Acts 3-4

Contemporary English Version

Peter and John Heal a Lame Man

3 The time of prayer^[a] was about three o'clock in the afternoon, and Peter and John were going into the temple. ² A man who had been born lame was being carried to the temple door. Each day he was placed beside this door, known as the Beautiful Gate. He sat there and begged from the people who were going in.

³ The man saw Peter and John entering the temple, and he asked them for money. ⁴ But they looked straight at him and said, “Look up at us!”

⁵ The man stared at them and thought he was going to get something. ⁶ But Peter said, “I don't have any silver or gold! But I will give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, get up and start walking.” ⁷ Peter then took him by the right hand and helped him up.

At once the man's feet and ankles became strong, ⁸ and he jumped up and started walking. He went with Peter and John into the temple, walking and jumping and praising God. ⁹ Everyone saw him walking around and praising God. ¹⁰ They knew he was the beggar who had been lying beside the Beautiful Gate, and they were completely surprised. They could not imagine what had happened to the man.

Peter Speaks in the Temple

¹¹ While the man kept holding on to Peter and John, the whole crowd ran to them in amazement at the place known as Solomon's Porch.^{[b] 12} Peter saw that a crowd had gathered, and he said:

Friends, why are you surprised at what has happened? Why are you staring at us? Do you think we have some power of our own? Do you think we were able to make this man walk because we are so religious? ^13 (A) The God that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and our other ancestors worshiped has brought honor to his Servant^[c] Jesus. He is the one you betrayed. You turned against him when he was being tried by Pilate, even though Pilate wanted to set him free.

^14 (B) You rejected Jesus, who was holy and good. You asked for a murderer to be set free, ¹⁵ and you killed the one who leads people to life. But God raised him from death, and all of us can tell you what he has done. ¹⁶ You see this man, and you know him. He put his faith in the name of Jesus and was made strong. Faith in Jesus made this man completely well while everyone was watching.

¹⁷ My friends, I am sure you and your leaders didn't know what you were doing. ¹⁸ But God had his prophets tell that his Messiah would suffer, and now he has kept this promise. ¹⁹ So turn to God! Give up your sins, and you will be forgiven. ²⁰ Then the time will come when the Lord will give you fresh strength. He will send you Jesus, his chosen Messiah. ²¹ But Jesus must stay in heaven until God makes all things new, just as his holy prophets promised long ago.

^22 (C) Moses said, “The Lord your God will choose one of your own people to be a prophet, just as he chose me. Listen to everything he tells you. ^23 (D) No one who disobeys this prophet will be one of God's people any longer.”

²⁴ Samuel and all the other prophets who came later also spoke about what is now happening. ^25 (E) You are really the ones God told his prophets to speak to. And you were given the promise God made to your ancestors. He said to Abraham, “All nations on earth will be blessed because of someone from your family.” ²⁶ God sent his chosen Son^[d] to you first, because God wanted to bless you and make each one of you turn away from your sins.

Peter and John Are Brought in Front of the Council

4 The apostles were still talking to the people, when some priests, the captain of the temple guard, and some Sadducees arrived. ² These men were angry because the apostles were teaching the people that the dead would be raised from death, just as Jesus had been raised from death. ³ It was already late in the afternoon, and they arrested Peter and John and put them in jail for the night. ⁴ But a lot of people who had heard the message believed it. So by now there were about 5,000 followers of the Lord.

⁵ The next morning the leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met in Jerusalem. ⁶ The high priest Annas was there, as well as Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other members of the high priest's family. ⁷ They brought in Peter and John and made them stand in the middle while they questioned them. They asked, “By what power and in whose name have you done this?”

⁸ Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and told the nation's leaders and the elders:

⁹ You are questioning us today about a kind deed in which a man who could not walk was healed. ¹⁰ But there is something we must tell you and everyone else in Israel. This man is standing here completely well because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You put Jesus to death on a cross, but God raised him to life. ^11 (F) He is the stone you builders thought was worthless, and now he is the most important stone of all. ¹² Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.

¹³ The officials were amazed to see how brave Peter and John were, and they knew that these two apostles were only ordinary men and not well educated. The officials were certain these men had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ But they could not deny what had happened. The man who had been healed was standing there with the apostles.

¹⁵ The officials commanded them to leave the council room. Then the officials said to each other, ¹⁶ “What can we do with these men? Everyone in Jerusalem knows about this miracle, and we cannot say it didn't happen. ¹⁷ But to keep this thing from spreading, we will warn them never again to speak to anyone about the name of Jesus.” ¹⁸ So they called the two apostles back in and told them they must never, for any reason, teach anything about the name of Jesus.

¹⁹ Peter and John answered, “Do you think God wants us to obey you or to obey him? ²⁰ We cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard.”

^21-22 The officials could not find any reason to punish Peter and John. So they threatened them and let them go. The man who was healed by this miracle was more than 40 years old, and everyone was praising God for what had happened.

Peter and Others Pray for Courage

²³ As soon as Peter and John had been set free, they went back and told the others everything the chief priests and the leaders had said to them. ^24 (G) When the rest of the Lord's followers heard this, they prayed together and said:

Master, you created heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. ^25 (H) And by the Holy Spirit you spoke to our ancestor David. He was your servant, and you told him to say:

^27 (I) Here in Jerusalem, Herod^[e] and Pontius Pilate got together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel. Then they turned against your holy Servant^[f] Jesus, your chosen Messiah. ²⁸ They did what you in your power and wisdom had already decided would happen.

²⁹ Lord, listen to their threats! We are your servants. So make us brave enough to speak your message. ³⁰ Show your mighty power, as we heal people and work miracles and wonders in the name of your holy Servant^[g] Jesus.

³¹ After they had prayed, the meeting place shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and bravely spoke God's message.

Sharing Possessions

^32 (J) The group of followers all felt the same way about everything. None of them claimed that their possessions were their own, and they shared everything they had with each other. ³³ In a powerful way the apostles told everyone that the Lord Jesus was now alive. God greatly blessed his followers,^{[h] 34} and no one went in need of anything. Everyone who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money ³⁵ to the apostles. Then they would give the money to anyone in need.

^36-37 Joseph was one of the followers who had sold a piece of property and brought the money to the apostles. He was a Levite from Cyprus, and the apostles called him Barnabas, which means “one who encourages others.”