Acts 4:8-21

⁸Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them. “Rulers of the people, and elders:

⁹Are we being interrogated regarding a good deed done to a man who couldn't help himself, and how he came to be healed?

¹⁰If so, all of you should know, and all the people of Israel, that it was in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the one you killed on a cross and whom God raised from the dead—it's because of him that this man stands before you completely healed.

¹¹‘He is the stone you builders rejected, but he has been made the chief cornerstone.’

¹²There is no salvation in anyone else; there is no other name under heaven given to humanity that can possibly save us.”

¹³When they saw Peter and John's confidence, and realized they were uneducated, ordinary men, they were very surprised. They also recognized them as Jesus' companions.

¹⁴Since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there with them, they had nothing to say in response to what had happened.

¹⁵So they instructed them to wait outside the council while they discussed the matter among themselves.

¹⁶“What should we do with these men?” they asked. “We can't deny a significant miracle has happened through them. Everybody living here in Jerusalem knows about it.

¹⁷But to prevent it spreading among the people any further, we should threaten them never to speak to anybody in this name again.”

¹⁸So they called them back in and ordered them never to speak or teach in the name of Jesus again.

¹⁹But Peter and John responded, “Whether it's right in God's eyes to obey you rather than God—you decide.

²⁰We can't help talking about what we've seen and heard!”

²¹After making more threats they let them go. They couldn't work out how to punish them because everyone was glorifying God for what had happened.