4:1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were approached by priests, the captain of the soldiers that guarded the Temple, and Sadducees [C Jewish religious party with most influence in the Jewish high court (Sanhedrin) and among the Temple leadership].
4:2 They were ·upset [annoyed; disturbed] because the two apostles were teaching the people and were ·preaching [proclaiming] ·that people will rise from the dead through the power of Jesus [L the resurrection of the dead in Jesus; C Sadducees did not believe in the afterlife].
4:3 They ·grabbed [seized; arrested] Peter and John and put them in ·jail [custody]. Since it was already ·night [evening], they kept them in jail until the next day.
4:4 But many of those who had heard Peter and John preach believed the ·things they said [message; L word]. ·There were now about five thousand in the group of believers [or The number of men grew to about five thousand; C probably referring to adult males and so household units].
4:5 The next day the rulers, the elders, and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] ·met [assembled] in Jerusalem.
4:6 Annas the high priest, Caiaphas [C Annas was the former high priest and father-in-law of Caiaphas, the official high priest; Luke 3:2], John, and Alexander [C perhaps sons of Annas] were there, as well as ·everyone [or others] from the high priest’s family.
4:7 They made Peter and John stand before them and then ·asked [questioned; interrogated] them, “By what power or ·authority [L in/by what name] did you do this?”
4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and you elders,
4:9 are you ·questioning [examining] us [L today] about a ·good thing [good deed; act of kindness] that was done to a ·crippled [lame; sick] man? Are you asking us ·who made him well [or how he was made well/healed]?
4:10 We want all of you and all the people [of Israel] to know that this man was made well ·by the power [L in/by the name] of Jesus Christ ·from Nazareth [or the Nazarene]. You crucified him, but God raised him from the dead. This man was ·crippled [lame; sick], but he is now ·well [healthy] and able to stand here before you because of the ·power [L name] of Jesus.
4:11 Jesus is ‘the stone that you builders ·rejected [despised], which has become the cornerstone [Ps. 118:22; C Jesus is the central stone that holds up the building].’
4:12 ·Jesus is the only One who can save people [L Salvation is found/present in no one else]. ·No one else [L No other name given to people] ·in the world [L under heaven] is able to save us.”
4:13 The leaders saw that Peter and John were ·not afraid to speak [bold; confident], and they ·understood [discovered; found out] that these men ·had no special training or education [or were common/ordinary and uneducated; C no formal training from a rabbi in teaching Scripture]. So they were amazed. Then they realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus.
4:14 Because they saw the healed man standing there beside the two apostles, they could say nothing against them.
4:15 After the leaders ordered them to leave the ·meeting [or Sanhedrin; C a council of the chief leaders of the Jewish people], they began to ·talk to [confer with] each other.
4:16 They said, “What shall we do with these men? Everyone [L who lives] in Jerusalem knows they have done a great ·miracle [L sign], and we cannot say it is not true.
4:17 But to keep it from spreading among the people, we must warn them not to talk to people anymore ·using that name [or about that name/person].”
4:18 So they called Peter and John in again and ·told [commanded; ordered] them not to ·speak [preach] or to teach at all in the name of Jesus.
4:19 But Peter and John answered them, “You ·decide [judge] what ·God would want [L is right before God]. Should we ·obey [listen to] you or God?
4:20 [L For] We cannot ·keep quiet [stop speaking] about what we have seen and heard.”
4:21 The leaders ·warned [threatened] the apostles again and let them go free. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had ·been done [happened].
4:22 The man who received the ·miracle [L sign] of healing was more than forty years old.
4:23 After Peter and John ·left the meeting of leaders [L were released], they went to their own group and ·told them [reported] everything the ·leading [T chief] priests and the elders had said to them.
4:24 When the believers heard this, they ·prayed [L raised their voices] to God together, “·Lord [or Sovereign; Master], you are the One who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them [Gen. 1; Ps. 8; 19; 104].
4:25 By the Holy Spirit, through our father David your ·servant [or child], you said: ‘Why are the ·nations [Gentiles] ·so angry [furious; raging]? Why are the people ·making useless plans [plotting in vain]?
4:26 The kings of the earth ·prepare to fight [take their stand], and their ·leaders [rulers] ·make plans [or gather; assemble] together against the Lord and his ·Christ [Messiah; Anointed One; Ps. 2:1–2; C the psalm describes the unrest of subject nations at the coronation of Israel’s anointed king].’
4:27 ·These things really happened when [For truly; Indeed] Herod, Pontius Pilate, and ·some Jews [the people of Israel] and Gentiles all came together here in ·Jerusalem [L this city] against your holy ·servant [child] Jesus, the One you ·made to be the Christ [L anointed; Luke 4:18; C Christ in Greek and Messiah in Hebrew mean “anointed one”].
4:28 These people made your plan happen because of your ·power [L hand] and your ·will [purpose]. [or L They did whatever your hand and your purpose predestined/determined beforehand to be done.]
4:29 And now, Lord, ·listen to [consider] their threats. Lord, help us, your ·servants [slaves], to speak your ·word [message] ·without fear [L with all boldness/confidence].
4:30 ·Show us your power [L Stretch out your hand] to heal. Give ·proofs [signs] and ·make miracles happen [wonders] by the ·power [L name] of Jesus, your holy ·servant [or child].”
4:31 After they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke God’s ·word [message] ·without fear [L with boldness/confidence/courage].
4:32 The group of believers were ·united in their hearts and spirit [L one heart and mind/soul; Jer. 32:39]. ·All those in the group acted as though their private property belonged to everyone in the group [L No one said any of their possessions was their own]. In fact, ·they shared everything [or everything was held in common].
4:33 With great power the apostles ·were telling people [gave testimony; witnessed] that the Lord Jesus was truly raised from the dead. And ·God blessed all the believers very much [L great grace was on all of them].
4:34 [L For] There were no needy people among them [Deut. 15:4]. [L Because] From time to time those who owned fields or houses sold them, brought the money from the sale,
4:35 and ·gave it to [L laid it at the feet of] the apostles. Then the money was ·given [distributed] to anyone who needed it.
4:36 One of the believers was named Joseph, a Levite [C the Israelite tribe set apart for priestly service] born in Cyprus [C an island to the west of the coast of Syria]. The apostles called him Barnabas (which means ·“one who encourages” [L “son of encouragement”]).
4:37 Joseph owned a field, sold it, brought the money, and ·gave it to [L laid it at the feet of] the apostles.
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