give you.
In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene--walk!"
003:007 Then taking his hand Peter lifted him up, and immediately
his feet and ankles were strengthened.
003:008 Leaping up, he stood upright and began to walk, and went into
the Temple with them, walking, leaping, and praising God.
003:009 All the people saw him walking and praising God;
003:010 and recognizing him as the man who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate
of the Temple asking for alms, they were filled with awe
and amazement at what had happened to him.
003:011 While he still clung to Peter and John, the people, awe-struck, ran up
crowding round them in what was known as Solomon's Portico.
003:012 Peter, seeing this, spoke to the people. "Israelites," he said,
"why do you wonder at this man? Or why gaze at us, as though
by any power or piety of our own we had enabled him to walk?
003:013 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers,
has conferred this honour on His Servant Jesus, whom you
delivered up and disowned in the presence of Pilate,
when he had decided to let Him go.
003:014 Yes, you disowned the holy and righteous One, and asked
as a favour the release of a murderer.
003:015 The Prince of Life you put to death; but God has raised Him
from the dead, and we are witnesses as to that.
003:016 It is His name--faith in that name being the condition--
which has strengthened this man whom you behold and know;
and the faith which He has given has made this man sound
and strong again, as you can all see.
003:017 "And now, brethren, I know that it was in ignorance that you
did it, as was the case with your rulers also.
003:018 But in this way God has fulfilled the declarations He made
through all the Prophets, that His Christ would suffer.
003:019 Repent, therefore, and reform your lives, so that the record
of your sins may be cancelled, and that there may come seasons
of revival from the Lord,
003:020 and that He may send the Christ appointed beforehand
for you--even Jesus.
003:021 Heaven must receive Him until those times of which God has spoken
from the earliest ages through the lips of His holy Prophets--
the times of the reconstitution of all things.
003:022 Moses declared, "`The Lord your God will raise up a Prophet
for you from among your brethren as He has raised me.
In all that He says to you, you must listen to Him.
003:023 And every one, without exception, who refuses to listen to that
Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the People.'
003:024 Yes, and all the Prophets, from Samuel onwards--all who have spoken--
have also announced the coming of this present time.
003:025 "You are the heirs of the Prophets, and of the Covenant which God
made with your forefathers when He said to Abraham, `And through
your posterity all the families of the world shall be blessed.'
003:026 It is to you first that God, after raising His Servant from
the grave, has sent Him to bless you, by causing every one
of you to turn from your wickedness."
004:001 While they were saying this to the people, the Priests,
the Commander of the Temple Guard, and the Sadducees
came upon them,
004:002 highly incensed at their teaching the people and proclaiming
in the case of Jesus the Resurrection from among the dead.
004:003 They arrested the two Apostles and lodged them in custody till
the next day; for it was already evening.
004:004 But many of those who had listened to their preaching believed;
and the number of the adult men had now grown to be about 5,000.
004:005 The next day a meeting was held in Jerusalem of their
Rulers, Elders, and Scribes,
004:006 with Annas the High Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and the
other members of the high-priestly family.
004:007 So they made the Apostles stand in the centre, and demanded
of them, "By what power or in what name have you done this?"
004:008 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he replied,
"Rulers and Elders of the people,
004:009 if we to-day are under examination concerning the benefit
conferred on a man helplessly lame, as to how this man
has been cured;
004:010 be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel,
that through the name of Jesus the Anointed, the Nazarene,
whom *you* crucified, but whom *God* has raised from among
the dead--through that name this man stands here before you
in perfect health.
004:011 This Jesus is the Stone treated with contempt by you the builders,
but it has been made the Cornerstone.
004:012 And in no other is the great salvation to be found; for, in fact,
there is no second name under Heaven that has been given
among men through which we are to be saved."
004:013 As they looked on Peter and John so fearlessly outspoken--
and also discovered that they were illiterate persons,
untrained in the schools--they were surprised; and now they
recognized them as having been with Jesus.
004:014 And seeing the man standing with them--the man who had been cured--
they had no reply to make.
004:015 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin while they
conferred among themselves.
004:016 "What are we to do with these men?" they asked one another;
for the fact that a remarkable miracle has been performed
by them is well known to every one in Jerusalem, and we
cannot deny it.
004:017 But to prevent the matter spreading any further among the people,
let us stop them by threats from speaking in the future
in this name to any one whatever."
004:018 So they recalled the Apostles, and ordered them altogether
to give up speaking or teaching in the name of Jesus.
