Acts 3-4

New American Standard Bible 1995

Healing the Lame Beggar

3 Now ^(A)Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ^[a]ninth hour, ^(B)the hour of prayer. ² And ^(C)a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they ^(D)used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, ^(E)in order to beg ^[b]alms of those who were entering the temple. ³ When he saw ^(F)Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. ⁴ But Peter, along with John, ^(G)fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!” ⁵ And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: ^(H)In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” ⁷ And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. ^8 [c](I)With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And ^(J)all the people saw him walking and praising God; ¹⁰ and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to ^(K)sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter’s Second Sermon

¹¹ While he was clinging to ^(L)Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called ^[d](M)portico of Solomon, full of amazement. ¹² But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? ^13 (N)The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, ^(O)the God of our fathers, has glorified His ^[e](P)servant Jesus, the one whom ^(Q)you delivered and disowned in the presence of ^(R)Pilate, when he had ^(S)decided to release Him. ¹⁴ But you disowned ^(T)the Holy and Righteous One and ^(U)asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ but put to death the ^[f](V)Prince of life, the one whom ^(W)God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are ^(X)witnesses. ¹⁶ And on the basis of faith ^(Y)in His name, it is ^[g]the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

¹⁷ “And now, brethren, I know that you acted ^(Z)in ignorance, just as your ^(AA)rulers did also. ¹⁸ But the things which ^(AB)God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, ^(AC)that His ^[h]Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. ¹⁹ Therefore ^(AD)repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that ^(AE)times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; ²⁰ and that He may send Jesus, the ^[i]Christ appointed for you, ^21 (AF)whom heaven must receive until the ^[j]period of ^(AG)restoration of all things about which ^(AH)God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. ²² Moses said, ‘^(AI)The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet ^[k]like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. ^23 (AJ)And it will be that every ^(AK)soul that does not heed that prophet ^(AL)shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ ²⁴ And likewise, ^(AM)all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. ²⁵ It is you who are ^(AN)the sons of the prophets and of the ^(AO)covenant which God ^[l]made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘^(AP)And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ ²⁶ For you ^(AQ)first, God ^(AR)raised up His ^[m]Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

Peter and John Arrested

4 As they were speaking to the people, the priests and ^(AS)the captain of the temple guard and ^(AT)the Sadducees ^(AU)came up to them, ² being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming ^[n](AV)in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ And they laid hands on them and ^(AW)put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. ⁴ But many of those who had heard the ^[o]message believed; and ^(AX)the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

⁵ On the next day, their ^(AY)rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; ⁶ and ^(AZ)Annas the high priest was there, and ^(BA)Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. ⁷ When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” ⁸ Then Peter, ^[p](BB)filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “^[q](BC)Rulers and elders of the people, ⁹ if we are ^[r]on trial today for ^(BD)a benefit done to a sick man, ^[s]as to how this man has been made well, ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that ^[t](BE)by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom ^(BF)God raised from the dead—^[u]by ^[v]this name this man stands here before you in good health. ^11 [w](BG)He is the ^(BH)stone which was ^(BI)rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. ¹² And there is salvation in ^(BJ)no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Threat and Release

¹³ Now as they observed the ^(BK)confidence of ^(BL)Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and ^(BM)began to recognize them ^[x]as having been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. ¹⁵ But when they had ordered them to leave the ^[y](BN)Council, they began to confer with one another, ¹⁶ saying, “^(BO)What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a ^(BP)noteworthy ^[z]miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man ^(BQ)in this name.” ¹⁸ And when they had summoned them, they ^(BR)commanded them not to speak or teach at all ^[aa]in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But ^(BS)Peter and John answered and said to them, “^(BT)Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; ²⁰ for ^(BU)we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” ²¹ When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) ^(BV)on account of the people, because they were all ^(BW)glorifying God for what had happened; ²² for the man was more than forty years old on whom this ^[ab]miracle of healing had been performed.

²³ When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O ^[ac]Lord, it is You who ^(BX)made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, ²⁵ who ^(BY)by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,

²⁷ For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy ^[ag](CC)servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both ^(CD)Herod and ^(CE)Pontius Pilate, along with ^(CF)the ^[ah]Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do whatever Your hand and ^(CG)Your purpose predestined to occur. ²⁹ And ^[ai]now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may ^(CH)speak Your word with all ^(CI)confidence, ³⁰ while You extend Your hand to heal, and ^[aj](CJ)signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy ^[ak](CK)servant Jesus.” ³¹ And when they had prayed, the ^(CL)place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all ^(CM)filled with the Holy Spirit and began to ^(CN)speak the word of God with ^(CO)boldness.

Sharing among Believers

³² And the ^[al]congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them ^[am]claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but ^(CP)all things were common property to them. ³³ And ^(CQ)with great power the apostles were giving ^(CR)testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. ³⁴ For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses ^(CS)would sell them and bring the ^[an]proceeds of the sales ³⁵ and ^(CT)lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be ^(CU)distributed to each as any had need.

³⁶ Now Joseph, a Levite of ^(CV)Cyprian birth, who was also called ^(CW)Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of ^[ao](CX)Encouragement), ³⁷ and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and ^(CY)laid it at the apostles’ feet.