Peter and John Before the Council

1And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2being distressed on account of their teaching the people and preaching by Jesus the resurrection from among the dead; 3and they laid hands on them, and put them in ward till the morrow; for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed; and the number of the men had become about five thousand.

5And it came to pass on the morrow that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together at Jerusalem, 6and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the high priestly family; 7and having placed them in the midst they inquired, In what power or in what name have ye done this? 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, 9if we this day are called upon to answer as to the good deed done to the infirm man, how he has been healed, 10be 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. 11He is the stone which has been set at nought by you the builders, which is become the corner stone. 12And salvation is in none other, for neither is there another name under heaven which is given among men by which we must be saved.

Peter and John Threatened, Released

13But 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. 14And beholding the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to reply; 15but having commanded them to go out of the council they conferred with one another, 16saying, 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. 17But that it be not further spread among the people, let us threaten them severely no longer to speak to any man in this name. 18And having called them, they charged them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answering said to them, If it be righteous before God to listen to you rather than to God, judge ye; 20for as for us we cannot refrain from speaking of the things which we have seen and heard. 21But 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; 22for the man on whom this sign of healing had taken place was above forty years old.

The Believers' Prayer for Boldness

23And having been let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24And 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;

25who hast said by the mouth of thy servant David, Why have the nations raged haughtily and the peoples meditated vain things?

26The kings of the earth were there, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ.

27For 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 28to do whatever thy hand and thy counsel had determined before should come to pass. 29And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and give to thy bondmen with all boldness to speak thy word, 30in that thou stretchest out thy hand to heal, and that signs and wonders take place through the name of thy holy servant Jesus. 31And 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.

Sharing among Believers

32And 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; 33and with great power did the apostles give witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34For 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 35and laid it at the feet of the apostles; and distribution was made to each according as any one might have need.

36And Joseph, who had been surnamed Barnabas by the apostles (which is, being interpreted, Son of consolation), a Levite, Cyprian by birth, 37being possessed of land, having sold it, brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles.