Acts 4:15-36

¹⁵So the Jewish leaders commanded guards to take Peter, John, and the man outside of the room where those leaders were meeting. After they did so, the leaders talked with each other about Peter and John.

¹⁶Being frustrated, one after another, they said, “◄There is really nothing that we can do to punish these two men!/How can we (inc) do anything to punish these two men?► RHQ Almost everyone HYP who is living in Jerusalem knows that they have done an amazing miracle, so we cannot tell people that it did not happen!

¹⁷However, we must not allow other people to hear about this miracle. So we must tell these men that we will punish them if they continue to tell other people about this MTY man who they say gave them the power to do it.”

¹⁸So the Jewish leaders commanded guards to bring the two apostles into that room again. After they did so, they commanded them both that they should never speak about Jesus, and they should not teach anyone about him MTY again.

¹⁹But Peter and John replied, “Would God think that it is right for us two to obey you and not to obey him? We(exc) will let you decide which of those you think is proper.

²⁰But as for us, we cannot obey you. We will not stop telling people about the things that we (exc) have seen Jesus do and what we have heard him teach.”

²¹Then the Jewish leaders again told Peter and John not to disobey them. But all the people there were praising God about what had happened to the lame man. The leaders knew that only God could have enabled Peter and John to miraculously heal the man, because the man was more than forty years old and he was lame when his mother bore him. They also knew that the people would become angry if they punished the two apostles. So, because they could not decide how to punish Peter and John, they finally let them go.

²³After Peter and John had been released, they went to the other believers and reported all that the chief priests and other Jewish elders had said to them.

²⁴When they heard that, they all agreed as they prayed to God, and one of them prayed, “O Lord! You (sg) made the sky, the earth and the oceans, and everything in them.

²⁵The Holy Spirit caused our ancestor, King David MTY, who served you, to write these words: It is ridiculous RHQ that the non-Jews became angry and the Israelite people planned uselessly to oppose God .

²⁶The kings of the world prepared to fight God's Ruler, and the other rulers assembled together with them to oppose the Lord God and the one whom he had appointed to be the Messiah.

²⁷Lord, we know that what you(sg) said long ago was true, because King Herod and the governor, Pontius Pilate, and many other people, both non-Jews and Israelites, assembled together here in this city. They planned to kill Jesus, who devotedly served you and whom you appointed MTY to be the Messiah.

²⁸Because you (sg) are all-powerful, those people did only what you SYN allowed them to do. It was what you decided long ago would happen.”

²⁹“So now, Lord, listen to what they are saying about punishing us! Help us who serve you (sg) to very boldly speak messages from you (sg) about Jesus

³⁰Also, by your power MTY miraculously heal sick people and do other amazing miracles SYN that show people your power! Ask Jesus, who always serves you, to give us the authority MTY to do such miracles!”

³¹When the believers had finished praying, the place where they were meeting shook. All of them were ◄completely controlled/empowered► by the Holy Spirit {the Holy Spirit ◄completely controlled/empowered► all of them}, with the result that they began to speak boldly the words that God told them to speak.

³²The group of people who had believed in Jesus were completely agreed about what they thought and what they wanted/desired. Not one of them claimed that he alone owned anything. Instead, they shared with one another everything that they had.

³³The apostles continued to tell others, very powerfully, that God had ◄caused the Lord Jesus to become alive again/raised the Lord Jesus from the dead►. People knew that God was graciously helping all the believers.

³⁴Some of the believers who owned land or houses would occasionally sell some of their property. Then they would bring the money for what they sold

³⁵and they would present it to the apostles MTY. Then the apostles would give money to any believer who needed it. So no one among the believers was lacking anything.

³⁶For example, there was Joseph. He was a descendant of Levi and he was born on Cyprus Island. The apostles called him Barnabas; in the Jewish language that name means a person who IDM always encourages others.