004:019 But Peter and John replied, "Judge whether it is right in God's
sight to listen to you instead of listening to God.
004:020 As for us, what we have seen and heard we cannot
help speaking about."
004:021 The Court added further threats and then let them go,
being quite unable to find any way of punishing them on account
of the people, because all gave God the glory for the thing
that had happened.
004:022 For the man was over forty years of age on whom this miracle
of restoration to health had been performed.
004:023 After their release the two Apostles went to their friends,
and told them all that the High Priests and Elders had said.
004:024 And they, upon hearing the story, all lifted up their voices
to God and said, "O Sovereign Lord, it is Thou who didst make
Heaven and earth and sea, and all that is in them,
004:025 and didst say through the Holy Spirit by the lips of our forefather
David Thy servant, "`Why have the nations stamped and raged,
and the peoples formed futile plans?
004:026 The kings of the earth came near, and the rulers assembled
together against the Lord and against His Anointed.'"
004:027 "They did indeed assemble in this city in hostility to Thy holy
Servant Jesus whom Thou hadst anointed--Herod and Pontius Pilate
with the Gentiles and also the tribes of Israel--
004:028 to do all that Thy power and Thy will had predetermined
should be done.
004:029 And now, Lord, listen to their threats, and enable Thy servants
to proclaim Thy Message with fearless courage,
004:030 whilst Thou stretchest out Thine arm to cure men, and to give
signs and marvels through the name of Thy holy Servant Jesus."
004:031 When they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled shook,
and they were, one and all, filled with the Holy Spirit,
and proceeded to tell God's Message with boldness.
004:032 Among all those who had embraced the faith there was but one heart
and soul, so that none of them claimed any of his possessions
as his own, but everything they had was common property;
004:033 while the Apostles with great force of conviction delivered
their testimony as to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus;
and great grace was upon them all.
004:034 And, in fact, there was not a needy man among them,
for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them,
and brought the money which they realised,
004:035 and gave it to the Apostles, and distribution was made to every
one according to his wants.
004:036 In this way Joseph, whom the Apostles gave the name of Bar-nabas--
signifying `Son of Encouragement'--a Levite, a native of Cyprus,
004:037 sold a farm which he had, and brought the money and gave it
to the Apostles.
005:001 There was a man of the name of Ananias who, with his wife Sapphira,
sold some property but,
005:002 with her full knowledge and consent, dishonestly kept back
part of the price which he received for it, though he brought
the rest and gave it to the Apostles.
005:003 "Ananias," said Peter, "why has Satan taken possession of your heart,
that you should try to deceive the Holy Spirit and dishonestly
keep back part of the price paid you for this land?
005:004 While it remained unsold, was not the land your own?
And when sold, was it not at your own disposal?
How is it that you have cherished this design in your heart?
It is not to men you have told this lie, but to God."
005:005 Upon hearing these words Ananias fell down dead, and all who
heard the words were awe-struck.
005:006 The younger men, however, rose, and wrapping the body up,
carried it out and buried it.
005:007 About three hours had passed, when his wife came in,
knowing nothing of what had happened.
005:008 Peter at once questioned her. "Tell me," he said,
"whether you sold the land for so much." "Yes," she replied,
"for so much."
005:009 "How was it," replied Peter, "that you two agreed to try
an experiment upon the Spirit of the Lord? The men who have
buried your husband are already at the door, and they will
carry you out."
005:010 Instantly she fell down dead at his feet, and the young men came
in and found her dead. So they carried her out and buried
her by her husband's side.
005:011 This incident struck terror into the whole Church, and into
the hearts of all who heard of it.
005:012 Many signs and marvels continued to be done among the people
by the Apostles; and by common consent they all met
in Solomon's Portico.
005:013 But none of the others dared to attach themselves to them.
Yet the people held them in high honour--
005:014 and more and more believers in the Lord joined them,
including great numbers both of men and women--
005:015 so that they would even bring out their sick friends into
the streets and lay them on light couches or mats, in order
that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall
on one or other of them.
005:016 The inhabitants, too, of the towns in the neighbourhood
of Jerusalem came in crowds, bringing sick persons and some
who were harassed by foul spirits, and they were cured,
one and all.
005:017 This roused the High Priest. He and all his party--the sect
of the Sadducees--were filled with angry jealousy
005:018 and laid hands upon the Apostles, and put them into the public jail.
005:019 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison
doors and brought them out, and said,
005:020 "Go and stand in the Temple, and go on proclaiming to the people
all this Message of Life."
