Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
Peter Heals a Crippled Man
3 One day Peter and John went to the Temple at ·three o’clock [L the ninth hour; time was reckoned from dawn, traditionally set at 6 AM], ·the time set each day for the afternoon prayer service [L the hour of prayer]. 2 There, at the Temple gate called Beautiful Gate [C unknown location, perhaps one of several gates between various courtyards], was a man who had been ·crippled [lame] ·all his life [L from his mother’s womb]. Every day ·he was carried to [people would lay him at] this gate to beg for ·money [alms] from the people going into the Temple [C the Temple complex; 2:46]. 3 The man saw Peter and John going into the Temple [C courts; 2:46] and asked them for ·money [alms; help]. 4 Peter and John looked ·straight [intently] at him and said, “Look at us!” 5 The man ·looked at [paid attention to] them, thinking they were going to give him ·some money [L something]. 6 But Peter said, “·I don’t have any silver or gold, but ·I do have something else I can give you [L what I do have, I give to you]. ·By the power [L In the name] of Jesus Christ ·from Nazareth [or the Nazarene], stand up and walk [Luke 5:23]!” 7 Then Peter took the man’s right hand and ·lifted [raised] him up. Immediately the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He ·jumped up [leaped], stood on his feet, and began to walk. He went into the Temple [C courts; 2:46] with them, walking and ·jumping [leaping] and praising God [Is. 35:4–6].
Peter Speaks to the People
11 While the man was ·holding on [clinging] to Peter and John, all the people were ·amazed [astonished] and ran to them at Solomon’s ·Porch [Portico; Colonnade; C columns marked the outside perimeter of the large outer court of the Temple]. 12 When Peter saw this, he ·said to [addressed] them, “·People of Israel [L Men, Israelites], why are you ·surprised [amazed]? ·You are [L Or why are you…?] ·looking [staring] at us as if it were our own power or ·goodness [piety; godliness] that made this man walk. 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers], ·gave glory to [has glorified/honored] Jesus, his ·servant [or child]. But you handed him over to be killed. Pilate decided to let him go free, but you ·told Pilate you did not want [L disowned; rejected] Jesus. 14 You ·did not want [L disowned; rejected] the One who is holy and ·good [righteous] but asked Pilate to give you a murderer [C Barabbas; Luke 23:18] instead. 15 And so you killed the ·One who gives [Author/Source/Ruler of] life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses to this. 16 It was faith in [L the name of] Jesus that made this ·crippled [lame] man ·well [strong]. You can see this man, and you know him. He was made completely well because of ·trust [faith] in ·Jesus [L the name of Jesus], ·and you all saw it happen [in front of you all]!
17 “·Brothers and sisters [or Brothers; C fellow Jews], I know you did those things to Jesus because neither you nor your leaders [rulers] understood what you were doing. 18 God ·said [foretold; predicted] through [L the mouth of all] the prophets that his ·Christ [Messiah] would suffer. And now God has ·made these things come true [L fulfilled these things] in this way. 19 So you must ·change your hearts and lives [repent]! ·Come back [Return; Turn back] to God, and he will ·forgive [wipe out; erase] your sins. Then the ·time [L times; seasons] of ·rest [refreshment; comfort; C the messianic age] will come from [L the presence of] the Lord. 20 And he will send Jesus, the One he ·chose [appointed] to be the ·Christ [Messiah]. 21 But ·Jesus must stay in heaven [L heaven must receive/welcome him] until the time comes when all things will be ·made right again [restored; made new]. God ·told about [announced] this time long ago when he spoke through his holy prophets. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will ·give you [L raise up for you] a prophet like me, ·who is one of your own people [L from among your brothers]. You must ·listen to [hear; obey] everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to that prophet will ·die, cut off [be utterly destroyed] from God’s people [Lev. 23:29; Deut. 18:15–20].’ 24 Samuel, and all the other prophets who spoke for God after Samuel, ·told [announced; foretold; predicted] about ·this time now [L these days; C there are no specific messianic prophecies from Samuel, but he did anoint David whose kingship anticipated the Messiah; 2 Sam. 7:12–16; Acts 13:22–23; Heb. 5:1]. 25 You are ·descendants [children; sons] of the prophets. You have received the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] God made with your ·ancestors [L fathers; patriarchs]. He said to your father Abraham, ‘Through your ·descendants [heirs; L seed] all the ·nations [or families] on the earth will be blessed [Gen. 22:18; 26:4].’ 26 God has raised up his ·servant [or child] Jesus and sent him to you first [C the Jews were to receive the blessing first, and through them God would bless all nations] to bless you by turning each of you away from ·doing evil [your wicked ways].”
Peter and John at the Council
4 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]. 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]. 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 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].
5 The next day the rulers, the elders, and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] ·met [assembled] in Jerusalem. 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. 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?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and you elders, 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]? 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. 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].’
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.”
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. 14 Because they saw the healed man standing there beside the two apostles, they could say nothing against them. 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. 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. 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].”
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. 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? 20 [L For] We cannot ·keep quiet [stop speaking] about what we have seen and heard.” 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]. 22 The man who received the ·miracle [L sign] of healing was more than forty years old.
The Believers Pray
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. 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]. 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]?
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].’
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”]. 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.] 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]. 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].”
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].
The Believers Share
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]. 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]. 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, 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.
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”]). 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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