Acts 4 - Prayer Tents

Peter and John before the Council

4While 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.G1161G846G2980G4314G2992G2409G2532G4755G2411G2532G4523G2186G8462These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead.G1278G1223G846G1321G2992G2532G2605G1722G2424G386G1537G34983They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning.G2532G1911G5495G846G2532G5087G1519G5084G1519G839G1063G2258G2235G20734But 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

.G1161G4183G191G3056G4100G2532G706G435G1096G5616G4002G55055The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem.G1161G1096G1909G839G846G758G2532G4245G2532G11226Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest.G2532G452G749G2532G2533G2532G2491G2532G223G2532G3745G2258G1537G1085G748G4863G1519G24197They brought in the two disciples and demanded, "By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?"G2532G2476G846G1722G3319G4441G1722G4169G1411G2228G1722G4169G3686G4160G5210G4160G51248Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of our people,G5119G4074G4130G40G4151G2036G4314G846G758G2992G2532G4245G24749are we being questioned today because we've done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed?G1487G2249G4594G350G1909G2108G772G444G1722G5101G3778G498210Let 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.G2077G1110G5213G3956G2532G3956G2992G2474G3754G1722G3686G2424G5547G3480G3739G5210G4717G3739G2316G1453G1537G3498G1722G5129G3936G3778G3936G1799G5216G519911For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, 'The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.'

G3778G2076G3037G3588G1848G5259G5216G3618G3588G1096G2776G1519G113712There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved."G2532G3756G2076G4991G1722G3762G243G1063G2076G3777G2087G3686G5259G3772G1325G1722G444G1722G3739G2248G1163G498213The 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.G1161G2334G3954G4074G2532G2491G2532G2638G3754G1526G62G2532G2399G444G2296G5037G1921G846G3754G2258G4862G242414But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say.G1161G991G444G2323G2476G4862G846G2192G471G3762G47115So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber

and conferred among themselves.G1161G2753G846G565G1854G4892G4820G4314G24016"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.G3004G5101G4160G5125G444G1063G3754G3303G1110G4592G1096G1223G846G5318G3956G2730G2419G2532G3756G1410G72017But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus' name again."G235G3363G1268G3363G1909G4119G1519G2992G547G546G846G2980G3371G3367G444G1909G5129G368618So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.G2532G2564G846G3853G846G3361G5350G2527G3366G1321G1909G3686G242419But Peter and John replied, "Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?G1161G4074G2532G2491G611G2036G4314G846G1487G2076G1342G1799G2316G191G5216G3123G2228G2316G291920We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard."G1063G2249G3756G1410G3361G2980G3739G1492G2532G19121The 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 GodG1161G4324G630G846G630G2147G3367G4459G2849G846G1223G2992G3754G3956G1392G2316G1909G109622for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years.G1063G444G2258G4119G5062G2094G1909G3739G5124G4592G2392G1096

The Believers Pray for Courage

23As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said.G1161G630G2064G4314G2398G2532G518G3745G749G2532G4245G2036G4314G84624When 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?G1161G191G142G5456G4314G2316G3661G2532G2036G1203G4771G2316G3588G4160G3772G2532G1093G2532G2281G2532G3956G1722G84625you 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?G3588G1223G4750G4675G3816G1138G2036G2444G5433G1484G5433G2532G2992G3191G275626The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the LORD and against his Messiah.'

G935G1093G3936G2532G758G4863G1909G846G2596G2962G2532G2596G846G554727"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.G1063G1909G225G1909G4675G40G3816G2424G3739G5548G5037G2264G2532G4194G4091G4862G1484G2532G2992G2474G486328But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will.G4160G3745G4675G5495G2532G4675G1012G4309G109629And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word.G2532G3569G2962G1896G1909G846G547G2532G1325G4675G1401G3326G3956G3954G2980G4675G305630Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus."G1722G4571G1614G4675G5495G1519G2392G2532G4592G2532G5059G1096G1223G3686G4675G40G3816G242431After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.G2532G846G1189G5117G4531G1722G3739G2258G4863G2532G4130G537G4130G40G4151G2532G2980G3056G2316G3326G3954

The Believers Share Their Possessions

32All 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.G1161G4128G4100G2258G2588G2532G3391G5590G2532G3761G3004G1520G5100G846G5224G1511G2398G235G846G2258G537G283933The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great blessing was upon them all.G2532G3173G1411G591G652G3142G386G2962G2424G5037G3173G5485G2258G1909G846G395634There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell themG3761G1063G5225G5100G1722G846G1729G1063G3745G5225G2935G5564G2228G3614G4453G5342G5092G409735and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.G2532G5087G3844G652G4228G1161G1239G1538G2530G302G2192G5100G553236For 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.G1161G2500G3588G5259G652G1941G921G3739G2076G3177G5207G3874G3019G1085G295337He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.G5225G846G68G4453G5342G5536G2532G5087G3844G652G4228