005:021 Having received that command they went into the Temple,
just before daybreak, and began to teach: So when the High Priest
and his party came, and had called together the Sanhedrin
as well as all the Elders of the descendants of Israel,
they sent to the jail to fetch the Apostles.
005:022 But the officers went and could not find them in the prison.
So they came back and brought word,
005:023 saying, "The jail we found quite safely locked, and the warders
were on guard at the doors, but upon going in we found
no one there."
005:024 When the Commander of the Temple Guards and the High Priests heard
this statement, they were utterly at a loss with regard to it,
wondering what would happen next.
005:025 And some one came and brought them word, saying, "The men you
put in prison are actually in the Temple, standing there,
teaching the people."
005:026 Upon this the Commander went with the officers, and brought
the Apostles; but without using violence; for they were afraid
of being stoned by the people.
005:027 So they brought them and made them stand in front of the Sanhedrin.
And then the High Priest questioned them.
005:028 "We strictly forbad you to teach in that name--did we not?" he said.
"And see, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching,
and are trying to make us responsible for that man's death!"
005:029 Peter and the other Apostles replied, "We must obey God
rather than man.
005:030 The God of our forefathers has raised Jesus to life, whom you
crucified and put to death.
005:031 God has exalted Him to His right hand as Chief Leader and as Saviour,
to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
005:032 And we--and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him--
are witnesses as to these things."
005:033 Infuriated at getting this answer, they were disposed to
kill the Apostles.
005:034 But a Pharisee of the name of Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law,
held in honour by all the people, rose from his seat and requested
that they should be sent outside the court for a few minutes.
005:035 "Israelites," he said, "be careful what you are about to do
in dealing with these men.
005:036 Years ago Theudas appeared, professing to be a person of importance,
and a body of men, some four hundred in number, joined him.
He was killed, and all his followers were dispersed and annihilated.
005:037 After him, at the time of the Census, came Judas, the Galilaean,
and was the leader in a revolt. He too perished, and all
his followers were scattered.
005:038 And now I tell you to hold aloof from these men and leave
them alone--for if this scheme or work is of human origin,
it will come to nothing.
005:039 But if it is really from God, you will be powerless to put
them down--lest perhaps you find yourselves to be actually
fighting against God."
005:040 His advice carried conviction. So they called the Apostles in, and--
after flogging them--ordered them not to speak in the name
of Jesus, and then let them go.
005:041 They, therefore, left the Sanhedrin and went their way,
rejoicing that they had been deemed worthy to suffer disgrace
on behalf of the NAME.
005:042 But they did not desist from teaching every day,
in the Temple or in private houses, and telling the Good News
about Jesus, the Christ.
006:001 About this time, as the number of disciples was increasing,
complaints were made by the Greek-speaking Jews against
the Hebrews because their widows were habitually overlooked
in the daily ministration.
006:002 So the Twelve called together the general body of the disciples
and said, "It does not seem fitting that we Apostles should
neglect the delivery of God's Message and minister at tables.
006:003 Therefore, brethren, pick out from among yourselves seven
men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom,
and we will appoint them to undertake this duty.
006:004 But, as for us, we will devote ourselves to prayer and to
the delivery of the Message."
006:005 The suggestion met with general approval, and they
selected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the
Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch.
006:006 These men they brought to the Apostles, and, after prayer,
they laid their hands upon them.
006:007 Meanwhile God's Message continued to spread, and the number
of the disciples in Jerusalem very greatly increased,
and very many priests obeyed the faith.
006:008 And Stephen, full of grace and power, performed great marvels
and signs among the people.
006:009 But some members of the so-called `Synagogue of the Freed-men,'
together with some Cyrenaeans, Alexandrians, Cilicians and men
from Roman Asia, were roused to encounter Stephen in debate.
006:010 They were quite unable, however, to resist the wisdom and
the Spirit with which he spoke.
006:011 Then they privately put forward men who declared, "We have heard
him speak blasphemous things against Moses and against God."
006:012 In this way they excited the people, the Elders, and the Scribes.
At length they came upon him, seized him with violence,
and took him before the Sanhedrin.
006:013 Here they brought forward false witnesses who declared,
"This fellow is incessantly speaking against the Holy Place
and the Law.
006:014 For we have heard him say that Jesus, the Nazarene, will pull
this place down to the ground and will change the customs
which Moses handed down to us."
006:015 At once the eyes of all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin
were fastened on him, and they saw his face looking just
like the face of an angel.